Chapter 2
Diagon Alley!
Lilith knew that she would be on her own from the moment her father saw the pile of text books outside Smith's bookshop; his 'One Hundred Simple Chants and Rhythms and their Meanings' looked very fine and he could not resist making sure they were all correct – even though he had seen the Galley proofs and a sample. The mums had all gone back to Austria because Mummy wanted to support mothers Dione and Sirri while they waited for babies to pop; and Lilith had volunteered to help with labour pains this time because she was a big schoolgirl. And Mummy had sighed and agreed and daddy had laughed and said that perhaps she'd remember that and manage to avoid getting pregnant before SHE left school and both Mummy and Dione had poked him and said things about it taking two to tango.
It felt so grown up to be in Diagon Alley with a Cauldron – they had got that far before he was sidetracked – preparing to go to school.
And while he was out of the way was a good time for an intrepid would-be marauder to purchase essential supplies for illicit and thoroughly forbidden potions like boomslang skin for Polyjuice potion.
Lilith was heading for Hubble and Sterr's supplies when the snide voice said
"Hair that red almost HAS to be a Weasley."
She turned to see a skinny boy in rather darned robes who looked down his nose through untidy, long dark hair. The whimsical thought struck her that thus had her father looked once to the red-haired Lily; Lilith knew some at least of the story, knew she was called in part for Lily.
She smiled brightly.
"The balance of probability might indicate such a prognosis but if you placed a bet on it you'd lose your money" she said.
"The balance of probability doesn't always pan out" he shrugged "I see now you're too pedantic for a Weasley. Still Red though" he held out his hands and rubbed them together as though for warmth.
"Oh my deah fellah" said Lilith "We who are halfbreed Malfoys prefer to call it auburn doncha know. Impossible to be caddish when red."
"Oh my!" he sketched a mocking bow "I didn't know I was in the presence of so exalted a being! But can a Malfoy manage caddish even if only auburn and not red?"
"Rather" said Lilith "well I can. Erica doesn't do caddish so well; it's a terrible affliction and we don't talk about it but Erica's – well, NICE!" she dropped her voice as though admitting to a dire secret.
"How abysmal for you!"
"Oh absolutely! So us half breeds have to make up for it in swineish bounderishness" said Lilith.
He raised a supercilious eyebrow.
"My good kid, I don't know about half breed Malfoy but aren't you rather a half pint Malfoy?"
Lilith looked down her nose.
"I'm going up two years early; I'll be nine on the first of November. I'm what's generally called a precocious brat you know."
"Well you must certainly be the first to go up early; and I should rather say you are the second" he retorted unable to think of anything better.
Lilith gave a small, austere smile.
"One does one's best" she said. "Excuse me; I have to buy illicit supplies for inherent caddery before the pater catches up with me wot."
"Do you talk like that all the time?" he demanded.
"Only when I have an attack of the Cousin Draco on me…. I grew up on Convolvumort rehearsals, my sister was Leaky the house elf, you really expect me to take life seriously?"
His eyes were green and they gleamed, intrigued.
"What's your name?"
"Lilith Snape O fellow weevil. What's yours?"
"Sextus Scarpin…..yes the fellow with the revellaspell was an ancestor. You're buying potion supplies? I say, Snape – not a relation of Severus Snape, the world's pre-eminent potioneer?"
"That's daddy" said Lilith. "He's far more worth being proud of than Malfoy ancestors you know; though Lucius is pretty all right. And his son Gorbrin is one hell of a potioneer, he's been brewing NEWT level stuff since before he was at Hogwarts, and all self taught; I mean, I've eavesdropped on enough classes it almost doesn't count what I know. Are you in the same potioneering family line as Scarpin?"
"I think so…. I have a yen for transfigurations though, and I love numbers."
"You can't be great at anything, specially potions, if you aren't any cop as an arithmancer" said Lilith "Both my parents take Arithmancy very seriously….. you ought to be a marauder; my cousin Gennar – Gorbrin's full brother – would be pleased; we girls outnumber him to date."
"What's a marauder?"
