A/N: Special thanks to all you fab people who reviewed, as always you are the best, and I love you all the more. To Fae: thank you so much for the reviews (even the constructive one, I did say I could use them if something was amidst). I realize that Percy, in my head, is completely in character, but because I have not spent time exploring his feelings, I can see how I've portrayed him as, well… a jackass. But the idea is, Percy is an all around nice guy, but he's pompous and is very stubborn. Just think of him and his cauldron bottom crusade. I think that he has every potential to turn away from his family, but not because he doesn't love them: because he has true convictions in doing right by following the Ministry. But anyway, I'll totally look out for any further OC for Percy, because I simply don't want to destroy the wonderful dignity of J.K's characters. And THANK YOU for spotting the cho-harry thing, I totally didn't see it. Though Harry may not be a Casanova around her in the cannon, it's very true that he's not as stupefied as I made him out to be. But it's so fun abusing our protagonist a bit : p. I will try in future chapters to steer away from that. Okay, horribly long A/N.
D/C: yep, still not mine.
Chapter 15: Finally With an Identity
It had gone deafeningly quiet. If the ears strained enough, a soft fluttering of parchments could be made out like the swishing robes of ghosts, a sound long dead. Logan Price stood fixed to the spot by the weight of the surprising news. A few inches away stood Jade, her face plainly written with shock. Percy and Dr. McCourt were supporting each other, looking from the parchments in the hands of the Headmaster and the face Lupin, to the curious girl who had just forced her way out of a sedation charm moments before. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were so completely flabbergasted all they could do was stare at the tall form of Dumbledore. Looking as if their legs would give out, the Weasley twins gawked at their brother. Harry's mind was reeling. What did Dumbledore call Jade? He thought confusedly.
"Excuse me?" Price asked with bewilderment evident in his voice as it rung eerily through the heavy air of the Entrance Hall. The faintest smile flickered onto Dumbledore's lips, before vanishing into the lines of his face, which was now as set as stone.
"Jade Cordonnier will be going no where tonight, Mr. Price," Dumbledore repeated slowly, making his way gracefully down the stairs. Lupin was beside him. "We have been fortunate enough to find her family." A sudden yelp of the utmost triumph escaped Professor McGonagall as she tried to force down her glee. If possible, Jade's jaw dropped even further. Logan Price stiffly stood up straight, shaking his head unbelievingly.
"She can't be—,"
"Jade Cordonnier," Dumbledore read off the papers. "Born the 31st of November in London fifteen years ago, daughter to Marius and Jacqueline Cordonnier. She also has citizenship in both Britain and France. Current residence is near the French Alps, but her parents are temporarily residing in Bulgaria—,"
"Death Eaters were last located there!" Price burst out.
"Where they were conducting historic research on Ancient wizards for the past two years when they received news of her disappearance." Price's face had been drained of color and Harry feared that the man would drop dead on the spot. Percy, perhaps thinking that he may be a pillar of strength, stepped forward shakily. He was more like a pillar of jell-o.
"Headmaster," he managed with a waver in his voice. "If indeed these people are Jade's parents, why didn't the Ministry have a missing person's report from them? Why did it take so long to locate them?"
"Hard to remember anything if you can't," Ron lashed out at his brother.
"That was but one of our set backs in locating her family," Dumbledore continued before Ron or his twin brothers could further attack Percy. "They were in Bulgaria for one, which meant any missing persons file would have to go through the Bulgarian Ministry before it could be sent anywhere. On top of that, Jade's whereabouts were thought to be in France, where she was due to enroll at Beauxbatons for the year."
"Then how in god's name did she end up in the Forbidden Forrest?" Price burst out loudly stepping towards the Headmaster. "In bloody Great Britain?" Dumbledore simply smiled as Lupin rifled calmly through some of the files in his hands.
"Jade's education for the past four years has been quiet an eccentric one," Remus said raising his eyes to look at Price. "She's been boarding in several schools around the world…two of the four, muggle. It was a program designed by her and her parents, which allowed her an education thoroughly liberal, encompassing many different environments. Jade wanted to be a researching historian like her parents, but she wished to study the relationship between muggles and wizards."
