After Jeff and what's-her-face took us back to our car, I drove home and stopped the car in the driveway.
"Sarah Beth?" I muttered.
"Hm?" She turned from her window and looked at me.
"What was it?"
"I'm fine, Ashley."
"You've been upset since the movie. You didn't even say goodbye to Jeff and his girlfriend."
"Okay..."
"No, really. Was there something that movie reminded you of?" I took the keys out of the ignition. "Please, tell me, love."
"You're going to just keep bothering me about it, aren't you? Because I really hate that!"
I fell silent for a few moments. "I- I'm really-"
Sarah Beth wiped her left eye with her sleeve. "When I was in school, er, well a bit after I was born... There was this wizard. He was so evil. The darkest wizard of all... and everyone was afraid of him. Well, there was this baby born that this wizard went to kill. He murdered the baby's mum and dad, and then he tried to kill him.
"But something happened that night. The Killing Curse, one of the most powerful that there is, bounced back and destroyed the evil man. Or... so we thought.
"The man had created these things we call horcruxes. They keep you alive by putting a part of your soul in something that keeps it safe. As long as the horcruxes were not destroyed, the wizard couldn't die. And so he came back, and there was a war. So many people died. Friends of mine. Enemies. People I didn't even know. Women, men, and children all lost their lives because of this man. And I was terrified. You know how my Auntie and I never had a great relationship? Well, even in the worst of times, I felt so afraid that they were going to come and tell me that she was dead. Just like they told Hannah Abbott about her mum. Like Amelia Bones about her aunt. I could have been the next one.
"But that same baby boy that defeated him the first time had grown up. And he was prepared to defeat hm again. He destroyed the horcruxes, escaped the wizard's followers, and even came back from the dead... and he killed him. This time, it was for real.
"But there was still that lingering fear. That fear that somehow, he could come back just like he did before, and everything would fall apart again. Everything would go wrong again, and then there would be the danger of losing everyone I loved. Everyone that I had left. And not even just me, the people out there that other people needed... It was very dark times... and seeing what I saw tonight... it just brought those horrible memories back."
I finally understood. "I... am just... so sorry, Sarah Beth. Had I known..."
"There was no way you could have known, Ash."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because I didn't even like to remind myself of it. It was all the more reason to come to this world, and escape that one."
I placed my hand on her shoulder, and I told her that everything would be okay. "I'm here. I may not be magic or anything, but I'd still do anything to keep you safe. Even from him, Sarah Beth. He's never ever coming back, but even if-"
"You don't know how much that thought scares so many people. Some people are still afraid to speak his name."
"His name? What was it?"
"Ashley, I..."
"Unless you don't want to say it. I mean, that's-"
"It was Voldemort..." Her face, full of fear, began to look out the window once more. She held back cries.
