"Miss Riddle! Where you have been. It's completely inappropriate for a young woman of your status to disappear like that. And in such an important occasion."
What the hell Sirius mother was doing here?
She looked like a dragon ready to spit fire.
Harriet took a defensive position, ready to fight her way out of there.
Hermione was going to kill her. Her dad was going to lock her up for real this time. Shit, shit, shit. And if they found the prophecy on her then she had no chance learning it's contents. She couldn't let that happen.
To her astonishment the old bat took a look at her companions and smiled.
Harriet wanted to gag. It was looking like she had forgotten how to smile and her face took a scary wrinkle look.
That's the evil witch in my romantic story. Harriet though sarcastically to her self.
"Rodolfus! Rabastan! My boys what are you doing this fine evening! I see you keep company to our Lords treasure tonight. "
Our Lords Treasure? What she was one of her dads precious heirlooms?
And what was that thing with the Our Lord and Our Lord. She knew he was some kind of a head in the traditional pureblood party as they called themselves but Our Lord. Her dad sure as hell he had some very weird standards from his lackeys.
"And what a gentleman you even have your brother as a chaperone! I know our Lord won't be easy to convince and the age difference will be a bit of a shock to him but I'm willing to aid you"
Harriet choked in her own spit as she heard that last one. With eyes wide open she looked atWalburga Black like she was the devil incarnate.
"Don't worry my dear. I knew you could grow up. And what a wonderful choice you have made!"
Walburga continued and Harriet noticed for the first time the two brothers.
Rodolfus was about to fall on the ground shaking and red on the face holding his stomach. He was holding his laughter in with struggle.
Rabastan was looking as much terrified as her so she hoped she couldn't have to deal with him in the future.
How did she managed to find herself in this kind of situations she had no idea.
"Now i will escort Miss Riddle back to her father. Have a nice evening gentleman. And don't look so scared you Black will make sure our Lord will be kept unaware for the
time being."
She just dragged Harriet with her and Harriet having no other choice she followed.
Why it was always her? Couldn't be someone else for once?
"Now I can see I was wrong with my presidency for you to marry Drago my dear." Walburga said more human like than ever Harriet heard the woman before.
"You have been through a hard life and is understood that you will need a man who has matured under years of experiences."
Okay now my evil witch turning into some kind of wise old bat.
"And I know that despite your childish behaviour you are smarter than everyone is giving you credit for."
What was next? Grindelwald announcing he loved ballet and opera?
"I agree with your choice of future Husband my dear. I will even give you some tips, to hold him close, Rabastan isn't from the most fearless ones but he is one of the most faithful and he could see it as betrayal to your father. Could he try to push
/you away come to me."
Any minute now centaurs are going to crash the party with about half the giant population. Otherwise this was for real and not a nightmare she conjured in her mind.
"We can tell your father I found you hiding from the party and I dragged you back. We weren't the best friends before and he could see the change instantly if he noticed."
What now she was getting manipulation 101 from Walburga?
"Thank you Lady Black." Harriet said before they had the chance to enter the ballroom. A new devious plan rooting in her mind.
"My dear you have to thank me for nothing. You just have to stop being stubborn for a second and listen. Don't you think I know you making fun of me under my own roof with my own son?"
Harriet wanted the ground to open and swallow her. She had never thought Walburga might hear her and Sirius mocking her and insulting her behind her back.
Walburga continued not giving any attention to her blushing from shame face.
" I know many things Miss Riddle. I also know that no one ever lost anything by just listening sometimes. I can see in you the potential to become a great Lady. And you will."
Suddenly Walburgas face turned somber and even a bit bitter.
"I Remember the first time my son came home after he met you when you were barely few hours old. Regulus came home that day with happiness and love in his eyes. He was always do proper and the perfect pureblood heir anyone could have asked for. He washard
and cold as stone. Smart sharp and ambitious. Then I saw an other side of him. He was laughing and he was joking and then I realised I haven't known my own son. I don't know what happened when you were born but I know you made my son be his selfin
front of me and the world. Your birth made him fearless. Believe it or not Miss Riddle I do care about you. And not only because you are my Lords treasure. You were the reason my son lived before he was gone. And you are the reason my other son
/started to live again after that day he found you in the hospital. I was a horrible mother and now is so late to fix things. But I am happy you happen to my in boys life. And the last I can do is to help you to whatever you want. "
Harriet had tears running down her eyes. She couldn't hold it back, Walburga was a very very proud woman that couldn't admit she was wrong even if you shoved it up her nose.
And there she was now making confessions to Harriet.
She hugged Walburga and she felt the woman's hand patting lightly her head, awkwardly, the woman hadn't comforted anyone before, it was obvious.
After she spelled Harriet face and make up to perfection so no one could be the wiser they walked back in the ball room.
Harriet got bored after two more hours with introductions. And boring snobs.
Her dad of course was shining under their attention and he was charming and stealing their heads with his nicely worded propaganda.
