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Chapter forty

School year´s end

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When it was all over, either Harry, Angela, Draco, or Daria could not understand how they could have passed the final exams so well. One could conclude that the tension around the tough tests was a kind of escape for them from constantly thinking about certain people, for the young Rosier in particular.

During the last month of school year, all students could finally breathe freely and start enjoying the almost summer weather. None of them thought much about the fact that the exams took place a little earlier that year and that there might be something behind it...

There was a rare and all the more suspicious peace and quiet in the wizarding world. Rita Skeeter apparently ran out of ideas for scary articles. At Hogwarts, it was not only this anomaly that was heatedly discussed. There was one more. So far, nothing had happened to professor Shiernov what could threaten her further work at the school. Yet, the students were still waiting for something that would expel her from reappearing at her post the next year.

Even though they did not really have anything to study anymore and most of their classes were cancelled, Snape was still as obnoxious and demanding as ever. His lessons were as exhausting as if they had at least NEWT´s a week ahead of them and he was even more annoying than usually. A certain nickname appeared in the conversations between the students, which remained with him for good – almost everybody called him nothing else than ´School Bat´ now.

After Snape found out about it in some mysterious way – or better said some over motivated Slytherin gave it away – he began to deduct points even from his own House score in a fit of rage, which additionally incited also Slytherins against him.

That was how the first days after the exams went, and if it were not for the expected conversation with the headmaster, such an environment would have lulled Angela into sweet idleness as well. Instead, she was beginning to worry about Harry's reaction…

/

"Phoenix feather!" Harry announced loudly, waiting for the gargoyle to retreat. He then stood nonchalantly on the stairs that took him up and knocked briskly on the door.

He waited for Dumbledore to invite him and opened the door. The first thing he registered right after the greeting, were the two high backed chairs across from the headmaster.

"Did you wish to speak to me, Professor?"

"Yes, Harry. Sit down, please," Dumbledore gestured him to one of the chairs.

Harry made his way forward, but stopped just as he reached the table and saw the other chair as well. More than familiar greenish eyes looked up at him with unusual uncertainty.

"What…" Harry began talking to her in surprise, but abruptly stopped himself.

He looked dumbfounded at Dumbledore, who motioned for him to sit down again.

"I'll explain everything, Harry."

He sat down confused, glancing one more time at Angela, who was just staring straight ahead now.

"What's going on?" he asked tensely.

Dumbledore took a breath and faced him with a serious expression.

"I'll rather tell you straight away, Harry," he said calmly. "This is Angela Rosier, Sirius Black's daughter."

Harry's eyes widened at Dumbledore, as if he thought that the old headmaster had gone mad.

"I´m sorry?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you serious, sir?"

"Absolutely," Dumbledore nodded.

Harry jumped up from his chair into a standing position so quickly and unexpectedly that Angela flinched.

"That's bullshit!" he barked forcefully.

"Calm down, Harry. Remus reacted in the exactly same way as you, but now he believes it."

"Sirius wasn't even married, how could he have children? And even if he did, he would have told me something about it!" he continued indignantly.

Angela tightened her grip on the armrests and Dumbledore looked Harry firmly in the eyes.

"Harry, sit down. I will explain everything."

"But…"

"Sit down!" Dumbledore ordered sternly and Harry gritted his teeth. He slowly lowered himself back into the chair and glared at Angela.

What does this mean? he did not even stop to think about it and sent an upset question to her in his mind.

Angela looked at him and a soft, careful reply came to him: I didn´t know about it until recently, I swear…

Then she turned to Dumbledore: "How about you would leave the explanation to me, sir," she proposed seriously. "Surely, Harry has a right to know about everything, and I can tell him about your research as well."

The headmaster slowly nodded his head: "I have no objection."

"Thank you, Professor… But, only if Harry agrees…" her eyes focused on him again.

It felt like she was damn worried he might say no. Harry sighed, forcefully stopping himself from rushed conclusions.

"Fine," he finally replied.

