Chapter Fifty-One: The Ultimate Sacrifice

He was once again walking along the Mediterranean Sea on a beautiful beach in Spain. His grandmother had taken him there a few times when he was younger and it had always been Neville’s happy place. Walking barefoot in the water and allowing the waves to lap against his ankles always had a calming effect. And it was the most romantic place he had ever been to.

The sun was setting now, causing the sky in the background to blazon a deep red. He sighed as he squeezed Stephanie’s hand tightly. Neville was once again in a wonderful place with the woman he loved. And she could finally be free.

“It’s beautiful.” Stephanie whispered as she stared out across the sea and into the sky. She always said this, no matter where they were, and Neville did the same thing he had done many times before.

“No.” He said simply, looking her squarely in the eyes. Just looking at her hair blowing in the wind took his breath away. He loved her so much more than he could put into words. And there she was, standing next to him in the most beautiful place in the world. “You’re beautiful.”

She smiled in response to his comment and looked away from him. He found her lack of self-esteem to be very adorable. For sixteen years she had been told how useless she was; she had been tortured and forced to do horrible things for most of her life. The Death Eaters had done all they could to take away any confidence she had. And he loved her regardless of the things she had done.

He gently guided her to the dry sand and they sat down. Neville wrapped her in his arms, not willing to let her go ever again. Then, he pulled the gift he had prepared from his pocket and gave it to her. This time, he unwrapped it for her and quickly placed it around her neck. He had to tell her before he was forced away from her again.

“I love you, Stephanie.” He whispered in her ear.

She removed her eyes from the locket, although she was still fingering it with both of her hands. Stephanie lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes with deep compassion.

“I love you, too.” And she raised her head and gently kissed Neville on the lips. The kiss had never been the favorite part of his dreams. He had waited so long to hear those words come from her mouth. Finally, he was awoken from his dream naturally, with Ginny smiling down upon him.

“The dream again?” Ginny asked sympathetically and Neville nodded sadly. The day they were brought to Malfoy manor, Neville had been concerned for his friend’s safety. But his thoughts constantly returned to a comment Amycus had made: The Dark Lord told us not to hurt them! And Alecto had been true to her word that she hadn’t harmed Ginny. She had merely been knocked unconscious. Ginny had awoken from her slumber shortly before Stephanie made her appearance in the cellar.

Neville returned his attention to Ginny. She was looking at him sadly and Neville’s thoughts went back to the dream he had just had. It was always difficult waking up from this dream because it was something that he wanted so much. “Christmas again?”

“No.” Neville shook his head. “The beach.”

He had told Ginny about these dreams only because he had needed someone to talk to about his feelings for Stephanie. Neville knew that Ginny would understand because she was desperately in love with someone she couldn’t have quite yet as well. They frequently cursed the Potter siblings, jokingly of course, to release their frustrations. The only detail he had left out of the recurring dreams was the locket. It was something that he had been working on since that summer and he couldn’t wait to give it to her. He wanted it to be a surprise when he finally had the opportunity, so he hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about it until the time was right.

Neville sat up and took the small nail he had found on the floor several days before and slowly scraped another hash mark into the cement wall. He had been using this tool to keep track of the number of days they had been in the cellar of Malfoy manor. It had been ten days since they were taken from Hogwarts and brought here for questioning. Neville knew that with each passing day, their chance for survival decreased even more.

And it hadn’t been fun, but it had been easier having Ginny there with him. With Kieran’s advice, Stephanie had focused her attention on torturing Ginny for information; though the constant pain was taking its toll on them both. Stephanie was getting more desperate with each passing day and Neville knew they didn’t have much time left. It was hard on him, and he knew it was also difficult for Ginny, watching Stephanie decompensate fairly quickly. Her strength was obviously weakening and Neville wasn’t sure that Stephanie had enough energy to make it through the week.

That first day had been the worst for him, by far. Before Stephanie had even made her way downstairs to speak with them, he could hear her screaming through the thick walls. When he saw her, he wanted to immediately run and embrace her, reassuring her that she would be alright. She looked like she was in so much pain and he felt bad for her.

Stephanie’s left cheek had been bright red from a blow she had sustained. Even though it had obviously just happened, there was a white outline that looked like the shape of a wand. Surrounding that area, the skin was already turning a deep shade of purple. Someone had obviously been very angry with something that she had done. After she had finished questioning them for the day, she made her way upstairs with Kieran. Shortly afterwards he could hear her screams for what seemed like hours.

Each day that Stephanie presented herself downstairs to question Neville and Ginny brought new injuries for her. Stephanie had everything from cuts and bruises to broken bones and Neville knew that she was being tortured because she had yet to retrieve Harry’s location. But he was always impressed that she never once begged for the person torturing her to stop. That revelation made Neville realize that Stephanie had pretty much given up hope, and that tortured him most of all.

He and Ginny had debated whether they would tell Stephanie where Harry could be, though neither one of them knew exactly where he was. It had been Mr. Ollivander that had vetoed that idea.

“She will take them to the location you say Harry could be.” Mr. Ollivander had explained calmly. “And they will kill her for her failure. Then they will kill you for lying to her.”

It took all Neville had left to admit to himself that Ollivander was right. There was nothing they could do to spare Stephanie from her punishment every night. So, they remained silent through it all.

But the pain he received was excruciating. Stephanie was much powerful than he had remembered, even with her declining health. A few times throughout those ten days, Neville had caught himself daydreaming about repaying Stephanie for the pain she had caused him. And then he hated himself for thinking those things. She couldn’t help herself; she was in more danger than he and Ginny were. Neville knew that she had to be desperate.

So, each time she left the cellar, Ginny and Neville each told her how much they cared about her. He had started it the second day when Stephanie had come down into the cellar without the aid of Kieran Hargrave. If he was going to die or if Stephanie was going to suffer, he wanted her to know that he cared for her. He wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone in the world. Ginny had been reluctant to admit her feelings to the girl, but he had convinced her that it was important to do so. Ginny, too, considered Stephanie a close friend. They just hoped that Stephanie realized how much people truly cared for her outside of these walls.

*~*~*~*

His colleague’s speech to the students the morning after two children had been taken by the Dark Lord had been revolting. Severus had allowed Minerva to do so only because a panic amongst the students was beginning to form and he didn’t want to deal with a rebellion, though he was positive that he would overcome them easily and without incident. There was too much on his mind to have to worry about the desperate actions of his students.

Her speech had been full of the things Albus would have said to calm the students. Severus didn’t listen to the whole thing, but it sounded pretty convincing. Minerva spoke about how students were still safe and that during these times it was highly important that they behave themselves. She also recommended, though Severus doubted that any other student would be in danger or that it would be effective, the students travel throughout the castle in pairs.

He had sat with no expression as Minerva looked directly at the Carrow siblings during her speech. They were smiling lightheartedly right back at her. She was doing so in an attempt to intimidate them or reassure the students, though neither was obviously working. Severus knew that they would not make another attempt at a student’s safety without coming to him first, no matter what the Dark Lord had ordered. He had made sure of that immediately by threatening them. It was his school and he had to take control of what happened inside its sacred walls.

Minerva had come to him very early that same morning with the decision she and Kingsley had made together. She had spent several hours with her good friend discussing the situation and comforting the Weasley family. Severus had been disgusted by the level of emotion being displayed by each of the individuals involved.

Severus had not been told about the orders to take the children from Hogwarts because the Dark Lord wanted as few people to know as possible. Not that the children could put up much of a struggle against the Death Eaters, but the Dark Lord didn’t want to take the chance that their friends would put up a fight. So, it had been decided that the children needed to be taken by surprise and the Dark Lord hadn’t thought that Severus needed to know. Although he argued that he was the headmaster at the school and he should know such information, the Dark Lord refused to discuss the issue further.

As far as he knew, both students were still alive. It was Stephanie that Minerva and Kingsley needed to be concerned about because if she failed all three would die. When he went to Malfoy manor after Minerva came to him with news of the students’ capture, he learned information he had been dreading to hear.

The Dark Lord was giving Stephanie the impossible task of questioning the two students. His master believed that these students had knowledge about Harry Potter’s whereabouts, though Severus knew differently. As conceited and selfish as Potter could be, he would never be so foolish as to give away his location, not even to his closest friends. Severus realized that Stephanie would never obtain the information she needed to keep herself alive. It was just a matter of time before the Dark Lord killed them all.

But he knew that he would be able to rescue someone from their fate. The problem was figuring out who should be considered worthy enough to live while the other died a most painful death. When he had first realized the seriousness of the situation, Severus offered Minerva a choice on who should be saved. After taking the time to meet with the Weasley family and other Order members, Minerva had returned to him stating that she wished he would attempt to rescue them all.

He had reaffirmed her fears that he would not be able to do so undetected. It would not only put himself in danger, but all three teenagers, and then all of the students would most likely be killed. He tried to give Minerva every opportunity to choose Stephanie as the one that should be saved, but she had disappointed him as he had been expecting. Minerva told him through tears that he would be asked to rescue Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom. Two lives were better than one, especially since they were more innocent than the Death Eater, Stephanie Potter.

However, Severus could not accept Minerva’s reasoning. He had promised Albus Dumbledore on the headmaster’s deathbed that he would protect Potter and Stephanie to the best of his abilities. Potter had been an arrogant nuisance and Stephanie had lost all hope of retaining any of the qualities of her mother that he had once cherished. And both of them had risked his life on many occasions but he couldn’t turn his back on them. It was more than his promise to the headmaster that kept his eyes focused on removing Stephanie safely from the Dark Lord, it was the love he still felt for Lily Evans.

And as much as the students thought he was evil, hateful, and vengeful, this had been a difficult decision for him to make. Severus had murdered many people in his life and he hated committing each one after Lily had been murdered. He made the students’ lives miserable because they deserved it. They all lived in their happy little existence, pretending that problems didn’t exist in this world. Only true Slytherins could understand that life could be unfair and that what was desired must be taken forcefully. As much as he despised Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom for their childish behavior throughout their schooling and mostly for their antics this past school year, he didn’t want to see them die because of Potter.

But there was nothing he could do about it. There was no choice in his mind. Stephanie was the only one he could save and it had to be soon. It had already been ten days since Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom had been held captive and he knew that Stephanie’s time was running short. He had to put his plan into action tomorrow. Tomorrow Stephanie would finally be free, though he doubted that she would ever recover from the things she had seen and done. She would never be free from the changes she had been forced to make.

Something happened and it took him a moment to understand what it meant. He suddenly felt a vibration on his chest and Severus looked down at the pendant that still hung around his neck. The connection between the five pendants opened and Severus could hear frantic voices on the other end. What has she done? Severus thought immediately and stood up to summon Minerva. But before he could, someone came running through his door and ordered him to wake Mr. Malfoy and meet the Dark Lord in Godric’s Hollow.

*~*~*~*

She huffed and breathed heavily as she stormed up the stairs to the dining room. The routine had been pretty much the same for the last ten days. First, she woke up and attended breakfast with the Dark Lord and then she went down to question the prisoners. Then, she took an hour or two to regain some strength in time for lunch. After lunch, she took a lengthy nap, waking in time to get two to three hours of interrogation in downstairs before dinner. Then, after dinner she would question the prisoners again until it was time for her punishment for not obtaining the information the Dark Lord was seeking.

Stephanie had realized early on that these kids didn’t know where her brother was. She had spent at least two years and a half years talking with them, and Ginny even longer than that. They had told her very intimate details about themselves and she was positive they would not allow her to suffer as she was if they knew this information. But she continued the charade anyway. All she wanted was to confront her brother, but it appeared that she would never be given that opportunity. So, she did the next best thing and enjoyed her time with Ginny and Neville. They were going to pay for every bad thing that had ever happened to her. Someone had to, right? So why not them?

The Death Eaters had been surprisingly helpful throughout the days of torture and interrogation. Several had pulled her to the side and offered tips about methods that had worked for them in the past. And she took each of their suggestions seriously, performing the spells exactly as she had been told. Each spell had had its desired effect on the prisoners but none of them succeeded in getting Neville or Ginny to tell her anything, not that it surprised her much.

It was also great to feel something again. She was so empty inside that she wanted to cry at times. But her tear ducts remained dry, no matter how much she tried to force some sort of emotion to flow out of her body. It had been months since she had even been angry enough to throw something. It would have been weak had she been able to cry, but at least it would have been something.

And it wasn’t her punishments that had affected her most. It had been the person conducting those punishments that hurt her. Kieran was performing terrible spells on her each night and it had been devastating. Stephanie knew that he never truly cared about her, but she hadn’t expected that he would experience so much pleasure for causing her tremendous pain. He tried to explain to her that the Dark Lord had ordered him to punish her for her failure but she hadn’t believed his story.

Sure, the Dark Lord probably did tell him to punish her severely. But he hadn’t been required to enjoy it so much. Stephanie knew that it wasn’t that she was being punished; Kieran had a need to torture people, no matter who they were. Stephanie knew that he would torture his own parents if given the opportunity. It was part of his silent personality that made people forget that Kieran was honestly one of the most frightening people in Britain. Kieran had no conscience, and that made him absolutely terrifying and deadly dangerous.

As she made her way up to dinner on the tenth day of her prisoners’ captivity, Stephanie couldn’t help but feel bad for those locked downstairs. The two teenagers had freaked her out a little by telling her they cared about her before she left the room after each session. Why would they tell her that when she was causing both of them such incredible pain? They were never going to make it out of the situation, surely they understood that. Then why would they try to win her over by saying they cared about her?

Once she was in her seat, Stephanie knew that the Dark Lord was going to reprimand her before he even had a chance to look at her. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Yaxley, Antonin Dolohov, Selwyn, Travers, Kieran, and Dedrick were all sitting at the table waiting for her. She took a deep breath and then sat in her normal chair next to the Dark Lord, who continued to sit at the head of the table.

But no one spoke to her. They conversed amongst themselves and with the Dark Lord, but no one spoke to her. It was an awkward feeling because she hadn’t been given the silent treatment in a very long time. Kieran wouldn’t even look at her, let alone talk to her.

Finally, the separate discussions ceased as the Dark Lord placed his fork and knife onto his plate. The silence was deafening and Stephanie followed the motions of her master. She had barely touched the food on her plate, but she lowered her silverware onto the table and placed the napkin from her lap onto the top of the food. And lastly, she looked up to the Dark Lord knowing full well what was going to come.

“Have you obtained the location of Harry Potter, Stephanie?” He asked simply. Stephanie knew the Dark Lord expected the answer she would give because she would have gone to him immediately if she had been successful.

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, but she couldn’t let it show. Her sweaty hands clenched and unclenched into fists under the table. And when she spoke, she was surprised by her voice’s calm tone. “No, my Lord.”

“I am tired of your weakness, Stephanie.” He spoke crudely and Stephanie looked down at her plate in shame. She knew she had failed her master, though she had tried very hard. But it didn’t matter right then; nothing mattered then and nothing would ever matter again. He reached over and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “You have done nothing but disappoint me for the entire time you have been in my custody. Lucius warned me of the failure you had become, but I, being the merciful Lord that I am, decided to give you every opportunity possible to prove him wrong.”

He paused and Stephanie could barely see Lucius out of the corner of her eye. Lucius had a smile on his face but Stephanie couldn’t help but think that it looked somewhat forced. Bellatrix next to him, however, was positively beaming. The Dark Lord continued scolding her, breaking through the loud silence that had embraced the Malfoy dining room.

“You have twenty-four hours to procure the information I seek.” He hissed in her face and Stephanie had to squint to keep his spit from landing in her eyes. This action of hers only made him squeeze her chin harder, compressing her cheeks inside her mouth. “Many of those here have been waiting a very long time to be given the opportunity to conduct the honors of ending your life. But long ago I promised Lucius that he could have his revenge on you and I will allow him this pleasure even though he has failed me horribly. Dear Lucius has redeemed himself since his mishap with the prophecy.”

“My Lord.” Stephanie whispered, leaving the pleading out of her voice. She knew what she had to do and she would do it well because it would be the last task she would ever perform. “The prisoners are close to their breaking point. I am confident that I can obtain my brother’s location tonight. I will not fail you.”

The Dark Lord threw her face to the side in amused disgust. A couple of the men at the table chuckled at her comment; they believed she would still be seeking the approval of the Dark Lord until the moment she died. But she was done with that, she was done with it all. “Then I suggest you get started.”

Stephanie took the comment as a sign that she was excused from the dinner table. Instead of heading immediately down to the cellar, she made her way to Draco’s bedroom. She needed a moment to prepare herself for what she had to do. And she didn’t understand why she was going to do this, but it felt right somehow. Like she was going to make amends for some of the things she had done. Maybe the decision came so easily because she couldn’t feel anything anymore. All she knew was that this was she had to do.

She sat on the bed with her back against the wall and her knees hugging her chest, a position she had sat in many times before. It was a position she utilized when she was scared, anxious, or needed to think long and hard about something. But she sat like this, that evening, for comfort. She needed to do something familiar before she was going to be sentenced to death. Stephanie just hoped that it would be quick and painless though she knew that, due to a curse placed upon her the night of the Dark Lord’s return, it would not be possible. She would suffer an incredible amount of pain but then it would eventually end. And she could be free and at peace for the first time since she was a baby. It was a relieving feeling that had taken her ten days to come to terms with. She had spent the last ten days knowing that her life was about to come to an end.

But she had been comforted. For the first time since the moment it stopped working, Stephanie had felt the pendant around her neck. She had completely forgotten it was there, and she wasn’t quite sure why she had kept it. But she had, and now it would prove to be instrumental in her plan. Stephanie squeezed the locket one last time before she got up from her bed and made her way down the stairs and towards the cellar, setting her plan in motion.

The time it took her to reach the cellar door took less time than she remembered, though it felt like she had floated down there. Stephanie had avoided the conversation she could hear coming from the dining room where the Death Eaters were still discussing some things. It was no longer important that she listen to what was going on because she would be dead within a few hours anyway.

Kieran had returned to his station at the cellar door, guarding the prisoners inside. She had been incredibly lucky to have him on guard duty, because her hard work was going to pay off for something. Stephanie stood in front of him with a pleading look on her face.

“Kieran, can you do me a favor?” She asked sweetly and with all the innocence she could muster.

“When I’m done with guard duty.” He spoke, smiling at her. He obviously wasn’t too broken up about her impending death, but Stephanie didn’t care. She knew that he was only using her to satisfy his own sexual desires, but she hadn’t yet given him the satisfaction of receiving what he wanted.

She put the tip of her right finger in her mouth and began rubbing his chest with her left hand. “Would you be willing to refuse a dying girl her last wish? I promise to make it worth your while.”

And he smiled in response, knowing exactly what she was offering. Stephanie knew that he would not be able to refuse her even though he was supposed to be guarding the prisoners. He would never suspect that she was about to attempt what she had planned. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need Basilisk venom.” Stephanie said plainly, removing her finger from her mouth. “And I need it tonight.”

“What fo-” He tried to ask, but Stephanie stopped him by placing a finger onto his lips. Then she slowly removed her finger and kissed him where her finger had just been. He forgot what he was about to ask and simply nodded at her when they were done. Then, he quickly walked up the stairs and out of the manor, leaving to track down one of the rarest ingredients in the wizarding world.

“Back away from the door!” Stephanie called to the door in front of her, though this time she didn’t raise her wand in defense. It wasn’t even her wand, anyway. Her wand had been taken from her by the Aurors and she missed it terribly. It had been the wand she had learned her magic on. This wand had been a souvenir of someone who had died because she fought against the Dark Lord. This was the wand of Emmaline Vance.

After a moment of silence, Stephanie opened the door and walked inside. She didn’t know what to say to these people who she had tortured endlessly. The man had always sat silently in the corner, watching the torture of the teenagers. He never once tried to protect them, though she couldn’t blame him.

“Why did you always tell me you care about me even after all the torturing I made you endure?” Stephanie asked after she closed the door behind her. She needed to know the answer to her question before she died. Stephanie needed to know why people always found a liking towards her even though she was never anything special.

“Because we know the real Stephanie Potter.” Ginny spoke quietly. “You are not this monster. Stephanie, you have been through so much and we don’t blame you for the things you have done.”

“You were only trying to live.” Neville added. “We love you. I love you.”

“That is ridiculous!” Stephanie called out and almost began laughing. “No one loves me. There is nothing to love.”

“Stephanie.” Ginny pleaded with her. “We all love you. We care about you because you are our friend and we would do anything to protect you.”

“Harry loves you.” Neville said simply, but Stephanie detected a hint of compassion in the boy’s voice. She had heard her brother say the words before, but she had been in such a rage that she hadn’t believed it. But for some reason Stephanie knew that it was true. Harry really did love her. These prisoners had put up with everything over the last ten days because they were concerned about her safety. These thoughts reaffirmed what she knew had to happen that night. If she didn’t sacrifice herself, these two would die as well. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to offer her prisoners.

“I am going to die tonight because you have not told me where Harry is staying.” Stephanie told them quietly. There were confused looks on Neville and Ginny’s faces, though she didn’t have time to worry about that. What she was asking of them was uncharacteristic and random, and she didn’t expect them to believe her completely. But she had to explain what was going to happen and then set the events into motion. The sooner she did so meant the sooner she would die, and Stephanie was finally ready after sixteen years of imprisonment. She didn’t want to delay the inevitable any longer. “Though I never expected you to do so.”

Her prisoners looked like they didn’t know what to say, so she continued. Stephanie kneeled in front of them and sat on the cold ground. They just stared incredulously back at her. Stephanie quietly reached behind her neck and unclasped the pendant that hung there. Once it left the skin around her neck, it became visible to the two prisoners in front of her. It fell into her other hand and Stephanie reached across and gave it to Neville.

He looked down at it in shock. “We can’t take this. I won’t leave you.”

“We won’t leave you.” Ginny gave Neville a reproachful glare and corrected him. Stephanie understood that Ginny was as determined as Neville was.

“I will give you time to escape. But you must do as I say or else we are all going to suffer.” Stephanie spoke matter-of-factly. She continued her instructions as Neville tried to give her back the pendant. Stephanie raised her wand towards the boy. “That pendant will not work for me, it is useless to me. Take this pendant or I will kill you now.”

And he reluctantly held the pendant tightly in his hand. “You must wait for at least half an hour after I leave here before you attempt to escape. The only person that will remain in the manor will be Peter Pettigrew and he should not be a problem for you.”

Stephanie took her wand and handed it to Ginny. She knew that they could not be defenseless and she didn’t know where their wands were being stored. It was the only way that they would be protected. “I will leave the cellar unlocked so you won’t have to worry about that. Go up the stairs and leave the manor grounds. Once you are in the woods, Apparition should be possible. Squeeze this pendant for three seconds and Kingsley Shacklebolt will come for you.”

“Why are you doing this?” Ginny asked and Stephanie saw that she was crying. Stephanie merely smiled at the girl’s question.

“Because I have fought for so long and I just can’t do it any more.” Stephanie answered. It was as simple as that. There was no complex answer that she could give that would make it an easier decision to make; it was just that simple.

“We can’t let you die.” Neville reached out to touch her and Stephanie moved backwards slightly. She didn’t like to be touched by people so goodhearted. She was too dirty for that.

“You once told me that we all have choices, it’s how we handle those choices that define who we are.” Stephanie smiled at him, feeling much more intelligent than she truly was. “This is my choice.”

And with that, Stephanie got up from the floor and silently made her way towards the door. There was no longer a pendant of safety around her neck or a wand in her pocket. The diary she had once cherished lay open and face down in her bedroom at the Lestrange manor. She was now defenseless against all that would come her way and she was completely alone in the world once again. Neville and Ginny tried to call out to her, but she didn’t look back. It was too late, Stephanie could no longer turn back from the fate she had been dealt. And she already felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.


And once again, we have returned to having each successive chapter being my new favorite. I just love this one because it shows so much of each of the characters portrayed! What is going to happen? Oh no! Anyway...the next chapter should be posted Thursday or Friday evening and I'll try to get it up sooner rather than later! So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave feedback!

**This Chapter Has Been Rated PG-13 for Violence**

Chapter Fifty-Two: Freedom and Peace

Stephanie calmly walked up the stairs and into the dining room where the Death Eaters remained, with the exception of Kieran who was still running the errand for her. She smiled at the realization that he would be highly disappointed when he returned, but that was what he deserved for being greedy and lustful.

“My Lord.” Stephanie spoke loudly so the Dark Lord would notice her presence. When he looked up at her, she continued without being asked to do so. “Shortly after their escape, Harry and his friends sent the two prisoners an owl stating that they would be returning to the Potter home in Godric’s Hollow after a few days of hiding. They figured that you would not return and that it would be safe to do so.”

“Very well done, Stephanie. I knew the task was possible, you just needed a little motivation.” The Dark Lord laughed as he stood from his chair. He gestured towards the others in the room. “Come. I do not wish to fail this time.”

Stephanie followed the others out the door and off the grounds of Malfoy Manor. This would probably be the last time she would ever step foot on its grounds and Stephanie felt somewhat relieved. The revelation made her feel free and she smiled. Then, she Apparated to just outside her parents’ home in Godric’s Hollow where they had died many years ago. Stephanie had never been there before and she was surprised to see that it was still in ruins. She looked up at it in awe; never had she felt so close to the parents who had abandoned her.

“After you, my dear.” The Dark Lord touched her shoulder and Stephanie began walking towards the home. She knew that there would be nothing to find and she just hoped that Ginny and Neville got out of the manor before she got caught.

Once inside, the Death Eaters split up, searching every room in the house. Stephanie followed her master up the stairs and into a room that had once been demolished. There were remnants of a crib with a beautiful mobile smashed on the floor next to it. Though it was covered with dust, Stephanie could see the faded paper decorating the walls with pink and blue ducks. This had been the room she once shared with her brother. A whole wall was missing and she could see outside where everything appeared to be peaceful and calm, similar to how she felt inside.

“There is no one here.” Lucius came rushing into the room a few moments later. “The girl lies.”

She stood still, looking at the beautiful landscape and preparing herself for what was ahead of her. At long last, she turned to face the punishment she was going to receive for lying to her master and allowing his prisoners to escape.

The Dark Lord stormed up to her and grabbed at her neck where the pendant had once been. And again, she stood still, unfazed by his actions. He began breathing heavily in anger. “Where is your wand?”

She remained silent which enraged the Dark Lord even more. He slapped her hard across the cheek and Stephanie fell to the ground. She was then lifted from her position and slammed into the far wall at such a force that she lost her breath. Stephanie began gasping as she heard the frantic commands of her master.

“YAXLEY!” He bellowed and the man came running into the room immediately. “Go to Hogwarts and bring Severus to me. I have promised him that he could be present for the girl’s execution.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Yaxley turned to leave and the Dark Lord stopped him as if he had an afterthought.

“Have Severus bring the young Malfoy as well.” The Dark Lord ordered loudly. “We shall see exactly what he is made of.”

Yaxley Disapparated from the room and the Dark Lord called for Selwyn, Travers, and Dedrick. They had already entered the room, investigating the commotion that could be heard throughout the entire house. “Return to the manor and check the prisoners. Then kill them.”

The three acknowledged their orders and they, too, Disapparated from Godric’s Hollow. Stephanie was curled into a ball on the floor of the same bedroom where her parents had been killed. She watched as her master knelt down in front of her.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” He sneered quietly in her ear. “That you’ll be murdered in the same position as your parents? Too bad your dear brother can’t be here to witness this. But do not worry, my dear. He will join you soon. That I promise you.”

And with that, the Dark Lord stood, turning away from her. Stephanie could see Bellatrix and Lucius aiming their wands at her as the Dark Lord walked around the room. She had betrayed the master she had once hoped to please. But that deed had always been impossible, Stephanie just hadn’t wanted to let herself believe that fact. Finally, she was going to be at peace.

Stephanie didn’t see the Dark Lord motion to Bellatrix to begin her punishment, but she knew that he must have done so. Because her body suddenly felt as if it had been hit by a truck and she went flying. Her body spun from the force of the spell and Stephanie heard the crack of her kneecap breaking as it made contact with the floor. She cried out in pain as Bellatrix laughed maniacally.

“This is how you repay me for all of my hospitality.” She could hear the Dark Lord speaking slowly from somewhere nearby, but she didn’t dare open her eyes to look at him. As ready as she was for the pain that was sure to come, Stephanie didn’t want to see when it was going to happen. “I allowed you to keep that pendant around your neck all these years, little girl. And this is how you repay my kindness? By betraying me.”

She responded by slowly opening her eyes. He had known about the locket? But Dumbledore had placed spells upon it so the Dark Lord wouldn’t know that it was there. Suddenly the memory of her master scanning her body the night of his return came rushing back to her. He had smiled when he had reached her neckline, exactly where the pendant had been.

“Of course I knew about it you stupid girl!” He sneered at her and lifted his wand. Stephanie suddenly felt an invisible rope tightening itself against her throat. She followed her instincts and clutched at something that wasn’t there, trying to loosen its grip from her neck. As she tried to breathe, her throat made gurgling noises. And this caused the room of Death Eaters to erupt in a loud chorus of laughter.

Just before she was about to black out, the pressure released and Stephanie could breathe once again, though each breath she took created a stabbing pain in her throat. She didn’t have any time or energy to think about anything else except the pain she was feeling at that moment. Then there were several loud cracking noises and Stephanie could hear the shuffling of feet.

“They’re gone, my Lord.” Stephanie could hear Dedrick panting, though she couldn’t see past a few inches in front of her.

“We barely missed them.” Selwyn told her master as she continued to gasp for breath. It was so painful, but she knew that she deserved every moment of what she was going to get.

“The Order was already there, in the woods outside the manor.” Travers informed the Dark Lord. “We tried to stun them but they Disapparated before we could get close enough. The prisoners were able to escape.”

Stephanie smiled when she heard the news. Ginny, Neville, and Ollivander had been able to reach safety before the Death Eaters returned to the manor. Everything she had risked that evening was going to be worth it. She had sacrificed herself so that the other two could live, and it somehow felt amazing. Warmth ran through her body as she thought about the good she had just been able to do.

“When we got downstairs we found him bound and gagged where the prisoners should have been.” Dedrick continued explaining what they had found when they returned to the manor grounds.

“They have escaped under your nose, Wormtail.” The Dark Lord hissed and rushed over to where the men were holding the struggling Peter Pettigrew. “All those that fail me tonight will die.”

“No, master!” She heard Wormtail pleading. “Pl-”

“Avada Kedavra!” Her master called before Wormtail could even explain himself and Stephanie heard the thump of his body falling to the ground. Stephanie cringed, knowing that his death was her fault. “Dedrick.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Dedrick responded quickly and Stephanie heard his footsteps as he moved forward.

“Your brother was on duty this evening, was he not?” The Dark Lord asked simply.

“Yes, my Lord.” Dedrick answered.

“Retrieve him and bring him to me.” Her master ordered and Dedrick tried to argue. Stephanie knew that Dedrick didn’t want to see his brother die in front of his eyes, let alone be the one to bring his brother to his death. But Kieran had done the worst thing possible in the Dark Lord’s eyes, he had abandoned his post. And that was unacceptable.

“Bring him to me!” Her master interrupted Dedrick before any words could be spoken.

After the loud crack signaling Dedrick’s departure, Stephanie heard the Dark Lord call for Lucius to step forward. She was still lying motionless on the ground with many of her master’s servants watching her, but she didn’t care. The only thought she allowed through her mind was that it would all be over soon.

“Five minutes.” The Dark Lord spoke to Lucius and Stephanie was suddenly in unendurable pain. She was being tortured with the Cruciatus Curse and it felt like many knives stabbing her repeatedly throughout her body. But she couldn’t allow herself to scream; she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. Instead, she clenched her teeth as tightly as they would go.

And then her meeting with Dumbledore flashed to the front of her mind. She was receiving the diary from the headmaster and Stephanie suddenly realized what was happening. They were using the torture curse to weaken her mind as the Dark Lord searched for memories from her past. The pain was horrible, but Stephanie knew that she had to protect only one secret. As another image of herself writing a response to Hermione came to her mind, Stephanie clenched her teeth even tighter and squeezed her eyes closed in concentration.

Snape. Hide Snape. Lock him away. Stephanie was trying to take the memories she had of Snape working with her and for the Order and lock them into a secure part of her brain as he had once attempted to teach her during their Occlumency lessons. She had to protect those memories. Work. Please work!

“I will give him credit.” Stephanie could barely hear her master speaking after the Curse was finally lifted. She could barely breathe as the swords were still stabbing her skin even after he had released her from the spell’s clutches. All she could do was open her eyes and stare ahead of her as she gasped for breath that wouldn’t come. “Diaries. The man was ingenious but highly insufferable. And Dumbledore was defeated much easier than even I had expected.”

He paused to take a moment and walk closer to her. She could feel his presence hovering over her and then she felt a blow to her abdomen. The Dark Lord had kicked her hard in the stomach and she doubled over, losing the little air that had entered her lungs.

“That is how you had been in contact with your brother.” Her master snarled from above her. Stephanie lifted her arms and covered her head because she was afraid that he would attempt to kick her there. “There is no use in trying to protect yourself, Stephanie. You are going to die tonight. What else have you hidden from your master?”

Stephanie screamed as the Dark Lord made a deep gash in her arm. The blood began to ooze from it and she applied pressure to the wound with her healthy hand, though it took all of her energy to do so. Over the howls of laughter, Stephanie could hear her master preparing for another round of Legilimens. “Lucius!”

This time she saw herself sitting in the background of a graveyard. Her brother was stuck in a duel with the Dark Lord while several Death Eaters surrounded them. No one was looking at her as she began to command Harry to leave her. Stephanie could hear herself pleading with Harry to leave her behind while she tried to reassure him that she would be alright.

Through the pain of the Curse being administered by Lucius Malfoy, Stephanie closed her eyes tightly once again and focused her attention on repressing thoughts of Snape from her mind. It was the only decent thing she had done in a long time and she knew it would benefit more than just Snape if she kept the Dark Lord from learning about his involvement with the Order. She forced her mouth shut and allowed herself to concentrate on hiding Snape from her master.

After a few minutes of excruciating pain and silence, the Curse was lifted. Blood had begun to drip from her nose because of the pressure she had been creating inside her head. All she could do was rest during this short reprieve from the torture the Dark Lord had planned for her. She relaxed her limbs, blood still flowing from the wound on her arm. Her legs throbbed and her broken kneecap burned. And she just wished that they would end it; she wasn’t sure how much more she could endure without the Dark Lord finding out Snape’s secret.

“This whole time…” The Dark Lord whispered and trailed off, deep in thought. Stephanie opened her eyes and stared at his feet. “Stand her up!”

Stephanie watched as two pairs of feet came rushing towards her and she felt the familiar burning sensation as she was yanked to her feet by her ponytail. She cringed as the force put pressure on her aching knee and, for the first time in a very long while, she began to whimper.

“You have a connection with your brother.” He slapped her again across the face and Stephanie’s head fell limp to the side. She barely had the strength to return her head to its original spot. He grabbed her face and forced her to look into his eyes. “How many times?”

Stephanie remained silent. Answering him was not going to make the situation any better. In fact, it would probably only delay the moment when he would allow her to die. This was a rare moment where remaining silent when the Dark Lord ordered her to speak would work to her benefit.

“How. Many. Times?” He repeated himself and Stephanie continued to remain silent. She vowed to herself that she would no longer speak to any of them. Then her skin began to burn and the two Death Eaters holding her upright let her go. Stephanie fell to the ground, grabbing at many spots on her skin at once. Her breaths came in short bursts as she tried to put out the small invisible fires erupting on her limbs.

And as suddenly as it came, it was gone. The Dark Lord had used the spell she had invented and used against Rufus Scrimgeour. Stephanie wanted to beg her master to end her suffering but she knew that doing so would only please him. He would continue with his torture much longer if she broke down and begged him to end her life. So, Stephanie remained silent, hoping that the end would come soon.

“She is resistant.” Her master taunted as she lay on the floor trying to force air into her lungs. “Obviously Lucius’ Curse alone is not strong enough to affect her as she has yet to make a sound. Bella. Rodolphus. Rabastan. Antonin. Assist Lucius this time. We shall see how brave she is.

“Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie. What else are you hiding from your master?” He had turned back towards her and spoke gently; cunningly. She closed her eyes, preparing to be assaulted by five strong Curses.

But before they could begin, Stephanie was startled to hear a loud crack as someone Apparated into the room. She sighed because it meant that her death would be put off a few more minutes.

“What has happened?” She heard the familiar drawl of Severus Snape. He must have looked over and saw her limp and pathetic form crumpled on the ground because he questioned the Dark Lord. “What has she done now?”

“She has betrayed me.” The Dark Lord divulged only a small amount of information. Stephanie knew that he was getting impatient to see her die so he would not waste too much time explaining the situation fully. “She has betrayed us all.”

“But, my Lord.” Snape stepped forward.

“She has hidden information from me.” Her master hissed at Snape. “And she has assisted in the escape of my prisoners. Let’s see how strong she truly is.”

And Stephanie was plunged back into the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. But this time it was the worst pain she had ever felt. It was even worse than that. She began flopping about uncontrollably and she could no longer hold in her screams. This time she couldn’t help herself; the pain was too much for anyone to bear. She began screaming and begging for them to stop. Stephanie was in so much pain and concentrating too hard to hear the laughter of the Death Eaters that now surrounded her.

As her mind returned to a moment that she and her friend Dobby had shared, Stephanie couldn’t stop trying to force thoughts of Snape out of her mind. She was relieved that the memory that the Dark Lord had taken didn’t involve Snape because she didn’t have the energy to lock him away again. She screamed and screamed, begging for them to stop; pleading for them to kill her.

After what seemed like hours, the Curse lifted and Stephanie remained still on the floor. She no longer had feeling in any of her limbs, though she knew that blood was still flowing from her wounds. That meant that her heart was still beating and she was still alive. Stephanie wanted nothing more than to die at that moment; to get her death over with.

“Isn’t that sweet?” The Dark Lord taunted as Stephanie began shivering. Her body temperature was dropping rapidly, though she knew it had nothing to do with any spell. Her body was failing her and she was dying. It was a freeing feeling, to finally be allowed to die. “Draco!”

“Yes, master.” Stephanie hadn’t realized that the boy was there but she really couldn’t comprehend anything at that moment. Her consciousness was fading quickly and Stephanie just stared straight ahead, hoping that her body would finally end its fight to stay alive.

“You were too weak to murder Albus Dumbledore.” Her master spoke towards the young boy. “But you wish to prove yourself. Kill her.”

And Stephanie knew that the end was finally coming. If Draco didn’t kill her then, someone else would be given the pleasure. She was finally going to be free. It was such a wonderful feeling and it allowed her the strength to lift her head and look directly and only at Draco.

He wasn’t as nervous as she pictured him to be. In fact, he was smiling. She had once thought that she was the only person that he would ever be able to murder. And now she was finally going to see if he could really do it. He smiled down at her, ecstatic at the opportunity to prove himself in front of his master. She watched as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for this honorable task. Then, he opened his lips and began speaking the last words she would ever hear.

*~*~*~*

Hermione and Harry hadn’t talked too much over the last couple of days. They had barely escaped Godric’s Hollow and then Harry had had a vision sent by Voldemort telling his followers to bring some students to him. Harry had deduced that Voldemort wanted Ginny and Neville for questioning, but they hadn’t known that for certain. Hermione clung to the hope that Ginny and Neville were back at Hogwarts, safe from Voldemort’s captivity.

She had spent a good amount of time over the past few months trying to decipher the meaning behind the book Dumbledore left for her. Hermione knew that she was getting close to figuring out what it meant; she felt like it was at the tip of her tongue or just out of reach. The harder she pushed herself, the more likely she was going to succeed. It was the only thing she could do at that moment. Harry and she had run out of places to look for any Horcruxes.

They had been to the orphanage where Voldemort grew up and every other place he could have had roots prior to his downfall. Harry continued to argue that there had to be a Horcrux at Hogwarts, but Hermione didn’t believe that. Dumbledore would have found it there, she was positive of that fact. No. There was no Horcrux at Hogwarts.

She took a moment from looking at Tales of Beedle the Bard and looked at Harry. He had his head buried in his arms and was taking a nap. Hermione couldn’t help but smile at him, even though they hadn’t gotten along that well lately. If they were talking at all, it was usually an argument of some sort. Hermione was so frustrated but she still loved him. He was like a brother to her.

As she returned her attention to the children’s book in front of her, something strange happened. Her pendant began to vibrate strongly. Hermione looked down and saw that it was flashing pink. She remembered that Stephanie’s pendant was pink, but she didn’t know what was going on.

“Stephanie?” Hermione could hear Kingsley’s voice as clear as if he was standing in the same room as her. He sounded skeptical and Hermione couldn’t blame him. Stephanie hadn’t used the pendant in a very long time because Voldemort had neutralized its magic somehow.

“It’s Neville!” Neville’s voice rang out of the pendant and echoed in the tent. Hermione immediately sat up and threw a pillow at Harry.

“Harry! Get up!” She called out in a loud whisper and her friend began to stir. When she was given Dumbledore’s pendant, she was instructed not to tell the others that she had it. As much as she wanted to talk to Neville, she knew that she couldn’t. At least she couldn’t talk to him quite yet. She put a spell on the pendant, muting sound from within the tent. “Get over here!”

“Oh dear. Neville!” McGonagall’s voice cried out. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” Neville said, though she could tell that he was breathing heavily. “I have Ginny with me and Mr. Ollivander too. He is too weak and I can’t Apparate them both. I can’t leave either one behind, not even for a moment.”

Hermione turned when she heard Harry fall to the floor. She ran to him as he began screaming in pain. The only part of him that was moving was his mouth. Sweat began to pour from his forehead and Hermione summoned a towel to begin wiping it dry. She took a blanket and wrapped him up tightly, trying to get him to stay warm. His temperature was dropping rapidly and he began shivering madly.

Through all of this, she could still hear the conversation going on through the pendants. She realized that her friends had somehow gotten custody of Stephanie’s pendant and then escaped from wherever they were being held. Hermione hoped that Kingsley would get to them before they got caught again.

“I have summoned the Order to come and get you.” Kingsley’s voice displayed the excitement he must have been feeling. Neville and Ginny were going to survive this. “We will be there in a few moments. Are you safe where you are?”

“Yes.” Neville informed him. “But you have to hurry because we don’t have much time. They could be back any minute now.”

“You have to save her!” Hermione could hear Ginny’s voice in the background. “They are going to kill her!”

“Who?” McGonagall asked, concern clearly penetrating her voice. “Do they have another prisoner?”

“Stephanie!” Ginny responded quickly. “She helped us escape and they are going to kill her!”

“She gave us the pendant and her wand.” Neville spoke into the locket. “We didn’t want to leave her, we begged her not to do this. But she wouldn’t listen and we had to get Ollivander out of there. They were going to kills us too!”

The words hit Hermione like a train. Stephanie had given her only means for defense and chance for escape to Neville and Ginny? She had changed so drastically that Hermione had barely recognized her during the battle of Hogwarts last June. But yet she had allowed Neville and Ginny to escape? Something horrible must have happened for Stephanie to do that. Hermione returned her attention back to Harry who had stopped screaming.

A bruise was developing on his arm and his nose was bleeding. Hermione was so scared for him. She didn’t know what was happening to Harry and she didn’t know what to do for him. All she could think of was to keep him as comfortable as possible and hope for the best. She summoned another blanket and wrapped it around him tightly. Then she dabbed his forehead again with the towel, though it was starting to be of no use. She needed another towel but she was too panicked to realize it.

And suddenly he began screaming again. Hermione couldn’t focus on two things at once; Harry’s situation was much direr and so she tapped the pendant twice and closed the connection. As much as she wanted to listen to what was going on with Neville and Ginny, she had to take care of Harry. After about five minutes of screaming, he silenced once again. And he remained silent and unconscious for several hours.

He finally began to stir and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Harry moaned in pain and Hermione hurried to wipe his forehead again. His temperature was finally returning to its normal level and she knew that he was going to be alright.

“What happened?” He groaned, trying to sit up. She forced him back to a laying position.

“Did You-Know-Who send you another vision?” She asked hurriedly. Hermione wanted to know what he had seen and she desperately hoped that it wasn’t what she thought it had been.

And with her question, his eyes quickly shot open and he forced himself to sit up. His expression turned to one of absolute hatred. Hermione had never seen Harry so angry and upset, and it scared her to see him this way. Tears welled up in his eyes and Hermione suddenly knew that her fears had been reality.

“She’s dead.” He whispered. “Stephanie’s dead.”

“She can’t be!” Hermione cried out and tears flowed heavily from her own eyes. She leaned over and wrapped Harry in a tight embrace. “Maybe it was a false vision? He sent you a false vision to lure you out of hiding!”

Hermione clung to the idea that Voldemort was using Stephanie to get to Harry. Dumbledore had always said that this would be done eventually and they had been prepared for this possibility. But her hopes died when she saw at the look on Harry’s face.

“I saw it through Stephanie’s eyes.” He cried and Hermione gasped. “He tortured her so much. And..And…Malfoy.”

“Draco was there?” Hermione breathed. “He didn’t?!”

She knew that Harry had to know what Stephanie had done for Ginny and Neville, so she explained what she heard through the pendant. Stephanie must have known what was going to happen to her if she assisted them in their escape, and yet she had done so. The only reason Hermione could think of was that Stephanie had given up on life. Stephanie had wanted to die. But that revelation didn’t make losing her any easier. Hermione held Harry tightly as they both cried in each other’s arms. Harry had lost the sister he had never known and Hermione had lost her best friend.

After a long embrace, Harry stood up and began pacing the room. His outrage began to take over as he picked up objects and just threw them across the room. Hermione hung back; a little afraid of her friend but understanding of what he was feeling. Finally he spoke to her through gritted teeth. “We have to find those Horcruxes soon. For too long I remained silent and have allowed her to suffer there. I am going to kill him and then I’m going to murder Malfoy.”

Harry’s determination was infectious. They had to step up their attempt at destroying the Horcruxes so that they could defeat Voldemort. And Hermione just hoped that she ran into Malfoy first because she wasn’t going to let him get away with murdering Stephanie Potter.


Okay, so I loved this chapter so much that I had to post it early. (This is my favorite chapter to date, by the way). I know it ended in a cliffhanger, but please don't hate me. I posted today so that the you guys won't have to wait too long for the next one. I'll have it posted either Friday evening or first thing Saturday morning. And I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with the PG-13 rating this time!

Chapter Fifty-Three: An Old Friend’s Return

As his door flew open, Severus quickly pulled the pendant from his neck and shoved it into the top drawer of his desk. He lifted his head to see Yaxley rushing into his office looking elated.

“The Dark Lord requests that you and Draco join him immediately.” Yaxley could barely get the words out because he was so excited. “It’s time.”

Severus understood what his colleague meant. It was the moment all of the Death Eaters had eagerly been waiting for. And he knew this because the Dark Lord had once promised him that he could be present when the girl was sentenced to death. He hoped that there would be a small moment where he could pull off some miracle and save her, though he doubted the Dark Lord would ever allow the opportunity.

He quickly stood and made his way towards the Slytherin dungeons where Draco would be lounging in the common room. Yaxley waddled behind him as fast as the man could. Severus wanted to ask him what Stephanie had done but he didn’t want to appear concerned for the girl. He considered himself an intelligent man and so he worked the scenario through his mind.

Stephanie Potter was unable to utilize the pendant because the Dark Lord had neutralized its magical abilities when it was in contact with her skin. She would never be able to use the pendant because the spell ran through the blood in her veins. The girl had to have given it to someone, and the only people she had access to that it would be of any use to were Mr. Longbottom and Miss Weasley. He just hoped that Stephanie hadn’t allowed the two children to escape, making it impossible to convince the Dark Lord that she should be spared. The situation looked grim.

He stormed through the entryway of the Slytherin dormitory and saw Mr. Malfoy hovering over some first years. His group of friends were standing around them and laughing hysterically. They didn’t look up when he entered.

“Mr. Malfoy.” Severus said loudly and the boy jumped in surprise. “Come with me.”

“But I didn’t do it!” The young boy said automatically and Severus was not amused. There was no time for jokes; Stephanie was going to be murdered and every moment he spent at Hogwarts was wasted.

“Come with me.” He repeated and Mr. Malfoy walked towards him slowly. There was a strut to his walk and Severus became very impatient. “Quickly.”

When Draco reached him, Severus grabbed his arm and pulled the boy out of the common room. “The Dark Lord wishes to see us. Do not speak unless you are spoken to, do you understand?”

“I don’t need you to tell me what to do!” The young boy sneered at him, attempting to pull away his arm but Severus wouldn’t let go. Instead, he continued dragging the boy towards the exterior of the school.

When they were on the outside of the gates, Severus lifted his wand and they both appeared in the children’s bedroom in a home that he had never allowed himself to enter. It had been the home that Lily and James had bought together soon after their wedding and just before they found out they were pregnant.

Lily had invited him to the wedding and house warming party, but it had been too painful for him to watch James and Lily together. They had grown apart since the time when he called her a mudblood, an act that he regretted more than many of the murders he had committed in his life. It had been an accident, something that he had said in anger. But what hurt him the most was that he had meant what he said.

And Lily had been devastated. It had taken her a long time to even look at him again, and Severus knew that she had just been polite when she invited him to her gatherings. He didn’t deserve to be in her presence any longer. And then it had been his fault that she was murdered by the Dark Lord. It had been the ultimate betrayal.

Despite all she had gone through, Stephanie still carried the wonderful qualities of her mother. Severus had long ago given up hope and was unable to see the improvements she had made recently. And he was certain that he was going to watch her die that night. It was like he had betrayed Lily all over again.

“What has happened?” He asked the Dark Lord once he arrived in the room. Severus looked around and saw Stephanie, unmoving and bleeding, lying on the ground in front of him. It pained him to see her like that; the Dark Lord had obviously already spent a great deal of time with her. “What has she done now?”

“She has betrayed me.” The Dark Lord pointed towards Stephanie. His eyes were the deepest red that Severus had ever seen them. “She has betrayed us all.”

“But, my Lord.” Severus had to do what he could to save her. In that moment, looking at Stephanie on the floor, he knew that he would rather die than betray Lily once again.

“She has hidden information from me.” His master hissed and Severus knew that she had gone far beyond his protection. Severus was defeated and all he could do was watch what was about to happen and wait for an opportunity to present itself. He nodded his head and the Dark Lord continued. “And she has assisted in the escape of my prisoners. Let’s see how strong she truly is.”

The Dark Lord was utilizing one of his favorite methods of obtaining information, one that Severus had anticipated. But she had never been powerful enough hide certain memories from a skilled Legilimens and yet she was clearly keeping the Dark Lord from finding memories of him.

The Dark Lord didn’t realize how strong and resilient Stephanie truly was. In that moment, watching Stephanie being attacked by five of the most powerful Death Eaters and begging for them to kill her, Severus fully understood Stephanie for the first time and he knew that she wanted to die.

Stephanie had hated him and threatened him repeatedly over the last few years. She had changed into a person that even he had feared. And yet, now, she was about to die because she had shown mercy to two of her brother’s best friends. She had spared them from death and she was protecting him. It was difficult for Severus to comprehend. And as much as he wanted to do what he could to protect her, he knew that any attempt would be useless. And Severus could tell by her reactions to the Dark Lord’s torture that she understood that. He felt like a coward as he stood back and watched Lily’s daughter die in front of his eyes.

His master had yet to learn of Severus’ allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix because, even on her deathbed, Stephanie was fighting for him. And he still had work to do. He still had one child of Lily’s that he could protect, and so he must do that, no matter how hard it was looking at Stephanie and watching her die.

Because she was being tortured beyond what he had seen anyone else endure and she was concentrating so much on protecting memories of him, Severus realized that Stephanie was most likely broadcasting these images to her brother. And that was difficult for him to think about because Potter was unpredictable. What was Harry Potter going to do when he learned that the Dark Lord had murdered his sister? Severus had failed at protecting Stephanie, so he had to do all he could to save the only child left that had come from Lily’s womb.

He was brought out of his thoughts when the Dark Lord summoned the young Malfoy forward and instructed him to perform the killing curse. This is it, he thought sadly. As much as he wanted to look away he knew it would be too dangerous. He had to watch enthusiastically as Stephanie drew her last breath.

Mr. Malfoy raised his wand, looking completely delighted at being given the opportunity to kill the one person he had dreamed of murdering for most of his life. He began to speak. “Avada Ke-”

But before he could finish, Stephanie’s lips began to move. She whispered something that he couldn’t make out. Draco must have been taken by surprise by her sudden action because he stopped himself for a moment. And before he could continue, a house elf appeared in front of her.

“You called Dobby, Miss Stephanie? Dobby is excited to hear from you, miss!” Dobby squeaked and then noticed the Stephanie lying motionless next to him. He rushed over to her and jumped onto her body. “Are you alright Miss Stephanie?”

“KILL HER!” The Dark Lord pushed Mr. Malfoy to the floor and raised his wand. Severus watched as fifteen killing curses made their way towards Stephanie and the house elf. And suddenly they were gone.

He was in shock. The house elf had come and taken her away! Severus knew that Dobby would take her to Hogwarts because that was his home. But he wasn’t sure if they had Disapparated before a Curse had hit them. If the other servants at Hogwarts listened to the orders he had given them, and if she was still alive, then Stephanie would be safe until he arrived. The Dark Lord screamed into the air as Severus wondered if Stephanie had done the impossible and had just saved herself.

*~*~*~*

“Mum!” Ginny called and ran towards her mother. Tonks had just brought her back to the Burrow where the rest of her family was waiting restlessly.

She was having difficulty processing all that had happened over the last hour and she wondered if anyone would truly believe her. They had waited for a few minutes after the Death Eaters left the manor and then they made their ascent up the stairs. Wormtail was in the dining room and they had taken him by surprise. Ginny had easily apprehended him and magically placed him in the cellar where they had just been.

Both Ginny and Neville had to help carry Mr. Ollivander out of and into the wooded area behind the manor. They had found a big area covered with brush and placed Ollivander on the ground. It had amused her that Neville wanted to take the wand and protect her, but she felt that she could do that herself. He couldn’t do everything.

Finally, Neville had used the pendant and summoned Kingsley and McGonagall for help. Within minutes several Order members had arrived and were preparing to Apparate the three of them back to the Burrow when several Death Eaters returned. The Death Eaters tried throwing spells at them but the Order was too quick. Kingsley had helped Ollivander, Professor Lupin had taken Neville, and Tonks had Apparated with Ginny. The entire family rushed out of the Burrow to greet them and Ginny was surprised to see Dean Thomas standing in the background smiling at her.

Molly ran over to Ginny and squeezed her tightly, refusing to let go. Ginny began coughing from lack of air and she could hear Fred from somewhere nearby. “She survived Stephanie and the Death Eaters and mum is going to suffocate her before we even get a chance to say hi!”

“Oh shush!” Molly Weasley breathed, but she released Ginny anyway. Ginny laughed at Fred’s comment as her mother grabbed at her face with open hands. Then she kissed Ginny over and over.

“We were so worried about you!” Her mother squeaked. There were tears running down her mum’s face, which caused Ginny to begin crying as well. “You look so awful. Are you okay?”

“Mum.” George grabbed hold of Ginny and embraced her. It felt great to see her brothers again. “She looks just the same to me.”

“George!” Ginny laughed and gave her brother a playful punch to the shoulder. She knew that she couldn’t be all that pleasant to look at, though it wasn’t as painful as her family would think it was.

Although she hadn’t seen her reflection yet, she could feel the various injuries she had sustained. She had definitely lost a few pounds during her tenure as a prisoner. It had surprised her that she had been fed quite regularly considering the state of Ollivander, but she just hadn’t had an appetite. But in addition to that, her face was swollen from being hit by curses repeatedly over the past ten days. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, and dried blood covered her body. And it didn’t really bother her.

In between hugs given by her brothers and parents, Ginny took a moment to look at Neville. He was quietly talking with Ollivander, Kingsley, and Lupin several yards away. And she couldn’t help but smile in admiration at him. He was so much braver than she had ever imagined he could be. Neville had disclosed to her his love for Stephanie and never once did those feelings falter during their whole imprisonment.

It had to be more difficult for her, being tortured while he just had to sit there and watch. There were times that she couldn’t help but hate Stephanie Potter for the pain she had experienced. And then Ginny would look over at Neville and she would get angry with herself. She had never imagined that Stephanie would sacrifice herself so that she and Neville could live. It was just so unexpected and Ginny hadn’t wanted it to end that way. What would Harry think of her? She had thought horribly of Stephanie and then she had allowed Stephanie to be murdered for her protection. And as angry as she had been with Stephanie, she had never wanted the girl to die. Ginny cared for Stephanie so much more than she was willing to admit even to herself.

With that last thought, Ginny suddenly remembered that they were going to kill Stephanie. She ran over to Kingsley and begged him to protect her friend. “She saved us. You have to protect her!”

Kingsley patted her shoulder and ushered her inside where she was followed by the rest of her family. “Ginny, there’s not much we can do for her now. All we can do is wait to hear how things have gone.”

“You are going to sit here and do nothing!” Ginny yelled at him. “After all she has done for you? For the Order? You are going to let her die?”

Neville wrapped her in a tight embrace and she followed him to the couch where she curled in his arms and cried. She was scared for Stephanie and horrified for Harry. What was he going to do when he found out that his sister had been murdered and the Order did nothing to protect her?

“We all care about Stephanie.” Neville whispered in her ear. “Remember that this was her choice, no matter how hard it is for us to accept.”

“How can you be so calm?” She looked up into his eyes and he didn’t smile back at her. Tears were falling from his eyes and moistening his tattered shirt.

“I’m not. It breaks my heart that she sacrificed herself for us.” He spoke so quietly that she could barely hear him. Ginny knew that he didn’t want her mother to hear the words he was speaking. “But we have to be strong. We have to be strong for Harry; we have to be strong for your mum. And most importantly, we have to be strong for Stephanie.”

“Neville.” Ginny whispered, not having the courage to look at him any longer. She had to get this off her chest and she knew that he would hate her for what she was going to tell him. “What she did to me, to us. It hurt so badly. I wanted her to suffer for the pain she caused. I wanted her to die so she would stop torturing us for information we didn’t have. And I got my wish. But, Neville! I didn’t mean it. I don’t want her to die!”

Her chest began to heave as she let out the sobs that she had been holding in. Ginny was so ashamed of herself that she couldn’t bare to look at Neville. But he responded by only squeezing her more tightly.

“I know you didn’t mean it, Ginny.” His voice rang in her ear as he rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her. “I had the same thoughts and you have to understand that it’s a normal thing. She wouldn’t blame you, so you shouldn’t either.”

But she wasn’t comforted. They sat in that position for an hour or two while they waited for news. Her entire family, minus Percy, was lounging in the living room just staring at Ginny. She had been missing for ten days and Ginny knew that her family was concerned. It felt great to be back home with those that loved her. But she still couldn’t help but feel bad for Stephanie.

She jumped in surprise when a house elf Apparated in the living room. Neville released her and Ginny sat up.

“Mrs. Weasley?” The little elf squeaked nervously.

“Yes?” Ginny’s mother responded anxiously. Ginny wondered why a house elf was asking for her mum.

“Professor McGonagall wishes to speak with you, Mrs. Weasley.” The house elf spoke quietly but with determination as it held out its hand to Molly. “Please come with me.”

Ginny stood up quickly and the blood rushed to her head. She fell back down but that didn’t slow her down. Standing once again, she ran to her mum before they could Disapparate. Ginny understood full well why McGonagall wanted to speak with her mother.

“It’s about Stephanie, isn’t it?” She demanded an answer. “I want to come with.”

“I want to come as well.” Neville responded while standing up.

“Ginny, Neville. We don’t know what it’s about.” Mrs. Weasley spoke gently, rubbing her daughter’s face. “I will send you news as soon as I know anything. I promise.”

And Ginny returned to Neville’s side, completely defeated. She knew better than to argue with her mother. Although it was miniscule, Ginny allowed a flicker of hope to emblazon her soul. She couldn’t accept that Stephanie had been killed until she saw her friend’s dead body. And with that, she realized that Neville was right. They all had to be strong. Through her tears, Ginny squeezed Neville tightly and prepared herself for the news that was going to come.

*~*~*~*

Minerva was grading papers when her pendant suddenly began to vibrate. She had been so caught up in her work that the sensation on her chest scared her and she jumped out of her chair. When she looked down at it, she realized that it was flashing pink. Her eyebrows crinkled in concern because Stephanie wasn’t able to use the pendant.

Kingsley’s deep voice bellowed out of the pendant immediately and the one that responded was not Stephanie’s. It was Neville Longbottom! She listened as the student explained the situation. It was the last thing she had ever expected, that Stephanie would give away her pendant and wand. These new developments terrified her.

It had been a difficult decision to make and was an action she had not taken lightly. She had thought for so long, wondering what Dumbledore would have done. And Minerva liked to believe that he would have done the same thing. Two lives were much better to save than one. As much as it broke her heart to do so, she had to tell Severus that Stephanie’s life wasn’t worth saving. She hadn’t meant that, but that’s what it felt like to choose on child over another. Minerva had cried every day since she had to make that decision.

But her decision hadn’t mattered one tiny bit. It hadn’t mattered how much pain it had caused her to choose Mr. Longbottom and Miss Weasley over Stephanie. The young Potter had made that decision on her own by helping the two students escape from the Death Eaters. Minerva was surprised by the turnaround in Stephanie’s actions and was impressed by the girl’s courage, though she had always known what a special child Stephanie Potter had been

After she heard Ginny Weasley’s voice begging with her through the pendant to help Stephanie, Minerva immediately rushed from her office and made her way towards the headmaster’s. But when she finally reached the inner part of the office where Severus should have been, she found it empty. Severus was nowhere to be seen and Minerva only hoped that he had gone to save Stephanie. She sat down in the chair across Severus’ desk and listened to the pendant once more.

After she was certain that the students were safely at the Burrow, Minerva finally closed the connection on the pendant. In the morning she would call a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to discuss the events of that evening and its implications. The day of Professor Dumbledore’s funeral, Kingsley and Minerva had given Miss Granger the headmaster’s pendant. So she knew that Hermione would have heard the entire conversation and she worried that Potter would do something drastic with the news.

Although she hoped that Stephanie would not die, they had to be prepared for whatever could happen. And it seemed likely that Stephanie was going to die that night. With that said, the Order had to keep a better watch for Mr. Potter because his actions could not be predicted with the death of his sister.

And a few minutes after she had closed the connection on the pendant and as she got up from her seat in the headmaster’s office, she was surprised by a popping sound. She turned around quickly and saw a Hogwarts house elf running towards her.

“Professor McGonagall!” The little elf squeaked in hysterics. She could barely understand him, but she did her best. “Dobby brings girl. Dead. Help!”

“Where?” Minerva wasn’t sure that she understood the elf correctly. Did he say that the girl Dobby brought was dead?

But the house elf didn’t respond. Instead he grabbed Minerva’s hand and transported her to the kitchens. She moved her head around, trying to find the girl. There were many house elves surrounding the still body of Dobby. She rushed over to him and nodded her head sadly.

“He’s dead.” She whispered to the elves, who responded by wailing loudly. Minerva tried to hush them but they could not be quieted. Instead, she placed a silencing spell on them so she could ask where the girl had been taken since she was obviously not in the kitchen any longer.

When she had their attention, she asked the question. “Where is the girl?”

“We did as we were told, Mistress.” A female elf answered her and then bowed as a sign of respect.

“What do you mean?” Minerva wondered. She wasn’t sure whether the girl that Dobby had brought back was Stephanie, but she thought that it could be. Dobby had been Stephanie’s best friend at one point, so it had to be her. Minerva had to find her quickly because if Dobby didn’t survive the transport, it was highly likely that Stephanie hadn’t either.

The same house elf looked up at her with her big round eyes, tears still flowing from them, and spoke rapidly. “The headmaster instructed Tessie to take the young Potter girl to the Come-and-Go Room and have her wait for him there.”

“When did he ask this of you?” Minerva demanded immediately.

The house elf thought for a moment and then gave her a response she had not been expecting. “Ten days ago.”

She was shocked. Severus was never going to follow her request to rescue Neville and Ginny. He had been planning on protecting Stephanie all along. She couldn’t blame him, but she was infuriated with his disobedience and lack of responsibility. But he had allowed the students to be taken prisoner, so she knew that she could never fully trust him again.

“I need three elves.” She instructed and then demanded that they take her to the room where she hoped Stephanie would still be alive.

Tessie grabbed her hand and transported her to just outside the Room of Requirement. She had not known that this room existed until two years ago when Potter and his friends had used it to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts while Umbridge had been headmistress. The house elf walked in front of the wall three times and the door suddenly appeared.

Minerva rushed in and found another house elf tending to the girl’s body. She gasped in surprise when she saw the mutilated form of Stephanie Potter lying motionless in the middle of the room. There were gashes cut all over her body, some were still oozing a great deal of blood. Her left knee looked like it was on backwards and there were bruises covering every part of her body that hadn’t been cut. She knelt down next to the girl and felt for a pulse.

The girl had a heartbeat! That meant that she was still alive, though Minerva realized that she was just barely alive. She turned to one of the house elves and requested that they summon Poppy. Minerva was so flustered that she didn’t know where to start to begin healing Stephanie. So she summoned several towels and began applying pressure to the flesh wounds.

“Oh dear!” Poppy called when she saw the girl. “Th-tha-that’s Stephanie Potter!”

“We have to save her! What can you do for her?” Minerva pleaded with her friend to help the child. And she watched as Poppy began to wave her wand over Stephanie’s limp body.

“What have they done to her?” Poppy asked while fussing over Stephanie.

Minerva couldn’t answer because she didn’t know. She didn’t even want to imagine what had happened to this girl who had sacrificed her life to save two other children. And she sat there in silence, holding Stephanie’s head in her lap, waiting for some sign of life to emanate from the child. Shortly after, Stephanie began to moan. Minerva rubbed Stephanie’s forehead gently to reassure the girl that she was safe. She smiled as Stephanie slowly opened her eyes.

“You are safe now, Stephanie.” Minerva whispered through her tears. After all hope had been lost a few minutes ago, Stephanie lay in her arms and was looking up at her. “We are going to take you to the Burrow where you are going to be protected.”

“No! NO!” Stephanie yelled, trying to sit up. Her voice was hoarse and Minerva knew that it must be causing her tremendous pain to just say that much. It was what she said next that broke Minerva’s heart. “I can’t face them. Please. Don’t send me there. I just want to die. Please let me die.”

“Shh,” was all that she could say. Poppy forced a calming potion into Stephanie’s mouth and the girl fell limp again as she lost consciousness.

As much as Minerva wanted to get Stephanie out of there before someone came looking for the girl, she was sure that Voldemort had to know that Stephanie had been brought to Hogwarts because of the tracking spell placed upon the girl. But she knew that it would be best to wait until Severus arrived. Minerva didn’t trust him, but he knew the countercurse that they would need to keep the girl protected. She took the time to ask one of the other house elves to summon Molly Weasley.

After a few minutes of silence, Molly was ushered into the Room of Requirement. She let out a shriek when she saw Stephanie on the floor in Minerva’s arms. Minerva looked up and asked, “How are Ginny and Neville?”

“They are fine but they are worried about her.” Molly knelt down next to Stephanie and Minerva. “Madame Pomfrey, how is she?”

“She’s not doing well at all.” Poppy said through labored breath. Minerva knew that Poppy was having difficulty working with such a high-level trauma because the school healer rarely had the opportunity to work with such severe injuries. “She needs to go to St. Mungo’s.”

“That’s not possible.” Minerva responded quickly. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Then, we can only wait and see how she does.” Poppy said quietly. “There isn’t much more I can do.”

“She’s strong.” Molly grabbed Stephanie’s hand and began stroking the girl’s arm. Minerva noticed that her friend was also crying over what had happened to Stephanie. “She’s going to survive this. She has to.”

There wasn’t much left for Poppy to do for Stephanie, so she left Minerva and Molly to tend to the girl. The house elves would remain in the room with them in case Poppy needed to be summoned immediately. And so they waited for a very long time, Minerva wasn’t sure how long it had been, until Severus finally arrived.

