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BOOK TWO: CHAPTER SIX

Veronica had woken up on Sunday afternoon, almost 24 hours after the incident, and while she felt fine by that evening, Madam Pomfrey refused to discharge her from the hospital wing. She insisted on keeping her overnight and all through Monday to make sure that everything was okay.

Veronica had been anxious about missing classes, but Dumbledore wouldn't hear it. He urged her to rest and explained that her professors would have no problem explaining anything she missed, not that she really needed it.

Charlie had been adamant that he would also skip classes and stay with her, but Veronica didn't want him to miss anything, especially not Quidditch practice. Upon hearing this dispute, Dumbledore offered to stay with her, and he promised Charlie he would inform him immediately if something happened.

That was how she had found herself spending her Monday alone with the Headmaster. They had both spent most of the morning reading, but something had been bothering Veronica since she woke up the day before, and she couldn't hold it in anymore. "Headmaster, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Looking down into her lap and picking her nails, she sighed. "Why would my grandparents let me stay with my parents after what they tried to do?"

Dumbledore avoided looking in her eyes as he sat on the edge of her bed. "You know Veronica, your grandparents came to me when this happened, and they mentioned wanting to take you from your parents and bring you to live with them. But we were in the middle of the First Wizarding War, and your grandparents were actively fighting against Voldemort in the Order of the Phoenix. We were all targets, and they didn't want you to be in danger. Voldemort and his followers would not have cared that you were a child; they would have used and hurt you to get your grandparents to submit and join their cause. They didn't want that. They knew you weren't happy or loved with your parents, but at least you were safe, especially after the spell they put on your parents that prevented any serious harm from being done to you." Dumbledore patted her leg gently, and that was when Veronica realized she was sobbing. She wiped her tears and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "They planned on bringing you to live with them once the war was over, but unfortunately, they passed before that could happen."

Veronica sniffled and wiped her eyes roughly. "Professor, can you tell me how they died? My parents said it was a car crash, but I'm sure that's not true."

"No. That was the muggle reason. But I think you should wait to know the truth when you're older."

Veronica shook her head adamantly. "Please professor, I need to know what happened."

Dumbledore looked into her eyes for a moment, and once he was convinced she wouldn't back down, he sighed. "Very well. Voldemort wanted to capture your grandparents and torture them for information, so he sent his most trusted follower, Bellatrix Lestrange, to capture them, but he had underestimated your grandparents by sending her alone. They put up a bloody good fight, your grandparents, and Bellatrix was outnumbered. She fled, but she was too embarrassed to admit defeat, so she ambushed them... and killed them."

Veronica's head leaned to the left and her eyebrows furrowed as she looked over at Dumbledore. She could tell he was hiding something. "What aren't you telling me, Headmaster? I know there's something else."

"Veronica..."

"Professor, I'm not a child. I can handle the truth. Please!"

"Alright, alright, Veronica." Dumbledore shook his head softly as he looked away from her. "They were outside your house." Dumbledore's head shot up at her when she gasped.

Veronica had her hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "What do you mean?"

"They had come to see you to make sure you were okay. I believe their close call with death made them anxious to check on you, but before they could get to the front door, Bellatrix snuck up on them from behind and killed them before they could even reach for their wands." Dumbledore hesitated, wondering if he should continue. But he knew Veronica deserved to know the full story. "You were the one that found them."

Veronica's eyes widened as she stared incredulously at Dumbledore. "What?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "You had been home alone when you heard screaming outside. You came out to the front yard and found them there. Luckily, I had already gotten there, so I took you inside and erased your memory. We moved their bodies before your parents got home and fed them the false car crash story, which they then passed on to you."

Veronica held her head in her hands as she processed this information. In the last 48 hours, she found out that she had had two important memories hidden from her, and she didn't know how to feel. She was glad that she hadn't had to live with those memories throughout her entire childhood, but she also wondered if there were other memories that were hiding in her mind. While she was conflicted with her emotions, there was one thing she was certain of... she would make Bellatrix pay for what she did. That was a promise to her grandparents that she vowed to keep.

At that moment, the doors to the hospital wing burst open, and a cheerful Charlie came prancing into the room. However, his smile dropped when he saw Veronica's red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, and he ran to her side, looking between her and Dumbledore questioningly. "What's the matter, Ronnie? What happened?"

Veronica's head fell onto Charlie's shoulder as she told him everything, and he wished he could take away her pain. He would do anything to take away her pain.