Chapter 62: Mistress of DeathSummary:Hazel does the thing.
Chapter TextGrindelwald surveyed the ritual circle, and swept away the dust with a flick of his wand. Next he conjured a paint bucket full of red liquid. "Fill in the grooves of the circle with this substance, if you would."
"It's not blood, is it? Doesn't look like blood…" It sure smelled like blood!
"It's… a mixture of things." The evasive way he said it made her wonder, but she shrugged it off and flicked her wand, spreading the substance evenly across the grooves of the circle. "Good. Now, remove all rings and jewelry except for the Resurrection Stone, as well as all clothing except your underthings and the Cloak of Invisibility."
He made a point of turning away, and she hurried to do as he said, sliding her various rings off her fingers and pulling her necklaces and pendants off. Then she shucked her clothing off; shoes, socks, skirt, shirt and jacket. She was glad she'd worn plain undies that day.
Once completely disrobed she pulled the Cloak over herself, leaving the hood down. "You want me to stand in the center of the circle with the Ring on one hand and the Wand in the other?"
"Indeed, Miss Potter. The hood does not have to be up."
"Alright." Gingerly she stepped over the red gunk to the center of the circle. "What n-?"
Suddenly a surge of power tore through her, and the red substance lit up, flooding the room in lurid red light. She couldn't speak, couldn't make a sound, could barely even breathe. All she could do was feel, and all she could feel was power, flowing through her, blending with her, becoming her.
Beneath her skin, her heart raced, her muscles grew tense. Her head throbbed and her eyes felt like they were about to pop from their sockets. The Wand in her hand thrummed with its own power, fusing to hers, and she saw its memory of wizards and witches long past, in disorienting reverse order. She saw the eagerness with which it abandoned Dumbledore to serve at her side; she saw decades of misuse, of study and restraint; she saw an apocalyptic duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald; she saw Grindelwald ambush a wand-maker, Mykew Gregorovitch, and the short years which that one had to study and emulate the legendary Wand.
On and on it went. Some faces she recognized, others she didn't; some held onto the Wand for years or decades, some lost it as easily and quickly as they gained it. Nearly all of them died violently, as greed made them stupid and lust for power drove greater men or women to challenge and vanquish them for mastery.
Until finally she saw Antioch Peverell, bargaining with a skeletal figure in a deeply hooded cloak. Death itself?
The memories from the Stone were much less riveting. It was passed down as an heirloom from one Gaunt to the next; interestingly, Salazar Slythern had never been in line to inherit it himself, so his lineage must have mixed with that of Cadmus Peverell at some point? Hazel saw firsthand, again in reverse order, how the Gaunts fell victim to inbreeding and pureblood idolatry, and lost all concept and connection to what the Stone really was; to them it was just a relic of Slytherin, with herself and Riddle at the bottom of a twisting and winding line of inheritance stretching back to Cadmus and his encounter at the bridge.
The Cloak was less riveting yet, and she felt her interest wane slightly. She saw her own family, the Potters, and sometimes friends of the family; herself, Dumbledore, then James and sometimes Sirius, Remus or Peter, on and on. A long line of mostly Potter men and women, peacefully handing the Cloak down, eventually forgetting the name Peverell and the provenance associated with the Cloak but never forgetting what the Cloak was good for, how it could keep not only the owner but whoever the owner chose to include safe. And she saw how Ignotus tricked the skeletal figure and hid from it for decades with the help of the Cloak, until finally he took it off, handed it to his son, and went away with the skeletal figure, never to be seen again.
And then, at last, after all these memories imprinted themselves in her mind, the skeletal figure itself stood before her. She couldn't see beneath its hood, and suspected maybe she didn't want to; it reminded her of a Dementor, though without the freezing aura of misery. "Do you fear me, Hazel Jade Potter?"
"Why should I? We just met."
"I have known you for many years, little girl. Just as I have known everyone who ever used those relics, and all others besides."
This was either Death itself, or her mind was putting up an extremely convincing facsimile thereof. "No, I don't fear you. When my time comes I'll go along quietly, but not until then!"
"Do you imagine you are in control of when and how you will die?"
"Of course I do! Aren't I now the Mistress of Death?"
"Indeed you are. Take care not to abuse the powers given to you today, Hazel Jade Potter. If you ever have need of your servant, you can find me on the other side of the Veil."
The figure faded away, and the red light dimmed. Hazel opened her eyes, still feeling indescribably strong. Grindelwald stood there, staring at the place where the figure had been just seconds ago. So it wasn't all in her head, thankfully.
