"House-elf rights, eh?" Lily's lips twitched up wryly. "Has she...ever met a house-elf?" No, seriously. Beyond the seven years she'd lived at Hogwarts, Lily had spent a great deal of her time during the year she'd been back treating them. The house-elves wouldn't know what to do with rights if they were given them; it would be a cruelty more than compassion. "She'd do better to focus on fair rights for werewolves and vampires. That is where the Ministry has their heads up their collective arses. Or in humane treatment of prisoners." Something dark flashed in her eyes - Lily would love to have a 'conversation' with the Ministry of Magic about that.
But what Harry said pulled her from her thoughts and she studied her son carefully. "Alice and Frank are good people. I'm sure they raised a fine son. Neville's lucky to have you as a friend." What was unspoken was the fervent wish that she, too, had that Voldemort might have chosen another child. There was nothing more to say about that. Harry knew and she knew and voicing the desire wouldn't make it true.
Ah. Those words again. Something of that frozen impassivity bled back into Lily's face. "It's too late for a lot of things, isn't it?" The words were spoken quietly, almost to herself, with no accusation or bitterness. Just the quiet kind of sadness that comes from realizing the hopelessness of a situation. No reason to rail against it. It was what it was. And there was nothing Lily could do to change it.
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But what Harry said pulled her from her thoughts and she studied her son carefully. "Alice and Frank are good people. I'm sure they raised a fine son. Neville's lucky to have you as a friend." What was unspoken was the fervent wish that she, too, had that Voldemort might have chosen another child. There was nothing more to say about that. Harry knew and she knew and voicing the desire wouldn't make it true.
Ah. Those words again. Something of that frozen impassivity bled back into Lily's face. "It's too late for a lot of things, isn't it?" The words were spoken quietly, almost to herself, with no accusation or bitterness. Just the quiet kind of sadness that comes from realizing the hopelessness of a situation. No reason to rail against it. It was what it was. And there was nothing Lily could do to change it.