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Chapter Three – Oh Why Me?
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The next few weeks were lost in a haze to Harry. He remembered being picked as a fourth champion for the Triwizard Tournament, and how everyone had thought he had somehow gotten himself in as a desperate move for just a little more fame.
Harry sat alone in his dormitory, the hangings pulled around his bed. No one believed him. Not even Ron . . .the one person he thought would be the one who thought him innocent. "Why..." he whispered, feeling a slight burning sensation at the corners of his eyes. They blurred, and Harry knew it was no use holding in the frustration and desperation for someone to believe him.
Suddenly there was a knock on the dormitory door, startling Harry. "Can I come in?" asked a familiar voice. It was Tara.
"Yeah..." said Harry, weakly.
Tara opened the door, came in, and shut it behind her. "Harry?" she called softly. "You here?"
"I'm here..." he replied miserably.
Tara pulled back the hangings of his bed, and sat beside him. "You look terrible..." she said, her brilliant eyes full of sympathy. "No one believes you, do they?" Harry shook his head, and she sighed. She scooted over to sit a foot in front of Harry, and closed the hangings. "I know..." she whispered. "I believe you Harry. I'm probably one of the few that does."
Harry felt an overwhelming rush of gratitude toward Tara. "Thanks...I'm so glad SOMEONE believes in me."
Tara smiled. "Of course." But then she saw that his eyes were softly glimmering in the light from outside the hangings. Her smile softened to one of comfort. She held her arms out to him, offering him her embrace as solace for his deepest sorrow.
He sat shaking slightly now. A single tear trickled down his face, and he bowed his head as not to show it. Tara reached over and lifted his face to look into her own. "There is no shame in crying, Harry." She said softly. "Even boys have to cry at some time in their lives..." Harry was taken aback to see that tears were trickling down her cheeks. "Even I have to...I feel something so familiar in you Harry. I don't know what it is, but there's one thing I'll say..." her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. "You are the most wonderful person in the world. Never lose that...ever..."
Harry couldn't take it any more. With a muffled sob, he threw himself into Tara's arms, shaking, sobbing quietly into her shoulder. He felt her soft arms envelop him in a gentle embrace, like a mother would hold her child. She kissed the top of his head, and began to rock back and forth slightly, humming a soft melody. She laid her cheek on his soft hair, and closed her eyes, hugging Harry tighter.
Harry suddenly thought of the angel voice... "You will be sent through trials this year, but I will never leave you." That is what she had said. Tara was always there for him, and had been since she arrived at Hogwarts. Now that the first task was soon to come...would she leave him in his time of need?
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Chapter Three – Oh Why Me?
~~~~~~~
The next few weeks were lost in a haze to Harry. He remembered being picked as a fourth champion for the Triwizard Tournament, and how everyone had thought he had somehow gotten himself in as a desperate move for just a little more fame.
Harry sat alone in his dormitory, the hangings pulled around his bed. No one believed him. Not even Ron . . .the one person he thought would be the one who thought him innocent. "Why..." he whispered, feeling a slight burning sensation at the corners of his eyes. They blurred, and Harry knew it was no use holding in the frustration and desperation for someone to believe him.
Suddenly there was a knock on the dormitory door, startling Harry. "Can I come in?" asked a familiar voice. It was Tara.
"Yeah..." said Harry, weakly.
Tara opened the door, came in, and shut it behind her. "Harry?" she called softly. "You here?"
"I'm here..." he replied miserably.
Tara pulled back the hangings of his bed, and sat beside him. "You look terrible..." she said, her brilliant eyes full of sympathy. "No one believes you, do they?" Harry shook his head, and she sighed. She scooted over to sit a foot in front of Harry, and closed the hangings. "I know..." she whispered. "I believe you Harry. I'm probably one of the few that does."
Harry felt an overwhelming rush of gratitude toward Tara. "Thanks...I'm so glad SOMEONE believes in me."
Tara smiled. "Of course." But then she saw that his eyes were softly glimmering in the light from outside the hangings. Her smile softened to one of comfort. She held her arms out to him, offering him her embrace as solace for his deepest sorrow.
He sat shaking slightly now. A single tear trickled down his face, and he bowed his head as not to show it. Tara reached over and lifted his face to look into her own. "There is no shame in crying, Harry." She said softly. "Even boys have to cry at some time in their lives..." Harry was taken aback to see that tears were trickling down her cheeks. "Even I have to...I feel something so familiar in you Harry. I don't know what it is, but there's one thing I'll say..." her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. "You are the most wonderful person in the world. Never lose that...ever..."
Harry couldn't take it any more. With a muffled sob, he threw himself into Tara's arms, shaking, sobbing quietly into her shoulder. He felt her soft arms envelop him in a gentle embrace, like a mother would hold her child. She kissed the top of his head, and began to rock back and forth slightly, humming a soft melody. She laid her cheek on his soft hair, and closed her eyes, hugging Harry tighter.
Harry suddenly thought of the angel voice... "You will be sent through trials this year, but I will never leave you." That is what she had said. Tara was always there for him, and had been since she arrived at Hogwarts. Now that the first task was soon to come...would she leave him in his time of need?
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