"What are you?" Antioch was the first to speak.

"I am everywhere, yet none have seen me. Every man, woman, and child must join me some day. Some call me Heaven and Hell. I simply like to call myself Death."

If she didn’t appear somewhere within twenty-four hours, they would send out a search party, but Harry looked back to the mess on her bed, the concoction of blood and potions on the floor, and was certain of two things.

Dominique was missing, and the cloak had disappeared with her.

Edited and revised: 1/13/13

"Antioch did possess this new power. Somehow. He was stronger, he was mightier, he was...undefeatable. All the men in the pub, including myself I will admit, were mesmerized by his power."

"Are you saying my brother was murdered because a few men were jealous of his power?!" stammered Ignotus.

Edited, revised, and extended: 1/13/13

He grew furious that he had yet to understand the Stone. He had seen his brother put on the Cloak of Invisibility; he had seen its power and truth with his own eyes. And Antioch had killed the one wizard he had ever lost a duel to. All of the other gifts from Death worked flawlessly, but the stone...

He couldn't figure out just what to do. What was he doing wrong? Why hadn't Seraphine returned to him? Had he been cheated?

Edited and revised: 1/15/13

Dominique couldn't sleep. No matter what she told Ignotus. He had told her to not wait up for him, but she hadn't listened. There was something unsettling about it all, something she couldn't quite place her finger on, and she wondered if Cadmus Peverell's time was upon them.

"NO!" cried out Ignotus in pain. "Their deaths are not my fault! They would never have listened to me! I am NOT the one to blame!"

"Do NOT quarrel with me, boy! We are killers. You and I. We killed your brothers. Together. And you do not even have to ask who is next to die," snarled Death.

"Well?" he inquired. "What is it then, Callum?"

"It has to do with Lady Dominique, my Lord," he replied.

Callum's sudden revert back to formal addresses did not go unnoticed to him. As Ignotus heard him being called 'my Lord' as he had, perhaps only been called once in his life by Callum, Ignotus knew Callum found it to be a truly serious matter.

Dominique curtsied in return. She couldn't help but smile at his charm. "My Lord," she greeted in reply.

"Yes, indeed," Ignotus replied to Callum's previous statement. Dominique was aware of Ignotus sucking a deep courageous breath, for he was giving her away for good. "We do have lovely news for you."

Callum beamed. "Oh, you do?"

"I am dying, my love," he said quietly and sternly. "I am afraid I cannot be saved."

Tears fell from her eyes, and she shook her head in adamant refusal. "Don't say that," she whispered. "I'll make you better. I will."

How angry would his mother truly be if he were to break off the engagement with Brigid? Fairly angry he knew, yes, but wouldn't she understand it was because he was in love? She was a woman, and Ignotus knew she had loved his father. Eirene knew what it was like to live without the one you love, so wouldn't she spare her son that same fate? Ignotus hoped she would...

"Why, she is Uncle's betrothed!" declared Tyrion with innocent enthusiasm.

Ignotus stopped dead in his tracks, as did Dominique. She blubbered hopelessly. There had to be some sort of mistake. Ignotus wasn't engaged.

"H-His...His betrothed?"

"As soon as I can," he answered. "Tomorrow. I cannot continue to put the lives of those I care about at risk. I will tell them tomorrow, and then I shall leave Godric's Hollow. Permanently."

"Leave?" gasped Edmund. "But you cannot! You have lived here your entire life. You have...I am here."

Now Dominique stood at the altar, watching her sister, as beautiful as ever in her satin gown, marry the man of her dreams. Dominique felt her heart breaking as she watched. She watched the way Teddy looked into her eyes, the way they held one another, the way they exchanged their vows. There was no denying that the two loved one another more than anything. It reminded Dominique of what she had shared with Ignotus, and now what she had lost.

"You and I. We love one another, more than anyone could ever fathom, and love prevails. Always."