Chapter Forty Seven
Disclaimer: I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
Ha! I thought that twist may have shocked some of you!
HARRY POTTER
Harry paced around the room, unable to understand what had happened. Draco, Hermione and Ron seemed to be in the same situation as he was. After he discovered that Rupert had been part of the group that wanted to take Lance down, he had informed them immediately. He had pulled them all aside from their own meetings. Unfortunately, Ron hadn't been able to get any information out of Fernsby because he didn't know anything. It seemed as if Lance had kept his cards close to his chest and hadn't told many people about his plans.
"Do you think Eva was lying?" Draco asked after a few moments of silence as they all struggled to get their head around this. In his eyes, there was a possibility Eva was lying to build a better picture of herself so she could get a lighter sentence.
Harry shook his head, "No, she wasn't lying."
"I just can't believe he was part the group," Hermione frowned, her thoughts had gone wild inside her head. The different possibilities, thoughts and theories going round in her head would cause anyone a headache.
"Of all the bloody people," Ron muttered lowly.
They had all heard and read Freya's report about Rupert and it wasn't flattering. Freya had not shied away from any details, explaining very clearly how her father trained her to the point of severe injuries and exhaustion, as well as the fact Rupert had taught her how to use all of the Unforgiveable Curses. Rupert had endangered Freya's life on multiple occasions and had left her to the wrath of Vivienne. Harry and Hermione had planned to have Rupert and Vivienne arrested for child abuse when the issue of Lance and the Guardians had been settled, but now this had happened.
"We need to speak with Rupert again," Harry said, a sigh in his tone. He remembered his last visit that had come to nothing. Rupert was stubborn – so much so that Harry doubted that he could get him to talk.
Draco shook his head, "He won't speak with us. He will only speak with Freya."
"Maybe we should let him," Ron suggested.
Everyone looked in his direction, shock and horror on their faces. They couldn't believe what he had just said. "Are you saying we should give in to his demands?" Hermione demanded, her tone scathing. The thought of having that man anywhere near Freya after everything he had done enraged her.
"You can't be serious!" Draco exclaimed as his composure slipped slightly.
Harry remained silent, wordlessly asking Ron to continue and explain his reasons.
Ron sighed deeply, "Look, we've tried to get Rupert to speak and we've got nothing to show for it. We used the Veritaserum potion, only for him to resist it. We've used pain to get him to speak and we got nothing. He won't say anything. We need to get creative,"
"But to bring Freya back is ridiculous!" Hermione shouted.
Draco looked to Harry and found him with a contemplative expression. "You can't seriously be considering this?" Draco demanded with a dark scowl on his face. He knew the final decision belonged to Harry as he was Head Auror and it worried him that Harry seemed to be considering this idea.
"I get where you guys are coming from," Harry said as he looked to Hermione and Draco, "But I also see where Ron is coming from. Rupert won't break his silence,"
Hermione sent Harry a pleading look, "Harry, she just out of this. Do we really need to bring Freya back again?"
Draco looked to Harry, silently imploring him not to bring Freya back. She had already been through so much as it was.
"I will ask her, but the decision will be hers," Harry said with a sigh in his tone. He didn't want to bring Freya back into the fray either but he had little choice. Rupert would not speak with anyone in the Ministry except for Freya. Honestly, Harry didn't know what he do if Freya said no, but he would give her a choice in the matter and then go from there.
Ron snorted slightly, "I think she would be pissed if we didn't ask,"
Despite the situation, Hermione found herself smiling slightly, silently agreeing with Ron about this. "At least give her until tomorrow morning. Let her have at least the rest of the day," Hermione asked as she looked to Harry.
Harry nodded his head, this was something he could grant. Besides, it would allow him to properly finish his interview with Eva and mentally prepare himself for what was to come.
HARRY POTTER
Freya stood in the Chamber of Secrets, watching the water for a moment as she thought to herself. When she and James had returned from the Ministry they had both been confused on what to do. It was like they had both walked into a completely different world where no one knew what had gone down in the Ministry and it was weird. Freya struggled to step back in the castle because she didn't know what she wanted to do. But, after thinking about the situation, Freya knew what she needed to do. She needed to meet with the other Guardians and see what had happened on their end. Freya had sent a message out that asked for them to meet her in the Chamber of Secrets. James had wanted to join her but it was decided that it was best not to because James had to go and sort things out himself.
