The flat was a large one for three university students, courtesy of the affluence of both Daniel's and Laura's parents. The flat had three private bedrooms, and in addition to the lounge and kitchen, a library and study room with ample space for their books as well as each of their instruments.
The past evening stood witness to not three, but eleven adults in that space. The three single women shared Laura's bedroom. Often used to spending the night together, staying in one or the other's room and talking late into the night, Laura and Caterina found that the addition of a third dulled their conversations; on the other hand Sarah discovered their newfound confidentiality bolstered her confidence.
Daniel offered to share his room with Paddy, Fred, and George. Herman and Harriet spent the night in Caterina's room, and the remaining two spent the night in the library. All told, it was an amicable arrangement, and would have been perfect except for the loud snores emanating from within Daniel's room.
The three women awoke first, Caterina before the other two, though Sarah followed her almost immediately.
"Go back to sleep," Caterina whispered to her house guest,
"Can't, I've been a light sleeper far too long. Can I help in the kitchen?"
"No, it won't take much labour. But I would like the company," she said, smiling.
Slowly, the others crawled from their rooms, a couple of the men looking the worst for wear due to their excessive wine consumption from the previous night.
Caterina and Sarah silently watched as Harriet disappeared into the toilet, her pregnancy obvious. "So, this is their first? I would think a couple such as they would have many children. He is so dedicated to her."
Sarah held her stomach, and nodded, "Their first, from what I know. They lost some early on."
"So sad and so terrible. How did it happen?"
"I don't know the details. They haven't told me much of their past."
"So you two are not very close?"
"No, we've lost each other until recently. It's a hard story."
"Actually," Herman added, coming into the kitchen, "we found out about Sarah only a few weeks ago."
"How is that possible? Did you not know of each other as children?"
"It's a long and involved story. We're thankful to have found her when we did. She was not in good health at the time. Now, no more of this, it's too painful for her," Herman interrupted. "Now, what's for breakfast and when's the train leaving?" he asked.
"Two hours, but we must leave the flat before that."
The others slowly joined the three in the kitchen, followed soon after by Harriet, looking pale. Caterina handed her a cup of tea, "Please. It will help your illness; I learned this from an old friend, it is a peppermint tea," she said warmly.
"Thanks, it smells interesting." She sipped from the cup, and her face flushed slightly. "Mmm, this is wonderful; I may need the recipe."
As Harriet sat down to drink her tea, Herman left to pack their few belongings. Laura and Daniel also left to pack for their trip to Caterina's family's home, and shortly, the entire group was ready to leave.
Caterina's initial suspicions had finally been replaced with a careful trust, convinced that her imagination had merely played with her mind, though today, she did hope there would be no more surprises.
The journey to the train station began normally enough. Daniel and Laura led the group, arm in arm. Caterina and Sarah remained in conversation at the rear. But then, the group noticed a crowd on the far side of the street.
'No', Caterina thought looking ahead, 'not a crowd but a mob'. In a flash, the streets exploded with running people, the first group passed them in terror.
"Ein Tier!" - "It's a beast!"
The group stopped; Daniel and Laura remained at the front, the redheaded twins behind them; their faces instantly anticipating trouble.
"Es ist hinter uns her, LAUF!" - "It's after us, RUN!"
Daniel and Laura stood frozen while more people ran past them, screaming.
"Es hat Klaus getötet." - "It killed Klause."
More people ran past, injured and in pain. Several others lay in the street at the end of the block, all but one still able to move, though they too seemed to be dying.
Before any could react, before any weapons could be drawn, Daniel saw the beast; he turned and held Laura as the first blow hit them. It would be a fatal blow.
Petrified with shock, Caterina watched as her two friends fell less then a metre away, but was quickly pulled aside by Sarah into a small gap between two buildings.
The massive club swung again. George sidestepped the attack, pushing his twin aside only to receive a glancing blow shattering his arm. Percy, who had been walking a few steps away with his wife, managed to pull her aside to safety.
An innocent bystander who had stood frozen in terror had received the full force of the blow aimed at George. It crushed his chest, the snap of bone and spray of blood leaving little doubt that he died instantly.
Another swing of the massive club struck the side of a building a few metres from where Sarah had pulled Caterina, crushing the wall. They huddled together as Caterina screamed, "Era un troll... un maledettissimo, fottutissimo troll... cazzo... cazzo …" - "It was a troll... a goddamn fucking troll.... shit..... shit...."
