Haley Vilde Smith walked through the mansion of Caerphilly where her family had once been. She sighed and a lone tear fell down her cheeks. She was surprised at this fact, having thought all her tears were long since spent. But she had been wrong, apparently. She sighed and walked over to the piano where her father had taught her to play some beautiful tunes. She sat down on the stool and started playing, loving the sound, drifting away.

But after a while, reality came back crashing down on her. She couldn't understand how all this had happened to her. As bad as it made her feel, she wished it had happened to anyone but herself. She rose from the stool and walked into the big room that had once been her parents. It was seven years ago now. Strange how the pain never seems to fade. It was constantly there, the pain. It wouldn't leave her be. But her body adapted to the pain, it tolerated it. But it didn't lessen.

Haley walked from room to room, wondering what she should do now. She wasn't safe here, she wasn't safe anywhere. That wretched woman would kill her if Haley didn't do it first. She had trained in secret societies, in ministry teams, espionage ever since her fourth year at Hogwarts, so she knew she could kill her. The problem was if her mind would allow it. Killing a person... It wasn't something Haley thought she would ever have to do. But everything had changed. She knew she had to do something about it.

But how could you seek a person you knew nothing about? Other than the fact that she loved killing? Maybe she should try Albania, that's where notorious murderers seemed to like it. Haley snorted at her own thoughts. Swandeth wasn't Voldemort, but they sure as hell were similar. She frowned at the thought. She hoped Swandeth wasn't as skilled as Voldemort though. But even so, she wasn't immortal. Haley had a feeling that she hadn't gone and made Horcruxes.

Haley stopped dead in her tracks at the thought. To make a horcrux, you had to kill someone, because killing someone splits your soul. Haley knew that it wasn't that easy, but if she killed someone, would her soul shatter? Something in her told her that, yes, it would. But wasn't that a prize she was willing to pay? Even her friends were in jeopardy. Pyxis, Parker, Anne and, Gods help her, Alcyone. Even though all four of them were more than capable of taking care of themselves, it wasn't a risk Haley was willing to take. Haley looked up from the floor and straight forward, her mind set. She would find Sally Swandeth and she would kill her, if it was the last thing she did, then so be it.

The only thing about that was that Haley wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye. She'd have to leave them. She had to go and never look back. Suddenly she cracked. She fell to her knees and a tremendous sob broke through her lips. Tears trickled down her face like a waterfall. She would miss them. They would be gone for a long time. She wouldn't be able to meet them until she had killed Sally. She wouldn't be able to do anything for the next few years, other than killing Sally. Nothing would stand in her way.

The tears stopped as abruptly as they had come and she rose, her eyes held no warmth, her face stone cold, and her body like ice. She would kill Sally Swandeth, and she would start now.

After three years, Haley was still out looking for Swandeth. Nothing had stopped her journey. She had fought every obstacle in front of her, be it freezing snow or human supporters of Swandeth, nothing had stopped her. She hadn't killed anyone, she was saving her anger for Swandeth. She could feel the horror that had taken a residence in her stomach constantly. Every step she took, the horror stabbed at her. Fear cuts deeper than swords.

Haley was currently walking through a dark, thick forest where the air was very close in Australia. It wasn't directly hard to breathe, but it sometimes felt like she didn't get enough oxygen in her lungs. She walked calmly over to a small river, taking some water. She then heard something moving behind her. She whipped around and saw a young girl standing there with long, thick, black hair and piercing blue eyes. She was very beautiful. "Who are you?" Haley asked softly, though her hand was on her wand and her mind was focused on the clouds to easily strike this woman. She had to be fourth or fifth year at one of the magic schools or something.

The girl frowned. "My mother always told me not to talk to strangers," she said with a wary face. "And yet you told me that," Haley pointed out. The girl looked a bit accusingly at Haley before she smiled carefully. "I'm Athena," she said softly. Haley smiled. "I'm Haley," she said calmly. Athena kept her distance, but walked over to the river. "What are you doing out here on your own?" Haley asked. "I could ask you the same," Athena pointed out smugly. Haley gave a small smile. "My story isn't a good one. I think you'd do best not to know," she said calmly. Athena raised an eyebrow and said that she wouldn't tell her either then. Haley leaned against a tree. "I have an enemy I have to get rid of. And soon. If I don't, I will be killed and I will lose all my friends," Haley said casually. Athena blinked, but even through the casual voice, it seemed like the dark haired girl believed her. "I'm hiding from my sister. We're playing hide and seek," Athena said, sounding like it was the dullest game in the world, even though the small sparkle in her eyes betrayed her. Even at fourteen, one could like hide and seek. Haley knew that she had.