"Freya!" Cordelia's voice shouted out, her voice bounced off the walls of the Chamber.
Freya turned around and noticed all the remaining Guardians had stepped inside. Cordelia was the one in front, her eyes widened as she watched Freya. Rebecca stood next to her as she looked at Freya with a helpful expression. Both Ryan and Connor were behind them, cautious expressions on their faces because they didn't know what kind of news Freya would bring. The tension in the room was thick with anticipation and for some, it was difficult to breathe. When Freya smiled at them slightly, the tension in the room immediately disappeared almost instantly.
Cordelia whimpered slightly as she ran towards Freya, careful not to fall on the slippery ground. "Thank Merlin you're okay!" Cordelia exclaimed as she hugged Freya fiercely. She had been worried sick about what had happened with Freya. Cordelia's eyes widened when she realised what she had done, mentally berating herself because she knew how much Freya hated to be touched. Cordelia was about to pull away and apologise when slowly, Freya responded to Cordelia's hug, which pleasantly surprised Cordelia.
"Did you manage to get the Marks off?" Freya asked as she knew this was the next thing that needed to be sorted out. If they hadn't, she would need to contact Harry and inform him of this.
Cordelia smiled and nodded her head, "We did. Thank you," It hadn't been easy to remove them. Some had used the Cutting Charm to take off the Marks and others had burned it off. Either way, it had been painful and they were all going to have scars on the back of their necks for a long time.
Rebecca was the next to arrive, "Is everything okay?" She asked, her wide and curious eyes watched Freya.
Freya looked around the room and noticed as all the other Guardians stared at her. Waiting for her to deliver the news and pass on her orders. Freya noticed how Noah was still present, meaning the other schools hadn't gone back yet. Mentally, Freya was thankful for this because it meant she could explain it once and that would be it. Inhaling deeply, Freya spoke. "They got him. Lance is to be sentenced in three days' time. We're free,"
The room was silent for a moment, but it was soon filled with screams of happiness. Guardians hugged one another, huge smiles on their face. Guardians who were usually reserved were screaming in happiness. Freedom had never felt so good. Ryan and Cordelia danced with one another, chanting that they were free and soon the rest of the Guardians followed suit. Rebecca and Connor joined their dance, as well as Alexander, Simon and Georgia. Miles was screaming out in happiness, in his own little world and so was Richard. Freya watched them all with happiness in her eyes. She had never seen them all so happy before and it warmed her heart to know that they were all free.
Freya cleared her throat and instantly, the cheering stopped. They all looked at her, all curious as what she had to say. "There are some things that you all need to know too. For starters, Voldemort never had a child, it was a rouse to make Kingsley approve the Department of Guardians. Lance was also behind the kidnappings of Caitlin and Gretchen because Kingsley was putting pressure on Lance to produce some results."
Ryan looked at her, devastated. "That means Kyle died for nothing?" He asked as tears gathered in his eyes.
Georgia frowned, devastated by the news. "And Nina?"
Nodding her head, Freya answered. "Yes."
The sound that came out of Georgia's throat almost didn't sound human. It was a mix between a sob and a scream. Georgia fell to her knees, with Richard beside her, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.
"All your parents are within the Ministry. They attacked the Wizengamot during Lance trial as they had been instructed by Lance to create a diversion to get away that didn't work. However, they will be questioned by the Ministry. What happens to them, I have no idea," Freya shook her head. Freya knew that her parents would more than likely be charged because they had used an Unforgiveable Curse and also killed Benjamin. However, she didn't know the fate of the other parents.
Alexander looked to her, "Do you know if they are okay?"
"I don't know," Freya answered him honestly.
The room fell silent as they processed this. On one hand, they were happy to be free of the Guardian Program, but at the same time, they were sad about what had happened to their parents. It was nearly June and they would be breaking up for summer holidays soon – would they even have parents to go home to after all this.
