☽☽☽
ATHENA WAS RIGHT IN THINKING that her sister would be good at looking after Hope. So far she was nearly as good as Rena when it came to calming the baby down or stopping her from crying.
Although the threat of the war was growing as they entered the month of May, Athena was rather enjoying the little household that they had created. She felt safe inside the cottages walls. With protective enchantments cast by Dominique, Aurora, and Remus she was sure that they didn't have to worry about anyone finding them.
She was also loving every moment of being a mother. It was something she was extremely proud of. Athena had survived a war, had a prophecy made about her, led many students to success yet nothing seemed quite as amazing as having her own child.
It was certainly an accomplishment. Never before had she appreciated mother's so much. This really put it into perspective how strong they all were. She found herself thinking of Molly Weasley and wondering how on Earth she managed to go through the pain Athena had undergone so many times. She was either very brave or very stupid, or maybe both.
Nothing much changed about Hope in the next month. Her hair grew slightly and she became less wrinkly but there were no major changes. Babies wouldn't talk for months after they were born but Hope definitely knew how to make a lot of other noises.
Athena was glad it wasn't just her and Remus looking after Hope. Of course it would have been like that in other circumstances and Athena thought to herself that they wouldn't have managed. With four people, the process of looking after Hope was only just manageable.
Athena did the most work considering that she was the mother but she was very grateful for the others around her always helping in any way that they possibly could.
Remus and Dominique would often take Hope out for small walks in her stroller so the young girl could get some fresh air. Athena and Aurora were still worried about going outside in case death eaters were lingering around.
As soon as Hope left the comfort of the house, Athena would feel on edge. Her and Aurora would try and distract each other by talking about the last few months but it never really worked. However Dominique, Remus and Hope always made it back to the cottage safely.
Athena never really doubted them. She knew both of them were very careful and would do anything in their power to protect Hope. Anyway, Hope needed fresh air and sometimes sitting in the garden wasn't good enough.
If life could have stayed like this, Athena would have loved it. Life was simple, even with a baby. For once, not everything in Athena's life was about the war. For a moment she felt as though she was worth more than the prophecy that had been made about her.
However, Athena had common sense. She always knew that she couldn't ignore her fate forever. Even at night when she sat with Hope in her arms, lightly singing her to sleep. She knew that this simplicity, this happiness was not what she had been intended for.
Athena was more than pleased about how her life had been since Hope had been born. She had wanted to savour the moments of being a mother forever but she knew she couldn't. There came a point when Athena had to face facts.
This war was killing people. Danger was all around and although she could shut up the doors in her cottage and ignore it, things weren't so easy for everyone else involved. Everyday that she ignored what she had to do, she felt a weight on her shoulders. Athena felt a sense of guilt as though she were prolonging the pain of everyone around.
It was people she cared about too. The Weasley's were all in hiding, waiting for all this to be over. Until it was over, Fred and George couldn't continue their business, Arthur couldn't get any money in for them, Molly couldn't see her oldest sons.
Athena thought about the students at Hogwarts. The Carrow's were torturing them, Snape was making the castle cold and cruel. Neville was injured having to hide to escape the pain that he was going through. This was all a product of the war.
Harry. He was out there risking his life constantly to bring this to an end. He was doing everything to save everyone else while Athena was sat in her home doing nothing. Harry's efforts wouldn't lead to anything unless Athena faced her fears and picked up a crystal ball. She knew he must be nearing the end of his quest. Somehow she just knew.
It was one afternoon when Hope was napping, Dominique and Remus were out shopping and Aurora was preparing dinner. Everything was perfect. The timing was right. Athena worried she would never get another chance like this.
She picked the crystal ball up from the bottom of her bag. Athena had hidden it's pearly glare under some of her clothes, hoping that she wouldn't be drawn to it's calling whispers. Even now she could hear it, as though a million futures were reaching out to be seen.
Athena held the crystal ball in her palms. It was cold, like a block of ice. She shivered as she held it.
As though the vision had been waiting for her all this time, images sprang to life. She saw the clouds in the ball twist into figures. She saw the colours of white turn dark. Athena stared into the future in fear. Never before had she been so scared to know what was to come.
The wisps manipulated into an image. Athena saw trees towering beyond her reach. They were in a forest. She was following someone. It took her a moment to realise it was Harry and her heart stared to race. He had walked into a clearing, surrounded by death eaters.
Even now as Athena watched the expression on Voldemort's face light up, she knew what was going to happen. She willed the vision to stop. She willed this to be the end. That way fate could be changed. However Harry walked slowly to meet his end. Athena could see that he had accepted it. He knew the truth. She doubted she would be able to tell him which meant that Snape had. She wondered if he'd enjoyed it.