She looked at Athena. "I should get going. Make sure you don't hide too well," Haley said with a wink and then turned to leave. "Wait," Athena said sharply. Haley turned back to her and saw her walking over. Her instincts kicked in and the clouds were rolling up. "Snake," Athena said calmly, pointing at a black Krait hissing underneath the leaves. Haley was about to hex it when she heard a hissing behind her. She turned back and saw Athena watching the snake with an intense stare, her mouth moving and making hissing noises. The snake slid over and climbed up her foot and onto her shoulder. "You're a parselmouth?" Haley asked surprised. "My name is Athena Gaunt," Athena said. Haley blinked. She then smiled. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Athena. I hope we meet again," Haley said earnestly. She then turned her back and left Athena and the snake behind.

After having met Athena and walking around for a few more days, now on New Zealand, Haley finally found some traces of where Sally Swandeth might be. Of course, that meant leaving New Zealand and going back to Europe. Germany seemed to be the place. There seemed to be something that linked Swandeth to Germany, even though Haley had always thought the woman was English.

However, Haley wasn't complaining. She was catching onto Swandeth's scent and she was going to obliterate that scent as quickly as she could. Nothing would ever be able to stop her. She was going to destroy the shadow that haunted Haley during the bright of day, kill the cold of the night. She was going to win. Haley told herself that she had more to fight for than Swandeth. Swandeth would find herself fighting for her own life. But Haley was fighting for her freedom, her friends, her parents. She was fighting to save, not herself, but everyone else. Haley was barely anything left to save. Her friends were a totally different matter.

When Haley found herself in Germany, she learned that Swandeth was in Berlin. She would find her. She wouldn't let Swandeth slip through her fingers. Not now, not ever. She would kill the woman and be free again. Her friends would be safe. And then she saw her. The black haired woman was standing with her back to Haley, but when Haley drew her wand and used a non-verbal spell to catch her off guard, the woman turned and swiftly blew the curse off. Swandeth laughed loudly at her and people drew back as she threw a hex at Haley. "Well if it isn't little miss Smith! The girl who so desperately seeks to kill me?!" she shouted through the street, making people squirm. They all knew who Swandeth was. No one were so oblivious that they didn't know her name.

Haley felt shivers run down her spine at the sound of Swandeth's voice. It brought back too many memories. Haley clenched her teeth and rage blinded her. She wouldn't be able to hit unless she calmed down. She had to calm down. Her future depended on it. She threw a hex, but Swandeth swatted it away. "It seems you're as dull as ever! What's the matter? No one able to sharpen your knife?!" Swandeth yelled in a patronizing voice. She then laughed again. A horrible, psychopathic laugh that would make any dark wizard squirm. Haley didn't reply. She felt as if her mind was shutting down. She couldn't think of a single spell! She then took a drastic measure as she bit down so hard on her bottom lip she started bleeding. "What? Itty bitty baby a wittle scawed?" Swandeth cried hysterically.

But the hurt had gotten through to Haley and she felt her mind returning, her face blank with cold. "I shall kill you now, Swandeth. I shall kill you now and never look back," Haley said icily. The wretched woman laughed, and Haley threw a spell around them, making every person near slide far away. They all screamed, thinking she was attacking them for a second, when they realized she protected them. "I shall kill you," Haley repeated, so silently, Swandeth wouldn't be able to hear her. "Bombarda!" Haley shouted. As expected, Swandeth got away. But it was all a part of Haley's plan. She sent a thousand more spells and Swandeth parried them easily, casting spells back. Haley felt something scratch her cheek, knowing the woman had cut her, but it was okay. Scars were nothing to her now.

Haley snaked her way forward, getting closer and closer to Swandeth. The woman seemed to psyched for her own good. She looked happy. It wasn't good. But Haley was in control. She knew she was. She fought to stay in control, yes, but she was on top of things. She could do this. But then she was hit. She slammed backwards, hit the window of a shop and smashed through it, splinters sinking into her skin. Haley groaned in pain. It hurt so much. She felt as if the world was going dark around her. What kind of spell had Swandeth hit her with?! She couldn't move, but it wasn't a paralyzing one. There was something else about it. It was a mental attack, not probing, but it weakened her mentally.

Haley cursed inside herself. She couldn't lose now. But no matter what she told herself, nothing was enough. That was, until she saw the image of her parents and her friends. Haley roared in fury and then something broke. The splintered glass hurt her back like hell, but it didn't matter anymore. Pain was nothing. She was invincible. She at least felt like it. And she rose. She rose calmly and walked out of the shop with a stonecold face. Swandeth knew something had changed, Haley could see that, but the woman still smiled and grinned. Haley couldn't wait to wipe the smirk off that woman's face. "Reducto!" Haley shouted, and the spell came at such a speed that Swandeth had to throw herself to the side to avoid it, in the process loosing her balance. Haley saw her cut. She conjured a pond of water where Swandeth was lying.

The sky started rumbling and then a blazing lightning shot from the sky, straight into the water. Electricity sparkled like New Years Eve, and lightningbolts kept coming until Haley called them off. She walked towards her enemy for ten years. It was finally over. Finally over. Haley sank to her feet, tears of relief running down her face. Finally.