The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow III » Harry Potter

3.6 | A Chance Encounter

Later in the night after everyone had gone to bed, Margaret and Hermione obliged Harry's request to meet in Ron's room.

When the two tiptoed into the attic room, Ron was examining the Deluminator, lying back against his pillows; Harry was holding the golden Snitch its tired wings fluttering lightly. Hagrid's mokeskin purse was beside him, filled not with gold, but with those items he most prized: the Marauder's Map, the shard of Sirius's enchanted mirror, and R.A.B.'s locket.

"Muffliato," whispers Hermione, waving her wand in the direction of the stairs before carefully shutting the door behind them.

"Thought you didn't approve of that spell?" Margaret asks, joining Harry on his sleeping bag on the floor.

"Times change," says Hermione. "Ron, show her the Deluminator."

Ron obliged at once. Holding up in front of him, a handy silver cylinder that looked like a cigarette lighter, he clicked it. The solitary lamp they had lit went out at once.

"The thing is," whispers Hermione in the dark, "we could have achieved that with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder."

There was a small click, and the ball of light from the lamp flew back to the ceiling and illuminated them all once more.

"Still, it's cool," says Ron, a little defensively. "And from what they said, Dumbledore invented it himself!"

"I know, but surely he wouldn't have singled you out in his will just to help us turn out the lights..."

"D'you think he knew the Ministry would confiscate his will and examine everything he'd left us?" asks Harry.

"Oh, definitely," says Hermione. "He couldn't tell us in the will why he was leaving us these things, but that still doesn't explain..."

"...why couldn't have given us a hint when he was alive?" offers Ron.

"Did he say anything to you, Margie?" asks Harry. "Sirius mentioned you were one of the witnesses."

"Wait – did you know he had left us this stuff?" asks Ron.

Margaret nodded. "I tried to get it out as soon as we came back from Hogwarts, but the Ministry was keener on questioning me about everything he had left behind to anyone... And no, we never spoke about the actual contents of the will," she adds. "It's rather grim, if you think about it – knowing that they'd only be passed on when the person died. And with Dumbledore... sometimes that seemed unimaginable."

"It still feels surreal," says Harry quietly.

"Did he leave you anything, Margie?" asks Ron, before realising that it sounded a little insensitive. "I mean, maybe he gave you a gift or something...?"

"Nice, mate," says Harry plainly.

"Nah, don't worry about it," says Margaret, smiling. She dug into her pocket and took out two things: a small wrapped gift and the golden pocket watch. "The night we went to that cave, Dumbledore gave me a key to hold on to and said that he'd explain as soon as we were back. But well..."

"He died," supplies Harry.

"Yeah... But then Fawkes's showed up, remember?" says Margaret. The three of them nodded; they all remembered Fawkes taking her somewhere. It had been quite the show. "The key fit into Dumbledore's desk drawer. Turns out, there were a few things he wanted me to have. This" – Margaret held the gift out to Harry – "was one of them. And, well, I want you to hold onto it for me."

"What is it?" asks Harry, excitement lacing his tone.

Margaret knew that he felt a little underwhelmed by the Snitch he had received as well as the Sword of Gryffindor that could not be passed to him as it was a property of Hogwarts. But if Harry thought that what Margaret was giving would be any more exciting than what Dumbledore had left him, then he was sadly mistaken.