The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH 17. Blinded Visions

~Elodie's POV~

Weeks had passed. Winter left with them. The anger and rage had subsided. The explosions along with it. I hadn't spoken to Fred in just as long. George was easier to talk to. But I had so much going on I rarely had the time. I was happy Harry had been spending more time with Professor Lupin. He had taught him the Patronus Charm which I was glad for.
He did get caught a couple weeks after with a school map. Stupid. That boy sometimes seemed like he had no sense. He told me Lupin set him straight reminding him that a map that shows everyone could be a map that leads Sirius Black straight to him and I. He knew he messed up, but I made him feel better when I gave him a few memories about what our parents were like. He was excited when he heard that I wasn't crazy all this time, just blind.
"He's not going to say anything you know," George told me.
He had found me alone in the great hall during study hour one day. I was surrounded by books on divination to research how to get my visions back, and what I could expect from removing the binder.
"Neither of us will," he said as he took a seat across from me. He was alone as well.
"And why's that? He made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to see me with anyone," I told him, not removing my eyes from my book.
"Because as much as he hates that, seeing you unhappy is worse," he told me. "Why haven't you said anything though? I thought you told each other everything?" He asked.
"I wanted to, I nearly did. But I just couldn't," I told him, barely whispering. "It's mean, and I don't regret that it happened, I just regret the timing of it all. If I tell him, then that's it. I'd lose him," I couldn't even think of what would happen if I told Cedric what had almost happened. He would hate me. Without a doubt he would hate me, and there would be nothing I could do to change his mind.
I looked up to see a slight grin on George's face. He understood the conflict I was going through in my head.
"You still want to know why don't you?" I asked him. I'd never given an explanation as to why it happened. Only that it had.
"That would be something, but I'm not going to force it out of you," George told me. He reached over and closed my book. He wanted to know; he was just playing coy.
I smiled back at him and began telling him everything. About the memories, the blinded visions, about the incident, about the dark magic, the feeling of power and the sinking feeling. I only neglected to tell him about the night they died, that would be mine and Cedric's secret.
"That's intense El, have you talked to McGonagall about it?" He asked once I finished.
"Well the visions I've spoken with Professor Trelawney, she's been helping me with that, especially since lately I keep having "blind episodes" which she simply calls visions, but since I don't actually see anything it's just a bit scary. Everything else, just Cedric, the golden trio and you. I don't want to talk to her just yet. She lied to me for six years, I think I can drag it out a bit longer," I said. I began packing my books up. They would start kicking people out soon to set up for dinner and I'd rather hang out in my room for a bit.
He chuckled slightly as he stood up but didn't say anything.
"What?" I asked him. He grabbed half my books for me which I appreciated.
"You've just never been the type to hold a grudge before, so I figure this must be killing you," He told me.
"Why..." I said and then turned away from him. "Why didn't you say anything? That night in the common room? I saw you on the stairs, how much did you actually hear?" I asked.
"Oh, I heard all of it, I was sitting on the stairs before you even came in. But my brother was already too far gone. I figured there was nothing I could do for that conversation that would be of any help. You really ripped him a new one," he said confidently.
"I know. Not my proudest moment, the pair of you just get me so mad sometime," I said.
I had thought about what I said over and over again. And the way I ended things made it sound like there was still a chance. But I wasn't sure if there was. It would be cruel to leave him with hope.
"We all need to be brought back to earth sometimes. He meant it, you know, about the other girls. I believe the term we used was 'fall back girls.' Which was basically just code for any girl that wasn't you." He said but I just stayed quiet.
"You can't spend your whole lives waiting for me, that's not fair to you," I told him. I felt his eyes on me, but what else could I really say? No one gave me a how-to on dealing with your male best friends all having feelings for you.
"You know you're like a ball of fire Elodie. Beautiful, you attract everything in. But when people get too close, they get hurt. And we can't even be upset because we knew you were fire before anything happened to begin with. But then we do it again and again, because fire is needed to live," he told me.
"Are you getting philosophical on me Georgie? I think you've lost your edge," I told him joking around.
"I could always shove you into the vanishing cabinet. If that would give me my edge back," he told me laughing along with me. "Just, don't be too hard on us okay? We're happy so long as you're happy, just...it's going to take some time," he told me and Gently squeezed my arm.
I nodded my head at him, that was the least I could do. I reached for my books before we entered the common room. I saw Fred in the corner talking with Ron and Lee. He turned to look at me and mouthed "I'm Sorry." I smiled at him and mouthed "Me too." I made my way over and he gave me a hug, not a bone crushing one like I'd always received from him, but one that washed away all the tension and hurt we had been causing each other. And that was enough. It could be enough.
