Chapter 36
Later that day, I left with my dad to head home with a promise from Scorpius to owl me later. School started back in four days so it wouldn't be long before we were back in France away from the papers and scandal. Dad apparated us to the edge of Godric's Hollow, where the forest encroached on the town. He then pulled out a silvery material from his jacket pocket. He enlarged it silently and handed it to me.
"Lily, I want you to cover yourself in this cloak. This is the cloak of invisibility from the stories of my youth. I have a feeling there will be lots of reporters around Godric's Hollow today hoping to catch a glimpse of you so it's best if you hide. We'll discuss in depth how we can manage this incident once we get home." Dad said draping the cloak around my shoulders and pulling the hood up. I look down and couldn't suppress my shock at not being able to see my body.
Together we walked through the snow towards our house. It seemed peaceful as always in the sleepy little hollow but the serenity was shattered when we turned the final corner towards our house. Standing outside our cottage there were at least 20 reporters snapping pictures and trying to find holes in the wards. Upon our arrival, the reporters rushed toward us, shouting and snapping pictures but dad put a shielding charm around us and forced his way into the house without commenting. Once we were inside dad sent me to his study and when back outside to make an official statement to the reporters. I watched from the study window, still wrapped in the cloak, as the great Harry Potter commanded the attention of the reporters. The seemed unable to resist his authorities voice. Not wanting to see anymore I moved from the window to glance around the room. Leaving the cloak folded on the desk I took a seat in one of the plush chairs by the bookcases.
I always loved being in my dad's study. The wood panelling and towering bookcases reminded me of the Malfoy's library but this was much less formal. It always had a warm, cosy atmosphere. When I was little I would often sit in here and watch my dad work while Albus and James played Quidditch outside. The room had barely changed since I was little and yet it felt so different. Truth be told, I felt different! I was no longer that happy safe little girl. I always knew I was different, I didn't like the same things as my brothers or cousins, I'd chosen to attend a different school but all this Daughter of the Moon stuff, I felt like it had changed me and now the whole wizarding world might find out about it. I had barely come to terms with it myself. I have no idea what being a Daughter of the Moon entails but do I wish I didn't know? I guess not, at least I now know the source of my extra power. I was startled from my thoughts as the door closed and my father walked in to sit at his big desk chair. I had been completely oblivious to time passing. I watched as he put his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his already dishevelled hair before looking up at me.
"I've told the papers that you and Scorpius' wands were checked for spells and revealed that neither of you had any involvement in the damage to the couple. I did check Scorpius' wand earlier and I'll check your later so that adds up ok. They didn't seem convinced, they want a scandal but it's the best I can do. I didn't tell them where you and Scorpius' attend school so that's bound to be a source of gossip for a long time. Hopefully it might over shadow this incident. Anyway how do you fancy taking a trip tomorrow with me and your aunt Hermione?"
"What you do mean take a trip?" I asked confused as to how this was related to 'the incident'. If he wanted to get me away from the reporters I could just go back to school early or stay home. Maybe he had discovered other people like me to visit.
"I think we need to find out more about this Daughter of the Moon stuff. I will go to Gringotts tonight and bring home all the information I have found about Diana Pervell. Then I was thinking a trip tomorrow to Hogwarts library might be useful to research if Diana attended there and if there is any information on Daughters of the Moon. I need to owl the Headmistress, and get tomorrow off work. Do you mind if we tell Hermione your secret? She's the best researcher I know and would be very valuable in looking for answers. We need answers! You can look in the library when you go back to school as well but try to be discrete. We don't want people to find out about this, at least not yet. What you did was very serious Lily and you had no control over it, we need to find out about your powers before you become a danger to yourself and everyone else." Dad said looking at me with worried, urgent eyes. He thought I was dangerous... What would happen to me if that were to be true? No, it can't be true, can it?
After our conversation daddy left to talk to Auntie Hermione and bring the information from the vault home while I wandered around the house in search of something to distract me. Mum had taken the boys and Elise out for brunch to get away from the reporters and would be back soon so I busied myself by cleaning the house until they arrived. I couldn't help glance at my ring and bracelet every so often and wondered how so much could change in a few short days. How did everything get so complicated so quickly? Then again everything in my life seems to be complicated! I just remembered when dad gave me the bracelet he said about my willow wand linking me to the moon, what the heck does that mean? I still haven't figured out the mystery of my wand and now I've another mystery to sort out. I wonder if this is how dad felt with all his conquering Voldemort stuff? Just one thing after another! He's told us the stories about his time at school so many times and I often wonder how it managed it. Hopefully I'll start getting some answers tomorrow at Hogwarts.
