Unraveled
Chapter Thirty: A Long Night
The next few days were too quiet. Ryu Ran kept a close watch over his students. Fiona continued going to class, but wouldn't discuss anything that had happened. She was disgusted by the majority of the student body because of their lack of compassion. Her faith in them was extremely low. If they were to find out about her grandfather, then they would think of her as a monster.
At least the rest of the students reactions would have been normal. Draco's troubles helped distract Fiona from her own. He wouldn't speak with anyone other than Fiona and Sensei Ran. His eyes were glazed over even more so. He wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. He barely slept at night, and he started to reread Lord of the Rings in an attempt to escape reality. Fiona had noticed something when they had gotten into the infirmary, something that Nell hadn't mentioned, there were scars on Draco's body. The scars were old, healed wounds. It was fairly obvious that Draco hadn't told Fiona everything.
Fiona checked in on him in between classes. Ginny usually waited for her outside the infirmary. Fiona still avoided Harry. It was slowly driving him mad. The reasonable part of his brain told him that she was worried and cared about Draco. The less reasonable part of Harry was jealous of all the attention Fiona gave Draco. She had not spoken a word to him since the day that Draco had nearly killed himself. Because of what had happened, Harry found himself feeling guilty about what happened earlier. He even felt some sympathy. The Slytherins disgusted him.
They were laughing at Draco behind his back. He had gone from being a popular leader to a social outcast among them. None of that mattered to him. His apathy had reached a new high. The only two people he cared about were the ones he talked to.
Some of the Slytherins were walking around like the owned Hogwarts. Fiona found them deluded and annoying. Half of her wanted resisted the urge to tell them who she was related to, and the other part wanted to hex and curse them. She knew that Draco wasn't very popular with anyone in any of the house. Most of the students, stopped talking whenever she showed up. It was fine with her. She was used to being a social outcast. At least that was also normal.
Fiona kept her head held up high and her shoulders squared. She despised almost all the Slytherin because they were opportunists. Harry couldn't believe the grace she had under that much pressure. He didn't like being ignored by her. It was not only driving him mad, but depressing him as well.
He wanted to talk to her. Ironically, he understood Draco's situation better than she did. He was at the mercy of the Dursleys for years. He was stronger than Draco. He knew how to survive because he had to. He knew where she was every night, so he had stopped waiting in the common room for her, because he knew that she would just avoid him again.
Fiona walked out of the infirmary, but didn't notice him at first. She gasped the moment she saw him waiting for her. "What are you doing? Stalking me?"
"I was going to walk you back to the common room," he explained.
"I think I know my way back."
"Let's not argue."
"Then go away."
"So, how is he doing?"
"Why do you care?"
"Why are you fighting me?"
Fiona didn't want to walk back with him, but he insisted on walking with her. She finally stopped. She didn't really give a damn if Filch was lurking through the halls. "Take it back."
"Take what back?" Harry asked. This conversation was getting rather repetitive. "Why should I take back how I feel?"
"You're out of your mind!"
"No, you are!"
Harry grabbed her by the shoulders. "What do I have to do to get you to understand?" he whispered. "What do I have to do to stop looking at me like you're afraid of me?"
"Just say you don't love me."
"I can't do that. It would be a lie. Saying I don't, doesn't change how I feel. I said so before. I'm not asking you to love me back. I'm only asking for a chance."
Fiona whimpered again and wouldn't look at him in the eye. Harry moved his hand to her chin and forced her to look at him. Her lip trembled. He kissed her softly. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away. She started to get away from him, but he grabbed her wrist. "Let me go, Harry. Please."
"No," he said as he pulled her close in an embrace. He held her tightly because he was afraid of letting her go. She started crying. She couldn't fight him. Not because she felt the same way, but rather she didn't want to hurt him. He could feel her sobbing into his chest. He couldn't stand it, so he let her go. "Let's go back." She nodded as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
They walked back in silence. He wanted to hold her hand, but she crossed her hands over her chest. He had to be patient. The Fat Lady looked at them both when they came. "What's happened, dearies?" she asked as she looked back and forth between the pair.
"What's the password, Harry?"
"I don't remember right now," he said.
"Harry, just give her the password."
"Don't you know?"
Fiona glared at him. "Harry, please don't play these childish games right now. I need some sleep." Harry looked at her impassively.
"I don't need any sleep. I have to dream about you, so I'd rather stay wake with the real thing," he said.
The Fat Lady looked torn between just opening up for Fiona and following the rules. "Harry Potter, tell her the password now!"
"You should know," he said.
"I forgot!" she cried as she stomped her foot in frustration. "Just tell her the password."
"What? And let you get away from me again like you've been doing the entire time. No. If this is the only way, we can spend some time together, then I'm not saying the password," he said firmly as he took a seat on the floor, leaning against the wall.
