My Thank You Note To You

As we enter a new decade, I just want to say a huge thank you for your support, your readership, and your encouragement. Thank you, so very, very much, for sticking around—embarking on my different endeavours in the past years.

Since 2011, I’ve transitioned from fanfiction to original fiction to crowd-funding novels and to videos. And honestly, I wouldn’t have done it all if I didn’t have you by my side. So whether you’ve just come on-board or have been around since the start, I hope you know that your presence means a whole lot to me. After all, everything I do would be in vain if not for you! For if I make no difference through my words, it would all be for nothing.

With that being said, I’m moving into this new decade with an exciting new plan for this blog, more videos on my Facebook page, and a book series I intend to keep writing. And though I do not know what the future holds, I do know that I’ll have you—or at least, some of you—who would still stick around until the very end. So thank you in advance for another decade—who knows where we’ll all be in 2030. Perhaps… in space!

Keeping this short and sweet, I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year! And may your next decade be filled with amazing adventures, wild escapades, and a great story worth telling for generations to come. Stay awesome and keep dreaming, my friend!

With lots of love, Jeyna ❤️

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Growing Your Audience

This is a subject many have brought up. I guess… the first thing people do, when they visit my blog, is check out the subscriber count. And a four-digit number is pretty big for most blogs. However, that number doesn’t actually equate to active readers. Having gained a following over time, I cannot confidently say that everyone reads. People come, people go – some stay and lurk – and I don’t have control over my audience. But, I can most certainly grow it. How? Well…

#1 Know Your Audience

The first thing you have to ask yourself is ‘who’ – who’s your audience? Is your audience children, potterheads, Japanese, fitness junkies – who are the people you want reading your blog? This is one of the most important questions you’ll have to ask. Establishing your target audience is of top priority, whether you’re running a blog or writing a book. It’s crucial, because the people who read matter as much as the content you publish. If one is without the other, your blog will just be your blog.

#2 Find Your Audience

Now that you know your audience, the next step is to find them. When I first started this blog, I went on a hunt for readers. Since my initial target audience was potterheads, I scoured the internet for Harry Potter related blogposts. Once found, I’d read them and leave an opinion in the comment section. Doing so helped me build an initial following of Harry Potter fans, who read and supported my fan fictions.

This isn’t something I do anymore – with the amount of writing I need to get done, I don’t have the time to go on a manhunt. However, I can safely say that this is the quickest way to grow your audience. You have to first go to people, before people come to you.

#3 Study Your Audience

Do you know your audience? Yes. Have you found them? Some. Great! Now study them.

Your blog will evolve over time, and along with it… your audience. As mentioned above, you have no control over who reads your blog. You cannot beg readers to stay, nor can you shoo them away (even if you wanted to). They have their own desires – their own needs and wants. So how do you keep them engaged? You study them.

Head over to your stats page and you’ll know where your readers are coming from, and which post grabs their attention. Put two and two together, and you’ll learn what your readers are looking for – you’ll discover what piques their interest. But of course, we don’t just blog for our readers. We blog for our own personal reasons too. And with that said, we’re not obligated to accommodate to their wants. However, knowing what they want, will help you find a middle ground – where you can meet your need, while meeting theirs.

Growing your audience takes time – some people take longer, some people take shorter. So build your empire at your own pace. You’re not in a competition with that other blog. You don’t need a million subscribers by midnight. Racing against a non-existent clock will only result in a burnout. And you don’t want to risk your passion for a follower count that isn’t constant. Just do what you can, while focusing on what’s important: your craft.

At the end of the day, your craft is more powerful than your comment on Draco Malfoy’s hair. Your craft is what keeps people reading. Your craft is you. And the worst thing you can do, is lose yourself in your quest for numbers.

Does Blogging Help?

If you’ve been on the blogosphere for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself this question. Heck, if you’re new, you’ve probably asked this question as well. More so if you’re a creative individual who’ve been told over and over again that blogging will help in your pursuits. And even more so if you’re a writer, as it’s been advised and advocated by writers everywhere.

Well today, I just want to tell you that blogging does help. This is my fifth year on WordPress and I wouldn’t have stuck around if it didn’t. So as a personal testimony (and hopefully as an encouragement for you to keep on blogging), I’ll share how blogging has helped me over the years.

*These lessons are what I learnt as a writer, but I’m sure they’re applicable to any form of creative work.

#1 Becoming A Serious Writer

You know what they say: if you want to be a serious writer, you gotta have a blog. Well, let’s just say I started blogging without this in mind. In fact, I started this blog for two reasons. One: to post the first chapter of my first novel, and two: to deal with my Post Potter Depression (PPD is real, guys).

If you’ve been here since the very beginning, you’ll know that all I wrote back then were Harry Potter fan fictions. It was my first time diving into the fanfic world and I was a complete newbie. But because I was upset Harry Potter was officially over, I needed to write to make myself feel better. And while I wrote, I was taught to take writing seriously.

