Chapter 8

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I wake up next to a new tree. A ginger boy holding my against his chest. "Hey Georgie.." I whisper.

"It's okay Addie, I've got you." I could see he was extremely upset. I still had dried tears on my cheeks from moments ago.

"Did you-"

"No, unfortunately that guy is still alive. Only because I know you would want to do it yourself."

I laugh a bit before the realization of what just happened hit me. He tried to take advantage of me... And what if George wasn't there? What would have happened? All because I accepted his breakup?

"Where's Fred? Where's Ginny?"

"I don't know, I think they are a bit deeper into the woods- why did you run back?"

"Oh it's a bit per- Oh shit!" I frantically swiveled my head as I looked for the book, "George! Take me back over to where Cedric and I were!"

"I- What? Are you sure?" He was obviously confused at my odd request but I needed to get the book back.

"Please George! It's extremely important to me!"

He sighed and allowed me to take his hand as I raised myself into my feet. We walked hand-in-hand back to the old oak tree. He kept asking if I was alright, but to be honest, I don't even remember what clearly happened. All I did know what's that I had to get those pictures and that there was no way in hell I would tell Fred. I knew George wouldn't. He knows it's not his to tell. I knew that if anyone told him, Cedric wouldn't get a chance to raise his wand before he would be lying in a pool of his own blood.

I looked around to see if I could find the dark blue book and was about to give up when I heard a quite call of a raven. I looked over to see it pecking at the album. I gasped and walked over, expecting the bird to fly away, but it just looked at me and continued to stare. I pulled out a roll from a trolley I had grabbed it when Fred and I were out and handed it to the bird, who accepted it gratefully from my hand and flew away.

"What's that?" George questions from my left.

"A crow..?" I reply.

"No you dunce, the book. Sometimes I question why you were put in Ravenclaw." He says jokingly. It better have been jokingly.

"That's for me to know and you to find out"

He grabs my hand once more and hoists me into a tree.

"What are you doing?" I say as I try to make myself comfortable on the branch that I as just threw upon.

"I don't know where anyone else is and I don't think it's safe to go back to camp yet. Are you sure you're okay?"

"George, please just forget it. I'm okay right now."

"Okay, but I'm here alright?"

"I know"

I wasn't sure how long it had been, but I had fallen asleep and I nearly fell out of the tree as I felt George shaking me gently. I looked down to here Fred and Gi us voice calling us from over to our right.

"Fred! Gin!" I hopped out of the tree, wincing as my knee twisted. That was stupid. I'm going to admit, I question the sorting hats decision constantly myself. I realized it was the same leg I nearly mutilated barely a week ago. George falls down next to me, a bit more graceful and checks it out.

"Dear God Adola" he sighed and shakes his head and helps me up. I limp a bit but I'm fine nonetheless.

"Addie!" I young girls voice calls out.

"Ginny!" I cry back.

From the direction the her voice came from I saw flashes of two fiery heads dash through the trees and their heads pop out into the clearing we were standing in.

Fred rushes over to George and I, Ginny following behind him.

"Why the fuck would you do that? Do know how worried I was for the both of you!" He yells and I was slightly taken aback.

"I- Fred..."

"George! Why didn't you bring her back to us right away?"

George looked down guiltily and was about to speak up before I kicked his shin to keep him quite. I couldn't help but feel guilty for what had happened with Cedric. I felt like Fred was going to be mad at me.

"And you! Why the hell would you run off like that? Are you crazy?" He turned he anger towards me. "Is that a fucking book. You risked your life like for a book? That better be one hell of a story."

I put it behind my back, and felt tears run down my old dried ones.

"Fred, please stop." Ginny says holding his arm from behind him.

His gaze softened and he wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his shoulder as the weight of everything from that night piled on top of me.

"I really am sorry." I said into his sleeve.

"I know, I'm sorry I yelled. I didn't mean it."

I nodded and stood up. Slightly embarrassed from that encounter but I could tell our two bystanders had also gotten sucked into the awkward moment. They shifted their weight next to us.

We all walked back towards where Ginny said camp was. She was always good with direction.

We got to the edge of the woods and looked around at the remaining chaos. Fires were still burning and bodies were lying on the ground, either unconscious or dead, I couldn't tell. I wrapped my arm around Ginny. She shouldn't have to see this. She was thirteen. I looked over as I made eye contact with the same raven that I fed, not twenty minutes ago. I could tell it was the same one from its claws. One was white, the other black. Not a normal occurrence in birds, even in the magic world. It opened it beak and let out a shrill call. Even it's caw wasn't normal. It was louder and higher pitched than a normal raven. I covered my ears. Fred tapped my shoulder and I looked up.

The Dark Mark.

A symbol of Voldemort.

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