Elegy//Harry Potter [3]

25

Just as the three saw Sirius fly off behind the clouds, a loud chime was heard. It chimed again.

"We have to go." Hermione stated, running off towards the Hospital Wing. Autumn and Harry quickly followed. 

The three ran up the steps faster than they ever had before. They passed each corridor and climbed every staircase, but they made it to the Hospital Wing just before Dumbledore closed the doors.

"Well?" Dumbledore asked, right as the three stopped running.

"He's free, we did it," Harry breathed heavily.

"Did what?" Dumbledore said humorously. "Good night."

The three stared at each other with confusion. Then, they opened the doors of the Hospital Wing just in time to see the past them leave to embark on the adventure all over again.

Once they disappeared, they walked through the doors.

"How did you get there? When I was talking to you there? And now you're there!" Ron's voice got higher with every word he spoke.

"What's he talking about?" Hermione asked.

"No clue," Autumn smirked.

"Honestly, Ron. How can somebody be in two places at once?" Harry responded.

The three laughed slightly, leaving Ron in a pit of confusion.

>>>

Autumn sat at the bench from the night before when Sirius told her about her mother. She looked at the bench and her fingers traced after each swirl on the side. She didn't mean to trace the bench, just like she didn't mean to walk to the bench. She just. . . did. 

But Autumn was there now, and she wasn't planning on standing up anytime soon. Cayden was dead. And her parents were still gone. And Harry's parents were still dead.

But her mother — her mother looked just like her. Same wavy brown hair, same grey eyes, same button nose, same smile. Autumn wondered if she subconsciously did the same things as her mother.

Maybe they both brought their curled fingers to their lips when trying to concentrate. Maybe they both tapped their quill when thinking. Maybe they both bit their lip with reading. Maybe they both drank hot cocoa with two hands just because it was warm. Maybe they both cover their mouths when they laugh at something really funny. Maybe they both let their sleeves slip past their fingertips to feel cozy and warm even when it's not cold out.

Autumn smiled, thinking of her mother, walking down the same halls as her. Walking around, talking to people. People saying a simple 'hello' as they passed her in the halls.

"Autumn?" Harry asked, appearing out of nowhere. "Are you alright?"

Autumn nodded. "Peachy." Her voice was hoarse, but she didn't hear it.

"You're crying." Harry scrunched his eyebrows together after seeing her eyes was red and her face was damp with tears.

Autumn kept tracing the designs on the bench. "And so it appears I am."

"What —er— what happened?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Autumn.

"Cayden. My mom. The orphanage." Autumn sighed.

"How are you doing?"

"Well, obviously not good. You just found me here crying." Autumn stifled a laugh but quickly sniffled afterwards. "Just, Cayden. She was like a little sister to me. And. . . And I didn't even know she existed for half the year."

"Autumn, do you remember how you were before you forgot Cayden?"

Autumn shook her head.

"You couldn't think straight. You left classes early and you never talked to anyone other than Ron because he was the only one who knew about Cayden. Your screams woke everyone in the common room. Heck, even Ron and I heard them at one point. And when you found out how she died, you almost died. You were seizing up at the hospital wing."

Autumn's eyes widened.

"Dumbledore even told us not to tell you because he didn't know what would happen!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, I'm fine, so whatever Dumbledore thought would happen didn't happen." Autumn stated angrily, while she wiped the tears from under her eyes.

Harry sighed. "I'm not going to apologise from keeping this from you, I'm only going to apologize for how it made you feel. So, I'm sorry."

"Well thanks, I guess." Autumn leaned her head against Harry's shoulder. "Is something huge and dangerous going to happen every year?"

"Probably, yes."

"I don't want it to, but school would be awfully boring without it." Autumn laughed.

"So, what did Sirius say your mum was like?"

Autumn gleamed as she sat up straight. "Apparently, she was gorgeous. But, Hagrid told me first year that I looked just like her, so the only thing that did was blow up my self-confidence."

Harry laughed and Autumn joined in too.

"She was nice to everyone and everyone was nice to her. No one hated her, and she hated no one. She had a nickname." Autumn rejoiced. "She went by Amy instead of Amelia."

Autumn's smile quickly left her face.

"What is it?" Harry asked, worry spreading across his face.

"If she was so great," Autumn took a deep breath, "then why did she leave me? Oh God, I'm going to have to go back to the orphanage with Miss Clementine." Autumn groaned. "You know what," Autumn stood. "I don't want to think about this right now. I'm going back to the castle. You coming?"

Harry nodded then stood up. The two walked back to the castle joking about how next year the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be a vampire.