You know what I absolutely hate about this site? It's that I can't reply to the reviews one by one. I would really love to reply to each and every one of your reviews because I'm honestly floored by them. I really appreciate the time you've taken out to read my story and even to write your comments. I started writing the story because while I was reading the order of the phoenix, a sequel started forming in my head and I thought I would test my writing skills. But receiving encouraging reviews from strangers is really flattering and it's what keeps me going now that school had started and the work is killing me. I hope this chapter is up to standard. Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Avada Kedavra

"Sit, my child," said Professor Dumbledore. Janieve obliged.

"Tea?" he offered. Janieve shook her head.

"I guess I will begin my story," he said.

"Many many years ago," he started, "a dark wizard who alias himself as Lord Voldermort came to power. But exactly fifteen years before, he failed in killing a baby, and his curse rebounded on him.

"Harry," Janieve supplied.

"That's right. The baby was Harry. Voldermort tried to kill Harry but failed. He lost all his powers that night and became less than half a human. His most loyal supporters were desperate to find him and restore him back to power. A group of them, including your real parents, tortured the Longbottoms for information of Voldermort's whereabouts using the Cruciatus curse…"

"Neville's parents!" Janieve interrupted.

"Yes," replied Professor Dumbledore. "They were caught in the end and sent to Azkaban after being found guilty. You then became an orphan. I decided to put you up with a muggle family near Harry's home so that I can keep a good watch on both of you at the same time. When you turned the age of school, I decided not to let you learn about sorcery after all. Unlike Harry's aunt and uncle, your adopted parents were awfully nice to you even though you were just a baby that appeared on their doorstep out of the blue. You were so happy living as a muggle. I just could not bring myself to take that happiness away from you. So, I let you lived your life the way it was. However, your biological parents managed to escape prison, found out about you, and decided to come for you. I couldn't allow another innocent to turn bad because of your parentage so I took you with us."

"My adopted parents and my boyfriend… they were killed by…?" Janieve asked even though she knew the answer already.

"The Lestranges. Your parents. They were the two hooded figures," Professor Dumbledore replied.

Janieve felt the wind sucked out of her. My adopted parents and my boyfriend were killed because of me, she thought miserably and consumed by guilt.

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The following week was probably one of the worst in Janieve's life. Rumours spread like fire. Everyone was talking about Janieve being the Lestranges' daughter. She even overheard some fourth years saying that Janieve was working for Voldermort and the reason she was with Harry was because she was spying for the Dark Lord. The only Hogwart's students that were actually still civil to her were Ginny and Hermione. In fact, they trusted her, remained friends with her, and endured all the snide remarks with her. Janieve was very grateful to them.

Janieve's biggest consolation was that Hermione had assured Janieve that Harry had not been the one blurting her parentage to the rest of the world. If Harry had told anyone, it would have been Ron and Hermione but both of them had heard the news from a third party. Somehow, the news had got out and Janieve had no idea how.

She seriously had no idea how much more nasty looks from Ron she could take before breaking down. Janieve felt really bad that Hermione and Ron were not on speaking terms because of her. Thankfully, Christmas was coming soon and she would be away from this school for the time being. But her relief was short-lived when she remembered that she'll have to stay at the same place as Harry and Ron. She wondered if Mrs. Weasley would hate her too when she found out Janieve's relations to the Lestranges. She also wondered if Fred and George would scorn her the way Ron did.

Janieve spent all her free time studying and was becoming nearly as good with all her spells as Hermione was. She could now summon anything from wherever and transfigure anything into something with no resemblance to its original. Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slow with lesser friends and company. Ginny too was having problems with Dean because Dean, Seamus and Neville believed Janieve to be a dark witch too and were angry with Ginny for associating with her.

"You know Janny," Hermione said, "it's just the boys. They are too prejudiced. One day, they'll come round."

"Yeah, I bet Ron will turn out like Percy if he doesn't watch his footing," Ginny added consolingly.

"My mom's a giant an' she was not a good mother too. But mos' people, people who mattered anyway, 'ad come to realise tha' I am harmless," said Hagrid.

