We flew through the corridors and up the steps to the third floor, Severus's robes billowing him behind him, making him look like a prince of darkness. I thought about the scene back in the common room. Part of me felt like I should have confronted them then and told them not to go but the more sensical part of me knew they would just have cursed me right along with Neville and then they would have done what they wanted anyways and we wouldn't have been able to run and get help. Still, it felt very un-Gryffindor of me, to just hide behind the couch and watch my friend get cursed.
Fluffy was exactly as I remembered, massive and terrifying. Severus conjured a grand piano to play and within seconds the pup was asleep. We crossed the corridor and struggled to slide Fluffy's paw off the trap door before flinging it open.
"I'll go first." Severus said. "Do not be afraid, there's Devil's Snare at the bottom." He told me then promptly dropped down into the secret door.
"I wasn't afraid." I grumbled and lowered myself down after him. I landed on a massive plant and panicked for only a moment before closing myself and reminding myself to calm down.
"That's it, stay calm and you'll slide right through." Severus spoke from somewhere below me. I did as he instructed and gently slid through to the ground below. "They definitely made it through here." Severus kicked a piece of the snare that had gotten chopped off. I imagined it was probably Ron, for no other reason than the fact that the boy couldn't be calm if his life depended on it.
We continued on down the corridor, the tips of our wands illuminating the way.
"Who do you think would try to steal the stone, Professor?" I asked as he led me through the tunnel.
Severus seemed to contemplate for a second before setting his mind, "I don't know for certain but I suspect Quirrell is somehow involved."
"Professor Quirrell, the DA teacher?" I was taken aback. The man was a stuttering mess. I remembered Severus complaining about him before I even started school here.
My godfather sneered. "Yes, the idiot Headmaster Dumbledore gave my position to."
I frowned and we continued on in silence, sloping down until it felt like we were half way through the core of the planet to America. Eventually we came to a room filled with buzzing. Severus swung the door back and revealed a room filled with ancient keys with wings on them, like bugs. I cringed a little.
"How are your flying skills?" Severus asked. "I've always been a dismal flier."
I gave the man a wry smile. "Come on, Godfather, think of who you're speaking to."
Severus only rolled his eyes. He scanned the keys for a moment then pointed to the far right corner of the room. "See that one over there, with the broken wing, that's the one we need." I followed his finger and found the one he was pointing at.
I mounted one of the brooms situated in the corner and, with a steadying breath, took off after the key. It took me a while, I was no seeker. But I was very, very fast and eventually managed to outrun the stupid hunk of brass, though I almost crashed into the door. When I landed back on the ground, sweating and breathing hard, the struggling key clutched in my grasp, Severus only gave me a disdainful look. I stuck my tongue out at him like a child and shoved the key into the door.
The next room was on fire. It took me a moment to adjust from the darkness before and then I nearly fell back on my rear out of fright. The room was a giant chess board and most of the pieces were smashed to bits and/or on fire. With a gasp I saw Ron and Hermione in one corner. Ron was laid out on the ground with blood seeping from his forehead and Hermione was struggling to get him up.
"Ron! Hermione! What happened? Where's Harry?" I raced across the magnificent chess board.
"We had to play a chess game to continue and Ron gave himself up as sacrifice so Harry could go through. There's a troll in the next room that's been knocked out and then I had to turn back because there was only enough potion for- Snape?!" Hermione said this all in one breath and then looked as if she had seen a ghost. "What are you doing, Elizabeth, he's trying to steal the stone!"
"You blithering fools, of course I'm not trying to steal the stone, if you would have just come to one of us, you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." As Snape spat this at her the doors swung open again and McGonagall flew into the room.
"I will take them to the hospital wing, Severus." She told him after being filled in on what happened. She levitated Ron and led Hermione out. "Are you coming, Elizabeth?" She turned back just before leaving.
