XCIII. WHEN I GO, BURY ME IN SNOW
31:07 ─❁────────── 31:80
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❝Say it once, say it twice, try to be nice
Well, let's not lose ourselves❞
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THEY WALKED ALONG THE BATTERED corridors that had become a battlefield of the Order of the Phoenix, the faculty, and students of Hogwarts against the adversaries that the Death Eaters that had infiltrated the castle they called home.
Even as they walked in blind silence, holding each other's hand for warmth and consolation, it still felt like it never actually happened. Just a few hours ago they were having a normal school day and Lucia was just helping Ginny and Luna controlling their hormones, but now they were bloodied from combatting against people that wouldn't waste a second but to kill them. And not to mention Dumbledore's untimely demise...
Incomprehensible voices battered them, sobs and shouts and wails stabbed the night, but Harry and Lucia walked on, back up the steps into the entrance hall. Faces swam on the edges of Harry's vision, people were peering at him, whispering, wondering, and Gryffindor rubies glistened on the floor like drops of blood as they made their way toward the marble staircase.
"Where are we going?" she heard Harry croaked behind her.
"T-The hospital wing," said Lucia.
"But I'm not hurt — neither of us are,"
"Yes, but some are and we're going to see them," she said softly. "I reckon that they are all there after what happened..."
Fear stirred in Harry's chest again: He had forgotten the inert figures he had left behind. "Who else is dead?"
Lucia squeezed his hand consolingly, "Don't worry, I-I'm sure none of us are,"
"But the Dark Mark — Malfoy said he stepped over a body —"
She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "I-I think that was Bill," Harry immediately opened her mouth to ask, but she beat him to it. "Last time I saw him, he was definitely alive, but..."
"But?" Harry's eyes widened.
"S-Something happened is all," said Lucia. "He's a bit of a mess right now and the rest of the Weasleys are with him I reckon,"
But Harry could sense for the tone in her voice that something terrible had happened to the oldest of the Weasley children.
"Perhaps you didn't notice, but Greyback attacked him. I don't know what Madam Pomfrey would say, but from — from the looks of it, he won't look the same as he did before..." Lucia tried her best to carry herself for the both of them; she needed to be strong, but she was finding it harder and harder by the minute. "Madam Pomfrey is probably analysing the aftereffect of Greyback's attack on him right now... but since he didn't transform, it would probably be harder to say..."
"But the others... There were other bodies on the ground..."
"Oh," pursed her lips, "Those must've been Neville and Professor Filtwick. They got hurt, but I'm sure it's nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix. And I think a Dead Eater is dead — I caught a glimpse of this big blonde fella firing off everywhere and, well, hit his comrade. But if it weren't for the Felix you gave us, Harry, we would've all been pretty dead," she added bluntly.
They had reached the hospital wing. Pushing open the doors, Harry saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Tonks, and Lupin were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Lucia immediately went into Ron and Ginny's arms while Hermione ran to Harry and hugged him; Lupin moved forward too, looking anxious.
"Are you all right, Harry?"
"I'm fine... How's Bill?"
Nobody answered. This alarmed Lucia greatly and she looked over the two youngest Weasleys' shoulders and saw an unrecognizable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.
"He looks much more alive than he looks, huh?" croaked Ron from beside Lucia.
Ginny wrapped her arms around Luna, couldn't bear to look at her eldest brother in such state.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked the matron.
"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a — a real — ?"
He looked uncertainly at Lupin.
"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and — and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."
"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state —"
"Ron —" breathed Lucia with a shook of her breath, "He's dead."
Those who were in the room tensed at her words. They snapped their heads to the girl, looking at her as though she was a hydra and had grown another head. "What?"
"Dumbledore — he's dead," Lucia repeated bluntly.
"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Lucia to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Lucia had never seen Lupin lose control before; she turned away, feeling as though she was intruding in his time of vulnerability
"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was... Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak — and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him —"
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned, while Ginny clenched her jaw as Luna's mouth trembled.
"— more Death Eaters arrived — and then Snape — and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Harry couldn't go on.
Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who suddenly whispered, "Shh! Listen!"
Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a soothing and harmonious melody reached her ears. It was Fawkes and his requiem for his deceased companion: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. The grief she was being overwhelmed with slowly but surely turned magically into the song that echoed across the grounds and through the castle windows.
How long they all stood there, listening, he did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again, and Professor McGonagall entered the ward. Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: There were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.
