Father's Little Deatheater

The Aftermath

I could feel the breeze of cool air in my face as Atti and I walked side by side along the bridge.

We had decided to take one last look at the castle grounds before our final year at Hogwarts came to an end. I swear we weren't looking for trouble. It just seemed to be served on a platter to us. Just ahead, voices echoed in the breeze. We ducked behind a collapsed archway, peering through a crevasse in the stone as Harry, Ron, and Hermione began their conversation.

"Why didn't it work for him? The Elder Wand?" Hermione's voice was curious. "It answered to somebody else," Harry said. "When he killed Snape, he thought the wand would become his. But the thing is... it never belonged to Snape. It was Draco who disarmed Dumbledore that night in the Astronomy Tower. From that moment on, the wand answered to him." That I figured out. "Until—" Harry continued, "the other night when I disarmed Draco. At Malfoy Manor." "So that means..." Ron began. "It's mine," Harry said.

Wrong. He doesn't know anything. It still belongs to Draco you egg because you didn't disarm the actual Elder wand out of his hand. We both share a glance and roll our eyes. We both know the truth.

"What should we do with it?" Ron asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "We?" Hermione's brow furrowed. "Just saying, that's the Elder Wand. The most powerful wand in the world. With that, he'd be invincible." Harry looked down at the powerful wand in his hand. Then, crack, he broke it in two and threw the pieces into the misty depths below.

Without another word, they left. leaving the traces sinking to the bottom of the black lake. My eyes darted to Atti's the second I got the best idea. "We're doing it," I whispered, hoping he'd catch on. "We're doing it," He nodded in agreement.

Atti pulls out the time turner from around his neck. Looping it around my own. One flick of the Time-Turner chain and the world blurred into misty shadows. We wait until the bridge was empty. The sky was the tell tale sign we had successfully traveled back in time. The sun was lower, it was the dull early morning hours.

"We've got just under an hour," Atti said, putting the time turner away. "Plenty of time to do this the smart way." I answer, my lips curving into my dangerous grin. "Smart way meaning...?" Atti asks confusingly, raising his brow. "Meaning not dangling over a gorge like idiots." I tell him, as I lead us down the familiar stone staircase toward the boathouse. My breath catches in my throat. Thinking about Snape.

At the docks, a few battered wooden boats bobbed on the lakes surface. ropes creaking. I tried to block out the memories, I need to focus on the task before we run out of time. Atti untied one of the boats, the future of the Elder wands existence soon to be in our hands. "We'll row out under the bridge, wait until he drops it, and scoop it up before it even thinks about hitting the rocks." I declare, sighing as I climb in the boat. Sitting opposite Atti as he pushes us off from the dock.

Mist rolled over the surface of the Black Lake, cool against our faces. I breath in a few breaths of fresh air, and the rhythmic sound of the oars pulling through the water, calms the silence between us. We positioned ourselves between the stone supports, hidden from view.

The next forty minutes passed slowly. To calm my thoughts and nerves I close my eyes, listening to with the creak of the boat and the occasional drip of water from the beams above. I find my fingers trailing in the lake. I was using my heightened wolf hearing, eyes open now looking listening. "There." I whisper sitting upright, eyes still locked locked in the distance. The broken halves of the Elder Wand spun as they fell. Think. Concentrate.

I stand up in the boat, pulling out my wand. With a sharp flick. The wand halves landed neatly in my hands. I grinned. "Told you we didn't have to dangle over a gorge." I say sarcastically, as Atti scrambles forward, his hands closing around the pieces, like he's cradling a delicate child. "It's not too far gone," I muttered, after giving it a good look. He pulls out his own wand. A twist, and a burst of magic, the Elder Wand re attached itself. Good as new I think forcing me to grin. "And now?" I ask him. "Now... we make it mine."

Before Atti could even think, I concentrate hard and sprout wings from my shoulders, scooping Atti up with my effortless strength. I fly us back up safely on the bridge, arriving just as our past selves disappeared in a flash of mist. "Since when could you do that again?" Atti asks, as we land. My wings disappearing in a moment. "My hair recently was able to change again, I figured I'd try something out." I explained with a shrug.

Draco cleared his throat, making himself known to us, Stella next to him holding his hand. His face shifts into suspicion as he looks at us. "Draco," Atti beams, walking towards him the wand in his hand, offering it to Draco. "Catch." Atti threw the wand, Draco caught it. Then suddenly Atti pulled his own wand out. "Expelliarmus." He spoke confidently. The Elder Wand snapped out of Draco's grip in an instant, flying back into his own. "Thanks, buddy," Atti called over his shoulder as I grab his arm leading him to the forest. Laughing all the way.

The forest was still, just the way I liked it. I even thought about transforming and having a last run around. But Atti is with me. Maybe later. I realise I'm walking a few steps ahead brushing branches out of our way. Then I see something shining on the ground. "Atti," I murmured. He almost collided with me. We step closer. Atti slipped the Elder Wand into his boot, Then he crouched, reaching into the grass to check out the object. Watching closely, a small dark stone, floated up into the air. It turned slowly, as if looking into our souls. It the drifted forward, slipping neatly into the indent of the ring on Atti's finger. That's weird. That's the Gaunt family ring. That's when I remember the stories.

"This..." Atti began. "This is the Resurrection Stone." I blurt, a hand flying to my mouth. Full of shock. "Atti... do you know what that means?" We might be able to speak to the dead. I will get to see Fred. Snape. Tonks. And Remus. We were silent for a while, just thinking. I eventually broke the silence with a smile, nudging Atti's side. "Come on, Atti. Let's get back before the train leaves without us."

The path back to the castle was eerie. Breathing in the smells of ash and earth. Memories of the past several hours still fresh on my mind. We walked side be side, hands brushing now and then, not needing to speak, knowing we were thinking about the same things. Atti is next to break the silence. "Alex would've liked today," he said quietly. I smile back, thinking of our friend. Our other A team member. "He's been with us for all of it." I say, with emotion.

We reached the edge of the courtyard, pausing as the castle loomed ahead. Students' voices echoed through the wind. "This is goodbye, then?" Atti says, facing me. "Goodbye?" My brothers voice beat me to it. He stepped into view holding Stella's hand. "Not likely." He said with is all to familiar grin. "Mrs. Weasley's offered to take the lot of us in. Stella and you included, sis."

I'm too shocked to speak. Happy but shocked.
"Welcome to the Weasley Family." Atti snickers.