The four of them were having their dinner at Hagrid's hut the fifth time that week. This had became a routine for them for Janieve found that she could no longer face the animosity the students were throwing at her during meal times. Janieve could tell that Hagrid, Ginny and Hermione were trying to cheer her up but she was not listening to them. She was watching Fangs ripping his dinner - a large piece of meat - with mild fascination.

They walked back to the Hogwarts castle after a short dinner mainly because Janieve was not making an effort to maintain their conversation. They reached the dining hall and realised that most of the Gryffindor are still having their dinner. Harry looked up and their eyes met and she thought she saw hatred in his eyes. She walked away sadly, her head down and avoiding all eye contact.

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Harry lied in his bedroom that night, tossing and turning. His head was churning a hundred thoughts a second and he was sure he had laid there for hours. He could not get Janieve's sad eyes out of his mind. The way her shoulders slouched as she walked nowadays and the usual glow no longer on her face, they just seemed to tug at his heartstrings. As much as he was angry at her, he wanted to run to her and hug her and tell her everything will be okay and yell at the people staring at and gossiping about her.

However, during dinner earlier on, his eyes had met Janieve briefly and he had felt this immense pain and hatred towards her. The feeling was so strong that it had caused a twisting feeling in his chest. He wanted to shout at her and tell her to stop acting pathetic. He would swing from feeling sorry for her one minute to feeling extreme anger at her the next. It was this contradicting emotion that had caused the sleepless nights.

Faint sunlight filtered through the curtains and played oddly shaped shadows on the walls across his bed. The boys dormitories slowly lighted up by the crack of morning and Harry gave up all hope of ever getting a wink when he heard Ron waking up on the bed next to his.

Harry climbed out of bed with difficulty as his fuzzy head weighed down on him. He saw Ron and noticed that he looked as bad as Harry did. His eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and he had a look of annoyance permanently plastered on his face. Harry figured this had got to do with Hermione and the topic of Janieve.

"Good morning, Harry," he said.

"Morning," Harry replied.

As Harry walked towards the bathroom, a girl with auburn hair leapt out from the curtains around Dean's bed.

"Ginny!" Ron shouted. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny flushed and Dean appeared from behind her.

"What the fuck were you doing in Dean's bed?" Ron demanded frilly. His temper had been on the brink for days and it was just finding the perfect opportunity to let out.

"And what fucking business is it of yours?" Ginny yelled back now, her face still flushed, but no longer with embarrassment but with anger.

"I'm your brother," Ron said.

"That doesn't give you the right to poke into my business," Ginny shot back.

Ron gave her a venomous glare before turning to Dean. "What were the two of you doing?"

Dean opened his mouth awkwardly but Ginny cut him out.

"I just slept in his bed last night okay?" she cried indignantly. "What's the big deal? It's not like we had sex or anything. Stop being such a prick Ron. If you'd just lighten up, maybe Hermione would start talking to you."

Ron's jaw fell open. Ginny grabbed Dean's arm and yanked him out of the dormitories.

The rest of the day was worse than the start. Ron's bad mood was starting to get to Harry. He appreciated his good friend's loyalty to Harry but Harry wished he would stop badmouthing Janieve. Although Harry could not accept her as a girlfriend, he didn't really find her such a horrible person as Ron had put it.

He played numerous rounds of exploding snaps with the boys before they decided to head for dinner. As Harry climbed out of the Gryffindor common room, he spot Hermione, Janieve and Ginny walking up the stairs towards him. Janieve's eyes were downcast and she appeared not to have noticed him. Harry felt a pang for causing such sorrow in her. And just like usual, the pang was replaced by fury. The fury grew and made his head feel like they were on fire. Without meaning to, Harry reached for his wand.

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"Avada Kedavra" Harry shouted, his wand pointing at Janieve.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted at the same time and Harry's wand flew out of his hand.

"Janny!"

"Harry no!"

