Chapter 7
Dumbledore's Will
the next morning, I woke up to Ginny, Ivy, Emily and Dommie screaming "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANNAH!"
I shouted "WHOA!" and fell onto my back out of bed. "What the Skinner was that for?" I asked.
"We were waking you up with a birthday wish!" Ivy said happily.
I glared and then smiled at her "Thanks." I said.
"So, what spell are you going to use first now that the Trace is broken?" Emily asked. "I went with Stunning my brother for a joke, but it's your call."
"I went for Disarming my dad." Ivy said, beaming.
"I went for conjuring up flowers for my Maman." Dommie said, smiling brightly.
I sighed, kneading my temples. "I don't know!" I said, picking up my wand and tapping into Harry's mind "Harry Summoned his glasses!" I said. "But that's not any fun, that and I have nothing to Summon!" I said before brightening "OH! I've got it!" I said, pointing my wand at my hair and saying "Mutare blonde!" as I looked in the mirror.
"Ew! You are a horrible blonde!" Ivy said, laughing "I want my black haired best friend back!"
I sighed "Finite Incantatem!" I said, pointing my wand at my hair and watching my hair turn back to raven black. "That was fun!" I said, taking a brush to my freshly changed-back hair.
"If Malfoy ever saw you doing that, he'd probably slaughter you." Ginny said, laughing before putting on a shrill nagging impression of Draco "Hannah! Why did you change your hair colour?"
"It was perfect on its own!" Emily chided.
"Oh, shut up!" I snapped, taking my wand and Switching my pyjamas for a pair of jeans and a midnight blue t-shirt. "I love being of age!" I said, taking the silver watch Draco gave me when we last saw each other out of my backpack and putting it on.
"Oh, here's your present, by the way," Ginny said, snickering as she handed me a small box. "Open it here, it's not for Mum's eyes."
I ripped off the wrapping paper and turned to glare and Ginny "Oh, ha, ha, real mature!" I said, holding up a box of condoms and birth control pills.
Ginny, Ivy and Emily started roaring with laughter "What? You and Malfoy may need them!" they said laughing.
Hermione sighed "You three are so immature!" Watson said, rolling her eyes and handing me another box "Here's your real present, I knew the girls were going to do something like this so I put their names on it too. Although they don't really deserve it!" she added with a yell, glaring at my still laughing friends.
I smiled "Thanks, Watson." I said, taking her gift and shoving the condoms away before unwrapping my gift and screaming "Oh my Skinner!" and held up my gift. "It's a blanket!" I said, brushing my hand over the soft fleece of the midnight blue blanket. I flipped it over and saw that there was an ornate silver "H" in the corner of it, sort of like the handkerchief Draco owned and I had used to mop up my blood in my second year.
"You like?" Watson asked.
I giggled "Do I like? No." I said, making Watson look sad "Do I love? No. Do I adore with every other inch of my beating heart that doesn't belong to Draco? YES!" I said, making Watson beam again "It's better than condoms!" I said as I hugged her "Thank you!"
"You'll thank us for the condoms one day, Han." Emily said.
"Well, let's go downstairs!" I said, grabbing my wand again and running out of the bedroom, leaving my soft blanket on my bed. "Oh, right!" I said, turning around and pointing to the mess I made of my backpack from my spell finding me clothes and me looking for my watch "Pack!" I said, smirking when my stuff started neatly going back into my backpack "Again, I love magic!" I said before running down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Happy seventeenth, Hannah!" Ron said.
"Thanks, Ron!" I said happily "Happy birthday, Harry." I said, beaming at the real birthday boy.
"Thanks, sis, you too." Harry said, grinning.
"What'd you get? What'd you get?" I asked, snooping through Harry's presents like I would if I was four.
"A razor from the Delacours, some Weasley Wizard Wheezes merchandise from Fred and George, a watch from Mrs Weasley…the list is endless. What'd you get?"
I shrugged "I got a prank gift, a soft blanket from Hermione, and a watch from Draco."
"Oh, add Weasley Wizard Wheezes merchandise from Fred and George, too." Harry said, handing me a box similar to his.
"And a new hairbrush." Emily said, handing me her real gift, a gleaming silver hairbrush with a snake along the back of it.
"And something she's been dying for." Ivy said, handing me a box, which I quickly opened and gasped.
It was a charm for my charm bracelet! It was a golden "53494."
"For your catchphrase 'Skinner, Fanelli and Faksa.'" Ivy beamed "I have the jersey numbers in the right order, right?"
