The
Ultimate Betrayal
I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters...I only own Tahlia.
Okay...well this is my first Fan Fiction...so please be kind...No flames please!
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Running Away
The last leaf fell from the tree as 15 year old Tahlia watched as her tears cascaded for what she knew would be the last time against the cold hard glass pane of her fathers house.
She was leaving and there was nothing he or anyone else could do to stop her, she didn't care who her father was, Lord Voldemort or not she was not going to stand by and watch him destroy the world, let alone help him.
When it was finally dark she crept into her room, pointed her wand at the door and whispered " Muffilato". For the next hour or so Tahlia franticly packed her bag checking and rechecking that she had everything she would need for her long journey.
Quietly climbing out of the second floor window of what was once her muggle Grandfathers house, Tahlia ran across the unmown lawn, glancing back taking one last look at the old ivy covered mansion.
Tahlia ran for what seemed forever (being unable to apparate) and by the next morning as the first rays of sunshine hit her face she was well aware of the fact that she was exhausted and with every step her legs felt as though they were going to catch fire but she knew she had to continue, she knew that her father would soon awaken and when he realised she was gone he would come for her.
By dusk that day Tahlia had finally reached the little town of Hogsmeade she knew now that she at least had a chance. Her lips were dry and cracked and she could taste the bitter sweetness of blood in her mouth from the now large bleeding ulcers on the insides of her cheeks.
She crept through the now darkening streets, Tahlia knew her father must have had Dementors out after her because although it was summer, it was freezing and she could hardly walk but she needed to find somewhere to hide before it got too dark. She began to climb the steep intimidating mountain just passed the Hogs Head pub. Just near the top of the mountain Tahlia seen a small crevice in the mountain and crawled in side, she felt like her head was going to explode and before she knew what happened she threw up and collapsed in a messy heap.
Tahlia awoke the next morning to find a large black shape standing above her, but her vision was so blurred she was unable to identify what exactly that shape was. But as Tahlia came to she realised that the shape standing above her was in fact a large, scruffy, black dog. Her first reaction was to run encase the dog was vicious but then she took a look around the cave and much to Tahlia's amazement she saw a large grey Hippogriff standing in a distant corner and Tahlia was quite taken aback to see a black dog and a hippogriff at this time but then even though Hogsmeade was a wizarding town its not very often that you get to see a hippogriff especially in such a populated area or for that matter with a large black dog.
But as though he was in a trance the dog slowly and cautiously walked up to Tahlia and sat beside her and stared at her with his large dark eyes filled with curiosity, but just as Tahlia reached out her hand to pet the dog on the head, he began to change, an extremely startled Tahlia scuttled back away from the dog.
Tahlia examined the man that was now sitting in the place of the dog cautiously from a distance; he was a tall hansom man with a familiar face with long, dark, messy hair and extremely shabby clothes.
After a few seconds of silence the man began to say "I'm Sirius Black" But was cut off by Tahlia "its okay I know who you are." "I am Tahlia." The man stared at Tahlia apparently in astonishment, he took several seconds to reply but when he did his voice had lost all of its previous enthusiasm and took a more solemn tone. "And you're not afraid?" Tahlia laughed and said "Afraid of you? Sorry but I know that you're defiantly not a death eater and I know you never have been!" Sirius looked back and said "how do you know?" Tahlia smiled and said softly "for one you do not have the dark mark on your arm." As she pointed to his bare forearm. Sirius still seemed quite curious to how Tahlia knew all of this but he was so relieved that she was not afraid, but he thought that even if she knew that he wasn't a death eater, she should know that he was wrongly imprisoned, that he never killed Peter Pettigrew. But as Sirius was trying to think of the words to say was he thought Tahlia spoke as though she had read his mind "and I know that you did not kill Peter Pettigrew." Sirius looked at her with a puzzled look on his face and began to laugh "I'm not even going to bother asking how you know that!"
But once again Tahlia interrupted him "Sirius?" She said so softly that it was almost a whisper "I need your help." Sirius looked at her once more and the smile left his face "what could I help you with, No offence but I am an escaped criminal"
"Do you know Albus Dumbledore?" Tahlia whispered.
"Yes. Why?" replied Sirius in an equally quiet voice.
"I need to see him urgently, it's about Voldemort. I have some very important information that cannot be sent by owl."
Sirius looked taken aback at the mention of Lord Voldemorts name, but agreed.
"What should I say?" Sirius asked as he collected a quill and parchment from a ragged bag lying near Buckbeak (The Hippogriff).
