I Love Him

Chapter 13

Year 7

1998

//Xenophilius Lovegood and Snatcher's//

“’Keep off the dirigible plums’” Harry read the sign beside the front door whilst Hermione knocked. Robyn looked around at the large bush that covered the wall beside the door which was filled with floating plums. Defiantly Luna’s house. Robyn snapped her gaze to the door as it opened to reveal a man with dirty long blonde hair and pale skin: Xenophilius Lovegood.

“What is it? Who are you?” Xenophilius asked his voice deep and slightly dry “What do you want?”

“Hello, Mr. Lovegood.” Harry greeted from beside Robyn and Hermione and Ron moved aside so the twins could be seen by Xenophilius “I’m Harry Potter and this is my sister, Robyn Potter.” Robyn smiled politely at the man “We met a few months ago” Harry motioned for Robyn to follow him as he bounded up the steps to talk to Xenophilius, Robyn quickly followed “Could we come in?”.

An awkward silence covered the people inside the dining room of the Lovegood home. Robyn sat with a rather vile cup of tea in a large squashy arm chair between Xenophilius and Hermione. It seemed, to Robyn at least, that Xenophilius was slightly lost in his own world. Robyn started at him waiting for him to speak but Hermione, it seemed, had decided to start up a conversation.

“Where is Luna?”

“Luna?” repeated Xenophilius snapping out of his daze “She’ll be along.” Silence, once again, fell over them and the five lifted the drinks to their lips. Robyn grimaced slightly and swallowed the sickening liquid forcefully. Robyn was glad when Xenophilius said “So, how can I help you and your sister, Mr. Potter?” Harry looked over at Robyn who nodded encouragingly.

“Well, actually…it was about something you were wearing round your neck at the wedding.” Harry explained. “A symbol.”

“You mean this?” Xenophilius questioned holding up the triangle, circle and line symbol from around his neck.

“Yes.” Robyn confirmed softly “That exactly.”

“What we’ve wondered is, what is it?” Harry asked touching the symbol

“What is it?” Xenophilius repeated quietly “Well, it’s the sign of the Deathly Hallows, of course.” Robyn’s eyebrows furrowed at his answer.

“The what?” repeated the four teenagers.

“The Deathly Hallows.” reiterated Xenophilius “I assume you’re familiar with ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’”.

“Yes.” Ron and Hermione said in unison whislt Robyn and Harry said

“No.” Robyn looked over at her friends before back at Xenophilius, who looked a little confused on what to say next

“I have it in here.” Hermione piped her in a quiet voice as she reached into her bag and rummaged around then pulled out a small book and flicked through it before finally stopping and beginning to read “’There were once three brothers who were traveling a lonely winding road at twilight.’”

“Midnight.” Ron blurted out “Mum always said ‘midnight’.” The look Hermione shot him caused Ron to quickly add “But ‘twilight’s’ fine. Better actually.”

“Do you want to read it?” Hermione asked testily and Robyn looked up to see Xenophilius standing and walking over to the window and peering out as if looking for someone.

“No. It’s fine.” Ron assured.

“’There were once three brothers…who were traveling along a lonely winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass. But being earned in the magical arts the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge. Before they could cross, however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. It was Death, and he felt cheated. Cheated because travellers would normally drown in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. So Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. So Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him. Finally, Death turned to the third brother. A humble man. He asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.’

“’The first brother travelled to a distant village where, with the Elder Wand in hand, he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarrelled. Drunk with power that the Elder Wand had given him, he bragged of his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand and slit the brother’s throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.’

“’The second brother journeyed to his home where he took the stone and turned it thrice in his hand. To his delight, the girl he’d once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet, soon she turned sad and cold for she did not belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing the second brother killed himself so as to join her. ‘

“’As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when attained a great age did the youngest brother she the Cloak of Invisibility and give it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly departing this life as equals’” Hermione finished.

“So there you are.” Concluded Xenophilius “Those are the Deathly Hallows.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I still don’t quite understand.” Harry said and Robyn nodded in agreement. Xenophilius looked around the room before striding around the stairs muttering to himself in-audibly. Robyn stood and hurried over to him with Harry by her side and watched Xenophilius grab a pen and piece of paper. She watched him draw a single line in the centre of the page.

