The Deal of a Century

Note: These events happened on July 28th, 2006. I am merely recounting this to update everyone...if only a little.

"That's...interesting."

"You hate it--I know you do." I said, turning to look at Draco. We were back at the house in Montreal. Thank goodness for that. With all the excitment of the return of the Emperor (his homunculus self still haunting my mind), most of the attention's been diverted over to Kenya and her main group. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad that the heat is off of me. But I need a bit of a breather--especially in view of what's going on.

Severus has less than a week to live. His one month was almost up...and all I was really able to do is to sit and worry. The Order didn't think much of me, really. And I don't know if I should be angry or relieved at this revelation...but what can you do? I don't hold much importance anymore...But, as someone who's spent a bit of time with Severus Snape...That's fine with me. Let them think what they think. I'll get Severus out and his name cleared...somehow.

It was all hanging on the last Horcrux. If only Harry could find it--I believed that it would make things better. That, somehow, that lost talisman would be the key to helping me win Severus' freedom. Somehow.

"Who's this supposed to be?" Draco asked, pointing at one of the pictures I had been slaving most of the day on.



I looked at the picture, a sudden creation I had to make. This woman with the cheerful smile was Lucia Crossier; a demon hunter par extraordinaire; a beacon of light and doomed to die for her beliefs. Lucia's full story is that she is the survivor of an angry village mob's rage against her family, believing that the devil himself had come into the world when Lucia was born. She had been born with powers unlike any other and that made the already superstitious villagers (who were attacked by demons, spirits and other unsavory things nearly every day) very fearful of her--even if she went out of her way to help them.

As a child, Lucia had accidentally summoned a strange creature when confronted with the Mayor's son who wanted to do ill will towards her (in not so nice terms, he tried to rape her at the age of fourteen). Spurned and wounded, the man went running to his father and a mob was made that traveled to Crossier Manor, demanding Lucia. Their parents wouldn't give her up and ended up being killed as a result, along ith the rest of the Crossier family currently residing within the Manor. Lucia survived the night, but that was because of an impromptu demon horde attacking the village, which ended up slaughtering everyone, but Lucia who had hidden inside the manor's cellar.

Frightened, upset and guilty, Lucia went to the Diablerie. It's actually a castle a ways from her village. She thought that the hordes had come from the place (it as known to be a stronghold for some of the highest ranking demons in the world). There, proclaiming herself to be the sole heir of the Crossier family, she went on a demon killing spree. There were seven levels--each filled with lesser demons and then a higher demon--all of which she easily destroyed in her state of despair. She had nothing left to lose and she had a lot left to prove.

She fought very hard and very long, but eventually she reached the master of the castle--Grimoire. He, too, like the rest of his castle, was slain by her. But something happened that she hadn't expected. He had revived--as did everyone she had killed. She found herself surrounded by the demon lords and could only fall to her knees and wait for her fate, terribly wounded and too tired to continue fighting anymore.

But then, another unexpected thing happened.

The lord of the castle, Grimoire, extended his hand to her. He showed kindness to the girl who had just slain him in cold blood, instead of lashing out at her in anger for her insolence. From then on, Grimoire, along with his six lieutenants, went on to care for Lucia, as if she were family and she never knew such happiness. But it was shortlived.

In the six years that she knew Grimoire and his men, Lucia came to be a reknowned demon hunter. With her contract to the great demon lord, there wasn't anything she couldn't do--except find the ones responsible for the attack on her village. In the end, everything was settled. She got revenge for her family and village; the world was saved (it had been in mortal peril during those six years) and she discovered love.

Unfortunately, she died while watching the sun set for the last time in the arms of Grimoire, under the watchful gaze of her six other guardians. Lucia had given her all in the final battle--just as she had all those years ago when she first went to the Diablerie--and fought valliantly to the end where she was mortally wounded. Grimoire also passed away, just a little after Lucia, his part of the contract stating that he wouldn't live any longer than she did.

It was all depressing, really, but there you have it.

