Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, this is merely a work of fanfiction.
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Headmaster Igor Karkaroff set down his paper as Professor Severus Snape walked into his office.
"I take it you have seen the headline? Two new Founders' Heiresses have claimed their titles. One more Heir and your country will return to an Oligarchy. "
Professor Snape sneered, "They do not have complete control."
"Not yet," the Headmaster conceded.
He had studied British history briefly when he served under the Dark Lord, and had learned a bit about the Oligarchy. They had the most power when there were four heirs. They could vote as one and pressure the families of the Wizengamot to agree with them. If they were united, there was very little they could not do.
"Will she be like her predecessor?" Igor asked. Professor Snape shook his head.
"No, I don't think so, but it is hard to tell. I only knew her very briefly before I came here. She took after Lady Malfoy, if anything."
Igor nodded his head and thought. He knew they were locked into the Triwizard Tournament for next year. The preparations had been years in the making.
With the rise of the Founders Heirs, they were sure to have their own input about the Tournament. That could be useful, perhaps they could avoid any casualties this time. Besides, he was eager to meet the new generation that would soon take Britain by storm.
The Ministry was in an uproar, and Lord Malfoy was enjoying every second of it. Everywhere he went, all eyes were on him. He didn't think he had ever looked forward to going into his Wizengamot office more.
He ignored the whispers, though they fueled his ego. He knew his wife would be having a field day as well. No doubt those of any acquaintance would be suddenly wanting to have tea, and get the inside gossip, not that Cissa would debase herself to such things.
They knew who their true friends were, the ones who had been there for many years. Lord Malfoy entered the lift, and was pleased to see Lady Shacklebolt enter behind him.
"Ah, to what do I owe the honor Lady Shacklebolt?"
"I'm having lunch with my husband, and thought I might pay you a visit. You're sure to have people swarming you with the news."
Lord Malfoy nodded his acknowledgement as the doors to the lift slid closed.
"There will be those who want to say all manner of things about a new Lady Slytherin. Not all of them will be kind. Best you have a witness on your side to keep things transparent."
Lord Malfoy nodded. He wasn't ignorant of what she said. He knew people spoke behind his back about bribes in the past. It was one thing for people to talk about him and his empire, but quite another for them to implicate Holly or Draco.
He had dabbled in bribery, most wizards of means in the magical worlds had, but it was by far the least of his crimes. Money was so blasé. Almost everyone they knew had money aplenty. Lord Malfoy preferred to deal in influence, in favors. When necessary, he dealt in blackmail, and violence. No, very rarely did he debase himself to bribery.
It was, however, a popular gossip piece, and it was up to Holly and Draco how they wanted the Slytherin family name to be perceived. He would be careful to not give the wrong impression.
No doubt people would be bowing and scraping to win his favor even more than usual in hopes that he would give them an introduction to his future daughter in law.
"Follow me then," Lord Malfoy instructed as the lift opened at the level of the Wizengamot offices. Halfway down the hallway he noticed a young man that looked like a Weasley staring at him.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
"Uh...yes...no," he thrust out his hand, "I'm Heir Percival Weasley."
"Yes, of course."
He took the boy's hand and shook it as was due his position. The oldest boy was of course now Lord McKinnon, and the second boy had claimed the title of Lord Prewett just a few weeks ago. That left Percival as the Weasley Heir. He looked like a annoyingly by the book sort.
"Headmistress McGonagall has allowed me off grounds to do an internship in the Ministry twice a week, since I will take over the lordship at some point. She's opened the opportunity to all Heirs and Heiresses that are Sixth Year and above."
Lord Malfoy knew that, of course, these opportunities all had to be approved by the Board of Governors. They had approved several new internships for this year, so students would have more hands-on training.
"Wonderful. If you will excuse me, we have a very busy day ahead of us, I'm sure you understand."
For the first time Heir Weasley seemed to notice Lady Shacklebolt, and he gave a little bow. It was nowhere near as formal or respectful as the Lady deserved, but she let it slide. The boy would soon learn as he sat in Wizengamot meetings how things were done.
Floors above them, in the office of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge was having a crisis. He wasn't sure what this business with the Founders' Heiresses meant for his future, but he was sure it couldn't be good.
He had deferred to Dumbledore in the past, and they had easily run him out of Hogwarts, and indeed the entire Wizarding world. No one had seen him in months. At least with Dumblefore he knew what he was getting, or he thought he did. He never would have suspected him of using Occlumency against students.
He had no idea what to expect of the upcoming Oligarchy families. Would they try to oust him?
He couldn't be sure of his position with them. He could try to divide them, to dilute their power, but it was near impossible the way they were linked. There were familial relations between several of the couples, and close friendships between the others.
He could try to smear them in the media, but he was certain that could be traced back to him. Lady Ravenclaw technically could be classed as a magical creature due to her Veela heritage, but no one would dare attack a member of the Black family by suggesting such a thing. They were wealthy beyond belief, and ruthless. It would be political suicide to bring it up now that the Black Heiress had claimed the title of Lady Ravenclaw.
Still, he wasn't comfortable leaving this alone.
Surely it wouldn't hurt if he sent just one letter to Dumbledore?
