A/N: These next few chapters may/ will include past Character death, child abuse, torture, sexual assault. I will put a warning in the text before these things as well.
"It's gonna be uncomfortable," Jasmine says from her perch, it comes in lieu of a greeting and she's smiling but Emmett can see the anxious feelings in her face, "Or it is for most."
"What is?" He asks, and then she disappears and reappears on the ground next to him, grinning ear to ear.
"Magical Travel," She tells him brightly, "I guess it depends on the person, apparition has grown on me but I still prefer a broom anyday." She inhales the cool, crisp air of the woods around them and then holds out her arm. "Hold on, alright? Try not to let go and uh, I guess I don't have to worry about you throwing up at least."
Emmett, only slightly worried, places a hand on her arm. He can feel the warmth of her skin through the long sleeves, the current between them running strong. "Ready?" she breathes out after a moment, holding her wand in her other hand, She waited for Emmett's nod.
Just Like that, Emmett feels like he's being pulled through a small tube, every part of him being compressed and then tossed around. All in all the sensation lasts mere seconds, and then he's laying on his back staring at a nearly cloudless sky and thinking that if he were human he would have thrown up twice over.
"Unpleasant," He confirms when Jasmine's head comes into view, wearing a sympathetic smile.
"Well here it is," She shrugs as Emmett stands and she bites her lip as Emmett stares opened mouth and wide eyed.
"It's-"
"It's better than it looks, I swear it." And she walks forward to duck down into the tent, "Come on, I'll show you."
Emmett was pretty skeptical, sure, Jasmine was magic, full of energy and power and something dangerous (What else would make him want to run?) But a tent?
Still he bit back any retort and followed her in. He stopped in his tracks, spinning in place as his mind struggled to understand what his eyes were seeing. It was big. Big enough to stand in, to put a couch in, hell, it looked like it had an entire other room!
"I know," Jasmine laughed, "I love magic." She sat down on the couch, motioning Emmett to take the armchair across from her.
"So I guess I should start at the beginning. But I should warn you some of this isn't for the faint of heart." Emmett watched her twisting the extra fabric of her sleeve in her hands, "I haven't really had to explain it all to someone else in detail before so please be patient."
"I have all the time in the world," He told her, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile when he does, but it's brief as his face takes on a more serious expression, "So as long as you need, I'll be patient."
Jasmine gave a strained smile, "It started before I was even born," her voice is softer than he's ever heard it and she moves to twirl a lock of hair in between her fingers, "The magical world was at war, it was bad from the stories I heard. A man who went by Voldemort decided he would rid the magical world of those he did not consider worthy. In his mind it was those who did not have significant magical lineage. Magical children born to non magical parents, called muggleborns, were a main target along with Muggles, which are non magical people."
"My parents were part of an organization that defied Voldemort and fought battles for the rights of all. My Father was from an old Pureblood house that was very open minded and less traditional than some others. My Mother was a muggleborn, one of the brightest witches. A prophecy was made that a child would be born to parents that defied Voldemort thrice, at the end of July, would have the power to defeat Voldemort. Two Children fit the Prophecy, me and my God Brother, Neville. So Voldemort deemed us threats, something to be rid of."
"My clearest memory of my mother," Jasmine's breath hitched, "Is her begging for my life, telling Voldemort to take her rather than me. He told her..He told her if she stepped aside he would spare her and she refused. But When Voldemort tried to kill me, the curse, supposed to be unsurvivable, failed. It rebounded and destroyed Voldemort's body."
"Jasmine...I'm..I'm so sorry." She'd told him before her parents were murdered but not that she could even faintly recall it, or that she had been the true target of the attack.
"I...I think that it might be easier to show you some of these, I could fill in the gaps after." Jasmine waved her wand and carved stone bowl(?) appeared on the table in front of them, runes etched into the sides. "It's called a pensieve, It will allow me to show you memories instead of just telling you. Of course it's only if you want?"
"If it will be easier for you," Emmett agreed, Watching as she nodded and then put the wand against her temple, when she pulled it away a silvery substance came with and she let it fall into the pensieve.
"Before we view these memories, I want to warn you, When my parents died I was placed with my mother's sister. She and her husband were not..nice people." Jasmine took a deep breath, "Just, uh, Lean in."
Emmett followed her instructions, surprised when he seemed to fall into the bowl. He spun around and watched as Jasmine appeared silently beside him. The house they were in seemed far too clean, almost as if it were unlived in.
