Hello! I'm hoping you remember chapter one, it's been quite a while since I've written on this one, but I'm trying to keep up on my updates now.
Chapter Two: Big Secret
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Hermione and Ginny looked at her funny, but the guys had no objections so she got them all another butterbeer, except for when they showed up, Fred and George cut in and paid for them.
They spent the rest of the night talking and then Fred and George took Jade back home while the others all did the same. They didn't see her though on the train to Hogwarts, nor on their way in or in the great hall. Ginny and Hermione both scanned the staff table, noticing that Dumbledore was missing as well.
"Do you think that Dumbledore has her up in his office?" Ron questioned simply, eyeing his sister and Hermione both and then looking at Harry, who shrugged.
Blaine took a seat across from Dumbledore as he looked at her calmly from his seat.
"Thank you Minerva." He said in a soft voice to the woman who'd led Jade to the office in the first place. Jade looked up over her shoulder to the woman to see her nod and walk back out of the doorway. "Well Miss Ferrara, I welcome you to hogwarts."Jade smiled and looked down at her hands.
"Thank you professor." She said sweetly, looking up to see a small smile on his own lips, but soon it turned to a serious expression. He cleared his throat and leaned back against the high back of his chair.
"It seems as though we have a few things to discuss concerning your background and why you were transferred to Hogwarts." Jade swallowed and waited fro him to go on, which he did without much hesitation. "Indeed I know who you are, that you are adopted and I know that both of us know who your biological parents are." Jade nodded hesitantly and he let his grin return." there is nothing to be worried aboutmy dear, I just have one favor to ask of you." Jade frowned, wondering what was so special about her that he would need a favor from her.
"Yes professor?" she questioned, her voice now returning to normal, he stood from his seat and walked over to a shelf bearing that of a ratty looking old hat.
"I ask that you keep that our little secret, who your parents are, for that could cause an excessive amount of trouble if it found it's way to a certain someone." Jade knew what he meant, but he continued, as she was about to say something. "You see, if Harry knew that you were his biological sister, it could be a danger to him, last year he was lured by the dark lord simply by making him think his god-father was in danger." Jade knew the stories, or most of them, partially by stories she'd heard from Fred and George, but also from what she'd read in the Daily Prophet, but she didn't know if she could.
"But Professor Dumbledore, he's the only real family I have and if the Dark Lord succeeds then-" he cut her off as he lifted the ratty hat off of the shelf.
"You will still be able to speak to him and such things, but he mustn't know because it would make the risk of that success increase in possibility, he will know in time." Jade understood, but she didn't want to, all of the what-ifs were flooding through her head and she couldn't control the feeling that this would not be an easy task, she would have already told him had she had the nerve when she saw him, but to spring such a thing on someone mere minutes, or even hours after meeting wasn't a good idea.
"I promise professor." She mustered softly and he came over with the hat and a warm smile.
"Thank you my dear, now, we must find a place for you…" he placed the hat upon her head and she shivered inwardly, a little grossed out. The hat actually chuckled as it began to find where she belonged.
"Ahh, you belong in a place,
For the strong of Will, the home of grace,
Though you have a strong sense of ambition,
I know exactly the position,
For the brave of heart and the courageous few,
The loyal friends, honest and true.
GRYFFINDOR."
Jade looked up at Dumbledore, expecting some sort of weird expression, but only one of pride and happiness resided on his face, she felt confused, would this not cause a problem, her being in the same place as Harry?
"This will give you the opportunity you desire." He said, lifting the hat from her head and cradling it softly in his arms as he finished his address. "I myself must return to the great hall for the feast and will personally escort you, indeed you have already met Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's so a assume you would want to seat with them during the feast." Jade smiled and got up from her seat.
"Yes Professor, I have met them and seeing as I know only them amongst this school, I would appreciate it." He smiled and nodded, then proceeded to lead her to the great hall. He led her the back way, through a room located at the back of the great hall and then down an isle between two tables. Jade immediately recognized four faces amongst one of the tables, yet while most of the rest of the school were staring at her, Hermione was the first to look up as Dumbledore got within four feet.
"Jade!" she said excitedly, looking quizzical behind her smile, making all the others look up and surprised.
"Miss Ferrara will be joining the four of you back to Gryffindor tower this evening." Hermione smiled and shoved over in her seat to allow Jade to sit in between her and Ginny, which she did. "Very well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I myself am quite famished." He said in more of a whisper and then began on his way back to the staff table. Ginny smiled brightly at Jade.
"Quite the coincidence, you meeting us and now being placed in the same house as us." Jade reddened a bit.
