To Meet History

Chapter 15- Until We Meet Again

Harry jumped to his feet. "What? It's your fault that my parents are dead?!"

Hermione stood. "That's not fair, Harry! She didn't know!"

Nothing else was said. Harry stormed off upstairs. Lupin stood after a few moments silence.

"I guess we should all go to sleep," he said uneasily.

Le-Annette said nothing. The five of the remaining Hogwarts gang stood and left the room without another word.

The rest of the summer was quiet. Harry refused to look at Le-Annette, or to even acknowledge her. Hermione spent her time reading Le-Annette's old diaries. Draco and Ron found common ground in playing Qudditch. Snape found the vampire's old school notes and Lupin found her research on werewolfism. When Lupin inquired as to why she researched werewolfism, she replied, "One of my favorite relatives was bitten by a werewolf."

The house was thick with tension. Most were afraid Harry would have an outburst at Le-Annette over Lord Voldemort. They all well remembered the incidents of their fifth year at Hogwarts.

It all boiled down to a week before they were due back to London to catch the Hogwarts Express. They had all, with the exception of Le-Annette, spent the day buying supplies for the school year. This was quite fun considering they had two of their teachers hovering over their shoulders, instructing them on what they would need. Snape's instructions were always followed by a nasty smirk. Even Draco shuddered once or twice. Now they were back at Le-Annette's house. The sun had set and the vampire had taken the liberty of preparing dinner for them.

"I hope you enjoy it," she said as they all took their seats. "It's been a long time since I've had to prepare dinner for anyone."

She took the seat at one end of the rectangular table, while Harry took the other. He ate with his head down and there wasn't much talking. Hermione glanced at Le-Annette once, then continued to eat. Then she did the same to Harry. Finally, she could take it no longer. She slammed her fork down on the table and all stared at her.

"Hermione," Snape said sharply, finally getting the hang of using her first name.

"This is bloody ridiculous! Harry, how could she have known of Voldemort's birth if Zion didn't tell her, hmm?" the mousy haired girl snapped at her friend.

Le-Annette's head hung low. If looks could kill, there would've been a stake through her heart. Harry stood slowly, as though to propose a toast, but instead began to plea his case.

"She knew," was all he began with. Le-Annette closed her eyes.

"What?" Hermione gasped mouth slightly agape. She turned to the vampire. "Aunt Le-Annette, is this true?"

Le-Annette opened her eyes and slowly looked up. Everyone was staring at her. Draco's and Snape's expressions were unreadable, but Lupin's, Hermione's, and Ron's were as though they had all been told that Qudditch was all in their imaginations. Harry held a steady, but hard face. Le-Annette straightened in her chair.

"Yes, it's true. I knew. That night, the night when I first told Zion of my love affair with Salazar, I...didn't tell you all everything," she said, looking away.

Now Hermione was furious. "Don't look away!"

Le-Annette looked into her descendant's eyes. Hermione turned to Harry now.

"How did you find out?"

"The night after she finished her little story, when I stormed off to my room, I found a book on the bedside table. I picked it up and began to read it. I soon discovered that it was one of Le-Annette's diaries. It told the true story of that night,"

"Which goes?" Snape said, directing attention back to Le-Annette.

"I had asked him what he meant by the world being doomed. He told me, but it wasn't as clear as the prediction he gave me the few nights before Riddle's birth. Roughly, he told me that a Dark Lord would come. He would be the most evil thing to inherit the earth. And he said that it would spawn from my bloodline," she paused. They were all angry now. All of them, in one way or another, had lost something to Lord Voldemort. And now they had someone new to blame. She began to plead. "Please, you all must understand!" She broke into tears. "I loved Salazar with all my being! I needed him! I needed to be with him! I'm sorry!"

Hermione left her spot at the table and came to sit beside Le-Annette's chair. She took the vampire's hand. "It's okay," she muttered.

"Hermione! How could you forgive her that easily?" Ron bellowed.

"Don't any of you know how it feels? How it feels to be in love with somebody...and then to be told to stay away from them...that they weren't good for you? Don't you?"

Draco stood, patted Hermione on the shoulder, and left the room. Snape stood now.

"We can't hold her responsible for something that was started over a thousand years ago. We have to forgive her," he said. Now everyone stared at him. Snape, preaching forgiveness? Everything was different in America.

"Harry? Can you forgive her?" Hermione asked. Le-Annette stopped sobbing. Her face was streaked with the trails her tears had made. Harry sighed.

"Yes...yes, I can," he said.

Others nodded in agreement with Harry. Nothing else was said. The all retired for the evening to do whatever it was they could do to get their minds off the night's conversation.

That night had arrived. Hermione, Draco, Harry, Ron, Snape, and Lupin were leaving back to London. It was a tearful goodbye between Hermione and Le-Annette. Draco, Ron, and Lupin shook hands with the vampire, wishing her well being.

"And yourselves," she replied to them.

When Snape stepped forward to shake her hand, she pulled close to him and whispered some unheard message into his ear. He nodded and moved aside for Harry to express his sentiments.

"Goodbye, Le-Annette," he said.

"Goodbye, Harry Potter," she replied.

"I'm sorry for my attitude over the summer."

"Perfectly understandable."

"Well, bye."

"Until we meet again."

"And when will that be?"

Le-Annette smiled.

"Come on, Potter! We gotta go!" Draco called.

"When will we meet again?" Harry asked.

Le-Annette smiled but did not reply. Hermione ran over and grabbed Harry's arm. They all hopped into the muggle taxi that had been called, and, with a final wave to Le-Annette, they were gone.

Le-Annette gave a small laugh. "We will meet again soon, Mr. Potter."

"Quite so," said a voice from behind her. She turned. Zion stood, leaning against the threshold of the house.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Came to visit. Times are going to be hard for you," he said.

"Nice to see you again too. Come on, let's go inside."

The two vampires entered the large manor, closing the door behind them as they went. In the distance, a storm began to brew.