Lily Potter (Harry Potter's Twin)

Chapter 100

"But, is he dead?" said Ron, three days after we had arrived at the cottage. After the small wedding ceremony, life demanded that we immediately go back to work. Ron still hadn't let go of the fact that Harry chose not to act in retrieving the Elder Wand. Harry was staring out over the wall that separated the cottage garden from the cliff, a space that we could meet outside of the house and plan. Fred, George, and Lee would depart in a few days to continue their Snatcher Hunt and freeing prisoners of war, Bill and Fleur were staying at the Shell Cottage to continue monitoring the war efforts, which seemed to be failing. At the moment, we were all meeting in our own selected spaces.

"Yes, he is, Ron, please, don't start that again!" Hermione huffed.

"Look at the facts, Hermione," said Ron. "The silver doe, the sword, the eyes Harry sees in his mirror--"

"Harry admits he could have imagined the eyes," Hermione reminded Ron. "Right Harry?"

"I could have," said Harry without looking at her. The mirror Harry carried around was shattered in the hustle and bustle of the Snatchers, leaving bits and pieces out. When he had asked for help in the basement of the Malfoy Manor, Harry saw Dumbledore's blue eyes staring back through the shards but nothing else. Aberforth had the mirror, which led me to believe that either Sirius was staying there or in trouble and Aberforth was given the mirror somehow. Both seemed unlikely.

"But you think you did, do you?" asked Ron.

"No. I don't."

"There you go!" said Ron quickly. "If it wasn't Dumbledore, explain how Dobby knew we were in the cellar, Hermione--"

"I watched Dumbledore die, Ronald," I said suddenly, a little harsher than I meant it. Ron and Hermione turned to me as if they forgot I was there. "I saw.. Harry did too... We sat at his side at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower... Dumbledore is dead."

There was silence.

"Dobby had been visiting me in the basement-cellar, whatever you want to call it, for months. He kept us alive," I sighed, trying not to think about it too much. "He was working for the Malfoys again, somehow. He must have seen you lot get captured and come to help. You don't need to theorize about it anymore. We are lucky and blessed that Dobby was there to help us."

"You never explained about Malfoy," Harry said in a low voice. "Why did he give you your wand back?"

"He had a change of heart, I must say," I looked away from them. "He was... different. Something had changed inside him while I was there. I would provide him with company and he would let me do normal human things like shower and eat if he had any food to offer."

"Why didn't he come with us then, if he's so good?" Ron asked coldly. "Why would he capture you in the first place?"

"Can't you use your brain for once in your life, Ron!" I said in an exasperated tone. "He's a fucking Death Eater! They don't have a choice in their orders. The Death Eaters... they have no free will. They are scared that if they disobey Voldemort out rightly they will be killed, their families will be killed, their friends-- anyone they care about."

"That's the same for us, though," Ron said.

"Yeah, but your family aren't Death Eaters," Hermione said. "Malfoy and his family... they couldn't all escape, they are in too deep."

"So, Malfoy supported us and our cause the only way he could," I said, closing the conversation.

" 'Arry?"

Fleur had come out of the cottage, her long silver hair flying in the breeze.

"Grip'ook would like to speak to you. 'E eez in ze smallest bedroom, 'e says 'e does not want to be over'eard."