A/N: So this chapter is split into two pieces as well, I'm not sure why Doc manager isn't accepting my larger files... Anyway, enjoy! Please review!

Chapter 20: Emmylou

The triwizard tournament was supposed to be a fun time, but I wasn't having a lot of fun. The Yule ball was coming up and all the girls were being asked. Well, all the girls except me. I tried to lie to myself and say it didn't bother me – but it did. It bothered me a lot. I was sixteen, this shouldn't bother me. But it did.

When the other girls asked me about it I pretended not to care. The other girls in my room didn't exactly make fun of me, but sometimes they poked at me for fun. It might have been the same, but I pretended it wasn't.

I was heading to Herbology and I was late. I was running to try and get there on time, but I knew I would never make it. I got outside and ran at full speed towards the greenhouse. We had Herbology with Gryffindor today and I wasn't looking forward to it. To me it seemed like Gryffindor talked a lot about their bravery, but barely even knew what bravery was. To me it wasn't talk. To me bravery was silent acts of courage that no one knew about. That was real bravery.

I ran into class a minute late and Professor Sprout looked at me annoyed.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw. Next time you think about being late Miss Safiq remember that your house's points hang in the balance." I groaned. Tonight should be fun. My bunk mates would passive aggressively ask me why I had been late while simultaneously humiliating me with talk of the Yule ball. The only seat left was next to a Gryffindor and I took it begrudgingly. It was Henry O'Connell. The boy everyone either wanted to date, or wanted to be. Of course I didn't like him, but that wasn't exactly an oddity. I hardly liked anyone.

"What happened, couldn't get away from your Death Eater duties?" He whispered. I stiffened. It was common knowledge that my family was pureblood, but hardly anyone ever said anything to my face about it.

"If you must know I was cleaning slime out of my hair. Someone thought it would be funny to hex me in the hall." I retorted.

"Miss Safiq!" Professor Sprout exclaimed. "Another ten points from Ravenclaw. No talking in class." I groaned and put my head on the desk. "Miss Safiq do I need to send you to Headmaster Dumbledore's office?" She asked loudly. I looked up, pure rage on my face.

"Please do – I would rather talk to him than sit next to this slimy Gryffindor and listen to you talk about who knows what!"

"That is quite enough! Straight to Headmaster Dumbledore's office!"

"Thank goodness! If I had to sit through another second of this lecture I might have actually cursed myself!" There was a collective gasp around the room. I looked at them angrily. "What never heard of dark magic? It seems to be common knowledge that I'm a pureblood and all purebloods are evil! You might as well get used to it!" I stormed out of the greenhouse. I went straight to Professor Dumbledore's office and waited outside angrily. He came down looking aloof and happy as he usually did.

"Hello Miss Safiq." I only nodded at him. "Please come into my office." I followed him up the eagle staircase, fuming all the way. When we got to his office he sat down behind his desk and I sat down on the other side.

"What seems to be bothering you Miss Safiq?" I looked up surprised. I had expected a lecture.

"Nothing." I lied. He peered at me over the top of his glasses.

"Really? I seem to recall someone getting rather angry about a certain comment that a certain Gryffindor made." I looked at him confused. He shrugged.

"I see everything that happens at Hogwarts." It wasn't that part that had surprised me so much, more that he had realized that it was Henry's comment that had set me off. Most people were extremely bad at reading my emotional responses. Probably because I didn't have them very often.

"How did you know?" I asked finally.

"I would have been mad too." He said. "If it is any comfort I obliviated their memories. Everyone in that class simply thinks that you are sick and couldn't come to class."

"Why?" I asked. He shrugged again.

"I feel you have great potential. I would hate for everyone in that class to think badly of you."

"They already do." I muttered.

"Oh?"

"They all think I'm Death Eater scum. Nothing I do will change that. I can't even get a date to the Yule Ball!" I cried exasperated. I looked up surprised. "Why did I tell you all that?" He smiled.

"I just have that affect." I sighed.

"It shouldn't bother me you know? Who cares if I have to go the Ball alone? I've always been alone. But it's different. It's like the epitome of pathetic. I can't even convince a gross sixteen year old boy to invite me to a dance."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Alas – that's the truth."

"Why don't you ask someone?"

"They would say no." He chuckled.

"In my experience, they usually say yes."

"What experience was that?" I grumbled. He chuckled again. He seemed to be fond of chuckling.

"Miss Safiq like I said – I think you have great potential."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have the potential to be great." He said cryptically.

"I think we both know that's a lie. I have the potential to become a Death Eater. That's the only potential I see." This conversation had turned quickly.

"Not at all. That's the only potential you see, but I see much more. I see greatness, truly. But not if you continue on this path." I looked at him sadly.

"I only see one path."

"Sometimes you have to make your own path." He paused. "Become a pioneer."

"That sounds like an awful lot of work."

"Indeed. Are you ready to go back to class? I believe you have Care of Magical Creatures and I seem to recall you like that class?" It was my turn to chuckle.

