(Thread) A Past Hidden, but Never Erased, May Be An Eternal Torment

Madison slipped down the steps to the basement swiftly and silently, bare foot and wearing a grey tanktop and silk pajama bottoms. Her long hair was still a little damp from a recent shower, and the basement floor made her toes cold. Nevertheless, she seemed to become lost, taking a walk down bittersweet memory lane as she slowly dragged her gaze across the mounds and mounds of artifacts and Cursed objects; most were either covered by a layer of dust or a tarp blanket to keep them out of sight. This particular basement never seemed to end though. She had hexed the room to stretch much farther than its original size, to fit the more junk around here. Not all the stuff here was hers, and not all of it was worth much. The truly Dark Arts were way in the back, where it was more difficult to find. The rest of this cluttered mess was things she'd inherited from her grandfather and mother, and a few other relatives whom she couldn't remember. Her family wasn't too large, and as the youngest in the bloodline, most inheritance naturally went to her. But there was more stuff now than Madison could keep track of. This place was like the heart of Madison's past, everything all lumped together like a junkyard. As Madison made her way farther back into the basement, she pulled her hair back over her shoulder and ran her fingers through the raven strands. Her pace was slow and without purpose. Here and there, she'd find books that didn't belong down here, but couldn't fit up in her Study. Sometimes she'd come across a childhood trinket or gizmo that would bring a faint smile to her face, but nothing she passed ever reached her hands. Everything in here would stay exactly where it was, what is was, and how it was- if that made sense.

Madison slowly cam to a stop as she ran her fingertips gently across a locked chest. Loud rattling commenced from inside the chest, which then rose to violent beating sounds against the confinement, but Madison only absentmindedly continued past it, leaving thin marks along it from collecting dust with her fingertips. As she grew farther and farther away from her only way out of this basement, she eventually had to light her wand in order to see the way. Upstairs, one could probably find mounds of evidence showing that Madison was a member of the Order, a professor at Hogwarts, and an adversity of reading tastes. It showed the bright Madison, the one most people these days overlooked no matter what she did. Where as here, in this dark, gloomy basement, was all of the old Madison. Dark Arts... Family Heirlooms from her father... broken and abandoned childhood memories... If Madison's house were to burn down, this place would be all that was left, open for the world to see. There would be no lies hovering over it, covering up what it really was. Madison sighed and shined her light back the way she had come. She had made it so far back that the door out was nowhere in sight. She hadn't been going in circles had she? No, of course not, only a fool would.... well... Madison simply hoped she was heading straight.

'Lumos Maxima...' Madison's wand tip grew increasingly brighter, but still, nothing but mounds of junk surrounded her. She couldn't even see any of the walls of the basement. Ceiling yes, walls, no. She sighed and ran a hand through her damp hair as she started moving again. Nothing seemed to bother Madison too much; not the feeling of being lost in her own home, not the eerie silence that lingered in the vast basement, not even the shadows dancing around her and her wand light. Her mind was slowly drifting once again.

"You did a great job tonight, just like you did with Lamia, and what you will do with Timothy."

Madison slowly exhaled as she plopped down on an old but durable box. She crossed her legs and rested her chin in her palm. Leo seemed so confident in Madison's abilities, and he hadn't even the slightest idea of her major failure.

She had let a Death Eater escape after all Leo's hard work, she had nearly ran off to South America simply on the fear of knowing, fear of judging. She had done well in that battle at Hogsmeade, but could that really be something to take pride in? Her dueling skills... her stealth skills... they were both from him. The very thought disgusted Madison, sent shivers down her spine. She had finally been so close to doing something right, and she just let it slip away, right off her fingertips. Her job as a professor had allowed her to latch on to the one talent that she could never feel guilty for; her wit. Ever since Madison was sorted into Ravenclaw all those years ago, education had been the only thing her grandfather couldn't touch. But now, with the job lost for who knows how much longer, the only thinking she's done has either haunted her or been used to advise Michelle. Yet the haunts that were wearing Madison thin made it hard to assist the Order without snapping someone's head off. Why did she always have to think for everybody else? (Not true, just Maddy's mind set currently) Michelle was the leader of the Order, not Madison, she had been sure to make Michelle the leader after all, and she did a decent job, but did Michelle not weigh her decisions too heavily on Madison's input?

