Dangerously Close

With a loud and hurtful thud, my body fell from the skies, landing on a patch of grass. I heard the groan of pain escape my lips, harmonizing with the other two people that had joined me on this journey. I rubbed at my eyes, taking a moment to recover from my rough descend before finally opening my eyes.

With quick blinks, I took a moment to let my vision adjust. I expected to be on the Hogwarts grounds, facing all of the rowdy students. But when I could see once more, and not hear the loud cheers, I knew something was wrong.

The crispy breeze couldn’t take away from the new and dense atmosphere. The sky was a deep onyx color, surrounded and clouded by thick fog. It felt a bit colder as I looked at the marble and cement plaques rising up from the soil and buried under the ground, names and years carved for eternity as only a memory. There were sharp, bar-like fences enclosing the area, and a large statue of the infamous Grim Reaper seemingly guarding the stones.

It wasn’t hard to note we were in a graveyard, an eerie and depressing home for those who had passed. There was no light to brighten up the location or aura. Not a single beam or flicker.

As much as I hated the creepy shivers running up and down my spine, accompanied by the bad and uneasy feeling in my stomach, I was confused. Why would the Triwizard Cup bring us to a cemetery?

From the lack of conversation, I could tell that they were taking the time to observe the location as well. I knew I recognized this place from somewhere, it was familiar. From Harry’s looks, I could tell he did too. I did the same as them before glancing to my side as Cedric stood up, laughing a bit.

“The Cup is a Portkey,” he mused.

“But why would,” I began, cutting myself off as I started another sentence. “I don’t think the Cup-“

Suddenly, a noise crippled through our ears, and we knew we weren’t alone.

“Cedric, get back to the Cup,” my brother ordered loudly to him.

The Hufflepuff ignored his advice as he walked forward in the direction of the noise. He looked around, making slow and steady movements as he kept his wand at ready. His eyes fixated on the shadow coming into view as he bravely dared himself to speak up. “Who goes there?”

Instantly, the cauldron placed in the middle lit up on fire, and Harry doubled over onto the ground, clutching his forehead in aggravating pain.

“Kill the spare,” a barely audible and broken voice demanded.

“Avada Kedavra,” another voice exclaimed.

Before I could process what was going on, a bright flash of green flew from the figure appearing from the mist, heading in lightning speed towards our way. The widened eyes of Cedric Diggory met mine as the light hit him flat across the chest and he flew back, his rigid and lifeless body falling to the ground, pale and dead.

“Cedric,” I cried, my voice cracking as I threw myself at his body.

In less than five seconds from beginning to mourn, I started screaming as my body levitated from the ground along with my brother’s. We were crashed onto the Grim Reaper as it trapped us in. I tried squirming, any attempt to escape its wrath but it was no use.

I could finally see who the person was. The short and stout figure was vaguely familiar before, but now it was evident. The beady eyes and evil look I was certain I had seen before. In my dreams, and last year transforming from Ron's family pet Scabbers.

I growled at the sight of Wormtail but began worrying immediately as Harry continued screaming in agony. It killed me to not be able to help, but I was angered. Snape was right. There was a plan.

“Do it now,” the hoarse voice from before said. It took a moment to process that it was coming from the creature cradled in the traitor’s arms, cloaked in a black fabric. The man nodded furiously, before dropping the body of the thing into the boiling waters.

His wand directed at my feet, where I noticed a bone. I cringed at the sight of it as it floated up, before plopping in to the cauldron.

“Bone of the father, unwillingly given.”

I continued trying to break free from the grasp of the enchanted stone, but it was worthless.

This time, he pulled out a knife. “Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed.”

The knife met his hand, as a loud and painful wail escaped his trembling lips. I could feel Harry tensing up and crying in pain along with him. I let out a scream, wishing for someone to appear and save me and my brother.

When Wormtail’s eyes directed towards us with a malicious look, I grew terrified. He edged closer, and began mumbling.

“Blood of the enemies, freely taken.”

A knife collided with Harry’s arm, making a slash across his wrist. He kicked his feet, letting out another exasperated cry. I tried to kick Wormtail as he drew closer to me, but it was no use as he grabbed my arm, tearing the sleeve open. The cool metal made contact with my skin, cutting it open. A loud and painful sound escaped my throat as I watched him eye the bloody knife. The skin began burning and searing, but I could do nothing about it.

He dripped it into the cauldron, watching it carefully. “With these, the Dark Lord shall rise again.”