"It began in dad's time at Hogwarts; several of them got together to be animagi to protect a friend who was a werewolf. That's why dad made the cure; because of his friendship with Uncle Remus. Then they fought Voldemort first time round and James Potter and Lily Potter died for Harry. And Harry was Dad's ward and Sirius Black was his godfather. And Harry and friends were the next lot of Marauders; and every couple of years the seniorest marauders in school pick a group that have marauded to be another layer. You have to stand up for what's fair and fight evil and get into heaps of mischief to practise for when you need the skills you learned doing mischief to do war. Boomslang skin I need and sopophorous beans and salts of cleansing…" she picked up ingredients for various potions. "Chanting can enhance ingredients too; and hurry on the growth of herbs too if you need them in a hurry."
"So you're inviting me into a select little gang with a Malfoy stepchild, a famous potioneer's daughter and doubtless others of the same ilk?" it was a sneer.
It was a sneer that was expecting to be told she was joking and anticipated laughter; it was a snarl and a snap at a hand that was offered in the expectations that it would give a blow not a titbit.
Lilith gazed into green eyes, hardened from experience of blows and understood.
"Though people tend to maraud in family lines it's more a matter of attitude and talent" she said. "We have a potioneering group as it happens; Venus and Kazrael are both strong on potions. Gennar's the weakest there. Kazi is also interested in transfiguration and Arithmancy; and she's a strong ideas person. I suppose it depends if you're stupid enough to despise goblins and part goblins; oh and by the way, one of my older sisters, who's adopted, is an elf and she's now going into the fourth and she's a Marauder. Are you a blood snob?"
He gave a harsh bark of laughter.
"Hardly! My father's a ruddy muggle; I can't really talk can I?"
"Oh, daddy's father was a muggle; it didn't work out at all between his parents. I guess both have to be very special people; like Charlotte Malfoy and Lucius. Do your parents fight?"
He stared.
"Only whenever they meet" he said. "MY parents never got around to getting married you see."
"Oh then that's probably much easier on you" said Lilith "Fighting parents at home cause lots of problems; when dad was head of Slytherin house he always had kids who had the most awful problems because their parents were fighting; some of the kids got badly injured by it too."
He stared.
"Truth?"
"Oh yes; he took one girl and her sister as his wards because she'd been so badly injured; it took serious chanting to cure it."
He sniffed.
"Well what do you know? Some people might be worse of than I thought I was" it was a mocking tone.
"You get to go to Hogwarts and learn don't you? Well before the free school that's better off than more than half the wizarding community" said Lilith "Don't get me on one of the family soapboxes or we'll be here all night; my brother's one of the teachers at the free school, 'cos that group of Marauders decided it was worthwhile to do. And one of the others is the first Goblin at Hogwarts, and Rom has just married his sister. Are you going to help me carry things Scarpin or are you just here to look decorative? If you don't WANT to maraud no-one's making you; but the offer's open to think about."
"I can't afford to help buy potion ingredients" he said.
"Oh that's all right; Gennar and I are both obscenely well off so we put in the spondulix" said Lilith "Mum managed to get her hands on the fortune of Tom Riddle Senior, 'cos she's Voldemort's daughter and we went from being as poor as rats in a sewer – with charity from Lucius – to being stinking rich. It's handy. And I say, Scarpin, Gennar remembers being poor before Lucius fell in love with his mum. There's no shame in being poor any more than there's shame in being rich. And Marauders hold property pretty much in common anyway; it's not a gang. It's much closer than that."
"I – all right. I'll join" his eyes were hungry.
"Good! We'll start on the train by pooling all the jinxes and things we know; to be well prepared against bullies. Those of us with older siblings score well here, of course; Venus knows hardly any. The biggest bullies are in the fifth; Crabbe and Zabini. And Zabini's clever. They're racist trash too. They can't bear that Gorbrin is cleverer than them by far so they always try to hurt his siblings and anyone else who is or is friends with a non human. Generally Bella and Mimi and that lot jinx them into a ball at some point. I'm going on what I've heard, obviously; but I have my spies" and she tapped the side of her nose.
