Harry Potter and the Year of Revelations

Chapter 4: Oya Potter

Harry quickly went up to Gryffindor Tower to put down the sleeping potion he was carrying. He wondered what the Prefects' Meeting would be like. He hoped it wouldn't be as boring as Binn's classes. Then again, probably nothing could be that boring.

After he had left the potion in his trunk, he had a look at the board in the Common Room. The meeting was near the prefects' bathroom he had visited last year. He found it easily enough and knocked on the door, since there was no one standing around it. He heard Angelina's voice say "Come in".

He opened the door and went inside. What he found was a large circular room full of people wearing prefect badges. That was when he remembered that he hadn't put his own badge on all day, so now he did. In the middle of the room stood a huge round table and on it were nameplates for each prefect with the signs of their houses. He quickly saw that they were mixed, sitting almost randomly. Even the Head Boy and Girl weren't next to each other. He looked for his own name and when he found it, he got a nasty surprise. Sitting on his right was Draco Malfoy. Luckily Angelina, the new Head Girl was on his left.

Taking his seat, he wondered if Angelina didn't want to be Quidditch captain, because it would have been too much for her. Or perhaps she just didn't want the team to have to get a new captain next year besides two chasers and beaters. Maybe they should try looking for them already, he thought.

He would have gladly considered that idea, if his neighbour hadn't decided to talk to him.

"I don't know who has set the seating arrangements, but I really think they were out of their minds."

"I'm just as happy about it as you are, Malfoy."

Harry would have very much liked to talk to him this time, or rather put a Cruciatus curse on him so that he could feel what Isabelle must have gone through. However, before his ideas could be turned into action, Angelina stood up to talk to all of them.

"Welcome all to this year's first Prefects' Meeting. We don't have many things to discuss now. However, first of all I would like to welcome those who are attending for the first Time. ... Let's move on to our priorities. There is an envelope before everyone. Open it now and unfold the parchments." There was big shuffling as everyone did as told. "On one of the parchments you find the schedule for the nightly patrols starting tonight up until December. I worked hard with the Head Boy on ensuring that everyone patrols the same amount. I accept no changes."

Angelina waited a little to allow everyone to go through the schedule. Harry groaned. He had to patrol that night with Hermione. A long day was made even longer for him. He wondered why everyone had picked that day to set him a task.

"On the other parchment you can read about giving and taking away house points. Of course, this may be more interesting to our younger members. However, some of our older ones may need to refresh their memories," with these words she glared at a Slytherin prefect. Harry briefly wondered what that was about. Probably there had been some problems with that prefect and the way he dealt with house points. "I have no more things to discuss. If any of you do, please raise your hands." She looked around, but no one made a move. "If no one has anything to add, then I call this meeting closed. You will be able to read the date of the next meeting on the school board. Goodbye everyone!"

Harry noticed a clock against one of the walls. It was only half past five. He still had an hour and a half until his meeting with Oya Potter. He had time to go and eat. He looked around for Hermione and saw her approaching.

"Harry, did you see?! We have patrol tonight! I'm so happy! I was so excited about going on the corridors after hours legally! Isn't it great?!"

"Well, I'm certainly not going to get any work done tonight."

"Oh, that's right. You've had a busy day. Who's the new Quidditch captain?" she asked as they went out the corridor and headed for the Great Hall.

"I am. They all voted for me. Bit of a surprise, really."

"You didn't expect it?" She seemed amazed.

"No. Obviously everyone else did. Ron gave me a book for Quidditch captains as a birthday present."

"That's good. What else did you do today?"

"I've met Madame Malkin in Dumbledore's office and got some new clothes. I'd outgrown all my old ones, but I couldn't go to Diagon Alley."

"It was obvious that your clothes weren't fitting you. Did you ask Professor Dumbledore about Professor Potter?"

"I didn't have the opportunity. However, I've seen Snuffles."

"You did? How is he?"

"I'm going to tell you all about him when Ron will be with us as well."

"Oh, ok. He said he'd wait for us in the Great Hall."

Without saying another word, they hurried to the Great Hall. When they arrived, they noticed Ron sitting by himself. Most of the students hadn't come to eat yet, it was too early for them. Harry was glad about that. This way they could put their heads together and talk. So they joined Ron at the table.

