Chapter Seven: Stranger Things Have Happened
"What are we going to do now?" McGonagall asked Dumbledore, who was still watching Jasna and Ron. He turned.
"We should search the
forest. That's where Jasna came from
and that's where she says he is."
"What if she's lying?"
"I have a gut feeling, Minerva, that Jasna was telling the truth." And with
that, he ordered the teachers to search the forest. He looked down at Hermione.
"Go have some breakfast," he
told her, "We'll tell you when we find him."
"If you find him."
"We'll find him," Dumbledore promised, "And he will be OK."
"Professor?" Hermione asked as Dumbledore headed towards the forest himself.
"Yes?"
"Why doesn't anyone believe Jasna?
Who's her father?"
"Her father is a truly horrible man. He
is despicable and disgusting and Jasna despises every fiber in his body. You needn't be afraid of her, Hermione. She wouldn't lie to me."
"But who is her-" but Hermione stopped and shook her head, "No!" she cried in disbelief, "He never had a child!" but all Dumbledore could do was nod sadly.
"Now if you'll excuse me, Miss Granger, I must find Harry," he said and continued on into the forest.
Jasna ran up the steps to Hogwarts and tripped and scraped her knee on the step. She didn't bother getting up, she just sat there and cried, not even noticing her knee. Ron ran up to her.
"Hey, Jasna, don't worry," he tried to sooth her, "I believe you."
"NO YOU DON'T!" Jasna screamed through her tears, hiding her face.
"Hey, don't yell at me, I really
do believe you. And I think Dumbledore
does too."
"No he doesn't! Everyone thinks I'm a
liar!"
"No they don't-"
"JUST SHUT UP RON AND GO TO HELL!" Jasna screamed to his face.
"Jasna, I'm only trying to help," Ron said as he sat down next to her on the steps.
"NO ONE WANTS TO HELP ME! They just want to yell at me because they hate my dad, therefore, I must be an awful, lying, torturing scumbag too." There was silence. Finally, Ron asked, tentatively,
"Jasna, who's your dad?" there was another silence as Jasna stopped crying. She looked up at Ron with red-rimmed eyes.
"Dear Ron, haven't you figured it out by now? Voldemort, my poor, naive Ron, Lord Fucking VOLDEMORT!" she screamed. Ron was wide-eyed and taken aback.
"Wow…" he muttered.
"I'd NEVER HURT Harry if my life depended on it. I promised him, I said I'd go through hell and back again before I betrayed him!" Jasna sobbed, "Don't you get it Ron?" she asked as she looked at him with those bright green, imploring eyes, "I… I… I think I love him…" There was another silence and Ron blinked.
"I'm sorry, but can we back up a minute here? You're dad's You-Know-Who? I'm sorry, I was in a daze after that and didn't catch the rest." Jasna rolled her eyes and took Ron by the shoulders, "OK, OK, you have my attention, I'm listening!"
"I LOVE HIM, RON! I LOVE HARRY POTTER!" She screamed.
"OK, now, I think I heard that."
"You better have heard it that time because I'm not repeating it." Jasna
crossed her arms.
"Wow… One question though."
"Yes?"
"You're dad's You-Know-Who?" Jasna had to smile, in spite of the
situation. She nodded.
"Yes, Ron," she said, "And I know you'll probably hate me now and think
I'm evil, but frankly, I don't give a damn any more. My whole life I've tried so hard to hide the fact that my father
caused so much suffering. I tried to
prove to my mother that I wasn't an accident, I tried to make her proud. I tried to console her every night, hating
my father even more for what he did to her.
I tried to show her that what he gave her wasn't as horrible as people
thought."
"And what did he do to her? What did he
give her?" Ron asked, sincerely.
Jasna's eyes glazed over with hatred and disgust.
"He caught her walking home in London one night," she whispered, "She screamed, but no one heard her cries, or if they did, they were too terrified or stupid to do anything. Don't you see, Ron? He gave her Jasna. Her gave her ME! Conceived in sin and born in shame, I was the terrible gift he gave my mother."
Harry watched the sun rise and the stars disappear.
"You don't mean to tell me I've been out here all NIGHT!" he screamed and rolled his eyes, "Someone's bound to have realized we're missing by now. I wonder how Jasna's doing…" Harry yawned and realized he was still very tired. He was also famished, but there was nothing he could do about that. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Dumbledore directed two teachers in each direction. He and Professor McGonagall headed north.
"Do you really expect we'll find him, Albus?" McGonagall asked.
"I do indeed, Minerva."
"Alive?" Dumbledore said nothing.
McGonagall nodded, "I thought so too."