"That isn't an explanation," Price began but Dumbledore cut him off.
"She spent last year at the Rudyard Academy here in Britain," the Headmaster said turning to look at Jade's stunned face. "A very fine muggle academy by reputation. Anyway, her parents had arrived to spend the summer with her here, where she had made a handful of very close non-magical friends. At the beginning of September, her parents were due back to their research in Bulgaria, and Jade, school at Beauxbatons. They had arranged for her to leave by means of a muggle transportation called an "air plane" later that afternoon so that she may spend an additional few hours with her friends. The time between then and when she stumbled from the forest is still very much cloaked in mystery."
"But the pendent," Price muttered breathlessly. Harry was so utterly confused now. Price seemed completely off subject.
"Simply a way for abstract wand use," Dumbledore replied plainly. "Her mother uses a ring, and her father prefers a walking stick. The pendent was passed down to her from her grandmother. A family quirk, you could call it." At that Lupin grinned. Everyone lapsed into silence again now that the pieces of Jade's personal puzzle were now coming together.
"Well since you won't be escorting Jade to St. Mungo's, why don't we take a look at other business?" Dumbledore said warmly holding up the stack of parchment, the twinkle now absolutely brilliant in his pale blue eyes. "It's a long trip to London, perhaps a nice cup of tea and a looking over of these files before you go, gentlemen?" Price straightened and Percy picked up the long fallen top hat and handed it to him. McCourt swallowed and glanced down at his wand as if questioning it silently how the sedation spell had worn off so quickly on the girl. Before anyone could move, a choking sob echoed through the hall.
Jade's knee's had given out and she sagged to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. There was a strange look of wonderment on her face, as if crying was a whole new experience for her. Price, who had been completely stunned, now strode up to Jade in complete bewilderment. With shaking hands he reached out and touched her tear-streaked face, and examined his wet fingertips in awe, as if he couldn't believe her ability to cry.
"Jade…" Harry muttered and walked over to her, Hermione following, fumbling for a tissue in her pocket. Percy, looking quite ashamed, shakily took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and made towards the kneeling girl, but Ron pushed him roughly out of the way as he passed. Jade was touching her face, examining the tears just as Price had done.
"Jade, it's okay," Harry said kneeling beside her, and placing a hand on her shaking shoulder where a faint pulse beat against his palm.
"You're staying," Hermione said, her own voice catching. Tears were welling up in her own eyes as she tried to persuade Jade to use the tissue.
"And Dumbledore's found your parents," Ron added slapping her on the back as Lupin made his way towards them. It was then Price spoke, still looking at the glistening tears on his fingertips.
"But she has to be it…" he was muttering. "She has to be…" Harry's head snapped towards the man.
"What in the hell are you talking about?" he asked angrily, thinking that Price was completely nutters, wholly infuriated by him and the Ministry and what havoc they caused. Price's eyes slowly moved from his hand, traveled over to Harry, before resting on Jade. As if his gaze had burned her, she jumped to her feet, knocking Ron back in the process. She brushed past Lupin and hurried up the stairs, her robes flying wildly behind her.
"Jade, wait!" Hermione called, brushing away her own tears. She dashed after her, Harry, and Ron at her heels.
"She's no longer your problem, Mr. Price," Harry could hear Dumbledore say as he ran alongside his friends. "Come to my office where we can look over the paperwork."
They caught up to Jade in a deserted hallway lined with suits of armor. It was the same hallway where Peeves had pestered her months before.
"Come on, stop!" Ron called trying to catch his breath. Jade obliged several feet in front of them, her back turned so that they could see a shudder go through her body.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked with furrowed brow. "They can't take you now." She didn't turn around.
"Jade," Hermione said her voice shaking. "Please, talk to us." Jade lifted her hands and pressed them against her face, pulling them away violently to dry her cheeks. She turned to look at the three, cheeks red from where she rubbed them, eyes glistening. Slowly she began to walk towards them, and then she quickened her pace until she was running full speed. With a cry of utter resolve, happiness, and relief, she flung her arms around the necks of her three friends, and kissed each of them on the cheek. They stood in this many arm hug for several straight minutes, laughing carelessly, not caring about how ridiculous they must have looked.