I nodded. Jeff Skinner was fifty three, Ben Fanelli was four, and Radek Faksa was ninety four. "I love it, Ivy, thanks!" I said, hugging my best friend."
"No big." Ivy said happily.
"Oh, and a large box of chocolate from us." said Gabrielle Delacour, handing me a large box full of my favourite chocolates.
"Oh, thank you, you really didn't have to…" I said, flattered.
"We insist." Madam Delacour said, smiling.
"Thank you, this is very kind of you." I said as Fleur handed me something.
"'Ere," she said "Maman always says, a woman can never 'ave enough makeup or jewellery." she said proudly.
I opened the box up, and there laid a lovely necklace and a load of makeup.
"Thank you, Fleur!" I said happily, hugging her as Ron handed me something.
"It's from me and Harry." he said as I opened it.
It was a Sneakoscope.
"Thanks, boys!" I said happily, hugging both of them at once as I sat down for breakfast.
"I'll just take these upstairs." Emily said, taking my presents up to Ginny's room to pack with the rest of my stuff.
…
The Burrow wasn't built to hold all the guests Mrs Weasley invited, so Harry's and my birthday dinner was held out in the backyard. Fred and George (who, bless them, arrived early.) decorated the backyard with red, green, silver and gold lanterns that formed two17s in both Gryffindor and Slytherin colours.
Hermione made purple and gold and silver streamers come from the tip of her wand and drape the fence.
"That looks phenomenal, Watson." I said, beaming as brightly as she did at me as Ekaterina and Michael arrived.
"Happy seventeenth, Hannah." Michael said, hugging me.
Ekaterina muttered "Happy seventeenth." and went to sit down with Michael as two little blonde girls smiled up at me.
"Happy birthday!" they said together.
"Sophia! Polina! Come sit with Mother, please!" Ekaterina called.
"Yes, Mummy!" they said, following her as Felix Lerwick hugged me.
"Happy birthday, dude!" he said, thrilled.
"Thanks, Felix!" I said, pulling off him. "Be careful, I'm fragile!" I said jokingly.
"Sure, Han, sure." Felix replied, going to sit down as Violet and Analise came to see me.
"Happy birthday!" they said together.
"Thanks." I said.
"Mrs Weasley said to leave your gifts in Ginny's room and that you'd open them later." Violet said "Our gifts are with them."
I smiled. "Thanks, guys." as they went to sit down.
I was visited by more people before dinner started. Benjamen Tweake; a girl that I didn't notice from the night I left Privet Drive, a girl with caramel coloured hair and brown eyes and light skin named Patricia Quimpertin; another person that rode with us the night I left Privet Drive, a boy who looked a lot like Harry except that his hair was tidier called Joe Namerkin (him and Patricia were together when they gave their wishes); Marcus Williams; Julia Hendrix; Jade and Yuuki Kuchiki; Willow and her mother; and Gen Briggs
When I sat down, I saw that mine and Harry's birthday cake was in the shape of a Snitch, with a Quaffle right beside it.
I beamed "Thanks, Mrs Weasley." I said "This looks amazing!"
"You're welcome, dear." Mrs Weasley replied when I saw something silvery float into the air and in front of me.
It was a Patronus, a weasel.
The weasel opened its mouth and said in Mr Weasley's voice:
"Minister for Magic coming with me."
At that, Remus and Tonks looked to Harry and I and muttered "I'm sorry, twins, we have to go." before they jumped the fence and out of sight.
As soon as the weasel disappeared, Mr Weasley came in with someone who looked like a greatly aged lion. His hair was wiry and looked like a mane, he walked with a limp and had scratches in his face.
"Sorry to intrude." Rufus Scrimgeour said, limping into the lanterns' light "Especially because it seems that I have gatecrashed a party." he added, looking to the cake and then to Harry and I.
"Many happy returns." he said.
"Thank you." Harry and I said together.
"I require a private word with both of you, Miss Ivy Duff, Miss Hermione Granger and Mr Ronald Weasley, as well." Scrimgeour said.
I was a little taken aback, but stood up anyways. "Um…ok?" I said.
"Why do you need us?" Ivy demanded.
"We will discuss it when we are somewhere more private." Scrimgeour assured, turning to Mr Weasley "Is there such a place?" he demanded.
"The sitting room." Mr Weasley said, taken aback "You can use that."
