Pigtails and Curls
Part Four
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)-sorry. :( c(:
Elizabeth was getting ready to go to bed the next night, when she remembered the one vision with the little girl. Evie was already in bed reading a book. Elizabeth looked at her.
"Evie, why are you squinting like that? Hold the book farther away! You can't read like that! It'll hurt your eyes," Elizabeth told her. She had been talking to Hermione about everything after school today, and had begun to be Hermione.
"Well, I can't read like that either!" she looked up at her sister, her eyes still half-closed.
"Maybe you need glasses, then. Go ask Dad. He'll get some glasses for you," she looked at her sister's eyes and shrugged. Again, she had forgotten about the little girl.
"But-"
"Go."
"Ugh."
"Ugh." At that, Evie walked out the door and into Harry's office.
"Daddy? Dad?" There was no answer. Only a quiet snore coming from a hunch on Harry's desk. Evie prodded her father with her finger. Harry awoke with a start. He hurridley put his glasses on his face. He smiled and yawned. His green eyes looked extravagently green from lack of sleep.
"Hmm?" he put an arm around her back and rubbed it gently.
"I think I need glasses, or that's what Elizabeth said. I couldn't read this book you gave me," she said. "And, you're kind of getting blury."
"How long has this been happening?"
"About a week, I guess. I haven't read very much in my life. Elizabeth taught me, but we never had any books or anything."
"Oh, I see. Well, tomorrow we'll go to Diagon Alley and see what we can find! Oh, wait! Tomorrow's the big Quidditch game! Do you and Liz want to come with me to see it?"
"Yeah! That'll be a lot of fun. What if I can't see the game, though?"
"Tell you what. I'll ask Hermione if she can find anything for you. She can do anything. Honestly, I'm surprised she's not HeadMistress and me Deputy HeadMaster." He smiled kindly.
"Elizabeth really likes her. She's been going to talk to her everyday since she told Ron that Hermione was pregnant."
"Do you ever talk to her?"
"No...not really. Why?"
"Well, it might be good for you to talk to her. She loves you very much. I mean, if you ever need somebody to talk to, she'd love to talk to you."
"But I have you now," she said, looking puzzled.
"-Yeah, I know." He sighed quickly and smiled. "Why don't you go on back to bed? 'Night, Sweetie. I'll see you in the morning for the match." Evie kissed her dad goodnight. She turned around. Something caught her eye. It was a picture of Dumbledore, just smiling slightly and blinking.
"Who's that?" she pointed at the picture.
"Oh, that's Albus Dumbledore. Do you recognize him?"
"Yes...I do. It feels like I've seen him before."
"Oh, you have. Before he died, he was always around you two. He loved you both like you were his own grandchildren. He especially took a liking to you, Evie. When you were first born, I think it was the day after, your mother was napping in that bed, right there." He pointed to the bed in his room. "I was asleep on that couch, right there." He poined to a small loveseat in the corner. "And, nine years ago, that rocking chair, right over there, was right where you're sitting now. The room was re-arranged back then. After you were born, we stopped by here to see him. He let your mother and I rest first. Anyway, he didn't know I had woken up when he was sitting in that rocking chair. He sat and rocked you for an hour, looking at your face and your closed eyes. He loved you very much. He still does, I imagine." Harry smiled. "Alright, you've stalled enough. Go to bed." He kissed her goodnight and got back to what was supposed to be work. He had so much paperwork to fill out over this Quidditch match tomorrow. The Gryffindor Team, the best team at Hogwarts, was to play a team organized by the magical community nearest Diagon Alley.
It was supposed to be big. The Daily Prophet wanted three reporters and five photographers there. So, Harry had to make sure that there were plenty of teacher's standing by in case something or someone got out of hand. Just then, Hedwig flew through his window and landed on his desk. She held out the Daily Prophet for him to see. He undid the ties and looked at the Headline. "Harry Potter, HeadMaster of Hogwarts, is looking forward to the Match!" There was no picture of Harry, but a detailed article, more or less about how well the Daily Prophet will cover the game. He put the paper down and continued his work. After about an hour of paperwork to fill out, Harry had to go to bed. He didn't even change out of his robes and he didn't take off his glasses. He just fell asleep on his bed.
The next morning, Harry was still sound asleep at six. He was usually up and about by that time. He only awoke when Evie dropped her glass of milk on the floor.
"Hmm! Wh-what happened?" Harry's glasses had fallen off during the night. He had his wand pulled out and was squinting around looking for the something that made the crash. When he saw it was only the girls, he found his glasses and put them on his nose.
Harry heard Elizabeth saying something.
"Here! Watch this. Hermione taught this to me!" She rolled up her sleeves to make herself seem important, and bellowed out a spell. The glass of milk returned to Evie's hand. Harry laughed.
"Well done! Very well done! It took me a week to learn that spell! Evie, what happened?" he looked at Evie's face, which showed a puzzled expression.
"Well, I went to put the milk down on the counter, but I guess the counter is a foot away. I couldn't see it very well." She blushed. Harry thought of something.
"Was it worse than last night?"
"Yeah...way worse."
"Here." Harry took off his glasses and handed them to her. She was right. The counter was a foot closer when things were blurry. She put the huge glasses on her small face and blinked. Amazingly, she could see perfectly well.
"I can see!" Harry laughed at her. Her face was too small for his glasses. He took them back and walked to the fireplace.
"Hermione! We have a crisis! Could you come over here?" Harry said loudly into the ever-burning flames. Hermione stepped out of the fireplace.
"What's up?"
"Evie needs some glasses that are the same perscription as mine. She can't see without my glasses, and me without mine! Could you zap her a pair?"
"Sure thing. Here, hand me yours. Thank you." She pointed her wand and muttered something. In her hand, appeared a smaller pair of Harry's glasses. They were the same black, round glasses Harry had as a child. Actually, he still had those. She handed them their glasses. Hermione had just resized them when they became too small.
"Thanks, Herm. You're the best," Harry said. But, Hermione wasn't looking at Harry. She was looking at Evie. She looked remarkably like Harry.
"Harry, look! She looks tremendously like you with the glasses on!" Harry looked at his daughter for the first time with her glasses and saw himself as a child. She did look like him. Incredibly like him. Elizabeth broke the silence.
"Well, I'm off to the game. I'm going to sit with Sabrina!" She grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Hermione was snapped out of her reveries when she heard Sabrina's name.
"Oh, Evie, why don't you go see Piper. She hasn't seen you in a day or two." Evie downed her milk and nodded. She hugged her father and Hermione and left the office.
"So, are you excited about the game today?" Hermione looked worn and tired, and a bit pale.
"Oh yes, very excited," he said sarcasticly.
"Ahhh...too much work and no play makes Harry Potter a dull hero!" she laughed.
"I stayed up till eleven doing paperwork for this thing. Hey, did you get the Daily Prophet yesterday?"
"Yes...I found the article most interesting! 'Harry Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts'-Harry!! Voldemort!" Hermione paled even more and very quickly. "He's gonna know about you being Headmaster! You have to go! Or, do something!"
"Oh crap! You're right! I totally forgot about that! Great! You go get Evie, and I'll find Eliz-" Elizabeth walked in the door.
"I forgot my Hogwarts, A History book. Hermione gave it to me for some light reading." Harry stopped his panicking and rolled his eyes and head at Hermione.
