It's a bit longer ;) Sorry for the wait again. But look, guys! ORIGINAL STORY! :O :')
Sorry to kill the atmosphere. I know you're all waiting with bated breath to see the fate of our dearest Mr. Lupin.

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Dolohov

The light was brighter than before; the blinding white light they had all now become accustomed to, which signalled the changing of a memory. But it wasn't a memory they saw when the light eventually faded.

They were all standing in McGonagall's office once more, still in the various positions of panic they had been in before the light appeared. Bill's hand was still outstretched to the shaking teenager in the middle of the room - the first thing Jessica saw as she dared to open her eyes a little. The silence and the tension were almost tangible, as the blood rushed through Jessica's head and her heart thudded.

The only real sound was Teddy's heavy, uneven breathing as he stared, his chest rising and falling manically and his shoulders moving with it, with the occasional muffled moan from Nick in the corner.

But before Jessica's gaze settled on Nick, she saw him. And from then on in, she noticed nobody else.

She only saw Gently - or Dolohov, as he actually was. He was sprawled on the floor, the manic smile still spread on his face, his eyes shut as if in a deep slumber...

Jessica's eyes grew wide and her breathing became hitched. She wanted to scream, to cry, to run away; but she was rooted to the spot, staring, just as everyone else in the room was. Immovable statues, all stuck in their shocked, unbelieving states.

All at once Teddy's furious breathing became heavy sobs, as he collapsed to his knees and the wand in his hand clattered to the floor, falling from his shaking hand. His whole body shook as if some violent wind were blowing through the room, his uneven, dry sobs causing him to shake further. Still, nobody moved.

Slowly, tentatively, and for reasons known only to him, Teddy began to crawl to the inanimate man in the middle of the floor, like a child, unable to support himself on his feet.

"No, Teddy. Stop."

Teddy stopped dead at his godfather's voice, leaning back so he was sitting upright again. He never once took his eyes from the man on the floor. His eyes were like saucers, his hands still shaking. Harry advanced to him and placed one, firm hand on his shoulder.

"Get up."

His voice was stern, commanding, and Teddy had no choice but to obey. He pushed himself to his feet, never taking his eyes off the body on the floor. Without looking to Teddy again, Harry began to walk towards Gently, the heels on his shoes clicking on the cold, wooden floor. He kneeled at his head without fear, placing two, confident fingers just beneath his jawline.

'Please,' thought Jessica, 'don't let him be dead. Please.' she clasped her hands together only to find that they, too, were shaking. Why she held them together, she didn't know. She wasn't religious, but she'd have done anything to stop the inevitable ocurring in that moment. She didn't dare think of the consequences if...if...

She didn't allow herself to finish that thought.

Time seemed to slow down as Harry felt for any sign of life in the man. Jessica could hear her own heartbeat ringing in her ears over Teddy's breathing. Next to her, she could see Lily in a similar state; eyes wide, deep in silence, breathing slightly hitched. She stood under James' arm for some kind of comfort.

But Teddy had noone. He stared, panic and overwhelming fear glistening in his eyes, still their natural hazel. His hair was dangling in his face, but he didn't care. Still, he shook.

Harry didn't look to Teddy when he lifted his head. Instead, Harry looked to Ron, his eyes blank and his face set in stone. Ron looked over to Teddy without moving his head. The boy's eyes were flickering between Ron and his godfather frantically. Slowly, he began to shake his head.

"No..."

Neither Harry nor Ron said anything, but instead looked to each other. Jessica let out the breath she had been holding far too quickly as Teddy's darting gaze finally settled on Gently.

"No," he repeated, getting louder and quicker as he went on, "no!" he began to back away, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head violently, trying to make it all go away, "No! No! No!" the last cry became a wail as his back thudded into the wall behind him and he slid down it, eventually burying his head in his hands and collapsing into his tears. Still, nobody dared move.

Jessica's insides had disappeared and her head felt light. She looked down to the body sprawled painfully on the floor, unable to stop herself. Her breath caught in her throat.

Gently was dead.

Actually dead.

And it was Teddy who had killed him.

