A Prophecy of Two Boys

Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Harry and Percy slumped forward onto Tom Riddle's diary, the venom in their system eating away at lives. The white snake fang clenched in their left hand sunk deep into the little black book beneath them. Their brother watched in horror, spotting the dark wet blood seeping out the circular hole in the back of their robes.

Looking up at a terrible scream, Charles saw that Tom had a massive hole in his chest that was slowly growing bigger as he was blown into dust, cursing the existence of the Potter twins and swearing revenge. Charles couldn't bring himself to care however, as he looked back down at the limp form of his twin. It looked as if Tom already had his revenge. Ron's sister, Ginny was now safe, but his own siblings were on the edge of death.

A flash of red and gold feathers flew through the air and a large phoenix landed on Charles' shoulder. Charles sent him a despairing look, his normally bright eyes full of tears for his brothers. Then he returned his watery gaze to his twin.

"You have to save them! Please!" Charles pleaded the large bird on his shoulder. Dumbledore's familiar had come to save them, hadn't he? So surely, somehow, the phoenix could save Harry and Percy?

Fawkes sent Charles an intense look. Charles couldn't understand the look, but didn't interfere as Fawkes hoped to the blood-stained stone beside Harry and Percy, leaning over the fang wound. The magical bird tilted his head to the side, and let a large fat tear slowly roll down his cheek to fall on the gaping wound.

The wound hissed, steam rising from where the phoenix tears touched the raw flesh. Fawkes didn't stop crying over the wound, not until the steam stopped rising and the flesh and skin had knitted back together and he knew that the healing tears were in the boys' blood stream to battle with the deadly basilisk venom.

Meanwhile, Charles was distracted as Ginny waking up, looking around her in confusion. Fear and confusion lit up in her eyes when she noticed Harry and Percy and Charles. Then her gaze fell upon the black corner of Tom Riddle's diary only just sticking out from under Harry and Percy, and she seemed to understand.

"Charles, you have to believe me, I didn't mean to. I mean... It was me. I ordered the attacks, but I didn't want to. Tom made me, he got into my head somehow..." Ginny tried to explain. "I... I wanted to tell you at breakfast, but Percy... I didn't want him to... to..."

Charles placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, remembering how she had wanted to tell Ron and him something important at breakfast before Percy run her off. Ron and he had been certain that it had been about the Chamber of Secrets, but Percy had thought otherwise for some strange reason.

"I understand. But... what was it Percy didn't want you to tell us then?" Charles asked, side-tracked as he wondered what on earth the so very proper Weasley would have to hide.

Ginny let out a small snigger. "Oh, that. I walked in on him and his new girlfriend Penelope. I had been going to tell him but... well. He didn't take being interrupted to well, and then... I didn't want him to judge me..."

Charles nodded, understanding perfectly. He didn't exactly have an older sibling who he wanted to impress, but Harry and Percy were pretty much his equivalent. Charles was supposed to be the Hero. The saviour of the Wizarding World. But Harry and Percy really were heroes by blood – being half-bloods and all – and (for the second time now) seemed to manage to save the day before he could even reach the place where it was all happening! Was it any wonder he didn't want them to think he was useless? To think he was a useless child who needed saving all the time?

"Ginny. It wasn't your fault, alright? You were possessed. Nobody is going to blame you for any of this. You're a first year for crying out loud!"

Ginny and Charles looked at each other for a moment before Ginny started looking around them, desperately looking for something to help her change the subject.