"Oh, no. We've got a little Hermione on our hands, now! Oh, Eliz. You have to stay here, with me. Something's come up. Uh-we can't go to the game."
"Why not?"
"Well," Harry looked to Hermione. He wondered if telling them the truth was the best thing for this situation. "We just have to go somewhere. There's no time to pack, so just sit here and-"
"Going somewhere, Harry Potter? I see you've found out my little secret!" Elizabeth screamed.
"MR. RIDLE! Dad! Dad! It's him!"
"Oh, and I see the little brats have found their Daddy!" Voldemort's voice was icy cold.
"I read the Daily Prophet this morning. Found out your little secret. I don't know how I over looked that little detail of you being the headmaster here." Harry found himself fighting his instinct to forget his wand and jump on him and tear him limb from limb.
"Hermione..." he started very slowly. "Take Elizabeth and go." Harry found himself saying exactly what his father had said to his mother. It became a scary feeling of foreboding. "Go somewhere safe. I don't want either of you killed. Just go I can hold him off. Go. NOW!" he raised his wand ready to perform a curse of highest degree, without being an Unforgivable. What stopped him was those red eyes, full of malice and hate. Hermione had known better than to stay and jumped into the fireplace, holding Elizabeth, who was shaking with fear. They were gone.
"Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry. Let's have a chat, shall we?" Voldemort waved his wand and Harry found himself in the chair, unable to move.
"What do you want, Voldemort? You've already taken away my wife and child forever, and you stole my girls for seven years. What else could you possibly take from me?"
"Your life, Potter. You're soul. I lost energy performing this complex spell to get myself through the protection of the school, and I need an able body to rejuvanize me! And, I'd say you're just the person. But, I want a fight. Put up a good fight, Harry. You still have your wand in your hand. Use it." He waved his own wand and Harry was free from his invisible chains. Harry was worried. He had confidence, that on a day that he was with complete energy, he could defeat Voldemort. But, he hadn't slept well in months. He was constantly thinking about Voldemort. How, any second, he could destroy his life again. He was always reading about powerful curses Aurors had used. Harry sometimes found that he would read all night before realizing it was light outside. He raised his wand. It felt like he was doing this for nothing. It felt like one minor curse could destroy him. Harry realized he must have been thinking too long for Voldemort raised his wand. But, Harry got there first. He was going to do it, here and now. Either that, or die trying.
"CATORCME!" Harry yelled. It was the best curse he could think of at the moment. He was thinking fast. Voldemort's wand had gone haywire and couldn't do anything for 30 seconds. Harry had to think. Voldemort broke the curse in less than 30 seconds and yelled.
"CRUCIO!" Harry was hit. It was a pain like none other. He wanted it to just stop. All he wanted was the pain to go away. The thought crossed his mind. Defeat. No! He was going to fight until the bitter end. If that meant death, then so be it. Feebly, he raised his wand again to yell a double curse.
"CANTOARIANDE!" Voldemort's body twisted and curled and Harry yelled again. "MECOJCUARDE!" Voldemort was hit with pain half as bad as Harry's. Harry had the advantage until he recovered. "CATORCME!!" but he was too late. Voldemort had doubled back and yelled.
"MORTIMORTOS!" Harry felt himself being levitated and slammed into the ceiling and slammed back to the ground. It was three times before it stopped. When it did, he realized Voldemort was raising his wand again. Harry thought quickly.
"EXPELLIARMAS!" Voldemort's wand flew up into the air the second before he would have brought it crashing down. With the last of his physical strength remaining, he made a jump for it and grabbed the wand. He held it in his hand. Then, he raised his own wand high and screamed with all his might. "ANAMAG FINITE!" Voldemort shriveled down to the floor. Harry didn't know what he turned him into as Voldemort kept shrinking. Finally, he turned into a full hawk. Harry grabbed it by the neck and shoved it in Hedwig's cage. Just as he did this Ron came running through the fireplace.
"I came as soon as I heard. Are you alright? Where is the son of a-"
"There, Ron!" Harry collapsed to the floor. He was so tired. Ron looked at the cage.
"Is that-him? Can he understand what we're saying, the bastard?" Harry laughed.
"I don't know. Get Hermione to summon the ministry. He's getting kissed." Ron helped Harry to the nearest chair. Harry was hurt badly. He was in so much pain, he didn't know how long he could stay conscious. The Cruciatos Curse doesn't go away easily. Right on que, Hermione walked through the fireplace with the Minister of Magic and a Dementor.
She mouthed a sorry to Harry. He never permitted them in the castle under ANY circumstance. She walked over to him.
"Oh, Harry. You're burning up!" The usual color in her cheeks were absent. She put her hand to his face. He was beginning to feel dizzy and everything was swirling and turning white again. This time he heard something different in his head. "Take Elizabeth and go...I'll hold him off..."
"Say, there, Harry! What curse did you put on him? Can we undo it with a-oh. Sorry." He said something to the Dementor and sent it away with his wand. "Sorry. I forgot-"
"I used the Anamag Finite on him. Here's his wand. I don't want to see the kiss. Talk with him first, if possible. Because you STILL aren't convinced about Sirius, ask him about that. But don't do anything, and I mean it, Fudge, until twelve-thirty today. I want to make sure all the students are as far away from the dementor as possible. Do you hear? Good. All I want is the peace of mind to know that the-" he looked at Ron who filled in.
"Bastard."
"-is locked away safely and never ever to do anything that has to do with the human species or any species for that matter, ever again!" Hermione tended to Harry, who sank into unconsciousness.
"Ron, help me out here," Hermione said sternly. "Minister, may I ask you to take this to the staff lounge? Harry needs to be cared for. Thank you." The minister left abruptly with the cage under his arm. He stepped into the fire and was gone. Ron and Hermione levitated Harry onto his bed. She went to the water basin and got a towel from the linen closet. Hermione dipped it into the pitcher of water and wrung it out. She laid it on Harry's head and he seemed to let out a sigh of relief in his sleep.
"Is he going to be ok, Herm?"
"Yeah...I think so. Will you go tell the girls that he'll be all right? I'm really worried about them." She wiped her sweating brow with the back of her hand.
"Sure thing." Just as he was about to step into the fireplace, Evie, Sabrina, and Piper stepped out. Evie was in tears as she ran to the bed.
"What's wrong? Dad? Daddy! Wake up! Wake up!" she shook him as hard as she could and when she gave up, she collapsed onto his chest. "Is-is he-dead?" she looked up at Hermione and then at Ron.
"No, sweetie. He's going to be all right. He just needs rest and relaxation." Evie wiped her tears and looked back at Sabrina and Piper who were standing in the doorway looking very pale. Hermione realized that Elizabeth wasn't present.
"Where's Elizabeth?" she asked.
"We don't know...when she walked through the fireplace, she was crying and she just ran from the room and down the hall. We don't know where she went," Piper said.
"Oh, no. Ron, keep watch over Harry, for me, will you? If he wakes, tell him not to move or I'll hex him. Oh, and slip this in his tea if he does wake up. It'll make him feel better. I went to the staff lounge instead of the house, girls. I'll find her." She slipped a tiny jar onto the bedside stand. Hermione rushed out the door and they heard her take the stairs three at a time.