When he walked through the door, Minerva didn’t stand up. She was infuriated with him for letting this happen to Stephanie. He didn’t say anything either, all he did was walk over to Stephanie and look down at the girl.

“Is she alive?” He asked after several quiet minutes and Minerva was furious that there was no concern showing on his face. Her colleague had no emotions whatsoever. What in the world had Dumbledore seen in him?

“No thanks to you.” Molly was the first one to speak and she stood quickly to confront Severus. “But yes, she is alive.”

“It was too late by the time I was summoned.” Severus spoke calmly. “There was nothing I could have done.”

And he knelt down and grabbed her left arm. Minerva watched as Severus pulled out his wand and began waving it around Stephanie’s entire forearm, enveloping the arm in some sort of bubble. He was muttering an incantation under his breath.

When he was done, Severus sat down on the floor next to Stephanie and he began to explain the countercurse. “The Dark Lord knows that Stephanie was brought to Hogwarts. But he does not know exactly where she is, and he is uncertain as to whether she is still here or not. Ten days ago, I entered this room and performed an interference spell allowing her to be safe here until we find somewhere to keep her.

“What I have done with her arm is a smaller version of that spell, though with the same amount of power. She will not be confined as she would be in this room. It covers the source of the tracking spell that had been placed in her Malfoy crest.” Severus didn’t look up from the girl while he spoke. “Where do you plan on taking her?”

“She will be staying with me.” Molly responded.

“No.” Minerva shook her head. Then she explained that Stephanie could not be taken to the Burrow because of what the girl had requested before she lost consciousness.

Molly nodded, clearly saddened but understanding of the girl’s wishes. “Then she will stay with Bill. I’m sure that Fleur would love to have the company.”

“Very well.” Minerva nodded and then turned to Severus. “Tell us what happened tonight.”

And Minerva sat there, listening intently, as Severus explained to her what Stephanie had done for Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom. She cried when Severus told her the tortures Stephanie had endured. And then she remained silent as she stroked Stephanie’s forehead, hoping that she would be all right.

“And for their failure tonight,” Severus finished the story as calmly and with the same amount of emotion as when he had started it, “Kieran Hargrave and Peter Pettigrew have been murdered.”

Minerva felt horrible that she was relieved by this news. For seven years she had watched Mr. Hargrave turn into a malicious teenager and an even more dangerous adult. Voldemort had lost one of his most vicious followers and Minerva was relieved. She looked down at Stephanie and helped Molly prepare Stephanie for transport to Shell Cottage.


So I have had quite a bit of time to write this week. And I even added an additional chapter in there, so I am happy!! I hope that this chapter cheers some of you up (and thank you SO much for your feedback!!! I really enjoyed reading some of the theories you guys/girls had!). So. Next chapter could be up Monday, but I'm not sure if it will be. If not, I'll make sure to post it as soon as I can. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave feedback! Have a wonderful weekend!

Chapter Fifty-Four: Sharing the News

It had been an excruciatingly long day for Neville. By evening, he and Ginny had been tortured for hours, escaped the Death Eaters, and waited anxiously as they learned of Stephanie’s fate. He knew that there was little chance that his friend would survive betraying Lord Voldemort so blatantly, but he couldn’t help but hope that she was alright. If she was going to die, he hoped that she wouldn’t suffer too much at least.

There wasn’t much for them to do while they waited for Mrs. Weasley to return to the Burrow. Professor Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley had moved to the kitchen while they waited and Fred, George, Dean, Mr. Ollivander, Ginny, and Neville stayed in the living room. He had learned that a goblin was also brought to the Burrow, but he rarely left his bedroom. Neville sat there, holding Ginny the entire time while he just stared into space, imagining the horrible pain that Stephanie must have been sentenced to.

Neville was surprised when Ginny finally spoke. Her voice was hoarse from lack of use. “She finally did what she always wanted to accomplish. All she wanted to do in this world was to make a difference, to do something good with her life.”

And he couldn’t help but smile in response. The others sat up a little straighter in their chairs as they listened to Ginny describe what had happened to Stephanie. Ginny didn’t talk to anyone in particular, and most of those present had already heard the story, but Neville listened with all of his attention. The story showed how brave Stephanie had always been. “Harry met Stephanie in Diagon Alley when they were thirteen. Draco had been cocky, like his usual self, and had taken her shopping. Harry didn’t realize who she was at the time but he felt such an incredible connection with her that he brought his concerns to Professor Dumbledore.

“And Dumbledore knew immediately who she was, though he was surprised that she was alive. Everyone thought that she was dead but she wasn’t. Lucius Malfoy had taken her in as a servant after her parents had been killed, which was where she stayed until now.” Ginny finished in a whisper and Neville understood that Stephanie was probably never going to know anything outside of the Malfoy home.

“She deserves the Order of Merlin just for that!” George said, trying to ease the tension. Neville laughed uneasily at his friend’s joke, though he thought it was partly true. Each Malfoy was a piece of work, that was for sure.

He squeezed Ginny tightly and then spoke of how he remembered his friend. “Stephanie was given the option to leave the Malfoy home; Dumbledore promised her that she would be safe. But she adamantly refused. According to Hermione, Stephanie told everyone that she wanted to have a purpose in life; she wanted to do something important. What she wanted most was to help Harry. Stephanie didn’t care about her own safety, though I wish she would have listened to them.”

“And they let her stay?” Dean asked, leaning forward. He was the only one in the room, besides Ollivander, who hadn’t heard Stephanie’s story. Ollivander, at least, had met Stephanie personally.

“She wouldn’t have it any other way!” Ginny said with a small smile. Neville was sure that he was remembering how stubborn Stephanie was. But as a sudden thought crossed her mind, the smile faded and she looked towards the ground. “But after Stephanie had saved Harry in the graveyard, it was too late to save her. The Death Eaters put spells on her that made it impossible for her to leave.”

“And they changed her.” Neville said solemnly. “The Death Eaters forced her to murder and torture, and finally she broke down. Stephanie had fought for so long to stay true to herself that it was too difficult to resist any longer. She could handle resisting Draco and his father, but she couldn’t fight against a fleet of Death Eaters. She allowed them to change her.”

“Wow.” Dean said, leaning back in his chair as he let out a breath. “I never knew. We always thought that she was a Death Eater.”

“She was.” Fred spoke for the first time and Neville looked over to him. He was right; Stephanie had been a Death Eater. “After the change took place, she became a Death Eater at heart. You should have seen her when she confronted me at our shop the day the Aurors captured her. She was so desperate to prove herself to them that she didn’t even care that she would get caught. I offered to help her get away and she refused the help of a blood-traitor.”

“The girl was desperate because they never trusted her.” Neville had almost forgotten that Ollivander was in the room because he had been so quiet. “I never resisted her when she had come for me because I knew that she would take drastic measures to capture me. She had orders to do so and she was determined not to fail.”

“How could you tell?” George asked.

“The look on her face.” Ollivander answered simply. “She was trying to look angry and forceful, but it only came off as a look of utter pleading. So, I went with her quietly. And I didn’t see her for a long time. The only person I ever had contact with was You-Know-Who; I am sure that he didn’t want me speaking to anyone else.”

“What did he want with you?” Neville questioned. He had always wondered what Voldemort would want with Ollivander, but he had never had the courage to ask. On some level he felt like it wasn’t his business.

“That’s not important.” Ollivander brushed off Neville’s question and continued with his story as if it hadn’t been asked. “But there was this one time that I saw Stephanie. Before we had been moved to Malfoy Manor, we were at a home that had several separate cells in the basement. One evening, the Malfoy boy brought Stephanie down the stairs and locked her in the cell opposite mine.

“She had done something wrong and the boy kept telling her that she was going to die. And it was obvious that Miss Potter felt the same way. She looked up at him and begged him to do something for her.” Ollivander paused for a moment. Neville couldn’t believe that Stephanie had ever begged Draco for anything. She had always been so strong. “He denied her of course and got enjoyment out of her circumstances. The boy promised her that her death would be take time and be incredibly painful. And then he left. She just pulled her legs up to her chest and rocked back and forth, desperate to survive. I could tell that all she wanted was to be able to do was live, no matter what she would be forced to do in that life.”

“She wanted to be important to somebody but she never believed that we cared about her.” Neville finally came to a realization. “Stephanie never told us about times like these because didn’t think she was worthy to have people love her. She was ashamed of the things she was required to do.”

“That’s why she said goodbye.” Ginny whispered. “Stephanie knew that she couldn’t resist the conditioning she was being given and she said goodbye so that she wouldn’t be connected to those that loved her.”

“She forgot who we were and what we had done for her.” Neville squeezed Ginny even tighter. “It was like she had been brainwashed to believe that we didn’t care about her. But having us there at Malfoy Manor allowed her to remember that she wasn’t this monster she had been pretending to be for so long. And she had finally been given the opportunity to do something worthwhile. Though she couldn’t save herself, and she knew that, she chose to save us.”

“That in itself shows how strong she is.” Fred spoke quietly. He took out his wand and summoned several glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey. George took the glasses and poured the alcoholic beverage, then passed one out to each of the individuals in the room. Then, they all raised their glasses. “To Stephanie.”

“Stephanie!” The rest of them called in response. Neville took a large swig of his drink and grimaced as it burned his throat. He wished that he could have spent more time with the girl that he loved with all of his heart, but he knew that it was something that Stephanie had to do. She had been forced to do so many horrible things during her short lift that she finally deserved to make her own choices. And it had been the bravest thing Neville had seen in a very long time.

After that, Dean told them about how he had come to be at the Burrow. Neville was shocked that Ron had left Harry and Hermione, but he was positive that the trio was back together already. They couldn’t be apart for too long and Ron didn’t have anywhere else to go. Neville was positive that his friends were together again.

After what seemed like forever, though it was probably only a couple of hours, Professor Lupin and Kingsley came rushing into the room. Neville grabbed Ginny’s hand as they both stood quickly. He was positive that they had news.

“She’s alive.” Lupin breathed excitedly. “Stephanie is with McGonagall and she is safe.”

“We need to see her.” Neville demanded. “Take us to her.”

“I’m afraid that will not be possible right now.” Kingsley said and Neville opened his mouth to argue. “She has been injured pretty severely and, to be honest, there is a possibility that she may not make it.”

“She would want to see us!” Ginny called, stepping forward. Neville squeezed her hand even tighter because he, too, wanted to see Stephanie.

“Bill has gone to Hogwarts to assist Minerva and Molly in transporting Stephanie to Shell Cottage.” Lupin spoke to them calmly, though Neville could tell that he was also anxious to see Stephanie. “For her safety, and yours, only certain people will be granted access to the cottage. In order to keep you safe, all of you must remain inside the Burrow. We will update you with news when we have it and you will be allowed to see Stephanie when it is safe to do so.”

As much as Neville wanted to see Stephanie, he could live with the fact that he couldn’t. What was important was that Stephanie was alive and the Order was doing all it could to protect and keep her safe. And Neville knew that Stephanie would survive just to prove that she could. He embraced Ginny and then grabbed his glass.

“To Stephanie!” He shouted and the others did the same.

*~*~*~*

Minerva had spent the evening at Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort had joined Severus, Alecto, and Amycus at the school because he believed that Stephanie was still there. But the truth was that Bill and Molly had taken Stephanie away just a few minutes before Voldemort’s arrival.

Minerva, Horace Slughorn, Filius Flitwick, and Pomona Sprout had been required to awake the students and usher them to the Great Hall where they were subjected to questioning. She wasn’t worried about their safety because none of them knew anything. As usual, Voldemort overlooked the smallest creatures who would know where Stephanie Potter had been taken and Minerva was relieved. House elves meant nothing to Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort had brought in several Death Eaters to search the castle completely. He would not rest until he found the girl who had betrayed him. But finally, he conceded to the fact that Stephanie was no longer on school grounds and he allowed the students to return to their beds. Minerva knew that none of the students would sleep after their terrifying ordeal, but at least they would be allowed to return to their dormitories.

And she was exhausted after hours talking to and comforting the younger children. She tried to reassure them that everything would be alright even though wasn’t positive that they would be. Minerva was finally excused to return to her own quarters.

But there were important things that needed to be done. She hadn’t received and update of Stephanie’s condition because of Voldemort’s presence at the school and she needed to find out how the girl was doing. In addition, the Order of the Phoenix needed to be informed and debriefed. There was much to do, so instead of returning to her bed, Minerva walked towards the Entrance Hall. She descended the stairs and moved quickly towards the gates. Then she Disapparated to the Weasley home where the meeting was going to be held.

“Minerva!” Molly greeted her at the door and walked her through the living room. The children were still there, though it appeared that they were finally getting some much needed sleep. Neville and Ginny were curled up together on the couch while Dean Thomas was in a chair nearby. Fred looked up at her when she entered. “I didn’t have the heart to send them to bed.”

“How is she?” Minerva whispered as she followed Molly into the living room. She wanted the meeting to be conducted at 12 Grimmauld Place, but Severus had informed her that the Death Eaters were now able to gain access to the home. And she didn’t want to leave the children alone, so she had decided on making the Burrow Order headquarters. The space was small and cramped, but it was the best they could do.

“About the same.” Molly nodded. She began fussing about in the kitchen, cleaning up dishes and wiping down the table. “As far as we can tell, she’s comfortable but she’s still unconscious.”

“Fleur is tending to her.” Bill said as he entered the kitchen. He was accompanied by several other Order members and Minerva was ready for the meeting to begin.

“Thank you.” Minerva looked at Bill with compassion. She was grateful that Bill Weasley had agreed to take in the girl. “Shall we begin?”

And the others nodded and sat down at the table Molly had magically enlarged. Minerva cast the Muffliato spell on the door that she had just closed so that the children would not overhear the proceedings.

“As most of you know, Stephanie Potter was brought to us in a terrible state last evening after she sacrificed herself to save Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom.” Minerva began slowly, looking mainly at the Order members who had not been present the night before. “She has been taken to a safe location where we hope she will make a full recovery.”

“How are you keeping the Death Eaters from finding her?” Stephen Opus asked curiously. Minerva trusted his judgment completely, but she was always wary on sending him out to fight the Death Eaters. Dedrick Hargrave had gruesomely murdered Stephen’s family so that there was very little of them to find. It had been Stephen’s personal mission to seek out and repay Dedrick for the loss of his wife and young children.

“We have identified the countercurse that casts interference at the tracking device and hides Stephanie’s true location.” Minerva explained. “She will be safe where she is, though we have assigned at least one person to keep an eye over her. We do not know how she will react when she wakes up, though we hope that she will return to the Stephanie we once knew. There is no telling what damage has been done to her.”

“But there is a problem.” Kingsley added and Minerva nodded in agreement. “Albus had come to me shortly after he learned about Stephanie’s existence and asked me to provide some sort of communication device for her. I gave her a pendant that was connected to similar ones I gave to Severus, Minerva, Albus, and myself. It was used to arrange times for her to arrive at Hogwarts and to be used in an emergency.

“When Albus died, we gave his pendant to Hermione Granger in case of an emergency. When Neville used the pendant to summon help last night the connection was opened to all of the pendants, so we are positive that Harry and Hermione know that Ginny and Neville have been saved.” Kingsley paused before continuing. “Because of what was said through the pendants, we also believe that they think Stephanie to be dead. Now, we can utilize the pendant to inform Harry that Stephanie is, in fact, alive, but doing so would prompt him to want to see her. And we are not positive it is either safe or appropriate for her at this time.”

“Not telling Potter that his sister is alive could have disastrous effects, however.” Minerva added. They were informing the Order members of these events because it was a decision that needed to be made by those who knew Harry best. “Kingsley and I are afraid that he will immediately seek out You-Know-Who. Doing so in anger will most likely lead to Harry’s death and we cannot risk that.”

“You have to tell him.” George responded enthusiastically. Minerva nodded her acknowledgement of his opinion.

“If it were Ginny, I would want to be told.” Fred responded. She had been expecting this response, but she just wanted to make sure that they were in agreement.

“So everyone is fine with us telling Potter?” She asked and everyone responded in concordance. Minerva pulled the pendant from under her robes, tapped it twice, and said, “Granger.”

“Professor?” Miss Granger’s weak and coarse voice came out of the pendant. She sounded like she had been crying.

“Miss Granger, is Mr. Potter with you?” Minerva asked simply. Minerva continued after Hermione told her that Harry was sitting next to her. “Mr. Potter, you may be aware of the incidents that occurred last night.”

“He saw it happen.” Hermione’s voice lowered to a quiet whisper. “He saw her being tortured and then he watched as Draco killed her.”

“What do you mean he saw it happen?” Kingsley asked, leaning forward and closer to the pendant.

“She sent me images of what was happening to her!” Harry cried out. “We were just on our way out to do something constructive. I can’t sit here anymore as Malfoy gets away with killing my sister!”

“Harry.” Minerva responded calmly. “Listen to me. It is important that you don’t do anything rash. She’s alive.”

“What?!” Hermione and Harry called out simultaneously.

“Stephanie’s alive.” Kingsley repeated.

“How?” Harry asked. “Where is she? I want to see her!”

“It’s not safe to discuss these things through the pendant. We don’t know who could be listening.” Minerva explained. “And we cannot tell you where she is. But she’s alive and when she is better we hope that you would come and visit her. There’s nothing you can do for her now except stay alive. Do not do anything impulsive.”

“Oh, Harry!” Molly spoke into the pendant, getting uncomfortably close to Minerva’s chest. But Minerva had to smile at her friend’s concern. “I wish you would come home!”

“I can’t.” Harry said calmly. “I wish you would tell me where she is so that I could see her. Keep me updated, alright? We have to get going.”

“Take care of yourselves.” Minerva responded, feeling motherly over these children that she had cared about since they were very young.

“Wait!” Molly pulled on the pendant again. “How’s Ron?”

“Uh-” Harry began and Minerva knew something wasn’t right.

“He’s doing well, Mrs. Weasley.” Hermione spoke unexpectedly cheerfully from the other end of the pendant. “He went for a walk but he should be back shortly. We’ll tell him you say hello.”

“Thank you, dear.” Molly responded with a smile and a sigh.

“Hermione.” Kingsley spoke before the connection was terminated. “Ginny and Neville now have Stephanie’s pendant but we ask that you do not communicate with them. We do not want to put their lives in any more danger by risking that they will go out in search of you. And we know they will if they realize that you have a copy of the pendant.”

“Alright.” Hermione answered. “Goodbye.”

Minerva tapped the pendant twice to close the connection and then placed it back under her robes. “That went better than expected.”

“What about Snape?” Charlie asked from the far end of the table.

“What about him?” Minerva responded, not sure of what he meant. Her relationship with Severus was so complex that she didn’t dare speculate what anyone meant when they spoke of him.

“He heard the conversation last night, too, didn’t he?” Charlie clarified and Minerva was relieved that he didn’t mean anything else.

“Severus probably did hear the conversation last evening since he does have a copy of the pendant.” Minerva thought about the scenario for a moment and then continued. “But he did not learn any new information. Severus already knows that Stephanie assisted in the escape of Neville and Ginny and that the Order came for them. Other than that, no other information was disclosed through that connection. We need not worry about Severus Snape at the moment.”

And with that, Minerva ended the meeting. Everyone was up to date with the latest information and assigned their new tasks. It was sad watching the Order shrink with each death, but they were doing what they could. As long as they put up a fight there was a chance that Voldemort would not succeed in taking over Britain. Each of them would fight until the death. And they had made great strides the evening before with Stephanie’s rescue. Things were beginning to look brighter than they had in a very long time.

*~*~*~*

He had secretly celebrated Stephanie’s escape. It had been ingenious and daring, though Severus doubted that Stephanie had planned for Dobby, the house elf, to come for her. The Dark Lord had summoned an image to the forefront of her mind, reminding her of the close friend she had cherished so long ago. Stephanie had only muttered the elf’s name in reminiscent of other, not better, times.

And the Dark Lord had been infuriated with the girl’s escape. His master had immediately sent several Death Eaters to Hogwarts in search of the girl, though the Dark Lord didn’t arrive until shortly after. The Dark Lord knew that she couldn’t get far without help, so he was positive someone had to have assisted her in hiding. He was certain that Stephanie was still in the castle. But as the Death Eaters combed the castle in search of Stephanie Potter, Severus had gone to her in the Room of Requirement.

Severus had instructed the house elves to take the young Potter to the room where he had placed an encompassing version of the countercurse to the spell embedded into Stephanie’s arm. He knew that they would do so unquestioningly because he was the headmaster and so he was not concerned that they would inform Minerva of his decision to save Stephanie over Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom.

He was quite impressed with Stephanie’s stamina and very proud of her spirit. Severus had been informed later that the Dark Lord had given Stephanie twenty-four hours to procure the information about where Potter was living, and he realized that she must have finally understood how much value her life truly had in the eyes of the Dark Lord and his followers. She had given up the fight and, to be quite honest, Severus didn’t blame her. Things seemed so bleak for her.

So she had done the only thing she could; she had made the only choice she had. Stephanie had finally taken the control of her life that she had longed for throughout her entire seventeen years. Stephanie made the choice to sacrifice herself so that others may live. Though he would never admit it to anyone, especially a Potter, he had done the same thing many times before. The only difference was that he had never gotten caught and Stephanie finally had. Severus was so incredibly proud of Lily Evan’s daughter and he could see a little of himself in the girl. It had been an amazing revelation and one that made him feel complete, similar to how Lily had once made him feel.

Shortly after Stephanie had been removed from Godric’s Hollow by the house elf, Dedrick had returned with his brother in tow. Severus could tell by the look on Kieran’s face that he knew that something had gone wrong. And the Dark Lord had clearly learned his lesson and would not spend an incredible amount of time taunting his victims in the future. It had been a weakness of the Dark Lord’s. He had done it with Harry in the graveyard, Ginny and Neville in the basement, and Stephanie in Godric’s Hollow.

Kieran was forced to his knees and he begged the Dark Lord to forgive him. “She was manipulative, my Lord. It was Stephanie who sent me away from the cellar. She has betrayed you, my Lord. It was not me that has betrayed you.”

“Stephanie Potter is a naïve little girl who is alive only because I have made it so.” The Dark Lord hissed angrily at the pathetic form of Kieran Hargrave at his feet. “It serves me no purpose to have followers who are so easily manipulated. Avada Kedavra.”

And with those two simple words, Kieran Hargrave, one of the most malicious people Severus had ever met, was dead. Severus didn’t see Dedrick shed a tear that evening, but Severus knew that Dedrick felt lost without his twin brother. When they had been ordered to go to Hogwarts in search of Stephanie, Dedrick muttered to no one in particular that Stephanie was to blame for Kieran’s death. Severus could hear Dedrick telling one of the Lestrange brothers that Stephanie was going to pay for what she had done to his brother.

Severus hoped that Dedrick would never have the opportunity to get close to Stephanie. He hoped that none of the Death Eaters would ever get an opportunity to get close to her again. And he knew that there was little likelihood that she would even survive the next twenty-four hours because of the severe amount of torture she had endured. But if she survived, Severus knew that she would not allow anyone to stifle her. Stephanie would demand to be a part of the fight. When that happened, he hoped that he would be around to see her succeed once again.

Stephanie had survived the greatest of odds: enduring oppression as a servant in the Malfoy home, lying to the Dark Lord for two and a half years, and then surviving a death sentence given by the Dark Lord. There was no reason to think that Stephanie would fail if given the opportunity. There was nothing Stephanie could do but succeed in what she set her mind to. Severus wondered if Stephanie had a desire to live any longer because that would be the reason she survived or perished.


So there's that chapter. There wasn't much action, but I am really fond of Neville's POV. It shows so much about all of the characters involved!! So, let me know what you think!! And...I haven't started the next chapter and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write this week. So I'm not sure if I'll have the next chapter posted by Friday. And then I'm going out of town for the weekend. I will try my hardest to update before next Monday...but that may be the earliest I can do so.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Shell Cottage

“Ohhh.” Stephanie moaned and grabbed at her forehead. Her entire body ached and her head felt like it was going to explode. She pulled the covers over her head to shield her eyes from the sunlight. It was then that she should have realized that something was amiss because Draco had been adamant about having heavy drapes protecting his room from unwanted daylight.

She wasn’t sure what had happened that caused her to be so sore, but she knew something had gone wrong. Maybe she had gone out again with the guys the night before. But she definitely couldn’t remember what had happened to her.

After laying there for a few moments and trying to get back to sleep, Stephanie slowly opened her eyes. She had been expecting to see the familiar sights of Draco’s bedroom, so she was disoriented when she didn’t recognize anything in the room. She sat up quickly in surprise and her head began to pound even harder. Her head felt like it was going to split open from the pain.

Stephanie had to close her eyes and take several deep breaths while she waited for the pain to subside. When she could finally think clearly, she asked herself where she was. It really scared her that she couldn’t remember what happened to her or how she got to this strange place.

The room she was in was completely bare. The only furniture present was the bed she was laying in, a small bedside table, and a dresser for clothing. No pictures hung on the walls, but there was a small window close to the bed. She looked out and didn’t recognize the scenery. The home appeared to be located in a lightly wooded area because she could see rolling hills and other houses in the distance. Stephanie knew that she could get away undetected if she made her escape through the window.

It made her nervous that she didn’t know where she was and she knew that she had to get back to Malfoy Manor before the Dark Lord realized she was gone. He probably already knew that she was missing, so she hoped she could escape punishment if she tried to explain to him why she was not at the Manor or on duty in Hogsmeade.

But when she moved her arm slightly to grab hold of the bedside table for support, Stephanie noticed three things. First, her hand was shaking severely. Stephanie tried to control it, but she couldn’t stop it from trembling. The cause was unclear, whether it was from nerves or pain, but Stephanie despised herself for allowing this sort of weakness show, even if no one could see it.

The second thing she noticed was that she was not wearing her normal clothing. It was a pair of pajamas that Stephanie would never choose to wear, so she knew that someone else had dressed her. And this thought made her feel violated. What had happened to her that she couldn’t remember? And why couldn’t she remember?

She would never wear the outfit mostly because it was short sleeves. Stephanie never liked to have her arms visible, even if no one else could see her. She never knew when she would be awoken in the night to go on a mission with the Death Eaters, so she was always prepared for some sort of invasion of the little privacy she had. The only time she had worn short sleeves since the Malfoy family crest had been burned onto her arm was the night she went out with Kieran and the other Death Eaters. Even then Stephanie had felt exposed and unprotected.

But the most important change she noticed was a clear haze-like bubble wrapped around her arm. Stephanie immediately tried to remove it, but it would not budge. She clawed and scratched at it with her long, black-painted, fingernails. But still the spell encompassing her arm wouldn’t displace even a little. The mist displaced like a dense fog when she broke through its surface, but it would not disappear. It was like it had been permanently attached to her arm and Stephanie didn’t like it one bit.

She knew that she had to get out of there so she returned her attention back to the window. Stephanie reached out to the nightstand and slowly rose from the bed. Every muscle, every bone, in her body hurt as if it had been broken several times over. But she had to leave before her master became upset with her absence. So, she waddled over to the window, grimacing the whole while.

The window, however, wouldn’t dislodge from its position. She grunted as she struggled to push the window open with all of her strength, though she didn’t have much of it. Her thoughts immediately turned to her wand. Where was her wand? She never left the manor without her only source of protection, so it must be there somewhere. But it was nowhere to be found. Stephanie rummaged through every drawer, under every object, and in every cranny she could find. The wand was not in this room, so she knew that she had to go in search of a way out. She had to return to her master quickly.

Stephanie walked over to the door and slowly opened it, peeking out of the crack to see if anyone was in the hall. No one was there, so she pulled the door open and crept towards the stairs. Painfully, slowly, and silently, Stephanie descended the stairs and she saw the front door. But she became frustrated when she tried to open the door and it, too, refused to open for her.

In the time it took her to get down the stairs and to the front door, Stephanie was completely exhausted. She wasn’t sure that she had ever been in so much pain before. And she knew that something horrible must have happened to her because she had healing bruises and scabbed cuts covering her arms. But she could not remember what had happened. So, she made her way to a chair that was sitting close to the door and she took a seat.

Doing so released the pressure that she had felt on one of her kneecaps and it made her feel better. But she knew that she couldn’t stay sitting too long; she had to find a way to return to her master. He was going to be upset at her tardiness as it was. These people who were holding her captive must have done some terrible things to her and she had to get away as soon as possible.

After taking a few moments to catch her breath and to give her muscles a break, Stephanie slowly rose from her seat and made her way towards the window. She had the same view that she had upstairs, so she didn’t take long to see what was there. She tried to open it, but it wouldn’t move. Those holding her captive must have sealed the entire house. There was a bookshelf nearby, so Stephanie reached over and grabbed a book. After taking a deep breath to help summon her strength, Stephanie heaved it at the window. But the window didn’t break.

The book rebounded off the window as if it were rubber and flew back towards her. Stephanie tried to duck but she was too sore to move as quickly as she needed to. The book hit her right in the head and she yelped in surprise. Don’t do that! Stephanie scolded herself. It was important for her safety that she didn’t alert those keeping her hostage that she was awake.

Because she had made a sound, Stephanie knew that she could not rest. She rubbed her temple where the book had landed and then made her way to the fireplace. The Floo Network! Stephanie grabbed a handful of the floo powder that sat on the mantle and she climbed into the fireplace. She had never used this mode of transportation before, but she had watched the Malfoys use it many times. Making sure to speak loud and clear, Stephanie named her destination, “Malfoy Manor.”

But nothing happened. She was still standing in the fireplace with fire burning around her. It should have worked! She should have been taken back to her home and back to her master. Stephanie realized that whoever had brought her there had taken the proper steps to keep her there. The only thing left for her to do was find some way to protect herself. She had to find a way to keep these people from harming her again.

She made her way to the kitchen and began rummaging around. Maybe she would find a wand or potion accidentally. She didn’t count on it, however, because she was certain that if they had secured all of the exits, they would have surely hidden any extra wands. When she opened cupboards, all she found were pots and pans. Great, she thought desperately. Pots and pans would do a lot of good against someone with a wand. At long last she found a drawer with some knives in it. She pulled out the largest one she could find and almost dropped it when a voice in front of her startled her.

“You’re up!” Stephanie raised the knife towards the voice and she tried to control its shaking.

“Stay away from me, you blood traitor!” She called out loudly, waving the knife a little for effect. The boy was someone she recognized but had never met. Ronald Weasley, her brother’s best friend, stood in front of her. And she could barely believe her eyes. Would she be given the opportunity to make her master proud by murdering this boy?

He raised his wand back at her though he looked hesitant to do so. Stephanie needed to know what was happening to her. “Why have you brought me here? What have you done to me?”

Ron lifted one of his arms, though he kept the other gripping his wand and pointing it towards her, in a gesture of peace. “Stephanie, they almost killed you. You rescued Neville and Ginny and the Death Eaters tried to kill you. You saved their lives. Don’t you remember?”

“I would never betray my master.” Stephanie hissed in disbelief, scowling nastily at the boy in front of her. She was completely irate with his suggestion of her disloyalty. “How dare you insinuate otherwise! For that, Ronald Weasley, I am going to murder you and prove to my master how loyal I am to his service! Even being held captive by traitors I would sacrifice myself for him.”

And she cocked her hand backwards, preparing to throw the knife at the boy’s head. But it flew in the opposite direction across the room as her arm moved forward. It took all of her strength to turn around quickly to see who had taken the knife away from her and the sudden movement was not good for her head. Stephanie lost her balance and fell to the ground. She felt two strong arms lift her up and carry her to the couch in the same room where she had thrown the book against the window.

The man knelt to the ground so that she could see him and she tried to sit up to get a better look. She recognized him immediately as another Weasley. He had been present the night she had mistakenly allowed Harry to escape from his Aunt and Uncle’s home in Little Whinging and the evening she had gone to the wedding party. His face was horribly disfigured, but for some reason this didn’t bother her as much as it normally would have. Stephanie was too weak to taunt him this time, though memories of her doing so before came rushing to her mind.

“Lay down.” He commanded gently. “You need your rest.”

And she did as he said. She was in no position to argue, seeing as she was so weak that she had almost fainted. There was nothing she could do to protect herself from these horrible people that wanted nothing more than to see her dead. But at least she was going to die serving her master faithfully. Maybe he would finally be proud of the Death Eater she had become.

“I have kindly agreed to take you into my home and care for you.” The man spoke to her sternly. “But I will not allow you to threaten the other people reside in this household. I understand you’re scared-”

“I’m not scared!” Stephanie yelled, sitting up. But he pushed her gently back into a laying position. “Stephanie Potter is not afraid of anything or anyone.”

The man let out a little chuckle and smiled in amusement. He looked over to his brother. “They warned me that she was even more feisty and stubborn than Harry.”

“She doesn’t remember what happened, Bill.” Ron informed him and a look of understanding crossed the man’s face.

Bill turned back towards Stephanie and continued lecturing her. It was different than being reprimanded by the Dark Lord or Lucius Malfoy. It felt comforting somehow, though she couldn’t understand why. She didn’t know this man, but yet she felt like he cared for her. And that feeling scared her.

“I don’t want to, but if you continue to threaten the safety of myself, my wife, or my brother, you will force me to lock you in the room you awoke in upstairs.” Bill was angry with her, but he kept his voice calm. Stephanie was very confused as to why he was not punishing her for doing something wrong. She had tried to throw a knife at his brother! The man should be enraged at her behavior. “If you behave yourself, you can have all the freedom in this house that you wish.”

Stephanie nodded and she realized, though she wasn’t sure how she knew this, that this man wasn’t going to harm her. He had had plenty of opportunity in this short amount of time to do so and yet he did not pull out his wand. What was going on? How had she come here? Ronald had said that she had betrayed her master, but she knew that she never would have done so willingly. She needed her master. She loved her master.

“Now you should rest.” Bill spoke to her similar to how she had once imagined Harry would speak to her. “Do you need help getting upstairs?”

Stephanie shook her head. This man had locked her inside this home like a caged animal. There was no way she was going to admit that she needed his help. It would take all the energy she had left and an extremely long time but she was going to show them that she was strong enough to resist anything they threw at her. Stephanie grimaced as she sat up and slowly made her way towards the bedroom she would remain in for the next several days.

*~*~*~*

“Could you pass the pumpkin juice, George?” Mrs. Weasley asked one of the sons that sat across the table from her.

“After nineteen years, you still can’t tell us apart, mum!” George smirked. “I’m Fred.”

“Really, mum.” Fred responded in amusement. “It’s disappointing.”

“I’m sorry, Fred.” Mrs. Weasley acknowledged her mistake and reached her arm across the table to receive the pumpkin juice George was passing her.

“We’re just kidding.” George laughed and Neville couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. Even with everything that was going on in the world, Fred and George could still find something to make a joke of. “I am George.”

“You two need to cut that out!” Mrs. Weasley couldn’t help but smile either, though Neville noticed that she was trying to hide it.

It had been seven days since he had been rescued from the Death Eaters and seven days that Stephanie had been lying in a small bedroom in Shell Cottage unconscious. He was worried that she would never wake up, but Mrs. Weasley continued to reassure him that Stephanie was only sleeping. It was the side effect of a potion Madame Pomfrey had given her, allowing Stephanie to rest while she could begin to heal. According to Mrs. Weasley, Stephanie was improving greatly; she just wasn’t waking from her induced slumber.

And the Order was not allowing any of them to leave the confines of the Burrow. The goblin, Griphook, was hiding out in the bedroom he had to himself and only made his appearance for meals. Dean and Ginny were spending more time together, which made Neville a little nervous because he knew they had dated a couple of years ago. But he also knew that Ginny loved Harry and would never do anything to hurt their friend.

Fred and George were constantly in and out on missions for the Order, and they were under strict orders not to disclose their activities. Though the twins would share a little with him once in awhile, he was kept pretty much in the dark. So he spent a good majority of his time helping Mrs. Weasley clean the house. Neville didn’t mind the housework because it kept his thoughts from straying towards Stephanie. The more he kept busy meant the less time he had to be concerned about her. But the moment he became idle, he couldn’t help but worry about his friend.

A few days after Neville had been brought to the Burrow, his grandmother had come to visit him. It had been nice to see his grandmother because she continued to be proud of him. She had commended him on his behavior while being held captive with the Death Eaters and his ability to remain calm in a crisis.

The evening that Stephanie had assisted in his escape, the Death Eaters had gone to his home in search of him. Gran had told them that she didn’t know where he was, but that she was proud that he had escaped. They didn’t take too kindly to that, though they did underestimate the powers of the elderly woman. The two Death Eaters had tried to take her in for questioning, but she easily overpowered them and escaped without incident. Now she was in hiding, though she didn’t care either way. Neville was safe. It had made him feel satisfied with himself when his Gran had told him repeatedly how proud his parents would have been of him. Then she left after promising to keep in touch.

“She’s awake.” Bill returned Neville from his thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed the man enter the dining room.

“Can we see her?” Ginny asked, looking up from her breakfast.

“We don’t want to overstimulate her.” Bill explained and Neville wondered what he meant. “She is scared and lonely. Have you ever seen a dog who has been cornered?”

“Yeah.” Neville was really confused. If she was scared and lonely, then Ginny and he could help her. “It gets vicious and attacks, even if it is outnumbered.”

“Stephanie woke up with no memory of what she has done for you two.” Bill said, pointing towards Neville and Ginny. “She has forgotten that You-Know-Who has sentenced her to death and so she is trying her hardest to return to him, even though she has little energy to do so. And I’m afraid that it is too dangerous for her to have visitors at this time. She is having a hard time adjusting to just my and Fleur’s presence, let alone having people visit.”

But Neville couldn’t believe it. Why didn’t Stephanie remember what had happened to her? He understood that she had been through a lot, but she didn’t remember helping him? She didn’t remember helping Ginny? What did this mean? And Ginny asked the same questions that were running through his mind, “Why doesn’t she remember?”

“Stephanie has suffered extreme trauma.” Mrs. Weasley explained with a furrowed brow. Neville knew that she was the best person to answer the question that probably plagued them all. “It was too much for her mind to grasp and comprehend, so she pushed the memory out of her consciousness. This happened so that it would be easier for her body to recover. Nothing has changed. We still have to be patient with her and show her that we care about her.”

“Will she ever remember?” Neville asked.

“I can’t answer that.” Mrs. Weasley spoke honestly and Neville was glad that they were beginning to fill them in on the details of Stephanie’s condition. They were telling him so little information about what the Order was doing for the war that Neville cherished the small amount of information that they decided to disclose to him. He just wished that he could get out of the house and help them. “We just have to wait and see.”

“At least she’s alive.” George lifted his head and smiled at his family.

“And she’s awake.” Fred completed his brother’s sentence. Neville could tell that both of the Weasley twins were concerned for the safety of his friend even though they had never gotten to know her as Ginny and Neville had. He admired them for their unconditional admiration for Stephanie. He knew that Stephanie was going to be alright, even if she didn’t remember helping him and Ginny. He allowed himself to smile and relax a little because as sad as it was, this was positive news.

*~*~*~*

It had been two days since Stephanie woke up in this strange home. When she returned up the stairs after speaking with Ron and Bill Weasley, she wanted to throw something. She wanted to destroy anything in her path. But the room was completely bare and she didn’t have the strength to destroy the bedside table or the drawer. Instead, she just collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep.

And she had spent the next two days sleeping, trying to recover her strength. Three times a day someone would wake up her with a tray full of food. She had been much hungrier than she thought and, as much as she wanted to decline, she took the food eagerly. But she hadn’t been able to eat it all because there was so much. It definitely helped her be able to sleep more.

She spent the last two days dreaming of returning to her master. The younger Weasley boy had told her that the reason she had come to this prison was because she had betrayed her master. She had assisted in the escape of two prisoners. But she couldn’t remember ever having two prisoners being held captive at Malfoy Manor. And she knew full well that she would never betray her master so foolishly. She loved the Dark Lord and would be loyal to him until the day she died, which she thought was soon in coming.

When she had been scolded by Bill, she had had an odd sensation. She felt safe for the first time since her last visit to Hogwarts for lessons, but she knew she wasn’t safe at all. These people were the enemy and wanted to kill her for the deeds she had committed. The Dark Lord had told her this many times and she knew it was true. Stephanie just couldn’t understand why they hadn’t killed her yet.

And she knew that she had to return to her master as soon as possible. At first, she thought that the Dark Lord would easily be able to find her with the tracking spell he had placed on her. But she soon realized that the spell around her arm kept her position hidden from her master. So, if she couldn’t escape through the fireplace or any other means, she had to summon the Dark Lord to her. To do that, she needed a wand, which Stephanie didn’t have. But she knew exactly where to get one.

That evening Stephanie waited until late into the night. She didn’t have a clock in her room so it could even have been early in the morning. The time didn’t matter, however. What was important was that Ronald Weasley was asleep in his bed. When she thought it was safe to do so, Stephanie crept silently from her bed and slowly made her way towards the door. She grabbed hold of the doorknob and opened it so that it wouldn’t creak. Everything had to be silent because she could not dare to wake the boy. If someone woke up, then her plan would be blundered and she would most likely be locked in her bedroom. That wouldn’t be the end of the world, because she had experienced much worse punishment, but she didn’t like the idea of being confined to such a small space for any length of time. She had been very particular in that since her time first time locked in the cellar at the Lestrange Manor.

The boy slept in a room close to hers at the top of the stairs, so she wouldn’t even need to descend the stairs to reach his bedroom. Stephanie silently opened Ron’s door and peeked inside. He was curled up with his face towards her. The blankets on his bed were half wrapped around his leg and half dangling on the floor. She tiptoed over to his bed and saw what she was looking for.

Ron’s wand was poking out of his back pocket. She thought that Bill had told Ron to keep a closer eye on his wand in case Stephanie decided she needed it for anything. Slowly, she walked over to him and leaned forward. The wand was easily pulled from his pocket and Ron didn’t notice a thing. She thought she might have woken him when he rolled over, but he fell back asleep. Stephanie didn’t dare to take the time to walk back to her room. She knelt on the ground in front of Ron’s bed and lifted her left arm.

She pulled her arm closer to her and then licked the Dark Mark; the remnants of the spell shifted with her actions. This motion had always comforted her when she was anxious. Then, she lifted the wand and moved it towards her Dark Mark. Stephanie smiled in anticipation because she knew the Dark Lord would come for her. Summoning the Dark Lord would prove to him that she was serious about serving her master loyally. Maybe he would even be proud of her for returning to his service.

But just before the wand made contact with her skin, Stephanie was plowed over and she landed on her back. The wand flew from her hand and rolled on the floor and under Ron’s bed. She looked up to see Ron kneeling on her chest and holding her wrists to the floor above her head.

“What are you doing?” He whispered loudly.

“Get off me!” Stephanie struggled against the boy, though she didn’t have enough strength to push him off. “I need to get out of here.”

“You can’t go back to him.” Ron whispered again.

Stephanie didn’t care about keeping her voice quiet. She didn’t care who heard her. In fact, she wanted the whole world to know that she was trying to return to the Dark Lord’s side. “He will kill me for associating with blood traitors! Let me return to him!”

“Shhh!” Ron hushed her and looked at the door anxiously. She knew that he didn’t want his brother to realize that he had given her access to a wand. “He will kill you no matter what you do.”

“He would not murder such a loyal servant as myself.” Stephanie spat upwards towards the boy who still held her to the ground. “I will not stop until I am by his side again.”

Then the door burst open and Bill came rushing into the room. His wife followed close behind him and Stephanie lost her breath at the sight of the woman. Both had their wands out and ready to fire a spell. She was the most beautiful person Stephanie had ever seen; the woman’s long blonde hair flowed effortlessly behind her and it was almost as if Stephanie could hear music in the room. She was mesmerized.

“What is going on here?” Bill demanded, looking at the scene in front of him. Ron immediately stood up from his position of holding Stephanie still on the floor.

Stephanie stood up immediately. She was furious that the boy had foiled her plans to return to her master and she knew that she had few options left. Since she didn’t have many choices left, Stephanie lunged for Ronald Weasley. “You just had me killed. You killed me!”

Ron was knocked to the ground and Stephanie began breathing heavily as she began pounding on the boy. He didn’t fight back, though, which made Stephanie even angrier. She lifted her fists and hit the boy hard in the chest over and over; trying to get out the aggression she had been holding in. She just wanted out of there but she wasn’t allowed to leave.

Suddenly she felt herself being hoisted into the air by the strong arms she had come to associate with Bill Weasley. He lifted her from the ground and carried her back to her room, though he didn’t do so easily. Stephanie was screaming loudly about how much she hated them and that she just wanted them to kill her so that her master would be proud of her martyrdom. She struggled in his arms the entire way, though it was only a short distance from Ron’s room to her own.

The door magically opened and Bill put her down just inside the room. Then, as she tried to lunge at him, he closed the door quickly. Stephanie tried to open it but soon realized that he had immediately locked her inside the small room.

“You need to learn that you are safe here, Stephanie.” She could hear Bill talking to her calmly through the door. “Until you do, you have forced me to lock you in here.”

Stephanie sat on her bed. Though she would never admit it, the fight she had just put up had drained all of her energy. She scolded herself for how weak she had become over the last few days. The Dark Lord would surely punish her for her weakness and inability to escape. But it would be worth it because she would be returned to the only life she had ever known, and that thought made her happier than she had been in a long time.


So this chapter was really, really difficult for me to write. I need to take a few days to just relax and since I am going out of town it seems like the perfect time. I will try to get a chapter posted Tuesday or Wednesday, but i'm not sure how realistic that is. But don't worry. I will post as soon as I can!! Hope you liked this chapter and I am definitely excited for the one to come. Lauren: The next chapter will hold the coveted Ron POV that I promised you a long time ago!!

Thank you to all of you who have left me feedback! I appreciate the time you take to write down your thoughts!

Chapter Fifty-Six: One's Departure and Another's Tears

A month and a half had passed since Ron had has his fight with Hermione and Harry and he had left his friends behind in a red rage. But it had been the locket that affected his emotions and he now regretted abandoning his friends. He had immediately left Griphook and Dean at the Burrow and quickly disappeared. Ron did not want to let his parents or Fred and George know that he was there or nearby. He had nowhere else to go so he knocked on the door of Shell Cottage where his brother, Bill, and his new wife, Fleur Delacour-Weaseley were staying.

He was so disappointed in himself that he had left his friends in anger and he believed that Fred and George would tear the mickey out of him if they knew. His mother wouldn’t say anything about his sudden appearance without Harry, but he also knew that she would be hurt the most by his cowardice. He had immediately wanted to return to his friends’ side but he knew that Hermione and Harry would be long gone by the time he got back. It would have been too dangerous for them to stay where they were because the Death Eaters would find them very quickly.

The look on Bill’s face when he opened the door was one of the most horrible sights Ron had ever seen. Bill was disappointed in him but Ron knew that he wouldn’t say anything. Bill had always been nicer to him than his other brothers and Bill would offer him a safe place to stay with no questions asked. Ron had abandoned his friends: he had abandoned the great Harry Potter and he had abandoned Hermione. The latter was what hurt him the most. He had left Hermione Granger behind and somehow felt as if he had somehow left a part of himself at that campsite.

He missed her so much since he had arrived at Shell Cottage. To keep from thinking about her, he had spent the whole time helping around the house. It was too painful to just sit around and think about how he had disgraced himself and his family. He had always disappointed his family members, being in the shadow of Charlie, Bill, and Percy who had all been prefects. Even Fred and George had made his parents proud by being Quidditch stars. The twins had let down their mother when they dropped out of school and started the business, but Ron knew that they would never do what he had done. They fought every day for the Order and had redeemed themselves with their mother.

After Ginny and Neville had been taken prisoner, he desperately wanted to go and see his mother. He wanted to comfort her and he wanted to talk to Fred and George. Ron wanted to go into his sister’s bedroom and reminisce about everything that he admired and remembered about her. But he could do none of those things because then, after Ginny had been taken hostage, his appearance without Harry would have made things worse. It would have shown his true cowardice self and he couldn’t face his family to admit what a failure he had been to them.

It had seemed like forever since his sister had been kidnapped when Stephanie arrived at Shell Cottage. He felt absolutely horrible that he had not even thought of her once in Ginny’s absence. But he cared about his sister much more than he could ever care about Stephanie; she had done so much to tear his family apart. And then he scolded himself for despising her, realizing that he truly did care about her.

Bill and his mother had to transport Stephanie by muggle means from Hogwarts to Shell Cottage. She was too fragile to be Apparated and taken by Floo Network, so they had to transport her manually to the Burrow. Professor McGonagall had arranged for a carriage to pick them up. Fleur had taken Stephanie under her wing and cared for the girl. She had dressed the girl in her own pajamas and tended to Stephanie day and night.

Ron didn’t know what to do for Stephanie, for his best friend’s sister. She had done so much for him in the past, talking him through difficult times, that he felt that he had to do something in return. There was nothing he could do for her now except wait. So he spent a great deal of time in her room, watching over her and hoping that she would wake up. Only late in the evenings would he return to his own bedroom to get some rest.

Seven long days he waited for her to wake. And then one morning he got up and walked into Stephanie’s room as usual. But she wasn’t there! Ron quickly made his way down the stairs and saw her rummaging through drawers in the kitchen.

It was then that he realized that she was no longer the person that he had once imagined her to be. She looked frightened somehow, and he didn’t understand why because they hadn’t done anything to harm her. Stephanie should have known that she was safe. She should have known that nothing bad would happen to her while she was with them. But then she threatened him with a knife.

He drew his wand on her and almost laughed, but he knew that would make the situation worse. She had been through so much and he couldn’t laugh at her. Ron watched as Bill crept up on her and sent the knife flying. And he ran to her as she collapsed to the floor from exhaustion, but Bill had beaten him there and carried her to the living room.

Ron stood there quietly as Bill scolded Stephanie for attacking him. He shouldn’t have let Bill get angry with her but he remained silent. He felt awkward in the situation and didn’t know what to say that could make things better. Stephanie was angry with them for keeping her there and frightened of what they might do to her.

Stephanie slept for the next two days. The three of them, Bill, Fleur, and Ron, took turns waking her up for meals which she devoured. Stephanie was clearly feeling better. But then one night, he was unexpectedly awoken by a noise in his room. He rolled over and saw Stephanie kneeling on the floor in front of his bed. She had his wand and was watching her left forearm excitedly. It was the first time that Ron had seen a Dark Mark tattoo up close and he took a moment to take it in. There was also the mark that Draco had bragged about several years ago.

The only thought that came to his mind was about how painful Stephanie’s life must have been up to that point. He couldn’t allow her to do what he knew she was attempting. Ron couldn’t let Stephanie summon Lord Voldemort. He lunged for her and landed on top of her with a force that even he hadn’t been expecting. She fell to the ground with a surprised yelp and he just looked down at her. He didn’t even see where the wand had gone, though he did know it was no longer in her possession. Ron just sat on top of her, trying to calm her down.

He couldn’t get her to stop yelling at him. She was so angry with him. Her face was bright red and there was a fire burning in her eyes. And all he could do was hold her still. She kept saying that the Dark Lord was going to kill her for being there and he couldn’t understand why she thought this. She was safe; she was with them. Voldemort couldn’t get to her. Why was she so afraid?

And he tried to quiet her because he didn’t want Bill to wake up. If Bill woke up and saw what she had been doing, Bill would lock Stephanie up for their safety just as much as hers. Ron didn’t want to see Stephanie forced to stay in that tiny room. But that was exactly what had happened.

When Bill came in, Ron took his attention away for one moment and Stephanie broke free and started attacking him. She punched his chest and yelled how he had sentenced her to death and would be the one that killed her. But he knew that she was just frustrated with waking up in a strange place. Ron knew that Stephanie would not be returned to Lord Voldemort, so he had done nothing to harm her. And he didn’t fight her back because she needed an outlet for her anger. The others had told her this many times before through the diaries. Soon after she began, Bill walked over, lifted her up, and carried her struggling body back to the room she had come from. And it was there that Stephanie would spend the next few days locked up and alone.

Ron desperately needed to do something for her. For some reason, she couldn’t remember what had happened to her. She didn’t remember that he was her friend, she didn’t remember that the Order was her ally, and she didn’t remember that she had saved two lives. They all owed her everything they had. And he knew that he had to do something great for her to help her remember these things and who she truly was.

One night a few days later, an idea suddenly came to him while he was lying in bed. He knew that this would help her remember. After that, late at night, he stayed up perfecting the gift that would assist her. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was working on, so that is why he did so only at night. And it could be done by magical means, but Ron knew that it would mean much more to Stephanie if he completed this by hand.

He wasn’t an emotional man by any means. But Stephanie had often forced him to look at and conquer the feelings he had inside. This was the reason he knew his gift would be so meaningful to her, and this was why he was pouring his entire soul out for her. She had helped him and it was finally his turn to repay the favor.

On Christmas Eve, the gift was finally finished. But the problem was that he knew it was time for him to move on. Over the past couple of days, he could hear his friends’ voices through the deluminator that Professor Dumbledore had given him. Ron knew that this would help him find Harry and Hermione somehow, though he didn’t understand how it knew who he was looking for. And when he saw the light in the shed near the house he knew that it was time.

Ron finished wrapping the gift for Stephanie and scribbled a note for her on the outside. He took out his wand and magically sent it into her room where she would find it in the morning. Then, he walked down the stairs with his bag of clothes and took some food from the cupboards. Bill wouldn’t miss what he had taken and Ron was sure that Harry and Hermione could use some food for Christmas. Then he sat at the kitchen table and scribbled the note to his brother that would explain why he had left.

Dear Bill,

Thank you for taking me in. I owe you for not telling mom, dad, Fred, and George where I was. Stephanie has shown me how strong she is and I know that I have to be strong too. I have gone in search of Harry and Hermione and hopefully soon we will find Voldemort and destroy him. Take care of her.

Ron

And with that, Ron stood from the table and made his way out of Shell Cottage and towards the light in the shed. In the shed, he closed his eyes and opened the deluminator. Suddenly, Ron could no longer feel the ground below him. But before he could even open his eyes, he landed hard with a grunt on rocky ground. Silently he got to his feet and walked a few feet through the trees.

After only moments of walking, Ron heard some crunching of snow nearby. He stopped and took a look around and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was Harry! He had really found them. But Ron wasn’t sure he was ready to face them yet. Apologizing would be so difficult for him. He noticed that Harry was walking away from the shelter he had just come from. Ron decided to follow him and it wasn’t long before Harry looked into a pool of water, took off his clothes, and dove in. Ron ran over to it and waited for Harry to return to the surface. But he didn’t come back. Ron knew that his friend was going to drown if he didn’t do something, so he did the only thing he could think of. Ron jumped into the ice cold water after his friend.

*~*~*~*

Stephanie slowly opened her eyes as she woke up feeling completely refreshed from one of the best night’s sleep she had ever had. She had been stuck in this room for a few days now and it was surprisingly doing her some good. All she did was sleep while she stayed in this room. The muscles and bones in her body no longer ached and the cuts and bruises on her arms were healing nicely.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a note folded neatly on the bedside table. She opened it and read the note to herself silently.

Stephanie,

Fleur and I decided to spend the day at the Burrow. We feel horrible about leaving you alone on Christmas, but we cannot trust that you will not attempt to hurt our family members. If you need anything at all, please push the button on the box and we will come immediately. The door to your room has been unlocked and there is plenty of food in the fridge. We should be home later this afternoon.

Merry Christmas!

Bill

Stephanie looked up from the note and noticed that there was a little black box with a red button in the middle on the table. She didn’t even debate whether she should push the button or not and when she picked it up, she was surprised by its light weight. But it didn’t stop her from throwing it forcefully at the wall; then she watched it shatter into small pieces and fall to the floor. Even though Stephanie couldn’t believe that she was alone on another Christmas day, she told herself that she didn’t need anyone to be with her.

And she couldn’t believe that it was already Christmas. She had to have been at Shell Cottage for almost two weeks. Wow. The time sure was passing quickly, but it didn’t surprise her considering that she slept through most of it. As she set the note back on the table, her mind drifted to a time exactly two years ago when she sat up in her room, hugging her diary in the Lestrange Manor. She had once envisioned Harry and Sirius having a wonderful Christmas together and she remembered having longed to spend Christmas with those that loved her. Stephanie should have known better back then that no one really cared about her. It had been naïve to think otherwise.

Stephanie had wanted to be free from the Dark Lord at that time; she hadn’t realized how important he would become to her. Stephanie needed to return to the master who loved her, who cared about her, who would protect her. And Stephanie sat upright when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a stack of gifts at the foot of her bed.

They were piled so high that Stephanie didn’t know what to do. She had never been given a gift before. The only present she had ever received was the one that the Dark Lord had given her for her birthday: the gift of Apparition.

She was hesitant to go look at them because the gifts had to have been from those individuals that were keeping her there and delaying her return to her master. What was their motivation for giving her these gifts? Did they want her to spy for them? She would never betray her master like that; surely even they were not ignorant enough to believe otherwise. Would it be traitorous for her to just take a look? And Stephanie knew that she didn’t deserve the presents. She wasn’t worth enough to deserve presents.

But curiosity got the best of her and Stephanie crawled to the edge of her bed. She picked up the gift on the very top, knowing by its appearance that it had to have been given by a boy. The wrapping was horrible, with edges of a book sticking out of the wrapping. Stephanie laughed at the person’s attempt. She ripped off the card that had been taped to the top of the gift and she read it to herself out loud.

Dear Stephanie,

I know it’s been difficult for you not being able to trust us, but we do care about you. Even me, who, to quote Hermione, has the emotional range of a teaspoon. Please realize that we love you and I wanted to give you this to remind you just how special you are.

I wanted to give you mine, but I know that you would not be able to read it. Don’t tell anyone that I’ve been this sappy, but I hand wrote it for you because I wanted to show you just how much you mean to us. It is transcribed word for word from the very first entry to the last one as of early this morning.

Please take this diary and use it to remember: to remember what you’ve done for us and to remember who you are. I remember a Stephanie who once gave all she had to show us how much she cared. To be honest, I miss her.

I had the opportunity to return to Harry and Hermione, so that is where I have gone. Please don’t tell Fred and George that I was here, I don’t want them to have any more ammunition to make fun of me.

Happy Christmas!

Ron

Stephanie put down the card and she slowly unwrapped the present. It didn’t look like the diary she had left behind at the Lestrange Manor but she knew that it was exactly the same. Stephanie gently opened the clearly handmade, parchment covered book and began to read. She got lost in its pages. She didn’t know how long she had sat there, just reading and remembering. Stephanie felt the tears flow from her eyes for the first time since that day she told herself that she would never express her weaknesses again. Stephanie had not been able to cry since the day that she had learned the Cruciatus Curse on Draco, the day that she lost herself.

She let the tears flow, not wiping them from her face because it felt so good. The diary entries forced Stephanie to finally remember who she had once been and Stephanie smiled at the realization that she was finally allowed to be the person she had always wanted to be. Bill was not trying to keep her from her master, he was trying to protect her from the Dark Lord. She no longer had to be confined by the Dark Mark tattooed on her arm. She no longer had to prove that she was worthy enough to serve the Dark Lord. Stephanie no longer needed the love of her master or to show the Death Eaters that she was strong enough. She no longer needed any of it anymore.

And she didn’t care how long she sat there, reading the diary through over and over again. It meant so much to her and she was dismayed by the horrible person she had become. She had tried to kill her brother and that made Stephanie cry even harder. Stephanie had tried to murder the only family that she had left. And she had tried to do so for the Dark Lord.

She had murdered innocent people, people who didn’t deserve it. Some people she had tortured just for the fun of it because it had allowed her feel something. She had been empty for so long and she desperately wanted to feel something, anything. Many undeserving people suffered because of this selfish need of hers, and Stephanie just cried even harder. Stephanie was crying so hard that she could barely breathe.

Stephanie knew she deserved much worse than the punishment she had received from the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord had tried to kill her two weeks ago and she knew that she should have been dead long before then. She knew that by helping Ginny, Neville, and Ollivander to escape that she had only started to make up for the horrible things that she had done.

Reading through the diary, Stephanie became convinced that there was a very specific reason she was still alive, though she knew that she would never have the ability to fight against her master. Stephanie wasn’t sure that she even wanted to because he had done so much to help and protect her throughout the years. He had rescued her from living as a servant in the Malfoy home. But there had to be something she could do behind the scenes. Stephanie knew that her fate had already been assigned for her and there was nothing she could do to change it. But maybe she could do something good before the Dark Lord found and murdered her.

And it felt so good to finally let the tears stream down her cheeks. She was finally able to mourn the death of her godfather, Sirius Black, those that she had been forced to murder, and those that she willingly tortured. She was finally able to mourn the loss of herself. And she was able to express the anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and terror that she had felt for so long and hadn’t been able to release. Suddenly she looked up and saw a concerned looking redhead staring down at her. She recognized him as one of the Weasley twins; Fred Weasley.

“Are you alright?” The boy asked her and she nodded in response.

Stephanie didn’t take a moment to wipe her eyes or to hide her moment of weakness because she just didn’t care. She didn’t care who saw her or what they thought and for once it felt like she was free. She didn’t care any longer; after pretending for so long, she just wanted to be herself. And he silently walked over to her and wrapped her in a big hug, understanding what she was going through completely. Stephanie did nothing more than embrace him back.

Normally, Stephanie would have shied away from this kind of gesture: she had done so with Hermione, with the man who had begged her to help his ailing wife, and with Kieran. She had always felt that she was too dirty to touch, but this was what she needed at that moment. Stephanie needed a comforting touch then more than ever before.

Even though she did not know this person, the embrace continued for a long time. After it was time to release him, she looked up and whispered what had been on her mind. And it felt amazing to get this off her chest. “I did it. I really did it. I betrayed the Dark Lord.”

And Fred looked like he didn’t know what to say. Tears sprung to his eyes at her display of emotion, though he tried to blink them back. Stephanie revealed a small smile at the sight because people didn’t usually show such emotion in front of her. But it also made her feel real, somehow, as if she mattered. And that thought comforted her greatly.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him curiously.

“Mum didn’t want you to be alone on Christmas day.” Fred responded with a flirtatious smile. “So I volunteered.”

With that he asked her what she had in her hand. Stephanie explained the diaries and what Ron had done for her, leaving out the part about his presence at Shell Cottage. Fred looked impressed by the gesture that his brother had made because Ron never did things like that for anyone. It was out of character for Ron Weasley to be so caring and attentive.

Their attention turned to the other presents sitting at the foot of Stephanie’s bed. She didn’t want to open them but Fred encouraged her to do so. Stephanie wasn’t sure why, but she felt a comfortable connection between them and it relaxed her. Fred obviously cared about her and she felt safe in his presence. In fact, she felt safer than she had felt in a very long time.

“I don’t deserve these.” Stephanie whispered with tears still spilling from her eyes. The emotions were flowing from her body like a waterfall and she almost laughed at herself. The sight of her had to be a funny one.

“Just open them.” Fred said with a laugh, trying to get her to relax in his presence. And it worked because Stephanie reached over and grabbed the next one.

It was a small box wrapped in red and gold paper with a little tiny bow on top. Stephanie opened the card, which merely said:

We thought you might like to have this back. Thanks for letting us borrow it! Happy Christmas. We love you! Neville and Ginny.

Stephanie unwrapped the box enthusiastically, knowing exactly what it was before even she opened it. It was her pendant. And she knew that they had returned the necklace to help her remember what people had done for her and what she had done for Neville and Ginny. Even though it would no longer work for her, Stephanie placed it back around her neck. She loved it.

Then she opened the next two boxes which were wrapped in identical blue paper. They were from Fred and George. She looked over to Fred and smiled a silent thank you. She opened it quickly and saw two Skiving Snackboxes and other random Weasley products.

“You won’t be able to put these to use in getting out of class.” Fred returned her smile and Stephanie felt as if she was going to melt. He was still holding her and it was exactly what she needed right then. “But we thought you could use some enjoyment and fun in your life. You deserve it.”

Stephanie laughed, not saying a word. It was little things like these that made her feel so special. And that thought returned her mind to the horrible things she had done over the past few years. Stephanie tried to squirm out of Fred’s embrace, but he realized what she was doing and only squeezed her more firmly. She didn’t deserve to be treated so kindly. They should hate and despise her for what she had done. They should want to see her dead. And yet they gave her Christmas presents. Why did these people care so much about her?

The next gift she opened was a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, which she hadn’t expected. It was a dark black sweater with a deep red letter S sewed in the middle. And Stephanie loved it. She put it on immediately and hugged her chest tightly, impressed by the comfort and warmth that it held. It felt like she was home.

“You don’t have to pretend to like it.” Fred told her matter-of-factly but with a mischievous grin. “She makes those for all of us every year.”

“I love it!” Stephanie called. Then she turned to the next present waiting for her at the foot of the bed. Even though she didn’t think she deserved them, it was exciting to get so many things she could now call her own.

She could tell what it was immediately without opening it. Professor McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt had given her a broom. Stephanie opened the card and read what they had to say.

We thought you might like to learn. Harry’s a fair flyer and we thought you might be as well. Happy Christmas! Minerva and Kingsley.

Stephanie was nervous because she had never been in the air on her own before. But she knew that she would be good at it because her brother was. Fred told her that he would help her learn eventually but it was too dangerous to spend much time outdoors now. When the war was over, Stephanie would learn how to fly.

There was another small box; the card was from Remus Lupin and Stephanie asked Fred who he was. Fred explained to her that Remus had been a professor at Hogwarts and had been Sirius’ and her parents’ best friend. She immediately realized that this was the werewolf that the Dark Lord talked about frequently. Stephanie eagerly opened the box and was mesmerized by the ring inside. It was silver with an old, curly design with a black emerald in the middle.

Remus explained that this ring had been a Black family heirloom and that Sirius had always wanted her to have it. Stephanie placed the ring on the middle finger of her right hand and eyed it with happiness. She smiled without taking her eyes off the ring. Finally she returned her attention to the rest of the gifts that were waiting to be opened.

The next was a letter that she read silently.

Dear Stephanie, I’m sorry that I don’t have the resources, money, or time to buy you a gift right now. I am really excited that you are in safe hands and I wish that I could share what has happened to us with you. But I know that there will be plenty of time for that soon. Hopefully we can stay in touch while Harry and I are away. I know that Bill and Fleur will take good care of you. Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about the promise that I made you! When the war is over I promise to help all of your dreams come true! Happy Christmas!

Hermione

Stephanie sighed, remembering all the good things that this person had done for her. When she had had enough time to reflect on the letter given to her by the one person who had supported her the longest, Stephanie picked up the final gift that sat at the foot of her bed. Stephanie had been avoiding it but there was no choice except to open it now. She looked up at Fred, who was still holding her tightly and he encouraged her to continue.

She opened the card:

Stephanie, you don’t know how relieved and happy I was to learn that you were safe. And I hope that someday soon we will be reunited. But right now, I have some important things that I have to do. I will protect you at all costs; always remember that I am here for you. This was a gift that a friend had given me at the end of my first year of Hogwarts. And I am happy to be able to pass it on to you now. Just know that they loved you so much, I love you more than you will ever know, and there are many more people that care about you more than you would ever think possible. You are not and have never been alone; we have always been with you. And soon there will be a day when we can be together. Happy Christmas.

Your brother, Harry.

Stephanie wiped her eyes for the first time as the tears flowed even more heavily. She slowly unwrapped the present and was taken aback when it appeared to be an old tattered book. But then she opened the front cover and realized that it was a photo album. Her parents stood there, smiling graciously back at her. Stephanie flipped through the pages one by one and saw pictures of Harry, her mother, her father, and their friends. Sirius was there, though she had never seen a picture of him that hadn’t been a wanted poster, and she recognized him immediately. Stephanie fingered the pictures as if they were real to her, as if she could touch their skin.

Fred pointed out Remus Lupin. McGonagall, Kingsley, and Dumbledore were there, too. Others were there as well and Stephanie finally closed the book and hugged it to her chest. This was the best gift she had gotten that day and she knew that even though the next few months would be difficult and dangerous, she would prove to the world what she was made of.


