19th June 1995

"What?"

"The woman who gave birth to you is Bellatrix Lestrange." Dumbledore rephrased.

I laughed, "This has got to be a joke!" I shook my head, laughing all the more, "Alright Fred and George, you can come out now, you almost had me for a moment!" I looked around the room, searching for them.

McGonagall looked at me gravely, "It's true, Kathryn…"

It took a moment for the news to sink in. I realised that the grave looks on both the faces of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall were real. I am the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange. A deep chasm formed in my stomach.

"Who – Who's my father?"

"We are led to believe that your father is Bellatrix's husband, Rodolphus Lestrange." Dumbledore answered.

"Why did they abandon me?"

Dumbledore looked at his long fingers, "I do not know."

"Why did they give me up?"

There was no response.

"Why did they give me to those MONSTERS?"

There was yet more silence.

I felt myself shake, but I had no voluntary control of my body. My lungs constricted and my breathing was shallow and panicked, "What's wrong with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you!" McGonagall spoke with conviction.

"This doesn't make any sense!" I spoke incredulously, "Helen and Richard hated me! Why on earth would they adopt me if they hated me?"

"I don't know…"

I felt an anger rise inside me, I leant forwards and clutched Dumbledore's desk, "So you're telling me that I'm adopted and you have no idea why and can give me no logical explanation for anything?" I glanced down and my nailbeds were white with the force I was exerting on them, "Why didn't you tell me this before? Why didn't you take me away from them? Protect me? You knew what they were doing to me and you sent me back! I had to almost die -"

"You were helpless, you were so young – a beautiful, intelligent, witty young lady – too young to experience those true horrors and no one stood up for you and I'm so sorry." Dumbledore's voice was thick with emotion.

"I've gone from one torturous, murderous mother to another." I said aloud, more to myself than anyone else, "Was I not good enough for Bellatrix? Did I get in the way? Was I a burden?"

It was painfully quiet. I didn't want there to be silence. I wanted answers. I wanted to know everything. She must have hated me, so she gave me to them, they must have made a pact, to promise to hurt me and make me miserable. Now it's all out in the open. I didn't want to be a part of this conversation any longer. I thought about the prophecy, what it meant for me. I had another question, this one I knew would be answered.

"You've only told me one thing, the prophecy mentioned acquiring two pieces of the worst news…"

McGonagall sighed, "I really do hate to be the bearer of more bad news, Kathryn…" she looked tearful, "Your grandmother's body was found in Dufftown yesterday."

I felt a lump at the back of my throat, "She's d-dead?" my voice was brittle.

"I really am very sorry for your loss." McGonagall stood and using her walking stick, made her way around the desk to comfort me.

I got up from the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and walked towards the door, "Can I go now?" I asked, "Please…?" I felt the rise and fall of my chest to be more pronounced, "I want to go and see Madam Pomfery."

McGonagall glanced to Dumbledore and he nodded, "Of course. Let me walk with you." McGonagall opened the door.

I didn't object.

The two of us walked side by side along the corridors. Not a word was shared between us as my brain felt fit to explode. Many students stopped to remark on how well McGonagall was looking, she was nothing but polite when she responded but she never slowed and always stayed as a protective figure beside me.

"Kathryn?" Draco Malfoy thundered up to me, "Give me my wand." He looked angry, I tried to push past him, I wasn't ready to talk to him yet, "Where is my wand?" he demanded.

"Leave her alone, Mr Malfoy."

"What's wrong with her?" he asked McGonagall, then he jumped in front of me again, "What's wrong, Kathryn?"

I swallowed hard, "I'll talk to you later." I mumbled, barely able to formulate the words and they caused great pain as I forced the sound to come out. I trudged on, purposely planting one foot in front of the other, forcing every movement, every breath, every blink of an eye.

I held open the door to the Hospital Wing and McGonagall entered behind me. Madam Pomfery was hurrying around, tending to her newest patients. Ron was having his wounds treated when I walked in. Ginny was lying in bed, her ankle fixed. Hermione was asleep, but I saw her turn over in her slumber. Luna was also fast asleep.

