Needed Conversations

Luna Lovegood, over the past year, had broken a promise she had made to herself after her mother died; one that she thought she would never break, no matter how hard things got for her. She had promised herself, silently, on the day of her mother's funeral that she would never cry again. To do this, she hid herself away. She created the persona of 'Loony' to distance herself from people-all of whom would eventually leave her and the hurt would come back. It worked shockingly well. All of her friends that she had made when she was nine had soon distanced themselves from the now strange girl whom talked about invisible creatures that 'did not exist.' Only, it did not work out as she had planned.

Ginny Weasley had stayed by her side. She never once questioned Luna's new eccentricities, nor did she begin to make fun of the girl like the other children. No, instead, she asked questions: what were the creatures like? What did they look like? How did you see them? What did they do? Despite everything Luna did to chase the young redhead off, nothing seemed to work.

"Why!"A ten-year-old Luna Lovegood finally yelled at the younger Weasley. "Why don't you just leave me alone!?" There were no tears, Luna made sure of that, but the glare she sent towards her neighbor was the most heated she could give.

Ginny stood, startled by the blonde-haired girl's sudden outburst, watching the angry girl warily. She had, once again, been questioning Luna about her creatures, of which had now become too fantastical to be real. Crumple-horned Snorknack's and Nargles Ginny could believe but a Saragonian Wiffle-Robber, a creature that liked to eat lint off of clothes and burrow itself into rocks, was just something TOO random. Before long, Ginny's shock melted into a soft smile before she grabbed the younger girl's hand. "Because you're my friend." She simply said, watching as the look of shock transferred to the Lovegood heir. "And you're hurting and you don't want to feel that way again."

Luna was too shocked at the girl's simple answer to move away from the tight hug she was receiving. "Besides," Ginny continued, "No one should be alone when they're hurting. So I'm going to be there for you when you hurt, because that's what best friends do!"

Ginny had kept that promise, had been there to help her whenever she was sad about her Mum, and had even cried for her since she refused. Eventually, the hurt lessened and Luna had moved on, always remembering her mother, but never letting it slow her down. By then though, 'Loony' had become a fixture in everyone's lives, so she stuck with it. Nargles and Snorkack's, like the Thestral, could only be seen by certain people who have achieved a set marker, like witnessing death. With Ginny's help, Luna had discovered her passion for strange and exotic creatures that were not a symptom of deterioration of mental prowess, as she had once feared, but a boon from the accident that took her mother. She now viewed it as a parting gift, one that she hoped to study further when she graduated.

Like Ginny's inability to stay away, the arrival of Jacob Riddle was something that changed her life. The boy was kind, smart, funny, and very handsome. She was so very happy when the two became friends. It was a surprise to her when he asked her to stop acting, and it scared her. Eventually though, she eased into it, and let her true Ravenclaw self show to him, and slowly to Harry and the others. In just a few short months, she went from 'Loony' Lovegood, a girl with only one friend, to Luna, a smart girl with six friends, the majority of whom accepted her as she was; odd creatures and all. It was frightening, and yet, exciting and liberating all at once.

Then the Yule Ball came, and Jacob asked her to go with him. It was the best night she ever had, and she knew that she liked this new, brooding, transfer student. Before she knew it, they were…well, she would not call it dating per say, but they certainly did many things couples did. She was happy for once. Then she went and mucked it all up by asking him to be her boyfriend.

He looked so scared when she asked. He paled like a sheet and stuttered a no. In hindsight, she could see that he really wanted to say yes, but his fear got the better of him. She should have seen that the death of his sister by the hands of the very people who originated here in the U.K. would scare him off from becoming too close to someone. However, she had not; in fact, she had actually lost her temper and hit him!

Then the people he feared attacked him after the second task. Nearly killed and caught off guard because he was upset because of her. This was her fault! If she had not been so selfish…

"Miss Lovegood?" A voice spoke from behind her, pulling her from her thoughts. Turning slowly, she was surprised to see Michael Weber standing at the end of Jacob's bed. She felt a flash of anger shoot through her before she crushed it, noticing the boy's haggard appearance. His mohawk was gone, and his brown hair had grown out to reach his ears. His grey eyes were dull and he had purple bags under them. His clothes looked like they had not been changed in days.

"Weber…right?" Luna asked hesitantly. "Michael Weber?" He nodded, looking entirely uncomfortable. "What do you want? I'm really not in the mood to talk to someone who blatantly attacked my boy-my friend while his back was turned." While she kept the hostility out of her voice as best she could, she did not ease the glare that she directed towards him.

He flinched and rubbed his arm nervously. Whether it was from the glare or something else, Luna was not sure, but the young man looked like he wanted to say something. His mouth opened and closed and he winced every now and then, before sighing. "I needed to tell Rid-Jacob, something. Something important…" He swallowed and looked at her with pleading eyes. "But he's…" his eyes moved past her to look at the prone figure lying on the hospital bed.

She followed his eyes, and noticed that they strayed towards Jacob's now missing one. She still felt a stab of sickness when she looked at it: covered in layers of gauze that did nothing to hide the now empty socket. She turned her attention back to the older boy. "Whatever you have to say to him, I will tell him when he wakes up." She spoke firmly.

