Kathleene Marie Talismi bowed her head in grief. She sat on the cold hard ground in front of a twin grave which read,
Remus and Nymphadora 'Tonks' Lupin
A loving husband and wife.
They fought so that the world might be
safe for others.
May they rest in peace.
Tears filled her eyes. She managed to whisper through her shaking sobs, "Is this what I'm
left to do? Watch my friends die around me?" First had been Lily and Harry, supposedly safe. Next had been Peter, or so she had thought, and Sirius's betrayal. Sirius, the one she loved, Sirius the trustworthy, Sirius the constant, Sirius the dog. She thought the last part with a laugh, a choked laugh. However, she had been left to find that it had been Peter's betrayal and Sirius was innocent. She got him back but only had him taken away again through death. Than, the final battle, in which so many died. So many innocent laying dead on the ground, lights flashing everywhere, Voldermort's laugh echoing throughout the castle. She still had nightmares. She still hadn't been able to return to Hogwarts, even for the memorial.
Her last friend left alive, Moony, had left her. With him had gone sweet, obtuse, Tonks, leaving behind a son not even a year old. "Where was God in all this?" She asked brokenly.
There was no God. God wouldn't have let all the innocent die, God wouldn't have let all the good fall, God wouldn't have put anyone through this hell. And as her one last constant belief broke from her she drew her wand and pointed it to her own head.
"Avada Kavadra." She whispered and fell to the ground with the flash of a sickly green light.
There was a moment of white-ness and than a voice began calling her name, "Miss Talisimi, Miss Talismi, my dear, you're safe. Wake up. You're safe."
Her eyes fluttered open, she knew this place, Hogwarts Infirmary. In front of her stood a younger Dumbledore, much as she remembered him from her school days, with an equally younger Poppy at his side. So this was death? She mused. Hogwarts. Well, it wasn't too bad she supposed.
"Welcome back dear." Dumbledore said.
Back? What was back? She saw her wand on her bedside table and snatched it, holding it ready she pointed it at Dumbledore. Were their death eaters in death? She'd better check.
"Prove who you are." She ordered. Her years as an auror and devotion to the Order of the Phoenix putting confidence in being followed in her tone.
"I am Professor Albus Dumbledore of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have a phoenix named Fawks. The first thing you said to me was, 'nice suit,' but I do not believe you were being entirely serious." He watched be carefully from behind his half moon spectacles and than asked, "Need I go on?"
"I had to check." She replied. She carefully conducted an evaluation of her body. Except for the faint ache in her limbs, she felt fine.
She stood up quickly and gripped the bedside stand waiting for her equilibrium to return.
She stretched her arms out and rolled her shoulders, ignoring the stares she was getting from Albus and Poppy.
"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing!" Exclaimed Poppy.
Kathleene sighed, "Relax Poppy, I think the 18 years I spent as an auror would allow me to evaluate myself...Even if I am dead." She added in afterthought.
Poppy looked flustered and managed to squeak, "18 years? How on earth do you get 18 ye–" She broke off mid sentence and than looked sharply and asked, "Dead?"
"My dear," Kathleene looked up sharply at younger Albus, "You're not dead."
"Poppycock!" Her loud exclamation startled the headmaster and nurse, "Of course I'm dead! You're here. I saw you're dead body myself, your prearranged death by Snape! Of course I'm dead and I'd be fool to believe you! Don't know how exactly Poppy got her, saw her a week ago when she was checking in on me. Must've been death eaters." Now Kathleene was musing aloud.
"Miss Talismi." Dubledore broke in sharply, most likely musing if something had happened to her mind. "You are not dead." He said firmly. "You have been missing for a month and yesterday you turned up, unconscious in the entrance in front of the Great Hall with a cut on your temple. The cut mas made by a curse of dark magic and I didn't believe it had any effect on you until now."
"I am not crazy!" She exclaimed. "I lived 39 years of my life! I watched the war seemingly end, only to find Voldermort return and the war become worst than I had ever seen before!" She spat, "I watched as each of my friends died, one by one. I saw the innocents, brutally tortured and murdered by Voldermort's followers. I spent 18 years as an auror and devoted member to your Order of the Pheonix. I protected Harry Potter for 16 years after James and Lily were murdered. The only hope of the wizarding world resided in that boy and I fought damn well to help him against those filthy murderers! So don't you DARE Albus Dumbledore accuse me of going crazy. I have seen far too much to simply give up and go insane. Because I swear, Merlin help me, that I wish I could've imagined the years that happened. I wish it was all simply one bloody nightmare!"
Silence hung in the air and Dumbledore prodded at her mind to try to see the truth of what had happened to her. But as soon as he merely touched her mind he found the rock hard walls of any long term auror who was any good at what they did.
"Don't invade my mind Albus, it's rude." He didn't jump or start, but she didn't expect him to. "At least ask permission."
At this, Poppy snorted. But Dumbledore looked into her eyes and watched her, as if trying to decide whether to believe her tale or not.
"Miss Talismi, would you please allow me to glance over some of your own selected memories in order for me to be able to handle the situation appropriately?"
"Well, since you said please..." Kathleene said with only a touch of sarcasm in her voice. Dumbledore felt her barrier drop quickly and he delved into her mind.
Flashing before his eyes was Kathleene's life. The prophecy. Lily and Jame's murder. Peter's supposed death and Sirius's supposed betrayal. Harry surviving the curse and being brought to his Aunt and Uncle's. The watchful eye she kept on Harry over the years. The righting of Sirius's name. Her years fighting every dark force and creature she could find. Sirius's death. Dumbledore's death. The final battle. Remus and Tonk's deaths. Her killing Peter Pettigrew. Her committing suicide in the grave yard.
All of this flashed by in about 15 minutes. When Dumbledore pulled out of her mind her walls went up instantly. Dumbledore stumbled and sat down on the bed next to hers. Something she had never seen him do. "Merlin." He whispered.