Darkest / Light

epilogue¹

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝

1995

16:14 - 12 grimmauld place- headquarters of the order of the phoenix

"What do you think is behind that door, Hermione?"

Harry Potter stood beside Hermoine Granger in the eerie hallways of 12 grimmauld place. It wasnt a place that he had initially expected to end up when he had been lying on his back mindlessly staring at his bedroom ceiling. They were faced with a large dark wooden door, both apprehensive to go inside. The dark nature of the house not providing any comfort. If harry looked closley he could make out two small letters that seemed to be scratched in with a knife just under the handle, an S and a B.

"I dont know." Hermione spoke quietly. "I don't think this is a good idea Harry, we were told not to go in for a reason." She sighed and looked up at him. Harry was still looking at the handle with a sort of grim determination. The boy had- had information withheld from him for the entire duration of the summer. It was now the time for some long overdue answers. He ignored her warnings and his hand wrapped around the handle, it was cold to the touch.

The hinges of the door were old. They creaked loudly as Harry opened the door slowley and eyed the room carefully. The ringing tones of the creak playing on his mind like a broken record.

For a house so green and grim, this room seemed vastly different. Gryffindor banners that were obnoxiously red were lined around a four poster bed, along with different band posters with the likes of queen, abba and david bowie littered the walls and gave the room colour. It was almost as if the person who occupied this room wanted to rub the fact that he was different into someones face.

The air was sinister and supernaturally cold. It made the two teens paranoid as if a ghost would pop out at any second. It wouldnt be too surprising. The room seemed to be the habitat of a myriad of memories that clung to the dark walls like phantoms. Something bad happened here, or too the person who once lived here.

Hermione was still looking around the room in wonder until her eyes fell upon a peculiar artifact. The presence of a golden toned bird cage was certainly an eccentric one. Just the design of it stood out in the vastly green and silver themed house. Hermione couldnt help but feel unsettled as her eyes seemed to be glued to the golden metal in a trance, trance- like, this accuratley described the room.

Even Harry noticed the wierdness of the room. It obviously belonged to a teenage boy, however the room was clean. Spotless infant, apart from a coating of dust that encased the untouched room.

A number of boxes were dumped half hazzardley around it, some with no indication to what was inside and some with writing on them, scribbled with the initials of R.F. They contained objects that clearley didn't originally belong to the habitant of the room.

Harry made his way over to one small box in particular that interested him, beckoning Hermione to go with him.

He lifted the flimsy lid carefully, dust particles flying. The small box being one of the most untouched artifacts in the room, isolated, just the same as the bird cage as if no one wanted to go near it. Inside, there was photos.

"Didn't Remus say not to go in here?"

The two teens snapped their gaze to the doorway of the room in fright to where a confused Ron stood. They sighed in relief, turns out there wasn't a ghost after all. That they knew of, yet.

"Shut up, and get in here." Harry whispered harshly, to which Ron muttered 'bloody hell' and walked to where they stood.

Harry handed him a photo which he took with a slight uncertainty. The images consistently featured a boy and a girl. They were sometimes joined by other people such as Remus and a young teen who looked almost identical to harry who was joined by a green eyed readhead. Harrys parents. However the two mysterious teenagers identities were lost on the trio.

"Who do you think they were? The girl said with an unmistakable tone of sadness. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but they were startled with a voice,

"I thought I told you three not to go in here." The older man scorned, but with no real contempt. He was mostly just sad.

Remus had aged significantly, his hair grayed. The burden of the moon had granted him with many more scars. In a way, the apperance was fitting. The scars on the inside were now visible on the outside.

"Who lived here?" Ron asked with interest.

"This house belonged to the Black Family." Remus explained vaguely while walking further into the room. He didnt want to say their names just yet. "Its been a long time since I've seen those two faces." He lifted one of the images with a slight shake in his hand, his eyes were sad, lonley, but alite with the sparkle of memory.

"They were my best friends." He said quietly and then gave the picture back to Harry.

"What happened to them? Hermione inquired hesitantly whilst Remus moved to sit ontop of one of the trunks.

"Do you want me to tell you the story? The whole story." The older man looked up at the three children, wondering if it was best to tell them of such a dark tale. The names of his two best friends hadnt been uttered by anyone under any circumstances. Resembling the way that people feared the name you-know-who. The trio nodded eagerly and sat down infront of him to which he sighed.

"Where do I start?"

"Tell me who they were?" Harry voiced quietly.

"They were just two kids." Remus uttered, trying to keep his voice steady. The trio listened silently, understanding that this was hard for him. "Two very fucked up kids. Their names were Sirius Black and-" Remus seemed reluctant to say the second name. As if it pained him, he took a deep breath before continuing. "And Raven Fawley. A Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw."

Remus was lost in thought for a second before resuming, wanting to tell the tale in justice, "She knew everything. Absolutely everything. If ignorance was bliss, then she was never at peace."

"She had a specific saying, one that she let us know quite often." Remus wiped his hands on his trousers nervously, his face grave. He said quietly, sadly, "Everyone dies at the end."

The trio looked at eachother in concearn while Remus smiled humorously, all be it, slightly bitter. "Morbid, I know." He chuckled slightly before he became sorrowful once more. "But that was Raven."

He eyed Harry, a strange glint in his eye. "And she was right, about that too."

Remus let his eyes drift to the golden bird cage that sat isolated in the corner of his best friends room. Isolated, like her. Perhaps it was kinder, that Sirius and Raven left when they did. Still young. Eternally together. They didnt have to suffer and Remus supposed Raven knew that. Raven Fawley wasn't golden. She wasnt anything correlating to something that was to be delicate or admired.

The irony, that the golden bird cage was a reflection of herself- a worthy possession of her dammed soul. Literally.

The older man looked back to the three teenagers that were sat infront of him. They were eagerly listening, innocent still. He wondered if Raven and Sirius were ever that innocent. He continued speaking,

"She had many secrets- and Sirius Black wanted to figure out why."

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