- Eternal Curse -

0.2 Chapter Twenty Four

Twenty Four

A bustling street on a brisk November morning. Muggles window shopping, warming their hands on cardboard takeaway cups. With a month until Christmas, decorations were hung on store doorsteps and holiday sale signs stuck to glass. But that wasn't what Annie was looking at. She was running. Running down an alleyway next to the bustling street. Chasing after someone, who was chasing after someone else?

"Stop!" She yelled after the men. She desperately wanted to know where she was or who she was following but it was almost as if she didn't have control over her body at all. They spun around the corner out into the road where people stopped to watch. The man was shouting, he had dark hair to his shoulders and a wand pointed at the other, a short, overweight man who was cowering in fear. The dark haired man, obviously enraged was screaming, tears falling from his face. Annie couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but whatever it was, it wasn't great.

"You betrayed them! You killed them and left Harry nothing!" The fat man squeaked. The dark haired man began to flick his wand to strike.

"No, don't!" Annie yelled. The dark haired man turned to her, looking alarmed.

"Get out Annie, go!" She shook her head and pulled her wand out of her back pocket and turned it back on him.

"You've done enough," she snapped, "Step away from him." His face turned solemn, a regretful look in his eyes. Sighing, he spoke.

"I'm sorry Ann, I won't let him get away with this."

"Get away with wha-" She began but stopped when she was struck in the chest with a blinding light consuming her vision. She fell onto the concrete, skidding far away from the two, head smacking on the floor. Her hand fell back behind her. A sticky coating of blood pooled around her fingers, matting her hair.

She looked over to see the stout man flick his wand from behind his back, a loud crack sounding in the distance. There were screams as the people around the scene fell and the fat man had disappeared into thin air. The ricochet from the blast came towards her and came over her like a wave. It felt like her soul had been ripped from the rest of her body, absolute agony. Everything went back to dark.

***

Annie woke up with a jolt and out of breath. The sweat pooled in her pillow, hair matted and clammy hands. She whipped her head around the room. She wasn't in the street anymore. She was at home, in bed at the Hufflepuff common room. The door creaked, swinging open and she flinched. It was just Sally.

"Alright, Ann? I'll tell the girls you woke up." She left as quick as she had arrived, leaving her alone again. What had that dream been about, surely it was just a dream, right? Despite how obvious it was just a dream, it felt too real. The men knew who they were, they said her name and she obviously knew them, they felt familiar but how could she possibly know two grown men.

"Hey sweetie, how're you holding up?" Marie and Lynn were in the doorway, smiling softly.

"My head is pounding and I had the weirdest dream of these men in a place I've never been before." She sat up, reaching for her comb, brushing her hair up onto the top of her head.

"Guys? Pray tell." Marie mused, plopping down on Lynn's bed, who had just sent her an odd look.

"Don't make it raunchy, they were random grown men, 'Rie." Lynn pulled a disgusted face, Marie recoiling.

"Oh, ew. I retract my statement." They laughed.

"How long was I asleep?" Annie asked, wiggling her toes in an attempt to wake herself up.

"Only overnight. You were out like a light for once but I'm not surprised."

"God, only overnight? It felt like twelve years, I'm famished." The two got up and headed to the door.