"God," Jade said when she finally pulled away, a smile on her face. "They've found my parents, but all along you've been my family."
They never entered the common room until late that night, as they had turned around and made for Dumbledore's office. They arrived just as Price, Percy Weasley, and the sympathetic Dr. McCourt stepped from behind the stone Gargoyle, followed by Lupin, McGonagall, and the Headmaster himself. Price was looking less than composed, even as the appearance of utter relief settled onto the St. Mungo's doctor's face. Percy was fidgeting slightly, avoiding any of their eyes, as he quickly brushed past. Ron aimed a kick at his shins, but any due injury was prevented by one sharp look from Hermione. Price paused before them, running a hand through his hair, which now stood on end, top hat clutched in one hand. His eyes fell on Jade and a sad smile flickered onto his face, not helping to soften the absolutely crushed look that seemed to blanket his features. He held out his hand shakily to her and instinctively she stepped backwards, trampling Harry's foot in the process.
"It's all right," Dumbledore said reassuringly to Jade. "No one will be taking you anywhere against your will." He added a wink, which seemed to spark courage back into her. Slowly, Jade reached forward and shook the young man's hand.
"I'm sorry for what happened tonight," Price said quietly looking her straight in the eyes. "But in the end you've found your family. I'll be honored to meet them during your reunion." They stood there silently, their gaze never breaking.
"I'm sorry that you didn't find what you were looking for," Jade replied firmly. Price's body shook and he pulled his hand away as if her words were an insult. Harry met the man's gaze for a split second before he looked away, swallowing nervously.
"You take care now," McCourt said to Jade, patting her on the shoulder. He looked at her friends, who stood beside her and nodded thoughtfully. "I reckon you're a lucky one, having friends that care so much about you." Jade nodded her agreement and flashed Harry, Ron, and Hermione a grateful smile. McGonagall cleared her throat and offered to show the men out.
"Come on now, Mr. Price," McCourt added. "We've got no more business here." Price moved forward and once again, Jade stepped back and tromped on Harry's foot. He grimaced and nearly toppled as Price's shoulder brushed his at the same time he grabbed Jade's shoulder to steady himself. Suddenly the pain that was radiating from his twice-trodden foot shot up through his body and burned for an instant along the fine line of the scar on his forehead.
"Ouch!" he grunted wincing, but before he could fully register the flicker of fire above his brow, it was gone, and he was left with only the throbbing pain in his foot.
"Sorry," Jade muttered sheepishly, turning to give him an apologetic smile. Harry could feel his face pale, and his hands grow cold as he released her shoulder. Did his scar just hurt?
"Are you okay?" she asked, turning around to look at him, noticing his horrified expression. "Harry?" Snapping out of it as he shook his head, he forced a grin onto his face.
"Now that you've flatten my foot, sure," he replied easily. The pain had been so fleeting; he began to wonder if he felt it at all. His hand instinctively reached up to touch the scar, but he seamlessly changed the move as if he meant to run his hand through his hair. No, he thought, it was nothing. It had been a long time since that characteristic mark had burned, and it seemed reasonable that Voldemort was nowhere near Hogwarts right then. Most likely he was in Bulgaria or somewhere close to there; wherever it was, it was far away from Hogwarts. Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and as the seconds passed, he was further convinced. It was merely the sensation of being stepped on twice and nearly toppled over in one go that sparked the imaginary pain.
They stood and watched as McGonagall led the three men away until Dumbledore spoke.
"I am assuming you would like to look at your history, Jade," he said warmly.
Lupin led them up to the office, and together they explored Jade's past. She had been schooled in Australia, Japan, America, and England, and as Dumbledore had announced before, studied both in wizarding schools and muggle academies.
"And look!" Hermione exclaimed. "You've played football! Dean would love that!" Ron scowled at her and muttered something undeterminable about Dean under his breath.
