Darker Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 44- Sorry (Ava)

Chapter 44 (Ava)

When I saw the crowd of people, I knew where Dumbledore's body was.

I stopped for a moment, hesitating, and Fred reached out to take my hand again,

“You don’t have to look if you don’t want to. If you want to remember him alive and breathing, don’t look.”

I shook my head,

“I- I’d rather know that he’s at peace.”

I pushed my way through the crowd of students, expecting irritated mutters in response.

But I didn’t get a response from a single student. The only noise I could hear was sobs and shouts of those around me when they could see what had happened.

I finally got to the front of the throng of students, and the moment I saw Dumbledore’s limp, lifeless body on the floor, my legs gave way and I fell to my knees. I lowered my head and sobbed quietly, not wiping away the tears on my cheeks. I felt Fred crouch down beside me, but he didn’t say anything.

Slowly, I reached my hand out and place it on top of Dumbledore’s chest, taking a deep breath,

“I tried my best to save you, I really did. Both of us- I think we both convinced Draco. He wasn’t going to do it. I just… I didn’t realise that Snape wasn’t on our side. You trusted him…”

I shook my head and gulped,

“But in the end- in the end, didn’t I do the right thing? The look on your face when I… when I stood up to Fenrir- I can only describe that as pride. I did do the right thing; I just did it too late.”

My final two words were quiet, too quiet for even Fred to hear,

“I’m sorry.”

I pulled my hand away but stayed where I was, silently sobbing. My hair concealed my face from everyone else apart from Fred. He didn’t reach out to comfort me, possibly because he knew that I needed a moment alone. I was fine with that.

I stopped hearing the sobs and shouts of everyone around me as a wave of guilt crushed me. Things could have gone differently- I could have told Dumbledore about everything in the first place.

Why hadn’t I?

“Fred? We need to go to the Hospital Wing- I was sent to find you and Ava.”

 I straightened and turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. George was standing there, looking slightly dishevelled with his hands in his pockets and a couple of cuts on his face.

I stood up,

“George- I wondered where you were.”