Chapter 3: The Apparition
âI wanna sleep outside too!â Alex nearly screamed at his mom as he grabbed his pillow and his quilt from his bed. Neville and Hannah had set up a tent for Porch in their backyard as he couldnât fit into their home. Alex wanted to sleep in the yard with him.
âAlright, but youâre setting up your own bed.â Hannah folded her arms and stood watching him collecting everything he would need in the tent.
âYeah!â He answered quickly and ran downstairs before his mom changed her mind. Hannah followed him downstairs but he had already run outside past Neville who had just entered after having set up the tent for Porch.
âWhatâs he up to?â He asked Hannah staring after Alex.
âApparently, sleeping with a half giant in your backyard is on his bucket list. He already took everything he needed.â She added as Neville made to go outside again.
âAlright, if heâs comfortable, we should turn in too. His trunks are packed for tomorrow?â He asked her excitedly. He couldnât wait to see Alexâs face when he saw the Hogwartsâ Express for the first time tomorrow.
âYeah, everythingâs ready. Iâll go check once more before coming to bed. You go ahead, you look exhausted.â She smiled and kissed him on the cheek as she left for Alexâs room.
Nevilleâs ears turned red as he smiled to himself. He had just turned to go to his room when he saw Porch and Alex peeking in from the window sniggering at him. He grinned, waved goodnight to them and turned to his room. Both Porch and Alex were about to leave the window when several things happened suddenly.
A loud crack caught their attention and with it, a hooded man in a black cloak, appeared inside Nevilleâs living room. Neville had barely turned to look at him when the man raised his wand and pointed it at Neville. Within a fraction of a second, green light filled the living room and Neville fell to the floor. Alex made to run inside the house but Porch who had frozen at whatever had happened grabbed him around the waist.
âNO!â Alexâs scream caught the attention of the hooded man who turned to look at the window. They couldnât see the manâs face as it was completely covered with the hood. Porch was in just as much shock as Alex and helpless, as his wand lay inside his tent. He had to get it. The hooded man raised his wand and pointed it at the window.
âExpelliarmus!â They heard Hannahâs voice cast the spell and bounce of the man in the hood who turned to her as she ran to grab Nevilleâs body. Porch saw the manâs attention turn to Hannah. He grabbed Alex around the waist and ran to the tent. He took his wand, put down Alex and had just turned back to the house when a flash of green light appeared from the windows. It was too late. He had killed Hannah too.
Alex had stepped out of the tent after Porch. He too had seen the second flash of green light. After what he had seen the first one do he knew what the second one meant. The hooded man had now walked into the backyard, looking for Alex and Porch; the two witnesses of his crime. He stood in front of them, a few feet away. Before Porch could stop him, Alex had run at break-neck speed at the man, screaming as he cried for his parents. The man raised his wand as Porch raised his.
âAccio!â Porch pointed his wand at Alex who flew back to him and he disapparated as he saw green light approaching them.
Porch apparated in front of the Godrics Hollow graveyard as Alex fell beside him, unconscious.
***
He awoke with a start. He knew something was wrong. He jumped out of his bed and started pacing his room. He had a dreadful dream. He often had dreams where people he didnât know were being tortured. He could never see them clearly. But he could hear screams and shrieks he could never quite forget. As he paced about his room, he wiped the sweat off his brow. This was the second dream he had had which was full of flashes of green light. He knew what that meant, he only didnât want to believe it. Had he killed again?
He closed his eyes as this possibility seared through him. He stood with his back to the wall in his room as tears leaped down his eyes. He wanted to stop these dreams and yet he knew, he could never. He began shivering at the thought of the lives lost and slid down onto the floor when he couldnât stand any longer. He knew he would not be sleeping tonight. He sat on the floor, with his back to the wall. He put his knees up and buried his face in them.
He didnât know, he wasnât the only one awake that night.
***
Ron and Hermione left the Potter House around 2 am. Harry and Ginny also retired to bed. About an hour or so later, someone pounded on their door loudly. Ginny opened the door to find a ruffled Porch standing in front of her, pretty large for their door frame.
Porch had attended Ted's wedding ceremony, then left with Neville and Hannah. Neville, who was now a proud Herbology Professor at Hogwarts had invited Porch to stay the night with them and leave for Hogwarts together the next day.
It took Ginny a few minutes to realize exactly what she was looking at. It was Porch alright but he was carrying something in his arms. It was a little boy.
âPorch, is everything alright?â Ginny asked him moving out of the way to let him in. Porch had to double in to get in through the door. He put the little boy on the sofa. Ginny took a closer look at him. âThis is Alex, Neville's son. Why do you have Alex with you? Where are Neville and Hannah?"
Porch looked near to tears. Afterall, he had never seen anything like what he had seen tonight. "They're dead, both of them." He spoke after a while freezing Ginny in her tracks as she was returning from the Kitchen with a bottle of Firewhisky.
Ginny poured Porch some drink, put the bottle on the table in front of him and ran to her bedroom. She woke Harry up who asked her what was wrong groping for his glasses. Ginny handed him his glasses.
"Harry, it's Porch... He arrived with Alex fainted in his arms and..."
"And what?" Harry asked putting on his glasses and climbing out of the bed. The urgency in Ginnyâs voice was scaring him.
