Worthy Of Magic

Part 26 - Cat or Mouse?

Part Four - Prophecy Realised 

Harry was breathing slow. His exhales were long. He could hear the sound of his breathing overpower his ears as Tonks went still beneath him. He began to feel her body cool as the colours in her body began to fade.

The adrenaline that drove him began to wear off and black spots began to dance in front of his eyes. He rolled off her tiredly and took a moment to catch his breath. The Void escaped his hold and he felt like his body had been wrung through a cloth strainer. It was the first time he had been stretched beyond his limits and in-spite of the exhaustion that reeled through his body, Harry was smiling with his eyes closed. He felt fulfilled under the full moon light with blood soaking his hands.

When Harry opened his eyes, the stars were brighter and the moon had travelled halfway across the sky. It took him a second to realise he had lost consciousness. Looking at the moon he figured it had been close to three hours since...

He glanced to his left where the body of Tonks lay. He had to cover his tracks. He had killed a Hogwarts professor. This was definitely grounds for expulsion.

Irritation lanced through his gut. Why was did she have to follow him in the first place. Now he had the task of cleaning up a battle that tore through the various parts of the forest.

The Void was still weak. He tried to summon it but his body shivered in pain as soon as he tried. He had to wait. He had to rest. He had to think.

Disposing the body was the wisest course of action but as soon as the thought came to him, Harry rejected it. This was a great kill. He didn't like the idea of it disappearing forever. No. He had to make a show of it. He wanted her to be found. Without the murder being linked to him of course. It didn't feel right hiding her forever. He felt proud of the kill. It was his hardest yet.

His mind drew a blank though when he tried to think how to frame the body. No ideas were coming to him.

Harry sighed and then realised he was still laying on his back on the ground. The wetness in the soil had seeped into his clothes. Taking a deep breath and testing the strength in his limbs, Harry struggled into a sitting position. Then he felt movement in his pockets and remembered he had a pepper up potion as well. He noticed his hands were trembling with exhaustion as he dug into his robe pocket and drank the potion.

Immediately strength returned to his body and the void swelled. Potions, Harry realised, were not as pointless as he had thought before. He was gaining a new found respect for the art. It was a realm of magic that was worth exploring.

With the return of strength, the ideas came to him faster. One in particular stood out. She had a hole in her chest. A hole that could easily be shaped into looking like the stab of a giant spider.

Harry grinned as the idea began to take form. He could stage a battle between Tonks and an Acromantula and make it look like they both killed each other. Yes. It was definitely possible to recreate.

Harry stood up. He gently tugged on the Void, using as little as possible. The potion may have returned his power but when its effects wore off, he was going to be sick. He had to move quickly.

The Void wrapped around Tonks body and gently lifted her off the ground. The look of horror in her eyes was permanently etched. It made Harry laugh.

Together, they moved towards the path commonly traversed by Acromantula and Hagrid.

The night was dark still.

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Tenth June Nineteen Ninety-Four – Hogsmeade