From a Cradle to a Grave

Chapter 36

Hope felt herself get thrown onto the ground. A short distance away, Cedric let out a grunt. The Portkey was still clutched in his hand.

She tried not to panic. Cedric was never supposed to... But it didn't matter now. If he had to witness what was to take place tonight, well then, that was his own fault for being so stubborn.

"Welcome to your birthplace, little bird," Aurora said as she stepped out from behind a stone statue.

"Where are we?" Hope muttered. She knew they were in America, someplace in Louisiana... But where, specifically? The dull stone buildings beside them looked like... Tombs.

"The Lafayette Cemetery," Aurora beamed. "Your parents should be arriving soon. You remember what we talked about, don't you?"

"I can't let his words get to me. I can't let him interfere with me killing him."

"Excellent," Aurora smiled. Then she paused. "Hope, did you bring Cedric Diggory here with you?"

"He... He got to the Triwizard Cup before I did. I had to focus on touching the Portkey before it activated, so I didn't get the chance to kick him off."

"Hm," Aurora nodded. "Very well."

Hope gaped when Aurora knocked out a groaning Cedric with a single blow to the head. "He'll be fine," Aurora assured Hope, though from the sound of her tone, Aurora couldn't care less about whether or not Cedric lived.

Twenty agonizing minutes passed by in silence. Hope tried not to think about what she would have to do if she wasn't powerful enough to kill Klaus. Aurora had explained all about Hope's twisted family tree, how she was a half witch, half werewolf with vampire blood running through her veins. To permanently become the most powerful being in the world, Hope would have to activate her vampire genes by... Dying.

However, if things came down to it, it was a sacrifice worth making. And yes, Hope was taking on the role of killer partly for herself- She wanted revenge on what Klaus had done to her birthmother, because getting to know Hayley these past Hogsmeade visits had been incredible. They had even begun sending letters to one another, and though Hope would never deny that Molly Weasley was her true mother, the woman who had raised and loved her as one of her own, she still felt a strong sense of attachment to Hayley. But it was more than that. Hope was killing Klaus for the good of the world. For one thousand years, Klaus Mikaelson had been left to destroy the world, simply because he had been powerful enough to do so.

Now, it was time for his reign to come to an end.

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(Double update today, just go straight to the next chapter :))