A/N:

Round: 5

Team: Pride of Portree

Word count: approx. 1197

Prompts:

Chaser 3:selfishness;

[Optional prompts:] (word) casual; (setting) Flourish and Blotts; (character) Dennis Creevey.

"Selfishness that detestable vice which no one will forgive in others, and no one is without himself."- Henry Ward Beecher.

Colin Creevey was not a person you'd think was very mean. You would not call him a bully, or a villain, and nor would you say he was hated by most people he knew. You would probably be wrong.

His brother Dennis, for example, did not like him very much. When Colin tried to understand why, he was only told that he wouldn't share. Now this, of course, didn't make much sense to him because why would he share? It was his stuff, he'd found it.

"You're selfish," Dennis screamed at him one day, "you don't care about anyone as long as you have what you want. Do you know how many people would like to meet the Boy-Who-Lived? You're driving them all away!"

Well, yes, of course he was. They didn't deserve Harry. Harry was his, he'd told them so, in fact.

But that wasn't all of it. He was accosted in Flourish and Blotts one Hogsmeade weekend, by a scraggly group of third years who wanted to borrow his camera. What did they think he was?

"No," he said. "Don't be ridiculous. It's mine."

No one really asked him for stuff after that. He was fine with it.

"Hi, Colin," said Harry, a pleasant smile on his face. "Did you like the match?"

"Yeah, it was brilliant! The way you caught the snitch was..." Colin was bubbling over with words.

Just then, Ginny Weasley passed by. "Oh, you're talking with him? He's so... ugh! Doesn't give anyone anything."

Colin scowled at her. How dare she.

"What..." Harry's question trailed off as Ginny shook her head, eyes flashing.

Head held high, she glared at Colin one last time and left with a hiss of "Well, one day he'll be shut up!"

Colin hated her with every bone in his body. Just a Weasley, red hair and Quidditch was all they were known for. Colin had discovered Harry before her, anyways. She didn't deserve him.

Harry asked what happened bewilderedly, but Colin didn't answer. He simply told him that Ginny didn't like him because he'd pranked her once. Then he dove right back into talking about the match, resolving to shove this conversation into the deepest recesses of his mind.

Winter hit Hogwarts like a train. One day it was raining, and the next day sheets of snow were falling on the ground. Students hurried through the halls, shivering through the day so that they could finish quickly and burrow under their blankets.

Whenever a student looked out of the window, they could barely see outside. Gales of wind moved the trees like they were all the Whomping Willow.

Colin was bundled up in his casual winter clothes from home, camera in his hands as he made his way out of Flourish and Blotts to The Hog's Head to where the DA was meeting. After the last meeting, they would be able to go home for the holidays.

The Hog's Head was full of students of different houses, from Gryffindor to Hufflepuff, and did Colin just see a green tie?

Harry began talking, something about Christmas and how good they'd gotten over the weeks, but Colin was occupied trying to move to the front of the crowd. He shoved his bony elbows either side of him, moving ahead.

As Harry wrapped up his speech and everybody slowly got up, Colin excitedly babbled about his Christmas plans. He was going to get a new camera, and the family was going to France, and did Harry think that he would see Veelas?

Harry answered his questions, and was about to say something else when Ron and Hermione came over. "Are you ready to go?" Ron asked.

No. No, Harry couldn't because Colin was there first. He couldn't.

But he did. Because Colin wasn't worth it, right? Useless little child. And Harry was gone, and Colin was left standing in the too-warm room, hate bubbling in his heart.

"I swear, Harry Potter, if you weren't so wonderful, I'd have been gone a long time ago."

Colin didn't know what happened, only that someone died and Harry didn't take him- he took Ginny Weasley and Loony Lovegood to fight Voldemort.

Colin did not like it.

"Hey, Harry, what happened? Did you see You-Know-Who?" Colin peppered him with questions.

Harry ignored him, and Colin felt that now all-too-familiar hate and resentment rise within him. Was he not important? Well, no, of course he wasn't. He was only miserable little Colin Creevey, nothing special. Well, he'd show them!

Colin simply turned around and walked away, his eyes glittering and mind filled with ideas. Harry was his, and he was going to show them that; he was going to be a hero.

Colin's sixth year was very boring without Harry there with him. The castle was quiet, with no meetings.

Colin kept his camera with him at all times.

The entire castle was hushed and dark, students were allowed to get out the hallways only for meals and classes. Students' letters were read before they could send them, and if anything the faculty (read: Death Eaters) didn't like was written in them, the offending student was punished with as many Crucios the offended teacher felt they deserved.

Students would walk in packs, whispering amongst each other, too scared to be loud. If they heard a noise, they would flinch and fall silent. Everyone lived in the constant fear that one mistake from their family would result in their deaths.

Colin would stick close to his brother, since no one else really wanted to be friends with him. He was a little lonely, to be honest. But that didn't matter. All that did matter was that they were safe. His selfishness had to be put to the side.

"Students, please assemble in the Great Hall." Snape's voice rang through the hallways.

Harry was back. Harry was back, he hadn't looked at Colin but that was okay because his Harry was back, he could be a hero, everything would be fine-

Voldemort's voice was echoing through the room. Harry had to be sent to him, he would be killed. No, this wasn't how it was supposed to be! Colin stepped forward with the rest of his house toward the Slytherins.

His plan had failed. Colin coughed into his sleeve, coming away to blood speckled on it. He deserved it, didn't he? He wanted to play hero, save everyone- he wasn't enough. He wasn't the main character, and he never was. He'd just never acknowledged it. After all, whoever heard of a selfish hero?

He couldn't protect Dennis either, he was a failure at being a big brother.

Ginny Weasley's words from three years ago echoed in his mind, dragged up from his memories. "Well, one day he'll shut up!"

That day was today.

If he was going to die, at least it would be in Hogwarts- his home away from home. The same for Harry, for so many people.

As his last breath flew out his lungs, Colin whispered, "Hero." Fter all, whoever heard of a selfish hero? He died with a smile on his face.

For the people who died in the Battle. For the Fallen Fifty, and for the unnamed sacrifices and deaths.

I hoped you liked it!