chosen - harry potter

Chapter 20 - The Future Fear

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Cassia heard rustling around her, accompanied by a light, comforting humming. Her shoulder and ribs ached, but her head finally felt normal again. Her eyes fluttered open, seeing Madam Pomfrey adjusting the things on her bedside table.

"Oh, you're awake," she said quietly, smiling. "Dumbledore will be pleased. Are you feeling alright?"

"As well as I can," Cassia smiled. "What happened? Why did I keep passing out?"

"You had a severe concussion. As well as a dislocated shoulder and bruised ribs."

"Those sound like very Muggle-ish injuries."

"We're not too different in composition compared to Muggles, my dear. I'll go fetch Dumbledore."

She hurried away to her office. Cassia looked around the hospital wing, her neck stiff. The curtains were drawn around many of the other beds. She wondered if her friends were behind them; what had happened to them? She remembered that Ron had been attacked by what looked like a brain, and Neville had a broken nose. She desperately hoped that they had made it back to Hogwarts as well.

The sun was shining through the high windows of the hospital wing. She felt warm.

Cassia realized just how out of it she had been during the battle. It all seemed fuzzy. She could remember Damien Blair, his bored expression. It annoyed her that it was always her head that got hurt in battle. 

The door opened, and Dumbledore and Snape walked in, each of them looking deeply serious.

"Hello, Miss Bright," Dumbledore said lightly, standing by Snape near Cassia's hospital bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Cassia said, sitting up. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone made it out of the Ministry safely, yes. And all but one of the Death Eaters that were present have been returned to Azkaban."

"All but one?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange escaped again," Snape said. "She has a way of doing that."

"Regardless," Dumbledore spoke again. "Sirius let me know that you heard your prophecy."

"Yes," Cassia said, recalling the words that had left the orb. "Yes...it said that I'm a martyr. That I'm going to die."

"Miss Bright-"

"Was I just born for this? To die to make a point? And has everyone known this whole time?"

"No. Most don't know."

"Your grandmother — Damien Blair's mother — she delivered the prophecy to me," Snape said. "The Dark Lord and his followers know, as well as Dumbledore. That's all."

"I really don't understand," Cassia said desperately, worry growing in her chest. "Am I going to die?"

"Of course. But no sooner than you should," Dumbledore said calmly.

"What...what does that even mean?"

"Voldemort marked you as his heir before you were born," Dumbledore continued. "But you don't have to be his soldier. The prophecy says that you're going to be a symbol, but it does not specify that you will do so for Voldemort and his followers."

"I don't want to be martyred or...or used by either side! I don't want to be a soldier," Cassia said sadly, her eyes burning.

"We are all soldiers now, Cassia," Snape said, his blunt words somehow calming her more than Dumbledore's. "The Dark Lord has returned, and we all must fight where we can. Dumbledore, if I can have a word with Miss Bright."