Aberforth knows he shouldn't be doing this. Albus has told him specifically to stay away from him and Gellert while they're discussing what to do now that they're both proper, independent adults – Gellert's only just turned 17, after all – and it's not anything that's appropriate for a fifteen year old's ears, apparently.
But he is a Hufflepuff for a reason – particularly good finders, the Hat had called his house in its song the year he was sorted, and he has an unquenchable curiosity and a nose for sniffling out facts. Albus should have known better than to tell him to stay away; it's the one thing that makes it certain that he's going to play amateur detective.
As he creeps closer to the main door of the house, he can easily make out Gellert's raised voice. He has no love for the elder boy – he's well aware of the fact that he has no interest in either Aberforth or Ariana; that he thinks of them as burdens dragging Albus down into the mud.
It's just another reason to spy on them. He's sure that whatever they're talking about, it's not good news for him and his sister.
He's right, of course.
He's always known that Albus suffers from wanderlust, that he resented the fact that he had two underage siblings and couldn't continue on with his travel plans after their mother died. At the same time, however, he's also been sure in the fact that, in his own way, Albus loves them. It's something he's just known since they were children and Aberforth was chasing at Albus' heels, and it's not changed in the years since.
For all that Hogwarts and Gellert have changed Albus, he's sure that this is one thing that's stayed the same.
So when he hears Albus' words – hears him agreeing with Gellert when he suggests that they drag Ariana along with them on that mad-cap scheme of theirs while Aberforth is at Hogwarts - he's apoplectic with rage. Most of it is because of his sister, the one person that Albus seems to be forgetting in his plans. But there's enough of it for his own part – for the childish hope that had held out regarding his brother's love.
In a single moment, Albus has stripped him of all the illusions of the childhood he held dear, and he hates him for it.
But his grievance with Albus is secondary – it is Ariana who matters, and what they are discussing for her future is not a thought that can be borne. What Albus is agreeing to…it will kill her as surely as an Avada Kedavra, he knows this.
It is not the wisest of moves, but it is his sister who is on the line. In the moment when he rushes out the front door to face his brother and Gellert, he is more impetuous Gryffindor than calm Hufflepuff.
"You cannot!" he exclaims as soon as he barrels out the door. He doesn't stop to notice the shock on Albus' face or the irritation on Gellert's, too focused on his task. "Albus have you gone insane? Ariana is not well enough to be dragged around the world – she will never be well enough for such a trip! Can't you see what he's making you do? You'll kill her with your foolish schemes one day!"
It is Gellert, not Albus who replies to his words, eyes blazing in fury. "Foolish child," he snarls, "You have no idea of what you speak. This is the only way for all of us to be safe - or have you forgotten what those muggles did?"
There are so many things that he can say to that, but as soon as he looks into Gellert's eyes and sees the fires of madness burning inside them – well, he knows there's no use. He's almost certain that Gellert comes to same conclusion about him.
In the years that come, he will never be sure who drew his wand first. All he knows is that wands were drawn; and that he's duelling two men who are so much more powerful than he can ever be – and it's all worth it. For Ariana, everything is worth it.
At least, that's what he thinks until he hears the scream.
He doesn't know what prompted her to run out. She's usually shy about leaving the house, especially when there isn't anyone to accompany her – but then, their voices have risen sharply in volume as they cast curse after curse, and he shouldn't be surprised that she was scared.
And maybe it would have been okay, if that was all that had happened. If it was only her rushing out in fear and horror – but it wasn't.
He's always said that she would have been a Gryffindor if she had ever been given the chance to attend Hogwarts, and her actions prove that. But that thought is almost immediately replaced with horror – there's a curse on the tip of his tongue as he aims his wand at Gellert, intent at finishing this once and for all, and he cannot stop the words from slipping out even while he watches his sister run right into the middle of their duel.
He's not the only one who had thought of those cursed words - he never finds out just who Albus had aimed his words at - and as they all watch in shock, the three beams of emerald green light seem to converge before hitting her.
Or maybe that's just what he sees to comfort himself. After all, they never find out just whose curse it finally was, and he knows he will die if it was his. Maybe the convergence was just a trick his mind played to make it all acceptable.
He doesn't know. He never will.
But as that moment takes place in front of his eyes- Somewhere at the back of his mind, he can hear the final dredges of Albus and Gellert's arguments, but he cannot concentrate on that. Not when Ariana – sweet Ariana, the one person he'd cared about over all others – is lying motionless on the ground in front of him.
He's only fifteen, but as he rushes to his sister's body, he knows that this is the last day of his childhood.
an: so, my prompt for this was a 'scene from x character's childhood,' and the idea of this piece is that this is the last scene of aberforth's childhood. he's forced to grow up rather quickly and face the world at the end of this, and up until the fateful day, he was still a child in many ways.
the tense confusion comes from the fact that this is supposed to be a recollection of aberforth's, so he's getting confused over separating that single moment from everything that happened before and after it.
i hope you guys liked it! as always, please don't forget to drop a review on your way out :)