Elegy//Harry Potter [3]

9

Autumn sat on her bed. Since Defense Against the Dark Arts was the last class of the day, Autumn didn't miss any classes. She didn't feel like doing anything. But, she forced herself to think of something other than Cayden.

How did Hermione just appear out of nowhere? And more importantly, why? Why did Hermione feel the need to lie about it?

How is Hermione taking all of those classes? Her bag is filled with books of all different classes. What if-

Autumn remembered something from a few years back. In their first year, when Autumn was looking in a book where she found the Jar of Mysteries, she saw something. But it was forbidden to mess with time -- unless. . .

Autumn thought that maybe the teachers gave Hermione permission to use the Time-Turner -- that is, if Hermione uses one. She'd have to do more research.

Could Autumn use the Time-Turner to get Cayden back?

Autumn thought of Cayden, despite her wishes not to. She thought of when she smiled, her eyes lit up. She thought of when she laughed, spit came out her mouth. She thought of when she woke up, she was cranky at first, but then Autumn made it better. She thought of when she went to bed, she wanted Autumn to sing. She thought of when Cayden went to bed, she didn't wake back up.

Autumn sank to the ground and screamed. 

She thought of how Cayden wouldn't call out to her when she went home. She thought of how Cayden wouldn't get to find her parents. She thought of how Cayden wouldn't grow up.

Autumn heard footsteps and the door open suddenly.

"Autumn!" It was Hermione. "What happened?"

"She's gone! I can't see her again!" Autumn wailed. "It's all my fault! I wasn't there to—"

"Autumn -- it's okay, it's—"

"It's not okay!" Autumn shouted, tears now falling. "She's dead! Because of me!"

Hermione looked shocked for a moment, then pulled Autumn in for a hug. Autumn graciously used Hermione's shoulder as a place to cry.

"Alright, you're going to be alright."

Autumn didn't pay attention to Hermione's words, she just wanted Cayden to be back.

>>>

Autumn didn't sleep at all that night. Thoughts of everything clouded her brain.

The first thing she thought of was at ten o'clock. She thought of what Vanessa said. She thought of how Cayden might've embraced death. She thought of how Cayden knew her death might've been coming. 

At eleven, Autumn thought of the message Cayden had for Autumn: 'Be brave and remember.'  Why did she say it? What did she have to remember?

At midnight, she thought of how the others felt. She thought of how Cameron felt when she jumped out of bed, only to see Cayden's lifeless body. She thought of how little Jesse felt when her best friend was dead right beside her. She thought of how Vanessa felt when Cayden, the only girl who saw her as a nice person, was put in a body bag. 

At one, she thought of how Cameron felt when the police were dragging her away from the scene. She thought of how Madame Dreace felt as she was fired. She thought of how Cayden's death was blamed for an allergic reaction. She thought of how Jesse felt when the police told her that Cameron was responsible for her death.

At two, Autumn thought of how she was missing Cayden's funeral. She thought of how the girls don't have many black clothing so they would be wearing greys and dark blues. She thought of how Cameron wasn't allowed to be at the funeral. She thought of how Madame Dreace was allowed to; a woman who didn't care if they were alive or dead, as long as she had money in her pocket, she was fine.

At three, she thought of Cayden's last words.  Cayden's last words were haunting to Autumn. It was 'I love you'. Cayden's final words to Autumn were 'I love you'. Autumn thought of Cayden's actual last words. All Autumn could think of were her screams.

At four, she thought of her final words to Cayden. Her last words were that monsters weren't real. Oh, how ironic that was. Monsters are real. And they were in Autumn's head, crowding her memories.

And finally, at five, Autumn thought of how she never got to say goodbye.