The next day just before lunch, Mrs. Weasley asked Jade for some help but in reality she only wanted her apart from the others. She kept asking Jade of their plans, what they were up to.
"I'm confused. I don't have any plan," Jade told her several times.
"It's obvious Harry, Ron and you have made plans."
"I haven't, Mrs. Weasley."
"But you must know, Jade. You are best friends with them. This is my youngest son we are talking about and Harry and you, of course," Mrs. Weasley said desperately.
"Uh, I think you'd have more luck asking Granger," Jade said, knowing she had arrived five minutes ago. "Harry doesn't like me anymore. Doesn't trust me, whatever he is planning, I'm not part of it."
"If you knew of anything, would you tell me, right?"
"Absolutely."
Throughout lunch, Jade could actually feel Harry's glare on her. She ignored it. Instead of giving it too much attention, she talked to Fred a lot and focused on her food. It was awkward and she didn't know how to stop that feeling besides ignoring it and talking to people around her.
"Why haven't you left?" Harry said to her once they had finished their food.
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley squealed.
"Because they won't let me," Jade explained, she was so calm it was a bit bizarre. She didn't seem offended or angry at all. "Just like you, I'm here because I'm safe here."
"And she's our guest," Fred said. "Dad offered to be her guardian as her parents aren't home and she is in danger."
"Danger?" Harry scoffed.
"What's up with you?" Ginny asked, Harry only kept glaring at Jade.
"He lowered his wand," he half whispered, half shouted, talking about Draco when he tried to kill Dumbledore. "He wasn't going to do it... but you...!"
"Exactly! He wasn't going to do it, which meant that he was going to be killed. I wasn't going to allow that!"
"By killing Dumbledore!" Harry shouted. "Malfoy did lower his wand but you even said the words... you were ready to do it!"
"If Ron was asked to kill someone and the only way of saving him was..."
"Don't," Harry said quickly.
"Fine, but let me tell you this. Just because you think I'm this horrible monster, it doesn't mean I'm not affected. It keeps playing on my mind as often as in yours, maybe even more. I can't escape it. It's my burden, I suppose. And I didn't plan it or use you or betray you. I didn't want things to happen like that, unlike what you think. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some air."
That day and the next, Mrs. Weasley made them do things related to the wedding. Jade wasn't stupid, she knew what she was trying to do. She wanted to keep Ron, Granger and Harry apart so they wouldn't plan anything and at the same time asked Harry and Jade to work on things together so they could spend time just the two of them together and get on good terms again. At least the latter wasn't working, as they usually didn't talk at all or Harry just told her how awful she was and how she only tricked him and that Slytherins couldn't be trusted.
"We need to talk," Harry said as he walked into the room, followed by Ron and Granger.
"Are you breaking up with me?" Jade asked with a smirk.
"Yes... Uh, I keep repeating in my mind everything that happened that night. And I can understand Malfoy's position, I truly can. But there are certain things that I just don't understand and I need you to explain them to me."
"Okay," Jade said casually as if they weren't fighting.
"You said at some point... I don't care if I die, as long as I save both boys. One is obviously Malfoy, who's the other one?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"That means it can't be your brother or your fiancé," Harry said simply. "Who is it?"
"Just a boy, it doesn't matter."
"You mentioned the prophecy, I didn't remember until recently. You said that you were eventually going to die."
"That's right. Prophecies aren't fun, are they?" Jade said sarcastically.
"If I recall correctly, you said, 'When he knows I did it, he'll hate me. This is the best way to prevent our deaths or at least his', that's what you said. I can't really understand it, how someone hating you would save himself and possibly you too?"
"Got nothing to say."
"Jade, you can clear all this up and we can all be friends again," Ron said, pleading but Jade shook her head.
"Is it Harry?" Granger asked out of nowhere.
"Huh?"
"Is Harry the boy you are trying to save?"
"Why would you think that?"
"Well, the boy must hate you so he can be saved, I don't how that can be logical, though. But look what's happened. You two were really close and now he hates you, and even you would be affected by having someone you care hating you for something that you felt obliged to do. But instead you are okay with it, almost relieved that he hates you this much."
"She is okay with it because she is a heartless snake," Harry muttered.
