"Three years. Three long, horrible years." It echoed in his head all night
and all morning. It had been three years since the "accident" that had
killed Cedric Diggory. Dumbledore had said that it had been an accident.
Everyone believed him. Everyone that is except Harry. Harry knew that it
was his fault. He knew that if he had just gone like Cedric had told him
to none of this would have happened. He thought about how the death of
Cedric had help him along with Cho. In her sadness Harry had comforted her,
and she had fallen desperately in love with Harry. Then he was glad. Glad
that Cedric had died. Glad that he had Cho. Glad that all this had happened
to him. And he was especially glad that it was all his fault. Harry
thought about this and grinned evilly, as he pushed a strand of his raven
black hair out of his face.
~~~~ *~~~~
Rachel and Krum sat gazing at each other at the table. It was summer vacation and the two were spending quality time with each other as they always did during the summer holidays. Nicole sat at the table next to theirs, waiting for the day to be over. She was jealous of her best friend and Krum because of what had happened to her boyfriend, Michael. He had been killed in an "accident" four years before when he had been training for an upcoming Quidditch match.
His broom flung out of control and he went flying into the forbidden forest. Harry quickly ran in after him and raised his wand.
Then there was a flash of green light and a heavy thud. They found his body three days later. Dumbledore said that it was the crash that had killed him.
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric, who had heard all of Harry's thoughts, had become very upset and decided that he must do something about it. He gracefully floated down to earth to find Harry.
~~~~*~~~~
Harry was with Cho, like he is very often these days. They were walking through Diagon alley and they had just finished buying their school supplies.
"Let's leave this place Harry. It's getting quite boring." Cho whispered insistently in Harry's ear.
"Sure baby." Harry said kissing her on the nose
"Harry you're embarrassing me!" Cho said, blushing
"Sorry Cho." Harry said sympathetically " I guess I just got carried away."
They walked to the Leaky Cauldron and Harry pulled out a small bag of floo powder, tossed it into the fire, and just as he was about to yell "the burrow" some one threw a glass at his head and he yelled out " Bulgaria!" Not realizing what he had said he and Cho stepped into the fire and disappeared.
~~~~*~~~~
Rachel and Krum were still sitting at their table staring at each other and Nicole was still starring out the window thinking about her lost love when Harry and Cho appeared. Rachel and Nicole were very frightened by what had just happened and Rachel threw a candle at Harry's head. Seeing her chance to get back at the person who had killed her boyfriend, Nicole raised her wand, attempting to use it against Harry. But Harry was too fast for her. He quickly raised his wand and opened his mouth to attack but Cho, who was good friends with Nicole, stopped him. Then Rachel lifted her wand to protect her friend in case Harry tried again to attack her. Harry, seeing this turned his wand on her and yelled "Avada Kedavra". Krum ran in front of Rachel and enveloped her in his arms with his back facing Harry. When it hit him, he collapsed over Rachel, instantly killed by the curse. Rachel pulled herself out from under Krum's body and began to cry. Harry didn't care. He just took out the bag of floo powder, threw it into the fire, said," The Burrow" and disappeared with Cho.
~~~~*~~~~
When they arrived at the burrow, where they were staying, Harry and Cho said hello to the Weasley's and went up to sleep. Cho was very upset with Harry for the rest of the day.
~~~~*~~~~
Rachel and Nicole were very sad about what had happened Rachel of course sadder than Nicole. Mostly Nicole wished that she had just killed Harry so that none this would have happened.
~~~~*~~~~
" I'm sorry about what I did to Krum." Harry said to Cho
" You tried to kill Rachel!!! She is my friend you know?!"
" I'm sorry okay? And anyway its Krum's fault that he's dead." Harry shouted back at Cho
" Whatever!" Cho yelled back " Goodnight"
" Goodnight." said Harry
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric was still searching for Harry when he saw Rachel sitting in her house crying. Without thinking he floated down to her to ask her what was wrong. When Nicole saw him she screamed. Rachel looked up and was shocked by what she saw. There in front of her she saw Cedric looking alive as ever. Rachel fainted. Nicole explained everything. She explained how Harry had popped up from the fire, how she had tried to kill him, how Cho had stopped her from killing him, how Rachel had tried to protect her, how Harry had used an unforgivable curse, and how Krum had died to protect Rachel. After hearing this story Cedric was even more enraged.
" Harry killed Krum?" Cedric asked Nicole for the ninth time
" Yes!" Nicole answered for the ninth time
" You're sure it was Harry and Cho?" Cedric asked
" Cedric?" Rachel said waking up.
" Yeah." Cedric said
" But I thought you were dead." Rachel said flinging her arms around his neck
" I'm still dead. I'm just visiting." Cedric said
~~~~*~~~~
Cho had gotten over what had happened yesterday and was going out to get something from Diagon Alley, when Cedric intercepted her. She fainted just as Rachel had done the night before. When she awoke, she found herself tied to a chair with Cedric hovering over her. She felt herself being lifted from the ground. As this was happening, Cedric was smiling.
" Cedric! What are you doing here?" Cho asked
" Getting rid of you of course." Cedric said
" Getting rid of me? Why?" Cho asked
" You betrayed me!" Cedric shouted.
" How?" Cho asked
" You're with Harry" was all he had time to say before Cho was dropped into a tank of shark infested water and was killed. Cedric laughed a cruel, empty laugh then he left to tell Rachel what he had done.
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric went back to Rachel's house, where the three of them were staying. When he saw Rachel he told her that he had killed Cho. Rachel was so happy even if Cho was her friend. She had betrayed her by going out with Harry. But she begged him not to tell Nicole, who was still friends with her. He agreed not to. Then he told Rachel that he had to deliver a few messages, and that he would be back. Rachel said goodbye, and then, out of the blue, she kissed him.
" Why did you do that?" Cedric asked Rachel
" I don't know." Rachel answered
" Okay whatever." Cedric said
~~~~*~~~~ Harry arrived at the burrow and was surprised to meet Ron in an unhappy mood.
"Oi, Ron! What's wrong?" Harry said a little confused and a little drunk
"Harry ...you mean you don't know?" Ron asked Harry, slightly confused by what he was hearing
"Don't know what, Ron?" Harry asked, even more confused than Ron
"It's Cho."
"What about Cho?" said Harry a little worried
"She's ... she's ... dead" Ron said, struggling to find the words
"What?" said Harry holding back his anger "she's what? Who killed her?"
"I don't know..."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Enraged, Harry ran upstairs into his room and sat there to think of who could have killed Cho. Then a thought came to him and he shouted, "Rachel, I swear I'll get you for this!"
~~~~~*~~~~~
Rachel sat at the table with Nicole trying to calm her down. She had just told her about the kiss and Nicole was hysterical with tears. Rachel knew that after the death of Michael, Nicole had turned to Cedric for comfort and instead, what she found, were love and an unknown desire for him.
"I didn't mean to do it!" Rachel said to Nicole, her face full of apologeticness
"You know how I feel about him! Rachel how could you kiss him?!" Nicole shouted back, the hate mounting in her voice
"Yes, I know." said Rachel still trying to be understanding
"When Michael died, I thought I would never love again. Then he came and I was happy again." Nicole said as she began to gaze out of the window
"I know and you know I would never do anything to hurt you, but it just slipped out, it didn't mean anything I swear."
"You wouldn't understand Rachel, you haven't lost as much as I have."
"Yes I do know, I just lost Krum remember?"
"But at least you had a someone, I didn't have anyone to comfort me when they died."
"I understand"
~~~~~*~~~~~
Cedric had gone to deliver a message. He was looking everywhere for Michael but he couldn't find him. He needed to tell him that he needed help and that Nicole was alone and she missed him. He needed to find Michael. Then he would go in search of Krum. He would find him and get him to help too. He was still puzzled by the kiss from Rachel because he too knew that Nicole had only ever loved two people in her life and they had both left her. He knew Rachel would never do anything to try to take that love away from her so as he searched he wondered about the kiss. Then finally he found who he was looking for.
"Michael at last where you?" Cedric asked happy to see his old friend
"Here, why?" Michael asked wondering why he was looking for him
"I need your help."
"Why?"
"It's about Nicole and Rachel."
"What about Nicole?" Michael asked, now very worried after hearing the name of his love
"Harry tried to kill her and Rachel, he killed Krum." Said Cedric forgetting that Michael had died before he had gotten a chance to meet Krum.
