Secrets Untold

Introductions

Prologue

The soft sunlight light filtered into the oaken and mahogany bedroom. The room was classic. Ancient, well kept, mystic and beautiful. In the middle, on a giant blue and gold four-poster bed lay a young woman. Her features were sharp, regal and carried a tired yet intelligent look.

Beside her lay a tiny form of a baby girl, her eyes shut in sleep and her chubby face carrying a hint of a smile

A black robed man sat on the edge of the bed, beside the mother and daughter. His gaze was fixed on the girl, mind calculating, contemplating and observing.

Finally, he turned to the mother and nodded his head in affirmation. "She is the one."

The lady smiled, as a wave of joy like she had never felt before swept through her. She gave the man an imperceptible nod, as he handed over a beautifully carved pendant to her.

"When the time comes," he murmured.

The woman looked at her sleeping baby," I shall see to that."

----

To most around her, Kara Lestrange was indecipherable. No doubt, she was gorgeous and intelligent. However, she was also an enigma. She was so secretive that none of her housemates could claim to be close friends or confidants of hers. She was in the crowd and yet, perfectly distant when she wanted to be. She controlled everything around her, people and even circumstances.

At 17 years of age, Kara was the most prolific character of Ravenclaw, and yet, hardly known by most outside her house. It was therefore, not very hard to imagine her being lost in the sea of faces at Hogwarts, perhaps because she let herself be so, or on the other hand, maybe because did not have the time for anyone.

But this year of her life changed everything. From the previously low-profile life of hers, Kara suddenly rose up to the latest ranks of gossip and topics amongst the handful of students left in the school.

Now, a week after she was back at school, Kara could hear the not too subtle whispers shadowing the hallways as she moved between classes. The topic was more than obvious. The Lestrange family had been devastated, and every trace of it ruined. A gigantic manor and a floating Dark Mark was all that was left of the place.

And the only survivor was Kara Lestrange.

The press was focusing on her for weeks. The Daily Prophet was trying to bring out the reason why she was the sole survivor of a Death Eater attack that not even her infamous parents could stand.

They publicized her as the new Harry Potter, who just tricked death when everyone else perished. There was excitement. Every witch and wizard wanted to know how this girl survived the face of death after being caught up in that very manor with her whole family and 20 Death Eaters.

Sadly for them, Kara refused the limelight. She chose to return to Hogwarts like a brave few others, to continue to study magic. For her, the place still had a mask of safety, and protection from the people that hounded the whole of her summer after the incident.

Resolutely, she kept a non-interested look in response to all the stares and reached the Great Hall. It was lunch, and the place looked nothing like before. Extra tables and chairs had been removed, due to the lack of students, as well as to promote school unity. Now standing in the center of the huge hall was a long table with exactly enough chairs for the number of students remaining at Hogwarts. There was always a chance that students would end up sitting beside unfamiliar faces.

As she slowly scanned the hall for a seat, Kara realized that the only empty seat was near a group of Gryfinndors, more appropriately titled, the Trio. She always wondered why there had been rumors of them not returning to Hogwarts this year. Wouldn't Granger want to complete her N.E.W.T.S with top marks? Yes, Voldemort was a new problem everyone was facing. But even then, Kara doubted Granger would leave studies to go fight him.

Smirking to herself, the Ravenclaw made her way to the empty place and took a seat. As she began eating the food off her plate, Kara reminisced about her life and current problems. There was just so much to think about. Problems regarding the inheritance of her property, Voldemort, her life. Kara sighed inwardly, wishing she had someone to talk to about all this.

Suddenly, she felt someone push against her back and sneer, "Do you have a habit of getting in people's way?"

Kara turned around to face a pale-faced, blonde someone. Her eyes immediately brightened up and a twinkle appeared in them. The faintest hint of a smile graced her lips. And yet, the voice that came out of her mouth was chillingly cold.

"Funny, I would think that after your fiasco last year, you would have mellowed down, Malfoy. Apparently, some things never change."

She saw him smirk. He leaned down towards her, placing one hand on the seat beside her, and whispered back, "You wish, Lestrange." And with a long look, he moved away, receiving glares from Potter and his friends, whom he thankfully ignored.

Kara turned back to her meal, her hand slipping to the exact place where Draco had placed his earlier. Her palm was grazed by a small piece of parchment, which she quickly and coolly pocketed. Minutes later, she was out of the Hall and in a corridor, opening the parchment and performing a spell that revealed all its contents.

An elegant scrawl appeared on the yellowish paper. Kara smiled. It was as usual.

Lake. At 8. Bring Cloak. No excuses.

DDNT

Sometimes, she marveled at the simplicity of the notes. But the complexity of the situation was what caught her attention the rest of the times. After all, it was hard to be close friends with Draco Malfoy.

Contrary to what people thought about her, Kara was a completely open book to some people around her. One had been Julian. And the other had been, Draco. She hadn't really considered him a friend at first. But situations brought them closer. Close enough for her to be known inside out by him.

And this itself was difficult, and yet, equally easy at the same time. While she found it tough to be really frank with him, he knew her so well that he wouldn't rest until she told him about her thoughts. And it was the same with her. And through this trust for each other, Kara got to know about the whole incident in Draco's sixth year. The way he was to kill Dumbledore and couldn't.

He had come to stay over at her Manor during the summers. Voldemort was beyond rage when he found out that Draco wasn't able to kill Dumbledore and that Snape had to do it for him. He ordered Draco to be killed. Fortunately, Snape saved him and brought him to the Lestrange Manor. It was then when she first came in actual contact with him. A boy with a hollow look in his eyes and hopelessness surrounding him. Julian extended a hand of welcome to him, and she followed, more out of trust for Julian than anything else.

And in a sweep, all her misconceptions about the famous, snotty boy, Draco, were gone. He repented of his actions deeply, and wanted to rectify them. Draco had decided to join the Order. To oppose the Dark Lord, who took away his family and who was ready to kill Draco for his services.

Over time, Draco confided into Kara and Julian the truth about Voldemort, and his Horcruxes. He refused to tell them how he knew about this, but he assured them it was true. And that he was convinced that one of the Horcruxes was in Hogwarts. Draco wanted to find that Horcrux and give it to the Order. It was his way of telling them that he was ready to join their ranks.

At first, Kara had refused to believe all this. But slowly, as she mulled over whatever he told her, she found herself convinced and willing to help Draco. Just like Julian.

And then, tragedy struck. Death Eaters discovered Draco's location and attacked the Manor. Draco managed to escape with Kara, while Julian perished. It was a huge shock to her. Her brother, the only person she had ever been so close to, was dead. And suddenly, Kara felt like doing nothing about the Horcruxes.

It was Draco that forced her to return to Hogwarts with him. He fueled in her the hate for Voldemort that had been present, but dormant. That, along with the fact that the animalistic press was getting hard to bear, made her return to Hogwarts again.

Till now, their search for the Horcrux had yielded nothing. Their only information about the thing was that it was held in something of Rowena Ravenclaw's. It was just like holding on to straws, but the search continued. The first time Kara had to meet Draco was two days ago, when they got their first piece of information.

And now this was the next note. Kara breathed in slowly as she wondered what Draco had found next. But the momentary feeling of anxiousness melted away as she saw the parchment again.

DDNT.

Kara smiled and shook her head. It was after she had told him about how it irked her to have such an ordinary first name that he started to sign his messages this way. To remind her that he had a special name. It was childish, but made the point.

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.

Kara burned the parchment, as always. But her mind was somewhere else. Someday, she would find something with her name in it too.