He looked at her and grinned. "How do you feel?"
She took stock of herself for a moment. "I feel… unstoppable."
His grin widened. "As you should. The ritual has also removed the last of the seal on your magic, and you now operate at full capacity."
"So I can take on Riddle now, right?"
The grin faded slightly. "That, sadly, I cannot answer. Riddle may be a broken and pathetic creature, but he is still a creature of immense power. And there is the matter of the soul shards tied to your being, as well."
"As if I could forget." She looked down at the Elder Wand in her hand, thrumming and eager to start shit. "Sir, now that I'm Mistress of Death, this wand is loyal to me and me alone?"
"Correct. That much I can confidently assert."
"And if anyone else tried to use it against me, it would backfire?"
"I can less confidently assert as much."
"Works for me. Now turn away so I can get dressed again." He did as he was told, and she shrugged the Cloak off and got dressed again. "There. Now, I'm going to reach out to Riddle tonight, taunt him with the words of the prophecy and imply that I possess power that he knows not, without actually telling him what it is, which should make him panic. At the same time I'm gonna start rumors about the Elder Wand being in England; I can reach out to Skeeter and Xenophilius for that."
Grindelwald's grin returned tenfold. "And then you'll leave the Wand somewhere conspicuous, or plant it on someone you wish to see destroyed?"
She grinned back and nodded. "Right. Riddle will take the bait, destroy them and seize the Wand for himself. But it's still mine, so he'll come for me thinking he's got the trump card. But it won't work, it'll backfire on him, maybe even destroy the soul shards instead of me."
"Bold! I knew there was a reason I liked you, Hazel Potter." He glanced around curiously. "By your leave, I'd like to linger here for a while and study these items. I suspect you will not have time yourself."
She glanced around at the dark relics left over from old Crouch times, and shrugged. "Sure, knock yourself out. Just don't steal anything, or I'll send Winky after you with permission to use force."
Weirdly, the old man seemed to take the threat seriously. "I'll be on my best behavior, you have my word."
"Good." They shook hands, and Hazel went back upstairs to look for Winky. "Winky? Keep an eye on Professor Grindelwald while he's inspecting the relics in the basement, would you kindly? If he tries anything stupid, you may act in my name as you see fit."
"Of course, Mistress Hazel!"
"Thank you." She patted the elf on her head, then went for the fireplace. But instead of heading for Grimmauld Place she went for Diagon Alley instead, hoping to find Ollivander at his shop to ask him an important question. She came out in the Leaky Cauldron, which was bustling with holiday-goers and shoppers, all bundled against the weather; no one paid her any mind, and she went for the entrance to Diagon, casting a few warming charms to keep the worst of the cold and slush away.
Diagon Alley was a winter wonderland, and she couldn't help but admire the festive cheer that was on display. It didn't matter that the country was at war; people wanted an escape, wanted a proper Christmas, and the forces of capitalism would ensure they got their wish. She saw a few Aurors on patrol, and wondered if they were volunteering, or if Madam Bones was paying them from her own wealth.
She didn't have time for detours or shopping, unfortunately, and ducked the crowds and guardians to head straight for Ollivander's. Luckily the old man was in, and he looked up as she entered, gaze flickering over the scars on her head. "Hazel Potter. Elder and phoenix feather, fourteen inches, rigid and unyielding."
"Mr Ollivander." Years ago she thought him creepy, and that had not changed; he was still an old man with unblinking, watery eyes, and having those eyes fixed on her gave her the willies. So she was a bit more curt than she might have been otherwise. "I've gained a new wand, sir, and I need it inspected." She drew the Elder Wand and placed it on the counter.
By the sharp intake of breath and the widening of his eyes, she could tell he recognized it immediately. "As I live and breathe…" Reverently he held it aloft. "Fifteen inches, elder and Thestral hair, reasonably springy… and these runes… There is no doubt; this is the Wand of Destiny. How did you come by this wand, Miss Potter?"
"I defeated the previous owner. Never mind that; tell me how wand loyalty works."
He regarded her carefully, lowering the wand back to the counter; she took it back the second it left his hand. "You ask deep questions, my dear. Wands are, on the whole, loyal to those whom they choose. Some, however, are more loyal than others; ash, for instance, will never renounce its first and only master, no matter what may happen to it. Elder, meanwhile, is notoriously fickle, and known to change loyalty simply by being disarmed, or even physically plucked from one's grasp. In some cases it need not even be that particular wand; allegedly, an elder wand will know if its owner has been disarmed or defeated, and will change allegiance accordingly."
