The four of them had the hoods of their cloaks pulled tightly over their heads as they flew through the stor, two to a broom. There was no way they'd have been ablt to arrange a portkey at such a late hour so brooms were the only way, even if it'd take them longer. Sirius led the way, with Hermione clutching his waist for dear life...she was afraid of heights.
"There it is!" Sirius shouted over the noise of the rain. "Godric's Hollow! It hasn'r change much since..." Harry wasn't sure if he'd just stopped talking or if the rain had drowned him out, but either way he knew what Sirius had meant. It hadn't changed much from the night of the tripple murder. They directed their brooms towards the ground, right at the endge of the wood.
"Now what?" Ron asked, shivering beneath his soaked cloak.
"We look for a sign," Harry said firmly, like he knew Jessica would do something.
"There!" Sirius called, pointing to a soft silver glow to his left. "Is that her?"
"It is," Hermione confirmed, looking at the outline of the girl. To the three of them it was a nine year old girl, but all Sirius could see was a silver light. Jessica looked as wet as they were, and with a tiny smile, she beckoned them to follow her.
"Stay alert!" Sirius warned them, holding his wand out. Harry was reminded of Mad-eye Moody, their last defense teacher. He had always been telling them about constant awareness...or something like that. But none of them could imagine anyone else wanting to be out on such a crappy night like this. Jessica lead them to a tiny clearing and the moment Hermione touched foot to the grounds she began to whimper and wouldn't move another step forward.
'She is very sensitive to the energies connected with this place,' Jessica explained to Ron and Harry. 'I'm afraid that is my fault, but it won't last for long. Here, this is where my body is. Right here.'
"She's here!" Ron yelled to Sirius and Hermione. He and Harry used a simple spell to clear the muddy soil away and unearthed the body of Jessica; she still looked exactly like the nine year old spirit. "Oh my..."
"I know," Harry agreed breathlessly. Sirius and Hermione now joied them, and Sirius grimaced, looking at the body.
"Any one else would have thought she'd just fallen asleep," He sighed, lifting the body into the air by use of his wand. "Lets go now. The ministry will want to know that this case has come to a close."
"LOOK OUT!" Jessica shouted, her silvery body running in front of them. What happened next seemed like a dream...or a nightmare...to Harry. Jessica's physical body had seemed to come back to life, jumping in front of the four wizards as a beam of magic hit her head on. There was a blinding flash of light, like lightning, and a searing heat. When it had died away there was nothing left but too piles of ashes. One washed away with the rain, but the other remained, as if protected by magic.
"Even in death she still faught to protect you, Harry," Sirius said, conjuring up a small urn to store the ashes in. "She had the spirit your parents had. A kindness to help anyone, even if it meant sacrificing everything."
"Lets go home," Hermione said softly. "And lets finish this once and for all."
"There it is!" Sirius shouted over the noise of the rain. "Godric's Hollow! It hasn'r change much since..." Harry wasn't sure if he'd just stopped talking or if the rain had drowned him out, but either way he knew what Sirius had meant. It hadn't changed much from the night of the tripple murder. They directed their brooms towards the ground, right at the endge of the wood.
"Now what?" Ron asked, shivering beneath his soaked cloak.
"We look for a sign," Harry said firmly, like he knew Jessica would do something.
"There!" Sirius called, pointing to a soft silver glow to his left. "Is that her?"
"It is," Hermione confirmed, looking at the outline of the girl. To the three of them it was a nine year old girl, but all Sirius could see was a silver light. Jessica looked as wet as they were, and with a tiny smile, she beckoned them to follow her.
"Stay alert!" Sirius warned them, holding his wand out. Harry was reminded of Mad-eye Moody, their last defense teacher. He had always been telling them about constant awareness...or something like that. But none of them could imagine anyone else wanting to be out on such a crappy night like this. Jessica lead them to a tiny clearing and the moment Hermione touched foot to the grounds she began to whimper and wouldn't move another step forward.
'She is very sensitive to the energies connected with this place,' Jessica explained to Ron and Harry. 'I'm afraid that is my fault, but it won't last for long. Here, this is where my body is. Right here.'
"She's here!" Ron yelled to Sirius and Hermione. He and Harry used a simple spell to clear the muddy soil away and unearthed the body of Jessica; she still looked exactly like the nine year old spirit. "Oh my..."
"I know," Harry agreed breathlessly. Sirius and Hermione now joied them, and Sirius grimaced, looking at the body.
"Any one else would have thought she'd just fallen asleep," He sighed, lifting the body into the air by use of his wand. "Lets go now. The ministry will want to know that this case has come to a close."
"LOOK OUT!" Jessica shouted, her silvery body running in front of them. What happened next seemed like a dream...or a nightmare...to Harry. Jessica's physical body had seemed to come back to life, jumping in front of the four wizards as a beam of magic hit her head on. There was a blinding flash of light, like lightning, and a searing heat. When it had died away there was nothing left but too piles of ashes. One washed away with the rain, but the other remained, as if protected by magic.
"Even in death she still faught to protect you, Harry," Sirius said, conjuring up a small urn to store the ashes in. "She had the spirit your parents had. A kindness to help anyone, even if it meant sacrificing everything."
"Lets go home," Hermione said softly. "And lets finish this once and for all."