"Just say that you have a visitor that needs to speak with him urgently about matters involving Marvolo Gaunt's grandson, he will understand." Tahlia said softly.
Chapter 2: The Arrangement
Dumbledore arrived within the hour and they spent until late afternoon talking about how Tahlia was raised after Voldemort had lost power and she had explain that she had been brought up by the Lestranges but after they were sent to Azkaban she was brought up by Augustus Rookwood because they knew no one would suspect a ministry employee to be taking care of He Who Must Not Be Named's Daughter, especially one of Rookwoods standard, and they spoke of the strict manner in which she was taught, having the cruciatus curse preformed upon her if she failed to complete any spell (no matter what the difficulty).
Finally they had gotten to the topic of Voldemorts plans, First and foremost Tahlia told Dumbledore how her father had kept returning after being defeated time and time again, about the specific Location of his Horcruxes and the magic that protects them and after what seemed the longest time Tahlia had finally finished spilling all of Voldemorts plans but as soon as Tahlia realised what she had done she fell silent, she would never be able to go back to life she once had, Tahlia knew what she had just done was right but she couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of guilt that was filling her up inside and drowning her, after all he was still her Father.
Dumbledore looked at Tahlia over the top of his half moon spectacles with a little twinkle in his piercing blue eyes and smiled graciously as said softly "I hope you will be joining us at Hogwarts this year." Tahlia's eye's filled with tears as her heart burst with gratitude toward Dumbledore, all her life all she ever wanted to do was join her fellow adolescents in the place her father spoke so highly of and to meet the one who had "almost" freed her from her horrible past, the one she could relate to in a way that no one could begin to imagine in their wildest nightmares, the one who could defeat her fathers evil, "The Boy Who Lived".
As Dumbledore walked out of the cave he turned and said "Ah, just one last thing before I leave. I think it would be wise if you took your Grandfathers name at Hogwarts as a few exceptionally bright young students had found out your father's real name two years ago when one of his Horcruxes possessed a girl and made her open the chamber of secrets." and with that he strode out of the cave and disappeared.
Sirius and Buckbeak seemed so glad to have some company as they have had such little contact with anyone since Sirius had escaped from Azkaban even with the occasional Order Of The Phoenix meeting, Sirius had explained that he could had offered his parents old house a headquarters for the Order Of The Phoenix but he could not stand to be couped up in that old house all the time, so Dumbledore showed him this cave to stay in when he got too bored.
For the rest of the summer Dumbledore had a particularly strange house elf called Dobby deliver food and drink to them up in the cave, Sirius joked bitterly that the food was a good change from all the rats he had been eating before Tahlia had arrived.
The days had gone so fast that Tahlia didn't realise that it was already the night before she could finally walk through the doors of Hogwarts as a student.
Chapter 3: Hogwarts
The next morning at dawn, Dumbledore arrived to take her up to the castle, Tahlia said a teary goodbye to her new and only friends, when Tahlia took her first step outside the cave, early morning sunshine washed over her and then Sirius yelled out "Don't forget to write!" Tahlia could feel the warm salty tears washing down her face then she turned and gave Sirius a small wet smile and mouthed "thank you" and then Dumbledore pulled her onto a broomstick and up they went into the morning clouds toward her new home.
After a short ride they landed just out side the entrance of Hogwarts, it was more beautiful that she had ever imagined, Dumbledore led her to his office past the stone Gargoyle, up the stairs and through the large wooden door. Tahlia paused when Dumbledore opened the door as she was expecting to see a small empty office but instead she saw a large bright office filled with what looked like every single member of the Hogwarts staff in a long line across the room and at the end of the line stood a pretty, bushy haired girl that looked about her own age.
When Dumbledore had got to the end of the line after introducing all the teachers they reached the bushy haired girl and Dumbledore said "Tahlia this is Hermione, she will show you around and see that your comfortable." When Dumbledore seen the nervous look on Tahlia's face he smiled and added "I think you two will got along splendidly, you have a lot more in common than you might think." And with that he made a gesture toward the door with a soft smile on his face and that same twinkle in his eye as he had in the cave.
Then Hermione led Tahlia out the door, down the stairs and past the stone gargoyle and then Hermione turned to face Tahlia and smiled and asked
"So what part of the school do you want to see first?"
"I wouldn't mind seeing the library, if that's ok?" replied Tahlia, who went a dark shade of crimson and looked down at her feet
Hermione gave a soft girlish giggle and said "Dumbledore was right we do have a lot in common, the library is my Favourite place in the entire school."
