Chapter 17: Deceived

Harry couldn't sleep that night. It was almost May—it would be in another two hours—and his N.E.W.T.s were nearly upon him. Although they loomed dangerously in front of him, threatening his future, they did not concern him as much as a certain girl did. Adrienne promised she didn't write the letters, Harry reminded himself. But really, said a nasty voice, what is the promise of one girl worth? A Slytherin, mysterious and secretive. Can you trust her? Harry shook his head violently to rid it of the thoughts dwelling inside, and in doing so bumped it on the head of his bed. He sighed. Rubbing his bruised scalp, he slid out from under the covers. He paced around his room, his feet not taking note of the chill that permeated through the stone floor. He pulled out his wand and his textbooks. If he was going to be awake for yet another night, he might as well get some preparation for the practical under way.

The door to his room burst open and Sirius stood in the doorway, a touch out of breath. Lines of worry creased his face—lines of worry and speculation. Harry stared at him for a moment, and Sirius stared back, neither of the two sure how to begin.

Harry decided to break the silence eventually. "Hi, Sirius," he said, a nonchalant answer. He waited for Sirius to make the first move and address the issue.

"Harry, I… I need your help," Sirius said.

Harry immediately regarded Sirius with alarm. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Sirius shook his head. Then he nodded. "I don't know. Well… I had a dream. And there was someone in it that I think you would like to know about."

Worried, Harry waved his wand and conjured two cups of steaming tea. "Okay." He carried the tea into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Sirius followed suit. Harry sipped his tea as he waited for Sirius to begin.

"I was here… at Hogwarts," Sirius started shakily, "but I think I was younger, because everyone around me was a student. I was walking across the grounds and the students were out of class. I was wandering aimlessly, killing free time, and then I saw a group of three boys. I don't know why I went towards them; I didn't recognize any of them. But I joined their group, and I guess I fit right in because no one commented on anything. The four of us got along like… well, like brothers."

At this point, Harry was grinning widely. "Those are the Marauders, if I'm not mistaken. This has to be a memory, Sirius, and it's an important one. The short one is Peter Pettigrew, the man that broke in here. He was in your group of friends. The quiet, smart one was Remus Lupin. He used to teach here. He was—is—a werewolf and you three became Animagi—people that could transform into animals at will—and kept him company once a month during his transformation. You were a dog, Pettigrew was a rat, and my dad, James, was a stag. Don't you remember?"

Sirius shook his head. Harry continued. "Well, the last one, with black hair that played Quidditch, was my dad. I hear he was arrogant when he was young but he changed. I don't know that much about him… and he's my own father. Ironic," he said, but cheerfully because Sirius had remembered.

"And then I saw her, hanging out with the four of us," Sirius said.

"My mother," said Harry happily.

Sirius continued as though he hadn't heard Harry's interruption. "She had the most beautiful hair, long and dark and sleek. She was beautiful, with petite features. I remember her eyes—gray, but blissfully silver. I don't know," he sighed.

Harry was not sure how to reply. "Are… are you sure she was with you? Maybe she was standing a little off to the side and you just noticed her."

"No, she was with us," Sirius said. "I know because as I approached them, she came up to me and kissed my cheek. I just don't know who she is. Harry," Sirius said suddenly, turning towards his godson, with eyes as wide and hopeful as a child's, "do you think maybe I loved her?"

Harry was still at a loss for words. "Well… I… I don't know, Sirius. It's possible." He was unsure of what to say. "Was there a redheaded girl around anywhere? Perhaps by my dad?" he asked tentatively.

Sirius scrunched up his face in the effort of recollection. "I don't know. I don't remember one being there. Who do you suppose that girl was? I can't get her out of my mind."

Harry was frustrated, but he tried not to let it show. He wanted to talk about his dad, about the Marauders, about Sirius' past that he knew. Not once had Sirius ever mentioned this girl prior to this moment. Harry was beginning to doubt the dream's credibility as a memory.