"What do we do now?" Connor asked, his small voice echoed in the silence of the room.
Everyone looked to Freya and waited for her to answer. For a moment, Freya was confused. She didn't know why they would be looking to her for answers – they were free and could whatever they wanted. However, it soon dawned onto her as to why they were looking to her for guidance. They didn't know what to do. They had never been free before – never knew the feeling of being able to decide what they did next. Everything had been dictated by wanting to please Lance and not wanting to die. One wrong move meant death but that wasn't the case anymore. "Whatever you want," Freya answered as she projected her voice to make sure everyone heard her. "We are no longer governed by Lance Johnson anymore. If you want to excel in your classes, go right ahead. If you want a relationship with someone, go for it. If you want to curse Lance to hell, be my guest. We are free," Freya looked at every person in the room to make sure that her point got across.
"Well, what are you going to do?" Simon asked curiously.
Freya fell silent for a moment as she thought to herself. What did she want to do with her life? She could be anything she wanted to be as she no longer needed to be James' shadow. The options of what she could do were endless and it was almost too overwhelming to choose. But there was one profession that sprang to mind, "I am going to become an Auror, and make sure people like Lance get what they deserve," She had been trained for battle and she planned to use the skills she had been taught for something good and rewarding.
"I want to be a Healer!" Rebecca shouted out, overexcited about this newfound freedom.
Connor raised his hand shyly, "I want to be a teacher,"
"I want to be a Quidditch Star for the Holyhead Harpies!" Cordelia exclaimed, an excited gleam in her eyes.
The rest of the Ex-Guardians began to mumble amongst one another, talking about their dream jobs. The more they spoke, the happier they all seemed to be. They all realised that they could be anything they wanted to be.
Freya cleared her throat, once more gaining the attention of everyone in the room, "After today, I am going to be sealing the Chamber of Secrets for good. This has been our base of operations since the Guardian Program started and it is filled with too many memories, ones that I am sure no one wishes to relive. No one will set foot in here after today. Is everyone okay with this?" Freya asked.
Everyone nodded their heads, more than happy for the Chamber to be sealed for good.
"What do we do with these?" Miles asked, pointing to the pendant around his neck. After they had their Marks removed, they had not removed their pendants, just in case. They wanted to get confirmation about Lance's downfall before they did anything that could risk their lives.
Freya shrugged her shoulders, "Whatever you want. Burn it, keep it as a trophy to say you survived the Guardian Program. I don't care, just as long as you do what you want," Freya's pendant was still in her pocket as she intended to destroy it. She wanted nothing that reminded her of the Guardian Program but she understood if others didn't want to destroy it.
The ex-Guardians looked at one another, unsure of what to do.
To make her point, Freya grabbed the pendant from her pocket. She turned around and threw it to the ground and then grabbed her wand. "Confringo!" The pendant exploded in a ball of fire as the blasting curse hit the jewellery. The explosion was more powerful than usual as Freya wanted to make sure it was destroyed. Once the fire disappeared, there was no pendant, just a scorch mark on the ground where the pendant used to be. Immediately there was movement behind her. Freya turned around and saw all the other ex-Guardians had removed their pendants and had thrown them on the ground. Cordelia and Rebecca both used the blasting curse whereas all the other ex-Guardians used different curses. Freya watched as everyone destroyed their pendants, no one wanted to keep them.
Cordelia grinned when her pendant was destroyed, "Well that felt good,"
Ryan snorted, "I imagined Lance's face when I used that curse," Everyone around sniggered at the remark as they had also been imagining Lance's face.
"Now," Freya said, "Who would like to meet their ex-charges?" She asked, a grin formed onto her face.
HARRY POTTER
James stood in the Room of Requirements as he watched everyone around him with a proud smile on his face. Beside him stood Freya, who was seemed proud of what they have achieved. They stood hand in hand as they watched all the ex-Guardians and ex-charges talk with one another. James had sent a message to all his cousins, siblings and friends, asking them to meet in the Room of Requirements for a meeting. James had explained everything to them of what had happened and why they never seemed to have a difficult time in Hogwarts. James had been met with outrage and there had been a lot of screaming. Some didn't believe it, like Dominique and Rose, but it stopped when Freya and the ex-Guardians arrived and they explained everything.
