Disclaimer: I make no claim to the rights of any characters that are owned by J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros., and make no money from this venture. This work is purely for entertainment purposes.

—CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT—

The Struggle

"Treading the ground,
I once used to know.
People are strangers.
Same as before.
Streets look familiar.
I remember the part,
Where I buried my head,
So deep in my hands,
All around me was dark."
- "Trembling Hands" by The Temper Trap

Dennis Creevey

16th January, 2004

Dennis suddenly got up from the table, turned around trying not to look at anyone else and walked out of the room as calmly as he could under the circumstances. He couldn't take it any longer, and the image simply would not leave his mind.

They had just found Justin Finch-Fletchley dead in his own home, and all they did was leave him there.

He might have been able to deal with this better had Draco, Astoria and even Hermione had not just gone on like nothing at all had occurred that was out of the ordinary. Like it hadn't even had any kind of effect on them at all. Draco and Astoria he might have expected this from, but Hermione was supposed to be different.

Is that what we do? Dennis asked himself as he walked up the stairs alone. Leave people dead in their own homes? People we knew?

Dennis had not known Justin Finch-Fletchley very well at all. They had both been in Dumbledore's Army at one point, but they had barely spoken to each other. He seemed nice enough. It wasn't about that, really. He had died a brutal death, and all they did was walk away.

Dennis entered into the room he had been occupying and shut the door harder than he had originally intended to. He fell onto his bed and looked up to the ceiling, thinking. A moment later, out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of flame and then he heard Fawkes trilling lightly. He looked over at the majestic creature, and Fawkes looked him dead in the eye before his beak opened and he trilled once again, causing small, happy sensation that was soon overridden by the image of Justin's house.

He knew why they left that house without entering it. He realised the danger that they could have faced had they entered. And yet there was a little voice inside him that sounded oddly like Albus Dumbledore.

Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good and kind and brave because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

Those words were a lifetime ago now, and yet Dennis could recall them as clearly as he had in the Great Hall at the end of his First Year at Hogwarts. We did what was easy, Dennis thought morosely. We should have done what was right.

For a while, Dennis lay on his bed, his mind struggling to tear itself away from Justin's corpse that was still very likely in the same place as it was just minutes before. After some time, however, Dennis mind found its way, as it inevitably did these days, to Teddy Lupin.

Dennis had never once even considered being any kind of parental figure at his age. He was only twenty-one after all and he had absolutely no experience dealing with kids. Now everything he had known was gone for good and all that was left was Teddy and the expectation to be a good parent to him.

It had all become too much for Dennis the day before, and he had gone to the only person he could think of for advice, Bill Weasley.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do," Dennis had admitted to Bill, who looked very tired. "How am I fit to raise a kid? Especially now?"

"Let me start off by saying something I'm sure you don't want to hear," Bill had said after a moment. "We're all here for you if you need any help. I might be Victoire and Louis' father, but Ginny, Hermione and Luna have all raised them just as much as I have. We're all willing to help.

"But, as I know that's not why you've come to me, I'll get right to it," Bill had continued in a lighter tone. Despite this, Dennis knew that Bill wasn't happy. Not that he could blame him for being that way. If it weren't for Fawkes, Dennis was certain that he would be in worse shape. "Fleur and I, we specifically decided to have kids. We knew what we were doing, and we knew how tough it would be, especially given out situations. Even though we did this with that knowledge, we still weren't prepared. Well, maybe Fleur was. I certainly wasn't. But it's not about being prepared. It isn't about raising your kids a certain way. There is no specific way. You just have to do what you think is best for both him and for you. In a way, you've got it kind of lucky. Teddy's almost six. Yeah, there's still a lot you need to do, but he's not a baby. Babies are the hard part."

"I know," Dennis had replied in a slightly whining tone. "I just can't help but feel I'm not going to do it right. That I'll screw it all up." Bill laughed.

"I know the feeling," he had said with a smile. "Really, I'm sure you'll do fine. Okay. When he has a bad dream, what do you do?"

Teddy had had a few bad dreams since Azkaban, which was to be expected.

"Well, he already sleeps with me," Dennis said. "But I suppose I tell him everything will be okay and soothe him back to sleep. Or get him a drink if he needs it. Or let him talk to me about it if he wants to."

