(A Harry Potter Fanfiction) Just Add Magic

Brianne: "Hope, The Most Dangerous Weapon"

I'm alone.

The world is dark and cold.

Not for long.

She emerges from nowhere in particular, a shimmering sun whispering my name. She's beautiful now, with her long dirty-blonde hair flowing down her back and glittering as if set with a thousand stars. Her eyes are the same pretty rolling blue as mine, dark like a deep ocean in the light her body emits. I reach out to touch her, and her hand instantly warms mine.

"Mother?"

"Yes." She knows what I want, I want to join her. "You still have so much to do. I've seen your purpose, the reason you were born. It is not complete yet, you can't join me. I won't let you die Bri. I am always here."

I shiver. "What is my 'purpose' then? When can I join you?"

"I can't tell you your purpose. You must discover alone."

"Then why are you here? Why did you come back? "

She smiles. "To bring you the greatest tool of all."

"What is it?" I ask eagerly.

"Hope."

I laugh. "It's no weapon."

"A weapon keeps you alive when fighting a foe correct?"

I nod, wanting her to give me the real weapon, tell me this is all a 'teaching exercise' or something. Hope is what tears you apart. False hope is more common than real hope and it tears you apart. "Yes, and your point is?"

"Hope will keep thousands alive in the war to come."

"But it will kill countless others. I'm sure you mean the battle to bring down the dark lord? The one that will fail? He's too strong."

"Weapons kill your enemy and assist you. But from the enemy's perspective it's the other way round. It will help you. You only have to let it, Bri."

"Who important will 'hope' help?"

"In battle hope is the weapon to fight fear. People will use hope to conquer their fear to fight the dark lord and he will fall."

"So where do I come in? How does hope help me?" I ask.

"I am giving you a piece of information to give you hope," she explains.

"Which is?"

"A promise. You will escape this place and your name will be cleared."

My body shivers. I want to smile, laugh and cry all at the same time. It's there, an unwelcome yet insistent warmth filling my chest and pumping me with other emotions to fight fear and sadness.

Why can't hope leave me alone? It's gotten me in trouble before.

"Bri, promise me you'll let hope help you."

"What? No! Why?"

"Because you need it. And a part of you still wants hope to save it, whether you tell yourself hope will kill you or not, you want it. You need it."

"Which is why it's so dangerous!"

"Promise me, Bri!"

"I promise." I sigh. I regret the words already. She's right though. I do want her gift, her hope.

She smiles. "Thank you." She turns to leave, her light dimming.

"Wait! Mother!"

She looks back. The light and warmth return to the blank world around me. "Yes?"

"When will I be allowed to join you again?"

"Only when you value your life can it truly be taken."

I sigh. "So when I've completed my 'purpose in life' and actually don't want to die."

She smiles. "There are better ways of putting it. Anything else?"

I pause, not sure if I truly want to say what I do next, even if it's true. "I love you."

"I love you too, Bri. I'm here Even when you think your alone." And then she is gone. And I am alone in the dark coldness again.

I wake up on the cold floor coughing and spluttering. I'm still in my cold, dirty and dark cell all on my own. Something is different though. I can't put my finger on it. There feels like something's missing. Someone.

Then I remember the dream.