No, surely not. If he got caught he would just say he was hoping to be able to track the letter and find out his whereabouts. Yes, that would do.
"I don't understand, what does this mean?"
Neville sighed and looked at Ginny. They had been approached in the courtyard by a group of first years after breakfast. If he had to explain what this meant one more time, he was going to lose it. He motioned for everyone to gather around so they could explain it once, and be done.
"My godsister, Lady Holly Potter, is now 'Lady Holly Potter, Lady Slytherin.'"
The little girl who asked the question shook her head in confusion and scrunched up her nose. She was a Gryffindor muggleborn and was having a hard time wrapping her mind around all of this. This is why they needed the magical culture & etiquette classes.
"How can she be both at the same time? I don't get it."
"She just can. She's a Potter by birth, so when her mother died, who was formerly Lady Potter, she became Lady Potter. She is also a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, so she was able to claim that title. She will also be Lady Malfoy one day."
"That's a lot," another first year muttered with wide eyes.
"It is," Neville nodded, "it happens sometimes, though not usually to this extent. If they had lived longer, Lady Slytherin's parents might have had more children, and then they would have been able to share the title's amongst themselves."
"Well what are we supposed to call her?" A Ravenclaw muggleborn asked.
"Lady Slytherin is the highest title, so use that, but I doubt she would resent you calling her Lady Potter if you slip up. In formal settings, such as Wizengamot meetings, she will be introduced by all her titles, and then referred to as Lady Slytherin thereafter."
"And this includes Lady Ravenclaw and Lord Hufflepuff too?"
Neville nodded his head.
"What happens when they have children?" A mousy looking Hufflpuff asked.
Neville blushed a vibrant red, and Ginny laughed at him. She would take this one.
"My sister's children will each receive one title from her. Lords and Ladies can choose to pass on their title to their children once they are of age, or wait. It is up to them. If they have less than three children, then they will have to give more than one title to each child, or they could magically adopt children and pass on the titles that way. Magical adoption is seen as absolute by magical law, and magical society."
The first year's eyes had grown wide, and turning over her shoulder, Ginny was surprised to see Draco standing just behind her. Sally was draped over his shoulders, and wrapped around one arm. She rested her head on his left shoulder and watched the scene unfold lazily. He looked terribly intimidating to anyone who didn't know that Sally was the laziest snake in existence.
"Ginny, why are you talking about my future children?"
Ginny laughed as the first years scattered around the courtyard and tried to look as if they hadn't been discussing the intimate affairs of her future brother-in-law. The truth was his life was more or less public record now, as theirs all would be very soon. Such was the nature of being an Oligarchy family.
"The first years and the muggleborns are confused, Draco. They don't know what this means. They saw the headline, but don't understand the implications, or how to interact with Holly or Luna."
Draco wrinkled his nose, and looked around the courtyard haughtily.
"No one seemed this shaken up over Lord Hufflepuff claiming his title."
"Yeah well it's Zach," Ginny rolled her eyes.
Neville chuckled at her side. He liked Zach but he wasn't exactly attention grabbing. He fairly radiated sunlight and happiness. Draco and Holly however, were already quite famous before this news broke. That and Luna's Veela good looks made for good headlines.
"I suppose you're right. People think he's perfect, just because he's a Hufflepuff. What a joke."
"Where's my godsister, anyways?" Neville asked.
"She's gone back to bed, actually. She was exhausted after last night, and the Headmistress gave her the day off classes. She had to give the day off to Vince and Greg too. They wouldn't go without her. They're sitting in the Common Room to guard her."
"Good," Neville nodded approvingly.
Ginny shook her head in amusement as they all waved goodbye, and Neville walked her to her first class. Draco had a reputation for aloof and intimidating among the student body. If only they could see how he doted on Holly in private.
Holly woke again around two in the afternoon.
She knew Vince and Greg would be still sitting guard, out in the Common Room. She ignored the grumbling of her stomach and turned to look at the portraits she had commissioned. They were smiling out at her, and Sirius' bounced excitedly when she opened her bed curtains.
"She's awake James! She's awake!"
"I can see that," James grumbled. Lily shook her head at the men and smiled kindly at Holly.
"How do you feel?" She asked.
"Overwhelmed. This is a lot of magic," Holly admitted.
James squinted at her worriedly, "Quidditch will help. I understand if you don't want to play in games, but you should really make sure you keep playing in practice. It will help with the extra power. That's why Sirius and I played constantly after my parents died. It helped us to manage our magic until I got married, and shared the Potter magic with your mum."
"Right, any other tips?"
"Ask Remus to teach you dueling. He fought in The War with us, in the early days. If you could duel him even once a week, it would help a lot."
Holly nodded her head. She sometimes forgot that James and Sirius had borne the Potter magic on their own after his parents died. Holly got out of bed and retrieved her mirror from her trunk. She returned to her bed and pulled the blankets up against the Fall chill, and called her mother.
"Holly, my dear one, how are you?"
Holly gave out a sigh of relief at seeing Cissa's face. There was something so comforting about seeing her, and hearing the soft tone of her voice.
"Exhausted, but I'm okay. Headmistress McGonagall gave me the day off class. I'm ashamed to admit I've been sleeping all day."