******
It was all her fault. Why hadn't she tried to run away when he kidnapped her? She could have taken Evie and run away a million times, but she didn't. Elizabeth was still running as hard and as fast as she possibly could. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away as fast as possible. She stopped as she came around the far side of the lake. She could see the boats floating on the lake peacefully. She found the nearest bench and collapsed on it, crying. She couldn't take it anymore. What if, up in that room, right now, her father was dying? She would have no one, and Voldemort would smooth it all over and she'd have to take Evie with her back to Voldemort's house and live like hell again! She would have no father, again, and all the memories of her mother and father would die again. How could she take it? Just when she was about to get up and run even farther away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she found black robes blowing in the wind at her feet. She slowly looked up, fearful that it might be Voldemort.
It was Hermione.
"Hey," she said as she sat down next to Elizabeth.
"Hi..." her voice quavered.
"Listen, Eliz. It wasn't your fault. This was no one's fault. And your father's going to be ok. He just needs a lot of sleep." Elizabeth stared at the ground. How did Hermione know that was how she felt? "I know how you feel, Liz."
"How?"
"Well, your father, Ron and I have been best friends since our first year. In our fourth year, your father competed in the Triwizard Tournament as a bonus player, shall we say. When he went to the last task, he and this other boy, Cedric, tied. They touched the trophy and were transported right into Voldemort's grasp. Cedric was killed, and Harry nearly was. I was up in the stands sitting there, tears streaming down my face, feeling as if a car was on top of my chest. I couldn't breathe for fear he wouldn't return safely. I thought it was my fault for not knowing what was going on. I usually knew everything. Ron was of little help, jumping up and down like a complete maniac, biting his nails," she laughed. "Afterwards, I felt a little stupid because how could I have known? Voldemort is a very cunning person. He can get places amidst the brightest and most intelligent wizards in the world and they wouldn't have a clue he was there. You can't blame yourself. If you do, you'll just be kicking your butt for the rest of your life. Believe me, I know. I can't count the number of times us three have been involved with Voldemort."
"Is it over? Is he gone for good? I-I don't want anything else to happen to my dad. He seems so sad all the time, kind of like he's always crying. Does he really want us back?" she wiped her eyes.
"You worry way too much. He is happier than I've seen him in seven years. I swear to you, he's happier with you, than without. Why else would he be sacrificing his life for you two?"
"I don't know..."
"Yes you do, you're smarter than that," Hermione said sternly and yet softly.
"Because he loves us..."
"He does. He does very much. Now, how does a big hot cup of hot chocolate sound?" she smiled.
"With marshmallows?"
"With marshmallows," Hermione laughed. They stood up and headed back to the castle.
"Hermione, where's my mom's grave?"
"Your mother's grave? Well, it's not far from here, Maybe a mile or two. Not more than that. You just walk down the tracks, and you'll find a road that leads straight to it. The cemetery is called The Wizard Grave. Why?"
"I was just wondering. So, you're sure my dad's going to be alright?"
"Yes. I'm sure. All he needs is a little rest and no stress. Otherwise, he should be fine-Elizabeth? What's wrong?" Elizabeth froze where she was walking. She sunk into a trance again. Her eyes glazed over, and it seemed like she flickered between consciousness and unconsciousness. Hermione realized what was happening and looked into her eyes. She didn't speak.
"Elizabeth! Take Evie and go to me! I'm running out of time! You must find me before the kiss! Find me, please!" Elizabeth woke up, but swayed on the spot. Hermione caught her just in time.
"Elizabeth? What did you see?" Hermione asked concernedly.
"I-I don't know," she stammered. "Some little girl told me to go to her and take Evie...we have to save her before the kiss."
"What did this girl look like?"
"It was ha-hard to tell," she said as she took a breath. "She was kind of shadowy, or ghost-like. It looked like she had curly black hair with green eyes, like mine and Evie's."
"About how old was the girl?" Hermione kneeled down to Elizabeth's eye level.
"She looked about seven, maybe six. Why?" Hermione didn't know if she should tell Elizabeth about her unborn sister. She decided not to. It was Harry's responsibility to them to tell them both.
"I-I was just wondering. Let's get back to the castle. Maybe your father will have awoken by now." In a matter of minutes, they were up in the castle, and then in Harry's office. He had woken up, and he was sitting up, drinking some tea.
"Oh, good. Did you put it in his tea, Ron?"
"Yes, Hermommy," Ron said sarcastically.
"Oh, shut your mouth. Girls, why don't you go to our place? I'll zap you some hot chocolate."
"But, mom!"
"Now, all of you." Hermione turned to "Mom Mode." Elizabeth and Evie were the first ones to leave, the others less enthusiastic about leaving. When they got there, steaming hot chocolate was waiting for them on a table with a bag of marshmallows next to the cups. Meanwhile, up at Harry's office, Hermione filled them in on Elizabeth's vision.
"Do you think she could be seeing their sister, Harry?"
"I don't know," he said, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
"She could be. She said it was like a shadow, or a ghost..." Hermione looked pale and tired.
"She had a vision with me too, similar to that one. She said someone needed help at a gravestone. It was Emogene's headstone, Harry," Ron put in.
"That would explain why she asked where Emogene was buried, Harry. She asked me that before we walked back. What do you think this means?"
"It means...I have no clue. Did everything look authentic, Herm? Ron? It looked like a real prediction, or something?"
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Well, then. I can't help them. They have to figure it out themselves. I only hope they can. I'll conveniently leave the invisibility cloak out for them to escape in-wait. Evie knows where it is. I'll let her get it. We have to let them do this." He said that as sort of a re-assurance to himself that they could do it.
"Are you sure? We can't help them?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure." Harry nodded. Ron spoke.
"Did you know that females use about 5000 words a day, and men use only 2000?" Everyone laughed.
"Where'd you find that out, Ron?" Harry laughed. He held his stomach. It hurt to laugh.
"I was watching Oprah the other day. It was Tuesday, with Dr. Phil. I got the TV to receive stations from all over the world. Pretty neat!"
"Ron's addicted to Oprah," Hermione held her breath in her cheeks. "Is it hot in here?" she asked.
"No. Well, whatever it is...I'm not sure it's a guy thing, Ron...but whatever floats your boat..." he laughed again.
"Boys, stop. Harry, you need to rest. I'm going to go get a sleeping draught for you in the dungeon. Speaking of which-"
"Oh here we go," Ron rolled his eyes.
"When are you going to move the dungeon to a happier place? It's too cold and scary down there. It reminds me of Snape." Hermione sighed.
"Fine. Give me some time to rest, and I'll do it."
"Good." Hermione walked out the door. When Hermione left Harry and Ron alone, it was always like old times.
"So, uh-Harry...we haven't had time to talk lately..."
"I know. Spill it."
"Well, I got some! I impregnated a woman..."
"Ron...that's a little too much excess information for my liking."
"Oh, sorry. Nothing else, really. What about you? Any action?"
"Only near death...but, just like you. Pretty boring."
"Yeah, about that, Harry. Don't do that. Ever again. Do you know how much stress you put us all through? Hermione's been as white as a sheet since this happened."
"Yeah...I noticed that. Is she ok?" Ron nodded, and Harry continued. "What a surprise...yes...I'm sorry. It's just that saving the world has so many downsides!" Just then, Hermione walked back in.
"Harry, take this."
"Is it the dreamless one?"