Fiona's hands were clutched as she glared at him. "Have a seat, Fiona," he said.
"You're not winning any points, Harry, by doing this to me," she said.
"At least, I'm getting some kind of reaction from you," he said with a shrug.
Fiona sighed and took a seat, but on the other side of the Fat Lady who looked back and forth between them again. Fiona looked the other way, while Harry looked at her. He looked away and leaned his head against the wall.
"I just want to settle all this, Harry. You'll be moving in with my dad and I later on. He already said so. There's nothing I can do."
"Do you love Draco?" he whispered. He felt his heart aching just asking her that question.
"Why are you asking me that? You want to torture yourself even more? What if I do? Is that what it's going to take to make you back off?" she snapped.
"Like Hell that would make me take anything back. Deal with it. I. Lo—" he started to say, when the portrait swung opened. Ron stood there looking at them. "Harry, I was wondering wh—"
Fiona shoved pass Ron without saying a word. She bolted for her room. "What did you now?" asked Ron.
"I walked her back from the infirmary," he replied.
"But, why were you guys sitting out here?"
"Because she forgot the password. So did I."
"Harry the password's 'Lionheart,'" said Ron. "And I know that you didn't forget the password."
Harry stood up finally and walked pass Ron. He was smiling. That was odd, considering what had happened. He'd gotten to kiss her again and for a moment she didn't fight him. Most of the Gryffindor already understood that Fiona was his. The only Gryffindor who didn't get it was her.
Fiona stormed into the dorm room. Ginny looked stunned. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing. I'm going to sleep," she snapped. All the other girls backed away from her. She changed quickly and sat on the bed.
"You know, Harry Potter's pretty cute," said one of the girls, Shelly.
"He's got those wonderful green eyes. His hair really brings them out," said Delia.
Fiona wanted to scream, but she clutched her jaw again. He had kissed her, not once, but twice. That's two times now. Ginny watched her carefully. "Harry's really something, Fin. The whole school knows that he's supposed to do something even greater than what he did when he was a year old," she told her quietly. The other girls were mindlessly chatting among themselves. The truth was they were all a little envious of Fiona. She was beautiful, intelligent, and it was fairly obvious to everyone that Harry Potter was more than smitten with her.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"I admit it. I'm one of his fans. There are a whole lot of girls in Hogwarts, and beyond, who would love to get a chance with him."
"Fine. They can have him," she said, but she didn't really mean it. She had other problems to deal with it. "You want to know a secret, Ginny? About my family."
"What?"
"My mother was murdered by her own father," she said simply.
Ginny's brow furrowed. "But…you said that You-Know-Who killed her—" she stopped speaking. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked at Fiona. Her skin was pale like his. Her eyes were the same remarkable color. No wonder, Ginny couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that she felt towards her. She was breathing deeply.
"That's why no one should love me," continued Fiona. "Draco's not the only who shouldn't exist. Good night, Ginny." She drew her curtains closed.
Ginny felt a horrible chill go through her body. She was still had nightmares at night about it. There were still nights where she had nightmares, but struggled alone. Now, the granddaughter of the most heinous being in existence was living in the same room as her.
Her temper rose. How could they bring her into the school? What possessed Dumbledore to do it? She ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her, making her other roommates tremble slightly.
"Harry!" she shouted as she got down. Harry was now playing chess with Ron. "Did you know who Fiona's grandfather is?" she demanded.
"What do you mean, Ginny?" asked Ron cautiously.
"You-Know-Who is her grandfather," said Ginny loudly, causing many people to look up. "That's right. Did you know, Harry? Ron?"
"Wait…you mean that Fiona Black is related to You-Know-Who?" said Seamus, paling over.
"Ginny, calm down," said Ron as he stood up slowly to comfort her.
"NO! I won't calm down! I'm not sleeping in the same room with a snake!" she shouted her voice as getting higher.
Fred and George came back down the moment they heard their younger sister screaming. They came and saw the pain that was on her face. "I don't want her near me. I don't," she whispered as Ron grabbed her and held her tightly.
Harry stood up. "Ginny, she wouldn't hurt anyone. She's been hurt by him. Worst of all. Please calm down," he said.
"How can you say that?! After what he did to you? How can you trust her? She's capable of doing the same thing!" cried Ginny.
Harry shook his head. "No. She wouldn't. You're wrong. You don't know her," he said patiently.
"Am I wrong? I know one thing about them. They are capable of doing anything, if it will help them. That's all I need to know. You can't trust them," said Ginny.
Harry looked around him. He wasn't prepared for the looks of fear and shock. "She hasn't done anything wrong. She's in Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat would have put her in Slytherin, if it thought she belonged there," he said.
"Harry…" said Neville. "I agree with Ginny." He said it bravely.
"What? You spent your time helping her with her Herbology. How could you even think that she'd hurt you?" asked Hermione.
"We're sorry, but we can't have her here," said Dean as he stood up.
