The Waves of Time and Death

6th of November, 1979

“No.”

The short and sharp answer made him let out an awkward laugh. He glanced over at the other two people in the room, but no help would be given if the pitiful looks in their eyes were anything to go by. The silence after the rejection and the lack of support from the other two men made his heart beat fast. His mouth was dry and his throat felt soar with unspoken pleas. No, was the only word in his mind, repeating again and again as if his brain was mocking him. No. A weak smile came on his face, though the sadness in his eyes was obvious. No.

Her eyes were set on his, no regret visible. Nothing in her posture told him it was all an act, a cruel performance aimed at hurting him. His lips quivered and his eyes felt teary but he refused to look anywhere other than her face.

“Why?” the sound was so weak he thought she hadn't heard him. When she sighed, he understood she was unwilling to give him an answer.

No.

“If you cannot guess the reason why, then I think you are blinder than I thought,” he winced at her words. The feeling of weakness was so strong at that moment that he felt as if he was a little boy again. He hated it. Hated how cowardly he was behaving in front of her and how dejected the situation made him feel.

No.

He pursed his lips and clenched his hand into fists. Her rejection of him was so clear he felt sick. Trying to control his breathing proved futile, his body refused to obey and his mind was not totally under his control anymore.

“Please, you have to understand. I know it is hard for you to be around them but they are-” he stopped speaking when she scoffed and looked away from him. When she rose from her seat and left the room something inside him broke. Maybe it was his childhood dream of having her look proudly at him that disappeared into nothing or an ideal of how his relationship with her would be, he was not sure.

No. No. No. No.

Her rejection hit him again and again. He rested his head on his hands and rocked back and forth. Numbness took over him as his mind tried its best to shove his sadness into a forgotten corner inside his head. No sounds reached him, nothing mattered to him more at the moment than to let himself sink into his grief. He could not even feel the way his breathing became frantic and his body almost fell from the couch as his rocking became faster and faster.

“Hedwyn!” a shout brought him back to the room. He took a second to take in what was happening. “Harry, look at me,” he knew that voice, it was one he carefully put in a special place inside his mind the first time he heard it. James. James Potter. Dad, he thought. He looked up at the man and saw the look of concern on his father's face.

“I-I’m sorry,” he whispered, shame showing on his face. His father moved so fast that his tired mind did not comprehend what the man was doing. It was only when he felt the weight on James' arm around his shoulder and the new warmth of his left side that he understood what his dad was doing. He stopped a sob from coming out and he leaned on James' half-hug.

“You don't have to apologise for anything, Harry. It's just that... Lily is sensitive when it comes to socialising with families like the Blacks. She is getting better, more confident. Especially after finding out that she's related to the Gaunts. But Lily suffered a lot with the hatred directed at muggle-borns. Let's not forget her best friend called her a ’mudbloob’, which, even though she says otherwise, broke something in her. She's still struggling to move past the betrayal and accept her new place in our world. I'm sorry to say that I don't think she will change her mind about not going to your wedding, though. All the Blacks and other pureblood families will be there, and she would be too uncomfortable,” James rubbed his back as he spoke, pity clear on his face. “And honestly? It's better if she doesn't go, she's pregnant after all. The stress would not do her any good.”

He nodded his head absently, understanding showing on his face. “I get it, James. I won't pressure her or anything. Merlin, you must think I've gone mad, yeah? Crying just because your wife won't go to my wedding. We don't even know each other that well,” the awkward smile and the hand leaving his back showed he was correct, James did think it was odd. Sirius probably thought so too, but he couldn't care enough to look at the young version of his godfather. “I have a reason, though,” the words left his mouth before he could stop them. The tiredness from the crying ate his constraints away. James raised an eyebrow and Harry laughed awkwardly. “I mean, I-I... It's just that... Fuck! Forget about it,” he was sure his face was red with embarrassment.

“No, no, no,” the voice made him jump. He turned to the door to see Lily standing there, staring at him. “What reason do you have, Hedwyn? We have enough time, so go one,” she walked inside the room, one hand rubbing her belly. “Go on, Hedwyn. Do tell us what this reason is,” she sat back in the same seat as before, right in front of him. Now, however, Harry was not thankful to have his mother's attention so easily.

