Later that evening Hermione dragged Ron and Harry to the library to do 'preliminary research' for their papers. Harry grabbed the first promising looking book and settled himself down at an isolated table, hoping the well-hidden emotions he fought would stay down at least until he got back into his room.
He read: The Avanda Kedavra curse is the worst curse known to the wizarding world. It is one of the few spells for which there is no reversal. It can not be blocked, and only one person to date has survived... Harry trailed off. He wasn't interested in his 'miraculous' escape, nor his trademark scar which he was rubbing thoughtfully, out of habit.
Harry's thoughts were elsewhere, back in Godric's Hollow that fateful Halloween. He replayed their voices over and over again. They'd died for him! Damn it! They'd laid down their lives so he could live. An anguished cry issued from somewhere deep inside him and he threw the book down like it was on fire.
"Harry?" a voice asked quietly from behind the shelves.
"Yes," he answered, suddenly very weary.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked cautiously stepping into view. "Oh," he said quietly, looking at the book, now laying open on the table, which read AVANDA KEDAVRA in bold letters. "Sometimes I feel like that too."
"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly bewildered. What was Neville talking about? As Neville opened his mouth to say more, Harry realized exactly what Neville was talking about.
"My parents," Neville said, taking the seat across from Harry and setting down "The Three Unforgivable Curses" next to Harry's book. His page was open to THE CRUCIATUS CURSE. "They're alive. Did you know that?"
"Well no, I just figured that since you live with a family member and all...." Harry trailed off, going back into his own past.
"No," Neville said bitterly, slamming his hand down on the table. "They're not dead, worse, they're.... they're..." Neville trailed off, trying to compose himself.
"They're what Neville?" Harry asked gently, already sure of Neville's answer.
"They're insane," he managed to whisper before burying his head in his robes, his shoulders shaking with soundless sobs.
He read: The Avanda Kedavra curse is the worst curse known to the wizarding world. It is one of the few spells for which there is no reversal. It can not be blocked, and only one person to date has survived... Harry trailed off. He wasn't interested in his 'miraculous' escape, nor his trademark scar which he was rubbing thoughtfully, out of habit.
Harry's thoughts were elsewhere, back in Godric's Hollow that fateful Halloween. He replayed their voices over and over again. They'd died for him! Damn it! They'd laid down their lives so he could live. An anguished cry issued from somewhere deep inside him and he threw the book down like it was on fire.
"Harry?" a voice asked quietly from behind the shelves.
"Yes," he answered, suddenly very weary.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked cautiously stepping into view. "Oh," he said quietly, looking at the book, now laying open on the table, which read AVANDA KEDAVRA in bold letters. "Sometimes I feel like that too."
"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly bewildered. What was Neville talking about? As Neville opened his mouth to say more, Harry realized exactly what Neville was talking about.
"My parents," Neville said, taking the seat across from Harry and setting down "The Three Unforgivable Curses" next to Harry's book. His page was open to THE CRUCIATUS CURSE. "They're alive. Did you know that?"
"Well no, I just figured that since you live with a family member and all...." Harry trailed off, going back into his own past.
"No," Neville said bitterly, slamming his hand down on the table. "They're not dead, worse, they're.... they're..." Neville trailed off, trying to compose himself.
"They're what Neville?" Harry asked gently, already sure of Neville's answer.
"They're insane," he managed to whisper before burying his head in his robes, his shoulders shaking with soundless sobs.