"No wonder she was talking to Malfoy so much. He's probably predestined to serve her or something," said Seamus as he went off to bed.
"If that's the way everyone else feels about it, then fine," said a voice at the top of the staircase at the girls' side. Fiona had changed into a pair of jeans and her red shirt. She walked down the stairs, causing many to move away from her. It was like having Voldemort himself in the common room.
She didn't say anything as she opened the portrait and walked out of the room. Harry watched as everyone else breathed easier and started going off to bed. He decided to follow her. He went to go and get his cloak first. He had to find her.
Fiona walked numbly down the hallway. She knew exactly what she was doing. She was pushing everyone away. It was safer for them. Now that they knew, they'd stay away from her. No one else would get hurt. Not like Draco.
Her mother. She died because of her. Everyone else was bending over backwards trying to keep her alive. Why? She clutched the crystal. Part of her was conscious of what it really was, but the rest of her wasn't. It held a great secret and many answers to her questions.
"Fiona," said Harry softly. He wrapped his extra cloak around her shoulders.
"Stay away from me," she pleaded.
"I can't." He caught a tear that slide down her cheek with his thumb.
"I remember being five and going to the park. There was this girl who was dropped off to play by this man. I asked her who he was. That was the day that I found out that I wasn't like everyone else. I didn't have a father. I went home to find this doll house that Aunt Nell bought for me. It had these three little figures in it. A mother, a father, and a little girl. I left the father in the box. My mother asked me why I did that? I told her that I didn't have a daddy. She said that I did have one. I asked where he was. She said he was in England and couldn't be with me. I didn't understand. The only thing I understood was that my daddy didn't love me. Otherwise he'd be there. I started crying and ran from my mother. I remember hearing her cry later on. She said it wasn't like the toys she couldn't afford. It was different. Things are always different," she said.
"I never told you what it was like growing up with the Dursleys, did I?" he asked. She shook her head. "The first rule of living with them is not to ask questions. I was lied to. They told me that my parents died in a car accident. I later found out it was a lie. Dudley, my cousin, is nothing but a thug really. Aunt Petunia, who was my mother's sister, hated her. My uncle,eHerm Vernon, still uses bodily injury threats on me. They tried their best to stop me from being a wizard. I spent my most of my life just accepting things for what they were. Until I came here. I learned that I could control things. That I shouldn't just accept them."
"I'm not looking forward to what will happen tomorrow. I know what's going to happen. I don't think I'm going to like what my father is going to say," she mumbled.
"There isn't much of a place to hide," said Harry.
"I don't plan on hiding," said Fiona. "Go back, Harry. There's no point in you becoming a social outcast. I have Draco and Sensei Ran's back anyway."
Harry paused again, "Do you love him?"
"He's my best friend. I do love him, but on a strictly platonic level. He understands me better than most people, and vice versa. He's my protector. With him I feel safe."
Harry wasn't completely relieved, but part of him was happy. He had to move Draco out of that niche in her life. "I really don't care about being a social outcast. I was one for the first ten years of my life. I really don't like the attention I get for the most part. I like to know that there are people who know I exist, but I don't really like having people staring at my forehead," he said.
"I just need to find someplace warm for the night," said Fiona. "I would rather not go back to the common room right now."
"Do you want to go back to the infirmary?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine, Harry. I've been through this my whole life. It's better this way. At least, I know who my friends are."
"I'll stay with you," he said.
"Thank you."
She held the cloak tighter around her. They both fell silent for a while. He spent his time watching her. Remus was working late that night with Sirius. They were discussing the upcoming travel arrangements in his office.
"I still don't know what order Ryu Ran has been talking about," said Sirius. "He's certainly a sly one. Just like his grandfather."
"You're worried about Fiona's safety," said Remus.
"Of course I am. The only other thing I don't understand is why Harry has to come along. Not that I think he'd object to coming along as long as Fiona is."
"So, you have no problem with this?"
"Fiona won't give him an inch, so I'm not worried. I just hope Harry actually follows my advice, unlike Prongs," said Sirius fondly.
"He's a lot more patient than Prongs. You weren't here when it all started. I'm not sure what happened. I knew that something was up when he started acting so strangely," said Remus.
Ryu Ran knocked on the door. "What's going on?" asked Sirius.
"I felt like my ears were burning. Anyway, I have a bad feeling about something," said Ryu frankly, knowing that they had been talking about him earlier.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that there are two students wandering the halls late at night without a cloak of invisibility," he replied.
"Wait, you mean Harry?" asked Sirius. "But, he's not alone? Who's with him?"
"The Marauders come out at night to prowl, don't they? It seems that things haven't changed that much," said Ryu with a shrug.
Sirius stood up. "I have to go and find them," he announced.
"Are you that worried?" asked Remus.