"But it looks like you nearly failed biology last year," Harry muttered earning him a glare from Hermione.
"I wish I could remember it all," Jade murmured fingering a few pictures of her self. Her image flitted across their individual photographs, grinning and posing. "Well, except nearly failing."
"You will," Lupin said with a smile, handing her another pile of her past. "With time and the reunion with your parents, you will." At that, Jade's face brightened.
"When will I meet them?" she asked excitedly dropping the photos as she stood up. "Are they coming soon? Will they let me stay?" Dumbledore chuckled, as he reached to pick up one of the fallen pictures. As if the photo weighted several pounds, very weary heaviness settled upon him.
"As you all probably know with your connections with Sirius and Mr. Krum," he said soberly, "there has been a murder of a prominent man in Bulgaria. A perimeter of security has been privately erected by theirs, ours, and the surrounding countries' Ministries to keep watch for any further sign of Death Eaters."
"It has been hard to get any information out of or into Bulgaria," Lupin added pushing a hand through his peppered brown hair. "You're parents have filed for passports, but must go through several precautionary procedures before that is possible. Most likely it won't happen until May or June." Jade's face fell and she sat back down, picking up the fallen pictures.
"It's amazing there's so much effort to stop Voldemort when no one will believe he's returned," Harry said bitterly.
"A worry I wish you not trouble yourself with," Dumbledore said to Harry with benign eyes. "It is a sign that the Ministry may be opening up to other possibilities." Harry nodded in silent agreement, still bitter. Dumbledore's gaze traveled over his the maturing faces of his pupils, until it settled on Jade.
"You'll see your parents within a few months," he said to her. "And until then, there will be correspondence, and of course a wonderful year here…as your parents have given permission for you to stay. You will become an official student." Even Harry brightened with that prospect and for the next hour they talked over the parchments that held Jade's history. Dumbledore even magicked up some copies for her. It was after eleven when the Headmaster insisted they head for bed, and adding with a wink to not let Mr. Filch catch them, or it'd be his head. Lupin walked them part of the way, and departed towards the staff apartments, leaving them to their quiet and content conversations as they accompanied Jade back to the hospital wing.
* * *
"James, wait here," she insisted brushing the tangled mass of read hair from her face.
"No, I'm fine." The young man said, wincing and brushing sweat from his brow, struggling to pull himself up the smooth surface of the stone cavern walls. "They couldn't send Moody on this one, could they?"
Harry watched the scene play out, the feeling of familiarity rushing over him. It had been a while since he had seen these images, but not long enough that he had forgotten them. He watched the young and energetic people, his parents, live their moment. He didn't bother to question why he was seeing this again, but rather reveled in it, as if he were afraid he would never get the chance to see this strange movie showcasing two people he desperately desired to know.
"I love you, James Potter," Lily said softly over her shoulder.
"Ditto, Lily Potter," James replied as she turned and began to climb the wall that led to the grotto.
His hand reached out for the disappearing image of his parents as he awoke. Harry's eyes strained in the half darkness of the dormitory, searching the shadows and folds of velvet curtain for one more glimpse of the dream. Why had it returned? He questioned his brain, brows knitted with utmost confusion. Why after all this time? It was all he could do, because nothing changed the fact that the episode of dreams where back in detail, as if reminding him of something.
The next few days passed as normally as possible at Hogwarts, with Dumbledore announcing Jade's news and official student status to the entire school. There was even a belated birthday party for her in the Gryffindor common room, food and décor courtesy of the Weasley twins. By the end of the week, as promised, Hagrid returned. The past few classes with their substitute Creatures instructor, Professor Grubbily-Plank had been uneventful, and the students almost wished for a random explosion from the silk morders. However, true to Hagrid's words, they were harmless, taking to crawling all over each other and devouring milk pods, their preferred diet. Hagrid's return marked their increasing maturity; they were now spinning very fine, weak, thread.
"Now don't be fooled by that weak silk," Hagrid said passing the clusters of Gryffindors and Slytherins as they built structures for the morders to wrap their thread around. "A coupla months from today, and tha' stuff'll be stronger than a Gringott's vault door. Pretty too, if I remembered properly."
