The Big Secret
Harry and Anya stopped at many of the places at Hogsmeade, but they mostly just walked around. There was much more to see and Anya wouldn't let Harry pay for anything but the butterbeer, although she was very poor. Harry thought it might be a touchy subject, so he didn't ask. She seemed to know, though.
"Ask me Harry," she demanded.
"Ask you what?" he asked, confused. He led her to almost the end of the road before they turned around again for the school.
" What you have been wanting to ask me about. Is it why I won't let you pay? Or is it why I'm so poor and I wear such nice clothes?" Harry blushed. Those were his questions. She just laughed. "My father tries to pay for me but my aunt and uncle won't let him. They're very proud people. He just sends stuff for Christmas and my birthday. I won't refuse new clothes." They both laughed.
"Anya, who is your father? What's his name?" Harry asked quietly, almost hoping she wouldn't hear him. No such luck. She stopped walking and turned to him.
"You know what it's like, Harry. To not have a father. But you can't possibly understand what it's like to have a real father, that you know killed your mother and abandoned you, want to take you back because he wants to clear his conscience. My father almost had me sent off to Durmstrang. The summer of our second year he almost took my case to the Ministry. I would have lived with him and gone to his friend's school."
"So your father is friends with Karkoraff?" Harry asked.
"My father has lots of friends from his former boss that don't know he defected," she said darkly. "But now that we're here, I need a new book. Wait here, it won't be long." She turned and walked off into the bookstore. Harry sat on a bench beside an old hag and watched her feed some birds. Suddenly it dawned on Harry. It was the reason her father would know Karkoraff. It was the reason that Lucius knew her when he had never seen her before. Her father was a Death Eater! But which one? It certainly wasn't Lucius. Her hair was too dark and her eyes too bright. It wasn't Crabbe or Goyle, she was too smart to be related to them. Yet something was nagging on Harry. There was something he should remember. She reminds him of someone. SNAPE! That's it, he thought joyously. It made sense. It fit with what Lucius and Draco said. She was at Hogwarts and her mother was killed. She said Snape's "former boss." That would have to be Voldemort. Her boss's enemy. That was Dumbledore. Snape was friends with Karkoraff. It also explained why she didn't like Snape. He ran to her when she came out of the bookstore.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered. "Why didn't you tell me Snape was your father?" She looked alarmed.
"Hush, Harry. I don't want anyone to know. I don't know how you figured it out, but I don't care if you know. But please don't tell anyone," she pleaded.
"I promise, Anya. And I won't push you anymore."
"Don't worry. I was planning on telling you sooner or later, anyway."
"So do you get favoritism or something?" She laughed quietly.
"No, I think I'm close to failing Snape's class. He grades my stuff harder than he grades everyone else's because he expects more out of me, I guess."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I've lived an okay life before this moment, so I think I can so okay the rest of the time." Harry nodded and, on a burst of bravery, grasped her hand in his.
Harry and Anya stopped at many of the places at Hogsmeade, but they mostly just walked around. There was much more to see and Anya wouldn't let Harry pay for anything but the butterbeer, although she was very poor. Harry thought it might be a touchy subject, so he didn't ask. She seemed to know, though.
"Ask me Harry," she demanded.
"Ask you what?" he asked, confused. He led her to almost the end of the road before they turned around again for the school.
" What you have been wanting to ask me about. Is it why I won't let you pay? Or is it why I'm so poor and I wear such nice clothes?" Harry blushed. Those were his questions. She just laughed. "My father tries to pay for me but my aunt and uncle won't let him. They're very proud people. He just sends stuff for Christmas and my birthday. I won't refuse new clothes." They both laughed.
"Anya, who is your father? What's his name?" Harry asked quietly, almost hoping she wouldn't hear him. No such luck. She stopped walking and turned to him.
"You know what it's like, Harry. To not have a father. But you can't possibly understand what it's like to have a real father, that you know killed your mother and abandoned you, want to take you back because he wants to clear his conscience. My father almost had me sent off to Durmstrang. The summer of our second year he almost took my case to the Ministry. I would have lived with him and gone to his friend's school."
"So your father is friends with Karkoraff?" Harry asked.
"My father has lots of friends from his former boss that don't know he defected," she said darkly. "But now that we're here, I need a new book. Wait here, it won't be long." She turned and walked off into the bookstore. Harry sat on a bench beside an old hag and watched her feed some birds. Suddenly it dawned on Harry. It was the reason her father would know Karkoraff. It was the reason that Lucius knew her when he had never seen her before. Her father was a Death Eater! But which one? It certainly wasn't Lucius. Her hair was too dark and her eyes too bright. It wasn't Crabbe or Goyle, she was too smart to be related to them. Yet something was nagging on Harry. There was something he should remember. She reminds him of someone. SNAPE! That's it, he thought joyously. It made sense. It fit with what Lucius and Draco said. She was at Hogwarts and her mother was killed. She said Snape's "former boss." That would have to be Voldemort. Her boss's enemy. That was Dumbledore. Snape was friends with Karkoraff. It also explained why she didn't like Snape. He ran to her when she came out of the bookstore.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered. "Why didn't you tell me Snape was your father?" She looked alarmed.
"Hush, Harry. I don't want anyone to know. I don't know how you figured it out, but I don't care if you know. But please don't tell anyone," she pleaded.
"I promise, Anya. And I won't push you anymore."
"Don't worry. I was planning on telling you sooner or later, anyway."
"So do you get favoritism or something?" She laughed quietly.
"No, I think I'm close to failing Snape's class. He grades my stuff harder than he grades everyone else's because he expects more out of me, I guess."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I've lived an okay life before this moment, so I think I can so okay the rest of the time." Harry nodded and, on a burst of bravery, grasped her hand in his.
