Chapter 40: Face Your Fears

All three of the gifted lay there on the floor. No one dared speak as they drained the oxygen from the husky atmosphere. As Lucy looked around she could see that yet again there was another corridor to survive.

The beginning were they were had sunk into the wall which created a little square hub to rest. As Lucy looked out she could see the hallway was a little less wider than her school corridors, but the floor was a tired wood with holes and burnt sides.

The walls were covered in ivory green wallpaper with swirling patterns of dark green flowers. There was some pictures framed, but the odd thing was that there faces had all been cut out. The hallway didn't seem to end either, like the last one, and numerous mirrors were planted all over the place. The dim source of light was pale yellow from the interrogating light bulb from above dangling from a single hair-raising wire.

"Shall we go then?" Lucy asked randomly as she pushed onto her feet. Snape didn't reply but instead held his ace in his hands and tired to calm down.

"I say so. We need to find the end," Shona said instead and gave Snape a look to respond.

Lucy nodded through an exhaling breath as Snape forced himself to sit up and wiped his face from sweat. He could still hear the no faces whispering for his soul silently but he couldn't move any more from tiredness.

"Ready, dad?" Lucy asked as she looked up through the diming sight of the hallway. Snape looked up and nodded, his whole body seemed to be quivering.

"Yes. Yes..." he breathed and gradually lifted himself up. Lucy could now see other pathways leading out of the hallway but no sign as to where they lead. Lucy led them and walked of nearly on her own. Snape looked at Shona as his back was lit up by the light bulb.

"You go first professor, I'll follow," Shona said in a drained tone. Snape turned away and followed his daughter and McGuire followed, Snape hiding his guilt.

Lucy looked around and scanned the view. The light of their wands bounced off the first mirror, its cracked innocent shell crooked and reflecting a brave Lucy. As they passed the first corridor they all looked in, but it was complete blackness. All stopped.

"Shouldn't the light emit in there?" Snape pondered as the darkness growled at them.

"Well, that is odd isn't it?" Lucy said, as the black tunnel seemed to gawp at her. It was weird, she felt like there was some type of presence pushing her in, wanting her to walk into it and discover it's mysterious. Lucy's mind stopped the pneumonia and looked up and down the corridor again.

"Look! There's another!" Shona gasped and walked past them to the next, which was about 20 metres ahead on the same left side. Lucy saw the girl shrink in height as she moved away and faced the other hole. Snape and Lucy stood in front of the other.

"ITS JUST LIKE THAT ONE!" Shona's voice echoed oddly like a tunnel underground. Lucy frowned and fixed her gaze on Snape, who was obviously thinking to himself as usual.

"I've never seen anything like this," he admitted and his low voice trotted off and made a loud echo which both startled them. Both looked puzzled at each other before staring at Shona who was poking the darkness with her wand.

"Fire a spell at it!" Lucy shouted with her hands to her mouth to make herself louder. Shona seemed to shout back but the voice was fainter than last time.

"WHAT?" Lucy shouted and caught Snape's attention; he had been glaring at the corridor behind them with worry.

"I...TH...th...SPE...W...OU...D...NT...W...K!" Was what Lucy heard. She watched as Shona aimed her wand at the blackness. Lucy heard the words:

"EXPELL...us!"

In a freak moment, the red lazar entered the tunnel and engulfed it. In seconds there was a grumbling sound and quicker than lightning the spell came out of the tunnel were Lucy was, It was like watching a bullet train hit you. It smashed into Snape and flung him off his feet into the wall behind. As he hit dust appeared and an odd ringing sound from the ceiling rattled their eardrums.

Snape dazed himself as Lucy helped him stumble up to his original height.

"I'LL KILL YOU, MCGUIRE!" He yelled at her, but the girl didn't respond. She stood there as she'd done cheering at her hit. "MCGURIE! LISTEN TO ME!"

But she continued to dance and then stopped. She looked at them and pulled a quirky face, like a dog would when it was confused and turn its head to one side. McGuire said something in a normal tone; this would easily be heard in any corridor but oddly stayed mute. Confused, the girl walked back and quickened her pace as she got closer, almost running when she arrived. She ran full pelt...

And ran into something.

She was a bird hitting a window pane, her head rolled backwoods and she fell over onto her back. Snape and Lucy's face were filled in shock, more the fact that they were separated instead of their friend being injured (well Lucy's friend). Both walked up and instantly felt something was forcing them back as they hit an invisible object. There was an odd bopping noise of a bubble as Snape was pushed backwoods slightly. Lucy placed her hands into the air and started to pound the object making numerous odd comedy noises like trumpets, drum rolls and rude noises.

