The Forgotten Prophecy [Book 2]

XXXII. Only the Beginning

...
'Sometimes things just fall apart
and you'll never know how they'll go.'
...

     Uncle Severus stands by his desk, brewing a potion. I sit in silence, staring off into space. None of them have talked to me.. It's been two days and we're leaving Hogwarts tomorrow. I sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have told them. I shake my head. No, Ellie, you did the right thing. If they found out from others, things would have been worse. "Ellie!" I look up at Uncle Severus. "Hmm?" "You didn't hear what I said?" He asks me. I shake my head. Uncle Severus places the herbs in his hand on the table and walks over to me. "Ellie, are you alright?" I nod. "Don't lie to me," Uncle Severus says. "I don't want to lose them," I say quietly. Uncle Severus sighs, kneeling down to be on the same level as me. "If there's one thing I learned in life, it's that we cannot force people to be in our lives," Uncle Severus whispers to me. Finn climbs onto Uncle Severus' hand. "Besides," he says bringing Finn closer to me. "Look at all who you have in your life now." He smiles softly. 

I smile back at him, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you, Uncle Severus." Uncle Severus pats me softly as we pull apart. "You can be upset about them, but just don't forgot that you still have people in your life who love you... But I have a feeling they'll come around." I raise my eyebrow at him, as he gets up and heads back to his table. "Why do you think that? What do you know?" I ask him, following him. Finn sits down on the table. Uncle Severus smirks as he cuts a few herbs and puts it into the potion. I stare at him trying to read his mind but he blocks me instantly. "You know you can't read my mind," he teases me. I roll my eyes at him. "You'll find out soon enough.. Now, give me your hand," he directs. I hold out my hand. He places it over the potion. "What is that you're brewing?" "A protection potion." "A what? That's a thing?" I ask him. 

"Stay still," he says as he holds my hand over the potion. "It's a potion I'm trying to create.. there isn't one like this." I nod, looking into the cauldron. "So what exactly do you need protection for?" I ask him. "Not for me," he says as he looks at the potion. The clear potion slowly changes to a purple color. "It's for me?" I ask surprised. He nods as he pulls out a little knife. "Soon, I won't be by your side to protect you. So if I can succeed in making this potion, I won't have to worry too much." "You won't be by my side? What do you mean?" Uncle Severus doesn't look at me. "There's a task I have to do and in order to complete it, I cannot be by your side." He's hiding something. "I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other," I say, a bit hurt. Uncle Severus sighs not saying anything. I look back at my hand still above the potion. "What's next?" 

Uncle Severus hands me the knife. "Your blood. Four drops of it." I hold the knife over my hand above the potion. Uncle Severus watches me carefully. Slowly, I cut the palm of my hand. I wince in pain, as I turn my hand, letting the blood drip into the potion. One, two, three.. four. Uncle Severus quickly takes my hand, wrapping it in a band-aid. We both watch the potion as it starts to boil, making a hissing noise. "Is that suppose to happen?" I ask holding my band-aid hand in my other hand. Uncle Severus watches the potion. The hiss noise intensifies. "Get down," Uncle Severus says quickly. "Huh?" Uncle Severus pulls me under the table just as the potion explodes. Uncle Severus groans frustrated, as he helps me up. We stare at the empty cauldron. The potion has exploded and landed all over the wall and ceiling. 

"Didn't work.. again," he says disappointed. "It's okay, Uncle Severus," I reassure him. "No it's not Ellie... I need to do some more research.. Why don't you start packing for tomorrow?" I nod slowly, as Finn climbs onto my shoulder. We head out of Uncle Severus' office. He's being too hard on himself. Finn chitters to me. I look down the hall. Draco stands with Crabbe and Goyle. Our eyes meet. He gives me a small smile, but walks away with his boys. Fitter chitters quietly. "I guess he really is keeping his distance from me," I tell him. Finn frowns. "It's okay, Finn. We'll be alright." I turn to go up the stairs. Students gather together laughing and talking. I head into the Gryffindor Tower and up to my dorm room. Inside, Hermione, Fay and Lavender sit talking. They stop as I enter. "Hey Ellie," Lavender says. Hermione shuffles in her seat.