"First of all, I didn't kill—" Oleandra began. She had been about to say anyone, but Yaxley's lifeless eyes flashed before her, and her tongue seized, stopping her from forcing out a lie. "I didn't kill Dumbledore," she said hotly. "He killed himself. He didn't want Daphne and Draco to become murderers, so he stepped off the ledge on his own."
Tracey's eyes narrowed. "What were you even doing there, for that matter?"
Oleandra briefly explained what had happened with Theo's alchemical experiment, her shunting back and forth through time to the Bronze Age, and how she had finally ended up permanently stranded in the past… without going too much into detail, but hinting that it was the Dusk-Elf's fault.
Tracey was somewhat inclined to believe her; to Oleandra's surprise, the Four Founders had actually passed along her message through the ages to Dumbledore, who had in turn delivered it to Astoria, Daphne and Tracey.
"Then," Tracey asked. "Why does Harry believe you killed Dumbledore? I heard him tell everyone what you had done, and he seemed very sure that you were responsible."
At the time, Dumbledore had frozen Harry with a Full Body-Bind Curse, and he had toppled face-first into the ground, his body concealed by his Invisibility Cloak. Harry hadn't seen what had transpired, but he'd heard everything; and he hadn't missed Oleandra shouting the Summoning Charm's incantation in an attempt to steal Dumbledore's wand.
"How should I know?" Oleandra snapped. "Harry wasn't even on the Astronomy Tower's roof when it all went down. He came down the stairs after me, so for all I know, he's making it up!"
Tracey's eyes grew cold.
"Oh really?" she hissed. "If you were innocent, then why did you fight the Order of the Phoenix and run away with Nott and Snape, unless you were all in on it?"
Oleandra bristled.
"I'm not a liar," she said hotly. "I haven't lied even once in over three years."
"Then why!?" Tracey shouted, blinking away hot tears. "Why did you run!?"
"I DID IT FOR YOU!" Oleandra roared.
Stunned, Tracey opened and closed her mouth like a fish, but no sound came out.
"The runic magic we were gifted with was a trap," Oleandra said hoarsely. "That night, long-dead Wizards tried to possess us. I managed to save myself, and Daphne's… well, she's also special in her own way, so she didn't need my help. But it was already too late for Draco, and the same thing would have happened to you… I was so scared I wouldn't make it to your side in time, so I couldn't stop to answer questions…"
'Is that true?' Tracey mouthed.
Oleandra nodded.
"Is that why you stopped sharing your… gift?" Tracey said dizzily. "But… but… then, how long have you known?"
"At first it was just a sense of foreboding," Oleandra said miserably. "I divined our futures last summer, and the stars told me we would all be dead by the end of the school year… but I didn't know this would happen!"
Tracey wiped away her tears.
"So you've known for ages, but you said nothing, not even when it was too late?" she said, her voice sharp with anger. "Do you see where all these secrets have brought us? Is there anything else I ought to know?"
Oleandra's silence spoke volumes.
Her being the incarnation of a Greater Fairy, and that her life's mission was to restore Avalon for the sake of those who had come before.
Her twin sister Daphne being You-Know-Who's last Horcrux, and that she had to kill her no matter what.
The fact that she had become the first person in history to assemble all three Deathly Hallows to realise her goals.
"There's more, isn't there?" Tracey said dully. "But you have no intention of telling me, do you? You really haven't learned anything..."
"Those are my burdens to carry, and mine alone," Oleandra replied emotionlessly. "I have no right to force them onto anyone else, and neither would I want to wish them onto anyone else… least of all you."
Tracey looked at Oleandra with reddened eyes.
"I want to help you, I really do," she said, her voice trembling. "But I don't know how I'm supposed to do that if you close off your heart."
Oleandra abruptly stood up. "This was a mistake," she said brusquely.
Tracey hiccoughed in surprise.
"Better not to ask than to sacrifice too much, for a gift is always rewarded, and a boon always demands a return; better not to offer than have to slay too many," Oleandra recited her mantra. "I really don't know what I was thinking. It was stupid of me to think I could have everything."
Tracey's love or accomplishing her goals, she would have to sacrifice one.
"Love's not just about give and take!" Tracey cried. "It's about sharing the good and the bad!"
"No, it's just as you said, Tracey," Oleandra said dully. "We can't go back to how things were before, and I don't think we should, either. I've already caused you enough suffering, so…"
"Oleandra, no…"
"For both our sakes, I'm ending things between us, here and now."
Oleandra turned stiffly away from Tracey and stalked off. She couldn't bear for Tracey to see the tears streaking down her face, nor did she want to see Tracey's crying face. Hearing her sobbing behind her was already breaking her heart.
"One last thing," Oleandra called out. "Ginevra Weasley… she's the real Heir of Slytherin. I beat her once and sliced off her hand, but I can't promise I could do it again. She might come after you to get to me, so for your own safety… stay as far away as you can from us."
"I hate you!" Tracey screamed. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"
Tracey's voice was still echoing hauntingly in Oleandra's ears as she entered the castle. Tracey could hate her all she wanted, as long as she was alive. It was better this way. Tracey was no fighter, no duellist; if she stood by Oleandra's side, she would be the first to die.