With a frustrated grumble and perhaps even hiss, Madison shot up back onto her feet and was on the move again.

If Madison didn't have something to focus absolutely all of her attention on, her mind would slowly consume her, bend her, break her. Hogwarts had kept her busy for so long, she had almost forgotten the doubt and fears that feeded upon her heart. Madison could never fight back. She was a sinful creature, one who didn't deserve Michelle's trust, didn't deserve to live among honest men and women. She was a filthy disease-infested stray, and it would always that way she thought. Anyone willing to reach out to her was a fool. No sane person could wander into a snake's den and come out alive. Well that was simply the answer then wasn't it? Michelle was insane! And all because of Madison's selfish desires. If she hadn't helped Michelle become the leader, maybe things would have turned out differently. But no, then the Order would have had another stiff that would have been impossible to work with. It had always been intended that Michelle would rely heavily on Madison, that was why she did it, but she had never realized how exhausting it would be, helping with every single little decision. But that's not what really was the problem. The problem was that Michelle's trust for her had grown from a deceptive plan laid out by Madison herself. She couldn't deem Michelle's trust to be true, because it was through cunning and suspicious work that it was formed in the first place. "I really am just a bloody old snake..." Her voice cracked as she covered her mouth with one hand and leaned over another large box with the other. How could she live with herself? She was a vile concoction, made by filthy, murderous, hateful hands.

"I know your pain.... I can taste your fear child..."

Madison froze as she looked around wearily, blinking the tears from her eyes, "Who's there? Damnit show yourself!" Her voice shook.

But the voice did not show itself. Instead, it spoke again, "Madison... would you like me to take it all away? You seem so... tormented, my dear." The voice was male, but there was something off about it. His voice was long and drawn out, but at the same time, as if only a whisper, as though each word took its time to drip off the speaker's tongue. His voice... It sent trembles along Madison's body, but she would show no weakness. It was an odd feeling, but Madison somehow knew this voice was speaking to her mind, or perhaps even soul. Whatever it was, it was not a call that should be answered. Against better judgement, Madison began moving again, her wand ready as she slowly glanced around, looking for the source.

"Homenum Revelio." Madison whispered gently to her wand, but after a few moments, nothing happened. Madison's hand shook as she slowly lowered her wand again. If she was alone, then what could the voice be?

"Who are you?" She questioned as she slowly started moving once again, each step taken carefully and quietly.

"Ah, but you know who I am, Madison. Do not belittle me with such foolish questions." His tone shook in his voice for a moment before returning to his calm whisper.

Her wand light suddenly bounced off something, reflecting the light and nearly blinding Madison. She rubbed her eyes, dimming her light slightly before looking up again. Several feet away, a mirror dangled loosely from a wardrobe, but was drooping at an angle where Madison could not see it clearly. Her steps became more cautious as she moved towards it, her wand raised once again as she tilted her head to the side. Madison knew that anything found in this basement could be dangerous.

"I only wish to help you, child. Just say the words, and all of your problems, will go away." But Madison wouldn't acknowledge the voice directly as she slowly approached the mirror. With her free hand, she reached for the mirror, anxiously.

Upon looking into the mirror, a bright flash of light emitted from it. Something so frightening caused Madison to scream and fall backwards to the ground. A spark shot out from her wand as she fell, setting the wardrobe on fire. Her pupils dialated as she groaned. Hidious laughter echoed through her mind, trapping her thoughts and isolating them, controlling them. Others joined in the laughter, and Madison struggled to get up, her eyes wide in a panic. Had her eyes lost their color? Or was it just the darkness around her playing tricks? The mirror... she had seen another face, right behind her. Had it even been human? It looked like a mixture between human and snake. Madison froze as her childish voice echoed around her, "But I don't want to kill grandpa. Don't make me papa, no!" The man's voice from earlier mixed in with hers, making her sick to her stomach. This was bloodlust. "Stop..."

"It will only hurt awhile longer, my dear..." He answered.

The flames had consumed the wardrobe now, and was spreading quickly, but leaving a wide, perfectly formed circle around Madison, as though it had been ordered to do no harm upon her. But she hardly realized the fire's odd behavior. "I want mommy!" This time her grandfather's voice cascaded down upon her, "Mommy's not here!" Her arms struggled underneath her weight as she tried to maintain her strength, but she was shaking all over, her hair falling over her face as she started coughing from the smoke. Figures were dancing around in the wild fire, surrounding Madison with more laughter and hurling stuff about, like this was some crazy party to them. The worst had yet to come.

