Village Nightmares
�Schala!� a little boy cries, running into the room.
�No Janus, go back!� a woman yells.
Swirling portals start opening under people in the room, making them disappear. The boy tries to run, but it is too late.
�Schala!� the boy screams as he is engulfed by the portal, vanishing.
Magus woke with a start, breathing heavily. This was all he needed to remind him of why he didn�t sleep anymore. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
�Good, you�re awake,� Sirius said from his half of the cave. He had done the light spell again, once again blocking off Magus� side. �You were talking in you�re sleep.�
�What did I say?� Magus asked, already knowing the answer.
�Schala,� Sirius said, sounding confused. �Is that the name of someone from your time?�
�In a way,� Magus said, not really sure of it himself.
�Anyway, we need to get moving,� Sirius said, walking to the entrance. �It�s been dark for nearly two hours. Well, what�re you waiting for? Oh, sorry.� He muttered a spell to put out the light from his wand.
Magus got up and followed Sirius out. It was pitch black outside, just as Sirius had said. They hurried through the forest, dodging tree branches that threatened to impale them. Finally, they reached the end of the forest. Mountains could be seen in the distance, cloaked in mist that seemed to choke out the entire area ahead.
�That way leads north, into the mountains,� Sirius said, pointing. �I wouldn�t suggest going that way for long. If you walk west for a bit you�ll reach Hogsmeade, but you won�t receive a warm welcome there. Nobody really knows what�s in the east. I�d say that�s you�re best bet. Just don�t come back this way. Dumbledore�s not one to give up quickly.�
�Once again, I thank you,� Magus said. Then he held out his hand, palm facing upward. �It is customary where I come from to repay a debt whenever possible.� A ball of white energy appeared in Magus� hand and he held it out to Sirius, who looked at it hesitantly.
�It won�t hurt you,� Magus said. �It�s a healing spell. You can carry it with you and, if you ever need it, just take it out and place it over the wound. It can also bring back the dead, but only if used within five minutes of death. Don�t waste it though. It takes quite a bit of energy to make even one, or else I�d give you more.�
Sirius took the spell and put it in his pocket. �I thank you also. Now, go on. Morning comes a lot faster than it should when you want it to stay away.�
�I bid you farewell,� Magus said, with a sweeping bow. Then, he turned and took off in a steady run, toward the north. When he was far enough away that he could no longer see the forest, he slowed to a walk.
Magus turned his head from left to right. Should he go west or east? They choice seemed simple. He had to go where he wouldn�t be seen, which meant that the east was indeed his best bet. So, he turned to his right and took a step.
Then, he stopped, listening. A faint, howling sound reached his ears. �The black wind begins to blow�� Magus muttered to himself. He wasn�t sure what was in that direction, but he knew he didn�t want to go there. He would have to take a risk and go west. So, he turned and started off. As he walked, the howling faded away into silence.
And so, he walked. Moments became minutes, minutes became hours. When the sun began to rise, he pulled his hood up and silently thanked Hermione. He continued to walk, his lack of humanity preventing him from tiring. He was never really sure how long he walked. It could�ve been days, or even weeks. It didn�t really matter.
One day, he looked up and found himself walking into a small village. A sign announced it to be Hogsmeade. People and creatures of all shapes and sizes bustled through the crowded streets, chattering constantly. Magus thought this to be the perfect place to hide out. With all these strange creatures wandering around, surely no one would pay any attention to him.
He walked down the streets, careful not to bump into anyone. He couldn�t afford for his hood to fall down at a time like this. He looked up at the shop names, trying desperately to find something familiar.
As he walked, he started to notice more and more people in hooded cloaks, similar to his own. He thought this was odd, but, then again, everything about this world was alien to him.
He had just gone back to looking at the signs when one caught his eye. It read Midnight Pub: a bit of darkness in a stressfully bright day. Magus didn�t know much about this town, but he did know what a �pub� was. He went to the door and threw open the door.
The inside was pitch black, much to Magus� relief. When he stepped into the pub, not one person turned their head. No, the hooded figures just sat in their little groups, drinking and talking in low whispers. As Magus pulled down his hood, he heard small bits of conversations.