"Great," Dumbledore smiled in quite a mysterious way. "Nevertheless, since you are already here, I would like to inform you about a few things right away. Angela, as a new partial owner according to the appendix in Sirius´s testament, agreed that the house on Grimmauld Place would continue functioning as the main headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry stared at Dumbledore and then at Angela.

"Yes, I told her about it," the headmaster spoke again. "It was necessary to familiarize her with everything connected to the House of Black."

Neither of the two students commented it, so Dumbledore continued.

"Harry, since it's completely unnecessary for you to go to your aunt's home for the small part of the holidays after this school year is over, I…"

"It was never my home," Harry interrupted him quietly.

Dumbledore eyed him and then followed up as if he had not heard anything.

"I suggest moving you straight to Grimmauld Place. You will be relatively safe there. The house now has three owners – Remus, you and Angela. As per Sirius´s last will, the assets in the bank have been transferred to Angela, but I suppose you don´t mind…?" Dumbledore looked at Harry inquiringly.

He just shrugged. It was all a bit too sudden, what was he supposed to say?

"If you want to keep it, I´ve got no problem with it," Angela spoke up softly.

He looked at her surprised and then he realized. She was really worried that he would be upset at her for this. Oh, Merlin, it was not her fault…

"It is all right," he assured her seriously.

"Excellent, "Dumbledore nodded almost cheerfully. "As for Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, they should not arrive at Grimmauld Place until two weeks before the end of the holidays. I´m sure they would like to accompany you sooner, but their parents want it that way… Well, and you, Angela…"

"I'll stay with the Malfoys for now," the girl stated with a rather disgusted expression. "As I said before, I can't just disappear somewhere else. I´m not of legal age yet, it would be suspicious. Although, I'd rather live in my father's house," she added quietly, avoiding Harry's look.

"Good. That will probably make the most sense," Dumbledore agreed.

It´s perhaps reasonable, but suffering. I hope I can make it to my birthday, Angela thought dejectedly.

Damn, I'll die of boredom there, Harry thought in a similarly despondent spirit, remembering his previous summer at Grimmauld Place. But, of course, it will be under the supervision of an army of bodyguards…

"Well," Dumbledore looked at them both. "That's probably everything from the most important things. Harry is certainly curious, so…"

Suddenly, a sharp knock followed by the door opening disrupted him and professor Snape walked in.

"I must speak with you urgently, Headmaster…"

Then he spotted the two students and froze, his black eyes piercing them surprised, yet sharply.

Both Harry and Angela grimaced. How else then the person who should see them being here together the least would come…

"My apologies, Headmaster," Snape´s expression was not even a bit less sour than theirs. "I shall return later…"

"That´s all right, Severus," Dumbledore spoke. "Our students are already on their way out… You didn't change your mind regarding that explanation, Angela, did you?" the headmaster asked still smiling.

"Of course not," Angela stood up abruptly. "Goodbye, Professor," she said and turned away.

Harry followed her example and parted with the headmaster, refusing to give Snape even a bit of attention, even though he felt the professor´s stare on his back.

/

In the corridor in front of the gargoyle, Angela turned to Harry, but kept avoiding his look.

"I´m sorry that you found out about it like this, Harry. Dumbledore insisted that he wants to speak to both of us in person."

Harry sighed: "I know what Dumbledore is like… How long do you know about it?" he asked quietly.

"For a week…" she replied and nodded toward the window. "There´s still an hour till dinner, so we can sit outside and talk. If you want," she added quickly.

Harry was a bit tense from sudden Angela´s closeness, but otherwise, he saw no reason to disagree. It was pleasantly warm outside and he was really damn curious. It was hard to accept that he was walking next to Sirius's daughter, but now he finally understood whom she kept reminding him of with some of her gestures.

Angela, on the other hand, just hoped that Harry would be willing to tell her something more about her father, whom she did not have the opportunity to meet.

In silence, the two of them made their way to the exit to the school grounds.

Just after the gate slammed shut behind them, Draco Malfoy came out of the underground passage with a rather grim expression on his face. He saw them going out together and it made his head spin.

What in the hell is Angela thinking now?

