Standing Up For Myself -- Spring 1997 (DONE)

It was getting close to evening and I decided I would stand up to my father and give him the chance to let James and Lily go.  That was a week ago.  And still, they were trapped.  I knew approximately where Lily was.  And who was I going to tell?  Dean.  I probably should tell Harry, but I didn't know harry and who kenw if he would listen to me anyways.  Dean and I had gotten closer... it was actually Dean who gave me the strength to stand up to Dad.  I hadn't been able to find Dean in the castle so I went to the grounds by the lake.  And I saw him standing there chatting with Addison.  I walked up to them and said, "Dean, Addie,  I don't mean to interrupt rudely or anything... but can I speak to you, alone please?" I was looking at Dean when I said the last tidbit.

I excused myself from Addison since Jetty looked like he was in trouble or something. I walked over towards him and we moved farther away from Addie. "Hey man, what's up? Everything okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked really stressed out.

I shrugged and ran my hand through my hair. "Well, I'm okay. But I gave my dad a chance to change. To be a better person, and he hasnt' done anything," I explained, feeling like I needed to go from the beginning of the situation at hand and then I would explain the entire gravity of the situation.

"Okay," I said slowly, figuring I would just have to wait this ride out. Figure out eactly what Jetty was trying to tell me. "And I'm guessing it didn't go that well." I felt for this kid. I mean... he had a great mum and stuff, but his dad was a mental case. The only reason I hadn't gone out yelling that his father was still alive was one, I was threatened by Jetty and his dad. And two, it really wasn't my place. I didn't need to get in the middle of all the nonsense of the Pettigrew drama when I had Black drama going on constantly.

I chuckled a little bit. "No, it really didn't," I said, shaking my head. "He thought I was losing my mind or something, the look he gave me. I said I'd give him a week to do the right thing; well, it's been a week. He hasn't done a damn thing and I'm not going to wait around for him - I shouldn't have in the first place - with people in danger of losing their minds if not their lives." I figured Dean would get angry with me about this for not doing something about it sooner. But I didn't know I could do something with my dad looming over me like he had been. Now I know I at least have a way out and Dean gave it to me.

I stared at Jetty, trying to make this make sense. "Okay," I repeated slowly, running a hand through my hair. "So... people are trapped or something and in danger. And you gave him a week to let himself change," I said, making this compute. "Which, I can understand, Jetty. He's your dad and you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt -- you're a better man than I, because I didn't do that for my own father until later in life. You can go ahead and if me interrupting drives you nuts, just let me know," I told him, smiling at him a little bit. I didn't want to get all crazy with him on this. Did I think it nuts for him to think that his dad could do the right thing, yes. But I understood where he was coming from.

I nodded, letting him repeat what I told him. I knew that it would be difficult to take this all in. I had to give him credit for trying to make me feel a little better. "No you're fine... the next part I'm going to start from way back in the beginning before all of this. I am not defending what I did... I know it makes me horrible for letting this get that far... but just bear with me," I told him.

I had a feeling that what he was going to tell me was going to make me need to brace myself. "Alright... I suppose there's a reason for everything," I explained, "so I will try to keep my judging at a minimum. I have plenty of things that people could judge me on. So I'll try my best." I smiled at Jetty, trying to reassure him.

I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to start this. "Well... Dad asked me to help him once I was fourteen. And I thought it was a great idea to be able to bond with him, you know," I explained, shaking my head at how naïve I was. "Low and behold, it was helping him take food to prisoners... people that everyone think is dead," I added.

I felt my mouth fall open before I coudl stop it. "He has people as prisoners? Who people already think are dead?" I asked in disbelief. I wasn't even judging Jetty; it wasn't his fault his dad is a complete psychopath.

I sighed. "Yeah... and I didn't think there was anything I could do but to talk to her. To try to make her feel better. I didn't think that I would be able to help her more than that," I continued. "He won't let me see the man... I think he knows that the guy will overpower me or something. I don't know the reasoning. But I think I've decided my dad is really mental or something." I couldn't look at Dean at the moment. I felt so bad for not coming forward with this before. "Dean... I feel like such a horrible person. The only thing I did was talk to her? I should've been trying to get her out."

I put my hand on Jetty's shoulder. "Jet, it's alright," I told him. "You can talk to me. Is there any other information you can give me? Like who they are or anything? We can save them," I added, thinking how awesome it would be if we were able to rescue them together.

I nodded to him. "I am not yet finished," I told him quietly. "They've been thought dead for as long as we've been born... and I didn't know they were alive until a year or so ago." I took a deep breath, expecting to get yelled at or something now. "Dean, it's your aunt and uncle -- Lily and James."

I stared at Jetty, thinking he was joking or something. My aunt and uncle still alive? "Are you serious?" I questioned him, disbelief in my voice.

That was a little better than I expected the enws to go over. "Yes, I am," I said, ashamed of how I had handled everything. "I know I should've told someone right away... the first instant my dad took me to them, but I couldn't betry him like that, I guess." I sighed and looked at Dean. "But I know how to get to Lily... I've never seen James. So I would just think that he's close because Dad is never that far away from me when I visit her. But I want to get someone -- anyone -- to save Lily. She is so sweet... she cares so much for Harry. I just wasn't sure who I could tell that would let me get the entire story out besides you," I told him honestly. I knew I probably had to go to Dumbledore, but he frightened me a little bit. And I also didn't necessarily lose my father.