"I don't know, Sirius," he said resignedly. "Maybe you'll find out."

She ran, or rather limped as fast as she was able, down the dark corridor of Hogwarts. She sobbed, but quietly, regretting what she was doing but knowing she had to. She didn't have a choice. It was her purpose, her destiny. She knew Harry's eyes were on her, and she employed all of her self-control to press forward, determinedly not looking back. She was waiting for his call… she knew it would come. And, without fail, it did.

"Adrienne!" he shouted down the dark hall. The hall being completely devoid of life, his voice echoed. She kept her steady pace and didn't turn back. She would make him work to get her attention. With this dark thought floating around inside her, eating away at her very being, her throat closed up. Her lungs ceased working, just for a moment. She calmly regained control of herself and kept breathing.

"Age, wait up!" Harry called behind her. "Adrienne!"

With a small smile playing on her lips, Adrienne turned around slowly. She placed a mask of surprised innocence on her face.

"Oh, hi, Harry."

"Hi," Harry said breathlessly, slowing down to a halt in front of her. "Were you ignoring me?"

"Huh?"

"I was calling you for ages."

"Oh. Sorry. Guess I had something on my mind." She suddenly remembered her role, and mentally cursed herself for forgetting. She couldn't screw this up. She winced. Harry didn't seem to notice.

"Where are you going?"

Merlin, he's dense, Adrienne thought darkly. She shook the thought from her head, and let the cool calm come over her so she would be resolute and not let her feelings get in the way. She didn't have any feelings. She couldn't. She had a mission to accomplish and she was going to complete it. Clarity overcame her thoughts and she winced again, leaning on one leg a little too dramatically.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked, concerned.

"My leg. There's something wrong with my leg. I think I broke it," she said weakly.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing," Harry said frantically.

Adrienne shot him a look. "Where do you think I'm going?" Harry grinned sheepishly and wound his arm around her middle as she supported herself using his shoulder. She let a smile creep over her face, a sly smile, trickling across her mouth before she wiped it off.

Harry and Adrienne arrived at the doorway to the hospital wing. He helped her inside and she sat down on a bed in the corner of the room. The entire wing was empty, Harry noticed.

"Madam Pomfrey!" he called. No one came. The wing was deathly silent.

"Harry," Adrienne whined, "is she coming?"

"No one's here, Addy," said Harry slowly. He couldn't fathom why the wing was so devoid of people. Madam Pomfrey was always in her hospital wing.

Adrienne let out a moan, and pain contorted her facial features. Her right hand was shaking. Harry grabbed her hand and squeezed it to reassure her that it would be all right; he wasn't going to leave her. A tiny smile played at her lips for a moment, or maybe it was just a trick of the light. Either way, Harry didn't notice.

He's stumbling blindly into it, she thought craftily. What a fool. I never cared for him. I couldn't have. What a fool. As Harry's fingers made contact with the ring on the fourth finger of her right hand, he felt a pulling at his navel, and the room swirled in front of him before all went black.

When the tugging on his navel had ceased, Harry opened his eyes to find himself wracked with motion sickness, confusion, and in a small room in a shack. Dizzy and disoriented, he raised his head from the floor.

"Age, where are we?" he asked. When no reply came, he glanced around to find Adrienne running toward the door. She ran without a limp.

How can she run on that broken leg, no matter how urgent the need? Harry wondered. He broke into a run after her.

She rattled the doorknob, but the door remained closed. "Door's locked," she informed Harry.

"What's going on? Where are we?" Harry asked. Adrienne said nothing, just looked at the wooden planks that constituted the floor. Her shoulders shook as if she was crying. Or laughing.

"Don't cry," Harry said, his masculine protective instinct coming into play. He wrapped his arms around her frail shoulders. Contrary to what he expected, she did not fold into him; instead, her shoulders shook with their own rhythm. She looked up at him and her face was dry. Her eyes glinted.

