Chapter Two
Not My Father
Laetitia Rose shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the faculty and the entire student body. Why did she have to come here anyway? She had been perfectly happy at home with her father... up until now. Now she was standing in front of the whole of Hogwarts with a ratty hat on her head looking a complete git.
'This shouldn't be too difficult at all,' the hat mused in her ear and Laetitia Rose turned red.
"Actually..." she began and bit her lip.
'Gryffindor? Really? I'm not sure...' the hat said after a moment's hesitation.
"I... I need to prove to myself... that I can..." She didn't know how to finish.
'Better be... GRYFFINDOR!' the hat announced, and the table trimmed in red and gold cheered madly... with one very notable exception.
"Harry! Honestly, show a little solidarity!" Hermione chided, giving the young Gryffindor an exasperrated look.
"Hermione... you heard her name as well as I did. 'Laetitia Rose Riddle'? RIDDLE, Hermione?" Harry asked, not quite believing that Hermione hadn't picked up on the coincidence.
"Does You-Know-Who seem like a family man to you, Harry?" Hermione asked sceptically. "Besides, I think we can give Dumbeldore a little more credit than that."
"I don't know, Hermione," Ron piped up, "he is a bit mad."
"He's also a bit brilliant," Hermione said matter-of-factly and ended the conversation just in time. Laetitia Rose had found her way to the table and had taken a seat next to Harry.
She smiled shyly at them and opened her mouth to speak before realizing she wasn't quite sure what she meant to say. "Er..."
"Hullo," Hermione said warmly, nudging Harry in the ribs.
"Oh, hi," Harry said, blushing faintly at the annoyed look Hermione shot him.
"I'm... er, Laetitia Rose, it's... nice to meet you." She tried a smile that came out more a grimace. She felt a bit strange exchanging pleasantries with Harry Potter given...
"I'm Hermione, and this is Harry, and the polite one over there is Ron," Hermione introduced them all and glared at Ron. "We were just talking about you, Laetitia Rose is such a beautiful name." Hermione smiled understandingly at the girl's poor attempts at a conversation.
"I've always thought it was a bit pretentious." This time her smile was only half-grimace. "That's my mother for you, though."
"Oh, and what about your father? I don't suppose he's anyone we'd have heard of?" Ron asked and received a nasty poke from Hermione's wand.
"It's alright," Laetitia said slowly, smiling faintly at Hermione in thanks. "Might as well get it out of the way now, since you seem to know... Tom Marvolo Riddle is... he's my father." Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finished.
Hermione sucked in a breath and tried to think of something to say. Harry just stared at her, not quite believing what he had just heard... she couldn't be related to his mortal enemy... she just couldn't...
"See Hermione, I told you so," Ron said, eying Laetitia Rose suspiciously.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I'll go find somewhere else to sit." Laetitia Rose mumbled unhappily, getting up to go when Hermione grabbed her arm.
"Oh, don't let Ron scare you off. He can't help being a git." She shot him a look. "I'm sorry... you just have to realize, it's a bit of a shock. But... if Dumbledore's let you come to school, he must trust you." Hermione didn't sound quite sure.
"I know you've got no reason to believe me, but I'm not my father," Laetitia Rose said, frowning deeply. "I don't expect you to just give me your trust... but I hope you'll let me earn it." She glanced at Harry, wondering what must be going through his mind. When he saw her looking at him, his eyes feel back to the table, and she sighed... why had she expected any differently? She cast her eyes towards the Slytherin table, towards Draco, seeing a friendly face would do her wonders right about now, but all he had to offer her was a cold glare. She sighed again and turned her attention towards Headmaster Dumbledore, who was making his announcements... this was going to be a very long year...
"I would like you all to welcome Professor Soliel, who will be taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. I trust she will last a little longer than the last six." Dumbledore looked thoroughly amused with himself, while Snape just looked as though a very nice idea had suddenly occurred to him. "And with that, I think the feast shall begin!" He clapped his hands and a sumptuous feast appeared on all the tables.
"I do believe I could get used to this," Ariel looked quite pleased as she scooped herself some mashed potatoes.
"I suppose this beats the nuts and berries you're accustomed to?" Snape smiled an oily smile as he snatched up a plate of chicken.
