When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 107: Dual Evidence

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 107: Dual Evidence

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

The otter in front of him apparently didn't think the same as he. And it was obvious he was the one wrong about it. It was too pretty, too clear to be a mistake.

It moved gently through the air as if joyous he'd summoned it. Then it stopped in front of him and waited.

He couldn't accept this. His heart couldn't be that dedicated to Hermione could it? He cared deeply for her, but this deeply?

He lifted his wand and pointed at the patronus.

"It...It needs to be Lily," he said, his voice coming out as a choking plea. It should've been her since she was the start of his life of darkness and danger.

Yet Hermione had brought light and hope, and made him sometimes think that he could really survive all of this.

The silver otter tilted its head, but didn't falter in its form. It was even stubborn like her. His patronus should've understood the critical situation, the necessity that it had to be a doe.

But it didn't. He knew it didn't.

He took a deep breath and tried to put only Lily in his thoughts, and ponder the feelings he once held for her.

Once. It was hard to make memories triumph over what he had in the present. They weren't happy memories anymore. He went further back in his life, thinking about her before they encountered Potter. Slowly, the otter drifted into a shape of a doe, but not as bright. He saw many faults in the form, but it was good enough that Potter wouldn't notice the defects. He knew it would probably be the last time he'd see the doe.

And that fact didn't hurt nearly as much as he thought it should have.

"Guide him to the lake. Your boy needs help." His voice carried the worry that his memories weren't strong enough now. That the doe might vanish before it completed its task. The doe looked at him, and then bowed its head before moving over to Potter.

The boy got up and raised the wand in his hand towards the patronus. He had Hermione's wand.

Had the boy lost his?

The situation seemed to be worse than he'd thought. They had one wand between two wizards and Weasley had deserted them.

The patronus moved its head in the direction it wanted Potter to go, ignoring the boy's threat, and began to walk. Potter lowered the wand and started to follow it.

For once, he was thankful the boy was reckless and too trusting. Then again, this was light magic and Potter had enough sense and intelligence to realize that. No Death Eater could use a spell like this due to their lack of soul.

He quietly followed Potter, staying in the darkest shadows of the forest and ready to disappear if Potter managed to realize he was being watched. He stopped in a line of trees where he had a full view of the lake. When the patronus reached the middle of the lake, it morphed into a ball of dim light.