Our curses and wounds

O N E

Theo was always a mamas boy. He loved playing with her hair as he sat on her lap when she did embroidery. He loved giving her compliments every morning when his father failed to. He loved to hear her calling him to the dinner table and he loved painting  pretty little pictures for her.

Theo's Mother loved him too. She called him all sorts of pet names. She gave him kisses. She cuddled with him. She even let him sit with her as she and her Friends had tea once a month, even though she told him the other kids weren't allowed to do that, and when Theo was five she died for him.

Even though Theo lived through that night he felt that he died with her. Never would he forget the sound of shattering Glas just outside his door. Never would he forget the sound of his mother screaming as she was fighting against the intruder that had gotten into their house. A wanted Death Eater broke in, out for revenge on his parents because they had lied to get out of their time in askaban.

When he finally got the door to peak outside, wondering what could possibly cause this commotion, they were just on top of the stairs across from where he was standing. He was just a few meters away as it happened. His Father was the first one to die. He was hit by a cutting spell, almost ripping him in half. There was no goodbye, no tears, no screams. One moment he was standing there and the next Theo was hit by splatters of his blood. Back then he didn't understand what he had witnessed, he just knew that nothing was going to be the same ever again.

He stared down at his silk pyjamas. The clean emerald material he picked out just yesterday together with mummy, was now stained with his Fathers blood.

Just then he was grabbed by his mother. She never tended to carry him anymore since he was to big now, in her opinion. Just like he should not sit to drink the tea, with the women she called "women of the sacred 28", at his age. But this time her carrying him was different, anyway. She was not in her usual glamours gowns he so admired on the women he knew, but wearing only her white nightgown, nor was she calmly walking. She was running towards the ball room.

The ballroom only used to meet mummy's friends. Maybe she was trying to serve some tea for the man running after them? Maybe she wanted to soothe him? Theo thought that was really unreasonable of her. After what the man did to his Father? Sure, his father sometimes hurt mummy and other times even him, but what that man did to father seemed not okay.

When they reached the ballroom, his mother barricaded the door, not only with a shield charm but a big wardrobe she levitated against the door. Seemed like mummy didn't want his company after all.

"I need you to trust me Theodore. Do everything as I say or the bad guy will hurt you really badly, can you do that for me sweetie?" she said as she got on her knees and cupped his cheeks with her hand. In the dark Theo could see the tears in her eyes reflecting the moonlight. It seemed to shine exceptionally bright that day.

Theo nodded in hopes that his mother wouldn't worry so much. "Do I need to hide, just like when father is mad?" He asked as the banging against the door got louder and more furious. "No questions, Theo. Just let me think!" Mummy never said things like that. These are things his father would say when Theo tried to talk to him. Or grandfather. Father was just like grandfather, always so impatient and mean and making Theo call him 'sir'.

When the door shattered with a loud explosion and splinters of old oak wood were sprayed everywhere his mother covered him with her body and dragged him to the big fireplace at the end of the room. "Now I know you hate the floo and the ash irritates you, but you have to trust me baby. You have to take the powder and say the words "Nott Manor" very clearly. Tell your Grandfather that Rufus came to seek revenge." With that she turned around just as the wardrobe exploded too.