Chapter 3
Narcissa's Story
Everyone, including the Malfoys, gasped. Draco had a horrible expression on his face, but at least for once it wasn't a smirk.
"Do you mean to say, mother, that that—that person—is my cousin?"
"I'm afraid so, Draco."
Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy looked just about as happy about being related to Harry as Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. But at least Harry could be sure that they weren't Death Eaters (people who are followers of Lord Voldemort).
"Why didn't you tell me, Narcissa? I could have handled the…horror."
"Yes, well, dear, there's another piece to the puzzle…I mean, I'm sure you could have put two and two together on your own, but…"
"But…what?"
"I'm muggle-born," she whispered frightfully.
"You're—you're—what?" asked Draco, eyes wide. It horrified him to think that after five years of teasing Hermione because she was muggle-born, calling her names like, "mudblood," his own mother was one. However, Hermione found it hard to sustain her giggles when she thought about this.
"Shut up, mud—just, shut up!" he yelled. Hermione ceased at once.
Harry, who had been shocked into silence, spoke up, "But why didn't someone like Dumbledore or Aunt Petunia tell me?"
"Dumbledore had his own reasons. My sister, however, considered me just as much as a disgrace to the family as Lily. Besides, I heard she didn't even tell you the truth about your own parents' death, so what do you expect?"
"Well, I refuse to call you 'aunt' and 'uncle,'" replied Harry, just as stiffly.
"Don't bother! We're leaving!" shouted Mr. Malfoy furiously.
"Not so fast!" Harry suddenly yelled. "I want to hear some details now that I know."
"What details are there? Your mother, unfortunately, was my sister, which makes me, even more unfortunately, your aunt."
"Aunt Petunia may have loathed my mum, but at least she mentioned her!"
"Fine. I'll—erm—tell you. But it'll be short and snappy, and I don't want to be asked questions that will be time consuming to answer.
"Back when I was ten years old, Lily got her letter to Hogwarts. Everyone but Petunia was ecstatic. Even I was happy for my big sister. That night, Petunia left the dinner table early to go to her room, no doubt jealous that her little sister was a witch and she wasn't. Being the cheery little 10-year-old that I was, I too excused myself from the table and climbed the stairs to Petunia's bedroom in order to stand up for Lily." At this point, half the people in the room were snorting.
Harry asked, "What has this got to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there!" Narcissa barked. "Once I reached her bedroom, she began to try to reel me in on some play to get revenge on Lily. I was so upset that I ran away. And I stayed away for about a year, until an owl brought me my letter in the forest where I was hiding, all alone. Apparently the Hogwarts staff had known where I was all along.
"Petunia doesn't like me first because I'm a witch, the same reason she hated Lily, second because I ran away from home and got her on our parents' bad side—I suppose they figured she was the reason I ran away—and third because later she found, nosy as she is, that I may have joined forces…with the Dark Side."
It was then that the door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stepped inside.
"What are you doing in my sons' shop?" Mr. Weasley bellowed at the Malfoys.
This seemed to be what sent Lucius Malfoy over the top. In any case, he was shaking with rage.
"Crucio!" Wand pointed directly at Harry, Lucius Malfoy, who might just as well have had steam emerging from his ears, shouted the Cruciatus Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses. Harry screamed a scream that it seemed he had only emitted on a few rare occasions before, and he twitched and shook from the enormous pain he was experiencing. Collapsing to the floor, his body immediately began to curl up in a ball.
"Expelliarmus!" Mr. Weasley shouted, disarming Mr. Malfoy and therefore halting the curse. Harry was still shaking a bit, and Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione rushed to his side.
"Lucius, I have reason to throw you to the dementors!" Mr. Weasley yelled.