Hey, this is a short chapter. I'm going to skip a few months after this, so the next chapter will be when they take their OWLs and when Harry has his vision so you don't have the whole story extremely detailed for every day. :)

Read on and don't forget to tell me what you think! :) There's that little review button... :)

Chapter 22: Scars

"I'm sorry..."

I woke up, gasping. I looked around the dark room. We would be returning to Hogwarts later today on the Night Bus. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 1:30 am. I still had hours before we were leaving, but I couldn't go back to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother, the flash of green light...

"No!"

I was trembling all over so I got up as quietly as I could and went to the bathroom. I washed my face in the sink and saw the scars of 'I must not believe lies' scratched on my hand. That woman! I started crying again, thinking of everything my mother had ever done for me, seeing that it wasn't really her fault that I was now classed as Death Eater... But I couldn't tell her that now. She was dead. She would never be there for me, ever again. I had no one left... I gripped the edge of the sink so as not to break down. I would keep fighting with Harry, my friends were my family now. I would defend them with my life, even if I had to give my life in the end for them.

I went back into the bedroom and stood, looking at the sleeping figures of Hermione and Ginny, peacefully sleeping with no worries. For the first time in my life, I wished I had not become a witch. I wished I were an ignorant muggle. I would still have my parents. They had to pay for the path that I chose when I didn't join Voldemort. My mother had brought it upon herself, by letting Voldemort through, but I had insured her death by going against him. But then, if I hadn't, Harry would be dead... No. No one else would die because of me. My family was already gone, I would never join Voldemort now that he took them away from me.

I lay back down on my bed. As I closed my eyes, I thought about Hermione's parents. How they had always been like family to me... I jerked awake. No. Not Hermione's family... No!

I have to do something! I thought as I ran silently downstairs to the kitchen. There, as I suspected, was Sirius and Mrs. Weasley.

"Jasmine? What on earth are you still doing up?" Scolded Mrs. Weasley, I ignored it.

"Please, you have to help me. Voldemort is taking out everyone I love, my family was top on the list. I know they can't do anything to my friends as long as they're at Hogwarts or here, but the Granger family has always been a second family to me and I think he's going to go after them next!" I said hurriedly.

"Jasmine, it's nearly two o'clock in the morning, go get some sleep and we'll -" Started Sirius.

"No! You don't understand! He's going to kill her family! She already lost her sister when she was 8, I don't want her to lose her parents too! And because of me!" *Pop*

"What's all the commotion?" Asked George, smiling. Silence.

"Fred, George, wake Tonks and Kingsley up. We need to set up a guard for Hermione's parents." Sirius said. *Pop*. He then looked at me. "They'll be fine as long as we get to them before Voldemort does."

"But, they won't have to hide away, will they?"

"No, they won't even know we're watching them." He smiled.

"Now, go to bed! And don't tell Hermione, she'll just be worrying over nothing. Don't tell anyone about this. We don't want everyone to know who Voldemort's next targets might be." I nodded to Mrs. Weasley and hugged her and Sirius, thanking them for listening.

As I entered the room, Hermione was awake.

"Oh, there you are." She smiled. "I was wondering where you'd got to."

"I, uh... Just went to the bathroom."

"I was just there," she said with a puzzled look, "and I was alone."

"Yeah, well, I wondered around for a bit." I smiled. "Let's go to bed, I'm tired and we have to leave for Hogwarts later."

As I drifted off to sleep, I could distinctively hear Hermione humming an old song we used to sing. Smiling, I shifted position and slept a nice dreamless sleep.