"No," Granger said. "A heartless snake wouldn't have endured being crucioed for you, for keeping the secret of the D.A., wouldn't risk being seen with you when her family is around trying to kill you. No. She wouldn't even have taken Polyjuice potion and risked her life for you if she didn't care and somehow she isn't doing this to get you to forgive her either. She just did it because she felt like doing it."
"So?" Ron asked, confused.
"Lias, is the boy you wanted to save, Harry?"
"Would it make a difference?" Jade said like she didn't care at all. "It doesn't matter who the boy is. I tried to kill Dumbledore, would you forgive me if I was doing it for you?"
Silence.
"See? Doesn't matter, does it?"
"What does the prophecy say?" Ron asked.
"I don't feel like you are ready to know," Jade said. "But you know I die and I'm trying to prevent that. Dumbledore told me how."
"So, he believed it could be stopped?" Ron asked.
"He told me we could try," Jade said. "He tried to himself, I just needed to keep up with what he had done and that's what I'm doing."
"In short, you were willing to kill someone to save two people?" Ron asked her. Harry looked intensively at her.
"Pretty much, yeah. I didn't want to. But I had to do it. It's my fault Draco was marked. I was a coward when he needed me. You know what I'm talking about," Jade said to Harry. He was the only one who knew she wanted to run away with Draco. "If I had made my mind one day earlier, he wouldn't have been in such a position, I owed him."
"You tried to kill someone because you owed him?" Harry asked in a mocking tone.
"I owe him that much," Jade told him. "But you don't understand. You could never understand that."
"Are you back with him?" Harry suddenly asked.
"I don't know," Jade admitted.
"Hmm."
The following day was just as much torture as the day before was. Mrs. Weasley kept making Jade and Harry spend more time together which was agony for both. Of course that Jade couldn't say no. How would she not help when they were basically housing her?
Mr. Weasley had told her before he left to work that her father was still in custody and that her brother hadn't been found yet. Her mother, however, was freed but she never returned home, or at least the Aurors there never saw her.
But Jade knew that her mother must have returned home or at least to Wiltshire. Maybe she went to the Malfoy's. Her mother was there the night Harry was moved. She was involved. Jade didn't see Lexion and she could almost be certain that Voldemort wouldn't use him too soon, not after what happened. A twenty-year old who spent a year in Azkaban already. But she wondered about what he could be doing now.
Maybe patrolling? Maybe causing chaos in some minor city? Maybe training? Practicing? What about Draco? He was younger than Lex and failed his mission. They got the results they wanted but Draco didn't do what he was supposed to do. Jade wished she could know if he was okay.
"Are you going away?" Jade asked Ron that night, they both were out of the house, sitting in front of a small pond, looking at the dark sky above them.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"We don't know. We don't know anything about what the other Horcruxes might be or where they are or how to destroy them once we find them."
"Here," Jade said, passing a book to Ron. "It's not a nice book but it can be helpful. It says here how to make one and warns you how unstable your soul will be once you do it."
"Where did you get it?"
"Accioed it. It was somewhere hidden in Hogwarts. I've got another book though. I found it about a day after we came back from school. I went to the Lestrange's place. Bellatrix's house. She had a book that says pretty much the same. This one is more detailed though."
"What were you doing there?"
"I was asked to take something to my dear uncle, a house-elf told me my father had said he wanted me to do it. I took a package there but the place was empty. I thought maybe my parents could be there but they weren't. No one was there. That's how I found the book… I was looking for my parents, my uncle or my aunt. Anyway, good luck, Ron, you'll need it."
"What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"This year, in general."
"It's weird saying it out loud... I'll plan my way out. Get some money, keep it somewhere safe. Get some clothes. Get resources. I'll go to school, finish it. Then I won't go back home. Ever. Going would mean becoming a Death Eater... this isn't just about marrying Cass or not. To be honest, I would be too scared to do all of this if my brother hadn't become a Death Eater, if Bellatrix hadn't talked about it... I would probably have ended up marrying Cass but now there's more at stake... For the record, I'd have joined you if Harry didn't hate me. Way better than going to school."
"He doesn't hate you. He just doesn't know how to process it. And for the record. I'm glad you are going to school. It'll be too dangerous out there but I also know you are skillful and know more than us so we'll probably need you."