Janieve felt a streak of burning sensation across her back as she fell forward. Her knees hit solid ground and her visions swam before her. People were screaming but they sounded distant to her. Her head lolled sideways and she fell backward, her legs tucked under her. The last thing she saw before she lost all consciousness was Ginny's worried face hovering over her.

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"Harry no!"

Harry heard someone called him. He felt his body went weak as he toppled over. He was on all fours and he felt something rushed from his stomach and pushed through his throat. He began to vomit involuntarily.

"Harry, are you okay?"

Harry sat down finally, an odd sour taste lingering on his tongue. Ron was looking at him with a look of fear and worry altogether.

"I'm fine," he replied grudgingly.

Ron merely looked at him, unconvinced.

"Potter," Snape barked menancingly, "Dumbledore wants you to wait for him at his office."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"You don't remember anything at all?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head furiously. He could only remember himself puking his heart out. He looked around him. All his friends were staring at him. Then he remembered. He was heading down to the Great Hall for dinner with Seamus, Dean, Neville and Ron when he saw Janieve, Hermione and Ginny heading up in their direction. His head throbbed as he tried to remember what happened after that. Everything that happened between now and then was a total blank.

"You just attacked Jan…" Ron began.

"That's enough!" interrupted Snape.

"Potter," Snape snarled, "come with me now."

Harry had no choice but to follow Severus Snape up to Dumbledore's office. His mind was in a whirl. Had Ron just told him that he had attacked Janny? How was that possible? He was angry with her for hiding the truth about her parents but that had not warrant an attack from him. Besides, if he really did, he would have remembered it, right? Harry turned to Snape when they reached the ugly stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office.

"Crooning Crickets," said Snape. The stone gargoyle moved aside to reveal the passageway to Dumbledore's office. "Go on in."

"Sir," Harry began tentatively. He needed to find some answers and he needed them now. But he also knew getting information from Snape would be hard for him. Anything that agonised Harry seemed to make Snape satisfied.

"I am sure Professor Dumbledore would be in a better position to answer your questions, Potter," Snape answered even before Harry asked. For an instant, Harry thought he saw sympathy in Snape's eyes. But when he looked at Snape again, that look was gone and Harry seriously considered he had imagined it.

Harry had been sitting in Dumbledore's office for a really long time. Harry wished fervently that he had worn a watch with him that day. The sun outside Dumbledore's office was setting, illuminating the otherwise dim office with its bright rays of dusk shine. He knew that he would suffer from a breakdown from all the questions burning in his head if his headmaster did not come back soon.

Harry got up and began pacing the office. He found himself soaking slowly into darkness.

The door suddenly jumped open and Harry turned to see a tired looking Dumbledore. He looked surprised to see Harry in his office but that surprise was gone in a split second.

"Professor," Harry began but Dumbledore raised a hand up to stop him.

"Harry, take a seat," he ordered.

"No! I've been sitting here the whole night! I need to know what happened!" Harry shouted angrily.

"Harry, please," said Dumbledore calmly, "I'll give you your answers when you're seated."

Harry sat down obediently. Dumbledore took his seat across him and looked down on him through his half-moon spectacles.

"Harry, have you been practising your Occlumency?"

Harry looked down guiltily. He was afraid that Dumbledore might tell him what he had already deduced. He was suddenly not so sure he wanted his answers anymore. He shook his head finally.

Dumbledore sucked in a deep breath uncharacteristically. "Harry, Voldermort has made use of you again," he said sympathetically, "and this time, he had attacked Miss Walker."

Harry mouth went dry. He looked at Dumbledore dumbly.

"I am sure you would be relieved to hear that she is no longer in critical danger, thanks to Miss Granger, who managed to disarm you in time. But she is still weak and will need to recuperate in St. Mungo's Hospital for sometime," Dumbledore went on.

St. Mungo's Hospital? The injury must be serious for her to be admitted to St. Mungo's, Harry thought anxiously.

"Wha-What did I a-attack her with?" Harry stammered.

Dumbledore looked at him searchingly, as if trying to decide if he should be told the truth. Finally he spoke, in a foreign, cracking voice, "The Killing Curse."