"Harry's a boy, Moony," he reminded him as he left the room quickly. Of course, he knew that Harry wouldn't do anything, but he couldn't be sure. Sirius remembered what he was like when he was Harry's age. He also remembered what had happened with Thalia before. She was nice and innocent before their first date, then afterwards she wasn't so innocent anymore.
Much to his relief he found them sitting quietly. Fiona looked exhausted, while Harry was watching her carefully. "What are you two doing here?" demanded Sirius.
"Dad?" asked Fiona as she stood up.
"Nice night, isn't it?" asked Harry who grinned. He immediately whipped it off his face because of the glare Sirius had given him.
"I want to know what you're doing out here," repeated Sirius.
"I sort of let it slip that Voldemort is my grandfather. So, now everyone is afraid of me," said Fiona with a sigh.
Sirius had an unreadable look on his face. "Why would you do that, Fiona? Are you trying to make things harder on yourself?!" he demanded.
She didn't back down from him. She stood up straighter. "I just proved a point, Dad! You're deluded if you think that no one will be bothered by what I am! I'm Voldemort's granddaughter!"
Harry felt very uncomfortable, but he didn't want to leave. "You didn't like it when Mom kept it a secret, so I thought it would be best to put it out in the open!"
"Your mother had her reasons! If she hadn't, she would have been killed sooner!" fired back Sirius.
Fiona froze. Harry looked back and forth between them. It was remarkable how much Fiona resembled her father at that moment. "I won't spend my whole life in hiding. I won't, even if it means getting myself killed tomorrow. At least I can say I was alive for a while," she said.
"Didn't it occur to you to say what you were going to say during the day, so you wouldn't worry about where to sleep?" asked Sirius with a sigh.
"Not at the time. I was distracted," she replied. Harry knew what she meant, so he averted his gaze.
"With what?"
Harry yawned, finally calling some attention to himself. "I'm sleepy," he said.
"Why don't you go back to Gryffindor Tower?" suggested Sirius. "Fiona, come with me."
"Okay," she said. "Good night, Harry."
"Good night," he said with a slight smile. "Good night, Sirius."
"I'm not even going to ask what's going on between you and him," said Sirius as soon as he was out of earshot.
"Thanks," mumbled Fiona.
Fiona went with her father who was staying in one of the teachers' quarters in another part of the castle. He gave her the bed, while he slept on the sofa. It was pretty amusing for her to see her father attempt to squeeze into the sofa because he was too tall for it.
"Daddy," she said as she smiled at him. "You can have your own bed."
"Fine," he said as he got up. "Just get some sleep. Tomorrow's not going to be easy."
"Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Fin.""
*
The next morning, the news about Fiona's roots spread through the school. Most of the Slytherins took it as a good sign, while Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs took it about as well as the Gryffindors. Fiona spent her morning with Sensei Ran and Draco. They went out to the Quidditch field where she practiced her archery.
Draco spent his time writing things in a journal that Sensei Ran insisted he keep. Actually, it was filled with drawings. Realistic drawings of birds, buildings, and trees. He was sketching the Quidditch field. He turned his attention into trying to draw Fiona, but she didn't stand still long enough for him to do that.
Little did they know that they were going to be traveling later that night. Professor Dumbledore was making last minute arrangements. It turned out that it was planned to move Fiona out of the school long before she had decided to say anything about her heritage. She was about to embark on another journey through her past.
Ryu Ran had time to investigate the remains of Lucius Malfoy, who was now a tree in the Forbidden Forest. It was earth magic at work. Fiona had pulled one of the most complex spells a wizard of Ryu Ran's kind would have trouble doing. He hadn't told anyone else about the spell, but he was sure that the high priestess had seen it all.
The crystal was another issue all together. Things were never what they really seemed around Thalia Black. She was just as mysterious dead as she was alive. However, Ryu Ran made it his mission to keep his students protected no matter what.
"Fiona, I need to see the crystal that you're wearing," he asked. "I will return it to you as soon as possible."
She nodded. "Yes, Sensei." She took it off and handed it to him. He smiled to her. "I'll be right back. Fiona, keep practicing." In lower tones, he said to Draco, "Make sure she stays safe." He nodded in reply.
Ryu went into the castle to find that the Weasleys had once again gathered. Mrs. Weasley knew about Ginny's sudden fear of Fiona. However, the Weasleys were gathered to come to the meeting. "I have something for you to look at, Bill," said Ryu to him.
Bill took the crystal in his hand. He examined it closely. Everyone in the room held their breath while they waited for his appraisal. "I'm not exactly certain what it is. I can tell you what it's not," he concluded.
"Go on," instructed Ryu.
