Blue Flame
Water, Carbon, Ammonia, Lime, Phosphorus, Salt, Saltpeter, Sulfur, Fluorine, Iron, Silicon…
Melin’s eyes shot open. “Who’s there?”
You are made this way...
Looking around her dark room Melin searched for the source of the voice, her heart beating heavily. “Who are you?”
In simple terms…A layman’s body…
“A layman’s body? What are you talking about?” Cried Melin.
The blue flame is lit…There is but one flame left…
Fear began to take over. Getting up from her chair with catlike speed and grace Melin reached up her sleeve for her wand, still unable to find the source of the voice. She jumped and whirled around, her wand now out and ready, as the door behind her opened. “Severus!” She gasped.
Snape raised an eyebrow at Melin. “Who were you talking to?” Pulling out his own wand he pointed it at the fireplace. “Incendio.” As the fire blazed to life he turned back to look at his lover, only to see that her face was paler than usual, almost as if she had seen something no mortal should ever see. “What happened to you?”
Melin shook her head. “I don’t know. I fell asleep while working on something….” She shivered and ran a hand through her hair. “Then I heard this voice….”
The fire here also moves…Eyes with such a burning flame…
“Can’t you hear it?” Melin shivered again, it felt as if invisible fingers were running over her body.
“Hear what exactly?” Asked Snape.
Why has it become so brutal?
“What’s brutal?” Screamed Melin. The voice was maddening, was she the only one who could hear it?
The uncontrollable fire has been lit…
Snape rushed into the room and grabbed hold of Melin. “What in the name of all that’s sacred are you screaming for? What are you hearing?” The color drained from his face as he looked into Melin’s eyes. There was an unnatural fire burning within them, a fire that was not Melin’s.
The blue fire is blazing…
Melin shoved Snape away from her. “What fire? What is the blue fire?” She screamed as she sank to her knees, the invisible hands now at her neck, strangling her.
The blue fire that is impossible to extinguish…
The world began to blur as Melin gasped for air, the invisible hands crushing her wind pipe. “Severus…help me…”
Looking around the room Snape noticed the open book upon Melin’s chair. He strode over to it and looked down, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the text. ‘How…no…I must destroy this!’ Snatching up the book he flung it with all his might into the fire. The book burst open and a shrill cry filled the room, almost as if the book was screaming in pain. With one final howl the book burst into flames and was quickly changed into nothing more than a pile of ashes. “Good riddance.” Growled Snape. Turning around he walked over to where Melin was lying on the ground and knelt beside her. He lifted her sleeve and felt carefully for a pulse, doing his best not to look at the dark mark that was burned into her arm. ‘She’s still alive…barely.’ With a sigh he lifted her up into his arms and carried her out of the office, doing his best to maneuver down the stairs with Melin’s now shivering body.
Michea met him at the bottom of the stairs, his sea blue skin almost white with worry. “What happened to her?” He rushed up and took Melin away from Snape, making his way quickly into the drawing room and laying her down on the sofa. He turned his gold eyes on Snape. “Why is she shivering like this?”
“Who gave her the book she was researching?”
Michea ran a hand through his lavender hair and shrugged. “I think she bought it. She said it cost her a pretty penny to get it, but she didn’t tell me where she got it…she just went straightaway up to her room and locked the door, saying she was going to be researching something.”
Snape lifted Melin’s head and sat down on the couch, resting her head on his lap. “The book was one of four that have been passed around by the Death Eaters, each has a specific way to unlock its powers. Melin must have found out how.” He stroked his fingers across Melin’s temple as he looked over at Michea. “Sit down before you fall down Michea.” As Michea collapsed into an armchair by the fire Snape continued. “As I was saying, Melin must have found out how to unlock it’s powers. I do not know what the book is supposed to do aside from siphon the reader’s life away, each one does it differently. Once the reader is dead the book’s spirit possesses the body and carries out whatever it was supposed to do. So far two of the books have been found…Melin’s was the third.” He looked down as Melin stirred. “The reader supposedly goes mad before they die, but other than that.” He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“But Melin survived.”
“I destroyed the book.”
Nodding Michea waved his hand and summoned over a large tea tray. “Can I interest you in a cup?” He asked as he poured himself a cup of tea, his hands shaking.
“I’m good.” Said Snape. He looked down and smiled faintly as Melin opened her eyes. “Care to tell us where you got that nice little book my love?”
“The blue flame has been lit….” Whispered Melin, her hands covering her eyes. “Why won’t those words leave my head?”
Michea looked up. “Wait, you said there were four books right Severus?” As Snape nodded Michea set his cup aside. “What if they were for each of the houses at Hogwarts? Meant to be given to those of…lesser blood? It would explain the blue flame would it not?”
“I doubt it is as simple as that.” Snape raised an eyebrow as Melin sat up, suddenly extremely alert. “Is something bothering you?”
“The man who sold me the book said it had been sold to him by Lucius…and that he would only sell it to me….” She ran a hand through her bangs. “Two other people were asking for it as well…but he turned them down, even though they offered twice and three times what I was going to pay.