Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related names and places are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.  No copyright infringement is intended.

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Harry sat in the chair staring at the three people before him, but not really seeing them.  The truth wasn't quite what he had expected. Slowly he turned his gaze to Remus.

"You never said anything about having a sister."

Remus nodded.  "I've never mentioned her because I felt like to even think about her would kill me.  She had been the only family I had left in those days, so when she went it was like losing the last part of my identity."

Nicolette kneeled in front of Harry, placing a hand on his.  "Harry, I know this has just been another lie in a long line of many for you.  I've been a coward for years.  I was so afraid to come back, and it just seemed easier to run away and leave everything behind.  I betrayed everyone I ever loved.  I turned my back on all of them; Remus, Dumbledore, the Order..." She stopped and looked Harry directly in the eyes.  "...Lily.  Harry, your mother was my best friend.  Not only that, she was my research partner."

Harry looked at her, quizzically. 

"Lily and I spent nearly every day and night for years doing research on the three unforgivable curses.  We would break down the theory and try to find a way to resist them. The only one we ever managed to break was the Imperious Curse."  Nicolette sat down on the floor, crossing her legs under her.  "Harry, you can fight off the curse can't you?"

"Yes, but I don't know how though.  I just...do it."

"That doesn't surprise me. Lily was the only other person that had ever been able to do it.  She was the one who managed to figure out how to break through it. Not everyone can do it though.  It takes pure will and determination.  Most people simply don't have enough of either to try and fight."  Nicolette gave a small laugh.  "Lily Potter had it in spades.  It seems she passed it on to you."

Harry sat back, looking down at his knees.  He felt strange.  Usually when he listened to people tell stories of his parents, he became uncomfortable or angry.  For some reason listening to Nicolette talk about his mother didn't bother him.  It was almost like hearing Sirius talking about his father.

"And you didn't know that Professor Snape was a Deatheater?"

"No.  I was young then, and full of love.  I trusted him completely; he had never given me reason not to.  I was a fool."  Sighing, Nicolette turned away from her audience and stared into the fire.  "I always heard Remus and the others talking about him.  They made him always sound so horrible.  I never believed it to be true.  I just knew that if they could see in him what I did, they would understand."  She turned and gave Remus a sad smile before turning back to the fire.

 "In my first few years at Hogwarts, I could see why he was hated among the other houses.  He seemed to be the epitome of a Slytherin; hateful, course, filled with venom.  I could see past that though.  I could see what lay underneath the black exterior.  I tried to befriend him, but I was always roughly pushed away." She dropped her head before continuing.   "Then in my fourth year, when I was beginning to test the waters of rebellion, I decided to go into the forest.  I had heard all of the horrible stories of what lived in the forest, but it made it seem all the more intriguing.  I feigned a headache one night at dinner and told my roommates that I was going to bed and not to disturb me.  I slipped off to the dormitory, pulled on my cloak, and closed the hangings around my bed. Once I got into the forest, I began to feel frightened.  I could hear something moving around me, but I couldn't see through the darkness.  I made to grab my wand and realized that I didn't have it.  I had dropped it somewhere.  Before I had time to run, something huge attacked me from behind.  I fell and hit my head against the base of a tree.  Before I lost consciousness, I heard someone shouting a spell and a bright light.  In the few seconds of light from the wand, I saw...him."  Nicolette finally turned around and faced the others.  "I woke up in the hospital wing the next day.  He had taken me there and left me, never saying a word about what happened.  I knew that he would never want anyone to know how..." She smiled at Harry, Remus, and Dumbledore in turn.  "...Gryffindor he had been.  I never told anyone what had happened."

Dumbledore smiled.  "And that was why you made him your life's mission."

"Indeed.  It was then that I truly knew something was different about him.  I refused to give up.  You know how Ravenclaws are, Professor; nothing is ever a lost cause."

Harry shifted in his chair.  "But I still can't understand.  I mean you're...you.  And he's...well...he doesn't exactly seem..."  He felt uncomfortable saying exactly what he thought of Snape.

Nicolette laughed.  "Harry, I know.  The differences are like night and day.  One day you'll understand though, trust me."

