Witches and The Afterlife
Margaret Brenton was a normal child, sure, but she was not always the happiest. She has been in and out of the foster system for 9 years, no one seemed to want her for too long. It’s not that she was trouble, though she wasn’t an angel either, she was just odd. Peculiar things happened whenever she seemed angry, or happy, or sad, though she was usually angry. People said she was cursed, and that was that.
They stopped sending her to houses after an incident when she was 7 and exploded all the lightbulbs in her foster parents house. Maggie didn’t have very many friends, everyone at the home thought she was cursed too. Probably because some girls who were making fun of her lost their voices mid conversation. Maggie wished she could take credit, truly whoever did it was brilliant, but she couldn’t, she had no idea how it even happened.
Adults liked her enough, she was quiet and brilliant at her studies. Her teachers always praised her in front of the class. It annoyed everyone else, but she liked being smarter than everyone. Maggie liked knowing things, she may not do anything with that knowledge but it was a comfort all the same. Adults just thought that she was a harmless and shy child, so they usually let her wander around more and kind of do her own thing.
Maggie was used to being alone, she sort of thrived on it, but sometimes she didn’t. Some days she felt so alone she started to punch the walls in the bathroom. Like all she wanted was to have friends. When she came back teary eyed Emily gave her a hug, which made her cry more because she wished she had parents for this type of thing. Then the next day she would lounge around outside and alone, but this time happy in her solitude. Emily was the only one she ever opened up to. She always said that Maggie could be the loudest person in the room if she wanted to. And it’s true, Maggie was funny and sarcastic to those who got to know her. But Emily left two years ago, so Maggie had to get used to her solitude once more.
When the matron announced the annual camping trip, Maggie jumped for joy. She loved being outside, and they usually failed to notice that she would disappear from the group activities. Sure the trip was nothing more than a few cheap cabins for a night (funds donated by some do-gooder group), but anything was better than the home she was in, plus she has been very, very bored. The telly needed to be mended, and she gave up trying to play chess with anyone after Emily left, no one else knew the rules and she couldn’t be bothered to teach anyone. Plus she was rubbish without Emily helping her.
Maggie was first in line to sign up, and one of the older kids shoved her. “Piss off” Maggie yelled.
“I don’t want a witch on the trip with us”, the Bully told her. As far as insults went, the witch was honestly tame. Maggie just shrugged, signed her name and walked away. Maggie knew better than to get into a fight with an older girl.
At least that’s the story she told the adults. In reality, Maggie punched the girl in the face and then got the same in return, but Maggie had a bruise and the other girl didn’t so Matron believed Maggie. Maggie was only too pleased with herself, even if she cried in the bathroom about the insult later.
The day of the camping trip was normal enough. She was assigned a bunk, told the volunteers her name was Maggie not Margaret, played with a few of the younger kids before becoming bored and played cards with some boys. Dinner was bland, but she didn’t expect much. Maggie even had fun at the campfire too.
It was the last day of July, and there was a full moon that night, which would make for great scenery later. Maggie figured she should start looking for a way to sneak out.
***
“Reckon we should try a new place tonight?” Sirius asked Remus. “Nah I liked that one in Wales a few moons ago”. “Alright Mate, your call.”
Sirius always let Remus pick where they went for a full moon. It was kinda his way of saying, sorry you go through a painful transformation every month, even though I sort of like running around with the wolf that you wished didn’t exist.
Sirius felt guilty for enjoying moons so much. Don’t get him wrong, his heart broke every single time he saw his moony screaming in pain, even if it was through a dog's eyes. His heart broke with every flinch and ache that Remus endured before and after the moons. His heart broke every time a new anti werewolf legislation came out, tightening Remus’s shackles, his heart tore apart every time Remus thought he was nothing more than a monster.
Sirius does his best to assure Remus that he will always be there, but he never knows if it is enough. He loves Remus, Godric, he loves Remus with all his heart and then some, but Sirius sees the faraway look inside of his eyes after the transformations, like he’s scared of himself and all Sirius has is a gentle touch and his love, which is usually enough.
Because Remus was not a monster, he was his Moony. The man he cuddles with at night, the man that he wants to be holding at all times, the man who owns a bookstore for goodness sake! What kind of monster owns a bookstore? But some part of him, the canine part probably, enjoys running around a forest every night with his friend, and Sirius still feels guilty about it. He shouldn’t enjoy it when it brings his love so much pain, but a piece of him does.
Thankfully Remus was not in his martyr mood. He seemed sad, but that is to be expected. Sirius admits that he wouldn’t be super chipper about going through a brutal transformation and losing his mind for some time.
But the July moon was perfect. Padfoot and the wolf ran through the forest at full speed chasing some birds. They splashed in a river and howled at the moon together. It was glorious.
Even the transformation back seemed less brutal, the wolf whimpered less and Remus didn’t need as much time to recover before they were able to apparate home. He slept all day but that was normal the morning after anyway. Sirius was tired too, but he made sure Remus was situated before he crawled into bed next to him, with only one thought
I love you Moony
***
Maggie successfully climbed out the bathroom window and was walking along the hiking trail with nothing but a flashlight. She heard some shaking in the leaves but figured it was probably a rabbit.