"How did they react?" Freya asked.
"Surprisingly not as bad as I thought," James answered with a grin. Originally, they had thought that he was playing an elaborate prank on them, but when Albus jumped in and backed up what he said, that's when people started to believe what he said.
Freya smiled slightly and squeezed his hand, "Well, Fred seems much taken with Cordelia," She watched as Cordelia and Fred interacted. Freya had never seen Cordelia so shy and she had never seen Fred so mesmerised. Freya had strong suspicions that Cordelia had feelings for Fred for a while and she suspected that it was why Cordelia had lasted so long out of all the other Guardians that came before her.
James nodded his head, a grin on his face. He had never seen Fred so intrigued by a girl before as Fred tended to lose interest in a girl quite quickly. "Albus seems quite taken with your friend over there," He said with a suggestive grin.
Freya rolled her eyes, but couldn't deny what he said. Albus and Rebecca seemed to be talking up a storm. Rebecca had probably been the shyest ex-Guardian to speak with their ex-charge but Albus seemed to bring her out of her shell.
"How did they take it?" James asked Freya, wondering how the ex-Guardians felt about the situation.
"I have never seen them so happy," Freya answered, her eyes softened. The only other time Freya had seen the ex-Guardians so happy was when they took off their pendants for the Yule Ball. At least this time, there wouldn't be any consequences because they were free.
James nodded his head slowly and squeezed her hand slightly, "You've done a really good thing," He said softly, meaning every word.
"Thank you," Freya said, looking to James with adoration in her eyes. Hearing him say those words made her feel happy and it was the reassurances that she needed. A throat cleared next to the couple and Freya tensed. She had seen Teddy walk over to them out of the corner of her eyes but she had hoped he wasn't coming over to talk to them. However, she was sadly disappointed when he looked directly at her, waiting patiently for her to acknowledge him. Freya wanted to ignore him and pretend he wasn't there, but she could feel James' disapproving eyes. Reluctantly, Freya turned to face Teddy with a passive expression on her face. "What?"
James sighed deeply, "Freya,"
Freya was about to defend herself, but Teddy shook his head, "It's fine. James already explained to me what had happened to your sister," Before James had pulled everyone together, James had spoken to Teddy privately about Lydia and Freya. At first, Teddy hadn't believed James and he thought everything to be a prank, but he saw how sincere James was being and things in his past had started to make sense.
Freya tensed at the mention of her sister. It was still a sore spot for her if anyone other than herself spoke about her.
"I'm actually here to apologise," Teddy said, causing Freya to look at him in confusion, "I know I wasn't the one who created the Guardians but I can't help but feel responsible. I am sorry about what happened with your sister," Teddy sent her an apologetic look, silently conveying how sorry he was about everything.
"I hate you," Freya said, causing both Teddy and James to flinch at her harsh words, "I do partly blame you for Lydia's death. But I would be hypocritical at the same time because I understand now that Lydia was just following her heart," Freya looked to James and smiled softly. James smiled back and squeezed her hand, understanding what she was saying. Before James, Freya never truly understood why Lydia had done what she did. Freya had thought Lydia's choice to be selfish but she soon realised that Lydia was anything but selfish.
Teddy smiled, "Thank you for being honest. Also, if it means anything I always knew that someone was looking after me,"
"Huh?" James said as he looked to Teddy in confusion. Freya glared at him, silently demanding that he explain.
Teddy chuckled to himself and held up hands to surrender, her glare unsettled him and made him feel uneasy, "During school, I wasn't exactly the most confident of people. I was actually quite self-conscious of my Metamorphmagus abilities. I would find these little notes when I was feeling down and at first I thought them to be weird, that I had a stalker," Teddy said as he reached into his pocket and handed Freya one of the notes.
Carefully, Freya grabbed the note and examined it. The paper was old, but she could tell there was a preservation spell on the note. As Freya looked at the handwriting, she could instantly tell that it was Lydia's handwriting.
Don't be afraid to be yourself.
