Thick Smoke

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Eliza didn't expect her release to be followed by the end of an innocent loyal life. As soon as she got off the goblin she saw Harry run towards Dobby. She saw the elf fall in Harry's arms and turned her back. That elf did more than a lot of wizards and he didn't deserve to die.

While walking towards the cottage a few meters away, Eliza couldn't help but wonder how bad Voldemort reacted when he returned to the mansion. Harry escaped, the prisoners got rescued and his niece was gone. She shuddered when she imagined Draco suffering.

Eliza sneaked inside easily. Dean opened the door, holding the goblin in his arms. He noticed the black cat and tensed

On the other side of the door was Fleur; the same blonde Eliza saw at the Triwizard Tournament, the same who married Bill Weasley. If she was there then it meant the cottage was their house

Once Dean gave the goblin into Fleur's care, he turned to her and grabbed her in his arms.

"Furvus?" He asked, worry flashing through his eyes. "Do you know where Eliza is?"

The cat nodded, watching him with wide green eyes. Dean sighed and placed the cat on an armchair.

Ron walked down the stairs, looking disheveled. He did go through one of the most terrifying adventures of his life and survived a meet with Bellatrix.

The ginger noticed the cat too and he looked even more worried than Dean.

"This is Eliza's cat!" He exclaimed, grabbing Fleur's attention.

"Do you- do you think she's alive?" Asked a very scared Dean. He could hardly imagine someone so witty getting away from the Death Eaters.

Ron frowned, still comprehending what happened in the Malfoy Manor, "Does that mean Eliza was inside the manor?"

Hermione followed down the stairs, her eyes widening at the sight of the black cat, "Is that Furvus?"

The black cat was glancing from one human to the other, feeling like she should transform back.

"Blimey, we left her there. We should go back," Ron started before shaking his head, "No, we can't go back. I can't go through that a second time." He changed his mind pretty fast.

Hermione sighed and took the cat in her arms.

With Dobby's death, Harry seemed even more brooding than before.

Eliza looked down at the fish they placed on a plate and gave it to her to eat but she couldn't even smell it. The cat meowed and ran to Fleur.

Fleur smiled at the cat but the cat narrowed her eyes and hissed, tugging on Fleur's pants.

"Zis cat behaves peculiarly." She started in that thick French accent of hers.

Hermione glanced at the cat before looking at Ron, "It is weirder than I remember."

"Do you think she's alive?" Ron whispered, getting a hit from Hermione.

"Of course she is, Ron." She scoffed.

"She wasn't in the cellar," Luna added, knowing that she hasn't seen the brunette witch in a very long time, "Is it possible she was kept in a different room?"

Hermione glanced at the black cat before sighing heavily, "She's been missing for so long. I hope they didn't kill her."

Eliza was listening to her friends mourn while she was licking her paw, feeling surprisingly joyful. Her eyes wandered around the cottage and noticed the covers over the love seat. With one quick jump and a few more silent steps, the black cat hid under the covers and closed her eyes.