It\'s So Difficult to be Mature

Chapter 8: So Long, Farewell, Goodbye

"For the last time, Mother, I am not a little girl!"

Lisa was becoming annoyed. Having her mother with her had been comforting at first, but now Suzanne Turpin was just nagging.

"Darling, Harry told me that you’re desperately ill! I have never lost a child yet and I don’t plan to start now."

Lisa sighed. She had to tell her mother the truth, there was no way around it.

"Mother, I’m dying and there is no cure."

"Nonsense," Suzanne Turpin replied crisply, "everything has a cure if you believe in it enough."

"Oh, Mother, that is the biggest load of codswallop I have ever heard! Listen to me! I’m dying!"

Her mother busied herself with adjusting the sheets of her daughter’s bed. Lily was playing in the corner with a ratty rag doll and James had been carried off for a nap by Ginny.

"Don’t speak that way in front of your daughter," Suzanne admonished Lisa.

"She doesn’t know what I’m saying, she’s only three!"

Lily looked up. "Actually, Mummy, I know what you’re saying, but I don’t know what it means."

Lisa’s jaw dropped. Her daughter was always surprising her. Sometimes there was something a little unnerving about Lily Potter. She looked ordinary enough, but she had the maturity and intelligence of someone much older than her three years. Meredith told her about the strange messages they assumed Lily had left. Lisa had only sighed and admitted the possibility existed.

Lisa clapped a hand to her forehead; a few hours with her mother gave her a headache. She had slept for awhile, and when she woke up, her mother was still there.

"Mother, could you perhaps leave for a little while? I need to rest and explain something to Lily."

Suzanne hesitated, but eventually she left the room. Lily climbed up onto her mother’s lap.

"A story, mummy?"

Lisa smiled sadly. "No, my dear. Not a story. Lily, do you know what dead means?" She had never believed in beating around the bush with a child, or an adult for that matter.

Lily nodded. "Yes, dead is when something doesn’t come back. Like Ralph." Ralph had been Lily’s goldfish until she over fed him and they had to "bury him at sea" (ie. flush him down the toilet). Lily had been very distraught and Harry was forced to explain to her that Ralph wouldn’t be coming back.

"Well, sweetheart, I’m going to be dead very soon." Lisa winced at how that had come out. She hadn’t meant to be so abrupt, but she needed to explain it in a way that Lily would understand.

Lily looked at her, clearly confused. "What do you mean? You’re not going away are you?"

"Yes. I’m sorry, Lily, but I’m going away and I’m not coming back. If I could stay, believe me, I would, but I can’t."

"No! You can’t leave me! Don’t you love me anymore?" Lily said this in an absolutely heart-breaking tone, as tears trickled down her cheeks. Her bright green eyes were troubled and for a moment she looked exactly like Harry did when he was upset.

"Oh, Lily, darling, of course I love you! I’ll always love you, always. I’ve been so proud of you and your brother. I could never stop loving you. I’m just going to go. I have to go. I don’t want to, but I can’t come back. Like Ralph."

Lily turned the full force of those green eyes on her mother. She wiped the tears from them with the back of her hand.

"But, you can’t be buried at sea, you’re too big!"

Lisa laughed. It was completely spontaneous. She was so glad for Lily’s very innocence, it made things a little easier. But she didn’t want to leave her children without a mother when they were so young. She knew that Hermione would help Harry take care of them, but she didn’t want to leave them. If she had known that this was the way things were going to turn out, then she never would have created Ephemeralia.

All of those poor people who had experienced their deaths in the same way. What a miserable way to die. And it was all her fault.

Suddenly Lisa didn’t feel very well. She started to shake, sweated, and her mouth went dry. Then a second later she was freezing; goose bumps appeared on her arms and legs.

"Mummy? Are you okay?" Lily asked with concern.

"Lily, go, get, Grandma," Lisa managed to get it out, though her teeth were gritted in pain.

