Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked around himself as his vision slowly
came into focus. Harry found that he now was in a room he had never been in
before. He was laying on a dark-blue couch and discovered that the room was
totally bare apart from the couch in the center of the room, the room was
also sporting the same blue as the couch. As he hauled himself into a
sitting position he found that the room reminded him of.
"Lara." Harry sighed sadly as he shut his eyes tight to block the tears that so desperately needed to fall. Once Harry was satisfied that he wasn't going to cry he opened his eyes. What he saw in front of him excited him but at the same time frightened him greatly.
Harry was staring at a small, black, table that was positioned directly in front of him. It wasn't the table that frightened Harry but it was what lay on it; A single envelope, propped up on what looked like a package that lay behind it. He just stared at it for some time, pondering weather or not he wanted to open it, he thought about ignoring it but in the end he knew there was no escaping what lay in it. He didn't know why, but he could sense what ever was written in it could not be good. It was addressed to him, in a neat writing Harry was sure belonged to Lara.
With a trembling hand Harry reached forward and picked up the envelope addressed to him. He then slowly opened it and took a single piece of parchment. Harry quickly noticed that lots of the writing was smudged and hard to read, due to what were unmistakably tear drops.
Dear Harry,
I write this now as I look at you, sleeping peacefully. I only have a fleeting moment for I fear you will wake up to find me here, ready to run. It pains me to do this to you. it pains me to do this to us and what may of been. But what I am about to do it something I must do, so you may call me a coward, and you are right.
I have been living apart from the world for eleven years now, trying to deal with who I am. with what I am. It was a foolish mistake to believe that I could return to a place full of happiness and believe I would fit in. Happiness is a word that doesn't belong in my life, happiness is something people take for granted. a luxury I have only had the pleasure of once these past eleven years. And oddly enough, I am running from it- I am running from you, my happiness.
I know your first thoughts will be to find me, because that is what I would do if you ran away after what were the happiest moments of my painful life, but please do not try to come to me- I want you to. but this must be my punishment for the years of pain I have caused so many others. I do not deserve to be happy. I do not deserve you Harry.
I hope you will some day find a nice girl whom will love you and treat you better than I ever could have. Harry, you have your whole life ahead of you, please do not dwell on the past and what may have been. I just want you to know that I will never forget you and that you will remain in my heart forever. I'm sorry,
Lara
Harry couldn't breathe, the air around him had turned to lead in his chest and a feeling of helplessness invaded him. He looked down and saw the package the letter was rested on, he quickly ripped it open, hoping to find more than the words in Lara's letter. His eyes lay upon an exquisite and very old box, he opened it and found a small piece of parchment laying on top of what was a dark-blue chained bracelet, Harry studied the chain and found that inside the blue links of the chain there was a shimmering red liquid, it was beautiful. He turned to the small piece of parchment:
This is a very old and unique charm, it was given to me by my mother, to give to the man I love. It contains the essence of my feelings for you, it will live as long as my love endures, I have a feeling it will never die.
Harry immediately slipped the bracelet onto his right arm and felt that it was warm. He slowly ran his hand over it, tears welling in his eyes, but Harry didn't cry. As he stared at the bracelet pressed warmly against his arm his felt his stomach flutter and a warm feeling spread through his whole body as a single tear crept into his eye.
"She loves me." Harry breathed out as he closed his eyes. 'She left you!' a voice in the back of his head argued and the warm feeling in Harry quickly turned to helplessness, then into anger, "Why would she just leave!" he choked out to his shaking hands, "I could of helped her! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he screamed as he overturned the small table in his fury.
Harry's eyes turned to the door and he made for it and angrily shoved it open, knowing where he was going. Harry was at first startled when he walked out of the door and found a tapestry of trolls clubbing Barnabas the Barmy, he then quickly realized the room he was in was previously in the room of requirement.
But without another thought Harry strode of angrily down the hall, he quickly noticed that it was the next day and that it must have been a lesson change, because as he rounded the corner he bumped into someone who was also rounding the corner, but Harry just ignored the calls and stares from people all around him and kept walking.
Harry approached the staff room door and saw that now the gargoyles that flanked it were now very much awake, and as annoying as ever, "You should be in lessons, you should," one gargoyle told Harry, but he just ignored it and barged into the staff room in a daze. Harry quickly saw Tonks and Professor McGonagall sitting at the table talking. Harry slowly walked over to the table and they both looked up to see who was coming there way.
"Harry." Tonks said sympathetically as he took a seat next to her, his anger gone. He now felt bare and stripped.
"She left." Harry stated softly as he stared at Professor McGonagall, "Why would she just leave... She knew I would of helped her!"
"This is something she must do on her own, Harry. She has to sort this out by herself," McGonagall replied sadly.
"No," Harry shook his head, "No one has to be alone!"
"Harry, I know how you fe-" Tonks started before Harry interrupted.
"No you don't..." Harry said softly and emotionally, he found he was too mentally exhausted to get angry, "I need to see her."
"I'm sorry, Harry. She doesn't want you to see her."
"What? She loves me!" Harry blurted out, shocked.
"Oh, does she now?" Professor McGonagall told Harry, as if he was stupid, "You've known her for a day and you think she loves you?!"
Harry tried to block away the tears that leaked from his eyes but he couldn't, he slowly took of the charm on his right arm and rolled it across the table, it landed in front of a shocked McGonagall. She stared at it hard, her face expressionless, as if she had been slapped in the face. Harry slowly rose from the table and made his way for the door, he opened it and turned back around to look at the two Professors, "I love her too."
*
Harry again heard the whispering of excited students outside his room, he heard it regularly now. it was becoming a daily ritual. Harry was the new gossip of the school for he had now been living in the room of requirement for two depressing, painful and emotionally draining weeks now, he couldn't bare to face the rest of the school anymore.
Most of the teachers had made attempts to get him out of the room but failed. Though, they did leave some work for Harry, hoping to get his mind off whatever he was thinking about, he now has a massive stack of parchment sitting, forgotten, in the corner of his room . Even Dumbledore had tried to talk to Harry, but Dumbledore didn't attempt to force him out of the room like all the teachers, he just simply kept Harry company, not saying much nor trying to tell Harry he understood what he was going through like other people.
Harry wouldn't tell Dumbledore how much it meant to him, simply being told that he should take his time to find whatever it is that he was looking for. Harry actually hadn't said one word to Dumbledore in all the hours he had spent with Harry in the past weeks. But one thing Dumbledore said to him replayed in his mind often, 'In time, Harry, you will realise that understanding ones actions, ones questions, is often more important than the action itself. And only when you truly understand the why, the question, will you truly find an answer.'
Harry had only been in constant contact with one person over the past weeks since he had left a bemused McGonagall in the staff room. He had immediately went and talked to the only person he could talk to openly and truthfully, Hermione.
Harry was amazed that she didn't think twice about leaving a particularly interesting Care of Magical Creature's lesson in which Hagrid was not getting them to take care of dragons or teach giants manners, he didn't know fully what they were but they looked rather harmless and the whole class enjoyed them, in his daze Harry noticed that even Draco Malfoy wasn't thinking of ways to get Hagrid banned from teaching.
Harry brought Hermione back up to the room of requirement. Where, in what was an impressive piece of magic, Hermione managed to turn the room into a living apartment, equipped with a bathroom, kitchen and everything else Harry needed. When she had tried to move the couch that still sat in the middle of the room Harry had immediately seized her wand and begged her not to, he couldn't bare to part with one of the only reminders he had of Lara.
It was depressing to look at, the dark-blue couch compared to the bright colors of the room Hermione had used in an attempt to cheer him up, but Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from it, he was either staring at the couch or at his charm in big long dazes. Hermione and Harry talked for what was nearly eight hours, during which Harry found himself crying onto Hermione's shoulder while she tried to soothe him numerous times. Hermione admitted that she was very confused as to why Harry was acting this way after he had only known Lara for a day, Harry tried to explain it to her but he often ended up crying so his explanations didn't make much progress so eventually she stopped asking, though she thought she now had some idea of what she meant to Harry.
Hermione spent all the time she could, in between her lessons and her homework, with Harry. They talked for hours upon end, though Hermione did nearly all of the talking, which Harry was grateful for. Harry had learnt about all the new lessons and he liked the sound of the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons.