Here is the chapter. I didn't like it at all when I first wrote it, but reading through it again I absolutely love it. Stephanie is finally able to cry! And Ron made her do it!! Who would have thought?!?!? Anyway, I really hope that you liked it as much as I did. I am going out of town again next weekend (this time with no opportunity/time to write) so I will do my best to post before I leave on Saturday morning. Let me know what you thought!

Chapter Fifty-Seven: True Confessions, Part I

Hermione was completely furious that Ron walked back into their lives as if nothing had happened. Harry had obviously forgiven and forgotten that Ron had abandoned them but she had not. An apology wasn’t good enough to make up for the time that she and Harry had sat in the tent, unspeaking and uncomfortable because of Ron’s absence.

And she didn’t care that Ron had saved Harry’s life just moments ago. Hermione and Harry had almost been captured by Lord Voldemort a month ago while Ron had been safe and comfortable at home. He had had the option of spending Christmas with his family, unlike Harry and herself. Ron was a despicable coward and Hermione couldn’t stand the sight of him.

“You left us!!” Hermione screamed at him, throwing a book across the room, and aiming for Ron’s head. “You cannot just come back here and expect us to immediately forgive you for that!”

Ron lifted his hands in the air, trying to get Hermione to calm down. But she knew that nothing he could say would make things better between them. Hermione was fuming, breathing heavily, and scrunching her face tightly so she could barely see.

“I know.” Ron said quietly, but looking at her innocently. “I made a mistake and I apologize for that. But I want to help now.”

“Oh, you want to help. Isn’t that nice of you?” Hermione yelled in a high-pitch squeal. Harry was just standing there, though she could tell that he was debating in his mind whether or not to intervene.

Before he could decide what he should do, Hermione walked over to where Harry and Ron were standing and she grabbed the wand in Harry’s hand unexpectedly. The night that they had gone to Godric’s Hollow, Hermione had broken his wand and they had been surviving with only one. She pointed it directly at Ron with a sinister grin.

“Hermione!” Harry called out, reaching for her arm. “Don’t do anything hasty. You’re just angry.”

She glanced over at Harry with an amused look. “You think I’m angry? He has been at home, living it up! We’ve been starving half to death while he’s been able to eat whenever he wants. He’s been at home with his family while mine are in hiding in Australia. And he’s been able to take care of Stephanie while she’s been sick. What have we done, Harry? The Horcrux still hasn’t been destroyed and we have yet to find any more. We have done absolutely nothing!”

“I haven’t been at home!” Ron exclaimed, stepping forward, but not lowering his wand arm. “Fred and George would have had a field day and Mum would have been so disappointed. I stayed with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage and I haven’t seen any other member of my family, not even when Ginny went missing.”

“Oh, that makes it better, then. Doesn’t it?” Hermione squealed again, not able to control her anger. She knew that she should be forgiving of Ron, but he just made her so angry. She had never expected him to be the kind of person that would walk out on them, but he had and she couldn’t easily forget that.

“No!” Ron yelled back at her. “I don’t know what else I can do!”

“Hermione,” Harry tried to reach for the wand in Hermione’s hand again, but she extended her arm so that Harry couldn’t reach it. He lifted something up so that she could see it but she didn’t have time to process what it was. “We have Gryffindor’s Sword! We destroyed the locket…Ron destroyed the locket.”

Hermione just stood there, breathing heavily. That was good news, but she was so angry that what he said didn’t really register in her mind. The silence in the tent was awkward and deafening, but Hermione wasn’t going to be the one to break it. Ron still had a lot to say and so she was going to let him writhe uncomfortably.

But it wasn’t Ron that broke the silence. After several moments of deep thought, Harry turned to Ron and spoke with compassion, concern, and empathy penetrating his voice. “Stephanie. I heard that she’s awake. How is she?”

“She’s not doing good at all, Harry.” Ron returned Harry’s gaze, shaking his head towards the ground. Hermione softened at the mention of Stephanie and she reluctantly lowered her wand, giving it back to Harry. He took it gratefully and Ron continued. “Physically, she is doing really well. Her injuries are almost completely healed. But mentally, she’s terrified. Stephanie keeps telling us how HE is going to kill her for being held captive by blood traitors like us.”

“I need to see her.” Harry said, stepping forward a little. He walked over to his sleeping bag and began to pack his things quickly. Hermione had almost forgotten how angry she was at Ron, but not quite. She just nodded her agreement; she wanted to see her friend as well.

Hermione had spent so many countless hours talking to Stephanie through the diaries that she felt that they were as close as sisters. She had felt completely useless after Stephanie had written the goodbye letters, though she understood why Stephanie had done as she had. But now that she was free, Stephanie needed people around that were going to care for her. She needed to know that she was loved, regardless of what she had done in the past.

“You can’t.” Ron said and Harry looked up at his friend quizzically. “Not right now, at least.”

“Why not?” Harry demanded.

“She’s afraid and she’s dangerous.” Ron explained calmly, though Hermione could detect a hint sadness and concern in his voice. She looked at him with amazement because she had come to believe that Ron was selfish and didn’t care about anyone but himself. He had, in fact, left them because he was a little angry. “She attacked me a couple of times and then tried to summon You-Know-Who.”

He paused for a moment and smiled slyly. “She really is a fighter and determined to prove herself. It’s amazing, really.”

“She needs me.” Harry was determined to be by his sister’s side and Hermione couldn’t blame him. Though, as much as she despised the idea, she couldn’t help but agree with Ron.

“Ron’s right.” Hermione sighed, sitting down on her bed. Ron gave her a hopeful look and she shot him one in return that told him not to get his hopes up. She was still furious with him for abandoning her. “It’s too dangerous for you right now. Let’s give her some time and then we can go see her.”

“Fine.” Harry grunted, clearly defeated. He, too, sat on his bed.

Hermione looked up when Ron began rummaging in his bag. He began pulling out cans and bags of food. Food! Hermione was so hungry that she had forgotten what a full stomach felt like. For months, she and Harry had been surviving off random forest plants. They had even stooped to stealing food from nearby farms, though she had insisted that they leave a small amount of money behind.

“I thought you might be hungry.” Ron smiled in her direction. Hermione got up and walked over, opening a bag of potato chips and popping a few into her mouth. “Happy Christmas!”

Harry got up and did the same. In between mouthfuls of food, Hermione looked at Ron and scolded him. “This in no sense makes up for what you did!”

Ron just smiled in response to her comment. Even though she was still fuming that Ron just expected to be accepted back with open arms, Hermione knew that she would eventually forgive him. She loved him and it would be too hard to remain angry with him. Hermione continued eating the delicious food that Ron had brought, excited for the moment when she could go visit her friend for the first time.

*~*~*~*

It had been a couple of months since the Christmas day that changed Stephanie’s life. She had been given many wonderful presents and was reminded of the person she once had been. Though she knew that she would never be the same, she had seen too many horrible things for that to happen, she hoped to redeem herself for some of the things she had done.

And Fred had been instrumental in her emotional recovery. He never asked questions of her past. Fred came to the cottage each day and stayed with her until late into the night. They talked about Hogwarts, his past girlfriends, and the Weasleys. Most importantly, Fred told her stories of her brother’s adventures. He had even showed her how some of his products worked. They experimented on his brother, Bill, who was getting a little frustrated with their antics. But Bill was being a good sport and laughing it off. Stephanie figured it was because she took the blame for their mischief and he couldn’t blame her for wanting to have a little fun. Fred and Stephanie spent a good portion of those months, it was already almost March, laughing and enjoying themselves. It was refreshing to finally think about things other than the Dark Lord and his war. It was a really nice feeling to just relax, which was something she had never once been able to do in her life.

Once in awhile he would tell her how much Ginny and Neville wanted to see her. He said that his mother even wanted to visit. But Stephanie couldn’t face them quite yet. She had once been very close to murdering Mr. Weasley and then she had tortured Ginny and Neville so severely. There had been several times when she was so focused on killing them, and her own brother, that she hadn’t even realized who she was talking to. Stephanie was so ashamed of her behavior that she couldn’t face them.

Fred made her laugh; that was the most important thing that Stephanie liked about him. He knew when it was important for her to smile and he did all he could to make that happen. When she was starting to revert her thinking back to how she didn’t deserve his kindness or that she should have been dead long ago, he could tell and then attempted to lift her spirits. And she truly didn’t deserve what he was doing for her, but she was happy that he was there for her.

Finally, as she sat with him on the couch in the living room, just staring at the fire, Stephanie knew that it was time to share everything with him. For the past few days, Stephanie had come to the realization that if she truly wanted to overcome her feelings of doubt and insecurity that she would have to tell him what was on her mind. And she had sworn to herself long ago that she would never tell Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, or Neville about what she had gone through because she honestly didn’t want them to know the horrible pain she had endured. She didn’t want them to feel sorry for her. Somehow, she knew that Fred would just listen and understand. He would know the importance of what she disclosed to him.

After a few moments of silence, Stephanie turned towards Fred, reached for his hand, and looked him in the eyes. He returned her gaze, deeply concerned by her sudden serious tone. Stephanie spoke as confidently as she could.

“Since I was fourteen, people have come to fear me because of the things that I have been forced to do.” Stephanie didn’t take her eyes off him even though she was ashamed of what she was going to say. She was also nervous because she hadn’t shared these intimate details with anyone before. He squeezed her hand to encourage her to continue. “And I’ve been thinking about this since Christmas. Because I can’t tell Harry, I want someone to understand why I have done what I am soon going to do.”

“What are you talking about?” Fred asked her. “You aren’t going anywhere to be able to do anything.”

“The night that the Dark Lord-” Stephanie began but she was interrupted.

Fred grimaced at the description of her master. “Please, don’t call him that. Only Death Eaters call him that.”

“Fred, you will understand soon. Can I continue?” She responded patiently. It had taken her a long time to be comfortable calling her master, ‘My Lord’ and she knew that she may always call him ‘Dark Lord’. She continued after he nodded silently. “The night that the Dark Lord returned, he placed several spells on me that are irreversible and will eventually be deadly.”

Stephanie lifted up her left arm and showed him the effects of the countercurse that someone, probably Snape, had placed there. “I believe that Professor Snape has found the countercurse to diminish the effects of the tracking spell that the Dark Lord put on me. He placed the spell there so that he would be able to find me if I decided to betray him or attempt to escape.”

She took a deep breath as she prepared to tell him what Snape had told her many years ago. No one else, except Severus Snape, knew what the other curses were that the Dark Lord placed upon her. But she needed someone else to know so that they would understand why she would never be able to survive this war.

“The second is that I am going to die if I use magic against a Death Eater.” Stephanie responded and Fred looked unsurprised by this news. She commented on his lack of a reaction. “You already knew this?”

“Well, at first, I always wondered why you never fought back. In fact, the others always commented on it.” Fred answered and Stephanie was a little shocked that her friends wouldn’t have asked her, though she knew that she never would have told them anyway. “But this makes perfect sense. So you can’t use any sort of magic on them whatsoever?”

Stephanie shook her head. “Not even a simple hex or jinx.”

“What’s the third curse?” Fred asked her.

“No matter how I die,” Stephanie began, unsure of how to continue. Finally she mustered up the courage to explain to Fred what she had known for way too long. She had been very young when Snape shared this information with her; much too young, in fact, for a teenager to handle what she had been given. “Whether it be by the Killing Curse or any other means, I will not die immediately. My death is going to be a long, drawn out, and painful ordeal.”

“Well, you aren’t going to die.” Fred answered nonchalantly. “We won’t let that happen, believe me. You are safe here.”

Stephanie understood where he was coming from, but she knew better. She had once been a naïve little girl, but now she knew that things didn’t always work out as planned. Stephanie knew better. “Let’s say that Harry does defeat the Dark Lord. You do not realize how many followers he has. Each and every one of them has a vendetta against me and will not rest until they find and kill me.”

“But-” Fred began, but Stephanie cut him off. She knew exactly what he was going to say. She wasn’t going to admit to him right there that she was planning on joining the war as soon as she could figure out how. The Death Eaters had done nothing but torture her beyond endurance for so long that Stephanie had finally decided to do something to help the common witch and wizard. She had to because if she returned to her master, she would surely die. Then there would have been no purpose to her life at all. She remembered long ago when all she wanted was to do something good with her life. Her sacrifice would be exactly what she needed.

“It would be impossible to find and capture every single one of his followers.” Stephanie told him. “They are too good at staying hidden, especially the more dangerous ones.”

Stephanie could tell by the look of desperation that suddenly appeared on his face that Fred realized what she was saying. He looked at her with tears springing to his eyes and he pleaded with her. “You can’t. We can protect you. We will protect you at all costs.”

She gently took his face in her hands and pulled him closer to her. A lump was forming in her throat and it took all Stephanie had to hold back her own tears. “I have to, Fred. It is really important to me that someone understand why I made the choice I have. Fate has sealed my destiny and so I know what must happen. I am no longer the naïve little girl I once was.”

“You can’t.” Fred whispered to her, their noses were touching.

“Fred, I have fought for so very long and hard to live for sixteen and a half years; I have fought since I was taken from my parents and placed in Lucius Malfoy’s custody. Now I must fight so that others may have a chance.” She spoke from her heart. This was something she had debated in her mind and it was something that she knew she had to do.

“That doesn’t mean you have to die!” Fred was reaching for something intangible. She didn’t want to fight with him anymore, but she knew that it was important for him to understand why she had made this decision.

“The only choices I have been able to make and the only control I have had in my entire life were at two very important times.” Stephanie held her realizations and convictions highly. The idea was concrete in her mind and Stephanie was positive that it was the right thing to do. “I was able to choose to stay in the Malfoy home so that my brother could live. Then, years later, I was able to take control of my emotions and choose to free Ginny, Neville, and Ollivander from their death sentences. Doing so should have been my own and it is a miracle I am still alive. But I want to go out on my own terms, in my own way. I want to die the way I choose, for once in my life. All I want is control.”

“But you don’t have to die.” Fred pleaded with her to change her mind, though he clearly realized that Stephanie had already made the decision.

“I will, eventually.” Stephanie admitted. “The Death Eaters that escape conviction, after Harry defeats the Dark Lord, will come for me. I will be defenseless against them because of the curse holding me captive. I am positive that they would not murder me right away, behind my back, because they would want to watch the light leave my eyes. They would want to torture me first to repay me for the pain I have caused each of them. And I don’t want that. I want to choose when I die.”

Fred looked defeated and he sat there in silence for a moment. They just stared at each other as Stephanie let her words sink in. She knew that he was starting to care for her deeply, but it was something that she had to do. No matter how difficult her sacrifice would be, it would save lives. And that was what mattered in the big scheme of things, not her.

“I need to share what I have gone through with someone who can understand. I need someone to understand and I need someone to know my story.” Stephanie spoke to him softly, but defiantly. All he could do was nod in response. “Can you promise not to tell anyone, not even George?”

“Of course.” Fred moved his head so that his forehead now touched hers. Stephanie knew this was a very intimate moment for them and that he would do as she said. She didn’t want to manipulate him as she had Kieran. A single tear ran down her cheek as she prepared to tell him her story. “But why won’t you tell Harry? He would want to know so that he could be there for you.”

“He can support me without having to know the details. Let me ask you something, Fred. If it had happened to you, would you tell Ginny?” Stephanie asked simply, moving her own body so that she could look deeply into Fred’s eyes. He was beginning to realize the impact that his listening would have on her and he shook his head at her question. Instead of answering, Fred surprised Stephanie by asking a seemingly random question.

“You cared for him.” Fred’s eyes pierced her own. “Didn’t you?”

Stephanie knew that he wasn’t talking about Kieran. Fred was asking about the love she held deep in her soul for the master that had manipulated her and abused the loyalty she held for him. It was a difficult question to answer, but she nodded in response and answered honestly.

Stephanie squeezed Fred’s hand as she took a deep breath and told Fred why she had longed for the Dark Lord’s touch for nearly two and a half years. “Growing up with the Malfoy’s, I didn’t get what other children had. I never had anyone to love me or care about me so I hadn’t realized how important those affections were. But when I met Professor Dumbledore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Professor McGonagall, Hermione Granger, and even Professor Snape, I found out how much I needed that. And it was difficult to admit to myself that I needed it to survive.

“When the Dark Lord returned, I no longer had the opportunity to return to Hogwarts for my lessons with Snape.” Stephanie paused for a breath as her voice was beginning to shake with distraught emotion. “I no longer had the opportunity to spend time with people who cared about me. The only thing I had left was the diaries.

“And then the Dark Lord did something that no one else at that time was willing to do.” Fred squeezed her hand to encourage her to continue. His eyes were moist as tears fell down his cheeks. It was painful to admit this to him but it was important for someone to understand and share with the world after she was gone what she had been put through. “He protected me from the other Death Eaters. They continuously threatened my life and the Dark Lord ordered them to leave me alone. He touched me gently, he caressed my body, and he showed me the affection that I needed. It felt good to receive that kind of attention.”

“But he didn’t even care about you.” Fred tried to tell her but Stephanie wouldn’t hear it.

She put her finger to his lips to silence him. Then she whispered her response to the statement she had been expecting him to make. “I think deep down I understand that, but I’m not sure that I could live with myself or the things I have done for him if I didn’t believe that on some level he truly did care about me.”

Fred just stared at her quietly. There was deep compassion and empathy in his eyes. Throughout her life, she had hated when people felt sorry for her. She was happy that she didn’t get this feeling from Fred. Instead, he felt empathic for what she had endured. Fred couldn’t understand completely, but he could try. And that was what he was doing for her, trying to understand so that he could be there for her.

Before she could continue, Fred leaned over and kissed Stephanie gently on the lips. It was something that Stephanie hadn’t been expecting, but it was also a nice feeling. When she had kissed Kieran, Stephanie felt as if she was forced to do so. She knew that both of them were just using the situation to manipulate the other and Kieran always pressed much harder than she ever felt comfortable with. It was violent and forceful, somehow.

But kissing Fred was nice. It felt natural, as if it were meant to happen. His lips were surprisingly soft and he took her head in his hands, comforting her. Through his lips, Fred was telling her that she didn’t need the affection of the Dark Lord. All she needed was him in that moment to know that there was nothing to be ashamed of. It felt so good that Stephanie never wanted it to end, but it did after just a few short seconds. Stephanie pulled away and smiled.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just taking each other in. And then Stephanie knew that it was time to continue her confessions. It was the only way that she would be free; it was the only way others would understand why she must sacrifice herself for the greater good. Maybe one day, when people talked about her after she died, people would no longer fear the person she had become. Stephanie knew that she didn’t deserve their respect, but she didn’t want people to be afraid of her either.

Instead of continuing, Stephanie pulled out the diary and opened it to a page she had stared at quite a bit lately. Then she began to read the entry to Fred. “They made me practice the Cruciatus Curse on Draco. It was so hard, and I didn’t think I could do it. Oh, it was so horrible. At the end, I enjoyed it so much. Voldemort had to force me to stop the spell. I was smiling at Draco as he lay on the ground in pain. How could I do that? ~Steph

“I really don’t know anything about how he treated you except the little comments that he made at Hogwarts on our last day. But I do know that you can’t blame yourself for enjoying his suffering. He definitely deserves everything he gets; he deserves much worse than that. –Nev

“What terrifies me is that I enjoyed it. It felt so good to do that. Voldemort told me that I will learn to accept those kinds of feelings as natural. ~Steph

“You enjoyed it because it is natural. You don’t have to accept that you enjoyed it; you just have to understand that it’s normal. … Nev”

Stephanie paused to close the diary and look at Fred. He swallowed hard, but said nothing. She spoke quietly, looking away from him so that he couldn’t see the shame in her eyes. “It was difficult for me to do that and Neville was so instrumental in helping me through the pain that I felt. But I never told them how much Cursing Draco really affected me. Fred, it was so hard resisting their attempts to change me.”

He knew that she wasn’t done, so he just squeezed her hand as an encouraging gesture. Stephanie turned her eyes back towards the boy that was sitting next to her and she continued with the confession she had yet to tell anyone in the world. “That night, I told myself that I would never show any of my weaknesses to the Death Eaters again. From then on, it was much easier, though not completely natural, to commit the acts that they were ordering me to do. I kept telling myself that it wasn’t my fault.

“And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to cry. Even when I witnessed Bella killed that little girl in the mall, I couldn’t shed a single tear. That was the first person I had seen murdered and I couldn’t express any sort of emotion.” Stephanie paused to take a deep breath. It had always been difficult to admit even to herself this next emotion, but she had to tell Fred all of it. “It scared me that I felt that way. It scared me and then I eventually became numb to what was happening.”

“Stephanie, it is normal to-” Fred began but Stephanie interrupted him. He was trying to understand, but he didn’t comprehend any of it. No one would ever truly understand because no one had ever been through what she had.

Stephanie stood up and began pacing the living room. She could feel her voice raising, trying to get Fred to understand what had happened inside her mind. She finally paused to look at him pleadingly. All she wanted was for him to understand; she didn’t want him to rationalize what she was feeling.

“Don’t tell me that it’s normal!” Stephanie almost shouted at him. He looked a little taken aback, but yet he said nothing. She was grateful for his silence because it meant that he was trying to understand. She continued, not lowering her voice. “For years people have been telling me that my reactions are normal. You don’t know what’s normal or not. You have never been forced to hide who you are and what you are feeling so that you can survive. No one knows if what I did was normal!”

Fred remained silent, but he slowly rose from his seat. He walked over to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Stephanie became limp in his arms as she placed her head on his chest and cried. Fred walked her back towards the couch and gently lowered her down. He began rubbing her back, not letting her go from his arms. Finally, Stephanie calmed down and looked at him again.

“I couldn’t cry when Sirius was murdered! My godfather was murdered, before I could even meet him, by the woman who was ordered to teach me similar things! And I could not mourn him.” Stephanie said between breaths. The tears were coming less frequent now.

“He loved you very much.” Fred whispered in her ear and Stephanie was thankful to hear those comforting words. “Sirius would have been angry if you spent any time mourning his death, anyway.”

Stephanie smiled. Even though she hadn’t gotten a chance to meet her godfather, she had spent many hours corresponding with him, thanks to Professor Snape. “But I chose not to. Isn’t that worse than not being able to? I decided that it would have been useless to waste time thinking about something that couldn’t be changed.”

“Even better.” Fred smiled encouragingly. “Like I said, Sirius Black would have hated if you put yourself in danger by mourning his death. Listen to me. I know what I’m talking about. I am Fred Weasley after all.”

And Stephanie wasn’t sure if he was right, but what he said did make her feel better. This conversation was so difficult for her to speak about, but Stephanie knew that it was helping. Fred would understand why she would eventually fight to the death, and maybe her sacrifice would lead to a chance for Britain’s freedom.

Stephanie looked Fred square in the eye, her tears stopping their flow from her eyes for the moment, and she spoke with confidence. “There’s more, a lot more.” What she was about to tell Fred was something she had once vowed never to tell anyone. She had decided to share this with him because it would put everything into perspective for him. It would show him her true reasoning behind the decision to make the ultimate sacrifice for Harry, the Order, Britain, and, most importantly, herself.


Thank you SO much for everyone who has been leaving feedback. It is always so great to read what people like (or dislike) about the story. It really helps me to keep writing!

Anyway, this chapter is definitely one of the best that I have written. There is so much raw emotion there. I pictured the scene in my mind and it came out perfectly on the screen of my computer. I'm not sure it could have been any better than how I imagined it! Let me know what you think! I am sorry to say that I am going out of town this weekend and I'm not sure how much free time I will have to write. I will be taking my laptop, but I don't think I'll be doing any writing. So the next chapter may not be up until next weekend. I apologize in advance for the wait, but I think you guys will be happy with the next chapter. Stephanie's conversation with Fred continues and I disclose some more things that has happened to her in the past! Have a wonderful weekend and I will post as soon as I possibly can!

Chapter Fifty-Eight: True Confessions, Part II

“Go ahead.” Fred released her only enough so that Stephanie could face him once again. “Tell me everything. I want to know what has happened to you.”

Stephanie took a deep breath and prepared herself to tell Fred the most horrible details that she could remember. She had endured so much during her time with the Malfoys and then subsequently with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, but one moment stood out in her mind and she would rather suffer the Cruciatus Curse ten times over then be subject to this torture one more time. And for Fred to truly understand a portion of what she had gone through and why she had made the decision she had, it was necessary for this story to be told.

“I learned too late that the Dark Lord was seeking to obtain a prophecy from the Ministry of Magic the spring I was fifteen.” Stephanie whispered, looking away from Fred as she reminisced about the hours prior to the worst punishment she had ever received. “And they never did tell me the full details of their plan, so it was impossible for me to warn Harry and the others. Although there was nothing I could have done, I blamed myself for what happened that night for a very long time.”

“They didn’t tell you what was going on?” Fred asked quietly. “If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wanted you to kill Harry so badly, why wouldn’t they have let you help?”

Stephanie smiled at his questions. It was a common misperception, and one that she was willing to clarify once again. “I was told surprisingly little about what was happening in the world, and I was told even less of the plans of the Dark Lord. He did not yet trust that I was capable of causing harm to my brother; it had only been twelve months since I had saved Harry in the graveyard and he did not want to risk losing any opportunity he had. The Dark Lord believed that I was in contact with Harry but he did not know the means of how I was doing so. But he was still trying to earn my trust so that I would be the person to murder the great Harry Potter, so he refused to perform Legilimens on me at that time. In honesty and hindsight, I’m not all that positive that the Dark Lord really cared who I was conversing with or not.

“But it doesn’t matter, really. I tried all that I could to warn them that night, but it was already too late. All I could do was sit in my room and wait for the Dark Lord to return with news.” Stephanie paused to look out the window. It was a crisp winter night, though the snow was starting to melt in the warm March air; the unpredictable month had yet to begin, but the nice weather had started early that year. Just the day before, they had received two inches of snow and now it was already starting to melt. She turned back towards Fred, afraid of what he would think of her after she told him this story.

“I waited for hours in anticipation. From feelings I was sensing from Harry, I knew that something was wrong. At first, I thought that Harry was dying. But I knew that I would feel and know concretely that my brother was dead. Harry had yet to perfect Occlumency to stop sending emotions to me and I wanted to know what was happening too badly to block him from my mind.” Stephanie sighed. She paused to look into Fred’s eyes. There was a sadness that only knowledge of her history, of her feelings, could bring to a man’s eyes. She felt horrible for unleashing this burden onto him, but she was also certain that she needed to share this with someone. Someone had to know that she wasn’t a monster, someone had to understand.

“And then the Dark Lord returned, but with much fewer Death Eaters than had left with him just hours before. I was certain that something had happened. He was furious with Bellatrix for allowing something to happen, but I couldn’t hear what it was. I was desperate to hear news of my brother, so I crept out of my room and sat at the top of the stairs.” Stephanie paused again, getting closer to the part of the story that she was so ashamed of and very afraid to disclose. Fred was about to learn her deepest and most personal secrets, but she continued because she knew that she had to. Stephanie was certain that she was going to die and she just needed one person to understand her decision.

“He somehow sensed that I had disobeyed his orders and he came in search of me. The Dark Lord was so furious and he needed to unleash his anger on someone, regardless of whether they deserved it. And I was there, so he punished me. He punished me for Bella’s selfishness; he punished me for his followers’ imprisonment; and he punished me for Harry’s escape. He punished me because I was Harry Potter’s sister and he punished me because I was there.

“Through the Dark Lord’s yelling at Bellatrix, I had been able to deduce that she had killed Sirius. But it hadn’t really registered because I was scared of what was going to happen to me.” Stephanie took a deep breath and confessed what had truly been on her mind that night. “Sirius was dead and all I could think about was what was going to happen to me.”

Fred didn’t say anything, though Stephanie was sure that he wanted to. He wanted to tell her that she should have been concerned for her safety, that she had a right to be selfish. But he was right to know that wasn’t what Stephanie wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that she was being self-centered and that she deserved what was going to come. But he would not tell her that and so his silence allowed her to continue.

“He took me down to the cellar where I had only been placed one other time before.” Stephanie described the prison she had lived in for seven days after Sirius’ death. “It was small, dark, cold, and filled with cockroaches. There was no room for me to stretch out and little room for me to lie down. It was horrible and when I was finally released, I vowed to myself that I would never do anything to be sent there again. Though I would be sentenced to one more stint in that cellar, it would only be for a few hours. I never once allowed myself to disappoint the Dark Lord enough to send me there again, though he frequently threatened to do so. I would have rather died then return to that cellar in the Lestrange Manor.

“Each day brought a new torture that was worse than the one before it. And each day I became even more disappointed in myself for showing so much weakness in the presence of the Dark Lord. I didn’t want to die; I was scared and alone and I wasn’t ready to die.

“The tortures were created by the Dark Lord to test my endurance and strength. When I was finally released, I knew that I could handle anything the Dark Lord had me do.” Stephanie was finally at the point where it was necessary to disclose what had happened to her in that cellar almost two years ago. She knew that Harry would have tried to seek revenge if he knew what they had done to her, and that was why she had chosen to tell Fred Weasley her story. He would understand that what she needed was someone to listen, not someone to endanger their own life looking for payback. She looked Fred straight in the eye, her stare piercing his shining eyes, and then she continued softly.

“It started the moment the door locked behind me. I’m not sure how long each round lasted, but it was so frequent that it was impossible to sleep. At first, I was plunged into total darkness.” Stephanie’s voice was much stronger than her body felt. It was exhausting to describe this in such detail, but she knew that it had to be done. She had to tell someone before she exploded. Stephanie kept reassuring herself that her disclosure would allow people to see the true Stephanie Potter once she was dead. “It was so dark that I couldn’t even see my hand which was only millimeters in front of my face. And then, suddenly, the room was flooded with such a bright light that I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

“But closing my eyes didn’t help either. The light was so blinding that I had to curl up into a ball and shield my eyes with my entire body. The light burned my eyes, but I persevered. All that was running through my mind was that I needed to survive. I wasn’t ready to die and I knew that light was not going to kill me. But I wasn’t expected for what was to come in the following days.” Stephanie took another deep breath, her hands had begun to shake, and Stephanie tried to steady herself. Fred took her hand and squeezed it. With his support she was able to continue. “Total darkness returned after a long time of bright light, but then the light came again. It happened like this for at least twenty-four hours, I’m not sure how long it was because I couldn’t concentrate enough to keep track.

“And sometimes the rounds were more frequent than others, but the light always returned. And finally, I was plunged into total darkness for the last time.” Fred was looking more concerned the farther she delved into this story. She knew that she should end it, but now that she started it was becoming more difficult to stop. It was about this time that she almost forgot that Fred was still there, listening to her talk about the worst punishment she had received while residing with the Dark Lord. “And that lasted for hours.

“But I couldn’t sleep. Even though I was exhausted by this point, I was so anxious about the next time the light would come on that I was on edge the entire time.” Stephanie took another deep breath as she stared out the window, looking into the cloudless sky. The stars were sparkling brightly “Then the screeching began. A very loud, high-pitch sound pierced the silence of my cell. I held my hands to my ears but they didn’t muffle the sound even a little. The noise was so loud that I honestly thought my eardrums were going to burst. Again I curled up in a little ball as I tried to protect my ears from this painful stimulation.

“It was at that time that I realized the Dark Lord was testing each of my senses. And I knew that I had to be strong to show him that I could survive his punishments. I had to show him that I deserved to stay alive, that I could serve him.” Stephanie no longer had tears in her eyes. She was talking about this as if it had happened to someone else, and on some level it felt like it had. She had been a completely different person back then. “The noise went on for hours and finally I was plunged back into silence.

“But then the horrible smells came; and with that came the awful, metallic taste in my mouth. I can’t even begin to describe, nor do I wish to remember, that. There were times that I would dry heave from the smell. I hadn’t had anything to eat in days and I had nothing in my stomach to regurgitate. That was the least painful day of them all, though.” Stephanie paused and returned her gaze to Fred. He had tear stains leading from his eyes to his chin, though there were no tears falling at that moment. “But then it got worse, much, much worse.”

Stephanie stood from her position on the couch and made her way towards the window where she could see only the darkness outside. She stared out the window as she continued with the story. “For hours it began to rain inside my cell. The water was just staying there as if the barred door keeping me inside the cell was solid. And I had nothing to wrap myself in to stay warm. It felt like the temperature dropped below freezing when that rain started.”

She began to shiver as she recounted that day. Fred got up from his seat and retrieved a heavy blanket; then he wrapped it around her and began rubbing her shoulder. He stood behind her, hugging her body tightly into his. They both stared out the window as Stephanie continued. “I had to stand on my tiptoes so that I wouldn’t drown. And I stood there for hours, trying to tread above water, shivering so severely that I’m sure people could hear my teeth chattering all the way upstairs.

“And, like the light and the darkness, the noises, and the smells and the tastes before it, the rain ceased and the water receded. But my clothes would not dry. The Dark Lord had made the water forever soak my clothing which made me deathly ill. I am pretty sure that I caught pneumonia around this time, which lasted the rest of the time I was in that prison. After the rain stopped, the worst of it began.” Stephanie turned back towards Fred so that she could see his eyes. She didn’t want to see the disappointment and shame that was certain to appear once she made her confession, but she had to watch.

“The day that the rain began was the first day that Wormtail brought me food.” She paused to take a deep breath, preparing herself for Fred’s rejection after he found out what she had done and how she had felt. “You have to understand that I was sick and these punishments were more painful that anything I had yet to endure. It was that day that I began to beg this man to save me, to spare my life. And at a few points throughout the remainder of my sentence, I thought I saw hesitation in his eyes. But he never once acknowledged that I had spoken to him.”

Fred’s facial expression remained the same and Stephanie was relieved, though she still didn’t believe that he wasn’t judging her. Then, Stephanie explained to Fred what she had seen repeatedly for the next twenty-four hours. She had seen her worst fears: her killing Harry, which she had almost committed later in life; she saw herself being abandoned and Snape casting the Cruciatus Curse upon her; Neville’s changing after attacking Bellatrix; and finally, the Weasley’s, together, blaming her for the horrible things she had done. “The Dark Lord had spent hours down there listening to me whimper. I knew that he was even there at times when I was begging Wormtail for help. But I continued to do so. I felt like I had lost myself, like I was broken. But what hurt the most was that, and he would never admit to this, Snape was there that day.

“I was too out of it to speak with him, but I knew that he was there. It was one of the only moments in my life that the punishment was too painful to endure and I was later so ashamed for begging for someone, anyone, to help me while he was watching.” Stephanie confessed to Fred. If she was going to tell him what had happened, it was important for her to share every detail, no matter how hard it was for her. It had to be done.

“Did he let you out?” Fred asked with concern on his face. He also realized how difficult this was for her.

“No.” Stephanie responded simply, shaking her head. “There was one last round of torture, which I have been told lasted for forty-eight hours. Though, it seemed like much longer than that. For the remaining two days I stayed in that cellar, sick and alone, I watched and listened as an image of Harry told me everything that was wrong with me. Then, Ron and Hermione would appear and they would say the most horrible things about me. And then the scene would replay itself. It was this way for forty-eight hours. Finally, I was released from my cell, sick, cold, and exhausted, only to be sent out on a training session with Bellatrix.

“That was the worst of it.” Stephanie whispered lightly. She turned her attention back towards the window, still being held in a standing position by Fred. It was difficult for her to just remember what had happened, let alone describe it in great detail to the person she was beginning to care for deeply. She felt completely exposed by sharing this information with him. “But it wasn’t a training session at all.”

Stephanie described what happened to her in the woods the night that Bellatrix, Yaxley, Travers, Selwyn, Amycus, and Alecto ambushed her. Fred remained silent and only squeezed her tighter. She wanted to continue looking out the window, but she was getting too tired standing there on her feet. She began to move towards the couch and Fred followed her. After a long moment of silence, Stephanie continued.

“I was so tired and sick. I couldn’t stop coughing and after my time in that cellar, I honestly thought that they were going to kill me. It was at that point that I sort of stopped caring; all I wanted to do was live, to be free.” Stephanie whispered, looking down at Fred’s feet. “I was so ashamed of myself for begging Wormtail for help and screaming for someone to let me out. I showed horrible weakness in front of both Severus Snape and the Dark Lord.”

“Look at me.” Fred spoke softly. He took his hand and gently grabbed her chin, lifting her head so that she had to look directly into his eyes. “You are not a horrible person for asking for help.”

“But it showed the Dark Lord th-” Stephanie tried to convince herself more than him that she was right, that had done wrong.

“I will not pretend that I could ever know or completely understand what was going through your head, but I can confidently say that I would have done the same thing. Anyone would have done the same thing.” Fred interrupted her. Stephanie didn’t believe him, but she didn’t say anything either. “Stephanie, you did what you had to in order to stay alive and we all, my parents included, commend you for your actions. You are anything but a weak person. In fact, you may be the strongest person any of us will ever know.”

Stephanie didn’t believe that she was a strong or brave person by any means. And she decided to confess this to Fred. “It was at that time that I realized that the Dark Lord was going to try to change me to become more like him and his followers. I was his little project, entertainment only for his enjoyment. Everything was being taken away from me one by one. It had been a long time, almost a year, since I had been allowed to have the company of others at Hogwarts, Sirius had been murdered, and I knew that I would soon have to say goodbye to my brother. The Dark Lord was going to take away my ability to care.

“I had to take care of myself; I had to stand up for myself even though I couldn’t use magic against these Death Eaters. That was the turning point.” Stephanie took a deep breath, staring into Fred’s eyes. He was being so compassionate towards her and Stephanie was relieved. It was so much easier telling him these details than she had originally thought it would be. Fred was spending very little time arguing with her and the majority just listening and trying to understand. “That was when I began to change.

“The Death Eaters had attacked me because they expected me to run back to the manor and tell Harry what was happening. They were hoping that in doing so, Harry would back off to ensure that I wouldn’t be tortured any longer.” Stephanie smiled at her epiphany. Talking this out had put so much into perspective; she knew these things on an unconscious level back then, but this was the first time she actually thought and spoke these exact words. Even without a formal education, Stephanie was extraordinarily bright for her age. “But I didn’t do that. Their plan was to punish me each time that Harry crossed them but the Dark Lord wouldn’t allow it. And I never explained to the others what was happening to me for that very reason. However, it was at that point that I started to blame Harry for what was going on around me.”

Stephanie now had tears in her eyes again as she realized suddenly that her anger at Harry had everything to do with her own selfish feelings. She had almost killed her brother because of the things that were happening to her. The Dark Lord had manipulated her into seeing that Harry was at the root of her problems, though, in reality, it was the Death Eaters that had caused her so much pain.

“I was so angry; they were taunting me and they knew that I wouldn’t tell the Dark Lord what was happening, though I was convinced at the time that he would not have allowed it to continue. In fact, they were later punished for what they did to me.” Stephanie told Fred more calmly than she had felt in a long time. He showed his support by squeezing her hand and she knew that he did not blame her for what happened. As much as she wanted him to be angry with her for allowing the Dark Lord to change her, it was amazing to have his unconditional support. “Snape told me that I needed to take care of myself for once, and that’s what I did. It’s selfish and horrible, I know. But I had to begin looking out for myself, and that is why I am here today.”

Fred smiled brightly at her. “I know what you want me to say. You want me to say that it wasn’t worth it, that you deserved to die. But you don’t understand that so many people care about you and would do anything for you. Stephanie, you have gone through much more than anyone could ever imagine. You did the right thing and soon people will see that. When You-Know-Who is defeated, we will make sure that the world knows that you have done nothing wrong.”

“But I killed so many innocent people!” Stephanie began to argue, justifying her beliefs. But it was Fred’s turn to place a finger to her lips and silence her, just as she had done to him earlier in the evening.

“You had no choice.” He spoke to her sternly and with complete seriousness. The smile was gone from his face and Stephanie knew that he was speaking to her honestly. “The choices you made were done so in order to survive. You have nothing to be ashamed of, Stephanie. You have done nothing wrong.”

“But I felt so empty inside.” Stephanie whispered, looking away again. And once again, Fred took her chin lightly and turned her head so that his concern could pierce her eyes. “They forced me to change, but I allowed it to happen.”

“Even the more reason that you are not at fault here.” Fred whispered, lowering his head towards hers. She felt the pressure of his forehead on her own and she smiled. It was nice feeling his touch. “The changes occurred so quickly because you made it happen. They were going to break you no matter what you did, Stephanie, so you forced yourself to repress all that you had. It may be difficult to believe, but you saved your life by doing that.”

“How?” Stephanie was puzzled by Fred’s theory. She lifted her head so that she could look at him when he explained how allowing the Dark Lord to change her personality so quickly could have saved her life.

“Because you didn’t lose who you were, who you are.” Fred smiled gently at her and Stephanie cocked her head, still confused. “If the conditioning that You-Know-Who had engaged to change you had been a long and painful process, as I imagine he had expected it to be, you would have changed slowly. You would have lost every memory you had of what had once been. But the changes were immediate; you only forced them back into your mind instead of losing them completely. And that is why you were able to cry and to remember when Ron left you that diary.”

Stephanie finally understood what he was trying to say. It made a lot of sense, but it didn’t sound like something Fred would say. She looked at him curiously. “When did you get so smart?”

“What?!?” Fred exclaimed with mock surprise. He let go of her and put his hand to his chest. “You don’t think I could come up with something like that on my own?”

Stephanie laughed through her tears and shook her head. Fred laughed as well, though he suddenly became serious. He spoke as sincerely as he could. “Dumbledore.”

“But he’s dead…” Stephanie trailed off. How could he have known that she had done this without herself realizing that fact?

“That man never missed a thing.” Fred answered. “I think he knew what would happen long before You-Know-Who even decided to change you.”

Stephanie sighed and then fell against his chest. He wrapped her in an embrace and they sat there, saying nothing and staring at nothing, for a long time. Finally Stephanie asked the question she should have voiced the day she woke up.

“How’s Dobby?” Stephanie turned towards Fred. “I want to thank him for saving my life.”

Fred sat up abruptly and hesitated a little. Stephanie began to shake her head, not wanting what she knew he was about to tell her to be true. “He didn’t make it.”

“No. No.” Stephanie shook her head more forcefully. He had been the only one that had been there for her since the beginning. Dobby had been her best friend and he had died trying to save her! Why would he have done that? Stephanie fell back into Fred’s chest and he stroked her hair. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she mourned the loss of her friend. After a long time, Stephanie told Fred exactly what she had yearned to do for a long time. “I want to see the sunrise.”

Fred nodded his head and took her hand. Then he grabbed the blanket that had been keeping her warm, walked her to the door, and they made their way outside. It was cold but Stephanie didn’t care. It was the first time she would be able to watch the sunrise as a free person. All she wanted right then was to watch the sun rise over the horizon with the person she could be falling in love with and mourn the best friend she ever had.

“I have the perfect place.” Fred smiled at her, not releasing her hand for one moment. He took out his wand and aimed it at his chest.

“Wait.” Stephanie said calmly; she didn’t want him rushing into anything. She looked around the yard anxiously, searching for signs of human life. It was the first time she had been allowed to step outside the cottage and she expected for Death Eaters to be waiting for her. “Is it safe?”

Again Fred smiled in her direction and he squeezed her hand in support. He only said two simple words that made Stephanie realize that he would never deliberately put her in danger. “Trust me.”

She nodded, feeling comforted by his presence. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t need him, that she could take care of herself. But Stephanie knew that he understood that didn’t need to hear it. It was difficult allowing Fred to do something nice for her and she forced herself to follow him blindly. She closed her eyes as he Disapparated them.

Stephanie was taken away by the sight in front of her when she opened her eyes. There were rolling hills as far as they eye could see. The sky was a bright red as the sun rose over the horizon in the distance. Her breath was taken away as she looked in awe at the natural beauty. Fred moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest, and then he lowered her to the ground. They sat on the top of a hill, both wrapped in the warm comforter that Fred had brought.

She lay against Fred’s chest, sitting between his legs, and just stared into the distance. They sat there in silence and Stephanie was relieved that Fred allowed her to take it all in. She felt deprived because she had not been able to witness anything like this before and it put everything into perspective.

The cold didn’t even affect her, though Stephanie figured that Fred had cast some sort of spell on the comforter to keep them warm in the brisk March air. Finally, Stephanie turned her head up towards Fred and smiled. “Thank you.”

She hoped that Fred knew what she was saying thank you for. Fred just stared at her for a moment, looking deep into her eyes. “Anything for you, Stephanie. You can always tell me anything. I will be here for you, no matter what you think of yourself and without regard for what you have done.”

It was like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Fred knew a few of her deepest secrets, which scared her even more than the Death Eaters had terrified her. On some level, Stephanie would have chosen to return to the Dark Lord over being in this home where every experience was new. The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters were comfortable for her because it was all she had ever known. But she was happy to be able to finally share these thoughts with someone and it relieved her that he was willing to try understanding why she felt as she did. Stephanie felt whole for the first time in her life.

She returned her gaze back towards the sky, the sun had long ago risen above the horizon, and the red was long gone. The sky was now a very light blue and was cleaner than she ever could have imagined. It almost felt as if there weren’t horrible things going on in the world. She felt safe in Fred’s arms.

Without looking at Fred, she spoke quietly and with confidence. It was the next step in overcoming her demons; and, yet, would be another obstacle in her way for her to recover. “It’s time. I want to see Neville and Ginny.”

Fred sounded surprised and taken aback. He began stroking her hair and Stephanie smiled. The Dark Lord had done that and she once would have been giddy with infatuation. But it delighted her when Fred did this; it showed his affection for her. “Are you sure that you’re ready?”

“No.” Stephanie admitted her fear of the two teenagers that she had caused such tremendous pain for. But if they wanted to see her she definitely owed them that much. It would be important for her to see them, to tell them that she was sorry for what she had done to them. “But it’s something that I would like to do.”

“Then we’ll get them over here.” Fred responded with excitement. Stephanie could tell that he was happy about the steps she was taking to challenge herself. “When would you like to see them?”

“Today.” Stephanie knew that hesitation would only cause her to doubt her decision. “But first, I need to rest.”

“They will be so excited. I might have to bring earplugs to block the screaming.” Fred laughed and Stephanie couldn’t help but do the same. “I’ll bring them over this afternoon.”

Stephanie stirred, ready to get to bed. It had been a very long night and she was only going to become more exhausted when Ginny and Neville arrived. Her bed sounded really good at that moment. She yawned as Fred grabbed her hand and returned them to Shell Cottage. He walked her to her bed up the stairs and he tucked her in. Stephanie couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, so she curled up under the blankets and prepared to sleep. The last thing she remembered was feeling Fred lean over her and kiss her forehead. Then she lost consciousness as she fell into a deep, deep sleep.


So, I apologize for it being over a whole week since I have updated! I didn't have access to the internet last weekend nor did I have the time to write. Then I worked four days this week instead of three. You've got to love being busy! So it's not one of my favorite chapters, but I definitely like it. You finally learn what happened to her down in that cellar, which I think was absolutely horrible. She made several confessions to Fred, which helped her gather the strength to come face-to-face with Ginny and Neville. But there are many questions that I have yet to answer. One of them being how will Neville react to Fred and Steph's relationship? So, I will try to get the next chapter posted on Monday or Tuesday...but with tomorrow being Easter, I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write. If anything, I'll post as soon as possible!

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Reunited

It was almost March and Ginny was getting antsy. She had been cooped up inside the Burrow since before Christmas and she was running out of things to do. There were constantly people coming and going, yet she was told nothing about what was happening in the world. She hadn’t heard from Harry in a long time and she was worried sick about him and Ron.

Fred and George were keeping very busy. They participated in the radio show that was broadcast periodically. The Order of the Phoenix was utilizing this to mainly communicate with and encourage its members and others joining in the resistance. In addition, it was weird for her to see Fred and George spending so much time separated. George was being sent out on several missions a day, though she had no idea what for. Fred was spending every waking hour with Stephanie and she knew they were getting close. Neville could see it too and he was clearly jealous. But Ginny knew that Neville was strong enough to let Stephanie be happy.

Ginny was sitting on the living room floor in her pajamas, playing yet another game of exploding snap with Neville and Dean. All three of them were extremely bored with the routine since they had run out of things to talk about long ago. Ginny knew that Neville was still having his dreams about Stephanie and Dean was still interested in getting back together with her, though she figured it was due to a lack of other options. She repeatedly reminded him that she was not interested.

“We need to figure something else out.” Ginny said with a yawn. Then she lazily leaned on the table in front of her. “I’m going crazy here. I want to go out and do-oo something.”

“At least at Hogwarts we were able to do something productive.” Neville agreed with her. They had long ago described everything Dumbledore’s Army had done at Hogwarts to Dean. And Dean had been impressed by their stamina, though it made him miss his best friend, Seamus Finnigan, even more than before.

Dean spoke in a quiet voice and leaned closer to Ginny and Neville. “They have a meeting tonight. I say we make our move then.”

“We don’t have time to plan.” Neville said cautiously. He was usually the voice of reason and Ginny was the impulsive one, so she wasn’t surprised by his concern. “How do we get around the Order’s protective measures? Where do we go? What do we do once we get outside?”

“We can’t just sit here and do nothing.” Ginny hissed at Neville, trying to keep her voice down. “Imagine what they did to Stephanie. I say we help Harry and get some payback. Draco will be home for Easter.”

She had a sinister grin on her face. It was a horrible thought, Ginny knew that much, but she had been cooped up inside the Burrow for way too long. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, like her parents didn’t trust her to help with the Order. What upset her even more was that the Order wasn’t going to let Dean and Neville help even though they were of age. According to McGonagall, both had been through too much and would still be in school if given the option. Ginny knew that was a lie. All she wanted was to help them bring down the Death Eaters.

“Is it possible?” Neville asked in a hushed whisper and Ginny realized that he was coming around. All she had to do was mention Stephanie’s name and he became putty in her hands. She hated manipulating him this way, but she had to get out of the Burrow. She had to do something. And what she hadn’t told him was that she had planned out their entire escape.

Late at night, while everyone else was sleeping, Ginny daydreamed about plans to get out of the Burrow and what she could do to help in the war. The time had come where she needed to put her plan into action or else she would go crazy in her own home. She lifted her head and looked around the room, making sure that no one was listening to their conversation.

But before she could tell Neville and Dean her plans, the door swung open and one of her brothers came in whistling excitedly. She took in the sight of Fred with amusement. There were mud stains on his pants and his shoes were soaking wet. His hair was ruffled in all directions and his face was dirty and tear-stained. After thinking for only a moment, Ginny realized that she wasn’t sure if she had ever seen her brother cry. He hadn’t even cried when their father had almost been killed at the Ministry of Magic during her fourth year. She was concerned for him, but his appearance was too amusing. And his facial expression told her that it was alright to make fun.

“What happened to you?” She asked, trying to hide her laughter.

“It’s been a long night.” Fred said seriously, though he had a wide grin on his face. “Where’s mum?”

“She’s in the kitchen.” Neville responded, looking quizzically at Fred Weasley. Ginny knew exactly what Neville was thinking because they had spent so much time together throughout the past months. He was wondering what had happened to Stephanie since they all knew that Fred had been at Shell Cottage alone with her all night long. But again, Neville remained silent.

Fred nodded and made his way toward the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Ginny didn’t say anything; she just motioned for the boys to join her as she walked closer to the door Fred had just disappeared behind. She wondered what was going on and she desperately wanted news.

“-can hear you!” Ginny could hear her mother squawking excitedly from behind the door.

“I don’t care if they can hear me, mum!” Fred’s voice was raising and Ginny knew that her brother was treading in waters too deep for him. She was confused by her brother’s sudden outburst at their mother. Neville tried to ask a question but she shushed him with a loud whisper.

“They are going crazy being cooped up in this house for so long!” Fred lowered his voice and Ginny found it difficult to hear, though she was surprised that the two hadn’t cast a spell to prevent their eavesdropping. “You have to start treating them like adults or else you are going to lose them.”

“But they are only children!” Molly argued with her son, though Ginny could tell that what Fred said had hit home for her mother. They had already lost one child, Percy, and Molly didn’t want to lose any more.

“Dean and Neville are adults, mum. And Ginny is almost there.” Fred’s voice was muffled through the door but she could sense the seriousness of his tone. She closed her eyes in concentration as her brother and mother continued to argue about her and her friends. “They have all survived being attacked by Death Eaters. I think they deserve your respect and their freedom.”

“I will not have them out there fighting alongside the Order.” Her mother said in another high-pitched squeak. Ginny knew that her mother was scared, but that rationalization didn’t make anything better.

“That is not what I am asking, mum. And you know it.” Fred said shortly. Ginny opened her eyes and saw Dean and Neville looking at her with confusion. Neither one of them could understand where Fred was getting the courage to stand up to her mother. It wasn’t completely out of character for him, but it was very random. “Keep them informed. That’s all they want.”

“I don’t know…” Ginny smiled at her mother’s words. Fred was clearly making Molly realize the damage she was doing to them. It was a big score in her fight for being treated as an adult.

“There’s more.” Fred paused, Ginny pictured him eyeing up his mother for a reaction. After a short moment of silence, Fred continued. “She wants to see them.”

“No.” Molly said simply. Ginny stood up quickly, planning to rush through the door and argue with her mother. Stephanie had finally asked to see them and her mother was going to say no! How dare she?

But Neville and Dean sensed her reaction and they held her back as quietly as they could. All she could do was stare angrily at them. “That bi-”

“Shh!” Neville whispered to her. “Let’s see what Fred has to say.”

And with that, though she wanted to confront her mother, Ginny returned to her position at the door. At first the voices were muffled, but then she could hear them once again.

“It would give them something to do and get them away from the Burrow.” Fred was rationalizing his request. “And it would be beneficial for Stephanie to get some new company. She wants to heal and for that to happen she needs to speak with Neville and Ginny.”

“Absolutely not.” Her mother spoke forcefully and Ginny shot Neville an angry glance. He was listening eagerly as well, but motioned for her to remain calm. Ginny took a deep breath and returned her ear to the door. “It’s too dangerous!”

“But I’ve been there every day since Christmas.” Fred spoke slowly, trying to convince their mother that this had to be done. “She has changed so much, just ask Bill.”

“It’s different for you.” Molly responded quickly. “You are in the Order.”

“Which you only allowed with reluctance.” Fred reminded his mother and she remained silent, hopefully in thought. “I will be with them at all times. Have Kingsley come with the first time if you are that worried. Don’t you think that Stephanie deserves at least that?”

There was a long moment’s silence and Ginny waited anxiously. She grabbed Neville’s hand and squeezed it tightly, hoping that her mother would allow them to go see Stephanie. If they were allowed out of the house then they wouldn’t have to run away. She hoped her mother realized that they needed this little bit of freedom.

“Fine.” Ginny placed her hands over her mouth to muffle an excited scream. She pumped her fist into their air. They were going to be allowed out of the Burrow. They were going to see Stephanie Potter for the first time since they were held captive. Things were beginning to look up for them. Neville and Dean stood up from their position and returned to their game of exploding snap. Ginny, however, remained glued to her spot and she quickly returned her focus to the door separating her from the kitchen. “You do realize that they are probably outside the door listening to this conversation?”

“Why do you think I didn’t want you to muffle it?” Fred laughed and Ginny smiled at the ingenuity of her brother. “How could you say no if you knew they were listening?”

Ginny heard a thump, as if something had been thrown across the room. She heard Fred laugh again in response. “Mum! Child abuse! Help!”

“Oh, hush.” Molly responded lightheartedly. “What happened to you anyway? You look like a mess!”

“She opened up to me.” Fred said simply. “I think I’m falling in love with her.”

“Oh, Fred!” Molly Weasley gushed at her son and Ginny couldn’t listen any more. She looked over to Neville sadly, though unable to tell him what she had just heard. Ginny knew that hearing the news would absolutely crush him. She tried to push the thought from her mind as she remembered that they were going to meet with Stephanie later that afternoon. Things would work out, they had to.

*~*~*~*

The weeks that he had been holed up in the Burrow had been long and excruciating. Sure, he loved Ginny and Dean so much, but there was only so much of a person that you could handle. And he was forced to spend so much time with them because the alternative was being alone. None of them wanted to spend too much time alone; it was enough to drive a person mad.

He still did what he could to help Mrs. Weasley around the house, though he did so in order to gain her trust. Neville wanted her to realize that he was grown and mature and could handle helping the Order fight against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. More than that, he wanted to spend some one-on-one time with a few Death Eaters in particular. But he had not yet been given the privilege. Soon, though, Neville knew that he would prove to everyone that he was a more powerful wizard than anyone gave him credit for.

And the only people that had been allowed to visit Stephanie Potter since she arrived at Shell Cottage were Fred, Bill, and Fleur; Bill and Fleur only because they lived there. On Christmas, Mrs. Weasley had felt bad that Stephanie was spending Christmas alone, so she had sent Fred to accompany her.

Fred never told them what had happened that day, though he did relay to Neville and Ginny that she thanked them for the present; Stephanie really appreciated getting the pendant back. Neville had debated in his mind giving it to her as a gift with Ginny, but the one gift he yearned to give Stephanie was still at his home, under his bed. There had been no opportunity for him to retrieve it for Stephanie. And he had yet to tell Ginny about the locket he had made for Stephanie, so there was no choice but for him to agree to the gift she had decided to give Stephanie for Christmas.

Neville was happy to hear the updates Fred constantly provided them. But Fred always talked about Stephanie with the same emotion in his eyes that Neville had experienced for a very long time. He didn’t hate Fred for the feelings that were had towards Stephanie because he understood how special she was. But it hurt him an indescribable amount that he didn’t even have a chance to compete with Fred Weasley. He hadn’t been allowed to see her.

But finally he was going to see her. Neville was going to see for himself the drastic changes that she had made since her arrival. While they waited for Kingsley to arrive to transport them to Shell Cottage, Fred continuously reminded them that Stephanie felt deep remorse for what she has done. He was prepared to witness her high level of self-doubt and constant reminders that she wasn’t worthy of her kindness. Neville didn’t care; he loved Stephanie Potter regardless of what she had done.

After the incident with Fred and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen that morning, Fred had come into the living room and informed them of what they already knew. Since then, Neville waited anxiously and finally the time had come. Kingsley’s voice could be heard outside the Burrow front door.

Instead of waiting for him to enter, Ginny and Neville shot towards the front door and greeted him outside. Ginny looked at him with a huge grin. “Let’s go!”

“Excited?” Kingsley asked and Ginny and Neville nodded in response. Fred followed them outside and would stay with them at Shell Cottage. Neville knew it was more for Stephanie’s comfort than for their protection, but he didn’t care. At least he was going be face-to-face with Stephanie Potter for the first time where they were free to just be.

Fred grabbed his sister’s hand and Kingsley took Neville’s arm and he felt the familiar tug on his naval, signaling the successful Disapparition from the Burrow. He never once closed his eyes so he didn’t have to adjust them when they arrived at Shell Cottage. He went to hurry inside the home, but Kingsley’s strong arm held him back for a moment.

“Take things slow.” Kingsley instructed in his deep voice. “This is a huge step for her. Don’t make any sudden movements.”

Neville and Ginny nodded their acknowledgement. Fred walked to the door and grabbed the handle. “Ready?”

He looked up at Fred with a more serious tone than he had ever relayed before. Neville was more ready for this than he could ever have imagined. This was his destiny and he was about to set eyes upon the girl that he loved deep within his soul. He took a deep breath and nodded in response, though he noticed that his hands had begun to shake. The anticipation was killing him.

Fred opened the door slowly and poked his head inside. Neville could hear him calling into the empty room, asking if Stephanie was ready for them. He couldn’t hear exactly what Stephanie said, but he did hear her responding to Fred. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Fred opened the door completely and allowed them to enter.

Stephanie was standing there in muggle jeans and a tight-fitting sweatshirt. He knew that the Weasley’s had done what they could to provide her with clothing. She had left everything behind when she had sacrificed herself for Neville and Ginny, and thus had nothing left. She had gained weight since the last time he had seen her and Neville was relieved. It had almost been as if the Death Eaters had starved her, though Neville knew that wasn’t possible. Before she had cut off all contact, Stephanie continuously told them about how Voldemort encouraged her to eat every meal.

Her long, red hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail high on her head. Both of her hands were nervously placed in the back pockets of her jeans and she was rocking back and forth. There was a nervous look on her face as she silently took in Neville and Ginny.

Neville wanted to rush over to Stephanie and embrace her tightly, to let her know that he loved her so much. And it took all he had to restrain himself. Kingsley had warned them not to make any sudden movements because she could easily be spooked. It was important that he do what he could to make her as comfortable as possible. This had to be very difficult for her.

Before any of them could break the silence, Kingsley stepped forward. He raised his hands in the air and gave Fred his wand. “I would like to speak with Stephanie before I leave. Is that alright, dear?”

Stephanie nodded, obviously speechless. Neville wondered what he would want to speak with her about, but he didn’t really care. He was awestruck by being in the same room as the amazing Stephanie Potter.

After about five minutes, Kingsley returned with Stephanie in tow. She looked much more confident after talking with Kingsley and Neville was relieved. Maybe he had given her a pep talk. Whatever it was, Stephanie was now comfortable with Ginny and Neville’s presence.

After Kingsley had gotten his wand back and said his goodbyes, he informed them that he would return in two hours; Stephanie slowly made her way towards Ginny. Stephanie lunged at Ginny, who had been caught off guard at the sudden movement. But once she realized what was happening, Ginny embraced Stephanie in return. Both girls had broken down to tears.

Then it was Neville’s turn to receive a hug from Stephanie Potter. She walked over to him after releasing Ginny and held him tightly. Neville wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, trying to convey all the emotions he had felt towards Stephanie that he had been unable to tell her. He could feel Stephanie’s chest rising and falling with each breath and her tears soak his shirt as she laid her head on his shoulder. Finally, she lifted her head and Neville felt her take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” Was all that she whispered into his ear. He didn’t know how to respond to that, knowing full well that he should tell her that she had nothing to be sorry for. But it was something that she had to say and he had to let her. He finally pulled her away, kissed her on the forehead, and let her know that he forgave her. His heart warmed intensely as she smiled in response. It was the first time Neville had ever seen her display a genuine smile. And it felt amazing.

*~*~*~*

Stephanie couldn’t believe how quickly the time went. She had already been freed from the Dark Lord for four and a half months. That meant it was already coming into May. It had been two months since she had that heart-felt discussion with Fred about her past and since the day that she had confronted Ginny and Neville.

She slept great that day, but she awoke with high anxiety about what was to come that afternoon. Her mind had bee racing wildly. Why had she told Fred that she wanted to see Neville and Ginny? They would most surely blame and hate her for what she had done to them, to Ginny’s family. But Fred didn’t hold her responsible, maybe they wouldn’t either. She wouldn’t blame them for doing so since she knew that what she had done during her life had been her fault on every level. She had committed those acts to save her own life, how was she not to blame for that?

The first few moments had been awkward, but Stephanie was rescued by Kingsley Shacklebolt. He pulled her off to the side and had a nice little chat with her. Stephanie remembered it perfectly.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked her, placing an encouraging hand on her shoulder. Stephanie looked up into his big, brown eyes and took him in for a moment.

She debated whether Fred had told this man what she had asked him to keep private, that she was doing this to tie up loose ends. Everything had to be done before she finally sacrificed herself for the good of mankind. But there was nothing in his eyes that told her he knew. Fred had kept his word even though it must have been tearing him up inside.

“Even though I don’t deserve it, I need to do this.” Stephanie continued to look him directly in the eye. She knew that she could trust this man who had bent over backwards for her many times. He had given her the pendant and he had taken care of her when she was being questioned at the Ministry. Without him, Stephanie would surely have been sentenced to Azkaban years ago. “I need their forgiveness.”

Kingsley nodded his understanding. After a few moments of silence, Stephanie watched as he reached inside his robes and pulled out a wand. Her mouth flew open as she realized it wasn’t just any wand. It was her wand! She lifted her arm to grab it and he raised it just out of her reach.

“There are several people who don’t think I should return this to you.” He explained and Stephanie just nodded, excited to finally be getting her wand back. She hadn’t seen it in along time and she missed it. That wand was the one she had learned magic on; Dumbledore had given it to her. “But I think it could come in handy. Just promise me one thing.”

Stephanie eyed her wand hungrily. She knew that she would not use it to summon the Dark Lord. After this long, he would surely punish her beyond anything she had ever endured before. For escaping him, he would surely kill her immediately. And it wasn’t time for her to die. Even though she had been sleeping well since her arrival, the Dark Lord had been taunting her in her dreams. Stephanie knew that it was through the Dark Mark on her arm that he had such access, but she wouldn’t let it bother her. He could not get to her while she was under the protection that Shell Cottage could offer. She would cherish this gift of trust that Kingsley Shacklebolt was extending to her at that moment. “Of course.”

“Take care of them.” At first, Stephanie didn’t know who he was talking about. But then his head bobbed toward the living room; he was motioning towards Neville and Ginny.

“They are my first priority.” She answered simply. Stephanie smiled at Kingsley as he handed her the wand. She fingered it excitedly, making sure that it was exactly what she was looking for. It was perfect, exactly as it had been when she lost it to Nikki Fullbright in Diagon Alley. She looked back up towards Kingsley and whispered, “thank you.”

He nodded and turned to leave the kitchen. Stephanie followed close behind and after he left them alone, she made her way towards Ginny and Neville. Respectively, she hugged them in a tight embrace and told them how sorry she was. It had taken awhile, but Stephanie finally felt that things were falling into place. They held no grudges against her, as Fred had reassured her, and they repeatedly told her how highly they regarded her.

And they had continued to come over every day since then. Two months of getting to know each other was exactly what they all needed. Dean Thomas would frequently visit, though he didn’t spend nearly as much time at Shell Cottage as Fred, Ginny, and Neville. George even accompanied Fred once in awhile, though she wasn’t sure what she thought of him at first. One Fred was enough for her. But George was Fred’s twin brother, so she remained quiet. Eventually, George’s sense of humor grew on her and she looked to him like a brother.

The group had done a lot of experimenting during their downtime and had created a new card game involving fire, a tennis ball, and a cat. It kept them laughing constantly and Stephanie was grateful for this new group of people to hang out with. She had never known what it was like to just spend time with friends, not worrying about a thing.

Of course, she never forgot that the Dark Lord and each of his Death Eaters were looking for her, hoping to catch her and murder her, and she never once told anyone about the dreams, not even Fred, but she often forced these thoughts out of her mind. She deserved to just relax for awhile. It would be time soon enough for her to get back into the thick of this war and she wanted to enjoy life as much as she could. This was the first time she had ever been happy to be alive.

And she knew that this new feeling would make it more difficult to do what she knew she would eventually have to do. Each passing day gave her increasing reasons not to sacrifice herself as she knew her destiny had planned, but she couldn’t let this distract her. Stephanie was going to do what she had to in order to bring down Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord. They had done nothing but make her life miserable and they had to pay. They had to suffer worse than what she had sentenced her victims to endure. They would suffer and they would die; although, Stephanie had vowed to herself that she would never be the person to commit these acts. Stephanie told herself that she would never kill another individual, no matter how much they deserved it.

Halfway through the third round of their new game, Stephanie glanced up and looked out the window. She squinted at what she thought she saw. It couldn’t be! There were three figures quickly making their way towards the front door of the cottage. Stephanie shot up and ran towards the door, her cards flying to the ground.

The others just looked at her curiously. Stephanie tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Mrs. Weasley made Bill promise to keep this security measure in place since Ginny was going to be spending so much time with Stephanie Potter. It was still there more to keep others out than to keep Stephanie in. Mrs. Weasley knew that the Death Eaters had put out a fifty thousand galleon price tag on Stephanie’s head alive and twenty-five thousand dead. So she wasn’t about to take any chances with her baby girl.

“Open the door!” Stephanie called towards Fred, who was the only person in the room with access to release the spell. He just looked at her, confused as to why she had this sudden outburst. “It’s him! It’s Harry!”


So, here it is! I know, I promised it Tuesday...but I finally sat down to write it yesterday. And I absolutely love the interaction between Fred and Mrs. Weasley. I love, love, love it! It shows so much of his character!!! Anyway, I've started this next chapter and HOPE to have it posted Sunday. If anything, I will make sure it will be posted by Monday. That's a promise! Please leave feedback and let me know what you thought about it!

