We never knew who did it, in the end. It could've been any one of us. All I remember from that day so long ago was wands waving every which way and beams of light coming from everywhere at once. We were all shouting, I remember that too. Most of all, I remember her eyes from the doorway, staring. I only caught them for a second in the midst of the chaos, but they stand out clearly to me even to this day: wide and blue and afraid. It was just one moment when my eyes caught hers, blue on blue, and then the light went from them, and she fell.
Everything stopped then, least of which the fighting. My brother had stopped breathing. My heart stopped all together.
Gellert stopped too, for a moment, staring open-mouthed at my sister. Then, in a spur of motion, he snatched up his wand from where it lay abandoned on the floor, and ran out the door. He didn't glance back.
I hardly noticed. At least I didn't then. I didn't see my friend leave. My friend, the great intellectual, who would together with me find the Hollows and rule over muggles and wizards alike. It was all for the Greater Good, after all. It was he who shared my vision. Yet, I didn't notice him leave.
I mean, Grindenwald could always come back. Ariana would never be able to do that. I would see Grindenwald again, I knew somehow, but never my sister.
I don't know how long Aberforth and I stood there, staring at Ariana. Eventually, I knew, I would have to move out of my stupor and do something. Arrangements had to be made. But I just stood there, my gaze never moving from her empty blue eyes.
Those eyes, my sister's eyes, would haunt me every day for the rest of my life.
