Hidden Identity

Chapter 13: This is strange

Bpov

"It's so cold!" I whimpered, my teeth chattering and my body shivering as we marched through the cold, winter air. Snow was falling lightly from the sky and was forming a soft pillow of white on the floor. Me, Hermione and Harry were walking side by side as we walked through the familiar town of Godrics Hollow.

We had been walking around for a couple of moments now and somehow this place was beginning to seem much more familiar to me. The houses, the streets. Yet it was strange that I could remember as I had not been here in over 16 years and when I had, I had barely been over a year old.

We kept moving. Huddling as we moved through the snow.

We strolled side by side until we passed an old looking cemetery. Cautiously we headed over to the entrance and Hermione and Harry walked in, but I on the over hand stopped at the entrance gate and went to lean against the stone wall. The cemetery was packed with all different tombs and I let my mind wonder to my parents. Were they buried here? I mean... it made sense.

I hopped off the wall to which I had previously been sitting on and then went to go wonder the cemetery. I looked around. Harry was talking to Hermione by a tomb on the other side of where I was standing.

I walked towards their direction when I turned to see something that I didn't expect to see.

My Mums and Dads grave stones.

"Harry. Get over here!" I screeched

I saw Harry move away from Hermione and run over to me, Hermione quickly strolling behind him.

"What is it...?" Harry asked me, his voice turning into a whisper as his eyes trailed over to the stones we were now both standing in front of. Hermione as well.

Here lies Lilly and James Potter

Died October 31st 1981

Lilly Potter- Loving Mother, Sister, Wife, Daughter, Friend and Witch. (October 30th 1970- October 31st 1991)

James Potter- Loving father, Husband, Son, Nephew, Friend and Wizard. (27th March 1970 - 31st October 1991)

They will be dearly missed

R.I.P

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. After all this time I was finally able to be in the presence of my parents; dead or alive they were still here. With me.

By actually looking at their graves made me realise how much I really missed them. All these years I had been hiding my pain and sorrow from the ones I loved and those who I cared for.

I looked over at Harry who had tears forming in his eyes. It was strange to see him cry as he was usually so strong. So good at keeping his feelings at bay. And now I was the one who would be comforting him.

Reaching over, I hugged him round the shoulders.

Why did it have to be them? Why are parents? Why did peter Pettigrew have to tell Voldemort where they were? Why? I didn't want this. I didn't want to be the chosen one. I just want to be normal.

I just wanted to be home with my parents and brother; watching bad T.V and eating sickly food talking about....well anything we want! Nothing extreme or crazy. Just normal.

Hermione who was still standing behind us got out her wand and muttered a spell under her breath that caused a bunch of white tulips appear on their graves.

"Thanks "I whispered to her so quietly that I wasn't sure is she heard me but she gave me a soft smile that insured me that she did.

"Hey who's that?" I asked blinking, turning away from the grave yard and out to the street. I squinted in the dark trying to make out the old looking woman I could see looking back at us.

"I think..." Harry began saying,

"It is" I gasped. Automatically knowing what he was implying.

"Your right" Hermione finished. None of us actually having to say to each other what we were thinking.

"Bathilda Bagshot!" The three of us said simultaneously.

"Come on" Hermione said tugging at the sleeve of my shirt and pulling me into the direction of the exit gate where we then ran over to where she was standing.

"Hi" Harry greeted awkwardly, "You're Bathilda Bagshot, right?"

She gave a small nod that was barely noticeable in the dark.

There was something about the woman that didn't look... quite right. I mean I know that she's old and all but she looked as though she was on her death bed. The skin on her face was so frail and bony it was almost transparent. Her eyes were wide and lifeless and her hair didn't look like her but instead a stack of hay.

"May we talk to you?" I asked her after the moment's silence.

She nodded once more, turned away from us and then carried on walking down the street. We followed behind her.

We carried on walking until we stopped at and rotting, almost all black house. If you could even call it that. Not only was it rotting but also falling apart.

"Um... what a nice place" I lied faking a smile.

We followed her inside to only find that the inside of her house looked even worse than the front of the house did. If that was even possible.

Bathilda hobbled over to the corner of her living room where she grabbed a small cardboard box. She then hobbled back over now with a box of matches in her grasp; Bathilda tried to light the few candles that were on the table however her hands were to unsteady.

But being the gentlemen that my brother is offered to help her out.

Once the candles were lit, making the room a little lighter than it was a few minutes ago, we all had a quick look around. There was nothing in particular interesting as such but there was one picture that had caught my eye. On the counter was a black and white photo of young looking man (maybe in his mid 20's) with flowing, stylish hair, a greyish blazer and was holding a wand. His face was straight, serious. No hint of a smile upon his lips.

It must have caught Harrys attention too as when I looked up Harry was also looking at the photo.

"So... you must have known Dumbledore well?" I said to her, trying to start up a conversation.

She didn't answer me. She just turned to face me for a few seconds before looking away again.

"She's so strange" I whispered to Harry as he walked over to me.

"She never talks, I wonder why that is?" Harry asked. His voice also in a whisper.

Then suddenly, a bony hand touched my back. I held my breath and slowly turned around. Stood behind me was Bathilda; few! She scared me for a minute.

"Um hi" I muttered nervously to her, uncertain about what to say as I tried to get my racing heart back on track.

As guessed she said nothing but instead motioned for myself and Harry to follow her. We followed her up the stairs, leaving Hermione alone, and once there turned to enter the second door on the right. However when turning back round, I found that Bathilda was no longer there!

Where the hell did she go!

My heart picked up its pounding pace and started to thumper against my chest. And that's when my suspicions of something being wrong was confirmed.