Lucy Potter: Harry's little sister

| Year 3 | Chapter 17: The horror of betrayal

Harry's POV:

I've heard enough. More than enough. All I want to do is leave: storm out of this cafe and never look back, disappear forever. He betrayed them. He is the reason they are dead. The reason we're orphans. And the reason why Lucy has no living Godfather any- more.

But I can't leave, not yet. If I do, people will catch me and I'll be doomed. Hermione grabs my shirt, silently warning me for this as well. She and Ron are both awfully quiet. That means they've heard it too.

I'm so shocked I don't even realise I'm panting, trying to grasp for enough air I'm not getting. Hermione throws her glove on the ground, ducks under the table and looks me over.

"Harry, you need to breathe. Oh, I have no idea what to do in these situations!" Tears spring to her eyes in silent panic. I'm official- ly hyperventilating.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Ron asks her, but he doesn't come and see. I shake my head at her, begging her not to tell him this. I don't need people seeing me like this.

"Harry's just... shocked." She says, nodding at me. It's okay, I won't tell him.

After a few long minutes, the professors and Fudge leave and I quickly follow. I need to get back. I leave Ron and Hermione back in the cafe, but they've caught up with me in a heartbeat. I just need to be alone. Or find Lucy. But how can I face Lucy right now?

"Harry, please slow down," Hermione pleads, but she doesn't know exactly where I am. "Please! We need to find Lucy, she'll know what to do, won't she?"

"What? What's going on then?" Ron asks, frantically shaking Hermione's shoulder.

"We just need to find Lucy," Hermione per- sists. "D'you have any idea where she is?"

"You know I don't. No one can ever guess where she and Ginny are."

"Guys, what's going on?" All of a sudden, Lucy's here. "Where's Harry?"

"What're you doing here?" Ron asks her.

"No time Ron," Hermione stops him. "He's here. He needs you right now, Lucy. I'm sorry, I don't know what to do like you do."

"No problem, could you please leave us alone for a bit?" Ron and Hermione leave immediately and Lucy turns to me.

"It's gonna be okay, Harry. I promise it will be. I know it's getting bad, but we'll get through this, we always have. We have each other, and we have so many more people now. We have Ron and Hermione, we have Gin, Vanessa, Liliana, Fred and George. We're not alone in this anymore."

"Lu," I stop her once I've regained most of my calm. "H-he's the reason they're dead. He betrayed our parents and that's how Volde- mort found them that night. Black killed them. And he killed your Godfather as well. And he's my-"

"Your Godfather? Yeah, I figured..."

Don't cry, I tell myself. You don't start crying right now. But I can't help the tears eventual- ly flowing down my cheeks. Lucy's crying too.

"I'm sorry," I wipe at my own face, a bit emberrassed.

"Don't apologize Harry. I understand. I love you and I understand, okay? You're allowed to be upset about this, Harry. Honestly, it'd be pretty bad if you weren't upset by this!"

"We could've lived with your godfather if it weren't for that man." I realise, and at once I feel my mood changing drastically. "Hell, we'd have still had our parents! We woul- dn't have even had to live with your godfather. His name was Peter Pettigrew, by the way."