Chapter 2: Slytherin

My Dearest Caradoc,

Years have passed me by in a blur, yet not a day goes by where I don't think about you.

You'd be so proud of Madeline; she's already shaping up to become a wonderful Witch, like her mother if I may say so myself.

I pray that there is a world in which you know her, and watch her grow up.

Yours forever,

Eloise.

Hogwarts was precisely the opposite of what Madeline's home had been.

Although the castle was impossibly large, there seemed to be a friendly face on every corner. The school itself was filled with life, a stark difference to the desolated corridors of her mansion. Innocent spells and hexes were thrown between classmates in the halls, laughs bouncing off the stone walls. Instead of prim and proper greetings, everyone acted like actual teenagers with high-fives and hugs and fist-bumps.

It was homely and warm, and funnily enough, a little uncomfortable.

Madeline may have been the daughter of an aristocratic socialite, but she most definitely wasn't the best at… Socialising, shall we say. She was witty and bright, but her sharp tongue had never won her any favours. It seemed that to the vast majority of Hogwarts, she was a shiny new toy sitting on a shelf, ready to be played with, and just maybe, that left a sour taste in her mouth when it came to meeting new people.

However, Madeline had found herself growing fonder of two specific housemates of hers; Theodore Nott, and Daphne Greengrass. They had been easy to talk to, because it seemed to her that they held themselves in the same regard she did. Daphne had made it her mission to give Madeline a 'True Slytherin Experience', a direct quote given to her right before entering her common room for the first time.

And although Hogwarts itself sometimes seemed far too big and far too warm for Madeline, the Slytherin Common Room felt just like home.

It was hidden in the depths of the Hogwarts dungeons, behind a dark stone brick wall with an unfortunate leak, grey water trickling out of a loose stone and onto the ground. Damp and dreary, the entrance may not seem the most inviting, but a simple whisper of the password would upturn the stones, revealing perhaps the most beautiful room Madeline had ever seen.

It was large and dark, the only light emitting from a few candles, some green lanterns, a single candelabra hanging from the curved ceiling, and the enormous windows opening up into the Great Lake. You'd often see a few fish swim by the windows, some stopping to peer inside through the murky green water. The candelabra was made of thick metal snakes interweaving into each other, each snakes mouth holding an ever-glowing candle. And of course, the soft curves of these metal shakes would shadow on the walls, and would sometimes move if you stared at them for too long.

Thick wreaths of ivy hung from above the windows, the stone walls either kept bare or covered with intricate vintage green wallpaper, depicting stories that were ever-changing. One of the walls held a mural of Salazar Slytherin, the original founder of Slytherin. The opposite wall had a noticeboard, currently only with dorm room lists. A large stone fireplace commanded the room, surrounded with plush black leather couches and wooden chairs. Above the mantelpiece, moving pictures of decades of Slytherins were proudly mounted into the walls, each one in a different dark oak frame.

The floor also remained bare and stone, save for a few luscious green rugs, each patterned with snakes of all shapes and sizes. No two rugs were the same. Tall stone pillars seemed to hold the cave-like room upright, each one etched with years of scratches and chips to make them feel grand and historic. The Slytherin crest hung proudly from every pillar in the room, and even engraved in the large round dark oak tables littered around the room.

To Madeline, it was perfect. It was cold and isolated, yet there was a warmness to it found only through the people in the house itself. It felt like it had soul, something her own mansion in France unfortunately did not have.

It hadn't taken long for her to understand exactly what being a Slytherin meant to everyone else in Hogwarts. In fact, it seemed that everyone had made up their mind about her; cold, detached, and evil. She had always held her head up highly, as did many others in her house, and she would never apologise for knowing her worth. What they didn't see, however, was the smiles of the first years when the Slytherin Prefects made them their first Conjure Cocoa, nor would they hear the bright laughter of Daphne Greengrass as they all sat around the warm fire, telling tales of their summers.

Daphne Greengrass had a warmth to her that was very rare to find, in Madeline's experience. She was perhaps the loudest of the Slytherin women, with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. She'd be the first one up in the mornings, and the last one asleep. "I'm just making the most of every moment," she'd say, her optimism almost infectious. It was a mystery how someone like Theodore Nott, sharp-tongued and cynical, had called the girl his best friend for the last four years.

