Author's Note: I put this story aside to finish Summer Rituals and Honor to Serve this year, so sorry for the delay in this particular story. It is now back in the regular list of stories that I run the muse through to get scenes. This particular chapter occurs after the Middle of February chapter of Ritually Yours. That being said, I believe that a refresher of earlier chapters of this story alone should be sufficient, unless you want to do a complete re-read to get in timeline order.

I'm getting less feedback that I used to from the various sources I use to beta. This either means that I'm making less mistakes (unlikely) or I need some new dedicated betas. Please PM me if you're interested, indicating your fandom preferences, as I have works in Harry Potter, Star Trek (Marrissa Stories), and Ranma ½ in my current working queue. My muse likes to jump around.

For this particular chapter, I would like to thank the members of the Survivors of CaerAzkaban discord, the CaerAzkaban mailing list, and my first Marrissa beta "A".


Chapter Five: Embers

Erlene had only been at the Old Bailey once before during the trial of the man who had acted as if he was her husband. She had spend nearly a decade under his control, and could not stand another minute under his control. That being said, she had to be there, at the end of the trial to see the final verdict. Her daughter Victoria was back at Hogwarts, and Juliet was at her school, so she was seated between Narcissa and Lucius as the Judge brought down his gavel. In her arms was Junior, who had told her before the ritual that he had to be there when Fenton was sentenced for murdering him. Erlene couldn't deny her eldest son that.

"The verdict shall now be read in The Crown v Fenton Price, senior. You do have a verdict?"

"Yes, the jury does," the foreperson announced. "We have reached a verdict on all counts presented to this court."

"On the rape of six minors, names withheld from the record, on the night of November 5, 1968, guilty for all six.

"On the count of the murder of Gertrude Harrison, a pregnant minor on January 4, 1974, guilty.

"On the count of the murder of Rodney Harrison, her father, on January 6, 1974, guilty."

Erlene hadn't know anything about her "husband" before the night she was forced to leave Lucius and woke up being cursed to live and obey him. She knew that Abraxas couldn't kill her because of the family magic that her union with Lucius had cast on her, but he'd certainly found a man who could have ended up killing her. It was a very good thing that the family magic had made sure that Fenton could only father children on her with Lucius's magically acquired seed.

"On the count of escape from Her Majesty's Custody on December 25, 1974, guilty.

"On the murders of Richard Moran and Henry Howard, prison guards, during that escape, guilty.

"On the destruction of evidence relating to the Harrison charges by breaking into the evidence room, guilty.

"On the counts of forcible rape, involuntary captivity, and battery of Erlene Prince-Malfoy, guilty."

Erlene knew she should be glad for that verdict, but it was not what she was waiting for. It was a side show in what was more important to her. She did not want justice for her, she wanted it for her children.

"On the murder of Fenton Price Junior on February 15, 1987, guilty."

Erlene hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath that long, as it came out in a rush as Fenton's conviction of killing her son was announced. Junior, just a week past being reborn, but physically almost the size of a three-month-old, due to the ritual, would have interrupted the foreperson, if it hadn't been for the carefully applied sound traveling reduction charm that made it so he could only be heard within a radius of two feet. Somehow it was enough that Fenton looked right at her.

"On multiple counts of rape of Victoria, step-daughter, dating from her eighth year to this past summer, resulting in the conception of a child, guilty.

"On count of rape of Juilet, daughter age eight, in December of the past year, guilty."

Erlene felt a deep sense of relief pass through her body. Knots and tangles in her body that she hadn't realized existed began to loosen. She pulled Junior up closer to her body, as she felt Lucius and Narcissa place their arms around her. It was finally over.

So deep was her sense of relief, that she didn't even notice the judge dismissing the jury. Only when the judge banged his gavel again did her attention return to the court room.

"The defendant, having been convicted on all charges, is hereby remanded to the custody of Her Majesty's prison at Askaban, were he will remain at the pleasure of the Queen for the rest of his natural life, however long it may be."

