Obliviate my Destiny {Book 5}

24. Godric's Hollow

My mind began racing and whirring with possibility. Harry had always spoken about going back to our old home—but had he been here already, or was he planning to for Christmas? Was there a way I could contact him to let him know?

"Here we are," Arthur said, killing the engine.

"It's just like I remember it..." Gennie whispered from the back, staring at the house that was hers for the majority of her life.

It was just like I remembered it five summers ago—A broken concrete path to a small, neglected cottage with broken roof tiles and overgrown grass. Dumbledore had been with me then, and I had no idea that I was about to meet my best friend....

The four of us got out of the car, and feeling like in a dream trance followed Arthur up the path. Yes, there was the barn owl doorbell I'd admired so greatly, and the glass stained window where Gennie had first appeared....

Arthur pulled a key out of his back pocket, and ushered us inside. The hallway was less dusty than I remembered, but the photos of Gennie's family and mine still remained lined on the peeling wallpaper.

"I didn't want to move them; I thought you'd appreciate them when you got back." Arthur said softly to Gennie, who looked on the verge of a breakdown.

Noticing a picture of my family, for the countless time today I felt like crying. We all looked so happy there, but my family was lost in time, unaware that almost two decades later they would be dead and Harry and I would be separated....

"Hello Arthur dear," a round old woman appeared from the living room, clutching Louis Lockwood, Sam's nephew. He was almost one and toothy, his big blue eyes so much like his aunt's. The old woman caught sight of my blood coated clothes. "What—what happened?"

"Obliviate," Arthur whispered under his breath and the old woman's face became calm, and he took the baby from her. "Thanks for watching him today, Ms Olivers but you can go now."

The woman nodded and with a dreamy smile gave us all a little wave and disappeared out of the house. "I forgot about her," Arthur shook his head. "She's our muggle neighbour; have to keep her in the dark unfortunately. Come on in."

Following Arthur into the living room, it looked almost identical to the living room where I first met Remus. The high bookshelves, the fraying carpet, the faded armchair where Remus had first spotted me for the first time in twelve years.

"I don't understand. Who are you, girl?"

And now, the last time I'd seen Remus he'd been so angry at us for telling him not to leave Tonks... I wondered if Gennie knew about all of this...

Glancing over at Gennie, she was wandering around the room with a distant expression on her face, brushing her hand over the dressers and examining photos. Turning to Arthur, he looked determined.

"Right, anyway, the first aid kit is around here somewhere—"

Arthur broke off as a loud thump was heard. Spinning around, I let out a shriek as I saw Gennie had collapsed on the floor, shaking and sobbing. Cole rushed to her but she kept shaking, holding her hands over her ears.

"Gennie, you're okay," Cole said, though his voice was shaking as he rubbed at her back. "I'm here now."

"—No—No, this—this is all wrong!" she shrieked. "Make it stop—stop now, please, STOP THE VOICES!"

Watching on helplessly, I didn't know what to do. Cole caught my eye. "Both of you—go, now!"

"Cole—"

"C'mon, Rory," Arthur said, and grabbing me by the forearm forced me from the living room, slamming the door behind us, catching a last glimpse of Gennie shaking in Cole's lap.