The Houses Competition (or THC) Round Seven - Unpredictability.
House: Slytherin
Class: Muggle Studies
Category: Drabble: 500-1000 words, worth up to 10 points.
Choose one prompt: [Action] Screaming in shock/surprise/fear
Word Count: 1,000
Disclaimers/triggers: Mentions of death, possible canon character death.
Beta Love: StoryPlease - Thanks to my teammates for looking over my story!
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ONE LAST STAND
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He was screaming.
He was pretty sure that he kept on screaming even while he was dragged under the water.
"Don't be stupid, Regulus." The memory of his brother's voice cut through his fear, but didn't quiet him. "Close your mouth or you'll get water in it."
Those words were the reminder of a happier time – back then, when they had still been children and Sirius had loved Regulus enough to teach him how to swim so that he wouldn't drown.
How ironic that now, after his brother had given up on him, after his brother had left him, Regulus would end up drowning anyway.
The water engulfed him and his cry was cut off the moment water filled his mouth.
Regulus lashed out at the hands dragging him down.
They were cold and slippery and felt waxy.
Regulus shuddered in disgust and fought harder to escape their grip.
He kicked at them, twisted his arms and hands and suddenly, he was free. With a lurch, he broke the surface and spat out the water to take a deep breath.
It was just a short respite. Within seconds, the clammy hands were back. They clamped down on his arms and legs and tried to drag him back under the surface.
'I'm going to die.' The thought was chilling. Of course, Regulus had known his chances to survive were less than zero the moment he had gone after the Horcrux of the Dark Lord – but he hadn't imagined dying like this.
Even when he came to the cave and told Kreacher to take the locket and leave, Regulus still hadn't imagined death as a consequence.
Not even being dragged under the water the first time had made him understand the trouble he was in. Only now, after he had broken the surface and taken a much-needed breath Regulus finally understood that this would be his grave.
He would die here.
The cold hands of the dead ripped on his clothes.
Regulus would die and become one of them. He would never leave again – just another mindless Inferi there to protect something that was long since gone and hopefully destroyed.
'No,' Regulus thought desperately and fought harder. 'No! Please, no!'
He didn't want to die.
He wasn't even nineteen, yet; had graduated Hogwarts barely five months ago – he couldn't die, not yet!
"I want to live!" Regulus begged and drove one of his elbows into the face of an attacking Inferi. "Please! I want to live!"
He kicked another Inferi, but for every Inferi he managed to get away from, two others found a hold on his arms, legs, and clothes.
They pulled on him, clearly intending to drag him back under the water and drown him.
Soon, they would win. In a moment of clarity, Regulus could see his fate. His arms and legs – black and blue from the grip of the Inferi, bleeding from their careless scratching and biting – were getting heavier and heavier with each minute. Regulus wouldn't be able to keep up his fight forever. He would lose – and then he would die.
It was a sobering and at the same time terrifying thought.
"I don't want to die."
But he would.
He was in the middle of the lake. The Inferi had dragged him away from the safety of the shore into the depths of the water and Regulus knew that no matter how hard he fought, his strength wouldn't be enough to reach the shore again.
He would drown, there was no way around it.
"Give up," a voice in the back of his mind advised him. "Give up and let them drag you under. At least then, it'll be over quickly."
Regulus didn't want it to be over. He didn't want to die. And he definitely didn't want to give up his life.
'I haven't even managed to fulfil my promise to the Dark Lord,' Regulus thought dizzily. "The Horcrux still exists. I haven't destroyed it, yet."
Oh, Regulus didn't doubt that Kreacher would do his utmost to fulfil Regulus' last request – but that didn't mean that Regulus didn't want to do it himself.
He wanted to be the one who destroyed the Horcrux. He wanted to be the one who told the Dark Lord that he had defied him.
He wanted to live.
Again, Regulus lost his fight against the Inferi.
He screamed when one of them managed to bite him in the shoulder while another one pinned his arms to his body.
It was a desperate cry – a last call for help before the water engulfed Regulus again.
"No!"
Regulus kicked the Inferi who was pinning his arms to his body.
"NO!"
And suddenly, there was magic.
As if the Inferi had been grabbed by invisible hands, both of his attackers as well as some of the others were thrown away from Regulus.
Regulus pushed his head out of the water and took another deep breath.
His hands shook, his body shivered. His strength was waning.
All around him the water was filled with Inferi. They all were coming his way. There was no escape.
"NO!" Regulus screamed, terror and fear and fury lacing his voice. "NO! You won't get me!"
If Regulus would have had his wand, he would have pulled it and blasted the Inferi, as it was, the only thing he could do was square his shoulders and take them head on with his bare hands.
There was still magic in the air.
It hadn't been a spell, just desperation that had ripped the Inferi away from him and still kept them at bay, but it had been magic.
Regulus might not have his wand, but he had magic.
"No," Regulus glared at the Inferi in front of him – the ones who were between him and the shore. "You won't get me! I won't die! Not today!"
Regulus would fight with all he had to survive – and maybe, if he was lucky, it would be enough to reach the shore again.
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The End
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Well, we all know how it ended - but if you want to imagine it ended differently, well, that's what the open ending is for. ;-)
Over and out
Ebenbild