"That was the first note I ever received. But as time went on, I came to rely on these notes and they never failed to make me feel better about myself. I kept every note and I still look at them to this day," Teddy admitted with a sheepish smile. Not even Victoire knew about the notes as it was something he had kept to himself. Until now, he had never known who had sent the notes but he had always wanted to thank them personally. He would have loved to meet them and tell him how much these words helped him, but he was devastated when he found out Lydia was dead.
Freya handed the note back and watched as Teddy carefully put it back into his pocket. When she saw him take such care in a little note her sister had written, she looked directly at him and truly looked at him. Teddy was handsome – she would have to be blind not to admit it. He had a strong jawline, sharp features but warm eyes. If Freya lingered further, she could probably understand why Lydia fancies him, but she refused to linger. Freya knew that it wasn't his looks that Lydia had been attracted to, but his kindness. Lydia and Freya had not been given any kindness as children and as such, they craved it from other people.
"I'm not expecting for you to like me, but maybe you could give a chance," Teddy asked with a hopeful expression.
James looked over to Freya, a pleading look in his eyes.
"We'll see," Freya said as she looked away.
Teddy frowned for a moment, disappointed. But then he looked at James and found him giving him a thumbs up, silently conveying that it had been a positive response. Teddy sighed in relief and smiled, "Thank you," He said, walking away from the couple.
Freya glared at James when she saw his smug grin, "Stop it,"
"Stop what?" James asked, acting innocent but it only made Freya glared harder. In response, James kissed her cheek, "I'm proud of you," He said, fully meaning what he said. He knew that Freya could have refused to give Teddy a chance without blinking, but she hadn't.
Freya rolled her eyes, "He's your family. If it was anyone else, I would have said no." She still disliked Teddy very much, but maybe she could learn to let go. She wasn't making any promises on the matter, but she would try for James. Freya didn't know what the future held – she had never imaged being free from Lance. Maybe in the future, she would share some stories with Teddy about Lydia and maybe she won't feel a sense of loathing every time she was in his presence.
"I remember you!" Lily's voice snapped Freya from her thoughts.
Freya looked down slightly, noting that Lily was staring at Freya with wide eyes. It made Freya uncomfortable having someone stare at her like that.
"What do you mean?" James asked as he looked at his sister confused. He never thought that his girlfriend/wife had met his sister before.
Lily snapped out of her daze and looked to her brother, "She saved me. Eric was about to curse me at the beginning of the year, but Freya stopped him," Lily had been left confused by that event. She remembered that someone had saved her, but she couldn't remember who it was. Lily had tried to find them so she could thank them but no to avail. It had frustrated Lily to no end but she soon forgot about the incident, almost like it had never happened. Then, she saw Freya stood next to her brother and it all came back to her.
James turned to face her, "Did you really…?"
Glancing between Lily and James, Freya had half a mind to deny everything. But she realised she didn't have to deny it anymore, Connor wouldn't get in trouble because Lance wasn't there to punish him. Slowly, Freya nodded her head in confirmation.
"Thank you!" Lily exclaimed, not able to control her volume. She wanted to express how thankful she was but felt too awkward at the same time.
James turned Freya around and placed a chaste kiss on her lips – knowing that Freya wasn't fully comfortable with public displays of affection like that but he couldn't help himself. James made a mental note in his head to properly show his appreciation when they were alone. "You're amazing, have I told you that?" He asked with a cheeky grin.
Freya smirked, "Maybe once or twice,"
Lily made a sound of disgust, "That's disgusting," She whined with her face crumpled up in disgust. She hated it when either of her brothers got all mushy with their partners.
Freya glanced at Lily and her smirk grew wider, "You weren't saying that when Lysander kissed you," Connor had told her all about that event because he had been worried. He didn't know if he was supposed to stop it or let it happen. Freya reminded him that as long as Lily was consenting then he didn't need to interfere.
"Freya!" Lily screeched, her face flushed bright red.
"What?!" James yelled and his eyes widened. He looked around the room and spotted Lysander speaking with Miles and rage-filled him. "Lysander Scamander!"
