A/N: The sewing goes on at the Great Dining Room Sweatshop. Now that Mom, Dad, and Auntie Carolyn founded their own costume company, I am a bookkeeper in addition to the family cook. Also, I now have to wear slippers to keep from getting pins in my feet, vacuum thrice daily to protect out precious cats, and basically do all housework while Mommy and Daddy sew. I would be really pissed, but Mom and Dad ask my opinions and use them, so I am overjoyed. I am also reminded of an old joke in which a writer died and was given the choice between Heaven and Hell. St. Peter showed her Hell, where writers were chained to typewriters and flogged, and then Heaven, where the same thing occurred. She protested, saying they were the same, but St. Peter said 'No. Here your work gets published.'
Here you go.

Chapter Seventy-One: The Secret

"Unnh," a voice moaned, clearly in pain. The sound echoed in the dark dungeons.

"Severus, dear, is that one of yours?" Hermione asked, holding A.J. on her hip.

"Bloody teenagers getting hormonal in the halls –Flint!"

"Professor," the Slytherin gasped, fainting dead away. He looked like he had been hit by Death Eaters. Blood was welling up from what looked to be his crotch and running down his leg. His nose was broken beyond repair and it looked like several teeth were now potions ingredients. To make matters all the more disgusting, his voice, whether from pain or some other cause, had gone from deep to mysteriously high.

"Who did this?"

"Death to Flint!" several voices called.

Just as the Gryffie girls rounded the corner on their way to a bloody or at least humiliating revenge, they nearly ran into Professor Snape.

"If I may ask," he whispered sepulchrally, "who did this?"

They were silent for a moment, and then Sweets spoke up.

"Seems to me like Colonel Mustard in da library wit' da wrench." She gave Snape her best stubborn Brooklyn grin.

"Pardon me?"

"Or perhaps Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with the candlestick," Julie added.

"Professor Plum in the boudoir with the riding crop?"

"What kind of screwed-up Clue game did you have, Chloe?" Mitchie stared. "I really did not need that visual."

"Girls!" Snape shouted, silencing them all. "Did any of you hurt him?"

"Nope. Somebody beat us to the mark," Sweets complained.

"That's it. No more 'Sopranos' for you," Mitchie chastised.

Jen, who had been staring in shock at Flint, suddenly raised her eyes as if something had occurred to her. While Snape was performing a mobiliacorpus spell and levititating Flint up to Madam Pomfrey's, she bent swiftly and swiped his Time-Turner.

"What have you got there?" Snape asked almost absently.

"Nothing." Jen held up her hands.

Julie tucked the small necklace Jen has slipped her into her pocket.

"Oh, alright."Professor Snape began to speak calmly but in his chastising tone. "I don't think plotting revenge on other students is really appropriate, so if you could act a little more like Gryffindors and less like Sicilian businessmen, I would appreciate it."

"Yes, Daddy," Julie promised. "We will."

Not twenty minutes later, the girls began deciding what to do with the new toy they had.

***************************************************************************

"You did it, didn't you?" Jen asked. They were on Theodoric's broomstick, heading to Blodgershire.

"Yes, I did."

"How?"

"I challenged him to a duel as men, but he tried to curse me in the back, so I disarmed him and then it was a fight."

"And the blood?"

"He had a knife, Jennifer. It didn't cut me, but a knife does cut."

"Oh."She was biting down hard on her lip by now. "Was there pain?"

"Did you notice where the blood was?"

"No."

"Well, a certain part of him has been injured to the point where it alters him." Jen was silent, shocked at the idea that gentle Theodoric could do that, but he mistook it for misunderstanding and explained bitterly: "I castrated him."

"But if they find out it was you –why did you do it?"

"Because he hurt you in more ways than you'll ever be able to tell."

They flew on silently for a moment or so.

"Theodoric, land the broom." He complied, and Jen got off to face him. "Theodoric, I've slept with other guys before. Hell, I've slept with other girls before. Some of it –well, some of it I didn't mean to have happen, but some of it I did. Flint was part of that."

Theodoric drew in a breath.

"He was your first, got you drunk in your second year. Used illegal asphodel to induce muscle paralysis, several times. The marks on your back are from him. He had a hand in your dating Lyfften Grudgett and encouraged the abuse. He forced you to take a termination potion at knifepoint in your third year, possibly the only positive effect, broke your jaw once, your arm twice, and used a decidedly illegal Time-Turner to attack you gang-style personally."

Jen could only stare. Theodoric placed a finger gently on her lip. "Before you ask how I know, remember I'm a Malfoy. Not all Slytherins are evil, but all of us are devious."

"How long have you known?"

"Since before I joined the mission, actually," Theodoric smiled. "Yes, and I fell in love with you anyway. There's nothing you did wrong...and you should see the stuff I have on some of your friends."

"So you knew?" Jen was amazed.

"Yes, I did. Can I kiss you now?"

**************************************************************************

"Mother!" Jen hurried to hug her mom.

"Jennifer!" Mrs. Blodgett had to struggle not to cry. "Your father wouldn't let me write."

"Mother, this is Theodoric Malfoy, my fiance. We met in America."

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last," Theodoric said, noticing more than a few of Jen's features were from her mother's side.

"Theodoric? You two are...oh. I had no idea." Mrs. Blodgett looked absolutely grieved. "Oh, Jen."

"What's the matter, Mother?"

"Dear, this is an enlightened age. You won't get your claws into her!" The older woman glared at Theodoric. "Your Professor Snape, he can help-"

"Mum! For gods' sake, I'm not pregnant!" Mrs. Blodgett looked stunned. "I fell in love."

Theodoric noticed that Maria Catesby Blodgett was indeed, only about Professor Granger's age. She had left school and married so that Jem and Jen would be legitimate. Of course, he already knew this.

"Oh, Jenny!" The tone immediately changed and Mrs. Blodgett hugged Jen, in the process of which she knocked off Jen's knit cap. She gasped in surprise and what looked like horror, as the roots of Jen's hair were a brilliant red.

"About that, Mother," Jen began. "Theodoric's mother lengthened my hair for the cotillion and she noticed the actual color's red."

"Why ever did you charm it black?" Theodoric asked cheerfully. "It's such a beautiful color as it is."

"I...had to hide her hair, or my husband would have known," Jen's mother stammered. "I –I was sort of indiscreet once, and the fact is..."

"You mean I'm not my father's child?" Jen asked, not sure whether to feel relieved or appalled. "What about Jem?"

"You and Jem are fraternal twins, and Jem is your father's. But you have a different real father."

"And I have red hair?" Jen did indeed feel a little betrayed.

"So did he."

"And he was a Slytherin?" she interrogated.

"N-no -he wasn't..."

"Who is he?" Jen finally yelled.

Maria Catesby Blodgett drew in a breath.

"Your father is the man I really loved." She was struggling not to cry, biting her lip the same way Jen did. "Bill Weasley."

**************************************************************************

A/N: Is that a shock?