I turned my head to George and felt my eyes go cloudy. I couldn't see anything, but I felt it. The feeling of fire. I raised a finger to my lips and made a shushing gesture at George to signal him not to say anything. If I couldn't see anything, there was nothing worth mentioning.

***

It was an exceptionally gloomy day. We were nearing the end of term, and I felt as though I was barely scraping by in Divinations. Professor Trelawney had told me it would take a while for my sight to be unclouded due to it being veiled for so long. Draco was still no help and whenever I would get a vision it would be behind a thick gray cloud of smoke.
"The fog is moving, that must mean something?" Draco told me as he was looking into the crystal ball from every angle possible.
I had the book open slowly flipping through the pages to see if any shapes or objects resembled the dance that the fog was doing.
"It's not so much about how it moves as it is what you see or hear. So, tell me Draco, do you see or hear anything worth noting?" I asked him.
"You mean other than Granger having a fit about failing the class worse than us?" He whispered to me in a snickering tone.
I looked up to look over to Hermione who had just appeared next to Harry and Ron. She was taking every class offered, just like me, but while I was getting by in this class she wasn't doing so well.
"Crystal-gazing requires that you clear the Inner Eye. Only then, will you... See. Oh my, what do we have here...?" Professor Trelawney said as she approached a sleeping Ron and Harry.
"The Grim. Possibly," Hermione said in a sarcastic tone. She thought this class was an absolute waste of her time. She wanted to drop it, but that would look bad seeing as Dumbledore and Minerva took a chance on her by giving her a time turner.
"My dear, from the moment you first arrived in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination," Professor Trelawney said as she took Hermione's hand to read her palm. "You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave," she said it with happiness. I knew she didn't mean to insult Hermione, she thought she was just helping her by letting her know that it wasn't really her fault she couldn't channel the correct energy.
"Draco, that's not kind. I told you I won't listen to it," I told him with a slight chuckle.
"What about you? How'd you get so good all of a sudden?" He asked me. I knew I couldn't tell him. I didn't see Draco the way everyone else did, as an evil Slytherin, but I also didn't know him well enough to trust him.
"Guess I was finally able to channel my Inner eye," I said and pressed my index finger to his forehead. He leaned back and chuckled under his breath. We gave up on trying to read the crystal ball and just continued flipping through pages of our books.
He raised his hand to flick the crystal ball a few times as if that would turn it on. I grabbed his hand and flung it away motioning him to stop. I closed my eyes; I felt the cloudiness of a visions and I didn't want anyone to see. I rubbed my hand to them to make it as if I were just cleaning an eyelash out. And then it was over. I couldn't make out the feeling it gave me, almost sorrowful, like someone living their life in fear.
"Any plans for the summer holiday?" He asked me, pushing my train of thought away.
"Uhm, possibly," I said and looked up at him with a smile. Behind him I could see Blaise and Pansy looking at us curiously. "Cedric and I usually go camping every summer, so we'll likely do that again," I told him. "McGonagall and I may spend some time in London for a day or two, maybe go to the theater. Uhm, I don't know. McGonagall still comes to the castle so I tend to be alone most days. What about you?" I asked him.
"Don't you spend time with your darling brother?" He asked me a bit snarky.
"Mmm no, we're not allowed," I informed him.
"What does that mean?" He asked a bit harshly. It didn't throw me off, that was the typical response people gave.
"That'll be all for today children, enjoy your evening," Professor Trelawney said dismissing class.
"To be continued," I told Draco and rushed out of the room to chase after Hermione.
The girl was bloody fast, I'll give her that. By the time I caught up to her she was nearly at the Gryffindor Common room. She told me she had just about had enough of that class. She didn't care if it looked bad on her record, she would not set another foot in the room. We changed out of our robes and into our casual clothes. We had promised Hagrid we would go have tea with him before Buckbeak's execution. 
We had spotted Draco and his minions on the way, which was infuriating. His father was the reason that this was even happening. Hermione punched him and he ran off like always threatening to complain to his father. An empty threat.
Though I knew today was supposed to be a gloomy day, I didn't pick up on that feeling. I kept feeling waves of Joy wash over me. It didn't make any sense, I had to keep reminding myself today was a day of mourning.
Hagrid made tea for us as we offered him support. We wanted to stay with him but since the minister of magic would be coming as well, it wouldn't be appropriate. Especially since it would be dark soon and Sirius Black was still on the loose. Ron and Hermione got into an argument. Hagrid had found scabbers and Ron had spent a majority of the year accusing Crookshanks of having eaten him.
"I meant me," Hermione said.
Something caused a glass jar on Hagrid's table to shatter. I reached over to pick it up and it looked like one of the stones that surrounded Hagrid's hut. I handed it over to Hermione for her to examine as well, and then another flew in hitting Harry in the head.
