Gideon Prewett, pensieve memory, August 1971
Name: Gideon Prewett
Format: Pensieve memory
Date: August 1971, summer holidays between Gideon and Fabian's 6th and 7th year.
Relevance: Gideon's worst memory, presented to Walburga Black on Walpurgis night.
Note: Thank yous and hugs to pre_raphaelite1 for the beta. ♥
It is the end of one of the last hot days in August, well past regular dinner time, and the beach, a tiny affair of sand and pebbles between ragged cliffs, is bathed in the light from the setting sun. The only humans on the beach are two grown boys, both on the verge of adulthood, but not quite there yet with their long hair and carefree attitude.
One of them is taking off the towel wrapped around his hips with nothing underneath and throws it onto the rock he had been sitting on a moment ago.
"Coming for another swim?" he asks the other boy, who shakes his head and remains lounging on the sand, propped up on his elbows.
"No, you go alone."
"Lazy sod," says the first boy with a grin, going to the side of the beach to climb up the rocks, evidently familiar with the way.
The other boy follows him with his eyes, a slight smile on his face, and sits up, tying the long, wet and tangled strands of his hair together with a bit of spare string. Afterwards he falls bonelessly back onto the sand, as if someone had cut his strings, and it's only a deep breath later that he moves again, stretching slowly and with obvious enjoyment.
Suddenly there's a loud cry of surprise, and the boy lying on the sand stills, listening with a frown.
"Fab?" he calls out. When there's no answer, he gets to his feet, wand in his hand. "Fabian?"
Still there's no answer, just the sound of the waves interspersed with the sharp cries from the seagulls, and Gideon goes to investigate. He climbs up along the same path his brother took before him, the frown on his face becoming more pronounced.
"Fabian?" His voice is louder now, and there's an earnest tinge to it that matches his quickening pace up the rocks.
When he's reached the top of the small array of rocks, not even half the cliffs' height, he looks around, peering over the edge down into the water. That is where his next call for his brother dies on his lips, and he stands absolutely still for a moment, his breath suddenly stopped.
In the water, there's Fabian, floating face down with his hair fanning out in a dark halo around his head. His body moves in time with the waves slapping against the rocks and washes over his back, which has long scratches running down it. They appear to be only superficial, but there's an opaque shadow spreading out under him.
Only a split second later, Gideon is galvanised into action, waving his wand at his brother with a hissed Wingardium Leviosa and levitating him out of the water. He has his limp body turn around in the air, and it's then that the damage becomes clear: There's a deep gash across his stomach as if someone had stabbed him with a large knife, or he'd fallen onto a sharp rock. The blood is pulsing out of the wound, and what is uninjured of Fabian's skin is deathly white.
With a flick of his wand, Gideon casts a cushioning charm on the rough surface of the rocks and directs Fabian's body onto it. As soon as he touches him, Fabian starts coughing of his own accord, spitting out water and heaving a great breath, but then there's blood spilling from his mouth, he's coughing it onto Gideon's hand that is holding up his head. Gideon is squatting beside him, watching his face intently, and there's a look of deep shock flitting over his features when Fabian goes limp.
He swallows visibly, and his breath catches in his throat, but otherwise there's no sound from him when he grips his brother's wrist, pulling himself together enough to Apparate. At the very last moment, he hesitates, frowning in confusion, but then goes on, and suddenly the sand and rocks is replaced by a peaceful garden.
There are a man and a woman sitting at a table near the house, each with a glass of wine before them and talking in amiable tones in the steadily diminishing light. The woman is laughing quietly when they both turn their heads to look at who's Apparated into the garden.
"Mam, Tad." Gideon's voice is quiet but panicked, and he speaks hurriedly, kneeling beside his brother's body on the ground. "Fabian, he needs a healer! I don't remember the exact location of their new office…"
Both parents are on their feet at once, running across the lawn.
"What-?" begins his father, but he's cut off by his wife's hand closing around his wrist as she stares down at her two naked sons for a moment.
There's more blood than ever, and Fabian's whole abdomen is awash in it, but still it keeps pulsing out of the mess that used to be his belly.
"St. Mungo's, at once," Anne murmurs, pointing her wand at the house, and there's already a pair of robes flying into her hands.
Dafydd takes Gideon by the wrist, pulling his hand away from Fabian's body. "Let go." But Gideon doesn't let go; a tear is running down his left cheek.
"We can't Apparate you together," says Dafydd quietly, his tone urgent. "Gedeon, rhyddha."
Gideon blinks and lets go of his brother's wrist, automatically pulling on one of the robes his mother has pressed into his other hand. She's already dropped to her knees beside her injured son, and by the time Gideon reluctantly gets to his feet, she's Disapparating with Fabian in tow.
He shakes his head in answer to his father's question whether he's familiar with St. Mungo's, and Dafydd Side-Alongs him to the emergency entrance of the hospital, where Fabian and Anne are being surrounded by medical staff. When Gideon wants to join the circle around his brother, he's being held back by his father, who grips his shoulder and pulls him towards him. A few moments later, the medical staff Disapparate with Fabian, leaving behind Anne, who looks quite as bad as her son with blood smeared all over her light summer robes.
Swallowing once more, Gideon closes his eyes, but it's an attempt in vain, and there are silent tears running down his face.