Remus finally spoke.  "Well, this has certainly turned out to be an eventful evening."

Harry remembered the beginning of the conversation he had overheard.  "Please, Professor, don't leave.  They were right.  What happened to Hermione's family wasn't your fault; it was mine."

"Harry, don't believe that.  None of this is your fault." Remus had spoken up again. "I know what you're thinking about, and don't.  Everything that has happened is because of Voldemort. Everything."

"Perhaps we should postpone tonight's session Harry.  I doubt that your mind will be clear enough for it; I know mine isn't."  Nicolette smiled sadly. "And, I would like to ask you to keep what you've heard here tonight private.  Ginny and Hermione already know, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to discuss it amongst yourselves."

Harry nodded and left the room, his original idea of questioning Dumbledore forgotten.

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Over the next few weeks, Harry's mind continued to buzz with the conversation.  He found himself watching Snape a bit more closely in class.  Was he really as evil as he seemed, or was he simply a product of his surroundings?  Could he really be trusted?

Harry also began to feel strange.  Since he had started avoiding Ginny, thoughts he hadn't had in months began to creep back into his mind.  He found himself sitting for hours thinking about that horrible night at the Ministry.  The prophecy was constantly nagging at him now.  He knew why and that was the thought that disturbed him the most.   When he was spending time with Ginny, those thoughts had been pushed to the back of his mind.  She helped make the guilt go away; she made him forget about the constant threat of death looming over him. Ginny made him...happy.  There was no other word for it.  She made him feel better about everything in a way that Ron and Hermione had never been able to.  Now that she was gone though, the dark thoughts nagged at his mind until he felt as though he were going crazy.   

Harry was thinking about this very thing as he walked to dinner on Friday night.  He was using one of his shortcuts and was about to step from behind a tapestry, when Ginny's laugh stopped him.

"Ginny, I don't see what's funny about it."  One of Ginny's roommates said.

"Oh come on, Diana.  You guys are being ridiculous."

"Ginny, just hear us out.  We've been giving this a lot of thought."

"Alright then.  Let's hear this theory of yours."

"Okay, Leanne, Laura, and I were thinking about why Cho Chang doesn't like you."  Harry felt his face flush. 

Ginny scoffed.  "This should be good."

"Well, believe it or not, you have become quite a popular girl around here.  Not just in Gryffindor, but all the houses.  You're a prefect, one of these best chasers there is, and there's no denying that you're pretty."

Ginny scoffed again.

"I'm serious!  Look, you've had some of the greatest looking guys in the school chasing after you.  I think you're well on your way to becoming the next Cho Chang around here."

Ginny laughed again.  "I think the three of you have gone 'round the bend this time.  Are you actually hearing yourselves?"

"Laugh if you want, Gin, but it's the truth. She's jealous of you! Look, you're friends with Harry Potter.  Harry Potter, who she dated last year."

"Leave Harry out of this."  Ginny's voice became threatening.

"Gin, it's not just about that.  You're smart, funny, and pretty and an all around great girl.  Well, there was that unfortunate thing in first year, but..."

"I would hardly call that 'unfortunate', Leanne!  People nearly died!"

"I know Ginny, I know!  But everyone knows that it wasn't your fault!  It's just that everyone knows you were possessed by Riddle, and you managed to live through it.  The there's what happened last year..."

Ginny's voice was low and dangerous, but Harry heard every word.  "What do you know about that?"

"Well, nothing really.  All we ever found out was that you, your brother, Potter, Granger, Longbottom, and that Looney Lovegood went to the Ministry and were attacked by..." Diana dropped her voice dramatically. "...Deatheaters."

There was silence, and then the other girl spoke up.  "We heard...well we heard that someone died there.  Is it true?"

Harry was about to burst through and yell at them all, but Ginny's voice stopped him.

"What happened that night is something that I hope no one ever has to see.  There were things that still haunt my dreams.  That night is not my story to tell.  What happened between the six of us is a secret that I will take to my grave.  So if you want to hear some gruesome story about death, I suggest you go and ask someone else."

Harry heard footsteps.

"Ginny, wait!  We didn't mean to upset you!"

