Chapter 22 - Radiant Death

Cyrus was speechless. His life-long friend and ex-fiancé was gone! He saw Kit’s expression. She was struck down. She was pale and seemed to be in shock. Voldemort laughed wickedly and swiped his hand across the front of him. The death eaters came from behind the numerous trees and disappeared. They all apparated away. Cyrus ran to the fallen form of Ireane and sank to the ground, shaking her roughly.
“ Ireane! Ireane! Wake up! Don’t be dead oh please!”
Cyrus was crying. This was a very abnormal reaction for him. Her body lay on the ground, motionless and cold. Cyrus placed his hand on her cheek and felt for warmth. She was still slightly warm. She was gone forever. Cyrus collapsed next to Ireane, tears streaming down his face. How could she be dead? She can’t be dead!
Kit watched the death almost in slow motion. The green light penetrating the darkness and hitting Ireane square in the chest. Ireane fell to the ground and finally the dust settled. Cyrus cried out and began to weep. Kit was horrified. Voldemort said he’d keep Ireane alive!
“ You lied to me! You said she would stay alive! You’re horrible!”
Kit was close to tears now. Voldemort approached her. He was alone, all the death eaters, including Wormtail, had apparated away. He raised his hand and brought it down on Kit’s left arm, a crimson dagger revealing itself beneath the fabric of his robes. He pushed the dagger to the bone in Kit’s arm and then pulled it out. Kit gasped at the weapon piercing her arm. The pain had yet to truly sink in. It hit only moments later. The pain was unbearable! It was like molten lava trickling down her arm and pooling at the center. She cried out and sank to her knees, grasping her arm, attempting to stop the steady pulsing of blood from the open wound.
“ Do you think I would accept you when that mark didn’t appear? That mark wasn’t letting me access your brain and functioning. You are saved because of a sacrifice. Your mother killed herself for you! Your father killed himself after he chose to join me. He died because of his ignorance! You WILL die Kathryn Johnson! My son will watch you die just as he did that retched girl, Ireane!”
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at the helpless form of Kit. He was about to cry out the two words that would kill her when a silhouette of a man lunged out of nowhere. Cyrus had attacked Voldemort! Voldemort, in turn, slashed at him with the dagger, small droplets of Kit’s blood raining from the tarnished metal. The knife made contact with Cyrus’s forehead. A thin line of blood trickled down his face as Voldemort disappeared. Cyrus cried out in pure rage and blasted the trees with random spells. Two trees fell down, making a loud crash as they hit the forest floor. Kit watched hopelessly. Her attempts had been for nothing! Ireane was dead, and it was all her fault. If she hadn’t done just one little thing, they all could be alive and cozy in their beds. Kit began to cry hard, letting the tears pour from her eyes. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy. The blue of her iris was intensified by the saline in her tears. She looked up at Cyrus. He was crying too. He stood up and rubbed his eyes. He slowly approached Kit and sank to his knees down next to her. He looked at her arm and stifled a sob. He pulled Kit into his arms. He pulled her as close as she could be. He held her there for maybe twenty minutes before he let her go.
“ You were willing to give up your freedom for her Kit… you really tried your best… I appreciate that… I’ll miss her Kit… I really will.”
Kit broke into tears and covered her face with her hands. She shuddered as she cried, her whole body trembling with sadness and grief. She had tried to save Ireane! She had! She continued to cry into her hands, unaware of Cyrus reaching his arms towards her again.
“ Kit, we need to go back… everyone will be worried… you’re losing too much blood. Kit?”
Kit looked up at Cyrus, her eyes almost sparkling in the light of the now-shining moon. She shook her head and managed to finally say something.
“ Cyrus… I… I really… really wanted to… to s… save her! I t… tried! I really did!”
Cyrus looked at Kit with a new view. She was brave beyond belief. She had stood up to Voldemort to save Ireane. Tears slid down Cyrus’s cheeks and he pulled Kit close again. They sat together, supporting each other, for nearly half an hour. Cyrus finally helped Kit to her feet and looked down at her arm. He patted her back and helped her over to Ireane’s body.
“ I think she would want a proper burial… don’t you think Kit?”
Kit nodded almost breaking into tears again. Cyrus supported one of Ireane’s limp arms and Kit supported the other. They carried the body back to the grounds. Dumbledore and McGonagall met them there. They were fussed over for a few minutes before they had the chance to set Ireane’s body down. Once they did, Kit looked over at Cyrus. He was pale beyond the normal color. He collapsed, passing out on the ground. Kit watched and fell to her knees again. Her ability to speak was lost. She couldn’t find the words to describe it. It was over now.