Hermione told him upon their first lesson the class walked into an empty room and a voice barked, 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' at the class and since the class mainly consisted of DA members they had their wands out (Dumbledore had brought them new ones after Harry destroyed their previous wands) just in time because random spells started coming from out of the blue at them all. So now the whole class now were very good at the shield charm, 'Protego.' Since then they had been having dueling tournaments that Neville and Hermione had both won three times each, at the news of Neville's success Harry felt a warm feeling spread to his heart and he was proud of himself for teaching the DA and found himself wishing he was teaching it once again. Hermione had told him that they refused to continue the DA lessons unless Harry taught them, in which resulted in Harry's first smile in days.
In Care of Magical Creatures they had been taking care of beautiful creatures called Magorse's, which were related to Unicorns but possessed great quantities of magical powers, they were kind and gentle animals and Hagrid said they were looking after young baby Magorse's until they grew up and had their own baby, which, according to Hagrid would take roughly six months.
Hermione said Charms had been a fun lesson the past week as they were learning to create their very own and unique charms. But it was very complex and would be finished by the end of the month. Hermione's charm was supposedly meant to make you understand every language in the magical world for a short period of time, Harry thought that was a bit complicated and that he would of just stuck with something like a floating charm. Harry found it funny that Ron, Dean and Seamus were all working on charms that were meant to make girls go out with them, which Hermione was totally against, 'I don't see what's so hard about just asking a girl out!'
Harry found himself dreading the day he eventually went back to classes even more now that Hermione had told him all about human transfiguration and how hard it was. Even Hermione was unable to make herself grow a tail, so one time she had attempted to do it in front of Harry and it worked, which caused her to jump around the room and try to get Harry to dance with her. But after she had finally calmed down she realised she had no idea how to remove the tail that was now stuck firmly onto her backside and she had to go find Professor McGonagall to get it removed.
Hermione finally convinced Harry to attempt to come back into the castle and go to lessons after he had spent a week in the room of requirement. But Harry realised how much of a mistake this was and immediately returned to his room because when he went down to breakfast he found that all the Gryffindor's said that they were sorry and that they understood what Harry was going through.
But they had no idea, Harry had a feeling of emptiness he had never felt before. He felt bare- stripped, he couldn't think clearly anymore. The only rational thoughts he had was when Hermione was with him and recently she had been coming to visit him less and less. Now an hour was the maximum she spent with him each day, Harry sometimes thought of asking Ron for company but knew it wouldn't be the same as Hermione's.
Harry needed to escape, he often wanted to go out and roam the school at night, to stretch his legs that longed for something to do, he wanted so desperately to ride his broom and feel the fresh breeze on his face as he soared high above the forbidden forest, he missed being around people.. he missed Lara and the only company apart from Hermione he had was the charm that Professor McGonagall had placed on the table near the couch he slept on one night.
Harry found himself thinking more and more about forcing McGonagall to take him to Lara, he needed to see her so desperately, to hear her laugh, to look into her mysterious blue eyes, to feel her warm touch on his skin. Harry then thought about what Dumbledore had said to him just over a week ago and decided he would find out why, he needed to understand fully why she left. if he wanted her back, he would need to understand.
As he read over the tear-stained letter Lara left him he understood what it must have been like for her, how hard it must have been to run away from what was the only happiness and light she had ever had in her life for eleven years, he decided that the will power she had shown to do that was truly worthy of the name Gryffindor. Harry added more tears to the letter when he again realised she blamed herself for all them people dying, she blamed herself for an unfortunate accident that she had no control over.
It reminded Harry of himself, having no control over who you are.. over what you are. He was marked at the age of one, and he is being forced to play a part in something, whether he liked it or not, but he was not hiding from what he is, from what he must do.
After reading the letter over and over Harry finally understood Lara's reason for leaving, not because she couldn't fit in or because of her 'punishment'. It was because she couldn't bare to loose anyone else to what she is, she couldn't bare to get close to someone and to be happy again and have it stolen in an instant.
With this realization in mind Harry began writing a letter to Lara. He put all his effort into it, barely eating, not sleeping and now he had now been writing it for three whole days and he was finally satisfied with what he had written. But he didn't want to leave his room because there was currently people standing outside, whispering about him. Harry decided that he would wait until the next time Hermione visited him, she now hadn't in the three days he had been writing the letter so he figured she should visit him soon.
Harry paced the room impatiently, seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned to hours and then, finally, there was a soft rapping on the door then it slowly flew open to reveal Hermione.
"Harry!" she exclaimed happily as she ran to Harry and gave him a hug which Harry returned, grateful that she was finally here, "Sorry I haven't been here to visit you but I was so busy with that charm I'm working on."
"It's okay, Hermione. It's so good to see you," Harry admitted as he pulled away from Hermione. Her eyes quickly snapped to the envelope in Harry's hand.
"Harry. that isn't. is it?" Hermione asked, her eyes never leaving the letter Harry had written for Lara, as if she could see through the envelope enclosing it and she was reading it. Harry nodded quickly and at this Hermione shot up and hugged Harry tightly, "I'm so proud of you!"
"We'll." Harry turned serious, "Will you send it to her?"
"Of course I will!" she exclaimed happily as she took the envelope from Harry's hand, "I'm going to go send it now."
"No- Wait!" Harry said as he turned around and ran behind the couch and picked up a package, he returned to Hermione with a big grin on his face, "Send this too." Hermione smiled from ear to ear.
"You really want her back, don't you?"
Harry heard something replay in his head at this, 'In time, Harry, you will realise that understanding ones actions, ones questions, is often more important than the action itself. And only when you truly understand the why, the question, will you truly find an answer.' A smile spread to Harry's lips and he shook his head.
"I just want her to understand, then. its up to her."
*
Lara cursed herself loudly as she scribbled out something she had been writing, "Why cant I concentrate!?" she yelled angrily at herself as she threw her quill down onto her desk, abandoning her work her mom had left for her to finish. But Lara didn't need to be a genius to figure out the answer to that, "Harry." she sighed under her breath as she moved her long hair from her eyes.
Lara stood up from her chair and crossed her bedroom to the door to where her balcony lay, she opened the door slowly and closed her eyes as she stepped out into the cool breeze. The cool, night air felt so good blowing against her face, her long brown hair swaying with the wind. It was raining lightly but Lara loved the rain so she just enjoyed standing there even more.
Slowly, she opened her eyes hesitantly and searched the night sky, looking for something. But just as all the other times Lara had done this she was disappointed, "Still nothing." she told herself. Lara had been coming out onto her balcony often since she had left Harry to search the sky for signs of Hedwig approaching, brining news that everything would be okay and that they would be together soon. But, again she was disappointed, she often thought she should send a letter to him, but she knew he must do it.
Lara often talked to herself about her feelings and her problems, it was a habit she had developed over the past eleven years, a result of having no one else to talk to but her mother and her god-father when they weren't busy looking after other kids. And lately she had been doing it quite frequently, "I wonder what he is doing." she thought out loud as mental pictures of Harry joking and having fun with his friends flew into her mind. She closed her eyes to block out the tears and sighed, "I bet he has already forgotten me."
Without warning, she fell back into the rails of the balcony and started to cry, she slowly slipped down and fell onto her side, her head hanging off the side of the balcony where the rail didn't reach. She looked far below to the ground, she happened to live in a very big house, some would call it a mansion, and Lara hated everything about it, she was sick of it. Most people would be delighted to live in a house like Lara's, but Lara was far from delighted, she hated having to live by herself in this big house where her family barely had time to visit her. Being by herself in the huge house just reminder Lara more and more that she was and always would be exactly that, a big empty void.
Lara slowly picked herself up off the floor and wiped the tears from her eyes. Shaking, she climbed the rail and hauled herself up to the top of it. She looked down the big drop and now, for the first time, she seriously considered doing it- ending it. She had stood here many times over the years, when she was sad and depressed, but every time quickly jumping down, convincing herself that she wasn't thinking straight.
But now she was thinking straight, what was stopping her. It's not like anyone will miss me, she thought. Her mother was too busy looking after other children rather than to notice that Lara needed her at home, Lara needed a motherly figure, someone to help her through her problems. Lara thought of other people she could turn to. her older sister still hated her for her fathers death so she wasn't exactly going to help. She then thought about Dumbledore but quickly remembered that he hadn't visited Lara at home for nearly four months, "No one will even notice I'm gone."
