Sophia Holmes and the Search for Horcruxes (Harry Potter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Twenty

At half one, I approach an unassuming sea-side house and have to double check on Google Maps to ensure I have the right place. The screen confirms my position so, hesitantly, I walk up to the cottage and knock on the door.

A tall man with a long ginger ponytail and a scarred face answers the door. The resemblance to Ron is uncanny: it must be one of his brothers.

"Can I help you?" he asks, an eyebrow raised. He blocks the view inside, preventing, I suspect, me from seeing a pair of invisible hands washing the dishes.

"Hopefully," I reply. "I'm a friend of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Have they arrived yet? We were due to meet here."

The man frowns. "What did you say your name was?"

"Sophia Holmes," I say. "Muggle. They recruited me to help track down You-Know-Who's Horcruxes."

"I think you better come inside," he says, eyeing me darkly. I nod and follow him inside into a small living room where a young woman reads a book.

"Who is this?" she asks, looking up, her French accent thick.

"A friend of the trio," he says, "allegedly." I look up at him as he approaches. "Harry has two scars - what are they?"

"A lightning bolt on the forehead and 'I must not tell lies' on his right hand. The first was put there by You-Know-Who, the second by Dolores Umbridge," I reply and the man nods and relaxes slightly.

"Sorry," he says. "Can't be too careful. We weren't warned to expect you. I'm Bill and this is Fleur - I'm Ron's brother."

"You had your wedding not long ago," I say, sure I'd heard their names in that context before. They nod. "We got into difficulty in Scotland with a group of Snatchers. We all went our separate ways and agreed to meet back here, but it would seem I'm the only one to make it back."

"When was this?" Fleur asks, standing up in concern.

"Yesterday, midday," I say. "I'm not magical so I had to go the long way around and take the train."

"They’ve been taken then," Fleur replies and I nod.

Suddenly, there's a loud Crack! and Bill rushes over to the beach-side window.

"They're here!" he says before sprinting out the door. Fleur and I follow behind onto the beach.

When we get there, they're grouped around something and as I get closer I see they're looking at Dobby the House Elf being nursed in Harry's arms, his eyes rolling back and a knife impaled in his chest.

"It's okay..." Harry says, breathing quickly. "Here... Just hold on, Dobby... I'll fix you - Hermione - your bag -you must have something -Essence of Dittany - something..." Hermione shakes her head, seeing the amount of blood and judging that he's too far gone. There's nothing I can do either. "Hermione! Help me!" he calls helplessly, but she just stands, tears streaking down her cheeks as Ron comforts her.

"Such a beautiful day..." Dobby says softly, "to be with friends. Dobby is happy...to be with his friend Harry Potter..." Dobby gives a little shudder, then goes still. The others simply stare, mute.

Fleur helps an elderly man to step aside and checks him out and it's now I realise we've grown in numbers. A girl who, judging by her hair colour and pale complexion is Luna Lovegood - daughter of the madman who tried to sell us out to get her back - stands battered and bruised to the side. Beside her, a creature who judging by the description in Hermione’s books, is a Goblin.

Harry pulls the dagger from Dobby's chest, then shrugs off his jacket and enwraps the elf's body. His shoulders begin to shake as he cries silently but only Luna dares to step forward and kneel beside him.