Lily scrambled off of the bed and ran for the door. A moment later Suzanne Turpin came back in. She was alarmed by her daughter’s condition.

"Lisa? Lisa, what’s happening? Doctor! Doctor Mills, where are you?!"

Another doctor rushed into the room. Lisa had started to thrash about and she was calling out.

"Who are you?" Suzanne exclaimed. "Where’s Dr. Mills? What’s happening? I demand some answers!"

The doctor was attempting to check Lisa’s pulse rate. He looked up to glance at Suzanne.

"I’m sorry ma’am, but you’ll have to go outside," he said in a rush as he tried to control Lisa’s flailing limbs. "Dr. Mills has gone out and not yet returned. I’ll take care of her, but I need you to leave the room."

Suzanne Turpin hesitated. "What about my daughter, what’s happening?"

"Ma’am, if you want me to help your daughter, you have to leave!"

Suzanne backed out of the room, terrified by the look of intense pain on her daughter’s face. She picked up Lily who was sitting in the hallway.

"Come along, dearest. We’re going to find your daddy and see if he can help mommy."

* * *

Harry was pacing in another hallway while Sirius tried to talk some sense into him.

"Harry, you can’t just rush off to rescue Hermione. You need a plan!"

Harry looked at his godfather, his green eyes took on a steely glitter. "I have a plan. I find Lucretia, kill her, and take Hermione back."

"Harry, be reasonable."

"I’m perfectly reasonable. That bitch took my children, poisoned my wife, and now has my best friend. Because of all of this my other best friend isn’t speaking to me. The only solution is to kill her. Don’t stand in my way, Sirius."

"This is ludicrous! You’ll never make it, Harry."

"Not alone." Another voice entered the conversation.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed.

"Listen to me, Harry. I want to rescue Hermione, and at this point I’m perfectly willing to sacrifice you if it will help her."

Harry nodded. "I understand."

"Good. I may need your help, though, so I’m going with you. At this moment she means more to me than anything and I’ll do whatever it takes. You are in a similar position and I won’t think less of you if you choose to remain here with your wife."

"There’s nothing I can do for Lisa at the moment. I can help Hermione and I owe it to her and you. I’ll go with you."

Ron nodded his consent. "Good. We’ll start at the hotel. I think that—"

But Harry didn’t get a chance to find out what Ron thought. At that moment a doctor from the Hospital Wing came running up, gasping for breath.

"Mr. Harry Potter, sir," the man said, reminding Harry of how house elves addressed him, "your wife! She’s not good, sir!"

Harry felt all of the blood drain out of him. "What, what’s wrong?"

"We don’t know exactly. All of the sudden she’s deteriorating at a tremendous speed!"

"Where’s Jeanette?" Harry asked urgently.

"Dr. Mills isn’t in M.A.T.D.A. right now. I’m the doctor in charge of your wife, and I have to say that I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked desperately. Ron had turned white and Sirius was looking at his godson for his reactions.

"Do you know how Ephemeralia works exactly?" Harry shook his head. "The poison works it’s way into your bloodstream, and slowly eats your internal organs from the inside out. Not pretty, I know," Harry looked as though he was going to be violently ill, "but that’s what’s happening to your wife. As the poison starts to replace good red and white blood cells, the brain activity becomes more scattered and the victim becomes incoherent. Usually this process takes many days. We take a blood sample and from that we can tell how the poison is progressing. It usually keeps to a pattern." The young doctor hesitated.

"Tell me," Harry said in a ragged whisper.

"Lisa’s case is the most unusual I’ve ever seen. She seems to be having a violent allergic reaction to the poison. Instead of keeping to it’s schedule, the poison is flowing everywhere and her body has gone into shock."

"What exactly does that mean?" Harry asked although he was sure he didn’t want to know.

