Chapter 7

Arthur Weasley showed up 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 said, smiling broadly. "We've never walked together before, which was a shame. But it was nice to spend some quality time with him."

"Well, that's wonderful to hear," Arthur said, beaming back. He had never seen Lily look happier since her husband's death. He never imagined that Lily would be able to smile as widely again. "Are you excited for tonight's Hogwarts assembly? Do you have any gifts for Harry?"

Lily's face scrunched up with thought.

"You forgot the assembly again, didn't you?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"I'm not sure..." Lily sighed, her frustration obvious. "I definitely forgot yesterday, but I can't remember if I forgot today too. I'm just so overwhelmed with everything going on right now."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, 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 clothing. "Now that you mention it, I think I did," he said. "But it's not like anyone will notice."

Lily remained silent for a moment before saying, "Arthur, may I ask you something?"

"If you must," he said flatly.

She proceeded, "Have you ever had a dream where the next day everything feels familiar, almost like it's from the dream? Because I feel like that's happening to me right now."

He looked at her with a knowing expression and said, "I have. And you're not wrong. For instance, last night I dreamt you'd bore me to death first thing this morning, and lo and behold, here we are. Isn't that a coincidence?"

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. Who knows what they might be trying to tell you?"

"You really think so?" Lily asked, feeling a glimmer of hope spark within her.

"I do," Arthur nodded before adding more sternly, "but I also believe you need to hurry to that meeting before you're late. Or else you'll have even more explaining to do. I don't think you want to risk that."

Lily's heart raced with anxiety as she cautiously entered the meeting room, her eyes darting back and forth to the door in anticipation of Harry's arrival. Even though she was aware that her fears were baseless after what had happened before, she was resolute in keeping him out at all costs. A sense of foreboding gnawed at her, convinced that disaster would strike if Harry made an appearance. The mere idea of confronting him again caused her stomach to churn with unease.

The Chief Auror and other staff members exchanged suspicious glances as Lily continued to nervously monitor the door, her behavior drawing attention and concern.

Lily forced a small smile as she pressed on with her presentation. Deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that her gut instincts were usually correct. However, as soon as she reached for the blue folder in her briefcase, her composure shattered when someone unexpectedly walked in thinking it was Harry. Overwhelmed by the sudden presence, Lily found herself unable to control her emotions and impulsively banged her hands on the table in frustration. 

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I knew you'd be here!" She looked up and was horrified to see that it wasn't Harry.

Everyone stared at her as if she had gone mental.

She quickly recovered her composure and forced a smile, pretending that the outburst never happened. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath. "I must have mistaken you for someone else."

The guard looked at her with confusion and replied, "No problem; it happens all the time."

Two hours passed before Lily found herself sitting at her desk in her office, chuckling at how she had overreacted and made a fool of herself in front of the officials. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that she had allowed herself to lose control in such a way.

"Did you get the approval, then?" Arthur asked excitedly after knocking on the door.

"Yes," Lily said, giggling too hard to elaborate.

"What are you giggling about?" Arthur asked, puzzled.

Lily simply shook her head, unwilling to explain further.

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

Finally relenting, Lily told Arthur what had happened at the meeting.

Arthur was perplexed. "You mean to say you went back in time?"

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

Arthur shook his head in confusion and replied, "Well, that's certainly odd. No wonder you were asking me about the importance of dreams."

Lily's expression darkened as a vision of Harry dying in her arms flashed across her mind. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. Harry said it was more of a deja vu," she explained. The weight of the premonition she had been carrying suddenly felt heavier than ever.

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

"Nothing," Lily said quietly, before asking, "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 quickly. Arthur laughed and said, "Yeah, that's the one. It looks like someone did their assignment."

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

"Lily?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Yes! I did my assignment," Lily said cheerfully, unable to shake her uneasy feeling. "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, but I have a feeling he might have some insight," Lily replied. "It's worth asking."

"Well, I may know of a place that could provide clues, if you're still interested," Arthur replied. "Let me write down the details for you." He reached for a piece of paper and dipped his quill into the ink bottle, but Lily quickly snatched it away.

"It's empty!" Lily said abruptly, putting the bottle in a drawer and retrieving a new one instead. "That's why I prefer self-inking quills. Less mess and more efficiency," she added with a smile.

Arthur shrugged and reached for the new ink bottle to continue writing.

Lily, feeling a sense of unease, made a futile attempt to support Arthur's hand as he reached for the ink bottle. In a clumsy move, he accidentally bumped into it with his quill, causing it to topple over and spill ink all over the table. Lily let out a frustrated sigh at the sight of the mess.

"Blimey!" he exclaimed, gazing at the mess. "Sorry about that," he said, glancing at Lily. "I'll clean it up," he offered.

As Lily's efforts to contain the spill proved futile, she started to feel more anxious and suspicious. The realization that the situation was repeating itself caused her to panic, knowing that her glasses were her only chance at solving the problem. With a sense of urgency, she tightly crossed her fingers in a desperate attempt to bring about a positive outcome.

