Word Count: 2,945 words.
Warnings: None.
I ran. The entire roof of one of the houses in Godric's Hollow had been blown off and I could just make out spells being cast on top of it. It had to be Harry. Which meant that he was getting himself into all kinds of trouble.
Wand in hand, I flicked the door open, making for the stairs quickly. "Potter!" I called out. "Granger!"
"In here!" one of them called. I didn't know which one but it didn't matter.
I turned the corner at the top of the staircase, rushing for the room at the end of the hall. The door was torn open. When I entered, I found the room in tatters, furniture and walls blown to bits.
They were retreating towards me, both Harry and Hermione throwing spells at something in front of them. They only rebounded.
"What's going on?" I asked, pocketing the wand I held. They couldn't see me with the Elder Wand. I was going to have to use my magic if push came to shove.
"Snake!" Harry told me.
My eyes turned, spotting the green snake that was hurrying towards us "Nagini," I breathed, pushing past Harry and Hermione.
"Black!" Potter called, reaching out for me, but I simply shook him off, moving closer.
Nagini slowed as she approached us, eyes red with fury. She wasn't in control, but she was still in there. She had to be.
I brought myself to my hunkers, keeping my eyes on hers. The snake tilted her head, and I watched as the red flickered. She rose in height so that we were now eye to eye.
"It's me," I told her, reaching a had out. It was shaking. I wasn't nervous, not even slightly, but anyone looking at me might not see it like that. "It's me. It's Lyra."
Nagini blinked and I sighed in slight relief as I watched the red fade and her usual yellow return. Almost instantly, the snake curved backwards, morphing from her snake form.
I rose to my feet to meet her. As soon as the snake had turned to a woman, I felt arms wrap around me in a tight hug. My eyes widened in shock as my grandmother hugged me but I was quick to return the gesture.
"I'm sorry," she apologised.
Shaking my head, I pulled away. "No one's dead and so there's nothing to apologise for."
"What the fuck?" I heard Harry curse and turning around to look at him, I found both him and Hermione looking at the two of us incredulously. Their wands were still raised.
"You can put them down," I told them calmly. "Meet Nagini."
"She's a Maledictus," Hermione commented, first to lower her weapon and step towards the two of us. "I've never seen one before."
"Smart," Nagini commented with a small smile. Despite the odd situation, Hermione seemed pleased with the compliment.
Harry shook his head, swallowing. "What..." he trailed off. "How..."
"Nagini is my grandmother," I told the two of them. "She's been trapped as a snake for decades because of my mother."
I watched the woman beside me visibly tense at the mention of her daughter. I didn't blame her. It was a sensitive subject.
"Then how is she here?" Hermione asked. "Maledictus eventually lose everything they are and are stuck as their cursed creature."
"Credence," I told them simply. "He did it."
"Credence Barebone?" Potter questioned. "As in the other Obscurus?"
I suddenly realised that I hadn't explained a lot of my situation to Harry. He was still in the dark about most things. "Yeah," I replied. "I'll explain later."
Then, I turned to Nagini. "Are you alright?" I asked.
She nodded. "Voldemort isn't."
I tensed, watching as Hermione and Harry moved closer. "What do you mean?" Potter asked.
"He's getting impatient, wanting the Elder Wand and you're not helping by disappearing. If you weren't vouched for, there'd be Death Eaters trying to find you." She directed the last part at me.
I took a deep breath. "Who vouched for me?"
Her eyes turned cruel and I already knew who before she spoke. "Grindlewald."
"Voldemort trusts that?" Hermione asked.
Nagini shook her head. "You had a few other Death Eaters on your side... and the Snatchers."
I was confused by that. "The Snatchers. Why would they vouch for me?"
"You're stint at the Ministry interested Scabior," she explained.
"I don't like that man. He makes my skin crawl. More than Greyback does."
Nagini winced in pain, grabbing my arm tightly. I turned all of my attention to my grandmother, taking both of her hands in mine.
"Are you okay?" I worried.
"He's trying to bring me back," she explained. "I have to go."
When her eyes turned up to me, I found that they had transformed back to yellow. She was already losing control.
Nodding, I moved away from the woman. "Be careful."
Nagini tilted her head back, body curling over on itself as she transformed back into a snake. Then, she apparated.
"Holy fuck," Harry cursed, turning to look at me. "You have some explaining to do." Yeah, I did.
ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ
"Where'd you run off to?" That was the first question that Harry asked as we arrived back at the tent.
I sighed, sitting down at the bench and placing my satchel on the table. "I was looking at a nearby house," I explained. "Turns out it belonged to the Dumbledore's."
"How'd you know it was there?" Hermione asked.
