Emily Potter - Book 7 - The Deathly Hallows

Chapter 8: The Undoing of R.J Lupin

The sun shone warmly down on Emily as she settled herself down on the tent entrance, her eyes glazing over the transitioning oranges and blues of the sky – but somehow, despite the beauty that stood before her, she could not fully appreciate it with the heaviest of hearts. Last night, when it had begun to snow, she, Blaise, and Daphne discussed the mysterious photograph of Emily and Draco Malfoy. None of them had ever personally spoke to them, and yet there was evidence rallying against that fact.

"Maybe it was one of those photographs taken for the yearbook, I'm sure they wouldn't miss an opportunity to have The Girl Who Lived in print for history to see." Daphne confidently boasted. Blaise frowned, shaking his head in defiance. "If that were the case, then how did it end up in Emily's house?"

How did it end up in my possession?

Emily looked again at the photograph in her hand, she had stared at it for time and time again, but she still found it hard to absorb the knowledge that she was friends with him. Without realizing it, she was digging her fingers into her arm as if she were trying to resist physical pain. Emily had spilled her own blood more times than she could count; she had broken bones far too much than the average and acquired scars far too much for a seventeen-year-old; this journey had already given her terrorizing mental wounds, but never, until this moment, had Emily felt herself to be fatally weakened.

Setting aside the part of her apparent memory loss of the photograph, was she getting any closer to hunting a horcrux? Did she make a grand mistake of taking the job that Harry, Ron, and Hermione started? Emily knew that Blaise and Daphne would kick her senseless if she were to openly doubt herself, especially when they had been nothing but supportive throughout the journey.

If he were alive today and saw the state the Potter twins were in, there would be no doubt that Albus Dumbledore would say: Well, if it were easy, it wouldn't be fun now, would it? Emily did not grow close to the late headmaster as Harry did, but she wish she had gotten the chance to do so. Would it be easier if I had known him? Would it be easier to figure his clues if I knew how he thought things through?

If anything, Emily knew she would only curse him to oblivion for making things harder than it already was, it was after all his plan.

Last evening, they spoke over dinner about what they had dealt with in Bathilda Bagshot's house. It had taken them a few moments to comprehend the monstrosity of seeing a massive homicidal snake:

"The bald guy wouldn't place his favorite pet there just to piss us off." Blaise said matter-in-fact. "There was something there in Godric's Hollow."

Emily shook her head in disagreement as she took a dinner roll. "There's always a grand plan for him. Like how he did with controlling Ginny, there were clues. This time, however, there was nothing. It was just a trap, maybe he just wanted Nagini to keep me there until baldy arrives."

"That snake tried to kill us. There's a difference from forcing us to stay and attempted murder." Said Daphne. "But you are right, though. He always left a trail of something when he has plans."

"Look, whether or not there is something in Godric's Hollow, we still need to go back in there." The Potter girl said. Blaise and Daphne groaned, but were immediately hushed by Emily's gesture of rummaging in her pocket and fishing out a set of keys. "We forgot the car, you idiots."

~

RENOWED HISTORIAN FOUND DEAD IN RUBBLE

Bathilda Bagshot, age 124, was found dead in Godric's Hollow, buried under the remains of her own house. Aurors have found her body, concluding that her body had already decayed months beyond today. Under more thorough examinations, evidence shows that there are unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark Magic.