The Forgotten 7th Year

Sea Lavender

Luna's POV

After he was certain Hermione would be alright, Ron left to help Harry dig the grave. Dean followed him.

When it was deep enough, Ron sat on the grave's edge and pulled off his shoes and socks. Dean provided a hat that I recognized as the one Seamus gave him several Christmas's ago.

It was one of the few things that he chose to take with him on the run!

I walked up behind Harry.

"We should close his eyes. That way, he could be sleeping." I crouched down next to him, and with incredible tenderness closed his glassy eyes.

I felt something in me break as Harry laid the small elf in the grave.

"I think we ought to say something," I piped up. "I'll go first, shall I?"

"Thank you so much Dobby for rescuing me from that cellar." I paused a moment, trying to hold back a sob. "It's so unfair that you had to die when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now." I wanted to say more, but my throat tightened, making speech impossible.

I glanced over at Ron, waiting for what he would say.

"Yeah...thanks Dobby."

"Thanks," mumbled Dean. Harry swallowed. "Good bye Dobby," Bill raised his wand, and the pile of earth beside the grave rose up into the air and fell neatly upon it, a small, reddish mound. "D'ya mind if I stay here a moment?" Harry asked us.

"Of course."

I watched through the window as Harry removed a smooth white stone from the flower bed. He bent over it, and when he stood up it read,

HERE LIES DOBBY
A FREE ELF

I drifted into the living room.

"I've sent out letters to the rest of the Weasley's. I don't know if Mum or Dad owled back and Errol died on the trip."

He gave a dry laugh, sudden and unnatural as breaking glass and ending abruptly when his forced humor wasn't welcomed.

"We're lucky that Ginny's on holiday. If she'd been at Hogwarts they could have taken her before we reached her. Now we know she's safe too."

He glanced up at something above my shoulder, and I knew Harry had entered.

I've been getting them all out of the Burrow," he explained. "Moved them to Muriel's. The Death Eaters know Ron's with you now, they're bound to target the family. Don't apologize," he added at the sight of Harry's expression. "It was always a matter of time, Dad's been saying so for months. We're the biggest blood traitor family there is."

How are they protected?" Harry inquired.

"Fidelius Charm. Dad's Secret-Keeper. And we've done it on this cottage too; I'm Secret-Keeper here. None of us can go to work, but that's hardly the most important thing now. Once Ollivander and Griphook are well enough, we'll move them to Muriel's too. There isn't much room here, but she's got plenty. Griphook's legs are on the mend. Fleur's given him Skele-Growe could probably move them in an hour or-."

"No." Harry interrupted. Bill looked confused. "I need both of them here. I need to talk to them. It's important."

He sounded so assured, so confident and authoritative. When had that happened?

"I'm going to wash," Harry told Bill looking down at his hands that were still covered with mud and, my stomach did a backflip, Dobby's blood. "Then I'll need to see them, straight away."

He marched out

Bill and Fleur walked to the base of the stairs. Fleur took Bill's hand, and kissed his cheek. He smiled faintly and whispered something.

They seemed to be having a moment, so I decided that a random point out the window was fascinating as not to intrude.

Unfortunately, Harry had no such demur. Or he was too oblivious to notice. Probably the latter.

I need to speak to Griphook and Ollivander," Harry interjected.

"No," said Fleur sternly. "You will 'ave to wait, 'Arry. Zey are both too tired.

"I'm sorry," he said flatly, "but it can't wait. I need to talk to them now. Privately. And separately. It's urgent."

"Harry, what the hell's going on?" Bill demanded. "You turn up here with a dead house-elf and a half-conscious goblin, Hermione looks as though she's been tortured, and Ron's just refused to tell me anything-."

"We can't tell you what we're doing," Harry replied flatly. "You're in the Order, Bill, you know Dumbledore left us a mission. We're not supposed to talk about it to anyone else."

Fleur made an aggravated noise in the back of her throat. Bill looked at him. His deeply scarred face was impossible to read.

"All right. Who do you want to talk to first?"

Harry paused.

"Griphook." He said it quickly, but without conviction. Like it was an impossible choice he had to make.

Bill showed him the room, and at Harry's call Hermione and Ron joined him. I could tell they were nervous he wouldn't want them to help after what happened. He wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt.

I felt a small twinge of resentment. That was how he thought. Everyone's safety was his responsibility, and we couldn't take care of ourselves. It was that mindset that made him break up with Ginny.

I felt a glare coming on, but took deep breaths. Holding grudges never helped anything.

I turned, slightly stiffly perhaps, and walked out the door, deciding to take a walk along the beach.

Bill watched me leave, giving only a quick warning as to the Fidelius Charm's boundaries. I nodded vaguely.

The second I left the house, the smell of salt wafted over to me. The sea crashed against the rocks, throwing spray into the air. I gazed out into the ocean. It was ruggedly beautiful, with the sun nearly above the horizon.

I spotted a clump of wild purple flowers, and in several quick steps I could identify it as some form of lavender. Sea Lavender, I'd guess.

I glanced back at Dobby's small grave, so forlorn and cold. I knew what I should do.

I plucked several of the healthiest violet flowers from the earth, and walked inside. I needed something. A vase or container or... jam jar. It sat on the edge of the table, almost as if summoned by my need to do one last thing for the elf that saved my life.

I arranged the flowers in a way I thought was both simplistic yet beautiful, and took the bouquet outside.

I laid it next to the pillow-like headstone, and stepped back.

"Thank you, Dobby."