Araminta Malfoy-Potter: Taking Hogwarts

I.

Araminta Potter-Malfoy blinked sleepily, then stretched her arms up over her head and rolled over. She wished she could stay in bed all day, wrapped up in her satin sheets with the green velvet curtains hanging close around her. She loved the dark. But, a thin ray of sunlight had wormed its way into her room, and she was awake.

Clapping her hands, Araminta woke up the house-elf that napped at the foot of her bed. Auntie Hermione always sneered when she saw that Araminta kept one for herself, but Daddy Draco insisted that she keep the servant for her well-being and safety. Bollocksy was always whining, but she made the best breakfasts Araminta had ever had. "Get me some waffles, please, with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and whipped cream." Araminta could eat as much as she wanted and she never got fat.

Once Bollocksy left the room, Araminta kicked off her sheets and climbed out of bed, throwing the windows wide and taking a deep breath. Today, she would go to Hogwarts for the very first time. She'd take the train that her fathers had reminisced about so often. She'd eat in the Great Hall. She'd be Sorted. She'd be the youngest Seeker since Daddy Harry had played, she was sure of it. She'd ace all of her classes. Or, at least, she hoped.

She hated to admit it, but she was scared out of her mind.

What if there was no one at Hogwarts who would understand her? Daddy Harry and Daddy Draco would snuggle her between themselves on the sofa and stroke her long, blonde hair (streaked with honey and caramel, they said), and tell her that her green-gray eyes were enchanting. They told her that her smile was sparkling and her jokes witty. 'Of course,' thought Araminta. 'Daddies always treat their little girls like that.'

There was the problem, though. Araminta's daddies treated her well--very well. She wanted for nothing. They loved each other, and her, too much to understand that their unconventional relationship, based on a foretold love, might not happen for Araminta.

So, she made her plans. She'd play Quidditch and get the best grades and be a prefect. No one needed to know that she was the most powerful witch born in the last hundred years or so. No one needed to know that she was a fluke product of two men's love. No one needed to know that she could read their minds.

Araminta was going to take Hogwarts by storm.

***

II.

Araminta scarfed down three waffles with all the works. Since she could eat all she wanted and never got fat, she decided to have a rasher of bacon, three poached eggs, and a pitcher of orange juice too. Breakfast was Araminta's favorite meal.

Even though she tried to make time slow down by eating too much for breakfast, the clock continued to tick away. With a sigh, Araminta licked her fingers and put her plate aside.

With a wave of her hand, Araminta Charmed her hair into long, golden ringlets and magically applied robin's egg-blue eyeshadow, a thin layer of sparkles, a touch of blush, and natural lipstick. She always put on her mascara by hand, though, since that day she'd accidentally poked herself in the eye. Daddy Harry had warned her that she would have to dress like a Muggle to get to King's Cross, so Araminta ventured into her vast closet.

Daddy Draco picked out all her clothes, as Araminta couldn't abide shopping for herself. It was her greatest weakness to buy things for others, but she didn't like to spend money on clothes for herself. CDs, on the other hand...

A few minutes later, Araminta emerged from her closet dressed in what she hoped would pass for typical Muggle wear. She threaded a wide belt through the loops of her soft denim hiphuggers, tugged gently on the hem of the babydoll shirt that showed off her bellybutton piercing (today she wore an emerald and ruby charm in honor of her dads), and added a pair of platform sandals. She briefly considered changing her nailpolish to be only one color (rather than changing colors every few minutes to reflect her mood) but decided that the few Muggles she had been in contact with hadn't noticed anyway.

Araminta shoved a few last photos into her Hogwarts trunk and sat down hard on the lid. She didn't weigh enough to close it! "Bollocksy!" she screamed, at the top of her lungs. "Help!"

Bollocksy came running into the room. "Yes, Miss Araminta? How can we be helping you?"

