The Chosen One [#Wattys2016]

DREAMS AND DEEDS

It was dark. The forest's gloom seemed to be magnified hundredfold in the inky darkness. The trees formed a canopy from whence the sky was impossible to be seen,

Two figures seemed to be deep in discussion as they meandered through the rough path. In a scene terrifically desolate of humanity, the two figures seemed most comfortable, though their voices now rose as their discussion turned into an argument.

"He's taking too much time. The Dark Lord must be brought back," argued the woman hotly. Her long blonde hair shone in the gloom of the night.

"One must prepare and stop ourselves from being rash. You of all the people must know the importance of patience, my sweet," replied the dark haired man.

"If Rabastan cannot do it, I will," cried the woman. "The boy had been hidden back then. We couldn't touch him. We couldn't track him because his magic was undetectable. Now that he's in the open, why are we delaying the inevitable?"

"We all know how far your bloodlust goes, but I still think that my no one can quite match my wife's," chuckled the man.

"This isn't funny. Time is running out and while the Muggles are laying claim to our heritage, your brother was busy doing what exactly? Alerting the Ministry to our presence, the moron."

"Do not insult my brother! If you speak one more word against him, that shall be the last thing that you ever do," the man threatened. Then, calming himself, he said, "We mustn't fight amongst ourselves."

"And what of us?" the woman asked after a moment of silence.

"What of us?"

"What will happen to us once the Dark Lord returns? You can bet that he will make sure that Bellatrix is released from prison. What becomes of us one she returns?"

"My dear, you are sadly mistaken if you think that my wife, of all the people, will be let out of Azkaban. She is destined to die inside."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I will make sure that she doesn't come out. After all we did, staying hidden in full view requires a lot of effort and you're sadly mistaken if you think that I'll let anyone overshadow our accomplishments."

"But –"

"Do not worry. Everything has been taken care of. Now, tell me this – the Potters trust you, don't they?"

"Yes, they do."

"Would Lily Potter trust you with her godson?"

"How did you -?"

"Know? We have eyes and ears everywhere. That fool of a Minister thinks that if he ignores the signs, everything will be well. I think it's time to get a new and more capable Minister."

"Yes, it is."

They had reached the end of the forest, where it joined a road. Across from them, the lights of a suburban town flickered in the darkness.

"You must go now. It is late and we have an important task ahead of us."

"I will. Do me a favour, will you? My stock of Polyjuice Potion is almost over. Get me some more."

"That will be done. It shall be sent to you. Merry Christmas by the way," he said and kissed her deeply.

"Merry Christmas, my reindeer," she smiled into the kiss and pecked him on the nose, before apparating with a loud crack.

"Muggles with their flashy lights and magic replacements – such foolish people deserve to be ruled over, not ruled by. Live free, mudbloods, while you still can," said Rudolphus Lestrange. He turned around and stared at a point above him, as though he knew that there was someone here who ought not to. Still suspicious, he apparated from the forest.

Neville woke with a start. Grabbing the alarm clock that lay on his bedside, he looked at the time and groaned. It was three in the morning and the household was fast asleep. Rubbing his chest where his scar had started to prickle. He got up and stood by the window. Shivering as the cold winds hit him, he watched as the hedges swayed, looking like the hairs of a demented woman.

He tried to recall what he had been dreaming about before he had woken up. It had seemed so real. Concentrating hard, he paced the room and frowned at his reflection in the mirror. There had been two people. Staring at his reflection, he tried to remember what they had looked like but it was hard, seeing as he had caught glimpses of blonde hair in the moonlight.

Grabbing a piece of parchment from his trunk, he wrote as everything came back to him. The woman had blonde hair and she was someone the Potters knew. The man had dark hair and... and he was called Rudolphus Lestrange. They were talking about bringing back You-know-who and capturing Lily's godson.

The quill fell from his hand as realisation stuck. Neville was Lily's godson. He had stayed hidden from the Wizarding World, had not done magic before Hogwarts.

Neville turned sharply towards the window, cricking his neck in the process, as another gust of wind left the hedges rustling. Neville felt the paper slip from his hand band with it, slipped reality. As the clock ticked towards everyone's waking hour, Neville sat hunched on his bed, wondering whom to trust enough to tell the nightmare. Except his grandmother, despite her faults, he couldn't bring himself to even consider telling others.

He got up quickly, tugged on his coat and ran to his grandmother's room as the clock struck six. Not missing a beat, he told her everything that he could remember. She calmed him and gave him a potion for dreamless sleep.

His eyes drooped as he lay on his grandmother's bed, his mind working despite the exhaustion. Some things didn't fit the puzzle but he was sure of one thing – someone was trying to kill him.

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Double update today. See? I told you!

Enjoy the chapter my lovelies. Who's the mysterious woman? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to vote.

See you soon!