Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.
Harry Potter and the Light of Life
Chapter VIII: Someone like him.
Harry didn't know what to say. It seemed as if his tongue was glued to the bottom of his mouth. What had she just said? It couldn't be...please, not Leia...
"What did you say?" Harry whispered, when he was convinced that he had to have heard wrong.
"I said: 'Because both my mother and father were Death Eaters.'" Leia didn't sound the least bit angry anymore, just irritated.
Harry felt his knees go weak, so he sat down on the steps.
"What?" he asked finally.
"I don't know if you noticed," said Leia, sitting down next to him, "but I told Malfoy that I am of purer blood than him. Which is actually true. My family history is more chaotic than yours, though of course, not as famous. But I find it wise not to talk about my parents, because if I do, those I tell it to usually get that look you are wearing right now, of complete distrust and disbelief."
"Of course," said Harry, "you wouldn't have hidden it if you were on our side! You're as rotten as Malfoy! No worse, YOU'RE A BETRAYER!" They should never have told her about the Order! They should never have told her anything!
But deep, deep down, Harry wouldn't believe it. He refused to believe what his mind was telling him, that Leia was evil. She couldn't be, please, please don't let her be a betrayer...
"No, I'm not," answered Leia, as calm as ever.
"Then why did you hide it?" wondered Harry, hoping, praying, that he was wrong. "Why did you hide that you come from a family of killers?"
Was it Harry's fate, as it had been his parents, to be betrayed by his friends?
"Because I like to be judged for who I am," said Leia, looking Harry right in the eye, "not for who I was born to be. You have trusted me all this time, not knowing anything about me! When I let it slip that my parents, whom I don't even remember, are Death Eaters, you look at me as an enemy instead of a friend. That's the reason why I hide it."
"Tell me why your story then," said Harry. "Tell me why you are innocent."
"Alright. We can start with my dad. He was put in Azkaban for what he did. Though he isn't there anymore."
"You mean he's escaped?"
"No. He died after a few years in there. He was put in Azkaban for the murder of my mother." Harry gasped.
"Yeah, great family life eh?" Leia sighed.
"I should start at the beginning... My father's family can be traced all the way back to the Roman Empire. Adrian Andronicus, my father, was the last of the once ruling Andronicus line. Meliora Cognito!"
"I work for the best?" guessed Harry. Latin wasn't his strongest subject.
"I think they said 'strive for the best', but yes, that was their family motto. They were widely known in the wizarding world for their ruthless treating of the lower classes. He met my mother, Libertine Barret, the only daughter of the French Barret family, whom I will be surprised if you haven't heard of."
"The Barret's?" said Harry disbelieving. Of course he knew the Barret's, they played a great part in all French magical history. Professor Binns had described them to the Gryffindors as the French version of the Malfoy family.
"Yes, exactly those Barret's. My parents married in 1973, with the blessing of the Barret's, my mother's family. My father was, as I said, the only one left of the Andronicus line, the rest of his family was killed in 1945, when they had sided with Grindelwald in the war."
"Then come the seventies. My parents must have moved to Britain at some point. From what I have managed to figure out through rumours, old papers and alike, my father was in You-Know-Who's inner circle, while my mother just supported my father's doings. Both of them enjoyed killing, I know they did in a fair few."
"And then, in 1979, my mother became pregnant and they had me, in the spring of 1980. But it seems that my birth made my mother see the light, because she turned against my father and said that what You-Know-Who was doing was wrong and that they should run away while that had the chance. My dad killed her for that, something that made even Death Eaters turn against him."
"Why?" wondered Harry.
"Because he had killed a healthy pure-blood witch! He had betrayed his own kind! But the Ministry got to him beforethe Death Eatersand he was put in Azkaban. And that's the end of the tale." But Harry didn't think so.
"What happened to you?"
"Ah, I forgot. The Aurors found me, when they came to search the house. The dark mark was raised above it, so I guess they were surprised when they found someone alive. In my file follows a long list of hospitals, homes and orphanages until the end of the war, a year and a half later. I don't remember any of it, but Mrs. Spot showed me my records when I was seven. She said it was no reason that I should grow up on a lie. That I better get used to the idea. I kept the name I had been given by the nurse, Leia, for I didn't like my given name. But I took my mother's first name as my last name. She must have had one good bone in her body. And it keeps me from being recognized so easily."
"What is your real name then?"
"Vernula Motifer Andronicus." When Harry realised what it meant, he clearly understood why Leia didn't use it. He wouldn't liked to be called death's servant either.
"Why didn't the Barret's take you in?" wondered Harry.
"Raise the child in whose veins runs the blood of their daughter's murderer?" said Leia. "The Barret's may be heartless in business, but they have never sided truly with You-Know-Who. They love their money and power too much to let the Dark Lord take it away from them."
"So you have never had any contact with any in your family?"
"Nope. I can't remember a thing about them. I have seen some pictures of my parents, but not many. They left me with nothing. No jewellery, no money, no house, no nothing. And still people judge me for being their child. 'Born to be a killer, she must be one herself!' 'She likes to kill, she looks like death herself!'" Leia mimicked in a childish voice. "I don't know how many times I've heard that before someone pushed my head down a toilet!" Now Leia laughed!
"With me it was always 'Hey Potter, I am just helping you! If I stick it in enough times, your hair might lie down!" Harry said, mimicking Dudley's voice.
"Do you see my point now?" asked Leia, now referring to what they originally had been talking about, judging people.
"Yes, I do," admitted Harry. "But with Malfoy, I just can't see him turning good. He is the most despicable, power-hungry, cowardly, selfish, sneaky, evil bastard I have met."
"Well, at least you see my point," said Leia as she got up. "That was actually more than I expected."
"Where were you at dinner by the way?" asked Harry as he joined her up the stairs.
"In the girl's lavatory. I have rarely been so angry. I had visions of hexing you, Hermione and Ron far into next year. Not that I could ever do that with my skills, but it felt good. I don't usually get angry."
"I've noticed," he said. "But you shouldn't skip meals. You're not...well, you don't exactly look like you eat too much."
"And that comes from you? You must be the skinniest person in the school, if you don't count me!" Leia looked at him while laughing. "I have always been this thin, as long as I can remember anyway. I hate it."
"Me too," said Harry. "No matter how much I eat, I still look like I have not seen food in a month."
At that, they both laughed, all anger forgotten. Harry was relieved beyond comparing, he had been wrong! Leia wasn't evil. She was if possible, even more like him, Voldemort having ruined her family as well.
Ron was sitting in his Quidditch robes together with Hermione when Leia came crawling in after Harry. After they had explained the whole gory story to Ron and Hermione, they weren't angry anymore either. Harry went up to change, and soon he and Ron was making their way down to the Quidditch pitch.
A/N: I hope you understood that bit. Ask if anything was unclear. Again, I am sorry for the misspellings, I know I'm hopeless. This was a short chapter, but don't worry, I won't make it a habit. If anyone would like to be my beta, that would be great, just let me know in a review.
All that's left to say now is; review!