"No, but do you want that one? This one is only a light one. It'll make you sleep for only about," she looked at her watch. "A half an hour. So, you'll be awake by eleven for some inspection by me!" She blew her cheeks out and shivered involuntarily.
"This one sounds ok." He drank down the potion and was asleep in no time.
"Ron, we should go...the girls should be getting off. It's nearly five fifteen. Is it cold in here?"
"Ok...Herm, you feeling alright? And, no. It's almost hot in here. You look kind of pale..."
"Second term side effects," she sighed. "I read it in-"
"Oh. So you're ok, then? Maybe you should go to bed."
"Ron, I'll be fine! I can handle it myself!" She put her hand to her head, which had now turned to a nasty shade of green.
"Hermione? Sit down, ok. All this stress is too much-"
"Ron, I said I'm fine!" But she wasn't. She was sweating and was still very green.
"Herm...sit down."
"I can't-"
"What do you mean, you can't-"
"Because I think I'm going to be sick!" She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. Ron paced the study for a full five minutes before she came out, looking a little bit better.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah...I'm fine. I just...I feel really tired. Can you help me get home? Suddenly the fireplace seems miles away."
"Let me think..."
"Shut-up." Ron supported her weight and walked her slowly to the fireplace. They stepped through. When they got there, thankfully, all the kids had gone to see the match. He helped her onto the bed.
"Hermi...you need to take it easy. I'm going to go get the doctor."
"Ron, no! I'm fine!"
"Hermione..." he said sternly. "I'm going to go get the doctor. This didn't happen last time or the time before."
"Fine. Does that make you happy?"
"Yes. I'll be back." Ron left hastily. He muttered to himself just outside the door. "She never quits!" He went to the staff fireplace to call on the doctor. Meanwhile, Hermione's sleeping drought hadn't worked very well. She had given him the wrong one. He woke up right after they had left. Deciding to make the best of the situation, he got up and wrote a note. It said, 'the kiss is at twelve-thirty.' He put in by the drawer in which the invisibility cloak was kept. He grabbed a book and decided to read a bit. He discovered it was Hogwarts, A History. He laughed to himself. Before long, he fell asleep reading the book.
*****************
At the match, Elizabeth couldn't sit still. She prodded Evie with her wand.
"What?" she replied, almost grumpily.
"We have to go. Come on. I need to tell you something. It's important, Evie. Come on!" she said, tugging at her sister's robes.
"Fine! Where are we going?"
"To where our mother is buried."
"Can I ask WHY?"
"We have to save one. I'll explain more later. Right now...oh no. How do we get out of the school without being seen?"
"Dad's invisibility cloak. It'll cover both of us," she said.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah. He showed me where he keeps it." Elizabeth, preoccupied, didn't have time to feel left out.
"K...Chocolate Covered Candy." The portrait swung open. "Do you know what the kiss is?"
"No, but look at this note...'the kiss is at twelve-thirty,' it says. So...what do we do?"
"Get the cloak. Hurry! We only have forty-five minutes." Evie grabbed the cloak and threw it over Elizabeth and her. "Wow. This is cool...ok, let's go. Maybe dad's rooting for us in his sleep!" she said, reassuringly. Little did they know that Harry had awoken the moment they had come in.
"More than you know, girls..." All he could do was wait. He was feeling much better now. The stuff in his tea must have complicated the sleeping potion, he thought.
************
The girls kept a steady pace, following the train tracks. "So, who exactly are we saving?" Evie questioned.
"I don't know...but we have to save her. She came in a trance thingy...she told me that I have to find and save her before the kiss-here's the road." It was about twenty minutes before the kiss. They started going a little bit faster. Before long, they saw a sad-looking sign that said 'The Wizards' Grave.'
"This it?" Evie asked.
"Yeah...we just have to find out mum's place..." they walked sadly to the white gate. It creaked when Evie pushed it open. They walked through the gate. The whole site was covered in a dense fog that made it hard to see.
"Ok, so which way should we go...I'm not splitting up. This place is creepy..." said Evie.
"Yeah...I know...wait-what's that sound? It sounds like someone's crying! Come on!" they ran off in the direction of the whimpering. The crying stopped and the girls looked around.
"Eliz...look. It's dad!" And, it was. There was a picture of Harry and Emogene standing, laughing. They waved, too. "That must be her," Evie said, bending over to pick the picture up.
"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Elizabeth said.
"Yeah...she was." She set the picture down and looked around. Ten minutes until the kiss. "Well, this is where she was buried...so, where's the little girl you saw?" Evie asked.
"Good ques-" A girl, smaller than Evie, stood up from behind the stone.
"Hello," she said, pleasantly.
"Hi," the girls said back, stunned. The girl was exactly how Elizabeth had seen her.
"So, do you know who I am?"
"No..."
"Ok...well, you've never met me. Voldemort killed me when your mother died. Do you know how you have to save me?"
"No..."
"I can only give you clues. Seeing, as we only have seven minutes, I'll be hasty. I didn't truly die. But, as I said...I was killed when your mother died..." she sighed impatiently at the girls. "Ok...tough ones...dense as a rock," she muttered under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing...let's see...what are you two?"
"Sisters?"
"Ah...we're getting somewhere...who do each of you look like?"
"Our parents," Evie said, and Elizabeth nodded.
"Right. And who do I look like?"
"Our parents..."
"Yes! So...that means...come on! We're all..."
"Sisters! Wait...so our mom was pregnant when she was killed?" Elizabeth asked. The girl only nodded.
"Keep going..." she seemed to be fading.
"So, you're our sister, and you're not truly dead...our mom was pregnant when she was killed...and...what now?"
"You did it..."
"How? How did we save you?" Evie was extremely puzzled.
"You pulled something from your heart to remember me. I can go now. I have been here for seven years-oh, give this to Hedwig for me. She'll know where to take it...well, I love you guys...thanks." Evie peeked at her watch and saw the hand turn to twelve-thirty. Elizabeth took the note. The little girl began to fade, or completely dissolve. Evie and Elizabeth looked at each other.
"I wish we could have gotten to know her better..." Evie said.
"Yeah. Me too. Do you think Dad knew?"
"Not sure...maybe. But why didn't he tell us?"
"Maybe he wasn't ready..." Elizabeth looked at their mother's grave. She knelt down to the grave.
"Maybe. Come on, let's get out of here-"
"Wait...I think...well, I want to stay. We've never seen where she was buried before..."
"But it's kind of creepy here, Eliz..."
"You mean that for the first time ever, you've seen your mother's grave, and you don't want to stay?" she looked astounded.
"Well...not really. Liz, you remember her, don't you? Our mother, I mean."
"Of course. Don't you?"
"No...I don't remember her at all. For some strange reason...I only remember our dad. I can't remember our mum, Liz...I can't." Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I sometimes lie in bed, trying to remember what she looked like...maybe a glimpse...just a small tiny glimpse, of who she was...I can't remember her." She covered up her face with her small hands. Elizabeth got up and put her arms around Evie.
"Shh-shh...it's ok, Eve. It's all right. It's not your fault-shh..." Elizabeth slightly rocked her sister back and forth. "Come on. Let's go home." Elizabeth took her sister's hand, and they passed the many headstones until they reached the gate. They began their journey back along the road that led to the train tracks, which led them both home. To the home they felt love in.
