DISCLAIMER: Do I have the Harry Potter trademark tatooed on my head? No.

Chapter 7: The Truth Comes Out, and It's Not Pretty

"Oh lovely" Alana said to herself as she walked through the streets of London. She hadn't apparated to the right area so she was searching the city for any sign of magic or a house with a protective aura around it. So far all she'd gotten was nearly mugged and peed on by a drunk, all of which we're taken care of immediately. The mugger was most likely huddled in a corner somewhere for fear of her and her mysterious hands of fire and her pants were free of any urine.

As for her search for magic, it was everywhere. Every few houses were home to wizards and she swore she could feel wizard magic beneath her very feet. Plus, with all the mortals, their magic felt much stronger than any city she had been in for a long while. The last time she had felt mortal magic that strong was on her trip to Cork, to visit family and help them take care of some stubborn undead and a less than welcome necromancer.

"Oh for the love of the Ancients!" she exclaimed. For three quarters of an hour's search she got no where. "By Suela the Walker, I ask for a path to the place I seek!" she shouted to the sky and after a moment's patient wait, the ground below her began to glow a with bright blue light. The light spread across the ground in front of her and turned around the nearest corner.

"Cheers." she whispered as she touched her fingers to her lips and forehead, then to the sky. She dashed down the street and around the corner where she saw the path end at a well guarded house. She sighed with exasperation.

"Of course, I call for help when I'm only a hundred steps away." She shook her head and stood in the middle of the pitch dark road to wait for someone to help her. Then she heard a voice from a little ways behind her.

"Ms. Lucas?" asked a young man with a red ponytail. "I'm Bill Weasley. Dumbledore told me to bring you to the house."

"Sorry I'm late." She muttered, reading the man. "I got lost."

"Lost? Using a portkey? Didn't it take you straight here?"

"Well, yes but I, uh, never mind. I went to find someone when after twenty minutes I was still all alone. Not a good thing to leave a traumatized young person standing in the middle of a street in a worse part of town during the dead of night now is it?" She said calmly, so she wouldn't ruin her masquerade. Bill shifted uncomfortably where he stood and cast his eyes to the ground. After a few moments of feeling bad for embarrassing him, Alana cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"Can we go in?" she asked. "It's a bit chilly out here."

"Oh! yeah, this way. Has Dumbledore told you the address?" He asked and Alana started. She didn't know what the right answer would be but thought it best to guess rather than ask for help again.

"Of course." she said with a smile. Her answer satisfied Bill and he turned around to face the magically protected house.

"We have to make this quick." He whispered quickly. "If any muggles see us we're in for some trouble." They crept across the lawn and stood very close to the stoop of the now sinister looking house and checked around to make sure no one was watching.

"Okay, let's go!" He whispered again and flung open the front door. Both he and Alana dashed into the dark foyer and slammed the door behind them. Bill lit a lantern and set it on the floor at his feet so he could shut the multiple locks. He picked the lantern up and motioned for Alana to follow him across the room to another door at the opposite end.

"My mum should be in here. She'll get you settled." He said when they entered what, to Alana, looked like a kitchen. At the stove was a stout woman with hair to match Bill's.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Alana asked tentatively.

"Hmm?" the woman turned around "Alana!" She wrapped Alana in a tight hug. "I was worried dear. Albus said you took a portkey here but when I got back, you were gone! Where did you go?"

"I've never travelled by portkey before today so I thought when no one was there and I couldn't see the house, I walked around to maybe find another wizard or something. My mistake." she said sheepishly.

"Oh don't fret over it dear. Just try not to worry us like that. We have to watch over you for awhile now and we would feel dreadful if you got hurt or anything." Mrs. Weasley assured Alana. "Why don't I take you to meet the other children. I'm sure you'll all be fast friends." She took Alana's hand and led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Be quiet here. These paintings are a nasty sort and we really don't want to wake them up." They continued down the corridor until they reached a door at the end. Mrs. Weasley tapped it lightly.

"Yeah?" asked a male voice from inside.

"Ronald, open the door, there's someone I want you and you friends to meet." They heard a bolt slide out of a lock and the door creaked open. Six teenagers stood inside the room, four of which Alana assumed were Mrs. Weasley's, because they all had bright red hair.

"Hello children. This is Alana. She's....She was...." She couldn't figure out how to explain what Alana was without mentioning the attack.

"I'm a new student at Dumbledore's school." Alana said quietly. "I moved here from Italy, where I was going to a mor- muggle summer boarding school." She looked at Mrs. Weasley to continue her story.

"Uh, yes. She'll being staying with us until the term starts. Her family is having a few problems with the ministry and their new restrictions because of You-Know-Who's return. They asked Albus to let her come here so she could start the term with the rest of you." She cleared her throat again and started introducing the people around them.

