Half-Blood Princess Book Seven

Chapter 12 - Where it All Began

Third-Person POV

13th December 1997

Ever since Ron left, the group had been disjointed, with tensions still running high and feels left unresolved. Hermione had been the worst, not smiling anymore or coming up with interesting logical ideas. All she has been doing for the last month and a half is sit around moping and leaving a trail for Ron to follow. Harry has also been distant, feeling as though Ron going was his fault. Tilly had been okay; she and Ron were never as close as the others; they never had anything to bond over just together. Hermione is her best friend after Draco, and Harry is her brother. Ron is just her friend, or her bother best friend, nothing more, so his absents haven't affected her massively. But it has affected the group's dynamics, making it harder for them to keep moving.

As Hermione hasn't felt great and is currently wearing the necklace, Tilly and Harry decided to put up the enchantments. As they are walking around, Tilly walks over the Harry, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you think it's your fault, but it's not." Tilly's voice is soft and calming. "He didn't have to leave; he chose to. Yes, we all pushed him away, but he also pushed us away. We had no way of knowing that's how he felt." Harry smiles softly, weight being lifted off his chest at his sisters' words. They don't talk for a while until Tilly asks, "So, is there anything going on between you and Hermione?" She raises her brows with a sinister smirk on his lips.

"Lill, you know there's nothing; she's like my sister, but an older sister. You know?" Tilly nods, smiling at her brother.

"Why don't you try to cheer her up? I'll finish this." Harry sighs, quickly hugging his sister then going inside the tent to Hermione.

Leaning against a chair, Harry watches his friend and how she just stares at the radio, which is now playing a song. Jumping up, Harry walks over, taking Hermione's hand in his; the two start to dance around the space awkwardly. Quietly walking back into the tent, Tilly sits down on a chair, staring at the two. For once in a month, Hermione is smiling, and laughing, and having fun. Tilly's heart fills with joy at the sight of her friends happy once more. Slowly the song comes to an end, and Hermione is reminded of Ron being gone and quickly turns back into how she was before, leaving Harry in a now melancholy mood.

25th December 1997

The siblings decided it would be nice to just lay in bed for the morning, so that's what they did. Hermione was reading her book outside, while Harry was staring at the snitch, and Tilly was reading her book beside him. Suddenly Harry sat up and turned to Tilly.

"Tilly, we didn't catch this snitch without hands. Well, you did, I didn't." Sitting up next to Harry, Tilly nods, grabbing the snitch and then handing it back to Harry as he places it on his lips. The two watch closely as words slowly appear on the small ball. 'I Open at the Close' neither knew what it meant but rushed to tell Hermione. "You were right. Snitches have flesh memories, but I didn't catch the first snitch with my hand."

"No, I caught it first, but then James almost swallowed it." The two sit across from Hermione as she reads the inscription.

"Do you know what it means?"

"No, I don't. But I found something myself." Tilly and Harry move to be either side of the girl as she places her book on her knee for the siblings to see. Flipping page after page, Hermione lands on the one she wanted; at the top of the page is a drawing. One ever Hermione couldn't figure it out at first. As she's looking at the symbol, something sparks in Tilly's mind, as Dumbledore's last words to her come back.

"I hope you understand that when the time is right, all will be reviled to you." Her grandfather's words echo in her mind as if nothing else in there.