#ElizabethKaneandtheDeathlyHallows

[braveclementine]

Chapter 5

Warnings: Smut (Severus), non-con from both parties (Lucius), trigger warnings of rape (Greyback), 18+ readers only

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

There were four of them and I was dragged harshly between two of them. My feet stumbled on the gravel, hopping when a particularly sharp stone hit the bottom of my feet. Their grip on my upper arms was unpleasantly tight. 

As we approached the black wrought-iron gate that guarded the large mansion forebodingly, they all lifted their left arms and passed through the gate. I was dragged through, feeling as though I was being scraped by Iron blades. 

My heart was beating, not in fright, but in anticipation. I would get to see Severus. And while I had no hopes that he would be helping me escape, or even that he would talk to me, seeing his face would be enough. 

It was stupid, irrational. My visions never deviated from their course. There was no reason to worry that Voldemort would kill my fiancé until the planned time. 

But still, separated from war and being on opposite sides. . . it made me nervous and I would be glad to see his face. 

As I was dragged up the long pathway, I started mentally calculating all of the possible outcomes. 

Voldemort might keep me. Try and use my visions or even a little shiny trinket to wave in front of Harry's face and tell him to come and get me. Those were good-ish scenarios. I would still be able to plan how to save Severus, Tonks, Fred, and Dad's lives. It would be more difficult, of course, but still doable. 

Or he could kill me flat out. At least my family wouldn't have to out live me by long, that was the singular comfort. The uncomfortable part was wondering where Remus would end up. He would be with Dad and Tonks surely for a little bit. But after dad and Tonks died too? Maybe Andromeda would keep him? Or would Mrs. Weasley take him in? Or would Harry do it? Trang was to tell him I was his sister and explain the whole story if I did die. 

Trang. 

I prayed that she was okay as I was dragged through the doorway into the manner. 

I knew where I was of course- Malfoy Manor. Though I had never stepped foot into the place, it was both grand, cold, and luxurious all at the same time. 

Like all of the portraits in the Wizarding World, the ones on the walls watched as I was dragged down the hallway. They didn't talk to each other, only judging me and my worth with cold, calculating stares. 

Two figures appeared at the end of the hallway. One was a feminine figure that I saw first as the second followed behind slower. Her wild black hair was curly and it made all of her facial features stand out dramatically. Her lips were puffy and red, her eyelids heavily lidded and dark. 

Bellatrix clapped her hands excitedly, but her good humor was quickly diminished as the Death Eater on my left addressed her, "Is he in?" 

"No." Bellatrix said, her eyes becoming narrowed and shrewd. "I will take her from here." 

"The Dark Lord's orders were very clear. We are to put Kane or Potter in the dungeons." The Death Eater clearly didn't know who he was talking to. Or he was stupid. Or he was brave. I wasn't sure. 

"I will take her from here." Bellatrix repeated, her smile also fading now, turning more into an ugly frown. 

The Death Eater made motions like he was going to ignore her and simply take me to the dungeons anyways, but the second one let me go and started to back away slowly. 

I looked at Bellatrix and then my eyes flickered behind to see the man behind her. 

I used Legilimens shields to make sure no emotions flickered over my face. 

Severus stood there, straight back and shoulders tense. His black eyes had no emotion in them, even as mine met his. His long black hair was oily as it came down around his face. 

I flicked my eyes back to Bellatrixs', and only met them for a second before I suddenly felt cool tile under my cheek, while the rest of my body felt like it was on fire. 

I knew that Severus had this way of separating his mind from his body while under the Cruciatus Curse. It was part of his superb Legilimens skills. But, I had not mastered that level and my throat burned as the screams erupted from it. Ungodly noises that didn't sound like they should come from any human. 

I couldn't tell if I had gone blind from pain or if I had squeezed my eyes shut, but when my body was released from the curse and I was just laying there in agony, learning to breathe, my eyes fluttered open to see the chandelier above me. 

"Bellatrix." Severus' voice was like music to my ears after such pain. It was the same voice he used in the classroom, like he hated everybody- including me. Harsh and baritone, deep, conveying nothing seemingly, but ultimately all of his hate and contempt for the person he was talking to. 

"What Snape?" Bellatrix snapped. 

"I would be. . . appeased if I could have her for thirty or forty minutes." I could picture the curl of his lip and my eyes fluttered, because I wanted to see it. See him. His face. 

I saw Bellatrixs' face first, amused in her misunderstanding of Severus' words. "I wish I could witness it. But I suspect you'll want a more private audience." 

"Very private." This time I saw Severus' face. He was coming the closet he ever would to smiling, in the presence of someone he detested. And it was a mocking, cruel smile, that I almost never saw from him. 

Bellatrix cackled at that, flaunting off to the side. Severus dragged me to my feet harshly. I didn't even have the strength to fight him off. He threw me over his shoulder, rather unflattering, but I didn't care at the particular moment. 

I only knew things had changed when the sound of a door clicked behind us and suddenly, he was placing me gently on my back on the bed. His large, rough hands were cupping my face delicately. The tunnels of black were suddenly full of warmth, love, and worry. 

"Elizabeth?" His voice was soft, musical in reality now. 

"Sev." I whispered back, throat so dry my voice cracked. "Oh Sev." 

His lips gently pulled mine into a hug. Enveloping them warmly, protectively almost. Mine responded in kind, submitting, letting his dominate. His tongue dipped lightly against my lips and they parted, allowing the intrusion desperately. 

My strength was coming back and my hands slid up his arms, before they wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss became more desperate. Our tongues entwined with each others, noses smashed against each others cheeks. Our breathing was ragged, neither of us wanting to let go to breathe fresh air. 

His hands were sliding behind my back, undoing the zipper for the sleeveless dress. "What a beautiful colour on you." He breathed out, finally sitting back. 

I stood up, letting the dress slide from my body and his arms pulled me to him again. He made his own clothes disappear with a simple snap of his fingers and before me was a rugged man. 

He would never be beautiful enough to be called a God or to be carved into a pedestal of marble. Because Severus Snape was not a beautiful man. He was not perfect or glorious. He was scarred and strong. Rugged. He was. . . distinguished. Regal. Dignified. 

Mine. 

It was as though, while the two of us were staring at each other, memorizing each other again, we were thinking the same thing. 

"Mine." both of us whispered it together before Severus was pushing me back into the pillows of the bed. He grabbed his wand, lazily waving it towards my arm. Thin, black rope twined around them, wrapping intricately around my wrists. It didn't cut into my wrists, even as my arms held firm. 

"Just in case." Severus whispered softly, dipping his lips down, catching my nipple between his teeth, before sucking. I whimpered, a soft sound and one I hadn't made in months. 

His other hand palmed the other breast. Squeezing the soft flesh and he ran his thumb over my peaked nipple over and over again. It was such a strange sensation for both of us. The softness to him and the stimulation for me. 

I ground my hips against his, his cock rubbing against my clit. Now that it was just the two of us, seemingly alone, I was aroused for him. Never mind that Bellatrix and Lucius and Greyback and all of the other Death Eaters were in the house somewhere. Never mind that Voldemort would be approaching when he heard of my capture. 

It was just Severus and me. Living in our own world. 

"Please fuck me sir." I whispered quietly against the shell of his ear. "Professor." 

Severus grabbed my jaw harshly, a lust in his eyes. "What a naughty girl, begging for her Professors cock." 

"Yes Professor. Please give me your cock." I begged. Our voices low enough so that they could only reach our ears. But they held the same weight and lust and desire as if we were screaming it at the rooftops. 

"Naughty girls don't usually get what they want." Severus smirked, running his lips down my stomach, nipping at the skin. "Why should you be any different?" 

I refused to say anything depressing or anything that would break the spell. "Because I'm only naughty for you." 

Severus' eyes glinted in understanding. This was our fantasy for now, to be broken by reality only after we were done. 

"That is true. Which makes you a good girl by definition. And good girls always get what they want." Severus hummed, licking my neck, before sucking a hicky under my ear. 

He lifted my hips up slightly and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He thrusted into me and I couldn't help it, couldn't stop it. I moaned loudly, tossing my head back into the pillows. I knew the others would hear- I knew they had to be curious about it. Severus wasn't exactly known for this. But I didn't care. 

I even smiled a little at the rumors that would follow Severus after this. 'Damn, Snape is so good in bed, he can even got that victim of his, the Kane girl, to be pleasured'. I almost laughed. Severus would glare at everyone. 

Severus had seen it in my head and rolled his eyes. "You're imagination is adorable." 

This time, I did smile full out, before pressing my lips to his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and I let out a whimper as he hit a good spot inside of me. He had them memorized, hitting them in the perfect timing and succession so that I was whimpering and thrashing underneath him. 

"I'm going to cum." I whimpered, both of us ignoring the creak in the doorway. Neither of us turning to see who it was. 

Severus said nothing verbally, but he nipped at the soft skin of my breasts and I knew that it was permission. I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut, feeling the pleasure radiate through my body. 

As we both calmed down, we saw that the door had been shut again. Whoever had been here had left. 

Severus' time was up. We stared at each other for a long time, simply holding hands. Finally, I whispered. "Don't do anything stupid. Don't. . . don't compromise a thing. You. . ." I looked around and lowered my voice even more, "You do not compromise the entire world over me." 

We stared each other in the eyes. I knew he was waiting for me to back down, but I refused. He would not. I saw how this ended and he could not risk it. 

"Just keep your promise." Severus whispered, and finally moved so that he was off the bed, getting dressed again. 

I didn't say anything. I had crossed my fingers when he'd made me promise. It didn't count, there was no promise. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I sat in the corner of the jail cell. 

Jail cell? Or was it more of a dungeon cell? Cell in the dungeon? 

I digress. 

Either way, it was a cell. It was in the farthest back corner in the dungeon from the door as possible. There were three walls of thick, damp stone around me, the one wall that was not, consisted of thick metal- probably Iron- bars along with the door, which was locked. 

It was a small cell, with nothing in it. Not even a bench to sleep or sit on. There were manacles connected to the walls, though surprisingly they had not chained me. Perhaps they figured, wandless and having nothing on me but the dress, I would not be able to escape. 

Well, they were right about that. 

I sat in the corner of the dungeon, curled up in a ball with my head resting against the wall. Not out of fear, but it was freezing, and it was hard to stay warm in the dress. 

My long hair came in handy. It was thick and luscious, especially having been washed earlier that morning. So it was warm, almost like a blanket and was nice feeling on my shoulders. But it wouldn't last for long. 

From what I understood by Bellatrixs' scathing words, Voldemort was not in the country at the moment. And since I was not Harry Potter, he didn't feel the need to come back as quickly. Which meant I was going to be in here for a few days before he even bothered to see to me. 

It made me feel a little better. Perhaps it would give me time to figure out a plan to escape. . . but it wasn't looking promising. 

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming down the pathway. They were quick, but they were heavier than Severus' and Bellatrixs'. 

My heart started to beat heavily. Perhaps Voldemort had changed his mind. Perhaps he was here for me now. 

But it was Lucius, who stood in front of my cell. 

He looked different, than the last time I had seen him, standing in front of me at the Ministry. His hair was still long, but it didn't look as well cared after. His face was gaunter, more shadowy. He looked. . . almost ill. Paler for sure. And his hands seemed to be shaking just a little bit. 

I wondered for a second, if he was letting me go. But as he opened the cell and stepped inside, closing the door behind him, I figured that was a foolish take. He would  not let me go. 

I noticed his eyes were off. The pale blue-grey orbs weren't focused. But I couldn't imagine what the cause of that would be. He didn't smell drunk, so he had to be coherent. 

But I had no more tries to think of anything before his hands and lips were on me. 

My brain didn't react right away. At first, it was just stuck in motionless shock. His hands felt like Severus' hands and his lips tasted like tea and honey. His hair was soft against my cheek, tickling it, just like Severus. My brain was trying to comprehend what was happening and for a second, my eyes fluttered closed, lips molding under Lucius'. 

It took only three and a half seconds for my brain to reboot. By that point, Lucius had removed my dress for the most part and he was freeing his length from the confines of his wizarding robes. 

I finally reacted. Stupidly. I knew that I had no chance of truly fighting this. I grabbed his shoulders, pushing him backwards and then winced as he truly fell back, hitting his head harshly against the bars. 

Oh shite. 

Lucius lunged for me, pinning me against the stone floor. I twisted in his arms, but his grip was strong and his legs caged me in, preventing me from retaliating. His thrust was sudden and not as painful as I thought it would be. 

Then I remembered that Severus hadn't cleaned me up. So the slick that was leftover from him was lubricating Lucius, giving him an easier time and for me- it was less painful. It hadn't been that long for me being in here anyways. Ten or fifteen minutes. 

"Wait." I gasped out, still trying to fight him. He was moving as though on autopilot, his thrusts even and fast. I hated that I was actually feeling some semblance of pleasure from it. I focused on his face, which was stoic and glazed. 

I grunted, trying to wrench out of his grasp again, and then gasped, a wave of pleasure shooting through my entire body. I clenched my teeth together, back arching. Fuck. 

"LET ME GO!" I shouted, trying to turn now. 

"Stay still." He finally spoke and it sent chills up my spine. His words weren't harsh or spiteful or even gloating. He seemed calm and collected and I was staring to think that something was wrong. 

That was confirmed as he suddenly froze, mid thrust. I panted, staring up at him. My entire body was shaking and breath hitched in my throat. I watched his eyes become more aware. 

And then suddenly, he launched his body away from me, ripping himself out of me which made me whimper in pain, curling up, putting pressure on the sensitive parts. I heard him curse as he smacked his own head against the bars this time. 

"How long was I down here?" He spat at me. There was the tone I was expecting. 

I struggled backwards to sit up, gauging him with my eyes. "W- What?" 

"How long was I down here?" He looked like he was about to panic. His eyes were darting around the entire cell and he looked down at himself. He shoved his length back in his wizarding robes, glancing at me again. His eyes were horrified and suddenly full of self-hatred. 

"You weren't. . . aware?" I asked, trying to figure out what was going on. Imperius Curse? But who here would force him to force himself on me? It didn't make sense. 

I scanned him again, trying to get my brain working again. 

"I'm ill." Lucius whispered. "Fuck." He put his face in his hands, looking like he wanted to die right then and there. 

"Somno Maledictum." I whispered to myself. 

"Smart girl." He muttered, rather bitterly. 

"I don't understand." I whispered again. Somno Maledictum was an illness that had to do with sleep. It was a form of sleep walking, but instead of actually looking like you were asleep and walking, you did everything. But it also depended on what you were thinking about. 

The disease could kick in whenever, with no warning. For example, a housekeeper that had Somno Maledictum, might be thinking about a house she had to clean. She could black out upon entering the house. She might come around a few hours later and find the house completely done. 

It was disorienting and it was a rare disease. Cures weren't even ready made for it because it was so rare and one of the flowers in the ingredients was rare. But for Lucius Malfoy, that shouldn't matter. He had all the money in the world. 

"But you're rich." I protested, trying to wrap my head around it. "You can afford the cure so-" 

"What is wrong with you?" Lucius spat at me. 

I blinked, a little hurt. "I- what?" 

"I just. . . raped you." He struggled with the words and my sympathy increased tenfold. "I just violated you and you're just. . ." 

"Well it wasn't you, was it?" I demanded. "You were blacked out, how were you supposed to stop yourself?" 

"Severus is going to kill me." Lucius muttered, not answering my question. He put his face in his hands again. "If the Dark Lord doesn't kill me first." 

I rolled my eyes. "Pretty sure the Dark Lord is going to congragulate you on raping me." 

Lucius flinched and glared at me, "That wasn't what I was referring to. I'm useless and I'm a liability. I thought. . ." He drifted off and said, "He asked for my wand. I was blacked out then. I came to with his hand in front of me. I made a fool of myself, he thought I was asking for his wand. I thought he was going to kill me then. I keep this up. . ." 

"Why haven't you asked Professor Snape for a cure?" I asked. "He's sure to make you one and I know he would keep it a secret for you." 

"Oh yeah." Lucius responded bitterly. "I just raped his wife, really don't think he's going to feel like helping me." 

My heart started to pound in my chest. I tried to laugh. "Professor Snape isn't married." 

Lucius sighed. "He's my best friend, Miss Kane. No one else can pick up on it. It's. . . the Dark Lord did allude that you could be used in such a manor. But I wasn't going to touch you because Severus is my best friend. . . if I can use such a childish term. He's really more like a brother. But now. . ." 

I found myself getting to my feet. I forgot I was naked and knelt back down in front of Lucius. My hand cupped his cheek and he flinched, staring at me with such confusion. "What- why-" I ran a finger down his neck and he shuddered, falling silent. 

"Mr. Malfoy. . . Lucius. . ." I whispered, horror coming over me. I looked straight into his eyes. "You have. . . months-" 

"I know." Lucius whispered, putting his head down, falling away from my hand. "I know. Look, I'm not-" 

"Lucius." A new voice joined us and we both froze for a second before we saw that it was just Severus, standing in the doorway of the cell. I was relieved that he didn't look angry, just a little sad. But Lucius wouldn't meet his eyes. 

Severus handed me my dress which I took, but didn't put on. Somehow, it was easier to just hold it to my body than try to dress right now. Severus paid attention to Lucius now. 

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Severus asked, taking his face into his hands, gauging how sick Lucius was. 

"What does it matter? He's going to win. I'll wish to be dead anyways." Lucius muttered. "And I wanted to protect you." 

"Yes, you're always doing that. You should cut it out." Severus replied, the smallest of smiles coming over his face. 

"Severus, he's. . ." I didn't say anything else. We could all hear footsteps coming down the hall. They weren't hurried or anything. More like prowling. 

Lucius groaned. "This is my fault. They're going to form a line." 

Severus jerked Lucius to his feet and hissed under his breath, "Act Luc. You're victorious." 

I wasn't sure if Lucius was going to manage it, but I let myself sprawl back on the ground. It was easier to simply curl up on my side and close my eyes to pretend while Severus and Lucius left. I heard the door sliding shut, but they didn't move from the cell. 

"Go a second round Snape?" I shivered, recognizing Greybacks' voice. I think I would've rather of taken anyone else over him. Even multiple others over him. Even the Dark Lord himself. Anyone but Greyback. 

"Nonsense. She's to weak for another round." Severus said in a scathing voice. "I was looking for Lucius. He seems to have worked her out quite well." 

"I think she's got some more in her." Greyback said. I tried playing dead at this point. Did werewolves like dead meat? 

"I'm warning you-" Severus started and I winced. Severus showing any sort of sympathy was dangerous. 

"Protective?" Greyback sneered. 

"Of my own neck." Severus retorted with his own sneer. "It's your head if something happens to her before the Dark Lord gets to her. And you're not exactly known for keeping your victims alive, Greyback."

"She'll live." Greyback said and I resigned myself to my fate, hearing the cell door slam open. 

I needed to get used to this. It was going to be my life now. And trying to be a girl in a book and think she could fight her way out of it wasn't going to do me any good. 

I whimpered, letting out a cry of real pain, feeling Greybacks' nails, which dug into my skin as he grabbed my arms. 

Severus was still standing there, frozen. His black eyes bore into the back of Greybacks' head and his hand twitched towards his wand. 

I knew he had to leave, even as Greyback was ripping the dress away and I was grateful that I hadn't put it back on. At least it'd still be in one piece later when I had to face Voldemort. 

"What are you two still doing here?" I snapped, lacing anger and also embarrassment into the words. "Want a fucking show?" 

Severus met my eyes and straightened his shoulders. He was still to tense in my opinion. Lucius fared better, sneering, "Like any show would be passable by you." 

I cried out again as Greyback bit into my neck. Not the way that Severus did, when he wanted to be possessive. Greyback was doing it to taste me. To hurt me. 

Lucius grabbed Severus arm, dragging him down the hallway, quickly. I could hear the sounds of their shoes pounding against the stones. Severus was furious. 

Greyback's nails were sharper than any others. Everywhere they touched, even with him trying to be gentle (ish), they were still leaving scratches, most of them cutting open enough for little droplets of blood to pool on my skin. 

I waited for him to thrust himself into me. But he never did. 

I felt water on my face, tears. Greyback cupped my face, making me wince. He sneered and then flipped my body over so that I was on my stomach. I cried out as he pulled my hips back. 

I had a singular, incoherent thought before I felt some of the worst pain in my life: He's a dog and he likes doggy style. Go figure. 

Severus and I had never done anal and quite frankly, even if we had, I was sure it would not have stopped the immense pain that I felt radiate through me as he forced himself into me. 

The scream that came from me sounded inhuman. I didn't even have the strength to hold it back. I desperately hoped that Severus could not hear me. 

The pain was great and black spots danced in front of my eyes, which I squeezed shut. There was an aching pain in my lower back as well. 

It felt like hours, but couldn't have been more than ten minutes. By the time he was done, I was weak and half unconscious. I could smell sweat and blood, which was probably a bad thing. I let out a final whimper as he pulled out of me. 

"What a sweet little thing." Greyback purred. His breath was terrible and his teeth so close to me made my neck throb in remembrance. "I can't wait until the Dark Lord lets you be mine." 

I shuddered, but said nothing and moved not an inch as he exited the door. The cell door closed with a clang. 

I laid there on the stones, feeling the coolness of them under my body. The pain had faded now. Mostly. 

Now that I had gone through it, I wasn't actually all to sure I could get used to this. And what if Greyback was right? What if the Dark Lord handed me over to him? 

I had to get out of here. I just had to figure out how. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 17

Warnings: 18+ readers only, smut, sir kink

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

I blinked my eyes open, seeing both Harry and Hermione leaning over me. "You alright?" Hermione asked fretfully. 

"Ow, yeah." I mumbled, slowly pushing myself into a sitting position. "Where are we?" 

"Safe place. C'mon, let's get into the tent." Harry said, helping me up. I gently placed a hand on my stomach, feeling little kicks. They were unhappy with me, but at least I knew they were both alive and well. 

"So," Ron started immediately, showing that I had missed a bit of their conversation, "that Peverell bloke who's buried in Godric's Hollow, you don't know anything about him, then?" 

"No, I looked him up after I saw the mark on his grave; if he'd been anyone famous or done anything important, I'm sure he'd be in one of our books. The only place I've managed to find the name 'Peverell' is Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. I borrowed it from Kreacher. It lists the pure-blood families that are now extinct in the male line. Apparently the Peverells were one of the earliest families to vanish." 

"Extinct in the male line?" Ron asked. 

"It means the name's died out. . . centuries ago, in the case of the Peverells. They could still have descendants, though, they'd just be called something different." 

"Marvolo Gaunt!" Harry suddenly shouted. 

"What?" I asked. 

"Sorry?" Ron and Hermione asked together. 

"Marvolo Gaunt! You-Know-Who's grandfather! In the pensieve! With Dumbledore! Marvolo Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverells!" 

I had forgotten about that and was impressed that Harry had. 

"The ring, the ring that became the Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt said it had the Peverell coat of arms on it! I saw him waving it in the bloke from the Ministry's face, he nearly shoved it up his nose!" 

"the Peverell coat of arms? Could you see what it looked like?" Hermione asked sharply. 

"Not really. There was something fancy on there, as far as I could see; maybe a few scratches. I only ever saw it really close up after it had been cracked open." 

"Blimey. . . you reckon it was this sign again? the sign of the Hallows?" Ron asked. 

"Why not? Marvolo Gaunt was an ignorant old git who lived like a pig, all he cared about was his ancestry. If that ring had been passed down through generations, he might not have know what it really was. There were no books in that house, and trust me, he wasn't the type to read fairy tales to his kids. He'd have loved to think the scratches on the stone were a coat of arms, because as far as he was concerned, having pure blood made you practically royal." 

"Yes. . . and that's all very interesting, but Harry, if you're thinking what I think you're think-" 

"Well, why not? Why not? It was a stone wasn't it? What if it was the Resurrection stone?" Harry asked. 

"Blimey-  but would it still work if Dumbledore broke-" Ron gasped. 

"Work? Work?" Hermiones' voice was going up in octaves, making little pricks against my brain and I closed my eyes, laying on the cot. "Ron, it never worked! There's no such thing as a Resurrection Stone! Harry, you're trying to fit everything into the Hallows story-" 

"Fit everything in? Hermione, it fits of its own accord! I know the sign of the Deathly Hallows was on that stone! Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverell's!" 

"A minute ago you told us you never saw the mark on the stone properly!" 

"Where d'you reckon the ring is now? What did Dumbledore do with it after he broke it open?" Ron asked frantically. 

Harry didn't answer however. He was looking off into the distance, a faint look of concentration on his face. His black hair had fallen into his green eyes, boring holes into the tent wall. 

"Harry?" Hermione asked after a few seconds. 

Suddenly, Harry let out a dramatic gasp. "Dumbledore had my Cloak the night my parents died!" 

I felt that twinge of sadness, whenever he called our parents 'his' or 'my'. I knew it was not his fault, I knew it was what he believed. And I knew that was my fault, because I had made sure it was that way. 

His voice was shaking as he continued, "My mum told Sirius that Dumbledore borrowed the cloak! This is why! He wanted to examine it, because he thought it was the third Hallow! Ignotus Peverell is buried in Godric's Hollow. . .He's my ancestor! I'm descended from the third brother! It all makes sense!"

"Harry." Hermione tried again. 

"Read it," Harry pushed a piece of parchment in Hermiones' hand. "Read it! Dumbledore had the Cloak, Hermione! Why else would he want it? He didn't need a Cloak, he could perform a Disillusionment Charm so powerful that he made himself completely invisible without one!" 

"That's true." I murmured, frowning a little. I hadn't even thought of that. 

I heard something clink, rolling on the ground and then Harry shouted so loud I winced, "IT'S IN HERE! He left me the ring- it's in the snitch!" 

"You- you reckon?" Ron asked. 

Harry looked between me, Ron, and Hermione. Ron looked taken aback and Hermione was obviously unbelieving. I hoped I mostly just looked like I was in pain, fingers pressed against my head like that would get rid of the headache. 

"That's what he's after." Harry whispered. "You-Know-Who's after the Elder Wand." 

I sat up, motioning to Hermione that I wanted the letter. Hermione handed it over without a word. 

I unfolded the letter, taking in a deep breath as I saw Lily Potters' handwriting. 

Dear Padfoot,      Thank you, thank you, for Harry's birthday present! It was his favorite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself, I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You know it only  rises about two feet off the ground, but he nearly killed the cat and he smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for  Christmas (no complaints there). Of course, James though it was so funny, says he's going to be a great Quidditch player, but we've had to pack away all the ornaments and make sure we don't take our eyes off him when he gets going.      Lizzy just absolutely loves the Muggle dolls. I don't think  she's stopped playing with them ever since she got them. She's so serious about making sure they're wearing appropriate attire before bed and she doesn't dress herself until they're dressed in day clothes. It's adorable. I would enclose a picture, but you know she's camera shy.       We had a very quiet birthday tea, just us and old Bathilda, who has always been sweet to us, and who dotes on  Harry and Lizzy. We were so sorry you couldn't come, but the Order's got to come first, and they're not old enough to know it's their birthday anyway! James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell- also,  Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much. Wormy was here last weekend, I though he  seemed down, but that was probably the news about the  McKinnons; I cried all evening when I heard.      Bathilda drops in most days, she's a fascinating old thing with the most amazing stories about Dumbledore, I'm not  sure he'd be pleased if he knew! I don't know how much to believe, actually, because it seems incredible that Dumbledore

The letter cut off, but I wasn't focused on that, especially since I knew how it finished. I had found the scrap of letter and half a picture in Severus' top drawer months ago. Despite me being camera shy, it was clear a picture had been snuck with me holding my mother's hand, a doll in my other hand. I knew it had originally connected to a photo of Harry riding along on a broom, our father diving after him, just a pair of legs. 

The part I was focused on were the small tidbits about me. Muggle dolls. I had gotten muggle dolls and I liked to dress them, even at a year old. I knew which clothes should've gone on them and I dressed them like they were my children. 

It took all of my willpower not to cry, especially knowing Hermione  was looking at me, seeing as Harry was still lost in thought. 

"I don't suppose you know what the last bit is supposed to say?" Hermione asked quietly. 

"Oh." I looked up and said after a moment. "'because it seems incredible that Dumbledore could ever have been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. I think her mind's going, personally! Lots of love, Lily.'" 

"You know," Hermione said quieter, "There's something that doesn't quite make sense." 

"What?" I asked. 

"Harry said he did have a sister, but that Barty Crouch Jr. said she died in April. But if she's celebrating her birthday in July. . . how could she have died in April?" Her eyes were holding mine and I just knew that she knew. 

"Maybe she's still out there. Maybe she doesn't want people to know who she is." I answered. "Maybe she wants to reveal herself at the right time." I went silent and then said, "Or maybe she doesn't know who she is." 

"This is it." Harry suddenly said, not having paid attention to a word we had said. Ron looked away from us slowly. Hermione and I stared at each other for a moment longer and I shook my head an inch. "This explains everything. The Deathly Hallows are real, and I've got one- maybe two- and You-Know-Who's chasing the third, but he doesn't realize. . . he just thinks it's a powerful wand-" 

"Harry, I'm sorry, but I think you've got this wrong, all wrong." 

"But don't you see? It all fits-" 

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't, Harry, you're just getting carried away. Please, please just answer me this: If the Deathly Hallows really existed, and Dumbledore knew about them, knew that the person who possessed all three of them would be master of Death- Harry, why wouldn't he have told you? Why?" 

"But you said it, Hermione! You've got to find out about them for yourself! It's a Quest!" 

Hermione was going to hate herself for that one later probably. "But I only said that to try and persuade you to come to the Lovegoods'! I didn't really believe it!" 

"Dumbledore usually let me find out stuff for myself. He let me try my strength, take risks. This feels like the kind of thing he'd do." 

"Harry, this isn't a game, this isn't practice! This is the real thing, and Dumbledore left you very clear instructions: Find and destroy the Horcruxes! That symbol doesn't mean anything, forget the Deathly Hallows, we can't afford to get sidetracked- You don't believe in this, do you?" 

I glanced up, finally handing the letter over to Harry. 

"I dunno. . . I mean. . . bits of it sort of fit together," Ron said very awkwardly, looking like he wanted to placate both of them. "But when you look at the whole thing. . . I think we're supposed to get rid of Horcruxes, Harry. That's what Dumbledore told us to do. Maybe. . . maybe we should forget about this Hallows business." 

"Thank you Ron, I'll take first watch." Hermione said, walking off. 

Harry looked at me. "What about you?" 

