The scene from the graveyard played in her head over and over again, and she stirred in her sleep, clutching her blanket and holding it close to her as if it were Cedric. But the more tightly she held on, the more it hurt.. the more she realised that the green jet of light had hit him.. the more she remembered the feel of his cold hand into hers..

Ria slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry with tears even though they kept pouring down the sides of her face. She had never felt so heavy before.

She slowly sat up in her bed, breathing shakily when she did so, and looked around. There was no one there. She looked at her hands, searching for any sight of glow that was there before, but there was none.

Then came the heavy silence of realisation.. and Ria hoped it wasn't true. She hoped it was just another dream that messed with her head badly. She brought her wrist in front of her at a painfully slow pace. 

He will answer me.. I'm his sister. Slowly, she tapped the bracelet on her wrist. The white dot whirled into black, and a small light of hope lit up her eyes for one tiny moment. 

"Ced..?" She called for him, her voice a whisper.

"Hey, Ced?"

She waited and waited.

"Come on, man.. Don't ignore me like that.."

Her vision darkened, and tears ran down her face uncontrollably. Soft voices played in her memories.

"But what's the point? You'll just end up ignoring me."

"Not going to lie. It's tempting, really."

"Cedric, please.." She sniffed.

"But.. I'm not going to do that, obviously."

"Liar.." Asteria breathed out heavily.

The pain of losing someone.. The pain of carrying that guilt over yourself, yet again. The pain of knowing you won't get to see them ever again.

No more late night talks, no more teasing, no more Quidditch practices together, no more time together..

No more him..

"My dumb little sister still needs me.. or she'll end up doing stupid stuff."

"YOU LIAR!" Her voice collapsed into loud sobs. The wind suddenly changed; the windows shattered, the furniture slid away, the lamps above her swayed dangerously.. everything that surrounded her heaved back into the walls of the room.

The door burst open, and the woman at the door hurried towards her daughter. The golden trio, Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Snuffles, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape followed her inside.

Isabella quickly pulled her to her chest. She was shaking. "Shh.. I'm here, sweetheart." She comforted, her voice trembling as she did so. Ria slowly shook her head, clutching the bracelet tightly.

"I— I.. t— tried.. I swear" She whimpered out. Isabella nodded, kissing her head. "I— I tried so— so hard, Mum.."

"I know, honey.. I— I know." She assured her, and her sobs just became heavier as she hid her face into her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry."

Pomfrey carefully made her way towards the bed through the floor full of shattered vials and bottles. She tried to pay no mind to the destroyed shelf of medicines as she held a goblet full of some purple potion in it.

"Here.." said Isabella softly, but Asteria shook her head furiously, knowing it was just another potion to drown her pain down.

"I don't want to..." She begged, but that made no difference to the matron's decision. She shook her head again, stubbornly. But then Isabella softly patted her head.

Asteria looked up at her. "Just this one time." She assured the girl. "I won't ask anything else of you.. please."

Please, don't punish yourself anymore.. Her amber eyes begged.

A quiet sniffle later, she hesitantly nodded, making her give her a small, grateful smile. After taking the potion, she laid back on the bed. She felt her eyes droop, and she figured it was another potion for dreamless sleep.

Remus quietly pulled Isabella away from her bed, seeing it on her face that she holding back a sob with all her might. After all, she had lost her nephew, too. She was just being strong because someone in their family needed to be.

"We need to have a word." Dumbledore broke the silence, looking at all the others. Isabella wiped a lone tear away and nodded.

"I want to hear.." Ria spoke lowly. "I want answers." She said, particularly looking at Dumbledore with a hard gaze.

"You'll get them." Remus reassured, making her look at him. "After you get well.. I promise." Ria glanced back at the headmaster one more time before looking back at Remus, then she nodded.

"I'm staying." A quiet, yet demanding voice spoke out. And they looked at Harry, whose gaze was fixed on the ground.

He had had enough of all the conversations, all the strategies, and all the assumptions. He wanted peace. He wanted to forget the incident; the golden light, the giant cauldron, Cedric's dead body, Wormtail's hand, Voldemort in flesh, and everything else. 

He wanted to forget, and he wanted to go numb.

Harry then looked at Dumbledore with a stern gaze for the first time. The old wizard nodded. And as everyone began leaving, Harry walked slowly towards Ria. He took a seat beside her, then held her hand in both of his.

Ria looked at him longingly. "I'm sorry.." she whispered. Harry could hear the faint voices in his mind.

"Harry." He looked around, then he saw the silvery outline of.. Cedric. "Take my body back to my family.." He nodded weakly. "And take care of my sister.. will you?"

