prince child your dying and I can't bear to watch
how can this penetrate you
I keep denying that those gray eyes have stopped
I can't believe this is you
I tried I lied to forget you thoughts
but I can never leave you
I, I, I lied...
free me to forgive a man I loved
free me to foresee the fate he sought
free me from the source of all these lies
free me from the course of all this time
-
They say he's my Godfather. They didn't know that I was listening. If they knew I was there then they wouldn't have said it. It's another secret, another piece of my past that's been kept away from me.
My blood boils as I run through the streets of Hogsmeade. As much as I try, I can't hold back my tears. He was their best friend, someone they trusted and he betrayed them, he murdered them.
"I hope he does find me," I tell Hermione, "Because when he does I'm going to be ready. When he does I'm going to kill him."
I can tell by the look on her face that she doesn't believe me. I can see it in her eyes that she doesn't want to believe my words. I can see it in Ron's eyes as well. They don't think I'm capable of killing someone. They're wrong. I'm shaking with anger now and I know that I am quite capable of killing someone.
The events of last year showed me something that I didn't want to believe. Tom and I are more alike then anyone knows, except maybe Dumbledore. Dumbledore wants to believe that I am completely and utterly good to the core.
He knows I was almost sorted into Slytherin. He tried to convince me that it is our choices that make us who we are. I chose to be in Gryffindor, which only serves as evidence that I am the most Slytherin of them all.
December 4th 3PM, Sunday
10 miles North of Edinburgh, Scotland
A cruel wind whipped around me and I pulled the red stocking cap further down my forehead. Draco and Khalida walked along in front of me as we made our way through the deep snow. Soon we would be in Edinburgh and among civilization once again. I was looking forward to a nice warm bath.
The three of us each wore different disguises. Draco had cast a glamour charm over himself and his long blonde hair was now a dirty brown color while his beautiful gray eyes were a deep hazel.
Khalida's disguise was completely non-magical since her vampire blood reflected lower level charms like the glamour charm. Instead she was wearing a ridiculous looking pair of over-sized sunglasses to hide her red eyes and a thick white shawl wrapped around to cover her face. She looked like a cross between James Bond and a Muslin woman.
After repeated attempts to hide the scar on my forehead through magical means I finally gave up and attempted to use regular make-up. Unfortunately Cover Girl foundation was no more effective so Draco transfigured a rock into an ugly red stocking cap. It wasn't as warm as a real stocking cap but it covered enough of my forehead to do its job.
A glamour charm from Draco changed my eyes from green to dark brown. My hair had been another problem. Draco attempted to charm it shorter but it just wouldn't stay so Khalida had suggested just chopping it off the muggle way. After cutting it to my shoulders we watched in quiet fascination as it grew back to its original length a few minutes later. We dubbed it a lost cause and decided the other changes would have to be enough.
"So tell me again why we're trudging through the cold snow rather than flying?" I asked for the hundredth time.
"I can't fly in this weather," Draco snapped as he glared back at me.
"No fighting you two," Khalida interrupted, "We've still got a long way to go."
"There's no way we can walk that far!" I exclaimed.
"We're only walking until the snow lets up and then we'll fly," Khalida replied.
A few hours later we came across a small, abandoned cottage. It wasn't much but it blocked out the cold wind and snow. As Draco and I sat on the dirty, wooden floor I noticed that Khalida looked even paler than usual and her hands were shaking slightly.
"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. Draco and I watched silently as her whole body began to shake.
"I…I'm….o..okay…" Khalida stuttered weakly.
I stood up from the ground, wondering what in the world was wrong with the vampire, and made my way across the room. Khalida put her hands up in front of her and backed away from me until she was pressed against the wall behind her.
"Stay back," she stammered loudly, "Don't come any closer." Draco got up and came over to stand next to me.
"What's wrong Khalida? Are you ill?" He asked nervously. The vampire shook her head once again but kept her hands stretched out in front of her. I studied her for a moment before realization hit.
"You need to feed don't you?" I asked hesitantly. Khalida nodded guiltily as Draco inhaled loudly.
"Can you feed without killing us?" I questioned and Khalida nodded once again.
