Growing up Pureblooded

Brief Respite

     After more dreams than he could count, Aries found himself standing in the Headmistress's office at Hogwarts. No one else was there, so Aries allowed himself to collapse to the ground and sob violently. He had just seen Sirius murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange, and all because Aries had been too stupid not to recognize a bloody trap when he saw it. Time after time since he had entered the dream-world, Aries had found himself in dire circumstances, but he had nonetheless managed to save the ones he loved more often than not. This time, however, he had been able to do nothing but watch as his godfather fell through the Veil.

     Aries told himself that he was being stupid, that it had only been a dream, the fevered imaginings of whatever sick person had created the pool, but it did nothing to reduce his grief. He had watched Sirius die in an attempt to save him from a trap into which he had freely walked. He had killed Bellatrix afterwards, of course, in the most painful way possible, and then confronted Riddle for the umpteenth time since these nightmares had begun. This time, powered by anger and sorrow, he had defeated Riddle, which did not occur all that often, but he knew that Riddle had not truly been destroyed. He could feel the Dark Lord's ongoing presence as Voldemort fled the Ministry to take refuge in his shadowy existence. It all came back to those effing Horcruxes.

     Aries struggled to his feet and looked around him. The office was quite empty – even the portraits had all abandoned their frames. In fact, the only item of any interest to him at all was a stone Pensieve that sat on the Headmistress's desk. Curious as to what he might find there, Aries gently touched the silver fluid.