The Causalities of War
(Part one)
A/N - To clarify time and place this takes place right after Voldemort was defeated (for the first time) Sydney was originally the main character, but Henri, Samuel and Andy just kinda slipped in. I know it's confusing, its confusing to me at first so please Bare with me, please. Also, this story was originally written post GoF and Pre-OoF so ingore any inconsistancies if they arise.
My favorite line -"Your master…kill your wife…now why would he do such a thing?" Crouch said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come Come Mr. Parsons, do get realistic."
Disclaimer - Sydney Parsons, Henri Parsons, Clara Parsons, Samuel Martin, Marilla Martin, Andrew Jacobs, and Miranda are mine…and mostly everyone else is owned by someone else ...J.K Rowling to be exact. She owns…well...the scenes and not exactly the plot, but well the idea behind the plot...and lets see Crouch, Dumbledore, Teachers at Hogwarts, The man in the cell next to Henri (who is he anyway), Charlie, Charlie's family, Voldemort, and Little Harry Potter... even thought he is only mentioned in this story once, and not even by name
Sydney Parsons was a petite thirteen-year-old girl with coal black hair and bright blue eyes. She was normally a very calm girl, and didn't over-react very much, but today she was skipping home as fast as she could go. Normally she would walk home with her father, but today was different, because today was the day her family, which consisted of her father, and sister Clara, were finally moving, moving away from this tiny town, if you could call it a town, in Oklahoma. They had been living there for the last five years, ever since Sydney was eight. For some reason, a reason he wouldn't divulge, her father finally decided to move them back to their home in London. Her sister Clara didn't even remember England, but then again she was only a year when they moved. Going back to England would be a joy within itself, but there was still one more variable that played into the equation. Sydney's family were wizards, and for the last five years they had been living as muggles, and so going back to England meant they were going back to the Wizarding world. Her father had only told her the news a couple days ago, the day after Halloween. Of course she would have to say good bye to her friends, but then again, Sydney didn't have very many friends, know only as the shy British girl, even after five years. She was so excited to finally go back to England, to where she would be normal, or so she thought.
When she arrived home her father had already packed all their furniture and clothes and apparated the boxes back to their townhouse in London. They left early the next morning to drive to Tulsa and take a plane to London. A plane was the only way they could travel, being that Henri, Sydney's father, was the only one who could apparate, and he didn't know where the local entrance to the Floo network was. It didn't matter, he had the money saved up, and ready to be used when, if it became safe to return home. When they arrived at their old home, the furniture was already there. It was as if, to Sydney, they had never left, not been gone for the last five years. It was absolutely perfect, but then, things can't always be perfect, and in every life a little rain must fall, and it turned out the forecast for Sydney and her family wasn't that great.
They received their first visitor the morning after their arrival. He was a man Sydney recognized, but couldn't place. She tried to figure out who he was as she opened the door and let him into the foyer.
"Father, there is a man here to see you" She called out. A couple moments later her fathers study door opened, and he steped out.
"Samuel, how good to see you" Henri said, acting not at all shocked to see his best friend after five years. News of his arrival must have traveled fast, unfortunately.
"And you too Henri, its been a long time." the stranger replied, but in a voice like he wasn't exactly sure he should be here or not.
"Why don't we go into my study, we can talk there," Henri said quickly, leaving Sydney standing in the hall. She didn't trust this man, he seemed too afraid of her father, or afraid of something anyway.
"So Samuel, what brings you the pleasure of this visit? Nothing drastic I hope." Henri said calmly, like he had only been gone for a couple of days, not five years. Samuel was shocked, but tried to keep it hidden.
"Henri, where the hell have you been?" Samuel replied, once the door was shut. "One day you disappear without warning, and five years later you appear, ironically when you know who had finally been defeated. We all thought you had been killed. " He watched his old school friend sit in the leather chair opposite him.
"You know Samuel, curiosity killed the cat" Henri replied, picking up a tumbler from the desk and poured himself a drink. He offered Samuel one, but he refused.
"Henri, I'm serious. Don't play this game; I'm not in the mood. This isn't a laughing matter." He knew Henri was hiding something. You couldn't be best friends with someone for over twenty years and not know when they were lying to you or not.
"Fine…fine…you want to know the truth; you'd think you would know it already. I had to protect my family. We just barely escaped with our lives that night, and I wasn't about to let them get killed."
"Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"
"I didn't know who to trust, you knew that, anyone could be a double agent. Plus it was kind of a spur of the moment kind of thing. My wife had just been killed, and You-Know-Who was out for me, telling people where I was going wasn't exactly at the top of my list of things to do at that moment." His voice took on a hint of sarcasm. Why did he even come back, so that Sydney and Clara could be with those of their own kind, so that he could see their friends again, so Sydney could get proper training. Was it really worth it, if what he feared would come true?
"Exactly, anyone could have been working for the other side. Did you realize how suspicious it looks? You disappear and then reappear after his defeat. Do you realize that Crouch actually suggested this morning that you might had been double crossing the Ministry?"
"He didn't" Henri sat quickly down. This couldn't be good, not good at all. " You don't believe him do you?"
"Of course, I'm your best friend, but I'm just warning you there are some people out there who are not so trusting. Don't be alarmed if you receive a visitor or two this afternoon." Samuel quickly checked his watch and then turned to the door. "Listen, I got to go, if they find out I've been here."
"I understand" Henri replied, opening the door and walking his old friend outside. Walking back he saw his oldest daughter standing in the parlor watching him. Did she remember before, or was she too young as well. He had told Samuel the truth, or at least part of it anyway. There were some things that only his wife knew, and of course she was dead. These were the things that had gotten her killed. He had disappeared to save his family. He didn't want Sydney and Clara to end up like the rest of his victims. He always seemed to go after the children, because they couldn't protect themselves, and they were the next generation. It was strange that it turned out that a child had defeated him in the end. He knew running was the cowards' way out, but he had to protect his two daughters. He just prayed it wasn't too late for Sydney to start her schooling, would she be able to control her powers when she got older.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, which made Henri jump and Sydney run into the other room. He slowly made it to the door, not exactly sure what to expect. Looking through the peephole he saw four or five ministry wizards standing there. Wow, they sure were quick, he thought to himself, taking a deep breath and putting his hand of the door handle.
