Author's Note: A few people have asked me to continue with this story, so here's chapter two! Oh, and I need to say thank you to Robin for allowing me to use her universe! You rock, Robin!
The Last Hope: Chapter Two
The morning sunlight beamed down on Godric's Hollow into Hermione Granger's bedroom. The thirteen-year old witch yawned and stretched her arms, only to lie back down on her large, cozy bed. The room, like the rest of the sleeping quarters in the mansion, had its own fireplace, a large closet, a bookshelf, and a cushioned chair.
This was Hermione's home for the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays, and it would be until she graduated Hogwarts and got a job. The Potters had been very generous in allowing her to reside with them after the murders of her parents. They had taken her in as their own daughter, as she had no other relatives except for some Muggle cousins who had not taken any interest in sheltering her at all. The Potters' son, Harry, was also an only child. His father, James, had contracted a rare illness in the years following his son's birth, preventing him from having any more children.
After about what seemed like an hour, but was really only about ten minutes, Hermione finally got the strength to lift herself off her bed. Stepping onto the hardwood floor, she glanced around her room and sighed in amusement at how messy it was. All her books and summer work her scattered about everywhere, as she had been working studious on every subject all at once, trying to get everything down fast.
I need a set routine, the bushy-haired girl thought to herself as she yawned for the second time.
The clanging of pots and pans downstairs gave Hermione the indication that Lily Potter was already awake and making breakfast. A confirmation came when the delicious aroma of coffee and eggs filled her nostrils. Her stomach growled in response to the smell.
Hermione pulled on her pink slippers, stepped over the disorder of papers that were in front of her door, and walked out of her room. After walking a little ways down the long hallway, she stopped in front of Harry's room, wondering if he were asleep or awake and just lying in bed. Since his father and his friends had been killed in the battle with Voldemort, Harry had been withdrawn and reticent and he hardly ever left his room anymore. He was no longer the happy boy Hermione had gone to school with all year. Lily had recently been contemplating whether or not to take him to a psychiatrist. Hermione thought it was about time for her to do so.
"Hello, Lily," Hermione said politely as she entered the kitchen.
Lily, her long dark red hair tied back in a ponytail, was standing at the stove, scrambling a batch of eggs. At hearing Hermione, she turned around and gave the girl a sweet smile.
"Hi, honey, did you sleep well?" she walked over and gave Hermione a big hug and a kiss on her cheek, just like Mrs. Granger used to do.
"Yeah, pretty much," Hermione replied truthfully, taking a seat at the table.
Lily turned back to the eggs and took out a plate from the cabinet. Scooping some eggs onto the plate, she then handed them to Hermione.
"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling. She reached for the drawer behind her and grabbed a fork.
"You're welcome, sweetie." Then, Lily's expression changed from one of radiance to one of gloom. "How's Harry this morning?"
"I didn't go into his room, ma'am, so I don't know," Hermione replied, twirling some eggs with her fork. The subject of Harry in his current state of mind always made her lose her appetite. "I didn't hear anything, so he's probably asleep still…"
Lily sighed and rested her elbow on the counter. "I decided to firecall the psychiatrist last night. She has a practice in Diagon Alley above Madam Malkins' robe shop. I'm taking him there at two."
She was staring straightforward out the window, her elbow still rested on the counter and her hand under her chin.
Hermione couldn't help but look down at her plate. She didn't know whether or not it would be appropriate to break Lily from her thoughts.
"Do you mind staying with Molly while we're gone?" Lily turned to Hermione, her face pale, illuminating her beautiful green eyes. Her wedding ring, still firmly on her finger, was glistening in the sunlight.
"I haven't asked her yet, but I was going to firecall her this morning. I'm sure she won't mind, and your little gang probably needs you." She smiled slightly.
Little gang. This made Hermione giggle inside her head. Of course, Lily was referring to the Misfits, who had gotten in almost as much trouble as the Marauders. Hermione had wanted to see Ron, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasleys all summer, but with Harry's situation, it was hard for them to get together.
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"I can't believe Grindelwald gave you a free necklace!" Ron said to Ginny incredulously.
"With all the times I've gone into that story, begging him for a discount on chess sets, I thought for sure he'd soften up and give me one for free!"
"He gave it to me because he said I was the only girl whose mummies didn't bribe them with money to ask him stupid questions," Ginny responded.
The four youngest Weasley children were crammed in their living room waiting for their mother to finish cooking breakfast. The day before, Molly had taken Ron and Ginny to Pendulum Games, only to find it crammed with reporters, still trying after two months to get information from the man once known as "Mr. Bishop" about his role in the war against Voldemort. After an hour, they had finally managed to get inside. But, even though the real reporters were gone, sure enough, young children, prodded by their parents, were asking the man questions. Seeing Ginny and how she was the only child present with kindness and innocence, he had decided to give her a jeweled necklace that he had handmade himself.
"I'd be surprised if in a few days it didn't kill you or something, Gin," said George darkly, but at the same time with a small smile on his face.
"Yeah, you can probably tell if it will based on whether or not it says, Für Das Größere Gute on it," said Fred, jokingly.
"What?" asked Ginny, staring down at her necklace.
"It was Grindelwald's slogan back when he was the dictator of Wizarding Germany. It means 'for the greater good'," George responded. Ron was a bit shocked. He couldn't believe that Fred and George actually knew something about history. They had worse study habits than he did and that was saying a lot; his were horrible.
"Grindelwald's German?" asked Ginny. " He doesn't sound German. He sounds English to me. I always thought he just had a weird last name."