"I didn't," I answered, lying. I knew that the Dumbledore family had lived at Godric's Hollow. "It was just a gut feeling."
"What were you looking for?"
"I told you," I paused, wringing my hands together. "I didn't intend on going there. I wasn't looking for anything."
"Did you find something?" Harry asked gently, leaning against the table. He was looking down at me.
"No," I told him. "Just reminders."
Harry nodded, seeming to take that lie. When he turned away, I felt my stomach twist. I hated lying. I was always terrible at it, Gellert had commented on it more often than not, but I was getting better. Either that or Harry was putting too much trust in me.
"I'm going to check the protection spells," Hermione told the two of us, nodding to Harry before leaving the tent.
Potter moved closer, sitting himself down beside me. We sat in silence for a moment. It was deafening. It was odd that. How silence could be deafening, but the truth was that sometimes the quiet could be worse than the noise. In silence, you were alone with your thoughts. You were alone.
"So," Harry began, breaking that loneliness, "related to a snake."
I laughed lightly. "I told you my family is messed up."
"Black, Nott, Dumbledore and a maledictus," Harry listed. "I'd say that's the perfect formula for one Hell of a family reunion."
I laughed louder, smiling slightly. "I think we're lucky they haven't all been in the same room yet."
Harry nodded. "I saw their grave," Harry told me, changing the subject.
I turned my eyes to look at him. "Was it a nice headstone?" I tried.
Potter laughed, shaking his head as his attention turned to me. "That's not the response I was expecting."
"I'm not going to feel sorry for you Potter," I explained. "You have enough of that."
"Well then what are you going to do?" he posed. "Ron was right. We're no closer to finding another Horcrux and we have nothing to destroy them if we do."
"When we do," I corrected, placing a gentle hand against his. "We'll find them."
Harry only nodded at that. Then, he said something I wasn't expecting. "Did you see him fall?"
I swallowed, retracting my hand and facing forward again. I knew what he was talking about. There was nothing else that it could be, and yet I still asked. "Who?"
"Dumbledore."
Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment. "I did."
"What were his last words?"
I found my hands tightening around each other as a distraction. "What?"
"His last words," Harry began. "I didn't hear them."
My throat stung and I fought back the tears that threatened to form. "Thank you," I told him, voice cracking. "They were thank you."
"Why would he thank Snape?" Potter asked.
I let out a breath, standing up. "Beats me Potter, I don't know inside that man's mind." Taking up my satchel, I moved for the opening of the tent.
"Lyra..." Harry tried. "I didn't mean to..."
"You didn't," I cut him off, turning to look at the boy for a moment. "I just need a minute."
Walking out into the cold air, I spotted Hermione at the boundaries of the spell but moved past her, finding a clearing behind the tent.
I hadn't realised it until now but my breathing had quickened and my heart had began beating faster. He had asked about Albus. Why had he asked about the Headmaster? Why did he have to talk about his death?
It wasn't fear I felt or sadness but rather guilt. Every time I heard his name, my stomach became riddled with knots of guilt. He hated Snape because he thought that the Potion's Master had killed Dumbledore and so how could I tell Harry that it had been me? That I had killed him? I couldn't.
Breathe, Credence told me from the depths of my mind, but it did no good.
I felt as though my lungs wouldn't open now as my hands pressed flat again a nearby tree. I pressed my forehead against the hard bark, eyes on the snow covered ground beneath me.
"Thank you," Albus' last words echoed in my mind.
I shut my eyes tightly, willing his voice to go away. "Please," I begged the air. "Please."
As if she knew the weakness of my mind in this moment, the Obscurus pulled against her chains, laughing at me. I could see her, hands turning white with the effort she used to try and break free.
You killed him, I heard her whisper with a giggle. You killed him.
Tears forming in my eyes, I shook my head gently. "Go away."
You're stuck with me, she teased. Right up until I kill you.
"Breathe Lyra," a voice told me. One that wasn't in my head. "You have to breathe."
Opening my eyes, I turned around. There was no one there. "Who – "
"Breathe," it said again, a man, but there was no figure nearby.
My breathing had slowed, and its pace returned to normal. I hadn't even thought about it, only found myself distracted by the unknown voice.
I thought maybe it had been Harry but I found that he was on top of the hill next to Hermione. They hadn't noticed where I went.
Perhaps it had been Credence. What other man was insistent on helping me survive? Or maybe it really was my Jiminy Cricket this time. My inner voice.
A careful squawk turned me around, watching as Fawkes descended from the sky, landing on the branch closed to me. Ashes fell from his tall as he soared, falling against the white background and standing out in the snow. Fawkes held something in his talons.
