A Muggle at Hogwarts

“Gryffindor?” the hat repeated. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” I replied. “I took your advice, after all.”

“Whatever do you mean?” the hat asked.

“Choosing Gryffindor is both a selfish and unselfish act,” I replied. “Gryffindor is the place for me, I know it is.”

It was true, too. By choosing Gryffindor, I don’t get to live a carefree life at Hogwarts like I wanted. I could suffer the same heartbreak that I did before. I will battle with myself between what I want and what I should do. The scars on my heart will remain where they are. Draco and I can never have the relationship that we want.

On the other hand, choosing Gryffindor was also a selfish act. It would give me everything I needed. Although things weren’t perfect, I had less to sacrifice. I’m not say that the sacrifices which I did make were easy, but there would be far less sacrifices to be made. In Gryffindor, I would still have Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny as friends. I wouldn’t have to lose them in order to have Draco. Of course, this would mean that Draco and I still has to depart once I return to my proper time, but it was something I finally came to accept. The time in which we spent with each other—the time in which we were able to be in one another’s company was enough. Although I still wished that we had more time together, the short time we did simply seemed more precious to me now.

More importantly, I realized my reason in this world. I’m suppose to help Harry. Obviously, I’m not supposed to tell him how to destroy Voldemort directly, but I should assist him. This was the reason why I was here.

Suddenly, I felt something warmth just below my collarbone. I puzzled look formed on my face as I reached down my shirt and grabbed whatever the object was. I gasped when I saw the silver locket engraved with pale violets.

“Harry’s locket,” I whispered.

“I guess that locket is your portal back,” Dumbledore said as he strolled over and took the hat off my head. With a warm smile, he said, “I believe you achieved what you were supposed to, Ms. Bell.”

“Yes,” I beamed back. “It’s time for me to stop being so selfish. There are more important matters are hand, isn’t there?”

“There are,” Dumbledore agreed. “Now you must hurry. You probably won’t have much time before that window back to the future closes.”

“How do I get back?” I asked looking up at Dumbledore.

“Reach out to those from your time. They’ll bring you back,” Dumbledore informed as he walked back to his desk and tucked the hat away.

I nodded. I smiled pleasantly as I clutched onto my necklace. I then closed my eyes and thought of everyone—Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Draco. The people I loved and cherished more than anything in the world. I needed to return. They needed me, and I needed them.

As I thought this, a warm light seemed to surround me. But then, my eyes snapped open, and the warmth disappeared. I couldn’t go yet. I still had something to do.

“Professor,” I called as I turned around to face Dumbledore, “how much time do you think I have?” I asked. “How much time before the time portal closes?”

“Probably half an hour,” Dumbledore estimated. “Most time portals don’t stay open much longer. It takes a lot of energy to create a time portal.”

“Okay,” I said as I turned my heel and ran out of Dumbledore’s office. Dumbledore had called out to me, but I simply ignored him. As fast as I could, I raced down to the Great Hall. I had to find Draco.

When I reached the Great Hall, I hurried into the room.

“Okay,” I said as I took a deep breath. “Act…oh, just calm down,” I solded.

I walked swiftly down towards the Gryffindor table where I found Hermione and the others. As I sat down, Harry greeted me.

“Where have you been?” Hermione whispered.

“Talking to Dumbledore,” I explained. “Um…I’m actually accomplished what I was supposed to. So, I’m going to be heading back to my normal time. I just wanted to tell you guys this. I’ve caused you much worry already, and thought you guys deserved to know—though, I don’t believe you will remember after this.”

“Thank you for informing us,” Hermione said.

“I must be going now,” I said as I stood up.

“Now?” Harry asked as he suddenly stood as well. “Must you go now?”

I smiled. “You will see me again, Harry.” I then looked down at the locket that dangled from my neck. I glanced up at him and said, “Thanks again for the necklace, Harry.”

With that, I turned to leave. As I did, I caught Draco’s gaze upon me, and motioned him to follow me out.

Outside of the Great Hall, I waited for Draco to come. But as the time passed, he didn’t. Time was running out, but I had to tell him what I wanted to tell him before I left. He had to show up. He had to.

Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and out stepped Draco. He saw me waiting and closed the door in a hurry.

“Draco!” I exclaimed as I rushed up to him and threw my arms around him.

“Did you do it? Did you pick a different house?” Draco asked gleefully as he parted from me.

“No,” I replied calmly.

“No? Why—why the bloody hell not?” he bellowed. “I told you what was going to happen if you picked Gryffindor! Why would you do that, Violet?”

“Because it was the right choice,” I replied as I took a hold of his hand. “I would have been sent back to the day I first arrived here if I would have chosen a different house. If I didn’t do what I was supposed to, then I wouldn’t be here right now, explaining to you what I have to.”