"Welcome," Jasmine said blankly, "To number four Privet Drive." That's when Emmet saw exactly where Jasmine's eyes were pointed, a small cupboard under the stairs with a shiny brass look screwed onto the outside.
(The following scene contains child abuse,)
"Girl! Girl Get up now!" A horse like woman commanded, swinging open the cupboard door after unlatching the lock. The woman grabbed a small, think arm and yanked a child from the cupboard.
Instantly, Emmett Knew. The child had large, bleary green eyes and choppy auburn curls spilling down her back dark, yellowing bruises on her bare arms and exposed legs. He could feel the unease and anger swelling within him, blooming under his skin.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." The child stuttered, fear evident in her eyes.
A whale of a man stomped down the stairs shortly after and sat down at the dining table. Emmett watched the memory-Jasmine Flinch at his entrance, and he noticed how the real Jasmine, a few steps away from him flinched too subtly for a human eye to see.
Jasmine served the man his breakfast, careful to keep her eyes downcast. She washed the pans and other dishes as the family ate.
"The bacon wasn't crisp." The man said bluntly- And he watched the child deflate, tears sparkling in her still down cast eyes.
"I'll take care of it, dear, you go on ahead to work." Petunia assured her husband. She waited for him to leave before turning on the child. "Ungrateful brat," a sharp smack echoed through the kitchen, and Emmett could feel the anger swelling hot in his chest, "We give you everything, A place to sleep, food to eat, clothes to wear and you can't even cook properly!"
The young girl was dragged back and shoved roughly into the cupboard, "You'll stay there until Vernon gets home."
The memory was suddenly shifting, and when it settled, Emmett recognized a slightly older Jasmine, running from a heavy boy and two others. "Come back here, Potter!"
The girl was wearing oversized everything, tattered and shoes falling apart as she ran. Her hair was tied back into a high ponytail. She stumbled, gasping as she landed hard on the ground. A taller, slim boy caught her ponytail as she struggled to get up.
"Got you, Potter!" The boy yanked on her ponytail, pulling her backwards as she cried out. "Here you go Dudley!"
"This is what you get for making Mum mad last night!" Before Dudley's fist connected the memory warped again.
He knew, somehow, he had not seen the worst of the memories, but the rage he could feel burning inside of him was almost unreal.
Emmett watched as that memory faded and suddenly found himself back in the real world. Jasmine staring at him from her spot across the table, hands shaking.
"I'm so sorry," He said, "I'm so sorry you ever had to live like that. I hope the got what they deserved." He growled the last part, he could feel the venom pooling behind his teeth.
"I'm sorry you had to see it, and I'm sorry that it might not be the last." She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. She collected the memory from the pensieve and took a few minutes before placing a new one in. "I'm skipping to Hogwarts, or well, the journey there and my first year.
She motioned for him to lean in and he obeyed, falling once again through memories.
Then suddenly, They were in the middle of a train station. "This way, come on, Oh there's always so many muggles," Emmett heard the real Jasmine laugh next to him and he turned to see a Red headed family rushing past. The younger Jasmine timidly approached.
"Those are the Weasley's." Jasmine told him, grinning, "The twins, Ginny, Ron, Percy, and of course, the woman herself, Molly."
Then he was being pulled back into the real world again, and Jasmine was frowning slightly in front of him.
"The next thing I'm going to show you is..it's my first real encounter with Voldemort. I just, I just thought I should warn you."
Jasmine replaced the memory and let Emmett lean in again.
"Ask the child what she sees…."
"I see myself, with my family." Jasmine answered automatically. Emmett watched the reflection place the stone in her pocket.
"Liar!" The voice hissed, and Jasmine cringed at the venom in the word.
Emmett watched as Quirrell burned beneath her touch, and finally as she too fell to the ground in exhaustion.
The memory ended. Emmett's eyes locked onto Jasmine who sat in front of him, stone faced.
"It gets more dangerous as the years go on," She said not looking directly at him, "It became war. I'm going to try and show you the most important things, but I'm not sure I can show you everything."
"There's something loose in the castle, attacking students.."
"I can hear a voice in the walls..It wants blood.."
The memory warped around them.
"Hermione!" Emmett could hear the pain in both the children's voices as they looked at the petrified girl, "Hermione, Oh my god."
"I'm going to find out who's behind this and...and.." Ron laid a hand on her shoulder, and when she looked up tear tracks had formed on her face.
