Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters they are all Mrs. Rowling's.
Claimer: I do own the plot and new characters.
Disclaimer 2: I do not own the excerpts from the other books I will use. (1-7)
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Chapter 10: A Dark Confession
"Do you really think she's telling the truth," Neville asked as he and the others headed to the headmistress's office? "Why wouldn't she be? I mean McGonagall confirmed it didn't she," Ron said as they stepped on to the revolving stairs headed up toward the office. "That's true but now a days who's to say she doesn't have McGonagall under the Imperious Curse," Neville said as he knocked on the door and was permitted entrance. "Then how do we tell for sure," asked Harry?
"Tell what," asked D.Shani as she came out on an adjoining room. The five Gryffindors jumped at the new voice. "Oh, I-it's nothing professor," Hermione stammered. "That I find hard to belive," she said placing a book on a shelf, "You know Harry, the Marauders always had the same expressions on their faces that you five have now when they where up to something." "They did," Harry asked? "Yes they did," the professor said taking a different book off the shelf and sitting down, "So do you five want to tell me what you want to know or do I have to guess."
The tone in her voice made them think twice about not saying anything, and greatly reminded them of Professor McGonagall's strict voice. "Well you see professor with all that's happened the past couple of years," Ginny began. "You are not exactly sure who you can trust anymore," D.Shani finished for her. " Exactly," Neville said bewildered.
"It is completely understandable. Looking from your standpoint I can clearly see that all the information you got last night was more than overwhelming. You may also be wondering if we were even telling the truth, and if I haven't put McGonagall under the Imperious," D.Shani said while leafing through her book. "That's exactly right," Neville said astounded. "Well I suppose that the best proof of my parentage would be to perform this little spell," she said handing the book over to Hermione, "If it works then maybe we can come to some kind of understanding and then I can earn your trust." "Professor," started Harry. " Yes Potter, " she answered. "Are you a Legimens?" "Why yes I am. I have many talents, but we can talk about them later. Would you like to start the spell Miss Granger?" "Um, well it is dangerous and complicated. Plus I think this is against the law what if we get caught," she said unsure of herself.
"Yes to all of your questions, but I a sure you that you will be in no trouble at all. It was my idea, plus I highly doubt the Ministry wants to mess with me right now. So please continue, I have every bit of faith in you. And anything you need," she said snapping her fingers as a little elf appeared, "Just tell Misty."
The elf looked at Hermione and bowed low asking, "What is it Misty is doing for the young Mistress?" "W-well if you insist professor, "she said giving her a strange look before turning her attention to the elf, "Uh, Misty would you please bring me a role of parchment and a dagger." "Yes Mistress! Misty will be back fast." The elf ran into a side room and returned seconds later with the requested items. "Here you are Mistress. If yous be needin' me again just call," said the little elf as she left the room with a loud crack.
"What exactly is all of this stuff for Hermione," Harry asked looking over her shoulder at the book. "I'm going to do a family tree ritual. It will show who her true blood relatives are," said Hermione setting everything up. "You can't seriously be agreeing to do this," Harry said in disbelief as he finished reading the page she was focused on. "I'm not crazy about it, but it is fool proof." "It's the only way to prove I'm not lying," said D.Shani as she held her hand out to Hermione. "Are you sure," asked Ron? "Yes now go head and do it," said D.Shani and Hermione drug the blade across her palm. The professor placed her palm to the parchment as Hermione chanted; "Cruor of victus ostendo suus nemus shoe verus family ut belongs ut thee." The blood instantly soaked into the parchment as a list of names and different colored lines appeared in its wake.
