A Twin in Mine Shadow
Chapter 13- Thus Entering Finishing School
The floo powder was located in an ornamented jar behind the curtain that draped over the mantelpiece in the Entrance Hall. From where she stood above the staircase, Lizzie stared at the violet powder long and hard, wishing with all magical ability for it to vanish into thin air. Alas, it did not and when she reached for the scarlet drapes she found no trace of her lost pet, Rigel. Lizzie was about to begin looking behind some of the chaise chairs that were lined adjacent to the fireplace, when the sound of her mother's haughtiness reached her ears.
"Why are you not dressed yet girl! Your train leaves for France in less than two hours and you're still standing here in a nightdress!" Alexandra Potter shrieked as she began to direct Lizzie back to her room. The portraits murmured in distaste, each one too proud to take recognition of Lizzie's pleas for help.
"You don't have to drag me, I can walk on my own," Lizzie hissed to her mother through quick breaths as she was dragged up a narrow passage of stairs. But she was ignored as per usual, and not a word of peace from her mother was said until they reached Lizzie's bedchamber.
She felt the weight upon her shoulders lift as soon as she was able to feel the soft carpet of her room beneath her feet. She was on her way to the bathroom when a velvet robe was thrust into her arms, the smooth exquisiteness coming into contact with her skin. It was followed by a hat matching in material, a silk underdress, corset, stockings and a pair of shoes that looked painfully high-heeled. She titled her head up to find her mother's distraught face a few inches away, resembling that of a dragon suffering under some form of constipation. Lizzie could not help but muse that if she were slightly more closer to her mother, then she'd undoubtedly be able to spot smoke flaring out of her nostrils. Her musings came to a halt when her mother decided to speak.
"I want to see you dressed and ready in fifteen minutes and so help me, Eliza Jasmine Potter, if I find a part of your attire missing." With that she turned from her daughter and stormed out of the room in an obvious huff.
As soon as her head had disappeared and the 'clinking' of her heals had grown silent, Lizzie was able to breathe out a long sigh before dropping the contents in her arm onto her bedcover and getting straight to work.
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Half an hour later, Lizzie walked out of her room in a fully dressed state and added a last charm to her hair so that it would not come undone from the high bun. Her mother had even gone as far as sending an elf up to her chamber with specific orders on the how tight the breaches upon Lizzie's corset were to be. The stilettos on Lizzie's feet granted her little ease for movement, but she was immensely grateful that she'd already practiced with such shoes at parties and balls that had been held prior to this occasion.
Once she had reached the landing, she proceeded towards the dining room where she knew breakfast was currently being served. The elves cast open the mahogany doors to let her pass, which she did with straightened posture and her head held high so as to dodge any comments that her mother was sure to fire. She glanced at her father at the head of the table, his wife on his right, and walked over to take her seat opposite James near the centre of the table. She was about to order the elves to pour her pumpkin juice when Alexandra instructed her to stand and walk over.
Obligingly, Lizzie rose and walked over to the far end of the table where her mother was waiting. After being looked up and down for what seemed the fiftieth time and having had the breaches beneath her dress inspected, she walked back to her seat where she began and finished her breakfast in one go.
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Thirty minutes later, Lizzie found herself waiting by her father in the Parlour, surrounded by various Aunts and Uncles that had found it in their hearts to bid her farewell. Her Aunt Gemini had even come down to see Lizzie, which was quite a surprise since she seldom visited the house of her disowned brother.
It seemed like they had waited forever for the elves to transport the suitcases to the station by floo. Lizzie heaved a small sigh when her father informed her that the last bag was on its way through, but just as she titled her head she saw a spark of green and with that the three elves and last bag were gone. When her father finally cleared his throat and led her over to the fireplace, there was a vast increase in sound as the cheers rose from their family members. When they were so close to the fireplace that Lizzie could make out the thin engravings in its mantel, her father grabbed a handful of the puce powder which he sprayed before stepping right in. It was when he tilted his head in farewell that Lizzie's breath was knocked out of her due to a bone-crushing embrace. She could feel her aunt's long fingers pulling her closer, and was about to utter a muffled 'goodbye' when her eyes locked on a certain twin.
He was laughing at the sight of his sister and aunt before him, with his signature ruffled hair and thin glasses. Lizzie thought it funny that even though they were twins her brother was the only one that had inherited their father's poor eyesight, whereas she had perfect 20/20 vision. She was about to remove her eyes from him, when she saw him nudge someone and point directly at where her Aunt Rookwood was frozen in the embrace. Titling her head in the direction where James had nudged, Lizzie found the figure topped with straight black hair that reached just below his ears. She could not see anything else but his hair and the hem of his teal robes, when the figure suddenly moved closer to her brother, making her mouth drop.
