The Ties That Bind

The Ties That Bind

Part 1, The First Rise

By Laura ([email protected])

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"Lily! Slow down, girl," Jessica was having a harder time sailing upstairs as fast as her best friend.

Once safely in Lily's room, she and Lily talked a mile a minute in an attempt to catch up before supper. Jessica normally resided in the United States, Texas to be precise, while Lily resided in England. They only got to see each other when their parents had a business meeting. Jessica's father invested in Lily's father's shoe business.

About 15 minutes before supper, Jessica asked, "So, which school are you going to this fall?"

Lily looked away. "It's one not many people have heard of. Not even the postal service. You'll have to mail your letters to Mum and Dad. They'll forward it to me."

Jesse caught on to Lily's sudden aloofness and asked, "What's the name of the school?"

"Hogwarts. It's a really weird name, I know--"

"Hogwarts?" Jesse said in utter shock. This couldn't be happening to her. Lily a...a... "Thee Hogwarts? You sure? But you're a--oh, man. Of all the Muggles in the world, Lily Evans just happens to be a Mudblood--no, offense of course."

"Hogwarts. You've heard of Hogwarts?" Lily asked, stunned.

"Lemme see your entrance letter," Jesse said, reaching her hand out.

"But...I can't." Lily frowned.

"Trust me on this one, Lil. I know what I'm saying." When Lily still looked hesitant, Jesse smiled. "I think you and I have the same entrance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Lily's jaw dropped as she looked upon her best friend with new eyes.

"Dad! Dad!" Jessica didn't think she could get down the steps fast enough, Lily following so closely on her heels that they were in danger of tumbling.

"Mum! Dad! You won't believe this!"

Jessica tripped part way down the steps. It was right onto the midway landing. Lily barely missed her but didn't take too much notice. When Jessica got up, she turned to glare at the tripper--Petunia, Lily's younger sister. "You little brat. You're lucky I don't hex you," she snarled before turning back to follow Lily down and missed the hatred in Petunia's gaze.

Jessica's father was sitting across from Lily's mother and father in their living room having some tea. When Jessica's father gave her a sharp look for the immature fashion of the intrusion, she thrust Lily's entrance letter in front of him. Not willing to slap her away in public, he looked at the letter a second and went to scold her before stopping and taking a second look. "Lily got an entrance letter from Hogwarts. She's a Mudblood--Muggle born witch, Dad. Can you believe it?"

"You told her, Lily?" Her father started in a scolding voice before turning to Jessica and Jeffery. "Sorry, Jeffery. Lily's playing games, making up her own--"

Thomas Evans stopped however when Jeffery slid his wand out from the sleeve of his suit jacket. "Hogwarts is a fine school, Tom. Went there myself as a youngster, Slytherin House. I'm sending Jessica there this fall to follow in my footsteps."

Jessica smiled at her father. "I'm hoping I can live up to that standard, Father," she pacified, hoping he couldn't detect the detest streaming through her veins. She knew, however, he couldn't hear it. Years of practice had taught her how to keep it out of her voice...most of the time at least. Jessica then gave a real smile to Lily. "Hey, we can take you to Diagon Alley to buy your things."

"Oh, Jessica, I've been meaning to tell you. I have to leave tomorrow morning, so all I can do is just bring you through the entrance. I'm sure you can handle the rest yourself."

Jessica nodded at her father. To Lily, she said, "When are you going to get your stuff?"

"They said they would send someone tomorrow afternoon, but I got my list yesterday."

Jeffery spoke up. "I'll send an owl from the hotel tonight and tell them not to send anybody. You and your parents arrive at the hotel at 10 tomorrow, and I'll bring you through the entrances. Jessica can teach you the ropes from there."

* * *

Morning couldn't come soon enough for Jessica. All her life she had to hide this secret from her best friend and now! Not only could she share it with Lily, Lily was a witch herself! Of course, she couldn't tell Lily everything about herself. Some Lily would learn through rumors, others Jessica wished to keep locked within herself for all eternity. But this secret was one she had always wanted to tell Lily.