"Hi guys! Short meeting?"

"Yeah, we only talked about a couple of things. Me and Hermione are patrolling tonight," Harry informed Ron.

"Harry, you can tell us about Snuffles now," Hermione said.

"Snuffles? You've seen him?" Ron said, surprised.

"Yes, I did. I couldn't talk to Professor Dumbledore, but I met Snuffles at Dumbledore's office. We talked about Oya."

"Of course, they must have met before!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione gave him a look.

"The first thing that he said was that she was beautiful ...." Harry went on to tell everything Snuffles had told him.

When he was finished, it took all of them a little time to digest what they had heard.

"Well, it wasn't all that much," Hermione noted.

"No. After all, he was my Dad's friend, not hers."

"It's odd that he didn't know why she was mad at your dad," Ron said.

"Maybe it had something to do with her being in his shadow. There are many people who don't take that well." Hermione voiced her thoughts and dared a glance towards Ron.

"It was probably like that. I'll find out more in a few hours."

"We had a look at some spells needing eye contact, Harry," Hermione said.

"What did you find?"

"There are mind penetrating spells that need it. Those could be dangerous. She could be reading your thoughts. Next time quickly turn away when she does that."

"All right."

Harry was still sure Isabelle was harmless.

They all ate in silence, contemplating the new year and many other things. After that they went up to the Common Room to study some.

Harry had been gazing at the blank parchment in front of him for half an hour, when he realised that his mind kept wandering to his next appointment. He still had half an hour to go until his scheduled appearance in the DADA office, but he couldn't wait. Hoping that Oya wouldn't mind him being early, he stood up from the table.

Hermione noticed his movement and looked up.

"Harry, going already?"

"Yes. Can't wait."

"You'll have to tell me everything when we patrol."

"All right." He left.

On his way he wondered about what the office would be like. Its previous occupants all shaped it to their own personalities. Thinking back, he realised that if he had examined the office more closely, he would have had fewer surprises in his life. Of course, he was more grown now and wiser. Somehow, he saw things differently. He no longer expected to have a quieter year, or a less dangerous one. He walked around suspiciously, never feeling safe. All innocence had been lost to him.

He had almost reached the office, when he heard someone call out Oya's name. He knew that the person was just around the corner, so he stopped to listen. Harry recognised the voice. It was Snape.

"What is it, Severus?" Harry knew that Oya was on the corridor as well as she answered Snape.

"You have been avoiding me, when you know we have to talk," he answered.

"We don't need to talk, especially not here."

"No one goes around here at this time of day."

"True. However, we still have nothing to talk about."

"Yes we do. Like these past years, the things that have happened between us."

"Severus, that's all in the past now. I left behind everything 15 years ago."

"Everything? Ares as well?"

"No. I will always remember him. His face ... I go to his grave often. However, I left being a Death Eater along with what was between us in the past."

"We are no longer Death Eaters. Neither of us."

"Yes. Still, .... It was a lie and you know it. We were in the same situation and that's why Voldemort put us together in the first place. He knew we would eventually get together. I never really loved you, Severus, no matter how much I tried."

There was some silence and Harry had time to think over what he had heard. His aunt and Snape. So that had been the reason why he was smiling so much nowadays.

"I loved you," Snape answered.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Oya almost whispered those words and Harry could feel the sorrow behind them. The truth was, Harry couldn't be sorry.

"I need you, Oya. I still need you."

"You'll have to do without me. All that I can offer you is my friendship."

"I'm not content with that!" there was anger in Snape's voice. "You are just like her! You want to run after him now, don't you. All along you always loved him!"

"Severus, you always knew that I did. I never told you otherwise."

"You said you could love me as well."

"I wanted to Severus! I wanted to so much! I have even gone as far as almost convincing myself of feelings that I never had! When Ares and then James died I could no longer go on the way I had. That's why I left. Why am I explaining this to you? I've already did."

"Then you will never come back to me?"

"No."

"I can't believe that."

Suddenly, Harry heard the sounds of struggle. He dared a peek around the corridor to see what was happening. What he saw made him think of running to his aunt's help. Snape was kissing Oya feverishly, his arms clutching her to him. She on the other hand was trying to push him away. Then it sounded like she succeeded and a slap could be heard, which stopped Harry from rushing to her aid.

