Sally-Anne Perks

Sally-Anne Perks

Chapter One

Family Honour

Below a hillside in the open countryside of Derbyshire, stood a richly built manor. From a distance any passers-by wouldn't have given it a second glance. To any normal individual the house estate would have looked perfectly ordinary. However, if someone were to take a closer look, they would have noticed there was purple smoke emitting out of one of the chimney funnels, also that several owls in broad daylight were fluttering to and fro from the open windows. To make a further point, there was also the small and very bizarre fact of strange little greenish creatures being flung over a large evergreen hedgerow by a small girl of around eleven years old.

"'Just add powdered newt' he says, just wait until I get my wand back." The girl flung a particularly podgy gnome high into the air with as much force as she could muster. A few minutes later she heard it land about one hundred feet away with a soft thud. Getting on her hands and knees to search for the hiding gnomes she continued muttering under her breath, "Why do I have to be the one to get punished. He always gets away with everything! I hate him! Lousy good-for-nothing stinkin'-"

"Anyone I know?" drawled a familiar voice behind her.

Sighing heavily, the blonde girl turned her crystal blue eyes on her cousin. "Come to gloat have you."

"I was going to help you, actually," her cousin answered, "though I really don't fancy crawling in the mud, such as you are."

Sally-Anne turned her head back round and gritted her teeth as she plunged her left hand between a holly bush and a bunch of rhododendrons to swipe at two very-annoyed-looking gnomes. As she got to her feet with a squirming green gnome in each hand, she looked at her cousin straight in the eye, half wanting to throw the gnomes at him. "Either tell me what you want or sod off."

"Now, Sally, you really ought to control that temper-"

Sally-Anne cut him off in mid-sentence, "And you really ought to be de-gnoming, but NO, I have to get punished for your crimes, just because of favouritism."

"Can I help being grandmother's favourite grandchild?"

"Just because you're the rightful heir to the manor..." she trailed off. One of the gnomes was knawing at her fingers. She winced, then shook it off irritably by spinning on the spot and throwing the annoying creatures over the same hedge as before. "I'm always de-gnoming the garden, every time I visit. It's not fair." She crossed her arms angrily and pouted. A habit that she had learned from her cousin every time he didn't get what he wanted.

"Oh, dear cousin, one day you'll accept being who you are. At least you weren't brought up in a dump like the Weasley family."

"Oh, shut up, Draco." Huffed Sally-Anne, clearly having heard enough. "I'm going inside," she looked behind her scanning the hedgerow in case any of the gnomes had sneaked back. Deciding the area was clear she turned back to the manor, head held high as she stomped in the direction of the front of the large building.

"At least you only had to do a small area of the garden!" she heard her cousin shout after her.

Grrr! Just wait till I get my wand...Sally-Anne trudged carefully around a Venomous Tentacula plant, then jogged the rest of the way across a clear open patch of lawn to the front steps leading to a double set of mahogany doors. Printed clearly in an arch above the door, engraved into the granite stone was the family motto.

Keep Thy Friends Close And Thy Enemies Closer

Sally-Anne was a witch, brought up in a rich pure-blood family. Both her parents were wizards. Her mother, she never knew, as she was killed when Sally-Anne was too young to remember. Her father, Richard Perks, had brought her up alone. Well, not entirely alone, there was Madam Marsh, her Nanny.

Her father, worked at the Ministry of Magic, just like his brother-in-law (Sally-Anne's uncle), Lucius Malfoy. It so happens, that this summer, he had to be abroad on Ministry business, so she had to stay with the Malfoys all summer. Sally-Anne would much rather stay at home with Madam Marsh, but unfortunately her Nanny was having a summer vacation with her husband to Paris. And such as it was, there was no other family on her father's side for her to stay. Sally-Anne and her father were the only Perks alive, except for maybe, her older brother who was locked up in Azkaban, though she considered him just as dead and gone as her mother.

Sally-Anne and her cousin Draco Malfoy were staying with their Grandmother for a few days in Ivy Manor. Only last year, Grandmother had been going rather batty. Sally-Anne was not sure what had bought this sudden change in her, but ever since Grandmother started talking to nobody but the bedpost for two days, it was officially declared she needed to visit St. Mungo's every other week for special treatment. Sally-Anne came drawn to the conclusion that Grandmother was starting to become less herself and wasn't sure whether the treatment was working or not, if she carried on the way she did she might end up in the Closed Ward of St. Mungo's Hospital.