��dragon scales, 200 of �em��
��really good spell��
��only 20 galleons, right here��
��this offer�s only good today, I have business elsewhere.�
Magus went up to the counter and looked up at the menu. He had only made it through the first couple listings when the bartender noticed him.
�We have dragon�s blood if that�s what you�re looking for, sir,� the bartender said, looking at Magus uncomfortably.
�No,� Magus said, �I�ll just have a Broom Sweep, thank you very much.�
�Excellent choice, if I might say so sir,� the bartender said, pouring out Magus� drink. �This is the choice drink of Lucius Malfoy himself.�
�Here now,� a man said from the other end of the counter, �don�t be blurting out names if you know what�s good for you.�
�Yes sir,� the bartender muttered, bowing his head, �simple slip of the tongue. It won�t happen again.� He gave Magus his drink and rushed into a back room before any more could be spoken.
�Well, I suppose you look like the kind that can be trusted,� the man said, coming over to sit by Magus and taking off his hood. �I�m Lucius Malfoy.�
�Magus,� Magus said briefly, shaking Lucius� hand.
�Hmm�� Lucius tapped the counter impatiently, �is that you�re surname, or more of a title?�
�Huh?� Magus asked, confused.
�What�s your full name?� Lucius said, looking annoyed.
�Oh, it�s Zeal,� Magus said. �Magus Zeal.�
�Zeal,� Lucius looked thoughtful, �I�ve heard that name somewhere before. Are you from our vampire division?�
�Yeah,� Magus said, having no idea what Lucius was talking about.
�That�s interesting,� Lucius said, sounding bored. �I didn�t know vampires drank Broom Sweep. Then again, I�ve only ever met one vampire, and he was a bit off his rocker, if you know what I mean.�
Magus nodded and took a swig of his drink. He coughed a little as it burned the back of his throat, but managed to swallow it anyway. Lucius didn�t seem to notice.
�So,� Lucius lowered his voice to a whisper, �are you interested in buying something? Perhaps I can interest you in a couple truth potions? Can never have too many of those, I always say.�
�No thanks,� Magus said, digging in his pocket for some money he always kept for emergencies. �I should be going.�
�I got it,� Lucius said, throwing a bag of money onto the table. �I�ll be here if you change your mind.�
�I�ll keep that in mind,� Magus said as he stood up, having no desire to ever go back to that place again.
�Happy hunting,� Lucius said, putting his feet up on the chair Magus had been in.
Magus gave a forced smile and put his hood back up. He went to the door and stepped out into the light, growling under his breath. Even when he had the hood to protect him, he hated the light.
When Magus looked up, he saw that the hooded figures were all gone, replaced with perfectly normal looking people and creatures. He looked back and the sign of the pub he�d just been in now read Daylight Drinks: a little sin in an otherwise perfect life. Magus looked at this as he walked, wondering if he�d just imagined the whole thing.
With his head turned, Magus didn�t see the person until he ran into them. He stumbled and fell to the ground, his hood falling down onto his shoulders.
Pain lanced through Magus� skin and he groaned, shutting his eyes. He tried desperately to get his hood back on.
�I�m so s�� the woman who had bumped into him ended with a scream, most likely spotting Magus� face. Magus opened his eyes enough to see her run away. He also saw shadows of the other people on the street, all backing away from him slowly. One of them turned around and spoke to the others.
�Never, in all my years,� the man said importantly, �has a vampire ever come to this town and been allowed to go free. I don�t plan for that to fail now. Someone detain him!�
Great, Magus thought sarcastically, as sometimes is the way of a doomed man, of all the people I could be around at a time like this, it�s a politician. A couple shadows moved forward and Magus felt a pair of hands on his arms pulling him up. He tried to get away, but all he could manage was to move his head slightly. He felt himself being pulled down the street, his legs dragging limply on the ground.
Meanwhile, the sunlight was starting to take its toll on Magus. His face stung as though a piece of burning coal had been pressed against his forehead. He felt his throat swell up and close off completely so that he could no longer breath. He choked weakly, his lungs screaming for oxygen. His mind became foggy and he felt his brain start to shut down.
So this is what it�s like to die, Magus thought to himself as he fell into darkness.
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