Harry let go of Adrienne. He had heard of people cracking after a traumatic event, but he hardly considered this traumatic. They could get out of this place, whatever it was. They both had their wands and could Apparate. Harry wondered how they had arrived at this shack, but he decided to investigate later. Right now he had to find a way out.

"Let's go," he said. "On the count of three, we'll Apparate…" He then realized they couldn't Apparate to Hogwarts. "We'll Apparate to King's Cross Station and find out way back from there. Ready? One, two… three." He tried to transport himself and Adrienne to the train station. There was a cracking sound and tendrils of smoke radiated from his body. They hadn't moved. He was bemused. A snicker escaped Adrienne's lips, and she half-heartedly attempted to cover it up.

"What's going on?" Harry demanded. "What's going on? Where are we, Adrienne?!" When she did not respond as he wished, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began shaking her gently. "Snap out of it, Adrienne! We'll be okay, I promise. You know me. I'm here with you. Come on; you can do it! Snap out of it!"

She shook with laughter.

"What is it?" he continued, determined not to let her suffer from brain damage. "Come on, Age!"

Harry didn't hear footsteps. He wouldn't have known someone had entered the room if Adrienne hadn't looked over Harry's shoulder and past his face. He turned his head.

Voldemort stood at the opposite wall, his hands folded together in front of him, calm and waiting. He was in no hurry. His snake's tongue darted around his mouth, and his voice came out in a hiss: "I see you've met my daughter."

It took a moment for the words to register to Harry. He let go of Adrienne's shoulders, still in shock. He was dumbfounded. "Wha—?"

A smirk flickered across Voldemort's lips before his tongue licked it away. Harry turned to Adrienne, his face pleading desperately.

"It's true," she said coldly. "I'm surprised you couldn't put it all together and figure it out. You've got some reputation for heroics that doesn't fit you."

Harry went reeling back in time, remembering every moment he had spent with Adrienne. He suddenly recalled an encounter in the girls' bathroom. He confirmed it with his fingers—he still had his wand. Adrienne's arms were unprotected. He used all he had learned in Occlumency—which, granted, was very little, but he felt it was enough—to shield his mind from Voldemort's potential probing.

"I know what you're thinking," Adrienne cooed wickedly.

Harry was resolved. "No, you don't," he defied sharply, and pulled out his wand. A cut opened along Adrienne's forearm. She smiled, showing her small white teeth. Harry pointed his wand again, and cuts opened among any bare skin he could see.

She scowled now. "Annoying boy," she said quietly, and pulled out her wand, healing the gashes one by one with a tap.

Harry was surprised. He shot icy water at her, colder than that of the lake.

Adrienne grumbled. "What are you trying to do? Defiling my appearance isn't going to help you. I suggest you stop."

Taken aback, Harry stepped away from Adrienne. Realizing that he was nearing Voldemort, he stopped.

"Take your time. Socialize," Voldemort said cruelly. "I have plenty of time. You're not going anywhere, Potter."

He was trapped. He had counted on Adrienne and she had let him down. He had no allies, no way of contacting anyone. He wished desperately for Dumbledore.

"Do you know where we are, Harry?" Adrienne asked, her blood red lips parting. In this weak light, with her skin so pale, she looked like a vampire. "Don't you remember? You were sitting right where you're standing now. It's like fate." She smiled. "Do you believe it was fate that we met, Harry?"

Harry remembered, thousands of years ago, he had thought they were destined to meet. He would help her; fix whatever was wrong in her life. He remembered thinking maybe she had fixed him.

"Sixteen years ago, Harry," she breathed. "Almost seventeen. Shortly after I was born," she added. "Don't you know where we are? This is Godric's Hollow." She allowed a moment for it to sink in. "And do you know whose house we're in?"

At the look of horror on Harry's face, she giggled.

"Get out of my parents' house," Harry croaked. "Get out."

She smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Sorry, Harry. Daddy says we're going to be in here." Harry winced when she emphasized the paternal word.

"Y-you… you sent the letters," Harry accused. "You swore…"

"I didn't send you those letters, Potter; let it go," Adrienne said irritably.

"But it was in your—"

"I did," cut in an icy hiss. "Through Adrienne's hand, I sent them to you. Feeling a little… scared, are you, Potter?"

Harry wished he was a more skilled Occlumens and tried to appear undaunted. "You can't scare me. I know you."

"Thought you knew her, too, didn't you?" asked Voldemort nastily. "No one can save you. Adrienne has done her job, however sloppily, and now you are mine. We're all alone."

"You're wrong," came a familiar, cracked voice. "And it isn't the first time."

Harry turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway of the previously locked door. Harry allowed himself a smile before it occurred to him. He was worried about Sirius' safety. Sirius couldn't be here; he was unstable. He couldn't defend himself; he'd get himself killed, and probably Harry, too.

"Sirius, go!" Harry said. "Save yourself! Go—"

"This is no time for heroic nonsense," Sirius cut in, and took advantage of the surprise to stand at his godson's side.

Voldemort chuckled—a high-pitched, shrieking laugh. "Wonderful. Two birds with one stone. Wormtail! Wormtail!"

Pettigrew stepped out from behind his master, drenched in sweat. He raised a shaking hand and pointed his wand at Sirius.

"Don't you dare," Sirius snarled with a ferocity even Harry had never seen before.

"How… why are you… how are you here?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"My darling daughter decided to bring my servant back to me," Voldemort informed him.

"You mean you forced her," Harry said venomously. "Taking away a person's will to make them do your—"

"No," said Voldemort. A thin, cruel smile spread across his face.

"What—" Harry stopped. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"Tell him."

"I did it," said Adrienne. "I decided, Harry. I made my own decision. Wormtail wasn't even part of the plan. I decided to free him. I snuck into Dumbledore's office, using your Invisibility Cloak, thank you—and I used Father's magic to set him free."

"You—you—" Harry sputtered.

"Yes." She smiled. "Me."

Harry cut her wrists again, this time with more intensity, blazing with rage.

"What are you doing?" Adrienne shrieked as blood spouted from her arms.

"I am going to free you," Harry said. "Your way." He was stopped by a hand on his arm. When Harry looked at Sirius, his godfather was staring at Adrienne.

"She's free," he said, awed. "She's doing this on her own will. Can't you tell?"

Adrienne was muttering as she sealed the wounds. Suddenly Harry understood. The surprised, shrieking voice would not have come from Voldemort. The absent-minded muttering would not have come from the Dark Lord.

"You. You bewitched the Bludger. You played me and set a trap for me. You… you sent the spider plant to Sirius!" he exclaimed, remembering.

A wicked smile distorted Adrienne's face. "Brought it, actually. Delivered it myself."

A blind rage unlike one Harry had ever felt before overtook him. "You betrayed me," he said, his voice a hurt whisper.

"If you'd like to call it that," Voldemort interrupted. "And now, Potter, I have waited far too long. It is time for my revenge."

Pettigrew twitched.

"But," continued Voldemort, "I think I will save the sweetest for last. Someone will have to go before you." He pointed his wand at Sirius and a moment later a stream of green light followed the path to the ex-Marauder.

"No!" Harry cried, and Pettigrew took a meaningful step and caught the light directly in his chest.

Harry stared at the short balding man on the floor before him. Pettigrew's eyes were lifeless, and behind them lay memories of an existence lived in fear, cowardice and regret.

"Weak to the end. No matter," Voldemort dismissed.

"Age, please," Harry croaked. He had been reduced to pleading with Adrienne. There was something in her, he knew, that would respond. She was not all false. He was not going to lose Sirius again. "Don't you remember the lake? Christmas? Our date in Hogsmeade? I never had a better time in my entire life. I was completely comfortable with you, and you revealed a side of me I never knew I had."