Slowly, silently, Harry pushed himself to his feet, not making eye contact with anyone and staring straight ahead at his godson. He made his way over to where the boy crouched, shaking with heavy tears, muttering under his breath.

As Harry put one hand out to him, Teddy flinched away, regarding the man with fear swimming in his eyes. "Harry," he choked through the tears, "Harry, I didn't - I never-"

"Shh." This time, Teddy let him put his arm around his shoulders.

"But now - I mean, he's - and I-" The end of Teddy's broken sentences were lost behind the sobs as he tried to shake his godfather's arm away. Harry held on tighter.

"Its going to be alright -"

"But it isn't, is it?" Teddy screamed, his voice cracking, pushing Harry away forcefully but looking at nothing in particular, "I killed him! I'm a ... a ..."

Jessica was more than thankful he didn't finish that sentence. It would have killed the numbness taking over.

"Come on," Harry said quietly, pulling Teddy forcefully to his feet, "we need to get you out of here."

Teddy had to obey, but his head was turned painfully across his shoulder, still staring at the body on the floor. Gently's eyes were still open - staring, manic and glassy, apparently glaring right back at Teddy as he staggered out of sight under his godfather's control. And in that moment, Jessica knew he had won. He'd been uncovered, he'd been humiliated, but he'd won. He'd gotten what he'd wanted. There was trouble. Big trouble. And he'd caused it.

His master would have been proud.

Even as the door banged shut behind them, the noise still ringing in Jessica's ears and blocking out the thoughts, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. There was no sound apart from the regimented ticking from the clock on the wall, the only sign that life was actually continuing in the castle - a world that seemed so far away.

"We need to move him," Ron said quietly, after what could have been years. Then, people began to come to life. Next to Jessica, Lily started crying and James hugged her tighter. She could hear sobs coming from somewhere else, too, but she didn't know where. She, herself, was unable to cry, still numb, still staring blankly at the dead body with what could have only been morbid curiosity. She didn't even notice that Nick's wails had come to a stop - that he, too, was unconscious, sprawled in Victorie's arms as she cradled him like a child in shaking arms, tears running from her face to his.

McGonagall was next to speak, her voice frail. She sounded distant. "No," Jessica heard her say, only vaguely aware somebody was speaking, "we'll deal with him later. We need to get the children out."

Jessica didn't know whose hand it was which clamped over her shoulder, but she numbly obeyed it's directions, only peeling her eyes away from Gently when it actually hurt to turn her head that far. She was thankful as it helped her through the portrait hole of the common room, unaware of the dozens of staring eyes upon her. She doubted she would have been able to make the stairs on her own in her sleepwalker-like state, and held onto the arm as it led her all the way up to her dormitory, all the way across to her bed, before leaving with a bang of the dormitory door. Bella's questioning seemed distant, Lily's sobbing far away, Alicia and Fiona's hushed whispers almost in a different world. Jessica climbed under the soft bedcovers numbly, still dressed in full uniform. But the comfort she expected did not come, as she hugged her knees tightly, silent tears rolling down her cheeks at last.

She cried not for her lost Potions master, who lay lifeless up in McGonagall's office, his last evil smile forever etched upon his face. She was glad that he was dead, if anything - he was a death eater after all, he'd taken innocent lives...

No, she cried for Teddy. She was scared for him, for what he'd done, for what was going to happen to him. He'd lost his temper at the man who had killed his parents, and Jessica could see nothing wrong with that - but a Judge? Did wizards even have trials? Would he end up just like Sirius Black?

These thoughts panicked Jessica as she lay in the darkness, and she hugged her knees tighter into her chest, trying desperately to fall asleep. But it didn't come. She couldn't help but think of her friend Teddy - carefree, happy, childish ... locked up in a room somewhere in the castle, sobbing for everyone he'd lost, everything he was going to lose, alone, in the darkness.

The last thing she thought of before she slipped into uneasy, dreamless sleep was Harry's words - echoing in her head as if nothing else in the world mattered.

"It's going to be alright."

And as much as she wanted to believe him, Jessica knew it would be anything but.