She had grown so bored she actually paid attention to what he was saying.
"Of course the Muggles with the disadvantage of not having magic had to develop their own ways of detecting their enemies. We are lucky that they can detect anything through magical yards as the more advanced their technology it seems can get past a simple
/Notice Me Not. But if we keep staying on the open then we will have problems. One little mistake, one to curious muggle and then what? They will have us us experiments. They will start with the muggle borns . Some of them will even be small defencelesschildren.
We already know a big number of muggle born witches and wizards that they have been abused from muggles about our powers. Many of them could even dare to strike a woman. A witch. How do you think think the muggles could react when they Lear
about us in some big threading looking way from their government so they could illimitable us completely? Because if they discover the unlimited power we hold they will want it all for them selfs. And if they can have it they will kill us. They are
/very detriment species. They won't stop until they have us all.
We will be better hiding completely from them. We need to take the muggle borns as soon they are born and odlivate every memory from the beginning of the pregnancy. Also we should have the couple tested for possible squid ancestors as is usually something
/that will happen."
"And you want us to just fill our homes with muggle borns "
A tall dark haired man said with his nose so high like he was someone special.
"My friend we have been inbreeding for generations now and soon we will have to worry about bringing extinction to our own like we will take them from mere infants we will raise them with our own traditions. And let me repeat my self. Most of
them are actually descendants from old pureblood lines that the magic had gone quiet in their blood. With the children of the new blood as the new Half Blood generation and then their children will be classified as purebloods first generation.
/Then you will be able my friends to ensure no muggle blood will have to be in your bloodline putting in danger your Ancient And Noble titles Lord Parkison."
Harriet wanted to whistle very unladylike but she just about holding it in.
Was he for real? The way he was playing the sympathetic to the muggle borns, the way he could make the muggles look like the big bat monster.
And look all the fools around him! So interested to keep their blood lines pureblood that they could agree to this control birthing program he offered.
Touch the woman's heart and reassure a man his legacy.
She had learned quite a bit today she thought later that night in her bed. She was looking at the glowing orb in her hand not sure if she wanted to know now what fate had in the cards for her now that she had it.
She could throw it away. But then according to her information the only one with knowledge about the prophesy was Dumbeldore.
And hell could freeze over before she left the bastard have any hold over her.
Prophecies always meet trouble. And she wasn't sure she could handle anymore trouble right now.
She got out of her bed and she walked in her bathroom. She opened her cosmetics cabinet and she took everything out.
There in the back of the cabinet was painted a small green snake he was sleeping quietly wrapped around himself.
"Can I wake you my little guardian?"
Harriet whispered gently in the snakes tongue and the small snake came awake and lifted his head.
"Little mistress has something for me to guard?"
He asked all exited. Harriet smiled at him her heart all pride.
He was her first and only magical drowning.
She had spent her third year summer studying for hours the old parslemagic books her dad had about bringing your drawing to life and turn them in small vault guardians. It was the same spells casted in the chamber of secrets but in a much smaller scale
/as Harriet was only fourteen at the time.
"Yes my lovely can you open please?"
The snake nodded and he made his way across the middle of the back of the cabinet.
The wood started becoming transparent and after it was completely gone.
There was a big second cabinet behind the back of the first one. In this one inch between the fake and the real back Harriet had added enough runes and spells and charms to make a nice and big vault.
It was mostly empty and it only had an old couch and an old table in it. With some books laying around that if her dad knew she had he could have her locked in a tower like an old ancestor of theirs aunt Gothel did with her own daughter.
She took the only box in the small room and she sat on the couch opening it.
There was a silver flask in it. It was the same flask Potter had drugged her the night he saved her.
It had his initial on it. And a proud looking stag with the most beautiful anklets she had ever seen.
She took it out and she looked at the rest of her treasures.
There was the locker Cedric give her for their first date.
It was something cheap with a fake green stone glued to it.
There was her first Hogwarts letter, and she had copied a list of her detentions at Hogwarts for old times sake.
If she made it out of this war alive she wanted proof for her grandchildren she was cool when she was young.
There was a picture of her mother with a nice red short dress and a mask with a provoking note to her dad at the back.
It was her prove her parents had a happy marriage whatever if it was short.
There was a picture with a young man with black hair and white skin and clear blue eyes that was holding and smiling broadly a small toddler as the were playing sitting in front a fireplace.
She knew he was Regulus her godfather. No one was ever speaking for him either. Expect tonight Walburga.
There was her moms wedding ring too. Still bright and shiny like new.
She had found it in her nursery were all this joke that was her life had started.
If only her dad ever knew for her escapades in the half ruined home in Gordic Hollows.
There was her first perfect score marks from back then from were she was at the Dursley's .
It was torn to pieces and tapped together with as much talent a six year old can have.
She took the prophesy globe out her pyjama pocket and put it in the box with her other secret treasures.
She locked her vault and returned to her bed sleep at least taking a hold of her and drugging her under.