Challenge: Fire the Canon's Character of the Week Drabble Competition (week 3) on HPFC
Characters: Owen Cauldwell
Prompt: Parallel
Word count: 191
Owen had never been more confused than he was in the year that followed Dumbledore's death.
Everywhere he turned, people spouted their views. Slytherins' professed superiority, basking in the chaos of the Carrows. Gryffindors' argued at every opportunity that the snakes and Death Eaters were as far from right as they could get. He couldn't find the middle ground he'd been standing on for as long as he could remember.
I feel like I'm living a parallel existence, he wrote to Laura when she didn't come back to school after Christmas. Like I'm experiencing the same events as everyone else, but they aren't quite touching me, you know?
The day after he sent the letter, Paul lashed out at a Slytherin who had mocked Susan for the death of her aunt.
The day after that, Paul had been the victim who Professor Carrow had ordered them to crucio in class. Owen refused, for the first time in his life actually disagreeing with someone.
The day after that, he experienced pain unlike anything he'd ever known. It wasn't for nothing, though; he had learned.
There is no middle ground.