14 September 1991 Saturday
Today was busy, but not insanely so, Or at least not until after dinner when everything went to hell. Up, breakfast, off to Quiddich practice, Greg and Tango both walked me there so I told Greg that I was worried he was working too hard, and he said he needs to do a better job so I don't decide to give him back to Draco. I said, but I thought that was all agreed, and he said, well, yes, we agreed that I was going to take his oath, but I haven't actually done it yet, and he thought maybe with the whole poisoning business I was wondering if he was really competent enough, so he was just trying to do the best job he knew how. And I said oh. Greg, I'm an idiot. It's not that I don't want your oath, it's just that with everything that went on, it kind of slipped my mind that agreeing to do something and actually doing it aren't the same thing, and I'm really really sorry and, erm, I don't actually know how to take an oath or what we're supposed to say. And he looked a lot happier at that (Greg is far too good at looking grim) and said that that's the easy part. I'll be meeting with Mr. Malfoy probably sometime this weekend anyway, so we can just ask him.
That made me a lot less worried. And I told Greg that once we had everything all settled, he was to remember that part of his job was to tell me when I was being stupid. So we shook on it and went to Quidditch and everything was fine.
Practice didn't start until 10:00, so by then the morning fog had all burned off and it was turning into a nice early autumn day. It's not actually autumn for another week, but Scotland is rather colder than Surrey.
Practice was fun. Adrian, Terence and I just flew around finding and catching the snitch until lunchtime. Being the seeker isn't really like being on a team. The others are playing a team sport, but for the seeker, it's just two seekers and a snitch. Next practice we're going to work on racing, and legal and illegal ways to slow down the other seeker.
We didn't really need to shower after cos what we'd been doing wasn't all that strenuous, and after we washed up a bit and changed into regular clothes, Marcus said we were free to go, so we met up with my two bodyguards and the four of us plus one cat headed to lunch, where I found I'm still quite off fish. I ended up having toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, with coconut biscuits for pud.
After lunch, Greg and I met up with Neville. I'd had him bring his potions kit with him, and the three of us just went for a walk by the lake. He wasn't sure what that had to do with brewing, but I said I didn't want to waste ingredients that we'd actually paid money for, so I thought we could see what we could scrounge. I'd completely forgotten how amazing Neville is with plants. Greg and I got quite the Herbology lesson, then we just sat down and went over various methods of preparation. Apparently Neville's never cooked, either, so we were really starting from scratch. (Greg's never done anything more than peeling and scrubbing, so he wasn't much ahead of Neville, but he's less nervous. Heck, until this morning I'd have sworn that Greg doesn't get nervous.) And I explained that measuring the ingredients is really important. A really good cook can often look like they're just tossing in whatever when they're cooking, but that's because they already know their ingredients really well, so they know how much is right vs. how much is too much. Before you have a feel for ingredients and what they do, it's really important to follow recipes exactly, because that's how you learn, and you don't want to put in a handful of something when the recipe calls for one or two of it any more than you want to pour the entire salt cellar on your chips.
Just a I had got to that part, Hedwig flew over with a note saying that Mr. Malfoy had come to the castle to meet with me. At the moment he was visiting with Draco and PSS, so I needn't fall all over myself apologizing, but if I could come back to the castle now, it would be greatly appreciated. I told Neville I was sorry but I had to go and he said that was OK and we agreed to meet up tomorrow to do more prep work.
When we got back, Peregrin Bainbridge was waiting for us in the common room and escorted us to a sitting room, where Draco and Chip and Mr. Malfoy and PSS were relaxing and drinking tea. I said I hoped I hadn't kept anyone waiting, but I had been working with Greg and Neville on potions ingredient preparation. Mr. Malfoy said that maintaining my alliances was always a worthwhile endeavor. PSS and Draco and Chip made to leave, but I stopped them just in case they were needed for the whole oath thing. I think I had forgotten to tell PSS what exactly we'd worked out, but he did tell me I was free to solve the problem as I chose.
So we did the oath thing, with PSS as witness, and it was way more involved than I was expecting. If I ever have to do it again, I'll need help. I asked Mr. Malfoy afterwards if there was any way Greg could ever be his own man, and he said certainly, if once I reached adulthood I want to release him from his vow, that's my prerogative, and by then I should have a decent understanding of the consequences.
