Chapter 7: Return to Chaos….er…Class
Jamie woke Monday morning in the comfort of her own bed. While she was grateful to be back in her room, she was not looking forward to the day ahead. Jamie had managed to make it through the night without the use of any Dreamless Sleep potion, thanks to her meeting in Dumbledore's office yesterday. Wait a minute, who was she kidding. The reason she made it through the night was lying right next to her. After pledging himself to the Light and swearing to do anything and everything to protect Jamie, Draco had been moved into the Unicorn rooms, along with her, Blaise and now Harry. Draco had decided to check on Jamie in the night and when he saw her thrashing around in bed, obviously trapped within a nightmare; he climbed into her bed and pulled her to him, whereupon she calmed down enough to fall back into a peaceful slumber.
Jamie lay there watching her Dragon sleep, lightly tracing his face with her fingers.
"Morning, Love," Draco said as he took Jamie's hand from his face and kissed it. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long, my Dragon," replied Jamie. "Don't get me wrong, Dragon, I'm far from being upset but…why are you in here?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I was in the common room working on my potions essay when I heard whimpering coming from your room, so I came to check on you. You were caught in a nightmare. It broke my heart to see you suffering, even in your sleep, so I hopped in and pulled you close to comfort you. It wasn't long before you calmed down, but when I went to leave, you grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go."
"Oh…I'm sorry, I…" blushed Jamie.
"It's okay, Love. I don't mind, really I don't. I like waking up to your beautiful face in the morning. And you're especially beautiful when you blush like that," commented Draco before capturing Jamie's lips in a kiss.
Jamie broke the kiss when the need for air became too great to ignore. "We'd better get dressed. We don't want to be late for breakfast."
"Jamie, are you sure you're ready for this? Are you sure you wouldn't like to take Dumbledore up on his offer of a few more days off?"
"I'm sure, Dragon," replied Jamie as she got out of bed. "I have to face the school eventually and the longer I put it off, the harder it will be for me. Besides, Harry hinted at some sort of surprise announcement or something that will happen at breakfast this morning and knowing my brother, this isn't something I want to miss. Now, go get dressed."
"Okay, okay," chuckled Draco, "I'm going."
Thirty minutes later Jamie, accompanied by Draco, Blaise and Hermione, who had stopped by to pick up Blaise before breakfast, made their way down to the Great Hall. Harry was nowhere to be found.
"Where's your brother, Jamie?" asked Hermione.
"I have no idea," replied Jamie as she walked down the corridor with her friends, Draco's arm around her shoulders. "We haven't seen him at all this morning."
"I hope he's alright," commented Hermione worriedly.
"He's fine, Hermione. I would know if he wasn't," Jamie reassured her friend.
"I hate to admit it, but this link you share with Harry, it's a little disconcerting," commented Draco.
Jamie stopped in her tracks and when Draco turned to face her, his eyes met with a hurt and questioning look from Jamie.
"Don't get me wrong, Jamie, I'm grateful for it, but it is a bit strange, don't you think?"
"Draco's right, Jamie," commented Hermione, causing Jamie to look between her two friends. Blaise came to stand behind Jamie and put his hand on her shoulder offering her his silent and unwavering support, showing her that he would always be there for her, no matter what. This move did not go unnoticed by Hermione or Draco. Hermione continued, "From what I understand, most twins share a special bond with each other, but nothing like what you and Harry share. I mean, just look at the Weasley twins. Fred and George…" The rest of what Hermione had to say died on her tongue at the wounded and angry glare Jamie was now directing at her.
Jamie held her glare for a few moments before breaking away from her friends and running off down the hall.
"Jamie, wait!" cried Draco, starting to head after her.
"Don't," instructed Blaise as he put a restraining hand on Draco's arm. At Draco's questioning look, Blaise continued, "Just let her go right now." With that, Blaise started to make his way to the Great Hall, Hermione and Draco falling into step with him.
Jamie wasn't paying attention to where she was going and it wasn't long before she ran into someone. Before she could fall, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her. Looking up, her tear filled vision met with concerned emerald eyes.
"Jamie, what is it? What's wrong?" asked Harry in concern, as he wiped away Jamie's tears. "Was it Draco?"
Jamie shook her head.
"Then what is it?"
"Why are we different?" asked Jamie.
"Different? What do you mean, different?"
"Why are we linked the way we are? Why do we feel each other's presence and why can we draw on each other's magic?"
"Jamie, where is all this coming from?"
Jamie wiped her eyes before beginning. "Draco, Blaise, Hermione and I were walking down to breakfast when Hermione wanted to know where you were. I told her I hadn't seen you yet this morning but that you were fine and that I would know if you weren't. Then Draco commented on how disconcerting our connection was and then Hermione went off on how strange it was because most twins do share a special bond but nothing like us and then she brought up the Weasleys and I couldn't…I just…I…" Jamie was crying again by the time she finished.
"Shh, it's okay, Jamie," Harry soothed as he pulled her into a comforting embrace. "They don't know the whole story…hell; we don't know the whole story. You have to remember that they learned of our connection in what was definitely not the ideal situation so they're trying to understand something beyond their comprehension. And you know what Hermione's like when presented with a mystery."
"Yeah, I do…"Jamie sniffed, "Research it from every possible angle until she has an answer."
"Exactly."
"But, Harry, I don't want to be put under a microscope. That happened after everyone found out Iopened the Chamber of Secrets and now with the upcoming trial, I can't deal with this as well. Why can't people just leave us alone?"
"I know, Sweetie, I know," Harry soothed as he rubbed small comforting circles on Jamie's back.
"Harry, Jamie, why don't the two of you join me in my quarters tonight," suggested Severus as he approached the twins. He'd watched them for the past couple of minutes. "I'm sure the two of you could use some time together away from the prying eyes of the school."
"Thank you, Professor," replied Harry, nodding his head towards Severus.
"Yes, thank you, Professor," replied Jamie, pulling out of Harry's embrace, noticing for the first time exactly what Harry was wearing. "Harry?"
"I'll explain later, but just be prepared for quite the show at breakfast. Dumbledore's going to make the announcement in a few minutes. Why don't you head into the Great Hall, I'm sure Draco and Blaise are worried about you, and I'll join you shortly."
"Okay," answered Jamie a little unsurely before turning and heading into the Great Hall. In her hasty escape from her friends, she hadn't realized she was heading for the dungeons.
As Jamie entered the Great Hall, Draco bolted to his feet and was about to run to Jamie when a hand on his shoulder stopped him
"Don't," Blaise instructed. "Let her come to you. You hurt her pretty badly this morning and the last thing she needs is to have you jumping all over her."
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, turning to look at his fellow Slytherin.
"By questioning her relationship with Harry and the link they share," answered Blaise.
"I did no such thing that was Hermione…" Draco tried defending himself but found his defence failing under Blaise's withering look.
"You're both at fault. You basically told her that her link with Harry freaked you out because it wasn't normal and Hermione didn't help by bringing up the Weasleys. That poor girl's life has been a living hell since she started here and this past summer was particularly hard on her, and when she finally feels safe enough to start letting in more people, not only is she gang raped by her former housemates but the one person next to Harry that she thought would be there for her no questions asked, questions her in regards to her relationship with her brother. The poor girl was betrayed by the people she loved, and to have you question her the way you did probably felt like another betrayal by a loved one. She loves you with every fibre of her being, Draco; I can see it. And did you ever stop to consider that she and Harry don't know any more about their link than the rest of us? Remember she never knew she was a Potter until this summer and Harry was only a baby when their parents were killed. Jamie told me that even Dumbledore doesn't know the reason why James Potter asked him to switch the babies. The only people who know are dead. Jamie and Harry may never know the truth and what she needs right now is your support and your love, especially with the trial coming up."
