But I wanted a Pony!
Chapter 26: Not Always wise
On the fourth floor at Hogwarts, Caph took out the jumper she'd swiped from her uncle Theodore, and inspected it. It looked undamaged. She twisted the leftmost digit one higher and pushed the button. The jumper activated with a lurch like a portkey, the universe ripping and the opening glowing with falling blue dust.
Caph stepped through confidently, and brushed the loose flap of universe to one side.
She was standing on what looked like the fourth floor of Hogwarts, and by the light coming inf through the lancet windows at one end of the hallway, it was daytime. Probably still afternoon.
She let go of the button and the slip-way in reality closed behind her. The jumper went in her robe pocket, and she pulled out the Marauders map and her wand.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" she recited, tapped the map, and the map activated. Once it had finished its flashy activation animation, she started looking for Harry Potter. He was….
He was in a fifth floor classroom, all alone. Moving about. Excellent. Daddy was probably practising his spells.
Caph checked the Slytherin dorm rooms. Daphne Greengrass was not in any dorm room, or in the common room. Caph frowned and checked the library. Ah… in the little group of desks in the south-east corner. With Aunty Tracey, and Sally-Anne Perks. Caph wasn't sure who that was, but she had her mission. First stop, daddy.
By the time Caph had got to the fifth floor, she could hear muffled thuds coming from down the hallway. It was almost certainly the sound of daddy being very magically powerful.
Caph strolled down the stone hallway with the confidence of a pureblood witch, stopping at the right door. It was locked. Caph cast a basic unlocking charm, and tried again. Still locked. The charm grandmama had taught her, however, opened the door. Caph pushed the door open and peered in.
There was a bit of dust in the air, and over by the teachers desk, in a stylish black school robe, Harry Potter stood, wand out, casting red spells at the outer wall, which was showing divots in the plaster.
His head turned and he stared at her through quite stylish glasses. Which was odd, generally fifteen-year-old daddy had terrible glasses, and rubbish robes.
"Who are you" said Harry, pointing his wand at Caph.
Caph entered and closed the door behind her.
"I am Cassiopia Black, of the French Blacks" said Caph. They technically had houses in France, mummy complained about them sometimes. Squatters were using them.
"You don't attend Hogwarts" said Harry Potter, wand still pointed at her.
Caph rolled her eyes. "I'm considering transferring to Hogwarts next year" said Caph. Daddy sneered.
"Don't bother. If I could leave I would." he said.
"Really, why?"
"Because I deserve better" said Daddy. "I am Hadrian James Potter Peverell Gryffindor Slytherin Black Morgana. You may have heard of me – under the revolting moniker of 'the boy who lived.'
Caph couldn't help frowning. Peverell Gryffindor Slytherin Black Morgana? She'd suspected daddy was a Slytherin, and it was clear they were Peverell relations, but Morgana and Gryffindor?
"So I came looking for you" said Caph "As you're a Black."
"I'm the Heir of Black – you can't have any of the money" said daddy. He lowered his wand somewhat.
Caph wondered about that. The back cover of the biography of Mummy implied that the money the Black family had was mostly due to her phenomenal, if incredibly boring business skills.
"So has, um Sirius Black adopted you?" asked Caph.
The wand came back up "He's on the run, you fool." snapped daddy. "Don't mention his name."
Caph took a deep breath.
"What um, Hogwarts house are you in?" she asked.
"Slytherin, of course" said daddy. Or Hadrian James Potter Peverell Gryffindor Slytherin Black Morgana, she thought. Daddy was modest, and didn't call himself Hadrian. Still, being married to mummy would make everything all right.
"So, um, can you come and help me meet the other students in Slytherin?" asked Caph,
"Would you even be sorted into Slytherin?" asked Hadrian.
"I expect so" said Caph "I'm quite sneaky, and my plans are rarely discovered. Both my parents atttended Hogwarts, and are Slytherins" She meant daddy's family, but it was the same thing, really.
"Oh" said Hadrian, and he lifted his nose to look down on her a little. But he wasn't daddy's height yet, so the effect was a little pathetic.
"Well, will you come show me?" asked Caph. "I can give you some Black family secrets in exchange, if you'd like." The tips on how to defeat Tom Riddle, which she was going to give him anyway, but this Hadrian seemed quite old-school Slytherin.
"I suppose" said Hadrian haughtily. Was he living with grandpa Sirius, Caph wondered.
Caph went down two floors, and pulled out her marauders map.
"What's that?" asked Hadrian.
"Marauders map. My grandfather, your father, and Professor Lupin made it. It shows where everyone at Hogwarts is" said Caph. Technically, her grandfather could be described- post-adoption as Sirius, as he was grandpa James, and Harry's father. Hadrian nodded "Shame you've got it" he said. And he didn't question why she had it.
"The Weasley twins might have a copy" suggested Caph. Which was technically true. Probably as a Slytherin, he wasn't friends with the Weasley twins, so they didn't give him the map. Though grandpa Sirius might have signed his Hogsmeade permission form.
"Blood traitors" Hadrian muttered. "Who are you interested in seeing?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention" said Caph ingeniously "My cousin. Daphne Greengrass."
"Greengrass!" Hadrian spat "Smug, self-righteous cow."
Caph choked at daddy calling mummy that.
"But Daphne's nice" said Caph.
"She's an idiot, with no ambition, and a big nose" said Hadrian. Hadrian came over and eyed Caph. "Oh god you've got a massive conk too." he added.
Caph gaped. Mummy was very clever, and Caph's nose was not massive. Mummy's nose was larger than average, true, but that helped her singing voice.
"It helps with singing" said Caph weakly.
"Phh" snorted Hadrian "Apart from hexing a few boys in the bits, she's a pathetic nobody."
"Have you, um, got a girlfriend?" asked Caph.
"No" said Hadrian, in a higher pitch than before. "Hogwarts girls are all entitled bitches."
Caph decided right then and there, that this bally Harry Potter could bally well stay single, for all she cared. There were a nearly infinite number of universes…
"Excuse me" said Caph "Sorry for taking up your valuable time, I'll see myself out."
"I don't know" said Hadrian "Black, you're not that ugly. Hogsmeade weekend, once you start at Hogwarts?"
Caph opened the nearest door, got on the other side of it, and Colloportus'ed it shut before she threw up.
Her… putative father had just asked her out. Well, this one could die alone.
Caph got out the jumper, reset all the dials to zero, and pressed the button. Sod Hadrian.