New Beginnings

He stared blankly at the wall. His eyes were burning, he had been crying. It was the third year that he had gone alone to carry out the company's research in Rysell. He missed Salaha, his wife and partner. She had died on a previous research expedition, deep in the Rysell jungle, of some unidentifiable fever. This was her project he had joined it to be with her. The project was drawing near completion and now his love Salaha would not be there to see her life's work come to fruition.

It was time to go down on to the planet. He climbed in to the exploration pod with his fellow crew-members. This was to be the last trip down before it would be decided if Rysell could be colonized by Earth. All that was left was one last trip into the jungle to confirm stability of resources. As the pod touched down on that familiar terrain he felt a sea of calm wash over him this was Salaha's resting place, he was home. The crew got their belongings together, strapped on their packs and headed off into the thick undergrowth that was Rysell's largest jungle covering over half of its surface. They began their slow trek pausing every few miles to take readings of atmospheric levels. As they walked he was sure he saw movement off to there side but each time he went to investigate it was only one of the many magical creatures that inhabited this planet. His favorite was the Yamata Angorian butterfly it always reminded him of Salaha, such a playful creature and so smart. The Yamata Angorian butterfly was the most intelligent butterfly to be discovered. Been able to communicate with the humans through telepathy. The animal life on Rysell was the reason Salaha has loved this mission. She had longed for a planet to live on where she could discover a new animal each day. He had to acknowledge it; Rysell’s fauna really was to be admired.

The rest of his team were well in front of him now, he best catch up. Talking one last look in the undergrowth he hurried alone down the freshly hewn path to rejoin the crew.

By the time he caught up with them they had reach the clearing of there previous experiments. The main test that they had to check was to see if the forest could be cleared for housing. There had been real problems with this; the forest would regrow in one night. You could cut a tree down and the next morning a new one would be in its place. They were experimenting with chemicals to keep the forest at bay.

“Hey Jyion, wake up and come and help me with this equipment.” Called Ryja the crews lead scientist.

Startled out of his musing Jyion, turned and walked over to help set up.

“Jyion what’s the matter” Ryja asked

No answer.

“Jyion, can you hear me?” he said giving him a little nudge.

“What, oh sorry sir, I was …was just”

“Don’t worry about it, we can all see you miss her. I’ll tell you what when we’ve got under way here you can go off to her cove”.

Ah, Salaha’s cove. That was where he and Salaha had planned to live, if the planet was deemed habitable. in a beach cove backing on to the jungle. Yes it would be good to see it again, he felt sure that he would found some trace of her there that would give him comfort, that she was safe and happy.

Reunited

He could hear it coming after him. He didn’t know what it was yet he knew if that if it caught him, his life wouldn’t be worth living.

It was gaining on him, no matter how fast he ran it just kept gaining on him. It was upon him, he turned around. “Jon wake up” he was awake in his bed it had just been a dream.

“Coming mum”

Jon got dressed and hurried down stairs.

“There you are dear, hurry up or you’ll be late for school”. His mum said lovingly.

 After a rushed breakfast, Jon was on his way. The more he walked, the more worried he felt. This was just like his dream and he was sure something was following him. He picked up his pace and hurried on his way to school. All the way with the sinking feeling that this had not only happened in his dream.

Jon didn’t retain much of what happened that day at school. He was thinking about the dream and what parallels it shared with that morning’s events. He was so preoccupied he didn’t notice when the bell went, and was left in the classroom alone. Or was he?

Looking around the dully lit room Jon saw shadows creeping across the walls. In his hurry to get up and out he knocked his desk over. It hit the ground. Silently, no noise what so ever.

Jon stared at the desk, at the shadows and then he ran, out of the classroom and out of the building. He kept running, out of the school gates. Jon stared to run but it was hard something or someone was slowing him down hampering his progress holding him back. He turned. He stood facing the school his fear was bubbling up inside him. He knew that whatever it was, it was in the school. Somewhere lurking in the shadows. Of the feeling he had felt in the classroom, on the street and in his dreams only a small amount of the power still lingered, he could tell that now he was out of the school grounds. He could still feel the strength of it although weaker it was calling him beckoning for him to return into the school. It was calling him. He did not think it wanted to kill or hurt him at least not straight away. There was something else it needed him? What it wanted he did not know, but he knew that he must answer its call. It was important.