"It wasn't your fault, love." He said, his tone gentle.

Ria disagreed, shaking her head while blinking her tears away. "I— I knew it was going to happen, and I still— still couldn't.." she sniffled.

Harry just shook his head and leaned towards her hand to place a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Isabella's eyes burned with a desire to cry again, just like the three prior days. Yes, her daughter had been unconscious for three days. And a lot had happened in the meantime.

Cedric.. the chaos as well as the numbness she felt when her eyes fell on his lifeless body, the painful cries of her brother; all of it was too familiar to the Enchantress.

It reminded her of Amos on the night of Halloween, fourteen years ago, cradling his wife in his arms, begging her to wake up from the endless sleep she had fallen into at the hands of the infamous Antonion Dolohov.

It took her back to the same night when she saw her two best friends, laying on the floor of their house, their once loving eyes lacking warmth and becoming a void, forever. She couldn't forget the loud sobs of their son, who looked desperately at his mother, wanting her to clutch him to her chest till he felt safe.

What had the they ever done to deserve this terrible life? They were children; they deserved a safe haven..

She couldn't stop her tears now, her temples hurting from holding back for too long. We were children.. we didn't deserve all that either.

A warm hand slipped into hers for comfort. And if it was any other time, she would've scowled. But she accepted it, this time.. the comfort. Isabella leaned her head on his shoulder, tears continuing to race down her face.

But not at all expecting this response from her, Remus tensed the moment her head touched his shoulder. Taking the chance that no one else was around, Snuffles transformed into his human form. When he saw the two, he raised a questioning eyebrow. But the look Remus threw was enough to shut him down.

Not the time, Sirius.

"Er— any chance of convincing Fudge, yet.. Professor?" asked Remus. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Not a chance, I'm concerned. Fudge is afraid of admitting the Dark Lord's return, or is feared of losing his position."

"I had warned them.." he added. "When they were celebrating Lord Voldemort's death thirteen years ago, I had warned the Minister about his downfall being temporary. I had reminded them about how Lagarde was still alive and probably conspiring something.."

Isabella scowled. "Albus Dumbledore is not taking Madam Lagarde's side? Now, that is a sight for sore eyes." She drawled out, mocking.

Dumbledore sighed. "I know.. I do tend to favour Madam Lagarde.. but that does not mean I can ignore that she had once spiralled down the wrong path."

"Conspiring something? What does that mean?" asked Sirius. "Sorry, I've lost track after spending years in Azkaban."

"Well.. there's a rumour that before Lagarde died.. she managed to put a curse on humanity.. The curse being something to do with You-Know-Who's immortality."

Sirius nodded in realisation. Now that he had heard it again, he did remember those rumours flying around in Azkaban too.

"Rumour? That's no fucking rumour or anything." Isabella chuckled in defeat. "That is true."

"We don't have proof."

"You need proof? Do you not remember how cruel she was?" She asked. "Lagarde's vile enough. She has cursed the world. I could bet my life on it."

"Isabella.. Calm down."

"Don't you dare—" She gritted her teeth as she looked at Dumbledore "— tell me to calm down, when an imposter entered the grounds right in your presence.. and you didn't try to suspect him one damn time, all because he had the face of a friend." Her lower lip trembled with fury. "And don't you dare tell me to calm down when I've lost.." She gulped, looking away.

..when I've lost someone I loved.. yet again.

Cedric's funeral had already happened a day ago. And though all of them knew Ria wouldn't have liked herself being absent, they could not delay it. They did not know how long it was going to take for her to wake up.

Amos was at his worst. He kept staring at things for a long while, losing himself into anything. He didn't eat, didn't respond to anyone's calls.. didn't even blink. To someone just passing by he would seem lifeless. It terrified his sister.

"It must've been hard, Isabella." said Dumbledore, sympathetically.

"You don't know half of it." Her hard voice said as she glowered at him. "Trust me."

"Good thing is.. she is safe now." He replied.

"Safe?" Isabella scowled. "No one knows how Ria ended up in that maze.. you say she's safe?" Remus tugged on her hand, as if begging her to calm down, but she jerked his hand away.

"If there's something I know about my daughter.. is that she would think about it, but she won't do something like that." She answered. "To avoid something so grave, she'd rather ask for help. She wouldn't run into danger when she knows what's about to happen.. so I ask you again, Professor.."

"How did my daughter end up in that maze?"

Dumbledore gave a pause and exhaled before answering. "Asteria ended up there because she was meant to."

Isabella's gaze softened. "What do you... What do you mean by that?"

The Headmaster looked at Sirius, and he took the hint. "When— uh— when Harry told us what happened in the graveyard.." He hesitated. "He mentioned a circle of Runes.. and golden light."

