Chapter 4
In the end, Colonello’s slight mental breakdown ended up being good for him. He was able to release all his emotions and process them in the safety of Luna’s company. His little sister in everything but blood had given him nothing but support and love ever since he first met her originally in fifth year. She was always there when he needed her, whether he knew it or not. And now she had given him something else. Hope. A reason to keep going after his world was taken from him so abruptly. Without Luna…Colonello would have given up that first night back in the past.
It’s been three weeks since then. So far, Colonello would say he’s done a decent job at playing Harry. And that’s using Reborn’s standards, so Colonello was fairly proud of himself. Only Luna was aware that he wasn’t the same Harry Potter that boarded the train at King’s Cross. It was hard, not telling Ron and Hermione everything. He wasn’t sure if they would believe him. They weren’t the same people who had fought alongside him in the war against Voldemort. All the hardships his Ron and Hermione had experienced, these versions were innocent of. Colonello didn’t want to cause them to grow up faster than they already would have to. If he could protect their innocence even just a little bit longer, he would. Even if it made him feel more alone than ever.
Colonello settled into his new routine with relative ease. He would wake up in the early hours of the morning and head to the RoR for training. He needed to get his younger body in shape, along with keeping all his old skills sharp. Not only that, but he needed to get used to his own body again. He had spent over thirty years as a toddler, so to suddenly be in a normal, albeit scrawny, body again took some adjusting. It would be a long time before he returned to how he was before the curse, but that was what his training was for.
Colonello would train until six in the morning, giving him anywhere between three to five hours for his workout, before returning to his dorm and showering. By the time he was done, his roommates would be beginning to stir and it was time to act like Harry. He would go to his classes and spend the rest of the day hanging out with Ron and Hermione. Sometimes Neville even joined their little group. Colonello would head to bed before the others, but not so much that it would be odd, where he would meditate until his dorm mates had gotten ready for bed themselves. Then he would grab the few hours of sleep he could before he was awoken by nightmares, causing the routine to repeat itself.
His days had become so utterly tedious and boring that Colonello wanted to cry. He had grown used to the hustle and bustle of his life after meeting the others who would become the Arcobaleno after Lal was asked to join their team that he actively wished Reborn was here to cause some chaos just for a break. Maybe he could hire the twins to prank someone? They were the only people he knew that could match Reborn in mischievousness.
If Colonello had been paying attention, he would have known better than to wish for chaos, because his infamous Potter Luck took the opportunity presented to grant his wish. But while Colonello wanted general chaos that would cause a few laughs, his Luck had other things in mind.
It happened during DADA. The boggart lesson. Everything started off well, with Colonello and Hermione earning points for Gryffindor by answering questions. Then they got to see Snape dressed in the ugliest drag possible. A sight Colonello had gleefully seared into his memory once more. However, following that was the rest of his class’ turn to face the boggart. Turning their fears of spiders, clowns, and various other innocent things into something funny. But then it was Colonello’s turn. He assumed his boggart would be a dementor again, or maybe even caffeine withdrawn Reborn during that one mission Colonello refused to think about while sober. Having been through everything he’s survived, there wasn’t much that really scared him anymore, so whatever form the boggart would take was a mystery to him like it was to everyone else. Colonello regretted his curiosity immediately.
His boggart was Lal. His beautiful, perfect Lal was looking directly at him and smiling widely. Her eyes shone with laughter as she caught her breath. All of a sudden her entire demeanor changed, having seen something Colonello didn’t. Lal lunged at Colonello, pushing him to the ground. He hit hard, knocking his breath out of him harshly. Lal was laying on top of him and Colonello knew instantly that something was wrong. There was a warm, wet sensation spreading across his chest and Lal’s breathing was shallow and fast. She had been shot, taking a bullet that was obviously meant for Colonello. All his years as a soldier told him without a doubt the wound was fatal. Not even Reborn could save her now.
Colonello sat up, clutching Lal tightly in his arms. “No no no. Don’t do this to me Lal. You’re going to be okay,” Colonello begged, feeling tears start to swell. Lal couldn’t die. Not for him.
Lal coughed weakly and Colonello watched, horrified, as blood escaped the corner of her mouth. She reached a shaking hand towards his face. Colonello grabbed it and held it tightly, shaking his head at her.
“You can’t die Lal,” Colonello whispered. “Not for me.”
“I’m just happy I was able to…save you this time,” Lal gasped out, smiling gently at him. Her hand went limp, supported only by Colonello’s now. “Love you Colonello…Sorry I was too…stupid to realize…sooner.”
Colonello choked back his sobs as Lal’s breathing came to a shuddering stop. Her body went completely limp and Colonello felt himself shutting down. Lal was dead. He had gotten her killed.
Hands grabbed his arms, pulling him away from Lal and wrapping around him tightly. Colonello found himself pressed against a hard chest, his vision blocked by black fabric. Behind him, another weight settled. There was something tickling his neck. Hair. Hermione’s hair. And in front of him were robes. The tie was undone. Ron’s then. That’s right. Colonello was back in the past now. He was in Defense class. They were learning about Boggarts. The Lal dead on the floor was just a boggart. It wasn’t real. His Lal was still alive.
Colonello took a deep, shaky breath. Without moving from the embrace and comfort of Ron and Hermione, Colonello waved his hand. The image of Lal’s corpse morphed into one of Verde wearing a dress. He was the only member of their team that just could not pull off a dress. He made a decent drag queen, but he couldn’t successfully disguise himself as female and be believable. Honestly, Colonello wasn’t sure what it said about the rest of them since they could crossdress effortlessly, but he wasn’t going to dwell on that thought.
“If you value your internal organs you better run now because I will get my revenge,” Boggart-Verde growled. Colonello found it hard to look away. It may have only been a few weeks since he had been sent to the past, but it’s felt like an eternity. There was no telling when Colonello would get to see his friends and Beloved again, but he knew it would be a very long wait. At least with a pensive he could store the memories of the time they spent together.
Colonello sighed and risked a glance towards his classmates. Ron blocked most of them from view, but Colonello could still see a few expressions ranging from confused to horrified. The ones that stood out to him the most though were the Slytherins. Malfoy was openly shocked, dropping all sense of pureblood etiquette to stare at Colonello with wide eyes and an open mouth. He looked like his whole worldview was just tipped upside down. A few feet away, a trio of Slytherins were staring at Colonello with unreadable expressions. Blaise Zabinni, Daphne Greengrass, and Tracey Davis. They were also looking at Colonello in a new light, but they also looked calculating. Like an interesting new puzzle just fell into their lap.
“I’m leaving Kora,” Colonello announced, not even bothering to contain his verbal tic. Remus could only nod, still stunned from the previous few minutes.
Colonello extracted himself from Ron and Hermione’s hold. He left without looking back, hearing his friends following behind him closely. Nobody saw them the rest of the day.