"Yes sir, which is why I carved runes of power and loyalty into mine."
"Indeed, I remember it well. The Wand of Destiny is especially fickle, so you should take care not to misplace it, or lose in combat."
"Yes sir. What if someone attempted to use it against me while I was still its mistress?"
He regarded her again for a long, silent moment, then he sighed. "Much would hinge on the manner in which it was taken from you, of course. If you willingly gave it up, or left it somewhere for them to find, it may very well retain its loyalty to you. And were this person to turn it against you…"
He trailed off again, and Hazel grew impatient. "Yes?"
"Ah, forgive me. I can only guess, Miss Potter, and my best guess is that it will not act in opposition to you, so long as you are still its mistress. I must stress this. The Wand of Destiny is fickle in the extreme, it craves darkness and death and war, and will gravitate to he or she who is best suited to generate as much."
"Yes sir." She saw no need to tell him she had secured its loyalty for all time.
"Miss Potter, let us speak frankly. You intend to use this wand against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, do you not?"
"That is my intention, yes."
His hand reached out, and she jerked out of his reach. But he didn't seem to notice; he was overcome with a strange combination of fear and fascination. "Please, my dear, please reconsider! You may think you have won its loyalty, but if that wand feels the touch of that man's fingers… if it reads his mind, his intentions… it will abandon you on the spot! Never since Grindelwald has there been a wizard so well suited to that wand's temperament, to its desires!"
She drew herself to her full height, speaking coldly. "You don't know me at all, old man, if that's what you assume. We're done here, good day." She bowed rigidly and strode from the shop, leaving the old man to quiver in his shoes. She went straight for the Leaky and Floo'd back home, where she found the others preparing for Christmas. With nothing else to do, she joined them.
Later that evening, she wrote a letter to Dumbledore:
Professor,
With Grindelwald's help I have mastered the Elder Wand and become the true Mistress of Death, and I have an insane plan to deal with Voldemort and the soul shards in my head.
I'm going to confront Voldemort tonight through Legilimency, taunt him with knowledge of the prophecy and of the "power that he knows not." Then I'll spread rumors of the Elder Wand being in England and make sure he catches onto them, and he'll go after it himself. I'll need to plant it somewhere, or on someone expendable, so that he'll kill them and think he's mastered it.
Once that's done, we set a trap for him and let him try to kill me with the Wand. It will refuse, and target the soul shards instead. Then he'll be mortal, the prophecy will be fulfilled, and I can blow his head off with my revolver.
What do you think?
-HJP
After sealing it, she handed it to Hedwig. "Wake me up when you come back with his reply, alright?" The owl hooted in the affirmative, and she threw her out the window and went on with her nightly preparations.
Hedwig returned an hour later, just as Hazel was nodding off. "Thanks, girl." She took the scroll, gave her owl a few pats and scritches, and opened it.
Hazel,
Your plan is insane indeed, and delightfully barbaric. However, may I suggest waiting to return to Hogwarts before beginning? The wards surrounding the castle are much stronger than the ones around Sirius' house, and you will be better removed should he attempt retaliation.
As for your sacrificial lamb, may I further suggest myself? It would not take Riddle long to verify that I possessed it for decades, and were it in any other wizard or witch's possession, he would certainly suspect a ruse. You need not fear for my life; I am not without my defenses and fallbacks.
Let me know once you have set the bait, and I shall do my own part to spread those rumors.
Your servant,
Albus Dumbledore
In truth, Hazel had not considered using Dumbledore as bait, but it made perfect sense. With the wand's loyalty secured to her as Mistress of Death, it would not matter if the old man was disarmed or defeated, but Voldemort would think he had won the wand and would act accordingly when the real trap closed around his throat.
There was a chance this would all backfire, she knew. A chance that Ollivander was right about the Elder Wand's temperament and lust for battle, a chance it would abandon her and serve Voldemort faithfully, a chance his spell would end her life. For all her bluster and bravado, was that a chance worth taking? She had so much life to live, was she prepared to throw it all away on the off chance her plan was so much empty air?
It was sobering to contemplate. "Am I prepared to die?" She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, wondering. Wasshe prepared to die?
Her mind had no answer, and in fact her feelings were so tangled up on the matter that she couldn't rely on her Gryffindorish intuition to find an answer either. Fuck it. If she died, she died. No use fretting herself into a heart attack now.