Her eyes widened at that answer. She looked at Remus and found the almost same expression on his face.

"Sounds familiar?"

She feebly nodded in response. No.. no no no no. Every beat of her racing heart sounded like a desperate bargain.

"The golden light represents the power that comes from your blood. But before it could enter Lord Voldemort, however..." he trailed off. "There was another burst of light. And the magic returned back to her completely."

At his answer, her heart almost stopped for a moment. She stared at him, speechless. That wasn't how she remembered it..

"Something broke the connection before it could form.. and Lord Voldemort acquired none of Asteria's magic." He stated. "If he did, we would know it by now. He is too egoistic to hide his success from the world."

"What was it that broke the connection?" Isabella asked weakly.

Dumbledore smiled apologetically. "We are not sure, but we are trying."

"Er— If you don't mind me asking, Headmaster.." Ron interrupted. "We know why He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacked Harry.. but why Asteria?"

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley whisper-yelled, "It's not good to poke your nose into other people's personal matters."

"It is alright to have questions, Molly." Albus assured, then looked at Isabella, who nodded.

"Because, just like her mother, she is an Enchantress.." He answered, and Molly's eyes slightly widened in surprise. She had not known that. "And an Enchantress's magic is one of the most desirable things in the Wizarding world."

"Uh.. Professor McGonagall—" said Hermione lowly, so only she could hear, "If you don't mind.. May I ask what the 'circle of Runes' is?"

She nodded. "Of course.. The circle of Runes was a failed invention of Lagarde."

Hermione blinked in confusion. Failed..? But wasn't You-Know-Who using it?

"Failed.. invention?" She mumbled in disbelief.

Minerva nodded again. "Failed.. yes. Its true purpose was the extraction of an Obscurus from an Obscurial. You do know what they are.. don't you, Miss Granger?"

The girl nodded quickly. "An Obscurus is a dark magical parasite that is formed when a wizard suppresses their magical abilities to an extreme extent. And the Obscurial is the wizard; the host."

"Right you are." said McGonagall. "It was invented so that elderly wizards in hospitals that are already on the verge of dying.. who cannot be saved, can take Obscuri from young hosts and save their lives."

Hermione blinked in wonder. If that would have succeeded, it would have been revolutionary. "But it didn't turn out how she wanted?"

"Unfortunately, no." She answered with a tone of disappointment. "No one really knows what went wrong.. The result of the official testing in the Ministry was kept hidden."

Well.. Ria needs to know that, even though some would not like me to tell her. Hermione thought as she first watched McGonagall indulge herself into the discussion the adults were having.

And when Hermione was sure she was not paying attention to her, she inched towards the door of the hospital. She was about to enter inside, but stopped and found her heart melting at the sight instead.

Well.. Hermione thought as she quietly closed the door. I can let her know on the train.

Asteria inched closer to Harry, hiding her face in his chest and melting into his warmth. His tight grip around her was comfortable, but strong enough to show that he would protect her from the world at any cost.

The two held each other tightly as they peacefully slept. But they looked ready to stand up to anyone who'd threaten them and fight alongside one another for however long they needed to.

There was no doubt that the month had been hard for everyone, but Asteria Edwards was a whole nother case. Anyone could tell just by a glance, that she always had something on her mind, but she wouldn't let anyone know what it was.

"Then Dumbledore got angry. He looked quite scary, honestly." Ron continued the story, which Ria was passively listening to. "He told Fudge he was blinded by the love of his office and job, and that he had warned him, though he didn't listen."

"But.. Ria. How did you end up in the maze?"

"Whatever happened in the graveyard.. I saw it. And I wanted to stop it." Her answer was the same. "I saw Moody.. transforming into Barty Crouch Jr."

"Why didn't you ask for help, then?" Hermione asked the question that she had been dreading.

The truth was.. she didn't remember why she hadn't asked for help. She thought and thought.. but the silence kept on growing with no conclusions.

"It's alright, Ria.." assured Harry, taking her hand and entwining their fingers.

"I'm trying.. All— All I remember was running towards the maze with Harry's cloak, and then Barty Crouch Jr. took it back before the maze could close— wait.." She paused. "How did I get the cloak?"

"Wasn't it with the fake Moody?" asked Ron. "Maybe he gave it to you.." Ria shook her head.

"He couldn't— He was already guarding the maze when Ria saw that vision." replied Hermione, deep in thought.

"Unless.." Ria continued, staring at the pendant Hermione wore that coincidentally reminded her of something. It was a clear ball of crystal dangling down from a golden chain. 

"Betrayal.."