"Ah, Kathryn! Would you mind grabbing me –?"

Neville poked his head out at me from behind a set of curtains.

My mother tortured his parents. My mother gave his parents a fate worse than death. My mother, father and uncle were all in on this together.

Neville was beaming at me, he rushed over to say something, but I couldn't hear him.

"I'm so sorry, Neville, I'm so sorry…"

My world as I knew it imploded around me. I am not the person I thought I was. I was right, I'm nothing like Helen and Richard. I'm a whole lot worse. I am the daughter of Death Eaters.

I crashed down onto my knees and let out a horrified scream from somewhere deep inside me. My brain was filled with a host of negative thoughts. I became hysterical. I couldn't stop crying. I pulled my hair, I scratched my body, I punched the floor. I wanted it all to end. Madam Pomfery stuck a needle into my arm and the world went black.

I felt numb.

The curtains were pulled around my bed in the Hospital Wing. The room was lit only by the fading sunlight of the day. I was still in my uniform, shoes and all. I had been left untouched like a terrible infectious disease spread through excessive human contact. I felt unclean, I was Black inside. If I asked Madam Pomfery, I'm sure she would give me some more dreamless sleep potion. Then she wouldn't have to resort to her emergency Muggle methods of using a needle. If only I could sleep the duration of this heavy cloud, escape the feeling of overwhelming devastation, then perhaps I could forget who I am.

There was movement in the Hospital Wing, "Why won't you tell us what happened to her, Harry?"

"Because it really isn't my business to tell, Hermione," he said fiercely, "I came around to check on her, has she woken up yet?"

"We thought we'd just leave her."

"Has no one bothered to check on her?" he sounded outraged, "Has anyone written to George?" he sighed, "I have been stuck in Dumbledore's office all afternoon and you lot have been sitting in here gossiping?"

Harry's eyes widened as he saw me sitting awake, closed the curtains behind himself and took a seat on the bed beside me. He closed his eyes and sat in silence with me. I found myself staring at the gap where the curtains hadn't been closed over perfectly. Light flowed through as though it had a right to disturb me. I felt a lump at the back of my throat, my nose streaming, my eyes burned and puffed, all my emotions were catching up on me...

"Harry?" my voice croaked, barely a whisper.

His eyes surveyed me over his shoulder.

"Can you get me more dreamless sleep potion? I'm not ready to deal with this yet…"

He nodded.

He returned with a full bottle of the potion. Based on how I felt, I wanted to be asleep for as long as possible. I gulped it down until I fell unconscious.

20th June

I woke early the next morning. By the sounds of it, everyone was asleep in the Hospital Wing. I sat up and drank a glass of water, feeling a little more clarity than I had done so before. If Bellatrix Lestrange really is my mother, there really isn't anything I can do about it.

I knew that Dumbledore didn't know the reasons why I had been adopted or the circumstances surrounding it, but he had to have facts so that he was certain enough to inform me. I needed to fill in the blanks. I needed answers.

They think my father is Rodolphus, but aren't sure. Who else could it be? How did they find out? Am I really like one of my parents? What were my parents like when they were at school? Do I have any brothers or sisters?

I gasped. Draco and Tonks are my cousins.

Who else knows about me? Does Draco know? Did Narcissa? Is that why she took me in last summer? Is that why Snape acts differently towards me?

Oh Merlin. George.

I felt a rising panic inside me. He's never going to look at me again when he finds out. He's going to hate me. As soon as I tell him, he's going to break up with me at once. How could you love the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange, not after all she has said and done, after all the death and destruction she has caused. He will look at me and see her and won't be able to see past it.

"Are you okay?" McGonagall asked as I knocked on her office door, she looked as though she had gotten dressed quickly.

"Of course I'm not okay!" I snapped, entering her office "In what universe did you expect me to be okay?"

"I'm sorry…"

"Sirius Black is dead because of her. Neville's parents are damaged beyond repair because of my family." I sat down, because that is what McGonagall does, we sit down, we drink tea and we talk, "I need answers."

McGonagall's response surprised me as she said, "You had better come with me, then."