"No, Professor, I'm going to help my Godfather find Harry." Something in my tone must have given her pause because she just pressed her lips and left the room. Severus gave me a disapproving look but didn't argue.
I followed him past the sleeping troll and into another room with more fire. Severus reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of potion. "Drink this and you can walk through the fire without being harmed." He said, handing me the vial and then swigging his own down. I did as he instructed.
When we reached the boundary of the fire, close enough that I could feel the heat, I hesitated. "It's like the fire we use to floo." Severus told me and stepped through. Nodding at the logic in his statement I closed my eyes and took a step forward, just as I had to when I crossed the barrier at King's Cross. When I didn't immediately feel excruciating pain I opened my eyes and found myself on the other side of the flames. Severus gave me a proud smile then continued on through the next door. I was almost afraid of what other challenges we could possibly face and was grateful that I was doing this with an experienced wizard who knew exactly what lay ahead of us and not three kids who had no idea what they were doing.
The last room was also on fire and crumpled in the center of it was Harry. He held a red stone in his hand and I ran to him.
"Hold on, Elizabeth!" Severus said, drawing his wand. I didn't listen to him and went to Harry, who was passed out cold. I checked for a pulse and found that he was breathing and his heart was pumping. Breathing a sigh of relief, I did my best to wake him but it was to no avail. After determining that Professor Quirrell, or whoever was attempting to steal the stone, was not in the room, Severus joined us and picked Harry up in to his arms.
"Foolish, foolish boy." He muttered and carried him back through the different chambers and all the way up to the hospital wing. The look in his eyes when he had picked Harry up haunted me as I followed. It was a crazed look of desperation, and fear. The kind of fear you feel when you're afraid of losing someone you love. I studied Severus out of the corner of my eye but his face remained stoic after that. I didn't know what to think of that look. I knew he loved Lily, Harry's mother, but I thought that made him loathe Harry. But maybe I was wrong.
Dumbledore returned from whatever secret business he was conducting and found that it had indeed been Professor Quirrell attempting to steal the stone. Apparently, Harry had killed him with love, or some other equally obscure form of rare magic. After the incident the stone was destroyed, and things went back to normal. Harry woke up and, while he acknowledged that obviously he was wrong about Severus and the stone, he still thought he was evil and up to no good. It made me sad that Harry would never know it was Severus who saved him, as he made me promise not to tell, and instead he got the crazy idea that it was me who had come to his rescue, speaking of bravery and loyalty.
I had drawn in on myself when Harry thanked me for saving him and calling me all those nice things, because they weren't true. I wasn't brave. I had panicked in the Devil's Snare, cringed at the flying keys, almost fallen over at the sight of the chess pieces, and balked at the fire that Severus had passed through without hesitation. I had even cowered behind the couch while Neville bravely confronted them in the common room. I felt like a coward and a fraud.
When we gathered in the Hall for the final feast and Professor Dumbledore gave us the house cup because of the event with the Sorcerer's Stone, I felt even worse. We were being rewarded for plowing headfirst into danger instead of running to get a teacher, Ron almost got killed, Harry almost got killed, and Dumbledore rewarded us for it. The only one who actually deserved the points, and who got the least amount, was Neville. However, the smile on Neville's face, for being the reason Gryffindor won the house cup, almost made the feeling of unease completely disappear.
I sat with Neville and Curly, Larry and Mo on the way home. I wasn't as nervous as last time because at least now I knew what to expect. But it still didn't make me feel very excited about going home.
"Elizabeth," Neville began shyly, "I was thinking maybe you'd like to come meet my Gran. I sort of-er- well, I told her about you and she told me I need to bring you to see her."
I was very pleased by his offer, "I would love to, Neville. Owl me when you'd like for me to visit and I'll ask my aunt and uncle."
"Great!" Neville seemed relieved by my answer and we played Exploding Snap the rest of the train ride. Harry looked more and more glum the closer we got to King's Cross. I couldn't blame him. I'd heard rumors of the conditions he lived under. He was far worse off than I was and I dreaded going home. I couldn't imagine how he felt.