She slowly took one foot of the rail, "Harry." she sighed as remembered him, she put her shaking foot firmly back onto the rail, "But he has forgotten about me!" she yelled at herself as she stuck the foot back into the air, rain now steadily splashing against it as the wind blew Lara's hair into her eyes, "Yes, they will all forget soon enough."
With that said Lara felt tears form in her eyes and she jumped- landing back on the safety of her balcony. She paced the balcony as she thought about what she was going to do. She then walked back into her room, water dripping onto the posh tiled floor of her bedroom and she sat down in the chair she had been sitting in just before and picked up the quill. Only she did not go back to her work, she tore a strip of blank parchment from it and dipped her quill into some ink.
With a trembling hand, she placed the tip of the quill onto the parchment, but found she couldn't write anything, "Come on, Lara, your not backing down now!" she yelled at the quill and she started writing. After several failed attempts at a writing her last words she was finally satisfied with her one word note.
Sorry
*
"You look a lot better, Harry," Dumbledore beamed at Harry as he took a seat on the couch that had been Harry's bed for the past two weeks.
"I feel it," Harry answered awkwardly, this was the first time he had spoken to Dumbledore in weeks. Dumbledore must of sensed how uncomfortable Harry was for he broke the silence that had fallen.
"Tea, perhaps?" Dumbledore suggested, the twinkle in his eye brighter than ever.
"Err.. Yes, one second," Harry answered as he turned to the kitchen to make tea for his headmaster.
"No, Harry- Look."
Harry turned around and found a plate of tea and biscuits sitting on the small table next to the couch, "Oh," he managed, feeling stupid, he had not used magic in two weeks, he didn't even know where his wand was, "You wouldn't happen to know where my wand is, would you Professor?" Harry asked as he took a seat next to Dumbledore.
"Of course, it is. here," Dumbledore said and Harry's wand appeared in Dumbledore's hand, Harry took it gratefully and discovered how much he had missed his wand over the past weeks, he pocketed it and reached for a cup of tea as Dumbledore spoke, "So, Harry, do you think you are ready to return to classes soon?"
Harry nodded his head, "I think so." and with that they both sat there, drinking their cups of teas in silence, "Professor.?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think.do you think that Lara will return?" Harry said quickly, hoping against all hope that Dumbledore would say something extremely well-thought that made perfect sense and provided proof that she would return, as Dumbledore sometimes did.
"I think." Dumbledore started, staring into space, ".that is up to Lara." Harry felt sad at hearing Dumbledore say this, he felt like jumping up and saying 'No duh its up to Lara, but you could of said something better than that!' because Harry had been led to believe that Dumbledore had a solution sitting in his head for everything, this was the first time Harry really looked at Dumbledore as just another person.
"Any news on Voldemort?" Harry asked, hoping there wasn't any. But he had been thinking about Voldemort a little bit lately and needed to know.
"Lots. Since the news was announced about the new Ministry of Magic there have been triple the amount of sitting's, we think he is worried," Dumbledore answered as he peered into Harry's eyes, Harry was lazily stroking the charm on his right arm with his left hand, the warmness of it made him feel better.
"Professor, I remember that you said he would try to posses me again. It's been a long time and he still hasn't. why?"
"It's because of-." Dumbledore kept talking, but Harry didn't hear a word of it, everything around him stopped- As Harry was stroking his charm, enjoying the warm feeling on his skin, he felt it go cold, he looked down quickly and saw that the charm was fading from the bright red into black, "..your-"
"Professor! It's Lara, something's happened!" Harry yelled as he quickly shoved the charm into Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore, to Harry's relief, acted immediately and with a soft whistle there was a bright burst of flame in front of them, it was Fawkes.
"Quick!" Dumbledore exclaimed hastily as he held onto Fawkes, who must of sensed something was wrong as it flew closer to Harry.
"What about McGonagall!?" Harry asked, fear overtaking him.
"There is no time, Harry!" Dumbledore yelled out as Fawkes flew closer.
A desperate Harry took a hold of Fawkes's upper chest and there was a tremendous burst of flame and Harry was tugged upwards at an enormous speed but before Harry got a chance to experience the new feeling he was standing at the doorway of a huge house, rain was falling behind them at an alarming pace.
Dumbledore wasted no time and quickly flicked his wand and the front door flew open as Fawkes flew high above them and over the house. Harry rushed into the house in an urgent daze, "WHERE!?" Harry cried as he looked at the house, there were doorways everywhere with two massive staircases on either side of the hall. Dumbledore peered around, wasting precious time "QUICK!"
"Harry, you go right, I'll check the left and Fawkes is checking the roof," Dumbledore said, trying to be calm once more but Harry could sense the worry in his voice. Harry nodded and took off, "Be careful!" Dumbledore called after him. Harry bolted up the stairs, he was running the fastest he had ever ran in his life and he had no intention of being careful, as long as Lara was safe.
"LARA!" Harry yelled out franticly as he knocked a vase off its stall, it went flying and smashed into the ground in front of him as he bolted through the door to the right and Harry, who wasn't wearing anything on his feet, didn't even notice stepping on it- nothing mattered apart from:
"LARA!" he screamed out as he ran into what looked like a bedroom and Harry knew immediately that this was Lara's room, "LARA!" Harry yelled again, his voice now shaky and full of fear. Harry checked his charm quickly, there was a slight glimmer of red in what was now a black liquid, but it was fading quickly. Harry ran to her bed, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Harry stopped and scanned the room franticly... nothing.
Harry was just about to turn when something caught his eye- fresh ink glowing in the moonlight. He leaped to the desk it lay on and picked up a small piece of parchment- Lara's last words.
"No." Harry whispered to himself as the note slipped out of his hand, it fluttered to the ground with the wind and tears came to Harry's eyes, "NO!" Harry yelled at himself, shaking his head and blocking out the tears, "She wouldn't do that- NO! LARA!!"
Harry ran out onto the balcony, the wind howling and rain splattering around him, the blood from his feet merging with the water and falling off the balcony, "Please no, please no, please no," Harry repeated to himself softly as he slowly made his way to the edge of the balcony, "please no, please no, ple- NOOOO!! LARA!! NOOO!!"
Harry was looking over the edge of the balcony. A lifeless Lara was sprawled on the ground next to a half crushed dark-blue couch, Hedwig was hooting sadly as she brushed her head against Lara's cheek, "LARA!" Harry choked out, shaking uncontrollably.
Without another thought Harry leapt over the rails and he was plunging down. Harry whipped his wand out of his pocket and bellowed, "Reparo!" and the crushed couch returned to it's usual state. Harry just realised that jumping off the balcony wasn't the smartest thing to do and braced himself for the collision.
Harry was about a meter from hitting the couch when he saw Fawkes glide under him and just as Harry was about to hit the phoenix it disappeared in a flash of flame and Harry felt himself being pulled upwards at lightning speeds and then he was standing on the wet, muddy ground as rain splashed all around him. Harry was standing in front of Lara, he dropped to his knees as he heard another flash behind him, Fawkes was gone.
"Lara." Harry whispered sadly as he bent forward and cupped her cold cheeks. Hedwig was hooting softly, trying to tell Harry something as she prodded Harry's charm with her beak, Harry's letter still attached to her leg. Harry looked down at the charm and noticed that there was still some red left in it, "She's alive!" Harry exclaimed as tears of joy came to his eyes and dripped down his shaking face. He felt her cold cheeks and squeezed her hand hard.
Harry, who's wand was still in his shaking right-hand pointed it at the couch that lay just behind Lara and bellowed, "Incendio! and the couch was immediately blazing, her cheeks immediately started to warm up as Harry lifted her upper body of the ground and rested it in his arms, "Come on, Lara! Hang in there!"
There was a flash of flame behind Harry and he turned to see a worried Dumbledore reach and touch Harry's shoulder and before Harry could say anything he heard another quick flash and felt the familiar feeling of being pulled upwards at alarming speeds before feeling solid ground again.
Harry looked around and discovered that he was back at Hogwarts, in the hospital wing and to his relief Lara was still in his arms, Hedwig flying overhead, hooting loudly, "Poppy!" Dumbledore exclaimed urgently and then he turned to a shaking Harry, who didn't know what to do, "Harry, go find Professor McGonagall!"
"No, I want to stay with-" Harry argued as Madam Pomfrey came running into the room.