Erlene looked at her husband.

"I may have suggested to mention the name of the prison to the judge," Lucius said. Erlene could see that he was enjoying the reaction of Fenton to the sentence. "And someone might have mentioned it to him shortly before he lost his privileges. He seems to find the chill of ghostly touch quite scary. The chill of the dementors might give him similar reminders of that day."

There were days that Erlene thought her husband could be deliciously evil. She shared a look with Narcissa. Tonight their husband was getting rewarded.

... after he watched the latest episode with Julie. Children still came first, and Erlene knew better than to mess with her daughter's time with her father.


Lucius made sure that he visited Hogwarts at least once a month as a member of its governing board. Most of the time he focused on the facilities, but this time, he was doing something he'd never done before. He was talking to students, and not just those in Slytherin. He wasn't avoiding them either, like Augusta Longbottom did Gryffindor. He'd already talked to the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, Oliver Wood, and a young second year Ravenclaw whose name was already escaping him.

Those two had given him a couple action items. The school brooms were apparently a travesty and there was a sever lack of study space in the library near each end of term. He'd also questioned Wood about the Slytherin Quidditch Team. While it was true that a rival would see everything wrong with their rival, sometimes you needed to have a good list to start with, which he was certainly not going to get from Marcus Flint, a sixth year that his eldest daughter seemed to think was the biggest block to her own ambitions. Victoria was sure that she should have been made a starting chaser during her second year instead of Adrian Pucey. Of course she'd been too pregnant to try again this past autumn.

"Journeyman Ollivander," Lucius said as the fourth-year Slytherin came into the small lounge he was using for interviews. "Please have a seat." He pointed to the green leather chair that at a right angle to his own. "And do not hesitate to have some hot chocolate and lemon biscuits. If my sources are correct, they are your favorite."

Julian Ollivander picked up a couple lemon biscuits and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Thank you Lord Malfoy," he replied respectfully.

"How is Victoria's studying going?" Lucius asked.

"Quite well, sir. She's ahead in most of her classes, and it doesn't look like the lack of practicals for potions is effecting her grade that much." Julian blew across the top of his hot chocolate causing a wisp of steam to float in front of him.

"I've been given to understand that the Slytherin Quidditch Team is not the best that it could be this year. In fact my sources say that the issues may have started last year when Marcus Flint took over as Captain. How would you consider the team?"

"Frankly, Flint is the worst captain that Slytherin has ever had, and even the worst Quidditch Captain overall. He may have slaughtered Gryffindor in his opening game as Captain last year, but he didn't deserve it. By the end of last season he'd driven Selena Willaert to quit a game early, and you know where she is now."

Lucius did know where Willaert was. That young lady had managed to set the rookie record for Quaffles scored in just two thirds of the season. She'd been signed by the Harpies right out of Hogwarts. "I see. Am I correct that Miss Willaert was the last female on the Quidditch team?"

"Yes, and she shouldn't have been. Victoria was better that Pucey, and Higgs ... well he hasn't got a snitch yet. I could put a team of first years together, if they weren't too busy playing football, and beat the current starters. And then there is the penalties ... take one guess what percentage of the penalities were called on Slytherin in the first four games of the season."

"Thirty-five," Lucius guessed, knowing that the team was somewhat reliant on Bletchley's stone wall keeping against penalties.

"Try eighty-one," Julian said, before taking a deep sip of his chocolate. "Ravenclaw hasn't had a single call against it this year. Victoria called Saturday's game the worst example of bad sportsmanship since your father played."

"That is a serious allegation," Lucius said. His father had held the record for the most penalties called in a single game. "One that I do not disagree with. I understand that you took Victoria to the aforementioned game."

"I did sir," Julian said, paling a bit.

"Do not tense up, Julian," Lucius said, using the boy's name for the first time rather than his title and last name. "I find your actions and intentions towards my daughter to be most favorable. In fact I expect that you'll find that my approval of your relationship knows few bounds."

"Sir?" Julian said, pluzzled.

