The Dying Pact

Talkin' in the times gone by

We wonder how it all began;

We never know and still we try to understand

~ Ever Since the World Began, Survivors ~

4^th year

Eve of the last day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

10:45 p.m., Gryffindor Common Room

"Do you think everything will be normal again?"

"I don’t know. I don’t think so."

"So what happens next?"

An impending silence followed, echoing throughout the whole room. They became still as lifeless statues with their ecstatic minds flowing freely like one troubled river. They had one thought, one idea in their heads but they didn’t dare voice it out. Either they were scared to face the damn truth or they were avoiding the fact that they had accepted since that catastrophic incident with the Tournament. Or maybe both.

"Hey," Ron Weasley suddenly said excitedly (almost anyway), making his other two companions jump a little. "Harry, didn’t Dumbledore said you could stay in the Burrow for the whole vacation?"

They were all sitting in front of a window in the common room. The fire was still up in the hearth. The other Gryffindors had all left the room and were now sleeping in their own quarters. McGonagall would surely not be pleased if she saw some students were still up late at this hour. Especially the three of them.

"Ron, he said Harry should go first to his Muggle relatives before going to yours," Hermione Granger replied patiently to Ron.

Ron just rolled his eyes. "But that’s the same! What are you going there for? They won’t care for your welfare anyway, let alone what had happened—"

He suddenly stopped. Damn, he was avoiding that topic. The last thing Harry wanted was a recall of that unfortunate event, now that they were going to part ways again, with Harry going back to his no-use and non-caring Muggle relatives.

Harry Potter sighed. He was obviously disturbed. "Dumbledore said that once I have explained what had happened…" he paused. "Well, they are going to send a letter to the Dursleys, explaining everything. Then I can stay at the Burrow for the whole summer."

That made him relieved. Thank the grand Wizards!

"Yeah! Hey," Ron turned to Harry. "I heard that Lee will also stay for two weeks in our house. Wanna join us in the Counter-Attack-Percy Grand Scheme? It’ll be huge with Lee on our team."

"Count me in," Harry grinned. Always turn to the famous Weasleys for a good riddance.

"Won’t anybody ask me where I’m going?" asked Herm, irritated that they had left her out again.

"Anyway Harry about those plans…" Ron pretended not to hear her, much to Herm’s clear displeasure. Harry chuckled.

"Where are you going, Herm?" Harry finally asked her, gaining a scowl on Ron’s face.

"I’m not sure yet but—"

"So you’re not sure why let us ask you?" Ron interrupted.

"We’re planning on going to New Orleans and visit my Muggle cousins, Harry," Herm stressed Harry’s name, ignoring Ron.

"It’ll be more fun at the Burrow this time, Harry," Ron said to Harry again, imitating what Herm did.

"I’ll be expecting that."

"Won’t the two of you stop? You should be thinking about Voldemort’s evil plans on you," Herm said in outrage, pointing to Harry. "Instead, you are obviously ignoring that obvious fact--"

"Hermione! What are you doing?! Can’t you see? I’m trying to divert Harry’s mind on that," Ron fairly exploded. Harry just sighed.

"Ron lower your voice," Harry said tiredly. "You might wake the whole Gryffindor house."

"OH," Herm softly said, staring at Ron, eyes wide, as if she had discovered something impossible.

"Oh," Ron repeated sarcastically, staring back at Herm.

"But still—," Herm protested.

"Cut it out, you guys," Harry said. "It’s ok. I know everything. I’m cool with it."

Now that the topic was brought up again, they all fell silent, just staring at the star-filled night outside the window. The only sound that could be heard was the flickering of the flames in the fire. Just then, a soft clatter resounded outside the common room. They looked at each other.

"Can be…"

"McGonagall?"

They started to scramble when…

"PEEVES!!!" Filch voice probably reached the highest pitch possible.

The three sighed in relief and then resumed their positions in front of the window. The noise outside continued for a while and after a few seconds, they heard the wicked laugh of Peeves floating away and away until absolutely nothing could be heard.

"We’re dead meat if McGonagall found us," Herm said with a small smile playing on her lips. She was clutching her favorite pillow in the common room tight to her chest. She just adored that purple angel-painted pillow.

Moments passed but no one moved, no one said anything. As if their minds were connected to each other, they just fell hushed, like silently agreeing on a quiet deal. But their minds were mixed with musings of the past and the future, of what would happen.

"What will happen next?" Herm asked in a small voice. She was still hugging the pillow as if believing that it would protect her from the formidable events that they all knew were going to happen. Sooner or later.

"We don’t know," Ron answered quietly. He was looking again at the cold night outside, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I don’t know what to do," Harry said. He too was looking at the window. His reflections drove him insane. He feared the next days.

"I wish we could just be free," Herm softly said. Harry didn’t know if she was aware she said it aloud for she was gazing at the stars too. "I wish that we could just go on without any complications. No hassles…"

"That’ll be the day," Ron agreed, smirking, dreaming it would really happen. But… He feared the next days.

"Reality check people," Harry butt in.

"Why do it have to be so harsh?" Herm asked.

"What do you mean?"

But instead of answering, she buried her head in the pillow. She feared the next days.

Harry knew exactly what Hermione mean. And he was guessing Ron too. He continued to watch the bleak sky as the night passed by them. The stars were twinkling innocently, as if winking at them. The curtains were softly bellowing, the wind moving freely through. A perfectly beautiful night for a perfectly ugly tomorrow. Damn paradox…

"Would this ever end?" Ron asked.

"I wish," Hermione replied.

Harry just sighed. Wishful wishes.

*

But the wicked will look

Around in despair

And find that there is no way to escape.

Their one hope is that death

Will come.

~ Job 11:20 ~

Must run. Fast. Fast. Faster!

You must not be caught. Must not be caught. RUN!

He pushed himself to go farther deep in the forest. A forbidding feeling, almost killing him escaped his weak heart and spreading evilly to the rest of his drained body. No energy was left for him, he knew, but still, their voices, they kept on repeating inside, kept on urging him to…

Twigs cracked, branches of trees bruised his tired arms and legs. Still, he continued, rewinding what they had said to him just to keep from falling, from losing…

‘Mama…’

‘Dad…’

Ear-piercing screams break through the thick cold fog. For a moment, he thought to stop. But he dared not to. Not even for a moment. No, not these time. No!

He went on. He ran. He ran as fast as he could. The air was chilling to every single human being, especially to him, him whose soul was buried deep down the recesses of Hell. He knew. From the blood that stained his hands.

‘God. Lew… Sirius…’

Something hard caught his feet and he fell to the hard soil. His face was now a consorted blood and dirt. He breathed heavily. ‘I can’t. I can’t do this.’ A lone tear escaped his eye, mixed with his own trail of blood. He had a sudden urge of closing his eyes and dreamt of…

‘NO!’

‘Mama?’

‘You must go on. GO!’ he heard his own mind telling him to do so. But his body…

‘I’m so tired. I can’t go on.’

His eyes are closing, his strength leaving his tattered body completely out. He couldn’t move his arms, his legs, and his bloody hands…

‘I’m sorry Mama…’

‘I failed…’

And he gave in to the cold gripping arms of Death.