Back in my fan fictions days, i had a habit of not capitalizing my ‘i’s’. It was me being a lazy writer and i was awakened by the fact through the comments i received on my stories. After the revelation, I began taking writing a little more seriously and started capitalizing. It wasn’t so hard holding down SHIFT, to be honest. But if it weren’t for those comments, i would still be typing like this.

Those early days of writing snapped me out of my delusion of being a good enough writer and forced me to see how naive and immature I was. Simply put, blogging forced me to grow up.

#2 Becoming A Better Writer

The desire to become better naturally came after deciding to take writing seriously. Blogging itself helped with the process.

The comments I received during my fan fiction days kickstarted this learning journey. With more people reading my stories and more comments pouring in, I knew I needed to improve. So I took every advice and polished my works as best as I could. When I ultimately transitioned to posting original works, I paid closer attention to my writing style and attempted different genres.

I wanted to be a better writer for myself and for you. And because of this blog and its readers, I’ll always endeavour to outdo myself and be the best writer I can be. Without this platform, I wouldn’t put much effort into writing. And without the much needed practice, I wouldn’t have improved over the years (or at least, I’d like to think I’ve improved. Haha!).

#3 Accepting Criticism

Oh, how we hate it when a stranger trashes our precious piece of work. What do they know, right? Sadly that’s reality, and it isn’t something we can escape.

I’ve had my fair share of criticisms – some harsh, some kind, some insulting, some gentle – and they all started on this blog. Though I must say, bloggers are generally nice. There is rarely any hate on the blogosphere, except for a tactless few. Dealing with different comments taught me to accept that there’s still room for improvement, that not everyone will like what I write, and that some people should be forgiven. It has taught me to embrace constructive and thoughtful criticism, and ignore those that leave nothing but heartache.

Unfortunately, this lesson has yet to end (and I doubt it ever will). There are times where I still struggle in facing harsh reviews on Goodreads, but my blog has prepped me in advance and for that I’m grateful.

#4 Believing In Myself

I won’t lie, I still doubt myself these days. But when I receive personal emails and read wonderful comments, I’m encouraged. Those words are like nitro to a car running dry. And without the faith of readers I’ve never met, I wouldn’t have shifted gears and started writing and posting original stories.

It it because of you that I braved myself and put up my own short stories and blog series’. It is because of you I stopped fearing being plagiarized (as though my writing was so awesome to begin with) and hit publish. It was because of you I stepped out of my comfort zone and attempted different genres.

The shift from fan fiction to original works was the biggest move I made on this blog. I was nervous because the readers then were mostly subscribed for my fan fictions. There was a probability that many would unsubscribe when I made the switch. Thankfully, no one did. And that itself made me believe in myself.

Yes, I still have doubtful days. Yes, I still question if I have what it takes. But your emails, comments, likes, and reblogs, have the power to turn those days around. Don’t think your comments are worthless. Your comments mean a lot to me and they make a big difference in this writing journey. So… would you like to leave a comment now? Oh, please do!

#5 Receiving Support

When I started the crowd-funding campaign for The Battle for Oz in October 2014 (wow, time really flies), I reached out to you on this platform. Though not everyone responded, some of you did. Now if you didn’t respond, please know I don’t hate you. I was a nobody… I still am. And I didn’t expect to receive an overwhelming support. But to the few that responded, supported the project, shared it with your family and friends, gave a shout out on your own blog, I am extremely grateful.

If it weren’t for this blog and the readers who were willing to back an unknown writer, The Battle for Oz wouldn’t be published. I’m hoping that one day, should I attempt another crowd-funding campaign, more of you would be onboard. Still, all the support I’ve received up to now has been a blessing. And I’m very thankful to have you as my reader.

Well, there you have it… my testimony of how blogging has helped me.

The biggest challenge for every blogger is the discipline to be consistent. It’s my challenge as well. Sometimes, I wish I could skip a week with a lame excuse. But knowing that blogging, even when I don’t feel like it, is helping me in my writing journey, I keep at it. So if you’ve lost the mood to blog or you’re growing tired of having to blog, I encourage you to keep going. Don’t give up so quickly. Blogging is the kind of activity that takes time before you see its fruits, so just be extra patient.

Now, for some quick shameless plugging: if you have no idea what to blog about, you can join my 3 Words 1 Story writing challenge. This once a month prompt should be able to help you produce at least one post a month. There are no rules and it’s fun. Go check it out! Okay, shameless plugging over.

I hope this post has been somewhat encouraging. I’m an advocate of blogging, not because it gives you a web presence, helps you reach out to fans, and all those things people say – which are true – to help you grow your business, but because blogging helps you polish your craft and gives you the courage to be better in it. You can do it for the business, but you should also do it for yourself.

As I like to say, always blog for YOU!

FHB: Chapter 35

My dear boy,

By the time this letter reaches you, I would be long gone. I do not have a choice and no one can save me now. From this point onwards, everything you do will be of grave importance. Your actions will determine the fate of this family. It is a heavy responsibility and I apologize for making you carry it. You must understand, that all that I have done was for us. I did not plan to leave like this and if I could change my fate, I would. At this very moment, the best I can do is to write you this letter.

