10
Harry continued to give them a perplexed look. He hadn't moved from the spot he stopped at the moment he saw Elle. Ron had his arms crossed over his chest in trepidation and backed away from the scene. Hermoine, on the other hand, had worry all over her face. Worry for Harry, mostly.
"Harry," began Hermoine, but Elle cut her off.
"Harry, I haven't been completely honest with you." Elle said, bravely. She set her books on a nearby table and gulped, "there are things about me that you… That concerns your past."
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked softly, taken aback. His brows were now creased with suspicion and Elle stood a careful distance away from him.
"My name is Helena Matthews Pritelli. My parents… were supporters of Voldermort." Elle started slowly, "they helped him plot the murder of your parents. Before they died, my parents had visited them earlier, asking for a truce. But it was all part of Voldermort's plan so the Pritelli name could be cleared of any charges against their side. But my parents were killed too. Voldermort wanted no allegiance with his side and the other. And having them think that the Pritelli converted, infuriated Voldermort. So he killed them. He betrayed them." Elle stopped to keep her voice from trembling even more, but Harry had heard enough.
"You. Were. One. Of. Them." Harry huffed angrily. And in a split second he had his wand in his hand, pointed directly at Elle. Hermoine gasped and covered her mouth while Ron readied himself in defense for Elle.
"Harry, don't!" Hermoine cried.
"You're just as filthy as they were, Matthews." Harry groaned, his stretched hand quivering before him. But Elle didn't even try to protect herself. She just stood there, watching Harry in a quivering calmness.
"I'm going to finish you like he finished your parents. Like he finished my parents." Harry said.
"Harry, don't sink to his level." Ron said quickly before Harry could make a move. "If you kill her, you'll just be as he was. Don't do it."
"He killed my parents, Ron! And she was a part of it." Harry bellowed furiously without looking away from Elle. He paid it no mind, but a tear left his eye as he spoke.
"She was just as young as you were, Harry, when they died. Just as innocent as you had been." Hermoine found her voice and said this very calmly.
"Why didn't he kill you too?" Harry said, more to himself than to Elle.
"Because he couldn't. He tried, but he couldn't." Elle whimpered. Harry gave her a bewildered look. Elle said nothing else, but reached out to her necktie and unraveled the knot. After which, she began to unbutton her blouse from the top. Ron gulped in the corner. When she had undone three buttons, Elle pulled off her left sleeve to expose something that made Hermoine let out a breath of shock. Harry could only stare at it in astonishment.
It was a familiar scar. Slightly contorted differently, but nevertheless just the kind of scar Harry had on his forehead. It was on Elle's left chest, just a ways down from her collarbone and oddly just over where her heart was located. Harry lowered his wand slowly.
"I'm just like you, Harry Potter," said Elle, breaking the silence. "I am half-blood. My father is muggle-born. I speak to Snakes. And aside from those I have about you, I have strange dreams. But they can't use me effectively without you. You were the one that finished Voldermort that night. Without your blood, he isn't complete."
"That's why Malfoy's been keeping you close." Ron said. Elle nodded and buttoned up her blouse again.
"The Malfoy's future lies in me. As long as they've got me in their hands, Voldermort can't hurt them. Voldermort can't directly be in contact with me without you, Harry. So I've never seen him as you have. But still, without me, the process isn't complete. And without you, there is nothing to begin with."
"The other day, I saw you arguing with him. Was it about this?" Harry asked.
"Yes. He figured that I'd told you the whole lot, but I haven't then. Now, though, it changes everything."
Then Harry asked something that shocked them all. "Did he hurt you?" he remembered the moment blood started gushing from his palms. Maybe, he thought, she had something to do with it.
Elle tensed in the momentary silence as they waited for her answer.
"Draco would never hurt me. And if he did, he never meant to do it." said Elle gingerly, avoiding any of their gazes. Looking away, she put both her hands behind her. Hermoine and Ron looked at each other while Harry kept his eyes on Elle.
"Elle, did Malfoy hurt you that day?" said Harry in a more evidently. But Elle refused to answer. At that moment, Harry hurried to Elle and took her left hand. Spreading her palm open, he found a curing scar.
Somehow, Harry wasn't surprised. He looked more like he had just seen something he'd known all along for the first time. A smirk crossed his lips. "That explains why I have this." He showed his own palm. Elle let out a gasp, astonished. He had the same healing wound.
"Were you aware of how powerful this bond is?" Harry said it like it was more of a curse. Elle shook her head innocently.
"How do I know you're not still in alliance with him?" Harry asked as he stepped back, eyes blazing with suspicion. "How do I know this isn't all a plan? You being my friend so that Voldermort can get to you by threatening me."
"Why would you be threatened at all if Voldermort wanted me? I'm practically useless to him without you." Elle threw a question back. Harry stopped. He had said too much, he realized and pressed his lips as he fought back the lump rising in his throat. Hermoine and Ron knew what was going on then. Their assumption had been right. Harry was, in fact, in love with Elle.
"I can't… let him hurt you." Harry finally managed to say. Elle, now completely aware of the truth Hermoine and Ron had said, remained indifferent.
"It doesn't matter, Harry, they've already got me. It's you they want. It's best that you keep away—"
"No, you don't understand!" Harry's voice filled the room. The Owl in the window sill looked up from where it was sleeping, and the fire gave a short rattle. Elle caught her breath.
"I can't let anything hurt you." Harry repeated, more softly this time. "It's a known fact that makes you stronger is your greatest weakness as well. If you say Voldermort needs both our bloods to be all-powerful. Then I'll need both our blood to destroy him. And that means, I need you."
Elle shook her head. "Harry, you know being with me isn't safe. If Draco finds out about any of this, he'll take it to the others right away. I'm sure of it. And if anything happened to you, it's my fault and I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"And you?" Harry threw the question back at her. Elle said nothing but gave him a sorry look. Harry hid his wand in his robes then very slowly approached her. Elle, stunned, took a slow step back.
"Don't be afraid of me, Elle. I won't hurt you. I can't." Harry said, and saw her lips quiver. Before Elle could drop to her knees in tears, Harry caught her. She wept bitterly in his arms.
"I'm so scared." Elle whimpered, her voice muffled as her lips pressed into Harry's chest. The three of them heard this and said nothing.
A while after that, and once everyone was calmer about the situation, they sat around the fireplace. Ron summoned a new flame quickly after the first one had died out. Elle and Harry occupied the couch, Hermoine on the single armchair and Ron on the floor. The sun had already set, and in its place was the glowing, white full moon. They were all silent, faces grim with deep thinking. Once again, Ron and Hermoine were dragged into the situation and they only felt obligated to help the two others out.
"What do we do now?" Ron suddenly asked
"I think you should take this to Professor Dumbledore," said Hermoine, looking from Harry to Elle. They both agreed to it and said they would visit him first thing after dinner.
"The feast must be starting soon," mentioned Ron.
"I've no appetite, honestly." said Harry.
"People will be suspicious if you two don't show up." said Hermoine. They looked at each other. Elle felt a slight blush when Harry's eyes met hers, and she quickly looked away.
"Say, we're allowed to call you by your first name now, right Elle?" asked Ron. He glanced at her. Elle looked at all of them before finally nodding.
"I mean, you are sort of one of us now." Ron added. Harry caught Elle's eyes. He didn't smile but just stared at her as if he was trying to read her. Feeling ill at ease about it, Elle looked away and for the rest of the night kept away from his gaze. Something about it frightened her.