Chapter Text
"May your bloodline be cursed! May you feel the wrath of the most ancient and noble house of Malfoy!"
"Don't make me place a silencing charm on you." Narcissa warned the ghostly form of Lucius as the trio rifled through his cache of secret letters.
Rita, Narcissa and Arcturus had decided it was better for them to comb through Lucius' correspondence to construct their deception, leaving Andi to babysit Bellatrix.
Lucius floated behind them as they threw papers and books around with little care.
"Hey! There is a lot of carefully curated blackmail in there!" Lucius stomped his feet on thin air while the other three tried their best to ignore him.
"Here!" Rita exclaimed as she found a letter that carried a thick smell of some very pungent cologne.
"That's private, you vicious harlot!"
Rita opened the letter up and began reading, her smile growing with each second. She passed it over to Narcissa, whose eyebrows shot up to the sky with each word she read.
Once finished reading, she passed the note off to her grandfather and fixed Lucius with a hateful glare. "And yet, the nicest thing you could muster to tell me was 'you've borne me an heir'"
"That's because you're nothing but a shrill, frigid incubator for my seed!"
"My big, musky, cuddly gorilla…quite the turn of phrase there, Lucius." Arcturus commented as he finished his quick scan through the letter.
"Have you Blacks no shame!" Lucius yelled, completely scandalized. "Not only to kill a man. But to so callously expose and mock the tenderness within his heart!"
"You're Death Eater scum, Lucius." Narcissa spat, any humor the others were feeling completely drained as her rage built. "Or you were, anyways. You raped, murdered and tortured. Don't forget that I'm well aware of the things you did. What my sister did to you was a mercy, compared to what you deserve."
This stopped Lucius in his tracks, the ghost seeming to lose some of his fire as Narcissa shot him a murderous glare.
"I-I'll reveal your plan-"
"You won't reveal a thing. You're tied to this manor, you wander beyond its walls and you will fade into nothing." Rita said as they collected the letters and headed out of Lucius' study.
"I'll find a way! You rotten pack of hyenas!"
…
Meanwhile, Bellatrix was resting her head on Andi's lap, sighing contentedly as her younger sister ran her hands through her messy locks.
"I missed this, Andi. I think the only thing I missed more was my little Harry." Tears welled up in Bella's eyes as she remembered her godson. "Do you think I'll be able to see him soon, Andi?"
"Winter break isn't for another few months. Though once we make Lucius' death public, maybe Cissy will be able to pull Darcia and him out of school for a few days."
Bellatrix took in a deep breath, a broad smile forming on her face at the thought. "We have to get this done soon, then. I want to see my little Harry, make up for all the time we missed."
"I'm surprised you're taking this all so well. I would have expected you to tear Cissy's head off." Andi's chuckle was stopped when she felt Bella stiffen under her.
'Oh fuck. She doesn't know' Blazed through Andromeda's mind.
"Why would I want to do that?"
Andi didn't answer, using what precious little time she had to quietly vanish Bellatrix's wand across the room before securing her own inside her pants. If it had been the old Bella, she'd have been worried about being overpowered, but her sister was still frail, so she shouldn't be able to wrench her wand from her.
"Andi." Bella's voice was louder now, tinged with that unsettling, unpredictable energy that always left you on edge. "Why should I be tearing our dear little sister to shreds?"
…
The instant the door opened, they were forced to dive as a dark red spell sailed just a few feet over their heads, passing through Lucius and burning the portrait of Quinctius Malfoy to a crisp.
"What is the meaning of this?" Arcturus yelled as he sent disarming spell to the twin mass that was rolling on the floor.
Bella saw the spell coming, but Andi managed to pin her down just enough to allow it to hit, sending Andi's wand sailing into Lord Black's waiting hand.
Now disarmed, Bella tried breaking free of her sister's grip. "Let go of me, Andi! I need to put the bitch in the ground!"
"I don't know if she was just always like this. But she is way too unhinged to be allowed a wand." Rita said, cowering behind Arcturus as the sisters struggled.
"This was who you wanted to free, Narcissa? This feral dog that bites the hand that feeds it?" Lucius yelled at his ex-wife with glee.
"Bella, what is going on?" Narcissa asked, seriously concerned about her sister's mental state now. Had Azkaban truly broken Bella completely?