"This is just bloody wonderful," Draco mumbled and I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Well, is it going to be you or…" I began to ask which one of us would be providing Khalida's meal but was interrupted by a strong pressure on my back propelling me towards the vampire. I turned my head to glare at Draco but he had already backed away to the other side of the room.
"You don't have to do this Jenny," Khalida said softly, all the while eyeing my neck as if she was a starving dog and I was a nice meaty pork chop.
"Go ahead and get it over with," I sighed as I turned my head to the side.
Before I realized what was happening Khalida attached herself to my neck and drank greedily. It wasn't painful, more like a dull ache and in seconds it was over. Khalida wiped her lips on her sleeve and helped me to lie down. I was feeling a little light-headed.
"The dizziness will go away in a few minutes," she explained softly, "The bite marks should heal by the end of the week."
"I could cast a healing spell," Draco offered and Khalida shook her head.
"Won't work," she stated simply, "They'll have to heal naturally." Draco nodded in understanding.
I attempted to follow their conversation the best I could but the cottage seemed to be disappearing around me. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was transforming into a dull, gray blur. My eyes sought out Khalida or Draco but all I could make out were two blurry dark gray blobs standing over me.
Suddenly I felt as if I was drowning. It wasn't a new feeling and I tried to reach out a hand to grab something to keep me afloat. Instead I grasped weakly at empty air and instantly the world fell away into darkness.
There's a red-haired woman in front of me. She looks familiar. I attempt to push her out of the way but she will not move. Does she think a weak woman such as herself can possibly keep me away from my goal? She begs, pleads and cries but I can barely hear her.
Something else has caught my attention. A tugging sensation in my mind as if I'm being pulled forward. I know this feeling. Something is manipulating me on this path. Some unknown force is driving me.
I don't like to be manipulated. I don't like to be controlled. I can still hear the woman pleading with me and out of nowhere a plan blossoms like a flower. Yes, just like a flower.
The world shifts around me and I am standing in the doorway of my father's study. He's writing in some kind of book. He looks up at me and smiles before closing the book. A moment later he walks past me, patting my head as he passes by. The book is still in his hands as he heads into the basement, to the room that I am forbidden to enter.
Blood underneath my feet, squishing between my toes. Fire flaring from the windows and the house is gone. I'm walking through the ashes. Why am I walking through the ashes?
December 5th 8AM, Monday
Abandoned Cottage
"Where am I?" I asked in confusion, "And why is it so warm in here? Have we already gotten to Edinburgh?" I sat up and stretched, wincing at the sound of joints cracking and bones popping.
"We're still at the cottage," Draco replied as he came over to sit next to me, "You've been asleep since yesterday afternoon when Khalida made you into a snack."
"I did not!" Khalida exclaimed loudly as she sat down on the other side of me.
"Stupid bloody vampire," Draco said as he glared at Khalida, "Your just lucky that Jenny's okay or…or…"
"Or what?" Khalida asked sarcastically.
"You don't want to know," Draco hissed angrily.
"Okay, enough arguing," I interrupted softly as I gently rubbed my temples, "It's way to early for this and I had some pretty nasty dreams." Khalida and Draco each gave me a worried look.
"What happened?" Draco asked hesitantly. I was silent for a moment as I attempted to recall the dream. It seemed so real at the time but after waking up everything seemed hazy and hard to remember.
"There was a woman with red hair," I began slowly, "and I was trying to push her out of the way. I could hear her crying. Then everything changed and I was standing in the doorway of my father's study."
"I actually remember that happening when I was around ten," I continued, "Of course I didn't realize it was a memory until I dreamed about it."
"What happened?" Khalida asked curiously.
"My father was writing in some kind of book, probably a journal," I explained, "When he noticed me in the doorway he closed the book right away and took it downstairs with him. I never saw the book again after that."
"Is that it?" Draco questioned.
"Not really," I stated, "There was some stuff after that but I can't remember it all. At the end there was fire though, I do remember that, and…"
"And?" Draco and Khalida asked at the same time.
"I was walking through ashes," I responded softly, "It felt strange, almost like I was looking for something."
"I wonder what you were searching for," Draco said thoughtfully.
"Who knows?" I replied with a shrug before standing up and dusting myself off. I took a peak out the nearest window and saw the sun shining brightly outside.
