The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 3: Chapter 14

"Mierda- Paige! Are you okay?!" Willow yelped.

Paige coughed, uncovering herself from a mound of dirt. "Yeah!"

Another explosion shook the ground, causing Willow and Paige to shoot to their feet. It was much farther away, though, and not even aimed aimed at them. Willow watched in horror as spells rained down on the figure in the distance. Paige tried to sprint towards him, but Willow caught her arm at the last second. Paige whipped around with a blaze alighting her irises.

"What are you doing! My grandfather is dying!" she screamed.

"We can't just go barging in! You saw what they did to us from a distance!" Willow scolded. "We need to sneak up on them! Come on, let's flank them on the left, my lunatic aunt is over there, and she's useless."

Paige clenched and unclenched her fists. "Fine. But make it quick."

Creeping through the tall grass, the Gryffindors made short work of closing the distance with the Fawley family. They were completely undetected. Willow had a point-blank aim on her aunt within sixty seconds, and Margret never would have seen it coming. Paige leveled her wand at the Fawley closest to her grandfather. Willow held out a hand to hold her back, nodding at the situation. Paige slowly realized what was going on as Willow gestured to her with hand signs. The Fawleys had surrounded Paige's grandfather in a semicircular arc, all with wands aimed at the older gentleman's chest. Grandpa Terrell had collapsed on a rock, chest heaving, still without a wand in sight. He was at the mercy of Willow's former family- and there was far too little mercy to go around in the Fawley household.

"Well, well, well," a voice hissed. Willow's body went rigid. "Long time, no see, Terrell. What rat hole have you been hiding in this time?"

"It's nice to see you too, Grace," Paige's grandfather muttered. "Still ugly, I see."

Willow suppressed the urge to high-five him as Grace flushed scarlet. "Still a dick, I see."

"Ouch. There's no need for name-calling. You've got me cornered; what more do you want?"

Grace narrowed her eyes. "I want your head on a silver platter, that's what, Terrell! You've destroyed my family! You and your nasty clan- you're scum, all of you!" Grace fluttered her eyelashes patronizingly, taking a pace backwards. "Or at least, you were scum- it's just you now."

Grandpa Terrell's eyes flashed. "How dare you speak of my family! You'll never be as good as them- they gave their lives to protect their children, unlike you!"

There was a sickening smack! and Grandpa Terrell was thrown off the rock, crumpling into a bent position on the grass. His hand tentatively brushed the red hand mark forming on his face. Paige tried to jump up, but Willow caught her just in time to keep her low.

Grace's eyes burned dangerously. "How dare you bring that up! I had no choice in the matter, and it's not like I can change it now."

"But you can change, Grace," Grandpa Terrell said, struggling to his feet. "You have every chance to turn your back on this life, and you make a conscious choice not to. It will always be your fault."

Grace whipped her wand out, the point of it pressing on Grandpa Terrell's neck. "Say that one more time, and you'll never see the light of day again."

"I haven't seen it since you killed my wife anyway."

To everyone's great surprise, Grandpa Terrell threw down his tattered cloak, revealing a sleek, jet-black, fitted one underneath. He drew his wand and fired a spell at Grace, who went flying backwards. Willow and Paige exchanged looks of pure awe. Grandpa Terrell conjured a magical shield just in time to block a furious retaliation from the Fawley family. With his wand hand, he maintained the shield, and with the other- without a wand- he sprayed fire towards his flank. Six wizards and witches fell to the ground, screaming, as fire engulfed their robes. Willow and Paige darted backwards to avoid the chaos, still keeping low.