"My trunk won't close!" Araminta wailed. Sure enough, it took a little of Bollocksy's magic to fasten it tight. "Carry this downstairs," Araminta commanded imperiously.

Araminta grabbed a long sweater with a belt and pulled it on. There were strange clouds covering the sun now and she didn't like to be cold. With one last look around her room, Araminta forced down her nervous feelings and began the long journey through the Malfoy Manor to the library.

***

III.

As Araminta came to the bottom of the stairs, she saw her daddies waiting outside the library. They were entertaining themselves, as they often did, with a spot of kissing. Daddy Harry had Daddy Draco pushed up against a wall, his hands twined in the blond's hair. Daddy Draco will be mad that his hair was mussed, thought Araminta. Daddy Draco was always cranky after he'd been kissed, actually. Only Daddy Harry looked happier afterwards. Now, he turned a bright smile, and a pair of startlingly green eyes, at his daughter. "There you are, love. Everything packed?"

"Yes, Daddy Harry," Araminta replied. "Everything except--"

"Your owl!" Daddy Harry smacked himself on the scar. "Of course, darling. I forgot. Let me make a cage...." He Transfigured a teacup into a gilt cage and Araminta raised her arms.

Slowly, she tipped her head back and inhaled, filling her lungs. She stretched her fingers wide and let pure tones ring from between her lips: Lux aeterna, luceat eis. She sang with a voice lovelier and more thrilling than the finest phoenix song, and this brought one to her.

Fawkes-Iolanthe was the daughter of Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, and had been born the first time on the same day she had been. She'd been allowed to take her present home on her seventh birthday, and she and Fawkes-Iolanthe had been fast friends ever since. For a few measures, Araminta and Fawkes-Iolanthe indulged in a duet finer than anything heard on the Wizarding Wireless.

Daddy Draco scowled. "That's enough," he said, finally. "Malfoys do not sing."

"Potters do," contradicted Daddy Harry with a smile. "Sing your heart out, my darling. It may be a source of your strong magic."

Daddy Draco picked up his cane, which was topped with a silver snake's head. He kept a sharp sword inside so that he felt armed when he went into the Muggle world. Secretly, Araminta thought that he liked the affectation because he looked good with a sword in his hand. "That's all, then, except for Bollocksy."

"Hermione won't like you sending Araminta to Hogwarts with her own house-elf," cautioned Daddy Harry.

Araminta looked between her two daddies as they scowled at each other. Whenever Daddy Harry mentioned Auntie Hermione, Daddy Draco looked like he wanted to cry. In fact, whenever she came over, which was often, he hid himself in his room and wouldn't come out until she had gone. When Araminta asked her other daddy about it, he would only shake his head and say that Daddy Draco felt 'bad.'

Daddy Draco saw Araminta watching him and his face softened. "I just want her to be safe, safe from..." He didn't say the rest; he never did. Instead, he opened his arms wide, taking the family, luggage, pet, and servant into his embrace. Squeezing his eyes shut, he muttered a magic word and the lot of them disappeared and then reappeared in the alley behind King's Cross Station.

***

IV.

Daddy Harry got a trolley for Araminta's luggage because he couldn't let Bollocksy levitate it through the station--someone would surely have noticed. As the clock ticked closer and closer to eleven, Araminta's daddies pushed her through the wall and onto platform nine and three-quarters.

"All abooooooooard!" shouted the conductor, and witches and wizards hurried for the bright red train that was emitting steamy puffs of smoke.

"That's you," said Daddy Harry, and he gave her a kiss on the side of her mouth. Daddy Draco gave her a squeeze and she got on to the train with Bollocksy trailing behind. She was so small that none of the Muggles had noticed her hiding under Araminta's trunk. Araminta thought they might have been too busy looking at her phoenix, or maybe at her hair. It was bright golden in the sun.

