Pari's eyes opened to a dull atmosphere. There were white walls holding dim lamps around her. Complete, peaceful silence surrounded her. But where on earth was she?
Pari's mind suddenly took her back to the incident at her home. Rebecca had come over to her place... Then what had happened? Pari strained hard to remember and in a few minutes, the entire memory came flooding into her mind.
Pari set the tea tray upon the table as she sat opposite Rebecca on a sofa. The other girl smiled at her as she took a cup of tea. “I was just at the hospital. Daisy's awake.”
Pari smiled back as she took her own cup. Daisy was awake... Rebecca was going to try to kill her again. Or was it already arranged for...? Anyway, Pari replied nonchalantly. “That's good. I'll go meet her.”
There was silence as both of them took sips from their tea cups. Pari in the meantime noticed Rebecca's wand on the table and pocketed it discreetly. It was time to end Rebecca's games. Tomorrow was the thirteenth of February, after which it would be too late...
Pari took a deep breath. “It's over, Rebecca.”
Rebecca set her tea down, looking confused. “Um... What?”
Pari got up and walked to the window, looking at, but not really seeing the street outside. “I know everything.”
Rebecca stood up too. “I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean.”
Her heart racing, Pari looked down at the street again. Should she go for it? Just then, an approaching car stopped in front of the building and a blonde woman got out. Pari smiled. She had no fears now. She turned to face Rebecca again. “I know that you've been killing all those people for so long. I also know everything about the Galvanising Gem. And now, the Aurors are here. If Daisy has woken up, then I'm sure the Aurors know that you're the culprit. So submit yourself now. You've done enough.”
Rebecca was at a loss for words. She searched her robes for her wand, but Pari produced it with a smile and aimed it at her. Just then, somebody knocked at the door. “Auror Irene Stance!” called out a voice.
Rebecca gasped as her eyes darted around for an escape. “You bitch...” she whispered vehemently.
Pari's smile widened. “Go open the door. Irene is waiting for you.”
Rebecca's eyes finally stopped darting around, as a menacing smile spread on her lips. “Oh, really? Then I guess something better is waiting for you.”
The next thing Pari knew was that the wand was snatched from her and she was falling through thin air. Then there was unbearable pain followed by darkness.
Pari sat up on her bed, realising that she was in the hospital. Suddenly, she could feel a thick, tight plaster on her right arm and she saw her leg suspended on a brace. There was a bandage wrapped around her head, too. She felt the bandage with her fingers and realised that she had hurt her forehead. Apart from all that, she had a bruised cheek and what seemed like a laceration up one thigh.
She swore at Rebecca under her breath as she lay back down on her bed. Worries for Daisy and Chris were starting to plague her mind and she hoped a Healer would come in soon.
Her wish was fulfilled, for an elderly Healer entered the ward at that moment. He had a pleasant, kind face. “Hello!” he said cheerfully. “It's great that you're awake. I'm Healer Wilkins, by the way.”
Pari smiled at him. “Um... How long do I have to keep the bandages on?”
“Not long,” said the Healer. “Your bones are fine, and the lacerations are closed. You were scheduled to get discharged after a few hours of regaining consciousness.”
“So can I go home tomorrow?”
“I don't see why that will be a problem,” shrugged the Healer.
Pari grinned. “Great!” After a moment she added, “Is it okay to visit my friend? She’s right here in another ward. She's been in coma for a month and I heard she's awake...”
Healer Wilkins pondered for a while before saying, “Okay... I guess it it's okay for you to go there...” He snapped his fingers and a house elf Apparated by his side. He looked at it and gestured towards Pari. “Arrange for a wheelchair and take her wherever she wants.”
Ten minutes later, Pari was on her way to Daisy's ward. When they reached it, Pari pushed open the door. It was very dim inside and Pari was greeted by Daisy's gasp. “Chris?”
Pari smiled, relief filling her. So Daisy was alive. “No, Shona, it's me.”
“Pari!”
Pari reached Daisy's bedside on time to see her friend wear her glasses. Pari looked at the house elf. “Um... You can go now. Only, tell me how to call you back.”
The house elf bowed and replied in a squeaky voice. “Miss only has to snap her fingers to call Lucy back. Lucy will take miss back whenever she is ready to go.” The house elf then Disapparated with a loud crack.
