"A man visited me today." The old woman's body froze.

"No, I'm fine. I mean. He came to tell me that my friend. My friend has died." The woman relaxed and also saddened reached over to hold the younger woman's hands in her own.

"I'm so sorry."

"I knew but someone just came with the news. This was the emergency."

"How?"

The old woman's face betrayed the question and so reflexive is this question that Philippa heard it though the woman did not speak the words. It's so strange that people ask this and yet she wanted to know. We all always want to know.

Philippa doubled over. "Peacefully. Quietly." She chanted to herself. Maybe there was magic there, too. Maybe by saying it enough times, it would be true. Philippa hoped it was. She wanted to say Dorcas died in her sleep. She died an even older woman than you but really she knew. If Dorcas lived as an auror, as a member of the Order maybe it wasn't peaceful but, it was good enough to think it had been. That's not what the old woman had meant. That's not the "how" the old woman was asking. Robin meant how did Philippa know her friend was gone. But not only did she not press the matter further, Robin let the young woman cry silently.

Philippa felt something had lifted but, for all the feeling of lightness and sadness and resignation, her feet carried her past her flat and as far away in the opposite direction that the man had gone. She would not and did not think about Dorcas or the man or the news he brought or anything else. When she was ready and after her walk, she would return home as she had.

Philippa would never say in her head what Dorcas was which became easier and easier as the old, sad parts began to break up and evaporate and leave mostly only the good parts. Philippa lived to be an old woman, past the age of her very old landlady who lived stunningly long for no other reason that she still wanted to be there in case Philippa ever did come back. Philippa would die warm in the comfort of her bed falling into a gentle, deep, dreamless sleep and then falling further into the greatest stillness, her family asleep in the other rooms (and what a full and happy, beautiful family it was). Up to that very moment from the day that she met the man and all through the next war, which she knew involved wizards and magic, aurors, dragons, witches, potions, spells all kept hidden behind the thin veil of what she knew was called the Statute of Secrecy, Philippa would never mention her friend or say Dorcas' name out loud again for the rest of her life.