"You are aware of who is responsible for Victoria's current delicate condition?" Lucius asked.

"Victoria has confided in me, but I doubt she would accept her condition as delicate," Julian replied. "She's not exactly know for accepting any of the limitations that Madam Pomfrey imposes on her."

"I've heard," Lucius replied firmly. "I'm also given to understand that you are one of the few who have been able to restrain her from doing things that she is forbidden to. Usually by the application of romantic gestures, and occasionally other plans that she has been unable to escape."

"Well, she's, well, rather delectable."

"And judging from your continued romancing through her current condition, I would judge that you are rather serious in your relationship with my daughter." Lucius said, looking slightly down as he focused on Julian, catching the fourth-year's eyes in his own.

Julian's eyes met his, and Lucius could almost feel the determination radiate off the young man. "I intend to ask her to marry me some day," Julian suddenly blurted out.

Lucius kept his gaze firmly on the young man, allowing a moment's silence to test him. Julian did not break eye contact. This young journeyman wandmaker was serious. He didn't really want to loose his daughter so soon after he got to finally meet him, but Lucius knew his daughter was already quite grown up, with a little over a month before his first grandchild was to be delivered by her.

The silence continued as he figured his best response. Given the serious ritual that he was going to ask of the boy, it was very good that he was so serious with Victoria. "You may ask her, when the time is right. However, before you do, I shall like to know if you would be willing to preform the Cambià u Sangue di Babbu Ritual with Victoria so that her baby may be born with your blood rather than that of a prisoner of Azkaban?"

There was a brief silence, just long enough that Lucius could tell that Julian was taking it seriously. "If she wants me like I hope, I will," Julian replied firmly.


Draco had discovered that an idle little sister was a writing little sister. It seemed that Julie lacked any friends she wanted to visit anymore, and her homework wasn't taking much time, so he and Victoria were getting letters from Julie on alternating days. Today was his day. He'd been warned by Victoria that her last letter had been rather gloomy on the subject of Fenton. He took his sister's letter from what might as well be her personal owl, given how much she used the eagle owl she called "Liberty."

Draco carefully broke the seal on the family arms, in lozenge with an ermine spot denoting that it was from the second daughter. It was extremely unusual that a girl her age would have her own wax stamp with appropriate arms, but Julie had quickly become a favored daughter. It only took his father's sudden use of certain phrases from Julie's favorite show on the telly to show that.

Opening it, a quick glance at the rather neat handwriting told Draco that this was a letter that Julie had put some thought into. He read it carefully, not skimming or skipping over anything. This was not a letter of complaint, or rejoicing, either of which he'd expected in the aftermath of Fenton, or as Julie called him in her letters, He-who-should-not-have's sentencing. No, this was a letter written once the euphoria was over, when her thoughts and words had sunken in.

Draco was of the opinion that there was no punishment enough for the man who had despoiled his oldest sisters. Word that the muggle had received life in prison, and was going to be transferred to Azkaban had brought a feeling of satisfaction that he knew that was shared by Victoria.

Julie, however, didn't find it satisfying. She wanted him suffering until death. Draco was sure that if someone actually could make her believe what the Dementors of Azkaban did, she might change her mind, but he didn't think he could do that via a letter. Plus he had no real experience to lend validity with her on it. Judith would believe just about anything that Draco told her, a trust that as her big brother he was trying to live up to, but Julie wasn't as trusting.

He really needed advice on this, and he didn't want to put anything more on Victoria. In fact he suspected that Victoria wasn't getting as open of letters as he was, because Julie didn't want to put that stress on their pregnant older sister.

Draco hadn't even noticed that Daphne Greengrass had taken a seat on the same small couch, being so engrossed in thought. "Another letter from your little sister?" Daphne asked.

"Yes." Draco said, looking down at the letter again, before looking back at Daphne. "I'm not sure how to reply."

"Well, you know I have a little sister, Astoria will be in your sister's year, but I think your sister's issues are an entirely different level," Daphne said. "My little sister's last letter complained about having no one around."