That managed to stop Bella's struggles, if only to send her younger sister a hateful glare. "What is going on? What is going on, Narcissa, is that you turned my godson into a fucking slave!"
Lucius cackled with glee, while Rita and Arcturus turned to Narcissa. "You didn't tell her?" Rita hissed.
"I-It didn't come up." Narcissa said weakly.
Arcturus rubbed his temple before he aimed his wand at Bellatrix. " Incarcerous."
Thin ropes wrapped themselves around her, allowing Andi to take her weight off her sister and stand up.
"Bella." Narcissa looked distraught now. "I-"
"Narcissa knew what we were doing." Lucius spoke over her, his face contorted into an evil grin. "From the start, she understood, and she did not protest."
Narcissa's heart broke as Bella's expressions changed, from one of hatred to one of betrayal. "You knew he was my godson, Cissy. No matter what you thought of me, to allow that to happen to a young child…"
"Bella, I-I'm sorry! I've been sorry for so long."
"Sorry won't fix things. There is no breaking the slave bond, outside of death, of course." Lucius cut in once more, taking an excruciating amount of pleasure in twisting the knife.
Andi, Arcturus and Rita looked on in silence, none of them able to refute the truth in Lucius' words.
Narcissa batted away tears before she stepped forward, right up until she was hovering above her sister.
"Bella, I'll admit I made mistakes. Terrible ones. I let that man-" she glared hatefully at Lucius. "-turn me into a passive observer to all of his atrocities, and I know that that makes me as culpable as him. I can't take back what is done, but I broke you out for a reason, and that reason is that I love your godson, and I wish for him to have the best life possible. Harry may be my daughter's slave, but that doesn't mean his life is over. Hate me all you want, but for Harry's sake, please, let's work together."
"You think that little speech is enough for me to forgive you?" Bellatrix spat. "You're a Malfoy, aren't you? Fake little speeches are your bread and butter."
Narcissa fell to her knees, her eyes pleading her sister to understand. "What do you want from me, Bella? What is your pound of flesh? Do you want me to cut off my hand? Do you wish for me to give away the Malfoy fortune?"
"You will do no such thing!" Lucius was inflamed, but suddenly found himself unable to move or even speak.
Andi returned Rita's wand. "That'll hold him for a good twenty minutes."
"I didn't know there was magic that affected ghosts." Rita said in awe.
Andi shrugged. "We kept getting ghouls in our attic. Dora came back one summer with this nifty little spell. She said it also worked on poltergeists, so I figured it was worth a try."
Rita's gasp returned their attention to the sisters.
Narcissa had freed Bellatrix from her bonds, and she'd managed to clasp her hands over her sister's own as they both now knelt together.
"Grandfather," Narcissa called. "Could you bind this vow for us?"
Arcturus sighed, but he stepped forward all the same. "If it'll get you two brats to stand up, sure."
Narcissa urged Bella. Bellatrix frowned, but she stayed put as their grandfather held his wand over their joined hands.
"State your terms, Bellatrix."
Bella stared deep into Narcissa's eyes for a solid moment. Then, she cleared her throat. "Do you swear to protect Harry and his well being above all else?"
"I do." Narcissa said eagerly, and a thin tongue of red hot flame twisted itself around their joined hands, flaring bright before fading into their skin.
"Do you swear to sacrifice your life if needed, in order to save Harry's own."
Bella expected Narcissa to at least hesitate, but the blonde responded as quickly as she had before. "I do."
The vow was bound, and Bella stared at her sister with no small amount of shock.
"Anything else, Bellatrix?" Arcturus asked, shaking her out of her astonishment.
"I'm satisfied." Bella said shortly. Arcturus nodded, pulling his wand away as the magic of the vow dissipated. Narcissa smiled weakly as both sisters got to their feet.
"Now that that's out of the way." Rita spoke up. "Can we figure out this little scheme of ours?"
…
Gregory Goyle the Third, Head of House Goyle, father to Gregory Goyle the Fourth first year at Hogwarts, was walking determinedly over to the Department of Magical Accidents, wand in hand and an angry snarl on his face.
He'd received a letter from his precious little Lucius. He'd been worried after not hearing from his lover for over a week. Lucius never went that long without at least some form of correspondence.
