"Joanna it appears your father has, for once, succeeded. As of next week you shall be attending Hogwarts. Do you remember your mission?" The voice chilled her but she forced her features to remain unchanged. He wasn't to know how much he effected her, how much she hated this.
"Yes my lord, I understand. I will start with the mudblood or perhaps the blood traitor…I hear he has an eye for pretty girls more so than usual recently. He would not pass up the opportunity to guide the new girl around."
He smirked at her and his laughter rang out, echoing around the small room, before dismissing her. She slipped out of the room as quickly as possible and made her way to her study where her parents were waiting. Her mother embraced her as she walked in. "What did he say Jo?"
"I am attending Hogwarts. The mission remains." She saw her father's eyes flicker shut in grief and wished she could reassure him. She had her own plans and Voldermort had just given her the way out of this hell-hole. "Father, may mother and I visit Diagon Alley tomorrow? I should like to begin my immersion with the other students as soon as possible and I believe that many of them will purchase their school supplies on this day." Her father nodded stiffly and swept out of the room to make preparations. Her mother, who had taken a seat on Joanna's bed, sighed sadly and motioned to her daughter to join her. Joanna sat next to her and allowed herself to be held for a while before speaking.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Her voice was quiet – their house had many spy areas and the women never knew when they were being monitored – but she knew from the stiffening from her mother's body that she had been right. Joanna sighed and pushed herself up from the bed. "I shall take dinner in my study tonight and retire early. I would like to be at Diagon Alley as soon as possible, if that is agreeable with you?" Her mother said nothing but squeezed her hand, indicating that she found no issue with the request, and left.
Joanna sighed as the door shut behind her mother and turned to the small pile of clothes in the corner of her room. "You can come out now Winky." A small house elf appeared and bowed low. "Thank you Winky. What did they discuss?"
Winky turned her large eyes upon the girl and squeaked out an earnest report. "Your father, miss, he is a bad man. He wants you to marry the Malfoy boy at Hogwarts miss."
Joanna rolled her eyes. Typical of her father to marry her off at the first opportunity and typical that it was another Death Eater's child. "What about mother?"
"She asked you father to be waiting miss. She told him that it would interrupt your mission to be friends with the Malfoy boy."
Joanna let out a bitter laugh at that. "Which mission would that be?" She said, asking herself more than Winky. Winky, having been taught Joanna's habit of asking herself questions, remained silent. "Thank you Winky, that is all. Remember you must tell nobody about this or allow them to work it out."
Winky bowed low again before apparating out of the study, finally leaving Joanna on her own. Joanna stared out of the window, considering everything that had happened up until now. She'd always known that her father had been a Death Eater as it had never been a secret. However she'd also always known that she would rather die than follow in his footsteps as he so hoped. It had only been recently that she'd discovered her mother had begun to feel the same as her. In the few times that her father allowed them out of the house alone the two of them discussed matters and, eventually, made contact with Dumbledore.
What had followed was a flurry of communication and a quick plan. Joanna was to suggest that she could attend Hogwarts and attempt to befriend the Golden Trio. Voldermort seized the chance to play with his favourite toy – Harry – and destroy his will by destroying his best friends. The few times he tried to read Joanna's mind regarding the plan – on the basis of getting further information about the plan or not understanding her reasoning for a part of it – she was able to shut herself off and plant different thoughts there. Thoughts of a fallen Potter and Voldermort as victor. So wrapped up in his own ego was he that Voldermort never thought to question it. She was, after all, a Death Eater's child and everyone knew that Death Eaters' children became Death Eaters themselves.
Winky had been lent to her by Dumbledore as a more effective means of communication. Her father had so many house elves and never bothered to actually look at them that he wouldn't notice another one. If anyone asked questions about her being nice to the house elves, Joanna would simply tell them she was practising for Hogwarts as she knew Granger was somewhat obsessed with treating them well.
She lay in bed some hours later and grinned to herself in the darkness. Hogwarts. She'd longed to go there ever since she was a little girl and overheard some children talking about it during a party. Her father had, much to her dismay, insisted on Durmstrang where the wizards were darker. And crueller. The rule of thumb was that you sent your children to be hardened to all things emotional and this would aid them in their service for Voldermort. And this had been true for the majority of students she had encountered at school. Except for one Viktor Krum. Krum had returned after the Tri Wizard Tournament and lashed out if anyone talked about joining Voldermort, even jokingly. She'd sought him out one evening and questioned him and he, seeing that she was being genuine, told her what had happened at Hogwarts. He told her about the Golden Trio as well, spending a particular amount of time discussing Hermione, and painted an entirely different picture to one she'd been given by her father and the other Death Eaters.
And now she was going to meet them. She was going to go to school with them. At Hogwarts. She let out a small excited squeal before remembering where she was and attempted to settle down for the night. The sooner she slept, the sooner she could get her school supplies and go to Hogwarts.