In the short time she'd known him, Theodore was clearly one of the most talented young wizards Madeline had ever met. His skills in Ancient Runes were unmatched, and he wore his intelligence almost arrogantly sometimes, yet he'd never dare mock another housemates struggles. In the short few days she'd been in Hogwarts, Madeline had spotted Theodore help more than one first year with homework assignments, doing so without seek of praise or admiration. And she's also noticed how unfazed he was at the attention Madeline was receiving from the student body, acknowledging it but never commenting on it.

Madeline wasn't quite sure how she fit into their dynamic, but she did. In fact, since the moment she'd sat at the Slytherin table that very first time, she'd found herself with both of them at every meal and between every class, animatedly talking about new professors, new classes, and new places she'd found. They would joke and tease each other, as if they'd known each other their whole lives. And that, in itself, was odd for Madeline.

She hadn't had many friends back home. She was homeschooled her whole life, so she'd never attended schools like Beauxbatons, never got to experience the thrill of making friends from a young age. She was poised and elegant, and often, that seemed to make her come across as too uptight to make friends. Not to mention, she was here because she needed protection, not friends. And so, although Theo and Daphne weren't exactly bad company, she didn't expect their bond to stem into friendship. She was sent to Hogwarts to be safe, and dragging anyone with her into her own family baggage just didn't seem… Fair.

But overall, Slytherin really wasn't so bad. The rest of the school stayed away from them as a general rule, which was a blessing in disguise for Madeline. Hogwarts felt warm and inviting, precisely the opposite of what Madeline's home had been.

And she certainly could not afford to be comfortable. Not now.

"I can't believe Flitwick is giving us homework already," Daphne groaned, struggling to carry her stack of textbooks and rolled parchments, "Read three books about Summoning Charms?! I'm telling you, the man is mental!"

"Absolutely mad," Madeline teased, laughing as Daphne shoved her, "No, honestly!"

Daphne rolled her eyes, smirking as they walked past a group of fifth-year boys, "It looks like no one has a problem keeping their eye on you when Theodore is nowhere to be found, Bisset."

"They're staring at you and your ridiculous stack of books, actually," Madeline retorted, huffing, "Here, let me help you-"

"Absolutely not," Daphne scoffed, "You're not going soft on me now, are you Bisset?"

"Just trying to help," Madeline protested, trailing off as she spotted a red-tied trio standing ahead of them.

She'd heard the tale of Harry Potter - of course she had - yet she hadn't quite had the opportunity to see him herself just yet. And there he was, in all of his unimpressive glory; a scruffy-haired, glasses-sporting young boy with more adventures than the average person would care to enjoy.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley sat with him on the stone bench, the two boys animatedly discussing something while the young witch scribbled on a parchment, chiming into the conversation every few moments. The three were the poster children for Gryffindor. 'The Golden Trio' as the Slytherins referred to them.

"What are you staring at- Oh," Daphne realised, turning back to her friend, "Please don't tell me you have Potter fever, because I'm not quite sure I could stay your friend if you do."

"Don't be silly," Madeline scoffed, pointedly ignoring the word friend as her eyes fixated on the trio, "I've just never seen him in person before, that's all."

"Sure," Daphne sighed dramatically, "That's how it starts, and before you know it you'll be braiding Weasley's atrocious excuse for a haircut while Granger recites every single potion ingredient known to man, and-"

"Oh shove off," Madeline grinned, poking the pile of books in Daphne's arms, "What do you need all of these for, anyway?"

"Nott and I have a bet," Daphne shrugged mysteriously, "One I'll clearly win, by the way."

"Confidence is key," Madeline nodded, her eyes straying to the Golden Trio once more. However, this time, a certain pair of eyes was staring back at her.

Harry Potter himself offered her a small, hesitant smile, which she almost returned. Almost, hadn't it been for Daphne's frantic whispering distracting her.

"Look!" Daphne whispered, "It's Mad-Eye Moody!"

Madeline's gaze fell on the Professor as he hobbled past the Golden Trio, turning sharply to walk past the two girls. Madeline furrowed her eyebrows; he seemed so familiar, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite place him.

"We have Defence Against The Dark Arts with him later, don't we?" Madeline asked distractedly, his eyes fixated on his back as he walked away from the girls.

"Unfortunately," Daphne sighed, "Snape will skin us alive if we're late to Potions, come on."