Then he'd received the clandestine letter from Lucius. Crabbe had found out about them, and he was in a rage. He had Lucius locked up in his dungeon, where he tortured him in increasingly deranged ways. Lucius feared his jilted lover would soon end his life in a crime of passion. The letter was burning into Goyle's chest as he carried it in his breast pocket. He needed to catch Crabbe unaware, in his office.
Vincent Crabbe the Sixth, Head of House Crabbe, father to Vincent Crabbe the Seventh, first year at Hogwarts, was walking determinedly over to the Department of Magical Incidents, wand in hand and an angry snarl on his face.
He'd received a letter from his beloved Lucius. He'd been worried for a while, it was quite unlike Lucius to go more than a few days without letting Vincent rearrange his intestines.
Then he'd received a hastily written letter from Lucius. Goyle had found out about them, and he was in a rage. He had Lucius locked up in his attic, where he tortured him in increasingly deranged ways. Lucius feared his jilted lover would soon end his life in a crime of passion.
Crabbe grit his teeth. The letter had burnt to a crisp the moment he'd finished reading it. It…didn't make sense for that to happen, since Lucius shouldn't have the means of enchanting the letter, nor would he want it to be destroyed.
But Crabbe pushed all of that aside. He'd never been a good thinker, and the letter was genuine. Lucius was the only one to call him 'My strapping little river troll' and he knew Lucius would go to the grave before revealing that pet name to anyone else.
As Crabbe stepped off the lift and into the hallway, he froze as he came face to face with someone.
Goyle was standing right there, wand ready, hateful look in his eyes.
Gregory had come to take him out, but Vincent wouldn't allow that to happen.
Neither man spoke nor yelled. They weren't very good with their words anyways, and right now the most important thing was to blast first. There would be time to interrogate later.
…
LOVE TRIANGLE TURNED FATAL! THREE PUREBLOODS DEAD!
In what can only be described as a stunning turn of events, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe, heads of their houses and vassals to House Malfoy, killed each other in a bloody duel on Ministry premises that left the area surrounding the third level lift completely destroyed.
Upon inspection of the bodies, a letter was found on Mr. Goyle's person. According to the letter, Mr. Crabbe was holding Lord Malfoy hostage due to a romantic entanglement gone wrong between the three men!
A search of Mr. Crabbe's estate found evidence of torture in it's dungeons, but nothing identifying Lord Malfoy was found. After prompting from the Ministry, Gringotts was able to confirm Lord Malfoy's death via it's Ledger of Lords and Ladies.
As we speak, a search has begun for Lord Malfoy's remains, though the Minister warns that resources are stretched thin, and so the search may be abandoned early.
I'm sure you're all wondering after this incredible tragedy…what are Lady Malfoy's thoughts about her husband's indiscretions? Fear not, dear reader! For I have secured an interview with the now widowed…
The article continued on for paragraphs upon paragraphs. Narcissa and Rita had held an actual interview, but Narcissa had let Rita run wild with what she actually wrote in the article. The reporter had done well, and painting Narcissa as an innocent, downtrodden housewife who had been stalwartly fulfilling her duty as Lady of the House while her husband went off philandering with men could only lead to improving her public image.
This was an advanced copy of tomorrow morning's paper, which was good, because Narcissa needed to inform Darcia of her father's demise. It wouldn't do for the girl to find out as everyone read their morning Prophet .
"Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office." Narcissa peeked her head into the floo. One of the perks of her deceased husband being head of the Board of Governors, direct access to the Headmaster's floo. For calls, at least.
…
The girls were getting ready to head out to the Halloween feast. It felt weird and more than a little bit uncomfortable, knowing Harry was out there by himself. None of them were really feeling up to go and be merry at a big banquet, but they knew they needed to have faith in Harry.
Susan and Daphne in particular had been remiss to let the boy go, and it had only been after many assurances from him that they'd let him off.
"He's going to be fine. Merlin, you girls worry more than my mother." Darcia said as they all made their way down to the common room. Everyone else had already gone to the feast earlier, so the common room was empty.
"I just…are you sure this Boss Lady's plan will actually work?" Daphne asked for what could have been the twentieth time. "It wont put Harry in danger, will it?"
Darcia shook her head. "It won't. And don't worry, the Boss Lady is a pro, she knows what she's doing." She neglected to tell them that her own heart was beating a mile a minute. She was scared, terrified even. There was a knot in her stomach and she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep any food down during the meal.