I popped up onto my feet and followed her eagerly towards Dumbledore's office. I was so focused on getting answers that I didn't care what was going on around me. I was driven by a sense of calm. We ascended the stairs and the door was already open as though Dumbledore was expecting me.

He was sitting at his desk and looked up from a few pieces of parchment. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped himself, reconsidered his wording and said, "A special quill exists, which writes down all the names of magical children in Great Britain and the island of Ireland at the time of their birth. That book is kept here, in my office and allows for Hogwarts letters to be sent to all magical children at the appropriate time, even those who are Muggle-born." He encouraged me to look at a very large, ancient looking book and said, "I found it very curious that on 6th September 1979 there was a baby girl named Katy Belle Lestrange born at St Mungo's…"

I found the name:
Katy Belle Lestrange
DOB: 06/09/1979
Place of Birth: St Mungo's Hospital, London
Time of Birth: 0223
Mother: Bellatrix Lestrange
Registered Father: Rodolphus Lestrange
Healer: Francis Redford
Hogwarts Attendance: 1st September 1991 – 30th June 1997
Status: Pureblood, Alive, in full-time education

"Okay…" I said, searching along the births, next to Katy Lestrange's was Hermione Jean Granger and I scanned the names of everyone else in my year, but there was no Kathryn Pink. "But my birthday is 27th August and I was born in 1980."

"Professor McGonagall and myself found it curious when the time came to offer you a place at Hogwarts that there was no eleven-year-old Katy Belle Lestrange to be found… You were not known in the Ministry of Magic, both your mother and father were in Azkaban at this stage and we read your status as 'Pureblood, Alive, in need of Hogwarts Letter' and so it took quite some time to find you."

Professor McGonagall, who was standing over my shoulder said, "I spoke to Narcissa Malfoy, who, very reluctantly said that you had been given to Muggles for adoption ten years prior. We eventually tracked you down by searching every muggle school in the UK and eventually we came across you…"

"How did you know it was me?" I asked, "How do you know that I am that baby?"

"Because based on this picture," Dumbledore handed me a picture of a girl who looked just like me, "the resemblance between you and your mother is uncanny. Perhaps your face is a little rounder and your noses are different -"

This little girl, wasn't like the woman I had seen in the Department of Mysteries. I had seen a woman with a gaunt, skull-like face. Her eyes were more hooded than mine, her lips thinner, but I had her strong jaw and the thick, dark mop of curls. The little girl in the picture looked happy and had an innocence in her eyes. She was not yet corrupt.

"Do you have a picture of my dad?" I asked.

Dumbledore handed me four pictures, "I do not have a picture where you can see his face clearly, this is your father and his brother Rabastan, you might remember them from…?"

"No," I said quickly, "I don't remember either of these men." My father in the pictures was a tall, thin young man, with shiny dark hair with gentle waves. His brother was very similar, but shorter.

I glanced up at Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, "I always wondered why I didn't look like Helen and Richard… or anyone in my family really..."

"Is this starting to bring clarity?" Dumbledore asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "What I don't understand is why I was brought up to think my birthday was… I mean… if my birthday really is in September 1979, I'm – I'm almost a year older than I think I am."

McGonagall nodded, "You will be seventeen in September." She paused, flicking through pieces of parchment on Dumbledore's desk and pointed, "This is your real birth certificate." She handed me the one with Katy Belle Lestrange on it, then the one with Kathryn Pink on it, "This, I have come to realise is a fake, created, no doubt by Helen and Richard Pink." She pointed out the subtle differences between the two.

"For Muggles to travel, they use passports," Dumbledore added, "I can also prove that this document is also counterfeit."

I looked down at the passport which was seemingly burnt around the edges. This had been rescued and magically restored.

"But why…?"

"The possibilities are endless."

"So all I know about myself isn't real?" I got that uneasy feeling again, "I'm a lie? Kathryn Pink isn't real?" I felt my chin wobble, "I don't even know who I am anymore..."

I leaned against the desk and steadied myself.

"When was the last time you ate something?" McGonagall pursed her lips at me.

"Just before my History of Magic exam."

McGonagall pointed at the chair and said, "Sit." A wave of her wand saw a pot of tea and a stack of buttered toast appear, "Eat."