He had to be prepared

He slowly headed back into the school grounds. He waited for some indication of where he should go. He spotted a shadow hovering by one of the new school buildings. He headed off in the direction of the shadow, slowly at first and than faster as he felt the pull of the energy. The closer he got to the power the more defined the shadow got, as if taking a solid shape, but that’s impossible Jon thought it’s a shadow they can’t be solid. Can they? The shadow took him past building after building. The further he went the less recognizable everything was. Places he’d seen for most of his young life were just shapes. The creature was confusing him, muddling his memories, or was it him. Maybe he was muddling his memories in an attempt to remember something long forgotten.

Jon walked on, the power was growing and the shadow was getting very solid. They were walking to what looked like a shed. The shed was emitting a green light. It was radiating so much power that Jon found it hard to walk. On either side of him shadows were appearing, urging him on. The one that had been leading him had formed enough to open the shed door. Jon stood on the threshold of the door and looked at the nearly real shadow, it gave what could almost be a smile and pushed him in. Jon turned to face the creature. 

It was not what he had expected, it was a man, not very tall, about his size. He did not look scary, in fact he looked comforting, almost familiar. As Jon stared at him all the fear and apprehension drained away. The man spoke "Kyrant, you have returned to us at long last, it is so good to see you again, it time to go home .”

Jon was confused who was Kyrant?, the man must have made a mistake.

“Excuse me sir but I'm Jon, and who you?”

“I am Cryon from Zabiare a planet in Uraz Galaxy.” The creature spoke proudly. “And you are Kyrant, my long lost brother.”

“I am?” Jon said dumbfounded.

Returning Home

Returning Home

We were all standing at James's looking around at the empty house, the house had that empty feel about it, like no one had ever lived there at all.  All around the same emptiness, the same feeling that something terrible had happened.  It had a constricting feel to it, like the whole world had suffocated, and was now spinning out of control. 

Of course it wasn’t the whole world spinning, just ours.

As I looked back towards James’s place I could see Cara and Sara crying.  James is staring at the sky; he looks like a puppet, a lifeless toy.  Lee is talking to Rose in a sad whisper.  Kvan is pacing back and forth as though his steps were all that were keeping him from falling into despair.

I Looked back towards the mountains we had just returned from, wondering if that wild place was really even a little bit deserving of the nickname of Hell we had given it? Because surely this must be hell!  Looking back at the trees with their soft green leaves the small shrubs with their bright yellow flowers the rough rocks and the dangerous cliffs, and mountains, no that wasn’t hell.

Hell was the empty houses, the vast barren ground, the starved and dying animals.  The cries of the innocent, the tears of a child, the feeling of loneliness that was so strong it could crush you, that was Hell. 

Which is where we were now, emerging from the safety of the mountains and the forests, into a war zone. A war zone that we didn't understand and couldn't explain.

The view of the barren landscape and deserted homes was frightening. Where had everyone gone, where were our families. Why had they left? Who had burned so many of the houses and destroyed  everything around us.

I felt sick, I felt afraid. A deep fear that sank deep into my soul, one that I would always carry with me; it would always be in my life, and my dreams, even when the war was over.

Wolflust

I could feel the blood lust rising, the full moon was nearly here. I stood in the dark under the shadow of a cloud as the moon began to rise.

I inhaled deeply, though the change was not yet upon me my senses were already becoming heightened. I could smell the couple camping nearby the lake, they where the reason why I had positioned myself here ready to turn.

Since becoming a werewolf a few years back I had embraced my darker wolfish tendencies.

There is nothing like that first rush when you pick up a humans scent and start to stalk your pray.

It took me sometime to control myself at these times. When I was a new wolf, I was just crazy I would attack anything that moved ruthlessly and gruesomely but now I am in control, I take time setting up my pray sensing the fear building up in them until I take them.

My body tenses, this is it the moon is here.

