Chapter 29
Dedicated to: Kristine and the HP fan of Glyphs.com HP forums. And to the entire fellow 'Ah! My Lumbago' fans in our little posse in No-Man's Land Idaho. WARNING: One part ay not be appropriate for little kiddies. Anime movie rating, 13+
Harry looked all around. It was a foresty grove, with statues of gray stone covered in vines.
"Is this.... A graveyard?" Harry asked, walking over to the nearest stone and brushing away dirt.
"Yes."
"Here lies Peter Pettigrew's finger." Harry read off the tombstone. He smirked.
"What else is here? Here lies the remains of Mrs. Norris?" Harry said, looking around.
"This is something to take seriously Harry." Dumbledore said. "Look around. I want you to look at every single grave in this graveyard." Harry nodded.
"Sorry." Harry apologized. "And I'm sorry about your brother." Dumbledore softly smiled.
"He was nearing his end anyways. There wouldn't have been a better way to leave this world."
"But he sacrificed himself."
"Exactly." Dumbledore held his hands behind his back. Harry walked amongst the graves.
"All the old Professors." Harry said, reaching down and touching one. He brushed the dirt of.
"Professor Dippet...." Harry said, recalling the name.
"I take it you still remember the diary." Dumbledore spoke.
"How could I not?" Harry moved to the grave next to it.
"Professor? This one doesn't have a name." Harry said. Dumbledore said nothing.
"This is reserved for you. Isn't it?" Harry said. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his glasses.
"It looks fairly new. Why?"
"I can't live forever Harry. I'm getting old. Professor McGonagall will soon take over."
"Soon? You mean... Don't die on me, Professor!" Harry said, running over to Dumbledore.
"Are you feeling weak? Do you need to sit down? Do I need to take you to Madam Pomfrey?"
"Harry, Harry, Harry." Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm not planning on collapsing and dying right this instant. Now, keep looking." Harry headed nearer the back of the graveyard, where larger tombstones reigned.
"In Memory of Myrtle Davidson." Harry read, on one marked with a cross.
"Moaning Myrtle?" Harry asked Dumbledore.
"Her Muggle parents refused to let us bury the body here. She's buried somewhere in the countryside where she was born." Harry nodded and backed away from the tombstone, in case Myrtle's ghost emerged from it. Harry spied a large vine covered tombstone in the back of the graveyard. He walked towards it. He suddenly tripped on a rock.
"Oof!" He said." He sat back on his heels and brushed off his knees. He looked to his left. Harry's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. He gripped the base of the tombstone with two hands.
"Father?" He whispered, brushing the dirt off the letters with his thumbs. Tears welled in his eyes. Harry felt the ground beneath him.
"Father? Father!" Harry said, his fingernails digging in the ground, trying to reach some part of him. Harry stopped and looked to the grave next to it.
"Mother!" Harry said. He bent down and clutched the overgrown grass that connected to the earth that covered his mother. He began sobbing. This was the closest he had been to his parents in over 15 years. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I want them back." Harry whispered to the dirt.
"I know Harry. Look next to your mother's grave." Harry looked next to it.
"Was this supposed to be mine?" Harry asked, touching it.
"No. It was someone elses. But it has no use now."
"Whose was it?" Harry asked. He brushed a cobweb off of it.
"Nellina Potter." Harry wiped his face, streaking dirt across his face.
"Was... she a relative of mine?" Harry asked.
"A close one. Closer than you think."
"There's no date. Why?"
"She's alive. No one thought she could have survived. So young and so helpless. Younger than you, but just as precious."
"If she's alive, then why is the grave still here?"
"No one bothered to take it out. No body was found. We knew she had to be alive."
"Where is she now?" Harry said, adding more dirt streaks to his face. Dumbledore turned his head and stared out beyond the opening in the tree.
"She's... At the school?" Harry said. "Where? Who is she? There's no one by that name.... Name... Nellina..... Nellie? Nellie? Is it her?" Harry frantically asked.
"Yes. It's her." Dumbledore said. Harry looked back at the grave.
"Younger than me.... My dad didn't have a brother, did he?" Dumbledore shook his head. Harry stared at the grave still.
"She's... She's my sister."
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A curly haired figure waited silently in the dark corridor that led to the Slytherin Common room. Footsteps approached, echoing through the hall. Heavy breathing now could be heard. The figure slowly lit a torch on the wall. Ginny stood, staring at Draco with sad eyes.
"Any word from my family?" Ginny asked.
"They're safe." He said heavily, clutching his right arm.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.
"I have to go. He's calling me." Draco said, head down.
"So soon? You told me a week."
"We have to gather."
"Shh! Don't tell me! I don't want anything to happen to you." Ginny said, holding a finger to his lips. Draco let go of his arm, his hand shaking.
