The end of the school year hung in the air like a thick, muggy summer day, promising freedom yet carrying an undercurrent of unresolved tension. Lily, usually bustling with plans for the holidays, found her thoughts continually drifting to Echo. He'd been distant these past few weeks, a quiet shadow moving through the bustling corridors. His hair, typically a vibrant barometer of his mood, had remained a subdued black or a thoughtful blue, rarely flaring with its usual playful yellow or indignant red. He ate his meals in silence, his eyes often scanning the distant horizon from the Great Hall windows, as if searching for something lost.
One afternoon, Lily decided to voice her concerns when she found Severus hunched over a particularly noxious-smelling cauldron in a deserted classroom. "Sev," she began, her voice soft, "have you noticed anything… different about Echo lately?"
Severus, who had been meticulously stirring his potion, almost dropped his spoon. He straightened up abruptly, his dark eyes wide and a shade too bright. "Different? No! Nothing at all! Why would you ask such a thing?" His response was far too quick, far too vehement.
Lily frowned, a flicker of suspicion in her green eyes. "You almost jumped, Severus. And you're usually so observant. He's been quiet, withdrawn. It's not like him."
Severus swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. Was there nothing wrong? He knew better. The memory of that night, just a week ago, flashed through his mind: the blinding green light, the screams, the sickeningly controlled way Echo had wielded the Unforgivables, a dark conductor orchestrating a symphony of death. He, Severus, a double agent coached in using those very curses to infiltrate the Dark Lord's ranks, had never witnessed such raw, terrifying power, such chilling ease. It had scared him to his soul, a fear that still lingered, cold and sharp, in the pit of his stomach.
"I… I really haven't noticed, Lily," Severus insisted, forcing a casual shrug, but his gaze kept darting away, unable to meet hers. "Perhaps he's just… tired. The end of the year is always exhausting."
Lily narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure, Severus? Are you absolutely sure you don't know anything?" The more she pressed, the less convincingly Severus was able to lie. The horrific imagery of the burning tent, Echo bathed in green fire, and the unholy satisfaction on his face all played out behind his eyes, cracking his usually composed facade.
Seeing she was getting nowhere with direct questioning, Lily let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself." She turned to leave.
"Lily, wait!" Severus exclaimed, a note of genuine panic in his voice. He followed her out of the classroom and down the deserted corridor. "Where are you going?"
"To find him," Lily stated simply, her jaw set. "And if you're not going to help, at least don't stop me."
Severus hurried after her, his dark robes swirling. "This is ridiculous! We shouldn't be snooping. If there were something Echo wanted to tell us, he would."
"That's the problem, Severus," Lily retorted, not breaking stride. "If Echo is doing something suspicious and not telling us, it's either something wrong or something that could hurt himself again. And I'm not going to stand by and let that happen."
They continued on out of the castle and into the forest, following a faint, almost imperceptible trail of disturbed leaves and broken twigs that only someone with Lily's keen observational skills would notice. They journeyed deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest, the trees growing denser, the light fading to a perpetual twilight. Severus repeatedly muttered about the dangers of the forest, about how foolish this was, but Lily ignored him, her focus unwavering.
Finally, they reached a shaded, open canopy in the deepest part of the forest. And there, amidst the ancient trees, was Echo. He stood before over a dozen training dummies, his black hair a vibrant, focused red, practicing his dueling, wand work, and spellcraft. Each flick of his wand was precise, each spell a flash of controlled power. Shimmer, a faint silver ripple, perched on Echo's discarded robe draped over a nearby stump, occasionally chittering softly. At the same time, Sniffles, ever curious, made playful attempts to snatch at a loose thread on the fabric.
"See?" Severus whispered, a note of relief in his voice. "Just regular practice. Nothing to worry about. We should go." He started to turn, eager to leave the unsettling quiet of the deep forest.