I will never admit this verbally, but I am weak. The choices I have made were never my own and my actions were all for the preservation of our family. Family, honour and blood, has always been our motto. But the most important of all three is family. It may not seem like it sometimes, but I try my best to keep us together. Even if the world calls me a coward, a hypocrite, a liar, and a murderer, I do not regret my actions behind those words. You can look at me the same and I won’t blame you for it. It is the truth. I am not proud of who I have become, but I am proud of you.

Ignorance is not my forte. I know that you are struggling with your identity. You should not be fighting this war, but you’ve been thrown into it because of me. I apologize for the pain I have caused. I wish I could have given you a better life, but that is merely a wish. Maybe when this is all over, you can give your son a better life… one away from this madness. I pray you will get that chance.

As this letter might contain my last words, I want to be honest with you. A parent should not say this to their child, but I have to. The day your mother and I brought you home from St. Mungo’s, I wanted to end your life. I wanted to spare you from a harsh fate, but after watching you peacefully sleep, I could not do it. Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right decision that night. Sometimes, I even regret not having done it. I’m a horrible father, I know.

You’re probably wondering what the point of this whole letter is. You’re probably seething with hate as you digest my words. I have disappointed you, and I will have to disappoint you again because I need you to do something. When the time comes for you to end a life, please do not hesitate. I know you would, but you will have to fight against it. Think only of this family and it wouldn’t be so hard. If you cannot bear to think of me, think of your mother. We have to do what is hard to protect those we love… even if we end up being hated.

Remember, you’re not weak. You have never been weak, Draco. You are far from a coward and you are not a hypocrite. You are not me and you will never be me. You may be my son, but you are a better human being. You are strong, you are brave, and you will never lose your soul in these dark times. I will lose mine, but I will try to find a way back.

Take care of your mother for me, and goodbye.

Your father, Lucius.

He could not believe what he had asked his son to do. Lucius hated himself for it; for following his own father who asked him to kill. He knew that the letter would only torment Draco further, but he had to write it. Lucius had to prepare his son and remind him to be strong. It pained him to see the confliction Draco had to go through for years, but he had a small hope that it would all be over soon.

Lucius folded up the letter and was about to seal it with some wax when his bedroom door violently swung open.

“They are coming for you!” Narcissa said with fear in her eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” Lucius lied.

“No, they cannot take you! On what charge, Lucius? What evidence? Can’t we call someone for help?”

Lucius shook his head before putting the letter in Narcissa’s hand. “Give this to Draco, please.”

“Lucius…” Narcissa trailed off, lost for words as her hope diminished at the sound of Ministry Officers storming up the stairs.

“Narcissa, I need you to do something for me,” Lucius quickly said, knowing his time was running out.

“What is it?” Narcissa’s voice had lost its strength as her eyes began to water.

“I want you to leave me. I want you to take Draco and leave.”

“What? I can’t do that! I will never do that,” Narcissa insisted, as she grabbed onto his hands.

“You have to.”

“No! Not now! Don’t do this now,” Narcissa choked.

Tears began to stream down her cheeks and his heart ached at the sight of her struggle. Why she loved a man that only brought her pain? Lucius wished he knew.

“When the time comes, walk away. Do it for Draco,” Lucius stressed on each word.

Narcissa could not respond to what may seem like a ridiculous request, but Lucius knew that she was strong enough to do it. She had kept them together, protected the family as best as she could, and talked sense whenever Lucius was about to lose himself. She will leave him at the right time.

Now, as much as it hurt him to do so, he had to go. All for family, honour, and blood.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

This fan fiction has officially ended!

Thank you to all who have followed it religiously and voted in the polls. I’m glad that it has finally come to an end and happy that we got to take this adventure together 🙂 I hope you guys enjoyed this story, so do let me know what you think of it in the comments below!

To commemorate the entire series, I decided to whip up a little something. I thought it would be fitting as it ties in with the original series. You can download it if you like 🙂

Just to restate, this will be the last piece of fan fiction on my blog. From now onwards, everything will be original 🙂 If you are new here and would like to read my past fan fictions, you can visit the fan fiction page for all the links. Also, if you would like to read a short Draco fan fiction, click here.

Thanks again and Potter on!

FHB: Chapter 34

Tanya stopped her pleas as her eyes glistened with the fear of Lucius’ next move. There was a part of her that actually believed he would do it. Lucius could see it too, but he knew he was too weak. A coward, perhaps; too afraid of what his decision would do to him.

“The secret is to not hesitate,” the annoying death eater added.

Lucius was glad he hesitated, because at that moment he knew what he should do.

“I can’t,” Lucius whispered.

“What is it, Lucius?” the Dark Lord asked, as he took a step closer to him.

Lucius took in a deep breath, readying himself to defy an order.

“I-”

“Avada kedavra!”