"You eavesdrop on your elders" said Scarpin.
"That too" said Lilith equably.
Scarpin was claimed, as they left the shop, by an eccentric looking witch with too many coloured scarves and a hemline that was not level and who plainly embarrassed him. He plainly embarrassed her just as much.
"DO come along dear, we've such a lot to get" she said.
"See you on the train, Sec, if I don't see you before" said Lilith cheerfully "I have to find my errant parent also and peel him out of a book."
The message she hoped to convey was that all parents have foibles and we can still be proud of them; she hoped it got through.
When she ran Severus to earth – he was in the second hand section of Smith's delving into ancient tomes – she told him about Sextus Scarpin.
"He kind of made me think about the stories you tell of you at that age, dad" she said "All prickly. Only I'm a lot cleverer than Lily Evans and wiser too, aren't I?"
Severus' face worked a little. Lilith could come out with rather devastating comments at times. The worse perhaps because of the truth in them.
"You certainly understand a lot more about people" he said "And we've tried to teach you tolerance. Don't assume he's like me totally just because there are parallels; but if you can use what you know of my foolish childhood to help him I think it's an excellent idea. How ever much he sneers drag him forcibly to the MSHG; he'll sneer as armour to insulate himself against not being accepted. He'll sneer at you being well off for the same reason. This I understand very well! If you can put up with that and gently laugh at him for it, whilst standing his friend he will hopefully start to forget to be so prickly. Especially if you make it clear that House doesn't matter in friendships. It did in my day" he sighed. He would have given anything to have been invited into the gang of the popular James Potter and the wealthy Sirius Black, however puerile they could be; he would have secretly have loved the chance to be puerile with them. But that first encounter when James had sneered at Slytherin House had put an end to that; Sirius had decided to wish for Gryffindor, and if only he, Severus, had not been so contrary and had thought hard about being in Gryffindor with Lily life might have been very different.
And Lilith might not have existed.
It had worked out well in the end; and Sirius was like a brother to him and James too in his portrait, and gentle Remus; and like the others he felt a compassionate tolerance for Peter Pettigrew that had managed to stop despising him and feel only pity. This boy Sextus was lucky to have fallen in with someone as understanding as Lilith.
She had the tenacity not to let him cut off his nose to spite his face as Severus suspected he might. At least the boy had the sense to admit to his blood and to be prepared to try not to be racist to fit in rather than taking an opposite stand out of sheer perversity; as he might well have done. As he had himself done over Lily; for mudbloods were the only ones lower than a half blood to give him one-upmanship; and in Slytherin it was not done to be a mudblood lover anyhow. And, confused little boy as he was he wanted to be accepted by his house….
"I done right?" said Lilith.
He smiled at her tenderly.
"Perfectly" he said. "You bring them all to visit frequently; and we'll give this lad and Venus too some stable home life. And if he makes racist comments, well give him the chance to apologise after making clear it's not acceptable; he has to find someone to despise, you know, if he's poor, illegitimate and ashamed of his parents because it helps him feel better."
Lilith sniffed.
"Then he can jolly well despise racists for being sad gits" she said.
Severus hid a smile. It was all so simple to a child! Still, she might even get somewhere at that.
What swayed it for Sextus was the encounter in the robe shop.
There was the unmistakable figure of Narcissa Malfoy, one of the most famous witches in the world, and a selection of children of various ages including a number of goblins.
"Uugh, I do wish you didn't have to associate with goblins" said Madam Scarpin.
Sextus set his jaw and looked for a boy about his own age being fitted with new uniform; the bright-eyed goblin boy was squirming round to talk to a goblin girl whilst a typically Malfoy boy sat stiller beside him and Narcissa was saying
"If Madam Malkin drives enough pins into you for Madam McGonagall to mistake you for a hedgehog Gennar it will serve you right."
Sextus ignored his mother's little sounds of distress and went forward.
"Gennar Malfoy? I'm Sextus Scarpin, I just met Lilith Snape and she invited me to maraud."
