Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter. This is purely for fun.
Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who reviewed. I am glad I have gotten a great deal of hits on the last chapter.
Chapter Sixteen: The Rape of Slytherin House
I collapsed into my seat at the slytherin table with a relief. I had just hiked up to the hospital wing before breakfast and trust me, after coming back from a midnight meeting with my lawyer, I could have done without the earlybird errands.
"How's Blaise-y boy," Teddy drawled taking a long swig of pumpkin juice.
A yes, it was morning and the news had hit the school no thanks to those fucking gryffindors. Yes, slytherin house had another convulsion. We protect our own though you have to give us that. Daphne (yes the squeamish one) completely knocked some ravenclaw for saying to her friends "Maybe the Zabini boy will kill himself next."
"Malnutrition and deliria induced by excessive alcohol. Recovery is set for 4:15 this afternoon. Still ranting though."
"Must you make it sound like you're some bloody mediwitch?" Draco asked, scowling while he picked at his eggs.
"What else can we expect from the great Miss Marlow," Moon said, cocking her head back and forth in a mocking way.
"What has your panties in a twist?" Avery asked, leacherous tone present as always.
"You were the last one, Marlow," Moon said gnawing on a sausage to add to her quidditch physique. "First Daphne snors, then Pansy's insatiable sex-drive with Dolohov of all people—" her face churned in disgust. "Then you have to come in at 2 in the bloody morning whining to yourself about some bloody business thing. Oh and did I mention your fucking bird woke me up carry bloody packages!"
"Ugh," I groaned, wrapping my fingers up in my hair. "Lucius will not get off my case about these papers he is drowning me! Bastard."
"You're merging with my father?" Draco looked at me as though it was new news.
It was.
"I am thinking about it. My lawyers don't understand why he wants to do it. The numbers show that it would send more revenue to my paycheck than his."
"Why didn't you tell me?" his voice wasn't getting any louder but his lip was curling.
"Why?" Moon interjected. "You don't sit on her board or your fathers."
As Moon and Draco got into a battle of glares, my mind drifted back to the address on my letter. Alexandra and Draco Marlow Malfoy. Who the fuck writes like that? My stomach churned. It felt as though there was something staring at me right in the face and I couldn't see it. The thought of signing away my independent rights on Marlow Enterprises really made me sick, not to mention I was suddenly on edge about Lucius Malfoy in general.
In short, I became extremely irritable and sharp. I fear that if I said impulsive I would sound like I belonged in a different house.
On the way out of the Great Hall, I was walking with the usual suspects. "What exactly set Zabini off?" Avery asked.
"Yeah how badly did he tear up Hufflepuff commons?" Teddy added.
"Oh god that placed looked like a bloody war zone," I said recalling. "Stupid hufflepuffs didn't lift a finger. Did you know he knocked a couple out?"
"He should lose control more often," Teddy said with a nod, "Makes gossip more interesting."
"Oh you'll love this," I said. Have you noticed when I get irritable and sharp I also get gossipy and snarky? "I originally thought he had just gone nutters but apparently, Granger had caused it."
They all wanted to know. And I gave them answers—even if they weren't true.
"You never know about those quiet types," I said. "She must have had some tricks in the sheets."
"Not like Zabini hasn't seen his share," Moon quipped. "Must have really been experienced."
"If she's that fast I'll have to try her," Draco said thoughtfully. "I could deal with a mudblood in bed."
"You lot are absolutely repulsive!" If it wasn't little miss know-it-all and her gryffindork companions. "How dare you even suggest that it was my fault Zabini attacked poor Eleanor Baddock and her house!"
"Just like Harry Potter isn't responsible for Diggory's death," Draco chided.
"Hey!" oh great here comes wonderboy and his posse. "Watch your bloody mouth, Malfoy!"
"Yeah Granger," I sneered. "Better watch your step. Don't want to get caught saying the first name of the boy the entire school knows you were shagging for weeks. Oh wait—" I smirked in a stick, sneering sort of way. "Maybe it was just our entire house who knew the details."
I saw her face pale at the thought of people like us knowing about her sexual secrets. Truth be told we didn't but damn I can call a good bluff.
