HOUSE OF BLACK

CHAPTER 22

"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are." — Unknown

HERMIONE POV:

Seeing the killing curse coming at me at a fast pace. I screamed at my body to move, to dodge, get out of the way, but I couldn't.

My body froze in fear. I could hear the horrified scream that ripped from Corona's throat.

My body shook as tears fell down my face, we already lost Ron but now we're going to lose me too.

Corona has already been through so much. She didn't deserve to watch us die.

She didn't deserve any of this.

If the adults just did their damn jobs and protected the wizarding world when Voldemort was barely rising, then that damn prophecy wouldn't have been spoken.

I hated Trelawney for speaking that obscure and vague prophecy.

I hated Dumbledore for putting Corona in dangerous situations and not even lifting a finger to help her afterwards.

And the time he did, he was late. And Corona was almost expelled and magic-bound.

Corona was only eleven when she accidently burned her teacher into flames, possessed or not, she still accidentally killed her professor.

Let me repeat that, she was only eleven, do wizards not know what therapy is?!

Oh wait I forgot! THEY DON'T HAVE AN OUNCE OF BLOODY COMMON SENSE, HONESTLY!

And when they didn't let me console her and offer her comfort after her godfather died, I was ready to tear into some people. And to send her back to her abusive family, was the last straw!

I respect authority, I honestly did. Until every single authority figure decided to fail us, Corona, Ron, and I.

I stopped believing in adults and relied on my friends and myself.

I hated myself for not doing more. I closed my eyes, not standing the image of Corona charging into battle in rage as the killing curse finally made contact.

All I remember was wishing to be with Corona again, and help her when she is in need.

***

One moment I was floating in a void of darkness, then a bunch of blurred memories of me talking to an older Corona, before I found myself on a couch.

Confused, I looked around and went rigid at the black cloaked figure, I quickly glanced around looking for my wand when I remembered Avery snapped it.

As if seeing my panicked look the cloaked figure held out a slender hand out to me. Cautious and greatly confused, I held my hand out reaching for his after five minutes of refusing to do so before.

Before I could touch his hand a wand appeared in his, I gasped in shock.

"My...my wand. Avery broke it, he made me watch. How did you—?", I asked gratefully, accepting my wand.

I absentmindedly slid my fingers across the 10¾" long vine wood, and dragon heartstring core wand. I shivered remembering how violated I felt when Avery Sr. broke my wand.

The cloaked figure simply held a hand up halting and killing the questions ready to burst from my lips.

"Mistress had decided to do something foolish, and faces death soon—"