PHANTOM FIGURES | harry potter

61. priori incantatem

     Aspen's heart felt like it missed a beat at Voldemort's words. Her blood ran cold. She was terrified of what Voldemort was about to do. If she had to witness another person die right in front of her eyes she would probably go mad, especially someone as important to her as Harry. In the split seconds before Wormtail followed Voldemort's orders, Aspen thought of a life where Harry wasn't present. The drama surrounding Hogwarts would undoubtedly be non-existent but there would also be a source of joy missing.

     Harry was the type of person to make jokes in order to avoid his own problems, to brush them off as if they didn't matter, just to make everyone else's lives easier. He had a slight hero complex, but Aspen supposed that's what you develop when you're The Boy Who Lived. It came in handy sometimes, anyway. Harry was the type of person to lend you a jumper or scarf if you forgot to wear yours on a chilly day. Harry paid attention to the small details of people he cared about, like when he noticed Aspen pinned Hermione's S.P.E.W badge onto her book bag and proceeded to gift her a whole pack of pins for Christmas. Harry was the type of person to read up on your interests so you could talk about them with him, even if he found the topic incredibly boring. If Harry finds you worthy enough to be his friend, he won't let you go. And sure, that might have something to do with how he grew up, but it made you feel important. And isn't that the meaning of life, to feel that you are deserving? There were a lot of things Aspen liked about Harry. She liked how observant, reserved, and altruistic he was. He would always jump at the opportunity to do something for his friends. There was never not a time where he didn't spring at the chance to help the Weasley's out (even if they repeatedly never accepted). He was determined, driven, and stubborn. When he had made up his mind on something, he stuck with it. If he wanted to do something, he would get it done. It was in that sudden flash of memories that Aspen Shaw decided she did not want to live a life without Harry Potter, that she could not live a life without Harry Potter.

     Wormtail approached Harry, who scrambled to find his feet, to support his own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging Harry, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying Harry to the gravestone.

     There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave. There was also the fact that running meant he would be leaving Aspen there with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He wouldn't leave Aspen. He couldn't. Aspen had been with him for everything he'd gone through at Hogwarts. She had been a sort of pillar, a support system. (Especially when she threw rocks at Tom Riddle's head back in the Chamber of Secrets). Leaving Aspen would mean leading a life without her. Aspen's absence would be screaming at him for the rest of his life if he did such a thing. The guilt would eat him alive. Aspen was a wonderful individual to be around, always brightening your day. She was the type of person to check in on everyone, even if she wasn't extremely close with them. She was brilliant, always coming up with clever ideas to get around minor obstacles. Aspen knew how to perform spells they hadn't even been taught before, only from reading. Aspen was the type of person to rub your arms and shoulders in an effort to comfort you after a long day. Every now and then, she would say some witty comeback, shocking everyone in the vicinity for a few moments, and then continue on with the conversation as if nothing happened. She was innately kind, friendly to everyone she meets, her feelings only changing toward a person once she's witnessed their actions. Aspen was the type of person you could speak with and forget all of your problems in the world whilst you talked, she was like an escape from chaos. Occasional bouts of braveness were shown when she felt the need to do the right thing or stand up for her friends, Harry found her courage in those moments admirable, even as she did so, she never lost her cool. It was in that sudden flash of memories that Harry Potter decided he did not want to live a life without Aspen Shaw, that he could not live a life without Aspen Shaw.