“What happened to you?!” Daisy asked, as she sat up slowly.
“Rebecca tried to kill me by pushing me down my window,” said Pari nonchalantly. “But turns out I'm fine and she's the one who's confronted by Aurors out there.”
“Oh my God...” gasped Daisy. “She got to you as well?”
“She didn't, actually. I told her that I knew. Just when I thought she would accept defeat, she chucked me out of the window. The Aurors were already there, though...” Pari looked around. “So... Where is everybody?”
“The Aurors have gone to catch and arrest Rebecca. Chris has gone to warn his parents against going home. Rebecca's supposed to be at his place.”
“But... I thought... The Aurors were at my place...!”
“How many of them?”
“Two. At least.”
Daisy pondered for a while. “Rebecca might have hoodwinked them and kept them hostage, then. It wouldn't be tough for her...”
There was silence. “So did you tell Chris...?” Pari asked carefully.
Daisy sighed. “I... I could only tell him about Rebecca.”
“But Shona, that's hardly the entire thing...”
“I know,” said Daisy, “But I couldn't tell him. He was already very upset when he heard about Rebecca.”
“But Daisy, the truth is that””
“I know what the truth is, Pari!” said Daisy, her voice starting to shake. “I know that I'm the one who attacked Chris after Andrew's death. I know that I was the one who Imperiused him to go kill Parvati. He was also the one to attack me the other day... But...” Daisy sniffled as a tear started to fall down her cheek. “I just can't tell him about it. I can't.”
Pari sighed. “I understand, Shona. Calm down. But tell him soon, all right?”
Daisy nodded. “I will tell him. I will definitely let him know. And it will be very soon.”
***
Harry looked sadly at Hermione, who sobbed as Ginny verbally consoled her. He wished for some brainwave; some sudden idea to escape this situation, but nothing struck him. Finally when he looked at Hermione again, he realised something. She wasn't really crying. She had just screwed her face and was looking down, pretending to sob.
Hermione was obviously upto something, but Harry couldn't understand what that could be. Ginny looked at him and gave a small wink as she continued to console Hermione. So both of them had planned something silently. Harry really hoped that the plan would work.
In a few seconds, Rebecca came back. She had just bent down to pick up the pile of wands when Hermione spoke again. “I want t”to be w”with Ron. Take m”me there.”
Rebecca turned around and gave her an irritated look. “Weren't you actually going to divorce him because you thought he was having some sort of affair with me? So what happened now?”
Hermione pretended not to hear her and screamed again. “TAKE ME TO RON!” She struggled violently against her manacles until she hurt her hands and real tears of pain fell out of her eyes.
“Oh, stop bawling!” Rebecca said, putting her hands on her hips. Then she walked out of the room again.
Harry was getting confused now. What exactly was Hermione trying to do” hurt herself? Besides, Rebecca didn't seem to react to whatever Hermione said at all. Harry prayed that her plan wouldn't fail. It was the only hope he had for the moment.
Rebecca now came back with Shaun. She looked at Hermione. “We have decided to let you die with your husband. We will take you there, so please stop wailing like that. Shaun...”
Shaun nodded and bent over Hermione, waving his wand to release her. She stood up as he held her hands back. He was just leading her past the pile of wands to the door where Rebecca stood, when Hermione shrieked for a third time. “Stop doing that, you pervert!” She struggled against Shaun's grip too and stepped on to the wands, sending them rolling everywhere.
“Oh Merlin, you're such a pain!” snarled Rebecca. “What happened now?”
“He ran a finger down my spine,” Hermione growled back. “You have a perverted friend.”
“Do you really think I'm going to believe that tosh, and ask him to free you so that you can escape?” asked Rebecca. “I thought you had helped fight the Dark Lord. How did you get out alive with such silly escape ideas?”
Shaun took Hermione out of the room as Rebecca followed them. Harry could now swear that he wasn't following Hermione's plan at all. Like Rebecca said, it sounded too vain. Plus, she had brought in new troubles now. The Aurors now had to save her as well as Ron before saving themselves. Harry looked around the room at the others, who were equally confused by Hermione's behaviour.
“Was this what you had planned?” Harry asked Ginny in a low voice.
“I don't know,” she whispered back. “Hermione just asked me to pretend to console her.”
