Only Half-Weasley
Chapter 20
A/N: I know that I don't usually go back in time when writing chapters, but I felt this was necessary since the next few chapters will be focusing on Holly. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the comments and support!
Holly boarded the train, immediately set on finding her three best friends. Half-way down the train, she located them laughing merrily in a compartment by themselves. She slid open the door and closed it quickly behind her as she tried to make room for people behind to pass around her.
"Have a good holiday, Holly?" Cynthia asked brightly.
The red-head grinned in reply. "I did, yes," she answered. She tucked her small bag of belongings underneath her seat before sitting down next to her fellow Gryffindor and best friend.
"Daniel and Michael were just telling me about your mum," Cynthia said. "I mean, I read the Prophet, but I couldn't be sure until-"
The confused look on Holly's face caused her friend to pause mid-sentence. "In the Prophet? What are you talking about?" she said carefully.
Cynthia reached into her school bag and pulled out the Daily Prophet article from the previous week. Unfolding it, something immediately caught Holly's eye. Ignoring the captions and the article beneath it, her brown eyes lingered on the moving photograph. She gawked at the long, red-haired witch that was her mother, young and beautiful with sparkling eyes and a playful grin on her face. It was not unlike the picture she had seen in the Trophy Room. Both girls had the same the look of joy and confidence that Holly had never seen reflected on her mother's face since she could remember. Had her mother really been this happy?
The fifteen-year-old Ginny embraced the boy next to her and kissed him lightly on the lips. The boy smiled before returning the kiss with an elated expression on his face as if feeling privileged to have this particular girl resting in his arms. Holly turned away from the picture and stared at the headlines for several minutes before taking in the meaning.
"What?" she exclaimed. "What does this mean, 'Best friend hides Potter's long lost love?' What does that have to do with my—is that Professor Potter and my mum?" The significance of the picture hit Holly and left her stunned in her seat. Her mother had told her about her family, about her childhood, but she had managed to leave this bit of information out. Why? It was apparent by the actions of the two young teenagers that Ginny was more familiar with her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher than Holly was lead to believe.
Michael cleared his throat. "It's a load of crack pot Dad says," he inserted while Holly hastily scanned the article. "He reckons the Prophet is always looking for a story."
"Of course it is," Cynthia agreed quickly. "Your mum would never do that."
Holly didn't look up until she finished the last line. Her expression was unclear, a mix of anger, confusion, and uncertainty. "Me? The daughter of Harry Potter?" she said out loud, more to herself than to her friends.
"Ridiculous, right?" Daniel added lightly.
"I don't know," Holly said, looking at the picture again. "My mother never talked about dating him. Do you think that this is the reason why she never mentioned-?"
Cynthia looked doubtful. "I can't see why your mum would lie to you about your father."
"She's lied about a lot of things," the red-head returned. "Until a few months ago, I didn't even know this world existed."
"But he can't be," Michael spoke up. "The story was made up. Dad said it wasn't true."
Holly looked hesitant. "I never met my dad," she whispered. "He was supposed to have died minutes after I was born. What if he was made up…and this was my real father…what if…"
At first the idea was ludicrous, but the more Holly thought of having a living father the more she tried to convince herself that there was a possibility of it being true. She had always secretly desired having her father, knowing him and being able to see herself in him. Yet this dream had been taken away from her when he died. Was there a chance that Alex Miller was not her father and that her real father was still living and didn't know about her?
She brooded on this thought for the remainder of the train ride back to Hogwarts and it became apparent as the four Gryffindors exited the train at Hogsmeade Station that she wasn't the only person to be thinking about the article. On the platform, Holly became suddenly conscious of the feeling that she was being watched. She sped up her pace and hurried forward to one of the carriages. Cynthia, Michael, and Daniel followed in her wake and once they climbed settled inside Holly slammed the door shut.
"What's wrong, Holly?" Cynthia asked in concern, taking note of Holly's apprehensive appearance.
Holly shook her head. "I don't know, but I…I think people were staring at me," she finished lamely. It sounded less serious when she finally said it, but on the platform it had frightened her.
Michael laughed uneasily. "Stare at you? What kind of rubbish is that?" he said.
"I know it sounds stupid-" Holly began.
"Even if they were," Daniel interrupted her. "Why are you worried about it? People stare at us all the time."
"Yeah, but-"
"Don't worry about it," Michael dismissed her. "I doubt anyone read that article."