"I never thought of it like that," responded Draco when Blaise finished his whispered lecture.
"Obviously," commented Blaise sarcastically.
"Hi…" came a shy greeting from beside the two Slytherins.
"Hey, Jamie," greeted Blaise, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I think so," replied Jamie, pulling out of the embrace. "Thanks."
"Jamie, I'm sorry, I didn't think…"
"You're right, Draco, you didn't think," commented Jamie, turning to face her boyfriend. "I'll forgive you; this time, just promise me you'll never compare me to the Weasleys again.
"I promise," answered Draco sincerely.
"Good. And as for this thing between me and Harry, even we don't understand it. Dumbledore can't explain it either."
"I admit that I shouldn't have said what I did, but it does freak me out a bit." As the hurt look returned to Jamie's face, Draco was quick to reassure her, "but I couldn't be happier about it because without your link, you probably wouldn't be standing here right now and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you so much that without you in my life, my life is worthless…"
Before Draco could continue with his heartfelt apology, Jamie launched herself into his arms. "Thank you," Jamie said into Draco's shoulder.
"You're welcome, Love. I think we should sit down now, people are starting to stare and Dumbledore looks like he wants to say something," commented Draco.
"The announcement!" cried Jamie as she pulled away from Draco and quickly sat down at her house table.
"Announcement?" questioned Blaise, taking his seat on her left while Draco took the one to her right.
"You'll see," grinned Jamie, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
McGonagall tapped her goblet, drawing everyone's attention to the Head Table where Dumbledore rose from his seat.
"As I'm sure most of you are aware, one of your fellow students was brutally and violently attacked a little over a week ago." Jamie started to panic as Albus began his announcement. Draco pulled her close and Blaise took her hand when they noticed Jamie's distress. Albus continued, "The students responsible have been identified and dealt with accordingly. This attack has also lead to one student feeling that he no longer belongs with his current house and has made his reasons known to me. I have therefore seen fit to grant his request of a Resorting, which took place in my office a number of days ago. The student may now enter and sit with his new house."
As Albus finished speaking, the doors to the Great Hall swung open to reveal none other than The-Boy-Who-Lived himself. The students and teachers, with the exception of the Headmaster and Professor Snape, sat in stunned silence as they watched the saviour of the Wizarding world calmly enter the Great Hall and proceed to his new house table.
"Is this seat taken?" Harry asked, his emerald eyes dancing.
"Nope," answered Jamie, trying to stifle her giggles as the entire Great Hall watched Harry sit down at the Slytherin table.
Once Harry was sitting, the entire Hall broke out into speculative whispers about Harry's sudden change to the Snake House. Even the Head Table was not immune. All the Professors were trying to figure out the reasons behind the switch. McGonagall was tearing into Dumbledore about the switch and what it would mean for Gryffindor. The only one not involved in the gossiping was Professor Snape, who sat at his spot with a smug look on his face.
Meanwhile, back at the Slytherin Table…
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Blaise.
"Remember about a month ago when I had that argument with Ron after Care of Magical Creatures?"
"Yeah, you said the hat wanted to put you in Slytherin from the start," commented Blaise as he remembered the incident in question.
"Right, and that the only reason I was in Gryffindor was because I let Ron's prejudices become mine. I also told him what would happen if he didn't leave Jamie alone. He didn't listen."
"When did this happen?" asked Jamie, "When were you Resorted?"
"The day of the attack, after we found you; Dumbledore took Ron, Seamus, Dean and I to his office. He talked to each of us individually about what happened and I told him I wanted to speak to him about another matter when he finished with the others. When we spoke again, I told him everything. He even conferred with the Sorting Hat, who confirmed everything. Dumbledore agreed to resort me and so here I am," explained Harry.
"But Harry, you had Gryffindor robes on yesterday. Why is it that if you were resorted over a week ago you're only now being placed with us?" asked Jamie as she, Harry, Blaise and Draco made their way out of the Great Hall.
"Dumbledore wanted to announce it the next day but I wouldn't let him. I wanted you to be here to hear it, even though you found out before you were supposed to. I wanted to surprise you and let you know how much you mean to me. Plus, after everything that's happened, I've discovered that most Gryffindors, save Hermione here of course," Hermione had just joined the four Slytherins as they made their way towards the Potions classroom, "are not as loyal, noble and brave as they pretend to be." As the five friends entered the Potions classroom, Harry continued, "I guess I was tired of the hypocrisy in Gryffindor. They don't care about anything but themselves and they only like me because of my name, otherwise they would have treated Jamie with respect when school started because she's my sister and they would have respected my wishes that she be left alone when she moved to Slytherin. Blaise and Draco here have shown me that it is the Slytherins who are truly loyal…"
"Odd sentiment that…for a traitor."
Harry spun around to see who had spoken. He wasn't at all surprised when he came face to face with his former housemate. "Weasley," Harry commented icily, his voice sounding not that dissimilar to a certain Potions Master's. "You no longer have the protection of my name or your little cronies so if you know what's good for you; you'll keep your opinions to yourself and stay out of our way."
"You're the one that destroyed my life. You and that whore sister of yours," snarled Ron.
Draco put a restraining hand around Jamie's waist while Blaise and Hermione put restraining hands on Harry's arms, before either twin could do something that would land them in serious trouble, as both twin's eyes were flashing murderously.
"What's going on here?" questioned a silky voice from behind Ron. It was a voice that made Ron pale as it was laced with deadly intent. Both twins smirked at the scene in front of them. Ron, as usual, had picked the wrong time to pick on them.
"Nothing, Professor," Harry answered innocently, causing Ron to gulp nervously. Harry could definitely get used to being on the other side when it came to the Potions Master. "Weasley here was just giving me his rather biased opinion of my new house."
"I see," commented Severus. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley. I suggest taking your seat and refraining from any further discussion about the merits of being a Slytherin over a Gryffindor. Unless of course, you wish to continue losing points for your house and earn another detention on top of your regular Saturday detention with Filch," Severus sneered before proceeding to the front of the classroom to begin the day's lesson.
"This isn't over yet, Potter," snarled Ron before he turned to sit down next to Neville.
The rest of the day passed by fairly uneventfully for the five friends; Hermione apologized to Jamie for her comments before breakfast and promised she would never bring up the Weasleys again, with the exception of Bill and Charlie, of course. She valued Jamie's friendship too much to risk it again.
It wasn't long before Harry and Jamie found themselves making their way to Severus' dungeon quarters.
"Aconite," Harry said to the portrait guarding Severus' chambers. The portrait swung open, allowing the twins entrance to the room beyond.
"Good evening, Harry, Jamie," Severus said from his place next to the fire. He closed the book he was reading when the twins sat down opposite him. "How are the two of you doing? You both look a little stressed."
"I'm okay, I guess. It was hard being around so many people, especially when most of them started whispering behind my back," replied Jamie.
"What happened on the way to breakfast this morning? I saw you and Harry together and you looked rather upset?"
