The Badger, the Dark Wizard and the key

Habitually during the first weeks of spring in the village of Helgamor, the sun would shine like there will be no tomorrow. Children would be running along the streets water guns in arms and adults would conversing on last news in pubs. And for those who prefer to stay at home they will send their owl instead to still be in touch with others making those weeks, weeks with the most owl in the sky and most lively days in Helgamor.

But today, while being the second week of the spring, no children were seen on the streets no pubs were full, on the contrary, pubs were so empty that the owners closed much earlier than usual. But the thing which was the most strange, was the sun.

There was no cloud in sky no fog in the village, but still, the sun wasn't that bright, weirder still it felt like in the middle of winter because of how cold it was.

If it wasn't for the black fogs crossing the sky from time to time with an abnormal speed the weather could have been assigned to a simple global warming. But in the wizard's world nothing could be explain simply like that, and above all, not that day.

In Helgamor, visit form a stranger not from there in the middle of the afternoon wasn't that strange but it was still surprising, but in those time, it became suspicious. Even more when that person was wearing an invisibility cape while riding a broom at a slow pace fearing that the cape will fall. But fortunately for him, he succeeded in landing safely without being seen in the backyard of a seemingly rich house. While not very big, it was obvious that the house wasn't that of a beggar, the ornements decorating it betrayed the wealth of the person owning it.

As the invisibility person walked to the door, he removed his Cape, revealing a tall young man in his twenty with tanned skin and wavy medium jet black hair cut to his shoulders. While fairly handsome it couldn't be directly notice because of the look in his eyes make it seem like he was of the cold type people and his silver eyes didn't fix it, on the contrary. But the gentle and warmth in his eyes betrayed his true nature.

While his expression was neutral, his hasty movements indicate that he was in hurry to enter and not being discovered. He crossed the garden in the backyard in three long and fast steps and and knocked gently four time at the door. Not even five seconds later, a feminine and gentle voice was heard behind it.

"When and where was our first date?" "There wasn't any" replied softly "but if there was, it would be in a rainy day on the top of a dragon" barely after he finished, the door opened revealing a woman in her twenty too who directly pulled the man inside without him being able to react at all and close the as fast as she opened it.

The young man observed the young woman for a moment with a smile at his lips. She was pretty tall for an average woman but still small compare to the man. With her purple straight hair, shiny green eyes, fair pale skin and black and dark blue robe, she looks like the mix of a witch and a Vampire specially with her blood red lips and her teeth who makes you think of fangs. And contrary to the man, her face was much more expressive than him. And right now it was clearly seen that she was worried but happy that the man was here.

"What tooke you so much time Jake? They will come soon you now? It almost time so hurry and go upstairs" She said to her with concern and precipitation. "I... Everything is ready"

The man named Jake didn't respond and just pass her like she didn't exist earning a wry smile from her, eyes moist. But after a few steps, he finally talk.

"Is he upstair too? Can I see him before your going?" it took a few seconds for the woman to react and she hastily respond "Yes, of course he's your kid too"

Jake just nod his head and continue to the stairs as the woman was hesitating over speaking or not before opening her mouth whispering while lowering her head "You know... It doesn't have to be me. I could just stay, give you the key and you could take care of Aidan in my place. I... I already passed some time with him, so you don't need to take my place. Besides nobody know who is his father in addition to the fact that everyone think he didn't survive the childbirth, it will be an other assurance. I..."

"Amelia!"

The sudden shout from Jake makes the person concerned jump from surprise. She then discovered that the father of her child was finally looking at her, but with frustrationg

"Amelia Roswing Smith" he repeated with warmth this time "As a father who still don't know why you love me and still haven't seen his child. The least that I can do is to protect both of you to be at least a little more worthy for you. Beside, nobody said that I will die, you said it's just an assurance. Until today I was the only one who knows where you live and you said that only near members of your family will know too. I don't think that they will betray you just like that so don't worry. Just take the baby after the meeting and live. And if your that worried, I promise you that after a month or two here, I will hide myself too. But a child need a mother to be raised and as a father, I'm more optional"

He tried to rassure by making a bad joke to Amelia with a smile, but his eyes betrayed him, showing that he too was a little afraid. But even if he was, he was much more determinate having his partner in putting more faith and trust in him. Making her recalcitrant to agree.