"Well that still doesn't tell me why you need my help." Said Michael, still wondering why Cedric needed him
"Michael, I can't get my revenge alone, Harry killed you, he killed me, he tried to kill Nicole, don't you want to get him back?"
"All right, I'll do it but you have to promise me that Nicole and Rachel won't have anything to do with this, that they'll be safe."
"I swear to you, nothing will happen to them."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Rachel was sitting in the kitchen when Cedric came home. He was with Michael. Rachel was again surprised, as she thought that Michael was dead, but then she realized that Cedric was dead as well and she felt better. Nicole was still sitting in the kitchen gazing out the window when Rachel came into the room. Nicole didn't notice this and she kept gazing out of the window thinking of Michael. Then someone tapped her on the shoulder, when Nicole turned around she found out that it was Michael. She was so happy that she fainted. When she woke up Rachel explained the whole thing to her, excluding the part about Cho being dead.
"So you're really here?" Nicole asked Michael
"Yeah I am." Michael answered
"Just like Cedric?"
"Yeah."
"So I can touch you?"
"Yeah."
"Will you be here long?"
"I don't know, will I?" Michael asked Cedric
"You can be here as long you want." Cedric answered, seeing the look of joy and contentment in his friend's face
"Can you stay forever?" Nicole asked hoping the answer would be yes
"Yes" Michael answered unsure if this was true
"Oh Michael!" Nicole said flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him
~~~~~*~~~~~
Harry paced back and forth on the floor of his room. He thought of how he could get Rachel. He was sure it was Rachel. She was getting him back for killing her love by killing his. He had to kill her, he had to, but how? Then Ron came up into his room.
"Oi, Harry what's all the yelling and pacing bout?" Ron asked Harry
"I know who killed Cho, it was Rachel." Harry replied
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Oh."
"I have to get her back, but I need help."
"I can help?"
"Really?"
"Yeah sure, you're my best friend."
"Thanks, Ron."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Cedric and Rachel stood next to each other as they watched the happy couple reunited. Now it was Rachel's turn to know what it had felt like for Nicole all these years. She felt sad and alone. Cedric saw this and asked her what was wrong.
"What's wrong Rachel?" Cedric asked Rachel
"Oh! Nothing." Rachel answered trying to hide her grief
"I know something is wrong Rachel, you look just as sad as Nicole did less than five minutes ago."
"Okay I'll tell you, but you can't tell Nicole, it would crush her. I feel jealous of her and Michael because I know I won't ever have what they have, again. I can't tell Nicole because she'll be sad for making me sad and then she'll push him away and I don't want to do that to him."
"That reminds me I have to go and deliver another message, I'll be back soon."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Harry and Ron were getting their wands and the floo powder ready when Fred and George walked in. Harry put a sleeping spell over them so that they wouldn't know anything about what they were doing and they wouldn't ask any questions. Then they took the floo powder and threw it into the fire and Harry shouted "Rachel's house" then Harry and Ron stepped into the fire and disappeared.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric looked everywhere but he couldn't find Krum. After about five hours of looking he finally found him.
"Where were you?" He asked
"Here."
"Oh. I need your help."
"I know."
"How?"
"I've been watching."
"You have?'
"She looks so sad."
"She is."
"I'll help."
"Okay."
"Go back to them, Harry's coming with Ron, he's going to kill Rachel."
"Are you coming?"
"I'll be there soon."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting by Nicole's window gazing up into the sky thinking about Krum and how much she missed him when Harry and Ron appeared in her fireplace. Rachel screamed and Nicole came running into the living room. Ron took out his wand, but Nicole, who was faster than Ron, took out her wand, murmured a curse, and a green beam of light shot out of her wand killing Ron instantly. Then Harry turned to Rachel, without even a glance at the cold dead body of his best friend, and pulled out his wand. He pointed it straight at her then shouted " This is for Cho!" and he murmured the curse. Nicole pushed Rachel out of the way just in time to be hit by the beam. Then Cedric came back, too late to warn them. Harry, seeing Cedric, threw the floo powder into the fire yelled "The Burrow", walked into the fire and disappeared again.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel ran to the dead body of her friend and began to cry. Just then Michael came out of the kitchen and saw the body of Nicole lying cold and dead on the floor. He ran out of the room with anger mounting on his face. He came back into the room with his wand. He looked at Rachel crying over Nicole's body and went to comfort her.
"Rachel, it'll all be okay I promise." Michael said to her
" I know, but things getting better won't bring her back." Rachel said, holding back the tears to speak
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric had walked off into the next room with Ron's wand and body. He took the body and stuck it into the furnace and he kept his wand. Then he sat down on the floor and he thought. Then Rachel came into the room.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked him
"Nothing." he replied
"It doesn't look like nothing."
"It's my fault."
"What is?"
"She's dead and it's my fault."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is, I knew he was coming, if I had come back earlier she wouldn't be dead right now."
"It couldn't be helped."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks."
"Welcome."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry arrived back at The Burrow sad but satisfied. He didn't know what he would tell the Weasleys when they asked him where Ron was. He decided that he would telephone Hermione and tell her about what had happened. She was smart, maybe she could help.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting by Nicole's old window when Krum came back. He saw her sitting in the window seat crying. He went over to her and kissed her on the head. Then she turned around and her heart flew with joy because she had Krum back.
"You're back!" Rachel said joyfully to Krum, trying hard to wipe away the tears and hide the sorrow from him
"Yeah I am." He said smiling the best smile Rachel had ever seen him smile
" What took you so long?"
"I didn't know tat you needed me."
"Oh."
"Why do you seem like you're hiding something?"
"I'm not hiding anything." Rachel lied
"I know you Rachel, you are hiding something."
"Okay, I am so happy that you're back, but I am so sad too."
"Why are you sad?"
"It's Nicole." Rachel said as the tears began to force their way out
"What about her?" Krum said, brushing a tear from her face
"She's... oh Krum, she's dead!" Rachel said as the tears finally burst out
"It'll be okay, everything will be okay." Krum said holding her in his arms and feeling her hair and her body in his hands, remembering what he had lost.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry dialed the numbers on the phone and waited for Hermione to answer.
"Hello?" Hermione's voice echoed through the phone
"Hello, Hermione?" Harry asked into the phone not sure if it was Hermione or not
"Yes, hello Harry." She answered knowing whom the voice on the other end belonged to
"Hello Hermione, I need your help."
"With what?"
"Ron's dead. I don't know how to tell his parents"
"How did this happen?"
Then Harry explained the whole story. When he was finished Hermione said that she would be over there to help him as soon as she could get out and they said goodbye.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Hermione arrived at the burrow the next day. She went straight up to see Harry and they talked about what they could do. Harry decided that she should go to Rachel by floo powder and try to get her to come to the burrow so Harry could apologize and then when she got there Harry would kill her.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting on the floor with Krum, she was still crying.
"Everything will be okay." Krum said looking at Rachel
"How do you know?" Rachel asked in accusing tone
"I just do"
"She's never coming back."
"How do you know that?"
"She's dead Krum, people don't just come back from the dead!"
"But, I'm dead."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Hermione arrived at Rachel's house while Rachel was out. She sat there and waited for about ten minutes until Rachel finally came home. When Rachel saw her she lost control of herself and, without even thinking, she pulled out her wand and killed her.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Michael sat in Nicole's window seat. He stared out of the window and thought about Nicole. He knew he would never find her again even if they were both dead. It would be impossible to find her again. Rachel was downstairs with Krum. Cedric was out looking for Harry. Then Michael heard Rachel scream, not a scream of surprise or fright, but a scream of joy. Michael rushed into the living room to find out what had happened. When he got there he saw Nicole floating there before his eyes. As he looked at her he thought that she looked different somehow. He couldn't tell why but he knew she wasn't the same. Then it hit him, she was glowing. She had a glowing light that followed her.
"Why is that light following you?" Michael asked very curious about it
"What light?" said Nicole wondering what he was talking about
"That glowing light that's coming off of your body."
"Oh, that light! I don't know." She answered, smiling a secret smile inside.
"Are you going to stay long?"
"I'll stay as long as I can."
"Can you stay forever?'
"No, and neither can you, or Krum, or Cedric, we all have to go back someday."
"We have to leave Rachel?" Krum asked a little sad
"Yes."
"Why?"
"If we stay too long we'll be lost. If we stay too long we can't go back."
"It's okay, I'll be fine alone. I can manage." Rachel said, even though she knew she couldn't.