An hour later I departed from my Gryffindor friends with an encouraging smile directed at Harry, a hug from Hermione (to my great discomfort), a reassurance to Neville and a smirk in Ron's direction then I walked across the platform and looped arms with my cousin before meeting up with the rest of my family.
Neville had written me almost right away. Within a week of being home, I was woken up to an owl tapping on my window. My aunt and uncle had given disapproving looks but they hadn't said no and so I found myself standing in the middle of a cluttered, slightly smelly, very… vintage… living room. The sofas were an outdated floral print, the walls were covered in faded wall paper, doilies decorated almost every horizontal surface and cats milled about the room.
I brushed the floo powder off my robes and straightened my hair then jumped when suddenly Neville called out, "Elizabeth!" He rushed into the room and pulled me into a bear hug. I stood stiffly and he released me. Neville's face flushed crimson and I'm sure mine was only a shade or two away from his.
Straightening my clothes, I cleared my throat. "So where is this Gran I've heard so much about?"
"I'm here." A woman walked into the room, tall and stern looking, reminding me a bit of Professor McGonagall. "You must be Elizabeth." She said. I dropped into a small curtsy.
"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Longbottom."
The old woman smiled for a second before turning to her grandson. "Neville, where are your manners? Invite the girl in for tea," she snapped and I finally understood Neville's irrational fear of his grandmother. She was every bit an old pureblood witch. When she said something, it was a command and she was to be obeyed.
Neville rushed to oblige, leading me into the next room, which was similarly decorated but instead of a couch, the main piece of furniture was a table. Tea was already pouring itself as Neville held out a chair for me and I took my seat.
"So tell me about yourself, Elizabeth. Who are your parents?"
I choked on the tea I had just taken a sip of. Gently patting my face and dress with a napkin, I used the delay to compose myself before answering. "I never met my parents, Ma'am."
"Please, call me Augusta, dear." She pat my hand. "Do you know who they are?"
"Well… yes." I looked at Neville. He really didn't tell her who I was before inviting me to see her? The look he gave me in return was apologetic.
"Do you always speak so vaguely, child? I am merely trying to get to know you."
"I was raised by the Malfoys, ma-Augusta. My mother was a muggleborn witch, her name was Melanie. My father… My father is Sirius Black."
The spoon Augusta was using to pour sugar into her tea clanged to the table.
"Neville! You didn't tell me your friend was Elizabeth Black!" She yelled at her grandson. I flinched at her tone and I looked to the door, wondering if I could escape quickly. "Come child," She said to me, standing and grabbing me by the arm. I resisted as she dragged me around the table and grabbed Neville by the arm, but for an old woman she was unreasonably strong. Suddenly I felt a weird sensation around my navel. A second too late I recognized it as the feeling of sidelong apperation.
We landed in a hospital room and I had the sense enough to land gracefully on the balls of my feet. I didn't get much time to bet my bearings before Augusta was dragging me across the room to stop in front of a couple sitting in chairs across the table from each other.
"Alice! Frank! Look who it is!" She said to the couple and then I realized where we were. St. Mungo's psych ward. And sitting in front of me were Frank and Alice Longbottom. I panicked and in the most unladylike fashion, broke into tears. I wasn't ready for this. I couldn't face them. I turned away with a sob but Augusta held me in a strong grip. "Calm down, child." She scolded and then turned my face towards Neville's parents. "Look, do you recognize her? You were there the day she was born. She looks just like Melanie! I can't believe I didn't see it right away."
Neville's parents stared at me blankly and Augusta looked crestfallen. She turned to me and I flinched. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I thought maybe they would recognize you. Your mother and Alice were very good friends. Your parents and my son and daughter-in-law spent a lot of time together. Child, why are you crying?" She looked startled.
