Chapter 8: Dark Christmas
The weather outside gets colder as the days go by. A couple of days before the Christmas Holidays there is a snow storm, covering everything in a big layer of snow. I'm reading a letter that Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione sent Albus, Lily and me.
Dear James, Albus and Lily
Ginny has fallen ill and is staying over with us for the holidays. This means that the three of you will go to Weasels' Keep instead of the Potter Home in Godric's Hollow.
We ask that you accept this invitation so we can at least have some family together. Grandma Molly has already send out the needed invitations to Christmas diner. We thought it best to keep the diner at Weasels' Keep this year too. It might be a bit of a squeeze, but we will manage.
Don't worry about Ginny, she is just a bit under the weather,
Sincerely,
Ron and Hermione.
I read the letter over a couple of times. My first reaction is to not accept the invitation. But I know it would be useless if Grandma Molly is involved. 'Invitation' means 'order' if it comes to Christmas dinners. I wonder why Grandma Molly never dragged me back by the ear when I had abandoned the family. I will probably never know.
Sighing, I give the letter to Albus who is sitting next to me at breakfast. Just then Hugo walks by.
"I see you received mum's letter then," Hugo says, looking at the parchment now in Albus's hand.
"It says Ron and Hermione on the letter," I point out.
"Dad wouldn't write like that. Trust me, it's from mum," Hugo says, shaking his head.
"Any news on Rose?" Albus asks suddenly. I look at him, startled. I had completely forgotten that Rose is still missing.
"Dad says that the Ministry has declared her dead, but I believe, and dad agrees with me, that Rose is still alive; that she is out there somewhere," Hugo says sadly.
"Declared dead? Isn't that a bit harsh?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.
"There has been no news for nearly six months. No ransom note or anything else. It is like she disappeared of the face of the earth. But I don't believe her dead till there is proof that she is," Hugo says.
"But she was kidnapped right? Why isn't there a ransom note?" I ask, confused.
"Isn't that obvious?" Lily asks from besides me.
"Should it be?" Hugo asks harshly.
"Someone is hiding the ransom notes, your father for instance, Hugo!" Lily says.
"That is nonsense! Our mail has been checked since Rose was missing! No owl or any other communication is possible without the Ministry knowing about it!" Hugo shouts, before he runs form the Great Hall.
"That was uncalled for, Lily!" I say harshly.
"Don't bother trying to talk about things you don't understand, James!" Lily says before she too leaves the Great Hall.
Albus looks at me scathingly, before he follows Lily from the Great Hall. Once again I'm left wondering how everything is suddenly my fault.
I pick at the food I still have on my plate, but I suddenly don't feel hungry any more. Lily has been acting angry to everyone and everything. Albus seems to think that Lily's anger is somehow my fault, so any time that Lily blows up about something Albus looks accusingly to me. But I honestly don't know what I have done.
Each day I feel like I'm failing more and more in the mission Albus has given me. Each day I feel like I'm loosing the family, and each day I feel like they abandon me. Each day I try to keep an eye on them, but when I do all I receive is more anger from them. Don't they understand that I'm doing what I can?
~O~
The ride home a couple of days later is uneventful and silent. True to their word and letter, Uncle Ron is waiting for us to take us to 'Weasels' Keep'.
Weasels' Keep is not so much a 'keep' as it is a ramshackle house comparable to, but smaller than The Burrow. Though there always seems to be enough room for anyone who is staying there.
Usually Weasels' Keep is a cheerful place to be, always bustling, yet organized. Now, however, it seems dismal and disorganized.
Uncle Ron doesn't say anything to us as he leads us to the rooms we are to stay in for the holidays. I share a room with Albus and Hugo.
When we arrive downstairs again mum is there, sitting in her nightgown, with bags under her eyes, like she hasn't got a good night's sleep in a long time. It is then that I realise that dad's death must be harder on her then it has been on Albus, Lily and me.
"There you three are," mum says before she envelops us in a hug.
"We are fine, mum," I say, not mentioning the trouble we have at Hogwarts. I don't feel I should burden mum with that. Albus and Lily also don't mention it.
Later that day just before dinner, Teddy also arrives.
"Any news Teddy?" Uncle Ron asks at once.
"Nothing whatsoever, Uncle Ron," Teddy says, shaking his head.
"What is Mr. Popov doing? He should have results by now," Ron says, sighing.
"That is the thing, we haven't received any reports from Mr. Popov the entire time he has been at Hogwarts. It is as though he is not researching anything at all," Teddy says angrily.