"Oh yes, Severus," Ariel smiled pleasantly, "I'm impressed you've been able to make the transition from live mice yourself."
"I keep forgetting myself. Some of your best friends must be small rodents," Snape smirked, setting the chicken back down and snatching up a plate of carrots.
"You musn't be jealous, Severus. I'm sure you'll make friends," she gave him a sympathetic look, "someday."
"Spare me your pity." Snape snorted, shooting her a nasty look. "I keep company only with people worthy of my time. Regrettably, I'm the only one who meets these standards."
"Someday you'll have to begin including mammals in your criteria. Then perhaps you'll deign to speak with the rest of us." A snort punctuated this comment before Ariel could stop herself.
"I've no patience for your idle chatter," Snape spat, giving her an overly annoyed look. "If it's not beyond your limited capacities, pass me those string-beans, will you?"
"I'll give it my best," Ariel told him pleasantly, before promptly overturning the plate on his head. "Now we're even." She spat back at him before standing up and storming out of the Great Hall.
Snape watched her go, looking quite festive with the green beans in his hair and a vividly red face...
"Is that common practice here?" Laetitia Rose asked as she fell in alongside Draco as the students made their way towards their common rooms. Laetitia would find hers later, she had to speak to Draco just now. "If it is, I think I should fit in just fine." She grinned a little at him.
"So that's how it is?" Draco asked, giving her a cold look.
"Draco?" Laetitia asked unsurely... Draco had never looked at her like that before...
"Rather associate with Potter and his adoring fans, would you? I would think that you, at the very least, would know better." Draco sneered, turning away from her.
"Draco... what are you...?" She wished she knew what she wanted to say to him.
"Slytherin not good enough for you? Well, that's fine. You've made your choice. Saint Potter must miss your company by now, why not scamper back to his side like a good lapdog?" Draco snarled, his eyes burning, though he refused to look at her now.
Laetitia Rose just stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, "alright Draco. If that's what you want... I'm sorry, Draco, I thought you would understand." She turned away but didn't fall back in line with the Gryffindors. She paused a moment and then glanced at Draco again. "I won't become my father." She told him quietly, and then made her way back to Harry and Hermione, leaving a pained Draco in her wake.
Not My Father
Laetitia Rose shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the faculty and the entire student body. Why did she have to come here anyway? She had been perfectly happy at home with her father... up until now. Now she was standing in front of the whole of Hogwarts with a ratty hat on her head looking a complete git.
'This shouldn't be too difficult at all,' the hat mused in her ear and Laetitia Rose turned red.
"Actually..." she began and bit her lip.
'Gryffindor? Really? I'm not sure...' the hat said after a moment's hesitation.
"I... I need to prove to myself... that I can..." She didn't know how to finish.
'Better be... GRYFFINDOR!' the hat announced, and the table trimmed in red and gold cheered madly... with one very notable exception.
"Harry! Honestly, show a little solidarity!" Hermione chided, giving the young Gryffindor an exasperrated look.
"Hermione... you heard her name as well as I did. 'Laetitia Rose Riddle'? RIDDLE, Hermione?" Harry asked, not quite believing that Hermione hadn't picked up on the coincidence.
"Does You-Know-Who seem like a family man to you, Harry?" Hermione asked sceptically. "Besides, I think we can give Dumbeldore a little more credit than that."
"I don't know, Hermione," Ron piped up, "he is a bit mad."
"He's also a bit brilliant," Hermione said matter-of-factly and ended the conversation just in time. Laetitia Rose had found her way to the table and had taken a seat next to Harry.
She smiled shyly at them and opened her mouth to speak before realizing she wasn't quite sure what she meant to say. "Er..."
"Hullo," Hermione said warmly, nudging Harry in the ribs.
"Oh, hi," Harry said, blushing faintly at the annoyed look Hermione shot him.
"I'm... er, Laetitia Rose, it's... nice to meet you." She tried a smile that came out more a grimace. She felt a bit strange exchanging pleasantries with Harry Potter given...
"I'm Hermione, and this is Harry, and the polite one over there is Ron," Hermione introduced them all and glared at Ron. "We were just talking about you, Laetitia Rose is such a beautiful name." Hermione smiled understandingly at the girl's poor attempts at a conversation.
"I've always thought it was a bit pretentious." This time her smile was only half-grimace. "That's my mother for you, though."
