Confused Paths
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the plot (is there a plot here?) and the OCs. Don't sue me, JKR; I'm poor and I don't have any money.
Chapter 16 - Second Morning (Part II)
"Potter," Malfoy said, "I know you have a score to settle with both of them, but unfortunately, you will have to leave one of them to me. I'd rather kill the Lestrange bitch, but I can let you choose," he added, and looked at Harry. Lestrange laughed heartily, but Wormtail was taken aback.
"I see you did not inherited your father's politeness, little dragon," she said, mockingly, "but if you have at least his skill with women, I am sure you can still be useful. I remember all the good nights your father has provided me with…"
"Shut the fuck up!" Draco screamed, sending a black curse towards the Death Eater, who avoided it. "Losing our mind, little dragon?" Bellatrix asked, still mockingly. "I suppose you do not like to hear your mother was not the only one, is it not?"
Harry saw Draco was trembling in anger. Bellatrix's words explained a lot more about Draco's reasons to betray Voldemort, and Harry supposed Draco wanted to avenge his mother. He looked at Wormtail, the one who killed his parents, and understood how Draco felt at that time. As much as he wanted to avenge Sirius, his parents came first.
"She's all yours, Malfoy," Harry said, pointing his wand at Wormtail. "I have to avenge my parents too," he added, and shot a Stunning Charm at the Death Eater.
Like Malfoy said, Wormtail wasn't a real threat; his curses were weak and bad-aimed. Harry was amazed that someone like that managed to become an animagus. On the other hand, Bellatrix was an amazing dueller, and Draco was clearly losing it. Harry had managed to disarm and stun Wormtail, and was about to throw a Binding Charm upon him, when he saw Draco being hit by a strange black curse, and falling to the ground. Bellatrix automatically turned to Harry.
"Like I was saying before," she began, with the sarcasm still dripping from her voice, "Little dragon here had none of his father's talents. A real pity, I think… I see that Wormtail was not much different. So, this is between me and you again, Potty." She let out a laugh after her words. Harry increased his grip on his wand. He had taken Wormtail down, and was going to avenge his parents, throwing him on Azkaban; now it was time to avenge Sirius.
"I suppose you are still mad at me because I killed your loved godfather, is it not, Potty? I must say I am sorry… You can understand that I would let someone like him ruin the family name. But hey, it was good, was it not? I suppose that now you have already learned how to cast a proper unforgivable," Bellatrix said, and let out a hollow laughter. "Come one Potty, give a try. I think I told you how to do it last year… You have to mean it."
Harry's anger rose quickly, and he really thought about casting an Unforgivable again. He wasn't sure he could do it, but hearing Bellatrix talk like that about Sirius made him want it. He raised his wand and pointed at her. Bellatrix smiled gleefully. "Go on, Potty. Just say it," she coaxed him on.
"Harry, no!" He heard a voice screaming, and turned to see it was Hermione. "Sirius would not want you to go down to that level, Harry. You do not need to do it," Hermione said. Harry saw her eyes had some unshed tears on them. She was right. 'She is always right, and you know that,' his conscience spoke. Harry looked back at the Death Eater in front of him. "She is right, you know," he said calmly. "I do not need to go down to your level. I would be no better than you."
Bellatrix smiled slightly. "So, you think you are above everyone else, Potty? Why don't you show me, then? Avada Kedavra!" The Death Eater screamed, and the green beam of light floated towards Harry. He ducked to the side, and was expecting the beam to pass by him, but it didn't happen.
The beam hit something. Or better, someone.
Wormtail. He had thrown himself in front of the curse, and received the jet of light directly on the chest. His body fell to the ground, lifeless. Bellatrix seemed surprised for a small moment; then, she suddenly laughed once again. "Life can take strange turns, Potty. The man who killed your parents died to save you, just like the Dark Lord said he would… Useless fool," she said, and spat on Wormtail's body. "And you are still alive. I suppose. The prophecy was right, then. I am not the one who will have the pleasure to kill you, Potty," the Death Eater added. Harry's eyes widened. She knew of the prophecy already.
"Yes, I know of the prophecy, Potty," she continued, seeing the look on Harry's face. "Your mudblood girlfriend there is quite resistant; I could get nothing from her mind… They are making stronger mudbloods these days. Interestingly, I had to learn it from the blonde; blood traitors must get weaker with the passing of the time," she said, pointing at Luna, who was tied unconscious to a tree. Harry hadn't told Luna about the prophecy; he supposed Ron did it. Harry saw Hermione looking at him pointedly, like she was saying, "Do not be mad at her". Harry shook his head.
