Chapter Nine: The Eavesdropper
With a smile, Holly approached the tent where the champions were hiding. Her smile widened as she noticed Ron and Harry talking to each other again without making threatening gestures. She turned her attention once more to the valiant Hufflepuff and the lovely Ravenclaw he was laughing with.
"Hello, Holly!" the Ravenclaw greeted cheerfully.
"Hi, Cho," Holly smiled. She then looked at the Champion.
"Holly…" He smiled weakly at the Gryffindor.
"At least you aren't ignoring my presence anymore," Holly said. "How are you?"
"Well, let me think, I was scorched by a dragon…"
"OK, I see your point," Holly rolled her eyes. She sighed and looked at her feet, then back at Cedric again. "I was wondering if you'd finally accept my apology. I know nothing I can do would express the remorse and guilt I'm feeling. Cedric, I made a—"
"Say no more, Holly!" Cedric held up his hands and shook his head with a grin. "All if forgiven." Holly did a double take.
"All is… All is forgiven? But… But what about what I did to you?!" Cedric nodded with his eyes closed.
"Yes, yes, yes. You broke my heart, Holly, honestly you did. But it's been mended by an angel!" Holly took on a humorous expression at the young man's burst of drama.
"An angel?" she said with a laugh, but her laugh was cut short as she noticed Cho blush. "You mean… You and… You and Cho?" Cedric nodded slowly.
"She's my angel." Cedric grinned and the red color in Cho's face deepened. "My savior. She saved me when I was in the dark, deep chasms of despair!" Holly couldn't help but giggle, in spite of herself.
"I see she's also the one who's brought about your creative and poetic acting skills, Shakespeare." Cedric smiled and Holly nearly lost all feeling in her heart.
"Hey, do you still have that rose? The one that was once a twig?" Holly frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I'll take it now. If you'll let me." Holly gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Can I talk to you in private for a moment? Sorry, Cho…"
"By all means!"
Holly and Cedric wandered the grounds for a few minutes. When they were nearing the castle, Holly spoke.
"Look, this Tournament is very dangerous, especially for a fourteen-year-old, so I would really appreciate it if you would watch over him for me."
"For you?" Cedric's eyebrow rose. Holly nodded.
"Yes, for me."
"What do you mean? Is there any particular reason you're so protective over a boy who entered the Chamber of Secrets in his second year? Other than the fact he's your friend, because I know you, Holly. There's more to it then that." Holly bit her lip.
"Come," she said. She led Cedric back inside the castle and would only speak to him when she'd found an empty classroom. She closed the door behind her and spoke in a whisper.
"I knew you'd see right through me," she said. "You were even wondering why I asked you to make sure he was OK when you were still angry with me." Cedric gave her a faint smile. She continued with a sigh. "Harry's my… Harry's my…"
"Just say it, Holly!" Cedric encouraged her. She sighed again.
"Well, remember that night when James and Lily Potter were killed?" Pausing, Cedric slowly nodded. "Well, it's a little known fact that Lily, James and Harry weren't the only ones there that night. There was another… Child."
"Why does this concern you?" Cedric asked, afraid he already knew the answer.
"I'm not supposed to be telling anyone this. There are only three other people that know in the world. And it's such a big secret and such a large part of me that I…" Holly stopped for a moment to compose herself and continued. "The child, a little girl, supposedly died with her parents that night. Harry's older sister, a toddler who was no more than three years old…"
"Holly, you can't be saying—"
"I'm not finished!" Holly hissed. "The little girl was playing a game with her mother. Hide and Seek. She hid in the garden, in the bushes, and vowed never to come out until her mother found her. Her mother never came looking. A leader fell, followers panicked, and a baby cried. Only then did she come out."
"Holly…"
"Remus Lupin was the one who opened my eyes," Holly continued. "He practically told me. Dumbledore confirmed what he said. Cedric, Harry is the only link I have left. The only member of my original family that's still alive. If he dies, all of who I was back then dies with him. All of who I am today." There was silence as Cedric absorbed the information Holly was giving him.
"Holly, that's impossible…"
"Is it?" she asked. "I'm not so sure. It is true, Cedric. Why on earth would I be telling you this if it wasn't? I'm not one to— OK, so maybe I am one to joke, but not about something like this. What reason do I have to lie to you?" Cedric nodded.
"I believe you, Holly."
"No one can know!" Holly insisted. "If this got out, my life would be in severe danger."
"I'd never do anything to jeopardize your life, Holly. I won't tell a soul." Holly smiled, but her smile disappeared as she saw something on Cedric's shoulder.
"Cedric, you have a bug on your shoulder," she said. "It's an ugly one, too."
"Huh?" But just as Cedric turned his head to look, the beetle took flight. Holly watched it curiously as it dashed out the window. She turned to the door.
"Come on, let's…" Eyes. Two of them. They were peering in on the two friends and seemed to sneer at them. "Son of a…" As she said it, the eyes disappeared and the door slammed. Holly ran to it and threw it open. When she looked up and down the hall, there was no one to be found. Cedric came running out behind her.
"Cedric?" she said to him. "We're in big, big trouble."
She was writing something at the Three Broomsticks when Holly cornered her.
"I know it was you," she said. The woman looked up from her parchment and glared at Holly through large spectacles.