"There is no time, Harry! Go now," Dumbledore ordered, urgency in his voice. Harry reluctantly got up as Dumbledore flicked his wand and Lara was hovering in mid-air as Madam Pomfrey started checking her immediately and Harry made for the door, "Hurry!" Dumbledore yelled after him and Harry broke into a run.
Harry thundered down the deserted corridor and realised that everyone was in the great hall having tea and he turned right, jumping down stairs three at a time, his heart beating fast. As he ran he checked his charm, it was fading into total darkness now and this spurred Harry on, booming down the corridors at speeds that rivaled his firebolt.
As he approached the great hall he took his wand out of his pocket, he couldn't waste any time and would need to get Professor McGonagall's attention, and only one good thought crept into Harry's mind.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry roared as he stepped into the entrance of the hall, thinking she's going to live! A massive silver stag erupted from the tip of his wand and charged down the Gryffindor table, heads turned at alarming speeds as students leaped out of their seats in fear of the patronus. All the teachers heads turned to Harry.
"POTTER!" Snape bellowed as the stag turned into mist at the teachers table, "COME HERE NOW!"
"STUPEFY!" Harry roared and the spell shot across the hall and hit a shocked Snape in the heart, Harry had a feeling he wouldn't be too happy when someone woke him up. Everyone in the hall watched either Harry or a stunned Snape, looks of fear on their faces. Even the teachers just stood there, obviously thinking Harry was off his rocker. Harry saw fellow DA members reach for their wands but a voice interrupted.
"HARRY POT-" a furious McGonagall started.
"IT'S LARA!" Harry screamed at her, willing her to understand. Professor McGonagall's eyes opened wide at the mention of her daughter and she leapt across the table at speeds you would have thought impossible by her and Harry turned and started to run, motioning her to follow. Curious students started to follow in one big movement but Harry heard Moody lock the great hall behind them so no one could get out.
"What's happened!?" McGonagall yelled at Harry, who was already half a corridor in front of her.
"JUST HURRY TO THE HOSPITAL WING!" was all Harry could yell before he took off down the hall, leaving Professor McGonagall far behind. As Harry bolted up some stairs, his legs barely able to keep up with him, he looked down at his charm and saw that the black colour was slowly turning into a bluish color.
Harry burst into the hospital wing he saw that the curtain was closed around Lara's bed and Dumbledore was talking with Madam Pomfrey in the corner of the room, a grave expression on his face, "NO! She isn't?" Harry choked out.
"She's still in there, just," Dumbledore smiled at Harry, "Thanks to you."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and his legs all of a sudden had feeling again and they burst with pain as he collapsed to the ground, causing Madam Pomfrey to gasp and rush down to Harry, "Oh dear, what have you done now?"
"My- My feet," Harry winced as she gripped one of his feet and shook her head.
"Oh dear, glass is in very deep." she grimaced as Harry remembered stepping onto a vase in his frantic rush to find Lara, "But not to worry, they will be good as new by tomorrow. Now lets just get you into bed and I'll go fetch a potion for that."
Harry shook his head quickly, "No- I'm not leaving Lara."
Madam Pomfrey, knowing there was no persuading Harry simply sighed and muttered, "All right, all right," and she flicked her wand and Harry's feet felt instantly better, though still sore, "But don't go blaming me if you develop an infection!" she warned and left a sore Harry on the ground as she hurried off behind the curtains that covered Lara's bed. Harry picked himself up off the ground as a wheezing Professor McGonagall rushed into the room and saw Dumbledore standing there, though he now looked calm and composed.
"Oh, Albus! Harry here said that." she trailed off as Dumbledore nodded his head slowly and then she rushed towards him, "What happened?! Who did it?! Is she alright?!"
"We have done our best for her, only time will tell, Minerva," Dumbledore replied calmly.
"What happened?" she shot back quickly.
"I was just about to ask Harry that question," Dumbledore said as he peered at Harry through his half-moon glasses. McGonagall turned instantly and rushed over to a shaking Harry, who didn't know weather he should tell the truth or lie.
"Well?"
Harry was about to lie to the two Professors before loud commotion was heard from the hall outside the hospital wing, "Honestly! Does anyone ever let me take care of my patients properly?!" a furious Poppy Pomfrey said as she poked her head out from the curtains, Harry was relieved about the interruption for a second but then when he heard who the voice belonged to he was greatly worried.
"WHERE IS HE!?" Snape bellowed from the hall, "I'LL GET HIM!"
"Severus, think rationally, he didn't mean it," Tonks tried to reason with him as she walked behind Snape as he stormed into the room. Harry's eyes shot wide, he knew Snape wouldn't be happy when he was un-stunned but he didn't think he would be this furious. Harry tried to run but didn't get very far and Snape grinned evilly and boomed, before anyone could stop him.
"STUPEFY!"
*
Harry was awoken by the sound of birds singing playfully in the tree's by the lake and he cautiously opened his eyes, thinking Snape might still be standing there with his wand poised, ready to strike. But when he didn't see anything pointing at him Harry sat upright and looked away from the window from which a bright ray of sunlight was coming through.
Harry quickly looked around the room and discovered that is was deserted and the door was closed, which he was grateful for as he didn't really feel like being poked and prodded by Madam Pomfrey. A small yawn escaped Harry's mouth as he pulled his blanket off of him and hopped out of his bed. He noticed that his foot was fully healed which was good as he didn't want to cause lots of noise limping around the room.
Harry slowly walked over to the curtain surrounding Lara's bed and felt his heart skip a beat when he heard sobbing coming from within. With a trembling hand Harry reached forward and peeled the curtain to the left a bit so he could see Lara. Harry smiled when he realised she was crying happy tears as she read Harry's letter that he had written for her. Harry glanced down at his bracelet and he grinned from ear to ear when he saw that it was now the reddest it had ever looked and was threatening to explode.
Harry turned around to let her finish reading the letter and started to walk back to his bed, "Don't go," he heard Lara's voice say and he turned back around to face Lara who was smiling softly at him with tears dripping from her face. Harry smiled at her as he walked through the curtain. Lara patted the bed and moved over so Harry could lay on it too.
Harry didn't hesitate to join her and soon he was sitting up against the bed-head with each of his legs on either side of Lara, who relaxed into his chest as he put his arms around her, "Why did I do it, Harry?" Lara asked sadly, breaking the peaceful silence, as she bent her neck backwards so she was looking up into Harry's eyes.
"What I want to know," Harry started in a curious voice, "is why you tried to save yourself."
"Hedwig," Lara beamed happily at him.
"Hedwig saved you? How?"
"Well, I had been checking the skies for signs of letters from you since I left and when I checked last night I got depressed and thought that you had probably forgotten me-"
"Forgotten you? I couldn't stop thinking of you! I had been living in the room of requirement since you left, sleeping on the couch you left when- " Harry started, desperate to make her understand.
"Shhhhh." Lara cooed softly as she reached up and caressed Harry's cheek, "I know, I talked with my mother and Dumbledore earlier, they told me everything," she smiled warmly at Harry and continued softly, "But I thought I told you to move on with you life Harry. not to act like the world had come to an end."
"And I thought," Harry started seriously, "that you said you didn't deserve me. so I guess we both made mistakes." Lara smiled up at Harry as tears streaked down her face and she was again biting her bottom lip in that cute way that Harry had missed so much over the past weeks, "Well, you thought I had forgotten you."
".well I thought you had forgotten me and then. you know. but just as I jumped I saw Hedwig come into view and I immediately realised how stupid I had been so I transfigured a rose-bush into the couch but it wasn't fully transfigured by the time I hit."
Harry held Lara tight, knowing how hard that must have been to say, "I think we could find Hedwig a nice little love bird after that," Harry smiled down at Lara, who nodded happily, "Lara?"
"Mmmmm?"
"Your going to stay at Hogwarts, right? Your not going to leave again are you?"
"As long as you, Mr Potter, don't leave my side," she said seriously, peering into Harry's green eyes.
"Not for anything," Harry smiled at her as he squeezed her, peering back into her blue eyes, "We're in this together."
"Promise?" she asked as she bit her bottom lip again.
"Promise," Harry told her reassuringly and she smiled and jumped out of the bed tugging energetically on his hand. Harry laughed, "What?"
"We need to go shopping!"
"For what?"
"I need new robes, I broke my wand in the fall, We need to get." Lara continued happily but it was all one big drawl to Harry.
