Chapter 15: Kevin Brown
Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah, you know I didn't create Harry Potter and his magical world. So do I really need to remind you? I'm not in this for money at all. So everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Harry fell to the ground. He refused to cry. He refused to appear weak. Any other wizard in his situation would have broken down right? No, not Harry Potter. However, his emotional side over took his pride and Harry felt the tears swelling in his eyes.
"Harry." Ron said kneeling beside him. Harry looked at his friend, hoping for some sort of support. "We've don't this before. They'll be fine."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Harry asked.
"We've done this before. And we always get them back. Everything is always okay." Ron replied. Harry nodded, knowing in his heart that Ron was right. He could see Ron was fighting the same tears he was and Harry stood up.
"Is everyone all right?" Harry asked. He looked into many worried and terrified faces.
"I think so, Dad." James said. He was standing with Erika beside him, each holding a Weasley twin. Abby and Andy looked dazed rather than terrified. Caitlin stood next to Paul and Darenn. Julie and Angela were however, not okay. Both women were kneeling beside Carley. She was lying still on the ground.
"Carley's not, Harry." Angela said. Tears flowed down the cheeks of both Angela and her daughter. Harry knelt down next to Carley. Her skin was cold to Harry's touch, her mouth parted just slightly, and there was no movement behind her eyes lids. Her chest did not rise and fall and Harry could feel no beat from her wrist.
"She must have gotten hit with the Killing Curse right as we left." Angela said.
"No, this isn't the Killing Curse." Harry said. "Her eyes would be open. Whatever it was, it was mild. But she didn't have the strength to survive it."
"Carley didn't produce a Patronus." Ron said. "She tried, but nothing came out of her wand."
"She didn't have the strength to do it. She didn't have the power or the support." Harry said.
"Harry, what does that mean?" Angela asked. "Why would she not have any strength left?"
Harry looked at Angela, searching his soul for the right words to say.
"Because her father died. She didn't have any strength left in her. She didn't have him to support her." Harry stated this, silently praying no one would question what he had said. Angela stared at him. She opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something, but didn't. She simply nodded and looked back at Carley.
"Dad, will Mum be okay?" Darenn asked. Harry looked up at his son and nodded.
"Everyone will be all right." Harry said. "I'm going to go and get them."
"And me." Ron stated.
"I'm coming." Remus replied.
"I'm coming too." James said.
"So am I." Darenn said.
"I am too." Erika said.
"And me." Julie whispered through her tears.
"I can't have all of you going with me." Harry said standing up. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Harry, you are not going alone." Ron said.
"Harry, we won't let you." Remus said.
"Its not up for discussion." Harry replied. "I can handle it."
"Dad, we want to help." James said.
"You can help by staying here, with Abby and Andy and everyone else." Harry said. "I don't need anyone else in danger."
"Dad, you're not winning this one." Darenn said.
"I wouldn't bet on it, Mr. Potter." Erika said.
"Even if you go, Uncle Harry, we'll just follow." Paul said. Harry couldn't believe this. He needed to act fast before something did happen to Ginny or Reagan or Hermione or Kelsey. He didn't have time for this.
"I don't have time to argue with everyone. The answer is no." Harry said.
"Then we'll just wait till you change your mind." James replied.
"James there is nothing that any of you could do to help me." Harry said to his son.
"Well, we all produced some pretty impressive Patroni a few moments ago." Ron said. "That was useful."
"Dad, if you remember, I can be pretty persuasive if I need to." James said.
"James I.." Harry began but stopped. He knew it was no use. If everyone was so persistent to help, then there was nothing he could do about it.
"You're as stubborn as your mother sometimes." Harry sighed. James beamed.
"How do we do this?" Ron asked.
"Well, first we need to establish what happened. And who was behind it." Harry stated.
"I can tell you that." Julie said. Until now, she had remained fairly silent. Tears were still rolling rapidly down her cheeks, but her voice had stability in it.
"You can?" Harry asked slowly.
"Yeah." she said standing up. She stared at all of them, however didn't say anything. Tears still flowed from her cheeks and you could see her struggling within herself.
"Would you care to share with the rest of us?" Ron asked.
Julie sighed. "Its sort of a long story."
"Well, we don't have that much time." Harry said. Julie nodded and looked at her hands.
"But, well you see, you need to know the whole story. To understand and realize what has happened." Julie said. "It started a long time ago, with Lord Voldemort."
"Voldemort?" Harry asked. "He's been gone for over ten years."
"Yes, Harry I know. And thanks to you. But I said it started a long time ago." Julie spat. "Anyway, during the reign of Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy was his right hand man. He and.."
"Malfoy!" Ron cried. "I knew he was behind this the whole time!"
"Lucius Malfoy." Julie said. "If you don't stop interrupting me, we'll never get through this."