The man she knew as Herman stood in front of them, arms stretched out, as if he were protecting them. Thick, blue bolts of pure light crackled from his hands and struck the beast.
"Un maledettissimo, fottutissimo troll... cazzo... cazzo..." she screamed, her hand nervously reaching into her pocket and pulling a thin sliver of wood. - "a goddamn fucking troll.... shit..... shit...."
Sarah continued to hold her while Herman stood facing the beast, striking it in the chest with his massive bolts. Singed flesh burst into flame. The beast fell back, unleashing a blood-curdling scream of pain.
"Cazzo... Cazzo..." Caterina screamed. Her hand shook as she pointed her thin shaft at the man in front of her and began to mumble. The woman with her grabbed the stick from her unsteady hand.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sarah said as she tossed the wand aside.
"Maledizione!" Caterina shouted.
"Hermione, help Daniel and Laura if you can," Herman shouted behind him as another bolt flew from his hands into the beast. She looked at the two in a growing pool of shared blood.
"Hermione, Sirius, take him from the far side," the raven-haired man screamed. Caterina noted the strange names.
Harriet and Paddy jumped as if trained in military tactics, they moved quickly to the far side of the street.
"Wands, Harry?" Paddy yelled.
"No, draw him away, I'll deal with it," he yelled back.
"Granger, how are Daniel and Laura?"
"Help me, I don't know what to do," Granger pleaded to her other self. "Daniel's head is split open, but he's still alive. Laura's got a light pulse, but her chest is crushed and she can't breathe. There's too much blood."
"Use your power, concentrate; you can help them," Hermione called from the other side of the street.
"I-I can't."
"Yes, you must. You're their only hope, I'll be there as soon as I can," Hermione called back to her.
"You, you have to do it," Hermione Granger called back as she kneeled at the two bodies.
The monster screamed again as thick, blue ribbons poured from the gaping wounds. Caterina saw a massive arm fall a few metres from it as it struggled to stand.
"I can't, Daniel and Laura are beyond anything I can do," she screamed.
"D-dead? They are dead?" Caterina mumbled as tears streaked from her eyes still tucked in her hiding spot.
"Just do what you can," the Healer called out.
Defeated, Hermione Granger shakily put a hand on each of the still-warm bodies. Laura was unconscious and hardly breathing; Daniel was still awake but quickly losing blood; his skull had shattered from the falling debris, his back had received the initial blow while trying to protect Laura. His hand twitched once, and he tried to move. Hermione saw him flinch and placed his hand in Laura's; she could feel him relax, she could feel that he wanted to die in her arms.
"D-Daniel? Can you hear me?" she asked.
One eye focused on her; he was unable to otherwise communicate.
"I can't do anything to help. Please forgive me. Laura is here with you," she muttered, tears now streaming from her face. She glanced at Caterina sitting in shock and mumbling in Italian.
The beast managed to stand while it screamed in agony as it swung the massive club from its remaining arm, now fighting for survival. The stone wall behind Sirius exploded.
Daniel attempted to speak to Hermione Granger, but could not. His one eye looked up and down, acknowledging her with uncertainty. She watched as he tried to squeeze Laura's cold hand.
"I-I think I can help you stay with her forever. Is that want you want?"
Daniel's one eye stared at the witch, and she sensed his answer. So, she closed her eyes and did as Hermione had told her. She felt a warm glow pulse through her body; it radiated to each of her hands on either of the two broken bodies.
A massive thud signalled the end of the troll, bringing the combatants out into the open.
Daniel arched in pain, the same pain Harry had felt ten years ago, the same pain that both Ron and Ginny had experienced. Laura was so far gone that she never felt the pain.
"Harry, I think it's done for," the man she knew as ' Paddy'called out. The man standing in front of her turned around.
"Harry, she had a wand," Percy said, pointing to the thin stick nearby.
"Cazzo, è proprio lei... è proprio Harry Potter?" she screamed. - "Shit, you're him, you're that Harry Potter"?
Harry took a step towards the discarded wand and picked it up, then another step to close the gap to Caterina. He kneeled to her level, and replied, "I can't understand you, but yes, I am Harry Potter, but since you're obviously not who you appeared to be, I think we both need to explain, later when it's safe."
