A/N: Believe me, I am fully aware that this chapter is a bit short… but I think that it was fully necessary to get the ending right. Anyways, sorry for not updating for a while… I had lots and lots of work to do :P
Jackson smiled as Hermione walked away to finally check in with reception. Not for the first time, he thanked his stars that he had examined her character thoroughly.
For Hermione had done very well in concealing her unusual identity.
His smile slowly faded as he remembered a time when he was not powerful, but rather weak and unconfident. And it had been all their fault. But there was no point in wasting anger over the past.
Jackson had taken care of them.
Oh yes. Taken care indeed…
FLASHBACK
"Hello Jackie"
Jackie was a girl's name… his father used the nickname when he was disgusted with his son. Weaker than a bloody girl…
"Have you received any mail lately?"
To any other eleven-year old boy, this question would have been considered as completely harmless. To Jackson however…
"N-no."
"No?"
"No Papa."
"What did you say?"
"I - ".
"The Rosiers have been a powerful pureblood family from the time of Slytherin. And you have told me that you have not received an acceptance from Hogwarts. Do you know what that means?"
It would have been easier if his father had been yelling at him. Jackson knew his father very well. This cold tone was much more deadly.
"It means that I am weak."
"No."
Jackson looked up to his father with a slightest tinge of hope.
"It means that you are worse than weak… it means that you are an animal, even worse than a damned Mudblood"
A tear flew down Jackson's cheek and he rubbed it away angrily. He would not cry… he was eleven, not nine. He was not a baby, and he would simply wait for his father's temper to –
"And most of all, it means that you are not my son"
Jackson stood near the oven in shock. This was beyond mean… this, this wasn't fair. It wasn't FAIR dammit! His hands were shaking, so Jackson quickly clenched them into fists.
And then unclenched them. And then smiled.
His father's wand was on the table. And without his wand… his father was almost as defenseless as he was.
No, not almost.
Jackson had learned knife-throwing lessons with Borgin… his father did not know of this of course, but Jackson had wanted to become a bad man. A bullying man, like his father.
And now, he had a chance to show his father just who was the weak one in the family.
The sink wasn't that far away after all… and the dishes weren't cleaned yet… which means that the steak knife was still on the sink counter…
He took the leather handle of the steak knife between his fingers.
And aimed.
"I am not weak."
Jules Rosier looked at his son in horror, and then slowly brought himself to stare at the gash in his pale throat.
"I am not weak."
There was a cry from the dining room and Jackson turned around slowly. His eyes were blank.
"Hello mother."
She began to scream… but the pureblood culture had given Jackson a very large advantage… the nearest neighbour was four miles away.
Realizing that no one was there to help her, and that Jackson was nowhere close to showing mercy… the foolish women reverted to anger.
"Rosiers respect the pureblood lineage Jackson! They bow down to their elders, and they take care of each other! They do not -- "
"And when Mother, did you ever take care of me? You never comforted me after Father casted Crutacius. And you must not worry… I am no longer a Rosier. "
" My surname is now Rippner. And you should have never named me Jack"
The knife flew.
And Jackson Rippner was born.
END FLASHBACK
The first indication of Hermione's magical heritage had come through, believe it or not, Harry Potter.
The boy had enclosed a moving picture of himself.
It was often the small amateurish mistakes that made the difference. Because of Harry Potter's blunder, Jackson had taken the eleven-inch unicorn hair mixed with cedar bark into account.
Jackson smiled once more… it was almost too ironic. Because of Harry's blunder, Hermione would be convinced properly… and then Harry would then die.
Life was so funny sometimes.