Full Summary: Instead of killing Dumbledore in his 6th year, Draco Malfoy's mission is to kill a witch his age named Jane Rodgers. Draco has no problem with this, seeing as Jane killed his father. Problem is . . . he has no idea who she is or what she looks like, only her name.

In an attempt to keep her safe, Dumbledore accepts Jane into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Jane is a girl with an attitude, a HUGE temper, and a dark past. For one, she could technically qualify as Lord Voldemort's daughter. She knows everything he knows about the Dark Arts, but tries to avoid it all. She also has a piece of information Dumbledore needs, another reason that he relocated her to Hogwarts.

However, Jane is so mysterious that Draco slowly becomes fascinated with her. He has to choose whether to follow orders and gain glory and power, or risk his life for a romantic relationship.

WARNING: This story contains mild violence and gore, friendship, strong language, awesome characters, ideologically sensitive material, a bit of self harm, epic fights, some sexual tension (but no sex), and it might just be the best story you've ever read. If not we apologize and will refund your money in 3-5 weeks . . . wait a minute, you're reading this for free! Okay, so if you don't like it, I'll just apologize and try to do better. Lol that's all I can give you.

And now we can begin the story. Read and review please! Thank you in advance!


Jane Rodgers stood in Kings Cross Station, packed with all kinds of people alike. Lots of boys her age, and then some, stared at her as she walked by with their mouths drooling. Her strawberry blonde, waist length hair swayed in time with her hips as she pushed her luggage cart around, looking for platform 9 ¾. Dumbledore had let her enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he'd bought all her school books, her robes, and her other supplies. He paid for her to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, and arranged for a Ministry car to pick her up and take her to the train station, but the one thing he didn't do, the one thing that was most important, was tell her how to get onto the damn platform. All she saw were platforms nine, ten, and a whole lot of Muggles.

It wasn't until her ears picked up a particular conversation that she realized she wasn't the only one running late.

". . . come along, then! Hurry, hurry! We're late for the Hogwarts Express!"

The speaker was a short, plump woman with red hair. Following her was a tall man with thinning, red hair, and four teenagers, three of them appearing to be her age, and one of them younger. Jane's eyebrows knitted together in concentration and she followed the group. When they stopped a few yards from the archway between platforms nine and ten, she stopped too.

"Hermione, you go first. I'll go with Ginny. Arthur, you follow with Ron, and Harry, you come right after," the woman ordered. They lined up as she described and then she said, "Alright, Hermione. Go for it!"

A bushy-haired girl steered her luggage cart toward the barrier. She began to push the cart; running and running she was, until she had vanished straight into the wall.

"Okay, Ginny, us next," the plump witch announced. She took hold of a second girl's cart, the one younger than her, and walked with her. Just when Jane saw them about to crash, a group of people passed by, and once they cleared, they were gone.

"Our turn, Ron," the balding man said. They copied the little girl and the woman, walking towards the stone wall. As the trolley hit the barrier, it went right into it. They kept going, pushing themselves into it until they disappeared. Jane rubbed her eyes, not daring to believe it.

The only one left was a boy with black, wire rimmed glasses and jet black hair. He straightened his cart so it was level with the barrier, and poised to break into a run.

"Hey!" Jane Rodgers called quickly, pushing her cart forward, "Excuse me!"

He swished around to face her, and as he did she noticed his eyes were a piercing but friendly green. For a moment he didn't acknowledge her with words. He simply stared at her with his mouth hanging open and desire in his eyes. Finally he spoke up, "Yes? " he asked.

"Um . . . how did they do that?" she asked, pointing at the barrier.

"Do what?" he asked suspiciously.

"They just . . . vanished at the barrier," maybe she was crazy or something, but she swore that when the others hit the barrier they disappeared into it.

He surveyed her and her luggage, and it wasn't until he noticed her Barn owl, Blythe, in his cage did he smile and ask, "Hogwarts?"

She nodded.

"Are you a first year?"

"No, just going into my sixth,"

"Did you transfer schools or something?" he questioned with a quirk of his brow.

"Uh - you could say that," she guessed.

The boy looked at the watch on his wrist, "We better go, or we're going to miss the train. Just run through the barrier to get onto the right platform. We can go together if you'd like,"

She nodded again and lined her cart next to his.

