Filia de Malignus

Chapter 7: Xenia's Past

As soon as Harry sat back down at the Gryffindor table, Ron, Dean, Neville and Seamus started bombarding him with questions all at once.

"Not too bad, Harry, not too bad!"

"What really happened last night before you came into the tower?"

"So, Harry, how was it, really?"

"What're you--" he started.

"Come now, Harry, we're all good friends here. We won't tell!" said Ron, sniggering.

"Well, it wasn't what you--" he started yet again, but was cut off.

"Wow, I always thought it would be me, y'know?" said Seamus with a hint of Fred and George-ness in his voice.

"What are you guys seriously thinking?!" said Harry in a louder tone of voice than he would of wished. "All I did was kiss her... twice! Nothing more, nothing less!"

The guys didn't believe it. "Come off it, Harry, we simply know you aren't telling us something. It's not like Hermione is around or anything!" said Ron.

"I'm not lying to you!" he said, getting frustrated. "I will say this, though. Something wasn't--"

"Yes?" the four of them asked eagerly.

"You know, forget it!" he said. "Grow up a little and then maybe we'll talk!" He picked up his things and stormed off into the corridors. "Wait till the papers hear about this one! I can just see it now..." he said loudly. He was walking so quickly that he bumped right into Hermione, scattering her books.

"Sorry about that but... Oh Hermione, I'm sorry!" he said as he helped her pick up all her books.

"Harry! I've been looking all over for you! The rumor! I had to make sure it wasn't true! About you and that... that... girl up in the Slytherin Tower doing... well... I don't really know how to put this, but... " she said.

"Malfoy! I swear, by the next time I play him in Quidditch..." he started.

"It's not true, right?!" she blurted out.

"Hermione," he started. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you didn't like her, but we have been getting to know each other, and I am really starting to like her, you know... She is really misunderstood, that's all."

"So are you saying... it is true, you and Xenia in Slytherin Tower doing... stuff?" she said.

"I'll tell you straight out, because I don't know what 'stuff' has been going around the school. All we did was kiss twice and that's it! I'd bet my life it's Malfoy..."

"No, it was Ron, I overheard him talking to Seamus, but Harry, why didn't you tell us! Why did you keep this all from me!" she said with the lines of a frown beginning on her forehead.

"Because," he said. "I didn't know how you would take it, since you don't take to her very well," he said.

"Well, Harry, she did get expelled quite a bit, and... well, you wouldn't understand, it is hard to say, yes..." she said in a would be comforting voice, but it was laced with coldness and jealousy. She turned around and began to walk away.

"Hermione, you can tell me anything, I won't judge you for it!" he said.

"Yeah, and you could tell me anything, and NOW look what happens! Off kissing girls in the middle of the night... and Slytherins, of all people! What? Us Gryffindors aren't good enough for you anymore!" she spat in a voice that reminded him of Malfoy, angering him more. She turned once more and stalked away into a classroom.

"Be that way, then!" he called after her. He muttered to himself, "Women..."

* * *

About ten minutes before the match, Xenia went into the locker room to change into her Quidditch robes. Since she had never really played by regulation rules before (no armor whatsoever), she just shook her head at all of the guards she had to wear. There were wrist guards, shin guards, even guards to put on your upper legs and arms! They're mad! She slipped into the huge robes. They must have been made of some lightweight stuff, she thought, despite how heavy they looked, because they felt floaty and light. Probably for aerodynamics and stuff... she thought. She brushed her hair out and pulled it back into a ponytail. She looked at herself in a mirror, shaking her head at all of the armor on her, grabbed her Nimbus 2001 and walked out onto the pitch.

Everybody was already flying around. She mounted her broom and zoomed into the air. From here, she could see everything, and could tell what house everybody was so much easier, as they we in their house boxes. She searched the pitch for Malfoy, which wasn't too hard, since he had that silvery blonde hair. She flew over to him.

"So... how do I know when I get to play?" she asked.

Malfoy looked at her as if she was crazy. "Xenia, when you see me go down and not get back up, you start looking around for the Snitch, got it?"

"Yep!" she said. Xenia went into another one of her daredevil dives and pulled up out of just at the right time.

"Showoff," muttered Draco, shaking his head.