"You guys go ahead to dinner.  I don't feel so hungry anymore."

Harry took his seat next to Hermione in the Great Hall, the conversation he had just heard buzzing in his head.  He wasn't sure why he felt the way he did about it.  Had Ginny really not told anyone about what had really happened at the Ministry?  Had the others?  Were they all keeping it to themselves?

"Harry, are you alright?  You look...I don't know...odd."  Ron said, pausing between bites.

Harry nodded, his brow furrowed.  He looked at Hermione.  "Can I ask you something?"

Hermione looked at him.  "Of course.  What is it?"

Harry beckoned her closer and did the same to Ron.  "Have either of you told anyone about what happened last year?  I mean at the Ministry and all."

Immediately, Harry knew they weren't telling him something.  Hermione and Ron had exchanged nervous glances and Ron began pushing mashed potatoes around his plate. 

"No, Harry.  Not one of us has ever said a word to anyone."  Hermione told her goblet.

"Why?"  Harry asked, noticing neither of them would look directly at him.

"Promise you won't yell if we tell you, mate?"  Ron said to his fork.

Harry was becoming irritated at his friends.  "Alright, but if you two don't start explaining, I will start yelling!"

Hermione jumped a little and then raised her eyes to meet Harry's.  "When you were with Dumbledore that next morning, the five of us had a discussion.  We told Luna and Neville the truth about Sirius."

Harry clenched his fists on the table.  "You did what?"

"We couldn't just let them continue to believe the rubbish the Ministry said about him.  So we told them the truth; all of it."  Hermione pulled back a little, as if expecting Harry to explode all over her.  When he remained quiet, she continued.  "They believed us.   Harry we all knew how much he meant...means...to you.  So, we decided then and then that none of us would ever mention it again.  Not in front of you or anyone else.  We weren't trying to ignore the fact that it happened; we just didn't want a bunch of people talking about him.  Even if they finally believed us about Voldemort...oh, Ron will you grow up...we weren't sure if they would believe Sirius's story.  And we didn't think you would want everyone coming up to you and asking about it."

"Plus, we didn't want the Ministry to have the satisfaction of knowing that he..." Ron stopped at a warning look from Hermione.

Harry looked sharply at Hermione.  "No, don't stop him!  He died!  That's right he's dead!  The one person who was close to being a father to me is dead!  My entire family is gone now!  So don't make him be quiet about it, Hermione! Just say it!  He's dead!" 

Harry didn't care about the stares he was getting, Ron's angry face, or the tears pouring down Hermione's face.  All he could think about was the fact that Sirius was really and truly gone forever.  Storming out of the Hall, he slammed the door behind him.

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His foul mood lasted well into Saturday morning.  This was in a way a good thing, as Gryffindor was set to face Slytherin.  This match would determine who would play against Ravenclaw for the Cup.  The team had been training for weeks, but it was Harry's set jaw and narrowed eyes that told them that today was no laughing matter.

Harry was wiping his glasses when someone approached him from behind.

"Ron and Hermione told me what happened last night."  It was Ginny, but Harry didn't turn around.

"Please understand.  We didn't mean to upset you by doing it.  We thought it for the best."

Harry rounded on her.  "Yeah well, it seems like everyone thinks they know what's best for me these days.  But. They. Don't."  Grabbing his broom, he set off for the pitch.

The game was brutal; there was no other word for it. Gryffindor was up by thirty points but they had to at least win by one hundred to have a chance at the Cup.  Harry circled the game, trying to keep Malfoy at bay.

"Looks like pouty Potter is in a foul mood today!"  Malfoy kept calling.  Harry was trying to keep his anger under control.  He'd already had thoughts of shoving Malfoy's broom up his...

Harry saw Natalie score a goal.    Just one more and then Harry would be free to catch the Snitch.  He watched closely as Ginny snatched the Quaffle from one of the Slytherin chasers and shoot towards the other end of the field.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Harry was chanting to himself.  "Yes!"  She had scored. Immediately he began searching for the little blur of gold.  Just as he saw it at the far end of the field, something else caught his eye.

