Ivy Green glanced up from her book, her large eyes skimming the room for signs of life. It was late, and if her Father or one of the maids found her she would be in trouble. A slight thrill ran through her as she imagined this, the good as gold girl being caught breaking rules. Once she was sure she was alone she dropped her eyes down to her pages and began to read.

'Hogwarts School is divided into four unique houses, which originated from the four founders and are so named from them. These are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.'

Ivy's eyes clung to the last word, not allowing her to move on. That word may as well have been her family motto, their entire lives were built around it. Everything they were, stemmed from it, that house. Slytherin until they died. Her home was a shrine to silver and green, hell it even rang true in her name! Green, why couldn't they have been called Brown like other people? A shuffle of feet above her, a click of a door, nothing. Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited for footsteps on the stairs. Nothing came. She shook her head and felt the tremble in her fingers.

She started at Hogwarts tomorrow, and look at her. A mess who freaked out at the mere thought of her Father and the back of his hand. She was a coward, just like the rest of her family, Slytherin cowards. She examined the room around her, and noticed how many trinkets had vanished in the last few months. Pictures, perfume, certain books, even scarves that had once hung on the hat stand. It was like she had never existed…

Another bang startled her, and a screech of bedsprings, someone was definitely up. She wanted to go on reading but couldn't force herself to learn more about the other houses, not when she knew where she was going to be sorted into. Quietly flipping the cover back into place she put it back on the bookcase, making sure it was in the right slot, and retraced her footsteps back up to her room.

Her hand was on the doorknob but a noise behind her made her turn around. Her Father was leaving a bedroom, a bedroom that wasn't his. She heard the giggle of Bellatrix, their houseguest and noted the way his shirt was open at the bottom, his trousers barely pulled up. He stopped when he saw Ivy, standing there like an idiot, asking for a slap. "Ivy." He said, without a hint of guilt.

"Father." She returned calmly, although her knuckles had gone white from squeezing the doorknob.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I needed a glass of water." She lied. His dark eyes flickered to her empty hand and she silently dared him to challenge her.

"Right, well get to bed. If you aren't up tomorrow you won't be going at all. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you." Her Father rolled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest, showing her that he was not ashamed of his actions. With a few brisk steps he was at his own door and had vanished through it.

Her room was cold as entered and leaned against her door, the wood splintering in her back. Asshole. She thought and her nails dug into her smooth palms as tears sprung in her eyes. She threw herself across the room and grabbed the photo on her bedside table, staring at the woman in it. Her Mother was beautiful, tall and elegant, with blush pink lips and honey coloured eyes, just like Ivy's. "Mum…" She whispered, stroking the frame with her forefinger. She had been dead a few months, and he'd already shacked up with that slut. A woman Ivy had never even seen before, that had waltzed in like she was Queen of the shitting Underworld.

She hated him more than ever, for destroying her happiness, for letting her Mother die. The only light and understanding person in this hellhole and she was dead. More tears threatened to fall but she held them back, not wanting to feel weak or helpless anymore. She was sixteen, motherless and after years of being taught at home by miserable tutors who were afraid of her Father she was finally getting out. Even if it was just for a single, fleeting year at Hogwarts. Irony was, she wasn't even sure why he had decided to send her there. She had asked him, but he'd only grunted and waved a hand to dismiss her. It bothered Ivy immensely. It may be he didn't want her around anymore, but then he never had. Perhaps he wanted space to shack up with Lestrange, but again, he wasn't the guilty type. He'd do it in front of her.

No, the question would remain unanswered.

Just one more day, and I'll be gone. And he'll never get me back.

Draco sat on the floor of the dungeons, his eyes flicking around the cold room with fondness. They had arrived at Hogwarts the day before, the Carrows had already been here so Snape had been in a constant meeting with them all night. Leaving Draco starving and pissed off in the small room. His face was gaunt after months of guilt and fear about what he did, more importantly what he didn't do. You-Know-Who had tried to kill him for his failure and treachery but Snape had talked him out of it. Convincing him that Snape had forced him not to, that Snape himself had wanted to finish the job for his Master. It worked, and You-Know-Who had backed down, leaving Draco with only bruised pride and a Cruciatus curse for good measure.

Footsteps and light. He looked up at Snape as he swept down the stairs and yanked him up by his collar. "Get off me!" Draco snapped but Snape ignored him, marching him up the stairs and into the Slytherin common room where he tossed him on a sofa. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Draco spat.

"Listen to me boy, you will treat me with respect or I'll flay you alive myself." Draco scowled but didn't say another word as Snape stood over him. "I am the Headmaster of this school now, and you are a Slytherin, and more importantly a Death Eater. That means you do what I say when I say it, or I'll tell the Dark Lord the truth about you." Draco sighed but didn't argue, knowing it would only bring him pain. "The Carrows are your new teachers, when the students arrive back tonight you will join them as if nothing has changed."