Adrienne's cruel smile wavered and vanished.

"Didn't you feel the same around me? Weren't you comfortable? Age, we cared about each other. Come on. Remember the notes you sent me? Remember the drawing book and the charcoal pencils? Addy, please. You can't just do this to me."

He knew he had made a mistake when Adrienne's face hardened again.

"Wrong, Potter. You can't tell me what to do," she snarled. "No one can control me."

"Jennifer," Sirius whispered. "Jennifer Harper." His face revealed that his mind was lost in the past. Harry turned to him, confused. Adrienne's face was unreadable.

"What did you say?" she breathed.

"Jennifer… Jennifer," Sirius said strongly. "Jennifer Lee Harper. God, she was beautiful. You have her mouth, her nose… her eyes… my God." Sirius drew in a quick breath. "She disappeared, almost eighteen years ago…"

"She was my mother," said Adrienne tonelessly. "She died after I was born. How the hell do you know her?"

"Your… mother," Sirius gasped, and staggered. "And he's your…"

"How do you know her?" Adrienne asked again sharply.

"I loved her," he said simply. "And you… I've seen you before the accident…" He once again lost himself in the black void that was his memory. "You were the boy," Sirius said. "You tried to kill me!"

"You what?" Harry turned on her viciously. "You tried to kill him? …You are done." His face was contorted with unbridled hatred. Fear flickered in Adrienne's eyes. Harry pointed his wand at her chest. This time Sirius didn't stop him, but Voldemort did.

"Avada Kedavra," he hissed, and Harry heard a thump on the floor next to him.

Sirius lay facedown on the wooden planks.

"No!" shouted Harry, and he threw hexes across the room. Sparks ejected from his nearly-glowing skin. The room was alive with magic.

"Harry, stop!" Adrienne cried.

"You killed him!" Harry roared. "You killed him twice! He's not the same anymore; hasn't been since you almost killed him that night. I hate you!" he screamed.

Adrienne ducked to avoid the jet-stream of spells. "Harry!" she yelled. Voldemort stood in the shadows and laughed. With a wave of his wand, the Dark Lord levitated Harry in the air and pinned him against the wall. Harry's shoulders were fastened by an invisible shackle, immovable. He struggled against his bonds to no avail.

"Any last words, Potter? Because you are getting on my nerves," came the hiss.

"Damn you," grunted Harry. He turned to Adrienne. "And you. I hate you. You took everything away from me. You lulled me into a false sense of security and tricked me. You pulled the rug out from under my feet. You played me like the fool that I am. You never cared and there I was, caring like… you're despicable."

Adrienne's face lost its edge. "Not true," she whispered, looking at the floor.

"You got Sirius killed. And now you're killing me."

"I didn't… mean to." Her voice wavered.

"Bull. You knew what you were doing all along."

"Step aside, brat," Voldemort said sharply. "It is time. You have completed your task and you will be rewarded."

Adrienne mumbled something to Harry and took a step to her left.

"Shut up," Harry snapped. "Your voice will not be the last thing I hear." He imagined Sirius' voice cautioning him again. His laughter ringing throughout Hogwarts; Sirius shaking his hair back in front of a pretty girl. Harry looked down at Sirius' still body and felt hot tears sting his eyes.

"I didn't want to," she whispered.

"I just want you to know—these are my last words," he added to Voldemort. "I want you to live with this for the rest of your life. I was the first person that ever talked to you, remember? We went out. You liked Quidditch and we went flying."

She kept her eyes trained on the floor.

"I doubt you'll ever have that again. And you can live with my death on your conscience."

"That was touching, Potter," said Voldemort. "Pathetic." Voldemort stroked Harry's cheek with a long, pale finger. Harry felt ice and knives pierce his skin and his organs and his blood. Voldemort stepped back and let out a cold, mirthless laugh. "And now, Potter, it is time for my revenge. Goodbye." He pointed his wand at Harry.