Since Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa had taken her at the start of summer, she was made to believe a lot of hateful things concerning Muggles, half-borns, and such-like. Unlike, her cousin, she never took it in. Fortunately for Sally-Anne, Uncle Lucius hadn't noticed. She never recited the Malfoy morals before bedtime, she never faced the Malfoy family crest mounted on the dining room wall before meal times, she never punished the house-elves when they ought to have been, (though she couldn't stop the house-elves from punishing themselves, which they tended to do). One thing Uncle Lucius had found out was Sally-Anne's friendship with Dobby, one of the Malfoy's kitchen house-elves.

Sally-Anne tore her eyes away from the Malfoy motto and winced at the memory of her uncle's wrath. Of course, it wasn't herself he was angry with. He had blamed it all on the house-elf. She hadn't seen Dobby since then, which was two weeks ago now.

Sally-Anne went into the breakfast room, where she expected to find Grandmother sleeping under the long wooden table. To her surprise, however she wasn't. She looked at the grandfather clock behind her in the hallway. It was quarter past five in the afternoon. She heard some shrill shrieking below her under the floor, and knew that Grandmother must be in the kitchen, ordering the house-elves to cook breakfast, rather than cook dinner. Sally-Anne sighed, realising she was going to have to tell the house-elves to stop cooking breakfast. Turning on her heel to head off for the kitchens she was brought to an abrupt stop by a small cough behind her.

"Dobby? What are you doing here?" Demanded Sally-Anne rather angrily, for being startled and for being slightly irritable about her mad old grandmother.

Dobby the house-elf shrank into the corner. Preparing to bang his head on the windowsill. "Dobby, angries Mistress Sally-Anne, Dobby must punish himself."

"No!" Sally-Anne hastily rushed forwards to grab Dobby's hands and prevent them from bashing his head. "Sorry, I'm not angry with you. It's just other people around here that are making me angry." Dobby looked up at her and she forced a reassuring smile. "Why are you here Dobby?"

"Dobby sends a message from Master Lucius." Dobby squeaked in his high-pitched voice. Sally-Anne nodded for him to continue. "He say's the Hogwarts owls have arrived with Miss Sally-Anne and Master Draco's acceptance to Hogwarts and Miss Sally-Anne and Master Draco are to go home tomorrow in morning straightaways to get Hogwarts things from Diagon Alley."

Sally-Anne brightened up a bit. "You mean I'm going to Hogwarts! Whoopie!"

"Master Draco too."

Sally-Anne frowned. "Well, you can't expect miracles to happen."

Dobby looked shocked. "Miss Sally-Anne should not be saying things like that about Master Draco. Miss Sally-Anne should have family honour just as Master Lucius always says."

"Dobby, I can say what I god-damn like about, him. Unlike you, I have my own free-will to call him a snobby git."

Dobby put his fingers in his bat-like ears. "Dobby does not hear such things!"

Being a house-elf, meant family honour, it also meant slavery in her view. She disliked the way the house-elves were treated. If she had a chance in life she would make sure all house-elves were treated as equals, such as how all creatures should be treated in the world.

Sally-Anne gave another heavy sigh, told Dobby to go back home and went down to the kitchens to fix the right meal.

* * *

An hour later in the main dining room, Sally-Anne, Draco and Grandmother sat around a long polished mahogany table, eating a pleasant dinner. Well, the meal itself was pleasant, the conversation; well that was a different matter.

"Sally-Anne, did you de-gnome the garden as I asked?" screeched Grandmother, chopping violently at her chicken with a sharp steak knife.

"Yes, Grandmother."

"Speak up, girl."

"Yes, Grandmother."

"Good." Grandmother turned to Draco, eyeing him defiantly. "I want you, dear boy, to look after Sally-Anne while you are at Hogwarts."

Two loud groans replied in sullen resentfulness. Grandmother was indeed mad, sometimes, but most of the time she tried to be her bossy normal self.

Grandmother continued on, obviously missing the reproachful groans. "Your father, Draco, tells me that you've both passed your tutorial tests with flying colours. Hopefully you two will bring some high expectations into this family. You never know you may have a proud career in the future. Maybe somewhere up in the top departments of the Ministry of Magic."

Sally-Anne listened dully as she idly poked at her runner beans, half-hoping the green vegetables would actually run off her plate onto Draco's. She wasn't a great fan of eating greens. Though, half her life was spent being forced fed greens with an enchanted spoon and all the while her Grandmother was cackling in the background. She grimaced suddenly at the memory. Then she wondered whether Draco was treated the same? She could never remember. Usually her father would bring her to Grandmother, when Madam Marsh was sick or on holiday. She couldn't ever recall seeing her cousin when he was a toddler. Her eyes lit up suddenly. Yes she could.

