Cat, Rat, and Dog

by

Ruby

Sequel to Heir of Slytherin of The Chamber of Secrets

Teresa, Del, and Mac had been at Hogwarts for three years now and they were inseparable. They were also some of the biggest trouble makers that Minerva McGonagall had to ever deal with. They never got caught in the act but she always knew it was them. Their exploits were always signed with any version of Cat, Rat, and Dog. Sometimes there was just one name other times there were all three. It depended on who was feeling lucky that day.

"Hey Cat!" Mac called to Del in the common room.

"I told you not to call me that in front of people." Del chastised. "It's supposed to be a secret identity for a reason.

"Everyone know it is us though so what is the harm?" Mac asked. "What do you think Teresa?"

"I agree with Del. We've only been able to avoid detection by sheer luck. We don't need to go shouting about our exploits." She stated not looking up from her homework.

"Come on, you two are no fun." Mac lowered his voice. "You are the bloody heir of Slytherin cousin to the most notorious evil dude that was every born in Britain how can you be this tame?"

"Just because blood related to bloody Voldemort doesn't mean I am going to cause mayhem." Teresa shot back. "I have other way to get what I need."

"Sometime I wonder if you should have been put in Slytherin." Teresa opened her mouth to argue back but Mac stopped her. "Not just because of her heritage but because you are ambitious as hell and you will stop at nothing to get what you need. I know you're opposed to absolute mayhem but if it helped your goals would you do it?" Mac asked seriously.

"Maybe." Mac gave her a look. "Alright probably but that proves nothing. I am loyal and accepting and that is why I am in the fine house that is Hufflepuff."

"Whatever you say Dog." Mac bounced back.

"Shut up Rat." Del commanded.

"I thought we weren't using our secret identities." Mac argued back.

Teresa ignored them. Her conversation with mac had left her more upset than what she let on. What if she was meant to be in Slytherin? What if she was meant to follow in the footsteps on her blood relatives? Was she destined to be a dark wizard just like her cousin, her father, her grandfather…? These thought gnawed at her as she was trying to do her homework. She was a good person though. She wasn't going to be a dark wizard.

Christmas Holiday.

Teresa's thought that she was destined to follow her heritage was still bugging her even though it had been a few months since the conversation between her and Mac.

She pulled her dad over on Christmas Eve. All of the relatives were there but Teresa couldn't stand it any longer she had to talk to someone about it.

"Dad?"

"Yeah sweetheart?" He looked at her curiously.

"Something has been bugging me lately. You know my biological ancestry has a habit towards evilness." Teresa paused. Her father didn't say anything; he let her find the words on her own. "Well what if I'm doomed to be like them? What if no matter how hard I try I become like them?" Her father could tell she was genuinely concerned about this.

"It's okay to be concerned about how your life is going to turn out especially with such an evil biological family history. I would be concerned as well if I had you biological parents. The thing is honey it is our choices that make us not our blood. I suggest you co talk to Uncle Harry about it. He'll have more insight about it than I do." Her father hugged her and then led her back to the part. He knew she would talk to Uncle Harry when she felt the time was right.

"Uncle Harry?" Teresa tapped Harry on the shoulder. It was later that evening on Christmas Eve.

"Yes Teresa?"

"Can I talk to you in private more a moment?" She asked.

"Of course." She led him into a room off the main one.

"I was wondering if you could tell me about your experiences with the houses?" She barely got the words out.

"Sure but afterward can you tell me what is really going on?" He asked. She nodded. "Any particular houses you want to look at?"

"Hufflepuff and Slytherin." She mumbled

There was a knowing look in his eye ad he stared his explanation. "For one they are both very loyal. Both Hufflepuff and Slytherins would do anything for their friends even give their life. Slytherins would try to get around giving their life but they would give it if they had to though while Hufflepuffs would automatically accept that they would have to give their life. I think the main difference between then would be that Slytherins would think their way around a problem if it had negative affect on them while Hufflepuffs would work around the problem no matter the cost on both accounts. They are both great houses."

"What about Slytherin's reputation as a dark wizard house?" She persisted.

"It was based of prejudice. Ambition is a very common quality among Slytherins, ambition without thought of how it effects other people. That is also a quality in a lot of dark wizards but also found in politicians. That quality however does not make a person evil or dark. Ambition is a good thing; it keeps us from being stagnant. Now what is this about?" He looked her in the eye.

"I was just worried about me repeated what my biological family did. But just because I could have been in Slytherin does not mean I am a dark wizard." She looked set on that fact.

"You know Uncle Draco right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah of course." She looked at him like why wouldn't she know who Draco was he was there every Christmas Eve.

"He was in Slytherin when he was in school and he is great man. I mean in school he was kind of a prat but that is beside the point."

"Really?"

"Yeah does that help a little more?' He asked.

"Yeah that helps a lot thanks Harry!" She ran off back to the party.