When the class was over, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Jade stayed behind as their classmates trudged back up to the castle in the snow chatting about their anxieties regarding the up coming O.W.Ls, Quidditch, who likes who, and the like.
"So how was it Hagrid?" Harry asked the minute the last of the Slytherins were out of sight. The large man seated himself near one of the bonfires that were keeping the class, which was held outside, bearable.
"It was a bit harder than we thought," he admitted but quickly added, "no, no, nothing for you three to be worryin' about" at the sight of their alarmed faces.
"Yeh see," Hagrid continued, "You-Know-Who, or his Death Eaters at least, have already offered to extend a hand of friendship to the two largest giant communities in Bulgaria. It took a lot of meetin's and such on mine and Olympe's part, but in the end they agreed to a flimsy promise of neutrality."
"My parents are in Bulgaria," Jade said worriedly, the thought that the Dark Lord and his followers might be in the same country as her parents finally hitting her. "There hasn't been anything else since Karkaroff's death, has there?" Hagrid shook his head and patted Jade on the shoulder, pounding her several additional inches into the snow.
"No, nothin'," he said reassuringly. "Like I told yeh, fer now, everythin's stable. They're fine folk, they are," he adding winking.
"You've met them?" she asked brightening. "Oh, how are they? What do they look like?"
"But how?" Hermione asked curiously. "I mean, Dumbledore just got those letters and files a few days ago…"
"And who helped send those letters an' files?" Hagrid asked smiling.
"So you were in on that," Ron said grinning. "And sent just in time, I reckon."
"What about Padfoot?" Harry asked hopefully. "Is he doing all right?" Then remembering his godfather's wariness of Jade he added, "Does he know about her parents?"
"Tha' reminds me," Hagrid replied getting to his feet. "I almost forgot! Yer letter, Harry." They followed him into his cabin to find a warm, welcoming fire, and Fang snoring loudly beside it. His large paws jerked about as if he were dreaming of chasing small, fluffy, creatures about. Hagrid searched the many pockets of his thick, black, coat until at last, he pulled out a letter.
"Owls are few and far between, some times," he said winking as he handed it to Harry. He opened it as Ron, Hermione, and Jade seated them selves around him.
Dear Harry,
I hope you are beginning to put that study guide to good use. After all the trouble I went through to put it together, I expect you're holding it as one of your most prized possessions. I'm sorry I didn't send an owl earlier, but it is slightly difficult coming by post when you're out in the middle of nowhere. The threats have died away so don't worry about me. I better hear that your worries consist of girls, quidditch, and O.W.Ls: nothing more dramatic than that.
If you didn't know it, Jade's parents have been found. Hagrid saw the records sent from the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic himself. I got a chance to meet her parents, under an alias of course. Just call me Mr. Strider; Headmaster Dumbledore's personal representative. They're a wonderful, eccentric couple and are thoroughly relieved and elated that she's safe. Currently, they're arranging to come to Hogwarts as soon as possible, but any traveling in this area has become difficult for the time being. I've got to leave now, and I'll try to write again soon if my travels allow. Take care of yourself and tell Hermione and Ron hello for me.
~Sirius
A grin formed on Harry's face as he looked up at his friends.
"Well," Ron urged. "What's it say?"
"Basically the same stuff Hagrid's told us," Harry replied glancing down at the letter. There was a postscript that he missed.
p.s
I know Jade's got an identity now, but I'm asking you to be wary.
"Anything else?" Hermione asked catching Harry's attention.
"No, nothing," he said a little too quickly, folding up the letter and stuffing it into his pocket. "Just that he says hi to you guys." Again with the warning, even after knowing who Jade was, her history, and her parents. He didn't want the three to see that part, and hoped they wouldn't ask to see the letter. To his relief, they didn't. Their attention had been steered away from the letter and news from Bulgaria by Hermione's reminder of their next class.
