Ophidian | Fred Weasley ✔

29

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

(C O M P L I C A T E D)

The war was coming and Artemis didn't need her clairvoyant powers to confirm it. In the 2 months that she had been apart from her ex boyfriend, and pretty much everybody for that matter, she had holed up in the Rosier Manor, not for grieving purposes, well not primarily atleast, no, she had been focusing on her Ophidian. On building her bond with Manasa, on transforming into her Ophidia, one that was destined to kill Nagini.

"How will I know I'm ready Professor?" She had asked the old man.

"Time will tell you, Artemis. But you mustn't go looking for Nagini, for that will be foolish. You must strike when she is the most vulnerable—separated from her master." The old wizard said looking at her with kind eyes behind the half-moon spectacles that sat atop his nose. Silence enveloped the two as they sat in the headmaster's office.

"Professor about what I saw—"

"Would you like a Cookie, Artemis?"

And that was the last conversation Artemis had with the old wizard. With her only mentor Professor Dumbledore gone, Artemis felt lost. He had been the closest to a father figure Artemis had ever had, the one who she looked towards whenever she was in toil with her powers, someone who always knew what to do was gone, just like that.

And she had seen it happen. Repeatedly for weeks on end and she had tried to warn him too but he had stopped her before she could get the words out.

"Death does not like to be cheated." He had said to her. Telling her how he'd lived a long life and how it was time for him to go, how he knew who was going to do it and making her promise not to say a word to anyone about her vision.

Who did she have to tell anyway? Out of the only two who knew about her condition, she wasn't in contact with one and while the other did come by occasionally to check up on her, the golden haired wizard couldn't get the black haired witch to talk much, making her company very dry. But he always made it a point to come by every week nonetheless and take her out for a walk. He called it 'Nature Therapy'. Cedric Diggory was a good friend, the best you could ever find, with the traits of a true Hufflepuff- hardworking, just, kind and extremely loyal and Artemis couldn't have been more grateful to have a friend like him. But that was all he was to her. A friend. And Cedric Diggory felt exactly the same.

She hated herself for taking advantage of his loyalty to end things with Fred but she knew if she didn't make Fred hate her, he'd never leave her. He was a stubborn romantic like that but the only thing he'd never stand for was cheating and Artemis used that to her advantage.

Walking through the desolate hallways of the castle she once called home, all Artemis felt was nostalgia. Each and every corner of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry held a memory for the young witch clad in all-black and to be back only to attend the funeral of the headmaster who made her life at school so much more memorable, she felt empty.

All the while she wanted to chastise herself for being anxious to see the family of red heads, one specific red head to be precise. She hadn't seen his face in the two months that passed, having been too busy with her Ophidian.

"Do not use me as an excuse. You had plenty of time to fix things." Manasa chastised her. Artemis huffed.

"There's nothing left to fix, Manasa." Artemis communicated. She had learnt communicating with Manasa in her head without having to actually speak.