Slytherin Legacy

The Slytherin Legacy

By A. Bornhorst

Chapter Four

Bella Lestrange's Family Album

***

Kate awoke with a start and looked up at the dark ceiling while breathing heavily.

"Snap out of it," she whispered to herself, "it was just a dream."

She swallowed the thick mucus that had collected in her throat and looked around the room, seeing everything in its place. There was no pale, red eyed specter telling her that this was her past. Kate shivered.

"Eve," she whispered, but Eve was still asleep and Kate lay awake listening to Millicent snore.

***

"Hey... It's Kate right? Remember me, Bella?"

"Yeah, of course," Kate said.

"Mind if Cecilia and I sit with guys today?"

"No, we don't mind," Pansy replied.

"Good, that bastard cousin of mine took our usual spot. I'll have to hex him later tonight," Bella complained.

"How do you guys like your dorms? They were totally redecorated last year after Alymer complained about them," Cecilia stated.

"They were awful last year. They smelled of mold and decay and the lake leaked into the common room. Ugh, it was gross. I'm glad Dumbledore had someone re-do them over the summer."

"Yeah, they're cool. I'm going to have to tape up some of my Twisted Witches and Merlin Radford posters," Blaise sighed.

"Merlin Radford," Diedra said dreamily.

"Who's that?" Kate asked.

"A wizard model. Hot, hot, hot! I swear to you Kate, Merlin is one gorgeous hunk!" Diedra answered.

"No, he's not. He's positively gay. I don't mind if you put the Twisted Witches poster up, but there is no way I am going to wake up and look straight at that underwear model that claims he's a wizard!" Eve declared.

"Fine, have it your way," Blaise said.

"Thank you."

"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff today," Pansy announced.

"That class is so pointless. Believe me, I know. All he does is read out of a book to you while you're supposed to figure out what you're supposed to know yourself. And we have O.W.L.s this year!" Cecilia told them.

"Yeah and how are we supposed to survive crazy old wizarding loonies like You-Know-Who if we don't know the curses and spells that he uses and know how to use them ourselves," Bella muttered.

A shiver went down Kate's spine.

"Well, we have to head to potions with the Gryffindors. See you all later!" Cecilia said.

"Well, we should get going. This is going to be so boring. Hufflepuff isn't even worth cursing," Eve sighed.

"We aren't doing anything anyways, so I have a book to read while what's his name reads to us," Kate said.

"You do that Kate," Blaise replied, "But you're missing out on a perfect chance to pass notes."

The girls walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts with rather a disgusted air. Kate sniffed, and turned to look at the other girls with disgust.

"Ugh, what's that smell? I could suffocate from that?" Pansy complained.

"It's garlic, I think," Kate said.

"Yuck. Well, come on; let's get a seat in the back," Diedra said.

About five minutes later Professor Quirrell walked out into the classroom.

"G-g-good m-morning c-c-class. I-I'm Professor Q-Q-Quirrell," he stuttered nervously, looking about the room rather helplessly, "I s-s-shall b-begin with a r-r-roll c-call. F-f-first H-Hufflepuff."

"They expect this guy to teach us?" Kate said, snickering all the while.

"I can barely understand him," Eve said, with her eyebrows raised.

He finished Hufflepuff with Jodie Quintero and went on to the Slytherins.

"R-R-R-Riddle, K-K-Kate."

Kate looked up and automatically got a sick feeling.

"H-here," she mumbled.

He paused for a few moments and went on to the next student. Annoyed, Kate pulled out her Dark Arts book and began to read as Professor Quirrell stuttered aloud to the class. Kate then got out her Dark Arts book and read.

"The Snake Curse

Famed by Hogwarts founder Salazar Slytherin, the snake curse, often called Serpensortia causes a snake to appear out of the user's wand. If in a duel the snake will attack his "masters" enemy with its poisonous venom. They will die a slow painful death as the poison runs through the enemies veins."

"Oh how I'd love to get Aunt Pam with this one," Kate thought dreamily.

"As Salazar Slytherin was a parseltongue this spell worked very well for him and he could direct it wherever he willed it to go."

"Damn! What's a parseltongue?" she thought.

"The user says 'Serpensortia' and must envision the snake in his/her mind."

"M-m-miss R-R-Riddle! M-m-might I ask w-what you are d-doing?"

