It was a full moon.
Regulus looked up. It was the last time he was going to see something as magical as the full, white, shining ball in the night sky. Darkness surrounded it and it still almost never failed to shine. Except on the New Moon of course. But it was fair, Regulus supposed, everybody had to take a break at some point. It was one of the only fair, one of the only regular things in his life.
It was funny how something as normal as the moon could keep Regulus afloat for so long. He wished, he really wished it would now as well, but it was a loosing battle. Pale hands clawed at him as he was dragged under, fighting, fighting so hard, to stay overwater.
The moon reflected in Regulus eyes as it fully appeared over the opening in the cave. And somehow, now, with the light in his eyes, he felt free.
He let go of the rock.
He let himself be dragged down.
He let it all happen.
He was free.
As soon as he was fully covered with water something strange happened. The hands stopped clawing at him, they just let him go. Regulus was sure he was dead.
Finally.
Regulus was sure it was all over.
Finally.
Regulus was sure he had done it.
Finally.
Regulus looked down and saw a tail instead of his legs.
Final- Wait what? That’s not what’s supposed to happen! Go back to the story now! The REAL story! You can’t just change wha-
The tail was silver but it shone greenish in the broken light underwater.
Underwater.Wait a minute-who are you? Why did you change my story? This is supposed to be Hurt/No Comfort. What are you do-
Regulus was still underwater. And then he died. Come on. It’s the story. It’s MY sto-
How was he able to breathe? Yeah, how? He wasn’t! He’s supposed to be de-
Regulus looked around. He could see clearly. That was quite strange. What was even stranger, was that he felt a weird tug in his chest. He felt he had to get somewhere, though he didn’t know where.
But the water seemed to know and it formed a swirl around Regulus, tickling him on his arms and his torso. His newly acquired tail seemed to move by itself when it set in motion. The swirl around Regulus turned into a wall of white bubbles and he didn’t know where he was.
He didn’t know what happened to him, or where he was going.
I don’t know where this is going as well, but I have to admit, I am quite intrigued.
When the wall disappeared the water was warmer and there were animals Regulus had only heard of in children’s stories. As he looked around he saw a cave, not to different from the one he had been in only a few seconds ago, though way smaller. There was another thing he saw, that was very different from the Horcrux cave. There were-
What was there? Maybe a monster that kills Regulus and lets the story continue the normal way?
Three girls, all with tails for themselves.
What???? NO! That’s not what’s supposed to happen! Oh, will you shut up? This is my story now! No, it’s my story. Not any more.
The three girls screamed. Regulus did too. What was he doing in a small water tank with three girls? What was he doing with a fish’s tail? What was he doing alive?
Good question.
Only now did Regulus seem to have grasped the absurdity of the situation he was in. But, as he looked up he saw the moon. The same as it had been in the other cave. The cave that had been supposed to be his grave. And it calmed him down. It helped him. It was soothing. So, Regulus to a deep breath and slowed his heartbeat down.
“Hey, calm down. I’m just like you. I’m a mermaid”, he said but the girls didn’t stop screaming.
He tried to continue anyway.
“I’m Regulus Arcturus Black.”
The girls stopped screaming only for their expressions of fear to be replaced by scepticism.
“Like the guy from Harry Potter?”, one of the girls asked. She had a weird accent but Regulus didn’t care about that.
Harry Potter? Who was that supposed to be? His parents surely wouldn’t have named him after a POTTER. Of all people! No, never! Are you just breaking the 4th wall in MY story? Why? There’s not supposed to be a 4th wall breaking! You’re doing it wrong!
“Harry Potter like in James Potter?”, he asked in disbelief.
“I think that’s his Dad’s name, isn’t it?”, another girl said.
What? What was happening? James Potter had a child?
“Who in Merlin’s name is Harry Potter?”, he asked again and all three girls gasped.
“You don’t know who Harry Potter is?”, one of them asked.
“No, obviously not.”
“Erm, how about “One of the most popular series” like EVER?”
A series? About POTTER’S SON?
Regulus stared at the girls in disbelief.
“You will come with us and we’ll show you the books. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Harry Potter!”, one of the girls said. Before Regulus could even argue the three mermaids pulled him out of the cave and before he could comprehend what had just happened, they pulled him on land.
Still in a daze he was led to a house near the beach. Somehow everything looked different. When he entered the house, still with the girls, who had now, just as himself, turned back to regular humans, grabbing him by the arms, he was still trying to understand what was going on.