Hermione stopped as she saw Ron comforting Jasna on the steps. Jasna's face was in her hands but Ron
watched Hermione. Neither one said a
word, both their faces were blank.
Hermione was about to ask Ron a question but Ron stopped her when he
nodded.
"I know," he told her. Hermione looked
at her feet. Ron was suddenly angry and
he stood up, making Jasna look up.
Jasna finally noticed Hermione's presence.
"I cannot believe you, Hermione!" he cried, knowing very well why she just stood there when she saw Ron and Jasna. She knew. Ron knew. Everyone knew.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded.
"You still hate her, don't you?"
"I do NOT hate her, Ron!" and then she turned to Jasna and shook her head, "I don't hate you!" Jasna was silent as she just stared at Hermione with a slightly open mouth.
"Yes, you do! Inside, you hate her. You are trying though, you're trying not to hate her. I can tell. Hermione, she's a good person! She truly is!"
"I know. She's not dangerous," Hermione repeated what Dumbledore told her, "There's on reason to be afraid of her. And I don't hate her, Ron. I may dislike her a bit- sorry, Jasna, but… But I don't HATE the poor girl!" now was when Jasna began to cry again. Hermione's heart melted and she ran to her, "Oh Jasna! I don't hate you I DON'T!" she cried.
"But you admitted you don't like her." Ron said, expressionlessly.
"I don't think that's true anymore," Hermione muttered as she saw the weeping
heap before her, "I can't dislike her.
Look at her. I'm so sorry,
Jasna! Can you forgive me?" Jasna
looked up and into Hermione's eyes and nodded.
Hermione gave a weak smile.
"Come on. I bet you're both as hungry as I am. Let's get some breakfast," the other two agreed and Ron and Hermione helped Jasna to her feet.
The green light was blinding as the woman with the ginger hair
screamed. She deflected it with her own
wand.
"Very good, Mia," the man grinned a contorted grin that spread over his
stretched, white face.
"Leave me and my daughter alone for once, you monster!" the woman
screamed. Her green eyes burned with
fury, "How dare you come here!"
"You were the one who stayed in London, you foolish woman!" the man laughed,
"You were safer in Boston."
"You will never find Jasna, you know.
Never."
"I already know where she is, Mia. I
don't need you."
"Then why are you here?"
"To destroy you. I don't need you
anymore and neither does Jasna."
"Jasna means the world to me! I am
EVERYTHING to that child! She hates
you! You terrify her!"
"Name one person who doesn't hate me, or at least name one that isn't afraid of
me!" the man laughed.
"Albus Dumbledore!" Mia cried.
"Dumbledore hates me. That doesn't count."
"Harry Potter!"
"He hates me too," the man yawned and put a bony hand to his mouth, "I grow
tired of this. Avada Kedavera!"
"NO!" the woman cried. Her green eyes
spilt one last tear as she fell to the floor, dead.
And then, Harry was awoken by the burning pain in his scar. That dream… There was something about Jasna. Something about Voldemort. Jasna hated her father. Jasna and Voldemort in the same context definitely meant something was wrong. Had Jasna turned to the dark side? Was Harry the one who drove her to it?
"No," he muttered as he shook his head. They had spoken about Jasna. Who were they? He remembered Voldemort and he remembered he had been talking to someone…
It had been a woman.
It had been a woman with Jasna's eyes.
It had been Jasna's mother.
Harry sat up again. Voldemort had killed Jasna's mother. Mia Larden was dead. His head began to spin and the pain in his scar was blinding. Jasna's mother was dead. He didn't know what he would tell her. She loved her mother so much. She was the only person Jasna loved in the world. Jasna had said her mother was the only reason she lived. Harry couldn't tell her. It would drive her insane. But she'd find out sooner or later.
He heard calls above him and jolted out of his stupor.
"HELP!" he screamed, hoping someone would hear him. There was silence.
"HARRY?" came the voice of Professor McGonagall.
"IN HERE!" Harry called, "IN THE…um, hole…" he realized how stupid he had been to fall in it. With his good leg, he kicked the dirt. He looked up again and saw Dumbledore and McGonagall up there. He suddenly felt quite small and foolish.
"Hi?" he said with a large grin. Dumbledore and McGonagall lifted him out.
"I'm afraid we can't wait for Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said, "I'll mend your leg."
Ron and Hermione helped Jasna into the Entrance Hall. Hermione noticed Jasna's damp, torn robes.
"Maybe you'd want to change first?" she offered. But Jasna shook her head.
