I woke from this vision. Everything made sense now. All the odd pieces had now been fit together like a puzzle and I could see the finished picture; the truth.
I looked at Tom. He hadn't changed a bit, but how come?
"I am Tom as you knew him because he put a spell on himself so that part of him could remain here and wait for Lola to come back, to wait for you."
"But why did Tom become Voldemort? Why did he become evil?"
"Because he believed that if he became the most powerful wizard, there would be nothing he couldn't do and that included bringing Lola back from the dead. But he went too far and soon became obsessed with the Dark Arts and evil controlled him."
"So, it's because of me that all this chaos has come to the world."
"That's right!" I turned around and there stood Voldemort himself. "But I must thank you, otherwise I would never have become the most feared Wizard of all time!" He laughed out loud, almost an insane laugh. I couldn't believe how a person could change so much. I look at Tom and then at Voldemort. I did this. I brought this evil to the world. It's my fault!
"Now, you spoiled my plan of destroying Potter and his wretched friends once and for all, what should I do to make you pay?"
"Voldemort!" It was Harry!
"Ah, Potter. How nice of you to drop in. I was just telling Miss Venlo- or should I say Miss Shields that she will have to pay for your last escape. But what to do with her?"
"Don't you dare touch her Voldemort! Or I'll -"
"You seem to care for Miss Shields, Potter. But you're full of empty threats. What could you do?"
"I'll-"
"Enough Potter! I know what to do." He turned towards me, "I remember how you were once a good flyer Miss Shields. Care for a fly now?" He pointed his wand at me and I started to leave the ground. Harry made a charge at Voldemort but was stopped when Voldemort held out a hand in Harry's direction. "Have a good ride!" and with that he directed his wand, quickly at the window. I felt a sudden jolt and was sent crashing out of the window. I caught hold of the ledge and hung there in the roaring wind. Part of the ledge broke off under my hand and vanished into the crashing waves below.
It took only seconds for my hand to have slipped so far as to only have my fingertips on the ledge. And then I saw it happen. I saw my fingers slip and slowly I began to fall. I shut my eyes. I could feel my heart beating fast.
Suddenly I felt a warm clasp around my wrist. I looked up and there holding on to me was Harry.
"Hold on, Andrea! Don't let go!" he shouted. He was almost falling out himself and the glass cut his wrist. If he held on anymore he would fall too!
"Let go Harry! You'll fall!"
"I don't care! I won't let go! I'll never let go!" My hand was slipping, inch-by-inch until…
"ANDREA!" Everything around me flew past quickly. Harry's voice began to fade. I felt light, as though I weren't a solid being anymore. My head ached. My time at Hogwarts began to play back like a movie. All the times I spent with Harry and Ron and Hermione, the time I spent with Tom, all the things I learned about Lola Venlo… about myself. She was a witch… I was a WITCH! How could I have forgotten!
"Pendeos!" I opened my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. My nearness to the ground was horrifying!
"Sursumus!" I reached the window and hovered to the left of the window and from here I could see clearly what was happening inside. Voldemort was advancing on Harry who was unarmed.
"Expelliarmus!" I took Voldemort's wand. This magic was cool stuff!
"Andrea!" said Harry with relief.
"Ah, you're back!" he sneered, "Even without my wand I'm unstoppable!" He began to mumble something and immediately the room began to shake and crumble. I shielded myself from the falling rock.
"Andrea! Move!" Harry was making his way towards me. "ANDREA! WATCH OUT!" It was too late, even when Harry pushed me away, the boulder hit my ankle and I felt it break- the pain torn me apart. Above my wrenching pain and the crashing of the rocks I heard a voice, "Now for the final touch…" Voldemort pointed his wand at me. Harry sheltered me from Voldemort. "I won't let you hurt her Voldemort!"
"Then I'll have to kill you first!"
"Avada Kedavra!" A blinding green light filled the collapsing room. I saw Harry's silhouetted figure drop to the ground. My stomach lurched. I felt sick. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. I ignored the fall of rocks, ignored my broken ankle, and forgot the fact that Voldemort will kill me next; I forced myself to get to Harry. I had to.
Suddenly a loud scream filled the room. The light was shrinking and swallowing up Voldemort. Just before they disappeared I heard Voldemort bellow, "I'll get my revenge!"
Finally I reached Harry, I shook him lightly, "Harry?" A tear trickled down my cheek, "Harry, please, wake up…WAKE UP!"
"Lola," I looked up, still holding Harry in my arms. "It's time for me to go…"
"Tom? Where are you going?"
"To a place I should have gone to many years ago. The place where the real Lola is waiting for me. Don't worry about Potter, he's just unconscious, he isn't dead. He didn't get the full blast of the spell. Voldemort hit me instead but because I'm not alive or dead, I cannot die instantly as Harry would have. The last thing I can do is send you and Potter to safety and then it's goodbye." With that he aspirated. I hugged Harry tightly as we were transferred out and into the corridor outside of the Trophy Room.
