Updated: Saturday 26th February 2005
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Thirty Six: Harry's at Hogwarts!
Estella had spent the first half of the Summer touring the various Snape and Black Estates. Course, Severus could only show Estella the ancestral Black homes that he knew about. Given the notoriety of the family and its sordid dark history, he doubted that the readily accessible, aristocratic Manors he showed his niece were in any way representative of the type of family the Blacks were for none of the houses contained any trace of Dark Magic.
In that regard, the Blacks were not at all that dissimilar the Snape line. The Manor the Snape patriarch called home over the festive seasons – when the family would be entertaining more guests - was not as Dark and foreboding, not to mention as well hidden, as the sinister interiors of the day-to-day home. That was why Severus couldn't stand to live outside of Hogwarts. Whilst he simply would not subject a child to the type of environment a house seeped in Dark Magic would emit, the other, more habitable homes brought him nothing but bad memories. Memories of fallaciously playing at 'happy families' to audiences of bewitched Ministry officials and the like. It didn't feel like a home to him. It was all a lie.
Part of him knew that he could have made the effort to carve a life for Estella and himself in one – or all – of the homes. It would have been hard work, but not entirely impossible to purge the Estates of the darkness that dwelled underneath the surface. Why he didn't take the initiative to build a life for his niece and himself outside Hogwarts was anyone's guess, but Severus knew deep down that he secretly liked the routine and stability that the Hogwarts environment gave him. Over the years since Voldemort's defeat he had come to look upon the Headmaster as a kind of fatherly mentor, and it was no secret to anyone that besides the animosity he shared with a few of his peers in his year, the time he spent as a student were some of the most happiest and safest of his life. In some small way, then, Severus just wanted the same for his niece, but didn't know how else to provide it.
The last half of the school holidays Estella spent in London with Remus. After seeing what she had of the ancestral family homes, Estella much preferred the sanctuary of her home with Remus over the stark, cold rigidness of the archaic family manors. Even the dungeon quarters her Uncle had made himself at home in would suffice for her now she had seen what the alternative was.
With school now about to begin, Estella returned to Hogwarts with the promise of spending many a weekend with her Godfather at their London home. At last she was beginning to feel like she had a life outside of Hogwarts. She had school in Hogsmeade, a collection of estates at her disposal that she may or may not one day decide to make habitable, and a home – a real home – in London.
The Welcoming Feast was a night of much excitement for Estella, for she loved to watch the sorting ceremony. Her Slytherin side was positively thrilled that she was privy to the process that many a Wizarding child spent their youth wondering about for it was an unwritten law to keep the machinations of the sorting a mystery. This year, however, she was looking forward to the ceremony with a little more anticipation. Not only was the coming sorting ceremony to be her last as a guest at the head table (as she would be amongst the first year students waiting to be sorted herself the following year), but the night ahead marked the time when Harry Potter himself would come to Hogwarts.
Estella knew all about Harry Potter. Growing up in Wizarding society it was hard not to. A history assignment in her third year of school had seen everyone write an essay about the young boy's accomplishments, and she had gotten full marks. Many a lunchtime would find Estella and her peers out in the playground talking about what they each thought the boy-who-lived was doing and what he now looked like. No one at her school knew, however, that she had in her possession, baby photos of the boy-who-lived, or that Estella wanted to meet him more than anything she had ever wanted in the entire world.
Knowing better than to share her secret desire with her Uncle – who she knew despised anything and everything Potter on account of the antagonism he shared with Potter senior in school – Estella kept her feelings to herself. She couldn't even explain if she wanted to why she felt this need to meet the boy. Perhaps it was because, like her, he too lost his parents that Halloween and that on some level that would enable them to somehow understand each other. Occasionally, when she would look through the family snapshots of her parents with Harry and his family, Estella would let her mind wander… she couldn't help but think that in some other reality they might have grown up together. As she sat there at the head table watching the first years being sorted, she just knew that Harry and her were destined for great things.
After dinner, Estella summoned her courage and slipped away from the head table, intending to introduce herself to Harry.
'Merlin I hope he doesn't think I'm some star-struck kid!' she cringed inwardly as she weaved her way through the crowd of departing students.
Spying the messy black mop of hair by the front doors of the great hall, Estella caught Harry's eye. As though somehow knowing that she was there for him, a strange look came over the boy's face – as though he were trying to place her. Feeling his eyes on him, Estella smiled shyly, closing the gap.
"Hey, Estella!" A voice called out from behind her as a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her out of Harry's ear shot. "I've been looking for you since dinner finished, why weren't you at the head table?"
Estella broke eye contact with Harry – who now had a mortified look on his face – and turned to meet the gaze of Draco Malfoy.
'Damn! Trying to see Harry will be near impossible with Draco on my case' She realised, reflecting on her Uncle's need to remain 'politically favourable' in the eyes of the likes of the Malfoys.
"Oh Draco," She said weakly. "Why, I was looking to congratulate you on making it into my Uncle's House."