"I don't know Harry." I said softly, standing. "I know that's a rare answer from me but, I just don't know. I'd listen to Ron." I pulled him into a hug, letting out a sigh. "I'll see you later, I need to get back." 

"Back to Snape?" Harry asked, a dangerous note in his voice. 

"Back to my son." I said, my voice equally dangerous now. I squeezed his arm and stepped out of the tent without another word. I smiled at Hermione but made it clear I wasn't staying for a word, moving far away into the forest before closing my eyes and apparating. 

I turned into my normal black cat form, padding through Hogsmeade before making my way up to the castle once more. Severus was laying on the bed with Remus, fast asleep until the door opened, his wand pointed at me until he saw who it was. 

"You know you shouldn't relax so easily." I teased, taking my cloak off, laying it on the back of the chair, locking the door behind me. I sauntered over to the bed, climbing up awkwardly onto the piece of furniture, straddling Severus' lap. "What if I was a Death Eater." 

"What if I was a Death Eater?" Severus asked lowly, nose skimming my neck. 

"You are a Death Eater." I giggled, before pressing my lips to his. "I'm all yours sir. How do you want me to serve?" I was desperate to lose myself in him after the rough afternoon and the near miss with Hermione discovering I was his sister. Well, knowing, I suppose. 

"Hmm, tempting." Severus rolled over, pinning me underneath him. "However, our son is in bed with us so I think we need to behave." 

I kissed him again and then wiggled upwards. "That's not fun at all." 

"You're a terrible influence." Severus groaned, before rolling out of bed to pick up Remus and lay him down in his crib, tapping it with his wand so that Remus could not hear certain noises that would be going on in the room. Severus crawled back up on the bed, hovering over me, before kissing down my neck. "Now then, I believe you said you were going to serve me?" 

"Yes Sir." I replied coyly, letting my hands wander south on him, until they were undoing the buttons on his pants. He rolled off of me, landing on his back as I helped him lose his trousers and boxers. "You look delicious sir." 

"You're such a tease." Severus moaned through gritted teeth as I licked up the underside of his shaft. His hand grabbed me by the hair, pulling me towards him. I went with it till I was straddling him, his cock rubbing against my folds. 

Our breathing grew heavy as I sank down on him, riding him slowly, his hands moving to my hips, helping me ride him. 

"Merlin, you feel amazing." Severus moaned out, fingers digging softly into my hips. 

"My name is Elizabeth." I teased lightly, rolling so that we were both on our sides as we made love now. I captured his lips with mine, nipping at his bottom lip. 

"My apologies." Severus teased and then gritted his teeth as he moaned lowly again. "Cum, Elizabeth." 

It was instantaneous as I released, feeling him release inside of me at the same time. I sighed in content, relaxing into his arms. 

We laid there for a moment before Severus slowly started to kiss my skin. Then he lightly murmured, "I'll go run the bath." 

I hummed as he got up off the bed, watching him disappear butt naked into the bathroom, before he came back out to get me. I padded out to the bathroom, my legs shaking only a little bit and he helped me into the bath. 

We took turns washing each other, soaking in the hot water until it cooled, before heading back out to bed. Severus climbed into bed, helping me up onto the raised furniture, before pulling me against him, cuddling me as the both of us drifted off to sleep. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Epilogue

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

NINETEEN YEARS LATER

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"𝕺𝖐𝖆𝖞, 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖌𝖔𝖙 everything you n- DAMON JAMES SNAPE IF YOU TRY THAT AGAIN YOU WON'T BE GOING TO HOGWARTS AT ALL YOU HEAR ME!" I shouted at my son as he pushed Seraphina on the stairs. Damon and Sera quickly ran down the rest of the stairs, probably to continue the roughhousing downstairs. I turned back to my daughter, Davina. "You have everything you need?" 

"Yes mum." Davina said impatiently. "Can we go now?" 

"Almost, go and get your stuff and put it in the car." I said, giving her a gentle push and then went back into her room. 

Severus dashed into the room, looking frenzied. This was always his least and favorite time of the year for several different reasons, "Elizabeth how many kids do we have? It's seven, right? Cause I have seven trunks?" 

I froze like a deer in headlights, mentally counting in my head. 

"Oh Merlin you don't know how many kids we have either." Severus dashed back out of the room and down the stairs. 

"Eight! Eight kids!" I shouted down the stairs. 

Remus, Minerva, Elijah, Damon, Seraphina, Hatsuharu, Davina, Marinette. Although technically, Remus was already graduated from Hogwarts. 

"No!" Marinette shouted back up. "Nine! Five boys and four girls! I want another sister!" 

Oh Merlin I had forgotten Carlisle. 

"No!" Severus shouted, skirting around her. "No more children!" 

I laughed slightly, before gathering up a few last minute belongings, hurrying down the stairs after the kids. Severus was putting the last of the trunks in the large car we had and then we headed on down to Central Station. 

"We should've just flooed." Severus said stressfully as I calmly drove down the Muggle streets. His hands were clutching the arm rests and I jerked the brakes a little. He closed his eyes, breathing in heavily. "Elizabeth!" 

I giggled and then let up on the driving, the rest of it being smooth until we pulled into the car park of Central. "See, it was fine." 

"Okay kids out the car." 

"Can I stay in the car?" Remus asked, bored. He had graduated from Hogwarts last year and would be working under Percy at the Ministry this fall. We were both extremely proud of him, although I hoped he wouldn't gain a pompous behavior. But he was much like his grandfather, so the chances were fairly low. 

"You came, you help." Severus said, helping Marinette out of the car as she wouldn't let go of the cat he'd bought her for Christmas three years ago. "Help your sister out with her trolley." 

Remus hopped out of the car and put Marinette's luggage on a trolley, before lifting her up so that she could sit on her luggage while he pushed her. 

I was more worried about her than the other kids, even though it was her second year at the school whereas it was Davina and Carlisle's first year. But Marinette was different from the rest of my kids and it worried me. 

"C'mon, Trang is waiting for us on the platform." Severus said, closing the car doors as the children started up to the school. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing." I shook my head. "Just worried about Mari, that's all." 

"She'll be fine." Severus said, kissing the side of my head, leading me by my hand up to the station as well. 

Trang, Oliver, and their children; Katie and Thomas, were waiting for us outside of platform 9 3/4. 

"Hey." I hugged her tightly and she hugged me back enthusiastically. Katie seemed to be throwing a fit of sorts while Thomas went ahead through the barrier with Damon, the two of them chattering excitedly. Seraphina went next and Severus followed through with Carlisle and Davina. 

"Katie doesn't want to go." Trang said heavily, her American accent clipped. Her and Oliver had been spending most of their summers in America while he traveled for Quidditch. Then she was  Professor at Hogwarts during the winter. "She wanted to go to Illvermorny instead but I didn't want them going to different schools. But all of her witch friends are going there and. . . Merlin Elizabeth she set the house on fire last night. . ." 

"Hey they do these things." I reassured her. "Remember when Seraphina set our garden on fire cause she wanted to make s'mores but it was the middle of June and Severus said we couldn't light the bonfire?" 

Trang chuckled. "True." 

"Once she gets to Hogwarts, she'll do alright. She'll make new friends for the winter and keep her old friends for the summer. She'll love it." I said, linking arms with Trang and following Remus and Marinette through to the other side of the platform. 

"Okay I'm going to be late if I don't hurry." Trang said, looking around and hurrying off, calling after her son. 

"Auntie Elizabeth!" A new voice cried out. I turned and smiled, bending down to scoop the young girl into my arms. 

"Hi Irene, how are you doing?" I asked the young girl. Her parents, Ernie and Susan, quickly came up behind her followed by her brother Justin. 

"Good!" She said excitedly. 

"Hey Aunt Elizabeth." Justin said shyly. 

"Hey Justin." I said, getting up and ruffling his hair. 

"Elizabeth!" Severus called for me and I waved good-bye to them and headed over to my husband. "Found them." He gestured over to where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were standing with their own kids. Dad and Tonks were also nearby, saying good-bye to their two twin daughters- and my sisters- before they scrambled up onto the train. Oliver and Trang were also with them, their children also already on board. 

I smiled, seeing Dad. Over the past years I had worked hard on a werewolf potion, before becoming rather successful. Dad had been my guinea pig throughout it all, although I had begged him to let me use another werewolf. But he had insisted and now, he was extremely healthy. The newest concoction had been working for the past year and a half, except for a nasty side effect of vomiting and having a heavy fever. But dad insisted it was better than becoming a werewolf every moon instead.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner." 

"No, I didn't." Hermione said. "I had complete faith in you." 

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him." Ron whispered to Harry, Trang, and I as we loaded the luggage up. Severus was nearby as well, looking extremely concentrated as he put the trunks away. Trang and I giggled. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that." 

Back on the platform, Lily and Hugo were discussing which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts. 

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you." Ron said. "But no pressure!" 

"Ron!" 

While Lily and Hugo laughed, Albus, Rose, Davina, and Carlisle looked rather solemn. Katie simply continued to pout angrily. 

"He doesn't mean it." Hermione and Ginny said together. 

"I don't care what house you're in." I said to Davina and Carlisle. 

Ron, who had been distracted with pointing out Draco Malfoy- someone none of them had seen in nineteen years although I had seen him at glances throughout my years in the Ministry- he turned his attention back to me at those words, "You don't care?" 

I rolled my eyes. "Why would I? I have three Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw, and a Slytherin. I am practically Hogwarts myself." 

"Ooh so that's little Scorpius." Ron muttered under his breath, no longer paying attention again, "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains." 

"Ron, for heaven's sake, don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!" Hermione protested. 

"You're right, sorry. Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood." 

"Talk to her Remus." Severus' voice intruded my ears as he whispered to dad. 

"What do you want me to say?" Dad sounded incredibly amused. 

"Tell her something, anything. She'll kill me if we have anymore kids. We just got the last two out of the house! And she wants another?" 

Dad laughed. "You're only at nine Severus. You better hang on because when she was younger, she was talking about having twenty-one." 

Severus groaned. 

"Hey!" James shouted, reappearing, bursting with news. "Teddys' back there. Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!" 

Trang put a hand over her mouth so James couldn't see her laugh. 

"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! Your brother! And I asked Teddy what he was doing-" 

"You interrupted them? You are so like Ron." Ginny said, exasperated. 

"-and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added again. 

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily squealed. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!" 

"I bet Bill will be really ecstatic." Trang mumbled to me and Oliver. We both laughed. Tonks was laughing silently, so hard that tears were streaming down her face while she clutched onto dad. Severus looked slightly amused. 

Harry checked his watch and said, "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board." 

The others bustled around to get their kids on the train and last minute hugs and kisses. 

"Okay, so remember that you're coming home for Christmas." I said to the kids as they hugged and kissed Severus and I. "Elijah! Elijah Kingsley!" Elijah turned back to me. "You make sure they come home for Christmas you understand me?" 

"Yes mum." Elijah Kingsley said, hugging me. "I won't leave 'em behind." 

"Good." I said sternly, kissing his cheek. "Minerva!" She hugged me tightly. "Make sure you tell your Aunt Minerva we said hello." 

"Of course mom." She said, before hopping on the train, her and Elijah Kingsley heading for the Head Boy and Girl carriages. 

"Okay Mari, have a good day at school." I said softly, hugging my Slytherin daughter, squishing the cat just slightly between us. 

She nodded, before hugging her father good-bye. "I love you two." I said to Davina and Carlisle. Soon all of the kids were on the train except for Albus. I smiled to myself, watching Harry talk to him down on his knees. 

Lee and I had kept the band together and today as the train pulled out, we would release the last album we'd make. At least together. The one with the song 'Bravest Man I Ever Knew.' I could hear Harry tell Albus where his name originated from, just like it would say in the song. And the last album that told the story of our lives would be out. 

Albus climbed onto the train and us parents watched. Trang was gone, probably to apparate to Hogsmeade so she could get to Hogwarts before he kids. Severus stood next to me, one hand in mine, the other in his pocket. Dad and Tonks stood to the side, waving at their girls: Isabelle and Clementine. 

The children on the train craned to get a good look at us, pointing and whispering to each other. Severus huffed, turning his face away slightly. 

"Why are they all staring?" Albus demanded. 

"Don't let it worry you. It's me. I'm extremely famous." Ron said. 

Albus, Rose, Hugo, Lily, Carlisle, and Damon laughed. The train began to move, Harry walking alongside it. Severus and I waved until the train had completely pulled away. 

"Elizabeth." Dad said, pulling me into a hug. Severus went ahead and stepped to the side to wait for me. 

"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking him over. 

"The best I've been in years, thanks to you." He said softly. After the war, Kingsley had given him a job in the Auror department before he had retired eight years ago. "By the way, don't try to drive Severus to crazy." 

I smirked. "I'll try." 

I kissed Dads' cheek and headed back to Severus. Just as the two of us pushed back through the barrier to the real world, I paused, seeing Albus sitting on the train with  Scorpius. It was so random and uncertain that I just stood there for a moment. 

Severus turned back, looking at me with concern. 

"Coming." I said, hurrying after him. 

I knew he had seen me, my eyes glazed over. I knew he knew what that meant. And as we both headed to the car in silence, Remus tailing after us, I knew we were both thinking the same thing: I hadn't had a vision in nineteen years. 

THE END

And yet. . .

TO BE CONTINUED IN

*drumroll please*

ELIZABETH KANE AND THE CURSED CHILD!!!!

⬅️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 27

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕬𝖓 𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖗𝖊 𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 of land had been cleared by the Ministry of Magic (ie Kingsley) for the burial of the Fallen Fifty. Yes, even though I had saved Dad, Tonks, Severus, and Lavenders' lives, it seemed fate found a way to replace those four lives with those of the Slytherins who had fought alongside us. 

The cemetery was beautiful, hidden just outside of the city, where the sunlight barely managed to filter through the dense canopy of trees. It was unlike any other I had ever seen, as if nature had been given free rein to create a masterpiece of her own. The air was heavy with the scent of countless flowers that seemed to bloom in defiance of the season, their vibrant colours painting the landscape in hues of red, green, yellow, and blue.

 The grass was lush and green, dotted with fresh tombstones of marble that would tell the stories of the brave men and women who had fought in battle. Birdsong filled the air, competing with the soft rustling of leaves as they danced in the gentle breeze.

There were wooden chairs that had been set up in front of the podium where the small man who had spoke at Dumbledore's funeral would be speaking. They were filling up as I stood on the small stage that Lee and I had set up beforehand, overlooking the crowd. 

The Weasleys were the ones I laid eyes upon first, their heads of red hair bright in the sun. When George looked up at us, I swept my eyes over the rest of the crowd, unable to look him in the face. 

Severus was in the very back with Dad, Tonks, Trang, and Andromeda. They were sitting with Remus, Minerva, Elijah Kingsley, and Teddy so that if they started to cry, they would be able to run with them so they didn't disturb the funeral. 

More chairs were added as more people showed up. There was, of course, the survivors of the Battle of Hogwarts, but also family members and friends who hadn't been there. My heart clenched when I saw Dennis Creevy sitting with a tall father who resembled Colin greatly. Both of them were crying silently, but proudly. 

I should've saved Colin too. Somehow. 

"Are you ready?" Lee asked me quietly. 

I turned slightly to look at him. We had been practicing this for the past week to make sure it was perfect for today. I had known Lee enjoyed singing and even had some band friends whose names were Luke, Ryan, and Aaron. Together we had formed our own sort of band, at least for now. 

They thought I had created the entire song, which I had taken out of my memories and put in a pensive to see if they could recreate it. They had been very successful and the song was perfect the last couple of days we had practiced. 

It wasn't, of course, my own. Rather a song that I had used to listen to when I had been int he other world. One I had listened to because it was a 'fan' song for the Wizarding World. One to portray how much the death of the characters meant to them, even though they 'weren't real'. Regardless, I would now take this song from Dr. Gates' world, and bring it alive in mine. 

I fidgeted with my dress slightly, tugging it lower slightly so that it was at knee length instead of above. "Yeah, I think so anyways. It's just. . . I think my main problem will be trying not to cry." 

Lee nodded, looking out at the crowd as the funeral director stepped up onto the platform. "That will be hardest part." 

We sat down in our chairs on the stage, but I couldn't listen to a single word the man said. All I could do was look at all the faces, shining and red with tears, and think about all of the ways I could have saved their loved ones. . . if I hadn't been so selfish to save my own. 

I could've told others, could've told everyone. Or I could've passed liquid luck out to everyone. I should have come up with a better plan. 

But I had been so scared to change the future by an inch, so scared it would prevent me from saving my family. 

I wondered if it was worth it. 

Lee gently touched my hand, making me realize that the band was setting up. I got to my feet slowly, approaching the microphone. I would be singing nearly the entire song though Lee would be helping with the chorus and the other three would join in for vocalizing. 

The coffins were brand new with a design that was modern and sleek. Its lines were clean and uncluttered, its curves soft and inviting. It was made from a sustainable blend of oak wood and metal, a testament to the changing times. A small bronze plaque on the coffin's lids bore the name of the deceased, along with the years of their birth and death.

On a nearby table next to the stage, there was a small surprise that I had set up. I just hoped I was able to sing and concentrate on the magic at the same way. 

I took a deep breath and started to sing. 

 "I'm tired and thin Haven't slept since the war I'm a mess of wounded skin Like a wine sack that's been torn

In the sacred space Behind the lids of my eyes Mad-Eye darkly holds my gaze And I can still see Frederick's laughing face." 

At this point, I let my wand point to the table, letting the two lanterns float up into the slowly darkening sky. I had asked to do this near nighttime so that they would show up better. The lanterns lit up, showing the pictures that accompanied them. . . Uncle Moody who was looking at everyone, and Fred who was laughing. 

After that, the lanterns kept coming, even as I continued to sing. Colin and Professor Vector and Professor Burbage and the Fallen Fifty. 

"It's not enough,  To say that time Can mend my wings That one day I'll fly"

Lee sang along with me as the photos continued to float up and coffins were lowered down into the soft ground. If anyone had stopped crying, they were sobbing now, seeing the faces of their loved ones. 

"And it's not enough  This acheless scar Some wounds are still burning Let me live as one earning his life" 

Lee: And we all fall down And we all fall down 

Me: Behind the lids of my eyes I can still see Frederick's laughing face

Lee: Far away

Me: And I can still see Fredericks' laughing face. 

Now I sang the line and Lee sang the echo. 

It's not enough (not enough)  To say that time (say that time)

Something surprising was happening. . . the crowd was joining in with Lee. I felt my heart soar, especially as the lanterns were now portraying different faces: The faces of Dumbledore and Sirius and Cedric and the faces of the people who had died to Voldemort before he had really taken control. 

Can mend my wings (mend my wings) That one day I'll fly (one day I'll fly) It's not enough (not enough) This acheless scar (acheless scar) Some wounds are still burning (wounds are still burning) Let me live as one earning his life (earning his life)

Lee: Darkest nights turn into dawns Golden lights are chords for songs of love Something death cannot erase

The rest of the song was instrumental as the last four photos showed up: Lily and James Potter, and Frank and Alice Longbottom, a tribute to both of our sets of parents for giving up their different sacrifices so that their children could end the Dark Lord they had so valiantly fought against. 

Lee sang the very last part, which was just a very simple: Far away~

The lanterns went out , the pictures dissolving into golden dust. The coffins finished settling into their already made holes, wands waving gently through the air to cover them with freshly dug up dirt. The headstones glowed brightly in the moonlight and slowly the people moved to visit the graves. 

I sighed, turning away from the crowd. Lee was still staring out at the crowd, but he looked down at me now. "Luna is right you know." 

"Oh?" I asked softly. 

Lee nodded, pulling me into a hug, "We're going to see them again someday." 

"Yes." I whispered, thinking of the stone that Harry had dropped in the forest. They were still out there, still existed, and I would see them all in death. "Yes we will." 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 26

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖙 𝖔𝖓 the edge of the lakeshore, eyes puffy and swollen. My wand, socks, and shoes were on the rock next to me, along with my bow and arrows. I wondered if Firenze would be told what I had done and how proud he would be. I wondered if perhaps the centaurs would be impressed enough that I could go and live in the forest with them. 

There was something tempting, about leaving the wizarding life behind. Living in the forest with the centaurs. I knew Firenze would care for me. I half-way even wondered if it would go in a romantic direction. 

"Elizabeth." It was  not a voice I had ever before, and it was American accented, heavily. I looked up to see the most out of place man in the world. 

He was clearly a muggle, wearing a white lab coat with a blue button down shirt underneath and a tie. He even had a clipboard and pen in his hands. He wore glasses and was probably about 170 inches tall (5ft 7 for the Americans). He had white hair and wore square glasses. 

"Are you lost?" I asked, confused. Clearly, he knew my name, but how could he possibly be here? I glanced over my shoulder but no one had come out of the school yet. 

"No, I am not Miss Everdeen." The man said. "I want to show you something." 

He stepped to the side and I stood up slowly, seeing a door simply standing there. It had no doorway to be sitting in, not any hinges from the looks of it. It was a standard door as well, simple and made of wood, except for the fact that it was turquoise in colour. 

"The Starless Sea. . ." I whispered, walking towards it slowly as though in a trance. All thoughts of Severus or Dad or Fred or even my children were dissipating. Any thought of anything besides what laid behind the door was gone, only fleeting flickers of thoughts. 

"Not quite. But please, be my guest." He gestured to the door. 

I opened it, finding that there was a dark staircase instead of the tree that should've been on the other side of this door. 

I stepped inside, walking down the stairs. The door closed behind me, but instead of plunging me into darkness, candles lit up on the walls, showing me the path forwards. 

I stop as I reach the last stair, finding myself in a room that looks like a cathedral, with sweeping high ceilings intricately tiled and buttressed. There are six large columns of marble, also tiled in patterns though some tiles are missing here and there, mostly near the bases, leaving bare stone visible beneath. The floor is covered with tiles woven down to the stone beneath, mostly the ones near my feet and in a loop around the perimeter of the round space, with heavier wear near the other entrances. 

There are five entrances not counting the stairwell that I just stepped through, the doctor coming to a stop next to me. Four are archways, leading off in different directions into darkened halls. 

I recognize the room from my drawings in my sixth year. There are chandeliers, some hanging at irregular, chandelier- inappropriate heights, and others resting on the floor in illuminated piles of metal and crystal, their tiny bulbs dimmed or extinguished entirely. A larger light above is not a chandelier at all but a cluster of glowing globes hung amongst brass hoops and bars. 

I look up to see if there is the same detail as the drawings- and there is. There are hands at the end of the bars, human hands cast in gold and pointing outward, the tile above them laid out in a pattern of numbers and stars. In the center, the midpoint of the room, a chain drops from the ceiling, terminating in a pendulum that hangs inches above the floor. 

Unlike in my drawing however, the pendulum does not seem to be in action, hanging quite still. 

"Lead the way Miss Everdeen." 

I step forwards cautiously, unsure of where I was supposed to go. But my curiosity got the better of me and soon, I was heading down one of the hallways. 

Almost immediately, it branches off into other rooms. I peer into them as I pass, but none of them catch my interest until I see one that is perfectly round and I step inside. The walls are lined with bookshelves, much like the rest of the rooms, but there is something that calls me here. 

Most likely, it is the grand staircase in the direct middle of the back wall that seems to lead into another room with books, with another staircase that leads up to a reading area with a large circular window to look out at whatever laid out there. Foliage lined the stairs and hung from the ceilings, giving it a rather mystical look. 

"Please, sit." The man says. It isn't until I turn to look at him that I realized I don't actually know his name. 

"Who are you?" I asked bluntly. I sit in the chair across from the one he sits in. 

"Ah, yes, my name is Dr. Anthony Gates." He introduced himself. "I come from the real world and you are my patient, Elizabeth Everdeen." 

"Patient?" I asked. "Real world?" 

"It will be simpler if I explain from the beginning." He said. Tea was on the table now, although I wasn't actually sure where it had come from. He pursed his lips and suddenly it turn to coffee. I looked at it shocked, before it reverted back to tea after he had served himself. 

He sipped the black drink and then started. "Five years ago, you were admitted to the hospital with a terminal illness. Fatal. No cure. It was in the brain, you see. You lived in the hospital and you read your books when your friends weren't visiting you and watched movies when they were." 

He sipped his drink again. "But then, there was a technological breakthrough. You had nothing to lose, so you ah- volunteered." 

I frowned. "It doesn't sound like I volunteered." 

He waved his hand like this detail was of no importance. "This technological breakthrough was based off of Virtual reality technology, except even more in depth. You would actually be teleported into the world. Meanwhile, you wouldn't die of your illness, or so we hoped." 

"I was the first clinical trial?" I asked, doubtful. 

"Well, considering how successful this has been. . . I am quite certain some lines were crossed previously. It is of no matter." 

"So am I laying on a bed somewhere in a coma like state while my brain creates this?" I asked, confused. 

"No, no! See that's the genius part of it! You are here, flesh and blood! And what's more, you are truly a character Miss Everdeen! It was unprecedented. In fact, we thought we failed when you were nowhere to be found in this world. Then, something unexpected happened. Lily and James Potter gave birth to not only Harry, but a mystery girl, and we realized what had happened." 

"So. . . I am a part of this world?" 

"Very much so! More than the other characters in fact!" He laughed. "I mean, it's extraordinary." 

I pondered it over. "How old was I?" 

"Ah yes, you were twenty-three. We believe this is one of the reasons you have been so successful in your relationship with Snape despite the perceived age difference in this world, because you are much older technically than the people of your characters' age. And while you clearly have no memory of the other world, somewhere in your subconscious, you had recognized to be with an older man who is closer to your real age. Had the two of you been in the real world, you would be considered twenty-seven and Snape thirty-six." 

It was definitely not as big an age difference as before. Hearing Severus' name though also made me realize that my children were waiting for me to return. And yet, I had so many questions. Once more, everything above this new dimension I was in faded away. 

"So. . . this world is a book?" I questioned. 

"Yes! And movies, of course. It's a huge hit back home." 

"That's why I see the future." I said slowly. "It's not the future at all, it's memories from reading the book." 

"Yes! Yes! Exactly!" He said, his hand scribbling notes on the clipboard. "Except for one thing. In your sixth year when Bellatrix and Greyback attacked the Weasley house. That was something that only happened in the movies. It was certainly strange that it happened here. Quite fascinating. Some of my fellow doctors think that perhaps when you were pregnant, the movie line took precedence over the book since the book is more complicated. But that's just a theory." 

"And I'm assuming this is what the Sorting Hat meant by 'I had been sorted into Hufflepuff long before I got there'?" 

"Yes, back in our world there is a website called Pottermore. You took the test three times and was sorted into Hufflepuff every single time." 

It was overwhelming. It was the most bizarre conversation ever and yet. . . being in the Starless Sea, talking to a man from America whose accent was disappearing and I sounded like him now was just as bizarre. 

"What about Trang?" I asked after a moment of silence. 

"Ah, yes, Trang. We really aren't sure about her." He frowned now. "There was never a character in the books by her name or description. Nothing about her parents being Death Eaters or their names in association with Greybacks' WIKI bio. But back in this world, you had a friend named Trang who looks identical to her. It's possible that you simply manifested her out of the desire to keep your best friend." 

"But she's real?" I asked slowly. "She's not going to turn into a puff of smoke if I stop thinking about her?" 

He shrugged. "It's quite uncertain." 

"Why have you revealed yourself now?" I finally asked after I couldn't think of anymore questions to ask. 

"Because we believe it is time for you to return home." He said. "Your parents and brothers are waiting anxiously for your return. They cannot wait to see you again." 

"What happens to my children if I left?" I asked. 

"We are not sure. It is possible they will continue to exist. Trang and Harry and the Weasley family will raise them I am sure. Your belongings would be found on the lake shore and speculations will be made about your disappearance. No body will ever be found. Perhaps you will become myth and legend. Or. . . perhaps because your presence is gone, the world will revert back to how it was if you had never existed." 

My children would cease to exist. 

I stood up. "I want to return to the surface. I want to see my children." 

"Please, Elizabeth." He raised a hand. "Let's not be hasty." 

I huffed, moving away from him towards the bookshelves. My eyes roamed the titles until my eyes landed on a title called 'The Starless Sea'. I pulled the book out slowly loving how it felt in my hands. The cover was black except for simple gold paint designs surrounding the bee, key, and sword. 

I opened up the first couple of pages and found the copyright. 2019. My mouth went dry. It was only 1997. How could I be having visions and creating art from scenes of a book that was written 22 years in the future. 

"What year is it?" I whispered softly. 

"You were admitted to the hospital in 2025. Today it is October 31, 2030." the man said. 

The day my parents died in their world. Somehow, it seemed poetic. 

"If you are worried about the pain of losing your husband and father, let me give you two notices of comfort. They weren't real anyways Elizabeth. They are simply book characters whose fates were written in ink. You were never going to be able to stop their deaths, it was. . . inevitable." 

I looked back at him in hatred. 

"And once you are back, your pain will fade. How does that book put it. . . ah yes. 'Occasionally a visitor will become overwhelmed, disoriented, and dazed by all there is to explore, the space closing around their lungs and their heart and their thoughts, and they will find their way back before much time has passed, back to the familiar surface and the familiar stars and the familiar air, and most will forget that such a place exists, much less that they set foot in it themselves. It will fade like a dream. It will fade like a dream Miss Everdeen. You will not feel the pain."

I had already made up my mind. 

"I am going back to my children." 

"What about your real family?" The doctor asked, fishing a photograph out of his pocket. Like most normal photographs, it was still. I recognized myself right off the bat, though much younger in this photograph. The man I presumed to be my father looked kind, though old with pepper hair and a beard with white mixed in with it. 

The woman was about the same age, with red-brown hair and grey-blue eyes. She wore glasses and her smile was marred by a small scar on her lip, keeping her from truly looking happy. The smile didn't reach her eyes. 

Then there were two boys, one  much taller than me and the other shorter. The taller boy looked a lot like the woman, with red-brown hair and glasses. He looked bored while the other boy smiled cheekily, his face dotted with freckles and his short brown hair was curly. 

"They miss you Miss Everdeen. You can't keep them waiting." 

"Do they love me?" I asked softly, putting the photograph back down on the table. 

"They do. Very much." 

"Then you need to tell them to let me go." I whispered. 

He chuckled shortly, "Like that Tom MacDonald song? Those random lyrics that play through your head and you don't remember listening to the song? That's Tom MacDonald, someone you start listening to in 2020. You are being selfish." 

I looked him straight in the eye. "Selfish because I want to keep living? If I go back I'll still be sick, won't I?" 