"That has absolutely nothing to do with the incident at hand."
"Doesn't it?" You know, several months ago, all this talk would have been nothing but good gossip. Good hassling material you know? But that protective whiplash had kicked in and it was all mean-spirited. You know when your blood boils for no good reason and you just want to tear apart the person you're talking to? This was something like that.
"I think it has a lot to do with it, mudblood," I snapped. "Because of what you did to my friend he drank himself to pieces and is now in the hospital wing! Or maybe you would notice that if you thought about anything except your precious reputation and your wonderful Order of the Pheonix," I demeaned each noun I attributed to her. "You stupid fucking mudblood." Wow, mudblood two times in the same statement when I had never used it in years or well—ever.
"Spin your words however you want, Marlow," she said looking me up and down like she was better than me. "I expected more from you. After all, don't you run some import export business that survives on slave labor? Oh and no wonder you're so hostile to Dumbledore considering your father was a deatheater! Not only that but so is everyone remotely connected to you. Yes, I'd say you have a reason to try and talk me down but truth me told, Marlow everything you pride yourself on depends on it!"
I stepped closer to her, "Oh did Blaise tell you that one did 'e? Well I hope he told you more about what all us big scary deatheaters can do," I stepped closer and closer until we were nearly breast to breast. "Like how we can call certain people and have them come and kill you in your sleep or take you away in the night. Or how You-Know-Who started a trend of grinding bones to make his follower's bread."
"Fear of the name only creates fear of the thing itself."
I sneered, resisting the urge to spit. "What is there for us to be afraid of? Either way we win. You can't touch me with a ten foot pole, Granger."
She shoved me back with her finger. Everyone watching got quiet; just in time for me to slap her across the face.
She raised her as if to go for her wand but one of the other gryffindor girls grabbed it. I expected that. But when I reached for my wand, I didn't expect someone to grab my hand.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Potter?" Draco shouted, shoving the person who had grabbed my hand.
"I need to talk to you," he whispered harshly and began to lead me away.
"What the bloody hell?" I heard Ronaldo and/or Teddy say.
"Marlow!" Draco shouted.
"Hang on!" I called back. "Meet you in potions."
Harry shoved me up behind a suit of armor once we were out of sight. "What the hell was that?"
I sneered at him. "You mess with my friends and I mess with yours."
"So this is about me?"
"You'd like to think so wouldn't you?"
"Dammit, Xandra can you please not play games with me?"
"Games me? Never."
"Why did you have to call her a mudblood?" he asked in an exasperated tone. "I thought you were better then that."
"Did you hear the way she insulted me!"
"You called her slag and she isn't."
"My best mate is in the hospital wing for being delirious because of her!"
His hand caressed my cheek. "I know how hard that is but please—"
"Please what, Harry? You don't know a thing about what I am going through! It's easy for you!" I lowered my voice so no one would hear but kept the intensity. "You can just run to Dumbledore whenever you see the Dark Mark but it isn't so easy for me."
"The Dark Mark?" he paused and stared at me. "Xandra are you . . . a deatheater?" he whispered.
I lifted my arms and sleeves came down. "They will have to skin me alive but no one seems the have a problem doing so."
Silence. I hate it when there is silence between us.
"I will always look out of you," he whispered.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," I shoved him away. "I think you're safer twisting in your feelings of emotional uselessness than endangering your health running after me."
"Xandra—"
"I have things to do, Harry," I said signaling for Draco and the boys to come my way. They glared at Harry as they passed but said nothing suggestive. A miracle if I ever saw one.
"So this is it?" Draco examined the letter and envelope I had received the day before.
"Ring any bells," I asked, blowing smoke into the empty dormitory.
"You would like it to, wouldn't you?" he furrowed his brows. "Why did you show me?"
"Because it was addressed to you as well." He gave me a look illustrating his displeasure for my sarcasm. "I thought you might know why it's addressed in that god-awful fashion."
"It's not like you haven't received documents addressed like this before."
"Those had a seal on them that wasn't the bloody Dark Mark," I hissed. "Those letters were from my uncles and your father. I highly doubt this is as well."
"Would you put it past them?"