"Seamus!" Angelina exclaimed exasperatedly, swinging her broomstick round so that she pulled up beside him. "Are you planning to block any of those quaffles or not?" It was getting to be a long Friday morning practice. Harry yawned and for several minutes, forgot about the snitch as he and the rest of the rather groggy team pulled up around their captain.
"Sorry Cap," Seamus said shakily. Since his fall during Gryffindor's first game, he had been extremely edgy in the air. Angelina had been patient, but their next game was fast approaching, and Seamus had yet to regain his confidence.
"I just got to get focused, that's all," he continued pulling away with his sandy-haired head down. He landed several feet bellow her. Angelina sighed, a small cloud issuing from her mouth into the cold air before she followed suit and neatly landed beside him.
"Well, you've got to focus more sooner than later," she said pushing the bitter tone from her voice. She grinned encouragingly and punched his shoulder gently. "You're a great Keeper, Seamus. Don't let one fall keep you down."
"That's right," Fred added flying around their heads. "Just look at Harry."
"Yeah," George said. "He's nearly died loads of times."
"And I haven't succeeded once," Harry replied rolling his eyes. The twins dissolved in laughter and Seamus grinned appreciatively. Just then the snitch flew by, and Harry was on its tail, catching it easily.
"We haven't worked on blocks in ages," Katie announced just as Harry returned to the circle where his teammates hovered. "Seamus, you've got to forget about falling."
"I know," he replied from the ground, running a hand through it hair. "I will, I just need some time." His teammates watched silently as he picked at the twigs that made up the tail of his broom. Alicia landed beside him and patted his shoulder sympathetically as Angelina sighed, glancing up at the faces of her team.
"All right," she said almost painfully. "Let's call it a morning. Everyone get out of here." Harry put the snitch away watching as the twins wrestled the two bludgers to the ground. They hit the locker rooms, Harry giving Seamus a vote of confidence before hitting the showers.
"Harry!" Hermione called catching his attention, as he emerged damp-haired and dressed from the locker room doors. He waved to Ron and Hermione who were seated on a bench usually reserved for the teams or Madam Hooch.
"'Lo guys," Harry said flashing a grin at his friends, both of whom still looked rather puffy eyed and pale.
"Practice ended surprisingly early, didn't it?" Hermione noted matter-of-factly as she waved to the departing twins. "We only just got here, and you were all done."
"How do you do it, Harry?" Ron asked through a yawn. "It's so early." Harry yawned in return and shrugged.
"It's not too bad," he replied. "At least it was short today."
"Seamus still not completely confident about flying yet, eh?" Ron asked wrapping his Chudley Cannons scarf around his neck.
"He hasn't been since November," Harry replied holding his broomstick across his shoulders. "Where's Jade?"
"Still asleep," Hermione answered batting away the tail end of the broomstick, which nearly smacked her as Harry walked. "We got the impression she didn't want to come along this morning."
"Oh really?" Ron asked raising an eyebrow. "Her nearly crucifying us for waking her before seven gave you that idea?"
A quarter of an hour later, they were seated at the Gryffindor table next to Jade, Neville, and Ginny. The Great Hall was just filling with their fellow students, yawning and contently waiting for breakfast.
"How was practice?" Jade asked pleasantly serving herself some porridge.
"Bloody cheerful, you are in the morning," Ron said grinning. Harry sniggered and heaped kippers onto his plate. Jade shrugged her shoulders at Ron and returned her attention to Harry.
"Practice was all right," Harry answered shoveling some food into his mouth. "We didn't get much done though."
"It's the end of the week," Neville moaned to Ginny. "You know what that means; flying lessons start two days from today." Hermione's spoon stopped half way to her mouth.
"I nearly forgot about that," she murmured flatly. Ron looked from her to Neville and sighed.
"You'll be fine," he said. "Both of you. Flying is not as hard as you two make it out to be."
"Easy for you to say, you can practice at the Burrow," Hermione replied. "I haven't used a broom to sweep, much less fly, since I learned how to operate a vacuum machine."
"What's a vacuum machine?" Ron and Jade asked in unison. Hermione rolled her eyes as if to say "never mind" and cast a long expression at Harry, daring him to add anything.