A bright spark shot from behind them, whizzed past Lucius’ head and struck Tanya in the chest. The emotions in her eyes faded into a blank glare before her lifeless body hit the ground. In shock, Lucius stood frozen in place. He did not even attempt to look at the person who fired the curse as his mind tried to process what had happened. Tanya was dead and dead silence waited for someone to acknowledge the murderer.

“Ah, it is nice to see you on your feet again,” the Dark Lord said.

There was no reply to his words. Lucius wanted to see who it was, but he struggled to pull his eyes away from Tanya’s body.

“You should be resting, Abraxas,” the Dark Lord added.

Upon hearing his father’s name, Lucius managed to turn his head just enough to see his father giving the Dark Lord a bow. Silence continued on for a few seconds before the Dark Lord announced, “I’m feeling tired. Walk with me, Abraxas.”

Everyone, including Lucius, watched as the Dark Lord ascended the dungeon stairs with Abraxas right behind him. The moment both of them were out of sight, murmurs were exchanged. Everyone had something to say, but no one said anything to him.

Lucius stood statue-like as the other death eaters finished up the job. As his mind seeped into a world of emptiness, reality sped up around him. Spells were fired, ending the lives of the remaining aurors, and bodies were dragged to a corner, before the death eaters apparated with the dead, leaving Lucius behind. There was no one around to tell him what to do any longer and suddenly, he felt lost. Constantly having to choose, the lack of a choice disturbed him.

Standing in the lifeless dungeon as the cold air wrapped around his conflicted soul, Lucius completely lost track of time. A few hours later, he heard the dungeon door open and a series of hurried footsteps. He would have turned to see the stranger, but he didn’t know how. He had become too comfortable, stuck in the same dark and lonely place.

“Lucius!” the voice called out, as the footsteps hurried to his side. “Lucius, my dear boy.”

His mother reached out for him and pulled him into an embrace. The sudden warmth defrosted his petrified state and he slowly returned to his senses. When his mother released her grip on him, she reached for his wand, still tight in his grip, and took it from him.

“Are you alright? Talk to me, Lucius,” his mother asked worriedly.

“I knew her,” Lucius replied instead.

His mother did not say anything and waited for him to continue.

“Her name was… Tanya,” Lucius continued.

Lucius could not help but imagine everyone who knew her; the pain in their eyes when they learn about her death in a few hours. All her friends and teachers in Hogwarts would be in shock. Everyone had such high hopes for her, thinking she would become a great auror, but none of them would have expected death to take her so quickly. The worst part of it all was the fact that no one would ever know that Lucius watched her die. It was something he had to live with, a secret he had to keep from everyone who knew her. How was he going to do that?

“Mother,” Lucius said softly, “she was a friend.”

“Oh, my dear-”

“She was not your friend,” a voice echoed throughout the dungeon, interrupting what would have been comforting words to a distraught soul.

“You did this!” his mother accused.

“I protected him,” his father replied.

“No. You never did! You cursed our family,” his mother stated, “I should have taken Lucius and left many years ago.”

“Why didn’t you?” his father shot back with a question he could never retract.

His mother simply shook her head before storming off. Lucius watched her leave, wishing she took him with her.

“She’ll understand soon enough,” his father said.

No. She won’t. I don’t.

“You should have listened to me, Lucius. People you care about are only a liability.”

Like mother and me.

“Don’t make the same mistake again. And the next time the Dark Lord asks you to kill someone, do not hesitate.”

I won’t have a choice the next time. Lucius nodded.

“It’s late. Go to you room,” his father ordered.

Lucius retreated to his room as he was told to, but he could not find rest on a night as such. So, he took the family album off his wooden bookshelf and took a seat by the fireplace. He did not know what he hoped to accomplish looking at the family tree and old pictures, but he found that it distracted him.

Halfway through the album, he stumbled upon a picture of his father and the young Tom Riddle. Taking it out and turning it over, Lucius saw a message that read, ‘Don’t be mean, Malfoy.’ and it was signed by a girl named Joanna.

“I’m sorry, Joanna. I’m sorry you were a liability,” Lucius whispered, and then turning to look at the two people in the picture, he added, “I hate you.”

“I hate you both.”

In a swift motion with no hesitation, Lucius threw the picture into the flames and watched it burn. That was the only thing he did that he wanted to… for the rest of his life.

Transitions & 5,100 Subscribers

First and foremost, I want to say a big thank you to all 5,100 subscribers.

If you are new here, thank you for giving my blog a shot. You might not know what to expect but I hope my work will impress you enough to keep you reading. If you have been here for quite some time, thank you so much for sticking around. Plenty of bloggers have come and gone, but you chose to stay. I really appreciate the support.

Seeing my subscriber count grow everyday is a huge encouragement. It reminds me to do my best for all of you. One reason I don’t give up on this blog is because I know I’m being read… and as a writer and blogger, that means a lot. I’m sure you all will agree on that.

So, thank you! Thank you so much!

Now, let’s talk about transitions.

