Disclaimer: (Applies to all chapters) All characters and concepts from the
Harry Potter series of books belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers and
are being used without permission. No money is being made from their use in
this story, and no infringement on the rightful owners is intended.
Thanks to Fortuna who has been kind enough to beta this work. The last chapter has not yet been submitted to her so I apologize in advance for any errors contained within it.
This is my first fic so any suggestions, comments, criticisms, or flames will be welcome and any advice will be appreciated and taken into consideration.
I suck at uploading fics so if I have made any obvious errors (which I have done in the past) when doing so please point that out.
Thanks.
Once upon a time there was a man. He was not a good man. In fact, many would refer to him as evil, and so he was. He married as men do, and demanded his wife give him an heir. But fate is often fickle in the manner of heirs and children, and, as such, they were blessed only with a single child, a girl.
While he was not perfectly happy with this, he was content. There would come a time, as did in all pure blood families, when a husband would be chosen for her, and she would marry and eventually give him a male heir to inherit all that he possessed. His master had already chosen a mate for her, and while he wasn't necessarily wealthy, his family held an old long respected name. It would be a good match.
So she grew older, as children do, and went away to school. It was an excellent institution. His family had been proud alumni for many generations. He greedily opened his first letter from his little girl only to receive a shock.
She had been sorted into Gryffindor.
Hogwarts students are divided into four houses based on the student's values and mind. Ravenclaw is for the scholars; Huffelpuff, the loyal; Slytherin, the ambitious; and Gryffindor, the brave. "Gryffindor" his mind seethed. Gryffindor was full of muggleborns. The children often came from no background, and no breeding.
His precious child, when she returned, would be a stranger. She would grow up with the Gryffindor "Everyone is equal." mindset; meet some burly quidditch player; and fall in love. His little girl would grow to despise his values and call him things like "Terribly old-fashioned", and she certainly wouldn't marry anyone that had been chosen for her.
He had no other choice.
So he brought her home and hired tutors to see to her education. His daughter would not room with muggleborns. She would grow up and follow in his footsteps, and in his father's footsteps, in the proud tradition of Slytherin. Then, when she was of age, she would marry the man that had been chosen for her, and she would follow his master. She would bear children and teach them of the proud house of Slytherin, and his family would remain intact. It was the only option as far as he could see. His master held little sympathy for children of his followers, should they not chose to follow him.
And so, he brought her home from school; locked her away in his home; and brought aged tutors to educate her and teach her the proper way of things. While he may have made mistakes in her upbringing that led to this, he would not be so lax in the future, and what was almost lost would be rectified. His master could be very understanding and was pleased that he was rectifying his past mistakes.
While all seemed to be going well, catastrophe struck. His master was destroyed, and the war, it seemed, was lost. He had been very clever in the war, few knew of his involvement with Voldemort, and his family name and estates were not damaged by the resulting trials. But he was lost as to what to do. So he waited. He waited for many years, waiting for word from his master. His daughter, still in her tower, grew into a young woman, and her tutors, while never young, grew ever older until he would only hire ancient men with long white beards to educate her; and the rumors of the heiress in the tower grew.
Many years passed. His daughter, passed 20, continued her education. She had little else to occupy herself, so she read and studied, and did little else. She quickly outgrew her tutors. And, the ancient wizards, who were experts in their fields and willing to teach young girls, were becoming harder and harder to find. He searched far and wide for learned scholars to educate her and paid them very well. Through his efforts she became a potions master and an animagi. He was proud to know she had the same animagus form as he, and knew she would serve his master well in the future.
She slowly became a valued companion to the aging man. Her mind was sharp, and her gentle nature was comforting to him as he began to count on her quiet presence in his home, and at his table. He delayed her marriage time and time again. Excuses always ready for an increasingly impatient man who should have had his bride long ago.
When she was 30, he finally received the word he had been waiting for, for so many years.