“The Elder Wand.” Xenophilius said “The most powerful wand ever made” Robyn watched him draw a circle that covered half the previous line. “The resurrection Stone.” Then he drew a triangle around the two objects “The Cloak of Invisibility. Together, they make the Deathly Hallows. Together, they make one the master of Death.”

“That mark was on a grave in Godric’s Hollow.” Hermione pointed out “Uh, Mr. Lovegood, does the Peverell Family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?”

“Uh – Uh” Xenophilius stumbled slightly “Ignotus – excuse me – and his brothers, Camdus and Antioch are thought to be the original owners of the Hallows and therefore the inspiration for the story. Uh – Uh” Robyn watched with a slight frown as Xenophilius looked into the tea pot “But your tea’s gone cold. I’ll be right back.” And the mam hurriedly made his way down the steps muttering to himself.

“Let’s get out of here.” Ron said bending down to pick up his back “I’m not drinking any more of that stuff, hot or cold.” With a nod Robyn headed down the steps to where Xenophilius was staring out the window, Hermione, Harry and Ron following behind her.

“Thank you, sir.” Robyn said tentatively and Xenophilius turned to face them

“You forgot the water.” Pointed out Ron

“Water?” repeated Xenophilius

“For the tea.” Answered Ron and Robyn saw a look of nervousness and fear sweep over Xenophilius’s face

“Did – ? Did I?” stammered Xenophilius before he came a nervous laugh as he past them and began filling up the tea pot “How silly of me.”

“It’s no matter.” Hermione assured him “We really should be going anyway.”

“No, you can’t!” yelled Xenophilius dropping the tea pot into the water and hit the table. Robyn jumped back slightly at his exclamation and watched with wide eyes as the man hurried over to the front door and pushed himself against it so they couldn’t leave.

“Sir?” muttered Harry confused and Robyn watched as Xenophilius turned slowly to face him with a sad and guilty look on his face.

“You’re my only hope.” Xenophilius told the four “They were angry, you see, about what I’d been writing. So they took her. They took my Luna. My Luna.” He walked forward so he was standing directly in front of the Potter twins. Robyn watched him move her hair from her neck and Harry’s hair from his forehead to reveal their scars. Xenophilius looked at the twins “It’s really you two they want.” Robyn reached up and removed his hand from her neck and Harry did the same on Xenophilius’s other arm.

“Who took her, sir?” asked Harry but they all knew the answer. Robyn stared at the man with a waiting expression then Xenophilius whispered

“Voldemort.” A loud shrieking sound reached Robyn’s ears and she looked outside the window to see four black lines of smoke flying directly

toward the house. Robyn dived to the ground with a small yelp and ducked to avoid bits of rubble and glass as she crawled over to Hermione and Ron. Robyn whimpered quietly as she crawled as fast as she could “Stop! I’ve got them!” She heard Xenophilius cry. Robyn reached her hand out to the others and slammed her hand on Hermione’s, who’s was in Harry’s, then Ron covered Robyn and they disaperated.

***

“That treacherous little bleeder.” Spat Ron as Robyn got to her feet “Is there no one we can trust?” Robyn stretched and looked around the forest.

“They kidnapped her because he supported Robyn and me.” Harry pointed out “He was just desperate.”

“I’ll do the enchantment.” Ron muttered and Robyn moved a few feet forward and brushed her shoulders off. She then stopped as a person stood up a few meters in front of her followed by a few more. Robyn allowed her eyes to look at her friends and brother to see that there were more.

“Hello beautiful.” Robyn glanced over to Hermione to see a man with messy straight hair talking directly to Hermione.

A hand brushed Robyn’s cheek, “Aren’t you a pretty one.” She snapped her attention to a man with shoulder length blond hair staring at her with a small smirk. Robyn stumbled backward slightly away from the man then glanced at Harry before the four broke out into a run.

“Well, don’t hang about, snatch ‘em.” Robyn heard a Death Eater say and her heart pounded as she ran as fast as she could beside Harry.

Her feet pounded the ground as she pushed herself as hard as she could through the forest with the footsteps of the Snatcher’s not too far behind her. Robyn leapt over a fallen log just as an explosion occurred to her right. The four stuck as close together as they could with Harry and Robyn leading. Robyn stumbled slightly but quickly regained her balance at the desperation of the situation. Spells hit near Robyn and the others at the ran down the slope of the forest. Then chains wrapped around Ron and Robyn stopped and looked at him fearfully but Ron shook his head motioning for her to go. Robyn bit her lip and looked at the snatchers that were extremely close then broke out into a run with Snatcher’s chasing on her tail.