Since I started my blog, it has gone through a couple of transitions. My blog first started as a place to promote my first novel, but it soon became a platform for me to deal with my post-potter depression; I started writing the Joanna Chen fan fiction and short fan fictions as a way to cope with the end of Harry Potter. But ultimately, it became a way for me to improve on my writing.

If you have been around long enough, you would remember the days where I don’t capitalize my i’s. Oh, wow. Jeyna, you cannot do that ever again! You would also remember writing or reading comments that brought to light my errors. Yes, I had plenty of those and I am very grateful for them. If no one said anything, I would not have improved at all. So old timers, thank you for being grammar Nazis.

Fan fiction was the focus on my blog for quite some time, until I decided to overcome my fear of being plagiarized and began publishing original works. I dropped the short fan fictions and began posting short stories and blog series’ such as Dr. Slubgob’s Letters and The Lucrative Business. I also tried a few reader interactive projects, but they failed. Well, one should not be ashamed of failure.

Now, I believe it has come to a point where another transition should take place. As some of you might have noticed, the FHB fan fiction is coming to an end. After which time, this blog will be completely focused on my own original fictional works. There will no longer be fan fictions. I’m sorry if that news disappoints some of you, but I think it’s about time I move forward. I am glad I started fan fictions and I’m glad many of you have come along for the ride, but I hope you would still remain on board with this new transition. There will also be a special project to kickstart this new phase, but I’ll write about it another time. This is actually one transition I’ve wanted to make for a while, and I would appreciate your continuous support. It means a lot to me 🙂

So, thank you in advance and thank you for reading this now. Also, thank you so much for all your comments, likes, shares, re-blogs, emails, and special features on your own blogs. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of readers and I hope that in the near future, I can look back and say, “Those early subscribers on my blog, they made a difference in my life.”

Thanks guys!

FHB: Chapter 33

“She was a student at Hogwarts,” Lucius replied.

“Someone you know?” the Dark Lord asked.

“I,” Lucius hesitated before continuing, “knew her. Yes.”

There was a short moment of silence that lasted longer than it was supposed to, before the Dark Lord spoke in a tone that was too friendly.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Lucius? We could have struck a deal.”

“I…” That was the only word that Lucius could think of at that moment. His head could not work quickly under the pressure of self-preservation. Before time could shove him into saying another word, Tanya’s voice echoed in the cold dungeon.

“I will never strike a deal with you,” Tanya spat. “You are a psychotic, cold-blooded murderer. A guiltless hypocrite who preach about blood purity but isn’t even a pure blood!”

Silence greeted them again, as though the dungeon had frozen from the cold air. No lips parted to utter a word, but all eyes were wide open.

“And what blood are you, child?” the Dark Lord asked Tanya rather calmly.

Tanya merely narrowed her eyes at him and glared boldly at the man so many people feared. The sorting hat must have placed her in the wrong house, because her bravery took Lucius by surprise.

With Tanya’s refusal to answer, the Dark Lord turned to Lucius instead. “What is her blood, Lucius?”

Lucius swallowed hard before he answered softly, “Muggle born.”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that,” the Dark Lord said, as he and the death eaters waited for a clear answer.

“Mudblood,” Lucius quickly muttered.

The death eater Lucius loved to loath burst into a nervous laugh. “A Malfoy is friends with a mudblood? Wait till your father hears about this,” he said.

He was the only one bold enough to speak at that moment, but he immediately held his tongue when the Dark Lord surprisingly took Lucius’ side.

“We all make mistakes. I can even recall some of yours,” the Dark Lord said before turning to Lucius, “I’m sure you won’t make the same mistake again.”

Lucius was about to nod his head in reply when Tanya spoke on his behalf, “The only mistake is you, Voldemort.”

If one could die and resurrect as many times as they wished, Lucius would have done so uncountable amount of times in that very brief period. Having your heart constantly stopped by fear was the worst thing that can happen on your first day as a death eater.

“A fiery one, aren’t you?” the Dark Lord asked, still too calmly. His composure reflected a predator playing with its helpless dinner.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Tanya said with emphasis on all her words.

“You will make a great asset to my team,” the Dark Lord stated.

Tanya gave a false laughter before saying, “I would rather die.”

All Lucius could think of at that very moment was a dark hole, where he could climb into and stay hidden. He was afraid, afraid for his life and afraid for his parents’. He immediately regretted having met Tanya. The logic his brain could deduce was simple; if he had not befriended her, she would not be there, but even if she still ended up there, he would not know her. There would be no questions and death-defying answers, there would only be bodies and a warm bed to put Lucius to sleep after. Why did he choose to disobey his father? Lucius did not know. It was not intentional, but it happened anyway. Regret, that was all he had.

The Dark Lord chuckled in reply and began patting Lucius on the back. Lucius died and resurrected again as the Dark Lord reached into his coat and pulled out his wand. Everyone watched closely as the Dark Lord held Lucius’ wand in his hand.

“Lucius,” the Dark Lord said as he offered Lucius’ his wand, “it is only appropriate for you to grant your friend her final wish.”

