"Chris . . ."
"Harry?" Chris whipped around her head hearing Harry's voice. She was still in the middle of a conversation with the founders when she heard Harry calling out to her.
But as Chris looked around wildly she realized Harry wasn't there. Everything was the same as before, the green fields, the trees, the hills, the breeze, the founders, Dumbledore, Fergus, and no Harry. The founders looked at Chris surprised, it was apparent that they knew Harry wasn't there.
"Harry Potter is not here, darling," Madam Helga said softly.
"But I heard —" Chris started but stopped when she heard it again.
"No, please god no. . ."
"There!" Chris looked around again. "It's Harry. I know his voice. He is –"
"Please please please. . . I'm begging you . . . no. Please. . ." Harry's voice was more than a whisper.
"He is . . . praying for something," Chris whispered, her heart aching suddenly. "He is in pain . . . I can feel it in his voice. Where is it coming from if he isn't here?"
The founders looked at each other and then at Dumbledore, they seemed very surprised and impressed.
"Do you think his voice had reached here from the mortal world?" Godric Gryffindor asked Madam Rowena.
"That boy keeps surprising us, doesn't he? We always thought too many emotions could make magic untamable, yet he had successfully mastered his magic and used his emotions to propel it further," Madam Rowena smiled softly. "If Christina can truly hear him then I think yes, he indeed had reached her soul through desperation and love for her."
"But why is he in pain? Did he defeat Voldemort? Is he hurt?" Chris asked pressing her palm to her chest, the ache was getting worse.
"He defeated Voldemort," Dumbledore spoke up. "And he isn't much in physical pain as much as he is in emotional turmoil."
"Why?"
"He had realized that you are dead," Salazar Slytherin answered.
"But you said – Dumbledore said I'm not, then why . . .?" Chris said, confused.
"As I said, your soul is in between, thus, to them, you are dead but do not worry, you can go back," Madam Rowena explained.
"Can I? How long have been dead? I have been here for a long time," Chris felt scared for a moment. She was ready to accept her end but the thought of not saying goodbye to Harry and her friends made her breathless.
"Time is relatively different here, Christina. A few minutes there is equal to a few thousand minutes here. Thus, I think you have been dead for hardly two minutes," Godric Gryffindor said.
"But nonetheless, I think it's time for her to go," Madam Helga said and faced Chris straight. "If she wants to go back."
Something felt odd about the statement, so Chris straightened up as well, ignoring her still-aching chest.
"Why? Why wouldn't I want to go back? I can, right?"
"Yes," Madam Helga paused, looked at the other founders, and sighed as if she was dreading this moment. "But you should know before you go that, if you go back you would be more like a muggle without Fergus's magic."
"Oh," Chris blinked. She didn't think about it, not the fact that she would be magicless without Fergus's powers but the fact that Fergus wouldn't be going back with her. Even though it barely had been a few months since Chris had known Fergus, he had become an integral part of her life. She knew in her bones that he was always there since she was a kid. He was always there for her, helping her.
"Why would she be without my magic?" Fergus asked breaking the silence. "If I am with her then why wouldn't my magic be?"
"Fergus, you would go back?" Godric Gryffindor turned to his son shocked.
The founders looked unsettled as well.
"Can't I? I can, I know I can. So why not?" Fergus spoke in a challenging way, which showed Chris how serious he was about this.
"Yes, you can," Salazar Slytherin shook his head. "But that doesn't mean you should. You have already been trapped in the living world for so long if you go back again –"
"It doesn't matter. I cannot abandon Chris after I dragged her into the magical world," Fergus cut Salazar Slytherin off. "I can't just leave her stranded alone and without magic in a world of magic."
Even the founders looked shocked at Fergus's boldness, he was ready to debate with them if he needed to do that for Chris. He was still there for her, despite his wishes, he wanted what was best for Chris and what made her life easier.
"But Fergus –" Godric Gryffindor tried to sway his son but only Chris knew what to do.
"No." Chris's voice was loud and clear and stopped whatever Sir Godric was about to say.
Everyone turned to look at her but only Fergus knew what she meant.
"Chris, don't," Fergus warned.
"No, Fergus. You are not going back with me and that is final," Chris said firmly.
"You can't decide –"
"I absolutely can decide this, Fergus. This is my life we are talking about, and I am telling you you are not coming back with me."
"Chris, you will be completely without magic. I don't think you are understanding this correctly," Fergus tried.
"Aren't I?" Chris countered.
"Chris —"
"Fergus. Tell me what do you plan to do after you go back with me? You keep providing me magic, then what? How long do you think I am going to live for? 70 years? 80 years? You know what, throw 100 years. Let's imagine I live for another 100 years and eventually die, then what?"
"Then I can pass on with you," Fergus folded his arms looking stubborn. "As long as you live I can stay."
"No, you can't," Chris sighed. "Fergus, we don't know if we will get another chance. This is too unpredictable. What if I pass on and you can't, what if you never get another chance? Then what?"
"Then I will stay. It doesn't matter, Chris because I am not leaving you without magic. You know how it destroyed your mother. I won't let you sacrifice like this for me."
"And I won't let you sacrifice for me!" Chris said, feeling frustrated. "You want to move on, Fergus. I know you blame yourself for everything that has been happening but that's not true. It's not all your fault and you have punished yourself enough for the things you had to do. It's alright. It's ok. You can move on. I will be fine. I promise. I will miss you but I would be relieved and happy knowing that you are finally at peace, that you are not suffering alone in the world. So, please . . ."
As Chris's voice slowly faded, Fergus looked at her with teary eyes. Maybe it was the clarity in Chris's eyes or her words that convinced Fergus, but Chris knew he had agreed. He was going to be ok.
"I don't know what to –" Fergus's voice choked with emotions.
"It's fine . . . It's fine . . ." Chris stepped forward and hugged Fergus, who tightly wrapped her in a bear hug. "I will always be grateful to have a person like you in my life, Fergus. You know, I often got jealous of Ginny because of her relationship with her brothers, but ever since I met you, no matter how little our time was, I always felt if I had a brother, it would be like you. Thank you for always protecting me, warning me and just being there with me. Thank you, Fergus."
"If I had a sister like you growing up, I know my story would be a lot different, Chris. Not just my story. There would be no Maligno, no deaths. I wish I had a sister like you. Thank you for . . . everything." Fergus gave her a light squeeze. "I wish you didn't have to make this choice and sacrifice."
"It's ok," Chris squeezed Fergus back and slowly pulled back. "This is a small price, don't worry."
"This is a goodbye, isn't it?" Fergus asked when they faced each other again.
"Yep," Chris tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. "But not for forever. I will see you when I eventually die as an old woman. You would come to receive me here, wouldn't you?"
"I promise," Fergus smiled through a few drops of tears that escaped his eyes. "But don't be in a hurry to meet me. Live your life to the fullest . . . and live some for me too."
"I will," Chris's eyes also became blurry with tears. But she was truly happy for Fergus, so smiled as widely as she could. He could be finally at peace now.
Chris stepped back and looked back at the founders and Dumbledore. For a moment Chris felt all of their eyes are wet as well. Sir Godric smiled and nodded at Chris, gratefully and she nodded back.
"Your mother will be happy to see you, son," Gordic Gryffindor said and Fergus nodded while wiping his tears.
"I will walk you back then, Christina," Madam Helga said stepping forward and Chris nodded.
[To be continued]