"If he's upset?" Bill asked.

"Hug him and ask him what's wrong," Dennis said immediately. "Try to cheer him up."

"Okay, what if he comes to you to tell you something he's really proud of?" Bill asked.

"Well, I suppose I'd be as enthusiastic as possible and make sure he knows that I'm proud of him," Dennis replied.

"Sounds to me like you've got nothing to worry about," Bill had commented with a smile. "Other than keeping him fed, clothed and bathed, those are the types of things you'll have to deal with, and you're going to do fine, I assure you. Plus, with the rest of us here, he's never going to not be fed, clothed or bathed."

Dennis had certainly left that conversation feeling much more confident than he had going in, but he still felt that he wasn't prepared. Like he was going to fail. Teddy didn't need another failed parental figure. Teddy's parents had died. His grandmother had died. Dolores had left him. Dennis' parents had died. Teddy needed someone stable, and Dennis wasn't entirely sure that he could provide for him that way. He would try his best, but he was so worried that his best wouldn't be good enough.

There was a quiet knock at his door and Dennis sat up.

"Come in," he said, and the door opened.

"Are you okay?" Luna asked.

"Not really," Dennis replied. "I just can't get used to everything. A month ago I was getting ready to spend Christmas with my parents and Teddy. Now my parents are gone, I'm basically Teddy's caregiver and I had to see someone I knew once dead in their own home and do nothing about it. I just don't think I can comprehend all of this."

"I understand," Luna said as she took a seat next to him. "You just need time. You will never not feel the loss of your parents, but the pain will lessen eventually. In time, you will get used to looking after Teddy. You're already great with him, though. As for Justin … I know it's terrible, and I do agree that it is horrific what happened to him. A choice had to be made, and it had to be made quickly. We can't know if it was the right one or not, but it's what was chosen."

"I didn't choose to leave him there," Dennis said. Luna nodded.

"No, you didn't," she said. "Not all decisions in our lives are made by us. I've heard people say that life is all about choices, but what some people don't realise is that it isn't always our choices."

"How did you get to be so wise?" Dennis asked. Luna shrugged.

"I've always been this way," she replied. "People just have never really listened to me before."

"Why?" Dennis asked. Luna patted his hand.

"I'm not for everyone," she said simply. "At Hogwarts, people thought I was odd, so no one paid any attention to what I said. It was all just nonsense to them. Even in the DA. The only person who I think ever took me even remotely seriously was Harry."

"What about after Hogwarts?" Dennis asked.

"Oh, they listened to me a bit more, but my words don't carry the same weight as those of Bill or Hermione," Luna explained. "It helps that I'm not as odd as I once was."

"People should listen to you more," Dennis said. "People don't know what they're missing."

"I am flattered that you think so," Luna replied. "Now, I was wondering if you want to come shopping. We could take Teddy with us. And maybe Louis too. Victoire is with Hermione in the library."

"What about Matt?" Dennis asked. "I know he's in a bad way, but it could do him some good."

"We can ask him," Luna said with a smile. "See? You're going to be just fine being in charge of Teddy."

"How's that?" Dennis asked, confused.

"You care about Matt, and he isn't even anything special to you," Luna explained. "You have a good paternal instinct."

"You think so?" Dennis asked. Luna nodded violently.

"Absolutely!" she said enthusiastically.

"Thanks," Dennis said, grinning at the compliment. "We should probably go and find –" He was cut off by his phone ringing. He took it out of his pocket and saw that it was Aunt Lisa. "I should get this."

"Go ahead," Luna said. Dennis answered the phone.

"Hey Aunt Lisa, how are you?" Dennis asked.

"As good as can be expected, love," Aunt Lisa replied. "How about you?"

"I'm … getting there," Dennis replied. "I'll be alright soon. What's up?"

"I'm organising for the house to be sold," Aunt Lisa said after a moment. "I need you to come and look through your parents' things. There wasn't anything really specified in their Will, so I suppose if you want to keep some things, you should come and get them soon."

"Oh," Dennis said. "I hadn't thought about it. I suppose I should go and have a look. I don't think I'll keep much, though."