"On three we run," he told her, "One . . . two . . . three!"

They dashed forward. They were three feet from the barrier. Now one foot. Jane closed her eyes tightly, waiting for her nose to smash right into her brain . . .

But it never did.

"I know it's scary the first time. But you'll get the hang of it sooner or later,"

Jane opened her eyes, and in front of her was a bright scarlet train, the words HOGWARTS EXPRESSED scrawled onto the side of every cart. She grinned, thanked the boy, and ran off. Jane found an empty compartment at the front of the train and slid her suitcase under the seat. Placing Blythe's cage on her lap, stroking his feathers, she stared out the window and watched kids say goodbye to mothers and fathers, wishing that she had a mom and dad to hug and say goodbye to. The closest thing she had to a parent was the worst, darkest wizard on Earth.

Like he was going to wish her luck . . .

A loud whistle sounded and the train began to move, "Here we go, Blythe," she told her pet as he squeaked and nibbled at her fingers affectionately, "New school, new teachers, new friends maybe. A new start," she sighed, "Let's try not to screw it up,"


Another boring ride on the bloody train, another year at the worst school in the world. Draco Malfoy sat alone in a compartment somewhere in the middle of the train. He pulled up the sleeve of his black jacket to reveal a faintly red tattoo; a large skull, with a snake twisting and writhing out of its mouth. He poked at one of the ink lines and winced. Even after a few weeks, it still hurt.

There was a tap on the glass of the window and he looked up. A large, grey owl bobbed up and down outside, a cream colored envelope in its beak. Draco pulled his sleeve back down, stood up, and went to open the window. The bird landed on the red seat and dropped the letter. He picked it up, turning it in his long, pale fingers. It was addressed to him, written in dark purple ink, from his Aunt Bellatrix. With a rustle of its feathers, the grey owl spread its wings and took off. Draco closed the window after it and tore open the letter.

Dear Draco,

This note is to remind you of the task you agreed to this summer. The girl you are looking for is Jane Rodgers, the same one that murdered your father. The Dark Lord wants her gone. She is a danger to everyone, especially our cause. Whatever way you choose to dispose of her is fine, as long as no one knows it is you. Get rid of Jane Rodgers before the end of your school year.

Good luck, Draco. We know you will not disappoint Him.

Bellatrix

He jeered at the piece of parchment. The facts about his father's death were still fuzzy to him. He did know that he was killed horribly by a girl the same age as him. He'd be quite glad to get rid of her. Draco stood up and walked out into the hallway. Pushing roughly past second year girls and boys, he made his way to the front of the train where he knew his friends would be. But soon he stopped, looking into the window of another compartment. A girl with long, straight, strawberry blonde hair sat on the plush red seats, holding a Barn owl in its cage and looking at the passing country side. She was extremely beautiful, and he couldn't help but stare at her.

"Malfoy!"

His head whipped around. A boy with dark brown skin and short black hair was motioning to him, standing next to a door leading to another part of the train. He held his finger up, took a last fleeting look at the girl, and walked over to him, "Hey, Blaise,"

"Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle are over there," Blaise told him. Draco knew where he meant and led the way into the next car. It didn't have separate compartments like most of the train. Instead, tables and chairs lined the sides, leaving a narrow hallway in the middle. Along the left side of the car, two tables were put together, and Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were sitting at it. Draco sat down next to Goyle, and was immediately pushed off when he and Crabbe saw the sweets cart.

Blaise laughed and sat down next to Pansy as Draco shook his head in irritation and pulled himself back onto the seat, "Idiot pigs," he muttered.

"What's in your hand?" Pansy, a pale girl with straight, light brown hair and the facial structure of a pug, asked.

He looked down; the letter was still in his palm, "Nothing," he told her, stuffing it back into the envelope and into his pocket.

Suddenly a dark, thick cloud of dust blasted through the car, sending screams, coughing, and stunned muttering into the air. He stood, squinting against the dust and hacking as he searched for the trouble maker.

"What was that?" he asked harshly, "Blaise?"

"Don't know,"

"Relax boys. It's probably just a first year messing around," Pansy suggested.