"Okay, okay! I get the picture," Harry sighed and rolled his eyes as he got up from the bed, Lara tugging on his arm, "We need to go over the fine print of that promise, because I don't think shopping was part of it-" Harry laughed as he ducked out of the way of Lara's hand aimed for his head.
"Lara." Harry sighed sadly as he shut his eyes tight to block the tears that so desperately needed to fall. Once Harry was satisfied that he wasn't going to cry he opened his eyes. What he saw in front of him excited him but at the same time frightened him greatly.
Harry was staring at a small, black, table that was positioned directly in front of him. It wasn't the table that frightened Harry but it was what lay on it; A single envelope, propped up on what looked like a package that lay behind it. He just stared at it for some time, pondering weather or not he wanted to open it, he thought about ignoring it but in the end he knew there was no escaping what lay in it. He didn't know why, but he could sense what ever was written in it could not be good. It was addressed to him, in a neat writing Harry was sure belonged to Lara.
With a trembling hand Harry reached forward and picked up the envelope addressed to him. He then slowly opened it and took a single piece of parchment. Harry quickly noticed that lots of the writing was smudged and hard to read, due to what were unmistakably tear drops.
Dear Harry,
I write this now as I look at you, sleeping peacefully. I only have a fleeting moment for I fear you will wake up to find me here, ready to run. It pains me to do this to you. it pains me to do this to us and what may of been. But what I am about to do it something I must do, so you may call me a coward, and you are right.
I have been living apart from the world for eleven years now, trying to deal with who I am. with what I am. It was a foolish mistake to believe that I could return to a place full of happiness and believe I would fit in. Happiness is a word that doesn't belong in my life, happiness is something people take for granted. a luxury I have only had the pleasure of once these past eleven years. And oddly enough, I am running from it- I am running from you, my happiness.
I know your first thoughts will be to find me, because that is what I would do if you ran away after what were the happiest moments of my painful life, but please do not try to come to me- I want you to. but this must be my punishment for the years of pain I have caused so many others. I do not deserve to be happy. I do not deserve you Harry.
I hope you will some day find a nice girl whom will love you and treat you better than I ever could have. Harry, you have your whole life ahead of you, please do not dwell on the past and what may have been. I just want you to know that I will never forget you and that you will remain in my heart forever. I'm sorry,
Lara
Harry couldn't breathe, the air around him had turned to lead in his chest and a feeling of helplessness invaded him. He looked down and saw the package the letter was rested on, he quickly ripped it open, hoping to find more than the words in Lara's letter. His eyes lay upon an exquisite and very old box, he opened it and found a small piece of parchment laying on top of what was a dark-blue chained bracelet, Harry studied the chain and found that inside the blue links of the chain there was a shimmering red liquid, it was beautiful. He turned to the small piece of parchment:
This is a very old and unique charm, it was given to me by my mother, to give to the man I love. It contains the essence of my feelings for you, it will live as long as my love endures, I have a feeling it will never die.
Harry immediately slipped the bracelet onto his right arm and felt that it was warm. He slowly ran his hand over it, tears welling in his eyes, but Harry didn't cry. As he stared at the bracelet pressed warmly against his arm his felt his stomach flutter and a warm feeling spread through his whole body as a single tear crept into his eye.
"She loves me." Harry breathed out as he closed his eyes. 'She left you!' a voice in the back of his head argued and the warm feeling in Harry quickly turned to helplessness, then into anger, "Why would she just leave!" he choked out to his shaking hands, "I could of helped her! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he screamed as he overturned the small table in his fury.
Harry's eyes turned to the door and he made for it and angrily shoved it open, knowing where he was going. Harry was at first startled when he walked out of the door and found a tapestry of trolls clubbing Barnabas the Barmy, he then quickly realized the room he was in was previously in the room of requirement.
But without another thought Harry strode of angrily down the hall, he quickly noticed that it was the next day and that it must have been a lesson change, because as he rounded the corner he bumped into someone who was also rounding the corner, but Harry just ignored the calls and stares from people all around him and kept walking.
Harry approached the staff room door and saw that now the gargoyles that flanked it were now very much awake, and as annoying as ever, "You should be in lessons, you should," one gargoyle told Harry, but he just ignored it and barged into the staff room in a daze. Harry quickly saw Tonks and Professor McGonagall sitting at the table talking. Harry slowly walked over to the table and they both looked up to see who was coming there way.
"Harry." Tonks said sympathetically as he took a seat next to her, his anger gone. He now felt bare and stripped.
"She left." Harry stated softly as he stared at Professor McGonagall, "Why would she just leave... She knew I would of helped her!"
"This is something she must do on her own, Harry. She has to sort this out by herself," McGonagall replied sadly.
"No," Harry shook his head, "No one has to be alone!"
"Harry, I know how you fe-" Tonks started before Harry interrupted.
"No you don't..." Harry said softly and emotionally, he found he was too mentally exhausted to get angry, "I need to see her."
"I'm sorry, Harry. She doesn't want you to see her."
"What? She loves me!" Harry blurted out, shocked.
"Oh, does she now?" Professor McGonagall told Harry, as if he was stupid, "You've known her for a day and you think she loves you?!"
Harry tried to block away the tears that leaked from his eyes but he couldn't, he slowly took of the charm on his right arm and rolled it across the table, it landed in front of a shocked McGonagall. She stared at it hard, her face expressionless, as if she had been slapped in the face. Harry slowly rose from the table and made his way for the door, he opened it and turned back around to look at the two Professors, "I love her too."
*
Harry again heard the whispering of excited students outside his room, he heard it regularly now. it was becoming a daily ritual. Harry was the new gossip of the school for he had now been living in the room of requirement for two depressing, painful and emotionally draining weeks now, he couldn't bare to face the rest of the school anymore.
Most of the teachers had made attempts to get him out of the room but failed. Though, they did leave some work for Harry, hoping to get his mind off whatever he was thinking about, he now has a massive stack of parchment sitting, forgotten, in the corner of his room . Even Dumbledore had tried to talk to Harry, but Dumbledore didn't attempt to force him out of the room like all the teachers, he just simply kept Harry company, not saying much nor trying to tell Harry he understood what he was going through like other people.
Harry wouldn't tell Dumbledore how much it meant to him, simply being told that he should take his time to find whatever it is that he was looking for. Harry actually hadn't said one word to Dumbledore in all the hours he had spent with Harry in the past weeks. But one thing Dumbledore said to him replayed in his mind often, 'In time, Harry, you will realise that understanding ones actions, ones questions, is often more important than the action itself. And only when you truly understand the why, the question, will you truly find an answer.'
Harry had only been in constant contact with one person over the past weeks since he had left a bemused McGonagall in the staff room. He had immediately went and talked to the only person he could talk to openly and truthfully, Hermione.
Harry was amazed that she didn't think twice about leaving a particularly interesting Care of Magical Creature's lesson in which Hagrid was not getting them to take care of dragons or teach giants manners, he didn't know fully what they were but they looked rather harmless and the whole class enjoyed them, in his daze Harry noticed that even Draco Malfoy wasn't thinking of ways to get Hagrid banned from teaching.
Harry brought Hermione back up to the room of requirement. Where, in what was an impressive piece of magic, Hermione managed to turn the room into a living apartment, equipped with a bathroom, kitchen and everything else Harry needed. When she had tried to move the couch that still sat in the middle of the room Harry had immediately seized her wand and begged her not to, he couldn't bare to part with one of the only reminders he had of Lara.
It was depressing to look at, the dark-blue couch compared to the bright colors of the room Hermione had used in an attempt to cheer him up, but Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from it, he was either staring at the couch or at his charm in big long dazes. Hermione and Harry talked for what was nearly eight hours, during which Harry found himself crying onto Hermione's shoulder while she tried to soothe him numerous times. Hermione admitted that she was very confused as to why Harry was acting this way after he had only known Lara for a day, Harry tried to explain it to her but he often ended up crying so his explanations didn't make much progress so eventually she stopped asking, though she thought she now had some idea of what she meant to Harry.
Hermione spent all the time she could, in between her lessons and her homework, with Harry. They talked for hours upon end, though Hermione did nearly all of the talking, which Harry was grateful for. Harry had learnt about all the new lessons and he liked the sound of the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons.