Then the two girls smiled at each other and headed off in the direction of the library.
After Hermione had shown her pretty much the whole school they finally reached the Great Hall, when they walked in Hermione made a gesture toward the roof that was a pale shade of blue with what looked like soft white fluffy clouds floating through the air and then both girls looked at each other and said in unison
"Its not really the roof, it's just bewitched to look like the sky." Then they both laughed and Tahlia said "I Know, I read about it in Hogwarts; A history."
After the girls had pulled themselves together again they made their way to the Griffindor Common room. When they finally got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, The Fat lady said in her usual droning voice "Password." And Hermione politely replied "Mibulus Mimbletonia." And the portrait swing open revealing a round opening in the wall leading to the common room. Then Hermione said "Girls Dormitory is up stairs to the left, come on" and they walked up the stairs and through the door on the left. Then Hermione pointed to a bed and said "That yours, there is robes and all of your books there." After Tahlia had settled in Hermione said, "Here, I'll show you a picture of my two best friends" and handed Tahlia a photo of Hermione and two boys, one with jet-black hair and bright green eyes and the other with bright orange hair and lots of freckles.
"The one with dark hair is Harry Potter and the one with Orange Hair is Ron Weasley." Said Hermione enthusiastically. Tahlia's Heart skipped a beat at the mention of Harry's name, she had waited all her life to meet him and tonight she would not have to wait any longer, tonight she would finally meet Harry Potter.
But something else also made her queasy, a feeling that she had never felt before and before she could stop herself she blurted out "Ron is kinda cute!" and as soon as she had said it Tahlia felt as though she may die of embarrassment if Hermione was to laugh but Hermione just smiled and said "You can meet him tonight, I think he will be extremely Flattered to know that some one likes him."
"No! Please, you can't say anything!" Tahlia burst out. At first Hermione looked slightly taken aback but then she just smiled and said, "ok, it's our secret."
At five Thirty Tahlia and Hermione got dressed into their robes and Tahlia stood brushing her long Black hair and staring into her own large blue eyes wondering how long it would take her father to find her.
By seven O'clock Tahlia and Hermione were sitting at the Griffindor table as the rest of the Griffindor's pile in around them, Tahlia avoided most of the awkward stares by engaging in conversation with Hermione until Harry and Ron sat down on either side of Hermione, leaving Tahlia sitting next to Ron. Ron turned and faced Tahlia totally entranced and rudely blurted out "who are you?"
Then Hermione said over the top of Ron "This is Tahlia."
During the feast Tahlia didn't eat very much as she had never been around so many people before and she didn't fancy them all staring at her.
After the feast Tahlia went straight up to the common room by her self, sat in one of the armchairs by the fire and fell asleep.
Chapter4: Welcome
On way the back to the common room Harry, Hermione and Ron heard their names being called from behind by Professor McGonnagall, "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, and Miss Granger!"
"The Headmaster would like to see you in his office."
"Now?" asked Ron stupidly.
"Yes now Mr Weasley!" replied Mcgonnagal sharply.
On the way to Dumbledore's office Harry, Ron and Hermione all exchanged ideas of why the headmaster would want to see them all so early in the year, but their minds were already made up that Tahlia was the reason.
When they arrived at the door to Dumbledore's office Harry took one step forward but with his knuckles and inch from the door Harry paused for a split second and before Harry had a chance to move his hand a voice came from the other side of the door "Come In" so Harry slowly pushed open the door and the three of them walked into the large cosy office to find Dumbledore sitting behind his desk with a pleasant smile on his face and said to them "please take a seat."
"I'm sure curiosity may have got the better of you tonight when you met our new comer Tahlia, I just thought you should know a few things before you scrambled off to bed with your minds racing with questions." Dumbledore smiled and continued on quiet cheerfully.
"Tahlia is a guest of mine this year and it is crucial that she is made welcome and as you may already know this school does not really respond well to new or different and Tahlia is both. So that is why the heads of houses are placing memory charms on the rest of the Hogwarts students as we speak to make them believe that she has been here since your first year, you may now be thinking why have I told you this and not just put the memory charm on you." Dumbledore added. "Am I right?"
Harry, Hermione and Ron until that point had just sat there with expressionless faces in silence but now there faces had changed to looks of awe at why this particular girl was so special to Dumbledore that he would modify a whole schools memory.
At this point Dumbledore merely smiled and continued on "You see Tahlia has pretty much just handed Lord Voldemort over to us on a silver platter and Harry if you have any chance of defeating him you will need Tahlia. And it is now that I must ask a very difficult favour from all three of you and it is; please do not ask Tahlia about where she came from or about her past, you will find out when the time is right. And now with that knowledge bubbling away in your brilliant minds I think it is time for bed."
