The Other Side: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Part II Chapter XV

Lana sat on the couch in the drawing room, fast asleep, a book in her hands. Little People, Big Plans was written across the cover in gold lettering that shined in the firelight.

            Her black hair fell around her face in curls, her chest rose slightly with every gentle breath, and her legs were pulled close as if she'd been holding her book against them.

            Cedric had given her the book to read. There was nothing else to do; apparently television had been abolished when the Dark Lord took over. Though he said it would be incredibly dull to her, it was more interesting than she'd expected. Its characters were all wizards, living the way wizards would.

            She'd read more than half the book already when she'd fallen asleep. She dreamt of her mother and father, of Kayla and her friends back in Manhattan, her Aunt Valeria and Uncle Rodger. What had really become of them? Her friends might not even exist, but her parents and relatives would've been around before the Dark Lord took control; they had to be somewhere in this messed up world.

            The screaming of Walburga Black woke her. Folding the corner of the page to save her spot, she put the book down and stood. She still hadn't changed out of her gray cotton shirt and jeans.

            I'll ask Andromeda if I can use the shower, she decided, and, hugging herself, she stepped across the drawing room to the hallway.

            "My son!" Walburga cried, "My son!"

            It was nothing like the usual screams. Since the time she'd woken up, Walburga had broken into hysterics more than a dozen times, and it was always the same things: dirty Mudbloods, horrible muggles, disgusting blood-traitors. These screams, though, were more like wails of despair.

            Hesitantly, Lana went down the stairs. She could see all the refugees crowded in the dining room. Andromeda was in tears beside Sirius, who seemed to be fighting back sobs. Snape stood across from them, holding his Death Eater mask at his side. Cedric saw her coming down and rushed to her side.

            "What's happened?" Lana asked.

            "It's Regulus," Cedric replied, "He-"

            "Why didn't you do anything?" Sirius demanded furiously, his voice cracking. He was glaring at Snape, and his fists were clenched so tight on the tabletop that his knuckles had gone white.

            "Me?" Snape asked incredulously, "What could I do?"

            "Something!" Sirius shouted, "Anything!"

            "There was nothing I could do!" Snape exclaimed, "I would've done anything I could to help, but there was nothing."

            Sirius bolted upright and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Nothing you could do? You had your wand, didn't you? You were staring right at him, weren't you? One curse, Snivellus, that's all it would have taken! And there was nothing you could do?"

            "Bosh!" Andromeda wailed.

            "If I had killed Voldemort, our entire operation would be destroyed," Snape said through clenched teeth.

            "How so?" Sirius asked, "Our worst enemy would be dead. As far as I can tell, that's a good thing!"

            "We would have thousands of Death Eaters against us," Snape growled, "They would kill us all and elect a new leader."

            "The Death Eaters are idiots!" Sirius exclaimed, "They would never know what to do! They'd be lost and confused without their Dark Lord!"

            "Perhaps most of them, but you should know that certain Death Eaters, specifically your cousin, Bellatrix, are not stupid and will continue the empire. Then everything we have worked for would be in ruins. We have to learn as much as we can about Voldemort's plans, and I'm the only one of us who can do that."

            "Albus," Sirius said, "You agree with me, right?"

            Dumbledore rose from his seat beside Regina, who was next to Snape. "I agree," he said, "With Severus."

            Sirius looked at him incredulously. "You're joking."

            "The only way we can hope to stay alive is by understanding Voldemort," Dumbledore explained, "If he is killed, the Death Eaters will go on a rampage."

            Sirius stared at them disgustedly. "My brother is dead."

            "He died honorably," Dumbledore murmured, "You heard Severus. He was brave through the end."

            "That doesn't change the fact that he is dead." The final word cracked and Sirius's face screwed up in his struggle against tears.

            "Sirius..." Andromeda sighed, "Nothing can change that. What's done is... done." She took a deep breath. "Severus did the right thing. I will not hold this against him."

            "You're all insane," Sirius said, "My brother-your cousin!-is dead. Gone. Digested by a giant ugly snake."

            "Sirius, in times like these it's best to remain calm," Andromeda said.

            "Remain calm?" Sirius rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "Fine. You all remain calm, you all be happy and forgiving, and I'm going to go mourn the loss of my brother." People moved out of the way as he stormed around the table and out of the dining room.

            As he moved for the stairs, Cedric stepped to the side, but Lana stayed and lightly touched Sirius's arm as he rushed by.

            Sirius looked back at her with sad, grey eyes.

            Lana gulped. "I'm sorry."

            He continued to stare at her for a moment, before looking away abruptly and hurrying up the stairs and out of sight.

            Everything was quiet for a moment; even the portrait of Walburga Black. Then one refugee let out a squeal of despair, and suddenly everyone had tears rolling down their cheeks.

            "It's so hard when we lose someone," Cedric whispered, "I've been around here for awhile, and I would know. We've lost so many innocent lives... but there's never been anything like this."

            "Everybody loved Regulus," Lana said, "And now... he can't actually be gone forever. Can he?"

            Cedric stared at her. "Magic and miracles aren't the same thing, Lana. Regulus is dead. There's no coming back for him."

            She had nothing to say. She'd never known anyone who'd died before... her grandparents had died before she was born. Kids at her high school had been in car accidents or gang fights, but she didn't really know them. The idea that she'd seen Regulus only last night, that that was the last time she would ever see him, was shockingly disturbing.

            "Should someone go make sure he's okay?" she asked, her voice shaking a little.

            "Normally everyone goes their separate ways," Cedric said.

            "Well, his brother doesn't die, normally," she reminded him, "I'm going to find him."

            "It's best to leave him alone when he's in one of his moods," he warned.

            "This isn't a 'mood,' Cedric. This is serious. He needs help, and if no one else will provide it, then I will." At that she turned and started up the stairs.