Twists and Turns of the Path of Love

Chapter one

Secrets are told

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!! (as in none of the characters)

Life with Derek World

Casey was having a dream. She wanted to shut it off but she couldn't. The dream pursued her no matter how she tried to turn it into something different, better. In the dream she was talking with Hermione and not liking what she was telling her. Harry and Ron were also there but Casey wasn't focused upon them, only her cousin. "Casey, you can't use you know who's name anymore. It's how they find you. Ron says it's taboo now and he's right. They founds us when Harry let it slip. They tortured me and we were saved by Dobby. Dobby, a house elf, is dead by my torturer's hands. Please, tell aunt Nora to not EVER SAY THAT NAME. She'll know what I'm talking about just like I know you know what I'm talking about. Also, we may or may not survive the war so please make sure the spell that I had cast upon my parents is lifted and they know the truth and I hope they're not mad at me for doing that to them. It was the only way I could protect them from the snatchers or wizards that hate muggles and half bloods, people that he who must not be named, are having round up muggles and half blood . If they can prove their ancestry is pure blood magic they will be free but if not, like mine, they will be eliminated. I, Ron, and Harry are in hiding until we find all the Horcrux's and then eliminate he who must not be named. I am sorry for laying all of this on you but you have always been my cousin and my best friend. You have a wand, even though you have no clue how to use it. You at least have it if death eaters or dementors come into your home. Use it Casey. Tell Aunt Nora to be prepared as well. I love you Casey." Casey sat there stunned by all she was being told. "Um, I love you too. You will survive, right? You have to. We're going to do all kinds of things together this summer, remember? You were going to meet Derek and George and Edwin and Marti. You haven't met Max." "Max?" Hermione asked knowing this may be the last time she gets to see her childhood friend. "My boyfriend." "I hope to survive as well as does Harry and Ron. And if we do we will come there. It is my second home." Hermione says as she tries to convince herself of that and reassure Casey of it. Without thinking, Casey hugs Hermione tightly and then pulls Ron and Harry into the hug. "I love you all and you are all great friends of mine. May that be of use to you since love has been taught in the human world that it is a great gift against evil."

The dream ends and Casey wakes up remembering every detail with tears sweeping down her cheeks. She knew full well whom Hermione was referring to in the dream. She was astonished and revolted that her best friends had been tortured. Tortured!!!, her mind screamed in panic. "Don panic", she told herself as she focused on calming down. She had seen that all her friends were safe for the time being. There were marks of war on them indeed but they were alive and safe. She knew they must be at a friends house that was still in Dumbeldore's army. Hermione had told her about that. She, herself, was in the DA as well because she didn't want this he who must not be named, she refused to even say the name in her head for fear the wizards, death eaters, and dementors would find them, to be head of all things magical whether they be pure blood or not. That didn't matter and it was high time he found that out. It was time that all who thought his ways were high and mighty found out that they were all rubbish. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only three in the morning. Groaning she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Sleep never came though. Every time she fell asleep thoughts of what her best friends and family were going through impeded in her mind once again.

Finally morning came. Casey slowly made her way downstairs not caring how she looked. She knew she must look horrible since she cried most of the night for fear of people she loved with every fiber of her being. Edwin is the first to notice that Casey had joined them and that she hadn't taken care of her appearance. "Uh, Casey, you okay?" That question got everyone to turn around and gape at the sight that stood before them. It was so astonishing to them because this un-kept girl was normally so neat and kept that they knew something was wrong, but what was it, that was the question that everyone, including Derek, were thinking.

Nora walks over to Casey and leads her to a chair at the table. "Casey, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Without a word Casey hands her mother everything that Hermione had told her. During the night when the thoughts kept her up she wrote down everything so they would know every detail. She knew she wouldn't able of clear mind to tell them all that needed to be told. Nora read the note out loud and gasped as she read it. Everyone looked confused as they listened for they knew none of this.

Finally Nora was finished reading what Casey had brought her. "No, Harry." She whispered. "Please, they have to survive." "Nora? What is it?" George asked in concern as he saw her eyes were now shining with tears as well as Lizzie's. "Harry can't die. He has to survive. What good is this battle with V-". "NO!!!!!" Casey shouted stopping Lizzie in mid-word. "Lizzie, you can't say that name." Casey said, her voice a little lower but still had the same determined tone in it. Lizzie gulped when she realized what she almost did. "Um, with he who must not be named because then Dumbledore's and a whole lot of people's deaths will be in vain. Harry's death, if he dies, will be in vain." Lizzie finished her earlier statement she had began.

"Okay, who is this person that must not be named?" George started. "Didn't you just hear what mom read? We can't tell you now because it would bring extremely bad people here that would want to torture us or kill us or both." Casey said wearily. Just then an owl tapped on the window. Casey started when she recognized the owl. She went to the window and let Pidwidgeon in. Casey stepped back to where she had been standing. Pidwidgeon flew directly to her. Casey looked at the owl confused. "Pidwidgeon? What is it? Please tell me you're not here to tell me they're dead. Please." Casey whispered with a ghastly look upon her beautiful face. The owl hooted and thrust it's beak up at her. She realized that he was holding something. Finally, it dawned on her that it was a note, a rolled up piece of parchment meant for her. With trembling fingers, Casey took the parchment from Pidwidgeon's beak and slowly opened for fear of tearing it since her fingers were so badly shaking.