"What?"

"Remember that time we met Padfoot and Mum in the cave.. and a vision occurred to me, but I didn't see it?" The three nodded. "It happened again.. and I— I consulted Cassandra Trelawney for a solution."

"So.. what did she say?" Hermione asked with a slight disinterest.

"She said I'd get betrayed.. and it would break my heart." She answered.

The disinterest on Hermione's face faded away. "Does that mean someone's doing it to you?" asked Harry.

"I— I don't know, maybe. She sounded like that." she answered. "But.. we'll never know for sure." She then shook her head with a tired sigh. "Anyway.. What's happening with Fudge?"

"He's as delusional as ever. Still doesn't believe what happened even when someone literally died." Ron said, annoyed. "I bet he will try to keep it hushed down in the newspapers.. He was saying You-Know-Who couldn't come back.. It's like he's forgotten that the curse exists."

"It's a myth." said Hermione. "The curse is not proven to actually exist."

"It's not proven to not exist either." he snapped. "How do you think he came back in flesh not once, but twice, even after Harry killed him? I'm telling you the curse is real. Lagarde must've done something—"

"Something to make him immortal." Harry continued, deep in thought. "I agree with Ron."

Hermione huffed. "Well.. I think she didn't need a curse." She answered in all honesty. "She is a genius! Surely, she must've had other ways to—"

"Hermione, she's dead!"

"We don't know that Ronald." She pitched in. "Honestly, she has done so many things in her lifetime! I think she's perfectly capable of faking a murder.. or rising again.. like her good ol' partner.."

At that thought, an invisible shiver ran down their spines. It was no wonder that Voldemort and Lagarde were terrifying on their own, but them working against the world together again seemed even worse.

"What do you think? Ria?" Harry looked at her. He silently took the responsibility to get her out of the zone she always slipped into, now-a-days.

"Well.. I don't even know anything about Lagarde's death, to be honest." She answered.

"Right.. The first one to declare her death was Dumbledore." He answered. "He said he found her rotting body in.. 1987? So, she died around that time.. alone.. in her hidden study room. The reason was unknown, her body was just sitting in the corner of her room."

Ria blinked, the words roaming around in her head and creating scenarios. She could see it.. a dark dusky room with a skinny, rotting corpse in the corner.. just some feet away from her study table full of papers, books and all her equipment, and maybe a crystal ball.

"Ria?" Hermione's voice took her out of her imagination.

"Hmm.. right." She said. "I— I don't really know what to think, honestly."

"I mean— she's a genius. Hermione's right. But wouldn't it be easier for her to place a curse when she's that clever?"

"See?" said Ron. "She agrees with us."

"I don't." Ria answered quickly. "Like I said, I don't know what to think."

"But.. what now?" She breathed out. "He's back. What are we supposed to do?"

"What we do depends on the people now.." Hermione shrugged lowly. "They need to believe, first."

"They have to," Harry intervened. "They didn't believe the Seer when she told her about the rise of a dark wizard. If they had.." He trailed off, looking down at his hands.

The three exchanged looks, knowing exactly what he was thinking about. If they had.. so much destruction could have been saved. So many lives could have been saved.

Ria snuggled closer to Harry and put her head on his shoulder. Harry rested his head on hers, and the fragrance of her cherry shampoo weirdly comforted him.

Suddenly, Ria remembered something and gave out a bitter laugh. "You know? I really am excited to read what Skeeter has to write about us.." she started sarcastically, "That crusty, filthly—"

"Oh, Rita won't write anything about anyone now.." said Hermione in a clever tone. "Not if she wants me to spill the tea about her.." She added, winking at Ria. And after many days, the girl gave a genuine smile.

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, confused.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," she answered in a rushed tone of excitement.

"How was she doing it?" said Harry at once.

"How did you find out?" asked Ron, staring at her in amazement.

"Well, it was you— really— who gave me the idea, Harry," she said.

"Did I?" said Harry, perplexed. "But you said technology doesn't work in Hog—"

"No, you see... Rita Skeeter," Hermione's voice trembled with quiet triumph, "is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn—" she pulled a small sealed glass jar out of her bag.

"Into a nasty little beetle.." Ria completed, then leaned towards the jar and looked menacingly at the beetle. "Should've crushed you under my foot when I had the chance.."

"You're kidding," said Ron, excitedly. "You haven't.. she's not.."

"Oh yes she is," said Hermione happily, brandishing the jar at them. Inside were a few twigs and leaves and one large, fat beetle. Ron and Harry both seemed lost for words as they grinned at each other.

"I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."