"Don't worry Rachel we can always come back to visit sometimes." Nicole replied, seeing the hurt in her friend's eyes and feeling it in her soul.
"Thanks."
"I have come back to warn you, Harry is coming here, he wants us all. We killed his love, we killed his friends, we killed everything he held dear. Now he wants us all back."
"He can't get us, we're all dead." Cedric pointed out to Nicole
"He can still get Rachel. He intends to hurt her. Hurt her enough for all of us. Rachel we're all dead but you're not. He's coming to kill you, he wants to get us back and he'll do it by making you hurt as much as he can. I'm here to protect you as long as I can."
"Thank you." Rachel said to Nicole.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole sat in her window seat, this time not alone. She sat there with Michael. Happy at last. Now she could be with him forever. They were both gone. They had passed and they could stay with each other for eternity, they would never have to leave each other. But somehow with all of these happy thoughts in her head she was still a little sad. She never wanted to leave Rachel alone. She wanted to die with her, not before her. Now she wanted Harry dead more than Cedric. She wanted her revenge on him. She wanted him to die ten thousand deaths then come back and die ten thousand more. She wanted each death to inflict a new pain into him. She wanted each death to leave a scar, on his skin, in his mind, in his memory, in his heart. That's what he had done to her. She had a mark on her back where the beam had hit her. He had left a scar on her mind, she knew by dying that she had left Rachel alone. He had left a scar in her memory, she remembered every minute of her death, it ran through her mind, over and over again. She knew what she would do, she would ask Cedric if she could help, she would get him back.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry sat in his small attic room in the burrow. He had just told Ron's parents that Ron had been hit by a muggle car and was dead. He couldn't bear to face them anymore. He was thinking of how he could kill Rachel. He wanted her to do something horrible to herself so no one could ever blame him. He couldn't think of anything. Then after two hours of thinking, a thought came to him. He remembered the two other unforgivable curses. He thought of which one he could use. He sat and thought of what each curse did. Then he made a decision. He would use the Imperius Curse. He would control her mind, her body. He would make them all pay and they could never blame him.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel sat alone on her bed playing with her hair thinking, just thinking not about anything in particular. Rachel slowly walked to the door looking up and feeling sorry for herself, she would have to live in this world all alone.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting on the floor of her room. Everyone was asleep upstairs. Harry came into her house through the fire and hid behind a plant in her room. Rachel stood up, went into the kitchen, and got a small watering can out from underneath her sink. She went back into her room, unaware that Harry was hiding behind her plant. She leaned over her plant and got ready to water it when Harry jumped out in front of her. Before Rachel could scream or take out her wand, Harry pointed his wand at her. He walked around her, pushed the hair covering her ear out of the way, and whispered into it "Imperio". Rachel started walking outside. Her feet leading her, her mind trying to resist. She walked upstairs to the third floor. She walked to Nicole's window. She stood upon the seat and pushed the window open, looking down into the dark churning sea below. She began moving forward towards the open window, one step at a time, slowly moving closer to her death. Harry stood below her on the first floor, a smile of hatred and joy on his face. Rachel stepped out of the window, she let out a scream of fright, the curse broken. She fell fast, fast to the rocks and sea below. Nicole woke with a start and quickly came out of her room, too late. She was gone. Harry had gone, his job was over, Rachel was gone, he wouldn't need to come back here again. Nicole looked straight ahead, she saw her window opened, she looked down to the sea below. There she saw the body of her friend, floating below, lifeless and cold.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole sat in her room crying. Michael came in to comfort her. He said that they would go to the ministry of magic, that they would report Harry.
"God Michael, it's not like we can just walk into the ministry." Nicole said, very irritated
"Why not?" He asked
"We're dead Michael, it's not like we can ever leave this house, we can't just go to the ministry."
"Why, they wouldn't care."
"Jesus Michael, there will be muggles outside, they wouldn't approve of a glowing ghost floating down the street. We would draw too much attention to ourselves, to the magical community. We would be all over the news! No Michael we can never leave this house, not by walking and it's not like we have floo powder. We can't confront Harry himself without some way of getting to him."
"Well I think we can still go to the ministry."
"Michael, have you heard a word I've said?! You may look normal, but this is my problem and I glow in the fucking dark!"
"No one would ever notice it."
"Yes they would, you did."
"Well how are we gonna fix this?!"
"I don't know Michael! Okay, I don't fucking know!"
"Calm down. Breathe in breathe out. It's okay, everything will be okay."
"I'm sorry Michael, but I just lost my best friend, can you understand that?" Nicole asked him, her eyes close to tears
"It's okay, just be here now, don't dwell on the past, don't think about the future. Just stand here and hold onto me, I'm here for you, I always will be. Tomorrow we can find her, I promise. But now just hold me." He said as he held her tightly in his arms, never wanting that moment to end
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry arrived back at the burrow. The Weasleys were out. He went up to his room and got ready to go to sleep. He was still wearing that horribly evil smile. He had done his job. He had gotten his revenge. Rachel was dead. She had walked out of Nicole's window. Nicole would take that window out, she would be sad, she would be lonely. Michael would be sad without her. Cedric would go crazy without Nicole talking. Krum would be alone without Rachel. They may both be dead, he thought, but he'll never find her again. He had hurt them all. He had got them back. He was through with them forever.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric went up to the third floor. When he got up there he found Nicole sitting in her window seat. She was staring down into the ocean with tears flowing down her face. As he got closer to her she turned around.
"Why are you crying?" He asked her
"Harry came here while we were sleeping last night. He killed Rachel." She answered, turning back to her window
"No, he couldn't have. How?"
"Imperius curse, she walked herself right out my window. I never should have made her put it here."
"No, it's not your fault Nicole. Does Krum know?"
"Not yet. We haven't told him."
"Are you going to?"
"Yes, but I have a favor to ask first. Can I help you kill Harry?"
"Of course." Cedric answered
"Oh, Thank you Cedric." She said flinging her arms around his neck
Only then did Cedric remember his promise to Michael. He looked up to tell Nicole he had changed his mind, but it was too late, she was gone.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Michael was sitting on the floor of his room when Cedric came in. He didn't look very happy. Michael stood up and went to Cedric. He asked him why he was so unhappy.
"Michael do you remember the promise I made you?" Cedric asked hesitantly
"Yes, you said Rachel and Nicole wouldn't have anything to do with your revenge." Michael answered, already half knowing what he was about to hear
"Well ...I told Nicole she could help."
"That's okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah. This means a lot to her, I won't get in her way."
"We have to tell Krum about Rachel."
"Nicole is telling him right now."
"Oh."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole knocked on the door of Krum's room. He opened it and let her in. Nicole had a look of complete and utter sadness on her face. Krum knew that it wasn't good news he was about to hear. Nicole was happy now, she was reunited with her love and her best friend. She hadn't looked sad the whole week she had been back. He sat down on the floor next to Nicole. After a minute of complete silence Nicole began to speak.
"Krum, I have something I have to tell you." Nicole said, not daring to look into his face
"What is it?" He asked, frightened of what he might hear
"Last night something horrible happened." she continued to speak, looking at the floor the whole time
"What?" Krum asked anxiously
"Harry came here. He ...he got his revenge." Nicole said as she burst out crying
"What?" Krum asked, a little confused.
"He put the Imperius Curse on her. She walked through my window. She walked right into the sea below, right into her own death." Nicole answered, aloud but not to Krum. She answered to herself
"Can't we find her again?" He asked knowing that it was possible, that's why he was back.
