Mizpah

"The deep emotional bond between people, especially those separated by distance or death."

Gringotts, July 31st, 1991

Nova noticed the tension in the air and turned to look at her aunt, who had her own expression of grief. "Auntie?"

Petunia huffed out an unladylike sigh as she gently caressed her niece's head, "My love, your mother was an intelligent woman who was wise beyond her years." Petunia paused for a second as her eyes flickered to Wafsi, and then the familiar bowl resting unassumingly on the desk. "Your mother knew something could happen to her, and so she left an important message behind for you."

"Only me?" Nova shyly spoke as she twisted her fingers nervously.

"Yes, my love, only you." Petunia hummed.

"Will you- will you watch with me, auntie?" Nova asked her eyes wide and frightened, but also grieved because she was about to listen to the last words her mother ever decided to give her.

"Of course." Petunia reached down and held Nova's petite hand in hers before leaning down and placing her face into the bowl of icy water.

They tumbled downwards until they fell rather clumsily into seats that sat across from another that held a beautiful woman that Nova knew right away was her mother. "Hello, star." Lily tenderly spoke as a gentle smile graced her features. "I'm so sorry, my darling, that I'm no longer there to raise you. I do know without a shadow of a doubt that Petunia and Sirius Black have raised you well if she has decided to take this path. If not, then I'm sorry for the sufferings you have endured at the hands of the Dursley's."

Petunia gave a loud gasp at that, causing Nova to jump unprepared for it and to note the pallor appearance of her aunt. "Auntie, who are the Dursley's?"

"Bad people, poppet. Terrible, no, wicked people." Petunia whispered her face going even paler then before. "Before I was married to your papa, I was married to a man named Vernon Dursley. He was not a pleasant man."

Nova frowned as her eyes glinted with malice, "Was he mean to you, auntie? Do I need to beat him up?" she seethed already raising her hands and forming fists.

Petunia gave a fond chuckle as she lightly tugged on a lock of her niece's hair. "Silly, girl." she uttered fondly. "I haven't thought about that man in years, so no need to go to my defense when your father has already done so. (It was the truth too, as Sirius had literally gone and beaten the man at his own game by taking his job, his house, his car, and finally his freedom. The last Petunia heard before she permanently slipped into the magical world was that Vernon would be spending the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole. Petunia never asked what crimes Sirius found Vernon had committed underneath her nose.)

"If you say so, auntie." Nova grumbled as she eyed her aunt dubiously.

"If you were raised by Sirius and Petunia, say 'dog star.'" Lily Potter spoke still smiling a motherly and tender smile.

"Dog star." Petunia and Nova uttered simultaneously.

The imagine of the Lily Potter flickered for a moment before it settled, and Lily Potter's smile turned into a wide pleased one. "OH PETUNIA, I LOVE YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING IN NOVA AND LOVING HER LIKE YOUR OWN. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TWINS YOU BORE AND THE MAGIC YOU CAN USE!" Lily roared happily, causing Petunia and Nova to grimace, and grabbed their ringing ears.

"I've forgotten how loud your mother could be in her excitement." Petunia Black muttered dryly, though her eyes twinkled with fondness. "Gryffindor indeed."

Lily's beaming smile slowly slid from her face as a frown furrowed at her eyebrows, while green eyes darken to a greenish gloom of despair and weariness. "I'm sorry about the burden I am about to place on your chest, my beautiful star." Lily paused for a moment as she tucked a strain of hair behind her ear while her eyes flickered to the side before facing forward once more. "A few months before you were born, a prophecy was given."

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies, and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, but they will have power the Dark Lord knows not and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."

A raspy voice echoed this, and Petunia and Nova sensed the goosebumps flair across their skin. "When the prophecy was given, only two people heard of it. Albus Dumbledore as one of them and the other a man who I once trusted." Lily Potter softly spoke as her eyes glinted with unshed tears. "Neville Longbottom, your brother, and you were considered the child who would vanquish the Dark Lord. It is why we all went into hiding. Neville Longbottom is your god-brother if you do not know. We went to his christening ceremony before we all fled behind our magical barriers for protection. My darling star, you are the chosen one. One day the Dark Lord Voldemort shall rise again and seek out to destroy you and everything good in this world. My seer friend has witnessed this in various visions."

"NO!" Nova shouted as she stood up from her chair and began to hyperventilate. "AUNTIE I CAN'T DEFEAT A DARK LORD! I'M ONLY ELEVEN!"

Petunia yanked Nova into her arms and pressed the girls head to her chest, "Sh, Nova. Sh. Everything will be okay, love. Your mother has plans created for this, and you have your father and I to help you too. Your mama said someday he would return, she never said when. You will be grown by then and flourishing as the strong witch I know you are. And if, and solely, if, Voldemort comes back and you still are learning as a child, then your father and I shall face him because that is what adults do. Children do not fight wars. They should not fight wars.

"My little star a vast storm is coming and you need to prepare for when it hits. I know you are strong and I know my blood flows through your veins. You are dual natured my child. You accompany the lines of gray where no one else will reach. You should trust your magic as it trusts you. Keep your friends close, the truest of friends who will move to the ends of the earth for you my child. Your magic will recognize who these people are. There are several vile magical objects corrupted that have parts of Voldemort's soul attached to them. They are horcruxes and you must find these objects and destroy them. My seer friend does not know where they are, but she knows what they are. The diadem of Ravenclaw, the locket of Slytherin, a personal diary of Voldemort's when he was a boy, a chalice from Helga Hufflepuff, A snake named Nagini, and finally my child, you."

"Oh, Merlin." Petunia turned green and slid to the floor in shock, taking her niece with her, who still numb from the information her mother told her beforehand.

"The night when I died, Voldemort's already fragile soul was torn beyond repair, it attempted to seek shelter with one of the two only living things in that nursery. It attached and has mended in with your soul." Lily paused to give her daughter a mournful smile. "It is essential that you collect all the horcruxes and exterminate them all at once or otherwise you shall alert Voldemort. When you start your six year at Hogwarts, my love, return, and I shall impart on you the final piece necessary to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Petunia, it is important that no one besides the two of you know that she carries a part of Voldemort's soul inside of her. Keep it a secret and tell no one. I love you, my star, grow strong, and be well."