"Ow!" He said and turned around.
"They're coming," I said. I couldn't see out the window, or at all for that matter, my eyes had gone white, so I wasn't sure how I knew. In my head it played out like a movie, like if I was standing there walking with them.
"Yeah," Harry said, shooting me a confused look. "Hagrid,"
"Yeh gotta go! It's almost dark. Anyone sees yeh outside the castle it'll be trouble! Big trouble! Particularly you two," Hagrid said pointing at Harry and me.
With the loud banging on the door we all timed it perfectly so as they entered, we made our exit. We went out and hid behind the large pumpkins. Even though Hermione thought she saw something behind us in the woods we ignored it and began making our way up the hill. There was a bell toll in the distance, and then it happened. And even though we could see the executioner moving, and Hagrid shedding still tears from his doorway, the world seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Ow! He bit me, Scabbers" Ron said as he dropped his rat and blood ran from his finger. He began chasing after his rat not paying attention to where he was going.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled after him.
"Ron!" I said and began running as well.
"Wait!" Harry said, moving past Hermione and me.
We stopped a good distance behind, and we saw Ron fall to the ground to pick up Scabbers. I looked up to see where we were, Shit.
"You guys, you do realize what tree this is?" Hermione asked.
"That's not good," I said calmly.
It wasn't moving yet so as long as Ron stayed calm nothing dangerous would happen. My mind was blank, I couldn't think of what spell I had previously used. And with Ron in the way I didn't want to risk my wandless magic hitting him on accident.
"Ron! Run!" Harry yelled at him.
Ron looked up at us and a look of Fear covered his face. He had finally realized where he was, but then he raised a finger to point at us.
"You guys run! It's the Grim!" He shouted and we all turned around.
It was the black dog from before, I think. Only now he looked ravenous. Like he would take a bit clean out of all of us because he knew he could. The three of us froze just staring at it. It began barking and then ran full speed over to us. Before any of us could react, it jumped between me and Hermione and made its way over to Ron. We watched in shock as it grabbed Ron by the ankle and began dragging him into the tunnel.
"Harry!" Ron cried as he was being pulled away.
"Ron!" we all cried running to try and grab him back.
"Help!" he sobbed just as he was pulled through.
When we stood up the Whomping willow raised a branch and knocked us all back. We had awaken it. And with a hard thud and the wind knocked out of us we hit the ground. We raised to our feet and watched as it twisted and turned. I raised my hands to make it freeze like before, but my eyesight kept going white as a vision was trying to force itself through.
"Oh, now is not the time," I said looking around. I felt Hermione's hand on my back.
"Elodie your eyes!" She said shocked as they kept flashing back and forth.
"I don't have my wand, and I can't see the whomping willow, so I can't freeze it. Turn me to it so I can try, as soon as it does run, it'll only last a moment," I told her.
She turned my body and pointed my hands. I kept seeing flashes of the tree dancing its branches. With a guess I felt the tingle in my fingertips and fired away.
"Go!" I yelled and slid to the ground making my way through. I felt the thud like the first time I fell in, and with that I was able to see again. My chin was burning, I must have scraped it when I hit the ground, but no time to worry about that now. No one was thrust in behind me. I peaked up to try and look outside and when I did, I saw Harry and Hermione being swung by the branches.
I saw Hermione grab Harry's shirt and fling him in, so I took a few steps back and watched him hit the ground. Hermione followed only a second after and landed on Harry similar to how I landed on Cedric.
"Oh, I'm sorry," She said to Harry.
"Are you two alright?" I asked. To which they nodded.
"How are your eyes?" Hermione asked me.
"Better I can see again," I told her.
They looked around for a moment before Hermione spoke. "Where do you suppose this goes?"
"I have a hunch, I just hope I'm wrong," Harry Said.
"You're not wrong little brother. We're in the Shrieking Shack. Step carefully," I told them and began leading the way.
Through the tunnel and up the stairs. Following dust trails that had been cleaned away by the dog dragging Ron's body. It led to the same room I had visited multiple times. This dog was a creature of habit. We kept hearing Ron's cries echo through the shack until we approached the room.
"Ron!" Harry said and ran up to him
"Ron, you're okay?" Hermione asked.
"The dog, where is he?" I asked.
Ron's terrified look from before amplified ten times over when he looked between me and Harry.
"It's a trap. He's the dog. He's an Animagus," Ron cried and pointed behind us.
Harry and I looked at each other for a brief second. Then we looked down to see the paw prints turn into those of a full-grown man. Slowly panning my line of sight up behind the door that was always open stood a filthy matted man. He resembled a corpse. Terrifying.
Sirius Black.