Harry, Ron and Hermione filed out of Dumbledore's office in complete silence until they got to the bottom of the stairs and past the Gargoyle and Hermione said "Listen I know that Dumbledore said that we cant ask her any questions but I personally would like to know what is happening, I do really like her but now I am not so sure what I know about her is real and you cant have friendship unless there is trust and we don't know anything about her so how can we trust her." Ron and Harry looked taken aback at what Hermione had just said as she had hardly spoken at all since they first arrived, but they both agreed.
When they got back to the common room it was well past midnight and much to their surprise Tahlia was sitting in an armchair staring at the fire apparently wide awake,
so Hermione made a small girlish cough "hehem" and Tahlia spun around so fast she knocked a box of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans into the fire and sighed "oh its only you, did you have fun?" and then Hermione replied in a sympathetic voice "umm, Tahlia, where do your parents live?"
"They are both dead."
"Oh I am so sorry! What happened to them?" asked Hermione but as soon as she did she wish she hadn't.
" Voldemort killed my mother as soon as I was born and my Father, well Voldemort tortured him for years before I was even thought of but he finally finished him off the same night as my mother" Tahlia exclaimed choking back on her tears. "I was brought up by friends of my fathers, they were cruel people, followers of Voldemort so I made it my business to find out as much as possible about him in the hopes that one day I would meet Albus Dumbledore and have a chance to use Voldemorts trust against him."
"Oh I am so sorry Tahlia I had no idea!" said an extremely startled Hermione.
"That's okay, I'm off to bed now. Goodnight" whispered Tahlia quietly and walked away slowly.
Hermione, Ron and Harry all exchanged awkward looks, "Nishe wun Erminee" said Ron clumsily shoving a toffee into his mouth "No really she probably wont want to be friends with us anyway now! She is like the prettiest girl that's ever talked to me and you just
ruined it!" at that moment Harry and Hermione looked at each other and cracked up laughing while Ron just stood there with a blank look on his face and turned and traced Tahlia's steps up the stairs and disappeared into the boys dormitory
As Tahlia walked up the stone steps she wish she hadn't lied to them but honestly it wasn't really a lie after all, her father had begun to change before she was born, he began to shed his evil, he really loved her mother didn't he? Or did he just want an heir a truly faithful follower that he could mould from birth, either way when he seen Tahlia for the first time he thought she was weak! She had the look of her mother. She would not do at all, so he tortured and killed Tahlia's mother for producing such a weak child and that night her father, the part of Tom Riddle that was still a part of Lord Voldemort died and with him so did all the hope inside Tahlia.
Chapter5: Professor Umbridge
The next morning Tahlia was the first one out of bed she got dressed and went down to breakfast leaving a note on Hermione's pillow saying to meet her in the library after breakfast. Tahlia was so eager to get to the library that she ran there while still eating a piece of toast. When Hermione finally got to the Library she found Tahlia sitting in a circle pile of books up to her eyes on the goblin revolution. "Quick Hermione I need your help! I never learned anything about History of Magic!" Tahlia whispered pleadingly.
Hermione giggled and said "you probably still know more about it than anyone else in the class especially Harry and Ron." And they both laughed quietly.
It only took Hermione 10 minutes to find a few books with important information in them, and then Hermione and Tahlia went off to history of magic. All through History of Magic Hermione and Tahlia were taking down notes while Ron was staring at Tahlia and Harry was charming balls of paper to fly at Ron's now bright red forehead.
After History of Magic they all walked down to Defence against the Dark Arts, they all were extremely sceptical about their new teacher Professor Umbridge but they could not wait to see what she was like. Unfortunately they all found out the moment they walked into the room "Wands away!" said a sweet girlish voice from the front of the now disgustingly pink room.
"Hehem, I am professor Umbridge." She said with a soft sweet voice that made her seem even more strange especially whilst she was wearing that horrible powder pink dress and bonnet.
"This semester we will be learning about Grindylows and Cornish Pixies." she stated.
"But Miss we learned about both those creatures in our second year!" Hermione exclaimed as politely as she could manage.
"Yes Miss Granger, The ministry feels that your former educators have shown you far more that what will be needed to pass your OWL's, but we think that the more important topics you went over in your second and third years were not thorough enough. The Minister himself feels that these textbooks will be more than enough to get you through your exams! And if you are well-behaved young children through this semester I may even bring in some 'live' Grindylows for you all to examine " Umbridge whispered in a dangerous tone as though warning the class not to push the matter further.
