Hello. :) I know I promised in the AN of Betrayal, Trial, and Forgiveness that I would give the meaning of the song to the story. I don't know if people normally do this for song!fics, but I am. So there. :D Read or don't read, it doesn't matter, but I feel like this will help you understand how the song relates to my fic. I'd also love it for anyone who reads the one-shot to review on what your take on the relationship between the song and plot was. Is it anywhere near mine? Is it better? :D Probably. Anywho, hope this clears stuff up if you were confused at all.
First Part: Betrayal
Come Little Children,
I'll take thee away
Into a land
of Enchantment.
Come Little Children,
The time's come to play,
Here in my garden
of Shadow's.
The first part I imagined to be in Dumbledore's point of view. All the people who betrayed Harry- his friends, the adults who claimed to love him unconditionally, are his children. They mindlessly follow Dumbledore, even though each of them should know in their heart that their Harry would never do such awful things. Dumbledore preaches that he'll lead them to victory against Voldemort, his land of Enchantment.
The second part is in the view of the Dementors, or the darkest recesses of Harry's psyche. The parts that would have overtook him if he had stayed loveless and hated at the Dursleys- the parts that swallowed Tom Riddle whole much too soon while growing up in the orphanage. Of course, the garden of shadow's are those places in Harry's mind. The little children are the 'good' parts of Harry, or the parts that are untouched by his abuse and neglect.
Second Part: Betrayal II
Follow Sweet Children,
I'll show thee the way
Through all the pain
and the sorrows!
Weep not poor children
For life is...this way
Murdering beauty and passions.
This part of the song is entirely in Harry's now twisted point of view. In his fucked-up mind, the killing of his friends and family is a way to absolve them of their guilty conscience. What I mean is that, to him, this is him saving them. Harry did have a hero-complex all along, did he not? His killing them is him showing them the way through their pain and sorrows, or all worldly problems, including their guilt for locking him away for so long and tossing the key. Him telling them not to cry could either mean for them not to fear their imminent death, or fear for the person he has become. Harry isn't angry at his loved ones- he just wants to free them in the way he can never be free, at least, not until the end of the story.
Third Part: Trial
Hush now Dear Children,
It must be this way
Too weary of life
and deceptions
Rest now My Children,
For soon we'll away
Into the Calm
and the Quiet.
This one is pretty self-explanatory, at least to me. You can pretty much take what it says literally. He is killing them to give them peace and rest. And the ' for soon we'll away ' part is a bit of foreshadowing, sadly enough.
Fourth Part: Forgiveness
Come Little Children,
I'll take thee away
Into a land,
of Enchantment.
Come Little Children,
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
of Shadows.
The last part is yet again in Harry's point of view. I guess it makes sense that the last three are all his, he sang them after all. The first 'come little children' part is based on Harry's memories. The children are his memories, the god-awful ones, and he's taking them to a 'land of enchantment'. Whether that's just obliterating them completely or accepting them for what they are, that's entirely up to you to decide. Either way, it's just his way of moving on.
The second part is aimed towards all of his loved ones who are now 6 feet under. They're his children, and now that he's moved on, it's finally time to play with them for the rest of eternity, in his own land of shadows.
I hope this was enlightening. :) And please, don't be afraid or hesitant to tell me what your thoughts are on it. I know a lot of people haven't even read this fic, but it would still be interesting. Have a wonderful existence everyone!