Sirius.
Lizzie could only stare for a second at the boy she had tried to avoid thinking of for the past week, before averting her eyes when he turned to look in her direction. She felt her skin become rubescent when her Aunt Gemini finally pulled away, leaving Lizzie flustered with small creases on the back of her crimson robes where the nails had dug in.
She heard a distant laugh that was instantly recognised as her brother's, and quickly scrambled to the floo jar whilst trying to avoid thinking of how stupid she must have looked.
She felt several pairs of eyes on the back of her head as she threw the violet powder into the flames, before walking into the fire and turning to face everyone.
"Diagon Alley, Wizard's division," she muttered clearly before the familiar sensation of the licking flames overtook her. She watched the sea of brown eyes regarding her before they began to swirl out of control. For a fraction of a second her eyes roamed over a pair of blue orbs, which she knew did not belong to anyone in the family, but they were then lost in the haze of emerald fire and pearly smoke.
Once the licking sensation had ceased and Lizzie had begun to focus, she was able to make out from the bustling of distant muggles that she had reached Kings Cross Station. Though the muggles could not see her due to the invisibility wards that the Ministry had set up for her father, a certain privilege that followed his rank in the Minister's list of acquaintances, she could make out their forms clearly.
She descended the marble step afore the fireplace to stand beside her father and the servants that had replaced the elves, to avoid wizards' exposure, and together they made their ways to station beyond the wards.
It was when they were amidst the activities of muggles that Jonathan informed Lizzie that Rodolphus would be meeting them shortly. When her father enquired whether she was aware that they'd be travelling with Rodolphus, Lizzie replied that he had informed her last night. The conversation then ceased until they met Rodolphus on the platform ten minutes later, when it was time to board the train along with the muggle passengers.
It felt as though the day had passed too quickly for her, Lizzie mused as she cast her eyes away from her father to stare out of her carriage window. The train had begun to move at a diminished speed, which soon accelerated so that the muggle onlookers and grey platform all became a blur of colours. As they exited the station, Lizzie could not help but feel the nostalgia set a weight on her heart, even though they were still within the lands of England. She knew it would be eons before she saw her family again.
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"So, we are to arrive at France in approximately 3 hours time, where we will get off at Paris to ride a muggle 'taxi' as they call it, and make our way to Auteuil where Chateau d'Etiquette is located," Jonathan Potter instructed about 40 minutes after departure. Opposite him, Rodolphus nodded on as he took another sip of his butter beer, whilst Lizzie nibbled on a pasty on her father's right.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to use the lavatory," her father spoke again before rising to make his way to the end of the carriage. Once he had disappeared behind the sliding doors, Lizzie immediately forgot her pasty and focused all of her attention on the person seated in front of her.
"Is the Finishing School situated inside Paris or along the countryside, Rodolphus?" she enquired innocently with a thoughtful expression. She had been wondering since the beginning of the ride whether the option of running away could be considered once she had settled into the school. She then caught the corners of Rodolphus' mouth lift slightly, clearly insinuating that he knew exactly what her thoughts were.
"And why is it cousin, that the location of the school matters so much to you? Even if it was in the countryside, which it definitely is not, it would be quite hard for a witch of your age to flee from the school, let alone cross the border. You are barely fifteen after all," Rodolphus finished with a swift swig from his beverage.
Lizzie managed a long sigh before bringing her eyes to rest on the half-eaten pasty that had grown cold and dry on the porcelain plate. She then raised her head and replied indignantly, "I'll be fifteen on the fifteenth of August, Rodolphus, so don't say I am 'barely' of age to do anything yet."
"You'd be of age to do many things Lizzie, but travelling alone is an exception," Rodolphus corrected. "Need I remind you that the authorities have been very unrelenting since the recent muggle attacks that the Dark lord has ordered be done. The officials have been assigned to wield many areas concerning the matter, not to mention transportation in and out of England, which is why I doubt they would let you through, considering you are from an old pureblooded family."
Lizzie considered the facts for a minute, before emitting another long held sigh. She then scanned the muggles that were seated nearby, before lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by any passengers.
"You are a part of his inner circle now, are you not Rodolphus?" She queried in hushed tones.
Last she had heard of her cousin's participation in death eater activities, he had informed her that his rank amongst the Dark Lord's followers was on its way to being improved.
