A/N: All I can say is that I'm completely amazed by the response to the first chapter and I wanted to thank all of you who reviewed or added my to your favorites/alert list. So with that said, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I still don't own either Harry Potter or Twilight. A girl can dream though, can't she?
Chapter 1 – Through the Fog
Oh friend, dear friend of mine.
I've once seen you shine.
Now I see you grieve through night and day.
It's as if winter has chosen to stay.
Will you blossom in this light?
Please, for me, try to fight.
For two months I lived alone in my home with no contact from the outside world. My rather large house stood in the middle of the forest and had nothing but seven miles of trees circumventing it. This was why Forks was such a wonderful place for me. The gloom and the isolation were perfect for my continuing torment.
When I did go out to get some groceries I never spared anyone a glance and thankfully they seemed too frightened to come within talking distance. I wondered if I really looked that frightening.
I rode a bicycle. It provided a way for me to stay in shape. It was also a part of my self torture. I deserved any pain thrown at me and seven miles to and from my home seemed reasonable. It was even better when it rained. Wet clothing and chattering teeth were just a bonus. I betrayed the world, I deserved it all.
My self isolation in my home really wasn't so bad. Sure I was lonely. I cried every night for my lost chance at love. I cried for my lost friends. But I had my books and they were quite enough for me. They became my new friends. They taught me, they listened. They didn't betray. I lost myself in their worlds, brighter worlds than the one I was trapped in.
I was rich. Before I left England I took all of the gold my parents left behind. I also took the very few things I owned: my photo album, my firebolt, my invisibility cloak, and my wand. They were my most precious possessions. The only things I had ever owned. Each had a special connection with my past. They brought memories and pain. I would never go anywhere without them. But they were hidden. I lived in the muggle world now. There would be no more magic for me.
So with the gold I bought a large house with a magnificent library. It was my refuge, my haven. I spent hours in that room pouring over muggle literature. I read a variety of works, from Shakespeare all the way to charts exploring the deepest parts of the ocean. I would sit in front of the fireplace and lose myself for hours. That was the best part of my exile. While reading I was finally content.
I had to change my name too, so my past wouldn't find me. Harry Potter died that night he betrayed. His name was blackened and scarred for all of eternity. That little boy with dreams was no more.
He became James Evans. A slight reminder of his past, a glimpse into who might have once loved him, but that was all. He walked this earth and barely a breath was heard from him. Not even a shadow remained once he swept by. He was distant, he was invisible. To the eyes of the world he did not exist for he was nothing but a rumor, whispered but soon forgotten.
With a sigh I stood up. It was late, well past midnight. It was the end of another day of this life imprisonment. At dawn I would wake and do nothing but drown in my misery and anguish once more.
I fell asleep quickly and dreamt.
Where was I? It was just before dawn and there was nothing but a brick road under me and flattened, bare land all around. Walking slowly down this narrow path I heard a scream. Spinning abruptly, dark woods appeared before me, and miles away something silver. I ran.
The road was long and all around me were black ravens, calling into the night. Shadowed silhouettes laughed from afar as they watched me struggle. My breath came in gasps and my legs felt like lead. Still I struggled on.
After what seemed like an eternity I made it to my destination. A silver lake stood in front of me, its waters churning, boiling in this chilly air. It was burning, and the air began burning and filling with smoke.
I turned and saw Hogwarts. It lay in ruins. Its proud towers were nothing but rubble and flames. On the grounds students were in tears and screams pierced the predawn light.
Dementors were closing in. Professors were preparing for a fight.
How could this happen? Voldemort was defeated, Voldemort was weak. 'And you let him live' a nasty voice mocked inside my mind. I had betrayed, and now I murdered. I felt like this was the end for me. Finally the end for the boy who was no more.
And yet amidst the chaos was a single figure standing still, calm, serene. Her blond hair and paleness stood out against the dark and terrible background. As I stared she turned to me with knowing eyes.
Luna, my only friend now. The only true friend I had ever had. I knew now, she had loved me for me. She knew why I did what I did. She understood the feelings in my heart, the thoughts in my mind.
She spoke to me and though we were far I heard her words clearly. It was as though we were connected in our minds. The trials we faced together throughout the years were enough give us that bond.
"I've missed you my friend," she said, smiling tranquilly. "I know your thoughts and I know your pain."
She looked toward the sky as the dementors swirled above her. Her breath began to mist in the icy air. 'Was there any hope' I thought.
She looked at me again with damp eyes. "I want you to promise me Harry, that you'll find life and you'll find love. I know you think you don't deserve them but you are a better person than you give yourself credit for. Promise me that you'll try.
"Go to Forks High School and start junior year," she continued in her knowing way, startling me that she knew where I was.
She waited for my answer as the dementors descended upon her. Her time was short.
With a heavy heart I promise her what she wished to hear and it was the end.
With a strangled cry I woke from my dream. Tears streamed down my face and sobs broke from my lips louder and more heartbreaking than ever before.
Through the fog clouding my mind I knew one thing for certain: the next morning I would be going to school.
I wanted to thank Eternal Cosmos for allowing me to use James Evans, the name she chose for her Harry in her brilliant story, The World Without Me.
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