The glittering fog clouded his vision faintly and he blinked it out of his eyes. He took a step forward, but then Pansy said, "Come on, Malfoy. Sit down. We'll be at Hogwarts soon,"

Draco sighed and sat back down. Starring out the window, the pale boy muttered, "Hogwarts. What a pathetic excuse for a school," he gazed at the two people sitting across from him with a grimace, "Think I'll pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower if I had to continue for another two years,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pansy asked with a worried expression.

Draco looked out the window again, "Let's just say that I don't think you'll see me wasting my time in Charms Class next year,"

At the sound of Blaise's snicker, he turned his attention to him, "Amused, Blaise?" he asked. Blaise just looked at him with a blank expression. He shook his head and started down at his hands, "We'll see just who's laughing in the end,"

A soft thump above him made Draco look up. His case moved forward in an unnatural way every few minutes. A suspicion popped into his head: Potter. Potter in his Invisibility Cloak. Merlin, he should've known that he'd try and snoop around.

A few hours later the train stopped in Hogsmead. Blaise and Pansy stood, gathering their carry-ons. They waited for Draco to get up, but he made no move to.

"You two go on," he told them, placing his chin in his hand, "I want to check something,"

After the last few people left, Draco took his carryon and went to the door, closing it and pulling the shade down. With a flick of his hand, all the shades in the car covered the windows.

"Didn't mummy ever tell you it was rude to eavesdrop, Potter?" he whipped around, pointed his want to the luggage rack, and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Something large hit the ground with a loud BANG. He smirked and, leaning down, he felt something silk-like and wrenched it up. There he was, The Boy Who Lived, laying on the ground, staring up at him and not able to move a muscle in his scrawny body. Draco sneered at the stupid scar on Potter's head and muttered, "Oh, yeah . . . she was dead before you could wipe the drool off your chin," Draco lifted his foot and brought it upon Potter's face, hearing the satisfying crack of broken bones, "That's for my father," he snarled, "Enjoy your ride back to London," he threw the cloak back over Potter, picked his bag up, and walked off the train.


Jane left her luggage and owl in her compartment and walked into the narrow hallway when the train had stopped. She had no idea what to do next as she hopped onto the platform.

"Jane!"

She turned. A big, hairy man with a lantern jogged toward her. She raised her eyebrow and looked around her, hoping he was talking to another person named Jane. When he strode right up to her, she had to crane her neck to see his face, "Um . . . hi?"

"My name is Hagrid," he told her, as if she asked, "You a'right? Yer to come with me 'cross the lake with the other firs' years. Firs' years, over here! Firs' years!"

Jane simply shrugged. Well, how else was she supposed to get to the castle? She could see all the others students walking through the village, but they knew where the hell they were going. Besides, she hadn't been sorted into a party, or whatever it was called that they divided the students up into.

After the newest students gathered around the him, Hagrid led them off the tiny platform. Following closely behind him, Jane slipped along a steep, narrow path through a forest of trees. The first years buzzed happily and excitedly. Jane often heard whispers about things such as "Gryffindor", "Ravenclaw", "Hufflepuff", and "Slytherin." The later of these words she was fairly familiar with, after hearing it so many times, but the others were new to her. The only one she was aware of fully was Slytherin, and she planned to stay away from that as much as she could. As her luck would have it, however, she highly doubted she could do that.

They turned around a bend, and everyone oooh'd and aaah'd as the path opened to the edge of a big, black lake. A magnificently ancient but well kept castle stood on top of a high mountain on the other side.

"No more 'n four to a boat!" Hagrid yelled, walking to the very edge of the lake where a mass of mid-sized boats bobbed along the water, "Jane, yer ridin' with me!"

Jane nodded and popped herself into one side of a boat while Hagrid sat on the other. The students climbed into the remaining ones, and when everyone was in a vessel he yelled, "FORWARD!" and the boats glided along the water on their own accord, "Heads down!" Everyone lowered their heads as the boats swam underneath a curtain of ivy that led into a dark tunnel. When they docked in an underground harbor and clambered out onto a shore of pebbles, Hagrid checked the boats before leading Jane and the first years up a passageway, his lamp floating eerily in the darkness. They came out of the tunnel to the front doors of the castle. He knocked three times before the great oak doors opened up. A tall woman in a pointed witch's hat, square eyeglasses, and black, flowing robes opened the door.

