The Last Horcrux

Grimmauld Place

Amanda spent most of the rest of the Christmas holidays reading Eileen's diary whenever she got the chance. Parts of it were quite boring but Amanda found a certain fascination in reading about life at Hogwarts so long ago. Not much had changed. The teachers were all different, of course, although Eileen referred to a certain dashing young DADA professor named Dumbledore so frequently and in such gushing terms that Amanda was certain she must have had a huge crush on him. A lot of the entries were about homework, or exams, or just being bored. Some of them were painfully similar to what Amanda herself might have written. Eileen picked apart and criticized her appearance down to the last spot or stray hair. Strangely Eileen complained of being too skinny, which was a problem Amanda couldn't even begin to imagine. Why am I so ugly? Was a frequent lament as well as, No boy will ever like me!!!! The ever underlined three times.

But Eileen, unlike Amanda, was popular. She had a complex network of friends that Amanda found hard to keep straight. One week a certain girl would be her best friend ever. The next week the same girl had betrayed Eileen in some small way and they became bitter enemies. As she grew older there was a lot of angsting over parties and balls and a lot of details about the trials of a young girl who did not have sufficient funds to dress as well as her friends.

In Eileen's seventh year she went to a Christmas party at Grimmauld Place and met a man named Tom. He was older and had graduated from Hogwarts some years previously. Eileen was obviously very taken with him.

He is so handsome, Heather, with his black hair and deep dark eyes. And he is an orphan! Isn't that so romantic? There is something sad and lonely about him and yet ever so intriguing! He is a man, Heather, not a boy, and I am so sick of all these endless boys!!! He is taking me to tea on Thursday and I can hardly wait! I think I might die if Thursday doesn't hurry up and get here!

Tom flitted in and out of Eileen's life all through the spring of her seventh year. He would disappear for long stretches and she would fret endlessly in her diary about him. Then he would appear suddenly with a small gift of some kind. They would go for tea or a walk in the park and Eileen would once again wax lyrical about how handsome he was, what a gentleman, how sad and mysterious he seemed.

On the night Eileen graduated from Hogwarts Tom came to see her at Spinner's End. It was late. Eileen was up in her bedroom. She had been to several graduation parties and she was tired. It was a hot June night. She was lying on her bed in her slip writing in her diary. A magical hand made of green vapor knocked at her window. She looked outside. Tom was standing in the alley behind the house.

He was obviously distressed, Heather. Something had upset him terribly but he wouldn't tell me what it was. He said he had to go away for a while, and then he gave me something to keep for him. He said it was important, something magical, and that he would be back for it as soon as he could. He told me to hide it someplace safe. Then, Heather, he put his strong arms around me and he kissed me! It was so very romantic! I could have stayed in his arms like that forever! But then he said he must leave and he apparated away! And now I am left lovelorn and bereft! I miss him already! What am I ever going to do?

Eileen pined for Tom that whole summer, but he did not return. She got a job as a shop girl at Madame Marilyn's Magickal Variety store and seemed to be marking time. Her diary entries were sporadic, and gradually tapered off. The last entry, however, was quite prophetic.

August 29, 1955

Tobias Snape was in the shop again today, and finally plucked up the courage to ask me out. I told him I would think about it. He was a couple of years ahead of me at school and he is not bad looking, but not nearly so handsome as Tom, of course. There is something pinched and unhappy about Tobias - maybe it's just because he is Muggle born. Annabelle and Shirley both think I should go out with him. I have nothing to lose, they say, and I can have some fun, and if Tom does return, it won't hurt him to see that there are other boys that are interested in me, and he'd better make his move.