Chapter Sixty: An Unexpected Reaction

The night that everything changed had been both the best and worst case scenarios that could have happened. Stephanie Potter was alive because of her own accord and ingenuity. She had summoned the help of the house elf, who stupidly died to return her to Hogwarts. It was something that Lily Evans would have done and Severus should have been expecting something of the sorts to happen.

And the Dark Lord had not been pleased by her escape. In fact, he had murdered Peter Pettigrew and Kieran Hargrave for their behavior and actions that night which had led to the escape of Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. Pettigrew was just a pathetic mess, but Mr. Hargrave had surprised him. Kieran had let lust cloud his better judgment.

After Stephanie had been Disapparated and he had assisted in her transfer from the Room of Requirement to Shell Cottage, Severus was placed in charge of questioning each of the students. He knew that none of them knew anything, so it didn’t bother him to use Veritaserum and Legilimens on any of the students.

The Dark Lord had stepped up his search for the girl, offering the public a great fortune for her capture dead or alive. But Severus wasn’t worried because the Order was keeping her safe. Severus had learned of her behavior after waking from her coma, but it was certainly something that had to be expected. Staying with a Weasley was much different and more horrifying than residing with Lucius Malfoy could ever be.

It had been his determination and plea to Minerva that the spells be continued, regardless of her newfound desire to remain at the cottage. Stephanie Potter was a master at manipulation and he was not willing to risk giving the girl any opportunity to return to the Dark Lord, though he surmised that she knew it would be a death sentence to do so. Minerva, though growing increasingly distrustful of him, agreed that Stephanie’s safety had to come first.

Now, it was almost May and there were only two months left in the school year. Students were continuing to disappear, though he knew exactly where they were going. Amycus and Alecto Carrow were stepping up their maltreatment of the students during their classes and in detention. The first students to seek shelter in the Room of Requirement had been Seamus Finnigan and Luna Lovegood and others soon followed.

The Dark Lord was putting increasing pressure on Xenophelius Lovegood to stop printing pro-Potter articles in the Quibbler. Ms. Lovegood had gone into hiding for her own protection and Xenophelius declined to back down. It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord visited the imbecile himself.

Severus tried to enter the Room of Requirement to speak with the students in hiding, but all attempts had failed. If he had wanted to spend the time trying to figure it out, he was positive there were ways around the protection the castle provided. But, in all honesty, these students were safer there. And then he didn’t have to explain himself for protecting them. To be honest, Severus was sick and tired of protecting people all the time. Wasn’t anyone capable of defending themselves anymore?

But his presence had been requested that night with the Dark Lord. He knew what his master could have wanted, but he wasn’t positive. When he entered Malfoy Manor, Severus bowed at his master’s feet. “My Lord.”

“Severus.” The Dark Lord said through gritted teeth. “Stand, my most trusted and faithful servant.”

Severus obliged and looked at his master in the eyes, waiting for the Dark Lord to speak first. He knew without looking around that there were several people in the room with them. Lucius, Dedrick, who had grown even nastier after the death of his brother, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan all stood behind him.

“Potter has been sighted with that mudblood, Granger.” The Dark Lord hissed in Severus’ direction, though he was not angry with Severus. “We were correct in our assumption that Xenophilius Lovegood has been in contact with him.”

“How do you know he was there?” He asked. Severus didn’t think that the man would notify Death Eaters of Harry’s arrival at his home, especially not with his daughter still at Hogwarts. It didn’t matter whether or not he knew where she was in the castle, Luna Lovegood was still there and in the presence of Death Eaters who could kill her with the simplest order from the Dark Lord.

“A spell placed there weeks ago, when we first ordered Lovegood to cease his publications, alerted us that Potter was there.” Bellatrix squealed in utter delight. Severus wondered why she was so happy since Potter had obviously escaped. “Travers and Selwyn arrived just as Potter was leaving.”

Severus looked around and noticed that the two were not in the room. He wasn’t affected at all by the realization of what their absence meant. That answered his question, though, as to why Bellatrix was so happy. “They allowed him to escape, I assume.”

“Selwyn and Travers are no longer with us.” The Dark Lord was still angry at yet another mistake by his Death Eaters. “What does it take to capture one silly seventeen year old boy?”

The smile faded immediately from Bella’s face and Snape stepped forward. “Do we have any idea why they were there?”

“Yes.” The Dark Lord said simply, though he refused to divulge any more information. Severus wanted to look at him curiously, but he didn’t dare to defy his master so blatantly. He forced himself to keep a blank expression. If the Dark Lord wanted him to know, the information would be shared with him.

“Do we know where they have gone?” He asked, looking at the Death Eaters behind him.

“After questioning Xenophilius, we discovered that Harry planned on visiting his sister.” Dedrick stepped forward, toward his master. He bowed at the Dark Lord’s feet. “Please, let me go in search of her, my Lord.”

“There will be time enough for that.” The Dark Lord smiled. “You will have your chance at revenge. This I promise you.”

“Let me question Lovegood, my Lord.” Severus looked back towards his master. He didn’t need to interview the man to know where Potter was headed, but at least he could show that he was devoted to the Dark Lord.

“That is impossible.” The Dark Lord responded with a wave of his hand. Severus nodded his head and stepped back, almost walking into Rodolphus. He knew the significance of the Dark Lord’s statement. And even though he didn’t particularly like any of the Lovegoods, the poor girl was now an orphan simply because Potter decided to visit her father. Did that boy have any common sense whatsoever?

Dedrick returned to his position behind Severus and there was silence for a few moments. Severus just stared as the Dark Lord called Nagini over and began petting her head. “The Order is falling. This war will be over soon and then you all will be rewarded beyond any of your greatest desires.

“But first.” The Dark Lord paused and looked up from his snake’s head. He turned his attention to the followers in the living room of Malfoy Manor. “We need to find Stephanie and Harry Potter. They are the key to my success.

“The girl will return to me soon, so we need to focus our attention on finding her brother.” Severus narrowed his eyes in concentration. He debated whether or not he should ask what the Dark Lord meant, but he decided to remain quiet. It was Lucius that broke ranks and asked the question.

“My Lord,” Lucius Malfoy spoke quietly, bowing before his master, and Severus looked at him with wonder. The man despised Stephanie Potter, why would he risk his own safety by inquiring about her? “How can you be so sure that she will return to you?”

“I have been speaking with her each night.” The Dark Lord smiled at his followers. It was an expression that Severus had seen many times before; his master was getting enjoyment by toying with the teenage girl. “She is breaking down a little more each time I speak with her. She will return to me soon, and then she will die.”

And that was all that he would disclose about his conversations with Stephanie. Severus knew that he had to speak with the girl before the Dark Lord convinced her to leave the confines of Shell Cottage. She could even decide to tell his master where she was and the protection of the cottage would be rendered completely useless. The Dark Lord was done with his conversation and all he did was order them all to leave.

And with that, Severus bowed and turned to leave the manor. His robes fluttered in the wind behind him as he delayed his return back to the school where students were continuing to defy him. Severus had to make one stop before he returned to Hogwarts that night. He just hoped that Potter wasn’t stupid and selfish enough to confront Stephanie at Shell Cottage and he hoped that Stephanie had wizened up to the manipulation powers of the Dark Lord. The little protection that had been placed there was not strong enough to withhold an attack by Death Eaters.

*~*~*~*

“Are you crazy?” Ron yelled towards Hermione after the trio escaped from the Lovegood home.

Harry was wondering the same thing, though he decided not to say anything. This was another argument between Ron and Hermione that he was going stay out of. At his insistence, they had gone to visit Xenophilius Lovegood. They had met him at Bill’s wedding earlier that year and Hermione figured that he could answer their questions about an image in the book that Dumbledore left her.

And he had, though Harry could tell that Hermione thought that the story about the Deathly Hallows was a load of bull. Harry, however, felt that it could have some truth in it. Why else would Dumbledore have given Hermione that children’s book? It all fit into place perfectly.

And as Mr. Lovegood went into the kitchen to make some snacks, Harry decided to go look around the house. It was rude to snoop around someone else’s house, but Harry was curious. Luna was obviously still at Hogwarts, and he hoped that she was safe, so he wanted to take a look inside her room.

Luna’s room had been a unique experience. There were pictures of him and a few others showing the world, at least those who had access to her bedroom, how much her friends meant to her. It was a little odd to have posters of your friends on the wall, but Harry thought it was cute. It fit Luna’s personality perfectly and he wouldn’t want her any other way.

But soon after Hermione and Ron had followed him up the stairs, they could hear two voices speaking harshly to Mr. Lovegood downstairs. They had listened intently, realizing quickly that they were the voices of two Death Eaters interrogating Mr. Lovegood.

“Where is he?” One of the Death Eaters barked at Mr. Lovegood.

Harry couldn’t understand his friend’s father’s muffled voice, but he did hear the second Death Eater’s threat very clearly. “We know that he is here! Amycus and Alecto are going to have so much fun when they receive news that you refused to help us. Your precious daughter is going to suffer before she dies!”

“Selwyn, Travers. Please don’t touch her! They are upstairs!” Harry could just imagine this man’s fear. His voice was desperate and pleading. Luna was the only thing that Mr. Lovegood had left in this world and Harry knew that not even Harry Potter was more important than that. “I was going to summon you, I swear.”

Hermione must have realized the same thing, so she called Ron and Harry closer to her and, without saying anything, covered Ron with the invisibility cloak. Then, she pointed her wand at the floor and bellowed, “Bombarda!”

And as the floor collapsed beneath them, Hermione clung to Ron and Harry tightly as they fell. He made sure to look at the two Death Eaters just before Hermione Disapparated them. Just a moment longer and they would have landed hard on the ground below, accessible to the stunned Death Eaters threatening Mr. Lovegood. Hopefully they would realize that he was not harboring Harry and his friends and would let him go unharmed.

“They had to see Harry.” Hermione explained why she did what she had. Harry understood completely and Ron looked more sympathetic after she was done. Hermione drew a deep breath. “Now what?”

“Like we told Mr. Lovegood, we go see Stephanie.” Harry answered without a second thought. His sister had been at Shell Cottage now since mid-December and it was definitely time for him to see her. They hadn’t heard anything about how she was doing and he didn’t really care. All he cared about was that she was alive, and he was sure that she was. He didn’t even care if Stephanie tried to kill him again, he needed to see her.

“Are you sure?” Ron asked and Harry nodded his head.

“It’s time.” Harry answered. Hermione grabbed both of their hands and raised her wand. He was so excited that he could barely contain himself. When they arrived at their destination, he looked at Hermione confusedly. “Where are we?”

“Shell Cottage is just over there.” Hermione pointed and Harry could see the faint outline of the home in the distance. At his questioning look, Hermione sighed in frustration and explained. “I just want to make sure we aren’t being followed.”

It sounded like it was a rational explanation, though Harry was too anxious to wait the time it would take to walk that distance. But, since his wand was broken, he conceded. He would have to accept that he would have to wait another few minutes to see his sister. And with that, they set out in silence. Harry didn’t take the time to look at his friends, he kept his eyes focused on the cottage in front of him, but he knew that they were excited as well.

Ron had seemed different since he returned to them a few months before. It was as if his time away from them had allowed him to mature. Somehow, Harry had always attributed this to Stephanie’s presence, though he wasn’t quite sure how the Death Eater side of her could have influenced his friend so greatly. But she clearly had. And Hermione could sense the difference in Ron too, which had allowed her to warm up to him much sooner than she would have prior to Ron’s disappearance.

Finally they were getting close to the cottage. He watched as the door opened and Stephanie ran out, though she stopped in her tracks on the mat just outside the door. She had an awkward smile on her face as if she was excited, but incredibly nervous at the same time. He began running towards her as a crowd of his friends came out of Shell Cottage. Neville had a huge grin on his face, Fred and George were smiling, and Dean Thomas stood in the background. Then, his eyes went to Ginny.

She was even more gorgeous than he remembered. Her red hair flowed in the wind and gently hit her face. There were tears running down her cheeks and she was clearly holding herself back. She was restraining herself from running to him, which made Harry love her even more.

And quickly he made it to his sister. He stopped in front of Stephanie, unsure of what to do. Harry couldn’t believe that Stephanie was actually standing in front of him. She looked so different from the person he remembered. His mind ran in a million different directions: he saw her at thirteen, kneeling to the ground to pick up the books Malfoy had thrown to the ground; he saw her in the graveyard, braver than anyone he had ever met; and, finally, he saw her at Hogwarts last year, trying to kill him so that she could survive.

Harry couldn’t believe how much Stephanie looked like the pictures he had seen of his mother. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that this was Lily Potter standing in front of him. He was breathless. He didn’t know what he should do, but there was only one thing he could think of as everyone stood there silently watching their reunion. Harry leaned in and wrapped her in a long embrace.

“I love you so much!” He said in her ear. It was something he had longed to tell her in person since he had found out that he had a sister. For so long, everyone, Death Eaters and Order members alike, had kept him from his sister. Now, they could finally be together. Although, Harry knew that this reunion would only last a short time. Voldemort still needed to be defeated, though he would never let his sister near any of Voldemort’s Death Eaters again. Harry would keep his sister safe at all costs.

But she surprised him by pulling back at his words. He looked at her and noticed there were tears in her eyes; she was looking deep into his own eyes. Harry didn’t take his eyes off of her as he swallowed hard. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t say that.” Stephanie answered quietly, reaching out to touch his arm. “Please don’t ruin this moment.”

“Why not?” He asked, forgetting about the others that were still watching their interaction. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to hear that he loved her. His doing so had always meant a lot to her when they were speaking through the diaries. Harry knew that she felt as if she didn’t deserve his love, but she had clearly changed since Ron had left. “You are my sister and I love you.”

“‘The only thing that unites us is blood.’” Stephanie whispered, looking only at him. Harry crinkled his eyebrows in concern. What does that mean? Why would she say that?

“What?” He asked, raising his voice a little. He studied her and realized that there was sadness in her expression and defeat in her voice. Her eyes were lost, as if she was remembering a memory from long ago. Harry reached out to touch her arm, to show her that he cared, but that was obviously the wrong move.

Her expression turned to one of anger and she began shifting in her position. “Why would you come here?”

“Because I wanted to see you.” Harry was getting desperate. Why was she reacting like this? He had imagined their meeting over and over in his mind and he thought he had seen every reaction possible. Harry had even been prepared for his sister to be the same person she had been that night at Hogwarts, but she was clearly different from any of the versions of his sister that he had ever known. How was he supposed to react? He turned to Hermione and Ron who were standing behind him for support.

“We all wanted to see you.” Hermione spoke up, stepping closer to Stephanie. Harry watched as Stephanie’s facial expression turned to one he had seen before. She began laughing uncontrollably. He watched as Stephanie clutched her stomach as she tried to catch her breath.

The others were watching the scene in confusion. He looked at Neville and Ginny for some sort of assistance, but they appeared completely dumbfounded. Fred stepped forward from the crowd and walked towards her. He grabbed her hand when he reached her side; Harry backed away slowly from his sister.

But Stephanie pulled her hand away from Fred. She first gave the Weasley a dirty look, and then she turned to glare at Harry. He had no idea what was going on.

“You came here so that you could lie to me?” Stephanie said, narrowing her eyes as she walked forward. Harry just stood there, feeling like a complete moron. What was going on?

He shook his head. “I’m not lying to you, Stephanie.”

Stephanie turned around so that she could address those that had been inside the cottage with her. She pointed towards Harry as she spoke. “He told the Dark Lord how he truly feels about me.”

Stephanie paused to turn towards him. Then she almost yelled the words that he had supposedly said. “‘How could anyone love her!’”

*~*~*~*

She had completely forgotten about the gift that the Dark Lord had given her the day that she had committed her first murder. The Dark Lord showed her what had exactly happened at the Ministry of Magic the night that her godfather had been killed. The Dark Lord had shown her Harry’s true colors, and then Harry came to her lying about how he felt towards her.

It would have been fine with her if he admitted that he blamed her for what she had done, because she continued to blame herself. She would have understood if he had said that he hated her because of the pain she had caused the world. But he said the three words that she had never wanted to hear from his voice after she had seen that vision. That vision was the reason she had decided to murder her brother.

“I never said that!” Harry responded, looking at her with pain in his eyes. She knew that she was hurting him by acting this way, but she didn’t want him lying to her. Stephanie had had too many people try to manipulate her and she was done with it all.

“Please don’t lie.” Stephanie lowered her voice but didn’t lower her gaze from Harry’s eyes. Fred had tried to hold her hand in a measure of support, but she needed to do this alone. “It’s fine that you don’t like me, because I don’t like myself. But please don’t lie about it.”

“Stephanie,” Hermione’s voice cut through the thick tension, breaking Stephanie’s concentration. She turned towards Hermione momentarily. “When did he say that Harry told him this?”

She didn’t need to think about it; Stephanie remembered it perfectly. But she began tugging on her sweatshirt nervously. She didn’t like talking about conversations between her and the Dark Lord with these strangers. But they had to know what kind of person that Harry truly was. “The Dark Lord showed me what happened in the Ministry when he tried to retrieve the prophecy. Harry told him that I was going to pay for betraying the Order of the Phoenix. He admitted to the Dark Lord how much he hated me.”

“Stephanie.” Ginny and Neville both said, stepping forward. Her expression softened as she remembered that they were still there. It was Neville that continued after looking to Ginny for permission. “We were there that night. Harry didn’t mention you at all though You-Know-Who tried to get him to admit that he was communicating with you.”

“I didn’t want to be the reason you were punished.” Harry said gently from her side. She looked up at him hesitantly. Was it true? Stephanie knew that her master had manipulated her into seeking his admiration, but would he have lied to her about that? Stephanie closed her eyes and swallowed hard as the realization hit her.

The reason she had hated her brother for so long had been a fabricated lie. She remembered having thought that her master could have been lying to her, but she refused to believe it. And then he had told her about his past in Little Hangleton, reaffirming her belief that he trusted and loved her. Had that been just a story too? It had to have been; otherwise the Dark Lord would not have any followers. Those Death Eaters would never worship a half-blood as the Dark Lord had told her he was. Had anything in her life been real?

She looked at Harry for a moment, tears coming to her face. She felt so stupid. He really did care about her; how could she have ever thought otherwise? And she realized that she still cared for him deeply too; Harry really was the only family that she had left. The Dark Lord had tried to take away everything that she had, but now she was getting them back bit-by-bit. She was gaining more than she ever could have imagined.

Tears fell from her eyes as she realized what she had done. Harry was hurt because she had been so horrible to him, the others were concerned, and Stephanie’s insides burned. Did she just lose everything that she had worked so hard to overcome? Even if Harry hated her now, Stephanie knew that she would have the courage to continue fighting against the Dark Lord in her dreams. She would even be able to face him when this war finally exploded. Stephanie was stronger now than anyone could have ever predicted.

The best part of the situation was that her strength, resistance, and persistence came directly from a lie created by the Dark Lord to manipulate her into murdering her brother. This one act perpetrated by the Dark Lord would lead to his very downfall, Stephanie was sure of it.

Stephanie slowly walked closer to her brother and she watched as his muscles tensed. His face was serious and he was clearly worried, though she could tell he wasn’t afraid for his own safety. He was more worried about how Stephanie had reacted to his presence than he could ever be concerned for his own safety. And Stephanie realized that this was what it felt like to have family who cared about her. Every single person standing in the yard that day was a part of her family and Stephanie was grateful for everything they had done for her.

She leaned in when she reached Harry and she hugged him. At first, his arms remained by his side, but he slowly raised them and squeezed her tightly. She stood on her tiptoes as she embraced her twin brother. Tears were still flowing from her eyes, causing wet marks to appear on Harry’s shirt dirty and stained. She hoped that he didn’t mind as she continued to hold him.

At that moment, there was no one else more important in the world. This had been a moment that Stephanie had yearned for while she was stuck in a locked room, held captive in a cellar, suffering extreme punishments, and doing whatever she could to survive. For so long, Stephanie had wondered why she had survived her time with the Malfoys and then her time as a Death Eater. But Stephanie suddenly realized that this was exactly why she had survived.

She had survived so that she could make up for all the wrongs she had done in her life. A few months ago, Stephanie had realized that she would have to sacrifice herself for the greater good, but now that greater good was focalized in one direction. Fate had allowed her to survive so that she could make her brother proud. Stephanie would not sacrifice herself for the world; she would sacrifice herself for her brother. Harry would finally be proud to call her sister.

Just before they were about to separate, Stephanie lifted her head so that her mouth was close to his ear. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stop crying. Then she spoke the words that her heart told her should be spoken. “I’m sorry.”



So, I was all giddy while I read and edited this chapter too. I absolutely loved Stephanie's reaction to Harry's presence. And I think it was a little unexpected, too. And I just noticed that I am a little behind in the schedule, but I needed Stephanie to remain at Shell Cottage for just a little longer. Her changes couldn't happen immediately. So, the battle, which is coming soon, will take place in June...not May. Sorry if there was any confusion about that! I will try to post the next chapter during the week, but it might not be up until Friday. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to let me know what you thought!

Chapter Sixty-One: Confronting the Dark Lord

He stood in the corner of the room, hidden by the shadows of the darkness. The moon was shining through the window and he watched as Stephanie slept, curled up in a tiny ball under the covers. He watched in discomfort as he noticed that she was in pain. The girl’s face was pale and she was sweating profusely. Her lips were moving softly as though she was talking to someone, but no words were coming out of her mouth. Severus knew that the Dark Lord must have been communicating with her, so he remained silent. He wanted to see how this affected the girl.

After about thirty minutes of waiting, Stephanie finally awoke with a start. She opened her eyes and sat up as she gasped for breath; the girl pulled her legs to her chest as she let out a low sigh. Her head rested on her knees as she thought about what had just happened. After a few moments, Severus slowly emerged from the shadows and Stephanie let out a startled scream. Then she quickly reached for the wand that was on her nightstand and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” He said with a lazy wave of his hand. Stephanie’s wand flew from her hand and landed silently on the carpeted floor. She sat there, staring at him and unspeaking. “If I wanted to harm you, you would have been dead long ago.”

“How did you get in here?” Stephanie demanded after her breathing had slowed. She pulled the blankets up to her chest in an anxious attempt to protect herself, but Severus could detect a hint of hatred in her voice.

He was always confused by his feelings for this girl. At times, her arrogance was worse than her father’s and yet he admired that quality about her. She was as brave as her mother had been. Why did this girl have to bring everything rushing back to him? Why was Stephanie Potter the only person left in this world that he cared about? And why did she have to be so difficult?

“You sleep with your door locked and the Muffliato Spell cast on your room.” Severus spoke snidely. As talented and powerful as the girl was, she still had much to learn. He was amused because Stephanie was so stubborn that she would never admit that fact. “And yet you fail to cast an Anti-Apparition field.”

Stephanie rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She yawned as she spoke. “But the Order has protected the cottage. People can’t Apparate in.”

“Correction.” Severus scolded her, and then conjured a chair for him to sit down next to her bed. “Those with access to this house have been given permissions for Apparition. Any one of those children downstairs could do so if they were intelligent enough to attempt it.”

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He enjoyed getting under her skin because she reacted so emotionally towards him. It frustrated her that he would never give her a break. But if he had ever made anything easy for her, she would not have been able to defend herself as she had over the years. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t realize that he was tough on her for her own good. Children rarely saw outside their own worldviews.

“What are you doing here?” She snapped at him, obviously frustrated that someone had been allowed inside her bedroom late into the night and had gotten around her protective measures.

“It took you forever to come to bed.” Severus said mockingly. “Your brother foolishly risked your safety by making an appearance here, though I suspect that you are relieved to see him. I wonder why you lock him out and make sure that he cannot hear what goes on inside your room.”

“We spent a long time talking tonight.” Stephanie’s eyes softened a little, though she still looked very suspicious of him. “But I don’t know why you care. What do you want? I’ve already told the Dark Lord that I’m not returning to him.”

“There’s a lot that you do not know.” Severus retorted. “And I’m not here to take you back to the Dark Lord, foolish girl. I want to see what he is saying to you.”

“Why?” Stephanie asked, pulling the covers even more tightly around her body. Her face softened even more with his request and Severus realized how nervous she was. She was safe from the Dark Lord and yet he continued to torment her. He could not touch her.

“If I am to continue what I am doing, it is highly imperative that I remain informed of the situation.” Severus explained more patiently than he would have if it were a Hogwarts student asking these questions. Stephanie deserved the right to be cautious about her private issues; very little had been considered trustworthy in her life. But she still should have realized that Severus was an ally, which frustrated him beyond measure.

“But I still don’t understand why it matters what he is saying to me.” Stephanie argued with him and Severus sighed. “It’s not like you ever cared before.”

Severus raised his hand in anger, almost losing his temper. Stephanie didn’t even flinch as he held himself back from slapping her. He stood up and walked across the room; he needed to take a moment and compose himself.

After he took a few breaths and could speak to her calmly, Severus returned to his chair by her bed. “I risked my life to keep you safe many times throughout the years. Instead of sleeping in my bed, I am here to see what I can do to protect you. Don’t. Ever. Say. That. Again.”

Severus watched as Stephanie swallowed hard. She looked down at her knees, as if she was ashamed of herself. He gave her a few moments to debate in her mind whether she should let him see the dreams, but he didn’t have much time. “Stephanie, I can take it by force if you do not give me permission.”

Stephanie looked back up to him, looking defeated. She nodded her head in his direction and Severus raised his wand in preparation for performing Legilimens. Just as he was about to go inside her mind, Stephanie interrupted him. “Wait.”

He paused mid-spell and waited for her to continue. “I haven’t even told Fred about this. Please don’t tell anyone what you see; I don’t want them to know.”

“Of course.” Severus responded, though he never had any intention of disclosing this information to anyone, not even Minerva. As horrible as people thought him to be, Severus was very understanding of people’s privacy. What he saw in their minds was for his own eyes only and for them to decide whether or not to share.

“I will show you the important ones, then.” Stephanie said softly, sitting up straighter in her bed. The sheets fell to her lap as she prepared to allow Severus into her mind for the first time in years. Severus nodded and delved into Stephanie Potter’s dreams.

He was standing in the dark, watching Stephanie. She was sitting in a chair, looking around confusedly.

“Hello?” She asked nervously, though trying desperately not to let her fear show on her face. It was the same Stephanie he had known over the years; even though no one was around, she was still trying to prove how strong she was. Severus watched emotionless as a figure approached them from a distance.

“Stephanie Potter.” A voice spoke as the figure became closer. Severus recognized the man and voice as his master approached. Instead of watching the Dark Lord, Severus’ gaze continued to penetrate the girl. She looked calm and collected while being confronted by the man who had sentenced her to death. Stephanie tried to get out of the chair, but she couldn’t move. The Dark Lord laughed as she attempted to stand. “Safety precautions, you understand.”

“Master.” Stephanie said simply. It wasn’t a plea; it was just a simple fact. Stephanie was merely acknowledging his presence. Severus narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what was going through her mind.

“It is good to see you alive, my dear.” The Dark Lord smiled at her and the girl still maintained a blank expression. It was odd to see that she wasn’t afraid of him. The Dark Lord, however, didn’t seem bothered by Stephanie’s reaction. “It must be horrible being forced to stay with those blood traitors. Tell me where they are keeping you and I will come for you. The Order of the Phoenix can do nothing for you, but I will reward you for returning to my service.”

“But master,” Stephanie said in an almost whisper, looking away from the Dark Lord. Shame had come to her face now, though Severus wasn’t completely sure that it was genuine. The Dark Lord looked pleased at what he saw. “I betrayed you.”

“Those prisoners meant nothing to me, Stephanie.” The Dark Lord said to her with a wave of his hand. Severus knew that he was lying to the girl, but she appeared to be considering what he was telling her. “They were inconsequential. It is you that is important to my organization. You, my dear Stephanie, are the most important person in my powerful regime. Tell me where they are keeping you and I shall come to rescue you.”

“But you are going to kill me.” Stephanie said with a somewhat shaky voice. She eyed her master with a small amount of fear, but Severus couldn’t help but feel that she was acting this out.

The Dark Lord appeared as though he was losing his patience. He started pacing in front of the girl, who remained stuck in the chair. After a few moments, the Dark Lord knelt in front of her and commanded her slowly. “Tell me where you are.”

“No.” Stephanie said, all emotion draining from her face. She narrowed her eyes at the Dark Lord with defiance, a tiny smile creeping to her face.

Severus watched as the Dark Lord raised his wand. His master was furious that this girl was challenging his authority. She had always been quick to follow any order she was given; the Dark Lord must have been wondering how she had gained the courage to resist him. Though he would never admit it to anyone, especially not the girl, Severus was proud of her behavior. There was no way that she ever would have said no to the Dark Lord the last time Severus saw her.

“Fine, then. You always were such a stupid little girl.” The Dark Lord smiled sinisterly at her. “Crucio!”

But Stephanie didn’t move. She just looked at the Dark Lord with contempt as her master repeated the spell. “Crucio!”

“It won’t work, my Lord.” Stephanie said with a laugh.

“You are wrong, Stephanie. Such a naïve little girl.” The Dark Lord returned her smile. Severus realized what was going on immediately. Stephanie was performing Occlumens on the Dark Lord, preventing the effects of his Curse to affect her. “Crucio!”

When it didn’t work for the third time, the Dark Lord slapped Stephanie hard across the face. Her head turned with the force of the blow, but she quickly returned it to its original position. Severus was surprised to see her smiling at the man who had just hit her.

“When did you become such a skilled Occlumens?” The Dark Lord sneered into her face. Stephanie didn’t move even though the Dark Lord was almost on top of her, furious with her defiance.

“You always underestimated my abilities, my Lord.” Stephanie spoke confidently. “And it kills you now that you have no control over me.”

The Dark Lord was absolutely irate. Severus watched as his master breathed heavily. The Dark Lord backed away from Stephanie, shocked by her newfound confidence. He whispered angrily and then disappeared. “You are not going to be safe forever, my dear. I am going to hunt you down and then I am going to kill you, Stephanie Potter.”

Then the scene faded before him. After a few moments, a bright light emblazoned the memory. He had to shield his eyes to see Stephanie sitting in the chair again, though she was wearing different clothes; it was a new night. This time, however, the Dark Lord was already there.

“You pushed me too hard.” Stephanie was explaining to the Dark Lord, who was pacing nearby. The conversation had obviously been going on for some time, but Severus understood that Stephanie wanted him to see this specific portion. There had to have been many memories to choose from, so this must have had some significance. The two appeared as though they were having a friendly conversation, which was not like his master to waste such precious time.

“Explain.” The Dark Lord said simply, rubbing his chin deep in thought.

“I felt abandoned and alone.” Stephanie admitted to the Dark Lord. Severus couldn’t help but think how foolish it was to disclose such personal information to the man who was going to kill her. He continued to listen intently with interest as to where Stephanie was taking this. “Dumbledore’s pendant had stopped working, Bella had murdered Sirius, and I was no longer communicating with Harry. I felt so alone.

“But then you, my Lord, were kind to me. You had long ago rescued me from the life of servitude I had been sentenced to and, though I also feared you, I admired you for that.” Stephanie paused to smile at the Dark Lord. He had stopped pacing and stood in front of her, watching with interest. “And after you took me to Little Hangleton, I knew that you cared about me as well, or so I thought. It was then that I vowed to serve only you. From that moment on, I knew that I would do anything I could for you, including murder my brother.

“But you continued to push me beyond any limits imaginable. You constantly punished me for things that were out of my control. That night with Max Brownwell is one example. See, your Death Eaters never once trusted me and they let me know it every day until the very end.

“They shot jinxes at me while you were torturing the traitor. And instead of questioning why I was behaving the way I was, you assumed that I was purposely causing the commotion. And then afterwards, Dolohov took me aside and threatened me. When we returned to the manor, I was punished because he told you that I had tried to escape.

“I was punished for murdering Marcus Flint, when to this day I still don’t know what caused my powers to increase as they did.” Stephanie took a moment to catch her breath and to look at the Dark Lord for a reaction. He merely stared back at her, unwilling to speak.

Stephanie had just confirmed Severus’ belief that the other Death Eaters had threatened her. With one mention of what was happening to her behind his and the Dark Lord’s back, Stephanie could have been spared from a lot of the pain she had endured. But yet she had remained silent. Severus couldn’t help but continue to be astonished by the actions of this teenage girl.

“And I was doing all I could to get that information out of Ginny and Neville. But they didn’t know anything, and I suspect that you knew that all along.” Stephanie once again smiled at the Dark Lord. “But then you gave me twenty-four hours to retrieve that information or else I would be killed. That was when you broke me free from your clutches, my Lord. I knew that nothing I ever did would be good enough for you and it was your own insistence that allowed me to regain my senses. You pushed me too hard.”

“I had to be sure that you were loyal to me.” The Dark Lord responded. “You had already spared your brother once. And you were betraying me by communicating with him, how could I trust you?”

“Then you should have killed me immediately.” Stephanie taunted her master. “You taught me the art of manipulation, my Lord; you made me a powerful witch. And it was your own greed that kept me alive.”

The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes at her. Severus knew the attempt would be pointless, but the Dark Lord was continuing to pressure her into disclosing anything to him. “Where are you?”

“That is all for tonight.” Stephanie smiled and the scene ended.

Severus was completely awestruck by how Stephanie was speaking to the Dark Lord. Granted this was only through Stephanie’s dreams, but he would never have imagined she would be capable of that. She had disclosed those stories to her master to taunt him. Severus had thought that the Dark Lord was harassing Stephanie, but he only continued to come to her in hopes that she would make a mistake. But Severus could tell by the look of concentration of her face that Stephanie was being very careful about each word that she said. Stephanie would never disclose any hint of where she was hiding. Severus was impressed.

Then, Stephanie and the Dark Lord appeared in front of him once again. This time, Stephanie was walking around the room instead of sitting in the chair. The Dark Lord was nearby, but clearly keeping his distance from the girl.

“You will never learn where I am staying. Why do you keep coming to me?” Stephanie asked. There was no measure of taunt or anger in her voice; she was genuinely interested to hear the answer.

“You are proving your impressive abilities, Stephanie.” He spoke calmly, though Severus could tell that it was annoying him that a teenage girl was challenging his power. “I am impressed by your ability to stand up to me, most people who do so would never do it again. But you are fearless, and I admire that about you. It is remarkable that you can perform Occlumency so perfectly to keep me from harming you and then to remove me from your mind at your will.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” Stephanie smiled in admiration. Severus truly hoped that she wasn’t buying the lies her master was feeding her. The Dark Lord was trying to manipulate her; he was trying to gain her trust so that she would tell him where she was staying. Severus wanted to slap her to regain her senses, but he knew that it would have no effect in Stephanie’s memory.

“In fact, it is because of your defiance that I have come to you with a compromise.” The Dark Lord walked over to Stephanie for the first time during this scene and took hold of Stephanie’s hands. The girl looked up into his eyes expectantly.

“Yes, my Lord?” Stephanie asked quietly. There was something different about her this time. She seemed more infatuated by the Dark Lord than in previous memories. Severus rubbed his chin, hoping that he wasn’t about to hear what he thought was going to happen.

“You, my dear, have proven to be my equal.” The Dark Lord said gently and Severus watched as Stephanie took in a deep breath. This was an incredible moment, even though Severus knew that the Dark Lord was using this statement to manipulate the girl. He watched anxiously as the scene unfolded before him. “If you return to me, I hope that you would rule the world as my partner.”

“Master!” Stephanie breathed in excitedly. Her breaths were coming faster and faster as she took in what the Dark Lord was telling her. “And you wouldn’t have me killed?”

“On the contrary.” The Dark Lord smiled and let go of her hands. “You would be greatly protected.”

“Would I have power and control over the rest of the Death Eaters?” Stephanie asked. There was a twinkle in her eye that concerned Severus. She couldn’t be seriously contemplating accepting this offer. It was ridiculous. The girl would be killed the moment she stepped foot in the Dark Lord’s presence.

“Of course.” The Dark Lord chuckled, clearly amused by her request.

“Can I think about it?” Stephanie asked.

“I shall return to speak with you tomorrow evening.” The Dark Lord bowed before her. “Together, we will cause more fear and destruction than could ever be imagined.”

“Tomorrow.” Stephanie said.

“Just remember, Stephanie, that I have always taken care of you.” The Dark Lord spoke so softly that Severus began to get sick to his stomach. How could Stephanie believe his lies? Severus wondered. “I have been the only one that has ever cared about you.”

Stephanie nodded and the scene disappeared. Before he could even contemplate what he had just seen, Severus was thrust from the girl’s mind. He just looked at Stephanie, who was still sitting in her bed. She pulled the covers back up to her chest and waited for him to speak.

*~*~*~*

She sat there for a few moments, just staring at him. Stephanie hated Severus Snape with all of her might. He had never been nice to her and was always working to make her life more difficult. During their lessons back at Hogwarts, he would torment and taunt her. He would ignore her when they were with the Dark Lord. And when she most needed him, he placed a spell on her making it impossible for her to speak to the Dark Lord about him. The only thing he had ever done for her was deliver letters to and from Sirius, though he only did so because Dumbledore told him to.

This man despised her more than she despised him. And now he was here, in her bedroom, late into the night. At least she now had control over what Severus Snape could see in her mind. Stephanie chose those three memories for very specific reasons.

The first memory was the first time that the Dark Lord had come to her in her dreams. Her master was so nice to her, trying to convince her to return to him. It was very similar to when she had first met him and he was trying to gain her trust. But she wasn’t falling for it this time. She was playing yet another role, but this one was to convince the Dark Lord that she was still on his side.

“You performed Occlumency to block the Dark Lord from Cursing you, so I know you are capable.” Snape broke into her thoughts. “Why don’t you permanently block him from your mind?”

Stephanie cocked her head to the side and thought about that question for a moment. Then she answered without venom in her voice. “Surprisingly, I am enjoying the companionship and the challenge.”

Snape eyed her suspiciously at her answer. Stephanie smiled at his reaction and continued explaining why she had decided to continue communications with the Dark Lord. “I absolutely adore everyone who is here. They have done so much for me since I have arrived here at the cottage, but they cannot truly understand what I have gone through. Don’t get me wrong. They are trying to understand, but it’s just not the same.

“The Dark Lord knows everything. And he thinks that I’m still the same person I was when I betrayed him so many months ago.” Stephanie paused to look at Snape a little longer. He showed no emotion, though he was clearly deep in thought. “And this allows me to see how good I really am. Can I manipulate him into thinking that I will return to him? That I am weaker than he is?”

“So you are not planning on returning to him?” Snape asked and Stephanie had to laugh. She had shown him the third memory only to cause doubt in his mind.

“Of course not.” Stephanie laughed half-heartedly. “I know that he is going to have me killed the minute I step foot in Malfoy Manor. He is going to want me out of the way as soon as possible. But that is not going to happen…quite yet.”

“You should be more careful.” He reprimanded her. Stephanie wasn’t fazed by him because she didn’t care what he thought. There was no way that she was going to make the mistake and disclose her location to the Dark Lord. “He is more powerful than you think he is.”

“And he continuously shows his flaws.” Stephanie responded coolly. This was the first time that she had the confidence to debate with this man, and it increased her self-confidence tenfold. “Which only makes him weaker.”

“Intrigue me.” Snape drawled out. He rubbed his chin lightly, thinking about what she was telling him.

“First, he cannot understand love. I didn’t either until I was allowed to come here.” Stephanie looked at him for a response. She knew that he had had feelings for her mother when they knew each other, but she doubted that he was still capable of expressing that emotion. “When Dumbledore first approached me, I didn’t want to leave the comfort of what I had always known. I knew that I had it rough, but I never thought that what other kids had was all that better.

“So I decided to stay, telling people that it was for my brother. I wanted to help my brother, but I was also scared of what I didn’t know.” Stephanie didn’t take her eyes off Severus Snape, unsure of whether he could understand. “But these people who have taken me in have shown me what I have been missing my entire life.

“They have cared about me unconditionally despite the things that I have done to both them and other people. And I believe that they would do anything for me.” Stephanie looked deep into this man’s eyes, trying to find some sort of compassion or empathy that she knew he had once felt for her mother, but she found nothing. “And the Dark Lord cannot understand the power that this emotion, love, can hold. He will kill me the moment I enter his presence, and yet he continues to tell me that he is the only person who loves me. He does not love me nor do I love him. I felt infatuation for my master because I did not understand anything about love.”

“What about Kieran Hargrave?” Snape asked, leaning forward. He placed his hands in his lap as he listened to Stephanie talk.

And she wasn’t sure why she was telling this man so much because she despised him. But he was there and he was company. She couldn’t talk about the Dark Lord with the others because they cringed every time she mentioned him. They were afraid of him, even though he was just a man.

“That wasn’t love or infatuation.” Stephanie responded honestly. “That was a relationship of seeking pure power. Both of us were using the other to manipulate them for what we wanted. I wanted to show the Dark Lord how powerful and loyal I was; Kieran merely wanted sex. And I used his desire to get what I wanted in the end; privacy to free Ginny and Neville.”

“You said the Dark Lord continues to show his weaknesses.” Snape prodded her to continue. Stephanie looked at him in interest. There was clearly something that he wasn’t telling her, but she didn’t really care. She sensed that it had something to do with Kieran, but she didn’t want to know or speak any more about him.

“Yes.” Stephanie continued, speaking matter-of-factly. “He can’t admit when he’s failed or been defeated. Searching for me has become his passion. The Dark Lord will not admit that I escaped because of his own greed; that is why he continues to speak with me each night.

“He forced me to be the person I became, and I will do what I can to make sure he is defeated. The prophecy may say that Harry needs to kill him, but I can help to make sure that happens.” When she finished, Stephanie noticed that Snape had a weird expression on his face; was it concern? She couldn’t tell.

“You understand that you will die if you use magic against the Dark Lord or a Death Eater, correct?” He asked in his signature monotonous drawl.

Stephanie nodded her understanding. Of course she understood. She was reminded of the curse every time she looked at her arm. Stephanie unconsciously tugged at the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

“It won’t be painless. You could just stay here, hidden, until this war is over and suffer no pain at all.” Stephanie glared at him. Did he not know who she was or what she had gone through? How could she just sit and watch other people fight her master?

“I am no longer a naïve fool, professor.” Stephanie took a deep breath and spoke through gritted teeth. “You and I both know that I will never be truly safe until every Death Eater is murdered or captured. Even if Harry manages to defeat the Dark Lord, it would be impossible to know for sure if they had everyone in custody.”

Snape nodded at her and she paused for a breath. She was speaking so fast that she was losing control of her breathing. She took a moment to calm herself and her anger began to subside. Stephanie realized that Snape was providing an outlet for her emotional expression. She continued more slowly this time.

“I refuse to live in fear for my own life any longer. I have decided to die when I want; to go out on my own terms.” Snape cocked his head to the side and looked at her with, what she could tell anyway, amazement. It lasted only a second, but she was positive it had been there. Snape stood up from his chair and summoned it away.

“Very well, then. If you are foolish enough to sacrifice yourself, then I cannot stop you. There is nothing more that I can do for you. Goodbye Stephanie.” And with a wave of his wand, Severus Snape Disapparated from her bedroom.



So, here's this chapter. I love her interaction with Snape! It definitely shows how much she has grown and matured over the years!! So, please, tell me what you think about it! Here's the deal. (I had way too much free time this week). The next chapter is almost complete and will probably be posted later this weekend or on Monday.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Truth or Dare

Severus stepped into his quarters back at Hogwarts and sat on his bed. This girl knew that she was going to die; she understood that it would be more painful than anything she had ever endured. And, yet, she was still going to perform this deed to prove to the world how strong she was.

Severus was baffled by her strength and determination. Stephanie continued to allow the Dark Lord into her dreams at night so she could continue to challenge herself, even though she had resigned to her own death. But contrary to what would be expected, Stephanie Potter had not given up on life. She had merely come to the realization that her own future looked bleak. Stephanie wanted to do what she could with the little time that she had left. It was an incredible epiphany and Severus was glad that he had visited the girl that night.

It would probably be the last time that he would ever speak to her or see her alive. The Dark Lord was getting impatient with the progression of this war; Severus could sense that the time was nearing when the war would begin and a clear winner would be chosen. Soon, Stephanie would be forced to put her decision into action and end her own life as she wanted.

He was impressed by the maturity and insight she had shown, though she was clearly still a teenager at heart. Stephanie still had little control over her temper, which she had let loose on Severus that night. But for some reason, unlike her brother, Severus could not fault her for that. Maybe it was because she had been held prisoner for most of her life; maybe it was because she had proven herself repeatedly to be a strong individual. Whatever it was allowed him to feel compassion for the first time in his life.

And he finally realized what he felt for this girl. Thanks to Lily Evans and Albus Dumbledore, Severus had been given the opportunity to be a father-like figure to this child. His chances to become a father had been murdered with Lily, but he had unconsciously and unwillingly become a father to Stephanie Potter.

He was so impressed by her that he knew he would do anything for her. Severus didn’t want to see her suffer any more than she already had; he only wished that he could do something to stop her from going through with her suicidal plans. But he also couldn’t help but admire her for the tough decision she had made. It had been dangerous for him, spying on the Dark Lord and working for the Order of the Phoenix. As he had previously told both of the Potters, he would never put his own life in danger to protect theirs.

Severus hadn’t felt this way since he had learned that Lily had been sentenced to death by his own master. It had been his fault that the Dark Lord targeted Lily, James, and Harry Potter; and Lily’s death had forced him to feel guilt and remorse for his actions. She had been there for him for so long and he had betrayed her.

Now the daughter of the only woman he had ever loved was going to die more horribly and publicly than her mother had. Severus placed his head in his hands and shed a tear for the first time since Lily had been murdered. This time it was for James Potter’s child, his child.

*~*~*~*

It was wonderful being able to finally spend some time getting to know his sister. But thoughts of Voldemort’s defeat continued to plague his mind. He had seen with his own two eyes the damage this man had done, not only his sister, but to the entire wizarding world. And the fate of the world rested on his shoulders; only Harry could be responsible for Voldemort’s downfall.

Neither can live while the other survives; that was the prophecy that Voldemort had attempted to retrieve two years ago. Harry had to remain focused on his ultimate goal, regardless of the tempting distractions surrounding him. He was convinced that Stephanie was going to stay where she was and forgo any participation in this war, so Harry knew there would be enough time in the future to spend with her. Ginny was still underage, so her mother would never allow her to fight alongside the Order. The two girls he loved more than anything would not be placed in any danger. Everything was up to him; the world depended on his ability to focus. Even though she wouldn’t participate, he still wanted to share his plans with Stephanie.

His argument was that she could have learned the location of the Horcruxes he had yet to find. But Hermione had disagreed with him whole-heartedly. “Dumbledore didn’t want anyone else to know.”

“One, she is my sister and I want to share this with her and two, she is a resource that we shouldn’t waste. Stephanie spent so much time with You-Know-Who; she has to know something.” Harry counted with his fingers and tried to convince them that Stephanie should be told about their plans. But Ron wouldn’t go against Hermione while she continued to argue that no one else should know.

“What if Stephanie wanted to help or, worse, told You-Know-Who about what we are doing?” She argued.

Harry thought the idea was preposterous, but he hesitated to ask his sister about the cup or Ravenclaw’s item. He wanted to make sure his request would not harm or burden Stephanie unnecessarily. But soon after they had had this discussion, Ron pulled him to the side with a brilliant idea.

“I won’t get her mad at me again.” Ron smiled with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “It took her too long to forgive me the last time. But, can she really blame you if you don’t know Stephanie can hear our conversation?”

Harry thought it was a brilliant idea and contemplated the different ways he could bring up the topic of the cup while Stephanie was within earshot of the three of them. So, they sat downstairs of Shell Cottage the day after they arrived, talking about how great Stephanie looked, and waiting for her to wake up.

“She looks so healthy.” Hermione said with a smile. “Do you remember the battle last June? She looked so frail and thin.”

“You should have seen her when they first brought her here. You-Know-Who really did a number on her. They didn’t think she would survive.” Ron answered, looking at Harry. Hermione was sitting in Ron’s lap and they were holding hands. “She was so thin and they had broken so many of her bones. I’m not sure that she even had an area of skin that wasn’t bleeding or bruised. And I know for sure that they performed the Cruciatus Curse on her pretty bad. It was awful.”

“We wanted to come and visit, but McGonagall didn’t want us to.” Hermione said and Harry nodded. “She said it was too dangerous at that time.”

“There was nothing you could have done, anyway.” Ron added with sincerity. “Fleur barely let anyone else go near her. But I sat by her side as much as I could, supporting her because I knew that you two couldn’t be there.”

Harry thanked Ron for what he had done. His best mate had sat by his dying sister’s side while he was off doing nothing. He was definitely blessed to have such wonderful friends. And he was happy for his two friends; they had finally gotten over their differences and admitted their love for each other. He turned his gaze towards Hermione’s and smiled at his friend. “She looks happy.”

Hermione looked at Harry with a twinkle in her eye. “You two talked for hours last night. Did she tell you about Fred?”

Harry shook his head. Both Stephanie and Harry had decided they didn’t want to talk about what had happened to them over the years. Instead, they had talked about people they knew; mostly, he talked about Sirius and others who had known their parents. Stephanie had most certainly not mentioned Fred Weasley and he wondered what Stephanie would have to say about his friend’s older brother.

Ron asked the question before Harry could get the chance. There was a strange look in his eyes as he spoke. “What about Fred?”

Hermione was thrilled about the information that she held. She was obviously bursting with excitement and could barely contain herself. “I’m not sure that I’m supposed to tell you, but I think it is so sweet! Ginny told me last night that Stephanie and Fred have gotten very close and are probably dating.”

Harry felt a strange sensation bubbling inside his stomach. It wasn’t anger, exactly, but he didn’t know how to describe it either. “That git! I am going to hunt him down. He better not have touched her!”

“Calm down, Harry.” Hermione’s smile had disappeared. “She’s seventeen years old, Harry. She is going to date eventually. Would you rather she date Fred Weasley or Kieran Hargrave?”

With that, Harry’s breathing slowed. Of course his friend was better for his sister than any Death Eater. He had heard through rumors when they were in hiding that his sister was dating Kieran Hargrave, a Slytherin he had known from Hogwarts.

“My brother?” Ron asked in amazement. “Fred? Really?”

“I guess he has really been there for her.” Hermione responded gently. “He cares about her a lot, Harry.”

“But, Fred?” Ron asked. Harry had to laugh at Ron’s reaction. “I never would have seen this coming.”

“I should have expected it, especially with her being in such close quarters with so many people.” Harry admitted more to himself than to the others. “But I would have guessed that Neville would have been the one to date her.”

Hermione nodded in agreement and Ron just looked confused. Harry had to laugh again at the obvious oversight on Ron’s part. He remembered back when they were all still communicating with Stephanie through the diaries. And then the night of the battle at Hogwarts came rushing back into his mind. Neville was clearly in love with his sister. Harry wondered how Neville was handling the news.

“It’s hard, isn’t it, mate?” Ron asked, looking at Harry with amusement.

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked his friend in confusion.

“Watching your little sister date one of your friends.” Ron answered and Harry understood. It was kind of ironic how he had dated Ginny Weasley and now his sister was dating Fred Weasley. Harry wondered what Mrs. Weasley thought of the whole situation.

“You’re starting to act like a jealous and protective brother.” Hermione joked and Harry realized what he had been feeling in his stomach earlier. It hadn’t been jealousy at all; it had been a desire to protect his sister from the world. Harry smiled as he realized for the first time how good it felt to have a sibling to care about and watch out for.

“We need to find that cup.” Ron stated, changing the subject so abruptly that Harry was a little confused at first. After a few moments, Harry realized that the statement was Ron’s cue that Stephanie was nearby. Harry nodded as Ron repeated himself. “The key is in finding that cup.”

“What cup?” Stephanie yelled from the kitchen. Harry hadn’t even noticed her descend the stairs and enter the room next to the one he was in. “I can bring it to you.”

“Nothing!” Hermione yelled back, giving Harry and Ron a dirty look. He couldn’t help but laugh internally as he thought about how smart Hermione was. She clearly understood what they were up to.

“No, really. It’s no problem. What cup do you need?” Stephanie yelled back and Harry smiled at Hermione with satisfaction.

Before Hermione could think of something, Harry called to his sister. “Stephanie, come here for a second.”

Hermione shook her head forcefully to Harry and mouthed the word, “NO!” Harry just ignored her, and a few moments later, Stephanie came into the room carrying a bowl of cereal. She plopped down on the couch next to Harry and curled her legs up to her chest.

He couldn’t help but noticed she looked a little pale and Harry hoped that she wasn’t getting sick. But he wasn’t given the opportunity to dwell on her physical appearance because she spoke, and Harry needed to learn information on the whereabouts of the final Horcruxes so that he could finally defeat Voldemort. He needed to free the wizarding world from Tom Riddle.

“What’s up?” She asked with a mouth full of food.

“How did you sleep?” Hermione asked, clearly trying to change the subject. She shot Harry another menacing glare.

“All right.” Stephanie answered, and then she looked over to him. “But we stayed up way too late last night. That’s for sure.”

“Oh, whatever.” Harry laughed, play slapping her on the shoulder. “Are you too old to stay up and talk to your long lost brother?”

He taunted her and Stephanie just smiled at him. Finally he got serious and began to speak. “Stephanie, we are in the middle of something and we are stuck. We have no idea where to go from here. Ron, Hermione, and I-”

Harry pointed to his two friends. Hermione looked infuriated with Harry, but he didn’t care. Stephanie had to know where one of the Horcruxes was at. He wasn’t sure what he would do if Stephanie didn’t know where they could find one of the pieces of Voldemort’s soul. There was nothing left for them to do and nowhere else for them to look. “We think you might be able to help us.”

“Sure.” Stephanie took another bite of her breakfast and wiped the milk off of her chin with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “What can I do?”

And Harry dove into the story of his time with Dumbledore, sharing the images from the pensieve, information about the Horcruxes, and what they had gone through thus far to retrieve them. He even told her about the fight with Ron because Slytherin’s pendant had caused Ron’s mind to doubt their friendship. Harry told his sister everything and was relieved to get it off his chest. It was nice to finally be able to share things with the twin sister he had been deprived of spending time with when they were younger. When he was finished, Stephanie just stared at him disbelievingly.

Harry waited for her to say something, hoping anxiously that she would tell him of her adventures with one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Finally, when she spoke, all she could muster was a soft whisper, “He took me there.”

“Took you where, Stephanie?” Hermione asked and Harry was confused. Surely, Voldemort would not have told her about the Horcruxes, let alone take her to them. Voldemort would have been stupid to do so. All Harry could hope for was that she had seen one, not knowing what it was. Why did it matter where Voldemort had taken her? He was getting impatient and let it show in the bouncing of his legs. He sighed heavily as Stephanie began her story.

“Little Hangleton, his father’s home.” She paused to look out the window. Stephanie stared at her own reflection for awhile and Harry could see her hands start to shake as she remembered. The spoon was beginning to make noises as it clanged against the bowl repeatedly. She quickly placed the bowl of cereal on the table and put her hands in her lap to steady the shaking.

He was irritated by her hesitation, but he waited as patiently as he could for her to continue. And after a few more moments of silence, she did; though her words were quiet and she refused to look at him. Her gaze continued to be directed toward the window across from her. “He wanted to show me how similar we were. Both of us were orphaned when we were young and left where no one wanted us. I was left with the Malfoy family who despised me for burdening them so, and he was taken to live at an orphanage where no one wanted him. He described, in detail, how he killed his muggle father and grandparents. And then, he encouraged me to do the same to my only living relative. That act, he had told me, would unite us for eternity and we would live a life filled with great rewards.”

She stopped talking and turned her gaze to Harry. He knew that she was talking about him and he said nothing. What were you supposed to say to that? What were you supposed to say to the sister who had decided to murder you because she wanted to get closer to the man who had once tried to kill you and also killed your parents? Harry’s head was spinning.

“I hated you, Harry, because of what you had. And I convinced myself that what I had gone through, what I endured, was all your fault. You left me in the graveyard, you despised me, and you had friends. I had nothing and I hated you for that. And I truly wanted you dead. I’m sorry, Harry. I know you will never be able to forgive me. I was selfish.”

Harry couldn’t believe his ears. Stephanie was apologizing to him! She had done nothing wrong. And of course he forgave her! He never blamed her to begin with. Then, there were a few moments of silence, though it wasn’t uncomfortable. Harry didn’t want Stephanie to feel as if she was at fault for anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Finally, Hermione surprised him by breaking the silence.

“Stephanie, we are still looking for the cup and possibly an item of Rowena Ravenclaw’s. No one knows what that looks like, but Harry has seen the cup.” Harry listened as Hermione described the cup he had seen while with Dumbledore.

It had once been an heirloom to the Smith family and was now one of the most evil objects the world had ever seen. He watched Stephanie’s eyes widen as Hermione used her hands to describe Hufflepuff’s cup.

“You’ve seen it?” Ron asked, leaning forward.

“You know where it is?” Harry added with excitement. He couldn’t believe his luck! He had been right; Stephanie had been exposed to one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Harry shot Hermione a triumphant look.

Stephanie nodded slowly and Harry wanted to shake her. She hesitated and Harry spoke up, unable to control himself. “Well? Where is it?”

Stephanie looked from Harry to Hermione, to Ron, and then back to Harry. What was she waiting for? Harry wondered, his anger beginning to boil. Finally, she spoke.

“I wanted to make an impression on them. Please don’t judge me.” Hermione looked compassionate, but Harry was anxious to learn the location of the Horcrux. He leaned even more forward, almost falling off the couch. “Kieran and Dedrick wanted to take me out, though I wasn’t sure why at the time. But I soon learned that they planned to get me drunk on the anniversary of our parents’ death so that I would let something slip or make a mistake.

“They wanted me to admit that I would betray the Dark Lord or that I would not murder you. They wanted a reaction from me, so they told horrible stories about mum, dad, Sirius, and Remus Lupin. They told me how they had gone out of their way to make mum and dad’s life miserable. It was horrible, but I had my own tools to get them to break as well. And it definitely worked on Kieran.

“I asked Bella for help to make me attractive, to dress me up. In return, she wanted me to do her a favor. That favor was to take a black bag into her vault at Gringotts. I was to place the contents of that bag inside the vault and say a word to no one, not even the Dark Lord. And I did. What was inside the bag was a single golden cup.” Stephanie finished and Harry couldn’t believe his ears. The Horcrux was inside the Lestrange vault at Gringotts Bank! Why hadn’t he thought of that? He sat for a moment and thought about ways he could get inside the vault.

Suddenly, he remembered the night that he and Ron had had that fight. He looked at his sister with excitement. “That goblin, Griphook, is he still at the Burrow?”

Hermione and Ron looked confused. So did Stephanie, but she nodded her head. “Ollivander is there, too. The Dark Lord had been holding him captive.”

Harry couldn’t believe his incredible luck. He stood from the couch, leaned over and kissed Stephanie’s forehead, and turned to leave quickly. “Thank you, Stephanie. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

He motioned for his friends to follow him and then stepped outside. He turned toward Hermione with a grin and said, “I told you!”

“Yeah.” She responded. “But no one has ever broken into Gringotts.”

“Someone did our first year of Hogwarts, remember?” Harry reminded her with bright eyes.

“The Sorcerer’s Stone.” Hermione whispered.

Harry grabbed Hermione and Ron’s hands and Hermione Disapparated them to the Burrow so they could get some answers. The important decision he had to make at that moment was who he should talk to first. Harry held his head up high and walked into the Burrow to speak with the goblin and the wandmaker.

*~*~*~*

Neville was at Shell Cottage once again, visiting his old friends. Stephanie and Fred sat across from him. It had been difficult to watch those two get closer to each other each day when all he wanted to do was declare his love for her on the mountaintops. But she was happy for the first time in her life and Neville didn’t want to change that. He loved her and all he wanted was for her to be happy.

Next to those two were Harry and Ginny. Ginny was smiling again, which was great to see. They weren’t dating again, but they were definitely enjoying each other’s company, although they hadn’t spent a tremendous amount of time together. If Harry wasn’t holed up in a room with Griphook, Hermione, and Ron, Harry was spending time with his sister. Neville didn’t know what they were planning, but they were definitely up to something. And Ginny hadn’t been too receptive to Harry’s unexplained disappearances, but she had done a good job of keeping her mouth shut about it.

Hermione and Ron were holding hands next to Ginny and Harry. Hermione was next to Neville. These two were, however, now officially a couple. Neville constantly had to turn away from their snogging. At least, Neville thought, that he didn’t have to watch Fred and Stephanie do that. On his other side were Dean and George.

Neville had come over to give Harry the wand that Stephanie had given him and Ginny for their escape. Harry’s had broken and this was an extra that no one had needed. Professor McGonagall had been able to retrieve his and Ginny’s wands for them shortly after they arrived at the Burrow.

There they sat, acting as if everything was alright with the world. Hermione had shared with them a muggle game she thought the twins would enjoy, and Neville was having fun as well.

“Truth or dare, Fred?” Ron spoke to his brother while trying to contain his laughter.

“Of course, dare.” Fred smiled and Neville watched anxiously as he squeezed Stephanie’s hand.

“I dare you to put a puking pastille into mum’s coffeecake.” Ron was almost doubling over with laughter at this point. Neville smiled at the dare because Mrs. Weasley would not be happy with someone putting her son’s products into her food.

Fred nodded, suddenly very serious, and walked out the front door. The rest of them waited in anticipatory silence, imagining what Mrs. Weasley would do when she found the puking pastille. Fred returned a few minutes later with a mischievous grin. The deed had been done.

“Neville. Truth or dare?” Fred looked at him and Neville swallowed hard. He hated doing the dares, but he knew someone would eventually ask him who he fancied if he chose truth. And he wasn’t ready to disclose to everyone his love for Stephanie.

“Dare.” Neville said as confidently as he could.

Fred’s eyes opened wide in utter glee. He rubbed his hands together and muttered to himself, “What should I have Neville do?”

Neville looked around the room anxiously and was met by the evil smiles of his friends. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he waited for Fred to assign his dare. Neville cringed when he finally heard Fred tell him what he was supposed to do.

“I dare you to eat a concoction of my making.” Neville didn’t have a strong stomach, but he told himself that whatever Fred made him do had to be better than telling them all, especially in front of Fred and Stephanie, that he loved her.

“Fine.” He stood up and followed Fred to the kitchen. The others followed close behind as Fred pulled a bowl out of the cupboard. Fred started pouring random liquids and semi-solids into the bowl. There was mayonnaise, ketchup, pumpkin juice, butterbeer, firewhiskey, honey, sugar, and bacon. Neville closed his eyes and couldn’t watch anymore.

Finally, through all of the groans and laughter, Neville could hear Fred tell him the drink was complete. There was a tall glass in front of him filled with a murky-brown colored half-liquid. He almost threw up in his mouth just looking at it.

“How much?” He asked, his voice beginning to shake.

“All of it.” Fred responded seriously.

“Come on Fred. That’s disgusting!” Stephanie said from nearby but Fred wasn’t affected by her plea.

“All of it.” He repeated.

“You don’t have to drink that, Neville.” Hermione patted his back supportively. He had to do this. There was no way he could back down from a dare. It was more than a game; it was a competition between him and Fred. With Stephanie watching, Neville could not allow himself to lose.

Neville picked up his glass, closed his eyes, and forced himself to drink the foul concoction. At first, his throat rejected it, but he forced it down. When the drinking glass was empty, he slammed it down on the counter and gasped for breath. When he was sure the drink would remain in his stomach, Neville turned to Fred.

“Thanks.” He laughed.

The others slowly returned to the living room and Fred approached him.

“Anytime, mate.” Fred answered with a grin, slapping him on the shoulder. “Anytime.”

When they sat down, Neville looked around the group. It was his turn to torment someone. Neville silently thanked the muggles for this game. Who knew that torturing your friends could be so much fun? He turned to one of them. “Harry, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” Harry responded immediately.

Neville thought for a moment and then began to give Harry his dare. “I dare you to-”

But before he could finish, Bill yelled out from the kitchen. “What is this mess?”

“We’ll clean it up later.” George yelled back. He leaned forward, excited to hear the dare.

Neville continued and then laughed at his own ingenuity. “I dare you to transfigure Ron into a horse and ride him around the room.”

“No way!” Ron yelled and stood to leave the room. But before he could get very far, he suddenly transformed into a beautiful and large Clydesdale pony.

The room erupted into laughter as Ron pawed at the ground angrily. He watched as Harry got on Ron’s back and rode the horse about two feet, as much as the cottage would allow. In between breaths, George tried to congratulate him. “Good…one…Neville.”

“Thank you!” Fred cried.

“I’ll have to remember that one.” Hermione added playfully as Harry dismounted from Ron’s back and turned his friend back to human form.

Ron’s face was bright red and he pointed angrily at Neville. “I won’t forget that, Longbottom!”

“Oh calm down.” Ginny was clutching her stomach because she was laughing so hard. “It’s your turn, Harry.”

Harry didn’t look around the room. Neville realized Harry had someone in mind already. “Hermione, truth or dare?”

Hermione took a deep breath and then answered. “Truth.”


So, this has to be one of my favorite chapters yet. It is (for the most part) light-hearted and was just a blast to write! The next chapter, again, is almost complete and will be posted later this week. I am flying out to Colorado next weekend, with no access to my computer, so I will try to work hard this week so I can post a chapter right after I return. But I'm also trying to get most of the battle written. We'll see what happens! So, please, please, please leave feedback and let me know what you thought about this chapter!!

Chapter Sixty-Three: Summoned to Fight

Neville leaned forward, he was excited because it was the first truth request that night and the room suddenly became very quiet as everyone waited to hear Harry’s question. “What Death Eater would you most like to battle and why?”

Ginny gasped, “ooh. Good question, Harry!”

Neville looked at Stephanie, who leaned forward with interest. Hermione spoke softly. “I’ll answer that, but I think everyone else should too. I’m interested to hear what everyone has to say.”

Everyone nodded their agreement. Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but Bill called out from the kitchen. “Greyback.”

“What?” Harry yelled, leaning backwards.

Bill walked into the living room, wiping his hands on a clean dish towel. “I want to fight Fenrir Greyback and repay him for this.” Bill touched his scarred face, which was a result of the werewolf from the night Dumbledore had been killed.

“He’s dead.” Stephanie said simply, looking at Bill with her wide eyes. She hadn’t said much during their game, so Neville was surprised to hear her speak.

Bill crinkled his eyebrows. “When?”

“The day after Halloween; the Dark Lord sent me, Kieran, and Rabastan, into the mountains to kill him for letting Harry escape.” Stephanie responded and Neville was silent. It was the first time he had heard her talk about directly killing someone. It was bone chilling.

Neville had known that she was forced to do this over and over again, but it was different hearing her actually say the words.

“One down…” George said, trying to lighten the mood, but he received several dirty looks instead.

“It’s okay.” Stephanie said. “I want to fight Kieran. He always thought he was better than me and I want to show him how wrong he is.”

“Um, Stephanie.” Neville began to explain, but he found it difficult to get the words out. Ginny finished his sentence, understanding Neville’s hesitation.

“He’s dead too. You-Know-Who killed him the night that you saved us.” Ginny explained.

“What?” Stephanie exclaimed. “Snape didn’t tell me that!”

“When did you talk to Snape?” Harry demanded, his head snapping in Stephanie’s direction.

“Nothing.” Stephanie said quietly, her eyes suddenly getting very large. “Never mind.”

Neville knew that Stephanie hadn’t left the cottage since she had arrived and the others knew this as well. Harry stood up forcefully, knocking Ginny over. “He was here?”

“Harry, he just wanted to talk.” Stephanie stood to talk to her brother. Neville was concerned for Stephanie’s safety because Snape now knew where she was. None of them were safe anymore. “Please trust me.”

She was pleading with all of them. She turned to Fred, trying to change the subject. “Fred, what about you?”

“Huh?” He asked, confused.

Neville spoke instead, relieving Fred from the questioning stares. “Bellatrix Lestrange for what she did to mum and dad.”