"Good evening," she greeted, replacing a stray grey hair behind her ear, "I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of the school. Please, please, come inside, it's freezing out there,"

Jane hadn't noticed how cold it was outside until the group walked up the steps to the entrance hall and she was flooded with warmth. Other students, the years varying, ran through this hall and another one, which was filled with people sitting at four long tables. The one table facing her horizontally at the end of the hall had teachers and staff members sitting at it.

Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the group and turned to speak to them, "You will stay here with Hagrid until the ceremony begins and everyone has been seated. Professor Flitwick will lead you through the Great Hall to the front of the room, where you will be sorted into your houses. Jane Rodgers, if you will follow me please,"

Jane pushed her way through the first years and followed the teacher into the Great Hall. She felt the eyes of drooling boys and jealous girls follow her. The professor turned left at the staff table and led her into another corridor. Jane froze in the doorway as the first thing she saw was a man with greasy black hair and a flat face.

Severus Snape.

He was here? Of all the places in the world, why did he have to be here?!

For a second her heart stopped as well. Jane desperately distracted herself by looking for other things in the room. Dumbledore, a man with a long white beard and wearing robes of light blue stood beside Snape and a dreadful looking hat stood on a stool in front of them.

"Good evening, Jane," he said, "There are four Houses in Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. We use this," he motioned to the shabby hat, "To sort the first year students. However, seeing as you are not a first year, we will sort you here,"

Dumbledore picked up the wizard hat and motioned for her to sit. She did so, though hesitantly at being so close to the Snape, and he placed the pointed hat gently atop her head. For the first few minutes, nothing happened. Then she jumped as a small, squeaky voice sounded in her ear.

"Jane Rodgers," the hat spoke quietly, "Jane Rodgers. Hmm. You're going to be a difficult one to place. Reminds me of . . . ah, but I shouldn't say. That is someone else's private business, I should not be telling you. I would say Slytherin. Yes, Slytherin would do you nicely. You've had dark things in your past, I can see. However, you aren't dark like your childhood. You aren't evil, are you?"

No! she mind screamed.

"At least you try not to be. Slipped up a few times, have you? Yes, yes, Slytherin would very well suit you. But you don't want to be in Slytherin, do you?" the hat whispered to her again. Before she got the chance to answer, it said, "I see. I see. Well, there's only one place to put you then,"

Jane snapped her eyes shut, waiting.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Surprise flooded every inch of her body and she opened her eyes, inwardly sighing with relief. She didn't care what house she was in, as long as it wasn't Slytherin. Dumbledore clapped quietly, a smile on his face. Professor McGonagall clapped with him her mouth in a thin like with what looked like a slight curve. Snape stared down at her, baring a vague scowl. Jane glared back.

"Congratulations," Professor Dumbledore told her, "That will be all. Please go to your new House table, Jane. The sorting will be starting soon."

Jane muttered a thank you and hurried out of the room and into the Great Hall. At the far end of the room, scarlet banner bearing a golden lion and the word Gryffindor hung over a long oak table. She scurried over to it, and just as she sat down a tiny man with white fluffy hair opened the doors to the Great Hall and lead the new twelve-year-olds to the staff table, where Professor McGonagall was placing the sorting hat on its stool. The hat sung a song, and the sorting began, staring with, "Haatis, Kate!"

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat squeaked to the hall. Kate grinned and cut through the crowd to the Ravenclaw table, where the applause was loudest.

"Habitie, Margret!" Professor Flitwick called. A small girl with freckles and frizzy black hair walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor Flitwick placed the hat on her head.

A moment of silence, and then the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table closest to the Gryffindor table cheered and whistled as Margret went to join them.

"Haris, Bella!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Klene, Abita!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Latterdale, Cassidy!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Lawfoot, Summer!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

A bundle of boos sounded from the Gryffindor table as Summer Lawfoot went to join the Slytherin table. The line of first years was considerably short, and dwindled fairly quickly.

"Sizzler, Patricia!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Symone, Royce!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Tyler, James!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Vice, Paige!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Yawnet, Matt!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

The sorting was over, and the feast began. Food filled the sparkling gold plates and Jane loaded hers up. Halfway through the feast, she noticed Snape stood from the staff table and stalked out of the hall, returning with the same boy that helped her get onto the platform. He didn't look good; his expression was fierce and blood streamed from his nose. He sat down between the red head boy and the brown haired girl, who both looked shocked. The girl pulled out her wand and said a word that made the blood vanish.

