Aludra | Book Two |

Chapter 9

That accuracy tho ^

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Aludra stood outside the drawn curtains to Hermione's bed, rocking back and forth on her feet, unsure. If Hermione were awake, she surely wouldn't want to see her now.

"Miss Malfoy, you do know that you can go in, right?" said Madam Pomfrey impatiently.

"Yes, I..." Aludra didn't know what else to say. Instead, she took a deep breath and gently pulled the white curtain away, stepping behind them and gasp at what she saw;

Hermione looked like a wax figure frozen in place, eyes glassy and dead, a look of terror imprinted on her face. Aludra'a bottom lip began to quiver as she kneeled beside the bed, disregarding the chair. She reached for Hermione's cold, stiff hand.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," she whispered. She heard Madam Pomfey's heels click as she walked away. "Of all the people here, why did it have to be you? I d-didn't mean it, I swear...Tom made me do it. I never meant for any of this to ha-happen -" 

Aludra broke down, clutching onto Hermione's school robes and burying her face in her hair, wetting it with tears.

"I'll fix this, Hermione, I promise I will! I'll stop Tom, even if I die trying. If it means saving someone else's life, I'll do it!"

Aludra now sat on her own bed, staring at the small book. She'd changed so much since the beginning of the year. Aludra was no longer sweet and innocent, and she had Tom to thank for that. The trauma had taken a toll on her body, causing an extreme amount of weightless that in September, she would have been over the moon about. But now, she'd do anything to have her old body back, for this one was merely a reminder of Tom and what he'd done to her. 

'Aludra...come to me...'

Aludra jumped, startled at the voice ringing in her head. It was one unfamiliar to her, and there was no one else in the room. She looked at the diary in horror, and realised that the voice inside her head was Tom speaking to her. It was now or never.

She reached for the book and opened it. Immediately, Tom wrote to her.

'I knew you could not disregard my calls to you. I need you, Aludra, the time has come for another mission.'

'I've come to tell you that I'm done, Tom. Soon, all the people I petrified will wake up, and I'll tell everyone everything. Even if they don't believe me and I get locked away, you won't be able to hurt anyone else if we're not here.'

'And that is where you're wrong. You've poured your heart and soul into me, Aludra, and hence given me all the power I need.'

'You're nothing but a stupid old book! You're not alive, you're the memory of some boy from fifty years ago! You can't do a thing without me, because you need me, and I've finally worked up the courage to tell you no.'