"Professor, I'm not even hungry…"

"EAT." She said a little more forcefully.

I lifted a piece of toast and reluctantly started eating. McGonagall and Dumbledore sat and ate their breakfast, too.

"Okay, so obviously I look like my parents, but…" I took a sip of tea, "Am I like them?"

"Yes, very much so," Dumbledore answered, "in more ways than one."

My chin dropped.

"You are a very talented young witch, just as your mother, her spell-work was of a high quality, but her grades weren't as spectacular as yours have been." He noted, "And your father had a particular gift for potion making."

"Did you know then – when they were in school – did you know they'd turn out like – like they have?" I asked.

Dumbledore sighed, "With their backgrounds and perspective upbringings, I really didn't have a doubt, I'm afraid."

"And… me?"

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Dumbledore told me, "I imagine how the next few weeks and months unfold will help you decide what sort of person you want to be and choose to become."

Something about the way Dumbledore said that really got to me. He hinted that I may change alliances and become a Death Eater. I thought back to the prophecy, these next few weeks or months are going to make or break me. I barely knew how I was still functioning, aside from my burning desire to understand.

"You are a bright, young witch," McGonagall said giving Dumbledore a lot of side-eye, "With a good soul, you have a natural goodness in you that cannot be disputed. You are not like your parents, just as you are not like Helen and Richard. You know the difference between right and wrong, between good and evil and you stand up for what is right." She continued, "You would not have stood by Harry's Potter's side, defended him, supported him if you weren't a good person."

"Then why do I have these?" I asked, reaching into my pockets, displaying the wands of Mulciber and Draco Malfoy, I dropped them onto the table, feeling dirty, like a stealer, a person who keeps trophies of their battles, "Why did I try to blow up that Death Eater? Why did I enjoy Stunning the Death Eater that hurt me? … Why was I okay with seeing Sirius Black die?"

I felt what George would explain as 'Dark and Twisty' inside.

"You are reading too much into this, Kathryn." McGonagall stated.

"That's not my name." I responded.

"You have those wands in your possession as you were not going to give them back during a battle where your life was in danger." Dumbledore offered an explanation, "You have been abused and you have learnt to defend yourself. In the Department of Mysteries, you were protecting yourself. You have also experienced someone being murdered before. Sirius Black's death was not brutal, you have accepted that he is dead and you have the emotional intelligence to understand what has happened. It is your many years of therapy and counselling that has prepared you for the death and destruction you have faced and will continue to face, even at this young age." He said, "The way you are feeling is completely normal."

"Then why do I feel like this?" I asked, gesturing at the feeling inside that was growing, of feeling dark and twisty, of being dirty, of having dirty, bad blood running through my veins.

Dumbledore surveyed me for a minute, "Because you are human."

I let out a deep breath, "I think I'd like to go now."

"Okay," McGonagall placed a hand on my arm and linked ours together as we walked, "You are strong and will get through this." She told me as we walked up the stairs, "You have all the support you need, and if you need more, just ask." We climbed in through the portrait door and several Gryffindors stared for a second, "What you are going to do is take a shower, put on some clean clothes and get some lunch. I'm sure Mr Potter and Miss Weasley will accompany you to the Great Hall."

"Ohmygoodness! Kit-Kat!" Ginny flung her arms around me and squeezed tight, "We have been looking everywhere for you!" she beamed at me, "Madam Pomfery nearly had a meltdown when she saw you were gone this morning!" she laughed, "Where'd you go?" Ginny realised I wasn't in the mood, her expression changed, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head.

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked just like Fred and George. I missed George like crazy and wanted nothing more than to get a cuddle from him, but at the same time, I was terrified of his reaction. I was petrified of losing everyone I hold dear. My chin started wobbling and it was as though someone turned on a tap as I couldn't hold it in any longer.

Before anybody could say anything, I dashed upstairs, dropped everything on the floor in our dorm and got into the shower. As the hot water pelted onto my skin, I let all my emotions out. The monotony of my shower routine calmed me as I brushed the tats out of my hair and added copious amounts of conditioner. Then I stood there, for how long, I don't know, but it meant that I didn't have to look at anyone, talk to anyone or hide my emotions. I waited for the tears to stop flowing before drying my wrinkled body.