Michael looked shocked for a moment, but nodded. His mouth opened a fraction to speak but no sound came out. He looked surprised and tried again, this time a small croaking sounded. He paused, before straightening himself and looked resolutely at the blonde-haired girl. "I just wanted to tell him that—"

"May I ask what you are doing here, Mister Weber?" A stern voice interrupted. The two turned to look at who spoke to find Headmaster Marikai. The man's usually bright eyes were now heated and stern as they gazed at his wayward student. "You were asked to remain back in Jeanu." He stressed, walking towards the two. "Your little incident banned you from these premise."

Michael looked down, severely cowed and fidgeting in place, an uncharacteristic action given what little she knew of the boy. He seemed very nervous, but given the boy's actions the last time she encountered him a few months ago, she could understand why coming back here would make him so. "I understand sir, but," he paused to clear his throat, "I heard Jacob was attacked and I…" Luna watched his eyes flicker towards her before looking back to his headmaster. "I wanted to apologize."

Marikai sighed, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You've made a lot of progress, Michael, in getting rid of your anger these last few months." The boy nodded, but continued to study the ground at his feet. "If you wanted to see Jacob, I would have liked it if you got my permission before using my floo to come here. I would have gladly taken you."

"I know sir, but…" the boy paused, as if unsure how to word what he wanted to say.

"Michael," Luna spoke hesitantly. The boy looked towards her, startled. "My offer still stands: whatever you have to say to Jacob, I'll tell him once he wakes up." She smiled softly at the boy who still looked nervous as a rabbit.

The troubled teen looked hesitantly at her, his eyes flickering between Jacob, herself, and Marikai, before he nodded. "Tell Jacob…" he paused, taking a deep breath, "Tell Jacob that I'm sorry. That I…I never meant for things to get so out of hand. And that I hope he can forgive me." His voice was soft, and filled with regret, as he looked at her. His sincerity surprised her, but she nodded. "And I'm sorry to you as well." He smiled at her, watching as she nodded once again. "Goodbye, Miss Lovegood."

"Miss Lovegood," Headmaster Marikai spoke, "Please, give Jacob my deepest sympathies. I will not be able to see him again until the night of the third task. My responsibilities with the school have seemed to have piled up as of late."

"I will, Headmaster." Luna nodded, receiving one in return. She watched as the teacher and student walked out of the hospital wing just as Ginny walked in. The redhead watched curiously as the two left before turning her attention back to the Ravenclaw. "Hello, Ginny." Luna smiled softly as the youngest Weasley approached her.

"Luna…" Ginny's smile was soft, almost pitying, much to Luna's ire. "How are you?" she asked as she moved a chair to sit next to her childhood friend. "I mean, how are you holding up?"

Luna swallowed thickly; her eyes traveling towards the prone Riddle. Again, the guilt washed over the young girl, nearly crushing her in its severity. She felt a small hand slip into her own. Looking down, she followed the hand to the younger woman sitting next to her, who was still smiling softly. "I, I don't know…" the Ravenclaw answered. How did she feel? Useless? Helpless? Angry? Hurt? Scared? She felt all of them and so much more, but she didn't know how to say it! "It's…it's my fault." She whispered, eyes locking towards the ground.

"Oh Luna…"Ginny cooed, "Don't say that! It was not—"

"—But it is!" she cried, her silver eyes meeting brown. "If I had not asked him out, he wouldn't have been distracted and if he hadn't have been distracted he wouldn't have been out there and he would not have been attacked!"

"But Luna, you don't know that!" Ginny pressed, squeezing her friend's hand. "The man was already after Jacob and he could have been attacked whether or not he was distracted at any time. Jacob was a target and if it didn't happen now, who's to say it wouldn't have later? Or when you two were in Hogsmead?" Luna continued to sniffle but nodded. "You really like him, don't you, Lu?"

The blonde haired girl blushed and nodded. "I really like him…" she smiled softly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Do you…love him?" A question that Ginny hesitated to ask; any normal thirteen-year-old would not have a clue what love felt like. Hell, she liked Harry, but she knew she was not in love with him. She barely knew him (sad to say as it was) but she was quickly getting to know, and like, this more active Harry; even with the darker events. He seemed more real to her now. She was relieved when Luna shook her head immediately. It showed that the Ravenclaw, while attached to Jacob, was not telling herself things she was not ready to feel.

"I know I don't…" Luna muttered. "At least not yet." She smiled and looked up at her childhood friend. "But he's nice to me; makes me feel normal, and pretty. We have fun together, and," she blushed and turned to look at the boy, "kissing is always nice."

Ginny giggled at the dazed look on the girls face. "I can tell."

A silence fell between the two. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it had a type of tension that Ginny did not know how to break. "You shouldn't feel—" She was cut off when Luna spoke.

"What if it was Harry?" The question caught her by surprise, and made her stop. Luna turned back to Ginny, eyes sad, but asked, "What if it was Harry lying here after you two had an argument? Or he denied you when you asked him out?"

It made Ginny think. How would she feel if it were Harry instead of Jacob? If her and Luna's positions were reversed. The answer was simple. "I'd feel guilty" Ginny sighed. "Even if I knew that it wasn't my fault. It'd still eat at me."