"Yes, but this was always supposed to be temporary. We have found a new, potential cure, Miss Everdeen. You could live in the real world." 

"This is my real world." I said heatedly. "And all I can remember now is pain. Pain and suffering and a want to end it all. I refuse to go back to that and you can't make me." 

He grimaced and that was when I realized it. "You actually can't force me to go back, can you?" 

The room around me changed. We were no longer in a library and the book dissolved from my hands. We were in an interrogation room now, with a metal table and two metal chairs with nothing else for decor. The walls were black and there was no window and a single door. 

"I guess now that I don't want to play along things become a little unfriendly." I whispered. 

"I am begging you to reconsider." He said urgently, pushing his glasses up on his face. "You can always return, Miss Everdeen, but for the sake of the experiment. . . I mean you worked so hard to get this position." 

I clutched my head in sudden pain, getting a glimpse of my real past. I was in a wheelchair, sitting by a river. The doctor whispered something in my ear and I slowly let my head go, letting the vision fade away. 

 "Is that what you call hard work?" I whispered, disgusted. "Really?" 

He shrugged. "You're here, aren't you? I figured it was worth it." 

"I'm leaving." I said, moving to the door. "Goodbye doctor." 

He shook his head, opening another door behind him. "You've truly made the wrong choice Miss Everdeen. I pity you. I wonder how your family would react when they find out you don't belong in their world." 

I opened the door in front of me without looking back, stepping back out onto the shore of Hogwarts lake. I looked around, disoriented and then gasped as every emotion came rushing back to me, as though I had suppressed everything down in the Starless Sea. 

Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks now as I looked around. It was still silent, bodies gone from the front of the castle. I wiped my tears, my heart pounding slightly. I wondered how much time had passed down below. After all, seventeen years for me had been five for them. What if months had passed? Years? 

What if my children were three? Five? Twelve? Adults? 

I raced across the rocky surface to where I had been sitting when the doctor had approached me. I breathed out a sigh of relief that my wand, bow, and everything else was still where I had left it. I put my wand in my pocket. It had been stupid of me to leave my wand behind. 

I sighed, sitting once more on the edge of the lake, tense now. There were so many other questions I wanted to ask now. Was I on camera? Had they seen every moment of my life like the Truman Show? Including the sexual parts? Were they still watching me? Could they harm me in here? 

"Hey." A voice made me jump and I looked up to see Harry. He sat down beside me on the shore. "How are you feeling?" 

"I couldn't celebrate." I whispered. I decided right then and there that I wouldn't tell a soul about me being from another world. I didn't want Trang questioning everything she was and I didn't want anyone to question that I belonged to this world. I didn't belong anywhere else. 

"I know." Harry said quietly. I noticed he was holding his picture album in his lap. "There's no pictures of us." 

I looked over at him and then slowly pulled my locket out from underneath my shirt. I hadn't worn it all year, but I had taken it out last night to put on for the fight. 

I opened it up and grabbed the small folded up picture out of practice as it jumped from the locket, before unfolding it. 

Harry took the photo gently, looking at baby me play with the cat while he sat in our parents lap. Sirius was in the photo too, so it was sort've like being able to see everyone at once. 

I also showed him the photos in the locket. How he was sitting with Lily, and I with James. I duplicated the photos while he held them, letting him take the copies so he could put them in his photo album. 

I leaned my head on Harrys' shoulder and he put his arm around me, hugging me close. We watched the giant squid swim about like nothing had happened and for a few seconds, I could feel like everything was normal. 

I heard footsteps cross the grass and then Kingsleys' voice said, "You two should come inside." 

I sighed softly, getting up off the rocky surface, Harry following my lead. 

I turned to face Kingsley and froze, my eyes on another figure behind him. 

"Severus." I whispered, taking a step forwards. And suddenly we were running at each other. I couldn't even think, didn't know how to breathe, but I launched myself into his arms and he wrapped them around me, pulling tight to him. 

"Oh my God, oh my God." I sobbed, burying my face into his chest. 

"I'm here, it's okay. It worked." Severus whispered, smoothing my hair back. "It's okay Elizabeth." 

"You were d-dead!" I sobbed. 

"Yes, I was." Severus whispered. "And then my heart started again. It was just. . . luck." 

He petted my hair and I felt this extraordinary feeling of happiness inside of me. My husband was alive and safe. Everything was going to be okay. We were going to be okay. 

"Come on sweetheart." Severus murmured, "let's go see our kids." 

I nodded, wiping my eyes. 

Kingsley and Harry were both still there, looking extremely awkward. Harry stepped forwards first. "I owe you an apology Sir." 

Severus looked cautious for a second, like he wasn't sure if he should slip back into his cruel demeanor. But then he held his hand out. "None are necessary Potter." They shook hands and then let go. 

"I've been selected as temporary Minister of Magic." Kingsley said. He didn't look the most pleased with Severus, but I was glad that he didn't seem to hate him either. "There will be a trial of course, but with both Harry and Elizabeth here as your defense, along with Voldemort's own words with hundreds of witnesses, you won't even get a fine. And I'll be pardoning you as Minister anyways." 

"Thank you." Severus said, squeezing me tightly. Harry headed back up to the castle and I turned to Severus. 

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up. I just want to talk to Kingsley for one second." 

He nodded, kissing my cheek, before slowly heading back up to the castle as well. 

I stepped forwards and kissed Kingsley gently on the lips, before pulling back, "Thank you." I whispered. "For everything you would have done for us. I know what you were willing to sacrifice for that." 

"It wouldn't have been a sacrifice Elizabeth. I would gladly have done it in a heartbeat." Kingsley said just as softly. I knew what he was saying in that sentence and I said nothing more, squeezing his hand, and then rushed to catch up with Severus, who wasn't that far away. 

Severus took my hand in his and murmured, "Going to have to keep and leash on you if you're going to kiss others." He smirked darkly and turned red. 

"Never again." I promised, blushing red, "It was a thank you kiss, that's all." 

"I know." He said softly now. 

We walked into the Great Hall, pausing in the archway. People murmured, turning to look at us, hand in hand. I took a deep breath and we walked through the Great Hall, looking around. 

"DWADDY!" 

Remus toddled across the Great Hall, which made many of the people around us smile. Severus fell to his knees, sweeping the little boy up in his arms, actually crying, clutching him tightly. The sight lifted my heart and I looked over at the nearby table Remus had run from, expecting to see Trang with the other little ones. 

But my eyes landed on a different person instead and my heart stopped completely for a whole beat, before speeding back up. I raced past my husband and son, before skidding to a stop in front of the table, surveying the person before me. 

"Hi." Dad whispered looking down at me, tears in his eyes. 

I punched him. 

"How could you do that to mean!" I sobbed, not loudly this time at least, pounding my fists against his chest. "I thought you were dead!" 

"I just did what felt right Elizabeth. That was all. It was like. . ." 

"The potion was talking to you?" Harry finished softly. 

"Exactly." Dad said, taking my hands into his as I stopped hitting him, sobbing against his chest. "I'm sorry it caused you so much pain Elizabeth. I'm so sorry." 

I had forgotten that liquid luck did strange things to you. The entire reason that Harry had even gotten the information he needed from Slughorn was because the potion had told him to go to Hagrid. Whatever the liquid luck had told dad and Tonks, it had been to help us win. 

I wiped my tears away, only nodding my head since my throat was to closed up to speak. 

Severus came over next, Remus on his hip. Our son was playing with his long hair, looking rather content. 

"Severus." Dad said, getting to his feet, holding out his hand, which Severus shook. 

Trang was sitting at the table with Tonks, who looked sheepish, along with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Oliver. Ginny was holding Minerva while Luna cooed softly to Elijah Kingsley. 

Professor McGonagall was the next person to come over, looking rather hesitant. Severus beat her to it though. "You don't owe me an apology Minerva." 

Professor McGonagall pretended to be offended. "Who said I was giving you one?" 

Severus smiled a little. 

She smiled gently. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad- Oh is that her!" Her face turned to surprise as she laid eyes on the little girl. Severus looked more startled now and Ginny quickly handed Minerva up. "Well hi there sweetie." I raised an eyebrow, watching my strict Professor coo at the baby in a completely different voice. "You're so beautiful." 

Severus and Remus were both gaping now while I laughed softly, shaking my head. 

I left them for a little bit, checking on all of my friends, seeing who survived. Zacharias from Hufflepuff hadn't stayed, fleeing with the underage students long before the fight started. But Ernie, Hannah, and Susan were okay. I didn't see Justin though. 

Then I checked on the Weasley family, finally able to share their pain in Freds' death. Mrs. Weasley turned to me, with the rest of the family. 

"I am so sorry-" Mrs. Weasley engulfed me into one of her hugs, sobbing in my shoulder. Tears ran down my cheeks once more, as I was sure they would for many days to come. 

Percy, surprisingly, hugged me next. "It wasn't your fault. You tried." He said thickly, squeezing me tightly. 

I was hugged by all of them, George last. "George. . ." I whispered as he took my hands into his. "I. . ." 

He just pulled me into him, crying. "He was happy, Eliza. His ghost was happy. You showed us him one last time." 

I hadn't really thought about it like that. I had gotten to see them one last time too. Uncle Moody and Sirius and Cedric and Dumbledore and Dobby and everyone I had loved and known. 

"I just wish I had saved him." I whispered. 

"You saved him in other ways." George murmured, finally letting me go. 

And lastly, I stopped over by Firenze, who was being treated by some other Centaurs. Ivagio and Ronan were helping him out. 

"You did wonderfully with the herb bandage Elizabeth Kane." Ivagio complimented me before I had even knelt down next to them. He was reapplying the bandage tightly and Firenze gritted his teeth in pain. 

"Thank you Ivagio." I said softly. "Will Bane keep his promise?" 

"Promise?" Firenze asked sleepily. 

"I asked if he would take you back to the forest after the battle was over." I said softly, stroking his blond hair back from his face. "He said he would, but now that it is really over, I want to know if he will keep it." 

"He will." Ivagio promised me. "We always keep our promises." 

I nodded. "Good." I hesitated and then said, "I hope this is not the last time I see you." 

Firenze took my hand. Ronan got up, trotting over to some of the other Centaurs, but Ivagio stayed beside the two of us. "I have seen the stars. It may be many years, but we will see each other again Elizabeth." 

I squeezed his hand, before leaning over and kissing his cheek. "As fate says." I whispered, then stood. I squeezed Ivagios' shoulder and walked away. 

"Are you ready to go home?" Severus asked as I rejoined him. 

I scanned the room once more. The Malfoys were reunited, simply sitting on one of the tables, isolated, as though they didn't know whether to leave or ask someone if they should be arrested. Lucius met my eyes and he nodded once, before turning away. 

"Almost." I said softly, seeing Lee sitting by himself, his head bowed and his hands folded as though in prayer. "There's one last thing I have to do." 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 25

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕴𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜 tree, there is a woman stuck in time. 

Harry stayed kneeling by Severus side. Fawkes heavy weight on my shoulder was trying to comfort me, his head pressed against mine. 

She has seen all the right doors. Made every right choice. 

"You have fought." Voldemort's voice barely penetrated my thoughts. "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery." 

Done everything that she could possibly do. 

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste." 

She tried to save someone. Many someones. But couldn't. 

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured." 

The memory of her husbands laugh suddenly plays in her mind, holding their year old son above his head while the newborn babies sit in their cribs, watching with interest- if a newborn can show interest. 

"I speak now, Harry Potter and Elizabeth Kane, directly to you. You have permitted your friends and family to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour." 

Her husband holds her hair back as she vomits into the toilet, her stomach round with his child. 

"Don't listen to him." Ron said. 

"It'll be all right. Let's- let's go back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan-

She hears her friends moving, getting ready to leave, but the noises seem separate from reality. Or her dream. She's not really sure which side of the veil she's on now. 

"Elizabeth we need to go." Hermione begs me, her hand on my shoulder. Fawkes lets out another cry, nudging my head with his beak. 

Hands lift me under my arms, breaking me out of my trance and thoughts. The tears don't come like I thought they would. Instead, I walk after them, Harry keeping a tight hold on my elbow as we cross the battlefield. 

Bodies littered the lawn of the castle. 

The Fallen Fifty. 

But these bodies out here would be almost all Death Eaters, though of course Neville and Oliver would be bringing more bodies in. 

"Where is everyone?" Hermione asked. 

"Great Hall." I said softly, bending down and picking up one of the emeralds that had been scattered on the floor from the House Points. I ran my thumb along the cold, smooth surface of the gem. 

Ron led the way to the Great Hall and I stopped in the doorway with Harry as Ron and Hermione went on to go to Rons' family. 

I could see Madam Pomfrey working with several Hufflepuffs to take care of the injured, laying them out on the tables and other raised platforms. My eyes landed on Firenze, who had been injured, laying on his side as his flank poured blood, which had started to pool around him on the floor. 

I started to head towards him, when I saw them. My legs gave out, my mouth dropping into a soundless cry. 

Dad and Tonks, laying dead next to Fred. 

I had lost all of them. 

No matter how hard I tried. 

I couldn't change the future. 

I put my hand over my heart, fingers clawed, digging them into my shirt like I was going to rip my own heart out. I wanted to, from the pain that was tearing through my entire body. My hands moved up to my body, fisting my hair painfully and when someone called my name and I lowered them, strands of brown hair came away, my scalp stinging where they'd released. 

It had been Firenze who had called for me, his pained Sapphire eyes on me.

I staggered to my feet and walked towards him, sitting down next to him. I summoned cloth and wadded it up, putting pressure on his wound, looking around. 

"Who did you lose, Elizabeth Kane?" Firenze asked softly. 

I looked at him. "Everyone." 

"I'm sorry." He murmured. 

I nodded, blinking tears and then looked around. "SUSAN!" 

Susan turned, her face blotchy with tears, but came over all the same. She kept the pressure on Firenze while I went to Madam Pomfrey, getting the herbs I needed. I knew that she knew Dad was dead and she kept looking at me, but I ignored her looks. I needed to focus now. I couldn't have anything distract me from my current task. 

Like with Cedric, with Sirius, with Dumbledore, with Uncle Moody, I pushed the pain and loss down, once more locking my emotions away in my heart. I methodically treated Firenze with the herbs, before sewing the wound up with magic. He still wasn't able to stand and I used only forest herbs as a pain relief medicine, which he sipped. 

He rested his head on my leg and I stroked his blond white hair back as he slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep. 

I finally stood up, knowing that I needed to do several things before the hour was up, and I was already twenty minutes in. 

I approached my dad, Tonks, and Fred. Bill saw me coming and enveloped me into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth." 

"I lost everyone." My voice broke and I swallowed hard, desperate to keep back tears. "I tried Bill. I killed Dolohov and I gave them liquid luck they should've. . . I did everything." 

"I know." He whispered. "Percy told us." 

I wiped my eyes, slowly pulling from his embrace and walked over to Dad, sitting in the small space between the two of them. My fingers shakily reached out, touching his hand. I let out a sob, feeling how cold his fingers were. 

"DAMNIT!" I screamed, slamming my fists against his still chest. I buried my head against chest, sobbing. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! WHY?" I screamed. 

"Elizabeth." Kingsleys' strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from my father. "Easy there." 

"Why?" I sobbed, clutching Kingsleys' arm like a child holding a teddy bear. "Why me? Why do I lose everyone I love? What did I do?" 

"You didn't do anything." Kingsley said softly. "You did everything you could." 

"They're all dead Kingsley." I sobbed. "Severus too which means I don't have anyone to help me raise the kids. How am I supposed to do this? I don't know what to do!" My tears dripped down his arm and he hugged me closer. 

"You have me." He said softly. "I'll be whatever you need me to be, for you and for the kids. Anything you need." 

He held me for a long time, before the clock chimed that I had about fifteen minutes before the hour was up. I wiped my eyes, locking the emotions away again, getting to my feet dizzily. 

"I'm going to try and find Harry." I said with a slight hiccup. "Thank you for. . ." I drifted off. 

Kingsley nodded, squeezing my shoulder, and walked over to where McGonagall was with the other Professors. 

I knelt back down, kissing Dad's cheek. "I- I love you so much daddy." I took his and Tonks hands, lacing their fingers together, before getting back up and leaving without looking back. 

Originally, I had planned on going upstairs to see Trang, to tell her what had happened. To tell her Oliver was okay as well. Now, I couldn't face her, to tell her I had failed spectacularly. Dad had been a second dad to her and she had loved Tonks and Fred and had been so happy I had Severus. How could I tell her they were all dead? 

Instead, I walked down to the edge of the forest where I knew Harry was going to come in his invisibility cloak. However, I paused as I saw the older Slytherin boy kneeling over a body. I knew Oliver and Neville were bringing in the other bodies, but he made me curious. 

"It's my fault." The boy hadn't even turned to see who it was, but he didn't care. "It's my fault that he's dead." 

"No it's not." I whispered, stepping up to him. It was one of the Slytherin boys, one of the brave ones that had stayed to fight. "It's not your fault. You didn't know he would die." 

"If I hadn't insisted that some of us fight. . ." He murmured. 

"You were noble." I said softly. "That's what Slytherins are. You and the other ten that stayed to fight with us, they are the noblest of their house." 

"And where did that get him?" He asked, gently closing the lids of the young boys eyes. I didn't even know his name. He picked the young boy up in his arms and turned to me. "Don't give yourself over Kane. Or he will have died for nothing." And with that, he continued to walk up to the castle, passing Oliver as he came out of the castle for another body. 

I hesitated, and then finally continued walking, turning into a cat so I wouldn't be tempted to stop for any reason. The dementors were nearby, but they didn't affect me as much as a cat, Sirius had been right about the animal part of that. 

I waited in a tree until I heard his footsteps and his shaky breath. I let out a few meows and saw him lift the edge of the invisibility cloak up. I leapt down, turning human as he put the cloak over me. 

We just stared at each other for a couple of seconds, under the cloak. His green eyes, so much like our mothers' looked back into my brown ones, so much like my fathers. And in that moment, the pressure of my tongue- a pressure I had never noticed before- lifted. 

"I'm your sister." 

"You're my sister." Harry said at the exact same time. 

Of course, Severus probably had that in his memories. 

"You never told me before." Harry said softly. 

"Would you believe me if I told you I wanted to, but couldn't?" I asked softly. 

Harry was silent for a moment and then whispered, "Yes." 

"But I can now and it's bittersweet." I whispered. "That we should get so little time together as a family." 

He pulled me into a hug, which I returned, gripping him tightly. "You were always my sister Elizabeth, this just means we share the same blood too." 

I breathed in shakily, pulling back. "I don't want to make you late for your a-appointment." My voice cracked and I wiped under my eyes. I tapped the pouch that he had hanging around his neck. "I open at the close." 

Harry pulled it open, breathing hard and fast as he stared down at it. He pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die." We watched the metal shell break open and I whispered. "Lumos." 

The black stone was smooth except for the jagged crack running down the center. It sat in the middle of the two halves of the snitch, like a cherry whose chocolate shell had been split. The Resurrection Stone had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle representing the Cloak and the stone were also discernible. 

Harry closed his eyes, turning the stone over in his hand several times, before opening his eyes and looking around. 

Harry's eyes flicked between figures before settling on one. I wished I could see them again, though I knew if I took the stone I would see different people. While I would also see James, Lily, Sirius, and Dad, I knew I would also see Uncle Moody, Cedric, Fred, and Severus. And with my new plan in mind, I wasn't sure if I could handle the emotional trauma it would put me through. 

"They say hello." Harry said softly, holding his hand out. I knew he wanted me to take it, so that we could talk to them together, but I shook my head and actually took a step back. 

"If I touch it Harry, I'll take it and run and never let it go." I whispered. "And it'll drive me mad. . . like the second brother." I kissed his cheek. "I love you." 

I dipped out of the Cloak before he could say anything, taking off as a cat, racing away from my brother and from the stone. I had meant what I said. I would never let the stone go, and for that reason I didn't need to know where he dropped it. 

So, I did the only thing I could do to get the stone and the possibility of seeing my family again off my mind. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"𝕳𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝕻𝖔𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖎𝖘 dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone." Voldemorts' voice echoed throughout the land. "The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together." 

I stroked Buckbeaks' feathers as I sat upon his back. The hippogriff scratched his taloned foot against the dirt floor of the forest. I heard hooves approaching but did not even turn, knowing that they were the Centaurs. 

"Elizabeth Kane." Banes' voice was the one who said my name. 

"Bane." I said softly, looking over at him now, bowing my head slightly and greeted the others, "Ronan, Ivagio, Magorian, Zane." 

"How are you, Elizabeth Kane?" Ivagio asked. He had always reminded me of Kingsley- but as a Centaur- with dark chocolate skin and brown hair which was also more wild than the other centaurs, though just as silky. But he also had a calming manner although if we were being honest his face was far prettier than Kingsleys'. 

"I have fallen victim to my own human wills. I am seeking revenge." I sighed. 

"Well, you are only human." Ivagio sighed. Bane snorted. 

I let Buckbeak go as far as the crest of the hill near Hagrids' cabin, just so that I could see what was going on. The Death Eaters were just approaching the castle, the students, teachers, parents, and shopkeepers were gathered on the front steps. 

"NO!" I watched Professor McGonagalls' hands fly to her mouth and my heart clenched, hearing her make such a sound. Bellatrix laughed giddily at her pain. 

"No!" 

"No!" 

"Harry! HARRY!" 

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny screamed for him as well. 

"SILENCE!" Voldemort shouted with a bang and a flash of bright light. 

The centaurs gathered near me once more, their bows at their ready. I touched my own bow, which was slung neatly over my back, plenty of arrows in my quiver. Perhaps it was a stupid move, but I knew it would have an element of surprise, especially since I had imbued my arrows with a quick acting poison that would paralyze anyone- which was why I was wearing dragonhide gloves. 

"Elizabeth Kane, when do we attack?" Ivagio asked. 

Magorian and Bane both shot him a look, which plainly said that they did not appreciate his question. 

"When Voldemort lights the Sorting Hat on fire." I answered steadily. 

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself-" 

Neville threw himself at Voldemort, taking the Dark Lord by surprise, before they fought and then Voldemort threw him off, Neville hitting the ground. Voldemort threw Neville's wand to the side and laughed, "And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?" 

Bellatrix laughed out the creepiest laugh I would ever hear (until Kamala Harris became VP) and said, "It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?" 

Neville struggled to his feet as Voldemort looked down upon him. "Ah, yes, I remember. But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked. Neville curled his hands into fists. 

I snorted, knowing that Voldemort knew Neville was a pureblood and hence why he chose Harry as his equal. 

"So what if I am?" 

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom." 

"I'll join you when hell freezes over. DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!" The crowd behind Neville cheered loudly, breaking Voldemort's silencing charm. 

"I do not understand, I thought they were unable to make noise." Ivagio said, a slight frown on his face. 

"Love is a type of magic." I answered. "When Harry died for everyone, it means that Voldemort doesn't have the same power over them as he once would. The same way our mother died for him, it protected him from Voldemort too." 

"Very well. If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it." He said so quietly I almost didn't catch the last bit. Voldemort waved his wand, glass shattering and the Sorting hat hat landed in Voldemorts' hand. He shook it out to reveal its' shape to everyone else who could not see the future and therefore, had no idea what it was. 

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom." 

I pulled my bow off of my back, notching my arrow, the centaurs following suit without question. I heard thundering footsteps behind me, though Grawp was not actually visible. 

Neville grew rigid and still as Voldemort pointed his wand at him. The hat was forced upon his head and my lip curled at the edge a little. Voldemort had just killed himself with this action, and he didn't even know it. The irony of it all would perhaps have been funnier if my family was alive. 

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me." 

The sorting hat burst into flames with a flick of his wand. Screams started up at the castle and we charged. The centaurs screaming their war cries. 

I steadied my bow, aiming at the target. Grawp had emerged from the forest now, quickly overtaking us so that he came lumbering around the side of the castle first, screaming, "HAGGER!" Voldemort's giants ran at him, making the ground shake. 

Buckbeak raced across the grounds, as though trying to race the Centaurs who were much faster and swifter. Their arrows were already flying through the air, hitting the giants and Death Eaters. I let my own arrow go, hitting one of the Death Eaters directly in the neck. 

I didn't look around much, just notching a second arrow and letting it fly almost immediately. But what I did see, for half a second, was Kingsley, simply looking at me with pride on his face. Despite me knowing that the Centaurs would've come on their own, I knew that the others were thinking I had rallied them together. 

A little bit of narcissism would lead to me never disputing this. 

Neville moved, breaking free of the body-bind curse, the hat falling off of his head, and he drew the Sword of Gryffindor from the brim of it. With one single, flawless stroke, Neville cut the head of Nagini from her body. 

Voldemort screamed, something no one could actually hear over all of the fighting. 

I dismounted Buckbeak as I let loose more arrows. Hagrid was roaring something I couldn't hear and Buckbeak lunged for the sky, taking off to help Grawp scratch the eyes of the giants, along with the thestrals. 

I casted shield charms and stunning spells alike into the crowds, protecting my fellow fighters, stunning my enemies. 

I could see Slughorn and Charlie fighting together as I scampered up the stairs. Bane, Ronan, and Magorian burst into the Great Hall by my side and I saw Firenze raise his head weakly, before a small smile came upon his face. 

I heard small voices jabbering and glanced over to see the house-elves rush the Death Eaters with their meat cleavers and steak knives, screaming their own war cries. I could even make out Winky, simply by the fact that she was clothed, a knife in each hand as she leapt upon the back of one of the Death Eaters, stabbing him repeatedly in the back. 

Ouch, that had to hurt. 

Voldemort was still fighting ferociously now, even as his troops seemed to be falling under the weight of the others. George and Lee slammed Yaxley to the ground and I ran over him, hearing George shout something behind me that I couldn't make out. 

Hagrid also probably got great satisfaction at throwing Macnair against the room. The executioner hit the stone wall and slid down it, unconscious. 

Aberforth stunned Rookwood, Mr. Weasley and Percy were fighting Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa ran through the crowd, not fighting, just screaming for their son. 

"Lucius!" I called out. He spun as Narcissa stopped, looking a little pale when he saw it was me. 

"O-Oh Miss-" 

"Draco isn't here." I said. "He's upstairs on the third floor in an alcove after two rights and a left." 

"Thank you!" Narcissa gasped out, the two of them fleeing for the door. I raced on. 

Voldemort was dueling Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn. I felt a pride swell inside of me for Slughorn. He had been the one who had wanted to retreat, who didn't want to fight, yet was fighting Voldemort. Voldemort, the young boy whom Slughorn had told about horcruxes. Slughorn, the Professor who had loved Voldemort like the rest of his Slug club. A man that Slughorn was terrified of. And now, he was helping finish him off. 

There was poetry in there somewhere. 

Bellatrix was also fighting. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were fighting with all of their might, but Bellatrix was strong and equal to their skill. I gasped aloud as a green jet of light missed Ginny by inches and it was only in that moment that I realized she was actually, really fighting. 

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" 

Mrs. Weasley threw off her patched cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun where she was standing, roaring with laughter as she saw who had come to fight her. 

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. I couldn't help but watch for a moment between the two duels. Mrs. Weasley fought with such skill, I had never expected it of her- for which I was ashamed. She was a very talented witch in the dueling ways as well so it seemed. 

'No!" Mrs. Weasley said as students and her sons ran forwards to help. "Get back! Get back! She's mine!" 

Mr. Weasley hesitated, looking like he wanted to run forwards and help anyways. Bill put a hand on his shoulder, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned pure white. 

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?" Bellatrix taunted. Anger boiled under my skin. 

"You- will -never- touch -our -children -again!" Mrs. Weasley shouted between curses. 

There was poetry once more was Bellatrix laughed, the same exact way as Sirius had laughed, before the green jet of light flew under her outstretched arm. She toppled over, dead, her laugh imprinted on her face like her cousins. 

Voldemort let out a scream of fury, causing McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn to fly back into the rest of the crowd that was simply watching now, good guys and bad guys alike. 

"PROTEGO!" I shouted, putting a protective barrier between Voldemort and Mrs. Weasley as Voldemort turned on her. 

Voldemort faced me, a dead silence filling the room. "Elizabeth Kane I presume. I have heard quite a lot about you." 

"All good things I hope?" I asked lightly, keeping a calm exterior while anger and hatred boiled under my skin. Lee and George both let out shorts laughs of disbelief, before the hall descended into quiet once more. 

He sneered, lifting his arms, gesturing to the hall. "You truly think you can defeat me? You are not the chosen one, the prophecy says I killed him. You. . . You cannot kill me." 

"There were two other children born that same day as the prophecy says." I said quietly. "There was Neville, but you didn't choose him because the one you wanted to mark as your equal wasn't a pureblood wizard, was it? No, you chose the half-blood wizard, just like yourself." 

"You dare-" 

"-and then there was me." I said simply. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name, is Elizabeth Kane Lupin Potter." There were gasps in the Great Hall which I ignored. "And I am very much enjoying the poetic justice of it all. Three of us to be the possible chosen ones. You killed my brother, the one you chose. The one you didn't finished your last Horcrux off. And now, the one you didn't even know existed, is going to kill you." 

I raised my wand in an instant. 

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

We shouted at the same time, green lights colliding with each other instead of shooting past each other. People gasped throughout the Great Hall and I had to work hard not to show my surprise, acting like this was part of the plan. 

I recognized it a little bit from my visions from my fourth year. The way Harry and Voldemort's original wands connected with the twin core. 

But this was different. Instead of gold, the bond between the two of us was silver. And instead of the ghosts appearing one by one, they came in groups, and only on my side. 

And they were all there. It wasn't just Lily and James and Sirius and Uncle Moody. It was everyone I had ever known that was dead. The entire Fallen Fifty and Cedric and Dumbledore. Fred winked at his parents, waving, while George dissolved into tears along with the rest of his family. 

McGonagall clasped a hand over her mouth as she saw Dumbledore. My arms shook as I kept the wand lifted high. Voldemort looked terrified, the first emotion I had really seen in a while. 

"You are so brave." Lily whispered softly, to soft for anyone but me to hear. 

"Everything is going to be okay." James whispered too. 

I wished Dad and Tonks and Severus and Harry would stand next to me. I wanted to see them all one last time, tell them I was sorry. 

"Elizabeth." Harry's voice spoke next to me, but I couldn't see him for some reason. "Let it go. I need to finish this. Let go." 

"We love you two." Lily and James said together. "Take care of each other." 

"Let go." Sirius said. 

I let it go. My wrist snapped back and I bit my tongue hard. Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off, showing that he was still alive, which should've confused the hell out of me since I hadn't seen it, but now I didn't care. I still had someone. I still had my brother. 