Araminta found an empty compartment and sat down by herself. Big, fat tears welled up in her gray-green eyes. She felt them spill over and slide down her high cheekbones. As the first tear fell to the floor with a plop, someone came into the compartment. Araminta quickly covered her face with her hands--not because she was worried about what she would look like (she knew she was pretty when she cried) but because she didn't want anyone to know how sad she was.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Shoot,

thought Araminta, now I'm caught. She sneaked a peek between her fingers at a boy and girl who had come into the compartment. "Just something in my eye," she lied.

"Can we sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Sure," said Araminta.

"By the way," said the boy, who had blue-black hair that fell into his blue eyes, "I'm Blake Parkinson and this"--he indicated a girl with a lot of zits and matted brown hair--"is Selene Bulstrode."

"Er, it's a pleasure." Araminta put her hand out to shake, but Selene pulled hers aside. "What's wrong?"

Selene's face screwed up comically. "If I touch you, I might give you my zits." She looked startled when Araminta laughed loudly.

"Don't worry!" exclaimed Araminta. "I know the perfect charm. In fact, let's give you a makeover!" She pushed Selene into a sitting position and starting digging through her trunk until she found her makeup case. "I usually do this with magic, but at home we have wards so I don't get in trouble. Also, I've never put makeup on anybody else."

Araminta applied a layer of Oxy and then covered Selene's complexion with a precise hand. Then, she applied powder, shimmery green eyeshadow, black liquid eyeliner, and pale violet lipstick. She brushed out Selene's matted hair and clipped it back with pins shaped like butterflies. Finally, she handed Selene a hand mirror and a breath mint.

"How does she look?"

Blake turned his head back and forth between the two girls as if he couldn't get enough of looking at them. "You both look gorgeous! I could eat you two up!"

"Well, you won't have to," laughed Araminta. "There's the snack trolley."

"Er, we don't have any money," Blake said for both of them, since Selene was still speechless over her transformation.

"I'm buying," said Araminta. She took seven Galleons out of her pocket and bought everything on the cart. "We should celebrate our first day at Hogwarts!"

***

V.

Araminta, Blake, and Selene had just struggled into their Hogwarts robes when the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. They could hear a raspy voice yelling, "Firs' years, firs' years, this way."

As they got off the train, an enormous man with wild, gray hair waddled up to them and grasped Araminta by the shoulder. "You mus' be Harry's girl! He wrote and told me all about yer. Said you were going to take Hogwarts by storm." At this, lightning lit the sky and thunder rumbled over their heads. "I did'n' think he meant it so literally." Hagrid laughed as sheets of rain fell, soaking them right through.

The first years followed Hagrid (who was now using a knobbly cane) down to a number of small boats. "No more'n three to a boat, now," said Hagrid. "You lot get bigger every year."

Blake and Selene hopped into a boat, nearly turning it over. "Come with us, Araminta," they chorused.

"Okay," said Araminta, happily.

A few moments later, they were sloshing their way across the lake. Suddenly, a giant...thing...came out of the water and wrapped itself around Blake, squeezing him tightly.

Shrieks of 'Look at the squid!' echoed across the water, and Araminta froze, gripping the side of the boat. She was already fast friends with Blake; she couldn't let him die! She had to do something!

She took her wand out of her pocket and poked the tentacle as hard as she could. "Let go," she yelled, but the squid did not obey. Next, she tried Daddy Draco's voice: "I say, let go of him, or I'll hex you into next Samhain!" Still nothing happened.

There was one last resort, and she hated to go so far. But, it was the only way. Blake was turning blue and would suffocate if she didn't get the monster off of him!

"Crucio."

The tentacle twitched and writhed, and an eerie, high-pitched sound came up through the waves. Araminta wanted to cover her ears, but she held the spell. At last the squid stopped struggling and let go of Blake. Selene grabbed the back of Blake's robes just before he fell over the side and hauled him into the center of the boat.

With a sigh of relief, Araminta collapsed back into her seat. That had been close.

Blake choked and coughed a few times, then kneeled at Araminta's feet. "How--how can I ever repay you? You saved my life." He looked deep into her gray-green eyes with this own blue ones.