Luna nodded and turned to look at Jacob again. "That's how I feel, Ginny." Her voice was soft as she spoke, with sadness buried deeply. "I know it's not my fault. I didn't cast those spells, or remove his eye, but I hurt him none the less."

Even though she could not see it, Ginny nodded. "I know, Luna. However, you should not just sit here wallowing. He wouldn't want that. He would want you to be continuing with school. Besides, he'll wake up. And I'm sure he'd be very upset if he found out your grades slipped because of him."

Luna smiled and nodded. "I know," the girl sighed and stood. She looked down at the boy softly, before bending down and placing a small kiss on his cheek. The boy stirred a little but otherwise lay still. The Ravenclaw then turned towards her best friend. "Thank you, Ginny."

The redhead smiled, standing up, and pulled the blonde-haired woman in for a hug. "It's no problem, Luna. Besides," she grinned, her eyes twinkling much like her twin brothers, "That's what best friends are for: to be there for you when you're hurt." The two giggled, each remembering her saying a variation of the same lines many years ago. "Come on," the Weasley continued, jerking her head towards the Hospital Wing door, "let's go get you some pudding."

Luna smiled softly and grabbed her friend's hand. "Yeah…" she murmured softly, "I think I'd like that…"

Two weeks after the attack and things at Hogwarts had not calmed down one bit. Students were tense as ever; walking around in pairs, practicing their spell work, and second-guessing everyone. It wasn't nearly as bad as Harry's second year, but it was the most productive he had seen people in a long while. The ministry had claimed the event an isolated incident, and was doing very little to look into the mysterious person who nearly killed an American transfer student. This, in turn, had the American's extremely upset, calling for permission to investigate on their own. So far, Fudge had held off their investigation saying they had it "completely under control."

Even Jacob's American antagonists were outraged. Harry figured that they, like him, thought it was a little far-fetched that a Death Eater would willingly have their eye removed just to keep cover. Many were seen visiting the boy since the accident, often leaving him get-well cards or gifts; things that Jacob, no doubt, would have hated.

Since receiving his potion regiment from Madame Pomfrey, Harry had only been to see Jacob once. A fact that still made him feel guilty. While he wanted to visit, a single thought kept him away.

Was Jacob Riddle related to Tom Riddle?

Harry dreaded the answer to that question. Harry kept himself away because he knew that if Jacob were awake, Harry would not hesitate to ask. He really did not want to put his friend in that position, so soon after being attacked. So Harry stayed away busying himself with school work, being with Ginny and his other friends, and awaiting the next task to finally begin, among other things.

Therefore, Harry Potter once again found himself outside the Hogwarts kitchen, tickling a very large pear and stepping through the hidden door. As of late, Harry would find himself in the company of the House Elves whom were more than willing to serve him anything that he desired, as long as he did not bring his "Grangy' friend with him. The trio's last attempt into the kitchens as a group had been cut short when Hermione began to spout her S.P.E.W nonsense.

The elves had not taken too kindly to this latest attempt to free them from their work. The house elves had now refused to clean the entirety of the Gryffindor Common room, and the personal rooms of the fourth years, after the bookish girl began to leave homemade hats and socks in an attempt to free them. The only one who did not seem to mind had been Dobby, who delighted in collecting the hats and using them as pillows for the disgraced elf Winky.

Harry finished his second helping of Trickle Tart with a polite 'thank you' to the elf who served him. While not entirely comfortable with another person serving him, Harry figured being polite could not hurt. He watched sadly as Mister Crouch's former elf continued to drink herself silly using butterbeer. Poor Dobby could be seen watching who he considered a friend waste away, and do nothing about it. After the news of Crouch Sr.'s death, Winky's drinking had become worse off and it was clear that the poor elf would probably not live another year at the pace she was going.

The elf refused all kinds of work around the castle, always saying she wanted to work for a family, preferably Mister Crouch. The other elves only would look on in sympathy but never acting to help her. It was in action that confused Harry. Most elves wanted to work, no matter the kind, but they seemed extremely sympathetic when Winky asked for the Crouch family. Why was it so important to her (or any elf) to work for a family when Hogwarts seemed to need good, willing help?

"Dobby," Harry called, catching the attention of the excitable elf. The little creature, after making sure Winky, whom had fallen asleep, was comfortable, ran over to the young wizard. "I have a question for you, and I was wondering if you could answer it for me."

The elf grinned happily, always ready to help. "Of course Mister Harry Potter, sir!" he exclaimed jubulently. "I'lls be doing my bestest to answer any questions yous may have."

Harry smiled before continuing. "Why is it so important for House Elves to be bonded to a family?" The question must have been a surprise to the elves listening because soon after, all of the chatter in the kitchen stopped and the creatures attention was immediately upon the boy-who-lived, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Dobby's ears had suddenly drooped and he glanced towards the sleeping elf. His normally excited face was somber, and he began to wring his hands in the pillowcase that he wore. "Well…Mister Potter sir…it is because…" he looked up at the wizard fearfully. "Elves's be dying if they do not."

