Huda did not know whether to feel thankful or dejected that her father's death occurred the week before Christmas Eve. She had been immediately exempted from end of term assignments and offered assistance on funeral arrangements. She was given a Portkey home, had travelled to the Ministry of Magic to reclaim her father's body and buried him on the same day next to her brother Anwar, five feet away from her mother. It was at this time that Huda felt completely and totally alone.
Mohammed Shafiq's body was frail and weak. He had lost almost seventy-five percent of his body weight and there were numerous cuts and bruises to show signs of torture and coercion. The Ministry of Magic had been saddened to lose their employee particularly in the Department of Mysteries but Huda had declined their offer of a public funeral. She did things independently and she did not want complete strangers gawking at her father's body. It was the final thing she could do for her father, away from prying eyes and giving him the privacy and anonymity that he always desired.
The next few days, she was inundated with letters and owls which she would take and then ignore. Bottles of Firewhiskey were thrown in the trash every day and Brownie was the only person who would get Huda up from her bed to eat and then go back to sleep in a drunken stupor. No one had come visiting yet but Huda knew that once the students were let out for the holidays, the Marauders would definitely come bother her existence.
The only thing that kept her going was the Animagi spell. She would wake up like clockwork every sunrise and every sunset without fail. The Marauders had given up but she refused to do so, determined to get things right. They had tried to persuade her to stop and that something might have gone wrong and to join then in starting again but she had screamed bloody murder that there was no mistake and she would try until she would turn into an animal. But now, she felt hopeless as she looked out at the sunset and murmured the spell.
"Amato Animo Animato Animagus"
No heartbeat. She sighed heavily before turning and walking back inside the warm home. Brownie had as usual decorated the home with Christmas decorations but it felt empty to Huda. Gone were the days that she would be able to enjoy the baked goods and the cheer of the tall tree. Brownie would try her best to cheer up her mistress but it would be in vain. Christmas Eve arrived and Huda felt an even bigger ache in her heart as she remembered her brother Anwar. However, on Christmas Day, her fireplace despite being blocked from the Floo Network, exploded open and out came the Marauders and Edgar Carrow.
"Where is she?" Sirius asked Brownie who was beyond overjoyed to see them.
"Mistress is in the library".
It took them less than five minutes to locate Huda, buried underneath a mountain of books, abandoned rolls of parchment around her and two empty bottles of Firewhiskey. She was fast asleep, leaning against the bookshelves, mouth wide open, snoring loud enough to rattle the overhead chandeliers, dried drool on her chin. Sirius wrinkled his nose as the scent hit their noses. She smelled like she hadn't showered in almost a week.
"Huda, wake up" Carrow shook her shoulder gently and Huda's head dropped like a ragdoll. Remus caught her before her head could hit the ground and helped Carrow to lift her up in his arms. James hurried off to alert Brownie who escorted them to her room. Carrow laid her out on the bed and Huda's eyes cracked open to stare at them all blearily. Sirius climbed up on the bed and laid her gently down with a pillow under her head.
"What are you all doing here?" Huda muttered, wincing as her dry throat tinged with pain.
"You never answered our letters. We were beyond mad without news from you so we came as soon as we could" James explained.
"I hatched a plan with them and lied to my parents that I was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. I followed James to his place and helped him blast open your blocked fireplace" Edgar grinned and Huda sat up gently, her body aching with the effort.
"Have you been eating? You've lost weight" Remus asked and Huda shook her head.
"Come on time to celebrate. It's Christmas!" James crowed and Huda winced as the loud noise permeated her throbbing head.
"Brownie!" Sirius called and the elf appeared immediately. "Please prepare breakfast. Mistress Shafiq will be ready in an hour". The elf bowed low to Huda's chagrin and disappeared, eager to make food and seeing her mistress recover.
"Now, you need a bath. Off you go!" Sirius and James pulled Huda out of bed and helped her to her bathroom where a warm bath had already been drawn for her. They left her alone, closing the door tightly behind her, shouting that they wouldn't let her out until she had a shower. Huda stared at the bathtub bemused before reaching down and draining all the water out. She peeled off her dirty pajamas and hopped into the now empty tub and used the shower to rinse herself off.