Please read and review. I worked so hard on this one...I'd really like to know how you thought it was...thanks, as always, Meg
Part Four
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)-sorry. :( c(:
Elizabeth was getting ready to go to bed the next night, when she remembered the one vision with the little girl. Evie was already in bed reading a book. Elizabeth looked at her.
"Evie, why are you squinting like that? Hold the book farther away! You can't read like that! It'll hurt your eyes," Elizabeth told her. She had been talking to Hermione about everything after school today, and had begun to be Hermione.
"Well, I can't read like that either!" she looked up at her sister, her eyes still half-closed.
"Maybe you need glasses, then. Go ask Dad. He'll get some glasses for you," she looked at her sister's eyes and shrugged. Again, she had forgotten about the little girl.
"But-"
"Go."
"Ugh."
"Ugh." At that, Evie walked out the door and into Harry's office.
"Daddy? Dad?" There was no answer. Only a quiet snore coming from a hunch on Harry's desk. Evie prodded her father with her finger. Harry awoke with a start. He hurridley put his glasses on his face. He smiled and yawned. His green eyes looked extravagently green from lack of sleep.
"Hmm?" he put an arm around her back and rubbed it gently.
"I think I need glasses, or that's what Elizabeth said. I couldn't read this book you gave me," she said. "And, you're kind of getting blury."
"How long has this been happening?"
"About a week, I guess. I haven't read very much in my life. Elizabeth taught me, but we never had any books or anything."
"Oh, I see. Well, tomorrow we'll go to Diagon Alley and see what we can find! Oh, wait! Tomorrow's the big Quidditch game! Do you and Liz want to come with me to see it?"
"Yeah! That'll be a lot of fun. What if I can't see the game, though?"
"Tell you what. I'll ask Hermione if she can find anything for you. She can do anything. Honestly, I'm surprised she's not HeadMistress and me Deputy HeadMaster." He smiled kindly.
"Elizabeth really likes her. She's been going to talk to her everyday since she told Ron that Hermione was pregnant."
"Do you ever talk to her?"
"No...not really. Why?"
"Well, it might be good for you to talk to her. She loves you very much. I mean, if you ever need somebody to talk to, she'd love to talk to you."
"But I have you now," she said, looking puzzled.
"-Yeah, I know." He sighed quickly and smiled. "Why don't you go on back to bed? 'Night, Sweetie. I'll see you in the morning for the match." Evie kissed her dad goodnight. She turned around. Something caught her eye. It was a picture of Dumbledore, just smiling slightly and blinking.
"Who's that?" she pointed at the picture.
"Oh, that's Albus Dumbledore. Do you recognize him?"
"Yes...I do. It feels like I've seen him before."
"Oh, you have. Before he died, he was always around you two. He loved you both like you were his own grandchildren. He especially took a liking to you, Evie. When you were first born, I think it was the day after, your mother was napping in that bed, right there." He pointed to the bed in his room. "I was asleep on that couch, right there." He poined to a small loveseat in the corner. "And, nine years ago, that rocking chair, right over there, was right where you're sitting now. The room was re-arranged back then. After you were born, we stopped by here to see him. He let your mother and I rest first. Anyway, he didn't know I had woken up when he was sitting in that rocking chair. He sat and rocked you for an hour, looking at your face and your closed eyes. He loved you very much. He still does, I imagine." Harry smiled. "Alright, you've stalled enough. Go to bed." He kissed her goodnight and got back to what was supposed to be work. He had so much paperwork to fill out over this Quidditch match tomorrow. The Gryffindor Team, the best team at Hogwarts, was to play a team organized by the magical community nearest Diagon Alley.
It was supposed to be big. The Daily Prophet wanted three reporters and five photographers there. So, Harry had to make sure that there were plenty of teacher's standing by in case something or someone got out of hand. Just then, Hedwig flew through his window and landed on his desk. She held out the Daily Prophet for him to see. He undid the ties and looked at the Headline. "Harry Potter, HeadMaster of Hogwarts, is looking forward to the Match!" There was no picture of Harry, but a detailed article, more or less about how well the Daily Prophet will cover the game. He put the paper down and continued his work. After about an hour of paperwork to fill out, Harry had to go to bed. He didn't even change out of his robes and he didn't take off his glasses. He just fell asleep on his bed.
The next morning, Harry was still sound asleep at six. He was usually up and about by that time. He only awoke when Evie dropped her glass of milk on the floor.
"Hmm! Wh-what happened?" Harry's glasses had fallen off during the night. He had his wand pulled out and was squinting around looking for the something that made the crash. When he saw it was only the girls, he found his glasses and put them on his nose.
Harry heard Elizabeth saying something.
"Here! Watch this. Hermione taught this to me!" She rolled up her sleeves to make herself seem important, and bellowed out a spell. The glass of milk returned to Evie's hand. Harry laughed.
"Well done! Very well done! It took me a week to learn that spell! Evie, what happened?" he looked at Evie's face, which showed a puzzled expression.
"Well, I went to put the milk down on the counter, but I guess the counter is a foot away. I couldn't see it very well." She blushed. Harry thought of something.
"Was it worse than last night?"
"Yeah...way worse."
"Here." Harry took off his glasses and handed them to her. She was right. The counter was a foot closer when things were blurry. She put the huge glasses on her small face and blinked. Amazingly, she could see perfectly well.
"I can see!" Harry laughed at her. Her face was too small for his glasses. He took them back and walked to the fireplace.
"Hermione! We have a crisis! Could you come over here?" Harry said loudly into the ever-burning flames. Hermione stepped out of the fireplace.
"What's up?"
"Evie needs some glasses that are the same perscription as mine. She can't see without my glasses, and me without mine! Could you zap her a pair?"
"Sure thing. Here, hand me yours. Thank you." She pointed her wand and muttered something. In her hand, appeared a smaller pair of Harry's glasses. They were the same black, round glasses Harry had as a child. Actually, he still had those. She handed them their glasses. Hermione had just resized them when they became too small.
"Thanks, Herm. You're the best," Harry said. But, Hermione wasn't looking at Harry. She was looking at Evie. She looked remarkably like Harry.
"Harry, look! She looks tremendously like you with the glasses on!" Harry looked at his daughter for the first time with her glasses and saw himself as a child. She did look like him. Incredibly like him. Elizabeth broke the silence.
"Well, I'm off to the game. I'm going to sit with Sabrina!" She grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Hermione was snapped out of her reveries when she heard Sabrina's name.
"Oh, Evie, why don't you go see Piper. She hasn't seen you in a day or two." Evie downed her milk and nodded. She hugged her father and Hermione and left the office.
"So, are you excited about the game today?" Hermione looked worn and tired, and a bit pale.
"Oh yes, very excited," he said sarcasticly.
"Ahhh...too much work and no play makes Harry Potter a dull hero!" she laughed.
"I stayed up till eleven doing paperwork for this thing. Hey, did you get the Daily Prophet yesterday?"
"Yes...I found the article most interesting! 'Harry Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts'-Harry!! Voldemort!" Hermione paled even more and very quickly. "He's gonna know about you being Headmaster! You have to go! Or, do something!"
"Oh crap! You're right! I totally forgot about that! Great! You go get Evie, and I'll find Eliz-" Elizabeth walked in the door.
"I forgot my Hogwarts, A History book. Hermione gave it to me for some light reading." Harry stopped his panicking and rolled his eyes and head at Hermione.
