When the Light Goes Out - PART 1 & 2

PART ONE

Harry let out a little grunt and was suddenly alarmed when he heard a small ticking noise from inside whatever he was trapped in. It was very close to his ear.

"Don't move." Said a voice. "Be very still." It was slightly raspy and Harry realized it had come from the man sitting before him.

"It's a springlock suit." The man explained calmly, "Built specifically for both an animatronic and a costume. There's a tool employees use to crank the springlocks, moving the animatronic parts away to make room for a person to fit inside."

Harry quickly summarized that the man had knocked him unconscious and trapped him the yellow bunny costume-hybrid. He had no idea what to do, so all he did was wait and listen.

"The springlocks can be set off by breathing on them, sudden movement, or moisture. And if they're set off... well, your body would be crushed by the animatronic parts." Harry's heart plummeted as the man ranted on and on, "Your lungs would fill with blood and your vocal cords would so shredded you couldn't even whimper. Bones would break and blood would pour from everywhere. And worst of all, your skull would crack and break, leading to where your brain would be stabbed to bits by the pieces of metal and it would be a slow, agonizing death."

So this was how he was going to die? By a springlock suit—which he had never even heard of—instead of dying... peacefully? Or going down fighting?

Harry was scared. He remembered the Veil and hoped that when he died, he would be with his family. He would see Sirius again... and his Mum and Dad...

He was struggling to keep himself calm as to not trigger the springlocks but could hear more ticking from them and it was getting increasingly louder.

Not daring to move his jaw, he muttered angrily, with clenched teeth, "What makes you think you'll get away with—?" But his words were cut off when Harry heard a rather loud SNAP! and a sharp piece of metal stabbed through his jaw, and he cried out, tears slipping from his eyes. His jaw was now stuck, held in place with the animatronic part that had impaled him.

He could feel blood trickling from the entry and exit wounds, dripping down his sweat-soaked shirt and pooling at his belly. He knew that it was only a matter of time until the rest of the springlocks were set off.

Through the haze of pain, he noticed the man standing and brushing dirt off his dark pants.

"Well," he sighed, "Looks like I don't need to do anything. This is my gift to you. Goodbye, then." He turned away from Harry, opened the door and stepped through. He paused before the door closed, stared at Harry who stared defiantly back and heaved a sigh, almost as if he regretted killing him. He closed the door with a soft snick and Harry was alone. Alone with the sounds of the loosening springlocks.

Tick tick tick tick...

SNAP!

He let out a groan when he felt the animatronic parts snap into his legs and pulverize them. One by one, the parts began to loosen and snap back into place as he felt all the blood pooling around him. Strangely, the pain seemed to be lessening.

He closed his eyes and thought of his friends. Thought of Hermione and Ron. He'd never see them again, unless they somehow found him... But he would see his mum and dad again. He tried to quench the fear that gripped at his beating heart.

He hoped death really was the next adventure, like Dumbledore had told him. He hoped Voldemort wouldn't take over and cause anarchy. He may have been the Chosen One, but now someone else had to take the throne.

He was already drowning in his own blood when the rest of the springlocks loosened.

Tick tick tick tick...