7 Chapter 7

Arthur Weasley appeared in Lily's office after Harry had dropped her off. "So, how was your morning with your son?" he asked.

"It was good, actually," Lily replied, smiling brightly. "We've never walked together before, which was a shame."

"Well, that's wonderful to hear," said Arthur, beaming back at her. He had never seen Lily look so happy since the death of her husband. He had never thought he would see the day when Lily could smile so widely again. "I bet you're excited for tonight's assembly at Hogwarts, aren't you? Do you have any gifts for Harry?"

Lily's face scrunched up in thought.

"You forgot the assembly again, didn't you?" Arthur asked in disbelief, reminding her of the multiple times he had mentioned it earlier.

"I'm not sure..." Lily sighed, her frustration evident. "I definitely forgot yesterday, but I can't remember if I forgot today too."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, perplexed by her uncertainty. He was just as confused as she was.

"Wait, did you wear that same outfit yesterday?" Lily asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Arthur looked down at his clothes. "Now that you mention it, I think I did," he admitted.

Lily fell silent for a moment before asking, "Arthur, may I ask you something?"

"If you must," he replied flatly.

She continued, "Have you ever had a dream where the next day everything feels familiar, almost like it's from the dream?"

"Of course," Arthur said mockingly. "For instance, last night I dreamt you'd bore me to death first thing this morning, and lo and behold, here we are."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'm being serious."

"Seriously?"

She nodded.

"Lily, dreams are important," he said gently. "You should listen to them."

"You really think so?"

"I do," Arthur nodded, then added more sternly, "But I also believe you need to hurry to that meeting before you're late."

Lily was gripped with nervousness as she stepped into the meeting room, glancing anxiously at the door every few moments to see if Harry would arrive. Though she knew her worries were silly after the previous incident, she was determined to stop him from entering if she could.

The Chief Auror and staff eyed Lily with suspicion as she couldn't stop turning to check the door. Lily smiled weakly and continued with her report.

She opened her file case and grabbed the blue folder. Just then, Harry arrived, squinting at the door. Seeing the folder in Lily's hands, he turned and walked away, relieved that she had remembered.

But Lily had a nervous breakdown the moment a grim-faced guard entered the room. Losing it completely, she slammed her hands on the table, exclaiming, "I knew it! I knew you'd be here!" Looking up, she saw to her horror it wasn't Harry. As everyone eyed her as if she'd gone mad, Lily shamefully lowered her head and muttered, "Sorry."

Two hours later, back in her office, she laughed at herself for overreacting stupidly and embarrassing herself before the officials. She couldn't believe she'd lost her temper that way.

There was a knock at the door. "Did you get the approval, then?" Arthur asked excitedly.

"Yes," Lily replied, giggling too much to elaborate.

"What are you on about?" Arthur asked, confused by her cryptic response.

Lily just shook her head, reluctant to explain further.

"Oh, come on. What is it?" Arthur pressed.

Finally relenting, Lily recounted to Arthur what had transpired at the meeting.

Bewildered, Arthur said, "You mean to say you went back in time?"

"To be honest, I don't really have a clue what's going on," Lily admitted. "Though I'm pretty sure I didn't use a Time-Turner. I think it was just a bizarre dream I had last night..."

"No wonder you were asking me about the importance of dreams," Arthur realized.

Lily's face turned grim as a sudden image of Harry dying in her arms flashed through her mind. "I was going crazy thinking about it. Harry said it was more of a deja vu," she said.

Arthur asked, "What's wrong?" when he noticed Lily's abrupt change of expression.

"Nothing," Lily said quietly, then asked, "What are you doing here anyway, Arthur?"

"Well, it's about the silver dagger—"

"—with rune markings on it that can kill you with one stab?" Lily interjected rather quickly.

Smirking, Arthur said, "Looks like someone did their assignment."

Lily hesitated with a sad look. "I just..."

"Lily?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Yes! I completed my assignment," Lily said cheerfully, though she couldn't shake her uneasy feeling. Arthur was startled by her sudden mood change. "And before the assembly tonight, I should consult with Albus Dumbledore about it."

"Do you think he knows something?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure," said Lily. "But it's worth asking."

"Well, I may know of a place that could provide clues, if you're still interested," Arthur offered. "Let me write down the details for you."

Arthur reached for a paper and dipped a quill into the ink bottle, but Lily quickly snatched it away.

"It's empty!" Lily said abruptly, stowing the bottle in a drawer and grabbing a new one instead. "That's why I prefer self-inking quills."

Lily, sensing trouble ahead, tried in vain to steady the open ink bottle for Arthur. He clumsily knocked it with his quill, spilling ink across the table.

"Blimey!" he gasped, looking at the mess. "Sorry about that," he added, glancing apologetically at Lily, who sighed heavily in response.

Lily grew increasingly desperate and paranoid, realizing her efforts to prevent the spill had failed. It's happening again, she thought, her last hope resting on the eyeglasses. She crossed her fingers tightly.