"It would take forever to find someone who's lost. It took Cedric nearly two days to find Michael and he was staying in one place. Rachel moves, she can't stay still too long without people with her. So yes Krum we can find her again, but it would take too long. We don't have time, we have to get Harry." Nicole answered in a very sullen and serious tone
"Well what are we going to do then? Forget about her, wait for her to come back, what?!" Krum asked her, his voice near to screaming
"I don't know! Okay Krum? I just don't know!" She answered, her eyes red with tears, her face wet with them
"I'm sorry Nicole, I didn't mean to scream. I just ...don't think I can go on without her. I don't know what to do, I'm lost." He said looking into he sky as if she would hear him and come floating out of it
"It's okay. I miss her so much, after Harry is dead we can look for her, but we can't now, there's no time." She answered, sad to have to face reality about Rachel
"Okay, then I can wait." Krum answered
"Krum, are you really okay with this? You're not going to run away from here in the night and leave me and Cedric and Michael? I know I can't stand losing another friend, especially not you, not again." Nicole said as she began to cry again
"Don't worry, I won't leave." Krum answered, then he hugged her and Nicole kissed him
"Why'd you do that?" Krum asked with surprise
"I don't know, but pretend it never happened okay?" Nicole said very worried about what Michael would say
"I won't." Krum answered knowing why she had said what she said
"Thanks."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Krum was sitting on his bed and thinking about Rachel when he heard the sound of breaking glass. He ran to the third floor of the house and went straight to Nicole's window, afraid of what he would find. When he had gotten there he found Harry standing by the window with a hammer. He had an evil grin on his face. Krum knew he was getting pleasure from smashing Nicole's window. Krum rushed at him with his fists raised ready to attack Harry, but Harry drew his wand and froze Krum in place. After Harry took the spell off of him Krum didn't move to continue what he had started.
"What the hell are you doing?" Krum asked Harry, wondering what sick pleasure Harry was getting out of destroying Nicole's most treasure possession
"I'm destroying that bitches window." Harry answered calmly
"What did you just call her?" Krum asked Harry, ready to push him out of the window right then and there
"A bitch, that's what she is, isn't it? Oh and I wouldn't push me out of this window if I were you, I'm faster than you, You'll be frozen in place forever before you could ever push me out this window." Harry answered smugly
"Why the hell are you destroying her window?!" Krum asked Harry, his voice raising uncontrollably
"Because, this window gives her joy, she doesn't deserve joy. She killed my friend, he brought me happiness and she destroyed it, now I'm destroying what makes her happy." Harry answered, his eyes crazy with happiness
"Get out now!" Krum shouted
"Ooh what are you going to do to me?" Harry asked sarcastically
"God help me, I'll kill you Harry, you take one more stroke with that hammer and I'll shove you out that window!"
"Ha, you wouldn't be able to catch me, not even on the fastest broom ever invented."
"I'm a better Quidditch player than you are Harry, no matter what you say, I'll always be better than you."
"You can't stop me, no one can!"
Harry lifted his arm to swing, then he heard Cedric coming up the stairs. He quickly picked up his hammer, turned around and ran into an empty room. Cedric had heard the glass breaking and was coming up to find out what was happening. When he got to the window he was stunned to see it almost completely shattered.
"What happened here?" Cedric asked Krum
"Harry's here, he destroyed the window." Krum answered, the hate and anger still in his voice
"Why? Why the hell would he destroy her window?!" Cedric asked, his hatred for Harry growing more and more
"He said that Nicole was a bitch and that he needed to destroy her happiness and her joy. He said that she killed Ron so he had to destroy her window." Krum answered, still angry
"Where is he?" Cedric asked knowing Harry hadn't left when he came up
"He was in that room but I don't know where he is now." Krum told Cedric remembering that there was a fireplace in the room Harry had ran into
"Well maybe he's still there. Let's go check."
They went into the room, but Harry was gone already. Cedric and Krum didn't know what they would tell Nicole, but they knew they would have to tell her eventually. They talked about it and decided they would keep her away from the window until that night then they would tell her, she was always happier at night.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole was sitting on the floor of her room when Cedric and Krum came in to tell her about her window. She saw that they both looked afraid of her and she wondered why.
"Hi." She said, as cheerfully as she could
"Hi." They both said to her
"What is it?" She asked, seeing that they looked worried
"It's ...your window." Cedric said stumbling over the words
"What about my window?" Nicole asked
"Harry destroyed it." Krum said
Nicole, not believing them ran upstairs to her window. When she got there she saw the glass of her window all over the floor. She began to cry, she lost her window. Her view into the outer world, her view into herself, it was gone, gone forever. She ran back into her room, locked the door, and continued crying.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric and Krum were trying to get Nicole to come out of her room, when they heard the door open below. They went down, ready to strike if it was Harry. When they got there Krum nearly cried he was so happy, standing before him in a white dress was Rachel. She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek then went upstairs to Nicole's room. She touched the door and it flung open. Nicole, blinded by the light from outside, stood up and stumbled towards the person standing in her doorway. She tripped and Rachel caught her. As Nicole's eyes slowly adjusted to the light she began to realize who it was that had caught her. She was so happy that her friend was back she nearly screamed.
"Oh Rachel, you're back." Nicole said the memory of joy slowly returning to her mind
"Yes I am." Rachel said, happy to see her friend again but wondering why she seemed so sad
"Why are you wearing that white dress?" Nicole asked, remembering that Rachel hadn't been wearing white the night she died
"I don't know." Rachel lied "Why do you seem so sad?"
"Oh, Harry destroyed my window." Nicole answered, her mind beginning to forget joy once again
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Nicole took Rachel up to the third floor and showed her what was left of her window. Rachel told Nicole that she would fix the window. She said that she would make it exactly how Nicole wanted it to be. Rachel knew how important that window was to Nicole. She remembered the night Nicole had ran away from home, the night she had moved in with her. Nicole's father was abusive, he would hit Nicole all the time. One night her father came home drunk and he began to beat Nicole. Her mother tried to save her, she had died trying to save her. That night Nicole had run away. She moved in with Rachel and started her life over again. She had asked Rachel to put that window in where it would face the sea. Nicole loved the sea, it was all of her mother she had left. Her mother had loved to swim so whenever Nicole looked out the window she saw the sea and her mother in it, remembering her that way.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was on the third floor picking up the shards of glass from the floor while Nicole was helping Cedric put the new window that Rachel had made into the space that had held the old window. Krum and Michael were downstairs working on the plans. It would be soon, they would get Harry back soon. They had decided that it would be three days later. They would get him to come back to Rachel's house. They would kill him there. It would hurt him, it would hurt him more than any pain he would ever know. They would use every curse they knew. They would kill him then drown his body in the ocean below the house. He would feel the pain of dying ten thousand times. It would be horrible, terrible, it would hurt. He would find out what it felt like to each of them. He had killed them all, in his own way. Now they would kill him, each in their own way.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry was sitting in his room in the Weasleys house when an owl came to his room with a note attached to its foot. He took the note and the owl flew away. He opened it the note, it said "To Mr. Harry Potter, You have inherited a house belonging to a Miss. Rachel (no last name given). You are requested to be there by Friday of this week to get your house. Sincerely, Us." Harry checked his watch to see what day it was. It was Friday. He decided to go, although he didn't trust the letter at all. He went down to the fireplace, took out his small and nearly empty bag of floo powder, threw some of it into the fire, told it where it wanted to go, stepped into the fire, and he disappeared.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric was so happy. The day had finally come, the day he had been waiting for three years. That day he would get his revenge. That day he would finally pay Harry back for what he had done to him, what he had done to Michael, Nicole, Krum, and Rachel. That day Harry would finally die and his legend would end. He would no longer be the boy who lived, he would be the boy who died. He was so happy. That day they went over the plan one final time. Then Harry arrived and it all started.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry stepped out of the fire. Rachel was waiting for him, when he was out she pulled out her wand, she used the Imperius Curse in him. He started walking in the kitchen where he took out a large cutting knife and began to cut his skin. He screamed from the pain, but try as he might he couldn't resist the curse. Then he put the knife down and began to walk up the stairs. At the top Nicole was waiting for him. Rachel removed the curse and Nicole drew out her wand. She came over to Harry's ear and whispered into it "Crucio". Immediately Harry began to twitch violently. His face showed the pain he was feeling, he began screaming. Nicole hovered above him and laughed a horribly evil laugh. She held him under the Cruciatus Curse for nearly five minutes enjoying the screams of pain emanating from his mouth, but she finally removed it. She pulled him by the collar up the stairs. Michael and Krum stood there with shards of glass from Nicole's window. They began tot throw them at him. Harry screamed with pain from the glass hitting him, but he didn't dare to try to escape, he was too afraid that Nicole would put him back under the Cruciatus Curse. Finally they ran out of glass and now it was Cedric's turn. He came down to Harry, wand in hand, ready to strike at any moment. He put Harry back under the Imperius Curse, Harry went under it too weak to fight it. Harry lifted his wand, pointing it at himself this time. He held it there for a long time while Cedric took pleasure in what was about to happen. Harry was fully conscious of what he was doing and he knew what was going to happen next. Then he heard himself mutter the word he had been dreading he would say to himself, "Avada Kedavra", Then the green flash that had killed so many of them came out of Harry's wand, with a heavy thud Harry hit the ground, his body cold and dead. Cedric raised the body and dropped it into the sea. A look of absolute happiness in each of their faces. It was over, he was gone, never to come back. Cedric was the happiest. He had gotten his revenge and now he could rest in peace at last.
