The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xxxiv.

"We were all going towards the vanishing cabinet but it was a trap, we ran back and heard him following us. I told the others that they needed to go ahead and I would be right behind them. We were almost there but Annalie woke up. She was frantic and I tried to calm her down but she wouldn't listen to me. She then took off and I tried to follow her but that's when Dumbeldore caught up to me and did this."

He points to his face and stomach. He continues his story again, "I barely got away and when I ran into a dead end I thought that would be it for me. But then a door appeared and I rushed into it. Since then this room has provided everything for me. But the wounds just got worse and when I went out tonight I was trying to escape. That's when I found you." I finished healing Francis and helped him stand up so he could move to the bed. 

"Thank you, Atarah." He speaks the words softly as he begins to drift to sleep.

...

I have stayed up the entire morning watching over Francis, making sure he is okay. Only once I woke him up to change a bandage and make him drink water. Since then he has slept and food has appeared for me to eat. I feel my eyes begin to close when I hear stirring next to me. I open my eyes immediately to find Francis standing up. I move up and walk towards him and take a hold of his arm. I lead him over to the bathroom and he kneels in front of the toilet as he throws up. 

I rub his back until he stops. As he sits back I notice the sweat running down his face and the way he is shivering. This is really not good. "I'm getting worse." Francis struggles to speak the words and I keep my voice reassuring, "You will be okay."

I bring him another glass of water as I think over my options. I only learned basic healing spells and I'm certain that this room can only supply so much. My other options are to get him to St. Mungos which would make it so much easier for Dumbeldore to find us. Or get him to Vittorio who Tom tells me is skilled in healing. But both of those options rely on getting both of us out of here. 

"Francis, tonight we are going to leave okay. Then you are going to be healed and everything will be okay." He leans his head back and looks at me through barely open eyes. "I promise." I don't know why I add that on but I feel like it needed to be said. Francis will live, I will not allow him to die. 

...

Francis fell back asleep and he has stayed that way for the past several hours. It is currently eight at night and in an hour we will be leaving. I have decided that we will be traveling back through the forbidden forest because we don't have another choice. Not one that will allow us both to live. 

A bag filled with food, water, a warm coat for Francis, and more medicine appears half an hour before nine. I make my way to where Francis is laying and wake him up. "It's time to go." I give him another dose of the medicine which helps for the time being. I wrap the coat around him and he takes my arm. We walk to where the door should be and wait for it to appear. After a few moments I begin to worry. 

"Atarah." Francis nudges my arm and I turn to where he is pointing. Another door has appeared on the other side of the room. I cast a quick glance in his direction before leading us both to the door. We open the door and are met by the cool air outside. The room saved us the danger of traveling through Hogwarts. I whisper a thanks before leading us both through the dark. 

We make it to the point of the forbidden forest that I came through. I take a deep breath before pulling us farther into it. 

We are halfway through the forest now and Francis has begun to lean on me more. After about ten more minutes I decided to take a quick break. I open the bag and pull out more of the medicine for him to drink. I stand guard as he drinks it and I am scanning the forest when those same pair of eyes meet mine. I freeze and nudge Francis, he turns his head and sees what I do. He quickly zips up the bag and I push him forward.. keeping an eye on whatever is watching us while also leading us away. 

It stays that way for another half hour until finally the eyes disappear which worries me more. I watch each direction waiting for the worst. A sigh of relief escapes me as I see the opening to the other side, I rush both of us forward until we have cleared the forest. I turn back around and see the pair of eyes watching me again. But this time it just turned around and that's when I begin to think that maybe it wasn't trying to hurt us. 

What if it was protecting us? Because it's quite odd that I have made two trips through the forbidden forest without being harmed. A groan breaks me from my thoughts and I turn towards where Francis is. "Shit." I grab a hold of him and apparate us. 

A long moment passes before both of us appear in front of Tom's house. Francis fully collapses against me and it's extremely difficult to hold him with the pounding in my head. "Tom!" I scream his name over and over again. Finally I see the front door open and I watch as he rushes across the lawn towards us. 

He heads straight towards where we are barely standing and then he is right in front of me. His hand reaches towards my face but I stop him before he does, "Help him first." Tom diverts his gaze and takes Francis from my arms. I follow behind as he pulls Francis into the house. 

As soon as we walk into the foyer we are met by Abraxas, Vittorio, and Cyrus. The latter has a black eye and a cut lip. "What the hell?" Cyrus diverts his gaze from me and watches as Vittorio rushes over to Francis and Tom. Both Tom and Vittorio lead him away to be healed. 

"Come with me Atarah, you are bleeding." Abraxas speaks the words and I lift my hand up and touch the side of my face. When I draw my hand back it is covered in blood. I nod my head and Abraxas takes my arm to lead me to get healed. I resist and look back to where Cyrus stands. 

"Cyrus.." Before I can speak more he turns around, ignoring me, and leaves the room. "Let's go." Abraxas takes hold of me again and this time I follow willingly. I betrayed Cyrus, one of the only people I am friends with, and I just hope he will be able to forgive me.