"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken: Everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes, shake their heads. "Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he — when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some —"
"Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry.
She stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.
"Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered... but he trusted... always... Snape... I can't believe it..."
"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."
"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't..."
"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," muttered Professor McGonagall, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief. "I mean... with Snape's history... of course people were bound to wonder... but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine... Wouldn't hear a word against him!"
"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," said Tonks.
"I know," said Harry, and they all turned to look at him. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."
They all stared at him.
"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Lupin incredulously. "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James..."
"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn either," said Harry with his jaw set, "because she was Muggle-born... 'Mudblood,' he called her..."
Nobody asked how Harry knew this. All of them seemed to be lost in horrified shock, trying to digest the monstrous truth of what had happened.
"This is all my fault," said Professor McGonagall suddenly. She looked disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."
"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly. "We all wanted more help; we were glad to think Snape was on his way..."
"So, when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" asked Harry, who wanted every detail of Snape's duplicity and infamy, feverishly collecting more reasons to hate him, to swear vengeance.
"I don't know exactly how it happened," said Professor McGonagall distractedly. "It's all so confusing... Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case... Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora were to join us... and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. We knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered..."
"I do," said Harry, and he explained, briefly, about the pair of Vanishing Cabinets and the magical pathway they formed. "So, they got in through the Room of Requirement."
Almost against his will he glanced from Lucia, to Ron, and then to Hermione, three of whom looked devastated.
"I messed up, Harry," said Ron bleakly.
"We, Ron," corrected Lucia meekly. "We,"
"Right, we," But just trying to utter out those words were already difficult enough. "We did like you told us: We checked the Marauder's Map and we couldn't see Malfoy on it, so we thought he must be in the Room of Requirement, so me, Lucia, Ginny, and Neville went to keep watch on it... but Malfoy got past us."
"He came out of the room about an hour after we started keeping watch," said Ginny. "He was on his own, clutching that awful, shriveled arm —"
"The Hand of Glory — it gives light to only the beholder..." said Lucia, rubbing her tear-stained face, "Oh, we were so stupid to not notice! He must've been checking whether the coast was clear to let the Death Eaters out!"
"Right," said Ginny, "the moment he saw us he threw something into the air, and it all went pitch-black —"
"— Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," said Ron bitterly. "Fred and George's. I'm going to be having a word with them about who they let buy their products."
"We tried every single spell that we could remember that could shed light," said Lucia. "But nothing could penetrate through it..."
Ginny nodded in frustration. "All we could do was grope our way out of the corridor again, and meanwhile we could hear people rushing past us."
"Malfoy of course was able to see through it because of the bloody hand thing of his and guided them," sad Lucia. "But we didn't dare use any curses or anything in case we hit each other, and by the time we'd reached a corridor that was light, they've gone."
"Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Lucia, Ginny, and Neville ran into us almost immediately and told us what had happened. We found the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. Malfoy obviously hadn't expected more people to be on the watch; he seemed to have exhausted his supply of Darkness Powder, at any rate. A fight broke out, they scattered, and we gave chase. One of them, Gibbon, broke away and headed up the tower stairs —"
"To set off the Mark?" asked Harry.
"He must have done, yes, they must have arranged that before they left the Room of Requirement," said Lupin. "But I don't think Gibbon liked the idea of waiting up there alone for Dumbledore, because he came running back downstairs to rejoin the fight and was hit by a Killing Curse that just missed me."
"So if you two were watching the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville," said Harry, turning to Hermione, "were you — ?"
"Outside Snape's office, yes," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling with tears, "with Luna. We hung around for ages outside it and nothing happened... We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map... It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons. He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he really registered that Luna and I were there at all, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and — and —"
"What?" Harry urged her.
"I was so stupid, Harry!" said Hermione in a high-pitched whisper. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he — while he went to help fight the Death Eaters —" She covered her face in shame and continued to talk into her fingers, so that her voice was muffled. "We went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor... and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realize, Harry, we didn't realize, we just let Snape go!"
"It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna."
"So, then he came upstairs," said Harry, who was watching Snape running up the marble staircase in his mind's eye, his black robes billowing behind him as ever, pulling his wand from under his cloak as he ascended, "and he found the place where you were all fighting..."
