‹ Prequel: We Can't Wake Up
All You Wish For and All You Need
Who Do You Agree With?
Marcus sat quietly on his bed. The others talked around him as usual. Harry Potter would be here in a just a couple of days now. The halls and rooms were constantly filled with a quiet, excited buzz. Everyone was looking forward to seeing him again.
Marcus’ stomach turned and he lay down, covering his eyes with his hands. Little dots of light danced around in his vision as he lay staring into the false darkness. What would Harry say? Marcus thought. Is he going to confront me about it, or am I going to have to talk to him? He sighed loudly. What am I going to say? Do I say anything at all? He groaned and sat up. He glanced at the clock beside him and ran his hands through his hair. Dinner was in half an hour. Nobody else was in the dorm; they were all in the common room doing some homework before dinner.
Do I try to get him by himself, or do I just talk to him with his friends there? Marcus shook his head. No, it would be much better if it was just him. Would Harry even want to talk to him?
He lay back down and closed his eyes.
“Coming to dinner?” Richard poked his head around the door.
“Yeah, I’ll be down in a moment.” Marcus replied. He sat up and stood slowly. His head spun slightly but he ignored it and walked quickly to the common room to where Arnold and Richard were waiting to go to dinner. They walked together through the cold dungeons in silence. The hum of voices in the Great Hall could already be heard.
“I bet you five galleons they’re talking about Harry Potter and his friends.” Arnold sniggered.
Richard grumbled a laugh. “You can keep you’re galleons, we already know you’re right.”
Marcus sat down without a word and stared at his plate as Professor Pinge said a few words before clapping his hands. Everyone around tucked in immediately, but Marcus waited until the first rush was over before venturing his hands out into the food.
Arnold was right; everyone was talking about Harry Potter and his friends. Marcus could hear snippets of conversation from all around.
“I think, even if he came here when he was old and wrinkled people would still get excited about him coming here.” Arnold spoke through a mouthful of food.
“Yeah, but honestly, what was so special about him?” Richard asked. “I mean, sure he defeated the most powerful dark wizard ever, but someone else probably could have done that too.”
“But the prophecy said he would do it, therefore it could only have ever been Harry Potter.” A girl across the table butted in.
“Nobody asked for your opinion.” Richard said and turned slightly as to try and cut her out of the conversation.
“That is true though,” Arnold said slowly. “Maybe that’s why--”
“No, he’s remembered and loved because he killed the worst wizard ever. Lord Voldemort was a menace and Harry Potter did what was right. If he hadn’t, we would still be living in fear today.” The girl continued, ignoring the glare coming from Richard.
Marcus stared at her silently, watching as her face became red with passion.
“So, it’s okay for him to murder someone, but not okay for someone else to murder?” Richard asked, eyebrows raised.
The girl sighed dramatically, “It’s different.”
“How so?” Richard challenged.
“Lord Voldemort was killing people because they were muggle-born, or because they stood in his way. Harry Potter killed Lord Voldemort because he was evil.”
“Murder is murder.” Richard said.
The girl shook her head and turned away. “I won’t argue with an idiot.”
Arnold laughed which turned into a loud cough as Richard elbowed him sharply.
Marcus looked away over to the Gryffindor table. Arabella was sitting beside Anne and they were talking easily, as if none of their problems had ever occurred. Anne glanced up and caught Marcus’ gaze. She smiled and mouthed see you after before turning back to Arabella.
Marcus slipped his hand into Anne’s as he caught up to her as they walked out of the Great Hall. They walked to the library in silence. They sat together on a sofa in a corner.
“I haven’t seen you all day.” Anne said quietly. “Well, I have, but you know what I mean.” She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Marcus wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Did you have a nice day?”
“Well enough.” Marcus mumbled.
“What are you thinking about?” Anne asked, tilting her head so that she could look up at his face.
“Just something that this girl and Richard were saying at dinner.”
“Yes?” Anne prompted.
“Well, they were talking about Harry Potter and how he killed Lord Voldemort. Richard was arguing that ‘murder is murder’ but the girl was saying that the murder of Lord Voldemort was justified because he was evil and killed innocent people.” Marcus said quietly.
Anne paused, waiting for him to say something more. “Well, who do you agree with?”
Marcus looked down at her and thought. “The girl.” He said finally.
