Behind the Mask Chapter 6

Daphne strolled into the Slytherin dorms, only to encounter the other girls in her year.

"There you are!" Pansy shrilled. "Zinnia told us you'd been making up to Potter!"

"A Gryffindor halfblood," sniffed Tracey, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

"Is it true?" demanded Pansy.

Daphne looked at them. She knew they'd expect her to be either defensive or apologetic, but why should she give in to their expectations?

"Yes!" She beamed at her dormmates. "Absolutely true! And now he is my boyfriend! Isn't it great?"

Her reaction seemed to startle them, but Daphne thought she glimpsed a flicker of amusement cross Millicent's face.

"But…but…it's Potter!" spluttered Pansy.

"Yes, that's what I said," returned Daphne patiently. "Though of course, he's Harry to me. Besides…" she paused dramatically, "Now that he's the head of the House of Black, he'll probably hyphenate. Which sounds better, do you think? Black-Potter, or Potter-Black?"

"WHAT!" shrieked Pansy.

Daphne winced. "Louder, Pansy. They can't quite hear you in London."

Tracey frowned at her. "Everyone knows Draco is heir to the Blacks, through his mother."

"Then everyone," stressed Daphne, "Is mistaken!"

She grinned at the shell-shocked girls and then made her way to the bathroom. She preferred to shower at night to avoid the morning rush.

As she rinsed her hair, she laughed aloud picturing Draco's reaction when Pansy informed him that his nemesis would head the House of Black.

"Potter!" Draco Malfoy, surrounded by his supporters, confronted Harry on the way to breakfast.

"What's this I hear about you claiming the Black legacy?"

Harry stifled his laughter. "Oh, didn't you know about that, Malfoy?" he asked innocently. He flashed his ring, and Draco blanched.

"That's…not possible. I'm the heir!"

"No." Harry's smile widened. "In fact, you're not even a Black. Both you and your mother have been disowned."

Draco drew a deep breath. "When my father hears about this…"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing he can do will make a difference."

"We'll see about that!"

"Malfoy is looking a bit green around the gills," Ron remarked in satisfaction. "Is that because Daphne is your girlfriend?"

"More because he's been kicked out of the Black family!" Harry informed him. "Sirius disowned him, his mother, and Bellatrix Lestrange."

"No wonder he's upset." Hermione looked thoughtful. "Maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell him, Harry. I mean, you are really the only Black left. If you were to die…"

"Then the Black line dies with me," Harry informed her. "There's no other viable heirs. That is, unless I decide to bring Tonks and her mother back into the family."

"Of course you should!" Hermione exclaimed.

But Neville entered a note of caution. "Don't be hasty about that, Harry. Disownment is a big deal; better investigate the reasons behind this. Sirius didn't reinstate them, and I'm wondering why."

Harry was struck by what Neville had said. Why hadn't Sirius brought the Tonks family into the House of Black? He knew he couldn't ask Remus; he kept urging Harry to do it. But then, wouldn't he have urged Sirius as well? Why had Sirius balked at obliging his old friend?

He caught up with Neville on the way to Potions.

"Nev, do you think you grandmother would know about that? The situation with the Tonks family?"

His friend nodded. "Probably. Gran knows where all the bodies are buried! I'll write to her right after class."

Augusta Longbottom awaited them in a private room provided by Madam Rosmerta.

"Are you sure you want me here?" Neville was nervous. "I mean, it's something private, and…"

"I trust you, Nev," Harry insisted.

Augusta nodded at them, one of her rare smiles crossing her face. "So you should. The Potter/Longbottom Alliance has endured for at least five generations, and I'm pleased to see it continue for a sixth! But I believe you wish to speak about the House of Black?"

Harry nodded. "Specifically about Andromeda Tonks. I've been told she was disowned for marrying a muggle?"

Augusta snorted. "Hardly! She did marry Ted Tonks in the end, who was actually a muggleborn wizard, not a muggle. But that was only a small part of the reason."

She took a sip of her tea. "You must understand that there were three Black sisters: Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa. It was said of them that one was crazy, one was wild, and one was vicious."

She gave them a stern look. "Utter nonsense, of course."

Harry drew a deep breath of relief. "That's good."

"In truth," Augusta continued, taking no notice of his interruption, "all three were crazy, wild, and vicious. Not much to choose among them."

Harry and Neville exchanged appalled looks.

"You know about Bellatrix." Augusta's eyes flashed dangerously. "She serves the dark lord, and she is the foremost enemy of the Longbottoms. Narcissa Malfoy is very dangerous indeed, but at the moment she is untouchable. That leaves Andromeda."

Augusta frowned. "Many purebloods have marriage contracts, but Cygnus Black permitted his daughters to choose amongst their various suitors. Bellatrix willingly accepted Rodolphus Lestrange, Narcissa was content to wed Lucius Malfoy, and Andromeda initiated a contract with Bernard Avery. However, she also dallied with his younger brother, Basil. There were even rumors that she had imperiused Basil, although it was never proven."

"You mean, while she was formally betrothed?" Neville was horrified.

"Yes. There were others as well, rumors even about her and Lucius. In any event, Andromeda became pregnant, and the Averys insisted on a paternity test. Well, in reality Bernard Avery insisted, since he had begun to suspect his betrothed had been with his brother. Much to everyone's shock, the father was revealed as Ted Tonks, a muggleborn who'd trailed after Andromeda for years. Of course she never intended to marry him. However, the Averys demanded compensation, and the broken contract meant Cygnus was forced to forfeit Andromeda's dowry. It nearly broke him financially, and he saw no alternative but to disown his daughter. Dishonoured, pregnant, and lacking a dowry, Andromeda's only option was to wed Ted Tonks, and pretend she didn't give a toss about blood status."

Harry grimaced.

"Don't fall for that, Harry. Andromeda was almost as much of a pureblood fanatic as Bellatrix."

"What will you do, Harry?" Neville inquired, as they walked back to the castle.

"Nothing. This is one situation where I think I had better do nothing, just as Sirius did."