Chapter 7
The next morning as they all sat eating their breakfast, an owl flew down and landed in front of Ahsoka carrying a letter. For a moment, Ahsoka was terrified that the letter the owl carried was from her mother. But on closer inspection she realized that the owl was a Hogwarts owl. Letting the breath she was holding go, Ahsoka set the carton of orange juice down. She gently reached forward and relieved the letter from the owl's care. Giving it a piece of bacon, the owl soon flew off back to the owlery. Unrolling the parchment, she read.
Dear Miss Zonko,
Please come to my office after breakfast, to go over certain things.
The password to the office is, Licorice Wands.
Sincerely,
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore
"What was that about?" Ahsoka looked up at Fred across from her.
"Oh, it's nothing. Dumbledore just wants to see me." Ahsoka says as she tucks the note into her pocket.
"Okay." Fred said. He wanted to ask about why she froze up when she saw the letter. "I mean it's not like it was a howler." Fred couldn't help but think to himself.
Ahsoka drew out her meal as long as she possibly could. Eating each morsel slowly and deliberately. But a time came when she couldn't put off the inevitable any longer, when almost everyone had already left. Sighing, she pushed her empty plate away, and stood from the table. Making the long trek up to the Headmaster's office, until she stood in front of the gargoyle guarding the staircase leading to the headmaster's office.
Taking a deep fortifying breath, Ahsoka said, "Licorice wands."
The gargoyle hopped to the side so that she could step onto the moving staircase. Raising her fist to knock on the office door, it opened before she could. Ahsoka quickly lowered her hand.
"Please come in." Professor McGonagall said, holding the door open.
"Thank you for joining us." Professor Dumbledore said, as Ahsoka stepped into the office.
McGonagall closed the door behind her. Ahsoka took three steps into the room and froze. Sitting in a chair opposite the Headmaster, prim and proper, was Penelope Zonko. Her mother. All suit jacket, pencil skirt, and chestnut hair pulled up into a tight bun. And she did not look pleased to see her. Then again, when has she ever looked pleased to see her daughter.
Taking a shaky breath, Ahsoka stepped forward, "Hello mother."
"Ahsoka." Penelope said in a clipped, cold tone.
Mother Gothel seems to be in a particularly bad mood today. Ahsoka thought.
"I assume that you've kept up with your extra curricular activities." Penelope said, turning away from her daughter.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well?" Penelope glanced at Ahsoka, with a raised eyebrow.
"I had gotten into a prank war with a couple of upperclassmen." she told her mother. "And for Halloween, I had filled their dormitory with My Little Pony Memorabilia."
The room was silent. The two professors looked at the thirteen year old in shock. They didn't know about this. While Penelope on the other hand, continued to look at her with cold unimpressed eyes.
"There are no less than three flaws in your plan and set up. I expect your next prank to be better planned and executed."
"Yes ma'am." Ahsoka looked down at her feet, as she shuffled up to the chair waiting for her in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"Now we can begin." Dumbledore said, as Ahsoka took her seat her eyes still focused on her feet.
McGonagall handed Penelope a roll of parchment, to which she unrolled and began to read.
"As you can see, Ahsoka has received top marks in all of her classes." McGonagall said, unrolling her own roll of parchment.
"Good, very good. Now is there an-" Penelope stopped, as she stared at the page in front of her. Pointing one long fingernail at the parchment, almost poking a hole in it, she said in a slow even tone of voice. "What, is that?"
Looking down the page until they found what she was referring to Dumbledore said, "Ah, yes, well. Everyone seems to have trouble in History of Magic Class."
"Explain." Penelope said, turning to Ahsoka.
"The class is taught by Professor Binns, and he's sooooo boring. He puts everyone to sleep. The only one who can stay awake for the entire class-"
Penelope held up her finger to silence Ahsoka, and then said severely, "I don't want your excuses young lady! I expect better!"
Ahsoka's mouth flapped ever so slightly for a moment, before she deflated and her shoulders slumped. "Yes ma'am."
"And what did I tell you about proper poster? Hm?"