Ginny was heading back downfield, but Malfoy was on her tail.  He rushed up behind her and just as it seemed like they were about to collide, Malfoy whipped his broom around, hitting Ginny hard in the back with the tail of the broom.  She fell forward, shouting out in pain.

Without thinking, Harry set a course directly for her.  She was lying flat against her broom.  A whistle sounded in the distance as Harry pulled along side her. 

"Are you alright?"

She looked as if she couldn't breathe properly, but nodded. 

"Are you sure?  I can call a time out." 

"No, we keep playing."  Harry was about to argue when she pursed her lips at him.  "I said we keep playing.  Just do me a favor."

"What?"

Ginny leaned in close.  "Hurry and catch the Snitch; that hurt like hell."

Harry knew there was no arguing after that.  She sat up and took several deep breaths.  Madame Hooch called a foul and Ginny took the penalty shot.  No more than five minutes had passed until Harry spotted the Snitch again.  After looping Malfoy and kicking him away several times, Harry felt the wings of the ball beat furiously in his hand.  Gryffindor was in the final game.

Leaving the locker room, Harry could think of nothing but hurting Malfoy.  He was surprised to see Hermione waiting for him outside. 

"Harry, don't walk away from me."

"What do you want?  Any more little pacts I should know about?"

A second later he was being pulled around and facing Hermione's flashing eyes.  "You are unbelievable!  You think you are the only person who has suffered around here?  I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you aren't! My parents died, but you don't see me shoving everyone away and feeling sorry for myself!  Now stop acting like a child and talk to me!"

Harry stared. Ginny was standing behind Hermione, looking just as shocked. Before anyone else could say a word, Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team walked past.

Malfoy brushed roughly past Ginny and faced Harry.  "Just remember what I told you at the beginning of the year, Potter.  You, the weasel, the mudblood, and now your little girlfriend..."  He eyed Ginny, "...will get what's coming to you.  And it won't be long."

The team laughed and walked toward the castle.   Harry couldn't hold himself back.  He had just taken a step toward Malfoy's gang when a hand grabbed his arm. It wasn't Hermione's; this time it was Ginny. He looked at her and was shocked to see her face filled with concern.  Her eyes were shining and her lower lip seemed to tremble.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Harry snapped.

"Don't go after him.  Please."  Ginny's voice was almost pleading.

Harry couldn't explain why, but one look at her made the hate ebb away. He could only stand and stare at her.  A small noise finally made him look away, and he saw Hermione's eyes darting between him and Ginny.  She looked as though she had only just seen them for the first time.

Harry shook off Ginny's hand and stalked toward the castle.

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Harry managed to avoid Hermione until dinner that evening.  She had tried to talk to him privately, but he always managed to avoid her.  Ron wasn't coming near him; winning the game hadn't been enough to make him forget about Harry's outburst the night before.

A storm had set in during the last few hours and lighting flashed across the enchanted ceiling. 

"Great." Harry thought.  "Just what I needed to put me in a better mood."

Harry was sitting alone at the end of the table, when Ginny approached him. 

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture.  So don't bother."

"I'm not here to lecture.  I just..."  She sat down next to him and looked at him directly for the first time in months.  "I just wanted to ask a favor of you."

"Planning another midnight adventure, then?  Who is the trick on this time?"

"Will you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop feeling bloody sorry for yourself, that's what!" Ginny said through clenched teeth. 

When Harry made eye contact with her, he felt his defensives slip. "Alright, I'm sorry.  What do you need?"

Ginny sighed and moved closer to him.  "I need you to promise me something."

"What?"  He couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. 

"Promise me that no matter what, you won't go after Malfoy."

Harry snorted and turned away.  He stiffened when he felt her hand take his.

"Please, this is important.  I can't explain it, but I just feel that if you try to take him on something bad will happen."  For the second time that day, Harry could see concern and fear written all over her.

"Ginny, I'm not just going to back down when he insults me.  I'm certainly not going to just stand aside and talk about Hermione, Ron, or you!"

"Harry, if you attack him then you're just as bad as he is, don't you see?  He's only trying to provoke you! He wants you to fight him!  Please, please promise me that you'll leave him be, no matter what."