I tried to stop the flow of tears but was unable to. I'd thought she brought me here to punish me for what my aunt had done. I realized now that was a little silly but still couldn't control my sobs as I looked at Frank and Alice, calmly watching the whole situation in a detached sort of way. I approached them slowly, legs shaking with every step. I opened my mouth to say something but instead fell into a heap on the floor and sobbed into my hands. I knew I was making a scene, being dramatic, but I couldn't help myself. Nor did I care what anyone thought.
"What's the matter, little girl?" Alice said in a gentle tone, drawing me to my feet.
"I'm so sorry." I looked into her eyes as I said it. And while I could tell she didn't truly understand what I was talking about, kindness and compassion radiated from her.
"It's okay." She stroked my hair gently. "I forgive you." She drew me into her arms and I sobbed into her shoulder. I knew she didn't know what she was saying but I felt like I was finally able to breathe. "You know, you remind me of someone I used to know." She said and my heart stopped for a second then kicked up into a rapid tempo.
"Who?" I asked, hoping she would say it.
Alice seemed to concentrate for a minute but grew more and more agitated the longer she thought about it until suddenly she screamed and clutched her head, chanting words that didn't make sense then she wasn't speaking words at all, more making garbled sounds than anything. She spasmed a few times and fell to the floor. Frank started muttering things under his breath. A medic ran in and told us to back up and eased Alice into her bed.
I watched the whole scene in horror. When I glanced back at Neville he looked pale but not horrified, as if this were something he'd witnessed often. I attempted to swallow past the lump in my throat.
"Come on," Augusta sighed. "We'd best be leaving now." She gave Frank a kiss on the cheek and Neville gave him a quick hug, then he glanced at his mother and followed Augusta to the other side of the room. I hesitated and then followed along, horrified at what I had just witnessed. Augusta grabbed my arm and we apparated back into her living room.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Neville said in a subdued voice. In that moment he looked and sounded far older than his 11 years.
"Do they do that often?" I asked once I found my voice.
"Anytime they try to remember or think too hard."
"That's awful, Neville. It's terrible that you have to see that."
"Neville should see it, and you should too." Augusta said sharply. "That is the price they paid for you, me, Neville, everyone in the wizarding world, to bring down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. They sacrificed their minds, your mother sacrificed her life, your father his freedom-"
"My father didn't sacrifice anything except for his humanity." I interrupted sharply.
Augusta clicked her tongue. "I could fill a book with the things you don't know, girl." She shook her head sadly.
"I-It's getting late, I think I better head home now." I said. Neville gave me a sad look.
"I'm sorry about-" he began.
"It's okay Neville. I'll see you at school." I interrupted.
"Yeah, see ya." He said glumly. I felt bad for my friend. He couldn't catch a break; he was tormented by bullies at school and by the ghosts of his parents at home.
"Write me, okay?" I said to him before stepping into the fireplace.
"I promise." He gave me a small smile and I flooed home.
I found my aunt and uncle in the study and gave them both light hugs.
"What was that for?" Narcissa asked. I think it was the first time I'd ever hugged either of them and Lucius looked as if he didn't know how to respond.
"I just realized family is something we shouldn't take for granted. And I appreciate that you took me in when you didn't have to."
Narcissa squeezed my hand and Lucius pat my shoulder, the most affection I'd received from him in my entire life.
The rest of the summer passed by uneventfully. It was much less gloomy after the first two weeks. Draco and I spent most of our time on broomsticks, preparing for tryouts next year. I couldn't wait to try out for chaser.
The day finally came around and we were back on that train. Being a second year, naturally I felt like I was queen of the school. I knew what to expect and therefore I knew everything. I told this to a bunch of first years trying to find a compartment, asking annoying questions about the school and sorting. I didn't tell them, of course, because that would ruin the fun, but I did make sure that they knew I knew because, as I said before, I was a second year.
