The Storm | The Sister book #3 | A Harry Potter Fanfiction

chapter one

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The corridor is dark, stretching out forever before me. Pillars upon pillars, dark windows looming over me, rain thrumming against the glass though there is no noise. Not a sound.

I start to walk forward, taking tentative steps into the darkness.

My breathing is heavy. All I can hear is my hushed sounds, echoing in my ears, catching in my throat.

Then I hear it. A faint tapping on the stone floor behind me. The whisper of another person's presence.

My pace quickens, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I kick off at a run.

The windows hold faces, reflections, watching as I run passed. The tapping grows louder. Closer. No matter how fast I go she is still there, only a few steps behind me. Breathing down my neck. Hooking her finger around my collar. Whispering my name.

I skid to a stop, the corridor breaking into two paths. One before me, dark, a hushed shriek echoing from its core. And to my left a path that leads to a door.

I stumble away from the small wooden door, feeling something grasp my arm firmly. My eyes fly up to meet Sirius's. His eyes are dead. Cold. Empty. He tugs me, his body lurching in an inhumane way towards the dark. Other arms reach out, but I pull away, reaching the door and pushing through, closing it behind me.

The room before me is dark. Cold. As my eyes adjust I make out smashed pictures. Faint pink undertones. My pulse quickens. I hear a whisper. Cold. Weak. I walk towards the desk, searching for where the sound is coming from. A whimper. A sob.

I freeze, turning around to see myself, curled in a ball on the floor. So small. Her face red and tear stained. I watch as I let out a strangled cry, looking up at me. She reaches her hand up desperately, and I go to take it.

It hits me like a wave. I fly onto my back, pain coursing through me as I let out a scream. The room is empty. Darkness swirls at its corners, and as the pain recedes, I hear voices. Muddled words. I sit up, my eyes falling on Harry.

I call out his name, but he doesn't see me.

Harry is speaking. I cannot hear what he says, only a sound. Echoing and open. Muffled. Then I see others standing in a circle around me. Ron. Hermione. Fred. George. Ginny. Pansy. Draco.

Draco.

I cry out for help but they don't see me. Hear me.

Why do they never hear me?

Help me!

My eyes turn back to Harry.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I hear a voice. Her voice. Cold. Harsh. Like fingernails on a chalkboard. Augmented. I don't look at her, I can't. I know what happens when I look away.

Her voice arches up, I feel the pain hit me, and I scream, tears blurring my vision.

I see the dark shadow appear behind Harry and Draco. Swirling into realisation as I curl inwards, white-hot knives cutting at me. Again and again.

I can't look away. I have to hold on.

I cry out, the pain increasing, a high pitched cackle.

Through my tears, I can only make out a pale face behind the boys. Dark robes. No wand.

The pain cuts through me again, harsher, and I can't control it. I shudder, looking away, pressing my face into the ground.

I start to sob.

The pain and the noise rush away leaving silence.

I hear the deafening crackle of breaking bone. The slump of a body hitting the floor.

I look up and see a boy lying before me.

Dead.

Gone.

I cry out, reaching out a hand to touch their dark sleeve, but everything swirls away.

I press my face into my hands, screaming into them.

I hear his cold, harsh voice rips into my head as the darkness dissipates.

So weak.

"Clara, Clara it's me-"

A voice calls me away. No. Harry. Draco. No. Please, I have to-

"I have to save- They died- I couldn't- Dark- So dark I-"

"Clara shh, sweetheart, it's ok, it's me- She's cooling down, it's alright- Ginny pass me the thermometer-"

"Molly I couldn't save them, Molly, I couldn't-"

"It's alright-"

The room is so bright. Why is it so bright? The others, wait, the others, what about-

"Fred!" I croak, sitting up. The room blurs into a mosaic of colours, but somehow my eyes fall on a face that looks up,

"Yes? Yes, yes I'm here, I'm ok-"

I feel something cold being pressed against me forehead.

"Clara, lie down for me please, that's it, ok, you're ok now, everyone's safe, I promise," Molly says quietly, brushing my hair off my face, "Open your mouth for me?"

I do as she says, the room begins to come into focus, Ginny sits at the foot of my bed. Arthur stands in the doorway with Ron.

"Won-" I mumble, he looks up hopefully.

Hermione stands behind Molly, arms crossed, forehead creased. Behind her sits Fred and George. The room is colourful, kind, but almost unnerving, and I lie back again, resting my head on the pillow. Molly kneels beside me, brushing hair from my face and looking at me lovingly. Fear behind her eyes, her hair frazzled. Scared. She's scared for me.

She takes the thermometer from my mouth, flicking it, and glancing at it, "Thank god, Arthur, takes the boys back to bed. She's coming back,"

Arthur, Ron, Fred and George retreat, and Hermione sits down on the bed across the room from mine. I woke them up. I woke them up.

"I'm sorry," I sob, and Molly hushes me, kissing my forehead.

"If she gets worse again, tell me," Molly murmur to Ginny and Hermione, who nod. She gets up, squeezing my hand and leaving the room. I roll over, turning away from Hermione and Ginny, who turn off the light. I can hear the muffled conversation between Arthur and Molly coming from outside. I ignore the whispers of the girls, focusing instead on Molly.

"She's getting better. That wasn't nearly as bad as the last time,"

"Poor thing,"

"The doctors said they would get better with time. It's the aftermath of what that monster of a woman did to her, honestly, I could-"

"We both know what you could do to her, Molly."

"It isn't fair. Clara never deserved any of that."

"No one does, but she's going to recover. She will. She is, compared to the beginning of summer- At least she doesn't have fits anymore."

"I wish I could help her more,"

"We're already doing all we can. It really is up to her now."

xxx

Ok so my Christmas present is the first chapter- I hope that's a good present!

ALSO the whole nightmare and fever thing after the cruciartus curse is something I totally just made up then hehe dunno if it works or if it makes sense but hey, it's there!

I hope you have a great Christmas or day if you celebrate Christmas- And I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Lots and lots of love,

Taylor xx