"Oh, no. We've got a little Hermione on our hands, now! Oh, Eliz. You have to stay here, with me. Something's come up. Uh-we can't go to the game."
"Why not?"
"Well," Harry looked to Hermione. He wondered if telling them the truth was the best thing for this situation. "We just have to go somewhere. There's no time to pack, so just sit here and-"
"Going somewhere, Harry Potter? I see you've found out my little secret!" Elizabeth screamed.
"MR. RIDLE! Dad! Dad! It's him!"
"Oh, and I see the little brats have found their Daddy!" Voldemort's voice was icy cold.
"I read the Daily Prophet this morning. Found out your little secret. I don't know how I over looked that little detail of you being the headmaster here." Harry found himself fighting his instinct to forget his wand and jump on him and tear him limb from limb.
"Hermione..." he started very slowly. "Take Elizabeth and go." Harry found himself saying exactly what his father had said to his mother. It became a scary feeling of foreboding. "Go somewhere safe. I don't want either of you killed. Just go I can hold him off. Go. NOW!" he raised his wand ready to perform a curse of highest degree, without being an Unforgivable. What stopped him was those red eyes, full of malice and hate. Hermione had known better than to stay and jumped into the fireplace, holding Elizabeth, who was shaking with fear. They were gone.
"Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry. Let's have a chat, shall we?" Voldemort waved his wand and Harry found himself in the chair, unable to move.
"What do you want, Voldemort? You've already taken away my wife and child forever, and you stole my girls for seven years. What else could you possibly take from me?"
"Your life, Potter. You're soul. I lost energy performing this complex spell to get myself through the protection of the school, and I need an able body to rejuvanize me! And, I'd say you're just the person. But, I want a fight. Put up a good fight, Harry. You still have your wand in your hand. Use it." He waved his own wand and Harry was free from his invisible chains. Harry was worried. He had confidence, that on a day that he was with complete energy, he could defeat Voldemort. But, he hadn't slept well in months. He was constantly thinking about Voldemort. How, any second, he could destroy his life again. He was always reading about powerful curses Aurors had used. Harry sometimes found that he would read all night before realizing it was light outside. He raised his wand. It felt like he was doing this for nothing. It felt like one minor curse could destroy him. Harry realized he must have been thinking too long for Voldemort raised his wand. But, Harry got there first. He was going to do it, here and now. Either that, or die trying.
"CATORCME!" Harry yelled. It was the best curse he could think of at the moment. He was thinking fast. Voldemort's wand had gone haywire and couldn't do anything for 30 seconds. Harry had to think. Voldemort broke the curse in less than 30 seconds and yelled.
"CRUCIO!" Harry was hit. It was a pain like none other. He wanted it to just stop. All he wanted was the pain to go away. The thought crossed his mind. Defeat. No! He was going to fight until the bitter end. If that meant death, then so be it. Feebly, he raised his wand again to yell a double curse.
"CANTOARIANDE!" Voldemort's body twisted and curled and Harry yelled again. "MECOJCUARDE!" Voldemort was hit with pain half as bad as Harry's. Harry had the advantage until he recovered. "CATORCME!!" but he was too late. Voldemort had doubled back and yelled.
"MORTIMORTOS!" Harry felt himself being levitated and slammed into the ceiling and slammed back to the ground. It was three times before it stopped. When it did, he realized Voldemort was raising his wand again. Harry thought quickly.
"EXPELLIARMAS!" Voldemort's wand flew up into the air the second before he would have brought it crashing down. With the last of his physical strength remaining, he made a jump for it and grabbed the wand. He held it in his hand. Then, he raised his own wand high and screamed with all his might. "ANAMAG FINITE!" Voldemort shriveled down to the floor. Harry didn't know what he turned him into as Voldemort kept shrinking. Finally, he turned into a full hawk. Harry grabbed it by the neck and shoved it in Hedwig's cage. Just as he did this Ron came running through the fireplace.
"I came as soon as I heard. Are you alright? Where is the son of a-"
"There, Ron!" Harry collapsed to the floor. He was so tired. Ron looked at the cage.
"Is that-him? Can he understand what we're saying, the bastard?" Harry laughed.
"I don't know. Get Hermione to summon the ministry. He's getting kissed." Ron helped Harry to the nearest chair. Harry was hurt badly. He was in so much pain, he didn't know how long he could stay conscious. The Cruciatos Curse doesn't go away easily. Right on que, Hermione walked through the fireplace with the Minister of Magic and a Dementor.
She mouthed a sorry to Harry. He never permitted them in the castle under ANY circumstance. She walked over to him.
"Oh, Harry. You're burning up!" The usual color in her cheeks were absent. She put her hand to his face. He was beginning to feel dizzy and everything was swirling and turning white again. This time he heard something different in his head. "Take Elizabeth and go...I'll hold him off..."
"Say, there, Harry! What curse did you put on him? Can we undo it with a-oh. Sorry." He said something to the Dementor and sent it away with his wand. "Sorry. I forgot-"
"I used the Anamag Finite on him. Here's his wand. I don't want to see the kiss. Talk with him first, if possible. Because you STILL aren't convinced about Sirius, ask him about that. But don't do anything, and I mean it, Fudge, until twelve-thirty today. I want to make sure all the students are as far away from the dementor as possible. Do you hear? Good. All I want is the peace of mind to know that the-" he looked at Ron who filled in.
"Bastard."
"-is locked away safely and never ever to do anything that has to do with the human species or any species for that matter, ever again!" Hermione tended to Harry, who sank into unconsciousness.
"Ron, help me out here," Hermione said sternly. "Minister, may I ask you to take this to the staff lounge? Harry needs to be cared for. Thank you." The minister left abruptly with the cage under his arm. He stepped into the fire and was gone. Ron and Hermione levitated Harry onto his bed. She went to the water basin and got a towel from the linen closet. Hermione dipped it into the pitcher of water and wrung it out. She laid it on Harry's head and he seemed to let out a sigh of relief in his sleep.
"Is he going to be ok, Herm?"
"Yeah...I think so. Will you go tell the girls that he'll be all right? I'm really worried about them." She wiped her sweating brow with the back of her hand.
"Sure thing." Just as he was about to step into the fireplace, Evie, Sabrina, and Piper stepped out. Evie was in tears as she ran to the bed.
"What's wrong? Dad? Daddy! Wake up! Wake up!" she shook him as hard as she could and when she gave up, she collapsed onto his chest. "Is-is he-dead?" she looked up at Hermione and then at Ron.
"No, sweetie. He's going to be all right. He just needs rest and relaxation." Evie wiped her tears and looked back at Sabrina and Piper who were standing in the doorway looking very pale. Hermione realized that Elizabeth wasn't present.
"Where's Elizabeth?" she asked.
"We don't know...when she walked through the fireplace, she was crying and she just ran from the room and down the hall. We don't know where she went," Piper said.
"Oh, no. Ron, keep watch over Harry, for me, will you? If he wakes, tell him not to move or I'll hex him. Oh, and slip this in his tea if he does wake up. It'll make him feel better. I went to the staff lounge instead of the house, girls. I'll find her." She slipped a tiny jar onto the bedside stand. Hermione rushed out the door and they heard her take the stairs three at a time.
