Chapter 3
Apology Accepted
"Well, well. Look who decided to join the living."
"Gee, I dunno George. It certainly doesn't look like he's alive."
"Yeah, how long did you have to hang him upside down to get him to look like that?"
"Any possibility at getting us down from here, Laura?"
"Yeah. It's not like we ever did anything to you."
"Oh shut it Fred. It's your own fault you tried those damn Extendable Ears. I did warn you. And as to not doing anything to me, I seem to recall a certain permanent Canary Cream that mysteriously found its way into my breakfast yesterday." Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by two cries of "HARRY!"
He barley had time to brace himself against the onslaught of a bushy haired girl and a red haired girl and he was suddenly buried under them. "Oi, Hermione, Ginny let the man breath." Harry looked over their heads to see Ron, who had seemed to grow three inches since they last saw each other, and "NEVILLE!"
"Hey Harry. Feeling better?" the boy who had always been the clumsiest person in Harry's year seemed to have grown a lot more confidence since the Department of Mysteries fiasco.
"Great, and the best part is; I don't have to spend any more time in bed!" He said, happy that he didn't have to spend his birthday bedridden.
"That's great. You look loads better than you did three days ago. I mean, you had blood all over you and bruises all over your body, especially this really nasty one on your neck." Hermione said beaming
"Wait a minute… how did you know what injuries I had?" Harry demanded.
Laura winced, "Sorry Harry, my fault. I needed their help with your smaller wounds so I could concentrate on your back and your ribs."
"My what?" a flustered Harry asked.
"Harry, before you get your hackles up, you had countless bruises all over your body, a broken collar bone, myriad shards of glass in your back, and you completely shattered your ribcage. That took the most energy to heal. Don't you remember Laura saying that if you didn't stop moving you may never be able to play Quidditch again?" Remus asked from his seat at the table.
Harry had been in the act of getting ready to start yelling when Remus mentioned the 'not playing Quidditch' part and froze, a horror struck look on his face which made Laura snigger. "Calm down Harry. You are perfectly healed and will be able to play Quidditch when the season starts. But I believe that you owe an apology to someone in this room?"
Wincing, Harry scanned the room for said person and was surprised to see his headmaster sitting in at the table watching Harry, but not saying a word. Slowly gathering his famous 'Gryffindor Courage', Harry removed himself from his friends and walked over to him. "Professor, I owe you an apology for my recent behavior. I'm sorry for breaking your things in my anger, and I am endlessly sorry for being so cold to you when you came to visit me." He stopped unable to carry on yet unable to bring himself to look into his headmaster's eyes.
"Harry look at me." He felt the surprisingly strong hands of the Professor slip under his chin and his face being lifted up to see twinkling blue eyes. He was shocked, it seemed that a hundred years had been lifted of his shoulders in the five seconds since his apology. "Harry, there's no need to apologize for your actions in my office last month. I was quite honest when I told you that I had too many possessions. As to your reaction a few days ago, I must say that your cold anger hurt me, but as I have gone through the same thing that you have, I'm not one to complain too much. At lest you're still talking to me. I wasn't as generous with my mentor."
Harry was shocked to say the least, but as he opened his mouth to ask Dumbledore cut him off saying, "I shall tell you later Harry. Right now I think that your friends are a little too anxious to eat lunch and we're holding them back." Right on cue, Ron's stomach grumbled loudly.
"Alright everyone into the kitchen. I know for a fact that four of you haven't eaten anything in three days so you're not leaving until you've had three full servings." Mrs. Weasley said bustling out of the kitchen and ushering everyone into eat.
Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Laura all had finished three plates of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking before joining the conversations that surrounded them. Hermione was asking Laura about the different classes that she was planning to take (having given up on asking Ron) when Harry realized something, "Hey Laura, if you're only sixteen then how come we've never seen you around Hogwarts?"
"Dumbledore sent me to Salem's Academy for Witchcraft and Wizardry for the past five years, it would have been four, but that bitch the minister has the nerve to call human banned Dumbledore from letting me. So I'm stuck here attempting to finish studying for my Defense O.W.L. over summer break, then I can join you in DADA!"
"Didn't you take DADA in America?" Hermione said puzzled
"Nope, those dunderheads think that there's no dark lord trying to take over the world they can drop the subject and pick it up when one does happen to show up. I got loads of detentions arguing that."