"Alright, but just... Be careful please" this time, Jake nod and went upstair no longer paying any mind to Amelia who was watching him like a person sentenced to death walking to his executioner. Even after she could no longer see him, she was still fixing the spot were he was earlier.

Tok Tok Tok

The sound the alarm clock in the living room wake her up from her daze so suddenly that she almost slipped. 'It's... Already noon? How long did I stay on that spot stupidly?' she asked herself while dashing toward the front door. Amelia Smith, powerful witch and one of the best potion master in the world was at the very moment ashamed of herself for not having more faith in the father of her son. 'But well, it's not entirely my fault its the dark Lord we're talking about' but trying console herself by thinking that just made her more depressed.

Hating that, she prefer to focus all her mind on her next trial as she opened the door. Outside more than ten or so familiar faces looking more or less similar to her were waiting near the house seemingly not seeing it. 'at least the spell is working' Amelia thought as she walk toward her family.

While still in the domain of her property it was like nobody could see her, but as soon as she step outside, she became the entire attention of the crowd. While she understood that for them it was like she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it was still a bit oppressing to be stare at like that by the members of her own family even if she didn't show it on the surface.

"Ah Amelia darling, it's been a long time since we last met. And I'm sorry for your loss" started an elder age looking man with a fatherly smile. "Hello uncle Clayton. Indeed, long time no seen and thanks you for your words, unfortunately in those times we can't grieve properly. I welcome all of you to the 15 street of Alamein" replied Amelia with a cold voice.

As if they finally acquired proper glasses, all the people present could now see Amelia's House. The host of that said house then lead them inside without attempting to engage any sort of conversation or being polite. Being members of her family, the people following apparently thought of the treatment as something normal, because except for Uncle Clayton, they didn't acknowledge her presence more than that.

The living room of the house was pretty big, and if someone was to pass near the house they would be doubtful that a living room that big could exist inside. It was designed in the style of the old England with yellow and Black everywhere. Some sofa were put in the corners and a long table with more than twenty seat was installed in the middle of the room. The table seems to be made in a yellow crystal with the table feet design with the style of the 15' century. The crest of their Family was Inlaid in the middle of the table: a Badger black and grey in front of a flag yellow with black stripes and just above there was a yellow banner with the word Huffelpuff written on it. The whole was Surrounded by stylishly yellow vines.

Bellow the crest was engraved a few words : Hard work, Loyalty, Justice and Love for Nature.

It could be seen that Amelia was taking a big pride on her origins and family. Because not just in the living room, but even in corridors or others rooms, there was at least a black or a yellow colour somewhere. But she was apparently not the only one, when members of her family started to enter in the living room they eyes immediately focus on the crest on the table. Then some people will nod absent-mindedly others will just smile, there were even people who will look at it with such proud eyes that you will think that it was them who placed it. When Amelia saw their reaction, she snorted with satisfaction before excusing herself.

"I have something to take upstairs, so take a sit I'll be back in a minute" and without waiting for anyone to speak, she part of the room.

Arriving upstairs she headed directly towards her room and whispered "You're ready?"

"Yes" replied someone behind the door with the same voice as her. Amelia didn't say anything else and just opened the door who revealed a perfect copy of herself. There was a brief silence between them, before it was broken by the perfect copy.

"I saw him, he looks more like you than me. So I'm sure that he will become one of the best wizard in the world, just like her mother"

Contrary to the expectations from the copy, Amelia original didn't smile or say anything, she just took a fancy Black obsidian key with the crest of her on it and hand it over to the copy. When she took it, she started to examined it herself while mumbling some words for some time before smiling to Amelia "Like always you surpass any expectation from us mortal"

"Well this time it isn't just my life I'm protecting" replied coldly Amelia but couldn't hide the worry in her eyes, which didn't gone unnoticed by her replica who then try to lessen her worry.