"Draco told me that this link that Harry and I share basically freaks him out and Hermione went off about all this research she's done on twin bonds and she then proceeded to compare me to the Weasley twins. I was standing there listening to the people I care about tell me that they were afraid of me and that I was a freak of nature. Well… except for Blaise, he stood by me. I couldn't handle what I was hearing, especially after everything else that's happened recently, so I ran, and I ran straight into Harry…literally. Harry calmed me down and sent me into the Great Hall with a cryptic message about an announcement. When I got in there, Draco apologized for what he'd said earlier and Hermione apologized a little while later."
"You can thank Blaise for that," commented Harry.
"What do you mean by that?" Jamie asked, confused.
"Blaise told me earlier that he had a few choice words with both Draco and Hermione about their behaviour this morning," explained Harry.
"Words? What words?"
"About their attitudes and why you reacted the way that you did. You haven't told Draco everything, have you?"
At this Jamie dropped her gaze to her hands, which were in her lap. She started fidgeting, which Harry knew she tended to do when she got nervous. "No, I haven't. Nobody except you and Blaise knows, and Blaise only knows some of it," whispered Jamie.
"Everything? What do you mean by everything?" Severus asked worriedly, as he leaned forwards in his chair.
"I suffer from terrible, sometimes debilitating nightmares. Draco witnessed one of the milder ones last night."
"Milder ones?" interrupted Severus
"I've had frequent nightmares for as long as I can remember, but they were never really that bad, not until my first year and the Chamber of Secrets. Since then they've been getting progressively worse. Add the events of this past summer and last week and I'm afraid to go to sleep at night now, afraid of what I'll see in my dreams."
"Has there been any kind of recurring theme?" asked Severus.
"Exclusion."
"Exclusion?"
"Feeling that I don't belong; that the life I was leading was not the one I was meant to. Last night's was one I've had since I was a small child. I'm lost and looking for my parents but when they arrive, it's them but not them. It's like…I know they're my parents but deep down I know they're not my parents. When I try to tell them, they just laugh and take me with them. Over time, the scenes change, as does everything else in the dream. Everything changes but this feeling of being an outsider stays the same. This dream has been getting worse ever since…"
"The Weasleys disowned you," finished Severus.
Jamie nodded.
"You said this was one of the milder ones," questioned Severus.
"Yes, I've learned to live with it and ones that are similar. As I said, I've been having them for as long as I can remember."
"And the others?"
"The others…The others are worse. I've had these ones ever since my first year, ever since…"
"The Chamber of Secrets," supplied Severus.
Jamie nodded. "These dreams can range from the incident with the Chamber of Secrets to whatever Tom is planning next and everything in between. I knew what Tom was planning for Harry during the Triwizard Tournament. I saw it in my dreams."
"What! What do you mean you saw it? Why didn't you say anything?" cried Severus, causing Jamie to curl in on herself even more than she was.
"Would you have believed me? Sev, can you honestly tell me that any Professor here would have taken the word of a thirteen-year-old girl that Professor Moody was not who he appeared to be? Especially when that thirteen-year-old girl is not only the one responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets but one that had absolutely no proof of her accusation except the 'I saw it in my dreams' defence," cried Jamie as she leapt from her chair and went to stand in front of the fire with unseeing eyes, shedding tears of frustration and fear. "I've seen almost everything that Tom has and is planning, especially now that he has a body." Jamie's voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to contain her sobs. "The next time Tom calls you, he's going to ask you to brew him a potion, a potion that will return him to 'his former glory' as he put it. He wants to look like he did before Harry destroyed his body."
"How…"
"I saw it in a dream, the night before last," explained Jamie, answering Severus' unasked question.
"Why does he want this kind of potion? Do you know?" asked Severus, both concerned and curious.
"It's to be his wedding gift," Jamie replied, turning to face Severus and Harry once more.
"Wedding gift?" Harry interrupted for the first time. "Wedding gift for whom?"
"Me," was Jamie's simple reply, tears now flowing freely down her face.
"What!" Harry cried.
"He plans to make me his bride," Jamie intoned emotionlessly.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," growled Harry, pulling Jamie into a tight embrace.
"How is it possible that you see these things in your dreams?" asked Severus, worry about his surrogate daughter colouring his voice.
"I've always been somewhat of a seer, but I've learned to hide that part of me. My par…Mr. and Mrs. Weasley used to get upset when I mentioned something that would happen, before it actually happened, so I started keeping these things to myself. They usually show up in my dreams. But ever since the Chamber of Secrets…I've seen things regarding Tom and his plans. I never told anyone because I knew no one would believe me. I guess you could say that Tom and I are connected somehow because of the diary. Through that diary Tom was able to control me and make me do his bidding. This connection only really appeared after Harry pulled me from the Chamber. I remember being forced to enter the Chamber and waking up there with Harry sitting over me but as for what happened between blacking out and waking up, I really don't know."
"I think I can answer that," commented Harry. "You were unconscious when I found you, you were barely alive. That's when 'Tom Riddle' appeared. He told me that as you grew weaker, he grew stronger and that when you died he'd be free of the diary and that Lord Voldemort would be able to return to the world at full strength. By destroying the diary, I destroyed the memory of Riddle and effectively returned your magic, your soul, to your body. That's probably when this 'connection' happened."
"It scares me," whispered Jamie
"Jamie, I hate to admit this, but think of the information you can get for the Order. It will help us fight him," reasoned Harry.
"Don't you think I know that!" snapped Jamie.
"Calm down, Jamie, I'm sure Harry didn't mean anything by it."
"I know that, Sev, and I'm sorry, Harry, but you just don't get it. Neither of you do."
"Well, then why don't you explain it to us so that we can understand it better," soothed Severus.
"I…I can feel him. I can feel his desire, even when I'm awake. He wants me…he wants... It terrifies me."
"Shh, Harry and I are not going to let anything happen to you. Voldemort will never lay a hand on you ever again. I promise," soothed Severus. "Listen, why don't the two of you stay here for the night? I'll get you some Dreamless Sleep potion for tonight and tomorrow I'll start work on a potion to help block your nightmares."
The twins nodded before heading into their rooms for the night.
Breakfast, a few days later…
The post owls arrived delivering the Daily Prophet, which quickly became the topic of conversation at all the house tables.
Boy-Who-Lived Turned Dark by Sister?
By Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent
Is the Boy-Who-Lived really the saviour of the Wizarding World? Will Harry Potter defeat the Dark Lord or join his ranks?
Those are just some of the questions brought to mind upon learning of Harry Potter being resorted to the Serpent's House. Yes folks, you read that right. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived has been resorted into Slytherin House, the house of Dark Wizards. Everyone knows He-Who-Must-Be-Named was a Slytherin and he draws his Death Eaters from the same house. How can we trust our future, our children's future to a boy who will undoubtedly turn dark?
Is it possible that the Dark Lord already controls the Boy-Who-Lived? Is the will of the Dark Lord infiltrating the supposedly protective walls of Hogwarts? There have been too many strange occurrences happening recently for this reporter to believe otherwise.
