To Fate They Fall || HP

CH: 8 - Truth & Grievances

Walking through the empty and cold ancient painting lined walls of Hogwarts gave Severus plenty of quiet time to ponder the past.

On a walk like this, He usually would've been out hunting for wayward students who thought themselves above the rules, relishing in the chance to put cocky children in their place -detention- where they belonged.

But not today.

Today as he walked, Severus thought deeply once again about a particular green-eyed child. A child who he treated like a spoiled brat. A child who was dead.

Harry Potter had been the bane of his existence since the moment the child walked into Severus's potions class.

And no matter how he looked at it. No matter how he painted the picture. He'd treated the child horribly. There was no way Severus could twist it in his mind to seem any different.

He would never allow himself to stoop so low as to cry. But Severus still felt the burden that sat like a weight over his heart.

There were no words to describe just how much he regretted his actions. How much he wished he could've treated the boy differently, given a chance to start again and knowing what fate had in store.

But what irked the wizard the most was the fact that no matter how much he regretted his actions, no matter how much he drowned in guilt, he'd never be able to right his many mistakes.

He did treat the Potter boy terribly. He was unfair, biased and made it purposely difficult for the boy to have progressed in his class.

Severus had abused his authority as a professor, and there was no fixing that mistake.

Except it was too late to acknowledge the mistake now. What happened in the past was only so, the past. And no matter how much Severus hated his decisions, he could never change them.

No amount of magic ever would.

It seemed as though he was stuck repeating the past. No matter what, he always managed to caused grief and sadness.

This night was just like that fateful night fifteen years ago, where he made his way to the Headmaster. To say that Lily and James had fallen at the hands of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. And that Harry Potter had survived, the Chosen One.

Only now, Severus had to tell the Wizarding World that their Savior was gone. And it was his fault. Despite what the blue-eyed coot insisted, he, and he alone, was at fault for Harry's death.

Severus's robes dragged behind him as he skulked through the halls. A dour, gloomy expression sat seemingly etched into his face. The sight of which would have sent any student running the other direction.

The clicking of his heels came to an abrupt stop as he reached the familiar griffin that stood guard outside the Headmaster's office.

"Jolly Jelly." Came the magic key, stated in a cold voice. A tone that made it almost impossible to notice the onyx-eyed man's inner turmoil.

With a deep grinding sound, the stairway to the Headmaster opened and began to rise. Severus stepped onto one of the bottom steps, riding his way to the top on the magical steps rather than walking.

The stairs grind to a halt just as Severus clutches his temples in mock irritation as if to make it seem as though he was more inconvenienced than distraught.

He wanted to wait as long as he could to tell Dumbledore the truth.

He needed to compose himself first.

Stiffly lifting his arm into a fist, Severus knocked sharply on the door. Choosing to keep up the angry facade rather than showing grief.

"Ah, Severus, come in, my boy."