Born To Die
Ch1: Born to die
~feet don’t fail me now~
~take me to the finish line~
~oh, my heart it breaks~
~every step i take~
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Harry sat in his dull room, knees to his chest, his trembling hands wrapped around his legs as he tried to slow his breathing. Cedric’s face was haunting him. He saw him everywhere he went, he heard his laughter ringing, his last words swimming in his head, somehow not drowning in the utter mess that was Harry’s mind. He wondered how those words didn’t drown. He was drowning. Yet those words. “Take my body back to my father,”. They never seemed to drown. He wished it had been him that night. It shouldn’t have been Cedric. Cedric, who was his light. Cedric who had shown him what it was like to be cared for. Cedric who was his best friend this entire year. All thoughts that didn’t drown seemed to centre Cedric. Cedric whose laugh would never be heard again, whose lopsided smile would never be seen again, Cedric who would forever be missed.
There were so many reminders of that night. The damned tremors that racked through his body with fervour. Whenever he looked in the mirror, when he saw his eyes, he would no longer see his mothers eyes. No. He saw the killing curse (the curse responsible for killing his best friend, his father, his mother. The curse he wishes he could use on-). He had random periods of phantom pain from the cruciatus curse. Every time he bled, he couldn’t help but think of Wormtail using his blood to bring Voldemort back.
Nothing was ever going to be the same. Nothing would ever feel the same.
So here he was, in his overly humid room at the Dursley residence where there was no affection, no comfort, no love.
As far as Harry knew, he had no family. Those he consideredconsiders He meant considers family hadn’t contacted him since school had closed a month ago.
Sirius and Remus had sent him 3 letters separately. He was happy with that (he wasn’t. He wanted to speak to Remus and Sirius daily, any time he wanted. To be embraced by them, comforted by them), he was happy with that. He was.
He looked out the window, waiting for the sun to rise.
Harry didn’t know how long he waited, just watching the sky outside, yearning to be out there. To be free.
Eventually, Harry saw an unfamiliar owl flying towards his window. As it got closer, he recognised it as the owl that usually came to Hogwarts for people who he knew were loaded.
Tilting his head in confusion, he got up from his “bed” (it didn’t classify as a bed when the springs were constantly digging into him, when the material of the mattress was so worn out, he could barely even feel it) and went to open the window to open it for the owl.
It came in, dropped the letter and left as soon as it came.
Harry reached out to the letter first, scanning it with his magic, making sure it wasn’t laced with anything. A habit he had picked up in third year after he realised that a “fan” of his had sent him mail that was supposed to make him fall in love with them as soon as he saw them. He was lucky that was the day he of the Hufflepuff match, otherwise who knew what could’ve happened.
He took the letter carefully, looking at the seal before he opened it.
‘Heir Potter-Black
It has come to our attention that there has been a grievous oversight in relation to your vaults and Wizengamot seats.
Please, accept our formal and most sincere apologies, we implore you to please come to Gringotts and oversee the state of your affairs.
This letter shall act as a portkey should you decide to join us.
The activation code is “Lentil”
-Griphook,
Accountant of House Potter.
-Gringotts.’
Oh.