"Severus, get a grip of yourself. I can't believe you just did that!"

"You used to like it."

"I've told you that it's over. I wanted to be your friend, but now I'm not sure I could be. Go away! Get out of my sight, before I get my wand out!" Harry could tell that she was furious.

At last, the sound of feet running away could be heard and luckily for Harry, they were heading the other way. Oya on the other hand went into her office, probably to wait for Harry.

Harry decided to wait a bit, making sure that Oya wouldn't suspect him eavesdropping. Meanwhile, he contemplated everything that he had heard, wanting to remember it in order to talk it over with Hermione and Ron. After a while, he decided to take the few steps to the door and inhaling deeply, knocked. It opened to reveal a smiling Oya, obviously happy to see him.

"Harry! Do come in." She gestured him inside. "You are a bit early, but that's ok."

Harry stepped in, wanting to have a really good look at the room. I was unlike anything it had been before. Gone were the stone walls, instead the place seemed to be inside a forest. In one corner there was a little fountain with crystal clear water flowing down three storeys of marble. On top of it was a statue that had three women standing with their backs to each other, all facing outwards. Harry could see that one was a girl, another a middle-aged woman and the last an ancient woman. All of them were dressed in ancient Greek-style clothing. A desk made of shining wood stood in the middle. On top of it was a picture with its frame turned to face away from him and to his surprise a laptop with its lid down. There was also a green sofa in the room, big enough for two people. Harry found nothing more inside. The room, on the whole, gave a very serene, peaceful feeling. He stepped to the wall first and, touching a tree, felt stone.

"It's still the wall, I only magicked it to look like that. A similar spell than to the one in the Great Hall. Sit down on the sofa."

"Thank you. I thought electronic objects didn't work here," he said as he sat down and pointed to the laptop.

"Oh, there's a spell that not only makes it work in here, but I don't have to find any electricity to make it work either. Most wizards and witches have asked me why the good old parchment and ink aren't good enough for me, but frankly I have a love for computers."

"Yes. Probably most of them don't even know what it is."

"Of course. You know, fountains needed a bit of getting used to. When I started living near a stream, I had to go to the toilet every other second." She laughed and Harry feebly mimicked her. "Sorry, I'm talking about silly little things, when I should be answering your silent questions." She sat down next to him. "Where to begin? I'm two years younger than James. I was always his little sister. By the time I got to Hogwarts, it was full of stories of his antics and his friends' as well. Of course, they had been coming for a few weeks to stay with us every now and then, making Mom mad sometimes. However, she could never be truly angry with him. Nor could Dad. You see, family was very important to Dad. The Potter name. However, it was a misfortunate name and looking at our family tree, you could see that they were the only remaining men called "Potter". So they were both very protective of James. Mom wanted to have more children, but no matter how hard they tried, none came. Oh, one did come after me, but he was born dead. Poor mother, how she must have felt ... Anyway, so he was the golden boy, the one to carry on the family name. Of course that's you now, Harry, so never forget that. If you die without a son, the family dies out with you. Oh, but there I go, wandering off again! Let's go on. So I used to be a good girl. James always came first and I was used to it. However, I started to grow tired of it when I became a teenager. My rebellious side was waking up. When one day James said that I should be careful with boys and wait till I find the right one, well, I decided that he should just stop caring for my love-life. After all, he had Lily by then and his best friend, Sirius was quite the Don Juan. So I was 15 and decided to do just the opposite that he had told me. 15 is the age from which wizards and witches can legally have sex, so I decided to use it. I slept with as many wizards as I could. I'm not very proud of it, but I always drank my potion and had lots of fun. However, now that I think back, it was all very hollow. I never loved any of them and I always felt empty." Her voice had turned solemn and she looked down into her lap for a while.

"I was barely 17 when it happened. Mom and dad were attacked when on a trip in Scotland. They were just spending some time together, as it was their wedding anniversary. I don't exactly know who it was. They were found by Muggles a few days after. Their corpses already rotting. There wasn't a mark on them. Avada Kedavra probably. I returned to Hogwarts as an adult, being seventeen already. During the February Hogsmeade trip I saw Severus, your Professor Snape. Everyone knew that he was there in case someone wanted to become a Death Eater."