"Well, it's not a real crystal. It looks like it, but it's not. The chain is just plain silver. Let me try something," continued Bill. He took out his wand and placed the crystal on the table. He murmured a spell and sudden sparks shot off. The crystal lifted off the table and hovered in midair. It glowed with white light. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"That is because that spell has only been conducted once by Salazar Slytherin," said Professor Dumbledore. He opened the books that belonged to Slytherin. "Thalia knew her dark arts very well. Her father made sure of that. The crystal is only part of the spell. The other part of the spell is the Avada Kedavra."
"What?" asked Sirius.
"Not many people completely understand how the killing curse works. Thalia was probably one of the few people who understood it enough to manipulate it the way she did. The killing curse takes the life force of an individual, along with their powers. Of course, everything has some energy to it, even Muggles. With wizards, the killing curse increases the caster's powers. That was why Voldemort went after the most powerful Auror families. He would have taught Thalia from an early age how it worked," explained Professor Dumbledore.
"Yes, he did. He brought in some of the finest teachers who taught at various schools in the world to teach, Thalia her magic. He only had them teach her the basics, but for the Dark Arts, he taught her himself," added Severus.
"But what does this have to do with the crystal?" asked Nell.
"When did you get it, Dr. Lawson?" asked Professor Dumbledore.
Nell answered, "A few days after Fiona was born. I remember because I was taking midterms, but I still offered to help Thalia because Fiona was only two days old. She said that she wanted to spend some time alone with her to get used to everything. She wouldn't let me visit for five days. I came back from my tests and found how tired she was. She said that everything was fine and handed me the box that held the crystal. She told me to keep it with me and to give it to Fiona in case anything ever happened to her."
"What spell did Thalia cast?" demanded Sirius. He had a right to know. She was his wife and it involved their daughter.
"This crystal is blood, Sirius. Thalia's blood," answered the Headmaster as he opened the book to the page that he had marked. It was in Slytherin's handwriting. He wrote down how to cast the spell. "She cut herself and poured her blood into a goblet. Using a slower life draining curse than the Avada Kedavra, she poured her magic into the blood. The crystal formed from her blood and magic. It materialized. By the end, Thalia had drained most of her magic from her own body. The crystal is a physical manifestation of that energy."
Sirius looked at the crystal. He couldn't stop staring at it, until Remus broke in, "I don't need to read that book to figure out how the Avada Kedavra fits into it. It was needed to trigger the crystal because as long as Thalia was alive, it wouldn't work, even with her magic poured into it. The last of her life energy had to be released to jump start it."
"Ingenious," murmured Arthur Weasley.
"That it explains it. Thalia couldn't fight her father when he got to the house. She had already given up her magic for Fiona. She didn't put up much of a fight with her father. He killed her, not knowing that he was actually helping her finish the spell," whispered Nell as her eyes filled with tears.
"It seems that Thalia has inherited her father's intelligence and his penchant for planning ahead of time," said Professor McGonagall. "But what happens now?"
Sirius picked up the crystal. "We give this back to Fiona. I'll tell her what this is," he said.
"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"She has a right to know," replied Sirius. He held the crystal tightly in his hand. It was another piece of his wife. Then he realized something, "Voldemort wasn't able to take her life energy, was he? That means, she didn't get her last impression stored in his wand like James and Lily."
The Headmaster nodded slowly. "Truly, Thalia was a genius," he commented.
"I wouldn't marry a fool, Professor Dumbledore."
Sirius smiled as he looked at the crystal. Leave it to Thalia to come up with a way of protecting their daughter, even after death.
"Moving on, tomorrow we go to meet my high priestess," said Ryu.
"How do we get there?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"By raft at the lake. We can reach it by any body of water," he replied.
"Who will we be taking?" asked Remus.
Ryu read off the list that he had. Arthur, Molly, Bill, Percy, and Charlie Weasley were coming. Sirius and Fiona were coming. Remus was also invited along with Severus. Nell was going to stay in Hogwarts with Professor McGonagall. It was clear that Draco was also to come to the meeting. "And Harry," finished Ryu.
"Why Harry?" asked Nell.
"Everyone will know why soon enough," said Ryu with an enigmatic smile.
Sirius nodded. "What about Ron and Hermione?" he asked.
Ryu shook his head. "They are to remain here. The high priestess is interested in meeting Harry."
The meeting broke up after that. Sirius went to go look for Fiona with Ryu. They returned to the Quidditch field to find Fiona playing William Tell with Draco. "Fiona! Don't do that!" exclaimed Sirius.
"But I already got two apples, Dad," said Fiona.
"Stop that," ordered Sirius as he took her bow and arrow away from her. "Why did you just stand there and let her shoot arrows at you?" he asked Draco.
"I trust her," he replied with a shrug. Sirius rubbed his temple again as he looked at Fiona and gave her an exasperated sigh. This child was really trying his patience. Did he really deserve that? Yes, after all the times he'd made his parents worry about him.
"Draco, let's go," said Ryu as he shook his head. He nodded and followed him.
"Fiona, here's your necklace," said Sirius as he handed it back to her.