"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!" said Lee Jordan, the usual commentator of the Quidditch matches. "This is your commentator for the sixth, and sadly, last year, Lee Jordan! Today's match is between Ravenclaw and Slytherin!" There was thunderous applause. "This year, an additional reserve player is reserved is one of their players get seriously injured. For Ravenclaw, their reserve player is fifth year Padma Patil." (In the stands, Ron cheered lukewarmly, while Parvati Patil was jumping up and down wildly screaming "That's my sister!") "And Slytherin's reserve player is fifth year Xenia Xanderbilt."

As the two reserve players flew out onto the pitch, Harry yelled and cheered louder than the rest of the Gryffindors, causing people to stare at him (the rivalry between the Gryffindors and Slytherins were still not dissolved), so he stopped and went back to the polite method of cheering, clapping.

"As the reserve players fly back to their positions, let me take the time to remind you that whatever team catches the Golden Snitch first ends the game and is rewarded 150 points!"

The players went to their designated positions on the pitch, Madam Hooch stepped onto the field, kicked open the chest holding the Bludgers (which zoomed out of it) and the Golden Snitch (also speeding away). She took hold of the Quaffle, threw it into the air, and blew her whistle.

"And they're off!" said Lee. "Boot takes the Quaffle, passes to Captain Roger Davies..."

Draco and Xenia weren't paying attention to the commentary, however. They had their eyes out for the Snitch. Of course, Xenia wasn't playing yet, but Malfoy told her to be ready, and ready she would be. She watched him as he circled around the pitch, looking for the Snitch. It was just then that Xenia saw it. It was fluttering around by the circle that they released the balls at. It was just a Xenia's eye level. Malfoy apparently saw it, as did the other team's Seeker. Both of them went into dives, right next to each other. Xenia watched at they both neared the ground. Malfoy looked as if his was talking to her, trying to throw her off getting the Snitch. She slammed into his side, but it didn't do much, since she was so much tinier than him. He started talking to her again. Weirdo... They were getting ever closer, and now Xenia could half see the facial expressions. It seemed as if Malfoy was taunting her, and her face was contorted with half anger, half concentration. He then slammed into her and yelled something, which no one but her could hear. The girl swerved into his path and kicked outward. Her foot connected with his head. Madam Hooch blew her whistle as the Slytherins yelled 'foul!' and booed. "Madam Hooch, I didn't mean to kick him in the head, honestly, but I was provoked, I was!" she said glaring at the limp form of Draco on the ground. Xenia looked at him and thought He's down... he's not getting up... MY TURN!!! Madam Hooch and the Ravenclaw Seeker were arguing.

Xenia flew out onto the pitch. When she got to Malfoy, Madam Hooch, and the Ravenclaw Seeker, she said, "Out cold, ain't he?" in a pathetic attempt at a sad voice.

"Well, let's get him fixed up. Xanderbilt, go play Seeker till he wakes up," said Madam Hooch. Everyone mounted their brooms again. The game was back on. Xenia searched around for a glint of gold. Twice, she thought she saw something, but it turned out to be nothing more than a reflection. A few times, a bludger was hit into her direction, but she dodged it easily and went on for the seemingly endless search for the Snitch. Xenia saw Harry's face in the crowd cheering her on. That totally boosted her self esteem. She took her eyes off him. It was just then that she saw it! She immediately sped towards it, not having the slightest clue how she was going to catch it. On the way down, the Ravenclaw Seeker met her.

"Hello," said Xenia brightly. "Lovely day, isn't it? What's your name?"

The other Seeker was shocked at Xenia, talking to her during the height of the match. "Um, Cho. Cho Chang." She thought about it for a second. "Hey, aren't you Harry Potter's girlfriend?"

"I'm not sure, actually..." said Xenia. Her plan of throwing her off was beginning to work. This was the girl that Harry talked about.

"Oh, so you mean he's still available?" she asked more intently.

"Maybe..." she said. The Snitch was almost within reach. All she had to do was make her ask one more question.

"Really?" said Cho, almost all concentration gone.

"Maybe not!" said Xenia, knocking her out of the way while simultaneously grabbing the Snitch. She grasped the tiny ball in her hands and the Slytherins erupted with cheers.

Malfoy was finally waking back up down on the ground. He looked around trying to figure out what was all the commotion about, and then he saw Xenia waving her arm around in triumph. He smiled a small smile, I wonder what Potter's gonna think now that his girlfriend won a match for Slytherin? This will prove to be interesting...