"I didn't think you would," Aunt Lisa replied. "I've got a few things I wouldn't mind keeping, if you don't mind."

"Of course not," Dennis said quickly. "Take whatever you want."

"Thank you," Aunt Lisa said. "The rest of the stuff will either go to charity or might even stay with the house. The furniture might at least. When can you be here?"

"Are you staying at the house?" Dennis asked.

"Nearby," Aunt Lisa replied. "I was going to stay at a hotel, but Beatrice insisted that I stay with her until I'm ready to go home."

"That's nice of her," Dennis commented. Beatrice was an older lady that had lived just down the street from Dennis his whole life. She and his parents had become close as she was one of the sane people in the neighbourhood. "I think I can be there soon, actually. I'm not all that far away. I'm visiting a friend. She might want to come with me, actually. And her kids."

Luna looked at Dennis with an odd look and Dennis shrugged.

"Your girlfriend?" Aunt Lisa asked mischievously. It took Dennis a moment to work out who she was talking about.

"Oh, Hermione?" Dennis asked quickly. "Oh, no. This is another friend of mine. Her name's Luna."

"I see," Aunt Lisa replied. "Well, she's very welcome. And her kids as well. Your new friends have some odd names." Dennis chuckled.

"I suppose they do," he said.

"How long until you can be here?" Aunt Lisa asked.

"Maybe twenty minutes," Dennis replied. "Give or take. Depends on the kids, really."

"Okay, well I might as well head over now and wait," Aunt Lisa said. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Dennis said and hung up the phone. He looked at Luna. "Mind if we go to my parents' house for a while? I have to … choose what I want to keep of my parents' things."

"Oh," Luna said. "Yes, we can do that. We can go there first and then to the shops."

"Sounds good," Dennis said before realising something. "Maybe we shouldn't take Teddy."

Luna thought for a moment.

"You're right," she replied. "It might be too much for him. We can just take Louis and Matt if he wants to go."

"I'll go and have a talk with him," Dennis said. "You go and talk to Bill about us taking Louis. Do you mind telling everyone else where we'll be while I have a talk to Matt?"

"Of course not," Luna said with a smile. "Just meet me downstairs when you're ready."

Dennis and Luna parted ways in the hallway and Dennis made his way to the room that Matt was in with Fawkes on his shoulder. Fawkes seemed to know who Dennis was going to see and wanted to help. Dennis felt, not for the first time, that he didn't deserve Fawkes. Matt had barely left his room since the night his parents had been attacked. Several people had tried talking to him, but he remained in his shell.

Dennis knocked on the door and heard a murmur that sounded like "come in", so he opened the door.

"Hey," Dennis said. Matt was lying on his side on the bed facing towards the door. He looked extremely tired and his eyes were red and puffy.

"Hello," he said quietly, his eyes looking more at Fawkes than at Dennis.

"How are you doing?" Dennis asked. Matt looked up at him, but didn't say anything. "We haven't really talked yet, have we?"

"No," Matt replied.

"Well, maybe introductions are in order," Dennis said with a smile as he reached out his hand. "I'm Dennis Creevey."

Matt looked at Dennis' hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking.

"Matt Fogarty," he said. "What do you want?"

"May I sit?" Dennis asked. Matt nodded and Dennis pulled a chair out from a desk in the room and sat it next to Matt. "Thank you. I just wanted to say that I know what you're going through."

"No you don't," Matt said bitterly.

"I actually do," Dennis replied kindly. "They killed my parents almost a fortnight ago."

Matt was silent, and Dennis felt a sudden rush of sadness overcome him. Barely a minute went by that he didn't think about his parents, but still he had not realised that it was only a fortnight before. It felt like so much longer.

"Really?" Matt asked quietly.

"Yeah," Dennis said sadly. "They came looking for Teddy. Got him too. But … well, they don't often spare people."

Matt was silent again for half a minute.

"Does it ever stop hurting?" he asked quietly, sitting up and propping himself against the backboard of the bed.

"I'll let you know if it does," Dennis replied.

"I miss them so much," Matt said. He then started to cry. Dennis instinctively reached over and pulled the boy in and hugged him.