The answer took Harry completely by surprise, causing him to stifle a small gasp but not his gaping jaw. "They…what?" he asked, after regaining his wits. This went far beyond whatever he was thinking! Harry had always thought that serving ANYONE was the goal of a House elf. "What do you mean die? How - WHY?"

Dobby continued shakily. "Being with's a family, and a master, gives us elves's more power. Our power is being tied to the power of our master and they's family. It is the family magics that keeps us elves's happy, strong and sane. Without that magics, us elves's lose our magics slowly. After a while, we's be going crazy, and eventually dies from insanity. Our body shuts off…" he finished somberly.

Harry sat down, looking at the elf, stunned. "You said your magic is tied to the family?" Dobby nodded. "But what about Hogwarts? That isn't a family…is it?"

Dobby shook his head, but still smiled. "It is not being a family, but the castle magics be supplying us with plenty of magics to keep us alive and happy. Manys of us elves are happy being tied to Hogwarts, but Dobby is liking being free!"

"Dobby you can't…" Harry couldn't speak for a moment. Knowing that it was he who freed Dobby sent a cold chill down his spine. Was this friendly elf losing his magic and sanity because of him? "Dobby, are you…do you want to be…my house elf?" The elf looked shocked at the question. "I…I don't want you to die because of me, Dobby."

The elf then surprised Harry and smiled gently. "I'm am sorry's, Mister Potter, but Dobby does not wish to be yous house elf."

Harry gapped at the elf. "But…but…" and then Harry realized why the elf denied his request. It was the same reason why Harry enjoyed learning everything he could about magic, but kept it hidden. After so many years of being told that you were worthless, a freak, and punished for the smallest of infractions, being free was just TOO liberating to give up. "You…you like being free that much, don't you?"

"I's do, sir." The small elf grinned. "Dobby be doing things that he likes. Dobby can helps anyone with no rules's to tell him no. Harry Potter, sir, is Dobby's friend, and will do anything that Harry Potter asks, but Dobby…I…"

"You don't wish to be tied to another house…" Harry smiled understandingly. The elf just nodded. "I understand, Dobby." His eccentric friend looked at him surprised. After being tied to the Malfoy's, Dobby wanted to experience being truly free for as long as he could live, no matter how long that may be. "What about your magic, though…"

"As long as Dobby is helping, my magics will be fine." The elf smiled, as if sensing Harry's worry. Harry promised to himself that he would always make sure that he asked for Dobby's help, if only to make sure his friend was around for a long time.

The moment of companionable silence was broken by a groan from a stirring Winky. Dobby quickly popped away and popped back with a cup of water for his friend. Winky, still delirious from the surprisingly quick hangover, drank the water greedily. Cautiously, Harry made his way over to the two and sat down, looking at the two elves. She looked worse than the last time he saw her; drooping face, dirty clothes, and red puffy eyes that gazed blankly at him.

"Winky…" Harry spoke hesitantly. He was going to do something that, if heard by Hermione, would have his hide place upon the wall of the Gryffindor Common Room. "I want to ask you something."

"What is it that you's be wanting?" the elf slurred, not looking in his direction, but continuing to stare forlornly at the fire of the stove.

"Would you be willing to work for any family?" This caught her attention as she moved her head to face him, eyes wide. "Would you be willing to work for me; for me and any family that I may have in the future?"

The poor elf looked scared after he asked. Her eyes became glassy and her breathing quickened as she fidgeted on the ground into a sitting position, stuttering incoherently for a moment before Harry and Dobby, who looked at him in awe, placed a hand upon her shoulders. "Winky, listen to me," Harry spoke firmly yet gently. After a moment, the elf began to calm down. "You do not need to give me an answer now."

"Master Crouch…M…M…"

"I understand you still feel the need to go back to your old family, but…Winky, I'm sorry, but they're gone now." Tears filled the elf's eyes as she looked up at him, shaking her head softly. "Why don't you tell me about them?" He suggested. Madame Pomfrey's suggestion of talking about your problems had certainly helped him even if it was just Ginny and the matron he spoke to. "Nothing too secretive!" He added quickly, seeing the guarded and panicked look on the poor elf's face. "Just…small stuff, like, what did the family do? Did Mister Crouch have any children?"

The small elf nodded, slowly leaning her back against Dobby, who sat behind her, keeping her sitting up and stable. "Yes…a son…Junior Master Crouch."

Harry smiled and nodded. He kept his bias of the family (the older man's handling of Sirius, as well as his own encounter with the man pushed aside). "That's neat, Winky. Did he do anything? Did he have a job too?"

Harry watched as the elf became more lively as each word was spoken, the drunkenness and loneliness, while still present, faded from her eyes, bit by bit. "Yes, sir. Master Junior Crouch was a Healer at the Hospital, Saint Mangoes." She told him happily.

That was how Harry spent his afternoon, sitting with Dobby and Winky, learning about the Crouch family. Slowly, Harry saw that with his and Dobby's help, Winky would be healthy again, and maybe some time soon, if she accepted his invitation, a part of his slowly growing family.

Harry and Dobby continued to see marked improvement in Winky throughout the month of March and continuing through April. She continued to become more lively, drank less than she used to and just before Easter Holiday, began to help Dobby with his work. While she and Harry had stopped their discussion about whether or not she wanted to become a part of Harry's family, the idea was still on the table.