Up in the stands, Harry looked as if something was eating him from the inside out, because of his trying to keep from cheering with the Slytherins.

Xenia did a victory lap around the pitch with the rest of her team as the cheering continued. She was grinning, and for the first time in her life, people were cheering for her, not beating her down.

* * *

In Slytherin Tower, there was a huge victory party that night. A few of the older students had snuck into the kitchens and got some food and a large supply of butterbeer. After a few hours, almost everyone was drunk. (Butterbeer isn't that strong, but when you start drinking by the keg, it begins to have that beer-ish quality of somehow getting you drunk...) Almost everyone. Malfoy was lying down on his bed in his dormitory and Xenia was sitting happily at a small, unoccupied table by the window, writing to Harry.

She didn't know what to write exactly. Xenia had never written a love letter before and she didn't know where to begin. She was in the middle of writing a particularly sweet paragraph stating how much she enjoyed those astronomy tower nights and that maybe they could still go up to it, when she noticed a huge owl perched on the windowsill. There was a letter tied to it. A very thick letter. She opened the window and let it in. Xenia called into the crowd of drunk people. "Hey! HEY!" she shouted, quieting the crowd.

"Nice work, Xanders!!" cried out someone.

"Thanks!" she said. "There's a big owl here with a huge letter on it. If its yours, come over here!"

No one came over. The door soon opened and someone brought another keg of butterbeer in. They all cheered raucously and raised their mugs.

Xenia untied the letter from the owl's leg. She was debating on whether to read it. If it wasn't hers, she could be unfolding some secret info on something. I'll chance it she thought.

She opened the letter. It was said, Our Dearest Xenia. Phew! She thought. It's for me. But who would write to me... can't be Harry is says 'our' dearest Xenia... I wonder...

The rest of the letter read like this:

How is Hogwarts? Your father and I hope you are having a good time at school, but there is something very serious and important that we need to talk to you about. We think, now that you are sixteen, that you are ready and can handle it. It is a very lengthy story, and I suggest that you read this when you will have enough time to think about all of this.

Your father says that you still may not be ready to hear this, but we were instructed to tell you at the age of 16. Xenia, you are adopted. We're sorry but you just got to know. There is no point in hiding it. Your mother wouldn't have wanted it. And your mother...

Your mother was a very talented witch, she was, Head Girl in her 7th year, she told me. We were best friends, even though I was a Muggle. Her name was Lily Evans. She loved life and everything about it. Unfortunately, when Voldemort came to power and was looking for followers, she was a target, having the knowledge she had. That knowledge is still unknown today. She kept a diary, and left it to me in her will. I have enclosed her diary within this letter.

I know you must be wondering about your father. The truth is, we don't really know. All Lily told me was that he used the Impregnato curse, and that is how you were born. As far as we know, she was attacked on a trip to Paris by this mysterious man. He was believed to be a servant of Voldemort. This all happened two years after she graduated from Hogwarts. Her good friend from school came to her aid. He tended to her the months before your birth. When you were born, they knew they couldn't take care of you safely. The day Lily got married, she gave you to me, and told me she would come back if she could to get you. I lost all contact with her, after that day. A year and a half later, she was murdered along with her husband by Voldemort. She knew that Voldemort was after her, and she sent me a letter with instructions to tell you all of this when you turned 16.

I know we should have told you sooner, but we couldn't. I'm sorry about all of this, but you had to know. You know we love you and are always here for you.

Love,

Mom

Xenia hadn't moved a muscle when she first started reading the letter, and she didn't for quite a while after she finished. She ran over the words again, as if it was all just a dream, all totally surreal. A tear ran down her cheek, and then another, and soon, she was crying. Crying like she never had before in her life. So much was running through her head, she couldn't take it. She ran upstairs to her dormitory, causing a brief halt to the partying. She ran into what she thought was her dormitory and collapse on a bed. There she cried endlessly, soaking the pillow she was lying on in a matter of minutes. How can it be true?! All this time, my real mother is dead and my father... I don't even have a father! Makes me sound like a mistake, Impregnato CURSE... she thought. How could they keep this from me for so long?

* * *

Draco Malfoy was at the window when he heard loud running footsteps up to his dormitory. Crabbe must be getting sick of the drunken side of Pansy... He didn't turn around when the door opened and slammed, nor did he when he heard someone throw themselves upon a bed. He did, however, when he heard a girl's voice come from behind the hangings of his four poster bed. Whoever she was, she was crying.