"…There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few…"

"He uses this speech every year," Daphne whispered to her new friend as the two sat in the back row of Snape's' classroom.

"…I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death," Snape paused dramatically, his eyes scanning over the classroom of greens and reds, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic."

Madeline watched the Professor intently as he swept across the front of the room, turning to his desk and flipping a potions textbook open, "As you are all now fourth years, we'll begin by covering antidotes."

A small groan echoed through the room, to which Madeline couldn't help but chuckle at. Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed.

"Since Miss Bisset seems so very entertained by my lesson, I'm sure she'll be able to tell us what important antidote absolutely needs Jobberknoll feathers," Snape drawled, stalking to her desk, "Isn't that right, Bisset?"

"Memory Potion, Sir," Madeline straightened herself up in her seat, replying with ease.

Snape raised his eyebrow, the rest of his face remaining stoic, "And what form should the sage in the potion be used as?"

"Powdered," Madeline answered, "For the best results."

Snape leant back, as if offended by Madeline's knowledge. He swiftly turned away, "Do not distract yourself in my class, Bisset."

"Yes Sir," Madeline replied quietly, ignoring the stares of her classmates.

"Damn," Daphne whistled quietly, "Since when are you a Potions Master?"

Madeline shrugged, watching as Snape began pulling different vials and flasks off a shelf on the far right of the room. A few desks in front of her, on the left, she spotted a familiar set of glasses-framed eyes staring at her.

She shot Harry Potter a small smile, which he returned before turning back around. Madeline raised her eyebrow; The Boy Who Lived, huh?

The class passed by in a blur, Snape drawling on and on about antidotes and their different properties, eventually assigning an essay on The Antidote To Common Poisons. It was only when Madeline had been packing her things into her black leather satchel that Snape spoke her name once more.

"Miss Bisset, a word after class please."

Madeline looked at Snape in surprise, nodding. She ignored the stares of her classmates as she idly watched the room dwindle down, until it was only her and the Professor.

"What is your prior education to Hogwarts, Miss Bisset?" Snape asked, his back turned away from her as he cleared the blackboard.

"My mother homeschooled me," Madeline began, "She was a Professor in Beauxbatons before the war. Primarily in Potions, but she was well-versed in other subjects too."

"I see," Snape replied with his signature monotony, "Bisset… French, is it?"

"Yes Sir," Madeline replied, knowing exactly what weight her family name carried. In fact, she'd be surprised if he didn't know.

Snape paused for a moment, turning back at the girl slowly. He watched her over his large hooked nose, "I suggest, Miss Bisset, that you think about your future very carefully this year. You could excel in this class, but do ensure you keep the right… Company. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sir," Madeline replied slowly, confused at her Professors' sudden interest in her social life, "Is that all?"

"Yes, and you better hurry," Snape drawled, looking over to the closed classroom door, "I believe you have Defence Against The Dark Arts next."

Madeline arrived to her Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom with moments to spare. Unfortunately, Daphne and Theodore had opted to sit next to each other, leaving Madeline to slide into the one empty seat in the classroom; next to a shy, round-faced Gryffindor.

Madeline shot the boy a polite tight-lipped smile as she began pulling her books out of her satchel, which was returned with a hesitant wave. However, before she could introduce herself to the shy boy, the door to the classroom was flung open.

Professor Moody was as frightening as ever, hobbling into the room on his wooden clawed foot. Every single person, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, sat in silence as their new Professor made his way down the room, a bated breath held in the air.

"You can put those away," he muttered, gesturing to the textbooks on Daphne's desk, "You won't be needing books."

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows, but slid the books back into her satchel. Moody immediately began a class register, eyes scanning each student until everyone had been declared present.

"I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class," Professor Moody began, scribbling his name on the chalkboard behind him, "It seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"

The rest of the students nodded, but Madeline remained still. Her mother had

covered the basics of the Dark Arts and Dark creatures, but never in much depth.

"But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," mused Moody, "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. So - straight into it. Curses."

Alright, Madeline thought, This I know about.

"As you should know, they come in many strengths and forms," Moody continued, a smirk on his face, "Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's; he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better."

Madeline raised her eyebrows, "This ought to be interesting," she mumbled, ignoring the panicked gaze of her desk mate.