But Lily stopped him, her hand gripping his arm. "Then why, Severus," she asked, her voice low and thoughtful, "is he doing it so far from the castle, and so deep in the Forbidden Forest?"
Severus hesitated. "The… the school despises him, Lily. If he practices in front of everyone, it will look like he's showing off, making them hate him even more." He explained, but even to his own ears, it sounded weak, unconvincing.
Lily shook her head, her gaze fixed on Echo. "Something still isn't right." She continued to watch, her eyes unblinking, as Echo's red hair flared, a small, controlled inferno with each precisely aimed spell. Severus, standing beside her, grew increasingly nervous. The vivid memory of the green fire and the unspeakable power he had witnessed only a week prior was still too fresh, too terrifyingly real.
Echo pushed himself harder than he ever had before with his spell craft, a whirlwind of motion and flickering hair. He dodged and rolled, narrowly avoiding the simulated stunning spells that erupted from the reanimated dummies. His own wand whipped out, firing off a few weak, stunning spells in return. He stopped, breathing heavily, wiping sweat from his brow. His hair, a frantic, triumphant red, slowly faded back to a thoughtful black. He chided himself. It is not fast enough, not precise enough, and too predictable. He needed to do better. He might do well in a one-on-one, but in a group, he'd be helpless without this new method. He needed a way to spread his dark mark onto others, to end large fights with a mass \*Crucio\* or \*Imperio\*. But whipping his wand for the weakest stunning spell was hard. He wished he could just fire two shots at once, but that wasn't possible, even with his weird wand. This new method, however, held promise. The controlled target would still have his dark mark. Maybe if he had them mark others, he could mark more people faster. He set up the simulation again, the dummies coming to life and shooting off fake stunning spells.
Echo dodged and rolled, firing off a few weak, stunning spells before using \*Imperio\* in between attacks on two of the dummies, who immediately started to attack the others. Within seconds, the dummies all had been marked, and Echo quickly used \*Crucio\* on one of them, causing all who had been marked for the spell to travel to them as well, hitting all the dummies despite hitting one. As the dummies sputtered and seized up, Echo then used the killing curse on one dummy, and again, like the \*Crucio\, the spell launched out and hit all others without any command or extra wand work. The spell hit everything that had his dark mark, and the dummies all fell down in pretend death.
Echo stood amidst the fallen dummies, a grim satisfaction settling over him. His black hair, still faintly tinged with the menacing purple from his last volley of spells, slowly faded back to a calm, thoughtful black. Yes, he thought, this is how it should be. This is how I will fight. He finally had a method, a way to unleash the terrifying power he now controlled, not just for one opponent, but for many. He felt a profound sense of accomplishment, a dangerous confidence blooming in his chest.
"ECHO!"
The sharp, angry cry ripped through the quiet clearing, sending a jolt of pure fright through Echo. He jumped, his wand clattering to the ground as he spun around, his black hair flaring an alarmed red. Lily stood there, her green eyes blazing with fury, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Beside her, Severus, looking incredibly uncomfortable, emerged from behind a thick oak tree, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Lily!" Echo stammered, his mind racing for an excuse. "What… what are you doing here? How long have you been watching?" His voice was laced with a nervousness he rarely displayed.
Lily's gaze was unwavering, piercing him to the core. "Long enough, Echo. Long enough to see everything."
Before Echo could formulate a single word of defense or denial, Lily turned her furious gaze to Severus, who visibly flinched. "Severus Snape," she said, her voice dangerously low, "did you know about this?"
Severus swallowed hard, his eyes still refusing to meet hers. "I… I had an inkling, Lily."
Lily scoffed, a single, disbelieving sound. "An inkling? No, Severus. You knew, didn't you?"
Echo, his red hair flickering with shock, turned to Severus. "You knew, Sev? About all this?"
Severus finally met Echo's gaze, his own dark eyes filled with a complex mixture of fear, guilt, and a grim acknowledgment. "I knew, Echo. I saw you. That night, in the poachers' tent. I knew that's why you came all the way out here."
