Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [6]

⚡️ Chapter 56 ⚡️

All of them were determined to protect her and Harry.

But now it was all over. Vega knew that only her and Harry were left, and if it came down to it, she was more than willing to be the one to stand in front of her friend to protect him. Harry was someone who was supposed to put an end to Voldemort – Vega didn't even know if she had an ending in her Prophecy since it was lost to death.

Suddenly, Vega did not understand why she had been so hesitant about dying. There was no waking from this nightmare, no comforting whisper in the dark that Vega really was safe, that it was all in her imagination; the last and greatest of their protectors had died, and she was more alone than she had ever been before in this journey.

The little man in black had stopped speaking at last and resumed his seat. Vega waited for somebody else to get to their feet; she expected speeches, probably from the Minister, but nobody moved. Vega wondered if she should go ahead but she had no words.

Then several people screamed, and Vega looked up, startled.

Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: Higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes:

Vega thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that she saw a phoenix fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

It was quiet, then, and Vega remained still in her place.

On her right, Fred was silent and his hold on her hand was rather tight. On her right, Harry had tear tracks down his own cheeks. Next to him, Ginny was looking at him with a blazing look in her eyes. Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight were blinding him and Hermione's face was glazed with tears. It was all... very strange for Vega.

The feeling that was manifesting in her chest was something that Vega struggled to understand. It turned the cold inside into a burning hot substance, its only exit through the tears welling in her eyes. She tried not to cry, but it was hard to stop.

Time seemed to be frozen still – that everyone was frozen in their places, that Dumbledore still had her under his binding charm, that Dumbledore was merely frozen.

Everyone would move soon. Vega herself would move soon. Dumbledore would move soon. They would all move soon and leave this place, leave all of this behind, move as if everything was alright, as if everyone was alright, as they themselves were alright.

And they did move. But not Dumbledore. Vega looked back at her friends and saw that Harry and Ginny were talking to one another quietly, whispering amongst each other. As she turned her face away from them out of respect for their privacy, Vega only caught the words 'We can't be together' escape Harry's lips and that put a stop to Vega.

Ron, Vega saw, was now holding Hermione and stroking her hair while she sobbed into his shoulder, tears dripping from the end of his own long nose. Vega watched as Harry suddenly stood up and started to walk away from them, off to the lake.

"I'll be back, love," Vega whispered to Fred before standing up and following after the boy, her back to the audience and Dumbledore's tomb. "Harry..."

Harry didn't say anything but didn't seem to oppose Vega's company as she reached him. She didn't say anything further either, knowing from his expression that he was lost in his thoughts. It was something that she could both understand and respect.

"There's still four of them left," Harry muttered, and Vega knew what he was thinking.

"Yes, and we will find them," Vega replied. "I'm not saying this... to comfort only. I'm going to find them and destroy them, and I will help you if you help me. I will help you defeat Voldemort, even if it is the last thing I have to do. I swear on my own life,"