𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

xliii

𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 explaining to her mum everything about the Horcrux hunt. From breaking into the Ministry to seeing the Snatchers with her dad's body to being tortured at Malfoy Manor, she left no event uncovered.

Naturally, Andromeda was furious, horrified, and worried.

"You're coming home with me," she declared once Dorothea was done talking. The teenager opened her mouth to protest, but Andromeda held up a finger to silence her. "This isn't up for discussion. You and Luna never should have gone in the first place."

"It's not like we know what was happening, Mum!" Dorothea argued. "Dora told me to go with Hermione, and Luna was accidentally taken with us. I didn't know we were going to be a part of some suicide mission to track down the pieces of You-Know-Who's soul, but the five of us are in this together now. You can't take me home...They need us, Mum."

"Dorothea..." Andromeda slowly shook her head. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her; not after she had come so close to death at Malfoy Manor. She didn't have time to argue, however, since Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna came into the room and said they had a plan and needed Dorothea.

Andromeda gave her daughter a tight hug goodbye, fighting back tears as she watched her walk out the door.

»--✩--«

"Are you sure that's hers?" Harry asked as Dorothea held up a strand of curly black hair that had been stuck on her shirt.

"Positive," Dorothea replied before adding the hair to the Polyjuice Potion. She'd never taken this potion before, but it couldn't be any different than the animagus potion she took her 4th year – the only difference being that this was for a human transformation.

After changing into a replica of Bellatrix's clothes, Dorothea drank the potion. She gagged at the flavor, which she assumed had to be the taste of goblin piss. When Luna's eyes widened in surprise, she knew the transformation had been complete.

"Well?" Dorothea broke the silence. "How do I look?"

"Hideous," Ron instantly answered, and Dorothea giggled softly before grimacing. She looked herself up and down; it felt weird being in someone else's skin, especially someone as evil as her aunt.

"It's not so bad," Luna said, smiling softly. "It's still you under there." She lightly brushed her fingers across Dorothea's shoulder before pushing the voluminous black curls out of her face. Now she could see why Dorothea had been so obsessed with wanting to touch it when they first met Bellatrix; the witch did have amazing hair.

"You can give that to Hermione to hold, alright, Griphook?" Harry asked the goblin, who was holding the Sword of Gryffindor. He put it into Hermione's bag, and the group of six put their hands together for Apparation. "We're relying on you, Griphook. If you get us past the guards and into the vault, the sword is yours."

They Apparated away with a crack. The next thing they knew, they were in Diagon Alley. It was gray and deserted. Dying leaves from the winter blew in the cool, spring wind.

"Madam Lestrange," someone greeted Dorothea with a nod when they spotted her. She returned the nod, glaring at the man. She figured it was better not to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing and giving them away.

Ron, who was in disguise, threw the invisibility cloak over Harry and Griphook. Hermione had performed a Disillusionment Charm on her and Luna so that they could go through Diagon Alley and Gringotts undetected.

Dorothea took a deep breath in through her nose before stepping into the wizard bank. She kept her expression icy and jaw slightly clenched as she walked forward, stumbling a little in her heels. She cleared her throat when she reached the goblin at the front. He didn't look up from his paperwork.