Last chapter. Hope you've enjoyed this story, I think it's my favorite so far! Here's the last chapter and I'll post the rest of the A/N at the end.
Chapter Fourteen: Final Decisions
I couldn't believe it was my last day of third year. The Great Hall was filled and our final feast has begun. Normally it was a cheerful time of year, but this year was different. Dumbledore began his speech. "There is so much I would like to say to you all," he said. He paused and looked out at the crowd, "But there should be another person here seated with us, Cedric Diggory." The entire Hall stood up and rose up their cups. Some were more hesitant, such as Draco's crowd, because of the 'rumors' about their parents being Death Eaters. They all dully rose from their seats but showed no emotion. Thankfully, Harry had only told Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, and I about what he knew about our families.
Everyone clapped before sitting down. There were a few outbreaks of tears in the crowd. Especially from his girlfriend, Cho Chang, who sat at the Ravenclaw table right next to us. Dumbledore then began describing how Cedric was a loyal and humble boy who was hard-working. It was then when his speech took a new spin. "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort!" Everyone in the hall completely silenced as did a few of the teachers. "The Ministry did not wish for me to tell you this, whether they believe it or not, I feel as though it is an insult to Cedric to not do so. To cover it up as some sort of an accident is an insult." Dumbledore than continued on. "There was only one other person who was there, Harry Potter." From across the hall I noticed Harry had put his head down. "Harry had risked his own life while escaping Lord Voldemort in return of bringing Cedric's body back to Hogwarts. For that I honor you." Dumbledore raised his Goblet once more towards Harry.
The other teachers did as well along with almost all the students, many students at my table did not. I did though, as did Dasha and Eowyn, who smiled at me along with a few of the more independent Slytherin students. All the international students raised their Goblets as well. "In times such as these, communication and ties are more important than you will ever know. Every guest in this room will always be welcomed back at Hogwarts. We are only as strong as we are united and weak as we are divided. Remember Cedric Diggory when a time comes where you have to make a tough decision, when you have to make the decision between what is right and what is easy."
The speech last night was ringing through my mind. I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I got home. I had found Jake that morning to say my goodbye, I didn't think I would sit with him on the train this time. It was sad yet true, we weren't back to being as close but I hoped after this summer it would all go back to normal. "I cannot believe you're going to be a seventh year next year," I said to him as I was stepping back from a hug. I hadn't told him anything about anything, my real father Zael Chamberlyn or my 'father' who was a Death Eater.
"I know," Jake said with a smile on his face I haven't seen in a while. "Well I'm going to miss talking to you over the summer. Make sure to write." I nodded and promised him I would. "Bye Carlie," he said stepping back down the hall.
"Bye Jake," I said and felt sadness, though I didn't know why. I suppose it felt like we were drifting apart. I didn't want it to be that way.
While walking back to the common room I took my time enjoying the school. Who knows what'll happen now that Lord Voldemort has returned. The Ministry was already denying what Harry said was true, but I believed him. Why would he make something like that up? When I got back to the common room Draco was sitting there looking rather angry. That's pretty much how he's looked since the third task. "Ah, come back from a love fest with your Gryffindor friends?" he added in a snide tone. Strangely he was alone sitting in front of the fire.
I shook my head and walked over to him. Time to call him out. "You knew," I said to him glaring.
"Knew what?" he then asked in a bored tone as the fire reflected in his cold eyes.
"You knew my....father," I began, not actually knowing what to call him anymore, "was a Death Eater! And I know yours is too, as is Crabbe's and Goyle's." He looked up at me with a glare and I was waiting for him to deny it, but he didn't.
"I gave you all the hints you need, it's not my fault you're as clueless as they come!" Draco said in a low tone while standing up. His face was just inches from mine. "But since we have that out of the way, I suppose we'll be seeing each other a lot more often now that our fathers are in work together." He then gave me a smirk. Talk about a personality flip.
"I want nothing to do with this!" I said stepping away from him as he stepped closer. Did he think now that I knew my family was involved with the Dark Lord, that I would jump right on board with them? They way they've treated me they should expect nothing less than me being even more against it.
"Well that's too bad, considering you're already part of it. You don't think that once your father gets in trouble, you'll all get in trouble? That makes you an asset," he said and then I suddenly realized he was right, but I didn't want him to be. "So, now you can join the crowd of people who you belong with, us." I knew he was talking about him and his friends.
"I want nothing to do with you anymore!" I yelled at him and he looked rather angry. "You are always trying to mess things up for me. The Yule Ball, what was that even about? You're always trying to ruin my friendships."
"I'm just trying to show you who you belong with. You don't belong with those Gryffindors, what do you think they'll do when they find out who you really are?" he asked with his 'know it all' look. "You don't belong with them." Then he began doing it once more, he went to lean in towards me but this time I pushed him away.