******
It was all her fault. Why hadn't she tried to run away when he kidnapped her? She could have taken Evie and run away a million times, but she didn't. Elizabeth was still running as hard and as fast as she possibly could. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away as fast as possible. She stopped as she came around the far side of the lake. She could see the boats floating on the lake peacefully. She found the nearest bench and collapsed on it, crying. She couldn't take it anymore. What if, up in that room, right now, her father was dying? She would have no one, and Voldemort would smooth it all over and she'd have to take Evie with her back to Voldemort's house and live like hell again! She would have no father, again, and all the memories of her mother and father would die again. How could she take it? Just when she was about to get up and run even farther away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she found black robes blowing in the wind at her feet. She slowly looked up, fearful that it might be Voldemort.
It was Hermione.
"Hey," she said as she sat down next to Elizabeth.
"Hi..." her voice quavered.
"Listen, Eliz. It wasn't your fault. This was no one's fault. And your father's going to be ok. He just needs a lot of sleep." Elizabeth stared at the ground. How did Hermione know that was how she felt? "I know how you feel, Liz."
"How?"
"Well, your father, Ron and I have been best friends since our first year. In our fourth year, your father competed in the Triwizard Tournament as a bonus player, shall we say. When he went to the last task, he and this other boy, Cedric, tied. They touched the trophy and were transported right into Voldemort's grasp. Cedric was killed, and Harry nearly was. I was up in the stands sitting there, tears streaming down my face, feeling as if a car was on top of my chest. I couldn't breathe for fear he wouldn't return safely. I thought it was my fault for not knowing what was going on. I usually knew everything. Ron was of little help, jumping up and down like a complete maniac, biting his nails," she laughed. "Afterwards, I felt a little stupid because how could I have known? Voldemort is a very cunning person. He can get places amidst the brightest and most intelligent wizards in the world and they wouldn't have a clue he was there. You can't blame yourself. If you do, you'll just be kicking your butt for the rest of your life. Believe me, I know. I can't count the number of times us three have been involved with Voldemort."
"Is it over? Is he gone for good? I-I don't want anything else to happen to my dad. He seems so sad all the time, kind of like he's always crying. Does he really want us back?" she wiped her eyes.
"You worry way too much. He is happier than I've seen him in seven years. I swear to you, he's happier with you, than without. Why else would he be sacrificing his life for you two?"
"I don't know..."
"Yes you do, you're smarter than that," Hermione said sternly and yet softly.
"Because he loves us..."
"He does. He does very much. Now, how does a big hot cup of hot chocolate sound?" she smiled.
"With marshmallows?"
"With marshmallows," Hermione laughed. They stood up and headed back to the castle.
"Hermione, where's my mom's grave?"
"Your mother's grave? Well, it's not far from here, Maybe a mile or two. Not more than that. You just walk down the tracks, and you'll find a road that leads straight to it. The cemetery is called The Wizard Grave. Why?"
"I was just wondering. So, you're sure my dad's going to be alright?"
"Yes. I'm sure. All he needs is a little rest and no stress. Otherwise, he should be fine-Elizabeth? What's wrong?" Elizabeth froze where she was walking. She sunk into a trance again. Her eyes glazed over, and it seemed like she flickered between consciousness and unconsciousness. Hermione realized what was happening and looked into her eyes. She didn't speak.
"Elizabeth! Take Evie and go to me! I'm running out of time! You must find me before the kiss! Find me, please!" Elizabeth woke up, but swayed on the spot. Hermione caught her just in time.
"Elizabeth? What did you see?" Hermione asked concernedly.
"I-I don't know," she stammered. "Some little girl told me to go to her and take Evie...we have to save her before the kiss."
"What did this girl look like?"
"It was ha-hard to tell," she said as she took a breath. "She was kind of shadowy, or ghost-like. It looked like she had curly black hair with green eyes, like mine and Evie's."
"About how old was the girl?" Hermione kneeled down to Elizabeth's eye level.
"She looked about seven, maybe six. Why?" Hermione didn't know if she should tell Elizabeth about her unborn sister. She decided not to. It was Harry's responsibility to them to tell them both.
"I-I was just wondering. Let's get back to the castle. Maybe your father will have awoken by now." In a matter of minutes, they were up in the castle, and then in Harry's office. He had woken up, and he was sitting up, drinking some tea.
"Oh, good. Did you put it in his tea, Ron?"
"Yes, Hermommy," Ron said sarcastically.
"Oh, shut your mouth. Girls, why don't you go to our place? I'll zap you some hot chocolate."
"But, mom!"
"Now, all of you." Hermione turned to "Mom Mode." Elizabeth and Evie were the first ones to leave, the others less enthusiastic about leaving. When they got there, steaming hot chocolate was waiting for them on a table with a bag of marshmallows next to the cups. Meanwhile, up at Harry's office, Hermione filled them in on Elizabeth's vision.
"Do you think she could be seeing their sister, Harry?"
"I don't know," he said, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
"She could be. She said it was like a shadow, or a ghost..." Hermione looked pale and tired.
"She had a vision with me too, similar to that one. She said someone needed help at a gravestone. It was Emogene's headstone, Harry," Ron put in.
"That would explain why she asked where Emogene was buried, Harry. She asked me that before we walked back. What do you think this means?"
"It means...I have no clue. Did everything look authentic, Herm? Ron? It looked like a real prediction, or something?"
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Well, then. I can't help them. They have to figure it out themselves. I only hope they can. I'll conveniently leave the invisibility cloak out for them to escape in-wait. Evie knows where it is. I'll let her get it. We have to let them do this." He said that as sort of a re-assurance to himself that they could do it.
"Are you sure? We can't help them?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure." Harry nodded. Ron spoke.
"Did you know that females use about 5000 words a day, and men use only 2000?" Everyone laughed.
"Where'd you find that out, Ron?" Harry laughed. He held his stomach. It hurt to laugh.
"I was watching Oprah the other day. It was Tuesday, with Dr. Phil. I got the TV to receive stations from all over the world. Pretty neat!"
"Ron's addicted to Oprah," Hermione held her breath in her cheeks. "Is it hot in here?" she asked.
"No. Well, whatever it is...I'm not sure it's a guy thing, Ron...but whatever floats your boat..." he laughed again.
"Boys, stop. Harry, you need to rest. I'm going to go get a sleeping draught for you in the dungeon. Speaking of which-"
"Oh here we go," Ron rolled his eyes.
"When are you going to move the dungeon to a happier place? It's too cold and scary down there. It reminds me of Snape." Hermione sighed.
"Fine. Give me some time to rest, and I'll do it."
"Good." Hermione walked out the door. When Hermione left Harry and Ron alone, it was always like old times.
"So, uh-Harry...we haven't had time to talk lately..."
"I know. Spill it."
"Well, I got some! I impregnated a woman..."
"Ron...that's a little too much excess information for my liking."
"Oh, sorry. Nothing else, really. What about you? Any action?"
"Only near death...but, just like you. Pretty boring."
"Yeah, about that, Harry. Don't do that. Ever again. Do you know how much stress you put us all through? Hermione's been as white as a sheet since this happened."
"Yeah...I noticed that. Is she ok?" Ron nodded, and Harry continued. "What a surprise...yes...I'm sorry. It's just that saving the world has so many downsides!" Just then, Hermione walked back in.
"Harry, take this."
"Is it the dreamless one?"
