The next couple of week nothing interesting really happened, other than people avoiding Harry since they thought he was the heir of Slytherin.
In Jane's opinion all this avoiding, even though it was welcomed, it was also annoying. People always got quiet every time he entered a room and after a few minutes they started to whisper rather loudly.
The only ones that actually enjoyed all this business were Fred, George, and Lee who thought it was hilarious how other students acted around Harry and made sure to remember not to mess with the heir of Slytherin.
Harry on the other hand hated all the attention he was receiving. He even tried staying locked in his room, but Hermione and Ron wouldn't let him. They said he shouldn't give people the satisfaction. They were right, but still Harry hated walking through the halls and feeling as if he had a spotlight. So he decided, unfortunately for Ron, the best option for him was hanging out in the library.
"So" Ron started. "When are we leaving"
"Ron we just got here" Hermione said exasperated.
"So? ... I hate it here. It's so quiet"
"It is a library after all Ron. It is supposed to be quiet" Jane said from behind the book she was reading.
"Besides nobody is holding you here, you can go whenever you want" Hermione said without looking up from her essay. Harry just ignored them he was too busy listening to the conversation beside them. Jane also noticed the Hufflepuffs talking about Harry and how a friend of them was scared to even go out from their common room because he was a muggle-born.
Suddenly Jane closed her book loudly making Hermione, Harry, and Ron look at her. She just ignored them and stood up.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked.
"Nothing" Jane said making her way toward the Hufflepuffs.
"What do you want?" One of them asked.
"Oh I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and for your information Hermione is a muggle-born and look at her. Completely safe beside my brother" Jane said and left without bothering to hear what they had to say. She was so angry as she made her way to the Gryffindor common room, her hair turned red without noticing. When she entered the common room the Weasley twins were about to call her but decided against it when they saw her hair and angry face.
Jane made her way to her dorm room without talking to anyone. As soon as she entered her room she went to her bed and grabbed the diary. As soon as her fingers touched the book she blacked out.
Fred and George saw Jane leaving the common room; but, she had a different look on her face that made them want to stay away. She was also holding a diary very tightly.
The next time Jane woke up she was laying on the floor. When she looked around she noticed a cauldron besides her. She suddenly sat up.
"How did I get here?" She asked out loud. She sat up and noticed the diary laying a couple of feet away from her. She stood up suddenly took the diary and ran up to the Gryffindor tower. She was panicking. What the hell had happened? Why couldn't she remember anything that happened after she left the library? And how had she ended up in the girl's bathroom, where the polyjuice potion was being made? People watch her as she ran. Some people had to move out of the way before she ran them over.
Eventually she made it to the tower and after saying the password she raced toward her room ignoring the confused looks she was receiving.
Once in her room she dropped the diary on her bed before climbing on her bed and closing the curtains around her. She sat indian style staring at the black book. Something had happened and she was sure it was the diary's fault.
She stayed there for awhile, not noticing that it was getting darker outside and that she really should go down to eat dinner.
"Jane?" Hermione said hesitantly from the other side of the curtain. Jane jumped a little not expecting someone to talk to her.
"Jane I was wondering if you were going down to dinner?"
"Well yeah, why wouldn't I go to dinner?" Jane asked confused while she opened the curtains.
"Um, well you are known for skipping meals lately and there being another attack, I thought you would just stay here for the night." Hermione explained. Jane paled at the news of another attack the same day she blacked out.
"Another attack? Who?" Jane asked.
"Wait you didn't know about the attack?" Hermione asked.
"I if I'd known I wouldn't be asking, would I?"
"I guess you are right. Anyway, Justin, a muggle born from Hufflepuff, was attacked. He is in the infirmary petrified" Hermione told Jane.
"Oh Merlin that is horrible" Jane said looking down to her feet.
"Yeah, and the worst part of all of this is that they all think it was you" Hermione told her.
"Why?"
"Because you had that little talk with Justin's friends at the library"
"Oh, so people think I did it for revenge?" Jane said shocked.