With a sense of determination, Lily made her way to the lift, eager to start her investigation into the mysterious dagger without delay. Lost in thought, she rested against the wall and gazed upwards, only to be met by the sight of an elderly gentleman dressed in a worn black suit and a fedora.

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

"Excuse me?" the old man asked calmly.

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

The elderly man chuckled. "That is possible. At my age, I know things."

"You said that yesterday too," Lily said, distressing her thoughts despite her racing heart. Her voice trembled as fear crept in gradually. "If this lift is the same, then everything else today will be the same," she said, looking at the elderly man anxiously. "At the end of the day, my son walks out in Hogsmeade, turns a corner, gets stabbed, and he—" Lily's eyes welled up with tears as memories of that night returned to her mind. With a shuddering breath, she asked, "Is that going to happen?"

The old man looked at Lily with sadness but remained silent.

"What if we didn't go to Hogsmeade?" Lily pressed on desperately. "What if I took him out of London? Maybe if we stay in our apartment, he'll be safe."

But the old man wouldn't talk.

The sense of hopelessness was slowly killing Lily. "Tell me, what can I do?" She asked one more time, her voice pleading. "There must be something I can do!"

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

Lily watched him leave, feeling more lost than ever.

Just as he was about to round the corner, the man turned back to face Lily. "Let me leave you with this," he said softly. "You should cherish him. Cherish what you have together." His expression grew intense. "Just love him," he begged solemnly.

Lily's forehead wrinkled in confusion as a familiar feeling of having experienced this moment before washed over her. Searching frantically for the man to inquire about his cryptic statement, she found that he had mysteriously disappeared from sight. With determination in her eyes, she hurried out of the lift as soon as the doors parted, paying no mind to the possibility of colliding with others as she made her way hurriedly through the bustling Atrium and bustling streets in the vicinity of her home.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, bursting through the front door moments later.

Frantically scouring through each room, she felt a sense of panic as her son was nowhere to be found. Racing up the stairs to his bedroom, she carefully examined every corner with a look of intense focus on her face. The absence of his snowy owl confirmed her suspicions, but a visible clue in the form of an open letter caught her attention on the desk. It didn't take long for Lily to piece together his likely destination, the joke shop. Without a moment to spare, she made her way back downstairs and swiftly Disapparating on the spot. 

Upon her arrival outside the worn-down Leaky Cauldron, Lily wasted no time in rushing indoors. Stepping under the brick archway that led to Diagon Alley, the bustling street quickly faded away behind her, leaving only the solid walls of the magical shopping destination surrounding her.

Wizards and witches were bustling in and out of the various enchanting shops in Diagon Alley, their sacks and containers overflowing with mystical items. Despite the mesmerizing array of goods on offer, Lily found herself uncharacteristically uninterested. Her main priority was locating her son and swiftly departing from the bustling streets of London. Elbowing her way through the throngs of people congregated outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, a recently launched broom caught the attention of both enthusiastic youngsters and hesitant grown-ups alike.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes appeared before Lily, capturing her attention with its vibrant storefront windows and walls adorned with playful posters. Positioned outside the entrance were numerous boxes, each showcasing an intriguing item on display. This establishment was renowned as the go-to destination in Diagon Alley, attracting a constant stream of children and young adults eager to purchase the latest novelty items. Their enthusiasm often caused frustration for accompanying parents, as the young customers eagerly grabbed at anything within reach.

Steeling herself, Lily drew in a lungful of air before stepping into the overcrowded space. The tight confines of the room seemed to amplify the pandemonium swirling about. Making her way through the throngs of people, Lily's mind raced with doubts on whether she would be able to locate Harry amidst the disorder. Luck seemed to be on her side when she spotted Ron Weasley busy stacking numerous boxes of Skiving Snackboxes in a secluded corner.

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

Ron looked up to see Lily. "Oh, hello, Mrs. Potter!" he said brightly, despite his frazzled appearance.

"Have you seen my son?"

Ron looked around the shop, hoping to spot Harry in the crowd. "There he is," he stated, pointing to the back.

"Thank you," Lily responded. She moved through the crowd to where Harry was arranging merchandise on the shelves.

Harry was in the process of reaching up to create some space for the new items that were coming in when Lily gently tapped on his shoulder, causing him to stop in his tracks. He turned around swiftly, a surprised and curious smile lighting up his face. "Mum?" he questioned, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he had not anticipated seeing his mother in the midst of all the chaos and excitement of the joke shop. 

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

"What are you doing here?"

Ron suddenly emerged from the back room, carrying several precariously stacked boxes.

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

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

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

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

"Leave London?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Yes," Lily said. "Now. We need to go somewhere safe until we figure out what's happening."

Harry motioned to the shelves he was stocking. "But I promised Ron that I would help him with the shop today."

"You've helped loads," Ron said, grabbing the box from Harry and stacking it on the shelf. "I can handle things here."

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

"We'll be back in time. Come on," Lily said, grabbing Harry's arm. She reassured Harry by squeezing his arm. "Just trust me on this."

Harry gave a confirming gesture and allowed his mother to guide him out of the store and through the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, filled with curiosity about their destination and the reason for her urgency.