Lucius wanted to ask if he had to, but his body worked in opposition to his want. As he took the wand, the Dark Lord gently guided his arm towards Tanya.

“Lucius, please don’t do this! This is not you!” Tanya urged.

“Go on, now,” the Dark Lord said.

There was so much hesitation, as Lucius tried to keep his arm up. He did not want to do it, but he had a feeling he had to. And when Lucius took too long to cast the curse, he heard someone shout, “Avada kedavra!”

Immediately, he turned his head to the right and saw a young auror at the end of the line slump dead to the ground. Tanya was in shock as much as Lucius was, and then it happened again. This time it was to his left, and another body fell lifelessly on the cold floor.

“It’s very easy, Malfoy,” the vocal death eater said. Lucius watched him as he did a stupid dance before shouting the killing curse at the boy right next to Tanya.

Tanya screamed in response as tears began streaming down her cheeks. “Please make this stop. Lucius, please make this stop!” Tanya pleaded.

Lucius knew he could not make it stop. He could either end her traumatizing experience or refuse to kill his only friend. The options he had were so limited, he wished his heart would stop and not beat again.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment or vote on whether Lucius should cast the curse or refuse to do so!)

FHB: Chapter 32

“Get out of here,” Lucius whispered harshly.

Tanya simply stared at him blankly and when she made no move, he threw her his wand. Instinctively, she caught it and snapped out of her frozen state.

“Go!” Lucius urged, “now!”

Doing as she was told her, she ran. As she did, a spell shot from behind Lucius towards her. Not knowing what to do, Lucius watched as Tanya dodged, made a quick turn, and shouted, “Incarcerous!”

If Tanya had her wand, the spell would have hit the death eater square in the chest and burst into tentacle like ropes that would wrap around her assailant. Unfortunately, Lucius’ wand was more loyal than he was and the spell backfired. There was a bright spark that escaped the tip of his wand before a series of ropes slithered up her arm and bound tightly around her. Within seconds, she was on the ground, immobile.

The death eater laughed when he saw what had happened, and used his wand to drag Tanya closer to him. When she was at his feet, he snatched Lucius’ wand from her hand and threw it at him.

“Did you just hand it to her?” he asked.

Lucius was not sure if he was being sarcastic or serious, and decided not to answer him. Lucius did not want to make things worse for himself and silence was the only option.

“Come along. We’re going home,” he said.

The death eater took the lead with Tanya dragging on the ground behind him, and Lucius quietly followed. They did not need to walk for long as the other death eaters had gathered nearby with the other captives, all bound up with terrified eyes.

Lucius did not know what to do at that moment. He knew which side he was playing for, but he felt slightly sorry for the ones on the losing end. When he realized what he was feeling, it scared him. So he quickly thought about his father and reminded himself why he was there.

“Think of home Malfoy, and take one of them with you,” the death eater said.

“Home?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, home. The big, black house you grew up in. Or do you need your mummy to come get you?”

The other death eaters chuckled and Lucius snapped, “I know where home is. Show some respect to the host.”

He did not wait for a reply and reached for the body closest to him. It was not Tanya, and he was glad it wasn’t. In a quick swirling motion, he felt himself being pulled away from the forest as his bedroom materialized. Seconds after his arrival, he knew he was at the wrong location. Quickly reacting before the stranger could see where they were, Lucius apparated the two of them into the dungeon underneath his home.

“Got lost?” the death eater asked when Lucius appeared coughing, as his stomach had not gotten used to that mode of transportation yet.

Lucius rolled his eyes in response and turned his attention to a few death eaters who were lining up the captives  against a wall.

“The Dark Lord will be here soon,” another death eater announced.

“Good. Have you killed someone before, Malfoy?” the same obnoxious death eater asked.

Silence was Lucius’ best friend that day, as he chose not to entertain the death eater.

“Scared, Malfoy? You have to kill to be in. Today is a great day to do it, since we have spares,” he added.

Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Lucius decided to turn away. And when he did, he found the Dark Lord standing behind them.

“My lord,” Lucius quickly greeted, and the rest followed suit.

“What do we have here?” the Dark Lord asked.

“Ministry workers. We found them sneaking in the forest,” a female death eater replied.

“They look so young,” the Dark Lord stated as he gently placed a hand on Lucius’ shoulder. “And how was the meeting?”

“It went well, my lord. They have agreed to work with us,” she answered.

“That’s good,” the Dark Lord said, moving to stand directly behind Lucius as he placed both hands on Lucius’ shoulders.

The Dark Lord said nothing as he began ushering Lucius down the line of young aurors in training. There were ten of them in total with two looking slightly older than the rest. When they had reached the end of the line, the Dark Lord asked, “Which one do you want?”

Lucius swallowed hard as his heart continued to race madly. What was already an uncomfortable situation became unbearably uncomfortable.

“How about that one?” the death eater Lucius grew to hate suggested. “The girl that disarmed our little friend.”

