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COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER

Text Copyright El

(Nashoba)™ 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication that contains original ideas from the author (me) including characters, events, plot, races, or even planets may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including: photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain noncommercial uses permitted by the copyright law.

Any characters that are not mine belong to JK Rowling and this story is merely inspired by the book series and is a fanfiction. That being said, I do not own the characters of Harry Potter or its plot. Only my own characters and ideas/plot.

. . .

IMPORTANT

↳ timeline: goblet of fire — post-deathly hallows

↳ contains swearing, mild depictions of violence (ex. torture, death), and mentions of mature themes (e.x. alcohol, sex)

. . .

EXTENDED SUMMARY

For as long as she can remember, Verity "Vera" Finch has been able to see lies. Her father had explained it to her once, a lengthy endeavor that had lasted nearly an hour but the gist of it is this; her great-great-grandmother on her mother's side was the last known Vere Propheta, a witch whose magic could sense lies without the use of spells, and when her mother (a carrier of that dormant gene) had married her father (who was a natural born Legilimens, a wizard that can peer into minds) Vera's peculiar ability was born. 

Lie: Verity Finch is perfectly okay. She's most certainly not worried about the sightings of her aunt in London, nor is she worried about the absence of letters from her father as the echoes of the dark mark at the Quidditch World Cup unnerve even the purebloods in her dorm.

And here's the thing, Verity didn't mean to create a barrier between herself and majority of her peers, but when half of them respect you for your murderous aunt's actions and the other half respect you for your father's valiant efforts in the first war, things get a little complicated (particularly when they despise you for the other's actions, you'd think people would learn that children are not their fathers nor mothers and are in fact, their own person, but that's a battle Verity's long given up on winning). Besides, she learned a long time ago just how dangerous the truth can be and is dead-set on keeping her abilities as quiet as possible. She's perfectly content with her small circle of friends and has no plans on expanding that circle any time soon, because new friends means curiosity and curiosity can be a deadly thing.

Truth: Verity Finch is spiraling. From the frightened whispers said under the cover of darkness to the growing hostility between students to the rumors corrupting even the most innocent, Hogwarts is changing and there's no doubt the world outside is changing alongside it. Despite the headmaster's assurances, Verity feels as though war is already upon them; everyone is just too blinded by the Triwizard Tournament to see it.

For as long as he can remember, George Weasley despised not knowing things. From taking apart a family heirloom to find out why it was so special (sorry mum!) to solving mysteries so he can divulge himself in their secrets, it's safe to say that when something catches his interest, he doesn't rest until he gets answers (he likes to compare this need to an itch that has to be scratched... except the itch is more like a gnome bite in his brain and the only way to scratch it is to get answers). It's why he stayed awake for 72 hours to figure out how the Marauder's Map worked, why he dug to the bottom of a few dozen rumors so he could hex the git responsible for talking trash about Ginny (not that he'd ever admit to doing anything nice for his sister, he does have a reputation to uphold). It's because George can't stand not knowing.

Lie: George Weasley can let things go. He is perfectly capable of moving on from not being able to know why a person did something the way they did, or brushing aside rumors that don't pertain to him, and he most certainly is capable of not crossing lines in his quest for answers.

And here's the thing, George didn't mean to lose the Marauder's map, but somewhere amidst the drudgery of his potions essay and the frenzy that consumed the library as the announcement that the other schools participating in the Triwizard Tournament were arriving, the plain piece of parchment got misplaced. It was only when he was on the edge of sleep did that minor detail pop into his head, resulting in a frantic oh bloody hell! and the twins racing to the library in their pajamas, only to return to the dorm room sans map with a severely ticked off Fred despite George's assurances that the map would turn up. And it did, just not in the way that they were expecting.

Truth: George Weasley is stumped. Neither he nor Fred have ever talked to Vera before, and yet she managed to properly address them both despite the twins swapping names as easily as they breathed. Everyone gets tricked by them, even their own mother, and try as he might, George cannot let go. Not when he finally has a mystery as big as Verity Finch to solve. 

The last thing Verity Finch needs is someone asking questions no one has considered asking before and paying too much attention to her. There's a reason Verity has used the rumors like armor instead of dispelling them, and she's most certainly not about to disclose that information to a prank-loving stranger. Unfortunately for her, when George Weasley wants to know something, nothing short of hell will stop him.

Unknown: There's no doubt about it, George Weasley will discover Verity Finch's secret, even if it means Verity discovering his. But what's life without a little risk? Not really life at all if you asked him.

. . .

(—to you, the lovely reader, 

thank you for giving this story a chance)

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