"L'avete ucciso voi? Maledizione... Maledizione..." - You killed it? Damn … Damn …
"Mione, I can't understand a bloody thing she's saying," Harry called to his wife, on the other side of the street.
"Deal with it; I have to help the wounded." She first checked the bystander, noted he died instantly then stopped at George to check his arm.
Two glowing orbs hovered over the broken bodies of Laura and Daniel as they lay together in a shared pool of blood. Caterina watched, though her eyes failed to comprehend the sight. Hermione Granger stood, as if in a trance; the raw life energy before her was intoxicating, inviting. She lusted for it, bringing her hands together to caress it; the two orbs merged and hovered between her hands. She held the glowing ball before her, longing to taste their souls.
Hermione Granger could feel Caterina nearby, grieving for her friends. She released the orb of the two merged souls. It drifted to Caterina, and alighted on her forehead, long enough for her to realise that even though her friends were now dead; their souls would remain joined forever. She said her final goodbyes and collapsed into Harry's arms, sobbing softly.
Hermione Granger remained at the side of Caterina's two fallen friends while her counterpart began mending George's shattered arm. His arm needed several moments to knit the bones back, though much longer to subside the residual pain and that would have to wait.
After dealing with George, Hermione Potter came to help her counterpart and gently touched her arm. She could see the extent of their injuries and offered comfort, "You're not to blame. It would have taken more skill to save them than either of us has. Life is too fragile."
"I killed them," she muttered, and collapsed in Hermione's arms; both women fell to their knees.
"No, the troll did that; you released them from their pain and let them be happy in death," she said as she stroked the other woman's hair.
Caterina remained sobbing in Harry's arms, still muttering to herself. The other wizards watched as Harry lifted Caterina. Sirius stepped to help the two Hermiones, but was stopped by one of the Weasleys.
"No, Sirius, I'll take her," Fred said, holding Sirius back. He lifted Hermione Granger's thin body and turned towards the train station; the others followed. Percy and his mystery wife stayed in the back, isolated; Harry kept a wary eye on them.
During the short walk to the train, the group looked at the street, littered with bodies from the deadly attack.
"The train is going to be delayed again, due to the troll attack," Hermione said as she returned from the ticket booth. Caterina was still mumbling to herself and holding on to Harry,
"How long is the delay?" Harry asked, trying not to upset Caterina.
"The ticket vendor implied that he had no idea; there were other ' animal'attacks elsewhere."
Harry stood, giving her his seat. "Good. That should give me the time I need. I need you all to stay here and wait." He turned and walked to Percy and his wife, and after a few heated words they left the waiting room.
Caterina now sat alone; all attempts Harry made to console her had failed. Her tears had long ago dried into streaks on her face, and her sobs had ceased. The only sign of life was her constant rocking as she stared into oblivion, her unseeing eyes showed little sign of life.
Hermione Granger too sat inconsolable, in her mind having taken, without a doubt, two more lives. Fred sat next to the witch, offering what he could. She looked at him, a new understanding of the past slowly helping to heal a wound. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes in a vain attempt at a peaceful sleep. She held Fred's arm tightly as she tried to let her shattered mind rest.
George's arm was tied in a sling, the bone mended but the tissue still damaged and stiff. Time and care would see him through this injury. In contrast, Sirius and Hermione Potter had taken the attack and subsequent injuries of the others in stride, as warriors. They alone remained vigilant during Harry's brief absence.
The lull in action ended a short time later as the door to the lounge gently swung open; Harry walked in and headed directly to his life partner.
"Darling, did you manage to finish your errand?" Hermione asked him quietly.
"Yes, it seems we've decided to charter a private Muggle plane and escape to the east or more precisely, Romania , I sent Percy and Metilda on the plane. Hopefully, they will be safe enough. I then left instructions for the plane to go to Egypt and then Peru . I know they'll follow that plane; I paid them in wizard gold. I have a car waiting to take us to another station."
"Harry, what did you find out about her, Metilda? She and Percy kept to themselves; I never got a chance to talk to her," Hermione asked.
"Turns out she's the one Fred and George planned that shower gag for. Percy married some Muggle and has been hiding her from them. I lost my temper with him because he took it on himself to send for her when he knew we were leaving. That's how he found us."