Jeffery Ziners was waiting near the door rather impatiently, something that didn't horribly surprise his daughter. Jessica's father had never been a patient man. Finally, though at 10:01, Lily Evans and her parents arrived, excitement stirring the air around them.

"Let's go," Jeffery said, pushing past them out the door they had just arrived through. The Evans' followed Jeffery, and Lily and Jessica picked up the rear.

"I'm nervous."

Jessica laughed loudly but quieted when her father threw her a glare.

"Don't worry. Diagon Alley is a nice place. Knockturn Alley is one to be nervous for, not Diagon. I'm sure though that it'll probably be a little overwhelming at first, but it's a rather nice place. Just stick close to me."

To the confusion of the Muggles and the Muggle Witch, Jeffery led them into a local pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Jeffery ignored every person who called his name as he led the group to the backroom and the doorway to another world.

* * *

Lily was nervous and excited but not enough so to not feel a change in Jessica. It was the subtle tensing of her body that first alerted her that something was up. She pulled her eyes from the brick wall Mr. Ziners was tapping with his wand to her friend. Jessica's eyes were looking over her shoulder. Lily followed the line of sight and only caught a brief glimpse of a man before a waitress stepped in the way. He was in his 30s and rather handsome but the look he was giving Jessica belayed to any charm he might have had to go along with his looks. Lily looked back at Jessica. Her friend avoided any gaze as she looked back at the wall as it folded open.

* * *

"This is Gringotts Bank, our first stop," Jessica said as she led them inside. "I'll get you set up then I have to go to my own vault to pick up some money."

It didn't take her long to get them set up with a goblin. Jessica turned toward the carts that would take her to her vault when she spotted a handsome pair. She smiled. She needed to talk to one of them anyway, and their vault was next to hers. She briskly made her way over to the father and son.

"James, Mr. Potter! Can I ride with you to your vault?"

James looked expectantly at his father. Marcus Potter was a devilishly handsome man. His unruly hair and glasses, rather than taking away from his appeal, added to it. He smiled at the young girl. "Sure, Jessica." It wasn't until they were settled onto the cart that Jessica spoke again. She leaned towards James. "I need to ask you a favor when we stop."

He nodded silently.

"So how is everything back in the States?" Marcus asked.

Jessica shrugged. "Normal." It wasn't a lie.

Marcus nodded to her after giving her a long look. She hated when he did that. It always made her wonder if he knew more than he let on.

When they were stopped and the Goblin was unlocking the Potter vault, Jessica nodded for James to move a little close (and away from Marcus). "I have a friend coming to Hogwarts," she murmured. "Name's Lily Evans. I was wondering if you just keep an eye on her when you can."

"Don't think she'll be in Slytherin?"

"Gosh no. Too nice for that. She has a stubborn streak but not gruesome enough to be put with me. Plus, she's a mud--Muggle born."

James looked at Jessica for a minute and she knew he was debating whether or not to scold her almost use of the negative term, but, in the end, his 'all Slytherins are evil' side lost. "Okay."

Jessica nodded her thanks before heading off with the Goblin to her vault.

* * *

Jessica grabbed a small snowy white owl. She held it up, examining it from all angles.

"I thought you said you already had an owl," Lily commented, holding her soon to be own barn owl.

Jessica nodded. "I do. It's just I want this to be a special communication owl between myself and Casey." Her Uncle Danny had slipped her the money for it just before her and her dad left Texas. He said that she needed to keep up with her special relationship with her little brother. He had also subtly suggested that she could send it to his house, and he would give it to Casey. Jessica knew that her Uncle Danny had a suspicion of what 'normal life' was like for Jessica also, but she didn't think he even really had an idea, just a small suggestion. Jessica would make use Uncle Danny's house as delivery still anyway.