"This is my son Ron," She said, motioning to the boy who answered the door. "and my daughter Ginny." they waved to Alana. "My twins, Fred and George," they waved and smiled. "and these are their friends Harry and Hermione." she pointed to a young woman with very curly brown hair and a black haired boy who was leaned against the wall in the dark corner.

"Hello." said Hermione, extending her hand. "What year are you?"

"Um, I'm not sure what you mean." Alana said "I'm sixteen if that helps at all."

"Same year as us." said Ron. "Do you know what house you'll be in yet?" Alana only shrugged.

"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're on about." she smiled nervously and laughed a bit at her ignorance. "I haven't had time to read about the school or anything."

"Do you read a lot?" said the Ginny girl. "You'll have plenty in common with Hermione then." she laughed and stuck her tongue out at her friend, who had thrown her a nasty look at the comment.

"Reading isn't a bad thing." Hermione retaliated. "At least I pass all my classes."

"Ha ha. Very funny. You know potions is my worst class so don't make fun. And besides, I did pass."

"Yeah, barely though." said one of the twins.

"Don't start George." warned Ginny "You didn't even finish your last year!"

"And were perfectly fine with that." said the other twin. "Our shop pays more money that dad's job pays him."

"Now George that is quite enough." Mrs. Weasley said tersely. "Your father works very hard to provide for this family." She glared at the boy then left the room, snapping the door shut behind her.

"Well it's true." George said to the closed door

"So what's your real story?" Ginny asked as she crossed the room to stand near Alana.

"What do you mean?" She replied innocently

"Mum's an awful liar. We all know there's something more than what you told us or you didn't tell us anything at all." said Ron

"Yeah, so tell us the truth. And no lies." Said Hermione, also rising to her feet. Alana felt trapped. All of the formed a line blocking her way out of the room.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." she said coldly. "And if you did, the results wouldn't be pretty.'

"Try us." said a voice from behind her. Harry had finally said something. "We've been through more that you'd think."

"I've too." She was in an awkward position. She had her back to a potential threat, but if she turned around, she have five more threats behind her. "If I'm going to explain, why don't you come this way?"

Harry hesitated, then left his place on the wall and stood alongside his friends, right next to Ron.

"Go ahead." He prompted

"Only if you swear me no harm." She wasn't taking any chances.

"Swear." said Hermione. "Right guys?" The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'm not a new student, at least I don't think. I did come here from Italy where I really was at a summer boarding school without magic. I am staying here for awhile bit I'm not sure for how long." She paused and looked up at them. The all gasped lightly as they saw her still all red eyes. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and continued.

"My family did not move here from Italy, they are safe and at home. They sent me to a non-magical place because my cousin had a vision of me being murdered during some sort of battle. Last night, a group of Deatheaters came to the school and tried to kill me. Instead, they got everyone else. Including a girl who I recently found out was my cousin."

"Deatheaters?" Hermione squeaked "They attacked you? At a muggle school?"

"Yes, and I beg that none of you interrupt again. This is hard enough as it is. If I stop, I might not have the nerve to keep going." She took another deep breath. "I escaped into a secret room my cousin and I built in case anything dangerous like this happened again. They killed everyone in the school while I hid like a coward." she spat out the last sentence in self-disgust and took several shaky breaths to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

"Why wouldn't we believe that?" asked Harry. "We all know that Voldemort is back." everyone in the room but he and Alana flinched

"Because I'm still not done yet." Alana said quietly. "I was only able to escape them by using magic and that's where things get complicated. I'm not a witch. I'm a Taestai."

Everyone just stared at her, then Hermione started to laugh.

"You expect us to believe that?" she asked as she giggled. "The Taestai aren't real!"

"Yeah, no offence or anything," said Ron. also chuckling. "But they're just fairytales. Things to scare kids into taking baths and coming in before dark and stuff."

"Guys, she looks serious." Said Ginny quietly.

"Thank you Ginny. And I am." Alana said, feeling hurt.

"What's a Taestai?" Harry asked. He was very confused and didn't have any clue what they were talking about.

"They're fairytale creatures Harry. A race of bloodthirsty monsters that raise the dead and kill innocent people. They use the corpses to do their bidding and use them in sacrifice when they get overly rotten." said Hermione. "They hack them to pieces and burn the chunks of spoilt meat as an offering to their gods. They live in a bewitched field somewhere in Europe and supposedly were a real race thousands of years ago. But that's just a story."

"We are not anything like that!" Alana shouted, jumping to her feet. Her eyes bore straight into Hermione's and were glowing a bright gold with her livid anger. Hermione was backing away, the red had been bad enough, now she looked even more sinister.