The five children crowded around the desk and looked at the names. They received more than a few shocks as they read off the names. "You're related to the Malfoys," Ron exclaimed in disbelief! "Very distant cousins," Annabelle said reading the parchment, "and not anything I'm proud of." "Why are some of the connecting lines different colors," Harry asked still reading? "The book says that red lines are bloodlines, blue lines are marriages into the family, and yellow lines are special rituals or as it says 'chosen family'," Hermione read. "What does 'chosen family' mean," asked Ginny? "IT means that by certain rituals, spells, and other means you can choose to unofficially officially welcome a person into your family. Someone could welcome you into his or her family too. One of the different means is adoption. That's why the Shanis are on here," explained the professor. "What means did you use to put these on here," Harry asked pointing to four very familiar names? The others looked at where he was pointing on the parchment and all gave a small gasp. Written in the black ink with bright yellow lines connecting them to Annabelle were the names Lily (Evans) Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.
"Uh-well you see it is a little complicated," D.Shani said walking toward a window that overlooked the grounds. "You must understand that I was only fifteen and very confused. I had just lost the only family I had known and had learned only seconds before that I was adopted. I was so scared and alone, so when he offered me a home and a cause to keep going I took it. At the age of fifteen I joined Lord Voldemort and became a death eater." She pulled back her sleeve and showed the children her mark. "What," exclaimed the children! "Yes I did. HE offered me a home, respect, and power. Though I knew all about him and what his ideas were, I was still too afraid to deny him. I joined thinking it was the only way to stay alive. He has always showed a strange attraction to me so I decided to use that to my advantage. I manipulated everyone and played his sick game better than he ever did to become one of his most trusted followers. I was a quick study and took only a few months time to earn my high position in his inner circle. Of course being and extremely gifted and powerful fifteen-year-old witch was extremely helpful. I believe that was one of the reasons he was so intrigued with me, probably thinking I would come in handy so he kept me close. I was already able to do many of the things his followers only dreamed of attempting, but I was still underage and not allowed to do magic. So for three years he sent me here," she said gesturing around her, "to learn what I could but mostly to spy for him. He knew that here was where there were people willing to stand up to him. He knew that Dumbledore was gathering his own followers to defeat him. I was asked to earn the trust of all those here, especially Dumbledore. Voldemort said I had a trusting face and believed I could 'crack the senile old condger,' his word not mine. He said if I did I would have completely earned his trust and when he took over everything I would have the privilege of be called his queen." She stopped talking for a while staring at Dumbledore's old silver instruments letting what she just revealed sink in. "Is that why you're here? Snape killed Dumbledore and so now you and Voldemort can take over," he said angrily. His hand was going for his wand. "How could you do that to your parents, even if you didn't know them," asked Ginny as she too went for her wand. The two teens walked toward the teacher and pointed their wands at her back.
She turned around and just slipped down to the floor crying. "This was not my idea. Yes it's true I wanted those things 28 years ago. What child wouldn't want that kind of power? I was young and confused, and he was so charming and manipulative. So I agreed to his plans and left Beauxbatons to attend Hogwarts. Though I must admit that I had my own reasons for coming here." "What was that," asked Hermione curiously? "Before my parents died I had heard that my real parents were friends of theirs and had attended this school. My reasons for coming here were to see if I could find out who they were, though I had no leads just an emerald necklace the Shanis gave me on the night they died that was in the shape of a D, but that's another story. The plan I was sent to do went fine for the first few months. I was easily tops in all my classes and impressing all of my teachers. The headmaster and his professors believed I was a perfectly quiet and shy child that could do no wrong. I was even privileged one night to a chess match with Albus and had charmed him out of some valuable information," she said standing back up and walking to the desk.
"So what changed you mind," asked Neville? The five Gryffindors, know completely interested in this confession, were spread out all over the room. "I had decided to do some of my own snooping about looking for my parents. I was in the library reading a book on some of Hogwarts most famous students when I met them." "Met whom," asked Harry though he thought he knew whom she meant. "I met Severus, Lily, and The Marauders," answered the professor as she took the parchment and put it in the desk, "The boys had Severus cornered and Lily was sitting at a table next to them. They were all shouting insults at each other when James and Sirius took out their wands and had Severus upside down in the air. I couldn't believe the boys were that stupid, but I was wrong. I walked over and very easily tricked them into letting Snape down and gave them some pretty crazy hair," she said giving a light laugh. She then pulled a picture out another desk draw and handed it to Harry. He took one look at his father and friends and burst into a fit of tears and laughter. The others crowded around him and they to were soon joining on the tears and giggles.