Firmly asserting her Occlumency barriers and shoving the tangle of emotions away, she rolled over and went to sleep, worn out from a long day of bullshit.
Chapter 63: Loony LondonSummary:Hazel goes for a ride and immediately regrets it.
Chapter TextTaking Dumbledore's advice to hold off on baiting Voldemort, Hazel tried to enjoy the holidays. Sirius and the elves were keen to scrub Grimmauld Place from top to bottom and decorate every inch in gaudy festive cheer, and they led everyone in loud caroling the whole time. Hazel wasn't much for emotional displays, but she made herself join in for the sake of the others. She put in a few discreet owl post orders for presents and things, mostly platonic jewelry like bracelets and the like, as well as self-inking quills for the studious.
For Fred and George, she directed Griphook to invest more of her money into their business, and to do it subtly so they wouldn't know it was her. She bought Hermione a pair of earrings, enchanted to stay warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather. For Ron, she bought a homework planner, charmed to automatically fill in his assignments and chirp at him when he forgot; she suspected Hermione would get similar gifts, and relished the look on his face at being bombarded from all directions by reminders. And she bought naughty toys for her various lovers and girlfriends, especially Leah.
She also made sure to write Leah a nice long letter, feeling bad for not keeping in touch with her like she'd promised. She had written a few times, sure, but not as much as she had wanted to. Everything was just so busy!
Then she got an idea. Could she invite Leah and her family to spend Christmas here? She decided to ask Sirius so she could include the invitation in her letter.
She found Sirius downstairs, just getting back from a mission with the Order. He saw her and grinned. "Hey kiddo. What's up?"
"I had a question, Sirius. Shall we sit down?"
"Eh, sure. Kreacher!" The elf appeared and bowed. "Tea for Hazel and myself."
"Kreacher lives to serve." He quickly had a tea service ready in the sitting room, and Hazel and Sirius sat down; she dressed hers up as she usually did, while he took his straight, no junk.
"So what's this question?"
"Right." She set her cup down. "You remember Leah, from the hearing?"
"Uh… yeah, vaguely. Exotic looking girl, right?"
"That's her. I wanted to invite her and her family to Grimmauld Place for the holidays."
He gave her a shrewd look. "Having Ginny around isn't good enough for you?" Then he laughed at the look on her face. "Yeah, I don't see why not. I'll let Molly know to expect them. How many?"
"Three. Leah's a Squib, Ezra is a wizard, and Shira's a Muggle as far as I know."
That brought a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'as far as you know'?"
She blushed again. "Well, I spent most of last summer at her place and never knew she was a Squib or Ezra was a wizard until the day of the hearing. They take the Statute of Secrecy very seriously in Israel."
"Right. Well, I don't see why they can't come over. Send the invite and I'll tweak the wards and let Molly know and all that."
"Thanks, Sirius." They finished the tea, and Hazel went back upstairs to finish her letter to Leah and to extend the invitation.
She got a reply the next day, full of news from Little Whinging. Apparently with Hazel and Dudley off to boarding school, Vernon and Petunia had gone on a cruise, and left Leah to housesit in their absence. The winter garden was flourishing, and despite Petunia's insistence on an exhaustive list of chores and dusting that had to be done twice a day, Leah was having the time of her life, making a little pocket money and enjoying some independence before and after school. She had also been sleeping in Hazel's room, she admitted, because everything in there smelled like Hazel and was reminiscent of her.
Reading between the lines, Hazel got the impression her pillow might smell of Leah when she got back. She grinned at the thought, and imagined how much fun she could have with Leah when she got here. Even more fun if she could convince her to let Ginny and Hermione be included!
At the end of the letter, after a great deal of other news Hazel didn't much care about (mostly Christmas decorations and who was cheating on whom around the suburb), Leah mentioned that her mum wouldn't be coming, but Ezra could bring her by for Christmas Eve and most of Christmas itself. Hazel was bummed out that she'd only get a single night with her, and resolved to make the most of it.
She held out hope that she might be able to convince Ezra to let Leah stay another night or so. That would be sweet!
In any event, with most of England subsumed by the particular cold and muck that winter brought, there was a sort of cessation of hostilities. At least, that was how Hazel chose to interpret it when many of the Order's soldiers and operatives had more time to spend around Grimmauld Place. Not even a Death Eater was willing to commit acts of terrorism when it was barely above freezing outside.
