Harry Potter and the Jade Heart
Chapter 23
"Hateful and Weak"
Harry stood there unable to move, unable to speak, unable to think clearly.
Cho looked at him. She looked at him with a hatred in her eyes that surpassed any look Snape or even Voldemort could have given him. The flames between them got thicker and rose higher. They flickered violently, but Harry could still see Cho's face all too clearly. "I should have known better," she said. "The letters were right." ('Letters?' Harry thought.) "I don't want to hear anything more from you or see your face ever again. If I do...you will pay for all that you have done." She walked so close to the fire that the flames seemed to be licking her robes, and she added as her final words, "I hate you, Harry Potter."
Harry could see behind her Voldemort with a pleased look on his face. Cho walked back over to Voldemort and the two of them turned to walk away from Harry. Cho looked back over her shoulder for a moment, and Harry saw a cold look on her face. It was like she stabbed him in the heart with an icicle. She turned back around, and they faded past the death eaters.
"Don't worry, Harry," said Hermione. "You will see her again." Harry glared at her. "I think that's enough for one night. I'm sure you and Ron can find your way back to Hogwarts. And as you probably already know, we" -- she pointed at all the other prefects -- "won't be going back with you." She gave him a rather evil smile that made Harry feel very uneasy.
Harry grabbed Ron's arm and helped him up. They walked out of the forest without looking back. Harry wanted to make a stop before journeying back to Hogwarts. He stopped at the large empty lot between two houses. There was a plaque on the ground that read "In Memory of James and Lily Potter". Harry bent down and ran his fingers over it. He stood back up and looked back at the forest, but it wasn't there. It seemed like it had never been there to begin with.
At the edge of Godric's Hollow stood Lupin and Sirius as though they had been waiting for them.
"How did you two know?" asked Harry.
"We didn't know what was going on until it was too late," said Lupin. "Dumbledore was informed that quite a lot of students were missing from Hogwarts including you. He contacted us and we went searching for you. We apparated here and Hogsmeade and even Privet Drive. We searched everywhere and didn't see you."
"We kept coming back here for some reason," said Sirius. "I guess we had a feeling about this place. Unfortunately, you weren't in sight."
"How come Dumbledore didn't come?" asked Harry.
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other. Sirius went right up to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, wizards may live longer than muggles, but they too get weak at one point."
"You mean he's dying?"
Lupin searched for something to say. "Harry, everyone is dying really." Harry gave him a look that said he didn't want to hear it. "Yes, he's dying, but," he added, "that doesn't mean he's dead. He still has a few years left in him."
"He just can't help you in some ways anymore."
This was just too much for Harry. He felt all his hope drain from him. At this rate, Voldemort will become the most powerful wizard, and no one will be able to stop him. They all stood in silence for a while.
"Where were you two before we came?"
Harry pointed to where the forest had been. "We were over there, in a forest. But it seems to have disappeared." Sirius looked at him questioningly. Lupin gave Sirius a look that told him to just let it go.
"Come on," said Lupin, motioning them to follow him. "Let's get you two back to Hogwarts."
Chapter 23
"Hateful and Weak"
Harry stood there unable to move, unable to speak, unable to think clearly.
Cho looked at him. She looked at him with a hatred in her eyes that surpassed any look Snape or even Voldemort could have given him. The flames between them got thicker and rose higher. They flickered violently, but Harry could still see Cho's face all too clearly. "I should have known better," she said. "The letters were right." ('Letters?' Harry thought.) "I don't want to hear anything more from you or see your face ever again. If I do...you will pay for all that you have done." She walked so close to the fire that the flames seemed to be licking her robes, and she added as her final words, "I hate you, Harry Potter."
Harry could see behind her Voldemort with a pleased look on his face. Cho walked back over to Voldemort and the two of them turned to walk away from Harry. Cho looked back over her shoulder for a moment, and Harry saw a cold look on her face. It was like she stabbed him in the heart with an icicle. She turned back around, and they faded past the death eaters.
"Don't worry, Harry," said Hermione. "You will see her again." Harry glared at her. "I think that's enough for one night. I'm sure you and Ron can find your way back to Hogwarts. And as you probably already know, we" -- she pointed at all the other prefects -- "won't be going back with you." She gave him a rather evil smile that made Harry feel very uneasy.
Harry grabbed Ron's arm and helped him up. They walked out of the forest without looking back. Harry wanted to make a stop before journeying back to Hogwarts. He stopped at the large empty lot between two houses. There was a plaque on the ground that read "In Memory of James and Lily Potter". Harry bent down and ran his fingers over it. He stood back up and looked back at the forest, but it wasn't there. It seemed like it had never been there to begin with.
At the edge of Godric's Hollow stood Lupin and Sirius as though they had been waiting for them.
"How did you two know?" asked Harry.
"We didn't know what was going on until it was too late," said Lupin. "Dumbledore was informed that quite a lot of students were missing from Hogwarts including you. He contacted us and we went searching for you. We apparated here and Hogsmeade and even Privet Drive. We searched everywhere and didn't see you."
"We kept coming back here for some reason," said Sirius. "I guess we had a feeling about this place. Unfortunately, you weren't in sight."
"How come Dumbledore didn't come?" asked Harry.
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other. Sirius went right up to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, wizards may live longer than muggles, but they too get weak at one point."
"You mean he's dying?"
Lupin searched for something to say. "Harry, everyone is dying really." Harry gave him a look that said he didn't want to hear it. "Yes, he's dying, but," he added, "that doesn't mean he's dead. He still has a few years left in him."
"He just can't help you in some ways anymore."
This was just too much for Harry. He felt all his hope drain from him. At this rate, Voldemort will become the most powerful wizard, and no one will be able to stop him. They all stood in silence for a while.
"Where were you two before we came?"
Harry pointed to where the forest had been. "We were over there, in a forest. But it seems to have disappeared." Sirius looked at him questioningly. Lupin gave Sirius a look that told him to just let it go.
"Come on," said Lupin, motioning them to follow him. "Let's get you two back to Hogwarts."