And working with Neville and Greg had reminded me about Mrs. Figg's potion, so I asked PSS about it on the way out. He stopped and thought about it and said, yes, he did know that one. It's a very old recipe, but it's a good one, nice and simple and unexplosive. The only part that's at all uncommon is the new moon water, he'd have to check how much he had of that, but he said he'd add that one to his lesson plans and see if he could remember any similar antique potions that were good for neophytes.
After that, I talked with Mr. Malfoy about new orders for the ex-Deatheaters and investments and the legality of employing house elves in restaurants, and I asked Mr. Malfoy why he joined the Deatheaters. I was really nervous about asking, but I have to know more about them. He said that he wasn't quite as angry a young man as Severus had been. He'd been more entranced by the Dark Linoleum's shiny new future - and he didn't have much choice anyway, as his father had been one of the Dark Licorice's classmates at Hogwarts. I said really? Wow, can you tell me his real name? He kind of turned green at that and asked me please not to ask that of him, as the conflicting vows would make his life far too interesting, and by interesting, he meant "short". I said all right, of course, sorry, but was there any way he could point me towards the information? He said he had an object that had belonged to the Dark Lightbulb when he was in school, but it's an enchanted object, and he didn't think it would be safe to just hand it over without checking it thoroughly first. I asked could he and PSS do that here, so then I could get a look at it, and he said he wouldn't know that until he had done a bit of preliminary checking, but he could tell me that his father's name was Abraxas Malfoy, and a good Slytherin ought to be able to make use of that information. So I said that I know that He Who was in Slytherin, and that he was in school with Abraxas (and that is such a great name) Malfoy, so yeah, I could definitely work with that.
And then we bade each other good day, and did our bows, and Greg and I headed for the library. There were four male Slytherins in Abraxas' year: Abraxas, Tom Riddle, Theobald Nott, Edmond Lestrange. Abraxas died last year of dragon pox, Theobald Nott is Lord Nott, whom I've met. Edmond Lestrange died in the Voldemort War, Tom Riddle got an award for service to the school (and got Mr. Hagrid expelled!) and worked for Borgin & Burkes for a while, then no more record of him. If Edmond Lestrange only faked his death, Cedric wouldn't be the Lestrange heir, so the Dork Lord must be Tom Riddle! But, Tom Riddle was a half blood orphan who was raised in a muggle orphanage. Wow. A nameless halfblood in Slytherin with all those heirs and rich guys. I think if I am right, I have my motive.
And PMM was in Griffindor a year behind Abraxas' lot! Wow, I didn't know she was that old. And Mr. Hagrid was a third year when Riddle got him expelled, and Professor Flitwick was in seventh year when Riddle was in first, and PSS was in first when Riddle was in seventh. Professor Quirrel is way younger than that, thank goodness.
And Greg says that TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE rearranged gives you I AM LORD VOLDEMORT. We worked out the Greg could be Lor' Gregoychaegyle. Fall down and worship Lor' Gregoychaegyle, the Dark Henchlord! After that, we decided we had to tell everyone, and the Black seventh years ended up carrying Greg into the great hall on a chair over their heads, calling on everyone to do just that (we decided to pronounce it gruh-GOY-chuh-gyle). It caused a lot of noise, definitely got everyone's attention, and then Travis (he seems to be the group leader) did a sonorous on himself and explained the name thing, and who Tom Riddle was, and then the hall went really nuts. Professor Quirrel fainted. Mr. Hagrid sat totally still in the middle of all the ruckus looking gobsmacked. A couple of Lestrange upper years shot curses at us, but my lot was apparently expecting that. PD had to shoot a couple of fireworks out of his wand to get everyone to calm down.
The Lestranges both got detentions and lost fifty points each, but we got ten points each for good detective work, with an extra twenty for Greg for excellent puzzle solving skills, so it more than evened out. And Greg and PSS and I got summoned to PD's office after dinner (chicken in some sort of sauce, I think?)
Professor Dumbledore and PSS both pointed out that we have very publicly exposed the secret the Deranged Lord most wanted to keep hidden. I pointed out that if he's still out there, he wants to kill me anyway, so what's one more indignity between mortal enemies? And they said I really needed to take this more seriously. And I pointed out that now everyone knows, and owls are probably winging their way all over Great Britain with the news as we speak. PD said unfortunately yes, it was in fact too late to contain the news, and I said why would you want to? Now everyone knows that the scary undead evil Dark Leper is just Tom Riddle, half blood child of those inbred lowlife Gaunts. PSS added, and Heir of Slytherin. Greg & I said huh? And they said another story to be told at another time. They told me that I need to watch my back very carefully now, and then dismissed both of us.
