Some things stick with you forever. For me, it's May 2, 1998. The Battle of Hogwarts. The day I lost some good friends. The day my second home became a war zone. The day a man I once trusted showed his true colors.
The biggest thing then was survivi...
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My balance was off when we landed. Neville caught me before I hit the ground face-first and ate dirt.
Scrambling, I tried to shove myself out of his grip. "What the hell was that?!" I looked around anxiously. We were in another town, it definitely wasn't Godric's Hollow. The streetlights were dim, and the air was a bit nippy. Not to mention there were no Muggles wandering the streets. "Where are we?!" I glared at Neville wildly. "What have you done!?"
"What?"
"You couldn't let me pack something? Couldn't try and get Mum and Dad out?" I inhaled deeply. "We have to go back!"
"Jenelle, we can't."
Just as I closed my eyes, I felt Neville's firm grip on my arm. I opened my eyes, glaring. "Let go of me!"
"You heard your dad, we didn't have time. I'm sorry, I truly am. He'll handle himself."
"My mum can't, she's a Muggle!" I screeched hysterically. "What if they get through Dad, huh? What then for her?"
"Jenelle—"
"Let me go, Neville, or so help me—"
"Listen to me." He had both of my arms in his grasp now. "I Disapparated us to someplace safe. We can find an empty house and put protective enchantments over it until we figure out our next move. I'm doing this to protect you, damn it, so please, do me a favor, and help me do that!"
I couldn't find any retorts, they were absent from my brain and my mouth. Hearing a harsh undertone in his voice, it was scary. It didn't sound natural on him, and I barely knew the guy. "I-I'm sorry."
"I get it, you're worried about them. I am too, but we have to worry about ourselves right now." He looked around. "Let's find a place, yeah?"
With no other choice in the matter, I followed alongside Neville as we searched for empty houses to squat in. Mum, Dad, Nala. Dear Merlin, they better not have hurt my cat. She's got nothing to do with what's going on. Neither does Dad or Mum.
My body went on autopilot, with Neville leading, as my mind was full of worry and thoughts. Once we found an empty cottage, he led the charge inside, wand lighting up the dark. I shut the door, igniting my own wand.
The place definitely looked abandoned; the furniture was untouched. I was sure if I touched it, I'd get a layer of dust. There was a box—a telly (we had one when I was younger, but when my magic whacked itself out, I accidentally destroyed it), with a remote lying on the coffee table. A table that was covered in circulars, with deals on food and whatnot. Though Mum was more accustomed to the Wizarding World than her own, she used to be like whoever this person was.
I found another table, full of smaller pictures. Pictures hung on the walls too, all unmoving. I picked one up. This house belonged to an elderly person—or couple, judging by the two in the photograph. Both were white-haired and prune-looking, but they both wore the same big smile on their faces. A moment of love captured forever in time, right in my hand.
