Chapter 9
McGonagall moved to stand behind her desk while Leonardo sat in one of the seats in front of her. Ron, Luna, Harry, and Ginny stood off to the side, watching me with confused and wary eyes. Well, Luna was more curious than wary. Draco took a spot behind Leonardo on the other side of the space and I gravitated toward him, not wanting to be too close to the others in case this all blew up in my face.
"Well, Ms. Granger, I believe you have some explaining to do," McGonagall said.
"Fist off," I said, focusing in on McGonagall, "I think we need to discuss the security threat to the school."
"I am perfectly aware of the situation, Ms. Granger."
"No, I don't think you are, Professor," I shot back, getting slightly annoyed. I understood that I was technically her student and much younger than she, but she had no idea what we were going up against. "That was an assassino. An assassin. They are brutal, killing machines. They will murder anyone that stands between them and their target. Anyone."
"And if I'm right, then that was Marco Carboni," Leonardo added. My eyebrows shot up. How in the name of Merlin did he know what Marco Carboni looked like? "He's a particularly awful assassino. Likes to, well, play with his victims. If she hadn't stepped in, that girl would have been killed in a rather grotesque way."
"And he's not the worst of it," I continued, bringing McGonagall's attention back to me. "A man named Adriano is coming as well. He's slightly less sadistic than Carboni, but even more ruthless."
"How do you know this?" McGonagall asked, frowning as she fell into her seat.
"My brother told us."
"You're an only child," Harry said from behind me. Sorrow crept into my heart at the confused looks on my friends' faces. I wasn't the person I'd told them I was, and now they would learn the truth.
"I lied, Harry."
He reacted as if I'd slapped him. He blinked at me several times as if he couldn't comprehend a single word of what I'd just said. "Why would you do that?"
I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. "Dumbledore told me to."
"Why would Albus do something like that?" McGonagall asked.
I bit my lip, debating. Once this was started it couldn't be stopped, no matter how much I wanted it to. I glanced at Draco who gave me a tiny smile of encouragement as his magic rubbed soothingly across my skin. Well, I was either a Gryffindor or I wasn't. "First, you should know that everything you know about me is a lie," I started quietly, unwilling to look anyone in the eye. "My name is Hemera Gervasio. I am a daughter of the Fenice Dinastia. And I am a refugee from war."
And so I told them. I told them about the war between the Fenice and Serpe, beginning with murder of my grandfather. I told them that my siblings had taken my parents' places after their murders almost four years before. I told them about the Sacerdotessa and how the Serpe were convinced they could use me to take over the Dinastias. I told them about Riccarda, that she brought me to Dumbledore and he'd agreed to protect me. I told them I'd thrown myself into the British war to keep my mind off of what was happening in my own homeland. I told them about Leonardo appearing and Riccarda's death and what that meant for my safety. I told them about the assassino and Adriano and Alexiares coming to the UK. I told them everything. Ginny was the first to break the long silence after I finished speaking.
"Did you ever tell us the truth?" she asked, eyes full of hurt. The sight made me want to cry. I swallowed down my tears. I could cry later.
"Yes. I didn't really change my personality. I did talk about studying a bit more than I normally would have and I'd never before turned up my nose at quidditch, but all in all I never pretended to be a different type of person."
"Wait, you actually like quidditch?" Ron asked, the lines on his forehead deepening.
I shook my head. "Nope." Ron almost looked disappointed. I smirked slightly. "I love it, Ron. I've been riding a broom since before I could walk. Since I finished my training when I was fourteen, I was considered an adult. The Italian National team was going to sign me as a chaser right before I had to come here."
"So, you're saying you not only like quidditch, but you're bloody fantastic at it as well?" Ginny asked, eyes wide. I nodded. "Sweet Circe."
"Why were you sent to find her, Leonardo?" McGonagall asked, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "She said you aren't from her dinastia."