I snorted. "you can't really believe they have a reason to be recruiting you, me and the rest of slytherin house to become deatheaters? Give my relatives more credit! The point is—and the reason I showed this to you—what is the significance of it being addressed like this? Are we betrothed or something and you just forgot to inform me?" I meant that last part in utter seriousness, have to cover all bases you know.
"Oh you wish," he said with scowl.
"Yeah I sure want to be legally attached to some dead weight," I rolled my eyes.
"For your information, Marlow, my father has been training me to succeed his position when I graduate."
The cigarette fell from my lips.
"You dirty bastard," I hissed. "You Malfoys are nothing but lying scum."
"Please tell me this hasn't just occurred to you?" His bemused expression fell when he saw I was serious. "Didn't he tell you?"
"No!" I shrieked. "Your father is pitching a fucking merger just to have you succeed when it goes into effect!"
"Yeah, and?"
"He's trying to bloody override my power!"
"Sorry Marlow, but you aren't exactly the most intimidating of businessmen."
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You may be a hideous tomboy, but you're seventeen years old! My father babysits your more than listens to you."
I stared at him and lit a cigarette. With each second that I soaked up his words, my thoughts began to unfog. I was being used. I was being circled and made a fool of. So this is the otherside of what I spent six years doing to other people, eh? I hate it. I am not going to stand for it. I am better than that.
"Alright," I said, taking my time with the conversation. "But again, it doesn't answer the questions at hand. Malcolm didn't just kill himself for no reason."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Draco asked, scanning the letter for any clue he might have missed.
Holy hell, I think was his exact wording when I showed him the other letters.
"What do you want from me, Marlow?" he asked with his eyes scrunched as though it pained him.
"Now that you know it wasn't entirely your homophobia that killed him," I said, hoping that he felt bad—but Draco's probably over it. "Something's going on and I really want to figure it out before these bloody aurors do. You're the only one I've got."
"What are you talking about?" he snapped. "Get someone else to help you play Golden Trio. I am perfectly happy waiting for my inheritance to come to me. Get Zabini or—"
"Zabini has succumbed to delirium to escape reality," I said sharply. "Whatever Malcolm was trying to shield from us is now crushing us! Besides," I exhaled foul cigarette smoke. "If you help me, I will promise not to burn the merger papers."
"You wouldn't dare," his eyes darkened.
I laughed. "I thought you weren't a man for business, Draco." My tone suddenly darkened, "Perhaps you would like to do nothing about this and be indicted for supporting Death Eaters?" I felt like a snake the way I pronounced that accusation. I mean the literally kind by the way.
Draco's expression didn't change.
"You little shit," I snarled. "So this is what it comes down to? After I have known you for more than ten years this is how you help your friends—a member of your own house! We aren't supposed to do this to eachother!"
"Don't let any aurors find this lying around," Draco tossed the letter at me.
I narrowed my eyes and quickly calculated how I could get even (or partway there). I pushed past him and down in the common room, a picked up an envelope full of papers. "Marlow, what are you doing?" I heard his protests and made the conscious decision—I am no one's tool.
The ink they use on those contracts burns quite nicely.
I met Draco's sneer with a bemused smirk. "I'm impressed," Draco said, still extremely pissed off don't get the wrong impression. "Either that gryffindor wanker is rubbing off on you or . . ."
"Or what, Malfoy?"
"Or your company deserves to be crushed."
"Neither I'm afraid." I lit up a cigarette, feeling ridiculously smug. "Sorry chap but I really must dash. Ta," I left the common room with a confident stride that I hadn't felt in a while. While it killed me knowing how stupid I had been for so long, I felt empowered, knowing I could change it.
"Professor!" I called, knocking on Snape's door. "Professor, it is urgent!"
"I do not like to be disturbed, Mr. –"he stopped when he saw that it wasn't some student looking to talk about schoolwork. "Come in," he ushered me inside quickly.
"Can I ask what this late night visit is about?" he asked as I sat down at the little table I knew too well.
Time to take a leap of faith, Marlow. "I want my father's folder."
"What makes you think something like that even exists," Snape had the nerve to doubletask between his bloody potion and I.
"You're a spy for the Order," I said casually. "You didn't offer to help me out of the goodness of your heart. I am sure you have or know who has, files on every person remotely connected with deatheaters. Details down to their dental records."