"HE'S ALIVE!" People shouted before stifling themselves. 

"I don't want anyone else to try to help." Harry said, holding a hand out to me, giving me a look. I took a few steps back, though I hated to do so. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me." 

"Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter? Your sister?" 

"Nobody. There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . ." 

"One of us? You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?" 

"Accident, was it, when my- when our mother died to save me?" Harry asked. An electric shock seemed to go through me at those words. Words I had been longing to hear forever. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?" 

I had backed up, giving Harry the room he needed. Now that he was here, the entire scenario had been laid out before me and I knew they both needed the space. They were circling each other now, keeping a perfect distance between the two of them the entire time. 

"Accidents! Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!" 

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight. You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-" 

"But you did not!" 

"- I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what  my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?" 

"You dare-" 

"Yes, I dare. I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?" 

"Is it love again?" He sneered. "Dumbledore's favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter- and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?" 

I started forwards like I was going to take the curse for Harry- and I would've in a heart beat- but I stopped myself. 

"Just one thing." Harry said. 

"If it is not love that will save you this time, you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?" 

"I believe both." 

Voldemort started to laugh, which made the hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand up on end. "You think you know more magic than I do? than I, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?" 

"Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what  you've done." 

"You mean he was weak!" Voldemort screamed. "Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!" 

"No, he was cleverer than you, a better wizard, a better man." 

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" 

"You thought you did, but you were wrong." Harry said. The crowd around us stirred, drawing breath. Some even looked towards the door, perhaps seeing if Dumbledore would walk through it. Aberforth straightened up, looking directly at Harry. 

"Dumbledore is dead! His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!" 

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead, but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant." 

"What childish dream is this?" 

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down our mother. The moment you started hunting my sister. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?" 

"Snape's patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children, until he fell in love with my sister." 

Okay when Harry put it like that it sounded weird. 

"You should have realized, he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?" 

"He desired her, that was all, but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him-" 

"Of course he told you that, but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!" Harry looked at me, "I owe you an apology." 

I shook my head. 

"It matters not!" Voldemort let out another cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's or this girls or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great love! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand! Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy- I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!" 

I swallowed hard, thinking of Severus, laying on the ground of the shrieking shack, blood dripping down his collarbone, eyes glazed over, Fawkes still sitting on his shoulder as I was dragged away. 

"Yeah, it did. You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done. . . Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . ." 

"What is this?" Voldemort hissed, drawing his hands away like a vampire in a black and white movie when the curtains are drawn and the sun extends inside the house. 

"It's your one last chance, it's all you've got left. . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . Be a man. . . try. . . Try for some remorse. . ." 

"You dare-?" 

"Yes, I dare, because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle." Harry said. I watched his fingers tighten around his wand, his fingers beckoning to me to step up next to him. I did so, approaching slowly to stand next to him. 

"That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore." 

"He killed-" 

"Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!" 

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last mater's wishes! Its power is mine!" 

I actually rolled my eyes. For a super scary, evil bad dude, he was quite dumb. 

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard. . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance. The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy." 

Blank shock showed in Voldemorts' face for a moment, but then it was gone. 

"But what does it matter?" He was being very bipolar switching between screaming and whispering. I sort've got it now. Bipolar people were pretty scary. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone. . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy. . ." 

"But you're too late. You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him." 

My heart was beating faster in my throat. I turned my wand over in my fingers. Everything would end in less than twenty seconds. 

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hands know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does. . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand." Harry finished dramatically. 

His words were punctured as a bright sunset of red-gold burst across the enchanted sky above us. The sun dazzled over the sill of the nearest window. The three of us cried out together, Harry lacing his fingers with mine at the same time. 

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort and I shouted. 

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted. 

The three jets of light created gold and silver flames, the sound of a cannon blast echoing through the great hall. The Elder Wand flew high, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through air toward the master it would not kill. Harry caught it with his free hand and Voldemort fell backwards, arms splayed, his red eyes rolling upward to reveal only the whites. 

Voldemort was dead, Harry standing with two wands in one hand, mine in his other. 

There was a single second of silence before screams and cheers and roars echoed through the air. 

I saw them running seconds before they actually would be and slipped my hand out of Harrys. Ron, Hermione reached us first as I took a step back. Ginny, Neville, and Luna were next and then the adults. Hagrid and Kingsley and McGonagall and Sprout. . .

I weaved in and out of the crowd, people grabbing my shoulders, yelling mine and Harry's names, before I slipped out away from them completely and through the Great Hall doors. Once free, I raced down the Grand steps and sprinted out of the castle, not stopping till I reached the lake shore. 

I stood there for one second, tears falling down my face, before I collapsed to the ground and cried. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 24

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕴 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖔𝖚𝖙 a scream, falling to my knees. It was a scream full of pure anguish, all of the hurt and sorrow building up inside of me, followed by a triple shot of guilt. Fred was dead. . . and it was completely my fault. I hadn't gotten him what he needed in time. I had fucked up. 

It was all my fault. 

Fred was dead. 

And it was my fault. 

I should have given myself over to Voldemort. That would saved all of the lives, not just the four I intended to save. It could saved the entire Fallen Fifty. 

Voldemort didn't even want me dead. 

How could I have been so selfish? 

A body tackled me to the ground, before attempting to pull me up again as jets of light from curses flew past our heads. Harry's face swam before my eyes, pulling me after him. "Percy, come on, we've got to move!" He shouted. 

I could hear Ron, also begging Percy to move, but Percy wouldn't, laying across Fred's body. 

Hermione screamed, but I didn't move an inch, knowing it was just a spider. Who cared about a spider when Fred was dead? 

"It brought friends!" Harry shouted. 

Severus. 

His name snapped me back. I wiped the tears away from my face. I would have time to mourn him later, in the arms of my husband and children if I could make it through this battle and save him. That was my main focus now. 

I shot spells at the spiders, attacking ferociously, putting extreme power behind them. 

Let's move, NOW!" Harry shouted, pushing Hermione ahead of him, before stooping to seize Fred's body. Percy helped him, moving him to a niche that had once been home to a suit of armor. We took off down the corridor after that, finding that Death Eaters and students were battling each other. 

"ROOKWOOD!" Percy roared and sprinted after a tall man who was chasing students. As much as I wanted to chase after him, to kill a few more Death Eaters myself, I contended myself with Dolohovs' death, and stayed with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They were my ticket to Severus. 

"Harry, in here!" Hermione screamed, restraining Ron from running after the Death Eaters too. "Listen to me- LISTEN, RON!" 

"I wanna help- I wanna kill Death Eaters-" 

"Ron, we're the only ones who can end it! Please- Ron- we need the snake, we've got to kill the snake!" Hermione said, begging and desperate, looking at me. "We will fight! We'll have to, to reach the snake! But let's not lose sight of what we're supposed to be d-doing! We're the only ones who can end it!" 

Hermione and I both wiped our faces at the same time. Hermione turned to Harry once she was sure Ron was calm enough not to run off. "You need to find out where Voldemort is, because he'll have the snake with him, won't he? Do it, Harry- look inside him!" 

It took Harry only forty-five seconds before he said, "He's in the Shrieking Shack. The snake's with him, it's got some sort of magical protection around it. He's just sent Lucius Malfoy to find Snape." 

My heart thudded in my chest. 

"Voldemort's sitting in the Shrieking Shack? He's not- he's not even fighting?" Hermione asked angrily. 

"He doesn't think he needs to fight. He thinks I'm going to go to him." Harry said. 

"But why?" 

"He knows I'm after Horcruxes- he's keeping Nagini close beside him- obviously I'm going to have to go to him to get near the thing-" 

"Right. So you can't go, that's what he wants, what he's expecting. You stay here and look after Hermione, and I'll go and get it-" Ron started. 

"You three stay here, I'll go under the Cloak and I'll be back as soon as I-" 

"No, it makes much more sense if I take the Cloak and-" 

"Don't even think about it." Ron snarled at Hermione. 

"Ron, I'm just as capable-" 

The tapestry was ripped open, two Death Eaters standing on the other side, wands raised. "POTTER! KANE!" 

"Glisseo!" I shouted. 

The six of us hurtled down the once stairs slide. The four of us slid through the concealing tapestry at the bottom, spinning onto the floor, hitting the opposite wall. My back was now killing me and I wondered what I had hit earlier. 

"Duro!" Hermione shouted, pointing it at the tapestry, which turned to stone and there was a sickening crunch as they hit it. 

"Get back!" Ron shouted. We threw ourselves against the wall as Professor McGonagall came sprinting past with a herd of galloping desks. 

"CHARGE!" She screamed as they turned the corner. I almost laughed. 

"Harry, you get the Cloak on, never mind us-" Hermione started. 

He attempted to throw it over the four of us, but I slipped into cat form and moved alongside them as we moved through the halls. 

We ran down a staircase and found ourselves in a corridor full of duelers. The portraits on either side of the fighters were crammed with painted characters screaming advice and encouragement. The Death Eaters were both partly unmasked, though some had managed to keep their disguises. 

As my original vision had Dean battling Dolohov, I was unsure who this Death Eater was. Parvati was fighting Travers. There were several other students and I even saw one of the Slytherin boys battling a Death Eater, who look so much like him I could've sworn they were brothers. From the pained look on the Slytherin boys face, I gathered they were. 

"Stupefy!" I returned to human form, stunning the Death Eater. No point in making him kill his own brother if that was what it came to to save his own life. 

Peeves zoomed ahead, dropping Snargaluff pods on the Death Eaters heads, which unfortunately also fell on the invisibility cloak, giving away their location, especially with Ron's loud yell. 

"Someone's invisible there!" One of the Death Eaters shouted. Dean stunned him immediately, with Parvati putting the full body-bind curse on the Death Eater Dean had been fighting. 

"LET'S GO!" I heard Harry shout. I leapt up onto one of the ledges, racing along it while the others weaved in and out of the fighters- probably since I couldn't actually see them. I did however seen Draco try and plead with a Death Eater before the said Death Eater was stunned. Then Draco reeled back with a bloody mouth as Ron- if my vision lined up at least- punched him in the face. 

"And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" Ron shouted. 

I leapt from the ledge onto the railing, turning human to slide down it safely. Flitwick was fighting Yaxley, Kingsley was fighting a masked Death Eater, but the one I laid eyes on, was Greyback, who had just knocked Lavender to the ground. 

I could still save her. I leapt off the banister, landing on the shoulders of Greyback, wrenching him backwards. While Lavender was bleeding from the neck, her chest was still heaving and I took it as a good sign. 

Greyback snarled, struggling. I yelped as he bit my hand and then scratched his neck with my nails before he successfully flung me off. I scrambled back to my feet, barely blocking the curse he sent my way. 

Greyback staggered suddenly as a crystal ball fell upon his head, shattering and he howled as there was a bright white flash. 

"I have more! More for any who want them! Here-" 

I saw Professor Trelawney heave another crystal ball up from her large stack and send it flying with her wand, taking out two more Death Eaters before it crashed through the window. 

I was so glad she hadn't been sacked. 

Suddenly, Greyback lunged from where he'd been laying down, stunned, grabbing me. We wrestled on the ground, my wand flying from my hand, rolling across the marble ground until it touched the back of Kingsley's foot. 

"Hng." I let out a huff as Greyback kneed me in the stomach so hard I saw dots dance in my vision along with his terrifying, bloody face. Clearly, Lavender was not the only person he had bitten tonight. 

"Finally." Greyback howled as I struggled underneath him. He bit into the side of my neck and I screamed in pain, flailing now, hoping to get free somehow. His teeth dug deeper, pain searing up to my head. 

"Avada Kedavra!" Two different voices shouted it. Greyback sat up, going to run from me, but he was two late as both jets hit him in the back and he toppled to the side, dead. 

"Elizabeth!" Dad knelt down in front of me, face white. "Elizabeth can you hear me?" 

"We have to move her somewhere safe." Kingsley's voice was next to my ear as he pressed a cloth against my shoulder. 

"No!" I snapped, quickly getting to my feet. "No I have to go." 

"Elizabe-" Dad tried. 

"No." I said forcefully, looking at Dad. "I've wasted to much time. I have to save Severus before he kills him." 

Dad didn't want to let me go. 

"Dad please!" I begged, wrenching my arm out of his grip finally and looked at Kingsley. "Voldemort will kill Severus unless I can get to him first. I cannot lose him, do you understand?" 

Kingsley held my wand out without a word, which I snatched up and sprinted off without looking back. My heart felt lighter too, realizing I had seen dad when I hadn't seen him in my visions. I had saved Dads life and Tonks. I could save Severus too. 

"Oh fuck!" I shouted, dodging to the side as Grawp was fighting with a much bigger giant, before scrambling back to my feet, sprinting towards the forest and the Whomping Willow. 

As I sprinted, I saw that I had just caught up to Luna, Ernie, and Seamus who were also racing towards Harry, Hermione, and Ron who were trying to create patronuses to keep the Dementors away. 

"Expecto Patronum!" I shouted, my Wildcat patronus leaping up into the sky with the others. The animals chased the dementors away and Ron turned to face us. "Can't thank you enough, you just saved-" 

There was an earth-quaking tremor, and another giant came lurching out of the darkness from the forest, brandishing a wooden club that was bigger than any of us. 

"RUN!" Harry screamed. I darted off in the direction they were going. 

"Let's get out of range!" Ron yelled. 

"The Whomping Willow, go!" Harry answered. 

We sprinted, none of us saying a word. Most of the fighting was near the castle, very few fighting out here so we weren't in any danger of being hit by wayward spells. 

We finally slowed down as we got into whomping distance of the Whomping Willow. 

"How- how're we going to get in?" Ron panted. I bent over, my hands on my knees. My entire body hurt and more blood was still leaking from my neck and shoulder injury. "I can- see the place- if we just had- Crookshanks again-" 

"Crookshanks?" I sputtered out. "Are you a wizard, or what?" 

"Oh- right- yeah- Wingardium Leviosa!" 

My heart was pounding as the branch Ron levitated prodded the knot that would keep the elder tree still. 

"Perfect." Hermione panted. 

I started forwards. 

"Wait." 

"Harry, we're coming, just get in there!" Ron said, pushing Harry forwards. 

Harry led and I turned into a cat once more to follow. The others had to crawl, until the path started to slope upwards. Hermione tugged on Harry's ankle, brushing my fur side. I wondered if she could tell it was matted with blood. "The cloak! Put the cloak on!" 

Harry dragged it over his head, whispering the spell to put the light out. I was glad my fur was black, so that I could blend in quite well with the shadows. Harry edged right up to the opening and I shifted closer to the wall, before leaping up on a ledge, well above all of their heads, though still outside of the room. From my angle, I could see both Severus and Voldemort, as well as Nagini. 

". . .though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there. . . almost." Voldemort was saying at the moment. 

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please." Severus walked past the gap and I leapt to the other side so that I could still see him. Voldemort stood up, giving me a clearer view of him as well, though he could not see me, even if he looked straight at me. 

"I have a problem, Severus." Voldemort said softly. 

"My Lord?" Severus asked. 

Voldemort raised Dumbledore's Wand, holding it delicately, reminding me of one of those muggle Ensemble Leaders that conducted the marching bands or a band conductor himself. "Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?" 

"My- my Lord? I do not understand. You- you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand." 

"No, I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand. . . no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago. No difference." 

There was a silence before Voldemort started to speak again, "I have thought long and hard, Severus. . . Do you know why I have called you back from the battle?" 

I watched Severus' eyes, which were focused solely on Naginis' cage. I hoped that he was keeping his blocks in place, instead of wondering if the runes I had carved into his neck were enough. 

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter." 

"You sound like Lucius. Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me. I know his weakness, you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come." 

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by one other than yourself-" 

"My instructions to my Death Eaters have been perfectly clear. Capture Potter and Kane. Kill their friends- the more, the better- but do not kill them. Once I have discarded of Potter, Kane will go to Greyback. . . as promised." 

There was a fury in Severus' eyes then and I felt a relief in my bones that I had killed Greyback. 

"But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter or Elizabeth Kane. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable." 

"My Lord knows I seek only to serve him. But- let me go and find them, my Lord. Let me bring them to you. I know I can-" 

"I have told you, no!" Voldemort said. "My concern at the moment, Severus, is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!" 

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely-?" 

"-but there is a question, Severus. There is." Voldemort stopped walking, sliding the Elder wand through his long, spindly white fingers, staring at my husband. "Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?" 

"I- I cannot answer that, my Lord." 

"Can't you? My wand of yew did everything of which I asked it, Severus, except to kill Harry Potter." 

Keep my husbands name out of your filthy mouth, I thought angrily. 

"Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius's wand shattered upon meeting Potter's." 

"I- I have no explanation, my Lord." Severus still was not looking at Voldemort, solely the snake. I wondered if his thoughts were consumed with Dumbledore's words or mine. 

"I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore." 

Now Severus looked at Voldemort, his face the palest shade of white a face could be. "My Lord- let me go to the boy-" 

"All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here wondering, wondering why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner. . . and I think I have the answer. Perhaps, you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen." 

"My Lord-" Severus whispered. His eyes flicked to the door just once. I wondered if he knew I was nearby. He must've suspected I was. He knew my plan was to bring Fawkes and shove the liquid luck down his throat after he'd been bitten. 

My heart pounded painfully inside my cat chest. Everything felt like it was a dream, like it wasn't real. Like I would wake up tomorrow and find that none of this had really happened. 

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine." 

"My Lord!" Severus said, raising his wand. 

"It cannot be any other way, I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last." 

My claws dug into the wood as Voldemort's wand slashed through the air. I watched the snake cage roll towards my husband and I tensed up, using every molecule of self-restraint not to lunge into the room at that moment. The cage encased Severus' head and shoulders and I heard Voldemort give the command in Parseltongue. 

I closed my eyes, tears rolling down my matted fur as I heard Severus scream, the only time I would ever hear him make a noise like that. 

"I regret it." Voldemort said and I heard his footsteps walk away. 

I wasted no time, even as the other three didn't move, springing up through the hole. I glanced around once, making sure we were alone, before turning human, rushing to Severus' side. 

"FAWKES!" I shouted once, not caring now if Voldemort returned. This was what needed to be done. There was a flash, just as Harry pulled himself up into the room, taking the invisibility cloak off of himself. 

"Take. . . it. . . Take. . . it. . ." Severus struggled to say, holding Harry's eyes, the way I knew he would, his memories streaming down his cheeks like tears. I worked, letting Fawkes cry against Severus' neck, the runes burning and flickering as they did their best to protect him. I unstopped the liquid luck as Harry collected his memories. 

I poured the liquid luck down his throat and he swallowed once. I stared at him, tears in my eyes. Slowly and against my visions, he looked at me, the hand that had been grasping the front of Harry's shirt, grabbing my hand. 

"You- you need to drink." I shakily, raising the potion bottle to his lips, forcing more into his mouth. He said nothing, his hand dropping, thudding to the floor, the light in his eyes dying. "Drink Severus, please." Liquid trickled from the corner of his mouth. 

"Elizabeth." Hermione sobbed. 

Fawkes let out a low cry, one last tear dropping from his eye, and flew from the dead mans' shoulder, to settle on mine. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 23

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕴 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖆𝖑𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖞 said my good-byes to the kids and to Severus. Severus was sitting in the headmasters' office, waiting for the Dark Lords' notice. Trang had come into the room, telling me that Neville had left to get Harry. And then she disappeared into the room to be with the kids. So I had kissed Severus one last time, and had left without looking back. 

Now, I was entering the Room of Requirement. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville were back and all of the students were standing around them, chattering excitedly. 

I could not bring myself to muster up such excitement. 

"Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?" Neville was asking as I silently took a spot near Susan and Ernie. 

"Well, yeah-" Harry was saying. 

"Then we'll help you." 

"You don't understand. We- we can't tell you. We've got to do it- alone." 

"Why?" 

"Because Dumbledore left the three of us a job and we weren't supposed to tell- I mean he wanted us to do it, just the three of us." 

"We're his army. Dumbledore's army. We were all in it together, we've been keeping it going while you three have been off on your own-" 

"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate." Ron interrupted. 

"I never said it had, but I don't see why you can't trust us. Everyone in this room's been fighting and they've been driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here's proven they're loyal to Dumbledore- loyal to you." 

I wanted to interject, to tell Harry to give up his stubborn pride. But I would not alter a minute here, a single frame of my vision. I couldn't afford it. If we were off by a single minute. . . then perhaps I wouldn't be able to save their lives. 

"Look," Harry started, but the portrait behind him opened. 

"We got your message, Neville! Hello you three, I thought you must be here!" It was Luna and Dean naturally, as expected. "Hi everyone! Oh, it's great to be back!" 

"Luna, what are you doing here? How did you-" 

"I sent for her. I promised her and Ginny that if you turned up I'd let them know. We all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows." 

Harry met my eyes. I wondered what he saw there, what he was thinking about. 

"Of course that's what it means, isn't it, Harry? We're going to fight them out of Hogwarts?" 

"Listen. I'm sorry, but that's not what we came back for. There's something we've got to do, and then-" 

"You're going to leave us in this mess?" Michael demanded. 

"No!" Ron interjected once more. "What we're doing will benefit everyone in the end, it's all about trying to get rid of You-Know-Who-" 

"Then let us help! We want to be a part of it!" 

The portrait opened once more and my heart fell down through my stomach as Fred came through the portal with George, Ginny, and Lee. And down in my stomach, my heart started to pound erratically. My hand reached into my pocket, gently squeezing, fingers counting the vials of liquid luck I had. Four. Fred, Dad, Tonks, Severus. 

Dad and Severus came first but I'd be damned if I didn't try and help Fred and Tonks too. 

"Aberforth's getting a bit annoyed. He wants a kip and his bar's turned into a railway station." Fred said. 

Cho Chang came through and I rolled my eyes, inching myself closer to Hermione. 

"I got the message." Cho said, sitting next to Michael. 

"So what's the plan, Harry?" George asked. 

Fred caught me staring at him and winked. 

"There isn't one." 

"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we? My favorite kind." Fred said, rubbing his hands together. 

Oh Fred. 

"you've got to stop this! What did you call them all back for? This is insane-" 

"We're fighting, aren't we? The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand, though-" 

"You haven't got a wand-?" Seamus asked Dean in shock. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked amongst themselves while the rest of us sat in wait. Fred and George started to crack jokes. Fred said, "A blind wizard walks into a bar, finds his way to a stool, and sits down. He says rather loudly to the barkeep, 'Hey, how would you like to hear a Hufflepuff joke?' The bar goes silent and the barkeep replies, 'Sir, I will not lie to you. You are speaking to a Hufflepuff. The man behind you is an Auror from Hufflepuff, the woman to your right is a Hufflepuff dueling champion, and we all have our wands drawn. Do you really want to continue?' The blind wizard goes silent for a moment before curtly replying, 'No I don't. Not if I'm going to have to explain it three times!'"

The students around them laughed and a small smile appeared on my lips. Ernie on the other hand, rolled his eyes. Fred winked at me again. 

I took it all back. Dad. Tonks. Fred. Severus. All of their lives were equally important and I just had to save who I could. I wouldn't put Dads' life over Freds'. He wouldn't want me to, and this young man who was sitting in front of me had his whole life ahead of himself. I would do everything in my power to keep him alive. 

"Okay." Harry suddenly called out. "There's something we need to find. Something- something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?" 

I couldn't stop myself, despite how much I wanted to. But after years of answering questions as quickly as possible, on top of all of the stress I was under, the words just spilled out of me. "You're talking about her diadem, Harry." 

"Yes!" Luna agreed. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Daddy's trying to duplicate it." 

"Yeah, but the lost diadem, is lost. That's sort of the point." Michael said, rolling his eyes. 

"When was it lost?" Harry asked. 

"Centuries ago, they say. Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but, nobody's ever found a trace of it, have they?" 

This time I bit my tongue to stay quiet. 

"Sorry, but what is a diadem?" Ron asked. 

I nearly threw my chair at him. 

"It's a kind of crown. Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties, enhance the wisdom of the wearer." Terry supplied helpfully. I loved Ravenclaws. 

"Yes, Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons-" 

"And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like it?" 

"I totally didn't draw you a picture of it or anything last year." I muttered under my breath. 

"If you'd like to see what the diadem's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you, Harry? Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue." Cho suggested and I could've sworn to Merlin that she actually fluttered her damn eyelids. War was about to break out and she was flirting? 

Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione again as Cho got to her feet. Bless Ginny, love her. "No, Luna will take Harry, won't you, Luna?" She said fiercely. 

"Oooh, yes, I'd like to." Luna said happily. 

"How do we get out?" Harry asked Neville. 

"Over here." Neville led Harry and Luna over and I slowly rose from my chair, pacing the back of the room. 

Hermione timidly approached me. "How are the children?"

"Fine. Trang is with them now." I said mechanically. 

"Are you-" 

"Hermione, I'd really rather not be bothered right now." I inhaled sharply, looking over at her. "It'll just make everyone nervous." 

"Okay." Hermione said softly, heading back over to where Ron was. 

I knew I needed to act better. I needed everyone to feel confident. My fear was not for the people in this room- almost all of who would be fine- but  my attitude would convince them differently. I needed to put a confident face on. 

I straightened up. I pushed all of my fears and worries down, locking them in the depths of my heart. I would do what I always did, every year during the conflict: I would become the main event. 

I ran from the room, finding myself easily on the right floor as I watched Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall duel Severus. He barely caught my eye before he took off through a classroom door. I sprinted after the teachers, heart pounding, wand drawn. I could hear McGonagall cry out, "Coward! COWARD!" 

"What's happened, what's happened?" Luna asked somewhere as I skidded to a stop inside of the room. 

"He jumped." Professor McGonagall said as Harry and Luna joined me in the room. 

"You mean he's dead?" Harry sprinted to the window as Flitwick and Sprout let out yells of shock at his sudden appearance. I hated the hope that was in Harry's voice, but I pushed it away once more. 

"No, he's not dead. Unlike Dumbledore, he was still carrying a wand. . . and he seems to have learned a few tricks from his master." McGonagall caught  my eye and the bitterness in her voice lightened a little. 

"Harry!" Slughorns' voice came from behind. "Elizabeth! My dear children. . . what a surprise. . . Minerva, do please explain. . . Severus. . . what?" 

"Our headmaster is taking a short break." 

"Professor! Professor, we've got to barricade the school, he's coming now!" Harry shouted, pressing his hands to his forehead. 

"Very well. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is coming. Potter has work to do in the castle on Dumbledore's orders. We need to put in place every protection of which we are capable while Potter does what he needs to do." McGonagall said swiftly. 

"You realize, of course, that nothing we do will be able to keep out You-Know-Who indefinitely?" Flitwick asked. 

"But we can hold him up." Sprout said firmly. 

"Thank you, Pomona. I suggest we establish basic protection around the place, then gather our students and meet in the Great Hall. Most must be evacuated, though if any of those who are over age wish to stay and fight, I think they ought to be given the chance." 

"Agreed. I shall meet you in the Great Hall in twenty minutes with my House." Professor Sprout said as she left the classroom. 

"I can act from here." Flitwick said, starting to recite incantations. Harry quickly approached him to ask him about the diadem. 

"We shall meet you and your Ravenclaws in the Great Hall, Filius!" McGonagall said and beckoned to the three of us. We exited the classroom only for Slughorn to finally say something, which were not to any of our liking. 

"My word. What a to-do! I'm not at all sure whether this is wise, Minerva. He is bound to find a way in, you know, and anyone who has tried to delay him will be in most grievous peril-" 

"I shall expect you and the Slytherins in the Great Hall in twenty minutes, also. If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage our resistance or take up arms against us within this castle, then, Horace, we duel to kill." 

"Minerva!" 

"The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties. Go and wkae your students, Horace." 

The three of us had to run after Professor McGonagall from how fast she was walking. She stood now in the middle of the corridor and raised her wand, "Piertotum- oh, for heaven's sake, Filch, not now-" 

"Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!" 

"They're supposed to be, you blithering idiot! Now go and do something constructive! Find Peeves!" 

"P-Peeves?" Filch stammered. 

"Yes, Peeves, you fool, Peeves! Haven't you been complaining about him for a quarter of a century? Go and fetch him, at once!" Filch hobbled away, muttering under his breath as he did so. "And now- Piertotum Locomotor!" 

We watched as the statues and suits of armor jumped from their plinths, and heard the crashes of the ones above and below this floor. The stone statues marched in uniform line through the hallway and down the stairs, probably out to the front of the castle. 

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!" Professor McGonagall clasped her hands together and actually smiled for a moment. "I always wanted to do that." 

She turned to us. "Now, Potter. You, Miss Lovegood, and Miss Kane had better return to your friends and bring them to the Great Hall- I shall rouse the other Gryffindors." 

Harry, Luna, and I sprinted through the school. We passed students with their teachers. Heads spun as we ran past and whispers followed us with our names in them. We ignored them, running up the flights of stairs and down hallways that would lead us to the Room of Requirement. 

Luna, Harry, and I ran down the steep staircase that was in the Room of Requirement and came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Wh-" Harry sputtered, slipping down some of the stairs. 

The first people I saw were Kingsley and Dad, who were standing next to each other. On instinct, my hand slipped into my pocket, fingering the different bottles of liquid luck once more. I breathed out. I could do this. 

"Harry, what's happening?" Dad asked as he met us at the foot of the stairs. Without talking to me, he pulled me into a bone crushing hug. 

"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school- Snape's run for it- What are you doing here? How did you know?" 

"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army." Fred spoke up. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed." 

I could see the original Gryffindor Quidditch Chasers talking to Oliver Wood like it was some nice get together. I bit my bottom lip. 

"What first, Harry. What's going on?" 

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized. We're fighting." Harry said. 

Their was a huge roar and the crowd surged past us. I stepped to the side, clutching dad's arm, not wanting to let him go. 

There weren't much people once we were left standing. It was simply Harry, Dad, Mr and Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, and myself. Mrs. Weasley was arguing about Ginny about the fighting. 

"You're underage! I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!" 

"I won't! I'm in Dumbledore's Army-" 

"A teenagers' gang!" 

"A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" Fred tried to defend his sister. 

"She's sixteen! She's not old enough! What you two were thinking, bringing her with you-" 

 "Mum's right, Ginny. You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave, it's only right." Bill said softly. 

"I can't go home! My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and-" She shook her head and finished bitterly. "Fine. I'll say good-bye now, then, and-" 

We looked over at the entrance hole as we heard scuffling and the thump of somebody falling out of it. The figure pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looking around and asking, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I- I-" 

Percy broke off, spluttering into silence. The silence was so thick that it felt like the room was actually growing colder. 

