I'm eclipsing them now.
Calling all allies down.

THE NEXT MORNING, 9 AM, August 13th

Draco, Severus and I spent the previous evening discussing the current situation. I explained everything about what brought me to London and what happened after I got there. While they explained the wizarding world to me the best that they could. After hours of talking we decided to retire for the evening and planned on going back to my hotel room the next morning to retrieve Harry's trunk.

Now I sat on the couch in the living room of Draco's flat while two grown wizards knelt next to a trunk trying to break it open.

"I thought you guys were wizards, shouldn't you have it open by now?" I asked with a frustrated sigh. Draco turned around and gave me a cold look.

"It's not like you're doing any of the work you know, so just shut up," he snapped.

"Draco, that's enough," Severus said calmly as he stood up and brushed himself off. I walked over to them quickly to see if they had finally broken the lock.

"It won't open, the spells he put on it are just too powerful," Draco said as I stooped over the trunk. What Draco said reminded me of something but I couldn't think of what. It was something that someone had told me about power.

"Power, power..." I mumbled to myself while Severus and Draco kept glancing at each other and then down at me as if to say "what a nut job."

"My notebook!" I exclaimed and tore off through the room. I ran back to them with the notebook in hand and flipped to the third page where I had written about my stop at the Dursleys.

"Jenny, are you going to tell us what's got you so excited?" Draco asked.

"Sure Dray, just a second," I mumbled. Draco glared at Severus and Severus just sniggered as he mouthed the word 'Dray'.

"Here it is!" I yelled a little too loudly causing them to flinch, "It's something Dudley said to me."

"What could Dudley Dursley say to you that could possibly help us open Harry's trunk?" Severus sneered.

"Dudley said, and I quote, 'I can tell you one thing, if that is Harry's trunk there is only one person who can open it', end quote. Then when I pressed for information he said, and I quote, 'Only one person would have the power to', end quote. So who's got enough power to open this damn thing?" I glanced from one to the other expectantly and to my surprise they both answered at the same.

"Dumbledore."

TEN HOURS LATER, 8PM

"Where is that stupid, bloody owl!" Draco yelled and kicked the coffee table.

"Calm down Draco, I'm sure we'll hear from Albus soon," Severus said calmly and took another sip of tea. It seemed to be the hundredth time that day we had tea and I couldn't help but start to get rather fond of it.

"What's this Dumbledore guy like anyway?" I asked.

"Well," Severus began, "he's a good man, very intelligent and very kind. Also..." His voice trailed off as if he wasn't sure if he should voice his other thoughts on the man. Draco snorted and then began to laugh.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

"Sev left out a few things," Draco answered with a grin, "Albus is a sly, cunning, manipulative old man who can get people to do just about anything he wants and have them thinking that it was their decision the entire time." I took another sip of tea and listened as Severus began laughing with Draco.

"That doesn't sound very nice to me," I mumbled.

"What was that Jenny?" Severus asked.

"I said, that doesn't sound very nice to me. My Father always said that the worst people in the world are people who manipulate," I answered, "Especially those who manipulate using kindness."

"Interesting..." Draco mumbled, "It sounds like he had to deal with those kinds of people before."

"I wouldn't know about that," I said with a shrug, "It would make sense though, considering how overprotective he was of me. He home schooled me and would barely let me out of his sight. We fought about it constantly..." I couldn't stop the tears from coming once again, and I threw up my hands in frustration. "My God I'm sick of crying." I said with a chuckle.

"It's okay," Draco said as he came to sit down next to me and began to rub small circles on my back.

"No it's not," I said angrily, "I was so mean to my Dad, and I fought with him all the time. We had even been fighting before he passed away and now he'll never know how much I love him." Severus came down to sit on the other side of me.

"I'm sure he knows," Severus answered quietly and gave my hand a squeeze.

"I hope so," I replied, "My Father was always in so much pain. You can't imagine how messed up he looked. His body was covered in scars, completely and utterly covered in them." Draco and Severus gave me a confused look and I could tell that they wanted more of an explanation.

"He never told me exactly where they came from, only that he had been in a lot of fights and accidents when he was younger. I never believed him though but I never pressed for more information. I could tell by the look of pain in his eyes just how much it hurt him to have me even know that the scars were there."

"How did he keep you from finding out his past?" Draco asked as he leaned back into the couch, "You would think that after so many years he would let something slip."

"Jenny, don't ask about my past, it means nothing now. The past is just that, only memories. You are my future Jenny and I love you with all my heart, that's all that matters now."

"Jenny, Jenny," I could hear Severus trying to get my attention.

"Huh...what?" I asked in confusion.

"You spaced out on us there for a moment," Severus answered as he shared a concerned look with Draco.

"O, I'm fine, just thinking about something my Father said to me once," I replied and there was silence as they waited for me to explain, "The past is just that, only memories."

"But like I said," Draco mumbled, almost to himself, "Something would have to slip in all those years."

