125 The Fourth

Arth woke up with a emotionless expression plastered onto his face. He got out of the bed and glanced out of the window.

The sky was still dark with tiny peaks of golden light streaking across the sky.

It seemed to be about four thirty. How early.

Arthur took a moment to stare into the sky before turning his gaze away and went down the stairs. He then proceeded to the bathrooms where he filled the sink to the brim with water.

He then proceeded to dunk his head into the sink for a good minute or two before throwing his head out gasping for air.

Arth mumbled to himself before grabbing a towel to his side and using it to dry his face.

Ever since the day with the boggart, Arth constantly had the same dream again and again.

The same pale hand, only darkness, and crimson red.

Arth gave a self deprecating laugh.

"...it's just the past, wake up Arthur. You aren't the child you once were."

However, whenever he looked into the window, all he could see was the same face from six years ago. Same pale, terrified, and ghastly face. The same child.

Nothing had changed.

Arthur groaned and proceeded to dunk his head once more into the water before taking it out again.

"...what the hell am I doing?"

He thought he had gotten over it, however, obviously, it wasn't so. He was still weak.

It was the same case two years ago, where he had ran out after seeing his deepest desire in the Mirror of Erised.

What was it that he saw that day? It wasn't his parents, but something more haunting, something that Arth knew he couldn't do, something he couldn't have.

"...I'm such an idiot."

"I beg to differ my Prince."

Arth sighed and without looking up addressed the voice.

"What are you doing here Dolorem? This is the boy's bathroom."

"I'm a dementor anyways so who really cares?"

"Didn't you say it yourself that you are female?"

Dolorem let out a laugh.

"Female Dementors And Female humans are inherently different when compared. First of all, we can breed."

"Yes I know that Dolorem. Dementors spawn from our hatred and fear. All that gloomy emo business. I've already graduated from that."

"Did you? If so, why are you struggling so much with a simple boggart?"

Arth went quiet.

"...Sorry my Prince, That was insensitive of me."

Arth sighed.

"It's ok, sometimes the truth is necessary for acceptance. Plus, it helps that you aren't overly formal like the others... what are Alfred, Sebastian and William doing?"

Dolorem let out a snort.

"Those three idiots are beating themselves up for no good reason. William is somewhere in the library while invisible going over all of his "fool proof plans". Alfred is in the Great Lake attempting to drown himself for allowing you to get hurt emotionally while Sebastian is hunting the boggart from yesterday down to kill."

Arth sighed.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Solving the problem in the most direct manner."

Arth chuckled wryly.

"I guess that means you are the smartest out of all of them."

"Nah, that stuck up nerd William is way smarter than me, I'm just more aware of feelings then the rest of them."

"He, serves your name perfectly..."

"Yes, I does. That is why I know how you are right now."

Dolorem put her hand onto Arth's shoulder and Arth didn't push her away. Arth just stared blankly into Dolorem's dark face.

"You cannot lie to us Mister Self Loathing Prince. We dementors are better than anything else in sensing emotions. Me more so than others. You are hurt, and you won't tell anyone why. You are filled with sorrow."

Arth gave a cheeky grin.

"I'm filled with you."

"Don't make fun of my name."

"Come on, isn't it hilarious? The dementor named sorrow in Latin is the one cheering people up."

Dolorem sighed.

"Sometimes I don't know whether you are a dumbass or a intellectual oddity."

"Err... mentally unique individual with striking characteristics?"

"... a multi faced Prince with a fear of being understood."

Arth went silent.

Dolorem let go of Arth and backed away.

"Do you remember why you gave me the name Dolorem?"

Arth leant against the wall and sighed.

"How could I forget with this accursed memory of mine?"

Dolorem stared straight into Arth's eyes and for a moment, Arth could swear that he saw a glimmer of an eye.

"You gave me the name because I was sorrow. It was what I seemed pleasure in, watching the happiness drain from my victims until they were drowning in sorrow."

"Things can change."

"Not dementors. You can't give happiness to dementors. We are sorrow, and sorrow can't coexist with happiness."

"Impossible is just another word for unlikely."

"What you did was change the innate structure of a being. Like making a carnivore a vegetarian."

"I guess I did."

"Do you not understand? You gave us life. You are what gave us the intelligence we havetoday."

Dolorem poked Arth in the chest.

"You are stuck about the memories that have been taken from you when there are other things that you can create memories with."

Arth silently stared into Dolorem's face.

"...you are sounding a lot more like a human."

Dolorem stared at Arth before stepping back and slowly dissipating into the air.

"You heard what I said, it's not your fault."

Even after she was completely gone, Arth stared at the place she was with a calm look.

"...but you see Dolorem. It is my fault. It is entirely my fault. And I know it."