"What a sweet exchange," Bellatrix said. "Unfortunately, I do not have any more time to waste. I have already got what I needed, and I presume the stupid kids are not coming back, so, it is time for the last act." With a swift move, she pointed her wand to Hermione. "Say goodbye to the mudblood, Potty… Avada Kedavra!" She screamed, at the same time Harry shouted "Expelliarmus!" Bellatrix's wand flew from her hand, but the green beam of light had already been discharged. Harry's breathing stopped. He was going to lose one more person he loved.
The beam didn't hit Hermione, though. In the middle of its course, a small white bird appeared, and it was hit by the curse. Harry sighed in relief; that was all the time Bellatrix needed to catch his wand and disapparate. Harry couldn't care less at that time. Hermione was alive, and that's what mattered to him. He walked to her, and undid her bindings. He hugged her tightly, and then whispered on her hair, "Thank Merlin you are still alive, I do not know what I would do if you had died. It would have been my fault and…"
"Harry," she said softly, "It is okay. I am alive, and that is what matters now. It was not your fault. I was the one that was caught by the Slytherins after the Quidditch game." Harry shook his head. "They would not have come after you if you were not my friend. She would not have thrown the curse at you if you were not my girlfriend, and…"
"Harry, I was the one that chose it, remember? The day you told me you loved me… You said you wanted me to decide if I would stay with you or not, and I chose to stay. I knew of all the risks involved. And I assure you that I never regretted it, not a single time," she replied, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Look… We need to take the others to the castle. Luna, Ginny and Neville received several Cruciatus, while Bellatrix was trying to read the minds. I suppose Malfoy needs to be taken there, too." Harry nodded, and saw that Hermione's eyes were focused on the white bird on the ground.
"It is the Garniers' owl," she said, coming a bit closer. "The one who delivered our Christmas gift, remember? A white owl, like Hedwig, but smaller." Harry nodded. "The Garniers are here on the forest too. They stayed back there with Ron, to duel the Slytherins. Malfoy and I went ahead to find you. Malfoy said he knew the way to get here," he said. Hermione shot him a questioning look. "Malfoy said his mother did not want him to be a Death Eater. So, he decided to hear her advice and helped us to get here," Harry said, answering Hermione's silent question. She nodded, and then took the small owl from the floor. "I suppose the Garniers' will be a bit sad for their owl. White owls are very rare, and this one seems very smart. I wonder what it was doing here."
"That is not an owl," they heard Johan's voice saying, walking into the clearing. The black boy was walking with difficulty, using Ron as support. He was full of bruises and had at least four bleeding wounds. Ron was wounded too, but not to that extent. "I suppose you can figure that out, Hermione," Johan added, with a gloomy expression. Hermione's eyes sudden widened in shock. "Johan, it can not be…" The black boy nodded.
"Hermione, what is the problem?" Harry asked. Before she could say it, Johan motioned for Hermione to lay the owl back on the ground. Hermione complied. Then, Johan pointed his wand at it, and a bluish jet of light sprung from his wand. Harry saw the owl's body grow, until it took the shape of Rafaelle's lifeless body.
It was now Harry's turn to be shocked. Johan hugged his sister's body, and then caressed her face. Johan was whispering something that sounded like a prayer, when he was finished, he got up, and then looked at the trio. His face showed a deep sorrow; he had unshed tears in his eyes, maybe because the tears could not express everything. Without a word, Johan pointed his wand at himself and muttered, "Avada…"
Ron slapped Johan's wand hand before he could finish the curse.
"What in the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" The red-haired asked. "Do you think killing yourself will bring your sister back again?" Ron continued, under the surprised stares of Harry and Hermione. "She was not my sister," Johan said calmly. "He was much more than that. Rafaelle was my strength, my confidence, and my very own life. She was my lover, Ron."
Harry noticed Hermione didn't seem much surprised. "Did you know that?" He asked her. "I had my suspicions," she answered, "as I had my suspicions they were animagi, too. I suppose you are Rafaelle's cat, is it not?"
Johan nodded, and changed into the small black cat Harry had stepped one day in Hogsmeade. Then, he changed back. "You are a lot smarter than you seem, Hermione. I thought me and Rafaelle had done a great job in hiding the animagi part."