"Yes, can I help you?" He said, opening the door a crack, just enough to look out.
"Henri Parsons?" the one in front said, an older man who he didn't recognize.
"I am he."
"We have orders to accompany you to the Ministry of Magic. If you would please be so kind as to step outside."
"Of course, just let me get my coat" he replied, trying to not to sound as worried as he felt. Just pretend like nothing id different, everything is how it should be. Turning away from the door, he saw Sydney watching him from the parlor again.
"Father" she said softly, her voice barely in a whisper. She could sense something terribly wrong with him. It was something that man that was here before had said, and something that had to do with the men at the door.
"I'll be fine darling, I might be a little late for dinner though." She nodded. Turning around, he took his coat, stepped out of the door, and into the arms of the enemy.
"If you would touch this." The elder one held out a small object. Henri only had to place a finger on it and he felt the all to familiar pulling sensation and the next thing he knew he was standing in a small white room. The room was completely empty except for a chair and table. He recognized it as one of the interrogation cells at the ministry. A couple moments later who walked in but the infamous Barty Crouch himself. Things were going from bad to worse.
"Henri Parsons, I never expected to see you again."
"I never expected to see you either. It's certainly a surprise for both of us." Henri replied, doing his best to keep all emotions out of his voice.
"Sarcasm is the lowest for of wit, it doesn't befriend you." Henri just gave him an expression that basically said: I don't care. " But come right back to your home in London, I thought you would be smarter then that."
"I don't see what you are getting at?" Henri said calmly, even though he was panicking in his head. They don't have anything on you, calm down, he told himself.
"Please sit down Mr. Parsons and I will explain it to you." He motioned to a chair. Henri sat. "Five years ago you were employed by the Centre, a small branch of the ministry, hired as a spy against the Dark Side I was told."
"That is true." He didn't know how they figured this out, only Hawkins knew about this special assignment, and the last he heard, he was dead.
"If this is in fact true, what confused me is the fact that our sources say that they recognized you as a Death Eater."
"Well your sources were wrong now weren't they?" Henri tried to keep from getting angry. "The Ministry employed me; you said it yourself. Why would you even dare to assume I had joined the dark side?" He unconsciously put his hand on his left forearm, something he hadn't done in ages. He wondered if Crouch caught the movement.
"But you were trusted by You-Know-Who then?"
"To a point, yes."
"But you never spied for him."
"No" He lied. How did they know, how did they find out.
"Never?" Henri was silence. "Mr. Parsons, please quit fooling with us, you are just making this harder on yourself. We know why you ran, and who you were running from. You weren't running just from You-Know-Who. You knew the Ministry could hide you. The Ministry doesn't like to be played for stupid. I have permission to use the unforgivible's on you if you needed." Henri gulped.
"You're a monster!"
"I am not a monster Mr. Parsons, oh no, I just have no patience for scum like you, and unfortunately for you, you decided to come back at a very bad time, a very bad time indeed. The anger with the people is very high Mr. Parsons. They have no patience, just like myself, for those who follow the dark ways. If they found out that a Ministry official such as yourself was a double agent, and then ran, well, I can say the results won't be pretty.
"I ran to protect my children" Henri glared at Crouch. "I wasn't about to sacrifice their life as well. I already lost my wife to the dark lord."
"Your master…kill your wife…now why would he do such a thing?" Crouch said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come Come Mr. Parsons, do get realistic. " Henri continued to glare, but didn't say a thing. Crouch stood up. "How are we to know that you didn't do the crime yourself, blaming it on You-Know-Who would be the perfect facade to disappear into the night."
"I did not kill my wife...I...I..." he couldn't continue, his voice caught in his throat.
"You loved her" Crouch moved closer, his voice full of mockery. "Don't give me that shit" Henri could feel his hot breath on his face, and tried to move back, but was trapped in the chair. "You couldn't love anyone even if you tried. You are just like your father, and you deserve to die just like he did as well, in Azkaban." There was silence. Henri gulped; he had no idea his father was sent to Azkaban. Crouch smiled at Henri's horrified response. " Yes, your father went to Azkaban about a year ago, finally paying for the crimes he has committed. He was going to receive the Dementors Kiss, but he decided to divulge in us some important information." He smiled cruelly. "He was the one who told us about you, ironic isn't it." Then the white walls around Henri disappeared and he found himself in a very small stone room alone. He sat on the floor, and closing his eyes, tried his best not to cry.
Samuel rushed through the rainy streets of London, the thought of apparating hadn't even come to him, being too flustered to think about anything else. He had received note of Henri's arrest not long after he had returned to his office. Henri seemed like the last one to turn to the dark side. God, maybe Marilla was correct about him the whole time. Of course there was the small voice in the back of his brain that kept on telling him that Henri would never break a blood promise. He knew Henri had become a spy, but he couldn't believe that he would really turn against the Ministry as well. Being the head of his department, Samuel was able to finagle it so that he could visit Henri tomorrow afternoon. He was the children's godfather, and so that meant that the responsibility of taking care of them fell on him. That was why he was making his way to Henri's townhouse. Sydney opened the door.
"Oh" she said, dejected. " I thought you were father." Sydney opened the door wider to let him in. Standing behind her was a small girl about six who looked almost exactly like Ellen, Henri's dead wife. How in the world was he going to tell both these children that they were basically orphans now? That their father was probably going to spend the rest of his life in prison, courtesy of their grandfather. "Where is father?"
"Your father isn't going to be able to come home tonight. He asked me to come and take you to my house for the night." He replied, chickening out.
"Where is father?" Sydney said, a little more forcefully this time.
"I'll tell you in a bit, right now why don't you get some clothes and we can leave"
"I want to know now" He could sense the irritation in her voice now.
"Sydney, I don't know where your father is exactly, nor do I know when he is coming home. Five years ago your father did something he shouldn't have, and now he's paying for it."
"What did he do?"
"Sydney, this really isn't the time or place to discuss this. We can talk about it later, I promise." Sydney nodded, and taking her sisters hand, went up the stairs to get some things. She could sense great sorrow and anger within this man; whatever her father did must have been great to make him feel that way. She couldn't imagine her father doing anything wrong, he was her father. Her father was all she and her sister had left, now that he mother was gone. She couldn't lose him, please god, don't let me lose him as well, she prayed. Getting some clothes together for herself and Clara, she went back downstairs and followed this man outside, closing the door to their house, wondering, for the second time in her life if she would ever return there again.
