burn me to hell [1]

⨷Chapter 25

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly a fierce fierce friend. Azalea McClivert, an exceptional student, brave and loyal. Having the courage to fight anything for her friends."

The hall was silent, with students weeping or in shock. Ashley held on to pansy, who had just stopped bawling her eyes out. Blaise sniffled, sitting beside Draco, who was grim. Dylan was barely holding himself together, clutching the letter that he was yet to send to their parents, informing them about her. Snape was looking into the floor, blaming himself for all of this. He had gone to the graveyard to search for her, but no one was there, not even Voldemort. He tried to search for her body at least, but he didn't find that even. Only a shred of her shirt, with her blood on it. his heart clenched, remembering the way she poked him in those potion classes, the way she pleaded him to help her with those puppy eyes. he never showed compassion for anyone but somehow, he had started to like her presence.

"I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how they died. You see, cedric diggory and azalea McClivert were murdered by lord Voldemort. The ministry of magic does
not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to their memory. Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that and those two will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate our students who were kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end."

"I appreciate the effort...but, as you can see, I'm not dead, yet." Azalea said, leaning on the doors to the great hall, covered in blood and smiling like a psycho.

The entire hall gasped when they saw her, alive in the flesh. She strutted barefooted to the platform where dumbledore was, leaving a trail of blood behind, not a drop of which was hers. "I almost wished I was dead, to honour your speech but then I remembered I'm not. Pity."

Pansy and Ashley beamed with joy when they saw their friend. Even draco had a small smile, relieved to see her alive. But snape wasn't happy. He had looked into her eyes, they were dead, without any sparkle of mischief or love. They were soulless which meant the last of her warning had gone true,

The leashed will be unleashed.

She positioned herself beside dumbledore and addressed the crowd. "why are you all crying? For cedric, huh. Listen very carefully, voldy moldy is back and he is going to come after us, first harry then us."

"you should be dead. You were impaled." Harry blurted out. Draco glared at him, ready to hex him for even saying such thing.

She rolled her eyes and turned to him, "am I? do I look dead to you, potter. Or maybe you prefer me dead. I think you owe me a thanks since I helped you get away."

"I'm not lying. You were stabbed. You lost blood. Lots of it"

"shut up potter." Draco snapped.

"I was." Azalea began "I was impaled with a stake this big" she motioned with her hands "but I survived. Not everyone has that power. So tell me, do you all want to die at the hands of a slimy snake-man hybrid or you want to live your life, grow old then die. If you are going with the latter, I suggest you buckle yourselves cause we're going to fight. I saw the fear in voldemort's eyes when I almost defeated him. He can be defeated. You just need the courage to do so." She stepped down and without sparing a glance at anyone else, walked out of the great hall.

---x---x---

"thank merlin, you're safe. Pansy here bawled her eyes out." Ashley told azalea as she stepped out of the shower, drying her hair.

"not my fault, she gave us quite the scare." Pansy defended herself. "is...is he really back? The dark lord" she asked, timidly. Azalea nodded, she didn't want to have this conversation now. Every glance at her friends made her think about what Voldemort could do to them, to get to her. she packed her trunk and scrambled out, dragging it behind. "it wasn't this heavy when it arrived." She grumbled. The boys were already down with their trunks. Theo saw her struggling with her stuff and snatched it from her, "let me help" she smiled and let him carry her luggage down.

Draco, who had been watching all this, had a scowl on his face. He was terrified earlier, on the thought of her. dead. He promised himself he'll stay away from her but whatever he tried; he couldn't pry himself away from her. he was like a moth, drawn to the fire despite knowing that it will burn him. When he saw nott smiling at her and carrying her stuff, he felt mad, disgusted even.

"promise me you'll write" Ashley made both her and pansy swear on their magic that they will write to each other. Pansy was jumping excitedly; she was going on a tour with her mother, a welcome relief from all the tension happening at Hogwarts.

"Miss McClivert, a word please." Snape called her just as she mounted the carriage. He motioned her to come with him. When they were out of earshot, he grabbed her and glared at her, "what happened in the graveyard"

"nothing, professor."

"don't. lie. To. Me." He gritted through his teeth. He could see it. he didn't want her to lose herself but maybe she had no other choice, maybe she had to turn herself insane to protect her skin. He was ready to accept it, he was ready to change her back to her former self, by any way possible. "I know you're lying. I have spent enough time with you to know when you're lying. I know you did what you had too. Sometimes we all have to, and we regret it but don't make yourself a prey of your own mind."

A flicker of her old self flashed in her eyes. she was gaining control. Maybe she'll be able to keep her demons in check.

"I tried professor." Her voice was desperate, "I tried to hold them but I couldn't. t-they escaped. I let them out."

"who? Who did you let out." His eyes bore into hers.

"my demons, professor. And they are going to wreak havoc now."

---x---x---