"What the..." he started, walking cautiously towards the bed. "What's up?" he asked in the direction of his bed. No answer. Maybe Crabbe is having a little fun after all... "Crabbe, uh, I think you and Pansy got the wrong bed, man," he said. Still no answer, but still fits of hysterical crying. He was starting to get worried. What if something is seriously wrong with her? He smacked himself in the head. The old Draco wouldn't have cared. All the same, he was worried. "Hey... you... girl in my bed, what's up?" Still no answer. He decided that if she IS hurt in some way, he should at least find out what it is. He slowly opened the hangings. "OH NO... NOT YOU!!!" he yelled. The figure on the bed had waist-length, bright red hair and she was positively howling. It was none other than one of the last people he wanted to see right now, Xenia.

Down on the bed, some of the outside world was coming back into focus. The bed felt all around different. The blankets were heavy and rough, not like her own light, feathery ones she had on her bed. And the smell was different, because instead of a mix of strawberries and roses, it smelled like that obnoxious cologne that Malfoy wore... Her eyes opened wide. "Malfoy?" she said in a small voice. "Malfoy, I know your around here..."

Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her up out of the bed so she stood up. "What the hell are you doing here?!" he yelled. "All crying in MY bed... what are you finally having second thoughts about Potter? Sorry, you're a bit late. Besides, someone as repulsive as you would never have a mote of a chance with someone like--"

"You?!" She looked into his eyes. They were stone cold and showed no mercy, but she kept staring. She shook her head, tears still pouring down her face and onto her shirt. It all came out then. "Draco Malfoy, you are the MOST EGOTISTICAL, SLIMY, NASTY, DISGUSTING, EVIL, HELL-RAISING, JEALOUS PIG!!! YOUR EGO IS THE SIZE OF JUPITER AND YOUR FATHER IS IN LINE WITH THE... THE... THING THAT KILLED MY MOTHER!!" She thought again for a second. "and HARRY IS A LOT BETTER THAN YOU! DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIM OR I'LL--"

"Or you'll what?" he said calmly and coolly with hands now gripping her shoulders, dangerously closing to closing around her throat. He backed her up against the wall. A fire burned in his eyes that genuinely scared Xenia. "Hit me? Punch me? You may have had a one-up that day on the Hogwarts Express, when I didn't know your capabilities. You may have gotten lucky when we were right outside Snape's door. But you're in MY arena now, girl. If you are foolish enough to challenge a Malfoy, then go on, do it. This room is soundproofed, and no one, not even your precious Potter, will hear your screams of pain and agony. And believe me, it will hurt." He was breathing so hard that it hurt. His hands were so tightly pressed against her shoulders and neck that he could feel her pulse. It was going fast, possibly as fast as his. She did not flinch, however, when he dug his nails into her skin, breaking it and causing her to bleed.

"How do you know?" she asked bitterly, not even giving a hint of the intense pain she was in. "Have you seen your father torture people? Is that one of his special methods for helping you become a dark wizard?!"

His father suddenly popped into his head. He was indeed torturing someone. He was putting the Cruciatus curse on his wife, Draco's own mother. He was watching her writhe in pain, laughing merrily as the scene passed.

Draco let Xenia go, his eyes wide in horror. His hands and fingertips had smears of blood on them where he was gripping her. Xenia touched her shoulders and felt the blood seeping down her shirt, leaving a dark red trail. She looked at him, also horrified.

"You... you really..." she began, still shocked at his actions.

He kept looking at his hands, still bloody. He was now white with terror. He sat, nearly collapsing, on his bed, shutting his eyes. He buried his head in his hands, apparently not minding that they were still somewhat covered in blood. "Just go... " he said with a strained voice.

Xenia ran out of the room, down the stairs, straight through the common room, and out of Slytherin tower at full speed, crying and clutching the letter. She didn't stop until she was at the astronomy tower, where her and Harry had shared their first kisses with each other the night before, but that wasn't even in her mind right now. Not even Harry could take her mind off of this. She sank to her knees onto the cold stone floor. The tears soon formed a puddle on the floor and then they just stopped, and she was crying in desperate dry sobs. Crying for someone to help her... anyone...