Fred got the hint and answered honestly. “Lucius Maloy. We all know what he has done to Stephanie.”

Stephanie returned to her spot next to Fred and squeezed his hand. Harry reluctantly returned to his own spot next to Ginny. Ginny was the next person to speak.

“We can fight ours together, Fred.” She said with a forced smile. “Because I’d like to try my dueling skills against Draco for being a snobbish pureblood brat.”

There were a few nervous giggles around the room with her answer. Then everyone looked at Harry. He was eyeing Stephanie with concern and frustration. He merely said one word. “Snape.”

“Yaxley, because he’s a nitwit.” Dean answered.

“That is true.” Stephanie smiled at Dean and Neville felt that familiar jealous pang in his stomach again. Just once he wanted Stephanie to hold him as she held Fred or smile at him as she just had for Dean. Why did Stephanie have to be so happy with Fred Weasley?

“Well, I would like to have fun with Dedrick Hargrave.” George responded.

Stephanie looked at him with interest, cocking her head slightly. “Why?”

George sat up straighter and spoke sincerely. He was the most serious Neville had ever seen this man. “At Hogwarts, Fred and I watched him manipulate the younger students. We saw him do some horrible things. Fred and I like our practical jokes, but Dedrick was just plain malicious.

“Once, I witnessed him touch a younger girl inappropriately because she had not gotten his breakfast order right. You know how he never got his own food.” He paused to look around the room. Then he continued. “He pushed her against the wall, caressed her body, and then whispered something in her ear. Then he left and the girl fell to the ground, hugged herself, and began to cry.

“I went to see if I could help her and she refused. The girl only spoke to Dedrick after that, never anyone else; she isolated herself and was never the same. Dedrick did more than touch her that day, though I never found out what he did or said to her. That is why I want Dedrick M. Hargrave for myself.” George finished and Neville could see George was clenching his fists. The room was plunged into deafening silence again.

Neville wondered who this had happened to, though her identity was not all that important. How could this happen at Hogwarts? He wondered. Before Voldemort took over the ministry, Hogwarts had been the safest place on earth. He looked hesitantly at Stephanie.

“Did he touch you?” Neville asked. If Dedrick ever laid a hand on Stephanie, Neville would have stood up right then and gone in search of the Death Eater.

Stephanie shook her head, but wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she hugged her chest tightly and looked at the ground. Then she spoke softly. “No. I’m pretty sure that if he had, Kieran would have murdered him.”

“What about Malfoy?” Harry snarled, a look of disgust plastering his face. Stephanie looked up at her brother.

Again she shook her head and Neville sighed in relief. “Fenrir Greyback wanted nothing more than to have a few private moments with me, but Lucius would never allow it. Even Lucius would threaten me with it sometimes, but he always said that I was too dirty for that.”

People’s eyes wandered around the room uncomfortably, but Neville never once took his off of Stephanie. Those Death Eaters had done so much more emotional damage to Stephanie than he could ever have imagined. He was going to make each and every one of them pay for what they had done to her.

Neville watched as Fred rubbed Stephanie’s shoulders and then looked deep into her eyes. “You are not too dirty to touch, Stephanie. Always remember that.”

Stephanie looked back at him and hugged her chest even tighter. Her eyes were large and filled with sadness that broke Neville’s heart. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

As happy as she had appeared during her stay at Shell Cottage, Neville finally realized that there was so much pain that couldn’t disappear overnight. His heart went out to her and he wished that he could be the one to comfort her, to reassure her. But he wasn’t and Neville had to live with that. He took a deep breath and kept watching Stephanie with sympathy.

The quiet was broken by Ron. “After hearing that story, I’d have to say Dedrick too. For the same reason.”

“Hermione?” Stephanie asked in a joking manner, her mood lightening greatly as she tried to ease the tension. “I believe the truth was for you and you are the only one that has yet to answer.”

Hermione smiled. “Antonin Dolohov for many reasons. One of which is because he cursed me at the Ministry of Magic and I almost died in our fifth year.”

“Well.” Stephanie said, stretching her arms. “Since I am the only one with first hand experience, I can safely say that, if you do it right, the Death Eaters should be no match for any of you.”

Neville didn’t know if she was just saying that, but he hoped he would get a chance at Bellatrix. His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione.

“Well, let’s see.” She glanced around the room with a playful look. “Ginny, truth or dare?”

*~*~*~*

The last month had flown by too quickly for Stephanie. With so many people around the house, she never ran out of things to do, but it also meant that the time was drawing nearer to when she would have to say goodbye to all of the friendships she had recently gained.

The Dark Lord was no longer penetrating her dreams each night. He lost his temper when Stephanie told him that she would not be joining him and he had given up his attempts to manipulate her. She knew that if she had wanted to return to him that she would have died and then her life would have been meaningless.

And then she had accidentally let it slip to Harry that Snape had visited her. Her brother had continuously asked her why, but she adamantly refused to tell him. She understood his desperate need to protect her, but she was feeling stifled. It was like she was locked back in that cellar all over again, as though she was being suffocated.

Hermione recognized her frustration and did what she could, but Hermione wasn’t always around when Stephanie was with Harry. And Stephanie couldn’t expect Hermione to intervene all the time, anyway. This was an issue between Stephanie and Harry; it wasn’t Hermione’s problem.

Stephanie was unsure of how to tell her brother how she felt. She had reacted so horribly the day he first arrived and she needed his support so much that Stephanie was reluctant to talk to him about it. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him again.

During one of their long talks, Harry had told her about their plans to break into Gringotts, so she knew that he wouldn’t be around indefinitely. Somehow, they had recovered a lock of Bellatrix’s hair, though Stephanie figured they had gone in disguise and pulled it off her. It didn’t really matter how they broke into Gringotts; the important part was that they retrieved the Horcrux. And Stephanie had always known very little, so she was used to such gaps in information.

Stephanie had surprised herself by not requesting to go with them. She had just started developing a relationship with Fred Weasley and she wasn’t willing to depart from him quite yet. Besides, she also got the feeling that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t want her to join them.

For some reason, Harry had it in his mind that she couldn’t take care of herself. She loved her brother, but she desperately needed to be away from him for a little while. He would do something rash if she were placed in danger and it was important that he only watch out for himself. He was more important in the fight against her master than she was. So she didn’t ask to come along.

And when she woke up that morning, the three were already gone on their mission. The night before, Harry had warned her that they would be leaving, but they had only been at Shell Cottage for nearly a month. As frustrated as she was with her brother, Stephanie didn’t want to see them face any danger. She could only hope that they would be careful and didn’t get caught.

It had been a long day for all of them. Ginny, Dean, and George had stayed at the Burrow awaiting word from Harry and the others while Fred and Neville had remained with her at the cottage. The entire day had been spent in awkward and anxious silence.

She had finally decided to get ready for bed, but when she was brushing her teeth, the door burst open.

“Hey!” She called, turning around so quickly that toothpaste dripped from her mouth onto her sweatshirt. She spit into the sink. “What’s going on?”

“Are you sure that you want to fight?” Fred asked her hurriedly. He had an excited, yet somewhat frightened look on his face. She nodded, stepping forward excitedly. “Get ready. It’s happening.”

Stephanie couldn’t believe it. The war was happening? Now? Her thoughts immediately turned to her brother. Oh, no! She thought in a panic. Fred pulled her toward the stairs after she had rinsed out the toothpaste and she opened her mouth to speak.

But he must have realized what she was going to ask, so he paused in midstride and turned to her; they were already halfway down the stairs. “Harry’s fine. They are at Hogwarts. Luna sent Ginny a message telling us that it was happening.”

He paused and looked deep into her eyes; she could tell that he was searching deep within her soul for something just out of reach. Then he grabbed both of her hands, looking as though he was going to cry. “Please don’t do this. No one will fault you for staying behind.”

Stephanie swallowed, unsure if she was really ready for all of this to end. But she had decided, even back before Harry and she had met in Diagon Alley, that she would eventually have to die. So many innocent people had lost their lives before her and now it was finally time for Stephanie to join them.

She leaned forward and down because Fred was a few steps below her, and kissed him passionately on the lips. She slowly walked down the steps separating them and then embraced him tightly, not once letting the kiss end. She took in the softness of his lips and they tasted so sweet. Stephanie smelled the cologne that he only wore because she loved it so much. And she took this precious time to say goodbye to him properly.

Finally, she backed away and looked him in the eye. It was so difficult saying goodbye to him. It took all the courage she had to whisper three little words to him. “I have to.”

Fred placed his forehead onto hers so that their noses were touching. Then he whispered the sweetest thing Stephanie had ever heard. “I love you.”

All of her emotions came rushing to the surface and tears sprang to her eyes. She loved him so much, with all of her heart. But she had never said those words out loud before. And as hard as she tried, Stephanie just couldn’t bring herself to say those most powerful words just moments before she was going to die. It didn’t seem fair.

At her silence, Fred backed away. He held her hand and led her down the remaining stairs. “Thank you.” She said and he just smiled at her. Stephanie sighed deeply, desperately hoping that Fred understood why she had not responded the way he had obviously wanted her to.

Stephanie wiped her eyes as she finished descending the stairs. “No!” Neville demanded more forcefully and with more emotion than she had ever seen come from the quiet boy. It startled her. “Absolutely not!”

“What?” Stephanie asked, looking at him innocently.

“You are not going.” He argued. “They will target you.”

“Neville, trust me when I say that this is something that I have to do for myself.” Stephanie didn’t need Neville’s permission, but it would have been nice to have his support. Everyone was always trying to protect her, but she didn’t need that. Stephanie was grateful that Fred was allowing her to make the decision to fight.

“They are going to kill you.” Ginny responded as though Stephanie hadn’t thought this through. Dean and George nodded their agreement.

“Yeah.” Stephanie answered simply, nodding her head. “They are, but they are also going to try to kill you as well. And I need to make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s go.”

The others looked like they were going to argue some more, so she began making her way towards the door. Her friends realized that they couldn’t change her mind, so they followed quickly behind. Outside, Fred grabbed Stephanie and Ginny’s hands, preparing to transport them to Hogwarts.

George came up behind her and slapped her on the back with a weak smile. “Forget You-Know-Who. It’s Harry who is going to kill you.”

Stephanie laughed because George was probably right. Only Fred knew why she was participating in this war and she hoped there would be a chance for him to explain why she had gone to war against the Death Eaters. Stephanie closed her eyes as she was transported from Shell Cottage to her ultimate death.

But when she opened her eyes, she could not see Hogwarts. They had Apparated into what appeared to be an empty bar. After catching her bearings, Stephanie realized that Fred had brought her to the Hogs Head Inn located in Hogsmeade, not Hogwarts.

“Mangy kids. Using my bar as a train station.” A grumpy looking man grumbled in the corner. This was the barman that had allowed her fellow Death Eaters to traffic potions and poisons through his pub. He had never spoken a word to her nor had she to him.

“Where are they, Aberforth?” George asked, trying to remain polite.

The man narrowed his eyes at them and pointed towards the stairs. “Upstairs and through the portrait. They are at the end of the tunnel.”

Fred didn’t release her hand as they walked up the stairs and through the portrait of the little girl. None of them said a word until they got to the end and crawled into a room filled with more people than Stephanie had expected to see. No one noticed them at first; all of the students were staring at three people in the middle of the crowd.

Stephanie hid behind Fred as she realized the people were surrounding Harry. His face lit up when he finally looked over at them. He motioned towards Hermione and Ron, and then they made their way over.

“How’d you guys know we were here?” Ron asked.

But before anyone could answer, Fred and George walked away. Stephanie watched as the twins approached a couple who had just entered the room.

“Lee, Cho!” How are you guys doing?” George shook the boy’s hand while Fred gave the girl a hug.

“Luna.” Ginny answered Ron simply, pulling out her Dumbledore’s Army galleon and playing with it in her fingers. When the DA had first formed her friends had described the coins, but she had still been impressed by the ingenuity and resourcefulness it had taken to create them.

Harry’s eyes narrowed when he saw Stephanie trying to sneak away into the crowd. He ran to her and pulled her by the arm. “What are you doing here?” He demanded, his voice rising heatedly.

“Let me go, Harry.” Stephanie said softly through gritted teeth. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of all those people. She pulled her arm away and Harry glared at her menacingly.

“It’s too dangerous.” He argued.

“Don’t bother, Harry. We’ve already tried.” Ginny told him, but his expression didn’t change. Stephanie reached out and touched her brother’s arm.

“At some point you have to trust that I know what I am doing.” She said sincerely, eyeing him with concern. “I know the risks but I need to make up for some of the things I have done. Please support my decision, Harry.” She paused for a moment, hoping to get a better response. His expression softened a little, but her brother did not speak. He turned around to leave and Stephanie took a step closer to him.

“I am going to fight whether or not you want me to.” She pleaded with him. He was her brother, why wasn’t he the one jumping up to let her join the fight? Fred was able to understand because he knew the majority of the details, but she just wished that Harry could trust her. “Please don’t leave like this.”

Harry turned around abruptly, startling her. He bellowed angrily in her direction. “I’ve already lost you twice; when we were babies and again in the graveyard. I will not lose you again! Do what you must, but I refuse to support your choice.”

He paused and turned to the crowd. “LUNA! CHO!”

“Harry.” Hermione tried pleading with him and Stephanie could see tears in her friend’s eyes. “Don’t be like this.”

Harry looked away and into the crowd again. Stephanie sighed and tried to reach out for her brother again. “Please don’t be angry with me.” She whispered.

Harry refused to look at her. Stephanie knew that he was scared for her, but it still hurt like a dagger being plunged into her heart. Stephanie closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Harry.” Hermione whispered again. Stephanie realized that Hermione understood what Stephanie had decided; Hermione was aware of the spells binding Stephanie. “Earlier you told Aberforth something important. ‘Sometimes you’ve got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you’ve got to think about the greater good. This is war!’ Let her fight.”

“This isn’t about the greater good. This is about Stephanie.” Harry responded in one breath. Without another glance towards Stephanie, her brother turned around and addressed the crowd of students once again. “LUNA! CHO!”

“Yes, Harry?” Luna said, stepping out of the crowd of students. Stephanie couldn’t help but think there was something odd about the girl, but she also had an air of innocence about her.

Harry told the girl that he was looking for something that had once belonged to the founder of her House, Rowena Ravenclaw. She told him that the only thing it could be was the lost diadem, though it had been missing for centuries. Luna offered to show Harry what it looked like and he followed her out the door. Harry only looked back to give Stephanie an angry glare. And then he disappeared from sight.

“Don’t worry about him, mate.” Ron said, patting Stephanie on the back. “He’ll come around.”

Stephanie hung her head because she knew that there wasn’t time for Harry to “come around.” She didn’t want to end their relationship like that, but if Harry needed to act that way, she definitely couldn’t change it.

“Mum!” Ginny called when several people Stephanie recognized as Order members came through the tunnel. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had come to join the fight, along with Kingsley, Remus Lupin, Stephen Opus, Bill, and Fleur.

“Ginevra Weasley!” Mrs. Weasley called to her daughter and Stephanie had to stifle a giggle as Fred and George tried to hide in the crowd. She watched as Mrs. Weasley yelled at Ginny for being there; Mrs. Weasley thought Ginny was too young to participate in the battle that night.

Stephanie couldn’t help but think that Ginny was old enough to help, though she didn’t want to see any of her friends suffer unnecessarily. A parent couldn’t protect their child forever. But watching the interaction made Stephanie wish that she had a parent that would care about her the way Mrs. Weasley fretted over her children.

About fifteen minutes after Harry left, her arm started to burn. Stephanie gasped quietly in surprise and grabbed a hold of it. Her Dark Mark had not burned since she had left her master because of the spell counteracting the trace that was still attached to her arm. But the Dark Lord must have been so angry that he was able to break through the spell. Stephanie knew that all of his Death Eaters were being summoned to active duty. Hogwarts was no longer safe.

Her friends looked at her suspiciously. Hermione nudged herself closer to Stephanie and whispered in Stephanie’s ear. “What is it?”

Stephanie clenched her jaw tightly and nodded towards Hermione and Ron. Fred looked over and must have noticed the look of horror on her face. He tapped George’s arm and they began walking over.

Instead of waiting for him, Stephanie moved her way slowly to Mrs. Weasley. “Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley?” She asked.

Stephanie was still uncomfortable around this woman whose family she had torn apart. Mrs. Weasley had frequently come to visit her at Shell Cottage and often brought her delicious food and warm clothing, but Stephanie still had difficulty looking her in the eye.

“Yes, my dear?” Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. Even in such a dire situation, the woman was able to express warmth towards Stephanie. She was awestruck by the strength of this woman whose children were all in mortal peril.

Stephanie took a deep breath and looked into the woman’s eyes. “The Dark Lord is coming. We have to evacuate the school.”


So, first, I'd like to thank everyone for sticking with this story so long. It's starting to hit me that we are reaching the end! But don't worry, there is still lots to come! I finished this chapter early, so I decided to post it sooner than I thought I would. I really hope that you enjoyed is as much as I did! And I thought it was the perfect spot to leave it until I return from Colorado. The next chapter should be ready to post by the time I leave for my trip, but unfortunately I will have no access to my computer. So the chapter will be posted sometime on Monday! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and Please feel free to leave me any feedback you have time for!

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Battle Begins

A few minutes later, Harry came rushing back into the room with Luna running in after him. The room hushed immediately as everyone’s attention was directed towards her brother. Harry took a deep breath and then spoke in a loud but calm manner. “Professor McGonagall wants to evacuate the school of all underage students. Those who are of age and wish to may stay and fight. We are meeting in the Great Hall!”

There was a stampede as students quickly made their way towards the door. Stephanie stayed behind, hoping to get a moment alone with her brother. But instead, her attention was diverted when she felt pressure on her arm; Fred was trying to get her attention.

“Stephanie Potter, meet my brother, Percy Weasley.” He said with a smile.

“Hi.” Stephanie said quietly. Fred had told her about this man and Stephanie was surprised to see him standing in front of her. Percy had abandoned his family in support of the Ministry and his family had not heard from him in ages.

“So you are the woman who has made an honest man out of our Fred.” Percy said to her as he extended his hand in greeting. Stephanie shook his hand and she felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. Fred leaned forward and kissed her playfully.

“And all it took was five months cooped up at Bills house and my persistent pestering.” Fred joked and the others around her laughed. Mrs. Weasley was beaming with pride at both her and Percy.

Harry came up to them, completely ignoring her, and asked about Ron and Hermione. Ginny informed him that they had gone in search of a bathroom. Stephanie knew there had to be more to it than that, but she remained quiet. She was going to let Harry act that way if he needed to. It was her own fault that he didn’t know what it was like for her, so she couldn’t be angry with him because he didn’t understand.

There was some more arguing about whether or not Ginny should be allowed to leave the Room of Requirement, but eventually Ginny accepted defeat. She was to stay behind and await word from her family.

Stephanie followed the others towards the Great Hall since she didn’t know where it was located; Hogwarts was still a great mystery to her. When she had been at Hogwarts before, she had always been amazed at the architecture and magical objects that lined the walls. But now, that didn’t seem so important anymore. She merely stared straight ahead of her as she prepared to face the Death Eaters who had wanted to see her die for so long.

Fred stayed by her side the entire time and then remained there once they entered the Great Hall. She was about to say something when the halls of the castle shook violently and then she heard the voice of her master echo through the walls.

“I do not wish to spill unnecessary magical blood, but we are prepared to fight and k8ill as many people as necessary.” The voice of the Dark Lord rang throughout the halls. Students around the Great Hall gasped in fear, but Stephanie wasn’t afraid anymore. There was nothing more that he could do to frighten her because the end was drawing too near for her. “The person who hands over Harry Potter and his sister Stephanie will be greatly rewarded. That is all I desire.

“You have until midnight.” He finished and a girl stood up in the far corner. She pointed towards Harry and told the crowd to get him.

Stephanie was awestruck by the loyalty the other students showed for her brother; they stood in an act of protection for Harry. She was amazed and she admired these students for what they had just done. Stephanie knew that she had to protect as many of them as she could.

After the evacuation had begun, Stephanie turned to sneak out of the Great Hall unnoticed. But Fred wouldn’t let her leave so quickly. He had agreed to take students and guard several entryways into the castle and Stephanie knew he had to head in that direction soon.

“You have to tell him what you are doing.” Fred took her hand and almost begged her to speak with Harry before she ventured out on her own. Stephanie had honestly thought about it, but she knew any attempts would be fruitless. “He deserves to know what is going to happen.”

“Fred, he knows what I am going to do already.” Stephanie could see it in her brother’s eyes when she looked at him. “But he just doesn’t want to admit that it is something I have to do. He knows; I think he has always known.”

“Please don’t do this.” He pleaded with her, tears streaming down his cheeks. Stephanie squeezed his hand and lifted it up to her heart. She breathed slowly, allowing her chest to heave up and down in perfect rhythm. Stephanie wanted Fred to feel her beating heart. “Go and stay with Ginny.”

Stephanie smiled through her tears. “Both you and I know that Ginny isn’t going to stay locked in that room and miss all of the action.”

Fred nodded. “Please.”

“Go.” Stephanie commanded. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She loved Fred so much and she didn’t want to leave him behind. But Stephanie couldn’t stay by his side; she didn’t want him to watch her die. “They need you.”

“I love you.” He told her again. And again Stephanie couldn’t repeat the words she desperately wanted to say. She knew it would break his heart that she didn’t say the words, but maybe that would allow him to heal after she was gone. She didn’t want him bound to her once she was gone; she wanted him to be able to be happy after she was dead.

“Please do something for me.” Stephanie whispered.

“Anything.” Fred responded softly. He placed his forehead onto hers and allowed the tears to flow down his cheek. They embraced tightly, neither wanting to let the other go. Both knew it would be the last time they would ever see the other alive. It was the end for at least one of them.

“Tell the world.” She asked him and Fred again nodded his head. They pulled apart and Fred grabbed her hands again. He lifted them and smiled at her.

“Every day.” He said and, finally, it was time for them to separate. Fred backed away, not taking his eyes off of her.

Stephanie watched as Fred Weasley disappeared into the crowd of students both fleeing and preparing for war. Some of these children were going to die that night, but most of them would survive if Stephanie could help it. If she was going to stay alive long enough to help as many people as she could, Stephanie would have to say hidden. Without a word to the friends that had made her so happy, Stephanie slunk into the dark shadows of the castle, knowing that she was making the right decision.

*~*~*~*

After Harry left with Luna to find out what the diadem of Ravenclaw looked like, Hermione turned back towards Stephanie. Ron patted Stephanie on the back.

“Don’t worry about him, mate.” Ron said, though Hermione wasn’t so sure that he was right. “He’ll come around.”

It broke Hermione’s heart that Harry would treat his sister so terribly in the wake of such horrible circumstances. She surmised that Stephanie had ulterior motives by coming to join the fight that night other than to just redeem herself. Hermione could tell by the way Fred looked at her that Stephanie was planning something drastic. She just hoped that Harry wouldn’t have any regrets when the night was over.

And Hermione didn’t take her eyes off of Fred, who was across the room talking with Cho and Lee. Hermione had been surprised to hear that those two had begun dating because they had seemed so different when they were at school together. But it was also nice to see them happy.

She observed that Fred was doing his best to keep his concentration on the conversation that George and Lee were having, but his eyes continued to stray towards Stephanie, who kept looking at the door. Fred was concerned for Stephanie and Stephanie was keeping watch for her brother.

And Fred immediately started running towards them when Stephanie gasped and grabbed her arm. Hermione moved closer and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong?”

Stephanie looked at Fred, who had almost reached her. But instead of waiting for him to get closer, Stephanie quickly made her way to Mrs. Weasley and told the Order members that Voldemort was coming. Alecto Carrow had summoned her master and the Death Eaters were on their way. They had to evacuate the castle.

Students started to murmur excitedly when they overheard Stephanie’s plea. Some pulled out their wands, ready to fight, while others looked around nervously. Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at her throat and addressed the students as though she had a microphone.

“Please calm down, everyone.” Her high-pitched voice was heard throughout the entire room. “Remus has volunteered to find out what is going on. We need everyone to stay calm.”

Ron snuck up behind Hermione and whispered into her ear. “Come on.”

Hermione looked back at him questioningly, but did not hesitate to follow him. She didn’t feel like standing around the Room of Requirement, waiting for something to happen; they had too much to do. Hermione wondered if Ron wanted to find and warn Harry.

She clutched the cup tightly and followed Ron towards the door, but Ginny stopped her with a knowing glare. Hermione whispered to her friend. “I have to go to the bathroom.” And Ginny nodded, though it didn’t look like she believed Hermione.

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked Ron when they had left the room, seemingly unnoticed.

“We need a way to destroy the cup.” Ron answered as he started sprinting down the hallway; Hermione followed quickly behind him. “We’re going to the Chamber of Secrets.”

“The Chamber of Secrets?” Hermione responded, her breath coming more heavily the further they ran. She crinkled her eyebrows in thought, wondering what was in the Chamber of Secrets that could help destroy the Horcrux. But then it hit her and Hermione smiled. “Basilisk venom.”

“Exactly.” Ron replied, but there was no smile on his face.

“Ronald, you are absolutely brilliant.” Hermione gushed and picked up her pace, passing Ron in the hallway. They were almost there.

Ron blushed and sped up as well. “Isn’t that why you love me?”

Hermione rolled her eyes as they entered the girl’s bathroom on the second floor. Ron ran to the sink and looked at it in deep concentration.

“How are we going to open it? Neither one of us can speak Parseltongue.” Hermione suddenly realized that they weren’t going to be able to open the entrance.

Ron didn’t look at or answer her. Instead, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth. Suddenly, a hissing noise erupted from his lips and the entrance began to open. Hermione leaned in and kissed Ron on the cheek. “How did you do that?”

“It’s what Harry did when he opened the locket.” Ron smiled at her.

“Ron, you are just full of surprises tonight!” Hermione responded and Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her into the Chamber of Secrets.

“I’ve got to keep things fresh!” Ron joked and Hermione laughed. They went inside the Chamber to retrieve the venom that would destroy Hufflepuff’s Cup.

The basilisk was still there, lying on the ground and decomposing, though it smelled something fierce. Ron knelt down and pulled a tooth from its skull; Hermione had to close her eyes because she couldn’t watch him do that. It was disgusting!

He stood and handed her the tooth with a big, cheesy grin on his face. “Here, you do the honors.”

“I couldn’t possibly!” Hermione said, waving her hands. She placed the cup on the ground at Ron’s feet, hoping that he would just get it over with.

“It is your turn!” Ron argued, still smiling profusely. “It’ll feel better than you think. Just close your eyes and stab.”

Hermione hesitantly took the tooth from Ron and knelt down in front of the cup. She slowly lifted the basilisk’s tooth above her head and then took a deep breath to prepare herself. After a few moments’ hesitation, she slammed the tooth into the cup with all of her might.

At first, the cup remained still and nothing happened. She looked up at Ron with disappointment; why hadn’t that worked? Had the venom on the basilisk’s tooth dried up during decomposition? But then, suddenly, the cup lifted itself off the ground and began to vibrate heavily. Hermione watched as the cup began to bleed a black tar-like substance. And then there was a loud bang as the cup exploded.

She covered her head but it didn’t keep the oozing liquid from splashing her. Hermione was covered with it, but at least the Horcrux had been destroyed. Ron took out his wand and cleaned them both.

“Whattya think?” Ron asked her.

“That felt good.” Hermione breathed and smiled up at him. It did feel better than she had expected it to, especially since it had worked.

Ron helped Hermione to her feet and they walked back towards the girl’s bathroom. They decided it would be best to return to the Room of Requirement to see what was going on and figure out where they could help. But just before they got there, they found Harry. He was running towards the room, looking excited and winded.

“Where have you two been?” Harry yelled down the hallway.

Hermione told him about Ron’s brilliant idea to destroy Hufflepuff’s Cup and he looked absolutely ecstatic. Then Harry informed them that he was on his way back to the Room of Requirement to retrieve Ravenclaw’s diadem; he had spoken to Helena Ravenclaw’s ghost about who she had told about its location. Hermione was shocked that Voldemort had been able to convince the ghost to tell him where it was. Then Harry told them that everyone was meeting in the Great Hall if Hermione and Ron wanted to join them.

“We’ll come with you.” Ron responded quickly and Hermione agreed. Harry stepped into the room and asked Ginny, Tonks, and Mrs. Longbottom to leave for a few minutes. He had to get into the room where things were hidden.

When Harry emerged from the room and before he could enter again, Hermione that she had to get something off her chest. She spoke in a hushed voice as Tonks ran down the hall and Ginny stood by the window, shooting jinxes at random Death Eaters down below.

“Harry, why can’t you just support Stephanie?” Hermione asked, honestly concerned that something would happen to either of them and they would regret how things had ended.

“She has done so much for this war already.” Harry looked angry that Hermione had brought up the topic of his sister, but she didn’t feel bad about it. He had to understand the huge mistake he was making. “The Death Eaters are going to target her; she has no need or right to put herself in that kind of danger.”

“Have you ever thought about how much what she has done affected her?” Hermione asked forcefully. “You would want to make things right, you know you would.”

“She’s my sister, Hermione!” Harry bellowed in her face. “How can I support her running into danger like that?”

“You are doing the same thing, Harry.” Ron spoke up and Hermione was surprised to hear his voice. Normally, Ron tried to stay out of arguments between Hermione and Harry because he didn’t want to take sides. “And she supports you.”

Harry didn’t say anything in response, but Hermione knew that Ron had gotten to him. Instead of saying anything, Harry started pacing in front of the Room of Requirement and the door quickly appeared before them. Ron opened it and they all entered.

Hermione looked around at the sight in front of her. There were so many things that students of the past had left there and forgotten about. They walked past the Vanishing Cabinet that Draco Malfoy had used to smuggle Death Eaters into the castle last year and then Harry suggested that they split up.

Harry went one way and Hermione reluctantly separated from Ronald. She pulled out her wand and held it in front of her. There was everything imaginable in there, and even some things that boggled Hermione’s mind. She moved a pair of women’s underwear with her wand as she looked around the shelving for the diadem. She held back a disgusted grunt, knowing exactly what someone had done in that place. Her eyes returned to the piles of junk ahead of her; Harry told her that the diadem was on a stone bust of a man who was wearing a wig. The diadem was a tiara.

Stephanie could swear that she heard a noise through the aisle, but thought nothing of it. It was probably one of the boys throwing things, looking chaotically for the diadem. She continued to look around, moving objects such as books, hats, and bags. The Horcrux was nowhere to be found.

But then Hermione definitely heard screams and shouts. She slowly crept back the way she had come and then followed the noises. Just as she found Harry, Crabbe sent a Killing Curse towards Ron.

“Stupefy!” She yelled towards Crabbe, but she hit Goyle instead. Crabbe and Ron disappeared behind a couple of towers.

A few moments later, Crabbe and Ron emerged, running towards her as fast as they could. Ron grabbed her hand as he passed and pulled her towards the front door. She turned her head to look back where the two boys had come from and saw that there was a fire burning behind them.

Ron pulled Hermione out of the room and went back inside to find Harry. She choked from the smoke that had burned her lungs while she waited anxiously for her friends to come out of the room. None of the boys had left, not even Crabbe who had barreled his way in front of them.

Hermione heard the screams of her fellow students and Death Eaters alike, along with the loud blasts of war. She could hear the familiar voices of her friends nearby. Neville was running down the hall holding screaming mandrakes while Terry Boot and Ernie Macmillon were each battling two masked Death Eaters.

And as she stared at the door, hoping for her friends to come through it and listening to Ron’s arguing and Malfoy’s screaming, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. So she turned her head quickly to see what it was.

Stephanie was creeping along the wall, trying to stay hidden by the shadows created by objects lining the walls. She had her wand raised, ready to send spells flying if she had to.

“Stephanie!” Hermione whispered, trying to get her friend’s attention. She hoped that Stephanie wouldn’t try anything that could get her killed, although Hermione had the feeling that was what Stephanie had planned.

Stephanie looked at her with squinted eyes and waved Hermione off. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. Hermione just watched as Stephanie slowly made her way down the hall towards Ernie and Terry.

“Confundo!” Terry yelled at the Death Eater he was fighting, but the man was too quick for him. The Death Eater moved out of the way and the jinx missed by inches.

Hermione watched as a third Death Eater attempted to perform the Sectumsempra Curse on Michael Corner, who had just walked through the hallway. But just in time a bright light appeared in front of him and the curse bounced back and hit that Death Eater square in the chest.

“What the...?” A nearby Death Eater shouted. The Death Eater hit by the curse meant for Michael screamed in pain and his mask fell off as he clutched his shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

Hermione looked over to Stephanie who was smiling at the three boys; no one appeared to have seen her. Michael, Terry, and Ernie took the moment of distraction to run away from the remaining Death Eaters. Stephanie headed in the opposite direction and Hermione lost her in the darkness. Hermione was impressed by the ingenuity her friend was showing; instead of making her presence known by overtly fighting the Death Eaters that had tortured her for years, she was staying back and protecting the students she could. Hermione silently wished her luck.

And as the three boys turned the corner, Harry flew out of the Room of Requirement with Ron, Malfoy, and Goyle holding onto him for dear life.

“Ron!” Hermione yelled and ran over to them when they landed hard on the ground. She hugged Ron tightly and kissed him on the lips. Then she slapped his shoulder. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”

Ron laughed lightly as the others dismounted from the broom. Malfoy looked like an absolute wreck, coughing and spewing as he tried to breathe fresh air. “C-Crabbe?” He asked, looking around the hallway.

“He’s dead.” Ron said a little more harshly than Hermione would have liked. Of course she despised Malfoy and his cronies, but she still didn’t want to see them dead. Malfoy had done a lot to Stephanie during their lives, but even Stephanie didn’t want to see him die, or at least Hermione thought that was how Stephanie felt.

But before Hermione could say something, Malfoy got up and ran away. Then the charred object in Harry’s hand began to bleed the same black substance she had seen come from the cup. “It must have been Fiendfyre!” She exclaimed, not taking her eyes off the broken pieces of the diadem.

Their excitement was cut short when Fred and Percy entered the hallway, both dueling masked Death Eaters. Hermione followed Harry and Ron as they ran to help the Weasley brothers. But moments before Harry could get near them, he stopped short and his body twitched for a moment. Then, he fell to the ground and gave a quiet shout.

Hermione ran to him and knelt beside her friend. Ron took his eyes off his brothers just long enough to find out what had happened. Hermione whispered to Harry, afraid to ask what had happened. “What is it, Harry?”

She noticed tears well up in his eyes as he stared at her, almost not realizing that she was there. Hermione grabbed hold of his hand as she waited for him to tell them what he had seen. After a few moments he spoke softly.

“Something’s wrong.” Harry whispered. “Something’s happened to Stephanie.”

Hermione could barely hear him over the shouts of people casting spells throughout the castle. She couldn’t bear to think that Stephanie didn’t survive. “But I just saw her. She was alright.” Hermione whispered coarsely.

“Did you see what happened to her?” Ron asked, leaning closer to his friends. He grabbed hold of Hermione’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Hermione was grateful for Ron’s actions at that very moment.

Harry shook his head slowly. Hermione couldn’t help but notice there was something different in his eyes, but she couldn’t quite explain it. Before she could think of something to say to comfort him, Harry spoke again. “It’s gone. My connection with her is gone. I feel so empty inside.”

“But that doesn’t mean anything!” Ron argued. Hermione knew that Ron, too, was attached to Stephanie and didn’t want himself to believe that Stephanie was gone. They had fought too hard to keep their friend safe; she couldn’t be dead.

“What have I done?” Harry whimpered, tears rolling down his cheek.

“We don’t know for sure that she’s gone, Harry.” Hermione reassured him. She was torn apart by this devastating news, and she was trying to convince herself of the same thing she was telling Harry. Hermione forced her own tears to stay welled up in her eyes; Harry didn’t need to see her lose control right then. They still had to be strong and destroy Lord Voldemort.

“We have to find her!” Harry said, standing up and turning around. He began to head down the hall and yell her name. “Steph-”

But before he could finish, there was a loud blast that echoed through the hallway. Hermione and Ron were thrown against a wall and Harry was knocked over. She gasped for breath once the dust settled and whispered, “Ron?”

“Are you alright, ‘Mione?” Ron moaned, not letting go of her hand. She felt him squeeze it as she told him that she was alright.

As she dusted herself off, Hermione could hear the panicked shouts of someone nearby. “No! No! NO!”

She turned to the source of the noise and saw Percy laying on top of someone’s still form. She realized who it was a moment before Ron did. Hermione covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, “Oh no!”

Ron ran over and knelt in front of his brother. Hermione slowly followed him, with Harry catching up quickly. Hermione couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Was Stephanie really dead? Had Fred been killed right before her very eyes? How could so many of her friends be killed that night?

She could have saved them; she should have saved them both. Instead of stopping Stephanie in the hallway, she just let her walk away into clear danger. And Fred and Percy were battling two Death Eaters right in front of her; why hadn’t she gone to help them? Hermione closed her eyes and only saw the horrific smile that was still on Fred’s face. She didn’t know what to do or say.

“That’s it.” Harry stood up forcefully and tugged at Ron’s arm. “Ron, come on. There’s nothing we can do for him now. Voldemort has to be defeated; we have to pay him back for Stephanie and for Fred.”

Ron looked at him defiantly, a look of anger on his face. “I have to kill Death Eaters!”

“Ron.” Hermione whispered gently, eyeing her boyfriend with concern. She loved him so much; she loved them both so much. And she hated to see either one of them in so much pain. “We have to go.”

Ron nodded his acknowledgement, though Hermione could tell that he was only agreeing for her. He had just lost his brother and now he was not going to let Hermione leave his sight. Hermione was proud of Ron in that moment. She watched as Harry forced himself into Voldemort’s mind so that they could find him much easier. And she squeezed Ron’s hand, terrified for what was going to happen when they did confront the most dangerous wizard of all time.


I apologize for the delay in posting this next chapter! But, as promised, I posted as soon as I could! So far, this is one of my favorites (and I have a feeling I'll have more favorites to come!). To be honest, I cried while writing the goodbye scene between Steph and Fred. That part has to be my favorite POV in this entire story. The next chapter is almost complete and should be posted later this week! Please leave feedback and let me know what you think.

Chapter Sixty-Five: The Battle Continues

Ginny was so happy when Harry came into the Room of Requirement and told her to leave for a few minutes. But she wasn’t going to stand outside the room and wait for Harry to finish with it; it was just too good of an opportunity that she couldn’t waste. She exited the main doors, ignoring Harry’s commands to come back in when he was finished.

She watched as Tonks ran down the hall and towards the grounds in search of her husband, Professor Lupin. Mrs. Longbottom, Neville’s grandmother, patted her supportively on the shoulder and gave her an encouraging wink. Then the woman disappeared. Ginny quickly made her way towards the stairwell nearby, hoping to find some action.

With her wand raised in front of her, Ginny descended the stairs and made her way towards the Great Hall. She was furious that her mother had not allowed her to participate in the fight; she was a Dumbledore’s Army member and she had proven her abilities before! What about the Ministry of Magic where she battled several Death Eaters at once or her time as Voldemort’s prisoner? She had even survived being tortured endlessly! Why did her mother continue to insist on treating her like a child?

But Ginny wasn’t going to let her mother stop her. All of her family and friends were fighting the Death Eaters and Ginny couldn’t just watch and sit idly by.

“Where are you going Weaselby?” Someone shouted at her and Ginny turned around forcefully. “Haven’t you heard that they’ve evacuated the little children?”

He isn’t worth it, Ginny kept telling herself. She began to walk away but the pureblood opened his mouth and taunted her once again. “Go cry to mommy!”

“That’s it, Malfoy!” Ginny yelled and stormed over to him, shoving her wand into his neck. Malfoy just laughed smugly.

Ginny smiled in response as she remembered the game of truth or dare that she had played with her friends a few weeks ago. This was what she wanted more than anything in the world, to teach Malfoy what it was like to lose to a girl. But she kept telling herself that he wasn’t worth the energy. Malfoy was no threat to her or anyone else.

Instead, she clenched her hand into a fist and raised the arm holding her wand. Then she forced her fist into Draco’s nose, causing his head to crack against the stone wall. Blood began spurting from his broken nose and Ginny backed away quickly, smiling as Malfoy yelled some choice words in her direction.

“Watch yourself, Weaselby!” He yelled after her and Ginny just kept running. When she was around the corner, Ginny stopped and burst out laughing. That definitely felt much better than if she had cursed him!

She calmed herself and started running towards the fighting. Ginny was so deep in thought that she didn’t even notice the person standing in front of her with a sinister grin on his face.

“Ouch.” Ginny muttered when she crashed into him and fell backwards onto the ground. She squeezed her wand tightly and stood up to dust herself off, and then she jumped in startled surprise when she saw the person she had run into.

“Joshua!” She breathed. He had a look of satisfaction that kind of freaked her out. She looked at him for a moment.

“Ginny.” He lowered his head and glared at her, the smile not faltering from his face. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“Well, here I am.” Ginny answered. “Excuse me.”

She tried to move around him, but he grabbed her arm and tried to drag her towards the closest classroom. She pulled her shoulder, trying to escape from his grasp, and planted her feet firmly on the ground. “Let go of me!” She called.

Ginny tried to raise her wand in his direction, but he was too quick for her. Her wand leapt from her hand and landed in his free one.

“Ginny, Ginny, Ginny.” He whispered in her ear. Josh opened the classroom door with his free hand and pushed her inside. He walked in after her and magically sealed the door shut. “All you had to do was humor me. But no. You couldn’t even do that. You had to save yourself for Potter.”

She ran over to a desk and threw it in his direction, but with a simple wave of his wand, the desk landed against the wall and shattered. She looked out the window, wondering if anyone would hear her scream, but she knew that no one would hear her over the battle sounds outside.

“You should have listened to Longbottom.” Josh continued to smile at her as he walked closer. She tried throwing another desk, but it once again flew against the wall and shattered. “He is a mediocre wizard at best, but he is cleverer than he looks. He never did trust me and I almost had to dispose of him. But then you two were taken by the Dark Lord, so I didn’t have the chance.”

“But you helped us!” Ginny tried to stall. Maybe if he hesitated she could think of something or someone would find her. Ginny breathed heavily, backing slowly into the far corner of the classroom.

Joshua rolled his eyes. “Dumbledore’s Army disgusts me and it took all I had not to vomit each time I was in that room with you blood-traitors.”

He was gaining on her and Ginny knew that she was running out of time. Her mind reached for something to distract him with. “What about that time when we tried to retrieve the sword? Malfoy attacked you!”

“Draco Malfoy is a pathetic excuse for a Death Eater.” Joshua laughed maniacally. He was only a few feet from her now. He started playing with her wand in his left hand, not lowering his own wand. “Do you know a woman named Sarah Hawthorne?”

Ginny nodded. Of course she knew who Sarah Hawthorne was. Stephanie had told her, Neville, Fred, George, and Dean about each of the Death Eaters. Sarah Hawthorne was the one person who did not scream when being Cursed by the Cruciatus Curse. More importantly, Sarah Hawthorne was Dedrick Hargrave’s fiancée.

“Dear Sarah is my lovely cousin and she has been gracious enough to mentor me.” Dedrick smiled and Ginny gasped. She had definitely not seen that coming. “Prior to the Dark Lord’s second rising, my father, her mother’s brother, sent me and Amber to Durmstrang to study. Father felt that the school was much better for our Dark Arts education.

“And if I had been allowed to attend Hogwarts, I would have been asked to help the Dark Lord murder Albus Dumbledore.” Josh cursed at the thought of Draco Malfoy. “I would have succeeded, too, unlike the incapable Malfoy boy.

“But when I was forced to attend Hogwarts I decided to make the best of it and see if I could learn information that could help the Dark Lord.” He said through gritted teeth. He was now standing directly in front of her and was playing with her hair. Ginny was breathing heavily, but she didn’t allow herself to cry. He wanted to see her scared and Ginny hoped that if she held out a little longer, she would think of something. Why hadn’t she listened to Harry and stayed near the Room of Requirement?

“You are a Death Eater?” Ginny asked. She still couldn’t believe that Joshua had been a bad guy all along. She cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. How could she have been so naive? She thought about her time with the boy. “But you’re a half-blood and I’ve seen your arm. You don’t hold the Mark.”

Josh slapped her hard across the face and moved his just inches from hers. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Alas the question comes out. No, I am not a Death Eater; however, nor am I a half-blood.

“My father was kind enough to take Amber in and raise her as his own. But he could not forgive mother for cheating on him with a muggle. Father killed her for betraying him. To earn your trust, I asked Professor Snape to sort me in Amber’s house at the beginning of the year.” Joshua glared at her in anger. “And when I went to the Dark Lord to obtain the Mark, he informed me that he did not want such a young member of his organization, especially after Malfoy had failed so miserably. But I will prove myself to him tonight and tomorrow I will be a prized member of the Death Eaters, just like my father had been.”

Just then, the door burst open and Ginny sighed in relief. Stephanie walked in and laughed. “Your father was a disgrace.”

“How would you know, Stephanie Potter?” He sneered in Stephanie’s direction. Joshua placed Ginny’s wand in his pocket and pointed his towards Stephanie. Stephanie did the same.

“I’ve heard many stories about your father, Joshua.” Stephanie responded, moving closer to Josh. Ginny watched their interaction with interest. “Dear old Magnar Zacharias did not return to the Dark Lord after his return. Lucius tracked him down quickly and he was killed like the animal he was for renouncing the Dark Lord.”

“He stayed true to our master until the very end!” Joshua argued and Ginny noticed that his face was getting redder with each passing minute. She realized that Stephanie was very good at pushing people’s buttons. “You are the one who has betrayed the Dark Lord!”

And with that, he silently cast a spell in Stephanie’s direction. She merely smiled at his attempt as a protection shield erupted from her wand, causing the spell to fizzle before their eyes. Ginny was awestruck.

“Don’t you dare call him your master!” Stephanie yelled, pulling down the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “You do not bear the Dark Mark!”

“He’s more my master than he is yours.” Joshua responded, throwing another spell in Stephanie’s direction.

“I broke free.” Stephanie answered, getting closer to him. Ginny knelt to the floor and tried to crawl towards the door.

But suddenly she was frozen in place. Ginny was aware of her surroundings, but, despite her attempts, she could not move. All she could do was watch the scene continue to unfold before her.

“This does not concern you, Stephanie.” Josh yelled at her friend. “This is between Weasley and me. I shall let you walk away unharmed if you allow me to continue my conversation with the girl in privacy.”

“You are pathetic and the Dark Lord will never respect you.” Stephanie narrowed her eyes and Ginny watched as she yelled at him. “Crucio!”

The Curse hit Josh, who was wide-eyed with surprise. He collapsed to the floor and began writhing and screaming in pain. Stephanie only allowed it to continue for a few moments, and, when she let it go, the room was plunged into silence. Joshua lay on the floor, gasping for breath and holding his stomach. It was then that Ginny realized she was able to move once again.

“Let’s go, Ginny.” Stephanie said, walking over to Ginny and handing her the wand that had been in Joshua’s pocket.

“No.” Ginny responded forcefully and shook her head. She walked over to Joshua, who looked up at her with pathetic pleading in his eyes as she pointed her wand directly at his forehead.

“No, Ginny.” Stephanie said, grabbing her arm. “Leave him be; he won’t harm you anymore.”

“You can’t guarantee that.” Ginny no longer had control of her emotions or her mind. This boy had lied to her and had just tried to kill her. She forced all of the hatred she held for Joshua Zacharias into her wand as she gave it her command. “Avada Kedavra!”

Stephanie hung her head as Ginny watched the light leave from Joshua’s eyes. Ginny had done it. She had killed someone and she felt no remorse at all. What was wrong with her? Stephanie grabbed her hand and led her towards the door.

*~*~*~*

He couldn’t believe that he had lost track of her in the Great Hall. Neville had kept his distance because Fred and Stephanie were having an emotional discussion, but he had every intention of trying one more time to convince her to go home and save herself. But she had disappeared before he could get a chance to speak with her.

So, he had decided to help Professor Sprout with the various plants she had prepared for the battle. They were using mandrakes, venomous tentaculas, and other plants to distract the Death Eaters before they ambushed them. Neville laughed because the opposing side wouldn’t know what hit them.

After helping out his favorite professor, he finally separated from the crowd and headed back towards the Great Hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Stephanie. He tried to help random students as he went, but there wasn’t much that he could do for them.

“Colin! What are you doing here?” Neville yelled to the sixth year. “You should have evacuated with the rest of the underage students!”

“I’m helping!” Colin Creevey shrugged his shoulders and ran off to help some older students down the hall. Neville continued on his way, knowing there wasn’t much he could do if Colin wanted to help. He knew that he would be infuriated if people didn’t let him fight. Then Neville realized that he should have done that very thing to Stephanie; he should have realized that she would want to help them. Neville felt horrible for how he had treated her.

Neville rushed down the hall and saw two masked Death Eaters fighting several people ahead of him. He crept lower in the shadows and tried to sneak up on them.

“You are going to lose, old man.” Neville could hear the voice of Dedrick Hargrave taunting Stephen Opus, an Order member he recognized from the Burrow. He remembered that Dedrick had murdered Stephen’s family and Stephen had made it his life’s mission to repay Dedrick for what had happened to his loved ones.

“Avada Kedavra!” Stephen yelled in Dedrick’s direction, but Dedrick quickly moved out of the way of the spell. Neville had to shield his own head to block the Killing Curse from hitting him. “You killed my family and now you are going to pay!”

“Master!” Dedrick yelled and pointed behind Stephen. Neville gasped as the Order member turned in surprise, the moment of distraction costing Stephen Opus his life. “Avada Kedavra!” Dedrick yelled in glee.

Neville didn’t even see the look of horror on the man’s face as he died. But before Stephen even collapsed on the ground, Neville stood up and rushed over to Dedrick. “Crucio!” He bellowed.

“Longbottom wants to play.” Dedrick cackled, only being tickled by the spell. It was the first time Neville had attempted an Unforgiveable Curse and he was disappointed it had such little effect. “You are going to suffer, just like your parents!”

“I don’t think so.” Neville threw another spell at Dedrick, missing him by mere centimeters. “This is for Stephanie!”

Dedrick’s face suddenly became very serious. He was no longer playing games and Neville knew that it was time to make his move. But before he could raise his wand again in preparation of Cursing this man, Dedrick’s spell began to leave his lips. Neville knew what was about to happen and he froze in place, unable to protect himself. “Avada Ke-”

*~*~*~*

It had been so difficult to leave Fred behind, but it was something that had to be done. And Stephanie knew that she had to remain hidden if she wanted to stay alive long enough to make a difference. So, that’s exactly what she had done.

Stephanie had remained in the shadows, casting protection charms on students as she passed. The Death Eaters appeared to be getting frustrated with her efforts, but none of them noticed that she was lurking in the shadows.

It was humorous when she started throwing objects at Bellatrix and Yaxley. They were outside the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry battling some Order members. And they hadn’t seen her hiding in the shadows of a large hut that appeared to house a giant. Stephanie hadn’t known what came over her, but she just felt an impulse to start throwing rocks at her fellow Death Eaters.

The distraction had allowed the Order members enough time to incapacitate Yaxley, though Bellatrix was able to Disapparate. Stephanie didn’t think that Yaxley had been murdered, but he had definitely been gravely injured. She rejoiced with the progress she had made, despite her ability to perform magic on those that bore her master’s Dark Mark.

Stephanie knew she was outsmarting the Dark Lord and it was an amazingly refreshing feeling. These Death Eaters had thought her defenseless all those years, and now they were learning that she was a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Stephanie was not weak and she was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in. To make things even better for her, Stephanie was having the time of her life. She smiled as she quickly walked back inside the castle.

And she had been walking around for awhile, looking for someone to help when she heard muffled voices in a nearby classroom. She went to investigate and found the door locked. Stephanie reached on her tiptoes to look through the little window in the door and was shocked to see Ginny Weasley being cornered by Joshua Zacharias.

Josh had made several pleas to the Dark Lord in the past to let him join the Death Eaters, but the Dark Lord had not allowed it. Personally, Stephanie hadn’t seen too much of this boy because he had been educated at Durmstrang and only recently transferred to Hogwarts. She hadn’t even thought him all that important.

Stephanie burst into the room and confronted Josh. She couldn’t believe that he had targeted Ginny, of all people. And she was able to perform magic on him because he didn’t have the Dark Mark burned onto his forearm. For that, she was happy that the Dark Lord had never fully trusted the Zacharias family.

Stephanie only performed the Cruciatus Curse on the boy because she wanted to teach him a lesson, but Stephanie couldn’t bring herself to kill him. She had vowed to herself that she wasn’t going to end anyone else’s life, no matter what the circumstances were. But what hurt the most was that Ginny had done it. Ginny had actually used the Killing Curse to end Josh’s life.

She knew that Ginny was strong, but Stephanie was worried about the repercussions and suffering that Ginny would endure for committing the most heinous act imaginable. After Josh was dead, Stephanie grabbed Ginny’s hand and led her out of the classroom. Once they were in the hall, Stephanie pushed the girl away.

“Go!” Stephanie whispered. Ginny was slow to act, but Stephanie knew that she could take care of herself. Ginny was a strong person and she would be alright. “Go find the others!”

Ginny nodded and walked away without another word. Stephanie turned in the other direction and headed towards the room where it had all started. She needed to take a quick breath before she started in again; there was always more for her to do, and she was starting to tire. Stephanie’s muscles ached and her breathing was becoming more labored. She knew that there wasn’t much time left, but she just wanted to sit for a few moments before it all came to an end.

But when she got there, Hermione was standing in front of the room looking as though she was going to cry. Hermione whispered hoarsely to her, but Stephanie didn’t want to talk to her right then. There were Death Eaters running all over the castle and Stephanie didn’t want to attract their attention, so Stephanie waved Hermione off. Then she kept on her way, accepting the fact that she wouldn’t be able to take a break. That was probably for the best, anyway, since Stephanie was unsure if she would be able to return to the battle if she took time to think about what she was actually doing.

However, Stephanie stopped in her tracks a short distance from the Room of Requirement and Hermione Granger, though she was out of sight of her friend. Stephanie’s mind began to race. Neville was battling a masked Death Eater, who Stephanie recognized immediately as Dedrick Hargrave.

Next to him, for some unknown reason, Draco Malfoy was dueling with a Death Eater Stephanie didn’t recognize. Draco was a Death Eater, so why was that person battling him? Had the Malfoys lost that much power within the organization or did that person not realize who Draco was? Despite her better judgment, Stephanie couldn’t help but feel bad for Draco Malfoy.

She could hear him begging the Death Eater and her heart went out to him. “Please. I-I’m Draco Malfoy!”

Her eyes went back and forth between the two duels. Clearly no one had noticed that she was there, so Stephanie slowly crept closer to get a better look. Finally, she knew that this was the moment that she had been waiting for. There was a decision that had to be made.

The choice was more difficult than she had thought it would be. Neville had taken care of her and he had befriended her. Stephanie thought he was a sweetheart. Even though Hermione had done even more for her, Stephanie felt that Neville was her closest ally besides Fred, of course. The choice should have been clear before she even stepped foot in that hallway.

Then there was Draco Malfoy, the person who had once hunted her down as though she were an animal. He had tortured and humiliated her beyond anything anyone should have had to endure. But then she remembered the time that she vowed to herself to make up for almost attacking him to death. Stephanie had lost her temper and if Snape hadn’t stepped in, she would surely have killed him. She owed him more than asking the Dark Lord, who had already made the decision, to spare Draco’s life. Stephanie closed her eyes in frustration, hoping that the choice would be made for her and wishing that she didn’t have to choose between her best friend and her former master.

She continued to look back and forth between the boys; she was so ashamed of herself. Neville! Her mind screamed. Save Neville.

She knew in her heart that the choice was obvious, but she still fought against making the decision. Which boy should she save? Stephanie finally acted without a second thought when she heard Dedrick begin the terminal spell. “Avada Ke-”

The time had finally come. Stephanie drew the last breath she would ever take; Stephanie jumped out of the shadows and in front of Neville as he ducked out of the way of the spell. At the same time, she pointed her wand towards the Death Eater battling Draco. Knowing that the Killing Curse was about to hit her, Stephanie attempted to save Draco by stunning the Death Eater battling the boy she had been a servant to for most of her life, “Stupefy!”

It was only fitting that Dedrick would be the one to end her life, since she had technically sentenced Kieran to his death. Stephanie realized that she was protecting more than just the two boys with her sacrifice. Obviously, she was saving Neville and Draco’s lives. But she also knew that Dedrick would have stopped at nothing to watch her die, so Stephanie was also protecting those innocent people who would have gotten between himself and Stephanie.

She felt a painful shock course through her body as each spell hit their target simultaneously. Her spell hit the Death Eater square in the chest and he flew backwards as Dedrick’s Killing Curse blasted into her left shoulder. She smiled as she landed on the cold cement floor, feeling her elbow shatter. She smiled because she was happy to have sacrificed herself for Neville.

She didn’t even hear when Neville started to scream in tortured agony at her death, “NOOOO!”

Stephanie just smiled her goodbye at him. Dying was much easier and less scary than she had imagined it would be. There was no pain at all. Stephanie quickly lost consciousness but was happy to finally be free from the Dark Lord forever.

*~*~*~*

Neville dove to Stephanie’s body, which lay lifeless in front of him. Her eyes were wide open and she was smiling. Tears flowed from his eyes as he heard uproarious laughter coming from nearby. Dedrick Hargrave stood in front of him, his mask had been removed, and he laughed at Stephanie’s dead and motionless body.

Neville wanted to attack him, to kill him, but he couldn’t leave Stephanie alone. Dedrick raised his wand at Neville and then thought better of it. He turned and walked away. “Stephanie Potter is dead!” He shouted the entire way down the hall. “I killed Stephanie Potter!”

Neville leaned over and grabbed Stephanie’s shoulder. He dragged her lifeless form into the nearest classroom. Tears were flowing heavily down his face and moistening her sweatshirt. The woman he had loved was dead! Why hadn’t he told her how he felt? He was so stupid! And she had jumped in front of the Killing Curse that had been meant for him.

His first instinct was to stay by her side, but he knew she would curse him into eternity if he did. She would want him to fight. Neville stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and left Stephanie alone in the cold and dark classroom.

“She always was just a stupid half-blood, destined for nothing more than to be a worthless servant!” Draco sneered. He was leaning against the door Neville had just come out of and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“Shove off Malfoy. She just saved your life.” Neville shot back and ran to the stairs.


Thank you SO MUCH for everyone that has been leaving feedback! It has really been appreciated and I always take what you say to heart. So, thank you! This chapter has to be my favorite to date (and I know i say that with every new chapter...but it continues to be true!). I was so impressed with my little Josh/Sarah twist and I am really excited to hear what you guys have to say. To be honest, I originally planned for Josh to be a good guy, but this opportunity was just TOO GOOD to resist! So, there you go. And we have learned what happened to Stephanie. She sacrificed herself for Neville AND Draco. Please let me know what you think about that because I've been planning it since I started writing and I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!

So, the next chapter should be posted early next week. I'm really working hard on it. Most of it is Harry's POV and I'm struggling a little, but I'm persisting! So, in the meantime, please leave your comments and I will update as soon as possible!

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Battle Ends

Neville spent a long time running around and doing what he could for those around him. He was doing anything he could to keep his mind off Stephanie and what she had done for him. It was during this time that he came across the peaceful body of Colin Creevey. The boy looked so small in death and Neville couldn’t believe that his friend was gone. Oliver Wood had approached him and assisted in transporting Colin to the Great Hall where the other dead were being taken.

And Neville was tiring heavily. His muscles were sore and sweat was pouring down his face. But he would never quit; he would never stop fighting. Neville decided to take on the task of helping the injured—it almost felt as though Stephanie was instructing him of what he should be doing.

Stephanie. He had loved her so much! Why did she have to jump in front of Dedrick’s curse like that? It had not been hours since she had died, but he missed her more than he had ever missed anyone in the world. Tears sprang to his eyes again and Neville quickly shook his head, trying to get the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon out of his head so that he could concentrate on the battle in front of him.

After what seemed to be a long time after Stephanie’s death, Neville heard screams and he ran towards the noise. He wasn’t paying attention to what was happening in front of him because he only had one thought in his mind: save as many people as he could. He didn’t care about killing Death Eaters or getting revenge for what had happened to the only girl he had ever loved. It was about defeating Lord Voldemort so that no one else would have to suffer as Stephanie had. And it was on his way to the source of the screams that he bumped into someone so hard that they both fell to the ground.

“Neville.” It was Harry. Neville had an impulse to tell Harry about Stephanie, but he knew he shouldn’t tell Harry about his sister’s death; it would stray his focus from what needed to be done. Neville was conflicted and he didn’t know what to do.

But Harry broke into his thoughts, freeing Neville from his internal debate. Neville noticed that Harry, too, looked as though he were on the brink of exhaustion. “Neville, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Of course.” Neville breathed. And he knew that he would do anything in his power to help Harry, no matter what his friend asked of him.

“Voldemort’s snake. If you get near it, we need to kill it.” Neville nodded. He didn’t understand why the snake would be so important, but Neville wasn’t going to question Harry’s motives. Neville knew from the look on Harry’s face that it must have taken a lot for him to ask that of Neville. In fact, Neville was honored that Harry chose him to confide with this information.

Harry turned to leave, but Neville stopped him. If it were his sister, Neville would have wanted to know the truth. He decided that Harry needed to know what had happened to his sister. “I’m so sorry! Harry, she jumped right out in front of me. There was nothing I could do to stop her! Stephanie didn’t make it.”

*~*~*~*

Harry had already gotten the heavy blow from hearing news about Stephanie’s death. His mind returned to the moment just after Fred had died.

Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, tears and dirt staining their faces, and he knew that he couldn’t have looked much better. The only way to find out what happened to his sister and to find out where Voldemort was hiding was to enter the man’s mind. Blocking Voldemort had come so easily that night that Harry had completely forgotten about it until Ron brought it up.

But he was so angry that he could feel the blood pulsating through his temples. He was livid at Voldemort for the death of his sister, angry at the Death Eaters who had killed Fred, and disappointed in himself. Harry had blown off his sister when she had needed him most. Stephanie had run into danger without thinking twice about how it would affect him. And her impulsiveness had gotten her killed.

Harry knew that she had had her reasons in doing so, but he couldn’t believe she would purposely run into the situation knowing that she was most likely going to be killed. She hadn’t thought about him. At least, that was how he had rationalized his behavior to himself.

Harry closed his eyes and was plunged into the mind of Lord Voldemort. It looked like the man was in the Shrieking Shack with Nagini following him in some sort of protective bubble while he paced. Lucius Malfoy knelt on the ground in front of his master.

“Allow me to go in search of the boy, my Lord.” Lucius begged while attempting to kiss his master’s moving feet.

Voldemort just snarled at his servant. “You only wish to learn the fate of your son, Lucius. You do not care about the outcome of this war.”

“No, my Lord.” Lucius argued with a look of frightened concern. Harry was surprised to see such strong emotions coming from this man, but it didn’t lessen his hatred for him. Lucius had treated his sister too horribly over the years for all to be forgotten so easily. “Let me find the boy.”

“You will remain by my side until you are instructed otherwise, you stupid fool.” Voldemort hissed angrily. He looked at Lucius only for a second and then his concentration turned to focus out the window of the Shrieking Shack.

“Yes, my Lord.” Lucius looked defeated and shrunk his shoulders. He had failed Voldemort by showing concern for his only son and now he was going to pay by remaining by his master’s side.

Harry pulled himself from Voldemort’s mind and informed his friends of what he had seen. They hurried towards the Shrieking Shack but were slowed by the presence of dementors.

It was there that they had received the help of Luna, Dean, and Seamus. He had had difficulty producing a Patronus because he was so angry, upset, and tired; he had lost his ability to concentrate on happy thoughts because of his sister’s death. But Luna reminded him that everyone was still fighting.

Many had died but no one was going to give up; they were going to help him and continue fighting until the very end. This had allowed Harry to regain some sense of hope. Ron and Hermione urged him to keep going once the dementors left the area and they soon arrived at the Shrieking Shack.

“I just received news, my Lord.” Lucius had breathed heavily to Lord Voldemort. Harry watched them move around the room through a gap between the entrance and a crate that had been blocking his way. “Dedrick has killed the girl with the Killing Curse. The foolish girl jumped right out in front of the spell.”

Harry moved quickly, hitting his head on the top of the crawl space. He had known Stephanie was dead, but it was much more difficult actually hearing the words. All thoughts escaped his mind; all he wanted was revenge, to kill Lord Voldemort, Dedrick Hargrave, and all others who stood in his way.

“What was that sound?” Harry heard Voldemort ask suspiciously as Hermione forced him to lay still.

“It must have been a rat, my Lord.” Lucius answered matter-of-factly. Harry listened as Voldemort ignored the sound of Harry’s head hitting solid ground and continued to comment about Stephanie’s death.

Harry watched as Voldemort tapped his fingers together in a slow and methodical fashion. “Good. Very good. The time has almost arrived, Lucius. Summon Severus for me. We must discuss a few things before I attempt to destroy Potter.”

Lucius bowed and left the room silently, his long blonde hair flowing in the wind behind him. A few moments later, Professor Snape came through the door. Harry wanted to stand up and rush into the room, but he restrained himself. They talked for a few minutes and then Harry watched as Voldemort ordered Nagini to attack Snape.

After Voldemort left, Harry came out from his hiding spot and cautiously approached his professor. Harry was drawn to him as the man slowly succumbed to his death. He knelt down at the man’s side; Snape was gasping for breath, life was fading from his eyes very quickly.

“She is not dead yet. You can save her. You must save her.” Snape whispered between deep breaths. The effort was clearly very painful for his professor, but Snape continued anyway. “Take it.”

And then Snape went limp. A silvery blue liquid oozed from his ears, mouth, nose, and eyes and Harry scooped it up into a small container. What had he meant when he said that Stephanie wasn’t dead yet? Harry had once survived the Killing Curse, had his sister as well? And how could he save her?

Harry returned to the crawl space, rushed past Hermione and Ron, and hurried towards Dumbledore’s office. But when Harry reached the school, the walls shook and Voldemort’s voice could be heard throughout the school again.

“You have sustained heavy losses. You shall have one hour to attend to your injured and gather your dead. One of those that I am seeking has been apprehended. Hand over Potter and no more lives shall be lost. You have one hour.” Voldemort’s voice echoed like thunder.

He ran to the Great Hall quickly and saw many people gathered around bodies that lay on tabletops as though they were sleeping peacefully. Remus and Tonks lay serenely nearby and Mrs. Weasley wailed over Fred’s body. Ginny was crying silently, being held by George who looked devastated and completely lost.

Harry backed away slowly, unnoticed, and headed towards Dumbledore’s office. That was when he ran into Neville. Harry told Neville about Nagini but said nothing in response to news about Stephanie’s death; he just kept going. If his sister was still alive, time was definitely not on his side. He had to see what Snape had given him and he had to see it immediately.

Once inside the headmaster’s office, He pulled open the cupboard door to reveal the pensieve, and he threw the memory inside. He witnessed Snape’s love for his mother as it grew deeper over the years. He watched as his father and Sirius taunted Snape horribly and Snape was so angry that he had called Lily a mudblood.

Harry saw Snape plead with Dumbledore to save his mother. He witnessed Snape confront Dumbledore about the ring and then Snape leaving the Sword of Gryffindor in the pond where Harry had almost drowned. Snape and Dumbledore had talked about how Harry must sacrifice himself in order for Lord Voldemort to be defeated. The memories faded to black, but there was clearly more to come. After a few moments of darkness, Harry was returned to Dumbledore’s office where he saw Snape rush into the room almost breathless.

“Marcus Flint is dead.” Snape informed the headmaster. “Stephanie has killed him by means of the Cruciatus Curse.”

“That is impossible, Severus.” Dumbledore responded quickly, barely looking up at Harry’s professor.