"Just... Pretend you don't know anything. Don't tell people where I've gone. People will notice. This is a school, isn't it?" Draco chuckled softly.
"Yes. It is. I won't tell."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I swear I'll come back." Draco said, holding her close to him. "Will you still love me?"
"What does that mean?" Ginny whispered into his shoulder.
"Will you love me if I have one arm?" Draco smiled into her hair.
"It's a duel. Not a war."
"Never underestimate the powers of a magical villain." Draco said. He backed her against the wall and kissed her long and slow, his hands feeling all over her body. If he never came back, he would regret never having felt this way about any girl. Ginny began crying as he continued.
"Don't leave me." She said, as he kissed her neck.
"I'll never leave you. There'll always be a place in my heart for you." He said. He kissed her one last time, with one last stroke across her chest, and left the hallway. A tear, fell from his face and dropped onto the floor. Through the silence, the tear hitting the floor echoed.
*****************
Harry leaned against the tombstone of a victim of the several murders his Godfather 'caused'. He stared at the tombstone. Dumbledore was quiet. Harry glanced behind him and saw a snot bubble at his nose. He stared at his sister's tomb. He then glanced to his right and looked at the large statue. He couldn't make out what the tomb was, so he walked over and began ripping off leaves, vines, cobwebs, and other bugs. He used his sleeve to dust away the dirt and dust covering the name of the tomb. He uncovered a T. An O. And a M. T-O-M M-A-R-V-O-L-O R-I-D-D-L-E, spelled the tombstone.
"Voldemort." Harry said. The tomb statue was a robed figure, head bowed, holding a wand.
"You don't deserve to be buried here." Harry said. He spit on the base of the tomb. Professor Dumbledore woke with a start.
"They're leaving." He said, as the bubble popped.
"Who?" Harry asked, wiping his mouth.
"The Death Eaters. He's summoned them."
"Where are they going?" Harry asked.
"The wastelands from Voldemort's Time Warp. We'll be short 4 students."
"You mean there are 4 Death Eaters in this school?" Harry asked, aghast.
"There were more. But they've left before now." Dumbledore said, leaning on his cane and walking to the exit.
"Who's leaving? Who are they?"
"That's classified information. Go to the school now." Dumbledore said. Harry broke into a run and ran to the castle. He crashed through the doors and looked both ways, for any sign of people leaving. Breathing fast, he walked towards the front entrance to the school. As he turned a corner he ran into Draco who had emerged from the Slytherin common room.
"Malfoy!" Harry said.
"Hey." Draco said. Harry stared hard at him. He didn't seem in a hurry.
"Listen. I owe you one for giving me the tip off about that dog." Draco said, looking at his feet.
"Well, it was the least I could do. It was for a good cause."
"I really love her." Draco said. He couldn't believe he was confessing this to one of his worst enemies. The one he would have a draw at killing in the next 5 days.
"I see." Harry said.
"Bye." Draco said, and turned on his heal and headed the way Harry came. Harry stared after him. Instinct told him to head to Gryffindor Tower. Harry ran up there, racing the changing staircases. As he got closer, so did someone else. Harry bumped into her, his sister.
"Oh. Sorry." Nellie said, looking up at Harry. Harry looked down at her. He reached out and drew her into a hug, holding her tight against him.
"I'm sorry I was never there for you." He said. "I'll be a good brother to you now." He said. Nellie stood there in his arms, before holding him back.
"Dumbledore told me." He said.
"Professor Midrigge told me." Nellie said.
"Well, there's no question there." Harry said. "Do you want to walk with me?"
"I'm kinda in a hurry." Nellie said, looking over his shoulder.
"Oh. When you get back then." There was a long silence.
"Do you remember Mom and Dad?" Nellie asked.
"Not much. I have pictures. I can show them to you."
"When I get back." Nellie said. She stepped around Harry and hurried out of sight. Harry stared after her, and then into space. It would be odd, now that both of them knew they were brother and sister. They would have to look out for each other. Harry, being the big brother, had to protect her and all the other loved ones that protected him. He had to protect his only family, like his had done to him. But why was she in such a hurry? Classes weren't in session. Suddenly, he knew.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Harry yelled, clutching at his hair and falling to his knees in the hallway. "You took my mother! You took my father! But you can't take her!!!!!!" Someone ran up behind him.
"Harry!" Hermione said, taking a hold of his arm. "What are you doing? What are you yelling about?" She asked.
"She's gone!" Harry cried. "He took my sister!" Harry said, collapsing into Hermione's arms. He cried silently, while Hermione smoothed his hair
Note: Keep your Kleenex or Puffs boxes close to you. You better cry to. I cry during sad movies. I cry during sappy romance movies. I cry when good things happen. I cry when I'm happy. I cry when I read stories. Now I cry when I read MY stories!!! What is this world coming to?
~Lauren~
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