"What do you expect to find in such a file?" he asked, still not deeming my important enough to command his full attention.
"Don't play me for a fool, professor," I said sharply, desperately trying to remain calm. "My father killed himself for a reason and it wasn't just to escape embarrassment of being sent to Azkaban. Just like Malcolm didn't kill himself because of our own house's homophobia." Snape turned to me, a look in his eyes finally acknowledging that I was serious. "Now I want some answers."
"What makes you think I can get them for you? You are about to become legally attached to Lucius Malfoy and if you know anything, you will know he is not exactly someone we want seeing such files."
"I have on intention of merging with Lucius Malfoy's corporation," I stated, locking eyes with him. "I am no tool, professor. Now can you get me the information or not?"
"It would leave less suspicion if you would merely tell specifically what you wanted to know."
"Forgive me if I don't trust your word of mouth."
"Right now it is all I have to give you. The aurors had made professor privileges difficult to cash in on. Now ask, before someone notices you are gone."
"Why was my father arrested?"
"Don't you know the answer to this?"
"I am starting at the beginning."
"The Order and Ministry of Magic believe he had broken the deal they had shared and was harboring the Dark Lord."
"What deal?"
"Zarek Marlow agreed to spy for the Order, incriminating deatheaters he ran across in his field in return for the CWC to give his company space."
"What happened to this deal?"
"It went south and the CWC put pressure onto the company. They would have happily crushed Marlow Enterprises had Lucius Malfoy not kept it a float."
"Am I currently under investigation?"
"The more independent you become the more the Order would like you crushed."
"Would it have been easier to take down Lucius Malfoy and the like had we mergered."
"Yes."
"Did Dumbledore want to you to push me into that?"
"Yes."
"I am currently a pawn of deatheaters?"
"The less independent you are, the more."
"Is the Order bitter towards me?"
"Yes."
"Why did Malcolm Baddock receive letters bearing the Dark Mark?"
"He was a target."
"What kind of target?"
"A target to be hollowed out and used as a Trojan horse." I shivered at the thought.
"How was he being hollowed?"
"He was attacked in Hogsmeade and his emotions began to die one by one. That is why, if you remember, he was so close with his sister and his lover towards the end. Love was the last one to go."
"Is that why he killed himself?"
"They say love is blind. It is apparently, enough to make on sacrafice their own life—in Mr. Baddock's case what was left of it—in order to protect others."
There it was, plain and clear, the answers I had been looking for. Sitting at this table, in dim light, calm and sober, demeaned all the frustration and anxiety and emotion I had felt earlier, to the point that I wanted to just die.
"Do you feel any loyalty to me, Professor Snape?" I asked calmly, studying his face.
"You have nothing to be loyal to, Miss Marlow. What currently run, is not yours, it is still your father's."
"What do you suggest I do?"
"First of all, what is it you want?"
I thought. What did I want? There is no going back after this. "I want to be powerful."
Snape nodded. What slytherins we are.
"Will you help me?" I asked.
"Yes. But I warn you Miss Marlow, it shall be far from easier. It will happen quickly and with difficulty. You are pledging your life to something wizards three times your age sell their souls for."
"We've already had this conversation, I am not scared."
"Alright, then we shall meet here tomorrow night, after we return from your meeting. The Ministry of Magic is sending someone."
"How is it that you know this before I do?"
"It apart of the game, Miss Marlow. Whoever has the most information wins. Lucius is looking to be the victor."
I smiled in spite myself. Whoever has the most information wins. I was familiar with that mantra. Oh so familiar. "Never fear professor. Like all games, once you learn the rules, the boundaries and the duration, there is nothing that can stop you."
"Your attitude is refreshing."
"Thank you."
"If I may ask," Snape said, breaking the cool tone and leaning in. "You seem exceptionally calm at my descriptions of Malcolm Baddock and your father."
"That's not a question, it's an observation," I said, resisting the urge to stand up, and illustrate superiority. "But you know professor, recently I have decided I should become a little bit more, how would you say—open minded."
"Commendable but requires follow through."
"Because I must live up to an invisible expectation?"
