She whispered

by Lucas Chesterton

  She whispered

  Lucas Chesterton

  ‘I immediately regret my decision,’ David thought, he felt like a house fell on him as he slowly moved his arm trying to roll over and stand up. ‘Okay let’s go over all this one more time,’ he flinched as he glanced up to see the stars twinkling overhead. ‘That’s new,’ he admitted his fast twisting in pain.

  David suddenly heard the door burst open he grabbed his wand of the desk. ‘Get upstairs, take David I’ll hold him off!’ he shouted at his wife his want was out transfiguring the bits of wood into birds blocking the series of green curses that would have dropped him had they so much as grazed his skin.

  ‘Out of my way boy!’ Voldemort hissed at him as David backed up the stairs throwing magical blasts, kicking up dust and pictures and anything that was or was not battened down.

  ‘Lilly have you found it yet!’ he roared back at his wife as the sounds of his child screamed from the noise.

  ‘The child will not escape!’ The red eyed figure cursed. David raised a brick wall on the stairs taking blocking another killing curse.

  ‘Over my dead body!’ David shouted back his breath hitched as the wall shattered the explosion slamming him into the wall he slumped to ground his wand still clutched in his hand, he stared forward through blurry vision as he realized his glasses were missing. He watched the cloak rush forward his wand outstretched as David sent a stunner at the man but missed, he turned into the baby’s room, as David forced himself up slamming into the wall as he used at support. ‘No, no, no!’ he reaped.

  ‘avada kedavra!’ came a cold voice, David slammed into the door frame his wand out, only to see his wife lying on the floor. David squinted only for the ‘avada kedavra!’ and then and explosion.

  ‘I failed,’ he realized then he thought no more.

  David picked up a piece of wood and turned it into a new pair of glasses as he shifted them on his face when the sound of crying finally was hitting him. Hope bloomed into his chest as he scrambled forward finding the one-year-old, he quickly picked the child up, glancing the hair only to see a lightning bolt scar. Bouncing the child,

  ‘Daddy is here, it’s okay,’ he repeated, putting his wand into his back pocket as he glanced around, his house in Godric’s hollow missing a fourth of off its roof. when suddenly a large frame of a man rushed into the ground. Hector!’ he called out waving his hand, he would recognize the gamekeeper anywhere.

  ‘Blimey David, that you?’ he asked rushing forward waving at David who was standing in the exposed room. David paused as he glanced back he thought he saw something move but his worry was cut off when he got a slap on the back scaring the child as even more, crying erupted, he cursed his luck, when the sound of motorbike started to grow.

  Hector I think that’s Sirius, we need to get to St. Mungo or someplace we need to check up and make sure-,’ he was cut off as Sirius parked his bike and rushed David hugging him David pushed the man back a bit as to not harm the bundle in his arms but Sirius was almost in tears.

  ‘Oh when I saw the house I thought the worst, where is Lilly?’ Sirius asked looking around, as David glanced over at the body of his wife have obscured by rubble as he bit back tears.

  ‘Hold on I need to talk to Sally,’ Hector said as he pulled out a mirror.

  ‘Could you,’ David choked looking away from Lily he didn’t want to think about it, he saw a lot in the current war but that might just break him.

  Sirius pulled back as he went to go take care of the body. David considered his options, he would have to take the night bus he didn’t feel comfortable apirating in the state he was in, he felt magically exhausted and the only thing keeping him on his feet was that he was a parent and needed.

  ‘Sally wants to talk to you,’ Hector said holding out the mirror

  ‘Albus,’ David wheezed out as he took the mirror to see the old wizard looking back at him.

  ‘David, oh thank heavens your alive, I feared the worst when I suddenly saw your house in a picture I had on my desk. I sent Hector to investigate, I had called on the Aurors they will be tracking down Black.’

  ‘No Peter was the Secret Keeper, Sirius is with me, we, Lily, she is dead,’ David explained but his attention was split in so many ways. Why did you send Hector?’ he asked, he didn’t mind the man, in fact, they were on good terms but if his house just got blown up it seemed a bit odd to send one man to investigate such an attack knowing that Voldemort was going to attack personally.