Once she had bathed herself thoroughly, she emerged and saw the boys had vanished and Brownie had laid out a simple pair of leggings and a long oversized jumper for her. She sat down in front of the mirror noting her now rather bedraggled her and grabbed a bottle of Sleakeazy's to tame it down into its usual sleek straight style. The oversized jumper looked rather small on her and she could see her face had hollowed out and with bags under her eyes, she looked horrific.
She could hear the chatter and laughs as she descended the stairs to the dining room. The smell of eggs and crispy bacon made her stomach rumble and she walked into the kitchen to see Remus and Peter cooking the bacon and sausages while James, Sirius and Edgar were pressing various buttons on the microwave. Huda chuckled and the sound made them all turn and Remus hissed in pain as his hand hit the edge of the pan.
"What's for breakfast?" Huda asked, walking in and immediately reaching for a burn salve to toss to Remus.
"Bacon, eggs and sausages. We wanted baked beans but we couldn't figure out that" James pointed at the fridge and Huda snorted. They were all completely lost on the beautiful Muggle based devices which would greatly assist a regular wizard's lifestyle.
"Brownie, please serve orange juice and tea. I'm not in the mood for baked beans" Huda requested and the elf scurried off and Remus served out the bacon and sausages on a tray. They seated themselves in the dining room before digging into the food. Huda ate slowly, not wanting to agitate her stomach at this time and ignored the worried glances that Sirius was giving her. She finished her plate and stood up to clear her plate.
"So, what's the plan for the day?" Edgar asked casually and Huda shrugged.
"Mistress would go and visit Master Anwar's grave today" Brownie piped up and the witch in question glared at the elf murderously, only for the elf to smile innocently at her.
"Let's go then. We never got the chance to meet your father too" James stood up and the rest followed him with Huda being dragged along with Sirius and Edgar.
The graveyard was empty but they could hear Christmas carols being sung in the chapel near the graveyard. Huda's steps slowed as they reached the gates and came to a stop when they reached Anwar's grave. A wreath of red roses had already been placed on the grave from when her father's casket was lowered into the grave and they still looked fresh as if they were placed yesterday.
"He was a great lad. One of the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever known" James began.
"To the lad who steered Slytherin house to its first Quidditch Cup in twenty years" Edgar continued.
"To the lad who raised a smashing young witch" Remus piped up.
"To the lad who reminded us to be great and memorable" Peter squeaked, his face flushed in the cold.
"To the lad who protected me when my parents didn't" Sirius finished and Huda glanced over at him in surprise.
She knelt down, kissed her hand and pressed it against the ground. The bitter cold wind blew overhead and Huda turned around to face her father's grave. the soil was still fresh, the tombstone shining in the weak, winter sunlight. Sirius and James who were on either side of her, placed their arms around her shoulders and held her tight. They stood in silence before Huda nudged James, indicating she was ready to leave. The boys didn't let go of her until they had exited the graveyard and trudged in the snow back to her home.
The rest of the term passed in a blur for Huda. She had thrown herself into Quidditch and her schoolwork the only way she knew how but Slytherin came in third place for the Quidditch Cup despite her efforts. She was booed in the common room but held her head high and buried herself in her work. She had isolated herself completely, even Edgar Carrow and spent a lot of time by herself in the library or in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pompfrey.
Julia, having already completed her internship, was now moving on St. Mungo's which left the position free for Huda to take up post-graduation from Hogwarts but she truly did not feel motivated enough to continue with her goals. Madam Pompfrey was rather concerned but Huda had made her promise that she wouldn't go and tell Slughorn or even worse Dumbledore. It was then that Huda decided she would much rather drop out of school than bother coming back next year.
"I would be disappointed if you did this, Ms. Shafiq,"
If Slughorn was shocked by her decision, he did not show it. Instead he seemed just as concerned as Madan Pompfrey at her decision. The chair he was seated on groaned under his massive weight as he leaned back on it, hand reached for the bowl of crushed pineapple. Huda wrinkled her nose in disgust but cleared her expression before he could see it.
"I understand your situation but right now with You-Know-Who out there, I'd rather you be safe at Hogwarts than out there" Slughorn, despite his frivolity, did have a heart in the right place and to see his most brilliant student morose like this made his heart stir with pity.