"Nothing, sir. Just reading."

"R-r-reading w-what?"

Kate sighed and held up her little black book. A gasp rang among the class rooms. Professor Quirrell seemed somewhat frightened and shaking, he nodded and returned to his book. She refrained from laughing, but Pansy gave her the thumbs up sign with a grin.

***

That evening Kate curled up by the fire with the rest of the Slytherin Quintet in their emerald green silk pajamas messing around with Eve's Ouija board. They were laughing and joking around with it when Pansy suddenly asked,

"Eve, can this board reveal stuff about yourself?"

"Duh, it's an Ouija board. You talk to the dead and find out your future and past."

"Just as I thought. Let me see it."

The board faced Pansy and she smiled a secret little smile.

"What's the surname of my future husband?"

Eve groaned, but the board spelled out, "MALFOY."

"Let me ask it something," Kate said.

"What's my Mother's surname?"

The girls leaned closer around the board as it spelled, "BLACK."

"My father's?"

"RIDDLE."

"Well, we found out I'm a Black and a Riddle," she questioned, "Is this thing accurate?"

She peered at it closely.

"No. It's just a muggle toy. We can talk to the dead just by talking to them," Eve said.

"Oh, those ghosts give me the heebie-jeebies," Diedra added.

Kate yawned.

"I'm going to read, okay?"

She got up and moved to a cushiony armchair, pulled out a book that she got at the library, Hogwarts, A History and began to read when she spotted a black leather album lying on the dark mahogany table. Nosiness and curiosity got the best of her as she retrieved it.

Kate opened the album and on the front page in script it wrote,

Rodulphius and Bellatrix Lestrange

She turned the page and there was a man and his wife which seemed to be on the wedding day. Neither looked particularly happy and she saw a younger Lucius and Narcissa next to the couple. Kate flipped through the pages when she saw the woman who she assumed was Bellatrix holding a baby boy. Her dark eyes rested on her son as he drooled. They flickered and looked up at her and then back down on her son. Pages later another boy turned up and a girl who she assumed were Bella and Alymer.

There were pictures of them playing in a lake, flying miniature broomsticks and of Christmas and summer pictures. Toward the back another two babies appeared. One, a boy who she knew was Draco sitting on his mum's lap and then another girl who was sitting on Bellatrix's lap. There were family pictures and Draco and the young girl playing in the sand by the lake, Bella's older brother Alymer holding the girl. Kate couldn't help but notice an odd resemblance between herself and the girl.

"Well duh," she whispered to herself, "she's probably your cousin."

The girl's pictures graced every page. The woman, Bellatrix seemed to love this child the best and a smile was on the woman's face every time she held the dark haired, green-eyed child.

There was also a picture of a man or boy who seemed to be around seventeen in his Hogwarts School robes. He was leaning against the wall and smirking, his arms folded upon his chest, one hand holding his wand. His black hair fell neatly over his eye.

"What are you doing?" Bella snapped.

Kate jumped and replied, "N-nothing."

"Yeah, right. You have my album. What makes you think you have the right-"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. My curiosity got the better of me."

"Sounds like a lot of bull shit to me," Bella's expression softened, "sorry. This is just the only thing I have of my parent's," she added.

"It's okay. I would've gotten mad too. Do you have a younger sister?"

"I guess so. Well, I mean- yes I do. Her name's Katerina or we just called her Katie."

"Why isn't she at Hogwarts?"

"Oh um... When I was..."

She bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling thinking, "Maybe eight my parents left and Katie left too."

"I see. Who's this?" she said pointing to the picture.

"Not sure really. My Mother just put it in the album. It's an old picture. I never got the chance to ask her."

Bella looked closely at Kate.

"Well, see you."

"Yeah," Kate whispered.

***

Kate sat on the chair reading until everybody went to bed except for a few sixth years. She couldn't get to sleep. Her mind was filled with Riddles and Blacks and it was then she got out a quill and wrote to her uncle and benefactor.

Dear Lucius Malfoy,

I am writing concerning something that has troubled me very much and you said if I needed anything all I would have to do is owl and that is what I am doing. There is a girl here named Bella Lestrange and she has an album filled with pictures of the family. Where is her sister Katie at? And what was my mum's name?