"Thanks, I was starting to feel naked without it," she said as she put it back on. "What's did I do wrong now?" she asked with a sigh.
"I need to tell you something about your crystal," answered Sirius as he cleared his throat. He explained what it was to her, watching her pale over and clutch it tightly.
"I see," she said at the end.
"Fiona, are you okay?" he asked her. He reached out for her.
"No! I'm not okay!" she shouted as she pulled away from him. He reached for her again, but she pulled away again. "It is my fault. It really is my fault."
"You don't know that!" exclaimed Sirius.
"She died for me! It's all my fault!" she sobbed as she pulled on the crystal until the chain gave. Sirius managed to finally pull her into an embrace. He held onto her tightly. "It is not your fault that your mother did what she did. She had to. I would have done the same. It was her decision. You couldn't do anything, you were only a baby," he murmured.
Sirius probably would have never come up with such a drastic plan as Thalia. He would have tried a different plan, but this way kept Fiona alive longer. He now had to finish what Thalia had started. He had to make sure that their daughter was kept in one piece. He didn't think he could possibly love his wife even more, but he did. He was holding the only living part of her. She was the best thing his name ever got attached to. The best thing he ever made in his life.
"Your mother loved you. And she still does. Just remember that," he told her softly.
*
Draco noticed how most of the students were acting. They were on edge because of Fiona. The Slytherins were beside themselves with awe. Pansy managed to wipe away any nasty attitude she had towards Fiona before.
Fiona walked in with her father after they had talked. The room froze again. She looked at the Gryffindor table and noticed how they tensed up. The Hufflepuffs looked at her fearfully; they'd lost one of their own not too long ago. The Ravenclaws eyed her with cold, hard looks. The Slytherins, however, seemed more than welcoming. She was one of them.
Draco didn't know where to sit either. He sat down at one side of the Slytherin table, only to have them scoot over far away from him, bunching themselves at one end. He preferred it that way. "Fiona, just sit down," he invited. She looked at her father, who nudged her forward. He was a little disappointed with his old house, thinking they would be better than the way they were acting.
Fiona walked passed Harry, who looked her in the eye. He wanted to join her, but he felt Ron's hand on his shoulder. He looked at him, shaking his head. "It's better this way," he assured him.
"For who?" whispered Harry angrily.
"For her, you don't want to add to the animosity by siding with her openly," said Ron.
Fiona took her seat across from Draco. "I feel like we're sitting at our own private table," he told her. She nodded.
"Um…Lady Fiona would you like anything, specific?" asked Pansy.
Fiona looked at her with a sweet smile. "Get away from me," she said warningly.
"Of course." The rest of the Slytherins were willing to do whatever Fiona said. "Why don't the whole lot of you jump in the lake?" she suggested. Draco sniggered.
They looked at her bewildered, most thinking that was what she wanted. Fiona rolled her eyes and focused her attention to the only person in the entire table who had an ounce of brains. "Are you going to order a new broomstick?" she asked.
He shook his head. It occurred to Fiona that his invitation to sit with him were the first words he had spoken in front of anyone else, other than her and Sensei Ran. "I'm not on the Slytherin team anymore. I quit," he whispered.
Fiona frowned. "Are you sure you want to?" He nodded. She reached for something in her pocket, but pulled out her wand instead. Most of the room gasped and moved quickly. Harry sighed without moving. He couldn't believe they would think she'd do anything. She didn't seem to notice, and if she did, she didn't care. She pulled out the piece of parchment she had been looking for.
"I've been trying to get this potion formula right for Sensei Ran, would you help me?" she asked.
"During dinner?" he said in a quiet voice.
"Why not? Where's that quill?" she said as she looked for her quill. "Here." He looked at the parchment and took the quill. "It's a simple formula."
"I know that," snapped Fiona as she put her wand away.
"You should be able to do it," insisted Draco, barely above a whisper.
"Look, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm a horrible blotch on the family records. I can't even brew a simple poison. Now, help me."
"Well…I believe you can brew poison, but only accidentally," he corrected.
"Your faith in me is absolutely astounding," she said sarcastically. "Now help me."
"Stop bossing me around, brat."
Harry marveled at their conversation. They were acting like they were the only two people in the room. The Slytherins gasped when he called her a brat. Almost everyone else was relieved when she put her wand away. Harry smiled to himself. Hermione watched as Draco wrote an answer on the parchment. "Child's play, Fin. It's simple," he said as he handed it back to her.
She read the parchment. "Damn. I was only off by two ingredients," she said with a snap of her fingers.
"Two? Even missing one is important, Fin," said Draco exasperatedly as he shook his head. He ran his fingers through his hair away from his face. It was getting longer these days, and he no longer slicked it back. Now, he remembered why he did that, it was so he could see in front of him. "You're like a sheepdog with hair. Maybe you should cut it," said Fiona.