"I am in charge of my own path, Professor. I do not think I can survive another year like this" Huda argued.
"I believe this should be spoken with Professor Dumbledore instead of with me, Ms. Shafiq. After all, he approves everything here" Slughorn shrugged and Huda stifled a scream of frustration. She thanked him before stepping out of his office. She didn't want to go to Dumbledore at all and she didn't know what else to do. The still summer afternoon was the exact opposite of her mood and she stopped short when she spotted Macnair, Snape, Erik Rowle and to her surprise Regulus at the end of the hallway.
They fell silent when they spotted her and Macnair tentatively asked her how she was doing. She shrugged, ignoring the leering glances of Erik Rowle and smiled at Regulus who she realised with a jolt had grown an extra two inches since she had last spoken to him before Christmas. She nodded to Snape before sidestepping them and continuing on her way to the courtyard where the rest of the students had gathered to enjoy the last couple of days at Hogwarts before summer vacation. She found the Marauders under their usual tree near the Black Lake and stopped short. She had been ignoring them for the entire term and they had given her space to recover.
Peter spotted her first and immediately scrambled up to grab her hand and lead her to them. James and Remus were sporting large grins on their faces while Sirius simply leaned against the tree trunk, his face blank. Huda sat down on the grass and stayed silent for a minute, trying to figure out what to say to them to make up for spending the entire term avoiding them. Especially Sirius, who had not even changed his expression since she joined them.
"I'm sorry, lads. It's just been really hard" Huda began and was immediately hugged by Sirius. Tears sprang up into her eyes immediately and she clutched onto him like a lifeline. His scent overrode her senses and she felt them all wrap their arms around her in a group hug.
"We don't care, Huda. As long as you came back to us, we didn't care how long it took" James muttered.
"Finally. I was tired of Sirius's moping around" Remus joked and Huda let out a watery laugh.
They broke apart and began catching her up to what she had missed while she was away from them. She watched as James and Sirius animatedly acting out their latest prank which was exploding the Prefect's bathroom and Remus rolling his eyes at how stupid the two were being. Peter as usual egging them one and Huda takes a step back to just reflect on how crazy this year had been. Sirius catches her eye and sends her a secret smile, making her heart skip a beat as it always has with him.
She lied down on the grass and breathed in the sweet smell of grass with the sun pleasantly warm on her face. Things were definitely going to change from now on.
The summer before seventh year was one of the most challenging in Huda's life. With her intention of joining the Order and her birthday being in June meant that she was already seventeen years old. The magical trace was already removed from her and this officially inducted her into the Order of the Phoenix. As of now, Dumbledore had excluded her from several meetings but had suggested that she become a spy of sorts within the Slytherins to find out anything from the Dark Lord's hopeful Death Eaters within her year.
Along with her induction came Lucius and Narcissa's wedding invitation and to her surprise she was invited not by the Malfoy's but by the Black family. Despite her qualms, she decided to attend regardless and order Brownie to prepare lavish lavender silk robes. She also trimmed off her hair to its usual short blunt bangs cut and prepared simple makeup for the day. As Brownie fastened the dress on her, Huda had to admit she had definitely lost weight over the course of the year.
Her collarbones stuck out and her cheekbones were hollowed out but with a few glamour charms, she added some color into her cheeks and some sparkle in her eyes. The robes were luxurious and she felt like she was stepping on air as she walked in them. The wedding was obviously in the Malfoy Manor gardens which was tastefully decorated with flowers and several guests had already arrived and were milling about the gardens.
Huda quickly cast a levitation spell on her robes so they would hover a few inches above the ground and handed her invitation off to one of the house elves before stepping onto the stone pathway. She immediately grabbed a glass of elf wine, gagging at the taste but at least it was something alcoholic. She eyed all the guests, trying to figure out who she should strike up a conversation with.
"Didn't expect to see you here" a voice from behind her piped up. She whirled around to see Antonin Dolohov smirking down at her. She smiled up at him and offered him a glass of wine from a nearby tray which he accepted.
"I was invited by Walburga Black herself" Huda boasted and Dolohov raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I didn't know you were close to the Blacks" he commented as he took a sip of his wine.