"Xenia!" someone cried. She vaguely heard footsteps coming towards her. Someone was kneeling down next to her. A comforting voice spoke softly to her, sort of calming her in a way, even though she couldn't make out what the voice was saying. Two strong arms picked her up and carried her to the couch and laid her down, the voice still murmuring those sweet words to her, comforting her, somehow. She was so tired, so weary, that she couldn't take anymore of absolutely anything, and she fell into a deep sleep, still clutching the letter and mother's diary to her chest.

Three hours later...

There was a flash of purple light and the door blew open. A young man with blonde hair stood at the door with his wand at the ready.

"Tell me everything you know about James Potter..." he said threateningly.

"No..." said the girl. She was very pretty with long red hair and bright green eyes, and she was in great distress. "I'll never say..."

"Have it your way then..." said the man. "IMPERIO!" He paced around her. "Tell me where James Potter is..."

The girl began to shake wildly... fighting the curse... trying her hardest to beat the curse... to say no...

"NO!" the girl shrieked, falling to the floor. She caught herself by her hands and grabbed her wand. She was armed now. "I wouldn't sell anyone to the likes of you..."

He now took out another wand. A darker, longer wand. "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson. You know, Lily, Voldemort knows all... sees all... and a silly girl like you can't stop him nor fool him..." he was advancing on her menacingly with an ice cold smile on his face. "Nor put him out of power..." He began to chant. "Whilst living he shall prevail... in death he shall remain... his work will be carried on... the blood flows through her veins... IMPREGNATO!"

"SHIT!" screamed Xenia loudly. She sat bolt upright and was breathing heavily. "Oh my god..." A quick glance around told her that she was still in the Astronomy Tower, though with no recollection on how she got onto the couch.

"Xenia!" cried a voice behind her. "You're alright!" There was only one person who that voice belonged to, and it was--

"Harry!" Xenia tried getting up but it felt as if heavy weights were on her feet and she sunk back onto the couch. "Oh, Harry... How did you know I was here?"

He rushed over to her, wrapped her up in his arms and held her tight. "I could just tell" he said. "I was so afraid for a second... you seemed so distraught... I'm so glad you are okay!!!" He held her tighter. Blood oozed out from one of the cuts from her shoulders and onto his shirt. Harry looked thunderstruck. "What happened?!"

Xenia looked down at her shirt and then remembered Malfoy and his threats... and the surge of regret that his eyes had clearly shown when he saw what he did to her. At least, that was what she thought. All in all, she decided not to tell Harry about that when there were other things that were much, much more important.

"There is so much I have to tell you..." she said, the tears coming back to her eyes. "It's the most terrible news I have ever gotten... Oh my gosh..." The tears were flowing down her cheeks freely again. "Okay... last night I got this owl... everyone was partying and I was writing you a note, you know? I opened it and it was from my mum... well, she isn't really my mum..." she tried to wipe her eyes off. "My real mum was killed by Lord Voldemort... and my dad... well, as far as I know, he was a curse... the Impregnato curse. I read about it... some idiot wizard created it when his wife couldn't have kids that were magical... it was banned right after this man put it on her... no one knows who he was though... except for her. She left me with my so called "parents" when I was 6 months old, I figure, because she was on the run with some friend, to whom she married... She instructed them to tell them when I was sixteen... well I am, aren't I? And her diary... its here too, my mother's..." She buried her head into Harry's shoulder. "And they never told me before... ever... no wonder I'm so messed up... I've been thinking I got parents... I knew SOMEONE was lying... I always know..."

Harry looked into her eyes. "Nothing about you is messed up, I'll prove it... look at me," He looked her over, all the way over. It was something he had never done before. Ron was right, for once. She was quite beautiful in certain aspects... aspects that usually Harry didn't get around to seeing on girls at Hogwarts. Get a grip, Harry! She is having an emotional breakdown and all you can do is check her out! What are you playing at anyway?! "Absolutely nothing is wrong with you!"

"Thanks..." she said, wiping her eyes again. "I just wish I knew more about her..." she said. It was so wrong, the situation she was in, she couldn't believe it.

"Read her diary, why don't you?" he suggested.

"Maybe later..." she said, her mind trying to focus on something besides her dead mother whom she had never even met. "Do you ever think that we were, you know, meant to be together?"

"What?" he said, surprised that she would say something like that after just finding out about her dead mother. "Well, I, uh, I... I really don't know, Xenia..."

"Like, until we die, there will be that, I dunno, link between us? You don't think that?" she asked.