A million thoughts passed through his head as he tried to find a way to get away from the questioning. He was feeling incredibly vulnerable without anyone by his side. Damned be the second I told Regulus I could come here alone, he cursed himself in his head. He looked at James to find the man moving his gaze from his wife to him. Sirius was still in the same seat he took when they got into the room. He felt bad for the man as he had a confused and uncomfortable expression on his face.

“I-I really didn't mean anything, Lily,” he shifted on his seat, oozing discomfort. Lily gave him no leeway to end the conversation, and neither did James or Sirius. The two men were maybe too apprehensive in contradicting Lily. Cowards, he spat. By the way she was looking at him, Lily was unimpressed by his failed attempts to close the conversation. “I mean, there isn't anything important to talk about. I-I guess I should go,” Harry slowly got up from his seat.

“No,” that made him tense and look at Lily. “Seat down. Now,” he did as he was told, not really knowing why. “This situation is getting ridiculous, Hedwyn. First, you went to meet us in Potter Manor after days of defeating Voldemort,” James and Sirius flinched at the name, but Harry was internally proud of his mum's courage. “telling all of us that we could finally leave confinement and live our lives. I'll be honest, I felt so thankful towards you and Regulus that day, and I'm sorry I didn't express it, but today you came here talking about a wedding — attended by all those awful people who hate Muggles and muggle-borns —, just to get upset after I told you I won't go. I admit I should have given you a good answer as to why I would not like to go and not let James handle it, but that's beside the point. My point is, your behaviour makes absolutely no sense. Like, it really is insane when I think about it. Why are you so upset about it, Hedwyn? I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable, but this situation is too absurd for me to just let this go.”

Hedwyn opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, the words escaped him every time. He couldn't help but glance at James, his eyes pleading for the young version of his father to help him. James rubbed the back of his neck and smiled faintly at him. No help then, he thought bitterly.

“Well?” Lily asked, boredom laced his tone.

“I-I think it would be better if we had Fleamont and Euphemia here as well. They will be able to explain everything to you. Maybe we can call them and I go home? I mean, they know you better, so they will be able to explain it in a way that will make it easier for you to understand.”

Lily's face was enough of an answer for him. Harry cursed in his mind and bit his lip. The alternatives were being discarded too fast for him to come up with something.

‘Why not tell them already?’ Death's voice made him jump. The others in the room looked oddly at him and he just smiled awkwardly.

I can't! It's not the right time, he shouted in his head, the voice inside his mind filled with anxiety. Hedwyn had to control his facial expression so as to not reveal his internal struggle. 

‘When will this “right time” be, Harry? After your wedding? Maybe after Caershire’s construction is finished? Perhaps after little Harry is born? When, Hedwyn? When will you reveal the secret to your parents?’

Hedwyn gritted his teeth. How he wished he was alone so he could yell at Death. The entity was not provoking him, he knew that, but the way the questions were asked irked him. The worst part was: he had no definitive answer to give. Harry didn't know when he wanted to tell the truth to Lily and James. There were times he even pondered about not revealing anything, leaving his parents unaware of his true origins. He felt so misplaced when he thought about telling them the truth. And how could he not? Hedwyn was a stranger to them, someone they did not even know existed a year ago. The awkwardness that engulfed him every time he imagined how the conversation would go was just too much for him to handle. He didn't want to make things weird for them; he didn't want to make their lives harder when they found out about him being a dark wizard; he didn't want to feel their judgement-filled gazes on him. Harry was not sure he could handle their rejection, their failed attempts at reconciling with having a son that was, basically, the same age as them.

‘Why not just tell the truth now and think about the consequences of it later? It's not like Lily and James Potter will behave normally with you after today. Wouldn't it be better to be in an awkward situation, but with your parents knowing who you are, then the opposite where they just believe you're a weird man? And about them knowing you're a dark wizard... so what? It's not as if they believe you are the beacon of the Light, Hedwyn. Do you believe neither of them know about your proposals that have turned into law? They did have access to the Daily Prophet, you know?  James might not be the most enthusiastic about his duties, but he is still the heir to the House of Potter, and that means he is knowledgeable about Politics. As for Lily, the young woman is nothing if not astute. She is both muggle-born and a woman, Hedwyn. Do you think she doesn't have an understanding of what is happening in the world she lives in? She was not one of the best students in her year because she was good at remembering things she read in books. Real knowledge comes from understanding the subject you are learning about and coming up with a way to put that knowledge to other uses after all and Lily is nothing of not ingenious.’