The picture was of Sirius, James, and Lupin all sporting a different hairstyle and color. James had long blonde curly hair, much like a girl's. Sirius was sporting a bright pink beehive hair do. Lupin's was probably the least embarrassing being a short pixie cut, but the color was that of Slytherin. Sliver and Green!
"That's priceless," Harry said finally recovering from his fit, "What did they do to you after that? I know they wouldn't let you get away with it." "No they didn't," she said wistfully. She stood up again and walked back over to the window. "No they were very angry of being totally embarrassed in front of their favorite prey. They wanted revenge and so I was the new target. I was mercilessly pranked to the edge of oblivion for what I did, but I decided not to go down with out a fight. I got them all back each in their own time and some how earned their respect while doing it. We soon became friends and they sometimes came to me for pranking ideas. I also made friends with Lily, and she helped me realize what I was doing was wrong. I told them who and what I was and that I didn't want to do it anymore. They were angry at first, but understanding at helped me confess to Dumbledore. I felt terrible about what I had been doing and offered to be a spy for him. At first he didn't want to put me in that much danger, but I convinced him other wise. So I became a double spy. I kept all my personas up, found by birth parents, kept my friends, and continued to be one of the best Hogwarts students in years."
"And you still have his trust," asked Harry? "Yes I do. He still foolishly believes I want the power, but I don't. I've realized that love and family are more important than power. That's why they are on my family tree. After I talked to Lily and the boys we came to an understanding. They wanted him taken down as much as I did, but they still wanted to keep me safe. They were like my older brothers and sister, and that's what we became. We became blood brothers and sisters using muggle and magical ways. We vowed to always be there for each other and our children as long as we lived. And I'm so sorry Harry. I'm sorry I could stop him and protect them," she said sliding down to the floor again, "I tried to convince him not to listen to the prophecy, but he wouldn't see reason. I even tried to get to you and your parents before he got there but I was seconds to late. I am so sorry!" She was shaking and crying uncontrollably now. The children didn't know what to do to help her, so Hermione knelt down beside her and put a consoling arm around their teacher.
After a few minutes the teacher stood back up and addressed the children. "Thank you for listening to me. I am truly sorry for everything and promise you that I no longer work for him but am completely committed to help you in any way I can to bring about his downfall. I hope you can forgive me," she said sadly. Harry looked form his teacher to the portrait of Dumbledore and back again. He wasn't entirely sure if he could trust her thinking back to Snape and Pettigrew, but he decided to give he a chance. "All right," he said turning toward her, "We'll for give you, but you are definitely going to have to earn our trust." "I understand," she said give him a small hug, "Now is their anything else I can tell you before I let you go and enjoy the rest of your weekend?" "Well actually professor there is," Ron said looking at her. "Which is Ron," she asked curiously? "Well we were wondering if you would take that cloak off." "Why?" "We heard that you were a vampire and well we just would like to see what you look like," Neville said uncertainly. "Well I can a sure you I am not a vampire. Why would you even think such a…," realization then dawned on her, "you know I had a feeling they saw something. Well I'll have to have a talk with Pansy and Luna, but I guess it wouldn't hurt anything to let you five really see me." The professor unbuttoned her cloak and threw off her hood revealing herself to them. The five children stared dumbfounded and shocked at the witch before them. Her face was an exact replica of the young Professor McGonagall they had seen in the memories. Her hair was pulled up in a loose bun with curly tendrils framing her face. The color of her hair was raven black with auburn streaks running all through it. She had square spectacles like the older professor and was wearing a muggle outfit of jeans and a dark green tank top with a dark purple jacket. If the children not known any better they would have thought it was their transfiguration teacher staring at them. The children were utterly astonished and could not find the words to tell her what they thought of her appearance so they hurriedly said good bye and left the office.