"I'm starving," she told Hermione, "I can change later." Hermione
shrugged. As they entered the Great
Hall, a couple students glanced at Jasna, but that was all. Jasna sat down and ate as much as she
could. Finally she leaned back in her
chair and sighed, the ghost of a smile appearing on her face. Ron and Hermione smile to see she is
happy. As happy as she'd get, anyway. But she straightened up as Dumbledore and
McGonagall entered the room and in between them was a young wizard. The boy had a mop of damp jet-black hair and
emerald eyes framed with black-rimmed glasses.
"Harry!" Jasna cried as she stood up from the table. Ron and Hermione stood up too, happy to see
their friend unharmed. Harry's face was
grim as he approached Jasna.
"Jasna," he whispered to her, "There's… Well, there's something I have to tell
you…"
"There's something I have to tell you too!" Jasna cried, excitedly, not seeing
the graveness in his expression. Jasna
glanced at Ron, who gave her a weak smile and a nod.
"You'll probably want to sit down for what I'm about to say," he told her gently, "And you might want to be alone." Jasna nodded and Harry led her out of the Great Hall, past Dumbledore and McGonagall, who watched them leave.
Harry refused to tell Jasna his news until they were in the Gryffindor common room, where she could sit down in a chair by the fire. Therefore, Jasna was forced to go first. She couldn't look him in the eye.
"Harry…" she muttered. Harry gave a grunt to show her he was listening. He was only half-listening though. He kept thinking about his dream and about what he had to tell her. He was going to break her heart.
"Harry, there's something I have to tell you…"
"Go on," Harry muttered, quickening his pace.
"I know you hate me," Jasna said, "I know we fight all the time. I know you see me as Jasna, the bipolar daughter of Lord Voldemort. But this needs to be said…" Harry said nothing as she paused. He was looking straight ahead of him. He couldn't look at Jasna.
"Harry, stop walking!" Jasna demanded, doing so herself. Harry turned to her, confused and concerned. He was still lost in his thoughts, though.
"I need to say this to your face," Jasna said, "It's important." Harry nodded, "I… In the woods, I had a lot of time to think. I'm sure you did too. Well, what I'm trying to say is, Harry I love you."
Harry was thinking about the woman in his dream. She had appeared so young. How old had she been when Jasna was
born? Wait, Harry heard Jasna say
love. She said it in a warm way. Jasna never said that word, at least not in
that way.
"What?" Harry asked, bringing his head out of the clouds. Jasna sighed.
"I knew it!" she cried, "I knew it!
I knew you'd make some joke about this!"
"Jasna, I'm not making a joke. I was…
I'm sorry, but I was thinking about something.
I should have been paying more attention. Honestly, what did you say?" Jasna glanced around the room. She couldn't meet Harry's eyes.
"I love you, Harry," she whispered. Harry wanted to gape, though he was sure she'd be offended. It was his fault. He had told her to open her heart. And now, she was opening her heart to him. Him, of all people, Jasna chose Harry Potter. Harry sighed and looked at his feet.
"Well?" He had obviously been silent for too long, "Did you miss what I said again?" Harry shook his head, eyes still on his feet. He was wearing very interesting shoes. He saw how muddy they were. He should do something about that…
"You don't feel the same way," Jasna whispered, "I know. I understand. Who could love the deceitful, bipolar daughter of a villain who has tortured so many?" Harry still said nothing. What she said was insane! She was not deceitful at all! As to bipolar, there was no doubt about that, but what's wrong with that? And as for who could love her… Harry's head jolted up as he realized something.
Harry looked at Jasna, his eyes searching hers, emeralds meeting emeralds in a locked gaze. He recalled once hearing that the eyes were the windows to the soul. And hers was a tortured one, with a hard, rough past, reaching out for help, struggling to find love, hope, and warmth. Things she had only experienced with one other person, and one other person alone. And Harry knew that the one other person was dead. Jasna's eyes were imploring and searching for compassion. Compassion, which, Harry was almost certain he was able to give.
"Jasna…" He muttered, shaking his head with a slight smile, "Jasna…"
"What?" Jasna asked. Harry shook his
head harder and the smile spread across his face. Finally, he looked at her.
"Jasna… I love you too," he finally admitted, to Jasna and to himself. Jasna smiled.
"Really?"
"Would I lie?"
"Well…"
"No, was the right answer," Harry interrupted, taking her hand.
"What's she telling him, then, Ron?" Hermione asked him at the table. Ron had been grinning.
"I don't know," he said in such away that made it sound as if he weren't telling the truth.
"Yes, you do. You nodded at her when she told him she had
to tell him something."
"It's none of your business, Hermione, keep your nose to yourself."
