The death of Gregory Goyle: April 25th 2025; aged 44. He left behind one young daughter, just graduating from Hogwarts and a wife who will no doubt remain in mourning for her beloved husband for the years to come. He expired in the comfort of the St. Mungo’s environment with his family around him, reportedly of a massive heart attack that no Healer foresaw to be one of the problems the Welsh Green Itch-riddled man would encounter. He died in peace, though. That is something the Daily Prophet has been assured of.
Athena stifled a sob that threatened to escape from her chest at the sight of her father’s convulsing form coming to rest. Her throat tightened and her eyes began to water with tears, leaving the dignified woman looking much like the other relatives of the dead in the wards. Athena ran her fingers through her hair and looked about herself, her heart constricting as she realised what had happened: she’d been orphaned. The circumstances of Athena’s birth had been a well-kept secret with Apolline playing the part of the blushing young bride surprising all of the wizarding society by announcing how fiendishly well she’d hidden her pregnancy despite more than a handful of factors suggesting - and others proving - that there was no way in hell that she gave birth to the plump, rosy-cheeked child with a shock of black hair covering her head. She’d been her father’s pride and joy until marriage had become a touchy subject, then in desperation he’d cast her aside. Now there was no chance of reconciliation. Even in death she would not dare predict his actions. She’d rather throw herself off of the top of St. Mungo’s first -- which, oddly enough, didn’t seem like a half bad idea at present.
The dark-haired girl turned away from the bedroom and quickened her pace down the hallway, wrapping her robes tight around her both to keep out the cold and to stop herself from falling apart. It was as she was turning the corner that would take her to the stairs that she heard a voice; specifically Apolline’s. Athena stopped and closed her eyes, her hands tightening on her upper arms as her breathing quickened. She immediately became hyperaware of where her wand was and she could feel it burning in the inner pocket of her robes. She looked up and turned her gaze to Apolline, finding that in the woman’s place was a jet of purple light hurtling towards her. Athena’s eyes bugged out and she dived to the right, throwing herself against the tiled floor as the purple light bounced off of the wall and began to fly back in Apolline’s direction, said woman ending the spell before it could inflict any damage on her. In that moment, Athena heaved herself back to her feet and whipped out her own wand, holding it aloft, hoping that Apolline would reconsider what she seemed hell-bent on doing.
“You killed him!” She hissed, her wand hand quivering as she fought to keep her emotions steady. “You did something! It could only have been you! He was fine before!” Athena cringed. He’d hardly looked ‘fine’. Fine was a massive understatement and she told Apolline just that. “How dare you?! You were nothing to him! You were just some dirty little bastard he had to take in because no matter what he did he couldn’t shake off your gold digging moth-Aaaaaaa!”
Athena watched with uncompassionate eyes as Apolline stumbled back from the force of the spell she’d hurled in her direction. Athena smirked a little at the sight of the woman’s hair and clothes beginning to catch on fire and Athena readied her wand for the response. The woman did not disappoint either. Not a second later a cutting curse was thrown at the younger of the two women, grazing her left arm despite her hasty dive to the right. Athena swallowed back the scream and only spared a glance to her bloody arm as she raised her wand high in the air again, whipping it back and this time throwing something Unforgiveable at the woman who raised her: the Cruciatus Curse. Apolline knew the spell well though and bounced it back on a rapidly cast shield. Athena ducked out of the way and kept her eyes on the woman, feeling the hatred of her and the devastation of her father’s death culminating in one desire: to show Apolline exactly what she was capable of - to show her what she’d created.
And quickly, the two women dissolved into the use of Dark Magic, sending jets of light in all directions - some hitting and some striking those unfortunate enough to walk out of their loved one’s rooms at the time. Cries of spells long banned echoed down the hallway and soon both women were reduced to bloody tatters of the poised elegance they’d both retained within the frazzled walls of the hospital. Athena’s robes barely clung to her bruised and bloodied form; Apolline was in a much worse state, her limbs only hanging on by what looked like a feather after a period of particularly vicious slashing spells. She was still capable of causing a great deal of harm though, this Athena knew and so she kept her wand trained on the woman.
“So what now, Athena Marianne Goyle?” Apolline asked with a hacking cough. “What have we got left, the pair of us? We’re not too different, you and I. We both care though Merlin knows we’d never admit to it.” Apolline laughed a little. “But then, I’ve never met a woman who had as much potential as you, Ms. Goyle. Even as a baby, the bastard though you were and still are, you had talent - buckets of it. You’re not any old witch, Athena. No, you’re so much more. The Dark Lord himself said that there was only power...and those too weak to seek it. But you...your talent means nothing. You won’t kill me, will you? Murder isn’t something you’re capable of. You can’t do it. You haven’t got the strength. Because, after all...you’re just daddy’s little Princess aren’t you? But no, you’re not even that any more. You’re nothing. Nothing at all...Come on Thea...you know you want to. What am I to you, anyway? I’m just a face...there’s nothing left of me now.”
Athena twitched and turned her head away, her grip tightening on her wand at Apolline’s coaxing. What was before her was a woman who had buckled long ago from the pressures of living as the wife to a man that did not love her. Yet, while Athena felt pity for the woman, that did not dampen the desire to end the miserable life the woman had led. Athena swallowed and narrowed her eyes as the ramblings continued; feeding the flames of rage that had consumed Athena. Her wand began to glow green at the end, the green of the Killing Curse. She brought it aloft and pressed it against Apolline’s forehead. Athena slowly lowered herself down into a squat so she was eye level with the woman who had died long ago. Truly, the only murder she would be committing would be that of a corpse already long cold.
“Apolline, shouldn’t I let you live...just to see you suffer? But then, where’s the satisfaction in that, hmm? Just seeing you live, I suppose...in pain. There’s the satisfaction.” Athena removed her wand from Apolline’s forehead and rose back up to her full height. She pressed her foot down on the woman’s wand, smirking at the sound of the snap. Athena then turned and began to walk back down the corridor, determined to get out of the hospital as quick as possible.
“You’re weak. You’re a coward! You’re a waste of pure blood! Not only are you your father’s bastard but you’re also an orphaned one! You’re weak, Athena! Weak and cowardly! Just like your mother!”
Apolline’s eyes bugged out of her head at the sight of the jet green light shooting towards her and she dragged in one last gulp of air as the spell struck her chest, the force of the spell throwing the woman backwards. Athena lowered her wand, the green dying on the end and swallowed before tucking it back into the inner pocket of her robes. Then, after glancing around, she turned around and hurried down the corridor, this time with the desire to get out for fear of being caught. Apparating wouldn’t be possible until she was outside and though she knew the risk of splinching herself was high, if she could manage the Killing Curse then she knew the Apparation would not hurt her too much. She needed to get out, before the Healers figured out what had happened.