95: The tales told and untold

(Beatris POV)

It was comical if you thought about it. It felt like a big joke. The one guy I hated the most in the whole school had told me to run away because I was of no help to him in a fight. I knew that I was weak. I knew that I was good for nothing but still, I just wanted to help. I never wanted to be a burden to anyone. I just wanted to show that I could be of use. I wanted to prove that I was not as useless as he deemed me to be. I don't know why I wanted to prove it to him or anyone for that matter. But that was the truth. It was my selfishness that had brought this up. It was all my doing and now I was dying for it.

(The only silver lining is that I got to see him cry.)

I chuckled to myself as I simply floated in the darkness. Well, I was laughing but...

(I still don't get why he was crying though. Was he crying because he thought I died? Why?)

I could not understand his behavior toward me. It was all contradictory. On one end, he hated me to the boot. How did I know? It was evident from his behavior. The look he gave me was as if he would want nothing more than to kill me. But then again, it was Nathaniel Morningstar I was talking about. He hated everyone. But then in moments like these, he showed... what should be the word to describe it... If I had to say it strictly then... care. He showed care. I mean, I could not even remember the countless times he had saved me in this battle alone. Sacrificing himself to save me several times. And then at the end, he cried because he thought I had died? I just could not make sense of him. That made me feel guilty for cursing him in the past. And you know what else made me feel guilty? It was the fact that throughout the whole battle, I was nothing but a burden to him. I did nothing but hold him back all the time. I don't know if he knew or not, but I could tell that he was restraining himself because of my presence. The reason for this was beyond me, but it was clear as the sky. At times, I saw him make gestures, only to pull them back as he saw that I was present there. Living with him for the past two years, I had noticed one thing about both these siblings. They were full of secrets. I mean the whole magical world was full of secrets. But these two were even more so. I had seen Nathan use that weird magic several times.

(His magic….. It was wandless, chantless, and nothing like the magic that was taught to use. I remember seeing him shoot fireballs from his hands. Then in the battle, he used the earth to block my line of sight. The ground followed his gestures to do his bidding. Last year, during the Troll incident, he did it there as well. I remember him pulling me towards himself with nothing but a gesture. It's all a pattern. I mean even I am not that dumb. I don't know exactly how it works but..... is it possible that...…. Never mind who am I kidding.... But still, I would have loved to know what those powers were actually. But then again he never had any reason to tell me.) I chuckled to myself. (I mean did he seriously think that I did not notice all that? The way he was keeping it a secret... I mean come on. Even a monkey would have noticed. But, what if..... what if..... what if I had listened to him? Maybe if I had just listened to him and stayed out of the battle, I would not have died. Maybe if I had stayed out of his way he would have used his powers to kill the Basilisk. It would have been much better that way.)

My eyes started to water. And then the water started to run down my cheeks.

(maybe if I were just stronger I would not have died. Just maybe if he trusted me a bit more, I would not have died.)

I raised my arms to wipe off my eyes.

(Wait? What?)

How? Was I crying? If I was dead then how the hell was I wiping my tears off? No, No, No, how was I even thinking in the first place?

I opened my eyes. Everything was hazy as if shrouded in a dense fog and then slowly it started to clear.

"Ana? Nathan….." I spoke weakly.

(Am I hallucinating?)

I was not. As the fog cleared out I saw them sitting beside and not only the two of them but also Augustine. He was alive.

"Wha??? What happened?" I got up, one hand on my spinning head.

"You got saved…. Barely" Nathan replied.

"What do you mean by that? How was I saved? I am sure that there is no cure for the Basilisk poison." I was flabbergasted.

"Yes and yet a phoenix tear can heal any ailment," Ana spoke while pointing to the phoenix beside me.

"Fawkes?" I looked at the bird. Professor Dumbledor's phoenix was just sitting there looking at me with its big googly eyes.

"You saved me?" I asked the bird like a dumb person.

"If it answers her, I am out." I heard Nathan say and everyone chuckled including me.

(Oh, so you really do know how to make jokes.)

I stood up.

"So now what?" I asked.

"Now….." Replied Ana, we get out of this place.

