A/N- This is the last chapter. ^_^ Enjoy.
Disclaimer- Once again, I'm not JK Rowling. Hogwarts, or the idea of it, is hers.
Apologies - Too Late
Once Dumbledore had thought her ready, he told her the circumstances of her sister's death.
It had been an accident. She had been swimming in the deep end of the community pool and drowned. No one had realized she'd been missing until too late.
Jessica nodded, and pretended to believe the explanation, but she knew it was completely false. Her sister's death had not been an accident. It had been a murder.
Chelsea had received a Hogwarts letter, much like Jessica but only at the correct time.
Her mother couldn't bear to have two witches in her house, two freaks. She killed her. She killed her youngest daughter.
There was no evidence of any such thing happening, but Jessica knew it was all true.
Now, as the end of term came near, all Jessica thought of was revenge.
She was due to meet a family once she left Hogwarts and returned to her home country.
The letter her father had written her had told her that the family consisted of a young couple and son. They'd always wanted a daughter, but their wish had never been granted, and never would.
"What about you, Daddy?" She thought bitterly. "Don't you want a daughter anymore?"
Upon arriving home she would pick up her things and her father would drive her to the young couple's house. With any luck, for her own parents, the couple would look past her odd behavior and wish to make her their daughter.
Jessica knew she'd never meet the couple, the ministry would be likely to catch her before then.
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By the time O.W.L.s had arrived, even Serenity was no longer Jessica's friend. She could sense her hatred when in her presence and had flew out her dormitory window one day, never to come back.
Dark circles had developed under her eyes, and she no longer bothered to even brush her hair.
After barely managing to pass the O.W.L.s she headed home on the Hogwarts Express, her luggage tossed carelessly into an empty compartment, while she spread her legs out on the seat, fiddling with the hole in the knee of her faded jeans and the dangling button on the brown blouse.
She heard the compartment door open and another's luggage being thrown into the compartment, she could even sense the other's presence, but she only closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, not bothering to share greetings with the fellow passenger.
When she awoke, she found Alex sitting across from her. He seemed to be examining her.
"Alex, don't bother. You avoid me for the majority of the year until my sister's death. I don't need your false sympathy," Her voice was cold and mocking, her eyes flashing with anger.
"I liked you, Jessica. I really did. Too much," He took a long breath of air in and closed his eyes. "But that's not the point." He tugged at the sleeves of the long sleeved gray shirt, "Don't do it."
She looked out the window and in a distant voice asked, "Do what?"
"You're going to do something you'll regret. The hate in your eyes won't leave until you've gotten your revenge.
Your mother disowning you was pure terror, and you'd never forgive her for it. But when she killed your sister for becoming what.."
She cut him off, turning back to him and staring at him boldly. "How do you know that?"
"I watched you, Jessica. I was just too scared to approach you. The hurt in your eyes was too much, and the hate that lied there after your sister's death was much too frightening."
"So you're a coward, then." She sighed. "I don't understand, Alex. Why do you bother?"
"Professor Trelawney seems to think I have 'the gift.' She finds it absolutely marvelous, I'm not so happy with it. That day on the train when I looked into your eyes, the events I saw that were to happen scared me too no end. I knew I couldn't help you, so I stayed away.
"Don't do it, Jessica."
She blinked back the tears, and stared at him coldly. "I have to."
After a long silent train ride, they parted with a long sorrowful look. Jessica took a taxi to the airport and boarded the plane in a daze. She stared out the window at the blue sky as the plane flew, watching the white clouds and thinking again of what she was about to do.
She rode a taxi back to her home and got out, the dark, greasy haired and overweight driver setting her odd shaped luggage down on the ground once she arrived.
Her father stood outside the house, watching her carefully. "Hello, Jess."
"I need to see Mom," She said quietly, not bothering to pretend to care for him anymore. Her father went to shake his head, but changed his mind and went back inside.
He didn't return, but instead her mother walked out.
She'd lost weight and had a harshness about her that hadn't been there before. Jessica could see her fair headed brother inside from the living room window, tears streaming down his cheeks, waving at her. It reminded her of the day she had left, only then her sister had been there as well. She waited for him to leave and took out her wand.
"Why'd you kill her, Mom? She couldn't help what she was."
Her mother didn't say anything, only stared at the wand with a look of terror.
"What if Jake gets a letter too, Mom? Would you kill him too?"
She didn't give her a chance to answer this time.
"I won't give you the opportunity."
Her hand rose almost by itself, and the words flew out of her mouth almost mechanically, "Adava Kedavra!"
Her wand emitted a strong green light and her mother fell to the ground with one last strangled breath and a harsh scream.
Only seconds later, the familiar brown owl, Serenity, flew down and landed on her shoulder with two letters in her beak.
The first was already opened, and as she took it, she realized it was her sister's Hogwart's letter. Tears filled her eyes at the evidence of her act being justified, at least to her, but the second letter provided no comfort. It was cold and opened at her touch.
Ms. Jessica Nicole,
We ask that you stay where you are, to make it easier for yourself along with us. Momentarily a Ministry official will come for your arrest.
Cornelius Fudge
Jessica sighed and sat on the grass, staring at the owl she had long ago befriended and then at what was left of her family, now standing at the door.
Tears were lost as they locked eyes, all throwing glances at the huddled body on the ground.
Her father looked at her somberly, clutching his son by the hand, and at the same time they said "I'm sorry."