Echoes of the Past

He laughed some more, but then froze, a strangled "Urk!" escaping his lips, and he clutched his chest, the bottle slipping from slack fingers. It shattered and spilled the contents everywhere, and the next thing I knew, Erroneous Hunch was writhing on the ground, face turning disturbingly purple.

Broken glass from the bottle dug into his arms and torso, cutting him up badly. The color soon drained from his face, and he began to twitch violently, trying to scream or make a noise other than the foul gurgling he was currently making.

For a moment, his eyes met mine, and they widened in realization, but it was too late. Erroneous let out a rattling wheeze and slumped, moving no more.

Cheap alcohol and blood was beginning to seep into the carpet and my clothes, and I staggered up, not wanting to get wet.

I looked over at Inky, who lay stunned on the ground, still dazed from the blow father had given him. I could barely move myself, so I simply staggered over to a cleaner spot on the floor and lay down.

Then, I opened my mouth and began to scream.

The Silencing spell around the room had fallen along with my father, and the door was instantly opened by my mother. Wisteria rushed in, and took one look at the scene before her before letting out a scream of her own.

An hour and several concerned neighbors later, and the Aurors were cleaning up some of the mess while a witch from Saint Mungo's was looking me over, my mother hovering at my side nervously.

"Heart attack," one of the investigators declared, his words drawled out without an ounce of sympathy. "Too much to drink, too much anger, too much stress… he was gonna pop a valve sooner or later. Not even magic could keep this guy's ticker going forever with all the abuse he put on it. Guess tonight was just too much of everything for him."

They'd scanned the body, of course. And checked the spilt drink for anything unusual. No traces of poisons or potions in either. Medical scans from the medi-witches confirmed it; Erroneous Hunch Senior had had a heart attack in the midst of beating his eldest son half to death. And since his loyal House Elf had been unfortunately incapacitated, there was no way to save him.

Tragic, but fitting. No tears would be shed by any of father's few acquaintances, and only mother would weep for him. Though she did that over everything. And I had a feeling these would be tears of happiness and relief, rather than sorrow or regret.

'Rudy might sob a bit,' I thought as another Episkey spell sealed up my split lip. 'And I guess Granny Hunch. But that's it.'

"There you go, all better," the nurse told me, giving me a faint smile. "You'll be right as rain when September rolls around. None of your classmates will know you were ever hurt!"

"He isn't, um, that is to say, Edward won't going to Hogwarts this year," Wisteria said softly, and the nurse tilted her head at that but merely shrugged it off.

"He's already had one, but I'd suggest another Calming Draught before he goes to bed. And if he can't sleep after that, an Elixir of Dreamless Sleep ought to do it."

Wisteria thanked the woman, assuring her she'd followed the instructions, and the witch departed the house, apparating away back to St. Mungo's.

After that, the body of Erroneous Hunch Senior was removed from his study, the blood, booze and broken glass magicked away, and a few rote platitudes were given before the Aurors and investigators departed.

And just like that, it was all over.

When everyone was gone, and Rudy was put to bed – under the effects of a Calming Draught himself – mother tucked me into bed herself.

'It feels like forever since she's done that,' I thought, smiling faintly as she kissed my forehead and turned off the light with a swish of her wand.

Before she left my bedroom, however, she paused at the doorway, and looked back, biting her lower lip.

"Edward, did you… did you do it? To him?" she asked nervously.

"I'm a Squib, mom," I replied dully. "How could I have killed him?"

She nodded, relief in her eyes, and she left, closing the door behind me.

I lay there, curled up in my sheets for a few minutes and stared at the ceiling.

"Inky?" I eventually whispered, and the House Elf appeared next to me. I'd gotten used to him over the years, but I couldn't help but shudder a bit at how his big eyes seems to glow in the dark as he looked at me.

"Yes, Young Master Error?"

"Thank you," I said softly. Inky didn't say anything, and I heard him disappear with a pop shortly afterwards.

'I suppose I'll have to get my stuff out of the bushes tomorrow,' I thought to myself. 'I really didn't want to have to rely on Plan B, but damn that man for forcing my hand!'

I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what was awaiting me in the future.