After breakfast, the the quartet and Luna sat at the table, all eager to listen to Ellie's escape from the manor. Having been the first real meal Ellie had eaten in weeks, the Hufflepuff gratefully scraped her plate, though it seemed to be a competition between her and Ron.
They had cleaned up rather quickly, leaving Bill and Fleur with appreciative hearts as they returned back to their room, giving the group privacy.
Luna suddenly stood up from the table, patting down her clothing as she headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Ellie questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Paying my respects, of course," Luna chirped as she began to skip out of the door, not waiting for a response from the Hufflepuff.
"She does that every morning, right after breakfast," Ron explained.
"Who is she paying respects to?" Ellie questioned once more.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry fell quiet as they looked to each other with solemn faces.
"Dobby," Harry answered with a sigh, a seemingly heavy weight falling upon his shoulders.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ellie quickly apologized, looking to Harry as he avoided eye contact.
"He saved us, Ellie. He died with honor. That's all that matters," Harry finalized as attempted to brush away the conversation.
Hermione placed a hand on Ellie's thigh under the table, caressing it slowly with her thumb. Ellie brought her hand below, lacing their fingers together to rest on her lap.
"So, how did you escape from the manor? I mean, you've got to tell us all of it. Not many come out of there the same," Ron started, bringing the conversation into light once more.
Ellie exhaled with a sigh, squeezing her girlfriend's hand in preparation.
"I met my father," Ellie responded, wincing at the mere thought of him. "He's exactly what I expected him to be. A coward, that he is."
"I thought he died," Harry incited, leaning forward on the table with interest.
"I thought he did too," Ellie spat in disgust at the events replaying in her head. "Besides, he wasn't the reason I escaped."
Ellie turned to Hermione, a small smile presenting itself on her lips.
"Thank you, love. For sending that letter to Draco, of course."
"What letter?" Hermione blurted with a clear expression of confusion.
"W-What do you mean 'what letter'? You sent him a letter of your whereabouts, remember?"
Ron and Harry shared similar looks of bewilderment as they listened intently.
"I never wrote to Draco," Hermione claimed.
"Well, that's not what Narcissa said. She helped me escape. Told me she intercepted a letter meant for Draco," Ellie explained. "It doesn't make sense why she'd lie. Or how she knew where you were."
"That's odd," Ron commented with a muffled voice, though his mouth was full with the leftover muffins.
Harry, Ellie, and Hermione looked at him with identical frowns, clearly displeased with his actions.
"What?" Ron shrugged his shoulders.
"Ron, did you not just eat breakfast?" Harry acknowledged.
Ron merely shrugged once more, stuffing the last bit of the muffin in his mouth. The group rolled their eyes, brushing away Ron's inattentiveness.
Ellie turned to her girlfriend once more, though she carried an apologetic expression.
"By the way, Hermione, your shawl. I couldn't bring it with me. I'm sorry, darling."
"Are you serious, love? I'd much rather have you alive than have my shawl back," Hermione scoffed, a smile playing at her lips.
Ellie leaned in for a quick kiss, causing Harry and Ron to turn away with flushed cheeks. They pulled away, giggling at the boys' reactions. Hermione turned to face the group, her face lighting up as she seemed to have remembered something.
"By the way, the ring," Hermione stated, taking it off her finger and holding it out for the group to see. "I've been doing research on it."
Ellie took the ring from Hermione's hand, inspecting it closely while still showcasing it to the others.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk about that too," Ellie trailed, rolling over the piece of jewelry between her fingers. "My father was rambling about blood and family, saying it was useless when he found out I gave it away. It all sounded like rubbish to me, though; he's not quite sane."
"Yes, exactly!" Hermione confirmed excitedly. "The ring is said to protect the user from severe harm. However, I found nothing about protection rings anywhere. But here's the thing. It brought Ellie back to life in the Department of Mysteries. Her heart actually stopped for a moment, bringing me to an ultimate conclusion."