Lysander's eyes widened as he saw James head his way. Without a second thought, he ran off before James could catch him, but James was right on his heels. Albus seemed to understand what had happened and followed after James, both overprotective of their little sister. Teddy sighed and followed after them to make sure Lysander stayed alive.
Freya watched this all, a content smirk on her face. She was confident that James wouldn't do any real damage to Lysander, but would threaten him.
HARRY POTTER
The next morning
Freya arrived at McGonagall's office early the next morning. She had received a magical note at breakfast, asking for her to come to the office as soon as she received the note. For a moment, Freya panicked and thought Lance had escaped, but Freya quickly chased away those thoughts. Lance was in a safe location and in a coma, where no one could help him. James had wanted to go with her but she refused and reassured him that it was probably nothing. When Freya stepped foot in McGonagall's office, she immediately noticed that Harry was present in the absence of McGonagall and this sent alarm bells ringing in her head.
"What happened?" Freya demanded, her heart clenched painfully as the panic came back.
"It's nothing to do with Lance," Harry immediately said, wanting to reassurance her sooner rather than later.
Freya sighed in relief, "Oh thank Merlin," She muttered under her breath. When she realised her fears hadn't come true, she looked to Harry once more, "What happened?"
Harry pursed his lips together, "Eva revealed that she had set up a group whose goal was to bring down Lance and this was formed many years ago. From Eva, we've found out that most of the ex-Guardian's parents were a part of this resistance."
This news did not surprise Freya. After what she had seen in the Ministry when Eva tried to kill Lance, Freya had an idea that this was the case. It wouldn't have made sense and otherwise. In regards to the parents, that also didn't surprise Freya. Most parents of the ex-Guardians didn't like the Program and had felt as though they had been tricked but there was no way out alive.
"We've tried to extract information about who in the Ministry is in league with Lance from the parents but it hasn't been successful. Eva doesn't know and she said that Lance didn't trust her with that sensitive information. However, there is one more person left to interview, but he is proving difficult," Harry continued to explain with a sigh in his tone. After meeting with Hermione, Ron and Draco, he had continued his interrogation with Eva but hadn't yielded many results. No Auror had managed to create any results and it was very frustrating. After Eva, Harry had tried his hand at Rupert once more but that left Harry more frustrated than anything.
Freya frowned, "Who?"
"Your father," Harry answered.
Her blood turned to ice at those words. It felt like all the air had been forcefully taken from her lungs and she couldn't breathe. For a moment, Freya couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her father was part of a group that was dedicated to taking down Lance Johnson.
"He won't speak to anyone, no matter what we do," Harry shook his head. He had never met a more stubborn man than Rupert Williams.
Freya felt her heart rate return back to normal and shook her head, "You won't break him. He won't talk until he wants to. I suspect he has made his demands?" Freya asked, knowing what her father was like.
Harry slowly nodded his head, "He has."
"Then give it to him, he won't talk any otherwise," Freya said. "If anyone will know about who was in league with Lance, it'll be him. Lance confided in my father a lot," Freya remembered a lot of nights were Lance would stay over at their mansion because he was too drunk. Rupert would always be there and listened to Lance as he spoke. Freya didn't remember hearing her father's voice in the discussions, just Lance's voice.
Harry was silent for a moment. That's what he was afraid of. "He has said he will only speak with you,"
Freya closed her eyes, the words physically hurt her. One part of her wanted to scream and shout. Tell Harry to leave and never come back and pretend this conversation didn't happen. But, the other part of her urged her to go and see her father, get the information and cleanse the Ministry of Lance's influence.
"You don't have to do this Freya, it's your choice," Harry said. He was fine if Freya decided she didn't want to do this.
"I'll do it," Freya said after a few moments of silence.
Harry watched her with a grim expression, "Do you want James to come with us?" He asked.
Freya shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. I don't want James anywhere near him,"
Harry nodded his head in understanding.