"I'm a Volpe. See?" He held up his hand so everyone in the room could clearly see the fox symbol. I noticed everyone's flick to my own hand to see if something was there. Draco flashed me a small smirk, obviously laughing at them. "But my Padrone privately supports the Fenice, so he lent a few of us Soldati, or soldiers, to Hemera's brother."
"Then he sent you?" McGonagall still seemed unconvinced.
"Leo and I have known each other all our lives," I explained. "He's my cousin. Alexiares knew we'd recognize each other easily."
"So why were you mad at him for so long?" Luna asked, talking for the first time since the assassino appeared.
"It was more like I was taking my anger at my brother out on Leo. He'd ordered me to stay here, rather than return to Italy. Knowing Leonardo was here was just a reminder that everything was going badly for my people and I couldn't help."
"Why didn't you just go anyway?" Ginny asked, frowning.
"We can't go against a Padrone's order. There are some exceptions so its not slavery, but the exceptions didn't apply to this. Neither Leo nor I could have left Scotland, no matter how much we wanted to."
"So, just to clarify, you are being hunted by two men that want to either capture or kill you?" McGonagall said, sounding incredibly tired.
"That about sums it up, yes."
She gave a sigh like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "I'll contact the Ministry. Unless this brother of yours has ordered you not to contact the Ministry." She glanced at me and I smirked.
"I'm not the one doing the contacting, now am I, Professor?"
She shook her head. "I hate politics," she grumbled, standing to level us all with her hard gaze. "I want all of you to go to the Heads' dorm and wait for me there. Even you four in the corner. Leonardo, I want you to go get the other teachers and bring them here. There's much to discuss."
"Yes, Professor," all of us students mumbled. Leonardo gave a short nod. He might not have been loyal to McGonagall, but I knew he understood McGonagall was offering to help. And he wasn't going to pass that up. We left before she could say anything else. Draco stuck close, putting himself between me and the other four behind us. It surprised me how grateful I was for that.
We walked to the Heads' dorm in silence, Leonardo trailing along beside me. He was fidgety, which meant he wanted to say something but didn't know how. I ignored him. When he wanted to talk he would. We had just reached the portrait hole when he spoke.
"Hemera." I stopped to face him, making Draco run into me. We stumbled, but he caught us before we could hit the ground, and when we were stable he didn't completely pull away again. That part of me that relished in his scent and touch nearly purred. That part of me that understood this wasn't the time or the place wanted to run away as fast as possible. I settled for freezing every muscle of my body in hopes he would get the hint so the decision would be made for me. He didn't. Merda, but was I in trouble. I focused back on Leonardo, hoping I hadn't missed too much of what he'd said, "… so you need to be careful."
I sighed. I hadn't missed anything at all. "I'm not a bambino, Leonardo."
"I know, but you've never exactly had to fight for your life before." I raised an eyebrow. "Well, actively anyway." I shook my head because he didn't understand what I had meant.
"First of all, what do you think I was doing during the British war? Second, Riccarda taught me everything she knew, Leonardo. Everything. And I can do it all with ten times more power than she ever could." His eyes widened ever so slightly and it was as if he was seeing me for the first time.
Riccarda's skill at torture had been legendary. People would succumb just upon seeing her face so they wouldn't have to endure the pain they knew she would give them. She'd taught me those skills the last year of my training. I wasn't proud of it, nor would I admit the fact easily. It was a dirty part of being the Suprema Guida, one no one ever talked about. Not even the Suprema Guida.
Leonardo put his fist over his heart and bowed low. "Perdonami, Guida Suprema. Sapevo che non di quello che ho parlato."
I sighed, shaking my head. For the love of Merlin! I was just trying to get him to understand, not show him his place. "You're such a stickler for tradition, Leonardo. Get up. You didn't do anything wrong so there's no need to apologize. My father kept it quiet. Not even Alexiares and Eirenne know." He seemed slightly mollified, but that new light was still there. A different level of respect, one of a war hardened man to another. "Now go do what McGonagall asked. We're running out of time before Adriano gets here."