"What if we we're to be attacked?" Harry spouted in an equally dangerous tone.
"By a Grindylow? You silly boy I shall have them completely under the control" she said back in her sweet voice. After an hour of having their noses stuck inside their textbooks Professor Umbridge announced, "Class dismissed!"
She walked out of the classroom in a fit of manic laughter.
"What about lord Voldemort?" retorted Harry violently re-entering their previous conversation.
"Don't you think for a second that you can walk into my class room and tell those HORRIBLE LIES!" she hiss warningly
"Oh, but Professor we are not in your class room at the moment" Harry said innocently
"Be that as it may Mr Potter am still within my right to give you a detention right now! She hissed, "Spreading those disgusting lies about He Who Must Not Be named! She whispered jerking her head as if talking to herself. "YOU AND FUDGE, YOU KNOW THAT I'M NOT LYING! YOU ARE JUST AFRAID THAT BECAUSE HE IS BACK FUDGE WILL LOSE HIS JOB AND PEOPLE WILL SEE HIM FOR THE FRAUD HE IS!" Harry hissed back.
"You are a DECFIETFULL, CONNIVING, NASTY LITTLE LIAR!!!!" she screamed.
"Trying to spread your little lies like a disease, like a Plague on the face of the Ministers reputation!" she whispered menacingly.
"Oh I'm sorry I can't blame you for not knowing the truth." Harry said in a calm natural voice before screaming "SINCE YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD SHOVED SO FAR UP FUDGES ARSE THAT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARD TO HEAR!!!!!!"
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE MINISTER FOR MAGIC LIKE THAT!" she squealed dangerously.
'Oh I assure you Professor I was not directing that insult at fudge though I have a few that I could say like "that he is having a bit of a three way romp with you and Mr death eater himself… Mr Lucius Malfoy!" How does that tickle your fancy Professor?' Harry teased.
"DON'T YOU DARE BRING MY FATHER INTO IT POTTER OR YOU WILL PAY!" Draco shouted angrily from down the hallway breaking forward from the rest of the audience.
"STEP BACK MR MALFOY AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH OR I SHALL SHUT IT FOR YOU, AND YOU!" pointing her stubby finger at Harry. " YOU DARE TO INSULT THE MINISTER IN MY PRESCENCE! IT IS TIME YOU WERE TAUGHT A LESSON MR POTTER!!!"
She moved closer to Harry as she drew her wand out of her disgusting fluffy pink pocket and she boomed "CORNELIUS FUDGE IS GOD!!!" before shouting "CRUCIO!" and at that moment the whole class sunk back up against the walls gaping at Umbridge in awe nobody even dare to breath. Even Malfoy was horrified.
But Harry fought back, now drawing his own wand "EXPELLIARMUS" "STUPIFY!" and Umbridge flew down the corridor landing hardly on her rear "Now professor I thought you of all people should know that that is an illegal curse, punishable by what? Life in Azkaban?" he taunted with a manic grin upon his face as though it was all a game.
"The Minister would spare me if he knew that it was stopping YOU spreading your nasty lies about He Who Must Not Be Named!" she whispered shrilly getting up of the ground.
"WHAT? SO CEDRIC DIGGORY JUST DIED OF COMPLETELY NATURAL CAUSES DID HE? VOLDEMORT IS BACK!" Harry shouted and cursed loudly at Umbridge before walking out of the classroom. Just as Harry slammed the door behind him Professor Umbridge screeched "DETENTION, MR POTTER!!!" so loud that it shattered the window above her head and Harry shouted something that he would not dare to say in front of the likes of Mrs Weasley.
Chapter 6:
That night back in the common room Harry, Ron, Hermione and Tahlia sat talking about Umbridge.
"You have to got to that detention Harry" Hermione pleaded
"Are you joking? I'm sorry but I do not fancy getting tortured by that pedantic, sadistic, controlling bitch! Have you seen what she did to that first year tonight? She made him cut lines into his own hand!!! And are you forgetting that she did the CRUTIATUS CURSE ON ME" Harry retorted.
"She'll have you expelled Harry!" Hermione pleaded again
"I'm sorry Hermione but I agree with Harry!" Tahlia exclaimed as she ran to the portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" Hermione called after her.
"Wait there! I have an idea! I'm Getting Harry out of Detention!" Tahlia yelled back.
Harry, Hermione and Ron all exchanged startled glares.