"Lead the way." the Minister said to Ron, who went into the house, me and Watson following. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur." Scrimgeour added before closing the door as me, Watson, Ron, Icy (Ivy's nickname) and Harry sat down.
I read the Minister's mind. He wanted to have words with us in private, he was interrogating us!
"I know what you're thinking." I said to the Minister "You're going to interrogate us in private, separately. Well, I'll have you know that we're not going to stand for it. You can talk to us as a group or we won't talk at all." I announced.
Ivy grinned at me "Exactly!" Her, Watson, Ron and Harry said together.
Scrimgeour gave me a cold look and said "Very well, together, then. Now, as I'm sure you know, I'm here about the contents of Albus Dumbledore's will."
I creased my eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Did you not know that he's left you all something?" Scrimgeour asked.
"Us?" Ron asked "Me, Ivy and Hermione, too?"
"Yes, all of you." Scrimgeour repeated.
"Wait," Harry said "Dumbledore died over a month ago, why is it that the contents of his will are just getting to us now?"
"Harry, it's very simple." Hermione said "They wanted to examine whatever Dumbledore left us."
"Which he had no right to do!" Ivy snapped.
"I have every right." Scrimgeour said dismissively. "The Decree for Justifiable Confiscation gives the Ministry the power to confiscate the contents from a will -"
"Only if the Ministry can prove that the object being bequeathed is in fact harmful to one's and other's safety!" I snapped "Do you honestly think that Albus Dumbledore would leave any of us something cursed?!" I demanded.
"Do you plan to pursue a career in Magical Law, Miss Potter?" Scrimgeour asked me.
"No," I said "I want to do some good in the world!"
After a spirited debate of why we were getting our bequeaths then, Scrimgeour turned to Ron.
"Would you say that you were close to Dumbledore, Ronald?" he asked.
"No, it was always Harry and Hannah who -" Ron replied, shutting up when Hermione gave him a look.
I sighed, blocking out the entire back and forth and playing with a lock of my hair as I plotted my escape after the wedding the next day.
…
My plan was to leave along with the guests and wait a week or so to see if the Ministry had fallen, if it fell, than I was staying incognito, if it didn't, I was going to Hogsmeade, writing Draco a letter and telling him to meet me in the Three Broomsticks to stay with me as I shopped for my final year.
…
I sighed. I hoped I'd have been able to have my final year. I was hoping for Head Girl, Quidditch and House Cup, maybe after Hogwarts to marry Draco and start training to be an Auror…
But I had to get through this war first.
Scrimgeour said my name, making me snap out of my thoughts "To Miss Hannah Lillian Isabella Marie Potter, I leave both Slytherin's Heart, with hopes that she learns that true love always conquers even the worst evils and that even the Iciest of Princes have a warm heart, and her mother's lion and snake necklace, with hopes she remembers that even the Sorting Hat can not divide true friendship and loyalty."
I blinked, confused as Scrimgeour pulled out something that looked like a mirror and a small box, handing it to me. "Here you are." he said, handing me the mirror.
I looked at the mirror and saw that it was silver and green, Slytherin colours and that on the frame of the mirror were tiny lettering that said and repeated:
My soul. My light. My love. My darling. My treasure. My Spitfire. My angel. My friend.
I felt tears stinging my eyes at My Spitfire. That was what Draco called me.
"Why do you think that Dumbledore would leave you this?" Scrimgeour asked.
I shrugged "It's Slytherin's Heart, isn't it?" I asked "He wants me to have it because he wants me to know that true love always triumphs." I said.
"But why is the wording the way it is? My soul, my light, my love, my darling, my treasure? What do you think that means?"
I looked to him "They're words of endearment." I said "Draco calls me all of these." I added in a whisper, opening the box and gasping.
The pendant of the box was a snake, which was wrapped around a lion. Daintily inscribed along the lion's mane were two initials:
N.B.
L.E.B.F.F.
I beamed "Narcissa Black, Lily Evans. Best Friends Forever." I whispered.
"Now, why do you think that Dumbledore would want you to have that?" Scrimgeour asked again.
I grinned "It was my mother's. He wanted me to have it so I had a bit of my mum with me."
"Maybe some part of your mother is hidden in this necklace?" Scrimgeour asked, making me look up.
"It was my mother's." I repeated, annoyed "My mother owned it, she'd want me to have it." I said.
"Perhaps, but perhaps there is a dormant curse on the necklace that this N.B. has placed on it that will only work when you wear it."
