« GRINGOTTS »
"Hey, lovebirds, we don't have time for this," Griphook spat as Hermione climbed up, fully dressed as Bellatrix.
A few years back, they probably would've jumped away from one another, embarrassed by the nickname. But, as Lillian only held stronger onto Harry's hand, he gave her a side look and couldn't help the smile on his face as she had one already plastered on hers.
"Well? How do I look?" Hermione asked, pouting.
"Hideous."
"Perfect way to get the girl," Lillian muttered, causing Harry to chuckle and Ron to slap her with a side of his robe, "Ouch, that was totally unnecessary, Ron."
He rolled his eyes, "You know exactly why I did it."
"You can give that to Hermione to hold, all right Griphook?" Harry said as Hermione crouched down in front of the goblin.
Griphook dropped the sword inside Hermione's bag as Lillian gave a side-look to Ron, pulling at his beard slightly. Ron jerked her hand away, sighing as she chuckled.
"Beard looks good on you, though," she defended and he rolled his eyes, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
Even under the most stressful situations, Ron and Lillian would always find a way to cheer up one another. It warmed up their hearts as they individually came to the conclusion that they were really like brother and sister.
Ron lifted his hand, Hermione placed hers on top of his as Harry did the same. Lillian looked at her best friends, making longer eye contact with Harry as she put her own hand on top of his. The four teenagers looked over at Griphook. Tension could be felt from miles away.
"We're relying on you, Griphook," Harry said, "If you get us past the guards and into the vault, the sword is yours."
Griphook slowly extended his hand and Lillian held in a breath as they vanished from the ground with a pop.
A rasping noise escaped Lillian's lips as her feet touched the pavement. Harry pulled the girl aside as a man walked by on the other side. Lillian looked around and couldn't believe how Diagon Alley had changed.
It was gloomy and dark. The sun wasn't very adamant to show itself around here and it only increased the queasiness currently growing in the pit of her stomach.
"Madam Lestrange."
"Good morning," Hermione answered politely.
"Good morning?" Griphook repeated through gritted teeth, "Good morning? You're Bellatrix Lestrange, not some dewy-eyed school girl."
"Hey, easy," Ron defended.
"She gives us away, we might as well use that sword to slit our own throats. Understand?"
"No, he's right," Hermione gulped, "I was being stupid."
"Okay," Harry muttered, looking to the side, "Let's do it."
Harry bent down, allowing Griphook to sit on his back. He got back on his feet and Lillian stood closer from him as Ron swiftly dropped the cloak of invisibility over their heads. It wasn't the first time these two shared the cloak, first time was to pull a prank on Ron during their third year at Hogwarts, but this time it felt different.
Not only because they were planning on breaking and entering one of the safest places ever created, but also because something seemed to have changed in Lillian and Harry's dynamic.
None of them could really pinpoint what it was and what it really did to them but their closeness felt like electricity.
+ + +
"Is it in here, Harry?" Ron asked, "Can you feel anything?"
Harry slightly nodded as he looked around. Lillian furrowed her eyebrows as she stayed near Griphook. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling something would go wrong. And now, she couldn't help but wonder if all these intuitions she had in the past were somehow related to her fortune telling ability.
She wondered why it took so long for her to discover she had this gift in divination. After all, she had been deeply interested in the subject for as long as she could remember. The very first birthday gift she had asked for was a crystal ball, when she was six years old, and her parents had complied, even though they found the request quite unsettling. The twins had made fun of her for weeks and Ron didn't seem to care about it for one bit.
Alongside potions and charms, it was the subject she was naturally good at. But, slowly, things started to make sense in her mind as she recalled studying and spending countless hours trying to find new things to learn about divination but always feeling like she already knew everything. It explained why she didn't even need to try to get a good grade. She had never failed a single test and had always been top of the class.
Harry lifted his wand to reveal a small cup in a high corner of Lestrange's vault but a gasping sound coming from Hermione caught Lillian's attention. She had knocked into a golden bracelet. Lillian started to look away but she clenched her teeth as the object started duplicating itself.
Clattering sounds echoed inside the room and Lillian sighed, stepping closer from her friends.
"That's it! Up there!" Harry let out, unaware of what was happening at his feet.
"Harry, hurry up," Lillian snapped, "Or we might get stuck."
"They've added the Gemino curse," Griphook pointed out, "Everything you touch will multiply."
Lillian groaned, "Ugh, why do I love and hate this spell at the same time."
"Not helping, Lilli!" Ron screamed as she gave him a dark look.
"Give me the sword!" Harry cried out.
Hermione responded instantly, throwing the sword in Harry's hands. He caught it easily and proceeded to climb over the multiplying objects, causing more and more to pop up all over the place. Lillian brought her hands on her face, thinking of a way to put an end to this. But the stress made her brain freeze and she had to focus on her breathing to try and remain as calm as possible.
But she noticed Ron and Hermione were moving, trying to avoid the objects flying around.
"Stop moving you fools!" Lillian screamed, "Or I'll have to petrify you both!"
