Chapter Twelve: Godric’s Hollow

Finally they reached Godric’s Hollow. They had arrived inside Harry’s house. Harry had seen this place in his visions. So he concentrated on that place itself. Finally when he was at that it was a completely different feeling. It was as if he was in his dream. The place was battered now, but it still made Harry feel at home. The home that he had always longed for. There were spiders in the house, and beetles, flies. Dust covered every inch of the house. Harry had a mixed feeling walking through the house. He was happy and sad a the same time. The house was half broken now. They started going out.

Once out all of them started looking for dumbledore’s home. And soon they found it. It was in front of Harry’s house. Harry went inside the house. Ron and Hermione followed.

The inside of dumbledore’s house was as dirty as Harry’s but it was intact. Harry went inside. There were a lot of things. There was also an old trunk kept there. There was a note on that trunk that said, To Harry. Harry opened that trunk and saw that there was the pensive inside it. Also, there were three bottles of memories with numbers labeled on them. There was also Griffindor’s sword in the box. Harry took the pensive out. And took the bottle labeled one, when Hermione screamed.

‘Harry, look out’ Ron said. Even Ron looked almost dead. And Harry saw outside. It was Voldemort. He was looking all over. It seemed that he could not see the house.

‘Harry’ we need to apparate. Right now!’ said Hermione.

‘We can’t. I haven’t even visited my parents’ grave’

‘But he is here. He’ll surely find out’ said Hermione.

‘No. he won’t’. It was Ron who said that. ‘It’s dumbledore’s house. He has protected this house with all the magic he knew. This is probably the safest place for us to be.’

Hermione thought for a moment. Then she looked outside. Voldemort still couldn’t see the house. She then said, yes I think you are right. But still, we need to be ready to leave. If he is able to come inside, we need to be prepared to apparate. So they got ready. But nothing happened. Perhaps this place was also protected by fidilius charm. After some time, Voldemort left. They all took a deep breath. By the time he left, it was midnight. They all took the invisibility cloak under which they were hiding. All, except Harry.

‘Harry where are you?’ asked Ron.

‘I am going to visit my parents grave’ he replied.

‘But Harry, it’s too dangerous. He might be out there’ said Hermione.

‘I don’t know. I am ready to take this risk.’

And he left the house. Ron and Hermione kept looking for him in the house but he was not there. Harry was walking down the road looking for sign of a graveyard. Finally after walking for ten minutes he found it. He found the graveyard. He entered the graveyard. There were a lot of graves there. Harry started looking for his parent’s grave. He was looking when he found the graves of Ariana Dumbledore and Kenedra Dumbledore. Harry stared at it for some time. Were these the relatives of Dumbledore? They were bound to be. But who were they? He then moved forward.

Next to their graves were the two graves he was looking for, James Potter and Lily Potter. Still inside the cloak, he bent down and touched the tombstone. He was crying. But he dared not make any noise. He kept sitting there for a long time. He kept thinking about his parents and how they died. He thought of Voldemort and how than small boy called Tom Riddle became the man who killed his parents.

Then, when the sun was about to rise, he stood up, went to a corner and plucked two flowers. He had just put them on his parents grave when he heard the same high pitched voice, ‘Hiding under the same old cloak, Potter?’

Terror was spreading through Harry. What could he do? Where should he run? Where? Without thinking anything, Harry apparated.

It had just come to his mind instantly. When he was going, he heard Voldemort scream. He knew he was safe. Voldemort didn’t knew where he went. It was the spontaneity of Harry’s plan that made him escape. He himself didn’t know where he was going. It was only when he had disappeared that he thought of the place. It was a building in London. Harry felt he has been here before. But when? He then saw a sign. The New London Orphanage. And Harry knew where he was. It was the same orphanage where he had seen the young Tom Riddle. But it was different from the orphanage he had seen. It had changed. Even the name, Harry thought was different. But it was closed. It was just dawn. He went close to the orphanage board when he saw a name, the head of the name was Mrs. Rosetta Amy Benson. Harry had heard the name Amy Benson before. It was the guy whom Voldemort had scared in the cave. He decided that he will wait for the office to open and that he will speak to Amy.