Harry was scared. He was the last Horcrux. He was it. He couldn't believe it. Remus and Tonks looked at him confusedly.
"What?"
"My scar. It's a mark. Horcruxes have marks. It says right here. And I was supposed to die that night. But I didn't because of my mother's love. I'm still here. And Voldemort's not any weaker than he was." He swallowed hard. "I-I have to die."
"No, Harry-"
"I have to. To save everyone else. To save you and Hermione and Arabella. I have to sacrifice myself." He began to cry. Remus stood and hugged him.
"We'll find a way, Harry. We'll find a way."
"How?"
"I don't know yet. But we are not going to destroy you. That's for sure," Tonks said.
It was the new year. Ninteen ninety-eight. Arabella stared at the fishbowl in the pet store, smiling. She loved the way they just floated and swam. They had no care in the world. It felt good to get out of the house, even if it was to get cat food for Chrookshanks. She'd make fish faces, imitating them and giggling. Hermione watched laughing as well. She was kneeling down slightly behind her pointing at random fish.
"Look at that one, see how pretty he is?" Hermione asked as she pointed to a beautiful purple fish.
"That's not a 'he', Mummy!" she exclaimed giggling. Hermione smiled. Her speech was beginning to improve. She was pronouncing "th" now, instead of "d". "It's a 'she'!"
"How do you know?" Hermione asked playfully.
Arabella just looked at her with a hint of a smile. "I just know."
Hermione nodded. "Okay, then," she said giving up. She was saying that more often now. "I just know." Hermione was beginning to wonder whether she knew things she didn't. Or even she knew things the whole world didn't. Her daughter was extraordinary, but she couldn't be any prouder.
"Come on, we need to get the cat food for Crookshanks," she stood up from her kneeling position taking her daughter's hand in hers. The two guards were looking at some snakes that just hissed at them. They jumped and one of them ran into the other. The other one shoved them slightly, a little pissed that he ran into him. Arabella, who had looked at them, giggled, trying to stifle it.
Once they got the cat food, they walked to the cash register to check out, but Arabella gasped, "Bunnies! Mummy, can we go look at the bunnies?"
"Sure, but we have to get home soon. We can't stay out too long," Hermione warned and Arabella pulled her along. One of the guards, Lynch, took the cat food from Hermione's hands. She smiled gratefully. "Thanks."
"No problem."
They went to the bunny rabbit cage. Arabella was in awe of them. She had never seen one in real life. Just pictures from animal books. "Aren't they cute?" Hermione asked. She nodded grinning at a very cute one that was a light brown color and had long, floppy ears.
"Look, there are babies! See them?" Hermione asked her kneeling down behind her like she was before.
"Yeah. Did you know that baby rabbits are called kittens?" Arabella asked her mother.
Discover moreRead MangaWatch CartoonsCartoonsComicsFind Rare ComicsHermione was shocked. When did she hear that? Her face softened when the word "extraordinary" flashed in her mind. "How did get to be so smart?" she asked kissing her head.
Arabella laughed. "From you, Mummy!" After a few minutes, she said, "It's time to go, come on." She grabbed her hand and led her away from the rabbits.
Arabella kept looking at the rabbits as they went to the cash register. "Mummy, do you think one day in the 'footure' we can get a rabbit?"
Hermione smiled down at her. "Maybe...one day."
Arabella smiled. "Maybe."
After they paid for the cat food, they went home and the two guards went back to their spots, guarding the home. Hermione and Arabella went inside to feed Crookshanks.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione called as she helped Arabella out of her coat after she set the food down. She hung both her coat and Arabella's on the coat rack by the door. They heard the jingling of the cat's bell, that was given to him this Christmas by Charlotte, as he trotted over to his bowl, finding nothing in it. He hissed a bit.
"Arabella, you want to help me feed Crookshanks?" Hermione asked.
Arabella nodded as she took her mittens off and put them on the chair by the door. Then she followed her mother to the kitchen. Hermione took the cup that they always used to scoop up the cat food with and brought it to Crookshanks' bowl. He stood off to the side patiently.
She opened the new bag and said, "Come here, Arabella." She came forward and Hermione gave her the cup. "Scoop some up into the cup. Like that." Arabella did as she was told and put some food in the bowl. The dry cat food clinked on the metal bowl.
Discover moreTerms of ServiceStream Indie FilmsMoviesCookie consent managementOrder Sweet Treats"Good job!" Crookshanks lunged for his food and hungrily ate it.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" Hermione cried to her cat making Arabella laugh. Hermione took the cup from her and put it in the bag so they wouldn't lose it and put the bag in the utility room for safe-keeping.
They soon went to the piano room for more piano lessons for Arabella. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are." Arabella played as her mother sang the song. It took her a while to find the right keys, but she finished "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on her own. At two years old. Hermione's daughter was a prodigy. Hermione played "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy. After that, she and Arabella attempted a duet of "Heart and Soul", but got nowhere. Arabella couldn't keep up.
Hermione thought it was the right time to start teaching her to write. She wanted Arabella to get comfortable writing. They sat once again at the art table. Hermione held a pencil in her right hand for her. "Here, let me help you get comfortable." She started to write "Arabella" on the piece of paper, but Arabella was not comfortable. Her hand felt weird holding the pencil.
Hermione dropped her hand. "I knew it was too soon." She facepalmed shaking her head. But then she heard scratching. She looked and saw Arabella writing her name. Copying it from the one Hermione did. She was confused. Didn't she feel uncomfortable? Then she saw it.
She was writing with her left hand. She was a lefty! Of course she would be uncomfortable!