"No, but do you want that one? This one is only a light one. It'll make you sleep for only about," she looked at her watch. "A half an hour. So, you'll be awake by eleven for some inspection by me!" She blew her cheeks out and shivered involuntarily.
"This one sounds ok." He drank down the potion and was asleep in no time.
"Ron, we should go...the girls should be getting off. It's nearly five fifteen. Is it cold in here?"
"Ok...Herm, you feeling alright? And, no. It's almost hot in here. You look kind of pale..."
"Second term side effects," she sighed. "I read it in-"
"Oh. So you're ok, then? Maybe you should go to bed."
"Ron, I'll be fine! I can handle it myself!" She put her hand to her head, which had now turned to a nasty shade of green.
"Hermione? Sit down, ok. All this stress is too much-"
"Ron, I said I'm fine!" But she wasn't. She was sweating and was still very green.
"Herm...sit down."
"I can't-"
"What do you mean, you can't-"
"Because I think I'm going to be sick!" She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. Ron paced the study for a full five minutes before she came out, looking a little bit better.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah...I'm fine. I just...I feel really tired. Can you help me get home? Suddenly the fireplace seems miles away."
"Let me think..."
"Shut-up." Ron supported her weight and walked her slowly to the fireplace. They stepped through. When they got there, thankfully, all the kids had gone to see the match. He helped her onto the bed.
"Hermi...you need to take it easy. I'm going to go get the doctor."
"Ron, no! I'm fine!"
"Hermione..." he said sternly. "I'm going to go get the doctor. This didn't happen last time or the time before."
"Fine. Does that make you happy?"
"Yes. I'll be back." Ron left hastily. He muttered to himself just outside the door. "She never quits!" He went to the staff fireplace to call on the doctor. Meanwhile, Hermione's sleeping drought hadn't worked very well. She had given him the wrong one. He woke up right after they had left. Deciding to make the best of the situation, he got up and wrote a note. It said, 'the kiss is at twelve-thirty.' He put in by the drawer in which the invisibility cloak was kept. He grabbed a book and decided to read a bit. He discovered it was Hogwarts, A History. He laughed to himself. Before long, he fell asleep reading the book.
*****************
At the match, Elizabeth couldn't sit still. She prodded Evie with her wand.
"What?" she replied, almost grumpily.
"We have to go. Come on. I need to tell you something. It's important, Evie. Come on!" she said, tugging at her sister's robes.
"Fine! Where are we going?"
"To where our mother is buried."
"Can I ask WHY?"
"We have to save one. I'll explain more later. Right now...oh no. How do we get out of the school without being seen?"
"Dad's invisibility cloak. It'll cover both of us," she said.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah. He showed me where he keeps it." Elizabeth, preoccupied, didn't have time to feel left out.
"K...Chocolate Covered Candy." The portrait swung open. "Do you know what the kiss is?"
"No, but look at this note...'the kiss is at twelve-thirty,' it says. So...what do we do?"
"Get the cloak. Hurry! We only have forty-five minutes." Evie grabbed the cloak and threw it over Elizabeth and her. "Wow. This is cool...ok, let's go. Maybe dad's rooting for us in his sleep!" she said, reassuringly. Little did they know that Harry had awoken the moment they had come in.
"More than you know, girls..." All he could do was wait. He was feeling much better now. The stuff in his tea must have complicated the sleeping potion, he thought.
************
The girls kept a steady pace, following the train tracks. "So, who exactly are we saving?" Evie questioned.
"I don't know...but we have to save her. She came in a trance thingy...she told me that I have to find and save her before the kiss-here's the road." It was about twenty minutes before the kiss. They started going a little bit faster. Before long, they saw a sad-looking sign that said 'The Wizards' Grave.'
"This it?" Evie asked.
"Yeah...we just have to find out mum's place..." they walked sadly to the white gate. It creaked when Evie pushed it open. They walked through the gate. The whole site was covered in a dense fog that made it hard to see.
"Ok, so which way should we go...I'm not splitting up. This place is creepy..." said Evie.
"Yeah...I know...wait-what's that sound? It sounds like someone's crying! Come on!" they ran off in the direction of the whimpering. The crying stopped and the girls looked around.
"Eliz...look. It's dad!" And, it was. There was a picture of Harry and Emogene standing, laughing. They waved, too. "That must be her," Evie said, bending over to pick the picture up.
"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Elizabeth said.
"Yeah...she was." She set the picture down and looked around. Ten minutes until the kiss. "Well, this is where she was buried...so, where's the little girl you saw?" Evie asked.
"Good ques-" A girl, smaller than Evie, stood up from behind the stone.
"Hello," she said, pleasantly.
"Hi," the girls said back, stunned. The girl was exactly how Elizabeth had seen her.
"So, do you know who I am?"
"No..."
"Ok...well, you've never met me. Voldemort killed me when your mother died. Do you know how you have to save me?"
"No..."
"I can only give you clues. Seeing, as we only have seven minutes, I'll be hasty. I didn't truly die. But, as I said...I was killed when your mother died..." she sighed impatiently at the girls. "Ok...tough ones...dense as a rock," she muttered under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing...let's see...what are you two?"
"Sisters?"
"Ah...we're getting somewhere...who do each of you look like?"
"Our parents," Evie said, and Elizabeth nodded.
"Right. And who do I look like?"
"Our parents..."
"Yes! So...that means...come on! We're all..."
"Sisters! Wait...so our mom was pregnant when she was killed?" Elizabeth asked. The girl only nodded.
"Keep going..." she seemed to be fading.
"So, you're our sister, and you're not truly dead...our mom was pregnant when she was killed...and...what now?"
"You did it..."
"How? How did we save you?" Evie was extremely puzzled.
"You pulled something from your heart to remember me. I can go now. I have been here for seven years-oh, give this to Hedwig for me. She'll know where to take it...well, I love you guys...thanks." Evie peeked at her watch and saw the hand turn to twelve-thirty. Elizabeth took the note. The little girl began to fade, or completely dissolve. Evie and Elizabeth looked at each other.
"I wish we could have gotten to know her better..." Evie said.
"Yeah. Me too. Do you think Dad knew?"
"Not sure...maybe. But why didn't he tell us?"
"Maybe he wasn't ready..." Elizabeth looked at their mother's grave. She knelt down to the grave.
"Maybe. Come on, let's get out of here-"
"Wait...I think...well, I want to stay. We've never seen where she was buried before..."
"But it's kind of creepy here, Eliz..."
"You mean that for the first time ever, you've seen your mother's grave, and you don't want to stay?" she looked astounded.
"Well...not really. Liz, you remember her, don't you? Our mother, I mean."
"Of course. Don't you?"
"No...I don't remember her at all. For some strange reason...I only remember our dad. I can't remember our mum, Liz...I can't." Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I sometimes lie in bed, trying to remember what she looked like...maybe a glimpse...just a small tiny glimpse, of who she was...I can't remember her." She covered up her face with her small hands. Elizabeth got up and put her arms around Evie.
"Shh-shh...it's ok, Eve. It's all right. It's not your fault-shh..." Elizabeth slightly rocked her sister back and forth. "Come on. Let's go home." Elizabeth took her sister's hand, and they passed the many headstones until they reached the gate. They began their journey back along the road that led to the train tracks, which led them both home. To the home they felt love in.
Please read and review. I worked so hard on this one...I'd really like to know how you thought it was...thanks, as always, Meg