A/N: It's another chapter! Woo hoo! It would have been up earlier but fanfiction was being a bum and not letting me get on.

You know something, I hate English homework! It's so pointless!

Anyway, thanks to charmedsistersfor bringing the Floo Powder thing to my attention, and I wanted to tell you that the Truth Spell is indeed coming up in this chappy. I forget if anyone else said anything...oh, Meera, your review was wonderful. smile

Well, here it is: wondrous twenty six!

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Sorry for running out on you guys like that, I'm not sure what I was thinking," Pepper said to Ron and Ginny as she sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall across from Harry and next to Ginny. She would have said it to Harry, but she wasn't speaking to him.

"You don't believe what Montgomery said, do you?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure yet," said Pepper. "I mean, you were a lot more resistant to her than Harry was." She shot Harry a dirty look across the table. "So I think I believe you about not sleeping with her."

"That's good," Ron said.

"I didn't – " Harry began explaining to Pepper but Pepper cut him off by putting her hand up in front of her face.

"Talk to the hand, Harry," she said.

He glared at her, but she didn't see this as her hand was still in front of her face.

"Where's Professor Ardel?" Ginny asked, slightly amused and slightly anxious at the situation between Pepper and Harry.

"Gone," Pepper replied, glancing up at the teacher's table. "He left fifteen minutes ago."

"You can't be serious," Harry said. "Professor Ardel left?"

"He said he was needed elsewhere...then Dumbledore came in and gave me this huge lecture on why things are happening and blah blah blah," said Pepper.

Pepper watched as Professor Dumbledore stood up. Silence fell on the Great Hall as the students waited for him to speak.

"As some of you may have noticed, Professor Ardel is not here with us tonight. He received a very urgent call this afternoon and departed from here less than an hour ago. Sadly, he will not be returning as your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year," said Dumbledore to a slightly shocked audience.

Groans of disappointment filled the Great Hall. Everyone had liked Professor Ardel and were sad that he had to leave. "Who's the new teacher?" someone shouted out.

"I'm sure many of you hope that the class will be cancelled for the year," said Dumbledore with a small smile. "However, we have found a gracious replacement on such short notice. You are lucky enough to be studying under the advisement of an Auror for the rest of the year."

Murmurs broke out through the room. "An Auror? How wicked is that?" Ginny said, her excitement showing on her face. "Do you realize how much we're going to learn about the actual Dark Arts? He's had hands on experience with the Dark Arts, after all."

"Settle down, settle down," said Dumbledore, though he was smiling. "Professor Giancarlo could not be here with us tonight, but she will be here when classes start tomorrow.

"I can hear your stomachs rumbling from here, so I believe it is time to enjoy the wonderful dinner prepared for us!"

Dumbledore sat down just as the golden plates filled themselves.

"Wonder why Ardel had to leave so quickly," said Ron, helping himself to everything in sight.

"I'm not sure. He said he was urgent and he had to leave "for the safety of many people." It probably had something to do with the Death Eater attack," Pepper said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised Dumbledore didn't say anything about that," said Harry. Pepper ignored him.

"Pepper why don't you stop being so stubborn and talk to Harry?" Ron inquired, getting tired of this.

"No. He cheated on me, so the least he deserves is the silent treatment," said Pepper.

"I did not," Harry told her angrily. "You're the one who cheated on me for my worst enemy!"

"What?!" said Ginny, obviously confused.

"No I didn't," said Pepper hotly. "We were already broken up so I didn't cheat on you!"

"You still slept with Malfoy," Harry said.

"What!" Ginny repeated.

"How would you know?" Pepper asked.

"I saw you on the Map," Harry hissed softly so no one else could hear but Pepper.

"What, does it say on it if people are having sex or not?" Pepper wondered, trying to work her way around the fact that she did sleep with Malfoy.

"No, but your dots were really close together," Harry told her.

"That doesn't mean anything! We could have just been in his bed together without actually having sex," Pepper said.

"Yeah right," Harry said to himself.

"So what, you think I'm easy?" Pepper said, offended.

"Will you two just stop bickering so you can hear the real story from each other?" Ginny said, trying to mediate. It didn't work too well.

"I'm not sure what I think, Pepper," Harry said.

"Look, since Ginny wants to do this by talking, I'll talk. This is what happened: I was really upset about the fact that you cheated on me," – Harry started to say something but Ginny held her hand up for silence so Pepper could tell them everything that happened – "so I Mirrored down to the dungeons because I thought it was the last place you would look for me. Malfoy came along and asked me what happened so I spilled my guts to him. Don't ask me why, I was just in such a state – oh god, I spilled my guts to Malfoy. He knows everything!" Pepper said, horrified, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What is everything?" Ron asked.