Wrapped in a towel I hoked around in my trunk to grab some clean underwear and nearly jumped out of my skin as Ginny said, "I was wondering if I was going to have to go in there, pull you out of the shower and rescue you."

Without so much as a glance, I closed the door of the bathroom on her and got dressed. I managed clean clothing, but was anything but stylish or beautiful and I didn't care. The old jumper that slipped over my head comforted me as I shivered.

Ginny tapped on my bed beside her, "You have got to tell me what's happened."

I ignored her.

Instead I poured a glass of water and took a sip before attempting to deal with my mane of tangled curls. My fingers massaged my temples as I searched amongst my belongings for a hairbrush. I craved the darkness, sleep, for the day to end… I was developing an emotional hangover.

I found my brush on Lavender's bed, as I often did and sighed to myself. Another swig of water, I looked at the damage in the mirror – the glass slipped out of my hands and landed with a smash on the floor.

I saw her staring back at me.

Her red puffy eyes started to water and tears started to flow down her face. My hand touched her cheek and trace her jawline. I roughly wiped the nose of someone else. I clipped my hair back with such aggression it hurt. A hoarse cry escaped me. It pained me to look any longer. I punched the mirror with my bare knuckles and it shattered onto the floor. I had to get out of the way, but someone stopped me.

"For goodness sake, Kit-Kat! You're going to hurt yourself. Stop fighting me!" she stood tall and asserted herself, "Stand still." She commanded, "And look at me."

I looked into the eyes of another young girl forced to grow up far too quickly.

"Kit-Kat…" I saw her sigh, "Damn it Kit-Kat, please! Are you okay?"

I wanted to talk about it. Darn it, I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout about it. I wanted to rip out my bleeding heart and trade it in for a new one. Instead all I could whisper was, "I'm fine." a rasping voice ensued out of my mouth, "I need to talk to George."

Under my pillow was my diary, just where I had left it, untouched from the afternoon we sat the History of Magic exam. A time when life made a little more sense. Inside the front cover was my litteras occultas which was warm to the touch.

G: How'd the exam go?
G: I suppose you're up partying, I hope you have a good night! You deserve it after all the hard work you've put in.
G: Katy? Are you okay?
G: Katy I heard what happened in the Department of Mysteries. Please talk to me.
G: Katy, you're scaring me. Dumbledore told Dad that you weren't hurt, he said that you were great. Whatever it is, you can talk to me, it doesn't matter, I just need to hear from you. Please.

I lifted my quill and began writing:

K: I need to see you.

Almost immediately came the response.

G: Oh thank goodness. Where? When?
K: I'll meet you on the road to Hogsmeade in ten minutes.
G: I'll see you outside the gates x

I grabbed my trainers from under my bed and fished a number of things out of my trunk, placing them along with my diary in a bag and made my way down the spiral staircase. If anyone tried to get my attention, I didn't hear them. Out the portrait door I went and I hurried down the moving staircases as fast as I could before giving myself time to change my mind. I walked straight out of the front door down the path. I stood in front of the gate and willed myself to become invisible, but I couldn't.

"AAAAARGHHHHHH!" I screamed and yelled and proceeded to kick the gate in pure frustration. I tried over and over again to get out, but I was terrified of what was out there, beyond the boundaries of the school. The fuzziness in my head and my inability to concentrate meant that the gate was defeating me. I resolved myself to sitting down and crying.

Crack.

"Katy!"

I looked up at George's kind face through my tears, "I can't get through the f*cking gate…" I cried, "I'm stuck here."

"It's okay, up you get," his voice was calm and reassuring, "come on, take my hand," he poked his hand though the gate and reached out for me.

I stood and wiped away my tears before reaching out and taking his hand. The touch of his skin on mine felt heavenly. I had craved his touch for so long, now that he was close to me again, I didn't want to let go. I stood very close to the gate, closed my eyes and breathed him in.

"You did it." He said.

