The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Six)

Chapter 28

We sat in each other's company talking and watching television until we decided it was time to go to Godric's Hollow to see what Hermione and Harry were up to. I double checked to make sure I had the sword in by bag before apparating away.

When we got there I knew exactly where the two of them would start. Severus and I walked down the road to the small cemetery and sure enough there were Harry and Hermione weaving their way through the tombstones. Hermione paused and wiped off one of the tombstones before walking over to Harry. A few seconds later she rested her head on Harry's shoulder and I was sure the two of them were standing in front of his parent's grave.

Next to me Severus had frozen up. I felt like kicking myself. I hadn't even thought about how we were now in the place where the woman he loved was killed. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it trying to give him some reassurance. He had moved on and met my mother, but I was sure part of his heart still belonged to Lily.

The two of us watched from afar as Harry and Hermione came out of the graveyard and walked down the street until the stopped in front of what seemed to be a very normal looking cottage.

Beside me Severus whispered, "That was the Potter's house. If you get close to it you can see the real house, not the glamour around it."

I didn't need to respond I just gave my father a quick hug. The two of us walked down the street to the graveyard they had come from. It was obvious what graves they had looked at because they were cleared off slightly. We passed by a set of grades that read Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore. We also passed a tombstone of a man's name I didn't' recognize but the part that Hermione had cleared off here was an odd looking mark that had a triangle, circle and line all in one.

I looked up to ask Severus if he knew what it was but he was a few rows away standing still in front of a pair of two marble graves. I knew instantly he was standing in front of the Potter's graves.

I went over to him and conjured up some Lilacs to put next to the wreath Hermione had conjured there for them. Severus had once told me that Lily's favorite flowers were Lilacs, it's why he used that password for so many things.

I saw a tear fall from my father's eye but I chose to ignore it and give him a moment. All I did was put my arms around his waist and give him a hug as we stood there and paid our respects to the Potters.

Suddenly Severus moved away, almost causing me to fall as he pulled away from me and looked behind him, "There's someone approaching the two of them."

I looked at where his gaze was focused and saw an old woman approaching the two teenagers. We stood there as the two of them spoke to her and then began to follow her.

"Is that Bathilda?" I asked.

"It looked like her from here, and I suppose that's the only person they would freely follow," Severus replied, "Let's go see what happens and then once they come out we can find a way to give them the sword."

"Just in case we somehow lose them I'm going to put a tracking spell on Harry so we can find him anywhere he goes," I informed Severus.

We followed at a safe distance as Harry and Hermione went into the small cottage the woman had. I wasn't sure what information they were hoping to gain from her about Dumbledore, but whatever their reasoning at least they were doing something. I knew this was why ROn left, because they kept making no progress, but when a Horcrux could be literally anything it was difficult to find them, let alone kill them.

For the next twenty minutes Severus and I stood outside the house waiting for the two to come out or any sort of sign that anything had happened inside the house. Suddenly a jet of fire came out the window at the top of the house and I heard yelling, Hermione's. Next came Harry's scream as it seemed he was in an immense amount of pain.

I was about to go in but Seveurs put an arm out and stopped me, "Let's see what happens."

I stood back anxiously as suddenly Hermione and Harry came crashing out the window from the top floor. Hermione must have been thinking quickly because she was able to stop their fall, and Harry looked unconscious. Hermione grabbed his arm and the two of them quickly vanished from sight. A snake began to crawl out of the window they had just flown out of.

"Nagini," I breathed, "But what's she doing here?"

"I suspect the Dark Lord knew they would come here. The snake must have been waiting for them."

I groaned, "Great. Harry looks like he got hurt, they're no closer to getting the next Horcrux, and we still haven't gotten the sword to them!"

"Don't worry about it now," he soothed, "Why don't you head back to the Burrow and we can try again sometime soon."

"Well now we can track them. We can try again tomorrow night," I said.

"Tomorrow is Christmas, I doubt you'll be able to get away," Severus said.

"We can go late at night, I'll just sneak out, it won't be hard. I'd like to see on Christmas after all."

"Alright, meet me at Spinner's End tomorrow at 11 o'clock and from there we can go to wherever the two of them are."

"Sounds good. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodbye."

We went our separate ways from here. Him back to Hogwarts and me back to the Burrow where I was sure I was going to hear an earful about being back so late, it was nearly ten at night.

Sure enough as soon as I walked through the door Sirius nearly attacked me and asked, "And where have you been?"

I replied, "I was out getting presents, then I fancied myself a drink and I seemed to lose track of time talking to a lovely bloke there."

"Who?" Neville asked quickly, jealousy pouring through his words.

I cursed myself; not the greatest excuse I could've thought of, "I don't know anything about him except his name was John. He was an older bloke, at least your age Sirius. Seemed very nice."

"Oh," Neville breathed out, "Well you had us all worried, but I'm glad you're okay."

Later that night I gathered Ginny and Neville in Ginny's room and told them, "I was out looking, trying to find Ron. I couldn't find them. I need to keep looking every chance I have. I'm going to go out again tomorrow night. I don't want the adults to worry or to know so you two have to cover for me if they somehow find out."

Ginny nodded, "You bring him right home if you find him. Or at least to Harry and Hermione."

I gave her a soft smile, "Of course I will. I want to make sure he's okay. I couldn't believe he would leave the two of them like that. He must be trying to get back to them."