"Don't be ashamed, dearest. You must rest after such a big ritual. Mipsy and Trixie are already on their way to feed you. They are absolutely determined. I understand they fed Crabbe & Goyle while they were guarding you."
"Thank Merlin, I was worried they would starve themselves."
Mipsy and Trixie popped into the dormitory with a full service cart between them, laden with a teapot, a pitcher of water, and all manner of food and treats. She noticed the vitamin potion on the cart and took it when Mipsy pushed it under her nose.
"Trixie would never allow them to starve. They need to be well fed to protect you. My mistresses safety and happiness is my sole priority."
Holly smiled at the elf who was now arranging a tray of food for her. A thought occurred to her suddenly.
"I haven't even looked at gown designs for the Yule Ball. Speaking of which, how are preparations going?"
"Wonderfully sweetheart, thank you for asking. Don't worry about your gown, Blaise has created you a masterpiece. He designed it this summer, and the tailors will have it finished within the month. We had to have something magnificent for your debut as Lady Slytherin. I do hope that's okay?"
Holly took a deep breath of relief. There were so many intricacies of magical society that sometimes escaped her. Blaise had been raised with the finer things in magical society, and he had a magnificent eye for design. She wouldn't be surprised if that's what he chose to do after school.
"It's perfect," Holly admitted as she took the food Trixie placed in front of her.
They talked as she ate, and by the time she was done, she felt much better. The food, tea, and vitamin potion had energized her body, while the quality time with Cissa had helped clear her mind.
Holly and Luna approached the Headmistress' office. The statue turned for them of its own accord. It would appear that the castle wouldn't bar them from entering any room they desired. Greg and Vince followed them at just enough of a distance to give them the illusion of privacy.
They knocked at the door, and heard a call from within. Greg and Vince stayed outside the door.
They entered to find the Headmistress working at her desk, parchment and quills littered her desk, and there were several owls loitering as if waiting for a response. She pushed the parchments away from her, and nodded at them in greeting.
"Lady Slytherin, Lady Ravenclaw, welcome. Please take a seat. What can I help you with?"
"Well Headmistress, we find ourselves in a bit of a conundrum. We received owls from Gringotts this morning, detailing the contents of our estates, our updated estates, and we were hoping you could help us."
The Headmistress was surprised they would come to her for help, but honored. She would do what she could for the girls.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"First, we were hoping you would provide permission for my mother and father to visit me at Hogwarts. I would prefer to confer in person about everything going on."
Professor McGonagall agreed easily, it was no bother at all. Lord Malfoy was already keyed into the wards since he was a member of the Board of Governors.
"The second is, when there are important Wizengamot meetings, I would like to be able to attend. I know it's uncommon for students to come and go in such a way. If it is something you feel unable to accommodate, I will withdraw and finish my studies privately."
Professor McGonagall's forehead scrunched in consternation. She set down her glasses and looked at Lady Ravenclaw in surprise. She could have easily asked her father to have this discussion with her, but instead she had come herself. That showed remarkable maturity.
"That won't be necessary, Lady Ravenclaw. I understand that you have duties outside of the school. You would have been eligible for an internship at the Ministry next year anyways, due to your Heiress Black status. It's been so long since there was an official Founders Heir, that we're not sure exactly what this means, but I think you'll find that the castle will be eager to aid you in your duties. The Founders poured some of their magic into the castle, and it is sentient to a certain extent. Feel free to come to me with whatever you need. Your success is Hogwarts' success."
Luna beamed back at the Headmistress. She could work with her.
"To that end, there have been long term plans for a Triwizard Tournament to be held at Hogwarts next year. Perhaps you should be at the next Board of Governors meeting over the Yule Break so we may receive your input."
Holly and Luna nodded eagerly. They were excited to get to work.
"Why do you have a girl's cloak?" Theo asked as he entered the boys dorm. Blaise was standing with his wand out, casting charms on a black velvet cloak with a large bow in the front.
"First of all, cloaks are gender neutral. It's a piece of fabric, and this one is fabulous. Second, it's for Holly. She's tiny and she'll freeze on the visit to Hogsmeade without these charms. My mother taught me. You know she's petite too."
Theo nodded and dropped a kiss on Blaises cheek as he went to set down his books. He sat and watched his soulmate as he finished the spells.
"What are you so nervous about Theo? I can feel it from here."
Theo rolled his eyes and punched a pillow on his bed half heartedly. Blaise pocketed his wand and came to sit beside him. He knocked Theo's knee with his own and took his hand. Theo closed his eyes, as if he couldn't face his own fears.
"I don't want to lose anyone else. You know Riddle killed my mother. I just can't take losing anymore people. I can't help but think that Holly will always be in danger, and Draco as well, because he's her soulmate. There will always be those who want to see her fall."
"That's why she has us," Blaise reassured. He kissed Theo on the cheek and returned to his feet to lace warming charms on the dress Holly was wearing the next day.
"Nothing is ever guaranteed, love. We just do the best we can."
Theo leaned back to relax as his soulmate worked. He knew Blaise was right. It was a rare moment of vulnerability for him to admit such a fear. He closed his eyes and focused on organizing his thoughts with Occlumency.
He wouldn't let fear clutter his mind.