Hermione looked over at her best friend, panic painted all over her features. Lillian nodded slowly and it seemed to relax Hermione for a second, following her gaze as the clattering noises continued, Harry now on the other side of the room, over a mountain of glistening metallic objects. Lillian couldn't even distinguish his figure.
The objects stopped duplicating. The three friends held their breaths, scared of the moment Harry would try to move. Lillian could hear her heart beating in her chest.
And it happened. Harry emerged from the mountain of meaningless objects and crashed right next to her, dropping a golden cup in front of Griphook. The goblin didn't hesitate to take it as Lillian pointed her wand at him.
"We had a deal, Griphook!"
"The cup for the sword!"
Harry didn't hesitate long and gave him the sword and Griphook threw the cup in the air, Hermione catching it as she let out a ragged scream.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lillian breathed out, pointing her wand threateningly at him.
Griphook reacted in a second, pressing the wand against the girl's neck. Harry, Ron and Hermione tensed up as Lillian faltered.
"I said I'd get you in," he said, "I didn't say anything about getting you out."
And just like that he was out of the vault as Lillian turned to look over at her friends. She was the closest one from the door and extended her hand towards Harry, "Take my hand!"
Harry complied and Lillian pulled as hard as she could, causing her to move and be swamped by objects faster than ever. She let out a loud irritated scream and waited for Ron and Hermione to be close enough from the door to get out. Griphook could be heard screaming from the corridor, "Thieves! Thieves!"
"Griphook!" Harry yelled but he was already running away.
"Foul little git!" bickered Ron, "Least we've still got Bogrod."
The Ukrainian Ironbelly shrieked and breathed out fire, setting Bogrod in flames instantly. Lillian gasped, looking over at her red-haired best friend.
"That's unfortunate."
Lillian snapped her head in front of her and blocked numerous spells that were thrown at them by the guards, allowing Ron, Hermione and Harry to hide behind the large columns.
"Geminis," she whispered and jumped to the side, where Harry was.
A duplicated version of herself was now throwing spells at the guards but the four knew the trick wouldn't last for a very long time.
"We can't just stand here! Who's got an idea?" Hermione asked.
"You're the brilliant one," Ron snapped.
"I've got something but it's mad," Hermione admitted, "Reducto!"
Hermione started running and jumped, landing on the dragon. Lillian opened her mouth wide and, just as she was about to follow her lead, she saw her duplicate be hit by a spell.
"Well, come on then!"
A shriek escaped her lips but she ran alongside Harry and Ron as they jumped on the dragon, Hermione breaking off its chains. The dragon roared, throwing flames towards the guards before desperately climbing the walls, looking for its ticket to freedom.
The dragon broke the ceiling and they were now in the main hall of Gringotts, the beast still trying to go higher. Lillian felt a sharp cut on her arm as they hit the large glass chandelier hanging magically above their heads and she closed her eyes, fearing the moment they would hit the ceiling made of glass.
But she couldn't help the light chortle as the breeze caressed her face now that they were out of the bank. She held strongly onto the dragon and she knew they were still in danger but Harry had retrieved the horcruxe, her best friends were by her side and they were now riding away on a dragon. They were fine. And it was all that mattered.
"That was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Ron screamed.
They stayed up in the sky for what felt like hours yet Lillian didn't want it to end. As if it was an escape from the rough reality, she had her eyes glued to the clouds, dreading the moment they would have to let go, land on the ground, and continue their hunt to destroy Voldemort. She didn't feel at peace with the wind lifting her hair around but she could rest for a moment.
A knot in her stomach brought her back to reality when Harry decided to speak up.
"We're dropping!"
"I say we jump," Ron said bravely.
"When?" Hermione and Lillian asked in unison.
"Now!"
The four teenagers let go of the dragon and dropped down as Lillian closed her eyes the moment her body came in contact with the cold water. But she felt something warm inside her limbs and an image that didn't belong to the present drew itself in her mind.
The Viaduct Courtyard of Hogwarts. Trolls, centaurs, dementors and wizards were running around. Everyone battling relentlessly. Dark grey clouds covered the sky but were constantly disturbed by the blue and red lights coming from the hundreds of spells behind cast everywhere.
The main doors showed a completely destroyed Entrance Hall.
And there were dead bodies everywhere. Some wizards unconsciously tripped over them as they tried to escape Death Eaters, others would jump over. It looked like a horror scene.
Lillian appeared, running down the large staircase as she reached the Entrance Hall, eyeing the Viaduct Courtyard with prickling eyes. She blocked a spell on the way but gasped as she found who she was looking for.
Henry was in the Courtyard, easily disarming Death Eaters and weakening dementors who were coming for him. Lucius Malfoy seemed to appear out of nowhere.
« Avada Kedavra! »
Lillian lunged forward, casting a spell in Lucius' direction, but he was already gone. And Henry fell violently backwards, lifeless.
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don't hate me after this ending andbajsbaj i'm... i hate myself enough already