chosen - harry potter

Chapter 1 - The Past Explanation

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Cassia stood in the kitchen, her mum standing across from her, looking at the floor. 

"Cassia," her mother said, looking up at her. It was just then that Cassia realized the bags under her eyes and her hair greying more than ever. "I owe you an explanation."

The girl nodded silently, her nerves making her stomach turn.

"Winona and I were inseparable for a very long time. When she got to Hogwarts, she was sorted into Slytherin. And...our parents didn't love that. They favored me often. But I stayed with her, I never tried to make her feel excluded. I loved her."

Her jaw tightened, looking around the kitchen and sighing.

"In her third year, she became distant. She was quiet. She started falling in with a bad group, all of her friends were much older than her. Professor Snape was her friend and...of course, when he was in school his ideas were skewed. He's not that way anymore. Anyway, she met Damian when he was in his seventh year and...I believe their relationship started then. She was thirteen. After he left school, she would sneak out during the summer to go see him. I finished at Hogwarts and had Will when I was nineteen. She fell pregnant months later, at only sixteen. She was so scared. She began writing me again, and I helped her as much as I could through her pregnancy. We hid it from our parents."

A silent tear fell down her cheek.

"She left Hogwarts to give birth, and...she never returned. I got letters from her sometimes. She was supposed to hate me, but I don't think she could. She became a Death Eater. She did so many evil, evil things. Damian was one of the most loyal followers of Voldemort. When you were born, they knew you were special. You showed magical ability within days of being born. So...they wanted to groom you to be Voldemort's heir. To be his weapon. Months later, Voldemort went to the Potter's house and was taken down. Aurors found Damian quickly, and he was sent to Azkaban. Winona took longer to find. She was hiding out, holding you. She put up a great fight about going to Azkaban. They took you in, and Dumbledore brought you here. Winona and Damian are both alive and in Azkaban. But with the recent rise of the Death Eaters, I wouldn't be surprised if we see their faces again. I'm sorry that I've held this from you. All I wanted was to be a good mother for you."

"When were you going to tell me?" Cassia whispered. All of her anger had melted into a sad, dull feeling.

"I don't know. I wanted you to be old enough to understand. I didn't want to lie to you."

"Who else knows?"

"Snape. Dumbledore. Anyone else who used to be a Death Eater. Have you told anyone?"

"Just Harry."

"It's fully up to you whether you decide to tell people or not, my love. That is your decision. And if you have any other questions, please don't be afraid to ask. Even if I didn't give birth to you, you will always be my daughter."

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Harry arrived at the Burrow quicker than Cassia had been expecting. Within the first week of the summer holiday, he arrived with Sirius. Cassia was in the kitchen, stealing a cookie off the pan that Molly had just pulled out of the oven when they arrived through the fireplace.

"Sirius! And hello, Harry, dear," Molly beamed, hugging Harry motherly. "Sirius and I need to have an important conversation. Go on upstairs, kids."

She grabbed another cookie from the pan and handed it to Harry, and they stepped up the stairs. Halfway up, Cassia stopped, grabbing Harry's arm. 

"Let's listen," Cassia whispered.

They sat down on the middle step, listening to the two adults talk quickly.