The next voice that shrouded her mind was that of a fearful young man, "Please! I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" Then her grandfather again, "Say it, Madison, now!" A slightly older version of Madison's childish voice said, "I... I don't think I can! I'm not ready!" The young man's sobs could be heard in the background as her grandfather spoke again, "I said now, child!", "No!", "Crucio!" But it wasn't the young man who screamed in agony... The screams filled her ears, and Madison's breathing became harsh, like she was forcing out every breath. Then... silence... Her grandfather's voice said in a low, flat voice, "As useless as your mother. Filthy halfblood." Madison remembered this so clearly, she could imagine him spitting at her feet and turning his back on a young, scared, and pained, child.

"Stop..." Madison begged feebly, but the smoke was getting to her. She coughed violently, covering her mouth and trying to stand, her wand clutched loosely in her hand.

The laughter in the flames taunted her... Was that blood they were throwing everywhere? Madison had finally managed to rise to her feet, but the flames around her wouldn't allow an exit of any sort. The figures dancing about in the fire were demons- had to be. Madison was sure of it.

"But are you any different, Maddy?" The snake man hissed.

Madison's eyes widened as she suddenly moved her hand away from her face. 'Blood...'

"Madison, you must come to understand this if you want any place in the new world." Her grandfather's voice came in again, "Muggle blood will not be tolerated by our kind. It is unclean, it is poison to us. Wizards must rule over this scum, it is the natural order of the world.", "But... father's a muggle!", "Mudblood." Her grandfather correctly icily, "He has tainted both you and your mother. His grip is tight, but there is still hope for you, my dear child."

This was going to drive her mad. She tried wiping the blood off on her clothes, but it only smeared, and the stench reached her nose, sickening her and the chaos errupting in her mind was making her dizzy and light-headed.

"Unclean! Unwanted! Unsanitary!" The figures around her chanted maliciously. (Totally copied that from an anime xD)

Her father's voice came next... This was a more recent memory, "Look, I know you miss your mother as much as I do... but... bottling it all up isn't healthy Madison!", "You think mother's death is the problem?", "Well how would I know what really is causing you to act this way?! Never visiting... Never telling me about your life... You're a stranger to me! I don't have a clue who you are!", "You blind old man! I haven't changed one bit! You're just too oblivious and incompetent to realize I've been this way ever since-...!", "Since what?", "Since grandfather started visiting!"

"Unclean! Unwanted! Unsanitary!"

"Of course you would know nothing about it father! You never know anything! You're nothing but a muggle!", But then, something about the memory changed. The flames around her vanished, as did the dancing figures. She found herself in her father's kitchen, like she had stepped into her own memory, and there her father was, right there, exactly how she remembered. She didn't recall him appearing so wounded, so hurt, so confused. "Filthy mudblood." Madison flinched as her grandfather appeared beside her, his hand on her shoulder as he glared at the muggle before him. Then came her mother, who took Madison's right hand into both her hands and whispering into her ear, "You can't speak to your father this way Maddy. Apologize right now." Her mother was just as gentle as ever, but seeing her mother after so long and so close up was too much.

"N-No! It's a trick!" She shouted as she pushed these people away from her and turned and ran.

The three people, her mother, her father, and her grandfather, none of them seemed aware of each other's presence. Their only focus was little Maddy. "Maddy, wait!" Her mother called, then her grandfather, "Get back here!" But her father said nothing, as he watched his precious child turn her back, and run out the door.

The illusion melted away, and she was surrounded in flames once more. She had nearly ran right into the fire, her bare foot was just inches away, and the flames were trying to lick at her ankles. She took a panicked step back and glanced around as the figures continued their chant, over and over again. She gripped her wand tightly as she slowly shook her head. She had to get away. She couldn't take anymore of this. An inhuman screech bellowed from the mirror as the flames grew more intense. Madison had rejected the cursed mirror's dark magic. With her heart pounding uncontrollably, and her concentration completely off, she turned right on the spot and disappparated to who knows where. The screeching in the basement grew louder and louder, until finally, the mirror absorbed all of the active magic in the room, which just happened to be the flames. Once absorbed, the flames burned out, and nothing remained except the charred remnants of the mounds of junk in the room.