"I suppose you could say that," he replied with a strange expression, which Lizzie found seemingly odd. It seemed a look of maliciousness, but with a glint of dreaminess that Lizzie knew very well from her own facial expressions.
"How many of there are you in his inner circle?" she enquired again with curiosity.
"There are currently quite a few of us, but the Dark Lord's close followers are increasing as he gets stronger," Rodolphus answered truthfully. Lizzie looked thoughtful for a moment, considering whether she should join Rodolphus in his duties.
"Are there any women amongst his followers?" she watched as her cousin's eyes left the butter beer in his hand, upon which they had been lingering during the question. His eyes then fixed on her, and Lizzie thought she spotted a speck of pink on his ears, but it vanished when he replied, "none but one."
Lizzie's thoughts were one of curiosity now, as she pondered on the identity of the only female death eater. "Do I know her?"
"I believe you are already acquainted with her younger sister; a Nancy, - or maybe Nadia Black. One of Cepheus Black's daughters."
Narcissa.
"Really! I never in my wildest dreams thought Andromeda could be one of the Dark Lord's followers, and the only female at that! She always seemed like such a girlie-girl, and once Narcissa even told me that she couldn't bear to hex a fly in fear of getting her hands dirty," Lizzie spoke with a bewildered look.
"Not her, the eldest Miss Black," Rodolphus said. Lizzie was surprised to find Rodolphus' eyes wandering off again, and when she put two and two together, she allowed a small smirk to grace her lips.
"Oh, you mean Bellatrix. I suppose that makes more sense, I mean, Bellatrix does fit the part more than Andromeda."
"Indeed."
Lizzie's smile widened slightly at her cousin's curt reply. It was funny how he was trying to say as less about Bellatrix as possible, whereas he had been one of the first to request her for a dance at her Aunt Gemini's ball.
"Is Bellatrix in the Dark Lord's inner circle like you?"
She watched as her cousin hesitated for a second before replying, "She is."
"You must be quite close then."
Surprisingly, she found no blush evident on Rodolphus' face, but a rather steely expression before he replied, "it is an obvious fact that those within the Dark Lord's inner circle are quite closely associated with him."
"I meant with each other. You don't need to hide anything from me, Rodolphus, I saw the way you were staring at her at Aunt Gemini's ball," Lizzie teased in hope of breaking her cousin's mask.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rodolphus replied firmly.
"Anyway, I think you are quite suited for each other. You're 23, she's 21. You're both death eaters. You both are from old pureblooded families, and both have short tempers," Lizzie continuously rambled on about the ways in which her cousin and Bellatrix were similar. "Besides, if you two married then me and Cissa would be related, even though all purebloods are interrelated, but this would give us a reason for associating with each other more often."
Lizzie caught sight of the smirk that had settled upon her cousin's lips, and cast an innocent shrug his way.
"As much as I'd love to hear you rambling on about your reasons for who I should marry, your father appears to be coming this way with lunch and I would appreciate it if he did not know of my little fancy," Rodolphus replied with a wink. Lizzie felt herself bubble with excitement when her cousin confirmed her suspicions, and silently lifted her hand to her mouth and drew it across her lips to pull the invisible zip. The space on her left was filled seconds later by her father, as he laid out three soft drinks and packets containing burgers out onto the table.
Lizzie pulled her burger out of its packet and began to lift the top bun off the meat to regard the overloaded mayonnaise and ketchup. She cast a disgusted look at her father, but he only shrugged before saying, "That was all the proper food I could find. Unless you wanted to eat cheese sticks and low-fat yoghurt for lunch."
Lizzie cast a last glance of the alien-looking burger that stood out from her customary three-course meals, quite always containing a vast amount of meat in the main course.
"Somehow I don't think my corset will be too comfortable by the time I'm done with this," Lizzie said to no one in particular, before taking her first bite out of the burger.
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The sound of the train diminishing in speed brought the sight of the French station into view. The train carried on decelerating before coming to a halt just beside a group of Parisian onlookers that were scattered about the platform.
Lizzie watched as all around them muggles began to rise as the train doors slid open, letting in the sounds of the French onlookers. Rodolphus and her father stood up at once but Lizzie did this slowly, seeing as her corset felt like it was about to burst. The men then made their way to the baggage compartment to collect Lizzie's bags, Lizzie closely in tow. Once they had retrieved the luggage, they stepped off of the train amidst the other passengers.