Draco's eyes flicked up, "What about Potter and his fan club? They'll fucking kill me!"

"Scared?" Snape sneered and Draco's fingers curled around his wand in his pocket. "Potter, Weasley and Granger aren't coming back this year."

A smug smile tugged on Draco's lips at the news. No Potter for a whole year and students being tortured by the infamous Carrows…it was almost too good to be true.

"I'm going, the students will be here any moment. I suggest you find your way down to the Great Hall and mingle with the rest."

"Yes, Sir." Draco sneered at the retreating form of Severus Snape.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Ivy could feel her heart thumping in her chest as the students filed into the great hall. Nobody looked at her and didn't notice that her robes had no emblem on them claiming her house. She didn't know where to go, where did she sit? There were barely any students compared to how many there should be, and definitely no first years. What was going on?

"Miss Green." A voice hissed and she whipped around to see a stern woman staring at her in green robes, she must be the head of Slytherin. "Come with me," she ordered and strode off into the shadows. Glancing back at the bright hall Ivy sighed and followed the woman into the dark.

The woman stopped in an empty classroom, standing beside a desk with a hat perched on it. Her eyes were wild and a few strands of her hair were coming loose from her tight bun. "What's going on?" Ivy asked her.

"You are our only new student this year, although heaven knows why your Father decided to send you, not this year."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with this year?"

The woman eyed her suspiciously, "You know what I'm talking about. Dumbledore….Snape." Her lip quivered and she grasped the hat in her hand without further explanation. "You will be sorted now, and then sit with your house. It's just a formality, we both know where you are likely to be."

Right, Slytherin.

Ivy felt her shoulders sag as she sat on a stool and let the woman drop the hat onto her head.

Miss Green said a voice.
Hello?
Didn't think I'd be sorting you. What a pleasure.
Get on with it.
Temper just like the rest of your family I see.
I'm not like them.
Perhaps not. I can see into your mind. You are a gold streak in a silver cloth. Who would have thought it? Not a Slytherin.
What? I'm not?
Not at all. Who'd have thought…

She heard the word "GRYFFINDOR" but didn't believe it as the room was thrust back into view, the voice gone from her head. The woman was panicked and confused as she stared at Ivy. "This cannot be." The woman stuttered, staring at her in shock.

"I thought you'd be pleased."

"What?"

"Your head of Slytherin, aren't you?"

"Heavens no. I'm Gryffindor, through and through. What are we to do with you? If Snape finds out…You're a legacy."

Ivy listened to her ramble but could barely understand her words, a Gryffindor…Ivy Green, a Gryffindor? Brave and noble and loyal. Could it really be true?

"Professor McGonagall. I was wondering where you'd run off to." A man appeared like a ghost, wearing black robes to match his black greasy hair.

"Snape…I was." McGonagall gestured at Ivy who stayed seated.

"Miss Green I presume?"

"I thought I'd sort her privately, so it didn't cause attention. She's the only new student."

"I am well aware. Well get on with it then."

"It's done already." McGonagall seemed sterner as she stared at the man with complete loathing.

"And?"

Ivy waited for the word, and brimmed with pride as she thought of it herself. "Slytherin, of course."

Wait, what?

"Of course." Snape agreed, eyeing Ivy and flicking his wand lazily. She stared at the snake patch on her robes and could have cried. This wasn't right, she wasn't a Slytherin. She had always known it and she wouldn't pretend any longer.

"I'm not-" She began but McGonagall cut across her.

"We will meet you in the Great Hall, I'll just be a moment." Snape nodded and flew from the room with swing of his robes. Ivy turned to the woman imploringly.

"What was that about? I'm not a Slytherin!"

"Hush, please. You don't understand."

"You're damn right I don't understand." McGonagall glanced at the door but nobody came through it.

"Listen to me," she muttered, "you are right. You aren't a Slytherin but if anybody finds that out they'll kill you on the spot."

"What? Why?"

"Do you really not know why this year is different?" Ivy shook her head and McGonagall sighed deeply. Perching on the table.

"Albus Dumbledore is dead." The phrase hung in the air like poison. Of course she had only read about him but he was supposed to be a great man, a protector of the school and students.

"Snape, the man you just met, killed him. He is a Death Eater just like…"

"Just like my Father." Ivy finished for her.

"Yes, and the one thing they hate more than Gryffindor's are blood traitors. That is what you will be to them if they discover who you really are. They will kill you Miss Green and I won't be able to stop them." Ivy slumped in her chair, feeling hollow. "You must pretend to be a Slytherin, if anyone ever suspected…"

"I understand. I can do it." Ivy heard the words but they didn't sound like her voice, it was a stranger's voice. All her hopes had gone in that one moment. She was cursed to be like the rest of her family, evil.

Slytherin til I die.