“So you don't know what she was planning?”
“No.”
“That's great,” said Harry. He looked up at a clock on the wall opposite. There were twenty minutes to midnight” barely any time left. Harry's eyes glided over to the scattered wands. Then he understood what Hermione had done. That woman was as clever as always!
“Chris!” called Harry, turning to the boy, who was listlessly staring at the floor.
Chris looked up. “What happened?”
Harry nodded towards a wand that had rolled very close to Chris's legs. “Kick that wand here.”
Chris looked at the wand and stretched his long legs so that they had reached it. Then he kicked it hard, propelling it towards the Aurors. It landed right beside Anthony. “Pick it up, Anthony,” Harry told his brother-in-law.
Anthony picked up the wand, trying to move his hands as much as the manacles would allow him to. Then with much difficulty, he pointed it at Romilda's cuffs. “Diffindo.”
The chains broke with a snap and Romilda was on her feet in no time. She took the wand from Anthony, cursed off the cuffs from her wrists and freed him in turn. Anthony ran over to the pile and grabbed another wand. He came over to Harry and freed him, moving over to Ginny as Harry got up. Romilda, on the other hand had freed Irene and Cheryl too. She was getting the cuffs off Cheryl's wrist, as Harry too took a wand and cut off Chris's chains. “Come on,” said Harry, pocketing the extra wand from the floor. He checked the clock again. There were only ten minutes left. “We have to get to Ron and Hermione before midnight. Chris, do you have an idea...?”
“The house is huge,” said Chris in reply. “But I'm assuming they're in one of the rooms nearby...”
“Okay,” said Harry. “Look, it's dangerous for you to lead us because you're not trained to handle surprises. And I would have asked you to leave with Cheryl, but I bet Rebecca will catch up with you two. So just say put with us. We will walk ahead and you follow while giving us the directions from behind, okay?”
Chris nodded and let the Aurors get out of the room before getting out with Cheryl in the end. She looked faint with fear. Chris took her hand in his. “Don't get scared, okay? Just stay close to me. These people are trained in combat. They will not allow us to get hurt.”
Cheryl nodded and squeezed Chris's hand. He smiled at her bravely as they began to walk through the corridor. Harry in the meantime kept his wand poised like the other Aurors, ready to attack Rebecca and Shaun at the first opportunity.
The other room did not need a long search because soon enough, the Aurors could see a room with light pouring out through the doorway. Harry and Anthony being senior Aurors took the lead while the others stayed behind. His heart beating fast, Harry took quick, quiet steps towards the door, accompanied by Anthony. There was complete, deep silence. Harry crossed his fingers, hoping that they would be able to get Ron and Hermione out of trouble before Rebecca did anything. He then looked at Anthony and nodded.
They were just about to take another step, when they heard a frightened squeal from behind. Harry turned around, to see a shocking sight. Chris was holding Cheryl by both her wrists and was pointing his wand at her throat. Cheryl let out another terrified squeal and Chris said in a harsh whisper, “One more step towards that room and she’s dead.”
“Chris!” Ginny whispered. “What are you”?”
“Keep quiet and turn back!” said Chris. “Turn back right now!”
“No, Chris,” said Harry, raising his wand. “We won’t turn back.”
“Then I’ll have to kill her. Avada””
“Expelliarmus!”
Chris’s wand flew out of his hand and Harry caught it, as Anthony pulled Cheryl out of Chris’s grip. The latter took a deep breath and swayed over, taking support from the wall. He then looked at everybody, confused. “What just happened?”
“Rebecca tried to stop us by controlling you again,” said Harry in a low voice. He looked at Anthony. “Now we have no time at all. Come on. She knows we’re here anyway.” The Aurors raised their wands and moved, Harry praying with all his might for Ron to be alive. Somewhere, a clock struck midnight. Then they heard a horrified scream.
Killer Instincts by Ginny Weasley Potter
Chapter Notes: Hey all! Here's chapter 33 of KI.
Now, I had originally submitted this as a much longer chapter with a different title. But majestic_ginny (Nadia) suggested that I break this chapter into two and change the title, as she remembered it to be one from the HP books. Thanks, hon! I seriously forgot about that title. LOL.
So please R/R guys!
This is for a dear old friend. :D