Echo's jaw dropped. His red hair blazed with a fresh wave of indignant fury. "You saw me? You saw me fighting for my life, trying to rescue the centaurs, and you didn't help? You could have stepped in at any time, Severus! Instead, you decided to sit and watch while I had to go to my last resort, while I had to use… that!"
"Don't you dare accuse me, Echo!" Severus retorted, his own anger flaring. "You were out of control! You were a monster, bathed in green fire—"
"Enough!" Lily's voice cracked like a whip, silencing them both. She stepped between them, her face pale but resolute. "I don't know what either of you is talking about. I can't piece any of this together. Both of you, start explaining. And I want the full story. Echo, you first. Then, Severus."
Echo hesitated, running a hand through his now-flickering black hair. How much could he tell her? How much should he tell her? The full truth was a heavy burden, one he hadn't wanted to share with anyone, especially not Lily. But the blazing fury in her eyes told him she wouldn't accept anything less. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the chaotic storm within him.
"Alright, Lily," he began, his voice low, his black hair settling into a solemn blue. "It started a few weeks ago. I noticed the Forbidden Forest was too quiet. The centaurs… they weren't there. I used my Beast Map, and it showed me that one of the young colts, Frieze, was heading towards the castle, terrified. Frieze told me the centaurs had been taken," Echo continued, his voice hardening, his blue hair flickering with renewed anger. "All of them. By… 'bad men.' He led me to a clearing in the forest, where they had a tent magically extended. It was an auction. They were selling centaurs, Lily. Selling sentient beings like livestock.
Lily gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her green eyes wide with horror. "An auction? Here? In the Forbidden Forest?"
Echo nodded grimly. "Yes. I went in to stop it. I… I released Wick to help me."
Severus let out a small, involuntary choke, a sound that went unnoticed by Lily, whose attention was fully on Echo.
"The poachers fought back," Echo went on, his voice a strained whisper as the memory resurfaced. "They used the Unforgivables on me. Crucio on me, Imperio on Wick." His blue hair flared with a surge of red. "I had no choice, Lily. I had to fight back. I used the Unforgivables, too. I… I killed them. All of them. But only because they threatened to kill all the centaurs. I saw red, and I acted."
Lily turned to Severus, her expression a mixture of confusion and anger. "Severus," she said, her voice tight with suppressed emotion, "your turn. Explain yourself. How do you fit into all of this? And why, for Merlin's sake, did you not tell me?"
Severus flinched under her intense gaze. He took a deep, shaky breath, his dark eyes flickering with the lingering horror of what he had witnessed. "I... I followed Echo into the forest," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "He was talking about the centaurs, about them being missing. I dismissed it, as you heard earlier. But something about his urgency... it unsettled me. So, I followed." He paused, rubbing a hand over his face. "I saw him summon the unicorn, and then I saw Frieze, the colt, leading him deeper. I followed their trail."
He looked at Lily, his face pale. "I saw the tent, Lily. And I saw Echo go inside. I was… I was apprehensive, but I knew his capabilities with his creatures. I thought he would just scare them off, maybe disarm them. I watched from the treeline." He swallowed hard, the memory choking him. "Then… then the dragon burst out. And the Dementor. And then the spells started flying. I saw him, Lily. I saw Echo… using the Unforgivables. And then… then the green fire. It was everywhere. He was… he was like a force of nature, destroying everything. He killed them all, Lily. Every single one."
Lily gasped again, her hand still pressed to her mouth, her eyes wide with a horrified understanding. She looked from Severus to Echo, her gaze filled with a profound sadness. "Why, Severus?" she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you go for help? Why didn't you do something?"
Severus finally met her gaze, his own filled with a raw, desperate fear. "I was scared, Lily," he admitted, his voice cracking. "I was terrified. I've never seen anything like it. Not even from..." Severus couldn't finish his sentence as he cringed inwardly.