"Well, we still have time. We can come up with something to communicate, in case you need my help."
"Like the coins we used for the D.A. meetings?" Jade smiled.
"Exactly! Do you still have yours?"
"Yes, do you?"
"Yes, well, take it with you then. Don't tell me where you are though, and don't say too much. Say h, for Horcrux or something like that. Just in case."
"Jade?"
"Yeah?"
"I know who could help you get away... You can come here or I'm sure that Fred and George won't mind letting you stay in their flat."
"Thanks but I feel like Diagon Alley might be too dangerous."
"Jade? Before I go, I want to tell you something."
"What?"
"Before we left Hogwarts, I did what you told me to do... I kissed Luna. A short peck but it was way better than any kiss with Lavender. Tell her I'll miss her."
"Sure," Jade said smiling.
"Now it's your turn, tell me the truth. Who is the second boy you tried to save?"
"It's not important," Jade said, trying to stand up but Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.
"I won't tell him, not until he's ready. Not until I feel like he needs to know. Is it Harry?" Ron asked and Jade stayed quiet. She looked up, the moonlight was reflecting in her green eyes. "Why don't you want to tell him?"
"I never said it was him?"
"Come on, Jade. It's obvious." Jade sighed and looked down.
"The prophecy said I was going to die and Harry would too… because of me. Same day, same place. The Order would fall and Voldemort would be very powerful for many years. It can still happen. Dumbledore told me because he thought we were too close and wanted me to try to prevent it from happening. That's why I got stressed last year. Imagine being told that you are going to die in a few years. I dreamt about it, thought about it all the time. I couldn't get it out of my head. And I had to pretend I was okay. Couldn't tell anyone. He told me not to. Dumbledore."
"I still don't get it... why does he have to hate you?"
"He was getting feelings for me... that would never work... and it's better this way."
"Couldn't you just tell him you didn't like him back?" Ron asked.
"When I say it out loud, it sounds crazy. But in my head it made sense. You know?"
"Well, I'm not judging you. And we have time. You can try to explain it all to me."
"When we see each other again I'll tell you everything, but not now. It would be too much," Jade said, standing up, this time Ron let her. "You won't tell Harry, right?"
"Not now... it would be too much," Ron said, raising his hand so Jade could help him up. "By the way, you are turning your hair red again for the wedding. Ginny's idea, you could be one of our many cousins."
"How fun," Jade said smiling. "Alright, let's go inside. It's getting cold."
The next day couldn't have been more awkward for Jade as it was Harry's birthday. Everyone went to him and hugged him and congratulated him. Lupin and Tonks went to the Burrow just for him.
And the Delacours arrived in the morning, making the house quite crowded. Jade could barely remember Gabrielle, Fleur's younger sister. She only remembered her because Harry saved her during the second task.
Jade thought a bit more about that second task. She hated Harry back then. Had just started talking to Ron and thought that Harry had cheated to get into the tournament. Things changed a lot after that but it seemed like they had gone back to the way they were before, sort of.
Harry hated her, he believed she was on the wrong side. That she was a traitor. That she only used him and hadn't really changed, just pretended to. And she didn't hate him. She understood why he felt like that. What he did to Draco, the reason why she stopped talking to him, was forgiven. She was upset for weeks but she had let it go. She understood it was a horrible accident. Harry didn't mean to almost kill Draco.
Then when Mrs. Weasley was taking the big Snitch birthday cake outside, a silver weasel, a patronus, appeared out of nowhere and informed them the Minister was coming. Lupin and Tonks left immediately, Jade could only wonder why.
Seconds later Mr. Weasley had appeared at the gate with Rufus Scrimgeour. Everyone kept quiet as they stared at them when they approached.
"Sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour said. "I require a private word with you. Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Hermione Granger and Miss Jade Lias."
"Us?" Ron asked, surprised. "Why us?"
Scrimgeour asked for a private place, so they all went inside to the living room, which was rather dark, unlike outside. And it was messy. Scrimgeour sat in the armchair leaving only one sofa available, the rest was full of wedding stuff.
Awkwardly, the four of them sat on the sofa. They were very tight, and Jade swore silently as she ended up in between Ron and Harry. Harry seemed like he tried to get as far as he could but he wasn't lucky.