She nodded, understanding the reason Harry had sent them away; splitting the group could ensure that his forces would be divided as well, and Percy would be far safer elsewhere, once he discovered the deception.
The driver Harry had hired had a Volkswagen Caravelle, a good-sized vehicle for seven wizards. Harry remained with Caterina, nearly carrying her into the van. Hermione sat on the opposite side, trying to console her. Meanwhile, Hermione Granger's remorse for Laura and Daniel spoke volumes to George; he was finally realising what his brother had accepted earlier. The drive to the other station passed in near silence, their driver's report about some escaped creature the only initial chatter. The thirty-minute drive seemed an eternity to Caterina, who still remained silent.
They arrived at the perfect time; the conductor announcing that the only train to Italy that day was departing within the quarter hour.
The group quickly found a pair of adjoining compartments. Hermione Granger and Fred remained together, as he had now, after the battle with the troll, taken an even more protective stance over her. George's arm, though still sore, had healed at an accelerated rate. At the station, neither of the twins would say a great deal about Percy's actions except that he had proved little more helpful than the Muggle that the troll had crushed.
Once settled, the group opened the adjoining doors to allow open conversation. Caterina sat in the far corner with Sirius next to her and opposite from Harry and Hermione.
"Why did you choose to live without magic?" Sirius asked, hoping to draw her back before she lost herself.
She turned to look at Sirius, no longer staring into a void.
"Why did you give it up?" he asked again.
"It frightens me; to use this power does not seem natural," she replied softly.
"That's a natural reaction, coming from one born to a non-magical family. My family embraced it, and encouraged me when I was at school," Hermione said, hoping to turn Caterina's mind away from her friends'deaths.
"How do they feel about you now? Have they truly adjusted to the magics?" Caterina asked.
"They are not with us," she said softly.
"We all have lost those we loved at some point. It's one of the events I wish I could have changed." Harry added.
"No, we both know the risk of tampering with the past," Hermione said as she laced her fingers in his hand. "What's done is done. We know they are happy for us."
Harry nodded in agreement, leaving Caterina and Sirius in mild confusion.
"We have been in contact with them," Hermione continued. "Harry had them interred in his, now our, family plots."
"With James and Lily? I never had the opportunity to visit them before I had to disappear," Sirius asked.
"Yes, at Godric's Hollow."
"You are all magics?" Caterina asked nervously.
"Yes," Fred replied from the other compartment, "but we've been trying to get away, to hide. Hermione and I, and Harry to some degree, were all injured the day before we met you. His wife has been treating our wounds before we do what we all know is yet to come."
The conversation remained solemn, each member of the group deep in thought during the early portion of their trip. With the exception of leaving for dinner that evening, they remained mostly silent. Nothing more was said of the attack.
Even though no one had an appetite, they left for the dining car as a group, except for two of the women. Caterina's slow retraction from her comatose state began with a simple conversation that afternoon, but nevertheless she decided to remain in the compartment. Hermione Granger also remained, her jerky movements since they boarded the train proving she was far from ok. They both needed closure from the day, though Hermione Granger needed an even deeper healing.
"If you both change your minds, we 'l l have a space for you," Harry offered as the group departed.
"We'll bring you back a sandwich, if that's fine," Hermione added, giving her double a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.
Hermione Granger flinched at the compassionate touch, though still looking away. She refused to look at Caterina, so Caterina instead took that first step, taking a seat next to the troubled woman.
"Sarah, I mean, Hermione, thank you for Daniel and Laura," she began tentatively, speaking softly to Hermione Granger. "They touched me after you joined them. They are pleased to be together, I will miss them, but they are happy. I always knew they had love for each other. You gave them the love they were afraid to share in life."
Hermione looked up at Caterina and spoke for the first time that day, "How can you say thank you?" she whispered. "I killed them." She sat, lock-jawed and bitter. The abrupt transition that followed set Caterina off balance.
"So, bitch, you did it again. You're just a bloody murderer; we weren't enough to satisfy you," she hissed at herself in a male voice.
"You should use that power on yourself, just once," another voice screamed from Hermione's mouth. She replied to the new voice by balling a fist and striking her own face. A trickle of blood from her lip told Caterina that this was not an act.
