𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 69

CHAPTER SIXTY NINE
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE DOES HER RESEARCH
AND TAKES A STANCE

. . .

"And how did you feel, when the Dementor attacked?" Amelia Bones was leaning forward in her seat, elbows on her knees. She was interested in this.

"Hopeless.. like nothing happy would happen again. Like I'd never smile again.. that all that time spent together was worthless and..." Jane swallowed, eyes dropping as she cut herself off. "Sad. I felt sad like I had never felt it before."

Harry couldn't believe he had exposed it to her - there was no doubt in his mind that it was his fault that the Dementors attacked, but to cause her such sadness when her life had been full of it thanks to years of unsuccessful placements... His hands tightened around the material of his knees.

"Did your relationship remain as friends?" Amelia's sharp eyes had caught the quick movement on the Potter's behalf, able to decipher through the tension in just moments.

"Well, I believe their relationship is a little more than that, Amelia." Dumbledore's tone was light and airy, bemusement shining through. Harry and Jane paused in their chairs, before turning to face him, gazes meeting in the process. "Harry, Jane?"

Unless Sirius and Remus had been telling Dumbledore about Harry's summer during the Order meetings, he wasn't too sure how he had found such thing out. Unless Flora knew, but Jane shrugged in response.

"Mr Potter?" Fudge asked. "Is this true?"

"Well - er.." It was more than uncertain - Harry had no idea where they stood.

"It's true." Jane replied simply. "Mr.. Professor Dumbledore is correct. I'm Harry's girlfriend."

He hadn't asked her - but he hadn't needed to apparently. Jane didn't seem to need to be formally asked, and was on the exact same page as Harry was on. He couldn't hide his smile though, and he dipped his head.

Fudge scoffed, the smile fell.

"So, Dumbledore, you believe that presenting us Potter's Squib girlfriend as witness to attack would further your cause?" He asked. "Did she even-"

"I didn't realise that becoming someone's girlfriend instantly meant you lacked the ability to see." Jane interrupted cooly, looking up at the Minister, who was staring down at her. "Forgive me, but that was what you were implying, no? That simply because I am Harry's girlfriend I am suddenly protected from any form of evil?"

Fudge spluttered, but she wasn't finished. "Because I hold little to no magical energy at all I have no relation to this world at all? I though Ms Figg would provide enough evidence that she and I, as Squibs, can see Dementors and other such creatures as much as everyone else?" Jane pushed. "Minister, are you inferring that despite being of wizarding descent, Squibs are no more magical than Muggles?"

"What? I - I..." Fudge trailed off.

"You are not in any position to question that, are you, Miss Everleigh?" A high-pitched voice came from the shadows, the owner of the pink pin not moving from the shadows that hid her face from view. "You only became away of the existence of the world hidden behind closed doors just a few days ago."

"Yes, I did. But I have been surrounded by it my entire life. Other children at the home were Squibs, I saw things that I thought could only be made up in my imagination, and I have spent every hours of every day since the attack reading about the world. I know far more than you would expect. I always did have the ability to retain information better than others." Jane swallowed. She was nervous, but now that she was on a tangent there was no stopping her. It was a sight comparable to Hermione's fights for house-elf rights,

That was another thing that they would get along about, Harry supposed.

"Undersecretary Umbridge-" Fudge began to turn towards her, fearing that the trial was going wildly off-course.

"Umbridge?" Jane repeated, somewhat sweetly. "Oh, then you would know all about what Squibs can or cannot see, wouldn't you?" Harry's head shot towards her.

"Pardon?"

"Well, in an attempt to find out more about what a Squib is, I came across various other records." Jane continued. "I really did have a lot of time on my hands, see, and having no idea about my family I did find interest in looking through family records from time to time."

"Miss Everleigh-"

"Undersecretary Umbridge.. you have a Squib brother." Harry was beginning to fear getting on Jane's bad side. He always had a feeling she felt strongly about a lot of things, and in this case, it seemed to be the mistreatement of Squibs in the wizarding society. "I checked the other records as well - you know, looking into last names and-"

He definitely was in love with her, there was no denying it now.

"I do not!" Umbridge squarked, but that was evidence enough.

Cornelius Fudge stared down at her. "Miss Everleigh, I think we all know now that you can see the Dementors and were present on the night of the attack."

"I'm glad we've cleared that up." The pleasantaries were back, polite smiles sent towards her elders, hands folded on her lap.

"Thank you, Miss Everleigh." Fudge looked the least bit grateful for her presence. "You may leave."

"Thank you, it was a pleasure to meet you all." Jane got to her feet, smiling and nodding her head as she went, reaching the door and as it was swung open by no means other than magic, she looked back to Harry, a grin on her face.

She was gone in a blink of an eye.

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a/n
i always knew i was gonna
give jane this side to her. its 
always been obvious that she
really does her research and 
(i hope) its been obvious that
she would feel rather strongly
about certain things and seeing
as she is a Squib then she will
fight against the difficulties they
face.