Jade wouldn't have been surprised if he had wanted to speak to only Harry, or even the three of them but why her? She wasn't involved in whatever they were planning and no one knew she was at the Astronomy tower, or did they?
"I'm here because of Albus Dumbledore's will."
The four of them looked at one another with surprise and shock written all over their faces. That had been the only time Harry and Jade's eyes met.
Then Scrimgeour continued with very ridiculous questions, most directed at Ron, as he was the easiest one to get information from. Granger was too clever, Harry's hatred for the Ministry was too big and Jade played the nice, naive girl.
He seemed a little bit skeptical that Dumbledore left them stuff to the four of them, only them and not any other student. He wanted to know the reason why. He also admitted he had checked the stuff Dumbledore had left, in case there was something hidden in them.
"The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wilfric Brian Dumbledore. To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it."
Scrimgeour took out an object that looked like a silver cigarette lighter from a dark, leathered bag. It could suck all light from a place and restore it with a click. He then passed it to Ron. He looked stunned, with a huge smile he took it in his hands and tried it one time, his smile got wider.
"To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive."
Granger actually cried when she took the old book from Scrimgeour. The title was in runes, Jade never took that course, she found it a waste of time.
"Why do you think Dumbledore left you that book in particular, Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour asked and at that Jade actually had to laugh while Granger cried harder.
"It's just a book! And if the Ministry didn't find any codes or anything weird with it during the month they checked it, then I doubt there is something weird in it. Besides, can't you see she's upset? Can we please just go on?" Jade exclaimed, glaring for the first time. Scrimgeour looked at her a bit surprised at her outburst, as she seemed nice until now.
"Eh, to Miss Jade Leonie Lias, I leave a Phoenix egg, in the hope that she will be enlightened, accompanied and to help her find the way home."
Scrimgeour actually took an egg out of the bag. It was sapphire and was a little bit bigger than a chicken egg. Carefully, Jade took it into her hands and examined it closer, it was beautiful.
"Why would Dumble...?"
"How would I know?" Jade said quickly, having the nerve to interrupt the Minister of Magic, thing that he found very obnoxious. "I love animals, I want to study them after Hogwarts."
"Thought you wanted to be a Quidditch Player?"
"Can't I be both?" Jade said in a duh tone, never taking her eyes from the egg.
"Right. Uh, to Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill." Scrimgeour took out the Snitch, its silver wings fluttered immediately. "I notice that your birthday cake is in the shape of a Snitch. Why is that?"
This time not only Jade laughed.
"Didn't you know that Harry is a great Seeker?" Jade exclaimed with a laugh. Harry turned red at her words.
"There must be a secret message from Dumbledore in the icing," Granger added.
"Actually, a Snitch would be a very good hiding place for a small object. You know why I'm sure," he said, seeming angry at the behaviour of the girls.
"Because Snitch balls have flesh memories," Granger replied.
"What?" Harry and Ron asked.
"In case of a disputed capture, the Snitch carries an enchantment by which it can identify the first human to lay hands upon it. You are the Captain and a Seeker and you didn't know that?" Jade asked surprised as she turned to look at Harry, but soon looked away. "The makers wear gloves for that reason, and the person who releases it, in our case Madam Hooch, has to wear gloves too.
"Correct, and this Snitch will remember your touch, Potter. Dumbledore might have enchanted this Snitch so that it will open only for you." At those words Jade and Grander didn't laugh.
Suddenly the room was filled with tension, everyone stared at the Snitch as Scrimgeour ordered Harry to take it. It seemed like nobody was even breathing as Harry took the little golden Snitch in his right hand.
"That was dramatic," Harry said with a chuckle, the other three joined. "That's all then, is it?"
"Not quite. Dumbledore left you a second bequest, Potter... The Sword of Godric Gryffindor." At those words everyone stiffened, Jade could perfectly feel Ron's and Harry's bodies pressed against her getting tensed.
"Where is it?"
"Unfortunately, that sword was not Dumbledore to give away. The sword belongs to..."
"It belongs to Harry," Granger said quickly. "It came to him out of the Sorting Hat..."
"The sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor. That does not make it the exclusive property of Mr. Potter. Why do you think...?"