Was that what death felt like? Yes! Finally! He’s just dying right now, as it is supposed to hap-
They had reached a room, that was way to colourful for Regulus’ taste. One of the girls went over to the bookshelf and took out a thick novel-looking book. She flicked through the pages until she seemingly found what she was searching for and handed the book to Regulus.
His body turned cold when he read his name on the pages.
His blood froze when he read the letter he had written to Voldemort on the pages.
He gasped in shock as he read about his own death.
How could you grieve your own death, when you knew you were alive and well?
“What- What year is it?”, Regulus asked, scared of the answer he might reveive.
“2009 of course.”, one of the girls said.
You know what? I’m going to abandon this story. Do what you want with it. I’m out!
Regulus fainted.
When he woke up the three girls were leaning over him.
“Everything okay?” one asked.
“No.” was all Regulus could say, before he fell back into the void.
First he felt a blanket, then he opened one eye after the other. Again, the three girls were leaning over Regulus.
“What just happened?”, a girls asked.
“That’s- That’s about me.”, he stammered as he pointed at the book.
“Nah, you’re kidding, right?”
“I wish. Look!” Regulus held up the locket. He hadn’t realized he still held it in his hands, though, for whatever reason it was unrecognisable. Destroyed. Shattered.
“No way!” the girls gasped in unison. For some reason they seemed to feel the aura the locket had. It felt cold even though the room was warm.
Suddenly Regulus had an idea. If he and these three girls were all mermaids, then maybe they could use that power to stop Voldemort. He suggested the idea to them but for some reason they said it had already been done.
“What? Did Dumbledore succeed?”, Regulus was astonished.
“Well. Kinda. He died and Lily Potter and James Potter and Sirius Black and Remus Lupin and Fred Weasley and basically everyone else as well, so yeah.”
“Wait! WHAT?” Regulus couldn’t believe his ears. They were all dead. “And, what about that Harry Potter guy?”
“Well, HE was the one to defeat Voldemort. You know, the prophecy?”
Regulus was to stunned to speak. His whole world came crashing down on him.
“We have to change history ladies.” He could be the hero. He could use his knowledge gained from those books to defeat Voldemort.
He could finally find his place.
It was surprisingly easy to convince Ricky, Cleo and Emma, as they had introduced themselves, to come with Regulus. Maybe because they didn’t really believe him. Maybe because they had seen enough weird stuff in their lives. Merlin- they were fucking mermaids.
Either way, Regulus was glad. The next morning they went back to the cave he had found himself in the day before. Their mermaid tails glittered in the water and, though he would never openly say it, Regulus found himself quite beautiful. The silvery tail that replaced his legs made him feel free. It was calming. It had the colour of the moon. It was like a gift. If they hadn’t been in such a dire situation he would have spent the entire day marvelling about his mermaid-self.
He concentrated. It was like apparating really, only underwater. When he felt the swirl of bubbles coming he grabbed the girls arms just in time for the transport.
Instead of coming up in the Horcrux Cave they, for whatever reason, landed in the Great Lake, right in front of Hogwarts Castle. Emma, Ricky and Cleo gasped. It was currently the Summer Break and Regulus knew they had 4 months to destroy the Horcruxes. 4 months to change history. 4 months to defeat the Dark Lord. 4 months to save everyone. 4 months to save himself.
They had the books with them. The books, that held his future. The future he wanted to change.
To succeed he needed the sword of Gryffindor. It seemed to be the easiest way to destroy Horcruxes. It seemed to be their only chance. So, they had to sort the girls and hope one of them was a true Gryffindor. They needed one of them to be. It was inevitable.
Sneaking into Dumbledore’s office would have been the hard part.
WOULD HAVE BEEN
With the mermaids combined power they were able to break in quite easily and finding the hat was not to hard either. The problem they had was, as soon as they had put the Sorting Hat on Cleo’s head it groaned and wiggled in their grip, as if it wanted to escape. It turned out they should’ve given up when the Hat didn’t want to sort the first of the girls, but Regulus was desperate and so he didn’t notice the fog creeping up on every side of the room. He didn’t notice when it wrapped around him and the girls. Only when the hat suddenly caught fire and disappeared in a cloud of smoke did he look up.
Too late.
The fog exploded around them and catapulted them in to a dark void.
Stuck.
That’s what they were. Stuck in the void. Unable to do anything. Forced to watch the events unfold. Forced to watch the unnecessary deaths. Forced to watch Regulus’ death, but he didn’t really die. He was stuck. And he wasn’t going to get out. He knew as much. He also knew the girls probably regretted nothing more than joining him on this useless quest. He did too. The only thing that kept him sane was the moon.
It was always a full moon in the void.