Chapter 4

Harry entered the room of requirement the following evening. The message from Tracey the prior evening had nearly set him off but he'd clamped down on his anger just in time. While his first thought was that Tracey had betrayed them it just didn't add up. If Tracey had turned them in, Umbridge would've been breaking down the entrance to the common room and in that case why tell him about it at all? When he'd arrived at the great hall for breakfast he glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw that Tracey looked no different indicating that she hadn't done something to trigger Hermione's hex on the parchment. He sent her a reply over the galleon and they agreed to meet after dinner.

Tracey was sitting next to a pensieve provided by the room and looked up when she heard him enter.

"Just you?" She asked

"Ron and Hermione don't know yet, I didn't think they'd give you the benefit of the doubt." Harry answered.

Tracey looked a little disappointed. "But you are?"

"I was angry at first but you clearly hadn't been hexed this morning and I thought it best to hear you out." He replied.

Nodding at him, Tracey held her wand to her temple and removed the memory of her confrontation with Daphne the prior evening. After dropping it in the pensieve Harry entered, emerging a short while later.

"She certainly cares a lot about you, that's for sure." Harry said, offering her a weak smile.

"She does and I love her for that." She said wistfully "But she doesn't understand why I have to do this, I'm not sure she ever could. She may not like You-Know-Who but she'd never want for anything under his reign due to her blood status and social standing. She doesn't have to live with the fear of what that world would mean for her."

Harry nodded in agreement. "It's ironic really." He did absentmindedly.

Tracey turned to him, confused. "What could possibly be ironic about that?"

Harry thought for a second before deciding there was no harm in telling her. "It's ironic because Voldemort is a half-blood himself."

Tracey was too shocked to shudder at his use of Voldemort's name. "How could you possibly know that? No one knows his true origins."

"That's a really long story but his true name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. His father, Tom Riddle Sr, was a muggle. This ought to help prove it." Harry flicked out his wave and incanted 'flagrate' before writing out 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' in the air and then slashing his wand across to rearrange the letters into 'I Am Lord Voldemort'. Tracey was gobsmacked and had a million questions running through her mind.

"Do you know who his mother was?" Tracey asked.

Harry shook his head. "No but Dumbledore probably would, I'd never thought to ask."

"The story about how you learned all this, is it actually a long story or do you just not want to talk about it?"

Harry frowned as he thought about how to answer. "Both I suppose. I nearly died that night so it's not exactly a fond memory."

"I'm sorry, you don't have to say if you don't want to, it's just…… it's hard to hear something like that and not want to know more." She said.

Harry bit his lower lip as his eyes flicked up to the pensieve. He'd never told anyone about this other than Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore. He barely knew this girl sitting next to him but something about her compelled him to trust her. Whatever that something was, it made him make up his mind. Sticking his wand to his temple, he removed a silvery strand and dropped it into the pensieve.

"It's probably easier if you watch it." He said.

Tracey was surprised by the gesture and asked if he was sure. When he nodded she stood and entered the pensieve.

A while later she emerged, fell backwards to the ground, and scrambled back away from the pensieve. She looked at him with both awe and fear.

"How? How could you have possibly survived that?" She asked with her voice quivering in fear.

'Good question.' He thought. A year ago he probably would've said luck. Now though? Teaching the DA had changed his perspective on some things. He'd still say luck played a big role but after having several of his peers demonstrate their skills at the first DA session it had shocked him how far ahead of them he was. Even the seventh years could barely aim a simple expelliarmus and hit a stationary target, something that he could do in his sleep. That's when it had dawned on him, none of them had ever had to fight for their life, none of them knew what it meant for Voldemort to want you dead. So no, luck wasn't the only reason he'd lived through so much.

"I endure….. I survive. I always have." He said sadly.

Tracey desperately wanted to know everything behind those words but she didn't think she should push it. Harry had just shared a highly traumatic memory with her. He was extending her some of his trust and that wasn't worth risking. So instead she stood and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"It's not enough is it? To just survive. There has to be more to life than just living, you have to enjoy it too."

Those words rang true for Harry, he was barely 15 and already sick of having to fight tooth and nail to survive year after year but with Voldemort on the rise again it was impossible to envision a point at which it would end. More than anything he wanted to live in peace. Turning his head to face Tracey he looked into her chocolate brown eyes, really looked, and it was as if a light went on in his head and he realized why he felt so compelled to trust her. She understood what it was like, she wasn't a true fighter, not yet anyway, but he knew now what life was like for her in Slytherin. She had to live each day surrounded by people who looked down on her, saw her as lesser than them. She had to keep her head down so as not to draw attention to herself and her one friend she could rely on for protection was not currently speaking to her.

"No it's not." He said softly.

Neither really knew what else to say and just didn't speak for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts.

"I should be getting back." Tracey said, finally breaking the silence. "I still need to try and smooth things over with Daphne."

Harry nodded. "Can I assume she won't turn us in?" He asked

Tracey shook her head. "No, angry as she is, she won't throw me to the wolves. She'll try to make me stop going, convince me it's too big a risk but I won't."

Harry nodded. "I trust your judgment then, though we should probably keep this between us."

"Yes I think that's probably for the best." She said

She turned to leave but Harry called after her. "Tracey?" She turned back around. "Thank you for……. Watching that memory. It had been a long time since I'd shared it with anyone and…. well…. I'm glad someone else knows, I guess."

Tracey smiled at him. "I'd be happy to meet up again if you need to talk more, Harry."

"Same goes for you then." He said as she finally left.