His master had returned. A small gathering was held to celebrate his return and he received a great shock. During the celebration, Muggle women were brought in to provide "entertainment". They danced enticingly for the partygoers, and one of men lost control. He threw the woman down, and beat and raped her while others cheered him on; the woman's screams only further driving his violent act.
Another man turned to him and laughed.
"He never could get his jollies unless the woman was screaming."
He was beyond words. He had betrothed his daughter to a monster. He went to his master and asked that another man be found. He could not give his only child to such a creature.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Her hands were no longer beautiful. Once graceful and delicate they were lined and wrinkled with age. Her rings were loose and twisted annoyingly on her thin, gnarled fingers. She gazed sullenly at her nails; they would have to be painted to hide the cracks that had come with age. Her hands had enraptured suitors as they waved delicately as she spoke. They had softly comforted babies as they nursed at her breast, and gently caressed the cheeks of crying children as she softly crooned gentle words of comfort to them.
Like yanking on the reins of a frenzied horse she had grasped tight control of a dying noble house and grasped them tight. Her hands still held those reins.
Sighing to herself, she flipped through her paper, annoyed and tired at the contents. The war was going badly, she would have to meet with the others soon and decide.
The Matriarchs of Slytherin were regarded only as powerful women of powerful houses can be, with deep respect and not a little fear, women, who had watched quietly with glittering eyes as their husbands were led away after the fall of Grindewald. They knew it was coming. It always did.
Dark Lords may come and go but the Slytherin families would survive as they always had. A new dark lord would rise to take the place of the fallen one. Sometimes it would take years, but there would always be another. The women of the noble houses always prepared for the cycle to begin anew. They rarely participated; knowing that when men faltered someone had to be there to guide the family back into the hibernaculum of their wealth and name.
At the fall of Grindewald they had gathered together, ten women all of powerful houses, all with husbands locked away forever for their crimes, and planned. In wintertime snakes nestled deep in dens, hibernating until the thaw when they would twist and writhe, warming themselves with each other's bodies. She adjusted her brooch, depicting a snake eating its own tail. Wintertime was approaching again. They would be prepared.
Thanks to Fortuna who has been kind enough to beta this work. The last chapter has not yet been submitted to her so I apologize in advance for any errors contained within it.
This is my first fic so any suggestions, comments, criticisms, or flames will be welcome and any advice will be appreciated and taken into consideration.
I suck at uploading fics so if I have made any obvious errors (which I have done in the past) when doing so please point that out.
Thanks.
Once upon a time there was a man. He was not a good man. In fact, many would refer to him as evil, and so he was. He married as men do, and demanded his wife give him an heir. But fate is often fickle in the manner of heirs and children, and, as such, they were blessed only with a single child, a girl.
While he was not perfectly happy with this, he was content. There would come a time, as did in all pure blood families, when a husband would be chosen for her, and she would marry and eventually give him a male heir to inherit all that he possessed. His master had already chosen a mate for her, and while he wasn't necessarily wealthy, his family held an old long respected name. It would be a good match.
So she grew older, as children do, and went away to school. It was an excellent institution. His family had been proud alumni for many generations. He greedily opened his first letter from his little girl only to receive a shock.
She had been sorted into Gryffindor.
Hogwarts students are divided into four houses based on the student's values and mind. Ravenclaw is for the scholars; Huffelpuff, the loyal; Slytherin, the ambitious; and Gryffindor, the brave. "Gryffindor" his mind seethed. Gryffindor was full of muggleborns. The children often came from no background, and no breeding.
His precious child, when she returned, would be a stranger. She would grow up with the Gryffindor "Everyone is equal." mindset; meet some burly quidditch player; and fall in love. His little girl would grow to despise his values and call him things like "Terribly old-fashioned", and she certainly wouldn't marry anyone that had been chosen for her.
He had no other choice.