Anne stared at him and then pushed herself up and pressed her lips against his. Marcus closed his eyes as he shifted slightly, moving his hand to Anne’s hair. She pulled away and smiled slightly. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Marcus watched her as she did this twice more before shaking her head slightly and leaning forwards to kiss him again.
Marcus’ stomach turned and he lay down, covering his eyes with his hands. Little dots of light danced around in his vision as he lay staring into the false darkness. What would Harry say? Marcus thought. Is he going to confront me about it, or am I going to have to talk to him? He sighed loudly. What am I going to say? Do I say anything at all? He groaned and sat up. He glanced at the clock beside him and ran his hands through his hair. Dinner was in half an hour. Nobody else was in the dorm; they were all in the common room doing some homework before dinner.
Do I try to get him by himself, or do I just talk to him with his friends there? Marcus shook his head. No, it would be much better if it was just him. Would Harry even want to talk to him?
He lay back down and closed his eyes.
“Coming to dinner?” Richard poked his head around the door.
“Yeah, I’ll be down in a moment.” Marcus replied. He sat up and stood slowly. His head spun slightly but he ignored it and walked quickly to the common room to where Arnold and Richard were waiting to go to dinner. They walked together through the cold dungeons in silence. The hum of voices in the Great Hall could already be heard.
“I bet you five galleons they’re talking about Harry Potter and his friends.” Arnold sniggered.
Richard grumbled a laugh. “You can keep you’re galleons, we already know you’re right.”
Marcus sat down without a word and stared at his plate as Professor Pinge said a few words before clapping his hands. Everyone around tucked in immediately, but Marcus waited until the first rush was over before venturing his hands out into the food.
Arnold was right; everyone was talking about Harry Potter and his friends. Marcus could hear snippets of conversation from all around.
“I think, even if he came here when he was old and wrinkled people would still get excited about him coming here.” Arnold spoke through a mouthful of food.
“Yeah, but honestly, what was so special about him?” Richard asked. “I mean, sure he defeated the most powerful dark wizard ever, but someone else probably could have done that too.”
“But the prophecy said he would do it, therefore it could only have ever been Harry Potter.” A girl across the table butted in.
“Nobody asked for your opinion.” Richard said and turned slightly as to try and cut her out of the conversation.
“That is true though,” Arnold said slowly. “Maybe that’s why--”
“No, he’s remembered and loved because he killed the worst wizard ever. Lord Voldemort was a menace and Harry Potter did what was right. If he hadn’t, we would still be living in fear today.” The girl continued, ignoring the glare coming from Richard.
Marcus stared at her silently, watching as her face became red with passion.
“So, it’s okay for him to murder someone, but not okay for someone else to murder?” Richard asked, eyebrows raised.
The girl sighed dramatically, “It’s different.”
“How so?” Richard challenged.
“Lord Voldemort was killing people because they were muggle-born, or because they stood in his way. Harry Potter killed Lord Voldemort because he was evil.”
“Murder is murder.” Richard said.
The girl shook her head and turned away. “I won’t argue with an idiot.”
Arnold laughed which turned into a loud cough as Richard elbowed him sharply.
Marcus looked away over to the Gryffindor table. Arabella was sitting beside Anne and they were talking easily, as if none of their problems had ever occurred. Anne glanced up and caught Marcus’ gaze. She smiled and mouthed see you after before turning back to Arabella.
Marcus slipped his hand into Anne’s as he caught up to her as they walked out of the Great Hall. They walked to the library in silence. They sat together on a sofa in a corner.
“I haven’t seen you all day.” Anne said quietly. “Well, I have, but you know what I mean.” She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Marcus wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Did you have a nice day?”
“Well enough.” Marcus mumbled.
“What are you thinking about?” Anne asked, tilting her head so that she could look up at his face.
“Just something that this girl and Richard were saying at dinner.”
“Yes?” Anne prompted.
“Well, they were talking about Harry Potter and how he killed Lord Voldemort. Richard was arguing that ‘murder is murder’ but the girl was saying that the murder of Lord Voldemort was justified because he was evil and killed innocent people.” Marcus said quietly.
Anne paused, waiting for him to say something more. “Well, who do you agree with?”
Marcus looked down at her and thought. “The girl.” He said finally.
Anne stared at him and then pushed herself up and pressed her lips against his. Marcus closed his eyes as he shifted slightly, moving his hand to Anne’s hair. She pulled away and smiled slightly. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Marcus watched her as she did this twice more before shaking her head slightly and leaning forwards to kiss him again.