The next day everyone was asked to go to the Great Hall to pay respects to Cedric. Jade was in between her brother and Draco. She could see Ron and Granger a row in front of them.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," Dumbledore said. "But I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

Everyone in the Great Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory." Even the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, even the Slytherins. Everyone.

Jade could her someone sobbing, she looked to her left and saw Cho Chang's face stained with tears. They all sat down again and Jade looked away from the Ravenclaw girl.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about." he made a slight pause. "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror, even Jade was shocked at his words. Dumbledore seemed calm and he waited as people muttered to each other.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so, either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Everyone or almost everyone was stunned or frightened, specially the younger students. Jade turned to look at Potter and he looked scared but also devastated, after all, he witnessed it all. For the first time ever, Jade looked away first as Potter was already looking at her direction, or actually Draco's. But he had caught her looking at him.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."

Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured his name, as they had murmured Cedric's, and drank to him. This time Jade and most of the Slytherins didn't do it, but they had done it earlier with Cedric.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened... of Lord Voldemort's return... such ties are more important than ever before."

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs. Krum looked wary, almost frightened, very different from the way he looked throughout the tournament, or playing Quidditch.

"In the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great," Dumbledore went on. "We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open. It is my belief and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder."

There was a long silence after that. Harry looked down, trying to fight back tears. Cho's sobbing was louder now. Jade bit her bottom lip and looked down.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

After Dumbledore finished, many students stood up and left but some lingered around longer. It was then when Ron approached Jade, luckily she wasn't with his brother anymore and Draco was busy talking to Crabbe and Goyle.

"We need to talk," Ron said to her.

"About what?" Jade asked him. Ron grabbed her wrist and started to pull her with him. "Well, I didn't know you meant now."

Jade managed to release herself from Ron's grip, and just followed him instead of being pulled. Ron went to an empty classroom right next to the Great Hall. Jade closed the door behind, turned to face Ron and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What is it?"

"I don't even know how to start..." Ron said, starting to pace a bit. "Harry told me he saw three people he could recognize in that place where he was teleported to."

"Okay?" Jade muttered, being confused.

"You know that what Dumbledore said was true. You-know-Who killed Cedric."

"Yeah, he wouldn't have told three schools if it wasn't true. I'm not stupid or stubborn or whatever... so? What does that have to do with anything?"

"His followers were there, Death Eaters," Ron exclaimed, not looking at her. "I mean, that's not a surprise. They had to be there for his return, right?"

"Right... can you go to the point, Ron?"

"Among those three people Harry recognized, one was Malfoy... Lucius," Ron told her and she felt a pang in her heart. There were rumours about him being a loyal follower but as she didn't live in that time she knew little about it.

"What do you want me to say?" Jade asked him. "I don't know much about Mr. Malfoy's past. Anyway, who were the other people he saw?"

"Guess."

"I'm asking you because I've got no damn clue," Jade exclaimed, getting a bit annoyed.

"Your parents, Jade," Ron told her coldly, finally looking at her. "Both."

Jade stood motionless, she left like she had been hit by an attacking spell and a paralyzing spell at the same time. She knew her parents were cold and sometimes heartless but they couldn't be evil, could they? They couldn't be murderers. They couldn't be...

Jade eyes turned brown in seconds but even so they showed shock, fear, and concern. Ron had never seen so many emotions in her. She bit her lip and started to take deep breaths, it was like she was having an anxiety attack.

"No," she muttered several times as she shook her head. "That's not true."

"Come on, you must have known... I mean you have lived with them all your life. They are your parents! Your family!"

Ron was confident that Jade knew all about it and he wanted to confront her. He didn't know why he was upset that she hid that from him, he couldn't expect her to hell him something like that. But since he saw her reaction, and it was seldom when people got a reaction from her, specially like that one, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Potter doesn't know my parents, he must be confused," Jade said, looking down at the ground and still shaking her head in denial.

"Jade... you really didn't know?"

Jade turned to look at him for an instant but that was enough for Ron to see that she didn't know anything until that moment. Ron actually felt bad, not only for telling her and the way he did, but also because it was true and she was suffering.

"I want to talk to Potter!" she exclaimed, fighting tears.

Jade didn't know why she was so affected, many knew lots of Slytherins were Death Eaters back in the day. Her uncles were in Azkaban for it, his aunt-in-law was in there too. Maybe she didn't care because she never really met them or because her life was never changed in some way. Still Jade thought she needed to get her shit together and accept the truth, if that was the truth, but she couldn't.

Ron refused at first but then when he saw she was going to look for Potter herself, with or without his help, Ron agreed to help her. They found him outside by the lake. Jade almost ran to him and at first she thought she was going to scream at him, because she wanted to, but when she saw him she couldn't even talk.

Jade looked like a mess. Her eyes were bloodshot even when she hadn't cried but was close to, Potter noticed her hands were shaking and her face... he had never seen her look so distraught, so hurt.

Potter also tried to talk but he didn't know what to say. He didn't even think about asking why Jade and Ron were together. He was too shocked by Jade's state that he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Did you... did you really see... my parents?" Jade's voice broke and it was barely audible. A tear finally fell down but she wiped it away quickly, hoping no one saw but it was too late, both guys saw it.

"Yes," Harry muttered nodding.

"Are you sure? Maybe you got confused!" Jade was still in denial and she started to hyperventilate again.

"Is your father's name Finley?" Harry asked her. Jade didn't say anything, didn't confirm or deny it in any way but somehow Harry knew by her eyes that her father's name was indeed Finley. "And... is your mother's name, Raven?"

No one expected it, but Jade actually collapsed to the ground after hearing her mother's name. She started to shake her head again and tried hard to not let more tears fall, what she couldn't control was her whole body shaking.

