Chapter 2: Bipolar Outburst

"Don't you think she's the least bit odd?" Hermione asked the two boys on their way to the Great Hall one morning a few weeks later.

"Not at all!" Ron rolled his eyes.

"Why, Hermione?"

"Well, she didn't notice your scar, for one.  She didn't ask if you were Harry Potter."
"Maybe she's dense," Ron shrugged.

"She went to St. Laurel's, Ron." Hermione said, as if that was a satisfying justification that she was smart.

"So?  Who knows?  Maybe all of them are dense.  Maybe they never heard of Harry.  Or You-Know-Who for that matter."
"I wouldn't go insulting a whole race, Ron," Harry warned.

"I repeat, Ron.  She went to St. Laurel's.  She's bound to have read about him.  St. Laurel's is among the top ten schools in America for witchcraft and wizardry," Hermione told the two of them.

"Give her a break.  You're suspicious about everyone." Harry said.
"I am not.  I like her, I do, and she seems extremely nice.  But I just think it's weird."
"Just because she didn't know who I was doesn't make her weird, Hermione," Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're right, I'm being paranoid," Hermione sighed.

"Yes, Hermione.  They say the first step to recovery is admitting it," Ron put his arm on her shoulder with false sympathy, but when she gave him an angry look, he drew away.  Harry laughed.

When they entered the Great Hall, they saw Jasna at the Gryffindor table, laughing and making friends quite easily.

"Hey, Jasna with a J," Ron greeted as he sat down across from her.

"Hello Ron.  Hey Harry.  Hi Hermione," Jasna greeted each of them with a smile.

"Aren't you polite," Hermione grinned.

"It's St. Laurel's, I guess," Jasna shrugged.  As Harry and Hermione took their seats as well, the owls swooped in for the morning post.  A large barn owl dropped Hermione's edition of the Daily Prophet and Jasna received something as well, from a dark black owl.  Her smile quickly faded and Harry and Ron watched her read the letter.  She stood up, her face blank and said:
"I have to see Professor Dumbledore," and with that, she left, taking the letter with her.  Harry frowned and looked at Ron, who shrugged.  Hermione was busy scanning her paper.

"Maybe I should go see what that was about…" Harry said, standing up.  Harry ran out of the hall after Jasna.  He saw her up ahead a bit.  She was walking like a zombie, her eyes looking straight ahead, her face expressionless, her hand squeezing the letter in her hand.
"Jasna!" Harry called.  Jasna didn't respond, "Jasna!" Harry ran up to her and started walking with her, "Jasna, is something wrong?"
"No." her answer was final, but it didn't satisfy Harry.

"Then, why are you going to see Dumbledore?"

"Because something is wrong."
"Oh…" Harry said, "Well… what is it?"
"Nothing."

"Oh, so you can tell Dumbledore but you can't tell me?"

"Yes."
"Oh." Harry didn't know what else to say, "Well… Great!" he shrugged, "I'm coming with you." Jasna sighed.

"Do you have to?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I'm worried about you." Jasna stopped walking and turned to Harry, confused.

"But… You just met me."
"That means I can't be worried about you?" Harry asked.  Jasna shook her head.

"No, it's just… How do you know I'm not evil?  Like, some psycho killer who could stab you to death in your sleep!" Harry laughed.

"You?  An evil killer?  Hardly!" he said through his laughter.  Jasna frowned and Harry stopped laughing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Jasna smiled.

"No, you've just made my day," she told him, honestly.  He was so sweet.  She wondered why anyone would want him dead.  She sighed and looked at the letter in her hand.  She noticed that Harry was looking at it too.

"It's about that letter, isn't it?" Harry asked.  Jasna closed her eyes tight to make sure she wouldn't cry and nodded.

"What's in that letter?" he asked.  Jasna shook her head, "Oh, so you're giving me the silent treatment now?" Jasna began to shake her head again, but then stopped.

"I mean, no, I'm not.  It's just…" she couldn't finish.  Her voice was shaking and Harry suddenly became very aware about how serious this must be.

"What's in that letter, Jasna?" he asked her.

"You'll hate me!" she snapped, so suddenly it made Harry jump.

"No, I won't."
"You don't understand."
"Yes I do."
"No, you don't!" she screamed.  Harry backed away against the wall.  She was loud.  He was sure someone had heard her.

"Jasna, calm down…" he tried to keep his own voice steady.  Something was horribly wrong.

"No, I won't calm down!" she cried again, taking out her wand.
"Jasna… No magic in the halls… I'm sure you know that…" Harry's eyes were wide with surprise.  What was she doing?  Had he been wrong about that murdering thing?  Jasna was pointing her wand at him now.  She was very angry and she was breathing heavily.  Her wand hand was shaking.

 "You don't understand.  No one understands.  Not even Dumbledore!  He hates me too, they all do!  That's why they don't want me here!  That's why they kicked me out of St. Laurel's!  I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING!  Do you hear that Professor Grant?  I HAVEN'T DONE A SINGLE THING WRONG!" she shouted at the ceiling.

"OK, Jasna, you're scaring me," Harry said, with a worried smile.

