Time to Tell the Truth
Time to Tell The Truth
Harry gasped. The air seemed to leave his already weak body. Perhaps he would never breathe again. Silent, he allowed her to lead him away from the body of Peter Petigrew, and into the cold and somber hallway. There seemed to be a hush about Hogwarts, and a chill ran down Harry’s spine. It was like the castle knew that there had been murder done inside it’s walls.
NO! Harry’s mind screamed. What Katrina did tonight was not murder, Petigrew had been trying to abduct her, to harm her, to harm Harry. It was self defense, and the defense of her friends. Although, there were other ways she could have protected herself than to kill Peter Petigrew. And Sirius?!?! What about him? Harry had dreamed, practically lived for the day that Wormtail would be caught and Sirius would be proved innocent, and then Harry could go to live with his beloved god father. But now, it was never to be. But Katrina hadn’t done murder. No, murder was heartless killing without reason, and preventing yourself from being abducted was most definitely a reason. But she had done something else, something much worse.
Harry noticed, that Katrina was leading him to the Hospital Wing by the hand. Normally, he would have been thrilled to be holding her, but now the thought made him want to vomit. She’s the daughter, the only daughter or heir of Lord Voldermort. How could that be? Harry looked up into those green and silver eyes that he had adored so much and half expected the red snakelike slits of Voldemort to stare back at him.
“Katrina” he called in a voice that was no more than a whisper. “Who are you, Katrina? Who are you really?”
Ho noticed her hands were wet with nervous sweat and she was shaking. “I’m the same person you’ve always known, Harry. Now, you just know who my father is.”
“So, it’s true?” he asked, as she pushed open the Hospital Wing door.
She sighed. “Yes, it is true. An accident of birth. A twist of cruel fate, and human ambition. I am not really my father’s daughter, nor my mothers. I am only myself.”
Harry was not in the mood for eloquent words. “Tell me the truth, damn you! Don’t speak in puzzles or riddles like Dumbledore does. He knew who you are, you knew who you are, and you both lied to me! How could you lie to me!”
At Harry’s yells, Madame Pompey came running. “What is the matter? What is the matter?”
“He’s weak. There was an attack on me, but Harry was the one was injured. He’ll be fine, he just needs a safe haven to go to, so that he can rest and regain his strength.” Katrina explained. “You get my Uncle. He needs to be here.”
“But I must care for my patients!” Madame Pompey cried.
“No!” demanded Katrina. “You know things like this always happen to Harry, so you know that he needs ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. Now, go get him!”
“Well, I never! No student is going to speak to me like that! You go get your uncle yourself!”
But Katrina refused to back down. “No, as Harry’s bodyguard, I have to stay near him in this time of crisis. There is a dead body on the floor of the Gryfindor Common Room. We need Dumbledore, but Harry needs me! We need to discuss something in private. On my word, I swear to you my uncle will want me here with Harry!”
“Fine.” mumbled Madame Pompey as she left. “Her uncle thinks he can boss me around, now he bring his niece to do the same thing! Bossy little brat!”
As soon as Harry heard the door click, he sprung out of the bed that Made Pompey had put him to rest in.
“Bodyguard! YOU ARE MY BODYGUARD? WHO DECIDED THAT I NEEDED A BODY GUARD, AND ESPECALLY YOU OF ALL PEOPLE, YOU ARE CONTANTLY GETTING ATTACKED! ALL BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID NECKLACE!”
“Quiet!” Katrina hissed reminding him of Professor Snape. “Now, you listen to me, Harry if you want to know the truth! Yes, I’m Voldermort’s daughter. And I’m your bodyguard, assigned by Albus Dumbledore to protect you now that my father is back in power. If you want to know the truth, then shut your mouth and listen.”
Harry nodded.
“My mother was a young girl when her father was killed. As an Auror, he died on the job, trying to protect a group of Muggles from some Dark wizards who would probably later become Death Eaters. All girls love their fathers, but she loved hers so much more than you could imagine. He was a very doting father, and she was heartbroken to lose him. In her young mind, it was the fault of the Muggles whom he was trying to protect. If it hadn’t been for them, she would have her Daddy. A secret hate for Muggles, and Muggle born wizards grew inside her. It deepened when she came to Hogwarts. My mother was very popular, all the boys liked her, and she had many friends. But there was own boy that she really liked, your father, James Potter.”
Harry sighed. He could tell where this was going and he was in no mood for love triangles. Why did girls have to be this way? Why did they always think things happened the way they did because of stupid little school girl crushes and lost loves. It was quite ridiculous. No, Harry didn’t want to know about Esmerellda Figg and her crush on his father. This wasn’t what he needed to know! But he still kept listening.
“As years went by,” she continued, “Her crush deepened into real love. She was crazy about James, but he never really noticed her. Other boys did, Sirius Black thought of her as something of a goddess, and Remus Lupin swore she was part vela. But there was one guy who was deep in love with my mother, Severus Snape. He adored her, worshiped her, and thought she was the most beautiful and precious thing in the world. They became friends, and she confessed her love of James Potter to Severus. It nearly broke his heart. James and Severus had always been enemies right from the start, and the idea that James had the heart of the girl of his dreams, but just ignored her, was too much for Severus.”