"So- 'ow eez leetle Teddy?" 

My dad just blinked at her, startled before he understood and said rather loudly, "I- oh yes- he's fine! Yes, Tonks is with him- at her mother's- Here I've got a picture!" He was actually shouting now, his hands grabbing at his pockets before pulling out a photograph, showing it to me, Harry, and Fleur. 

My brother was an adorable little thing, very tiny with a head full of bright turquoise hair. He waved his little fists at the camera. 

"I was a fool!" Percy roared, so loudly I flinched and dad nearly dropped the photograph, clutching it tightly with his fingers once more. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a- a-" 

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron?" Fred finished. 

"Yes, I was!" 

"Well, you can't say fairer than that." Fred said, holding his hand out to his elder brother. 

Percy didn't even get to shake his brothers' hand. . . the last time to shake his brothers' hand, before Mrs. Weasley ran forwards in tears, pushing Fred to the side. . . the last time she would push him to the side, to strangle Percy in a hug. 

"I'm sorry, Dad." Percy said. Mr. Weasley hurried forward to hug his son like he had returned from the dead. 

But they would never hug Fred again. 

"What made you see sense, Perce?" George asked. 

"It's been coming on for a while. But I had to find a way out, and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am." 

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these." George imitated Percys' pompous manner from when he had been at Hogwarts. "Now let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken." 

"So, you're my sister-in-law now?" Percy asked, shaking hands with Fleur while walking up the stairs with his twin brothers and Bill. 

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley snapped as the young girl had been trying to sneak out of the Room of Requirement herself. 

"What about this?" I quickly interfered. Ginny looked at me with hope and Dad closed his mouth since I was about to steal his line. "We need someone to stay in the room to keep it open, specifically to keep the secret passageway between Aberforths' bar and this room open to evacuate the kids. Ginny can stay here for the time being, that way she won't be in the  middle of fighting, but then she can be an informant and the gatekeeper." 

"I-" Ginny glared angrily at me. 

"That's a good idea. Ginny, you stay in this room, you hear me?" Mr. Weasley said. '

Mr and Mrs. Weasley walked out and Dad went with them. I hesitated and then squeezed Harry's shoulder, hurrying back to my fathers' side. Harry would be able to manage without me, but I needed to keep an eye on my father. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖈𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 of the Great Hall was dark and scattered with stars, and below it the four long House tables were lined with tired students, half in traveling cloaks and half in dressing gowns. Every school ghost imaginable was in the room, floating up near the ceiling. 

For a moment, I forgot my worries, as I saw Firenze standing with the remaining teachers and the members of the Order of the Phoenix. They were all standing behind Professor McGonagall who was making her speech about who could stay and who could not. 

"And what if we want to stay and fight?" Ernie asked. 

I smiled a little. 

"If you are of age, you may stay." 

"What about our things? Our trunks, our owls?" 

Priorities please?

"We have no time to collect possessions. The important thing is to get you out of here safely." 

"Where's Professor Snape?" A girl from Slytherin asked. 

My heart clenched. 

"He has, to use a common phrase, done a bunk." Professor McGonagall said and the other three house tables cheered. I simply looked down at the ground. 

No emotion. 

"We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects-" 

"I know that you are preparing to fight." Some of the students screamed as Voldemorts' voice filled the room. It surrounded everyone, like he was both whispering in your ear, yet speaking right in front of you, while also speaking at the front of room, echoing throughout. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood." 

The room was silent now, though some of the students still clutched each other. 

"Give me Harry Potter or Elizabeth Kane and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Elizabeth Kane, and you will be rewarded. You have until Midnight." 

There was a silence again as every eye in the room found Harry and I. Pansy Parkinson rose from the table and screamed, "But there they are! They're there! Someone grab them!" 

Neither Harry nor I even had to move as the three tables moved in unison, facing the Slytherin table. Wands were drawn at every angle, not just from the students, but from the Professors and Order as well. 

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson. You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow." Professor McGonagall said in a clipped voice. 

"Wait." A Slytherin male rose. I frowned just slightly because I recognized him. It was the same Slytherin seventh year from last year that had complimented me on the Professor artwork. The Slytherin who had decided that they would all sign it for the Professors. The Slytherin who had made the uniting of four houses- even for just that day- possible. "What if we want to fight regardless of our house?" 

There was a stunned silence before some of them broke out in whispers, including the Slytherins around him. 

He flushed only slightly, but said determinedly. "Elizabeth showed us last year what we can do when the four houses unite so. . ." He walked forwards, approaching me. I pushed past the students who were attempting to 'protect' me and met him halfway. 

I smiled a little, holding out my hand. He shook it, the two of us keeping eye contact. "Welcome to the team." 

He nodded. Ten other Slytherins broke away, joining him. I glanced up at the front of the Great Hall, meeting Firenze's' eyes. He looked so proud, smiling gently, and nodded at me. I smiled back just slightly. 

The rest of the Slytherins left after Filch. One by one, McGonagall dismissed the other three people, Gryffindor showing their bravery by leaving half the table there. McGonagall descended on them to start kicking the ones underage out. 

Kingsley stepped up to the platform while this was happening. "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professor Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers- Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor- where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school-" 

"Sounds like a job for us!" Fred called out, motioning between himself and George. 

"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!" 

"So," I said, turning to the Slytherin. "I think it's only fair I learn your name." 

He grinned, "Malcolm Samael." 

I tilted my head slightly. "Jewish mythology last name?" 

He flushed a little. "You recognize it." 

I raised a teasing eyebrow. "Well perhaps you aren't aware but uh, I happen to be the smartest witch of my year." 

"Duly noted." He smirked. "So, you our team leader?" He motioned to the other ten Slytherins with him, nine boys and a girl. All of them looking to be the same age as him. 

"You are." I said, smacking his arm. "I got a solo job to do. Good luck." 

"You too Kane." He said and the eleven of them headed off. Others watched them go, clearly not trusting them, but I did, despite not knowing their future. 

I stayed in the shadows, following dad and his group as a cat. I stayed in the shadows, even as the Death Eaters collided with them, my green eyes scanning the battlefield until I laid eyes on my prey: Dolohov. The man who would kill my father. 

I streaked across the battlefield as he started to duel Dad. The two of them fought viciously, streaks of green flying. I couldn't waste anymore time. I raced towards Dolohov, before leaping at him. He looked at me, stunned, perhaps wondering why a cat was lunging at him. He raised his wand and I switched, becoming human. 

He crashed to the ground, staring up at me in shock, the light dying from his eyes as I had stabbed him through the neck, killing him immediately. 

"ELIZABETH!" My dad shouted, racing across the battlefield, skidding to a stop, staring down at me. I staggered to my feet, pulling out the liquid luck. 

"He would've killed you." I whispered, pushing the golden liquid into his hand. "Drink. Now. Do you understand me?" 

"Yes." He whispered. 

"I have to go save Fred next." I whispered. "Don't die on me dad, please. That was the only one I foresaw." 

"Okay." He nodded. "Elizabeth, I love you." 

Tears pricked at my eyes but I wouldn't let them flow over. "I love you too." 

I raced back into the castle only to collide with Tonks halfway there. I grabbed her, dragging her away from the fighting. 

"Elizabeth let me go! I have to get to Remus!" Tonks shouted, trying to jerk her arm out of my grip. 

"Not before you drink this." I snapped. 

I couldn't kill Bellatrix. For one thing, she would see my cat surprise attack far quicker than Dolohov, nor would she hesitate like he had. For another, Mrs. Weasley had to be the one to kill her, it was imperative for Voldemorts' death, I knew that much. But I couldn't let Tonks die either. Dad was saved and he wouldn't fall in love again, I knew that much too. 

"Liquid luck?" Tonks asked. 

"Listen to me. You must stay away from Bellatrix Tonks, at all costs. Dolohov was supposed to killed Dad and Bellatrix was supposed to kill you. I killed Dolohov so Dad should be fine, but I can't kill Bellatrix. You have to stay away from her, please Tonks. Dad won't make it if you don't." 

"Okay." Tonks said, calmer now that I had explained it to her. She downed the potion right in front of me, before taking off again and this time, I let her. 

I sprinted, sweat pouring down my back, my hair sticking to the back of my neck. I made it to the Room of Requirement, only to dive out of the way as the doors shot open, Fiendfyre shooting a flame above my body. I rolled out of the way just as the doors closed, three brooms colliding on the floor, dropping their passengers. 

"C-Crabbe. C-Crabbe. . ." Malfoy choked out. Ash covered his face as he coughed and retched. Goyle laid nearby unconscious, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron were alright. 

"He's dead." Ron said harshly. 

"Are you three alright?" I asked. 

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked. 

"I just saved my dad's life." I explained, helping her to her feet. A look of understanding and then relief crossed her face. "And hopefully Tonks as well." 

Suddenly, the Headless Haunt ghosts burst out of the wall, all of them carrying their heads under their arms, which were screaming for blood. They rode on into the battle that was ensuing down the hall and screams echoed back down to us that were not from the ghost heads. 

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, getting to his own feet. "She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement!" 

"Blimey, d'you reckon it'll still work after that fire?" Ron asked as he also got to his feet. "Shall we split up and look-" 

"No." Hermione said. "Let's stick together. I say we go- Harry, what's that on your arm?" 

"What? Oh yeah-" 

It broke my heart to see an heirloom so old, ancient, and valuable destroyed like that. It was literally a piece of history that had been ruined beyond repair. Something that should've been in a museum or put being a glass case, unrecognizable and in burned pieces with melted gems. 

"It must have been the Fiendfyre!" Hermione gasped as we watched it literally burst into a thousand pieces, clinking lightly as they hit the marble floor. My heart shattered with it. 

"Sorry?" 

"Cursed fire." I explained quickly, heart thumping again as I knew Fred was going to die soon. "It's one of the substances that destroy Horcruxes." 

"I would never, ever have dared use it, it's so dangerous- how did Crabbe know how to-" Hermione explained. 

"Must've learned from the Carrows." Harry said. 

"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really." Ron said. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead." 

"But don't you realize? This means, if we can just get the snake-" Hermione said. 

I froze, my hand in my pocket as I realized I had two bottles left instead of one. I had been so focused on saving Dad and following him, that I had never given the Felix Felicis to Fred. 

 "No." I whispered. 

I turned to shouts, my heart failing. Death Eaters had backed Fred and Percy into view. I sprinted forwards, the other three on my tail. 

"Hello Minister!" Percy bellowed, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning." 

Time please slow down. 

"You're joking, Perce!" Fred shouted as I shot a stunning spell at his Death Eater. But I knew that wasn't what would kill him. 

I gripped the liquid luck tightly in my other hand. 

Please. He just needed to drink a drop. 

"You actually are joking, Perce. . ." 

Please. 

"Fred! Catch!" I shouted, tossing the liquid luck under hand to him. He caught it, continuing to speak to Perce, still laughing, "I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-" 

"FRED!" I screamed. 

The air exploded. I flew off of my feet, squeezing my eyes closed as dust settled around us. I slammed into the wall, feeling something metal and long collide with my back. I cried out, before slamming against the marble floor. Rock hit me from above 

I struggled, trying to claw my way out from underneath the rubble I was trapped under. I could hear Percy screaming and tears streaked down my face as I wiggled like a turtle on its back, but the chunks of rock were crushing me. 

Hermione staggered to her feet with Harry's help, levitating the rock off of me. 

"No- no- no! No! Fred! No!" 

"NO." I sobbed, collapsing into Hermione. 

Percy was kneeling by Fred's side shaking him, Ron next to him. Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face, a puddle of golden liquid and shattered glass in his hand.

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 22

Warnings: 18+ readers only, smut, Professor kink

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖛𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖈𝖆𝖒𝖊 so suddenly, that I almost didn't know what it was. I simply paused for a moment to let it in, to see where we were in the progress of the timeline, and when I saw it, when I realized what was happening, I sunk to the floor as my knees gave out. 

Severus, who had been burping Elijah Kingsley, quickly put him down, hurrying to my side. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth!" 

"It's tonight." I whispered, eyes just staring ahead. 

"What? What's tonight." Severus asked impatiently. 

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione just broke out of Gringotts on the back of a dragon." I whispered. I was shaking, my teeth actually clicking together like I was cold. 

"Elizabeth talk to me." Severus demanded. 

It was tonight. 

"I thought it was in June. Everything always happened in June." I couldn't even think coherently, trying to spit the words out of my mouth in a way to make Severus understand. "Quirrell, the basilisk, freeing Sirius, the Triwizard Cup, infiltrating the Ministry, the Death Eaters last year. . . it was always June. Always the last month. . .how could this be wrong? I'm wrong Severus." 

He was silent now. I think he understood what I was trying to say, trying to wrap his own head around it. 

"How could I not see it before?" I mumbled. "For them to break into Gringotts wouldn't have gone unnoticed. I knew they'd do it in the last week of April. The last days of April. I- I need to tell them!" 

I leapt to my feet, before immediately tripping on one of Remus' wooden blocks, twisting my ankles. Severus caught me this time, scooping me up to put me down on the bed. But I immediately got back up, rushing for the desk. 

My hands were shaking so badly, even when I had the quill in my hand, that I honestly thought about asking Severus to write the letter for me. But I knew that it had to be written by me. 

"Drink." Severus suddenly said, putting a cup down next to me. "Hurry." 

I quickly drank it and after a few moments, the calming draught took effect. 

I quickly wrote out the letters. 

Dear Harry, Ron, and Hermione      I must apologize a thousand times, and still, that would never be enough. I messed up, saw the timeline abstractly instead of completely. I guessed and assumed and well,  you know what they say about assumptions. I truly have made an ass out of myself certainly.      I told you that it was in June, but it is not. Most likely, Harry will have figured out that he must come to Hogwarts now anyways and he should. Writing this letter may mess  up the plans, but in my vision, the minute Harry leaves  You-Know-Whos' mind, he will make the clear decision to  come to Hogsmeade after only a few minutes of debate.       The last Horcrux is here, though I do not know where.  There is a block of sorts in my mind, though I know what it looks like.  My everlasting love and apologies, Elizabeth

P.S. Elijah Kingsley and Minerva Trang were born last week. 

I let that dry before getting dressed in wizarding clothes that I would hope to use during the battle. Meanwhile, Severus simply watched me. 

"He doesn't know yet." I informed Severus. "That they broke into Gringotts. But when he does, he will send for you that Harry will try to get into the castle. Whatever you do from there out. . ." I hesitated. "I'll tell you when I get back." 

Severus didn't ask a single question, simply kissing me on the lips. "I'll bottle the Felix Felicis for you so you have it when you get back." 

I nodded quickly, blinking away my tears, and quickly took the letter and envelope and raced from the room. 

I turned into a cat until I reached the room of requirement. I paced back and forth three times, finding my way into the Dumbledore Armys' barracks. 

They looked over as I entered, joy entering their eyes. Trang was there, so this must've been where Severus had dropped her off. 

She was the first to approach and though I smiled at all of my friends, I quickly dragged her over for a private conversation. 

"The battle is tonight Trang." I said. 

"T-tonight?" She whispered, looking shocked. "But-" 

"I know. I messed up." I said. "I need to use Ariana's portrait to get to Hogsmeade. It's quicker than trying to navigate through the castle. Please Trang. And don't tell the others, they can't know until later." 

"Okay." Trang nodded. 

She led me through the crowd and then spoke to Neville. "She's going to need to use the portrait." 

"Elizabeth, where are you going, can we come?" Susan asked. 

I shook my head. "It's a very quick thing. I'll be back way before you know it. It's a nothing trip, I promise." 

Neville helped me up into the portrait and I raced down the hallway, my feet splashing in water puddles until I reached the other side and slowed down, clutching a stich in my side, panting. I hadn't run like that in forever.

Drawing another shaky breath, I did a quick scan of Aberforths' bar, before hopping out and becoming a cat again, snaking through the chairs and such until I got downstairs. I waited impatiently in the shadows by the door, until it opened, and quickly shot out. 

I raced across Hogsmeade until I reached an apparition point far away and did just that. 

I looked around at the river bank where I knew Harry, Hermione, and Ron would end up after dropping from the dragons' back. 

I sank to my knees suddenly, head spinning, body still shaking violently. I simply started to sob and scream to my hearts content, knowing there was nobody and nothing around to hear me. 

Every worry I had about the battle. . . about tonight was now suddenly in my face. Though I had made every preparation, I felt completely unprepared. I felt vulnerable because I had been blindsided and I felt crippling despair at the prospect of losing all of the people I loved. 

I could barely remember anything now, from that moment I had my vision. I couldn't remember where Remus or Minerva or Elijah Kingsley had been, even though they were my children- the latter two only a week old. I couldn't remember Severus' facial expressions. . . how he looked when I told him that the day he dies is tonight. 

I couldn't remember if I saw anyone on my way to the room of requirement or even who was in the room of requirement. Did I even say anything to Neville? Or to the others in the room? Who all had even been in the room? How many people did the Carrows chase away from school into hiding? 

I cried and screamed until my head started to pound and all that I was able to do was sniff and wipe my eyes, voice to rough and cracked to make another sound. 

I finally, slowly, got up from the ground. I was covered in dirt, which I brushed off slowly, like I was in a trance. I gently placed the letter amongst the bushes where they would find it, and then disapparated again to the mountains. 

My progress back to Hogwarts was much slower, as I had some difficulty with getting the mirror portrait open in my daze. I made the trek back as a cat, my tired cat paws splashing through the water and leaving tiny trails behind me, another long trail for my drooping tail. 

I turned human once I reached the portrait, pushing it open. 

I could see now that there was a mix of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw bunks and kids. Most of them were crowded around a radio and didn't even look up when I came in. Trang however, was by my side in an instant. 

"Elizabeth?" She asked softly. 

I checked my watch. I had wasted two and a half hours. Severus would be worried. 

"In eleven hours you must come up to the Headmasters office. The password by that time will be 'Dumbledore'." I said softly. "Elijah Kingsley and Minerva are a week old Trang. I need you to stay with them during the battle, you're the only one I can spare for the job. I have to be down here to save their lives." 

Trang didn't argue with me this time. "I will protect them." 

"I know." I whispered. 

Trang and I stared at each other until she gestured to the door. "That's the exit. Careful, you don't know which floor you'll end up on." 

I nodded and slipped out the door, turning into a cat at the same time. 

This time, I roamed through the hallways with purpose, attempting to figure out which floor I was on. There were no people, though I supposed there was a distinct possibility of it being lunch time. 

I slunk around a corner and then froze, because Professor McGonagall was walking down the hallway, parchment scroll tightly bunched in her hand. She stopped upon seeing me and I wished I hadn't froze, because I was definitely not acting cat like. 

Professor McGonagall looked around and then opened the classroom door on her right. I had no choice, but followed her inside, turning human once she had closed the door behind her. 

"Are you insane Miss Kane!? What in Merlins' name are you doing here?" 

I hesitated and then said, "I've been here all year."

Professor McGonagall frowned and then her eyes widened. "You mean. . . with Snape?" 

"Er- well yes." I said. There was not the same judgement in her eyes that had been in dads', so I felt safe with proceeding. "We had twins, Professor. A little boy that we named Elijah-Kingsley and a little girl that Severus wanted to name Minerva Trang." 

"M-Minerva? After me?" She asked, shocked. "But why would Snape. . . I don't understand." 

I hesitated and then said. "I will have to tell you another time. I have to get back up there. Do you mind telling me what floor this is? I have just come from the Room of Requirement." 

"Fourth floor, Miss Kane." Professor McGonagall said softly. 

"Thank you Professor." I said, smiling with difficulty. 

I finally made it back to the headmasters office, finding that Severus was laying in bed with our three babies. I ignored the fact that it looked like he had possibly been crying, especially when his voice was a few octaves deeper than usual. "I was getting worried." 

"I think we both needed our alone time." I said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. The babies were all fast asleep, looking so peaceful on their dads' stomach. Remus was even smiling a little, though that could've been because his thumb as poking at his cheek. 

"And now we need our together time." Severus said, sitting up. I watched him as he laid each baby down in their crib, kissing their foreheads before drawing the curtain that he had put up months ago so that we had a semblance of privacy. 

The force of which we ripped each others' clothes off was desperate. I was yearning to have his cock inside of me, to feel like I was whole again. It seemed that we had come to an unspoken conclusion that this was our last night together, though of course I knew that wasn't true. We would remain optimistic throughout all of it. . . I'm sure. 

"Fuck me please Professor." I whispered, the words rolling off my tongue without thought. 

"As you wish." He whispered, rolling over so that he was above me now, slamming into me harshly. His arms wrapped around my body, encasing me, enclosing me, holding me tightly to his chest. I kissed every inch of skin I could reach, before biting, leaving my mark for the rest of tonight, to fade in the early hours of morning. 

Our love making was desperate as he set a furious pace. Despite having sworn off having any more children, I yearned for tonights' love to take seed. To give me one last child of Severus. 

(Not that it would be his last child of course). 

Something that would leave one last piece of Severus for me. 

(Not that I would need it of course). 

I needed every piece of him as I could get, as much of him as I could get. 

(But not really cause I would have him forever). 

My thoughts fought with each other the entire time. Our orgasms collided with each other few and far between, each one slow with minimal pleasure. But it wasn't about the pleasure or feeling good. It was about being as close as humanly possible with each other, about staying in motion with each other. Keeping parts of each other with us for as long as possible. 

Because. 

No. 

Because if we could be honest. 

No. Don't. 

Because if we could actually be honest with ourselves. 

Don't say it. Don't think it. It won't come true if you don't think it. 

Let's be honest. My plan wouldn't work. 

Stop. 

Severus wouldn't survive the night. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 21

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕴 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 my feet in the sea, looking out at the storm. March had slowly melted in April and April showers bring May flowers so the wind bustled around me, blowing my dress out in front of me. Remus was not asleep, though he was quiet in my arms, looking at the storm with me. 

Trang was not with me for once, staying up at the house. She said I was crazy for coming out here at this time, but I couldn't stay inside. I knew dad was coming tonight, to tell everyone that his son had been born. 

That my brother had been born. 

It was weird, that this boy who I would not meet until his father was dead, would be the brother I got to recognize first, before my blood one. 

I was to melancholy to stay with them. So I stayed outside, telling Remus a story. 

In the depths there is a man lost in time. 

He has opened the wrong doors. Chosen the wrong paths. 

Wandered farther than he should have. 

He is looking for someone. Something. Someone. He does not remember who the someone is, doe snot have the ability, here in the depths where time is fragile, to grasp the thoughts and memories and hold on to them, to sort through them to recall more than glimpses. 

Sometimes he stops and in the stopping the memory grows clear enough for him to see her face, or pieces of it. But the clarity motivates him to continue and then the pieces fall apart again and he walks on not knowing for whom or what it is he walks. 

He only knows he has not reached it yet. 

Reached her yet. 

Who? He looks toward the sky that is hidden from him by rock and earth and stories. No one answers his question. There is a dripping he mistakes for water, but no other sound. Then the question is forgotten again. 

He walks down crumbling stairs and trips over tangled roots. He has long since passed by the last of the rooms with their doors and their locks, the places where the stories are content to remain on their shelves. 

He has untangled himself from vines blossoming with story-filled flowers. He has traversed piles of abandoned teacups with text baked into their crackled glaze. He has walked through puddles of ink and left footprints that formed stories in his wake that he did not turn around to read. 

Now he travels through tunnels with no light at their ends, feeling his way along unseen walls until he finds himself someplace somewhere sometime else. 

He passes over broken bridges and under crumbling towers. 

He walks over bones he mistakes for dust and nothingness he mistakes for bones. 

His once-fine shoes are worn. He abandoned his coat some time ago. 

He does not remember the coat with its multitude of buttons. The coat, if coats could remember such things, would remember him but by the time they are reunited the coat will belong to someone else. 

On clear days memories focus in his mind in scattered words and images. His name. The night sky. A room with red velvet drapery. A door. His father. Books, hundreds and thousands of books. A single book in her hand. Her eyes. Her hair. The tips of her fingers. 

But most of the memories are stories. Pieces of them. Blind wanderers and star-crossed lovers, grand adventures and hidden treasures. Mad kings and cryptic witches. 

The things he has seen and heard with his own eyes and ears mix with tales he has read or heard with his own eyes and ears. They are inseparable down here. 

There are not many clear days. Clear nights. 

There is no way to tell the difference here in the depths. 

Night or day. Fact or fiction. Real or imagined. 

Sometimes he feels he has lost his own story. Fallen out of its pages and landed here, in between, but he remains in his story. He cannot leave it no matter how he tries. 

The man lost in time walks along the shore of the sea and does not look up to see the lack of stars. he wanders through empty cities of honey and bone, down streets that once range with music and laughter. He lingers in abandoned temples, lighting candles for forgotten gods and running his fingers over the fossils of unaccepted offerings. He sleeps in beds that no one has dreamed upon in centuries and his own sleep is deep, his dreams as unfathomable as his waking hours. 

"Elizabeth!" 

"At first the bees watched him. Followed him while he walked and hovered while he slept. They thought he might be someone else. 

He is just a boy.  A man. Something in between. 

Now the bees ignore him. They go about their own business. They decided that one man out of his depth is no cause for alarm but even the bees are wrong from time to time. 

"Elizabeth!" 

This time I heard the shout, the first I thought an imagination or just a strange production of the wind. 

It's my fathers' voice. 

I close my eyes while Remus stirs, looking over my shoulder. 

I heard footsteps step into the water and that is when I finally turn around to face my father for the first time in months. 

Even the state of me being pregnant does not take the joy out of his eyes or the colour from his cheeks. He looked younger than I had seen him, at least since I had been a young girl myself. 

"It's a boy!" He said, his voice full of the same joy as his eyes. 

"I know." I said with a smile that I could make reach my eyes, no matter how hard I tried. "I saw. Teddy, it's a wonderful name dad. I am so happy for you." 

"You'll be the Godmother of course?" He asked, as though there was no other choice. 

"Really?" I asked. This time, the astonished smile did manage to reach my eyes. 

"Of course!" He exclaimed, looking surprised that I was surprised. "Who else would I choose?" 

I just shrugged with a smile, feeling a drop of happiness warm my insides. "I'm really, really happy for you two dad." I leaned forwards so that I could rest my head against his shoulder, giving him the best hug that I could manage. 

It was then that he sort've snapped out of his own daze. "You're pregnant?!" 

"Twins." I replied lightly. 

Dad hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something, but also not wanting to say something. When I met his eyes though, I saw the disappointment there, which punched me in the gut so hard that I actually put a hand to my stomach as though I could soothe it. 

"That's. . . that's great sweetheart." 

We stood there silently on the beach, both of us avoiding each others' eyes. I swallowed back my tears, knowing that this could very well be one of my last times with him. So I said the only thing I could say to save the situation. 

"They might not be Severus'." 

I watched his expression furrow with confusion, before understanding, and finally his eyes filled with pity. "Oh, Elizabeth." 

I pushed my hate far, far down for my dad's reaction. I refused to let any other emotions besides positive ones surround my last times with my father. Even if they were fake for me, I would not let my father die with the idea that our last interaction was negative. 

Though, of course, he would not die at all since I would save his life. 

"You should get back to Tonks and Teddy dad." I whispered. "They need you." 

"E-" 

"I love you." I said firmly, kissing his cheek. "Get back to your son. I should put my own down for sleep." 

It was so weird, referring to the little boy as 'his son' instead of 'my brother' or even just calling him 'Teddy'. I knew then that I was not hiding my feelings as well as I had hoped. Dad would see right through me, just as he always did. 

Just like he always would. 

"Elizabeth just wait a minute." Dad said, reaching out to grab my elbow, since both hands were occupied with Remus. 

I turned back to him, looking into his warm, brown eyes. 

He pulled me into a full hug this time, his arms wrapped strongly, safely around me. I vowed right then and there that this would not be the last hug my father would give me. I would make sure to get another hug, and another. I would keep him alive, even if it cost Tonks and Fred. No matter what, I would keep my father. 

Even if it cost me myself. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"𝕿𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖐 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖔 much Bill. And you, Fleur. We're sorry we stayed so long, but it was just beautiful." I said as Trang and I stood in their front yard, getting ready to disparate back to mountains outside of Hogsmeade. 

"I actually wish you two could stay longer." Bill chuckled, hugging Trang first, and then me. "It's been nice, having company." 

"Yes, we shall miss you both." Fleur said, hugging both of us as well, also kissing Remus on the forehead. He giggled, kicking his feet, reaching for her. "Aww." Fleur cooed to him, taking him from my arms to give him one final hug. The two of them had bonded greatly over the entire month we'd been here, and I knew they'd miss each other. I would make sure to reunite them again. 

I knew that next week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would take off for Gringotts. I was looking forwards to hearing about it- in the newspapers. 

"We should go now." Trang said softly. 

Fleur kissed Remus a bunch of times, making the baby giggle, before handing him back to me. Trang and I disapparated on our own without another word and appeared several feet apart from each other. 

Trang and I stared at our stuff and Remus for a moment, wondering just exactly how we were supposed to get back to Hogwarts in broad daylight, when a figure came around the corner, stopping dead at the sight of us. 

All three of our wands' were raised in seconds before recognizing each other. "Severus." I sighed happily, lowering my wand. 

Severus rolled his eyes. "You are far to trusting Elizabeth. Can you at least attempt to let me ask you a question and you ask me one?" 

I huffed, "What kind of kids am I having?" 

"Twins. To easy." Severus responded. 

I rolled my eyes again and then became a cat, which was a slight mistake because Remus was suddenly falling through thin air, as I could not hold him as a cat. 

Severus lunged, falling on his stomach as he caught our son and I turned human again, laying on my side. "I think that answered everything." I said lightly, though my heart was pounding. Remus however, just giggled, waving his hands excitedly. I think he liked it. 

"Merlin, Elizabeth." Severus said weakly, rolling over onto his stomach, setting our son down on his chest. He glanced over at Trang. "I suppose you're fine." 

"Gee, thanks." Trang rolled her eyes, but smirked to herself. 

"Uh, back to the castle?" I asked weakly. "Sorry." 

Severus huffed, kissing the top of my head. I turned back into a black cat, hopping into Severus deep pockets. A second later, a pocket watch was placed beside me, engraved with Vietnamese artwork. I rolled my eyes, settling my paws on the metal as though it would keep Trang safer. 

