I'm so sorry I haven't updated for a bit-got too caught up in christmas :D (Hope you guys had a nice christmas and a Happy New Year too!) . I had a feeling I was trying to hard to make the last chapter longer than the first two. So I'm gonna churn out this next chapter as long as it wants to be. Sorry if that's too short
or inadequate for some people.Anyway, thanks again for your lovely reviews!And here's the next chapter:-oh,sry BTW,italics are either letters,articles or book names, ok:-
Chapter 4
Harry looked at it for a few minutes, then hurriedly covered it up with a blanket, trying to forget about it.
"Er -Hermione, what's that you're reading?" He asked.
She looked up, irritated at being disturbed.
"A book,"She said shortly, disappearing behind the leather bound volume again.
"Yeah,but what book? They've closed down Hogwarts,Hermione.There's no need to read anything anymore."Ron replied with a grin,as though the thought of never having to reda again was too blissful to sum up in words.
"If you must know, it's Theories of Levitation."Hermione barely took her eyes off the page, except to give Ron a disdainful look.
"Oh right.Like that explains anything."Ron added in an undertone.
There was silence for a moment,except for the soft noise as Hermione turned a page.Harry began to feel worse,wishing they'd speak again,something,anything to distract him from the dark thoughts preying on his mind.Then-
Hermione gave Ron a significant look, and he nodded his head like he'd just remembered something.
"Er...Have you been getting the Prophet lately?"Hermione asked gently,almost as if she thought Harry was about to explode like a bomb.
"No,I cancelled my order,"Harry lied.
"Well...they've been printing some stuff...stuff about Dumbledore."Hermione continued,looking teary-eyed again.
Harry shrugged,like they were talking about the weather.As a matter of fact he had seen the articles,but it was one particular article that had upset him.
"We..erm..thought you might wanna see this."Ron mumbled, pushing a cut out towards Harry, who's heart missed a beat.He recognized the headline immediately:
Mysterious Deaths at Hogwarts
After the tragic death of possibly the greatest wizard this world has ever seen,investigations are currently underway at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Although we have no confirmed evidence of this,many people claim that it was Severus Snape,Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher,who ended Albus Dumbledore's life.Some evidence proves that he is innocent,as he may have been under the affects of the Imperius Curse:'We have done a thorough check of the building,and have found no traces of any spells cast (excluding the Avada Kedavra) that were cast at the scene.'Said one Department of Magical Law Enforcement representative.However,there were more bodies found at the scene(cont. pg 15)
Harry was boiling with anger.They had an eyewitness and yet still they believed that Snape might still be innocent.He remembered how he had reacted when he had first read the article at Privet Drive. He had got in serious trouble when the Dursleys got home and found him in his room with ripped and torn pages of Advanced Potion Making littered around the floor like snow.
Nobody said anything for a moment.Hermione was crying silently in the corner-the article had provoked her into thinking about the night of Dumbledore's death.Ron awkwardly patted her on the shoulder and she hung onto his arm desperately.Harry sat,motionless.Somehow watching Ron and Hermione like this made him feel like he was intruding upon them,like he didn't belong here anymore.Harry thought briefly about him and Ginny-if he wasn't the Chosen One,they'd still have been going out.Would he have been sat here with Ron and Hermione, or would he have been with Ginny?Or would they have all been sat together?
Harry suddenly had a terrible thought.If he hadn't been the Chosen One,Dumbledore wouldn't have taken him out to find the Horcrux,and so he wouldn't have had anyone to feed him the potion.If he hadn't taken the potion,Harry was sure he could have got away somehow.
It was all his fault.
Turning away as if he was suddenly interested in the wallpaper,Harry fought to hold back tears while a little voice in the back of his head whispered,it's all your fault that Dumbledore died,you as good as murdered him!
Harry couldn't do it anymore,the voice was growing louder and louder until it was screaming.
Tears fell on to the cut-out in Harry's hand,smudging the ink until the only ledgible words were 'Albus Dumbledore'.
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I'm sorry this was short.I just needed to get the point across about Harry thinking it was all his fault,and I thought if I made it longer it'd seem stretched.
One last thing-you don't know how nice all your reviews have been! It's easier to write when you've got nice reviewers!
lol,flattery gets you nowhere.Ah,at least I tried.Keep the reviews coming please!