Another one to improve had been Jacob. While he still would not wake up, his body and magic were recovering rapidly. According to Madame Pomfrey it would only be a matter of days before the young Riddle would be up and about again. Harry's own body had improved as well, thanks to the strict potion regiment. In just seven weeks, he had grown six inches taller, his body had began to amass a good amount of healthy muscle and fat giving him two stones of weight. According to Fred and George, he no longer looked like "a skinny little git."

His weekly sessions with the school healer were going decently as well. He still refused to go into too much detail about his home life (Ginny had been the only one he shared those details with) but he had gone over with her his years here at Hogwarts. She was disturbed with the notion of everything he had done over the years. All his little adventures it seems should have been handled by an adult but never were. It was shocking to her how little the staff had done, and how Harry had to essentially pick up the slack. After the incident with the Philosopher's Stone and Lockhart, it was no wonder Harry did not trust adults as much as he should, even on top of having the Dursley's for relatives.

Walking back to common room after another session with the kindly matron, Harry sighed in frustration. He had nearly missed his appointment having been too engrossed in his homework and had to run to the Hospital Wing, just barely making it in time. If there was one thing that Harry had learned well with the Dursley's it was to take his time. He hated rushing things. He felt it made him sloppy and more prone to make mistakes with things that he felt he should not or could not. Oddly, it was when he had to rush, and make snap-second decisions, that he thrived in. Harry was quick on his feet, he knew that, but it didn't mean he liked it.

Which lead to a problem; Moody had said that he would make a great Auror and Harry would be lying if he said the idea didn't appeal to him in some way. But in many of the assignments Auror's went on, things had to be rushed. You had to do things based upon little to no information at times. Harry figured that he'd have to ask Moody and maybe a few other Auror's, if he got the chance to meet them, what the job was like before making a decision.

Giving the password to the Fat Lady, he stepped into the Common Room. Many students were sitting around tables studying. He could see Fred and George sitting by the fire hunched over a small parchment whispering to each other before continuing writing whatever it is they were working on. Giving a polite wave to a few of his classmates Harry continued his way up to his room.

"Harry mate!" Ron nearly shouted as he entered. "How was the, uh, thing?" He was fidgeting on his bed nervously. Hermione was sitting beside him giving him a curious look, while biting her bottom lip and fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

Raising an eyebrow at the two, he continued over to his bed. Immediately he noticed that his Defense book and homework was missing, but bushed it away for the moment. "It was…good…I guess?" Harry answered slowly, taking a seat. He watched the two for a second longer before sighing. 'I've been doing that too much lately…' "What's with you two?"

Subtly the two flinched, but smiled. "What do you mean?" Hermione giggled.

"Well for one, you don't giggle." Harry chuckled as her cheeks reddened and looked away. "You do that when you're nervous, along with the lip biting, and messing with your shirt." The brown haired girl quickly ceased her nervous tics and sat ramrod straight. "And Ron only shouts awkwardly when he's nervous and refuses to meet my eyes." The boy immediately mimicked their female friend. "Guys…what's wrong?"

The two looked at each other nervously before reaching behind them and pulled out his homework and defense book. They didn't hand it to him but set it upon their laps. They each had a guilty look upon their face but that guilt was overshadowed by curiosity.

Mentally Harry was cursing himself for his foolishness. He always, always, handed Hermione his work to look over. He never left anything out in the open like that. Not since Second Year when a frantic Ginny had demolished their dorm trying to find Riddle's Diary. "ah…" was all he managed to get out. Swallowing hard he shifted his weight towards the door before immediately correcting his mistake. He was not in trouble and his friends sure as hell would not beat him.

"Harry…" Hermione spoke hesitantly. "How…how long has…" she couldn't finish because Ron spoke up excitedly.

"Mate, this is brilliant!" He quickly thrust the paper into his friend's hands. "This is so much better than what you usually do. The essay Moody gave us only asked for two ways to get away. I was just gonna use apparition or portkey."

"And you're mentioning first year spells: a levitation charm to lift the attacker? Why?" Hermione added.

Harry nervously shrugged, refusing to meet their eyes. "Just…came to me. If the person is lifted off the ground, their stability is of kilter and their aiming is off. Not mention if you immediately drop the charm they'll be too surprised to attack and give you enough time to run away or apparate if possible."

"But Harry, that's not in our fourth year book. The first thing you should do is find cover."

"But what if there isn't cover?" Harry questioned. "What if you're not able to find it in time? And what if there is an anti-apparition ward or jinx in the area. You have to distract your opponent somehow, and then get away. And a levitation charm can kill or injure someone just as easily as any bludgeoning curse if you use it creatively."

"Harry, this isn't something you'd normally write." Hermione spoke gently yet firmly. "In fact," here she reached towards the back pages of his book and pulled out a second sheet of parchment. This one had less writing on it than the first and was six inches or so shorter, the bare minimum for the assignment. "This is exactly what you normally write." Her voice strained with, surprising to Harry, worry.