Harry wasn't sure why and he was sure he'd never understand, but he nodded.  "Alright, I won't go after him."

"Thank you."

Harry's promise was barely made before it came to its first test.   He had decided to try and talk to Ron, when Malfoy's voice stopped him.

"So, are you through with the littlest Weasel yet? We were just wondering because she seems like she'd be a nice little..." Malfoy stopped and raised his eyebrows, suggestively.

Many of the Gryffindor's nearby had heard and stood up shouting.  Harry had already raised his fist, when he caught sight of red hair.  Ginny was standing in her seat looking over the crowd.  Harry saw once again the pleading eyes and remembered his promise. He turned back to Malfoy's sneering face.  Shoving him roughly away, Harry pushed past.

"Harry!"  Ron's voice called form behind him.  Harry stopped at the end of the Gryffindor table.

Ron looked confused.  "What was that all about?  I didn't hear what Malfoy said, but you looked ready to kill him.  Then all of a sudden you just walked away.  You've never backed down from him; what happened?"

Harry looked away and said, "I made a promise."  He turned, with every intent of running all the way to Gryffindor Tower.

Getting away wasn't going to be easy, apparently.  Hermione headed him off at the door to the Entrance Hall.

"You aren't walking away from me this time.  Something's going on with you.  That's twice today you've backed down from Malfoy."

"Do you want me to get expelled?"  Harry snapped at her.

"The thought of expulsion has never stopped you before.  It's Ginny, isn't it?"

Harry tried not to look shocked.  "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?  This afternoon it only took a look and touch from her to calm you down.  And it happened again a moment ago.  What is there between the two of you?"

Harry had just opened his mouth to shout at Hermione, but a commotion in the Entrance Hall stopped him.  Hermione threw open the doors to see several people grappling and shouting. 

Immediately everyone gathered around the doors trying to see. Harry could only just make out tiny Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall trying to restrain someone.  That someone was shouting loudly, but barely making sense.

"Not...going...they...weren't mine!  Can't keep....me...won't!"  It was a girl's voice.

Several other teachers shoved through and tried to help Flitwick and McGonagall. Students were pressing to get out of the Hall.  Harry knew that normally Hermione would be trying to keep order, but she seemed too interested in the struggle.

"NO! Please, I can't do it anymore! Just give them back to me!  I'll be fine if you just let me have them!"  The girl shouted.

 Harry watched as Professor Dumbledore finally made his way to the struggling teachers.  The girl fell silent as he approached and the teachers finally got a firm hold on her.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth as the girl's face became visible.  "Harry, its Cho!  What's wrong with her?"

Harry looked.  Sure enough, Cho Chang was feebly struggling against the teachers holding her.  Her hair was wild, her face shining with tears, and she was shaking all over.

"I don't know."  Harry watched as Professor Dumbledore quietly spoke with Professor Flitwick.  Dumbledore's face took on the same disturbed look as the other teachers.

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A/N:  Congratulations to me!  I managed to finish this chapter and make it the absolute worst one yet! Oh well, I'm just glad it's over.  The last bit with Cho was something that's been nagging at me for awhile.  I don't know why, but I had a moment of sympathy for her and I ended up making her a bigger part of the storyline.  I can't say what's happened to her, but it's not good.  Next chapter will touch briefly on what happened, but it won't be until the final chapter that the whole truth is revealed. 

Also, there are only two chapters left! Aren't you proud of me? After that everyone that lives through this story will come back again for the next story. Yep, you read right... everyone that lives through this story. Voldemort has been pretty quiet, but don't worry...he's waiting for just the right moment to attack. And when he does, he isn't going to be nice...

If there is anything that didn't make sense in this chapter, please feel free to ask me about it.  Not sure I can answer the question, but I'll give it a shot. The grammar in this is atrocious, but I just wanted to get it out.  I've been agonizing over it for months now.  Like it? Hate it?  Let me know.  I personally hate it, so your comments won't hurt me at all. Now to my reviewers:

Dave the L's gal, Alwayz Ally, and ...er...well my anonymous reviewer:  Thank you so much and I hope this wasn't too disappointing after that long wait!