As Harry, Hermione and I walked through the snow filled streets of Godric's Hollow, I was more aware than ever of the blank hourglass I had given Luna. Even I had no idea what it was for. I hadn't told Luna that the hourglass had been with me as long as I could remember for nothing - it had simply appeared the day I Harvested my first soul. All I had ever been told by other powers was that it was special, and to keep it safe. Right now, I could think of no safer place than with Luna.
"Harry!" Hermione whispered from under the cloak. "I think it's Christmas Eve!"
No, really? You mean the carols coming from the church and the Christmas trees all lit up around us didn't give it away?
"Would you two come out from under the Cloak already? No one's going to know it's you." I pointed out. Harry pulled the Cloak off them and stashed it in his pocket. We made our way to the graveyard by the church and I stopped. There were a few souls lingering by their graves, looking a little lost and confused. I walked over to one, Harry and Hermione following, looking a little confused themselves at my purposeful stride.
"You can't be here." I told the man, who was looking down at his grave, looking lost as he read his name and date of death over and over again. He didn't seem to hear me.
"You're the one who walked over here!" Hermione argued.
"Not you!" I told her, irritably. I reached out and tapped the man on his shoulder, and he turned slowly, looking at me.
"Yes. . .?" his voice was less than a whisper.
"You can't be here." I told him, speaking gently now, unerstanding that somehow, this man had changed his mind halfway through moving on and had got stuck by his grave.
"But. . . I need to tell her."
"You need to tell who what?"
"I need to tell my great-great granddaughter about the money under the floorboard in her bedroom."
"Where is your granddaughter?"
He pointed at the church behind me, from where the carols were being sung with heart and soul. Joy radiated from the church and I smiled despite myself.
I turned to Harry and Hermione. "You two, get under the Cloak."
"Dean, we haven't time for this! We have to find the Sword so we can destroy the Horcruxes!" Harry protested.
I had started to walk towards the church, but now I wheeld on him, my eyes flashing.
"Listen to me, Harry James Potter. That man over there by his grave, and that woman there, and that small boy there," I said, pointing to each one in turn. "They are all lost. The Horcruxes can go bollocks right now for all I care. Tom Riddle's soul had been this way for fifty years. I'm sure it won't hurt to wait a few minutes longer. Now get your ass under that Cloak before I really get mad!"
I turned and strode purposefully towards the church, altering my appearance as I did so, to that of an old man. walking inside the church, I was struck by the light and sound as people sung hymns and laughed together. I immediately spotted the people I was looking for.
"Excuse me." I called over the music. "Bertha! Your grandfather wants a word with you! Amy, your son needs you, it's urgent! Jason! Your wife wants to tell you something important!" Putting a small 'follow me' catch to my voice, as I had done many a time before when leading mortals to a family member, I added, "Come with me!"
Turning and leaving, I was pleased to see them following me, looking a little confused.
I took Bertha to her grandfather, and she cried out in shock to see his spirit stood, smiling faintly at her. Jason and Amy were the same when they saw their loved ones.
"They're trapped here, trapped until they can give you their messages." I told the shocked trio. Soon, the messages were passed on, and the three of them left back to the church, and as soon as their backs were turned, I reverted back to Dean, and became invisible as hey turned to look back.
"He's gone!" Jason said in a hoarse whisper.
"That man must have been an angel!" Bertha said, sounding tearful. The three of them closed the doors behind them and I smiled, my job done. I turned to the three spirits, who all smiled at me before vanishing in a soft haze of light.
"What was that?" Hermione's voice caught in her throat. "That light."
"They moved on." I replied simply.
"Where to?" Harry asked, curious.
"To where ever they're meant to go." I said, walking away amongst the graves. Harry and Hermione took my silence as a cue to follow, both of them soon finding graves with 'Abbot' on them.
"Yes, Hannah's ancestor's came from here." I confirmed. They soon found many a grave with names on them from people they knew at Hogwarts. Finally, Hermione gave a cry, thinking she had found Harry's parent's graves, when in fact, it belonged to the youngest of the three Brothers, Ignotus. Engraved on his grave was the mark of the Hallows. Despite Hermione's many readings of the tale, she didn't seem to put two and two together as I had expected her to. Then again, she probably thought it just a mere story. I stood by Lily and James' graves, then gave a small cough. Hermione walked over, followed by Harry, and Harry stood and stared, then silent tears dripped down his face. until now, he had never truly grieved. Hermione raised her wand and drew a circle in the air, causing a Christmas wreath. I raised my hand and a boquet of lilies appeared. I placed them on the grave, too.
"Merry Christmas, Hermione, Dean." Harry said, sniffing and wiping his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Harry." Hermione replied, hugging him. I said nothing, simply stared around the graveyard, wondering what had suddenly caught my attention.