Ahsoka immediately sat up straight, pushed her shoulders back slightly, head held up high, hands folded in her lap, and crossed her ankles.
"Better." Penelope said, looking over her poster. Making little adjustments here and there. "But not perfect."
Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall sat stewing in their own anger. They saw over the course of the past ten minutes how Penelope Zonko treats her daughter. They both wanted nothing more than to do something about it, but they knew their role at the moment. They were teachers, not Aurors. The only thing keeping McGonagall in her seat, and not start yelling at her former student, are two reasons. One because she doesn't want to scare or upset Ahsoka. And two, because she and Dumbledore had already come up with a plan beforehand.
"Let's hurry this up," Penelope said, "I have other meetings to get to."
As the meeting went on, Ahsoka sat ramrod straight, looking directly ahead of her the entire time. Not speaking unless she was spoken to.
At the end of the meeting, and Ahsoka was allowed to leave, she walked out of the office and down corridors and flights of stairs, until she got to a deserted hallway. Leaning against the wall, she tried to get her breathing under control before she started to hyperventilate. Sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, Ahsoka pressed her head between her knees and breathed deeply. She must have been there for a least several minutes, because just as she was pulling herself back together, Ahsoka heard footsteps. And they were coming towards her.
"Hey, Ahsoka, are you okay?" Lifting her head up from her knees, Ahsoka looked to see who had imposed on her little freak out, to see one Fred Weasley standing in front of her.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Ahsoka mumbled.
His brows came together in a concerned frown, crouching down next to her. He spoke softly as he maintained eye contact with her. "Hey, are you sure? You don't look like you're 'okay'."
"Yeah. I'm sure." Ahsoka shrugged him off, and stood up.
Standing up himself, Fred watched her dust herself off and said, "Okay. But, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me."
They walked back to Gryffindor Tower together in silence.
Penelope walked into the Ministry of Magic, her head held high, on her way to meet with Madam Bones. Her heeled shoes tap, tap, tapping across the marble floor as she strode through the halls toward Bones' office. The people in the busy hallway moved aside to make a hole, a passageway for her to travel through.
Knocking on the door labeled, "Head of the Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones", Penelope let herself into the office shortly after when Bones granted her access.
"Lady Zonko, thank you for coming." Bones said, gesturing at the chair across from her.
"You said it was important." Penelope Zonko said, sitting primarily on the seat offered to her, smoothing out the creases in her skirt.
"Yes." Bones straightened a pile of documents on her desk. "As you are aware, Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban this past summer. Last week, he was captured, and taken into custody."
Penelope sat in stunned silence for a moment, her shoulders dropping a fraction of an inch. Before clearing her throat and saying, "And what, does that have to do with me?"
Bones looked her directly in the eye, and said, "Your daughter was the one who captured him."
That threw her off, it took Penelope a moment to reorient herself, but finally she was able to get out, "...What?"
"You don't need to worry, your daughter Ahsoka returned with Black unharmed." Bones assured her.
Penelope took a shaky breath and gave a small strained smile. "That is a relief." Penelope swallowed, "both that my daughter is safe, and that Black has been captured."
"Now, the general public doesn't know this, but I think, given the circumstances, that you should be informed."
"Informed of what?" Penelope asked, back to being serious. All traces of any other emotion, gone.
"Your daughter was never in any danger." Bones said, interlacing her fingers together. "Because, it has come to my attention, in my investigation, that Sirius Black is innocent. And has been the entire time. I've seen his arms, he is not a Death Eater."
Penelope sat in silence. Frozen in shock. Her thoughts spiraled, "If Sirius is innocent, then that means that he was never a Death Eater. And if he was never a Death Eater then he never gave You-Know-Who James and Lily's location. And if he never did that, then he never blew up the street. And that means…"
Penelope's thoughts circled each other, like a dog chasing its tail. When she finally managed to focus her thoughts, and come back to the present, she was greeted by one very concerned Amelia Bones, and her own horrifying thoughts and revelations.