“Hedwyn?” he jumped slightly in his seat as James' concerned voice brought his attention back to the conversation. Harry looked at his father and smiled at him, then turned to his mother. Lily's face was otherwise impassive, save for a quirked eyebrow.

“I need a minute,” Harry got up from his seat and left the room, ignoring the people behind him calling his name. He got inside the bathroom and closed the door, locking it before thinking.

Do you really think I should do it? he asked Death.

‘I told you what I think, Harry. The choice is yours now.’

Hedwyn passed his hand through his hair and sighed. Resting against the bathroom sink, he tried to come up with a way to get out of this situation or the best way to reveal the truth.

I can always tell them the truth and run, he thought. Death's silence was all the answer he needed. “Stop judging me!” he cried out loud. “You're lucky to not have to deal with things like this.”

‘I have to deal with you, don't I?’

Ouch.

A groan escaped him as he tried his best to regain his tranquil demeanour. Allowing his feelings to overtake him would only lead to trouble. Turning to the mirror, he examined his appearance, wincing when his gaze fell on the wrinkles on his robes, red face and dishevelled hair. A quick wand movement fixed his image, soothing his worries somehow. His hands found the cold porcelain of the sink and his fingers gripped it.

If I do this, there is a possibility they will hate me later on when they find out about the types of policies I want to put forward, he thought bitterly. It is already a marvel that my mother does not despise me for what I've already put forward on the Wizengamot. I wonder how much she can allow herself to ignore before it becomes too much. Do you believe I could lose her, lose them? My father and Sirius never liked Dark Magic after all. I do not want to lose my family again...

‘Harry,’ Death's tone was gentler. ‘Your parents are united in their compassion for others. Do not forget these are the same people who, before reaching adulthood, put themselves in harm's way in order to prevent a madman from taking hold of their world. Even though Lily and James Potter were being manipulated by Dumbledore, their will to fight for a better world was genuine. Remember as well the sacrifice your parents took just so you could live. James and Lily faced death to protect the person they loved the most, you. Don't underestimate their love, Harry.

Those words hit Hedwyn harder than he thought possible, for since he came back to build a new life for himself he had not made the connection between the parents he lost in his old life and the Lily and James just steps away from him now. He wiped the tears rolling down his face with the back of his hand and straightened his posture while looking back at his reflection. A new determination rose from within him, a feeling of hope for a better, more kindly future.

“Ædda,” a ‘pop’ sound followed his call. The Peverell house-elf stood next to him in the bathroom, waiting for his command. “Go to my office and bring my pensieve to the room where Lily, James and Sirius are in.”

“Yes, Master Hedwyn,” the elf bowed to him and disappeared.

The short walk back to the room echoed his determination in the hallway. He walked inside the room, his gaze falling briefly on the pensieve then on Lily's inquisitory green glare, to James' confused expression and Sirius' tired eyes.

Harry sat down and, without an explanation, closed his eyes to focus on the memories he wished to show them before putting the tip of his wand to his temple, withdrawing the hair-like wisps that resembled silver and dropping it on the cloud-like liquid.

“We are all going to go inside to view the memories, so you may have your explanations,” his tone left no room for questioning, but Lily raised an eyebrow nonetheless.

One by one they entered the memories, leaving the room behind as their minds disappeared inside dark and silvery smoke.

Darkness was all that could be seen, and for a second Harry felt his heart give away. He heard the others letting out noises of confusion but made no effort to explain where they were.

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...”

The raspy words of a woman were followed by a young child's cry and sounds of hands banging on wood. Lily asked what was happening, worry clear in her voice. Harry said nothing. In the darkness, the child's cries echoed in the small space.

“born to those who have thrice defied him,”

“Shut your mouth, boy,” the voice of an angry man followed by a loud noise of cracking wood made the young boy's crying diminish, though muffled breathing could still be heard. 

“Hedwyn, where are we?” James' was clearly in distress by the tone of his voice. “Where the fuck are we?”

“born as the seventh month dies...”

“That voice,” whispered Sirius, speaking for the first time. “Do you know who that is?” asked James, possibly trying to find sense in what he was hearing.

Sirius didn't answer him.

