Fire flashed before my eyes as I barely dodged it, accidentally flying into a levitating pew in the process and cutting open my arm. I took no notice, using all of my energy to try to save myself from this situation, but I knew that I would lose in the end, one way or another. Spells shot out of my wand, and I wasn't aware which ones they were. It was like my instinct was taking over, doing whatever it took to save myself. But as every adult shot fire out of their wand, each bolt hit me, burning the ends of my hair. The spells tore through my skin, the sensation feeling as if my insides were burning. My vision went blurry for a second, but when my eyes adjusted it seemed as if the ground beneath me was rising, meeting my body forcefully. I groaned, sitting up and gripping my head.
I looked up to see that Harry was approaching me slowly, his wand raised. I scampered away desperately, like desperate prey knowing that I was going to be killed in a matter of seconds. I backed into a wall more forcefully than I would have liked. Harry's mouth was moving, obviously going on about my actions and how this would impact my life. Of how disappointed he was in me, and how I could follow in the steps of my parents. I tuned him out, focusing on my breathing like I had taught myself to do, but I couldn't calm myself down. Not this time. I looked down at my body to realize how torn up I was. Blood ran down the side of my face, and arm, and I was bleeding from my chest too. I watched as it dripped, and dripped, and dripped. God, I couldn't believe I was making such a mess.
I tried to get up, steadying myself on the pew I had been leaning against, just to be pushed back by Harry. Not in a forceful way, but it had certainly felt like it. My body ached and I started to realize the severity of the situation. I was bleeding out faster than I could care for, and no one seemed to notice. Surely Harry couldn't hurt me more than I already was. Surely Albus and Scorpius wouldn't let him, surely, even now, they would understand.
But then again... I had hurt them. I had tortured what I had called "a friend," murdered one of their classmates, and got them involved in illegal activity. I had betrayed them even after all that we had been through together. Even after every single Knut I had used on the two of them, after every single night I made sure they were safe before going to sleep myself, every single ounce of energy I had used to assure their safety, they had never, not once, checked up on me. Neither of them wrote to me without their selfish reason, not once had they asked about me. It was all about them, their life, and their struggles. Because I was the older one. The parent figure, so of course I didn't need their help. If only they had known...
Anger started to flow through my veins as I realized that I was there for them whenever they needed me, putting my needs down for them, risking my all for them. But that anger was soon replaced with guilt. I felt guilty about how I had manipulated, used, and taken advantage of them. Even though I was there for them, it was all for the sake of my reasons, my wanting to make friends, my need to know my family, and my father. It had never been for them. None of it. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to gag my sobs, not wanting to look weak, even now. But eventually, I couldn't take it anymore, choking as I coughed up blood, as a result of suppressing my sobs.
Scorpius rushed over to my side, placing his hand gently on my back as he used the other one to wipe away the tears on my face. He smiled gently at me, and guilt fell upon my shoulders as I looked up at the boy I had harmed as he tried to take care of me. I tried to shove him away, not wanting him to see me in a vulnerable state. I had to be strong, especially in front of him, but I didn't even have the energy to push him away.
I could hear a clock tick, and tick, and tick. The moments of silence never seemed to stop, and I thought I may have lost my hearing. "Well?" I sighed, looking up at Scorpius once again, doing my best not to cry. "Are you going to make this a little easier for me?" He didn't seem to understand, but I could see a slight change of expression on Harry's face. He had understood what I had meant. I quickly turned my attention over to him, desperate at this point.
"Delphi, what-" he started to protest, but I didn't want Scorpius to hear, so I cut him off with no other choice.
"I put your son in danger, got him involved in illegal time travel, and betrayed his trust. I have used him for an entire year, manipulating him to do whatever I wanted for selfish reasons. I think you have the right." It was all exaggerated, and I hadn't just used him for my reasons, but it was in Harry's interest for him not to know.
