A Slytherin Black Sheep

“May It Be” by Enya

Malfoy Manor was a polished place in sharp contrast to the worn elegance of her own family home, Edana thought. The furnishings, antique or new, gleaned and was of the highest quality. The Manor was enormous, not as large as Hogwarts, but harder to navigate with no friendly ghosts or suits of armor to ask directions of. Constructed in early sixteenth century by Muggles, the house was brick and built in the shape of the letter H.

Lucius Malfoy provided a cursory history of the building as he led Edana through the house. “My ancestors did a great favor for the Muggle lords who built the Manor. The Muggles were not forthcoming with payment. My ancestor Richard Malfoy,” here Lucius paused in both speech and step as though a thought just occurred to him. Edana was glad for the halt as she was having a difficult time matching Lucius’s ground eating strides. “Our ancestor, I suppose. I do recall reading that a Malfoy witch married a Rosier. Well, Richard sought his payment, but the family’s wealth had been confiscated by Henry VII for supporting the wrong side in the War of the Roses. The family fled to the continent leaving only the land and manor behind. Richard was given the property as payment and moved the family here. He began the process of converting the manor from Muggle to Magical residence. We have been here ever since.”

Edana nodded, the house had been magically expanded and modified at some point in the centuries since the Malfoy family first occupied it. Richard could not have done it, Edana’s Charms studies revealed the necessary spells were not invented until the 1830’s. As it was now, had the manor been located in ancient Greece it might have provided the inspiration for the maze of the Minotaur. It boggled her mind to think that not only did people live here, but that Malfoy Manor was only the fourth largest private home in the Britain Isles.

The other three must require detailed maps to go from one room to another, Edana thought. Then she realized that she might need a map to locate the exit again.

Mr. Malfoy shepherded Edana into a formal parlor where an elegant woman waited. He introduced her to Edana as his wife, Narcissa.

Mrs. Malfoy was tall, regal and immaculately groomed. Her manner reminded Edana vaguely of her mother before Evan’s death, except that her mother had never been able to afford such expensive robes and jewelry. The Rosier's did have family jewels, the majority were of another time and gaudy to the modern eye, but Mrs. Rosier’s occupation manufacturing and repairing amulets meant various loose gemstones were always kept in her workroom. Several times she told Edana about the stones, how to determine their quality, whether a stone was genuine, and to assess market value. Edana determined the aquamarines around Narcissa’s throat to be of the highest caliber, antique as they were of the sea green favored in the past rather than the pale blue preferred by modern collectors. They were worth more than the annual salary of an entire Ministry department.

“Poor dear,” Narcissa said as she enveloped Edana in a hug, which amazed the girl. Mrs. Malfoy did not seem the hugging type, Edana did not think it went well with her tailored pale green linen robes.

Despite his purported concern for the welfare of his orphaned cousin, Mr. Malfoy made his excuses and disappeared into the hallways of the labyrinthine manor without a backward glance.

“Let me show you your room. I had the servants bring your things in already.” Mrs. Malfoy told her. She led Edana through another maze of hallways to a spacious bedroom suite that would have swallowed her dormitory at school and her room at home. The walls were covered with a dark blue silk, the accents and bedding were cream. The wide planked wood floors, revealing that the room dated to the Muggles as wizard floors never showed scratches, were covered by thick rugs that depicted a scene of Ariadne accepting a ball of thread from Daedalus. The great inventor Daedalus ignored the two women while the princess appeared startled by their entrance. Edana suspected this room did not see many visitors.

“Why don’t you take a nice hot bath?” Mrs. Malfoy suggested kindly. “I’ll have the servants bring you dinner and you can turn in early.”

Edana nodded. She was exhausted. The train ride had been long, but the rest of the day was longer still.

After Mrs. Malfoy left, Edana went into the bathroom. It continued the cream and dark blue motif of the bedroom, though in the bathroom it was the blue that was the accent color. The room appeared carved of a lightly veined cream marble with a wonderful claw footed bath tub showcased in a corner. Unlike the bedroom, the bathroom had obviously been a later addition to the Manor. Muggles in the sixteenth century did not place a premium on cleanliness.