"How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful," Moody continued, "And Miss Bisset, I suggest you don't make remarks during my lessons, or people such as myself might get the wrong idea."

Madeline's eyes widened, casting a simple nod to Moody. It seemed that his magical eye was far more alert than she was.

"So… Do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

A few hands rose in the class, but Madeline and her desk partner kept theirs down. The Professor pointed at the ginger-haired boy sat next to Harry Potter; Ron Weasley, Madeline recognised.

"Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one. . . . Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah, yes," replied Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

Everyone watched as Moody made his way to his desk, opening a drawer and taking out a glass jar. Inside it, three large spiders. He turned to the class, taking one spider out and holding it out to the class on the palm of his hand. He pointed his wand at the small black creature and muttered, "Imperio!"

Commanded by Moody's wand, the spider leapt from the Professors' hand and onto a nearby desk, twisting and turning into backflips and cartwheels. An echo of laughter swam around the room, but when Madeline realised exactly what kind of lesson this would be, she stayed silent.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled to the class, "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?" And of course, everyone fell silent.

"Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats…"

Moody made the spider somersault back into the jar, breaking the curse, "Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards who claimed being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will."

Madeline remained silent, wondering if Moody perhaps knew of the rumours circulating in the Wizarding world, and if he believed them. Perhaps that was why he was here. Perhaps Moody knew exactly why Madeline was here, and that's why he seemed to keep staring at her during her first meal in the Great Hall.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, causing everyone to jump, "Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

A few hands hesitantly flew in the air, and to Madeline's surprise, her silent desk mate was one of them.

Moody's eyes landed on the round-faced boy, "Yes?"

"There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," said the boy in a small but distinct voice.

Moody watched the boy intently, checking the register with his magic eye, "Your name's Longbottom?"

The boy - Longbottom - nodded, but Moody made no further comments. Instead, he turned back to the jar and grabbed the next spider, placing it on his desk. "The Cruciatus Curse. Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"

The spider began growing, and even Madeline had to admit that it was most definitely unsettling, the sheer size of the eight-legged creature. Moody raised his wand once more, muttering the next curse;

"Crucio!"

Immediately, the spider seemed to shrivel on itself, twitching and rocking. Small squeaks of terror, so small they could hardly be heard, echoed in the silent classroom. Madeline was more than a little uncomfortable, but what concerned her even more was Longbottoms' reaction.

His hands clenched the edge of the desk, his eyes wide and horrified, yet unable to stray from the spider. Madeline had never seen anyone so scared, and at once, she found herself shouting;

"Stop!"

Moody looked at her curiously, but she continued, gesturing to the boy next to her, "Can't you see it's bothering him?!"

All at once, Moody's wand lowered, the spider no longer curled in on itself, but still twitching lightly.

"Reducio."

Without a word, Moody simply scooped the spider into the jar, as if nothing had happened.

Longbottom's grip on his desk had lessened, but his eyes remained fixed on his lap, deep breaths pulling in and out of his chest. Once again, Madeline ignored the eyes on her.

"Pain," said Moody softly, as if he did indeed have some sense of tact, "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. That one was very popular once too… Right, anyone know any others?"

No one dared raise their hands. Madeline knew what was coming, she couldn't not. As far as she was aware, it was the very thing that had killed her father.

Hermione Granger slowly lifted her hand, "Avada Kedavra," she whispered.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"Ah, yes," Moody drawled, "The Killing Curse."

The third spider frantically moved around the jar, as if trying to escape its fate. Moody easily scooped the spider out, placing it on the wooden surface of his desk. He raised his wand, and Madeline found herself closing her eyes tightly.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Madeline kept her eyes closed as blinding green light hit the spider, killing it instantly. She slowly 'opened her eyes as Moody scooped the spider to the floor, unmistakably dead.

"There's no countercurse," Moody continued calmly, perching himself at the edge of his desk, "There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

Madeline's eyes fell to Harry Potter, sat in the first row, right in front of Moody. She wondered if that's how her father had died; struck by some bright green light, and then nothing. Would have been scared of death, or would have he been brave?

"Avada Kedavra is a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed," Moody sniffed, "But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it.