Harry just stared at me for a second, but my eyes pleaded, and he eventually nodded, knowing that it would happen one way or another. I smiled softly at him, nodding slightly as a final thanks. I turned to Scorpius and cupped his face in one of my hands. He looked at me confused but smiled at me. I leaned over, kissing his forehead. "I love you, Scorpius. I always have, and always will."
He looked at me a bit confused, but I didn't give him any time to ponder on it. With all of my remaining strength, I pushed him away from me as his eyes widened in realization. I quickly turned back to Harry and nodded.
"Avada Kedavra." The last thing that I saw was the look of horror on Albus's face as he watched from behind as his father murdered the girl who he had befriended. A pang of guilt was the last thing that I felt before everything went black. It didn't hurt as much as I thought, dying. It felt more like I was being born again, possibly into a new life.
I opened my eyes slowly, and it took a while for me to adjust. I looked around, recognizing the room I was in as a room in Malfoy Manor. The room in which I had been born. Rodolphus Lestrange had shown me a picture of it when he revealed to me my heritage. I tried to get up, but my head throbbed and I felt drained of energy. I just leaned against the wall behind me, wondering if I was even dead or not. If I had been, it felt more like suicide than murder. After all, I had asked him to kill me. If I hadn't, I would have died a more painful death, but it would have been fair for me to suffer. For me to learn of the pain that I had put others through. But I couldn't change it, no matter how hard I would wish. So I just gave up, sinking lower as I tried to push back the tears in my eyes.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching the room. Maybe I had made too much noise. If it was Draco who was coming to check up on me, I would have been done for. Even if we were related, he wouldn't see me as anything but the girl who had tortured her nephew. His son.
The door creaked open as I braced myself for whatever I would be met with. I was almost sure that it was Draco, so I prepared for physical and mental abuse, but it never came.
"Delphini?" A woman's voice echoed through the room and I opened my eyes to see a young woman with dark, curly hair, and she was awfully beautiful. Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Mother?" I tried to get up, but I couldn't and fell back. Bellatrix rushed forwards, catching me before I made an impact with the ground. She stared at me for a second as she didn't move her hand away from my back. My eyes were wide, examining my mother. We had the same gray eyes, the one she shared with Narcissa. She raised her hand and I flinched back, expecting to be beat for my failure. For my retreat.
But instead, she pulled me closer, embracing me in her arms, a feeling that I had never felt before. I didn't try to resist and fell to the ground, sobbing as she held me. She held me in her arms as she played with my hair softly, humming quietly. I settled down a little, and she pulled away, cupping my face in her hands. They were cold, but in a rather comforting way.
"Hon, why are you here? You're still so young..."
"I- I couldn't do it anymore," I choked, trying to stay calm. "I didn't have the strength to go on so I asked Harry... I asked Harry to..." Bellatrix's eyes turned teary as she looked at me with such pity.
I could tell that she was at a loss for words. She embraced me again and I buried my face into her chest as she rested her hand gently on the back of my head. She hushed me, and finally pulled away after a few moments.
"Stay strong, love. I will always be with you." And with that, everything started to fade away. The walls, the floor... my mother. I panicked, not knowing what was happening. I screamed in sorrow, burying my face in my hands, not wanting to look up. But someone embraced me from behind. My eyes fluttered open, hoping it was my mother. I looked behind me to see gates as white as pearls waiting for me. Heaven. The place I had always longed to go. There in front of me stood Severus Snape, the double agent. The man who had fooled my father, the one who had helped Harry Potter to win the wizarding war. He had made it to heaven, and so had I.
"My mother. Where is she, where is my mother?!" Snape frowned at me, genuine concern showing in his eyes.
"That was a test. A test to see if you were worthy, and it was found that you are. Your mother... she didn't pass when she first came." I knew what he was saying, but I wanted to refuse to believe it. No... my mother wasn't that bad, it was all because of her stupid parents. But I knew that no matter what I said, I would not be able to change the rules, my voice meaningless once again.
And I exited my life the same way I entered: crying.