A/N: Yay, nearing the end, nearing the end! Believe me, I haven't got a clear plan for the ending, so let's all see what will come up! Heheh…To chapter 21's reviewers...

To Zesuit: I know... I mean, I love it when Hermione gets embarrassed too! Thanks and review this one again, 'right?

To o3'Assassin'3o: I don't think this chapter is longer than the previous one, but it certainly a suitable lengthy chapter. Hope you still enjoy it! Thanks and review again!

Chapter 22: Dragged In

The walk to the outside of Bridgework was just as uneventful as Harry had hoped it would be. There were occasional passersby in the corridors, but no one questioned him in any way.

Harry went through the front gates of the building, which, like before, had no guards of whatever form. He was out in the street when he realized he did not know the way to the train station, since he had rode Rose's car to Bridgework before.

"Need help, Potter?"

Draco had appeared behind Harry.

"What're you doing here?"

"I followed you, you insensitive git. You didn't feel me running behind you? I'm not surprised."

Though they were on the same side now, Draco and Harry were not what you'd call friends, thus they are forever on last name basis only, and being on the same side did not stop them from throwing insults at each other.

"Look who's talking, git. Why'd you follow me out here? Forgotten you're in danger? Voldemort's men might come and sweep you away from here any moment."

"Do not speak his name!" Draco hissed.

"Whatever, Malfoy. Go back inside. Don't follow me."

"You think I'm going to let you act like a hero all on your own? You're going to Rose's house, aren't you?"

Harry nodded.

"And do you know where that is?"

"I know."

"Hahah. Let's see you try then. You do realize Castlerest is larger than your average city?"

Harry remained silent.

"And if I guessed correctly, you don't even know how to get to the train station that will get you to Castlerest," Draco finished smugly.

"All right already. I don't know. So tell me."

"Whoever said I was going to tell you? If you need to know, you're going to have to take me with you. If you don't agree, I'm going there on my own." Draco sneered. "Not much difference on your part, is there?"

Harry contemplated a bit. There was no other choice. Draco was his only way to get to the place. He would be endangering Draco, of course… But he is willing, so to hell with it!

"Fine. Let's go then. Lead the way."

Draco smirked in a satisfied way. He hailed a cab and motioned for Harry to get in.

"What? You want to walk all the way to the train station?" he said, when Harry stared. Harry got in and Draco followed.

"Densha eki, kudasai," Draco said to the driver. Harry stared again. "It's just a little Japanese. Father had me learn a bit. He said I needed to learn if my future wife was Japanese by culture."

"Yeah right."

Some twenty minutes later, Harry and Draco were walking down an innocent, Muggle-looking street.

"Are you sure this is the place?" asked Harry.

"Of course I am. The many times I've walked down this lane," replied Draco in an irritated voice. "Oh, there's the playground where Rose and I used to play."

Draco pointed to the right, where there was indeed a Muggle playground.

"Looks like a Muggle place, doesn't it? It's enchanted, though."

"How?"

"Some kind of magic. Like, bubbles appear out of nowhere. Children's songs suddenly play. And no danger too. I mean, it's an all-wizard settlement so no harm… Ah, this is the place."

Draco had halted in front black painted steel grilled gates that rose almost as high as the structure beyond it, a grey and red Muggle mansion. No hint of a witch living inside, and it looked out of place in Japan; it was certainly British-inspired.

"This is Rose's house?" Harry asked to confirm.

"The Ashworth Mansion. Worth more than whole Hogsmeade. I never found out why, though."

"Cert'nly nice'f ya to come, Draco."

From the alleyway between the Ashworth Mansion and another house to the left emerged Rose Ashworth, wearing black robes, her hair down and looking paler than usual, but sporting a malicious grin.

"But I'm 'fraid your service won' be needed anymore," Rose said, as she raised a wand and pointed it at Draco's forehead. Draco instantly fell to the ground, unconscious.

"What did you do to him!" said Harry as he dropped to his knees to check on Draco.

"He's not dead, if tha's wha' your worryin'."

Rose waved her wand over Draco's body, and it vanished.

"I sent'im back to Bridgework," said Rose, seeing the angry look on Harry's face. "Relax, Potter. Nothin's gonna happen to him. Only."

Rose grinned evilly, and pushed open the grilled gates.

"I never saw you use a wand before," said Harry as they went past the gates. They were now walking up a stone path that led to the front double doors of the mansion. Everything else was grass.

"I don't use a wand'f I could do without it," Rose replied. She was walking ahead of Harry.

"So is that really yours?"

"'Course it is. Mah wand's been pre-selected for me 's'soon's I was born. Wha', y'think I stole this from Sirius or Severus?"

"You've got Snape?" Harry now asked, jogging to reach Rose's side.

"Oh yeah, I haven't told ya tha', have I? But ya should've guessed, y'know. I mean, it's too easy."

"Rose, why're you doing this?"

Rose and Harry had reached the front doors of the mansion, and Harry stepped in front of Rose to talk to her first before entering the house.

"Tha's why you're here, aren't ya? T'find out why the heck am doin' all this?"

Rose pushed Harry aside with slight force, and Harry felt bitterness in her voice as she spoke. Maybe she doesn't want all this, she doesn't want to do this, Harry guessed to himself.

As Rose swung the door open, Harry caught a full view of the inside; a Muggle mansion. He had been so accustomed to asking Rose simple, friendly questions that he had spoken before he could stop himself.

