The End of All Innocence

Chapter One: Hope Lives on

By: The I.M.P.

BTW: italics are thoughts and dreams

"Harry. He was so brave, and towards the end, so lost and confused. No one could rouse him out of the funk that seemed to be his daily routine. Perhaps, perhaps it was best this way. No one could hurt him anymore, and he wasn't here to feel this loss."

"Hey you, werewolf! Stop lounging around like you're free! Get back to work!" Remus was jerked out of his thoughts and back into harsh reality as he scrambled to avoid the curses flying his way.

So this, this was what his world had become. Feeding prisoners, cleaning up after those filthy Death Eaters and their torturous amusements. God, how he hated those nights, screaming, crying, children who knew they were going to die. And he always found himself out there, cleaning up the blood, and putting the few victims who were still alive, out of their misery. He couldn't do it any more! He was giving up, feeling the same feelings that Harry had. The same feelings of despair and hopelessness that had ultimately led to his end.

"Help me! Please, help me! Anyone? Please!" He turned away from the shrieks of the young mother who was trying to pull her three year old son away from the grasps of the overseers.

This was his biggest problem though. What once would have beat into his heart and conscious, now only fell on deaf ears. Even as little as two years ago, he would have dropped everything, and risked his life to save the boy. Now, well now, he simply was used to it. It happened all the time. He was giving in, just like everyone else. Just like Peter.

"No!" he cried to himself, "I'm not a traitor!" But this dark inner side that was the werewolf simply laughed. "But, if you could stop hearing this, if you could be free to see the sunshine again, wouldn't you betray these weaklings, wouldn't you give it up, all for a day in the sun."

A curse whizzed by him, jolting him out of his internal debate. It barely grazed his skin, but already stinging welts were being raised on his skin. It seemed the Death Eaters' magic thrived on these newfound powers and glory. He glanced over his old, worn out body, to the many scars that testified to that.

A buzz rang through the great underground cavern that was the slave's prison. It was eight o'clock, time to call it quits for the night. The mass of werewolves, centaurs and humans crowded around the door into the mess hall, hoping they would get to eat this time.

He saw the rubble, but he would never believe it. Never believe that one of his dearest friends could be dead. But, where was Harry? If he was dead, he would, well, he wouldn't go there what would happen to Sirius. What he would do, if this sweet, innocent baby was dead.

"No!" Remus turned to see Harry running towards the veil, "No. Harry there's nothing you can do. He's gone."

"No! He can't be." Remus would never let the poor grieving boy see his tears for his best friend.

"Peter! Peter you will pay! You will pay what you did to me! What you did to my parents, what you did to your best friends! I hate you Peter, and when I find you, I will kill you!" Remus watched this fury with knowing, but saddened eyes. He had yelled the same thing every time he tried to sleep, every time he tried to breathe, but it hurt to see the replacement of a 16 year old boy, with a 16 year old man. To see innocence lost forever.

!7 and dead. How could it be? He had seen the loss of life before; after all, he was a soldier, but the loss of hope? From thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who were counting on a boy? Never.

There had been blood everywhere; it was a horrifying sight to see. Even the most battle-hardened soldiers, of which he was one, had to look away in disgust. Oh, not all the blood was Harry's, some was Voldemort's; the boy had managed to wound him, that much was certain, before he met his end. But, it was enough. Enough, that the Boy-who-lived, was no more.

Remus awoke with a start; he had fallen asleep, again. He couldn't even close his eyes for five minutes before the dreams started resurfacing, the memories, the nightmares. The loss of hope for so many, himself included.

"Sir. Mr. Lupin? Are you awake?" a tiny boy, who couldn't have been more than eight asked.

"Yes, I'm up. What can I do for you, Jesse?" The kind old werewolf asked sleepily.

"Well, you know today in class, how you mentioned you knew Harry Potter?"

"Yes." Remus faintly smiled in remembrance of his new and old teaching position. In light of this war, he had been asked to teach the youngling werewolf pups.

"Well, me and Ian were wondering," at this, a shy freckled boy popped his head in the doorway, "if you could tell us what we was like when he was a kid?"

"Of course, come in. Well, when Harry Potter was 13…

Well, I guess that's it for the day. I'm going off to write a one-shot called "Elements" and once I get it posted, you should check it out, wink, wink, hint, hint.

I'm sorry. This is later than I expected it to be. I was going to post it earlier today, but one thing led to another and here we are at 10:18 at night and I'm just now writing the A/N! Anyway, I'm not sure if this is any good, it came together at random times, so review and let me know what you think. If you flame this I will laugh in your face, call you a loser, and hmm… my imagination's working on physical punishment.

Oh BTW, the rating may go up after a few chapters, I'm really not sure where I'm going with this, only that it will involve pain, torture, Voldemort, and probably death. In other words, a perfect Happy Day Fest. Umm… This is getting long so, if you have ideas, they are welcome and I love you all.

Another BTW: I may post by the end of the week, cross your fingers, but if not I'm going out of town Sunday, and won't be back 'til Friday, and then you'll have me for a month! Yea!

I.M.P. (Dancing around singing at the top of her lungs) Yea! Two updates in two days! Ha ha ha ha ha! I'm high on sugar! From marshmallows! Yea! 'Cause marshmallows are good, but better on Smores! Which is what I'll give you if you click the purple button and review!