“Not anymore.” Snape said calmly, no emotion penetrating his face. His breath was returning to his lungs. “The Dark Lord has punished her for committing the act, but I have explained to him my theory, which he has agreed is plausible.”

“Please explain.” Dumbledore encouraged Snape to continue, looking at him with interest.

“One of the curses he placed on her prevents the girl from performing magic against any person who bears the Dark Mark. If she does so, she will certainly die.” Snape explained and Dumbledore nodded. He had obviously already known that detail about Stephanie’s imprisonment and Harry had just learned about the three curses just moments before. “However, she performed magic on a Death Eater inductee prior to his receiving the Dark Mark. This caused the spell to be highly confused with the situation.

“It is a reversal of sorts; an unexpected side effect of the curse placed on her. Performing magic on a soon-to-be Death Eater caused her own magical powers to drain out the life of Mr. Flint. It is like she has two magical power sources inside of her now.” Snape finished.

“What does this mean?” Dumbledore sighed.

“She is now almost as dangerous as the Dark Lord, himself.” Snape concluded and the memory went black.

Harry emerged from the pensieve in utter bewilderment. He was numb as he made his way towards the door, knowing exactly where he needed to go, and thinking about what he must do.

Snape really had been working for the Order. The look on his professor’s face told Harry that Snape truly loved his mother and cared deeply for his sister. Surprisingly, Harry wasn’t completely revolted by this revelation.

Harry made his way down the stairs after replacing his invisibility cloak and headed out the front door of the castle. He could hear the voices of his friends in the Great Hall as he passed.

“Josh’s dad was a Death Eater.” Ginny’s voice echoed in his mind. He wanted to shout to her, to run to Ginny. But he knew that would only make what he had to do that much harder. He could not see who she was talking to as he continued walking. “Stephanie saved me.”

“Where has he gone?” Hermione’s voice stood out for him over the tormented cries of those who had lost loved ones. It made the scene so much more real for him. He was walking towards his death and no one knew that he was going to die.

“He’s probably looking for Stephanie.” Ron responded hoarsely. Harry could tell that his best friend had been devastated over the death of his brother. Harry’s heart went to him because Harry was also mourning the loss of a good friend and sibling.

That’s why Harry had to do what Dumbledore had raised him for. He had to die so that Voldemort could be defeated and his friends would no longer have to live in danger and fear for their lives.

As Harry stepped onto the grounds of Hogwarts and into the Forbidden Forest, Harry took a deep breath and allowed the tears to flow from his eyes. His sister had known for years that she would not survive the final battle and, yet, she still fought so hard for her life.. The night he had abandoned her in the graveyard had been her death sentence. It was that night that Voldemort had placed a spell in her blood tracking her every move and making it impossible for her to escape.

It had been that night that Voldemort had made it too dangerous for her to use magic against a Death Eater. And it had been that night that if she somehow got herself killed, she would be forced to relive her most painful memories and deepest, darkest secrets as though they were happening to her for the first time.

Harry trembled as he realized how scared he was at that moment and he was horrified at not being able to comprehend how terrifying it must have been for Stephanie living with that knowledge for three years. She hadn’t been able to tell anyone, either. But he understood why because he didn’t want to tell his friends about his plans; they would surely pity him and try to stop him from doing what he must.

And Harry suddenly realized with full force that his sister hadn’t wanted to keep this secret from him, but she had to for his protection. He would have attempted to save her at all costs, but that wasn’t what she wanted.

And Snape told him that he could save her. How could he do that if she got hit with a Killing Curse? Harry had heard that Stephanie jumped in front of the Curse that had killed her. He didn't think that her survival was possible, but anything could happen. Had letting her go off to battle saved her in the end? Had the curse ended her life but saved her from suffering much longer?

Harry felt horrible for how he had treated Stephanie because she had known exactly what she was getting into and he just made it worse. She hadn’t ignored his feelings, but rather put herself first for once. Harry understood completely because he was going through the exact same thing at that very moment.

It was with this revelation that Harry realized what Dumbledore had given him. He reached into his pocket and dug out the golden snitch he had captured during his first ever game of Quidditch. Once again it read: I open at the close.

Harry slowly lifted it to his lips and kissed the Snitch. After a few moments it fluttered open and Harry saw the stone that he had been searching the countryside for. It was the third Hallow. He grasped it in his free hand and gasped in shock as his family appeared before him.

First he saw his mother and father, then Sirius, and finally, Remus Lupin. He looked around and noticed with sadness that his sister was missing. Harry had hoped that he would be able to see her again. Where was she?

“Remus, you’ve only just died.” Harry said, looking between his family members and acting as though it were normal for your dead parents and friends to show up beside you.

Remus just laughed sadly, but he was clearly amused. “That is a good observation, Harry.”

“Where’s Stephanie?” He asked, hoping he could talk to his sister one last time before he, too, died.

His mother just smiled at him sorrowfully. Her eyes were large and they looked to be somewhat moist. “She has not passed on yet, Harry.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, utterly confused. If she got hit with the Killing Curse, then she should be dead and able to stand there and talk to him as he went to confront the man who was going to kill him.

Harry was flabbergasted by his parents’ presence, but he wished he could talk to Stephanie. He wanted to apologize, to tell her that he understood her now.

“Stephanie is between our realm and the living world.” Sirius looked at him with honest compassion and pride bursting from his eyes. “She is still in for a long journey to our world, but she is happy to have made the sacrifice she has.”

“She knows what you are planning.” Remus added. He, too, had pride in his eyes. “And she understands your desire and its necessity for you to do so. She is excited to catch up with you once she has arrived.”

“You can talk with her?” Harry asked with wide eyes. If they could speak with her, maybe the stone would help him do so as well!

“Yes, though it was only for a short period of time. It was exhausting for her to communicate with us and we know that she has to keep up her strength.” His father answered. “She wants you to know that she loves you very much and this was the most difficult decision she ever had to make, leaving you and Fred behind.”

Harry let the tears slide down his cheeks. Even in death, she was still thinking only about him. And it was Lily that spoke to him next. “Stephanie wanted to reassure you that it was painless for her. Dying didn’t hurt for any of us.”

Harry nodded, grateful for the support of his parents, godfather, and good friend. Harry was glad to hear from his sister even though he couldn’t talk to her.

Harry turned to his mother and spoke with sincerity, begging his mother for forgiveness. “I’m sorry I failed you, mum.”

“What do you mean, honey?” She was concerned for him; Harry could clearly see the worry outlined on his mother’s face. “You have never once failed me.”

The tears flowed silently from Harry’s eyes as he thought about how he had wronged his sister, thus failing his mother. “She is my sister and I should have done more to protect her.” He admitted.

“You both have done beautifully, Harry.” Sirius responded and Harry could swear he saw tears in his godfather’s eyes. Was it possible for the dead to cry? Harry wondered.

Lily smiled weakly at him. “You did exactly what you were supposed to do and we don’t blame you for that. We love you and are so proud of the person you have become.”

Harry nodded towards his mother and knew that it was finally time to go. He wondered if Stephanie had been as nervous when she decided to save Neville. His trembling stopped and his tears dried up as he drew nearer to Lord Voldemort and Harry knew that he had to do this alone. Harry dropped the stone and his parents disappeared. His mother blew a kiss towards him, his father just smiled, and Remus and Sirius waved at him their goodbyes.

Voldemort smiled when he saw Harry and the Death Eaters silenced, forming a tight circle around him. Harry knew he could not fight Voldemort; he had to die so that Voldemort could be defeated. So, he did not reach for his wand as Voldemort spoke with excitement.

“Never fear, Potter. Stephanie will be joining you soon enough. But first I have some business with her to tend to!” Voldemort called with a sinister grin and the others laughed in glee.

The knowledge that they would happily watch his sister suffer cut deep into his soul and Harry resisted an urge to grab for his wand as Lord Voldemort raised his own. Harry took a deep breath, the tears long since dried up in his eyes, and prepared to hear the words that had been said too many times that night. “Avada Kedavra.”

And all went black as the curse blasted into Harry’s defenseless body.

*~*~*~*

“Where is he?” Hermione craned her neck and asked the question for what seemed like the hundredth time since Harry had left them at the Shrieking Shack.

Ron sighed. It was horrible and Ron knew the evening was only going to get worse. Voldemort had given them one hour to hand over Harry and Ron knew that was never going to happen. No one would ever betray Harry and turn him in to Lord Voldemort.

Since he and Hermione returned to the castle, Ron hadn’t left his family’s side. His mum kept screaming for her baby while George stood by too traumatized to notice. All he did was stare at Fred’s body while shaking his head and Ginny stood holding George’s hand in an act of comfort. Tears silently flowed from her pained eyes.

Ron, however, couldn’t cry. He felt like the worst brother in the world, but he couldn’t do it. The war wasn’t over and by the end of it, too many people would have been murdered in the name of Lord Voldemort.

He turned to Hermione without thinking. “I don’t know, Hermione. If you’re so worried about him, then go look for him! We don’t need you here.” He snapped. It ****ed him off that Hermione couldn’t see how upset he was.

She looked taken aback by his bluntness and a little hurt but he didn’t care. She hadn’t just lost a brother. Hermione didn’t know how he was feeling. Just as Hermione was about to speak, the walls shook, and Ron shuddered.

“The war is over.” Voldemort’s voice boomed through the walls once again. “Your precious Harry Potter, the chosen one, is dead by my own hands. Come see his body and bow before your Lord.”

For a moment, there was stunned silence as what Voldemort said sunk in. Finally, there was a stampede towards the huge windows in the Great Hall as everyone had to see for their own eyes. Ron pushed himself towards the front just in time to see Hagrid lower Harry’s still form to the ground gently. Ron pounded on the window and began to yell as the others around him did the same. But then everything went quiet. No noise would come out of anyone’s mouths, even though the crowd was trying to scream at Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Ron watched as Neville broke free from the crowd and spoke to Voldemort, though Ron couldn’t hear what his friend was saying. When Voldemort forced the sorting hat onto Neville’s head and flames engulfed Neville, the crowed erupted once again. Ron was stunned and almost numb to the horrific things he had seen that night. He was no longer surprised by the acts that the Death Eaters were capable of committing.

He tuned out Voldemort’s screaming as he realized how many people had died that night, and now it was all for nothing: Fred, Harry, Stephanie, Colin Creevey, Crabbe, Professor Lupin, Tonks, Cho Chang, Lee Jordan, and so many others that he couldn’t name. And now Neville was being burned to death in front of everyone’s eyes.

Ron’s screams broke through Voldemort’s shield once more, though he wasn’t trying to save Neville. There was nothing anyone could do for their friend anymore. They had to continue resisting Voldemort, no matter what the evil Lord subjected them to. They could never give up and allow Voldemort to win. Never. “We will never surrender!”

And the crowed erupted in agreement around him. As they were silenced once again, Ron saw his friend move. Neville was alive! And he watched in awe as Neville pulled Gryffindor’s sword from inside of the Sorting Hat. Voldemort was concentrating on the crowd in front of him and didn’t notice that Neville was no longer lying on the ground.

Neville quietly snuck up behind Voldemort, unnoticed by all of the Death Eaters, and quietly sliced Nagini’s head off, whom Voldemort had no longer deemed it necessary to protect. Ron didn’t have time to wonder how Neville knew to go for Voldemort’s snake because he was so thrilled that the deed had been done; the final Horcrux had been destroyed!

Ron screamed with excitement as he looked over to Hermione. She smiled at him with a knowing glance as Hagrid started to yell. Ron noticed that Harry’s body was no longer where Hagrid had left it. The question flew to his mind that Hermione had been asking repeatedly since Harry had disappeared. And the thought made him smile even though the situation seemed dire. Where was Harry?

Ron’s mind was a blur as the battle against the Death Eaters began once again. He watched Voldemort battle the older Order members and his friends fighting Bellatrix. He, too, participated by fighting several Death Eaters at once, though he couldn’t remember it at all. Nothing he did or saw registered in his mind; Ron was going through the motions, but didn’t care what happened to him any longer.

Finally, Harry stepped forward, emerging from the crowd, and confronted Lord Voldemort. He cast a protection shield which prevented his friends from helping. Ron watched as the two taunted each other, and then simultaneously cast a spell towards the other: Harry cast the Disarming Spell and Voldemort chanted the Killing Curse. And Ron watched as Voldemort collapsed to the ground, defeated and dead by the rebound of his own curse.

The crowd rushed over to Harry, but Ron stayed back. There would be time to talk to and congratulate his friend later on. Ron needed to find Hermione. After a few moments of scanning the crowd, he found her on a bench near the door with Luna Lovegood, looking exhausted but exhilarated.

When she saw him, Hermione stood and rushed over; then she wrapped him in a tight embrace and kissed him wildly. “I love you Miss Hermione Granger.” He said, looking deep into her eyes.

“I love you too, Ronald Weasley.” She breathed. They kissed again but were interrupted by Neville, who had just rushed into the room. Ron looked at him and knew that something had to be wrong; Neville was breathing heavily and could barely get the words out fast enough.

“Harry!” He yelled into the crowd. “It’s Stephanie! Come quick! She’s alive!”

And Ron, Hermione, Harry, McGonagall, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley broke free from the crowd. Although Ron and Hermione were closest to the door, Harry was the first to break through it.

They all followed Neville as he ran down the hall, though Harry sprinted in front of Neville, following the sounds of Stephanie’s screams as they echoed through the halls.

Stephanie was alive! Ron was just worried about what they would find. He could hear her agonizing cries as they ran down the hall toward the deserted classroom that Neville had placed her in after she had been killed.

“Mommy!” Stephanie Potter’s blood-curling screams were heard through the darkness of the castle. “MOMMY!”


There it is. We shall see the effects of the curse beginning in the next chapter. But at least Voldemort has been defeated! Anyway...okay, so I have a poor start to the next chapter. And I work the rest of the week, so I'm not sure when it will be posted. I'm aiming for Saturday...we'll see. Please leave feedback and let me know what you're thinking!

Chapter Sixty-Seven: St.Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

“MOMMY!” Stephanie screams made Harry cringe. She was reaching into the air and flailing about as the tears poured from her eyes and towards the back of her head, which thrashed on the floor. Her eyes were open as she screamed for their mother. He knelt by her side.

McGonagall turned to Ginny and spoke to her quickly, as though she wasn’t quite sure what was going on. “Go get Poppy. Hurry, please!”

Ginny just nodded and ran back towards the Great Hall where Harry knew that Madame Pomfrey, along with several healers that had been summoned from St. Mungo’s, was triaging the injured. He didn’t watch Ginny as she disappeared from sight; all that mattered at that moment was his sister.

McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley joined him at his sister’s side while Hermione clung to Ron in fear. Neville looked unsure of what he should do and Harry took the time to quickly motion him over. Neville took his cue and knelt by Stephanie’s body, taking her hand in his, and rubbing it gently. Regardless of Harry’s hopes, Stephanie’s agonizing screams did not cease at the touch of her friends and loved ones.

“What is happening to her?” Hermione asked to no one in particular. Harry could tell that she was crying without even looking at her. “She’s going to hurt herself!”

As Hermione spoke, Harry pulled off his shirt and placed it under Stephanie’s head so that she was no longer banging her head on the hard concrete floor of the castle. Then, he held her head still in his hands and leaned closer to her.

“Shh.” He whispered quietly. A crowd was gathering in the hallway, watching what was happening. But he didn’t care about that. Harry only had eyes for his sister right then. “It’s alright. You’re safe, Stephanie.”

“Excuse me, please.” Harry looked up as Madame Pomfrey made her way closer, pushing students aside as she broke through the crowd. She looked older than normal and more exhausted than he had ever seen her, though many people looked the same way that night. “Let me through!”

“MOMMY!” Stephanie continued screaming and Harry could hear the hushed whispers of those watching the scene unfold.

“Please help her.” He pleaded with Madame Pomfrey once she reached their side. Stephanie was screaming at the top of her lungs and Harry was terrified for what she was witnessing.

“I have never seen this before.” Madame Pomfrey said out loud, though it was apparent she was deep in thought. “We need to get her to St. Mungo’s immediately.”

“Should we set up a portkey?” McGonagall asked. Her eyes were open wide behind her glasses and Harry could see deep concern rooted on her face. This was unacceptable. A portkey would take too much time to set up.

“She is too fragile for portkey or Apparition.” Madame Pomfrey stood and dusted off her knees. “The girl has to be transported by ground, and as quickly as possible.”

That was even more unacceptable. It would take too long to get her all the way to London by taking a train or carriage or however they were thinking about transporting her. No. He would not allow it.

Without a word, Harry lifted Stephanie up into his arms and hurried down the hall of the castle. She continued thrashing about and screaming for their mother, but he didn’t care. Stephanie had to get to St. Mungo’s immediately.

“Where are you going, Harry?” McGonagall called after him, she was running along side him and the others were following close behind.

“She has been through too much and we need to get her to St. Mungo’s. I need to see what she is seeing.” Harry breathed heavily. His sister was heavier than he thought, but that didn’t matter. He would do anything he could for his sister and he hoped that getting her to St. Mungo’s would allow her to be comforted in some way.

“But the pressure could kill her!” Madame Pomfrey scolded him, completely out of breath as she tried to catch up to him.

Harry didn’t take a moment to pause because he didn’t know how much time Stephanie had left. She could die at any moment and he was not willing to risk her life on a safer mode of travel.

“She got hit with the Killing Curse!” He bellowed down the hall. “If that didn’t kill her, Apparition won’t either. She’s strong.”

“Harry!” He heard someone call out to him, but Harry ignored their calls. He ran out of the castle and through the entrance gates as fast as he could. Once he was outside of the school grounds, Harry closed his eyes, raised his wand, and quickly Apparated them to St. Mungo’s Hospital.

When he opened his eyes, Harry could see that the emergency room of the hospital was chaotic and busy. There were people that were bleeding profusely and several witches and wizards with obvious broken bones. He continued holding his screaming sister as he ran up to the registration desk.

“Help!” He begged the person at the desk. “You’ve got to help her.”

The witch at the desk stood up and looked at Stephanie for a moment as though she didn’t know what to do. Then she looked up at Harry with a skeptical look. She knew exactly who Stephanie Potter was and Harry could sense that she was hesitant to help a known Death Eater when so many other people needed healers as well.

“I don’t care who you think she is!” Harry was frustrated that this healer was not taking immediate action to help Stephanie. He was getting desperate to find someone who would take her illness seriously. “She’s my sister and you are going to do what you can for her! And you are going to do it NOW!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Potter.” The witch looked a little flustered as though she didn’t know what to do. “We have instructions to attend to others first and Death Eaters second. There’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry.”

“VOLDEMORT CURSED HER!” Harry bellowed and the waiting room silenced immediately. Harry didn’t care who was listening or watching. In fact, the more people that saw what was going on, the better. Maybe someone would step up and do something for his sister, regardless of the things that she had done. He lowered his voice and leaned closer to the witch behind the counter. “She is dying. Can’t you see that? You have to help her!”

“MOMMY!! NO!!!” Stephanie continued to scream and Harry could now hear the hushed whispers as the other people in the waiting room listened to Harry’s conversation. He knew that everyone realized who both of them were. “I WANT MY MOMMY!”

“Please.” He begged the woman, tears of frustration and impatience coming to his eyes. He loved his sister more than anything and it really bothered him that they weren’t going to treat her.

The woman softened her look and stood from her position behind the desk. “Fine, Mr. Potter. Follow me.”

And Harry sighed in relief as he followed the witch down the hall and towards the examination rooms. The witch opened one of the doors towards the end of the hall and instructed him to place Stephanie on the bed. A healer would be with them shortly. So, Harry did as he was told and took a seat next to the bed. He grabbed hold of Stephanie’s hand and squeezed it tightly. All he could do was wait for someone to come.

He leaned closer towards Stephanie and spoke softly. “Shh, Stephanie. I will never leave you again. You are safe. No one can hurt you.”

Stephanie’s eyes fluttered and her shouting continued, though she was beginning to quiet as her voice became hoarse. Harry felt heartbroken by the desperate, pleading sounds that his sister was making. In addition to her screaming for their mother, Stephanie had begun to whimper. The tears still flowed from her eyes as her torment continued. Harry wished he knew what he could do for her.

After a few moments, the door opened and a healer in white robes entered the room. He looked like he was ten times older than he probably was, though Harry understood completely. So many people were coming to the only magical hospital for hundreds of miles in search of safety and refuge. But at that moment, Harry didn’t care about the rest of the wizarding world. Harry was only worried about the safety of his sister.

Stephanie’s yells started again, louder than ever, and the healer rushed over to the opposite side of the bed than Harry. He pulled out a light and pointed it towards Stephanie’s eyes, and she did not react to the stimulation even though her eyes were open.

He looked to Harry with deep concern penetrating through his eyes. “I am Healer Sorenson. Now, what has happened to her?”

“Voldemort did something to her.” Harry breathed hurriedly. He knew the basics of what had happened to her, but he couldn’t explain it in detail because he didn’t completely understand it himself. And it would take too much time to tell the healer exactly what he did know. “I don’t know. He cursed her a long time ago. Please help her.”

Stephanie’s arms shot out again and she began reaching for something that Harry couldn’t see. “MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!”

The healer ran to the door and yelled down the hall, not even taking the time to leave the room. “McNealy! Roberts! Greene! I need you NOW!”

He ran to a cupboard that stood above the sink in the room and started digging through jars of potions. While he was doing that, three people came running into the room and Harry knew that this was very serious. After what seemed like ages, the healer found the potion he was looking for. It was an orange-colored potion in a dark brown bottle.

The healer rushed over to Stephanie and poured it into her mouth. But with her screaming, most of the potion was pushed out and she choked on the little potion that did make its way down her throat. A few moments later, Stephanie’s arms relaxed by her side, but her screaming did not stop.

“What are you doing to her?” Harry asked.

“We just gave her a muscle relaxant that will help us work with her.” One of the people who had just entered said to him gently.

The only woman in the room walked over to him and gently placed her hands on his arms. “I’m sorry, Mr. Potter. But we need you to go and stay in the waiting room while we work on her.”

“I can’t leave her.” Harry demanded. There was no way that he would leave his sister after he had just promised her that he wouldn’t. Harry shook his head at the healer.

“You must.” She said and Harry grew even more determined. How could they ask him to leave his sister behind? “Do you love her?”

Harry was infuriated with this woman’s question. How could she ask that in a time like this? Wasn’t it obvious that he loved his sister very much; enough, in fact, not to leave her when she needed him the most. “Of course I do.”

“Then let us work on her.” The woman said. It felt like she understood him and Harry suddenly felt very calm. He still couldn’t abandon his sister.

“I can’t.” Harry whispered. “I promised her I wouldn’t.”

“Look at yourself.” The woman spoke in a motherly tone and Harry was grateful for her act of kindness. “You look utterly exhausted. Go to the waiting room and rest. We will let you see her when she is stable enough to have visitors. Trust us, Mr. Potter. We will take good care of her.”

Harry nodded and with one last glance at Stephanie, he turned around and left the room. It had felt like a longer journey when he had made the trip down that hall to the room, but in a matter of seconds Harry was back in the waiting room. And he could no longer hear the painful screams of his sister as she begged for her mother. Harry realized that they must have cast the Muffliato spell on her room to keep others from listening to Stephanie’s agonizing screams.

And he trudged into the waiting room, suddenly feeling the effects of the battle in full force. He could barely keep his eyes open and his muscles were almost too heavy for him to continue walking. And Harry didn’t feel like facing the stares of everyone in the waiting room.

So, he regained his strength and energy when the person he had met at the front desk came up to him. “Mr. Potter, the others are this way.”

He nodded, not fully comprehending who “the others” where, but not caring either. Harry just needed to sit for a few moments and wait for news of his sister. Stephanie was strong and Harry knew that if anyone could survive this, it was her. But he didn’t want to think about the possibility of losing her once again; he had already thought she died once, he couldn’t bear it if she lost her life for a second time.

“There were too many visitors and we thought you could use some privacy.” The woman was chattering quickly even though Harry was barely listening. His ears were stretched down the hall, hoping to hear something from his sister to indicate that she was still alive. “They are in here.”

And the woman opened the door for him so that he could walk straight through. It was a room that appeared to be magically enlarged with a few beds, a fireplace, and several couches. He was surprised, though he scolded himself afterwards, by how many people were there waiting to hear word about Stephanie’s condition.

Mrs. Weasley was wringing her hands together on the couch nearest to the door and being held by Mr. Weasley. Neville stood pacing in the corner while Ginny watched him. George was staring out the window, unmoving, and Harry couldn’t help but think how weird it was to see George without his brother. Charlie and Bill were sitting in two chairs flipping through some sort of magazines.

Ron and Hermione sat on another couch comforting each other. Hermione had been crying, though there were no tears at that moment. And with so many people there, he couldn’t help but noticed the absence of two very important people in Stephanie’s life.

Kingsley had taken immediate leadership of the Ministry and was busy assisting the Aurors and other Order members as they apprehended the Death Eaters. But where was McGonagall? Harry could only rationalize very quickly that she had to stay behind and provide assistance at the castle, since she would have been made the Headmistress once again. And even though these two were very busy, it hurt him that they weren’t there at the hospital to support Stephanie.

Everyone silenced immediately when they saw him, but they all, except Mrs. Weasley and Neville, remained still in their seats. Mrs. Weasley shot up from the couch while Neville made his way over to Harry, both clearly distressed.

“How is she?” Neville asked hurriedly.

“Oh dear, Harry. You look awful!” Mrs. Weasley said at the same time. She pointed towards the space on the couch that was next to her and Mr. Weasley. “Come sit down and tell us everything!”

Harry couldn’t do anything but nod in response. He was surprised by Molly Weasley’s calmness in the situation; her demeanor was much different than when he had left her at Hogwarts. She should still be screaming and wailing, mourning the loss of one of her sons. But instead, she was here more calm than he had ever seen her and was comforting Harry. He felt bad for distracting her attention from her family.

“Tell us about Stephanie.” Hermione said and Harry noticed that everyone in the room had gathered around him. He took a deep breath.

“I don’t know much.” He responded honestly. “They didn’t want to treat her because she’s a Death Eater, but they finally took her in. And no one seems to know what is happening to her. They gave her a relaxant so that she wouldn’t scratch at the healers, but it didn’t help with her pain or her screaming. And then they sent me here.”

Harry put his head in his hands, leaned forward in his seat, and began crying as he had never done before. All the emotions he had held in suddenly came bursting out. He cried for his sister, whom he had just begun getting to know; he cried for those that had lost their lives in the battle against Lord Voldemort. Harry cried for all those that were brave enough to stand up against the force of evil and he cried for those that had risked their lives to help him. He cried for the world. And as he did so, Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms around his shoulder in the most comforting motherly gesture he had ever felt and he continued to wait for news of his sister.

*~*~*~*

After what seemed like hours, and Harry wasn’t sure how long exactly he had waited while being held by Mrs. Weasley in the room that had been created for them, the door finally opened. Harry stood immediately, suddenly all exhaustion leaving his body. Before Healer Sorenson could say anything, Harry rushed over to the door.

“Mr. Potter.” The man looked solemn and Harry felt his stomach sink. Harry couldn’t help but think that the news was not good. He nodded and Healer Sorenson. “She’s in stable condition, but we still haven’t figured out what You-Know-Who has done to her. None of us have ever seen anything like it before, and I have been in healing for over 25 years..”

“Can I see her?” He asked quickly.

“Of course.” The healer responded. “And normally we do not allow so many people in the room with a patient as sick as Ms. Potter. However, we received orders from Minister Shacklebolt to allow as many of you in that would like to see her. In these circumstances, Ms. Potter may benefit from having as much support as possible.”

Again Harry nodded his understanding, but he remained still. He didn’t know what to do. Then the healer continued speaking in a low voice. “You may be a little shocked the first time you see her, but understand that everything is in place for Stephanie’s comfort.”

“Like what?” Mrs. Weasley asked and Harry was glad that she spoke the question. Harry’s mouth had gone dry and he was having difficulty forming words together to make sentences.

“We have done all that we can for her; all that is left is to wait and let the spell take its course. So, for her comfort, we have placed an IV of sorts to keep her hydrated.” The Healer quickly answered the question. “She is losing a lot of bodily fluids from her crying and sweating as she experiences visions that we can only assume are from her past.

“In addition, we have an assistant healer continuously sponging Stephanie clean of these fluids. Because she is so actively suffering in her pain, which we have tried everything in our power to alleviate her from, her body is in a state of shock. So, we have placed warming blankets on her to keep the blood flowing into her limbs.” Harry was having a hard time hearing this and he was grateful when Ginny approached him for the first time that night and took his hand. The Healer took a deep breath. “And, finally, in order to treat the symptoms that she is experiencing, we have been able to penetrate her mind and project her visions onto a floating screen above her bed. We are able to see what she sees in the hopes that we can treat her symptoms as they occur.”

Harry knew that seeing Stephanie for the first time would be a shock, but he also didn’t care. He nodded in response and the Healer told Harry to follow him. Stephanie was no longer in the trauma room where he had left her. Instead, she was now on the fourth floor where they treated spell damage. Her room was at the end of the hall in a very private section of the hospital where no one could hear her screams.

He knew that they were only taking such good care of Stephanie because he had just saved the wizarding world from total destruction, but he didn’t care about that either. For once he was not ashamed to use his celebrity status, especially if it provided Stephanie with the high level of care she deserved.

Harry slowly walked closer to Stephanie’s room with Ginny still holding his hand tightly, and they finally reached her door. “Are you sure you are ready?” Healer Sorenson asked and Harry nodded.

He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. The healer opened the door and Harry cringed when the door opened. Stephanie was whimpering, curled up into a ball on her bed. An assistant, a short plump young-looking witch, was dabbing Stephanie’s forehead with a soft sponge.

He rushed to his sister’s side and looked up at the imaged that floated at the foot of her bed. She was in a dark space and he could see nothing. But through the darkness, loud voices could be heard from upstairs.

“Doesn’t that girl ever shut up?” Lucius Malfoy’s voice could be heard clearly. “I need to think!”

“She’s just s-sc-scared, Lucius.” It was Wormtail and Harry scowled. He was witnessing what had happened to his sister the night his parents died! Her screaming for their mother must have been when Lily had given Stephanie to Wormtail for protection.

Stephanie was a little over one year old; she was terrified, and she was alone. Harry sat in a chair that had appeared next to her bed and he leaned over and squeezed her hand. He had to let her know that she was not alone. And he continued watching the scene unfold as the others gathered into the room.

Mrs. Weasley took the sponge from the orderly and began wiping the sweat from Stephanie’s body. She shooed the assistant out of the room.

“How is it that the child is younger than Draco, but she can say Mommy so clearly?” Narcissa Malfoy was clearly distressed that a half-blood was showing up her precious baby. No one answered for awhile and then she continued. “Well, what are we going to do with it? It isn’t going to stay here!”

“We have to keep her here so I can watch over her.” Lucius drawled. “She must be kept hidden from the world.”

Narcissa reached for something, desperately wanting to get rid of Stephanie Potter. “What about Alecto Carrow? Make her take it in.”

“Absolutely not.” Lucius demanded.

“We can’t.” Narcissa cried out. “She’s a Potter for goodness sake! Her brother defeated the Dark Lord.”

“The boy must be destroyed, but Dumbledore has ensured that we have lost access to the boy. So, she will be the one that pays.” Lucius cackled and Harry felt an overwhelming sensation of guilt.

If he hadn’t caused Voldemort’s downfall sixteen years ago, his sister wouldn’t have suffered as she had. His thoughts were outrageous, he knew that, but he couldn’t help it. It should be him lying in that hospital bed, not her.

“But I cannot possibly care for another child.” She sounded as though she were disgusted by the idea.

“You have always wanted more help around the house so that you may pursue your hobbies.” Lucius said playfully and Harry wanted to vomit. “She can be raised to do exactly as we wish. You know how useless Dobby is. He shall raise her. You will not need to lift a finger for the girl.”

There was a moment’s silence and then Narcissa spoke hesitantly. “Fine. I just don’t understand why you want to keep her if the Dark Lord is gone forever.”

“One never knows, Narcissa. One never knows.” Lucius said slowly and then there was silence.

“Poor Stephanie.” Hermione whispered and Harry looked up to see that she was being held by Ron. She looked like she was on the brink of tears again.

“She’s so little and so scared.” Ginny added.

Mrs. Weasley began patting Stephanie’s hair as silent tears began to flow from Stephanie’s eyes. Harry looked back to the screen and noticed that the scenery had changed. She now stood a tiny playpen in the Malfoy family living room. Three people were in the far corner opening gifts. Harry realized it was Stephanie’s first Christmas being separated from her family.

“Look at all these gifts, Draco.” Lucius said, trying to get his son’s attention.

“Say Mommy.” Narcissa encouraged, holding a much younger Malfoy up to her face. “Say Mommy!”

“Mommy!” Stephanie called out, both on the screen and in the room. A few of the others jumped at the sudden noise in the room, but Harry was too deep in thought while concentrating on Stephanie’s memory.

“Mommy!” She called out again, stretching her arms towards Narcissa. And Narcissa looked absolutely livid.

Then she marched over to Stephanie and slapped his sister hard across the face. Stephanie lost her balance and fell to the ground. She began screaming. And this time he jumped at his sister’s cries, though he didn’t take his eyes from the screen.

“I am not your mother.” Narcissa scolded Stephanie through gritted teeth. Then she turned and bellowed into the air. “DOBBY!”

A moment later, the house elf appeared and bowed before the woman. “Yes, Mrs. Malfoy?” He squeaked.

“Get her out of my sight.” Narcissa ordered with a wave of her hand and then she returned to her son.

Stephanie continued screaming as Dobby carefully lifted her and carried her towards the stairs leading to the basement cellar.

“Hush, Miss.” Dobby sang while bouncing the toddler up and down. Once they reached her bedroom, which only contained a small blanket and an old, thin mattress. Dobby sat on the bed and placed Stephanie on his tiny lap. He snapped his fingers and a small plate appeared. “Shh, Miss.”

The plate contained small pieces of ham. Stephanie hungrily grabbed for the food and she immediately silenced as she ate ravenously. It appeared as though she hadn’t eaten for a long time.

“Do not worry, Miss.” Dobby whispered gently as her eyes began to droop slowly. “Nothing will happen to you. Dobby will protect you, Miss.”

And as Stephanie fell asleep, Dobby placed Stephanie on the horrible mattress. Then he lowered himself and kissed Stephanie on the forehead. He spoke softly and then he left, leaving Harry’s sister alone in the cold, dark cellar that would become her bedroom. “Merry Christmas.”


So here is this chapter! I got it done sooner than I thought and I think it is absolutely great! It definitely shows how much Harry cares for his sister!!! But there is sad news. Okay, so next weekend I have to take a life-changing exam AND I work all week next week. So, every waking moment that I am not at work will be spent studying for this exam. That means that I won't have time to write at all. So, it will probably be over a week before I get the next chapter posted. But the good news in that is that the longer it takes for me to post the next chapter, the longer this story will continue! Anyway, thanks for reading and a 100 thanks for leaving such wonderful comments! I'll post as soon as I possibly can!

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Unforeseen Remorse

Ginny suddenly became very aware of her surroundings, waking up from the terrible sleep she had forced herself into. She opened her eyes and slowly stretched her arms, trying to forget the events of the previous night. And as she did so, Harry looked down at her and smiled weakly at her movement.

Ginny had slept in his lap, curled up against the man she loved, and in the hospital room where his sister was probably dying. “Did you even sleep at all?” She asked.

She was worried about him because he had not taken a moment to rest; he had almost died the night before and, yet, he would not think of himself at all! Harry shook his head and Ginny could see the pain in his eyes.

She had wanted to comfort him when they were waiting for news, but Ginny’s mom needed something to do to keep her mind off her son. Fred’s death just didn’t seem true to Ginny even though she knew she really had lost her older brother. And Molly had made it her mission to care for Stephanie like the teenager was her own daughter.

Ginny’s dad had left with Charlie and Bill a few hours before to take George home, who was in a state of shock. She really should have gone with them because she wasn’t going to be helpful to anyone in that room anytime soon. Ginny was in pain and she couldn’t tell anyone about it.

The tears wouldn’t stop flowing from Ginny’s eyes and all her friends, Ron, and her mother all assumed it was because she was afraid for Stephanie. And that made her feel even worse because her emotions were purely selfish in nature. Of course she was terrified for the life of her friend, and she was horrified by the horrendous pain that Stephanie was enduring before their very eyes.

But she was experiencing an inner struggle that tore at her very soul. Ginny knew that she shouldn’t allow herself to be alone in her feelings, that it would only lead her on a downward spiral, but she had no choice. Her mother and Harry needed her to be strong for them. Molly had delayed grieving for Fred and focused all of her energy on the dying Stephanie. Her mother refused to leave Stephanie’s side, even for a moment.

And Harry wouldn’t take his eyes off of Stephanie or the image being displayed for them all to see long enough to blink. All of her friends were suffering and Ginny couldn’t take that away from them. It would have been too selfish for her to share her pain with any of them, especially since Stephanie’s fate was still unknown.

But Ginny had killed a man. She had looked Joshua straight in the eyes and ended the man’s life with two little words and a piece of wood. It should have made her feel better that Josh probably would have killed her if Stephanie hadn’t entered the room, but it didn’t. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Joshua’s expressionless face. The little sleep she did get was filled with dreams where she ran around the room killing innocent and random strangers.

And Stephanie was the only person who knew what she had done. Ginny knew that she should tell someone, anyone, about what had happened. But she couldn’t face the disappointment she was sure to encounter. None of them had actually had to end someone’s life during that battle, which was highly miraculous, so none of them could understand. Nothing any of them could say would make her feel any better.

But Ginny finally felt a bond that would tie her to Stephanie for eternity, regardless of Stephanie’s survival or death. Ginny finally completely understood why Stephanie had cut off contact with them when she realized what she was going to be forced to do. It would have been too hard for Stephanie to pretend that everything was alright when she was going around murdering innocent men, women, and children. Stephanie had had no choice but to endure that alone because none of them would have been able to understand what she was going through.

Stephanie had had no choice but to do it alone and now Ginny had no choice but to do the same. She had to keep her pain bottled up inside her. She could never let any of them know what had happened in that classroom at Hogwarts. She could never let them know what it felt like to cause the life to drain from someone’s body.

For the first time since she had learned of Stephanie’s existence, Ginny realized that it was finally okay if Stephanie didn’t survive this. She had gone through so much and endured such incredible torture. Stephanie had resigned to the fate she had been given and decided to end her life on her own terms. Stephanie had made a statement to the world with who she had decided to protect, that Ginny was sure of. Stephanie was ready to die and Ginny was finally able to accept that they would have to let her go.

And, so, Ginny allowed Harry to have his peace, though she still couldn’t stop the tears from escaping her eyes. She didn’t tell him how much she was hurting even though he would have listened to her with concern. Harry had to spend what little time there was concentrating on his sister. She also knew that he was stubborn and would not rest until he knew that Stephanie was going to be alright. She looked up at the screen and whispered so she wouldn’t wake anyone up. “How is she?”

The memory he was watching was just finishing up and Ginny knew that Stephanie hadn’t made a lot of noise lately; she was just experiencing a lot of soundless crying. Harry didn’t take his eyes off the screen as he answered.

“Just a lot of Dobby taking care of and raising her. Narcissa won’t speak to her and Lucius treats her like dirt.” Harry scoffed. “And I thought the Dursleys were bad. It’s a wonder how she turned out like she did.”

“Dobby did a good job in keeping her grounded.” Ginny responded, trying to encourage a positive outlook. “And I’m sure your parents were watching over her.”

“Dobby was her only and best friend for years.” Ginny was surprised to hear Hermione’s soft voice. “She was devastated when he was freed, but she never told him that. Stephanie felt so alone, but she understood why he left. She told me so.”

Their conversation was broken by Lucius Malfoy’s voice and they turned their attention to the floating screen. Stephanie was standing in what appeared to be a den with Draco standing sheepishly next to her. Lucius sat at the desk, hovering over the two children.

“Do you know what today is, girl?” Lucius demanded and Stephanie shook her head.

“No, sir.” She said weakly and wrung her hands together anxiously.

“Today is your fifth birthday.” Lucius said with a smirk, which made the young girl even more nervous. Stephanie took her eyes off the man and looked towards the ground. “Four years ago, your miserable father bet you as collateral in a low-stakes game of poker and I had the misfortune of winning that hand, meaning that I got stuck with you. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Stephanie’s eyes were large with the knowledge that things were about to change for the worse, but not understanding why at all. She again shook her head at Lucius’ question.

“Draco.” Lucius turned his attention to his son and changed the subject, leaving Stephanie waiting in anticipatory fear.

“Yes, father?” Draco’s high-pitched voice squeaked. He almost looked as scared in Lucius’ presence as Stephanie did.

“Lift up your head, son.” Lucius ordered matter-of-factly. “You are a Malfoy and you had better start acting like it unless you want to join this useless girl.”

Draco responded by straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin into the air, though he still held a nervous look. Lucius smiled. “Very nice, my boy. Be proud of the bloodline you have been given. Purebloods are far superior to all others, including filthy half-bloods like this one here.”

Lucius simply waved his hand at Stephanie and continued. “A Malfoy must always remain proper and well behaved in public. But most importantly, we must never look another in the eye. To do so is a sign of respect, which is what others should be giving us. Do you understand?”

“Yes, father.” Draco said with a smile that mimicked his father’s. He was clearly trying to gain some sense of pride from his father.

Lucius took a breath and returned his attention to Stephanie. “However, you are too insignificant to do so. You must repay us for the kindness we have shown by taking you in and caring for you these past few years. Your free-ride has come to its end, effective immediately. Now go to the kitchens where Dobby will give you your instructions.”

Stephanie just stood there for a moment with tears in her eyes. The five year old looked as frightened as could be.

“Go, you stupid girl.” Lucius snarled and Stephanie jumped. She quickly turned around and headed for the door. When she opened it, Lucius called to her in a mocking manner. “Remember, girl. What a Malfoy wants, a Malfoy gets.”

Ginny was absolutely disgusted and her feelings were mirrored on Harry’s face. “What did he mean by that?”

No one said a word as the memory followed Stephanie as she walked through the living room and into the kitchen where Dobby appeared to be preparing a meal. Before either could speak, there was a knock on Stephanie’s hospital room door and it opened slowly. She couldn’t believe who was walking through the door!

Ginny stood before Harry could and she drew her wand as the man made his entrance. Harry had a terrifying look mixed with anger and hatred as he raised his wand and bellowed, waking the rest of those who had been sleeping only moments before.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT! Get him out of here!” And Ginny prepared herself for another fight as Lucius Malfoy just smiled playfully at Harry.

*~*~*~*

“What is he doing here?” Hermione demanded, stepping forward. She pursed her lips and had a scowl on her face. Harry had rarely ever seen the look of utter hatred that was now decorating his friend’s face.

Harry’s heart jumped into his throat at the sight of the man who had, just moments before, sentenced Stephanie to a life of servitude. How dare he step foot in her hospital room?

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nikki Fullbright quickly moved in front of Lucius, protecting him from Harry and his friends. This move infuriated Harry to no degree. Lucius Malfoy was the last person that should be given the privilege of being present at that time. Harry wondered what was going through Kingsley’s mind by allowing this man to be in Stephanie’s presence.

“Move Kingsley.” Harry said through clenched teeth, waving his wand and gesturing for his friend to get out of the way. After the memories he had seen, Harry would not hesitate to murder Lucius Malfoy. “Let me at him.”

“Like you could really touch me,” Lucius smirked and Harry lost all control of his emotions.

This was the man who had done all those horrible things to his sister that she was now being forced to relive as Harry sat by, witnessing every moment. Stephanie was silently lying in her bed and fighting for her life as Lucius Malfoy stood there mocking him. Why would Kingsley even bring him here? Harry was infuriated beyond belief.

In the scuffle, Mrs. Weasley had woken up and was now squeezing Stephanie’s hand tightly. Harry recognized hatred and disgust on her face as she scowled at Lucius. Ron and Neville had woken up, as well. Ron looked around nervously as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes. Neville, however, looked the complete opposite. His body was weary and exhausted, but his alertness was at its peak. He, too, had joined his friends in raising his wand.

“Harry.” Kingsley lifted his hands in the air as a gesture of peace. Harry still trusted the new Minister of Magic, but he was angry that the man had brought Lucius Malfoy to Stephanie’s hospital room. Kingsley’s deep voice came out gently as he tried to calm Harry down. “Lucius claims he can tell us what is wrong with her. The healers need to know so that they can try and help her.”

“We don’t need his help. I know what Voldemort has done to her and I know there is nothing we can do.” Ginny placed a hand on his upper arm and he felt a warm tingle go down his spine at her touch. He looked over at her and noticed that she had finally stopped crying.

In fact, she looked more determined than ever. Ginny looked directly at Lucius and spoke with curiosity. “What’s in it for you?”

The look of satisfaction disappeared from Lucius’ face at the question. It took awhile for him to answer, so Harry used the time to look the man up and down. He was no longer in his Death Eater robes, but was dressed in Ministry issued prison ones. His feet were magically bound so that they would lock together if he tried to escape. He looked much older than Harry ever remembered him and there was pain in his eyes, possibly for the first time.

Finally Lucius spoke and Harry was surprised by the polite tone that the man took. “I am doing this as a plea bargain so that when my son is captured, he may be spared.”

“Have they not found Draco, yet, Kingsley?” Neville asked and Harry knew Neville was upset because Stephanie had risked her life to save him and Draco. Harry still couldn’t believe it, either. Draco Malfoy. Malfoy. The boy who had done so many horrible things to her.

Harry looked at Kingsley, hoping to hear good news as Stephanie began to cry out in pain. Mrs. Weasley immediately returned her attention to Stephanie and stroked her forehead tenderly. “Shh, baby.”

Lucius’ voice could be heard from the screen and Harry looked up to watch. There was a large red mark on the young Stephanie’s face as Lucius hovered over her and there were broken dishes on the floor at her feet.

“Be careful you stupid girl.” Stephanie knelt down to clean up the dishes as Dobby appeared. Lucius barked a command at the house elf. “No, Dobby. If she is clumsy enough to make this mess, she can clean it up herself.”

Without a word, Dobby returned to the kitchen and Lucius turned his attention back to Stephanie, sitting down at the table and watching her closely. After she had cleaned up the broken dishes, he spoke to her again.

“Come here, girl.” Stephanie looked at him with her wide eyes and did as she was told. Tears were streaming down her face as Lucius scolded her. “We do not cry in this household. I will not allow my servants to act like bumbling weaklings. Do you understand?”

Stephanie nodded her head and he continued to reprimand her. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “If I catch you crying again, you will spend that night sleeping outdoors. However, I am merciful enough to allow you a lesser punishment this evening. You will go to your room and stay there without meals until I tell you otherwise. Go.”

“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy.” Stephanie whispered so softly that Harry could barely hear her. Then he watched as his sister silently bowed and then headed towards the basement door. No one spoke as they watched Stephanie curl up into a little ball on her paper-thin mattress and cry herself to sleep.

“None of us deserved her help.” Lucius said in a humbling tone that surprised Harry. He looked at Lucius suspiciously, not believing that the man was being honest with him. “Imagine my surprise when the Dark Lord came to me with news that Stephanie had asked him to spare Draco after my son had failed in his task to kill the headmaster. Despite what we had done to her, she still risked her life for my son.”

“She felt guilty.” Ron said and all eyes turned to him. Harry suddenly remembered a conversation Stephanie had held with his best friend through the diaries, but Ron explained it to those who had not had the diaries. He looked at Lucius as he spoke. “Stephanie was scared of how you were changing her.

“She lost her temper and almost killed Draco a few years ago. The spells she used and the fact that she had hurt another person terrified her more than she was willing to admit, even to herself. She promised herself that she would repay Draco for the irreparable damage she had caused both to herself and to Draco.” Ron explained.

Lucius didn’t look surprised at all. He simply nodded his head and then replied to Ron’s explanation of Stephanie’s actions. “I never thought her capable of such a selfless act.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Harry said, unwilling to believe or accept Lucius’ change of heart. “You treated her like vermin.”

“Which, after the events of last evening, I have now come to believe was a mistake on my part.” Lucius nodded toward him. “When she was in that jail, I saw a change in her that frightened even me. She had no remorse for what she had done.

“I never felt guilty for those I had killed, but there were things I wouldn’t do and lines I would not cross.” Harry wondered whether the remorse in Lucius’ voice was genuine or if he was making an attempt to manipulate them into protecting Draco once again. “Stephanie didn’t have that. She had nothing else to live for.”

“Because of you.” Neville hissed angrily. “It all comes down to you.”

“Because I did not kill her or return her when the Dark Lord fell; that is true and I must live with the fact that a girl, the one lying in this room today, saved my son’s life despite the treatment we had given her. I owe her my life; more importantly, I owe her my son’s life.” Lucius looked at Harry earnestly and spoke with sadness. The smug satisfaction that he had worn when he first entered the room had long since disappeared. “And I know she sacrificed herself for Draco. To this day I am convinced that she knew about the spell, and, though I have my suspicions, I have no proof as to who would have informed her.”

“Tell us about the Curse.” Healer Sorenson said and Harry jumped. He had not seen the healer enter the room.

“It was created to kill her. But first, the Dark Lord wanted to know her darkest secrets.” Lucius began to explain. “He wanted her to suffer because of the blood that ran through her veins.”

“But, wait.” Ginny interrupted him. “Why didn’t Voldemort just use Legilimens on her to get that information?”

“He wanted to gain her trust, to manipulate her. And the Dark Lord felt that what she knew wasn’t important to him then, anyway.” Lucius continued. “As many of us did, he underestimated her greatly.”

“But why are we seeing these memories?” Ron asked. “These aren’t secrets.”

Lucius opened his mouth to explain but Harry answered first. He narrowed his eyes and looked directly at Lucius, showing his disgust and distrust for the man. “They were to her. She was ashamed.”

Ron looked at him with confusion, so he continued. At this point, Harry felt like he finally understood his sister more than he ever had before. “She was ashamed of who she served and what she was forced to do.”

“Exactly.” Lucius agreed. “And I believe the Dark Lord would not have expected to see these kinds of memories. He would have thought them a waste of his time.”

“Is there any way to save her?” Harry asked, realizing that Lucius was helping in pure honesty. More than saving his own son, he had seen the change in Stephanie, as well as her uniqueness, and he felt guilt over what she had been subjected to. The epiphany, however, didn’t allow Harry the understanding enough to forgive this man for what he had done.

“If she had been killed under normal circumstances, I would have said absolutely not. But, Harry, how did you survive the Killing Curse?” Lucius asked.

Harry thought about it for a moment and he immediately felt a flicker of hope. “Mum’s love protected me. She died trying to save me.”

“Exactly.” Lucius said again. “Stephanie was hit by a Killing Curse, which should have killed her immediately. But the Dark Lord kept her alive for his own selfish reasons, only to force her to display her memories publicly.

“Then she used magic against a Death Eater, which also should have killed her immediately. But it didn’t. Finally, she sacrificed herself for not only one, but two others. And one of those two bore the Dark Mark. She may have saved herself as your mother saved you.

“And ironically enough, the one thing that should have killed her may have actually saved her life: Draco’s Dark Mark.” Lucius finished with an amused tone, but his facial expression displayed dire seriousness.

Harry was speechless; he didn’t know what to say. Did Lucius just say that Stephanie was going to survive? He was in complete shock.

“Did Stephanie know this?” Hermione asked and Harry had wondered the same thing. Stephanie was more intelligent than most people their age, despite the fact that she had never been allowed a formal education. Could she have put the pieces together and realized that protecting Draco could possibly save her life?

But Lucius shook his head. “I doubt it. Loopholes in spells like this are difficult, if not impossible, to detect. And if she had discovered that this was a possibility, I am positive that she would not have attempted it. To do so would have been more noble, and place too much attention on her, than she would have wanted. She despised being the center of attention; it made her too uncomfortable. That’s why the Dark Lord liked to torment her so and place her in the thick of the Death Eater gatherings.”

Harry nodded his head, knowing full well that Lucius was right. Stephanie would not have sacrificed herself for Draco merely to save her own life. That act would have been too selfish for Stephanie to commit; she never would have allowed herself to do it. So, instead, Stephanie had, hopefully, unknowingly saved her own life by saving the life of a Death Eater. Harry knew that Voldemort loved his irony and Harry wondered, with a smile, what the man would have thought about this twist.

“Is she going to make it?” Neville asked hopefully.

“I didn’t say that. There are too many unknown variables at play here. Her body is taking a horrible beating right now, which could kill her before she even finishes the memories. Remember that she has horribly painful experiences coming up and even though they didn’t kill her the first time, they may do so now.” Lucius answered calmly, though Harry’s heart was beating rapidly. “All I’ve said here today has been mere theory. The Dark Lord’s Curse may very well go as planned, though I do not believe that will be the case.”

And with that, it was time for Lucius to be taken to the jail and processed by the Aurors that had survived the battle. But his visit had given Harry hope that his sister was going to be alright.

Just as Lucius was almost out the door, being escorted by Kingsley and Neville, Harry called to him with a smile. “Snape told her.”

And Lucius nodded with a knowing smile as he was taken out of sight.


I apologize for the delay in postings! But I hope it was worth the wait. I absolutely love this chapter and I almost cry every time I read Ginny's POV. So sad!!! And with Lucius' change of heart, I tried to foreshadow that a little when they were in the jail together...I hope it worked! So, anyway, please let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear your feedback! And I will try to get the next chapter posted on Friday morning, though I can't guarantee it. But I will promise that you will have a new chapter by Saturday at the latest! Thanks for reading and thank you for your incredible patience!!

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Introducing Crucio

It had been a rough couple of days for Neville. His grandmother had stopped by the hospital to visit him, but of course he wasn’t willing to leave with her. She told him that she was proud of everything that he had accomplished, especially the way he had stood up to Voldemort the night of the battle.

To be honest, he couldn’t believe that he had done that. But it didn’t surprise him, either, after he looked back on the events of that night. He had lost all sense of himself after Stephanie had been hit with the Killing Curse by Dedrick Hargrave. Nothing had mattered to him, anymore, so he did what he could to protect those around him. He couldn’t let Stephanie’s death be in vain. What he did didn’t even compare to what Stephanie had done for the world.

And he had spent the last two days lounging in Stephanie’s hospital room, watching her life pass before his eyes. She frequently cried out in pain and Mrs. Weasley was always there to comfort her. If anyone other than Harry got too close to her, Mrs. Weasley would swat them away saying that the girl needed her rest.

But Neville loved Stephanie and wanted to be there to comfort her. If he couldn’t go near Stephanie, he wouldn’t leave her side. Neville had barely slept or eaten since they had been ushered into the room, which just made his visits to the restroom as minimal as possible.

None of them had spoken very much, either. But when he was tired of watching Stephanie get tortured relentlessly, he took some time to observe the others in the room. Harry looked so horrible, though Neville knew he couldn’t look much better. Harry had cheered up a little after Lucius Malfoy’s visit, but Neville hadn’t. Who could trust the word of a Death Eater? Better yet, who could trust the word of the man they were watching develop new ways to make Stephanie’s life even more miserable? Neville couldn’t understand why Harry had allowed Lucius to get to him.

Ron and Hermione had been doing a lot of cuddling. Hermione had remained uncharacteristically quiet as she studied the things that had happened on the screen. Ron just sat there, holding Hermione as though he didn’t want to lose her. Every time Neville looked at them he felt a pang in his stomach. He wanted that so much; he wanted to hold Stephanie and assure her that things were going to be okay.

But out of all of them, Neville was sure that Ginny looked the worst. She had only stopped crying during Lucius’ visit and then she started up again. She kept telling everyone that she was scared for Stephanie, but he didn’t buy that. He had spent too much time with her during their last year at Hogwarts to know that something else was bothering her. Neville just hadn’t had an opportunity to ask her about it, though he made a mental note to do so.

Professor McGonagall had made an appearance several hours after Lucius had left. She had told them that she had spent a long time making sure that students made it home safely and were reunited with their parents, if they were still alive. For those students whose parents had died, she had worked closely with the Ministry to find places for them to go until the school year began in September.

And she had been concerned that the school would have to be closed for a year in order to repair its damages and prepare it for students. But, surprisingly, many wizard citizens had quickly volunteered to help with the construction. McGonagall had been moved to tears by the love for Hogwarts that everyone had shown. There was much to do to prepare for the upcoming school year and only three months for repairs, so she told them that she wasn’t going to be able to spend too much time at the hospital. Though, she did promise that she would make an appearance as frequently as she could.

Neville understood why McGonagall couldn’t be there around the clock and he was sure that Stephanie wouldn’t want her there anyway. Stephanie would probably be angry with them for wasting such beautiful days of celebration sitting in her hospital room, but they had to do it for themselves. They had to see for themselves what Stephanie had gone through and what she was ashamed of. They wanted to understand why she had made the decisions she had.

And now, Stephanie had already been in the hospital for over two days and she wasn’t getting any better. In fact, the memories she was witnessing were getting more gruesome with each passing day. What made it worse that was as she grew older, so did Draco. Lucius had decided that Stephanie would be the perfect person to teach Draco magic on since she had no way of protecting herself.

Stephanie had been very strong through all of this. Draco started out with simple jinxes and hexes, but Neville could tell that he was escalating quickly. It was only a matter of time before they saw Stephanie enduring the worst of the Dark Arts. Neville prepared himself by closing his eyes and remembering his dreams of the two of them together. His grandmother had brought the locket he had made and he kept it in the pocket of his robes, hoping he would have the opportunity to give it to her someday soon.

He was sitting in the hospital cafeteria, playing with his food because he wasn’t hungry enough to eat it. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were with him. Harry had finally fallen asleep and they had decided to give him some space while he rested; Mrs. Weasley remained in the room, still refusing to leave Stephanie’s side.

“He is more insufferable than I thought.” Ron spoke, breaking the silence. Neville looked up from his plate and noticed that Ron’s was empty and his friend was now munching from Hermione’s plate. Neville couldn’t help but smile at Ron’s appetite, since it had obviously not changed. It was nice to see something familiar.

“They have to find him soon.” Ginny whispered, twirling her mashed potatoes with her fork. “He’s not that bright; he couldn’t have hidden that well.”

“Dedrick is still missing, too.” Hermione answered. “Maybe he’s helping Draco.”

“You should have seen those two interact the night of the battle.” Neville responded, shaking his head. He thought about that very last moment that mattered. “Dedrick didn’t even acknowledge Malfoy. Malfoy was pleading with Sienko, telling him who he was and that he was a Death Eater. Dedrick remained silent.”

“That doesn’t mean that he’s not helping Draco now.” Hermione said. Neville shook his head, not wanting to argue with her. She always had to be right and he didn’t have the energy to fight her. He knew that she was just trying to rationalize why Draco Malfoy had not been captured by the Aurors yet, but his temper was running on empty. He knew that he would explode at any moment. He took a deep breath and tried to calm the anger rising within his body.

Instead, he turned to Ginny. She looked even more pale than normal and Neville was almost scared for her. Ginny looked absolutely sickly. “You need to tell me what’s wrong. You haven’t stopped crying since we got here.”

Ginny looked down at her plate of food and pushed it away. Ron grabbed it hungrily and devoured it, though he didn’t look away from his sister. Neville could see that Ron, too, was worried about Ginny.

“We’ve noticed it too, Ginny.” Hermione tried grabbing for Ginny’s hand, but she pulled it away. “Something happened to you the night of the battle. You can share it with us, we are here for you.”

She remained silent, refusing to look any of them in the eye. Ron got up from his seat, walked around the table, and sat next to his sister. Then he put his arms around her shoulder. “We’ve all been through some horrible things. You should have seen what Hermione and I had to do while we were camping out. I had to eat plants!”

Ron scowled, hoping to get a smile out of his sister. And still she remained silent, so Ron spoke again. “You can tell us, you know.”

“Leave me alone.” Ginny slammed her tray on the table. She stood up and stormed out of the room and out of sight. Neville stood to go after her, but Hermione stopped him.

“Let her go.” Hermione said sadly. “She needs to be alone right now.”

“What do you think happened to her?” He asked, hoping that Hermione had some idea. Neville was worried about his friend.

Hermione shook her head. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Neville nodded his head, accepting that neither one of his friends knew what was going on with Ginny. He just wished that Ginny didn’t have to suffer alone, but, as much as he loved her, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. What if Ginny told them something completely horrible? Ideas ran through his mind and the only thing he could think of was that another of their friends had died. But Ginny would surely tell them if that had happened, wouldn’t she?

He stood, needing to return to Stephanie’s side. Neville gestured towards Ron and Hermione, but they indicated that they were going to stay there for awhile. It had been awhile since they had been alone and Neville respected their need to do so. So, he slowly made his way to Stephanie’s room on the third floor at the end of the hallway.

During his walk, Neville thought about how he should visit his parents. But he didn’t want to go up there before he knew of Stephanie’s fate. He wanted them to be proud of him, not disappointed by the fact that the woman their son loved with all his heart died trying to protect him. And he knew that they wouldn’t comprehend what had happened, but it was too hard all the same.

Finally he reached Stephanie’s room and began to open the door, but he stopped when he heard the hushed whispers coming from inside. The door was slightly ajar and he placed his ear against it, trying to hear what was being said.

“Molly, it’s been two days.” Arthur Weasley spoke with weariness in his voice. The man sounded absolutely devastated. “We have to start planning his funeral.”

“No!” Mrs. Weasley whispered back. They were clearly trying not to wake Harry. “We can’t. Not without her.”

“I know you’re hurting, dear.” Mr. Weasley continued to argue, though Neville knew that he would never win. “But, please let us mourn the loss of our son and brother. The children need to say goodbye to him. Think about Ginny. She hasn’t stopped crying since that night. We have to bury Fred.”

“He loved her.” Mrs. Weasley was crying. Neville heard her sniffle and hug her husband. After a moment of silence, she continued. “He loved her so much. He would want her to be at his funeral. We need to wait for her to wake up.”

“But she may not.” Mr. Weasley responded quietly. “But if that’s what you want, we can put it off for a few more days.”

“Thank you, Arthur.” Mrs. Weasley blew her nose and there was silence for a few moments.

“I must return to the Ministry. You are doing a good job here, Molly.” Arthur said and Neville could hear the man get up from his chair. “I love you so much.”

And Neville hurried down the hall and out of sight. He returned to the room the Healers had set aside for those visiting Stephanie. It was equipped with a few beds and couches in case they needed some privacy. Very few of them had utilized it, but it was a nice place to get away for a moment. But instead of sitting on a bed, he leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. He placed his head in his hands and cried, letting the tears flow from his eyes freely for the first time in two days.

*~*~*~*

The past few days had been an emotional rollercoaster for her. Hermione had returned to Stephanie’s hospital room a few hours before and it was there that she stayed in Ron’s arms as the room was engulfed in silence. There wasn’t tension, exactly, but there was something pulling these friends apart.

Hermione had thought long and hard about what could be causing the rift in their friendship. And the only thing she could think of was that it boiled down to Stephanie’s tying them all together. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had been best friends since their first year. But Ginny and Neville hadn’t really joined their group until Stephanie came along.

Ginny was only told about Stephanie because of Stephanie’s request and Neville became close to them because McGonagall wanted him to have a diary. That made them close and Hermione realized with sadness that it was Stephanie’s conscious absence that was tearing them apart.

The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Ginny was one of her best friends but she could only credit Stephanie for giving them something to share. And Neville was a sweetheart, though when they were younger he had been quite shy and had extremely low self-esteem. Neville didn’t gain confidence in himself until Stephanie came along. Stephanie had changed them all for the better and Hermione couldn’t believe that their friendship could end because of Stephanie’s death.

And something was wrong with Ginny, but her friend was refusing to share what it was. Hermione wished she could do something; maybe if Ginny was willing to share there wouldn’t be this uncomfortable gap in the room. But whatever it was bothered Ginny so severely that she was keeping it bottled up inside her. Hermione could only watch Ginny continue in a self-destructive downward spiral and it broke her heart.

Hermione couldn’t get her disintegrating friendships off her mind as she returned her attention to the screen displaying Stephanie’s memories. They continued to escalate in severity for her, with more punishments as Draco and Stephanie grew older. And it was getting more difficult to hear Stephanie cry as she curled up on her thin and decomposing mattress. The older she got, the more holes that appeared in the bed that lay directly on the floor. Stephanie was outgrowing her blanket and the mattress, but she didn’t appear to be fazed by that.

Most of the memories they were witnessing now were ones where Stephanie laid on her bed and cried. Since she wasn’t allowed to shed any emotion in front of the Malfoy family, Stephanie had been forced to do so in the privacy of her bedroom. Miraculously Stephanie had not been caught and never had to sleep outside, at least from what Hermione could tell.

But now a new memory was beginning and Stephanie looked older now. She was definitely growing up, but there was a look in her eyes that depicted the determination that Hermione knew would only increase in the years to come. Stephanie was just going through the motions and trying to survive. She wanted to live, that’s all she wanted in the whole world. And Hermione knew, from her first communications with Stephanie, that all Stephanie wanted was a purpose in life.

Stephanie was leaning over a trunk that sat on the floor while Draco Malfoy lay on his bed, filing his perfectly manicured fingernails. Hermione watched as Stephanie walked to Draco’s closet and pulled out several robes and began folding them into small piles.

“Father was a Slytherin. I am sure that’s where I’ll be placed.” He said proudly, continuing to look at his fingernails. “Father says that all the best wizards in the world have been placed in Slytherin.”

Hermione realized that Stephanie was packing Malfoy for his first day at Hogwarts. She remembered that day clearly; Malfoy had approached Harry and attempted to get Harry to hang out with him. She looked at Stephanie who remained expressionless. It appeared as though Stephanie was forcing herself to continue with packing Draco’s things.

“I don’t know what I would do if I were placed in another House.” Malfoy continued. He picked up a magazine from his bedside table and began flipping through it. “What if I were placed in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? Or worse, Gryffindor?”

Malfoy was just speaking at Stephanie, not to her. And he asked the question with a scowl on his face that angered Hermione. He thought he was so much better than them just because he was a pure blood. Hermione let out a groan at his question and Ron squeezed her even tighter, yet the room remained silent.

“Father says that Potter will most likely be in Gryffindor because both of his parents were.” Draco snarled, flipping another page in his magazine. Hermione watched as Stephanie stopped packing for a moment and looked out the window. “Father wants me to keep an eye on that Potter. Harry Potter killed father’s friend when he was a baby. I bet he is the youngest person to ever commit murder.”

There was a look of longing on Stephanie’s face as she continued to gaze out the window, not listening to a word that Draco was saying, and Hermione wondered what was on her friend’s mind.

“Did she know that you were her brother, Harry?” Mrs. Weasley asked Harry gently and Harry just looked at her blankly. There was incredible pain in his eyes and Hermione knew that it had to be so hard for him to watch these memories of his sister’s life.

“She didn’t even know her first name until Dumbledore contacted her.” Hermione explained. “Lucius always called her ‘girl’ or worse; he never called her by name.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded and they returned their attention to the screen just as Draco yelled, making them all jump. Stephanie jerked in her bed as Malfoy scared her as well. She was pulled from her daydream and returned her attention back to Malfoy.

“What are you doing?” Malfoy bellowed at her and Stephanie quickly got up and returned to the closet. “Don’t you know that I’m supposed to be packed in ten minutes? You are going to make me late!”

“I’m sorry, Draco.” Stephanie said as she rushed to finish packing the boy’s things. She ran to the bookshelf and grabbed several textbooks and placed them in his trunk.

Draco had gotten up from his bed and made his way towards Stephanie. He looked so angry that Stephanie stopped in her tracks.

“No you’re not!” Malfoy hissed at her. “You are deliberately trying to get me in trouble with father. But I won’t let you get away with that.”

“I’m not, Draco!” She pleaded with him. Stephanie lifted her arms in the air to show him that she was telling the truth. “I swear!”

