Inglorious Bastards [Theodore Nott]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Morgan always kept a Memento Mori in his room, it was a reminder that death comes to all. Though his brother, Cedric, never found it as a poetic piece but rather something that would always cause his heart attack whenever he enters their bedroom, and he would always try to persuade Morgan to bring it down or place it somewhere he won't see the skull, but Morgan was insistent to put it at the shelf by their door where the lighting was perfect. Besides, he enjoys his brother's little shrieks, jumps, and yelp whenever he sees the skulls.

One night, however, just as summer began, the skull that served as a poetic icon and joke in their room began to plague Morgan's dreams. Like many of his dreams of fate, they were all fragments, all uncomprehensive until the day it is to happen comes. It starts with the skull bursting into flames – blue flames – and it would be seen at the top of a goblet. The shard would break by a burst of red and orange flame. And then from the smoke, Morgan would find himself underwater, and for some reason tied to a post, he would try to get out, but just as he was to let his ropes loose, the scenery changed and turned to a dark place, where henges were tall. Vines crept and slowly revealing a chalice. Looking into the chalice, Morgan finds a graveyard reflecting in the liquid content, there, he sees Harry Potter and Cedric, both confused, then the Dark Lord emerges, and a green light flashed. The liquid inside the chalice changed, it turned red, it overflowed from the chalice, and from how sticky it felt, Morgan knew it was blood. He wanted to let go of the chalice, but just as he did, he saw a face in the overflowing chalice. It was Cedric. He stood still, unmoving, pale. Dead.

And just as Morgan was to reach into the chalice for his brother, surges of fragments came, doves cut by their necks – one dove – two – five – ten – sixteen – twenty – fifty – seventy – a hundred doves, all their necks cut, and from their pool of blood emerged a stone. About to reach for it, a hand grabbed the stone. It was Cedric. And just before Morgan could say his name, Cedric stabbed himself with the sharp end at his heart.

Morgan cried out in horror at the sight of his brother repeatedly stabbing himself at the chest, never falling, never getting tired, never dying, but he could see the pain in Cedric's face. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Morgan begged Cedric to stop, but his brother would not, and continued to stab himself.

Morgan woke from his nightmare crying, he looked around and saw his brother at his side, holding him by his shoulders, his mother crying beside Cedric, and his father standing at the side looking sickly.

"Morgan, Morgan!" Cedric called for him. "Say something, please!"

"Ced?" Morgan turned to his brother. But just as he saw his brother's eyes, he remembered the stabbing. Grabbing his brother's shirt, Morgan pulled it open to find any trace of a scar.

"Morgan?!" Cedric panicked.

"Morgan, what are you doing?" Their mother cried.

Morgan did not answer as he continued to feel his brother's unharmed chest.

"You're okay, you're alive... you're alive," Morgan cried as he collapsed in Cedric's arms.

"Morgan!" Cedric held his brother.

"I saw you... I saw you... you were hurting yourself," Morgan cried. "You won't stop killing yourself."

"Morgan, you're scaring me," Cedric muttered. "What are you saying?"

"I saw something, but I can't tell you," Morgan cried.

Amos Diggory let out a frustrated sigh and left the room, Cedric and Mrs. Diggory slightly flinched at the sound of the bedroom door closing. Ever since Morgan was visited by Madam Solomon two summers ago, Mr. Diggory stayed distant from his youngest son. It was hard enough for him to have a son who transforms to a girl randomly, now, he must deal with a mad one!