She wished she could just fast forward through the night. To come out on the other side, with the results laid bare. The tension of anticipation was absolute torture.
Before they were even halfway to the exit, the door to the common room opened.
The girls froze in fear. Harry had been discovered, or he'd failed. Surely, Snape would emerge, dragging Harry by the scruff of his neck.
At the entranceway stood Professor McGonagall, of all people, along with a tall blonde woman dressed in fine silk robes.
"Mother?" Darcia reeled back in shock, with the other girls reacting much the same.
"Darcia, I have come with news," her mother said in her most formal of tones.
McGonagall's expression was unreadable. The older woman tipped her witch's hat. "I will leave you to it, Mrs. Malfoy. Will you be leaving before the feast ends?"
Narcissa shook her head, giving her old professor a kind smile. "I can wait until after. I feel like Darcia and I may need some time."
McGonagall nodded. "Come along then girls."
"Professor?" Pansy asked, looking hesitant to leave without Darcia.
"Darcia and I have personal matters to discuss, Pansy. Go out, enjoy the feast, girls." Narcissa shooed the girls away, and they followed behind the professor after giving Darcia one last look.
Narcissa and Darcia were now alone in the common room. "You did not tell me you were friends with Heiress Bones." Narcissa mused.
"Mother, what is so pressing that you had to come visit me?"
Narcissa steeled herself as she prepared to break the news. But as her mouth opened, another thought crossed her mind.
"Where is Harry?" She asked suddenly.
She saw the way her daughter's hands tightened, how her leg twitched and she hesitated to meet her gaze. "He's running an errand."
"An errand?" Narcissa repeated disbelievingly.
"Mother." Darcia raised her voice. "The news?"
"Your father died." Narcissa blurted out, her growing concern for Harry erasing the diplomatic answer she'd had at the ready.
Darcia paled considerably, her eyes widening in pure shock. "Father died?"
Narcissa nodded stiffly. "He did. They believe he was murdered by his associate, Crabbe."
Darcia's world was spinning fast. As much as she'd begun to dislike the man, as low as her opinion of him had gotten over the years, the news of her father's death was still a shock to the system.
Seeing her daughter's state of utter shock, Narcissa pulled her in for a hug. She felt guilty, but the main train of thought in her head wasn't seeking words of comfort for her daughter, it was trying to find ways to ask her about where Harry was.
It didn't take long for Darcia's mind to enter the same wavelength. If her father was dead, it meant that her mother was head of the family. But her father's position in the Board of Governors was not hereditary, it would just be left vacant.
Which meant that if the plan went off as planned, either Darcia would be found guilty of manslaughter and sent packing to Azkaban, or her mother would take the fall for her, ending up in prison right next to her aunt.
Darcia began to hyperventilate, and Narcissa ran her hands through her hair to calm her down. "Shhh, shhh. It's alright, Darcy. It's Alright. Mummy's here, ok?"
Darcia was in full blown panic mode. She could never let Harry be executed. She didn't want to go to prison and she most certainly didn't want to lose her mother.
They needed to abort the plan, asap.
Darcia shoved her mother aside. Caught by surprise, Narcissa fell back onto her ass as Darcia shot off like a rocket towards the door.
"Darcia!" Narcissa yelled after.
"Gotta find Harry!" Was her daughter's response before she sprinted out the door and into the cold stone hallway.
Narcissa scrambled up. She did not like the way Darcia had said that, or the way she'd reacted at all. Somehow, someway, she was certain that Harry was in danger.
Narcissa chased after her daughter, hoping her memory of these halls would not fail her.
…
Harry made his way slowly down the empty corridors.
He held the bottle in his hand with great care, though he tried not to make it obvious that he was wary of it.
Miss Nymphadora had told them that Snape had overheard the twins earlier. Now, all that was left was to hope he'd take the bait.
As Harry walked, he felt a cold chill run through his body. It was drafty, now that they were deep in autumn, and he'd not worn enough layers for the weather.
He would cast a warming charm on himself, but he was deathly afraid of using any magic with such a volatile explosive in his hands.
Harry glanced at the bottle. An unmarked glass bottle filled with a golden-yellow liquid. This bottle would be the instrument of someone's death. Not for the first time, Harry wondered how he'd react once the deed was actually done.