"Sì, Guida Suprema." He gave a second shorter bow. "Sarà fatto." And with that he was gone. I turned to see all five of my friends staring at me with impressed and confused faces. I bit my lip to keep from cursing. This entire situation was going from bad to worse to completely terrible.
"Get in." I gave the password and the portrait swung open. I waited for the five of them to step in before following.
"Okay, I'll be the first to say it. What in Merlin's name just happened back there with Professor Monetti?" Ginny asked, whirling to face me. I noticed Draco walking into the kitchen behind her and I hoped to Merlin he was making a strong cup of coffee just for me.
"Stop calling him Monetti," I snapped, feeling a headache starting to pound behind my temples. "That's not his name. That's my mother's name and I'm tired of hearing it. His surname is De Fiore. Start using it. And that happened because Leonardo likes traditions and rules, and he follows both religiously."
"That still doesn't explain what you two were talking about," Ginny said, eyes narrowing. I understood. She didn't trust me now, and though it hurt to admit it, I never expected any of them to really trust me again.
"We were talking about the duties of a Suprema Guida, Ginny. That's what I am. It's the most powerful Sacerdotessa of the fifteen in existence. And one of the things the Guida Suprema has to know is how to use someone's mind against the them."
"Torture," Harry defined, a bitter note to his voice.
I grimaced. "Let's just say that if I wanted you to see a nightmare, you'd see one." Draco suddenly appeared at my side again, a large cup of coffee steaming in his hands. I took it gratefully. The boy was the best thing that had ever happened to me. He really was. "Shall we sit?"
I moved to my favorite seat on the sofa before they could answer. Draco plopped down beside me, just close enough that I could feel the heat of his thigh radiate against mine. Harry ended up across from me with Ginny perched on the arm of his chair. Luna sat in the chair closest to me while Ron sat at her feet.
"You know, I get why you had to lie," Harry said, taking me by surprise. I never expected him to say that. "I'm not happy, in fact I'm rather angry about the whole thing, but I get it. What I don't get is why Malfoy here hasn't looked surprised one single time through this entire thing."
"Well that's easy, Potter," Draco said in a snarky voice I hadn't heard in a while. "I already knew." I nearly groaned at the look that came over Ginny, Harry, and Ron's faces at Draco's nasty smirk. This was not a good time for Normal-Malfoy to make an appearance.
"Stop it," I scolded.
He turned overly innocent gray eyes to me. "What did I do?"
"You know perfectly well what you're doing. What happened to Nice-Malfoy?" I noticed the others exchange a look at that, but I kept my attention on Draco.
"But it's Potter and Weasleys," he grumbled.
"And Lovegood," Luna said with a small frown. I smiled at her. I'd almost forgotten how much I loved that girl.
"But I actually sort of like you, Lovegood. Always have, to point a fact," Draco said, in an almost hurt tone. Her frown turned into a soft smile.
"Oh. Well in that case, go ahead." Ron, Harry, and Ginny sent her withering looks she completely ignored. Draco turned a triumphant gaze to me.
"See? Permission from the girlfriend."
"Shut up, Draco." He frowned, but his eyes were still happy. My Nice-Malfoy was back. It made my heart do a little happy dance.
"Yes, do shut up, Draco," Harry agreed, rolling his eyes. "Let's get back to the fact that he knew all of this about you before we did. Has he always known?"
"No. I told him a few weeks ago. He was here when Leonardo told me that Riccarda had been killed. I could have wiped his memory, but I decided to confide in him instead."
"Why?" Ron asked, his tone catching me off guard. He was hurt that I'd chosen Draco over him, over them. But that wasn't what I had done.
"Because a part of my heart had just crumbled to dust and I needed someone to lean on so I wouldn't die from the pain."
"Why not Di Fenlen or whatever you said his name was?" Ginny asked. Before I could even open my mouth, Luna had given a delicate snort.
"The man has no Filly Wigs," she said, shaking her head as if it was the saddest thing in the world. We just stared at her so she explained, "Filly Wigs are attracted to people with compassion." Everyone's eyes flicked to me. I nodded. That was a rather apt description.