Edana found jars of bubble bath, soap and hair potions in a cabinet by the tub and a pile of fluffy blue towels by the bath tub. Her bath was lovely, but with nothing else to distract her, Edana’s thought returned to her mother and her own situation.

“Mother really left you when Evan died.” Edana told herself firmness she did not feel inside. The words sounded harsh and cold to her own ears, but with things as they were she needed to recover from her shock and grief quickly. She had to know what really happened to her mother and why the Malfoy’s really took her in. To discover those two things she would need to be in her best state of mind.

After her bath, Edana devoured the meal she found on a serving tray. It was delicious but she hardly noticed as her mind was already considering her next move. Her mother had not been dead long and it seemed already an eternity. Her mother had hardly been a social creature, Edana suspected the Malfoy’s were unaware of her existence before. Edana decided the Malfoy’s decision to take her in had been pretty much spur of the moment, otherwise she might have been met by Mr. Malfoy at King’s Cross.

She decided it was best to appear to follow Mrs. Malfoy’s advice for the time being. She went to bed much earlier than usual, but only so she would wake up in a few hours to have a look around the house. If anyone asked questions she would claim to be looking for the kitchen for a glass of milk. Edana reasoned that becoming lost was something that happened quite often in this house.

She found her trunk by her bed along with Shadow who was less than happy at having spent most of the day trapped in his cat basket. The cat clearly had been fed and was curled on the bed, his eyes half open and communicating his annoyance to his young Mistress.

Edana scratched him between his ears. “Neither of us have had the best day.”

In response Shadow purred. Edana laughed and changed into her nightgown, then climbed into the bed with her pet. Within minutes they were both asleep.

* * *

At half past eleven, Edana eased out of bed, taking care not to disturb her Shadow, who cocked a curious eye at her before stretching and going back to sleep. She rearranged the numerous pillows to provide the illusion that she was actually in the bed while looking natural enough to avoid suspicion if she were caught in the hall. Charlie told her that his mother could not check on the twins from the doorway, but had to enter their room to see that they were in their beds, so many times they employed that particular trick.

Despite being parents themselves, Edana did not believe Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy shared Mrs. Weasley’s experience in such matters.

She sought in her trunk for her dressing gown to cover her pale blue nightgown, which would be a beacon in the dark hallways. Edana was grateful that her dressing gown was dark green and easily faded into shadows. She pulled on matching slippers, slid her wand into her pocket, and opened the door as quietly as she could.

The hallway was dim, but not so dark that doorways, furniture and corners were obscured. Edana tried to both retrace her steps and remember how to find her way back to her room. Mrs. Malfoy had led her down the carpeted hallway from the closed door to the left. Edana tried the door but it was locked from the other side. She wished she could unwind a ball of thread or drop breadcrumbs to mark her path back to her room.

Just then, Edana heard the soft footsteps of a house elf scurrying down the hall. Edana sprinted to the next door. It, too, was locked. She tried the one across the hall and thanked her lucky stars that it was open and the room beyond it empty.

The room Edana took refuge in was a study of sorts with a warm fire in the grate. There was a masculine quality to the decor that led her to believe this was Mr. Malfoy’s private study. She went over to the desk opposite the fire, careful not to touch anything. If the Malfoys were anything like her mother, their more sensitive documents would be protected by a simple but effective Sanguis charm. Anyone who touched something protected by a Sanguis charm would experience a blinding pain unless they happened to be a close relative of the caster. Edana did not think her blood relationship to Lucius Malfoy close enough to test the charm.

The documents on the desk did tempt her to try. On top was the parchment Mr. Malfoy showed her earlier. Edana angled herself to read it in detail. It was very correct and very legal, just as she remembered it.

Partly visible under that parchment was something no less official. It appeared to be an inventory of her family vault and a summary of the portions of her parents wills that applied to the vault.