Hermione pointed to the ring once more, deeply immersed in her explanation.
"You see, the gold of this ring isn't of today's age. Its craftsmanship dates back to the 13th Century, around the time of Peverell Brothers, and you-guessed-it, the creation of the Deathly Hallows. I know this sounds crazy, but what if it's connected to the Resurrection Stone? I mean, think about it: they both bring back people from the dead, and there's no other magic like that."
"It's impossible. The stone cannot be destroyed, meaning there can't be a piece of the stone inside that ring," Harry reasoned.
"Or maybe... the ring took in some of its power. Maybe, the ring was buried with the stone, absorbing some of its properties until someone came searching," Ellie proposed, furrowing her eyebrows in deep concentration.
"I mean, it's the only theory that makes sense," Ron added.
"It still doesn't explain why the ring didn't protect you," Ellie mentioned, turning to Hermione.
"See, that's the other thing. You just told me your father said it was useless when you weren't wearing it. And some other things about family and blood, right?" Hermione continued eagerly. "Perhaps your father infused the ring with his own blood. It's perfectly logical, right? It explains why it protects you, but not me."
"It definitely makes sense, but why would he go the extra mile to make sure only his family could use it?" Harry marveled.
"Blood purity, obviously," Ron answered confidently.
"He's a muggleborn," Ellie admitted, causing the group to hush immediately, staring at her in shock.
"A muggleborn?" Hermione repeated.
"And he's a Slytherin?" Harry questioned.
"And he's a Death Eater?" Ron inquired.
"Yes, yes, and yes. It's bizarre, I know. Actually, Harry... there is something I need to tell you," Ellie stated, taking a deep breath in preparation of the news.
"Go on, then," Harry encouraged.
"Actually, not just Harry. I think all of you deserve to know," Ellie continued, glancing to the group as she tightened her grip on Hermione's hand. "It's about my father. When I went to talk to him, I was able to take a step into his memories. And the truth came out, all of it. I don't know how else to say this, Harry..."
Ellie locked eyes with Harry, a serious expression now taking over her.
"Your mother, Lily. And my father, Steven. They were siblings. Meaning... we're cousins, Harry," Ellie confessed bluntly.
Harry's eyes were wide with shock, his green irises expressing clear astonishment. Ron had his mouth hanging open as Hermione simply stared at her girlfriend in shock.
Harry didn't say anything, but continued to stare at Ellie. An uneasy silence filled the room as the group struggled with how to respond.
"Your family isn't all gone, Harry," Ellie concluded, her eyes cautiously watching Harry's.
Harry's eyes started to brim with tears, sniffling as he wiped his nose. He stood up from his seat and made his way to the other side of the table, stopping at where Ellie sat. Ellie stood up almost immediately, bringing him into an embrace. The boy held onto her tightly, as if he couldn't bear to lose any more of his family. Their embrace brought happiness, and Ron and Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"I won't let you die. Not for me," Harry muttered.
After a few moments, the two pulled away, Harry's eyes puffy as Ellie gave a warm smile.
"Your mother was a wonderful woman," Ellie commented, remembering the memory she had seen in her father's head.
Noticing the stares, Harry quickly sat back down, wiping away his tears frantically. Ellie hadn't expected his reaction, though she was glad she told him; despite the dark times, it seemed that the news had lifted his spirits.
Ellie sat back down, wrapping her arm over Hermione's shoulder as she placed a kiss on her forehead. Hermione placed the ring back on Ellie's finger, the familiarity of its placement causing Ellie to smile.
"Don't think I have a use for it anymore," Hermione mumbled, caressing Ellie's fingers with her thumb.
Ellie chuckled softly, pressing her lips to Hermione's quickly, smiling as they rested their foreheads together.
For next few hours, the quartet chatted casually, catching Ellie up on the latest happenings as the Hufflepuff told stories of the events that had occurred at her time of captivity.