I look from Uncle Ron to Teddy, trying to figure out what they are talking about.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder if Harry is undercover, in disguise," mum says suddenly.
"Ginny, you know that Harry sucks at disguises. He nearly failed his Concealment and Disguise test. He would have if his Disillusionment Charm was not up to notch," Ron says, shaking his head.
"But..." mum begins, but Ron cuts her off.
"We have been over this, Ginny! You know his hair will always be messy, no matter what he does with it, and his scar cannot be hidden. The only way he could do it is with Polyjuice Potion, and that requires a constant supply. There is just no way Harry could disguise himself for this long successfully!" Ron says heatedly.
"Any news on Rose?" Aunt Hermione asks, cutting off the argument between Ron and mum.
"No, nothing," Teddy says sadly, sitting down heavily.
"Mr. Popov said to me he knew what happened to dad," I say, suddenly remembering what Mr. Popov told me at the start of term.
"Well, if he knows, he is not telling the Auror Office," Teddy says, shaking his head.
"Which means he does not know. Mr. Popov seems like he is a 'by the rules' kind of guy," Ron says harshly.
I look over at mum, but she is keeping quiet now.
"So, the Auror Office is doing nothing?" Lily asks.
"There is nothing we can do. The whole Auror Office is in disarray. Robards is getting on in age and doesn't have the same authority he once had. Ron would be the logical choice for Head Auror now, but he is on leave due to Rose," Teddy says.
"But now that..." I begin, but looking at Ron, Hermione and Hugo stops me in my tracks. Apparently Rose's 'death' has been recent news.
"Now that Rose is declared dead it shouldn't matter, right?" Lily says, who doesn't seem to have any reservations about asking the question.
"Rose is not dead," Ron says with conviction.
Teddy looks disappointed at Lily and shakes his head, indicating that she should drop the subject.
"How can you be so sure?" Lily asks, standing up.
I also stand up and glare at Lily, trying to shut her up.
Mum looks scandalized.
"We don't, but it is the only hope we can hold on to," Hermione says.
"Well, that is..." Lily begins, but I have enough.
"Lily, don't!" I shout loudly.
"Why not, James? It is not as though it is any worse from what we have lost, is it?" Lily says angrily before she storms away upstairs.
Everyone at the table looks at where Lily disappeared with horror.
"What happened to her?" Teddy asks the table in general.
"I wish I knew," I say, sitting back down heavily.
The rest of dinner passes in a heavy silence.
When I go upstairs I hear sounds of crying when I pass the bathroom. I open it and see Lily leaning on the sink, the tap open and streaming.
"Lily?" I ask carefully, fully stepping into the bathroom.
"What is happening to me, James?" Lily asks in a small voice, reminding me of the time that Lily was five and would come into my room when she was afraid of the lightning.
"I was going to ask you," I say softly.
"I feel like I'm falling, falling into a black abyss, I felt like this ever since dad died. I feel like there is no-one who will catch me. I'm afraid of what the bottom will bring," Lily says tearfully.
"I will catch you," I say, determined.
"You can't catch me, James. No one can," Lily says, now starting to sound hysterical.
"Who can catch you, then?" I ask.
"Dad. He is the only one who can catch me now," Lily says. And then she starts laughing. It is a laugh that has been haunting my nightmares since I returned to this time. Laughing like that, she leaves me standing in the bathroom, more confused then ever.
"What have you done this time?" a voice asks from the doorway. I turn around and see Albus staring at me accusingly.
"Dad is the only one who can catch her," I say distractedly, not really hearing what Albus is asking.
"What is that?" Albus asks sharply.
Shaking my head I focus on Albus, who is looking at me strangely.
"That is what Lily said," I say.
"Well, that is not really going to work out now, is it?" Albus asks, shaking his head.
"No, it isn't," I say sadly.
Albus looks at me one last time and then turns around. Only then do I realise what Albus has said.
"Albus, wait, what did you mean, 'what have I done', why do you think everything about Lily is my fault?" I ask, following Albus.
"You condone her relationship with Malfoy," Albus says harshly, turning around to face me.
"I see no fault in it, no. Scorpius has been able to get her out of her shell," I say.
"In case you haven't noticed, James, Lily has been acting all angry ever since she started hanging around Malfoy!" Albus says.
"In case you haven't noticed, Albus, Lily has been acting more human and less zombie-like ever since she started hanging around Scorpius!" I retort.
"Yeah, well, I don't trust him," Albus says stubbornly.