Gennar grinned.
"WELL now!" he said "Us boys against the universe and what cousin Abraxus calls a 'monstrous regiment of not yet women'. That's Kazrael there" he indicated the goblin girl he had been talking to "And Venus is somewhere about with her mum and my brother James here doesn't maraud."
"Too lazy" said James "I'll keep cave and pass intelligence but I'd as soon be curled up with a good book thanks!"
"My big brother Gorbrin's as bad" said Gennar gloomily "Though he's by way of being an honorary marauder. My brother Nathan on the other hand – who's probably the brother I'm closest to – is trying to get his group invited to be real marauders. You have to be invited you see after you've marauded successfully; but if you have the right ideals it's only a matter of time. We're dead lucky to have Lilith, a child of two past marauders is almost certain to have her group looked on favourably because she's grown up with marauding. Sorry mum" he said as Narcissa clipped him across the back of the head with two fingers.
"As if outfitting you lot wasn't trying enough without having a marauding meeting too…. You squirm like Lilith's snake form Gennar!" she said in exasperation "Nice to meet you young Sextus now please go and get your clothes sorted out before I lose the little sanity I have left to me, the lot of you can gossip and plot on the train and then I shan't have to know about it!" she pulled a face "And there's still Bella….."
Sextus gave a jerky bow and moved away, intrigued by a mention of 'snake form'; surely a child so young could not be an animagus?
These Malfoys really did not make any distinction between any of the children.
Sextus was only to buy essentials like socks and shirts in here; for the rest of his uniform it would be the second hand clothes shop.
And his mother anxious to get him out of there and be away from goblins.
Which was silly; had not the conversation he had with Gennar Malfoy been just as it might have gone had the boy been human?
He went silently sullen with his mother while Bella was busy compromising over flame coloured shot silk with her sister and letting Narcissa talk her into the less garish – and prettier – of two she had picked as alternatives to stripes. She and Nathan were having something of a face-pulling contest through the window in between Bella's measurements being checked, Nathan waiting outside the shop having been loud in his appreciation that he wouldn't need formal robes for another couple of years and Narcissa having sent him to wait outside before Bella, in her own idiom, scragged him. Fortunately for Madam Malkin's peace of mind, Nathan saw one of his own marauding group, Isambard Cooper, and waved.
"I'm about to die horribly" said Isambard cheerfully.
"Any particular reason?" said Nathan.
"When dad realises that Niobe has a mouth full of ton-tongue toffee and that I gave it to her" said Isambard.
"Any particular reason? She's not up until next year, is she?" said Nathan.
"That's right; and already whining that she don't want to go to school and can't she have a tutor; the only bright spot in her mind is that she gets to start with Chrysogon Rufus" Isambard rolled his eyes.
"He can't be as bad as his mum's poetry makes out; no kid could!" said Nathan "He's related to Mad Lockhart you know."
Isambard brightened.
"Well if he isn't so bad as that maybe he'll not get off on moony dozy apes like m'sister going gooey eyed" he said. "Between being a watering pot. That's why I gave her the toffee; to have some brief respite from the whining"
"ISAMBARD!"
"That's dad; I'll see you on the train and hope I can sit down for the journey" said Isambard cheerfully.
Nathan gave him a friendly buffet; and reflected on how lucky he was in all his siblings and such – even Bella – although he had more than Isambard to have the chance of being a pain.
Niobe would soon shake down once she got to school; at least, one hoped so.
Lilith was looking out for other weevils; and took exception to being jostled by a grown up who shouted at her.
"Brat, look where you're going!" he said.
"Actually" said Lilith "I was standing still; the only person going – and presumably not looking – was you, sir."
"Then you shouldn't stand in the way!"
Lilith regarded the man inscrutably and snakily; he had a dark haired boy with him who sneered faintly at her. She allowed herself to sneer faintly back; and as the man dragged his son past her she dropped the dirigible fart curse on him. It was a pity its effects were so subtle that she would not see the results but she might dwell on the thought of his farts turning into hydrogen within a bubble charm to gradually lift him by the nether regions. Lilith was quite happy to apologise if she had been careless and got in the way; she did NOT appreciate the rudeness of some grownups that assumed that they were always in the right and children always in the wrong.