He wasn't afraid of chickening out. His mistress' order superseded all. But he did wonder what it would do to him, to see a man die right before his own eyes. Even someone as vile as Snape.
The smell hit him first. It was a foul, putrid stench. It smelled of swamp and bog and stagnant water. It smelled like unwashed flesh, of body odor so intense that it actually began to singe the hairs on his nose.
Then he heard the scream. A high, girlish scream. A scream of terror, accompanied by sobs.
There were moments of disconnect, where Harry had no idea what these sensory inputs could possibly mean, but then his brain put it all together.
Another scream tore through the air. A girl, definitely a girl. It was coming from the bathroom right ahead, and the stink was also coming from there.
Harry didn't think. He just ran straight towards it, bursting through the door to the girl's bathroom. The sight in front of him raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
Hermione Granger was cowering in a stall with it's doors blown off, tears streaming down her face as a giant, ugly green troll stood over her, club ready to take a swing.
"Leave her alone!" Harry yelled, succeeding in gaining both their attention. Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes, eyes that begged for any kind of miracle.
The troll looked at him with curiosity. It seemed that it was hesitant, unsure on who it should attack.
Harry took advantage of that moment. He reared the bottle back, took aim and threw it as hard as he could.
The bottle sailed through the air, at a decent speed, and the troll did not see the small object as much of a threat, and so it let it fly, realizing only at the last moment that it was headed for its left eye.
An explosion rocked the bathroom, knocking some of the tiles loose from the ceiling. The troll's hands went to it's face as blood began gushing out from it's wound, the big lummox stumbling about as it howled in pain.
"Miss Granger!" Harry yelled from across the room, gaining Hermione's attention. He waved her over and the girl squealed as she stood on shaky feet before stumbling over to him.
The troll felt the movement, and it was enraged. It grabbed it's club and swung in Harry's direction, forcing the boy to run deeper into the bathroom.
Harry collided with Hermione but kept his footing, dragging the girl back as the troll swung wildly with it's one good eye.
"Oh god! Oh god! We're going to die! We're going to die!" Hermione screamed.
"Miss Granger. Don't yell." Harry hissed as he pushed her down to the floor, barely missing a wild swing.
Harry glanced up at the monster, who was rearing his club back, ready to smash them to bits.
The troll's eye was dangling from it's socket, the optic nerve that connected it to it's brain fully visible as it peeked out of the bloody cavity like pink, fleshy cable-wire.
In a moment, Harry saw it. They had learned the levitation spell today. Wingardium Leviosa. Swish and a flick. But Harry needed something slightly different, he needed a spell that pulled instead of levitated, and he needed one that pulled hard. He was sure they would be taught such a spell when they were older, but at the moment, he needed to improvise.
He performed the swish and flick, though he made sure to pull that flick towards himself. He imagined himself a giant, grabbing onto the troll's optic nerve with hands that dwarfed both of Hagrid's put together. He pictured himself tugging on it with all his giant might.
The troll dropped it's club, which fell behind it as blood and gore showered down on the two children. The troll's optic nerve was been violently ripped out, bringing out several meters worth of fleshy chord, ending with a small chunk of soft, spongy brain matter that plopped down on the floor in front of them.
Hermione screamed her lungs out once again, though her shouts were dwarfed by the troll's own agonized yells. Hermione was squeezing the life out of him, but Harry was still focused on the troll.
It was thrashing about, stomping and punching anything and everything in its path. There was no way for them to safely sneak past it, and it was only a matter of time before its violent lurches found purchase in their fragile young bodies.
Hermione was sobbing now, crying into his shoulder as one of the troll's swipes obliterated a sink. Harry covered Hermione as bits of porcelain rocketed towards them, leaving small cuts around Harry's face and arms.
He needed to think of something, and fast.
But what could a first year do against a troll? They'd barely learnt any magic, he…
Inspiration struck him as he stared at the troll's club.
" Aguamenti!" Harry shouted, aiming for the troll's feet. A gusher of water shot from his wand, enough to have the troll skating and slipping before it fell right on its ass. The troll roared angrily, but it took a few moments for it to stand back up, enough time for Harry to concentrate.