"It means," the doctor said, with an apologetic look at Ron and Sirius, "that we are unable to tell how long it’s going to be. Lisa could be gone in a matter of hours. It’s now impossible to tell. Her body is rejecting itself and soon she won’t have enough ‘good’ blood to keep her alive. I’ve got other doctors and nurses in there with her. If you’d like to see her, Harry, you may, but she won’t recognize you and she’s become violent."

Harry just stood there as though he hadn’t heard any of it. Then his head snapped up, and Ron and Sirius saw a look in his green eyes that they had never seen before. It was terrifying.

"Can you promise me," Harry growled at the doctor, "that Lisa won’t die in the next hour?"

The doctor nodded. "She won’t go for at least two hours, even if she’s not keeping to a schedule like other patients, it’s impossible for her to leave in the next hour. We have a few treatments that will keep her alive as long as possible."

"Fine." He turned to Ron. "Let’s go. We are going to rescue Hermione and kill Lucretia. I plan to be back here in one hour. Leave Geoffrey and David with your family and I’ll do the same with Lily and James. I assume the clan is still here?" Ron nodded resolutely. "Good. Let’s go, and Sirius, don’t say a single word."

He couldn’t have even if he wanted to. Sirius was at a loss for words. It looked like Harry had finally snapped. He and Ron were gone before Sirius could even blink.

"Murray," Sirius said absently to the doctor. "Get back to your patient, and do whatever you can to prevent that woman’s death."

* * *

Arthur, Percy, Fred, and George Weasley were relaxing in the conference room, catching up on each others lives, completely unaware that Ron and Harry were on what was potentially a suicide mission, or that Lisa was dying. Ginny and Draco were also in the conference room, but they were far from relaxed. Ron had stopped in briefly to drop off the children and now Ginny was worried he had gone to do something stupid. Her brothers and father didn’t seem to notice her apprehension.

"So, Perce, how many children do you and Penny have now?" George asked with a grin.

"The twins make five. Godric’s six, Rowena’s five, Helga’s four, and Willy and Arthur are turning two. I think that having the twins was good for Penny, it helped her get over Jon."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Have either of you talked to Bill lately?" Fred asked. "He was supposed to come for dinner one night, but he canceled."

"Maybe it was Angelina’s cooking that put him off," George quipped.

"Can’t argue with that," Fred said, smiling, "I’ll be blowed if I can see how I keep eating it."

"Is Lizzie alright?" Percy asked. "I heard she was knocked out when the children were taken."

"She was," Fred replied, "but she’s only got a lump on her head. Charlie sent an owl to let us know she was alright."

"Stop it!" Ginny shouted suddenly. "Stop pretending like nothing is wrong!"

Everyone stared at her, except for her husband. He was becoming used to her little outbursts, but to the others this was not the little girl they remembered.

"Calm down, Ginny," Arthur said, slightly alarmed. "Are you feeling alright? Is it the baby?"

"No, Dad, it’s not the baby. It’s you! All of you! Nothing is alright and you’re sitting here acting as though it was!"

"What would you rather we do? Cry, scream, rant and rave? We’re trying to keep our spirits up. As soon as Harry or Ron formulate a plan, then we will take action!"

Ginny shook her head condescendingly. Draco looked at the Weasleys pityingly.

"You really didn’t want to say that."

"Have any of you noticed that Ron and Harry aren’t in M.A.T.D.A.? They’ve gone after Hermione! Without you!" Ginny said.

"What! Is Ron insane? He’ll get himself and Harry killed! Where has Sirius gone?"

Right on cue, Sirius entered. He held a hand up to stop Arthur’s questions before they could come.

"Listen, Arthur, they’re long gone. Come with me and I’ll explain everything, as much as I can anyway. Remus is waiting to help me fill in the blanks. The rest of you can join us, if you’d like."

Percy, Fred, and George elected to go with their father. Ginny and Draco were left alone in the conference room. Ginny turned to her husband and buried her face in his shirt.

