ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ғᴀᴋᴇ → ᴊᴀᴍᴇs ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

↳ 54: IN THE VAST SECONDS

" SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME, STANDING
IN A NICE DRESS, STARING AT THE
SUNSET, BABE. "

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( Freya )

        I had never thought my day would go like that. Though, I never was the one to plan my activities except in given events. And I tend to be spontaneous and just go with the flow — as you all have seen how I make my decisions throughout the past year and a half — what happened still, may I say, caught me off guard.

         It was funny how life does that to you. One minute I was preparing to send off my gifts to my friends and to Dad and Froyce, the next, I was struck by something that pierced my chest.

         I had just finished writing a letter to James that time — the
person I decided to give a gift to the last minute — when I heard a crash downstairs. Noir hissed, jumping up to my lap in fright. I dropped my quill and used the necklace James gave me to press weight on the parchment with my letter so it wouldn't fly away. I gently picked up Noir and laid him down on the floor. I pet him once and told him, "Stay." I'm not sure he understood — we never got that far in training. But he didn't move. Probably because he was afraid.

         Let me just say, for the record, it was stupid of me to go down there without taking my wand. But to my defense, I didn't expect to find a man prepared to murder me and my mom. And even if I did bring my wand, I don't think I would've done any good.

        Halfway down the stairs, I saw the door wide open. That's when I started to have a bad feeling. (But, apparently, not bad enough to have me scrambling back upstairs to take my wand.) I moved more quietly after and then gently closed the door.

        I wanted to call for my mom — the house was unusually eerie. But instead, I walked to the living room. It was empty and the stereo was playing a folk song I didn't recognize. There were no signs of glass or any other thing broken so I knew the crash didn't came from there.

        I walked to the kitchen and that's when I saw it. A man stood there. His back was on me. He was wearing a black coat and a black hat. For a moment, I thought it was Dad. And that the crash was from Mom telling him to get out of the house. My gaze lowered to his hand where he held a wand. And when my eyes went lower, I couldn't contain my gasp.

        There laid my mother, her eyes wide open, her mouth agape, and her body lifeless.

        The person turned around and I wished I could say who he is. But his hat was covering his eyes and I couldn't make any of his face except for the chilling and menacing grin he gave me.

        I wanted to move. I wanted to run. I suddenly was aware there was a murderer standing in front of me.

        But before I could move, he had already risen his wand, and said the words I didn't knew I would ever hear besides from class, "Avada Kadavra."

         I can't describe how it felt but it was similar to being punched in your lungs or in your kidney or in your heart or basically just any other internal organ. Just one big, juicy, and very painful punch. But it only lasted a second — maybe not even. I didn't have the time to decipher or cry from the feeling because the next thing I knew, everything was black.

        But in that small millisecond before my eyes turned dark, I saw it. It was true that when you die, your life flashed within your eyes.

        I saw Mary smiling shyly at me, tucking her hair behind her ear adorably. I saw Marlene and she looked mischivous. Then she winked at me knowingly. I saw Peter stuffing his face with chocolate and widening his eyes when he saw I had caught him. I saw Alice and Frank, arms around each other and waving at me.

        I saw Remus sleeping soundlessly on a sofa and stirring awake when he felt my presence. He rubbed his eyes and smiled sleepily. I saw Lily laughing and she pulling my arm, taking me somewhere.

        I saw Dad smiling proudly at me. I saw Froyce rolling his eyes but a small smile evident in his lips.

        I saw Sirius grinning at me. He looked down at me and kisses my temple.

        I saw James smiling lightly. And he was waving goodbye.

        And then I saw Mom. Her arms open and waiting for me to come to her.

        I did.

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If you have been paying attention,
you would've noticed I always placed
little snippets about Peter since
Act Four began.

In Chapter 42, I noted that
he was watching his weight and
Sirius made fun at him for it.

In Chapter 46, I made it known
that it was Peter who told Froyce
about Freya's career choice thus
making the siblings fight. It
was there when Regulus also
said the line, "I can't believe
only Pettigrew has a brain."

In Chapter 49, James and Freya
had heard two people whispering
outside the broom closet where one
was harassing the other to get his
job done and the other answered
that he was so close.

And in Chapter 51, I made sure to
have Peter arrive in between Froyce
and Freya's feud exactly when Froyce
was unguradly telling on where
the two of them will spend Christmas
together.

That was his first mission as a Death Eater.
The target had always been Fiona Merse,
in which Francis Merse had stated this being
one of his fears in Chapter 38. I emphasized
the muggle family killings and Death Eaters
had been targeting Hogwarts student's families,
to frighten Dumbledore. Thus, creating the
idea of the Order of the Phoenix.

And seeing how Peter was close to a bunch of
muggles and half-bloods, he had been asked
to do the favor.

Who was the one he was talking to and
the one delivering the message?
Regulus Black. And he was told
that he could pick anyone he liked.

And he picked Freya Merse for I made
sure to make it clear that she disgust him.
He didn't deem her fit for Sirius and he
chose her and he asked Peter to
get the information.