"I know," Dennis said, tears welling in his eyes as well. It was that moment when Fawkes decided to sing. For well over a minute Dennis and Matt sat, Matt clinging to Dennis' neck, and listened to the Phoenix song, letting the positive emotions wash over both of them. When Fawkes stopped singing, Matt pulled away from Dennis and sniffed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm being a baby."

"Don't be sorry," Dennis said. "If there's ever a time to be crying, it's now. Trust me, I know."

"I guess you do," Matt said.

"You know you aren't alone here," Dennis said quietly. "You don't need to stay in here all alone."

"I know," Matt said, sniffling. "I just don't want to bother anyone."

"No one will think of you as a bother," Dennis said. "Well, maybe Mad-Eye. But he thinks most people are a bother." Matt laughed lightly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he said after a moment. Dennis chuckled.

"I've said that a lot the last few days," he commented. "You and I are in this together, I'm afraid. Neither of us have any idea what we're meant to be doing. So, how about this? If you need someone to talk to, you can come to me. If I need someone, I'll come to you. Deal?"

"Deal," Matt said.

"Great," Dennis said happily. "Now, Luna and I were wondering if you might like to come with us out of Grimmauld Place for a while."

"I don't know …" Matt said.

"You don't have to," Dennis said quickly. "But we thought it might be good for you."

"Alright," Matt said finally. "Where're we going?"

"Well, we have to go to my parents' old house," Dennis explained. "I have to pick up some things."

"Well then, I have to go," Matt said quickly.

"Why's that?" Dennis asked.

"We're in this together, right?" Matt said. Dennis smiled.

"Yes, we are," he replied. "There's just one thing."

"What's that?" Matt asked, looking concerned.

"Well, my Aunt Lisa will be there," Dennis explained. "And I told her that I would be going to the house with a friend and her kids."

"You want me to pretend to be Luna's son?" Matt asked. "I can do that. I'm good at that kind of thing. Ask Miss Johnson."

"You don't mind?" Dennis asked. Matt shook his head. "You'll have to get changed. I don't think that showing up dressed like you are would be very good."

"I suppose not," Matt said. "Miss Johnson got some clothes yesterday. I'll find some I like. Do you know where she is, by the way?"

"She said before the meeting that she was going to see about trying to get custody of you," Dennis said. "She was rather frustrated that it's taking so long."

"Will I have to be there when she does that?" Matt asked.

"I have no idea in the slightest," Dennis said. "Probably. You'll probably have to confirm that you want Angelina to be your caregiver."

"Well, I'll do what has to be done," Matt said fervently.

"Good," Dennis said with a smile. "Now, I'll go downstairs while you get changed."

"Okay," Matt said, standing up from the bed. Dennis was about to leave when Matt hugged him. "Thank you."

"No problem at all, buddy," Dennis said. When Matt let go of him, Dennis left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"How'd it go?" Luna asked when Dennis entered the living room. She was packing a stroller into what had to be a magically expanded bag while Bill nearby held his son.

"He's going to come with us," Dennis confirmed. "I think I helped him a bit too."

"I'm glad someone could," Bill said. "Poor kid."

"He and I are similar in a lot of ways," Dennis said. "He just needed to feel like he wasn't alone."

"Don't we all?" Bill said as he handed a very happy Louis to Luna. "Don't worry, I'll look in on Teddy for you."

"Thanks," Dennis said. "Where is he, by the way?"

"He went with Hermione to the library," Luna said. "I don't think he'll stay there long, though. He didn't look like he was particularly enjoying himself."

"I'll look after him for you," Ginny said, walking into the room. "I haven't got anything else to do, and I want to look him over anyway. I haven't checked him for a few days."

After the events at Azkaban, Ginny had been making sure that she checked Teddy for any issues that may crop up. They weren't sure about everything that Voldemort had done to him, so it was best for Ginny to check him regularly.

"Sounds good," Dennis said. At that moment, Matt came walking down the stairs. He didn't look great, but he was certainly happier than he had been when Dennis first went into his room.

"Ready to go?" Dennis asked. Matt nodded. "Oh, by the way, this is your brother for today."

"Hey Louis," Matt said, brushing the cheek of Louis in Luna's arms. Louis giggled.

