Lillian 'Anna' Potter || Goblet of Fire

Chapter Twenty-Two: Seance

It was dark.

It was dark, and lonely - with a bone-chilling cold that left Anna breathless as she stood.

Was this all that was awaiting her when she finally went? A miserable, dark place of loneliness that she would be forced to endure for eternity?

“Hello?” She called out instead, and her own voice echoed around her. “Is anyone here?” No answer. “Andrea? Evan?” She tried.

Nothing.

Anna pulled on her curls as she groaned aloud in frustration. The starglass granules hadn’t worked after all. But then…

“Lillian?”

It was suddenly hard to breathe.

 But when she finally looked up, she met a pair of dazzling emerald eyes that matched hers exactly - illuminating even throughout the darkness as the woman behind them stepped forward, wearing a billowing white cloak that reminded Anna of the stars.

“M-mom?” She stuttered, and Lily lifted a hand to her lips to cover her gasp as a man strode out from behind her, also clad in matching pearl robes - his wild black locks and face showing so much resemblance to Harry, she couldn’t mistake him. “Dad?”

And then the three had locked each other in a tight embrace, and Anna clutched as hard as she could to the feeling that was blossoming and bubbling up in her chest - a feeling that she had been a stranger to all her life.

Tears of joy were escaping Lily’s eyes as she held Anna’s face to the light, and her lip trembled as she really looked at her daughter for the first time. “You’re...you’re so beautiful.” She whispered - using her thumb to blot away the tears from her eyes.

“She takes after her mother.” James said confidently, and Anna couldn’t hold back the prideful smile and breathless laugh that escaped her lips.

“You guys are here. You’re really here.” She said in awe.

“You called for us.” James simply said. “Of course we came.” But it was then that a flicker of concern came over his hazel eyes, and he grasped Anna by the shoulders as he began to check her for injuries. “But I...I don't understand. It isn’t your time. How..how are you here?”

Anna let out a teary laugh. “My professor...he gave me this magical powder. But it doesn’t really matter how I got here.” She brushed him off. “All that matters is that I’m here - with you two.” She looked back down at her pocket watch necklace, which was still ticking away. “For about 5 more minutes anyway.”

Lily nodded in agreement - blinking furiously as she tucked her red curls back and out of her face - just like Anna did whenever she needed to calm herself down. “How are you - and your brother? Are you two doing alright?”

But before she could answer, her father spoke up.

“Listen to us, Anna.” James interrupted - his face oddly serious. “It’s important that you and your brother protect each other. You both are the only shot the wizarding world has if Voldemort ever comes back into power - as much as I hate the idea of you two constantly being in danger, you both are each other’s greatest strengths.”

Anna raised an eyebrow - suddenly realizing the reason behind her parent’s rigidity. “You know.” She only said. “About what Harry has to do so Voldemort can be defeated.”

The silence was deafening.

“Yes.” Lily finally answered, but she grabbed Anna by the hands before she could respond. “Lillian Eve Potter - you must listen to me. What fate has in store for you and your brother is absolutely horrid, but you must promise me that you will not rush into anything. That you will wait until the absolute last second until the world is burning around you, and it will be only then that you allow the deed to happen.” Her emerald eyes sliced through Anna with an intensity she had never experienced before. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, hear me when I say that you may not use the starglass granules again. You are young, and if you continue down this journey, you will not survive! You must listen to me!”

But the seconds were quickly ticking away, and the world was beginning to fade away from around her.

“But Mom, Dad.” She said urgently as the light began to sweep around her. “There’s so much more I want to tell you! I can’t go now! It’s not fair!”

James’ face mirrored hers as tears slipped down his cheeks, but he only pressed a kiss to her forehead as he wrapped her in his arms. “None of this is fair, Anna.” He whispered. “But we have to hold onto the goodness that is in our lives for the now. And when the time comes, when you have to come to where your mother and I are now, we’ll celebrate, and we’ll have all the time in the world to make up for the lost.”

Lily’s hair tickled Anna’s face as she joined in on the hug. “Remember that we love you - and that you are never alone.”

And then they were gone.

Anna sprang up and out of bed as she rushed to the restrooms and emptied everything out of her stomach - where the bile washed down the sink along with the sweet-smelling bubbles.

Every part of her ached, yet her heart continued to hunger for another moment - another second with her parents.

“You may not use the starglass granules again. You are young, and if you continue down this journey, you will not survive!” Her mother’s grave voice echoed in her ears as Anna held the small leather bag in her palms as she stood in front of the trash bin. But she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away.

With a tight smile, she only shoved it to the back of her trunk - burying it underneath the rest of her other balled-up clothes before she finally went to bed.

Just in case. She repeated in her head like a mantra. Just in case.