The snow blew fiercely, nipping at Holly's cheeks. She drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders, grateful for the warming charms Blaise had placed upon her clothes. She surely would have frozen without them.
Draco held her hand and pulled her into the shelter of the The Three Broomsticks. Holly's cheeks were bright from the cold, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Draco shook his head to make himself focus.
He saw Marcus and some of the Slytherin Quidditch team having drinks in the corner. Holly followed him and took an open seat while Draco went to collect drinks. Greg and Vince took a table a few feet away to keep an eye on her in the busy pub.
"So how has your first Hogsemade visit been?" Adrian asked kindly.
"Lovely," Holly gushed, "I loved Honeydukes. Draco said I got enough candy to sink a boat, but I wanted to get some for my sister and her friends. They have the biggest sweet tooths."
Holly's seat was jostled and she lurched forward, knocking over a drink. The boys scrambled to make sure she was okay and contained the mess, while Marcus' eyes immediately sought out whoever had hit her.
There was a gaggle of older Gryffindor girls sitting down a few tables away and one had a nasty snarl on her face. She looked entirely too pleased with herself. He made to stand up, but was halted by the sight of the Weasley Twins. They stood behind Holly with devious grins on their faces and several pints of buttterbeer in their hands.
"Allow us," they insisted, turning to make their way over to the girls. Marcus spotted Luna at the bar who gave him a wink. He suppressed a smirk and sat back down. He should have known.
Greg and Vince watched the whole thing play out with amusement. The older girls were clearly jealous of the attention Luna and Holly received. George and Fred offered the girls the drinks with a charming smile, and like fools they took them.
The twins then disappeared back into the crowd with a satisfied smile. The twins watched from the bar as the girls got up from the table and ran towards the restrooms just a few moments later. They should be busy puking for the rest of the day.
"What did they do?" Marcus asked Luna, who had taken a seat at their table with Draco.
"Oh, just what they do best. Create chaos."
Professor Tonks was tough, but fair. The Gryffindor's seemed to be happy that for once a Professor didn't show blatant favoritism towards Slytherin house.
Her class was much more to the point than Slughorn's. There was little favoritism shown, though Holly did notice her smiling more at her and Draco than the other's, when she thought no one was looking. She imagined Draco probably reminded her a lot of Cissa.
Lord Black's class was a walk in the park comparatively.
He started by teaching all the classes with the very basics of wizarding etiquette, since it hadn't been taught in many years. Many of the muggle born children came to him after class, and asked for recommendations for extra reading. He was only too eager to help them.
They weren't teaching the Olde Ways exactly, he never explicitly mentioned the old holidays or Mother Magic. It was known among the purebloods, and would quickly disseminate through the muggleborns with all the extra reading they seemed to be doing.
The actual observance of the Olde Ways, on an institutional level, would have to go through the Board. No doubt there would be those who opposed, and there would be a fight in the Wizengamot. It would be best if they could put that off until Neville had taken his position as Lord Gryffindor, then they could work together.
In the meantime, if the children wanted to observe the Olde Ways, who was he to stop them? No, he would certainly find himself 'busy' on the nights of the old holidays.
Most of the pureblood children were already aware of this information, but it was brand new to some. The sudden return of the Oligarchy, however, meant that they would all be learning something new, except for the Heirs themselves, who had been receiving private lessons all along.
Sally curled her way around the bedpost of Draco's bed, and onto his bed covers. He didn't stir, so she carried on until she was face to face with him. Sally hissed and poked at him with her snout until he woke a moment later.
He panicked for a second, before his eyes focused in the darkness.
"Sally? What's wrong? Is it Holly?"
The snake shook her little head and pointed it towards the door. Draco got up and put Sally on his shoulders, grabbed his wand, and headed out the door. Holly was laying on the couch, curled into a ball. She was facing the fire but she had the three little portraits of her parents and Sirius sat up against the wall.
Draco made his way around the couch, and Holly sat up to make room for him. Tears were still wet on her face. Draco put an arm around her, and Sally went to lay in front of the fire. Holly pulled the blanket she was using over both of them to keep them warm.
"What's wrong Hols?"
Holly sniffled wiped at her face, "It's nothing." Draco shook his head in exasperation.
"Love, it is two in the morning and you are out here crying by yourself. Obviously something is wrong. Sally even came to get me."
Holly glared at Sally for being a traitor. She knew the snake was right, but she didn't like being ratted out.
"The uh...thing we talked about this summer with your parents? I got that."
Draco blushed bright pink, but stayed put with his arm around his soulmate.
"Did you forget the spells? I can do them if you want."
Holly giggled despite herself, "No, Draco, I remember. It helps with the pain, but I'm still very emotional. It's just, look at them! They were so young! There must have been so much they wanted to do, and they're just gone. Some days it just hits me more than others."
The portraits looked at the young couple sadly. There was nothing really that they could say to comfort her. Draco slouched down on the couch, and Holly rested her head on his shoulder. They slowly drifted off to sleep as they stared into the fire.
Lord Black coughed loudly, and Holly and Draco jerked awake. He looked between them haughtily, and Holly blushed furiously as she smoothed her clothes.
"You are both lucky that I am your head of house. This looks terribly off color. You need to get up and get ready for the day.
your parents will be here shortly to go over Holly's new assets."
