Reflections - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 17

Mattheo tiptoed up the stairs in the hall past the stuffed elf heads, he was making his way to his room, planning on being quiet incase Kirra was asleep, but as he approached the first landing he heard noises. Someone was sobbing in the drawing room.

"Hello?" Mattheo asked.

There was no answer but the sobbing continued and he quickly recognised the cries. He climbed the remaining stairs two at a time, ran across the landing, and opened the drawing-room door.

Someone was cowering against the dark wall, her wand in her hand, her whole body shaking with sobs. Sprawled on the dusty old carpet in a patch of moonlight, clearly dead, was Theodore. 

All the air seemed to vanish from Mattheo's lungs; he felt as though he were falling through the floor; his brain turned icy cold — Theo dead, no, it couldn't be —

But wait a moment, it couldn't be — Theodore was downstairs — "Love?" Mattheo croaked.
"R-r-riddikulus!'' Kirra sobbed, pointing her shaking wand at Theodore's body.

Crack.

Theo's body turned into Mattheo's, spread-eagled on his back, his eyes wide open and empty. Kirra sobbed harder than ever.

"R-riddikulus!" she sobbed again.

Crack.

Sirius Black's body replaced Mattheo's, his brown hair in knotts, a trickle of blood running down his face.

"No!" Kirra cried. "No . . . riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS !"

Crack. 

Remus Lupin. 

Crack. 

Dead Jasper Rowle. 

Crack. 

Dead Regulus Black . . . 

"little badger come on!" shouted Kirra, grabbing her and pulling her into his chest, holding the back of her head softly. "Let me do i —"

"What's going on?" Lupin had come running into the room, closely followed by Sirius, with Moody stumping along behind them. Lupin looked from Kirra to the dead Regulus on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his own wand he said, very firmly and clearly, "Riddikulus!"

Regulus's body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Fuck!" Kirra choked out, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.

"Em," said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her but Mattheo gave him a look telling him that he had her, earning a small nod

"Love, don't . . ." Mattheo held her closer as she was sobbing her heart out in his chest. "Love, it was just a boggart," he said soothingly, patting her on the head. "Just a stupid boggart . . ."

"I see you all d-d-dead all the time!" cried even harder into his chest, finally telling him. "All the t-t-time! I d-d-dream about it . . ."

Sirius was staring at the patch of carpet where the boggart, pretending to be Regulus's body, had lain. Moody was looking at Sirius, who avoided his gaze. 

"I'm sorry Sirius," kirra was gulping now, mopping her eyes frantically with her cuffs. "I'm sorry you had to see..."

Sirius just shook his head softly, sending her a sad smile, "its okay Em."

"Mattheo, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry you had to see all that" she said shakily. "you and our friends..."

"Don't be stupid," said Mattheo, trying to smile, "you remember what happened in third year when we had the boggart in class?"