First there is the sudden reappearance of a girl long thought dead and the subsequent murder of an innocent child. It is then discovered that this girl is none other than Jamie-Lynn Potter, the twin sister of the Boy-Who-Lived and a girl who may have Death Eater ties. This suspicion has been growing steadily ever since her own sorting into the Serpent's House. We even have evidence of favouritism by not only her Head of House but by the Headmaster of Hogwarts himself, Albus Dumbledore. What is the evidence, you ask? First, she is permitted to sit her O.W.L.s two months after finishing her fourth year and the results of these O.W.L.s are ultimately questionable. Second, she is given private rooms away from the rest of the students. Third, she is allowed to do as she pleases in her Potions class, which is taught by none other than Severus Snape, a suspected Death Eater and Head of Slytherin House. And finally she has brought fraudulent charges of rape, attempted murder and kidnapping against three fellow Hogwarts students.
It is with this last incident that we see how much influence she has, as this was what apparently caused the Boy-Who-Lived to turn Snake. Through an elaborate set up, she managed to convince her brother, her Head of House, the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress of her so called kidnapping and rape. This reporter has spoken to the real victims of this alleged attack.
"She wanted us to do it. We thought it was wrong, hell, we even told her we weren't comfortable with it but she wouldn't listen." All three boys agreed that Miss Potter approached them to act out her rape fantasy. When asked why they agreed to it if they were so uncomfortable with it, they had this to say, "We had no choice but to agree to it. We've seen what she can do when someone crosses her. She once blew up everything made of glass in the Great Hall within a ten-foot radius of her, without a wand. We feared for our lives, so we did what we had to. We agreed."
There is also some speculation as to what motivated the Boy-Who-Lived to change houses. The boys spoke of a connection between the Potter siblings. Could this be the Dark Lord at work? Ronald Weasley seems to think so. "Harry's had dreams about You-Know-Who the past couple of years, ever since his sister opened the Chamber of Secrets in her first year. If you ask me, she still carries a part of the Dark Lord inside her, which makes it easier for You-Know-Who to control her and with her connection to Harry, I'm sure the Dark Lord is influencing him as well. Let's not forget either that Harry's a parse tongue, a sure sign of Dark Magic. And now that Harry's turned traitor to the Light, it's only logical to assume that it won't be long before he takes his place alongside his sister at their master's feet."
Is Harry Potter the next Dark Lord? Will he and his sister wreck havoc alongside their Lord and master? This reporter leaves that up to you fine readers to determine for yourselves, but I know that I will think long and hard before I blindly follow the Boy-Who-Lived into any kind of battle. I will leave you with one final question to ponder. Did Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, truly survive a killing curse by the Dark Lord or was he left alive for a much more sinister purpose?
"Why that…"
"Harry, where are you going?" asked Jamie as Harry stood from the table and headed towards the Gryffindor table. Jamie grabbed a hold of Harry's discarded Prophet and quickly scanned it.
"Uh oh…" commented Jamie, looking over to her brother.
Harry stalked over to the Gryffindor table. Jamie tried to use the link to calm Harry down, but he was blocking her attempts. Jamie could tell Harry was having trouble trying to contain his anger and control his magic and it was a fight he was losing. Jamie was brought out of her contemplation of her brother by an envelope landing on the plate in front of her. She groaned when she saw the familiar handwriting on the all too familiar red envelope. Before she could dispose of the howler, it erupted, echoing Molly Weasley's voice throughout the Great Hall.
"YOU LYING, DECEITFUL, MANIPULATIVE LITTLE WHORE! HOW DARE YOU DESTROY THE LIVES OF TWO INNOCENT BOYS AND ALL BUT DESTROY THE LIFE OF MY SON. I KNOW THE TRUTH, THE REAL TRUTH! NOT THIS BULLSHITE YOU'RE TRYING TO PASS OF AS THE TRUTH! MY SON WOULD NEVER DO WHAT YOU'RE ACCUSING HIM OF AND NEITHER WOULD THE OTHER TWO INNOCENT BOYS! I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD'VE LEARNED YOUR LESSON AFTER THE INCIDENT IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS BUT LOOKING BACK I HAVE TO WONDER IF YOU REALLY WERE UNDER A SPELL OR IF YOU WEREN'T IN FACT DOING IT OF YOUR OWN ACCORD! BECAUSE OF YOUR LIES AND DECEIT, RON HAS LOST HIS BEST FRIENDS AND HIS FUTURE IS NOW IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO POOR HARRY! I MUST ADMIT YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF BRAINWASHING HIM, OR ARE YOU CONTROLLING HIM WITH IMPERIUS? WITH YOUR HISTORY, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED ABOUT THAT ONE! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A LYING, DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING, WHO DESERVES TO BE RAPED BY EVERY DEATH EATER MORE THAN ONCE! YOU WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO STEP FOOT INSIDE THE BURROW EVER AGAIN! AND BECAUSE OF YOU, HARRY IS NO LONGER WELCOME EITHER SINCE YOU'VE MANAGED TO COME BETWEEN HIM AND RON! IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT HARRY'S LOST THE ONLY FAMILY HE'S EVER TRULY KNOWN!"
Jamie and the rest of the Great Hall sat in stunned silence, everyone except Harry that is. Harry had made it to the point where he was now standing directly behind Ron when the Howler exploded. Ron was completely oblivious to Harry's proximity, which was surprising, given the amount of magic radiating off him.
When Molly's voice finally faded, Harry's tight control over his magic and his anger was near the breaking point. He grabbed Ron by the arm and hauled him out of his seat so they were standing facing each other. Ron's smug, self-satisfied expression quickly faded when faced with the look of pure, unadulterated hatred in Harry's fiery gaze. It also didn't help that Harry was starting to glow slightly as he fought desperately to maintain his precarious hold over his magic. Before Ron could even draw his wand, he was hit in the face by a serious right hook.
Harry leaned down over Ron's prone body so that he could whisper in his ear. "Don't you EVER say anything to or about me or my sister ever again; if you do, the punishment Seamus and Dean have coming will look like a cake walk because I'll do exactly what your mother just threatened Jamie with." At Ron's slightly confused look, Harry elaborated further. "I'll hand deliver you to Voldemort and his Death Eaters and let them play with you to their hearts' content." Harry smirked at the look of pure terror in Ron's eyes as realization of what Harry had just said sunk in. "You might want to open these before they explode," commented Harry nastily as he tossed three Howlers on Ron's chest. The Howlers had landed on Ron's plate after Harry had decked him. With that, Harry walked towards the Head Table and stopped in front of Severus. "What time should I show up for detention, Professor?"
It took Severus several seconds to process everything he'd just witnessed. "8:00pm, my office."
"Yes, Sir," replied Harry, before making his way back to his seat across from Jamie. Just as Harry sat down, the first of Ron's Howlers exploded, causing Bill Weasley's voice to echo throughout the Great Hall.
"YOU ARROGANT, SELF-ABSORBED LITTLE PRICK! HOW COULD YOU TREAT HARRY AND JAMIE LIKE THAT? HARRY HAS BEEN YOUR BEST FRIEND SINCE YOUR FIRST YEAR AND WHILE JAMIE MAY NOT BE OUR SISTER BY BLOOD, SHE WAS RAISED A WEASLEY AND DESERVES YOUR RESPECT! I'M ASHAMED OF YOU, RONALD WEASLEY! I'M ASHAMED TO CALL YOU FAMILY! GET YOUR ARSE IN GEAR, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AND GROW UP!"
As Bill's voice faded, the next Howler erupted, echoing the voice of Charlie Weasley in its place.