The troll's club looked sort of like a matchstick. It was long and made of wood, though it was much thicker than the match McGonagall had given them. Harry ignored this, he removed such thoughts from his mind. The club was a match. It was a matchstick.
It was gigantic. One of the first things they'd been taught was that transfiguration became progressively harder the larger an object was.
'It doesn't matter!'
Harry pictured the club, trying to push it further away in his mind's eye until it was hundreds of meters away, playing with perspective and perception until he could convince his mind that it would be able to fit in his hand.
Keeping all of these deceptions straight in his head, Harry flicked his wand and whispered the incantation they'd been taught on their very first Transfiguration lesson.
He felt a strain on his magic, his head almost instantly thumping with a headache, but he powered through, gritting his teeth as he pushed his will forward.
The troll stood up, and he was no longer thrashing about aimlessly. His one good eye was focused on the two first years, and he was pissed. He held his hands out in front of him as he stomped towards them, shaking the ground with each step.
But Harry refused to look at the troll. No, he focused on his small little matchstick, which before his very eyes, turned silver, it's rough wooden surface turning smooth and metallic. Its shape evened out, the thick clubbing end becoming as thin as the base and ending in a sharp point, a sharp point that glinted under the dim light of the bathroom.
The troll was almost upon them, rearing its foot back to stomp them into a mush.
Satisfied with his work, Harry used the spell from earlier, summoning the needlepoint towards himself.
There was a loud squelch as the giant needle pierced through the troll's skull, its long shaft passing clear through the center. The troll fell onto it's back, the impact making Harry and Hermione's bodies lift off the ground a few feet.
Harry flicked his wrist once more, and the needle dropped down onto the troll, stabbing it through the head one final time, just to be safe.
The room was still as could be. Hermione's sobs, once barely audible background noise, now filled the room as she clung onto Harry for dear life.
Harry felt exhausted, but he felt a deep well of satisfaction. He'd saved Miss Granger, he'd killed a troll, all by himself.
They barely heard the bathroom door open. But they certainly heard Darcia's scream. "What the fuck! Harry!? Harry, are you ok!?"
"I'm here. Mistress." Harry called out. "I'm fine."
Darcia ran towards him, giving the troll's corpse quite a bit of latitude as she stood in front of them.
Darcia stared down at her slave. She became a quivering mess as she saw the blood that covered most of his body. "Harry, what the hell were you thinking?! You could have died! Are you ok? Are you bleeding?"
Harry gave his mistress a reassuring smile. "It's not my blood, mistress. At least, mostly not mine." He winced as the pain from his cuts began to throb, now that the adrenaline was leaving him.
Hermione finally pulled her head from Harry's shoulder. Her eyes darted from the troll to Harry to Darcia.
"What the hell were you doing here, Granger?" Darcia hissed.
Hermione whimpered, her tears still streaming freely. "R-Ron…Ron said I didn't have any friends-"
"Fucking Weasel." Darcia kicked a chunk of porcelain out of frustration.
"Mistress." Harry said, his tone turning defeated. "I am sorry, mistress, because of my actions, the plan could not go forward."
Darcia looked down at her slave incredulously. He'd killed a troll and saved Granger from certain death, and he was worried about the damn plan?
"Don't worry, Har-slave. We will kill Snape another day, especially now that we know you're a troll-slayer."
Harry nodded, but Hermione seemed to snap out of her traumatized wailing as she processed Darcia's words.
"You're trying to kill Professor Snape?" The bushy haired girl asked with apprehension.
Darcia cursed. Of course she would reveal her plans to the biggest teacher's pet on planet earth.
"You must be hearing things, Granger, I said no such thing."
"Are you sure, Ms. Malfoy? I heard it loud and clear from here."
Darcia's limbs lost all strength. It was all she could do not to fall bonelessly onto the floor as the voice she heard took an icy grip on her chest. Her lip trembled as she turned around, praying to magic itself that she had fabricated the voice in a moment of hysteria.
But she hadn't. Right there, at the entrance to the bathroom, his flowing black robes billowing in a non-existent wind as always, stood their Head of House.
"P-Prof-"
"So you had designs on killing me, didn't you, Malfoy?" His black, beady eyes glinted with malice. "Silly little girl, how could you ever think that you and that house elf of yours could ever so much as lay a hand on me?"