They could feel as the memory changed, but nothing new appeared before their eyes. The darkness was all encompassing still.

“and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,”

“Hello?” tapping was heard against wood.

“What the-” James started but was interrupted.

“Is someone there? Can I have some water, please? I'm thirsty,” the young boy's voice was different now, older, but still no more than a child.

“What the bloody hell is happening?” Harry's eyebrows rose at Lily's words, though no one could see them in the dark.

“I don't like this,” Sirius was clearly upset, but Hedwyn chose to keep quiet.

“Hello?” the boy's voice faded as the memory changed.

Harry saw the others shielding their eyes away from the sun that appeared with the new memory.

They were in a garden now, in a neighbourhood filled with similar-looking houses. Crouched with his little hands on the dirt, a little boy his dishevelled black hair and dressed in sweaty baggy clothes, had his back to them. Not looking a day older than six, the boy was sweating profusely on his oversized shirt, making Harry's heart hurt again.

He ignored the others as he stared at the boy, waiting for what was to come. When the noise of a door opening, followed by Lily's cursing, reached him, he rocked himself to look at the woman who was approaching the boy.

“You, boy,” the woman, Petunia, walked to the boy, a disgusted expression on her face, and pointed a bony finger at him. “Get inside now and go make lunch. Dudley is hungry, you useless boy.”

He heard Lily's indignant cry, but his eyes were on James as he surveyed the boy. When his father's eyes widened and moved towards him Harry knew he had understood. A sad smile adorned his tired face as he looked at his father. He said nothing as they all followed the boy inside, Lily cursing at her sister while he, James and Sirius stayed in silence.

Young Harry was in the kitchen making lunch while they watched him. James and Sirius were glancing from the small boy to Hedwyn, distress clear in their eyes. The boy yelped when he tried to hold the pan closer to the side, burning himself and letting the pan fall in the process. He quickly began to apologise to Petunia, before she even entered the kitchen, saying how heavy the pan was.

The memory changed when the woman, enraged, got closer to the young boy with an empty pan ready to hit little Harry.

“Wha-What? Hedwyn? What's happening? Please,” Lily's tone was filled with anguish and Hedwyn almost forced them out of the pensieve out of pity for her, but Death's voice in his mind told him to remain strong.

“but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...” the woman's voice echoed as the smoke transformed into a zoo, where the young Harry stood in front of a large glass separating the boy from a huge snake on the terrarium on the other side. The scene of the boy hissing at the snake morphed into the inside of a wooden cabin, with its front door on the floor, and a tall man forcing his way inside. “Yer a wizard, Harry,” the half-giant's voice boomed as the memory changed once more, showing the Sorting and the Hat screaming “Gryffindor!”;  to Harry wearing his family's Cloak for the first time, to him venturing inside a room filled with life-threatening defences; to him facing the parasite-spectre of a mad wizard-lord — all the while not one person stopped the visibly frail boy from getting hurt.

Lily, James and Sirius had given up on speaking at that point, allowing the memories to pass before their eyes without so much as a flinch, or a rare smile when the boy received some form of care or had fun while playing Quidditch.

They saw petrified students, a duel that turned Harry into a pariah, heard hisses behind stone walls and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Lily started to cry when the image of her son in another life faced Salazar Slytherin's beast alone, relying only on Dumbledore's bird and the old Sorting Hat. James put his hand around her, trying to calm his wife, while Sirius stood there looking ashen in the face. Both Potters cursed at the old headmaster as he congratulated the boy instead of chastising him for putting his life in danger and Sirius looked close to trying to strangle the memory of the old man.

When Harry's third year appeared, after his escape from the Dursleys and his encounter with Sirius in his animagus form, the former heir to the House of Black looked more and more depressed. As all witches and wizards started to accuse Sirius of betraying the Potters, James got closer to his best friend and hugged him, whispering something Hedwyn couldn't hear.

Lily looked gloomy when Lupin appeared battered and lonely, a shadow of his time at Hogwarts. All four smiled when the Weasley twins gave the Marauder's Map to Harry. The smiles turned into sneers as they saw young Harry reading Peter Pettigrew's name on the Map. As the scenes from the confrontation between the last three Marauders were viewed, Hedwyn shook his head, realising once more how naively they acted. Instead of making sure Pettigrew could not free himself, they had used mere ropes to restrain the man and Lupin's forgetfulness was also a point of annoyance to him. One would think everyone would remember to take a potion that prevented a beast from attacking innocents, but, apparently, Remus Lupin was not everyone.