"Sorry." Ron replied. "Please continue."
"Lucius had Draco, which you both know. And you also know that Draco turned against his father, Voldemort and the Death Eaters when he joined the Aurors and fought on the good side. Well, Lucius had a sister, but no one ever talked about her because she married a Muggle. She was my husband's mother."
"Kevin Brown was a Malfoy?" Ron cried.
"Half a Malfoy." Julie corrected him. "Kevin's mother refused to be a Death Eater and as a result, Lucius had her tortured until she lost her mind. To this day, she remains in St. Mungo's. This was the summer before Voldemort's downfall. That fall, Kevin began school at Hogwarts as a first year. He went to live with the Malfoys. Well, Voldemort saw that Draco was not like his father. Draco was able to hide from his father using the same Fidelius Charm that hid your parents, Harry. When Kevin went to live with the Malfoys, Lucius saw that Kevin was not like his mother. In his eyes, Kevin was a true Slytherin. Voldemort saw him as a perfect heir to his power. However, during Kevin's second year, Voldemort fell. He was gone. Kevin was raised and supported by the Malfoys. Lucius cut Draco off completely from his inheritance, giving everything to Kevin. After Kevin Completed Hogwarts, he found it too risky to resume Voldemort's efforts in England. So he came here, to America." Julie paused. "And that's where I met him."
"Julie, what are you saying?" Harry asked. "What does Kevin have to with all of this?"
"Andrew always knew." Julie said. "He always knew there was something not right about him. Kevin never talked about Britain. He didn't like Quidditch, that alone was a bit odd. Kevin was always very secretive. He never told me any of this. Andrew did. When I first found out I was pregnant with Kelsey, I told Andrew. When we were growing up he was more than a big brother to me. He's ten years older than me. He took care of me. He protected me. So I went and told him that I was pregnant and he told me to leave Kevin right away. He wouldn't tell me why exactly. But he told me all of this, what I just told you. I guess that he hoped it would scare me enough to leave him. But I didn't listen. Andy had never liked Kevin and I just thought he was being stupid. I thought he was being way over protective. So I ignored his accusations about my husband. But Kevin didn't react the way I had hoped he would when I told him I was pregnant. He actually left the house, saying something about an assignment. And then he died."
"Julie if Kevin is dead, then why does all this matter now?" Ron asked.
"They never found his body." she stated. "What we buried as an empty casket. They said that the curse that killed him disintegrated his body, and destroyed him entirely.
"So your saying that.." Harry began.
"Kevin and I put up the wards on my father's house. No one else would have known." she said.
"Kevin is alive?" Harry asked. "He really is alive?" He had assumptions about it before, but nothing was ever confirmed.
"Andrew has been trying to tell me for months. He says he wanted to keep Kelsey safe. But I ignored him. I had to deal with loosing my husband once. I didnÕt think I would be able to get over him actually being alive. I ignored Andrew."
"Julie, if he was trying to protect you, then why didn't you listen to him?" Angela asked.
"Because, Mom, I thought he was being stupid and paranoid again. I didn't know what to think. He told me all these horrible things about someone I knew as being good and kind. Lately I had my suspicions. I even said something to Harry about it after the Quidditch match. But I didn't even know what I wanted him to do! I couldn't understand how Andrew would still be hurting me after all this time. I just thought he was trying to rub it in my face or something. He kept asking me if I knew where he was, but I thought he was dead! Even if I believed he was alive, I would have no idea of where to look first. I didnÕt know what to think! I didn't know the Kevin Andrew described."
"He was a Slytherin." Ron said. "They can make you believe anything."
"I realize that now. I didn't actually believe it until those men stared appearing inside the house and I knew no one else knew what wards we had put up or how to get through them or how bring them down even." Julie paused. "And now he has Kelsey." A tear rolled down her cheek, and Harry suddenly felt a rush of guilt. He had loss in his life, but ever like this. If he lost Ginny he knew he wouldn't be able to function. He couldn't loose her.
"Do you know where he could have taken her?" Harry asked. He had meant the question about Ginny, but Kelsey heard it about her daughter.
"No, I don't." she said. "But Andrew might."
"Well, lets go talk to Andrew then." Ron said. Harry nodded.
"I agree." Harry stood up. "Our safe place was well safe, and, actually, where are we?" Harry looked around, realizing their surroundings for the first time. They were standing in the middle of a clearing completely surrounded by woods. Harry recognized it at once as where he and James had supposedly "camped."
"Oh, we found it earlier." Ron replied looking around. "When Darenn and I were working with Paul. It was the first thing that came to my mind and well, you said someplace safe. It was a safety attachment to Quidditch probably."