He turned and crouched down to look at the portraits. Sirius beamed at him, as did James.
"Looking handsome as always James," Lord Black complimented. James laughed and Sirius and Lily got disgusted looks on their faces. Lord Black chuckled and rolled his eyes. Still easy to rile up, even as portraits. He stood to his feet and left the Common Room. He had his own meeting with Luna to get to.
Holly and Draco went to get ready, and emerged from the Common Room with Greg and Vince a few moments later.
"Where's Sally?" Draco asked as they scaled the stairs to the Great Entrance.
"No doubt off exploring with Godric. Those two are out of control."
As soon as they stepped off the stairs they saw Lord and Lady Malfoy talking to Lord Black and Headmistress McGonagall. Holly fought the urge to run to their side. She should have a little decorum now that she was Lady Slytherin. She couldn't resist giving them a hug, though.
Professor McGongall led them to the room that was usually reserved for board meetings, and left them to their work. Lord Black wished them a good day and went to find Luna.
"Lord Black told me he found you two sleeping together on the common room couch this morning" Lord Malfoy noted dryly.
He tried to look serious but the dread that filled Draco's eyes made him burst out in loud laughs. His wife looked at him reproachfully, but Holly smiled. She understood that he wasn't angry at them, not really.
"I- uh-we just fell asleep. Holly wasn't feeling well."
Holly blushed and nodded her head. She knew Lucius wasn't really mad, but she still felt guilty for putting Draco in that position. It wasn't really proper, though at this point she was unclear where the lines of propriety were. Did rules really apply to you if it was partially your family's school? She didn't know.
"It's natural when you don't feel well to seek comfort with your soulmate, " Lady Malfoy noted, "but perhaps not so openly. People could spread nast rumors about you if they wished, or take pictures."
Draco looked at his parents dumbly. He thought he would have been in huge trouble. Apparently he had misread the situation.
"So what do you expect us to do?" Draco asked, still dumbfounded.
One of Lord Malfoy's eyebrows rose, and Draco quelled. He knew that look, it was his father's 'use your brain' look.
"There should be quarters for Lady Slytherin in the castle, the same as there are quarters for Lord Hufflepuff. If you need privacy, that would be the ideal place to go."
Holly nodded. She had figured as much, but it wasn't high on her list of priorities. She didn't think she would need them until she was older anyways. She liked getting to live with her friends.
Holly pulled a ledger book from her bag, and set it on the table. A green ribbon marked her spot in the book. She opened it, spun it, and pushed it across the table towards Lord and Lady Malfoy.
"I asked the goblins to send me a record of all the transactions that have occurred since Tom claimed his title. As you can imagine, I was not pleased by what I found."
Lord Malfoy took the ledger. There were large sums of money deposited by families of Death Eaters, and an enormous amount of withdrawals. There was also an enormous influx of artifacts in the vaults, as if he had been hoarding them. Lord Malfoy slid it over to his wife, and looked at Holly.
"I assume these deposits were from Tom's supporters?"
Lord Malfoy nodded his head, "It was well known that he expected financial support. Though I never quite realized how much he took. To see it all laid out like this, and how much he spent, is astounding."
"I agree," Lady Malfoy said as she pushed the ledger back at Holly. She was no stranger to extravagant spending, but it seemed truly excessive.
"These artifacts are from all over the world," Holly told them, pointing to the inventory list of the vaults, "including some that should belong to the other Founders families. They would have cost a fortune. I have to imagine that's where the gold went."
Lord Malfoy nodded his head. Tom had really only resorted to killing for everything in the last few years of his life. Before that he could be cunning, and charismatic. He would have paid through the nose from something he thought was powerful.
"I think it would be best to return these artifacts to their rightful owners. Whether or not Tom paid for them isn't relevant. The sellers were under duress, and there's no way to tell what he paid for and what he didn't. I will be restoring the vaults to the state they were in before Tom claimed his title"
"Which is?" Lord Malfoy asked.
Draco produced a list from his pocket, and handed it to his father. It was much smaller than the inventory Holly had handed them. A little gold, journals, jewelry, and the usual family artifacts that were found within family vaults.
"I'm surprised there's not more gold," Lady Malfoy noted as she looked at the list Lord Malfoy handed her.
"Not that you'll need it," Draco noted haughtily. They were going to be the wealthiest family in all of magical Britain when they got married. The Potter fortune, the Malfoy fortune, and the Slytherin title were all theirs.
"No, but your descendants might, Draco. What if the school needed an influx of gold? A Founders family vault should not be in such a state."
"I have a theory about that," Holly responded.
It had been plaguing her for days. All the Founders families had been wealthy, it's how they had afforded to build Hogwarts. Even with Tom's spending, it just didn't make sense.
"If you were Lord Salazar Slytherin, would you put your money in a bank run by goblins, or would you put it in the castle you built from the ground up, in a chamber only accessible by your descendants?"
Lord Malfoy's eyes grew wide, and Draco smiled. He was pleased at his soulmate's cunning.
"I have sent Sally to look for it, with the help of Godric. Those two seem to be able to get into every crevice of this school. If it's there, they'll find it. I'm sure she already knows where Slytherin's private quarters are as well."
"What did you do?" Lord Black asked as his daughter strode into his office.