I opened my eyes, "Did wha-"

George wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"I've m – missed you s – so m – much…" I broke down in tears again, holding him tight whilst he'll still let me, "I've g – got to t – tell you something… something aw – awful…"

"Okay," he said, taking my hand, "Let's go somewhere…?" we started walking along the long, winding path down to Hogsmeade. I couldn't control the tears that were back in full flow again, I was dreading telling him. He was just so happy and – "Whatever it is, Katy, everything is going to be alright."

"Can you g – guarantee that?" I asked as we continued walking along the deserted pathway, "I'm a – afraid you'll n – never look at me the s – same way again" I stopped and grabbed both his hands and tried to stop crying long enough to say, "Please know that I love you s – so much."

George smiled and wiped my tears with a tissue he grabbed out of his pocket, "I know you do, and you also know that I love you too, with my whole heart."

I knew it was now or never, "G – George, I was adopted. My biological mother is Bellatrix Lestrange."

He stood and stared at me for a second as the message sank in, "Oh," he said, "I can't say I was expecting that." He paused and I searched his face for any clue as to how he felt about it, "I suppose I always wondered why you didn't look like anyone in your family."

I held up the picture of Bellatrix when she was at Hogwarts.

"Woah," George's eyes widened, "the resemblance is striking between you two… your nose is different and your face is a little rounder, but at a distance, I would probably swear that was you."

I stared at him.

"What?" he said.

"You're okay with this?" I asked.

"Katy, who your family is, doesn't bother me. I loved you before I knew about Helen and Richard and my feelings aren't going to change now that your mother is Bellatrix Lestrange."

I lifted my shaking hand up to my face and burst into tears again.

"What are you crying about now?" his eyes widened.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, "You have no idea how worried I was about telling you. I thought you'd break up with me and you'd never want to see me again."

George looked at me strangely, "So does that mean that little shit Malfoy is your cousin?"

I laughed, the most positive I had felt in days, "Yep. And I stunned Lucius the other night to stop him making a run for it when Dumbledore showed up."

"I heard!" George smiled, "I was also told by Remus that you single-handedly took on a Death Eater."

"Well…" I looked up at my boyfriend and stroked his cheek, "I was just standing there, and poor Lupin had two on him at once!" then my smile disappeared, "I wonder how he'll feel about me now that it was my mother that killed his best friend? And it was also my mother that put Tonks in hospital, have you heard anything?"

"I heard mum say she was doing a lot better." He nodded encouragingly and we continued walking, "It's curious, isn't it, that you were sent to live with the Malfoys last summer when you didn't know who they were… Do they even know who you are?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, I haven't braved talking to Draco yet… I did disarm him the other day, and his wand is in my dirty robes on the floor in my dormitory… I'm afraid he'll try and murder me if I ever give it back to him."

"Don't let on yourself." He said, "Sneak into Slytherin's Common Room and leave it lying in plain sight for him to find."

"Yeah, but I also need to find out if he knows about me," I sighed, "I mean, would he really have tried to kiss me if he thought we were related."

"Well, that family is full of incest and cousins marrying cousins and -"

"You mean my family?" my lower lip quivered, "I just don't understand… Bellatrix is pro-Pureblood and she gives me away to muggles? Why? Surely I was too young to be disowned? And Dumbledore is convinced that my father is Rodolphus Lestrange… he has gotten his hands on my birth certificate, the real one." I hoked around in my bag and directed George over to a bench, "This is also something I don't understand…"

George's chin dropped, "Your real name is Katy?" he beamed, "This is amazing!" then he read on and his eyebrows furrowed, "This says your date of birth -"

"I'm apparently one year older than I am." I explained, "Apparently I'm already sixteen and in September I'm seventeen."

George was still staring at the piece of parchment, "This really doesn't make sense, how can you be almost a year older than you think you are? How did Helen and Richard get away with it?"

"My whole life is a lie, Georgie…" I told him, "Everything I know about myself was fabricated by them. It's not as if I can go directly to either set of my parents for answers. I imagine they both want me dead. No change there, then."

"Who else have you told?"