Echo, who had been listening in stunned silence, his blue hair slowly darkening to a cold, bruised black, spoke then, his voice hollow. "Scared of what, Sev? Scared… of me?"
Severus took another deep breath, and then, to Echo's shock, he nodded, his voice gaining a desperate, almost defiant strength. "Yes, Echo! Yes, I was scared of you! Terribly scared! You were ruthless, brutal! You were a monster, a true Dark Wizard, relishing in the slaughter of all those people, even though they deserved it! You had lost all control! You were terrifying!"
Echo reeled back as if physically struck, his black hair flaring with a violent, agonizing red. He stumbled a step, then another, his hand clutching at his chest, his eyes wide and wounded. The words, delivered with such force and conviction from his oldest friend, felt like a dagger twisting in his gut.
"Severus Snape!" Lily cried, her voice trembling with a mixture of shock and outrage. "How dare you! How dare you call him a monster! A Dark Wizard! You, of all people—"
"It had to be said, Lily!" Severus interrupted, his voice equally raw, his eyes pleading with her to understand. "He wouldn't understand how serious this is otherwise! He had to hear it!"
Echo, still clutching his chest, a wounded look in his eyes, finally chimed in, his voice barely a whisper. "If what I've done is so scary, Sev," he said, his red hair flickering with a bitter intensity, "then did it ever occur to you how Lily would react to… You know what?"
Lily turned to Echo, her fury momentarily forgotten, replaced by a weary sadness. "He's right, Echo," she said softly, her gaze steady. "I already know. Severus is a double agent for Dumbledore, posing as a Dark Wizard for the Dark Lord."
Echo blinked, his red hair fading to a confused blue. He looked from Lily to Severus, his jaw slightly agape. "You… you knew that she knew already?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Severus nodded, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I assumed you knew, Echo. You're observant."
Echo let out a humorless laugh, his blue hair darkening to a firm, almost bruised black. "And you didn't tell me? I was trying to keep that a secret for your sake, fearing it would ruin your relationship! I had to dance around, talking about your relationship to the Dark Lord whenever Lily was around, and actually speak of it in secret! And here you both are, keeping open secrets among one another, yet calling me out for my own?"
"Don't you dare turn this around on us, Echo!" Lily interjected, her voice sharp, her anger reignited. "You were still using the Dark Arts and Unforgivable Curses!"
"And Severus has also used them!" Echo retorted, his black hair flaring with indignation. "In order to get into the Dark Lord's ranks!"
"Enough!" Lily cried, holding up a hand. Her voice, though still tinged with frustration, held a note of finality. "Bottom line, Echo, you shouldn't be using Dark Magic, the Dark Arts, or the Unforgivable Curses. There's a reason it's called Dark Magic."
Echo sighed, his black hair flickering with a resigned red. "I get that, Lily, I really do. But it's not that I want to use Dark Magic… I have to."
"What do you mean, you have to use Dark Magic, Echo?" Lily asked, her voice laced with a mixture of exasperation and concern. "No one has to use it."
Echo let out another sigh, his red hair slowly fading to a thoughtful black. "You remember my first year? When Dumbledore was giving me private lessons?"
Lily nodded. "Of course. He said it was because you were a 'special case' and needed extra guidance with your magic."
"Well, he wasn't wrong," Echo said, running a hand through his hair. "He discovered that my magical core has a natural affinity for darkness. It's… different, Lily. So different that I can't even cast spells the normal way." He gestured vaguely with his wand. "I had to invent this method of 'gather and release' just to produce spells. Otherwise, my spells either have completely different effects, don't work at all, or… well, they require me to perform some kind of grand gesture."
Lily's eyebrows shot up. "Grand gesture? What does that even mean?"