The two friends purchased their loot and went outside to Lily's parents. Jessica shrugged. "I guess that's it."

"Where are you staying between here and school? Are you going home?" Mr. Evans asked. "You could stay with us," he suggested.

Jessica shook her head with a thankful smile. These people were so wonderful to her. "I can't. I'm staying with my godmother and her family. She begged my dad for some time with me before I go to school."

Lily's parents nodded and Jessica led them back to the entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Evans hugged her tearfully before Lily grabbed her tightly in a hug. "I'll miss you."

Jessica smiled. "I know." As they pulled apart, Jessica looked Lily straight in the eye. "Be at King's Cross at the time the letter says. Meet me between platforms 9 and 10, and I'll help you through."
Lily looked confused but nodded. Jessica waved bye to the Evans's. As soon as they were gone, Jessica tugged her totes along and went to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. She got an ice and then looked around for the familiar face of her godmother.

And then it hit her. It was so hard, she almost dropped her ice. It wasn't a physical object but rather a feeling, an icy feeling so cold that Jessica thought that someone had dropped an ice cube down the back of her shirt. Her eyes knew which direction to look. The source's eyes caught her's and held, their power almost irresistible. He started towards her, and Jessica wanted to move, but couldn't. Why was he here? What did he want from her now? Most of all, she thought as she remembered seeing his face in the Leaky Cauldron, why was he following her?

It wasn't until the man stopped that the spell stopped. The man's own eyes had latched onto something somewhere in front of Jessica. She turned to it and smiled in relief as she spotted the red head. The red head spotted her and smiled. Jessica's look took a minute to register with the woman. When she realized something was amiss, Molly Weasely rushed forward in the guise of excitement of seeing her goddaughter, not a far fetched act.

She grabbed Jessica tightly, who returned the force with equal if not greater intensity. "Is it your godfather?" She whispered in Jessica's ear.

Jessica nodded.

"Is he here?"
Jessica nodded again.

Molly pulled back but didn't let go of Jessica or break eye contact with her. "Then let's get you out of here, sweetie."

Jessica smiled her agreement.

* * *

"I still do not agree with allowing Jessica Ziners to attend," Minerva McGonagall tried again. Her, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Professor Gary Rum, and Professor Stephen Medley were sitting in the teacher's lounge; McGonagall, Rum, and Medley were going over lesson plans while Dumbledore attended to headmaster paperwork.

"You know," Medley said under his breath, "the more times you say it, the more likely she is to disappear from the list of students." He threw a glance and smirk up to Minerva, who scowled at him. Medley went back to his lesson plans, the smirk still there. Stephen Medley was a young and rather good looking man. An Auror a number of years before coming to Hogwarts as a teacher 2 years ago, Stephen had humor and charm draped over him in thick layers. There was a serious side to him most non-Aurors rarely saw, and this serious streak of his to fight against all evil kept him continuing to help the Aurors in any way he could.

"We need to let her attend," Gary said, not even looking up from his work. The Potions Master was an older fellow who had been teaching many years and had been head of Slytherin House for almost as many. Though his age and stature didn't make him appear so, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Before Gary could elaborate on his statement, Albus came to his own defense. "Minerva, she has done nothing wrong. Why should we punish her for the sins of her forefathers?"

Minerva didn't have an answer for that one.

"Plus, she may know the identity of this Voldemort character," Stephen pointed out.

Gary finally looked somewhere other than his lesson plan. His light blue eyes peered over the top of his glasses at Stephen. "Every Slytherin coming this year knows the identity of Voldemort, but it is only through Ms. Ziners that we have hope to learn it. And, if I do not overestimate the girl, I believe that by the time she'll tell us, she'll know a lot more than just his real identity."

Gary's eyes went back to his lesson plan.

"And the great Gary Rum has spoken," Stephen replied.

"Don't be a smart ass, Medley. It was never very becoming of you."