"Julie's got that issue," Draco replied with surprise. He was aware that his fellow first years in Slytherin knew some things about his changed family. Victoria was obvious, but Julie, he didn't really know how much they knew about her. Of course there were some things that he didn't intend to share. One of them was exactly what Fenton had done to Julie. It was nice, however, that at least one issue Julie had was one that other younger sisters had.

"They can't live with us, they can't live without us," Daphne groused.

"I know," Draco said. "I've lived in that wing alone since I was six. I guess it might be a bit different for Julie, as this is the first time she's had her own room, let alone had a whole wing to herself. It was different when I was in the adjoining room and Victoria was across the hall, apparently."

"Is she being smothered by your parents?" Daphne asked. "Astoria's complaining about that. Apparently Mum won't let her alone."

"My parents have a little more distractions," Draco replied. "Three more younger siblings, and I think my mother is trying for a second. Mother Erlene and Father apparently did a fertility rite before they took their NEWTs."

"Fertility rite?" Daphne gasped. "Which one?"

"You think I really want to even think about my parents doing that?" Draco asked as he tried to get the image of his parents doing that out of his head. Just before his return to Hogwarts he'd come his father kissing his mother, pressing her up against the wall. He'd quickly retreated.

"Point," Daphne said. "We're all the result of immaculate conception, any other way is too troubling to think about."

"Exactly," Draco said. "Got any idea how I can reassure my oldest little sister that she hasn't been abandoned?"

"Let me know when you figure that one out," Daphne replied, her gaze going upwards. "She nearly made me late for going back to Hogwarts by locking me in my room and somehow putting a wardrobe in front of my bedroom door. I had to go out via the balcony."

"Okay, I need to make sure that your sister doesn't give my sister ideas before Easter," Draco said.

"That should be easy unless your sister happens to be going to school in Houndslow," Daphne said.

"She does," Draco said.

"Is she in a class with a Winton-Henke?" Daphne asked. "Because if she is, that I think my sister might be in the same school. There can not be two memorable Winton-Henkes our sisters' age."

"Oh Merlin, it is such a good thing that I didn't use your last name in my letters," Draco replied, hoping there wasn't enough else to identify. Daphne had mentioned all the trouble her little sister had gotten into over the last five months, now that he thought about it.

"They're younger siblings, somehow they will know that we're imagining what trouble they could get into together, and get together to gang up on their unhelpful older siblings at Hogwarts," Daphne said in a monotone. "By tomorrow night, their plan will have been made, and we shall never escape."

"Maybe, but if we get them together, they might not be lonely when we're gone anymore," Draco said. "And I think my sister needs a good friend at school."


Blaise was sitting in a dark corner of the Slytherin Common Room. It was fairly late, but he couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was Vincent's persistent snoring, or maybe the uncomfortable settling of the late and hurried last meal of the day, nearly missed due to a late potions theory tutoring session with Greg. He knew better. He reached over to trigger the table lamp, and picked up the half size covered clipboard that he'd picked off his night stand on the way back down to the Common Room.

He flipped the cover to the side and looked at the letter that was attached. His eyes didn't go to the top, but to the bottom, below where the older of his younger sisters had signed her name, "Evangella Zabini." Like most of her letters, filled with quite a bit of family news and things that the eight-year-old had done lately, it was the little last post script zinger that had him thinking too much to sleep.

"Something keeping you awake, Blaise?" came the sudden interruption to his thoughts. Blaise looked up to discover Draco with a tray containing milk and biscuits. It was obvious by the crumbs and existing two half-full glasses that Draco had been up for a while. "Victoria," Draco said to the unasked question. Victoria Malfoy had been moved to her own room, making it possible for Draco to visit. He didn't think that was the reason that she'd been moved to a previously unused and hidden corridor off the common room, but he wasn't going to ask. It wasn't his business, even though he was curious.

"Yes, Mum is getting married again," Blaise said. That would soon be news, so he had no problem revealing that.