"Everything," Pepper said. "Like practically everything that's happened to me since I got here."

"That's not good," said Harry.

"Anyway, truth is, Harry, I'm not sure if I screwed him or not. I mean, he got me drunk, so I don't remember the actually having sex part, if there was one," said Pepper.

"Can you remember if anything you told him he could use against you?" Ginny questioned.

"I'm not sure..." Pepper said. "I really hope not. Anyway, if he says something I could just deny it."

"Let's hope so," said Ron.

"Pepper, I did not sleep with Spada," said Harry, bringing them back to the point of the conversation. "I know I kissed her and everything but I didn't mean to."

"You mean you're just really horny and couldn't help yourself," Pepper said.

Ginny and Ron laughed. "Sure..." Harry said. "So are we on speaking terms again?"

"I suppose," Pepper smiled. "I'm thinking the best thing to do at the moment is stick together, especially if Malfoy is plotting against us."

"Agreed," said Ron. "Pepper, I'd want to know what you meant about Hermione following your example."

"Does it mean what I think it means?" Harry asked solemnly.

"I'm willing to bet it does," said Pepper.

Harry looked very alarmed and very scared. "No," he breathed. "Hermione couldn't do that."

"Do what?" Ron asked. Then the answer dawned on him. The only thing Pepper had done that it was possible for Hermione to do was – "She didn't...hurt herself did she?"

Pepper nodded. Ron leapt to his feet. "Ron, sit down, I've got it covered," Pepper told him. "I stopped the bleeding, gave her a Sleeping Draught and threw all pointy objects out the window. Not to mention the fact that I locked the door thrice over before I left. I'm not letting her go to classes tomorrow either."

"We should take her to the Hospital Wing," Harry said.

"Hermione did what?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide. "She hurt herself. Does that mean what I think it does? Wait, you did it too Pepper? She was following your example? I have GOT to talk to you Pepper."

Ginny grabbed hold of Pepper's arm and led her from the Great Hall. Only once they were in the Gryffindor common room did Ginny let go. "Could you tell me what the hell I have missed?" Ginny ordered.

So Pepper filled Ginny in, as she was used to doing by now. Everyone seemed to want to know what was going on in the life of Pepper Halliwell.

Ginny did end up in tears, as Pepper suspected, then insisted on seeing Hermione to say she was sorry about her parents and share a friend moment with her.

Pepper took Ginny up to her dormitory and unlocked the intricate Locking Charms she had placed on the door.

Hermione was still asleep when the two girls walked in. Her face was still splotchy and red and her sleep didn't look at all peaceful. "Poor Hermione," whispered Pepper. "I know exactly how she feels...and I'm not sure I blame her for what she did."

"You weren't kidding when you said all pointy objects went out the window," said Ginny, looking around the room. Everything with corners that hadn't been able to go out the window had its corners covered in Spell-o-Tape.

"I didn't want to take any chances," said Pepper, shrugging. "You know, Ginny, I'm willing to bet you're the one Hermione's going to spill to. She wouldn't really talk to me...I mean she told me what happened but not what she was feeling or the last time she slept or had a decent meal. Therefore, I'll leave you to it. She's been asleep for a while... so she should be waking up soon. I've got to go talk to Harry...have fun."

Pepper left the still asleep Hermione and Ginny alone, hoping that Hermione would talk to someone. And that's when Pepper's mind started forming a plan.

Harry and Ron were sitting in the common room by the time Pepper got down there. "Harry, can I talk to you?" Pepper said.

"Sure," said Harry, getting up. "I'll meet you on the Quidditch Pitch, Ron."

"Don't be late for practice, Katie will have your head," warned Ron.

Harry smiled, nodded, and followed Pepper over to a deserted table in the common room. "I want to get everything absolutely straight between us, Harry. I'm still a little apprehensive about this whole thing..."

"And I'm not too fond of the idea of you shagging Malfoy," said Harry.

"Which is why I've got to do this," Pepper said. Before Harry could answer Pepper started talking again. "For those who want the truth reviled/ Open hearts and secrets unsealed/ From now until it's now again/ After which the memory ends."

A small wind picked up after Pepper was finished with the spell, drawing the attention of some people. The Truth Spell was done and now Pepper would be able to find out whatever she wanted from Harry.

"What happened?" Harry asked. "Pepper...what did you just chant? I'm thinking it was a spell..."

"Don't worry, it'll wear off in twenty four hours," Pepper beamed. "So Harry, I was wondering...did you enjoy that kiss with Spada the other day?"

"Yes," Harry said before he could think. He stared at Pepper, who smiled mischievously. "What did you do, Pepper?" Harry asked.