How true Michael's advice proved to be was soon challenged when the four stepped into the Great Hall for dinner. All eyes seemed to follow Holly as she sat down at the Gryffindor table and attempted to hide between the twins. When she looked around her, flashes of the picture that Holly had seen hours ago on the train were now beaming at her from every direction. Contrary to what the twins had believed, it looked as though everyone had read the article.
Holly turned her attention away from the whispers around her and stared at the head table. She spotted Professor Potter in conversation with Professor Longbottom. The look on her teacher's face was strained as though he was using every ounce of concentration to keep his mind focused on something other than the students. Was he thinking the same thing Holly was thinking? If only he looked at her…could give her some kind of confirmation…
But he did not. Half way through dinner, he left the hall without a second glance behind him which caused more whispers follow. This did not help. The blatant gawks in her direction had become extremely annoying and Holly left shortly after Professor Potter did. Michael, Daniel, and Cynthia were not far behind and they found her curled up by a window on the far side of the common room.
"I didn't think-" Michael began, but a stern look from Cynthia stopped him.
"We can always ask Professor Potter," Cynthia suggested.
Holly shook her head. "Ask him what? If I'm his long lost daughter?"
"If the story is true!" Cynthia added. "You have a right to know!"
"If I should be asking anyone, it should be my mum," Holly responded uncertainly.
"But didn't you say so yourself that your mum has lied to you before?" Daniel pointed out. "How would you know she was telling you the truth?"
Michael nodded in agreement. "You need to hear this from a reliable source and Professor Potter has never lied."
"If this really bothers you, Holly, you should ask," Cynthia said more gently.
Holly continued to look out the window without really seeing. Her mind was whirling with a constant flow of thoughts traveling around her brain in no particular order. She didn't want to believe any of it. It would be a huge blow to the fragile relationship that she now had with her mother. Hadn't it been just that morning that things had felt normal and peaceful at last?
"I'll think about it," she mumbled with a sigh. "I'm heading for bed."
"But it's barely seven-" Daniel protested
"Yes, and it's been a long day and I'm tired. Good night." Before the other three could stop her, Holly was climbing up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.
"Let her go," Cynthia advised, her eyes still staring at the spot where Holly had vanished.
Daniel and Michael exchanged looks. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow," Michael reminded them. "Do you think she'll say anything?"
"Whether she does or not," Cynthia replied, "we'll certainly learn something." She raised an eyebrow at the other two before following Holly up into the girls' dormitory for the night.
If Holly found the previous evening frustrating, it was nothing compared to the following morning. For four months, no one paid her any notice. She was just another Gryffindor first year making her way through her classes, trying to be just as successful as the next student. However, this cold Thursday was anything but ordinary.
"Ignore them," Cynthia muttered while Holly shrugged off several third years that had stopped her on her way to Transfiguration. Four times that morning, people had approached the red-head, asking if the article was true. Each time, Holly walked away grumbling curses under her breath and gripping her wand tightly.
"You try it," Holly snapped back as she entered the Transfiguration classroom and slammed her bag on the table in the very back of the classroom, away from curious eyes. "Why won't they just leave me alone?"
Cynthia looked hurt. "I'm trying to help you," she responded sadly.
Holly bit her lower lip, but did not look at her friend. "Sorry," she muttered.
Neither said a word to each other during the rest of the lesson which only consisted of lecture notes. Holly found it very difficult to concentrate although she knew that she couldn't risk falling behind. She had worked so hard to catch up in the class it would have all been a waste of time if she didn't keep up her effort. Yet, the article kept creeping back into her thoughts, rehashing the story that she initially found ridiculous but now was destroying her concept of what was true and fabricated.
She was the last to exit the class with the twins and Cynthia waiting just at the end of the corridor. The worried expressions on their faces reflected their fear of her exploding before the day was out. Holly felt suddenly guilty. "Flying next?" she said with a smile.
Michael looked slightly relieved. "Yeah," he answered. "Think you'll be able to fly around the pitch without falling off this time?"
Holly stuck her tongue out at him. "I am a very capable flyer," she said with mock confidence.
A gasp came from over her shoulder. "Did you hear her? She is! She is a Potter!" someone cried from behind her. The voice faded, traveling the opposite direction. Feeling quite humiliated and frustrated, Holly pulled her cloak out of her bag and disappeared underneath it, refusing to take it off until the four had reached the pitch.