Sally-Anne looked up suddenly; realising her Grandmother was staring at her. She had evidently asked her a question.

"Sorry, what?" she blurted apologetically.

"I said," Grandmother intoned, stabbing at a boiled potato, "which House would you like to be in? Dear me, you're getting as deaf as me, girl."

Draco looked up from his plate for the first time during dinner, "It's obvious which House, Grandmother. All Malfoys are destined to be Slytherin."

Sally-Anne rolled her eyes. "She was asking me," but she could see no reason in arguing about it. Just by looking around Ivy Manor, and at all the furnishing that it was built for Slytherins. Silver ornaments encrusted with green emeralds, snake-like door handles, dark green carpeting and curtains. And outside there was a large maze, from the top-most balcony looking down, you'd be able to make out the S shape clearly outlined around it. "I suppose Slytherin, seeing as my mother and brother were, as were Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa, not to mention many other relatives along the family tree."

"You forgot myself," said Grandmother testily. "And your grandfather, he was a Slytherin, of course. Though I was not."

Draco stared, as did Sally-Anne. They had never known this simple fact. It felt quite ludicrous that they'd never really discussed this before with Grandmother. "What House were you in then?" asked Sally-Anne.

"Not Hufflepuff, surely," Draco sneered, disgusted by the thought.

"Of course not. Me in Hufflepuff!" Grandmother cringed. "Uck, I would have left school if I had been." Draco smirked, while Sally-Anne gave a willing house-elf her empty plate. "No, I was in Ravenclaw, just like your father, Sally-Anne."

Sally-Anne smiled as she scooped a spoonful of cherry and vanilla ice cream out of her silver bowl. That was the House she wanted to be in. She thought back to when she had read Hogwarts: A History which told how at the beginning how Hogwarts began with the four founders; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. It also told of the Sorting Hat, which was created by Godric before the founders were gone. She learned how, when put on a students' head, it would look into the mind and find out which talents they possessed to be worthy of which House. So as it was written: Gryffindor was for the brave and bold; Hufflepuff was for the willing and righteous; Ravenclaw was for the clever and skilful, then lastly; Slytherin for the ambitious and cunning.

"Ravenclaw is my second choice," approved Draco, scrunching up his napkin and placing it beside, his now, empty silver plate. "Rather Ravenclaw, than Gryffindor any day," He stood up, and gave Sally-Anne a meaningful look as he excused himself and retired to his chamber room.

Sally-Anne knew what that glare had meant. She had told Draco, rather unintentionally, but was provoked by an argument they were having a month ago, that if she had her way, she would rather be in Ravenclaw than Slytherin and also that her second choice would be Gryffindor as she thought herself rather daring at times. Draco hadn't spoken to her for the rest of the day after she had told him this. She was betting that he had been contemplating whether to tell his father on her. For some strange reason he hadn't.

Sally-Anne put her silver spoon down into her now empty silver bowl, and straightened up in her seat. She watched Grandmother chew an apple, and then wished she hadn't.

"Sally-Anne Perks, it's rude to stare!" screeched Grandmother.

"Sorry, Grandmother," said Sally-Anne. "I was just wondering, whether I could have my wand back. I -er- wanted to practise this charm...from -er- book, I -er- just wanted..." Grandmother was staring, with a piercing glare. "...Ah, maybe some other time then." Sally-Anne mumbled, then stood up as she made to leave.

When Grandmother looked at people like that, it was a sure sign that Grandmother was in one of her crazy moods. And we're talking lunacy.

* * *

Boo, one of Grandmother's house-elves shuffled in to Sally-Anne's chamber late in the night to put out the remaining embers in the fireplace. Sally-Anne was lying in bed, listening, as she hadn't been able to sleep.

After a few moments of Boo's feeble shovelling in the fire-grate she heard the house-elf murmuring to himself.

"What to do, what to do. Boo thinks Mistress is in much pain. Boo hears wizards, wizards with bone and wand. Mistress is in pain. Wizards say Mistress is going insane. Insane from... from her power."

Sally-Anne sat up. "Boo?"

Boo shrieked and jumped a few paces from where he had stood. He stared back at her with frightened glassy eyes. He didn't say anything, just guiltily looked at his feet.