Greg and I headed back to the common room, which was just nuts. People were shouting at each other and jinxes were flying and the prefects were trying to enforce order but not succeeding. Greg and I snuck around the edge of the room and almost made it out before they noticed us. Then he shoved me through the door to the corridor to our dorm and locked it behind me. Now I'm keeping him company in the hospital wing while he heals up. My group backed him up, but it was quite a fight, with plenty of injuries to both sides, and Travis got his knees switched around back to front. Greg and Travis and I are all back in my private room now, and so is Tango, who is also a bit singed around the edges. He gave more than as good as he got, though. Montague is having an eye regrown. I feel sick about that, even though they tell me he tried to diffindo me. Apparently he's going to be left with some scarring, because Tango is a magical cat and wants Montague to be damaged. And apparently Tango is lucky that I'm Lord Black and he was protecting me.
I feel awful. I didn't know this would happen. I definitely understand why PD and PSS were so upset with me and annoyed at me for not taking it seriously enough. I'm taking it very seriously now.
15 September Sunday
Remus was here when I woke up. We went into another room to talk and I kind of cried on him for a bit. I have really screwed up. People are maimed because of me, and if it weren't for my social position, Tango would have been killed last night. He's going to be here guarding me for the foreseeable future, although we have to work out something for the nights of the full moon and the days after. I introduced Greg and Travis and Remus, and Remus is going to be teaching Remedial DADA to all Black or Selwyn aligned Slytherins (not that there are many of the latter, I think Warrington and the Crockett twins are it - oh, and Blaise and Daphne, duh!) as well as Cedric and the Weasleys. Anyone with Deatheaters sympathies who isn't bound to House Black or House Lestrange is going to be gunning for Cedric as well as me, and quite a few of the Lestranges are probably willing to stand aside and let them. I'm not sure who becomes Lestrange heir apparent if Cedric dies, maybe they're hoping Bellatrix the Nameless will get out of Azkaban and get pregnant.
I didn't know this would happen. I thought telling everyone about Lord Vol-au-vent would be a good thing.
But Remus says that in the end it will be, and that all of this was going to happen sooner or later anyway, it was inevitable once Grandfather bound all of House Black to me. I still feel lousy.
But Greg and Travis are all healed up, so we went back and I introduced Remus to everyone, and PSS escorted us all to an abandoned classroom, where he (Remus) tested everyone on what they knew already. Cedric and Percy showed up while he was doing that, so he drafted them as assistant teachers for the time being. A few of the others complained, but he said he taught them a bit this summer, so he knows what they know. He said he was also glad to have the twins in the group, as they have quite a few useful skills we could all stand to learn, and while he was saying that PMM brought in Honoria Abbott and Neville, PPS brought in Susan Bones, and Professor Flitwick brought in Leland Greengrass. Professor Flitwick offered to stay and help, and I don't think I ever saw Remus so relieved. I never knew Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion.
Professor Flitwick ended up taking the most advanced group, Remus took the ones in the middle, and Cedric and Percy took the first and second years. We're learning a lot and we're going to be doing this every Sunday and adding anyone who is willing to swear loyalty to House Potter, Longbottom, or Black. I feel kind of like I've joined the army.
Dinner was interesting. All of us from Remedial DADA sat together and the Lestranges went and sat with the Ravenclaws. Cedric and I spent all of dinner discussing if there was any way to broker a truce between Lestrange and Black before the school descended into open civil war. No idea what I ate. It could have been worms for all I noticed.
Huh. I must have eaten lunch at some point. I think. I don't remember being particularly hungry at dinner.
Anyway, it's been a day and tomorrow's back to classes, so I need to try to sleep now. No, wait, I really need to talk to Theo.
Damn. Theo's in an awful position. He and Tracey are the only Lestranges in our class. Tracey's family isn't terribly important and Tracey isn't at all highly placed in her family, so she can switch allegiances pretty easily and she's got her parents' blessing to do so. Theo is important, can't switch easily, and most decidedly doesn't have his father's blessing. He's really upset and scared. We went to Professor Snape, and Theo is bunking down in his quarters tonight.
Greg and Draco and Blaise and Chip say I need to stop blaming myself for this mess. If I hadn't set it off this way, it just would have happened another way. I asked them if they're scared too. They all said yeah, terrified. And we're all worried about Theo.