"We need to go after her! She could get hurt, or expelled, depends on what she is doing but it doesn't sound good!" Hermione said.
"Okay, just wait while I go and get the invisibility cloak and marauders map." Harry said as he ran up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.
"I'm coming too!" exclaimed Ron as Harry and Hermione began to jog after Tahlia.
"I'm sorry Ron but it wont hold all three of us any more." Began Harry but was cut off by Ron "Yes it will!" chortled Ron pulling his wand out of his robes looking extremely pleased with himself, and before Harry or Hermione could protest he shouted "Engorgeo!"
"Ron That's Amazing!" Hermione and Harry said in unison as the Invisibility cloak swelled up to twice its usual size.
"I remembered it from last year when Mood…crouch…well the fake moody made that spider bigger in class." replied Ron smugly. "But this is no time to gloat. Harry, where has she gone to?"
"Umm To Umbridge's office" said Harry looking at the marauders map appearing slightly taken aback as this was the most Ron had said all day.
"Okay lets go." said Harry running out of the common room
They reached Umbridge's office just in time to see Tahlia pull out her wand, point it silently at the back of Umbridges sleeping head and whisper "Obliviate!" and then she leant forward and whispered in her ear "Harry Potter is not lying! Lord Voldemort has returned, you seen him tonight, you followed Lord Voldemort! You followed him to the old Riddle house in Little Hanglenton. You must apologize to Harry tomorrow morning and then you must convince Fudge that He who must not be named has truly returned and you must tell him where He Who Must Not Be Named Is Hiding! But under no circumstances are you to tell anyone but Cornelius Fudge himself!"
Then Tahlia Ran from the room, bumping into an invisible Ron, Harry and Hermione.
"That was so awesome!" Ron exclaimed
"But wrong!" added Hermione with a large grin on her face.
"I don't know what to say." said Harry "Thank you so much!"
"Oh Tahlia, you do know if anyone finds out about this you could be in serious trouble, not just with Hogwarts but with the Ministry as well!" said Hermione sounding extremely worried.
"Well lets get back to the common room before we get caught then shall we!" Tahlia scoffed.
When they got back to the common room they all sat by the fire and began to talk.
"Where did you learn how to do that?" Asked Ron in pure admiration.
"Well living with Death Eaters you don't really have a choice what you learn and I know that it was wrong to use that on a teacher but she and the ministry are out of control!" Tahlia uttered.
"I agree, if she wasn't so busy trying to convince everyone that Harry is lying I would think she was really a Death Eater!" said Hermione.
"Nah, I don't think a Death Eater would get away with wearing that much pink!" Harry sniggered.
"Yea, and could you imagine her and Voldemort in the same room for five minutes?"
Jeered Ron happily.
"Yea, It would be a total clash of the ego's" chuckled Tahlia in amusement.
"Or maybe she would think HE IS GOD!" Harry mimicked Umbridge's admiring voice. "Like she does with her beloved darling Cornelius Fudge!" cackled Harry and all four of them doubled over, laughing so hard that they cried.
After they had stoped laughing they said their goodnights and went off to bed.
Chapter 7: Innocence
The next morning as they climbed out of the portrait hole to go down stairs to breakfast somebody grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him into an empty classroom, and much to Harry's dismay it was Professor Umbridge but Harry knew right away that she was not her self as she got down on her knee's and begged him for forgiveness "Please Harry forgive me! I know that that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned! I believe you! Please pardon my insolence! I have been foolish to think that all is well!"
"Okay! Okay! Just get off me! I forgive you!" Harry snapped, but then he remembered what Tahlia had said to her the night before. "But to make up for your stupidity, you have to convince Fudge that he is back immediately!"
"Yes, of course Mr Potter I shall leave for the Ministry right away!" she giggled in utter delight. Then she ran off in the direction of her office and disappeared.
"Well I think it is safe to say that we won't be seeing her in a long time" Hermione laughed.
"Yea, Fudge will think she's gone mad!" agreed Ron cheerily.
"Actually," added Tahlia with a smile "I told her the real place that he is hiding. I know that they wont be able to capture him but at least Fudge wont be able to deny the truth any longer and he will have to apologise to you Harry. "
For a moment Harry just stood there in silence before running up to Tahlia and hugging her "Thank you so much! I owe you big time!"
"No because if it weren't for you I never would have had the courage to run away and come here! So I think we're even." Tahlia laughed.
Later that night Ron was looking through the notices and called out to Harry "Hey! Look there is a Hogsmeade day next weekend. Do you want to go?"