Harry’s screams grew even more painful, and at this point, I could hear myself joining him. The fluid in the black pot began bubbling and bubbling before bursting into a large and hot flame. After it died down, the creature from before, its pale and ghastly skin now covered in slime, emerged, growing bigger by the second. It began to grow a spine, but I could see no more as black clouds of smoke surrounded it.

By this point, my brother couldn’t handle it anymore, and I couldn’t either, as I eyed the newly formed creature with its back to us.

From what I could see, the creature had transformed into a living human form. Its eerie pale skin which gave off a blue-ish hue had followed it, veins popping out in most of the skin. It was hairless and fairly tall, with a black cloak draping down it in a dark manner.

I almost stopped breathing at the realization that this man was Voldemort, and he was alive again.

He began talking to Wormtail, who bowed and handed him his wand. From what I could see, he was thanking him, but then it changed as Voldemort took his magical wand, pointing it to Wormtail’s forearm. A dark mark flowed its way into his skin, tattooed for eternity.

I watched suddenly as more of the black smoke flew down from the darkened skies, landing gently and gracefully on the grass. They transformed into people, into wizards. All of them wore black, creepy and oddly shaped masks hiding their faces.

Masks were torn off every single Death Eater as the Dark Lord raged about none of them trying to find him, clearly disappointed. The last one unmasked was Lucius Malfoy.

“My Lord, I detected any sign or whisper to find your whereabouts -”

“Those signs, my dear friend, Lucius, were more than just whispers. Surely you did not try hard enough -”

“My Lord, I assure you! I will never renounce to the old ways. I have been ready to return to you for years and years, and so I am here to do so.”

“I returned, master,” Wormtail piped up, slowly making his way towards Voldemort. I don’t think he realized he had just interrupted a conversation between someone so wicked and dark who would murder him, and someone so evil, cruel, and cold who would torture him with the slightest glare.

The newly-formed body gracefully glided towards him, eyeing him down as he cringed and doubled over a bit in fright. “You did it out of fear.”

After a small silence, he sighed. “But you have proven yourself quite useful these past months.”

With a flicker of his wand, a platinum hand filled the torn off flesh on Wormtail’s hand. Pettigrew’s eyes widened as he examined it, his face lighting up a bit as he thanked his master repeatedly.

He nodded, before looking down. Voldemort tutted, placing his disgusting foot on Cedric’s cold and dead face, observing it. “Such a shame, he was such a pretty boy -”

“DON’T TOUCH HIM,” I bellowed, absolutely enraged as my eyes began welling a bit.

“Harry, Rosalie! Oh dear me, I had almost forgotten you two were here,” he exclaimed in a falsely cheerful tone. He began walking towards the tombstone we were trapped in. “Standing on the blood and bones of my dead father. You see, I would introduce myself - but as I hear it, you’re almost as famous as me these days…”

I began squirming, gasping for freedom. “The Boy Who Lived, and his older Seer sister. How these lies have fed a legend, Harry boy. Should I tell you what really happened that night in Godric’s Hollow?”

“Don’t you dare talk about my parents,” Harry choked out.

My head was pounding, and I felt like I was going insane. Please, this was not happening…

“How I truly lost all my powers? It was all love. When Lily Potter gave her only life for her younger son in sacrifice, she provided a protection that nothing could break, not even someone as powerful as me. It was something I had foreseen.”

“How dare you say my mother’s name,” I hissed.

He ignored my words with a simple chuckle as he continued talking. “No matter, things have changed.”

In a swift motion and the blink of an eye, he was in front of my brother’s face, hand lifted up. “I can touch you now.”

His crusty and dirty hand landed on my brother’s forehead, right on his lightning bolt scar. He let out a screech, a deafening cry for me to hear. All I could hear were Voldemort’s cackles as he dug his finger deeper into the skin, and my brother’s desperate attempt at help. I tried writhing out of the tight hold of the statue in effort to save him.

“STOP TOUCHING HIM,” I cried. “PLEASE! HURT ME INSTEAD.”

He turned his head to me, letting his hand drop to his side as he took a few steps towards me. The Dark Lord stared up at me, an evil expression lingering in his face. “Astonishing how a few drops of your blood could do, Potter. No magic to save you, yet still as powerful. I find it hard to believe.”

I sneered at him, making it evident if he said any other word to me I would make sure he died again.

The Grim Reaper suddenly released us, dropping us onto the floor harshly. I groaned in pain as I rubbed my side.