"Scared?" Jasna had disgusted disbelief written all over her face as she spat out the word spitefully, "SCARED?!  You don't even know what SCARED is!  You haven't laid in your bed since infancy, begging that your hateful father wouldn't kidnap you that night.  Maybe, for one night, he'd leave you alone.  You never watched your mother cry when your father sent her across the room with a powerful curse.  You never felt so helpless as you saw your mother, the poor wreck of a mother, fall to pieces before your eyes.  I bet you never cried as you listened to how your father compared himself to you.  'The ambition,' he'd say!  'The intelligence!  The power!  The strength!  You get that from me, all from me, not from your weak mother!'  You wouldn't flinch as he touched your cheek, telling you how great you could be.  'If only you weren't so cowardly!'  You know, he never once said the word 'love.'  Not about me, or my mother, or anything else.  He told me how he treasured me, like a diamond necklace.  But one doesn't weep for a broken necklace as one would weep for a broken daughter.  You have no idea what fear is, Harry Potter."

Now, Harry thought that was a bit unfair that she could say that to him.  His silence seemed to speak for itself as Jasna sighed, rolled her eyes and shook her head.  She looked much more evil than Harry ever could have imagined her to look.  She smiled a tired and fed-up smile.

"Oh yes, I forgot," she said, sardonically, "You're big old, famous Harry Potter.  The one everyone loves.  The one who thinks he deserves all the pity and fame that he has.  Let me tell you something.  'Poor Harry Potter!  He lost his parents to the evil Dark Lord!'  I heard you and Dumbledore were the only people who dare say his name.  I'll give you one more person who dare say his name.  Voldemort.  There.  Want to hear it again?  VOLDEMORT!"

"Harry, Jasna, we heard…" Hermione trailed off as she and Ron saw what was going on.

"Well, what is all this noise.  Who said that name…" but McGonagall trailed off as well.  The scene was quite interesting and frightening.  Jasna looked insane, her raven hair tossing wildly behind her as she shook her head and her green eyes burning with hatred.  She held her wand pointed at Harry, firmly, her hand trembling slightly still.  Harry looked shocked as he tried to back up against the wall even more.

"Jasna!" McGonagall cried, "Put that wand down this instant!"
"No I will NOT Professor!" Jasna screamed, eyes still on Harry, "Won't anyone let me finish?"
"Go on, Jasna," Harry nodded carefully, mouth slightly open, "Continue."

"You think you're the only one.  Harry Potter, the boy who killed Lord Voldemort," Jasna hissed the next words like a snake as she narrowed her eyes, "He's still alive, you know.  You haven't killed him.  Though I wish you had.  You would have put an end to my misery right then and there.  You're worshiped because you brought an end to the Dark Lord.  But that was merely a show.  That was nothing.  He was gone to the majority of the wizarding world, and for a while, my mother and I lived happily.  When I was five was when he returned for the first time.  Four years after his fall.  He was in the body of a poor wizard, half-dead.  But he had enough strength to render my mother unconscious and steal me away again for the night.  Have you ever been afraid of the dark, Harry?  Well?  Have you?  ANSWER ME GOD DAMN IT!" Jasna stamped her foot.  Harry decided he'd nod.  He knew neither answer would make her happy.

"Not like I have.  Not like I dreaded the night.  Every night, a new body, a muggle, the occasional wizard.  But he was still very weak.  He needed you.  Do you know how many times he demanded to know where you were?  Of both me and my mother?  Do you know how much he tortured us when we wouldn't submit?  WE WENT THROUGH HELL TO PROTECT YOU!  And you still got all the glory.  Well for once, Harry Potter, I want people to see you for who you really are.  You're a phony.  You were a lucky break.  You did absolutely nothing to bring about the 'fall' of Lord Voldemort.  You were a lucky child.  Unfortunately, your parents weren't as lucky as you.  Let me tell you, as bad as you say you have it, Harry Potter, I'd trade places with you any day.  I've been through more in my life than even famous Harry Potter and I get no credit for MY bravery!  Stupid Harry Potter.  Always the one in the lime light.  Little did those people know on the same day, the same hour Harry Potter came into being, so did Jasna Marie Larden.  And they didn't know that I have defied the Dark Lord more times than even Harry Potter."

There was silence as the scene froze there.  Jasna was still breathing heavily nothing else moved.  The doors to the Great Hall opened again and a few students poked their heads out.  Suddenly, a hand flew the door wide open and the ones outside could see that every head in the Great Hall was turned to the door, wondering where the shouting was coming from.  Snape exited the Hall and closed the door behind him.  Dumbledore appeared at the other end of the hall.

"Professor Dumbledore, just in time," Snape said.  Dumbledore took quick steps to the scene in the hall.
"Jasna," he said, kindly and yet sternly at the same time, "Put the wand down and come with me." Jasna turned to him, taking her eyes off of Harry.  Harry chose this moment to draw his own wand, only intending to use it if he had to.  Without warning, Jasna broke down.  She fell to her knees and began to cry.  Dumbledore went quickly to her.

"Harry, I suppose you need an explanation.  Jasna, Harry, come with me.  Severus and Minerva, you come too.  Ron, Hermione, stay.  Inform the teachers in the Great Hall that everything is under control and they don't have to worry."  Dumbledore took Jasna by the hand and pulled her to her feet.  With a secure arm around Jasna, he led the group up to his office.  The walk there was quiet apart from Jasna' s sobs and McGonagall muttering to Snape.

"I warned him that Jasna was a risk."

"Don't base too much on lineage," Snape muttered.

"You saw what she did!  She's unstable."
"She is no more unstable than Harry Potter."
"Why are you taking his side?"
"I don't trust her either, but I trust Dumbledore.  I thought you did too." This comment silenced McGonagall.  As they approached the office, though, McGonagall muttered,

"I swear, she's bipolar."