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A lot happened when we got out of the chamber. First, we had to go to the hospital wing for a checkup. As expected there were a lot of broken things inside our bodies. I had a crack in my sternum from the time when the hilt of the sword was impaled into it. I was told that it was very dangerous. If a little more force were applied, I would have died. Nathan was in a worse condition. He had several broken bones inside his body. And he also had the basilisk's poison inside him. That was the thing making his right arm numb. Apparently, he was grazed when he was in the mouth of the snake. But the amount of poison was so minimal that it only numbed his arm. Although once again I heard Madam Pomfrey say that even such an amount would have rendered the arm useless for the rest of his life if it was someone else. Once again, he had cheated death just by being Nathaniel Morningstar. This was getting old. He was simply too good. So, apparently, it was something about his immune system being too strong or what not…. I did not listen much, but he would be able to use his arm eventually. Out of all of us, Ana was the only one who was not injured at all. Even after fighting that colossal snake not only, she was not injured at all, but she also cut its head clean off. And our weapons could not even pierce it. I am seriously going to say it once again, there is something wrong with these people. Now I wonder if the rest of the Morningstars are also like that. Perfect!!!

After the checkups, we were all summoned to the headmaster's office. We explained it all to him what had transpired inside the chamber. I had several questions I wanted to ask him. Like why did Fawkes come, did he send him? And what was the sword? That I pulled out of the hat. He answered each and all of my questions with a smile on his face. I was surprised at how cool he was about all this. He did say that we had broken more than a dozen school rules and also that he had sufficient evidence for us to get expelled but he said that we should have a celebration. If I were him, I would have kicked out every one of us for taking things into our own hands. I mean thinking about it now, all this seemed foolish. But then again, all wizards were a tad bit eccentric. Then as Ana left me alone, he told me about the sword. It was one of the relics left behind by the founding ancestors. Godric Gryffindor's sword. And it took a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the hat. He told me. And then we were visited by Lucius Malfoy. Father of Draco Malfoy. And we found out that he was the one who snuck the diary into school. It was for Ginny. But somehow it got into the hands of Augustine. Oh, and talking about Augustine..... he apologized to everyone he had or had not hurt. Especially Annabella. She was the one he had hurt the most. Well, that came later on when everyone was cured of the petrification. Oh, also I found out that Dobby was the slave of the Malfoys. He had told me that he would be free if his master gives him a piece of cloth. So I tricked Malfoy into giving him a piece of cloth. He was furious. He nearly killed me but I was saved by Dobby. Boy was his magic strong or what. And that was mostly the end of it. And then came the end-of-the-year banquet. Dumbledor announced that this year's exams will be canceled due to all the events that had taken place this year and believe it or not, Hermione was actually furious about it.

"Oh no." She said. "How can they cancel the exams," she said. Trust me someday, this girl is going to die by my hands. That was how the school year ended. I said my farewells as we were all at the station. The train was going to leave in a bit. I was hugging Hermione and shaking hands with Ron. I had taken care of all my tasks and now there was but one task left. I….. I had to talk to Nathan.....

I had not gotten the chance to talk to him after the chamber. After we got out he was admitted to the Hospital. He had several fractures and God knows what other wounds. But he was admitted. I went to the Hospital wing to see him several times but every time I went there, I found him sleeping. If he was not on drugs, then I dare say he was ignoring me. Or... maybe not ignoring rather than avoiding. Now that I think of it, I had not given it much thought at that time given the circumstances but...… I was probably the only girl, except for Ana of course, who had seen Nathan cry.....

I had seen NATHANIEL MORNINGSTAR CRY.

Every time I thought about it.... It gave me goosebumps and a blush. I had never seen him so, vulnerable, so sad...… He was crying, his crimson eyes shining even more due to the tears. I could vividly remember the scene as I had seen it happen mere minutes ago. It was the first time I had seen him act his age. I don't know for sure why he cried but seeing him like that made my chest pang. It felt as if he was carrying burdens that twelve years old should be allowed to on their own.

(Sometimes I wonder.... Just what made you like this Nathan.)

His attitude had always been annoying but now I had been thinking about it for some time. What was the reason behind it? He pushed everyone away from his bad attitude but whenever someone was in danger, he would be the first one to go save them. He was a jerk, sure. But he wasn't arrogant or self-centered. I don't know what his deal was but the more I got close to him, the more I found myself wanting to know more about him. It was weird.

And I could not find him even at the station.

It was as if he had disappeared.

(Well, can't do anything about it now.)

I boarded the train.

(Maybe I am fated to not talk to him.)

Well, that was what I thought until I opened a cabin door and saw Nathan sitting in front of me.

"N…Nathan" I was startled to find him there.

"Potter…." He looked at me with those same uninterested eyes. "You sit.... I'll go somewhere else." And with saying that he got up and walked out of the cabin.

"Wait….." I called out to him.

"What?" He said without turning.

