Till The End | h.p

tethered soul

Many days fly by as their once strong friend group is divided down the middle. Ron is filled to the brim with insecurity, jealousy, and anger. He won't speak to Harry. Sam and Hermione have been attempting to pull them back together, but with no luck. Hermione has been sticking by Ron, only because Sam asks her to. She knows Ron's anger will only be amplified if he stands alone. Sam loves Ron, but she believes Harry and how can she not stand by him?

She and Harry sit up in the Owlery waiting for Sirius' letter.

"I don't want Ron to get mad at you too," Harry confesses.

"Ron will get over it. Plus, none of this is your fault. He's the one causing the divide."

"Yeah, but he's like your brother," Harry persists.

"And siblings fight. Regardless, I can't just leave you. You're my tethered soul, remember?"

Harry hesitates for a moment, "Do you think it makes us- I mean, do you think the connection makes us feel things?"

Sam looks away, "No. It doesn't influence your feelings. We would have been best friends either way. It's more of a meant-to-be sort of thing. It's like the twins, they have a sort of connection that's stronger than anything else and not everyone understands it. But they could hate each other, if they chose to. Whatever we feel, is entirely our own."

As she finishes she looks back up at him. He nods. He's glad that the feelings he has for her, weren't predestined long ago. In a way, it makes it seem more like meant-to-be. They hear the loud screech of Sirius' owl and Sam goes to retrieve his letter. They sit down together and Harry reads out loud.

'Sam, Harry, I couldn't risk sending Hedwig. Ever since the World Cup, the Ministry's been intercepting more and more owls and she's too easily recognized. We need to talk, face-to-face. Meet me in the Gryffindor common room, 1:00 this Saturday night. Make sure you are alone.'

That Saturday, they both walk down to the common room and look around.

"Dad?" "Sirius?" they whisper.

Harry walks over to the couch and picks up one of the discarded newspapers of his interview with Rita Skeeter. As he reads through it, he rolls his eyes at her choice of words and throws the paper into the fire. Sam sits down beside him. Suddenly a face emerges from the fire showing Sirius. They jump off the couch and sit directly in front of the fireplace.

"Dad?" Sam asks quietly.

"But how-?" Harry asks.

"I don't have much time, so let me get straight to it. Did you or did you not put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No!" He answers in a whisper.

"I had to ask. Now, tell me about this dream of yours. You mentioned Wormtail and Voldemort. But who was the third man in the room?"

"I don't know."

"You didn't hear a name?"

"No, um- Voldemort was giving him a job to do. Something important."

"And what was that?"

"He wanted... me and Sam. I don't know why. But he was gonna use this man to get to us. But, I mean, it was only a dream right?"

Sam looks from Harry to Sirius in confusion.

"Yes. It's just a dream. Look, the Death Eaters at the World Cup, Sam's rise in episodes, your name rising from that goblet, these are not just coincidences. Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, for either of you."

"What are you saying?" Sam asks.

"I'm saying the devils are inside the walls. Igor Karkaroff? He was a Death Eater. And no one, no one stops being a Death Eater. Then there's Barty Crouch. Heart of stone. Sent his own son to Azkaban."

"Do you think one of them put my name in the goblet?"

"I haven't a clue who put your name in that goblet, but whoever did is no friend to you. People die in this tournament."

"I'm not ready for this, Sirius," Harry says frantically.

"You don't have a choice. Stick by each other, keep each other safe. Someone's coming."

Sirius disappeared as someone made their way down the steps. They look up and see Ron standing there.

"Who were you two talking to? I heard another voice."

Sam was about to tell him when Harry blurts out, "What? Who says we were talking to anyone. Maybe your imaging things. Wouldn't be the first time."

Sam nudges Harry with her elbow and gives him a stern look.

"You just had to have Sam, didn't you?" Ron asks in anger.

"What-" Sam starts.

"What's she got to do with this?"

"That's my bloody sister! And you just had to pull her away from my family to rub it in!"

"Ron, what the-"

Harry interrupts her again, "If you haven't noticed, Ron, she's here of her own free will. She chose to stand by me-"

"Excuse me!" Sam practically shouts, trying not to wake anyone else up, "I can speak for myself-"

"I think I've heard enough," Ron blurts out in anger before storming off to their dorm.

Sam stands there with her mouth still slightly open and Harry brushes past her without saying a word. She stands there in silence and shock.