"It looks like the weather's let up," Khalida said as she followed my gaze, "Perhaps we should get going." Draco looked appalled at her suggestion.
"Are you serious!" he exclaimed, "Jenny just woke up and she's so weak she can barely stand."
"I can stand just fine," I growled angrily, "Now let's get going, I'd like to sleep in a hotel room tonight."
"Sounds good to me," Khalida added.
"Fine," Draco snapped, "In this weather we should be there in no time."
"Just try to keep up," he added with a pointed look at Khalida, who just rolled her eyes dramatically.
We gathered up our things and headed outside. The sun was warm on my face despite the chill in the air. I gazed upward and took a nice, long breath of fresh air. Draco mounted the broom and I got on behind him. A few minutes later we were flying effortlessly through the clouds and my nightmare was momentarily forgotten.
December 5th 8PM, Monday
Edinburgh Scotland
After a late supper and a warm bath the large hotel bed looked quite inviting, even if I did have to share it with a certain blonde. Khalida sat by the window, ever vigilant and a little bit paranoid. We were still in Scotland after all and close enough to Hogwarts to make Dumbledore a possible threat.
"I've been thinking," Draco began.
"Did it hurt?" I interrupted sarcastically.
"O ha ha, very funny," he replied. "Seriously, I've been thinking about the reason that Potter might have killed himself."
"And?"
"And I just can't believe that the good and noble Harry Potter would kill himself if he knew that you would be in the situation you're in now," he responded thoughtfully, "I think he may not have known that you were a witch."
"But what about the owl from Hogwarts?" I asked in confusion.
"You assume it was from Hogwarts but we have no way of knowing for certain," Draco explained, "What if Potter was keeping in contact with someone in the wizarding world?"
"Or perhaps someone who used to be in the wizarding world," Khalida added.
"Of course," I gasped, "Charles Smith."
"That would make sense," Draco replied with a nod, "Maybe Potter thought that if he killed himself then the contract would die with him."
"But he knew I could speak Parseltongue."
"Yes but that isn't exactly magical," he stated, "Parseltongue is an inherited trait. It's the same as hair color or height. It's passed down from generation to generation."
"Evelien said that Voldemort felt it when Thomas first performed accidental magic," I said warily.
"Do you remember ever doing accidental magic when you were young?" Khalida questioned. I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head in reply. "So the contract probably didn't go into effect until you showed some sign of having magic."
"When would that have been?" Draco wondered out loud.
"That day when I ran out of the Leaky Cauldron," I responded, "I was so angry and frustrated."
"I remember that," Draco stated, "The sidewalk cracked underneath your feet and Severus had to stun you." I rubbed the scar on my forehead absentmindedly and a memory of my father smiling down at me flashed through my mind.
"I wonder if I'm able to die?" I asked thoughtfully.
"Don't even think about it!" Draco exclaimed wildly.
"It would be good to know," Khalida said, her voice trailing off into a thick silence.
"I suppose I can die," I stated suddenly, "I mean, Thomas did, didn't he?"
"Killed by his own mother," Draco added, shivering involuntarily.
"I hate magic," I stated assuredly and Draco gasped in surprise.
"Don't say that," he hissed angrily, "Don't ever say that."
"Why? It's true! If I wasn't a witch then none of this would have happened."
"And then you would have never met me," Draco said softly as he pulled me closer.
"Maybe you'd be better off," I replied sadly.
"Better off how?" he asked incredulously, "I can tell you what I'd be doing now if I wasn't here. I'd be sitting with Severus playing chess and I'd be alone and miserable."
"So being caught by Aurors, sent to Azkaban and almost dieing is better than that?"
"To the well-organized mind death is but the next great adventure," Draco stated haughtily.
"That's it," I exclaimed lightly, "When you start quoting Dumbledore I know you've gone completely insane."
"Dumbledore's insane and he's somewhere around two-hundred years old," Khalida added while chuckling softly, "Apparently insanity has its merits."
"Wow! I suppose that means Draco will live to be at least five-hundred or so."
"Jenny…" Draco warned.
"Okay, okay, six-hundred," I stated simply, "but if you go a day over that I'll have to put you down myself."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next chapter Jenny and the gang will finally make it to Brazil. Who could possibly be hiding out there?