"Your own father is hardly invisible."
"Oh but he was. Professor Snape you grew up much like me, you shouldn't talk to me as though every father comes home and spends dinner with his offspring discussing the workday and literature."
It was too early. My meeting with the ministry of magic was way too fucking early. Why did I punish myself by wearing this god-awful suit at 6 am just so I could do a courtesy meeting with some representative from the Ministry of Magic's new bureau? Oh—I forgot, because I am a productive masochist.
Well if I am so bloody productive then why have I been having a staring contest with the Ministry's inspector for five minutes?
"I am sorry but I don't believe you gave me your name, Mr. . ."
"Weasley," the man answered, his posture unwavering and his expression equally dull.
"As in, Ronald Weasley," I said turning my head and eyeing him with interest.
"He is my younger brother, yes," this fellow, Weasley (hardly specific) spoke of his siblings as though it was painful. Well Ronaldo is a dick and while I would love to shrink this older Weasley or something, time to focus.
"So what are these new regulations your secretary said you would be bringing forth?"
He withdrew a briefcase and laid some fat bundles of papers on the desk. "The Minister is preparing a transition for a law that goes into effect next year. This law will state that all outfits of enterprise in order to do business in the UK must adhere to certain uniform regulations."
"If companies chose not to, can't they merely secede as they always have done?"
"If enterprises do so they will immediately be considered rogue and if found operating in the United Kingdom will then be arrested."
"I see," I noticed this fellow had trouble maintaining eye contact. "And just what are these transitionary steps?"
"We would like you to sign these papers allowing the Ministry of Magic to conduct inspections of your facilities in order to make sure they are up to protocol."
I read the papers and laughed. "Mr. Weasley, you can't be serious."
"I fail to see the humor in the minister's proposal."
"This is complete socialism you are proposing. If I remember correction Britain still maintains a free marketplace and until I see that changed, I refuse to let the government waltz in whenever they like and tell me how to run my corporation. If you want to conduct inspections you will have to initiate it the same way every other country does. In writing."
He pursed his lips and gave me this look as though he thought it would scare me into changing my mind. So the staring contest has begun again.
"If I may ask, Miss Marlow, off the record," he said, suddenly studying me. "How do you know my brother?"
"We are in the same year at Hogwarts."
"That makes you . . . seventeen?" he looked as though he was going to die from embarrassment.
"You're not a Daily Prophet kind of guy, are you?"
"It's brilliant, being able to achieve so much when you are so young."
Suddenly the doors burst open and three of my burliest body guards came running in. They ripped me up out of my chair and nearly dragged me out of the board room, another ushered Mr. Weasley out as well.
"What is going on?" I demanded. They didn't say anything, not the brightest of fellows, but by the time I saw Professor Snape, I really wanted answers. "Professor what in God's name is going on?"
"There has been a violent attack, Miss Marlow," he said gravely as he walked swiftly to the floo portal. "We just got word of it, Dumbledore wants all student back at the school."
"What happened?" I asked.
"There was an attack on Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley in Hogsmeade. Voldemort and a group of deatheater were chased back to—" he stopped talked as he handed me some floo powder.
"Chased back to where?" I demanded.
He looked at me with a dead serious expression. "To one of your import outlets."
I stared at him, just utterly numb. Voldemort? Hiding in one of my outlets . . . I thought about it quickly. He had to have been hiding in my rigs, or more likely my father's rigs. Was he hiding offshore? How many people were they harboring? How—"Miss Marlow, please go already!"
"Hogwarts," I shouted into the fireplace and threw the powder.
When we arrived in his office, Snape wasted no time in giving directions. "Miss Marlow I suggest you go to your dormitory and pack your things quickly into an overnight bag. We shall then—"
"Speak with Dumbledore before consulting the Ministry, going through paperwork, issue a public statement and offer a reward for Voldemort and his followers' capture."
"You're finally getting your act together."
"Professor, will you come with me?"
"To your dorm?"
"No, I mean through all …this."
"I have to teach, Miss Marlow."
"I could pay you twice as much. You can't like potions that much."
He smirked. "I am executive of your estate until you turn eighteen. Believe me, we shall be in contact."
