…Hogwarts under Death Eaters…
I sat beside Blaise on the train to Hogwarts. Luna, Neville, Ginny, and Izzy sat with us. The compartment door slid open. A Death Eater stood in the doorway and looked around at us. "Have any of you seen or heard from Harry Potter?" he sneers. We shook our heads. He left followed by more Death Eaters.
Uncle Severus was now headmaster and two Death Eaters were teaching. Death Eaters patrolled the halls to make sure no one was up to any funny business.
Ginny, Neville, Izzy, and I were constantly in detentions for disobeying and defying the Death Eaters. We snuck out of Gryffindor Tower and graffitied the walls of the school with recruitment ads for the DA. I led them to the headmaster's office. I told them the password and kept watch outside. They snuck back out with the sword of Gryffindor.
We were halfway back to the dorm when we heard voices ahead. We snuck into a classroom. The voices passed and I peered out. The corridor was empty. We took off again. We turned a corner and ran right into the Carrows. "What are you doing out of bed?", a voice drawled from behind us. Uncle Severus emerged from the darkness.
"Detention. All of you." he snapped without letting us speak. He went over to Ginny. He snatched the sword from her and stalked off down the hall. The Carrows escorted us back to Gryffindor Tower. "Get in and don't sneak back out!", Alecto Carrow snapped.
Detention was spent in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. He looked slightly worse than we did. "Death Eaters as professors. He's put Dementors at the gates of the school. He's keeping Fluffy locked up." Hagrid growled angrily as we walked through the forest. "Fluffy?" Neville asked. "My precious little three headed dog." Hagrid explains. I raise an eyebrow at him. From what Harry had told us Fluffy was in no way little.
I was sitting in detention again. I had said a snide comment under my breath and had landed myself in detention with Alecto Carrow. I had to write lines as punishment. "Do be a dear and try not to get yourself in trouble anymore.", she whispered in my ear. I moved away. She gave me a smile. I glared at her back as she walked away.
I left detention and went up to Gryffindor Tower. "What was your punishment?", Izzy asked. "Lines.", I replied holding up my hand. I laid on the couch. "It's a good thing it's almost winter break. I don't know how much of this I can stand. I'm almost certain that they're reading our mail too." she complains as she threw her books into her bag. She sat by the couch. We watched the fire in silence.
I served my last detention and made way to the train. I climbed aboard just before the train left. I sat with the DA members. We discussed our plans for second term until we reached King's Cross station. I ran over to my grandparents. I hugged them. "Your parents are on assignment right now.", Grandma Rowell whispers in my ear. I nodded. Ava and Lucas came running off the train.
"Did you two start a fire?", grandpa Rowell jokes, but he still glances worriedly at the train. They led us through the barrier. We arrived home and put our things away. Grandma Rowell knocked on my door. She walked in and sat on my desk.
She'd brought tea and biscuits with her. She handed me a cup. She took a sip from her cup. "I heard from the rest of the family about the shock of the gifts you got last year. Your poor father." she smiles.
I look down at the necklace and bracelet. I wear it every day. "It is lovely." she whispers. "How are you? I heard from your mum about the punishments. Oh dear! Your hands!" she shriek.
I look down. "Writing lines as a punishment.", I explained sipping my tea, "It's not the first time. It hurts a bit at first every time, but then I just ignore it." She puts her cup down and runs her hands over mine.
We talk for a bit when she was done examining my hands. "Your hair! Your just like your mum. Never wanting to cut your hair." she shook with amused laughter. "I cut my hair. Once a year. Other than that, it never causes me any problems." I swallow the last bit of tea. She rolls her eyes playfully.
I went down to dinner and we ate a simple meal. By the time we were done eating mum and dad were home. Ava tackled mum in a hug. "I've been abandoned!" dad drapes dramatically against the door. Izzy rose and gave dad a sympathetic hug. I place the dishes in the sink and Lucas continued his conversation with grandpa Rowell.
Grandma Rowell pulled mum and dad into the study to converse with him. Grandpa Rowell joined them after Lucas went to bed. I went up to bed with Ava and Izzy on my heels. "You know she's asking about your hands." Ava mumbles. I raise an eyebrow at her. "I think she noticed your bruise from Amycus Carrow grabbing you the other day." I counter.
I was just guessing, but Ava stomps to her room closing the door in a rush as she covers the purple and yellow bruise. Izzy sighs and looked at me. "I know.", I looked at Ava's door, "I wish she would've told us sooner."
The next morning, I awoke to someone tapping my face. I opened my eyes. Lucas was tapping my face. "Get dressed.", he said as he left the room. I showered and dressed in a tee, overalls, and sneakers. I went downstairs.
