▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 on her bed, flipping through the journal and scanning the words on the page. There was so much information in there regarding the Order and everything that happened during the first war, it was starting to give Juniper a headache if she was being completely honest. Not only that, but it had also transformed into her mother's personal diary. Hermione was sitting outside the tent, still angry with Ron. Juniper couldn't blame her. Hermione valued her friendships, and watching Ron turn his back on them like that had hurt her. She had a right to be angry. Juniper was just glad that he was okay and had come back like she knew he would―︎it would've been quite embarrassing if she had been wrong about that.

Ron and Harry were talking quietly with one another, Ron handing Harry a wand that he had gotten off a snatcher while he'd been away. She glanced up, watching as Harry pointed it at the flame in front of him. "Engorgio." The flame erupted from a small flame to a giant one. Harry quickly yelled, "Reducio!" and the flame went back to normal size.

"What's going on in there?" Hermione called.

"Nothing!" Harry and Ron simultaneously answered and Juniper snickered in amusement.

Hermione entered the tent, the look on her face making Juniper close her journal. "We need to talk."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, alright."

Hermione looked at him before walking past the two boys. Juniper stood from her bed, watching her girlfriend. She didn't like the look that was on her face, not at all. Hermione looked between the three of them before saying, "I want to go see Xenophilius Lovegood."

Harry furrowed his brows. "Sorry?"

Hermione opened the book in her head, flipping to a specific page and then showing it to Harry. "See this? It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature. It's the mark again. It keeps cropping up." She took a seat on the step. "In 'Beedle the Bard'. In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow."

"It was there, too." Harry said.

Juniper frowned. "Where?"

"Outside Gregorovitch's wand shop." Harry answered.

Ron looked at him. "But what does it mean?"

"Look, you've got no idea where the next horcrux is, and neither do I." Hermione started. "But this―︎this means something. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah." Ron agreed, walking over to her. Juniper cocked her head slightly, watching with raised brows and pure amusement. "Hermione's right. We ought to see Lovegood. Uh, let's vote on it. Those in favor?" Ron raised his hand while the three of them just stared at him. After a moment, Ron lowered his hand and Hermione walked away.

Juniper sent him a thumbs up and a quick wink. "Nice effort." She chuckled and shook her head before walking over to her bed and sitting down. "Tomorrow then? I feel it's too late for us to go anywhere now." They agreed and Juniper nodded in satisfaction before opening her journal up once more.

Entry #198: Lily's five months along, she and James have decided to name him Harry. James has named Sirius and I his Godparents. My little girl is coming soon. I already have her name picked out, though I can't tell if Sirius is a fan or not. We've talked about baby names for months, finally we agreed that I would chose her first name and he could choose her middle name. I quite like her name. I'm so ready to meet her. Sirius is nervous about being a father, I can tell. I think he's scared. His own wasn't very kind, but I believe that Sirius was around Fleamont enough to know the do's and don'ts of being a father. It might have been a wrong time to bring a baby into the world, but I know she'll be loved and cared for. We plan asking Remus to be the Godfather, James isn't too happy, but decided he was alright with being titled as the fun uncle.

When the war is over, we're going to be one happy family. Harry and Juniper are going to grow up together, immediate best friends as James so happily claimed. Even Lily agreed with him. Maybe one day I'll get to give her this journal, when she's old enough of course. My little girl, if you're reading this, I want you to know your mother and father love you very much, we would do anything for you. Never doubt that.

Juniper pulled the journal away, blinking back her tears. Harry noticed, casually making his way over to her. Juniper looked up at him, following him with her eyes as he sat down in front of her. Gently he asked, "What is it?"

Juniper shook her head. "It's nothing." Harry gave her a look and she sighed. She handed him the journal. "This journal was used for detailed explanations about what went on during the first war. My mom turned it into her own personal journal. And well, she wrote that." She nodded towards the page the journal was on and Harry looked down at it. Juniper watched him as he silently read over the words.

"Well," Harry finally said, "it looks like my dad was right." He met her eyes. "We did become immediate best friends as soon as we met." Juniper nodded her head in agreement. Harry closed the journal, setting it on the table beside her bed. "Get some rest, June."

Juniper managed a small smile. "Goodnight, Harry."

He gave her arm a small squeeze as he stood. "Goodnight, June."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 Ron, softly talking with him while Harry and Hermione walked behind them silently conversing among themselves. They were making their way towards the Lovegood household, and Juniper had to admit she was excited to see Luna. It would be nice to see a friendly face amongst all of the chaos. They came to a stop at the top of a hill, the Lovegood's house in the distance. Harry and Hermione joined them.

"Luna," Ron sighed.

"Luna," Harry and Hermione repeated.