There was silence a long moment before something seemed to dawn on Stephen's face. "You said that we needed her to attend."

Gary nodded but didn't offer anything.

Stephen, having been here long enough and having attended the school himself, knew that he wouldn't get anything out of Gary unless he was willing to give it, so he decided to speak on another matter instead. "I see that Severus Snape is being allowed to attend."

"That's if his mother allows him to even show up on the first day and subsequent years," Gary commented.

"Potter's boy and Longbottom's boy are also on the list, as well as Black's son...what's his name? Sirius? Quite a big year for the big names."

"And don't forget the one we all love, Malfoy," Gary said, his sarcasm so thick you could pick it up with a spoon.

Stephen chuckled.

* * *

Lily spotted Jessica quickly. She was standing with her luggage next to a red headed man and woman. The man had a hold of the hand of a small child and the woman carried a baby. Lily smiled at them as her and her parents walked up.

"Lily," Jessica said quickly, making small gestures, "This is Molly and Arthur Weasely and their two sons: Bill," she gestured toward the child, "and Charlie," she gesture toward the baby. "Molly, Arthur, this is my friend, Lily Evans, and her parents, Tom and Mildred."

They exchanged hellos quickly.

"Okay, let's say our goodbyes," Jessica said. Lily noticed that, while her mood seemed lighter than Lily had seen Jessica in a long time, her manner was quickly changing. Jessica received a hug from each of Lily's parents while Molly gave Lily a half hug (as much as she could do with Charlie in her arms) and Arthur patted her on the shoulder. When they exchanged adults, Lily's parents gave her hard, tearful squeezes. Molly and Arthur squeezed Jessica in much the same way. Jessica kissed the baby on the forehead and gave Bill a hug, who also hugged back with a smile.

"Okay," Jessica sighed, grabbing the handle of her luggage cart and looked around. "What we're going to do Lily is run straight into that brick column," Jessica nodded towards said column.

"Run into it?" Lily repeated back in confusion.

Jessica nodded. "Just run right into it."

"Honey," Molly said, "it might be best if she watches you do it first."

Jessica nodded. "Sounds like a good idea." She smiled at Bill before turning serious. "Drum roll please."

Bill giggled and grabbed his hand away from his dad to start slapping his pants in a fast rhythm. Jessica took a deep breath before starting off full speed ahead. To Lily's astonishment, she disappeared right into the wall.

Molly smiled at Lily when she hesitated. "It is a bit scary the first time, but you'll see, it'll be a piece of cake."

Lily nodded but still didn't seem too sure of herself. She followed her friend anyway, knowing that she could always trust her. To Lily's utter astonishment, through that...portal was another platform, and it was busy, bustling with kids and their luggage.

"Welcome to Platform 9 and ¾, Ms. Evans. If you just step right this way, we can speaketh in private."

Lily giggled as she followed Jessica to an area near the end of the boarding dock. It was devoid of people.

"What do we need to speaketh in private for, Ms. Ziners?"

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to trust me on it. You do trust me, don't you?"

Lily nodded, the smile off her face in response to the expression on Jessica's.

"Then you have to trust me on this. Unless by some slim chance we get in the same house--"

"Why wouldn't we?" Jessica had already explained that they were divided into houses when they first got there, and that they would be in these houses until the end of their schooling.

This stopped Jessica and made her silent for a long minute. She finally said in a quiet voice, "This is one of those times you're going to have to trust me."

"Why?"

Anger seemed to flash in Jessica's eyes, turning them to a brownish amber color before they slowly went back to their regular bluish coloring. Jessica's eyes had always been something of a fascination for Lily. They turned different colors, the color always depending on her mood. The colors weren't just a lighter or darker shade or a trick of the light. They were distinct changes. When Lily had asked Jessica about them, Jessica would just make up some wild fairy tale about curses and protection from black wizards. Thinking about it now, Lily wondered if some of that might be true.