"Pretty much... So are you still hungry?" Hermione asked trying to lighten the mood.
"A little but I don't think I can face all this people right now" Jane said.
"Well, I understand, but Jane if you don't go to dinner people will think you have something to hide" Hermione informed Jane.
"Right" Jane said before standing up and making her way down to the common room. Hermione followed her feeling proud that Jane had actually listened to her.
When Jane stepped out of the girl's staircase everyone looked at her, actually it was more like stare at her. It was obvious they wanted to talk to her but after what McGonagall threatened to do if they bothered her or anyone else again, nobody tried to talk to her. Jane looked around the common room until she spotted the Weasley twins sitting on one of the couches. She quickly made her way to them and sat down between them.
"Alright there, Jane?" George asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Jane said not looking at either of them. Fortunately for Jane, Hermione appeared distracting the twins.
"Are you guys going to eat? Or should I just go alone?" Hermione asked looking at the three of them.
"Sorry girls" Fred started.
"But we already ate" George finished.
"Oh well" Hermione said. "Come on Jane, I'm hungry"
"Do I really have to?" Jane asked hopefully.
"Yes, you have to face them. You didn't do it so you have nothing to be afraid of" Hermione answered pulling Jane off the couch. Although it was the last thing she wanted to do, Jane let Hermione drag her out of the common room.
Once outside Jane became more nervous than before. Sure, she would have never hurt anybody if she was conscious but, what if something controlled her?
The two girls walked in silence towards the Great Hall. Hermione could feel Jane's hesitation but didn't comment on it. Hermione knew all of this was scary and being blamed by the attacks didn't help at all.
When they got to the entrance of the Great Hall Jane stopped.
"I don't think I can do this" Jane said looking at Hermione pleadingly.
"Come on Jane I know you can do it. Face them. Prove to them they are wrong" Hermione told her. "Whatever happens I'll be with you" Jane smiled at Hermione faintly and entered the Great Hall. As soon as they opened the door the Great Hall fell silent and every eye fell on Jane. The students looked at her fearfully as if at any moment she would attack. Jane didn't feel confident at all she just wanted the ground to open at her feet and swallow her. However with Hermione's help she made it to the Gryffindor table and sat down between Harry and Ron.
"Hey Jane" Harry said. Jane didn't answer she just nodded and started filling her plate. She didn't feel like eating but it was a good distraction from the staring students.
"So we have to do something about this problem" Harry said. "When will the potion be ready?"
"Well it'll be ready by Christmas" Hermione said hesitantly.
"Christmas? You said it would take a month not almost two months" Harry said indignantly.
"Yeah, well is taking me more than I thought it would, sorry"
"Hermione think of the people who could be attack" Ron said.
"I think about it every night Ronald. But one mistake could leave permanent damage on us" Hermione said.
"Alright stop fighting, we'll work on it tonight and every day until it is done" Harry said.
"Actually Harry today is Halloween so I don't think we can work on it tonight" Hermione said.
"Um guys I could check on it tonight, I think I'm going to skip Halloween tonight, I can check on the potion if you want" Jane said staring at her food. The other three just stare at her.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked concerned.
"Yeah, I've never liked Halloween anyway" Jane answered.
The rest of the day passed without a problem and by dinner time everybody was excited for the Halloween banquet.
"You are sure you don't want to come?" Hermione asked Jane in the girl's dorms.
"I'm sure, you go have fun" Jane said sitting down on her bed.
"Alright, well good night" Hermione said before leaving.
Jane sat on her bed for a while before going to the girl's bathroom. She checked on the potion, making sure it was being brewed correctly and then started to roam the castle.
"Miss Potter why aren't you in the Great Hall" A voice asked her from behind. Jane jumped and turned too fast and fell on her bottom. It took all of Snape's self control not to laugh at Jane's expression.
"Um, professor!" Jane said from the floor. "You scared me"
"Oh really, and here I thought you just liked the floor" Snape said without any emotion in his tone. Jane glared before standing up.
