A Slytherin Black Sheep

October 31, 1981

Edana had hoped the Halloween feast would prove to be a distraction. She hovered at the perimeter of the Great Hall, feeling more spectator than student. She watched Aileen, the Slytherin Keeper, talking to one of the Slytherin beaters about a new type of broom. Dru and Kali chatted about their latest Transfiguration grades at the Slytherin table, before slipping into the hallway. Malina was in the dorm, having left the feast early with a headache, and Edana had no desire to be within thirty feet of her at the moment. Malina was trying in the best of health, but an absolute horror when she had the slightest illness or injury. The injured ankle she received last year courtesy of the Gryffindors meant months of complaints and innuendo that Hogwart’s medical staff were not really up to snuff.

Edana aimlessly wandered the halls until she came to the library. It was far quieter than usual, since most students were either at the feast or in their dorms, and it had chairs she could collapse into. In recent months, it had become her sanctuary. She could bury herself in books and no one bothered her here.

Edana tried to remember Evan’s face and found to her horror that his features had blurred into one another. She located an archive of old news clippings and sorted through them until she came to an article regarding Evan winning the Salazar Award in his seventh year. It featured one of Edana’s favorite pictures of him. In the picture Evan was mostly still, sitting outside Hogwarts with his broom against him, smiling and occasionally running his hand nervously through his hair.

Abruptly she found herself overwhelmed by memories of Evan. She put away the articles and pulled out a book, hoping to lose herself in it, but tonight that proved to be impossible.

Everything she had experienced in the last year hit her all at once: Evan’s death, the horror of realizing what he had been, having to deal with her mother, the ostracism of her housemates, and the complete lack of anyone she could trust to confide in. Her emotions boiled over and to Edana’s horror she started to cry, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook. She bit her lip and buried her head in the desk, crying for what seemed an eternity, hoping no one would notice. Her mother had always mocked those who shed tears in public, it was not a very dignified was for a person to behave.

But someone did notice.

“Are you all right?”

Edana raised her head to face an older girl, a fourth or fifth year, with a curtain of pale blond hair and a kind face. Automatically Edana glanced at her tie and felt a stab of fear. Blue and bronze. Ravenclaw colors. The girl had seen her green and silver striped tie now and was certain to make her feel worse, maybe she would tell her friends that she caught a Slytherin crying like a baby in the library. Everyone hated Slytherins these days, hated them, feared them, and blamed them for all the murders and tortures. She waited a moment, but no rebuke or harsh words came and Edana decided to chance an answer to the girl‘s question. Her voice was usually soft as she spoke, almost a whisper. “My brother died a year ago today.”

The Ravenclaw clicked her tongue before she spoke. Edana found the sound strangely reassuring. “Death Eaters killed him?”

Edana shook her head in the negative. She wished that were the case, it would certainly be easier to deal with. Then she thought of all the murdered families she had read about in the Daily Prophet. Would she wish that kind of death on her own brother? Yes, she would Edana decided half an instant later. It was better than knowing what he inflicted upon other people’s siblings, friends, children, and parents. She struggled to find the right words to tell the girl that in spite of it all she had loved Evan, that even he had his moments, that he had been a good brother to her. How could she explain how everything good and right he had done made it so hard to accept the terrible acts he committed? For the second time that day, Edana surprised herself. “People act as though I ought to be happy he died. He killed other people and it was his own fault for resisting arrest, but he was my big brother. He always protected me, took time out for me, loved me.”

Edana was again surprised by the Ravenclaw‘s response.

“Its not your fault.” Four words, but this was the first time she had heard them directed at her.

Edana smiled weakly. “Thanks, but not everyone thinks like you. They think I’m just like Evan or that even though he’s dead they can punish him by hurting me. People curse me in the halls, pretend I’m not there, put things in my caldron...”

“Don’t your house mates do anything to help you?” The Ravenclaw asked.