"The boy who lived, come to die"
Tears filled Athena's eyes, she blinked them away so the vision came back into a sharp focus. Instead they traced her cheeks. It could still end before... she could still safe him.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Athena let out a soft gasp, green light flashed but before she could see the result of the spell, the vision ended. The crystal ball no longer held pictured of the future but instead retained a cloudy essence. Her heart was racing so fast, Athena felt that it could explode.
She hadn't seen the spell hit Harry. The light had flashed but there was no end. Fate had no yet foreseen what was to happen which meant that Athena's plan would still work.
There was a dull ache inside her, a million questions and too many reasons why she shouldn't go through with this. But it didn't matter. There was always ways around the problems. She would have to hope that people would understand why she did what she had to do.
There was no other way to save Harry, she knew that now. The magic she'd found could change the pathway of death. Harry didn't have to die and she knew now she couldn't let it happen. She couldn't stand back knowing the risk and do nothing. Athena valued her life a lot, she valued the love she had found a lot but she had lived a life, Harry hadn't.
His entire life had been war. He'd never experienced normality that he had always sought. Athena had promised him that one day he would have a normal life. When the war was done he would have a chance to not be the boy who lived but to be Harry Potter.
Athena cared a lot about the promises that she had made. Seventeen years ago she had sworn to Lily and James she would do anything in her power to protect Harry. Her words still stood and in Athena's mind there was no question of what she had to do.
But she would have to be fast.
She had no idea how long it was until that vision would come to pass. No clue how many days Harry had before his minutes were marked. For all she knew it could be tomorrow. For all she knew it could be now.
As soon as Athena had seen the vision, the war could end. That was always the case. It was as though she held the time of the war in her hands. As though it relied on her and now she had made it all possible, she had brought the war to a close.
If only she could choose when that close was.
Maybe Athena would have given herself a few more years to spend with her daughter. She wanted to leave Hope the chance of memory. At two months old, Athena doubted this was possible.
Dominique and Remus would be back soon. Hope would be awake soon. Aurora would notice she'd been upstairs for too long. All of these people connected to her, all these people who had no idea what she had to do.
Athena picked up the book she had hidden under her pillow and flicked to the folded page. There it was staring at her. The answer she'd found months ago. Part of her had always hoped she'd never have to use it but a larger part of herself knew that would never be the case.
"Rena!" Her sister called suddenly. Athena jumped and dashed to the door.
"Yeah?"
"What do you want to drink with dinner?" Aurora called back casually.
"Just water... thanks" Athena replied, shutting the door again. She didn't have time. It had to be now.
Athena dashed back and pulled the book into the light. She ran her eyes over the words. All she needed was an incantation. It seemed simple but she knew it wasn't. This was some of the hardest magic ever created. This was why not everyone did it. However Athena had always been capable of amazing magic. Always possessed a gift when it came to powers.
"Right" Athena stated with a deep breath as she gripped her wand in her hand, "right"
Slowly and surely as she started to read the words, she recited them as loudly as she could manage without Aurora hearing.
In finem, in fata decernere.
Quae vincit et moritur.
Rem autem hanc magiam
vobis volens perdere qui conceptus.
meey ut cet venerit hora eorum,
invocantibus eaque avertet.
She focused on Harry and only Harry as she spoke the words. As soon as she'd finished, her wand started to glow bright and hot. She could barely see it for the blinding white light that surrounded it. The pain on her palm was like fire but even then she did not let go.
Athena could feel this light rushing over her, containing her. She felt as though she were glowing. Words whispered in her mind. She could hear Harry's name being repeated. Soon the burning pain stopped and the glow started to fade.
Had it worked? Athena released her grip on her wand and stared at her palm. She let out a soft gasp as saw it. Her skin had been burnt like a brand. In the centre of her palm sat a circle with the picture of a skull and a flower. It was painful to the touch and also reminded her of the burning pain that she had felt.
Suddenly she felt the realisation rush through her. This brand marked a change in fate. This brand marked the fact that when Harry walked to his death, it is her who would fall. Athena had a life sentence now.
No one could know. She knew as soon as she stared at the brand. No one could be aware of what she had done. Athena tried not to think of Remus as she hid the book back under her pillow again. She tried not to think about how he would feel. She knew he wouldn't understand but there was nothing else she could do. Athena had to save Harry. It didn't matter who she left behind anymore.
There was a knock at the door and she turned to see Remus standing with Hope in his arms. He had that smile on his face, the one he'd been wearing for months now. At least he'd have Hope.
"Dinners ready" he smiled lightly, "everything ok?"
"Yeah" Athena nodded, "yeah it will be"
☽☽☽
A/n
Words - 2174
Published - 24th August 2021
I don't really
like this chapter but
oh well
also I know
Harry didn't die
even in canon
but for the sake of this
story he would
have done if
not for this sacrifice