No More Secrets

"My mother?" Letti stared down Professor Malfoy. "You mean...you've known who she was this whole time?"

He frowned. "No. I had some suspicions when you first arrived, but until you told me of your dream, the vision, they were just that: suspicions." He glanced at Headmistress Patil. "Even now, I am hesitant to say anything without complete certainty-"

"Just get on with it, Draco." The headmistress sounded almost bored.

The professor adjusted his robes. "Very well." Turning back to Letti, he asked, "What do you know of the Second Wizarding War?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Erm...there was a lot of fighting between dark wizards and good ones. There was a really bad guy, I don't remember his name...Voldymore?"

"Voldemort." Professor Malfoy sounded disappointed. "Remind me to have a chat with your history professor later."

"Erm, yeah, Voldemort, sorry. Anyways, he was really bad and wanted to kill non-wizards and people who weren't pureblood, even though he wasn't pureblood himself, and...he killed a lot of people. Harry Potter stopped him here at Hogwarts. Right?"

Headmistress Patil whistled, stopping at a furious glance from Professor Malfoy. "You are correct," he said, "Extremely loose on some of the finer details, perhaps, but yes, you've got the gist. Do you remember who Harry's key allies were?"

Letti looked down at her feet. "Erm...not really, no."

"Do you remember hearing of a witch named Hermione Granger? Or perhaps, using her married name, Hermione Weasley?"

Letti looked back up and cocked her head to the side. "Maybe? It sounds familiar."

"It should, she was the smartest of us all." Though the words were a compliment, Professor Malfoy's tone sounded bitter, almost jealous. "Extremely smart and exceptionally powerful. She had a certain voracity for reading books and learning spells, even inventing some new ones of her own. Though a bit of a goody-two-shoes, she had a tendency to get into certain amounts of trouble quite often. Sound like a certain someone you know?" He raised an eyebrow.

Letti started to piece things together. "Are you saying that my mother is this...Hermione?"

Headmistress Patil nodded. "It seems most likely. Hermione was one of our finest witches, but when the Calamity first started...she went missing. We assumed she had been kidnapped or killed like many others, and there simply wasn't enough time to investigate fully - at that point cities were under siege by monsters, and we had our hands full."

"Then she came back." Professor Malfoy stood up and walked over to the glass cabinet full of artifacts. His shoulders sank with memory. "At the time, it seemed like a miracle. One of our best and brightest, returning from the dead to help us fight the oncoming hordes. Not only that, but she possessed a unique ability: she could tame and control some of the monsters. Hellhounds, Gargantulas, even Nightcrawlers - all would obey her command. I can't tell you how many thousands she saved, how many times we were nearly done for, only to have her come in. The tide was turning for our side.

"And then…" Professor Malfoy's head hung low. "It was like a switch was flipped. Her hair and eyes turned black, her skin was even more white and pale than before, and she turned against us. In a single day she nearly wiped out Prague with an army of monsters at her disposal. Nothing seemed capable of stopping her."

"But it wasn't really her," the headmistress added. "It was like...something had possessed her. After a few weeks, she no longer even called herself Hermione. She went by the name of Morgana."

Upon uttering the name, the air suddenly grew more cold. The lights in the room flickered and dimmed. It was as if saying the name itself had cast a shadow in the space, and Letti rubbed her shoulders. "So Hermione turned...evil?"

"Yes and no." Professor Malfoy paced about the room. "Like Parvati said, she no longer called herself Hermione. Still the same physical form, but...indeed, our best theory is that some dark force possessed her. The origins of this force, and how exactly Hermione came to be its host, are still unknown.

"I think, and I believe the headmistress will back me up on this, that Hermione was fighting it. When she first returned, she was already possessed, but she was strong and able to hold it back. Use its own power against the Calamity forces. Throughout the remainder of the Calamity, she would appear and disappear for weeks, even months at a time. During one of these excursions, I suspect, you were born."

Letti looked up. She had been trying to block the bad parts up until now.

The professor took note of her renewed interest and continued. "There are quite a few gaps we still need to fill in, to be sure, but it makes sense. The hushed secrecy of your parentage, hiding you away in another country without revealing your magical heritage...if Hermione thought for a second that you could be put in danger, she would not hesitate to ensure your safety. She was, first and foremost, a caring person."

"What about Luna Lovegood? Her name was carved in my vault at Gringotts?"

He rubbed his chin. "Hmm, yes, that does make things interesting." He turned to the headmistress. "Your sister was in the same house as Luna, if I recall. Is there any chance she could shed some light on the subject?"

"I can certainly ask."

Professor Malfoy finally stood still. He seemed lost in thought. Then, a moment later, he lifted his head and looked at Letti sternly. "There are still quite a few mysteries we have yet to solve, Miss Lunetti. Some, such as the identity of your father, I suspect will be easier to solve than others. No, we don't know for sure," he added, stopping Letti from interrupting with a question. "But we can find out soon enough. The nature of your mark, however, is the greatest mystery, and one that I suspect will provide many more answers than what we are looking for. However, Headmistress Patil and I have exhausted our collective knowledge in identifying its origins. We will have to, reluctantly, turn to another who could unlock some of these secrets." He caught Letti's questioning glance and sighed exasperatedly, turning to the headmistress. "Don't make me say it, please."

The headmistress rolled her eyes. "We believe that Harry Potter will have some insight that can help us."

"Harry Potter?" Letti knew of him, of course: a wizarding hero.

"Yes. He has a mark of his own, a scar on his forehead, and as an Auror he did quite a number of investigations into magical marks. There is a good chance he could help us. Help you. Even if our dear professor here is too proud to admit it." She paused. "What I believe Professor Malfoy is also getting at is this: please do not try to find these answers on your own. The history of the Calamity is one fraught with violence and bloodshed. Entities like the Gargantula are far from the most dangerous creatures that time unleashed. Yes, Draco?"

The professor had a sour expression on his face. "I...hmm." He paused. "I don't mean to contradict you, Parvati, but I think simply trying to stop Miss Lunetti here from seeking answers on her own will do little good. She has already proven herself quite resourceful, and I seem to recall during our time that outright banning certain activities tended to make them more enticing to students. Perhaps I can amend your request?"

She sighed and waved a hand. "Very well." Letti heard the headmistress mutter under her breath. "Insufferable."

The professor ignored her. "Rather than entirely stopping you from seeking answers on your own, allow me to say this: if you find yourself getting close to something, and it seems dangerous, contact one of us: myself, Headmistress Patil, or even your friend Henrietta Hazelwood. As the headmistress mentioned, the Calamity was fraught with danger, and the last thing we want is for you to get in over your head." He looked at her straight in the eyes. "Can you promise me that you will come to us if you find yourself getting close to something?"

Letti nodded meekly. "Erm, yes, sir. I will. I promise."

He nodded. "Good."

"Go back to your dormitory, Letti." Headmistress Patil waved her toward the door. "Reflect on our conversation, as I am sure you have much to process. And…" she paused. "Do try to keep out of trouble. I don't want to see you in my office again unless it is under positive circumstances."