"What were you saying?" Sally-Anne hissed with a questioning stare.

Boo looked positively taken aback. "Pardon Boo's murmuring. Miss, should be asleep."

Sally-Anne got to her feet quickly. "That's not the answer I wanted. What did you say about Grandmother? What about her going insane from her power? What power is this?"

Boo did not look at her. "Miss should not know, miss. Boo should not say. No, no." He made to grab his cleaning things. "Boo must go."

"No!" Sally-Anne stepped forwards to block the exit. "Please, Boo. Tell me."

"Boo have to be punished if Boo should tell."

Feeling slightly remorseful, Sally-Anne lowered her eyes. "Sorry, Boo." She then lifted her head defiantly. "But I'm ordering you to tell me."

Looking fearful, Boo began spluttering words. Words, which formed sentences, sentences that told Sally-Anne that Grandmother, was a Seer. "B-but Mistress is seeing bad omens all the time. Some that are not true."

BANG!

Boo just bashed his head against a wardrobe. "That is why Mistress is going insane, miss."

"Thank you, Boo." Sally-Anne whispered, as she was sure that the racket would have woken up half of the Manor.

"G'night, Miss. Boo will now go iron his hands." Boo shuffled out of her chamber, dragging a metal bucket containing various cleaning utensils.

"Night." Sally-Anne whispered, strolling back to bed in deep thought.

* * *

It was Tuesday 31^st July and Sally-Anne was strolling down Diagon Alley with the Malfoys. The shopping area was completely packed with witches and wizards. And to her uncle's disgust Muggles with their Muggleborn sons and daughters.

Sally-Anne held her supply list before her, ignoring Draco whining to his mother that he didn't need anymore robes. ("Nonsense Draco dear. Nobody can never own enough robes.") Most of the list contained items she already owned. Her uncle, being one of the school governors, had already bought her the uniform last month. Sally-Anne had wondered what her uncle would do if she weren't accepted at Hogwarts. But then as he was her uncle and the school governor, she supposed there was no way she would be refused.

As Draco needed different items to Sally-Anne, Aunt Narcissa went with Draco to Madam Malkins' Robes for all Occasions and her uncle, taking her firmly by the wrist with a tight grip, took her to Flourish and Blotts to buy her and Draco's books.

"Do you have the list?" Uncle Lucius said, holding out his other hand impatiently. "Come on, girl. I don't have all day. I have much more important business to be seen with."

Trying very much, not to scowl at her uncle, she passed him her supply list. Then she was half-dragged to the store's counter, where behind it stood a book clerk.

"Good morning!" greeted the clerk with a friendly smile.

Her uncle didn't return the smile, just shoved the supply list in front of the clerk's nose. "I want two sets of the books listed on this parchment."

"Hogwarts, is it, sir?" inquired the clerk apprehensively.

"Indeed."

The book clerk quickly picked up a pile of books from under the counter followed by another of the exact likeness. "Would you like anything else, sir?" He asked politely.

Uncle Lucius took out some money, "No." He placed some gold coins on the counter. "Keep the change." Then he turned on his heel dragging Sally-Anne along too by the wrist.

Feeling disgruntled about having to stay with her uncle while Draco and Aunt Narcissa went to buy Draco's wand, Sally-Anne looked at the other students buying their school supplies with their own families.

"Mommy, can I have a pet cat, please, please, please!"

"Wow! The new Nimbus Two Thousand! Dad, can I have it, Davies says his dad is getting him one."

"Hi Cho! How's your summer been?" This was followed by a few girly squeals.

Sally-Anne turned her head, tripping up slightly, as her Uncle walked in long strides. She saw a group of girls, who all looked older than her, each holding a shopping bag, and talking animatedly to each other. Sally-Anne wondered if she'd make any friends at Hogwarts. Then she wondered if she was a likeable person.

After a brief stop in the cauldron shop and the apothecary's, Sally-Anne's hands both occupied with carrier bags, they finally met up with Draco and Aunt Narcissa again. Draco was looking smug with his new wand held aloft, while Aunt Narcissa rummaged through her snake-skin purse.

"Lucius, darling," cooed Aunt Narcissa, "Shall I go and get their money for the year, then they can go and buy some extra items and things."

Uncle Lucius nodded curtly, "Don't tarry too long in Gringotts, dear." He handed to his wife Draco and Sally-Anne's vault keys.

As Aunt Narcissa turned away, Draco pulled on his father's robes. "Father, what do you think of my wand? Ollivander found it straight away."