The End
~~~~ *~~~~
Rachel and Krum sat gazing at each other at the table. It was summer vacation and the two were spending quality time with each other as they always did during the summer holidays. Nicole sat at the table next to theirs, waiting for the day to be over. She was jealous of her best friend and Krum because of what had happened to her boyfriend, Michael. He had been killed in an "accident" four years before when he had been training for an upcoming Quidditch match.
His broom flung out of control and he went flying into the forbidden forest. Harry quickly ran in after him and raised his wand.
Then there was a flash of green light and a heavy thud. They found his body three days later. Dumbledore said that it was the crash that had killed him.
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric, who had heard all of Harry's thoughts, had become very upset and decided that he must do something about it. He gracefully floated down to earth to find Harry.
~~~~*~~~~
Harry was with Cho, like he is very often these days. They were walking through Diagon alley and they had just finished buying their school supplies.
"Let's leave this place Harry. It's getting quite boring." Cho whispered insistently in Harry's ear.
"Sure baby." Harry said kissing her on the nose
"Harry you're embarrassing me!" Cho said, blushing
"Sorry Cho." Harry said sympathetically " I guess I just got carried away."
They walked to the Leaky Cauldron and Harry pulled out a small bag of floo powder, tossed it into the fire, and just as he was about to yell "the burrow" some one threw a glass at his head and he yelled out " Bulgaria!" Not realizing what he had said he and Cho stepped into the fire and disappeared.
~~~~*~~~~
Rachel and Krum were still sitting at their table staring at each other and Nicole was still starring out the window thinking about her lost love when Harry and Cho appeared. Rachel and Nicole were very frightened by what had just happened and Rachel threw a candle at Harry's head. Seeing her chance to get back at the person who had killed her boyfriend, Nicole raised her wand, attempting to use it against Harry. But Harry was too fast for her. He quickly raised his wand and opened his mouth to attack but Cho, who was good friends with Nicole, stopped him. Then Rachel lifted her wand to protect her friend in case Harry tried again to attack her. Harry, seeing this turned his wand on her and yelled "Avada Kedavra". Krum ran in front of Rachel and enveloped her in his arms with his back facing Harry. When it hit him, he collapsed over Rachel, instantly killed by the curse. Rachel pulled herself out from under Krum's body and began to cry. Harry didn't care. He just took out the bag of floo powder, threw it into the fire, said," The Burrow" and disappeared with Cho.
~~~~*~~~~
When they arrived at the burrow, where they were staying, Harry and Cho said hello to the Weasley's and went up to sleep. Cho was very upset with Harry for the rest of the day.
~~~~*~~~~
Rachel and Nicole were very sad about what had happened Rachel of course sadder than Nicole. Mostly Nicole wished that she had just killed Harry so that none this would have happened.
~~~~*~~~~
" I'm sorry about what I did to Krum." Harry said to Cho
" You tried to kill Rachel!!! She is my friend you know?!"
" I'm sorry okay? And anyway its Krum's fault that he's dead." Harry shouted back at Cho
" Whatever!" Cho yelled back " Goodnight"
" Goodnight." said Harry
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric was still searching for Harry when he saw Rachel sitting in her house crying. Without thinking he floated down to her to ask her what was wrong. When Nicole saw him she screamed. Rachel looked up and was shocked by what she saw. There in front of her she saw Cedric looking alive as ever. Rachel fainted. Nicole explained everything. She explained how Harry had popped up from the fire, how she had tried to kill him, how Cho had stopped her from killing him, how Rachel had tried to protect her, how Harry had used an unforgivable curse, and how Krum had died to protect Rachel. After hearing this story Cedric was even more enraged.
" Harry killed Krum?" Cedric asked Nicole for the ninth time
" Yes!" Nicole answered for the ninth time
" You're sure it was Harry and Cho?" Cedric asked
" Cedric?" Rachel said waking up.
" Yeah." Cedric said
" But I thought you were dead." Rachel said flinging her arms around his neck
" I'm still dead. I'm just visiting." Cedric said
~~~~*~~~~
Cho had gotten over what had happened yesterday and was going out to get something from Diagon Alley, when Cedric intercepted her. She fainted just as Rachel had done the night before. When she awoke, she found herself tied to a chair with Cedric hovering over her. She felt herself being lifted from the ground. As this was happening, Cedric was smiling.
" Cedric! What are you doing here?" Cho asked
" Getting rid of you of course." Cedric said
" Getting rid of me? Why?" Cho asked
" You betrayed me!" Cedric shouted.
" How?" Cho asked
" You're with Harry" was all he had time to say before Cho was dropped into a tank of shark infested water and was killed. Cedric laughed a cruel, empty laugh then he left to tell Rachel what he had done.
~~~~*~~~~
Cedric went back to Rachel's house, where the three of them were staying. When he saw Rachel he told her that he had killed Cho. Rachel was so happy even if Cho was her friend. She had betrayed her by going out with Harry. But she begged him not to tell Nicole, who was still friends with her. He agreed not to. Then he told Rachel that he had to deliver a few messages, and that he would be back. Rachel said goodbye, and then, out of the blue, she kissed him.
" Why did you do that?" Cedric asked Rachel
" I don't know." Rachel answered
" Okay whatever." Cedric said
~~~~*~~~~ Harry arrived at the burrow and was surprised to meet Ron in an unhappy mood.
"Oi, Ron! What's wrong?" Harry said a little confused and a little drunk
"Harry ...you mean you don't know?" Ron asked Harry, slightly confused by what he was hearing
"Don't know what, Ron?" Harry asked, even more confused than Ron
"It's Cho."
"What about Cho?" said Harry a little worried
"She's ... she's ... dead" Ron said, struggling to find the words
"What?" said Harry holding back his anger "she's what? Who killed her?"
"I don't know..."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Enraged, Harry ran upstairs into his room and sat there to think of who could have killed Cho. Then a thought came to him and he shouted, "Rachel, I swear I'll get you for this!"
~~~~~*~~~~~
Rachel sat at the table with Nicole trying to calm her down. She had just told her about the kiss and Nicole was hysterical with tears. Rachel knew that after the death of Michael, Nicole had turned to Cedric for comfort and instead, what she found, were love and an unknown desire for him.
"I didn't mean to do it!" Rachel said to Nicole, her face full of apologeticness
"You know how I feel about him! Rachel how could you kiss him?!" Nicole shouted back, the hate mounting in her voice
"Yes, I know." said Rachel still trying to be understanding
"When Michael died, I thought I would never love again. Then he came and I was happy again." Nicole said as she began to gaze out of the window
"I know and you know I would never do anything to hurt you, but it just slipped out, it didn't mean anything I swear."
"You wouldn't understand Rachel, you haven't lost as much as I have."
"Yes I do know, I just lost Krum remember?"
"But at least you had a someone, I didn't have anyone to comfort me when they died."
"I understand"
~~~~~*~~~~~
Cedric had gone to deliver a message. He was looking everywhere for Michael but he couldn't find him. He needed to tell him that he needed help and that Nicole was alone and she missed him. He needed to find Michael. Then he would go in search of Krum. He would find him and get him to help too. He was still puzzled by the kiss from Rachel because he too knew that Nicole had only ever loved two people in her life and they had both left her. He knew Rachel would never do anything to try to take that love away from her so as he searched he wondered about the kiss. Then finally he found who he was looking for.
"Michael at last where you?" Cedric asked happy to see his old friend
"Here, why?" Michael asked wondering why he was looking for him
"I need your help."
"Why?"
"It's about Nicole and Rachel."
"What about Nicole?" Michael asked, now very worried after hearing the name of his love
"Harry tried to kill her and Rachel, he killed Krum." Said Cedric forgetting that Michael had died before he had gotten a chance to meet Krum.
"Well that still doesn't tell me why you need my help." Said Michael, still wondering why Cedric needed him
"Michael, I can't get my revenge alone, Harry killed you, he killed me, he tried to kill Nicole, don't you want to get him back?"
"All right, I'll do it but you have to promise me that Nicole and Rachel won't have anything to do with this, that they'll be safe."