Hermione told him upon their first lesson the class walked into an empty room and a voice barked, 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' at the class and since the class mainly consisted of DA members they had their wands out (Dumbledore had brought them new ones after Harry destroyed their previous wands) just in time because random spells started coming from out of the blue at them all. So now the whole class now were very good at the shield charm, 'Protego.' Since then they had been having dueling tournaments that Neville and Hermione had both won three times each, at the news of Neville's success Harry felt a warm feeling spread to his heart and he was proud of himself for teaching the DA and found himself wishing he was teaching it once again. Hermione had told him that they refused to continue the DA lessons unless Harry taught them, in which resulted in Harry's first smile in days.
In Care of Magical Creatures they had been taking care of beautiful creatures called Magorse's, which were related to Unicorns but possessed great quantities of magical powers, they were kind and gentle animals and Hagrid said they were looking after young baby Magorse's until they grew up and had their own baby, which, according to Hagrid would take roughly six months.
Hermione said Charms had been a fun lesson the past week as they were learning to create their very own and unique charms. But it was very complex and would be finished by the end of the month. Hermione's charm was supposedly meant to make you understand every language in the magical world for a short period of time, Harry thought that was a bit complicated and that he would of just stuck with something like a floating charm. Harry found it funny that Ron, Dean and Seamus were all working on charms that were meant to make girls go out with them, which Hermione was totally against, 'I don't see what's so hard about just asking a girl out!'
Harry found himself dreading the day he eventually went back to classes even more now that Hermione had told him all about human transfiguration and how hard it was. Even Hermione was unable to make herself grow a tail, so one time she had attempted to do it in front of Harry and it worked, which caused her to jump around the room and try to get Harry to dance with her. But after she had finally calmed down she realised she had no idea how to remove the tail that was now stuck firmly onto her backside and she had to go find Professor McGonagall to get it removed.
Hermione finally convinced Harry to attempt to come back into the castle and go to lessons after he had spent a week in the room of requirement. But Harry realised how much of a mistake this was and immediately returned to his room because when he went down to breakfast he found that all the Gryffindor's said that they were sorry and that they understood what Harry was going through.
But they had no idea, Harry had a feeling of emptiness he had never felt before. He felt bare- stripped, he couldn't think clearly anymore. The only rational thoughts he had was when Hermione was with him and recently she had been coming to visit him less and less. Now an hour was the maximum she spent with him each day, Harry sometimes thought of asking Ron for company but knew it wouldn't be the same as Hermione's.
Harry needed to escape, he often wanted to go out and roam the school at night, to stretch his legs that longed for something to do, he wanted so desperately to ride his broom and feel the fresh breeze on his face as he soared high above the forbidden forest, he missed being around people.. he missed Lara and the only company apart from Hermione he had was the charm that Professor McGonagall had placed on the table near the couch he slept on one night.
Harry found himself thinking more and more about forcing McGonagall to take him to Lara, he needed to see her so desperately, to hear her laugh, to look into her mysterious blue eyes, to feel her warm touch on his skin. Harry then thought about what Dumbledore had said to him just over a week ago and decided he would find out why, he needed to understand fully why she left. if he wanted her back, he would need to understand.
As he read over the tear-stained letter Lara left him he understood what it must have been like for her, how hard it must have been to run away from what was the only happiness and light she had ever had in her life for eleven years, he decided that the will power she had shown to do that was truly worthy of the name Gryffindor. Harry added more tears to the letter when he again realised she blamed herself for all them people dying, she blamed herself for an unfortunate accident that she had no control over.
It reminded Harry of himself, having no control over who you are.. over what you are. He was marked at the age of one, and he is being forced to play a part in something, whether he liked it or not, but he was not hiding from what he is, from what he must do.
After reading the letter over and over Harry finally understood Lara's reason for leaving, not because she couldn't fit in or because of her 'punishment'. It was because she couldn't bare to loose anyone else to what she is, she couldn't bare to get close to someone and to be happy again and have it stolen in an instant.
With this realization in mind Harry began writing a letter to Lara. He put all his effort into it, barely eating, not sleeping and now he had now been writing it for three whole days and he was finally satisfied with what he had written. But he didn't want to leave his room because there was currently people standing outside, whispering about him. Harry decided that he would wait until the next time Hermione visited him, she now hadn't in the three days he had been writing the letter so he figured she should visit him soon.
Harry paced the room impatiently, seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned to hours and then, finally, there was a soft rapping on the door then it slowly flew open to reveal Hermione.
"Harry!" she exclaimed happily as she ran to Harry and gave him a hug which Harry returned, grateful that she was finally here, "Sorry I haven't been here to visit you but I was so busy with that charm I'm working on."
"It's okay, Hermione. It's so good to see you," Harry admitted as he pulled away from Hermione. Her eyes quickly snapped to the envelope in Harry's hand.
"Harry. that isn't. is it?" Hermione asked, her eyes never leaving the letter Harry had written for Lara, as if she could see through the envelope enclosing it and she was reading it. Harry nodded quickly and at this Hermione shot up and hugged Harry tightly, "I'm so proud of you!"
"We'll." Harry turned serious, "Will you send it to her?"
"Of course I will!" she exclaimed happily as she took the envelope from Harry's hand, "I'm going to go send it now."
"No- Wait!" Harry said as he turned around and ran behind the couch and picked up a package, he returned to Hermione with a big grin on his face, "Send this too." Hermione smiled from ear to ear.
"You really want her back, don't you?"
Harry heard something replay in his head at this, 'In time, Harry, you will realise that understanding ones actions, ones questions, is often more important than the action itself. And only when you truly understand the why, the question, will you truly find an answer.' A smile spread to Harry's lips and he shook his head.
"I just want her to understand, then. its up to her."
*
Lara cursed herself loudly as she scribbled out something she had been writing, "Why cant I concentrate!?" she yelled angrily at herself as she threw her quill down onto her desk, abandoning her work her mom had left for her to finish. But Lara didn't need to be a genius to figure out the answer to that, "Harry." she sighed under her breath as she moved her long hair from her eyes.
Lara stood up from her chair and crossed her bedroom to the door to where her balcony lay, she opened the door slowly and closed her eyes as she stepped out into the cool breeze. The cool, night air felt so good blowing against her face, her long brown hair swaying with the wind. It was raining lightly but Lara loved the rain so she just enjoyed standing there even more.
Slowly, she opened her eyes hesitantly and searched the night sky, looking for something. But just as all the other times Lara had done this she was disappointed, "Still nothing." she told herself. Lara had been coming out onto her balcony often since she had left Harry to search the sky for signs of Hedwig approaching, brining news that everything would be okay and that they would be together soon. But, again she was disappointed, she often thought she should send a letter to him, but she knew he must do it.
Lara often talked to herself about her feelings and her problems, it was a habit she had developed over the past eleven years, a result of having no one else to talk to but her mother and her god-father when they weren't busy looking after other kids. And lately she had been doing it quite frequently, "I wonder what he is doing." she thought out loud as mental pictures of Harry joking and having fun with his friends flew into her mind. She closed her eyes to block out the tears and sighed, "I bet he has already forgotten me."
Without warning, she fell back into the rails of the balcony and started to cry, she slowly slipped down and fell onto her side, her head hanging off the side of the balcony where the rail didn't reach. She looked far below to the ground, she happened to live in a very big house, some would call it a mansion, and Lara hated everything about it, she was sick of it. Most people would be delighted to live in a house like Lara's, but Lara was far from delighted, she hated having to live by herself in this big house where her family barely had time to visit her. Being by herself in the huge house just reminder Lara more and more that she was and always would be exactly that, a big empty void.
Lara slowly picked herself up off the floor and wiped the tears from her eyes. Shaking, she climbed the rail and hauled herself up to the top of it. She looked down the big drop and now, for the first time, she seriously considered doing it- ending it. She had stood here many times over the years, when she was sad and depressed, but every time quickly jumping down, convincing herself that she wasn't thinking straight.
But now she was thinking straight, what was stopping her. It's not like anyone will miss me, she thought. Her mother was too busy looking after other children rather than to notice that Lara needed her at home, Lara needed a motherly figure, someone to help her through her problems. Lara thought of other people she could turn to. her older sister still hated her for her fathers death so she wasn't exactly going to help. She then thought about Dumbledore but quickly remembered that he hadn't visited Lara at home for nearly four months, "No one will even notice I'm gone."
She slowly took one foot of the rail, "Harry." she sighed as remembered him, she put her shaking foot firmly back onto the rail, "But he has forgotten about me!" she yelled at herself as she stuck the foot back into the air, rain now steadily splashing against it as the wind blew Lara's hair into her eyes, "Yes, they will all forget soon enough."