Kit opened her eyes and found herself in a comfy bed. She looked around and saw Cyrus asleep in the next bed over. He looked rested. She looked back at the ceiling, trying her best to remember what had happened. There was a flash of green, Ireane was dead, and they had barely escaped the Forbidden Forest before Cyrus had collapsed. Kit put her hand to her forehead. Voldemort had killed Ireane. She sat up and looked at her arm. There was a thin, pale, white scar running from the middle of her arm to about her wrist. She sighed. She knew that Voldemort’s scar wasn’t so easily healed. Harry still had his too. Cyrus had no marks on his forehead. It had kept itself healed from the night before. Kit blushed, remembering Cyrus’s reluctance to let her go. He had held her in his arms for nearly an hour, not letting her from his grasp. She kept her stoic expression, despite the blush. The redness disappeared from her face as Cyrus woke up. She turned to look at him. He was in complete disarray. He looked at Kit and then seemed to remember the previous night. He frowned and then smiled. He had revealed his feelings for Kit. He had held her to make her feel better. Was she okay?
“ Kit? Are… are you okay? You don’t look so good Kit…”
Cyrus noticed that she stayed to the right side of her bed. He stood up slowly, walking to the left side of her bed. He sat down on the white sheets, next to Kit. He gently brushed the stray hair from Kit’s eyes. He bent his body and hugged her, kissing her cheek lightly.
“ It’s alright now Kit, I’m here for you. Ireane would be glad. She knows you were trying to save her, she’ll forgive you. She is like that. I love you… it’s okay now…”
Cyrus wrapped his arms around Kit. Madame Pomfrey walked in, trying to shoo Cyrus back to his bed. He needed the rest! Cyrus shook his head vigorously. Dumbledore came in and noted the distant look in Kit’s eyes. He signaled Pomfrey off into her office. She huffed and puffed and fumed about it, but she left. He sat down on Cyrus’s bed, looking at the two.
“ Mr. Riddle, Miss Johnson? You two went through a great deal. Did the death eaters do this to you? And Miss Gales? Did they kill her too?”
Cyrus shook his head, still keeping his hold on Kit. Dumbledore looked at Kit again. Her eyes were glassed over, almost oddly so. He gestured his hand towards Kit.
“ May I speak to Miss Johnson? You’ll need to let go of her please, Mr. Riddle.”
Cyrus reluctantly let go of Kit. He made eye contact with Dumbledore.
“ She won’t speak to me either. Don’t be surprised if she doesn’t answer anything…”
Cyrus sat back to watch this. Dumbledore looked Kit in the eye.
“ Tell me, Miss Johnson, what happened last night?”
Kit made a reaction for the first time. She looked afraid. She shook her head violently. She was trembling and shaking with fear. Dumbledore noted this and kept his questioning.
“ Miss Johnson, please, tell me who did this. I need you to tell me, it can get better then-”
Kit wouldn’t let Dumbledore finish. She threw her head under the pillow, whimpering and sweating. Cyrus was worried. He had never seen Kit act like this before! Dumbledore nodded to himself, thinking the situation over. He placed a hand on Kit’s shoulder, causing her to lift the pillow slightly, looking fearfully at Dumbledore. She placed the pillow gently back on the bed, distrust filling her eyes completely. He smiled and lifted his hand.
“ Kathryn, please, tell me what happened now. You can, I know you can. I want you to look at Cyrus here as you tell me. You can trust him, can’t you?”
Kit looked over at Cyrus, tears welling up in her eyes. He seemed concerned too. She opened her mouth, to spill the truth, when she realized that the truth would crush Cyrus’s heart. She shook her head sadly, looking at the floor. Cyrus looked at her and put his hand on her left leg.
“ Kit, tell me. You can tell me anything, remember?”
Kit nodded, sniffling. She opened her mouth and her voice was heard. It was very quiet, but still like a river flowing from her. She explained going outside and being ambushed. She then explained the rest of it more clearly.
“ I… I was walking outside. I walked out because… because I was sad. I saw Cyrus and Ireane being so friendly, and I thought… thought that Cyrus didn’t love me anymore. So I went outside, and they got me. They tied me to ropes and hung me by my wrists to a tree in the forest. Ireane was carried in, unconscious, seconds later. They approached me, and hit me with a wooden board on the back of my head. I should never have walked out… It’s entirely my fault! I told him I’d join him if he’d not kill Ireane! Then he tried to burn my arm with the dark mark! It didn’t work though! He killed Ireane! He stabbed me too! I should’ve died there! Not Ireane! No! Voldemort killed her!”

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