Samuel had to take a taxi to his home outside London because unfortunately the Parsons were not on the Floo network, since the house had been empty for the last five years. The girls didn't say a word the whole way there. He could tell Sydney didn't like him, and Clara, well she just sat huddled into her sisters' skirt. The house Samuel lived in with his life Marilla was modest enough. He had been working hard in the Ministry, but not hard enough to get noticed. This was a time where you didn't want to be noticed. Marilla opened the door for them, a shocked look on her face when she saw the two girls with him.
"Who's are these Samuel?" she asked looking down at the two strange girls in her doorway, even though looking at them it was pretty obvious who their parents were.
"This is Sydney and Clara Parsons, you remember their father Henri."
"Yes, how could I forget him? He was the one who..."
"Yes, that was he. You can say I told you so some other time." Samuel said quickly, cutting his wife off. "Why don't you take them up to the guest room."
"Yes…of course. Also Dumbledore is here to see you." She replied, ushering the two children up the stairs. She still didn't like Henri; she had never liked Henri. She wasn't at all surprised when it came out that he was a traitor. Why he would come back was beyond her though. He reminded her too much of her younger brother, and he had joined the dark side as well. Right now she supposed she should get these children settled for the night. It wouldn't be right for them to suffer for their fathers' ills.
Samuel made his way into the study, not surprised by the elderly gentleman sitting on a chair. "Sir?" He said, making the man turn around.
"Samuel Martin, just the man I was waiting to see. I believe you have a young girl by the name of Sydney Parsons here at your residence."
"Yes, Henri's daughter. She just arrived a couple of minutes ago. Do you need to see her?"
"No, that will be un-necessary. The real reason for my visit is this; you see Sydney's name has been the list for Hogwarts since she was born, but unfortunately we have had a small problem locating the family for some time now, as you well know. I know you are probably the girls legal guardian"
"Yes, as fate would have it. I'm sure they would rather have their father though."
"What happened to Henri was horrible, but Crouch and the others are out for Blood."
"Couldn't you do something?"
"I wish I could, but you can't save someone who condemns themselves." He sighed. "Anyway, back to Sydney, I realize that it she is thirteen, but allowances can be made, she could start her schooling now, with no real harm done."
"Of course, I suspect that's what Henri wanted. When should I bring her to school?"
"Right before Christmas Break, I suspect she's going to need that time to grieve. I must leave now, they are expecting me back for the evening meal." He got up and went towards the door. Right before he let himself out, he turned to Samuel and spoke again. "Do tell her the truth, she is a smart child, she will figure it out on her own." and he was gone.
Samuel sat down in his study chair and stared into the fire. Why didn't Henri have the sense to say where he was? Why did he come back? If he had only known what was waiting for him. Also was he really a traitor, did he really go over to the dark side. The question plagued him. It could be fully possible; anything was possible in that dark time. Samuel had not even known in those years before he had left that Henri had been a spy. He didn't find out till after the fact. Henri had been the head of the Accidental charms department, and Samuel had worked under him or beside him for numerous years. It just didn't make any sense.
"What doesn't make any sense?" He heard a small voice say behind him. Turning around he saw Sydney standing there in the doorway wrapped up in a blanket.
"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking." He replied, surprised. Could this girl read minds? "How did you know?"
"I could feel you were confused about something. Does it have to do with father?"
"A bit yes." He motioned for her to come in and sit down.
"Can you tell me what father did now?" He looked at this child, and knew Dumbledore was right, she was going to find out sooner or later, and it would probably be better from him then from the Daily profit. She curled up on the ottoman beside him, looking up at Samuel, waiting for him to start his story.
"Many years ago, before you were born, a man who the people call You-Know-Who started to gain power. Many people fought against him, myself and your father included. Your father was given a very important job, a very dangerous job. It involved Spying for the Ministry against the dark side. Not many people knew he had this job, I doubt your mother even knew. I didn't know and I was his best friend."
"What does this have to do with where my father is now?" Sydney asked calmly.
"I'm getting to that part. You see, it turned out that they say that You-Know-Who wasn't the only one your father was spying against. That during the time he was spying for the ministry, he was also spying against the Ministry. He was in a high enough position to do it without trouble."
"My father is not a traitor, I don't believe you." Sydney protested, finally figuring out what Samuel was saying.
"I agree with you, but unfortunately we're not the ones who decide that." He paused, watching the child trying her best to keep from crying. " The Ministry is out for blood. Your father was the head of an influential department; he had access to private and important documents. All those things will be used against him."
"What will happen to Clara and I?"
"You will stay here with Marilla and I. Your father appointed me as your godfather when you were born. Of course you will be going to Hogwarts for the next term."
"Hogwarts?"
It's the best school of Wizardry in this part of the world. Your father and I went there. The Headmaster was here earlier to talk to me about you going."
"All right" she said, quickly wiping her eyes. She was almost fourteen; she was not going to let this man see her cry. "Can I at least go see father?"
"Tomorrow we will go."
"Thank you" she whispered, turning and leaving the room. She didn't like this man, but he was the only one who she felt she could trust. She could sense hatred coming from his wife. She knew she didn't want them there. Well, she didn't want to be here either. All she wanted was to be back at her old house in the States, her father coming home from work, sitting around the table, Clara telling them what she learned in kindergarten that day, her father helping her with her homework, him tucking her in and then reading a story to both her and Clara even though she was a bit old. Curse the Wizarding world, curse them for taking her mother from her, and curse them for taking her father from her as well. She would not go to that school, she would not. Lying down in the bed beside Clara she finally let the tears flow, and she silently cried herself to sleep.
Henri spent the night sitting on his cell floor waiting. Ever since they brought him here he had yet to see a single person. He wondered if he would even get a trial, but then again he wasn't in America anymore. He suspected that if he even got a trial, it would be just be for show, there would be no way for him to win. Honestly, it didn't matter anymore. Let them send him to Azkaban. He certainly deserved it. Suddenly he heard a noise outside the door, startling him. He jumped up and took a step back. The door slowly opened and there were the shadows of three figures, two larger ones and a smaller one. The smaller one suddenly dashed towards him and latched herself on his leg.