"No," he said.
Sirius looked at Professor Dumbledore. Why was he letting this continue? The teachers and other adults present were amazed at the exchanged that the pair were having in front of everyone else. Harry realized that neither were dressed in uniform to distinguish themselves from their respective houses. Fiona was a Gryffindor and Draco was a Slytherin.
"I have an announcement to make," said the Headmaster, drawing attention back to the front. "Some of us will be going away for an important gathering. Three students will be joining us. Harry Potter, Fiona Black, and Draco Malfoy."
There was now a collective chatter around the hall. Fiona looked at Draco. They both turned and looked at Sensei Ran who gave them a smile. "What do you suppose is going on?" she asked Draco.
"I haven't got a clue," he replied. "But, why are we bring Harry?"
"I don't know."
During the distraction and other announcements, Harry stood up and sat down next to Fiona at the Slytherin table. It felt strange for him to be sitting there. The rest of the Slytherins had tensed up. Fiona looked at them, and they quickly went back to their dinners.
"Potter, go back to your table,' said Draco.
"Only if Fiona comes back to our table with me," said Harry. He was right next to Fiona. His hand brushed hers as he went for a pitcher to pour himself something to drink. She blushed slightly. Draco noticed and eyed them carefully.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"Nothing," said Fiona quickly.
Harry looked at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.
"Having dinner," he replied. He liked the funny look on her face. "You do look cute like that," he added quietly.
"Go back to your own table, Harry."
Remus nudged Sirius to bring his attention back to Fiona. "No, calm down. And eat something. You're small enough," he commented.
"I don't need you telling me what to do," she snapped.
"Just eat something. Please," he urged her. Draco watched in amazement as Fiona actually followed Harry's. The Slytherins were thinking that Harry was awfully brave to boss her around. "I guess I'll be coming along. I wonder why," he said.
"I'm sure you have no objections to it," murmured Draco.
"I don't," said Harry happily.
The rest of the hall talked about the meeting. Why was the Headmaster leaving at such an important time? Why did Harry Potter insist on sitting next to Fiona? What was so important? It also surprised them that Fiona wasn't that good at brewing potions.
Neville felt like he was softening up. He had no idea that Draco was being much nicer to him because of the recent attack. He knew first hand what the torture curse was like, so he could imagine what had happened to Neville's parents.
Ginny was softening up slightly. If Harry could trust Fiona, then she could as well. They were becoming friends. She also liked how Fiona put Draco in his place without forcing him. She seemed to be able to put the Slytherins in their places as well.
She stood up slowly from the table and walked over to them. Harry looked at her carefully. He put a protective hand on Fiona's shoulder. "I'm sorry I overreacted," she whispered, but it was barely audible.
"You could stand to say it a little louder, Weasley," said Draco angrily. Fiona held up a hand, so he stopped.
"It's okay," said Fiona clearly. "I heard you. It's okay."
Ginny bit her lip as she looked at Harry. She looked at Draco. Fiona had saved his life, when most people would have allowed him to die. "You're really just learning magic, aren't you?" she realized.
Fiona nodded. "I've been trying to catch up, but it's a losing battle. There's more stuff added everyday. I don't know what Sensei Ran has planned for us," she said.
"I can help you," offered Ginny.
"That won't be necessary. Thank you for offering," said Fiona.
"I understand," said Ginny. After what she had done, she couldn't blame her. "I hope we can be friends."
"I hope so, too," said Fiona without smiling, but without any bitterness.
The rest of the hall went back to normal as they talked about their day. The dinner ended and the last few hours were spent saying good bye to Harry and the other guest. Fiona and Draco went off with Sensei Ran for a while by themselves.
*
The house elves were gathering up Harry's, Fiona's, and Draco's things for the departure that night. Professor Dumbledore said that there was no need to see them off.
Harry went to go talk to Hermione and Ron. "I wonder where you're going," said Ron.
"I'm not sure. I think the only one who knows for sure is Sensei Ran and maybe Professor Dumbledore. I have no idea why this meeting is so important that involves me."
"I think I have an idea. If this involves fighting You-Know-Who, then it involves you," said Hermione thoughtfully.
"That's probably it. I think Fiona's more nervous than I am. So, I want to make sure she's fine," said Harry.
"But she's with her father, teacher, and best friend," pointed out Ron.
"I know. I just want to make sure myself," said Harry softly.
Hedwig came in. She nipped his finger affectionately. "I can't take you with me, Hedwig. So, you'll be helping Hermione and Ron out while I'm away," he told her.
She hooted at him as another owl came flying in. He settled on Fiona's shoulder. "Hello, Puck. I'll be away for a while," she told him. He hooted at her sadly and nuzzled her cheek. "No, I can't take you with me." He hooted again and nuzzled her.
"Don't worry, Puck. I'll be here," said Nell.