"You might want to get going, Harry, or you'll be late for Quidditch practice," Pepper said, trying to contain her laughter at the look on his face.

Glaring suspiciously at her once more, he got up and left the common room.

"This should be fun," Pepper said to herself. "Too bad Harry will forget everything that happens after the spell wears off."

Crawling into her four-poster that night, Pepper thought about all that had happened in the past day. It was a lot, and she was sort of glad the new term started tomorrow, so she'd have her studies to focus on instead off all of her reeling emotions and thoughts.

She paused for a minute, making sure Hermione's breathing was still steady. The Sleeping Draught had worn off a while ago, and Ginny had informed Pepper that Hermione told her most everything. Hermione had then requested more of the potion, so Ginny had gotten some more from Madam Pomfrey.

Now Hermione was sleeping peacefully again. Good, Pepper thought, she definitely looked like she needed some sleep.

Pepper decided she was glad the Christmas holidays were coming to a close tomorrow, she thought they had dragged on for way too long. (A/N: Yeah, me too, it started on chapter 18...) She'd have to tell Hermione that she wasn't allowed to go to classes tomorrow...or maybe she'd just let Hermione sleep late. That way she wouldn't have to endure a fuming Hermione trying to beat her up to get out the door.

Pepper smiled, wondering if Leo, as her Whitelighter, would know she had cast a Truth Spell for personal gain. She also wondered if there were going to be any consequences to her spell. She had never used a spell or potion for personal gain because her aunts had always stressed that it was a bad idea to do that and there were always repercussions. Though hadn't she used her new power for personal gain by Mirroring back and forth from the Manor to Hogwarts? Once Pepper thought about it more she realized she had been using all of her powers for personal gain lately. Not just lately, since she'd come to Hogwarts...

Pepper shot up in her bed. Maybe all of the bad things that were happening to her were consequences of using her powers for personal gain. Pepper shook her head in attempt to rid those impossible ideas from her head. There was no way using her powers for her own benefit could have consequences like that, could there? Pepper wasn't so sure that answer was a 'no'.

She shook her head again as she laid back down. She didn't want to worry about that right now. All she wanted to think about was how to make sure Hermione's feelings stayed out in the open so everything wasn't bottled up inside of her and she did something she'd regret.

Plotting what sort of questions she was going to ask Harry tomorrow, Pepper fell into a restless sleep full of dreams she would have no recollection of in the morning.

"Harry get your arse out of bed, you're going to be late," Ron said, ripping back the hangings of his best friend's bed. "You've missed breakfast, I grabbed you some toast."

Harry groaned and rolled over. "I'm getting up, I'm getting up," he grumbled indistinctly.

As he was getting dressed as quickly as he could Hedwig flew in through the open window and landed on his bed. She dropped a letter from her mouth onto his bed. Pulling on his robe, Harry slid the letter open and read it, ignoring Ron's nagging that they were going to be late for class. Harry thought Ron was beginning to sound too much like Hermione.

Harry,

I know this may sound a little odd, but this is Pepper's aunt Phoebe. I'm writing to you to ask you to watch out for Pepper. Over Christmas she seemed a little out of it and I'm afraid she's going to hurt herself again or something. I just thought she might need a little extra help...if it doesn't trouble you too much.

Thanks Harry,

Phoebe

Harry re-read the letter in his first class of the day. He thought it was a little odd that Pepper's aunt was writing to him asking him to watch over Pepper...he wondered how Pepper acted over the vacation.

"So Harry, how was your morning of classes?" Pepper asked mischievously, sitting down at the Gryffindor table for lunch that afternoon. She planned to ask Harry as many questions as she could at that meal.

"Good," said Harry. "Where's Hermione?"

"I told you I was going to lock her in the room and not let her out today," Pepper said.

"Staying after class," Harry said automatically. As he did yesterday, he shot Pepper a suspicious look. "What did you do to me?" he asked.

"Nothing..." said a grinning Pepper. "Hey Harry, I've got a question for you...did you sleep with Spada?"

"No," Harry replied. He smiled; perhaps Pepper would believe him now that she'd cast a spell on him and she didn't get the answer she wanted...or maybe she'd just think the spell backfired on her.

"Did you screw her?" Pepper persisted.

"No," said Harry.

Pepper narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was looking for something hidden on Harry's face. "Were you screwed by Spada?" Pepper tried.

Before Harry could stop, whatever spell Pepper had put him under made him answer, "Yes."

Pepper dropped her fork and it fell loudly onto the floor. "Spada screwed you?" she whispered viciously.

"Yes," Harry was forced to repeat. The look on Pepper's face was killing him.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A/N: Mwahahaha! What does that mean? Ivi Spada raped Harry? (Ooh, Allison, you bad girl!)