Araminta blushed. "Well, you're sort of kneeling on my foot."

"Oh! Sorry," said Blake, and as he got up he fell forward and his lips met Araminta's.

Oh, this is so good

, thought Araminta. Blake was a really good kisser. He tasted like warm days and sunshine and strawberries dipped in chocolate and minty rain. She opened her mouth and let him put his tongue in.

A little cough startled them into breaking apart.

"Um, we're here, guys," said Selene, who looked a little disgruntled.

Hogwarts Castle loomed up in front of them.

***

VI.

Araminta, Blake, and Selene, along with the other first years, squished their way up the front steps and into the castle. While they waited for someone to greet them, Araminta used a charm to dry their robes so they wouldn't catch pneumonia.

After a long wait, an old, stern-looking witch with white hair came. "I am Professor McGonagall, and I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will all be in my class, but you will not all be in my house. A house is a group of like-minded students, and while you are here at Hogwarts you will live with them and take classes with them. They will be like your family. The houses are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor (mine), Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. In a few minutes you will come into the Great Hall, sit under the Sorting Hat, and be chosen for your house. Then, we will eat."

There were some angry mutterings; most of the students were still wet and all were hungry. McGonagall silenced them with a glare.

"Oh, I hope I'm not a Hufflepuff," said Selene.

"Me too," said Blake. "I hear it's the worst."

"I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Who wants to learn things, though?" snickered Selene.

"Not me!" answered Blake.

Araminta listened to this quietly. She wanted to make her father proud, but the problem was--which one?

"This way," said McGonagall, and Araminta joined the parade that marched to the front of the Great Hall. While they walked, she enjoyed the stormy view of the ceiling, which was enchanted to reflect the night sky outside, and looked for her godfather, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

When the first years stopped at the front of the room, Araminta saw the Sorting Hat sitting on a stool. It opened a rip in its brim and sang that year's Sorting Song:

Oh I may be a hat,

but I'm smarter than you.

Listen as I tell you

exactly what to do.

Come right up here

and put me on your head

So I can decide

In which House you'll lay your head.

The smartest go to Ravenclaw, I know this much is true

The workers go to Hufflepuff, I think you already knew

The ambitious go to Slytherin, where they'll work their sneaky charm

And the brave ones go to Gryffindor with a sword upon their arm!

"Bulstrode, Selene" was first, and the hat hollered "Slytherin!" right away. Araminta spaced out while the rest of the students were named, waking up finally when the hat put "Parkinson, Blake" there too.

Professor McGonagall looked at her list and called out "Potter-Malfoy, Araminta." With a queasy feeling in her stomach, Araminta stepped forward. What would the hat do with her?

***

VII.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Araminta's head. She could feel the eyes of everyone at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry staring at her. What was taking so long?

A voice filled her head, and Araminta had the feeling that she was the only one who could hear it. "Ooh. It's sparkly in here."

"What? Where?" thought Araminta.

"In your head. It shines. You have so much magic..." The hat was silent for a time. "You had to go and make things difficult, didn't you? Where to put you?"

"Not Hufflepuff. Anything but Hufflepuff," thought Araminta as loudly as she could.

The Hat laughed. "Of course not Hufflepuff. You're not a hard worker. You don't have to work hard; everything comes naturally to you. Ravenclaw...that wouldn't be a good fit either. Ravenclaws love learning things for the sake of learning, and you just learn things as you go along naturally. You'd be bored with all of their studying.

"So, the problem is this: Do I put you in Gryffindor, or in Slytherin? Your heart is pure and brave, but you wish to rise to the top. Gryffindor... Slytherin... Gryffindor... Slytherin..."

Finally, the Hat made its choice. "Slythindor!"

A confused murmuring broke out around the Great Hall. "Slythindor? What kind of House is that?"

Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat and clapped his hands for silence. "Never before in the history of Hogwarts has the hat been wrong. I myself do not know what a Slythindor is, but it seems the hat could not choose between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Am I right, Araminta?"

Araminta nodded, tears in her eyes. If the hat couldn't decide, maybe she would be sent home. Maybe she wouldn't get to attend Hogwarts after all.

"In that case, the only thing to do is to give you a room of your own and have you spend half your time with the Gryffindors and half of your time with the Slytherins. We'll have your 'House' colors be green and gold to compromise, unless you'd rather red and silver?"

Araminta shook her head. Green and gold would go well with her complexion, and at least it wasn't to be red and green! She liked Christmas, but not that much.

"Tonight, you may choose where you would like to sit for the feast. I think your friends are waiting for you." Dumbledore gave Araminta a benevolent smile as she ran to sit with Blake and Selene. The whole hall burst out in cheers.

It was amazing. Everyone should have hated her--the hat had practically said she didn't fit in. Instead, Hogwarts welcomed her with open arms. If she had to be away from home, away from her dads, at least she got to be somewhere pleasant.

***

VIII.

Araminta woke up in her new room at Hogwarts. She had a little fire that crackled away merrily across from her four-poster bed (which Bollocksy herself had hung in green and gold velvet). She also had her own bath, desk, couch, and closet. It wasn't quite as lush as her room at home, but it had a certain rustic charm that she couldn't deny.

After a shower, Araminta groomed herself carefully and scrutinzed herself in the mirror. What would today be like? The students had liked her last night, but they would have had all night to think about her and gossip about her. She was the daughter of the two most handsome wizards alive; this had disgruntled many women (and men) throughout the wizarding world.

Blake and Selene were waiting for her at the Slytherin table. "Have some pancakes, and there's Cheerios, too." Selene topped hers with strawberries and fresh cream.

"I'm rather fond of Count Chocula, myself. Even Professor Snape likes it. See?" Blake nodded his head to the staff table, and, sure enough, Snape was eating Count Chocula and drinking a large glass of tomato juice.

"Here's your schedule." Selene pulled Araminta's out of her schoolbag. "Snape brought them around a few minutes ago. We have--well, the Slytherins have--Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, then Transfiguration, and Potions with Gryffindor. Tomorrow we have Charms with Ravenclaw and Astronomy..."

Araminta tuned her out and looked at her schedule. It didn't look too difficult. She'd borrowed Auntie Hermione's schoolbooks last year and memorized everything in them. This year was going to be a breeze!

"...and Quidditch tryouts are on Thursday, but I hear first years never make the House teams." Blake waved a hand in front of Araminta's face. "Are you listening?"

"Sure," said Araminta. "I was just a little distracted."

Selene and Blake exchanged glances. "Hope this doesn't last all day, or we'll lose fifty points before tea!" they said together. "C'mon, there's the bell. Let's go!"

***

IX.

Araminta, Blake, and Selene hurried toward the greenhouses for Herbology. On the way, they met the Hufflepuffs, and Araminta said a silent thanks to the heavens that she didn't have to wear yellow and black. I'd look like a bumblebee, she thought. On the other hand, her green and gold accoutrements stood out next to the green and silver accessories Blake and Selene wore. Flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, Araminta decided to put it out of her mind for now.

After getting a closer look at Professor Sprout, Araminta put her on her list for makeovers. She was sure that underneath the dirt and hair there was a woman waiting to get out. Araminta could sympathize; before Daddy Drakkie had taken her to the Chanel counter the first time (when she was four), her inner beauty hadn't been reflected in her outer form. It seemed to Araminta that the moisturizer had started it all--once her skin felt soft, she wanted to smile, then sing, and then, magic had started to pour out of her....

"All right, gather 'round," said Professor Sprout. "Who can tell me the properties of Morning Glory?"