When Jessica answered, it was calmer than Jessica appeared to be. "Because there are some things that you will never understand, Lily, things I hope you will never understand."

Lily, hurt, remained silent. In a kinder voice, Jessica apologized. "Sorry, Lil, it's just that...my family, both my mother's and my father's sides, have a long magic history, and I just know where I'm going to be placed, and I highly doubt you'll be placed there too. You're too good for it."

"And you're not too good?" Lily asked.

"It's not that," Jessica shook her head. "We've gotten off track. As I was saying, unless we get in the same house, we can't really talk to each other. No one is suppose to like Slytherins but Slytherins, and that is probably the house I'll get in to." Jessica held up her hands to hinder Lily's attempt to speak. "I know, we should try to break barriers, but this barrier is too deep to break. One day, you may understand that, but I hope not, because it's not a pleasant understanding. Meanwhile, I want us to have a pleasant childhood, and trying to break house barriers would make life a living hell for us."

"So all in all, we have to pretend we're not friends," Lily asked irritably

Jessica shook her head, either not noticing the tone or ignoring it.

"We have to do more than that. You do not know me."

"I don't like this, Jess."

"Neither do I. Trust me though, when you hear the rumors about me, you'll be a little glad to not know me. But, beyond that, if a friend comes through for me, I'll have a means for us to communicate. I'll explain that to you through your first communication."

"What should I be looking for?"

Jessica smiled at her. "Don't worry. It'll find you."

Jessica looked over Lily's shoulder and spotted something that made her smile. Lily went to look at what it was but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. "Okay, we can't sit next to each other on the train, or even in the same car. I want you to find a seat, hopefully next to a boy with messy black hair and glasses. Don't ask why him and don't tell him about me. Just ask nonchalantly if you can sit with him."

Before Lily could question further, Jessica started towards the middle of the train. Lily boarded in the back. She found the boy that Jess had described and asked to sit with him and his two friends. She found out that one friend was a recent acquaintance of the other two, and his name was Remus J. Lupin. The other friend was Sirius Black. And the boy Jessica had described was James Potter.

* * *

"It's a new year, Minerva," Stephen pronounced dramatically before the teacher went downstairs to greet the gathering first years.

Minerva nodded but without the smile Stephen was trying to achieve out of her. Stephen stopped and stood beside her as she gazed at the new faces.

Minerva finally spoke. "If Albus is right, these kids will soon have to live out dark days under our protection."

Stephen nodded. After a minute, he commented, "And if Gary is right, the key to something lies within one little girl."

"Gary's a lot of talk, Stephen," Minerva said quickly.

Stephen barely glanced at Minerva before looking back out at the crowd again. "I'm not a little boy anymore, Minerva. I'm a full grown wizard with an Auror's license and a teaching position at the top magic school in the world. I know that Gary never talks unless he has something to say," Stephen paused a moment before adding, "Unfortunately, he speaks mostly in riddles."

Minerva didn't smile at that one either. "Have you wondered that maybe Gary was just trying to let us allow Jessica Ziners in maybe by exaggerating the importance of her knowledge a little?"

"I've thought about that Minerva and came up with a 'no' answer. Rum knows something, something about this girl that none of the rest of us knows. There is a key to something that lies within her. The importance of having her here while this Voldemort character is gaining power is a two-fold plus, I'm guessing. We get this key in our hands and Voldemort doesn't get it in his."

Stephen glanced briefly at Minerva before starting towards the Dining Hall.

* * *

Jessica walked up to the group. She had stuck near the back after the train ride, which she had spent with some older Slytherins who were impressed that she was the daughter of Jeffery Ziners. Right now, Jessica stood near the back, another boy a few feet away, also lingering near the back. When Jessica spent a long moment staring at him, he quickly looked at her. At the first glance, something clicked within Jessica, something that also clicked in the boy. It's him, she thought. They were all here. The circle was here, here for the taking...

She didn't like this one bit.