Of course, that just meant it was crowded inside, which left Hazel to seek solitude either upstairs with Ginny or Hermione, or outside with Sirius' bike. Her riding lessons at Hogwarts had gone swimmingly indeed, and she reckoned she could handle a Class A cycle soon, no matter what the government said. Her shooting range below the house was restricted and she wasn't allowed to shoot on her own anyway, owing to the holding cells being close by; Hazel snuck down there once under cover of the Cloak, but didn't recognize any of the prisoners, and figured it was a bad idea to linger too long anyway.
Two days before Christmas, Hazel made sure Molly was preoccupied and approached Sirius. "Can we go for a ride today? I want to get some practice in on proper streets."
"Not a bad idea. Let me clear it with the others, make sure security isn't compromised by us leaving."
He was back quickly enough, with a thumbs up and a grin. So they went outside and got the bikes warmed up. "Now listen, Hazel. All those signs and laws you've been studying have been theoretical up until now, puttering around Hogwarts' front lawn, but from here on out it's all gonna be real. Got that?"
"Got it. I'll be on my best behavior." One had to know the rules before one could break them, as Hazel knew from her time as a prefect.
Of course, she said that, but five minutes into the ride and her nerves were already shot. London was busy!Pedestrians who shouted at her when they jaywalked, black cabs that cut her and Sirius off at literally every opportunity, horns blaring and middle fingers extended out the window. And those huge buses, those were the worst! How was she supposed to mind the rules when everyone else seemed to do whatever they damn well pleased? Not to mention the cold and the slush in the roads making it difficult to judge when and how hard to brake.
She tried to emulate Sirius' approach, the way he seemed to anticipate traffic, how he had his middle finger at the ready for a cabbie or pedestrian. In the back of her mind she wondered how he had become so comfortable in the Muggle world, what with being raised as a pureblood. Maybe during the 80s when he had nothing better to do?
Out of nowhere a man barreled onto a crosswalk, forcing Hazel to slam on the brakes and skid on some ice. He flipped her off impatiently and kept walking. "Watch it, bitch!"
"Next time I won't stop!" She flipped him off right back, wondering if all Londoners had death wishes.
Sirius laughed from behind her. "Having fun, kiddo?"
"If one more daft cunt walks in front of me…!"
"Ah, you'll get used to it. Or you won't ride."
"Yeah yeah, save your threats."
They wound up in an industrial area just outside London, with warehouses and factories. Hazel wondered why Sirius had brought them here, until she realized these streets were dominated by trucks and lorries, driven by assholes on tight schedules who absolutely didn't give a single flying fuck who was in their way. Their foghorns were god-awful loud too!
By the time they stopped at a cafe for lunch, Hazel was at her wit's end. "I'm about to hex a bitch. These maniacs are out for blood!"
"That's London for ya, kiddo. Come on, let's eat." They sat down inside, shrugged off their layers and ordered coffee, fish and chips; Sirius paid with a credit card, and the food was decent. She was glad for the break, as it let her nerves settle so she could sort through the second-guessing that had set in.
What was she thinking, trying to ride a bike in winter? London was insane! And the rest of Muggle England was hardly likely to be any better! How did Sirius make it look so easy? "How do you make it look so easy?"
"Make what look so easy?"
"This! All this Muggle shit!"
He rolled his eyes at her. "Practice, kiddo. Also, keep your voice down."
Behind him a couple of truckers were side-eying the pair of them; she scowled at them both until they looked away. "Creeps."
They finished eating in silence, and Sirius left a cash tip before bundling back up, heading outside and getting back on his bike; she did the same, wishing she could use warming charms instead of having to get all dressed up. He led the way down a quieter series of back alleys and parking lots that led straight to Grimmauld Place, and Hazel realized he had taken her through busy intersections and roundabouts on purpose. What a berk.
Sirius really was comfortable in the Muggle world, she thought as they rode back. He could handle Muggle money and credit cards as easily as he dealt with galleons and sickles, he rode a bike and could drive a stick shift just like he rode a broom or apparated. He could blend in with a crowd of football hooligans in a pub, and an hour later rub shoulders with the pureblood elite of his own world.
Back at the house, they stashed the bikes and went inside, where Kreacher was helping Molly with preparations for the Christmas feast. Hazel and Sirius offered to help, since it was their house and the Weasleys were the guests, but she cheerfully waved them off. Fine by Hazel. She took the chance to sneak upstairs and lock herself in her room to indulge herself a bit. She couldn't wait to see Leah tomorrow!