"don't worry, it's not like your family will start to attack me to have it, and even if, not everyone can kill me!" she said with confidence.

******

In the living room everybody were already sitting around the table chatting with turmoil about something.

"I don't even know why do we need a meeting to discuss about something like that! Even If someone was blind, they still will be able to see the situation outside! So by Merlin, why do we need a meeting? Let's just ask her, and she Will give it to us!" stated someone vehemently, but was immediately mocked upon by another one "Do you really think that Amelia's lineage would be the guardians if they give it like that anytime a small problem arise Clara? Haha, you're too naive. If that was the case, the moment you-know-who appeared she would have give it to one of the children"

That mock remarks just served to irk the named Clara "Small problem? You call our situation a small problem? You-know-who is a small problem now?"

"He IS in the hole world, Clara! When Grindelwald appear, everyone thought that he was a big deal, but did you those Smith react? No! When we asked for it they said <<This dark Lord this isn't the first and certainly not the last>> and they weren't wrong, see our situation today. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be preoccupied by you-know-who, just that our situation, maybe not be considered big enough yet for Amelia. And I'm explaining to you of the why" replied the old man while rolling his eyes.

"well if that's the case, then we can just force ourselves..." but Clara never was able to finish her sentence, because the subject of the conversation appeared in the room fixing her with a cold and contemptuous glare. That entrance, made the hole quiet in a matter of a second creating a thick tension between them.

"So... From what I see you seem to have a pretty interesting conversation about myself" Said Amelia with a gentle but mocking voice. "How fructuous it was? Did you all come to an agreement?" She continue sneering at all of them making some people face turn ugly.

"Amelia stop that please, it is not some childish we're talking about, but serious things" Said her Uncle Clayton while trying to pacify the others before adding "come on child, come here take a sit"

'Am I the host or are you the host?' asked Amelia in her head as she took a sit at the end of table at the opposite of Clayton.

"Well, let's finish this quickly, what do you all want?" asked Amelia even if she already guessed what it was.

And she guessed right because Clara immediately answered "The key. The key of Huffulepuff secret Treasure"

"Why?"

"to defeat you-know-who"

Amelia then tilt her head and Pretended to think about it and replied

"No"

Causing the entire place to fall again in turmoil.

"what!?" "how dare you?" "You're to brave for your own good girl!" and so on sentence started to circule among them until the old man who already foresight that coming stand up abruptly and try to left but Clayton stop him

"why are you quitting us Richard?" to what Richard replied helpless "Cousin, you saw as me that the little girl won't give you what you want, and to begin with, I was just here to confirm and witness that, because I already know that it was pointless so now I'm going to hide myself again" he then left without giving Clayton a chance to persuade him.

His departure create the necessary calm for Clara to spat her word on her cousin.

"Why don't you want to give us the key? Don't tell me that you really think that our situation don't require it like Uncle said? If that really the reason..."

Instead of replying Amelia ask in turn a question.

"Clara, do you even know what's inside that Treasure Room?"

Caught off guard Clara replied reflexively by the negative making her embarrassed by her lack of knowledge because she only learn about the secret treasure recently she thought that it was normal for her to not know, but surely elder would...

"Then..." Amelia continue while whipping the crowd with a glare "Do any of you know what is inside the treasure room?"

It was after seeing the uncomfortable face of everyone that Clara realise that NOBODY knows the content of the treasure!

"None of you knows? And to say that I hoping that someone could finally tell to me what's the treasure I'm protecting. It's a shame"

'Wait, not even Amelia knows what is the Secret Treasure? Then...'

As if to voice Clara iner thoughts Amelia said "But wait! If none of us know what's inside that treasure room, how come all of you so sure that inside the treasure room, there is a weapon of some kind that will allow us to stop Voldemort or even kill him? Did you all awaken the power futur sight?" that question only succeed to make the crow more uncomfortable with some not even daring to cross the path of her eyes. But Amelia wasn't even close to stopped her questions.

"But, well let put that aside and let's said the treasure is indeed a weapon, do any of you have any idea of where is that secret room except that it's in Hogwarts? Because I do not and our ancestors do not and I doubt any of you do either. So the question is, why should I handover the key?"