"You really do know everything."

"It's a curse."

"Not at all. I would love to know everything." I got up from his desk and walked to the door. "I would love to know what the future holds." I said as I walked

out.

"That would take away the surprise."

"I hate surprises."

I resurfaced feeling nostalgic. That had been the only time I had really talked to Dumbledore. It had perturbed me that he had thought I had the potential for greatness. Of course I had proved him wrong – and then proved him right. It had just taken me some time.

I rubbed my eyes tiredly. I hadn't been sleeping well the past few days. In lieu of sleep I had been putting memories into the Pensieve. It helped me to get my mind off of things.

I think the reason for my lack of sleep was my parents upcoming sentence. They were going to get the kiss in a few days. Bellatrix had already gotten the kiss and most of the other Death Eaters were getting it as well. It shouldn't bother me as much as it did, but I couldn't stop thinking about my mother calling to me for help.

I didn't hate her. I didn't hate my father either. They were victims of the pureblood evil just as much as I was. That didn't mean that I forgave them either. I rubbed my temples. I was going to get a migraine. I walked out of the room and was accosted by Mrs. Avery.

"Dear, something is wrong with that tea kettle. It won't heat up the water!"

"I'll look at it." I said exhausted. I walked down to the kitchen with her, trying to look as if I was paying attention to what she was saying. When I got to the kitchen we found that the kettle was not in fact broken, but that she had not turned the burner on.

"You're a life saver dear." She said. I walked back out of the kitchen and collapsed on the sofa in the sitting room. The other thing that had me worried was the full moon. It was in two weeks. Ellen pretended to be fine with it, but I knew she was worried sick. We had obtained a healthy amount of wolfsbane for her so she was going to be able to keep control of herself.

Jasper had promised her he would turn into a bear while she was a werewolf. It seemed to give her some comfort, but it gave me none. Since Bellatrix got the kiss Jasper had refused to eat. I don't think it wasn't a conscious decision, but he just seemed physically unable to eat. He had being going to see Harry a lot,but I didn't know what about.

It felt like things should be getting better, but it didn't seem like they were. Draco was as he always was. Calm and in control, but he visited his parents graves every day – sometimes twice a day. No one seemed to be able to let go of the past.

"Sirrah?" Romeo called from outside in the garden. The front door was hanging wide open letting the cool August breeze in.

"Yes?"

"Could you come help me with my broom? Draco taught me how to get on, but I forgot."

"I'll be right there." I dragged myself up off the couch and out the front door. Outside Valentine was happily flying around on her broom while Romeo pouted on the ground. "It's all right." I said patting his shoulder. "This is pretty hard."

"Valentine got it right away." He said sadly.

"And you'll get it too. Just stand on the left side of your broom. Yes like that. Hold your right hand over it and say 'up'." He followed my instructions and the broom flew into his hand. "Good! Now jump on." He mounted the broom. "Perfect!" He started flying around. He was a bit wobbly, but he was smiling. "You two be careful, alright?" I said. They nodded.

"When will Draco be home tonight?" Valentine called down.

"I'm not sure – I'm going to meet with him, Harry, and Hermione for lunch. I'll owl you when I find out."

"Okay, is Ellen here?"

"I'm here!" Ellen called out her open window. "You will not believe what I just got!"

"What?" The twins called up.

"Tickets to the quidditch world cup!"

"How did you do that?" I asked in awe. "The world cup is in three days. How were their any tickets left?"

"There are always tickets left." Ellen said slyly. I laughed.

"Okay I have to go meet Draco and Harry now, see you guys tonight!"

"Bye Sirrah, love you!" Valentine and Romeo called.

"Love you too!" I went back inside to floo to the ministry. Although the ministry had lifted the ban on our wands I preferred to floo places. I found apparation disconcerting.

When I entered the ministry I found Harry waiting for me. He looked nervous and his glasses were perched on his head.

"What?" I asked. Harry was like an open book for anyone to read.

"Oh nothing." I gave him a look. He waved his hand – he would explain later. We walked to his office in the auror department and there Draco and Hermione waited for us. Draco's face was tight and Hermione looked tired as well.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Getting right to it." Hermione muttered.

"The ministry." Draco said bitterly.

"What about the ministry?" I asked, when no one else offered up any more information.

"They are withdrawing funds from the program. Actually they're just shutting the program down."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing is it?" I asked. They all looked up at me incredulous. "Well, the whole point was for us to become self-sufficient right? I'm trying to get a job and Jasper wants to go to school – I'm sure the others aren't just sitting around waiting for the ministry to shower them with gifts."

"You don't understand," Hermione started. "Without the program we have no grounds to keep the twins." Her words shocked me.

"What?" I sat down across from them and Harry sat down next to me. "They can't do that!"

"Technically we never had custody over them." Draco said. "They were in custody of the program. Without the program the twins go right into the system. The ministry is already looking for families to take them."

I stared at them agape.