Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 193

Jenna's eyes fell again upon the body that Hagrid was carrying. She could see Harry, with his messy jet-black hair and broken glasses, remaining in Hagrid's arms without moving. It was as though all her nightmares had come to life at once, shattering her world down.

    "NO! HARRY! NO!" Jenna screamed, making a run forward, but Sirius was quick to hold her back.

     "Jenna —"

     "Let go of me, Sirius! LET ME GO!" She started crying, the pain in her heart growing unbearable.

     In that split moment, all she could see was James; laying on his back at the bottom of the staircase, his lifeless eyes open behind his lopsided glasses, staring up at the ceiling. She had kneeled down beside him, shaking her brother as if he would wake up. As if he wasn't truly gone. As if he hadn't left without a simple goodbye.

     But now, she had lost Harry too. Somehow, it was even more painful, because she had so much less to lose this time.

Or perhaps it was because she had promised Lily that she would take care of him. Those were Lily's last words to Jenna. To look after Harry. She could remember it too vividly.

"Look, Jen..." Lily stopped Jenna as she was about to leave their house at Godric's Hollow. Her illuminating green eyes were filled with tears. "If anything happens to us... you will take care of Harry, right?"

Jenna glanced back at her, the color draining from her face. "Don't talk like that, Lil. Nothing's going to happen —"

"But just say it did happen," Lily cut her off, "look after Harry. Please..."

Jenna didn't know what to say to that, but she could hear the desperation in her friend's voice.

So she just moved forward and brought Lily to yet another embrace as she whispered, "I will."

If only she knew this was going to be the last time she was seeing her, she would've held on to that hug longer. If she knew, she would've told her brother how much she loved him.

   Jenna had failed her. She had failed James. Harry was gone.

Many gasped and a few screamed his name, including Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. But Jenna's yells were the worse, the sorrow piercing through her soul like a trigger.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried out, causing everyone to go quiet. Bellatrix gave a shriek of laughter, feeling triumphant at everybody's demise.

Voldemort laughed. "It is over. From this day forth, you put your faith in me."

No one said anything. Nobody even moved.

"You see?" said Voldemort. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him! And now is the time to declare yourself! Come forward and join us... or die."

The only sound that could be heard was Jenna's loud cries as she struggled to break free from Sirius desperately, who looked in misery himself, his eyes red.

But then everyone took aback as Neville limped forward, the dusty sorting hat in his hand, which he had taken off from the ground.

"And who is this?" Voldemort said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"