"Maybe he thought it would look nice on my wall."
"This is not a joke! Did he believe, as many do, that you are the one destined to destroy He Who Must Not Be Named?"
"Interesting theory! Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in Voldemort? Maybe they should put some people on to that instead of wasting their time finding codes in a book or covering up breakouts from Azkaban. People are dying! I was nearly one of them! Voldemort chased me across three counties! Killed Mad-Eye Moody, but you are covering that up!"
"You got too far!" The Minister shouted, standing up, just like Harry.
He actually poked Harry with the tip of his wand in the chest, it singed a hole in his T-shirt. At that the three others jumped. Ron actually got his wand out but Harry stopped him.
It was then when they heard footsteps rushing to them. The door was opened, and Ron's parents ran inside. Mrs. Weasley looked alarmed at the sight of Harry and Scrimgeour.
"It was nothing," he told them but then turned to look at Harry. "I regret your attitude. We ought to be working together."
"I don't like your methods," Harry said. "Remember?"
Harry raised his left fist and showed Scrimgeour for the second time since he met him the scars that still showed the spelling 'I must not tell lies', and then in a quick movement, Harry grabbed Jade's right hand and showed him the back of it. Hers wasn't as obvious as Harry's. It was very faint and small, barely noticeable but it was there and she did remember it very well.
Scrimgeour's expression hardened. He turned away and limped away from the room. "He's gone!" Mrs. Weasley called and it was then when Jade and Harry noticed he was still holding her hand, he let go of it quickly.
Ron and Granger walked out, Jade was behind them but then stopped and turned to face Harry. Who looked upset at the exchange with the Minister. She muttered a spell and Harry's shirt was fixed.
"Happy birthday," she said softly.
"Uh, thanks," Harry said awkwardly.
Jade nodded and then turned to leave, followed by Harry. They joined the rest, including Hagrid, and ate dinner and the amazing cake Mrs. Weasley had baked.
Later that night, for once, Jade was in Ron's room. She had avoided it as Harry slept there. She would only go to Ginny's room and go straight to bed.
"Why couldn't he have given us a hint when he was alive?" Ron asked as he took a glance at what Dumbledore left him. He had gotten the habit of playing with it which drove Granger mad.
"Maybe he thought it was obvious?" Granger said.
"I always said he was mental. Brilliant but mental. I mean, he left Harry an old Snitch, what was that about?"
"Well, I was so sure something was going to happen when Harry touched it earlier."
"Well, the Snitch I caught in my first ever Quidditch match... I nearly swallowed it," Harry told them. Ron gasped and urged him to try touching it with his mouth. Harry pressed his lips to the Snitch but nothing happened. He sighed in disappointment.
"Look!" Jade as she stared at the Snitch that was now floating above them.
"I open at the close," Harry read after he caught it again. The words vanished quickly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The three of them shook their heads. Jade could tell that Harry looked longer at her as if he expected her to know but she had no idea.
"And the book... I've never even heard of them?" Granger said, frustrated that she couldn't understand the meaning of Dumbledore's gifts.
"You're kidding, right?" Ron and Jade asked in surprise.
"I'm not. Do you know them, then?"
"Of course I do," Ron said. It was hard to believe Ron had read and knew about a book and Granger didn't. She wasn't liking it. It was all written in her face.
"The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, Babbitty, Rabbitty and her Cackling Stamp," Ron said with a grin.
"Kids stories," Jade explained when she realized Harry and Granger had no idea what Ron was talking about. Then Harry looked at her weirdly and she knew why. "No, my lovely parents never read any of them to me but you sort of know what they are, everybody does, it's like common knowledge... and there was a time when Ilvie read some to me."
"Ilvie?" Granger asked.
"My house-elf." Granger didn't like that house-elves were practically slaves so she didn't like what she heard. "Don't worry though, I don't mistreat her. Anyway, why would Dumbledore leave you a book for kids?"
"I don't know," Granger admitted.
The four of them kept talking and trying to figure out the purpose of their gifts until Ron suggested they go to sleep as the next day they had a wedding to attend and get some more stuff ready in the morning.
Sorry I haven't updated but I thought it was suiting that I post this chapter on Harry's birthday date :)
Tell me what you think of this chapter!