It was a howler, which meant it was a note that howled it's contents at the person it was meant for. A voice sounded loudly when Casey got it completely opened. It was all three of her friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron's voice came first though she could hear the other two slightly protesting that he's first. That made her laugh. Nora and Lizzie even smiled. "Casey, I am sending my owl to you for you to keep safe. If he is with me he may wind up dead." "Hedwig died, Casey." Harry answered her silent question gravely. "Oh no!" Casey exclaimed softly as tears renewed down her cheeks. Lizzie also had tears pouring down her face. Nora's face was wet as well. "Please, agree to take care of my owl. He is a trustworthy friend and will serve you if I don't survive." Came Ron's voice again.

Then came Hermione's voice. "Casey, at the moment we are still safe. Remember what I told you in the dream. Keep your wand with you at all times. It doesn't matter that you don't have the knowledge of how to use it. The ones after you, the evil ones, won't stop to ask questions. They'll attack without caring. You and Aunt Nora and Lizzie have to be safe. I know Lizzie does not have a wand since she is only ten. Tell her to be on guard at all times. I love you all and with any luck of fate we'll all be coming home when this is completely over." With that the howler shut and the message was finished.

Casey looked at Pidwidgeon with tears in her eyes as she thought of poor Hedwig and how she must have felt when those despicable things just up and killed her because she was something that loved Harry. Casey lets the owl sit upon her shoulder. She looks at the owl. "I will keep you safe, Pidwidgeon. I promise you that and I promise Ron, Harry and Hermione that." Pidwidgeon hooted in content as if he knew what she was saying to him. Casey grinned at him.

"I better go and dig up my magical things I've packed away for so long." Nora said almost reluctantly. The others, including Casey turned and looked at her in shock. "Wh-what?" Casey stammered. "Mom, are you a witch like Hermione is even though you're not pure blood?" Lizzie asked with wide eyes. Nora's eyes filled with tears as she thought of her days back then as a powerful witch studding under Dumbledore and then finishing education at Hogwarts, the greatest school for witches and wizards there ever was. She thought of people and memories that she had repressed all these years. Those memories included something that she has never told anyone other than Dumbledore and now Dumbledore was dead. Now, she had to act to protect her family and that included Harry Potter. He was not her family by blood but in all heavens and earth he was her family by friends since his parents had been her best friends growing up. Sighing she began her tale to her family.

"Yes, I am a witch. That ended when James and Lily were killed a year before I met and married Casey and Lizzie's father. A year before Casey was born. I witnessed something that changed me. It made me detest magic because of how it could be used in the hands of evil, dark magic it's called. I had a vision, a sense I call it. Dumbledore said I had the sixth sense where I could sense things before they happened especially if it happened to people I loved. I saw James dying right before HE came to their house and slaughtered them with his dark magic. I ran there since I lived only a house away from them. I got there too late. I barged in with spells prepared to fling at the evil one, since we can't use his name. But I couldn't do any of the spells because he had already ventured up the stairs after Lily and Harry. James was dead on the floor. I took his wand and put it away, for safe keeping. I heard Lily scream and knew he had entered Harry's nursery. I saw through her eyes what was going on upstairs. It made me run faster up those stairs. After what seemed like ages I finally made it but just in time to be too late. I saw and heard him use the killing curse on Harry, an innocent one year old child. I saw Lily fling herself in front of Harry and take the curse and die. I saw him try it again but it deflected off of Harry and hit him and broke something inside of him, like his soul. A piece of his soul, I believe but Dumbledore would never confirm it, resides in Harry which explains the prophecy. One cannot survive while the other lives. The bit of his soul in Harry has to die somehow but Harry could still live. I don't know how I know that but I just know. He vanished after that. He never saw me. I had an invisible spell upon me so he wouldn't. I waited a while to ensure it was safe before I became visible. Then I went to Lily's lifeless body and took off her necklace. I knew that when the battle came between Harry and him, he, Harry, would have to wear it in order to survive and the evil one die."

Nora finished her tale and everyone looked at her with a mixture of expressions upon their faces unsure of how to react. Casey was the first to speak. "So you've known all along who Harry was? I'm a witch and I've never been permitted to know that so I could learn under Dumbledore while he was alive along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione? My wand that Hermione bought for me when I was eleven I could know how to use? Why have you kept all this from me?" "Don't you see?" Lizzie broke in the verbal confrontation in a steady quiet voice. "Mom was trying to keep us safe from him. She didn't want us tortured or killed by his followers. I love Harry, Hermione, and Ron too but I am glad she took the extreme measures she did to keep us safe." Nora smiled gratefully at Lizzie. Lizzie smiled back. After a few silent, tense, moments, Casey smiled at her mother finally understanding why her mother did what she did. "Love." Casey said simply. "I am proud you are my mother and I love you for protecting me." She smiled at her. Nora smiled back.

"Okay, sorry for interrupting the emotional chitchat, but what are we going to do?" Lizzie said unexpectedly . "What do you mean?" Casey asked feeling stupid for having to voice the question but she had to have an answer. "I mean, mom, you have to tune into you sixth sense power so you'll know when we all have to apparate and you'll have to be the one who transports us there, all of us, including George, Edwin, Derek, and Marti. We are a family and love is going to be a key point in ultimately destroying him and saving Harry." Casey beamed at her little sister for being the leader when she couldn't come to the role. Lizzie smiled back, proud of herself. Nora nodded her acceptance of what she had to do.

What do you think? It's an odd combination: Life with Derek and Harry Potter but anything can be combined together if you try. I'm having fun wit it and my other stories. J