"Why don't you just say you're a Potter and get it all over with?" Daniel suggested.
Holly glared at him. "You think I should lie to them?" she said in an affronted tone.
"Well, yes and no," Daniel stammered.
"Just tell everyone what you think they want to hear," Michael added.
"That's lying!" Holly and Cynthia cried together.
Before either of the twins could respond, Madam Hunt blew her whistle to signal the beginning of class. The boost of confidence that Holly had felt moments before seemed to disappear as the red-head settled on of the broomsticks. Just like Transfiguration, her ability to fly had also digressed, though she attributed this to not having ridden a broom for several weeks. The class finally ended when Holly had nearly ran into one of the Quidditch poles and instead crashed into Ryan Leedom. Luckily, they were not far off of the ground when they hurled straight into it.
"Sorry, Ryan," Holly apologized from the ground.
Ryan helped her up and brushed the dirt off of her robes. "No problem," he answered, turning away quickly and taking his broom to the other side of the pitch where Madam Hunt was standing.
"Well done, well done!" the flying instructor praised her students. "That was excellent…er…almost excellent flying." She gave Holly a disappointed look causing the latter to blush with embarrassment.
Holly grumbled as she left the pitch, her cloak once again covering her head. The other three Gryffindors did not say anything as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. The silence lasted all through lunch, only broken when Holly grunted angrily at random students that dared to look her way.
"You can't keep grumbling at people," Cynthia scolded her.
"Yes, I can," Holly said with defiance. "If they keep looking at me then I am allowed to grumble at them back."
"That's childish."
"I'm only twelve. I have time to mature later."
"That's not going to help anyone," Cynthia argued. "Do you think people will stop looking at you if you grunt at them? That's only going to reinforce the rumors!"
Holly glared back at Cynthia who did not respond.
"Well, we have Defense Against the Dark Arts next," Daniel said lightly.
There was a sound of metal banging against wood and then silence. The color had drained from Holly's face and she was left speechless. She had nearly forgotten about Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"If it's not true, then you have nothing to worry about, Holly," Michael encouraged her.
Holly did not register a word of what he said. Her body slid from her seat and settled itself on the floor under the table. Three pairs of eyes peered under the table at her. "I can't go," she croaked. "What if he says something? What if-"
"You have to go!" Cynthia protested. "You can't miss class!"
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't," the twins said together.
"We have a test next week," Daniel added. "If you miss this class, you'll fail the test."
Holly's eyes grew big, the whites of her eyes glowing in the shadow of the table. The wheels were turning in her head. Did she miss class and avoid the tension that would mount when she entered the class room or did she go and save herself from failing?
"You have to face him some time," Cynthia pointed out gently.
The red-head nodded, but showed no other sign that she truly heard what Cynthia had said. When the time came to go to class, Holly felt her body moving there without her. Her stomach cringed, aching as she tried to fight off the sudden anxiety that she now attributed to her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Cynthia pulled Holly into a seat in the back corner, though this did not discourage her classmates from turning around in their seats to examine her. Instead, it worsened when Professor Potter entered the classroom and Holly chose to hide herself behind a book.
"Divide into pairs," Professor Potter said casually as if his students were not acting unusually. "We will be practicing the counter-jinxes to the curses we learned last term. Now, remember the wand movements and do them with confidence. If you hesitate, your spell will be less effective."
Holly and Cynthia paired together in the back of the classroom. Cynthia started by attempting to hex Holly and then giving the counter-jinx to release her from the spell. This kept Holly preoccupied until Professor Potter came by their duo, praising Cynthia at her excellent pronunciation. The sudden presence of her teacher caught Holly by surprise and the next spell sent at her caused the red-head to fly across the room.
"Stay on your feet, Miller," Professor Potter advised her before walking away.
Cynthia gave Holly an apologetic look. Holly got up and Cynthia released her once more. When it came time for them to switch roles, Holly did not do as well as her partner. Towards the end, her anger and frustration got in the way. She was angry with the person who wrote the article for causing the turmoil. She was tired of the way people were gaping at her as if she was some kind of unusual creature. And now she was going to be behind in her classes and would spend the next few weeks relearning everything she had struggled with in the last month! With each angry thought, her wand swooshed through the air and came down with curse after curse unaware that each was hitting their target in the chest.
"Cruricero! Mordax! Scaberum! Labo! Aurivello! VOLO RICOCHETUS!"