"Don't look at me," he said, gulping. "I know what a vacuum machine is."
It was then a flutter of wings sounded throughout the hall. Mail had arrived. Owls in all colors and sizes swept down to their owners or designated persons to deliver letters and packages. Errol, the Weasley family's ancient owl, weaved towards Ron and Ginny in attempts to make a landing. He managed it eventually…into Hermione's porridge. Gingerly, she fished the old bird out and handed him to Ron.
"Now why wouldn't you just let Pig take care of it?" Ron mumbled, gently taking the letter from Errol's clutches. It was from Mrs. Weasley and he handed it over to Ginny so she could read it first. Harry got the impression that his friend just didn't want any more news about Percy.
Just as most of the owls began to depart to the owlery, Hedwig made an appearance, swooping gracefully over the Gryffindor table in a flash of winter white towards Harry.
"Hedwig!" he said happily making his forearm into a makeshift perch for her to land on. "It's been awhile since I've seen you." She hooted happily and nibbled his fingers affectionately. He started to remove the letter from her leg, but she fluttered away from him and made her way to Jade.
"Sorry Hedwig," Jade said, shrugging her shoulders. "I ate all my sausage today, didn't know to expect you—." The writing on the envelope caught her eye. In small careful writing, was her name. With shaking fingers, she untied the letter and gazed at it wide eyed. Hedwig had returned to Harry and was now nibbling the strip of bacon he held in his hand.
"Open it," Harry urged dropping the bacon to Hedwig's annoyance. With trembling hands, she ripped it open and slipped the carefully folded parchment from it.
"Whose it from?" Hermione asked, putting down her glass. Jade swallowed a lump that had begun to form in her throat.
"My parents," she said.
To Our Dearest Jade,
I can't believe we've found you. It's felt like eternity these past few months, not knowing where you were. It was our fault for not staying with you, for not making sure you'd make it to Beauxbatons safely, its just your getting older and we got lax. I'm so sorry, honey, both your father and I. Professor Dumbledore has told us about you not remembering, and I want so badly to be there so that I can help you somehow. I hope you understand the stress in security and why we can't get to you right now, but I hope you're comfortable at Hogwarts. I want you to write so you can tell us all about your wonderful friends there, and all the fun you're taking care to have. I thought until we can meet, we could write so that our little pains could be eased a little. Your father and I have enclosed a photo, and the rest of this letter is mostly aimless writing about things I'm thinking and remembering about you, so that maybe you can remember yourself.
Before Jade finished reading the rest of the letter, her fingers slipped back into the envelope and withdrew a photo of a handsome couple. The man was thick and broad shouldered with dark eyes a shape similar to her own. The woman was petite and slender, with dark straight hair just like her's. The two people smiled up at her, waving and blowing kisses. She ran a finger along the woman's dark hair and touched her own.
"What is it?" Hermione asked softly.
"This is what they look like," Jade said quietly a small smile flickering on her lips. She passed the photo around. "I wish I could remember them."
By the end of breakfast, she had finished the rest of the letter, then read it a half dozen times more, laughing as she read aloud bits and pieces of her mother's writing which recounted her times of utter humiliation. Ron nearly choked on his milk when she read the part about her ten-year-old self sprouting fur because she had fallen into a vat of hair soup her mother was stewing for her grandfather. Jade's light spirit was contagious and soon, even Neville was laughing, forgetting that in two days he would be facing Flying lessons again.
Later that day, they entered their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Jade taking seats next to each other near the front. The bell rang and Remus Lupin entered, listening intently to Darcy Dumont who accompanied him and was talking exuberantly in a hushed tone. They made their way to the front of the class, Lupin letting a brief smile flicker onto his face as he turned to look at his students.
"Well then," he began putting his rather tattered briefcase, the rope that held it shut fraying badly, onto the desk before him. "Looks like we're ready to begin." There was a shuffle of papers and quills as his students prepared for their lesson.