“You are an ungrateful little bug and I don’t understand why father keeps you around. You are absolutely useless.” Draco raised his arm like he was going to hit her and Stephanie shrunk back, anticipating his action. But suddenly he got a look of delight on his face and backed away. He turned towards the door. “Bring my trunk downstairs.”

Stephanie paused, unsure of what just happened. She looked relieved for a moment and then hesitated. Hermione could tell by the look on Stephanie’s face that she was debating something in her mind. Suddenly she spoke in a mere whisper so that Hermione had to lean forward to hear her. “Let me come with you, please Draco. Let me come to Hogwarts.”

Draco paused in his tracks and stood there with his back to her for a few moments. Finally, he turned around slightly, with a sinister look on his face, and spoke to her with a cunning tone. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask father.”

And Hermione could tell that Stephanie realized making that request of Draco had been a mistake. But Stephanie looked resigned to her fate and bent over to pick up the trunk. Hermione wondered why Stephanie didn’t just roll it down the stairs, but she must have been instructed to carry it. And Stephanie struggled all the way, huffing and puffing as the small eleven year old carried the trunk that was almost as big as she was. Stephanie almost tripped going down the stairs but she caught herself in time and Hermione was relieved when the girl placed the trunk near the door. Draco’s voice could be heard in the kitchen.

“She wouldn’t pack my things, mother.” Draco said in an obviously fake cry. “I had to do it myself and then we were almost late!”

“My poor baby.” Narcissa called and Hermione heard the shuffle of feet as the woman made her way to her son. “Lucius, you have to do something about that girl! She is nothing but an ungrateful, insolent mess. I will not tolerate that in my household, Lucius! I won’t!”

“There’s more, father.” Draco replied. “She wants to go to Hogwarts.”

“She does?” Lucius spoke and Hermione could tell that he was amused. “Well maybe we can discuss that.”

“Father!” Draco called, exasperated and clearly surprised by his father’s change of heart. And Hermione watched as Stephanie’s face went from frightened to hopeful.

“Draco!” Lucius reprimanded his son. “Let me handle this.”

“Yes, father.” Draco responded quietly.

“Where is that girl?” Lucius yelled and Stephanie quickly hurried into the kitchen, knowing that this was her cue.

“Yes, Mr. Malfoy?” Stephanie spoke quietly, looking down at the floor. She had been instructed to never look any of the Malfoys in the eye.

“Draco tells me that you would like to attend Hogwarts, is that true?” Lucius looked at her and Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. She had been expecting a punishment of some sort.

“Yes, sir.” Stephanie spoke to the floor. She had her hands behind her back, but Hermione could tell that Stephanie was excited by the possibility that she would be able to attend Hogwarts with other children her age.

“That is definitely a possibility, girl.” Lucius spoke kindly and Hermione cringed. “But tell me, have you done all of your chores?”

“Yes, sir.” Stephanie responded. She began to move around anxiously, unable to stand still. Hermione swallowed hard as she watched Lucius taunt her friend.

“But Draco tells me that you refused to pack his things. Why would we let you go to Hogwarts if you cannot do a simple task?” Lucius’ appearance turned dark and Stephanie suddenly realized that she was never going to be allowed to go to Hogwarts. She looked like she was holding back tears.

“But sir, I did-” Stephanie began to plead with him, but she was cut off.

“Do not insult me, you stupid girl!” Lucius bellowed at her, standing up and Stephanie jumped at his sudden movement. She looked at the man in fear; Stephanie began to shake with terror.

“I will not tolerate you calling my son a liar.” Lucius calmed himself down and Stephanie nodded.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Stephanie whispered, her voice trembling. Hermione watched in disgust as Draco observed the scene with a satisfied smirk on his face; he was clearly enjoying himself.

“It’s too late for apologies.” Lucius snarled at her and raised his wand. Stephanie cringed with anticipation. “Crucio!”

“NOO!” Hermione cried out as Stephanie fell to the floor and began screaming.

Stephanie writhed and screamed in her hospital bed, tears flowing from her eyes as she suffered the effects of the Torture Curse. And Hermione cried as an eleven-year-old Stephanie endured the Cruciatus Curse for the first time. Eleven years old. Hermione was shocked and she cried.

After a few moments Stephanie silenced as the Curse was lifted. But she didn’t stay that way for long. Hermione could hear Narcissa’s voice and she couldn’t take it anymore. She got up and walked towards the door as Stephanie began screaming again.

“Do not. Call. My son. A. Liar. Again.” Narcissa paused between each word as Stephanie lay on the floor, breathing heavily and trying to recover from the Curse. “Crucio!”

And Stephanie began screaming again. Hermione wanted to leave, but she couldn’t bring herself to exit the door. She had to know. She had to understand.

When Stephanie silenced, Lucius spoke nonchalantly. “Come, Draco. It wouldn’t look good if you missed your train.”

Draco nodded and turned to leave the kitchen. But when he passed Stephanie, he paused and looked down at her. She was curled up in a ball and whimpering from the pain that still coursed through her body. He laughed as he spoke. “My sheets need to be washed.”

He walked out of the room, twirling his wand in his hand as though nothing had happened. Hermione couldn’t take it anymore and she left the room, slamming the door behind her. She didn’t know where to go, so she just walked. She walked down the hall and to the elevators. Then she walked out the front door and down the streets of London, not knowing where to go nor caring where she went. She just walked.

*~*~*~*

Harry hadn’t gotten a moment to recover from watching his sister be Cursed for asking Draco if she could go to Hogwarts, too. He cried as his sister screamed in pain and he couldn’t do anything to help her. Lucius’ current remorse didn’t make him feel any better; in fact it made him despise the man even more. Who cares if he felt bad now? He still did all those things to her then.

Her memory immediately switched to Christmas vacation during Draco’s first year at Hogwarts where Lucius was teaching him the Cruciatus Curse. He was practicing on Stephanie, and though it wasn’t hurting her as much as Lucius’, it was clearly excruciatingly painful for her.

“Keep practicing.” Lucius said with a smile and left the room. Draco pointed his wand at Stephanie in concentration.

“Draco, please.” Stephanie pleaded with him. Her voice was weak. “Please, don’t. You don’t have to do this.”

“Of course I don’t.” Draco said smugly. “Crucio.”

Stephanie screamed in her bed as the Curse hit her once again. Mrs. Weasley looked horrified by what she was witnessing and grabbed the sponge and began dabbing the sweat on Stephanie’s forehead.

“I can’t believe she saved him.” Neville muttered as he sat there with his eyes closed, shaking his head in disbelief. Harry looked over to his friend because he could no longer watch this memory, either.

“He didn’t deserve it.” Ginny replied. She had finally stopped crying and Harry wondered if it was because she had nothing left. It was good to hear her voice, though.

“He didn’t deserve her.” Ron answered.

And Harry’s only thought was that they had watched Stephanie’s suffering through ten years now. There were only six years left before the present day. He hoped that her body could withstand the pain that he was sure would come. He hoped that he could withstand watching that pain. He closed his eyes in exhaustion and prepared for the next round of memories as Stephanie silenced once again.



Here is that chapter and it is definitely one of my favorites. So much emotion!! Oh my goodness! And the next chapter WILL 100% be posted on Monday morning. I promise! I made 10,000 views on this fic!!! Thank you to all of the readers who have continued with this story! I couldn't have made it as good without all of you!

I saw something the other day that I just had to share. I was watching ESPN and I caught the tail end of one of their shows. There are people out there who have created human/muggle versions of Quidditch! I thought it was so cute! They run around on brooms and throw balls at each other and have this awesome little way they do the snitch. Think rugby mixed with touch football. Sorry. I had to share that!

Chapter Seventy: Unable to Fail

Harry had witnessed his sister suffer every punishment and torture he thought was imaginable. Draco loved to break Stephanie’s bones and cause her to bleed while Lucius pretty much allowed his son to do whatever he wished as long as he did not kill her. That was all that Harry could be grateful for at that point.

And every time Stephanie experienced a memory that harmed her, the same thing happened to her again while she lay in her hospital bed. The Healers were constantly in her room sealing wounds so she would not bleed to death. And while they were doing that, Mrs. Weasley continued to wipe the sweat and tears from Stephanie’s body.

She still lay under a pile of blankets that were magically created to heat or cool her body, depending on what she was experiencing at that time. He was so happy to have the Healers that were taking as much time as they could to care for his sister. And he felt bad for neglecting his friends, but all that mattered in the world was his sister.

Ginny was upset but she never said a word about it to him. And he silently thanked her many times for not discussing her thoughts with him; Harry felt like he was going to explode with everything that was going on. Kingsley had pulled Harry aside to tell him that the public was requesting a news conference, but Harry adamantly refused. He would not speak out until his sister was safe. He could not afford to leave her side and Harry wanted to be there for her when she woke up.

And now he was sitting in the hospital room that had been decorated with balloons and flowers from certain members of the Order of the Phoenix. They were all concerned about Stephanie but were respectful enough to keep their distance. And for that, Harry was also grateful. He looked at the others as a new memory began.

Professor McGonagall had joined them. She looked so old that Harry barely recognized her anymore. And where light used to shine in her eyes, now only held pain. Harry knew that she had lost many good friends the night of the battle and the additional stress of taking over as Headmistress at Hogwarts was beginning to take its toll. To make things worse, Harry knew that McGonagall had thought of Stephanie as a daughter and she was devastated by Stephanie’s condition.

As he looked back up to the screen, Harry suddenly realized he had seen the memory before. It was the day he had met her in Diagon Alley! He watched as Malfoy tripped Stephanie and the books scattered on the ground. And he kept his focus as Malfoy dragged her off by her ponytail, leaving him to wonder who that strange redheaded girl had been.

The memory faded and it quickly changed to show Stephanie sitting on the mattress in her bedroom. She looked a little frightened but somehow satisfied. Harry crinkled his eyebrows in concentration, trying to figure out what was going through her mind. He leaned forward in his chair with intrigue.

And suddenly the door burst open and Stephanie jumped to her feet. Lucius Malfoy entered the room with Draco quickly in tow. Both looked at Stephanie with a smugness that Harry had come to expect from father and son. Then he watched as Lucius reprimanded her for something that had been out of her control. Lucius raised his wand at Stephanie and caused her arm to twist behind her back.

Stephanie screamed in her bed and Harry heard a noise that made him cringe. He closed his eyes at the sound of Stephanie’s bone cracking and he swallowed hard. He took a few deep breaths to keep the vomit from escaping his throat and then looked back at the screen. It had gone black for a moment and then returned to show Stephanie sleeping while Draco snuck into her room quietly.

She stopped breathing and opened her eyes with alarm, both on the screen and in the hospital room. She looked like she was choking and Harry quickly stood in a panic.

“Healer Sorenson!” Hermione had reacted more quickly than he had. She rushed to the door and yelled down the hall and the Healer came rushing into the room a few moments later. He waved his wand towards Stephanie and she began to breathe once again. Harry sighed in relief and returned his attention to the screen.

Draco walked up to Stephanie and sat on the floor next to her. As she lay on the floor gasping for breath, his mouth went to her ear as he whispered, “No one will help you. No one cares enough to help you.” And with another flick of his wrist, Draco said the word that Harry had learned to fear. “Crucio!” Stephanie screamed and then became silent once again.

Harry put his head in his hands and began to shake violently. He had seen that happen in a dream, but he never once thought that it had been real. His first reaction was anger. How could Malfoy get away with that? How could Malfoy use magic so cruelly outside of Hogwarts undetected after Harry had gotten into so much trouble when he had used magic unintentionally? Harry had almost been expelled from Hogwarts for using magic outside of school and, yet, Draco went unnoticed. Why?

Ginny began rubbing his back and he was happy with her touch. But there was nothing she could say that would make him feel any better. The Cruciatus Curse was the most painful Curse he had ever experienced and his sister had been forced to endure it more times than he could calculate. To make mateters worse, she had been forced to use that Curse on countless others. And then he thought about how much doing so must have made her suffer.

“I saw that.” Harry whispered disbelievingly, shaking his head slowly. “But I never thought that it was true. I never thought that Malfoy was capable of that.”

“She was stronger than even Albus and I gave her credit for.” McGonagall said sympathetically. “I never imagined that she had endured this level of pain.”

“She did it for you, Harry.” Hermione said with a weak smile and, though he didn’t want to, Harry reacted with anger.

“She shouldn’t have done that.” Harry burst out in frustration. He was furious with Stephanie for putting herself through that. And he knew that they had had this conversations may times before, but he didn’t care. “I didn’t’ want her to do that and I didn’t need her to suffer like that.”

“Maybe not, Harry.” Mrs. Weasley responded to him kindly, still wiping the sweat from Stephanie’s forehead, as his sister whimpered in pain. “But she wanted to do it for you.”

“She wanted to do something for you.” Ginny added and Harry looked at her with tears. He wanted to be angry, to lash out. He wanted to get revenge on Malfoy, but he couldn’t leave his sister’s side. “Stephanie wanted to repay you for telling Dumbledore about her.”

“Ginny’s right, Harry.” Hermione said gently and then gestured towards the image above Stephanie’s bed. “She never told us that, but you can see it in her eyes.”

And with that, the memory changed to one of Stephanie being awakened by Dobby. Harry witnessed Stephanie’s first meeting with Dumbledore and he saw the change that occurred in her immediately. Stephanie finally felt hope that everything would be alright. She had been reassured that what she had endured was not her fault and that there were people out there that cared about her.

Although it took Stephanie awhile to realize that these people were not going to harm her, Stephanie opened up to them quickly because she had yearned for some sort of affection her entire life. For the first time while watching Stephanie relive these memories, Harry smiled at an incident in her life. And he looked over to Stephanie who had a peaceful grin on her face. They were watching this memory because Stephanie was finally happy. But it was something that she had to hide from those keeping her captive, causing it to be one of her deepest secrets that he had seen yet.

The others smiled too as the memory faded into darkness. He knew that he was going to witness many more painful experiences in the coming days, but there would also be happy ones throughout. Stephanie’s body would have a chance to recover a little when these memories occurred, giving her an even greater chance at survival. He was eternally thankful for the positive experiences that Dumbledore had allowed Stephanie to encounter through the years.

*~*~*~*

“You have eaten something. You directly disobeyed my orders, yet again.” Stephanie realized that he had known since the moment he woke her up and had just needed some time to figure out her next punishment.

“No, I swear!” she cried, though she knew it was no use. Lucius Malfoy walked up to her and slapped her in the face.

“Do not lie to me.” He said in his cunningly slow voice.

“I had to. I’m sorry, sir.” She looked at him with pleading hope in her eyes. “I fainted and needed something to give me a little strength. It was just a small cracker.”

“You have no willpower. How terribly weak of you!” He was so close to her face that she could feel his breath on her cheek. “However, being the merciful man that I am, I will allow you to eat.”

“Thank you, sir.” She whispered, looking at the ground. “I do not deserve your kindness.”

“You are right, you don’t.” He hissed. “You may eat only after you drink this.”

He handed her a small vial with dark, green liquid inside. “Drink up.” She drank the potion and Mr. Malfoy smiled. “Have a nice day!” He said and then Disapparated to the Ministry.

She still couldn’t believe that Mr. Malfoy had branded her. Stephanie rubbed her arm, as it still burned intensely. While she went to get the broom and dustpan to clean up the broken plate, she thought that this wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. She had imagined he would do more than make her drink some silly potion. The next moment, though, she found out what the potion’s effect was supposed to be. She suddenly had a gut-wrenching pain in her stomach and she ran to the sink. Her stomach was trying to get rid of the potion, but all that came out was a little clear liquid.

She collapsed on the floor in front of the sink while clutching her stomach. Her body continued to try to rid itself of the substance that was no longer there. She still lay there, crying, whimpering, clutching her stomach, and dry heaving, when Mr. Malfoy returned from the Ministry that evening with a look of utter joy in his eyes.

*~*~*~*

Minerva sat watching this scene unfold with tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t even waste the energy to wipe them away with her handkerchief; Minerva just wanted to allow the tears to fall. Stephanie Potter deserved to have someone cry for her, to have someone cry for what she had endured.

And the girl never told a single soul about this experience. Minerva shook her head sadly at the idea of many similar experiences that hadn’t made its way into these memories that Stephanie was now reliving. They clearly weren’t witnessing everything that had happened to her as that would take many years to depict.

Minerva felt a huge pang of guilt, though she knew that she could not have known what the consequences would have been. Dobby had encouraged the girl, as well. And Stephanie took the cracker even though she knew there would most certainly be consequences such as this. How in the world did this girl live so long? Minerva wondered.

She got up from her seat near the window ledge that showed the beautiful summer day and made her way towards Stephanie’s bed. Molly moved slightly, though did not leave the girl’s side completely. She knelt down and kissed Stephanie’s forehead as the girl continued to clutch her stomach and dry heave painfully.

The Healers had been trying to give Stephanie potions that would counteract the one that Lucius had given her so many years ago, but they had never seen this one before. They were stumped. And someone had sent word to the prison, but Lucius couldn’t remember what had been in the potion, at least that’s what he was telling them.

“I’m sorry, Stephanie.” Minerva whispered softly into the girl’s ear and began rubbing her arm. “I wanted you to be safe. I’m so sorry.”

“Minerva, it’s not your fault.” Molly argued. Minerva knew that they had all witnessed the memory just before it and so they had seen her give Stephanie that cracker. Of course it was her fault that Stephanie had spent the whole next day crumpled on the floor. She just closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“She had the option of turning down that cracker.” Hermione stood and wrapped Minerva in a hug. And as inappropriate as it looked for a professor to be embracing a student, Minerva was touched by her kindness. Hermione had always been one of her favorite students; she had always known the answer to any question Minerva had asked. “She wanted to show you how brave she was. Stephanie was always striving to prove herself and I’m positive that is why she took the cracker. It wasn’t your fault, professor.”

“Minerva, please.” Minerva smiled softly at the girl. She always knew what to say that could make anyone feel better and Minerva was thankful. “Of course you’re right, Miss Granger. And when she thought she disappointed us, she disappeared within herself. Of course you are right.”

And Minerva returned to her seat at the window. She was torn because it was nice being away from the hassle of trying to reorganize the situation at Hogwarts. It had been horrible finding homes for those students who had lost parents. Several of her teachers had been killed in the battle and she knew it would be a struggle to find as talented witches and wizards to take their places.

She had to find new professors for Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts. And Pomona Sprout had been injured during the battle, though Minerva hoped that she would be up to teaching another year at the school. Several other professors had voiced their desire to retire early due to the events of the past week. Minerva sighed as she prepared herself to return to the front lines of arranging for the school to open on time September 1.

*~*~*~*

Hermione had gone on a long walk a few days prior and she couldn’t believe how happy everyone was. It didn’t seem appropriate that the world was still celebrating the defeat of Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as people were beginning to call him, while Stephanie still lay in a hospital bed fighting for her life.

Children had been running around in the streets while music played and banners flew in the wind. But none of it seemed real to her. She had walked for hours just thinking about what Stephanie had gone through and how her friend deserved to be happy for once. And Hermione knew that one person’s life was worth being lost if it saved many others. But that thought didn’t justify Stephanie’s suffering in any way.

And Hermione knew she must have looked out of place with her tear-stricken face and dirty appearance, but she didn’t care. She was mourning the pain and suffering of the best friend she ever could have asked for. She was saddened that most of society only knew Stephanie as a Death Eater and a monster.

But that would change; she would make sure of it. Hermione had dried her eyes and returned to the Hospital with a renewed sense of purpose. There was still more that needed to be done.

It had been several days since Hermione’s epiphany during her walk and now she sat with the others watching more of Stephanie’s memories. They had now reached the beginning of their fourth year and Hermione prepared herself for the events she knew would come.

“I can’t believe he showed her that article!” Ginny exclaimed and Hermione sat back in her chair. She could believe it.

What Hermione was surprised about was the fact that they had witnessed very little of Stephanie’s participation in the attack at the Quidditch World Cup. Instead, Stephanie was reliving the aftermath of that incident. She was being forced to relive the internal battle she had with herself in the months that followed.

“You are a wanted criminal. All that is keeping you from Azkaban is me. Remember that.” Hermione watched as Lucius got up and stood behind Stephanie’s chair. They were in the Malfoy family dining room. He leaned over to her side and he gently stroked her cheek with his hand. He then whispered slowly in her ear as she stared straight ahead, “You owe me.”

And Hermione jumped as Harry slammed his fist into a nearby wall. She hadn’t seen him leave his chair by Stephanie’s bed, but she could tell that he was furious with what he was seeing.

“THAT SON OF A-” Harry yelled at no one in particular. His breathing became heavy and his eyes narrowed with hatred.

“Harry!” Mrs. Weasley called out in surprise, interrupting him from his rage.

Harry looked at Mrs. Weasley but his look did not soften. He looked back at the screen as Stephanie became entranced in her chores, mumbling to herself. Her face was blank but there was terrible sadness in her eyes.

“I have sat idly by as Lucius Malfoy beat and tortured my sister until she was nothing more than a bloody pulp. I have listened to him berate her until she felt like she didn’t deserve any of us.” Harry fumed and Hermione couldn’t help but silently agree with him. Now, as she witnessed the true struggles that Stephanie experienced with her participation in the Quidditch World Cup attack, Hermione could understand completely why Stephanie had withdrawn from her friends and dove deep within herself. “But I will not tolerate his touching her like that. Like he has a right to touch her!”

“He can’t hurt her anymore, Harry.” Mrs. Weasley tried to comfort the boy she thought of as another son while Hermione just sat back and watched. She didn’t know what to say because she was angry as well. Stephanie had told them about the article, but she had never told them that he had touched her or told her that she owed him her life for protecting her from capture. No wonder Stephanie struggled so much. She was only fourteen years old!

“It doesn’t matter.” Harry breathed through gritted teeth. “She has to relive that now! Did you notice how we didn’t see the Quidditch World Cup? We see this. And we don’t even get to see her nightmares. We have to watch her suffer through those nightmares. He destroyed the person she was.”

“Voldemort only cared about what she knew, not what she thought.” Hermione spoke softly, knowing what she was saying didn’t make too much difference. But she felt like she had to be involved in this conversation somehow. She had been the only person in the hospital room that had known Stephanie at that time. “That’s why we can’t see her nightmares. We aren’t exactly completely inside her mind.”

“That doesn’t matter, Hermione!” Harry screamed and, though she was a little hurt by his outburst, she knew that he wasn’t mad at her. “HE TOUCHED HER! He manipulated her into believing that it had been her fault.”

“I’m sure that we will see many instances like this soon, mate.” Ron said, rubbing Hermione’s shoulders and she exhaled slowly. “You’ve got to calm down.”

“We just have to be here to support her.” Ginny spoke softly, breaking out from her reserved shell just a little and Harry looked at her. “What she has gone through has been difficult for her. And though she still struggles, she has overcome the odds. She’s strong, Harry, and you need to be as well.”

Harry nodded reluctantly. Hermione knew that her friend made sense, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to Ginny at the battle. Ginny was suffering from something larger than her brother’s death. And somehow, Ginny seemed more grown up. She almost appeared as though she understood Stephanie on a level that no one else could. Hermione wondered why that was.

The scene finally changed from images of Stephanie scrubbing floors, cleaning chimneys and her rocking on the floor, hugging her knees, while she should have been sleeping to the night that Dumbledore had forced her to return to Hogwarts. Hermione watched with anticipation as she knew what was going to happen, certain that Harry would be furious with her once again.

“Mr. Malfoy had been really happy with my performance after that. I became entranced in my chores and went above and beyond anything I had ever done before. I haven’t been able to eat; I’ve had no appetite. I continue to have flashbacks about that night. The worst are my dreams. Dreams are something that I have tried to avoid at all costs. I have barely slept in almost three months. I. Become. A. Monster.” Stephanie had to pause again. Still, no one said anything. Hermione saw herself on the screen and she knew that she probably looked similar in the hospital room as she had in Dumbledore’s office. Hermione got sick to her stomach with Stephanie’s disclosure of her fears. She also knew that Stephanie couldn’t relive her nightmares again, so her friend moved on to tell them more.

The scene continued and then finally Hermione heard her own voice on the screen. She closed her eyes as she prepared for Harry’s outburst of anger in her asking Stephanie to stay in the Malfoy home. And Hermione knew that if she had fully understood what Stephanie had gone through during her life, that she never would have made the request of her friend. There was nothing in this world that should have allowed that girl to return Lucius Malfoy’s care. He deserved much worse than what he was going to get in the wizard prison now run by the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

“Sorry, Professor.” Hermione said quietly in Stephanie’s memory. “But I don’t think she should leave that house.” She looked at Stephanie. “I know you have been in so much pain. It hurts me to see you suffer like that. But you’ve told me that what you are doing is what gives your life purpose. I don’t want you to think I’m saying you are less important than Harry, but I know you want to do this for him. Don’t let Mr. Malfoy get to you. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

Harry simply looked over at Hermione with an odd look on his face that she couldn’t place. She squeezed Ron’s hand as Harry just stared at her in shocked silence. He didn’t even return his gaze towards the memory.

“You told her to stay?” Neville asked disbelievingly. Hermione knew that they must all have been disappointed in her for telling Stephanie to remain in that home. Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

“Why would you tell her to go back?” Harry blinked for the first time in several minutes. Hermione just shook her head and then stood. She walked over to Harry and grabbed both of his hands, hoping that he would understand her reasoning.

“Why would you do that?” He whispered. Her friend looked more hurt than angry with her, which only made Hermione feel even worse.

“It was an instant reaction, Harry.” She spoke softly, but she knew the others could hear her. Hermione only looked at Harry’s eyes, pleading him to understand. So she explained to him why she had made the request of Stephanie Potter, his only sister. “Did you see the look on her face when she told them that she shouldn’t return to the manor?”

Harry looked back at the screen as though he was trying to identify something, but Hermione knew that he hadn’t seen what she had. She continued by squeezing Harry’s hands. “She was disappointed for allowing herself to fail. All she wanted in the world was to make you proud, Harry. She would not have been happy away from that home.”

“But you still told her to stay there, to endure all of that pain.” Harry looked completely numb. After a few more moments of staring at the memory that was playing, he returned to look towards her. “You could have gotten her killed!”

“Harry, please understand.” Hermione pleaded with tears springing to her eyes. “You had not spoken to her as I had. She told me things-”

“Not by choice!” Harry demanded, interrupting her fiercely. Harry threw her hands away and then turned around. “I should have been told about her sooner.”

“She didn’t want you to know.” Ginny stepped forward. “She wanted to protect you.”

“I didn’t need protection. She did!” Harry’s pointed towards his sister. His voice was rising and his face was turning red. Hermione could see the tears forming in his eyes.

“Harry, before this happened, she had me about some of the things that had happened to her. But she wanted to stay there because it was all she knew. She was scared to leave.” Hermione spoke so fast that she had to pause to catch her breath. “There were deficits in her thought process, sure. But she was much more mature than even I was. Stephanie had seen so much and was an old woman in her experiences. She had the right to choose and I know she would have regretted her decision if she had left Malfoy Manor.

“Yes, she suffered and, yes, she almost died. Yes, she is in pain now and could die at any moment. But that was worth it for her. Her life finally meant something and I am certain that she would not have changed a thing. She would stay now as she did then.” Hermione finished and gasped for breath. She hadn’t realized that she spoke that whole time on only one puff of air.

And she watched as Harry’s face softened from anger and disappointment to understanding. He returned to Hermione’s side and wrapped her in a tight hug. “You’re right.” Harry whispered in her ear.

Hermione pulled away, looked him in the eyes, and clasped his shoulders tightly. “Stephanie doesn’t know what it truly means to fail. Just look at her. She won’t let herself die; it’s not in her blood.”

And Harry smiled at her comments as their friends nodded their agreement. Stephanie had never once failed in a single task. Sure, she had stumbled along the way, but she never once failed to complete what she set her mind to accomplish. Hermione knew at that moment that Stephanie was going to pull through; her friend was going to survive the curse that had been meant to degrade and end her life. Hermione returned to Ron’s lap with a small smile on her face.

Sorry for the title of this chapter. After 69 chapters, I have finally drawn a blank on a title chapter and this was the best I could come up with. If you have any better ideas for a title, let me know! And it wasn't the most action packed chapter in the world, but I thought it was alright. The next chapter is much better, I promise, and will probably be posted Friday. Have a great week everyone!

Chapter Seventy-One: Growth and Maturity

“Lucius wants his son to live.” Neville muttered under his breath. “So I am going to make sure that Draco Malfoy experiences pain beyond his wildest dreams without allowing him the luxury of death.”

Harry was glad that Neville expressed this because he was feeling the exact same way at the moment. Neville continued his angry muttering to no one in particular as Harry watched the screen in frustration. “I am going to hunt him down like the ferret he is.”

Stephanie was experiencing more happy memories than before Dumbledore came into her life, but the painful ones were getting even worse. Harry had just witnessed Draco Malfoy hunting his defenseless sister in the woods behind Malfoy Manor like some sort of animal. Malfoy would be sorry he ever laid hands on his sister.

Instead of commenting, though, Harry stood up and wrapped Ginny in a long embrace. “Thank you.” He whispered in her ear and kissed her on the forehead. She closed her eyes at his action.

Then he made his way to Hermione and she stood in understanding. She jumped into his arms and they hugged for a long time. They just stood in each other’s arms, swaying on their feet while Harry thought about how to approach Hermione with what he was about to say.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered in her ear so that only Hermione could hear. Harry had yelled at her a few hours before for telling Stephanie to stay at Malfoy Manor.

He had spent a good amount of time going over that scenario in his own mind and he knew that she had been right as always. Stephanie did need to remain behind despite the pain she would endure.

And now he watched as Stephanie lay in the snow just listening to Hermione and Ginny’s voices, more terrified than he had ever seen her. Yet, she refused to summon the help of Aurors. Healed only moments before she bled to death, Stephanie refused to let them come for her. And Harry was once again amazed, but no longer surprised, at the strength and endurance that his sister displayed in the face of danger.

He now realized and understood Stephanie’s need to keep her identity from him. His learning about her too soon would have risked her life unnecessarily. He almost got her killed once by losing his temper with Malfoy and Harry knew he probably would have gotten her killed if he had known about her any longer than that. Malfoy had known how to make him lose his temper. Stephanie was braver than he could ever be.

And he looked back at Ginny and Hermione, who were now standing next to each other. Harry grabbed both of their hands. He flinched at the cold temperature of Ginny’s fingers. “Thank you for being with her that night.” Harry said with happiness in his heart. He had such amazing friends in his life and he knew they both loved Stephanie very much. He was grateful for all they had done. “Ginny, you hadn’t even met her yet. Thank you!”

Ginny merely smiled sadly and Harry noticed the tortured look behind her eyes. He stared at her for the longest time, trying to decipher what she was thinking. But he couldn’t figure out Ginny’s thoughts and so he finally turned his attention towards Hermione. He wanted to show her the gratitude he felt at that moment.

“Thank you, Hermione. You saved her life that night and I never knew.” Harry was beginning to choke up with emotion. “You sacrificed so much for her, for me. I owe you everything in the world.”

Hermione giggled in response. It was refreshing to hear her laugh again. She had changed; in fact, they all had. And Harry knew the memories were getting easier to watch only because all of them knew happier times were in Stephanie’s future; each of them had had something to do with that. That knowledge allowed them all the ability to smile.

And Harry witnessed a miraculous change in his friends with each passing moment, especially after the fight that he and Hermione had had only hours before. The five friends were talking more and starting to joke around like they used to. Maybe it was exhaustion finally getting to them, but Harry didn’t think so. It felt good to feel a sense of closeness with his friends again.

Stephanie was showing them that you couldn’t feel sorry for what you had. She never once complained about her situation and rarely disclosed any details about what she had gone through. Harry was positive that she kept quiet to protect them from the harsh realities of her life, but the lesson was the same regardless of the motivation behind her actions.

And he had realized that her purpose wasn’t to save the world; that was Harry’s prophecy to be fulfilled. She had always wanted her life to matter; Stephanie had wanted to do something good for the world. Harry finally realized that her purpose was to challenge and motivate her friends and help them find the true meaning of life: the importance of friendship and love. That knowledge allowed them to overcome tremendous obstacles and would help them heal in the months to come.

Harry would not cry over his sister anymore because she had finally fulfilled her life’s purpose, the only thing she had ever wanted in this world. And he was more proud of her at that moment than he had ever been in his entire life. Stephanie was the reason he had had the courage to stand up to Lord Voldemort and Stephanie was the reason that his friends had been strong enough to fight the Death Eaters. Stephanie’s unspoken lessons were the sole reason Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters had been defeated.

“It was hard, Harry.” Hermione said, letting go of Harry’s hand and returning to Ron’s lap. “Third year I was so busy with the additional classes and horrible workload because of the time turner. And sometimes I felt so alone with everything that was going on. But it was all worth it. She taught me more than school ever could. Classes always came second to her needs.”

“What?” Ron exclaimed in mock surprise and astonishment, opening his eyes wide and placing his hand over his heart. He looked around the room at the others and Harry smiled broadly. “Hermione Granger, did you just say that there is something more important to you than school?”

“Laugh it up, Ronald.” Hermione laughed along with Ron, though she appeared as though she was trying to look serious. “We all know how she helped boost your confidence with Quidditch. Without her encouragement, you would have been awful.”

“That’s not true…” Ron feigned being hurt, though Harry could tell that he was only pretending. “I am the greatest Keeper in the World.”

“Of course you are.” Harry responded with a smile and moved over to pat his friend on the shoulder.

“She changed all of our lives.” Neville looked lost in remembrance of Harry’s sister, obviously not aware of the lighthearted direction the conversation had taken.

Harry nodded and took a moment to look around the room. He was slowly coming to the realization that there may be more important things going on in the world than his sister’s memories of the past. Those memories could not be changed, but the present could. And as he looked at Ginny, he felt terrible remorse in the pit of his stomach. Harry reached for Ginny’s hand and he suddenly knew what he needed to do. ”We need to talk.”

She looked at him hesitantly as he pulled her towards the door, leaving Stephanie’s side for the first time in five days.

*~*~*~*

Ginny looked at Harry nervously. Her mind suddenly went to the worst thought she could come up with at such short notice. Was he going to tell her that he no longer loved her? Had he found out what she had done? But there was no way he could have known! Whatever it was that he wanted to talk to her about, it was important enough for him to leave Stephanie’s room, which he hadn’t done since they had arrived. Ginny was afraid that Harry would leave her.

He pulled on her arm and she had no choice but to follow him. She figured that it would be best for her to get the conversation over with, so she accompanied him to the private room the Healers had set aside for Stephanie’s friends. That way she could just go home and cry.

“Sit.” Harry instructed and pointed to one of the couches. Ginny obliged without a word, slowly lowering herself onto the soft material. Then Harry took a seat next to her, faced her, and looked her directly in the eye. His eyes were more beautiful than she had remembered them. Ginny lowered her eyes to the floor, unable to look at him as he spoke without hesitation. “What’s up with you lately?”

Ginny wasn’t surprised by his question, but she didn’t know how to answer, either. How do you tell the man you love with all your heart that you are a murderer? That you are nothing better than those he fought so hard to destroy?

“Please tell me.” Harry spoke less harshly this time. He leaned forward and took her hands in his. She had experienced surprised by their warmth the last time he held her hand. She somehow expected them to be cold and clammy like hers. Maybe that was because she had felt so cold for days. Ginny again wondered if this was how Stephanie had felt the first time she had killed someone.

“I can’t.” She whispered, raising her head and looking Harry in the eyes.

“Ginevra Molly Weasley.” Harry took a tone that demanded respect and Ginny couldn’t help but smile. His tone was comforting but forceful at the same time. “Stephanie is showing us memories that she forced herself to experience alone. Have you not learned a damn thing from her experiences?”

He pointed his arm towards the door and Ginny closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then spoke. “Harry, it is too awful. I did something horrible and I don’t think I could bear to lose you by telling you what I did.”

“Ginny,” Harry said sympathetically. “Nothing you could ever do would force me to leave you. I love you.”

Ginny smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded and squeezed his hand. Then she began to tell him about Joshua Zacharias, the boy who had gained her trust and attempted to bring down Dumbledore’s Army.

She told him how Josh tried to kiss her and then how she had told him no and then confessed her love for Harry. Ginny told him about how Josh had cornered her and forced her into the abandoned classroom the night the war ended. And she told him how Stephanie had confronted Joshua and disarmed him.

Finally, after stalling for as long as possible, Ginny told him how she had lost control of her body, looked Josh directly in the eyes, and killed him with the Killing Curse. “It was so easy.” Ginny finished and Harry looked at her with tears rolling down his own cheeks.

“Stephanie begged me not to do it. She knew how it would affect me, but I wouldn’t listen to her. I killed him, Harry.” She confessed, barely able to get the words out between her breaths.

“Oh, Ginny. I am so sorry.” Harry whispered. “You don’t have to keep that to yourself. He was going to kill you. You may have made a mistake, but it was a justifiable one at that.”

“But he was no longer a threat.” Ginny countered. “I was no longer in any danger.”

“Who’s to say that?” Harry rubbed her hands supportively and the gesture comforted her more than she had expected. “I still love you and I don’t blame you for what happened. No one would blame you for what happened.”

Ginny looked at Harry through her tears and realized how big of a relief it was to share her secret. He spoke softly to her and Ginny breathed easier. “I’m sorry that I neglected you these past few days. You needed me and I wasn’t there for you.” He said gently and she noticed that his eyes were filled with sadness for her.

“No. Your sister needed you. She needed both of us. I just didn’t want to bother you with this. I thought I could deal with it on my own like she did.” Ginny responded, meaning every word that she said.

“But she wouldn’t have suffered near as much if she had confided in us, though we could never truly understand what it was like for her.” Harry kissed her on the forehead and Ginny sighed once again. Then something suddenly occurred to her.

“Harry, are you going to kill Malfoy when they catch him?” She asked. Ginny had been uncomfortable during Neville’s mutterings earlier because, as much as she hated Malfoy, Ginny wasn’t sure that she wanted him dead. Especially not after she found out how difficult it was to live with killing another human being.

Harry took a moment to think about her question. He looked out the window and stared at the cloudless, bright, and sunny June day. The sky was the clearest blue that Ginny had ever seen. Nature seemed to be celebrating the defeat of Lord Voldemort along with the rest of the world. It was more beautiful than Ginny had ever seen it.

“No.” Harry answered simply, providing Ginny with the answer that she had been hoping to hear, though she was surprised with the answer he gave.

She had expected that he would want revenge on the person that had caused his sister so pain and he must have noticed the look of intrigue on her face because he answered her unspoken question. “I thought I would, but now I don’t think I could.”

“Why?” Ginny asked with honest interest in his response.

“I think for several reasons. One, he doesn’t deserve it. Malfoy deserves to suffer a long time for his horrible crimes. Second, I don’t think that Stephanie would want that, especially since she sacrificed so much for him. She may die because she tried to save him. But most importantly, I wouldn’t kill Draco Malfoy because of you. I love you too much to do that to you. Who knows the person I would become and the other shortcuts I would take just because someone ‘deserved it’. I don’t want to become like those Death Eaters we just defeated.” Harry finished and Ginny smiled. She really was lucky to have him.

“I am so proud of you.” She told him. “I love you.”

“And I am proud of you.” Harry returned her smile. “You are one of the strongest people I know. You will overcome this if you let me help you.”

“I will.” Ginny responded honestly.

“And don’t keep things like this from me again.” He lectured and they both laughed. Ginny leaned forward and kissed Harry on the lips.

It had been days since she had done that and it felt like she was finally at home. When she pulled away, Ginny looked into Harry’s eyes. “I won’t.” She promised and Ginny knew that she would work very hard to keep her word to the man she loved. Harry loved her and she had to trust that he would always be there for her.

After a moment of silence, Harry smiled at her. “You know that was the second time I kissed a girl who had been crying. What is wrong with me?”

Ginny laughed again and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “Are you ready to head back?” He asked her once the laughter had ended.

She shook her head. The last few days had been emotionally draining and she needed to take a few moments and compose herself. It was refreshing to be away from Stephanie’s screams and silent tears, away from her mother’s incessant fusing, and away from the others for a few minutes. But she knew that Harry would need to return to his sister’s side, so she didn’t ask him to stay with her, though it would be nice to have his company. “I’d like to stay here for awhile, but you can go back.”

It was Harry’s turn to shake his head. Instead of getting up to leave, he leaned forward and pulled her towards him. It was in that position that Ginny and Harry held each other for the longest time, talking and laughing about nothing important. And Ginny couldn’t help but feel like things were returning to normal.

*~*~*~*

Harry felt much better after his talk with Ginny. He felt horrible for ignoring how much pain she was in, but he had been hurting too. Harry knew that Ginny would be alright because he would take care of her. He would do all he could to make sure that she overcame her pain.

“Hold on.” Ron interrupted Harry’s thoughts, leaning forward in his chair and pointing towards the memory that was currently playing. “Did I totally miss your fight with Voldemort, Harry?”

Harry chuckled. “No. I think we skipped it.”

Ron began to pout and Harry couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “If you are that bummed, mate, I’m sure McGongall would let me borrow Dumbledore’s pensieve so you could see my recollection of it.”

“Why do you think she skipped that memory?” Ginny asked from her mother’s lap.
After the two of them had returned to Stephanie’s room, Ginny had immediately gone to her mother’s arms. And Mrs. Weasley sat there, rubbing Ginny’s flowing red hair.

Throughout the past couple of days, Mrs. Weasley must have come to the realization that Stephanie wasn’t as delicate she looked. Slowly, Harry’s friends were able to get closer to Stephanie than Mrs. Weasley previously allowed. Ginny was able to sit in her mother’s lap and Neville had been allowed to stroke Stephanie’s arm.

Stephanie endured so much more than any of them had wanted to believe and Mrs. Weasley must have finally realized that allowing the children to touch her wouldn’t harm her any more than she was already hurting. In fact, it would probably help Stephanie get through the pain and torture she was experiencing. Harry knew that allowing her friends close would not harm her further and it was nice watching Mrs. Weasley grow enough to let her go.

“It wasn’t a secret.” He responded to Ginny’s question as though it were obvious. Stephanie had not been forced to relive the night in the graveyard where she had saved Harry from certain death and Harry thought he knew exactly why Stephanie had skipped that memory. “Everyone knew what she had done and why. Most importantly, she wasn’t ashamed of what she did. It was a proud moment in her life.”

“I still wanted to see you fight Voldemort.” Ron mumbled and Ginny threw a pillow at her brother. Everyone in the room smiled at the interaction.

And Harry felt better about Stephanie’s memories. Instead of watching the time where she had saved him from Voldemort shortly following the Triwizard Tournament, they were watching what had happened afterwards. Harry couldn’t believe how nice Snape had been to her, either. It was almost like he cared about her on a deeper level. He would never have believed it at the time, but now he knew better.

And Voldemort had been kind as well. That was so creepy, to watch him caress and smile at Stephanie as though he cared about her. But Harry knew that Voldemort was just attempting to manipulate her similar to how Lucius had done, but it didn’t matter. And he knew that she would fall into his trap, but eventually Stephanie would break free and make them all so proud to know her.

*~*~*~*

“That was awesome!” Ron exclaimed. “Did you see how high up she cast that spell?”

“It’s only the Dark Mark, Ronald.” Ginny responded, rolling her eyes. She was starting to act more like the Ginny he knew and Neville was happy to see her familiar smile again. But he was trying to listen to the memory and they wouldn’t quit talking. It was finally one that involved him and he sat up straight, trying to hear every word.

“It’s still hard.” Ron huffed and leaned back in his chair. He was pretending to be upset.

“Shh!” Neville demanded, refusing to take his eyes off the screen. Stephanie was standing in a group of Death Eaters and he was trying to hear what they were saying. It appeared as though it was some sort of party shortly after their breakout from Azkaban. And she looked incredibly uncomfortable.

“It took over four hours, but we finally broke them,” Rabastan was saying with a huge grin on his face. “We left Frank incapacitated but conscious so that he could watch his wife’s demise.”

“Oh it was fabulous!” Bellatrix shrieked, clapping her hands together in excitement. She was bouncing on her heels remembering the experience. “She continued to scream long after the Curse was lifted, she was in so much pain. Frank was begging us to spare her, but we couldn’t do that. Could we?”

“Neither one would tell us where the boy was, not that that matters much, since we would have continued anyway.” Rodolphus said squeezing his wife’s hand. They both smiled gleefully.

“The wife was the first one to go and she suffered the Curse the longest. To see the light go out of her eyes as she lost her mind.” Bellatrix looked to her master. “It was so exhilarating!’

“Bellatrix pretty much did all of the work.” Rabastan added proudly. “It was horribly disappointing that we didn’t get to kill them, but they suffered much longer and severely than we ever could have imagined.”

Tears came to his eyes as Neville watched Stephanie ascend the stairs to her now large and more comfortable bedroom in the Lestrange Manor. Bellatrix could still be heard down the stairs bragging about what she had done to his parents.

And as he listened, Ginny got up from her mother’s lap and took a seat next to him. She pulled his head to her chest as he listened to the Stephanie’s reaction to what she had just heard and cried. He couldn’t believe that they were talking about it like they had completed a major accomplishment, like it had been a good deed. It made him hate them more than he had before; something that he never thought would ever have been possible.

Torturing his parents into insanity hadn’t been what they made it out to be. His mind wandered to when he had first begged Stephanie to let him get to Bellatrix before she did something to the horrible woman. Unfortunately, Mrs. Weasley had beaten him to that. She had killed Bellatrix because the Death Eater was threatening Ginny. It was too late for him to get to her, but he could still make Rabastan pay. Rodolphus had been captured, but Rabastan was still fair game.

“Neville.” Stephanie sobbed into the pillow she was hugging. He didn’t look at the screen, though. Neville looked at the real Stephanie, the one lying next to Mrs. Weasley and in front of him. She had silent tears running from her eyes to the back of her head as she muttered painfully. “Poor Neville.”

And Stephanie cried for a long time, just muttering his name. Why hadn’t she told him about that? he wondered. But he knew that he wouldn’t have told her if the situation were reversed. There was no way that he could have hurt her by telling her an awful thing such as that. He admired Stephanie for being able to sit through what she had and keeping that secret to herself.

He was sick to his stomach that she had to listen to them talk like that. It was hard for him to watch her reaction, but it showed him that she cared. Stephanie may not feel about him the way he did for her, but he was still important to her. And that made him feel like he could conquer the world.

But there was one question that plagued his mind. It was something that Rodolphus Lestrange had said and Neville pondered it over in his mind. He shook his head as Ginny stroked his hair.

“What’s wrong, Neville?” Ginny asked and the others turned their attention towards him.

Neville swallowed and then asked slowly, “Why were they looking for me?”

Rodolphus had said it: Neither one would tell us where the boy was, not that that matters much, since we would have continued anyway. But what Neville couldn’t understand was what Death Eaters would want with him when he was only a baby.

And he sat up as he saw his friends’ reactions. Hermione and Ron looked hesitantly at Harry, who appeared as though he was conducting a debate in his mind. He shook his head from side to side.

“Harry.” Neville said with a somber tone. “You know, don’t you?”

Harry nodded and his eyes darted towards Hermione. It was Hermione that spoke next. “Harry, I don’t think there would be any harm in telling him now. Not since Voldemort has been defeated.”

“You’re right, Hermione.” Harry responded and then turned to look at Neville once again. Neville watched Harry with interest. “Neville, when we told you about the prophecy that Voldemort was after we didn’t tell you all of the details.”

“Alright.” Neville said, getting a little nervous with Harry’s serious tone.

“There were two children that fit the description in the prophecy and there was no way to know which one it pertained to.” Harry began to explain, but Neville didn’t understand. What did he mean, two children? It was clear that the prophecy was talking about Harry, wasn’t it?

“It was you, Neville.” Hermione must have noticed that he was having difficulty comprehending what Harry was saying. “Voldemort just chose Harry to mark as his equal, but it could have been you.”

Neville thought for a moment and then he stuttered, trying to understand. “You mean, they were looking for me t-to, to kill me?”

“Yes.” Harry said matter-of-factly but with an air of sympathy.

“And my parents were tortured because of me?” Neville was in disbelief. How in the world could he be important enough to be part of a prophecy? It had been Voldemort that had made the choice on who it was about, but Neville had been part of it nonetheless. “They are here, at St. Mungo’s, because of me?”

“No, Neville.” Hermione responded. “They are here because of Voldemort and Bellatrix and Rodolphus and Rabastan. They are not here because of you.”

“Wow.” Neville breathed. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing nor could he think of anything to say. The news made him feel somewhat important, like he could have had a destiny similar to Harry’s. And he felt horribly guilty for being happy that Voldemort hadn’t chosen him. Then he turned to Harry with a questioning look. “Did Stephanie know about it?”

“I’m not sure that she had been told about the prophecy, but she knew that they had been looking for you to kill you.” Harry answered with a nod. “Sirius eventually told her and she promised him that she would never tell you. Stephanie didn’t want you to know more than you needed to know. It was too horrible for her to share.”

“How do you know that?” He asked. “Did she tell you?”

“I read it in one of the letters she sent him.” Harry responded. “After Bill and Fleur’s wedding we stayed at headquarters for a few weeks and I found some of the letters she had sent him. Believe me, she didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I know she didn’t.” Neville responded. He knew Stephanie would never keep something from him maliciously, he just wished that she hadn’t had to bear that burden alone. Sure, she had disclosed some things to Sirius, but it wasn’t the same. He should have been able to be there to hold her, to comfort her, and to protect her. Neville sighed as he thought about how much more he loved her with each passing day. Then he returned his attention to the screen where a new memory was beginning to play.


I loved this chapter and I would love to hear what you thought about it! Thank you to everyone who continually leaves feedback, it is greatly appreciated and adds to the dimension of the story! And the next chapter WILL include a memory we have not seen yet...I'm excited for that! the chapter SHOULD be posted on Monday. I'll work very hard to make sure that happens! And don't forget to leave feedback on this one!

Chapter Seventy-Two: A Trip to Spain

“Oh my.” Ginny looked speechless. She was standing behind Harry and rubbing his shoulders as they all watched the most horrific memory so far.

“How could she not tell anyone about this?” Hermione asked, shaking her head. But Neville couldn’t help but notice that no one was crying any longer over what they were witnessing.

They continued to be shocked by what had happened but there was no longer an atmosphere of despair. Neville was now positive that Stephanie would be pleased with whatever outcome occurred, whether she lived or died.

And Neville watched as Stephanie was tortured for days because of a small, simple mistake: she merely showed interest in her brother’s fate after Voldemort attempted to gain the prophecy. She had learned of Sirius’ death through a screaming match between Bellatrix, the only Death Eater to escape imprisonment that night, and Lord Voldemort.

“I never once believed that she went on holiday.” Harry said solemnly. “But can you imagine if I had known she endured all of this?”

“You would have gone after her.” Neville answered without anger. Watching this particular memory affected him more than any of the others, including the one where Bellatrix gloated about torturing his mum and dad. “We all would have gone after her.”

“And gotten her killed, probably.” Ron finished what Neville didn’t even have the courage to think. He just nodded at his friend.

“Or gotten ourselves killed.” Ginny added and Neville knew that was certainly true. Had Stephanie told them about her experience after Sirius’ death, too many people would have died trying to protect her. And that would have given Voldemort even more ammunition and power to gain control of the wizarding world.

Neville closed his eyes as Stephanie continued to shiver uncontrollably. She had spent at least seven days locked in that awful cell experiencing the most horrific things that tested her senses to their breaking point. The light and the screeching noises even bothered him and he could have walked away if he wanted to. And they were only seeing a small amount in proportion to the length of time she had to endure each event. And each vision was flashing by rather quickly now.

The third torture was more difficult to interpret as she sat in complete silence and her face showed signs of sickness and disgust. Stephanie spent a good deal of time spitting onto the ground as though she was trying to get rid of something that wasn’t there. It was Hermione that had deduced what was happening: Stephanie was experience terrible smells and tastes in her mouth.

The obvious worst for Stephanie, though, was the water that would not dry. She was soaked from head to toe and so cold that her lips were turning blue. He was freezing just watching her. And the constant state was making her ill. She frequently coughed so hard that his sides began to ache just by listening to her. Her nose was constantly running and her breathing became more labored. And Neville was thankful for the blanket the Healers provided that kept her warm. At least it wasn’t affecting her as much this time and they were able to treat some of her symptoms.

However, what disturbed Neville the most was what came after that. They were clearly watching Stephanie relive something terrible. They couldn’t see what she was seeing, but they could hear her as she talked to people who weren’t there.

And again it was Hermione who realized that Stephanie was reliving her worst fears. These experiences hadn’t actually happened, but were things that Stephanie was afraid were going to happen, and Neville was mortified to witness each of them.

First, they watched as Stephanie hallucinated about killing Harry. She killed her brother and begged someone for forgiveness. It was heartbreaking to watch her struggle; Neville knew she was afraid of the person she would become and she knew she would eventually be ordered to kill Harry. That wasn’t surprising to him; of course that had been one of her deepest fears.

He watched as Stephanie begged an invisible crowd not to leave her alone and he cringed when an unknown hand cast the Cruciatus Curse upon her. She screamed in pain from a memory that hadn’t actually happened to her and Neville’s mind was spinning. He didn’t know who she feared would Curse her, especially since she had endured it many times before. It didn’t really matter, though, since Neville knew that person couldn’t harm her now. She was safe with them.

And he watched as she pleaded with the Weasley family to forgive her for what she had done to their father.

“We never blamed her.” Bill spoke during the playing of the memory. “We were angry but we never blamed her.”

“I did.” Ginny looked down at the floor, ashamed of herself. Neville remembered the entry that Ginny had made into the diary shortly after she found out who had attacked her father: That was my father! And all you can say is that you are relieved?!? How dare you!

“You did what?” Mrs. Weasley demanded. She stood in surprise and disappointment at her daughter’s action.

“I was mad at her. I was scared and infuriated. And at that moment, I hated her for what she did to dad.” Ginny looked horrible as she admitted to her family for the first time what she had done.

Neville knew that Mr. Weasley and Sirius had spoken with his friends about the incident, but they had otherwise kept the secret between themselves. Her brothers looked disappointed, but Neville could understand where Ginny was coming from. She had only been fourteen at the time and her father had almost been killed by one of her best friends. Neville understood completely and could not fault her for that, though he knew he would never have reacted that way.

But Neville was caught off guard when Stephanie began talking to him in her memory. One of her worst fears singled him out and he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, intrigued about what he was going to see.

*~*~*~*

A few moments later Stephanie began again. She wasn’t yelling this time; it was more like she was insisting that someone listen to her. Severus snuck a glance at her and noticed that she was soaking wet. Stephanie was shivering uncontrollably as she attempted to stroke someone’s arm.

“Neville,” Stephanie began. “Don’t do it! It’s not worth it.”

She stopped and Severus imagined that she was seeing Neville Longbottom standing next to her and talking to her. Her facial expression was one of concern, not of fear.

“It will change you. Let someone else do it. Let me do it for you.” Stephanie pleaded; her eyes were very large with anxiety. “Remember how it affected me with Draco, and soon after that I was able to attack him without remorse. Please don’t Curse Bellatrix.”

Stephanie was silent again for a few moments and she dropped her arms to her side. “Please trust me, Neville. It will hurt you much more than it will hurt her. I don’t want to see you suffer like I did. I love you too much to want to see that, Neville. Please, don’t.”

Severus listened as Stephanie let out a loud scream, “NOOOOOOOOOO!” Stephanie sank to the floor and stared at the invisible Neville as he cast the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix until there was nothing left of her mind.

*~*~*~*

When it was over, he immediately felt incredibly guilty for wanting to seek revenge on Malfoy. Tears streamed down his face as he watched Stephanie beg him not to torture Bellatrix. He had never known his request had affected her so deeply.

More than that, this was one of the things she was most scared of. Stephanie didn’t want to see him hurt anyone out of malice and revenge. As he thought about that, he felt his hatred for Lucius and Draco Malfoy melt from his body. He knew he would never dream of tracking down Dedrick Hargrave or Rabastan Lestrange to seek vengeance any longer.

He knew that using Dark Magic could change a person and he didn’t want that. He was finally happy with the person he had grown to be. Doing so would only lead down a road of self-loathing and guilt, as Stephanie had painfully experienced. If he tortured and killed Malfoy as he had been imagining a great deal lately, he would hurt Stephanie more than he already had. Stephanie ached for his soul and he could not harm her any further.

Neville wasn’t that person and it was Stephanie who had made it so. He now understood where Harry was coming from in regards to Lucius Malfoy and wanting to leave Draco alone once he was captured. Harry had known, just as Neville now realized, that Stephanie didn’t want them to seek revenge for her. Neville sighed as the tears ran down his cheeks.

“Who is that?” Ron asked, pointing towards the screen and breaking into Neville’s thoughts.

“Where?” Hermione asked, leaning forward and looking intensely at the image, studying carefully.

Ron got up from his seat and approached the floating image. He pointed towards the edge of the memory where a slight shadow could be seen. The person moved just a little and Neville could see him clearly. “Snape.” He muttered.

His professor was sitting on the ground just outside of Stephanie’s cell and watching as she relived these fears in utter agony.

“Was that a tear?” Ginny asked softly and Neville nodded.

Their potions professor, head of Slytherin House and thought-to-be Death Eater, had shed a tear for the suffering of a fifteen-year-old girl. It was unbelievable.

*~*~*~*

Nine days. That was how long Stephanie had been in the hospital so far and they were only at the beginning of the summer before she turned sixteen. That meant they would have to watch two more years of torture before they learned whether Stephanie would survive the Curse placed on her by Lord Voldemort.

He had witnessed horrible things including Stephanie’s acting as a servant in the Malfoy home, being tortured mercilessly and without cause, and her training to become a Death Eater.

During the first lesson she had with Bellatrix Lestrange, Stephanie had witnessed the death of a five-year-old girl and it had hurt him tremendously to see her reaction. But the scenes he had the most difficulty with involved Malfoy, though at first he didn’t understand why.

Harry had to admit that he had cheered when Stephanie learned the Cruciatus Curse by practicing on Draco. And it had been entertaining to watch her attack the pureblood, only to be stopped by Severus Snape moments before she killed him.

Stephanie’s reactions in both situations were awful to witness. Stephanie threw up when she was ordered to Curse Malfoy and then convinced herself that she owed the boy after attacking him, when in reality Harry figured that Malfoy got less than he deserved. But those memories had hurt Stephanie and so they upset him as well.

And he had just watched seven days of Stephanie’s life go by in a matter of minutes. Seven days in sixty minutes. He couldn’t believe it.

Stephanie had been subjected to the most torturous punishments imaginable. She was finally released from the cell, which had barely been large enough to house his sister, after suffering through her fears and endless hallucinations. She cried and begged for help. He had never seen her soul so damaged before. And he knew she had overcome that experience alone. Harry couldn’t even comprehend how much she could overcome with the help of her friends.

That memory faded and a new one began quickly. He closed his eyes for some much needed rest and merely listened to the interaction on the screen. Harry heard the voices of several familiar Death Eaters as they taunted Stephanie and attempted to provoke her into fighting them. But Harry knew that Stephanie was too smart for that.

She merely put up a protection shield and allowed them to have at her. But she stuck up for herself that night. And she didn’t even tell Snape or Voldemort about it, even though both would certainly have protected her.

Stephanie’s silence made a statement to the Death Eaters that she didn’t need anyone. She only needed to rely on herself to survive. And again her actions spoke louder than her words; Harry understood his sister perfectly.

Stephanie would not allow the Death Eaters to succeed at breaking her down. Each new memory he saw showed her strength and endurance increase to unbelievable heights. And with each new memory, Harry knew that Stephanie would not allow herself to die.

She was going to survive just to defy Voldemort one more time. And with that last thought, Harry fell asleep reassured that his sister would still be alive when he woke up.

*~*~*~*

Can you imagine doing that to a little girl?” Charlie muttered under his breath shortly after he had arrived at the hospital. He was still standing in the doorway when the memory began to play. And Ginny was happy to see her older brothers return to the hospital. She knew that Bill had grown to enjoy Stephanie’s company after she had spent over five months in his home. Charlie, Bill, and Fleur had joined them, but George and Percy continued to keep their distance.

“How is George doing?” Harry had asked shortly after the image ended. No one answered Charlie’s question.

“He’s not doing all that great.” Bill said, shaking his head. Fleur was holding and rubbing his hand.

“‘E works all day in ‘is shop.” Fleur told them. She still hadn’t lost her accent, but Ginny felt more at ease in her presence than when Bill first told Ginny’s family about their engagement.

“He has been working hard to keep his mind off Fred.” Charlie added. “We all miss Fred, but I think George feels lost without him.”

“It’s so awful what happened. Fred shouldn’t have died. We were so close to him. We should have done something.” Harry told the Weasley boys.

“Percy’s not doing too well, either.” Bill added, ignoring Harry’s comment, and Ginny was surprised to hear about Percy. This was the first update about her family that she had received. Maybe it was just the first that she was emotionally stable enough to comprehend what was being said. “I think he blames himself.”

“Why?” Ron asked and Ginny stifled a giggle. He was eating once again and she was amazed at how much her brother could eat without gaining any weight.

“Not sure.” Bill admitted. “He won’t tell us.”

“He was there.” Molly spoke to her sons for the first time. She had kept quiet, but had listened intently to what was being said. “He had treated us so badly. I think he just feels guilty.”

“Dad has been spending a lot of time with him at the Ministry.” Charlie added and resituated himself in his chair, trying to get comfortable. “Kingsley has put him in charge of relief efforts, which I think is helping.”

“He always was a good boy.” Molly smiled and Ginny couldn’t help but notice that her mother was slowly returning to her old self. “I just wish he wouldn’t blame himself.”

“I can understand why he does, though.” Ginny commented. She knew all too well why Percy would blame himself for Fred’s death “He’ll get over it. I’m sure of it.”

And she smiled at Harry. Ginny knew that both George and Percy would be alright in the end because they had people who cared about them deeply, just as she would heal because of her bond with Harry.

“Of course they will.” Molly smiled at her, too. “We all will.”

They had witnessed Stephanie’s first lesson with Bellatrix where Stephanie had to practice the Imperius Curse on a little girl at a muggle shopping mall, that was what Charlie had commented on. Ginny watched Stephanie’s face showing the horror she was feeling and Bellatrix becoming delighted as the five-year-old fell to her death.

But now a new Dark Arts lesson began to play. This time, Bellatrix, Stephanie, and Professor Snape stood in a dark alleyway. Ginny squinted in concentration but couldn’t figure out where they were. The buildings surrounding them didn’t look familiar at all. It definitely was nowhere she had ever been; there was different architecture and sounds than she had ever known.

“Do you think you can handle this simple task?” Snape appeared bored and uncaring as he addressed Stephanie.

“Please don’t make me do this.” Stephanie looked at Snape for a moment but she immediately turned to Bellatrix. “Please.”

Bellatrix looked at Stephanie with pure hatred. Stephanie flinched and jerked in her bed as Bellatrix merely waved her wand lazily. A black and blue mark quickly began to appear on Stephanie’s lower arm.

“What did I tell you about speaking to me?” Bellatrix shrieked.

“There’s just so many people.” Stephanie spoke defiantly, though hoping to change the minds of her captors. Ginny was captivated by the scene and was interested to see what Stephanie was being ordered to do.

“Fine. You are a stupid girl, aren’t you?” Bellatrix cackled. She twirled her wand as she began to strut away from Stephanie and Professor Snape. “I will just have to return to the Dark Lord and tell him that you refuse to participate in these lessons. I am sure he will be happy with the news.”

And Bellatrix quickly raised her wand to Disapparate as she eyed Stephanie with delight. Stephanie looked frightened at Bellatrix’s threat and Ginny knew that Bellatrix would have certainly gone to Voldemort; she was not bluffing just to scare the young girl. Ginny was just angry that Snape didn’t intervene.

At the last moment, Stephanie stepped forward with a look of defeat. “Wait.” She called and without pausing for Bellatrix’s response, Stephanie began to walk towards the end of the alley and into the bright sunlight.

Once the three were out in the open, Ginny immediately knew where Stephanie had been taken. And she gasped, covering her mouth quickly. “I didn’t know she did that!”

The people in Stephanie’s hospital room became entranced with what was on the screen. Stephanie was at the outer edge of a busy shopping epicenter. There was a train full of tourists across the way that was just about to depart for another tourist hotspot. The place was full of unsuspecting muggles enjoying the beautiful weather.

“Oh my goodness.” Hermione breathed in response.

“That isn’t…?” Ron trailed off, but stood in anticipation of what was about to happen. His eyes didn’t leave the screen and neither did Ginny’s. She was in awe over what was about to happen.

“Spain.” Charlie finished his brother’s sentence. Ginny began to tremble, wanting to look away, but unable to make herself comply.

She watched as Stephanie took a deep breath and glanced over at Snape as if to say Please help me. He only scowled, reprimanding her for making such obvious gestures in front of Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix appeared oblivious, however, to this exchange; she was only interested in watching the event that Stephanie was about to set in motion.

“Do it now.” He instructed.

Stephanie raised her wand and Ginny saw a red light shoot from it and then make contact with the train across the square. There was a flash of light and a loud detonation as the train exploded, killing hundreds of passengers, nearby shoppers, and random passerby. Body parts and other debris scattered and lay in the street as survivors tried to run away.

Through the muggles’ screams, Ginny could hear Stephanie whisper under her breath, “Please forgive me. What have I done?”

And Stephanie turned to leave, but Snape stood behind her, grabbed hold of her, and forced her to watch the chaotic scene of terror as people tried to escape the fiery inferno. He held her head in place so she was forced to see what she had done. Ginny was positive this act had been a direct order from Voldemort.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Bellatrix demanded as Snape continued to hold Stephanie in place. She tried to move her head but was forced to watch the terrified muggles.

“Please let me go.” Stephanie whispered and Snape laughed. Ginny couldn’t help but notice that his laugh was as monotonous as his voice.

“The Dark Lord wants you to gain experience in the field.” Snape drawled and Stephanie stopped struggling. She resigned to what was about to happen.

Sirens wailed in the background as the muggles attempted to rescue the injured. Bellatrix simply gave Stephanie her next command with a high pitched laugh. “Again.”

Stephanie hesitated but raised her wand. She squinted in concentration and another streak of light flew from her wand. There was a second explosion as Stephanie now attacked the first responders arriving at the scene.

And the color drained from her face quickly; she looked terribly weak. Stephanie crumpled to her knees and threw up on the ground in front of her. Bellatrix merely laughed tauntingly at the sight as Snape grabbed Stephanie in his arms and carried her back to the alley.

“What’s your hurry, Severus?” Bellatrix asked, sounding disappointed, but following him to the alley, anyway.

“We must not be seen.” Snape answered matter-of-factly. Without another word, Snape raised his wand and Disapparated with Stephanie still in his arms. Then, the memory went black.

There was silence for a long time as everyone took in what they had just seen. Ginny was overcome with grief. The Ministry had believed that wizards were behind the attacks, but there had been no proof. The muggles had blamed terrorists. But she did have a question that wouldn’t escape her mind.

“I thought Emmaline Vance had been the first person she killed.” She asked no one in particular.

“She was.” Hermione responded but appeared to be deep in thought. “Remember the night Dumbledore gave us her letters. He told us that.”

“It was the first time she looked at someone directly and killed them.” Harry added and looked only at Ginny and she knew that he was right.

“She was begging Snape for help.” Hermione whispered softly. “Begging him.”

“Both did as they were instructed.” Charlie spoke with authority and Ginny agreed with him, though she remained still. “She chose to stay so that she could help the Order and Snape had chosen to spy on Lord Voldemort. Neither one had any choice.”

“Did Snape ever tell Dumbledore about this?” Ginny asked.

“I don’t think so. If he did, Dumbledore didn’t tell us about it.” Charlie answered, shaking his head.

“Stephanie told Snape not to tell anyone.” Harry’s voice was hoarse as he answered Ginny’s question.

“Did she tell you that, Harry?” Ron asked.

“She didn’t have to.” Harry answered solemnly. “It’s what I would have done.”

