Always light the candles

Chapter 28

I stare at him in disbelief, the pain in my heart overwhelming me. "You're lying," I say, my voice wavering with emotion. "You're just saying it to dig deeper, to hurt me even more. You know my sister means everything to me."

"Do you not realize that you're clinging to memories and fantasies? She's never coming back!"

I explode, the frustration and anger reaching a boiling point. "What the hell are you talking about?" I yell back, my voice shaking. "My sister is alive, you bastard! I saw her just yesterday at the ball. She's here with me, in Hogwarts, and you're just talking out of your ass!"

"She's GONE, Albus!" he repeats forcefully.

I'm breathing heavily, my fists clenched at my sides. I stare at him, my eyes narrow, waiting for him to deny it again, to continue his cruel game of lies. But he just looks at me, his expression unreadable.

I take a step forward, my anger still flaring. "Don't you dare say another word about her," I warn, my voice low and dangerous. "She's real, she's here, and you're not going to manipulate me into doubting that."

Scorpius remains silent for a moment, his eyes locked on mine. There's something in his expression that I can't quite decipher, but I refuse to back down. I won't let him mess with my mind, not when it comes to my sister.

My mind is reeling, the confusion and anger mixing into a chaotic whirlwind. I clutch my hair, trying to make sense of everything. "No. I...I don't understand," I mutter, my voice filled with disbelief.

"She died 7 years ago, when you were 13." Scorpius says.

7 years ago.

The exact time as the Cruciatus curse happened.

"That would mean I killed her." I say my eyes wide with disbelief at my own words, my hands shaking.

Scorpius immediately regrets his harsh words as he watches me struggle with the truth. His expression softens, and he calls out to me in a gentler tone. "Albus," he says quietly, taking a step towards me.

"I...I killed her," I repeat, my voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the guilt is almost too much to bear.

I can tell Scorpius feels the impact of his words, his expression filled with regret.

"You're lying," I say fiercely, my eyes blazing with a mixture of denial and anger. "You have to be. She can't be dead. I would have known. I would have remembered, right?" I blurt out but speaking mostly to myself.

But deep down, a small part of me already knows the truth, the pieces starting to fall into place. The memories of my sister suddenly feel fuzzy, like images from a dream rather than reality.

The pain and guilt crash over me like a tsunami, threatening to drown me. I stagger, my legs suddenly feeling weak, as if they can no longer hold me up.

Scorpius takes another step towards me, his arms instinctively reaching out to offer comfort. But the anger and hurt bubbling within me make me recoil, my body instinctively pulling away from his touch.

"Don't touch me," I snap, my voice hoarse with emotion and I storm out of the room, the tears still streaming down my face. Scorpius runs after me calling out my name. My mind is a mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions, but one thing is clear: I need to know the truth.

With every fiber of my being, I yearn for the truth about my sister, to know if the reality I've been denying for so long is as terrible as I fear.

I find a Nimbus lying near the entrance of the castle and mount it, pushing off into the air and heading towards my family's home.