Araminta's hand shot into the air, and she answered without thinking. "Morning Glory is a weed that grows in gardens and chokes plants. Its flowers can be any color, but are generally white--not a good eye color. When the vines are cut, it leaks a sticky, white substance everywhere. It's so gross."

"Excellent work, Miss Potter-Malfoy...or was it Malfoy-Potter?"

"Either," said Araminta.

"Well, take five points for your house," said Professor Sprout.

"Professor?" Araminta raised her hand again. "Which house? Gryffindor or Slytherin?"

Blake and Selene began to chant. "Sly-the-rin! Sly-the-rin! Sly-the-rin!"

Professor Sprout waved at them. "Stop that, now. Five points to each of your houses."

The Slytherins half-groaned, half-cheered at this.

"Now, you can recognize the leaves of the Morning Glory because they are tear-shaped and attached to a twisting vine. It may or may not be in bloom, and likes to climb."

Araminta interrupted again. She knew her magical plants, and there was something off here. "Professor, forgive me, but what is magical about Morning Glory?"

"Nothing," said Professor Sprout, "but it's overrunning this greenhouse! It got a bit wild in here over the summer, so your job is to weed the greenhouse so that we can have a proper Herbology lesson next time. Get to work, everyone!"

Everyone groaned, but put on a pair of gardening gloves and went to work. Araminta hoped that the rest of her classes wouldn't be this boring.

***

X.

Araminta helped Blake and Selene Charm the dirt off of their robes. She'd managed to keep from getting dirty, using spells to weed her section of the greenhouse, but most of the students had attacked the problem by hand. "What do we have next?" she asked, too lazy to get out her schedule and look for herself.

"Transfiguration with that old hag McGonagall," said Selene. "I hear she favors Gryffindors."

"Hey, I'm part Gryffindor!" protested Araminta. "I have to tell you that it's so not true. My dad says she's really fair."

Professor McGonagall was waiting for them in the Transfiguration classroom. "Everyone, please take out your wands." She popped into cat form and back again. "As you can see, I am an Animagus. That is one of the more difficult Transfiguration spells to master, and not everyone has the right kind of magic to do it. Today, you'll be working on something far easier. I'd like you to turn a match into a needle, like this." She waved her wand and her match turned into a needle right away. "Please begin."

Araminta picked up her wand. This was going to be a breeze! She loved Transfiguration. First, she changed her matchstick into a needle, like she was supposed to. Professor McGonagall nodded her head and gave points. Eventually, Araminta got bored with waiting for the rest of the class to learn how to do it, so she entertained herself by Transfiguring her needle.

First, she made a straw and some pebbles. When Professor McGonagall wasn't looking, she used it to shoot pebbles at the back of Blake's neck. He kept putting his hand to the place where she hit him and rubbing, but every time he turned around she just smiled and winked at him until he turned pink.

Then, she Transfigured the straw into a sack of Hot Cheetos and shared them with Selene under the desk. McGonagall walked by and sniffed the air suspiciously, but didn't catch them.

Finally, Araminta Transfigured the last two Cheetos into gummy worms, which she and Selene chewed happily.

"Miss Malfoy-Potter," said Professor McGonagall, "please stay after class. Everyone else, you are dismissed. Read the next chapter for homework."

"Uh-oh," said Selene. "She must have smelled us."

Araminta decided that she didn't care. McGonagall hadn't said anything about not having food in class. She marched bravely up to the teacher's desk.

"Were you eating Hot Cheetos in class?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes," said Araminta.

"Where did you get them?" McGonagall looked interested.

"Oh, I made them out of one of the matchsticks." She Transfigured another sackful. "Here you go."

Professor McGonagall crunched away thoughtfully. "These are quite good. Miss Malfoy-Potter, how long have you been Transfiguring things?"

Araminta thought for two minutes. She'd had her wand since she was nine, so she decided not to count the accidental magic she'd performed before that. "Two years."

"Could you try something? I want you to think really hard and then say Animagus."

Araminta screwed up her eyes tight: "Animagus."