Chapter 3: Empathy (Hermione)
We were on a beach. Ron had an Unconcious Charles on his back, and was comforting me. Harry was holding a dead Dobby, and Luna was comforting him. "I want to bury him, the right way, no magic" As Harry was mourning everyone injured was rushed inside. Ron led me up to a room that Bill & Fleur ,who were living at Shell Cottage, supplied. I slept for a couple of hours, and then awoke to see Ron watching me sleep. "Awake, are we?" he said in a sweet voice. "Yeah" I said, slightly half-asleep. "What happened with Charles?" I said, remembering the adorable kid I met last year in Fred & George's shop. "He was tortured by Bellatrix" Ron said sadly. Trying to think of how any human being could torture a Twelve year-old, a single tear fell from my eye and hit my pillow. "I know" Ron said "He's too bloody young to be a part of all this". I thought for a minute and said "I'm going to go visit him" as I got up and walked out of the room. I went down to the kitchen, where Fleur was preparing dinner, "Which room is Charles'?" I asked, she then led me to a room with a small, square doorknob. I knocked on the door and heard a struggled "Come in" I opened the door to see Charles, who had messy light blonde hair, gray eyes, and a chiseled chin, in his pajamas, sitting with his legs crossed on the windowsill, looking out the window and stroking the small, blue PygmyPuff he bought the day I met him. "What's his name?" I asked as I sat down next to him. "Leonardo" he said in a broken voice that was usually dreamy and full of haze. He looked at me and forced a smile, his eyes, which usually had a faint twinkle, looked hopeless and full of pain. He looked away and back out towards the ocean. "Can I see him?" I asked politely. He said nothing but instead quickly handed me the small, round creature. I stroked its blue hair and looked into its light blue eyes then slowly handed it back to him. "How did you get him here?" I asked. "I snuck him into my pocket before they captured us" he said in a depressed tone. "That was brave" I said in an admirable tone, "Thanks" he said, his voice full of angst. "I just knew he would die unless I brought him" he said in a nervous, sad voice. I desperately wanted to talk about the subject of torture and try to cheer him up, but I knew it wasn't time. I left the room, knowing he wanted to be alone.
At dinnertime, when Charles was still in his room, Luna asked me if she would help me bring him a plate. "Sure" I said while I scooped some food onto a plate and poured a glass of pumpkin juice. I carried the food up the stairs, and Luna knocked on the door. "Who is it" he said "Luna and Hermione" Luna chimed. "Come in" he said. He was still sitting on the windowsill looking out the window. "We brought you some food" I said in a motherly tone. "No thanks" he said in a depressed voice, "Charles, please, you haven't eaten all day!" Luna begged "No" he repeated. "It's for your own good" I said in the same motherly tone. "Fine" he said, slightly mad, I walked over to him and set down the plate and the glass. He picked up the fork and struggled with the steak, "Here, let me help you" I said as I grabbed his knife and fork and cut the steak for him. He then quickly ate everything on the plate and drank the pumpkin juice in one go. "Do you want some more?" Luna said dreamily, "No" he said quickly, "Ok" she said in an upset voice.
When we were out of the room I asked her why Charles only seems to open up to me, "He's told me you remind him of our dead mother" Luna said in a nervous tone. "Oh" I said "I'm sorry for your loss", she looked me in the eyes and said "It's okay, it was much worse for Charles since he was only five when she died.", the thought of this made me even sadder.