Penny Potter may be the twin of Harry Potter but she does not share his proclivity for a hatred of the Potions Master, Severus Snape. Likewise, Snape finds, despite his better efforts that Penny has become dangerously intertwined in his life. Given...
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"Ooh, Penny!" Hermione gasped when Penny finished explaining to her, Ron and Harry what had transpired on her visit to Nurmengard.
She'd re-told this story so many times and to so many different officials that she was just reciting at this point. And like with all those who asked before them, Penny kept the details of Grindelwald's exchange to herself. How was she supposed to explain to anyone the lunatic believed in eternal beings that apparently had an interest in Penny? Or that Grindelwald now resided within the confines of her head?
If she'd let that slip to anyone in Nurmengard, she knew they'd have locked her up right beside him. But that didn't make it feel any better lying to Niklas, who'd done more than anyone to ensure Penny was allowed to return to Hogwarts in time for term.
Penny hadn't even found the courage to tell Lupin, though they had plenty of time on the journey back. The admission just felt like one more thing that was 'wrong' with her. One more thing for him to worry about. So despite feeling like she should, Penny couldn't confide the truth in him, couldn't endure the prospect of seeing that worried look on his face.
And yet, with Snape, those words flowed with ease without a conscious thought. She understood why, after saying it, why it was so much different with him. The relief was instantaneous, but more poignant was how the way he looked at her didn't change, not so much of a flicker of that paternal guilt that Lupin was so ridden with.
But these three, though she loved and trusted her brother, made her wary of sharing that information. She didn't want them to look at her differently, to distrust her. The questions she knew they'd ask, they'd get too close to the other truths she wasn't ready to face just yet.
So she altered the story and kept the full extent of her nightmare to herself, telling herself one day she'd explain herself.
"But why would he give his power to you? You're not even capable of controlling your own. What a waste," Ron said in an offhand manner that thoroughly irritated Penny.
Looking over at the concerned green eyes of her brother made standing by her omission even harder. She didn't like lying to him, and he seemed to be reverting to suspecting the worst. But she double downed, she could not distract Harry from whatever he and Dumbledore were doing about horcruxes. No, Penny would not add more worries to Harry's already extensive list. She would figure out her own problems herself.
"Because the opinion of a boy who can't even change the color of his own eye-brow is an accurate representation of Penny's power and potential," Hermione said coolly, making both Ron and Penny blush. Penny could kiss her for coming to her defense, but thought better of it.
"Yeah but, he can't have given it to her without expecting something in return," mused Harry, his forehead wrinkling around that lightning-bolt scar of his. "What if he wants to use Penny to break out at some point."
"It's possible and I considered the same thing at first. His powers are nullified in Nurmengard, so giving them to Penny seemed like an obvious trade, were she inclined to repay the favor. It's a gamble though, isn't it? Expecting her to put herself at risk for him. He could be desperate of course, but it doesn't seem plausible considering he was known for his cunning. That white streak of hair though. . ." Hermione said, glancing nervously at Penny before going on. "It makes me think he just wanted a connection to her, or rather, to the outside world."
