Okay, guys…
This chapter may break your hearts and your feels so…keep some tissues handy!
PS: This starts shortly after Harry is sent to live with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer and ends after the end of the sixth book/film.
NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!
Chapter Eleven: Why Do You Have to Say Goodbye?
"He just left?"
Jemma Dursley asked her family during breakfast after she had woken up to find that her cousin, Harry, hadn't arrived home last night. Vernon Dursley, Jemma's father, had a shrewd smile on his face as he handed his daughter an opened letter. "He didn't leave, Jem dear. His crackpot headmaster sent him to live with freaks like him. See for yourself," he sneered as Petunia, Jemma's mother, served him his coffee.
Jemma read the letter enclosed in the envelope.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,
For protection, your nephew, Mr. Harry Potter, has been relocated to a new house for the rest of the summer until the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts. His owl, Hedwig, and trunk have already been transported to his new location. We apologize if this has caused you any inconvenience.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"At least we'll have a few summer days without that freak, huh, Midget?" Dudley, Jemma's older brother, grinned meanly, spraying bread crumbs all over the table as he ate. "Shut up, dud," Jemma rolled her eyes at him before leaving the dining area.
Going upstairs to her room, Jemma looked at the windowsill and sighed. 'Oh, yeah…Ms. Flitteron's gone…' she thought sadly as she settled on reading some of Harry's old spell books. "Rictusempra…Expelliarmus…Bombarda…Finite Incantatem…" Jemma delighted in her success in pronouncing the complex syllables and daydreamed about being able to cast such spells if she had been magic like her cousin.
When the time came for her to go to fencing practice, Jemma quickly stashed the spell books into her closet. 'Harry will come back when the summer starts. He won't be able to write to me this year but he will come back…' Jemma thought hopefully as she left the house. For the rest of the summer, Jemma went to fencing classes and volunteering at the zoo's aviary on her own. Mr. Javris and Dr. McKellar asked her what had happened to Harry and Jemma made up a story that he had to go to boarding school early to help with preparing for the campus.
But Jemma knew the truth.
She'd known from the very beginning that Harry was no ordinary wizard. Many dark wizards were after him and the most dangerous of them all, Lord Voldemort, had returned to finish the job he had failed to do so when Harry was just a baby.
And that was to kill him.
Already Harry had suffered so much. And, at the end of his fifth year, he had lost his godfather. Because of that, Harry had been less cheerful that summer. Of course, for his sweet younger cousin, Harry still managed to smile and have fun during his summer with her. They had even gained a new hobby of going to the train stations and just riding the trains to wherever they would take them. It helped take Harry's mind off of things and seemed to relax him as he and Jemma watched the lights of underground fly by. Sometimes, Harry would stay out late while his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were nice enough to leave the back door open for him to enter through when he got home. Jemma would try to stay up late to see him when he returned but, often, fall asleep only to be woken up by Dudley banging on her door for breakfast. Harry would be up at the same time as her and Jemma would pepper him with questions of what he had seen the night before. Then they'd head out on their usual route: fencing class, aviary, park, trains.
But, as much as he tried to enjoy his summer with Jemma, Harry knew that things were changing for the worse. Once, he'd taken Jemma aside to talk to her. And what he had to say made Jemma worry.
"I can't write to you when I get back to Hogwarts, Jem. There's too much risk involved sending Hedwig back-and-forth with all the Death Eaters wandering around. But I'll be fine. I won't get into trouble…well, no more than usual, anyway…" Harry had told her, his brow creased with worry. Jemma felt her heart sink. Death Eaters, she had learned, were servants of Lord Voldemort and hearing that they were wandering around scared her. "You don't think they'll come here, do you, Harry?" she had asked. Harry hadn't answered her question but he smiled gently at her. "You'll be safe, Jemma. They won't be able to find you," he reassured her.
That did little to make Jemma feel at ease, especially when news of a terrible accident in London involving one of the bridges was featured in the papers and the telly.
For the rest of the year, Jemma didn't hear anything from Harry nor did he hear anything from her. Both of them often wondered how the other was doing but they had both agreed not to communicate until they were sure it was safe.
Later on, as the day she knew Harry would return to the Muggle world drew near, Jemma received the most unexpected nighttime visitor.