"Little sister letter, I see," Draco said. "Your sister may be the only contender to beat my sister for letters to Hogwarts older siblings."

"Juliet has that well in hand," Blaise replied. "Has she missed a day sending one to either you or Victoria?"

"Once, but she had a good excuse," Draco said. "And don't ever call Julie Juliet to her face. She'll curse you so you can't tell your right from your left."

"Hey, I was born in fair Verona, where Shakespeare laid his scene. I will find Juliet at her window," Blaise replied. "After all, it is the East and Juliet is the sun!"

"I am so inviting you over this Summer just so I can watch what she does to you," Draco said, putting down the tray on a nearby coffee table and sitting down next Blaise. He looked at the clipboard. "How old is Evangella?"

"Eight as of this past August," Blaise replied, his eyes shifting to his sister's salutation. He had spent the first five and a half years of his life in Verona before the family moved to England following his mother's fourth marriage, so he'd received the barest of education in the Italian style of letters. Evangella had been two at the time (and Miranda was the product of that marriage), so neither of his sisters had been taught that the use of Dear or Caro in Italian indicated familiarity. Evangella seemed to think that dropping the Dear did that. It was a tiny bit grating, but Blaise was used to it.

"Oh Merlin, our third year is going to be miserable," Draco said sitting back all the way in the chair and propping his feet up on the edge of the coffee table. "Julie, Astoria, and your sister all starting. I just hope that none of the three have met each other before then. If your sister is anything like my and Daphne's sisters are..."

"You do realize that my family and the Greengrass family are generally invited to the same balls as yours. The only reason that we weren't at the New Year's Ball this year at your manor was Mother was still in morning for her sixth husband. They'll meet before they're sorted, and we're doomed."

"Is that why you're down here, your mother is already after a new step-father for you?" Draco asked after a moment's silence.

"Probably," Blaise said. "I should be finding that out from her, not Evangella, and wasn't six enough husbands to kill off?"

"You really think your mother is a black widow?" Draco asked.

"No, not really," Blaise admitted, his own feet going up on the edge of the coffee table. "I know she loved my father, and had no reason to kill him. That investigation is still open, but they cleared her. That ageing potion involved in Evangella's father's death is definitely not her fault. I suspect his great uncle, personally, for most of that mess. I don't think she was responsible Emilio's death, she spent a long time making sure I didn't think that I or my best friends at the time were responsible.

"Miranda's father was pure old age, he was a hundred and fifty years old. Ippolito, trampled by hippogriffs just after saying 'I do,' that I blame on the Casamento family. I blame for most of my step fathers dying, actually. I told Massimo that Ulisse Casamento wasn't his friend, but did he believe me, of course not, and there went my last step father.

"I'd like to hope that I get a good step-father who doesn't die this time, but none of them have lasted for more than three years. I just don't want to have another only to loose him again."

"Seven is a lucky number," Draco said. "Maybe this one will outlive you. Come on, have a glass of milk and biscuits, and we'll go to bed. We've got potions tomorrow, and we'll need to be alert."


Victoria had been told that her father wanted to see her. Since she'd moved into Malfoy Manor, it had been quite common for the teenage pregnant girl. Because of the very convoluted inheritance rules, she was at the moment heir to the Lordship of Malfoy, and that meant that a good deal of the latter half of her Yule break had been filled with her father making sure she knew what it meant, and her own duties as a result.

She so hoped her father lived past Draco's fifteenth birthday, when as eldest son of age he could inherit instead of her as the eldest child of her father's first wife. Of course there was a question about even that possibility. There was Wizengamont ruling that could be read to make all of Victoria's mother's children come before Mother Narcissa's, in which case she'd be waiting for Jupiter (that was going take some getting used to) turn of age. And that was assuming that his partial death wasn't ruled as a complete death, in which case it would be Joseph turning fifteen. Wizengamont rulings gave her a headache.