Edana laughed. It was not a happy sound even to her own ears. She did not want to go into detail about the situation, so she summed her problem up in a way she thought the older girl would best understand. “No. They either hate me for the same reasons as the rest of the school, or think I’m a sell out and disgrace to my family for not think of Evan as a martyr.”

“If you ever want to talk, just owl me. My name is Illiana Kempton.” The Ravenclaw, Illiana, said.

“Edana Rosier.” Then she caught a glimpse of the time. It was much later than she had suspected. “I had better get going. Thank you.”

* * * * *

Hours before students were accustomed to getting up, Edana awoke to the sounds of a gathering in the common room. She could hear Malina mutter about the noise and Kali yank the curtains around her bed aside. Edana slid out of bed and felt around for her slippers and dressing gown. Then she padded off to the common room.

Professor Snape, still in his dressing gown and slippers but managing to be imposing nevertheless, was reiterating something to the gathering crowd.

"I assure you it is true," Snape growled.

"But a baby?" A sixth year asked, incredulous.

"What is the commotion about?" Malina demanded as she came up behind Edana.

"Voldemort has been defeated." Snape informed her.

The newcomers were a long moment in absorbing this information. The students had spent the majority of childhood with the fear that Death Eaters would come in the night to kill them or their loved ones. In addition, many Slytherins suspected or feared members of their family might be involved with Voldemort. There was scarcely a Death Eater found who had not been sorted into Slytherin, though rumor ran through the house that deals were cut or the truth hidden about Death Eaters from the other three houses.

"How?" Edana sputtered. It amazed her that one moment Voldemort was an ever present nightmare and then he was gone.

Snape looked down his long nose at her and Edana thought that, just for a second, he looked as though he might be on the verge of tears. Then just as suddenly as it came, the moment passed and his expression became unreadable.

"Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow." Snape said. "He murdered James and Lily Potter. When he tried to use the Killing Curse on their one year old son, Harry, the curse rebounded.  Do not ask me further questions, I do not know the answers. You can debate the rest amongst yourselves. There will be no classes today."

With that, he swept from the room leaving bewildered students in his wake. The second years huddled together to discuss the situation.

Kali turned to Edana. "Do you think it's a hoax?"

Kali had not spoken to her outside of class in months and it took a few seconds for her to respond.

"Snape is not the type." Edana finally said. "And only Dumbledore has the authority to cancel classes."

"I still want to see something more official than Snape." Alex Amiti stated. "My parents would never allow the Prophet to run a story about You-Know-Who being defeated unless it was true."

"The morning edition of the Prophet won't be owled for hours." Braedan said as he flung himself into a chair by the fire. "And even if it is true, the Dark Lord may be gone but what about his followers?"

"What if they go crazy?" Dru whispered.

"You think they already aren't?" Alex asked dryly.

Malina shot him a withering look. "I think she means what if they go on a rampage."

Some of the other students voiced similar opinions, others debated the circumstances of Voldemort's alleged defeat, in some corners of the room heated arguments broke out. With little real facts, fear and speculation ran rampant.

The chatter was silenced by the return of a less than amused Snape. "I could hear you from the headmaster's office. Thirty points."

"But sir," third year Geoffrey Butler whined, "that knocked us out of first place."

Snape glared at him. "Fifty points."

When Snape departed, the Slytherins turned angrily on Geoffrey. In the struggle between those wanting to vent their fury on Geoffrey and calmer heads not wanting to lose further points, Edana found herself between Geoffrey and a livid seventh year. She felt the impact of his fist, but the next thing she knew was waking up in the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey helped her sit upright, a good thing because the room was spinning anti-clockwise.

"Miss Travers and Mr. Harker brought you in with Mr. Butler. He won't be up for a while. They claimed not to have seen what happened, but I can tell when a student has been in a fight." The nurse said as she checked on Edana.

Edana realized that if she told the truth Slytherin might lose more points. She was not the best at spur of the moment lies. The result was a flimsy cover. "I ran into a door."

The nurse appeared skeptical, but Edana refused to budge from her story and eventually she let the girl be.