“In such event, the contents of vault number 1215 may not be released to their owner until she comes of age. The sole exception is for a small allowance of fourteen galleons to be paid to Miss Rosier in person on the first day of August for school and personal expenses.”

It was signed by a senior Gringotts goblin and a barrister whose services her mother used on occasion. The date by the signatures was the previous month.

As Edana considered both the sudden update of her mother’s will and the significance of this document being on Mr. Malfoy’s desk, she heard more footsteps coming down the hall. They were too heavy to be those of a house elf and they were approaching the very room she had taken refuge in. Edana ducked behind a large leather reading chair set into a small alcove. Edana was small and wiry and fit – with some discomfort – into the narrow space. She pulled the edge of her dressing gown closer to her and was glad of the shadows cast by the flickering fire and the chairs position that further concealed her from easy view.

The door opened to admit Mr. Malfoy. He walked past Edana’s chair and stood in front of the green marble fireplace. His manner was of a person waiting for something.

Mr. Malfoy was not required to wait long. Less than a minute after his arrival a shrouded head appeared in the fire. Edana bit her lip to keep from gasping.

“Well?” The figure demanded. The black cowl concealed every nuance of the person, but the voice was male, cultured, and had a touch of a Welsh accent. It was also familiar. Edana ransacked her memories to pinpoint the identity of the visitor without success.

“Lenore Rosier was careful. She knew the Ministry was aware of the amulet though they were unable to confiscate it from her as the Aurors could not be certain the Mirror of Truth was being created for our lord. My source tells me it was not finished when they questioned her, but she later completed it in secret.” Lucius growled. He poured himself a large shot of Firewhiskey from a bottle concealed in the top drawer of his desk. Edana was reminded of how her roommate Malina behaved when she was around Dru. She seemed annoyed that she was forced to deal with her as a peer when Malina saw herself as better by birth. The voice in the fire sounded younger, Edana decided, maybe Mr. Malfoy disliked having to answer to someone his junior. “It is in the Rosier family vault at Gringotts. The contents of the vault are frozen until her daughter turns 17, which won’t be until she comes of age.”

“Could the girl be persuaded to aid us…?”

“She can’t access the vault at all. The only exception is a small yearly allowance for her school expenses. She may be from one of our families, but I have yet to determine her loyalties.”

“There is still The Binding. I recall the Rosiers were among the families who participated, but only our Lord can draw upon that. We need that amulet, and soon.”

The Binding

Mr. Malfoy‘s irritation became more pronounced. “I’m aware of that.”

The shrouded wizard ignored Malfoy‘s annoyance. “Can you think of any way to get at the amulet before the girl’s birthday? When is it exactly?”

There was a sound of shuffling papers as Mr. Malfoy moved out of view. “She was born on September 18, 1969.”

“So she will be seventeen in 1986. Too long to wait. We need our lord and master back now.”

‘They are weaker than ever.” Mr. Malfoy said with a sneer, this time his loathing was not directed at his visitor. “They think they have us all. They think they are completely safe.”

“Our time will come.” The man in the fire assured Mr. Malfoy.

“How does things go with your efforts?” Mr. Malfoy inquired with a drawl. “You assured me that I would be kept informed.”

“The Aurors know something. We will pay a call to one of them – Frank Longbottom - soon to question him.”

Edana recognized the name of one of the Aurors who questioned her after Evan died. She did not like him, but he was Professor Wormwood’s grandson. The former Potions Mistress had lost most of her family already. Edana did not like to think of her having to suffer another death.

Mr. Malfoy frowned. “Attacking an Auror, that could put the Ministry on guard again. There are suspicions enough from Lenore Rosier’s death.”

“We will interrogate Longbottom, obtain our information and place a powerful memory charm on him.”

“He’ll notice the missing time. Aurors are trained to recognize when they have had a memory charm. The first thing he’ll do is run to his friends like the obedient dog he is to have it removed.”

“But what if we come at night?” The voice demanded silkily. “We will interrogate him in his own home and when we are done, apply the charms and put the family back to bed as if nothing unusual happened. In the morning he will think his confusion the result of a poor night’s sleep or a strange dream.