"I swear to you, nothing will happen to them."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Rachel was sitting in the kitchen when Cedric came home. He was with Michael. Rachel was again surprised, as she thought that Michael was dead, but then she realized that Cedric was dead as well and she felt better. Nicole was still sitting in the kitchen gazing out the window when Rachel came into the room. Nicole didn't notice this and she kept gazing out of the window thinking of Michael. Then someone tapped her on the shoulder, when Nicole turned around she found out that it was Michael. She was so happy that she fainted. When she woke up Rachel explained the whole thing to her, excluding the part about Cho being dead.
"So you're really here?" Nicole asked Michael
"Yeah I am." Michael answered
"Just like Cedric?"
"Yeah."
"So I can touch you?"
"Yeah."
"Will you be here long?"
"I don't know, will I?" Michael asked Cedric
"You can be here as long you want." Cedric answered, seeing the look of joy and contentment in his friend's face
"Can you stay forever?" Nicole asked hoping the answer would be yes
"Yes" Michael answered unsure if this was true
"Oh Michael!" Nicole said flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him
~~~~~*~~~~~
Harry paced back and forth on the floor of his room. He thought of how he could get Rachel. He was sure it was Rachel. She was getting him back for killing her love by killing his. He had to kill her, he had to, but how? Then Ron came up into his room.
"Oi, Harry what's all the yelling and pacing bout?" Ron asked Harry
"I know who killed Cho, it was Rachel." Harry replied
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Oh."
"I have to get her back, but I need help."
"I can help?"
"Really?"
"Yeah sure, you're my best friend."
"Thanks, Ron."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Cedric and Rachel stood next to each other as they watched the happy couple reunited. Now it was Rachel's turn to know what it had felt like for Nicole all these years. She felt sad and alone. Cedric saw this and asked her what was wrong.
"What's wrong Rachel?" Cedric asked Rachel
"Oh! Nothing." Rachel answered trying to hide her grief
"I know something is wrong Rachel, you look just as sad as Nicole did less than five minutes ago."
"Okay I'll tell you, but you can't tell Nicole, it would crush her. I feel jealous of her and Michael because I know I won't ever have what they have, again. I can't tell Nicole because she'll be sad for making me sad and then she'll push him away and I don't want to do that to him."
"That reminds me I have to go and deliver another message, I'll be back soon."
~~~~~*~~~~~
Harry and Ron were getting their wands and the floo powder ready when Fred and George walked in. Harry put a sleeping spell over them so that they wouldn't know anything about what they were doing and they wouldn't ask any questions. Then they took the floo powder and threw it into the fire and Harry shouted "Rachel's house" then Harry and Ron stepped into the fire and disappeared.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric looked everywhere but he couldn't find Krum. After about five hours of looking he finally found him.
"Where were you?" He asked
"Here."
"Oh. I need your help."
"I know."
"How?"
"I've been watching."
"You have?'
"She looks so sad."
"She is."
"I'll help."
"Okay."
"Go back to them, Harry's coming with Ron, he's going to kill Rachel."
"Are you coming?"
"I'll be there soon."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting by Nicole's window gazing up into the sky thinking about Krum and how much she missed him when Harry and Ron appeared in her fireplace. Rachel screamed and Nicole came running into the living room. Ron took out his wand, but Nicole, who was faster than Ron, took out her wand, murmured a curse, and a green beam of light shot out of her wand killing Ron instantly. Then Harry turned to Rachel, without even a glance at the cold dead body of his best friend, and pulled out his wand. He pointed it straight at her then shouted " This is for Cho!" and he murmured the curse. Nicole pushed Rachel out of the way just in time to be hit by the beam. Then Cedric came back, too late to warn them. Harry, seeing Cedric, threw the floo powder into the fire yelled "The Burrow", walked into the fire and disappeared again.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel ran to the dead body of her friend and began to cry. Just then Michael came out of the kitchen and saw the body of Nicole lying cold and dead on the floor. He ran out of the room with anger mounting on his face. He came back into the room with his wand. He looked at Rachel crying over Nicole's body and went to comfort her.
"Rachel, it'll all be okay I promise." Michael said to her
" I know, but things getting better won't bring her back." Rachel said, holding back the tears to speak
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric had walked off into the next room with Ron's wand and body. He took the body and stuck it into the furnace and he kept his wand. Then he sat down on the floor and he thought. Then Rachel came into the room.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked him
"Nothing." he replied
"It doesn't look like nothing."
"It's my fault."
"What is?"
"She's dead and it's my fault."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is, I knew he was coming, if I had come back earlier she wouldn't be dead right now."
"It couldn't be helped."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks."
"Welcome."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry arrived back at The Burrow sad but satisfied. He didn't know what he would tell the Weasleys when they asked him where Ron was. He decided that he would telephone Hermione and tell her about what had happened. She was smart, maybe she could help.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting by Nicole's old window when Krum came back. He saw her sitting in the window seat crying. He went over to her and kissed her on the head. Then she turned around and her heart flew with joy because she had Krum back.
"You're back!" Rachel said joyfully to Krum, trying hard to wipe away the tears and hide the sorrow from him
"Yeah I am." He said smiling the best smile Rachel had ever seen him smile
" What took you so long?"
"I didn't know tat you needed me."
"Oh."
"Why do you seem like you're hiding something?"
"I'm not hiding anything." Rachel lied
"I know you Rachel, you are hiding something."
"Okay, I am so happy that you're back, but I am so sad too."
"Why are you sad?"
"It's Nicole." Rachel said as the tears began to force their way out
"What about her?" Krum said, brushing a tear from her face
"She's... oh Krum, she's dead!" Rachel said as the tears finally burst out
"It'll be okay, everything will be okay." Krum said holding her in his arms and feeling her hair and her body in his hands, remembering what he had lost.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry dialed the numbers on the phone and waited for Hermione to answer.
"Hello?" Hermione's voice echoed through the phone
"Hello, Hermione?" Harry asked into the phone not sure if it was Hermione or not
"Yes, hello Harry." She answered knowing whom the voice on the other end belonged to
"Hello Hermione, I need your help."
"With what?"
"Ron's dead. I don't know how to tell his parents"
"How did this happen?"
Then Harry explained the whole story. When he was finished Hermione said that she would be over there to help him as soon as she could get out and they said goodbye.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Hermione arrived at the burrow the next day. She went straight up to see Harry and they talked about what they could do. Harry decided that she should go to Rachel by floo powder and try to get her to come to the burrow so Harry could apologize and then when she got there Harry would kill her.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting on the floor with Krum, she was still crying.
"Everything will be okay." Krum said looking at Rachel
"How do you know?" Rachel asked in accusing tone
"I just do"
"She's never coming back."
"How do you know that?"
"She's dead Krum, people don't just come back from the dead!"
"But, I'm dead."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Hermione arrived at Rachel's house while Rachel was out. She sat there and waited for about ten minutes until Rachel finally came home. When Rachel saw her she lost control of herself and, without even thinking, she pulled out her wand and killed her.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Michael sat in Nicole's window seat. He stared out of the window and thought about Nicole. He knew he would never find her again even if they were both dead. It would be impossible to find her again. Rachel was downstairs with Krum. Cedric was out looking for Harry. Then Michael heard Rachel scream, not a scream of surprise or fright, but a scream of joy. Michael rushed into the living room to find out what had happened. When he got there he saw Nicole floating there before his eyes. As he looked at her he thought that she looked different somehow. He couldn't tell why but he knew she wasn't the same. Then it hit him, she was glowing. She had a glowing light that followed her.
"Why is that light following you?" Michael asked very curious about it
"What light?" said Nicole wondering what he was talking about
"That glowing light that's coming off of your body."
"Oh, that light! I don't know." She answered, smiling a secret smile inside.
"Are you going to stay long?"
"I'll stay as long as I can."
"Can you stay forever?'
"No, and neither can you, or Krum, or Cedric, we all have to go back someday."
"We have to leave Rachel?" Krum asked a little sad
"Yes."
"Why?"
"If we stay too long we'll be lost. If we stay too long we can't go back."
"It's okay, I'll be fine alone. I can manage." Rachel said, even though she knew she couldn't.
"Don't worry Rachel we can always come back to visit sometimes." Nicole replied, seeing the hurt in her friend's eyes and feeling it in her soul.
"Thanks."
"I have come back to warn you, Harry is coming here, he wants us all. We killed his love, we killed his friends, we killed everything he held dear. Now he wants us all back."
