The Sight Of Eternity With You

Give Me Your Hand

"I am," she whispered, her voice small as she shook. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as a sob left her throat.

"Don't forget the newest educational decree: professors are prohibited from providing information outside their subject matter. I am merely the potions master of this school, nothing more," Snape called over his shoulder, walking off again.

She clenched and unclenched her fists, tears falling down her face as she stood in the middle of the corridor unable to move. Fear seeped through every pore, she swallowed her spit, putting her hair in a loose bun and looked around, she wanted to scream but her throat was closing in on itself.

The silence of the dungeons made her feel small, her mind was a tornado of thoughts scattered about, her feet slowly led to her office for a bit of chamomile tea.

When she got to the door, she heard multiple voices on the other side, she didn't want to enter. The last thing Harper wanted was to cry in front of multiple people, she just wanted to make her tea and find her way to George or Sybill. Before she could back away, the door swung open, Victor was grinning at her until he took in her tearstained face.

"Hello beautiful, you have some guests today!" Victor swung the door wide, over his shoulder Angelina and Joy were sitting at her desk.

"You alright, Harper?" He lowered his voice as he asked. She shook her head in response, Victor frowned, patting her arm gently.

Harper closed her eyes for a moment, sighing heavily and entered the room, she gave her best wave to her best friends who immediately knew something was off.

"I'll leave you three to it!" Victor waved them off, Harper moved to the fireplace, tapping her teapot with her wand, wanting to make some calming tea.

"What happened, sweetie?" Joy asked, coming to sit beside Harper on one of the chairs, Angelina bringing over Harper's chair from her desk.

"He knows," Harper breathed out.

"Who...." Joy and Angelina looked between each other, Harper's body shook violently as she let her sobs echo around the room, fully crying into her hands as the weight of the world crashed around her. The pure terror that coursed through her body made her nausea even worse.

Why hadn't she just left with her parents? Was she even safe here? She knew the castle had amazing enchantments to keep the students safe, but honestly she only wanted to see her friends one last time, what if it was all a bluff?

It was always apparent that should Voldemort return, her existence would be revealed in time. Harper didn't know the extent to his return, had he just been alive in hiding for years or what, but she knew if she returned to the world of the living she would consume as much media as possible. Harry had told her that there were a lot of people in that graveyard last year when Cedric died, people that also saw the Skeeter article, the information was out there and easily obtainable.

There was always a small voice in the back of her head telling her he knew since Harry returned with Cedric's body last year, there was no way he didn't.

But now to have it confirmed sent her into a panic attack.

Why can't I have one nice thing? Just one?

Joy and Angelina poured the tea, opening the tin of lavender cookies and wordlessly waited for their friend to calm down. Angelina pulling Harper into her side, the girl shaking like a leaf as she sobbed.

"How did you lot get in here?" Harper sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"Victor let us in, Umbridge really has you two working a lot more. So we wanted to check in on you," Angelina explained. Harper nodded slightly.