I moved slowly towards him, reach out to that it. It was brown paper. A package of some sort wrapped delicately in paper and twine.
"Thanks Fawkes," I told the phoenix as he released it from his grip. Almost immediately, he launched back into the sky.
I carefully lowered myself back against the tree trunk, sitting on the cold ground. With the parcel in my hands, I pulled my knees up. It was warmer to sit like this.
There was a note tied in with the twine and so I opened that first. It was a letter.
My love,
I gasped lightly. "Riddle."
I think I like it. The nickname and have decided that it will now be my name for you. And before you ask, no, you have no say in the matter.
Fawkes found me three days ago and although the bird doesn't talk, I was certain he knew where you were. I am worried for you Lyra. So extremely worried. As is the rest of your family. Narcissa is going mad with impatience and demands that Lucius talk to my father about finding you. It isn't doing much use.
Draco had become the epitome of worry, both for you and for Harry. Speaking of Potter, if you get this, could you please entail whether he is alive or not. Malfoy would be forever thankful.
I giggled at that, wiping away a tear that had fallen from my eye. "Boys."
Felix had been working with the Snatchers since you've been gone and so has been out in the world a lot. I haven't seen him in three weeks, but I hope that he might spot you one of these days. If only so that I know you're okay.
Flint and Nott were here the other day. My father called all of the Death Eaters to Malfoy Manor. Apparently he's closer to finding the wand and so I hope you haven't abandoned your search for it. He can't have it Lyra, things are already bad as it is and with that, he would only be more dangerous.
Meanwhile, I have been spending every day in Hogwarts and every night in the Manor. Voldemort refuses to have me stay there and if he wasn't an evil son of a bitch, I would think that he might care for me.
Pansy and Blaise are fine. I see them every day now. Parkinson is always fretting about you and Blaise has turned quiet again. I think something happened at home.
I turned the letter over, reading the small paragraph on the back.
I love you. I don't know what else to say. I can tell you every detail of what's going on here, but what good does that do? I am helpless to stop any of it and so I tell you that I love you. Draco told me that you were at the Ministry with Potter and he also said that you weren't looking too good. Its been weeks since and I can only imagine how much worse it had gotten. I am losing my mind without you and I am absolutely terrified. Come back to me.
With the love of the stars,
Mattheo.
I smiled, swallowing the small sob that threatened to escape. "Fuck," I cursed.
P.S, the letter continued, the blanket is from Narcissa. It must be freezing out there and she doesn't want you catching a cold, muggle or wizard variety.
I laughed at that. A cold was the least of my worries right now, but I found it oddly normal that my aunt had thought of that.
Placing the letter beside me gently, I undid the twine around the parcel, taking out a big, grey blanket. "Thanks Cissy," I muttered.
Placing it aside, I found that there was something else at the base of the paper. Another letter, by the looks of it.
Picking it up, I read the name on the front. It was my name, Lyra Black, but the handwriting was so slanted that I could have mistaken it easily. It was chicken scratch.
"Grindlewald," I breathed, turning it over and opening it quickly.
Unfolding the parchment, I found myself confused. It was a single sentence.
Don't let it consume you.
It was as simple as that. Don't let it consume me. It wasn't a hard sentence to understand but there were plenty of things that 'it' could stand for. The only question was, which one would Gellert Grindlewald take the effort to warn me about?
It was hardly the task we were attempting to complete. He didn't care enough for that, but it couldn't be the want for Voldemort dead either. Perhaps he cared enough to be referencing the Obscurus, but that would be a futile hope. Then it hit me. The only thing I knew he still cared about.
Reaching over to my satchel, I opened the flap gently and took out the Elder Wand. His wand. He told me that it fed on darkness and light and that he was almost certain that it was feeding on my evil, just as it had his.
I found that the man was right, which pains me to admit. I had become possessive of the wand, even to the point where I couldn't tell Harry about it. It was the one piece of leverage we had against Voldemort and I was too selfish to give it up.
Although, giving it up would mean that he would know. Harry would know that I had killed Dumbledore. If he didn't know about wand law, Hermione surely would and as soon as I revealed that it was mine, they would know. I couldn't let them figure it out and I couldn't let them take it from me.
And so I took up the blanket Narcissa had given me, Elder Wand still in hand, and wrapped it around myself, pressing back against the tree. I spotted Harry and Hermione making their way towards me but made no conscious effort to put the wand back, simply keeping it beneath the blanket. I brought the soft material up to my neck and held the Elder Wand in my grasp tightly.
I wouldn't let it consume me. I wouldn't let anything consume me for that matter, but he couldn't have it. I wasn't giving it up for the greater good, it just wasn't something I would do. I couldn't. It was mine.