Severus moved quickly and I could hear the townspeople talking about their day to day lives in hushed whispers. I supposed that had to mean he'd hidden our luggage and Remus in his other pocket or somewhere. 

He made a stop after about twenty minutes, pulling the watch out. I heard him tell Trang that wherever we were was the safest place for Trang, then he was walking again. 

After another ten minutes or so, he was reaching into the pocket again, lifting me out. He placed me up on his shoulder and I could see that Remus was fast asleep in his crib now, his thumb in his mouth, his owl stuffed animal tucked against him. 

I turned human, pulling Severus down onto the bed at the surprise of me transforming. 

"I've missed you." He murmured, kissing me on the cheek. 

"I've missed you too." I said with a small smile. "How was uh, your visit with him?" 

He frowned. "I wish I had a forewarning about that. My heart leapt, thinking of you still being here." 

"Hence, why we left." I said lightly, cupping his face. "Besides, I figured I'd keep as many things the same as possible. This timeline is to important to mess up or screw around with, even with the smallest of changes." 

"I understand." Severus said softly. "I just wish it didn't have to be with me worrying about you all of the time. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." 

"You're never going to have to find out." I said softly. 

Severus hesitated and then said, "Dobby has not delivered dinner for quite some time. I just. . . Are you. . ." 

I looked away sadly. "I don't really want to talk about it Sev. There wasn't. . . I couldn't do anything. He didn't wear the clothes I made for him and since he didn't. . ." 

"I get it. I'm sorry." He murmured. I looked up at him, wishing I could voice all of my worries aloud. But I couldn't. His life was one of the ones I needed to protect. 

"Anyways." I said quickly, struggling to sit upright. Severus quickly got up, helping me up into a sitting position. "Uh, do you have another elf who I could ask to get some hot wings? I'm craving them again and the spicy food will also help with the pregnancy." 

"Yeah, of course." Severus murmured. "I'll be right back." 

He left the room and I wiped at my eyes quickly as I tried to take in all of my emotions at once. I did deep breath exercises until I heard the door open again, the smell of spicy chicken wings intruding my senses. My mouth started to water immediately and the corner of my mouth lifted up into a smile. 

He put the plate down for me on a wooden TV tray (although he just called it a sick bed dinner table) and then asked if I needed anything else. 

"Can you just sit with me for a little bit?" I asked softly. "I'm really sorry I'm in such a depressed state. Maybe it's the pregnancy." 

Severus chuckled a little. "You're actually sorry for being down? Elizabeth you can see the future of everyone you love dying, your brother is on the run, your grandfather-in-law through Tonks has been murdered, you're stressed about all your friends, you're pregnant, and you're trying to save the world- your world anyways- all on your own. I'd be worried if you weren't depressed." 

I took a bite of my chicken wing and hummed in satisfaction. "These give me so much happiness though." 

Severus chuckled. "Well, you can have as many as you want." 

I smiled then, a true smile. "I love you Severus." 

He kissed the top of my head. "I love you more." 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"𝕴 𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚!" The words ripped from my lips as I grasped the bed sheets in pain as another contraction hit. 

"Push." Madam Pomfrey said simply, trying to regain my attention. 

Severus smartly kept his mouth shut, sitting by the bedside, letting me dig my nails into his hand. 

"I can see his or her head, you need to push Miss Kane." Madam Pomfrey said firmly. 

"I am pushing!" I snarled. 

Severus squeezed my hand lightly. 

"There we go." Madam Pomfrey said, unfazed, the pressure dwindling just slightly as the first baby exited me. She took the bloody baby, quickly handing the baby up to me. I could see that it was a little boy, the little bit of hair that he had was black. 

"Oh, Severus." I cooed now, "Look at him." 

"He's beautiful." Severus whispered softly. The baby whimpered, opening his eyes to show that they were a beautiful brown. 

"Headmaster, you should take the baby until the next one is out." Madam Pomfrey said. 

I felt my heart fall at the idea of having to let go of my baby so soon, even to his father. Severus however, seemed to be able to get how I felt because he shook his head. Madam Pomfrey gave him a slightly exasperated look, but focused solely on helping me deliver the second baby. 

"Elijah." I gasped out. 

"What?" Severus asked slightly. 

"Elijah Kingsley Snape." I said again, crying out from another contraction. "We would call him Elijah Kingsley. I just. . . I don't know his name just suddenly popped out." 

"It's a beautiful name." Severus said softly. "Very, well," He chuckled. "Royal." 

It took another thirty minutes for the second child to come out, which were full of Severus encouraging me, me yelling at both him and Madam Pomfrey, and Madam Pomfrey giving me times to push. 

This time, it was a beautiful baby girl that Madam Pomfrey delivered from me. I relaxed into the sheets, sweating and panting, but excited all the same. 

"Alright, let me check their eyes." Madam Pomfrey said, taking both of the babies into her arms, bringing them over to a table she had set up when Severus had rushed to get her. It took only thirty seconds, before she carried both of them over, a smile on her face. "They both have beautiful eyes Miss Kane." 

I smiled, tears coming to my own. "Thank you Madam Pomfrey." I whispered, taking both of the little babies into my arms. 

"Minerva." Severus said so suddenly and confidently that I looked up at the door to see if Professor McGonagall had come in, Madam Pomfrey doing the same. 

"What?" I asked, seeing that she wasn't there. 

"Her name is Minerva. . . how about Trang?" Severus asked hesitantly. "Minerva Trang?" 

"I love it." I whispered, my black cloud that I had been carrying around popping and dissipating as my heart swelled with love. This was the true Severus Snape, the one that I knew and loved. 

Madam Pomfrey was surveying Severus, which I wasn't entirely a fan of. I wanted her to like him of course, but after his name was cleared, not before. I didn't know how much her seeing this side of him would affect the future. Hopefully not by much. 

"Thank you for coming down Madam Pomfrey." Severus said suddenly, looking up at her. "If anyone were to ask why you were up here for so long-" 

"I will say that you were questioning me about the students underground trade to see if I know anything. If someone asks you, I knew nothing." Madam Pomfrey said solidly. 

"Naturally." Severus said and then she left the room, leaving the two of us with Remus and two new, beautiful babies. 

Severus gently sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the little ones. "They are truly miraculous, Elizabeth." 

"They are, aren't they?" I asked softly, staring at them in awe. Elijah Kingsleys' brown little eyes fluttered sleepily. It seemed that he was already tired from such an exciting event as being born. 

"I'm glad I can change the colours of the cribs." Severus smiled a little, flicking his hand at the new cribs in question, changing one of the blue pads to pink instead. 

I tsked at him. "You really thought both of them were going to be boys?" 

"One can hope." Severus smirked, but softened as he took Minerva into his arms. "She is adorable." 

"She's going to be your favorite, I already know it." I whispered softly, kissing his cheek. "You're going to protect her fiercely." 

"Yes I am." Severus whispered, rocking her. She also had brown eyes, which seemed happy, even for a newborn. "No one will hurt her. Not while I'm around. I promise." 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 20

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

𝕿𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌, 𝕽𝖊𝖒𝖚𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 I spent as much time outside as we could over the following days. Considering Remus and I had been pretty much confined to exactly one room for most of the year, it was nice to be outside and feel the fresh air on our faces. 

The sea wasn't exactly how I imagined it would be. Trang said it was much nicer in France as well, more sun and less grey clouds. Apparently the water was bluer in France was well, instead of this dark, cold grey water. 

Despite the look of the sea however, it was still pleasant. I enjoyed the smell of brine and sea salt, and the feel of swimming in the ocean was more enjoyable than a pool once I got used to it, though since I was pregnant I could not go very far out. 

Most of the time, we simply sat on the beach, reading newspapers and books, or talking to Remus and making sure that he didn't try to eat any sand. He did make friends with a very small sea turtle, which would occasionally come back to the beach for 'sunbathing'. Remus' eyes lit up every time he saw it and would crawl over to it. It didn't seem to fear him, because it would let him pick him up, before eventually wiggling away and back into the sea. 

"Elizabeth! Griphook wants to talk to us!" Harry called down from the cliff. I knew he'd been sitting up there for some time. And I'd heard Ron and Hermiones' voices drift down. 

I groaned. "Why does he think I care?" 

"Because you've cared and tried to be in on the action in the past six years." Trang said sleepily from where she was laying down on the sand, one arm thrown over her eyes. 

"Fine." I grumbled. "Don't let Remus eat sand." 

Trang groaned, sitting up so that she could keep an eye on my baby. I got up slowly, and gingerly made my way back up the slippery, rock stairs that were carved into the cliff side. I always hated this part of getting to and from the house. I always feared that I was going to slip on the steps and fall down them. 

Bill appeared the top of the stairs, which he quickly came down, before helping me back up the rest of them. "Elizabeth, I said send a Patronus." He said in an exasperated voice. He had indeed asked me to send a Patronus if I ever needed help with the stairs. 

"I know, I know." I said with a sheepish smile on my face. "Sorry Bill." 

Once I was actually in the house, I met with Harry, Ron, and Hermione outside of the door that Hermione, Luna, Trang, and I slept in throughout the night. 

Griphook was sitting in the wooden chair next to the crib that I would sit in to breast-feed and sing Remus to sleep in. "I have reached my decision, Harry Potter. Though the goblins of Gringotts will consider it base treachery, I have decided to help you-" 

"That's great! Griphook, thank you, we're really-" 

"-in return, for payment." Griphook finished. 

"How much do you want? I've got gold." 

"Not gold. I have gold. I want the sword. The sword of Godric Gryffindor." 

"You can't have that. I'm sorry." 

"then, we have a problem." 

"We can give you something else." Ron said and I bit my bottom lip, knowing what was coming, "I'll bet the Lestranges have got loads of stuff, you can take your pick once we get into the vault." 

"I am not a thief boy! I am not trying to procure treasures to which I have no right!" He spat angrily. 

"The sword's ours-" 

"It is not." 

"We're Gryffindors, and it was Godric Gryffindor's-" 

"And before it was Gryffindor's, whose was it?" the goblin demanded. 

"No one's. It was made for him, wasn't it?" Ron asked. 

"No! Wizarding arrogance again!" Griphook said, bristling with anger as he pointed a single, pointed finger at Ron. "That sword was Ragnuk the First's, taken from him by Godric Gryffindor! it is a lost treasure, a masterpiece of goblinwork! It belongs with the goblins! The sword is the price of my hire, take it or leave it!" 

Harry glanced between the three of us before saying, "We need to discuss this, Griphook, if that's all right. Could you give us a few minutes?" 

The goblin nodded, looking disgusted with all of us, though neither Hermione nor I had said a word the entire time. 

We didn't just leave the room, but went downstairs into the living room. Gratefully, I sank back down on the couch while Harry walked to the fireplace, thinking. Ron followed behind him. "He's having a laugh. We can't let him have that sword." 

"Is it true? Was the sword stolen by Gryffindor?" Harry asked Hermione and I. 

"I don't know." Hermione said, sounding both desperate and hopeless. "Wizarding history often skates over what the wizards have done to other magical races, but there's no account that I know of that says Gryffindor stole the sword." 

"It's possible, I only deal with the future, Harry." I replied wearily. "However, like Hermione, I have never read an account on either side of Gryffindor stealing the sword. I was under the impression he had bought it or it was gifted to him freely." 

"It'll be one of those goblin stories about how the wizards are always trying to get one over on them. I suppose we should think ourselves lucky he hasn't asked for one of our wands." Ron said in that supremacy that I disliked. Sure, I did not like to think of us as bad people, but there was a bad egg in every group of people, no matter their blood purity, colour, religion, or species. Wizards were no exception. 

"Goblins have got good reason to dislike wizards, Ron. They've been treated brutally in the past." Hermione tried to reason. 

"Goblins aren't exactly fluffy little bunnies, though, are they? They've killed plenty of us too. They've fought dirty too." 

"But arguing with Griphook about whose race is most underhanded and violent isn't going to make him more likely to help us, is it?"

 Harry went to look out the window at Dobby's grave. From my angle on the couch, I could just barely see Luna as she arranged sea lavender in a jam jar at the headstone. I saw that the rock I'd carved the weird engraving into was propped up with the headstone Harry had made. I wondered when he'd done that. 

"Okay, how's this?" Ron asked and the three of us looked at him. "We tell Griphook we need the sword until we get inside the vault, and then he can have it. There's a fake in there, isn't there? We switch them, and give him the fake." 

I rolled my eyes and almost scoffed out loud. "Real classy." 

"Ron, he'd know the difference better than we would! He's the only one who realized there been a swap!" 

"Yeah, but we could scarper before he realizes-" 

Ron actually seemed to shrink under Hermiones' glare. "That, is despicable. Ask for his help, then double-cross him? And you wonder why goblins don't like wizards, Ron?" 

"All right, all right! It was the only thing I could think of! What's your solution then?" 

"We need to offer him something else, something just as valuable." 

"Brilliant. I'll go and get one of our other ancient goblin-made swords and you can gift wrap it." Ron replied sarcastically. 

"Maybe he's lying. Griphook. Maybe Gryffindor didn't take the sword. How do we know the goblin version of history's right?" Harry said. 

"Does it make a difference?" 

"Changes how I feel about it." Harry sighed. 

"Use grammar." I said. 

"What?" The three said together. 

"Liz, I know you love talking and using words, but really, I don't think that's going to work in this case." Ron replied. 

I huffed, "Tell him he can have the sword, but do not tell him when he can have the sword. Tell him he can have the sword after he's helped you get into the vault- but avoid telling him exactly when he can have it." 

"I was going to suggest that." Harry nodded. "It's good." 

"Harry, we can't-" 

"He can have it." Harry said in a finalized tone. "after we've used it on all of the Horcruxes. I'll make sure he gets it then. I'll keep my word." 

"But that could be years!" Hermione protested. 

"I know that, but he needen't. I won't be lying. . . really." 

"I don't like it." Hermione said. 

"Nor do I, much." 

"Well, I think it's genius. Grammar, hah! Let's go and tell him." Ron said, getting up. 

I followed them back up the stairs because, why not? Harry made the offer very carefully, just as I had suggested. Hermione frowned at the floor while I continued to stay impassive. 

"I have your word, Harry Potter, that you will give me the sword of Gryffindor if I help you?" 

"Yes." 

"Then shake." 

I knew grammar was important because the goblin himself had used it. He would help them get into the vault, but he would not help them get out of it. That was the danger, though I knew they would escape on the back of a dragon anyways. 

"So, we begin!" Griphook said. 

"Well," I said softly, getting up off the bed. "You don't need me from here on out. You've got it all on your own." I squeezed Harry's shoulder, kissing his cheek, leaving the bedroom. I was glad to be away from it all, away from the adventure for the first time. 

I just wanted to be with my son. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 19

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

"𝕯𝖔𝖇𝖇𝖞. . . 𝕯𝖔𝖇𝖇𝖞. . . 𝕯𝖔𝖇𝖇𝖞!" Harry's voice kept calling out the dead elfs name. I didn't even have a chance to say or do a single thing to save the elf. I could only sink to my knees by Harry's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Bill, Fleur, Dean, and Luna came over after some time, probably to assess if we were hurt since we weren't moving. 

Harry noticed them and said, "Hermione? Where is she?" 

"Ron's taken her inside. She'll be all right." Bill said softly. He glanced over at me, then back to the dead house elf in Harry's arms. 

Harry looked down at Dobby before pulling the sharp, sleek blade from his chest. He pulled his coat off, covering the small, childlike body with it. 

Bill made a few orders of the others. Dean helped Griphook into the house, Fleur hurrying after them. 

"We can bury him." Bill said gently to Harry. 

"Uh huh." Harry agreed, sounding distant. 

"Just give him a moment." I mumbled, wiping away the tears that were forming in my eyes. I really hated my pregnancy hormones. 

"I want to do it properly." Harry suddenly spoke. His voice was strained, full of pain, sorrow, grief, and guilt. "Not by magic. Have you got a spade?" 

Bill said nothing, only standing to go and retrieve the said spade, before returning to give it to Harry. 

I waited outside with Harry, the pregnancy spell having dropped since I was no longer apparating. I felt rather large as I sat there, on the rock, but I wanted to be here, since I couldn't help. Besides, I was going to have to sit through many more of these, I was going to have to get used to it. 

Eventually, Ron, Dean, and Trang joined us. Trang didn't have Remus in her arms, so I had a based assumption that my son was in the house. 

"How's Hermione?" Harry spoke the first words since Bill had left us alone. 

"Better, Fleur's looking after her." Ron responded, before the two young men simply jumped down into the hole with spades to help Harry finish the grave. Trang meanwhile, sat down beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. She had never met Dobby, but she knew how much the house-elf meant to Harry and me. 

When they were done with the grave, Harry wrapped Dobby up tighter in his jacket, Ron gave him his shoes and socks, while Dean placed a hat on his head. I slowly undid the scarf that was around my neck, handing it to Harry, who helped put it around his  neck. Trang produced gloves, which were placed upon Dobbys' hands. 

"We should close his eyes." Luna said softly. I flinched a little, my back having been towards them. I turned to see that Bill, Fleur, Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Trang were all there, Trang holding Remus in her arms. I felt a sudden, unwarranted stab of anger at Ollivander and Griphook. They should've been out here for Dobby's burial. 

Luna knelt down, her fingers moving Dobby's eyelids until they covered his glassy, unseeing eyes. I was suddenly struck funny by the realization that Dobbys' eyes were green. Maybe the universe had something against green eyes and they just all needed to die. 

Harry and Dean climbed out of the grave, looking down at the small body. I wondered if it would feel the same, looking at Dad and Tonks. . .  No they'll be fine. They'll be fine. I tried to convince myself, forcing myself to focus solely on Dobby. I had had a plan and Dobby simply had not worn the shielded clothes I'd created. Dad and Tonks and Severus would be different, I would deal with them directly, not second-hand. 

"I think we ought to say something. I'll go first, shall I?" Luna said, and then without waiting for a response, said, "Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now." 

"Yeah. . . thanks, Dobby." Ron murmured. 

"Thanks." Dean followed. 

"Good-bye Dobby." Harry said in a tight voice. 

Bill lifted the dirt with his wand, letting it settle into the hole, forming a mound of sorts. 

"D'you mind if I stay here a moment?" Harry asked as the others started to make their way back to the house. 

"Sure." Bill murmured, patting Harry on the shoulder. 

I hesitated, looking down at the rock I had been carving into a headstone with words carved into it. When I had been writing the words on it, they had made sense in my head, painting me a picture of sadness and yet love at the same time. Now, staring at the words, they didn't make any sense: 

𝒲𝒽𝓎 𝒹𝑜 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝑔𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓃, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒹𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝐸𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎

I scoffed silently to myself and dropped the rock in the dirt, walking past Harry, joining the others in the house, leaving my words to wear away for years to come. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖞 standing in the foyer of Griphooks bedroom when Harry came up the stairs with Bill, Ron and Hermione. I went to stand aside, but Harry shook his head. "I want your advice in here." 

I glanced over at Hermione, who gave me a small smile.

"In here." Bill said, opening up the door to his and Fleurs' room. It was a beautiful room, with colours that matched the sea and sand outside. I realized now that I had never actually been to the sea, though I had always longed to go. I supposed I could make the most of this visit, though I now wished it was with Severus and Dad as well. 

Hermione took a seat besides the dressing table, Ron sitting on the arm of the chair. Harry moved to the window, turning his back to the beautiful view outside to lean against the sill, his arms across his chest. The familiar flicker of pain in his eyes told me that his scar was hurting again. I'm sure if I had still been wearing our mums' locket, I would've felt the same pain against my chest. 

Bill came into the room with Griphook in his arms, gently putting him down on the bed and Bill left without another word. Now that Griphook was in the room, I decided to sit on the loveseat, the babies in my stomach kicking hard now. I put a hand against my stomach, rubbing it gently, hoping it would soothe them. 

"I'm sorry to take you out of bed. How are your legs?" Harry asked. 

"Painful. But mending." 

I looked at the Gryffindor sword that the goblin held in his hands, clutching it with reluctance, as though he already knew what we were asking for, though I knew that wasn't the case. 

"You probably don't remember-" Harry started, but Griphook interrupted. 

"-that I was the goblin who showed you to your vault, the first time you ever visited Gringotts? I remember, Harry Potter. Even amongst goblins, you are very famous." There was a long silence, where the two of them seemed to be sizing each other up. I knew who won when Griphook continued, "You buried the elf. I watched you from the window of the bedroom next door." 

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I wouldn't regret. I wouldn't even have to feel that I needed to berate him for not showing up to the funeral if I had just been able to save Dobbys' life. 

"Yes." 

"You are an unusual wizard, Harry Potter." 

Harry rubbed his scar as he questioned, "In what way?"

"You dug the grave." 

"So?" 

Griphook didn't answer, so I did. 

"Certain ah, species don't expect Wizards to take the time for a proper burial for those we are supposed to see as 'below us.'" 

Griphook gave me a look that said he didn't like my way of explaining it, but it had been the nicest way of putting it that I had been able to see. 

"Griphoook, I need to ask-" 

"You also rescued a goblin." 

"What?" 

"You brought me here. Saved me." 

"Well, I take it you're not sorry?" I heard the impatience in Harry's voice. 

"No, Harry Potter, but you are a very odd wizard." 

"Right. Well I need some help, Griphook, and you can give it to me. I need to break into a Gringotts vault." 

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry like he had gone mad, while Harry's eyes flickered just a bit. I hoped he wasn't in too much pain, but that was a big hope. 

"Harry-" Hermione started, but was interrupted immediately by the goblin. 

"Break into a Gringotts vault? Impossible." 

"No, it isn't. It's been done." Ron quickly backed Harry up. 

"Yeah, the same day I first met you, Griphook. My birthday, seven years ago." There had to be some sort of poetic justice to that. 

"The vault in question was empty at the time." The goblin snapped, clearly offended. "Its protection was minimal." 

"Well, the vault we need to get into isn't empty, and I'm guessing its protection will be pretty powerful. It belongs to the Lestranges." 

If Hermione and Ron hadn't been looking at him like he had a screw loose before, they most certainly were now, as they exchanged a glance. 

"You have no chance. No chance at all. If you seek beneath our floors, a treasure that was never yours-" 

"Thief, you have been warned, beware- yeah I know, I remember," Harry interrupted "But I'm not trying to get myself any treasure, I'm not trying to take anything for personal gain. Can you believe that?" 

"If there was a wizard of whom I would believe that they did not seek personal gain, it would be you, Harry Potter. Goblins and elves are not used to the protection or the respect that you have shown this night. Not from wand-carriers." 

"Wand-carriers." Harry repeated. 

"The right to carry a wand, has long been contested between wizards and goblins." 

"Well, goblins can do magic without wands." Ron replied. 

"That is immaterial! Wizards refuse to share the secrets of wandlore with other magical beings, they deny us the possibility of extending our powers!" 

"Well, goblins won't share any of their magic either, you won't tell us how to make swords and armor the way you do. Goblins know how to work metal in a way wizards have never-" 

"It doesn't matter. This isn't about wizards versus goblins or any other sort of magical creature-

Griphooks laugh made the hairs on my arms stand up. "But it is, it is about precisely that! As the Dark Lord becomes ever more powerful, your race is set still more firmly above mine! Gringotts falls under Wizarding rule, house-elves are slaughtered, and who amongst the wand-carriers protests?" 

"We do! We protest! And I'm hunted quite as much as any goblin or elf, Griphook! I'm a Mudblood!" 

I felt uncomfortable with both her words and the way she sat up straight, her eyes bright and passionate. I physically cringed where I sat, feeling weird about it. 

"Don't call yourself-" 

"Why shouldn't I? Mudblood, and proud of it! I've got no higher position under this new order than you have, Griphook! It was me they chose to torture, back at the Malfoys'!" 

I thought for effect she might pull her robe arm up, to show where Bellatrix had carved the word 'Mudblood' into her arm. Considering that would've had greater effect to punctuate her words. Instead, she simply showed the thin line across her neck, not to deep, and already healed into a scab. 

And don't get me wrong, I'm sure that hurt like a bitch. But I feel that the dramatic effect would've been a lot better. 

"Did you know that it was Harry who set Dobby free? Did you know that we've wanted elves to be freed for years?" Ron fidgeted and I rolled my eyes. "You can't want You-Know-Who defeated more than we do, Griphook!" 

True. I definitely wanted revenge for my parents and for ripping my entire family apart. 

"What do you seek within the Lestranges' vault? The sword that lies inside of it is a fake. This is the real one. I think that you already know this. You asked me to lie for you back there." 

"But the fake sword isn't the only thing in that vault is it? Perhaps you've seen the other things in there?" 

"It is against our code to speak of the secrets of Gringotts. We are the guardians of fabulous treasures. We have a duty to the objects placed in our care, which were, so often, wrought by our fingers." 

He stroked the sword as he spoke, his beady black eyes darting between the four of us. 

"So young, to be fighting so many." 

"Will you help us?" Harry asked. I could hear a baby start to cry downstairs and knew that I needed to depart. "We haven't got a hope of breaking in without a goblins' help. You're our one chance." 

"I shall. . . think about it." Griphook said. 

"But-" 

"Thank you." Harry said softly. 

"I think, that the Skele-Gro has finished its work. I may be able to sleep at last. Forgive me. . ." 

"Yeah, of course." Harry said, leaning forward and taking the sword of Gryffindor from where Griphook had laid it down. The four of us left the room, my skin prickling as I turned my back to the goblin. 

"Little git, he's enjoying keep us hanging." 

"Harry, are you saying what I think you're saying?" The crying grew louder. "Are you saying there's a Horcrux in the Lestranges' vault?" 

"Yes. Bellatrix was terrified when she thought we'd been in there, she was beside herself. Why? What did she think we'd seen, what else did she think we might have taken? Something she was petrified You-Know-Who would find out about." 

"But I thought we were looking for places You-Know-Who's been, places he's done something important? Was he ever inside the Lestranges' vault?" Ron asked. 

"I don't know whether he was ever inside Gringotts. He never had gold there when he was younger, because nobody left him anything. He would have seen the bank from the outside, though, the first time he ever went to Diagon Alley. I think he would have envied anyone who had a key to a Gringotts vault. I think he'd have seen it as a real symbol of belonging to the Wizarding world. And don't forget, he trusted Bellatrix and her husband. They were his most devoted servants before he fell, and they went looking for him after he vanished. He said it the night he came back, I heard him." 

He rubbed his scar. Trang came up the stairs, carrying Remus, who had stopped crying so loudly, but still whimpering slightly. 

"I don't think he'd have told Bellatrix it was a Horcrux, though. He never told Lucius Malfoy the truth about the diary. He probably told her it was a treasured possession and asked her to place it in her vault. The safest place in the world for anything you want to hide, Hagrid told me. . . except for Hogwarts." 

"You really understand him." Ron said after a moment, as I took Remus into my arms. I bounced him just a little, before looking up. 

"Well, and also Bellatrix and him had a daughter together." I said nonchalantly, without thinking really. 

"He what?" Ron exclaimed vehemently and Trang choked out. 

"I thought it was obvious." I said, then cooed to Remus, "Let's go down and play with toys." I turned and walked back down the stairs, Trang tailing me closely. 

"What was that all about?" Trang asked. I explained the conversation to Trang as we made our way to the living room, before turning to other conversation as Bill came into the room. 

"I suppose you can't tell me what you're doing here either?" Bill asked. 

"Oh, actually, it's quite simple. You-Know-Who was going to be where Trang and I have been hiding out. We left hours prior to that visit, and I figured here was a good place. Sorry for the intrusion." I explained quickly, putting Remus down on the floor now that he'd stopped crying. I had brought a few of his favorite toys with us, and I put them down next to him now, which he immediately picked up and started to play with. 

"It's alright, I'm just glad you guys are safe." Bill said, still surveying me as I gingerly sat down on the couch, putting a hand over my stomach. "Er- Snape?" 

"Oh, uh yeah." I mumbled quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Twins, possibly." 

It was silent for a moment and then Bill said. "I get it. I mean, not Snape, hearsay, but uh, the love part. . . it's hard to stop loving someone who already had your heart." 

"Yeah, it is." I murmured. 

"Your rooms are upstairs." Bill said. "We put you and Trang in with Hermione." 

"Thank you, Bill." I said softly. "We appreciate it." 

Bill nodded and then continued on his way. 

"So what's the plan?" Trang asked lightly. 

"We pretend we're on vacation. Spend our days down at the beach, help cook and clean so we're not overbearing guests, and then a week before Harry and the others leave for Gringotts, we'll leave for Hogwarts. The future there is a little fuzzy admittedly, but it seems like a sound plan." 

"Understood. I'm going to go lay down, I'm pretty tired." Trang said softly, standing up. She squeezed my shoulder and headed upstairs. 

I continued to sit in the living room, lost in thought, until Harry strode out of the house, Hermione and Ron tailing after him. 

Flashes of visions played in my head. Severus was bustling down the steps of Hogwarts. . . meeting with Voldemort. . .Severus headed back up the stairs after Voldemort instructed him to do so. Severus would attempt to look out the window, see what the Dark Lord was doing, but he could not see him. . . he had casted a Disillusionment charm. And Harry was telling Ron and Hermione the same things I was seeing. Ron was bemoaning the fact that they hadn't gone after the wand. 

But everything would work out somehow. I could see the vague image of a person finishing Voldemort inside Hogwarts. Which would most likely take place in June although I didn't know the exact date. It could even possibly be late May. I was only predicting June since all of our other escapades had happened in the last month of school. 

I stood, gripping the couch arm as I felt the dizziness of doing so. Black dots danced across my vision and I waited until they were gone to move again. I made my way up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Trang was fast asleep and I saw that Bill had fashioned a makeshift crib in the corner for Remus. I laid my son down in the crib, putting the small blanket over him, tucking his favorite stuffed animal in with him. 

"Goodnight sweetheart." I murmured, before climbing into the bed closest to him. 

I fell asleep quickly, big green eyes imprinted against my eyelids and Dobby's voice echoing in my ears. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 18

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

"There we go." Trang murmured softly, sitting back from the radio that Severus had provided for us. Severus was sitting on the other side of the room at his desk, going over something for the school. Despite his headmastership being mostly just so a competent Death Eater was in charge, he still took his duties seriously. 

I sat next to Trang, Remus in my arms. I knew that today was the day that Harry, Hermione, and Ron would be taken to Malfoy Manner. I had it so that Trang and I would leave at the same time they were taken. After all, the Dark Lord would visit Severus later tonight, though Severus would not get the owl for another hour and a half. 

We were a little bit late to the show as Lee was saying, ". . . remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark Magic." 