With that said Lara felt tears form in her eyes and she jumped- landing back on the safety of her balcony. She paced the balcony as she thought about what she was going to do. She then walked back into her room, water dripping onto the posh tiled floor of her bedroom and she sat down in the chair she had been sitting in just before and picked up the quill. Only she did not go back to her work, she tore a strip of blank parchment from it and dipped her quill into some ink.
With a trembling hand, she placed the tip of the quill onto the parchment, but found she couldn't write anything, "Come on, Lara, your not backing down now!" she yelled at the quill and she started writing. After several failed attempts at a writing her last words she was finally satisfied with her one word note.
Sorry
*
"You look a lot better, Harry," Dumbledore beamed at Harry as he took a seat on the couch that had been Harry's bed for the past two weeks.
"I feel it," Harry answered awkwardly, this was the first time he had spoken to Dumbledore in weeks. Dumbledore must of sensed how uncomfortable Harry was for he broke the silence that had fallen.
"Tea, perhaps?" Dumbledore suggested, the twinkle in his eye brighter than ever.
"Err.. Yes, one second," Harry answered as he turned to the kitchen to make tea for his headmaster.
"No, Harry- Look."
Harry turned around and found a plate of tea and biscuits sitting on the small table next to the couch, "Oh," he managed, feeling stupid, he had not used magic in two weeks, he didn't even know where his wand was, "You wouldn't happen to know where my wand is, would you Professor?" Harry asked as he took a seat next to Dumbledore.
"Of course, it is. here," Dumbledore said and Harry's wand appeared in Dumbledore's hand, Harry took it gratefully and discovered how much he had missed his wand over the past weeks, he pocketed it and reached for a cup of tea as Dumbledore spoke, "So, Harry, do you think you are ready to return to classes soon?"
Harry nodded his head, "I think so." and with that they both sat there, drinking their cups of teas in silence, "Professor.?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think.do you think that Lara will return?" Harry said quickly, hoping against all hope that Dumbledore would say something extremely well-thought that made perfect sense and provided proof that she would return, as Dumbledore sometimes did.
"I think." Dumbledore started, staring into space, ".that is up to Lara." Harry felt sad at hearing Dumbledore say this, he felt like jumping up and saying 'No duh its up to Lara, but you could of said something better than that!' because Harry had been led to believe that Dumbledore had a solution sitting in his head for everything, this was the first time Harry really looked at Dumbledore as just another person.
"Any news on Voldemort?" Harry asked, hoping there wasn't any. But he had been thinking about Voldemort a little bit lately and needed to know.
"Lots. Since the news was announced about the new Ministry of Magic there have been triple the amount of sitting's, we think he is worried," Dumbledore answered as he peered into Harry's eyes, Harry was lazily stroking the charm on his right arm with his left hand, the warmness of it made him feel better.
"Professor, I remember that you said he would try to posses me again. It's been a long time and he still hasn't. why?"
"It's because of-." Dumbledore kept talking, but Harry didn't hear a word of it, everything around him stopped- As Harry was stroking his charm, enjoying the warm feeling on his skin, he felt it go cold, he looked down quickly and saw that the charm was fading from the bright red into black, "..your-"
"Professor! It's Lara, something's happened!" Harry yelled as he quickly shoved the charm into Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore, to Harry's relief, acted immediately and with a soft whistle there was a bright burst of flame in front of them, it was Fawkes.
"Quick!" Dumbledore exclaimed hastily as he held onto Fawkes, who must of sensed something was wrong as it flew closer to Harry.
"What about McGonagall!?" Harry asked, fear overtaking him.
"There is no time, Harry!" Dumbledore yelled out as Fawkes flew closer.
A desperate Harry took a hold of Fawkes's upper chest and there was a tremendous burst of flame and Harry was tugged upwards at an enormous speed but before Harry got a chance to experience the new feeling he was standing at the doorway of a huge house, rain was falling behind them at an alarming pace.
Dumbledore wasted no time and quickly flicked his wand and the front door flew open as Fawkes flew high above them and over the house. Harry rushed into the house in an urgent daze, "WHERE!?" Harry cried as he looked at the house, there were doorways everywhere with two massive staircases on either side of the hall. Dumbledore peered around, wasting precious time "QUICK!"
"Harry, you go right, I'll check the left and Fawkes is checking the roof," Dumbledore said, trying to be calm once more but Harry could sense the worry in his voice. Harry nodded and took off, "Be careful!" Dumbledore called after him. Harry bolted up the stairs, he was running the fastest he had ever ran in his life and he had no intention of being careful, as long as Lara was safe.
"LARA!" Harry yelled out franticly as he knocked a vase off its stall, it went flying and smashed into the ground in front of him as he bolted through the door to the right and Harry, who wasn't wearing anything on his feet, didn't even notice stepping on it- nothing mattered apart from:
"LARA!" he screamed out as he ran into what looked like a bedroom and Harry knew immediately that this was Lara's room, "LARA!" Harry yelled again, his voice now shaky and full of fear. Harry checked his charm quickly, there was a slight glimmer of red in what was now a black liquid, but it was fading quickly. Harry ran to her bed, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Harry stopped and scanned the room franticly... nothing.
Harry was just about to turn when something caught his eye- fresh ink glowing in the moonlight. He leaped to the desk it lay on and picked up a small piece of parchment- Lara's last words.
"No." Harry whispered to himself as the note slipped out of his hand, it fluttered to the ground with the wind and tears came to Harry's eyes, "NO!" Harry yelled at himself, shaking his head and blocking out the tears, "She wouldn't do that- NO! LARA!!"
Harry ran out onto the balcony, the wind howling and rain splattering around him, the blood from his feet merging with the water and falling off the balcony, "Please no, please no, please no," Harry repeated to himself softly as he slowly made his way to the edge of the balcony, "please no, please no, ple- NOOOO!! LARA!! NOOO!!"
Harry was looking over the edge of the balcony. A lifeless Lara was sprawled on the ground next to a half crushed dark-blue couch, Hedwig was hooting sadly as she brushed her head against Lara's cheek, "LARA!" Harry choked out, shaking uncontrollably.
Without another thought Harry leapt over the rails and he was plunging down. Harry whipped his wand out of his pocket and bellowed, "Reparo!" and the crushed couch returned to it's usual state. Harry just realised that jumping off the balcony wasn't the smartest thing to do and braced himself for the collision.
Harry was about a meter from hitting the couch when he saw Fawkes glide under him and just as Harry was about to hit the phoenix it disappeared in a flash of flame and Harry felt himself being pulled upwards at lightning speeds and then he was standing on the wet, muddy ground as rain splashed all around him. Harry was standing in front of Lara, he dropped to his knees as he heard another flash behind him, Fawkes was gone.
"Lara." Harry whispered sadly as he bent forward and cupped her cold cheeks. Hedwig was hooting softly, trying to tell Harry something as she prodded Harry's charm with her beak, Harry's letter still attached to her leg. Harry looked down at the charm and noticed that there was still some red left in it, "She's alive!" Harry exclaimed as tears of joy came to his eyes and dripped down his shaking face. He felt her cold cheeks and squeezed her hand hard.
Harry, who's wand was still in his shaking right-hand pointed it at the couch that lay just behind Lara and bellowed, "Incendio! and the couch was immediately blazing, her cheeks immediately started to warm up as Harry lifted her upper body of the ground and rested it in his arms, "Come on, Lara! Hang in there!"
There was a flash of flame behind Harry and he turned to see a worried Dumbledore reach and touch Harry's shoulder and before Harry could say anything he heard another quick flash and felt the familiar feeling of being pulled upwards at alarming speeds before feeling solid ground again.
Harry looked around and discovered that he was back at Hogwarts, in the hospital wing and to his relief Lara was still in his arms, Hedwig flying overhead, hooting loudly, "Poppy!" Dumbledore exclaimed urgently and then he turned to a shaking Harry, who didn't know what to do, "Harry, go find Professor McGonagall!"
"No, I want to stay with-" Harry argued as Madam Pomfrey came running into the room.
"There is no time, Harry! Go now," Dumbledore ordered, urgency in his voice. Harry reluctantly got up as Dumbledore flicked his wand and Lara was hovering in mid-air as Madam Pomfrey started checking her immediately and Harry made for the door, "Hurry!" Dumbledore yelled after him and Harry broke into a run.
