Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize as J.K. Rowling's brilliant work. I own my stuff, though. YAY!!! And I don't own "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. They rock!
Thanx to my reviewers!
BURN THE RUM: Sorry about the song thing. Yeah, I choose strange songs, but hey, the story's good, right? Yeah, it is sad about Mel. This chapter has a LOT to do with that, actually.
Indiangurl: Wow, that IS a good idea. But, it's too late to put it in the story. Really impressive idea, though. Thank you so much for reading!
How dare you say that my behavior's unacceptable?
So condescending unnecessarily critical
I have a tendency of getting very physical
So watch your step 'cause if I do you'll need a miracle
You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here
This Double Vision I was seeing is finally clear
You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone
Not fit to tread the ground that I am walking on
When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there, 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
"Just as soon as we get to an empty classroom…"
What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head
You should know better you never listened to a word I said
Clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat
Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did
When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there, 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there, 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
"Found one! Follow me."
Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it's me that has all the control
Does it thrill
Does it sting
When you feel what I bring
And you wish that you had me to hold
When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there, 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there, 'cause it's getting harder and harder to breatheMelissa rushed into the nearest empty classroom and locked the door shut. She seemed to be very anxious, but Harry couldn't tell what was so important.
"Mel, what are you-"
"Tell me everything." Her eyes gleamed. Almost as if only sadness and rage dealt within her. She even looked a little desperate.
"What do you mean by 'everything'?"
"You know exactly what I mean. You were just talking about it. Please, I need to know."
A thought suddenly struck Harry. He had heard footsteps running away after he had yelled at Ron and Hermione. Mel must've heard. He needed to tell…
"You know about Peter, don't you?" Harry's eyes dropped to the floor. He felt ashamed. He was about to tell Melissa how her love was killed. And in truth, it hadn't been all Peter's fault…
"Of course I know! He threatened me! Why do you think I was in the hospital wing that one time? I didn't just faint from the heat, you know. I heard him talking about Voldemort." Her fists clenched. "Voldemort's already done horrible things in our time…he…he killed my parents."
Harry watched the color slowly drain from Mel's face.
"I've been breaking bit by bit each time I think of what you said to Ron and Hermione. My parents were Aurors. They were the best. Then they just…left. It was like they were never really there in the first place. It all happened so quickly."
Harry sighed. He knew what he had to do. But even if he told Mel, she still would not be allowed to say anything to his parents or Sirius. Maybe it wasn't worth it…or maybe it was worth everything.
"Alright, I'll tell you." Harry took a deep breath and began. "When my parents became Aurors, they fought Voldemort and defied him three times. Soon they were forced into hiding at Godric's Hollow. Sirius was their secret-keeper, but he persuaded them to change to Peter because he thought they could trick Voldemort. But they didn't know that Peter was a Death Eater. He told Voldemort where my parents were. Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to…to kill me. I was just a baby. My dad told my mum to take me and run for it while he fought the Dark Lord off. He didn't make it. Then Voldemort told my mum to-"
"Lily…"
"Y-yes. He told her to step aside, but she begged him to kill her instead of me, so he did. But she had placed an ancient magic on me that even Voldemort couldn't withstand. He fell into a shadow-like state, only half living. Then he met me as I came to Hogwarts. I have defeated him four times since. Sirius was thrown into Azkaban because he was framed for killing muggles and wizards. Peter faked his own death so Sirius would not be able to tell."
Mel's face was flushed. She was shaking, clearly trying to make sense of it all. "How did it happen?" she whispered softly.
Harry turned his head away, ashamed of his tears. But he soon found his voice.
"Sirius escaped from Azkaban three years ago. He went into hiding, only going out in public as his animagus form: a great black dog. The Ministry of Magic went crazy looking for him. Soon he found me and I learned the truth about him, Peter, and Lupin. Well, we managed to help Sirius escape from the Ministry, and he soon fell back into hiding. Later when the Order of the Phoenix-"
"The what?"
"You'll find out soon enough. When the Order of the Phoenix was formed again, he was forced to stay at his childhood house, for fear of being caught by the Ministry. Voldemort began using me to get his weapon. He possessed me and controlled my mind. He tricked me into thinking Sirius was being tortured at the Department of Mysteries. I was a fool and believed it. I discovered that it was all a trick when I got there, but it was too late. Sirius, Lupin, and the rest of the Order had come to save my friends and me. Sirius was trying to protect me when…when Bellatrix Lestrange k-killed him. He was thrown behind this black mesmerizing veil. He…he didn't come out, no matter how much I screamed. I know now that he couldn't."
Melissa stared blankly at Harry. Soon she started to develop an angered look on her face. Hot tears glistened from her eyes and fell down her cheeks.
"Damn him," she said sharply. She screamed in rage and flung a desk over with her hands. She began to pace up and down the room. "That son of a…"
Harry watched as she slowly stopped her pacing in anger.
"This is awful," she said. "You weren't allowed to tell them were you?"
Harry shook his head.
"This means that I sure can't. It's killing me. James is going to die. Lily, my best friend, going to die. Sirius is going to be killed. How the bloody hell did it turn out like this? Remus is going to be all alone. Everyone he loved will be taken by someone he thought he could trust. I was friends with him before I was with Sirius. It'll kill him, Harry, especially after he lost…"
But she quickly stopped herself. It was not good to go telling her friend's secrets. Painful secrets….A thought suddenly occurred to Mel.
"You never knew who I was did you? I was never around while you were alive, was I? Not even with Sirius?"
"N-no," said Harry. He knew that this was not a good sign.
"That means something must've happened to me too. But no, I can't say anything. I'm just going to have to sit and keep my mouth shut."
Harry leaned in and said in a near whisper, "Melissa, it's…my fault Sirius died. It was my stupidity that led him to the Department of Mysteries."
Mel looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. "No, Harry, I would've done the same thing. Anyone who cared for Sirius would have." She paused. "I think it's best that we get back to the common room. Everyone probably thinks we ran into a troll or something."
And with that, she got up, wiped away her tears, and walked briskly back to Gryffindor Tower.