TOGETHER (A HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY) 4

55

MILLIE'S POV:

"What?"

My head slightly foggy, I glanced up at Mum, who was still continuously scanning my face, her expression a storm of emotion.

"You have it," she repeated, her voice so barely above a whisper I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"Have what?" I asked, with a little more force than I had intended. But I was tired, and I wanted to know if Harry was going to be okay, and I wanted desperately for someone to tell me that Cedric was going to be okay as well-

"Viha."

I didn't even bother to ask what this meant, and instead continued to stare blankly back at her in a way I hoped indicated that I had no idea what she was speaking about.

But the explanation that left Mum's mouth next made all previous worries shatter from my mind in a split-second.

"You can produce any spell you wish, can't you, baby? When you feel powerful emotion?"

My heart seemed to drop to the floor. In a small daze, I stared at her though dazed eyes.

"Too?" I croaked, with a single shake of my head. "You- you do it, as well?"

It took Mum a single nod for me to feel as though someone had just kicked me hard in the stomach, my eyes widening as her words slowly sunk in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, pulling away from her with such force she took an instant step backwards, her expression swimming with pain.

"We wanted to protect you, Millie," Mum said quickly, her voice trembling, but patient. "You're made of destructive magic- if people knew- if he knew- the danger that would put you in would be- it would be unbelievable..."

"Why?" I muttered, my gaze flicking automatically to Dad, who was watching us with such narrowed eyes I knew he was fighting the urge to break down.

Silence.

"He obliviated me..." Mum muttered, after a long pause. It was clearly hurting her to speak about, but some evil, selfish part of me did not care. Instead, I glared at her, fearing what might leave her mouth this time, and hoping it was the answer to the question I had been asking Dumbledore for months. "...or tried to," she continued, a slight bitterness to these last words. "It didn't work, of course. Before James and Lily died, I was like you- just not as brave. I struggled with myself...I hated myself for having Viha, some stupid power that had been passed down to me in years of ancestry just because of my family...I never asked for it...I didn't want to fight...Voldemort thought he'd been successful, the idiot...I was too valuable of a witch to simply dispose of, even after I'd refused to join the dark side, but he wanted this unknown magic gone...the only power of which he ever considered stronger than his...he thought he'd ended me that night, and the Viha inside of me he did...but, not forever...no...it survived in you."

"It's another reason we removed ourselves from the Wizarding World after James and lily died," Dad spoke up, appearing more miserable than I'd seen him ever. "We had to protect you, kiddo..."

"And that's why I made Millie promise not to tell you both," Dumbledore intervened softly, watching the scene with a firm gaze. "The more people who know, the greater the risk..."

"Viha," I repeated absentmindedly, fighting to swallow the lump that had formed mercilessly in my throat. My heart thumped heavily as I worked up the courage to ask the question circling my mind. "Am I- am I dangerous, Mum?"