Juniper smiled widely. "Luna!" She shot forwards, excited to see her friend. Hermione smiled and shook her head, following after her. Harry and Ron exchanged amused glances before following the couple. Juniper made it to the door first, immediately knocking.

Ron read the sign that said, "Keep off the dirigible plums."

The top half of the door opened, revealing Luna's father. "What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"

Harry was the one who answered. "Hello. Mr. Lovegood." He made himself known, pushing himself to the front. "I'm Harry Potter. We―︎we met a few months ago. Could we come in?"

They entered the home, all of them sitting down, a cup of tea in all of their hands. Juniper looked around, impatiently waiting for Luna to appear. She looked at Luna's father with a small frown. "Where's Luna?"

"Luna? She'll be along." Simultaneously they all took a sip of their tea. "So. . ." Xenophilius started, looking at Harry. "How can I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, actually. . . it was about something you were wearing around your neck at the wedding. It was a symbol."

Xenophilius held up the exact necklace Harry was talking about. "You mean this?"

"Yes." Harry confirmed, reaching out to touch it. "That exactly. What we've wondered is. . . what is it?"

"What is it?" He repeated and Harry nodded. "W-well it's the sign of the Deathly Hallows of course."

"The what?" Harry and Hermione asked.

"The Deathly Hallows. I assume you're all familiar with the tale of the three brothers."

"Yes." Hermione, Ron, and Juniper answered.

At the same time as them, Harry answered, "No."

"I have it in here." Hermione said, pulling out one of her books. She flipped through the book before finding what she needed and then she began reading. "'There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight.'"

"Midnight." Ron corrected. "Mum always said midnight." When he noticed Hermione slightly glaring at him he quickly said, "But twilight is fine. Better, actually." Juniper shook her head, smirking in amusement.

Hermione asked, "Do you want to read it?"

Ron shook his head as Xenophilius stood to look out the window. "No. It's fine."

Hermione started over. "'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 learned 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 travelers 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 her 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 Death reluctantly handed over his own cloak of invisibility.

"'The first brother traveled to a distant village where, with the Elder Wand in hand, he had killed a wizard with whom he had once quarreled. Drunk with the power the Elder Wand had given him, he bragged of his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand and slit the brothers 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 hand. To his delight, the girl he had 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. And so Death took the second brother.

"'As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed 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.'"

When Hermione finished reading, Xenophilius said, "So, there you are. Those are the Deathly Hallows."

Harry looked at the man who was still staring out the window. "I'm sorry, sir. I still don't quite understand."

Xenophilius turned to look at him. "Uh. . . I'll have to get a proper pen. I need to get a pen. That's what I'll find. A pen. Where's that pen?" He began searching frantically and Juniper watched him with calculating eyes. Why hadn't Luna joined them yet? "Ah, here it is, a pen." He grabbed a piece of paper and they stood up, looking over his shoulder. First, he drew a line. "The Elder Wand―︎the most powerful wand ever made." Next he drew a circle, the line falling down the middle of the circle. "The Resurrection Stone." And then he drew a triangle. "The Cloak of Invisibility. Together, they make the Deathly Hallows. Together, they make one master of Death."

"That mark was on a grave in Godric's Hollow," Hermione said. "Uh, Mr. Lovegood, does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?"

"Uh, I―︎I―︎Ignotus―︎excuse me―︎" He walked through them to the other side of the room, "and his brothers, Cadmus and Antioch, are thought to be the original owners of the Deathly Hallows and therefore the inspiration for the story." He picked up the teapot, looking inside it. "Uh, uh, but your tea's gone cold. I'll be right back. Have to go down here." He walked down the stairs.

"Let's get out of here," Ron whispered. Juniper nodded her head in agreement. "I'm not drinking anymore of that stuff, hot or cold." They all grabbed their belongings before walking down the stairs.

Hermione looked at the man who had his back facing them. "Thank you, sir." He jumped, startled.

"You forgot the water." Ron said.

"Water?" Xenophilius asked.

"For the tea."

"Did―︎Did I?" He let out a laugh and Juniper finally took note of the fear in his voice. "H-how silly of me."

"It's no matter." Juniper said cautiously. "We really should be going anyway."

"No, you can't!" He shouted and Juniper took a step back, watching as he ran past them to block the door.

"Sir?" Harry hesitantly asked.

He looked at them. "You're my only hope. They were angry, you see, about what I'd been writing. So they took her. They took my Luna. My Luna." Juniper's heart broke at the thought. The man walked towards Harry, pushing back his hair to reveal his scar. "But it's really you they want."

Harry lowered Xenophilius's hand away from his face. "Who took her, sir?"

"Voldemort."

Juniper cursed as Death Eaters started towards the home. "Shit!" Immediately they all ducked as spells were thrown inside the house. Quickly, they all crawled towards each other and as soon as their hands touched, they apparated.