Glancing at his friends, he saw that they were looking at him with worry, sitting their patiently waiting for an answer. He knew he should have told them or at least shown them but something held him back. He knew that hiding what he knew and could do would come out eventually, Jacob had been the first to see that he was not what he led on in class, but he figured he'd still have time to ease into his work. But he never did. Again, Harry shrugged pathetically. "It's…it's a habit…"

"To do your work twice?" Ron asked incredulously. "That's bloody insane! I don't even like to do it once, let alone go back for seconds." A small smile cracked upon Harry's lips, mirrored by Hermione. They both knew their friend's hatred of all things work related.

Soon the look turned pleading and it hurt Harry to have them look at him like that. So, taking a deep breath, he took a chance on their friendship. "You both know that my…family, isn't the nicest people around." The two nodded, relaxing a bit. "Well…in elementary-that's a school that kids from four-years-old and on go to Ron- I loved to read." He smiled thinking of the hours he spent in the library reading anything he could get his hands on. After all, Dudley and his ilk would rather drop dead than go in there. "Not as much as Hermione, of course," He smiled teasingly at her, which she returned with a half-hearted glare at the two of them as they chuckled. "But it was a place I could be alone and not be…well, you know…"

"Anyway, learning and reading was great for me. It made me feel like I wasn't worthless when I got good grades and was praised. It was the only positive reinforcement I had back then. It made me feel like a person and not…not a…a freak."

The two took on matching glares and he knew that the look was not meant for him and he smiled a little. "But then report cards came home one year." Getting up, Harry walked to the window and looked out upon the grounds. The afternoon sun was shining across the black lake spilling sharp reds and soft oranges across its surface. The Giant squid was nowhere to be seen but students were at the water's edge trying to coax it out.

"I did better than Dudley that year." He continued, turning from the window with a rueful smile. "As a result…well, it wasn't pretty and I ended up missing two weeks of school after that." Hermione gasped in shock and Ron let out a low growl. "I learned quickly to hide what I was able to do after that. At first I just did my work as I wanted and then changed my answers to something that was close but not quite right. A teacher saw the eraser marks quickly and I nearly failed because she thought I was cheating off of someone else. I turned her hair blue in frustration." He chuckled at the memory.

"I then started either making copies of the assignments or writing them over all together. Soon I got so good at numbing things down that I could do them simultaneously. After a while it became habit."

The black haired boy paused for a while so the two could process what he was saying. A silent nod from the two and Harry continued. "Then I came to Hogwarts and met you two." Here he smiled widely at the two, which they returned in kind. "My greatest and best friends; and at the time, my only ones."

"You guys were great! Although we got off to a rocky start, I couldn't ask for better friends than you two. I felt that I was able to finally be myself here and was maybe going to strive to do well. And then I noticed your mannerisms."

Looking to Ron and Hermione he spoke gently as to not hurt their feelings but also try and get his point across. "Ron, you get jealous extremely easily and often make snap assumptions without trying to understand. My being who I am one of them. And Hermione, you enjoy being the best and you get frustrated and even angry when you aren't. You both have a tendency to lash out when things are not going your way-Ron with this year, but also with your interactions with your family and classes and 'mione, the less we talk about last year the better." He laughed at seeing her embarrassed face, but sobered up when they both fell even more silent then they were previous. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean-"

"No, Harry, you're right." Surprisingly Ron spoke. "I can be a bit of a berk; and I do get jealous over things that…that really shouldn't matter. I nearly lost both your friendships over it this year. But why hide how smart you are…oh…"

"You thought that if you did as good, or better than us, we wouldn't like you anymore…" Hermione whispered sadly. Harry nodded. "That's not true! You should know that by now!"

"I do!" he quickly spoke. "I do, I really do guys. Like I said it…it sorta became a habit. After a while, I didn't even realize I was doing it. With the spells in my essays, I just sorta got interested in defense after I saw how bad Quirrel was, I just went off on my own like I used to."

"Well no more, Harry." His busy haired friend spoke. "Harry, we're your friends, we love you, and despite how we may act at times, we want to you do well. You don't have to hold back anymore. I most certainly won't judge you. Goodness knows I've been trying to get you to write like this since first year."

Ron chuckled and nodded. "Well have fun with that, cause you won't see me pulling a Harry on you. I'm perfectly happy the way I am." The boys' female friend just rolled her eyes before walking over and pulling Harry into a hug.

"You aren't alone anymore, Potter." She grumbled into his shoulder. She smiled as he returned the hug, and didn't flinch.

"I know…Thanks you two." he grinned as he pulled away. "Anyway guys. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I've got a favor to ask of you two." He grinned wickedly. "Hermione, I need to help me draw something up. A contract I suppose you could call it. I'll need two of them."

The young woman looked puzzled but nodded nonetheless. "Okay sure; whose it for?"

"We'll talk about that later. But I think you're both going to enjoy it very much."

"All righty. What's the second thing?" Ron asked.

"I was wondering if you, Hermione, could talk to Victor about the next Hogsmead weekend, and Ron if you could-"

Neville suddenly cut off Harry rushing into the room, panting and looking stressed. The boy's robes were disheveled and out of place, his undershirt had com open showing a brown t-shirt underneath. Sweat clung to the boys face and his cheeks were flushed. He tried to gasp something out only to wobble a little on his feet. Ron quickly caught the boy before he fell over. "Jeez, Nev, what's wrong?"

