Chapter 1
Falling.
Falling.
And falling.
Harry wanted to scream. Scream so loud that all of the pain infested in her would leak out. But she was so tired. She was so so so tired. Dad dad dad, I wanna go home. I wanna go home, please. Please. Mom. Help me. HelpmeHelpmeHelpme.
This wasn’t death.
No. Death was an amalgamation of a velvet curtain of light, pain, and finally letting go.
This eternal darkness was bitter and bleak and all so dark and cold.
Teddy’s disappearance pushed her off the edge. A lingering hissing voice remained in her head. A voice made her go mad. That she was a death magnet, a curse; who affected everyone around her. Her parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Moody, Snape, Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Dobby. Hermione told her that it was just her survivors guilt, that the voice was nothing but a tiny little hole, a hole where coldness and guilt existed. But Harry's heart wasn't warm enough to handle the cold. And so it spread. Like a disease.
And she was engulfed.
Engulfed by guilt.
By sorrow.
Not by darkness. No. She made peace with death and darkness once she learned that it was bound in duty to obey the light. The darkness becomes the silkiest, softest, of black velvets illuminated by heaven spun-stars.
The darkness was in her.
It is her. Yet when she was falling, she felt no reassurance. Her eyes, however, closed; embracing the nightfall as the curtains closed, holding her until the promised dawn.
An entire universal reversal was left in her wake.
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Her eyes opened up, chaos surrounding her. She snorted.
At Least some things don’t change.
She rubbed her eyes while squinting around and stood up almost immediately once she realised she was right in front of Hogshead, on the floor. She stumbled back before a person’s warm hand reached on to Harry's own and helped regain her balance by gripping it steadily. Harry's eyes widened comically as she looked at a young boy's worn out yet closed-off eyes with purple bags under them.
Sirius??
No. This was someone else. And besides, Sirius would never ever wear loafers. Especially not green ones.
“Are you alright?” He raised an eyebrow, his posh voice with a hint of a French dialect asked. Definitely not Sirius then. But then why is the resemblance so uncanny?!
“Uh...yeah, I’m fine.” She answered quickly.
She had gotten quite good at that.
Harry assessed his features and still couldn’t figure out exactly where she had seen him. “Are- are you by any chance related to Sirius Black?” She hesitated as his face hardened; she realised that it was the wrong thing to say. “Its-it’s just that you know….you look a lot a like and-”
“Yes. He was my brother.” He cut off, his lips pursing irritatedly. This time Harry had choked on the non-existent air around her.
Brother?! Then it hit her.
He had only one brother. RAB. No brothers that were alive, they weren’t even on the tapestry. And the tapestry is always right.
“What’s your name?” She demanded, then breathed out and apologised, “I’m sorry. I just- I didn’t think he had a brother but the resemblance is uncanny. My name is Harley…... but- you already know that.”
He shook his head, looking at Harry weirdly. “No...but you should already know about me. I am Regulus, Regulus Black.”
Harry snorted at his phrasing, “I am James, James Bo-” She didn’t continue what she was going to say because her jaw dropped as she took in what he said.
Jesus Christ. Gold help me. What did I get myself into now?!
“Didn’t you say your name was Harley?” He questioned, his face in genuine confusion.
She stared at him, her breathing quickening as she frantically paced around. “What did you say the year was again?!”
His eyebrows furrowed, “I didn’t but, it’s 1980. I suppose you knew that already.”
1980 1980 1980.
Harry's head was banging and her body felt sore all over. The cold wind gushed over, making her tremble.
Her eyes traced the ground as she fell on her knees, her hands scrambling everywhere, just in hopes of finding a time turner so she could go back and pretend this never happened.
Bad things happen to wizards that meddle with time.BadThingsBadThings.
God please. I've had my share of bad things. I don't want anymore. Please. Pleaseplease.
Just let me go. letmego.
Regulus stared at Harry bemusedly. “Are you sure you're alright? Severus was just here, I’m sure he could check if something is wrong, make one of his potions or something.”
Her head snapped everywhere looking around. This could not just get any worse.
“Oh. There he is.” Regulus pointed over to Snape who was putting his ear on the door, eavesdropping.
Oh lord. Where, just where has she seen this before?
Regulus scrunched his nose in distaste at Snape but she took no heed, she had to stop it. Harry didn’t know why but she had to. Maybe it was her saviour complex or her 'survivor's guilt', she didn't care, she just had to.
There was this indescribable urge as she ran there.
Harley? Harley?
There was a loud ringing in her ears as she screamed, trying to muffle their voices. Snape snapped his head at Harry in fear and rage as there was a creak.
They turned around, only to see the door opening to Dumbledore assessing them with wide eyes.
Something was wrong.
Snape wasn't supposed to be found yet. Dumbledore took one look at them and even though everything that was supposed to happen went down the drain, she certainly didn’t expect a bright blue light to hit all three of them, the darkness once again overtaking her senses, making Harry feel safe in the shields of it’s dark duvet.