There was a silence of than five minutes before someone tentatively responded "We could then give the key to the children who will go to Hogwarts this year to search for it with luck, we could...find it?"

But his answer just served as a way for Amelia to give a cold laugh before turning deadly serious "Before answering that question I'll ask you all something else. I do believe that all of you knows that the reason I wasn't with you and didn't contact any of you while I was pregnant, was because Voldemort knew about the key and that I was the guardian. But here the problem, for a little more than a thousand years nobody outside our family knew of the key or the secret Treasure. At worst there were some urban legends saying that Helga left some artifacts of some kind or something like that, but that's it. What is strange is that nowadays every single wizard in the world know that Helga Huffelpuff left a Treasure Room in Hogwarts with her descendants having the key to open it" As she talk she took out a Black obsidian key with the crest of Huffelpuff at the end of it. "Interesting thing is that most of the Order of the Phoenix members know that I'm the guardian of that key without me telling them. That wouldn't be dangerous, if Voldemort didn't know it too. So my question is, WHY THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU START CHATT MOUTING LEFT AND RIGHT?!!"

That sudden outburst from Amelia caught everyone off guard and frightened all of them without exception, some people even had guilty face adding to their fear.

Seeing that the situation wasn't good, Clayton tried to pacify Amelia.

"Child, calm down. I agree that it was their mistake for not knowing were to speaking, and I'm sorry that you had to endure such a year. But this is a perfect reason to give us the key, like that you-know-who..."

"Voldemort what? Wouldn't pursue me anymore? Because you will give to the children studying at the school? Do you think he's stupid? The second reason he's chasing me is so that I'll hand over the children. And the reason is because of you! Because of you he think like all you that there is a weapon strong enough kill him among the treasures. And he know that I will never go to Hogwarts because he'll spot me the moment I'm close to it and so the the only solution for me would be to give the key to our children. And he will obviously monitor them.

Don't think that because Hogwarts have Albus Dumbledore the School is totally safe. It's very easy to put spy inside. So except if you have a plan to prevent spy and other things like that, I will not even consider to give you the key.

Because with even if I had to flee more than once, the key was safe.

Like right now that house is upon the spell of fidelius charm and only the person present right now and Richard knows this place, so unless one of you start to lose your lips again it will normally be impossible for Voldemort to..."

"Stop saying his name!" Cut Clara With dread fear which only serve to amused Amelia

"Who? Voldemort?" she said with a teasing tone "Stop it, this isn't funny!" she replied with moist eyes while starting to look around.

"What, you really think that Voldemort will.."

But once again Amelia didn't have the chance to finish her sentence because this time, a shiny blue ethereal doe appeared out of nowhere in the middle of room and said with hollow human voice.

"Amelia, I don't where you are and how he did it, but... He's coming! Run!"

The second after, the doe disappeared following by, a silence of a few seconds Settled down until someone use the spell of apparition to leave. Following that, many cracking noise from apparition began until only a handful people remain of which Amelia and surprisingly Clara which didn't go unnoticed by her cousin.

"Clara, stupid, what are you doing? Hurry up and leave this place, if you stay you will die!"

But Clara apparently didn't have any plan of leaving, on the contrary, she even snorted at Amelia's face "And what? You think that I will let my cousin die like that? If you want me to leave, then leave first! If not I stay. Loyalty is the motto of the Huffelpuff, and I intend to follow it till the Bloody end!" she said it with such a domineering tone that, for a moment Amelia considered to let her fight. But she couldn't 'If I let her die, she will be heartbroken'. Due to those thoughts, Amelia could only turn to his only other family member who stay and plead him with his eyes.

"sigh... OK, but please be careful child" replied her uncle Clayton before grabbing Clara's arm and appart too.