"He doesn't sound German because he's educated and knows how to speak English properly," said Ron. "Unlike Viktor Krum. One time, this reporter asked him a question in English and he couldn't understand her, so she had to repeat it five times. What a loser. If he's going to have an English person interview him, he at least needs to bring a translator along."
Suddenly, a large roar came from behind the children, followed by a sudden blast of heat. Turning around, the four of them saw the pretty face of Lily Potter staring at them.
"Hi, children," she said quietly. "May I speak with your mother, please?"
"Yes, ma'am," George responded quickly. Everyone expected him to run into the kitchen to retrieve his mother. Instead, he screamed her name as loud as his lungs could permit him to scream.
"MUM! MRS. POTTER'S IN THE FIREPLACE! SHE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"
Molly Weasley, her flowery apron flying out in front of her, came running into the room.
"What's the ma—oh, Lily! From the way George was screaming," she shot a menacing glare in his direction, "I thought something was wrong. I couldn't quite understand what it was he was screaming about. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Molly." She didn't sound fine in the least. "I need you to watch Hermione at two this afternoon, if you can. I need to take Harry to the ps—to the Healer's— for an appointment."
"Oh, of course, dear," Molly replied, smiling. "We would love to watch her."
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At one forty-five that afternoon, Hermione flooed over to the Weasleys, leaving Lily the task of getting Harry to the psychiatrist.
He had not been out of bed all morning, so getting him up was not going to be easy. To start off slow, Lily sat on her son's bed and tried to break the news to him as rationally as possible.
"Harry, sweetheart, you have to get up now. " His green eyes, the spitting image of her own eyes, were staring blankly in front of him. She stroked his beautiful black hair and kissed his cheek. "Please, baby, we have to go."
"I want to stay here." Harry's voice was low and expressionless.
"You can't, Harry. Look at you." Lily's eyes weld up with tears as she stared at her poor son. He had lost weight, color, and ambition. "You could be dying for all we know. You need help."
"I'm not sick," he replied in the same emotionless voice.
Lily felt like she was going insane. "Yes you are, Harry! You're mentally sick! You need someone to help you, and I certainly can't do it on my own. I've tried that already and it hasn't worked."
Unexpectedly, Harry threw the covers over his head and stared crying as loud as he ever had.
"Sweetie, come on." Lily put her arms around him and lifted the covers up so she could see his face. "Dad wouldn't want you to act like this, and you know it!"
"I don't care," Harry shouted. "He's dead! I don't know what he would've wanted!"
"Harry," Lily tried to make her voice stern, but gentle. "My parents have been dead for almost thirteen years, and I didn't just give up on my life because of all that! I knew they wouldn't want me to. You can't, either. Your father would not want that, and neither would Sirius or Remus or Peter. By acting in this way, you're telling them you don't love them."
Harry was deeply angered by this comment and rolled off the side of the bed, away from his mother. He started banging his fists on the floor and screaming.
"STOP IT!" Lily shouted in a way she had never done before. She ran to him and grabbed his arms, trying to make him sit up and control himself, but Harry began kicking his feet violently. His mother could not believe it. Her son had devolved into a toddler.
Finally, she was able to take hold of his arms, preventing him from thrashing about. She resorted to sitting on him until he calmed down.
"GET OFF ME!" Harry whined, hot tears flowing from his eyes. He was still trying to kick his feet. But Lily would not budge.
"No, Harry James." She paused for a moment, holding his wrists tightly. It hurt even to call him that. "Not until you promise you'll behave and come to the psychiatrist," she said sternly. "We're already late."
Her son sniffled from underneath her. "Fine!" He said rudely. "I'll go, but I'm not saying anything while I'm there."
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Diagon Ally had been completely restored in the few months since the war had ended. Lily remembered coming to rescue people when the streets had been reduced to rubble.
But, now it was not as lively as it had been before. It was as if a large part of its happiness was missing. Or maybe, it was a large part of her happiness that was missing.
Harry was trudging behind her with his head pointed toward the ground. Lily knew he was not happy about doing this, but it was the only thing that could help him.
It was unusually cold for mid-July. Both Lily and Harry were wearing long pants and shirts under their robes and cloaks for warmth. The wind was even blowing so hard that Lily's hair was flying behind her.
Unexpectedly, Lily felt Harry take a hold of her hand and squeeze it gently.
"I'm sorry, Mum," he muttered, looking up at her. There were tears on his face.
"I forgive you, Harry." Lily bent down and gave him another kiss.
"I love you, Mum. A lot."
"I love you, too, Harry."
Finally, they reached Madam Malkins'. Upon opening the door, Madam Malkins, a squat witch with large spectacles, asked Lily what size she and Harry were.
"We're here to see Healer Fitzgerald," Lily corrected her. "May we go to her office?"
"Aw, yes," Madam Malkins replied, looking a little disappointed that they weren't her customers. "Right this way."
She gestured for them to follow her. Lily squeezed Harry's hand, giving him some reassurance. Going passed five racks of robes and two dressing rooms, Madam Malkins finally led them up the stairs to a door, reading
Alyson B. Fitzgerald
Registered Psychiatric Witch (RPW)
"There you are," Madam Malkins gestured to the door. "I'll still be here if you decide you want to buy some new robes when you're finished."
"Uh, thanks, ma'am. We'll keep that in mind." Lily smiled politely, hoping that they would be there past the time Madam Malkins closed her shop.
When Madam Malkins had left, Lily knocked on the door.
"Come in," a woman's voice commanded clearly.
End Note: I hope you guys liked this chapter. I personally liked the interactions between Harry and Lily. There will be more in future chapters. In the next chapter, Harry visits Healer Fitzgerald and someone else visits Grindelwald. Any guesses who it might be?
Au Revoir,
Amélie