“Is that true?” the Dark Lord asked in a curious tone. He then pulled out his wand and sent a spell that disintegrated the rope around Tanya’s mouth.

Lucius hesitated to answer and Tanya did not say a word either. The Dark Lord was determined to find out, so he ushered Lucius towards her and waved for the rest to take position. It was as though an execution by firing spells was about to take place.

“Answer me, girl. Did you disarm my favourite death eater?” the Dark Lord asked.

Tanya could not have made things worse for Lucius at that moment, as she began to plead; not for her life but for Lucius’ change of ways.

“Please Lucius. Don’t do this, don’t be one of them. You’re not a killer, you’re not evil.”

At the sound of her words, Lucius’ heart stopped. He had the urge to ask her to shut up, but he was too terrified to say anything.

“Is she your friend, Lucius?” the Dark Lord asked, with more curiosity than he had before.

Lucius knew he had to answer him, because if he didn’t, something would go terribly wrong.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment or vote on whether Lucius should acknowledge Tanya or deny their relationship!)

FHB: Chapter 31

As Lucius contemplated his decision, he heard it again. Polkus seemed so focused on the meeting that he did not even notice when Lucius slowly slipped away. Watching human and dementor strike a deal was no doubt educational, but Lucius did not like the idea of being watched.

Pulling out his wand, Lucius crept away and kept his eyes and ears open. If he listened closely, he could hear the sound more clearly. It was very subtle but audibly present in the still forest. Following the sound, Lucius used the little moonlight to guide his path. He was careful not to make any sound himself, but with one wrong footing, a twig snapped.

Lucius immediately stopped in his tracks and silence greeted him instantly. The subtle sound of what seemed like walking was gone. He must have alerted whoever it was he was following, and now he and the stranger were on the lookout for one another.

Not daring to take another step, Lucius looked around hoping to see an outline of a being. It was then that he realized he had gone too far, and Polkus was no longer in sight. Now worried that he might have made the wrong decision, Lucius stretched his wand hand forward as he was prepared to use it. Unfortunately, someone beat him to it. Before he could even utter a spell, a dim light whizzed in his direction and hit his wand out of his hand. Lucius watched as his wand flew from his grip and landed in a bush far from him.

Panicking, Lucius ignored the fact that his footsteps were waking the forest and dashed towards the bush. He could barely see where he was going and with another wrong footing, he found himself landing face flat on the ground. When Lucius attempted to recover from the fall, he turned on his back only to find a wand in his face.

“Lumos,” the owner of the wand said and light shone on his face, temporarily blinding him.

Lucius could not see who the stranger was but the stranger could see him clearly. If only his wildly thumping heart did not drown the voice of that stranger, he would have been able to guess who it was.

“Lucius?” the owner of the wand asked.

Not knowing if he should answer, Lucius propped himself on his arm and began shuffling backwards. The bush was within reach and when his hand found his wand, he did not hesitate to use it.

“Impedimenta!” Lucius shouted and watched, as the stranger flew backwards and landed with a thud.

Scrambling to his feet, it was now his turn to see who his enemy was and when he did, he immediately sent her wand flying in the opposite direction. She growled angrily at him as she got to her feet, but she did not make a move to retrieve her wand.

“What are you doing here?” Tanya demanded.

“What are YOU doing here?” Lucius asked in return.

“You should get out of here if you don’t want any trouble,” Tanya warned. It sounded less of a threat and more of genuine concern.

“You should get out of here too,” Lucius said.

“I’m serious.”

(“No, you’re Tanya.” Sorry, I had to)

“So am I.”

“We have aurors all over. We heard about this meeting and…” Tanya trailed off, suddenly aware that she should not be sharing too much.

“You’re lying. There is no way the ministry would send a rookie like you out on a dangerous mission,” Lucius replied.

Tanya looked slightly offended, but she wiped that expression off her face when Lucius continued, “You’re probably here on a rumour, and I doubt there are aurors all over.”

“We have called for backup,” Tanya quickly said.

“No you have not.”

And just as Lucius said so, a spell shot right past them and hit a tree directly behind Tanya. The bark of the tree snapped and both Lucius and Tanya scrambled out of the way as it came crashing down.

“I told you,” Tanya said unconvincingly.

Lucius would have laughed at her lie, but flashes of light and yells of spells distracted him. The forest was no longer dark and still, as the birds fluttered from their nests and out of harms way.

“Where’s my wand?” Tanya quickly asked.

Before Lucius could vaguely point at where her wand had flew to, a painful scream echoed throughout the forest

“Gavin?” Tanya asked softly as fear swept across her face.

There was another scream and Tanya immediately cupped her mouth. Shortly after, Lucius heard his name being hollered.

“Malfoy! Who do you have there?” the voice called out. It was one of his own, even though he did not recognize the voice.

Lucius froze at that very moment. The hand that was holding his wand began to sweat as he stared at Tanya, who was also frozen in place.

“Malfoy! You hearing me, boy?”