  ‘David I will talk to you I have my concerns. I am not sure what do but I figured Hector would be able to handle seeing everything better than most, besides I trust him with my life, not to mention if something did happen to Hector well, no offense,’

  ‘None taken Sally, I know I am not as skilled as the others,’ he admitted David glanced up at the Giant he seemed a bit hurt at the understanding. David felt a ping of guilt not considering that possibility.

  ‘We need to get out of here, David take my bike and get some place safe,’ Sirius said staring at David.

  ‘Sirius,’ David warned, as he locked eyes with the man. ‘I want Peter myself,’ he stared back as Sirius glanced away. David glanced at Hector, ‘Can you take my wife to,’ he stopped he couldn’t he didn’t want to admit it out loud, as Hector nodded.

  ‘Come to my office Madam Pomfrey can look after both of, you and we need to talk,’ he said looking into David’s eyes. David nodded, as he headed over to the bike, he got himself situated as he placed his Daughter into the side cart. ‘I am sorry, Holly,’ David apologized, he pulled out his wand and with a calming and sleep spell revved up the bike.

  David winced as Pomfrey touched up his wounds, he had come down from his Adrenalin high and was now acutely aware of the amount of Damage he had sustained even being a wizard didn’t make you sturdy enough to survive your cottage falling down on you.

  Albus, was sitting on one of the beds in the Hogwarts infirmary, with Holly laying in one of the beds sleeping as thought nothing was wrong. Albus and David stared in silence as the woman worked David didn’t have anything to say while all this was going on, even as his wounds were numb and healing all he felt was an empty hole where his heart use to be, he didn’t even notice when the woman stood in front of him and started to fix up the cuts on his face blocking his view of the headmaster.

  ‘David,’ Sally drew the man’s attention. ‘We need to talk, as we are sitting here the world is waking up to the news the Voldemort is gone, what happened?’ Albus asked stippling his fingers in front of his face.

  David went on explaining the double bluff he had pulled using Peter as the secret keeper and his betrayal crashing down on him, David kept his eyes on the floor he didn’t want to believe it, even thought Sirius had thought the worst already. He wouldn’t admit it but he wanted to find Peter and hoped for an explanation. He went on to explain his fight and the plan of Lily having a Port Key in Holly’s room just in case. The failure of listening to his wife’s death cry and what he thought was his daughter’s death before being woken up to her crying.

  ‘��� that explains it, I think Lily’s sacrifice protected Holly, why that blew up the house I don’t know it should have just weakened him,’ David explained recalling his own information, parental scarifies were an old magic that as time went on happened so infrequently normally it could be used as a form of protection up to a certain age, but he never heard of it vaporizing a house and an attacker.

  ‘David I need you to stop theorizing, I don’t think what happened Kill Voldemort,’ Albus cut in realizing David had just dived head first into a full metal break down of what would cause the issue. ‘Knowing you, you’re going to try to figure out what caused the explosion, I have a few ideas but I don’t want to worry
you with.’

  ‘Albus,’ David started but the wizened man held up a hand and David stopped.

  ‘We don’t have time to go into detail but I have a strong suspicion that this war we have been waging is not over but a long Hiatus.”So he is Alive, with me still alive Holly should be protected, simply with Lily’s sacrifice until she comes of age, and that protection would extend to the house she calls home including me,’ David smiled fondly that even in death his wife was still there even in a small way. The smile fell almost as quickly as it came as he looked back at the floor.

  ‘David, I have a request and this is going to sound weird, and well, you being a pureblood wizard difficult.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ David asked glancing back up.

  ‘I am worried that when the dust settles that Holly will become celebrated and what that might do to her if Voldemort returns. I want you to go dark, hide in the muggle world away from it all, not just cause she shouldn’t be famous for something she won’t remember but also cause being active in the wizarding world will be very dangerous with for these next few years with all the death eaters still running around.’

  ‘Albus, Lily should be celebrated, Holly didn’t do anything. Lilly should be famous and as for attacks there is no one who could measure up to my skill with Voldemort all but gone.’ David argued, ‘If anything Holly will have to cope with her famous mother not her own fame.’