"Da" it said in a small voice.
"Clara, darling" he whispered, touching her hair softly.
"Da" she said again, looking up at him, with her bright blue eyes, which were quickly filling with tears. My God, they looked just like Ellen he thought sadly. "Why won't you come home? Please come home. Whatever I was doing I'll stop, I promise. Please come home."
"I've only been gone for one day, you can't have missed me that much." He tried to smile, but wasn't very successful at it.
"But you need to come home, Sydney wants you to"
"Sydney" he looked up at the girl standing in the doorway. He could tell she was trying very hard to stay back, and he suspected Samuel had told her. Her emotions won in the end, and ran over and held on to him like she was never planning to let go.
"Father" she sobbed into his shirt. "Why?"
"Why, because that's what has to be done." he said softly, holding her tight.
"But why did we have to come back, we could have stayed in America, I would have stopped complaining." She looked up at him. "I promise."
"We can't change the past, you know that as well as I. Anyway I did it for you my dear. You must go to Hogwarts and become the best"
"But I don't want to go to this school, I want you to come home."
"But I can't come home. People make choices in their life, some good and some bad. The one I made is bad, and I regret it, but I can't come home. So you must go to this school." She looked up at him again, her eyes begging. "Yes you must. I am your father, I order you too."
"Okay" she whispered, "I'll go, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it."
"No, you can be utterly miserable if you want" He kissed her on the top of her forehead. "Now go, I need to talk to Samuel for a moment." He bent down and detached the small girl from his leg. "Clara, you need to go with Sydney now, I'll see you later all right?"
"You promise?"
"I promise" he gave her a quick kiss, and gave her a push towards her older sister. Sydney took her sisters hand and started for the door. "Sydney" he said suddenly. She turned around. "I love you, I love you more then anything. Remember that, okay."
"Yes father" she said softly, and then turned and quickly left. He watched their retreating backs with sadness.
"Am I doing the right thing?" He mumbled more to himself then anyone else.
"It depends on what you consider the right thing," Samuel said, startling him.
"Sacrificing myself for them"
"You know that if you hadn't made that choice five years ago, none of this would have happened."
"I know...I know" Henri started to pace. "You don't know a day that doesn't go by that I don't think that. And you know what the funny thing Samuel, at the time I didn't think I was doing anything wrong." He stopped and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I thought I was just doing my job. Before I knew it I was spying for both sides. It just happened. How else was I going to gain You-Know-Who's trust? I had to have a bargaining chip somewhere."
"Why don't you tell them that?" Samuel asked, pointing out the cell door.
"You think they will believe me, not bloody likely. The thing is, I can't convince anyone to think any way other then I'm guilty, because in their eyes, I am guilty. Why else would a father denounce a son unless he was guilty."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Of course, I've been to Azkaban, I know what it's like. I'm worried that I'll go crazy. I'm worried for my children. I'm even worried about the man in the cell next to me who's been yelling all night that he didn't kill his best friend. I'm worried about so many things that's it's pointless to worry anymore. Clara is young enough, she will have forgotten I even existed in a couple of months, but not Sydney."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of them. Sydney starts school after Christmas. I'm sure she'll enjoy herself there."
"So she did get in"
"Of course, she's been on the list since she was born."
"That's good to know. You'll take her to get her school supplies won't you?"
"Of course."
"Don't worry about cost, I have enough money in Gringotts to put both Sydney and Clara through school. They key is in my left hand drawer of my desk, in a small box. It also has my wand and a few other papers, such as my will and deed to the house. Whatever you do, don't let the Ministry get a hold of that box, please. There are papers in there that if they got their hand on them. Actually I'd like you to burn them, they are worthless now. Also I don't want them getting a hold of my wand. It's the purpose of the idea, you know Samuel. I'd like Sydney to have it."
"Of course." There was silence. Samuel couldn't think of anything else to say. Luckily for him the guard picked that time to open the door.
"You need to leave now." He said, glaring at Henri. He had no respect for those who went over to the dark side, especially those who did it by their own free will, and then felt no remorse for it. Samuel turned to go.
"Samuel" he turned back. "I thank you, I know you don't have to do this. I thank you for my children's sake."
"Of course, what are friends for, I'm sure you'd do the same for me if the situations were reversed." Of course, I'd never get myself into such a situation, Samuel thought to himself.
"Aye, probably, And Sami" Samuel was surprised at the childhood name that he hadn't been called in ages. "Remember the promise we made that day in our first year?" Samuel nodded, how could he forget that promise. It was quite ironic actually, considering the promise was that neither of them would practice the dark arts.
"Of course I remember Henri."
"I never broke it."
After dropping the two girls off at his house, Samuel apparated back to Henri's house to collect the box. It looked exactly how he remembered. Even though it wasn't his house, it still held a lot of his memories, being that he spent so much time over here. When Henri and Ellen bought the house because they found out she was pregnant with Sydney, all the Christmas's and birthdays and social gatherings they had there, when he came over that one rainy morning in April and found the house deserted, food still on the table, beds unmade, clothes scattered around, like they had left suddenly. Then stepping unto the living room and finding Ellen's dead body with the dark mark floating above it. Everyone had assumed that Henri and the children had died as well, except for the fact they never found the body, and then they suddenly appeared half a week ago. The house was so quiet; it was scary. The only sound he could hear was his footsteps as he made his way to the study. It didn't take him long to find the box Henri was speaking of. It was a black box in the back of a drawer. He wouldn't have noticed it unless he had been looking for it. Flipping it open he found a bunch of lose papers, including his will and the deeds for the house, his wand and an unmarked envelope. He was tempted to take his wand and burn it like Henri asked, but instead he put it in his pocket. Closing the drawer, he placed the box in his other pocket and then turned off all the lights in the room, closed the windows and then made his way to Clara and Sydney's room. Transporting most of the important things back to his house, he closed down this room as well, and then did the same to the rest of the house. Then he closed the door, and apparated, leaving the house dark and empty.