They were halfway through supper when Mad-Eye stumped in, still damp from the weather. "Sorry I'm late, got held up at-" His magic eye settled on Hazel and he stopped dead in his tracks, his scarred visage twisting up in shock for a brief moment.
"Hm? Held up where?" Molly seemed oblivious to whatever was going on. "You're here now, so have a seat and eat up!"
"Sure, sure." Ginny was seated to Hazel's right, and Moody plunked himself down to her left; a plate of food was handed his way and he flicked his wand over it, probably testing for poisons. Finding nothing he began eating, ignoring the eggnog set out in favor of his own flask.
Hazel grimaced and scooted away from him in her chair, wishing there was another empty chair left at the table. "Where were you held up at, Alastor?"
He snorted at that. "Traffic. It's London, Potter." He gulped from his flask again, and she caught the sharp reek of sour firewhisky. "Got yourself another power-up, eh?"
The others perked up, leaning closer in what they thought were subtle ways. Hazel scowled fiercely until they looked away again. "Not out here, you old freak."
"That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me."
After they were done eating, Hazel went out behind the house, and Moody stumped after her. They stood in silence for a moment, the cold making their breaths mist up. Then he quaffed another gulp from his flask. "You gonna explain what happened to the seal on your core, Potter?"
She shrugged and avoided his gaze. "It got removed, that's all."
"Bullshit, magical seals don't just get removed. Putting them on takes a whole ritual overseen by Ministry representatives, and removing them is just as arduous!"
"Grindelwald helped me attune myself to the Deathly Hallows! There, happy?"
That silenced him for a moment, and she could feel his magical eye staring at her. Its leer made her shudder. "Can you not?"
"Deathly Hallows, eh." He looked away at last. "Always thought they were a fairy tale, but Dumbledore believed in 'em. Now they're yours, eh?"
"Two of them always were mine, by birthright and blood, and I earned the third by right of conquest. Then I did a ritual with Grindelwald's help, though it wasn't specifically to release the rest of my core."
He had another gulp from his flask. "So that's why you nearly killed Albus and broke into the Ministry of Magic."
"I… you know what, sure, that's why I did those things." She really didn't have time to justify herself to this old creep. "Are we done? Can I head back in?"
"Sure, fuck off." He turned away and she made a beeline for the door, flipping him off over her shoulder as she went. "I saw that!"
"I know you did!"
Chapter 64: Christmas EveSummary:Adults are annoying when all Hazel wants to do is disappear with her girlfriends!
Chapter TextThe next day was Christmas Eve, and Hazel was excited to see Leah again. So excited that she got up early and fussed over her appearance after her workout, brushing her hair and putting on makeup. Not a lot, of course, just enough to make the average guy think she didn't have any on. She put on clothes that were a bit more feminine than she usually wore, and only felt a little subconscious about it.
Down at breakfast, her appearance earned her a lot of smirks and eye-rolls, though a few appreciative glances from Ginny and Hermione reassured her she'd made the right call. Ron was in especially fine form. "Who you trying to impress, Hazel?"
"Not you, that's for sure~"
Sirius put his fork down. "Hazel, I've got good news. The contractors finally got the house in Godric's Hollow torn down, and they're ready to build a new place as soon as you confirm what style of house you want there."
"Oh, sweet!" She didn't have to think too hard about that, having made up her mind months ago. "Tell them to build the new place like the old one on the outside, but inside make it all modern and stuff, with power and water and all that. Lots of Extension and Space Compression Charms too."
Ron frowned. "Those aren't cheap, are they?"
"Maybe not, but I can afford it."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "We could afford it too, bro, if we wanted to."
Molly scoffed. "Bah, why outsource what you can do yourself? Money doesn't fix everything."
Hazel blinked. "You and Mr Weasley can cast Extension Charms?"
"Of course, dear, how do you imagine our poor little Burrow has held up all these years?"
Hazel couldn't sit still, she was so eager to see Leah again. She spent part of the morning in a tizzy, wandering restlessly from room to room, until she went upstairs to put herself through a workout to burn off some of this extra energy she suddenly had. And when that was done she was still all worked up so she relievedherself in a very different way.
Rather, she tried to, because she was nearly finished when the doorbell rang. "Shit!" She hurried to finish the job, threw a few quick cleansing charms on herself, got dressed in a hurry and bolted downstairs. She was just in time to see Ezra and Remus shaking hands cordially, and Leah hovering uncertainly behind her father.
She brightened up as Hazel came tripping down the stairs. "Hazel!" They hugged and kissed briefly, then Leah looked at the other students. "Who are all these people?"
