Charley Effie Black

Chapter 90 - Dumbledore Is Dead, Charley!

Charley and Oliver were both relieved to hear the baby was still alive and healthy when the doctor came to visit Charley as she recovered. Oliver stayed by her side as much as he could. When he wasn't there, Nymphadora, Remus, or someone in his family was.

The image of Louis dying in Charley's arms haunted her. Everyday she replayed it in her head multiple times, trying to think of something she could've done to prevent it. So she took to her mum's journals.

"What are you reading?" Remus asked as he walked into her room.

"Mum's journal," Charley replied quietly.

"What year?"

"Seventy-nine. I was just born," Charley told him.

Remus's face dropped. "Maybe you should take a break," he told her quietly.

"Why?" Charley asked with a small laugh as she flipped the page. "Look! This one is about Mary!"

"Charley put the journal down," Remus insisted.

Charley's smile fell as she read about the death of Regulus Black and then Mary Macdonald. She held the journal away from Remus.

No matter what I did. Mary wouldn't stop bleeding. I felt useless. It was the worst feeling in the world. Everyone was crying. Even Charley.

"This..." Charley trailed off as she looked up at Remus who kept his face on the bed. "Moony, how'd she die?" Remus slowly walked over to the journal box. He pulled out the last journal and opened it to the first page before handing it to Charley.

Charley read the story that Remus had opened to. It was horrible. Her heart broke for Marlene and Dorcas as she read about Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Her heart broke for Molly as she lost her brothers. And then she read it. Vulnera Sanentur.

"This is the counter-curse?" she asked him, looking up slowly. Remus nodded slightly. "This killed my brother." She slammed the journal shut and stuffed it in the box.

.

Oliver sat down beside Charley as she sat in front of her parents and brother. He looked at the three graves before wrapping an arm around her. "It's not safe for you to come out here alone," he whispered quietly.

"Remus helped me practice my defense skills. Then he took me to Kingsley who helped me practice attacking. I'm going to kill her," Charley insisted.

"Hey," Oliver softly said, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You don't need to kill her, Char. It's going to be okay."

"She's killing my family. I can't let her continue. I need to stop her."

"I don't want you hurt or dead, Char. Leave it to us."

Charley furrowed her brows and looked over at him. "Us?" she questioned.

"You know what I mean. Those of us who aren't pregnant," Oliver replied.

Charley continued to stare at him with her brows pushed together. "You joined the Order, didn't you?" she quietly asked, feeling betrayed as he bit his bottom lip.

"Charley, I-"

"My dad told us not to," Charley insisted. "Your parents told us not to!"

"I'm not in the main group, Charley. I'm backup," he argued quietly.

Charley shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're upset that I want to fight Bellatrix because it will put the baby and I in danger when you're putting everyone around you in danger!"

"Dumbledore is dead, Charley!"

"That doesn't mean anything, Oliver!" she exclaimed. She stood up and brushed off her pants. Oliver scrambled to his feet to stand beside her, but she apparated away.

"Hey, Charley-" Remus started.

"Charley, you can't seriously be mad about this! I want to end the war!" Oliver exclaimed.

"You didn't even tell me, Oliver!" she yelled back. "You didn't even tell me that you were thinking about it!"

"Because I knew you'd be like this!"

"My dad warned me, Oliver. He warned you! I don't care if Dumbledore is dead! It's not safe for you, the baby, or me!"

"You're not even apart of it!"

"And my mother wasn't either!" Charley shouted before storming up the stairs and slamming the door of her room behind her. She locked it with a special lock, knowing that Oliver wouldn't be able to open it.