It wasn't till five days later that the story of Henri arrest made the papers. He wondered how long it would take for the students to make the connection between Sydney and her father. Of course she wouldn't be troubled as much as those whose parents were actually convicted Death Eaters, but still, he had grown attached those girls in the last six days. Sydney and Clara were so much like their father it surprised him. He could see more of Ellen in them then Henri, but you could still tell they were his daughters. Sydney still had not gotten over her father, and Samuel was the only person she would ever talk to, except for her sister of course. Clara had gotten over it pretty fast. She still asked where her father was every morning, but other then that she was acting like a normal six year old.
A week before Christmas Sydney arrived at Hogwarts with her fathers' wand in her hand, and a scowl on her face. The Professors took her in with open arms, but she was not very accepting to any bits of kindness. She only spoke when she was spoken too, and then as little as possible. She always had a scowl on her face, and an empty look in her eyes. Dumbledore thought it to be a good idea not to introduce her to the general student body till everyone returned from Christmas break and so she stayed in a room off in the west wing of the Castle, and during the day the teachers taught her the basics. She learned fast, for her father told her to be the best, and she was going to be the best.
Andrew Jacob's sat joking around with his two friends, Charlie and Miranda. A third year, Andy wasn't what you would call extremely popular. He had his few good friends, but that was about it. He made good enough grades, but not good enough to be Prefect when he was older like Miranda and he wasn't on the Quidditch team like Charlie either. He was just a pretty average child. He had gone home for Christmas, and today was the first day he had seen his friends in what seemed like forever. Both of them had stayed at Hogwarts for vacation, Miranda because her parents were dead, and Charlie because he had four younger siblings and one that was on the way. Andy had arrived not thirty minutes earlier, and the headmaster had yet to arrive to the feast, that's why Andy and his friends were joking instead of eating. Finally he came in with a young girl, well not that young, about the same age as Andy behind him. She had a very angry look about her; like this was the last place she wanted to be. That or she wished everyone in the great hall death. Definitely Slytherin Andy decided, although she was rather pretty.
"Attention Students, This is Sydney Parsons. She is an American who will be joining us this year as a third year. The sorting hat, after a long deliberation has decided to place her in Gryffindor." Andy heard mumbling rise up around him. Her, in Gryffindor, it doesn't seem right. "I know we don't usually accept students except during their first year, but Sydney is an exception. I hope you will make her feel right at home." He turned and whispered something to Sydney, who looked over at the Gryffindor table. She then shook her head to agree with him, and then came and sat down in the only empty seat, which was by Charlie.
"Hello" Andy said, looking over, Sydney didn't answer, but continued to glare at her food. She wasn't about to answer this boy. Her father told her she could be miserable, and so she was going to be miserable. She wasn't about to make friends, however much she wanted to. She had never intentionally been mean to someone, and she felt bad doing it, but she didn't have much choice. If she enjoyed herself she would be betraying her father's memory. She ate the rest of the meal in silence, and followed the prefect up to the dorm. All her clothes and extra accessories were already there. Quickly getting ready for bed, she laid down and closed the curtains before her room-mates came. She could hear them laughing and giggling as they got ready for bed.
"So what do you think of that new girl?" One of the girls whispered, obviously not realized that Sydney was laying in the same room.
"I don't know. I was certainly surprised when Dumbledore said she was going to be in this house though." Another voice responded. "What do you think Miranda?"
"I'm not sure, I wasn't really paying attention." A third voice replied, one Sydney suspected as Miranda's.
"Of course not, you were too busy with chatting it up with Charlie." The first voice said, laughing. "Don't know why, you two were together all Christmas break."
"We're kidding Miranda." The second voice said, in a joking tone. "He's a Quidditch star, anyone wouldn't expect anything less." Sydney wondered for a moment what exactly Quidditch was, but didn't have time to ponder it because the next statement put her mind on other things.
"But anyway, back to the new girl, what was her surname again?"
"Parsons, I think…I wonder if she's related to the Wizard family Parsons. My father was talking about them once or twice over Christmas break."
"Probably not, she is American after all."
"Maybe but my father said…" and then the voice turned into a whisper and Sydney sat up and strained to hear. "...and their family has been in the dark arts for ages. My father said he got what he deserved." The other two girls expressed their agreement. "I've got to go to sleep, it's a school day tomorrow after all." And the room was silent. Soon she drifted off, crying herself to sleep just as she had done since the day her father was taken from her.
Except for class, Sydney spent all her free time in the library. It was the only place she could avoid people. She had stopped talking to everyone, except for soft one-word answers if asked during class, and the scowl never left her face. Andy never used to spend time in the library, but he found that he was spending more and more time there, always catching himself starting at her when she wasn't watching. He noticed when she was alone the scowl that she always seemed to be wearing disappeared, but yet she never smiled.
"I'm going to get Sydney Parsons to smile if it kills me." He declared one day during lunch.
"Andy, why do you even care?" Miranda asked, not even looking up the Daily Profit she was reading.
"I just do, okay." He replied, watching Sydney enter the great hall and walk their way.
"You like her, don't you." Charlie said, laughing.
"I do not" Andy said defensively.
"You do, I can see how you look at her."
"I look at her like I look at anyone else."
"Who you happen to like."
"Andy, I'd stay away from her if I were you." Miranda said, looking up.
"Why?"
"Do you even know who her father is?" She handed him the newspaper she had been reading. The title read
Parsons convicted, sentenced to Azkaban
Henri Parsons, who used to be head of the Accidental charms department five years ago, was arrested early November for being accused of being a spy for You-Know-Who. "No one knows what made him turn," said Mr. Andrews, a co-worker of Parsons, "He seemed like the last person to join the dark side." Parsons disappeared with his two daughters five years ago when his wife was killed by You-Know-Who's forces. Some say that Parsons actually did the crime himself when his wife found out he had joined the dark side, and then tried to make it look like it was done by You-Know-Who. It has also been rumored that he had not disappeared into the muggle world as suspected, but instead been working beside you-know-who in his rise to power. Marcus Parsons, who was Henri's father, was a known supporter of Grindelwald during his own reign of terror over fifty years ago.
Andy never got to finish the article because he heard a small gasp behind him.
"May I see that please?" a soft American voice he vaguely recognized said. Turning around he saw Sydney looking over his shoulder at the paper.
"Sure" He handed it over. He watched as her facial expressions turned from confusion to shock to horror.