"Oh, Draco," she said, her voice muffled by his clothing, "what are we going to do? I don’t want to bring a baby into this world the way it is! It’s too dangerous. And now we have to live with the shadows of Voldemort and Lucretia, it isn’t fair!"

"Life isn’t fair, love," Draco said with a sigh. "We just have to fight until the world is relatively safe." He placed his hand on her belly. "So, do you think it’s a boy or a girl?"

"Draco, will you be disappointed if it is a girl? I know you want an heir."

"No, love, I will love this baby whether it is a boy or not. After all, this is only our first try, we can always try again for a boy."

Ginny laughed, and immediately started to cry. Draco looked concerned.

"What is it, Gin?"

"I’m just thinking that Harry is going to be utterly destroyed if Lisa dies. We may not be able to bring him back."

"You don’t seem to have much faith in Potter’s strength of character."

"Well," Ginny said, "what would you do if I died and you had to raise our child by yourself?"

"I’d probably remarry," Draco said. "I’m still young."

"That had better be a joke," Ginny said wryly.

* * *

Harry and Ron had arrived outside of the Madran. They walked inside and Charlie the bellhop tried to stop them until he caught the look on both men’s faces. They walked inside without any further interruption.

"This is where you rescued the children?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yes, and I think that Lucretia might still be here. Follow me."

Ron led him up the elevator. They got out on the same floor, which was at the very top, and walked to the same room. The door was unlocked. Cautiously and with wands out, Harry and Ron entered the room. They found Hermione sitting in a chair by the window.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "Come on, we have to leave now!"

Hermione turned to look at them. Her face was blank, devoid of any emotion. She seemed to be scanning them with her eyes.

"Please state your names so I may determine if you are friend or foe," Hermione said.

"Herm, we don’t have time for nonsense, let’s go before Lucretia comes back!" Ron made a move towards her, but Harry held him back.

"No, Ron, wait. Something’s wrong with her. She’s under some sort of spell."

"Very clever."

A young woman had appeared in the doorway. She leaned against the door frame, a smile playing on her lips, a wand in her hands.

"Lucretia," Harry said.

"Harry Potter," she replied. "and Ron Weasley, I assume."

"Harry Potter?" Hermione repeated blankly. "Ron Weasley? Do you want me to kill them now, Mistress?"

"What have you done to her?" Ron shouted.

Lucretia’s slim shoulders rose in a shrug. "Just a simple hypnosis spell. Much like the Imperious curse. So, what do you want?"

"I should think that would be obvious," Harry said sarcastically. "We want Hermione safe and you dead."

Lucretia smiled. "Fair enough, but I should warn you, you kill me and she dies. We are connected by more than a spell right now. You see, I am not foolish, gentlemen. I know that she means a great deal to both of you, and so I bound my life to hers. I die, she dies. It’s just that simple."

Harry stepped forward and pushed Ron behind him. "Take me and let her go. She’s innocent. Release her and I’ll come willingly."

"Harry, what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?" Ron hissed.

"I currently don’t have much to live for. Take care of my children, Ron. Treat them like your own."

Ron was about to tell Harry exactly how stupid he was when Lucretia shouted at them.

"What is wrong with everyone? You save the world once or twice and you automatically assume that the world revolves around you! You seem to have everyone else believing it too, Harry. What made you think that I want you? I don’t give a damn about you! If you’d stay out of my plans then I wouldn’t give you a second thought! Right now, I’d much rather have Hermione than you. Does that knock your ego down a peg or two? I sure hope so, because you are much too full of yourself."

Harry had no idea what to say. This woman made his head muddled.

"If you don’t want me," Harry said slowly, "then what do you want?"

Lucretia cocked her head. "Are you going to give it to me?"

"Probably not."

Lucretia shrugged. "Then we have nothing to discuss."

Hermione had been following the conversation with the air of a dog caught between two masters.

"Shall I kill them now, Mistress?" she asked.

