When The War Is Over
When the war is over, he said, I'd be able to come out. We'd be able to come out. It could be a long time. But they're fighting their hardest and all we can do is pray it will be soon.
When the war is over, I'll be able to talk to her about the future without seeing my words incite fear and doubt in her eyes. I'll be able to hold my son without wondering how long it will be before he gets to play with other children. I won't be constantly hoping that he develops his magic early – not this early, I mean, but in a few years, maybe four or five, instead of nine or even ten – so that we can teach him early on to defend himself. Wandless magic, yes, but it's better than nothing. If he's frightened enough, angry enough, he'll be able to do it.
When the war is over, I have sworn to do all the things I promised I would before. Go for walks in the rain and wear Muggle clothing to work and watch my wife sleep without fear, without nightmares that follow of waking up to find her gone.
When the war is over, I will sing and dance and cry and laugh. I'll be there for Moony at every full moon and whenever he needs me. I'll go to them.
When the war is over, I'll sneak back to Hogwarts and the three of us, those who can change at will, we'll go back to the Whomping Willow and Wormtail will press his paws to the knot on the trunk and we'll sneak in, myself in my human form and the other two as their creatures. We'll all play together, still innocent, as if we know nothing about the darkness in the world.
When the war is over, I will smile when I wake, and I will go back to making the world as safe a place as I can make it. I will help young and old, magic and Muggle, and I will never, never let go of joy.
This I swear.
When the war is over, he said, I'd be able to come out. We'd be able to come out. It could be a long time. But they're fighting their hardest and all we can do is pray it will be soon.
When the war is over, I'll be able to talk to her about the future without seeing my words incite fear and doubt in her eyes. I'll be able to hold my son without wondering how long it will be before he gets to play with other children. I won't be constantly hoping that he develops his magic early – not this early, I mean, but in a few years, maybe four or five, instead of nine or even ten – so that we can teach him early on to defend himself. Wandless magic, yes, but it's better than nothing. If he's frightened enough, angry enough, he'll be able to do it.
When the war is over, I have sworn to do all the things I promised I would before. Go for walks in the rain and wear Muggle clothing to work and watch my wife sleep without fear, without nightmares that follow of waking up to find her gone.
When the war is over, I will sing and dance and cry and laugh. I'll be there for Moony at every full moon and whenever he needs me. I'll go to them.
When the war is over, I'll sneak back to Hogwarts and the three of us, those who can change at will, we'll go back to the Whomping Willow and Wormtail will press his paws to the knot on the trunk and we'll sneak in, myself in my human form and the other two as their creatures. We'll all play together, still innocent, as if we know nothing about the darkness in the world.
When the war is over, I will smile when I wake, and I will go back to making the world as safe a place as I can make it. I will help young and old, magic and Muggle, and I will never, never let go of joy.
This I swear.