“Perhaps,” Malfoy agreed, taking a drink. “Take care entering his home. He’ll have protections set up.”

“Nothing we cannot handle. Longbottom recently moved. He has not had time for the more secure wards. They take hours to set up and Longbottom has been working late at the office recently. His wife is not as skilled at wards though her potions are well known. There will be little difficulty in gaining entrance. We will go later in the week, during the dark of the moon.”

“That still brings us to the Mirror of Truth.”

“If we can find our lord and restore him, the amulet can be retrieved with ease. Our lord is more powerful than the goblins of Gringotts. Then we will know who is committed to the lord and who turned traitor and passed information to Dumbledore.”

“Send me word after you visit the Longbottoms.”

“Of course.”

With that the man disappeared from the fire. Mr. Malfoy downed another shot of whiskey before putting the bottle and glass away and departing the room.

From her place behind he chair, Edana was frightened and bewildered. She knew enough to realize the two men were Death Eaters and planning an attack on the Longbottoms. There was also The Binding. Edana did not understand the reference, but she instinctively knew this was not something she ought to mention around.

Edana managed to return to her bedroom without incident. She pulled Shadow into her lap and held him tight. Her mind was ablaze with what she overheard and she debated whether or not to warn Longbottom.

She wanted a way to right some of her family’s wrongs, maybe that would be a way. But if Mr. Malfoy found out…Edana shivered. And how? She did not have an owl and could not chance Mr. Malfoy or his wife learning what she had done.

“Diagon Alley.” Edana breathed. It would not take much to convince Mrs. Malfoy to take a trip or allow Edana to go by herself. Edana could slip away to post a letter to a friend and send the warning then with a post owl. No one would be able to trace it back to her. The Death Eater told Mr. Malfoy they would wait until later that week so she had a little time.

* * *

As expected, it was easy to convince Mrs. Malfoy to let her go. She gave Edana a few sickles to purchase a potion that she required. Edana discovered that Mrs. Malfoy was an art restorer by profession, one of the few who specialized in magical paintings. Her skills were very much in demand.

“I almost forgot,” Mrs. Malfoy said as Edana was about to leave. “Did your mother keep any animals? If so you should floo by on your way back to fetch them or they will starve to death.”

Edana had indeed forgotten about the two owls in their tiny owlery. “We have two owls. Cassandra – she was Evan’s owl – and Aeneas, our family owl. The house elves will see that they are fed, but it isn’t good for them to be cooped up.”

“Send them here.” Mrs. Malfoy suggested.

Edana nodded. She accepted the floo powder Mrs. Malfoy offered and flung it into the fire.

“Diagon Alley!”

The journey was quick. Edana stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Caldron and checked her clothing for soot. The fireplace was keep in good order and Edana did not have much to worry about, but she did not want to wander around with a black smudge on her face so she always checked.

She found the potion Mrs. Malfoy wanted and a book she had intended to buy. Then Edana went to the owl office and slipped in with a crowd of Ministry wizards on lunch break. The standard owl counter was busy and Edana was able to tie her two letters – one to Longbottom, the other to Professor Dumbledore – to the right legs of two bored barn owls and slip a sickle into the moke skin money pouch fixed on their left legs. The letters were written on standard parchment in all capital letters and with her left hand to disguise her handwriting. Edana was certain neither of the two men she was writing had ever seen anything she had written, but it never hurt to take care.

Edana flooed home and composed letters for Illiana and Charlie and sent them off with the two owls, now hers.

“I’m at Malfoy Manor now,” Edana told the two birds. “So don’t you two come back here after the delivery. I’m certain the Malfoys keep good owl treats.”

As the owls flew away, Edana forced herself to lit a fire and floo back to Malfoy Manor. It irked her that she was unlikely to know the detailed results of her interference, but maybe she could glean something from her guardians. Of course, that meant spending time with them and being polite.

And saintly patience was not among Edana Rosier’s virtues.