My first surprise came when we didn't take the boats to the castle. Instead we rode to the castle on self-driving carriages. I looked on in wonder, though Neville stared at the front of the carriages in fright. I asked Neville what was wrong but he didn't seem able to form words that particular moment.
My second surprise came when I noticed the lack of annoying, mouth filled with food, babble and I realized Ron Weasley was missing. And so was Harry Potter. As the first years got sorted and the feast began I grew more and more concerned about Harry's absence. I hoped the Dursley's hadn't sent him home. I didn't think that was the case, as Ron was also missing while his siblings were all here, including his younger sister Ginny, who was much more pleasant than her rat-toting brother. I had to assume they were probably off somewhere, before the school year even started, causing trouble.
After dinner, I retired to bed right away and fell into a deep sleep. I slept much better at Hogwarts than anywhere else. It had started to feel like home to me. My dormmates still ignored me for the most part, it didn't bother me too much. I knew how they saw me. I was cold and aloof, and it was intentional.
The next day Harry and Ron showed up at breakfast. I didn't question them. I'd almost rather not know. School passed by in a blur as I counted down the days to Quidditch tryouts. Finally, the day came.
I marched out to the Quidditch pitch with my new broom in hand. There were at least a dozen other students trying out, most of them older than me. I gulped nervously but kept my face neutral.
"What are you doing here, your Highness?" Lavender Brown, one of my dormmates who usually ignored me drawled. The girl she was with, I didn't know her name, sneered at me.
"I'm here to tryout, same as you." I told her calmly and pulled my hair into a pony tail.
Lavender laughed. "But you might break a nail!" She dramatically gasped. "Or, Heavens, mess up your hair." Her friend pretended to fan herself like she was about to pass out. I wore my best ice queen look and stared straight ahead as the current team showed off, running around the Quidditch pitch.
"Alright, everyone, round up on me!" the captain called in his Scottish accent. I think Oliver Wood was the very first boy I'd ever had a crush on. I hoped that wouldn't affect my performance today. Also on the team were the Weasley twins, as beaters, Angelina Jones and Alicia Spinnet as the chasers, and of course, Harry was their seeker. Really the only spot that was open was Chaser and second string. This was my year.
"We're going to start with some warm up exercises then we'll run some drills, rotating out each person trying out." He looked around at each of us. "This is our year, Lions. We're going to win the cup." Oliver winked at me and my heart nearly fell into my stomach.
The warm up exercises weeded out half the would-be's. It was intense. We flew 100 laps around the quidditch pitch. If I hadn't trained so hard I don't know if I'd have made it. I was more of a speed than distance kind of person, though I had enough stamina to keep up with Harry during the laps. I took it easy at first because I didn't want to waste all my energy showing off and then have everyone laugh at me when I started falling behind.
Next we did passing until my arms felt like they were about to fall off. Then we did sprints, during which I couldn't help but show off a bit. Oliver gave me an approving look after I'd beaten everyone in my heat each time. I nearly fell off my broom.
One of the Weasley twins must have noticed because they sidled up to either side of me when we were allowed a break.
"Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen the Ice Queen with a single hair out of place." One of them teased. "Oh my, is that sweat?" The other gave my shoulder an offended look.
"Piss off Weasleys." I said without any malice.
"So, princess," One began.
"We noticed the looks you were giving our fearless leader." The other finished. I really needed to get them figured out.
"Got something to tell?" The one on my left waggled his eyebrows.
"Oi, George, leave the girl alone." Harry approached us, water bottle in hand. The one on my left, George apparently, threw an arm over my shoulder. I gave him a disapproving look.
"We're just having a bit of fun. If her majesty is to join our team, she needs to get accustomed to our sense of humor." He told Harry.
"You really think he'll put me on the team?" I asked hopefully.
"Come on, you flew circles around those other guys."