Darcia's throat constricted, she was struggling to get the words out. "H-Harry-"
"I'll have your property destroyed for this, you'll be lucky to escape Azkaban, but your little pack mule will have no such luck."
Harry paled at Snape's words.
"Professor, please-" Hermione tried.
Snape ignored her. "I will savor this, I will surely be granted the privilege myself. I will leave your little suitcase broken before I finally decide to be rid of it, Malfoy. I will relish in it, too."
"It was a joke! We weren't being serious!" Darcia yelled out desperately.
"Oh but you were." Snape hissed. "And I have many potions in my stores that can suss out the truth."
Despair, that was all that Darcia could feel, and it only got worse when the door opened once more, and in stepped the last person Darcia would have wanted to find them.
"Headmaster." Snape said with glee as Dumbledore stepped into the room, his pale blue eyes sweeping through the room quickly.
"Severus, what has happened here?" He asked his potions master.
Snape grinned evilly, "I have yet to discover how the troll was felled, but I have uncovered a conspiracy."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Snape pointed an accusing finger at Darcia and Harry. "They were plotting to kill me, Headmaster."
Dumbledore's head reared back in shock. "Severus, surely-"
"I have proof, Headmaster! And I will not rest until they are fully prosecuted!" Snape turned to glare at the once more. "I will make your life a living hell. You will wish-"
Any other words or actions Snape would have taken were stopped by a blast of red light that hit the side of his head from point blank range.
Hermione screamed once more as Snape's head was obliterated into a paste, his headless body collapsing lifelessly onto the floor, ending up in the same position as the dead troll.
Wand smoking from the blasting curse, Dumbledore turned his head to look at the three shocked and terrified first years.
"I told you I'd get it done, little cousin."
All three gasped at the voice that came out of Dumbledore's mouth, the voice of a teenage girl.
"Tonks?"
Dumbledore's body shifted, turning smaller, the skin becoming smoother and more elastic as womanly curves sprouted where there had been none.
In a moment, Nym stood in front of them, her now oversized robe looking comical in her new frame.
"Miss Tonks, how'd you find us?" Harry asked the pink-haired teen.
Nym smiled. "I have my ways. Once I found out about Lucius Malfoy's death, I knew the plan couldn't move forward, so I came looking for you. Didn't expect to find a big stinky troll corpse, though."
"Mr Malfoy is dead?!" Harry asked in shock. Darcia for her part stared at her cousin, how the hell had she found out about that so quickly?
"Y-you killed him! You killed a professor!" Hermione jabbed an accusing finger at Tonks, who just now remembered that the other girl was in the room.
"Granger." Darcia hissed. "You will keep your mouth shut."
Hermione looked over at Darcia defiantly. "I have to tell the Professors what happened! None of this is right, you can't just kill people and break the rules without any consequences!"
Tonks cringed. This was bad. If she had more time, she could take the girl away and obliviate her, but she needed to leave immediately, the professors were only a few corridors away. But it was clear they wouldn't be able to convince this girl to keep her mouth shut, at least not in the few minutes they had.
Darcia came up with a solution in a stroke of brilliance. "Did my slave save you from the troll?"
Hermione blinked. "He did, and I owe Harry my life. But this-"
"Hermione Granger, I call upon the life debt owed to me by you. I hereby make you bonded to me in servitude, a term to be carried out in perpetuity!"
A blinding flash of light filled the room, and the next thing Tonks saw was a golden chain around Hermione's neck, identical to the one Harry wore.
Tonks wanted to whoop in celebration and pat her little cousin on the back, but she really needed to leave. "You three stay here. Keep your story straight and don't look the Headmaster in the eye."
Just as Nymphadora was leaving, Darcia called out. "Wait! What's our story?"
"Come up with something. You seem to be pretty good thinking on your feet."
…
Albus Dumbledore sank into his seat when he finally managed to make it to his office, deep into the wee hours of the night.
Tonight was one of those where he felt the weight of every one of his years on his bones.
The aurors had been called in. A full on investigation had been launched.
Severus Snape was a man with few if any friends, but the death of a Professor at the hands of a mountain troll was something that could not be ignored.
The story they'd been able to piece together from Miss Malfoy, Miss Granger and Harry was jumbled, at best. Darcia had run off after finding out about her father's death. She had then met up with her slave, who hadn't been with her for some reason, and they'd found Miss Granger.