The main course ceased and the puddings appeared. Jane was nibbling on a strange tart when Dumbledore stood. The Great Hall became silent almost immediately.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he called out to the Hall, his voice echoing to the bewitched and candle strewn ceiling above. The students burst into whispers, and it was hard not to know why. He had just raised his arms, like he wanted to hug the room. His right hand looked limp and dead. He smiled and covered the hand with his sleeve, "Nothing to worry about," he said, "Now . . . to our new students, welcome, and to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you . . ."

He launched into his beginning year speech. He told them that the products from a joke shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes were banned from the school. People wanting to join the Quidditch teams should sign up with their Head of House. A man named Slughorn, or Professor Slughorn as he now was, was to be the Potions master. This received more murmurs and the echo of the word, "Potions?"

But it was nothing compared to the reaction when Dumbledore announced that Professor Snape was to take the position of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"NO!" someone shouted. Jane looked back; the boy with black hair had a killing look on his face, his fists clenched.

Dumbledore went on, and the whispers diminished. He pressed on about Voldemort, telling the Hall that the defenses around the castle have been strengthened over the summer, and, reminding all the students that, to protect themselves, they should follow the rules that their teachers have set for them, he sent them off to bed.

Jane stood up, picking at her teeth with her fingernail and wondering where she should go. A moment later she decided to follow a group of seventh years up the steps in the entrance hall and through the castle to Gryffindor Tower, which was guarded by a painting of a fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" the fat lady asked.

"Dingle berries," one of the seventh years answered. She nodded and the portrait swung open, revealing the threshold to a comfortable looking room. Jane made a mental note to remember the password and followed them into the common room. A fire was blazing in the hearth, surrounded by arm chairs; the whole room was littered with small chairs, tables, and people who weren't tired enough to go to bed.

A few girls passed her by and walked up the stair case to the right. She trudged after them, going by doors that had plaques on them reading First Years, Second Years, Third Years. Jane stopped in front of an oak door with a plaque that read Sixth Years and opened it.

She guessed that there were three other girls that were sharing the room with her. Three other beds with trunks in front of them stood beside her own. Jane located her suitcase and kicked it open, rummaging around for her Walkman MP3 player. She really needed some music right now, her only way to escape reality. Placing a bud in each year, she switched on the player. What came through the head phones was a loud amount of static. The volume increased and decreased uncontrollably. The player kept turning on and off. Songs went flying back and forth without her pressing the buttons. She frantically took a pin out of her hair and slammed it into the hole of the reset button, but it did no good.

"It won't work,"

Jane turned. The girl with bushy brown hair had just entered, holding a chubby, bow-legged orange cat.

"Obviously," Jane snapped. She turned off the player and threw it back into her trunk.

"Because, according to Hogwarts: A History, Hogwarts is so magical that anything electronically powered goes haywire within a mile of the castle."

Great, so one of her roommates was a Know-It-All.

The girl set down her cat and closed the door. Settling herself on the red bed spread of the bed beside Jane, she said, "I'm Hermione Granger. Who are you?"

"Jane Rodgers,"

"You're new here?"

"Clearly,"

"Well, welcome to Hogwarts,"

"Thanks,"

Two more girls came into the room, giggling behind their hands. They stopped dead at the sight of Hermione and Jane, looking back and forth between the two, "Who are you?" one asked, pointing an accusing finger at Jane.

"Jane," she answered, falling back upon her four-poster.

"She's a new student," Hermione explained.

"Then how come she isn't a first year," the other girl questioned.

"Do I look twelve to you?"

"This is Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil," Hermione introduced.

Pavarti had big brown eyes, brown skin, and long black hair. Lavender had crimped, light brown hair and a chubby pink face. Both of them looked at Jane with jealousy, eyeing her perfectly heart-shaped face, full lips, and hair that looked like it had come out of a commercial. Jane rolled her eyes and laid down, staring up at the ceiling.

"Well . . . um . . . hi, Jane," Pavarti attempted to be friendly. Lavender didn't bother; she whispered something to her friend and then bounced onto her bed, closing the curtains around it.

This was going to be a long year.