Shona lifted her head slightly as she heard a strange noise, not the fact that a potions professor and her friend were hitting the air and mining words wasn't strange enough. She could hear whispering. Some high some low, but all wishing to talk to her. She listened carefully.

"...help...get out...come...save us..." was what they said. Nothing was making sense.

"Oh god!" Lucy mouthed as a rude raspberry erupted the air. Then they heard a chilling tone.

"Face your fears, only then can you find what you are looking for in this maze of terrors."

'Did you guys hear that?' Shona asked in their minds making them jump. Snape nodded.

The air separating them still stood boldly and denied them permission to talk, but then McGuire did something extraordinary. Shona walked off. Lucy and Snape screeched at her to come back, but the girl in the checkered top was gone as she turned into a corridor.

"Damn girl! You know when we get out of here I'm seriously going to get Dumbledore to expell her — "

"Dad," was all Lucy said. Snape grunted as he slowly started to pace the corridor. Lucy tapped her foot until an odd voice was heard.

"ENTER NOW; THE FIRST HAS BEEN CAUGHT BY HER FEAR."

"Pardon?" Lucy said aloud. It repeated the phrase and then vanished. Snape looked at her.

"This is seriously advanced magic. Definitely middle aged magic," he spoke to himself mysteriously.

"Strange," Lucy gawped and looked up into the ceiling and swore she saw it swirl.

"Strange yes, but who would want to face their own fear here?" Snape replied.

"But what does that mean? 'Face your fear?' How can our fears get in here?" She gulped as her stomach rolled in panic. Snape shrugged his shoulders and gazed up and down the corridor again.

"I guess it will be hallucinations, I doubt it will be real," he told her, but Lucy's heart couldn't stop racing. Could her fear be here? Watching her? Waiting for her?

"But there are burn marks, can you fake fire?" Lucy acknowledged thoughtfully as remembered the scorch marks behind them. Snape didn't reply which didn't help the situation.

Both stared into the tunnel and Lucy swore she could hear voices calling her in. Her legs wanted to run in and dive into the mystery...

"Let's go together," Snape said and grabbed her arm. "We don't know what lurking in there."

Lucy nodded and the two crept in. Their wand lights were very unhelpful, as the darkness seemed thicker than fog. As they carried on Lucy's heart raced more.

"Dad?" She called out meekly until she felt a sly hand hold hers.

"I'm still here," he replied as the wand lights struggled to glow. Then they hit something. Lucy screamed and the wand lights went out like someone had crushed them with its cold grey hands.

"Lucy, are you OK?" Snape asked rashly and grabbed her shoulders to face him in the midnight darkness. But Lucy was breathing sharply now, she knew who her fear was, he could have done that.

"Dad, someone's in here with us," Lucy warned as she stood closer to Snape. Snape didn't react but tried to hit his wand desperately for light.

"It's OK, Lucy. Its playing mind games on us, you will be ok as long as you're with me," he told her as they continued walking. Lucy felt a lot safer now with her father in tow, no one could get passed him without a fight. And even if they did, they would suffer the wrath, something Lucy had heard of but never wished to face herself. She placed a quivering hand on the side of the wall and felt it slope inwards like a fun house...until she felt something shift underneath her feet.

She screamed as a trap door tried swallowing her whole. Lucy lost hold of Snape and the door snapped shut tightly. Snape hit it with force and screamed out his daughter's name. He grappled with it and tried to pull it open, but the thing was truly locked. Snape tried to calm himself down. He had to walk on; Lucy would be fine he tried to tell himself as he walked into the unknown.

Shona was sprinting for her own dear life. The passageways seem to have led to a crisscross of other passageways, which interlinked over and over again. Shona was beginning to get lost. All the odd furniture of dead knights and mirrors were starting to creep her out.

Then all of a sudden she heard a whistling noise. She turned round with her wand light but nothing seemed out of the unusual. The light in this part of the maze was hazy so Shona could see around her clearly. Then she heard a trickling noise.

She looked down to see seeping water creeping towards her. She started to back off until she noticed a flush of water heading right towards her. She screamed and bolted away, the water lapping at her heels. She turned sharply and missed a dominating tidal wave as it erupted to where she would have been crushed. Then Shona heard it again and bolted down another lane; heading right on into the same one. She screamed louder and ran for her life...

Lucy heard this scream from where she was. She couldn't see, she couldn't even see her own wand. She was cold and in the dark and something cold was creeping up on her. Like above, it was like a maze, but Lucy was having to feel her way around.

She slowly walked forward, arms out in front of her, they were her only way of telling what was around her even if she did look stupid...nobody could see.

But suddenly all the lights switched on like in the no face room, Lucy held her wand out expecting to have to attack something but there was nothing to attack. There was just her all alone in a room...she might as well have been in a mental hospital, that's where she thought she belonged half of the time.