“Take out your wand, Potter. Pick it up, now! As for you, Rosalie, don’t you dare arm yourself, or I will kill you.”

I watched as my brother grabbed his wand from the floor, crawling backwards. I stood up slowly, keeping my hand clutching the end of my sleeve as I felt my wand hidden and ready for action.

“I take it you know how to duel. First things first, we bow.”

Voldemort gracefully bowed as I moved next to my brother, carefully eyeing him.

“Oh come on now, Harry, Dumbledore wouldn’t want you to forget your manners! I said, bow!”

With a small shake of his wand, me and Harry’s backs arched forward, forcing us to bow to him as he snickered.

Before I could even blink, my brother was on the floor, and the Dark Lord had yelled, “Crucio!”

He began screaming and writhing in pain. I dropped to the floor on my knees as I shook him, letting out wails and agonizing gasps. “Stop torturing him,” I yelled to no attempt, as I knew all Voldemort wanted was to see Harry Potter dead in front of his eyes.

“There you go, Harry. You see, your parents would be proud,” he sneered through clenched teeth, inching closer as he stopped the torture. My brother gasped for air, jaw clenching in complete anger. “Especially your filthy Muggle mothe-”

“Expelliarmus,” he yelled, but to no attempt as it backfired, sending him back. I stood up, wand at hand as I pointed it at him.

“What part don’t you fucking understand of. Do. Not. Hurt. My. Brother,” I snapped.

He chuckled deviously, acting as if he were to put his wand down. I prepared myself, but it all became a blur as suddenly I was on the floor, screaming. It felt like thousands of sharpened knives were piercing into my body all at once, as I was tied around my throat losing air. I felt like I was choking, slowly losing consciousness. The pain was unbearable and enough to make me prefer death.

It stopped slower than it started, and I winced, my eyes welling with tears as I remained curled up for a moment. I could hear louder cackles from Voldemort at his success as he stood above me, looking down into my eyes. I refused to make eye contact with him. “Such a shame. Much value and potential, and not willing to join such a powerful and glorious wizard.”

He walked slowly towards my brother again, eyeing him with pure hatred. “I’m going to kill you, Harry Potter. I will destroy you tonight. After tonight, no one will question my power and strength. No one will speak of your so-called amazing achievement in destroying me, but will talk about how you begged for death. And how I, being a merciful and graceful Lord, applied to do so.”

I was up at the same time Harry was as the Dark Lord quickly streamed down the patch of grass, further away from us. I was confused, but felt Harry grab my hand, pulling me behind the tombstone as a green flash of light flew by the side of it. I could tell it was aimed for me, and I felt grateful to Harry for once again saving my life.

“This is the second time I’ve almost died today,” I panted, running a hand through my hair. “This is not happening.”

“Don’t you dare turn your back on me and hide like a coward, Potter! I want to see you die. I want to see the light leave your eyes as I kill you once and for all!”

“We have to figure out a plan,” I exclaimed. “And now!”

Harry, who was panting as he struggled to breathe in a correct pattern again, nodded. His expression hardened. With that, he stood up, walking towards the wicked murderer and his followers.

“Have it your way,” he breathed.

I gasped and stood up, running to Harry to grab his shoulders and pull him back. But as soon as I managed to get right behind him, both had shot a spell from their wand, and it collided with force.

A bright red and green light merged, crashing into each other as they battled for dominance. I was shocked as I stared at the scene in front of me, never seeing anything like it before. I was still trying to contemplate what was going on, but then a blue bright shield-like light began surrounding us as they both struggled to remain.

On our side, three figures appeared. I choked on my breath as I realized who they were.

My mother, my father, and Cedric.

I couldn’t hear them, but I could see their lips moving as they communicated with Harry. They were so clear and young, my heart broke at the sight of them. They could see me, I realized, as I made eye contact with all three. My lip quivered slightly at the sight of three people I couldn’t bear to lose.

Lily Potter’s eyes met mine one last time, and all I could see suddenly was myself. She smiled, and my eyes began pouring out tears. I broke it though as Harry turned to me, before mouthing, “Grab on.”

I nodded and clutched onto his arm for dear life. He let go from the spell, and suddenly all the figures disappeared in a quick swish of the wind. Voldemort let out a raging sound, as he pointed his wand again. Harry lifted his first, though, and yelled, “Accio Cup!”

To my misfortune though, Harry had been a mere second late as I felt something hit my neck. I didn’t have a second to react or think as I immediately was pulled away from the world and fell into pitch black darkness.