"Anyway," he continued. "I trust you all know the staff substitute, Professor Dumont. It has dawned on me that the semester leading up to O.W.Ls will only become more intense. Oh don't worry…more on my part than yours. But along with my unpredictable…health and preoccupations, I'm afraid I will not be able to prepare you all sufficiently enough. So, I have asked Professor Dumont to be a sort of assistant in class if perhaps she didn't have one to teach on her own." A panic seemed to find its way onto Hermione's face as Lupin ended his sentence.
"She has spent years researching defense tactics against the Dark Arts, traveled around the world, and has attended several Universities of Magic for her doctorate endeavors," Lupin said as if trying to bring some comfort to Hermione (and others who feared Dumont's destruction factor would make it impossible for them to pass their O.W.Ls). "She's really too qualified to be just an assistant." At that a pleased smile spread on Dumont's pretty, round face, and she ducked her head and fiddled with her oblong glasses. It was strange to see the ditsy young woman so child-like, thought Harry, and know that she had very strong convictions against Dumbledore's decisions about both Jade and the fight against Voldemort.
"All right," Lupin said turning to the blackboard, as a stream of letters issued from the tip of his wand and onto the blank slate. "Let's begin the New Year with lessons in defending one's self with the power of the mind."
To the left of Harry, Jade looked as if she had steeled herself for an onslaught of notes. He had to fight the grin of amusement from forming on his face as he watched her frantically copying down diagrams from the board.
Most of the period was made up by a lecture with the occasional demonstration in dueling, and how focusing the power of the mind proved much more efficient in wand-work than merely just learning spells. Dumont demonstrated these examples as Lupin commentated, and her true abilities as a scholar were finally witnessed. Though scattered-brained and destructive in Potions, Dumont moved with a magnificent grace in Defense. As she used the lumos spell to burn a hole through a three-inch block of wood, Ron's jaw hit the floor. From a few seats down, Seamus had tumbled off his chair in surprise.
"That takes so much focus," Hermione had muttered more to herself than anyone else. "She's…she's brilliant."
In no time the class ended, but not without Hermione raking up twenty-five points for Gryffindor. Everyone was packing up, but Jade was still bent over her small score of notes.
"Come on, Jade," Harry said. "We're going to be late for Herbology."
"I don't get it," she muttered dropping her head onto the desk with a loud 'flwump'. Harry and Ron grimaced at the sound of head smacking wood.
"Why? Why? Why?" Jade asked hopelessly, her forehead pressed against the desk.
"It was a difficult lesson," Hermione said reassuringly. "You'll get it, you just need to go over the chapter again."
"Ow," she muttered lamely in response, face still buried in her notes.
"Maybe this will help."
The voice startled all four of them, reminding them that Lupin and Dumont were still in the classroom. Dumont stood before them, a book held in her out-stretched hand. It was thick and battered, with a binding that was slowly ripping. Across the cover was a splash of something that looked remarkably like dried blood. Jade looked up at the peculiar professor, her face slack.
"Sorry?"
"I overheard you were having some trouble in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Dumont replied, placing the book down in front of Jade. "This is a great study guide designed to secure basics in Defense; it's saved me exam after exam when I was in the University." Lupin cleared his throat and Dumont glanced at him.
"It'll be a good way for her to catch up a little," she said turning back to them. Harry couldn't help but gawk. He had overheard Dumont arguing with Snape several times, and he was almost sure she had something against Jade. But why was she bothering to help her with her studies if she didn't want her at Hogwarts? Jade glanced at the book then looked up at Lupin. For a while he didn't say anything. At long last, he smiled and nodded.
"I don't know why I didn't come up with it myself," he said picking up the book and examining it. "This is the only Globally Standard book for Defense Against the Dark Arts worth reading." He handed it to Jade who took it.
"Thank you," she said to Dumont. "Is it okay if I borrow it until the O.W.Ls?"
"No, keep it," the Professor said shaking her head light-heartedly, the golden curls bouncing around her face. "I think it will be much more informative for you now than it will be to me." She stared at Jade, as if burning her image into her eyes. Lupin shifted uncomfortably, and called for Dumonts attention. Perhaps Dumont was having a change of heart about Jade.