Her daughter was a lefty! How very rare to be one. She really was special. She was not like ordinary children. She was, of course, extraordinary.
Hermione wondered how the Muggle World would see her. They might not accept her because of her intelligence. Or she might be taken away for lab research. She vowed never to let that happen. She was a two year old child that was smarter than her. Her. Who passed all of her classes and got all A's in primary school.
It was getting late, so Kit made dinner and they ate it happily. After dinner, Hermione put her in her pajamas and popped in a movie on for the two of them to watch. Arabella fell asleep towards the end and Hermione picked her up gently and carried her upstairs to her room.
She tucked her in and kissed her head. "Goodnight, Arabella. I love you."
She closed the door, leaving a crack and went to her room to do a little reading, which she missed since she'd taken up piano again. She read "Emma" by Jane Austen. It was one of her favorites. She loved the story of how Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley, who were old family friends, fell in love. It reminded her of her and Harry. They were best friends, and still are, and she fell in love with him. She did not know if he was in love with her, but she had a guess that he did.
Arabella was dreaming. It was not a happy dream, however.
She saw her Daddy. He looked a little different, though. There was an evident facial hair as he had not shaved in a while. He looked to be fighting with a black-cloaked figure with a scary mask. The masked figure shouted, "Crucio!" A jet of red light shot from his wand and hit her Daddy. He fell to the ground in agony, screaming.
The masked figure stood over him with his wand pointed at him. "You're nothing, Potter! You can't even defend yourself!" The masked figure laughed evilly and "crucioed" him again. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the pain. He blacked out.
"DADDY!" he heard right before he fell into darkness.
"Arabella..."
"DADDY!" she yelled still asleep.
Hermione looked up from her book in alarm as she heard her daughter yell. She shut it and ran out of her room to the nursery. Arabella was writhing around. "NO!"
"Arabella!" she ran to her and grabbed her arms, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, shh, it's alright."
At first she struggled against her, trying to get away.
"Arabella, it's Mummy. Mummy's here. You're just dreaming. Wake up!"
Arabella opened her eyes and saw her mother. She threw her arms around her neck. "Mummy!" Hermione held her tight, wondering what was so bad that got her upset. It must have been horrible. She'd never been this scared.
"What's wrong, baby? What is it?"
"D-D-Daddy," she choked out.
"What about Daddy?"
"He's hurt," she replied sobbing on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione widened her eyes. "It was just a dream, Arabella. Daddy's fine. He's okay."
She calmed down to where tears were just occasionally coming out. "You okay?"
She nodded and Hermione set her down back in her bed, but she freaked out. "No, Mummy, don't leave me!" She struggled to get back in her arms. Hermione, seeing how scared she was, picked her back up and held her as if her life depended on it. "Okay, okay. Shh. How about you come in Mummy's room tonight? Okay?"
She nodded again and Hermione took Peter from the bed, because she knew she would want it, and brought her into her room, laying her down on the bed, covering her up. Crookshanks pounced onto the bed and creeped over to her side, curling up next to her. Arabella stroked his soft fur, hoping to find a little comfort in the feline. Hermione crawled into bed next to her and gave her Peter. She smiled weakly at the rabbit, taking it. "Thank you, Mummy."
"You're welcome, baby girl." She slid down until she was face-to-face with her. "You want to tell me what's wrong?"
Arabella sighed. "I had a dream that Daddy was being hurt by someone in a skull mask."
Hermione stared at her. How could she know this? How could she know about the Death Eaters? Extraordinary. Very extraordinary.
"Mummy?" she asked for her to respond.
Hermione snapped out of her trance. "Right. Sorry. Arabella, everything's okay. Alright? Daddy's going to be fine. He's the strongest person I know. He can fight and protect anyone. He's fine," she reassured her. "It was just a dream." She pulled her close to her chest, holding her. "Shh. Just sleep, okay? Everything will be better in the morning."
Arabella nodded and closed her eyes. Hermione sat up and took out her book to continue her reading when she heard, "I can't, Mummy."
She looked back at her and put her book back. She scooted down again and tried something new. "Okay, Arabella, close your eyes."
"I'm too scared. I can't stop seeing his eyes and Daddy's pain," she cried.
"Look at me, Arabella!" she said forcibly. Arabella looked at her. "I'm right here. You don't have to be scared anymore. I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you. Hold my hand." She took her tiny hand in hers and held it. "Okay, close your eyes."
Arabella closed them. "Listen to the sound of my voice. Do you hear it?" She nodded softly. "Listen, do you hear the wind?" Nod. "Hear how it whistles loudly, blowing. Just listen to all the sounds around you. Now, think of a field. Full of sunflowers and wheat. The sun is out shining brightly. There's not one clud in the sky. You, me, and Daddy are the only ones there. There are butterflies dancing around our heads. We are sitting against a tree laughing. Crookshanks is off to the side trying to catch a butterfly. There are bunnies all around, hopping and you're trying to catch one. There is a lamb that comes to rest by us and you pet its soft wool. We are all happy we are with each other. And after a while, we all fall asleep in each other's arms."
Arabella smiled, noticing that her mother just described her perfect dream from when she was a baby. "Goodnight, Mummy. I love you." She felt Hermione tenderly kiss her forehead and say, "Goodnight, Arabella. I love you, too." And the light went out.
Harry woke up, gasping. He was cold. His shirt was gone and his torso was bare. He found out why he was like that. There were gashes on his back, indicating that he had been beaten. He looked up and everything was blurry and he realized he didn't have his glasses. He became scared as he saw almost pure darkness. He was scared because he did now know what happened to him. It was very vivid.
He tried to remember what happened.
He had been crucioed twice and blacked out.