She waved at Heath Barbary who she had met at Lucius' weevil fest; his sister hung around a bit with older chanters which had led to Heath being invited. It was nice that cousin James had some good friends to start with, though Lilith; the quiet ones could suffer otherwise. Heath and Sara were with someone she vaguely recognised; but put it down to his resemblance to Heath.
Lilith had only vaguely heard of Heathcote Barbary, rhythm guitarist with the Weird Sisters; the popular Wizarding band was not her cup of tea and she had entirely forgotten that the Barbary children had a famous uncle.
Indeed Sara was busy explaining to her famous uncle that that was Lilith who was also related to the Malfoys and it was nice having people who took you for yourself and not for being related to someone lots of people had heard of and he wasn't to be offended but Lilith had been heard to express the opinion that the Weird Sisters was for old folk.
Which piece of information Heathcote fortunately took in good part and with amusement. He was still adjusting to his niece and nephew being firmly Slytherin not Ravenclaw and being told that the FUN people were in Slytherin and Ravenclaw – with a few exceptions – was full of dorks.
Lilith meanwhile was looking indulgently at obvious muggle parents with their son. The boy was actually grinning at a racist comment made by the boy who HAD to be Zabini.
Lilith wandered over.
"Hello Zabini" she said "I wouldn't if I was you."
"Who the devil are YOU?" said Zabini.
"I'm the latest Snape to be coming up" said Lilith "And I'm just DYING to practise corridor curses on nasty racists you know."
Zabini looked cunning.
"Indeed? Well if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way because it'll upset your freak of a sister when I hurt you."
"He is a comedy turn, isn't he?" remarked Lilith to the muggleborn weevil. "I see he's learned wandless and wordless magic; very nice try Zabini" as her almost unconscious legilimensy picked up the thought formulated and she countered the stinging hex. "But as they say, no banana" she added as the flash of green light turned Zabini a pretty shade of avocado green. "I wonder if it goes all the way down?" she added, concentrating on making his robes invisible "Oh yes."
Zabini stared in horror.
"It's impossible!" he said "No eleven year old could do such sophisticated magic!"
"Oh I'll not be eleven for a couple of years yet" said Lilith "I got bumped up 'cos I'm bored without proper study. It's just my own ineffable charm and talent and being the granddaughter of Voldemort. You did realise that being Krait Malfoy Snape's daughter makes me the granddaughter of Voldemort too, didn't you? Stay out of my way Zabini, and the muggleborn kid's way and really the way of any other weevil. I don't like you."
Zabini stared; then turned on his heel and strode off, in order to unjinx himself at leisure.
"Is that clown for real?" asked the muggleborn boy.
"'Fraid so" said Lilith "We have racism in the wizarding world; aimed against those of muggle blood, goblins and elves and my adopted sister is an elf, so it's something I'm WELL aware of; he's a year older than her and doesn't like it that she's more competent than him. Mind, he's pretty talented to be casting wandless and wordless" she conceded.
"Yes, but hang about – so were you!"
"Sometimes heritance counts" shrugged Lilith "Either that or its because I grew up with hard witches and wizards who fight the injustices in society. Dad and mum are opposing the – oh, let's just call them the wizarding Nazi party and leave it at that for now; if you join the MSHG you'll learn more, it's a self help group and what was your name? I'm Lilith Snape."
"Dunbar Finch" said the boy.
"Fine; don't let anyone push you around, if they do, find me. Reckon you'd enjoy the MSHG and I think I see someone you could get on well with OY! JORKINS TYPE WEEVIL!"
Another boy turned.
"I'm Granville Jorkins; did you mean me?" he asked.
"That's right; us weevils – first years – gotta look out for each other and you look like the Jorkins twins I know, Albert and another Granville, and they're nice so I thought you might like to look out for Dunbar Finch here. He's all right; just laughs at racists."
