Home, Where The Brave Ones Roam| Draco Malfoy

5

Bill and Charlie led me back to the tent while Arthur went to go find the others. Charlie was holding a vomiting Percy on his back and would make a disgusting face every time he'd bring up more slugs. We walked back in complete silence, I was in my head trying to understand what Bill had said to me only minutes before. The fire took the shape of a fox, but that's not even possible. I wanted nothing more than to think about something, anything else but it just wasn't working. No, he must have been seeing things, there's no way that it happened, I would have seen it for sure but then again, I wasn't really seeing much I just ended up going full defense mode, it felt like a blur. "You know" Bill began breaking the silence "I don't know how you did it and I can tell at this point you don't either but that wasn't an ordinary type of magic you just did and for your age-" he paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "you're going to make a fine witch" he concluded smiling down at me and patting my shoulder. It was interrupted by the sudden look of shock appearing on his face, slowly being replaced by disbelief. His eyes were lined with fear as he tried to stop it from showing on his face.

"Athena, as cool as that whole fire thing and the fact you fought off all those death eaters was, out of all the spells, you had to pick the slug spell?" Charlie groaned as we stopped moving, not really getting why we stopped. "What are you-" he turned his head to look where Bill's eyes were glued and stopped dead. I followed their stare to see something I've never seen before hanging in the sky. A snake was coming out of the mouth of a skull. My head started racing to try to put what it meant together. I had no clue what was happening, without realizing I had moved Bill was shaking me on the ground yelling

"Athena! What's wrong? Athena, can you hear me?" His pleas to get my attention was slowly leaving and becoming numb as a new voice filled my head.

"You can't hide forever, I'm coming" it's evil tone sent shivers down my spine and made every hair on my body stand on edge. It was horrible and yet familiar at the same time as if somehow, someway, I'd heard that very voice many times before. It felt so close to home and that's what really freaked me out, how it felt so familiar, but it was slipping through my mind no name was coming into place as it will forever be one more thing that I will almost be able to remember from when I was a kid. I felt myself being picked up as Bill and Charlie started running back to the tents. "You've been gone too long, soon you'll feel my pain" it sneered, each word just making my body feel weaker and weaker. I fought to stay awake but everything ached and all my strength seemed to have left my body, even so, I refused to give in. Get out of my head

"but where's the fun in that? I'm just getting started "

get out, I'm not afraid of you

"Dad there they are!" I felt more strength slowly coming back to me as I fought off the voice in my head, my vision came to as I could see everyone's worried faces. "Bill, what happened? Is she alright" Ginny spoke as I took in a deep breathe, a sudden wave of everything that left coming back as if it never left? Bill must have noticed as he began to put me down and help me stand up "Where have you been? We've been worried sick"

"It's all my fault, I thought you were right behind me, I shouldn't have let go of your arm-"

"Hermione I was right behind you for the most part" I tried to reassure them, my voice still shakey. It felt nice to know that they were worried about my whereabouts. "I got hit by a jinx before I made it into the woods." Okay maybe choose your words better I thought as I saw their eyes only show more fear. "It wasn't anything bad" I continued "I fought them off" I struggled to stand up properly by myself, so Bill leads me to a chair where I'd be more able to explain things.

"What do you mean fought them off? What happened to Percy?" Ron said coming over to make sure I was alright, Harry followed close ensuite.

"Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing! There had to be at least 10 or 15 of them and she fought them all off by redirecting this guy's fire spell and then the flames just  turned into a giant fox made of fire and that scared most of them off, then she dueled the other one and kicked his ass" Bill said excitedly, I gave him a small smile, I felt another chill come on as I shuddered in my seat.

"Bill go get her something warm to drink," Arthur said quickly "Athena what happened, you were fine when I left, George go get a bucket for your brother so he isn't vomiting slugs everywhere" There was a smug expression on Georges's face as he left to go search for a bucket. "Now Athena can you tell us what happened? Thank you, Bill" Arthur came and sat by my side as he handed me a warm cup of something that Bill had made for me.

"I-I don't know, one second I was totally fine, we were on our way back from where you left us and that's when we saw, whatever that thing  was in the sky."

"It's called a dark mark," Hermione said quietly, "It's sent out by followers of You-Know-Who"

"Voldemort? Here? There's no way he's long-dead" I saw the sudden drawback when I said his name.

"Don't say that name" Arthur responded very quickly. I hadn't realized that his name still affected people.

"Sorry" I muttered taking a sip of what I believed to be tea

"Go on" he urged.

"Well, I'm not sure. I looked at it and the next thing I knew I was on the ground with this-this voice in my head" I stared at the ground not wanting to see the look on their faces before they called me crazy.

"A voice?" Charlie said quietly "What did it say?"

"You can't hide forever, I'm coming. You've been gone too long, soon you'll feel my pain. Things like that"

"Did you recognize the voice" Arthur pressed, I looked at him to just meet eyes of worry

"Sorta-I don't know, it sounded so familiar but so unrecognizable at the same time. I'm sorry that doesn't help much." I understood there was much more to this than a simple accident but all I wanted to do was go to bed.

"No, that helps plenty, thank you, Athena I just have one more question for you if that's alright?" He asked softly, I knew he felt bad about asking so many questions. I nodded slightly as he took a deep breath "what wand wood do you have?" I titled my head in confusion

"Aspen, why?" I asked confused. Realization flashed in Arthur's eyes as he studied me silently, I searched his face for anything, any sign as to why he might ask but nothing, his poker face was amazing as everyone just sat there in silence.

"why don't you lot head off to bed, yeah? We have an early morning tomorrow." He smiled gently as I was put into even more confusion. Why would my wand wood matter? Mr.Olivander said my questions would be answered, but now I fear there may be too many to ask.

I managed to stand on my own two feet properly as Ginny, Hermione and I walked back to the tent.

"Athena" I turned to see Harry running after me, he looked just about as distressed I felt. "You're not crazy, you know" he awkwardly shuffled his feet trying to find the right words. "I've had that too, things in my head." he whispered quietly "let me know if you want to talk about it okay?" I nodded and smiled at him he quickly disappeared into the tent only for me to turn around back into mine.

"Athena" I rolled my eyes as I turned back around to see Fred walking towards me. "You alright? Gave us all a bit of a scare" his face was calm but his voice was laced with worry

"I'm fine thanks, Fred, I think I just need some sleep that's all" I looked at him, finally feeling the weight of my eyelids as they were trying to close.

"Oh yeah, right, well goodnight then," he said awkwardly as I just smiled and turned around to finally get into my bed and curl up. As tired as I was, my dreams were very alive and scary, but nothing I wasn't used to.