"He said their names as he took off their masks. I'm sure it was them, Lias."

"They might have not been... the most loving parents but..." Jade started but she had to stop as tears threatened to fall. She didn't get to finish, instead she looked down to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Ron muttered, trying to put an arm on her shoulder but she brushed it off. She knew she would break if she got any affection from Ron.

Jade couldn't control the shaking, it got worse. So, Ron and Potter both took her to the Hospital Wing. She didn't say another word but she kept shaking her head in denial. In there Madam Pomfrey asked what happened and both just said they didn't know. She noticed it was a panic attack and gave her something to calm her down.

Ron helped to lie her down on a bed and after she took the potion, she stopped shaking almost immediately and she fell asleep.

"What did just happen?" Harry asked Ron.

"I had to tell her about her parents," Ron whispered. "I had to confront her. I don't know what happened to her. She just... Well, she didn't know and took it very bad."

"Why did you have to tell her?"

"Because she's my friend," Ron admitted with a shrug. "I was upset at what you said and I couldn't control myself."

"Well, I guess it was better hearing it from you than from her own parents. Especially if she would react like that."

"Do you think they will tell her... this summer?"

"Why shouldn't they?" Harry muttered. "He's back and that means his followers are back too and I doubt they will keep it a secret from their families."

"I thought she knew..." Ron whispered, looking down at her. "I thought that maybe she was just like every other Slytherin and was just playing around with me, laughing behind my back because I was thinking we were friends but..."

"Ron, that reaction was real. She really didn't know," Harry told him. "Actually, she hides her emotions all the time that I think she can't even pretend to have an emotion. It was actually really bizarre seeing her like that."

"Yeah, I know."

Jade woke up two hours later, by then Potter and Ron were gone and it was dinner time. Her brother was next to her bed and he stoop up quickly when she opened her eyes.

She was given some more vials with a calming potion in case it happened again. Lexion brought her dinner and stayed with her until Madam Pomfrey kicked him out. She didn't want to spend the last night in the Hospital Wing but she couldn't escape.

Next morning, she rushed to the Slytherin common room so she could pack her things as they were leaving that morning to London. She went to the Great Hall once she was finished packing but didn't really eat anything. She wasn't hungry.

In the Hogwarts Express she excused herself and left her compartment, which she was sharing with the twins, Blaise and Draco. She went looking for Ron. She spotted a redhead after two minutes or so and she knew it was him, without hesitating she opened the door and four out of the six people inside looked at her oddly.

"Can I have a word with the two of you?" she asked politely to Potter and Ron.

"Uh, guys, could you give us five minutes?" Potter asked. The twins, Granger and Ron's younger sister stood up, but they weren't happy about it, especially Granger.

"We have your money from the bet, Lias," Fred said before walking out.

"I don't want it," she said in a weak voice. "You can keep it."

Fred closed the door behind them, leaving the three of them alone. Jade felt a bit awkward as she didn't know why she was exactly there.

"Well, I guess I should thank you for taking me to the Hospital Wing, I don't remember much of what happened," Jade said looking at the window instead of the two boys. "Thanks for informing me of my parents... even though that wasn't your intention, Ron."

"I'm sorry," Ron muttered.

"And I guess with this, Potter, you must be wondering so many things. Well, I can answer one of them. I know you don't trust me, especially now, I know you don't like me but... I don't know how to say it but Ron is my friend. Don't even ask me how it happened because I don't know. That was our secret, we never dated or anything like that, I know you thought that. And I appreciate that Ron kept our secret all year."

"So, you've been friends all year?" Potter asked her.

"Almost," Jade said nodding. "But it was stupid to think we could actually be friends. So, Ron, thank you for being there for me when I needed you, I'll never forget that but I think it's better for both of us to stop talking..."

"Because of your parents?" Ron exclaimed in shock.

"Well, yeah," Jade said in a duh tone. "I don't know what awaits me when I get home and with him being back... And... I just don't know, okay?"

Jade didn't get to finish, instead she turned around and left. Ron stood up quickly and went after her, he grabbed her wrist and made her to turn around. Jade tried to break free but she coudn't.

"Jade, you can't do this. I don't care about your parents, I know you aren't like that."

"What if I am? It's in my blood, I guess. What if I'm evil too?"

"An evil person wouldn't thank a person she doesn't like. Or open up to a person she barely knows or react the way you did when you knew the truth about your parents. An evil person doesn't cry," Ron said as he wiped a tear from her face. "An evil person doesn't end a friendship... because they don't have friends."

"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered.

"And you won't."

"What if..."

"Jade... don't worry. You are not them. If you were, you wouldn't be here, you would be proud of them. If things get too bad during the summer, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind having you over."

"Yeah," Jade chuckled sarcastically. "Of course they wouldn't mind having a Death Eater in their house..."

"You are not one, Jade. And I mean it. If you need me you can stay with me."

"What if they find me and hurt your family?"

"Stop it with the 'what if's', okay? Just know you are welcome in my house and I'll talk to my parents, they help, they don't judge. And you are my friend, and you can't stop or interrupt that, I know you are scared and feel lost but know that you aren't alone."

Jade was once again going to say what if, when Ron instead gave her a hug and didn't let her talk. This was so unfamiliar and strange to Jade as she had never been hugged. Draco and Jade had cuddled a few times but never hugged, mostly because they weren't free to show affection.

Jade felt safe for a bit. She awkwardly put one arm around him... baby steps. When he pulled away, they both looked into each other's eyes and nodded.

Second day for me of being home. Not allowed to leave AT ALL. But even so, I feel so tired. Like something sucked out my energy. I just want to sleep even when I woke up super late.

Anyway, here ends year 4, it was quite quick. LOL. But what do you think so far?