My last link to  my past was gone. The last person who knew me when I was young, knew me when I lived with Lily and James was dead. I had known it would be that way, but it still saddened me that I would never really know the truth of my living. 

"Listeners, I'd like to invite you now to join us in a minute's silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed, but no less regretted, Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters." 

I didn't glance up at Severus when I did not hear his quill stop on the parchment. I knew that every death that occurred brought guilt to Severus, like he should've prevented it somehow. So I did not berate him for not giving his silence. He already carried more than any of us ever would. 

"Thank you. And now we turn to regular contributor Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world." 

"Thanks River." I smiled as I heard Kingsley speak. I felt that reassurance, the way I did every time Kingsley spoke. Like he would set everything right in the world just by saying a few words. 

"Muggles remain ignorant of the source of their suffering as they continue to sustain heavy casualties. However, we continue to hear truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors, often without the Muggles' knowledge. I'd like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings in your street. Many lives could be saved if such simple measures are taken." 

"And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be 'Wizards first'?" Lee asked. 

"I'd say that it's one short step from 'Wizards first' to 'Purebloods first' and then to 'Death Eaters' We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving." 

"Excellently put, Royal, and you've got my vote for Minister of Magic if ever we get out of this mess. And now, over to Romulus for our popular feature 'Pals of Potter'." 

"Thanks, River." I took the radio into my hands, hearing dads' voice. I felt this pain and happiness in my chest, knowing that he was alive. 

"Romulus, do you maintain, as you have every time you've appeared on our program, that Harry Potter and Elizabeth Kane are still alive?" 

Just out of the corner of my eye, I saw Severus shudder just the slightest bit. 

"I do." Dad said fiercely. "There is no doubt at all in my mind that their deaths would be proclaimed as widely as possible by the Death Eaters if it had happened, because it would strike a deadly blow at the morale of those resisting the new regime. 'The Boy who Lived' and 'The Girl who Sees' remain symbols of everything for which we are fighting: the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting." 

I let out a half laugh, half sob sound. I felt Trang touch my shoulder gently with her hand. 

"And what would you say to Harry and Elizabeth if you knew they were listening, Romulus?" Lee asked. I supposed he must've thought the two of us were together. 

"I'd tell him we're all with him in spirit. I'd tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right. And I'd tell her that I love her and I know she'll do what's right." 

I smiled, a tear sliding down my cheek, dripping onto the radio. 

"And our usual update on those friends of Harry Potter's who are suffering for their allegiance?" Lee asked. 

"Well, as regular listeners will know, several of the most outspoken supporters of Harry Potter and Elizabeth Kane have now been imprisoned, including Xenophilius Lovegood, erstwhile editor of The Quibbler. We have also heard within the last few hours that Rubeus Hagrid, well known gamekeeper at Hogwarts School, has narrowly escaped arrest within the grounds of Hogwarts, where he is rumored to have hosted a 'Support Harry Potter' party in his house. However, Hagrid was not taken into custody, and is, we believe, on the run." 

"A few hours ago?" Trang and I asked in sync, both of us looking over at Severus, who looked exasperated. 

"He was throwing a party for the enemy of the Dark Lord. Of course I had to do something. It's not like I tried that hard." Severus glared at me. 

". . . against following Hagrid's lead. 'Support Harry Potter' parties are unwise in the present climate." 

Indeed they are Romulus. So we suggest that you continue to show your devotion to the man with the lightning scar by listening to Potterwatch! And now let's move to news concerning the wizard who is proving just as elusive as Harry Potter. We like to refer to him as the Chief Death Eater, and here to give his views on some of the more insane rumors circulating about him, I'd like to introduce a new correspondent: Rodent." 

"Rodent?" 

I couldn't help but giggle at the disdain in Freds' voice at this nickname. "I'm not being 'Rodent', no way, I told you I wanted to be 'Rapier'!" 

"Oh, all right then. 'Rapier,' could you please give us your take on the various stories we've been hearing about the Chief Death Eater?" 

"Yes, River, I can. As our listeners well know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged sightings of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Whos running around the place." 

"Which suits him, of course. The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself." Kingsley responded. 

"Asshole." Trang commented offhandly. 

"Agreed. So, people, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do." 

Trang and I burst out laughing and even Severus covered his mouth to hide his smile. 

"And the rumors that he keeps being sighted abroad?" Lee asked. His voice was stressed like he was holding back laughter himself. 

"Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in? Point is, people, don't get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he's out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don't count on him being a long way away if you're planning on taking any risks. I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but safety first!" 

I had giggled at first, especially at the face Severus made at Freds' comment on shampoo. But when I heard Fred say that last line. . . it killed my joy, thinking of how safety wouldn't be enough where his life was concerned. 

"Thank you very much for those wise words, Rapier. Listeners, that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We don't know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we shall be back. Keep twiddling those dials: The next password will be 'Mad-Eye.' Keep each other safe: Keep faith. Good night." 

The radio's dial twirled and the lights behind the tuning panel went out. I sighed, setting the radio down gently. I looked over at Severus who was holding Remus now, holding his son close. 

"We should go." I whispered softly, getting to my feet. Trang retrieved our traveling cloaks and I fastened mine around my neck. Trang shrunk our bags, putting them into her pocket. 

"Please stay safe Elizabeth." Severus whispered, letting Trang take our son into her arms while he embraced me tightly. "I don't like the idea of you being gone so long, especially being so close to giving birth." 

"I know." I whispered. "I don't like it either, but it has to happen Severus, trust me." 

"Implicitly." He whispered softly. He gently placed one kiss against my lips before I pulled away, leaving with Trang without looking back. 

Severus had guaranteed us a particular route of nothingness, which was exactly as we found it and we made it out of the castle with no problems. We had to skirt around Hogsmeade the long way in order to avoid the charms on the village, before apparating far away, landing on the seashore. 

There was nothing there, unlike in my visions, as Bill and Fleurs' cottage was hidden by the charm. 

"Are we in the right place?" Trang asked me quietly. The stillness was slightly alarming, until there was a violent cracking sound. I saw Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dobby, and a smaller creature I knew had to be Griphook appear out of nothing. 

"Stay here." I commanded of Trang, heart beating in my chest. It was time to see. . . to see if I had saved Dobby, or if there was no hope left for my family. 

Harry was bent over Griphook while Dobby stood to the side. From this position, I could not see his front. My feet pounded against the sand and I felt slow, especially in my pregnant state, straining to gain traction. 

"Harry!" I called out. 

"DOBBY!" Harry shouted as he looked up. "Dobby- no- HELP!" Harry bellowed. "HELP!" 

My heart sunk, even as I slid to my knees in the grainy dust as Harry caught him in his arms. The silver knife hilt protruded from the small elfs' stomach, even as a red stain spread across the front of his bare chest. 

He hadn't worn the knife-proof sweater I had knitted him for Christmas. He hadn't worn it. I wondered where it even was. 

"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die. Elizabeth do something, you have to do something." Harry begged me, rocking the dying elf in his arms. 

"Harry. . . Potter. . ." 

Dobby died in Harry's arms, even as my brother begged him not to, begged for me to help him. All I could do was hug Harry from the side, a tear slipping down my cheek, dropping onto the dry ground. 

Not only was Dobby dead, but the rest of my family was doomed. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 16

Warnings: 18+ readers only, smut, orgasm deprivation, punishment sex

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

"You said it yourself!" I protested, "The Dark Lord-" 

"Don't call him that." Severus snapped. 

"-is trying to figure out where I am! He's trying to find dad to torture the information out of him." I continued as though Severus hadn't just interrupted me in the middle of our argument. "If he knows, or at least thinks that he knows, I'm with Harry and the others, he'll lay off. His curiosity will be abated. It's a win-win Severus." 

"Unless, he takes you." Severus snapped. 

"He's not actually going to be there himself!" I protested, throwing my hands up in the air. "Severus, I know what I'm doing." 

"It's not safe." Severus spat. "I refuse to let you go-" 

"You can't actually stop me." I replied, infuriated. "Don't you understand that I'm trying to protect my father-" 

"I'm trying to protect you!" Severus snarled, slamming his fist against the desk. The room was silent for a second before Remus started to wail from his crib. 

I stormed over, taking Remus out gently however, bouncing him on my hip. 

"I can protect myself." I hissed. "I will be going to Lovegoods' house tomorrow and you will not stop me. I will do exactly what I need to, to get The Dark Lord-" 

"Don't. Call him that." Severus breathed out through gritted teeth. 

"-to believe I'm with Harry. And why can't I call him that? It's better than his actual name." I rolled my eyes, rocking side to side as Remus started to coo softly, his tears already dried up. 

"Because only his followers call him that and he doesn't own you." Severus muttered, fingers tightly gripping the back of his chair. 

I sighed, exhausted. It was late at night and I had thought breaking the idea of going to Lovegood's tomorrow as we got ready for bed was better than telling him in the morning. Clearly, I had been wrong. I should've let him steamed over it the entire day. 

"I don't know why you fight me on this stuff." I said in a much more even tone than before, putting Remus back in his crib after kissing his forehead. He let out a soft whimper, scrunching his nose, before settling into sleep. "You and I both know that I'm going to get my way." 

"Someone ought to change that." Severus purred, coming up behind me. I let out a squeak as he lifted me up, tossing me over his shoulder. I squirmed, to no avail, before he was tossing me back down on the bed. 

He looked down at me for a second, before he waved his wand. I let out a surprised gasp, finding my limbs tied to the bed posts with intricate rope that was wrapped around my skin. 

"I could just leave you like this." Severus whispered, starting to kiss down on my neck. His hands roamed softly over my body, leaving burning trails where his fingers caressed my skin. "You wouldn't be able to leave then, would you?" 

I breathed out and then my breath hitched in my throat as Severus suddenly wrapped his hand around my throat, giving it an almost gentle squeezed. "Would you?" 

"No sir." I whimpered, feeling the slick gather between my legs. 

Severus gently released my throat, continuing to explore my body with his lips and hands. I was both startled and turned on. We very rarely delved into this type of play, preferring to make love more than anything else. But when we did do this play, I craved his dominance as much as he craved my submission. 

He trailed his wand down my body now, before settling the tip against my clit. I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut as slight vibrations. 

"No." Severus said, the wand lifting from my clit. The pleasure stopped flowing and I whimpered, letting my eyes flutter open. "You keep your eyes on me." 

"Yes sir." I said, my voice sounding like it was close to whining. I hated it when he deprived me of pleasure. 

"I wish I could spank you." Severus murmured lowly, trailing his wand down the inside of my leg. The vibrations were there, but giving me nothing and I had to keep myself from whimpering pathetically in need. "What a shame. I guess I'll just have to deprive you instead." 

The wand was back on my clit the minute the last word left his mouth. I tensed in my bonds, my body feeling like it was on fire again. A special tingly feeling in my toes started and I wiggled them, trying to work through it. "Sir please." I begged softly. "Please." 

"Are you going to Lovegoods' tomorrow?" Severus asked softly. 

"Sir." I whined, not wanting to give him an answer. 

"Not the answer I want." Severus said, whipping his wand away again. I nearly cried, my legs jerking as they tried to come together, but they were tied to tightly. "Let's try this again, shall we baby?" 

He did it four more times and I was on the verge of desperate tears by the time he had done the the most recent one. 

"Elizabeth." Severus said in a serious voice. 

"I'll be safe." I said, a small hiccup leaving my throat and that little action started the waterworks I'd been holding back. "Severus I need to do this, please! It's safe. Just please let me go." 

Severus sighed, hanging his head over mine so that our foreheads were touching. His hands were shaking as he rested them on my hips. Finally, he nodded his head once and moved the wand back down to my clit. "Cum." He whispered, and I did immediately, cumming hard as he moved the wand down, shoving it into my cunt. "That's it baby." 

I rode the orgasm out, before sighing in content, relaxing against the pillows. I was still needy, wanting him to fuck me, but he waved his wand and put it to the side, crawling into bed, pulling me into his arms. "I really, really need you to be safe Elizabeth. Do you understand?" 

"Yes." I whispered, relaxing into him. "I can swear it Severus. I'll be safe." 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

My tail flicked as I sat underneath a bush of orange fruit that was otherwise known as Dirigible plums. I knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be coming any moment now, but I was getting uncomfortable. It was cold, the wind blowing through my coat. 

I let out a huff, which came out an annoyed mew, before I heard feet crunching and then heard Ron's voice say, "It's theirs, look." 

They opened the gate and I crept out from underneath the bush. Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off of himself as the three of them looked down at me with grins on their faces. 

"Well hello Elizabeth." Harry said with a grin. 

I turned human, brushing dirt off of my skirt, blushing a little as they took in the state of my body, seeing that I was pregnant again. 

"Hello." I said quickly, turning towards the door. 

"You've been with Snape?" Harry asked, his voice near a growl. 

"I told you before." I said slightly coolly, "I need his potions expertise." I glanced over at him. "And despite everything Harry, he still loves me." 

Harry kept his mouth closed and Hermione rapped on the door quickly. The door was flung open almost immediately and there was Xenophilius, standing in the doorway. He was bearfoot, wearing only a nightshirt which was covered in stains and marks. His hair looked like it had snarls in it, bunched up around his head. 

"What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want?" He asked, his voice high-pitched, his gaze falling upon each of us in turn, unrecognizing until he saw Harry. 

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood. I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Harry said, quite unnecessarily in my opinion as his face had been plastered to every newspaper front and window for the past six months. 

Mr. Lovegood did not take Harry's hand, his eyes fixed on the scar only, until his lazy eye shifted over to look at me, reminding me just a tad of Uncle Moody. My heart clenched down in pain and I took a deep breath. 

"Would it be okay if we came in? There's something we'd like to ask you." Harry continued. 

"I. . . I'm not sure that's advisable. Rather a shock. . . my word. . . I. . . I'm afraid I don't really think I ought to-" 

"It won't take long." I could hear the disappointment in Harry's voice, but I felt a pang of kindness towards Mr. Lovegood. Despite losing his daughter to the Death Eaters, despite knowing that turning Harry- and possibly me- over to the Death Eaters would free his daughter, he was still hesitant to do so. He had still been looking for a way to send us away instead. 

"I- oh, all right then. Come in, quickly. Quickly!" 

To my surprise, the first room we came to stand in was a kitchen as the door was slammed shut behind us. There was no living room or sitting room, just a kitchen, along with a long spiral staircase leading up into the rest of the house. 

As the house was a perfect circle, the kitchen appliances had been fitted to curve with the walls. The walls themselves were painted with nature ideograms in bright, primary colours. I had to blink several times to get used to it. 

"You'd better come up." Mr. Lovegood said, taking the staircase. 

We followed him up into another room that seemed to be half a sitting room and half a work room. There were piles of objects stacked up everywhere, mostly books and papers, sticking out in uneven ways. There were creature models, hanging from the ceiling, though I didn't recognize a single one of them. 

There was a printing press in the corner, which Mr. Lovegood quickly strode over to throw a cloth over. I grimaced a little, turning away from it. 

"Why have you come here?" 

"Mr. Lovegood- what's that?" Hermione asked with a cry of shock. I decided to seat myself in one of the chairs, away from the Erumpent horn that I knew would explode later one. 

"It is the horn of a Crumple- Horned Snorkack." 

"No it isn't!" 

"Hermione, now's not the moment-" 

"But Harry, it's an Erumpent horn! It's a Class B Tradeable Material and it's an extraordinarily dangerous thing to have in a house!" 

"How d'you know it's an Erumpent horn?" Ron asked and like me, started away from the horn. 

"Hagrid brought one to Care of Magical Creatures last year." I said, "It exploded when I threw a pebble at it. It was fantastic." 

Harry also joined Ron in backing away just slightly. 

"I don't know where you go it-" 

"I bought it two weeks ago from a delightful young wizard who knew of my interest in the exquisite Snorkack. A Christmas Surprise for my Luna. Now, why exactly have you come here, Mr. Potter?" 

"We need some help." 

"Ah, help. Hmm. Yes. The thing is. . . helping Harry Potter. . . rather dangerous. . ." 

"Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone it's their first duty to help Harry? In that magazine of yours?" Ron asked immediately. 

"Er- yes, I have expressed that view. However-" He said, glancing behind him at the covered printing press. 

"That's for everyone else to do, not you personally?" Ron asked. 

Mr. Lovegood did not answer for a long time. 

"Where's Luna?" I asked softly, looking up at Mr. Lovegood. "Let's see what she thinks." 

Mr. Lovegood did not like my question, as I knew he wouldn't. In a shaky voice he responded, "Luna is down at the stream, fishing for Freshwater Plimpies. She. . . she will like to see you. I'll go and call her and then- yes, very well. I shall try to help you." 

"Cowardly old wart." Ron muttered after Mr. Lovegood had gone downstairs and out the front door. "Luna's got ten times his guts." 

"He's probably worried about what'll happen if the Death Eaters find out I was here." Harry defended the man. 

"Well, I agree with Ron. Awful old hypocrite, telling everyone else to help you and trying to worm out o fit himself. And for heaven's sake keep away from that horn." 

I closed my eyes as the room fell silent, Harry crossing the room to look out the window. I could feel Hermiones' eyes on me, but I would not look at her, not wanting to start any new conversations about Severus. But me ignoring her did not good. 

"How's Remus?" Hermione asked. 

I opened my eyes to look at her. "He's really good." 

"Where did you leave him to come here?" Hermione asked softly. 

I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "He's with his father." There was a pause of silence and I said, "You don't have to like Severus, you can continue to hate him. But he is not a danger for me or Remus." 

"I don't like you fraternizing with the enemy." Harry finally said. 

"I'm on your side always Harry." I said softly. "But I need him and he's kept me safe this long." 

We fell silent as Mr. Lovegood came back with a tea tray. 

"Ah, you have spotted my pet invention." He said, noticing that Harry was standing near a crude representation of Ravenclaw's diadem. "Modeled, fittingly enough, upon the head of the beautiful Rowena Ravenclaw. 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!' These are the Wrackspurt siphons- to remove all sources of distraction from the thinker's immediate area. Here, a billywig propeller, to induce an elevated frame of mind. Finally, the Dirigible Plum, so as to enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary." 

He came back to the tea tray, which he had shoved into Hermione's arms, putting it down on the table. "May I offer you all an infusion of Gurdyroots, we make it ourselves. Luna is down beyond Bottom Bridge, she is most excited that you are here. She ought not to be too long, she has caught nearly enough Plimpies to make soup for all of us. Do sit down and help yourselves to sugar." 

I did exactly that, reaching for the sugar bowl and picking up five sugar cubes to suck on. 

"Now, how may I help you, Mr. Potter?" 

"Well, it's about that symbol you were wearing around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding, Mr. Lovegood. We wondered what it meant." 

Mr. Lovegood looked surprised, like this was not the question or request he had been expecting. "Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?" 

"The Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked. 

"That's right. You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe. Witness that knuckle headed young man at your brother's wedding who attacked me for sporting the symbol of a well-known Dark wizard! Such ignorance. There is nothing Dark about the Hallows- at least, not in that crude sense. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they might help one with the Quest." 

"I'm sorry. I still don't really understand." Harry responded, taking a sip of his drink and I swear his face almost turned purple, putting the cup down quickly. I tossed him a sugar cube. 

"Well, you see, believers seek the Deathly Hallows." 

"But what are the Deathly Hallows?" Hermione asked. 

"I assume that you are all familiar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?" 

"Yes." Hermione, Ron, and I all answered, though Harry answered in the negative. 

"Well, well, Mr. Potter, the whole thing starts with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. . . I have a copy somewhere. . ." He looked around at the mess of books and such and I rolled my eyes. I would have a better chance of reciting the story from memory than him finding the book in time. 

"I've got a copy, Mr. Lovegood, I've got it right here." Hermione said, pulling the book from her bag as she said so. 

"The original? Well then, why don't you read it aloud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand." 

"Er. . . all right." Hermione said awkwardly, opening the book up and started to read, "There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight-" 

"Midnight, our mum always told us." Ron interrupted and I threw a sugar cube at his head in annoyance. "Sorry, I just think it's a bit spookier if it's midnight!" 

"Yeah, because we really need a bit more fear in our lives." Harry said and I let out a short laugh, "Go on, Hermione." 

"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them-" 

"Sorry, but Death spoke to them?" Harry asked, sounding alarmed. I reached across the table, picking up the bowl of sugar cubes. 

"It's a fairy tale, Harry!" 

"Right, sorry. Go on." 

"And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. 

"So the oldest brother, who was a combative an, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always wind duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the older brother. 

"Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead."

I shuddered, because I knew that was what I wanted. If only I could have a stone to bring everyone I loved back from the dead, then I didn't need to go through all of this trouble. But. . . they would not come back whole anyways. It was best to let the dead stay dead, no matter how much that pained me. 

"And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility." 

"Death's got an Invisibility Cloak?" Harry interrupted once more, much to my annoyance. 

"So he can sneak up on people. Sometimes he gets bored of running at them, flapping his arms and shrieking. . . sorry, Hermione." I smiled a little at Ron. I had forgotten what humor was over the past couple of months. 

"Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. 

"In Due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. 

"The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible. 

"That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat. 

"And so Death took the first brother for his own."

I sighed to myself, looking out the window. The Lovegoods had a good amount of land, mostly sprawling green hills that weren't so green at the moment since they were covered with snow. The patches of grass that could be seen were more of a yellow-green-brown colour. There was a sliver of blue that ran off into the distance that must've been the river Luna would fish at, had she truly been home. 

"Well there you are." 

I gave a start, not even realizing Hermione had finished the story off. The book now laid closed in her lap. "Sorry?" She asked in confusion. 

"Those are the Deathly Hallows," Mr. Lovegood said, picking up a quill, pulling a piece of parchment from the many trapped in the books. "The Elder Wand. The Resurrection Stone. The Cloak of Invisibility." He said as he drew the triangle with the line and circle in the middle of it. "Together, the Deathly Hallows." 

"But there's no mention of the words 'Deathly Hallows' in the story." Hermione said. 

I rolled my eyes. Wasn't that every story? Every story had a hidden message or symbol in it that wasn't verbally said. It wasn't like at the end of Cinderella they said, 'work hard and it'll pay off!' That's why the story was told in the first place. 

"Well, of course not. That is a children's tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognize that the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hollows, which if united, will make the possessor master of Death." 

It was silent for a short moment until Lovegood continued, "Luna ought to have enough Plimpies soon." 

That was his code for, 'Luna is almost home', and my heart clenched in pity for the man, knowing that wasn't quite true. 

"When you say 'master of Death-" 

"Master. Conqueror. Vanquisher. Whichever term you prefer." 

"But then. . . do you mean. . . that you believe these objects- these Hallows- actually exist?" 

"Well, of course." 

"But, Mr. Lovegood, how can you possibly believe-" 

"Luna has told me all about you, young lady. You are, I gather, not unintelligent, but painfully limited. Narrow. Close-minded." 

I was going to defend her, but then thought there was a bit of truth to that. Truly, Hermione did have a hard time believing in things that weren't in front of her, that weren't instructed about specifically in books. Hermione was many things; brave, loyal, smart, kind, loving. But imagination was not her strong suit. 

"Perhaps you ought to try the hat, Hermione." Ron said, voice straining as he tried not to laugh. 

"Mr. Lovegood, we all know that there are such things as Invisibility Cloaks. They are rare, but they exist. But-" 

"Ah, but the Third Hallow is a true Cloak of Invisibility, Miss Granger! I mean to say, it is not a traveling cloak imbued with a Disillusionment Charm, or carrying a Bedazzling hex, or else woven from Demiguise hair, which will hide one initially but fade with the years until it turns opaque. We are talking about a cloak that really and truly renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it. How many cloaks have you ever seen like that, Miss Granger?" 

I quickly shot her a look as she opened her mouth, but then she closed it again, glancing at me and then at Harry and Ron. 

"Exactly," Mr. Lovegood said, sounding victorious. "None of you have ever seen such a thing. The possessor would be immeasurably rich, would he not?" 

"Not necessarily." I mumbled under my breath. 

"All right, say the cloak existed. . . what about the stone, Mr. Lovegood? The thing you call the Resurrection stone?" 

"What of it?" 

"Well, how can that be real?" 

"Prove that it is not." Mr. Lovegood said plainly. 

Hermione became rather outraged at that. "But that's- I'm sorry, but that's completely ridiculous! How can I possibly prove it doesn't exist? Do you expect me to get hold of- of all the pebbles in the world and test them? I mean, you could claim that's anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!" 

"Yes, you could. I am glad to see that you are opening your mind a little." 

"It makes sense, actually." I said slowly. "I mean, muggles don't believe in magic, right? They don't think that there are such things as unicorns or dragons or broomsticks. Perhaps there is a higher magic than us, something that hides from us the way we hide from Muggles. It is possible, is it not?" 

"Indeed." Mr. Lovegood said, looking thoughtful. 

"What about the Elder Wand?" Harry asked. "You think that exists too?" 

"Oh, well, in that case there is endless evidence. The Elder Wand is the Hollow that is most easily traced, because of the way in which it passes from hand to hand." 

"Which is what?" Harry asked. 

"Which is that the possessor of the wand must capture it from its previous owner, if he is to be truly master of it. Surely you have heard of the way the wand came to Egbert the Egregious, after his slaughter of Emeric the Evil? Of how Godelot died in his own cellar after his son, Hereward, took the wand from him? Of the dreadful Loxias, who took the wand from Barnabas Deverill, whom he killed? The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history." 

"They didn't exactly pay attention in History of Magic." I mumbled, smiling to myself, winking at Harry. 

"So where do you think the Elder Wand is now?" Ron asked, glancing over at me. I ignored him. I knew exactly where the Elder Wand is and I knew better than to touch it. 

"Alas who knows? Who knows where the Elder Wand lies hidden? The trail goes cold with Arcus and Livius. Who can say which of them really defeated Loxias, and which took the wand? And who can say who may have defeated them? History, alas, does not tell us." 

"Mr. Lovegood, does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?" 

The name meant nothing to be and I frowned a little. 

"But you have been misleading me, young woman! I thought you were new to the Hallows Quest! Many of us Questers believe that the Peverell's have everything- everything!- to do with the Hallows!" 

"Who are the Peverells?" Ron and I asked at the same time. Both Harry and Hermione seemed surprised with me at that, not that I blamed them. I usually had all the answers. 

"That was the name on the grave with the mark on it, in Godric's Hollow, Ignotus Peverell." Hermione answered. 

"Exactly! The sign of the Deathly Hallows on Ignotus's grave is conclusive proof!" 

"Of what?" Ron asked. 

"Why, that the three brothers in the story were actually the three Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus! That they were the original owners of the Hallows!" He got to his feet and then looked over, "You will stay for dinner? Everybody always requests our recipe for Freshwater Plimpy soup." 

"Probably to show the Poisoning Department at St. Mungo's." Ron muttered underneath his breath. I snorted. 

"What do you think?" Harry asked Hermione and I as Mr. Lovegood was downstairs now, moving around, clattering dishes. 

 "Oh, Harry," Hermione answered first, "it's a pile of utter rubbish. This can't be what the sign really means. This must just be his weird take on it. What a waste of time." 

"I s'pose this is the man who brought us Crumple-Horned Snorkacks." Ron said skeptically, backing Hermione up. 

"You don't believe it either?" Harry asked. 

"Nah, that story's just one of those things you tell kids to teach them lessons, isn't it? 'Don't go looking for trouble, don't pick fights, don't go messing around with stuff that's best left alone! Just keep your head down, mind your own business, and you'll be okay.' Come to think of it, maybe that story's why elder wands are supposed to be unlucky." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"One of those superstitions, isn't it? 'May-born wiches will marry Muggles.' 'Jinx by twilight, undone by midnight.' 'Wand of elder, never prosper.' You must've heard them. My mum's full of them." Ron said. 

"Harry and I were raised by Muggles," Hermione said while I rolled my eyes. "We were taught different superstitions. I think you're right. It's just a morality tale, it's obvious which gift is best, which one you'd chosen-" 

"Cloak." Hermione said. 

"The wand." Ron said. 

"The stone." Harry and I said at the same time, though I said mine more mindlessly, mine on other things. 

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, wondering how much longer I would be putting this facade up before the Death Eaters showed up. I wondered how much my presence would affect things. After all, looking at it like I wasn't here, they would get away. But my presence was already a permanent fixture, so Voldemort would be looking for me. I had to do something about it, get him off of dads' back and keep him safe. 

Eventually, I was jolted back when Harry said, "Elizabeth? What do you think?" 

I glanced around at all of them and shrugged, "I haven't been looking into the future much and I don't know much about this story. I do know that there's some proof of an unbeatable wand, or at least stories of it throughout history. And obviously, your invisibility cloak is very different from other invisibility cloaks. The stone however. . . technically it doesn't bring back the dead so I suppose it could possibly exist but I feel that if it was found, there would be more documentation on it." 

We lapsed back into silence, before Harry slowly stood after some time, moving upstairs. Out of curiosity, I followed him into Luna's room, despite Hermione calling after us not to. 

It was as I expected. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and myself were painted on the ceiling. But something I had not expected was Trang to be in there as well. All of us still linked by the golden ink of friends. I wondered how much time it had taken her. 

"Harry. . . the room." I murmured. 

Harry descended the stairs as Mr. Lovegood ascended the kitchen ones. "Mr. Lovegood, where's Luna?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Where's Luna?" 

"I- I've already told you. She is down at Bottom Bridge, fishing for Plimpies." 

"So why have you only set that tray for four?" I asked. 

There was no noise except the shaking of silverware as they rattled in the tray, and the printing press that sounded like it was going to die any second. I stepped down another step. 

"I don't think Luna has been here for weeks. Her clothes are gone, her bed hasn't been slept in. Where is she? And why do you keep looking out of the window?" 

He dropped the tray, freezing as the other three drew their wands. I slipped mine into my hand as well. 

"Harry look at this." Hermione said, picking up one of the magazines. 

"The Quibbler's going for a new angle, then?" Harry asked after a moment. "Is that what you were doing when you went into the garden, Mr. Lovegood? Sending an owl to the Ministry?" 

"They took my Luna. Because of what I've been writing. They took my Luna and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I- if I-" 

"Hand Harry and Elizabeth over?" Hermione finished. 

"No deal, get out of the way, we're leaving." Ron said. 

"They will be here at any moment. I must save Luna. I cannot lose Luna. You must not leave." 

Despite the predicament, I could only feel pity for the man. He did not know that they would save Luna, so he thought he was going to lose her. I could only imagine the terrible things I would do to get Remus back. Because that's what parents did: protect their children no matter what. 