The memory switched abruptly, and this time it seemed Ron was most Distraught.
"Ginny. They've taken Ginny." He said dully, the tension was thick in the air and suddenly, Ron flung the cloak off of himself, "We know what Lockhart's going up against, we can tell him!" Ron said, and Jasmine followed as he began printing down the hallway.
"She's dying. Please, you have to help her."
Tom Riddle stood a little ways away from the two girls, Jasmine frantically trying to wake Ginny.
Emmett watched Tom Riddle Reveal himself and clenched his fists hard as the Basilisk attacked. The back of his throat burned at the sight of the blood, even in the memory.
The next thing he knew the Fang was plunged into the diary hard, and Tom Riddle was screaming.
"Hey Fawkes. I guess I won't be making it back up there, huh. You think you can go get help for Ginny? She's gonna be scared if she wakes up alone." He watched in amazement as the Phoenix cried onto the wound, and Jasmine's own eyes widened.
"Phoenix tears have incredible healing properties," Jasmine told him as Emmett watched the memory, "Fawkes saved my life."
When they exited the memory Jasmine seemed to look a little better than she had previously.
"The next year is sort of confusing, and I'm going to do my best to tell you what happened." Jasmine said, "When my parents heard the prophecy, they went into hiding under a complex charm. This charm would hide their location except from people who the secret-keeper told. The secret-keeper would be the only one who could reveal the location as well."
"My Father's best friend, Sirius Black, was the first choice for secret keeper. He'd known my father for years and even ended up living with him after he turned sixteen. Sirius is also my Godfather. He convinced my father to switch secret keepers without telling anyone so that he could serve as a false lead. Sirius was convinced that Voldemort's followers would target him first for answers."
Jasmine Switched memories in the Pensive as she explained, "We can view some memories and I will explain while we do."
She explained Sirius's perceived guilt and somewhat about the marauders as Emmett divided his attention between watching memories and her explanations.
"So he never got a trial?" Emmett asked as they re-emerged.
"None. I was absolutely livid when I found that out," Jasmine said, "And that's when I decided to go to the Goblins."
"At the bank?"
Jasmine nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. "They are the best at business for a price. But Sirius was heir and supposed to be the head of a Noble and Ancient house, something very important in the magical world. His vaults in the bank were sitting mostly stagnant, making no new money. So of course the Goblins helped."
She seemed to think for a moment before waving her hand, "Those meetings aren't necessarily important right now," Her expression shifted, a frown on her face as she seemed to try to decide something, "This next year was, in hindsight, the beginning of a war. Please, tell me if you can't watch something. I'll try to explain as we go."
Jasmine launched into an explanation of the Triwizard tournament.
Emmett watched with wonder, amazement, often having to remind himself that she was alive, fine, here, protected.
But as he watched her spin during what she said was the Yule Ball, smiling genuinely at Neville, that she did not have the same amount of grace he had come to expect. She was not graceless, but she was not dangerous. Nothing in the way she moved every made him think of a predator.
He was distracted however, as a boy approached Jasmine during the ball.
"Why, If it isn't the Girl-who-lived, Jasmine Potter."
Jasmine looked less than pleased as she greeted the older boy. "Mclaggen." She nodded curtly, "My date is waiting for me over there if you don't mind-" She had moved to sidestep him when he grabbed her arm tugging her back.
""I'd like to ask for a dance, the Champion should dance with anyone who asks, right?"
"If you don't-"
The memory switched abruptly, leaving Emmett staggering to catch up to his surroundings. "Sorry," the real Jasmine muttered, "That wasn't going to be pleasant."
(Mentioned character death)
It wasn't until watching the final task, Jasmine fighting, dueling the dark lord after taking a curse meant to inflict such devastating pain, that he saw it. She stood, slowly, from Cedric's dead body with a hard glint in her eyes.
I'm dangerous, it said, seeping into the air around her, everyone crowded around them, cheering first until the realization struck.
Her eyes, hard and empty as the professor led her away left Emmett to fear what was still to come in her story.
A/N: Wow okay, this took a long time, and it's a pretty decent length. I wanna thank ya'll for your patience and support! Monday marks the beginning of Hell week (one more week til finals!) and then, obviously, finals and moving out of my dorm and then a convention! So I decided to stop nit piking my choices for this chapter and save it for the next one!
The next chapter is when things really start to diverge from Canon so I hope you are all prepared for that. I'll be going more in depth for those memories as well for obvious reasons.
Until then, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for your support!