"Wait, you're studying over the summer just to take some class?" Ron asked incredulously finally looking up from his plate.
Laura arched an eyebrow at him, "Would you rather I not? I could leave you to suffer the agony of a N.E.W.T class's homework in silence?"
Ron looked horrified, "No, no, of course not. I just meant I was surprised that DADA isn't a required class. What would we do without you to cause mass chaos to get us out of homework?"
"Mr. Weasley, I do desperately hope that you are not actually encouraging Laura to cause anymore chaos than she normally does. I do not think the staff could handle it. And most of us have already dealt with both the Mauraders and the Weasley twins!" Harry turned to see Professor McGonagall walking over to them with a very sever look on her face.
Ron paled and was about to start blabbing when Laura cut in saying, "Now really Professor. What on earth would make you think that I would do such a thing as causing mass chaos in class just to get out of homework?" McGonagall's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Laura added, "There are so many other, more efficient ways of getting out of homework."
"I am never going to get used to you calling me that Laura. But I swear, you cause anymore havoc than what we had last year and you'll have detention for your last two years at Hogwarts."
"Yes Professor," she answered innocently, causing McGonagall to look even more suspicious. As she turned and walked over to Dumbledore, his cousin leaned over to him and whispered, "Ginny, Neville and I were planning to restart the Marauders and were wondering if you'd join us. Think of all the havoc you could cause in Snape's class."
That thought defiantly was appealing to him. He was going to have to have something to look forward to if he got into it, he still didn't know what he got. But still, it would be rather boring without the twins there to cheer them up. "Yeah, I'll do it." He said grinning.
"Oi! Remus!"
"Yes, Laura?"
"Would you happen to have that book you were telling me about? The one that you, James, and Sirius wrote?"
"Yes, but why -"
"Miss. Potter, why on earth would you be needing that particular book?" McGonagall cut in looking rather alarmed in Harry's opinion.
"Well, professor. Knowing me, what do you think that I need it for?"
This was received with a loud groan "Albus, is it to late to hand in my resignation?" Laughter burst out around the room and was still going two minutes later when an official looking owl landed in front of Laura.
Opening it she moaned and said, "Great this has got to be the best birthday present ever. They've scheduled my Defense exam for August 1."
"It's the best we could get, Laura. It was either that or July 31, and I know you would have yelled at me for that." her guardian said softly.
"I know, I know. It's just that now I won't be able to have the drinking contest Charlie challenged me to." she answered glumly.
"HE WHAT!" Mrs. Weasley yelled in sudden matriarch mode. Harry winced and waited for her to have it. Apparently she was used to Mrs. Weasley's wrath, because a moment later he saw Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville getting up to leave. Laura was nowhere in sight and they were motioning for him to follow.
When they had locked themselves in the room the three boys were sharing, they passed the rest of the day catching up on everything that had happened over the summer. "So, Neville. Why are you here? Not that I'm not happy you're here. I just wasn't expecting it."
When he saw the four of them, Laura excluded, exchange hesitant looks Harry took a deep breath and said calmly, "Would you guys please stop walking on eggshells around me. I promise I won't start yelling. I did that already and got yelled at for it."
"Really?" Ron asked "Who yelled at you? I want lessons from them at not how to get scared silly when you're mad."
Laura smiled "You think Harry's bad, you should see Ada. It's down right frightening."
"Yeah well you're no walk in the park either. Last time you got annoyed with me I ended up upside down for the entire day, and that was only when you were annoyed at me!" Huffed Ron grumpily.
"Any way. Dumbledore asked me to come here for the summer after the Death Eaters managed to break through the wards he placed around Luna's house."
"They WHAT! Is she okay?" Harry asked concerned for his friend. Well, not as good a friend as the people sitting in front of him, but still a friend. And she did go with them to the Department of Mysteries last month. "Was it because of last month?"
Hermione shook her head "strangely enough it wasn't because of that. I don't think that they knew she had been there. They attacked because of Mr. Lovegood was the one to print your interview with Rita. Luna was hit with some kind of weird curse that didn't kill her, just pulverized her completely. They couldn't find a countercurse, that's what killed her. We don't know what killed her father, the Order doesn't either. It wasn't your fault, Harry. There was nothing you could have done."
"I know Hermione. But I still feel a little guilty for involving her." sighed Harry looking depressed.