"Now that you are up, what are you doing roaming the halls while everyone is at the Halloween banquet?" Snape said.
"Well I never thought Halloween was a happy day and well after last year my feelings haven't really changed" Jane said.
"I guess I could understand that. However, you can't be roaming the halls alone. Come I'll escort you" Snape said before leading the way to the Gryffindor common room.
"You know professor this is becoming a pleasant tradition between you and me" Jane said after a minute of quiet.
"Funny, pleasant isn't really the word I would use" Snape said. Jane smiled but didn't say anything. She just kept walking.
The walk felt nice in Jane's opinion. Snape was just escorting her but he wasn't angry or even bothered. Jane reminded him of Lily and the time the redhead and him were friends.
"So professor, why aren't you at the Halloween feast?" Jane asked after a minute of silence.
"Well I'm not a fan of Halloween either" Snape said hoping she wouldn't ask why. Fortunately Jane just nodded thoughtfully but didn't question him further. They walked in silence the rest of the way.
When they got to the Fat Lady portrait they stayed there for a minute in silence.
"Well good night Miss Potter and don't let me catch you again roaming the castle alone. This are dangerous times we are living." Snape said breaking the silence before it got awkward.
"Good night professor, and as always it was a pleasure letting you be my escort" Jane said smiling before saying the password and entering the Common Room.
Snape watch her enter with a small smile.
'She is definitely Lily's daughter,' he thought as he started to walk away toward his office.
Jane on the other hand was confused . Snape was mean and cruel with everybody (even with her when they are on public) but when he walked her to the common room he was so pleasant to be around. It was as if he had a double personality disorder. Not that Jane minded the way he treated her but still it was weird.
Jane looked around the common room and it was almost empty. It was weird but somebody was sitting at one of the tables concentrated on a piece of paper.
"Um, Oliver? What are you doing here?" Jane asked.
Oliver jumped, he thought he was alone in the common room.
"Oh hi Jane, I thought everyone was at the feast" Oliver said when he spotted her.
"Yeah, well I don't really like Halloween" Jane said walking to the table he was seating at and sitting besides him.
"Oh I get it" Oliver said smiling softly at Jane. "You know what I found this photo in a book and I think you'd like to see" Oliver said softly giving Jane a page of a book.
It was a photo of a family. The father had raven black messy hair with rectangular glasses hanging low on his nose. He was smiling and carrying a sleeping baby girl. The mother was a petite red head with stunning emerald green eyes and she was holding a baby boy who was looking at whoever was taking the picture. The boy had his mother's eyes but he looked exactly like his father. The girl was hard to look at because she was fast asleep and her head was turned away from the camera.
Jane watch the picture for a long time and her eyes watered. She looked back at Oliver and smiled.
"Thanks Oliver this means a lot" Jane said hugging him. He was taken aback by her tears and hug but after he recovered he hugged her back.
"Jane I told you I care about my team and I thought this would be good for you" Oliver said separating Jane from him and smiling at her. "Now if you're not going to be at the feast go to sleep you need to rest and be in your best shape and remember there is practice Monday afternoon"
"Now there is the Oliver I know. Good night, Ollie" Jane said laughing and making her way toward the girl's stairs.
"Good night and don't call me Ollie again, Potter unless you want to be kicked off the Quidditch team" Oliver called after her
Jane's laughter could be heard from the girl's stairs to the whole common room.
Jane was still laughing when she entered the second year girl's dorm. She changed into her PJs and got into her bed. Before she fell asleep she watched the picture Oliver gave her and smiled sadly.
I really wished you were alive, was her last thought before she fell asleep.
Hi, I'm sorry for taking so long in writing I've been having writer's block.
Also sorry for the mess in the timeline of the story even I was confused and I was trying to fix it I don't really know if I did a good job with that but it was the best I could do without having to go back on the story and change it.
Remember reviews are very much appreciated.