Chapter 32 – Evil Reveals the Truth
The rains of April faded away into spring and the students of Hogwarts found themselves doing exams. Anna found her exams fairly reasonable, and she was sure she passed all of them. The most surprising thing that had happened in the last few months was that Voldemort had not made anymore attacks. He had been quiet since his return, probably because he had found a strong opponent in Harry Potter. There was one last Hogsmeade trip before the summer holidays started. Anna went with Lupin, Remus, Sirius, Katlyn, Lily and her boyfriend Michael. James had finally got up the courage to ask Kayle out on a date. Lupin, Remus and Sirius were planning on dropping in on them half way through, but Lily, Anna and Katlyn made sure they didn't.
They went into the Three Broomsticks for a drink before going anywhere else. They all sat down talking amongst them selves. As Anna sat listening to everyone she realized that she didn't want to hold back anything any longer. She came to the decision she would tell everyone tonight her real name.
"We'll see you lot later. We are going to do girly things," Lily said dragging the two other girls with her leaving Lupin, Remus, Sirius and Michael to bond as Lily put it. Anna, Lily and Katlyn went into Madam Malkins robes for all occasions to look at dress robes. Lily needed some for Harry and Ginny's wedding, as did Anna. They went through the racks of robes pulling out all the ones that would look nice and the others that were too funny looking not to pull out. As they were waiting for Lily to finish trying on a set, screams came from outside.
Anna went to the window to see what was happening. A group of about 7 Death Eaters was walking down the road blasting people out of the way. There were no teachers in sight and Anna didn't think any of them had come to Hogsmeade today. There was nothing anyone could do. Except Anna, she could help, she had too. This was what Harry had been training her to do, wasn't it? She pulled out her wand but someone grabbed her arm. It was Lily. Anna shook her hand off.
"Don't go out there are you crazy?" Lily asked.
"Probably but someone has to do something don't they?" She replied then sighed at the look on Lily's face. "Alright, go out the back go and find Lupin, Remus, Sirius and James get as many students as you can down the trap door Honeydukes. The guys should know where it is," Anna said as she went towards the door Lily nodded and yelled for all the students and shoppers to follow her out the back. Anna stepped out into the bright sunlit afternoon and faced the oncoming Death Eaters. They laughed as they saw Anna, The one in front came to about 5 feet away from her and stopped.
"Look the little girl wants to save the village," she said in a horrible mocking voice that Anna found stomach curdling familiar. The woman Death Eater raised her wand but Anna was ready.
"EXPELLIMAUS," Anna yelled and the woman's wand flew out of her hand. The other's started on Anna but dodged their spells and threw the counter curses at them. She needed to get somewhere where she could concentrate for a few seconds. She ran and hid behind a shop stall. The familiar tingling sensation spread through her and she pointed her wand in the general direction of the Death Eaters. They all stood in shock and watched as their wands fly at Anna. She looked at them with a satisfied expression on her face. A loud crack was heard and Anna came face to face with Voldemort, and her expression vanished being replaced by fear. Voldemort looked around at the scene in front of him.
"Who are you to try to defy my Death Eaters?" He asked Anna.
"Nobody," Anna replied, panicking now, Voldemort was going to kill her and she knew it, he knew it. Voldemort looked her up and down, recognition in his eyes.
"I'll never forget your grandmother's face, you look just like her, it's surprising Potter managed to keep you a secret all these years," he said Anna's heart started thumping wildly, he knew. How? "Are you going to die like your mother screaming and begging for her life? Pleading to be set free to go back to her precious husband who would take care of her. Are you going to die a coward crying like your mother?" He asked.
Before Anna could think she had yelled, "she didn't," at Voldemort. His malicious eyes glinted. Anna had told them who she was, she had failed.
"Only a relation of Harry Potter's would be stupid enough to stand in front of me and try to defeat me," he said laughing. "I'll come back for you Potter, be prepared," he shouted and summoned all his Death Eaters wands that were scattered on the floor and they disappeared with a loud crack. At that moment Harry came running down the road followed by Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, and the other teachers. Anna knelt down on the floor she dropped her wand. It was over everything she had been trying to keep hidden had come out. She had failed her father, she had let her emotions take over her. She felt Harry elope her in a hug. He was crying, holding her tightly.
"Are you ok? It's ok he knows. Don't worry it will make everything easier." He said kissing her forehead.
"Harry what is this?" A voice from over head asked.
"She's my daughter," Harry replied. "Come on Sweety get up it's ok he's gone now," Anna let herself be pulled up and guided back to the school. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, she realized now that she wasn't going to tell anyone she was Harry Potter's daughter, no matter how much she convinced herself she was, too much was at stake, and now everything was going to be different she knew that by the looks people were giving her as she passed them. The looks of awe and wonder, she had managed to get rid of Voldemort and his Death Eater's with out a scratch. She certainly was her father's daughter.
She woke up in the hospital wing later that evening no one was there. She went to get out of bed when Harry burst in the door.
"Get back into bed," he commanded.
"I'm fine, how is everyone else? Did everyone make it?" she asked hurriedly.
"There were a few casualties, 2 students died, a third year Damien O'Conner and a 5th year Mary Knightly." Anna looked at her father to see if he was joking he wasn't. Anna felt awful she had let two people die one of whom she knew. She went to the door.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"For a walk," she replied. Harry nodded he understood she needed to be alone for a while. Anna walked out to the lake the cool summer breeze blowing her hair around her face. She wondered where Lupin was. She sat thinking until the sun had set and the stars were twinkling innocently down at her. Anna wondered who the woman was, and how Voldemort knew who she was.
"I don't look that much like Lily or everyone would know, wouldn't they?" she said out loud to herself. Cynthia Malfoy and Delilah Nott must have seen what she had in the pool, who else would have known? They had stayed out of her way ever since the incident at the Pool. They would pay she would make sure of that. Who else would have known, as far as she knew only Dumbledore, Harry, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black knew.