Echo's black hair flickered with a faint, almost imperceptible shift of purple. "It means my magic is sentient, Lily. It wasn't much when I first discovered it; it just made casting spells much harder, not to mention how I had to use my wand differently. But after receiving the Dementor's Kiss over the summer, a chasm formed in my magical core. It became so wide, with nothing to fill it, that my magic swelled, gaining even more sentience. Now, it lusts for knowledge, for power, and yes, for grand gestures of entertainment just to cast the most basic spell." He paused, his voice dropping to a low, heavy tone. "Not only that, but my dark affinity makes it so that I'm connected to the Dark Arts. So much so that the first time I used the three Unforgivables, I performed them with ease. And even when I had all my emotions and joy sucked out of me by the Dementor, I could still use them, despite lacking the emotions usually required to cast them."
"And you expect us to believe that, Echo?" Lily asked, her voice laced with skepticism, though a flicker of doubt now clouded her eyes. "That your magic is… sentient? And that's why you have to use Dark Arts?"
Echo sighed, his black hair settling into a resigned grey. "I don't expect you to believe me, Lily. I just… hoped you would understand." He looked at Severus, who remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the ground. "Severus saw it, too. He saw how easily I used them. He saw how the magic reacted. You were there, Sev. Tell her."
Severus finally looked up, his dark eyes meeting Lily's. He took a deep breath, the words seemingly heavy on his tongue. "He's telling the truth, Lily," Severus admitted, his voice low and grudging. "His magic… It's unlike anything I've ever seen. The Unforgivables… he used them with an unsettling naturalness. It was as if they were an extension of his will, rather than spells he had to force. And I've seen his sentient magic firsthand, the Dark Beast as he calls it, nearly killed us both once when Echo used the unforgivable spell for the first time, and Echo was wrecked with guilt for taking a life."
"Wait a minute," Lily interrupted, her voice sharp with a new, dawning horror. "You said you killed them. As in, the poachers. But what about the other time, Echo? The time Severus just mentioned? When were you wracked with guilt for taking a life? Who else did you kill, Echo?! WHO?!"
Echo flinched, his blue hair flickering with a fresh wave of agitation. "Relax, Lily, it was just an owl! And besides that, it was Lucius Malfoy who essentially made me do it. I didn't even know what I was doing at the time."
Lily growled, her green eyes flashing. "Of course, it was! It's always something to do with that jerk, isn't it?!" Lily stared at Severus, then back at Echo, her face a mask of disbelief and dawning horror. "But… but that's impossible," she whispered. "No one can use them without… without truly meaning it. Without the desire to inflict pain, or control, or death."
"Tell that to my magical core," Echo mumbled, a bitter twist to his lips. "It doesn't care about my intentions. It just… does what it wants. And it demands a lot." He looked away, his grey hair flickering with a deep, almost painful blue. "I'm not proud of what I did, Lily. But I would do it again to save lives. And I will learn to control it. To master it. So it doesn't control me."
Lily stood there for a long moment, her initial fury slowly giving way to a more profound concern as she listened to Echo's explanation and Severus's reluctant corroboration. The horror in her eyes softened into a troubled sadness, a flicker of understanding mixed with deep apprehension. She looked from Echo, whose black hair now swirled with a bruised blue, to Severus, whose face remained pale and drawn.
"I… I almost believe you, Echo," Lily finally said, her voice a strained whisper. "About your magic, and… and the Dementor's Kiss. It's… It's a lot to take in." She ran a hand through her own vibrant red hair, her gaze unfocused for a moment as she processed the enormity of what he had revealed. A flicker of sympathy touched her features. "To have your own magic turn against you, or to demand such… such terrible things…"
But then, as if a switch had been flipped, her eyes snapped back to Echo, hardening once more. She shook her head vehemently, her earlier sympathy replaced by a fierce, unyielding resolve.
"No," she stated, her voice rising, firm and unwavering. "No, Echo! Whatever the nature of your magic, whatever grand gestures it demands, you absolutely cannot use the Dark Arts! You cannot use the Unforgivable Curses!"