Awoool

A howl wrenches itself from my muzzles a I shift to my better stronger wolf form. A lonely howl on the brisk night air. No answering ones tonight I must have this part of the forest to myself.

I drop to all fours and I leap forth into a run, not for hunting yet just for the sheer joy in the powerful moment I am now capable off.

As I tear  through the forest a deer crosses my path while I have much better pray I consider leaving it to find its way home. But it's so close and I can hear the sound of its blood pumping through its veins as it freezes in fear of my smell. I pounce, ripping its jugular straight out from its throat. The blood spurts out and the deer collapses. I pause head over it ready to eat when I catch a shift in the breezes bringing me a change in the scent of the people by the lake the sounds of my transformation and subsequent kill must have them on edge I can smell their fear.

Leaving the deer corpse behind; i am sure one of the other night dwellers will enjoy, I head towards the lake.

Their campfire is now burning high I can see they have moved closer together with the tent behind them. I move swiftly through the nearby trees allowing my shadow to flicker in the fires light.

I am making a second pass closer this time, when another howls rents through the night. Looks like I have some company now. I debate should I risk a colleague turning up and interfering with my kill or should I just take them out now.

The smaller of the two is now weeping, oh hell I don't want a wet meal, I decide.

With one powerful leap I am in the fire light with my huge paws crushing the smaller one while the bigger one tries to fend me off with a branch. I laugh. I have been told that a werewolves laugh is truly a terror to hear, and to judge from the face and smell of this one I think they agree.

I quickly snap the back of the small one so they cannot escape then leap claws and teeth out, towards the second, it is only a matter of a few frenzied moments before the light goes out. I toss the broken bloody corpse to the side and stand over the other one. I can see the horror in their eyes of what I am, what I am about to do to them. For a brief second something almost like guilt flickers across my mind but it's gone before I even really notice it.

I still have a min or two before company arrives, so I lean in slowly nuzzle their neck as gently as a lover would. Then wolfishly grinning to myself I tear their throat out and watch their eyes grow dark.

Just in time my guest is arriving.

The origin of the Vanishing Cabinet

The year is 1940, war was officially declared in the muggle world September 1939. Europe is in turmoil. Hitler has invaded Poland. The whole of Europe is scared and on the run. But that is not the whole story. Grindelwald is foremost in the minds of wizards. His push for the greater good is an all to disturbing similarity to that of Hitler.

While the wizard community was prepared to wait out the war with Germany in hiding and keep themselves safe and hidden. This additional threat from Grindelwald has changed matters. It is no longer just a muggle problem, it is now a war for everyone.

It cannot be allowed to continue. Muggles were having enough trouble flying to safety but now with magic in the mix they haven't a hope. If they aren't caught by the Nazis then Grindelwald followers will find them.

So many disappear in war, no one is suspicious. But those of us with our feet between the two worlds see it clearly.

He is taking muggles for experiments. He is torturing them with magic, controlling them with the impetus curse.

It is now impossible to distinguish the two wars from each other.

We must get out, it is not safe, we have to flee.

My family have been prominent cabinet makers for as long as we can trace back. My uncle and father worked for months and months designing it. There was so much magic flying around while they put the final charms and protections on it though they would find us for sure. But it is finally finished; The Vanishing Cabinet.

They are a pair and work by transporting a person through a sort of black like tunnel to the twin cabinet. Whether it is a meter away or a thousand it makes no difference.  After many bribes and negotiations we smuggled one across the channel into Britain.

We set up a small house near the southern border of Germany. Working with the underground missions both the muggle and wizard rebels we set up an escape route. In the years that followed we manage to save many lives, wizards and muggles. Of course the muggles never really understood how hiding in a cabinet in France could get them safe passage to Britain, but some local wizard with the ministry working on the other end ensured that all muggles passing through with have the memories modified and a new life set up. After the war ended with Grindelwalds defeat and the Nazi's loss, many wizards returned to Europe to help those that had stayed rebuild.

In those last few months the fighting was so severe we could not continue to stay. We closed down our operation, leaving muggles without another option and wizards struggling to get those that couldn't apparate out of the country.