"He can't get us, we're all dead." Cedric pointed out to Nicole
"He can still get Rachel. He intends to hurt her. Hurt her enough for all of us. Rachel we're all dead but you're not. He's coming to kill you, he wants to get us back and he'll do it by making you hurt as much as he can. I'm here to protect you as long as I can."
"Thank you." Rachel said to Nicole.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole sat in her window seat, this time not alone. She sat there with Michael. Happy at last. Now she could be with him forever. They were both gone. They had passed and they could stay with each other for eternity, they would never have to leave each other. But somehow with all of these happy thoughts in her head she was still a little sad. She never wanted to leave Rachel alone. She wanted to die with her, not before her. Now she wanted Harry dead more than Cedric. She wanted her revenge on him. She wanted him to die ten thousand deaths then come back and die ten thousand more. She wanted each death to inflict a new pain into him. She wanted each death to leave a scar, on his skin, in his mind, in his memory, in his heart. That's what he had done to her. She had a mark on her back where the beam had hit her. He had left a scar on her mind, she knew by dying that she had left Rachel alone. He had left a scar in her memory, she remembered every minute of her death, it ran through her mind, over and over again. She knew what she would do, she would ask Cedric if she could help, she would get him back.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry sat in his small attic room in the burrow. He had just told Ron's parents that Ron had been hit by a muggle car and was dead. He couldn't bear to face them anymore. He was thinking of how he could kill Rachel. He wanted her to do something horrible to herself so no one could ever blame him. He couldn't think of anything. Then after two hours of thinking, a thought came to him. He remembered the two other unforgivable curses. He thought of which one he could use. He sat and thought of what each curse did. Then he made a decision. He would use the Imperius Curse. He would control her mind, her body. He would make them all pay and they could never blame him.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel sat alone on her bed playing with her hair thinking, just thinking not about anything in particular. Rachel slowly walked to the door looking up and feeling sorry for herself, she would have to live in this world all alone.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was sitting on the floor of her room. Everyone was asleep upstairs. Harry came into her house through the fire and hid behind a plant in her room. Rachel stood up, went into the kitchen, and got a small watering can out from underneath her sink. She went back into her room, unaware that Harry was hiding behind her plant. She leaned over her plant and got ready to water it when Harry jumped out in front of her. Before Rachel could scream or take out her wand, Harry pointed his wand at her. He walked around her, pushed the hair covering her ear out of the way, and whispered into it "Imperio". Rachel started walking outside. Her feet leading her, her mind trying to resist. She walked upstairs to the third floor. She walked to Nicole's window. She stood upon the seat and pushed the window open, looking down into the dark churning sea below. She began moving forward towards the open window, one step at a time, slowly moving closer to her death. Harry stood below her on the first floor, a smile of hatred and joy on his face. Rachel stepped out of the window, she let out a scream of fright, the curse broken. She fell fast, fast to the rocks and sea below. Nicole woke with a start and quickly came out of her room, too late. She was gone. Harry had gone, his job was over, Rachel was gone, he wouldn't need to come back here again. Nicole looked straight ahead, she saw her window opened, she looked down to the sea below. There she saw the body of her friend, floating below, lifeless and cold.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole sat in her room crying. Michael came in to comfort her. He said that they would go to the ministry of magic, that they would report Harry.
"God Michael, it's not like we can just walk into the ministry." Nicole said, very irritated
"Why not?" He asked
"We're dead Michael, it's not like we can ever leave this house, we can't just go to the ministry."
"Why, they wouldn't care."
"Jesus Michael, there will be muggles outside, they wouldn't approve of a glowing ghost floating down the street. We would draw too much attention to ourselves, to the magical community. We would be all over the news! No Michael we can never leave this house, not by walking and it's not like we have floo powder. We can't confront Harry himself without some way of getting to him."
"Well I think we can still go to the ministry."
"Michael, have you heard a word I've said?! You may look normal, but this is my problem and I glow in the fucking dark!"
"No one would ever notice it."
"Yes they would, you did."
"Well how are we gonna fix this?!"
"I don't know Michael! Okay, I don't fucking know!"
"Calm down. Breathe in breathe out. It's okay, everything will be okay."
"I'm sorry Michael, but I just lost my best friend, can you understand that?" Nicole asked him, her eyes close to tears
"It's okay, just be here now, don't dwell on the past, don't think about the future. Just stand here and hold onto me, I'm here for you, I always will be. Tomorrow we can find her, I promise. But now just hold me." He said as he held her tightly in his arms, never wanting that moment to end
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry arrived back at the burrow. The Weasleys were out. He went up to his room and got ready to go to sleep. He was still wearing that horribly evil smile. He had done his job. He had gotten his revenge. Rachel was dead. She had walked out of Nicole's window. Nicole would take that window out, she would be sad, she would be lonely. Michael would be sad without her. Cedric would go crazy without Nicole talking. Krum would be alone without Rachel. They may both be dead, he thought, but he'll never find her again. He had hurt them all. He had got them back. He was through with them forever.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric went up to the third floor. When he got up there he found Nicole sitting in her window seat. She was staring down into the ocean with tears flowing down her face. As he got closer to her she turned around.
"Why are you crying?" He asked her
"Harry came here while we were sleeping last night. He killed Rachel." She answered, turning back to her window
"No, he couldn't have. How?"
"Imperius curse, she walked herself right out my window. I never should have made her put it here."
"No, it's not your fault Nicole. Does Krum know?"
"Not yet. We haven't told him."
"Are you going to?"
"Yes, but I have a favor to ask first. Can I help you kill Harry?"
"Of course." Cedric answered
"Oh, Thank you Cedric." She said flinging her arms around his neck
Only then did Cedric remember his promise to Michael. He looked up to tell Nicole he had changed his mind, but it was too late, she was gone.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Michael was sitting on the floor of his room when Cedric came in. He didn't look very happy. Michael stood up and went to Cedric. He asked him why he was so unhappy.
"Michael do you remember the promise I made you?" Cedric asked hesitantly
"Yes, you said Rachel and Nicole wouldn't have anything to do with your revenge." Michael answered, already half knowing what he was about to hear
"Well ...I told Nicole she could help."
"That's okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah. This means a lot to her, I won't get in her way."
"We have to tell Krum about Rachel."
"Nicole is telling him right now."
"Oh."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole knocked on the door of Krum's room. He opened it and let her in. Nicole had a look of complete and utter sadness on her face. Krum knew that it wasn't good news he was about to hear. Nicole was happy now, she was reunited with her love and her best friend. She hadn't looked sad the whole week she had been back. He sat down on the floor next to Nicole. After a minute of complete silence Nicole began to speak.
"Krum, I have something I have to tell you." Nicole said, not daring to look into his face
"What is it?" He asked, frightened of what he might hear
"Last night something horrible happened." she continued to speak, looking at the floor the whole time
"What?" Krum asked anxiously
"Harry came here. He ...he got his revenge." Nicole said as she burst out crying
"What?" Krum asked, a little confused.
"He put the Imperius Curse on her. She walked through my window. She walked right into the sea below, right into her own death." Nicole answered, aloud but not to Krum. She answered to herself
"Can't we find her again?" He asked knowing that it was possible, that's why he was back.
"It would take forever to find someone who's lost. It took Cedric nearly two days to find Michael and he was staying in one place. Rachel moves, she can't stay still too long without people with her. So yes Krum we can find her again, but it would take too long. We don't have time, we have to get Harry." Nicole answered in a very sullen and serious tone
"Well what are we going to do then? Forget about her, wait for her to come back, what?!" Krum asked her, his voice near to screaming
"I don't know! Okay Krum? I just don't know!" She answered, her eyes red with tears, her face wet with them
"I'm sorry Nicole, I didn't mean to scream. I just ...don't think I can go on without her. I don't know what to do, I'm lost." He said looking into he sky as if she would hear him and come floating out of it
"It's okay. I miss her so much, after Harry is dead we can look for her, but we can't now, there's no time." She answered, sad to have to face reality about Rachel
"Okay, then I can wait." Krum answered
"Krum, are you really okay with this? You're not going to run away from here in the night and leave me and Cedric and Michael? I know I can't stand losing another friend, especially not you, not again." Nicole said as she began to cry again
"Don't worry, I won't leave." Krum answered, then he hugged her and Nicole kissed him
"Why'd you do that?" Krum asked with surprise
"I don't know, but pretend it never happened okay?" Nicole said very worried about what Michael would say
"I won't." Krum answered knowing why she had said what she said
"Thanks."
