Updated: Wednesday 9th March 2005
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Special note: I ask that you keep in mind that just because it is implied that Remus has taught Estella the Marauder's 'code of conduct', it doesn't mean that he has told her that the Marauders (whom she associates as being the stuffed toys Remus gave names to and made up stories about in her younger years) are real… merely he is using their escapades as inspiration; to fashion Estella into a 'real life' Marauder, much like how impressionable children often emulate and idolise the fictitious characters from their favourite television programs and such; adopting fictitious principles and mannerisms as their own in tribute. Phew that was a long sentence…
Chapter Forty Three: The Mini-MarauderIt was Friday. Six days since that fateful afternoon spent in Honeyduke's cellar hatching their plan, which was finally beginning to take shape.
Like the onset of all weekends of recent times, Remus had arranged to take Estella for two nights. The plan was for Estella to confront the head bully – a boy by the name of Ernst Trunchbull – and challenge him to meet him at the Shrieking Shack at 8pm for a duel. Remus and Estella would meet the boy and his second there with telescopes (that way if anyone came across them they had the alibi that they were there star gazing).
The success of the plan depended heavily on a few uncontrollable variables, but at the end of the day, if it came down to it, Remus knew that Estella's formidable duelling skills would pull her through. He only hoped the children in Estella's class were as predictable as most children their age and that the actual exchange of spells could be avoided. Superior knowledge of magic was a tactical bluff that Estella was using, and although Remus had little doubt she could beat a 10-year-old in a duel if it came to that, it was just that he'd rather her prematurely taught skills were kept under wraps a little while longer.
Hiding in the shadows of a large Oak tree on the boundary line of Estella's school's playground, Remus waited for stage one in their plan to come into effect. Like clockwork, the bell sounded for the start of play lunch and the children spilled out into the yard. Ducking further back into the shadows, he smiled encouragingly when he saw Estella cast a quick, nervous look in his direction. Crossing his fingers subconsciously, he stood and waited.
"Hey, Black!" A boys voice called out to Estella roughly.
Estella turned to face the boy and his group of hangers on. "Good afternoon Ernst, what gives me the pleasure of your company today?" She replied confidently, putting Marauder Rule Number one ('be nice to your foe, it throws them off balance') into play.
Remus smiled sadly. 'I can't believe Sirius would want to miss out on this!' he thought absently, his mind struggling once more to reconcile the man he once thought he knew with the man he had become.
The boy she spoke to quickly hid his surprise at her response. "Get over yourself, Black!" Was all he could come with.
Estella raised an eyebrow expectantly and folded her arms across her chest as sternly as she could muster.
'Oh my,' Remus thought. 'She got that from Severus…'
"Well, what do you want Ernst?" Estella asked impatiently, "Or do you have the memory of a goldfish?"
Ernst spluttered. "Why, I just wanted to know what you have for lunch today." He said weakly.
"Well I have a lovely selection of cold meats and sandwiches that the House Elves prepared me." Estella said in her best 'hostess' voice. "They always make way too much for me to eat all by myself, so by all means help yourselves."
Ernst shook off his temptation and batted away the hands of a few of his sidekicks who were obviously thinking with their stomachs. "You can't have House Elves!" He spat. "You don't even live in a house!"
Estella threw her head back and laughed. "I suppose the correct term would be Hogwarts School Elves, then?" She said mock-apologetically, shaking her head dismissively. "Whatever."
Then, for good measure, she added. "As for your information, Ernst, my family has several vast estates in which we could reside in if we so chose. Though wouldn't you choose to live at Hogwarts before you had to go to school there, Ernst?"
'Just how we rehearsed it, good girl!' Remus thought, glad for his werewolf sense of hearing.
Ernst fumed. "Why would I want to live in a place if I was going to spend seven years there anyway?"
"Oh I don't know, so you could explore it before any of the other kids in your class?" Estella said, looking pointedly at the jealous faces that dotted Ernst's circle of friends. "And of course to use magic!"
Ernst pulled himself up to his full height and stood so that he was uncomfortably close to Estella. "Yeah but you can't use your magic here, now can you?" He sad menacingly.
"Oh really, Ernst!" Estella exclaimed, yawning. "Are you trying to scare me? My Uncle doesn't even scare me!"
"I bet my fist can!" Ernst snapped, drawing back said fist.
Estella held her ground, although Remus could smell the familiar scent of her anxiety beginning to form and was ready to jump in at any moment.