Harry thundered down the deserted corridor and realised that everyone was in the great hall having tea and he turned right, jumping down stairs three at a time, his heart beating fast. As he ran he checked his charm, it was fading into total darkness now and this spurred Harry on, booming down the corridors at speeds that rivaled his firebolt.
As he approached the great hall he took his wand out of his pocket, he couldn't waste any time and would need to get Professor McGonagall's attention, and only one good thought crept into Harry's mind.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry roared as he stepped into the entrance of the hall, thinking she's going to live! A massive silver stag erupted from the tip of his wand and charged down the Gryffindor table, heads turned at alarming speeds as students leaped out of their seats in fear of the patronus. All the teachers heads turned to Harry.
"POTTER!" Snape bellowed as the stag turned into mist at the teachers table, "COME HERE NOW!"
"STUPEFY!" Harry roared and the spell shot across the hall and hit a shocked Snape in the heart, Harry had a feeling he wouldn't be too happy when someone woke him up. Everyone in the hall watched either Harry or a stunned Snape, looks of fear on their faces. Even the teachers just stood there, obviously thinking Harry was off his rocker. Harry saw fellow DA members reach for their wands but a voice interrupted.
"HARRY POT-" a furious McGonagall started.
"IT'S LARA!" Harry screamed at her, willing her to understand. Professor McGonagall's eyes opened wide at the mention of her daughter and she leapt across the table at speeds you would have thought impossible by her and Harry turned and started to run, motioning her to follow. Curious students started to follow in one big movement but Harry heard Moody lock the great hall behind them so no one could get out.
"What's happened!?" McGonagall yelled at Harry, who was already half a corridor in front of her.
"JUST HURRY TO THE HOSPITAL WING!" was all Harry could yell before he took off down the hall, leaving Professor McGonagall far behind. As Harry bolted up some stairs, his legs barely able to keep up with him, he looked down at his charm and saw that the black colour was slowly turning into a bluish color.
Harry burst into the hospital wing he saw that the curtain was closed around Lara's bed and Dumbledore was talking with Madam Pomfrey in the corner of the room, a grave expression on his face, "NO! She isn't?" Harry choked out.
"She's still in there, just," Dumbledore smiled at Harry, "Thanks to you."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and his legs all of a sudden had feeling again and they burst with pain as he collapsed to the ground, causing Madam Pomfrey to gasp and rush down to Harry, "Oh dear, what have you done now?"
"My- My feet," Harry winced as she gripped one of his feet and shook her head.
"Oh dear, glass is in very deep." she grimaced as Harry remembered stepping onto a vase in his frantic rush to find Lara, "But not to worry, they will be good as new by tomorrow. Now lets just get you into bed and I'll go fetch a potion for that."
Harry shook his head quickly, "No- I'm not leaving Lara."
Madam Pomfrey, knowing there was no persuading Harry simply sighed and muttered, "All right, all right," and she flicked her wand and Harry's feet felt instantly better, though still sore, "But don't go blaming me if you develop an infection!" she warned and left a sore Harry on the ground as she hurried off behind the curtains that covered Lara's bed. Harry picked himself up off the ground as a wheezing Professor McGonagall rushed into the room and saw Dumbledore standing there, though he now looked calm and composed.
"Oh, Albus! Harry here said that." she trailed off as Dumbledore nodded his head slowly and then she rushed towards him, "What happened?! Who did it?! Is she alright?!"
"We have done our best for her, only time will tell, Minerva," Dumbledore replied calmly.
"What happened?" she shot back quickly.
"I was just about to ask Harry that question," Dumbledore said as he peered at Harry through his half-moon glasses. McGonagall turned instantly and rushed over to a shaking Harry, who didn't know weather he should tell the truth or lie.
"Well?"
Harry was about to lie to the two Professors before loud commotion was heard from the hall outside the hospital wing, "Honestly! Does anyone ever let me take care of my patients properly?!" a furious Poppy Pomfrey said as she poked her head out from the curtains, Harry was relieved about the interruption for a second but then when he heard who the voice belonged to he was greatly worried.
"WHERE IS HE!?" Snape bellowed from the hall, "I'LL GET HIM!"
"Severus, think rationally, he didn't mean it," Tonks tried to reason with him as she walked behind Snape as he stormed into the room. Harry's eyes shot wide, he knew Snape wouldn't be happy when he was un-stunned but he didn't think he would be this furious. Harry tried to run but didn't get very far and Snape grinned evilly and boomed, before anyone could stop him.
"STUPEFY!"
*
Harry was awoken by the sound of birds singing playfully in the tree's by the lake and he cautiously opened his eyes, thinking Snape might still be standing there with his wand poised, ready to strike. But when he didn't see anything pointing at him Harry sat upright and looked away from the window from which a bright ray of sunlight was coming through.
Harry quickly looked around the room and discovered that is was deserted and the door was closed, which he was grateful for as he didn't really feel like being poked and prodded by Madam Pomfrey. A small yawn escaped Harry's mouth as he pulled his blanket off of him and hopped out of his bed. He noticed that his foot was fully healed which was good as he didn't want to cause lots of noise limping around the room.
Harry slowly walked over to the curtain surrounding Lara's bed and felt his heart skip a beat when he heard sobbing coming from within. With a trembling hand Harry reached forward and peeled the curtain to the left a bit so he could see Lara. Harry smiled when he realised she was crying happy tears as she read Harry's letter that he had written for her. Harry glanced down at his bracelet and he grinned from ear to ear when he saw that it was now the reddest it had ever looked and was threatening to explode.
Harry turned around to let her finish reading the letter and started to walk back to his bed, "Don't go," he heard Lara's voice say and he turned back around to face Lara who was smiling softly at him with tears dripping from her face. Harry smiled at her as he walked through the curtain. Lara patted the bed and moved over so Harry could lay on it too.
Harry didn't hesitate to join her and soon he was sitting up against the bed-head with each of his legs on either side of Lara, who relaxed into his chest as he put his arms around her, "Why did I do it, Harry?" Lara asked sadly, breaking the peaceful silence, as she bent her neck backwards so she was looking up into Harry's eyes.
"What I want to know," Harry started in a curious voice, "is why you tried to save yourself."
"Hedwig," Lara beamed happily at him.
"Hedwig saved you? How?"
"Well, I had been checking the skies for signs of letters from you since I left and when I checked last night I got depressed and thought that you had probably forgotten me-"
"Forgotten you? I couldn't stop thinking of you! I had been living in the room of requirement since you left, sleeping on the couch you left when- " Harry started, desperate to make her understand.
"Shhhhh." Lara cooed softly as she reached up and caressed Harry's cheek, "I know, I talked with my mother and Dumbledore earlier, they told me everything," she smiled warmly at Harry and continued softly, "But I thought I told you to move on with you life Harry. not to act like the world had come to an end."
"And I thought," Harry started seriously, "that you said you didn't deserve me. so I guess we both made mistakes." Lara smiled up at Harry as tears streaked down her face and she was again biting her bottom lip in that cute way that Harry had missed so much over the past weeks, "Well, you thought I had forgotten you."
".well I thought you had forgotten me and then. you know. but just as I jumped I saw Hedwig come into view and I immediately realised how stupid I had been so I transfigured a rose-bush into the couch but it wasn't fully transfigured by the time I hit."
Harry held Lara tight, knowing how hard that must have been to say, "I think we could find Hedwig a nice little love bird after that," Harry smiled down at Lara, who nodded happily, "Lara?"
"Mmmmm?"
"Your going to stay at Hogwarts, right? Your not going to leave again are you?"
"As long as you, Mr Potter, don't leave my side," she said seriously, peering into Harry's green eyes.
"Not for anything," Harry smiled at her as he squeezed her, peering back into her blue eyes, "We're in this together."
"Promise?" she asked as she bit her bottom lip again.
"Promise," Harry told her reassuringly and she smiled and jumped out of the bed tugging energetically on his hand. Harry laughed, "What?"
"We need to go shopping!"
"For what?"
"I need new robes, I broke my wand in the fall, We need to get." Lara continued happily but it was all one big drawl to Harry.
"Okay, okay! I get the picture," Harry sighed and rolled his eyes as he got up from the bed, Lara tugging on his arm, "We need to go over the fine print of that promise, because I don't think shopping was part of it-" Harry laughed as he ducked out of the way of Lara's hand aimed for his head.