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed, jolting me out of my thoughts once more. I should've gotten more sleep last night, I kept fazing out. 

Harry tackled Ron and Hermione as Mr. Lovegood drew his wand. His spell hit the Erumpent horn, which made the room explode. 

My back slammed into the metal rungs of the stairs I had still been standing on. I curled in on myself as heavy books and other objects rained down on me. I was going to have a lot of bruises tomorrow morning. 

I groaned, sitting up as everything settled. Harry was also raising himself up. I couldn't see Ron or Hermione from where I was. I gingerly stood up, wiping off white plaster dust from my traveling cloak. 

I heard the door downstairs crash open and then a furious voice said, "Didn't I tell you there was no need to hurry, Travers? Didn't I tell you this nutter was just raving as usual?" 

"No. . . no. . . upstairs. . . Potter! And Kane!" Mr. Lovegood croaked out after he let out a squeal of pain for whatever they had done to him. I bit my bottom lip. 

"I told you last week, Lovegood, we weren't coming back for anything less than some solid information! Remember last week? When you wanted to swap your daughter for that stupid bleeding headdress? And the week before-" There was another bang and squeal. I flinched. "- when you thought we'd give her back if you offered us proof there are Crumple" -bang, flinch- "Headed" -bang flinch- "Snorkacks?" 

"No- no- I beg you! It really is Potter and Kane! Really!" 

"And now it turns out you only called us here to try and blow us up!" 

"The place looks like it's about to fall in, Selwyn. The stairs are completely blocked. Could try clearing it? Might bring the place down." 

"You lying piece of filfth." Selwyn was content to ignore everything everyone was saying, "You've never seen Potter or Kane in your life, have you? Thought you'd lure us back here to kill us, did you? And you think you'll get your girl back like this." 

"I swear. . . I swear. . . Potter and Kane's upstairs!" 

"Homenum Revlio." 

I clapped a hand over my mouth to keep my gasp from being audible, but it didn't matter because I heard Hermione gasp from behind a pile of debris. 

"There's some up there all right, Selwyn." 

"It's Potter and Kane, I tell you, it's them! Please. . . please. . . give me Luna, just let me have Luna. . ." 

"You can have your little girl Lovegood, if you get up those stairs and bring me down Harry Potter and Elizabeth Kane. But if this is a plot, if it's a trick, if you've got an accomplice waiting up there to ambush us, we'll see if we can spare you a bit of your daughter for you to bury." 

I wiped away a tear that had come down my cheek at some point. I quickly moved across the debris, helping Harry out. Harry, Hermione, and I climbed our way over to Ron, Harry having to help me over some of the largest objects. 

"All right. Do you trust me, Harry?" 

Harry nodded. 

"Okay then, give me the Invisibility Cloak. Ron, you're going to put it on." 

"Me? But Harry-" 

"Just do it." I hissed. "Harry, hold Hermione's hand. Ron, grab my shoulder. Hermione, you obliviate Lovegood, I'll blast the floor open." 

We waited, hearing Mr. Lovegood scrabbling against the furniture that had blocked the stairwell. 

I waited, before I finally heard Hermione shout, "Obliviate!" 

"Deprimo!" I shouted, pointing my wand at the floor. I could feel Ron's hand tighten on my shoulder. We fell through the floor, and my eyes searched out the Death Eaters. I met eyes with Selwyn and he raised his wand at me. Thankfully, Hermione twisted in midair, pulling the three of us with her, and with air squeezing through my lungs, we disappeared into nothingness. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 15

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

"Thank you Trang." I whispered as I fastened my winter cloak around my throat. 

"Of course." Trang shrugged, sitting on the couch with her History of Magic textbook. Remus was fast asleep in his crib already. 

I squeezed her shoulder and then slipped from the room. 

I stepped out of the room, seeing Severus in the room just like my vision had shown. 

"Headmaster! They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood-" Phineas Nigellus said quickly. 

"Do not use that word!" Severus snapped angrily. 

"-the Granger girl, then, mentioned the place as she opened her bag and I heard her!" Phineas Nigellus finished as I growled lowly under my breath at the stupid past headmaster. 

"Good. Very good! Now, Severus, the sword! Do not forget that it must be taken under conditions of need and valor- and he must not know that you give it! If Voldemort should read Harry's mind and see you acting for him-" Dumbledore said from his portrait. 

"I know." Severus replied curtly, approaching the portrait of Dumbledore. I watched him open it, pulling out the Gryffindor sword. The real one. "And you still aren't going to tell me why it's so important to give Potter the sword?" Severus asked, reaching out, grabbing the traveling cloak to swing it over his robes. 

"No, I don't think so. He will know what to do with it. And Severus, be very careful, they may not take kindly to your appearance after George Weasley's mishap-" 

"Don't worry, Dumbledore. I have a plan." Severus replied. 

"That I'm helping with." I said, finally announcing my presence. Severus flinched, not having heard my approach. 

"No, you're staying here." Severus said, opening the door, going to close it behind him. I grabbed the edge and he stopped. 

"Don't. We're doing this together." I whispered softly. "Please Severus?" 

He sighed, and nodded, "Fine. Come." 

I turned into my usual black cat form but he shook his head. "We're apparating there from the castle." 

"Oh." I whispered, taking his hand as I reverted back to my human form. "Lead the way then." 

"Here." Severus murmured, pulling us into a small alcove. "Hold on tight." 

I closed my eyes, gripping his hand tighter. He pulled us out of the castle. For some reason, the apparition felt tighter and I gasped for breath way to loud when we landed, coughing into my hands. 

Severus rubbed my shoulder before we walked through the forest. I knew what Severus was looking for, but as I had never been to the Forest of Dean before, I couldn't help him there. 

Eventually we came across the iced over lake and Severus squeezed my hand before letting it go. "Just wait here. If they happen to see me, I don't want them to know that you were with me." 

"Okay." I whispered, sitting down in the dark, watching him as he crossed to the open space. I shivered, not wearing thick enough clothes to be out here for long. 

He pointed his wand at the ice, which cracked before he dropped the sword into the water, refreezing the ice, and then walked back off through the forest in a different way, probably looking for them. 

It took a good twenty minutes, by which time, my fingers were numb and I was so cold that my teeth were chattering together violently. I couldn't even grip the cloak to pull it closer because my fingers wouldn't bend. 

Severus came around again, his wand still held out, leading the doe to the lake. Harry appeared a few moments later as Severus crouched down next to me. 

Severus didn't say a word- he couldn't- but he wrapped his cloak around me, and then hugged me from behind as we watched Harry. 

Harry took a moment, appeasing the sword before pointing his wand at it. He was to far away to make out what he said, but I assumed it was a summoning spell. Severus huffed in annoyance behind me. "Dunderhead." 

He walked around the lake several times before he finally stopped, looking around. Then, he stripped himself, setting everything away from the edge of the lake. 

"Diffindo!" He shouted. The ice cracked, sounding softer than it had in my vision. I wondered if it had been louder before because Severus had apparated at the same time. Perhaps. 

Harry jumped and I held my breath, leaning forwards, clenching my jaw so that my teeth would stop chattering. Severus kept his hands tight on me, not letting me go far. 

Ron came running across suddenly and I could see Harry was drowning under the lake. 

"He's drowning." I gasped out and Severus clamped a cold hand over my mouth while Ron glanced over at the trees, but didn't stop before he too was jumping into the water. 

"C'mon." Severus muttered, standing, helping me through the tree line. 

"I w-w-w-want to see the-e-m destroy i-i-i-t." I murmured without thinking and Severus stopped, turning to look at me. 

"Destroy what?" 

I hesitated and then shook my head, to cold for the 'I can't tell you because you'll ruin the future' conversation. 

"Right." Severus muttered, sounding bitter. "You and Dumbledore." 

"I'll tell y-y-you e-e-e-everyth-th-thing after the war is o-o-over." I muttered, deciding that was an easy promise to make and a compromise. 

Severus stayed silent, still standing there and we watched as Ron pulled Harry. Harry laid on the ice. Ron stood over him, holding the sword of Gryffindor. 

"Elizabeth we need to leave." Severus hissed in undertone. 

"R-R-R-Righ-h-ht." I shivered. 

Severus shook his head, "Like you could stay any longer anyways. You're freezing." 

He lifted me into his arms, carrying me further through the forest until he finally spun on the dot, appearing back in his bedroom, making Trang jump. 

"Elizabeth!" Trang jumped up, throwing her book aside as Severus laid me on the bed, before going over to light the fireplace. "Oh my God, are you okay? Your lips are blue!" 

"For all that I s-s-saw." I stuttered, wrapping a fuzzy blanket around me from the end of the bed, "P-p-probably should've worn s-something w-warmer." 

"Yeesh." Trang murmured, pulling me into a tight hug. Severus came back over with a cup of something that was steaming. 

"Drink this." Severus murmured, helping me so that I could wrap my hands around the mug. I smelled chocolate and drank the hot drink. 

"T-thank you." I mumbled, downing the drink. I immediately burned my tongue, probably extinguishing all taste buds for the next two days, but it warmed my insides and my hands immediately. 

Trang stayed long enough to make sure that I was alright, before heading off to her dorm. Meanwhile, Severus continued to observe me with an odd expression on his face. 

"What?" I asked, setting the empty cup on the bedside table. 

"Nothing." Severus sighed, stepping forwards, placing both of his hands on my face. I flinched a little, his hands ice cold. He quickly withdrew them, tapping them with his wand and replacing them. I relaxed now, his hands nice and warm. "I love you." 

I smiled a little, tilting my head just enough to kiss his palm. "I love you too." 

He stroked my cheek and I closed my eyes before whispering, "Come to bed." 

"Elizabeth~" Severus murmured, before waving his hand, extinguishing the lights. He pushed me back onto the bed, crawling over me, his lips descending on mine. I moaned happily, reaching up to push his cloak off of him, the fabric dropping to the floor in a 'whooshing' sound. 

We ridded each other of our clothes, bare skin on bare skin. His lips kissed down my neck, across my collarbone, his hands tight on my hips. My hands ran up his chest, over his shoulders, down his back. His fingers found my clit, warming me up quickly, before sliding inside of me. 

"Oh fuck~" I whimpered, stifling my cry against his shoulder. 

"Don't hide darling." Severus murmured, nudging the side of my head with his, drawing me away from his shoulder. "I want to hear all of those sweet noises you're making. No one will hear you." 

With that promise, my mewls grew louder. I was soon a whimpering, pathetic mess underneath him as he worked me up over and over again, the waves of pleasure rocking through my body. I could hardly think, barely forming words besides Severus' name and 'please'. 

Severus finished inside of me for a second time, before slowly pulling out, rolling onto his back on the other side of me. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into him. "Are you feeling warmer yet?" 

I let out a tired sigh, my eyes to heavy to open and look up at him. I muttered something along the lines of 'I'm good' and heard him chuckle a little, his lips brushing the top of my head as I drifted off to sleep. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I waved my wand in the bedroom, letting streamers hang on the bed curtains, while also sticking candles into the thick frosting of Severus' birthday cake. It was chocolate with a thick coat of dark green icing. I had written 'Happy Birthday Severus' in black, with tiny hearts. I had also done my best to decorate it with little potion items. 

I was beaming as I set the cake down on a small table by the side of the bed, not lighting it yet as Severus wouldn't be back for another ten minutes. Remus was trying to open the one present that I had been able to get for Severus, continuously pulling at the strings around the package. 

Once again, I swooped down on him, lifting my son into my arms, setting him on my hip. "You think daddy will like the cake?" I cooed softly, bouncing him a little. He sucked on his thumb, giggling. His hair had lightened in its brown colour and I ran my hand through his curls. "You're going to need a hair cut soon sweetheart." 

'His first haircut.' I thought with a smile. I would have to make sure that Severus was there for it. 

I could hear him in the office now, though I quickly peeked out the door just to double check, being quick as a cat. He was tossing his cloak onto the chair, looking exhausted, locking the headmaster door behind him permanently so no one could get in. 

I slunk back into the bedroom, closing the door with the slightest click. I could hear his feet padding down the hallway and I quickly turned out the lights, jumping onto the bed, laying down on my stomach. I flicked my wand at the cake, letting the candles light up, so that they flickered in the dark room. 

Severus opened the door, before stopping in the doorway, just staring at the cake, his face in the shape of an 'o' in surprise. His eyes wandered over to see me laying on the bed and his face changed into a smile. 

He closed the door behind him, walking over to crawl up on the bed with me. "You did this?" 

"No, Slughorn did." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. He grabbed my hips tightly, burying his face into my neck, growling a little at my sarcasm. He nipped at my collarbone and muttered, "Watch it brat." 

I couldn't stop the whimper that emitted from my throat. Severus chuckled, nipping my neck once more, before stepping in front of the cake. He closed his eyes, looking like he was praying, before he blew the candles out. 

The lights turned back on and Severus and I split a piece of cake together, putting the rest in an icebox to keep fresh. We even let Remus have just a little bit, mostly just letting him lick some frosting off of our fingers. 

"Here." I said, reaching down to grab the present, putting it in his lap. "It's not a lot since I couldn't go out or anything, but I thought it could come in use." 

It was very discrete as a homemade scarf and gloves, both in the colour of black. They would blend in well with his cloak as well. 

"Thank you Elizabeth, this is wonderful." Severus murmured softly, running the scarf through his hands, feeling it. 

"I'm glad you like it." I replied, kissing his cheek. 

We curled up on the couch together, mostly with Remus in our arms. We had both realized we enjoyed just looking out the window at the stars, so Severus had widened the window so we had  more of a view to see them. 

I rested with my head in his lap, looking up at navy blue blanket that stretched as far as I could see. The white and yellow dots twinkled and winked as I watched them, drawing imaginary lines between them to form my own constellations. 

Severus' hand stroked my hair as he started to fall asleep sitting up. I slowly moved, getting up so that I could lay Remus down in his crib, gently placing his blanket around him. I kissed his forehead, moving to the bed where Severus had laid down now, already nearly fast asleep. 

I slid up next to him, curling into him as he wrapped an arm loosely around me once more. "Good night love." I whispered softly in his ear. "I love you." 

He mumbled something back to me that might've been the same thing, but was to jumbled to actually make any sense of it. He was snoring almost immediately, his face relaxed and young. I smiled again, kissing his cheek, before drifting off to sleep myself, wishing for more birthdays together. 

⬅️➡️

[braveclementine]

Chapter 14

Warnings: 18+ readers only, smut

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

"The small girl stares with wide brown eyes at each person who comes to observer her. A dark cloud of frizzy hair surrounds her head, stray leaves hiding within it. She holds a door knocker the way a smaller child might handle a rattle or a toy. Tightly. Protectively. 

"She has been placed in an armchair in one of the galleries, as though she is herself a piece of art. Her feet do not touch the ground. Her head has been examined and some concern has been raised over injury, though she is not bleeding. A bruise blooms near her temple, a greenish hue spreading over light brown skin. It does not seem to bother her. She is given a plate of tiny cakes and eats them in small, serious bites. 

"She is asked her name. She appears not to understand the question. There is some debate over how translations might work for someone so young (few recall the last time there was a child in this place) but she understands other inquiries: She nods when asked if she is thirsty or hungry. She smiles when someone brings her an old stuff toy, a rabbit with thinning fur and floppy ears. Only when the rabbit is presented does she relinquish the door knocker, clutching the bunny with equal intensity. 

"She does not recall her name, her age, anything about her family. When asked how she got there she holds up the door knocker with a pitying look in her large eyes, as the answer is terribly obvious and the people peering down at her are not very observant. 

"Everything about her is analyzed, from the make of her shoes to her accent as they begin to coerce single words or phrases, but she speaks rarely, and all anyone can agree on is that there are hints of Australia or possibly New Zealand, though some insist the slight accent on her English is South African. There are a number of old doors left uncatalogued in each country. The girl does not give reliable geographical information. She remembers people and fairies and dragons with equal clarity. Large buildings and small buildings and forests and fields. She describes bodies of water of indiscernible size that could be lakes or oceans or bathtubs. Nothing to point clearly toward her origin. 

"Throughout the investigations it remains unspoken truth that she cannot easily be returned to wherever she has fallen from if her door no longer exists.

"There is talk of sending her back through another door, but no one in the dwindling population of residents volunteers for such a mission, and the girl appears happy enough. Does not complain. Does not ask to go home. Does not cry for her parents, wherever they might be. 

"She is given a room where everything is too big for her. Clothes that fit reasonably well are found and one of the knitting groups provides her with sweaters and socks spun from colorful yarn. Her shoes are cleaned and remain her only pair until she outgrows them, the rubber soles worn through to holes then patched and worn through again. 

"They call her the girl or the child or the foundling, though the more semantic-minded residents point out that she was not abandoned, not as far as anyone knows, so the term foundling is inaccurate.

"Eventually she is called Eleanor, and some say afterward she was named for the queen of Aquitaine, and others claim the choice was inspired by Jane Austen, and still others say she once responded to the request for her name with "Ellie" or "Allira" or something like that. (In truth, the person who suggested the name plucked it from a novel by Shirley Jackson but neglected to clarify due to the unfortunate fate of that other fictional Eleanor.)

"'Does she have a name yet?' the Keeper asks, not looking up from his desk, his pen continuing to move across the page. 

"'They've taken to calling her Eleanor.' The painter informs him. 

"The Keeper puts down his pen and sighs.

"'Eleanor,' he repeats, putting the emphasis on the latter syllables, turning the name into another sigh. He picks up his pen and resumes his writing all without so much as a glance at the painter. 

"The painter does not pry. She thinks perhaps the name has a particular meaning to him. She has only known him a short amount of time. She decides to stay uninvolved in the matter, herself. 

"This Harbor upon the Starless Sea absorbs the girl who fell through the remains of a door the way the forest floor consumed the door: She becomes part of the scenery. Sometimes noticed. Mostly ignored. Left to her own devices. 

"No one takes responsibility. Everyone assumes someone else will do it, and so no one does. They are all preoccupied with their own work, their own intimate dramas. They observe and question and even participate but not for long. Not for more than moment, here and there, scattered through a childhood like fallen leaves. 

"On that first day, in the chair but before the bunny, Elanor answers only a single question aloud when asked what she was doing out on her own. 

"'Exploring', she says. 

"She thinks she is doing a very good job of it." 

I'm relieved to see that Remus is fast asleep by the time the story ends. I wasn't a huge fan of the end of it, seeing how the girl had to learn to live by herself, even as a child. That none of the adults around her want to take any responsibility. It felt wrong, frankly. 

"The stories connected." Severus' voice jolts me a little, keeping me from my thoughts. I looked up at him to see that he's looking at me through the reflection in the mirror as he fixes his tie. I smile a little, seeing him in the muggle tuxedo. He looks dashing in it. 

There is a knock at the door then. Seven, then two, then three. Trang is here. 

I open the door to see her, with a backpack on her shoulders. "Hi." She smiles. As she takes Remus from my arms, she coos at him in a baby like voice. 

It's winter vacation already and Trang didn't go back for the holidays. Severus and I are going to be using her as a babysitter tonight as we go out. 

"Thanks for doing this Trang." I murmured, going over to the mirror as Severus left it, so that I can fix my hair and apply a bit more makeup. 

"Of course." Trang said, "Besides, I miss my little godson." 

I smiled at that, dabbing blush against my cheeks while Severus grabs a muggle winter coat, tapping it to become a wizarding cloak so if someone sees him leaving tonight, no one will look twice at him. 

My own dress in a dark midnight blue with silvery sparkles. Severus bought it for me for tonight. I admired myself in a mirror for a moment before Severus came over, putting his hands on my waist, his voice whispering in my ear, "You look good enough to eat. Maybe we can skip dinner." 

"And that's my cue to leave." Trang muttered, breaking the spell. She hoisted Remus up in his arms, leaving the room to the room across from this one- a sort of unused guest room. I think she had a good idea that Severus and I were going to come back and need some alone time. 

Severus rolled his eyes, pecking my cheek. "Ready to go?" 

I nodded, swallowing my nerves, turning into my silky black cat form, hopping into his traveling clock pocket and tucked my head down. 

I didn't look out his pocket the entire time and he never broke stride so I didn't know if he had seen anyone or not. I tucked down even more as I felt chilly wind fly just a little over my ears. Severus' hand dipped into the pocket, his hand against my side, stroking it a little as he walked now. 

He walked for twenty more minutes- taking a different route so that he was unseen by any of the Hogsmeade villagers- and also to avoid the charm that was placed on the village. 

He lifted me out of his pocket and put me on the ground so that I could become human again. I took his hand in mine, taking charge of apparating this time, and we appeared on the back porch of my old home. 

I opened the door cautiously, ready to flee at a noise or movement. But there was nothing except what dad and I had left there, covered in a layer of dust. 

"It's a nice house." Severus hummed suddenly, looking at a picture of me on the wall. Dad was hugging me from behind as he sat in a leaf pile that I had jumped in. It had been one of the rare days Mad-eye had stayed over. He'd taken the picture of us. 

I felt a lump in my throat start to grow and so I looked away. "Yeah." 

Severus squeezed my hand as I opened the front door and we left the house, walking up the street. We headed into town, seeing that it was fairly empty and I led the way to a brightly lit Chinese restaurant called Panda Inn. 

It was actually packed, which I was slightly surprised about, it being Christmas Eve and all. We took seats near the back, the two of us sitting across from each other in the booth. 

The restaurant looked adorable, with lots of red Chinese lanterns hung about the room. Dark trimming lined the room, with soft music playing from the speakers in the back. I could smell the chicken cooking in the back of the restaurant. The lights were dim, mostly using light from candles on the table. 

"Elizabeth!" A slightly older male voice said excitedly. I looked up to see mine and Trangs' favorite server, Danny standing there. He'd grown his block hair out to be floppy around the ears and was wearing dark green glasses. We'd both had something of a crush on him growing up, though he regarded as us playful friends. 

"Hi Danny." I said with a small smile. "How are you?" 

Severus was sitting a bit stiffly now, eyeing Danny with an equal mix of distrust and jealousy. 

"Great. Whose this gentleman?" Danny inquired, looking over at Severus. 

"This is a friend of mine, Nicholas." I lied. We figured it was best if we didn't use Severus' real name. 

"Nice to meet you Nicholas." Danny said easily with a huge grin. "Alright, what can I get for the two of you or do you need a minute to look over the menu?" 

"Um, perhaps a minute. It's his first time." I replied easily. "But I'll get a glass of white milk and a water." 

"And for you sir?" Danny asked. 

"Just a water." Severus replied uncertainly. 

"I'll be right back with those drinks." He walked off, leaving the two of us alone for the time being. 

I smiled happily as I looked over the  menu. For once, it felt like a normal night. Severus and I were out on a date while Trang babysat Remus. This was how our life should be. Could be. If I could just keep him alive. 

But I vowed I wouldn't think of anything like that tonight. I really just wanted to have a good night. 

"Okay so what do you usually get." Severus said, looking at the menu. 

"Orange chicken with fried rice. I used to get Lo Mein, but I don't really like the vegetables in them so I just stick with the fried rice. I don't think you'd like the orange chicken though since it's super sweet." 

In the end, I order double orange chicken with fried rice while Severus got half white rice, half lo mein with half Beijing Beef and half Black Pepper Angus Steak. 

We tried making mundane talk, but it was very hard. Severus didn't know much muggle conversation so I supplied most if it while he listened, a small smile breaking out on his face as he did so. 

We shared a small chocolate dessert before bundling up for the cold again and walking outside. We continued to walk down the street, gloved hand in gloved hand. I was content, hugging his arm as we walked. He looked down at me with such love in his eyes I thought I was going to burst. 

It started to snow, small flakes of white drifting down to rest in our hair. He stroked a finger across my cheek, before we came to a stop, a small flow of people heading inside of a building. 

I looked up, seeing that it was the church, the midnight service about to start. I looked up at Severus, a question on my lips, which he kissed away. He led me to the wide double doors and we walked into the cathedral. 

I had loved coming here as a kid. Dad hadn't been super religious, but he had wanted to introduce me to the church. I had done lots of Sunday School here and had continued coming every once in a while to sit in 'adult church'. I had never missed a Christmas Eve sermon however, until I had started at Hogwarts. 

We sat in the back near the stained glass window that showed Noah's ark breaching dry land. A rainbow in the background, standing firmly as a sign of Gods' peace. Doves flew above the brown boat, olive leaves in their beaks. Two by two, stained glass giraffes, zebras, elephants, and lions exited the ark. 

Severus put his arm around me as the sermon started. I had always loved listening to the stories of the birth of Jesus. They seemed so magical somehow. Miraculous. 

Candles were passed out so that we could sing Silent Night. Being in the back and on the end of the pew, my candle was the first one lit. Severus leaned his over so that we could touch them and I felt something like hope spark inside of me as his was lit too. 

Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace

I suddenly felt the empowering knowledge that he was going to survive. He was going to live. I watched as he touched flames with the woman next to him, an older woman who couldn't stand. He had stooped over, gently cupped the back of her candle holder so that her flame would light. She gave him a soft smile before turning to her husband. Someone as good as him couldn't die. 

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born

Severus did not sing, instead listened to me sing. I had never been a great singer- not in my mind at least- but my voice seemed to have an affinity to Christmas songs. 

Silent night, holy night! Son of God love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face With dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord, at Thy birth Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Severus pulled me close to his side, his arm tight around my waist as he rested his chin on the top of my head. "I love you Elizabeth." 

I looked up at him, a single tear trailing down my cheek as I sang, not answering, but he knew anyways. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Silent Night. . . 

I stirred, feeling the slightly chilly air in the room. 

Holy Night. . . 

I blinked my eyes open, noting Severus was laying next to me, still wearing his dress pants and shirt, though he'd tossed the jacket and bowtie off. I was still in my dress and stockings, tucked warmly under the bed. 

Silent Night. . . 

I sat up slowly, groaning. We had crashed when we'd come home, Severus apparating us straight up to our room after we'd exited the church. Being headmaster, he'd always been able to do this, we just hadn't wanted to before. 

I slowly slip from the bed, reaching behind me to pull the zipper down, when a larger hand takes mine, moving it away. Severus unzips the dress for me, kissing down my back as he does so. 

"Should've done this last night." His thick, sleepy filled voice murmurs sexily in my ear. "You look ravishing." 

I let out the softest of whimpers, the sleepiness gone from my foggy mind, replaced by a buzzing feeling of adrenaline and lust. His hands cup my arse as the dress falls down the rest of my body. 

His hand slips under me, two fingers sliding easily into my cunt, while a third rubs circles at my clit. 

My legs shake and I know they're not going to hold me up. Severus' hand withdraws and he pulls me back onto the bed. I sink into the pillows, looking up at him as he crawls over me, hovering. I smile as he snaps his fingers, discarding the rest of his clothes. 

I go to remove the white stockings, but he stops me, smirking. I blush darkly as he takes my stocking-clad legs, moving one over his shoulder and he lowers his mouth to my pussy. I arch slightly on the bed, trying my hardest not to move as pleasure radiates through me. 

"S-Se- Severus." I pant out as he adds three thick fingers inside of me. I arch again, this time writhing slightly until he uses one large hand, holding my hips down firmly. I pant, cunt clenching tightly around his fingers. 

"Gonna- need to-" 

"Cum." Severus demands. 

I cry out his name, back arched as I cum on his fingers. He watches with heavy, lust lidded eyes, slowly retracting his fingers. 

"Severus." I beg without actually begging, but he answers me anyways, lifting my hips so that he can slide into me, hovering over me. 

I sighed in content, closing my eyes, letting the euphoria wash over me. It's such a wonderful feeling, especially as his lips capture mine, his teeth lightly digging into my bottom lip. 

"I love you." Severus whispered, his thrusts hard and slow. He bottomed out with each one, sending an intense wave of pleasure from my toes to my head. I simply hang onto his shoulders, nails digging into the flesh there, riding the waves out. "Cum." He commands, feeling that I'm close and the dam breaks, my liquids gushing all over his prick. 

He rides out my wave now, thrusting more quickly, building up another wave. I open my eyes because I want to see him as he lets go.

"Elizabeth." He whispers and I cry out, feeling the second wave cresting. 

"SEVERUS!" I shout, unable to stop myself, even if Voldemort himself was out in the office. My vision becomes hazy, dotted in black and white as I slump back against the bedsheets. 

"Merlin I love you." I mumble, as Severus stills himself, having released inside of me. My eyes flutter open, blinking away the gray that danced in front of my vision. 

"Jealous." Severus teased. "Say my name too Elizabeth." 

I giggled, curling up against him. "I love you the most Severus, don't worry." 

"Good." Severus said plainly, kissing the top of my head. "Now how about a bath before Trang wakes up and brings Remus here for a feeding?" 

I rolled over and race to the bathroom door, "I get to choose the temperature!" 

"NO!" Severus shouts, running after me and I giggle as we spend the rest of the morning playfully. 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

It's Remus' first Christmas, and it's our first Christmas as a family. Severus got a camera from somewhere and we take pictures, marking our memories. I already have an album- a gift from Trang- and I put the pictures in there, labelling them on the back. 

I feel a little sad as I put it together though, looking over to watch Severus fly Remus above his head. It feels like what Hagrid did for Harry. I shake my head. No, we would be different. Remus would have a different future from Harry and me. Remus, at the very least, would have a mom. 

"Say hi to mommy." Severus coos, sitting down next to me, bouncing Remus in his arms. He grins at me. I love how infectious his smile is, as I smile back, blushing red. 

"Hi sweetheart." I coo back, taking Remus into my arms. "Are you liking your first Christmas, hmm?" 

I had gotten presents from dad as well. Three new Stephen King books that I couldn't wait to read. They hadn't come with a note, but I knew they were from him anyways. 

Severus had also given me a present, which turned out to be jewelry. It was much like the set he'd given me last year for my birthday, but this set was bright in its colours. Red and purple patterned. 

"It was my mothers." Severus murmured quietly as I had looked at him, stroking my cheek with the back of his finger. "One day, we'll pass it down to our first daughter. Perhaps when she gets married." 

Despite not knowing the gender of the two children inside of me, Severus was certain at least one was a girl. I liked the odds, though I wasn't certain. 

It felt to much like a good-bye present though so I thanked him and put it up on the dresser, before curling up in his arms, watching Remus play with his new stuffed animals: which mostly consisted of him laying on his stomach, waving it up and down. 

That night, we had a small Christmas dinner with half a ham.

Then we spent the rest of the night in each others arms, looking out the window at the stars until we fell asleep on the couch in each others' embrace.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 💚❤️💚❤️🎁🎁🎄

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