We're A Miracle

You and me, we’re a miracle.

Meant to be and nothin’ can change it.

Mountains move, and oceans part,

When they are standing in our way.

Chapter One: Back to Hogwarts

Kodac sighed. He missed Parvati. She was with her parents for the summer holidays, while Professor Dumbledore had allowed him to stay in his private room at Hogwarts.

Kodac wandered down to the Great Hall. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, a plate of eggs, toast, bacon, and a bowl of porridge appeared. Kodac ate his fill in silence (save his knife and fork). He looked around. Nothing had changed in the seven weeks that he’d been there since school had let out. He had yet another week to wait until he saw Parvati, Lavender, Ron, Harry, and Hermione again. The adventure they’d had during the school year seemed so long ago. Dumbledore never said what he’d do with Voldemort’s wand. Kodac winced, thinking about how furious the Dark Lord might be.

Kodac got up and walked out to the lake. The giant squid drifted lazily along the surface of the lake, basking in the warm sun. Kodac watched it for a while. He sighed again. His heart caught in his throat when he thought of Parvati. Though they had been apart for the summer holidays, Kodac had been a little put-out with her gone.

Kodac climbed into bed that evening. As he closed his eyes, he fell into another nightmare. A warped sequence of events that differed from what actually happened.

They were in a dungeon cell. The unconscious Parvati was next to him. As he shook her awake, she called his name. When she’d said that, Kodac’s spirits rose. At least she wasn’t dead. Now that he’d found her, he needed to get her out of there.

The door opened. This time, Kodac wasn’t ready. Lucius conjured heavy manacles around their wrists and feet, and conjured chains to keep them close together. He led them away.

They shuffled along. They didn’t want to go to certain death, but it was death to try to run. Kodac couldn’t see a way out of their predicament. Before he’d a chance to think it over, they were faced with the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

The Dark Lord laughed nastily. He raised his wand, muttering “Crucio,” and he didn’t lift the curse from Parvati until she begged to die. Kodac was helpless to help her. When Voldemort had finally released Parvati from the Cruciatus Curse, she was gasping for breath, unable to move. Unable to stop the twitching of her limbs. Voldemort turned to Kodac. “CRUCIO!” he roared. Kodac was in pain beyond pain, and it wasn’t long before he was screaming and shouting.

The door slammed opened, waking Kodac from his nightmare. He bolted upright, and saw Dumbledore standing in the doorway, wand out. When he saw Kodac alone, Dumbledore sighed in relief, and put away his wand.

“I heard you shouting, Kodac, and rushed down here. I thought someone had broken in to attack you,” he explained. He sat in the chair next to the bed. Kodac looked at him.

“I just had a nightmare, Professor. Thank you for caring,” Kodac said softly.

“Would you like to tell me about it?” the Headmaster asked.

Kodac nodded. “It was about the Dark Lord. Parvati and I were back in the cell. I’d failed to be ready for Lucius when he came, and he put manacles and chains on us. He led us to Lord Voldemort, who put…put…” he trailed off. Dumbledore nodded encouragement.

“I know it’s hard to talk about things such as these, but they need to be told,” he said. Kodac nodded, then continued.

“He put the Cruciatus Curse on Parvati, and I was helpless to stop it. When he was done with her, she was twitching and gasping for breath. The Dark Lord turned to me, and put a much more ruthless Cruciatus on me.”

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, deep in thought. When he looked up, he saw Kodac watching him. “Even though you don’t have scar as Mr. Potter does, I believe these nightmares are not dissimilar to the ones he has had before,” he explained. “Harry’s scar would hurt when the Dark Lord was nearby, or was feeling particularly murderous, as I believe. The nightmares he’s had during the summer after his third year were the same as yours. Dreams of pain, suffering, death. All at Lord Voldemort’s hand.” Kodac nodded. Dumbledore stood up.