A year after the conflict had ended I returned to find the other half of the cabinet but to no avail. I assume it was destroyed in the war. It is my understanding that the one in Briton ended up on display with other artifacts from the war. And was studied by other wizards that wished to have a pair of their own.

In the 5 or so years we ran our rescue operations we smuggles out over 200 wizards and 500 muggles. My father and uncle did not live to see the end of the war, they both were killed in those last furious months trying to save as many as they could.

Love blossoms even in the dark

I was in my 7th and last year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, the year was 1982 the war was over and everyone was trying to put their lives back together as best as they could. So many had lost loved ones over the years that no family was untouched by loss.

The years I spent at Hogwarts had a been under a cloud of fear and suspicion. You never knew who might be an enemy or who might be killed in the night. Some people dealt with this by forming relationships quickly without much time getting to know one another. Which made sense as you didn't know how long you may have to ask out that guy or girl you had a crush on.

However I was in the other party, the ones that kept themselves apart from others, tried to keep their hearts safe from pain by allowing no one in. It was a lonely path but with people disappearing daily it made sense to try and save myself the heartache of losing more people. Having  lost my father and sister to the death eaters and he who must not be named early on in the war.

Over the past 7 years at school I had made few friends, mostly just acquaintances. But there was one girl a Hufflepuff called Jessie that I had always had an extra minute for, a smile even on those terrible dark days. We shared a few classes together and would often be in the same group. She like me while polite to fellow students was reserved and quiet. And I could see she often felt out of place with her fellow puffs as most of them banded together and formed close bonds to get through the dark times. Jessie kept her distance and was often alone studying in the library or sometimes in the great hall when it was almost empty. Sometimes I would sit next to her get out my books and say nothing. We would just sit there in the quiet comfortable silence knowing neither of us desired more.

But the war was over, the chosen one Harry Potter had brought he who must not be named's regime to a sudden halt. Most of the death eaters had been rounded up of disappeared into hiding.

I didn't want to be alone anymore I didn't want to be safe.

Jessie and I spent more time together as our final year drew to a close, lingering in the grounds neglecting our studies. Both of us wanting to say something but neither of us having the courage.

One day about a week before we were due to leave Hogwarts,  Jessie snuck up in to the Ravenclaw common room, it was lunchtime so pretty much everyone was in the great hall. I was reading a book when I heard the door open Jessie quickly slipped inside.

"Jessie? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Your door doesn't have a password remember, I just answered the question"

She had a point, it really didn't seem like the safest security measure now I thought about it.

She came over and sat next to me on the sofa, and pulled out a small vial of pink liquid. She looked scared and nervous, but also expectant and excited.

I picked up the vial and looked at the contents, I knew what it was.  Amortentia, the strongest love potion available. And I knew the question she wanted to ask but couldn't, and why she had come with this little vial of pink to me alone in the ravenclaw tower.

She too knew my answer but being who we were neither of us could say or do anything. So there sitting on this table was this little pink vial that held all we felt and all we wanted to say to each other that was just out of reach.

I went to the cupboard got out two small glasses picked up the vial and headed up to the dormitory. Jessie following close behind.

We sat on the bed together and I poured out a small sips worth into each cup. We looked at each other then drank.

The effect was immediate, it no longer mattered that I was so closed off to love, it no longer mattered that we were in different houses, that her parents might not approve that we may be teased. Because I was sitting across from the most beautiful girl in the world and I was telling her that I loved her. And she was holding me and saying she loved me too and that she couldn't live without me. I told her I couldn't live without her. We indulged in our passion our lust our love and the obsession that comes with Amortentia.

As we had only had a small sip each the effects wore of within the hour. I felt the obsession the madness of love leave my thoughts, and gingerly lifted my head to look at Jessie. How was she feeling? Were those words of love and passion still there even after the drug had worn off.

We looked into each other's eyes nervous, unsure of each other feeling but unafraid now of our own. I smiled at Jessie and she smiled back, sighing a huge sigh of relief I leaned over and embraced her. The potion was gone but the feelings remained. Jessie and I would leave Hogwarts not alone and afraid as we had entered it but together and hopeful for a life together.