"HOW COULD YOU? I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU! TO THINK I'M RELATED TO SOMEONE WHO WOULD CONSIDER RAPING A GIRL THAT WAS RAISED AS THEIR SISTER! YOU ARE SUCH A SMALL PERSON, RON WEASLEY! HAVE YOU EVEN STOPPED TO CONSIDER HARRY AT ALL? YOU KNOW ALL HE'S EVER WANTED WAS A FAMILY AND WHEN HE FINALLY FINDS ONE, YOU TRY AND DENY HIM THAT FAMILY AND ALL BECAUSE YOUR FEELINGS HAVE BEEN HURT! DID YOU EVER ONCE STOP TO THINK THAT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE THERE WAS A VERY GOOD REASON BEHIND THE SWITCH! I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, RON! IF YOU WERE SMART, WHICH I HIGHLY DOUBT AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, YOU WOULD APOLOGIZE TO HARRY AND JAMIE AND BEG FOR THEIR FORGIVENESS. YOU DISGUST ME, RONALD WEASLEY!"
Charlie's voice faded out only to be replaced by those of Fred and George as the last Howler exploded.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR SO CALLED BEST FRIEND'S SISTER! AND TO THINK HARRY WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO FIND HER. WE UNDERSTAND YOU'RE HURT BUT DID YOU EVER STOP TO CONSIDER WHAT JAMIE WAS FEELING! HER WHOLE LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN THIS PAST SUMMER AND THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO SUPPORT HER DURING THAT TIME, TURNED THEIR BACKS ON HER! WE'RE ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT WE DIDN'T GIVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND TURNED OUR BACKS ON OUR BABY SISTER! THAT'S RIGHT RON, OUR BABY SISTER! WE MISS OUR LITTLE SISTER AND BY MERLIN WE'RE TAKING HER BACK! YOU NEED TO MARCH YOUR ARSE OVER TO THE POTTERS AND APOLOGIZE! JAMIE WAS YOUR SISTER AND HARRY IS YOUR BEST FRIEND, OR IS HE? DID YOU EVER REALLY LIKE HARRY OR JUST HIS FAME AND WHAT THAT FAME WOULD MEAN FOR YOU? WERE YOU JUST HIS FRIEND BECAUSE HE'S THE 'BOY-WHO-LIVED'? IF SO THAT IS JUST SICK. PERSONALLY WE THINK WE KNOW HARRY BETTER THAN YOU DO. WE WILL ALWAYS BE FRIENDS WITH HARRY AND JAMIE WILL ALWAYS BE OUR SISTER."
When the Howler from Fred and George finally faded, the Great Hall was eerily silent. No one quite knew what to make of the current situation. The Weasleys were well known for being a tight-knit family that would do anything for each other. Watching the family take sides and turn on each other was a little disconcerting for most.
"Love, are you alright?" Draco whispered, concerned with the pale, drawn look on Jamie's face, while tears silently flowed down her face. She was also visibly shaking.
Jamie shook her head, too afraid to speak.
"Come on," Draco said, helping Jamie stand.
Harry, Blaise and Hermione, seeing Draco help Jamie up, rose and accompanied the two out of the Great Hall and away from the prying eyes of the other students. The five friends slowly made their way outside, believing that fresh air would do Jamie some good.
"Feeling any better, Love?" Draco asked as they neared the lake and Jamie's favourite tree.
"Yeah, thanks guys. I just…I had to get out of there."
"That's completely understandable, Jamie, given this morning's rather interesting events," commented Hermione. "Those Howlers must have been pretty shocking."
"Not really, Hermione," Jamie said, composing herself even more. "I was expecting at least three of them."
"Three?" asked Harry, a little confused.
"Yeah, well, the one from M...Molly was inevitable, especially after that meeting in Dumbledore's office. The ones from Bill and Charlie, while unexpected, were not overly surprising."
"How come?" asked Hermione, genuinely curious as to why the Howlers from the eldest Weasley boys were not surprising.
"We've been writing to each other ever since my being a Potter was revealed. I received letters from both of them within days of being disowned, telling me that I was still their sister, no matter what. The one that surprised me was the one from Fred and George. Bill and Charlie told me they were working on bringing them around but never said if they had succeeded…"
"After that Howler, I'd say they succeeded," commented Blaise. "We should probably head back in. We don't want to be late for Potions and give Professor Snape a reason to take points."
As the friends made their way back into the castle, no one was aware of the eyes that were following the twins' progress.
Jamie slowly made her way towards the Great Hall, where her friends were already enjoying the special Halloween feast. As she neared the double doors separating her from her friends, she found herself hesitating, as memories from her past flooded through her mind.
"I can't…" Jamie whispered to herself as she backed away from the doors. Jamie let her feet take her out of the Entrance Hall and down to her favourite oak tree by the lake.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, YOU BASTARD!" cried Jamie as she collapsed to her knees, unaware of the eyes watching her from the forest. "I miss you so much, baby. I wish I could hold you in my arms again. I know you're being well cared for and loved and believe me I'm grateful for that but I wish with all my heart that it was me that was there with you right now, I really do. It's for your own safety and mine that we can't be together," finished Jamie as gut-wrenching sobs wracked her thin frame.
Meanwhile in the Great Hall…
"Where's Jamie?" asked Blaise.
"I don't know. She said she'd meet us here, but that was half an hour ago," commented Draco. "Harry, any ideas?"
Harry closed his eyes as he searched for Jamie along their link. "She's blocking me," he said in surprise.
"Well, can't you break through?" asked Draco, concern colouring his voice.
"No, I can't. She's stronger than I am. She's obviously blocking me for a reason and I'd like to know why," Harry said as he rose from the table.
"Where are you going?" asked Blaise.
"To find my sister."
"But I thought you said she was blocking you," Draco pointed out.
"I did."
"Then how do you plan to find her?" finished Blaise.
Harry chuckled as he leaned across the table. "The same way anybody else finds someone...by looking for her. Besides I have a fairly good idea where she might be." And with that Harry made his way out of the Great Hall and out the front doors of the school.
As Harry neared the lake, he saw the silhouette of someone sitting under the oak tree. "Jamie?"
Jamie jumped slightly at hearing Harry's call and quickly tried to pull herself together, wiping away her tears. "Hi Harry," Jamie said standing up as her brother approached her. "What are you doing out here?"
"We were wondering where you were. You were supposed to meet us in the Great Hall. Are you okay?" Harry asked when he noticed the tear tracks running down Jamie's face. "Jamie, what is it? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"I'm fine, Harry, it's nothing you need to worry about."
"It's not nothing, Jamie. You're upset about something, so upset that you're hiding out here alone, crying."
"Drop it Harry, I'm fine," stated Jamie as she pushed past her brother and started back towards the castle.
"Whatever it is Jamie, it's not nothing and it's not fine," Harry said as he grabbed onto Jamie's arm, stopping her in her tracks. "You blocked me Jamie. You never block me. Now tell me what's wrong."
Pulling her arm out of Harry's grasp and backing away from him a few paces, Jamie replied, "I told you, I'm fine, and if I blocked you it's because I wanted to be alone. I guess I should have known better than that and that it was too much to hope for. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed," Jamie finished as she turned back towards the castle.
"Jamie, wait…" Harry called after his sister's retreating form.
Jamie turned to respond but her reply died on her lips when she noticed a large animal approaching Harry, from behind with its teeth bared. She made her way back towards Harry, who was oblivious to the danger that was approaching him.