"I wanted to talk to you," I said.

"You are talking to me.... So, just spit what you want to say." He said in his usual jerk-like annoying manner. It irked me. I was reconsidering my whole idea of talking to him.

(It's okay Beatris..... stay calm, stay calm. You know it was going to be like this. Just control)

"I wanted to say that... Thanks." I said. That felt foolish.

"For whatever reason?" He asked.

"For everything that you did for me down in the chamber. And also I wanted to apologize. You got hurt because of me." I said while scratching the back of my head.

"You don't need to." He said. His tone….. a bit different. "I did what had to be done. You don't need to thank or apologize to me. What you need to do is reflect on your actions Beatris." He said his tone... not soft but not the usual annoying one either.

(Did he just..... call me..... by my name.)

he never called me by my real name. He always called me Potter never Beatris. That was shocking for me.

"What you did down there was not bravery Beatris. Others may appreciate you for that but let me tell you the truth." He turned and looked straight into my eyes. His crimson pupils trying to peer into my soul. "The boundary between idiocy and Bravery is paper thin Beatris. Don't take idiocy for bravery. Bravery may be a noble act, but it can get you killed. And don't even get me started about idiocy. You need to take care of yourself. Stop jumping headfirst into situations that are bigger than you. Don't get over your head thinking that nothing can hurt you just because you are the girl who lived." He was saying without stopping. His every word was like a dagger that cut deep. His tone was bland. But it was not annoying. Rather it seeped into my mind, forcing me to think. "There is no use helping others if you die doing that. It may be worth it sometimes but that is not the case usually. Prioritize yourself. Because you can only help someone if you are alive and if you are dead then the possibility also dies with you." He paused for a moment. Maybe waiting for me to digest the information. Then he turned and said. "Take care of your life. It's precious. You only get to live once." And walked away.

I don't know what came over me in that instant, but his last words hit me like a punch in the gut.

"Life is precious you say?" I chuckled. "What is so precious in my life huh? I live in hell. My uncle and aunt have abused me my whole life. And the only place that feels like home is also trying to kill me. What do you know about life being precious? You are from a noble and ancient magical bloodline. I bet you have parents, uncles, aunts, and maybe even siblings who cherish you." At this, he turned his head to look at me. He was visibly shaken by everything I had said.

"Who are you to tell me that I should value life when you know nothing about me? You may have people who would be waiting for you at your home but no one's waiting for me." And I accidentally let out all my frustration on him. It was only when I had said everything that I realized what had happened.

"I am sorry...…. Th….. That was out of line. I….. I should not have…." But he did not let me complete my sentence.

"Yeah, you are right. I do not know how it feels to be you, Beatris. I can never understand completely but believe me, you will be surprised to know the things that I do understand" He smirked. "And yeah….. also what you said about people waiting for me and no one wanting you or whatever..... remember this Beatris. You will never know who is waiting for you. No one tells you that. You can never find out and you never do Beatris. Believe me or not, living for one's own sake is an unsustainable pursuit. It's an illusion. You never actually feel happy about it. So, remember this whenever you feel like dying." He walked closer. "Whenever you feel like dying, just remember that you do not need to love yourself to live. You do not need to live for your sake. For there are always people who want to see you alive and happy. If you don't have the motivation to live for yourself, then live for their sake." He chuckled. "See you next year Beatris Potter." And with that, he turned and left the cabin. I just stood there dazed for a moment. But then.

"W....W....Wait…" I tried to follow him but when I looked out the cabin he was long gone. Leaving me in a dilemma and giving me things to think about, he just vanished. Typical of him.

"Then..... see you next year as well.... Nathaniel Morningstar." I whispered and closed the door.

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(Nathan POV)

|Why did you not punch her? I know you wanted to|

|Just shut up.|

When I opened my eyes in the hospital wing after the battle, this was the first thing I noticed. He was back. So, now it was the usual old for me.

(Well I was getting kind a bored without him.)

I smirked. Then I placed my head on my hand and looked out the window.

(People who are waiting for me at my home hun??)

I chuckled at the thought as I looked at the passing fields outside the train. Then I pulled out a book from my bag and opened it. On it was a rhyme.

"For we, the guardians, bear a weight,

To keep Pandora's power in a balanced state.

For we are the protectors, strong and bold,

But even guardians have tales untold."

This last verse...….. How true was this statement.

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(Unknown POV)

"The kids will be returning now that the school year is over." She said.

"Well, then it's about time we returned to work. It has been so long. We should hurry." I replied.