Echo flinched, his blue hair flaring with a spark of protest. "But Lily, I told you, I have to! It's not a choice for me, not always. It's a tool, I'm not using it for evil, not as a sword but as a shield. I want to protect the ones I love, and I'll only use it as a last resort. My magic—"
"I don't care!" Lily interrupted, taking a step closer, her eyes blazing with an almost desperate intensity. "I don't care if your magic is sentient, or if it demands grand gestures, or if it was easy for you to cast them! You have to stop, Echo! For your own sake, you have to stop!" Her voice trembled slightly, a raw fear entering her tone. "The Ministry, Echo. They're getting suspicious. Severus mentioned it. If they find out it was you who killed all those people, if they figure out you were responsible for that green fire that burned the tent…" She trailed off, a shudder running through her. "You'll go to Azkaban, Echo. They'll lock you away, and they won't care about your 'sentient magic' or your 'dark affinity.' They'll just see a boy who used the Unforgivables."
"It was Wick that produced the green fire," Echo interjected, his voice low, his black hair flickering with a brief, defensive red. "I'm not sure how, it's new to me too, but apparently she can produce a fire with similar properties to the Cruciatus Curse."
Lily merely threw her hands up in exasperation. "It doesn't matter, Echo! That doesn't change anything! The bottom line is that you have to stop using and practicing with the Unforgivables or any dark magic of any kind! You're so young, Echo. You have your whole life ahead of you! The Ministry will lock you up regardless of the situation, regardless of your nature. In fact, they'll see your 'dark affinity' as even more reason to lock you up and throw away the key!"
Echo's shoulders slumped, his red hair fading to a resigned black. "I… I understand, Lily. I do."
"No!" Lily cried, stepping even closer, grasping his arm with surprising strength. "You don't just understand, Echo. I want you to promise me. Not just any promise. I want you to make an Unbreakable Vow."
Echo's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back, pulling his arm free from her grasp. "An Unbreakable Vow? What… what is that?"
Severus, who had remained silent throughout the heated exchange, finally looked up, his voice grim. "An Unbreakable Vow, Echo, is precisely what its name implies. It is a magical oath, bound between two individuals with a third as witness. If the one who makes the Vow breaks it, they… they die. There is no escape. No loophole. It is absolute."
Lily turned to Severus, her expression firm. "Severus will act as the binder. You will make the vow to me, Echo." She held out her hand, her palm open, her green eyes unwavering. "Do you promise, Echo? Do you promise me that you will stop using the Dark Arts, the Unforgivable Curses, and any form of dark magic, for my sake, and for your own?"
Echo stared at her outstretched hand, then at Shimmer, perched on his discarded robe, and Sniffles, who had stopped his playful attempts and was now watching with wide, nervous eyes. His black hair swirled in a tumult of red and blue, a silent battle raging within him. He said nothing, his gaze fixed on Lily's hand, then on Severus, whose face was etched with a mixture of pity and resolve. Lily's hand remained extended, steady, and unmoving.
"Echo," Lily asked again, her voice firmer this time, an edge of steel entering it. "Do you promise?"
Seeing no way out, no other option, Echo let out a long, shuddering sigh. His black hair settled into a resigned, almost defeated grey. "Yes, Lily," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I promise. I do."
Lily nodded, her face softening with a touch of relief. She clasped his hand firmly. Severus stepped forward, his wand tip glowing faintly as he placed it gently over their clasped hands. A thin, golden thread of light erupted from his wand, wrapping itself around their joined hands, binding them together.
"Do you, Echo, promise to abstain from the use of Dark Arts, including the Unforgivable Curses, and any form of dark magic, for the protection of yourself and those you cherish, until such a time as this vow is freely released?" Severus's voice was solemn, ringing with the ancient power of the oath.