The door to the School Governor's interview lounge opened at her approach. She'd been aware that her father had been doing what he called his due diligence all day, while she was in class. Victoria knew that her father had intended to be more attentive to the various posts he held now that her grandfather had passed. She was also aware that his leanings had changed just a bit as well, and she knew part of the reason why. Her father still had a dislike for Dumbledore's particulars, as he referred to them, but he had to admit that the wizard was a genius, mad genius, sometimes, too.

Victoria waddled into the room, discovering her father was just getting up from flueing someone. "Good Afternoon, Father."

"Good Afternoon, my glowing daughter," her father said, turning towards her. He stepped towards her, bringing her into a hug. Victoria was sure that her classmates would not believe that Lucius Malfoy was a hugger. Victoria loved her father's hugs though, and didn't think that any of her siblings were of other opinions, save perhaps Julie with her ridiculous Vulcan greeting insistence. And maybe not even that, given how often Julie ended up falling asleep in her father's arms. "I have had your preferred tea, prepared, along with your favorite chocolate biscuits."

Her father released his hug, but kept his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "If I am not mistaken, Victoria, you are not getting enough sleep."

"Maybe, father," Victoria replied. "I can't really find a comfortable position anymore, and the baby keeps deciding to walk up and start kicking right as I'm starting to fall asleep." Her baby seemed to object to that characterization, kicking firmly against her bladder. "There he goes again."

"Well, talk to Madame Pomfrey about it," her father said, directing Victoria over to one of the leather chairs. "She has quite the experience taking care of young pregnant witches."

The chair was surprisingly comfortable, supporting Victoria's body just right, unlike many of the chairs she used. The whale in her belly had redistributed the way her weight was distributed during the school year. She picked up the tea and took a deep sip. It was rare that anyone would let her have any of her favored caffeine drinks at the moment, so she intended to enjoy it when it was offered.

"Speaking of your baby, I am quite aware that you would prefer not to have your step-father as the father of your child," her father said. "I have already made sure that he will not ever leave Azkaban."

"Yes, but you can't do anything about that," Victoria said with regret infused in her voice. The fact that her baby was her step-father's baby was one of the things that made her rage. She had promised herself that it wouldn't effect her treatment of her baby, but every time she had some complication, cursing her step-father was right on the tip of her toungue.

"I thought that too, but Narcissa is quite the researcher. She found the Cambià u Sangue di Babbu Ritual, apparently an ritual once used in attempts to make the blood line pure. It does require the involvement of another wizard. I have already found an acceptable young wizard who I doubt you will have much of an issue."

"Who is this paragon of virtue that you find acceptable?" Victoria said, her mood suddenly swinging from hope in a solution to anger that her father had apparently chosen someone without consulting her. Her hair sparked with magic as she put down her tea cup with just a bit of force. Despite the force, however, the tea stayed in the cup. This was a big decision, and unlike the action that had got her in the situation in the first place, she didn't think it required instant decision and most certainly was something that she should have the final say in.

"Journeyman Julian Ollivander, who last I heard you were consorting in a few broom closets with. At least I hope you were not studying potions with him in those closets," her father said. "You can of course, reject him and choose someone else, but ritual is only legal before you give birth, so I suggest, daughter, that if you don't wish to have him as the father of your baby, and wish to change, you make the decision fairly quickly."

Victoria was now blushing as her father had apparently found out about a few delays in getting to class she'd had in the last couple of weeks after she had discovered how much she like french kissing Julian. She had to admit that Julian was a rather good choice. She liked him. He liked her. The thing about him already have a career that would likely make him set for life when his uncle retired wasn't really something she was particularly concerned with, though in the back of her mind she knew it was something that her father would consider. There was no way her father would suggest any potential father of his grand child be one with no prospects. "Okay, but what does this ritual do?"

