Children of Forever XXI:
.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked as he frowned upon Ian's answer. The rest of the occupants of the room had the same thing in mind. Everyone except Alex, Shiva and Cho.
Minerva looked expectantly at Alex who wouldn't even meet her gaze. Even though they were just engaged, there were some things that Alex was reluctant to discuss to her. And she knew that.
When Ginny looked at Shiva, she saw the look of pain in her eyes as the blue haired woman followed Ian with her gaze.
"Shiva?" Ginny called her tentatively. It was like she was afraid of what the woman would say.
Her eyes told Ginny the pain that Ian experienced and the agony he endured. And when Ginny's eyes met Cho's, she knew that the Ravenclaw knew it as well.
"There was a time when he could take on the whole world and won," Dumbledore said solemnly as he stood from his chair and walked towards Fawkes.
"Is there something we should know about him?" Harry asked curiously. "Why is he so opposed to the idea of catching Pettigrew?"
"A lot of factors," Alex sighed as he looked at the boy-who-lived. "Starting with the fact that he's using Voldemort's remains as a substitute for his severed limbs making him more powerful than before."
"We can handle it," Ron bragged earning him a severe glare from Alex.
"That kind of attitude was my downfall all those years ago," he said in a threatening voice that made the occupants of the entire room shiver.
"As I remember, the cause of your downfall was the fact that you have no other places to conquer," Shiva said lightly making Alex relax a bit.
"But did I made the mistake of being over confident?" he asked. "I carefully studied my enemy before I made my move and BEFORE I declare it a risk to strike. When we had won ONLY THEN did we feel cocky." All was silent, including Ron, after he spoke.
"Why did he think that we would not be successful?" Hermione asked, gently this time. It was Cho who supplied the answer.
"Because the last time he took on the dark forces, he lost his sight."
"No, Darling," Shiva stood as she walked towards the door. "The last time he fought the dark forces, he lost everything."
.
Even as the silencing spells have been erected, Ian could still hear them talk. He didn't want their pity nor their help. He didn't want any of them to get hurt.
He didn't want them to get killed.
For this is one mission he does not expect to survive.
Entering his room, he immediately found his pistols and checked its load.
"You can't expect to fight them all by yourself," Cho's sudden voice surprised him, he nearly drew his gun and fire upon her. How did she get behind him was a mystery he ignored.
"I did once before," he said calmly and coldly. However, she ignored his stoic remark and leaned on the doorframe.
"And look what happened," Cho sighed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he holstered his pistols.
"Hoping that I can change your mind," she said softly as she sat on his bed.
"My mind will not be swayed," he said with certainty. This annoyed the Ravenclaw immensely. He was even more stubborn than Harry. She didn't know if that was possible but it was.
"You cannot do this alone," she all but pleaded. Yet Ian merely looked at her with his hindered eyes and studied her with scrutiny.
"You cannot help me," he said finally as he sat next to her.
"I can try," she said as she held his hand. "Let me try."
"No," he took his hand away from hers and stood. "What I will face will be far more horrible than what you had ever seen. And death always await those foolish enough to oppose them."
"I don't care," Cho suddenly sat up and glared at him.
"I do," Ian smiled at her serenely and looked at the window. Following his gaze, Cho saw nothing but the bright day but when she looked back to him, he was no longer there.
"I'm not giving up on this Ian," she swore as she smiled. "I'm not giving up on you."
.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked as he frowned upon Ian's answer. The rest of the occupants of the room had the same thing in mind. Everyone except Alex, Shiva and Cho.
Minerva looked expectantly at Alex who wouldn't even meet her gaze. Even though they were just engaged, there were some things that Alex was reluctant to discuss to her. And she knew that.
When Ginny looked at Shiva, she saw the look of pain in her eyes as the blue haired woman followed Ian with her gaze.
"Shiva?" Ginny called her tentatively. It was like she was afraid of what the woman would say.
Her eyes told Ginny the pain that Ian experienced and the agony he endured. And when Ginny's eyes met Cho's, she knew that the Ravenclaw knew it as well.
"There was a time when he could take on the whole world and won," Dumbledore said solemnly as he stood from his chair and walked towards Fawkes.
"Is there something we should know about him?" Harry asked curiously. "Why is he so opposed to the idea of catching Pettigrew?"
"A lot of factors," Alex sighed as he looked at the boy-who-lived. "Starting with the fact that he's using Voldemort's remains as a substitute for his severed limbs making him more powerful than before."
"We can handle it," Ron bragged earning him a severe glare from Alex.
"That kind of attitude was my downfall all those years ago," he said in a threatening voice that made the occupants of the entire room shiver.
"As I remember, the cause of your downfall was the fact that you have no other places to conquer," Shiva said lightly making Alex relax a bit.
"But did I made the mistake of being over confident?" he asked. "I carefully studied my enemy before I made my move and BEFORE I declare it a risk to strike. When we had won ONLY THEN did we feel cocky." All was silent, including Ron, after he spoke.
"Why did he think that we would not be successful?" Hermione asked, gently this time. It was Cho who supplied the answer.
"Because the last time he took on the dark forces, he lost his sight."
"No, Darling," Shiva stood as she walked towards the door. "The last time he fought the dark forces, he lost everything."
.
Even as the silencing spells have been erected, Ian could still hear them talk. He didn't want their pity nor their help. He didn't want any of them to get hurt.
He didn't want them to get killed.
For this is one mission he does not expect to survive.
Entering his room, he immediately found his pistols and checked its load.
"You can't expect to fight them all by yourself," Cho's sudden voice surprised him, he nearly drew his gun and fire upon her. How did she get behind him was a mystery he ignored.
"I did once before," he said calmly and coldly. However, she ignored his stoic remark and leaned on the doorframe.
"And look what happened," Cho sighed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he holstered his pistols.
"Hoping that I can change your mind," she said softly as she sat on his bed.
"My mind will not be swayed," he said with certainty. This annoyed the Ravenclaw immensely. He was even more stubborn than Harry. She didn't know if that was possible but it was.
"You cannot do this alone," she all but pleaded. Yet Ian merely looked at her with his hindered eyes and studied her with scrutiny.
"You cannot help me," he said finally as he sat next to her.
"I can try," she said as she held his hand. "Let me try."
"No," he took his hand away from hers and stood. "What I will face will be far more horrible than what you had ever seen. And death always await those foolish enough to oppose them."
"I don't care," Cho suddenly sat up and glared at him.
"I do," Ian smiled at her serenely and looked at the window. Following his gaze, Cho saw nothing but the bright day but when she looked back to him, he was no longer there.
"I'm not giving up on this Ian," she swore as she smiled. "I'm not giving up on you."