* * *

A few feet away, Severus Snape also didn't like the feeling. He didn't like it one bit. He didn't like eHeihjfthis feeling in his stomach at all. It wasn't an all-together bad feeling though. It was sort of a pleasant tingling, a nice sensation filling him. And it happened every time he looked at that girl. Severus inspected her out of the corner of his eye. She was small, with long, nice looking light brown hair surrounding a roundish face. He noticed she kept stealing glances at him also.

McGonagall's voice caught his attention. After they entered the Great Hall, he listened intently as the teacher called off the names so the Sorting Hat could dictate their life for the next 7 years. He needed to remember which houses the important people's children got into; his mother expected a full report.

"Black, Sirius," caught his undivided attention. His father was Malcolm Black, one of the school governors, one with a lot of influence. His mother was Amelia Black, an assistant to the Minister of Magic. They were also two people the Dark Lord would very much like dead.

"GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Not surprising. The next name that bought Severus' intense attention was:

"Longbottom, Frank!"

Frank was near the beginning of 7 boys. His mother was an Unspeakable; his father had been an Auror that had already fallen victim to the Dark Lord.

"GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Again, the Sorting Hat's decision was no surprise. It was a short while later when another name of interest came up:

"Malfoy, Lucius!"

His father was his only important parent. Ignatius Malfoy was another assistant to the Minister of Magic.

The hat barely graced Lucius's head before it shouted:

"SLYTHERIN!!!

A bit later, McGonagall shouted another name that caught Severus's attention:

"Potter, James!"

Now there was a person that the Dark Lord was passionate about making an orphan of. Marcus and Brittany Potter were both Aurors who were intent on putting a stop to Lord Voldemort before he really got started.

And here was the big shocker: "GRYFFINDOR!!!" Severus smiled at his own sarcastic joke. All humor was definitely lost a few minutes later:

"Snape, Severus!"

He made his way slowly through the crowd and up to the seat. This was the moment, the moment that would make or break his school days, that would decide the rest of his childhood. It was the moment that would decide the rest of his life.

After all, the Dark Lord rarely accepted non-Slytherins and goodness knows that Severus couldn't get in on his own merit.

The second the hat slid over his head, he spoke the worst possible nightmare into Severus's ear.

'You would do great in Ravenclaw.'

'No!!!!' Severus screamed in his mind. 'Slytherin, please, Slytherin, I beg of you.'

'Slytherin? I feel that this must be important to you...indeed, very important. You can do well in there, so if you insist...' The hat gave him one last chance to back out.

'Yes, I insist.'

'Okay, Slytherin it is then.'

"SLYTHERIN!!!"

Severus slid the hat off and off the stool in relief. He walked to the table that was cheering their new edition. He sat down next to Lucius and across from Narcissa Black. There were a couple of more names shouted as Severus watched intensely. He was paying some attention to the actual names, but he was sure he caught every name of importance except one that would come near the end. He was mainly watching now to find out the name of that girl that had been looking at him earlier and where she would end up. To his great surprise, that girl bore the same name as the last person he was to watch for.

"Ziners, Jessica!"

And, to the surprise of everyone in the room, the hat seemed to begin a shout...and then stopped. It stayed on her head for a minute. Severus watched her mouth and noticed that she seemed to be silently mouthing words out, a slight smile on her face. She seemed to be holding a conversation with the hat. Finally, though, the hat yelled:

"SLYTHERIN!!!" It pronounced. The girl rolled her eyes as she took it off, and she seemed to mutter something before heading off to her cheering housemates.

* * *

"That hat started to speak," Stephen murmured to Gary, "but then quieted. Headmaster," he leaned forward to look at Albus. "Has it ever done that before?"

To Stephen's surprise, Albus not only nodded, but looked curiously at Gary, who just looked straight ahead.

"Eventually, you will have to tell us why that girl is so important, Gary," Stephen said quietly.

"And I hope that day never comes," Gary said.

But Gary knew it would.

To be continued...