InsaneJournal

Fear and panic in the air
Character: Barty
Summary: Barty gets lost in the crowd.


Wandering through the crowds gathered at the Hogsmeade festival, Barty felt the weight of his nightmares lifting. Amongst the frivolity and laughter, it was easy for him to forget, if only for a few hours, the memories from the darkness of his soul. Breathing easily for the first time in weeks, he embraced the cheerful atmosphere of the fair and decided to indulge his sweet tooth.

He had just purchased some candy floss and was looking about for his next entertainment when somebody knocked into him. He staggered, first because of the force of the collision, and then because of the sudden and suffocating anger that rose up from somewhere deep inside of him. Kill him!

No!

Struggling to get his emotions back under control, he straightened up and accepted the man's apology. The smile he fixed upon his face almost cracked under the shock of recognition, but when he blinked the impression was suddenly gone. He had never seen this man before, he was too young to be a previous acquaintance.

Barty's gaze flicked to the child held in the man's arms, and again, that faint flicker of previous knowledge made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was like seeing a ghost.

Terrified that he was about to be recognised by somebody, Barty forced himself to remain calm. When the man turned away, he sagged with relief and hurriedly moved back into the safety of the anonymous crowd. He had foolishly hoped after befriending Padma and Debi that he wouldn't be readily recognised so many years after having been kissed by the Dementors, but his fright with the stranger and his child brought back to him how much danger he would be in if somebody did recognise him. Bella hadn't lied when she had told him he had enemies, and there was also Bella herself. She was skilled in disguises and could easily be somewhere amongst the crowd, waiting for her opportunity to drag him back into her service.

Ducking through the throng, Barty rounded one of the large refreshment tents and dropped to his knees in the shade. The panic that he had temporarily shed was claiming him again. No! I don't want to remember! I don't want to be that person!

He clutched at his head as, despite his internal protest, the memories forced themselves through. He could hear voices, a man and a woman's, defiant, refusing to tell. Then the screams, the screams as their strength was stripped away from them.

'Bella! You're going too far! They'll be no good to us at all if you carry on.'

'Oh, but I want to play some more. And Barty wants to play some more, too, don't you, Barty?'

'Crucio!'

Faces. Faces contorted in pain and terror. The light of torture dancing from his wand. Bella's laughter. His own jubilation.

"No!"

Barty's head snapped up as he realised that the scream was real. More voices raised in panic to join it.

Walking cautiously around the side of the tent, Barty tried to see what was going on. He was nearly knocked of his feet by the rush of people trying to escape. Jostled this way and that, he got spun around and was suddenly confronted by the horror the crowd were fleeing from.

"Bella!" he gasped. This had to be her doing!

Rooted to the spot as the creatures drew closer, Barty began to tremble. However, it wasn't fear of the Inferi shaking him: the walking dead held no terror for him when compared to his fear of the resurrection happening inside. He felt like his body was being crushed and flying apart at the same time. His sight flicked back and forth between the real events happening in front of him, and the memories unravelling in his mind. Old faces, names, places, magic, blood, death... Colliding with the soul he had stolen; the soul he had cherished since his escape from Bella; Rilind Hedera's light, compassion, innocence, life...

As the nearest monster reached him, Barty went still. A rotted arm swiped at him, but was blocked by the strong shield that sprang up between them. The creature groaned in its disappointment and tried again, again to be repelled. Others joined their fellow, and then all of a sudden the shield exploded outwards in a burst of green light, leaving Barty standing in the middle of scorched earth and flesh.

The first chuckle was choked, but then it cleared and Barty threw back his head and laughed loudly. He was still laughing as he summoned a mask from a half-collapsed painting stall nearby. It was still white, waiting for somebody to put their mark upon it. Barty waved his wand and one half of the mask turned black. He waved his wand again and a design he remembered from his youth appeared on the darkened cheek, a snake writhing within a skulls mouth, etched in the green of death. The white side remained blank, but as he raised the mask to put it on, three stylised blue tears appeared beneath the eye.

Laughter gone, and safe behind his mask, Barty raised his wand against the next wave of Inferi. No matter which side of him eventually gained supremacy, he was not going to let Bella win. Plunging forward, he let the force of his hatred and his desire to protect work towards their one common goal.