DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter
Written for the Hunger Games Challenge: #1
Remus hated accepting the truth, because the truth is usually far worse than the lies that warp it.
You are a coward! a voice shouted in his mind, further dispelling him into gloom. You run to escape your burdens, letting others suffer in place of you!
Sadly, this was true. He had run to escape the burdens he had placed on his wife, only to return begging for forgiveness. He was a horrible father; nothing could redeem him. He had tried to requite his actions, but truly nothing would fix what he had done. Helping the Order of the Phoenix was probably the only thing he could do to gain favor again.
Today was the day of judgement. The Order had to defeat Voldemort or face extrication. Voldemort and his Death Eaters would hunt down everyone who ever resisted his reign. And that included his family.
Without warning, he saw a wispy, green light emanating from the distance. WAIT—was that? No, it couldn't be! This was ridiculous. They had just got here! He quickened his pace. He mustn't be late, lest more people die because of him.
"Tonks." he whispered, "Did you see that?"
"Yes, dear," she said, "They estimate we will arrive in a few minut—"
A bloodcurdling shriek reverberated from the source of the green light, shattering the otherwise halcyonic ambience. More innocent people were dying at the hands of the Death Eaters. Their sins were uncountable.
Remus rushed forward, dashing toward the inhuman scream, leaving a shocked Tonks behind. He had to stop this, if it was the last thing he would ever do. He couldn't let these sadists terrorize more Muggles. Sometimes their actions proved them to be none other than death incarnate.
Their actions infuriated him. There were those who lived only to destroy, those only to save, and those only to be. He would not live to be. He would live to save those who were defenseless. He would live to protect and bring justice to the mercilessly slaughtered.
At that point, his life had meaning. The means to save, to contribute to the fight against evil, to live...
He came to duel Antonin Dolohov, one of the most loyal Death Eaters to Voldemort. But Remus was no longer in prime fighting condition when he rushed to join the fight. Months of inactivity, using mostly spells of concealment and protection, had blunted his dueling capabilities, and when he ran up against Antonin, now battle-hardened after months of killing and maiming, his reactions were too slow.
Remus barely lept out of the way in time. The curse exploded the wall behind him; they were both infuriated.
Remus couldn't stand how Antonin didn't show any remorse or sorrow when killing, he didn't care about the myriad murders he convicted; he just obeyed. He truly was a cold-blooded snake.
A man loses his humanity when he loses his sentiment, they say.
This is getting very dangerous…
Antonin flung a torrent of badly aimed curses, blindly hoping for one to strike.
Occupied, Antonin didn't see the Aqua Erecto spell Remus cast. The jet blast him backward, sending him sprawling in the grass. While distracted, Remus cast levitation charms on the shattered shards of glass scattered about. He followed up with a well placed Oppugno Jinx. The result was a massive swarm of glass scraping Antonin at his command, like a swarm of bees.
Remus could feel the hatred radiating from Antonin. He also noticed how he, too, was fuming with anger or disgust.
Well, that escalated quickly, he thought.
"When will you ever lea—" Remus started.
"Crucio!" Antonin desperately screamed.
Occupied with the glass storm, Remus didn't see the curse barreling to him at breakneck speed, until it was too late.
How had that man gotten the curse through the glass? Soon Remus felt a scorching sensation enveloping his body. It felt as if his bones were being shredded, his flesh burning in a fire that would not retreat. He fell to his knees, filled with agony. Through blurring eyes he could just make out Antonin rising, to finish him off.
Would he be viewed as idiotic, or brave? There was a fine line between idiocy and bravery.
Only time could tell.
In his fleeting moments, Remus envisioned the life Tonks and Ted would have to endure, the one void of a husband and father. He hoped in their eyes he had been a caring father—unlike the man he used to be. He hoped he had amended his faults from the past.
He didn't care if he died now. In Death's name he was creating a better world for his family, one where they could live in peace.
But had he done enough?
Somewhere he heard a primal scream. Was that… Tonks?
No!
A bolt of emerald green shot towards him.
Everything went black.
Had he done enough?