"Andrea! Harry!" Hermione and a whole crowd of people were running towards us. It was over at last. I leant against the wall and slept.
I looked at Tom. He hadn't changed a bit, but how come?
"I am Tom as you knew him because he put a spell on himself so that part of him could remain here and wait for Lola to come back, to wait for you."
"But why did Tom become Voldemort? Why did he become evil?"
"Because he believed that if he became the most powerful wizard, there would be nothing he couldn't do and that included bringing Lola back from the dead. But he went too far and soon became obsessed with the Dark Arts and evil controlled him."
"So, it's because of me that all this chaos has come to the world."
"That's right!" I turned around and there stood Voldemort himself. "But I must thank you, otherwise I would never have become the most feared Wizard of all time!" He laughed out loud, almost an insane laugh. I couldn't believe how a person could change so much. I look at Tom and then at Voldemort. I did this. I brought this evil to the world. It's my fault!
"Now, you spoiled my plan of destroying Potter and his wretched friends once and for all, what should I do to make you pay?"
"Voldemort!" It was Harry!
"Ah, Potter. How nice of you to drop in. I was just telling Miss Venlo- or should I say Miss Shields that she will have to pay for your last escape. But what to do with her?"
"Don't you dare touch her Voldemort! Or I'll -"
"You seem to care for Miss Shields, Potter. But you're full of empty threats. What could you do?"
"I'll-"
"Enough Potter! I know what to do." He turned towards me, "I remember how you were once a good flyer Miss Shields. Care for a fly now?" He pointed his wand at me and I started to leave the ground. Harry made a charge at Voldemort but was stopped when Voldemort held out a hand in Harry's direction. "Have a good ride!" and with that he directed his wand, quickly at the window. I felt a sudden jolt and was sent crashing out of the window. I caught hold of the ledge and hung there in the roaring wind. Part of the ledge broke off under my hand and vanished into the crashing waves below.
It took only seconds for my hand to have slipped so far as to only have my fingertips on the ledge. And then I saw it happen. I saw my fingers slip and slowly I began to fall. I shut my eyes. I could feel my heart beating fast.
Suddenly I felt a warm clasp around my wrist. I looked up and there holding on to me was Harry.
"Hold on, Andrea! Don't let go!" he shouted. He was almost falling out himself and the glass cut his wrist. If he held on anymore he would fall too!
"Let go Harry! You'll fall!"
"I don't care! I won't let go! I'll never let go!" My hand was slipping, inch-by-inch until…
"ANDREA!" Everything around me flew past quickly. Harry's voice began to fade. I felt light, as though I weren't a solid being anymore. My head ached. My time at Hogwarts began to play back like a movie. All the times I spent with Harry and Ron and Hermione, the time I spent with Tom, all the things I learned about Lola Venlo… about myself. She was a witch… I was a WITCH! How could I have forgotten!
"Pendeos!" I opened my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. My nearness to the ground was horrifying!
"Sursumus!" I reached the window and hovered to the left of the window and from here I could see clearly what was happening inside. Voldemort was advancing on Harry who was unarmed.
"Expelliarmus!" I took Voldemort's wand. This magic was cool stuff!
"Andrea!" said Harry with relief.
"Ah, you're back!" he sneered, "Even without my wand I'm unstoppable!" He began to mumble something and immediately the room began to shake and crumble. I shielded myself from the falling rock.
"Andrea! Move!" Harry was making his way towards me. "ANDREA! WATCH OUT!" It was too late, even when Harry pushed me away, the boulder hit my ankle and I felt it break- the pain torn me apart. Above my wrenching pain and the crashing of the rocks I heard a voice, "Now for the final touch…" Voldemort pointed his wand at me. Harry sheltered me from Voldemort. "I won't let you hurt her Voldemort!"
"Then I'll have to kill you first!"
"Avada Kedavra!" A blinding green light filled the collapsing room. I saw Harry's silhouetted figure drop to the ground. My stomach lurched. I felt sick. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. I ignored the fall of rocks, ignored my broken ankle, and forgot the fact that Voldemort will kill me next; I forced myself to get to Harry. I had to.
Suddenly a loud scream filled the room. The light was shrinking and swallowing up Voldemort. Just before they disappeared I heard Voldemort bellow, "I'll get my revenge!"
Finally I reached Harry, I shook him lightly, "Harry?" A tear trickled down my cheek, "Harry, please, wake up…WAKE UP!"
"Lola," I looked up, still holding Harry in my arms. "It's time for me to go…"
"Tom? Where are you going?"
"To a place I should have gone to many years ago. The place where the real Lola is waiting for me. Don't worry about Potter, he's just unconscious, he isn't dead. He didn't get the full blast of the spell. Voldemort hit me instead but because I'm not alive or dead, I cannot die instantly as Harry would have. The last thing I can do is send you and Potter to safety and then it's goodbye." With that he aspirated. I hugged Harry tightly as we were transferred out and into the corridor outside of the Trophy Room.
"Andrea! Harry!" Hermione and a whole crowd of people were running towards us. It was over at last. I leant against the wall and slept.