"He's awake." The normally reserved boy gasped after a moment. He face was happy despite the haggard appearance. "Jacob just woke up."

Ginny knew that Harry was nervous.

About what exactly, she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, had him running his hands through his hair every minute or so. Her brother, Hermione, Harry, Luna and herself were all waiting outside the doors to the Hospital Wing, waiting to be let in. The Auror's, both British and American, along with Minister Fudge, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a few other higher ups were all questioning Jacob about what happened that night. Frankly, Ginny thought that it was a bit rude for them to do that so soon after waking up. He'd probably much rather wake up to his friends than a bunch of people he didn't know asking him questions he probably didn't want to answer.

Harry let out another groan, running his hand through his hair for the twenty-third time, before the doors opened and Madam Pompfery stepped out with Professor Dumbledore. It was the Professor who spoke. "He'll be able to see you now." With that, the two turned and walked towards the matron's office.

Luna shot up like a lightning bolt and sprinted towards the young man's bed while Hermione and Ron followed at a more sedate pace. Ginny took a step to follow but was stopped when something caught her arm. Turning to look at the source, she found Harry looking at her with an extremely apprehensive expression. "Harry, what's wrong?"

He didn't speak for a moment but worried the inside of his cheek. "Ginny…" he paused a bit, seeming to get his thought's together. "Do you remember the night you and I talked?"

Immediately catching on, he gave his hand a squeeze. "Of course."

"I didn't tell you everything about what I saw in Jacob's memories." Harry admitted. "It's not really for me to tell. But I…I have something's that I need to ask Jacob."

The red head giggled a bit. "Harry, you can ask him yourself. He's right over there." She turned to walk towards their friend but again he pulled her back a bit.

"Do you trust me?" She turned to him, more worried than she was before. Harry was acting strange. Very strange for having learned that their friend has just woken up from a coma.

The young Weasley gave a small laugh and turned to face the Boy-Who-Lived. "What kind of-"

"Ginny, please…" He pleaded with the woman. His eyes were scared, but she realized that it wasn't him he was scared for, but her. "Do you trust me?"

"…With my life, Harry." She answered without hesitation. "Harry…what's this about? What's wrong?"

"I need you to stay by my side, okay?" he asked, to which she nodded confusedly. "Whatever happens, though, do not run away. I'm right here with you." He gave her hand a squeeze and stepped towards the beds.

Ginny was now scared out of her mind. Harry was worried about something and she could guess that it had something to do with Jacob, something that would affect her. She didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, made her cling to Harry's arm that much tighter as they approached their laughing friends.

Jacob noticed the two walking over and smiled tiredly. "Hey you two! Finally hooked up I see?" The one-eyed boy laughed as Ron sputtered incoherently as the remark. Harry gave a weak smile, which was mimicked by Ginny. From the scared boy's facial expression though he was extremely guarded. It was a look Jacob was all too familiar with. Jacob's smile faded and he gave a soft, sad, chuckle. Looking at the Potter heir he sighed. "How much did you see?"

Harry remained guarded but answered in the same sad tone. "Enough to have a few questions."

Jacob nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"Are you related to Tom Riddle?"

"Yes." The effect was immediate. Ginny gasped and tensed up to an unbelievable degree, Ron and Hermione sprung back towards Harry like he was on fire, and Luna gave a soft gasp before sitting away from him just a bit further.

Ron's face, once he reached Harry, had turned a dark shade of red before growling and pulling out his wand. "You lying sack of—"

"Don't!" Ron looked to Harry whom had given the command. The black haired boy had not removed his gaze from Riddle's form on the bed. Again, the look in his eyes was similar to the look he had given him the night Harry had hit him during their argument. His power was more controlled than it had been before though. Wisely, Ron decided to hold his tongue and let Harry deal with this.

Jacob's face crumbled a bit seeing his friend's like this. He was, although, astonished at the amount of power that was radiating off Harry and the use of unconscious authority (goodness knows Harry hated leading or telling anyone what to do). The bed-ridden boy watched as Harry silently conjured chairs for everyone to sit in (a loveseat for him and the young redhead) and two straight back folding chairs for his best friends. Not as comfortable as Dumbledore's squishy purple ones but still chairs nonetheless.

Tear's prickled at the corner of Jacob's eye's as Harry spoke, his voice firm, but not cold. "Jacob, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt here. You've done nothing to cause us harm in anyway. In fact, you've been a wonderful friend to us. But understand that we've all had run in's with Tom and it's nearly killed the majority of us here at one time or another."

"I understand…" Jacob croaked sadly.

Harry nodded and gave a soft smile. "If you tell us your story-ALL of it-then we can decide where to go from here. Keep in mind, though," the smile was gone and his eyes turned cold. "I will know if you're lying to me."

Jacob knew it was a bluff, but it was a bluff that was meant to appease Ginny and the others. Harry was willing to give him a chance to explain himself but the boy knew the others might not be so willing, Ginny especially. In that moment, Jacob was eternally grateful towards the black haired boy.