"That's Ginny and Hermione, I told you about them. Ron, Fred and George, Draco. Then we've got Remus and Molly- Mrs Weasley, sorry- and that's the Lady Malfoy-"
"Narcissa, please~"
"...and… hey, where's Sirius?"
Remus smiled. "Went to get a few last minute gifts, I believe."
Leah seemed a little overwhelmed, but she nodded to everyone anyway. Hazel was unexpectedly nervous; telling one of your girlfriends you were poly and that you had other girls was one thing, but actually having her meet them was another thing entirely.
Fortunately her fears were unfounded. Ginny was friendly as ever as she pulled Leah into a hug, whispering something in her ear that had her blushing and giggling. Ron was standoffish, Fred and George jovial and full of high-fives and pranks. Hermione smiled and hugged her too.
The rest of the day was an exercise in restraint. All Hazel wanted was to drag Leah off and snog the shit out of her, and she could tell Leah felt the same way. But the grownups seemed determined to make sure everyone got into the holiday spirit; Remus in particular was especially obnoxious, as if he knew quite well what was going through Hazel's mind.
Sirius made up for it though, when his "last minute gifts" turned out to be Pansy and Luna! Luna was her usual serene self, though she smiled brightly as Hazel hugged her, while Pansy pretended she had better things to do and was doing everyone else a favor by gracing them with her presence, but no one was fooled; the intense blush and reluctant smile on her face as Hazel hugged her too sort of gave it away.
Of course, that meant she had to put up with Sirius and his penchant for holiday revelry. He had no excuse whatsoever, he knew damn well Hazel wanted to catch up with her girlfriends, and the smirk on his face told her he relished keeping them apart. Berk.
When lunch came around (soup and sandwiches, nothing fancy), something occurred to Hazel, and she leaned toward Leah, who was sitting next to her. "Hey Leah, you and your family are Jewish, right? You guys don't celebrate Christmas?"
Leah shrugged. "We don't not celebrate it. Honestly there's a bunch of different solstice holidays this time of year. Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Saturnalia. Some are different, but it's convenient just to call them Christmas around the Gentiles."
"Fair enough." She made eye contact with Draco, who nodded and reached inside his shirt; she then heard his voice through Legilimency, saying he and Narcissa would do a few things to honor the old ways tomorrow night. She nodded back and went on with her meal.
Finally, after one too many carols and toasts and cups of spiked eggnog, Hazel and her girls were finally allowed to sneak away upstairs, with the adults chuckling in their wake. She was glad Leah fit in so well, and that Ezra and the grownups got along.
In her bedroom, everyone started undressing, and Hazel shut the door with the usual muffling, locking, and anti-elf charms. "Adults are annoying, aren't they? I thought I was gonna explode all afternoon!"
Ginny giggled as she unbuttoned her trousers. "Sirius was doing it on purpose, wasn't he? I saw him smirking at you."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't be so obvious?"
Luna giggled softly and Pansy scoffed, but Leah just shook her head. "Come on, if they'd let us run up here earlier we'd never have gotten any time with our families. But we're here now, so let's get frisky already~"
Later, after Ginny and Leah learned to appreciate how buff they both were, and everyone appreciated Hermione's lush curves, Hazel lay back in bed, surrounded by her exhausted girls. "Merry Christmas, you lot."
Pansy looked up, too satisfied to glare. "I hope you didn't think this is enough of a present for your harem."
The word 'harem' threw Hazel off, even moreso because it was Pansy saying it. But it was true, she guessed. Weird. They were also giggling at her, so obviously her thoughts weren't as private as she thought they were.
Ah, but she couldn't stay mad at them forever~
Eventually Sirius yelled up for everyone to come down for supper, so Hazel and the other girls got dressed again, used a few cleaning and scouring charms to make themselves presentable (Hazel did the same for Leah), and they went on down.
Hazel was somewhat surprised to see a bunch of takeout cartons, and Sirius and Ezra setting up curry, fish and chips, beef ramen and other such things. Then she thought about it and realized Molly and the elves probably didn't want to take time from preparing tomorrow's feast to put anything fancy together tonight. She was about to sit down when she noticed Draco and Narcissa getting ready to leave in the hallway, and Pansy with them. "Where are you lot going?"
Narcissa gave her a smile. "The Bulstrodes invited us to dine with them tonight, and Pansy's mother. They would have invited you as well, but they assumed you'd be busy."