HARRY POTTER
Harry and Freya arrived at the Ministry not even ten minutes later. Freya had asked Harry to send a message to James to inform him of what was going on so he would wonder where she was. Harry had agreed easily because he knew his son would storm into the Ministry, demanding to know where Freya was. The trip had been relatively sombre and silent, not that Freya really cared. Freya was far too focused on the meeting that was about to take place. When she and Harry arrived, he took her down to the cells and that's where she found Hermione and Draco. It was a small room with a little table and chair, but the main feature of the room was the large glass panel. Rupert was sat on the other side, not able to see who was in the other room.
Hermione spotted Freya and frowned, "You don't have to do this, you know?" She had hoped that Freya would have rejected Harry's offer and she was slightly disappointed. She didn't think Freya should have to be pulled into this again at all, but no one could get Rupert to talk.
"Hermione," Harry sent her a look, one that Hermione ignored.
"It is fine," Freya said she shook her head. She understood Hermione's reservations but this was her choice.
Draco looked to her, "We'll be right here if you need us. If at any point you don't feel comfortable, you can leave,"
Freya nodded her head and she walked over to the other door in the room that would lead to the room Rupert was in. She opened the door and closed it behind her. Instantly, Rupert's eyes were on her and for a moment she felt vulnerable. Freya mentally shook her head, she was safe and there was no way he could do anything to her in the magical draining cuffs. Harry had also explained to her that he was magically bound to his chair so he was of little threat to her. She walked over to the other chair in the room, happy that there was a table that separated her from Rupert. As she sat down, she stared at him, mentally marvelling at how he looked the same as always. Rupert still looked dignified and untouchable, just as he had when he attacked the Ministry. Rupert and she stared at one another, either one spoke. The tension in the room was palpable, it was so thick it was suffocating.
"You look well," Rupert said, his face void of any emotion.
Freya hummed in agreement, "Yes. That's what happens when I am no longer fearing for my life," Her tone was scathing, the silent accusation clear.
Rupert said nothing as he continued to stare at her.
Seeing as he wasn't talking, Freya stood up and went to leave the room. If he wasn't going to talk then she saw no reason for her to be there. When she reached the door, Rupert spoke. "Aren't you going to ask any questions?"
Freya stilled for a moment before she answered, "You said you would only speak to me, not that you would answer any questions. We spoke and now it's done," Freya had asked Harry to repeat exactly what Rupert had said and had noticed a loophole. She had expected something like this as her father was very good in exploiting loopholes in anything.
Slowly, Rupert smirked, "Well spotted. Did anyone else spot that?"
"No," Freya snorted. She knew what her father was like and that's why she expected this, but no one else did. She could only imagine what was happening on the other side of the mirror. She was sure that Harry would be furious for not spotting the loophole as well as Hermione. For a moment, she wished that she could see through the glass.
"I assume they have told you about my involvement with Eva and her group?" Rupert inquired, his perfectly shaped brow arched.
Freya turned around and walked back to the seat. Once she was sat down, she spoke, "They did," This news had shocked her more than anything. She would have never expected for her father to be involved in a resistance – If it was even true, to begin with.
"And?" Rupert asked, waiting for her reaction.
"I don't believe it," Freya answered, her face passive. As she looked at her father, she realised how similar they looked, especially the eyes.
Rupert's face remained passive, but amusement danced in his eyes. "I thought you might not believe it. That is why I wanted to speak with you,"
Freya snorted, knowing that if her mother ever saw her do this, she would have hit her for being so unladylike, "Kind of hard to believe the man who was considered Lance's friend," Freya practically hissed that man's name out, his name left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Rupert regarded her for a moment, "It was easier for Lance to believe I was his confidant and friend. That way I would keep his trust and he would suspect nothing,"
"You sold out your family," Freya said, her voice stern and steady.
Rupert shook his head. "I thought I was protecting my family. When Lance came to me and offered protection I took it. Lydia was only four years old at the time and I had to protect her. I didn't realise how bad it was until it was too late and Lance threatened to kill Lydia if I did leave." That day would always haunt him. Rupert had tried to leave many years ago but Lance had found out. Apparently, Vivienne had been concerned and had told Lance. Lance then made it clear that if Rupert left, he would kill everyone that Rupert cared for. After that, his affections towards his wife completely vanished.
Freya crossed her arms over her chest, her hands clenched painfully around her upper arms. "And you did such a good job in that," She rolled her eyes at his words. He had done such a good job protecting Lydia that she was dead.