"How big of you, Ernst." Estella said coolly. "To physically beat up on a girl that's smaller than you. My how your parents must be proud!"
"At least I have parents!" Ernst said victoriously, stepping back.
Estella shocked them with her smile. "You really must be stupid to think a person can be born without parents!" She laughed.
"At least I didn't kill my mother!" Ernst said, "and my father isn't rotting in Azkaban!"
Estella cringed.
'Come on Cub, don't let them get to you!' Remus silently urged her on. Somewhere, somehow, Estella must have felt it because she pulled herself together and didn't let herself crumble.
"What!" She said angrily. "Surprised I am not running off crying to hide in the library?"
The group of bullies looked at her, stunned. The old Estella was back.
Estella took a deep breath and continued. "What is wrong with you all? It's sad and pathetic how you could think it's fun to hurt others. You must simply feel so proud of yourselves afterwards! Me, I'd rather feel proud for having mastered a new spell and getting my homework done on time, but hey, that's me. I'm not a thoughtless, uncaring, mean little piece of entrails." Estella took a deep breath and continued her rant. "You know what, I'm sick of being treated like scum. I don't care what you people think I did to deserve it, but I know I did nothing; and I'm willing to bet my magic on it!"
Ernst blinked warily, then scrambled his resolve to save face. "What are you saying, Black?"
Estella stuck her head up high and sneered. "I, Estella Michelle Lily Selina Black, challenge you to a Wizarding duel. Who will be your second?"
Ernst looked flabbergasted, knowing his reputation would suffer if he denied the challenge. "We can't duel. We're underage." He said weakly.
"What's that Ernst?" Estella asked sweetly. "Sorry, I didn't hear that clearly. Did you just say you don't know any magic?"
Ernst fumed. "I do so!"
"Fine then. Shrieking Shack at 8pm?" Estella said. "Oh and don't worry about the laws, the shack is magically bound to Hogwarts. We won't be detected!"
Ernst looked at his friends hopelessly. One of his friends – a butch faced girl by the name of Veruca Palmerston – shook her head furiously and pulled at Ernst's arm.
"Don't listen to her Ernst! She just wants you to throw the first spell and get caught by the Ministry and forbidden to use magic!"
Suspicion dawned in Ernst's eyes. "Nice try Black, but no snitch."
Estella held up her hands in surrender. "What if I demonstrate a few spells when we get there?" She negotiated. "Then when the Owl doesn't come you might believe it safe to continue undetected?"
Ernst looked to his friends for a way out, but there didn't seem to be one. He had to accept.
"But Ernst!" A weedy looking boy by the name of Isaac whispered frantically in his ear. "You don't have a wand!"
"Shut up!" Ernst hissed, then looked at Estella. "How is it you have a wand?"
"I don't have my own wand." Estella confessed. "I will be using my Father's wand."
"Wouldn't that have been snapped when your old man went to Azkaban?" Ernst asked curiously before he could stop himself.
Estella shrugged. "If I hadn't been born, maybe it would have been." She said, letting the question hang. "So, trusting you could sneak away with one of your parent's wands, who do you nominate as your second?"
Ernst paused for a moment in contemplation. "My brother works in Hogsmeade. He graduated Drumstrang last year. He will surely meet us." He said. "I will borrow his wand."
Estella nodded.
"Who will be your second?" Verucca asked snidely, thinking she had voided the terms of the duel by virtue of Estella having no friends she could ask to second her.
"Harry Potter, I believe you've heard of him?" Estella stated.
When Ernst heard the name "Harry Potter" he paled. Everyone knew that Harry Potter had defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby. There was no telling how good he was at duelling now!
"Well, do you accept my second or not?" Estella asked impatiently.
Ernst took a shaky breath and nodded unconvincingly.
"See you then." She said conversationally, holding out her hand to seal the deal. Ernst took it limply, then nodded his assent to his friends before brushing past Estella gruffly to go lick his wounds in some far flung corner of the playground.
Remus, meanwhile, was holding his breath as he watched the last of the exchange play itself out. It was only when the bullies had left her sight that he could see the mini-marauder-in-the-making smirking and turning to give him a thumbs up.
'Thank Merlin!' Remus thought as he took in a staggering breath of relief.
"Phase one complete!" Estella mouthed.
"Phase one complete!" Remus whispered back, coming out of the shadows slightly and waving his goodbyes.
End Chapter: The Mini-Marauder