Silence

Silence
by Eilan

"Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Matthew 7:13-14

You have to stay silent. Stay silent and wait until he stops. Because he will stop, eventually.

Be quiet, child. There's no one here to help you anyway.

Yes, I know it's cruel child. Yes, I know it hurts. I know all that. But please, stay silent.

It's inhuman, yes. He shouldn't do this. He has no right to hurt you like this. You're right, he has no right to do this to you.

He doesn't care.

You ask why, child. Do you really want to know?

What good will it do? Will it make him stop if you see the reason?

It won't, child.

So please stay silent.

Don’t cry. Don’t scream. Don’t beg. Don’t shout. Just stay silent. Don't you realise that he wants you to scream, that he wants you to beg for your life? That he
revels in it?

Yes, you realise it. Because he laughs at you. Because he tells you what to do to stop him.

What will you do, child? Will you stay silent and wait until you find peace? Or will you beg and never find it?

I can't take this decision from you, I'm afraid. You'll have to choose for yourself.

What do you prefer, death or something worse?

Don't look at me like that, child. Don't silently beg me to do something. I can't. Because I made this decision for myself once. Because I chose the wrong path.

You ask how anything can be worse than the pain, worse than death. You're still young, child, of course you don't know. But I do. Trust me.

You think it's not fair that you have to choose. Since when is life fair? Where did you get this impression?

Yes, it's easy for me to tell you what to choose. I'm not lying on the ground, screaming in pain.

But I did, child.

And I begged.

Don't do this, child. Please, stay silent and wait for the end.

You think you don't deserve this and you're right. You're innocent. You made no mistake. The only mistake is your heritage.

You don't know this and you wouldn't understand if you knew. You're too young to understand.

If there's any justice in this world and God exists you'll go to Heaven. There you'll feel no pain, child. So stay silent and wait, it will all get better.

No, I'm not sure of that. Nobody is. But trust me, child.

He asks you to choose.

Oh, how I want to help you. How I want to raise my wand and save you. But I don't. Because in the end, we're all just cowards and care for nothing but ourselves.

I said life isn't fair.

You hesitate. Why, child? You don't want to become like me. Lifeless, soulless, hopeless.

You cry. Stop crying. You're doing the right thing. He isn't. It's not your fault.

You raise your head. You stopped crying. Very good, child. Leave this world with some dignity.

I haven't prayed in years. I start now. You would ask why, since I've seen so many of your kind and never started praying.

But in the end they've all given in.

Please don't.

You shake your head.

"No."

In the end, when your bones crack and you fall silent forever, all I can think is that you did the right thing; that you'll find peace; and that you died innocent.

You're a better human being than I am.

"Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For, those, whom you think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me."
Holy Sonnet 10, John Donne

End Note: No, I didn't have someone specific in mind while writing this. Not Snape, not Draco, not anyone.