The four were separated now. Robyn glanced back to see around four Snatcher’s on her tail so she made a slashing movement with her wand and a tree collapsed behind her in an attempt to stop or slow them down. All sound was illuminated as she ran all apart from her breathing and footsteps. Robyn leapt over a log, expecting there to be ground underneath only to find that it was a large ditch. A yelp escaped her lips as she tumbled down the slop that was covered with brambles and thorns cutting her cheeks before she landed harshly on the ground with her arm taking the brunt of the force. Robyn gasped quietly and rolled onto her back just in time to see the snatcher’s jump down beside her. She attempted to scramble back but the blond one who’d called her pretty before gripped her arms.

“Hello, poppet.” He leered and yanked her up pinning her arms behind her back and dragging her, flanked by the other three, through the trees where Robyn could make out Hermione and Harry were but Harry was on his back. Robyn’s eyes widened slightly as Voldemort’s voice echoed in her head.

“Tell me, Grindelwald.” She saw the image of a man leaping from a window clutching a wand appear in her sight “Tell me where it is.” It then turned to a large black prison building “Grindelward. Grindelwald. Grindelwald.” A pale man was sat in a prison cell with a blank expression then Voldemort suddenly appeared in front him but his expression did not change.

“Hello, Tom.” Grindelwald grinned “I knew you would come one day…but surely you must know I no longer have what you seek.”

“Tell me, Grindelwald.” Voldemort hissed “Tell me where it is.” Grindelwald only laughed “Tell me who possesses it.”

“The Elder Wand lies with him, of course, buried in the earth.” Grindelwald said “Dumbledore.”.

Robyn gasped loudly and her eyes wide as she was dragged, “They exist.” She breathed and the snatched glared at her,

“What you say?” Snarled the blond man and Robyn gulped nervously,

“Nothing.” She said quickly and the man looked at her for a moment before dragging her to where her friend where getting captured. Robyn thrashed widely in her captures grip as they stopped in the group.

“Don’t touch her!” Ron shouted loudly only to have Greyback punch him hard in the stomach.

“Leave him!” Hermione pleaded and Robyn struggled,

“Don’t touch me.” Robyn hissed but the blonde only yanked at her hair and glared.

“Your boyfriend will get much worse than that…” a snatcher warned Hermione,

“Get off me.” Hermione snarled to her capture.

“…If he doesn’t learn to behave himself.” Finished the snatcher, Robyn glared and watched the leader look at Harry. Robyn’s eyes widened at the state of Harry’s face which had seemed to swelled up so he was unrecognisable and she glanced at Hermione and realised that it so the snatcher’s didn’t recognise him. Then she realised that she was completely open for them to know her, Robyn’s face was every were and she had nothing to disguise herself.

“What happened to you ugly?” The leader, Scabior, asked Harry who looked up along with Greyback “Not you.” Scabior motioned to Harry “What’s your name?”

“Dudley.” Harry said quickly “Vernon Dudley.”

“Check it.” Scabior then moved onto Hermione and smirked “And you, my lovely, what do they call you?”

“Penelope Clearwater, half blood.” Hermione lied and Robyn gulped nervously as Scabious touched Hermione’s cheek and moved toward her and sniffed her neck,

“There’s no Vernon Dudley on here.” A snatcher called.

“Did you hear that, ugly?” Greyback whispered to Harry “The list says you’re lying.” Robyn looked at Harry who was already looking at her “How come you don’t want us to know who you are?”

“The list’s wrong.” Harry denied “I told you who I am.” Robyn watched as Scabior pushed Greyback aside slightly and ran his eyes over Harry’s face then slowly ran his eyes over Ron and Hermione then stopped at Robyn. He glanced at Harry then bounded over to Robyn and gripped her face tightly. Robyn felt her heart hammering in her chest as Scabior ran his eyes over her face then leaned down to her neck and pulled her black hair back to reveal her scar. Robyn felt his breath on her ear as he pulled back and looked at her, his face a few inches from hers, and stared into her eyes.

“Change of plan.” Scabior whispered still not removing his eyes from Robyn. “We’re not taking this lot to the Ministry.”