Chapter 3
All I Wanted Was You
Three weeks had passed. The lake had flooded, causing water to rise above its banks and leak into drains twisting down from the school. The lower parts of the castle were streaked with water, seeping into the stone and igniting fungus which made it stink. At all costs, the students avoided that area, which, ironically, was the Potions classroom.
The rain had stopped, but it was a rare occurrence to see sunlight. The weather network had blamed the oddity in weather on Muggles and global warming, which could not be fixed. It had caused an uproar at many meetings.
Harry and Hermione had not heard from the Asethrent at all. Harry didn't want to doubt Hermione, but he was thinking the Asethrent didn't exist. Hermione had been rather perturbed by the storm, and maybe she'd made it up...or hallucinated. Of course, Harry hadn't the courage to confront Hermione about. She was much too often in the library, looking up information on snakes and griffins and other beasts, but so far had not come up with anything.
Ron was extremely suspicious. Although he was not one to doubt any of his friends, he was jealous and curious. Perhaps they were coding this Asethrent business. Who knows? Maybe they were taking that time in the "library" for other things. It made Ron's skin crawl. He hated to be so out of the loop, and even more angry that Hermione and Harry were getting so close.
"Harry! Hey!" Ron was walking down one of the hallways in the school, and spotted Harry up ahead.
Harry stopped and turned around, smiling at his friend.
"Where're you off to?" Ron asked; tightness in his throat he had not accounted for.
"Oh, Hermione's asked me to come up to the library," Harry said. He hadn't detected any suspicion or jealousy in Ron's eyes.
Ron felt his anger flare. He closed his eyes briefly and tried to calm himself down. It was nothing. Hermione and Harry would tell him if they were...going out. Ron forced a smile. "Oh, can I tag along? I've got nothing to do right now." Please say yes, please say yes.
"Yeah, sure. We can use all the help we can get on this," Harry shrugged. He noticed Ron's sigh of relief, but dismissed it as nothing. The two trekked up to the library, then took a seat near to where Hermione's books were piled.
Harry went back to find her, and immediately Ron was on his heels. He was following so close he clipped Harry's heel and sent the teen into a bookcase. "Sorry," Ron said quickly.
"S'alright," Harry managed. They found Hermione, sitting on the floor, deep into reading a book.
"Hey, Her-" Harry started. A strange look overcame his face.
"What is it, Harry? What's happ-" Hermione stopped as well.
"Potter. Asethrent is backkkkkkkkk." the same horrible voice Hermione had heard a few weeks ago leaked into both their brains.
"What?" Harry swallowed.
"Asethrent has come to tell you something. I need to see you. Bring the girl to the Astronomy tower. Now. Go, or there will be consequences," the slithering voice curled around Harry's head, blurring his vision.
Harry and Hermione jerked out of a trance, both sweating.
"What in the hell?" Ron gaped.
"We have to go," Harry said quickly. He and Hermione bolted off, running through the library and receiving a harsh word from the librarian. They pounded up staircases and wound around hallways, climbing into the Astronomy tower.
They stopped in a musky smelling section of the tower, dark and built with wood instead of stone. Harry and Hermione were blind in the darkness, taking each other's hands.
Asethrent bolted awake. The serpent-like creature felt a surge of power coursing between Hermione and Harry. The beast unfurled itself from a rafter and slithered down, hissing. Hermione yelped when she saw glowing purple eyes in the darkness. She gripped Harry's hand tighter, and edged closer to him. Asethrent twitched, the power between them growing stronger.
"Harry, it's Asethrent...it's the creature," Hermione whispered. She could feel Harry's breath against her cheek, and noticed he was only inches away from her.
"What kind of beast is it?" Harry breathed, peering into the darkness. Asethrent's body glowed, and it took shape. Hermione heard Harry take a sharp breath, like he was remembering something from long ago.
"Harry Potter," Asethrent spat.
Harry put an arm around Hermione. Asethrent closed its eyes, feeling like a sword was stabbing it through the eyes. "You," Harry murmured.
"Yes, me. Do you remember, Harry Potter? Do you remember our last meeting?" Asethrent asked curiously.
Harry didn't answer.
"Answer me now, Potter!" Asethrent commanded.
"No!" Harry yelled. "I will not let you control my life! You swore you'd leave. You swore you'd never bother me again!"
"Harry, please tell me what's going on," Hermione begged her friend, "maybe I can help."
"You can't, Hermione. Asethrent is not supposed to be seen by any. It came in the summer. Remember when I fell ill? Asethrent was poisoning my mind, trying to make commands over me. But it underestimated my power. I forced it away, and it promised never to come back," Harry explained angrily.
"Yes. It is curious the girl can see me. There is something about the two of you. It makes me most intrigued. Maybe I won't have to settle for killing you, Potter. Perhaps I can plague the girl and get her to kill you," Asethrent hissed, a smile upon its serpent-like face.
Suddenly, Hermione buckled over. A hand flew to her head, and she shut her eyes tightly, a constricting feeling pounding at her. "Harry!" Hermione gasped, insides tight. She felt voices, anger, murderous thoughts. She couldn't escape. "HARRY!!!!!!!!"