“So, let me get this straight,” said Harry. “Your mom liked my dad but he didn’t like her. Snape liked your mom, but she only liked my dad, and that really hurt Snape.”
Katrina nodded. “Your father isn’t exactly innocent on this case. He noticed Snape’s pain, and because of that, he asked my mom out. Mostly because my mom was very pretty, and popular and it had the bonus of really hurting Snape. But your dad never really loved her or cared about her that much. Well, as you can guess Snape was not too happy about this, but my mom was ecstatic. She felt like all her dreams had come true, but then, your mother, Lilly Evans, came onto the scene. James immediately fell head over heals for Lilly, and dumped my mother quickly and without mercy. It broke my mother’s heart. She had loved James so much, and for so long. Nobody really understood the depth of her emotions, especially James. Maybe if they had, it would have been different. She hated Lilly most of all, and the fact that she was Muggle born and already hated Muggles just intensified it. She vowed revenge on the people of the Muggle world and for the pain they had caused her.”
“So, this made her want to be a Death Eater?” asked Harry. “But how did she meet up with them?”
“There were many seventh year Slytherins who had decided to join up with Voldemort. All she had to do was to seek them out. At this time, Voldemort had many loyal followers, and was very powerful. And of course, I am sure you know that one of those was Severus Snape, her close friend.”
“But wait a second!” Harry interrupted! “Your mum is the same age, as my parents, then what would she be doing with Voldemort? How could he have a kid?”
Katrina blushed. “Voldemort is indeed much older, but that doesn’t mean anything. My mother became a Death Eater, and when she did, she caught the attention Voldemort very quickly. How could she not, with her beauty. She was very talented, and very smart. Plus, she was noted for her extreme hatred of Muggles. She was the daughter of two very gifted Aurors, and the niece of Voldermort’s greatest enemy, Albus Dumbledore. In addition, she was known to be a great Seerer. Voldemort wanted to meet a witch, who in his belief, would be worthy of him, and would be able to produce a worthy and strong heir. It was only a matter of time before he and my mother moved in together. They were never married of course. But my mother, and many Death Eaters believed that he loved her. At least at first. Soon, she was pregnant with me. When Voldemort learned that my mom was expecting, her created a safe place for her to go, and forbid her to leave the home, sealing it with magic. Nobody could come to see her, expect him and Severus Snape. Only the top Death Eaters even knew about her and me. When I, a daughter was born, he let my mother name me. Rebecca Basqulixe Riddle.”
“Your real name is Rebecca Riddle?” asked Harry. He shook his head. “Who are you? Do I even know you anymore?”
Katrina only ignored him a continued on with her sad tale.
“My father should have killed me. It’s a well known fact that females are never near as good at Dark Magic as their male counterparts. And in society, the demand is for male heirs, not female heirs. Would the world respect a daughter? But Voldemort knew that it was best this way, I could be taught, I could be trained to be as good and strong as any man. And there were advantages to having a daughter, especially one who proved to be a pretty as her mother. Wizards would be responsive and trusting to a beautiful girl than a man. They would not suspect me to be dangerous, they would tell me their secrets, I would be an excellent spy. And women make much better Seerers, something that Voldemort wanted me to be, and considering my mother was one of the greats, he had expectations for me.”
She continued on. “Now you may be wondering why and how my conception would come to place. Well, as you know, Witches and Wizards live much much longer than Muggles, therefore our bodies are stronger and youthful looking for a very long time. Often Muggle men can impregnate a woman for most of their lives. Therefore, an older wizard would be able to make a baby, especially with a young healthy woman. Yeah, it’s pretty gross, but mom didn’t think of it that way. Age gaps are not so big in the wizard world, and considering it’s Voldemort were talking about, and she was a devoted Death Eater who was in love with him, she was about to tell him no.”
“Rape?” asked Harry, breathless.
She shook her head. “No, not that at all. They were not legally married, but it might as well have been. My mom made her choice. And because of that choice, I’m standing her before you.”
“So, how did your mom die? How did you come to raised the way that you were?” asked Harry.
Katrina winced at the question, but she still answered it. “My mother heard a lot of tales of the carnage that was caused by the Death Eaters, and my father. She knew that he had big plans for me. One day, she snuck out of the house, and in disguise, followed some Death Eaters as the committed a massacre in a small Muggle community. The carnage revolted her. She changed her mind and wanted nothing to do with it. She hated Muggles, but she was not a terrible person, and something touched her deep inside. She wanted out. A few weeks later, she tried to escape with me, but she was caught. The Death Eaters tortured her until Lord Voldemort arrived. He sent them away, and brought her and me back home where he later beat and tortured my mother. Voldemort convinced her that was only frightened, only weak, and that she should not run away again. He promised her that if such sights bothered her, then he would protect her from then. He brainwashed her. My mother believed all of his stories, and together, they put all their faith in me.”
