Two Souls

Chapter Ninety

That night for Harry's birthday dinner, members of the Order came. Tonks, Lupin, and Hagrid were surprised but cheerful to see me. I was even able to meet Charlie and Bill, Ron's eldest brothers.

The awkwardness of my return is short-lived. Ten minutes into dinner, the members of the Order treat me like one of their own. Harry is the only member of the trio who doesn't seem skeptical of me, though.

A flash of light hits the table and a recognizable figure appears in the center of it. The Minister of Magic, Rufeus Scrimgeour.

"We shouldn't be here," Lupin says. "Harry — I'm sorry — I'll explain another time —" He seizes Tonks by the wrist and pulls her away. The two disappear over the fence quietly.

"Sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour says. "Especially as I can see that I am gatecrashing a party. I require a private word with you, Mr. Potter. Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss. Hermione Granger."

"Us?" Ron asks in surprise. "Why us?"

"I shall tell you that when we are somewhere more private. Is there such a place?" Scrimgeour asks.

"Yes, of course. The — er — sitting room, why don't you use that?" Mr. Weasley asks.

"You can lead the way," Scrimgeour says to Ron. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur," He adds.

He leads the trio out to the sitting room, leaving the rest of us alone. Arthur and Molly exchange a worried glance to each other, but don't say a word to any of the rest of us.

"It's because they're planning to drop out of Hogwarts," Ginny whispers to me. The Weasley girl has increasingly began to warm up to me ever since I informed the Weasleys of exactly what happened.

"They are?" I whisper back, glancing in the direction of my friends. "But, why?"

Ginny looks at me warily. "Something to do with Horcruxes, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

I shake my head. "I've never heard Voldemort mention that at all," I tell her truthfully.

After about half an hour or so, the rest of us casually walk over to the sitting room and wonder whether or not their meeting with Scrimageur had ended. Just as we arrive, the door swings open and Scrimageur exits the room without a word.

"What did he want?" Arthur asks.

"To give us what Dumbledore left us," Harry responds. "They've only just released the contents of his will."

Outside in the garden, over the dinner tables, the three objects Dumbledore had given the three of them were passed from hand to hand. Hermione had inherited a copy of The Tales of Beedle and Bard, Ron had received a Deluminator — an object which would give him the ability to suck or restore light from anywhere — and surprisingly, Harry had received an average Snitch. Like the ones used in Quidditch matches.

Once the excitement of Dumbledore's will has faded, we celebrate Harry's birthday and engage in dinner and dessert.

"Meet us upstairs," Harry whispers to me after dinner. "After everyone's gone to bed."

I nod in response. I casually look over to see Ron whispering to Hermione presumably the same sentence.

Up in the attic room, Ron examines his Deluminator whilst Hermione and I watch in awe. Harry fills Hagrid's Moleskin Purse with important keepsakes.

"Muffliato," I whisper, waving my wand in the direction of the stairs.

"Show is the Deluminator," Hermione demands in excitement, her brown eyes sparkling. Ron clicks a button and the entire room goes dark.

"It's cool, but surely he wouldn't have singled you out in his will just to help turn out the lights?" I ask skeptically, glancing down at the object.

"D'you think he knew the Ministry would confiscate his will and examine everything he left us?" Harry asks curiously, sitting down next to me.

"Certainly," I tell them. "But it doesn't explain why he couldn't have given you three a hint while he was alive."

"I always thought he was mental," Ron huffs. "Brilliant and everything, but cracked. Leaving Harry an old Snitch — what the hell was that about?"

"The Snitch I caught in my first Quidditch match!". Harry exclaims, standing up urgently. "Don't you remember?"

"Er — care to elaborate?" I ask in a confused tone, being that I was attending Ilvermorny whilst he had his first Hogwarts Quidditch match.

Ron gasps. "The one that you nearly swallowed!" He points frantically between Harry and the Snitch. Hermione just looks bemused.

"Exactly." Harry presses the Snitch into his mouth. I can feel my rapid heartbeat from inside of me. Much to our disappointment, the Snitch did not open. Harry raises his arm with the Snitch, ready to toss it when Hermione interjects.

"Writing! There's writing on it! Quick, look!"

Engraved upon the smooth golden surface, stood five words written in the thin slanted handwriting of Dumbledore's: I open at the close.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asks.

For once, the four of us all looked stumped. Even clever Hermione couldn't think of a possible explanation for the words written.

"I don't understand this book either," Hermione complains, pulling out her copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"You've never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?" I ask incredulously. I used to read it all the time as a child. "It has all the old kid's stories! The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, the Fountain of Fair Fortune . . ."

"Amelia, You know Harry and I were brought up by Muggles!" Hermione says. "We didn't have stories like that. We had Cinderella and Snow White growing up," She adds dreamily.

"What's that, an illness?" Ron comments.

"So these are children's stories?" Hermione asks me, ignoring Ron's comment and bending over the runes. She skims the book.

"Yes," I say uncertainly. "I mean, that's what you hear, that all these old stories came from Beedle."

"I wonder why Dumbledore thought I should read them?" Hermione wonders to herself. "We should go to bed, it wouldn't do to oversleep tomorrow."

"Er — what's tomorrow?" I ask nervously.

"The Wedding," Hermione says casually. I bite my lip but I don't bother to ask who is getting married. I assume I'll figure out tomorrow.

Hermione and I stand up, ready to leave. Ron clicks the Deluminator and shuts off the light as the two of us leave the room.

—
I missed writing Amelia with the Golden Trio aw but I lowkey miss Draco bby already