Lily, dispirited, walked to the lift with the intention of immediately starting the investigation into the dagger. Distracted, she leaned against the wall and looked up to see an old man in a worn black suit and fedora.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lily said, eyes wide as she stared at him.

"Excuse me?" the old man said calmly.

"You were in this lift yesterday," Lily said. "We spoke and you gave me advice."

The old man chuckled. "That's possible. At my age, I do know things."

"You... you said that yesterday too," Lily said, distressing her thoughts even as her voice remained calm despite her racing heart. Her voice trembled as fear crept in slowly. "If this lift is the same... then everything else today will be the same," she continued, eyeing the old man anxiously. "At the end of the day, my son walks out in Hogsmeade, turns a corner, gets stabbed and he—" Tears started forming in Lily's eyes as images from that night flashed through her mind again. Barely controlling her emotions, she asked with a shuddering breath, "Is that going to happen?"

The old man looked at Lily sadly but remained silent.

"What if we didn't go to Hogsmeade?" Lily pressed on desperately. "What if I take him out of London? Maybe if we stay in the apartment..." But the old man still wouldn't budge.

The feeling of hopelessness was slowly killing Lily. There must be a way to fix this!

"Tell me, what can I do?" Lily asked one last time, her voice pleading. "There must be something I can do!"

The lift gradually slowed to a stop. "I'm sorry, but this is my floor," said the elderly man as he exited the lift.

Lily looked despondent.

Just before rounding the corner, the man turned back to face Lily. "Let me leave you with this," he said gently. "Cherish him. Cherish what you have together." His expression became intense. "Just love him," he implored gravely.

Lily's brow furrowed as a sense of deja vu washed over her. She searched for the man to ask what he meant, but he had already vanished from sight.

Lily raced out of the elevator the moment its doors slid open, heedless if she jostled people in her haste through the Atrium and nearby streets to her apartment.

"Harry!" she called, bursting through the front door minutes later.

She frantically searched the rooms, but her son was nowhere inside. Bolting upstairs to his bedroom, she scanned for clues, lips pursed in concentration. His snowy owl was absent, though an opened letter lay on the desk. Reading it swiftly, Lily grasped his destination—the joke shop.

She raced back downstairs and out the door, Disapparating on the spot.

Appearing outside the shabby Leaky Cauldron, Lily hurried inside. She stepped through the brick archway to Diagon Alley before it shrank into a solid wall behind her.

All around, witches and wizards bustled in and out of the shops, their bags and cages brimming with magical purchases.

Though Diagon Alley never failed to awe Lily, she hardly noticed the fascinating wares on display. She had to find Harry and leave London immediately. Pushing through the gathering crowds outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, where a new broom captivated excited children and reluctant adults alike, Lily pressed on.

Finally, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes came into view, momentarily dazzling Lily with its colorful storefront windows and posters plastered on the walls. Outside the entrance sat several boxes, each displaying interesting wares atop them. Of all the shops in Diagon Alley, this one attracted the largest crowds, mostly children and young adults who couldn't resist snatching up every last item within reach, much to their parents' chagrin.

Lily took a deep breath and stepped inside. The cramped interior was even more chaotic. As Lily squeezed through the throngs of people, she wondered how she would ever find Harry in this mayhem. Luckily, she spotted Ron Weasley stacking boxes of Skiving Snackboxes in a corner.

"Ron!" Lily called out, trying to get past two giggling girls in front of a large "Love Potions" sign.

Ron looked up and saw Lily. "Oh, hello Mrs. Potter!" he said brightly, though he already looked frazzled.

"Have you seen my son?"

Ron glanced around the shop, trying to spot Harry among the crowd. "There he is," he said, pointing towards the back.

"Thank you," Lily replied. She weaved through the crowd to where Harry was organizing merchandise on the shelves.

Harry was reaching up to make space for new items when Lily tapped his shoulder.

"Mum?" Harry asked in surprise, not expecting to see his mother in the joke shop.

"Harry! I'm so glad I found you..." Lily pulled him into a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?"

A moment later, Ron emerged from the back room carrying several precariously stacked boxes.

"Ron," Lily said abruptly when she spotted him, "I'm sorry, but I have to get Harry out of here right now."

"Um... sure, Mrs. Potter," Ron replied.

"What's wrong, Mum?" Harry asked, looking at her with concern.

Visibly anxious, Lily said, "Things from yesterday are happening again, jumbled up somehow. Maybe it's stress, but we have to leave London immediately."

"Leave London?" Harry asked, a bit bewildered.

"Yes," Lily affirmed. "Now."

Harry gestured to the shelves he was stocking. "But I promised Ron—"

"You've helped loads," Ron interjected, grabbing the box from Harry and stacking it on the shelf.

Harry frowned. "Mum, I have an assembly at school tonight. Remember?"

"We'll be back in time," Lily replied while grabbing Harry's arm. "Come on, we need to leave London immediately." She looked at Harry's uncertain expression and squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Just trust me on this."

Harry nodded and allowed his mother to steer him out of the shop and through Diagon Alley, wondering where she could be taking him in such a hurry.

To be continued…