When I finished teling Draco the story, he looked at me as if I'd grown a foot out of my head. A little paranoid, I looked behind me, then patted my head to see if I had.

"You need to get out more...Hire a babysitter for William and your sister...then go outside and..I don't know...Go shopping." Draco said, pulling me up from my seat by my hand. "No, you won't do that. I'll take on William and the princess brat. You will go out and get a life. There must be something wrong if you're dreaming up such depressing drivel..."

"Alright, alright....I've been meaning to go to CHina Town, anyways."

I smiled as Draco fussed a bit over me as I looked up at him (when did he get so tall? I must be getting old if I didn't notice before...). He gave me my little satchel, got me my purse and almost flung a bottle of Avian at me as he reminded me to drink my fluids as to not let the 40+ heat kill me. When did he get so responsible? So caring? It was almost...cute. A little disturbing and out of character for the little (alright, not so little) twit, but...cute.

I gave the brat prince a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off to China Town, suddenly in high spirits.

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Ever since I was a child, China Town had always been a mystical place. Even with the new renovations...it still held a place in my heart. Now don't get me wrong, I know for a fact that there's nothing really magical about the place at all. Everything there was a fakely Chinese/Asian as you could imagine. So, whilst walking in a part I had never been to once in my twenty years of life, when I found this strange Japanese style manor in the middle of nowhere, I had my doubts.

But I walked inside and I was quickly greeted by a woman--no, a girl in a dress embroidered with butterflies. She looked at me with a smirk and half-lidded eyes. It took me a bit to recognize her (as I had only seen her in comics), but in the end, I knew it was the Time-Space Witch...Yuuko.

"Nice to meet you, Grimoire."

I won't give the entire conversation that we had. I mostly revolved around the weather, what we wanna do to Clow Reed's neck when we next see him and about art. But I will give you the little bit that I wish to tell you. The sun was beginning to set when we spoke of it. From where we were I couldn't see the changing sky with its oranges and reds. All I could see was blue. The color of William's eyes.

"You called me Grimoire. Why?" I asked, curious about the woman's reasons. I wasn't too surprised that she knew about my story (she knows a lot for someone who looks so young). But I was a little shocked that she called me Grimoire.

"It suits you." she said as one of her assistants brought in the five o'clock tea. "Lucia may be the tragic figure, however..." She just trailed off there, chuckling, obviously knowing something that I don't. She looked at me, smiling mysteriously. "Or maybe she does suit you, too. The both of them come from your heart, so are, therefore, aspects of your being put into writing..." She waved her hand dismissively. "Or something like that..." She picked up her tea, blowing it it before taking a nice long, slow sip.

"But that's for another time...I have something to discuss with you that may change the Wizarding World as we know it." Yuuko told me with a business-like seriousness. "I want to make you a deal."

Now I didn't exactly read about Yuuko's escapades with Watanuki (he's one of her assistants), but I do know that she is a very powerful witch who could grant your wishes...for a price. She never asks for more than you can pay, but the price is always very high...

...and something someone would usually never give up.

"I heard from the grapevine that Harry has almost succeeded in finding all of the Horcruxes....except one." Yuuko said, talking about the subject as if it were something unimportant. "It was lost long ago by someone named R.A.B."

I nodded. Many had speculated that Regulus Black had possibly taken Slytherin's locket and destroyed it--but many weren't sure on both cases, so a search had been made for it by the Order.

She smiled.

"I know where it is."

Abruptly, I stood up, demanding where it had gone.

Once again, she only gave me that smile.

"Depends on what you want to trade for the information..."

Soon after that, we made an agreement. I won't tell you guys what I promised to give up, but I do hope that the effort is appreciated...because I know I won't be able to get it back. Yuuko does not exchange. Yuuko does not refund. Still, I was kind of angry with what she told me in exchange for my most precious item of value.

"It's right under your nose."

Right after that. I stomped home to try and figure out what she meant by that.

Life just got a little crazier...again.

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The Fate of Lucia Crossier