She had missed their morning appointment. Her soulmate was but a few steps behind her, and closed the door behind them. Luna looked entirely too innocent as she kissed her Papa on the cheek and took the seat across from him.
"Only what needed to be done."
Lord Black raised one eyebrow at her, and then looked at Heir Diggory. The boy merely shrugged his shoulders and looked away. He straightened his Prefect pin that hung on his Hufflepuff robes. At least he was a loyal accomplice.
"I trust you were careful, as always."
Luna beamed at her father, and took the cup of tea Kreacher offered her, "Of course, Papa."
"May I ask what provoked you this time, my dear?"
Luna scrunched up her nose in disgust, "Some people can be so jealous. A few girls tried to throw hexes at me, and I defended myself, it's as simple as that."
"Who?" Lord Black asked.
"Never mind, Papa. I can take care of them. They pose no real threat."
Lord Black nodded but gave Heir Diggory a look that clearly stated he expected to be informed if things got out of hand. Cedric nodded his head, and then went back to looking at his soulmate as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Sally slithered into the Slytherin Common Room with Godric close behind her. They worked their way onto the arms of her chair and curled up in her lap without so much as a hello. Holly stopped her conversation with Ginny and looked down at them amusedly.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes. Give cuddles," Sally informed her. Holly chuckled. They weren't usually this cuddly. She stroked their heads and they hissed appreciatively.
"Tell her," Godric whined.
"Tell me what?" Holly asked.
"We have found the chambers you seek, Mama, but I require cuddles. Tell Papa he is next, or I will not tell you where they are."
Holly glared down at her snake, though in truth she was amused. Her friends were watching her with fascination.
"What is she saying?" Draco asked. Holly waved him over so she could whisper in his ear, and Sally immediately wrapped herself around his arm while Godric stayed in her lap.
"She has found the rooms we asked her to, but she won't tell us where they are unless she gets cuddles. We're being blackmailed."
Draco scoffed, but stroked Sally on her head like she liked. She was a funny little thing. After a few moments it would appear she was appeased, because she perked up and worked her way back onto Holly's lap.
"This way Mama," she hissed. Godric followed her closely. In between the two arches that led to the boys and girls dorms there was an etching of Salazar Slytherin laid into the stone. Draco and Holly approached where the snakes waited.
"The Heiress of Slytherin commands you to open," Sally hissed. Before them the stone etching of Salazar nodded his head, waved his wand, and a third archway appeared where the etching had been.
The Common Room gasped behind them, but Holly ignored them. Greg and Vince were behind her, and Marcus had appeared to lend a hand as well.
"Marcus, will you keep guard of the entrance? I'm not quite sure what we'll find, and I don't want anyone coming in after us."
Marcus nodded, putting his back to them and drawing his wand. His large frame blocked out most of their line of vision.
"I'll go first," Holly told them, "Greg and Vince you bring up the rear."
They nodded, and allowed Holly to lead the way. She lit her wand with a lumos and followed the snakes down the staircase. Draco followed close behind Holly.
He didn't like her going first. What if there was a trap? Still, it was her birthright, so he held his tongue.
After a few moments the staircase emptied into a large room with smooth stone walls. Holly called for Mipsy and asked for her to light the sconces she was sure were set into the wall, and the fireplace that must be somewhere here in the semi-dark.
It illuminated the space beautifully.
Sally and Godric were already curled up by the fireplace, happily soaking up the warmth it gave. It was a large space, about half the size of the Slytherin Common Room. In place of prominence on one long wall was a tapestry of the four Founders. Holly went to stand in front of it reverently.
They looked so happy.
She turned to take in the rest of the room. There were two large windows set into the stone walls at either end of the room that had been enchanted to look like the sky far above the level of the dungeons that these quarters inhabited. Holly determined that these were probably somewhere between the Slytherin Common Room and the Chamber of Secrets.
The room's furniture was formal, made of rich dark wood with emerald green accents. The wall sconces were made of a rich gold that formed into the shape of serpents. Draco was standing in front of a portrait of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. They stood arm in arm, like brothers.
Several rounded doors were set into the walls of the room. Holly tried one and found what looked to be the master bedroom. It had a large wood carved bed, and a massive fireplace in the wall across from the bed. She would have to inspect that more later. She doubted she would be sleeping in here anytime soon. Another door led to a rather extravagant bathroom.
Holly tried the door to the third room and stopped in her tracks. It was a nursery. She supposed it made sense. The Founders would have had children at Hogwarts. It just never occurred to her before. She closed the door quickly. She had no need for that for a very long time yet.
There was one more door.
Holly pushed, and it opened to reveal an office just as big as the Headmasters. A large stone desk was set against the far wall. It looked like it hadn't been touched in centuries.
Along a long wall were shelves set into the stone. There were rows and rows of books. Draco and Holly looked at them as Mipsy lit the fire in this room as well. Some of them looked like they were illuminated manuscripts from the times of the Founders, and others looked like they may be the journals of the Slytherin family.
"Wee Mistress, there is another door over here!"
Holly went to Mipsy's side, smiling at her. There was indeed a door in the corner of the room, that was all but hidden by the way the shadows fell. She pushed on it and found another set of stairs that led downward.