Someone's gaze interrupted him from his thoughts. He looked up the main staircase and caught a glimpse of long black hair before the slim figure disappeared behind the corner. It was perfectly clear to him who it was – Daria Prescott.

Since their last clash on the stairs, they had been walking around each other like nothing, subconsciously trying to avoid each other. Both of them were head over heels in love, neither of them believed in the other's affection, and even a chance encounter made their hearts ache.

Both of them suspected that even if they confessed their feelings to the other, their relationship would probably not turn out well, and they were glad that the school year was ending. They hoped that it would be easier for them not to see the other, but at the same time, they would prefer to even study during the holidays, just so they could meet each other every day.

There was a dilemma in their souls that no one could really envy them…

/

At a lonely place on the shore of the lake, Angela told Harry everything she knew about Dumbledore´s search for her father and about her visit on the Grimmauld Place. She concealed nothing, including the exact words from the last will of Sirius Black.

In return, she asked him to tell her something more about her father and his godfather, and Harry willingly obliged, focusing on all the good memories he had with Sirius. Therefore, he was a bit startled when he finished and realized that Angela was sitting next to him in the same position with her arms around her knees, but she was almost crying.

His hand moved all by itself and squeezed her slender shoulder.

"Hey… Did I say something wrong?"

"No… I just…" she suddenly turned to him. "If he could get inside the school, why he didn´t even try to see me? He had to know I study here as well... Or even after that? He knew where I live… Why didn't he contact…" she choked, unable to continue and just turned to the view of the lake again.

Harry hesitated what to say not to upset her even more. "Well, he was a wanted fugitive after all… I´m sure he just did not want to cause you troubles."

"Yeah, maybe you are right…" she sniffed.

She looked so damn sad, he could not help put squeeze her shoulder tighter.

"I´m sure that if he could, he would come to see you. Sirius always cared for his loved ones a lot, but underestimated himself… He even startled me to death when I met him for the first time, because he was scared to show up as an escaped prisoner in front of me. I thought that I saw the Grim."

Angela suddenly stiffened and Harry let his hand fall down.

"Wait a second… You said that my father was Animagus, right?"

Harry eyed her cautiously: "Yes…"

"And his animal was a huge dog?"

"Yes, it was," he nodded.

"Can you tell me anything more specific?"

"Well, he was black, shaggy-haired…"

"What about his race?" she kept asking tensely.

Harry chuckled a little sheepishly: "Honestly, it was hard to assign him with any. He was similar to a Newfoundland one."

The girl´s eyes were wide and distant.

"Angela? What is it?" he asked a bit worried.

"I… I just remembered something. It happened during the summer three years ago… I was reading outside in our garden, when some strange black dog appeared. Huge, dirty, intense eyes… He was just sitting there looking at me, but I was startled. I thought he was some stray, dangerous dog, so I called my aunt and she chased him away. Do you think that… It might have been him?"

Harry nodded: "I would say so… That definitely sounds like him."

Angela breathed out heavily: "But… Why didn´t he talk to me then? I was there alone, his daughter… Why…?"

Harry shook his head: "That I cannot answer to you, sorry… Maybe he was afraid you would not believe him."

She looked at him tearfully: "Yeah, maybe…"

/

Even though it was already clear that Gryffindor would lose the school cup in total points, they were not particularly down about it. They won the Quidditch Cup, so that year the winnings were split between them and Slytherins. The last day of school passed quite peacefully.

At the last breakfast in the Great Hall, it was buzzing inside like a beehive. Perhaps everyone – with the exception of a few individuals – was already looking forward to going home. With the ever-hanging threat of a possible attack from lord Voldemort, they all wanted to be with their families rather than not know what was going on with them.

In the Entrance Hall, which was quickly getting empty, Angela was surprisingly caught by Hermione. The clever Gryffindor girl discreetly pulled her into a corner and looked at her strangely. Angela waited curiously. Neither of them noticed Harry, who scowled at them on his way outside and inconspicuously approached.

