Stay With Me

Chapter 4

Harry and Doge turned and studied the profile of an Ancient Witch sitting at an adjacent table, a glass of champagne cradled in the bony fingers of one hand. "That woman is a vulture, Muriel, and you well know it."

"Someone has to pick the bones to get at the truth. I read your obituary, Elphias. Lovely. But you did skate over some of the sticky patches in Dumbledore's life." Muriel looked over to Olivia and her small little family and cringed.

"I'm sorry you think so, Muriel. I assure you I was writing from the heart." Muriel shook her head when she turned back to the two men.

"Yes, well, Rita Skeeter hasn't made that mistake, I'm sure. Word has it someone talked to her, someone who knew the Dumbledore family well. You and I both know who that is, Elphias." Doge sighed and nodded.

"A monstrous betrayal. I can only conclude the rumors are true and that she has become untethered." Harry looked at both of them with a confused look.

"Who are you talking about?" Harry asked, wanting to know more about this person.

"Well, I don't suppose it'll be a secret once the book comes out." She seemed to relish the moment. "Bathilda Bagshot."

Harry squinted as he tried to think of the name. "Who?" He asked, not knowing that name.

"Who? Bathilda Bagshot! My god, boy, she's only the most celebrated magical historian of the last century. Don't they read History of Magic at Hogwarts anymore?"

"Oh, right. Slipped my mind." He said quickly to make the woman shut up, but it didn't work.

"She knew the Dumbledores as well as anyone. She'd have letters, perhaps an interesting photograph or two. I'm sure Rita Skeeter would have thought it well worth a trip to Godric's Hollow to take a peek into that old bird's rattled cage." This peaked Harry's interest.

"Godric's Hollow? Bathilda Bagshot lives in Godric's Hollow?"

"For years now. That's where she first met Dumbledore."

"Excuse me? You don't mean to say Dumbledore lived there too?"

"Of course. The family moved there after his father killed those three Muggles. It was quite the scandal." She eyed him. "Honestly, my boy, are you sure you knew him at all?" Olivia over heard that and grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him over with her.

"I have you know, he was one of the top in class." Muriel turned to look at her and had a glare. "Not as smart as me, but he's good." She joked making the two teens smile lightly. 

"You could have been that smart you had that." She pointed to Lily and that's when all hell broke loose.

Their eye caught a shooting star or what appears to be. As it plummeted, it grew, gaining speed until it slices through the canopy, exploding in a burst of light. All goes silent as a silver lynx, graceful and gleaming, materialized amid the crowd. When it spook, the Patronus has Shacklebolt's sonorous voice.

"The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming." The lynx vanished. A scream shredded the silence. Then: chaos. 

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Potter!" Doge extended his hand toward Harry when he disapparated. Olivia looked up to Draco who took a deep breath.

Seconds later, the ancient witch had done the same. Harry scaned the scattering crowd and meet Ginny's eyes, as she gets buffeted about. He pelted toward her, bouncing between bodies, losing sight of her.

"Ron! Ron!" Harry turned, seeing Hermione glancing about frantically. As she turned, Ron came and pushed toward her. Suddenly the canopy above turned to ribbons as Death Eaters -- in dark cloaks and masked -- descend into the crowd.