"Fawkes…?" Jemma breathed out once she saw Dumbledore's pet phoenix tapping his golden beak against her bedroom window late at night. Getting out of bed and praying that her parents and brother wouldn't wake up, Jemma opened her window to let Fawkes in. Carefully, Fawkes fluttered into Jemma's room and dropped a small leather bag at Jemma's feet. 'What is it, Fawkes? Did something happen?' Jemma asked the phoenix telepathically. Fawkes lowered his beautiful scarlet-feathered head for a moment and looked up at Jemma. 'Albus is dead,' Fawkes' voice, full of sadness, echoed in Jemma's skull. Gasping softly, Jemma reached out a trembling hand to pet the melancholic phoenix. "Oh, Fawkes…I'm…I'm so sorry…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Dumbledore, although she hadn't known him as well as Harry did, had been such a nice man and Jemma respected and liked him a great deal.
'I have decided to return to the wild as I no longer have a master. But before I do so…Jemma, I must ask you to care for what is in this bag…and to ready yourself…'
Fawkes then nudged the bag towards Jemma, who carefully reached into it. "No…" Jemma breathed out as she pulled out a single egg, bright red tinted with orange and gold hues, no bigger than a large duck egg. Looking at Fawkes fearfully, Jemma shook her head. 'A phoenix egg…Fawkes, I can't! My parents don't want me to have anything to do with magic. Raising a phoenix…I can't do it…' she told the phoenix, distressed. But Fawkes flapped his wings. 'You must, little Phoenix Soul. This new life will help prepare you for when your magic finally comes to full life,' he insisted.
Upon hearing the term again, Jemma decided it was time to get answers.
'Fawkes, can you please tell me what you mean by that? What is a "Phoenix Soul" and why do you say that I am one?' she asked curiously. Fawkes blinked his eyes, black as coal, and answered.
'Because you are a Phoenix Soul, Jemma. You are a powerful witch capable of commanding fire and possess the qualities of a phoenix – healing tears, a song capable of encouraging the brave while striking fear into the hearts of evil, and immense courage and strength. In time, your powers will fully manifest and you will need someone to guide you. My daughter will be your guide and you shall be her master.'
Once Fawkes had finished explaining, it took Jemma two minutes to take it all in. Clutching the phoenix egg close to her chest, Jemma swore she could feel a warm pulse coming from it. And her mind was whirling with thoughts. She had long resigned herself to being just an ordinary girl, a Muggle, and she was suddenly given this huge responsibility of raising a phoenix while discovering that she wasn't ordinary at all.
She was magic just like Harry!
'What do I need to do for…for your daughter?' she finally asked Fawkes. 'Nothing much, really. Just keep her warm, safe…and a little bit of singing would be nice for her, too…' Fawkes replied. Taking a deep breath, Jemma cradled the phoenix egg in her hands. She, then, smiled and looked at Fawkes. 'I'll take good care of your daughter, Fawkes. I promise…' she swore. 'I know you will, Jemma…And thank you…Farewell…' Fawkes thanked her before taking flight.
As she watched Fawkes fly off into the night, Jemma hoped that she would be able to care for Fawkes' daughter…as well as be able to master her newfound magical abilities once they manifested.
Clever girl that she was, Jemma found a small cardboard box and filled it with old scraps of cloth, wrapped the phoenix egg in a piece of warm wool, and set it on her desk under the warm glow of her fluorescent lamp.
"Now, what to sing to you, little phoenix?" Jemma murmured to herself, thinking, until she settled on "Rock-a-Bye-Baby". As she sang, Jemma promised herself to keep Fawkes' visit and his daughter a secret. She would not tell anyone.
Not even Harry…
A few days spent doing her usual routine while, at the same time, keeping the phoenix egg a secret and caring for it passed until Jemma saw Harry again. She didn't need to be told to know that something terrible happened to him again because, thanks to Fawkes, she already knew what the tragedy was. Then, after supper, Harry went to speak with her parents for what seemed like ages in the living room while she and Dudley were sent to their rooms. Jemma had yet to talk to Harry and waited patiently but she never got the chance.
The next morning, however, she was in for the shock of her life.
