Glowing Embers | Harry Potter

❃.✮:▹ Ch-8 ◃:✮.❃

Ember hadn't realised when she had fallen asleep on the couch beside Neville. Poor boy was half dangling from the couch's other side to give her enough space to doze off. It didn't look like she was out for much time though. As her other friends were still sitting around and the common room wasn't half empty either.

She massaged her sore neck, for she had been lying in a rather awkward position, and got up. Hermione looked like she was done too, for she heaved up her other limb; aka her beloved books and wished the boys goodnight. Ember too smiled at all three and bade them night.

When she was sure Hermione was asleep along with her other dorm mates, Ember emerged from her four poster bed and tip toed to the common room. She swiftly slipped out the fat lady's portrait and walked out. She was quiet and sneaky, so she came around none of the night patrollers. She had had enough practice with her Aunt to be good at this. Her steps didn't falter as she took step after step in the dark-ass corridor.

Finally she came round a door and was just about to open it when something clutched her hand. She gasped and looked around. But there was no one in sight. She looked down at her hand and tried pulling it back but it wouldn't budge.

"What the—" But before she could even complete her sentence, some unknown force propelled her back into the corridor and inside the nearest classroom and it's door creaked shut behind her. Just then, she heard someone walking past the door outside. She could vaguely register in her head that she'd been about to be seen by a night patroller but her mind was more on the weird air that was currently shutting her mouth by its force.

She heard a rustling sound behind her and suddenly the weird air around her mouth took shape of a hand. "Shhh" Someone whispered from behind her. She could feel someone standing behind her too but she was still facing the door. Slowly, the hand retreated and she turned around.

It was none other than Harry Potter.

"How—You— Where the hell did you come from?" She whispered angrily. Ember still couldn't think past her horror at the whole thing.

Harry smiled meekly and waved a silky water-like cloth in front of her face. "Invisibility Cloak" He whispered back. Ember lightly flicked his arm as she glared at him in the darkness. " You—" But she was again silenced by his hand on her mouth. She stood there quietly for a minute but heard no sound from outside in the corridor. She again flicked his hand down from her face.

"What are you doing here? And the door you were about to open was the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom! What if Moody had seen you?" Harry whispered right back while Ember's anger ebbed out of her.

What was she doing? She was trying to save his life. She was about to say no to Crouch Jr. for the better. She was about to defy Voldemort. And as she thought this in her head again, she realized just how backfiring her plan had been. She just shook her head to Harry and they quietly made their way back to their common room.

Ember sat down on a couch near the dying fire and looked at the glowing embers. She saw how the heat slowly extinguished the embers till there was nothing but ashes left. She felt the irony of the situation and a lone tear fell from her eye. She had heard Harry go back to his dormitory the minute they came back so there was no fear of him seeing her cry.

And thus, she cried. Tears flowed from her eyes in a silent plead to stop herself from doing what she was about to do. Her inner voice screamed at her to go back on her words. She knew what Voldemort wanted from Harry. His life. And she didn't want to be a part of it. She didn't want to be the reason of someone's death. Her tears loosened up her beliefs enough to make her see her errors. She cried away all the guilt that night.

For she couldn't back down now.

She remembered Aunt Cathy and her questions faded out of her consciousness. She had to do it. If Voldemort could kill masses of people before, he could still easily kill another. And she didn't want it to be Aunt Cathy, as much as she didn't want it to be Harry. Her options were two. And though both were wrong, she chose her Aunt. And with that, she chose Harry to die. But could she?

She could see what a grave mistake she was making, but as much as she will hate herself her whole life, she couldn't loose her aunt too. Aunt Cathy was all she had left now. Her only relative and her only friend till Hogwarts. But could she let Harry die like this? Her brain was going into overdrive. What should she do?

And the biggest question in her mind was, Why her? There were many students at Hogwarts so why was she the one entrusted with this task? Why only she had received Voldemort's order? Was this because she was a Selwyn? A successor from a family of purebloods and death-eaters?

The embers in the fire slowly died along with Ember's will. She had decided her path now. She would do what she was ordered. She would save herself and her aunt. She would do what Crouch Jr. told her. She would do everything she needed to, to lead Harry to Voldemort.

But she won't let him die.

She didn't know how she was gonna do this, but she won't let anyone die on her account. She would follow the orders and save her aunt. And she would do so till she had completed her task. Which was to take Harry to Voldemort. Not to make him die. And hence she'll do everything, but only till then. And after that, she'll stand beside Harry and fight death beside him. She won't let him die, not alone atleast.

Ember still felt extremely guilty and loathed herself, but her wishful thinking had led her here. Her wish to attend Hogwarts and see what every magical child saw. Experience what every child with special powers like her did. Though she never imagined that she'll be able to come here on account of completing a task. But she was here now. And she had to complete that task too.

And so she would.

Ember stood up with a determined expression on her face, her inner demons compressed for now. She did not know how long her determination would last, but she would make Harry last for sure. And with that pledge, she stood up and finally made her way back to the dormitory.

♩✧♪●♩○♬☆

So.... Another miniscule chapter, sorry. :/

I wanted to tell u guys something. You might hate me for making Ember think like that... Only thinking about herself and her aunt and not Harry [u get the idea... hopefully] but this is where you see her character. And from this you'll be able to register the development.

It's not that she doesn't care about anyone else, but she's new to this and though she understands the threat to Harry's life, she doesn't totally understand Voldy. She thinks she'll help Harry kill Voldy and if she saves Harry then, No Voldy and no threat to anybody's life, Harry's or her aunt's or her own.

I hope u dont start hating the character bcuz tbh I don't like this chapter much either.

And I'm not uploading much bcuz my exams are still going on. And they will be constant till March I suppose. I'm sorry for late and short chapters. Not to mention, shitty ones like this.

Still thanks for reading. :)
Xoxo <3