"Yea it'll be a good time to see Sirius!" replied Harry.
"You know Sirius Black?" asked Tahlia enthusiastically.
"Oh its not what you think! Replied Harry "He nev…"
But Tahlia cut him off. "I know he never killed anyone" she laughed "I spent the last few weeks of the holidays with him in a cave in Hogsmeade!" "How do you know him?"
"He's Harry's godfather!" exclaimed Ron.
"Oh cool, do you fancy going together to see him? He wrote to me this morning from Grimmauld Place telling me that the next Hogsmeade visit he was going to introduce me to some one, so I guess that's you!" she laughed.
"Grimmauld Place?" Harry repeated looking confused.
"Yea, It was Sirius' Parents house before they died" Tahlia replied.
The next night at the feast Harry, Ron Hermione and Tahlia were surprised to see none other than Cornelius Fudge sitting in an extra seat placed next to Dumbledore, and as they looked around it seemed as though they were not the only ones who noticed this intrusion.
"Ah… Good evening everybody, As I am sure you will all have noticed we have a visitor tonight that has something very important to inform us all of." Said Dumbledore in a very cheery voice. "So without further ado I give you The Minister for Magic; Cornelius Fudge
"I regret to inform you all that the Ministry of Magic was wrong, I was wrong. He Who Must Not Be Named is indeed back, We have also caught a number of his followers including; Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, McNair and one of our very own employees Augustus Rookwood (Harry elbowed Ron and pointed to the horrified look on Draco's face and sniggered) and on behalf of the Ministry and the Daily Prophet I apologise to you both, Mr Potter and Albus Dumbledore, I… I should have listened!" then Fudge looked down at his feet with tears in his eyes and then as he looked at Harry as though he wanted to say more but he just said "Goodnight."
"Oh Minister… I think you are forgetting someone." Added Dumbledore.
"Who?" hissed and already humiliated Fudge.
"Well from what I understand of your Ministry raid last night, I hear that You Know
Who was accompanied by Peter Pettigrew."
"So" asked Fudge heatedly.
"Well as far as I am concerned, if Peter Pettigrew is alive then Sirius Black was wrongly accused and remains to this day completely innocent." Dumbledore added brightly
"Fine! and Sirius Black is Innocent!" Fudge called out with an irritable finality and stormed out of the Great Hall.
Then Tahlia looked at Harry who sat with a blank expression upon his face, nudges him and said, "I told you so!" The Great Hall filled with the sound of horrified whispers.
Then Dumbledore stood up again and said "And with that I will ask you not to be out of you Common Rooms after Six thirty and stay away from the Forbidden Forrest, even if you are with a teacher. If you can manage that, I will not call off Hogsmeade trips but if you do go to Hogsmeade I ask you now to stay together in groups and do not wander off!"
Chapter 8: Freedom
The next week went by without any major hiccups so the Hogsmeade trip went on as planned. In Hogsmeade Harry, Ron, Hermione and Tahlia snuck up the mountain past the Hogs Head pub with their backpacks full of food for Sirius and Buckbeak.
When they got into the cave Sirius and Harry rushed toward each other and Sirius pulled Harry into a tight embrace then pulled away when he seen Tahlia standing anxiously behind Harry and hugged her tightly without a word. Later after they had eaten and they had filled Sirius in on everything that had happened at Hogwarts but to their surprise Sirius told them that Dumbledore had already paid him a visit to tell him that he is free.
And Hermione said taken aback "But Sirius, if you knew that you are free why are you still in hiding?"
"I may be free but Buckbeak is not, they still have a warrant for his execution." Sirius said miserably.
"Maybe Dumbledore can appeal to Fudge now that Lucius Malfoy has been caught we can tell fudge that Draco was provoking Buckbeak" Tahlia said hopefully.
"It's worth a try!" Ron said giving Tahlia a shy smile and Tahlia winked back.
"Oh and Sirius why didn't you tell us about Grimmauld place?" Harry asked disappointedly.
Sirius smiled at Tahlia before looking back to Harry "I wanted to tell you in person Harry."
"Why? What's so important about it?" Harry enquired curiously.
"Harry I was wondering if after this school year is over, would you like to live with me in Grimmauld place?" Sirius asked optimistically.
"Yes! Of course!" Harry said gleefully as he began to cry.
Later that night back at Hogwarts Harry, Ron, Tahlia and Hermione ran to professor Dumbledore's office and pleaded him to help free Buckbeak, after an hour of sitting and planning what he was going to say he escorted the four children back to their dormitory and walked back down the long lonesome corridor. Five minutes later Ron watched Dumbledore walk into the dark forest and disappear with a loud crack.