“We both could use some sleep, but I think a cup of hot chocolate and a cup of Sleeping Potion would both do you good, Kodac. I’ll have a house-elf bring both up to you,” the Professor stated as he made ready to go.

“Thank you, Professor,” Kodac replied. After he left, Kodac lay back down. It wasn’t long before a house-elf appeared, holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a small goblet of the sleeping potion the Headmaster had spoken about. The elf laid the tray on the stand. Thanking him, Kodac took the chocolate. He sipped as he thought of Parvati. He hoped she wasn’t having the same nightmares. In fact, he hoped she didn’t have nightmares at all.

Draining the last of the hot chocolate some time later, Kodac drank the potion quickly. As soon as it touched his lips, Kodac felt immensely drowsy. He’d barely finished the potion and laid it on the tray when sleep overtook him.

The sun was bright. Parvati thought her boyfriend, Kodac. She longed to be with him again, and couldn’t wait the last three days to see him. Kodac hadn’t understood the concept of owl post, so that was out of the question. Although he had told her about the horsed messengers in Seabring (which she had totally understood), Kodac didn’t see what was so trustworthy of owls.

Two days to go. Parvati had already gotten her school supplies five days ago. She was halfway through packing. She sighed again. It was close to midnight. Her eyes itched with tiredness.

One day to go. Her trunk packed, Parvati paced about her home one last time. She’d be with Kodac tomorrow night. Her parents had been told about Kodac (except for his being from Seabring, that is) and they didn’t worry about her. They owled each other regularly (Kodac finally understood the owls to be messengers) and often.

Parvati and Padma were ready to go. With their trunks packed, their owls in their cages, they loaded the trunks into their parents’ car. The ride was uneventful.

Parvati stowed her trunk in an empty compartment and found Lavender Brown. She helped pack Lavender’s trunk next to hers, and stepped back off the train to say goodbye to their parents.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Much more at ease going through the barrier than he’d been in first year, Harry checked to see whether any Muggles were watching (they weren’t) and strode through the barrier. Ron and Hermione fell through; they had apparently leaned on it and fell sideways through.

Ron spied Lavender from a distance, saying goodbye to her parents. With a glance at Harry and Hermione, he slipped away and strode over.

“Goodbye Mum, Goodbye Dad,” Lavender hugged her parents. She started when Ron tapped her shoulder.

“No hug for me? Gee, Lav, I’m crushed,” he chided her. She grinned and gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheeks.

“Who’s this, dear? Your boyfriend?” her mom asked. Lavender blushed, and introduced Ron (who was indeed her boyfriend). Ron shook their hands and stowed his trunks in the compartment next to Parvati and Lavender’s.

Harry and Hermione watched this intercourse with grins on their faces. They stowed their trunks in the compartment with Ron’s and sat down on the booths. They already said their goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Hermione’s parents.

A couple of uneventful hours later, Harry, Ron and Hermione bought some snacks from the food cart pushed about the train by a kind witch. A few minutes later, Lavender and Parvati came in with their own treats. Their talk soon turned to schoolwork and Quidditch.

They stopped talking as Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle opened the door.

“Well, ain’t this a lovely party,” Draco sneered. Harry and Ron stood up and fingered their wands.

“Shut the bloody hell up, Malfoy, and leave. It would do us all a favor,” Ron glared, ears turning redder than beets.

“Ah, but you still have some food,” he replied, and reached for a Cauldron Cake. He was about to grab it when the food witch appeared again.

“Don’t even think about it, Mr. Malfoy. If you’re still hungry, buy some more food. I’ll inform Professor Dumbledore about this as soon as we get to the school!” she scolded angrily. Glowering, Draco led his thugs away. As he left, he ‘accidently’ knocked over the food cart.

Harry, Ron, and Parvat helped restore the cart. They had no sooner said goodbye to the witch (and receive her thanks) when the sky darkened. Rain started to pound the windows as the train pulled to a stop.