"Harry knows because he was there when Dumbledore and McGonagall told me, but he wasn't there when I was a lot calmer this morning, that's when I got the picture and the birth certificate and the facts they knew…" I sighed, "Ginny has tried desperately to it out of me, but I wanted to tell you first… It's going to kill me to tell Neville…" my voice croaked.

George caressed my face with his hand, and wiped a few fresh tears, "He will know, just as I know right now, that you are still the same girl you were before and after telling me."

I put my arm around him as we walked, praying that it would be true, that when people find out who I am that I would not be completely disowned. Then the knowledge I had been pushing to the back of my mind had escaped, "Can I ask a favour?" I asked, but George looked at me as if to say I didn't have to ask him, "Can you find out more information about my Granny?"

"What has you asking about her?" he asked.

"She was found dead in Dufftown." I managed to get out before breaking down once again. This time I had to stop and George wrapped his arms around me as I buried my face in his chest.

A few hours later, I was forced to part ways with George. We had sat together all afternoon, drinking coffee, talking about my parents, my grandmother and what my plan was for when I got back to school. He made me feel better about myself and there was now some hope for the future. It's never easy leaving him, he's the only person in the world I want to be with.

I sat down in the Great Hall for dinner, "Did you get talking to him?" Ginny asked as I sat down beside her.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I did."

"And…?"

"We're both good." I said, picking at the food on my plate.

Ginny breathed out a sigh of relief and, sensing that the Great Hall was not the place to tell her, she filled me in on everything going on between mouthfuls of food, "We still don't know the curse that got Hermione, but she seems to be in a lot of pain still, as though someone sliced open her chest. Ron's scars are disappearing, but Madam Pomfery says that thoughts leave lasting impressions, so we don't know if they'll disappear completely. Harry, Luna, Neville and I are all alright."

I nodded. The mention on Neville's name brought a lump to the back of my throat and I found I could eat no more. "Can we go to the Hospital Wing?" my voice was soft and measured.

"Of course," Ginny set down her cutlery at once and we walked together, she kept looking up at me, making sure I was okay, that I wasn't going to break down like I did in the Hospital Wing a couple of days ago. The corridors were felt a lot longer than usual. Ginny put a comforting arm around me and helped me along.

The doors to the Hospital Wing shut behind us and I felt myself physically shake as I saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville all sitting around the two beds.

"Kathryn! So good to see you!" Hermione smiled, "I wanted to show you something…" she held up a copy of the Daily Prophet.

I took a few steps closer to my friends, my heart racing, knowing that I was going to have to do this in one clean sweep. Madam Pomfery came out of her office and nodded to me. She knew what I was about to do.

"Dolores Umbridge is sedated and it is just the seven of you otherwise." she gave me a small smile and left a bottle a calming draught in plain view.

Ginny sat herself down at the end of Hermione's bed, Luna and Neville were both on seats between Hermione and Ron's beds, focusing on a copy of The Quibbler. Harry was sitting at the end of Ron's bed and the two of them were eating chocolate frogs. Harry summoned a chair to beside him, "Here, take this seat."

"Thanks," I nodded to him.

He leaned forwards and whispered, "You can do this."

"Harry finally has a positive article written about him in the Daily Prophet!" Hermione told me, "Fudge is spluttering excuses left, right and centre for not believing -"

"I need to tell you guys something." I said quickly and all six people looked up at me. My mouth became very dry and my stomach was in knots. I took a deep breath, "After the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore used a Portkey to transport Harry and me to his office." I shivered at the memory, my shoulders were raised as I wrapped my arms around myself, "McGonagall arrived when the three of us were discussing what happened and – Ron, Hermione, do you remember Christmas of third year when Trelawney made that prophesy to me? The one we thought was fulfilled?"

They both nodded, both wearing wary faces.

"Surprise, surprise, it wasn't and I was unwittingly in the middle of a conversation about the two worst pieces of information I could receive; one by Dumbledore and the other by McGonagall…" I bowed my head, trying to steady my breathing, to focus on what I had to do. I felt Harry's hand rest on my shoulder, which spared me on, "Dumbledore told me that I'm adopted."

"What?" came simultaneous voices around the room.