"Why didn't they arrest him?"

"Oh, he was most quiet about it. So I went to him and slipped a note inside his hand, telling him to meet me in the Hog's Head, a shady little pub. He was most surprised. A Potter wanting to become a Death Eater."

"Why did you?"

"Well, as I've told you I was rebellious. I wanted to go against everything that James was or wanted of me. By then he already worked for Dumbledore. I don't really know what he did though. Anyway, I thought that then I would work for the other side. You see, all my life I was his little sister. I wanted to make a name for myself. I thought I would be Oya Potter, the most feared Death Eater in the world! Cute, huh? I don't know how I could have been that delusional. So after school I moved away and joined him. Got the Dark Mark, the hood and all."

"What did you do?"

"Everything Voldemort asked me to do. I got an older partner. He thought me everything. The Cruciatus, the Imperius, Avada Kedavra, hovering Dark Mark, all of the necessary spells. How to go about unnoticed, to extract information. To make the best Veritaserum in the world. I even slept with him. Of course, Voldemort knew I would. He expected me to. It was part of his plan. As I've told you, he put single Death Eaters together. However, I didn't tell you that the simple goal of it was to produce the next generation. Many did. Some of the children that I'll have to teach are results of this "match-making". About what I did working for Voldemort, you don't want to know."

"Did you .... kill anyone?"

"I did. A couple."

"How could you?" Harry's voice rose a bit.

"Frankly, I don't know. I suppose I didn't think about it. Now, I have to live with the memories. Their faces." Harry noticed tears welling up in her eyes. "When James died, for a while I had been having trouble with my conscience, but then, I collapsed. All the things I've been keeping inside just burst out and I could feel again. I never wanted James to die, never. I loved him, he was my brother." She was openly crying. "I did everything to be against him, but I wanted him to live. He invited me to his wedding, but I never showed up. The last time I saw him I was so mean to him. I shouted and told him off. I was even mad at you for existing. I had cursed you, all three of you. How could I have done all these things? I'm so sorry, Harry. Can you ever forgive me?"

Harry didn't really know what to do. She was crying her eyes out, practically begging him to forgive what he thought was the worst thing in the world. She had killed. She had served the murderer of his parents. She had been his enemy. She had cursed him. He still half couldn't believe that she had truly changed sides. So instead of promising forgiveness, he asked a question.

"What did you do when Dad died?"

She seemed to make an effort to stop crying and after a minute or two her sobs stopped and she managed to talk again, though her voice was hoarse. She looked into his eyes and kept the contact.

"Well, first I cried for days, I couldn't believe that they had died and Sirius was in Azkaban. ... Then I thought of what to do. I couldn't have gone to Dumbledore or anyone else and say 'I'm sorry, will you forgive me?' They would have thought that I had done it because Voldemort was gone. I also thought of going to the Ministry of Magic and telling them that Sirius wasn't a Death Eater, but I was. They would have only sent me away as well. They would never admit a mistake. So I went to where most wandering souls went; to the United States of America, Brave New World. I went to New York and a whole lot of places. For years I was just discovering the Muggle world. You see, I did take Muggle Studies in school, but I had never so much as rode in a car that didn't have things jumping from in front of it. When I sat on a plane, I was so scared, my knees visibly trembled. I was afraid of heights and wasn't an animagus yet.