"I needed to confirm my doubt first, so I asked Ria to help me, since, you know.. Ray is an animagus.." Hermione added, taking the glass jar back from Ron and smiling at the beetle, making it buzz angrily against the glass.

"I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London," said Hermione. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for an entire year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."

Hermione serenely placed the jar back into her bag. But then the compartment door slid open. And the four rolled their eyes at the people that peeked in.

"Very clever, Granger," said Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him. All three of them looked pleased with themselves.

"So," said Malfoy slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them, a smirk quivering on his lips. "You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favourite boy again. Big deal."

"Hello, Malfoy.." Ria drawled, ducking from behind Harry so they could see her properly. "I see you haven't been listening to Mummy.. could've done well with some good manners."

Crabbe and Goyle glared at her, trying to threaten her like they always did with other students. "I'm not scared of you goons flexing your arm fat— sorry, muscles at me." She turned to Draco again, her fixed gaze unbothered.

"Perhaps, if you were here to give us a lecture about how we should choose our sides already.." Malfoy gritted his teeth in annoyance. "I'll only give you one advice, Malfoy."

"Think about the side that'll protect you, rather than sacrifice you. And even if you end up dying.. think about the side that'll strive to pay for that sacrifice, and not disregard your effort by saying you were a coward and a good-for-nothing."

She saw Draco's hard gaze falter, just a little, but he gained it back. "No matter how pathetic you are, you have a value.. And I think it's time that some people understand that." she said.

He didn't wait for another second before storming off, Crabbe and Goyle following behind. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at her.

"You didn't really consider giving him a chance, did you?" asked Harry.

"I did.." She answered.

"But why?"

"Remember when I told you death-eaters needed my powers for something?" The three nodded. "And the time when I got someone to help me from preventing my participation in the tournament.."

"You.." Ron trailed off. "You don't mean Malfoy helped you, do you?" He asked incredulously. And she nodded. "How on earth did he help you?"

"Maybe we have the same fears.. Maybe his fears pushed him to take decisions for himself for once. Or else.. I don't think he would've even warned me about all of this in the first place." Ria shrugged, lapsing into silence with the other three.

Well.. all she could do was hope that the betrayal Cassandra was talking about wouldn't be him.

Ria took Ron and Hermione into a tight hug before parting. The two sighed at her, giving her small comforting smiles as they left with their families. She looked down at her watch, still waiting for Harry to come out of 9¾ platform. He had said something about wanting to meet Fred and George.

The twins had explained all their hidden letters and whispering to the four on their way back. Apparently, they had some bets going on with Bagman, which they had won, but Bagman wasn't paying up to them. He had claimed about not even knowing them.

She looked back at her mother and Vernon Dursley. Isabella seemed to threaten Dursley about something, and he was keen on not meeting her glowering eyes. Ria turned to her front again since that wasn't really a new sight.

Some students came out of the wall, and Ria sighed in relief. Fred and George grinned at Harry before waving at Asteria and leaving to join their families.

Harry walked up towards Ria and wrapped his arms around her waist, taking her in a long hug. Ria smiled, hugging him back. "I'll miss you.." He mumbled against her shoulder, making her nod.

"Write to me?" asked Asteria, to which he nodded.

The two slightly parted, and Ria leaned in. Harry's breath hitched, thinking she was going for a kiss, but she tilted her head slightly and her lips landed on his cheek. Though that didn't stop Harry from having butterflies erupt in his stomach.

"Take care.." She whispered, leaving his embrace. He nodded with a small smile.

The two walked towards their two guardians, and Vernon left almost immediately. Isabella gave her daughter a half-hearted smile, which she returned.

"The pendant that Severus gave you.. where is it?" She asked, eyeing her neck.

"Oh.. I took if off for a while. It made the scar burn." She answered, gently touching the circular scar at the base of her throat that had been there since the night in the graveyard. 

"And the stone cracked a little.. starting at its edge and going almost to the middle. I've got to make sure it's strong enough before I start wearing it again." Her mother nodded.

The two walked away from the King's Cross station in silence; a heavy, slightly overwhelming silence. Since Cedric had gone, Ria couldn't help but feel a burning desire to take a gigantic piece of glass and shatter it against a hard wall to calm her heart.

Everything that had happened had ignited sparks of fury deep inside her. She had a quenching thirst for revenge which she hadn't discovered yet.

But for Isabella, the flame had already turned into an inferno that burned in the depths of hell.

The pair of mother and daughter knew it wasn't the end, and they were sure they weren't going to let it end until they fucking won.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

[word count: 4534]

a/n: first volume done omg
the real fun starts now muahAHAHAH (would've inserted SHIRORORORORO but I don't know how many of y'all will get the reference :')