Stay - Mattheo Riddle

The aftermath

Barty went on and on, talking about his escape, talking about how he would gain and loose control whilst he was under his fathers imperious curse. Spoke about how he had taken Harry's wand and how they had watched the death eaters at the Quidditch world cup. Spoke about his plans and deals with Voldemort... spoke about everything. 

 Then Dumbledore said, "And tonight . . ."

"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner," whispered Barty Crouch. "Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards."

The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side. Kirra looked at him in complete disgust, she didn't recognise the boy in front of her. She turned away from him, tears in her eyes and excused herself, she couldn't  be here anymore. 

She stumbled out of the room, her tired body begging her to just sit the hell down. She walked through the castles, everything seemed different now, the halls were dark and ominous, the magical spark flickering out. Death had returned to Hogwarts and she hadn't been able to stop it. 

A small, angry sob fell from her lips. She should have stopped this, she should have figured it all out earlier. She hadn't made it very far before her legs gave out from underneath her, her small, limp body crumbling to the ground. She didn't even bother to try and stand back up, she dragged herself to the nearest wall and sat their, her sobs echoing through the hall. 

She softly hit the back of her head against the wall a few times before hunching over and brining her knees up to her chest, crying into her knees. She felt so pathetic, so useless. She didn't know what to do next. Now that Tom was back, things were all going to go down hill really fast. 

The dimly lit Hogwarts corridor was silent, save for the faint echoes of distant voices and the soft, melancholic sobs that escaped Kirra's trembling lips.Her robes disheveled, and her once vibrant green eyes dulled by the weight of despair. 

She was alone again... 

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. She wished she could go back, make different choices, be stronger, be better. But regrets were heavy burdens, ones that seemed impossible to shed.

Amid her silent anguish, a small sound reached her ears, almost imperceptible. A soft, comforting bark. Startled, she looked up, her eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor until they landed on a familiar figure. It was a large, shaggy black dog.

Sirius padded over to Kirra, his tail wagging gently, and he settled down beside her. He couldn't transform back into his human self, not here, not now, but his presence was enough. His warm, brown eyes were filled with concern as he nuzzled Kirra's hand with his cold, wet nose.

Kirra's tears continued to flow as she reached out to pet her friend's furry head. "snuffles," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "merlin everything has just gone to shit."

In response, Sirius nuzzled her hand again, his eyes never leaving her face. It was as if he knew that she needed comfort, even if he couldn't offer her words of reassurance.

"I messed up, pads," Kirra confessed, her voice shaky. "I should have done more to stop it. I was just so angry and I wasn't thinking straight, I didn't act soon enough. I let everyone down."

The black dog pressed closer to her, his body offering a silent, supportive presence. Kirra continued to speak, her words pouring out like a torrent of pent-up emotions. "Cedric died because of me, because of my mistakes. I couldn't save him, and now Voldemort is back, and I don't know how to stop him."