"According to Narcissa," her father said as he pulled a narrow sheet of parchment out of his robes, "It replaces all the traits that would have come from the father with the new father's. It also decreases the likelihood of any other than the new father getting the mother pregnant for five years. Not as much as the ritual that your mother and I had, which makes it impossible for her to bare a child other than mine, of course. It causes an increase in amniotic fluid in the womb after the ritual as a side effect, and may also cause increased mood swings. Narcissa has encrypted part of the side effects for your eyes only, for some reason."

Her father handed Victoria the sheet. Reading through the sheet, Victoria found the first part as her father said, but as she got to the part that her other mum had encrypted, she started to blush. She wasn't going to object to those side effects, mostly. She was fairly certain that she and Julian might enjoy the results, and well, what her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She made her decision, but had a few things she was going to try to get from her father in return.

With her face still blushing, she looked up at her father. "He'll do, and I'll do it, but no objecting, ever, to Julian coming over and being in my room. If he's going to be the father of my baby, that means I want him to be the father, not just a sperm donor."

"I expect proper behavior between you and Journeyman Ollivander," her father said sternly.

"Proper as any couple with a baby is," Victoria responded, the blush starting to go away, replaced with a piercing stare. "That's what the ritual is going to insure, isn't it?"

Her father nodded slightly. "No more babies until you take your NEWTs," he offered.

"If I get on the Quidditch team next autumn, that's pretty garrenteed," Victoria returned.

"Then it looks like I better start looking harder in to the Slytherin Quidditch Team," her father said. "It has already come up today, along with the brooms for flying class."

"Those are a travesty," Victoria said. She'd had problems with them two years ago, and what had happened with Neville Longbottom was a school legend already.

"That is what Captain Wood from Gryffindor said, too," her father said. "He also said that Captain Flint is the worst Quidditch Captain he'd ever seen, and Julian agreed. I plan on talking with Selena Willaert later this week."

"She was the one that encouraged me to try out in my second year," Victoria said, reflecting back fondly. "Selena told me that she would have put me on the team instead of Pucey. Unless something happens with Flint, I probably won't make the team next year, but I think I'll still have a chance in fifth year. Won't end up playing professionally like I dreamed, now, though." She let out a deep breath of regret.

"If what I've discovered this far is true, I have a strong feeling that Flint will not be Captain Flint next year."


Julie didn't expect to have someone sit down beside her at lunch. She'd been the poor girl in the class, always put down due not having the latest thing. Only the fact that everyone wore uniforms prevented teasing about her clothes, and even then the condition of her shoes had elicited comment. She also was close with the teacher enough that she was sometimes called the teacher's pet.

So when a fellow student with dark brown hair sat down next to her just seconds after she sat down, it was a surprise. "Are you by any chance related a Draco Malfoy now?" the girl asked.

"He's my half-brother," Julie replied.

"I'm Astoria Greengrass, my sister Daphne is a fellow first year Slytherin," the girl said. "I understand we share similar issues with Winton-Henke?"

"How is she getting under your skin?" Julie asked.

"There is a certain song involving my last name, which is why I'm currently darkening my hair, and will never ever wear lipstick again," Astoria said. "The only way it could be worse is if my name was Mary, which is unfortunately close to my nickname of Story enough to still rhyme."

Julie had no idea what song she was talking about, but she could tell that it obviously made Astoria upset, even thinking about it. "Julie Malfoy, don't call me Juliet. Any idea on how we can get back at Winton-Henke?"

"Not without using you know what, unfortunately," Astoria said. "Daphne won't let me forget the toad incident. She's not going to help."

"I don't think my older brother will help either, and Victoria's got enough problems," Julie said. "But I did listen in when Mum was playing Grandmaster Weasley. Have you heard of his twins?"

"You mean the boys that turned the font in the Ministry of Magic green when they were still ten? And triggered the infestation of lepercons?" Astoria said. "They're in Gryffindor, I think. Why would they help us?"

"They don't have to, I just remembered a prank they played that Grandmaster Weasley mentioned that might be possible for us to do that bitch without any magic involved," Julie said. "But I can't do it alone. You in?" Julie held out her hand.

"I'm in," Astoria said, taking Julie's hand.