The sudden attack caught Cynthia off-guard. Her legs melted beneath her weight before she was hit again which caused her scream in pain followed by a curse that caused her to scratch violently. The next spell sent Cynthia to the ground followed by the Twitchy Ears Hex and finally the Bouncing Charm which resulted in Cynthia appearing to do an odd dance while she bounced off the ground and shrieked in agony. The classroom stopped their progress to watch the action.
Holly was about to cast another curse when several pairs of hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. She looked behind her to see the twins and Ryan Leedom holding her back while Professor Potter stepped forwards. "Finite Incantatem," he muttered and Cynthia dropped with a thud, panting. Her face was as white as a sheep and she was looking frightened around her. Her eyes settled on Holly who had stopped struggling with the twins and was looking back at her best friend in shock. Neither could understand what had happened.
Professor Potter helped Cynthia up from the ground and indicated to the twins. "Take her to the hospital wing," he told them. "Class dismissed! Except Miller, I would like a word."
The class filed past her, still astounded by what had happened. Holly, on the other hand, stood rooted to the floor, her wand still firmly in her right hand and staring at the spot that Cynthia had laid on moments before.
"Miller?" Professor Potter called to her once the last person exited the room.
She turned her head to face him. He was now sitting behind his desk looking more tired than she had seen him before. Holly struggled to make her body walk the distance from the back of the classroom to the front. As she reached the desk, her eyes refused to look at her teacher and instead she stared at a silver gadget that lay on the wooden surface.
"What happened?" Professor Potter asked, more gently than Holly expected.
Holly shook her head, not knowing how to answer. She could not begin to describe what came over her except that something had exploded inside her and she felt an increasing amount of guilt knowing that her best friend was in the hospital wing because of her.
"Sit down."
It wasn't a command, but a suggestion. Professor Potter had conjured a chair behind her and Holly sat. She hadn't realized that her body had been shaking until the soft chair steadied her balance. Once she had relaxed, she looked up at her teacher and saw the concerned look on his face.
"I'm sure you've noticed the article that's circulating," Professor Potter began, his green eyes boring down into her chocolate ones.
Holly looked uneasy. Could he be reading her thoughts? Did he know what was going through her mind that she was feeling doubtful about everything that she had once believed as truth?
"I saw," she answered slowly.
"Do you believe it?"
Holly looked taken aback; the question was not what she expected. Who cared if she believed it or not? The person with the answer was standing right in front of her!
"Well, not exactly," Holly admitted. "But I don't know anymore. I never met my father."
Professor Potter nodded understandingly. "I never met my parents, either," he answered. "But you need to know: the Prophet is known for their fairy-tales. I am afraid this is one of them."
Holly remained silent, soaking in his words and the relief and disappointment they had provided. He was not her father; her mother had been telling her the truth. It was a bittersweet satisfaction, but it eased the growing tension in the room. "Why would they write it, then?" she asked.
"For a story," her teacher responded. The confused expression did not leave Holly's face and so he continued. "It has been known that I had once dated your mum, though only briefly. It was before I left on a mission. She was only fifteen. We haven't been together since.
"Your mum had disappeared later on suspicious circumstances. It was just a few months after I returned to England. There were rumors, of course. Some people thought I was involved with her departure, including the Prophet. This article was intended to explain your mother's return with the rumors that everyone believed."
"So you weren't involved with my mum before she left?" Holly asked tentatively.
"No, I was not."
Holly released a lung-full of air that she hadn't realized she had been holding. His explanation made sense, though it did not answer all of her questions. However, she was forced to resolve that his answers would have to suffice. It was apparent by the finality in her teacher's tone that their meeting was over. She stood up and Professor Potter followed her towards the door.
"I must warn you," her teacher said before she could leave the classroom, "not to lose your temper again. People are going to keep asking questions, but it will die down. Just keep your head cool."
With a nod, the two parted at the door. Holly headed towards the hospital wing to where she knew she would find her three Gryffindor classmates. Professor Potter, however, turned back into his classroom and prepared for the group of fifth years that would be arriving next. Despite his many attempts to turn his thoughts towards his lessons, the conversation between him and Holly still rang in his ears. She had never known her father and even if it was for a fleeting moment, she had played with the idea that it could have been him. He knew it wasn't possible but he couldn't seem to stamp out the idea that, no matter how much he despised Ginny, he would have very much have loved to play that role.