The Farland Files

Lena Farland and the Rat-bastard Traitor

A/N: We're finally going to see the big reveal! \(^-^)/ *muffled screaming*

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"Hey! Lena!"

Slowing her walking, hands in her pockets as she turned slightly to look at where Charles Potter was walking quickly towards her (with a few of his reluctant-looking friends following him at a slower pace). "Potter."

Catching up to her- both their respective friends shifting restlessly behind either of them as if waiting for a duel- the boy gave her a guilty look. "I-... I wanted to say I'm sorry about last year. I mean you came back and all, so it must not have been too bad, but-"

"Trust me on this when I say I would not have come back had anyone less than Dumbledore himself asked for a personal favor... He was Jack's friend after all." She then tilted her head. "Would you like to try your apology again or are you going to admit that you didn't think you did anything wrong?"

The boy flushed red and she saw a few of his friend's faces darkening, but a glare kept them from trying anything. After a pause, Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't apologize for trying to keep my friends safe-"

"I don't expect you to."

"-But I do feel bad about trying to trick you with polyjuice potion. And for not trusting you in the first place... I don't think anyone even remembered you grew up with Muggles, we were all so afraid and you didn't look worried and-... well it just kind of spiraled."

Lena nodded. "Common mistake of the masses and usually the thing that starts the most riots, I am afraid. If everyone should be afraid, then the person who is not will either be torn to bits because the hive mind thinks they should conform or they will be seen as a hero. You were just pulled into the insanity of the rest of the idiots- I don't blame you for that."

The bushy-haired Ravenclaw- Hermione Granger- huffed. "You sure sound like you are."

"I am not blaming him, Granger, I am merely disappointed." Her eyes drifted from the girl and then back to Charlie. "I had expected someone so... sunshine to be better about judging on face value. I guess I will just have to lower my expectations yet again."

Ron Weasley stormed forward getting in her face angrily. "You think you're all that! Do you really think that you can talk to him like this? Do you know who he is? What he's done for you?"

She felt Theo and Draco go for their wands, Blaise surely palming one of the knives that the whole court pretended not to know she'd given him and she held up her hand to still them. "Ah. I thought that you might play that card. Shove the title of 'Boy-Who-Lived' in my face because apparently killing a single man is any real accomplishment other than making you a murderer..." Her eyes slid to where Charles was watching her with a frown. "And here I thought that you were better than hiding behind your fame. I am disappointed for the second time today."

"I'm not-"

"Lena. Your meeting is in ten minutes." Daphne's voice was calm, but it had a note of warning in it.

Glancing to the side to see Professors Black and Lupin heading towards their group with almost identical frowns, she nodded. "Wouldn't want to make Tharokk wait. Shall we? I think two disappointments are enough for today... I think that we might need to hurry though."

"Save us seats." Draco grinned.

Looking at the wiry dark-haired boy who was the shadow at Daphne's back, she smirked. "Payback time."

With a chuckle, Theo took off, his robes billowing out behind him as he ran and she gave a noise of outrage as if to chase him- knowing that the others would say that he'd pissed her off or give some excuse to the adults and then slip away from them in the village, as she and Theo were the fastest runners of the group.