I ran. By merlin how I ran.

My feet were most surely a blur as I sprinted through the forest, desperately trying to escape the deadly lights that fired all around me. Trying to outrun those feral snarls that emitted from my lethal pursuers. I couldn't look back, and yet I could barely look forward as my vision blackened and blurred as a result of my ever increasing blood loss.

I had tried - and failed- to scour my beloved wand from the holder at my waist as I realised that to slow for even a second would surely cause me to meet my torturous end. I was running out of stamina, running out of the adrenaline that currently fuelled my entire body. Pain coursed through my veins like burning fire as I finally acknowledged the pulsing ache of my everything.

For some reason my magic was deadened, not responding as it so usually would in its wandless form and worse yet I could not turn. However hard I tried, my brain refused to morph from this weakened state into one of a much stronger body.

"Please" I screamed to the unconscious spirit within me "please…"

But no reply came as I continued to push my rapidly deteriorating self forward. I knew I could not continue this for long, knew that sooner rather than later my body would inevitably give up and yet I could not stop running. Could not stop yearning for my beloved, for my friends, for my family. It would be selfish of me to stop, of that much I knew, but that did not stop the pain of my injuries ripping into my very core as my body finally gave up.

My muscles seizing, shaking as I dropped to the ground in a pitiful heap. I did not look up, for I daren't to acknowledge the man who would end my life. The man who so effortlessly caught me after years of running. At first he ran simply to catch up with me, to enlist me within his loyal followers. But after finally discovering my true abilities alongside my choice of allies, he saw me as a threat. Obsessed with defeating me, he placed me just slightly under his number one enemy as he now ran to kill.

Ran to murder.

I should've known my luck would soon run out and yet I didn't want to acknowledge anything that could harm my seemingly perfect current life.

I had been awoken deep in the night by shouts from outside, forced to climb out my fiancée's possessive embrace as I stumbled out of bed. I finally understood as I gazed upon the multiple trails of black smoke erupting from the sky. Acknowledged the misty skull set way above my home as I realised just what was happening.

I knew that the sleeping figure lying peacefully beside me would be safe in our home if I gave chase, if I finally provided my pursuer with what he so wanted. If I ran now, they would surely follow, he would not defeat me without knowing that I went down as a result of his 'superior' power and not just as a result of underhanded tactics. I gave one last teary eyed glance to my beloved, pressing a tight kiss to his forehead so as not to awaken him before I was hurriedly reminded of the situation as another taunting jeer rang loud from down below.

And so I ran. By merlin how I ran.

Until I eventually ended up here. A whimpering pathetic mess shivering on the cold forest floor as I forced myself to stare upon the deadened eyes of my soon to be murderer. The smug satisfaction so clearly shown in his warped smirk made me want to gag as he indicated for me to rise with his wand. His smirk only widened at seeing my need to grab a hold of the tree next to me as a way of supporting my broken and battered body.

He said nothing, simply staring alongside his followers as I shakily reached for my wand. Just about to curl my fingers around it as impulsive hope rose up within me.

Perhaps he would let me defend myself, allow me one last final battle to state my power. For that's what he craves isn't it? A chance to dutifully defeat me once and for all. It didn't seem to dawn on me in that moment that this man wasn't a man. He was a cold blooded monster, one who gained joy from seeing their victim's hope seconds before he struck them down.

I did not realise this until my own last few seconds. Until my fingers grazed the cool wood of my faithful weapon. Until his own weapon shot out at unimaginable speeds, a lethal yet eerily recognisable green light shooting out of it, hitting me square in the chest as a strangled scream tore through my throat.

I was falling, falling endlessly, never seeming to land no matter how desperately I sought for a foothold. I ignored the high pitched laugh echoing throughout my surroundings as instead I focused solely on the burning of my neck. Focused on the painful heat erupting from my chest. I imagined the necklace to be emblazed with light so strong it lightened the area, blinding my pursuers – no my murderers – causing them pain so miniscule in comparison to that of which they forced upon me.

The heat never stopped, of that I knew. It never withered nor faltered but my body however did.

The burning never ceased to be, unlike the beats of my own heart, and yet the light it emitted most surely did as my last breath rose from my frozen lips. Letting me know that wherever he was, my beloved must know of my forthcoming demise, must know of my impulsive actions that would leave him devastated and alone.

I could barely reach him, could barely penetrate the now crumbling wintry walls of his mentality. But I did, for within those last few seconds of my life as I lay there motionless, breathless and without a heartbeat, I managed to utter my final words to the man I held so dear.

"I'm sorry Charlie…"