"I do," Echo repeated, his voice hollow, the golden thread tightening around their hands with each word.
The golden thread shimmered for a moment, then pulsed, forming a small, intricate knot around their joined hands before dissolving into their skin, leaving no visible trace yet irrevocably bound.
Lily released his hand, a look of profound relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Echo," she said softly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Thank you. I know this is hard." She hugged him tightly for a moment, then pulled back, glancing at Severus. "Come on, Severus. Let's leave him to… to process this."
Severus nodded, his gaze lingering on Echo for a moment, a complex emotion in his dark eyes, before he turned and followed Lily, disappearing through the dense treeline. Echo stood alone in the clearing, the silence of the Forbidden Forest pressing in around him. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his grey hair began to flicker with a faint, agitated purple. He looked down at his hands, then clenched his fists.
"I'm sorry, Lily," he whispered to the empty air, his voice filled with a terrible sadness. "But I can't keep this vow. I know I can't." He closed his eyes, a grim resolve settling over his features. "Things are going to get worse. I know it. And I need to be ready for them. That means using everything at my disposal."
Deep within his inner self, where the golden thread of the Unbreakable Vow was wrapped around his magical core, a vast, shadowy form stirred. The Dark Beast manifested, its eyes glowing malevolently green. With a silent, terrifying roar, it lunged, its spectral jaws clamping down on the golden thread. There was no struggle, no resistance. The Unbreakable Vow, a bond meant to be absolute, was consumed, dissolving into nothingness within the Beast's form, leaving not a single consequence to Echo's physical or magical self.
Echo opened his eyes, his purple hair slowly fading back to its thoughtful black. He let out another sigh, the weight of his deception pressing down on him. "I'm sorry, Lily," he whispered again, looking up at the darkening canopy of trees as a stary tear rolled down his face. I have to cross my fingers for you this time, even if I hate myself for the rest of my life."
The silence of the Forbidden Forest, once a source of comfort, now seemed to mock him. Echo stood alone, his weight lying in a cold knot in his stomach. He had betrayed Lily's trust, and the thought twisted painfully within him. But what choice did he have? The world was growing darker, and the threats were more insidious. He couldn't afford to be weak, not when so many relied on him. He picked up his wand from the forest floor, his movements slow and deliberate. His black hair, usually a vibrant reflection of his inner turmoil, remained a subdued grey, a stark contrast to the chaotic storm raging within him. Shimmer, sensing his distress, chittered softly from his discarded robe, its large, intelligent eyes fixed on him with concern. Sniffles, too, nudged his hand gently, a silent offer of comfort.
Echo offered them a weak, unconvincing smile. "It's alright, guys," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "Just... thinking." But his thoughts were far from "alright." He replayed the scene with Lily and Severus, each word a fresh wound. Severus's fear, Lily's desperate plea, his own reluctant promise – it all swirled into a maelstrom of guilt and grim determination.
He looked around the secluded clearing, the fallen dummies a grim reminder of his purpose. He had to train. He had to be ready. Even if it meant sacrificing his friendships, even if it meant becoming the very thing Lily feared. He raised his wand again, his grey hair flickering with a renewed, though still heavy, resolve. The Dark Beast within him, momentarily sated, stirred with a quiet, knowing hum. It understood. It craved power, and Echo, for the first time, was willing to feed it, not out of malice, but out of a desperate need to protect.
He started with basic spells, focusing on precision and speed, slowly building up his stamina. His movements, initially stiff with emotional exhaustion, gradually became fluid, almost instinctive. The scent of pine and damp earth filled his nostrils, grounding him, even as his mind reeled with the implications of his actions. As the sun began its slow descent, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple, Echo continued his solitary practice. Each spell cast, each dodge, each precise flick of his wand was a silent promise – a promise to protect, to defend, to be ready for whatever darkness lay ahead. And for now, that was all he could do. I hope that one day, Lily will understand.