Maggie pulled out the bisket that she was saving in her pocket and began to eat, staring up at the moon. It was beautiful, round and perfect and whole, surrounded by stars. She closed her eyes, she knew she should probably go back soon, but she was content where she was, vowing to give herself five more minutes, max.
More movement in the trees, but it was far away and of no concern to a ten year old. It was warm in July, even in the dead of night, peaceful.
Maggie wasn’t sure what it was about the trip, but she started to feel better. She was friendly with the kids her own age, and no one called her a witch. The fresh air was much better than the stuffy rooms back at home, and the moon really was beautiful.
She stared at the stars, unsure of any of their names, but knew where to find the brightest one. She felt connected to it in some way, bright and bold, always there, dependable. She supposed that was what parents were like.
The leaves moved again, angry and quick, she heard paws running and people shouting. Ok, now would really be a great time to go. She got up and ran towards the camp, bumping into a strange man carrying a fancy stick, wearing strange black clothes. The man seemed startled by her presence,
“You shouldn’t be here”, was all he said, before the monster caught up.
A large animal tackled him and clawed at him. Maggie screamed, she cried, she couldn't move. She couldn’t move and that monster was staring at her like she was some sort of delicacy.
Then there was pain, searing pain as a pair of vicious sharp teeth sunk into her flesh, just above her left him. It was overwhelming, taking over every sense until all she could think about was the pain. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Mom? Dad?Help me.
There was a bright light that blinded Maggie, but the thing was off of her. She was lying in her blood, gasping for life.
“Fucking hell” called out another voice. Maggie saw another man in strange black clothes and a fancy stick, then there was nothing.
—
2nd August, 1985
Maggie Brenton was sure she was dead. A monster attacked her, a made up man was there to help, and now she is dead, and the afterlife was a weird place.
She is lying on a bed, sheets white and crisp. There was some sunlight peeking through the curtains, and she was in strange white clothes, not to mention the new feeling. It was nothing she had ever felt before, like buzzing electricity coursing through her. New and overwhelming.
Maggie looked different too. There was a huge bite mark on her left hip that hurt whenever she moved too much, and scars across her chest and arms. She looked like a freak, if no one wanted her before, there’d be no way someone would want her now.
She began to cry. No, not cry, sob. It felt like an eternity before the tears stopped, and now thoroughly exhausted, she closed her eyes and wanted to sleep. She didn’t even know if you could sleep in the afterlife.
When Maggie opened her eyes again, she was in the same bed, in the same strange room, but there were people bustling about this time. A tall witch with a kind smile opened the curtains. She smelled weird, like iron and electricity.
“Hello dear, how are you feeling?” she gave her a vial with a blue liquid to drink. “Alright i s’pose”. That was a lie. Maggie felt like she was trampled by a wild animal, then she remembered she actually was.
“My name is Madam Blasen, I'm a healer here at st. mungos”
“St what?”, Maggie never heard of it, and it didn’t sound like a very afterlife sort of name.
“It’s a wizarding hospital for magical injuries”, “oh ok”. No. Not oh ok, did she just say magic?
“A man is here to talk to you, would that be alright?”. Maggie nodded, she felt small in the unfamiliar place. Madam Blasen touched her shoulder and Maggie flinched away. It felt like someone sent a bolt of electricity through her.
The healer pursed her lips, but said nothing and got up from the little chair she was sitting in to make room for a tall scruffy man with jet black hair. He didn’t tell him her name.
“Miss Brenton, what do you remember before you were admitted to the hospital?”
“How do ya know my name?”
“The Ministry keeps track of all magical children”
There it was again magic. This was the second time someone brought it up. Whatever Madam Blasen gave her to drink must be working because Maggie felt much better now, but her thoughts started to become foggy.
“Magic’s not real” was all she managed. The man gave her a strange look, clearly annoyed by her. That's stupid, he's the one saying magic is real.
“What do you remember about your attack?”, he asked much more firmly this time.
“I was walking in the woods when an animal attacked me. There was another man too, carrying a funny stick. The thing bit me and then I woke up here”
This seemed to be sufficient enough information for the man as he got up and left, leaving Maggie alone behind her curtains. She knew that the man had walked away but she could still hear what the man was saying, it freaked her out.
“Newton said Greyback was roaming around again, think it's who’s responsible for the attack?”
“He attacked a young girl with magic blood, i'll say” said a second voice, female this time, “Newton make it”
“No, died on the way over here, when I see that monster again-”
The pair must have walked too far away, Maggie couldn’t hear them anymore.
A second nurse came by with food and gave Maggie a look that made her uncomfortable. In fact, everyone gave Maggie a look filled with either pity or disgust, and she had no idea why until another man came and explained what happened.
Ten year old Maggie Brenton is a dark creature, a monster, a werewolf.