Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 35: Gone Too Soon (CS CH18)

As soon as I heard the door of McGonagall's office open, I rushed to stand up, turned around and hugged Harry gratefully. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear. He seemed uneasy as he touched my back.

I next hugged Ginny, who seemed drained of everything, and then Ron- who was crying- before realising Spencer was missing. 

"Where is my daughter?" my mother asked firmly. No one answered her. 

"Is she...did she?" I struggled to get the words out. Harry, understanding what I was trying to say, nodded down to the floor. That's when I noticed he was covered in blood.

I put my hands to my chest, my breathing now very heavy. 

"Have a seat, Toni, dear," Arthur said in his calmest voice and Molly held out her arm for me to hug while we were seated. I always found her way more comforting than my own mother, who was frustrated more than anything at the moment. 

"My daughter was killed and you knew this Chamber of Secrets was real and you let thousands of students live here?!" my mother yelled at Dumbledore, who remained calm as ever. 

My dad stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Mari, dear, it's okay." 

She smacked his hand away. "To hell it is! You don't know this world, Liam. The harm it can cause. God dammit, don't you realize Spencer's dead!? Antonia will not be going back, she will attend a muggle school next year." 

I cried into Molly's shoulder as she hugged me and Arthur patted my back. I didn't want to leave all my friends and my life here behind. Harry came over to me and rested his head on me.

"Don't you think that should be Toni's choice?" my dad asked feebly. 

Amara ignored him. "I'm taking her home RIGHT NOW!" 

"I am home! And I'm with my parents who actually want me." I was talking about Molly and Arthur. 

Amara scoffed and licked the fronts of her teeth. "Fine. Stay here and die just like your sister, then. Anything else you want to take from me, Albus?"

"Amara, I never meant for this to happen."

"Of course you didn't, you never do. You let ou- my whole family die before, and you're letting it happen again. First Toni, now Spencer." Fawkes the Phoenix swooped in and sat on her shoulder. She shook him away, so he went over and took a seat on my knee.

"But what about the stone I had?" I asked shakily. "The one I got last year?"

"Do you know where it is?" McGonagall asked. I shook my head.

"Then it appears there is nothing that can be done," Dumbledore said grimly.

"So that's it? It's over? She's just gone?!" Ron yelled at Dumbledore. I shot up and rushed over as he collapsed on the floor. I held him in a hug as we both hopelessly cried.

My mother shook her head while staring furiously at Dumbledore. "I can't be here anymore. Come on, Liam, we're going home." She started walking toward the door and my dad followed without another thought. 

He stopped once he reached the door and knelt down to touch my shoulder. I turned my head to look at him. "This sucks, kiddo." Then he got back up and followed Amara. I heard a loud clap in the hallway and knew they were both gone. My parents had abandoned me when I needed them most.

"I wanna go home," Ron said while crying.

"You and Toni can both go in a bit. Molly, Arthur? Do you want to take them with you?" 

"Yes," they both answered.

"What about Rian and Hermione?"

"They'll be fine, Antonia. I'll have them both send you letters once they're up to it."

"How did you save Ginny?" Ron asked Harry.

"The phoenix. He flew in with the hat and the sword kinda fell out of it."

"Oh, of course," Dumbledore said. 

"How did Spencer die?" I asked.

"I believe she sacrificed herself to save Ginny and Harry, whether she realised it or not. Sisters think alike," Dumbledore replied, winking at me, but I wasn't having it. 

I got to me feet and pulled Ron up to his. "I wanna go now."

"Let's go, then." 

I didn't say another word to Harry.

A few days later, I got two letters. Hermione's read:

Dear Toni, I'm so sorry for your loss. I will miss having Spencer around. Let me know if you need anything, Hermione.

Rian's was pretty much the same. I know you and Spencer were just becoming close for the first time in your lives, and there's nothing anyone can do to make that pain go away. Love, Rian

Nothing was more painful than when Ginny arrived at the Burrow and wouldn't look at me. Molly told me she was worried I'd hate her because of what happened, even though it was Tom Riddle who killed my sister.

I stayed in the twins room for two whole weeks before Amara showed up.

I heard arguing downstairs and her shrill voice pierce my eardrums. She stormed upstairs and dragged me out of bed, throwing all my stuff in my trunks.

The way to her house was silent and it took everything in me not to scream at her or burst into tears. 

She opened the door and pushed me upstairs to my bedroom.

That was it. I was back at the place I hated most.