James let a few tears escape him when the image of his son casting his animagus form as a Patronus was shown and Sirius laughed when he saw himself flying away on Buckbeak's back.

The images of his fourth year passed quickly around them. They saw the Globet of Fire, the Hungarian Horntail, the Black Lake, and the challenges inside the labyrinth. Voldemort's resurrection was clearly a hard scene for them to watch as Lily, James and Sirius started to shout and cry at the memory of Pettigrew killing Cedric Digory, and then taking Harry's blood forcefully. Sirius and James looked sick when Voldemort appeared, gaunt and deformed. Hedwyn saw an expression on his mother's face we did not want to see ever again: pure terror.

Hedwyn felt that they were all emotionally exhausted by the time Harry's fourth year ended, as well as when everything around them morphed into somewhere in a suburb. No reaction was given as the dementors showed up, just to be driven away by Harry. The arrival at Grimmauld Place, and the trial before the whole Wizengamot, were both watched expressionlessly. The reactions occurred when Umbridge tortured Harry and other students with her Black Quill — in the form of more curses being uttered by the Potters and Sirius —, as well as when Voldemort's false vision made Harry invade the Department of Mysteries, leading to his godfather's death. At that moment, with tears in his eyes, as he saw his godfather die before his eyes again, he felt an arm around his shoulder. He turned to see Sirius bringing him closer, comforting him.

The memory distorted once more into black and silver-like smoke, turning in what was Hedwyn's sixth year. Images of a suspicious Draco Malfoy in Borgin and Burkes, the arrival at a shadowy Hogwarts, Potions lessons and a secret-ridden professor, memories of memories of Tom Marvolo Riddle's rise as Lord Voldemort and the horrors inside a dim-lit cave. Distrust and foreboding that culminated in the Death of Albus Dumbledore by Severus Snape's wand, all was watched with worry and tiredness-filled eyes.

Once again the world around them changed, a time deprived of Hogwarts and any feeling of safety.

“and either must die at the hand of the other,” Trelawney's words come back again, and with them the images of Harry and his struggle to complete Dumbledore's mission. A fear-stricken Harry appeared, the cheerful persona he had a Hogwarts long gone as he walked through Grimmauld Place, a ghost without a path to the light.

Umbridge returned after the trio marauded around the Ministry, just to end up stealing the Locket Horcrux from the pink woman's neck. Views of camps in cold and unforgiving woods, the Horcrux's cursed influence and the subsequent shattering of the Golden Trio are watched by a grim-looking Lily, a disgruntled Sirius and a sad James. The brief visit to Xenophilius Lovegood and the tale of the Deathly Hallows left James wide-eyed and glancing at Hedwyn from time to time. They saw the trio, accompanied by Griphook, invading Gringotts and freeing the dragon after stealing another Horcrux.

“for neither can live while the other survives...”

The cheerful moment after the escape transformed into a sorrowful one as the return to Hogwarts became a battle where many young witches and wizards lost their lives, as well as when the Fiendfyre's cursed flames burnt the Room of Hidden Things — taking the life of Vicente Crabbe as the others flew away on brooms. Blood, dust and misery followed as Harry brought Snape's memory to the Hogwarts' pensieve, which showed the true extent of Dumbledore's manipulation. Sirius, James and Lily were left crying in silence as they saw Harry give his life away, alone, in the Forbidden Forrest.

“the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies....”

The group was too numb to appreciate Harry's rebirth, as well as Voldemort's defeat and Death making himself present in Harry's mind. They left the pensieve with empty eyes and worn out, overwhelmed by what they saw. None of them reacted when Hedwyn called for Ædda and asked the elf to take the pensieve back to their home. Not even when he got up from his seat and went into the kitchen to make them tea they acknowledged what was happening.

Hedwyn poured each of them a cup of tea and waited for them to take in all they watched a few minutes ago. James was the first to reach for his cup, followed by Lily, with Sirius being the last one to take the tea.