"No, it's not true" she said loudly, angrily throwing down the paper and then, turned on her heals, and ran out of the great hall.
"Sydney, wait" Andy called, jumping up and running after her, ignoring Miranda and Charlie's attempts to stop him. He followed her out of the great hall and into the entranceway. The front door was just closing as he reached it, and he assumed that was the way she went. He couldn't see anyone outside, but he could see some small footprints in the light snow, which he followed around to the side of the building where he saw Sydney huddled by a tree. He could tell when he got closer that she was shaking, which he assumed meant she was crying. "Sydney" he said cautiously.
"Go away"
"What's wrong?" he kneeled down beside her.
"I said go away" She turned to face him, and her face was white and streaked with tears.
"Something must be wrong, and it wouldn't be very friendly of me to leave you crying in the snow, now would it?"
"I didn't ask for you to be friendly." The harsh look was back again.
"Well, we don't ask for a lot of things in life, but we have to accept what we get and move on with it. So you have to accept that I don't plan on moving till you tell me what's wrong, and I have to accept that unless you plan on telling me soon I'll probably be very cold." What was wrong with this boy she thought. She could sense nothing by kindness coming from him, even though she had done everything in her power to push him away. All she wanted right now was for someone to hold her and tell her everything would be all right.
"Oh father, why did you have to leave me?" she sobbed, tearing up again. For some sudden impulse he took his arm and pulled her closer, and surprisingly enough, she didn't pull back.
"It will be all right," he said, as she cried in his robes. He knew it probably wouldn't be all right, but it was the only thing he could think of at the time to say.
"No it won't" she wiped her eyes on the tissue he handed her. "My mother is dead and my father is in prison, how can it be all right" He shrugged.
"I don't know, but sitting out in the snow can't make it better. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" So she spilled everything, told everything to a boy she barely even knew. She told him about her mother being killed when she was eight, and living as a muggle family in America with her father and sister for five years. About how she never fit in anywhere, and how had missed England so much, but then as soon as they finally came back her father was arrested. How she had been living with the Martins, and how Mrs. Martin hated her and her sister, and she didn't know why. How her father's last request was that she got to this school even thought she didn't want to, and so she was destined to be miserable, even though she wanted to fit in more then anything else in the world. Then finally how the papers had written such horrible things about her father, and the scary thing was that she wasn't sure if some of them were true or not.
"Oh come on, that's not that bad. My friend Charlie has five younger siblings, and believe you me they are terrors. Your life isn't as half as bad as his is." She smiled at his bad attempted at humor. He returned the smile, glad he had finally succeeded at his goal. "Come on, " Taking her hand he pulled her up. "We better get in or we'll be late for class. If you really want to fit in I know some people I can introduce you to. Charlie's brother is head boy, and if you know him, you automatically have an in…." He rambled on as they made their way up the stone steps and back into the school. I'm sorry father, she said to herself as they walked hand and hand through the entranceway, I tried being miserable, but it was just too hard.
Henri wasn't exactly thinking of her being miserable at that time, more along the lines of how miserable he was. It wasn't intentional, but he couldn't help it. Why did I tell Samuel to burn those letters he constantly asked himself as he huddled in the farthest corner of his cell. Because you felt guilty, the voice inside his head said. Those letters could have saved me; they could have proved my innocence. No they wouldn't, the voice continued, they would have just shown the Ministry how guilty you really were. No they wouldn't, they would have proven that what I told you-know-who was false, and I was only doing it to gain trust. "My god, I am going crazy, I'm already talking to myself," he mumbled to himself softly.
"Oh Henri, you're not going crazy" a female voice said in his ear, "You're just finally listening to reason" He screamed, and quickly moved to the other side of the cell.
"Who's there?" he whispered.
"You don't recognize the voice of your wife."
"But...but...you're..."
"Dead, I know." He could now see her materializing on the other side where he had been sitting. She looked exactly how he remembered her. "I only have a few moments, I just came down here to tell you to not lose hope. Oh but Henri, why are you doing this to yourself?" She floated towards him. "Not only to yourself, but to our children as well."
"Doing what to our children, they will be better off without me."
"How can you say that, you were a wonderful father, and you're all they have? If you were such a horrible father why did you give up everything just to save their lives.""I joined the dark side, I should be punished for that."
"No you didn't, if you did, then you lied to me numerous times. A person always has to keep themselves separate from their job. Your job was to spy on the dark side, not to become one of them. Don't even convince yourself of that. You are so much better then they are."
"But I killed you. They said I killed you."
"Oh Henri darling, How could you even believe that. He killed me Henri, not you, not anyone else but him. He killed me because I was who I was, and no other reason then that."
"I should have known. I should have stayed and fought"
"But if you had stayed, what would have happened then. He would have killed you too. Then where would our children be?" She started to fade. "Henri I have to go. Just remember I loved you, and I know you loved me too" He reached out and all his hand touched was air.
"No, Ellen, don't go, don't leave me" He fell to the floor sobbing. "Please Ellen, please don't leave me...please"
One day over, a thousand more to go
Samuel found the letters one day in the end of February, about a month and a half after Henri had been sent to prison. He had left them in his desk and forgot about them. He picked up a piece of paper one day, and there they were, staring up at him. He was very tempted to read them, but they were private letters of Henri's. Then why didn't you burn them, if they were so private? Finally the curious side won out and he quickly opened the envelope. There were about five or six pieces of parchment inside the envelope, in a handwriting he didn't recognize. Reading them, he found out they were all the spy assignments sent to Henri over the period of the year, sent to him by a Mr. Hawkins; about information that he could give to the dark side, information that was obviously false. He realized that the letters in his hand proved Henri's innocence. If he knew about them, then how come he told him to burn them? "Damn you Henri", he said, throwing the letters on the desk, Why do you always do this to yourself. Why do you have to make your children suffer because you feel guilt for Ellen's death? He needed to tell someone about these letters, but who? Dumbledore was the first person that came to his mind. Grabbing the letters he quickly apparated to outside Hogwarts. He didn't even knock on the front doors, but just entered, running all the way to where he knew the headmaster would be. He wasn't watching where he was going, and ran straight into one of the students. "Excuse me" He looked down at whom he ran into. "Sydney?"
