Chapter 158: 4-1

Let’s go see Xenophilius Lovegood.

Our next destination was decided by Hermione’s wishes. It was to uncover the true identity of the mark that Grindelwald and Dumbledore had treated like a secret code meant only for the two of them.

"The mark we saw on Ignotus Peverell's gravestone, the pendant Mr. Lovegood was wearing, and Grindelwald's sign—they are all the exact same thing. And Mr. Lovegood is someone we can safely contact, even now. He’s been supporting Harry so much in The Quibbler, after all."

"Yeah, and we have to tell him about Luna, who managed to eat Draco's share of the Christmas pudding, too."

The group's steps were light as they crunched through the snow toward their destination. Things were proceeding smoothly. After all, Xenophilius's beloved daughter had her safety guaranteed by a 'wizard' who had taken preemptive action. The Xenophilius of this timeline had no reason to trap the travelers.

The master of the rook-like house, as Ron called it—Xenophilius Lovegood—gladly welcomed the four of them inside.

"That, of course, is the sign of the Deathly Hallows."

When asked about the mark by Hermione, Xenophilius answered as if it were mere common knowledge. The secret Dumbledore had entrusted to Hermione—it was now being revealed by an intellectual who was both a seeker and a believer.

"As you can tell from 'The Tale of the Three Brothers,' the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility—these three objects together are called the Deathly Hallows."

The individual marks overlapped, following the path of Xenophilius's wand. A circle was enclosed within a triangle, bisected down the middle by a straight line. Hermione let out a small gasp. The three shapes merging into one was exactly the mark they had been seeking.

However, Hermione couldn't believe the truth Xenophilius spoke of. Because it was a fairy tale—the story Hermione received from Dumbledore was just a children's fairy tale!

"This is the extent of the support I can offer. After I see you off, I am to go into hiding. It is regrettable, but The Quibbler will also suspend publication for the time being."

"Were you waiting for us?"

"Indeed I was. I made an exchange with Miss Maria—a promise. In return for Luna's safety... Maria told me that you would likely come to me for help, and asked that I treat you well when you did. I was... waiting for you all."

A hot wave of emotion spread through Harry's chest. Naturally, there were times when he felt irritated with Maria. It was akin to his anger toward Dumbledore. That, too, was a kind of heat. But—the one thing that remained unchanged, even if the world turned upside down or was consumed by darkness, was that both of them were on Harry's side.

Right here—was someone who had believed in him and waited for him.

"Thank you for the invaluable information, Mr. Lovegood. Please—stay safe with Luna."

"The same to you."

After exchanging friendly handshakes with Xenophilius, the group resumed their journey to find the Horcruxes. However, a decisive change had occurred among the four of them. The goals of the four—no, the three whose purpose had been united until now—had splintered.

Harry had become completely captivated by the allure of the Deathly Hallows. Hermione stubbornly dismissed them as superstition, insisting they shouldn't waste any energy on anything other than the Horcrux hunt, while Harry couldn't discard the possibility of the Hallows and wanted to chase the Elder Wand that Voldemort sought. Over their long journey, the two stubborn friends frequently clashed.

"—Like I said, the Deathly Hallows don't exist. Even in the wizarding world, bringing back the dead is impossible, and even if it were possible, it would destroy the entire balance of this world. That's something truly horrifying. You need to understand that their quest only brings misery."

"But one of the Hallows is actually right here—my Invisibility Cloak!"

"No. That is just a highly advanced magical object. It's rare and wonderful enough to be a family heirloom—but that's all it is."

"Yeah, right. Anyone would make an heirloom out of a cloak that lets you hide from Death. That's all it is."

Ron, caught in the middle, was completely at his wit's end being sandwiched between his sparring best friends. Like Hermione, Ron viewed 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' as nothing more than a fairy tale. However, he could also see some merit in Harry's argument. Harry's Invisibility Cloak was—just that spectacular.

For the time being, his blue eyes cast a glance seeking arbitration assistance toward Draco, with whom he had developed a slight sense of camaraderie during their time traveling as a duo.

"You think it's ridiculous too, don't you? Draco, I know you're on my side."

"...I agree that 'bringing back the dead' is an act viewed as infinitely impossible and horrific. It is a sin. Because the only ones who can meet the dead are the dead themselves."

"See, I told you."

Therefore,                   .

"────"

That voice wasn't meant to reach anyone. It shouldn't have reached anyone. It was a prayer that was permitted neither to die nor to be born.

And yet──────a miracle manifested here.

"────Draco?"

"Harry... I finally understand why you wished for it."

Softly. A Patronus descended beside Draco. It was a form of Patronus they had never seen before. Touching it, Draco slightly opened his eyes.

"I apologize, but I must take my leave here for a while."

"What?!"

"First Ron, and now you—what on earth are you talking about?"

"Draco?"