"Draco!" she called. He was at her side in a matter of seconds. He lit his wand and took her hand as she descended once again. After a much shorter walk this time they entered into a chamber that was round, and filled to the brim with gold. It was stacked as far as the eye could see.
"Merlin," Draco swore. Holly laughed easily at his slip.
They really had no need of the gold. They would be the wealthiest family in magical Britain even without it, but to Holly it symbolized security for her future children. One of them would inherit this for their own children. She knew she was too young to think of such things, but that was the reality of her situation.
She needed to have several children one day to carry on the various bloodlines. One for the Potter family, one for the Malfoy family, and one for the Slytherin family, and all of them hers to love and cherish. She would give them the happiest childhood in the world. One she never got to know.
"Leave it for now, Draco. It's not the right time to have an influx of gold to the Slytherin accounts. It wouldn't look good."
Draco nodded his head and agreed. He allowed Holly to lead him back up. He knew it would complicate matters as they tried to sort out the mess with the Slytherin vaults. Besides, it was more than safe down there. He was sure that room had to be within the same level as the Chamber of Secrets.
Before leaving the office Draco and Holly agreed to keep the discovery of gold between them until they went home for Yule and could discuss it with their parents. Holly was interested in investing it so it could grow, but she didn't dare send word of this with an owl.
They hadn't heard of any mail tampering, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Mrs Andromeda Tonks sat at her kitchen table holding an invitation in her hand.
"What's that mum?"
Andromeda jolted and dropped the invitation on the table. She hadn't even heard her daughter enter the room.
"It's an invitation to this year's Yule Ball. It's being held at Malfoy Manor."
Nymphadora took a seat across from her mother, who looked like she was in complete shock. She had heard of the Yule Ball when she was at Hogwarts. The rich purebloods used to talk about their gowns, and gossip about it after the holidays. As far as she knew, they had never been invited. Her mother had been cast out of pureblood society when she married her father. The Malfoys made some effort to smooth things over when he hired her father as their family's personal Healer, but it still didn't make them on the same level as the Malfoy's.
"Will you go?"
Andromeda looked up at her daughter. Her face was lit with excitement. That was the beautiful thing about Nymphadora. She was always so optimistic, even in the face of terrible odds. She got that from her father.
"Maybe. I need to talk about it with your father. This invitation is for all of us, not just me."
Nymphadora raised her eyebrows in surprise and laughed loudly.
"Well let me know if I need to go shopping!"
Nymphadora turned and left the kitchen, still chuckling, and Andromeda placed her head in her hands and tried to think about what she was going to do.
The many warming charms Blaise had placed on Holly's robes couldn't keep her warm today, but she didn't care. She pressed her body closer to her broom, and enjoyed the sting of the cold air on her exposed skin.
Draco was close behind her, always encouraging her to go a bit faster. She wanted that snitch, even if it was just a practice. She held out her hand and her mittened fingers wrapped around the snitch. She whooped in triumph and headed for the ground.
They had been playing for nearly an hour already, and the cold was starting to get the best of her. Draco followed her inside the castle, and Greg and Vince joined them from the stands.
Draco was pouting something terrible. He hated being beat. Holly nudged him gently. He pouted at her for a second before she burst into laughter, and he quickly joined her.
"Self pity looks bad on you."
Draco blustered, "I wouldn't know, I'm always confident."
Holly laughed even harder, "Okay, Okay, whatever you say."
They entered the Slytherin Common Room. Hermione and Luna were sitting in the common room, helping Ginny study for one of her upcoming exams.
"Do you feel better?" Hermione asked as Holly took the seat next to her.
"Much," Holly admitted.
James had been right. Flying was helping immensely with her excess magic, though the weather wasn't ideal. Remus' lessons helped as well. He was teaching her dueling, as well as advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts once a week. The effort expended helped her feel like she might not blow up at anyone who slightly upset her.
Lady Zabini sipped at her glass of champagne, and waited for her Yule Ball gown to be brought out.
The Malfoy's were hosting this year, and it was bound to be spectacular. Every event they hosted was beautiful, but with Lady Potter's ascension to Lady Slytherin, it was sure to be their best one yet.
"Lady Slytherin is profiting off the war like that, it's despicable."
Lady Zabini turned her head, and appraised the women who were speaking by the jewelry cases. She knew them vaguely, not that they moved in her social circles. Their robes were of middling quality. Perhaps they were here to get someone a Yule present.
She couldn't allow someone to besmirch her friend's name like that. She rose to her feet and approached them. They turned and their eyes grew wide at the sight of her. She was a notorious beauty.
"It may interest you to know that Lady Slytherin has not profited off the war at all. She has made sure anything in the Slytherin vaults that was not there before the Dark Lord's reign has been returned to the rightful owners, and there was no gold to speak of."
The women looked between themselves, regret clear on their faces.
"We had no idea, we just assumed…"
Lady Zabini looked at them shrewdly, "Is this a common belief? I admit, I've never heard such an accusation in my circles."
The smaller of the women looked nervous, "I think so, yes. People are afraid she will be like You Know Who."