"I was surprised myself, but relieved." Ginny laughed.
"We were worried Fred and George might've blown you up or something, maybe even convinced you to stay and work for them instead of coming to Hogwarts." Jade laughed and shook her head.
"No, but Fred had purple skin for the past three days and George ended up with an extremely bad haircut." All four of them laughed along with her, but the sorting interrupted the rest of any continued conversations.
The next morning Jade scanned over her timetable, which had been passed out once the great hall, was full for breakfast.
"What's you're schedule look like?"Hermione questioned across the table, jade looked up from her timetable, Harry scanning over it.
"What? Oh, I have Herbology first thing, transfiguration and History of Magic, then after dinner I have defense and double potions." She set her timetable down beside her plate and continued to eat her eggs. Ron was the first to notice the absence of meat upon her plate, and remembered seeing the same upon her plate the night before, he frowned.
Jade looked up at him and raised both brows; there was a slight silence as she looked at him oddly, everyone looking at her. "D' I say something wrong?" He questioned stupidly. Jade smiled and shook her head.
"I get asked those questions a lot, I'm a vegetarian." Ginny seemed interested.
"So you don't eat meat?" Jade nodded, Ginny frowned. "But you eat eggs?" she questioned further, pointing at the scrambled eggs on Jaden's plate and fork. Jaden grinned.
"They're not meat." Ginny cocked her head to the side.
"There was one time when Hermione refused to eat because the house-elves cook and get paid very little if at all." Hermione perked up and the two boys sighed in aggravation.
"It's wrong to enslave house-elves."
"They like not getting paid." Ron protested once again, getting annoyed with all of Hermione's protesting. "So it's not slavery." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"They get paid practically nothing, whether they like it or north, that's slavery." jade drew in a deep breath.
"I wouldn't argue, I mean, my outlook is that my eating habits are my own choice, we're all allowed our choices, like, I'm not about to tell you shouldn't eat meat because it's wrong, that's just my belief." Harry smiled and silently agreed as he chewed his food.
"See, you two should follow that example." Ginny put in the silence. "You two fight constantly over the stupidest things and it's rather annoying if you ask me." Ron glowered at her.
"But, if you ask me…" Jade began. "I have to agree with Ron, because it's their choice to not be paid at all, or take little." Ron looked at her surprised and then grew a grin and his ears turned red. Hermione made a huffing noise and Ginny watched as both Ron and Jade looked at each other, growing her own smile.
Ron glanced over at Ginny and then suddenly down to his plate and stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth. Jade had followed his gaze and looked down quickly too, she had to admit though, Ron was very different from his brothers, they were super-forward and rambunctious, but she found Ron to be shy and well…normal.
"We'll be with you in all those classes." Harry's voice rang in her ears and she looked up to him. "Except of course, Ginny, and Hermione's not in Divination." Jade looked to Hermione.
"Why?" she questioned simply and Hermione distorted her face in a frown.
"Because Trelawney's an old bat who 'pretends' to see the future, she uses the fact that Harry has had to face v-voldemort several times to 'predict' his sudden death, which makes the students think she does have the seeing eye." Jade noticed how Hermione stumbled upon his name, watching Jade intently as she said it like she expected her to do something about it. Most people had a problem when that name was mentioned and Jade knew it. There was no reason not to say his name, it's not like saying it would cause death to its speaker, jade just never said it she.
"Trelawney was fired last year." Ron stated simply.
"Yes, but she was re-hired by Dumbledore at the end of the year, I'm sure she's got her job back." Ginny added in.
"Hi guys." Came a male voice from behind Jade. They all looked up and most were shocked at the sight in front of them, but as jade looked up she saw a dark haired boy lit up with a smile.
"Neville?" Came Harry's questioning voice as he looked at him, Neville blushed a bit and looked down at himself and then nodded.
"You've changed so much." Hermione said in an airy voice, watching him with wide eyes, even Ginny was eyeing him oddly. "You're-you're…" she trailed off and Jade looked over to see complete shock; jade turned back and offered her hand.
"Jaden." She said, thinking it weird how she was the only one not gawking. He smiled. "Ferrara." She added.
"Neville Longbottom." He returned, taking her hand in his and shaking it. "It's nice to meet you." he said sweetly. "I have to go, I just wanted to say hi." He said, looking over at the others, letting go of her hand. He left shortly and they all exchanged weird looks, jade getting confused and feeling weird.
"What's wrong?" she asked curiously, studying the looks on each of their faces.
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to my reviewers:
Yeah whatever- glad you like it, hope you're not mad i took so long
AFireInside