The Cursed Chronicles: Year 6

Chapter 46

Albus couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel anything, except Katrina's final words to him and the pain in his chest that just wouldn't go away. Her words were jumbled, he felt disoriented and broken. 

"Goodbye, Albus."

"I hope that someday you'll understand why I had to do it, but I don't expect you to now."

"I'm sorry."

"I need you to know that I love you."

He replayed that final moment over and over in his head. The way her head had turned and he had met her eyes one final time. She had seemed calm, but her eyes gave away how frightened she had been. 

And he had been too foolish, too prideful, too blind.....

Too late. 

And then as if someone had pushed it in, his lungs filled with a cold breath and the world came into focus. There were people all around him. Teachers, prefects, a few scared students, staring at the spot where Katrina had disappeared from, searching for answers they couldn't find on the cold stone floor of the corridor. A few feathers and Delphi's trademark slip of paper with a bold Augurey stamped on the front was all there was. He noticed for the first time that Professor Longbottom was gripping his upper arm. He dazedly glanced his direction and met his gaze. He hadn't realized until that moment that he had been trying to talk to him.

"Albus, we need to know who was taken, can you talk to me?" Albus swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sob. He took a few deep breaths and shakily replied.

"Katrina," he whispered. "They took Katrina." Professor Longbottom put a supportive hand on his back and glanced back at Professor McGonagall, who surveyed the scene with failed neutrality. Even Albus could see the panic in her eyes. 

"I need the remaining champions and Professors in my office at once." Professor Longbottom helped Albus to his feet. Prefects started ushering students back to their dorms anxiously, and there was a dull roar of terrified whispers that persisted all the way through the corridor. 

In McGonagall's office Albus sank into a chair and stared numbly at the floor. No one tried to press him for more answers or engage him in conversation. Slowly professors filed into the office and took positions around the edges of the room. The other headmasters whispered frantically at the back, but everyone else remained deathly silent. McGonagall left her wand on her desk and paced measuredly around the room. Albus had never before seen her so frazzled.

Finally, Professor Flitwick entered with Emiliya and Nicole, both of whom were still in their nightgowns, their hair braided over their shoulders in eerily similar single braids. They both seemed completely confused, but took seats next to Albus. 

"What's going on?" Nicole whispered. 

"Are we still waiting for Katrina?" Emilya answered. "Does this have something to do with the next task?" 

Albus was unable to answer their questions. He could only continue to stare at the floor. Nicole's brow furrowed with concern. 

"Something's wrong," she whispered to Emiliya. They both silently looked to Professor McGonagal who tensely sat at her desk. 

"Ladies, I am devestated to inform you that Katrina Fizzleworth has joined the number of Delphi's abductees." Nicole gasped. Emiliya stared uncomfortably at the floor, her grip tightening on the armrests of her chair.

Somehow the loss of Katrina hit harder than the other two abductions. The room was tense and silent for a good few minutes. No one was sure what to say. 

"Katrina was the best of us," Nicole said quietly, and no one denied it, then a bit louder, "If she was able to be taken, than none of us are safe." 

"I am beginning to fear that you are correct, Miss Dawson," Professor McGonagall agreed softly. Her face was white as a sheet. "I'm afraid we are going to have to choose very carefully how we proceed. The ministry believes they are hot on the trail of Delphi. They assure me that any day now she will be captured and the students returned, but if this is true I don't understand how the witch continues to abduct students from under our noses with as much arrogance and transparency as ever. The ministry would have me continue the tournament, insist that it is keeping the students safer. But it is glaringly apparent that the champions are being targeted and I fear the future of this school if many more of you are taken." She sighed and massaged her temple. 

"I leave the choice up to you three," she said finally without meeting their eyes. "Continue the triwizard tournament as planned, draw a new champion for Beauxbatons, and compete in the final task, or end the tournament, and send all students home, where hopefully, they will be far safer that they appear to be here. 

"Is it right of us to risk everyone else's safety like that?" Nicole implored. 

"It's obvious that it's just us who are being targeted," Emilya pointed out. "So it's unlikely anyone else will be in danger besides ourselves."

"But the kidnappings are effecting the whole school, isn't it better to send everyone home?" 

"Whatever Delphi is planning, sending students home certainly won't stop it."

"So you want us to walk right into a trap?"

"Are you afraid?"

"Enough," McGonagall demanded. "Albus, you've been quiet. Do you have any thoughts?" Albus did in fact have some thoughts. He'd thought quite a bit throughout the time he had been in the office. 

"Whatever Delphi is planning," Albus said quietly, "She holds all of the cards right now. She is deliberate, every choice she is making is for a larger plan, and nothing we do will change that plan. Whatever choice we make, she will have thought of it, and accounted for it." This truth settled over everyone in the room. 

"The best choice," he continued. "Would be to continue with the tournament as planned. Our only chance to catch on to what she's up to and stop this, stop the kidnapping, stop Delphi, is to keep her where she is comfortable and wait. Either way it's a trap, but this way we can try to fight it on familiar ground, with strong numbers." 

"What do you two think of this?" McGonagall asked the other champions. The girls exchanged glances and then, without saying a word, turned to McGonagall and nodded. 

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Albus wasn't sure what he was going to do when he made it back to the common room, but when he arrived, it was empty besides Scorpius, who sitting on the couch, staring at the dark water, bouncing his knee anxiously. When Albus entered he leapt up and ran to Albus, throwing his arms around him. 

"Oh thank Merlin you're alright. The prefects wouldn't tell us what was going on and when you didn't come back I thought you had been-" He stopped short as he saw the look on Albus' face. 

"Al, what happened?" Albus collasped into his friend's arms and Scorpius was left to put the pieces together. 

"Oh no," he whispered as it clicked. "Not....Not Kat?" All Albus could do was nod. Scorpius held him tighter. For a while this was how they stayed. But eventually, Albus abruptly pulled away. 

"I need you to tell me everything."

"What?"

"About Katrina. The whole story. I need to know. I've spent too long with my head under a rock and now I'm ready to listen. When we get her back, I need to know what to apologize for." Scorpoius reflected on this a moment. 

"Al, it won't be easy to hear."

"I'm sure it won't be," Albus agreed grimly. "But I need to know."