“But now—“

“We can be together, Draco—we were together!” I exclaimed. “We were together despite me being in Gryffindor. I have experienced it—experienced us. Even in Gryffindor we were able to be together. I’m not saying it was easy, but we did it. However,” I said, “it did come to an end because of the reasons you have mentioned.”

“Then why would you choose Gryffindor once again?” Draco asked. “Our relationship—us—there will be no end to us if you would have picked a different house. We will not have to face those difficulties you mentioned.”

“It would be selfish of me to have done what you asked!” I shouted. “We—no, I have to stop being so selfish. My selfishness is what brought me here in the first place. The only reason why I’m here is because I have been so, so terribly selfish. I didn’t want to lose you—I still don’t want to lose you. For two weeks, we were an actual couple. We could be together whenever we wanted because everyone was gone for the holidays. Those two weeks—they were probably the best days of my life. But then it was all ending—we had to return to our regular lives, one without one another. I couldn’t stand the thought of that. So, with all my heart, I wished and prayed that the next day would not come. That way, you and I can still be together. That’s when I woke up at Weasley’s place—the place I ended up when I first arrived in this world.

“At first, I thought it was a blessing to be given the opportunity to relive the precious moments I shared with you. I thought if I made a different choice this time—if I had picked a different house like you have asked, we can have that perfect life at Hogwarts that we both wanted. I thought that this was our chance to be together—for good. But that isn’t the reason why I’m here. No—I realized that there are more important things then just you and me—things like helping Harry against Voldemort. That is the reason why I’m here now. I am not to live out my dreams of being with you, but to realize my relevance in your world.

“This entire time I’ve been obsessed with trying to make our relationship work and keeping it alive, but that it’s not what’s most important. Helping Harry put an end to Voldemort is my purpose. I know you’re probably disappointed and angry with me because of the choice I have made, but this is the right choice, unfortunately. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that my decision has caused both of us much pain and suffering, but it is the right one. I know you know that.”

Draco was completely silent. I don’t blame him for being so. This choice wounded the two of us, but I knew it to be right. In a way, I think Draco did as well.

“Now I must go,” I informed.

“Violet!” Draco exclaimed as he grabbed hold of my hand. “You do understand what this will mean. I will have no choice but to come after you, and possibly—“

“Kill me, I know,” I finished. “But I hope that will never have to happen.”

Slowly, I reached my hand up and cupped his face. He stared down on me with his sad gray eyes. But looking into them, I could tell he understood. Hesitantly, I brought his face up to mind and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Before I knew it, his hand slithered its way to the base of my neck and pulled me in closer and into a deeper kiss.

I gasped as I parted from Draco. Tears escaped my eyes as I leaned my head against his. My hands slipped from his face and placed themselves over his chest. Through my hands, I could feel the rapid beating of his heart. I then withdrew my right hand and clutched onto the locket.

“Violet,” he whispered as his hands gently massaged the back of my neck. His freehand placed itself over my left hand, and he held on tightly.

“Draco,” I sobbed as a white light began to surround me. “I love you. I love you. I love you so much, Draco Malfoy.”

As he opened his mouth to reply, I could no longer feel the beating of his heart, nor the warm of his hand upon mine. I kept my eyes closed the entire time. I refused to look and see Draco disappearing before my eyes. That’s when the white light completely engulfed me and then everything disappeared.

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the weak light of the sunrise. I slowly sat up and observed where I was. I gasped in terror when I realized that I was on the rood of Hogwarts!

“Oh, my God,” I gasped.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Draco said from behind me.

“Draco!” I gasped as I turned around.

He was sitting behind me with his broomstick beside him. As he observed the slow rising of the sun, there was a pleasant look placed on his face. A small smile appeared as he turned his eyes away from the sunrise and looked at me with those beautiful eyes of his.

“Good morning,” he whispered.

“It’s really you!” I exclaimed. “I’m back!”

I was completely overwhelmed by the excitement that I suddenly acted upon my urge I had. I quickly reached for Draco and gave him a passionate kiss.

When I finally parted, Draco simply looked at me with a grin on his face. “What was that for?”

“I’m just—um,” I stuttered as I bit my bottom lip. I smiled as I said, “Why not? This is possibly our last moment together, isn’t it?”

“That it is,” Draco whispered as he took my hand in his own. He then looked past me at the scenery before us. Sadly, he said, “What a lovely day it is for a departure, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I replied as I leaned back into his arms and watched the scenery with him. “It’s very lovely.”

Draco and I sat in silence and gawked at the beautiful scene before us. The sun slowly rose from the dark horizon, painting the dim sky with colors of violet, pink and yellow. One by one, the stars, which Draco and I flew among last night, disappeared. The shadows of the trees that surrounded the sparkling lake before us stretched across the surface towards Draco and me.

Today was a new day—a new beginning. Though neither Draco nor I were completely happy about end of our story, it had to. We both understood this, and in our own way, I guess we both accepted it.