Aunt Rose

35.

She ignored the burning sensation and long vibration the ring gave her. It was wrong. It was just a ring. Maybe Marlene took it off.

When Rose appeared outside of the large house she almost fumbled. The dark mark was above it. The green skull and snake hanging ominously above the house. It meant someone was dead inside. It didn't mean that Marlene was.

Rose wasted no time running into the house. Smoke was coming out of the top, her arm hair stood as she walked inside. You could feel the remnants of magic in the air.

As soon as Rose entered the living area she was almost gone. Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon were lying there, unmoving. She turned them over and checked their pulses. They were dead and bloody. They had fought.

But Rose couldn't lose hope, not yet. Not as she trudged through the house, broken glass crunching under her feet as she walked. There had been a great battle.

"Marlene! Marlene! Please, answer me!" Rose called on the verge of losing it. She needed the assurance that Marlene was okay, that she was fine. Maybe she had escaped. The ring was wrong.

Rose traversed up the stairs, smelling smoke. Someone had fought upstairs. She went slowly, deep down her mind knowing something was off.

But Rose stopped herself. If Marlene was... she would never be able to summon a Patronus. So before she walked upstairs, she cast the charm and her red panda appeared. "Go to Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The McKinnon's have been attacked. Two are dead. I'm checking on Marlene and Marvin," Rose said shakily, watching the Patronus run.

With that done, she resumed her walk of terror.

When she got upstairs her heart was pounding in her chest. The hallway was clear of any bodies but one door was open. Rose walked along the wall until she reached the door.

She fell.

Marlene was on top of Marvin. Neither of them were moving.

"Marlene! No, no, no, no. Please," Rose said to herself, crawling over to the two bodies.

She gently pulled Marlene off of Marvin and lost her breath. Marlene's eyes were wide open but glossy. She had no expression, nothing.

With a shaking hand, Rose went to check her pulse. She pressed her fingers against Marlene's neck.

Nothing.

She waited and waited, begging whatever high power to give her something, let Marlene be alive. But there was nothing.

And Rose screamed. She screamed so loud her throat felt like it was tearing. The overwhelming sense of grief was too much to hold in her body. She screamed up to whatever god there was and begged for her not to be dead. I

And Marvin. The Hufflepuff.

Rose checked him while she still could and there was nothing. His small body was unmoving.

It was then that Rose lost it. She sobbed and rocked Marlene's body back and forth trying to forcefully give her life. Rose could hardly breathe she was crying so hard. Her chest physically hurt.