Everyone was dressed and sitting in the living room. "Ah, come and have a seat Charlotte dear." grandma Rowell waved me inside. I took a seat by Izzy.
Mum clears her throat. "Now that everyone is here, we have an announcement of sorts to make.", she started, "As you all know the Ministry has fallen. You can no longer say the Dark Lord's name. Death Eaters have been using it to track down members of the Order. So, I must ask you all to be very careful. Do not cause any trouble." As she said her last sentence, she looked at me and Ava.
I nod but Ava looks at her with a slight bit of defiance. Dad gave her a look and she finally nodded. Mum looked satisfied and sat back in her chair. "I have one teeny tiny concern." grandma Rowell spoke shifting in her chair. "Your cousins from America, France, northern Europe, and Japan are to be staying here in the city until the war is over as their parents are assisting the Order. I shall require quite a bit of help cleaning the houses."
Ava and Lucas looked away. "I'll help." I offer. Izzy volunteers too. Grandma nods "Maybe you can bring this Mr. Zabini I've heard so much about." Izzy snickers. I leaned close to her ear. "Maybe you should invite Charlie." She went red and stopped laughing. Mum looked back and forth at us.
"By all means Charlotte do share with everyone." mum waved her hand around the room. Izzy shook her head with such speed that I thought it might fall off. Ava and I share a quick look and burst into laughter.
Dad was so confused. I got up and called Blaise and relayed the question. He seemed a bit nervous at first, but I promised him grandma was more laid back than mum and less harsh than grandma Black. If there was anybody in the family, he should get questioned by it would have to be grandma Rowell.
"Grandma! He wants to know where he should meet us.", I held the phone away from me as I call into the living room. She appeared a few seconds later. She took the phone and quickly introduced herself and gave him an address. She added that he could also bring his mum along too. I said bye and hung up.
My bag was by the door, so we just waited for Izzy. Ava and Lucas were going with grandpa and dad to clean up Grimmauld Place. Mum was already in the car. We got in and she put the car in drive.
We reached the address and I saw Blaise's family car there already. We got out and Mrs. Zabini hugged me. "She's so much fun to cook with and play pranks on my son with." she explained to mum and grandma. Blaise's face went blank as he remembered the icing prank and he shuddered.
We went inside. "Who's staying here?" grandma asked mum. "Jordan and Adalene Richards." she answers putting down her bag of cleaning products she brought with her. They'd already cleaned the other houses, and this was the last one left.
Grandma, mum, and Mrs. Zabini had begun talking about something, I wasn't paying much attention. Blaise was walking around looking at the portraits on the walls and the art pieces. Every now and again he'd stop and mumble something to himself.
Mrs. Zabini smiled. Mum said something in French and then Italian. Blaise was temporarily flustered but responded as soon as he regained composure. The adults went back to their conversation. We were sent to specific rooms to clean.
As Blaise and I got to the study he looked at me with wide eyes. "You did not mention your mum spoke French and Italian.", he whispered. I was confused. "I have cousins in Japan, northern Europe, France, and America. After my mum's fourth year she and her friends went to Canada, the Grand Canyon, Budapest, Laos, Bolivia, Tallinn, Italy, and Spain. In her fifth year for winter break everyone went to Romania for skiing. She was also head tutor and taught students all over the globe. Oh yeah, the cruise she went on to the cruise to the Bahamas. So, yeah, she knows a few languages. Why wouldn't she? After all, remember I told you grandma works as a spy with grandpa and kept taking mum and her sisters to Michelin restaurants around the world first class.", I rambled as I organized books.
Blaise sunk into a chair. "Merlin's beard!", he exclaimed, "I'm dating the daughter of Sirius Black whose mum is a linguist and world traveled. Her grandparents are spies who fly their family all over the world first class to dine in Michelin star restaurants. Her mum just takes off on learning adventures and goes on cruises. She flew on a flying motorbike. Then she just mentions it like it's nothing." He kept rambling. Oh, god. I think I just broke my boyfriend, I think as I watch him. I was a bit stunned to see that all this information I'd given him over the past few years was just now sinking in.
I went over and put my hands on his face, so he was looking at me. "Don't worry. You've been fine this far." I try to reassure him. "Oh god, and your uncles and aunts. Your whole family. Hey! How come you didn't inherit your mum's studying skills." he asks. "Mum never needed to study she just knew. I did inherit dad's studying or rather lack thereof." I organize more books.