"Jamie, I…" Harry began as Jamie approached but he soon found that it was not Jamie he was talking to. In her place stood a very majestic, glimmering white unicorn, with wings spread wide and head low, ready for battle.
A low growl from behind him drew Harry's attention to the large black grim-like dog that was slowly approaching the unicorn, with its teeth bared.
"Snuffles?" Harry asked in disbelief, just before the dog lunged for the unicorn.
As Snuffles lunged in attack, with jaws snapping, the unicorn leapt into the air over the attacking dog, hind legs kicking out. Unfortunately for Snuffles, Jamie's aim was true and her hind legs connected with his side. When she felt her feet connect, Jamie reared around in the air and started approaching Snuffles, landing only feet from him, her horn pointed directly at his heart.
"JAMIE, WAIT! STOP!" cried Harry as he stepped between the dog and now advancing unicorn. "Don't hurt him. It's our Godfather, Sirius."
"WHAT?" cried Jamie, as she transformed back. "Harry, you're joking right?"
"I'm not, Snuffles here is Sirius Black, our Godfather."
"I don't believe this," Jamie sighed dramatically as she stormed towards the doors leading to the Entrance Hall.
"Jamie, where are you going?"
"To see the Headmaster, I want some answers."
"Come on Snuffles, we better go with her," commented Harry, as he and Snuffles followed a fuming Jamie into the school.
When the three arrived at the entrance to Dumbledore's office, Jamie gave the password to the gargoyle (Twizzlers) and proceeded up the revolving staircase, leaving a slightly stunned Harry and Snuffles behind, neither one understanding how Jamie knew the password to the Headmaster's office, especially since even they did not know what it was. Snuffles recovered first and nudged Harry forward onto the stairs.
As Jamie reached the top of the stairs, she did not even bother knocking before she just walked right into the Headmaster's office.
"Miss Potter?" Albus asked, as Jamie entered his office.
"Jamie, what is it?" inquired Severus, worriedly when he noticed Jamie's agitated state.
It was at this point that Harry and Sirius finally made their appearance. Sirius transformed the minute he entered the office and looked to be in pretty bad shape, since he was holding his ribs, which Jamie had effectively broken when her hind feet had connected with his side fifteen minutes ago.
"Black," snarled Severus.
"Snape," responded Sirius. "You can leave. This doesn't concern you."
"If it concerns Jamie, it concerns me," replied Severus. "I'll leave only if Jamie asks me to."
"You're insane Snape," growled Sirius. "Why would she want you here?"
"Maybe because I'm her Head of House."
"And how'd you manage to pull that one off, eh? What'd you do, brainwash her or something? Course what should I expect from a Death Eater…"
"ENOUGH!" cried Jamie, who was trembling quite visibly. She'd had an extremely emotional day and this wasn't helping. "Professor Snape stays. I don't know you, Mr. Black. I just know that you've been following me for the past week and you just attacked me outside this school and I'd like to know why?"
"That's a very good question, Sirius," commented Albus. "Why have you been spying on your Goddaughter for the past week?"
Sirius at least had the decency to look at least a little guilty. "I had to make sure…"
"Make sure of what, Mr. Black?" interrupted Jamie. "That I am who I say I am; that I am in fact Jamie-Lynn Potter, your Goddaughter. Is that what you had to make sure of? I'm tired of all the stares, whispers and finger pointing, Mr. Black and I don't need to be followed, watched or interrogated by my so-called Godfather." Jamie's trembling was getting worse as her tenuous hold over her magic started slipping.
Severus stepped between Jamie and Sirius and pulled Jamie into a comforting embrace. "Shh. You have to calm down Sweetie. Your magic's getting unstable. I need you to relax. Can you do that for me?"
"I'll try, just don't leave me," pleaded Jamie.
"I'm not going anywhere Sweetie…"
"Get your slimy hands off my Goddaughter," demanded Sirius as he pulled Severus away from Jamie. "Don't you ever touch her again..."
Sirius never got to finish his statement as Jamie blasted him across Albus' office, without ever drawing her wand, before she collapsed to the floor. "I'm sorry, Albus, I…" Jamie sobbed as the day's events finally took their toll on her system.
Severus gathered Jamie into his arms once again and comforted her while Harry went to check on Sirius.
"Sirius, are you all right?"
"Merlin, Harry…your father was right," replied Sirius as Harry helped him to his feet.
"What do you mean Dad was right?"
"James always said she'd be powerful."
"Would you care to elaborate on that Sirius?" Albus asked. "I'm afraid, I do not know the reason behind James' request to protect Jamie at all costs and I think both she and Harry deserve to have answers to some of their questions."
Sirius nodded and had Harry help him over to one of the chairs in front of Albus' fireplace. Harry and Albus took the other two chairs while Severus helped Jamie to the couch.
"I'll start by giving you some background on the Potter family. The Potters are descendents of Cassandra, the ancient Prophetess and Merlin by way of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw and are a very powerful line of wizards. And I say wizards because it is very rare for a daughter to be born. From what James told me, usually only one son is born every generation. There have been daughters in the past but not often, and they are usually only born as part of a set of twins and usually during a time of great need. When Lily gave birth to a set of twins, Harry and Jamie, James was ecstatic but he was also terrified for his daughter's safety. Jamie's birth signified that terrible things were going to happen."
"Great, so what you're saying Mr. Black, is that I'm a bad omen and that I'm the reason our parents are dead, is that it?" spit Jamie, her voice laced with pain and hurt.
"You could say that," spit Sirius in return, causing fresh tears to spill down Jamie's face.
Severus pulled Jamie close and whispered in her ear, "Don't listen to him Sweetie. Your parents loved you. James did what he did out of fear for your safety. You meant the world to James and Lily. Remember that."
"That's quite enough of that Sirius," Albus admonished. "Just continue with your story."
"Sorry Albus. Okay, so James figured that Jamie's birth meant the battle with Voldemort was not going to be over anytime soon. He was torn about what to do. He wanted to hide Jamie away so that Voldemort could not touch her because she was needed to bring Voldemort down but Lily was dead set against it. She refused to leave her daughter behind while the rest of the family went into hiding."
"Why Jamie and not Harry?" asked Albus. "After all, Harry is the one who stopped Voldemort fifteen years ago."
"But Professor, you told me it was my mother's love that stopped him," commented Harry.
"I think, in a way, that was a part of it Harry," answered Sirius. "I think that you must have been connected to Jamie in some way when Voldemort attacked Godric's Hollow that night. From what James told me of Potter history, the only way Voldemort will ever truly be defeated is by you and Jamie working together, but ultimately it will be up to Jamie to finally finish him. According to James, Potter daughters are extremely powerful in their own right but if they are part of a set of twins, which they usually are, then they are even more powerful because she can draw on the magic of her twin to help boost her own abilities, and vice versa. In other words, the two of you must work together in order to defeat Voldemort but it must be Jamie that casts the killing curse, otherwise both of you will die.
"Oh Gods, he knows," whispered Jamie, on the verge of a panic attack.
"Jamie, look at me, Sweetie," Severus instructed quietly as he turned Jamie to look at him. "What do you mean 'he knows'?"
"Tom. Tom knows: that's why he wants me. Tom knows that for us to beat him Harry and I have to work together and he figures that if he makes me his wife, we can't possibly do that."