Hermione took a deep breath: "I just wanted to tell you that whatever happened between you and Harry in January, I'm glad you made up for it at least a little bit. Those three months, until the day I gave him your message, he was unbearable."

Angela smiled faintly: "I know you're his best friend, Hermione. He likes you a lot and I… I care for your opinion. That's why I want you to know that I never really meant to hurt him. At that time, I thought I had to in order to protect him, and it wasn't exactly easy for me. I was damn stupid…"

Hermione eyed the Slytherin girl carefully: "You're not dating anymore, are you?" she asked then quietly.

Angela shook her head sadly: "No."

"But you still love him," the shaggy smartest one stated unexpectedly.

She blinked surprised and then sighed: "It doesn´t matter anymore."

Yet, Hermione shook her head: "I don´t think so. He still likes you, Angela."

"I doubt that..."

"Don't then. You said yourself that I am his best friend. Therefore, I can definitely recognize this. Why don't you try again?"

"It just cannot be, Hermione," Angela emphasized. "I lost his trust."

"And who said you cannot win it back?" came an unexpectedly quiet question from the boy's mouth. The girls flinched and turned to Harry who appeared behind a pillar a meter away from them.

"I'd rather leave you alone," Hermione muttered wisely and quickly left to the open gate.

With her hands shaking, Angela lowered her eyes. Harry´s gaze was awakening hope inside of her, hope she did not dare to feel.

"I´d like to…" she whispered in response on his previous question. "But I don´t know how."

Harry reached out and gently lifted her face, so that she had to look at him.

"Have you even tried?" he asked softly.

At that moment, Angela realized that this Boy Who Lived could not be farther from the general public opinion about famous Harry Potter. Her former boyfriend was an amazing personality, honest, kind and with a big heart. She did not deserve him. With stinging tears in her eyes, she slowly moved with her hand as well, and clasped it around Harry´s wrist.

"I´d love to have another chance with you, Harry," she stated hoarsely and pulled his hand down. "But you know we can't be together."

"And who says that?" he moved even closer to her, ignoring her attempt to push him away and caressing her neck.

Harry´s touch made her shiver. Angela closed her eyes for a moment and sighed: "We have already talked about this… It would be too dangerous. Why would you want to do it again?"

"That´s simple. Because I still care for you, Angie," Harry admitted outright.

Angela´s eyes filled with tears: "Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered.

Without an answer, he just tightened his grip on her shoulder and leant down to her mouth. However, Angela pulled away from him sharply.

"No," she breathed out heavily. "Harry, don´t, please. If you do this… I´d lose it, do you understand? I would not be able to stay away from you…"

Realizing that she was really determined not to be persuaded, Harry remained silent this time. In the past, he had no idea that love could hurt so much. Even though he knew that Angela was right, that it would be risky if they got back together again, his heart wanted to be with her nevertheless. It was impossible to decide what was the right thing to do.

"I´m sorry…" she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to leave.

"Will you at least come to see me sometime during the holidays?" Harry blurted out, desperate to stick on at least something positive in his nearest future.

Angela turned to him for one last time, serious and sad: "I´d like to, but I don't think it's a good idea, Harry."

He hung his head in disappointment.

"Take care," she said softly, leaving the Entrance Hall hastily.

Harry kept looking after her sadly, until her figure disappeared outside. "You too," he whispered into the void.

/

END OF PART ONE

TO BE CONTINUED

in

"Dusk of Love"

/

A/N:

So, this is it for the first book. To anyone who endured and read this work till the end - I thank you.

I finished the original Czech version of ´The Last of the House´ in 2006, so you can imagine that even though I was quite enthusiastic about writing my own HP story, I was much younger and significantly less experienced not only in writing, but also in life. It is apparent from this creation and during translation to English, it went through many alterations, changes and hopefully also improvements.

Nevertheless, during the years, I had been told that I kept improving my writing, so I will keep working on it even harder. So, if you´re interested in what happened next with my Harry, Angela, Draco and Daria, you might continue to accompany me during the second part of this story, which I would like to start posting here soon. I will warmly welcome you on this journey.

Witch