A/N: 'The System' followers, an update is on the horizon. I've been working hard on writing a back-log of chapters so stay tuned over the next few weeks. Your patience is immensely appreciated :)

Moving on, this is a little story about Dennis Creevey. (Challenges this was written for are listed at the bottom). I've never written him before so I hope it's not awful. :') But just a warning, this is not a happy story so I'd advise against reading it if you don't want be bummed out...

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

incomplete

The sun shone brightly over Hogwarts, bathing the grounds in a warm, golden glow. Birds twittered in the trees, and the Giant Squid splashed merrily in the Lake. All in all, it was a beautiful day, but a gloomy atmosphere had descended inside the castle that no amount of sunshine could lighten. It was the first anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, and it felt like there were so many more ghosts around the castle than usual – even the students who hadn't suffered any great loss said that the place felt haunted today.

A minute's silence was held in the Great Hall before lessons began, in remembrance of those who had lost their lives fighting against Voldemort. Many people cried – including Headmistress McGonagall – whilst others broke down completely, and had to be taken to the Hospital Wing to get a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey afterwards.

All classes after lunch were cancelled when it became apparent that both students and professors alike were struggling to concentrate or were too upset to work, and many were thankful at the opportunity to get some fresh air. Dennis Creevey was among the queue to get outside in the Entrance Hall, a stack of cheese sandwiches in his bag and a flagon of Pumpkin Juice sloshing noisily in his shaking arms. There was no way he could eat in the Great Hall when the image of all those dead bodies – of Colin's dead body – lying on that flagstone floor was so vivid in his mind.

Dennis did his best not to make eye-contact with anyone, and shuffled restlessly amongst the crowd with his head bent low. People had been staring at him all day, their conversations turning to whispers whenever he passed by. He knew (or at least hoped) that none of it was intended maliciously, but he hated feeling so exposed, especially when his face was so pink and puffy from crying like it was now.

An age seemed to pass before Dennis got a chance to step outside, but the moment was so exhilarating that it almost made up for what seemed like hours of waiting. He'd never dreamed that somewhere as enormous as Hogwarts could ever make him feel so claustrophobic, but he gulped in the fresh Spring air like his life depended on it, and felt instantly soothed as it drifted through his lungs.

Dennis closed his eyes for a moment as the breeze caressed his skin, and then set off towards the Great Lake, following the bank around to the far side when he got there, glad to finally escape the crowds. This side of the Lake was overgrown and rarely populated with students, especially since this path led to not only Dumbledore's tomb, but also the graves of those who had fallen in the Battle last year. The area was intended to be more of a tribute than anything, so it was unknown whether bodies lay beneath every gravestone, but Dennis knew Colin was there. Their parents had been given the option to bury him in their Muggle hometown, but they'd chosen to have him buried at the school. Colin was a wizard – a hero – and it was undoubtedly what he would have wanted.

Dumbledore's marble tomb glowed in the sunlight as Dennis approached the clearing. It was eerily beautiful, and he wiped his eyes on his sleeve as fresh tears began to fall. His vision turned blurry after this, but there was no mistaking the tentacle that rose from the Lake, and gave Dennis a pat on the head. He and the Giant Squid had formed somewhat of a bond ever since he fell into the water on his first day at Hogwarts, and this gesture (though rather cold and wet) was a big comfort. And despite all the hurt and grief Dennis was feeling, he couldn't help but smile as he watched the tentacle disappear back into the black water.

"Alright?" Dennis dropped his bag and sat cross-legged on a patch of grass opposite Colin's grave. He'd felt incredibly stupid the first time he did this, but as time went on these moments began to comfort him immensely. "I brought you a sandwich," he said, retrieving it from his bag. "Sorry, it got a bit squashed. But I know how much you love the chutney on these things. I remember how you used to go on and on about the food here in your letters." Dennis gave a small laugh and carefully placed the sandwich in front of the grave, tears springing to his eyes at the memory.

Those two years apart from Colin when he started at Hogwarts were the worst of his life. They'd been completely inseparable up to that point, and Dennis felt incredibly lost and lonely without his brother around. He was never sure who he was without Colin, and would live vicariously through his letters about magic and Hogwarts. Dennis remembered how he'd enthusiastically relay them to his parents, all the while bouncing on his heels and exclaiming over and over how badly he wanted to go too. Dennis completely idolised his brother, and wanted to be just like him. He wanted to be special like Colin and be able to do magic of his own, and had been so excited upon receiving his own Hogwarts letter that he'd screamed so much with joy that all the lightbulbs in his house exploded.

Dennis had been so happy to reunite with Colin at Hogwarts; it felt like everything went back to normal. But ever since Colin died, that sense of loneliness had crashed back over him like a ton of bricks, and it was still yet to lift. It was like he was nine years old again: he constantly felt like he was missing part of himself, like he was lacking confidence in his own identity, and the only times he didn't feel that doubt in himself were these moments in the graveyard.

"Is it nice up there?" he asked the gravestone, his voice cracking as he came to terms with just how broken he felt without his brother. "Who am I kidding? You can't hear me. If you could, I would have got a thousand letters from you by now, I expect. But I guess you're too busy taking pictures." Dennis gave a watery smile at that, but it dropped almost instantly. "I miss you, Colin. So much. I dunno who I am without you. You were always the leader, and the one time I didn't follow you… this happened." Tears were blurring Dennis' vision now, and he felt a wave of anger surge through his body. "Why did you have to go and fight? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME?"

He let out an anguished scream and slammed his fists into the ground, knocking over the Pumpkin Juice in the process. But that didn't feel like enough. He punched the grass again, and again, and again, until, finally, all the fight drained from him, and a deep despair took its place.

Dennis went limp, and descended into uncontrollable sobs as Pumpkin Juice pooled around him. He stared at his shaking, bloodied hands in disbelief. "What's happening to me?" he choked. He'd never lashed out like that before in his life. "Colin, help me!" He ran a hand down the gravestone, his fingers travelling over the engraving of his brother's name. "Please! I need you!"

He looked around for signs that Colin had heard him: a message appearing amongst the inscriptions on his gravestone; a photograph falling from the heavens; a chime of wind that sounded like his laugh – anything that could give Dennis hope that he wasn't as alone as he felt…

But there was no message, photograph, or even any wind. The scene remained as lifeless as ever, and Dennis felt his already broken heart shatter into a million pieces. He wondered if he'd ever feel whole again, if he was now destined to feel incomplete forever.

His body gave way, and he collapsed against Colin's grave like a broken doll, his cries ringing out across the silent graveyard.

Hogwarts Assignment 1 – Wandlore Task 2 [Write about a character who is canonically depicted as having a big, dramatic personality as 'lacking' in something.]

Insane House Challenge [Dialogue – "I miss you"]

Hogwarts FF resolutions [25 – Write a fic based around a character we don't get to see in the movies]

Word count: 1359