"I swear to you Jamie, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that never happens," soothed Severus pulling Jamie towards him.
"What I want to know Albus is how is it that Jamie is sitting here. She died fifteen years ago. I know, I found her body," Sirius demanded.
"I'm afraid that the body you found Sirius was that of Ginevra Weasley," replied Albus.
"What? How is that possible? I've seen Ginevra Weasley walking the halls of Hogwarts," argued Sirius.
"The person you saw was in fact, Jamie disguised as Ginevra. Just before going under the Fidelius Charm, James came to me, begging me to protect his daughter. He never said why, just that I had to protect her and yet make it look like the Potters still had a baby boy and girl because Lily adamantly refused to leave Jamie behind. Molly Weasley had just given birth to Ginevra. I visited her in St. Mungo's and with the use of some Glamour charms, I switched the girls. With the attack on Godric's Hollow, I felt it best to leave Jamie in the care of the Weasley's, as Ginevra. Unfortunately due to certain events during Jamie's first year, the Glamour Charm wore off this past summer, five years early. The Weasley's did not take the news well and Jamie has been living here at Hogwarts, under Severus' care ever since," Albus explained.
"Events in first year? What events?" Sirius asked the Headmaster.
"Drop it Mr. Black," growled Jamie.
"No I won't 'drop it' Jamie. I'm your Godfather and I have a right to know. Now tell me what the hell happened!" Sirius demanded, rising to stand over Jamie.
"You bastard!" Jamie ground out, rising to meet Sirius. "You think you can waltz into my life, after stalking me for a week and demand answers?" Jamie was unaware that everything in Albus' office was beginning to shake as her hold over her magic was once again being tested and she was losing the battle to maintain control over it. "What happened to me in the Chamber of Secrets is nobody's business but my own and most especially not yours!" Jamie cried as her hold finally broke, causing anything and everything that could break in Albus' office, to shatter. Sirius was once again hurled across the office and slammed into the far wall breaking a few more ribs, since he was at the centre of Jamie's outburst.
"Jamie…" Severus began, but as soon as his hand touched Jamie's shoulder, she collapsed into his arms, as her focus was broken. "I'm putting you to bed," Severus told her as he picked Jamie up and carried her out of Albus' office. Jamie merely nodded in understanding.
"I'm very disappointed in you Sirius. That young woman is your Goddaughter, how could you treat her like a criminal. You have no idea what that poor girl has been through. She needs your support not your angry demands," Albus admonished his former student; the note of disappointment in his voice was not lost on Sirius.
"If you don't mind Headmaster, I think I'd like to go and check on Jamie."
"Of course Harry. Good night."
"Professor? Oh my Gods, Jamie! Professor, what happened?"
"Not now, Mr. Malfoy," Severus stated.
Severus carried Jamie through her common room and into her bedroom, where he placed her carefully on her bed. With a flick of his wand, Jamie was soon in her nightgown and he tucked her into bed. He handed her a goblet of her sleeping draught, which she drank without question and was soon sleeping peacefully. Once Jamie drifted off to sleep, Severus returned to the common room just as Harry returned from the Headmaster's office.
"How is she?" Harry asked, concerned.
"She's resting. I gave her a dose of her new sleeping draught," replied Severus.
"Would someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with Jamie?" demanded Draco.
"Our Godfather," replied Harry, snappishly.
"Sirius?" asked Hermione, confused.
"Of course he's serious Hermione…"
"No Blaise, she means Sirius Black. He's our Godfather," explained Harry.
"Oh," was all that Blaise could think to say at the moment.
"What did he do to Jamie?" Draco demanded.
"Let's see," started Harry. "He's been stalking her for the past week, attacked her tonight outside the castle's front doors, and basically told her she was the reason our parents are dead and then demanded she tell him what happened in the Chamber of Secrets."
"I bet that went over well," comment Blaise sarcastically. "I'm her best friend and even I don't know what happened in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Wait a minute. Did you say he attacked her?" asked Draco in concern.
"Yes," answered Harry. At the murderous glare in Draco's eyes, Harry figured he better explain further what happened. "Don't worry Draco I think he learned his lesson in that respect."
"What do you mean Harry?" Blaise asked curiously.
"Well, he was sneaking up behind me in his animagus form and I guess Jamie saw him because she raced over to me but when she finally reached me, it wasn't her squaring off against Sirius."
"But Harry you just said…"
"I know what I said Hermione. Instead of Jamie standing beside me there was the most magnificent winged unicorn with these sparkling sapphire blue eyes. Her wings were spread wide and her head was down so her horn was pointing at Sirius. She was prepared for a fight and when Sirius lunged at her; she leapt into the air over him and struck out at him with her hind legs. She got him hard in the side. I think she broke a few of his ribs and I think she broke a few more when she blasted him across the Headmaster's office twice."
"Yes, well, your Godfather never did know when to keep his mouth shut," Severus commented sarcastically.
"Wait a minute, Jamie's an animagus? Why didn't she tell us?" asked Draco.
"Yes, she is and she was instructed not to tell anyone. It is for her own safety; therefore it is not to leave this room. Understood?"
"Yes Professor," replied all four students.
"Good, Now then, I suggest you return to Gryffindor Tower Miss Granger as it is almost curfew. And as for you boys, please leave Jamie alone. She needs her rest."
"Yes Professor," answered the four students once again, and with that Severus left to return to Albus' office. He had a few choice words for that mangy mutt of a Godfather.
Shortly after Severus left, Hermione bid the boys goodnight and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.
Harry filled Blaise and Draco in on everything that had transpired that night from the time he left them at dinner to find Jamie before the three of them retired for the night.
After taking the sleeping draught from Severus, Jamie fell into a peaceful slumber. Unfortunately, it did not stay peaceful for long and Jamie was soon trapped within her memories.
"Open" I hissed to the sink in Myrtle's bathroom, causing the entrance to the tunnel leading to the Chamber to open.
I jump into the tunnel and make my way towards the Chamber. Tears are falling silently down my face as I try to fight Tom's hold over me. "I'm so sorry Isá, I tried," I cry to myself.
"She can't help you, you know."
"Tom! What's going on? Why'd you make me write that on the wall?" I ask as I back away from Tom, who is prowling towards me. I don't like the look in his eye.
"To get Potter down here of course, why else," Tom responded as he closed the gap between us by grabbing me around the waist.
"Tom, let go of me…"
"I don't think so, my dear. I have big plans for us," Tom leans into me as he pulls us as close together as possible.
"Plans? What Plans?" I ask, my voice breaking, as I try to distract him.
"You'll see, very soon, my dear," he says, his lips brushing mine. He leans in and crushes his lips to mine, forcing his tongue into my mouth as his hands moves from my waist to my leg underneath my skirt.
"Tom…please…don't…" I beg, crying freely as I'm forced to the floor of the Chamber under him.
"Shh."
"No…Tom…please stop…you're hurting me," I struggle feebly under him. An eleven-year-old girl is no match for a sixteen-year-old boy. Tom may be a memory but he's absorbed enough of my magic that he's almost completely human again and almost free of the diary. I suddenly feel a sharp pain and discomfort between my legs that makes me cry out. "Tom…stop…OW!...you're hurting me…Oh Gods…ISÁ! Isá, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Isá…I should have listened…"
"Tom…stop…OW!...you're hurting me…Oh Gods…ISÁ! Isá, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Isá…I should have listened…"
"Jamie? Jamie wake up Love," soothed Draco as he tried in vain to stop Jamie's thrashing and wake her up. "Jamie, Love, please wake up."