"This is why we have been reduced to a mere legend! All other magical kind is afraid of us because we have more power than they could ever even contemplate! We brave the waters of death with nothing more than an enchanted sword and prayers to our Ancients! We right wrongful deaths and lay those who chose not to die to their final rest! Wizards hold no respect for those that keep greatest evil at bay and defeat those that would rather see the world overrun by the dead than flourish with the living." Her whole body was glowing now. She shook with anger at the insults to her kind and her voice was resonant with powerful magic. But even as they watched, her eyes reverted to their natural hue and her blinding light was ebbing away. As the last of her tantrum's effects dissipated, she sat down on the bed again.

"We raise those who were not meant to die. Those who's lives were taken before their rightful time. We only kill animated corpses and the necromancers who control them. We burn their bodies to ensure that they are not raised once again. Fire is the only way to ensure that the body will stay at rest and purify the soul so that it is not easily overpowered. We live on an island in a river in Ireland, But there are more of us around the world. We have a government, a counsel made of members of every tribe. We do not harm those that are innocent, only evil. We are anything but bloodthirsty. We are real but chose to stay hidden from the persecuting eyes of the modern world of magic. You have just proven why." she set her eyes on the floor again and let a single golden tear splash to the ground.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I'm just very tense right now. My cousin is dead. My friends are dead. My family won't let me come home. But even still, there is no excuse for what I just did." she broke down and cried. Her heart-wrenching sobs filled the air and made everyone's fear fade away.

"Don't cry." Hermione cooed as she sat on the bed next to Alana. "Hush. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have insulted you like that. I had no reason not to believe you."

"None of us did." Ginny said as she too sat next to Alana and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We're sorry too."

The boys were hanging back from the scene and each looked very uncomfortable. They didn't really know the best way to comfort a crying girl so just left that part to Hermione and Ginny. After just two minutes, Alana was calm, snuffle free, and answering the questions her new friends had for her.

"What is death like?" Ron asked

"Cold." Alana replied. "At least at first. It's a river and the water is chilly so it's not the most pleasant place to be, but after a few minutes, you get used to it and it feels normal."

"So is that what we have to look forward to?" Fred asked "Spending eternity in a freezing river? There's no heaven or hell or anything?"

"Of course there is." Alana replied, laughing. "The river is like the passage to death. It's the Interregnum or Limbo. There isn't a hell though. Everyone goes to the same place. The perfect paradise. Unless of course they don't want to go or did something really awful. Then they become a ghost or reincarnate to another life. Usually people are too afraid the first time they die and choose to be reborn."

"How do you know?" Ginny asked. "You've never died before have you?"

"I can tell if people have a past life if I cast a really complicated spell and they drink a potion and a bunch of other things, so I personally have never done it. And yes, I've died before. I was maybe...7 years old and wasn't supposed to go into the river without an adult because when you're that young, your magic isn't as concentrated or easy to control. I had gone because one of our dogs had had puppies, but one of them died and I was extremely upset. I went after the poor things soul and gotten her back into life but I was really tired after that and lost my concentration on ignoring the river's call. So I just laid down and let it take me." She shivered as she recalled the memory. "I had snapped six of nine bonds to life before anyone came for me. My cousin Aislinn noticed I wasn't moving and when she tried to wake me, I didn't move. She came in right after me and pulled me back in just enough time because my seventh bond was fraying. I was in a coma for three months. Never again did I go into death without an elder."

"But not all of your bonds or whatever they are were broken, doesn't that mean you were still alive?" asked George

"The bonds are extremely complicated. After number three is broken, you go unconscious. At number four, you stop breathing. When five snaps, your heart stops completely. When six breaks, all brain function is gone, and by seven, you'll be in a coma for at least half a year before you either wake up or die again. At eight, there is little to no hope and when nine breaks, you're gone forever. But it definitely is a better place. The end that is. You can't ever be risen by any bloody necromancers."

"Wow." Ginny whispered. "How long does it take for each bond to break?"

"It all depends on the person and their magic. Some people, mortals usually, break all nine in a matter of minutes. They're gone after about twenty four hours. After then, not even I could bring them back. Wizards can last much, much longer and if they have a really strong will and something to fight for, they could stay in death for about a year, more if the figure out how to reach the banks. A Taestai is a whole different story. The longest ever was one hundred years. She was the strongest Taestai ever, and that's saying something because we have a recorded history of over two hundred thousand years." Just then, she heard the door slam shut and jumped. "What was that?" She looked around and noticed Harry had stormed out of the room. "Why'd he leave?" she asked Hermione.

"Oh no. Ron could you go after him." She said nervously. "I may as well explain this to her now."

"Best not." Ron replied. "He'll be really mad at you if he doesn't want her to know." He and Hermione rushed out of the room

"Was it something I said?" Alana asked. Ginny shrugged her shoulders.

Harry's a moody little bugger ain't he?

Ah, blissful ignorance! She's lucky.