"You're actually going to listen to this-"

"Ron!" Harry cut him off again. "He's not Tom. Nobody is born evil. He deserves a chance to explain himself." He turned to the young redhead beside him. "Right?"

Ginny's shaking had stopped and she relaxed against the double chair Harry had conjured. Her gaze shifted between the boy in the bed to the boy beside her before she nodded slowly. If Harry was willing to listen, then she figured she could as well. It wouldn't feel right to just throw her friend away like that…no matter who he was related to. Casting her gaze towards Luna, she noticed that the blond was smiling softly at her. The blond understood just how hard this was for her, but Luna was also willing to take a chance. With those two next to her, Ginny felt that she could face this.

Jacob smiled tiredly at Ginny, who met his gaze fiercely. "Thank you, Ginny. I know how difficult this is for you, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry." The boy paused to grab the glass of water that sat upon his bedside table and take a drink before continuing. "It's true: I am the son of Tom Riddle, otherwise known as Lord Voldemort."

"My mother's name was Evelyn Greenway. She was an American pureblood witch here in Brittan in September of 1979. Nobody knows why she was visiting Brittan at the time. She was a victim of a Death Eater raid on the town she staying in. Tom was there that night and well, nine months later she had me after returning to America. She died in child birth." He sighed. "The underfunded orphanage where I lived named me Jacob Andrew after the priest whom founded the orphanage. I never knew who my father was until I was taken to Gringotts during my first year. They did a parentage test on me; all very rushed and yet oddly formal. By that time I had already left the orphanage."

"Why?" Ginny's voice was soft and apprehensive but she met his eye.

"An orphanage is not a very nice place." Jacob replied, "at least not the one where I lived. Children were constantly vying for attention, both from the staff and potential parents. Food is scarce at times and the sleeping arrangements were horrible. I thought, in my eight-year-old mind, that I could do better anywhere else. Turns out, I was wrong. I survived on the streets for about a year, maybe two.

In that time, I met Aura, a small metamorph whose parents had abandoned her when she was five thinking she as a demon. We lived together in a park just outside of a town called New Haven where Marikai discovered us." He stopped to give a little chuckle. "He had actually caught us stealing from his robe. He took the two of us in, gave us a home, and enrolled us into Jeanu when we were old enough. After the attack, he contacted Dumbledore and made sure I was transferred here. I owe that man everything."

There was a lengthy pause as the group absorbed Jacob's story. Most of it was believable and matched what little they already knew about the boy. Harry noticed that Ginny had become less tense, the same with Ron and Hermione and Luna had resumed taking the injured boy's hand. Harry nodded and smiled at Jacob. "I believe you, Jacob." The other's, surprisingly Ron included, nodded in agreement.

The young man shook with relief, his body sagging into the bed. He smiled, unable to word his thanks but the others could guess what he was trying to convey. "Who was that man that attacked you in the forest, and why?"

Jacob growled at Hermione's question before shaking his head, no doubt trying to clear the memory from his head. "His name is Alexander Bishop." He spat, rage, although weakened, burned in his eye. "He was the one that put me under the Imperious Curse and made me kill my sister. I thought I'd beaten him to death…." His voice trailed off into a sorrowful whisper. "Apparently not…as for why he took my eye, I could only guess a Dark Ritual. Probably one to try and bring my Fa-Tom back from whatever state he's in."

"There are literally thousands of rituals that use human body parts, and hundreds that call for blood relatives." Harry added. "it would take months to search for one that specific. I'd rather let the DMLE handle that." He took a glance at the resistant bookworm whom nodded, if a bit sadly. After a small silence that wasn't entirely uncomfortable, Harry coughed and stood up. "Jacob, do you think you'll be able to make in to the next Hogsmead weekend?"

Looking confused, Jacob nodded none the less. "If Fuhrer Pomfrey will allow me to, then yes. Why?"

The Boy-Who-Lived stood and looked at his friends seriously. "This tournament is a lot tougher than any of us thought it would be. I'd like to gather the other champions for a meeting. I don't think that we can afford to just go it alone anymore. If we want to survive, we're going to have to work together."

"That's a great idea, Harry!" Hermione smiled. "Is that why you wanted to me ask Victor about Hogsmead?"

"Yes, actually." He nodded. "Ron, do you think you can talk to Cedric about it was well."

"Sure, Harry, whatever you need."

"Good. If either of them are wary about this, tell them I want them to bring two people that they explicitly trust to the meeting to act as guards. Ginny, do you think you could give the invitation to Fleur with the same message?" The redhead nodded with a small smile. "Thank you. Ron and Hermione, you two will be my guard."

"Isn't that how things usually work?" Ron smirked with a chuckle.

"Ginny and I could be Jacob's guard." Luna added with an almost excited smile.

"I'll rent a large enough room in the three broomsticks as well as make a few owls to other parties that I'd like there. Hermione, after you get Victor to agree to the meeting, you can help me with the contracts."

"What type of contracts are we talking about Harry?"

The boy's grin, the group would silently agree upon later, was one that promised both good and bad things to whomever crossed Harry Potter's path. It was a look that they would not like to see again, especially if you had wronged The-Boy-Who-Lived.