Harry Potter One Shots

Purified

All rights belong to the author, SayaEvange

I watched as Kreacher apparated from the cave, the locket clutched firmly in his tiny hand. I couldn't believe that this was it. This was what my life accumulated to. This was the last moment of my life.

The angry monsters pulled me in, but my body was too weak to fight them. Weak; that's all I had ever been. I was too weak to see the lies my parents told; too weak to do what the Dark Lord wanted; too weak to tell my brother the truth.

Indeed, my life was nothing more than moment after moment of enduring weakness. How odd that I, the prodigal son, had only done one thing that took strength. I gave myself so that one day Voldemort would be nothing more than dust.

The slimy, decaying Inferi fingers scraped at my skin. I could feel my blood escaping through the wounds, but it didn't matter. There was nothing I could do.

In only seconds, my head was all that remained above water. I took a deep breath, my last breath. I wanted to savor the air, but the Inferi had other ideas. With a sharp tug my whole body was submerged. This would be my grave.

The water stung my eyes, but I resisted the urge to shut them. My eyes were the only thing I managed to have control over. I couldn't see, but closing them would mean it was over. Eighteen years that held no meaning to anyone but myself. My brother's life had more meaning than my own. That is how pitiful everything had become.

My mind became hazy as they dragged me deeper into the dark water. I could feel my body losing consciousness, but I had no energy to fight it off. This was it, my life was closing in. My eyelids felt like heavy iron weights and I continued to fight to keep them open. My thoughts drifted. How did it come to end like this?

"C'mon Sirius, leave it alone. Mum will have a fit if you break it." I watched, horrified, as my brother balanced our mum's priceless vase on two fingers. Nothing would save us if he broke it.

"Relax, Reg. You're the one who said I couldn't do it and look!" He pointed at his excellent balancing skills. "You owe me five sickles."

"Just put it down now. You've proved your point," I pleaded with him. Sirius rolled his eyes and gently set it down on the antique stand. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're such a pansy," he mocked as he reached out to ruffle my hair. "How'd my baby brother ever get to be such a mummy's boy?"

I flattened my hair. "I'm not a mummy's boy," I muttered.

"Oh yeah?" He punched me hard in the arm and I winced. "Prove it."

I threw a punch back, but he was too quick. In moments he had me pinned to the floor and was punching me in the chest and head.

"Stop it!" I yelled, but to no avail.

"Thought you said you weren't a mummy's boy?" he taunted. I tried to get up, but he was too strong and I was stuck.

"Sirius, what do you think you're doing?" Mum's voice screeched as she saw the spectacle. Father was behind her, the same stern look on both of their faces. Sirius immediately got off, but instead of getting up, I just lay there.

"We were just having some fun." He offered his hand to me, but I didn't take it. I was waiting for the punishment that was surely coming.

"You wretched, little bastard," she screamed as she marched over to Sirius. He stood tall like he was bracing himself for her wrath. Without warning her hand landed sharply on his cheek and she yelled more obscenities before Father gently stepped between them.

"Now, Walburga, I think that is enough punishment. They are boys after all. It is only normal for them to fight." He grabbed her arm and tried to lead her away, but he was too slow. Her slender arm reached around Father to slap her oldest son once more before allowing Father to take her to another room.