Post by konrad on Sept 7, 2006 12:28:30 GMT -5
DISCLAIMER: Inspired by Tom McRae's "2nd law". Quinten is mine, and I'm quite fond of that little wolf. The story idea's mine as well, so you might as well drop that lawyer in the garbage can. Oh yeah, before I forget, everything else Harry Potter related is Rowling's.
***
Remus Lupin didn't think he could ever look into his son's eyes again. Sighing, he sat at the young boy's side. An hour had passed like this; both of them had remained silent. What can I say?
Quinten Lupin had been to his godfather that morning. Quinten had always been excited about visiting his godfather, who was known for the final defeat of Voldemort. Only this time, something must have gotten wrong. Harry James Potter had been found dead. According to the Ministry something, or someone, had triggered a car explosion. The Muggles had gotten there first though; they thought terrorists had struck, but the warlocks of the Ministry knew better. They had sensed the presence of uncontrolled magic.
And Quinten was supposed to be with Harry that day, but his body wasn't found, nor was he seen after the explosion. A few old Muggle women had spotted a scruffy looking boy next to the dead man just before, but couldn't recall more.
Remus had to identify Harry; the fire had burnt most recognisable parts of his body. But Remus knew about a tattoo on Harry's ankle, a Golden Snitch. So did Ginny Potter of course, but she just wasn't up for the job. She wasn't prepared to see a dead Harry.
When Remus had gotten home, he had gone up to Quinten's room. One look had passed between them, and it had struck like lightning in Remus's mind. Quinten did it. But why did he do it? Remus thought. Then, after a while, different questions had risen inside him. Am I a bad father? What did I do wrong - what did we do wrong?
Remus hadn't told his wife yet. She wasn't home yet. Or she was, but she would probably be in shock. He had already seen the extra edition of The Daily Prophet. Luckily almost nobody knew about Quinten's stroll in the Muggle world with Harry that day. And those who knew, who could figure out enough,... Remus didn't want to think about it. He didn't dare go outside of his house anymore. The Weasleys...
***
When another hour had passed and they still hadn't spoken, or looked at each other, Quinten rose and left the room. His dad only wearily raise his head to look at the closing door. Quinten heard a male sob the second he was out. He had disappointed them, he knew he had done so. He had walked away the minute his godfather, uncle Harry for goodness sake, had fallen down. Quinten knew he had done it, that he had murdered him. But uncle Harry shouldn't have said what he said. He just shouldn't have done that. It was a mean thing to say, well, at least against me.
Quinten didn't hear his mother crying in his parents' bedroom. He walked downstairs, outside, to the shed. Quinten took a broom. For the first time. Then he remembered the letter he had written to his parents. He grabbed it from his pocket, went to the kitchen and laid it on the table. Then he went outside again. This time he really took the broom, and as he had seen other kids often do, he held out his hand and spoke: "Up!" The broom obeyed, and Quinten mounted it.
And slowly, Quinten began his way up. Beyond the sky. To the moon. Yes, he would go to the moon. At least there he wouldn't destroy his parents and his parents' friends' lives. He would do no harm there.
***
Mum, Dad,
It just happened. I'm sorry. He said I shouldn't be so obsessed with the moon, and that it would be ridiculous to go there. I got angry with him, he shouldn't have been so mean. I didn't meant to kill him, I swear.
Tell all my friends, if you see them, that I'm better off alone.
I'm sorry,
Quinten
Remus embraced his wife, Nymphadora Tonks. It was killing them, knowing what their son had done. And it hurt more knowing that their only son had left them, as it looked like, forever. Both of them cried for the whole situation. It hadn't been for a long long time since both of them had cried that much.
Minutes passed by, until Remus suddenly called out: "I have to find him!" It had taken him that long for him to realise the gravity of the situation. Quinten had been gone for a while now, and Remus wasn't sure where his son would go to. He guided his wife to their bed and made sure she was sleeping before he left, she shouldn't be awake when he would be gone; she'd only moan more.
Remus's first reflex was to Apparate, but then he remembered that his son couldn't Apparate. Shutting down any possibility to escape for a nine year old, Remus went to the shed and saw that there was one broom missing. He picked up another one and, frantically looking around, got up.
As Remus got higher and higher, he saw something falling from the sky above. A little wolf, and shortly thereafter, something which looked like a broom.