“Then the day came where Voldemort announced to her that he would kill James Potter, and you the following day. This distraught my mother very much because she still loved your father. She begged him not to do it. That day, when he was away on other business, she was desperate. She put a large poisonous spider in my bed to kill me. She knew that if he would find me home dead, he would not go kill James because he would be too upset. And that would give her the time she needed to come up with a plan to save her beloved. But the plan didn’t work, the spider didn’t kill me, I killed it. When he came home, he found the spider and me, and then he knew what my mother had done. He used his powers to find out why she had tried to kill his daughter, and she was so scared that she told the truth. She loved James so much, she was willing to sacrifice her only child in order to protect him. She begged him not to kill James, to kill Lilly Potter instead. After hearing the story, he killed my mother in front of my eyes. Then he went to your house, in a jealous rage, determined to kill James Potter. Still afraid for my safety, he brought me with you. He vowed not to kill Lilly because that’s what my mother wanted him to do. First, he killed your father, and then, he tried to kill you, but your mom would not let him. He hated doing it, but he had to kill her, and then of course, he turned the wand on you, and the rest his history.”
“How do you know this?” he asked her.
“Things that happened when I was a baby, I know because Dumbledore used his Pensive on me to see my memories, and to get information. I have relived them many times. I am also dependent on the stories told to me by people, especially Severus Snape. And second of all, there is my mother’s diary. It was the same diary she wrote in since before my grandfather was killed. A magical diary, one that can story lots of information.”
“Like Tom Riddle’s diary?” he asked. When Katrina didn’t know what he was talking about, he explained about the events of his second year, and the Chamber of Secrets.
Katrina shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I’ve tried to communicate with her, but I never got any results, so I know it is nothing like that. It’s a lot like a Muggle diary, except it can not be read by anyone until after you are dead, and although it looks very small and light, it opens up to reveal endless pages. You could write a novel every single day of your life, and never fill up the diary. That’s why it is magical.”
“But why would Voldemort want to kill my father and me in the first place?” asked Harry.
“That I do not know. But Dumbledore knows. He used the Pensive on me, and he found out that information, but he refuses to reveal it. He says it’s too dangerous and if he told me, it would interfere with fate.”
Harry was full of questions. “He took you with him? Then you saw my parents die, and my attack, and your father’s demise. How did Dumbledore find you?”
Her answer was word and it was a word that Harry did not want to hear. “Snape.” she said.
“Snape? But I thought he was a Death Eater! Why does Dumbledore trust him?!?!?!” asked Harry.
“When my mother set out to join the Death Eaters with Snape, they made it look like she was kidnapped. She didn’t want her family to know she had willingly joined them because she was too ashamed. That day when she tried to escape, Snape was among the Death Eaters that caught her, and he was forced to watch the woman that he loved so much be abused. That disgusted him, and he knew he did not want to be a Death Eater anymore. He wanted to save my mother, so he told Dumbledore where she was, and he became a spy. Together, they tried to save her, but it was no use. Dumbledore trusts him not to betray him because of the love he haves for my mother, and the love that he has for me. As a spy, and a top Death Eater, he knew that Voldemort was going to do that night. He was too late to get to the Potters to save your parents, but he arrived in the ruins before anyone else, and found me. He left you lying there, to be found by Dumbledore and Hagrid, but he brought me to Hogwarts. I knew Snape, I trusted him. I was only two years old, and Snape made me feel safe. He brought Dumbledore to the secret hiding place where my mother had lived and found the diary. I was never allowed to read it, but have stolen peeks. Dumbledore used the Pensive on me, and trained me to be strong and resist evil. Uncle Dumbledore is such a noble man. He knew what I am, and that when I turn 16 years old, my powers will fully awaken and I will become more powerful than Voldermort or Uncle Dumbledore combined. And now, I am.”
“So, I see my rebellious niece has found that now is the time for her to tell you the truth, even though I had begged her not too. It’s all as well, I suppose, that you know, Harry.” Dumbledore announced, entering the room. “Yes, I did train her to become your bodyguard, for I feared that when Voldemort returned, he would want desperately to kill you. And he has tried to.”
Katrina quickly explained about Worm tail’s attack, while Madame Pompey took care of Harry.
“Killing him was a foolish thing to do.” Dumbledore said sternly, “and I am truly disgusted with you, but it was for the defense of yourself and Harry. You could only do what you thought was best for your safety and his. The body will be taken care of. I understand that you had to do it, only I wish you would not have.”
“I believe this belongs to you.” said Dumbledore, holding in one hand, her necklace. “I found it in the corridors.”
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Author’s Note:
Whew! This chapter was hard to write! It took a really long time, so I hope you liked it. I hope it made sense. Yes, you will find out why Voldemort wanted to kill James and Harry, but not for a long time.
What did you think about this chapter? I’d love to hear!
Next chapter will be much lighter, I hope!
-Amanda