"MOVING?!" she and Dudley practically screamed at their parents. "It's not safe here anymore, you two. Now, your father and I are going to start looking for new houses or maybe a nice apartment while you two decide on which of your things will no longer be needed before packing. We're going to move at the end of the summer," Petunia said primly. "But why do we have to move so suddenly?" Jemma, ever so full of questions, asked. Vernon merely cast a glance at the door to Harry's room. Jemma, suddenly quiet, picked at her food while the rest of her family chattered at the table. When the dishes were put away, her parents went off to go house hunting, and her brother gone off with his gang, Jemma went upstairs to Harry's room. Seeing that it was locked, Jemma cleverly picked the lock and opened the door. Harry was sitting on his bed, reading a copy of The Daily Prophet, when Jemma went over to him and snatched the newspaper out of his hands.
"This has something to do with you, doesn't it? The whole family moving?" she demanded, doe brown eyes flashing with anger. "Jem, I'm turning 17 soon. Once that happens, the protection from your parents won't work anymore. I told you this once, remember? Back in my first year? About the blood wards?" Harry asked her quietly. "Yeah, but why do we have to leave? You can go live with other wizards, can't you?" Jemma questioned him. "They'll hunt you, Dudley, and your parents down if you stay here, Jem. If any of Voldemort's Death Eaters know about you and your relation to me, they'll target you immediately. That's why you have to go," Harry explained.
Jemma felt a pit form in her stomach as she connected the dots.
Harry's emerald green eyes looked searchingly into her brown ones as he waited for her reaction. "It's not fair," Jemma said at last. "Jem, I'm sorry…But you have to understand that…" Harry managed to say before Jemma harshly cut him off.
"No, I don't understand at all! Why did Voldemort have to choose you?! Why do you always have to put yourself in this much danger?! Why do all these bad things happen whenever you're around?! Why do my family and I have to live in fear of who knows what?! Why do we have to leave in order to keep you safe when, in fact, you've never felt safe here?! Why do you have to say goodbye?!" the youngest Dursley burst out before saying something she would greatly regret.
"Why do you have to be such a freak?!"
Profoundly hurt as he felt, Harry's face remained neutral as Jemma left his room in tears.
For half of the entire summer, Jemma avoided Harry at all costs. To the rest of her family, it was a miracle. "Finally, our dear Jem's come to her senses!" Vernon joyfully proclaimed, hugging his daughter tightly and was so proud. Jemma, unfortunately, felt far from proud. In fact, she felt horrible. Harry rarely came down for meals now and mostly stayed in his room. Sometimes, Jemma would pass by his door and almost reach for the doorknob but always ended up not doing so. She went on with her usual routine, losing herself in fencing, studying about birds, and running, but…at the end of the day…her thoughts went back to her cousin. As for her new responsibility of caring for Fawkes' daughter, Jemma made sure to always keep the egg warm day and night. She had to be careful, though, so as not for it to be discovered so she mostly did her intensive caring for it under the cover of night. She sang to it all the lullabies she knew and, when she ran out of lullabies, songs she had learned in school and had listened to.
Then, towards the middle of summer, Jemma couldn't fight down the guilt she had been feeling ever since she got mad with Harry. As soon as she woke up, Jemma went straight to Harry's bedroom door and knocked.
"It's open."
With the door creaking as she opened it, Jemma quietly stepped inside. Harry had just woken up as well and was putting on his glasses when he saw his younger cousin. For a minute, the two cousins stared at each other. Then Jemma finally said it.
"I'm sorry."
She had fully expected Harry to not accept her apology, get mad at her, or even just plain ignore her. What she didn't expect was for Harry to hug her and to feel his tears soaking the shoulder of her nightgown. "I'm sorry, too…" he whispered, his voice tight with tears. Jemma couldn't fight back her own tears and whimpered, burying her face in Harry's shoulder. "I don't want you to go…" she hiccupped. "I have to, Jem…You know that…" Harry told her softly. "I do…but I'll never see you again…I won't have anyone to teach me about magic or make fun of Dudley or just be there when I feel sad or lonely…I won't have a best friend anymore…" Jemma sobbed out.
Harry then cupped Jemma's face in his hands and, for a moment, he saw the little baby girl he had found crying in her crib when he was six. Then, in the blink of an eye, he saw that little baby girl grow into the kindest, most loving, smartest, and most wonderful younger cousin he knew. Smiling, Harry gently brushed his thumb against Jemma's cheek. "Sirius once told me this: The ones who love us never really leave us. You can always find them in here." He said, gently placing his right hand over Jemma's heart. Jemma managed to smile a little. "I'll always be in your heart, Jemma. And you'll always be in mine. That way, no matter how far apart we are from each other, we'll still be cousins together; friends forever. All right?" Harry asked her. "All right," Jemma nodded.
