The Squib and the Werewolf (book 2)

91. What I Deserve

After crying in anguish over Remus's death, Raya fled from the room to seek solitude alone.
But she wasn't alone for long, as Harry soon found her hiding place, and filled her in on everything that had happened the day before.
He couldn't keep secrets from someone he cared about that much, and he even told her about Voldemort's Horcruxes, which he'd been forced to destroy, one by one.

Harry also revealed a conversation he'd had with Dumbledore when he almost died, about how Dumbledore had known all along that Harry was a Horcrux, so would have to die. Which greatly angered Raya, since she already hated Dumbledore for not caring about any of them.
And Harry had to tell Raya the bad news that Severus Snape had died, so she wouldn't be able to get her revenge on him.

"I can't believe that both Snape and Peter were taken from me, before I could get my revenge. I deserved to kill at least one of them, for what they put me through" Raya said angrily.
"Snape did save your life, more than once. He was the one who rescued you from the laboratory" reminded Harry.
He had seen Snape's memories in a Pensieve, so he knew of all the many times his teacher had saved his life.
"Doing one good deed doesn't wipe away a life of sin" said Raya coldly.
"Snape did a lot of bad things in the 1st wizarding world, I admit. But he did his best to make up for them, in the 2nd war. Neither of us would be here without him. He even tried to save Remus's life, during the battle of the 7 Potters. And without him leaving me the sword of Gryffindor, I wouldn't have been able to destroy any Horcruxes".

"Maybe in time, I could forgive him. But right now, I still hate him. However, his death brings me no pleasure, and not just because I wasn't the one to kill him. It brings me no satisfaction or joy to know he is gone... It's just unfair that I didn't get to kill anyone on my list. The noseless freak was on there as well, but I always planned on giving you the chance to kill him, as you deserved to, since he had personally wronged you more than me. I assumed I would get the chance to kill Peter or Snape, or even both. But it seems I will not have my revenge" sighed Raya.
"Not all the death eaters were killed. Some surrendered, and are being held prisoner" informed Harry.
"Yes, I thought I saw the Malfoy's in the great hall. The cowards" replied Raya.

"None of the Malfoy's fought in the battle. And Narcissa even risked her life to keep my secret, so I wouldn't be here without her. Which is why none of them have been arrested" admitted Harry.
"It takes a lot of guts to lie to the greatest Legillimens of all time. I applaud Narcissa for that" said Raya.
"The Malfoy's may be walking free, but there are some death eaters who will be transported to Azkaban soon... One of which is Jeremy Flint" revealed Harry.
"He's alive, here in the castle?" Questioned Raya.
"Yes, along with the other death eaters who gave up their wands and handed themselves over the aurors".

Raya stood to her feet, and removed a knife from her belt.
"I know you want revenge, but I don't think that hurting Flint will bring you any relief" continued Harry.
"Kingsley has been made Minister for Magic, and since he owes me, I'm sure he won't begrudge me killing one man" announced Raya, completely ignoring Harry.
"Please, don't do this. Killing him, won't make you feel any better" insisted Harry.
"That's where you and I differ, because I will not be at peace, until that man is dead. I will always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if he is coming after me. I have to to do this, to put my mind at ease, and allow myself to heal", before handing Teddy over to Harry, and making her way downstairs.

****

Since Jeremy Flint's crimes during the war, had been so terrible, Kingsley allowed Raya to visit Flint, provided she didn't do anything drastic.
When Raya entered Flint's temporary prison cell in the dungeons, the aurors guarding him left the room, so they could be alone.
"I can't believe you are still alive" commented Flint.
"The feeling is mutual" mumbled Raya.
"It's good to see you again, my little plaything. We had such good times together, afterall" sneered Flint callously.

Even though Flint was wandless and chained to the wall, Raya couldn't help but feel scared in his presence.
This was the man who had haunted her nightmares, ever since she escaped his laboratory.
She clutched her knife tightly in her hand, needing it for reassurance.
"Have you come to gloat, because I'm the prisoner this time, and not you?" Asked Flint.
"No... I am here to ask you a question" informed Raya.
"What makes you think I would ever answer your question?" Questioned Flint.
"You are going to answer me, because if you give me what I want, I will make your death quick and painless".

Flint frowned, "You can't kill me. I'm an unarmed prisoner. I surrendered!".
"So? Me, Adrian, Tabitha, and the other prisoners you tormented were unarmed as well. Yet you didn't think twice about hurting us" spat Raya.
"I didn't kill you though" reminded Flint.
"Tabitha died the minute she was taken from the lab, and me and Adrian nearly did as well. You also killed numerous Muggle-borns, so your hands are far from clean. I have pictured killing you a hundred different ways. I have imagined pulling you apart, piece by piece, and feeding you to rats. I've tortured you so many times, in my dreams, and every time it brings me joy".

Flint backed up against the wall in fear, "Y-you can't".
"I can do whatever I like. And there is no one here to stop me" informed Raya.
"You will be arrested if you kill me" replied Flint.
"No, I won't. The new Minister happens to owe me a favour, and has allowed me your life in exchange for my loyalty. I am also the godmother of Harry Potter, the boy who just saved the wizarding world, and no one says no to him. Not to mention the fact that I just lost my brother in this stupid war, which means that I am not the kind of person who anyone wants to cross. No one is going to deny me what I want, especially as revenge on you is something I am owed. This is what I deserve. And I will take my revenge".

"Please, I'll answer all of your questions. Just don't hurt me" pleaded Flint.
"I like you begging. It makes me smile... There is only one question I want answered from you. When I was taken prisoner, my knives were removed from my body by the death eaters who kidnapped me. Each one of those knives matters a great deal to me, and I would like them back. So, here is my question. When you falsified my death, what did you do with all my belongings?" Demanded Raya.
"I don't know" mumbled Flint.

Raya advanced on him, "You're going to need to give me a better answer than that".
"I honestly don't have the answer you seek. You didn't have your knives on you, when I took you to the lab. I removed your clothes and burned them, but I was never given your knives. You were tortured at the Malfoy Manor first, so I would hazard a guess that your knives are still locked in a room there, where important items that are taken from prisoners are kept. The dark lord liked to use the Malfoy Manor as his base of operations" admitted Flint.

"At least I have somewhere to start looking for them... Thank you for your honesty" Raya said quietly.
"I will try and be of any help I can in the future" promised Flint.
"That won't ne necessary. You won't be seeing me again... You won't be seeing anyone again" informed Raya, before plunging her knife into Flint's heart.
His eyes widened in fear and suprise, "You said you wouldn't kill me if I helped you".
"I made no such promise. I said if you co-operated I wouldn't cause you unnecessary pain. If I came down here and found you were still an arrogant, entitled psychopath, I would have drawn out your suffering. But you have just proved to me, what I knew deep down all along. You are just a coward. So, I no longer see a reason to kill you slowly and painfully. Especially as it won't bring me any joy" revealed Raya.

"Why kill me at all then?" Asked Flint.
"Because while you are still alive, I can never be free. I hate to admit it, but you destroyed my mind as well as my body, in that lab. You broke me, even more than Voldemort. So, I cannot rest, or move forward, until you are dead. If you are in Azkaban, I will always be worried that you might come for me. This is the only way I will be able to put what happened, in the past. This isn't about you, it's about me. And this is something I have to do" explained Raya, before withdrawing her knife, and allowing Flint to bleed out.

With the knife no longer stopping the bleeding, Flint was dead in less than a minute. And just as Raya suspected, it brought her no joy to see him unmoving body.
But despite this, she was determined to put the past behind her.
So, she placed the bloody knife on the floor, and headed out the door to find her family.