"Penelope, are you alright? Do you need me to call for a medi-witch?" Bones asked, for what was probably not the first time.
"I'm alright." Penelope said shakily. "Um, Madam Bones, if it's not too much, is there any way to postpone the rest of this meeting?"
"Well, yes. But, why?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm needed somewhere else. Please excuse me." Penelope barely was able to get it all out before she was out the door, and walking as fast as she could in her shoes back down the halls.
Using the floo network in the atrium, she traveled to Hogsmeade, to the ThreeBroomSticks. Ignoring Rosita the tavern keeper, on her way out the building and onto the dirt road. People and buildings passed by in a blur in Penelope's hurry to get back up to the castle, and to the Headmaster's office. Right back where she was a half hour ago.
"That was the longest meeting I've ever sat through, and I remember the time you had put Binns in charge of that one Staff Meeting in '86! If I ever see that horrible woman again, it'll be too soon!" McGonagall snarled.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, letting his Deputy Headmistress rant as he sorted out paperwork. McGonagall paced back and forth across the office, like a caged lion whose primal animal instincts are rearing their head, and is feeling the need to kill something. Her right hand clenched and unclenched as she longed to pull out her wand, to hex and curse something into oblivion.
Both professors jumped, their nerves pulled tight like a live wire, as the door banged open and Penelope Zonko came charging into the office. Her makeup was slightly smeared from the tears still falling. Her hair had been partially pulled from her bun, she was still covered in the ash and soot from the floo. All in all, Penelope looked a mess.
"Ms Zonko, is everything alright?" Dumbledore said, as he rounded his desk to stand in front of the clearly distressed woman with his deputy.
"I need to see Ahsoka!" Penelope said, her breath coming in heavy pants.
"Whatever for?" Asked McGonagall, her tone still held a sharpness to it from her previous displeasure. "What's the matter?"
"I need to see my daughter! Please!" Penelope said, her voice rising in pitch. Her agitation and panic were clear to the other office occupants.
"Minerva," Dumbledore turned to his Deputy, "would you be so kind as to fetch Miss Zonko, while I get her mother a cup of tea?"
McGonagall looked from Dumbledore to Penelope, then back again, before Nodding her assent. She quickly left the room, leaving the Headmaster the pacing woman.
Some might even say she looked like a Karen who was having a "Karen Meltdown".
Dumbledore called on a house-elf and had them bring him a pit of tea with four cups. Pouring Penelope and himself a cup each.
Ahsoka sat in between Fred and George in the Gryffindor common room, doing her best to ignore probing stares, and her own thoughts and feelings circling around meeting with her mother in the Headmaster's office. And she was doing fairly well too, until McGonagall came through the portrait hole. She looked around, and upon spying Ahsoka on the couch, McGonagall walked over and said hurriedly, "Miss Zonko, please come with me."
Confused, Ahsoka stood up, setting her History of Magic text book on the coffee table before following the professor out. Jogging to keep up with McGonagall's brisk pace, Ahsoka's curiosity reared its head, "Professor, where are we going?"
"There is an emergency in the Headmaster's office, that concerns you." McGonagall called behind her. Ahsoka was about to ask what it was, when they arrived at the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office. And before she knew it, she was standing in front of the door to Dumbledore's office. McGonagall opened the door and strode inside, Ahsoka right behind her. She stopped however, when she saw who was in the office.
"Mother?"
As the door closed behind Minerva, Albus turned his attention to the other woman in his office.
"Ms Zonko, why don't you have a seat? Professor McGonagall will be back shortly with your daughter." Dumbledore gently guided the distressed woman into a chair.
Calling on one of the kitchen house-elves, he requested the required tea and cups. Pouring Ms Zonko a cup of tea, he handed it to her before making himself a cup.
"Ms Zonko, why do you need to see Ahsoka?" Dumbledore asked, as she sipped at her tea.
Suddenly she stood up, and started to pace around the room. Trying to work off some of the agitation, and nerves she was feeling. Cup of tea still in her hand. Penelope was on her third cup, when the door opened, and in walked McGonagall and ahsoka right behind her.