And, just like that, the broken bond between Harry and Jemma was mended and made stronger than ever before. The rest of the Dursleys could only scratch their heads when Jemma and Harry went out together to seize the day, and the next, and the next, all the way until summer ended. And the two cousins, knowing that their time together was short, savored every second and lived each day as if it were their last.
The last night before she and her family would have to leave 4 Privet Drive, Jemma couldn't sleep. Tiptoeing down the hall, Jemma picked the lock and snuck into Harry's room. Harry hadn't been able to sleep either and was awake when he saw Jemma come in. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked. Nodding, Jemma climbed into Harry's bed and snuggled close to him. "You'll beat him, won't you?" Jemma asked quietly. "My friends and I'll be searching for the Horcruxes. They have pieces of Voldemort's soul in them. If we can find all of them and destroy them, he can be defeated," Harry reassured her. Jemma nodded before whispering, "I'm scared…" triggering a memory Harry had of Jemma when she was three and he was nine.
(Flashback Starts)
"Hawwy? Hawwy? Hawwy?"
Nine-year-old Harry turned on the little light in his cupboard when he heard Jemma's frightened voice. To his luck, his Uncle Vernon had forgotten to lock the cupboard that night. Opening the door of his cupboard, Harry was surprised to see his little cousin's tear-streaked face.
"Jem, what happened?" he asked softly. Jemma whimpered, tears trickling down her face, and wrapped her arms around herself like she always did when she was scared. "I had bad dream. And thewe monstews undew my bed. Don't wanna sleep thewe. I scawed…" she hiccupped. "Jem, you can't stay here. If your Mum and Dad find you here, we'll get into trouble…" Harry said worriedly. "But thewe monstews thewe! Don't wanna be all alone, Hawwy! I'm scawed!" Jemma wailed softly. Seeing how distressed Jemma was, Harry conceded and motioned for her to get inside. "Tomorrow morning, let's go investigate under your bed. If I find any monsters under there, Jem, I'll make sure to chase them away," he reassured her. Jemma sniffled and curled up next to Harry as he turned off the light. Then, to help his younger cousin sleep, Harry began to gently stroke her hair and sing a little lullaby…
(Flashback Ends)
Automatically, Harry began to gently stroke Jemma's soft, raven black hair, and sang…
"Close your eyes, dear little one
Sleep, sleep till rise of sun
Don't be afraid for I'm here
Bad dreams and pains won't get near"
Jemma looked at Harry in awe before beginning to feel sleepy. That song…it sounded so familiar…
"I'll stay awake through the night
Then we'll play come morning light
As you dream, know this be true
I'll always, always, love you"
"I remember…you sang that to me when I was three…" Jemma murmured as Harry gently kissed her forehead. "You still remember the words?" Harry whispered. "Mm-hmmm…can I try singing it with you…?" Jemma asked sleepily. "Okay…" Harry smiled and the two of them softly sang to each other.
"Close your eyes, dear little one
Sleep, sleep till rise of sun
Don't be afraid for I'm here
Bad dreams and pains won't get near
I'll stay awake through the night
Then we'll play come morning light
As you dream, know this be true
I'll always, always, love you"
Jemma soon fell asleep after that, snuggled against Harry, until he also fell asleep. And the two of them dreamed good dreams, despite the bad things that would soon come.
When Vernon went to get a drink with his wife and saw Jemma's open bedroom door, he immediately suspected his nephew and went to investigate. Finding his daughter curled up against the boy in his bed sent Vernon into rage. Luckily, before he could explode and wake the two up, Petunia stopped him and said to him, "Let's just leave them be…It's their last night together, anyway." And sent him back to bed. Before closing Harry's bedroom door, Petunia dared herself to look and…for once…soften her heart towards her sister's son.
Harry's face was peaceful as he slept, a faint smile on his lips, as Jemma slightly shifted in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. 'Why did you have to have Lily's good heart, boy? Why did you have to love my daughter so?' Petunia thought, shaking her head, as she left the two cousins alone.
I hope you guys liked this because the next chapter will be the last of this one-shot series. Read and review!
-GuardianDragon98