Lucy Snape and the Final Battle (Book Seven)

Tell Me You're Alive

Chapter Eight: Tell Me You're Alive

Lucy explained the story of her trip to the Medieval Islands to Shona. She re-told the story many times in her sleep. And now she re-told the story to Matt, Scott and Anna Jarvin. They all listened with worried faces. Matt's mouth was set in a straight line, Scott had his hands gripped on his knees and Anna had her hands over her mouth.

When she was done, Lucy set her hands into her lap and waited for a reaction of some sort. Applause? No that was too far fetched. Yelling? Disappointment? There was none. Instead Scott said:

"You really are a brave girl."

Lucy smiled at him. "Only recently."

"I just...wow," was all Anna was able to say.

The silence seemed to swallow the cottage again and they were all left to stare at Lucy in awe again. Matt was the one to break the silence some minutes later.

"We're going to go and do some stuff," Matt announced, taking Lucy's hand and leading her off to the room that Lucy had been using since staying with the Jarvins.

When Matt shut the door behind them he turned to Lucy. "You amaze me every single day."

"Even when I'm gone?" Lucy asked, setting her bag down on the bed and began unloading it of all the things she had carried with her for a good two weeks.

"Yeah," Matt nodded vigorously. "But now that I have you to myself do you fancy going to Diagon Alley later?"

"That sounds fun, I'll have to use my metamorphmagus abilities though."

"Oh," Matt said a little disheartened. "Sure."

"I'm sorry it's not the best thing in the world but I can't be spotted, not now. My dad will be wanting to find me more than ever now."

"Why's that? I thought you stopped time and he wasn't aware of you going to the Medieval Islands?"

"His house was destroyed by Lord Zuc and he'll be wondering whether I'm safe or not. If he sees me in the newspaper with you he'll know instantly that I'm staying with you. I want to be as far away from him as possible."

"I understand," Matt nodded. "How about afterwards we come back here and watch the stars?"

"That sounds great," Lucy smiled at him before tossing him the clothes she'd borrowed from him. "Here."

"I wondered where my shirt went," Matt admitted, admiring the blood stained shirt.

Lucy then took out of the suit of armour from her bag and set it on the bed. "You fancy a new house decoration?"

"Well hell, that's a suit and half."

"Zuc's army will certainly be protected in the battle which means when we go back to school we're going to have to round up the others in secret and start up the club again. We need to be prepared."

"We can do that," Matt nodded. "The only issue I see is the new headmaster."

"And who's that?"

"Your father."

*

Later on, when Lucy had changed her appearance to look like Matt's fictional sister Tiffany, Matt and Lucy found themselves in Diagon Alley. Scott and Anna had begrudged to let them go but when they remembered Lucy had protected herself for two weeks in the Medieval Islands they thought it was best to let them go.

"Where do you want to go first?" Matt asked Lucy, dressed as Tiffany.

"What's on the list?" Lucy asked, referring to the letter Matt had been sent for last year school supplies. Lucy's letter had been undelivered as her location had been undetermined but she assumed it would arrive soon at the Jarvins' house. She was glad it hadn't yet; seeing her fathers name at the bottom of the letter made her stomach lurch knowing he was headmaster now.