"How are you going to explain the hair?" Ginny asked. "Luna has blonde, Matt has brown and Louis has red. That could be suspicious."

"We hadn't thought of that," Luna said slowly, looking at Dennis. "Would your aunt ask about that kind of thing?"

"Probably, yeah," Dennis said. "Maybe different fathers?"

"Luna's only twenty-four," Bill put in. "If Matt was actually your son, you would have had him when you were thirteen or fourteen. Maybe you should say you adopted him."

"That works," Luna said. "Is that okay with you, Matt?"

"Yeah," Matt replied. "So, you adopted me. What about Louis?"

"He can be my actual son," Luna said.

"Okay," Matt said.

"Well, we'd better be off," Dennis said. "It's been a while and I said I would be there soon."

"When will you be back?" Bill asked.

"I don't know," Dennis replied. "Could be late. If we're not back by five, send people to look for us. Astoria knows where my parents' house is."

"Hopefully it won't come to that, but we'll be prepared," Bill said. "I'll tell Mad-Eye. It might make him a bit less surly, having something to do."

"Great," Dennis said, turning to Matt. "You sure you want to come?"

"Yeah," Matt said firmly. Dennis smiled.

"Alright, come on then," Dennis said. Luna pointed to the bag that held the stroller, and Dennis picked it up. It was hardly bigger than a briefcase.

"You can't Apparate, can you?" Luna said and Dennis shook his head. "That's fine. You can guide me the first time, then I'll come back for Matt."

"What do I have to do?" Matt asked as they all walked out of the front door. He wasn't used to apparition.

"Just wait right here on the step while I take Dennis where he needs to go," Luna explained. "I'll be back in a few seconds."

"What about Louis?" Dennis asked.

"He's been Apparated around before," Luna said. "He's used to it. Even so, when we get there, you take him while I come back. More for me than him. Take my hand."

Dennis slipped his hand into Luna's smaller hand and a moment later Dennis felt the familiar sensation of being forced down a tube. Then it stopped and he was in an abandoned side-street. He let go of Luna's hand and took Louis who cooed lightly.

"Be back in a jiffy," Luna said with a smile. There was a popping sound and Luna disappeared. Fifteen seconds later she reappeared with another pop, this time with Matt holding her hand and looking decidedly sick.

"You right?" Dennis asked while Luna started extricating the stroller from the bag. Matt threw up.

"No," he said.

"Have you ever Apparated before?" Dennis asked kindly as Matt wiped his mouth.

"Once," Matt confirmed. "The night I met Luna. But I don't remember it being this bad."

"You were hurt then," Luna said, taking Louis from Dennis' arms and strapping him into the stroller. "This was your first real time."

"Do people usually throw up on their first time?" Matt asked, downcast.

"Yes," Luna said. "I did, and I was only a little bit younger than you."

"I don't feel so bad now," Matt said with a small smile. Dennis patted him on the shoulder.

"You'll get used to it," he said. "I didn't know what it was really like until this year. I never learned how to Apparate because I never finished at Hogwarts. I've never had a reason to until now, and I've been having people Apparate me everywhere recently."

After their discussion, they all left the side-street and entered onto the street where Dennis had grown up. Just across the street and two houses to the right was his house. The house where he had been brought up. The house where his parents were killed.

It's good it's being sold, Dennis thought sadly. I could never live there.

As they approached the house, Dennis saw Aunt Lisa standing on the front step. Upon seeing Dennis she walked towards them. Dennis greeted her with a hug.

"This is Luna and her sons," Dennis said, indicating to Luna. "The big one is Matt and the little one is Louis."

"Hello," Luna said, extending a hand.

"Nice to meet you," Aunt Lisa said. "Lisa Sutton. I hope you don't mind my saying so, but you look far too young to have a son that age."

"Oh, I am," Luna said. "My husband and I adopted Matt a few years ago. Matt's parents were friends of my husband, so we took him in. Louis is six months old tomorrow."

"He's gorgeous," Aunt Lisa said, predictably heading straight for the baby. After a moment she looked at Matt. "You don't look very well."

"Ate too much for lunch," Matt lied. Aunt Lisa smiled.