"You're not going like this, are you?" muttered Adrienne quietly.

"What?" shouted Harry.

"No fight? You're just giving in?" She kept her voice low. "The famous Harry Potter, boy wizard; the Boy-Who-Lived—giving in to his biggest rival." She looked up and directly at Harry. Her face was hard as steel as she spoke her next words, "The first Gryffindor to yield to a threat." Harry felt his rage boil and bubble over again, and he saw something like the flicker of a wink in her eye. He had a suspicion… the only drawback was that he hesitated too long to act on it.

Voldemort let his green snake of light loose from the tip of his wand. The last things Harry saw were Sirius' face, brimming with youth and joy and laughter, and Adrienne's face, twisted in shock and horror as the light flew faster than the eye towards Harry. The two faces were blurred together.

The killing spell hit Harry squarely in the chest, and he felt the air rush out of him. He gasped, trying to replenish his lungs, and it occurred to him in the most ironic way that this wasn't the way his parents had died. He knew. Their deaths had been quick and painless… what was this, a new killing spell Voldemort had invented to make death more painful? He couldn't breathe, and his chest pinched painfully. He sucked in a few quick gasps of air before he accepted his life was over.

But it wasn't. Harry found he could see again, and the first thing he saw was Voldemort's face, gaping in horror and confusion as Harry lifted his head.

"It's not possible," Voldemort hissed. "How did you… you can't…"

"Daddy, dearest, don't you remember what happened to you the first time you tried to kill this boy?" Adrienne asked simperingly. Her voice turned to cold, cruel irony as she addressed her biological father in the next manner. "Sirius died for him." A cruel smile not unlike the one she previously wore in front of Harry twisted the corners of her lips upward.

A painfully slow realization came over Voldemort. His chin dropped in shock and terror for the first time Harry had seen. In slow motion before Harry's eyes and at the same time all too fast to fully comprehend, the green light hit Voldemort in the upper left corner of his chest. His body fell backwards, and what was left of the Dark Lord rose into the air.

Adrienne was quick. She had her wand ready. She shouted a spell Harry couldn't make out over the noise in his head and the wind in the room. Voldemort's remains attached themselves to an invisible string that received its instruction from Adrienne's flicking wrist. With a wave of her wand, Adrienne sent the spirit zooming into a nearby object—the ring on her finger. With her wand still pointed at the ring for safety measures, Adrienne pulled the ring off and cast it on the wooden floor.

She freed Harry from his invisible bindings and levitated the ring into the air. "Let's go," she said breathlessly. Harry stared at her, not knowing what to make of the situation or of her change in behavior. He regarded at her outstretched hand with disdain and grabbed Sirius' hand with his free hand.

"Harry, come on, we have to get out of here," Adrienne pleaded.

"Before what?" Harry snarled. "He's… gone." He couldn't fully comprehend that together they had defeated the Dark Lord. Well, he wasn't entirely gone, but with time Harry would make sure he was.

"Harry, he's dead. Don't waste time—"

"Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot do regarding my own godfather!" Harry shouted. "And he's dead because of you! I hate you!"

Adrienne fell silent. She pointed her forehead downwards so Harry couldn't see her face. She waited patiently for him to finish.

Harry kneaded Sirius' hand with his own two hands. He pushed the hair back from his face and pulled down Sirius' eyelids with his fingertips. A tear crept down his cheek, and Harry wiped it away hastily. He stood up, still clutching Sirius' hand, before more tears spilled and he lost all control.

"Let's go," he said, and didn't look at Adrienne again.

A/N: I know I suck at writing climaxes/action scenes. That is why I normally don't do them. Just one more chapter to go… I'm going to do a lot of writing today in hopes to finish this story by Thursday. I can't believe it's almost over. Leave a review, please.

IamSiriusgrl—Thanks for being so faithful to this story when I had my writing break. Hopefully you stick it out until the end.