PART 5: Curse (Devotion to a Muggle)

Curses are the worst kind of dark magic; they affect the target in a strongly negative way.

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5.4 PROTEGO

Protego (the Shield Charm) is a spell used to create a magical protective barrier.

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Two weeks later, Mrs. Carpenter stopped coming every day. She said it was breaking her heart to keep seeing Maddie, knowing that she'd made no progress. I also stopped seeing she and Bennet every evening. I did see them once or twice during the weekend, but things were different. They wanted to start moving forward, and though it seemed a lot like giving up to me, I understood.

I still went to the hospital twice a day, so I ended up spending a lot more time alone with Maddie. I started talking to her a lot more, told her things I hadn't ever said when she was awake, couldn't say when she was awake. I prayed I would get the chance to someday soon.

One day, I decided to tell her the truth about my life.

"Do you believe in magic, Maddie? You should, because it's real. I'm a wizard."

I paused.

"I know you'd probably be laughing right now if you were awake. But it's true. Really. Hogwarts, isn't really a boarding school, it's actually a school of wizardry. Pretty crazy, huh? But I've known about it my whole life. When we were kids, I thought you had magic too."

I sighed.

"That's why I kept asking you if you got a letter. I kept waiting for you to tell me you were coming to Hogwarts too. See, my family, we're purebloods. That means we come from a long line of just wizards and witches. My father… the reason he never liked you wasn't because your family isn't as rich. It's because your family is normal, non-magical. I wasn't allowed to have non-magical friends. And I used to be fine with that. But then you came along, and… I wanted to be friends with you. So I convinced myself that you were a witch, what we call a muggleborn. See, muggles are non-magical people, and sometimes they have magical kids. And I thought maybe you were one."

A few minutes of silence lapsed, while I thought about our years of friendship.

"It was hard for me, ignoring you. I was so mad at myself for being so stupid, for being friends with a muggle. But I was wrong. I let my family – my father – tell me what to think. I know how to think for myself now."

I stood and took Maddie's hand, squeezing it in the hopes that some part of her could feel it.

"Everything is different now. After the war, after everything that's happened… I want to tell you about it all. The good, the bad, everything. I just hope that you can still love me after you know the truth about me, what I've done. Because I've done a lot of bad things, Maddie. Really bad things. I wanted to protect you and my family and I thought that justified it. But it doesn't. I don't deserve to be forgiven, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me anyway. I want to prove to you that I'm different now. You made me a better man. And I love you, I always will."

I waited for a few moments, but Maddie showed no sign of understanding any of what I'd said.

"Please, Maddie. I know how strong you are. And I need you to fight. Fight for your family, fight for me. Fight because we need you. Please. And when you come back, I'll tell you everything. No more secrets, rules be damned."

I fell asleep there after that, and slept for a few hours. I rarely slept well at home, the recent trauma too damaging to let me truly rest. But I managed.

I was finally woken when a nurse entered the room to check on Maddie again.

I watched her anxiously and as she moved to exit the door.

"Any change?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Sorry, no."

I drooped in my chair and looked over at Maddie again, memorizing every detail of her face, her blonde hair. I wondered when the last time I saw her bright green eyes was.

"Maddie," I said slowly, contemplatively. "Maddie… if you wake up… I'll marry you. Honestly. I love you, and I don't want to even think about living the rest of my life without you. My life is better with you in it. If you wake up, and if you'll have me, I swear I will marry you."

I waited for something, the smallest sign of life. A tiny twitch, a flutter of eyelashes, anything at all.

But Maddie remained as lifeless as stone.

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