He finally stopped freaking out to long enough to help me clean up. He still mumbled things to himself every now and then. "Holy fuck!" he exclaimed. I look at him. "When you said your mum had been to Italy I hadn't even thought twice. Then she started talking to me about the vase I was looking at and asking me why I was so interested in it. I told her it reminded me of you." he was freaking out again. I try to comfort him, but I was too happy from his comment. "She's been to my family's art gala in Italy and France." he rambles on. I freeze. "If I described your room to her do you think she'd guess something about you?" I ask. His face went blank.
"It was a long time ago. Back when I was 6 or 7. I remember now. She pointed out specific pieces to me and explained why they were so eye catching. And you. You must have inherited her eye for art.", I nod as he speaks. I hand a stack of books to him so he could put them up. I sit on the desk and watch. Every time he finishes one stack; I'd point to another. "Is there any other tidbits or facts I'm missing about your family?", he asked, and I thought. I shake my head, pause, and then thought again.
"Dad works as a curse breaker. He's always bringing back things that might be dangerous." I remember a few incidents from my childhood with a smile. He looks at me with an expression that said that that was information he needed to know. "But everyone is really nice. They might try to prank you a lot. We're a prank loving family." I try to change the topic.
"That icing made that painfully clear.", he mutters with a shiver, "Tell me more about your family." So, I do. I tell him about all the pranks they'd pulled since their first year at Hogwarts until now. "Your mum is able to ski down an expert level slope, and it only took her 10 minutes to learn!" he interrupts in amazement. "Why, yes." I answer as I put the last of the knickknacks away.
We went to the garage to clean next. Dad and my uncles stored all of their motorcycles here. Blaise dropped to floor in awe. I tap his shoulder and point excitedly to a motorcycle in the corner. "That's the motorcycle I rode." He did a double take. It took up quite a bit of space. "I can see why your mum threw a fit." he gapes. "You're not supposed to agree with her!" I pout.
He pats my shoulder "Yes, I do." After he finished gaping at the bikes, he joins me in cleaning. I organize the punch dummies. "Let me guess! Your family is also very into self-defense along with everything else. You know dancing lessons and traveling to try different foods." "Nailed it. We've all taken cooking, self-defense, and dance lessons since we were 3 years old." I point to a bin with photos.
It was filled with pictures of the whole family at various different events and vacations. He picked up a picture from when my aunts went on a cruise. "Swimming with sharks?" he held up the picture in disbelief. Sure, enough all my aunts were smiling and waving as they swam with sharks of all different sizes. "Ugh, you should have heard their arguments as to why my uncles should have allowed them to go. Of course, they won, but in order to take my uncles' and dad's minds off it they sent them to Las Vegas for a month." I clarify holding up a picture of the men at a casino.
Blaise places the picture delicately back in the box. "The women in your family are slightly terrifying." he concludes. I laugh "You have come to the right conclusion. I didn't even have to show you the skydiving photos or the free diving photos."
The garage wasn't that bad, so we finish in less time than the study. We went upstairs to lunch. Mum and Mrs. Zabini had prepared a French and Italian fusion meal. Mrs. Zabini was not as phased as her son was about all the things our family had done.
As promised grandma's interrogation was much lighter than anyone else's in the family would've done. "You know the bracelet and necklace you two gave Charlotte is absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaims. "Ah yes, it has been passed down in our family for a long time. The set Charlotte is wearing use to belong to Blaise's great grandmother.
I clutch the wrist that the bracelet was on acting like it was now heavy. "It sudden feels so heavy!" I joke. Everyone laughs and I sit back up. "You know I'm quite sure the rest of the family would love to meet the two of you.", grandma spoke with a smile, "Would you like to join us for Christmas dinner?"
Mrs. Zabini agreed. "It'll be loads of fun, and Blaise can help Charlotte in the kitchen." grandma offers. At the exact same time me and Mrs. Zabini mouth the words: BLAISE CAN'T COOK! We look away quickly almost breaking out in laughter. Blaise was extremely flustered and looks rather harassed.
"Aww, don't worry. Me and my sisters taught Amber to cook, and that wasn't easy at all. Amber could burn a pot of boiling water to a crisp. She was like a hurricane, but within 3 lessons she'd already improved drastically." mum laughs as the memory resurfaced. Mrs. Zabini nudges Blaise and he agrees.
We finished cleaning after lunch. Blaise and I sat in the living room while the others were checking the bedrooms one last time. I sat on the couch with my legs in his lap. "I'm going to pass out." he mumbles and I scoff. He gives me a look. "You've already met some of my cousins at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Besides the only reason I agreed to this is because grandma Rowell is here. If it were grandma Black, I'd have hidden you in the country, mountains, or desert." I shake my head and he chuckles.
The others came downstairs and everyone went home. We ate a simple quick meal that night and everyone went up to bed quickly.