The next morning on their way to Herbology, Hagrid came running up to the four of them with tears streaming down his large hairy face before disappearing into his dark beard, even from fifty meters away you could tell he was grinning, but why; they could only guess.
"YOU DID IT!" Hagrid exclaimed ecstatically.
"Did what?" They all asked in unanimity.
"You freed Buckbeak!" Hagrid yelled again, but this time so loud that Malfoy stormed over sourly.
"You think you can just strut around like a big hero, don't you Potter! I'll get you back for what you did to my Father, I know it was you, and I'll get this filthy f-ing Bird too! Malfoy spat bitterly.
"Well Malfoy, you see I never did anything to your father and as for Buckbeak, well holding grudges against animals is just pathetic, so Piss Off!" Harry retorted with a forced laugh.
But before anyone had a chance to say anything further Professor Sprout came running out of the Green House.
"Break it up! Come on, Break it up, you two! And Professor Hagrid please return to where ever you came from and stop making such a Ruckus and stirring up my students!" she yelled.
"Sorry Professor." Hagrid said looking extremely embarrassed and walked back to his hut with his head down.
All Herbology lesson Harry, Ron, Hermione and Tahlia were having excited conversations quietly amongst themselves, they were so thrilled about Buckbeak and Sirius being free.
Chapter 9: Vengeance
Over the next month nothing much really happened at Hogwarts, it was almost like an ordinary everyday school. Every second weekend they were allowed to visit Hogsmeade, which meant that every second weekend they got to see Sirius.
Everyone was so happy, Things were finally starting to look up for Tahlia, Her and Ron were getting closer over the term and Hermione was helping her a lot with her History of Magic and she was Helping Harry a lot with his potions, But one morning Tahlia got and Owl that was going to change her life, or destroy it. It read:
'Avada Kedavra!'
It was not signed but she knew immediately whom it was from, in a way she had been expecting something of the sort, after all she did betray her father she sold him out to his enemy and she could hardly expect to get away with it. She decided not to worry the others or even Dumbledore, this was her fight, she couldn't bear for anyone to die because of her. So she destroyed the letter and just tried to forget about it.
Two weeks had passed and it was time for another trip to Hogsmeade, Tahlia went up to the mountain cave to say hello to Sirius but after a brief welcome she decided she needed some fresh air.
"I'm going for a walk, I'll be back soon." She announced.
"I'll come." Said Ron eagerly.
"No! I just need some time on my own, okay?" She said softly as if she didn't have the energy to argue. Ron just gave her a miserable look and nodded.
As she was walking up the mountain path she saw a flash of green light coming from inside another cave closer to the top. Cautiously she went to investigate, but as she walked into the cave she immediately regretted it, as two death eaters moved in behind her and blocked the only way back out of the cave, and in front of her stood her snake-like father.
"Ah, How nice it is of you to join us. It has been a while since I saw you last, has it not?" said a hissing voice, that she knew to be her fathers.
"Yes it has, but I can't say that I am glad to see you." Tahlia retorted.
"Yes, well I have a little unfinished business with a traitor" Voldemort laughed
"Oh, what a pity I was hoping we could spend some quality father daughter time together" Tahlia said sarcastically.
"Ah but you see I had planned for you to spend some quality time with Nagini, she is really looking forward to it!" Voldemort teased. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Tahlia couldn't move, she was frozen still, Then in front of her Voldemort walked toward her so that he was half a meter away, then he placed Nagini softly on Tahlia's shoulder, gave a merciless laugh, and watched as Nagini bit softly into her neck sucking out all of the blood before taking back his beloved snake and giving her a soft kiss on the head. Just at that moment Tahlia let out an involuntary scream and Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters Disappeared.
Just as Voldemort and his followers disappeared, Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Ron ran through the cave entrance to find Tahlia lying on the ground in a puddle of blood, from the red fountain now protruding from her neck, when she seen them she gave them all a weak smile and softly whispered "Thank you." Before laying her head softly on a rock and closing her eyes slowly for the last time.
At that moment Harry and Hermione rushed down and held her in a flood of tears, next came Sirius, without a word he embraced her tightly before laying her head gently back down, then he went to find Harry and Hermione to see if they were okay. Ron was alone now, he slowly knelt next to Tahlia's lifeless body, brushed the hair off her face and whispered in her ear "from the first time I saw you I knew that I loved you."
He planted a sincere kiss on her cold lips and then walked away, swearing to somehow avenge her death.