Intermission: Graydon Creed

I hoped the people at the orphanage loved me. I didn't know what love was, so how would I know? I only knew it was supposed to be a good feeling, made you feel close to others. If that was love, I always wondered, why did the people at the orphanage never really get close to me? Did they not love me?

When I was older, I remember being called 'the child of the devil'. Never really knew why they said that. They would stay away, as if I were some monster. Only Sister Magda ever tried to get close to me. I thought I loved her. Then one moonlit night I sneaked down to the kitchen because I was hungry. I will never forget that day. Sister Magda was sitting at the table, and she said "Annie, you're too hard on the freak! God knows when his mutie mother may come to take him back. I still remember that woman. Yellow eyes. She was wearing human skin, but I knew she was the devil. She thought I no one was watching but I saw from the top floor window. Evil. Treat him well, if only for the children. If I were not afraid of the wrath of those devils, I would have already killed him. Sickening how they wear human skin".

I realized something that day. I wasn't the devil, my mother was. She was the monster. She was a 'mutie', and she was the reason I was suffering. So I would kill the devils, and then I would never again be called a monster. I would be the hero.

Then came the summons to the Ilvermorny School under the guise of a scholarship. At first I thought my fate was finally looking up, and even the powers above wanted me to succeed in my goal. I would be rich, successful and save the world. But a short conversation with the man taught me he was one of them. Not a freak monster like the devil that was my mother, but a freak nonetheless. And even worse, I was a devil too, just as Sister Magda said.

However, once Sister Magda heard that they could provide year-round boarding, she urged me to go since it was a great opportunity to study at a private school. But I knew the real reason. She wanted the monster to leave, and I couldn't blame her because I was one. So I did.

I decided to immerse myself in the world of the magical freaks. Turns out, even this world turned its back on me. I was smart, but I had no talent. And the people there made sure I knew it every day. I thought that maybe these freaks weren't like the mutie freaks, maybe they could be convinced to give up their monstrous ways, but I was wrong. They were worse. A single one of them could take out so many people. They could transform, be like anyone. They could do rituals. Each one of them had unimaginable power.

They were the true devils. I could finally understand why Sister Magda was so afraid. If I came across monsters like these, I'd want them to be stopped too. If I came across devils like these, I'd want them killed too. I will get rid of all freaks, not just muties. I almost let myself be deluded by the monsters. I'll kill all the freaks so no one will be polluted by their taint anymore. I will give this world a new freakless beginning. That was why I had suffered. So I could understand the devils and get rid of them.

I will begin by purifying my blood. I don't want to be associated with the demon's taint in any way. I've already identified the person who can help, Dr. Hank Milhaus -- the only one I know who can make this possible. And I'll kill him afterward to make sure he can't tell anyone I was tainted. My salvation of the future generations will have to be enough thanks his sacrifice, even though it hurts to kill one of our people, humans. It is necessary.

I soon learned for all their bragging and powers, the devils were supremely stupid. They had so much hate for each other, for blood purity or even race. Well, if the devils want to kill themselves they are welcome to. So I joined a little race/ blood purity group. Lied to get in, and they didn't even check. Idiots as they are, they just let me in and soon I became one of their most influential speakers. I'll leave Ilvermorny at the end of this year and they'll snap my wand, but that's okay. I will be a human, not a devil. And these sheep that I'm herding, well....I'll give them a simple choice - they'll either live as humans or die as devils. Dr. Milhaus' apparatus should be enough to clean all our taint from interacting with devils, and then we can finally begin the purification.

All I need now is a name for our group. Defenders of Humanity? No, that name is something that will make people hesitant to join our cause. Too militant. Lovers of Humanity? No, too weak and weird. Friends, that's it. We'll be the Friends of Humanity, and we will purge the demons...