No matter how hard Draco tried, he could not wake Jamie up from the nightmare she was trapped in and he was forced to sit by and watch his beloved suffer.
"There's a good girl. That wasn't so bad now was it?" Tom asks me as he pulls out. Just then I hear the locks on the Chamber door being triggered. "Shite! He's early. No problem, it just means I can get rid of him that much sooner."
I feel him pull my skirt back down and move away into the shadows as I hear footsteps running towards me but I hurt so much and the blackness is so inviting that I welcome it willingly.
As the blackness fades, again I feel pain, but this pain is different. Oh Gods! It's too soon. It can't be happening now. It's too soon. Thankfully, Isá's here with me and she's helping me to the Hospital Wing.
Soon this pain fades, as does the scene only to be replaced by another and this time the pain is replaced by that of a breaking heart as I watch Isá leave Hogwarts for the last time. In my head I know this is the right thing to do. I know I have to send her away because it's the only way to protect her but my heart breaks watching her go. As much as I want to hold her one last time, I know that I can't because if I do, I will never let her go. I have to be strong and send her away, for her safety and the safety of the Wizarding World. Isá smiles at me sadly as she boards the Hogwarts Express, knowing what must be going through my mind at this moment in time and wishing things could be different, for all of us. As the train pulls out of the station, I collapse into the comforting arms of Albus Dumbledore, my lifeline…
"Isá..."
"ISÁ!"
"Jamie?"
"Draco?" replied Jamie, trying to get her bearings and stop her tears.
"Jamie, what's wrong? Why couldn't I wake you from your nightmare?" Draco asked, sitting down on the edge of Jamie's bed, as he helped her sit up and wiped away her tears.
"I…"
"And another thing, how do you know Isáwien Malfoy? That is who you were calling out for, isn't it? I mean you did call out for 'Isá' and the only Isá I know is my Aunt Isáwien. So tell me Jamie, how exactly do you know Isáwien Malfoy, who happens to be three years older than you?"
Draco was oblivious to the fact that what had started out as concerned questions quickly deteriorated into an interrogation of angry demands causing Jamie to pull away from him both physically and emotionally.
"Don't touch me!" cried Jamie, as she leapt out of her bed, grabbed her housecoat and ran to her bedroom door. "Leave me alone!" and with that, she ran through the common room and out into the corridor.
Jamie never stopped to consider the fact of where she was heading at three o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, as she ran through the corridors of Hogwarts on her way to the dungeons, crying and clutching her pendent. As she reached the portrait guarding Severus' chambers, the door opened to reveal the Potions Master himself.
"Jamie, what's wrong? Was it another nightmare?"
Jamie nodded and shook her head at the same time. "Memory…worst one," she managed between sobs. "Draco…demand…answers…can't give…him yet…if…ever."
"Shh, come in and let's sit in front of the fire for a while, okay?"
"Okay," Jamie replied, trying to bring her sobs under control.
Severus led a trembling Jamie over to the couch and lit a fire before pulling her down so that she had her head resting in his lap.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Severus asked as he ran his hands through Jamie's hair. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm here if you do."
"Thank you Sev. It's just…it's hard…"
"I know it is, but you have to remember, it's just a nightmare, a bad dream is all."
"That's just it Sev, this wasn't just a nightmare…this actually happened."
"What do you mean 'it actually happened'?"
"Do you remember Isáwien Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember why she left?"
"Her mother died so she left to look after her affairs to ensure that Lucius didn't try to get his hands on the estate."
"That's only part of if though."
"Meaning…"
"Do you know she's looking after a child that isn't hers?"
"Yes I do, but she never told me who the mother was. I remember that the two of you were friends, did she tell you who the mother was?"
"She didn't have to."
"Jamie, what are you telling me?" demanded Severus lightly, sitting Jamie up so he could look her in the eye.
"I'm the mother, and tonight is her fourth birthday."
"Gods Jamie, I'm so sorry."
"It's alright Sev. I was kind of expecting the memory to hit me in my dreams. It always does tonight but add everything else that happened today and I just can't deal with Draco's petty little demands right now. I can't give him the answers he's looking for. Promise me something?"
"Of course, anything."
"Promise me that you won't tell anyone what I just told you. Nobody can know, for all our sakes. The only people that know the truth are Albus, Isáwien, me and now you. Please promise me that you won't jeopardize me and my baby by saying anything."
"Of course Jamie, you have my word that I won't tell a soul. But Jamie, it can't be that vital that nobody find out unless…Jamie, please tell me the father isn't who I think it is."
"It is and that's why it's imperative that no one finds out. It's bad enough he's after me but if he were to get his hands on my baby…"
"I swear on my life Jamie, that I won't tell a soul."
"Thank you Sev. Do you have some parchment and ink I could borrow? I'd like to write to Isá, I miss my friend so much…"
"Of course," Severus said as he rose from the couch to fetch some parchment, ink and a quill for Jamie. "Here you go. I'll give you some privacy to write your letter. If you need me I'll be in my room."
"Thanks Sev," replied Jamie as she took the supplies and curled up on the end of the couch closest the fire and began her letter
Dear Isá,
I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but so many things have happened recently and I was so afraid of how you'd react.
Isá, I'm not really Ginevra Weasley. My name is actually Jamie-Lynn Potter. Please don't be mad at me. I really need you right now and I don't know what I would do if you turned your back on me now.
Severus and I have become really close since my true identity was revealed. He has become my legal guardian since the Weasley's disowned me when they found out I wasn't their daughter. Sev has been wonderful. He treats me like his own daughter. I'm in his chambers right now. I had the dream again. Isá he knows the truth. I had to tell him, he wanted to know why I showed up on his doorstep at 3:00am. I relived that night over again and everything else associated with it. I must have called out your name in my sleep because when I woke up Draco started demanding answers as to why I know you. I love your nephew Isá, but how can I tell him. He'll never understand. Not after everything that's happened recently. Isá I was raped again a couple of weeks ago by two of my former housemates. They were friends at one time but since I moved to Slytherin, they along with Ron have had it in for me. Draco has been wonderful since it happened, but how do I tell him I was raped by a memory in the Chamber of Secrets. He'll believe the Gryffindors when they say I asked for it. I know he will. I finally have some friends, I've gotten close to my brother Harry, how can I possibly jeopardize all that by telling them about my past. Draco has questions that I don't think I can answer.
I don't know what to do. I feel so lost and alone right now. Please Isá, I need your help. I need to know that there is someone out there I can still count on. Please tell me I still have you.
"How's my baby doing? Is she beautiful? I miss her so much Isá. I wish I could be there with her for her birthday. Tell her that her mother loves her with all her heart and that she wishes she could be there with her to celebrate her birthday.
Please forgive me Isá.
Love Jamie.
Severus woke later that morning to find Jamie curled up asleep on the couch with the letter in her lap. He walked over to Jamie, picked her up, letting the letter flutter to the floor, carried her to her bedroom in his chambers and put her into bed. When he was confident that she was resting peacefully, he returned to the living room, picked the letter up from where it had fallen, addressed it and summoned Athena to him.
"Athena, I need you to take this to Isáwien Malfoy, as quickly as you can, understand?"
Athena hooted in understanding before taking off out the window