"We were in trouble, we were losing," said Tonks in a low voice. "Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed ready to fight to the death. Neville had been hurt; Bill had been savaged by Greyback... It was all dark.... curses flying everywhere... The Malfoy boy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up the stairs... then more of them ran after him, but one of them blocked the stair behind them with some kind of curse... Neville ran at it and got thrown up into the air —"
"None of us could break through," said Ron, "and that massive Death Eater was still firing off jinxes all over the place, they were bouncing off the walls and barely missing us..."
"It was like we had to dance around the corridor just to not get jinxed," grumbled Lucia. "It was horrible for our legs and feet.
"And then Snape was there," said Tonks, "and then he wasn't —"
"I saw him running toward us, but that huge Death Eater's jinx just missed me right afterward and I ducked and lost track of things," said Ginny.
"I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though it wasn't there," said Lupin. "I tried to follow him, but was thrown back just like Neville..."
"He must have known a spell we didn't," whispered McGonagall. "After all — he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up to the tower..."
"He was," said Harry savagely, "but to help them, not to stop them... and I'll bet you had to have a Dark Mark to get through that barrier — so what happened when he came back down?"
"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking the stairs," said Lupin. "We all ran forward — those of us who were still standing anyway — and then Snape and the boy emerged out of the dust — obviously, none of us attacked them —"
"We just let them pass," said Tonks in a hollow voice. "We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters — and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again — I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what —"
"He shouted, 'It's over,'" said Harry. "He'd done what he'd meant to do."
They all fell silent. Fawkes's lament was still echoing over the dark grounds outside. As the music reverberated upon the air, only thoughts of negativity made its way to her mind... What was going to happen to Hogwarts and the students now the Dumbledore was gone? Now that there was no one to scare off Voldemort and defence the Muggle-borns as well as Muggles, what would happen to them? Astoria... everyone... Hogwarts was no longer 'safe'. And now, the war has truly commenced, but who would lead them now that Dumbledore was gone —?
Lucia couldn't quite fathom it all before her face paled deathly; she had no idea how those before Harry had defeated Voldemort when he was a baby had lived, knowing that they could die at any given time. Was it because of Dumbledore's presence made them feel safe? That made them feel as though they still had a chance? Can't be... she refused to believe that it was only because of Dumbledore that they were able to live their life as normally as they could. Each one of those of whom had lost their life in the first war possessed a courageous heart, meaning they didn't need to depend on Dumbledore.
Right?
The doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.
"Molly — Arthur —" said Professor McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry —"
"Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!"
Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead.
"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked Professor McGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So, what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"
"We don't yet know," said Professor McGonagall, looking helplessly at Lupin.
"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Lupin. "It is an odd case, possibly unique... We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..."
Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.
"And Dumbledore..." said Mr. Weasley. "Minerva, is it true... Is he really..."
As Professor McGonagall nodded, Lucia felt Ginny move beside her and looked at her. Ginny slightly narrowed eyes were fixed upon Fleur, who was gazing down at Bill with a frozen expression on her face.
"Dumbledore gone," whispered Mr. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasley had eyes only for her eldest son; she began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.
"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks... It's not r-really important... but he was a very handsome little b-boy... always very handsome... and he was g-going to be married!"
Lucia gnawed on her bottom lip and shifted where she stood, refraining herself form showing any reproachful expression as her mind was scattered at one mere word: Was going. What did Mrs. Weasley meant by that? Of course, he would still be —
"And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, ''e was going to be married?'"
Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled. "Well — only that —"
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"
"No, that's not what I —"
"Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps — given how — how he —"
"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.
Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; Lucia was silently cheering the veela-descent, but also daren't to move. Like everybody else, she was waiting for a big explosion to happen.
"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara — goblin-made — which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."
"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."
And then, the next thing they knew, both women were crying and hugging each other. Lucia bounced on the balls of her feet; hands clapped together in a melancholic glee. The rest, she knew, was completely bewildered by this, wondering whether the world had gone mad; Harry blinked continuously, as though this was the most bizarre thing ever. Ron looked stunner than anyone in the room. Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks.
"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"
Lucia snapped her head to Lupin and Tonks, and all she could think was: Where in the hell were these types of dramas been when they were having a normal year in school?
"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely —"
"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times..."
It then dawned on Lucia greatly. Tonks had fallen in love with Remus, on contrary to Harry's thoughts of her being in love with Sirius.
Yes, she still could remember the time he shared that thought with her, and quite honestly, she had never been so distractedly repulsed by his thought. First Madam Pince and Flich? Next was Tonks and Sirius? She really did not know what goes on in that boy's mind...
"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor... too dangerous..."