End.
Format: Pensieve memory
Date: August 1971, summer holidays between Gideon and Fabian's 6th and 7th year.
Relevance: Gideon's worst memory, presented to Walburga Black on Walpurgis night.
Note: Thank yous and hugs to pre_raphaelite1 for the beta. ♥
It is the end of one of the last hot days in August, well past regular dinner time, and the beach, a tiny affair of sand and pebbles between ragged cliffs, is bathed in the light from the setting sun. The only humans on the beach are two grown boys, both on the verge of adulthood, but not quite there yet with their long hair and carefree attitude.
One of them is taking off the towel wrapped around his hips with nothing underneath and throws it onto the rock he had been sitting on a moment ago.
"Coming for another swim?" he asks the other boy, who shakes his head and remains lounging on the sand, propped up on his elbows.
"No, you go alone."
"Lazy sod," says the first boy with a grin, going to the side of the beach to climb up the rocks, evidently familiar with the way.
The other boy follows him with his eyes, a slight smile on his face, and sits up, tying the long, wet and tangled strands of his hair together with a bit of spare string. Afterwards he falls bonelessly back onto the sand, as if someone had cut his strings, and it's only a deep breath later that he moves again, stretching slowly and with obvious enjoyment.
Suddenly there's a loud cry of surprise, and the boy lying on the sand stills, listening with a frown.
"Fab?" he calls out. When there's no answer, he gets to his feet, wand in his hand. "Fabian?"
Still there's no answer, just the sound of the waves interspersed with the sharp cries from the seagulls, and Gideon goes to investigate. He climbs up along the same path his brother took before him, the frown on his face becoming more pronounced.
"Fabian?" His voice is louder now, and there's an earnest tinge to it that matches his quickening pace up the rocks.
When he's reached the top of the small array of rocks, not even half the cliffs' height, he looks around, peering over the edge down into the water. That is where his next call for his brother dies on his lips, and he stands absolutely still for a moment, his breath suddenly stopped.
In the water, there's Fabian, floating face down with his hair fanning out in a dark halo around his head. His body moves in time with the waves slapping against the rocks and washes over his back, which has long scratches running down it. They appear to be only superficial, but there's an opaque shadow spreading out under him.
Only a split second later, Gideon is galvanised into action, waving his wand at his brother with a hissed Wingardium Leviosa and levitating him out of the water. He has his limp body turn around in the air, and it's then that the damage becomes clear: There's a deep gash across his stomach as if someone had stabbed him with a large knife, or he'd fallen onto a sharp rock. The blood is pulsing out of the wound, and what is uninjured of Fabian's skin is deathly white.
With a flick of his wand, Gideon casts a cushioning charm on the rough surface of the rocks and directs Fabian's body onto it. As soon as he touches him, Fabian starts coughing of his own accord, spitting out water and heaving a great breath, but then there's blood spilling from his mouth, he's coughing it onto Gideon's hand that is holding up his head. Gideon is squatting beside him, watching his face intently, and there's a look of deep shock flitting over his features when Fabian goes limp.
He swallows visibly, and his breath catches in his throat, but otherwise there's no sound from him when he grips his brother's wrist, pulling himself together enough to Apparate. At the very last moment, he hesitates, frowning in confusion, but then goes on, and suddenly the sand and rocks is replaced by a peaceful garden.
There are a man and a woman sitting at a table near the house, each with a glass of wine before them and talking in amiable tones in the steadily diminishing light. The woman is laughing quietly when they both turn their heads to look at who's Apparated into the garden.
"Mam, Tad." Gideon's voice is quiet but panicked, and he speaks hurriedly, kneeling beside his brother's body on the ground. "Fabian, he needs a healer! I don't remember the exact location of their new office…"
Both parents are on their feet at once, running across the lawn.
"What-?" begins his father, but he's cut off by his wife's hand closing around his wrist as she stares down at her two naked sons for a moment.
There's more blood than ever, and Fabian's whole abdomen is awash in it, but still it keeps pulsing out of the mess that used to be his belly.
"St. Mungo's, at once," Anne murmurs, pointing her wand at the house, and there's already a pair of robes flying into her hands.
Dafydd takes Gideon by the wrist, pulling his hand away from Fabian's body. "Let go." But Gideon doesn't let go; a tear is running down his left cheek.
"We can't Apparate you together," says Dafydd quietly, his tone urgent. "Gedeon, rhyddha."
Gideon blinks and lets go of his brother's wrist, automatically pulling on one of the robes his mother has pressed into his other hand. She's already dropped to her knees beside her injured son, and by the time Gideon reluctantly gets to his feet, she's Disapparating with Fabian in tow.
He shakes his head in answer to his father's question whether he's familiar with St. Mungo's, and Dafydd Side-Alongs him to the emergency entrance of the hospital, where Fabian and Anne are being surrounded by medical staff. When Gideon wants to join the circle around his brother, he's being held back by his father, who grips his shoulder and pulls him towards him. A few moments later, the medical staff Disapparate with Fabian, leaving behind Anne, who looks quite as bad as her son with blood smeared all over her light summer robes.
Swallowing once more, Gideon closes his eyes, but it's an attempt in vain, and there are silent tears running down his face.
End.