"I shall meet you in the Great Hall in ten minutes."
Then I quickly exited, walking swiftly through the corridors. There was an echo bouncing around but it wasn't loud enough nor clear enough that one could pinpoint anything about it.
Just as I was about to go up a flight of stairs, I collided with someone. Julius Tarquin, a fourth year from the quidditch team. "Marlow!" he said, out of breath. "You have to come quick, you have to get Snape, you have to –"
"Calm down, Tarquin what the bloody hell is going on?"
"Aurors!" he shouted. "Aurors are tearing apart the common room and dorms. They're arresting people! They're going to take us to Azkaban!"
"Did they say why?"
"Something about you-know-who," he took a deep breath. "Is Snape in his office?"
"Yeah."
Tarquin went off running and I took off in another direction. I had to dodge aurors, hiding around corners a couple times but it looked like the fucking cultural revolution. They were literally hauling people out by their collars.
When I finally got inside the common room it looked ten times worse then what Blaise had done to Hufflepuff. Everything was shredded, broken, ripped apart. Kids were frantic, going every which way, being shoved by aurors or hauled out by them. Several pushed past me to get out into the hall.
I saw Draco being dragged down the steps and boy was he not going easily. "Get your bleedy hands off me!" he shouted. "Don't you know who I am? My father will have your head for this!"
He caught sight of me, standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. "Marlow!" he shouted. "They found your bloody letters! Why didn't you burn those bloody letters!"
I backed up, shocked, trying to process all this chaos. I bumped into someone. I spun around and found myself staring at one of the aurors the had caught me in the corridor snogging Harry. "Are you Alexandra Marlow, daughter of Zarek Marlow, CEO of Marlow Enterprises, the corporation which harbored fugitives?"
I don't care what the experts say; smokers can run. It is true, fear (if you want to call it that—I didn't) lends wings to the feet. I ducked and ran without looking back. Sure this might look bad in the papers later but I will not, I repeat will not be dragged out my common room like a bloody criminal. I am not my father and I will certainly not be locked up in Azkaban the same way.
The burning in my chest was actually quite easy to ignore because my head was preoccupied with other thoughts. Such as finding Dumbledore and not slipping. I turned a corner and caught sight of Blaise.
"Blaise!" I shouted. He turned quickly and motioned for me to hurry up. "Come on, come on, there are some bloody aurors on the stairs!"
"What's your plan?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't suffer a heart attack or that a lung would drop.
Blaise was momentarily amused by my ability to run but quickly mumbled something. "What?" I said with a gasp.
"Find Dumbledore and if we can't do that, get to the platform and aparate to London."
"They have to be swarming everywhere!"
"I don't care!" he shouted. "We have to get to St. Mungos."
"I am not that sick."
"Hermione!" he shouted at me like I was an idiot. God he was still nutters, wasn't he?
We pushed open the doors to the great hall and shut them just before some aurors had a chance to see us. At the other end of the hall, I saw the old man I was looking for, standing next to some other professors, aurors and ministry workers, quietly discussing something—pretending the school wasn't being pillaged and students were being arrested.
"Professor Dumbledore!" I shouted. He turned, everyone turned. He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. With sharp strides I moved towards him, shaking hard with every breath. "You know they called you the best headmaster this school has ever had and you've pledged your life to helping students. So why is it, I ask that slytherin students of all ages are being dragged out of their house, their family like a petty criminal?" I was halfway there and I just noticed Harry standing next to the man I spoke. "There is no probable cause! Those letters were hidden by Malcolm Baddock and have never been seen by the eyes of anyone else in slytherin house. There may have been an attack by Voldemort today that my corporation was a victim of but that in no way legalizes this rape of my house! I am not my fath—"
"Xandra!"
"Marlow!"
I hit the floor and Iwas consumed inblack. Those aurors certainly know their stuff.
I wonder if I'll dream. I've never really dreamed before.
END OF PART I
Author's Note: So there it is, the end of part one. Everything happened really quickly towards the end. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, I will get part two up as soon as I can. Again, I will be continuing on this thread so no worries. It has been quite a journey up to this point and I hope I shall continue to have all of your support through the second part of this story. Thank you all so much and I will see you all later.