Zephyr Yaxly

....do you consider yourself a death eater like the rest of your family?

*She looks down, her voice breaking* No... no I don't. I'm not like them. I hate what they did... I hate them...

.....you're very brave for a third year *my voice breaks as I talk, shattered at the thought that a girl could hate her own family at such a young age, how she had to grow up in such a corrupt childhood*

*Lilly thinks: "What. The. Actual. (swear word). Is. WRONG WITH HER?!?!???" She's too scared to talk or move.*

*Zephyr is also in shock, and she's feeling so many emotions at once. She's scared, and she's angry. She's feeling so much anger towards Diamia, but she knows that she can't do anything about it right now. She looks at Diamia, and she speaks in a quiet voice.* What are you going to do with him now?

*Diamia smiles, and she speaks in a mocking tone.* Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with him. He's going to be my little toy.

*Diamia looks at her, and she smiles. She speaks in a mocking tone.* Oh, is that so? And what are you going to do about it?

*Lilly's voice rises in anger.* Why are you doing this? Why do you want him? *Diamia's smile fades, and she rolls her eyes at Marcus, saying:* "He's the head of the Auror department in the Ministry. He's been in it for over two decades now. I must admit, he's a threatening enemy to have." *Diamia smirks again.* "But powerful and useful ally. And that's what he will be now!" *She giggles.*

*Marcus is still on the floor, but he's not responding. His eyes are closed and he's not moving. He's just lying there, and he's clearly in a lot of pain. He looks so weak and frail, and it's hard to believe that he was once the most powerful Auror in the Ministry.*

*The guard puts the blindfolds on all three of you, and he leads you back to the base. You can hear the sounds of the other students, but you can't see anything. You feel a bit disoriented, but the guard keeps walking. Eventually, you reach a room, and the guard removes the blindfolds.*

*The room is dimly lit, and you can see that Diamia is sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. She's looking at you all, and she's smiling. She speaks in a mocking voice.* Well, well, look who it is. You actually brought him.

*Marcus looks at her, and he's feeling a mix of fear and anger. He speaks in a shaky voice.* What do you want with me?

*Lilly stands back up.* ...yes. I'm sorry this has to happen.

*Marcus is silent for a moment, and he looks at you both with a look of worry. He speaks in a more serious tone.* I don't know what to say. I don't want to work for her, but I don't want her to hurt you either.

*Zephyr speaks up.* We can't just let her hurt you. She'll find a way to get you, and she won't be gentle about it. We have to find a way to convince you to join her, but we can't just force you. We need your help.

*Zephyr is also feeling frustrated, but she tries to stay calm. She thinks for a moment, and she speaks in a quiet voice.* We should probably wait here for a bit. Maybe he'll come back soon. We can't just leave, we need to find him.

Good idea. How about you wait for him, and I'll see if I can find him

*Zephyr nods her head, and she takes a seat at the bar. She waits for Marcus to show up, but she's feeling more and more anxious as the minutes go by. She's starting to worry that he won't show up at all.*

*We both walk out of the base, and we're both exhausted. We're both feeling so many different emotions, and we're both trying to process what just happened. We walk in silence for a while, but eventually Zephyr speaks up.* We should probably talk about this...

Yeah. What should we do? We have to convince someone to join her side....And if we don't...she won't treat him *well*, to say the least

*Zephyr's voice is shaky, and she's feeling overwhelmed. She's not sure what to do. She looks at you, and she speaks in a quiet voice.* We have to convince him... but how? We can't just force him...

..... *Lilly looks at the ground*

*Lilly's silence makes Diamia angry, and she doesn't like it. She wants her to be scared, and she wants to see her suffer. She walks over to her, and she grabs her by the arm.* What, nothing to say?

*Lilly flinches.* N- no... There's nothing to say

*Zephyr is in too much pain to notice the woman. She's trying to stay conscious, but she's losing the fight. She's struggling to stay awake, and she's starting to feel like she's going to pass out. She's shaking, and she's trying to keep her eyes open, but she's starting to feel weak. She's trying to focus on the woman's voice, but it's hard.*

*Lilly runs over to Zephyr, wrapping her in her arms while focusing on the conversation between Diamia and the new person. Diamia sobs, pointing at Zephyr like she was a criminal.* "Sh- she said she's not a murderer! Does she think I don't know her family's all Death Eaters? Death Eaters, Beverly! I want to smash them all and gorge their eyes out and rain bullet ants on them and centipedes and- and- and-" *The woman, apparently named Beverly, shushes her gently, rubbing her back.* "Shh, it's ok"

*Zephyr is barely conscious, but she can hear everything that's being said. She's in so much pain, and she can't think straight. She feels like she's going to pass out, but she can't let that happen. She has to stay awake. She looks at the woman, and she's trying to focus on her. She's trying to understand what's happening.*