"But on to happier subjects" Ron said hurriedly keen not to have a depressed Harry to deal with "Laura you said that you were joining us this year. Aren't you turning seventeen?"
"Yep, but I started a year late so you're stuck with me in all your classes. Except Potions. Even if I make it into that class (which I doubt) I won't take it."
"Why?" Neville asked curious
"Snape." She said shortly.
"Ahh," Neville said grinning, "you're not alone there. May I ask why though?"
" Can't stand the bastard, but I suppose you'll figure that out tonight."
"We will?"
Laura froze "Damn it. Oh well, you were going to find out anyway might as well tell you now. Ada's managed to convince the Order to give us a trial. That means we get to present our reasons to the Order of why we think that we should be allowed to join. You guys have it easy; all you have to do is back Harry up on what ever he decides to tell the Order. Harry and I have the hardest parts."
"And that is?" Ginny asked frowning.
"You'll find out tonight." Harry said shortly not ready to tell them the Prophecy
"Okay, we'll wait till tonight. Just remember something, both of you. Harry we've all stood by you this far, and we'll stand with you till the end. Laura, I know we've only known you for a month and Harry for not even a day, but whatever happens you're part of the group and we will stand by you no matter what." Everyone stared at Neville in shock.
"Who are you and what have you done with Neville Longbottem?" Ron demanded harshly.
"Calm down you guys, it's me. I told you I'd fight you to keep you from leaving Gryffindor tower that night you went to save the Philosopher's Stone and Hermione ended up putting me in a Full Body Bind so you could leave." Neville said blushing from all the scrutiny. "I guess facing those Death Eaters gave me the confidence I needed."
"I'll say!" Ron exclaimed slapping him on the back. "Neville's right you two. You're our friends and friends stick together no matter what. Even if you've only just joined the group." Ginny and Hermione were nodding fervently from their places on Harry's bed.
Laura was suddenly looking thoughtful, "You know, it probably is a good idea to let them know what they're getting into while they have a chance to back out. I'm sure you've learned the importance of knowing what you are getting into before you do something," when Harry still looked hesitant she added, "I'll make a deal with you; you tell them what you know then I'll tell all of you the secrets I've been hiding."
"I can't. It's too soon, I mean I'm still trying to come to terms with it."
"True as that may be, you are going to tell them sooner rather than later. Are you really willing to take the risks that come with keeping it secret. And I know for a fact that telling someone your secret helps you feel a lot better, it doesn't solve the problem, but it helps a lot."
Looking into those brilliant sapphire eyes that were even brighter than his own emerald eyes, Harry knew that she was telling the truth. It was amazing how fast she could crush an argument that he hadn't even said yet. "Alright, I'll tell you.
"You all remember the prophecy that the Death Eaters were talking about last month, right? Well I heard the prophecy."
"How Harry? We both saw the prophecy smashed and neither of us could hear it over all the noise in the background?" Neville's question was immediate and predictable.
"That was just the copy that the Ministry had. Then person who heard the prophecy has the means to recall it perfectly. Anyway, while you all were being healed in the Hospital Wing, I was in Dumbledore's office throwing a temper tantrum and breaking anything I could get my hands on."
Hermione and Neville's eyes were wide, and Ginny and Ron were sniggering, Laura said, "Yes, I saw that. You made quite the mess in there. It took Ada a while to fix everything and I think there are still a few pieces left."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Anyway, when he managed to get me to stop destroying things he told me that there had been a prophecy made about the person who would have the power to kill Voldemort. It went… um, Laura?"
"Yes Harry?"
"Could you say the prophecy for me. I don't want to …" He trailed off but she knew what he meant.
"You don't want to say it because then saying it will make it irreversible, will make it unchangeable." Miserable, Harry nodded. "The Prophecy was made from your Divination teacher to Ada. Voldemort had a spy where the interview was happening, but fortunately, the spy only heard the first part before he was thrown out. It went like this:
'THE ONE BORN WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES.... BORN TO THOSE THAT HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES… AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWERS THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT… AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES.... THE ONE BORN WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES....'"
Harry had been staring blindly out the window while she was saying it and was waiting for the inevitable. When it didn't happen Harry braced himself for what he thought he'd see and turned to face them. What he did see shocked him far beyond what he had been expecting.
