MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

Prodigal Magic

The pain ceased, Atlas could breathe but no sooner was she attacked with another suffocating feeling as all eyes fell upon her. She looked around, absolutely horrified. There was no uproarious applause but the silence was deafening enough. The warmth was sucked from the air and Atlas looked up at the Top table, panicked. Minerva's expression only further added to her anxieties and Atlas shook her head numbly, swallowing thickly.

"I -- I don't...I can't--" Atlas wheezed, a comforting hand slid into her own and she turned to see Hermione looking at her with a soft smile. "Hermione, I didn't--"

"It's ok...you're ok, just go up, Professor Dumbledore will figure it out," Hermione urged, rubbing her thumb over Atlas's knuckles, realising, no matter how solidly she held the girl's hand, she wouldn't stop shaking. "You're ok, Atty."

"I -- I didn't," Her voice cracked.

"Atlas!" Minerva called and Atlas flinched, that aching in her heart coming back again. "Atlas, come on up!"

"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving her a slight push.

Atlas stood up, her legs almost giving out beneath her, and stumbled forward, her head down and eyes trained on the floor. She didn't know why she was feeling so bad but she was feeling bad, worse than all the other times her heart would lurch so painfully. As if woken from another vivid nightmare of that night those years ago, in her bedroom, lying in her crib as she was bathed in her own mother's blood. Her heart was clenching again and the tips of her fingers felt static, feeling, instantly, as if they'd gone into a state of paralysis. She glanced down and immediately bawled up her fists, trying to rein in the magic that had threatened to seep through her palms.

She was overwhelmed, more so than she had ever been in her life, more so than the time she almost destroyed Hogsmeade Village after manifesting her powers when she was five, scared, confused, feeling alone as a prodigal witch. More so than the time she had faced her Boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts the year prior. More so than when she had run away after finding out the 'truth' about her dad in The Threebroomsticks and it only just rivalled the urge to burst she felt when she had laid her eyes upon Peter Pettigrews face in the Shrieking Shack. 

A hand landed softly atop her shoulder and she looked up at Minerva, well aware of the fear etched across her face.

"Minnie, I can't..." Atlas murmured. "I don't want to be a champion."

"I'm sorry," was all she got. 

Hesitantly, Atlas moved away, glancing up at the other teachers at the table to only see them staring back at her in quiet astonishment. She swallowed again, painfully slow and went through the door out of the Great Hall, almost falling down them as she ventured into the champions room. As soon as she hit the bottom step, she didn't look up, nor did she move, instead, she took a moment to breathe, away from the judgemental stares, away from that whispering goblet, away from everything.

"Atlas?" Now she looked up, watching as Fleur advanced toward her. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

"Fleur," Atlas felt tears building in her eyes. "I'm the Hogwarts Champion..."

"What?" She snapped sharply, bringing the girl over to the fire where a sofa sat. She guided Atlas down and sat next to her, rubbing her back. "'Ow did you--?"

"I didn't put my name in the cup, I was...I was with Hermione the entire night, I couldn't have...and my chest. Fleur, it won't stop hurting," She said, through pained breaths. "It's warning me, Fleur, I can't do this."

"I-it is ok!" Fleur tried, patting her back awkwardly. Hurried footsteps came quickly behind them and Atlas turned to see Harry, practically sprinting down the steps and towards her, Ludo Bagman tailing behind him, muttering to himself.