Lacuna

chpt.43

June 25,1999

Diary,
No one is awake right now but me. I think the sun had just risen and it's already extremely bright. The past few days of been okay everyone is doing really well. Hermione and Ron are worried sick and so am I to be honest.

It sucks constantly being worried but I still put on a smile and find a way to have a good day everyday. It's difficult but I manage.

Cordelia.

The sun shined out on the courtyard of Hogwarts. The wet dewy grass glistened in the early morning sunshine. The day was June 25, 1999. Two days after Cordelias 19th birthday. Everyone was still asleep in the castle.

5 days till the graduation of the 7th years and the 8th years? (Last years 7th years who returned to Hogwarts for one last year.) Everyone has been sent their robes that they will be wearing to graduation.

Slytherin house boys will be wearing grey silk robes, the girls will be wearing green silk robes. Ravenclaw house boys will be wearing bronze silk robes, the girls will be wearing deep blue silk robes.

Hufflepuff house boys will be wearing black silk robes, the girls will be wearing a light yellow robes. Gryffindor house boys will be wearing red silk robes, the girls will be wearing golden silk robes.

All will have graduation black graduation caps.

Ron has Harry's graduation cap and robe laid out on his bed just incase he decides to show up sometime soon but everyone is slowly starting to lose hope.

Cordelia doesn't like to admit it but she's giving up as well. She convinces herself he's alive giving her a false sense of security. She's also staying strong for Hermione and Ron's sake.

Cordelia reminds them he's okay but they both know he very well he can't be. Cordelia has never been an optimist until recently and that's good in a way but the second if she finds out that he's 'dead' she'll spiral.

Cordelia doesn't like to even think he's dead but she should be preparing herself for the worst. Daphne likes that she's looking on the bright side but is partially worried.

———

Breakfast was served and everyone sat with their friends. Today Cordelia stayed seated with Hermione, Ron, Daphne, Pansy, Theo Adrian, and Neville. A lot of people don't show up to breakfast since it's common for everyone to sleep in.

Cordelia was reading the daily profit with Daphne hoping to read something about Harry somewhere. Adrian and Ron played wizards chess, Hermione and Pansy were currently playing hot hands over the table trying not to spill their food or drinks. Neville and Theo chatted about plants and herbology.

Both Ginny and Luna came over to their table and seated near them before digging into their warm breakfast. Cordelia flipped to the last page and her and Daphne read over the last article and failed to find anything that had to do with Harry.

Cordelia sighed and straightened her back and groaned in annoyance at the lack of knowledge behind his case.

"What is it?" Hermione asked half worried.

"Nothing. Literally nothing about Harry." Cordelia pointed at the parchment. They looked around at each other worried. Chatter continued to fill the room.

"Cordelia...you know he's probably dea-"

"Don't even say that." She cut Adrian off. Pansy bit down at her lip looking over at Ron who she sat beside. Ron sighed and looked down at his meal.

"I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but- you need to try and think about the possibility that he might never come back." Theo sighed. Cordelia looked around at the group and even Luna looked as if she was slowly giving up as well.

"Well- what about you Hermione? And you Ron? You two haven't lost hope.. right?" She asked them.

"We never lost hope Burke, he just learned to accept the possible reality." Ron answered her. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Trust me...we all want him home but— chances seem slim." Hermione added on. Cordelia frowned and looked around at everyone once more who all seemed somber and very upset.

"But what if he is alive? Why would he leave?" She asked breaking the silence.

"He probably though you were dead." Blaise said as he took as seat near them entering breakfast late.

Cordelia inhaled sharply and sighed finally realizing reality. The rest of the meal was rather awkward and quiet at their section of the table.

Owl flew into the great hall heading straight to the professors table at the head of the room. The brown and black spotted owl dropped a small letter right into professor McGonagalls dish before swooping away.

Minerva huffed at the inconvenience and put down her silverware picking the parchment up out of her dish and quickly wiping it down. She took a deep breath tearing off the flap and unfolding the paper

She put on her reading glasses and began to read. Her eyes darted back and forth the paper and her face gradually grew sadder and sadder as devastation hit her.

McGonagall slowly raised from her seat and ignored the questions being asked by her fellows and made her way over to a particular table.

Minerva tried to keep her composure as it fell silent in the large room as everyone's eyes watched her make her way over to the designated Gryffindor table even though many others sat there that wasn't Gryffindor.

Pansy, Ron, Theo, Ginny, Luna and Neville all picked up their heads as McGonagall came up from behind Cordelia, Hermione, Daphne, Adrian and Blaise. All of their faces fell flat as they turned around looking up at Minerva.
Minerva gave a sweet smile as tears welled in her eyes handing Cordelia the parchment.

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head. Cordelia took the parchment and slowly began to read aloud. Her voice was shaky.

"The ministry is sorry to announce this but due to a sequence of unfortunate events..." Cordelia sentence trailed off for a moment as tears began to fall from her eyes onto the parchment.

"....Harry Potter...the boy who lived, has presumed to be dead after Aurors found articles of his clothing and ID in the woods covered in his own blood..." Cordelia raised her hand to her mouth and began to cry handing the paper to Hermione unable to finish what the letter said.

Devastation fell over the group. Cordelia silently cried in Daphnes arms as Hermione held the parchment in her hand staring down at it as tears fell from her eyes as she had an emotionless look on her face.

Ginny and Luna leaned on one another as they fought back tears. Ron hunched over his seat sobbing as Theo wrapped an arm around him. Pansy took the paper from Hermione's hands and held onto them repeating various phrases on how it'll be okay.

Neville stared blankly down at his food not being able to register what happened. Adrian and Blaise glanced at one another feeling sick at the ear piercing cried of Cordelia and Hermione. Blaise rubbed Cordelias back showing comfort and sympathy.

McGonagall went to the head of the room breaking the news to everyone officially even though everyone figured what happened. Sadness swooped over the entire room and student body.

Everyone cried even if it was silent or loud, many tears or just one but everyone felt a chunk of them ripped out from them as they found out the news.

Harry James Potter was dead, but no one knows how or why but it'll soon be a well known fact in households across the wizarding community.