"Racism is silly" said Dumbar.
"Not when it gets people killed" said Granville "Like my great aunt who was murdered for trying to….well, it's a long story. This girl knows my Albanian cousins I guess; though I'm not sure how."
"'Cos my dad is headmaster at Prince Peak where they go to school and I don't want to be taught by mostly relatives" said Lilith
"Fair do's" said Granville "I didn't want to be muddled up with another Granville Jorkins; and us English Jorkins have always gone to Hogwarts anyway. I say, I think our various parents are hoping to get on; we'd better be good."
Lilith, having contrived to lose her parent, smiled indulgently.
This was the point at which she was collared by Willow Black.
"THERE you are Snape Weevil!" she said "Your dad wants to get you a wand; so I picked up yours and traced you down using it."
"That's pretty subtle and clever since I haven't even seen it yet, let alone taken possession" said Lilith, impressed. "Elder, basilisk crest core, twelve and a half inches?"
"WELL! You know what you want" it was Willow's turn to be impressed. "Especially as Elder is almost never used."
Lilith shrugged.
"I've dreamed about it a few times" she said "And what I didn't see in the dream is a bit obvious really. With my heritance an' all" she added, "I don't see other people's wands like they say you do."
"We all have different gifts I guess" said Willow "Now come along and collect your wand."
Lilith danced along happily and was soon pouring stars out of her wand with the aplomb of a child almost twice her age.
"And DON'T get caught using it inappropriately" warned Willow "Because that'll rebound on your father too. You have fun at Hogwarts and try not to be Hermione Granger at everyone just because you're so talented; and TRY not to get involved in any quests until you're a few years older!"
"Willow, did YOU ask to get involved in any quests or did they just happen to you?" demanded Lilith.
Willow exchanged a rueful look with Severus.
"Your brat has a point" she said to him.
"It's one of her less endearing features" grinned Severus "A permanent connection to the big book of casuistry."
"And if there was a big book of casuistry, I bet the Malfoy twins would have written it" said Willow.
Another child came in with her parents as Lilith was about to leave and Willow was already reaching for a wand.
"Applewood with a unicorn tail hair core" said Willow.
"'Ow do you know so easily?" asked the child, taking the proffered wand. She had a slight French accent.
"I don't know; I just see what I have to make and when the right person comes in I know whose it is" said Willow. "Did you know in advance like young Lilith here?"
The other girl shook her head.
"No ma'am; but you're the expert" she said. "Hello Lilith; do you start this year? Didn't I see you at the party? I'm Alcippe."
"Oh yes; we never actually got around to speaking" said Lilith having the tact to refrain from mentioning that she thought the girl had looked boring. "Alcippe Chevallier isn't it, a connection to the extinct Withers family?"
"Mais oui – I mean, yes, that is so. You Malfoys 'ave – have Withers connections too, don't you?"
"Yes; though I'm a sort of second hand Malfoy being a Snape" said Lilith. "Crumbs did anyone introduce you to Gorbrin? He's crazy enough to try to reintroduce Quidpolo and he's looking for volunteers to play with him."
"Ah, formidable!" cried Alcippe "I will certainly volunteer; our ancestor's game should not be forgotten! Besides, I am no great player of Quidditch so perhaps zis ozzer game will be my thing, no?"
Her accent became more pronounced.
"Don't hold your breath on that" warned Lilith "It won't be a school game; he's just putting together scratch teams for the hols. School games are quidditch, hockey, hurley and cricket."
Alcippe gave a Gallic shrug.
"Then I will not shine" she said philosophically "But I will at least get a good education; that is why I do not go to Beauxbatons because their triwizard performances are disappointing; my parents want me to learn, and as learning come 'ard to me I must be in the best school, no?"
"Well, anyone who needs help can always ask us oiks that it does come easy to" said Lilith "You should join the MSHG for its self help stuff."
Alcippe beamed.
"But yes! I will; and I have heard of this too at the party!" she said.
Lilith grinned.
Good old Lucius! His parties even got the boring ones joining in.