𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 (Hermione Granger)

Chapter Sixty-Nine

THE NEXT MORNING, Lehla was in a better mood than she'd been in in a long time. The new couple was reading together, Lehla's head on Hermione's shoulder, when Harry called out for Hermione.

"Hermione? You were right," he told her as he approached the couple. "Snitches have flesh memories but I didn't catch the first snitch with my hand. I almost swallowed it."

He sat down as he gave the object to the girl. She put her book away and glanced at Harry as he sat in front of the girls.

"I open at the close," Hermione read the words that were on the Golden Snitch.

"Yeah," he said. "What do you think that means?"

"I don't know," she said as Lehla shrugged. "We found something as well." Hermione gave the book to Harry. "At first, I thought it was an eye but now I don't think it is. It isn't a rune. And it isn't anywhere in Spellman's syllabary or Lehla's spell book. Somebody inked it in. It isn't part of the book. Somebody drew it."

"Luna's dad was wearing that at Bill and Fleur's wedding," the boy recalled.

"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?" Lehla asked the question that she knew her girlfriend was thinking.

"Look, guys, I've been thinking," he started. "I want to go to Godric's Hollow. You know, it's where I was born. It's where my parents died."

Hermione sighed. "That's exactly where he'll expect you to go because it means something to you," she said as she and Lehla got up.

"Yeah, but it means something to him, too, Hermione," he said. "You-Know-Who almost died there." He got up and looked at the two girls. "I mean, isn't that exactly the type of place he'd be likely to hide a Horcrux?"

"It's dangerous, Harry," Lehla told him.

"But even I have to admit, recently I've been thinking we'll have to go there," Hermione said as she intertwined her hand in Lehla's and started walking. "I think it's possible something else is hidden there."

"What?" Harry asked.

"The sword," she told him. "If Dumbledore wanted you to find it but didn't want it falling into the Ministry's hands, where better to hide it than the birthplace of the founder of Gryffindor?"

"Guys..." he trailed off. He couldn't find the words of what to say.

"Don't even let me give you a haircut again," she said. "Let Lehla next time."

He nodded as the couple walked back to the tent, signing deeply.

-

THE THREE APPERATED TO GODRIC'S HOLLOW. It was quiet, the only sound was their feet crunching on the snow.

"I still think we should have used Polyjuice Potion," Hermione told the two as she gripped Lehla's hand.

"No," Harry said. "This is where I was born. I'm not returning as someone else."

They heard a bell toll in the distance. They heard a man say goodnight as they walked through the street.

"Guys, I think it's Christmas Eve," Hermione said. "Listen."

They heard a choir sing, but Harry's focus was on something else. "Do you guys think they'd be in there?" Harry asked as he looked into the cemetery. "My mum and dad?"

"Yeah, I think they would," Lehla said as Hermione nodded.

They started going through the cemetery, trying to find his parents. Harry eventually did, calling the girls over. Lehla walked over there, meeting Hermione along the way. Hermione made them a nice wreath in front of their headstone. Harry sniffed and wiped his nose.

"Merry Christmas, you guys," he told them.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," they both said. Lehla kissed the side of Hermione's head before squeezing Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, Lehla, there's someone watching us," Hermione whispered to them. "By the church."

Harry slowly looked over as he saw an old woman walk away. "I think I know who that is."

"I don't like this, Harry," Lehla told him as the three followed the woman.

"Lehla, she knew your father," he told her. "She might have the sword."

Harry stopped in front of a broken-down house, making the three follow him.

"This is where they died," he told the girls, getting flashbacks from the night. "This is where he murdered them."

They looked to their side and saw the woman up close to them. Lehla gripped Hermione's hand in her, standing in front of her a little. She had an uneasy feeling that even Hermione didn't make go away.

"You're Bathilda, are you?" Harry asked the woman. She nodded as they followed her into her home.

The entire time they were in the house, Lehla kept her girlfriend close. She watched as Harry asked who the man in the photo he found was, and followed the woman went she went upstairs. Hermione and Lehla started going downstairs, however, and found a book with a note on top.

Hermione picked the book up and saw the cover. "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore." Hermione set the book down, seeing how it upset Lehla, and started going down the stairs more. Lehla followed her and flipped through a book.

Hermione looked up and saw blood on the ceiling. "Harry!"

The two started running up to their friend, seeing a snake and stopping it from attacking them just in time. They ducked behind a bed in case it came back. Hermione quickly grabbed Harry's wand and hid behind the bed again. The snake then came back up, but Hermione protected them, grabbed both of their arms, and Apperated away.

They just nearly escape death again.