Soon after, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and realised this was what had caught my attention. I sensed Nagini nearby, and wondered if Harry did, too. The three of us kept moving, until we finally came across the ruins of Harry's fomer home, which had been turned into some kind of shrine. Despite my protests, the other two were now back under the Cloak once more, and they stood and stared at the ruined house, Harry staring, drinking in every detail, while Hermione looked awed more than anything. Another movement from the corner of my eye revealed Bathilda Bagshot staring at us. Well - Harry and Hermione. Then again, I knew it wasn't Bathilda at all, as I'd Harvested her soul quite some time ago. This was Nagini, inside a mortal corpse.
"How is she seeing us?!" Hermione hissed.
Well, if you haven't worked it out yet, then I'm not going to bother saying anything.
I rolled my eyes as Harry followed 'Bathilda' to 'her' home, which was a disgusting mess. Nagini tried getting the body to strike a match with which to light a candle, but failed miserably. Harry took it from her and lit the candle himself. I shook my head in disbelief. They knew this woman was a witch - did they not wonder why she was not using a wand?!
Nagini moved past us into another room.
"Come!"
Hermione jumped and clung onto me, as Harry was a little way away from us and I looked at her.
"Sorry," she muttered, letting go. "Startled me."
As Harry walked upstairs with Bathilda, I smiled at her.
"Why? The hissing?"
She gasped. "You heard it, too?"
"Yes," I said. "But then again, I'm not a Parselmouth."
Hermione gasped.
"You mean -"
"Nagini."
"Oh no, Harry!" she cried, darting for the stairs. I followed at a leisurely pace, shaking my head.
Upstairs, we found Harry being attacked by Nagini. Hermione dived aside with a shriek as the huge serpent saw fresh meat and went for her, too. I had told Hermione I wasn't a Parselmouth. However, I could understand snakes, as I could all creatures.
"Stop!" I commanded her in a hiss. In shock, perhaps at having being spoken to so forcefully, Nagini did indeed stop for a moment.
"You can speak Parseltongue?!" Harry hissed in surprise.
I nodded and turned my attentions back to Nagini, who was giving me an evil look.
"You disturbed me." she hissed, lunging for me. I immediately dropped the disguise, causing her to go right through me and smack heavily into the wall behind me. I glided to where Harry was lunging for Hermione, who was on the bed, looking terrified. She shrieked in pain as he yanked her backwards, away from the oncoming threat. The two were soon separated; I was like a person watching a film in the theatre, watching all this, yet unaffected by it. Every time I tried to step in, Nagini would evade me, and I could not risk transforming back into Dean, no, if Nagini damaged my human guise, then I would have to make a new one, which would be too confusing and too time consuming. No, I would have to stay as I was for now.
"Confringo!" Hermione screamed. Her spell smashed around the room, destroying everything it hit, including the window.
"He's coming!" Harry shouted. "Hermione, he's coming!"
He grabbed her and dove out of the window with her; she screamed as Tom Riddle burst into the room, to the window from which they had vacated, screaming with rage as the two Disapparated.
He turned, angrily, to where Nagini was pulling herself free of the wreckage.
"Nagini, what happened? You were to hold Potter, hold him until I arrived!"
"I tried. Tried, but there was another with him, as you just saw. She used magic against me. If not for her, he would now be dead, and you would be free at last." she replied. I looked between the two, then disguised myself once more and appeared in front of the two of them.
Tom jumped back, turning his wand to me.
"Who are you!" he demanded. "Speak!"
"I am of no importance to you right now, Tom Marvolo Riddle." I replied. His red eyes dilated in shock.
"How do you know of my name?! Tell me! Crucio!"
I stared at him, the spell not affecting me in the slightest.
"What?" he gasped. "Impossible!"
I gave a small smile. He had no idea just how impossible.
"You'll soon find out, who I am, Tom. But not yet though." I said, turning to leap out of the hole where the window had previously been.
"Wait!"
I kept walking.
"I said wait! Avada Kedavra!" The spell smacked into me, and I turned, angry now.
"Who the hell do you think you are, Tom?!" I demanded, stepping angrily towards him.
He stepped back, fear evident in his face now. No one had ever so blatantly survived the Killing Curse - not in front of him anyway.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
I dropped my disguise on half of my face, revealing a bare, grinning skull on that half, and he took another step backwards, stumbing over Nagini.
I smiled and vanished, and I was rewarded by his look of fear. Some part of him knew who I was, but the rest of him refused to accept it. I couldn't be real - wouldn't be real! He had conquered me where no one else had!
He had no idea that was the very reason I was after him. No one conquered me and got away with it.
I arrived back at the tent to find Harry covered in sweat, unconscious on his bed, moaning and screaming. At one point, he even screamed like a child - a one year old child. Hermione was wiping the sweat off him with a small sponge she had either found or conjured.
"You're back," she said, relieved. "You took your time."
"Sorry, Herm. Had a run in with Tom, didn't I?"
"Are you okay?" she gasped.
"Oh, I'm fine. I put a little bit of fear onto Tom though."
She gave a small smile, then threw a worried look at Harry as he screamed once more, this time like a woman.
"What's happening to him?" she cried.
"If you like, Herm, I can show you." I said.
"You can do something like that?" she ased, looking at me.
"Oh yes, there's quite a lot I can do. I just tend. . .not to."
