Family Ties & Unties
Harry, thinking Bellatrix was about to announce her love for him, started to run away.
"Get away from me!" he shouted. "Murderer!" Surprisingly, Bellatrix looked crestfallen.
"Harry James Potter," she said slowly, almost mournfully. Harry frowned. How did she know his middle name? "Is that any way to speak to your mother?"
He stared at her, dumbstruck. There was no way Bellatrix Lestrange was his mother. Didn't everyone always say he had Lily's eyes? Bellatrix seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Simple colour-changing spell, darling," she said dismissively. "My natural colour's green, but black looks so much more evil, don't you agree?"
"Have courage!" Ron whispered in Harry's ear.
"But," Bellatrix continued. "As you've brought that subject up, I'll change them back to their true colour. After all, I'm a reformed woman you know!"
Harry sneered. "You'll never be a reformed woman."
"Now, son. Why don't you stay in Diagon Alley with me for the afternoon? We can get ice-creams!"
The world's gone mad, Harry decided as he was dragged off for a bonding session with a supposed dead enemy. Hermione went off to pick flowers for Sirius. Ron followed an irritated Narcissa around for a while, before giving up and writing a love poem in her honour instead. It would appear that the world had gone mad; but reader, we know the truth, which is much more interesting…
Meanwhile, back at Malfoy Manor, big changes were happening. Lucius Malfoy woke up manically laughing, to the disturbance of his family. Even stranger, he moved the contents of his office to a little-used tower in the Manor. Then he bought himself an organ, which liked to play menacing melodies every now and then.
For the entire day, he sat up in his tower, stroking a stray cat he'd found (and occasionally his chin too), listening to the evil organ and cackling every so often.
Yes, reader, you guessed it. Lucius Malfoy was under the spell. Because no story is complete without an aristocratic villain…
Unfortunately, his beloved son Draco did not like his father's new image. To be honest, he found it all rather embarrassing.
He went to his father's new office. At his knock, the organ started up and a voice boomed Enter!
"Draco, my son! Come and sit down!"
"Father, what's going on? And where did that cat come from?"
"Ahh, the cat! I've named him Hades, suits him, doesn't it? I think he resembles myself slightly, don't you agree? If I just turn my face to the left –"
SLAM! Draco had had enough. There was no way he was living with his father like this.
Lucius' cackles could be heard. "Running away to mama, are we? Well, she'll never leave me. You're on your own boy!" Draco realised his father was right. He had nowhere to go. After a moment's consideration, he went to Diagon Alley. For someone will be there…
Little did he know, he would run into a lonely and suicidal Severus Snape.