the one | h. potter

19. the memory

harry's pov

I crash land in a dark room, decorated only by the long ornate table in its center. The walls are bare but the table is anything but that; it is seated at full capacity. At least 25 people sit at it, on its thin head or long sides. A single figure wearing long, black robes, stands at the head, the figures bright red eyes penetrating the room. I flinch. I could recognize those eyes anywhere.

Voldemort.

Immediately to Voldemort's right is Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. On his left, a man I don't recognize, but looks vaguely familiar, sits, next to...

My breathing stops short and I look again. My eyes have to be deceiving me.

It's Liz.

I realize the man sitting next to her must be her father. Malfoy sits on Liz's other side. Even from here, I can see their intertwined hands underneath the table. He sits next to his mother, and his mother next to his father. Looking down the table, I recognize a few of the death eaters; this must be the inner circle.

I look back at Liz. Her hair is hanging in her face, her eyes gaunt, skin pale. She looks like the ghost of the person I see at work every day.

Nagini, who I hadn't noticed earlier, hisses at Voldemort's feet, and he begins to speak.

"Welcome back, my friends. Today, we celebrate. It has been a few months since we overtook the ministry, but this week, we have successfully caused all Order members to go into hiding."

People around the table clap lightly. Several look slightly sickened by his words.

"We have made some major breakthroughs infiltrating the Order."

The room is deathly silent, but the maniacal grins of several death eaters make me want to hurl.

"Harry Potter is in hiding."

Bellatrix gives an echoing, cackling laugh.

"We have secured a bond between two of our youngest."

All faces turn to look towards Malfoy and Liz. I freeze and take a good look at their hands and I notice a ring visible on Liz's left hand.

"And by this time next week, our spy will have given us the location of every Order base there is."

Several death eaters whoop, but Voldemort shushes them.

"Now, Ms. Smith. Your report."

Wait, what? Report? Ms. Smith? As in?

Before I can think of anything else, Liz stands and begins speaking.

"As always, I've been going to every possible Order meeting and getting all the information I can." Liz swallows hard and continues shakily, although she hides her unsureness well. "I've gotten all members convinced of my allegiance, and recently, I convinced a leader to trust me as his home's Secret Keeper."

I shudder, remembering how Pettegrew betrayed my parents when he was their secret keeper. Did Liz do the same?

"What Order member?" Bellatrix asks.

Liz closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before replying. "Shacklebolt."

A collective gasp is heard around the table, my own included. I stare at Liz as she sinks back down into her chair and grabs Draco's hand once more.

"How'd you manage that?" a death eater snorts.

Liz glares at him. "Are you questioning me?" she asks, nearly yelling. She looked insane, and I take a step backward out of fear. This can't be the same girl who got drunk with me last week, the same girl that's coming over in half an hour.

"Smith," Voldemort warns. She met his gaze and bowed her head.

"Sorry, my lord."

The scene shifts, but not as I've ever seen it before; it's as if the memory speeds up and everyone in the room becomes a blur. Blurry figures pace and leave the room, and it suddenly stops. I see Liz, paler than before, in her black trademark death eater robes, running up the stairs. I follow her and she leads me to a bedroom that must be hers. I watch her hurriedly take out her wand and cast a spell.

"Expecto Patronum," she whispers, and a shining silver dolphin swims out of her wand. It turns back towards her, awaiting instruction. "Go find Kingsley. Tell him- Kingsley, it's done, get out of there as soon as possible." The dolphin seemingly nods and swims out the window and into the sky.

Liz sits on the bed, staring at it as it leaves, and takes a deep breath. She lets out a choked sob and begins to cry. "Why me?" she whispers.

Before she can let out another sob, a figure steps into the doorway and rushes to go console her. It's not hard to tell that it's Malfoy. With his short platinum blonde hair, tall figure, and dark mark inked on his left arm, there's no one else it could be. He hugs Liz tight and she buries her head in his chest.

"It's okay," he tells her. "He'll get out."

"I know he will."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I hate this. I hate being here, I hate pretending to be one of them," Liz says.

Hated pretending to be one of them? What did that mean? What is-

"You'll be a hero when Potter wins, then."

Liz gives a choked laugh and sighs. "If he wins."

They sit in silence for a minute, and I watch Malfoy hold her close.

"I'm glad you know. It was so much harder when I was on my own, but now... Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to help me through it."

I watch Malfoy kiss her forehead and hold her close for another moment before I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look over and... it's Liz. The real Liz.

She looks angry. Her eyes are watering and she's clenching her jaw. "What the fuck?" she whispers. She grabs my shoulder and roughly pulls me out of the pensieve liquid, out of the memory.