"Then do it." she replied immediately.
I walked over to Harry and knelt down by him and placed a hand on his sweat coverd forehead, and took Hermione's hand with the other, and then began tapping away, little by little, until I reached the connection between Harry and Tom.
Immediately, Hermione and I were thrust into Tom's memory of what happened the night Lily and James Potter died.
After around ten seconds of watching the harrowing memory, Hermione pulled back, sobbing. I pulled out of the memory, too, having been there the night it happened.
"H-how can he go through that?!" she sobbed. "Harry, wake up!"
Harry simply moaned again as the memory continued to overwhelm him.
It was several hours before he finally began to come to.
"No. . ." he moaned. "No. . .no. . ."
"Harry, it's alright, you're alright!" Hermione said, going closer to him.
"No. . .I dropped it. . .I dropped it. . ."
"Harry, it's OK, wake up, wake up!"
Harry opened his eyes.
"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Do you feel all - all right?"
"Yes." he said,obviously lying. Neither Hermione nor myself had the heart to call him out on it, however.
"We got away." he said, looking round at the tent.
"Yes," Hermione replied. "I had to use a Hover Charm to get you into your bunk, because I couldn't lift you. You've been . . . well, you haven't been quite. . ."
Harry stared at her.
"You've been ill," she finished eventually. "Quite ill."
That was probably the understatement of the century, right there.
"How long ago did we leave?" he asked.
"Hours ago," I replied. "It's almost morning."
Harry apologised to the two of us for having put us in danger. I brushed it off, and Hermione asked if Nagini had killed Bathilda and then attacked Harry, Harry revealed that Bathilda had actually been Nagini, occupying her corpse.
"The snake was inside her?" Hermione said, revolted.
"Bathilda died around three months ago." I said suddenly. They both looked to me.
"Three months? Then how long has V - You-Know-Who had Nagini inside her body for?" Harry said.
"I don't know." I replied.
"Lupin said there would be magic we'd never imagined," Harry went on. "She didn't want to talk in front of you, because it was Parseltongue, all Parseltongue, and I didn't realise, but of course, I could understand her. Once we were up in the room, she sent a message to You-Know-Who, I heard it happen inside my head, I felt him get all excited, he told her to keep me there. . .and then. . ." he fell quiet, remembering. "She changed, changed into the snake and attacked. It wasn't supposed to kill me, just keep me there until he arrived."
He suddenly sat up and threw back the covers.
"Harry, no, you need to rest!" Hermione protested.
"You're the one who needs sleep. No offence, but you look terrible. I'm fine, I'll keep watch for a while. Where's my wand?"
Hermione immediately fell silent.
"Where's my wand Hermione?" he repeated.
She bit her lip, tears swimming in her eyes. She'd not stopped blaming herself for his wand being broken, when it wasn't actually her fault, he'd not been holding it properly in the room when her spell went off, blowing up half the room.
"Where's my wand?"
She reached down and handed it him, the wand was almost broken in two. A fragile strand of phoenix feather held the two pieces together. He stared at it, a multitude of emotions playing across his face, then he handed it to Hermione.
"Mend it. Please."
"Harry, I don't think, when it's broken like this -"
"Please, Hermione! Try!" he said desperately, panic evident in his voice.
"R-Reparo"
The two halves of the wand came together and became whole once more, but, looking at it, I knew it was nowhere near enough. The fragile strand of feather wasn't enough, the magic was almost spent in the wand. I could, of course, mend it easily with my scythe, but Harry had a destiny to become 'Master of Death' as it was called. He must come to understand that dying was nothing to fear, he must obtain the Elder Wand. Then he could repair his wand, but until then, he would have to suffer just a little more.
"Lumos!" The wand lit up, giving a feeble light, then went out. He pointed his wand at Hermione.
"Expelliarmus!"
Her wand jerked a little in her hand, but otherwise did not move. Harry's wand split in half, and I saw the magic in the wand was even lower than before. He could not use his wand again, and if he tried to, I was going to have to stop him.
Harry stared, aghast at his broken wand.
"Harry," Hermione said in a whisper so low that I knew Harry could barely hear her. "I'm so, so sorry. I think it was me. As we were leaving, you know, the snake was coming for us, and so I cast a Blasting Curse, and it rebounded everywhere. It must have - must have hit -"
"It was an accident." Harry said, almost mechanically. "We'll - we'll find a way to repair it."
"Harry, I don't think we're going to be able to," Hermione said, the tears trickling down her face now. "Remember. . .remember Ron? When his wand broke, crashing the car? It was never the same again, he had to get a new one."
Harry was silent.
"Well," he said suddenly, in a very false matter-of-fact voice. "I'll just borrow yours for now then. While I keep watch."
Her face streaming tears, Hermione wordlessly handed her wand over, and Harry walked outside.
I looked between the two, from Harry, who was sat outside, to Hermione, who was sobbing quietly, busying herself with making three mugs of tea, one for each of us, and I sighed.
Sometimes, just sometimes, I thought all of this human lark was a bit too much.