"I didn't know you had married friends, Dennis," she said. "Let alone friends with kids."

"Luna was friends with Colin before he died," Dennis said, thinking quickly. "Since Colin died we've been in and out of contact."

"Oh, you knew Colin?" Aunt Lisa asked and Luna nodded.

"He was the nicest person I think I've ever met," she replied. Nobody spoke for a while after that.

"Well, maybe we should head inside," Aunt Lisa said. Dennis drew in a deep breath.

"Sure," he said quietly. "Let's get this over and done with."

"It'll be okay," Aunt Lisa said. "You don't have to stay for too long. I understand completely."

As Dennis walked through the front door, his heart started to pound. He knew that it was ridiculous. It was still the same house. The house he had grown up in. Colin had lived here. His parents had lived here since before Dennis was even born. Dennis took his first steps in this house. Said his first words. Found out he was a wizard.

It was like walking into a foreign world. Everything was where it should be. Everything was the same. But it was all different. This was someone else's house. Someone else had grown up here. Someone else had died here.

"I, uh," Aunt Lisa began. "I haven't gone into Colin's old room yet. I know you and your parents hadn't gone in since he died, so I didn't want to intrude. You should look in there as well."

"I've been in there," Dennis said. "Just the once. This past September."

"I didn't know," Aunt Lisa said.

"I didn't tell anyone," Dennis replied. "I just had to."

"I understand," Aunt Lisa said. "Oh, and there was something odd about your room. There were heaps of kid's clothes. I think Simone and Brian must have been looking through your old things. I can't think of why those clothes would be there otherwise."

"Must have," Dennis said, making a mental note to pack more clothes for Teddy. "I think I'll go to Colin's room first."

"I'll go too, if you want," Luna suggested. "Could you look after Louis and Matt for me, Lisa?"

"Sure," Aunt Lisa said, her eyes brightening at the thought of looking after a baby.

"I'm going with you," Matt said quickly.

"You can come," Dennis told him before anything else could be said. Aunt Lisa looked at Dennis strangely, but said nothing of it.

From there, Dennis led Luna and Matt to Colin's old room. When he opened the door he found, as he expected, that it was exactly as it had been in September. Dusty but otherwise clean.

"Who's Colin?" Matt asked.

"My older brother," Dennis explained. "He died in 1998."

"Was he a wizard too?" Matt asked. Dennis shushed him.

"Aunt Lisa doesn't know about that stuff," he warned quietly. "And she can't know. So don't mention magic or anything when she might hear. Don't mention Teddy either."

"Why not?" Matt asked.

"I'll tell you later, but it would be best for you to not mention him for now," Dennis said.

"Okay," Matt said, miming zipping his lips.

"What do you want to keep?" Luna asked.

"We should probably get anything magical out of here," Dennis said. "Will you have space in that bag of yours for that stuff and the stroller?"

"Yes," Luna replied. "It's very large. How much magic stuff is there here?"

"Books mostly," Dennis said, picking up Colin's scrapbook. "Pictures. His camera. There's a lot."

"That's alright," Luna said. "Just grab everything and put in in the bag. Make sure you grab a few things that aren't magical to carry with you."

"Good idea," Dennis said as he started gathering Colin's things. He picked up all of Colin's textbooks and put them in the bag, all except one which Matt took and started reading. Dennis then picked up Colin's camera and put it away. Once Matt knew what to look for, he helped Dennis and Luna look around the room. When Dennis picked up the last Chocolate Frog Card, which happened to be Albus Dumbledore, and put it away he moved to exit the room. He had a scrapbook full of normal Muggle pictures, a framed picture of their family from when Colin was eleven and an old, nearly falling apart, copy of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" that Colin had enjoyed in his hands.

"What about this?" Matt asked, holding Colin's journal out for Dennis to look at. "I think it's Colin's diary."

"Journal," Dennis corrected absently. "Thanks, Matt. I should keep that."

"All done, then?" Luna asked as Dennis took the journal from Matt's hands.

"Yeah," Dennis said. "Here at least."

"You want to be alone for a minute?" Luna asked as Dennis stared at the journal.

"Yeah," Dennis said. "If you don't mind."

