Written for teddylupin-snape's Fantastic Beast Challenge.
"Fwooper: Fwooper song drives listeners to insanity. Write about someone in Azkaban."
When the Bright Bird Sings a Song
It's cold. It's cold. It's cold. The thought played through his head, the rhythm to an unfinished song. It was the only thing he was able to think of. He was to numb for anything else. He didn't remember a single happy thing.
Surely something happy had happened to him? Maybe when he was little? Very little. Must be why he didn't remember.
"It's cold." A guard glided by, and underneath a hood what could be thought of as a cruel smile played on their lips. But Barty wasn't paying attention to the guard. It had just gotten colder.
...
It was warm. Barty let out a small laugh as his father drove him to their manor. He looked out of his window into a beautiful summer day, and laughed hysterically.
He laughed and laughed until it hurt and even then. He could feel something! The small pain in his sides let him explore feeling. He thought he had lost that years ago.
His father wouldn't let him out of the house visible, and used the imperious curse constantly.
But he was warm, and the guards didn't come and take him away to make him feel cold, and he was remembering what it was to be happy.
...
Barty let out a whine. He was so cold. He looked outside, thinking about the warm breeze that drafted through the grounds.
Soon a guard came and made him cold. Colder than he used to be, even. It wouldn't stop, Barty screamed. His whole body was ice!
After a few moments the scream was cut off. Everything was gone and he was still there and it was wrong and instead of a cold, it was nothing.
When the bright bird sings a song
You'll enjoy it not for long
It will only get louder and louder
A mind hears nothing through its power
When the bright bird sings a song
Everybody sings along.