"Leonardo is Soldato first and human second. He has feelings, of course, but he will always put the job before anything," I said, "He would have pat me on the back, wished me luck and moved on."
"So why not us?" Ron asked in a voice barely loud enough to hear that squeezed my heart.
"What would you have done, Ron?" I asked in an equally quiet voice. "What would any of you have done if I came running to you crying about some woman you never knew even existed and I suddenly revealed that I wasn't who you thought I was? All of you would have needed time. Time to think about what I'd told you and figure out whether you even cared about me anymore. Time you still need. I know it was selfish of me, but Draco was someone that was close that I hadn't lied to every single day for the last three years and who would never talk to you lot. I'm sorry that it ended up that way. I'm sorry I couldn't be the friend I should have been. But I'm not sorry that I told Draco."
They were silent, and I let them be. I felt Draco's magic still around me, surprised and… something else. Hopeful? Sanguine? Something along those lines. I met his gray eyes and they had turned nearly molten silver. I didn't understand what he was feeling but it seemed to make him happy, if the twinkle in his eyes was anything to go by.
"You're right," Harry finally said in a slightly scratchy voice. "We need time to think."
"Well I don't," Luna said cheerily, turning to face me better in her chair. "I find it fascinating. It actually explains a load about why you freaked when you mentioned your sister." I nodded.
Ron turned to look up at her. "You knew she had a sister?"
"Yep. She accidently said it when she was still out of her mind when we were sharing a room at Shell Cottage." She looked at Draco. "Right after we left your house." I felt a pang of remorse flash through his magic and reached over to touch his knee. He glanced at me and gave a small nod, though the smile in his eyes was gone. "She swore me to secrecy."
"You still should have told me," Ron mumbled. Luna smacked him on the head, making him cry out and the rest of us chuckle. "Oi! What the bloody hell was that for?"
"For being a prat," Luna said with a sweet smile. Ron rubbed his head, glowering at the wall opposite him. There was a knock on the door and not two seconds later McGonagall swept in, followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt. I was surprised to see him until I remembered that he was the new Minister of Magic.
"The Ministry and professors have been informed of the situation and are making changes to security as we speak," McGonagall said, her tone all business. "But Kingsley has a couple of questions for you Ms. Gra—er, Gervasio?" She pronounced it awfully, but I gave her credit for correcting herself.
"How can I help, Minster?"
"My spellcasters were wondering if you knew anything about the extra wards that have been placed around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. It seems Mr. Monetti thinks you would know something about them." I bit my lip to stop from cringing at the name.
"His name's Di Fenito," Ginny said, surprising me.
I smiled and shook my head. "De Fiore. His name is Leonardo De Fiore. Monetti is his middle name, and my mother's maiden name."
McGonagall gave the darkest scowl I had ever seen. "All of you get back to your dorms," she ground out between clenched teeth. "Excuse me while I speak with a teacher." She spun out of the room and I suddenly felt incredibly bad for letting the cat out of the bag. Leonardo was so getting fired tonight. Not that he cared about his job in the first place.
"Well," Kingsley said, eyebrows raised as he turned back to us, "I don't want to be him. Whatever his name is." He looked at me again. "The wards?"
"They're mine. I put them up when we found out the assassino and Adriano were coming."
Kingsley stared at me with wide eyes. "But the spellcasters said they were unbreakable."
I nodded. "They are. Only I have control of them. Do you want me to do something else with them?"
Kingsley blinked at me. "Er, no. They said the wards were strategically well placed. They'll just add some more to help." I shrugged. I didn't care what they did, really. I already had plans to increase my wards' capabilities before going to be that night. It wouldn't be too hard to incorporate or strengthen theirs. "Right. Well. I suggest you four do as Minerva said and head to your dorms." Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna stood, giving me looks as they walked passed.
I sighed as the portrait hole closed behind them, slumping into my seat. All in all, it hadn't gone as badly as it could have. Maybe it was just the calm before the storm.