it all ends with us: ruins

052

Chapter Fifty-Two:

"You always put others before yourself, for once I wish you had put yourself first."

It was the first week back at Hogwarts after the whole ordeal. The Slytherin's acting as stubborn as ever wearing their masks of steel. No emotion ever shown, just the monotone and ambiguous smile worn loosely. Atlas had noticed how withdrawn they all were, aside from Blaise. All of their eyes had sunken in and they were all cursed with sickly pale skin making them look like malnourished Victorian children.

The young Lennon had recognised it was time to start her plan but she was more nervous than ever. She had developed it quite a bit since the first day she had thought of it. Hallie Rivera's voice is still echoing in her head. She knew consuming large amounts of black magic would never work out well in fact it could even kill her but that was the least of her worries.

Atlas was no saint. She never claimed to be good, she never claimed to be pure. Her and Harry were different in that way. While Harry sought to defeat evil without actually hurting the opposition, Atlas would do whatever it would take to keep others safe. Even if it meant killing Voldemort. It meant that other people didn't have to sacrifice themselves in order for good to come.

Although it hadn't been long since the Christmas ordeal, there had already been another attack. An elderly couple linked to helping Dumbledore in the first world war were brutally hurt, leaving one dead and another in St Mungo's. The group had gathered in Pansy's dorm to discuss the future plans the death eaters had and the tasks that the young Slytherin's had been burdened with.

"It's you they want, Atlas." Pansy admits. "They want you on their side."

"Pansy." Theo scolds, his overprotective side seeping out.

"It's true Theo, I know you want to shelter her but this is not the time." Pansy sighs. "It's you or Harry. But you're their first option, the heretic with uncontrollable powers."

"Right." Atlas nods.

There were a few moments of silence before the pieces started to click in Atlas's head. It was like a lightbulb going off. She wore the grin of a Cheshire cat on her face which made the others turn to look at her in worry.

"Why are you smiling like that love? You're going to scare the kids." Theo jokes.

"What if we give them what they want?" Atlas ponders.

"Where are you going with this?" Blaise asks in his brotherly tone.

"If it's me they want; why don't I offer myself up." She suggests.

"Like a sacrifice?" Lorenzo ponders.

"That's utter bullshit. It's like chucking a deer into a lion's den." Theo scoffs.

"No it's like chucking a hippo into a lion's den." She corrects him.

"What's the difference?" Theo questions.

"A hippo can easily kill a group of lions." That statement came from Kiera's mouth who had been awfully quiet since the group had gathered.

"You're not the hippo Atlas, as strong as you are there is no way you can take on that monster." Ren informs her.

"I'm not as strong as them yet. But just hear me out." Atlas convinces them.

"We are always told to fight evil with good, it's embedded into our heads from such a young age but where has that ever gotten us? What good has come out of it. Why not fight fire with fire, evil with evil? It would make the fight equal and also level the playing field."