"Dad?" She squeaked nervously, she was so scared, this was a big mistake.

The lights began to dim so that it was dark but Lucy was still able to see. She whimpered slightly and fell back against the wall, she didn't like it here one bit. She'd have preferred to be back with the no faces and have them giving her a numerous amount of hugs...at least she wasn't alone there.

"Dad?" She whimpered. "Dad?" She wanted him more than every now, so he could enclose her in his arms and tell her everything was OK. Tell her that he'd always be there for her no matter what the situation...that's all she wanted.

She hated being alone in this room, seeing as there appeared to be no way out. She knew now that this next place in the Department of Mysteries was where they had to face their fears and Lucy was dreading what she was face...she just hoped it wasn't Zuc. It was just lucky he couldn't get into England yet...

"Lucy," a voice suddenly called. Lucy's gaze followed a bright light that shone onto a figure, a tall figure but not tall enough for Zuc. He was about six feet and his silhouette was completely black until Lucy could see all of him.

"Dad!" Lucy cried, she ran towards him when a powerful invisible barrier prevented her from going any further. It was just like the one that had sealed Shona off from Lucy and Snape earlier. "Dad, I'm so glad you're — "

"Oh stop whining you pathetic child," Snape barked and Lucy blinked at him. "That's all you've done ever since I adopted you, whine and moan about how bitterly unfair your life is. When you forget that others have faced poor lives, but still your life is more important than others. That's all you want out of like is sympathy. You attention seeker..."

Lucy stared at her father, she was shocked herself. Was that what Snape really thought of her? Surely not...

"Don't try and deny it," this time another voice came. Lucy span around and saw Shona, it appeared a spotlight had shone onto her too now. "Look at you, standing there with the title of Merlin's descendant when you don't even deserve it! You couldn't even kill a fly let alone King Zuc the Mighty! That's what I should be doing, not you. I should be Merlin's descendant because know how to fight things unlike you..."

Lucy was now certain that this Shona and Snape were not the real Shona and Snape. The real Shona and Snape would never say things like this even if the dare though them. Besides these fake people had blank eyes, Lucy didn't even think they had pupils...

"I even died for you," Lucy turned again to see a spotlight on Anastasia. "I shouldn't have, should I? I should have lived but no I threw it all away for you, all for nothing...I can't believe I did that. I could be out living my life right now but instead it's all wasted because of you. The girl who won't be able to defeat King Zuc because she doesn't have the skill. You were a complete the mistake and are the wrong Merlin's descendant."

"You even have my fathers hair," Snape perked up. "That just gives me another reason to hate you, you remind me of my father. Why should I look after you anyway? There's nothing special about you."

"Nobody likes you," this time when Lucy turned she saw a spotlight on Fred Weasely, even if this one was fake she could tell if the real Fred were here this is what he would really say. "You're pathetic and useless an haven't got s clue, I can't believe I went out with you. I was stupid and a fool, I should have realised how stupid you were before dating you. At least now I have a sensible girlfriend. Angelina is for better than you."

"LUCY!" This time Lucy heard a real voice, it was the real Snape and it was coming from above.

"Dad!" Lucy cried back. "Dad! Save me!"

"Oh I'll save you," the fake Snape put an arm around her neck from behind and she gasped. "Don't worry, daddy's here."

"DAD!" Lucy sobbed as she heard Snape desperately trying to open the trap door Lucy had fallen through.

"I'm right here you stupid child," the fake Snape laughed as the Snape above suddenly stopped trying to open the trap door. It was as though he had been given an electric shock.

"Damn," he muttered. He then stood up and tapped the trap door with his foot and another shock ran through his body, his hair stood on end slightly. There was no way of getting the trap door open without getting hurt...but Snape would take the risk.

He knelt down again and grabbed hold of the handle and pulled on the trap door despite the fact he was being given a huge electric shock in return. He didn't care, though, if it saved his daughter he would handle an electric shock.

"Severus," a voice whispered. It was a familiar voice but he just couldn't put a finger on who it was. He stood up despite his daughters screams, it was as though the voice was pulling him away. He looked to his left and saw a woman.

She had beautifully red, long, wavy hair. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle as she saw Snape. Snape's eyes went wide, it looked as though he was about to cry.

"Lily," he whispered and ran towards her. "Lily, I've missed you so much! Lily, I've been looking after Lucy! Just as I suppose you wished me too!"

"I did..." Her laugh was bells ringing, purely beautiful. "I'm glad you found her." Lily put a hand on Snape's cheek and suddenly she turned into one of the no faces.

"Lily!" Snape cried in desperation. "Lily!"

The no face then threw him to the ground and disappeared, after that all he could hear was voices...