Which is fortunate for them, because directly after black smoke invaded the the house while breaking the windows to enter (clearly not bothering to come in by the door) and surround her. A stalemate begun between them, before a bigger black enter in the living with a force that was able to shaken the house a little. When the smoke began to dispersed itself, Amelia started at a familiar that gave her goosebumps of disgust. The man was more pale skinned than her with extremely short brown hair to the point where we could assume that he was bald. His eyes were red ruby like with black pupils as fine as a needle and with a nose almost gone and replace by two slots, the man almost look like a snake. But even then, you could still see that he was a bit handsome, even with his scary and dangerous smile.

"he hehe he. Hello Smith. One year, it took one year, for us two to meet again Amelia Smith" started the man with delight "I have to say, I'm impressed. I am the one who personally hunted you, but you still manage to evade me for a whole year. You are the only one who manage this, so be proud"

"Hello you too, Voldemort" replied simply Amelia while taking out a wand out of her robe. Seeing this, Voldemort start to smirk before taking out his own wand.

"Do you have any last words Amelia Smith before I kill you?" asked the Dark Lord politely. But he only received a cold glare from his Opponent. Seeing this, he didn't say anything else and started to cast a spell with a green light on Amelia. But like she was expecting it, she jumped out of range of the spell while pointing her wand with the sofa for target. After a quick flash the sofa transform in countless big badger who chased after the Dark Lord who responded to it with a loud incedio, burning half of them with the other half scattering in the house from fright. After that, Voldemort power up his fire with another spell and made it take the form of a phoenix before launching it on Amelia. That said person although scared of the speed and power of the spell, still succeed to cast at the last moment.

[AQUA ERUCTO]

But because the fire was that power, she couldn't turn off the fire quickly, and as a result wasn't able to prevent her opponent from casting [BAUBILLIOUS] which succeed in injuring her as the protego casted wandlessely was to hasty and not powerful enough. But with just those few exchanges, the Death Eaters hiding in the smokes could directly see which wizard had the upper hand in this battle. And without a surprise Voldemort continues to pressure Amelia little by little and adding injuries on injuries until finally, her wand broke in an explosion under a [CONFRINGO] spell sealing all her path to live.

"So, still no last words?" asked Voldemort with a grin on his face, before casting his favorite Spell [AVADA KEDAVRA] Killing Amelia, without giving her the chance to speak.

When her body fall like like a living doll on the floor, strangely, the entire room was quiet, even Voldemort himself didn't say anything, like he was respecting that warrior who fought a battle to death with her all strength to the last moment, even though she knew it was in vain.

A few seconds after her death however, Voldemort stopped waiting "Richard, Search her, it should be on her"

Immediately after, an old man with friendly face, with long straight silver hair came out of the surrounding black smoke. It the man who was the first to quit the family meeting of recently dead Amelia, Richard Smith.

Richard did as he was told and soon found a Black obsidian key with the crest of his Family on it. He only stared at it a few seconds before hand it over to his master the Dark Lord.

"He hehe he, with that, Dumbledore would not be able to stop me, and soon I will destroy him" Claimed Voldemort as hold the key tightly. He then made a sign to the other Death Eater to leave. One by one, black smokes started to leave the house who has by now only the first stage standing because of magic, the rest was blasted in the fight of the Wizards. When everyone was gone, Voldemort cast a last glare on the body of Amelia, before casting [MORSMODRE] conjuring the Death Mark above the house, before leaving too.

A few minutes after the Death Eaters and his master were gone, a big Badger started to walk over where Amelia's body was resting.

The Badger, other than being just big, had a few strand of purple hairs on the head and seems to have humans expression. Because when it appears near the body, a few tears start to flow on its cheeks while showing a sad face. The Badger cried silently for half an hour before recalcitrantely leaving the body.

After just a few steps, the body started to take fire and burn rapidly alongside with the wooden floors which it was resting on. Following that, the first floor who was levitating in the air crashed on the ground taking fire in turn too. Soon, the hole place was in fire, with the smoke created by it almost covered the Death Mark so much so that it was thick. And for the first time in a long time, people start to came out of their house to the reason for this commotion. And when they saw the skull with snake in the air, they all regret coming out of they shelters.

But what nobody noticed, was that not far from that house in fire, was a Badger Pulling a cradle with a sleeping baby inside.