Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I certainly do not own its characters not even the original plot, because if I did, I swear, I WOULDN'T HAVE INSERTED THE "EPILOGUE". :) BTW, I'm not going to put any disclaimer notice for the following chapters because I think it would be awfully redundant.
SPOILER: THIS IS A POST!TDH FIC. You had been warned. BTW, this is mainly, I think, an ARGH fic.
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Darkness Rising
By Luna Addictus
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Chapter 1
Before the Epilogue
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The trees whipped harshly as the strong wind blew cruelly in the dead of the night. Not a single star shone through the dark clouds that were brought upon by storm; leaves, twigs and branches lashed through the air with such force that one could be cut deeply in an instant. A young woman covered in a black cloak bravely walked through the raging storm, not minding the cruel weather, not minding the harsh cold rain that had already come, not giving attention to the cuts by the rogue objects flying around.
A cough escaped her pale lips, she knew her health had been rather worse in every day that went, but she had to see one person. A person who could answer her questions…
She clutched the cloak tighter; fighting the inevitable cold that draped her being, not only physically, but also… the woman had put her free hand on her unexposed and rather swollen belly. She felt something painful sting her body, her soul, her heart… but she knew she had to go on. She had to.
A small flickering light shone through the storm, the woman took a deep breath. She was nearing her destination; the weather had gotten worse as she took every step, hadn't she known that the storm was going to come early?
She did. But this can no longer wait. Her questions. They must be answered. And it was only a few meters away.
Heavy steps followed her way as she trudged through the muck and mud before the small cottage. She knocked three times.
"Hello? Cleora, this is me." Her voice was wistful despite the pain and cold she was feeling. The door opened.
A young girl opened the door. She shrieked.
"No! Not you again!" she gasped at the cloaked woman, and was about to slam the door when the person on the other side stopped it on time. The woman was now holding a wand.
"Please, Cleora, let me see your mother, let me Hear it from you, please." It was the first time she felt her voice plead. It was something she had not done before, "Please… I… I need to Know." She was on the verge of tears when she said those words, every strand of tone was painful, even to the young girl before her.
The girl called Cleora squeaked a little, "F-Fine. I'll go see mother." She opened the door and let the woman in. The girl wore a gypsy's clothing; she wore a large violet bandana which covered her light brown frizzy hair which was tied into a braid, her dress looked almost like a drapery accentuated by beads and bells.
The cloaked woman was led to a small sitting room. There scented candles, crystal balls and books of Divination were the decorations and it smelled strongly of cooked sherry. She sat on one of the circular chintz chair after taking off her extremely wet cloak.
She was neither a beautiful woman, nor an ugly woman. Her young face was curtailed by the shadows under her eyes, it seemed like she did not had enough sleep for days; her long locks of hair was bedraggled and wet. However, a sense of determination flooded her being at the moment she had touched her rather swollen tummy. She knew she had to live.
Hurried steps of wooden shoes clunked on the stairs as another woman, probably on her middle years, entered the sitting room. If the room was full of the smell of sherry, it was nothing compared to the woman who had just come.
A big mop of brown hair and a pair of magnified eyes sat before the woman, her sort of ethereal voice calmed the other woman, "My dear, you had come a long way? Why did you not stay at the safe of your home? Cleora, my Daughter, bring me a cup of hot chocolate, Albus had always given me some when I am cold!"
"Professor Trelawney…" Pain stung her once again, it has been hurting her for the past few weeks.
Sybill smiled, "Do not worry, my child. I had Seen you coming, it's just that my Daughter, I'm sure she could See what I See… she's just a little awkward…"
The aroma of warm chocolate and the fire on the fire place that was brought upon by magic had made the woman feel warm. Cleora had come back with the cup of hot chocolate on her hands, and the other woman took it with both hands. The pain was still there… but she had to go on, she had to know…
It had been some years since Sybill Trelawney had left Hogwarts, fully mastered the arts and sciences of Seeing what cannot be usually Foreseen, and found herself a family. Cleora wasn't really Sybill's biological daughter, she was adopted because Sybill had Seen that Cleora could See what she also Sees.
The woman could feel that Sybill was eyeing her thoroughly, and there was no reason to be afraid to speak of the truth… she closed her eyes, as the swell on her stomach brought pain once more.
"Professor… I… I want to know… the truth of what I have right now." The woman pursed her lips a bit, "Cleora… she had Seen the future of… she had seen my… --'s future…"
Sybill lowered the cup, and gazed at the woman. Sympathy and defeat could be seen in her eyes as she continued to look at the woman before her, "Yes… oh, I believe she did See… of what will happen to your… But do not despair, my child! Prophecies… they will unfold, yes, but as Albus had told me… ah, that old man, really, they will only unfold if the people want to. He's never been really interested in Seeing what I See, but you could still hold out on that, my dear."
The woman had dropped her cup. Pain.
"My dear? Are you all right?"
Her eyes were now watering, she wanted to twist in agony. Pain… pain… her stomach…
"Ahhhhhhhh…" the woman clutched her stomach, it was hurting her so much. She had slipped on the floor because of the pain that was now overtaking her body. She had heard Cleora scream as Sybill told her to call some Healers immediately. But it was too late as the woman screamed a little and blackness…
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"The sky will split in the soul of the dead
The shadows suppressed will once again show itself
The Dark Lord has resurfaced once again
Another form, another face, another threat
Only its equal could stop the darkness within
Only Death can conquer the children of Death…"
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A/N: Oh yes, I think I'm one of those people who would've appreciated the last book if only JK hadn't inserted the "Epilogue".
PLEASE ENJOY! (this would be my third attempt at writing multichapter fic for Harry Potter… and yeah, I had deleted the first two because I couldn't think of plot anymore. So please, bear with me. And yes, sometimes, I could make the characters SO OOC. See Trelawney…)
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