"Samuel" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for the Headmaster, you know where he might be?" he gave her the once over. She still looked like Sydney, but not the Sydney he knew. She actually looked happy. She had a smile on her face, and a happy look about her.
"Yeah, I'll take you there" She then turned to the boy who was standing behind her. "Andy, can you tell Prof. Flitwick that I'll be a little late for class."
"Of course, I'll save you a seat"
"Thanks" and the boy was gone.
"So, how's school?" Samuel casually asked as he followed her though the twists and turns of the school.
"It's all right" she replied calmly. "It was hard at first, but I think I've caught up."
"What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Oh, that was the house your…I mean I was in when I was here" He hoped she hadn't caught his slip of the tongue.
"Here we are" she stopped in front of a statue that he recognized as the entrance to the Headmasters office. Why didn't he think of that? "The password is Honey Crunch. I got to get to class, say hi to Clara for me" and with a quick hug, she ran off. Samuel said the password and made his way up the round stairs to Dumbledore's office. He had never actually seen it as Dumbledore's office; then again he had never been to the Headmasters office. Samuel knocked on the door.
"Come in" A voice said from inside. Samuel entered, his hands still clutching tightly to the letters. "Mr. Martin, what a surprise to see you. What brings you here, Sydney's welfare perhaps?" Dumbledore said, turning around to face him.
"Oh no, I met Sydney on the way up here, she seems really well adjusted. It's more of a matter of her father for which I wish to discuss."
"Her father?"
"Yes, you see right before Henri was convicted he told me the location of his personal papers." He decided to leave the burning part out. "Included within them were these letters. I just found them today." He handed Dumbledore the packet in his hands.
"This is very interesting, very interesting indeed" Dumbledore said as he shuffled through the papers. "All though I have never heard of this Mr. Hawkins before. Humm...I wonder if it was a code name of some sort. " He looked back at Samuel. "I will see what I can do."
"You think there is a chance Henri might be pardoned?"
"With this type of evidence it will be hard for the Ministry to not consider it, but I dare not make any promises."
It was two months later and Samuel was pissed, well maybe pissed wasn't the correct word to use, more like confused in a bad way. Sure he saved his best friend from a lifetime of pain and misery, but why in the world would the Ministry assign him to go to Azkaban to bring him back. Someone had to do it, sure, but why him. Sure he was the head of his department, but it was accidental charms for goodness sake. He had to take a boat out to the Island because for safely reasons it was impossible to apparate on the island and he suspected that Henri wasn't in any shape to fly back to the mainland. Samuel had always hated boats, hated boats with a passion. The boat docked and Samuel stepped out onto the stony walkway. Shivering more from fear then the cold he made his way up to the front gate of the prison. He had never been to Azkaban before, but had heard stories, and from what he saw, it seemed like the stories were pretty true. A small old man met him at the gate.
"What do ye what?" he said in a hoarse voice. Samuel didn't answer, but handed him the papers he was carrying, and then pulled his cloak closer to his body. "All right, come this way" The man opened the gate and Samuel followed him in. As the gate closed behind him Samuel jumped, he didn't like this one bit. He followed the man deeper and deeper into the prison, expecting to meet a Dementor at every turn, but didn't. The man suddenly stopped at a small door, deep within the prison. "Here ye are, hurry up then, if ye move fast, we won't run into any Dementors"
"All right" Samuel shivered, going into the door the man had just opened. The room was pitch black except for a small bit of light coming from a window high on the wall. "Lumos" he whispered, producing enough light to see by. On his left was a bed with a curled up figure sleeping on it. "Henri" he said, slowly walking over. The figure didn't stir. "Henri" he said louder, this time reaching down and shaking him on the shoulder. This time he sat straight up and looking over at Samuel, screamed. "Henri, calm down" Samuel backed away. He stopped screaming and just stared at him. It wasn't like he saw Samuel, only that he was looking in that direction.
"Oh My God, Samuel, they killed you too." He sobbed.
"No, they didn't kill me"
"But...but…you're a ghost" Henri sat up, his eyes wide.
"I'm not dead, so obviously I'm not a ghost. " he reached out to touch Henri on the shoulder, but he pulled away.
"If you're not a ghost...then why? Have they arrested you too?"
"I'm not a ghost, and I haven't been a arrested either" he said, trying to be convincing. Instead, Henri turned away from him and scudded across the room. "I've come to take you away from this place." Henri just stared at him.
"You're not serious. This is just a mind trick, right, you're just a figment of my imagination." Samuel was starting to get annoyed.
"If I wasn't serious, why would I be here in the first place? Listen; if you want to stay here, you can, although I don't see why you would even want to do that. It's either now or never. I should leave you in here, they way you have been acting, but no, I'm being a good friend, and saving you. I should have burned those letters like you told me. Why you ever wanted me to turn burn them, I will never understand. Did you ever think of anyone but yourself, ever think of Clara? Of Sydney? Why Henri, Why? "While he was ranting and raving Samuel didn't notice Henri had fainted dead away on the floor.
Sydney was trying, but not succeeding to tell the three other people in the compartment about life in America, and muggle life at that. "I give up, you people are helpless" she cried, throwing up her hands. "I don't know why I even try."
"Because you love us," Andy said sweetly, throwing his arms around her.
"Oh that's right, I forgot," She said sarcastically, laughing and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh guys, get a room," Charlie said, covering his eyes.
"You're just jealous."
"Now why would I be jealous" Charlie retorted, "I've got Miranda here to help me out"
"Guys, keep me out of it" Miranda said, not moving from her seat by the window. Suddenly she jumped up. "We're here"
"Really" the other two cried, moving to get a view out the window as well. For some reason Sydney wasn't as excited as the other three about going home. She was going to miss the school, and at least when she was there she kept her mind off other problems, such as her father. But at least she was finally going to see Clara again. She missed her younger sister so much, never haven really been away from her for a long period of time such as this.
"You see anyone Miranda?" Charlie asked.
"Yep, I see your whole brood"
"No, mum didn't bring all of them again" Charlie put his face in his hands. "Why oh why"
"And it looks like Little Ronniekins has finally learned how to walk while you were away" Andy commented, laughing at the small boy attempting to run around with his two older brothers. The train slowed to a halt, and everyone started putting their things away. "Miranda, I see your aunt and uncle over there, and I think I see Samuel" He looked over at Sydney who was putting her robes back in her trunk. "Really?" she looked up, "Does he have a small red haired girl with him?"