"Come on, Matt," Luna said quietly, ushering Matt out of the room and closing the door.

Dennis looked at the empty room.

When Dennis and Colin were younger, this room was basically their meeting point. Whenever they were together, they were in this room. Whenever Dennis needed his big brother, this room was the first place he looked. Now Colin was gone and soon the room would be too. Dennis choked back a sob and turned around, opened the door and exited the room. When he entered the living room, Aunt Lisa handed him a plastic bag.

"Here," she said, noting the look on his face. "You'll need something to carry things easier."

"Thanks," Dennis said.

"Do you want to go to your parents' room now?" Aunt Lisa asked and Dennis just nodded.

"I was thinking," Dennis said quickly. "Maybe Luna should look through the clothes in my room. If Mum and Dad were looking through my old clothes, maybe she could find something for Matt in there. Or maybe Louis, but I think they threw out my baby clothes."

"Are you sure?" Luna asked.

"Well, we'd only give them away," Aunt Lisa said with a smile. "It can't hurt to look. There isn't anything in there you wanted, Dennis?"

"No, I don't think so," Dennis replied. "I've got everything of any worth with me."

"Right," Aunt Lisa said. "Well, let's go then."

Luna took Matt and Louis into Dennis' old room. Dennis hoped that Luna got the message that he was trying to send. The clothes in there were all Teddy's, and it would look strange if Dennis took them. Dennis went with Aunt Lisa.

"I don't know what, exactly, you would want to keep," she said. "But I looked through everything myself and there was one thing I thought you might like."

When Dennis entered into his parents' room, he almost stopped in his tracks as he seemed to see his parents lying dead as he did a fortnight ago. He shook his head as a tear almost escaped and walked in, following Aunt Lisa.

On his parents' bed was one of his father's jackets. In fact, it was the nicest one that he owned. It was black, had six buttons down the front and had a high collar.

"Okay, yeah," Dennis said. "Dad would absolutely want me to have this one." Aunt Lisa laughed.

"I thought you might like it," she said. "It should fit you."

Dennis reached down and picked the jacket up, sitting the plastic bag on the bed. He quickly put the jacket on and did up the buttons.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Gorgeous," Aunt Lisa said. "It suits you."

"Thanks," Dennis said.

"Was there anything else you might like?" Aunt Lisa asked after a moment. Dennis looked around the room. "Simone had a jewellery box. You probably wouldn't like any of it, but you could give something to Hermione."

"You don't want it?" Dennis asked, opening the drawer which he knew contained the jewellery box.

"I've got more than enough to last a lifetime," Aunt Lisa said with a laugh. "Besides, Simone hated me having her things. She'd much prefer you take them."

"I think I will," Dennis said, opening the box and looking inside. There was a jumble of earrings and necklaces. He closed it and put it in the plastic bag. "There was a photo album with a lot of pictures of the family in here somewhere. I would like to keep that, I think."

"Oh, I know where that is," Aunt Lisa said, opening the cupboard nearest her and reaching inside. She pulled out a large black photo album and handed it to Dennis who opened it.

"This is the one," Dennis said, looking at the photo of Colin playing with him when Dennis was just two. "It's mostly photos from before we went to school. Mum stopped taking pictures after that."

"It's good that you have them," Aunt Lisa said. Dennis started rummaging about the room. "Can you think of anything else?"

"No, I think this is it," Dennis said finally. Then he spotted something. "Wait, no. I want to keep this."

"Mum's old torch?" Aunt Lisa asked as Dennis picked up the long black torch that had belonged to his grandmother.

"I remember Nan using this heaps when I was a kid," Dennis explained. "It features in a lot of my earliest memories."

"Okay then," Aunt Lisa said. "Dennis, before you go …"

"Yeah?" Dennis asked.

"Could you call me more often?" Aunt Lisa asked. "I know I'm the only family you have left, so I worry about you. I don't want to impose, but it would make me worry less if you called me more often." Dennis suddenly felt extremely guilty. With everything that had happened, Dennis had neglected his aunt.

"Of course," Dennis replied. "I'm sorry I haven't called more. I've just been dealing with things. My friends have been helping me, and I think it's all getting easier, but I should call you more."