Hermione and Ginny were looking thoughtful (though Ginny wasn't wearing Hermione's patented 'I've gotta get to the library now' look), Neville was looking sad, and Ron was looking, well, normal. Catching Harry staring at him he shrugged. "About time you figured it out."
"WHAT."
"Oh, come on Harry. You-Know-Who's been trying to kill you since you were a baby. I don't think he has that long of an attention span to be concentrating on just one person unless that person was really dangerous to him and he couldn't just ignore it."
"But -"
"Look Harry before you get your knickers in a twist. Anyone with even half a brain could figure out that Voldemort's had it in for you since you were little. It makes sense that it would come down to you or him, cause only you and Dumbledore have the power to kill him, and if Dumbledore could kill him he would have done it ages ago."
Everyone was staring at Ron, "When did you become so insightful, Ron? That's exactly what I was thinking." Hermione asked impressed.
"What'd you mean when? I've always been insightful. You have to be in order to be a good chess player. I just don't have a long attention span for the things that bore me." despite his indignant tone, it was really obvious he was pleased at the complement Hermione had given him.
"Don't you guys get it? I have to kill him or he kills me." Harry said frantically.
"Well like Ron said, You-Know-Who's been trying to kill you since for ever. You'd have to be a huge danger for him to be after you for so long." Ginny said patiently.
"But I have to kill someone!" Harry said desperately trying to get them to understand that he didn't want to kill anyone, no matter how much they deserved it.
"Harry look at me." he looked up into those bright sapphire eyes of his cousin, "There is something that you need to understand; Tom Riddle, the person Voldemort used to be is dead. Voldemort killed him, and Voldemort is not human. Anyone who can take the life of anything so lightly is not human has lost the very thing that makes him human, his soul. To be stopped he has to be killed. It's unfortunate that it has to be you, but it has to be done so that everyone can be safe again, and so that you can live your life in peace.
"The fact that you do not want to kill him, no matter how badly he may deserve it is what makes you so different from him. Voldemort kills willingly and with pleasure while you would kill only to save a life. And remember, although that damned prophecy says that you are the only one that can kill him it does not mean that you have to fight all the battles up to it alone, or even that you have to fight Voldemort alone, actually, just that you have to be the one to cast either the killing curse or the killing stroke."
Although his cousin's words had made him feel a lot better he still had his doubts, "But that doesn't change the fact that I have to kill."
"No it doesn't. But you can be sure that you won't be sent to Azkaban for it." Ron shook his head, "Laura you have no idea how creepy it is to hear you talking like Dumbledore."
"Ten years living with him seems to have rubbed off." she smirked "What's wrong Neville?"
"It could have been me, couldn't it?"
"Originally, yes. But you forget the last identifying part 'And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal'. Voldemort marked me as his equal when he cast the curse that failed to kill me and marked me with this bloody scar."
"Oh, good, cause I don't think that I would have been able to do all the things that you've done. But I'm with you Harry, if you'll have me. I don't know what I can do, but if there is all you have to do is ask." This last comment was met with affirmations from Ron, Hermione, and Ginny but when Laura didn't say anything, they all looked at her.
"I'm with you… if you'll have me. But before you say anything you may want to hear what I've got to say." She took a deep breath and turned to Hermione, "How much of Potter history do you know?"
Startled, Hermione answered, "as much as I could find in the Hogwarts library. I was fascinated with Harry's defeat of Voldemort in my first year. Why?"
"Do you know who James Potter's brother, David Potter's wife was?"
"Yes, David Potter was married to Misoka Asagi." it was clear that Hermione had no idea why she was being asked these questions.
Laura sighed, "Hermione, you of all people should know what Misoka means and what language it is from."
Frowning, Hermione had that patented 'I know this, but I can't remember, but I am going to find out if it is the last thing I do' look, Harry knew that this was really bugging her. "I've got it!" she suddenly exclaimed, "Misoka means many things, among them are; 'a beginning and an end', and 'to emerge from darkness', it can also mean darkness itself and hidden talents. But…" She frowned at Laura who motioned for her to continue yet looked like she was braced for the worst. "Misoka is a demonic name."
Harry was confused, but judging from the deathly silence that followed Hermione's words, he was the only one everyone else was staring at Laura with a mixture of shock, horror, and fear in there faces. "Would someone please tell me why that is such a big deal?"
"Demonic names are only given to those with demon blood, Laura's, Akira, is a demonic name. As David Potter was her father that would mean that she is half-demon." Hermione whispered.