"So those people that hurt you, they're not your real family?" Luna asked, her voice as whimsical as usual.

I shook my head, "No, they're not."

"Did you find out who your real parents are?" Neville asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah, I did…" tears poured from my eyes, "I'm really, really sorry, Neville."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because – Because my parents are Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange." I blurted.

Hermione, Ginny and Ron let out gasps. But my eyes were focused on Neville as I watched a single tear form in his eye and fall down onto his t-shirt. He got up from his seat, scooted past me and straight out of the Hospital Wing and out of sight.

"Excellent." I said, the dark and twist feeling returned and my breathing accelerated as my eyes filled with tears once again.

Harry awkwardly patted my back as Ginny handed me a tissue and Hermione said, "Oh, Kathryn, I wish I could get up and hug you right now… Harry… give her a hug…"

And he did just that. The two of us stood and I laid my head on his shoulder and cried my heart out.

After a few minutes, Ginny took a hold of my hand and said, "Well, that explains a lot, don't you think?"

"You do look a look like her," Luna spoke, glancing up from her magazine, "But your name -"

"Your name must have been changed when you were adopted?" Ron asked.

"Yeah…" I dabbed my eyes, "My real name is Katy Belle Lestrange."

Ron scowled at me, "So does that mean that you and that foul-mouthed-git are related?"

"Draco Malfoy and I are cousins," I responded, "Yep."

Ginny appeared as though in deep thought, then her eyes met mine, "Does he know? Did he know when he -?"

Hermione sat forward in her bed and clutched her ribs as she let out a gasp, "What did he do?"

"I don't know if he knows," I told Ginny, "He near attacked me yesterday for his wand."

"You've still got it?" Ron's eyes widened.

I nodded, "Draco's and the Death Eater I disarmed."

There was a look of pride on Harry's face, "I never told you how amazing you were -"

"Dumbledore came in and told us what happened -" Ron spoke excitedly, "Did you really take on two Death Eaters?"

"Not at the same time!" I assured, "One of them was sending Killing Curse after Killing Curse at me, I don't think I had much of a choice!"

Hermione repeated, "What did Draco do to you?"

I grimaced, "He kissed me?"

"HE DID WHAT?" Harry sprang into action, taking out his wand, "I'll kill him."

There was a murmur of outrage shared between Harry, Ron and Hermione as Hermione looked to Ginny, "And you didn't think to tell us?"

"Excuse me, I was handling the situation." Ginny defended herself, "And I know Kit-Kat knows how to handle herself. George knows about it and Kit-Kat thought it was best not to worry you so close to the exams."

"I'm standing right here, you know. Having a bit of another crisis." I said, "My name is not my name, my parents are not my parents and my birthday is not my birthday."

Hermione glanced up at me, "When's your birthday?"

"6th September 1979."

Ron pulled a face, "That doesn't make sense… You're birth date was almost a year before…"

"You're telling me!" I said, handing over the copy of my birth certificate and it was when I was doing that, I realised my litteras occultas was warm. George had sent me a message,

G: Hey, I hope you're okay. It was really good seeing you earlier.
G: I found out some information about your Granny. I feel really bad telling you this over a message…

"Hermione, can I borrow your -" she knew and the quill was in my hand.

K: It's alright, just tell me.
G: A muggle newspaper has written, 'Sally Roberts, daughter of "torturous twosome's" Helen Pink was found with multiple stab wounds in the Scottish borough of Dufftown early on Thursday morning. Ms Roberts has not been seen from when her granddaughter, Miss Kathryn Pink, narrowly escaped death herself almost two years ago. It is believed that Ms Roberts had been on the run for many months as she fled from the scene when she believed her granddaughter was dead. Police are conducting ongoing investigations into the murder and have sent out a plea for any information on the case. Further information on Ms Roberts can be found on page 5…'

"Stabbed." I said, folding the piece of parchment in my hand, "she – she was stabbed."

"I'm so sorry Kathryn…" Harry reached out to comfort me, but I stood.

"I think I need to go be on my own." I left the Hospital Wing and went to my dormitory, drew the curtains around my bed and cried myself to sleep.