Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 93 - The Battle of Hogwarts • Return to the Battle

The distance to be covered was great and it wouldn't have happened if we didn't have the goblin with us. Disapparating outside the country was impossible.

We made several stops to prevent physical damage. The first stop was in some field in France, then a snowy mountain in Austria, then a busy street in Sarajevo and finally the most southern coast of Albania. I smelled the Ionian Sea in the west.

Harry was curious and, honestly, almost annoyed. He didn't know what I was doing but explaining myself for one more time would distract him.

How could I explain a train of thought that had been sprung by a thousand tiny things? How could I tell him that my conclusions were valid, yet derived from the most insignificant things one could hear?

I took a few steps and touched the san.

The vibrations were barely there.

"Higher," I said.

Harry and I touched the hand of the goblin.

We apparated deep within a green forest. I touched the mud under our feet. The vibrations were higher and the screeching, metallic sound of a Horcrux could be felt from afar.

"East," I said.

We apparated again, this time near a river. We noticed some tourists hiking behind us. Muggles. There was a sight nearby. Who knows, we might have been near the famous Blue Eye lagoon. I touched the water. Nothing.

"West," I said.

When we landed in a thick forest, I heard the Horcrux calling from behind. It made another screeching squeak and let out a snake-like word.

"We are close. South," I said.

By the time we reached the desired spot, my head was aching with the metallic sound. We were in the eye of my instincts.

"It's here," I said. "We will go on foot for the rest of the way."

As we walked through the wild forest and carefully inspected a narrow path, I could see flashes of memories that were not my own. My visions were jumping up.

The woman had no white dress so she wore her long light-blue one. She looked like a ghost. She picked up some flowers from the meadow right around here. They were still growing, white and vibrant.

My mother had walked down this path.

"What are you feeling?" asked Harry.

"Shh!" I raised a hand.

I stopped in my tracks. The ringing sound was on my right ear. The Horcrux was calling.

I took a turn. She was barefoot.

He must have stood and he must have smiled. His face wasn't pale yet. He was a different man.

I touched the tree.

The priest was foreign but it didn't matter. They kissed.

The Horcrux hissed in my ears.

She was happy but it was an artificial happiness, one manufactured with lies and deceit.

"It's here," I said.

"Where?" asked Harry.

I walked around the tree. Maybe it was buried somewhere. We needed to dig – but no!

When I touched the hollow of the tree, a shield met my hand. When the goblin touched the shield it shot him back but when I let my hand dive deeper I realized the shield was easily penetrable.