  ‘You know how the wizarding world works they wouldn’t accept Lilly as the savior, her sacrifice,’ Albus argued softly. ‘Besides David, you know that your skill can’t be disputed but you can be outnumbered all the same. There are a lot of good reasons to go into hiding,’ Albus pleaded.

  David turned away not liking the idea or the fact that his leader, was all but begging him to do it. ‘You’re asking me to give up everything I know, Albus, when you asked me to go underground it took every ounce of my self-control to follow that order knowing innocent people were dying in droves. But know knowing that the storm is finally ending you ask even more of me?’

  ‘Ending David, not over I fear that this is far from over David. I am not asking for you to neglect your magical skills or even Holly’s education, just that you don’t let Holly know everything about herself before she can handle it,’ Albus insisted, ‘David I fear that you will now be a target once word gets out on your survival so it’s for your own safety as well as your Daughter that I ask so much and for her sake a new level of bravery must be asked of you.’

  ‘I need to think on this, Albus I can’t, I,’ He glanced over at Holly, ‘I need to cope I need let this sink in Lilly I need to bury her I,’ David took a breath to collect himself, ‘Your right, I am going to be famous, Holly, and Lilly, I need to figure this out,’ he said sternly. ‘I don’t even know the first thing about being a muggle.’ He admitted.

  ‘I can see this may take some working,’ Albus chuckled but the mirth didn’t reach his eyes this was no time to be laughing.

  ‘We need to find Peter, send someone here,’ David said pulling out his wand as He transfigured writing tools and wrote down the place. ‘He suppose to lay low here Sirius wanted to kill him I think, he had a reason but I was able to hold him off by telling him I wanted Peter, but I don’t want to think the worst of him,’ David confided.

  ‘David I think you need to get some sleep,’ Sally suddenly interrupted,

  ‘Why?’ David asked but as the elder man mentioned it he felt very tired.

  ‘Well, this is one of the most erratic conversation we have ever had,’ Sally raised a hand to stop David. ‘Get some Sleep David you have been up all night, look the sun is even coming up, I’ll make sure you and Holly are not disturbed,’ Sally said getting up.

  ‘Do you really think it’s for the best that I cut off from the Magical world?’ David asked locking eyes with Sally.

  ‘That might be a bit much to ask of you, I just ask that you refrain from treating her differently than any other little girl shelter her from her fame it may seem odd but to be famous before she can talk, it does things to children,’ He warned.

  David frowned he knew full well what too much arrogance could do in fact between him and black, they were the poster boys not even a decade ago. He broke I contact, ‘I don’t feel I am in a state to make that decision.’ David admitted, ‘Good night Albus,’ he said as he moved onto the bed he blinked as he realized Madam Pomfrey had vanished and he hadn’t even noticed. David paused after he realized everyone was out of the room, he took out his wand and cast a ward to wake him if anyone came in, he kicked off his shoes and not even bothering to get on the covers laid down.

  David just stared at the ceiling of the hospital, he couldn’t sleep, every time he closed his eyes he saw Lily, he could hear her final scream the explosion of the house, along with everything else he could have done.

  ‘David,’ came a whisper as David pulled out his old mirror.

  ‘Sirius,’ David grumbled, as he pulled up the mirror,‘I just dropped by Peter’s house no signs of a struggle, you sure you don’t me to take care of him?’ Sirius asked,

  ‘Sirius,’ David said sitting up and looking into the mirror.

  ‘If it was anyone else,’ He started but stopped, ‘Okay,’ he sighed. ‘I’ll bring him in for you Prongs,’

  ‘Thanks, Padfoot, let Moony know what happened the Dark Idiot is missing, and Lilly is,’ He closed his eyes fighting back tears. ‘Lily died doing it,’ he pushed forward.

  ‘I am sorry mate,’ Sirius apologized and with that Sirius’s image vanished leaving a very tired David looking back. He looked like shit bags under his eyes his hair seemed to still have bits of the house still in it. He had not given his appearance a second thought he slid out his wand and started fixing himself up, repairing his damaged clothing and repairing his glasses with quick taps.