"Well, we need to get back to the house. Ron, you and Julie can puts wards back up on the property. James, why don't you can I carry Abby and Andy back." Harry instructed. James nodded and glanced at Erika.
"Carry?" Ron asked. Harry ignored him and continued.
"Julie, do you have a dual Apparating licensee?" Harry asked his cousin.
"Yes, I do." she replied.
"Can you Apparate back with Caitlin. Remus can Apparate with Paul, and Ron, I'll need to you Apparate back with Carley's body." Ron nodded and stepped towards Carley's body.
"James, do you think you can carry both Erika and a twin at the same time?" Harry asked his son.
"Carry?" Ron asked again.
"Well, actually, Harry, Erika can walk by herself." Remus spoke up.
"Well, I'm sure you can, but its not entirely safe that way."
"Actually, Mr. Potter, I can walk the same way James did earlier." Erika replied. It took a moment for what she had said to set in.
"You can, you can what!?" Harry cried. Erika glanced at James and continued.
"Well, Professor Lupin and James worked with me last year, after I found out about James and I was able to manage it."
"You'd actually be impressed Harry." Remus commented. "It took Padfoot and Prongs their entire fifth year to figure it out, and some time after that to actually get it right. Erika got it in a semester."
"Great!" Harry cried. "If your mother finds out, Erika, she'll have my head. I'm already in deep with her as it is because if all that's happened. I wouldn't be surprised to have her send me a Howler in front of the entire Academy just to get me back for this!"
"She already knows." Erika said. "She knew you didn't know and she even knew about you. She thought it was great. She said she always wanted to give it a try, but could never settle on an animal."
"An animal?" Ron asked, completely confused.
"She'll hold me responsible, somehow, I know she will." Harry stammered. "I'll be responsible for encouraging the illegal Animagi population at Hogwarts!"
"The illegal what?!" Ron cried. Harry, James and Erika all looked at him.
"The illegal Animagi population." Harry repeated.
"Harry, I knew you were, but James is too!? And Erika!?" Ron cried.
"Apparently so." Harry said looking back at James and Erika.
"It didn't seem an appropriate time to tell you earlier, Dad." James said.
"No, I guess it wasn't." Harry said and ran a hand through his hair.
"I can't believe this!" Ron cried.
"Believe it or not, we need to get moving." Harry said. Ron nodded, still in complete shock and picked up Carley's lifeless body.
"Everyone ready?" Harry asked. Everyone around him nodded. "Go the field across the road from the house. that should be safe enough. But be on your guard." Harry counted to three and Angela, Julie, Remus and Ron all disappeared with Darenn, Paul, Caitlin and the body of Carley. Harry nodded to James and Erika and the two of them changed into their Animagus forms. In place of Erica stood a beautiful black wolf with beaming blue eyes.
"Incredible." Harry murmured as he himself changed into his Puma form. James and Harry got Abby and Andy on their backs (who were convinced it was some sort of game where you had to hold on really tight) and the three took off towards the house.
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"You know they'll come for us." Hermione spat at him.
The man laughed. "I'm counting on it."
"You do know who my husband, right?" Ginny asked him.
"Aahh yes. The famous Harry Potter. 'The Boy-Who-Lived.' The 'One-Who-Ended-the-Dark-Lord.' He has many names, but not for anything important or significant. Frankly, he didn't even do anything. He was a baby when he became known as 'The Boy-Who-Lived', and all he did was cast a spell, one measly spell and he was tagged 'The One-Who-Ended-the-Dark-Lord.' But he will soon known as 'The One-Who- Finally -Died,' or maybe 'The-Boy-Who-Was- Finally -Dead,' or perhaps 'The-First-to-Die.' Yes, any one of those will do." The man turned his back and walked over to Kelsey who was sitting peacefully on a chair. Hermione, Reagan and Ginny were magically strapped and suspended in mid-air, and Ginny barely had a view of what he was doing to the little girl. But what she saw shocked her.
The man sat down next to her. He smiled and cooed things at her, like a child would a puppy. Kelsey smiled and laughed when the man tickled her. He pushed the hair out of her face and was genuinely gentle with her.
"Who are you?" Ginny asked suddenly. The man smiled, a sneering menacing smile. He looked familiar but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. He was from a memory, long, long ago. She recognized his smile the most, and she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
And then she remembered.
It was the same smile she had seen on a young boy, a long time ago. She had gotten him detention for something, he made something like the Dark Mark in the Great Hall. When she had walked in on him, he had smiled at her, like he had wanted to get caught. Just like now. He had let them realize he was still alive because he wanted people to notice who he was and what he was doing. He wanted everyone to know what he was going to do to them.
And upon realizing that, Ginny was genuinely terrified.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who leaves me reviews!! Please if you read, leave a review, they really are encouraging and helpful! ~Erica