White Lilies

‘Together, the 3 of us for always’

‘Always’

‘Together’

~

As the pair reached the old willow tree near the crown of the low hill over looking the poppy fields the young man fell back. It was a beautiful, early spring evening and the golden light danced on the whited haired old woman as she walked the last few yards alone. Her head was kept high, her back straight despite the weight of years. The young wizard almost held his breath, as the woman he respected above all others, bent and with a wrinkled hand, placed two white Lilies on the two graves at her feet. Watching over this now peaceful landscape, the stones seen many summers come and go. They had stood here for years as a mark to those who could still remember. Brushing his wild hair out of his blue eyes to focus on his friend, the young man saw the figure in front straighten up pulling her black shawl up and around her head, against the creeping evening cold. He knew by some sixth sense that this wasn’t his place or business, nor even his time. The brown eyes, dulled by years of actively and loneliness, gazed out over the fields. They didn’t see the flowers, they didn’t see the now blazing sunset, they saw the past, a time long forgotten by all but a few. She stared out into happy memories that no-else would ever see as important, not now.

~

“OK, listen up everyone, or something like that, there’s no need to tell you that the Slytherins are out there and ready to all but murder us. After the last Quidditch cup we took from them they were not very happy, so Harry a nice quick catch if you wouldn’t mind” Fred was trying to sound serious as Oliver Wood had, he had so far failed.

“What ever you say, boss” Harry wasn’t the only member of the team who was relaxed, Gryffindor were 200 points in the lead and Malfoy would never catch the Snitch, no death eaters son would ever catch the Snitch, not if Harry had anything to do with it.

“Now we know they often go for the keeper. Remember poor old Wood?” George’s tone of sympathy was working no better than his brother’s serious note, “So, Ron keep an eye out just in case, but don’t worry too much, we’re a mach for any Bludger.”

Ron smiled, but his insides wouldn’t sit still. Along with many other students, he hadn’t really expected to get to a final of any sort. If the Ministry hadn’t done their job, at last, there might have been no Quidditch. For this year at least, The Dark Lord had been kept from school and Dumbledore had insisted on ‘life as normal’.

“You two had better go and find seats and we want to hear cheering” . Hermione and Ginny, who had wandered in to wish them all good luck, made a mock curtsey before leaving.

Ginny’s head reappeared briefly “We’ll see you at the party!”

And what a party it was, a true celebration from every member of Gryffindor, for winning, for being young, for being free and for still being Alive.

~

She lowered herself into her chair, her frail arms shaking with the effort of supporting her slim frame. Sinking back into the chair by the window she let her eyes close slowly as nearby voices washed over her. It was a ‘home’, a place for old people, forgotten, to end their lives in peace. Whether you were rich or poor, magic or Muggle, that’s what it was. The old witches and wizards around her were the best, the best of the old world, a world which had nearly gone forever, almost forgotten.

But she hadn’t forgotten. She was the author of books on the past, the present; a witch respected by so many, though thought by most to be long dead. It had been a life time of work, of dreams, of rewards and loneliness. Now in her last days she was surrounded by old companions, but none were close. None had been close since, well since the graves were new.

“She was there, at Hogwarts, you know” The casual gossip of two of the nurses floated into the consciousness of the old woman apparently asleep.

“She wasn’t? Really, was she there when....?”

“She was, but I don’t think she was really involved. Lots of the students did go off to fight ... well, so the stories go, but she’s still, well, here and most of them never came back alive”

A single tear of pure grief dropped from the corner of old brown eye and made its slow path down the whiten cheek.

~

Ron sat down next to Hermione, in the cheerful Christmas atmosphere of the common room, looking pale and little shaken.

“What’s up with you, are you OK?” Ginny looked up from her Potion book to watch her brother

“He’s fine” Harry joined them holding his Defense Against the Dark Arts book “Just these shields we’ve been learning are getting really hard”.

“I think its mean to make us defend the world AND still take exams” Ron’s colour was returning, although he still didn’t look happy as he flicked though his transfiguration book on the table, a quill poised in his other hand.

“Exams are important Ron, we need to know this stuff, there’s still a life after all this” Hermione sounded irritable.

“It just doesn’t feel like it, in fact it doesn’t feel like anything, We’re having all these extra lessons and what good’s it doing. We’re not allowed out there to help our side; we’re not doing anything!”

“Ron! Relax, that isn’t going to help anyone. Just get on with your transfiguration essay it has to be in before Christmas”

“That’s it! There’s a war out there Hermione! And all you’re worrying about is getting my transfiguration essay in on time! There are people dying out there! You-Know-Who has almost totally taken over, there’s hardly any safe places left”. Ron was standing now, angry at his own uselessness, Harry reached up and pulled him back into his seat.

“Ron I know how you feel but wait, soon it will be our time. We’ve been lucky so far, but now serious magic is involved. Magic we don’t understand. Hermione is right, we need to learn, maybe not from books, but I’d rather learn to live than run out there now and die before I was any help, I’ve know now I owe my parents that, a least”.