"No, I think it," he said. "It's really weird, y'know, cause I can see what you are thinking sometimes... you've done it too, the whole Whomping Willow thing. You saw that, remember? But together... forever?"

"Well it was a thought," said Xenia. "Anything can happen, forever could be but a day away, you know. We are wizards and witches, but we don't live forever..." Xenia broke into a fresh wave of tears. "I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I don't understand anything going through my head right now... and... a-a-and..." all the color came back to her face. "Oh, its that damn Draco Malfoy! He doesn't understand anything!!!"

"I know, Xee, but I guess we are just going to have to live with that... he's a bad seed, there is no turning him good..." he said bitterly. "Don't bring him up... let's talk about something else."

"Right..." she said. "Well, like I said, I wish I knew more about my mother," said Xenia. "Like, the way she looked, acted... Maybe she was a fighter, you know, a tough person..."

"Just like you..." he said. "She must've been a very beautiful and talented woman... for someone like you to be born. What was her--"

Xenia suddenly looked up at Harry, her bright green eyes round and filled to the brim with tears and her lip quivering. A shiver passed through her whole body. Harry kissed her ever so softly, though at the touch of his lips to hers, the tears yet again came spilling down, but she didn't pull away from him. It was the only place that she knew was somewhat stable, for now, anyway. When she did break from him, though, all she did was lay her head on his chest.

"You were saying?" said Xenia. "You know, about my mom..."

"Oh yeah," he said. "What was your mom's name? Was it mentioned in the letter?"

"Yeah, it's right here," she said, pulling out the letter. "Right here, it says 'Her name was Lily Evans'. Lily, that's a pretty name..."

Harry's heart stopped beating and he ceased breathing for a split second. "Lily... Evans?" he said.

"Yeah, it's right there," she said, pointing to it. "Is there something wrong with that?" She looked at Harry's face, which was suddenly very pale. "Harry, you don't look so--" she was cut off. Harry suddenly grabbed her by the hand and ran out of the tower and made his way up to Gryffindor's. He yelled the password and ran up to his dormitory, Xenia getting dragged along. When they came to a halt in his dormitory, she looked at Harry. He looked her over, once again, but with different eyes this time. It was as if he was looking for something on her. "Sit," he mouthed to her, pointing to his vacant bed.

"Harry, I think that maybe we are going just a bit too fast--" she mouthed back to him, staring at his bed.

"That's not what I... ugh, wait, I gotta find something," he said in an almost disgusted tone, opening his trunk and frantically rummaging around for something, trying his hardest not to make too much noise, since his companions were dozing in the beds surrounding them. He pulled out a huge leather bound book. He started flipping through it. He found the page he was looking for and scanned it.

"Come on...where is it?... right!" he said. He sat down next to Xenia and pointed to a picture of his parents. It was a picture of his mother and father when they graduated. Xenia kept looking at it, and then at Harry.

"That's your mother, Harry. And you really do look like your father, except for the eyes," she said. "Your mother and you have the same eyes,"

"That makes three of us, then," said Harry. "Have you ever noticed that the absolute only thing we have in common by looks are our eyes?"

"Sometimes, but what do you mean, anyone could have the same eyes, can't they?" said Xenia, trying to grasp what Harry was saying.

He flipped to another page. This one had a color photo of his mother, however, it was still, unlike all of the other photos that were moving. It was taken by a Muggle camera. Family portrait... Her parents were there, and sure enough, so was Petunia Dursley, her sister, with a nasty look on her face.

Xenia stared at this photo. Harry's mother's long, red hair was thrown over her shoulder. "What are you getting at, Harry?" she asked.

"Red hair, just like you," said Harry.

"No," she whispered. "My hair was black till I was eight or so, remember?"

Harry sighed in desperation. He once again began flipping through the pages. He found what he was looking for. This time, Xenia noticed, it wasn't a picture, but an invitation.

"Read it," said Harry grimly. "You'll understand now..."

"You have been cordially invited to witness the marriage of James Potter to Lily Evans on the 1st of January Nineteen Hundred and Eighty..." she stopped. She read the name 'Lily Evans' over again. "Oh my god..." She shook her head. "This can't be true..." She looked up at Harry. "You do realize, Harry, that if the same Lily Evans is your mother and my mother, that makes us..."

"Brother and sister..." finished Harry