scapegoat

01

It is the suppression of secrets that leads to ones greatest downfall.

Hidden away, concealed under false pretences, that be it through a little smile or perhaps a guarded frown, secrets are evident in even the slightest of expressions.

A shift in a story, or a change of perspective can reveal neither the truth or the lies of a person. Reading is what encapsulates this mystery, this eagerness in distinguishing fantasy and fiction.

However, the line is very thin. How can one truly understand the depth of a lie without understanding the circumstances of it? This was a problem Hermione Granger found herself consumed by. No one more that herself understood the severity of a lie, even if it was made in a reassuring way.

She held onto that fact, engrained it into her mind whenever she second guessed her choices in forming a secret.

She'd told herself it had ben good to lie to Harry when Ginny lay dying, it had ben good to reassure him of her well-being despite the opposite effect taking place. It had been a good lie. Had it not?

Her reassurance of love for Ron. That had been a good lie. His feelings had been spared but at the expense of her own dwindling ones. The lie had been good. Had it not?

Reassurance was all one needed. And who was she to take that away from someone? But the guilt, oh the guilt, it would eat away at her, gnawing at her mind until she'd wake screaming into the abysmal emptiness that was her room.

She'd gasp, tears streaming down her face, apologising to the dark until it consumed her back into a dreamless sleep that still managed to haunt her.

"You bleed on those who never cut you"

And then darkness.

—————

A redemption arc was something Hermione felt was most intriguing when she read muggle novels. The idea that a simple apology or an extra piece of information could twist and manipulate the entire story in favour of the antagonist.

It confused her as to why this trope was so common. Where was the story on the good guy turning bad? There were many more cases of that happening, so why was it that people loved the idea of a greater evil bettering themselves, despite their previous cruelty?

She'd never considered herself a hero. But she could see how easy it was to fall victim to the darker, crueler and perhaps easier way of lie that villains so commonly flourished in. She'd witnessed for herself how simple it was to slip away from your morals if it meant saving yourself, and if you were particularly noble, saving others.

But if one were to say that perhaps these morals would still be lost without the salvation of yourself or others, it would be seem less viable that one would turn to such cruel methods out of choice rather than force, right? The idea of a scapegoat is what most commonly embodies this notion, this sad choice to be blamed for the wrong doings of others. You may wonder why? Why would anyone commit themselves to such a thing that is so unjust? It seems like a cowardly choice does it not?

But imagine a person so determined in avoiding death that they would do anything to breathe in another breath of air. Albeit the air may be dirty, but still, it would be air that would then be pumped around their body and hence keep them alive.