They'd managed to save her life, but they were still in danger of the troll. Then, Severus had come along and saved them, fighting valiantly, though sacrificing his life in the process.
Somewhere in there, Miss Granger had invoked the slave bond she felt she owed Miss Malfoy for saving her life. There was a second student-slave among the first years now.
The cracks in the story had been obvious from the first. If it hadn't been for Narcissa Malfoy protecting her daughter, invoking her rights as a heiress to avoid interrogation unless formally charged, they would have quickly been able to uncover the truth.
Albus wasn't sure if he wanted to uncover the truth.
Severus was dead. There was no turning back the clock on that one. Harry and by extension Darcia were still the only ones capable of bringing down the Dark Lord. And they wouldn't be able to do that from behind a jail cell.
And so, Albus swallowed his sense of moral duty. He swallowed the bitterness he felt at having to let Miss Malfoy go off free when there had clearly been something more to this story.
The aurors were more than happy to roll with the story they'd been given. Snape was a hero who had saved a trio of students from certain death. His killer was dead, case closed. A muggleborn was enslaved, which to them simply meant they'd need to dispatch a team of obliviators to the girl's family, making sure to erase all traces of her muggle existence.
Meanwhile, someone had tested the protections on the stone.
Albus knew that someone was Quirell, who was working in concert with Voldemort, somehow. That, above all, steeled the Headmaster's resolve. What was one dead Potions Professor and spy, in the face of the destruction of the entire wizarding world?
He'd given Miss Malfoy leave for the next few days, in order to let her process both the incident with the troll and the death of her father. Tomorrow was a friday, and Albus felt that it might be best for classes to be canceled for everyone until monday.
On top of all of that, he needed to find a new Potions Master.
…
The floo flared for the final time as Hermione Granger's first ever trip ended with her stumbling out the fireplace and falling on her face.
"Don't worry, Hermione, it gets easier." Harry assured his fellow slave as he helped her up.
Harry felt a tug, and in a moment he was engulfed in a deep hug by Narcissa. "Oh, Harry. Don't you ever risk your life like that again!"
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mrs. Malfoy."
"It's Cissy, Harry dear. Please call me Cissy." She said as she squeezed the boy closer to her bosom.
They heard a sound come from the stairs, and the children jumped, unaware of anyone else living here now that Lucius was dead.
Narcissa knew exactly who it was. Andi was staying over at grandfather's, and Rita was at home, probably working overtime now that the front page of the Prophet would need to make room for two headlines.
Bellatrix was at the landing. Andi's nutrient potions had done their work. Bellatrix looked vibrant and healthy. She wore a nightgown that accentuated her heavy breasts and her shapely, womanly figure. Her hair was still a tangle of pitch-black curls, but they made her look like a seductress, a sexy medusa ready to freeze an unsuspecting man with her piercing violet eyes.
"Aunt Andromeda?" Darcia asked tentatively.
Bellatrix didn't look at her. She didn't look at any of them except for one. Her eyes were laser focused on the tall, athletic boy with those striking emerald green eyes.
Harry bowed his head respectfully. "Hello, ma'am. I'm sorry, missus hasn't told me your-"
"HARRY!" Bellatrix shrieked, sprinting the way over to them and snatching the boy from Narcissa's arms.
Bella squeezed Harry into a bone crushing hug. The boy's face mushed up against her considerable cleavage, and Harry did not seem to mind at all that this lady was pressing him against her gorgeous body.
Bellatrix sent Narcissa and Darcia a wild look. "Mine!" She yelled before running off to the stairs, dragging Harry along with her.
"Hey!" Darcia yelled out. Narcissa put her hand over her daughters.
"Let her be. Believe me, it's for the best."
"Dobby." The elf popped into existence. "Why don't you show this new slave to Darcia's room."
Dobby nodded, and he grabbed onto Hermione's hand, leading the now quiet girl off towards the stairwell.
"I believe we have a lot to talk about, daughter of mine." Narcissa began. "What exactly happened tonight?"
Darcia opened her mouth, but she shut it again as she looked over her mother's shoulder.
Narcissa turned and groaned. Lucius was there, floating with an impertinent look on his face, arms folded.
"We both have a lot to talk about, huh, mother?"