Lizzie looked about the vast station, to see many of the muggles were shooting them strange glances due to their apparel. Lizzie briefly thought that Rodolphus should have chosen a waistcoat like her father, and perhaps she should have just worn a dress so as to blend in. 'Too late for that now.'
She was interrupted from her musings by her father, who informed them that a muggle taxi-driver should be waiting somewhere nearby with their name on a sign. Lizzie scanned the crowd and just as her eyes landed on the name 'Potter' her father and Rodolphus had already set off in the direction of her gaze.
As soon as they reached the driver, who also began to stare at them in a strange manner, it was not long before they had mounted the funny looking vehicle that bore no resemblance to wizard carriages. Lizzie was relieved at how her father had wittingly picked out a driver that could speak fluent English so that everyone could communicate easily without a fuss. In a matter of minutes they were off on their journey to the town Auteuil, located between the Seine River and Bois de Boulogne.
Approximately forty five minutes later, they arrived at a dry landing by a swamp, containing a cottage with discoloured bricks and boarded windows, looking deserted and abandoned.
'Only to the muggle eye.'
"You want to get off here?" The driver asked in bewilderment as his eyes looked the wild cottage up and down.
"Yes, here will do," her father replied before getting out of the car. Lizzie and Rodolphus dismounted in turn whilst the driver carried the rest of the bags to the front of the house.
"You can leave the bags here and wait in the car until we return," Jonathan Potter told the driver, who obliged immediately and made his way to the parked car. Her father then turned to face the wearing door, hands extending to knock the brass knocker in the shape of a fleur-de-lis. Lizzie could hear the sound echo inside of the house, before the poor excuse for a door was drawn open by a tall butler clad in muggle clothes.
"Your name, Sir," the wizard enquired of her father with a French accent.
"Jonathan Potter, about to drop off my daughter Eliza for her first year."
The butler nodded his head in acknowledgement before clapping his hands twice. All of a sudden about a dozen house elves popped up behind him, and together levitated the bags further into the 'cottage.' It was when the butler stepped aside to welcome them in, that Lizzie's mouth fell in awe. She had to tilt her head far back in order to glimpse at the high ceiling coated with gothic architecture. The gold and blue twines all ended in vertical circles that carried on down the hall; the centres of each circle bearing an enormous chandelier with 50 or so branches. Lizzie could not see the end of the entrance hall alone, and knew that twenty Great hall's of Hogwarts could easily fit into this one hall.
Her father also cast an admiring glance at the scene before them as he walked in, but he then came to a stop when Rodolphus did not enter the 'cottage.'
"I'll wait here for you to return, Jonathan," Rodolphus spoke, though his eyes were focused on his cousin. Lizzie felt his eyes burn into her back, making her turn around to face what she had dreaded the most about leaving for this school.
"I suppose this is farewell then, Lizzie," he acknowledged with an extended arm, palm upturned.
Lizzie eyed the palm of his hand warily before placing her hand in the middle of it. He then raised it to his lips and placed a small kiss on her knuckles, before she stepped forward to envelope him in a proper embrace. They remained like that for a few seconds, before Lizzie drew back from her cousin and regarded him for the last time.
"Goodbye Rodolphus," her voice scratched her throat when she spoke, making her words sound distorted and alien-like.
"Goodbye Lizzie," he replied in return, before turning his head to make his way to the awaiting cab. Lizzie watched him go with a dazed expression on her face, as the doors magically shut behind him. She turned to face her father who had been watching the scene before him silently, before straightening her posture to ready herself for the experience.
"Follow me," the butler said as he took off leading the way down the long hall, the elves and bags silently in tow.
Their journey through the long halls and endless staircases seemed much longer than Lizzie had thought it would. Her father was staring straight ahead with every step he took, whereas Lizzie mentally wondered where the butler could be taking them. Her dormitory? Waiting area? Headmistress's office?
She had a vague impression that the answer could be the latter option, and her musings were shortly confirmed when the butler brought them to halt outside a solid oak door bearing a golden plaque with the word 'Headmistress' in gothic lettering.
"Enter," a voice from within called. The butler obliged and opened the door with a turn of the knob, guiding Lizzie and her father into the office. It was when Lizzie caught sight of the room's contents that her mouth opened in awe again, and though the look from her father closed her mouth it was not enough for the admiration in her eyes to disappear.
The office into which they had just entered, was coated with teal green walls and contained multiple pieces of ebony furniture. Unlike the rest of the school, this room's colour scheme was quite distinctive, and the long window that covered the wall opposite the door was not enough to brighten the grim shadows the furniture and upholstery made. Lizzie scanned the engraved ceiling and chaise chairs that rested on one side of the room, before landing her eyes on the stick-thin witch perched behind a mahogany bureau.