So he brought her home and hired tutors to see to her education. His daughter would not room with muggleborns. She would grow up and follow in his footsteps, and in his father's footsteps, in the proud tradition of Slytherin. Then, when she was of age, she would marry the man that had been chosen for her, and she would follow his master. She would bear children and teach them of the proud house of Slytherin, and his family would remain intact. It was the only option as far as he could see. His master held little sympathy for children of his followers, should they not chose to follow him.
And so, he brought her home from school; locked her away in his home; and brought aged tutors to educate her and teach her the proper way of things. While he may have made mistakes in her upbringing that led to this, he would not be so lax in the future, and what was almost lost would be rectified. His master could be very understanding and was pleased that he was rectifying his past mistakes.
While all seemed to be going well, catastrophe struck. His master was destroyed, and the war, it seemed, was lost. He had been very clever in the war, few knew of his involvement with Voldemort, and his family name and estates were not damaged by the resulting trials. But he was lost as to what to do. So he waited. He waited for many years, waiting for word from his master. His daughter, still in her tower, grew into a young woman, and her tutors, while never young, grew ever older until he would only hire ancient men with long white beards to educate her; and the rumors of the heiress in the tower grew.
Many years passed. His daughter, passed 20, continued her education. She had little else to occupy herself, so she read and studied, and did little else. She quickly outgrew her tutors. And, the ancient wizards, who were experts in their fields and willing to teach young girls, were becoming harder and harder to find. He searched far and wide for learned scholars to educate her and paid them very well. Through his efforts she became a potions master and an animagi. He was proud to know she had the same animagus form as he, and knew she would serve his master well in the future.
She slowly became a valued companion to the aging man. Her mind was sharp, and her gentle nature was comforting to him as he began to count on her quiet presence in his home, and at his table. He delayed her marriage time and time again. Excuses always ready for an increasingly impatient man who should have had his bride long ago.
When she was 30, he finally received the word he had been waiting for, for so many years.
His master had returned. A small gathering was held to celebrate his return and he received a great shock. During the celebration, Muggle women were brought in to provide "entertainment". They danced enticingly for the partygoers, and one of men lost control. He threw the woman down, and beat and raped her while others cheered him on; the woman's screams only further driving his violent act.
Another man turned to him and laughed.
"He never could get his jollies unless the woman was screaming."
He was beyond words. He had betrothed his daughter to a monster. He went to his master and asked that another man be found. He could not give his only child to such a creature.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Her hands were no longer beautiful. Once graceful and delicate they were lined and wrinkled with age. Her rings were loose and twisted annoyingly on her thin, gnarled fingers. She gazed sullenly at her nails; they would have to be painted to hide the cracks that had come with age. Her hands had enraptured suitors as they waved delicately as she spoke. They had softly comforted babies as they nursed at her breast, and gently caressed the cheeks of crying children as she softly crooned gentle words of comfort to them.
Like yanking on the reins of a frenzied horse she had grasped tight control of a dying noble house and grasped them tight. Her hands still held those reins.
Sighing to herself, she flipped through her paper, annoyed and tired at the contents. The war was going badly, she would have to meet with the others soon and decide.
The Matriarchs of Slytherin were regarded only as powerful women of powerful houses can be, with deep respect and not a little fear, women, who had watched quietly with glittering eyes as their husbands were led away after the fall of Grindewald. They knew it was coming. It always did.
Dark Lords may come and go but the Slytherin families would survive as they always had. A new dark lord would rise to take the place of the fallen one. Sometimes it would take years, but there would always be another. The women of the noble houses always prepared for the cycle to begin anew. They rarely participated; knowing that when men faltered someone had to be there to guide the family back into the hibernaculum of their wealth and name.
At the fall of Grindewald they had gathered together, ten women all of powerful houses, all with husbands locked away forever for their crimes, and planned. In wintertime snakes nestled deep in dens, hibernating until the thaw when they would twist and writhe, warming themselves with each other's bodies. She adjusted her brooch, depicting a snake eating its own tail. Wintertime was approaching again. They would be prepared.