"Mother?"
Penelope spun around when she heard the door open, fresh tears welled up in her eyes as her daughter's voice washed over her.
"Mother?" Ahsoka asked, confused. "What are you doing back here? What happened to you?"
Penelope set the cup still in her hand on the closest surface, before racing forward, and pulling Ahsoka into a hug. Ahsoka froze. Not knowing what to do. This was the first time that she could remember that her mother actually hugged her. Usually, she didn't like to even touch her. Keeping her distance at all times.
Why now? Something must be wrong. Ahsoka thought as her concern and confusion ramped up even further, as she could feel tears seeping into her hair.
"Ahsoka, I am so sorry!" Penelope sobbed.
Okay. Nice to hear it. Finally, but I'm very confused. She never apologizes. So, what exactly is it for? Ahsoka's eyebrows scrunched together.
""I am so sorry that I treated you the way that I did! I never should have! When you were a baby I was led to believe that your father was a Death Eater, so I panicked! I tried to make sure that you would never turn out like that, so I resorted to raising you, steering you away from that path! I only found out today that Sirius was never a Death Eater, and was innocent the whole time! I know that I've been a terrible mother! I am so sorry Ahsoka!" Penelope sobbed into her daughter's hair. She slowly pulled away, to get a look at her reaction. "Please, forgive me. I didn't know."
Watching the scene in front of them, Dumbledore and McGonagall couldn't help but think to themselves, "Oh, now I see the resemblance."
As Ahsoka listened to her mother's sobbed rant, her confusion increased and decreased like a roller coaster. Until, at the very end. Her face darkened, as she said processed what she heard. Ahsoka began to tremble, her hands curled into fists.
"You treated me like crap, like one of your employees, like a prized Shetland pony, my whole life, because of who my father is?" Ahsoka's voice shook with the force of her anger. Her magic, reacting to her emotions, started to affect the room around her. "Are freaking kidding me?! I endured all of the emotional and psychological abuse that you threw at me! I jumped to carry out your every whim! If you said jump, I'd ask how high, on the way up! I danced for you like a puppet on a string! And for what?! Because you were pissed at my father?!"
A couple of the trinkets that Dumbledore keeps in his cabinets, exploded. The three adults jumped, not expecting the sudden noise.
"And…there's her Black side." McGonagall thought, dumbfoundedly. Glancing sidelong to Dumbledore. (AN:No racism.)
"Ahsoka, I-"
"No! It's my turn to speak! You controlled every aspect of my life, never giving me a choice in anything! If you were in a relationship with Sirius why didn't you ask him about all of this? Why didn't you know already, that he wasn't a Death Eater? You know, this is a perfect example that you don't really know the people around you. Because you're so busy with what you want, that you can't see beyond your own ego!" Ahsoka laughed without humor, "I guess you can say that when I gave you the nickname, Mother Gothel, I was more right and accurate than even I knew."
Ahsoka turned on her heel, and stormed out of the office. Leaving everyone in stunned silence. Walking down the corridors allowed Ahsoka's mind to clear up just enough that she realized that she couldn't go back to the common room. At least, not like this. Pacing up and down a stretch of hallway, she tried to think of somewhere she could go where she could be and feel safe. A place where she wouldn't hurt anyone accidentally with her magic.
Ahsoka stopped as something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Was that always there?"
She was sure it hadn't. Shrugging her shoulders, Ahsoka pulled the disappearing door open, and stepped in. The door closed behind her. Two steps in, Ahsoka stopped in her tracks. "Wasn't I just in the castle?"
Ahsoka stood on grass, surrounded by trees. The barest of light coming through the canopy above. In between the trees and foliage, and slowly moving closer, were Acromantulas, wolves, and bears. In front of her was a table with a belt and a dozen knives slotted on it. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face. Strapping the belt across her waist, Ahsoka pulled one of the knives out of its slot. It fit in her hand like it was made for her.
Glancing up at the creatures that were now moving much more quickly, a glint entered her eyes.
She threw the knife.