Sincerely,

Kate Riddle

And looking down at her name she gasped with realization... Perhaps this Katie was her?

She folded the letter up and walked down the hall trying to find her way to the owlery. Diedra told her where it was at and Kate got lost a few times before she heard an icy voice in the 3^rd floor corridor.

"Quirrell, you idiot! Do you not think at all before you act?"

"I'm s-s-sorry m-m-master. I-I-I beg your f-f-forgiveness."

"I do not forgive; you should know that. If I don't get the elixir you shall die. You are lucky for my warning. I do not warn often."

"T-t-thank-you m-m-master."

Kate looked to Quirrell.

"Why he's talking to himself," she thought.

"Someone is here listening. Find them."

And then her heart went cold. Quirrell's lips were not moving and he was coming toward her.

"Y-y-you t-there? W-w-who a-a-are y-you?"

"Kate Riddle, sir. I'm sending a letter to the Malfoy's."

"C-carry on t-t-then and g-get b-back to your c-common r-room!"

"Yes, sir."

She ran up the stairs to the owlery and took a different way down. That night she dreamt about the specter again.

***

The morning after the next Kate received a reply from Mr. Malfoy, along with Bella and Alymer.

Dear Kate,

We knew we would have to answer these questions of yours someday, but we had no idea it would happen so soon. You certainly do have your father's intuition on things. So we shall try to explain this as best as we can to you in this letter.

Your Mother was Narcissa's younger sister. Her name was Bellatrix Lestrange and she was married to Rodulphius Lestrange. She had three children by the names of Nathan, Alymer, and Bella whom you seem to have already met. About around a year or two before you were born Bellatrix and Rodulphius started having some problems with their marriage and Bellatrix had you, Katerina Arjumund Riddle. Rodulphus isn't your father. That will be revealed to you when the time is right.

We understand this probably comes as a shock to you and we would prefer if you kept this a secret. There are many here who regard your Mother as a woman of evil, because she resides in Azkaban a wizard prison. We wouldn't want you to be harmed by the salacious comments they would make.

Again if you need anything, please do not hesitate to write.

Sincerely,

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

Kate looked upon the table to Bella and she smiled. Bella motioned her over.

"Lucius is angry with me now. He thinks I knew and I told you. His whole letter was one big yell at me."

"Do you blame me?"

"Of course not. You're Katie!"

"What does Alymer think about this?"

"Nothing. He really doesn't care. Well, he does, but he doesn't. He just folded up his letter, took one glance at you and began to eat," she said.

"I can't believe we've found each other."

"I know. I had wondered and I had sort of an idea when Pansy introduced me to you, but I wasn't sure until Lucius wrote. Oh, Katie---I mean Kate. Wow. We're here together."

"Let's just not tell anyone okay? Lucius told me not to say anything."

"Agreed, I think Alymer would prefer it that way also."

"Bella, what did Mother go to Azkaban for?"

"Lucius never told me. I don't think he will."

"Kate, we have potions with the Gryffindors now," Eve called to her.

"See you, Bella," Kate said.

"See you."

"What was that about?" Eve asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just some family business."

"I see."

"Hurry up, you guys. I want to get to potions," Diedra ordered.

"Do you want to get to potions?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah. Potter's going to be there."

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot! I would've done my hair better," Blaise squealed.

Pansy, Eve, and Kate rolled their eyes.

"How do I look?" Diedra asked.

"Awful. You got something in your teeth," Kate teased.

"Oh no! Do you guys have a mirror?" Diedra worried.

"You look fine. Besides Harry's going to be looking at me, not you," Blaise admonished.

"Uh huh, and pigs can fly," Diedra said.

"And they can," Eve laughed.

"Stop it!" Diedra said.

"Besides we're supposed to be Harry Haters now," Pansy laughed.

"And who made that one up? Draco?" Diedra asked.

"That proves it. He's gay," Blaise laughed.

"No he's not!" Pansy couldn't help but laugh either.

"Oh we are the Slytherin Quintet and we all are Harry Haters-"Kate chanted.

"SHUT UP!" Diedra said, "It's not nice."

"Nice? Slytherins aren't supposed to be nice. According to the Gryffindors we're sarcastic, sardonic, satirical little bitches," Eve remarked.

"S for Slytherin!" Pansy did a little dance.

And with that they walked into the dank Potions dungeon.