“I understand you have a lot on your minds right now,” Hedwyn said quietly. “so I believe it is better if you go and rest for some time. Especially you Lily. I'm sure pregnancy is tiring enough, so we don't need to have a conversation today. I'm sorry for the stress, by the way. The last thing I would want is to put pressure on you and harm the baby in the process.”

“I-I'm sorry,” Lily's timid tone made him look questioningly at her. “I'm sorry for what you went through... My-My own sister- she- I can't believe it.”

“I think what Lily is trying to say is that we are sorry for leaving you to fend for yourself, Harry,” James' tone was more confident than Lily's, but it carried even more grief. “We cared more about the war than about our baby.”

Their demeanour made Hedwyn's chest hurt, not expecting them to be so impacted by the memories. Not that he didn't expect them to be sad, but he was not certain they would be regretful about something they didn't do — though they would if not for Hedwyn's intervention.

“I don't blame you,” Sirius' confused expression made Harry laugh weakly. “I really don't. Blaming you for falling for Dumbledore's manipulations would be like blaming myself for doing what he told me to do. You gave your lives for me... All of you did. There is nothing that matters to me other than that.”

“Of course we did,” said Sirius with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “I just can't believe I would leave you all alone. My godson...”

He shook his head. “Don't blame yourself, Sirius. You suffered just like everyone else did. And you did save me, you gave me hope. If I had not met you... I don't know what would've happened to me, honestly.”

A teary-eyed Sirius made his way out of his seat and sat next to Hedwyn, hugging him close. When his father rested his hand on his back he allowed a few tears to escape, too tired emotionally to put on a tough façade.

“I can't believe my kid is the bloody Master of Death,” James laughed while saying, ignoring Lily chastising him for his language. “Does my dad know about it? I'm sure he was giddy about it, though I doubt he said anything to you.”

Hedwyn laughed with Sirius and James, with Lily shaking her head fondly. They stayed in silence for a while, rejoicing in the joyful mood James brought.

Looking out the window, Hedwyn noticed the sun was coming down. Glancing at his parents and godfather, he saw them relaxing in their seats — though he was sure their minds were anything but calm.

He sighed and slowly got up from his seat, drawing the other's attention to him. “I better go home, Regulus will be waiting for me. I do hope we can speak again soon, even if this situation is quite a weird one for you.”

James wasted no time before getting up from his seat and approaching him, putting an arm around Harry.

“If you wanna go home is no issue,” his dad's grin made him smile and shake his head. “Just remember that we won't forget about you, alright? This entire situation is bonkers, but that doesn't mean we don't want you in our lives. We'll always be your family, Harry.”

The tears in his eyes from his father's words made him miss when his mother got close to him and engulfed him in a hug. “I'm so sorry for all you've been through, Harry,” his mum's melancholic tone made him hug her back after the initial surprise. “I know we have so many things that make us different, but I won't allow any of it to stay between us, okay? I may be the most sensible one, but I can be as stubborn as James, so don't even think about us not wishing to have you in our lives. And don't think about politics or anything like it now. I won't pretend some of the things you believe in are hard for me to understand, but that doesn't mean I won't have you beside us either.”

It was Sirius' time to comfort him as his godfather put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a beaming smile. “I can't do anything but thank you, Harry; and don't give me that look! You saved us, Harry. If not for you, my friends would've die and I would've gone to Azkaban for twelve years. You also saved my brother from dying, even if it would've been for a good cause. I could have lost my little brother-,” Sirius' broke down as he spoke and his grip on Hedwyn's shoulder got stronger. “-and I will never be able to thank you enough for not only saving him but also for giving him a new reason to live. The two of you will always have me by your side, remember that.”

Hedwyn said goodbye to them, though not before giving each of them a big hug. Though he could feel they still felt the situation was bizarre, he couldn't blame them for it. It was not every day one met their son that came from the future after all. Harry's only wish was for the four of them to be able to pass this awkward phase and become closer. ‘Do you wanna bet it'll happen faster than you'd think?’ Death provocation made him bite his lip to stop himself from smiling and making his parents and godfather think he was crazy. I'm in, he answered as he approached the fireplace and shouted “Gwynt Keep”.

“Hedwyn!” Lily calling his name made him turn towards her. “It'll be an honour to attend your wedding.”

He was sure the smile he gave his mother was the biggest to adorn his face in a while. “I'll make sure you'll have the best table,” he said with a grin before disappearing in green flames.