"You be a good owl. Here's some extra owl treats," said Fiona as she opened her trunk and gave them to Nell. Puck hooted and clicked his beak. "Yea, I'll miss you, too." He nuzzled her.
"I've never seen an owl like that," said Draco. "I can't believe you have to reassure him that you're coming back."
"Of course, I have to. I'm leaving him with an owl sitter," said Fiona.
"Yes, to think I used to baby sit you," said Nell as she took Puck.
"Don't worry about him. I'll keep him company," said Hermione. "And there's Hedwig and Pig. And all the other owls at the owlery."
"Are you ready?" asked Sensei Ran.
The three that were leaving nodded. "Let's get to the raft," he told them.
Ron went along to say goodbye to his parents. "Now, Fred. George. I want you to make sure that your brother and sister are safe," said Mrs. Weasley as she hugged the twins.
"You are coming back, right?" asked Fred nervously.
"Of course, I am," assured Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't worry. We'll look after them like we always do," said George.
"Ginny. Ron. I want you to make sure that the twins don't do anything bad while we're gone," she said to her youngest children.
"Bye, Mum," said Ron.
"We'll be fine. Come back soon," said Ginny as she hugged her father.
"We'll all be back together soon," reassured Mr. Weasley.
"Be careful, Bill. Charlie. Percy," said Ron to his older brothers. Never did he admire them so much.
"Just watch yourselves," said Bill as he hugged Ginny.
"Don't get into any trouble," said Percy as he hugged Ron.
"Make sure that you don't go wandering off alone, right?" asked Charlie. His younger siblings nodded.
"Good luck, Harry," said Hermione.
"It was nice to meet you, Fiona," said Ron.
"Likewise," said Fiona.
Draco remained silent as he looked at Sensei Ran. There was nothing he really could say goodbye to. Everything that mattered to him was coming along. "Let's all get on the raft."
"Draco steer," commanded Sensei Ran as he allowed him to take over.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Just steer straight, I'll take care of the rest?"
"How are we going to get there?" asked Fiona as she held on to her father's hand. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"You will see," said Sensei Ran. The mists began to cloud over them. She could barely see anything, so she held on to her father to make sure that he was still there. It was something out of Harry's dream.
Sensei Ran stood at the front of the rant. His hands were together as he concentrated. The spell that hid the markings on his forehead vanished, revealing the four colored dots. He parted his hands. As he did, the mists began to clear to daylight. Harry's mouth dropped as he looked around. In the great cliffs there were statues etched into the rocks. The lake was deep blue. There were forests with pixies and fairies fluttering about. The sky was filled with birds. There stood a great castle that was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
"Oh my," said Mrs. Weasley in amazement.
Sensei Ran turned and looked at all of them. "What's that on your forehead, Sensei?" asked Draco.
"They are the markings of my order," he replied. Draco steered the raft onto a dock, where a party of people were waiting to greet them. Remus looked at Sirius for a moment. They both shrugged. Professor Dumbledore's eyes were filled with wonder as he looked around. "Never in my lifetime did I expect to ever come here," he murmured.
The people were dressed in long flowing robes of light colors, mostly white with darker trims. One of the ladies stepped forward and bowed. "Welcome to our isle," she said. Her voice sounded distinctly European, but of unreadable origin.
"Come, you are expected," she said. They walked along, unable to stop to look around. Everything was old, yet unusual. They walked until they entered the great castle. It looked like it was made out of glass in certain parts. Fiona looked at the marble floor underneath them. It was a moving tapestry or collage.
They stopped in a throne room. A tall, elegant figure stood there waiting for them. Her hair was rich brown mahogany. Her eyes were like Tiger's Eyes. She was slim and carried herself with the grace that only wisdom could provide. She bore the same markings on her forehead, just like all the other people Fiona had seen. Her hair was partial covered by a white veil. A silver circlet rested on her head to keep the veil in place. Her robes were long. They were white with trimmings of gold and silver. Her feet were bare. She locked eyes with Fiona for a moment. And if Fiona wasn't mistake, she smiled at her slightly.
"Welcome to Avalon," said the woman.
AN: Ha! Many mysteries revealed. Doesn't the high priestess sound so cool? I imagine something like her on a tarot card or something. Okay, we know that Draco's been invited because of Sensei Ran being his guardian. We know that Fiona's connected to the isle.
I believe Ginny's reaction is perfectly normal. Think about it. She's had problems with Voldemort before, and the trauma's still there. I just loved the parts where Harry's trying to unsuccessfully win Fiona. You just can't help, but get a little annoyed. Anyone worried about Fiona's feelings towards him? Don't worry. There's some help on the way. ^^
The good news is that the chapters might be getting longer and longer as we go from the last story arc to this one. It's getting more serious.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't not belong to me. I'm poorer than dirt. Yep, that's right. I'm poor. My mommy and daddy still pay for everything. ^^