"I'm sure I do not know what you're talking about, Miss Potter— Phillips!" The woman hastily corrected her mistake, but it was too late. Holly grabbed the reporter by the collar.
"Listen up, you tasteless, badly dressed BLOND!" Holly shouted. "I know you were the one who heard me and Cedric talking and your little slip there just proved it! If you run that article, I'll—"
"You mean, this article?" Rita Skeeter held up the parchment that she was working on, appearing as innocent as she could. Holly glowered at her.
"Give that to me." Her teeth were grinding.
"You'll have plenty of time to read it when it goes in the Daily Prophet tomorrow." Skeeter had a large grin on her face.
"I know what you are."
"Pardon?" The grin from Skeeter's face disappeared instantly.
"I know what you are and I won't rest until all of Britain knows it!" All the color drained from Skeeter's face as she shoved the parchment and quill into Holly's hands.
"OK, OK!" she shrieked. "I won't print the article, as long as you don't tell everyone!" Holly was confused, but didn't show it, afraid she'd show weakness to the enemy.
"Alright…" she said with a wry smile. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Holly walked over to the table where Fred, George and Lee were sitting.
"Skeeter writing up some gossip about you, Holly?" Lee asked.
"Not anymore. I have the feeling I blackmailed her."
"What did you tell her?" George asked.
"Well, I told her I knew what she was and I was going to let all of Britain know it too…"
"And she said…" Fred prompted.
"Well, that's the funny part. She said she wouldn't run the article."
"That's peculiar. Why do you think she did that?" George wondered aloud.
"Well, I don't know. She must be one of those people who care about their reputations a lot. She didn't want me spreading rumors about her saying she's a cold blooded, thieving sadistic bitch. It's strange, too, because she didn't even give me the chance to say it to her face. Maybe she just doesn't want to face the truth." Holly shrugged it off. She smiled as she saw Cedric enter.
"Listen, I think I know who overheard us talking the other day…" he whispered to her.
"Yeah, I know, and don't worry. I have it taken care of!" Holly assured him. He seemed confused.
"You do?"
"Yeah, no problem!"
"OK…" Cedric joyfully joined Holly, Lee and the twins for another round of butterbeers.
The Girl Who Lived
There have been many rumors and speculations about what actually happened the night the Potters were attacked, writes Rita Skeeter, special correspondent. But tell me, what is the true story behind them? This reporter has it all. An exclusive interview with a girl claiming to be the soul remaining relative in Harry Potter's nuclear family unveils the clouded reality.
Research shows that a young girl is also known to have been killed that night, though the authorities had never found her body. But the question being asked is why did they cover up the entire existence of the poor little three-year-old? Is it because there is a possibility of her present existence? Not even the girl's younger brother, Harry was aware he even once had a sister! But she was aware of it. And somehow, Holly Lillian Phillips knew that she was the missing link.
Born on a Friday, April thirteenth, this girl has luck coursing through her veins. Elise and Jason Phillips adopted her when she was four years old. Records of her birth parents have never been found. But if she is who she claims to be, the long lost member of the Potter family, then where was she for the year in between when her 'parents' were killed, and when her foster parents took her under their wing? This is one reporter who confronted the girl to find the answers.
"I was lost," she claims, "When someone sees their parents die at the tender age of three, he or she is bound to be traumatized. I wandered the streets, scraping for food any way I could get it. I was only a child; I didn't even know the meaning of the word 'orphanage.' So one day I knocked on the door of a kind couple, who took pity on the toddler wandering around without parents. They gave me shelter. They were unable to have children themselves, and so they raised me as one of their own. They've been so good to me."
Do the images of watching her parents die and her brother cry haunt her mind? Are her ghosts coming back to haunt her? And why did she wait so long to reveal her secret?
"I keep thinking that what I saw was just a dream. It was so horrible, I can't even believe someone could do that to another human being. I've been worrying about my brother ever since I was old enough to know what worry was. It was all just one horrible, real nightmare. I couldn't even face the truth until recently."
But is she ever jealous of all the attention her brother receives as 'The Boy Who Lived?'
"Sometimes I wonder why people see him as a hero, and see me as just another face in the crowd. Sometimes I just want to shout out 'I was there too! And I was old enough to remember it!' But other times, I'm grateful I don't have the pressure of fame on my shoulders. But I think it's about time I get my dues. They were my parents too."
And this is one reporter who completely agrees. I write this article today, not to gossip. But to reveal the true story of Holly Lillian Potter, the Girl Who Lived, and the newest hero to the Potter name.
"HA!" Holly laughed out loud as she crumpled the parchment in the palm of her hand.
"What are you laughing at?" Cedric asked as he walked in on her in the library.
"The article Skeeter wrote about me!" Holly said, chuckling.
"Skeeter wrote an article about you?"
"What's the matter, Cedric? You seem surprised." Indeed he did. He seemed absolutely shocked. "I thought you knew she was the one who overheard us that day."
"I did— I mean, I thought I knew someone who overheard us, but he denied it. I guess he was telling the truth then…"
"Look at this!" Holly tossed him the crumpled up article. Cedric unfolded it, straightened it out and read it. By the end, he was chuckling.
"She makes you sound like a bragging bitch who wants the limelight."
"You think?" Holly yanked the paper out of Cedric's hands and tore it in two. She then tore it into smaller pieces and set fire to them with her wand. "We don't want that getting out now, do we?"