Like a sweet post-battle melody, the wizarding world tries to guide its wounds towards healing, clinging to the fragile promise of a new equilibrium.
In the wake of the Battle of Hogwarts, ten years of calm have passed, giving the impression of a fr...
Valentina The rustle of the leaves and the song of the birds mingled harmoniously in the still air, enveloping the porch in a peaceful aura as I sat down, holding my cup of hot tea between my fingers.
Normally, the ceramic would have been hot against my skin, but my hands had become insensitive to heat thanks to my powers, another indication of the irreversible changes I'd undergone but which didn't seem to do me any good against what I was about to face.
I was facing an imminent battle with my own sister, a confrontation I dreaded but which seemed inevitable. Emily had been raised in darkness by Voldemort himself, hardened by cruelty and violence, while I still bore the psychological scars of the horrors I had experienced in the asylum.
Theodore had tried to comfort me, reminding me that there were people living there who belonged to Azkaban, but his words had only added to my burden of trauma.
I had the impression that even this impenetrable prison would be too kind a destination for me from now on.
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"You're shaking." A voice came from behind me, breaking the peaceful silence of the moment.
I closed my eyes, already knowing it was Mattheo. "I'm not cold," I replied simply, refusing to turn around to face him. I could feel his heavy gaze on me, sensing his sigh choked with worry.
"I know," he murmured after a moment, before letting the silence between us fall again. "I have to go to the closer hamlet to buy some food."
I kept my gaze fixed on my steaming mug, bitterness ever present in my thoughts.
"Fine." I finally replied, a shiver of distress running through my being. The distance between us was like a chasm, but I knew I needed this time to heal.
I heard his footsteps coming up behind me, preparing me for his departure. "You're coming with me." he announced suddenly.
I turned round abruptly, surprised to see him wearing his black robe and holding another in his hands. It was the first time since we'd arrived that he'd asked me to accompany him, probably knowing that I would have refused before.
After the Daily Prophet appeared with our faces on the front page, we agreed that Aura, Theo and Enzo should stay in the castle to avoid any risk. Their association with us could compromise the safety of us all. A difficult but necessary decision.
"I'd rather stay here," I replied, my eyebrows furrowing in reluctance.
"I'm not asking you, I need you to come and try on your dress for the Carrow family ball. I know your measurements more or less, but it's hard to be precise and you've lost weight." he said in a nonchalant tone, handing me my robe.
A sigh of frustration escaped me at the mention of the ball. The mere thought of sneaking into Carrow Manor, where my sister and parents would be, filled me with dread.