"I haven't seen you since you graduated, Antonin" Huda simpered and cozied up to lean on his arm. "What have you been up to?". Dolohov wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him.
"Nothing much really. Just the Ministry and politics as usual," he shrugged casually. "You've got some balls, Shafiq. Coming to your ex's wedding".
"Why does that surprise you? If it wasn't me, I'm glad it was Narcissa. After all, we should keep the lines pure" Huda nearly gagged as she uttered these words.
"You are right. I heard Andromeda married a muggle born. Disgusting" he spat onto the ground in disgust.
"So where are the rest? I recall you, Rosier and Greengrass were quite formidable five years ago" Huda asked, grabbing another glass of wine.
"Slow down, Shafiq. Wouldn't want you drunk before the ceremony even starts" Evan Rosier, ever the handsome blond, swaggered up to them in a boastful fashion with his hands in his pockets.
"So good to see you here" she leaned up and kissed him on both cheeks.
"You look beautiful" Rosier kissed her hand and she giggled. Dolohov snorted at the obvious attempt at flirting.
"Alfred is running late. Last night was a real pain" Rosier exclaimed and Huda did not miss the look of warning Dolohov gave him.
"How long were you all there?" Dolohov asked casually and Huda quieted down, listening hard to Evan's reply.
"Around two in the morning but we left the area soon after" Rosier replied and Huda glanced between the two as they communicated silently between themselves.
"Excuse me, I need the powder room" Huda backed away before turning around to walk back into the mansion. A house elf escorted her to the ladies' room and she quickly locked herself inside one of the loos. It was just as luxurious as the rest of the mansion with leathered couches and fluffy pillows. Huda calmed herself down and froze once again when she heard three pairs of footsteps walking into the ladies' room.
"I can't believe this farce. As if Lucius and Narcissa are getting married now. They've already been married for the past six months" Huda recognized the first voice as Bellatrix Black.
"The Dark Lord knows all, Bella. Calm down" Huda realised that this was Pomona Parkinson, one of Bellatrix's close friends.
"At least the ones chosen are worthy" Bellatrix replied and Huda wondered why the third person who had entered with them was completely silent.
"Bring her here" Pomona muttered and Huda realised the third person was either inebriated or under the influence of something. She could hear sounds of shuffling and eventually groans from the girls themselves.
"Who decides to get drunk today? Especially today?" Bellatrix scoffed and Pomona chuckled.
"We can just order the house elf to keep her here until it's over" Pomona replied and Bellatrix seemed to agree.
They walked out of the room after a few minutes and Huda breathed a sigh of relief. She casted a quick spell to check and saw she and the other person were the only ones in the room. She stepped out of the loo and spotted Narcissa Black asleep on the sofa. Huda crept over to her and shook her shoulder gently. Narcissa awoke immediately and instead of looking bleary-eyed drunk, she looked completely sober.
"What are you doing here?" Narcissa snarled and Huda held up her hands in surrender.
"Relax, Narcissa, I'm here for apparently your wedding but seems to me that's not the case" Huda replied sarcastically and Narcissa scoffed.
"Wedding my arse" Huda raised a brow at the words Narcissa had just uttered. "This is a rally. An initiation for all the new Death Eaters and an invitation for new people to join".
"Invitation?" Huda asked. "Then why are you hiding in here?".
"Lucius wants me to take the Dark Mark" Narcissa confessed.
"And why won't you?" Huda asked, pretending to be confused.
"I don't see it as right. I believe in being a pureblood but not this way. He is killing muggleborns and muggles alike. There is no person he is not against. He tortures Lucius and Bellatrix worships him like a God. I did not ask for this when I married the man of my dreams" Narcissa sniffled, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Narcissa. I truly am" Huda didn't know what else to say to the weeping woman.
"Why should you be sorry?" Narcissa laughed cruelly. "I stole him from you. I was jealous of you. I tormented you. And now I supposed fate is throwing it back in my face".
"It wasn't you. It was my father, Narcissa" Huda explained. "He was protecting me from this and I was a fool to not understand what he was doing. I thought he was being cruel, taking me away from Lucius but I know see he was protecting. Otherwise, it would have been me crying my eyes out on this sofa and I doubt you would have come to comfort me".
"I suppose we have different paths to take, Huda," this was the first time Narcissa had called Huda by name.