"Yep" he squinted. "But she's being held by another man."
"What?" Sydney jumped up and joined them at the window. "Where?" Andy pointed and her eyes followed his finger till they stopped on Samuel and beside him was... "Father?" she mumbled. But that can't be true, I must be dreaming. "You see the man too right?" she asked Andy.
"Yeah"
"With black hair and glasses?"
"Yeah" She blinked, and then blinked again, rubbing her eyes. She would have just thought he was an apparition, a figment of her imagination, but if Andy saw him too, then what was it? Could it be a ghost, but no, he was holding Clara. Maybe it was a relative, a long lost uncle that she didn't know about, that's it, that must be it. At least now she could get away from the Martins. "Come on" Andy said suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts.
"How are we ever going to get our trunks off this train" Miranda said, tugging on hers, but it didn't move an inch.
"Leave it, we can get our parents to help us. Come on" Andy grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her out of the compartment. "I can't wait for you to meet my sister and brother."
"At least someone's glad about being home, and to think, he went home on Christmas too" Charlie muttered to Miranda as they followed the other two off the train. Andy pulled her through the crowd to where his parents and younger siblings were standing. Suddenly Sydney stopped, jerking his hand back. She turned around, and swore she heard someone call out her name. There it was again. It sounded exactly like a voice she never expected to hear again. Letting go of Andy's hand, she started towards where she had seen Samuel standing from the train, dodging people left and right. There he was, standing and looking over the crowd, like this was the most natural thing in the world, just as he had picking up her from school as she was growing up. He worked at night so there he was every day, standing on the edge of the crowd, holding Clara. Wearing a black sweater and Khakis, she always thought he was the best-dressed parent there, but then again she was prejudice. She would run up to him, give him a hug, and then they would walk home together. It wasn't a long walk to their house, only about ten minutes. It was the best part of the day. And so, there he was, her father, in the flesh. She had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. He turned around and looked straight at her.
"Father?" She said as calmly as she could under the circumstances. She felt if she said anything else she might do something unwonted and rash, like turn and run or burst into tears, and she didn't want to do either, at least not here in the station. He didn't make a move. For the first time in her life she sensed something from him that she couldn't even remember sensing before, fear. Now fear like something horrible was going to happen, but fear like fear of rejection. Who did he fear was going to reject him? Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, it was she. He was afraid that she would reject him, that she didn't love him anymore. He was her father, she loved him more then anything else in the world. It didn't make any sense, it just didn't. All and all he wasn't about to make the first move, and so that left it up to her. If it were up to her she would be standing here for some time while she got her composer together. It certainly wasn't everyday when your father, who you assumed was in prison, appears to pick you up from school. Finally she took the four steps separating them and then throwing caution to the wind threw her arms around him and hugged as hard as she could. "I've missed you father," She murmured, burying her face in his shirt.
"I've missed you too Sydney" He replied, and she didn't even notice the tears that fell on her head.
Henri was sitting in the living room watching the fire burn low. It was very late at night, past midnight, and both his daughters had been asleep for some time now. He knew he should go to bed soon, but he was dreading it. During the day he was fine, but when he slipped into sleep, he would wake up every night from nightmares. He hasn't had a good night sleep in months. Next time he went to Diagon Alley he would have to pick up the ingredients for a dreamless sleep. He was better at charms then potions, but he was sure he could do it, although he hadn't done any magic in five years.
"Daddy?" he heard a small voice say behind him, breaking him from the fire. Turning his head he saw Clara standing in the door in her nightgown and stuffed bear. If Sydney was considered British, Clara was considered American. Clara and Sydney were more different then two sisters could be. Clara was very outgoing, and made friends with everyone. From what Samuel told him she already made tons of friends since she arrived in London. She was going to be one of those people who were friends with everyone and everyone was her friend.
"Yes Clara?" he replied, sitting up from the couch where he had been laying.
"Can I have a glass of water?"
"Of course" Taking his wand he made a class of water appear in her hand. She smiled at this bit of magic. "Now you need to go back to bed, it's late"
"Will you tuck me in?"
"Clara, I already tucked you in bed once tonight."
"Please daddy, you have to make up for all that time while you were away" She gave him her pleading puppy-dog eyes.
"All right...All right" he got up and taking her hand, led her up the stairs. She was in bed and asleep before he knew it. Starting to walk downstairs he stopped when he heard noises coming from Sydney's room. Thinking she might be awake Henri decided to go and investigate. He looked in and saw that she was sound asleep, curled up in a ball. He watched her for a couple of moments and then turned to leave, but stopped when he heard his name mumbled. "Sydney?" he whispered, wondering if she really was awake. He didn't get an answer.
"No, don't leave me" she suddenly cried out, reaching out to try and grab something. He quickly rushed over to the side of her bed.
"Sydney, are you all right?"
"No, please don't take him again, please father no, I'll be good, I promise, don't leave me again, please. Please don't take him like you took mother. Don't leave me alone" She looked like she was struggling to get something but she couldn't reach it.
"Sydney darling, wake up" he shook her gently. Her eyes shot open, and she looked like she was about to cry. "It was just a dream." He said, pulling her close.
"Promise you'll never leave me" she mumbled into his shirt.
"I promise, I'm not planning on going anywhere for some time now."
"Thank you" she whispered, laying back down. He waited for her to fall asleep before he got up and made his way to his own bedroom. Returning to his bedroom, he closed his eyes and for the first time in months he slept without a nightmare.
Ending A/N - It's over, finally over. Lame lame ending I know. Only took me a month to write, but I didn't really have to worry about posting it because I doubted anyone would steal my idea. The Sequel should be up soon, as the prequel, which will explain what happened leading up to that dreadful night Ellen died. Was Henri really a double agent, did he kill Ellen, or was it really Voldemort as he claims, why do we park in a driveway and drive in a parkway, who was the man in the cell beside Henri in Prison, who is Marilla's brother, will Andy have any more of a part, how about Clara, and why oh why did they choose to move to Oklahoma of all places? These questions and more will be answered in those parts...up soon I hope.
Good evening and read and review
Copy write 2000 MollyCo