Turning his back on the three who had completely forgotten their argument in their bewilderment, Maria's cypress wand was waved. The Patronus was sucked into the tip of the wand. And in the next moment, the youth who resembled light vanished, rendering his companions' voices of protest completely futile. Only the young grass that had survived the winter swayed in the spot where he had been.

I walked through the drawing room, which looked exactly as I remembered it. It's a nostalgic place. I looked around. Harry, Ron, Hermione—and Draco Malfoy. Aside from their lingering presence thickly blanketing number twelve, Grimmauld Place, I couldn't sense any other scents. The magical residue ended here. —It seemed unlikely that Winky had visited this place again.

"Dobby."

I called out with a wry smile to Dobby, who had begun preparing tea with practiced movements—perhaps an occupational hazard.

"Is it true────that Greengrass Manor is opening tomorrow?"

Dobby adjusted his grip on the tea cozy he was using as a hat and nodded firmly.

The reason why Maria Potter, who had settled on a siege strategy, left Hogwarts and was now in 'our home.' It all began with a request for Dobby.

First, the surveillance of Daphne Greengrass within Hogwarts. Nothing as exaggerated as around-the-clock monitoring. I just asked Dobby to let me know immediately if she made any suspicious moves. Next—and this was the main objective:

Locating Greengrass Manor and securing an infiltration route. To find out what was happening to Astoria, I had finally decided to resort to drastic measures. It was a 'favor' I could only ask of Dobby, whose freedom gave him great agility.

And Dobby had magnificently found it. —Our chance.

"It appears there will be a gathering at the manor during the Easter holidays."

The information Dobby obtained was perfectly simple. To coincide with Daphne's special return home for the Easter holidays, the Greengrass family was hosting an exclusive, pure-blood-only party at their manor. Pansy had complained before that the Greengrass family had suddenly become very wealthy and arrogant, and it seemed that hadn't changed. If anything, they appeared to have gained even more influence with Voldemort's regime taking control. —What on earth was increasing the Greengrass family's value to Voldemort so much? This, too, required investigation alongside the search for Astoria.

I parted ways with Dobby and went up the stairs to the second floor. My destination was my own room, connected to Harry's by a single door. —To think the day would come when I would unleash 'that' of my own volition.

"—Whoa?!"

The moment I opened the door, something slipped right through my stomach. It felt just like when a ghost walks through your body in the corridors of Hogwarts. Well now, since when did a ghost settle into the Black house like a squatter? Having our hands full with Mrs. Black's screaming portrait was enough already.

Looking back, it wasn't a ghost, but someone's Patronus dashing down the hallway. —Its shape was...

"………A scorpion?"

I stood frozen, watching the back of the scorpion Patronus fade away. After all, I didn't know how to catch a Patronus.

"Whose Patronus is that, anyway?"

I tilted my head. Since it was a Patronus that could reach Grimmauld Place, it was safe to assume it belonged to someone in the Order of the Phoenix. Or perhaps────

"Draco."

"Well, aren't you a tough one to surprise."

Two arms reached out from beyond the threshold of the door and pulled me into the room. I felt his slender chest as strands of golden hair cascaded down. Looking up slightly, I met bright eyes shining like sunlit crystal. —Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?"

"I left my Patronus here so I could rush over instantly if any ruffians broke into your room. ...I didn't expect the owner herself to trip the alarm."

Drawn in by his low chuckle, I let my cheeks relax as I felt the palms of his hands on my back. It had been exactly eight months since we last saw each other.

"A scorpion. That's very much like you."

"I thought it suited me well, too."

We walked to the center of the room, and I patted the slightly dusty bed. I sat down side by side with Draco. Suddenly, I recalled the state of Sirius's old room, which Kreacher had left untouched. —Time in this room had stopped since that day.

"Where are Harry and the others?"

"Somewhere around the forests of Albania. —It seems 'you' were quite obsessed with the Deathly Hallows?"

At Draco's teasing, loaded question, I just said "Ah," and shrugged my shoulders. It seemed the Harry in this timeline had fallen for that temptation, too. ...I guess 'I' don't change.

"So, that means you were able to hear the story from Mr. Lovegood without any issues."

"I learned that Hermione's stubbornness is truly something else."

"Right? Because she's so smart, she gets incredibly rigid when it comes to things like that."

"And with Harry's head full of the Deathly Hallows, Ron has taken charge. An unexpected talent."

"No, not unexpected at all. If you make Ron a strategist, no one can beat him."

No way! I grinned broadly at the man pulling such a rude, incredulous reaction.

"If you want to deny it───try beating Ron at wizard's chess."

"For the record, I've never managed to beat him even once," I added, and Draco made a face clearly resembling someone who had just eaten a gross-flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean.

"...I'll think about it."

"Please do."

What a relaxing, idle conversation. Despite being unable to even use enchanted parchment to communicate and having no contact for over half a year, our exchange lacked any heavy emotion. We didn't even exchange greetings to celebrate our reunion.

