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chapter twelve. ( the end has come )
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ASCELLA HAD NEVER BEEN PART OF A STRANGER GROUP BEFORE. Crookshanks led the way out of the tunnel; Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron went after him, all chained together. Professor Snape drifted eerily along, controlled by Black's wand, his head repeatedly hitting the ceiling of the tunnel at Black's power of the wand.
Ascella staggered behind, her breathing shallow. Her vision, in a matter of minutes, became blurry, her eyes squinting deeply so she could see what was in front of her. Harry, who had noticed her troubled state, grasped her hand softly, murmuring, "Ascella? Are you alright?"
Her head felt heavy on her neck, but she lifted it nonetheless, to meet Harry's eyes. "Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she brushed off with a nonchalant wave of her hand, but the slurring of her words caused Harry to immediately see through her facade.
"Okay, well, watch your step," he mumbled, steadying her as she almost stumbled over a tree root that had sprouted out of the ground. Ascella muttered a small thanks, brushing her dishevelled hair out of her face, her fingers interlocked tightly with Harry's.
Eventually, after what felt like hours, they fell out of the hole at the start of the Whomping Willow, greeted with the luminous lights Hogwarts emitted. Ascella felt herself take a deep breath of relief, the light winds of summer comforting on her face. Her hand fell from Harry's, a dull coldness spreading through her hand as the warmth Harry held disappeared almost instantly.
"Ascella?" Black's voice rang through her mind. She whirled around, Black's － almost sheepish － face shining under the silver gleam. "Can I － er － speak with you?"
Ascella and Harry's eyes met, and he urged to go with a small, insistent nod. "Yeah, course," she replied, her voice raspy.