"And he's saying... he says Neville and Hannah are dead. I didn't know what to do. I gave him a drink so he could calm down and tell me exactly what's happened."
Harry nodded. "Try to find out what's really happened. I'll call Ron and Hermione. We'll go check out Neville's place."
Ginny nodded. Harry took his wand, swished it to change into his robes, sent a patronus to Ron and Hermione and left the house. The moment he was outside he disapparated.
Ten minutes later he was walking up Neville's front garden with Ron. Hermione had said she would follow him after informing Fluer.
Bill and Fluer had moved into the Burrow after Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had departed from this world. They were the oldest in the family and they took up this responsibility easily.
Neville's front door was ajar. Both Harry and Ron drew out their wands. Ron walked inside the house while Harry decided to check the tent in the garden. If someone unwanted was lurking outside, he would be able to catch them. Harry went inside the tent to find it quite empty. He did a parameter search then walked inside himself. He had only just walked inside the living room when he found Ron kneeling beside two dead bodies on the floor.
Harry went numb at the sight of the lifeless forms of Neville and Hannah. A few hours ago he had greeted them inside his house. They had shared food and drinks. He had not known then that was the last time he was seeing the two of them smiling at him. Eyes closed, Hannahâs hands over Nevilleâs, it seemed as if, even in death, they were together.
âItâs not possibleâŚâ
Both Harry and Ron turned to look at Hermione standing in the doorway, staring at the living room wall. Harry and Ron who had been stunned at the sight of Neville and Hannah, had overlooked it completely.
There, on the wall was written in large block letters with dark red blood still glistening,
LORD VOLDEMORT HAS RETURNED
"Harry, he's murdered them." Ron broke the icy silence after a moment.
âWe donât know that yet.â Harry answered gulping down.
âI donât think this needs to get out just yet.â Hermione said stifling a sob. She raised her wand at the wall.
âWhat are you doing?â Ron asked wiping his face quickly.
She looked at Harry who understood. If news got out about Voldemortâs return, the wizarding world would be in a panic that would only create a hurdle in the investigation of their murders.
âStep away from the wall.â Harry backed away taking Ron with him.
âReducto!â Hermione broke the wall and the letters on it became illegible.
Harry raised his wand high over their heads. A silver Stag galloped out of his wand and made its way to Kingsley Shacklebolt to break this fateful news to him and to the rest of the Auror Department at the Ministry.
***
He didnât know why but he felt so restless tonight. The last time he had this dream, he had felt the same way. He hadnât known why he had been feeling this way then and he didnât know now. He wiped his face and stood up. He was breathing heavily. His heart was racing so fast, he was afraid it might burst out of his chest any second.
He shook his head. He knew he had no control over him. There was nothing he could do. He ran his hand across his hair. But what if he could? He shook his head again. He didnât even know what these dreams were. How could he stop him from doing these things?
He gulped down and decided he wasnât going to be sleeping again tonight. There was no point trying. He went inside his bathroom, washed his face and felt the calm of the cold water wash over him. His face and hair dripping in water, he came back into his room and sat down on his bed for a few minutes, drying up his face with a fresh towel.
He felt calmer now but not enough to lie down. He pulled out his pocket watch. There were still about two and half hours to morning. He put on his shoes and left his room. He was not helping himself by sitting idle in his room. He decided to take a stroll down in the grounds. Making up his mind, he walked forward purposefully.
âExcited about the morning?â
He had made it to the Entrance Hall when the kind voice of Professor Dutchmen stopped him in his tracks. An automatic smile appeared on his face. The mere voice of the Professor had brought untold peace to his soul. He hoped, he could confess that to Professor Dutchmen someday.
âMore like nervous.â He answered.
âAh, son, you have nothing to worry about. I shall acquaint you with all of your responsibilities before I leave.â Professor Dutchmen smiled joining him as they walked outside in the grounds.
âI am nervous more about your leaving than about becoming the new Deputy Head of the school.â He confessed honestly. âWhat would I do without your guidance and your support? I never imagined Hogwarts without you in it, Professor. Donât leave.â Before he could stop himself, he had blurted out, quite innocently.
They had been in the middle of the grounds when Professor Dutchmen stopped abruptly and turned to look into his eyes that were already welling up. He was not trying to stop the tears on the brim of his eyes.
Professor Dutchmen chuckled. âOh, dear boy, I am only leaving the Castle. I will always be there for you.â
He smiled at the Professorâs words as tears finally leaped down his eyes. The restlessness in his heart had disappeared at the mere words Professor Dutchmen had spoken to him. He accompanied the Professor to the Church in Hogsmeade. The two of them made their way to the Church with the Professorâs arm around his shoulder. He had never told anyone, but the withering arm of Professor Dutchmen around his shoulder made him feel safer than being protected by any armor of steel and within the confines of its protection, he let his heart be at peace.
At the Church, he offered prayer with the Professor then returned to the Castle as the Sun broke out of the sky. On his way back he decided to wake up Porch for a change. He banged on the door of his hut a couple of times before barging in, like he usually did.
The hut was empty. Perhaps, Porch had accepted Nevilleâs invitation to stay the night at his place. At least someone enjoyed last night. Oblivious of what awaited him, he made his way back to the Castle, prepping it up for the first day of a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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