Ah, awesome things happen here :) It's shorter than usual, sorry.

Thank you to my two reviewers, DistractedButSerious and violetcara.

Please enjoy and review if you wish!

Chapter 4

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Potions was as bad as it always was, with the bad-tempered Professor Flint making snide comments about my parents. If it wasn't for the fact that I would get detention or worse for punching a teacher, I gritted my teeth and tried my hardest to ignore it.

That night after dinner, I sat in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room that was slightly dimmed by the greenish glow coming from the lake, thinking about how different life might be if I was to live with my other aunt, the one I didn't even know I had until that afternoon. I figured I had better ask Teddy where she lived so I could go and visit if I wanted to.

I snapped out of my reverie when a frightened second year tapped my arm.

"M-miss Lestrange?" she squeaked.

I turned in my seat and smiled as warmly as I could manage. "Yes?"

The girl held out a scroll of parchment. "Here, I was just up to see my o-owl and I found this letter and it was addressed to y-you."

I took it from her. "Thank you."

She nodded and ran toward the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory. I untied the red ribbon, unrolled it and began to read.

Nova,

You've never met me, but I have heard some interesting things about you from my dear grandson. He told me that you would like to spend your Christmas holidays with me this year. I would be absolutely delighted to have you. I want you to know that you are welcome here anytime. I do not hate you as you may assume, and I do not hate your mother – on the contrary, I love and pity her as I always have. Do send me a letter back confirming this.

Love,

Andromeda

P.S.: Do not tell anyone on your mother's side of the family where you are.

So Teddy told his grandmother about me. I was pleased by this, and I actually felt loved and cared for, truly, for the first time in my life. Smiling to myself, I found a new piece of parchment and wrote a letter back to the aunt I never met but already loved dearly.

Andromeda,

Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for Christmas. I don't think I could stand another holiday with Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa, or Draco and his family.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Nova

Just as I set my quill down, a fellow fourth year bounded toward the portrait hole, but I stopped him.

"Hey, do you have an owl I can use? The last time I checked the school owls were all busy."

"You'll have to wait, freak. I don't serve scum," he spat.

I gave him a death glare. I didn't normally try to intimidate people, but this was my last resort.

"Listen, asshole, I've got a really important letter that needs sending. Can't you at least forget for five minutes that my parents are Death Eaters and help me out? I mean, Merlin, I don't even know the incantation for the Killing curse!" Okay, that was a lie, but it was the only thing I could come up with in my defense.

The kid looked downright furious, but all he said was, "I will never understand how Weasley and Lupin can trust you."

"Oh, you can kiss my ass," I snarled.

We walked to the owlery in silence, each of us glaring at the floor. I gave the letter to the boy's barn owl and it flew off into the night, its white feathers standing out against the black sky.

---

The Muggle bombs - so helpfully planted by Lucius's Imperiused cronies - went off near the cells that held Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, along with Amycus and Alecto Carrow's, startling the confused barn owl. It slammed into the rubble, inadvertently dropping the letter at Bellatrix's feet. Curious, she unrolled it and read it. Grinning triumphantly, she yelled, "Finally! My daughter shall be a servant to the Dark Lord at last… ah, poor Andromeda… the filthy blood traitor loses another family member to the cause…" She gave a demented laugh.

The woman refused to believe her master and sick obsession had died.