'We have your daughter.'

'Lily isn't yours'

'Lily is dead.'

'We know your worst fears...Severus Snape.'

Snape suddenly ran back to the trap door and tried so desperately to get it open, he didn't like this placed at all and wanted to get his daughter and get out of there...and maybe he'd bother to find McGuire...

But just as he was about to give up hope the trap door opened and without hesitation he jumped through the find his daughter being attacked by...him?

"You useless creature!" The fake Snape barked at Lucy as he kicked her in the corner, she was shaking with fear. "You're ugly, useless and pathetic and don't deserve to be here!"

"J-Just let m-me go!" She quivered. "P-Please!"

"Get off my daughter," the real Snape barked and strode towards the fake version of him, while all the other fake versions of people Lucy know watched and laughed.

"She's my daughter!" The fake Snape snapped. "She's not yours she's mine and I can do whatever I want to her because she's mine!"

Without warning the real Snape went to punch the fake one in the face but the fake one reacted quickly and grabbed hold of his wrist.

"You can't have her, she's mine..."

"SHE'S MINE!" The real Snape barked. "You don't know anything about her!"

"She's fifteen years old, I found her when when she was ten, she attends Hogwarts where I work as potions master and we're both Merlin's descendants. And you — " he prodded a finger into Snape's chest. "Are an impostor!"

"Touché..." Snape murmured. "But I believe you are the imposter!"

"I doubt it..."

The fake Snape kicked the other in the shin. Snape yelled out in pain and tried to retaliate but the other Snape knocked him him off his feet. He cut his lip and blood ran down his chin.

"Dad!" Lucy sobbed and crawled over to him.

"Lucy get out of the way I don't want you to get h — " Snape began but it was too late because the fake Snape picked her up and threw her across the room, she screamed.

"What was that?" The fake Snape asked. "You don't want her to get hurt? Well it's too late now, she's my daughter and I'm going to get rid of you because you're an impostor," he pulled a wand out of his pocket and aimed it at Snape.

"NO!" Lucy screamed.

"It's OK, Lucy, honey. I'll get rid of this impostor and then we'll be fine together again! You'll like that, won't you? Just us two!" The fake Snape grinned, his eyes without the pupils scared her so much...there was just the white of the eye and they seemed to glow like he was something in relation to the no faces. "It'll be just us — "

"CANNONBALL!" A voice screamed from above and fell on top of the fake Snape's head.

"YOU STUPID CHILD! GET OFF OF ME!" He screamed and the real Snape grinned, for once Snape was grateful of McGuire being here.

"I heard there was going to be a party here! Because there isn't no party around like a McGuire party, right fake Stephano?"

"Oh get off of me, you stupid girl!" The fake Snape growled.

"I'm going to enjoy this, I can torture this Snape to death...literally!" Shona laughed to herself as the real Snape crawled over to his daughter, he weakly wiped the blood off of his chin and then picked her up.

"Dad..." Lucy whispered and hugged him, he held her close as though he was never going to let her go.

"Shh, it's OK, I swear I won't let anything happen like that again, that was just terrible."

"Bu this is the place where we face our worst fears, mine were just being alone and people mocking me," Lucy peered over her fathers shoulder to find Shona beating up the fake Snape.

"It's just terrible though, James Potters' half brother used to do that to you and then a fake version of me has to go and do it...that's just terrible..."

"I know but it's OK, I knew it wasn't you. The eyes weren't right and that one smiled too much," Lucy gave a small laugh and then looked at Snape too see if she had offended him but Snape was smiling himself.

"LET ME GO!" The other Snape yelled.

"What's that, Snapey? You like me using you as a chair?" Shona stood up from where she was sitting on the fake Snape's back and then pretended to fall. "Oh no! I'm falling!" She fell and landed on the fake Snape again. "Thanks for saving me, Snape, you're the best!"

"McGuire, how did you find us?" The real Snape as he walked over to her with Lucy. "I don't know the water diverted me here then I saw you two down here so I thought I'd sit on my new best friend, right Snapey number two?" She patted the other Snape on the head then wiped her hand on her jeans.

"Wait a second...water? This is supposed to be where you face your fears!" Snape frowned suddenly.

"We're all afraid of something and my fear is water! Don't you dare start judging me otherwise I might sit on you too! Hey! I could make a throne out of Snape's!" Shona laughed.

"Come on, lets get out of here," Snape said and took Lucy's hand as a door magically appeared, showing them the way out.

"Snapey number one, come back! I haven't finished with Snapey number two yet!" Shona yelled.

"Can you get off now?" The other Snape asked.

"Nope!" Shona laughed, stood up again and then fell back down causing the fake Snape to groan.