"What is it with Muggle setting and Japan?" he said casually. Rose turned back to him with a grim smile on her face.

"Tha's wha' I find funny 'bout ya, Potter. Ev'n in grave times, ev'n in grave times…" she repeated, more to herself. She crossed the threshold and went into the living room. She motioned to a black leather sofa near the window, all the while with the evil smile on her face. "Have a seat."

Harry was thinking of anything to do but to sit. He wanted to explore the house. Nothing looked related to the dark arts. In fact, nothing looked related to magic here. But Rose had said that Harry should come and find out some secrets.

"Don't worry. No trap on the chair. Have a seat, an' we will begin."

"Begin what?"

Rose sat on the sofa opposite the one she had offered to Harry. "Am afraid I've an awfully long story tha' migh' int'rest ya. But of course, if ya wanna skip the reasonable part an' proceed wi'the savage fraction, tha' would be fine with me."

Harry chose to listen. He sat down opposite Rose, and she, looking contented, laid back.

"I must admit, I pity you…" she began. She was looking at Harry plainly, no dislike or hatred, but no admiration present either. "You're caught in somethin' tha' actually has no concern for ya, though you are concerned 'bout it."

Harry shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Ya know tha' Voldemort's the last descendant of the Slytherins, don' ya?"

Harry nodded.

"Wha' ya don' know is tha' the Slytherins an' my ancestors've been in feud since who knows when," Rose continued. Harry was surprised by the information, but made no reaction at the moment. "Ya don' realize wha' this's about, do ya?"

Harry sat straighter, thinking. Then he realized it. Voldemort massacred the Ashworths sixteen years ago, failing to kill only the youngest, who was Rose. The feud was the reason. Harry had to agree that none of this was his concern.

"So where do I get dragged in?" Harry asked. Rose took it as Harry had understood.

"An unlikely connection, actually…" Rose smiled simply that reminded Harry of the not-so-long-ago past. "My mother was your mother's best friend, remember?"

Harry nodded again.

"Ya brought the locket?"

Harry tugged at the golden chain in his pocket and the rest of the necklace slid out. He raised it and handed it to Rose. She did not take it, however.

"Ya've seen the inside?" Harry nodded for the third time. "Try again."

Harry obediently flipped open the locket and saw the same two pictures; that of his mother and of Rose's mother.

"Ya know of course, tha's your mother an' Regina Wendlin, mah mother. Underneath those…"

Rose stared as Harry disengaged the tiny frame of one picture. Under his mother's picture was that of a Regina Wendlin and a young man Harry had seen before in a memory; the Hogwarts-aged Sirius.

Sirius' story regarding her relationship with Rose's mother flashed back in Harry's mind. Indeed, in the picture, they looked sweet.

Harry proceeded with the frame of the picture on the other side. Now, lifting Wendlin's picture, the image came as a shock.

The picture underneath showed Regina Wendlin arm in arm with Harry's father, James Potter.

Harry looked up in confusion at Rose, who was staring at him, looking rather amused at his reaction.

"What – how – "

Rose got up and rummaged through a grey modern-looking drawer. She produced a thin, leather-bound, untitled book, and handed it to Harry.

Harry took it and flipped the cover. The first page bore large cloister black lettering of the word "Ashworth." Harry flipped to the second page, and it showed an elaborate family tree.

Rose leaned in front of Harry and pointed to a specific line that connected Francis Ashworth to the left to Regina Wendlin. The line branched downward to Rose Claire Ashworth. Rose's finger, however, traced farther left, where another line was drawn, and above it was a word in parentheses, "cousins." The line led to James Potter, and above the name was another vertical line that branched in two.

Harry was just going to read off the names of his grandparents when Rose suddenly snatched the book from his hands and straightened up.

"Apparently, your father's marriage never made it to the list," she said, sitting back down on her chair, the book clutched in one hand. "Or my mother would've been delighted to say tha' she an' her best friend were somehow familiarly related."

"If you mother and my father are cousins…" Harry began, realizing the horrible truth.

"Congratulations," she said, thought there was not a hint of truthful happiness in her voice. "Ya've found your last magical blood relative. But I'm afraid ya won't survive long enough to savor the feeling of having a witch cousin."

"What're you – "

"Petrificus Totalus," a shrill voice said. Harry's body straightened suddenly and slid to the floor. He was staring up at the ceiling, and Rose's face came into view.

"This had all gone too easy, ev'n for me," she said.

Harry thought she was speaking to him. However, a second figure came into view. It was wearing black robes, and it's head was hooded. Harry slowly stared up to the figure's face. The features were unseen, overshadowed by the hood. But the red eyes were unmistakable.

"We meet again, Potter," said the same shrill, hissing voice.

Harry's scar shot white-hot pain through his skull just as he locked eyes with the speaker.

"What have you told him?"

"Quite the gist, though ya've a lot more to 'xplain." Rose faced the man. "It's been nice dealin' with ya, but I highly doubt we'll associate ever again."

Rose knelt down beside Harry's body, leaned down, and whispered into his ear.

"This is where you get dragged in, Harry," she said. Harry could not turn his head in her direction, but he could feel she was smiling. Rose, then, raised her head a few inches and planted a warm kiss on Harry's unmoving lips. "Good luck, dear cousin."

She stood up and walked away, going out of Harry's restricted range of vision.

A/N: As far as I can remember, Voldemort had a shrill voice. Ain't it? Tell me! Review!