Rupert frowned as if the words hurt him.
However, Freya wasn't done. "That doesn't explain everything you did. You taught me all three Unforgivable curses, threw me into the woods on my own and used to duel me until I broke half the bones in my body. It's kind of hard for me to believe that you were part of a resistance against him." Freya's glare became murderous as she stared down her father. She remembered every single thing he did to her – a lot more than she cared to remember in all honesty. But she had to take everything he threw at her and if she didn't, he would get her mother involved.
"I made you strong," Rupert answered back, "I had to make you strong to make sure you'd survive. Lydia was smart but she wasn't strong and the Guardian Program broke her. I trained you this way so you wouldn't be afraid to survive and maybe one day you would kill Lance," Rupert had watched as the Guardian Program had destroyed his oldest child and so he refused to let that happen to his youngest.
Anger consumed Freya, "If you cared so much about Lydia, why did you let mother kill her?" Freya's magic bubbled dangerously under her skin. Lance hadn't been the one to kill Lydia, it had been Vivienne. After Lydia had pleaded her case with Vivienne and Rupert, Vivienne had turned on her and used the Killing Curse on her daughter.
Surprise flashed in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for anyone to notice, but Freya caught it. "How?"
"I was there," Freya hissed lowly. Freya hadn't seen the whole scenario, but she had caught the last five minutes and watched as her mother killed her sister. She had watched as her father did nothing to stop her mother. Freya couldn't really remember what happened afterwards as the shock had been too great for her to deal with at the time, but she remembered how her father did nothing.
Rupert closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply as if this information had hurt him.
"So surely you could understand why I don't believe you," Freya stared at him with a blank expression. She had to reel back her anger because if she didn't, she would have jumped over the table and attacked him – something she was very tempted to do.
"That… should have never have happened." Rupert admitted his face void of any emotion, "When Lydia told us that she wanted out, your mother agreed with her and seemed to be on board with this. I had been surprised and I turned my back for a moment and then your mother cast the Killing Curse. I should have known better, but your mother could be a good actress when she wanted to,"
Freya remained silent, but the information about her mother's deceit didn't surprise her. Her mother could be very convincing when she wanted to – she could spin a story to make herself out to be a victim. "When did you manage to get the Mark off the back of your neck?" Freya asked as she remembered how Lance had placed a Mark on each of the Guardians parents to keep them in line. However, she knew her father wouldn't have been able to talk openly unless the Mark was gone.
Rupert snorted, "I got rid of it a month after he gave it to me," It had been child's play in removing it. He had researched the Mark, looking at the notes the Curse-Breakers made when they constructed it and found a loophole. He then invented a spell to deal with the Mark and now all that was left was a slight scar.
"Well screw you, too," Freya snapped back. She'd had the Mark on the back of her neck for years and yet he had never offered to help her.
"If I had known what you were plotting I would have helped you," Rupert said.
"Like that worked out for Lydia," Freya snarled immediately. There was no way she would have went to her parents about this because she didn't trust them. They may have brought her into this world, but that didn't actually mean she trusted them – that had to be earned. As far as Freya was concerned, they hadn't earned her trust.
Rupert stared at her, his face void of any emotion.
Freya stood up from her seat, "I'm done. I have had enough. You claim to care about family and wanted to protect us but we were left at the mercy of Lance. If you really cared you would have helped us and you wouldn't have let Lydia be killed."
"Freya," Rupert began, but he was interrupted.
"No," Freya shook her head, refusing to let him speak or defend himself because he didn't deserve it. "I hate you and I will always hate you. I don't know what you thought you would accomplish by talking to me but I am not going to give you what you wanted. I hope you rot," Freya turned around and walked out of the room, no longer wanting to be near him anymore. It was painful to be near someone who was undermining her experiences and trying to justify them.
HARRY POTTER
So, looking at what I have left to do, there should be two more chapters after this one before this story is complete. I know I mentioned in an earlier chapter about three/four more chapters but I want to make sure the ending is rushed.
If anyone has any requests of what they want to see before it ends, let me know!