"You did," Hermione answered, "except that you should not call her by her animal name when she is in human form." Johan scratched his hair, "Rafaelle would always tell me you had noticed that, and I would always say you did not. I suppose I underestimated you. Anyway, I think we need to explain everything to those two." Harry and Ron, who had been partially out of the conversation, just nodded quietly.
"Have you told Ron about my true story?" Johan asked. Harry and Hermione shook their heads, and Ron frowned at them. "Sorry mate," Harry said, "But Dumbledore asked us not to, and I suppose this is Johan's secret to tell. Or should I say, Ernest's." Johan nodded, and then repeated to Ron his story, since he met Rafaelle until they had joined Hogwarts.
"Well, when Rafaelle and I left our home to receive our magical training, our mother was not very happy. In fact, she was mad at us, and banished us from home. So, me and Rafaelle started living by our own, and it gradually grew into something else. Four years after we met each other, we finally decided to accept our feelings and became lovers. We did not show it in Hogwarts because it would blow our cover. Of course, there were some people who realized it. Like your sister, for example," he said, pointing at Ron.
"The animagus abilities are a little weird to explain. You see, we had that affinity with wandless magic, and when we joined the Wizarding World, we heard that changing into an animal was something very difficult to achieve. So, we decided to focus ourselves into it, to prove we were able to be as good as everyone else, even if we have a handicap. We studied lots of Transfiguration, and lots of Magical Creatures too. In the end, we decided to change into normal animals, a cat and an owl, because they were easier to hide while we were at school. Two months before we joined Hogwarts, we were finally able to do it."
"We did not know you needed to register at the Ministry, so we kept this a secret between us. When I received the letter from Voldemort, we decided to tell Dumbledore about it. That was what I needed to talk to him, on the day you heard my true story. Dumbledore just said that he was aware of it already. Fortunately, he did not ask us to register. Voldemort's interest on us could raise a lot if he knew about that." He smiled, mirthless, and looked at Hermione.
"How did you find out, Hermione?" He asked. "Hmm… First, I heard McGonagall praise you about your Transfiguration skills. She rarely praises someone, and well, we are studying Human Transfiguration, which is quite difficult to anyone who is not an animagus. Second, you said once that you really like Magical Creatures. Third, you are able to perform controlled wandless magic, even if it is just weak magic. Fourth, I heard you calling Rafaelle "angel", which happens to be your owl's name… And last, you were never seen with her cat, neither she was ever seen with your owl."
"Bloody hell," Ron said. "How did I never realize that?"
"You are dense, mate, remember that," Harry said, playfully. "Look who is talking," Ron retorted. Hermione cleared her throat. "Now that everything is explained, I think we need to go back to the castle… Johan, Malfoy, Luna, Ginny and Neville need to go to the hospital wing, and Rafaelle deserves a proper burial." Everyone was silent for a while, then they looked at each other, and nodded quietly in understanding.
A/N: I couldn't continue after this. Yeah, this will not be the last chapter. I will make for it, of course: I'll be posting next chapter tomorrow… Damn, the story won't let me finish it! Anyway... This chapter really sucked. I didn't like it. And this was the third version of it, for crying out loud. Curse the writer's block, and curse the writer's lack of competence.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, you guys rock.
As a special treat, here's Johan's prayer to Rafaelle. It is the translation of a song of a Japanese band called Malice Mizer. The title of the song is "Syunikiss ~Nidome no Aitou~", which translates as "Syunikiss ~Second Mourning~". I just changed the "mourning" into "morning" and it gave me the title of the chapter, too.
Ah... the words of my cry at the last moment of your life
Are the repeating words of your continuous soliloquy
Has the prayer arrived... as in memory you exist before my eyes
Ah... the last words that nobody ought to know
Are the repeating words of your continuous soliloquy
Rushing with you within my embrace
Tracing against your cheeks with my trembling fingers
Ah... to the lord dwelling in the sky that granted my wish
Grant my wish once again... "Return her heart to her"
Gazing at the sky with frozen pupils
As if knowing the rightful place to return
Ah... to the lord dwelling in the sky that granted my wish
Grant my wish once again... "Return her heart to her"
Ah... to the lord dwelling in the sky that granted my wish
Grant my last wish... "Lay her into sleep of peace"
Cold fingers tracing the track of tears
In a trembling voice "Return to the sky" continuously repeats
Next chapter: Epilogue.