The Unknown

Chapter 64: Cottage Grief

Walking to the path in front of the cottage where her mother was taken from her was so much easier than being within reach of it, where Dahlia held Hela's hand tighter than ever and Hela could sense how nervous she was. She pulled her closer and said, "it's okay, you don't have to get closer if you don't wish".

Dahlia looked to the house and held back her tears at the sight but reached for the rusty iron gate, but a sign had risen from the ground at her touch, up through the weeds and tangles like some fast-growing flower. A wooden sign that said

On this spot, on the night of 31st October 1981,

Lily and James Potter lost their lives.

Their daughter, Dahlia, remains the only wizard ever

To have survived the Killing Curse.

This house, invisible to Muggles, have been left

In its ruined state as a monument to the Potters

And as a reminder of the violence

That tore apart a family.

Neatly and round lettered wording and scribbles had been added by others who had come to see where the Girl Who Lived had escaped. Some signed their name with everlasting ink, others carved their initials into the wood while others left messages. The most recent a lot clearer and shining over fourteen years' worth of graffiti. All saying similar messages, "good luck, Dahlia, wherever you are". "If you read this, Dahlia, we're all behind you!" "Long live Dahlia Potter".

Dahlia let go of her sister's hand to reach out to the sign and traced some of the messages on the board and in the corner of her eye saw her sister shaking her head in surprise. "You never saw this?" Dahlia asked not taking her eyes from the messages, surprised that they were there.

Hela answered, "no. It must only be active when someone of Midgardian magic is here. There must be fourteen years' worth of writing here...if I had seen it, I would have known".

"Known I was alive," Dahlia said then looked to her sister, hand still on the board, "stop blaming yourself. You couldn't have known".

"But I could have. All the torturing I did, the killing, if I had just asked the right questions maybe I would have been told you survived. But I didn't want to hear excuses, just their pain. The full story of the fake Potter marriage didn't get out on Niflheim until years later, even that was rumours, but the council knew. I asked them when you first died to do tracking spells for you, but we could never find you. I was in denial. I guess the fear I brought everyone when I was grieving, the effects on Niflheim, scared any wizard that died after the war in telling me you were alive. They probably thought it might not be you or the tales of you being alive and Dumbledore hiding you, training you in safety," she rolled her eyes at her own words, "were false. Especially considering no one ever laid eyes on you until you went to Hogwarts. Probably thought if they got it wrong and gave me hope I'd send them to Mareritt".

Hela closed her eyes and looked down to the ground in regret but looked to her sister when Dahlia said, "or maybe they were warned by the older souls, those who've known you for years not to tell you unless they were certain I was alive, in fear of hurting your feelings again. I've told you before, I've never heard a bad word spoken about you by any souls. Only admiration, loyalty, love...sympathy and a little fear. But you have to have some fear towards the people you're supposed to protect, how else do you expect them to believe you can scare the people wanting to harm them away if they don't see the fear themselves. Hela, it's in the past. We're together now, that's all that matters. We all have regrets, but we can't change them".