"Oh, and what about your father? I don't suppose he's anyone we'd have heard of?" Ron asked and received a nasty poke from Hermione's wand.
"It's alright," Laetitia said slowly, smiling faintly at Hermione in thanks. "Might as well get it out of the way now, since you seem to know... Tom Marvolo Riddle is... he's my father." Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finished.
Hermione sucked in a breath and tried to think of something to say. Harry just stared at her, not quite believing what he had just heard... she couldn't be related to his mortal enemy... she just couldn't...
"See Hermione, I told you so," Ron said, eying Laetitia Rose suspiciously.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I'll go find somewhere else to sit." Laetitia Rose mumbled unhappily, getting up to go when Hermione grabbed her arm.
"Oh, don't let Ron scare you off. He can't help being a git." She shot him a look. "I'm sorry... you just have to realize, it's a bit of a shock. But... if Dumbledore's let you come to school, he must trust you." Hermione didn't sound quite sure.
"I know you've got no reason to believe me, but I'm not my father," Laetitia Rose said, frowning deeply. "I don't expect you to just give me your trust... but I hope you'll let me earn it." She glanced at Harry, wondering what must be going through his mind. When he saw her looking at him, his eyes feel back to the table, and she sighed... why had she expected any differently? She cast her eyes towards the Slytherin table, towards Draco, seeing a friendly face would do her wonders right about now, but all he had to offer her was a cold glare. She sighed again and turned her attention towards Headmaster Dumbledore, who was making his announcements... this was going to be a very long year...
"I would like you all to welcome Professor Soliel, who will be taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. I trust she will last a little longer than the last six." Dumbledore looked thoroughly amused with himself, while Snape just looked as though a very nice idea had suddenly occurred to him. "And with that, I think the feast shall begin!" He clapped his hands and a sumptuous feast appeared on all the tables.
"I do believe I could get used to this," Ariel looked quite pleased as she scooped herself some mashed potatoes.
"I suppose this beats the nuts and berries you're accustomed to?" Snape smiled an oily smile as he snatched up a plate of chicken.
"Oh yes, Severus," Ariel smiled pleasantly, "I'm impressed you've been able to make the transition from live mice yourself."
"I keep forgetting myself. Some of your best friends must be small rodents," Snape smirked, setting the chicken back down and snatching up a plate of carrots.
"You musn't be jealous, Severus. I'm sure you'll make friends," she gave him a sympathetic look, "someday."
"Spare me your pity." Snape snorted, shooting her a nasty look. "I keep company only with people worthy of my time. Regrettably, I'm the only one who meets these standards."
"Someday you'll have to begin including mammals in your criteria. Then perhaps you'll deign to speak with the rest of us." A snort punctuated this comment before Ariel could stop herself.
"I've no patience for your idle chatter," Snape spat, giving her an overly annoyed look. "If it's not beyond your limited capacities, pass me those string-beans, will you?"
"I'll give it my best," Ariel told him pleasantly, before promptly overturning the plate on his head. "Now we're even." She spat back at him before standing up and storming out of the Great Hall.
Snape watched her go, looking quite festive with the green beans in his hair and a vividly red face...
"Is that common practice here?" Laetitia Rose asked as she fell in alongside Draco as the students made their way towards their common rooms. Laetitia would find hers later, she had to speak to Draco just now. "If it is, I think I should fit in just fine." She grinned a little at him.
"So that's how it is?" Draco asked, giving her a cold look.
"Draco?" Laetitia asked unsurely... Draco had never looked at her like that before...
"Rather associate with Potter and his adoring fans, would you? I would think that you, at the very least, would know better." Draco sneered, turning away from her.
"Draco... what are you...?" She wished she knew what she wanted to say to him.
"Slytherin not good enough for you? Well, that's fine. You've made your choice. Saint Potter must miss your company by now, why not scamper back to his side like a good lapdog?" Draco snarled, his eyes burning, though he refused to look at her now.
Laetitia Rose just stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, "alright Draco. If that's what you want... I'm sorry, Draco, I thought you would understand." She turned away but didn't fall back in line with the Gryffindors. She paused a moment and then glanced at Draco again. "I won't become my father." She told him quietly, and then made her way back to Harry and Hermione, leaving a pained Draco in her wake.