"Oh really?" Draco sneered, unconvinced. "Looked to me as though you were checking out Potter!"
Estella glared at the annoying blonde boy. "Well when I couldn't find you I figured you may be somewhere around Potter, waiting to hex him or something." She snapped.
Draco smirked in acceptance. "Right then," he said congenially, thrilled. "There's no doubting you'll be joining me in Slytherin next year!"
'not if I can help it!' Estella prayed silently to any God who would listen.
Suddenly, Estella was knocked off her feet by a passing red-headed first year. The taller boy had evidently heard part of their conversation and taken offence, as he now stood by Harry's side and was whispering in his ear between shooting her dirty looks. Estella's hopes crumbled as she watched Harry's face harden, his eyes becoming cold and distant.
'Great, he now thinks I'm Malfoy's friend!' She sighed inwardly.
"Estella! Estella, are you alright?" Draco asked repeatedly, still holding the weight of her unbalanced form in his arms from where he had broken her fall. Then, seeing where her gaze lay, he added in gentlemanly tones. "Want me to hex Weaslebee into next Sunday for you? Defend your honour?"
Coming back to her senses, Estella shrugged off Draco's hold on her and laughed. Glaring towards the departing backs of Harry and his redheaded friend, she sneered. "It's not worth it, Draco. I've spent my entire life at this school to know well enough that if a Slytherin hexed a Gryffindork, the Slytherin gets all the blame."
"So?" Draco shrugged. "I am sure if my Father were to get a letter from the School under such circumstances he would be proud that I stood my ground."
"He would also be royally pissed that you displayed where the Malfoy's loyalties truly lay." Estella intoned, touching her nose and winking. "Subtlety, Draco, subtlety. There's a time and place for everything."
Draco smirked. "How right you are, cousin mine." He agreed. "Now, would you be so kind as to escort me to the Slytherin common rooms? The prefects appear to have left with the other first years without me."
Estella nodded, her exterior betraying none of the displeasure she was actually experiencing. "Sure," she replied. "It's on my way."
Walking in companionable silence as the mismatched pair took the most direct route down to the dungeon commons of the Slytherin House, the trip was blissfully short and uneventful. Heading towards theindescript patch of stone wallthat guarded the entrance to the Slytherin Quarters, Estella took in the sight of two brutish looking boys standing at attention either side of the unassuming doorway.
"Hard to tell which is beast and which is man, isn't it?" She said softly, nudging Draco. "They look like two lepers waiting for their master to let them in."
Draco grinned malevolently. "I guess you can call me their master then." He said, puffing out his chest. "The one on the left is Vincent Grabbe, the one on the right, Gregory Goyle. Our fathers were part of the same, er, social club and I've grown up with them."
"Oh," Estella said, chided.
"They're hardly as worthy of my company as you are, however." The conceited child continued. "Too much inbreeding if you ask me. Still, they make good side kicks."
The pair were interrupted as they came into sight of the oafs in question.
"Oi, Malfoy, who's ya friend?" The one on the left, Grabbe, grunted.
"She's Snape's kid, didn't you see her at the head table earlier?" Goyle replied, nudging Grabbe uncoordinatedly, spittle dribbling on his chin with each word.
"Wrong," Draco interjected suavely. "Grabbe, Goyle, meet Estella Black, our housemaster's niece and my cousin, once removed."
The boys looked between Draco and Estella, dumbfounded. Obviously the information they had just been told was too much for them to take in all at once.
"What are you doing outside of the dorms anyway?" Estella asked, changing the subject. "You do realise if my Uncle catches you skiving the Prefect's tour he will have you in detention."
"What about Malfoy?" Grabbe asked, stupidly.
"Oh if Draco was caught I'd take responsibility for his tardiness." Estella replied. "What's your excuse?"
"We didn't hear the password." Goyle said. "Wall closed."
"Likely story," Draco scoffed. "More like you were too busy stuffing your faces with all that you could carry that you lagged too far behind to get here in time. Estella, if you would be obliged to divulge the password so that we can avoid Slytherin losing any house points on the first day of term."
"Why certainly, Draco." Estella replied, maintaining her façade and walking about 5 feet down the hallway to where the real entrance lay behind the wall. "Aconite."
At her word, the wall dissolved to reveal a descending staircase. "I'll take my leave now," she said. "I will possibly see you at dinner tomorrow night."
Draco grabbed her hand as she attempted to leave. "What, you're not going to come into the Common Room to hear your Uncle's welcoming address?"
"I've heard it enough." Estella replied. "Besides, I only ever go when he takes me. I'm not supposed to make use of the passwords I know by letting myself in and out. I'm technically not a student of this house."
Draco nodded affirmatively and let go of her arm. "Good night then," he said. "It was nice seeing you again."
"You too," Estella responded, not even acknowledging the other two boys who, true to the analogy, were waiting for their master to take the lead, before she tore down the hallway towards her own quarters.
It was going to be near impossible to get close to Harry with Draco lurking in her shadows.
End Chapter: Harry's at Hogwarts!