Remus instantly shot into action and dived for his son. It seemed centuries passed by until he came closer to the werewolf form of Quinten.
Remus came to a halt twenty feet above the ground.
***
Remus Lupin didn't think he could ever look into his son's eyes again. Sighing, he sat at the young boy's side. An hour had passed like this; both of them had remained silent. What can I say?
Quinten Lupin had been to his godfather that morning. Quinten had always been excited about visiting his godfather, who was known for the final defeat of Voldemort. Only this time, something must have gotten wrong. Harry James Potter had been found dead. According to the Ministry something, or someone, had triggered a car explosion. The Muggles had gotten there first though; they thought terrorists had struck, but the warlocks of the Ministry knew better. They had sensed the presence of uncontrolled magic.
And Quinten was supposed to be with Harry that day, but his body wasn't found, nor was he seen after the explosion. A few old Muggle women had spotted a scruffy looking boy next to the dead man just before, but couldn't recall more.
Remus had to identify Harry; the fire had burnt most recognisable parts of his body. But Remus knew about a tattoo on Harry's ankle, a Golden Snitch. So did Ginny Potter of course, but she just wasn't up for the job. She wasn't prepared to see a dead Harry.
When Remus had gotten home, he had gone up to Quinten's room. One look had passed between them, and it had struck like lightning in Remus's mind. Quinten did it. But why did he do it? Remus thought. Then, after a while, different questions had risen inside him. Am I a bad father? What did I do wrong - what did we do wrong?
Remus hadn't told his wife yet. She wasn't home yet. Or she was, but she would probably be in shock. He had already seen the extra edition of The Daily Prophet. Luckily almost nobody knew about Quinten's stroll in the Muggle world with Harry that day. And those who knew, who could figure out enough,... Remus didn't want to think about it. He didn't dare go outside of his house anymore. The Weasleys...
***
When another hour had passed and they still hadn't spoken, or looked at each other, Quinten rose and left the room. His dad only wearily raise his head to look at the closing door. Quinten heard a male sob the second he was out. He had disappointed them, he knew he had done so. He had walked away the minute his godfather, uncle Harry for goodness sake, had fallen down. Quinten knew he had done it, that he had murdered him. But uncle Harry shouldn't have said what he said. He just shouldn't have done that. It was a mean thing to say, well, at least against me.
Quinten didn't hear his mother crying in his parents' bedroom. He walked downstairs, outside, to the shed. Quinten took a broom. For the first time. Then he remembered the letter he had written to his parents. He grabbed it from his pocket, went to the kitchen and laid it on the table. Then he went outside again. This time he really took the broom, and as he had seen other kids often do, he held out his hand and spoke: "Up!" The broom obeyed, and Quinten mounted it.
And slowly, Quinten began his way up. Beyond the sky. To the moon. Yes, he would go to the moon. At least there he wouldn't destroy his parents and his parents' friends' lives. He would do no harm there.
***
Mum, Dad,
It just happened. I'm sorry. He said I shouldn't be so obsessed with the moon, and that it would be ridiculous to go there. I got angry with him, he shouldn't have been so mean. I didn't meant to kill him, I swear.
Tell all my friends, if you see them, that I'm better off alone.
I'm sorry,
Quinten
Remus embraced his wife, Nymphadora Tonks. It was killing them, knowing what their son had done. And it hurt more knowing that their only son had left them, as it looked like, forever. Both of them cried for the whole situation. It hadn't been for a long long time since both of them had cried that much.
Minutes passed by, until Remus suddenly called out: "I have to find him!" It had taken him that long for him to realise the gravity of the situation. Quinten had been gone for a while now, and Remus wasn't sure where his son would go to. He guided his wife to their bed and made sure she was sleeping before he left, she shouldn't be awake when he would be gone; she'd only moan more.
Remus's first reflex was to Apparate, but then he remembered that his son couldn't Apparate. Shutting down any possibility to escape for a nine year old, Remus went to the shed and saw that there was one broom missing. He picked up another one and, frantically looking around, got up.
As Remus got higher and higher, he saw something falling from the sky above. A little wolf, and shortly thereafter, something which looked like a broom.
Remus instantly shot into action and dived for his son. It seemed centuries passed by until he came closer to the werewolf form of Quinten.
Remus came to a halt twenty feet above the ground.