  David sat down, he needed to sleep but he just couldn’t force himself to. He felt safe not even a few hours ago, he didn’t feel safe anywhere even with Sally in the Hogwarts. David glanced over at Holly, he threw his coat down and transfigured it into a chair sitting down, as he played with Holly’s hair before suddenly blinking awake.

  ‘Dad,’ Holly said, He glanced over as his heart wretched looking at the young girl. ‘Mom?’ Holly asked her eyes going wide looking around.

  ‘Mom’s going away for a while sweetie,’ David lied, it felt like we were getting eaten alive by doing so but the concept of death was a bit beyond a one-year-old, all she knew was that her mom was not here.

  The door suddenly opened up, as the ward went off both causing David to jump and draw his wand. ‘Honestly David put it away,’ Madam Pomfrey scolded as he put his wand back. She carried in a dish of food as she handed the pair breakfast.

  Holly was given a plate of eggs, and David gave them a prod to make sure they were not too hot before digging into his breakfast. Holly did more playing than eating as David felt a single bubble of amusement escape his lips before he all but inhaled his meal finishing as he down the coffee to help wake him up.

  An Owl flew in landing on the bed, with a newspaper, ‘Birdie!’ Holly cried out as she spilled her forgotten food for the barn owl.

  ‘No Holly,’ he frowned giving the bird its due as he picked up the paper and frowned, as expected front page ‘He-who-must-not-be-named dead? David Potter father Vanquisher of the Dark Lord?’ He glanced over the article detailing his home as well as the missing family, speculation abounds but witnesses say that David and his Daughter Holly Potter were seen flying away from the scene. The rest of the article, he frowned it was all speculation, as he sighed, he needed to get that corrected.

  David glanced over at Holly who was now moving back to her food when he noticed a scar on her forehead. ‘How in the world did you get that?’ David asked himself as he scooped her up and pushed her black hair out of the way to check on the lightning bolt shaped scar on her forehead. He closed his eyes forcing himself to relive the night’s events. ‘How did you survive a killing curse?’ h
e mumbled setting Holly down. ‘Right,’ everything started to settle his brain getting rid of all the morning sluggishness, everything lined up with the exception of the destruction of the house and Voldemort’s complete disappearance, mind you constant contact would have killed him but such instant destruction was a bit unheard of if his memories on such old magic were correct. ‘Something is missing,’ He mused to himself as his brain tried to break down exactly what would cause such a reaction.

  ‘David good to see you are up, and looking alert, how are you doing my boy,’ Albus asked as he strode back to him.

  ‘As good as I can be, did you see the headlines?’ He asked holding up the daily profit, ‘They seem to think I had something to do with Voldemort’s death,’ he shook his head at the notion.

  ‘If you would like I can clear the air on your behalf after all,’ He offered,

  ‘Just tell them Lilly sacrificed her life to end his reign of terror, I can’t stand it, I was blown away even with my wand no more than a stopgap,’ he frowned looking back at the paper. ‘I can’t, Sally something is missing, Holly was hit with the Killing Curse but the effects don’t exactly line up, for one thing, my house was destroyed something unintended happened, something Lilly’s sacrifice did but what I am not sure,’ he gritted his teeth trying to think of what he was missing.

  ‘Would he have gone so far?’ Sally whispered David caught it as he jumped to his feet.

  ‘Albus?’ David said standing up,

  ‘David,’ He countered with a smile. ‘I am worried about something David, but let me worry about it, you have,’ he leaned out of the way of a hand full of scrambled eggs. ‘Someone else who is going to need all of your attention for the forcible future,’ he smiled fondly as Holly laughed in joy.

  David frowned at the action as Holly went back to eating. David sighed as he shook his head hiding his amusement. ‘Where would you recommend?’ David suddenly asked, looking at the man who blinked behind his glasses at the sudden change.

  ‘There are a lot of Muggle locations you could take up residence in,’ He Sally admitted stroking his beard in thought, ‘But it would be cruel to ask you who never lived a muggle life to cut the magical world out completely.’ He eased off.