Edana was not the only patient, two other beds had curtains drawn about them. As Pomfrey owled for some of Edana's clothes to be brought (Edana was still wearing her nightgown and dressing gown, though one of her slippers had fallen off) Hagrid came into the ward.

"I just wanted to see how he is." Hagrid blubbered, focused on the curtained bed farthest from Edana.

Pomfrey's expression softened. "Poor thing is exhausted. I think he will sleep for a while yet."

"Could ya let me know when he wakes up?"

"Of course."

Just after Hagrid left, Aileen appeared with Edana's clothes.

"Stay away from doors. I don't like it when students make a habit of getting themselves hurt." Pomfrey instructed her.

* * * * *

The retalliation the Slytherins feared did not materialize by dinner and they at last allowed themselves to participate in the festivities. The few who secretly supported Voldemort slithered away claiming fatigue, but most joined in the feast that occurred that evening. For the most part only those who knew the Potter family appeared subdued. The Professors celebrated as much as the students, though Edana noted that Hagrid, McGonagall and Dumbledore did not appear until after midnight. To her eyes they were tired and distracted.

A man scurried over to Dumbledore, Edana wondered if this was news of Death Eaters. Somehow the prospect seemed distant and did not penetrate her euphoria.

Just then, Illiana tugged on her sleeve. Edana allowed her to leader her into an empty classroom.

“What happened to your eye?” Illiana asked, concerned.

Edana shrugged. “Slytherin lost a lot of points this morning. Professor Snape was not in a very good mood, but then he is never in a good mood. Anyway he stormed into our Common Room and took off points for the noise. and that had him take off more. After Snape left everyone was really mad at Geoffrey. I was standing near him and got this by accident. Geoffrey is in the hospital wing with two black eyes, a cracked rib and some interesting hex marks. We lost even more points for that.” Kali told her after she got back from the hospital that Slytherin had lost twenty points.

Illiana looked as though she were about to say something when they heard footsteps outside the door accompanied by voices. Edana immediately recognized Snape and McGonagall.

Snape was speaking. “Sirius Black?”

“Yes,” said McGonagall. “He betrayed them, and now Pettigrew and several Muggles are dead as well.”

“Foolish man,” Snape said with contempt. “What did he think he was doing confronting Black like that?”

“Grief can do strange things to people. Dumbledore tells me that they said Black laughed as they took him away. Of all the people to go over to the other side I never would have considered Sirius Black!”

“At least we know who was providing information on the Potters to Voldemort now.”

The professors voices became distant as they turned a corner. Edana wished she could question the professors, but knew they would not appreciate knowing they had been overheard.

“I guess we ought to be getting back to the feast.” Edana said, not sure what to say and eager to return to her house table with the news. She still had not forgiven her housemates for their treatment of her, but isolation made her crave social contact and she was willing to overlook their behavior for the time being.

“I guess so, my offer still stands. If you ever want to talk just owl me.” Illiana reminded her.

“Thanks.”

Edana gave Illiana a brief hug out in the hall before going back to the feast.

"You will never guess what I just heard." Edana whispered to Alex and Kali as she sat down next to them at the Slytherin table.

"What?"

"I overheard Snape and McGongall talking. Sirius Black has been arrested."

Black's name ellicited no response from either of them.

"Sirius Black was a friend of the Potter's. A Gryffindor."

"A Gryffindor?" Alex repeated. "Are you certain?"

Edana hesitated a moment. "He was in the same year as Professor Snape."

Alex and Kali each knew that Snape had been at Hogwarts with her brother and was the source of her information on Black, but they elected not to mention it.

"He was apparently a troublemaker," Edana said as she shifted through her memories. She was more familiar with Evan's friends. "Professor Snape loathed him."

"Wonder how the Gryffindors will take the news that one of their alumni went dark," Alex mused.

"Not very well." Kali grinned.

Edana stared at the happy, smiling Gryffindors at their table across the hall. "At least now they'll know what it's like."