"That would be great," Aunt Lisa said. "I worry, that's all."

"I'll call as often as I can," Dennis promised. Aunt Lisa then hugged him before they left Dennis' parents room for the last time. As they exited they ran into Luna who was holding an old shoebox.

"I found this in the cupboard," she said. "I think there's things from when you were a kid, Dennis. You might want to keep it."

"Thanks," Dennis said, taking the box from Luna. "Yeah, I know what's in here. I should probably keep it. You done in there?"

"Yes," Luna replied as Matt exited the room. "We didn't find much, but we found some clothes that might fit. Anything that doesn't, we'll give to someone else."

"Great," Dennis said.

"I suppose you'll want to be going," Aunt Lisa said. "You don't think you could come and visit Beatrice? She has been asking about you."

"I don't think we have time," Dennis lied. "Luna has to head home and I have to get back to Pat and Sam otherwise they'll get worried. Another time, maybe. Tell Beatrice I said hello."

"I will," Aunt Lisa said.

When they were all standing on the front yard, Aunt Lisa hugged Dennis again.

"Don't be afraid to call if you need to talk," she said.

"I will," Dennis replied. "And you should do the same."

"I will, I promise," Aunt Lisa said, letting go of Dennis.

Dennis looked at the house. Even now, knowing that he might never see the house again, Dennis couldn't see it as anything other than the place where his parents had been killed. That made it much easier to walk away from it, Luna on one side and Matt on the other.

As they got to the side-street, Dennis checked his phone. He had a missed call from Sam because his phone had been on silent while he looked through his old house.

"Mind if I give Sam a quick call?" Dennis asked.

"I have to pack away the stroller, so no," Luna said, smiling. "By the way, I'll put your bag in this one so it's easier to carry. Think you can hold Louis, Matt?"

"I think so," Matt said hesitantly. As Dennis put the phone to his ear, he watched as Luna gave Matt a lesson in how to hold a baby. After a few rings, Sam picked up.

"Sorry I didn't answer earlier, Sam," Dennis said. "I was a bit busy."

"That's fine," Sam replied. "I was just calling to tell you that Pat and I are at my parents' house. They just got back from America, so I thought I'd come and see them. We got here this morning."

"Pat actually went with you?" Dennis asked, shocked. "He didn't run screaming in the other direction the moment you mentioned it?"

"Oh, no. He did," Sam said. "I just ran after him and bullied him into coming. It's alright, though. He's getting along really well with Dad. Surprisingly so. I'm actually a bit worried." Dennis laughed.

"That's all you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sam said, though she sounded uncertain. "Well … there was something else."

"What's that?" Dennis asked.

"Well, yesterday I just kind of freaked out," she admitted. "I got really scared of what you're doing. It's pretty much why I'm here. I'm afraid something's going to happen. Not that I blame you, though! I know that's what you're thinking."

"I was," Dennis admitted. "It's okay that you're scared. When you get back, I'll find a way to keep you safer, I promise. I don't want you and Pat getting hurt."

"Thank you, Dennis," Sam said. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I just had a bit of a thing. I think being around my family for a while will put it all into perspective. After a few days of this, nothing will scare me anymore."

"It's no problem," Dennis replied.

"Well, I should let you go," Sam said after a moment. "I'll let you know when we leave."

"Okay," Dennis said. "I'll talk then. Bye."

When Dennis had his phone back in his pocket, he looked over to see Matt holding Louis awkwardly.

"How about I take him from you?" Dennis asked. Matt gave him a grateful look.

Luna then Apparated Matt to a place close to the shop before coming back for Dennis and Louis. An hour later they had everything they needed and Louis was looking extremely tired.

"Bill will want to feed him before he goes to sleep," Luna said. "We should go straight back."

They walked to where they had Apparated to and gave Louis to Dennis. She Disapparated with Matt, leaving Dennis alone. It took her longer than usual getting back. When she did she had a worried look on her face. She simply grabbed Dennis' arm and spun on the spot, saying nothing to him at all. Moments later Dennis was standing next to Matt who reached over and clutched Dennis around the middle.

"This was how we found it," Luna said tearily.

Dennis stared straight ahead at the smoking ruins where Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place had once been. Louis started to cry.