Painted Rose

57

"Harry?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and Hermione clenched her shirt.

"It's time to go." Harry took a deep breath and nodded.
He stood and looked down at Dobbys small grave one last time before following Hermione into the beach house.

William smiled and Harry half heartedly returned it.

"Is Harry going to be ok?" "Yeah it's just the shock." William nodded.

Harry came back in with a baggy jacket on and his usual outfit under.

"Ready?"
Ron and Hermione nodded.

"Where are we going?" "We need to go to Hogwarts but because Dumbledores dead we won't be able to get in so easily. We'll go look for someone who can help." "And that would be?" "... We'll start with where my parents died."
Hermione and Ron nodded, grabbing Harry's shoulders.

They appeared in the middle of a dead, trash littered street.
The trio looked up and their breath hitched when they saw the destroyed house.

"... Harry?"
Harry stared at the house.

He knew Lily and James weren't his parents... but they had died. They had most likely died to fulfill the Harry Potter "boy-who-lived" act.
He felt bad. He felt bad Dumbledore used them. He felt bad they had to die just because of something like a stupid prophecy Professor Trelawney had predicted.

"Let... Let's go see their graves." Ron and Hermione nodded.
They walked down the concrete street, their footsteps radiating off of the old buildings around them.

They got to the grave stone and Harry wiped the left over snow off of the top.
He crouched with hermiones help and stared at the names:
Lily Evans neé Potter
James Fleamont Potter

"... Harry are you ok?" "I'm fine... it's just weird seeing their names on a grave stone."
Hermione frowned.

Footsteps came from behind them minutes after and they looked behind to see an old feeble woman.
She gave a weak smile on her wrinkled lips.

"Dearies what are you doing.. all the way out here?" "Just visiting some family." Harry smiled and stood.
"But I am wondering why you are here miss." "Oh just visiting my late husband." "I'm sorry to hear that." The woman cracked a smile again.

".. would you like to come to my house for some tea?" "We'd love to."
"Harry." "Chill 'Mione."

The woman smiled and they followed her, their feet crunching against the ice like snow.

"Tell me... who were you three lovely children visiting?" "My parents. James and Lily Potter." "Oh yes.. James and Lily.. they were such a sweet couple... though I don't remember them having a child." "Really?"
The woman nodded and opened the door to show a worn down, almost breaking house.

"Miss are you sure you live here?" The woman looked around her shoulder and smiled. She nodded. "I have some pictures of Lily and James.... Would you like to see them?" Harry smiled. "I'd love to."
"Harry." "If something happens I'll yell." Hermione nodded but glared at him for his once again, recklessness.

Harry followed the old woman up the stairs at a slowly pace and Ron and Hermione waited by the door, just in case they had to act quickly.

"... Miss.. this house is not in a condition for you to live in."
The woman didn't talk, she didn't respond. Harry furrowed her eyebrows when the woman turned around and black consumed her eyes.

The woman was no longer a woman.
Nagini attacked Harry but he quickly dodged.

"Move your arse!"
Ron and Hermione ran upstairs and dragged Harry, seeing Nagini quickly coming toward them.

They ran outside and Nagini attacked again but Harry apparated them by the time her teeth were close enough to him.

'Stupid boy. Why does master like him so much?' Nagini hissed and quickly slithered away.

They appeared in a stone arched bridge alleyway.
Ron held his knees as they panted from the panic and adrenaline.

"Why? Why do you always get us into those situations?!" "I'm sorry!" "Ron shh Ellisa!" Ron grumbled.

"Dearies~!"
They whipped around, wands in hand.

"Oh thank god it's not her."
Ron put his wand away but Harry and Hermione kept theirs out.

"Would you like something to drink? Cocoa? Tea? It must be cold out here." "We don't need anything."
Harry began to walk away with the other two following.

The woman followed them and held out weird things and Harry was about to jinx her when a kind yet stern voice called out.

"Leave them alone you old hag."
The three turned around to see someone who looks dangerously close to Albus Dumbledore.

"I thought Dumbledore died." "He did Ron." "Then.. who's he?" "Ron I would answer if I knew."

The woman walked away after fighting with the man.
The old man than turned and smiled Dumbledores grandfatherly smile.

"Come. I am sure we have much to talk about." Hermione and Harry shared a looked before following Ron and the mysterious man.