The Girl with the Broken Smile (Fourth Book in the Heart Scar series)

Scotland

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of these characters except Aria, Jude, Lucy, Max, Marie, Ben, Paige, Fred II, Sebastian, Jenna, Alice II, Frank II, Alex, Melinda, Toby, Markus, Bella, Jason, Raychel, Charlotte, and Reginald. Everyone else belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Scotland

            My head felt a little dizzy and I knew we had apparated. I opened my eyes quickly and saw we were standing in the kitchen of Harry and Ginny’s house. My mind was a rush of thoughts and I then felt the searing pain in my left hand. I held back the tears from leaking out of my eyes as I brought my hand into sight. It was bloody and burned with skin missing and I could see some of my bones from where the flesh was gone. My body began to shake and I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. I looked at my ring finger and saw my wedding and engagement ring were still there. That was the only are untouched by the cursed flames.

            Jude let go of my right hand and grabbed my left arm. I saw panic and sorrow in his face and he pulled out his wand; thought we both knew he couldn’t heal me all the way. I’d still have a decent scar on my hand. “Vulnera Sanentur.” He said and my hand started to heal slowly. The gashes closed up and the blood disappeared. A capital ‘r’ took the form on my hand as my scar and I knew it was because of Raychel. She knew she’d hit some part of my body and she’d leave her mark on me. She knew I wasn’t dead.

            I heard several cracks around us and looked around to see who had come into the house. My parents, Hermione, and Charlie were there but they weren’t alone. Dean, Seamus, Luna, Neville, Lee, Katie, Ben, Jenna, and Draco had appeared with them. Ron, Ginny, and Harry came in through the kitchen door and we all stood there. Someone must’ve called everyone here. My mum rushed over to me and wrapped me in her arms tightly.

            “Are you alright?” She asked in a normal worried, motherly tone.

            “I’m fine.” I told her and smiled as we parted. I looked over at Harry and said, “I have leads. We need to get our things and go tonight.”

            “We need to plan first.” Harry told me. “Hermione told us the places you told them and we’ll just make a quick plan before we do anything.”

            “I say we go to Scotland first.” Draco said. “My aunt spent a lot of time there when I was a kid. Raychel was probably raised there.”

            “So you know the exact location?” I asked with hope.

            “Yes.” Draco answered. “My mum and I visited often.

            “Ok so we’ll go and make a plan there on how to get in.” Harry said.

            “I say we just pop in.” Charlie suggested and I nodded in agreement.

            “We can’t. We have to plan. They’ll be expecting us.” Hermione told him.

            “So who’s going?” Harry asked and looked around at all of us.

            “I am.” I said immediately. I didn’t care if it was implied that I was going or not. I was making it clear that no matter what anyone said I’d be going. “And Draco has to go.”

            Harry nodded. “Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and I will go but I think Lee, Katie, Jenna, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Marie, and Reginald stays so they can watch everything here. Ben, Jude, Charlie, and Neville will go with us. The rest of you leave now.” They did and we looked at each other.

            “Everything is ready to go like it has been for weeks.” Ginny said. “All we have to do is apparate wherever Draco says and we’re set.”

            “Let’s go.” Harry said and looked at Draco.

            “It’s an old castle outside Edinburgh. It’s hidden away so no one will find it but I know how to get in.” He told him.

            “Alright. Let’s apparated to Edinburgh.” Ron said and grabbed Hermione’s hand.

            Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, and Charlie apparated but I stopped the guys from going before they had a chance. They all stared at me and I said, “I don’t think we need a plan. If they are there, we need to surprise them. Especially after today. Harry wouldn’t agree and neither would the others. Well, Charlie would’ve but he left before I could stop him.” I looked at Draco. “Since you know how to get in the castle, you need to get us in there.”

            He nodded. “Since I’m a relative, I just have to apparate and I can bring who ever I want.”

            “It’s that easy?” Jude asked.

            “Yes.”

            I grabbed Draco’s hand. “Then let’s go.” Jude and Ben grabbed on and we apparated out of the kitchen.

            We were standing in the courtyard of an extravagant castle. The whole thing shined of Bellatrix. You could tell she lived there once. I wanted to burst in there and start looking for George. I even started running toward the door but Jude held me back. I looked at him with confusion and he said, “Let’s take it slow. We don’t know what we’re in for.”

            “I agree with Jude.” Ben said.

            “I’ll go first.” Draco told us. “I’ll see if the coast is clear. They won’t do anything to me.” He looked at us. “Wands out.”

            We all got out our wands and pointed them straight ahead of us. Draco led the way to the door and I was between Jude and Ben. Draco opened the front door cautiously and made a light appear at the end of his wand with Lumos. He looked around for a minute and then looked back. He nodded meaning it was safe and we went into the castle.

            “Homenum revelio.” Ben said which would’ve told us if anyone was in there. Nothing happened and that meant we were alone in the castle.

            My heart dropped and hope left my mind. He wasn’t there. No one was. But I felt like George had to be there. I conjured up Lumos and started walking further into the castle. Jude once again stopped me and said, “He’s not here, Aria.”

            “I have to look.” I told him and tried to pull away from him.

            “He’s not here. Something would’ve happened when Ben said that spell.”

            I shook my head. “No. I have to look.”

            Ben got in front of me and looked into my eyes. “Aria, he’s not here. I swear. Let’s go.”

            Tears filled my eyes and I sighed. “Fine.”

            We all grabbed hands and Draco apparated us out of the castle. We were standing on the streets of Edinburgh and we heard a door open. I looked and saw Harry and the others running towards us from a hotel. Harry was the first to us and he asked, “Where were you guys?”

            “We went to the castle.” Ben told him.

            “What?! We were going to plan!”

            “Well there’s no one there so it’s a lost cause.” I pushed by them and headed for the hotel. “Tomorrow we’re going to Bulgaria. Start planning.”

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Two chapters in two days? What? I must really love you guys. That is true. But I also had this mad burst of writing energy. Please comment and vote! And please submit a one shot to the contest!