Ginny leaned back in her chair, deep in thought about what Harry had said. She, too, would have asked Snape not to tell anyone about the train station attack. She would want as few people to know about who had done that horrible deed as possible. That’s why Stephanie never shared details with them.

It wasn’t completely about protecting them from what she had done. It was about keeping hidden the shame these acts had caused her. Stephanie was ashamed of the person she had been forced to become and she felt that she needed to be isolated as a punishment for her evil deeds. Shortly after this attack, Stephanie cut off contact with her closest friends. Poor Stephanie, Ginny thought sadly. Poor Stephanie.


There it is! I absolutely loved it! Please let me know what you readers thought. I am sad to say that there is only one more chapter filled with Stephanie's memories, which means that the story is almost over. I think it has developed fairly well and has turned into a decent story, so thank you for sticking with me for so long! The next chapter will most likely be posted Friday morning, so be on the lookout for it! Have a great week!

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Burial

“I think she handled herself quite well.” Harry muttered in Ginny’s ear and then kissed the back of her head. He was sitting with his arms wrapped around her under an old tree just a short distance away from her parents’ house.

“Yeah, she did okay.” Ginny spoke softly. They were talking about her mother and Harry couldn’t take his eyes Ginnyas they sat there, doing absolutely nothing. It had been a long day and it felt refreshing being able to just relax and hold Ginny in his arms. “But that was harder than I thought it would be.”

Harry rubbed Ginny’s arm. “I know, Ginny. But it was for the best.”

“I know.” She said and then turned her head slowly. There were still a lot of people at the Burrow giving the Weasley family their condolences. “It was nice that so many people showed up for him.”

“He was a great guy. I’m not sure I met a single person who didn’t like him.” Harry responded in remembrance of his friend. Then he chuckled quietly as he added an afterthought. “Except maybe a few professors.”

Ginny looked up at him and smiled. ‘That is true. And even most of them liked him despite his practical jokes in their classes.”

It had been almost two weeks since the final battle with Voldemort had commenced. That meant fourteen days since Fred had been killed and three hundred and thirty-six hours since Stephanie had fallen into her excruciatingly painful coma.

Arthur Weasley had finally convinced his wife that Fred needed to be buried, without Stephanie present. And for the first time in two weeks, Mrs. Weasley left Stephanie’s side to prepare the Burrow for the guests. But she hadn’t had to do too much, since Harry had asked Kreacher, the house-elf that he had inherited from Sirius, to keep the house habitable in their absence. And the elf had done an incredibly spectacular job. Harry was impressed.

And the service had been beautiful. Each of Fred’s brothers, Charlie, Bill, Percy, George, and Ron, carried the casket. Everyone wore white, not mourning Fred’s death, but celebrating his life. Many people that he recognized from Hogwarts had come to pay their respects. It seemed like all of Gryffindor, both older and younger students, had come to the funeral. Fred’s burial was comparable in attendance to Dumbledore’s and Harry was awed but not surprised. Because, as he told Ginny, so many people loved Fred for the person he was. The support the Weasleys’ received was unbelievable.

It had been a difficult decision for him to leave Stephanie’s bedside, especially since her memories were getting ever closer to the present day. But he knew that Ginny needed him to be there for her and he couldn’t deny her that. Stephanie would have been heartbroken and, quite frankly, infuriated if he didn’t attend Fred’s funeral.

But they hadn’t wanted to leave her alone so Neville volunteered to stay behind. Harry felt so bad for him because his friend was hurting more than all of them combined. He knew that Neville had loved Stephanie for a long time, but her heart belonged to Fred. It must be so hard for Neville, Harry thought.

In addition, Kingsley had appointed several Aurors to stand guard outside Stephanie’s hospital room. There were too many Death Eaters that had yet to be captured and none of his friends wanted to risk those Death Eaters getting to Stephanie. It was common knowledge that the Death Eaters would try to gain access to her if given even a slight opportunity; it was even thought that she was wanted by the Death Eaters more than Harry was. And Harry couldn’t allow anything else to happen to his sister. She had suffered enough.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Ginny said, turning her head towards Harry. He nodded, motioning for her to continue. “What did you think about Snape being the person to Curse Stephanie, making her an official Death Eater?”

Harry looked at Ginny for a moment. At first he had been angry that Snape would do that to Stephanie. She had suffered the Curse for five minutes in order to be inducted into the Death Eaters and it hadn’t even been her choice. Malfoy had been forced into the decision, too, unlike most of the other members of Lord Voldemort’s organization.

“I’m glad that it was him.” Harry answered honestly and Ginny looked at him with an interested frown.

“Really?” She asked and Harry had to smile at her. Ginny was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, even dressed for a funeral.

“No matter what Snape would have told you, he was the best person to do it.” Harry responded. “Anyone else would have Cursed her out of malice, he did so out of love.”

“Do you really think he loved her?” Ginny asked skeptically and Harry responded without a second thought.

“Like a daughter. I do.” Harry shook his head. “And I also believe that one of her worst fears was that Snape would be the one to do so.”

“Because she despised him.” Ginny added as though it were obvious.

Harry rubbed Ginny’s shoulders as she repositioned herself in his lap. “No. Because she cared about him deeply.”

“Snape?” Ginny asked, trying to clarify that they were talking about the same person and Harry had to respond with a chuckle.

“He was always looking out for her even though he didn’t show it at times.” Harry explained gently. “And she was afraid how Cursing her would affect him. Remember how she also feared the same thing for Neville Cursing Bellatrix?”

And Ginny nodded in understanding. He was proud of himself for being able to read between the lines. Harry knew that Snape would never have admitted his level of concern for Stephanie Potter, especially since he despised their father so deeply. But, Harry figured, Stephanie and Snape’s relationship made the development of feelings inevitable. Snape was her professor, teaching her basic survival skills, and was her only link to the outside world. They had a bond that no one else could match.

They sat in silence for a few moments and then Ginny grunted a little. “I just can’t picture Snape caring about anyone like that.”

“It is remarkable.” Harry laughed at Ginny’s response. And if he hadn’t seen Snape’s memories in the pensieve the night of the battle, he wouldn’t have believed it either.

“But I guess after I saw Voldemort bare his soul to Stephanie in Little Hangleton, I guess I can believe anything.” Ginny admitted with a smile. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.

“He was trying to make Stephanie believe that he cared about her and I’m pretty sure it worked.” Harry added.

“Of course it worked.” Ginny said with a hint of sadness in her voice. “She was desperate for some sort of affection and Voldemort was teasing her with just a little at a time. That’s one reason why she changed so much; she was striving for Voldemort’s love.”

“Which infuriated Bellatrix, I’m sure.” Harry added with a laugh and Ginny joined him. They looked each other in the eye and both burst into uncontrollable giggles.

“I’m sure.” Ginny responded between breaths.

“What’s so funny?” Harry looked up and saw Ron and Hermione hand in hand. Both had solemn expressions, which made Harry stop laughing immediately.

“Nothing.” Ginny said with a straight face.

“Can we join you?” Hermione asked, pointing towards the ground.

“Of course.” Harry motioned for the ground as Hermione and Ron sat next to each other. “We were just talking about Stephanie.”

“I know we talked about this earlier, but I still can’t believe that Scrimgeour tortured her.” Hermione said. “It makes me so angry that a person of such power would break the laws like that. And he tried to convince the world that he was an upstanding Minister of Magic.”

“Kingsley sure risked a lot by standing up to him.” Ginny added. “He could have lost his job.”

“What about the night that Dumbledore died?” Ron asked, going backwards in time. “Scrimgeour probably questioned all of the captured Death Eaters like that. Stephanie was just lucky that Kingsley was looking out for her. It could have been so much worse, especially since Nikki was out for blood.

“But I felt bad for her the night Snape murdered Dumbledore.” Harry was having a difficult time reading Ron’s expression, but he could tell that Ron had been affected in some way by what he had seen. “She had been through so much and Voldemort had convinced her that it was her destiny to kill Harry. She didn’t believe that someone could love her. Harry was going to let her kill him and she still didn’t believe that he cared about her. Can you imagine feeling that way?”

“That’s why I was happy that Stephanie was able to develop a relationship with Fred.” Hermione spoke quietly. “At least she got to experience what love truly feels like. Fred loved her so much; you could see it in his eyes.”

“But I feel so sorry for Neville.” Ginny added and Harry responded by squeezing her hand once again. “He has loved her since he first started talking with her through the diaries.”

“McGonagall knew that Stephanie would have a great impact on him.” Hermione continued. “That’s why she gave him a copy of the diaries. It was inevitable that he would fall in love with her.”

“Maybe something will happen when she wakes up.” Ron was optimistic but Harry wasn’t as sure.

“I don’t think so.” Ginny said slowly, scrunching her nose. Harry couldn’t believe how cute Ginny was when she made that face. He was definitely in love with Ginevra Molly Weasley.

“No.” Hermione agreed with Ginny. “I think he’s been too hurt by her relationship with Fred. He cares deeply about her, but I don’t think that he could get over his jealousy of Fred. Neville would always feel second to him, even though he’s dead. He doesn’t deserve to feel that way.”

“It’s going to be a tough job, though, whoever has to tell her that Fred died in the battle.” Ginny said softly, shaking her head. “She’s going to be devastated.”

“But she’ll be alright.” Harry said confidently. She would overcome that loss because she had so many people who cared about her. None of them would let her go through that alone, he was sure of it.

“Mum wanted to wait for her to wake up, you know.” Ron admitted and Harry nodded. Neville had told them that a long time ago and he was happy for Mrs. Weasley’s gesture. They just couldn’t wait any longer; who knew exactly when Stephanie was going to wake up from her coma, if at all.

“What kills me is that she asked Voldemort to spare Draco after he failed at killing Dumbledore.” Harry admitted, though he could now see that she had always been looking out for her nemesis. That was just the way that Stephanie lived her life; no one deserved to die, no matter what they had done.

“She was too good to him.” Ginny muttered. “He didn’t deserve any of the things she did for him. And I’m not even sure Malfoy realizes how much she sacrificed for him.”

“He does.” Harry told them, positive that he was right. There was nothing that he had seen that showed him otherwise. Malfoy was a nitwit but he wasn’t completely stupid. “He just doesn’t care.”

“I would love to see those two battle one on one.” Ron said with a smile. “He deserves a good butt kicking. That’d knock him down a peg.”

“He would be desperate, though.” Hermione pointed out. “I know she’s good, but do you think she could stand up against a boy who has nothing to lose?”

“YES!” Harry spoke quickly without even thinking.

“Absolutely.” Ginny said at the same time and Ron nodded his head silently.

Harry didn’t have a doubt that Stephanie could beat Malfoy even without a wand. She was one of the most powerful witches he had ever seen, and ironically Stephanie had Voldemort’s training to thank for that. He knew that Stephanie would grow to do amazing things with her tremendous power if she woke up from the curse.

“Me too.” Hermione said slyly and Harry had to laugh at Hermione’s quick wit. She was just having fun with them and he had to admit that it felt nice to laugh with his friends. They had done more of that lately, and it did feel good.

The laughter died down after a few minutes and they sat there in silence, watching as the guests began to depart the Burrow. Harry knew he should be getting back to his sister, but he was hesitant to do so. It had taken a lot of his energy to watch her suffer so much and for so long, and he hadn’t been able to take time to recover from his final battle with Voldemort. He was exhausted but he knew that everything would be over soon. Stephanie was nearing the present day and it was only a matter of time before it would all be over.

“She looked so angry when she killed Scrimgeour.” Hermione said, breaking the silence. He knew that she just didn’t want to sit unspeaking anymore.

“Well he did torture her.” Ginny pointed out and Harry nodded, though he knew that had been a difficult time in Stephanie’s life.

“That spell that she used was incredible.” Ron said, playing with his wand in his hands. “Have you ever seen anything like it? It was like he was burning alive.”

“I have never seen anything close to it in any of the books I’ve read.” Hermione admitted. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We all know the horrible books on the Dark Arts that Voldemort made her study. That’s all she did for days on end was memorize those books. Can you imagine having to do that when you are only fourteen or fifteen years old? That had to be so hard on her.”

“I think she invented that one.” Ginny answered. “The look on her face when she used it…She knew exactly what it did and how to control it.”

“She definitely had complete control over the strength of the spell.” Harry said in thought. It would make sense that his sister had invented that curse. She had had so much free time during her stay with Voldemort, especially in the early days after his return, that she probably had to do something constructive with her time. “I wonder what other spells she’s created.”

“There’s no telling.” Hermione said. “But she is capable of very strong magic. I’m sure she has invented other spells.”

“Though if she has, I’m not sure I want to see them.” Ron said. He glanced at Harry mischievously and Harry looked at him with interest. “Especially if they are anything like that one. She was in too deep into Dark Arts to make me comfortable with anything she would have created.”

“We’ll just have to ask her.” Harry said with a smile. He knew that if Stephanie had invented more Dark Arts spells that she would never use them. He doubted that she would ever use Dark Magic again if she survived the darkest magic that Lord Voldemort could place on her.

“I’ll probab-” Ginny began but she stopped speaking when she looked over and saw Kingsley running towards them. Harry stood and accidentally pushed Ginny out of his lap. He knew what was happening and his heart began to race uncontrollably.

“Harry!” Kingsley called.

“What is it, Kingsley?” Hermione asked. Ginny was dusting the dirt off her pants as she stood. Harry could see the excitement in all of their eyes. It was time.

“I just got word from Nikki.” Kingsley said in an excited huff when he approached them. “Stephanie has entered the battle. We have to get back to the hospital.”

“Let’s go.” Harry said, reaching his hand out towards Ginny. She took hold of it and squeezed tightly. Then, Harry raised his wand and Disapparated them from the Burrow to the front entrance of St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He was prepared for the worst but hoping that Stephanie would soon wake up. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest as he quickly ran towards the third floor and the end of the hall where Stephanie’s room was located.

*~*~*~*

Neville stretched his arms, lie backwards, and put his legs up on the edge of Stephanie’s bed. For the first time in over two weeks, he was finally alone with Stephanie. And he was glad that the funeral had been arranged for that day, because he saw memories that none of the others would have wanted to see.

Just before the others had left to prepare for Fred’s funeral that morning, they had seen Stephanie’s part in Ginny and Neville’s escape from Malfoy Manor just months before. He watched as Stephanie asked Kieran to go on an errand for her and then as she made her move.

What he hadn’t known was that Voldemort had threatened her life before that moment, so she honestly had no option at that point. She could have allowed all four of them, including Ollivander, to be killed or sacrifice herself and spare three lives. Either way she was in mortal danger. And Stephanie had made that decision rather quickly; Neville was impressed. He wasn’t sure if he could have made the same decision that easily.

And Voldemort had wanted her to pay before she died. She suffered much more than he had seen up to that point and Neville was quite surprised that she had survived. Dobby died saving Stephanie’s life, and Neville knew that the house-elf was the only reason Stephanie was alive. Not even Snape could have protected Stephanie that night. Neville was sure of it.

Periodically, Stephanie had been forced to relive some of the moments she shared with Kieran Hargrave. Neville had been disgusted because his prior classmate clearly had only one thing on his mind where Stephanie was concerned: sexual relations. He had been proud of Stephanie for not allowing the man to touch her; she merely used her sexuality to manipulate him. But Neville also saw that Kieran was able to manipulate Stephanie a little, too, especially after the time in the bar.

Stephanie, Kieran, and Rabastan had been sent to the mountains in search of Fenrir Greyback and were ordered to kill him as punishment for allowing Harry to escape. And Kieran had convinced Stephanie that he was proud of how she had behaved the night before at the bar. Neville had gotten sick to his stomach when Stephanie blushed at the compliment. Kieran was such a horrible person and didn’t even deserve to set eyes upon Stephanie Potter.

But the worst memory for him to watch was one that no one else had seen. Neville had volunteered to stay behind with Stephanie while the others attended the funeral. He was the obvious choice and was glad to be there for Stephanie since he had had no opportunity to be alone with her since she had arrived at the hospital.

Kingsley had insisted on assigning two Aurors outside of Stephanie’s room and he was glad that they were not stationed inside the room. He had to be alone with his misery as he watched Stephanie’s time at Shell Cottage; he forced himself to watch Stephanie’s relationship with Fred grow to one of deep seeded love.

Neville saw Stephanie bare her soul to Fred, telling him most of her secrets. He watched Fred doing everything that Neville should have been doing to make her realize that she deserved to have friends and family that cared about her, that she deserved the love that everyone held for her. And he watched as Stephanie and Fred made love for the first time; Fred was being so gentle with her.

Neville cried as he watched the exchange, realizing completely for the first time that he would probably never stand a chance at being with her. He didn’t want to watch them completing this act, but he also couldn’t leave her alone in the room. That memory was too private for a random Auror or Healer to witness, so he had to stay where he was. Neville closed his eyes and tried to think of happier times when there had been a chance that he could eventually be with her. He yelled at himself for not telling her how he felt sooner. Why had had blown his chance with Stephanie Potter?

Finally, after what seemed like hours of having to listen to the sounds of two young lovers, Neville opened his eyes quickly. There had been a loud bang on the screen floating above the foot of Stephanie’s bed and he looked up at it a little nervously. Stephanie had punched the wall and her fist was bleeding slightly.

He took a towel and dabbed the blood that was beginning to ooze slowly from her hand. Then he returned his attention back to the screen and watched as Stephanie leaned against the wall of her bedroom at Shell Cottage and lowered herself to the ground. She lowered her head to the top of her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. He saw her shoulders begin to heave up and down as though she were crying.

Neville looked over to Stephanie, who still lay on her bed, and he saw the tears coming from her eyes. However, she lay completely still as the Stephanie on the screen cried dramatically.

“What’s wrong with me?” Stephanie whispered through her heavy breathing.

“Nothing is wrong with you.” Neville told her even though he knew that she couldn’t hear him. He stroked her arm, hoping that on some level she could sense that he was there.

“I love you, Fred.” Stephanie sobbed, shaking her head. Neville could tell that Stephanie was angry with herself. “Why can’t I just tell him? Why is it so hard for me to say that word? What is wrong with me?”

Neville looked at Stephanie with sadness. She had been told all her life that she was worthless and that no one would ever love her. He knew that she had written those words, and in the experience of her fears, she had even said that she loved Neville. But she couldn’t force herself to say the words that would have made Fred so happy. Stephanie was ashamed of herself because she had never told Fred that she loved him. Maybe there was hope for him, after all.

“I love you, Fred.” Stephanie whispered, still hugging her knees tightly, and the memory faded into darkness.

Neville sighed and sat up, straight. He was glad that the memory was finished, but it was nice that he had seen it. It would have been horrible if Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, or even Harry, had been there when it started. Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t have left Stephanie’s side, but that meant she would have had to watch and listen to Stephanie’s having sex with her son. Besides Hermione, Neville was the only appropriate person to be there for her. And it should have been Hermione, but it was him. He had to make the best of the situation.

And suddenly Stephanie was standing in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. Neville knew immediately which memory this was. She was wearing the same sweatshirt she had worn the night of the battle. It was finally here! Stephanie was only moments away from being hit with the Killing Curse and Voldemort’s unknown curse as she saved both him and Malfoy.

Neville shot out of his seat and ran to the door. He opened it with a force that surprised him. “Pat! Nikki!” He said breathlessly. “It’s time! We need to get Harry here immediately!”

Nikki merely nodded calmly and Neville was surprised at her demeanor. The time had come and he had expected everyone to be as excited about it as he was. They would see what Stephanie had done during the battle and they would finally know whether the curse had its intended effect on Stephanie. After two long weeks of uncertainty, sadness, and growth, they would finally know whether Stephanie was going to live or whether she was going to die. His heart beat rapidly as he returned to his seat. Nikki was going to send word to Kingsley Shacklebolt who was in attendance at Fred Weasley’s funeral. All he could do was wait.

*~*~*~*

Harry couldn’t believe that the time had finally come. He was going to see the battle from Stephanie’s point of view and then he was going to know whether his twin sister was going to survive. As nervous as he was, it was also exhilarating. And he didn’t feel guilty for feeling that way.

He pulled Ginny up the stairs and down the hall towards Stephanie’s room. Harry couldn’t stand still long enough to wait for the elevators; he needed to return to Stephanie as soon as possible. And, finally, he burst through the room, breathless, and made his way to Stephanie’s bed. Nikki and Pat, the Aurors standing guard, merely nodded at him expressionless. They were taking their jobs seriously, Harry thought.

Neville stood when he saw Harry and then, just moments after he entered, Ron and Hermione came rushing into the room. Both were just as breathless as he was. Harry panted, but still managed to ask the question. “What have I missed?”

“Nothing. She’s still in the Room of Requirement.” Neville responded quickly, pointing towards the screen. And Harry looked up at it; Neville was right.

Just then, Kingsley, McGonagall, and the entire Weasley family came rushing into the room, including George and Percy. Harry was happy that so many people were there to show their support. He took a seat as they watched the scene unfold.

And he watched as Stephanie hid in the shadows, casting protection shields on students and Order members alike. She was staying hidden so that she could protect the innocent and she did an amazing job doing so. Harry couldn’t believe some of the creative measures she had taken to attack Death Eaters without having to cast spells upon them, including throwing objects in their direction. And most of the time, the Death Eaters couldn’t figure out what was happening.

At one point, he watched Stephanie creeping in the shadows and saw Hermione in the background. Harry heard Hermione whisper to Stephanie, but she just kept going, ignoring Hermione’s call. They followed as Stephanie stopped in her tracks as though she heard a noise. Stephanie slowly crept to a door that was locked. She raised her wand and it silently opened for her.

“And when I went to the Dark Lord to obtain the Mark, he informed me that he did not want such a young member of his organization, especially after Malfoy had failed so miserably. But I will prove myself to him tonight and tomorrow I will be a prized member of the Death Eaters, just like my father had been.” Harry could see a boy about their age placing his body against Ginny’s in the otherwise abandoned classroom.

Harry stood slowly and snuck a glance at Ginny as she appeared to be backing slowly to the corner of the room. She was too far from him to grab her hand in support. For the first time, he regretted watching a memory that Stephanie was experiencing. This one was too private for Ginny, but he couldn’t ask the others to leave.

He knew what was going to happen so he didn’t watch the screen or his sister. Harry only looked at Ginny as her family and friends watched the scene unfold. It must be so horrible for her, he thought.

“Let’s go, Ginny.” Stephanie said in the memory, walking over to Ginny and handing her the wand that had been in Joshua’s pocket.

“No.” Ginny responded forcefully and shook her head. She walked over to Joshua, who looked up at her with pathetic pleading in his eyes as she pointed her wand directly at his forehead.

“No, Ginny.” Stephanie said, grabbing her arm. “Leave him be; he won’t harm you anymore.”

“You can’t guarantee that.” Harry could tell that Ginny no longer had control of her emotions or her mind. This boy had lied to her and had just tried to kill her. And he watched as she forced all of the hatred she held for Joshua Zacharias into her wand as she gave it her command. “Avada Kedavra!”

“Ginny.” Hermione said softly, making her way through the crowd towards her friend who had hidden herself in the back of the room. She wrapped Ginny in a long embrace and Harry was glad that Hermione was there. Harry had done what he could for Ginny, but the same reaction from others would reinforce what he had told her.

“Is that what you were hiding?” Neville asked. He looked completely dumbstruck at the fact that Ginny had killed Joshua Zacharias.

Ginny nodded, tears flowing down her face. Harry’s heart went out to her but he didn’t leave Stephanie’s side. Hermione had released her, grabbed her hand, and she was now squeezing Ginny’s hand as Ginny confronted her family.

But Mrs. Weasley didn’t even take a moment to think. She ran over to her daughter’s side and squeezed her tightly. “Are you alright, dear?”

“Thanks to Harry.” Ginny smiled weakly. “I’m sorry, mum. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Never.” Mr. Weasley had made his way toward his daughter as well. He rubbed her shoulder as Mrs. Weasley hugged Ginny once again. “Don’t ever think that, Ginny.”

Ginny nodded and she returned her attention to the screen, motioning that it was time to focus on Stephanie. They could ask her questions later, but right then, Harry knew that she wanted to focus on Stephanie. The time was also near where they would learn her fate.

And they watched as Stephanie took a moment to debate in her mind what she should do. But when the time came where a choice had to be made, Stephanie did what she had known all along that she was destined to do.

Dedrick was about to cast the Killing Curse upon Neville as Neville stood completely still. Draco Malfoy was dueling with a Death Eater named Sienko that must not have recognized him as a fellow Death Eater. And they watched as Stephanie drew her last breath, jumped out of the shadows and in front of Neville as he ducked out of the way of the spell at the very last moment. And they watched as she raised her wand towards the Death Eater battling Malfoy.

Stephanie knew that the Killing Curse was about to hit her, so she attempted to save Draco by stunning the Death Eater battling the boy she had been a servant to for most of her life. Harry cringed as the Killing Curse blasted into her as she yelled, “Stupefy!”

Finally, after two weeks, Stephanie was quiet. There were no more tears flowing from her eyes as his sister succumbed to the blow her body had just taken. Stephanie sank into complete unconsciousness and silence. He didn’t know what to say so he remained quiet. The others followed his example as Harry sank into the chair next to Stephanie’s bed. He grabbed hold of her hand and began stroking her hair, hoping that Stephanie would wake up with the sensation. But Stephanie did not move and Harry knew that there was nothing left to do but wait.



There's that chapter! I absolutely love it, so tell me what your thoughts are! I will try to get the next chapter posted on Monday, but since it is a holiday I might not be able to get it posted until Tuesday. I'll work my hardest to get it done for you! I know that I kind of left it at a cliffhanger. Have a great weekend and PLEASE (not to sound like I am begging) leave feedback!

Chapter Seventy-Four: Awakened

Stephanie moved her head to the side and then back again. It was all she had energy for; she felt like she had been hit by a train three or four times. What had happened to her? She couldn’t remember anything. She could feel someone holding her hand but she didn’t know who it was.

She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn’t listen to her brain. The pain suddenly coursed through her body like she had been crushed by a huge wave, taking her by surprise. Her breathing became very heavy, making it difficult to get air into her lungs. All she could do was move her head from side to side as tears streamed out of her eyes. She moaned in pain, unable to do anything else.

“Harry.” A voice whispered excitedly from somewhere near her, but it didn’t sound familiar to her. Even though she knew the whisper had been quiet, it sounded like the person was yelling, and her head felt like it was going to split open from the pain. Stephanie groaned again and tried repositioning herself to ease some of the pressure. But she couldn’t move; it was like every bone in her body was broken and every muscle torn. “Wake up, Harry! She’s alive!”

“Stephanie!” A male voice said more loudly than Stephanie could handle. Why weren’t these people being quiet? She hurt so much and all she wanted was for them to leave her alone. “Stephanie, we’re all here for you.”

We? Who were ‘we’? Where was she? She was starting to panic and her shallow breaths were no longer allowing any air into her chest, causing her lungs to burn with lack of oxygen. She gasped for breath, hoping that the pressure inside her chest would relieve long enough to get a single puff of air inside. Why weren’t they helping her?

“Healer Sorenson!” A female voice screamed into the room and Stephanie cringed. Oh, it hurt so much. Tears continued to stream down her face as she tried to open her eyes or her mouth, anything to communicate with them that she needed them to be quieter. Why wasn’t her body listening to her? “WE NEED A HEALER!”

“Stephanie, calm down, dear.” A woman’s gentle voice could be heard in Stephanie’s ear. But she was in too much pain and expending the little energy she had, trying to get air into her lungs. “Take nice, slow breaths. You are going to be alright, dear. Breathe slowly.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Someone exclaimed excitedly. “You have to help her! She can’t breathe.”

Stephanie heard the sounds of rushing feet and suddenly there were more hands touching her. They were warm and calming, though it didn’t help her breathing any. She heard a male voice speak. “She’s having a panic attack, but I think she’s going to be okay.”

One of the hands lifted from her chest and she suddenly felt calm. The pain drained from her body and her breathing became much easier. The man had cast a spell upon her that made her feel better. She suddenly felt someone place something to her lips and she quickly turned her head, moaning again.

“Stephanie, please drink this.” The same man whispered softly. She didn’t know why but she trusted that he wasn’t going to hurt her. He had just helped her breathe again. So she obliged by swallowing the cool liquid when he returned the cup to her lips. And a few moments later, Stephanie lost consciousness once again.

*~*~*~*

Harry’s heart was beating so quickly that he could barely hear Healer Sorenson as the man spoke to him. His mind was racing and there were so many questions running quickly through his thoughts that he didn’t know how to sort them out. Why had Stephanie reacted like that? Was she in pain? How come she couldn’t breathe? Why didn’t she open her eyes? What could he do to help her? How could he make her more comfortable?

Ginny had just woken him up and told him that Stephanie was stirring. He had been so excited but then something horrible happened. All she did was groan with a grimace, showing Harry that she was in incredible pain. She didn’t even open her eyes to look at them. She didn’t even talk to them; there hadn’t been time. All of a sudden, Stephanie’s breathing became more labored and within seconds she was gasping for air. He honestly thought that she was dying. It had been Hermione that called for Healer Sorenson, who came rushing into the room immediately.

“Since we have never seen this particular spell before, I cannot be sure what just happened.” Healer Sorenson tried to explain, which didn’t make Harry feel any better. He just nodded in the direction of the Healer as he continued to hold Stephanie’s hand. “But I believe she was scared and experienced a panic attack. It is a very common reaction when someone has suffered severe trauma as she has. She’s in a strange place and is probably in a lot of pain that caused her to hyperventilate and made it difficult for her to breathe properly.”

“Why didn’t she open her eyes?” Hermione asked nervously.

“She most likely does not have the energy to do so quite yet.” Healer Sorenson explained patiently and Harry realized the explanation made a lot of sense. “You have to understand that her body has just been through more than it has ever endured before. And, though we can do our best to control it, she is probably experiencing pain beyond anything we have ever treated. To be honest, it’s a miracle she is still alive and it will take some work for us to get her pain under control.”

“What did you just give her?” Mrs. Weasley asked. She was sitting on the other side of Stephanie’s bed.

“It is an elixir that will make her sleep.” Healer Sorenson nodded at Mrs. Weasley. “She needs to rest and this will allow her to do so. But to prevent a similar incident, I am going to ask that only two people be in the room with her at a time. When she wakes up again, we do not want to overwhelm her as we have just seen.”

“But she is going to wake up.” Neville said hopefully.

“To the best of my knowledge, I believe so.” Healer Sorenson responded solemnly and Harry knew that the Healer didn’t know what he was talking about. He had just admitted that they had didn’t know what to do with the spell Voldemort had placed on her. But she had woken up once so he knew she would do so again. “I cannot be sure whether that reaction was part of the spell, but I do not believe that it was. There is a good chance that she is going to survive whatever Lord Voldemort did to her.”

“Thank you, Healer.” Charlie said and the others muttered their appreciation. Harry remained silent, though. He knew that he should thank the Healer for doing what he could for Stephanie, but he just couldn’t say the words until Stephanie looked up at him and smiled. He wanted to see her smile one more time because he had rarely seen it his whole life. And with that, the Healer left them alone to decide who was going to remain in the hospital room with Stephanie.

“I think you should go home and rest, mum.” Bill spoke from across the room and Harry looked expectantly at the woman.

“Mrs. Weasley, you have done so much for her. You can stay if you want, but I really wish you would go home and get some rest.” Harry spoke to her softly, hoping that she would take his advice. “Go mourn your son at home with your family. Stephanie would want you to do that.”

Mrs. Weasley hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Harry, please call me Molly. I think I will go home. But make sure that you contact me when she wakes up!”

“We will, mum.” Ron said with a smile. Harry knew that Ron was grateful his mother was finally leaving the hospital. She had been there the whole time with the exception of preparing for Fred’s funeral. Harry sighed in relief.

“Come on, mum.” Bill said as he stood. He made his way over towards his mother and held her arm. “Fleur and I will take you home.”

“I’ll come with you.” Mr. Weasley responded and Mrs. Weasley nodded. Harry couldn’t help but notice she looked so old. Her eyes had a weariness of an elderly woman that she shouldn’t have. Harry stood and gave Mrs. Weasley a hug.

“Thank you for being here for her, Mrs. Wea-.” He said once the embrace had ended and she gave him a playfully reprimanding look. “Molly. Molly.” He nodded his head in understanding.

“I think we will be leaving, too.” Percy said and Harry couldn’t help but think that it was weird hearing his voice. He had been used to Percy completely ignoring the Weasley family and he hadn’t spent too much time with Percy since the man had made amends with them.

Percy had kept his distance from the hospital because he had not known Stephanie; he had only met her that fateful night. And Harry couldn’t help but think that was his own fault; had Percy been speaking with his family he would have gotten to know Stephanie while she was at Shell Cottage. But then he threw that thought out of his mind. Percy had made a mistake and Harry had to forgive him.

George, Charlie, and Percy left the hospital room, saying their goodbyes before exiting. The only people left were Harry, Ginny, Neville, Hermione, and Ron. Professor McGonagall and Kingsley had left shortly after Stephanie had fallen unconscious after her memories ended.

Stephanie had been in a silent, peaceful sleep for close to thirty hours before she had finally woken up. They had said very little during that time, most of the visitors in Stephanie’s room had been too saddened by the events of that day. Harry even had to leave Stephanie’s bedside for a little while to escape the gloom, but he and Ginny had both been there when Stephanie aroused from her slumber. He was just panicked by the way she had reacted when she finally regained consciousness. Harry just hoped that she wouldn’t respond that way the next time she woke up.

“I think that we should stay here.” Ginny said. She had her head on his chest and he nodded, placing his hands on her hair. “We can stay in shifts. The others can stay at the hospital if they want to.”

“I agree.” Hermione answered, shaking her head. “There’s something I have to do, anyway.”

“What do you have to do?” Ron asked, looking at her questioningly. Harry was also intrigued because it wasn’t like Hermione to volunteer to leave the hospital.

“It’s just something I have to do. Don’t worry about it, Ronald.” Hermione smiled, though Harry knew that she was completely serious. Ron took his cue and shut his mouth before he said something that could get him in trouble.

“Come back in a few hours, then.” Harry said wearily. “Then two of you can stay with her. She’ll like that if one of you were there for her when she woke up.”

“Call us if she wakes up.” Neville instructed, though he didn’t have to. Harry knew that if Stephanie woke up the whole hospital would probably hear him shouting in excitement. “Ron and I will be in the extra room.”

“Okay.” Harry responded. “Thank you. All of you. You really don’t have to stay here all this time, Stephanie would understand.”

“It’s no problem, mate.” Ron said, winking at Harry. Harry just shook his head in amusement at his best friend. Sometimes he just didn’t know how to respond.

When the others left the room, leaving Ginny and Harry alone, Harry placed his head backwards and closed his eyes. Ginny didn’t say anything; she merely looked straight ahead at Stephanie. She was lying in her bed peacefully and Harry couldn’t help but think that he was happy Stephanie was in that state. She was no longer screaming in pain or crying in agony, she merely was there, tranquil. Harry smiled as he tried to get some rest.

*~*~*~*

His desk was piled high with paperwork that seemed to be never ending. It had been over two weeks since he had taken over as Minister of Magic and Kingsley felt as though he would never catch up.

Due to laws set in place centuries before he became head of the Ministry, he had to make sure that each Death Eater received a trial with the Wizengamot in a timely fashion. There were several hundred that had been captured, which made that task very difficult. And because they had shut down Azkaban, he had to arrange for places to keep the prisoners securely.

Eventually, and despite his better judgment, they had decided to utilize Azkaban without the dementors until another, more appropriate, setting could be constructed. He had called up many Order members in addition to the Aurors to keep guard of the prison. Before Voldemort returned, they had only staffed about fifty Aurors and now that some had been killed, resources were scarce.

He knew that he would eventually have to staff the prison with permanent guards, but that was too long down the road for him to think about. He had Aurors at the prison, helping with relief efforts, tracking down Death Eaters that were unaccounted for, and standing guard outside of Stephanie Potter’s hospital room.

One of his informants told him that Dedrick Hargrave had been spotted in northern Scotland boasting to anyone who would listen that he was going to kill Stephanie for what she had done to Kieran. Kingsley wouldn’t let that happen, so he authorized for her to have twenty-four hour protection. And he had wanted Harry to remain near an Auror, too, but Harry refused. There wasn’t much more Kingsley could do except hope for the best.

“Minister, Mrs. Fullbright is here to see you.” Madeline Summers’ voice broke through his thoughts. She had been his assistant when he was Head Auror and he had promoted her to the position of Assistant to the Minister of Magic. He trusted her completely and he knew she would do a good job.

“Thank you, Maddy.” Kingsley responded a few moments later. He stood up from his seat behind his desk and walked over to the window. “Send her in.”

Kingsley sighed as Nikki Fullbright entered his office. He knew that it had been difficult for her to protect Stephanie Potter because the girl had participated in the killing of Nikki’s family. But she was the best Auror he had and he wasn’t going to allow any form of Death Eater to gain access to the defenseless girl.

“Minister.” She said, eyeing him with suspicion. He knew that she had an idea of why he had called her there to see him.

“Thank you for coming in, Nikki.” He said to her. “I know you just finished a double shift at the hospital.”

“If I hadn’t known you for as many years as I have, if I didn’t consider you one of my closest friends, I would not be doing that. I would have quit the moment you requested me to protect the one person I despise most.” Nikki said through gritted teeth. He knew that she was seething. “I would have quit immediately.”

“And for that, I thank you.” Kingsley sighed. He walked over to the closet and pulled out a stone basin. “But I want to show you something.”

“A pensieve?” Nikki asked a little less threateningly. “You had better not be showing me what I think you are. I do not want to see that monster murder my baby.”

“Nikki, please trust me.” And he reached for her hand. She looked up at him hesitantly and he nodded encouragingly. Finally, she grabbed his hand and he took them into the pensieve to witness one of Stephanie Potter’s memories.

Kingsley had been unable to obtain the memory from Stephanie or the Death Eaters that had been part of this particular scene, so he had to show Nikki his memory of watching it in Stephanie’s hospital room. He saw himself standing in the corner of Stephanie’s room looking up at the screen above her bed.

She was standing across the street of Nikki Fullbright’s home outside London with Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Travers, and Selwyn. She looked so young compared to the version of her lying in the hospital bed; Stephanie Potter looked almost innocent. And Nikki turned to him with an angry expression. Kingsley knew that she didn’t want to see her family being murdered, but she had to realize that Stephanie wasn’t to blame for that.

“Look at her.” Alecto squawked with a high pitch giggle. She poked her wand into Stephanie’s back and the girl merely looked away into the distance. “She’ll never be able to torture someone.”

“Why does the Dark Lord insist on her accompanying us?” Travers looked Stephanie up and down, then he spit at her feet. “She is nothing but a pathetic little filthy half-blood. She doesn’t have the guts to serve the Dark Lord.”

Stephanie merely looked away, obviously trying to avoid their glares. But he could tell that she was starting to get angry, though she did very well at controlling her temper. Kingsley knew that Stephanie would not allow them to break her concentration enough for her to make a mistake. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

Alecto poked Stephanie again. “Are you too good for us?” She asked. Stephanie continued to look away, so Alecto grabbed hold of Stephanie’s chin and forced her to look Alecto in the eye. “I asked you a question, girl!”

“Yes.” Stephanie whispered and Kingsley grimaced.

“What did you say?” Selwyn leaned so close to Stephanie’s face that Kingsley was sure the girl could smell the man’s breath.

“I said yes.” Stephanie answered a little more loudly than before, but still so quiet that he could barely hear her.

“You little brat!” Amycus almost shouted at her. He raised his wand and Stephanie crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain and writhing from the Cruciatus Curse.

The Death Eaters laughed hysterically as Stephanie lay on the ground once the Curse had been lifted. Kingsley knew that they enjoyed causing Stephanie as much pain as they could get away with; they knew that Stephanie would not go to Voldemort with their behavior because of her defiance towards their master. So the Death Eaters could get away with this kind of treatment of Stephanie. Kingsley was disgusted.

The laughter suddenly died down as the Death Eaters heard a car door slam across the street. “They’re home!” Selwyn whispered, pointing towards Nikki’s husband and daughter. Nikki’s husband, Scott, was a muggle banker and must have been returning home from work. At least that’s what Nikki had told Kingsley shortly after the two had been murdered.

“Get up!” Amycus demanded Stephanie, though the girl didn’t move. She was still trying to catch her breath from suffering the Curse they had enjoyed only moments before. So, he grabbed hold of her upper arm and pulled her to a standing position.

And he pulled her across the street and towards the Death Eaters who were closing in on Scott Fullbright and his daughter, Mackenzie. His eyes went wide as he saw the wizards dressed in black approaching. Scott clutched Mackenzie close to his body and turned to rush into the safety of his home. But he was defenseless against the Death Eaters.

“What’s your hurry?” Selwyn cackled as a green light shot out of his wand. The girl was ripped from her father’s arms and landed across the yard on the grass. She began screaming for her dad but she was frozen in place.

“Please. Don’t harm her!” Scott pleaded with the Death Eaters. Kingsley looked over at Nikki, who had tears streaming down her face. But she stood silently watching as the Death Eaters murdered her family.

Amycus pulled Stephanie over to the little girl and instructed her to pull out her wand. Stephanie reached inside her robes and showed her wand. Then he laughed as he made his next command. “Do it.”

“NOOO!!” Scott screamed and tried to run to his daughter. But Alecto threw a spell at him, freezing him in place.

“I can’t.” Stephanie said, shaking her head. “She’s only a little girl.”

“I said do it.” Amycus grabbed Stephanie’s ponytail and forced her to look at the little girl on the ground. Stephanie closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she raised her wand in preparation for what she was being commanded to do.

After a few moments of silence, Stephanie looked at Amycus and whispered, “I can’t.”

“You are useless.” Amycus retorted and pushed Stephanie to the ground, where she landed with a quiet grunt. She looked absolutely horrified as Amycus cast the fatal curse. “Avada Kedavra!”

And the girl silenced immediately. She was dead. Kingsley glanced over to Nikki who refused to look at him. She kept her eyes on the image in front of her.

“We’ll be sure to tell Nikki you say hello.” Selwyn laughed as he returned his attention to Scott. “Avada Kedavra.”

And with that final curse, Scott crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Kingsley watched as Stephanie was pulled to her feet forcefully by Amycus Carrow. “The Dark Lord will be disappointed in your behavior this afternoon. His reaction will be beautiful. Come.”

“Wait.” Alecto instructed and Amycus stopped immediately. He looked curiously at his sister. “Make her do it.”

Without further instruction, and completely silently, Stephanie turned towards the home where Nikki Fullbright had once lived with her family. She raised her wand and a spell shot towards the sky. The Dark Mark had been cast. With that, Amycus tightened his grip on Stephanie’s arm and Disapparated them away from the crime scene. Kingsley pulled Nikki out of the memory.

“I’m sorry to show you that, Nikki.” Kingsley said after a few moments of silence. “But she didn’t want to be a part of that. Stephanie didn’t murder your family.”

Nikki just stared at him and Kingsley’s heart went out to her. Maybe he shouldn’t have shown that memory to his friend, but she had to realize that Stephanie was not a bad person. Nikki was one of his closest allies and friends, and he didn’t want to see her lose trust in him. He cared about her deeply.

She just nodded and then turned to leave. He allowed her to walk out of the office without a word. He would speak with her later, but Kingsley knew that she needed to be alone. Nikki would understand, at least he hoped so.

He jumped when Madeline’s voice erupted in his office. “Excuse me, Minister.”

“Yes, Maddy?” Kingsley responded tiredly. “Could I have a few minutes, please?”

He took a seat behind his desk and rubbed his eyes, but Madeline’s voice sounded once again. “Of course, Minister. But there is a Miss Hermione Granger here to see you.”

Kingsley’s eyes opened quickly. Why would Hermione come see him? He began clearing off his desk and then spoke to his assistant. “Send her in.”

The door opened moments later and Hermione Granger walked into his office. He raised his arm, “Have a seat.”

“Thank you, Kingsley.” Hermione said with a smile. She took a seat in the chair that was opposite his desk.

“What can I do for you today?” Kingsley asked with interest. It was the first time that the teenager or any of her friends had visited him.

“I have a request for you.” Hermione responded. “It’s about Stephanie.”

“Of course.” Kingsley gestured for Hermione to continue. And he listened as Hermione provided him with background information and then made her current request. What she said intrigued him, but he wasn’t positive that he could make it happen. He would have to think about how it would be possible for him to do as Hermione was asking. A few minutes later, Hermione left, leaving him deep in thought.

*~*~*~*

The pain hadn’t completely dissipated, but she felt much better than the last time she aroused from her sleep. Her body was heavier than it had ever been, and she still could not control her muscles enough to move her limbs. But she was able to open her eyes and see that she was in a hospital room of some sort.

Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom sat on either side of her, whispering heatedly. If she could have, Stephanie would have smiled at their interaction.

“You are wrong.” Ron whispered angrily. He had his elbows on the side of her bed and leaned over her body. “The Chudley Cannons are the best Quidditch team there is.”

“I would have to disagree.” Neville responded with a smile, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair with satisfaction. “Puddlmere United has won more games than the Chudley Cannons.”

“But they have more talent.” Ron countered.

“Says who?” Neville argued, his smile disappearing from his face.

“Me.” Ron pointed at his chest forcefully and Neville snorted.

“Oh that makes it true, then.” Neville responded, rolling his eyes. “The great Ronald Weasley is all knowing.”

“That’s right!” Ron responded with a grunt.

Stephanie turned her head and grimaced. Moving sent pain coursing through her body and she coughed slightly. “Neville.” She groaned.

She turned her head again and was barely able to speak any more. Her throat burned something fierce. “Ron.”

“Stephanie!” Neville jumped out of his chair at the sound of her voice. He placed his hand on her forehead and brushed the hair out of her eyes. He smiled at her, not taking his eyes off of her.

She felt comforted by his concern and she returned his smile. He quickly looked at Ron and told him what to do. “Get Harry and have them send for your mum!”

“Uh.” Ron looked dumbfounded that Stephanie had wakened up and she had to smile at him. He always had been able to make her smile. “Yeah.”

With that, Ron rushed out of the room. Stephanie looked back into Neville’s eyes and she knew that everything was going to be okay. He had tears in his eyes and Stephanie suddenly became concerned.

“What?” Stephanie coughed. It hurt her chest to be speaking these words, but she had to find out what had happened.

Neville opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but before he could speak, the door open and her brother came rushing in. Neville’s mouth changed shape and he spoke gently. “Shh. Don’t speak. You need your rest.”

Stephanie turned her head and saw Harry running to her side. He looked positively elated to see her. And to be honest, she was happy to see him, as well, though she never had imagined that she would see anyone again. Why was she alive when she should have been dead? But at that moment, that didn’t matter. Harry was alive and she had been a part of that. Stephanie smiled at her brother.


So here is that chapter and I really do hope that you enjoyed it. I think it might be one of my favorites. And I am sad to say that I believe the next chapter will probably be the last, unless something else comes up. I just want to say thank you to all of the readers that I have had. Please don't forget to leave some feedback! Chapter Seventy-Five probably won't be posted until at least next Monday because of my crazy schedule this week and the fact that I want to make sure it is absolutely perfect. Have a great week!

Chapter Seventy-Five: A New Beginning

“NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!” Neville jumped in surprise as his bedroom door burst open and slammed against the wall behind it with a deafening bang. “What is wrong with you?”

He was in the middle of packing for his trip to Germany. Neville had recently received and invitation to study with one of his heroes, Timothy Shinehart, for two months and he was getting ready to head for the train station. And Neville had purposely neglected to share this information with the others because he didn’t want any attention redirected from Stephanie to him. Obviously his plan had failed.

He turned around and saw Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger standing in his doorway with their lips pursed. Hermione had her hands on her hips and Ginny had her arms crossed across her chest. They appeared to be reprimanding him only with their facial expressions for some unknown reason. He was speechless as to why they would be angry with him; he hadn’t done anything lately that could have gotten him into trouble. In fact, he hadn’t left his bedroom in days.

“Where are you going?” Hermione demanded after looking at his trunk full of clothes and supplies.

“Germany.” Neville responded hesitantly. He was unsure of why the girls would barge into his room without even knocking.

“Don’t make me jinx you into the next century, Neville.” Ginny threatened with gritted teeth. She uncrossed her arms long enough to reach into her back pocket, and pull out her wand, then wave it forcefully in his direction. Neville was a little afraid of her at that moment.

“Did I miss something?” He asked, lifting his hands into the air as a gesture of surrender. What was wrong with these two girls? Why were they so infuriated with him?

“You haven’t been to see Stephanie since the day she woke up.” Hermione replied heatedly. She was taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself but Neville could see that it wasn’t working. “She has been asking what she has done, why you won’t come and visit her. And we have been covering for you, but this has to stop.”

“I thought I could be there for her.” Neville sat on his bed and looked down at the ground. He knew avoiding Stephanie at the hospital had been a mistake, but he couldn’t bring himself to face her. “But I just can’t.”

Just after she woke up, while Ron left to summon Harry, Neville almost told her that he loved her. But Harry rushed into the room and the moment had been lost. And as everyone filed into the room, Neville was pushed into the background. They eventually told Stephanie that Fred had not survived the battle and he couldn’t handle to see her reaction. She must have looked like she had lost a piece of herself and Neville couldn’t watch her grieve over another man. So, he hadn’t gone to see her.

He had put himself in unnecessary pain by remaining by her side, hoping for the impossible, but he could no longer force himself to be there. So, he had returned to his grandmother’s home and stayed in his room, and prepared for the experience he could not turn down.

“I’m so sorry, Neville.” Ginny walked over to him and rubbed his shoulder. He sighed in relief at her change of heart. But just as he began to relax she quickly smacked him across the head.

“Ouch.” He rubbed his temple and looked at Ginny in surprise. “What was that for?”

“We know that you love her and that it hurts you to be near her.” Ginny’s voice was rising, matching her temper. Her face was almost as red as her hair and Neville could do nothing but look at her. “You need to get over yourself and be there for her. She needs you to be her friend.”

Neville looked at the ground, ashamed of himself for abandoning Stephanie at her hospital room. “I am pretty sure she will do fine without me.”

“Don’t even say that, Neville.” Hermione’s voice softened just a little, though she was still angry with him for not visiting Stephanie. “We all know how much she cares about you. You have always been closer to her than any of us. It was you that she disclosed more information to. It was you who was there for her time and time again. And it was you who she feared would change with the use of Dark Magic.”

“Any of us could have easily fallen trap to Cursing one of those Death Eaters into oblivion.” Ginny spoke forcefully from his side and Neville turned his attention towards her. “But it was you that she was fearful for. She didn’t want you to change.”

“Can’t you see, Neville?” Hermione asked and Neville shook his head.

For the first time, Ginny reached for Neville’s hand. He allowed her to take it and he stood in anticipation. What were they trying to tell him that he didn’t already know? Of course Stephanie feared that he would change from using Dark Magic against Bellatrix Lestrange. He was the weakest person amongst his friends and, thus, in more danger of being affected so drastically. He had always known that but had never wanted to admit it to himself.

“She loves you.” Ginny looked him in the eye and spoke with honesty. Neville had to take a moment to take in what they were telling him.

Stephanie loved him? When did that happen? How did they know that? Did Stephanie tell them that? He shook his head after a moment’s thought. It was impossible. “She loves Fred. She loves your brother, Ginny.”

“Yes she does.” Ginny nodded her head in agreement. “But she also fell for you a long time ago.”

“Her feelings grew for Kieran Hargrave because he was there for her. He did what he could to manipulate her into feeling attracted to him and her need for affection allowed her to do so.” Hermione explained. “And she fell in love with Fred because he was there for her. He listened to her when she needed it most and he treated her the way she longed to be treated: with compassion.”

“You have always been there for her.” Ginny added. “She may not love you the same way, but she loves you nonetheless.”

“You were her best friend and I know she was yours.” Hermione started to walk forward as Neville once again took a seat on his bed. “You cannot abandon your friendship with her just because you are jealous of Fred. Imagine what that would do to Stephanie; picture how that would make her feel. Do you really want to hurt her like that?”

Neville took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. They were right. How could he have been so selfish? Stephanie had been through so much and done so much for him. During his school days, she had given him the confidence to be himself and in the end she had sacrificed her life for his. What kind of person would he become if he could just abandon Stephanie Potter because it was the easy thing to do?

Hermione sat down beside him and rubbed his back as he placed his head in his hands. “It will get easier with time, I promise.”

“I’m sorry.” Neville whispered, shaking his head.

“Don’t tell us that.” Ginny sat on his other side and held his hand. She rubbed the top of it as she squeezed, showing that she supported him. He knew that they were not angry with him, but angry with his behavior. He looked up at his friends with a look of sadness.

“Thank you, Ginny and Hermione.” Neville admitted honestly, lifting his head to look at his friends. “I needed to hear that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ginny smiled up at him.

“That’s what friends are for.” Hermione leaned over and wrapped him in a comforting embrace.

He stayed there for a few moments and then released his friend. Then he stood, turned, and hugged Ginny. There was something that he needed to do and it had to happen before he left for Germany. Neville opened the top drawer of his dresser and pulled out something small. Then he placed it in his pocket and he turned to his friends. He excused himself from their presence as they merely smiled in satisfaction and allowed him to return to the hospital where Stephanie was recuperating from her injuries.

*~*~*~*

Neville couldn’t believe that he had honestly thought about leaving the country without saying goodbye to Stephanie. He couldn’t get over his own emotions long enough to see that he was hurting her. Instead of Apparating directly to the hospital, Neville decided to stroll through the rain.

He had made this journey alone before and he used the time to think about what he would say to Stephanie. He also had to figure out how to tell his Herbology mentor why he had missed his train. Neville only had less than two short months before he had to return and take his N.E.W.T.S.

While Stephanie had still been reliving her memories, McGonagall had sent all of the Hogwarts students instructions about the upcoming exams. He had read it so many times that he had the entire letter memorize. It read:

Dear Students of Hogwarts:

Due to the events of this past year, many students had less than optimal or disadvantaged learning environments. Others were discriminated against in their plans for attendance. For those students, both who attended this past year and those who did not, exams have been scheduled for the week of August 17, 1998.

Passing of these exams will allow you to move ahead to the next year with the rest of your class. Unacceptable performance on these exams will result in students repeating that year. For last term’s seventh year students, a passing score on your N.E.W.T.S. means that you will be allowed to graduate as scheduled. Students who did not attend Hogwarts this past year and would like to complete their seventh year will be permitted to do so.

Graduation ceremonies will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, August 28, 1998.

Scores for each student’s exams, and school item list, will be sent via owl no later than one week after the student has taken their exams. For scoring and security purposes, exam locations will vary if more than one class has their exams scheduled on the same day. So make sure to verify the location of your exam prior to the date it is scheduled.

Each exam will begin promptly at 8 A.M. Those exams scheduled at the Ministry of Magic will be located in the Auror Training Hall. Flyers will be posted with directions to this room on the day of the exam. Exams scheduled at Hogwarts will be located in the Great Hall. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, August 17, 2008: 7th Year N.E.W.T.S. – Ministry of Magic
6th Year Passing Exams – Hogwarts

Tuesday, August 18, 1998: 5th Year O.W.L.S. – Ministry of Magic
4th Year Passing Exams – Hogwarts

Wednesday. August 19, 1998: 3rd Year Passing Exams – Ministry of Magic
2nd Year Passing Exams – Hogwarts

Thursday, August 20, 1998: 1st Year Passing Exams – Hogwarts

The start of term will begin as usual on Tuesday, September 1, 1998. For those students who were new to the school last year, sorting will be conducted at the start of term feast as usual.

If you or your family has any questions or concerns, please contact me immediately.

Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Neville shook his head. Hermione had made him smile with a comment after she had read her letter. “Oh no! I’ve got to go home and study.” She exclaimed with a panicked look on her face.

“Hermione. Out of all of us, you are going to do the best.” Ron patted her on the back.

“Even without studying.” Neville had joked and Hermione calmed down, though he knew it was still in the back of her mind.

He suddenly realized that he had made it to the hospital, so he took a deep breath and made his way up to Stephanie’s room. He played with the locket in his pocket as he made his way up the stairs to the familiar room at the end of the hall on the third floor. He wasn’t surprised to hear muffled voices coming from inside her room because that meant that she had visitors.

Neville took a deep breath and then knocked gently on the door. “Come in.” He heard a familiar, though unexpected, voice call.

He opened the door and cautiously began to enter and then noticed that Kingsley Shacklebolt and Stephanie appeared to be deep in conversation. He backed up slowly and began to close the door. “I’m sorry, Minister. I’ll come back later.”

“We were just finishing. Come in.” Kingsley instructed and Neville nodded. Then he made his way to the chair on the other side of Stephanie’s bed. He looked at her and realized how nice it was to see her sitting up in bed with a smile on her face.

Kingsley stood and extended a hand out to Stephanie, who shook it respectfully. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t promise you anything more. But do let me know if you need any help with that or have any questions.” He gestured towards a piece of paper that Stephanie was holding.

Stephanie smiled at Kingsley. “I understand your decision, Kingsley. I’ll figure something else out.” And Kingsley left them alone with a nod.

Neville looked at Stephanie curiously. “What was that about?”

“Just some legal issues.” Stephanie shrugged off the encounter. Neville was curious, but he knew it was not his place to interrogate her.

“I’m sorry, Stephanie, for not coming to see you sooner.” Neville looked at her and she appeared saddened.

“I thought you were made at me. I’ve missed you.” He placed his hand on top of hers and a shiver went down his spine. How nice it was to touch her.

“I could never be angry with you. You are my best friend, Stephanie.” Neville replied honestly.

“Why haven’t you come?” She whispered. Her eyes were piercing his and Neville couldn’t help but think about how beautiful she was.

“I was scared.” He admitted.

“Of what?” She asked, leaning forward.

“I’m not sure.” He lied. “For two weeks I watched you suffer and when you woke up I thought you might forget me. I thought you might have changed.”

Stephanie took a deep breath of understanding and then looked him in the eyes. “You are my best friend, Neville Longbottom. I would never forget you or stop caring about you.” He nodded, still ashamed of his behavior, as she continued. “Don’t think for one moment that I will allow you to get away with thinking like that.”

And he smiled. Neville knew that it was finally time; the moment had come that he had waited so long for. Neville reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket. “I’ve made something for you. Each picture stands for someone who loves you.”

And she took it with a smile. Tears came to her eyes as she watched the images come and go: Lily and James, Harry, Fred Weasley, Sirius, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Hermione, Ginny, and lastly, Ron.

When the images began to replay, Stephanie looked up at him, not with happiness, but with disappointment. “Where’s your picture?”

Neville thought that she would have been happy with Fred’s picture. He had replaced his own with one of the man she loved. “Your relationship with him developed after I made this. For various reasons, the only person’s picture I could make a case for deleting was my own. And I couldn’t figure out how to add more.”

He looked at the ground, only returning his attention when she called his name. “I want your picture here, so you had better figure out how to do it. Do you understand me?”

Neville nodded, a little surprised by her reaction. She held the locket out to him and he placed it around her neck. She fingered it a little and then looked up at him. “I love it, Neville. Thank you.”

He returned her smile. “I hear you are finally getting out of here.”

She nodded. “Tomorrow. I can’t believe I’ve been here for two weeks already.”

“Actually, you’ve been here for nearly a month.” Neville corrected her. “It’s already the end of June. Remember you were unconscious for two weeks.”

She laughed. “I keep forgetting that.”

“So where are you going to go?” He asked her.

“Well, Harry wants me to stay with him at Sirius’ house. But what I am going to do for a living, I have no idea.”

“Hermione said that you wanted to be an Auror.” Neville encouraged her. “I’m sure if you talk to Kingsley, he could arrange for something.”

“Yeah. We’ll see.” Stephanie’s eyes closed as she thought about what he had said. Neville wondered if he said something that had upset her. But shortly after that, she opened her eyes again. “What about you? What are your plans?”

Neville leaned forward and told her about his plans to travel to Germany. And he promised her that he would be back in August. She ordered him to keep in touch and Neville told her that he would write every day if that was what she wanted. They talked and laughed for hours until it was time to finally leave for the train station. Neville leaned forward, kissed her forehead, and said his goodbyes. He would return in six weeks, but it felt like eternity.

*~*~*~*

The past two weeks had been a nightmare for Stephanie. There were times that she even wished the Dark Lord’s curse would have killed her. The one person she wanted to share her pain with was gone and it was all her fault. She had done nothing for Fred; instead, she remained in the shadows, staying away from the battles, so that she would not be seen.

Stephanie knew this was irrational, but she still felt like she had killed him. Stephanie kept remembering the moment that Harry told her about Fred’s death. Only when she was alone would she cry over the man who had been taken from her too soon.

She had been awake for a few days and Fred had not been in to see her. Neville hadn’t either, so she just figured that the memories they had seen disappointed them or that they were angry with her. But each time she mentioned Fred’s name, her friend’s reactions differed from when she spoke about Neville.

She was tired but she wasn’t stupid. And thanks to the Dark Lord, she was no longer the naïve little girl she had once been. Something was wrong and she needed to know what it was. So, finally, she confronted her brother. She looked at him with determination and spoke demandingly. “Harry, tell me where Fred is. I can handle it; please stop treating me like a child.”

Harry looked at Mrs. Weasley, who had come for a visit and she nodded at him. Tears had sprung to the woman’s eyes and Stephanie’s hands went to her mouth. Stephanie began shaking her head in disbelief. “No.” she whispered, the realization finally hitting her.

Harry took hold of her hand. “Healer Sorenson didn’t think that you were strong enough. We wanted to protect you.”

“Well stop.” Stephanie spoke out of grief, not anger. She knew what he was going to tell her, but she needed to hear it. “Just tell me.”

“Fred’s dead. He died in the battle.” Harry replied solemnly. Mrs. Weasley then excused herself from the room; she had tears streaming down her face. When the woman shut the door, Stephanie could hear her wailing as she walked down the hall.

The tears didn’t come for Stephanie, however. She knew the minute Harry spoke that she had been to blame. Many of those she cared about had suffered or lost their lives. All of it was because of her. It was no wonder that Neville refused to see her. And since that point, Stephanie felt embarrassed grieving for the dead in front of her friends. They were too kind to tell her, but she, and only she, was at fault.

So, Stephanie suffered through her pain alone. It felt nice to do her physical therapy exercises that were meant to help strengthen her muscles. All of her muscles had been destroyed during the tortures of her curse and therapy was excruciatingly painful. But it made her feel alive and she was thankful to get some time away from the others for a few minutes each day.

And it had been nice to finally see Neville again. He said he had stayed away from her because he was scared, not because he was angry with her. But Stephanie didn’t believe him. Something else was wrong; he was keeping something from her and that made her uneasy.

But now Stephanie sat in her wheelchair, getting ready to be discharged from St. Mungo’s. The Ministry had arranged for her to be taken to Sirius’ home with a car, escorted by several Aurors. She was told that there were many reporters outside of the hospital trying to get a glimpse of her, but the Aurors would protect her from being seen.

Stephanie had also requested that her friends not be present for her discharge. She just wanted to go home, curl up in bed, and sleep for a long time. Stephanie just wanted to be left alone. She was tired, exhausted, in pain, and suffering. She just needed to be alone for awhile.

It was exciting to be discharged from the hospital, but scary at the same time. While she waited, she played with the locket that Neville had given her as she thought back to when Kingsley had visited her with heartbreaking news. She had been sleeping when a knock came at her door; Harry had been in the visitor’s room getting some rest, so she had been alone at the time.

Kingsley entered and sat down in the chair nearest her bed but closest to the door. She said nothing as he got comfortable, she just watched him.

“Stephanie, I had a strange visit from one of your friends a few days ago. Do you know what they told me? Kingsley asked. She shook her head. She honestly had no idea who would have talked to him about her. “Hermione told me that she made you a promise a few years ago when you two had first received copies of the diaries.”

“Yeah.” Stephanie responded immediately, remembering exactly what Hermione had told her. “She promised to help me become an Auror.”

“To be honest, I was surprised to hear that you would be interested in doing that, being that you have lived your whole life immersed in that world.” Kingsley said. “Though I do admit that it would be helpful to have an insider’s perspective.”

“But would it be possible if I haven’t received the proper education?” She asked, getting her hopes up that she was about to hear some good news.

Kingsley nodded. “It would take several years to train you adequately. However, there are other matters at hand that are beyond your desire and my will for you to join my team of Aurors.”

Stephanie sat up, flustered that he might turn her down. “But I want to help catch Death Eaters. I know about artifacts and spells that you could never even dream of.”

“That is just my point, Stephanie.” He explained calmly, though her own temper was rising. He appeared as though he had expected her reaction. “You are not in an emotional state to undergo such training. When you are ready, the Ministry will fund your efforts. But as to when that will be, only time will tell.”

“But-” Stephanie began but he silenced her with a raised hand.

“I am sorry, but that is all I can offer you.” He answered authoritatively. Stephanie knew that the conversation was over and she was crushed. It had been her dream and Kingsley had taken it away. After all she had suffered and endured, it didn’t seem fair.

“Now onto the other reason I came to see you today.” Kingsley said as he reached into his robes, pulling out a piece of parchment and an envelope. She had to squint to read it, but she could see the words [i]Stephanie Potter[/i] scrawled on the front. She looked at Kingsley with interest and he continued. “This is the will of one Severus Snape. Let me read it to you.”

Kingsley lifted the paper and read: “I, Severus Snape, am of sound mind this 31st day of July, 1995. It is my declaration that all of my assets, including, but not limited to, my home on Spinner’s End, my savings located at Gringott’s bank, and my collection of potions be left to one Stephanie Potter.

She is to be the sole inheritor of my estate. If, at the time of execution of this will, Stephanie Potter is deceased, I leave the entirety of my assets to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, under the direction of Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Signed,

Severus Snape.”

Stephanie was in shock. Professor Snape had named her sole heir? Even after all she had done to him? Stephanie was speechless and Kingsley finally disturbed her thoughts by handing her the envelope. She stared at it for a moment as though she didn’t know what to do with it and then she tore it open. Stephanie read through it silently:


That was it, but it made her smile. Stephanie knew that Professor Snape had loved her, too, even though he would never have admitted it. She looked up at Kingsley and said, “He really was a good man.”

Kingsley nodded. “I know.”

Stephanie was brought back to the present time by a tingling sensation in her left forearm. She dropped the locket and it fell back against her chest. The Malfoy family crest had been starting to burn more frequently in the past couple of days and Stephanie knew that Draco was behind it. No one had seen or heard from him since the battle even though the Ministry was expending all of its resources to hunt him down.

Draco was taunting her, hoping that she would follow his summons and go to him. And Stephanie didn’t tell anyone about the recent events because she didn’t want them to worry. She knew that she was much stronger than Draco and she was no longer afraid of what the boy would do to her. He could not harm her because she was ready for him.

“Stephanie?” Harry asked, touching her shoulder gently. Stephanie hadn’t even seen him come back into the room.

“Huh?” She asked, looking at him.

“Are you ready? The Ministry car is here to take you home.” Harry asked and Stephanie nodded.

She rubbed her arm to relieve it from the strong tingling. Stephanie knew that she would have a long and difficult recovery, but she would heal and things would be alright. Stephanie smiled up at her brother as he began to wheel her towards the elevators that would take her to the exit.

And all of Stephanie’s worries and pain lifted from her shoulders as she began to understand the true meaning of her discharge. It was time for her to make a new start where she wasn’t known as a Death Eater. It was time for her to have a new beginning.


Here is the final chapter. I apologize for the delay, but this week was crazy. I hope it answered some of your questions, though I know there are still a lot that have left to be answered. Yes, there will be a sequel. I have been planning so much that I couldn't justify placing it in this story. The Unknown Potter has consumed my life for the past 7 months, so I need to take a few weeks off. Then I will definitely keep going with this story and I hope you continue to read! It will follow Stephanie and her friends for at least a year, so keep your eyes open for The Unknown Potter: Death Eaters' Revenge!

Thank you for all of those who have stayed with me, been patient, and left comments! I really do appreciate all of the feedback and ideas that you have provided me over the past few months! I couldn't have done it without you!