I shot up "ARE YOU CALLING NARCISSA BLACK A MURDERER?" I asked, glaring at the Minister "Narcissa Black…well, now she's Narcissa Malfoy, she was my Mother's best friend! Why do you think that Narcissa Malfoy would want to kill her best friend's daughter?" I demanded, spinning on my heel and leaving with a huff.
…
After a while of sitting in the backyard, cooling off, Harry came back out with Mrs Weasley, making the rest of the party rather hurried. After a quick chorus of "Happy Birthday" and much gulping of cake, the party broke up. Hagrid went to sleep in the forest outside the Burrow, being invited to the wedding the next day and being too large to sleep inside.
"Meet me in Ron's room." Ivy said, walking out.
"Yeah, in a minute." I said "I need to clear my head."
Ivy nodded and walked into the house, leaving me to take out my mother's Invisibility Cloak and draping it over me as I walked into the woods by the light of the moon. (and yes, I had my wand, just in case.)
…
When I got to the clearing of the forest, I ripped my Cloak off and sat on a stump, taking the pendant that Dumbledore left me from around my neck and looking at it, tearing up.
It was my mother's. My mother's necklace, my mother's house mascot wrapped around her best friend's and mine. I blinked, letting the tears fall onto the chain as I tucked it back into my shirt.
I wanted my mum. No, wait, I needed my mum. I didn't need anyone more desperately than I needed Lily Potter that night. I clutched the pendant close to my heart and broke down, thinking of what could have been had Voldemort never existed.
I would not have been subjected to sexist tyranny at the hands of Vernon Dursley, I would have still had play dates with Draco, it would always have been my mother, not Ron's or Ivy's grandmother kissing me goodbye as I left for Hogwarts, my mum would have helped me with boy trouble, helped design my wedding dress, my dad would have given me away at my wedding.
It wasn't fair! Why did it always have to be me to suffer in one way or another?
I took a deep, shaky breath and sighed. My mum wouldn't have wanted me to sit where I was, crying my eyes out over what might have been. I had to be strong, I had to go on.
I grabbed my Invisibility Cloak and just as I was putting it on, I heard something.
For a minute, I thought it was Hagrid snoring, but then I heard it again:
"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance."
I paled, swallowed and sang back what I knew from that Phantom of the Opera song, starting a duet with someone whose voice I knew well, but just couldn't place.
"Angel…or father? Friend, or Phantom? Who is it there, staring?"
"Have you forgotten your angel?"
I gasped as sudden realization washed over me.
"Angel, oh speak, what endless longings, echo in this whisper!" I sang, hoping it wasn't just me hearing things.
Oh, please, let him be here! I thought.
"Too long you've wandered in winter. Far from my fatherly gaze."
I gasped "Wildly my mind beats against you…"
I heard the smirk in the voice as he sang "You resist…"
"Yet the soul obeys!" I gasped, turning around to see a blond young man clad in all black stepping out from behind a tree. "Oh, Draco!" I cried, running into his waiting arms. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? How did you manage -?" I started, all these questions running through my mind.
Draco hushed me "One question at a time, love." he said, smiling "It's fairly obvious what I'm doing here, seeing the date and Weasley's brother's wedding being tomorrow, me being an uninvited guest, I came here for you…because it's your day." he kissed my forehead "And what kind of man would I be if I didn't turn up to be with you? And sorry I turned up without a gift." he added.
My lip quivered and I held onto him tighter, tears falling fast down my face. "You're here, that's good enough a gift for me!" I sobbed.
Draco rubbed my back, calming me down some. "Shhh, Hannah, or the oaf will wake up." he said, resting his chin on my forehead. "Besides, I can't stay long. The Dark Lord will figure out that I snuck out."
I gasped "No…he'll kill you!" I said, terrified.
Draco smirked, holding me at arms' distance "No he won't. He'll just hit me with a Cruciatus Curse and that'll be the end of it. It'll be worth it." he said, trying to console me.
"How will being tortured be worth it? I've been through that curse, and nothing's worth -" I started before warm lips met mine. I sighed, realizing what was worth the Cruciatus Curse. Hell, at that moment I would have taken a hundred Cruciatus Curses in exchange for that moment to never end.
When Draco pulled away, he kissed my forehead again and whispered "Go. Duff needs you back in the house. Just go. I'll see you soon." before he kissed me briefly once more and Apparated away with a wink at me.
I sighed, touching my still tingling lips as I grabbed my Invisibility Cloak and went back up to the house.
A/N: I own nothing!
