Meant To Be

Chapter 20

Harry started to panic as he tried repeatedly to break the window and even the wall so he could get out. It was starting to get hard to breathe and he kept coughing, the smoke getting thicker the more he stayed inside. Wynter had started coughing too and was now crying in fear and discomfort. He was starting to worry about her, the smoke was not good for her. He had to get out.

By then the flames had spread into the doorway of the room and was quickly spreading inside. He bundled Wynter close to his chest and dashed out into the hallway and into his bedroom. He went into the bedroom and pulled at the window. It wouldn't move.

"Come on, come on!" he cried out, coughing. "Alohomora! Bombarda! Open damn you!" The more he tried the more he started to panic. It wasn't just his own life at stake here. He pulled Wynter's squirming body close to him trying to keep her covered. "Help!" he started to scream, "Help! Someone! Please!" Someone had to come to help them, there had to be spells to alert someone if something happened. "Help! I can't get out!" He coughed again, inhaling more smoke, "Tom! Help us!"

He looked up as he heard a creaking noise, the fire had spread to the ceiling leaving a gaping hole where he could see the beams of the roof. As he watched one of the beams started to splinter and crumble. He realized what was about to happen and quickly moved out of the way just in time for the beam to come crashing down on top of his bed. Immediately the sheets caught fire and spread until the whole bed was in flames. The house was falling apart, he couldn't wait for anyone to come and help.

Harry stepped out of his bedroom and looked down into what used to be the hallway. It was unrecognizable with everything burnt and covered in bright hot flames. He was going to have to go through that to get to the front door. He had no idea why the windows wouldn't open, but the door would have to be the only way. Wynter couldn't take any more of this and neither could he. Summoning his trunk to follow him and another blanket to cover Wynter in, he ventured out into the flaming hallway.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his back as the heat became unbearable and he cursed himself for not putting on any shoes, but it was too late for that now, he had to keep moving forward. Careful not to get too close to the walls, Harry moved carefully, yet quickly through the hallway and into the living room. He could barely recognize it, everything was so bright and hot, the fire was everywhere, on all sides; he couldn't even see what was in front of him.

How did this happen? I didn't leave the stove on, did I? Oh God, please let us get out of this. Why didn't I let Tom stay? He would have known what to do. But Tom wasn't here, he had to get out himself and get them to safety. Harry clutched his precious bundle closer, whispering to Wynter softly to try and get her to stop crying.

Harry quickly went to each window on the left side of the house, but each of the ones that he could reach that were not blocked by flames was all stuck fast, just like the others. It didn't sit well with Harry that all of them were like that, it started to feel less and less like an accident.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that, he had to get to the door. Striding forward, keeping away from the burning couch and the fallen TV he got to the front door and blasted it open...only it didn't. "No! Open, open!" he shouted, trying a few more spells, then ramming his shoulder against it. Nothing.

Harry turned back around and looked desperately for a way out. There had to be a way out! Wynter, he had to save Wynter, his little girl. She was already fussing about and coughing; her face was all red and splotchy. She wasn't getting enough oxygen, he couldn't let her die. "HELP!" he screamed helplessly, "PLEASE! SOMEONE! My baby...please..." he cried, tears streaming down his face. His lungs felt heavy, his breathing becoming short and uneven as he walked around the living room, searching for anything to help him break a way out. He used the couch, the coffee table, just about anything to throw against the windows and the walls to try and break them.

His vision was starting to get blurry and he could barely breathe, especially with all the running around he had been doing. But he couldn't stop, even if he couldn't move anymore, he couldn't stop. He had to make a hole, even if it was just a small one. He had to get Wynter out.

So preoccupied with finding a way out, Harry didn't realize that the wooden beams above him were splintering until it was too late. He heard the loud creaking and looked up to see the beam holding up the roof give in. Fear rushed through him, locking him in place, not for himself, but for the precious bundle in his arms.

Instinctively he sheltered Wynter with his body as the roof caved in. All he could hear was the crashing of wood and the crackling of the flames as everything fell apart around him. Wynter's terrified screams filling his ears as a stray beam struck him from behind and he knew no more.

AN: Ooohhh, we're halfway there, oohh, living on a prayer! ♫ I can't believe how many chapters I've written. It's insane! Copy - Paste, Copy -Paste. That's all I've been doing, but it's still takes some time to get it all up here. I'm also fixing some grammar along the way. I still have another 17 chapters to go to catch up to where I am currently in the story. Hang in there!