Ron let out a cry. Then he ran at Hermione before Harry could intercept them.

"Mione, it’s me, don’t you recognize me? I love you. I’ve always loved you. Come back to me!"

Lucretia sighed loudly. Hermione showed no change in expression at all.

"Look, I admit that it’s a nice change to see a husband who actually loves his wife, but she doesn’t understand you. In fact, she doesn’t recognize you. I say K-I-L-L and she’ll K-I-L-L you without blinking. This is the fate that awaits your wife, Harry. Becoming my mindless slave."

Harry shook his head. His throat was tight, but he forced the words out. "No. I don’t care what it is I have to do, but she will not become your slave. Ever."

"Then die. That’s all you have to do you know. Die for her and she’s saved. Damn it how I hate loopholes."

Harry was sick of talking to this murderess. "Are you working on your own or with Voldemort? Because either way I’m going to kill you."

Lucretia screamed. Harry and Ron were taken aback, but Hermione didn’t bat an eye.

"Voldemort this, Voldemort that, will I ever climb out from under his shadow?!" She took a few deep calming breaths. "I’m sorry, you were saying? Something about killing me, wasn’t it?"

Harry looked at her, bewildered. "You’re insane, aren’t you?"

"Not the kind of insane where I wear a raincoat inside out in my bathtub, but, yes, I’m probably insane. It depends on your definition. Now, enough about me, what about you?"

Harry started to back up. "I have to go, I can’t stay here any longer."

"No one’s keeping you here."

Harry looked from Ron to Hermione. "I gave my word that I would rescue my friend."

"And what if she doesn’t want to be rescued?"

Harry stared into Lucretia’s strange purple eyes. She stared right back. Only, when Harry spoke, he was talking to Ron.

"We can’t rescue her now. There will be another time, but it isn’t now. Come on, Ron, we have to go."

"Are you insane? We have to get Herm out of here and kill this bitch!"

Harry was still staring intently into Lucretia’s violet eyes. There was a malicious spark that gleamed in them. Harry seemed to be able to read her soul through her eyes.

"No," Harry said slowly, not taking his eyes from Lucretia’s, "we can’t win today, but if we try again we can succeed."

"Ah, to be young and naive again," Lucretia said reminiscently.

Ron looked from Harry to Lucretia. He could see the determination in the former’s eyes and the evil in the latter’s.

"Alright," he said carefully. "But I swear I haven’t given up on her. I will try again. I will try until either she is safe or I am dead. Preferably until you are dead."

Lucretia smiled. "Isn’t that sweet. Now run along you two, and I won’t be here much longer so I suggest you don’t come back."

"You’re just going to let us leave? Just like that?" Ron asked skeptically.

"You may leave, but know this," suddenly Lucretia’s voice grew cold and deep, and lightning crackled from her fingertips, "I have come this far and I’m not about to let two little boys ruin my plans. I always get what I want. I have been a patient woman, but my patience is wearing thin. I have dealt with Riddle and I have no qualms about dealing with you two pipsqueaks."

"Riddle?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"She means Voldemort," Harry whispered back.

"Now, I’ll give you a five minute head start and if you’re not out of the hotel by then, I’ll blow the entire thing to pieces. It would be a shame too, they have brilliant room service."

Harry and Ron took her seriously this time. With one last anguished look towards Hermione, who didn’t seem affected at all, Ron allowed himself to be pulled from the room and out of the hotel. They had reached the end of the block and were about to Disapparate when something happened. Something big.

An explosion that rocked the entire neighborhood came from the hotel. The very top of the hotel was blown apart and started a blazing inferno. Thousands of screaming witches and wizards came streaming out and instantly Medi-wizards Apparated in from every direction. It was pure chaos and it was impossible to tell the extent of the damage. Harry and Ron couldn’t move.

"Hermione!" Ron moaned, before Harry grabbed his arm and they Disapparated.