~~~~~*~~~~~ Krum was sitting on his bed and thinking about Rachel when he heard the sound of breaking glass. He ran to the third floor of the house and went straight to Nicole's window, afraid of what he would find. When he had gotten there he found Harry standing by the window with a hammer. He had an evil grin on his face. Krum knew he was getting pleasure from smashing Nicole's window. Krum rushed at him with his fists raised ready to attack Harry, but Harry drew his wand and froze Krum in place. After Harry took the spell off of him Krum didn't move to continue what he had started.
"What the hell are you doing?" Krum asked Harry, wondering what sick pleasure Harry was getting out of destroying Nicole's most treasure possession
"I'm destroying that bitches window." Harry answered calmly
"What did you just call her?" Krum asked Harry, ready to push him out of the window right then and there
"A bitch, that's what she is, isn't it? Oh and I wouldn't push me out of this window if I were you, I'm faster than you, You'll be frozen in place forever before you could ever push me out this window." Harry answered smugly
"Why the hell are you destroying her window?!" Krum asked Harry, his voice raising uncontrollably
"Because, this window gives her joy, she doesn't deserve joy. She killed my friend, he brought me happiness and she destroyed it, now I'm destroying what makes her happy." Harry answered, his eyes crazy with happiness
"Get out now!" Krum shouted
"Ooh what are you going to do to me?" Harry asked sarcastically
"God help me, I'll kill you Harry, you take one more stroke with that hammer and I'll shove you out that window!"
"Ha, you wouldn't be able to catch me, not even on the fastest broom ever invented."
"I'm a better Quidditch player than you are Harry, no matter what you say, I'll always be better than you."
"You can't stop me, no one can!"
Harry lifted his arm to swing, then he heard Cedric coming up the stairs. He quickly picked up his hammer, turned around and ran into an empty room. Cedric had heard the glass breaking and was coming up to find out what was happening. When he got to the window he was stunned to see it almost completely shattered.
"What happened here?" Cedric asked Krum
"Harry's here, he destroyed the window." Krum answered, the hate and anger still in his voice
"Why? Why the hell would he destroy her window?!" Cedric asked, his hatred for Harry growing more and more
"He said that Nicole was a bitch and that he needed to destroy her happiness and her joy. He said that she killed Ron so he had to destroy her window." Krum answered, still angry
"Where is he?" Cedric asked knowing Harry hadn't left when he came up
"He was in that room but I don't know where he is now." Krum told Cedric remembering that there was a fireplace in the room Harry had ran into
"Well maybe he's still there. Let's go check."
They went into the room, but Harry was gone already. Cedric and Krum didn't know what they would tell Nicole, but they knew they would have to tell her eventually. They talked about it and decided they would keep her away from the window until that night then they would tell her, she was always happier at night.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Nicole was sitting on the floor of her room when Cedric and Krum came in to tell her about her window. She saw that they both looked afraid of her and she wondered why.
"Hi." She said, as cheerfully as she could
"Hi." They both said to her
"What is it?" She asked, seeing that they looked worried
"It's ...your window." Cedric said stumbling over the words
"What about my window?" Nicole asked
"Harry destroyed it." Krum said
Nicole, not believing them ran upstairs to her window. When she got there she saw the glass of her window all over the floor. She began to cry, she lost her window. Her view into the outer world, her view into herself, it was gone, gone forever. She ran back into her room, locked the door, and continued crying.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric and Krum were trying to get Nicole to come out of her room, when they heard the door open below. They went down, ready to strike if it was Harry. When they got there Krum nearly cried he was so happy, standing before him in a white dress was Rachel. She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek then went upstairs to Nicole's room. She touched the door and it flung open. Nicole, blinded by the light from outside, stood up and stumbled towards the person standing in her doorway. She tripped and Rachel caught her. As Nicole's eyes slowly adjusted to the light she began to realize who it was that had caught her. She was so happy that her friend was back she nearly screamed.
"Oh Rachel, you're back." Nicole said the memory of joy slowly returning to her mind
"Yes I am." Rachel said, happy to see her friend again but wondering why she seemed so sad
"Why are you wearing that white dress?" Nicole asked, remembering that Rachel hadn't been wearing white the night she died
"I don't know." Rachel lied "Why do you seem so sad?"
"Oh, Harry destroyed my window." Nicole answered, her mind beginning to forget joy once again
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Nicole took Rachel up to the third floor and showed her what was left of her window. Rachel told Nicole that she would fix the window. She said that she would make it exactly how Nicole wanted it to be. Rachel knew how important that window was to Nicole. She remembered the night Nicole had ran away from home, the night she had moved in with her. Nicole's father was abusive, he would hit Nicole all the time. One night her father came home drunk and he began to beat Nicole. Her mother tried to save her, she had died trying to save her. That night Nicole had run away. She moved in with Rachel and started her life over again. She had asked Rachel to put that window in where it would face the sea. Nicole loved the sea, it was all of her mother she had left. Her mother had loved to swim so whenever Nicole looked out the window she saw the sea and her mother in it, remembering her that way.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Rachel was on the third floor picking up the shards of glass from the floor while Nicole was helping Cedric put the new window that Rachel had made into the space that had held the old window. Krum and Michael were downstairs working on the plans. It would be soon, they would get Harry back soon. They had decided that it would be three days later. They would get him to come back to Rachel's house. They would kill him there. It would hurt him, it would hurt him more than any pain he would ever know. They would use every curse they knew. They would kill him then drown his body in the ocean below the house. He would feel the pain of dying ten thousand times. It would be horrible, terrible, it would hurt. He would find out what it felt like to each of them. He had killed them all, in his own way. Now they would kill him, each in their own way.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry was sitting in his room in the Weasleys house when an owl came to his room with a note attached to its foot. He took the note and the owl flew away. He opened it the note, it said "To Mr. Harry Potter, You have inherited a house belonging to a Miss. Rachel (no last name given). You are requested to be there by Friday of this week to get your house. Sincerely, Us." Harry checked his watch to see what day it was. It was Friday. He decided to go, although he didn't trust the letter at all. He went down to the fireplace, took out his small and nearly empty bag of floo powder, threw some of it into the fire, told it where it wanted to go, stepped into the fire, and he disappeared.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Cedric was so happy. The day had finally come, the day he had been waiting for three years. That day he would get his revenge. That day he would finally pay Harry back for what he had done to him, what he had done to Michael, Nicole, Krum, and Rachel. That day Harry would finally die and his legend would end. He would no longer be the boy who lived, he would be the boy who died. He was so happy. That day they went over the plan one final time. Then Harry arrived and it all started.
~~~~~*~~~~~ Harry stepped out of the fire. Rachel was waiting for him, when he was out she pulled out her wand, she used the Imperius Curse in him. He started walking in the kitchen where he took out a large cutting knife and began to cut his skin. He screamed from the pain, but try as he might he couldn't resist the curse. Then he put the knife down and began to walk up the stairs. At the top Nicole was waiting for him. Rachel removed the curse and Nicole drew out her wand. She came over to Harry's ear and whispered into it "Crucio". Immediately Harry began to twitch violently. His face showed the pain he was feeling, he began screaming. Nicole hovered above him and laughed a horribly evil laugh. She held him under the Cruciatus Curse for nearly five minutes enjoying the screams of pain emanating from his mouth, but she finally removed it. She pulled him by the collar up the stairs. Michael and Krum stood there with shards of glass from Nicole's window. They began tot throw them at him. Harry screamed with pain from the glass hitting him, but he didn't dare to try to escape, he was too afraid that Nicole would put him back under the Cruciatus Curse. Finally they ran out of glass and now it was Cedric's turn. He came down to Harry, wand in hand, ready to strike at any moment. He put Harry back under the Imperius Curse, Harry went under it too weak to fight it. Harry lifted his wand, pointing it at himself this time. He held it there for a long time while Cedric took pleasure in what was about to happen. Harry was fully conscious of what he was doing and he knew what was going to happen next. Then he heard himself mutter the word he had been dreading he would say to himself, "Avada Kedavra", Then the green flash that had killed so many of them came out of Harry's wand, with a heavy thud Harry hit the ground, his body cold and dead. Cedric raised the body and dropped it into the sea. A look of absolute happiness in each of their faces. It was over, he was gone, never to come back. Cedric was the happiest. He had gotten his revenge and now he could rest in peace at last.
The End