And yet, I felt so incredibly relieved to have him sitting next to me, to hear his voice, and to feel his warmth within easy reach. How—utterly frustrating.

"I'm relieved to hear you've been doing surprisingly well."

"The journey has been mostly fine. You lot take turns fighting with each other quite amicably."

"Hmm, I suppose that sounds about right... maybe."

"Also, I spent Christmas with Ron."

"...You chose Ron? Not Harry?"

"Wouldn't you have done the same if you were there? I figured it would make a good souvenir story for you. You can go ahead and be fully envious and frustrated. Lovegood was his usual self, too."

"Ahaha, what's that supposed to mean? That makes you guys sound like───partners!"

I fell backward forcefully, dragging Draco down with me. I exhaled in rhythm with the bed's springs. Taken down with me, Draco laughed aloud and took my hand. And then—with our foreheads nearly touching, his laughter shifted.

"Now then, let's end the status reports here. —What happened, Maria?"

"────Actually,"

This time, the name of the girl who connected us slipped past my dry tongue.

Upon learning of the countless inexplicable facts clinging to Astoria, Draco fell silent, deep wrinkles carved between his eyebrows. Was it anger? —It made sense if it was. It only highlighted my own uselessness. Draco undoubtedly would have preferred me to prioritize Astoria over worrying about Luna. If I were him—I would wish for and expect the same.

"Your anger is entirely justified. I want to make up for it starting now. So, if—if you don't mind..."

Then, I opened the closet I had kept sealed.

"—I want you to attend the party with me as my partner."

Inside hung a single dress. While it lacked unnecessary embellishments and was far from gaudy in design, it was a breathtakingly vivid shade of white. That single, pure white piece filled the space in the closet, asserting its presence somewhat lonelyly.

"...Is that from Sirius?"

"Yes. I thought it would absolutely never happen, but... if I did turn out 'just as he wished'—I figured I'd put this dress on and show him."

"...It looks like a wedding gown."

"It's not quite as flashy as Fleur's, though."

I took the dress out and laid it on the bed. The soft chiffon spread out like lace curtains. The lily embroidery, which stood out depending on the lighting, was a delight to the eyes.

The person I really should have shown this to is no longer here, but—you'll forgive me, won't you, Sirius?

"A tiara passed down through my family for generations would suit it well."

Draco leaned in to look at the dress, his hair overlapping the white fabric and reflecting brightly. It was so beautiful. ───With this, it seemed there wouldn't be any problems.

"Are you going to go home and get it?"

"No, I don't think we have that luxury. My home is extremely dangerous right now. It's the birthplace of a traitor. I have no idea how the hidden treasures my father diligently collected in the cellar are being treated. Even leaving that aside, there are plenty of dormant Dark arts laying around that one would hesitate to expose to the public."

"Malfoy Manor is full of forbidden magic as always, I see."

"Our track record of constantly troubling you Aurors isn't just for show."

Exchanging familiar banter, we playfully poked at each other like children before draping the dress over a random chair to admire it. I took a set of men's dress robes from Harry's closet and lined them up together. We called back Dobby, who had been tasked with preventing Mrs. Black's awakening, and the two humans and one elf spent time fussing over the coordination.

It was a peaceful time. Even though someone was dying and someone was crying outside at this very moment—how could I find this time so comforting?

"It's arrogant."

"Maria? —Can't sleep?"

The fingers of the boy lying right beside me tickled my temple. Bothering to properly make Harry's bed felt like too much trouble, so the two of us had just laid down haphazardly on my bed. The lights in the room were out, and only the moonlight streaming through the window barely illuminated the bed and his silhouette.

"It's dark."

"It's the middle of the night."

"I'm not good with the dark."

"That's the first I've heard of it."

"I hate cramped spaces, too. It reminds me of the lonely cupboard under the stairs."

"...I see."

"Also, pigeons, I guess. Dudley once dumped pigeon feed on my head, and I got pecked mercilessly."

"…………"

"Don't get mad. You used to do similar things."

"Don't dig up the past."

Seeing Draco's bitter expression, which was obvious even in the dim light, I laughed, my shoulders shaking. Beautiful. He suits the light so well—yet the fact that he even suits the darkness makes him an unfair man.

"Harry never said anything about the dark, though."

"The Harry here is fine. ...I won't make Harry bear it. 'My' memories belong only to me."

Our fingers traced each other and intertwined. There were no words. We both knew we couldn't step any further than this. The shadow of a girl and my future wouldn't allow it.

Holding hands was the most we could do───but just this was enough to make the fear fade away.

"'You' once settled things regarding the Deathly Hallows."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"In that case—"

With the moonlight at his back, Draco Malfoy looked like a beautiful grim reaper. Even if those hands reached for my neck—I would probably just smile.

"If you could meet the dead—what would you do?"

I.