"Lily? Are you back?" a voice called from the hallway. Mum and the gang had returned. Good! Elise won't believe all that has happened! We immediately retreated to my bedroom and the next two hours were spent filling Elise in on every detail of the day at Scorpius', dinner, the theatre and the newspaper story. She had so many questions most of which I didn't know the answer to. It was so hard not knowing answers! I began to feel guilty about planning to go to Hogwarts tomorrow and abandoning Elise, again. She was my guest and yet I hadn't seen her for the last two days. That was hardly fair! Right, for the next 4 days we're going to spend some quality time together, I wouldn't take off without her. We would spend the next few days having fun and daddy could give my any information he finds.
Over dinner I explained to dad about not going to Hogwarts and he completely understood though I think he suspects my reluctance has more to do with Hogwarts itself rather than Elise. This may have a little truth in this but mostly I just wanted to hang out with my friend and that's what we did. The next few days were filled with shopping, makeovers and all things girly. Elise and I had a great time together but come our last evening together the excitement about returning to school trumped the excitment of girly time. Elise wanted to visit the horses first and I wanted to visit the grand piano but we agreed that the horses may have missed us more so they would be visited first.
I was repacking my trunk when dad dropped in to speak with me. Elise was in the guest room packing her things also so it was just dad and me. I had barely seen him since New Year's Day between him being at work, Hogwarts or in his study with Aunt Hermione. He came in and sat down on my bed beside me.
"Lily, I wish I could tell you everything about being a Daughter of the Moon and how to control your power but I can't. I've copied a few pages from books that mention the Daughters of the Moon but it is mostly just the information that Astoria relayed. However when I was searching the vault again for information on Diana I came across a few things I initially missed. The few things I originally found were the bracelet, a photograph of Diana wearing it and a letter to Lucan Potter. It was through this letter I realised she was a Daughter of the Moon. When I re-searched a few days ago I came across a drawing that I think Diana created along with the second half of the letter to Lucan. According to the Peverell family tree, Diana was the only female descendant. She then married Lucan Potter and you are the next female descendant. I haven't been able to find out exactly when she lived and died but hopefully when I do that might unlock more answers as to how she became a Daughter of the Moon. Anyway here is all the information, you can take it to school but please look after it carefully. There doesn't seem to be very much information in England regarding the Daughters of the Moon and I fear there is a reason for that. I trust you to make good decisions, Lily." That said he placed a kiss on my forehead and left the room having set the information on my bed.
Wow! Diana must have lived a long time ago and yet there have been no female heirs in all this time, so why me, why now? So much information and yet it doesn't hold many answers. If Beauxbatons doesn't have more answers than Hogwarts maybe I should talk to Scorpius' mum and go to where she learnt of them. This couldn't be what Mr. Ollivander meant when he said "Have no fear, you will be a great witch but not in the way everyone will expect." If so then how does my wand fit into all of this? OK too many unanswerable thoughts! I need to stick to facts and what I know instead of trying to analysis everything including my guesswork. I picked up the fragments of the letter to read.
* ~ * The Letter * ~ *
Dearest Lucan,
I have missed you most terribly during your absence. The days have been long and the nights unbearable. I feel myself weakening with the coming new moon. I hope you return to me when I have regained my strength. This terrible affliction is unbearable without you; you strengthen me when I am weakened by the darkness and guide me when the power seeks to corrupt me. I long to change and run to meet you but I do not have the strength to transform at this stage of the moon. This summer has been so long, return swiftly from your guard duties. Mother and Father have everything arranged for the winter we just await your return for the wedding to go ahead. I pray you haven't forgotten me, dear one but I know inside you have not.
[The page is torn here along a fold line and this second part Harry found earlier in the week]
We are bound to one another by my affliction and so it is also my joy. Only you can break the spell of my powers. I fear the vulnerability of the moonless sky without your protection. If you have not yet returned in two full moons time, I will come to you in the place where we first met. Look for me by the water's edge. Come alone lest your comrades take arms against me. I long to see you my dearest Lucan, you have been across the sea too long.
May my owl find you in good health and happiness.
All my love, your Diana.
It would seem Diana and Lucan were very much in love but what secrets does this letter hold? When Diana talks about the moon she refers to being strengthened and weakened. Astoria mentions this too so my powers could be stronger with the full moon and weaker when the moon fades. I wonder was it a full moon on New Year's Eve? Mmmm, what else does the letter tell me? Change, run, transform, that could be referring to her Animagi form of a wolf; that would explain why she feared his comrades would come in arms against her. I wonder if they were engaged, she speaks of their wedding to come. There seems to be such a deep connection between these two, I hope I fall as fully in love some day. I wonder where they first met. It all sounds so romantic and heartbreaking. I assume it all worked out for them since the Potter family still exists. This is so exciting, I can't believe this is actually my history. I can't wait to find out more. I must go show Elise, she'll find this so romantic; she's a sucker for love stories.
And with that I left my packing, having set the other information in my trunk and went to show Elise the letter, forgetting all about the photograph and the drawing.