George's 'pep talk' had me pumped up for the rest of try outs. I forgot about my stupid girly crush and attacked the game with a fury, making far passes and acrobatic catches; weaving, ducking diving, plowing right through people, to score goal after goal. I played my absolute best. When it was all over and we sat in the bleachers awaiting judgement, I wore a small smile because I knew no matter what happened, I gave it my all and if they didn't pick me it was because I wasn't ready yet, not because I didn't try hard enough.
"Alright, everyone excellent work," Oliver began. "I saw some real talent out there, and some real potential. We only had one spot open this year so if you didn't get picked, don't be discouraged. Try again next year and the year after that. Don't quit."
The faces around me looked exhausted and wary, like they knew what was going to happen. "I'd like everyone to give a big congratulations to our new chaser, Elizabeth Black."
It was only years of discipline that kept my face in a careful mask, rather than breaking into a great smile or falling into dramatic sobs. I accepted their praise elegantly, as I'd been taught to do but inside I was exploding in ecstasy. I was no Harry Potter, of course, but making chaser my first year trying out is a pretty big accomplishment, it was something to be proud of. I didn't catch any of the second string, except Katy Bell who was chosen as second string chaser.
"See, we knew you could-" One twin, I think Fred, began.
"-do it." George finished for him, slinging his arm over my shoulder again. I rolled my eyes at him and shook Harry's offered hand.
"Congratulations, Elizabeth." He looked proud and I beamed under his praise. George let go of me and a hand fell on my shoulder. I looked up to meet Oliver's eyes and give a small smile.
"Well done, Elizabeth, you did excellent. Fair warning, this year is going to be rough. I've got a plan to destroy Slytherin but it's going to take a lot of time and commitment. Are you on board with this?"
"Hell yeah, they're going down!" I answered and several of my teammates hooted and whooped, yelling out, "Down with the snakes!"
I left the Quidditch pitch on cloud nine. Of course the first thing I did was run over to the Slytherin table, my sworn enemies on the pitch, and gloat to Draco.
"Guess what?!" I called, planting myself between him and Theo. "I made the Gryffindor team."
"Now we know we've got the win in the bag." Blaise teased over his shoulder.
"Shove it, Zambini." I retorted without really thinking about it.
"I'll have you know." Draco's chest swelled. "I made the team too. As Seeker."
"Yeah because your father bought everyone new brooms." Theo mumbled under his breath.
"Congratulations, Draco." And I meant it, even if it was skewed in his favor. I knew he wasn't nearly as good a seeker as Harry. "Just don't go telling them all my secret moves." I warned.
"No promises." He smirked.
"I'll charmed your brook to stick to your pants, you prat, so don't even think about it." I warned him, only half-jokingly. Draco rolled his eyes as if he wasn't intimidated.
I gave Theo a playful wink before standing, "See ya, Snakes." I hissed and walked back to my table.
My life became Quidditch, as Oliver promised. It was eat, sleep, breath quidditch. I woke up each morning groggy and went to bed each night tired. My grades had started to slip until Hermione intervened.
"Looks like I'm going to have no competition for top student this year." She said smugly and the sly little witch actually got me to pull my head out of my arse and start studying again.
When weird stuff started popping up, I didn't pay it much mind at first. The words painted on the walls, I wasn't there but I heard about it, and Filch's cat, the rumors about Slytherin's heir circulating, I barely even bat an eye at until they started mentioning my name.
"I mean, you know who her father is-"
"I'll bet you she enjoys killing-"
"I never see her actually look Happy-"
It was a toss up between who they accused the most: Draco, Harry or me. I felt even more isolated than normal. People didn't want to be seen near me and they all stared as I walked down the halls. The person who took it upon themselves to make me feel better was Harry. He started walking with me to classes, throwing people mean looks when they whispered right in front of me. I started doing the same thing for him and I felt our friendship start to form, bonding through the struggle of being outcasts as well as the pain of keeping up with Oliver's training schedule.