"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. Those three curses - Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus - are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills…copy this down…"

Everyone began taking notes, the classroom shrouded in bleak silence. Once in a while, Madeline would dare dart her eyes at Longbottom, who had seemed to recover partially, but it would be no surprise if his notes were left illegible. Daphne and Theodore seemed a little shaken, much like Harry and his friends. As soon as Moody had dismissed the class, however, one thing echoed in Madeline's mind;

"You need preparing. You need arming."

As they left the classroom, Madeline's classmates excitedly chatted around her, as if they'd witnessed some great show. Madeline, however, was a little shaken. A foreboding dread crept inside her, but she quickly shook it off when she spotted a now familiar head of dark hair walking in front of her.

"Longbottom!"

The boy spun on his heel, coming face-to-face with the Slytherin girl. He seemed nervous, squeaking a shrill "Hello."

"Are you alright?" Madeline asked quietly, stepping closer to him, "It wasn't a very pleasant lesson, was it?"

"I'm fine," the boy squeaked, eyes darting all around, "I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"

Madeline raised her eyebrow, "I'm- No, I was just wondering if-"

"Neville, are you all right?"

The second voice had been none other than Hermione Granger, flanked on either side by the remainder of the Golden Trio. Madeline stared at the boy as he nervously replied.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville stumbled, "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "Neville, are you-"

Before Harry had a chance to continue, however, Moody stumbled his way out of the classroom calling for Neville.

"It's alright," Moody coaxed, hand slapping on the boy's shoulder, "Why don't you come up to my office? We can have a cup of tea…"

Neville hesitantly nodded, Moody leading him away from the small group, "Come on then, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."

The four young students silently watched the boy walk away, the corridor quickly deserting.

"What was that about?" Ron asked his friends, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.

"I don't know," replied Hermione, looking pensive.

"Some lesson, though, eh?" continued Ron to Harry, as if Madeline wasn't there, "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right-"

"That was really cool of you."

Madeline's eyes shot up, meeting a pair of green eyes staring right back at her.

Harry continued, "You standing up for Neville. That was really… Good of you."

Madeline shrugged, "It wasn't fair, and I'm willing to bet Longbo- Neville wasn't the only one uncomfortable."

"Harry's right; I wouldn't have guessed you would-" Ron began, cut off by a sharp nudge from Hermione, "Hey!"

And that's when Madeline realised. Of course no one would expect someone like her to stand up for someone like Neville. She was a Slytherin, and she'd been in Hogwarts long enough to know exactly what that meant for people. And it didn't matter how good or holy you were; if you wore a green tie, your actions were expected to match the assumptions people made of you.

"You didn't think I'd stand up for him because of what?" Madeline demanded, feeling her temper rise, "Because I'm a Slytherin, or because of whatever rumour your house has made up about me?"

"There's no-"

"Because yes, I have eyes, and I have ears," Madeline continued, keeping her anger in check and her face stoic. After all, she'd always been taught that anger was only powerful when no one knew you were angry, "Just because you don't know someone, you shouldn't expect the worst of them."

And with one singular furious glare at the Golden Trio, Madeline stormed off.

Theodore and Daphne found their new friend in the Slytherin common room, furiously scribbling away on parchment at one of the large dark oak tables. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her hands stained with ink, clearly either concentrating on something, or in Theodore's words-

"Someone's pissed you off," he observed amusedly, the two pulling out chairs and seating themselves at the table.

"You could say that," Madeline replied, her eyes and hands still glued to the parchment.

"Was it Snape? Did he take house points off you?" Daphne asked sympathetically, "He did that to me once for forgetting my quill."

Madeline sighed, placing her quill down on the table, "It seems that people don't think I have an ounce of compassion because I'm in Slytherin."

Theodore raised his eyebrows, "Is this about DADA?"

"The Almighty Golden Trio didn't expect me to stand up for Neville, but, I mean- I was sat next to him, I couldn't stay quiet," Madeline complained, "It's like- everyone has already made their minds up about me, haven't they?"

"They don't know you; they're going to gossip," Daphne shrugged, "So what?"

Madeline looked at Daphne in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"So what if they gossip," Daphne continued, "They want to build their own story? Fine, as long as you know who you are. And then, you have the element of surprise."

Theodore shrugged, "She kind of has a point."

"Even Theo agrees!"

Madeline looked at the two. There was something akin to friendship blossoming in her chest, and for a moment, she remembered one trait the Sorting Hat had assigned her with;

Resourcefulness.

Chapter reviewed and edited: 27/10/22