Three weeks had passed. The lake had flooded, causing water to rise above its banks and leak into drains twisting down from the school. The lower parts of the castle were streaked with water, seeping into the stone and igniting fungus which made it stink. At all costs, the students avoided that area, which, ironically, was the Potions classroom.
The rain had stopped, but it was a rare occurrence to see sunlight. The weather network had blamed the oddity in weather on Muggles and global warming, which could not be fixed. It had caused an uproar at many meetings.
Harry and Hermione had not heard from the Asethrent at all. Harry didn't want to doubt Hermione, but he was thinking the Asethrent didn't exist. Hermione had been rather perturbed by the storm, and maybe she'd made it up...or hallucinated. Of course, Harry hadn't the courage to confront Hermione about. She was much too often in the library, looking up information on snakes and griffins and other beasts, but so far had not come up with anything.
Ron was extremely suspicious. Although he was not one to doubt any of his friends, he was jealous and curious. Perhaps they were coding this Asethrent business. Who knows? Maybe they were taking that time in the "library" for other things. It made Ron's skin crawl. He hated to be so out of the loop, and even more angry that Hermione and Harry were getting so close.
"Harry! Hey!" Ron was walking down one of the hallways in the school, and spotted Harry up ahead.
Harry stopped and turned around, smiling at his friend.
"Where're you off to?" Ron asked; tightness in his throat he had not accounted for.
"Oh, Hermione's asked me to come up to the library," Harry said. He hadn't detected any suspicion or jealousy in Ron's eyes.
Ron felt his anger flare. He closed his eyes briefly and tried to calm himself down. It was nothing. Hermione and Harry would tell him if they were...going out. Ron forced a smile. "Oh, can I tag along? I've got nothing to do right now." Please say yes, please say yes.
"Yeah, sure. We can use all the help we can get on this," Harry shrugged. He noticed Ron's sigh of relief, but dismissed it as nothing. The two trekked up to the library, then took a seat near to where Hermione's books were piled.
Harry went back to find her, and immediately Ron was on his heels. He was following so close he clipped Harry's heel and sent the teen into a bookcase. "Sorry," Ron said quickly.
"S'alright," Harry managed. They found Hermione, sitting on the floor, deep into reading a book.
"Hey, Her-" Harry started. A strange look overcame his face.
"What is it, Harry? What's happ-" Hermione stopped as well.
"Potter. Asethrent is backkkkkkkkk." the same horrible voice Hermione had heard a few weeks ago leaked into both their brains.
"What?" Harry swallowed.
"Asethrent has come to tell you something. I need to see you. Bring the girl to the Astronomy tower. Now. Go, or there will be consequences," the slithering voice curled around Harry's head, blurring his vision.
Harry and Hermione jerked out of a trance, both sweating.
"What in the hell?" Ron gaped.
"We have to go," Harry said quickly. He and Hermione bolted off, running through the library and receiving a harsh word from the librarian. They pounded up staircases and wound around hallways, climbing into the Astronomy tower.
They stopped in a musky smelling section of the tower, dark and built with wood instead of stone. Harry and Hermione were blind in the darkness, taking each other's hands.
Asethrent bolted awake. The serpent-like creature felt a surge of power coursing between Hermione and Harry. The beast unfurled itself from a rafter and slithered down, hissing. Hermione yelped when she saw glowing purple eyes in the darkness. She gripped Harry's hand tighter, and edged closer to him. Asethrent twitched, the power between them growing stronger.
"Harry, it's Asethrent...it's the creature," Hermione whispered. She could feel Harry's breath against her cheek, and noticed he was only inches away from her.
"What kind of beast is it?" Harry breathed, peering into the darkness. Asethrent's body glowed, and it took shape. Hermione heard Harry take a sharp breath, like he was remembering something from long ago.
"Harry Potter," Asethrent spat.
Harry put an arm around Hermione. Asethrent closed its eyes, feeling like a sword was stabbing it through the eyes. "You," Harry murmured.
"Yes, me. Do you remember, Harry Potter? Do you remember our last meeting?" Asethrent asked curiously.
Harry didn't answer.
"Answer me now, Potter!" Asethrent commanded.
"No!" Harry yelled. "I will not let you control my life! You swore you'd leave. You swore you'd never bother me again!"
"Harry, please tell me what's going on," Hermione begged her friend, "maybe I can help."
"You can't, Hermione. Asethrent is not supposed to be seen by any. It came in the summer. Remember when I fell ill? Asethrent was poisoning my mind, trying to make commands over me. But it underestimated my power. I forced it away, and it promised never to come back," Harry explained angrily.
"Yes. It is curious the girl can see me. There is something about the two of you. It makes me most intrigued. Maybe I won't have to settle for killing you, Potter. Perhaps I can plague the girl and get her to kill you," Asethrent hissed, a smile upon its serpent-like face.
Suddenly, Hermione buckled over. A hand flew to her head, and she shut her eyes tightly, a constricting feeling pounding at her. "Harry!" Hermione gasped, insides tight. She felt voices, anger, murderous thoughts. She couldn't escape. "HARRY!!!!!!!!"