"Mr Potter," the witch acknowledged before rising to her full height to greet Lizzie's father. Up close, Lizzie could see that she looked every bit the 'well-bred' aristocrat as the ones usually shot in the Daily Prophet. She seemed to be in her late forties by the creases on her neck and hands, though the smooth face told her that the woman had obviously paid quite a fortune to maintain the features of her youth. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue, topped by long black eyebrows that matched the hair that had been pulled into a simple chignon. Her mouth was small and plump, coated with bright red lipstick that contrasted greatly with her porcelain skin. Her robes were even as immaculate as her face; long green silk cascading from her shoulders, the hem having been encrusted with diamond-shaped beads and metallic sequins that reflected the light of the window perfectly.
"And this must be Eliza," Lizzie heard her say in a thick English accent. She had read somewhere in the brochure that the woman before her, Madam Jacqueline Antionette, had taken over her mother's role of headmistress 8 years ago, now the late Elaine Antionette. The reason for her English accent however, was because her father had been from England, where Madame Jacqueline had grown up most of her life whilst her mother ran the Finishing School for 50 years. Lizzie dropped into a short curtsey when her headmistress's eyes landed on her, mentally praying her breaches would not come undone.
"Welcome to Chateau d'Etiquette, Miss Potter. I will be your headmistress, Jacqueline Antionette, whom you will address as 'Madam Antionette' during your enrolment at this Finishing School. I understand the elves have already taken up your bags so if you would say goodbye to your father, I will take it from there." The headmistress gave a suggestive smile, which immediately brought Lizzie's attention to her father.
"Goodbye then, Lizzie. Your mother and I will be owling you at least twice a month, so if there's anything you need we're just an owl away," Jonathan Potter said as he pulled his daughter into a brief embrace. When he pulled back he cast her an encouraging smile, every bit of which Lizzie knew she would soon be yearning for.
"Goodbye father," she replied distantly, before he fell into a low bow and turned towards the door.
"Facet, show Mr Potter to the Entrance Hall," Madam Antionette instructed to the awaiting butler.
It wasn't until the oak wood had clicked shut behind her father's black head, that Lizzie felt a giddy feeling rise within her stomach. She had never been so emotional towards being away from home, and deep down she feared the nostalgia she had begun to feel would soon be hard to bear. Even when she had been sent off to Hogwarts, she had gone with James and together they had kept each other company to replace those feelings of yearning they felt when alone.
And now she seemed too far away from home to even comfort herself, trapped behind scarlet and green walls that bore engravings binding her to the very school of her nightmares. Leaving her to rot away into something society deemed 'worthy.'
When the footsteps of her father and Faucet had died down the hall, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder before she allowed herself to be dragged out of the room and up a narrow flight of stairs. She did not know how she would be fit to continue in such a state, broken and torn at the fact that her mother would get rid of her at such a tender age. What was hateful was the fact that she would not be allowed to go home between the two years, and the thought of travelling back after that seemed too alien-like to accept. She knew she could not bear losing Rodolphus or even James, no matter how detestable her brother could be in her eyes. The image of piercing blue eyes that had met hers before her floo stuck out in her head like a splinter in her mind. She could not even bring herself to think of what future they could have had if she had not been sent to France.
'For I shall never see him again.'
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Sorry for the long delay! At first it was my exams that took up all of my time, and after that one of my close friends died which resulted in an emotional breakdown and severe writer's block. Anyways, I thought I'd be especially nice and post a long chapter, even though you probably won't read it because the SIXTH HARRY POTTER BOOK COMES OUT TOMORROW! (Is it the same in America? I wouldn't know cause I'm all the way in the UK
Anyways, I've watched every episode of 'Ladette to Lady' so that I could get a good idea of a Finishing School, even though the one in that program was crap; I mean, surely they could have given each girl their own dorm instead of cramping them into one sodden bedroom!
A special thanks to Mangoes2005, Rachael (who reviewed twice!), Sweet Sixteen Movie Buff, Padfoot's Love, Aka Yuki-hime, anotheranonymous, xmnemosynex, Crazy-Physco and The Maniac Sisters.
Reviews will be greatly appreciated!
Miss Serpentina :P - by the way, the last line of this chapter was taken from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice; the bit where Lizzie tells Mr Darcy about Lydia's elopement.