"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back.
"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."
"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."
He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.
"This is... not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead..."
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in.
The little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spotted handkerchief in his hand.
"I've... I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."
"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing up at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses — Slughorn can represent Slytherin — that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too."
As Hagrid nodded, turned, and shuffled out of the room again, she looked down at Harry. "Before I meet them, I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me..."
Harry stood up, murmured "See you in a bit" to Ron, Hermione, and Lucia, who gave him a small but tired smile of encouragement before followed Professor McGonagall back down the ward.
"I'm going out for a walk," said Lucia suddenly.
Ron and Hermione looked at her, face perplexed. But she didn't say anything, only ducking out out of the hospital wing in utter silence. Her eyes wondered around the corridors that had been cleaned up from, what she assume was, magic. Every step she took, her head felt lightheaded. Hogwarts was no doubt her home, but she wasn't sure if she was safe here anymore. The only place she was sure would be safe around here was the common rooms that were hidden and such.
When she was about to walk right pass the Great Hall, she halted for a moment. She didn't have the time to comprehend it all prior, but now that she did, her heart clenched, and she swore she could fall into an endless hole of grief right there. The hall where many memories were birthed was now in disarray; the four long tables had been thrown aside, the banners of the Hogwarts crest were torn and each one of the houses flags had been shred by cuts. The bewitched ceiling had never been so gloomy as she could see a lightning flashed over her head as she walked along the aisles to the head of the Great Hall, where the stool and Hat would always reside on.
She remembered it as if it was just yesterday she was sorted. A memory that would never be forgotten in her heart. A memory that would last for a lifetime, indicating the start of her very journey...
"Oh my..." trailed the little girl in awe, flickering her eyes from left to right, up and down, not knowing where to stop as all she could do was take every single detail of her surroundings to heart. She had never seen something so beautifully archaic before...
It made her forget what had occurred hours prior as all she could think of what was to come ahead. Hogwarts, the school in which she had been so anticipated to attend ever since she was told stories about it from her mum. From the journey to the view of the castle... it was just like how the stories had been told, and it had definitely fit her expectations of the place.
A small, meek smile was erupted gradually on her shy exterior. It was a smile that could easily tug the heartstrings of many as the long ebony hair of hers swayed left and right eagerly as it had been pulled up into short pigtails, fastened by two scarlet bows.
"Look, Neville! They're stars on the ceilings!" she pointed quietly at the sky full of stars underneath the roof they were in. She clutched onto the round-faced, short and chubby boy with blond hair.
"Y-You're right," he said shyly to his childhood friend. "I-I've only seen them in the books..."
"Hogwarts: A History, you mean!" A girl appeared behind them out of nowhere, causing both the girl and her friend to jump into each other's arms, startled. Behind them was the girl they had met in the train here; she was pretty and bushy hair unlike any other. Hermione Granger, was it?
"I've read about them, you know?" she said chirpily in utter nervous excitement. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way... and you're Neville Longbottom from previously... and you are..."
Nervously, the jittery girl turned her gaze up to the velvety black ceiling dotted with stars, trying to halt the fidgety feeling from existing within her. "I... uh... Lucia." She said quietly, "My name is Lucia DiFiore,"
"Nice to meet you," said Hermione.
"The pleasure is all mine," said Lucia before looking away jumpily, unbeknownst to herself of the apathetic tone she used.
Hermione blinked, thinking she had done something wrong when she turned to Neville, but he gave her a frozen smile that didn't rest her case at all.
She played aimlessly with the locket that laid still on her collarbone, trying to find solace from the overwhelming stares that were surrounding her when she felt eyes on her ominously. She wheeled around, trying to find the culprit before she had locked eyes with a boy bearing the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen; his eyes were of greens that reminded her so much of the valley and forest that she often found salvation in. It was calm and gentle, as if intriguing her... as if calling for her...
The unknown was surprised the reciprocation of his stare, nonetheless he couldn't help but be enthralled those small and delicate eyes that were looking back at him, filled with innocence and over all hope that he would only find in the stars that blanketed up in the night sky, showing its divine beauty so effortlessly, and how he had always love gazing at them whenever given the chance. Suddenly, something odd occurred.
She smiled.
It was small yet overflowed him with a foreign feeling of consolation and comfort as warmth embraced him... as if that smile of her was the light that could tranquil anyone, something he was not used to.
Softly, with all her bravery, she mustered a wave at him.
