Nella Dursley and the Wondrous World of Magic

His Name was Everett

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Trigger warning: Gore/Death

Please take care of yourselves, I'll mark where it's safe to continue, however you may want to skip this chapter, if so I can give you the very short undetailed version.

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Nella's heart pounded as she walked closer to inspect what she didn't believe. She knew it wasn't a child, but the body of an elf. The most macabre curiosity took over her body as she peered around the right side of the cupboard.

The body lay like a body. Not something that contained a soul. If it was sleeping, that's not how the limbs would lay, surely. Something was missing too. No leaves or brush were covering where it's head ought to be, just blood pooling and making a very metallic smell linger. Dripping too.

Nella's eyes followed the dripping source to a branch that hung at eye level. She hadn't seen it because she was so focused on the body.

But there was its head impaled through a branch on a tree right beside the cupboard.

Whatever hope she had that she was just seeing this wrong was lost there.

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Safe

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A word floated in her head. A word given to her a long time ago. It was a word that, when all other memories failed, this word could remain, because this word took those memories away. A male voice had muttered it to her a very long time ago. She hadn't understood then, she didn't understand it now, but she knew that she could use that word now. She could use it to make the pain go away because unimaginable horrible pain was coursing through her, freezing her in her spot.

What was the word? What was the spell. What did he say? She moved, took her wand out of her robes, and pointed it to her head. 

That spell, that spell! What was- Oh! Oh yeah.

“Obliviate.”

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Nella's eyes were open, as she stared at the ceiling she visited every night to submit her journal. She hadn't written a journal entry tonight, but Madam Pomfrey could just ask her while she was here.

She just didn't know why she was here. She didn't bother asking; she felt more comfortable staring at the ceiling, studying the beams that kept it all together in the hospital wing. That couldn't last forever, eventually, a face came into her line of sight. It wasn't anyone she expected, so she sat up shocked and looked at Mr. Potter’s grim face.

Very grim. 

“Did I… what happened? Is everyone… did I?” Nella couldn't remember, but she fretted. She wondered if her magic, which she had begun to do so well with, suddenly burst forward unexpectedly. She wondered if she hurt someone. 

Harry mussed his hair; a nervous tick he had that Nella recognized, but before she could assume what happened he pulled himself together and held her gaze.

“Something bad happened, Nella. You didn't hurt anyone, but…” he paused. He looked around like he might find the words he needed in the air. Nella, thankfully, still didn't have time to make wild assumptions because Mr. Potter wasn't alone. The Minister of Magic was seated next to him. Mrs. Weasley's eyes looked red but her voice was clear.