Uncle Lucius inspected the wand as he strode towards Eeylops Owl Emporium, "Yes, it looks like this may have potential."

"Dragon Heartstring, Holly, 11 inches." Draco stated, as he stared blearily at the different owls in the shop window. "Father, can we go and look at those racing brooms." He pointed across the alley at Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"When you're mother returns, you can go in any of the shops," Draco thought he meant now and made to turn towards Flourish and Blotts, "but with your mother, as I have got important business to see to, as I've already told you, Draco."

"Yes, father," said Draco sulkily.

Sally-Anne stared at a beetle-eyed tawny brown and grey owl. It looked really cute.

"While we're waiting," said her uncle, with much distaste, "you two can look in here and choose an owl. As I want both of you to be writing home every week while you're at Hogwarts."

Looking slightly perturbed, Sally-Anne looked up suddenly, "But uncle, my father doesn't have a permanent address as he works undercover and such."

"You can write to me and Narcissa then." Lucius replied as he walked over the threshold of the owl shop.

As Sally-Anne watched Draco stare intently at all the different types of owls in all different colours, shapes and sizes, she wondered why she had to write at all. Her aunt and uncle never took any interest in what she did most of the time anyway.

"I want that one!" cried out Draco suddenly and Sally-Anne looked up at the biggest owl in the store, which was in fact a huge eagle owl. To nobody's surprise, but Draco's, Uncle Lucius approved. Though as it was much more costly than any other owl in the store, Sally-Anne was told to choose an owl that was under 20 Galleons.

Most of the owls were 20 Galleons or above. Sally-Anne dearly wanted to argue about it, but she didn't want to look like a spoilt little rich kid in front of other families roaming the shop. She turned to the front window and saw that small tawny owl again. It was only 10 Galleons.

Five minutes later, two happy children strolled out of Eeylops Owl Emporium both holding out a large cage containing their new pet owl.

Aunt Narcissa came fairy walking towards them holding out two bags of money for the year.

Draco snatched his bag immediately and poked his nose at the contents of his money bag. "Is that it?" Sally-Anne rolled her eyes as she took her money bag.

"Narcissa dear, I'll be back soon." Uncle Lucius said, and departed down Diagon Alley.

"Mother, can I have an ice-cream?" Draco asked in a whiney sort of way, which made Sally-Anne want to smack him for being so spoilt. Though, Aunt Narcissa was the reason for Draco being spoilt.

"Of course, honey." Narcissa smiled as she began smearing some dark red lipstick on her lips, while levitating a small mirror in front of herself. "Why, don't you two run along to the ice-cream store, while I go to the café just over there." She pointed to a quaint little coffee shop next to an antique store. "Meet me there in half an hour, and no later or else."

Sally-Anne bit her lip. Aunt Narcissa always threatened someone with "or else", and it always made her want to answer with "or else what?"

"Come on, Sally." Draco said, "I can see Crabbe and Goyle outside the Quidditch shop."

Half an hour of torture, with Draco and the dunderheads. Merlin help me. Sally-Anne followed unwilling, slumping her shoulders, she trailed Draco.

"Oh Sally-Anna!" cooed Aunt Narcissa. "Sally-Anna!"

"Sally-Anne."

"Sorry, dear, but I forgot to give you your vault key."

"Thank you."

She reached out to take the key from her aunt, when suddenly something triggered through her as she grasped the gold metal.

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST blared a newspaper headline.

"Who'd want to break into a vault that was empty? Completely foolish!"

"Yeah, but what I wanna know is how they did it. Tricky business, when you're dealing with goblins an all."

"My brother says Gringotts is the safest place in England apart from Hogwarts."

There was a shuffling noise and a scribbling of quills.

"Can't be... what do you think Sally-Anne? Sally-Anne?"

"Sally-Anna?!"

Two bright blue eyes stared back at her. It was Aunt Narcissa. Pain suddenly crept up to her on her spine and Sally-Anne realised she was slumped against a brick wall.

"Oh, Sally-Anna, poor dear. Are you alright?"

The thing is, she wasn't sure about anything. "W-what happened?"

"I'm not certain, you just sort of blanked out and dropped to the ground. Are you ill, Sally-Anna?"

"Sally-Anne. No, I feel fine."

"Come on," said her aunt, taking her in a death-grip around the arm (similar to her uncle) and half dragged her to the café, where she endured exactly 45 minutes of witch gossip between her aunt and some of her stately friends.