"And what's so bad about that?"
"Demons are one of the most feared creatures in the magical world, Harry."
He was still confused, "I still don't get it. I mean, none of you has a problem with Hagrid, who's half-giant, or Remus, who's a werewolf. It just sounds like another stupid wizarding prejudice to me." Hermione was nodding in agreement, but Laura still looked like she was waiting to hear her death sentence and Ron, Ginny, and Neville were looking fearful. "Look, you've known Laura for a month now, right?"
"Yes."
"And has she done anything horrible to you? Anything that demons are feared for?"
"No."
"Then what are you so afraid of? If she hadn't done anything to you by now then what makes you think that she'll do anything now that you know she's half-demon? Besides, Dumbledore trusts her, and if we can't trust Dumbledore then who can we trust." Harry asked being his usual blissfully ignorant self when it came to knowing about wizarding prejudices.
Slowly Ron shook his head, "I don't think I'll ever know how you can change my views on things so fast, but you're right. She's no different than Remus." He then turned to Laura, "My apologizes, I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I'm pretty sure that you get enough of that already."
The emotions playing on her face were astonishing, relief, joy, shock, and happiness were all fighting for dominance. "Forgiven. It's not like I expected to be welcomed with open arms after you've been brought up with the prejudices for sixteen years. Heck, I wasn't even expecting this." She looked at Ginny and Neville who were both nodding and offered their apologize for their reactions.
Ginny nodded and said, "Now all you have to worry about is Mum's reaction to it. You know she's come to think of you as a surrogate daughter, so does Dad. Actually, the whole family considers both of you as family. I wonder how they'll take it."
Laura groaned, "Don't remind me. There are going to be people there that have known me since I was adopted and I don't even want to think about their reactions."
Neville looked at all of them and said "All who's for sticking with each other through what ever happens say 'aye'."
As "ayes" echoed around the room Ron looked at Harry, "Well mate, it looks like you're stuck with us."
Laura grinned wickedly, "Yep, and the four Marauders have got to stick together, so don't you dare even think about doing anything without us."
"WHAT! You guys are restarting the Marauders and I don't get to join?" an indignant Ron asked.
"Of course not brother dear, you are a prefect." Ginny told her brother sweetly to her moaning brother.
Harry and Laura both took turns being beaten by Ron, both too lost in their own revelations to care; Harry amazed that his friends hadn't been horrified that he would have to kill or be killed, and Laura still trying to process that she had told everyone in the room what she was and yet was still there accepted by them and not feared. Hours later, Ron finally got bored at beating the two of them and challenged them all to a game of Exploding Snap, which Harry, Ginny, and Neville agreed to; Hermione had cornered Laura and was hounding her with questions about demons.
They were in the middle of their fifth game when Mrs. Weasley called them down to dinner. And as they went down Laura reminded them all to act surprised when they found out about being invited to an Order meeting.
Dinner was a silent a fare. It seemed that Mrs. Weasley still wasn't too keen on letting her children, biological and surrogate alike, into any Order meetings as she kept shooting death glares at Remus, who was the most senior member present at dinner, Dumbledore having left earlier, and her mood seemed to be absorbed into everyone who was present making them all down cast and depressed. Without the constant chatter surrounding him, Harry fell back into doubt of what every ones reactions to the Prophecy would be. It was almost a relief to hear the doorbell ring breaking the tension that was crackling in the air, and Laura went off to answer it.
The relief lasted only until someone, probably Tonks, knocked over the troll leg in the hallway waking up Mrs. Black "TRAITORS! HALF - BLOODS! BLOOD TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THE HOUSE OF MY ANSESTORS! YOU -" What ever else she was going to say was suddenly cut of by a loud BAM and in came a satisfied Laura followed by the rest of the Order staring at her in amazement.
"How did you do that, girl? It had the feel of dark magic to it." Mad – Eye Moody growled as he limped in and took a seat near the front of the room.
"That, Alastor, is what you will be finding out along with everything else that has been kept secret from you and the rest of the Order." Dumbledore said sweeping into the room with Bill and Charlie behind him. "I am sure that you six know this by now, but just incase you do not; the Order has agreed to give you a trial to see if you are worthy enough to join the Order. Will you please follow me." And with that the six crossed the threshold into the room that the Weasley twins had been trying to break into all last year.