His eyes widened at this, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. He sent her a brief wave, before turning away, red in the face..
Lucia felt self-conscious. Had she done something wrong? Before she could think about it more, her attention reverted to the center of the hall, where a hat was sat on the stool. It twitched.
Twitched? Could a hat twitch?
A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and before they knew it, it began to serenade them a song that Lucia found much odder than the beautifully bewitched ceiling. Perhaps the hat had nothing to do during its pastime and decided to merely make songs, but she didn't blame it though. It probably gets boring if you're just a hat on a shelf.
The whole hall burst into applause when the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause —
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Lucia saw the kind ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Serafina could see a pair of twins, bearing the same shade of red hair as Ron, catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was just her, but the Slytherin lot looks like those group of people who are quite prideful of themselves, and kind to those whom deserves it and quite honestly, she did not think she would fit in with them. Her best chance was in Hufflepuff, she thought.
They looked as though they would accept anyone, and as someone who barely have any talents of being brave, or cunning, or clever, she would hope that whatever trait she possessed would be enough for Hufflepuff. She didn't want to be Houseless, and not to mention the golden yellow of their robes was certainly a colour that piqued her interest towards the house.
Lucia clapped along with the rest of the hall as everyone was getting sorted, and gradually she felt sick to her stomach, anxiety seeping into her skin like pins and needles.
After "Davis, Tracy" became a Lucia, she then heard Professor McGongall's voice calling out: "DiFiore, Luciana!"
Lucia gulped and turned to Neville for comfort, in which he gave a hesitant nod of reassurance before urging her forward. Her legs did the rest of the work as her mind began to be clustered by negative thoughts while her heart began to race as if she was racing against professionals car racers, all while she was the amateur racer.
She stumbled out of line, not even noticing the weak, yet encouraging smiles coming from Neville, Hermione, and the boy she caught gazing at her prior, too engrossed in her own mind.
What if no House wants me?
You'll find a House —
But what if what Mother said was true? What if no one wants me?
Rubbish!
What if —
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat ("Hem, hem"), breaking Lucia from her sheepish and ginger thoughts, causing her to finally realise that she had been standing there in a trance for over a half-a-second or so. Her face went pink, eyes not meeting those around the hall as she clambered up to the stool and plopped herself nervously on it.
The last thing Lucia saw before the hat dropped over her eyes were the shimmering emeralds of that boy. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited anxiously.
"It's been a while since I've been graced with a DiFiore," she heard a small voice mused into her ear. "Plenty of loyalty, I see. Patience... hardworking... Hufflepuff would do you good —"
Lucia squeezed her eyes, and she was shouting in her mind, Yes!
"However,"
"However? There's a however?" feared Lucia.
"'Course! Plenty of courage... creativity and acceptance... not a bad mind either, but you have quite a low self-esteem —"
"I already knew that as much, no need to say it out loud for everyone to hear,"
"But I wasn't," said the hat. "Plenty of determination... quite ambitious as well, like your father —"
"My father? F-Florian, you mean?"
"Oh yes, of course. Florian, an exceptional Slytherin he was. He was a good man, had the values of both Hufflepuff and Slytherin... such a shame of what happened..." said the hat, causing Lucia to furrow her eyes. He was murdered, she knew that... but why that type of sad tone? Was there more to his murder than meets the eye?
"Don't ponder over it more, girl," it said. "It's something better left unsaid, for it'll only cause you grief. Now, Slytherin is not a bad house for you, and you possessed cunningness, but..."
"But...?"
"But that is not where you are destined to be in. If you had a say, which would you had picked?"
"Y-You mean, which house?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes,"
"Well... Mr. Hat... Naturally, I would think I would be good in Hufflepuff," said Lucia. "However..."
"However, your heart says otherwise?"
"Yes," she said. "I want to be in a house that would accept me for who I am, but I also want to be in a house where I would feel at home."
The hat paused for a moment, taking in her words. Yes, she she was destined for greatness, but the House that would determine that would be —
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Blinking continuously, Lucia gazed up to the bewitched ceiling as tears unknowingly escaped the cages of her eyes. Her body quivered uncontrollably even as she tried to hold back a sob.
Those memories... those souvenir of her past... It was now something she yearned to appreciate, as if it was something she was about to leave behind to get through the upcoming years...
But how long would it last?
How long will she last?
Before she knew it, those dimming days that she dreaded to come had finally dawned on them all.
How did they go from growing up to breaking down in just a matter of hours?