"Why? Normally you would be defending him, he is your best friend, right?" I ask dumbfounded.
"Best friends don't lie to each other, best friends don't betray their friendship like this!" Albus says harshly, before storming away, leaving me to wonder what happened between Albus and Scorpius. They used to be two peas in a pod. Shaking my head, I go to the room I share with Albus and Hugo, getting ready for an early night, my head throbbing.
~O~
Christmas, despite the fact that the whole family is together, is a silent affair instead of the usual boisterous Weasley/Potter Christmas. The absence of dad and Rose is very noticeable. Any conversation around the table is hushed and silent. The only thing that improves the mood is when Victoire announces that she is pregnant. Grandma Molly, Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill are all over Victoire, proud to welcome the newest member to our family.
"Vic is five months along. We didn't tell sooner since, well, with Harry dead, and Rose missing... We felt it better to just keep to ourselves for the last months, since we are newly married, no-one questioned us about it." Teddy says to Ron and Hermione.
"We understand, but you shouldn't have kept that back on our account, I'm just happy there is still happiness in this world," Hermione said, smiling painfully. Ron gives a nod, indicating he agrees with his wife's words.
"James, can I speak to you a moment?" Teddy asks me when he is free from people congratulating him.
"Sure," I say uncertainly, suddenly remembering how the last time we were alone went.
"I, and Victoire agrees, want you to be the baby's godfather," Teddy says as soon as we are out of earshot of the kitchen.
I look at Teddy as though he has gone crazy. Me a godfather? Even after what I said?
"Are you sure? Even after what I said?" I ask incredulously.
"You were grieving; I was grieving; the tension was high; I don't hold what you said that day against you," Teddy says seriously.
"I shouldn't have said those things at all," I say.
"You are right about that. Do you accept?" Teddy asks.
"Of course," I say at once. It is the only right answer.
~O~
The next day the whole Weasley clan has dispersed to their various homes. Only mum, Lily, Albus and I are still staying with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione.
Mum has excused herself from breakfast, claiming that she has eaten too much the previous day.
After breakfast, Albus, Lily and I are sitting in mum's room while she is sleeping. Lily is playing with her locket; Albus is staring of into space; and I'm reading up on some family history for lack of something better to do.
We all look up when a wary Teddy and Professor Popov enter the room, closely followed by an irritated Ron and Hermione.
"I need to speak to ze Potters, alone," Professor Popov says irritably.
"Whatever you have to say to the Potters, you can say in front of us," Ron says heatedly. Apparently continuing an argument they are having.
The argument wakes mum up, and she gets a strange look on her face when she sees Professor Popov.
"It is okay, Ron," mum says warily.
"No, it isn't. You can tell what you know about dad in front of eyes and ears, or not at all," I say, standing up to stand in front of Popov.
"Vat I have to say about zat is only meant for ze ears of Potters," Popov says, looking from Albus, to Lily, to me and then to mum. When he looks at mum there is a strange look in his eyes I can't identify.
Confused, I look between mum and Popov and am surprised to see a small smile on mum's lips.
"Hold on a moment! If you know something about Harry, you can say it in front of me! I have been his best mate since Hogwarts! Out of everyone in this room I have as much right to know as everyone else in this room," Ron says.
Popov turns around to face Ron and is about to say something, but Ron cuts him off.
"Harry has been like a brother to me ever since I met him, granted I already had five of them, but Harry sometimes felt more like a brother to me, then the five brothers I already had. Harry had always been there for me, even when I was being a complete prat, he still forgave me, and believed in me. So whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of me!" Ron continues.
Popov is staring at Ron like he is seeing him for the first time. And again is about to say something, but again Ron cuts him off.
"You know what I think? You don't know anything about Harry. If you did, you would have told the Auror Office by now! I think you want to get the Potters alone so you can finish the job! I think it is quite convenient that after you took over Harry's case that there has been no development on it at all! So, get out of this house, or you will find out what I will be like when I'm angry!" Ron says threateningly, pulling his wand.
Popov looks from Ron's wand, to Albus, Lily and me, and then to mum, before he turns to Ron again.
"As you wish!" Popov says in perfect English before he storms out of the room, and by the sound of it out of the house.
"That did not sound like a Russian accent," Hermione says after a couple of minutes of awkward silence.
"All the more reason not to trust him," Ron says grumpily.
Mum looks disappointed for some reason.
"I'm feeling a bit tired, I think I'm going back to sleep," mum says. We all take that as our cue to leave the room. I go back to my own room, trying to figure out what just happened with Popov.