* * *

Lisa was thrashing more than ever, had a dangerously high fever, and was mumbling to herself. A cut appeared on her left forearm and she was losing blood. She was sweating and shaking at the same time.

"Where’s Harry?" Dr. Neil Murray asked one of the nurses. "We can’t hold onto her much longer!"

"I don’t know, sir," the nurse replied frantically, "no one does!"

"Damn it!" Murray called out as more wounds mysteriously appeared on Lisa’s legs. The poison was working at an incredible speed and was already eating her from the inside out. The best thing now would be to give her mercy, but Harry wanted to be there when she died.

"Dr. Murray!" a voice cried from the doorway, trying to be heard over the melee. "Harry Potter’s back! He wants to see his wife!"

"Then send him in!"

Harry pushed and shoved his way through the steady stream of nurses and doctors until he reached the side of Lisa’s bed. She had stopped thrashing, but she was shaking like she was about to erupt. Murray knew that she was nearing the end and Harry had arrived just in time.

"We’re losing her, Harry, so if you have something to say, then I suggest you say it!"

Harry came close to the bedside, deeply disturbed by his wife’s condition. He looked as though he had aged ten years and was obviously exhausted. Ignoring the commotion behind him Harry tried to capture Lisa’s attention.

"Lis? Lis, sweetheart, it’s me." There was no response.

"Harry, she won’t recognize you! She’s too far gone."

But Harry wasn’t listening. He continued to talk. Then just as he thought he lost her, Lisa turned to him and stared directly at him with her bright blue eyes.

"Har-ry?" she croaked out softly. "I know...tell Herm...it’s...Gin...they...Quickly...must..."

Harry barely understood any of that. In one last desperate attempt to keep her there Harry put his face close to hers and told her:

"Lisa, listen to me, this is very important. Never forget that I love you, never forget that the children love you, and above all else, I forgive you. No matter what you have done, I love you and I forgive you!"

The last part came out in a pitiful wail. Lisa opened her eyes as wide as they would go and then closed them for the last time. She was gone.

Harry bowed his head into his hands and sobbed unrestrainedly. Quietly, the nurses and doctors filed out. Sirius and Remus stepped in. They walked over to Harry and sat down beside him. Neither of them spoke. This situation was beyond words.

It was the darkest period they had ever encountered. Hermione was in the possession of Lucretia, Lisa had been taken to the Other Realm, and they were facing their most difficult challenge yet. Lucretia was more ruthless than Voldemort ever was and she had the upper hand.

It is always darkest before the dawn, but this time, everyone involved believed they were doomed to life of eternal night.

* * *

When Lisa opened her eyes again she felt like she was waking up from a long sleep. That is if you sleep on a bed of nails while someone else is chopping your body apart. But after a few moments, she forgot the pain. There was no pain here unless SHE inflicted it upon you. There was also no joy. Lisa had arrived in a place where she was neither living nor dead. She simply was.

She also ceased to be Lisa. She was no longer Lisa Potter or even Lisa Turpin. She wasn’t the wife of Harry Potter, or the mother of two. She didn’t have friends, she didn’t have enemies. Anything that happened while she was living was wiped from her memory. She was in Hell.

Not in the conventional sense. The entire world around her was drab. No color, no smells. Just a single dirt path that led to HER. The woman who used to be Lisa followed that path like all who did before her. That was where her destiny was. That was where she was bound to go.

She was neither living nor dead, she simply existed. And she only existed to serve HER.

"I am coming, Mistress, and I am ready to obey."

A/N: So...? What did you think? Please tell me in your reviews. Just so you know I was going to cut it off right as Lisa "left" but I changed my mind. And I know, Jeanette wasn’t in this chapter, the horror! She will be back, I haven’t forgotten about her, she plays an important role in the next few chapters. I like her, I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of creating an original character just to kill her off, just like that! And who is that creepy old woman? Something to think about. I know I will.