Hedwig chose this moment to drop a small note on the table in front of the four. Inside were a few line of Sirius’ familiar handwriting, Harry unfolded it on the table so they could all read it. As each finished the short note their eyes were filled with tears, anger beginning to boil in their hearts, hating anew the confinement of being children.

Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione

I am sorry I have to tell you Hagrid is dead. There is nothing you could have done. Stay with Dumbledore. It’s still safe at Hogwarts.

Good Luck, Sirius

~

As the nurse straightened the pillows a shaft of late afternoon sunlight caught the grey hair, turning it gold for a moment. She had grown up with the stories of the heroes and heroines of the old days. Had this frail old lady really been there?

“You can stay with her if you want. If she needs anything, I’ll be in the main ward”.

The young man nodded, not really trusting his voice. He sat by the bed for hours lost in his own thoughts. He had grown up knowing this wonderful old lady. She hadn’t really been that old then, there had still been life in her, well almost. Only he knew about the graves, well that wasn’t true, others knew what they meant but they had forgotten about the names of those on the pages of history books, the old days were gone.

As he thought about it, there had always been something missing in those brown eyes; an emptiness, a loneliness. There had never been anyone else only her work, her precious books, nobody was close.

“Dear” the voice was barely audible, but the brown eyes were seeking the blue ones.

“Do you want something? A drink? Something to eat? Anything?” the dread in the voice was obvious, but he couldn’t hide it.

“Just water thank you dear, so kind” Lifting her head a little she took a few sips of the cool liquid. Falling back onto her pillows, almost all her energy gone “Thank you” she whispered.

“Why don’t you sleep for a bit longer?”

“In a moment, but first I want you to promise me something”, tears blurred the blue eyes as the finality of this statement struck home.

“I want you to promise to marry that young witch of yours, don’t wait, tell her you love her and never let her go. I let my love go, then my friends my true friends, the people I loved most and I’ve had to live without them ever since”

In her voice the young wizard heard a hundred years of pain and loss. They really had paid with their lives so that his world would be free.

He swallowed hard. “I will never forget you”

“I know, dear, but promise”

“I will”

~

The three of them had walked some way from the rest of the group. It was late evening and a warm summer breeze blew over the low hill were the camp was made. Tomorrow two armies of the strongest wizards would meet down there and the world would finally know whether it was going to live in dark or light. It had been three years coming. Since Voldemort had returned, so had the fear into the very hearts of the magical world. Now was their last chance to be free. They had to win, however long it took. They paused in the shade of the young willow tree. Tears were glistening on Hermione’s cheeks.

“Don’t cry Hermione, please don’t” Ron voice was soft, he hated to see his best friend so upset.

“Hermione we’re coming home, I promise that we will always be together”.

“Krum didn’t” Hermione had tried so hard to stay strong as she watched the men, not boys, she loved, walk away to war.

“Well he never was as stubborn as us, now was he?” Ron tried to grin but his face was full of worry.

“I just want to come with you, I can’t let you face this alone”

“We’re not Hermione! We’re going out there with the best. Look, Mum needs you, Ginny needs you, they all do, you’re so much stronger than them. They’re going to need you even more since dad...” Ron’s voice faltered, then, concentrating hard he continued “We have a part to play and when we’ve finished playing it, we’ll come home and have the biggest party ever for Harry’s 18th”

“I am not letting you get out of that Hermione, I sat through parties for both of you. Now it is My turn” Harry was smiling warmly at her, the youngest of the three but always the strongest. “Apart from that, seven years isn’t long enough to know you both and I have to beat Ron at chess, he’s only going to war as an excuses not to have to face the humiliation of losing!”

They looked at each other, each knowing that the last seven years had been the best, Harry had found a family, Ron had found space from his and Hermione had found brothers. All had found true friends.

“Harry... Ron”. Hermione couldn’t put all the words into that moment she needed to, Silently she pleaded ‘good luck my friends, my true friends, please came back I can’t live with out you, none of us can.’

“Come back soon”

“’course I will”

“I will”

~

A gentle summer wind blew through the leaves of the willow tree, spreading its shade over the low hill. Facing a field of poppies, forgotten by all but the longest of memories, the stones sat. Peace reigned under this tree on the hill top. The wind danced among the graves, playing with white petals of the lilies laid carefully by each stone. Then it picked up a few fallen blossoms and went chasing down the hill into the sunset. If there had been anyone standing there in the quiet stillness left behind, they may have thought they hard something. Laughing. Children meeting after a long time apart, happy to be together again.

Harry Potter

Died in this place aged 17

A True Friend

Ronald ‘Ron’ Wesley

Died in this place aged 18

A True Friend

Hermione Granger

Keeper of this place died aged 118

A Life Time Friend

~

‘Together, the 3 of us for always’

‘Always’

‘Together’