"So you decided to hide like a coward? Pretend to be drunk so you would miss the ceremony?" Huda asked.
"I thought I would delay it for now" Narcissa's hand rested on her stomach and Huda's eyes widened at the implication.
"How long?" she asked.
"A month. I haven't told him yet" Narcissa replied.
"Tell him. If he's exactly how I remember him to be, he will not force you. He's a good man underneath all that anger and resentment" Huda stood up and patted down her robes.
"You're going out there? You should go home!" Narcissa cried.
"I'll steer Lucius your way if I see him" Huda dismissed Narcissa's plea and stalked out of the ladies' room.
The number of guests had grown since her entrance and she lost herself in the crowd and quickly took a seat at the few back rows. The noise level was quite high, giving her a mild headache and soon enough Abraxas Malfoy took the stage. Huda observed the people in the very front noting their names and titles at the Ministry. A sudden crack made her head turn to the front where a rather tall wizard had taken the stage.
"I stand here before you all as the last descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Many of you have heard whispers and rumors about me and here I am to show my face to the world".
The voice was almost magical. It sounded almost like a man crooning in his lover's ears sweet nothings and Huda felt her pulse race as she imagined the face behind the voice. The mask fell off his face and the crowd cheered as Lord Voldemort revealed himself at long last. Huda's heart pounded as she stared up at him, drinking in his features. He was rather handsome with perfectly coiffed black hair and high cheekbones not unlike the Black family. His pale skin glowed under the sunlight but there was a certain oddness to his features that Huda felt was not completely human at all.
"We have strayed far from the path the founders of Hogwarts laid out for us. Magic is no longer glorious; it is a mockery in the greater world. Circe, Merlin, Morgana, the names of witches and wizards who were once most sacred are now used in children's stories to amuse Mudbloods, a result of mingling with those beneath us. We have allowed out sacred blood to be diluted and our children have been divided while entering our schools,". The crowd booed at this and Huda shuddered inwardly to think there were this many people who hated muggles and muggleborns.
For too long, the supposed righteous have been forgetting the values given by its founders. Albus Dumbledore used Hogwarts as a place to cultivate children who would love mudbloods and muggles, not cultivate the magical minds and talent of children with magical gifts. But no longer shall we lose children's magical potential,". The crowd cheered at this and Huda straightened up to stare at Voldemort right in the face.
"I shall bring us to an age where our children need not hide behind the Statute of Secrecy but instead, rule over the muggles and be free to do as they wish. They will learn the ancient ways as they were meant to be. We will have a better, purer era that honors our ancestors and a magnificent society to emerge. Those who are loyal to me now shall be rewarded with positions of honor and those who fight against me will not be meant to continue living in a society where magic is might,". His eerie red eyes lingered on all of them and Huda avoided his gaze adamantly.
"I do not relish the spillage of magical blood therefore, I invite all of you to join me in my mission and my journey. Inform your friends and family and they will be welcomed into my forces without question. The non-believers" he paused for dramatic effect "shall be purged" the crowd swelled with cheers. "But where is death there is always birth. Join me as we rise from the ashes and create a civilization of pure magical people. And be warned, any treason will be dealt with swiftly and efficiently". Huda looked around her and was shocked to see grins on people's faces. As if they had attained some sort of salvation.
"Who would like to join me right now?" his silky voice asked and a few raised their hands. She watched in horror as Bellatrix, Pomona, Rosier, Dolohov, Yaxley and few others joined him on stage, on their knees and held her right arms out. There were shouts and grunts of pain as the Dark Mark was administered on them but the worst was Bellatrix. She screamed before falling to the floor and to Huda's disgust, she kissed Voldemort's feet and Huda realised she was crying tears of happiness.
"As for the rest, this is an official invitation to my ranks. I will look forward to seeing you soon".
Another crack and Voldemort vanished into thin air and Huda breathed out in relief. She quickly rushed back into the ladies' room, avoiding Narcissa's look of curiosity and concern and Disapparated back to her home and to safety.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Hi!
Thank you so much to all the people who have been reading my fanfic. It's been quite a while since I've posted an actual story but I would love to hear everyone's feedback so please review and critique as much as you want!
Please read and review!
Onyxinlife