Lucius swallowed dryly as he raised his wand at Tanya. He was not sure on what to do. Should he cast a spell on her or tell her to run? Tanya watched Lucius with her eyes wide open, but not a word escaped her lips. Lucius only had two options at that moment; bring her in or let her go.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should bring Tanya in or let her go!)

FHB: Chapter 30

Lucius took one quick look around before he decided to follow the stranger. Still unsure on whether he could trust him, Lucius kept a safe distance. The stranger led Lucius on a long walk and when they finally stopped, Lucius found himself in a dark alley.

There was no one around, not even a poor muggle on the street, and Lucius felt uneasy. His hand slowly reached into his jacket for his wand and just when he was about to pull it out, the stranger spoke.

“No need for that.”

“Who are you?” Lucius asked.

“No need to tell you either. I’m just here to escort you,” the stranger answered.

“I have not seen you before,” Lucius stated.

“You can’t see everybody, little Malfoy.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes with his hand still tightly wrapped around his wand.

“No time for dilly dally. Come now, the Dark Lord is waiting.”

The stranger waved for Lucius but he stood his ground. It could very well be a test and he did not want to take a risk.

“Having trust issues, eh?”

“Show me,” Lucius simply replied.

“Show what?”

“You know what.”

The stranger chuckled and swaggered towards him. Lucius’ palm was already getting sweaty as he tightened his grip on his wand. The way the stranger smiled as he made his way closer to Lucius was nothing close to friendly. The stranger also showed no signs of wanting to show Lucius what he had asked for.

When the stranger stopped two feet away from Lucius, he slowly lifted his left hand. Lucius watched closely, but what happened next was something he least expected. The stranger roughly grabbed him on the arm and in a second Lucius felt himself being pulled into a strange motion. His world became a blur and when it finally refocused, there was an uneasiness in his stomach. Thankfully, he had not eaten anything since he left Hogwarts.

Coughing in response to the gagging sensation in his throat, he felt someone snatch his suitcase from him. When he looked up to see who it was, he found himself looking at a familiar face. It was someone whose name he did not know but face he recognized.

“Follow me,” the man said.

The stranger had disappeared and Lucius assumed he took his suitcase with him.  Not sure if he should ask about it, he remained silent and followed after the man. Lucius had arrived in a dimly lit, old dusty house. The air was thick and stuffy, and by the time he made it to the top of the stairs, he was panting. The man did not seem to care about his well being as he continued down a hallway. Lucius was a fool to think he would be treated well.

Once at the end of the hallway, the man knocked on a door and said, “He’s here.”

There was a muffled reply before the door swung open. The man gestured for Lucius to enter and when he did, the door shut behind him almost immediately.

“You must be hungry. Come, have some food,” a voice said.

A single candle on top of an unlit fireplace was the only light in the room. It took Lucius awhile before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was someone seated on an armchair, which Lucius assumed to be the Dark Lord, and a few others standing around. There was also something moving on the ground, and Lucius did not need to guess what it was. Cautiously, Lucius made his way to the Dark Lord.

“I don’t have much, only some bread, but that should be enough,” the Dark Lord added as he waved at a table beside him.

“I’m not hungry, my lord,” Lucius lied. He lied because he was too afraid to reach out into the darkness… afraid a slithering creature might bite his hand off.

“Very well. You will follow Polkus here,” the Dark Lord replied and the figure of a man took a step forward.

“Now?” Lucius asked softly.

“Yes, now. Tonight, you become a death eater,” the Dark Lord said.

Lucius swallowed dryly as he nodded his head. Seeing his reaction, the Dark Lord waved Polkus over. When Polkus grabbed on to Lucius’ arm, Lucius felt the strange motion again. This time it lasted longer, and when it ended, Lucius found himself in a forest.

“Stay close, stay quiet, and keep your eyes open,” Polkus whispered a second after their arrival.

Lucius wanted to know if they were the only ones sent on the special mission, but the still forest forced him into silence. He wished he knew what he was supposed to do or at least an idea on what was going on, but it seemed like the Dark Lord kept him clueless on purpose. Maybe it was a sick joke, maybe there were no Dementors? Lucius could only hope.

As Polkus took the lead and crept carefully through the thick forest, Lucius stayed close behind. He also did what he was told and he kept his eyes wide open, but with the little moonlight seeping through the dense tree leaves, it was pretty pointless.

Finally, after a few minutes, Polkus stopped and waved for Lucius to crouch behind a tree. Doing as he was told Lucius quickly got into position, and that was when he knew it was not a sick joke. Up ahead was a small clearing and hovering above it were a few of the hooded soul suckers. Hoping he was not forced to greet them, a wave of relief swept over him when a few death eaters walked into the clearing from the other side.

Lucius was extremely grateful that he was merely a watcher, but before he could calm his racing heart, he heard a sound. Turning to Polkus, it seemed as though he had not heard it. Lucius wondered if he should check it out. It could be nothing, but it was better to be safe than sorry, right?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should check out the sound or ignore it!)