Third worst

Scorpius entered his room, limping, visibly shaken. Rose was once again chained, this time around her waist allowing for even less movement than before. She lay on the bed, curled up in a ball, trembling.

"Scorpius! What happened? What is going on?" she asked, looking up as he entered.

Albus also entered the room, while Scorpius threw up in the rubbish bin. Albus went straight to Rose, giving her a long hug.

"Well, that is probably the third worst thing I have ever seen," Scorpius said when he had collected himself.

"What?" Albus asked.

"He murdered Broadshaw. We all had to watch. It was… rather brutal," Scorpius explained.

"Well, he isn't a big loss," Albus pointed out.

"No, but he was punished for the things that we did. That could have been us."

"It should have been me," Albus agreed. "Something strange is going on here. I can't put my wand on it. He doesn't seem to remember what happened at the graveyard."

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked.

"I mean that he was dead. He was very dead. And yet, here he is again. And he doesn't remember that I betrayed him," Albus explained.

"You did what?" Scorpius said, surprised.

"I dragged him down. To prevent him from killing Aunt Hermione. I saw him. He was definitely dead. That is why the barrier disappeared. Yet here he is, mere hours later. Not even a Horcrux can explain that. I sent a note to my parents in the letter he told me to send."

"Please tell me you didn't send a picture?" Rose asked sadly. "Mum will just collapse again if she sees that." She had straightened out on the bed, but she didn't seem to have enough energy to get up.

"I had to. To prove that it is in fact Voldemort. And in case someone is intercepting the letter. I fastened my piece of parchment to the inside of the envelope, but I think mum and dad will find it anyway. I sent the letter to my mum, so hopefully Aunt Hermione won't have to see it. I'm sorry you had to go through that again. I should have gone back here immediately after I saw him dead. It was just… I don't really know what came over me."

"Are you absolutely sure that he was dead?" Scorpius wanted to know. "That he wasn't just Stunned, or incapacitated?"

"Yes."

"How can you be so sure?" Rose asked.

"Because I stabbed him in the heart myself," Albus replied, not meeting their eyes. Rose gasped and sat up in the bed. Scorpius just stared at him, mouth open. The lie had become the truth.

***

At the Burrow, everyone was waiting for Albus, Scorpius, and Rose to get back. As the hours went by with no sign of any of them, they got more and more worried. What could have happened? Harry considered going to Malfoy Manor to see for himself, but he knew that it would probably not do any good and may put both him and the children in greater danger. Finally, just when he thought he could wait no longer, Albus' owl appeared in the window. He held out his leg towards Ginny.

"News from Albus! Finally!" Ginny said, as she ran to retrieve the letter. Then she saw the photo and gasped. There was no doubt what the photo showed. Harry quickly ran to her side. The letter was just one sentence.

"I told you what would happen if you displeased me." It was almost as if they could hear Voldemort's high-pitched voice through the parchment.

Ginny tried to hide the photo, but Ron snatched it. He took one look, whimpered, and fell down on the ground.

"Oh no! Rose!"

"We mustn't let Hermione see this," Ginny decided.

"I agree," Harry said. "Here is another note. This one really is from Albus. "He is back again. We didn't get her out in time. I am sorry. He doesn't seem to remember what I did."

"What does he mean, Voldemort doesn't remember?" Ginny asked. "So, he hasn't commented on the fact that it was Albus who stabbed him? Maybe he is just waiting for a better opportunity."

"Why would he do that?" Harry retorted. "He is completely in his power where he is. No, if Voldemort wanted Albus dead, he would be dead."

Ginny trembled slightly at this thought.

"I have another theory," Harry added hastily.

"What?" Ron asked, still on the ground. Seeing visible proof of what his daughter was going through was even worse than hearing Albus tell it.

"It's only an impostor. Someone pretending to be Voldemort to try and gather the old gang back together. That would explain some of the actions they have done, and some of the phrases he is said to have used. The one we killed in the graveyard has now been replaced with another one. But since no one actually saw how Voldemort died, they don't have the details. And who would ask such a question to him anyway?"

"That makes sense," Ginny said, relieved. "We have to tell Albus that, so he doesn't risk exposing himself because he thinks Voldemort will kill him. But how? We can't reply to the letter, it's too risky. He was only allowed to send this note because of that picture."

"We'll dye the parchment brown, so it blends with the colour of the leg of the owl. Then I will only take a small note and wrap it around the leg. That way, it should go unnoticed."