"Yeah, well I don't belong with you either," I said glaring at him. "And Harry does know by the way. How do you think I found out?" I spat and then walking up to my dorm to get my things. When I came back downstairs he was gone and I made my way to the train. I didn't want to sit with Dasha and Eowyn because I knew they'd be in the large Slytherin compartment. So I had made sure to say bye to them and tell them I had to talk to Harry. There weren't too many foreign students I wanted to say bye too, yet I did say goodbye once I saw Victoria and Monique walking back to their transportations. Then I passed by Jake who was giving Monique a hug goodbye and I could be nothing but happy for him. If he liked her then he deserved to be with someone like her.
When I got on the train, I headed straight towards the front and slid open the door quietly. "Mind if I sit here?" I asked looking down at Harry, Ron, and Hermione who did look a bit reluctant, but of course nodded and I moved in. I knew they were uncomfortable with the fact that my father was a Death Eater.
"Sure," Hermione said as I walked in and took a seat next to her.
"Look," I began, "I don't know what I'm going to do yet but I wanted to let you know I'm not with them. I never will be, I don't care if they're my family and I don't care if they threaten me. You have my complete word that nothing like that will ever happen."
"We believe you," Harry said and the other nodded as well. I told the truth, I didn't know what I wanted to do yet so I would think about it on the train. No matter what though, I would never side with that side.
Getting off the train that day was weird. I knew that nothing would ever be the same again after that moment. I wasn't going home to a boring home of strict parents. Voldemort was back and I was living under the roof of one of his servants, and of course my mother would know. I took my time once again back towards the Leaky Cauldron to take the Floo network back home. What if he was there? How would I act, should I act as if I knew or if I didn't know? These thoughts ran through my head until I realized I was standing in my living room. Floo network seemed to be working faster.
Peering my head through the fireplace, I saw no one. Rushing up to my room I then decided what I was going to do. It was rash decision but I couldn't think of anything else to do. Instead of empting my trunk, I used a quick shrinking spell to add everything in my room into my trunk. Of course I left the furniture but I took every last bit of clothing, magazine, and item I had there. Writing a quick letter for Silvius I made my way back downstairs.
It felt as though I had just walked into the doors of my family's home right as I was walking out. I wasn't going to tell Silvius or anyone. I was just going to leave and sure as hell was never coming back. I left the letter on Silvius's bed saying my final goodbye. I hoped I would see him again though. Maybe we could meet up in Diagon Alley. I dragged my trunk down the stairs and headed straight for the fireplace in the living room when I realized I wasn't alone anymore. My mother was sitting there reading the Salem Prophet when she folded it in half and looked at me. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked standing up. "Since when did you even get back?"
"I'm leaving," I stated with no tone for argument. "And I'm not coming back."
"Please," she scoffed. "Where do you think you're going to go? An underage wizard can't get housing anywhere. Besides whose going to pay for school if you leave." She had a threatening look on her face.
"Zael Chamberlyn," I yelled just needing to let it out. Her stone face for the first time every showed emotion. Horror spread across her face. "I know what your husband is and I know that he isn't my father! And I know the Dark Lord is back!" She looked more than taken back by this. It was the first time I've ever seen her facial expression change so quickly. "You have lied to me my entire life! No wonder I've always been treated like an outcast, I'm you're secret you don't want anyone to know about. You don't want anyone to see me because I look just like him, I saw the picture! They'd see me and know what you did. And don't worry about school money, Zael Chamberlyn has a vault here in Salem left completely to me, which I'm sure you knew about. I had it all transferred to Gringotts. So you know what, you can go to hell for all I care. I can guarantee you will never be seeing me again."
The look on her face was unexplainable; she looked as though she was feeling about a thousand different emotions. "Please!" she began begging. I paused for a moment. I've never heard this tone. Her icy eyes began to water. "Don't tell anyone, please it would ruin our family name." It was the first time I've heard her voice not yelling or cold, but fearful.
"What family," I spat looking at her in the eyes and I could tell she felt threatened.
"I couldn't tell anyone..." she tried to explain.
"You could have at least told me, instead of treating me as if I was some creature you wanted to keep hidden in the attic my entire life for no reason at all. So I'll decide who finds out and who doesn't." I turned away from facing her and took a handful of Floo powder and through it into the fireplace. I was beyond furious. I have never been so mad in my life. All the anger I had kept inside of me for the past fourteen years was now coming to surface. I needed to get away. "Knockturn Alley."
So there it is. Hope you liked this story, I can't wait to begin writing the next one! It's going to be called Heart of Darkness and I'm going to combine both the fifth and sixth books into that one! It'll be much longer than the rest, I'm hoping to keep fifth year short between 5-8 chapters. Then I'd like to make Half-Blood Prince much longer! So make sure to leave your final review!
But here's a question....what do you think/expect/want/hope will happen in the next book? Thanks!