"Yes, there were things that slipped out," I answered. Severus and Draco stared at me expectantly, I just sipped my tea.

"Well?" Severus asked, I sighed in frustration.

"His paintings," I answered as I stared blankly down at my cup of tea, "I know he let things from his past out when he painted."

"What kinds of things?" Draco asked. I cringed as I thought back to the times I snuck into my Father's workroom to peek at his paintings.

So much red on the canvas. It was blood, I knew that for sure. There were wolves in the picture, they were tearing apart a small boy in the center of the painting. I could see his face contorted in pain but he did not seem to want to cry out. Instead he just lay there as the wolves destroyed him.

"Blood," I said with a grimace, "pain, torture, death..." My voice trembled and my hand shook as I set my teacup on the end table.

"I'm sorry," Draco said as he pulled me into a hug. I tensed slightly for a moment and then returned the embrace. It felt nice to be comforted, even though it was a bit disconcerting. My Father had been the only one in my life to ever get physically close to me and do things like hug, but I let myself relax in Draco's arms because I really needed someone to care at the moment.

There was a tapping on one of the windows and I was pushed away as Draco and Severus ran towards the window. A brown, barn owl was fluttering on the other side of the glass, a letter hanging down from one leg. Severus let the owl in, untied the letter and the owl took off through the window with barely a pause.

"I guess he doesn't want a reply..." Draco mumbled as he peered over Severus' shoulder to read the letter. Severus didn't seem to be very happy about Dumbledore's reply.

"Damn that man," Severus sneered as he tossed the letter in the garbage. Draco just chuckled.

"It will be fine Severus, riding the train isn't that bad," he said as he led Severus back into the living room and they took a seat once again.

"What train?" I asked in confusion.

"Dumbledore wants us to take the Hogwarts Express with the students," Draco explained, "He thinks it would be the easiest and safest way for us to get there. It's not like it's a big deal anyway, Severus and I usually go back earlier to prepare for classes, but it's a three day ride on the train so I think we'll be able to find the time to finish our study guides and things."

"O, sounds fine to me, I love train rides." Severus snorted and mumbled something about stupid brats that I couldn't quite make out.

"Is all mail delivered by owl?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Draco's face brightened and Severus' did as well, but only a bit. It seemed that they thoroughly enjoyed explaining their world to someone who was not familiar with it. It was easy to see why they had both become teachers, Severus in Potions and Draco in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"O yes," Draco answered with a smile, "It's much faster than muggle post. I've heard they have to wait days for letters to go through." Another one of Draco's favorite pastimes seems to be pointing out everything wrong with muggles.

"I suppose," I said slowly, "it does seem to be quite a bit faster."

"It is much faster," Severus added, "I remember the headmaster telling me that Hogwarts letters are sent in the evening and by 8AM the next morning every student has theirs, even the muggle-borns."

"Wait a minute," I said, "Hogwarts sends out letters? It doesn't just take any witch or wizard that wants to go there?"

"Of course not," Severus sneered, "There's a list at Hogwarts that keeps a list of every potential student. The list is added to when a witch or wizard is born."

"Wow," was my only reply and we sat in silence, each one of us absorbed in our own thoughts.

"Happy birthday honey!" Dad yelled as I stumbled out of my bedroom. I rubbed my eyes and collapsed onto one of the kitchen chairs.

"Dad, I love you and all, but it's way to early to be so cheery," I answered as I began to butter a piece of toast. Unfortunately, it was May 1st, my birthday, which guaranteed Dad would be overly cheerful all day long.

"Hey, it's not everyday my daughter turns eleven," he answered as he took his plates to the sink. When I looked over at him he was warily watching the skies outside, almost as if he was looking for something.

"Is there something wrong Dad?" I asked as I munched on my second piece of toast.

"No," he stammered as he turned around, "Why don't you go upstairs and get changed, then we can leave for the zoo."

"Sounds great!" I yelled. The zoo was by far one of my favorite places to go with my Dad. As I walked out of the room I could swear that I heard a tapping on the window but I quickly dismissed it and ran upstairs to change.

"When you're eleven," I said blankly, talking to myself more than anyone, "that's when you get the letter from Hogwarts isn't it?" Draco and Severus just stared at me for a moment before answering.

"How did you know that?" Severus asked in confusion.

"It was May first," I started as I stared at the ceiling, trying to conceal the pain that remembering caused, "my eleventh birthday. I came downstairs in the morning to eat breakfast and my Dad was acting really nervous and he kept staring out the window. When I left the room to get changed I thought I heard a tapping at the kitchen window. I didn't really give it much thought at the time but I guess that owl tapping on the window must have brought it back."

"Well," Draco said with a reassuring smile, "I guess we know now that you're witch. That's a good thing right?" I just shrugged and stood up to get my bag and head to bed.

"Obviously my father didn't seem to think so." And with that I walked out of the room, not giving either one of them a chance to reply.