"What are you waiting for," Hermione screamed as she stared into a reflection in the window. "Leave me alone! Get out!" She flailed her fists wildly at the spectres plaguing her mind, landing several blows effectively.
"Stop it," Caterina screamed. She grabbed Hermione's arms and tried to turn her around to face her, amazed at her strength for a woman who seemed so frail. Hermione pulled away, breaking free.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed, wildly swinging her hands. A horrified Caterina tried to stop her, but with one swipe of her arm, Hermione accidentally made contact. The blow to the side of her head was more than Caterina expected; it felt more like a man's punch then a woman's. Caught off balance, she fell into a tray on the side table.
The glasses and water pitcher fell to the floor, breaking; Hermione grabbed the largest shard from the floor.
"Get OUT!" she screamed as she drew the razor-sharp glass across her stomach, slicing her blouse leaving a red trail across her middle. She raised the shard high over her head, but paused before plunging it into her stomach.
Caterina took advantage of that pause, and grabbed her hand, staying another self-inflicted wound. She turned Hermione forcibly to face her, and stared into eyes wild with rage and anger. She watched as Hermione's eyes changed, as if she were mentally struggling with other people, just as the two women were struggling.
The glass shard fell from Hermione's hand as her eyes refocused. Caterina, dealt her a return blow, left a welt across her cheek, and screamed, "STOP! You did not kill them! The troll did that."
Hermione froze as tears welled behind her eyes and her chin trembled. The two women fell together, one more than supporting the other. Caterina guided them both to a bench, keeping Hermione in a supportive embrace.
Hermione's pain ebbing as her internal struggles died down, her head fell onto Caterina's shoulder, and her weakened arms found her waist. First, her rapid emotional swing and now silent call for help moved Caterina as she stroked Hermione's hair.
A quiet sobbing slowly replaced the arguments and screams.
"You did what you could; you left them happy. I will always remember them with the love we had for each other. I'm happy they are together," Caterina whispered as calmly as she could.
Hermione looked up and tried to smile in response, but her ability to smile had been crushed years ago. So instead, she just nodded her thanks and tightened her arms around Caterina's waist.
"You miss them?" Hermione finally managed to ask.
Caterina nodded, letting her tears find her again; this time they helped her to open up and begin healing. "Daniel was the first man I loved," she admitted softly, almost as if she were alone and talking to herself. "And Laura loved him too. I'm happy they are together," Caterina whispered.
"So you both were in love with him? I killed your lover?" the quiver in Hermione's voice returned at the knowledge of Caterina's loss.
"I loved Laura too. We wanted to be a family together, the three of us," she said looking into Hermione's eyes. "We were to tell my family this trip of our decision to live together. Papa thinks I wanted to show off Daniel to the family. I wanted to admit my feelings for them both, but now … Please do not tell anyone. Papa would not understand."
Hermione nodded and sealed her promise with a mutually needed hug. Caterina returned the hug with a chaste kiss on the cheek. Hermione responded with a more intimate one. It was the first kiss she had shared with another person in more then ten years; Caterina's response was equally passionate. Hermione's embrace began moving to a more intimate position.
"No, please. This is not what you want," Caterina said, pulling away. "You need someone that loves you, please. There's someone here that wants to care for you and your child," she whispered.
Hermione looked at the younger woman while shaking her head, and put a hand to her stomach. The cut was superficial, though deeper than a scratch, "I don't want this bastard; it will be as evil as he is."
"I do not believe that, and you don't either." Caterina tightened her hold around Hermione, and gave her another kiss on her cheek. "I can't give you that same love, please," she whispered her plea, and felt the woman in her arms relax.
"Thank you, for caring. No one else has in so long …" her voice trailed off as she felt her mood shift again. She began to shake, fighting her internal demons.
"I care about you, please; we both suffered today. Now, let me see to that cut."
Caterina opened Hermione's blouse, expecting to see a fresh wound, but the only evidence was the sliced blouse with a tinge of blood. She looked at the spot puzzled.
"My cuts heal quickly," Hermione shrugged.
"Then change that blouse and come with me to dinner?"
"Yes," she said with a pained smile.
They left the compartment, arm in arm, for the dinner car to find that Harry had indeed saved them seats, with large, inviting sandwiches in front of them. Agreeing to keep their previous experience together a secret, the two women went to join the rest of the group.