"One day I stopped in this small town to eat a burger and saw an odd poster. It said "Witches' Gathering". I looked around, thinking that I was in an American Wizarding town. However, everything looked normal and Muggle-like. So I decided to go and see this Gathering for myself. It was that night in the forest on a clearing. When I arrived, there were bonfires, people dancing around them, some naked, drums, just like a great party. Two women, who were holding hands, welcomed me. I decided to talk to them about what it all was. That was when I found out about Muggle witches and a religion called "Wicca". I'm not going to talk in details about it right now, but it is very interesting. So I listened to them and asked questions. I started to understand things and stayed. For hours I just watched them, Wiccans. It was somehow the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Their eyes locked, Harry could see how her eyes glistened at the memory. "There were only few men. I noticed one of them staring at me intently. I thought that he wanted to sleep with me. I considered it and decided to say no if he asked me. He sat down next to me, but he didn't ask the question I had expected. He asked me if I was a real witch from the Wizarding World. I must have looked at him silly, because he smiled. I told him I was and asked him how he knew. He told me he could tell. Somehow, after years of keeping it all inside, I told him everything, Voldemort and all. It occurred to me that he was an Auror hunting for me, but I didn't really care. Well, he wasn't. He was a wizard and told me he could help me. He even said that he didn't want me to sleep with him. I said yes to his offer. In the following years we lived in his small house outside the town in the forest next to a stream. He was a Wiccan as well. He taught me about it and spells I never knew even existed. He taught me how to be an animagus. I had found peace there and myself. I became the person I would have become only if my petty jealousy hadn't overtaken me. My dark side. I had become a Wiccan as well. One day I was just eating by the lake when I felt a searing pain on my arm. I looked at the Dark Mark and saw it glow. I quickly hurried to Elias, that was his name, and told him that Voldemort must have returned. He said that I should return to England, because people could use me against him, especially with my new skills. I agreed, so I packed. I was so sorry to go. We talked before I Apparated away. He had taught me everything and there were no more reasons for me to return. He told me that we would never see each other again. I shed a few tears and Disapparated. I came to Hogwarts. Of course I didn't Apparate right into Hogwarts, but arrived into Hogsmeade. It felt odd to be there again. I still had some Galleons on me and got a room in the Three Broomsticks. Freed from my luggage, I went to the Shrieking Shack. I looked around a bit and remembered. You know what it was used for?"

"Yes. I know that Dad, Sirius Remus and Wormtail hid there. Also, two years ago Sirius hid there again after he escaped from Azkaban."

"He did? Very clever of him. They never let me go with them. I often wanted to. After that I changed right there. I flew in my eagle form low, almost touching the ground to get through some of the magical barriers. Then I soared up at the side of the building. I found the window of Dumbledore's office and flew in. I stood before him. We talked, he believed me. I stayed here all summer. The rest you know. Except for one thing. I have also agreed to give you some extra lessons. I know that with the OWLs coming up you'll be busy. However, there are many months till then and what I have to teach you is more important."

"What is it?"

"Give me your wand, Harry."

He did as asked.

"Now, tell me how you feel."

"Ok."

"What if I were to attack you? Then how would you feel?"

"Powerless," he admitted.

"Yes and that's what we're going to work on. Here you go," she handed him back his wand. "Now, watch."

"What?"

By the time Harry had uttered his question, he knew what to watch. Behind Oya, the picture on her table started to move and then flew towards her. It gently landed in her hand.

"Did you see me use a wand?"

"No," he said, still gaping.

"Yes and I don't need one. I use it during classes and in front of others in case my enemies could see me. Surprise is an important element when fighting. Just imagine that you're duelling with someone. You disarm the person and think you've won. When suddenly, from out of nowhere, you get stunned. Highly effective, no?"

"Yes."

"I'll be giving you lessons on wandless magic from now on. When do you have time?"

"On Friday afternoon I don't have classes."

"I do, however what about 6 o'clock in the evening?"

"Fine."

"Good. Now, the reason why I had got this picture from my desk was to show it to you. Have you seen pictures of James?"

"I have an album. Hagrid had assembled it for me. He got the pictures from friends."

"Good old Hagrid. However, you probably don't have small childhood pictures, do you?"

"No, only adult ones."

"Well then...." She turned the frame in her hand and gave it to Harry.

From a black and white picture two children were smiling and waving at him, hugging each other as well. One was a taller boy with glasses and ruffled hair, the other a pretty little girl.

"It's the two of us. James is 9 and I'm 7."

She stood up and went to her desk. Drawing out a case, she took out a book that looked like an album.

She sat very close to Harry and when she opened it, it folded out partially into Harry's lap.

"I know that no one could tell you little stories from James' early childhood, so I will. This picture," she pointed at the first one that had a baby on it, "is James' first photo. Pretty little kid, huh?"

The remainder of the meeting went on like that, and Harry slowly got to know his father as a child, a part of a family. An old wizarding family. He laughed sometimes and left when it was time for him to patrol with happiness and the first strands of love for his Aunt Oya.

To be continued...