Heart of Darkness

Chapter Fifteen

1981

I woke up one morning to the doorbell ringing. I opened the door to see a cute little puppy with a note on it's collar.
Angie,
Sorry about your last puppy. Hope this makes up for it.
Forgive me, please.
Love,
Tom
Could I really keep a dog from Lord Voldemort?
Then again, it was just a puppy.
I picked the puppy up and brought it inside. "Now, what to name you?"

The last time my doorbell rang at three in the morning, it was Voldemort, so I wasn't too thrilled to open it this time.
It rang again, though, so I got up and opened it.
Sirius was on my doorstep, pale and shaking.
"Merlin, Sirius, what's happened?" I demanded, my heart beating at an unnaturally high rate.
"He killed them." He said shakily.
James and Lily. Voldemort killed them.
"Hagrid got Harry." Sirius pressed on. "I wanted to take him, but he wouldn't let me. But Harry's okay. They're sending him to live with Lily's wretched sister. James and Lily are dead, Mom.... James is dead..."
I couldn't cry, not with Sirius here like this.
Then there were three.
I couldn't say anything. I couldn't think of any words.
"Mom, James is dead." Sirius repeated. "Mom." He started crying. "Prongs--He's... Help me."
I wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, baby." I kissed his head. "Come inside, okay? You'll be okay."
"I have to go find Peter." He half growled.
Then there were two.
"No. Don't get yourself in trouble, Sirius. Come in."
He shook his head and turned to leave, but I pulled him back in.
I hugged him again, crying now. I couldn't help it.
Shortly after, the doorbell rang again. I opened it to see Remus.
"They said Voldemort's dead." He told me.
"It's about time." I choked out.
"Hey, mate." Sirius said from behind me.
I cried harder as I watched them hug.
Maybe it was good I hadn't had friends. It seems to cause a lot of pain.
I was going to kill Voldemort if it was the last thing I did. He was going to fucking die.

I took the puppy to the animal shelter the next morning. I couldn't keep him.
When I got back, Remus was crying again. "Sirius is in Azkaban." He informed me.
"Sirius is where?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him go. I--"
"Hush. It's not your fault. What happened?"
"He killed Peter. And twelve Muggles."
"He wouldn't have."
"That's not what the Ministry says."
Now there's one.
We sat in silence while the rest of England celebrated.

"Fix this." I demanded of Dumbledore.
"I've done everything in my power--"
"My child is suffering for something he didn't do--"
"There's nothing anybody can do, Angelica. I'm sorry."
"I think I want to work in the Muggle world." I said.
"As you wish. A position will always be available for you if you should decide to return."

So I became an animagus. So help me if I was going to let that poor boy be alone.

I showed up at Remus' on the next full moon.
"Aunt Angie." He said when he opened the door. "I... you can't be here."
"But I did something."
"What did you do?" He demanded, looking ready to bite my head off if I was going to be the bearer of bad news.
I walked inside and morphed into my animagus.
"Did you... do this for me?" He asked, shutting the door.
I morphed out of the wolf. "Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, it is what it is, yes?"
"Are you an angel?"
I laughed. "Far from it."
"I can't... I can't let you do this, Aunt Angie."
"I'm the adult here."
"I'm an adult now too. And I can't--"
"Okay, but I'm still older."
"I'm taller."
"I'm older." I repeated.
"I can't let you do this." He said. "I don't... I don't want to hurt you."
"I can make my own decisions."
I didn't see how those boys had done this every month; it was absolutely exhausting. It was well worth it, though. I wouldn't have it any other way.