Lady Zabini nodded her head, "I appreciate your honesty. I would appreciate it if you corrected people when you hear these rumors. I have known Lady Slytherin since her return to the magical world, and I can assure you she is one of the kindest girls I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She lost her parents because of the Dark Lord, and she will never forget that. Not even for one day."
The women ducked their heads in shame. They would do their part. Lady Zabini took her dress when it was brought out, and headed straight to Malfoy Manor. They had some damage control to do.
"Is this wise?" Holly muttered, looking at Draco out of the corner of her eye.
They were standing at the back of a line of their fellow Slytherin's, waiting for a chance to defeat the boggart. It was one of their last lessons before the start of Yule Break. She tugged on the edges of her gloves nervously. Sally could sense her nerves, and had worked her way up onto her shoulders to check for threats.
"He seems to think it will be easier for us to face our fears with the support of our classmates."
Holly looked around. At least Remus had allowed the classes to do this by house, so they didn't have to show their weaknesses to everyone. Many Slytherin's would rather fail than face their worst fears in front of a Gryffindor.
Holly shrugged. Maybe he had a point. Some of the fears were silly. Millie was afraid of spiders, and Daphne was afraid of gnomes, funnily enough. Holly had a feeling hers wouldn't be so funny, though. Would her nightmares come to life, projected for all her classmates to see?
Draco squeezed her hand and walked forward by himself, with his wand outstretched. Before Holly could see what was happening, Draco's gasp filled the room and he stumbled back slightly. He bumped into her, and Holly pushed against him gently to right him.
She looked around his tall form and was shocked. It was her, but older. The facsimile of her lay on the floor, covered in blood. She struggled for breath, and looked around until her eyes landed on Draco.
"Draco, why didn't you save me? You weren't strong enough! You couldn't protect me!"
Sally slithered up Draco's arm and onto his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. The little snake didn't understand what the terrible phantom was but she knew it was upsetting Papa, and she didn't like that one bit. Sally's hiss drew him out of his stupor and he recited the spell with confidence.
He would never let that happen to Holly. He would do anything, use any magic necessary to protect her. She was his treasure, the most important thing he had ever had the honor of possessing.
The class watched in shock at the couple as they stood down the boggart. It twirled and shifted in a plume of grey smoke, angling itself toward Holly, who still stood beside Draco.
It took the form of a young James Potter. He was as handsome as he was in his portrait, black hair askew and Head Boy pin shining brightly on his Gryffindor robes.
Remus was frozen. Why would Holly be scared of James?
"Tiny little Holly," the bogart sneered, looking down at her. This was not the James Remus knew, it was a distorted awful version. "Not worthy of the title she possesses. Not worthy of the praise that follows her everywhere. Not worthy of the love given to her."
Holly lifted her head. He was wrong, she knew he was wrong. James loved her, he had died for her, but the words were jarring enough to make her pause. Everyone was watching her dumbfounded, waiting for her to act. No one except Draco and Remus even knew who this her dorm mates wouldn't recognize this younger version of James from his portrait.
"Your mother and I are dead, because of you. Ruin follows wherever you go. You're like a plague. Do you really think your precious Malfoys will be safe forever? Will you be their downfall as well? You are not worthy of the name Slytherin, or Potter."
Remus snapped out of his stupor. This was going too far.
"Riddikulus!" Holly intoned with a fierce look in her eye before anyone could intervene. The bogart fled into the armoire.
"Who was that?" Daphne whispered. Her voice carried in the silent classroom. Holly turned to look at her friend, and they were all struck by the fierceness in her eyes.
"The late Lord James Potter," she looked around at her classmates, "no one repeats what they saw here today. From anyone. We take care of our own."
They all nodded their heads slowly, taking in her words. They had no plans to spread rumors of their housemates' worst fears, but still, her words held a compulsory note to it. Draco took her hand in his, and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"You know that's not true, right?" he whispered.
"I know," Holly admitted as she faced the front of the classroom. It was one of her worst fears, that something would happen to her new family, that somehow she was to blame for James and Lily dying. She knew it didn't make sense, but the thoughts still came.
Remus was looking at them in shock. Perhaps he had not thought through this lesson well enough. They needed to learn to beat boggarts, but at what cost? Surely there had to be a better way.
"I think that is enough for today. Clearly I need to rethink this lesson. I apologize."
Holly offered Remus a small smile and a shrug. He had good intentions, and his ability to apologize when wrong and correct was not something everyone possessed.
Lord Black gripped the letter in his hands, and stepped into the floo. A moment later he stepped out of the fireplace and into the study of Malfoy Manor.
It was late, but Lady Malfoy was still up, overseeing the house elves' preparations for the Yule Ball. She turned when she heard the familiar sound of his dragonhide brogues on her marble floors. Seeing the thunderous look on his face, she sent an elf to collect her husband from the library. She read the letter he handed to her, and handed it to Lord Malfoy when he appeared.
"When did this arrive?" Lord Malfoy demanded, a dangerous tone coloring his voice.
"Just now. I came straight here."
Lord Malfoy crumbled the letter but kept it in his hand. He would have to have a curse breaker look at it and see if they could detect anything about it's origins.
A dark mark was scrawled on the paper in excruciating detail. The ink was as dark as blood, and the meaning just as sinister. At the bottom of the paper scrawled in a messy script were five words, "Holly will never be safe".