We at lunch in the kitchen, where Lily continued to talk my ear off. It was hard for me to pay attention though. I was trying to formulate my plan. So many things could go terribly wrong, but in that moment, I didn't care one bit. I was going to find her. She was going to be okay, and then I wouldn't have to see her again. It would be the end. The happiest ending the two of us could get with each other.

After lunch, Mr. Potter beckoned me to follow.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Oh Lily. She is too precious. Her eyes were too big for her face. She looked so concerned.

"I have to go back to my house for a little bit, Lily. I left something there I need."

"Will you be safe?" How did she… This girl was too smart for her own good. I couldn't tell if she knew what I was up to or if she knew what my life had been like before.

"Yes, Lily. Your dad is coming! How much safer could I be?" This almost seemed to placate her.

She looked like she was considering this for a moment longer. "Okay. But don't do anything stupid, Amelia. You'll be so grounded if you do."

I could see Ginny roll her eyes behind Lily. I tried not to cry, or smile. I was about to do something stupid. All I did was hug the little girl and run my hand through her hands once. I have a small wave to everyone else, and then I followed Mr. Potter to the front step.

I was starting to feel guilty. These people are wonderful. They're kind, and I know they're good parents. Look how great Lily is. Could I do this to him right now? Could I do this to myself? Was I brave enough? Turns out, it didn't matter. The choice was made for me.

We had just left the bank, I had taken out all of my money. It was over two thousand pounds. Mr. Potter raised his eyebrows when I asked for all of it, but I just shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't going to be coming back here again it seemed like. Why wouldn't I take all of my money?

We started walking down the street towards my apartment. We reached the door to the building, Mr. Potter waved his wand, and the door swung open. We entered. The elevator wasn't working. So we took the stairs. Three flights wasn't that bad. I had done it before. We reached the door. I was shaking. Was it gong to be in shambles still, had they cleaned up?

I pulled out my key to the apartment and turned the lock. With one final deep breath, I pushed the door open.

They had cleaned up. Everything looked like it was in its exact right place in the apartment. All of the furniture, our photos, everything. I was almost scared to touch anything. I walked through the living room to the kitchen. I placed my hands on the kitchen table. I had been sitting here. My breathing was heavy and uneven. I tried to regain control of it, but I couldn't, so I stepped away. Why did she tell me to hide? I had my wand, I could have helped.

My bedroom door was shut. So I entered it slowly. I could hear Mr. Potter. He wanted to give me space, but he also wanted to keep an eye on me. I glanced around the room. Everything was in its place. I knelt down on my knees and finally laid on my stomach. I peered under my bed. I put out my hand and found the floorboard. I lifted it up and extracted two things: my journal and my first toy. The first had been give to me at Christmas by one of the mother's I babysat for. The second was given to me by Uncle Michael. My mother had no idea that I still had it.

I just laid there for another minute clutching them to my chest. I opened the journal and found a pen under the bed too. I wrote one final entry.

I was just about finished the last sentence when I heard a noise come from my closet. I jumped a foot in the air. The door started to open. Slowly. Quietly. It was him. He looked dirty and old. I was frozen. I couldn't move. He smiled at me. It was evil. It wasn't comforting like Ginny's or Mr. Potter's. It was terrifying. Movement came back to my body, and I screamed. Kicking and hitting, he pulled me up by the collar of my jacket. He climbed through my window and started to drag me through behind him.

Mr. Potter had run into the room, but my captor was throwing curse after curse at him. Wait, this guy was a wizard? Did the Aurors even know that? Mr. Potter was ducking and throwing up shields left and right, but he couldn't send many curses back. I knew he didn't want to hit me. We were out on the fire escape when I felt it. The terrible feeling of apparition.


"FUCK!" I knew other Aurors were already on their way. And I was super glad I put a trace on that girl. I did it though because I though she might be a runner. I waited thirty seconds after they disappeared, concentrated on Amelia, and I disappeared too.

I appeared in a dingy alleyway somewhere in London. I quickly exited and caught the back of the girl's brown hair disappear down a different side street. I started running. I stopped at the corner and peered down. I could see them. Shit, that guy was big. There was no way she could fight him off without a wand. Which was in my back pocket. I had picked it up. The more wands the better.

I could see him look up and down the street and open the door to one of the town homes. In they went, and I started running again. But I stopped at the door, pulled out an Extendable Ear, and let the end slide under the door.

"Get up, bitch. If you want your dear mother to stay alive, you better get up right now." I could hear Amelia crying. They weren't in the front room, but if I entered he might see me. He might freak out and hurt her. If she wasn't already hurt. I should have waited for back up, but that was never my style.

"Where is she? Where is my mother? How do I know she's okay? I'm not giving you anything until I know she's okay."

"You're going to give me whatever I want. Do you hear me? Whatever I want."

I could hear them struggling. No more waiting. Her crying got louder as I silently unlocked the door and slipped inside. I crept as fast as I could down the hall towards the back of the house.

"Stop it. Stop. No. Stop. Don't. Don't touch me." I barged through the door and starting firing spell after spell at him. He hit the floor, but so did Amelia.

I watched her try to cover her bare chest with her hands, and she slid down the wall and buried her face into her knees, sobbing. I quickly took off my jacket and covered her shoulders. I was silently thanking Godric that her pants were still on. I urged her to put her arms through. She was shaking so hard I had to help. I zipped up the front of it and turned to secure this son of a bitch. By the time he was secured, I heard pops coming from the front of the house.

"Back here." I shouted. Ron entered the kitchen first. One look at Amelia, and he levitated the son of the bitch out of the room. When the next Auror came in, I told him to search the house to find Miss Corner. I turned back to Amelia who was still shaking and crying. If only I had been faster. I scooped her up off the floor. I took everything I had not to cry too. This was my fault.