"Oh." Hazel could only shrug at that, though if she had gotten an invitation she would have made an effort to appear. "Wait a tick, would you? I've got a few things for Millicent that you may as well bring with you if you're heading there." She ran upstairs, collected Millicent's parcels and ran back down, handing them off to Pansy. Millicent was a hard person to shop for, but Hazel had played it safe and gotten her some platonic jewelry and a book. A hug and a kiss for Pansy, a hug for Narcissa, and a weird look for Draco, and they were off, and Hazel could sit down to takeout.
There were more people here than there were at lunch, she noticed. Mad-Eye was down at the end, weird eye roving ceaselessly; she flipped him off under the table, and he just snorted. Tonks was there too, making faces for Fred and George with her metamorphmagus powers.
Halfway through, the fireplace in the kitchen flared, and someone came through. It was Arthur, dressed in pajamas and a mackintosh! He strode into the dining room with a wide grin on his face. "Completely cured!"
Molly shrieked and got up to go hug him, followed closely by their children. "Arthur! You should've- you didn't say-"
Arthur laughed. "What kind of father would I be if I didn't surprise my family now and then?" He came over and clapped Hazel on the shoulder. "Thanks again for warning everyone, Hazel."
"Sure thing, Mr Weasley." Hazel smiled, but couldn't help feeling like an outsider as the Weasleys celebrated Arthur's safe return, as Ezra and Leah congratulated him as well. Moody glowered, but she could tell he was pleased, and even Tonks was enjoying herself, sporting red hair in sympathy with the ecstatic gingers.
She was starting to think she should have insisted on going to Millicent's place with the Malfoys.
Then she changed her mind. If she left, Luna and Leah would feel like outsiders, instead of her. They'd come here to see her, after all. Though Ginny and Hermione and the others were certainly being hospitable.
Luna put a hand on her arm. "Don't feel bad, Mr Weasley is still alive because of you."
"Huh? No way, Mrs Weasley had that clock, and-"
"-and what if she hadn't been looking at it right that very moment?" It was Hermione's turn to come over and try to cheer her up. "Stop beating yourself up, Hazel. You still helped, Mad-Eye got your warning before Molly could notify him."
Hazel was about to reply when the Weasleys enveloped her too, and she smiled gamely and endured their gratitude. Even Ron was slapping her on the back and congratulating her with a grin on his face.
After dinner, Hermione turned to Molly. "Mrs Weasley, I was planning to go see Viktor after dinner tonight, if that's alright?"
Ron's grin slid right off his face when he heard that, but no one was paying him much mind. Molly thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't see why not. Remus, would you mind apparating her over to where they're staying?"
Hermione pouted a little. "I can apparate on my own, you know."
Molly seemed surprised at that, but she stood her ground. "Are you licensed yet? I didn't think so. Remus?"
Remus looked up from his conversation with Tonks. "Sure, I can handle that."
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley. I'll be back in the morning!" Hermione got over her pout and dashed off to get her things before anyone could say otherwise; Molly went back to tidying up, Ron fumed and grumbled about family loyalty, Hazel and the other girls giggled. They knew exactly what Hermione was in such a hurry for, and judging by the look on his face, Ron knew too.
Hazel's bed felt emptier without Pansy and Hermione there, but she still had Ginny, Luna and Leah, so she wasn't about to complain. They got ready for bed, Luna brushing her hair and humming softly to herself while Hazel, Ginny and Leah did their evening workouts.
Later, after they had truly exhausted themselves and the others were asleep, Hazel lay awake. She thought about Dumbledore's warning not to attempt to contact Voldemort until she was back at Hogwarts. She had professed herself confident in her Occlumency, and she had every reason to be. But up till now, she'd been reaching out from within the Hogwarts wards.
Frowning, she tried to reason it out. She had touched his mind despite the wards, they were as much to keep her in as to keep him out. So had they really been keeping her safe? Too, he hadn't known she was there, or so she assumed. But he would certainly be alert for her now, after she had directly intervened in his control of Nagini at the Ministry and gotten her killed.
In the end she made the rare decision to exercise restraint, and kept her mind to herself. It would be wiser to make the attempt with Professor Grindelwald in attendance; the rules seemed to bend for him in the same way they bent for her, and despite his past she felt safe around him in a way she didn't feel around anyone else, except Sirius.
A distant clock struck midnight. It was officially Christmas. Hazel smiled and kissed Ginny on the forehead, then cuddled up closer to Leah and closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas~"
Chapter 65: Christmas DaySummary:Christmas! Food, presents, booze, sex!
Notes:Fair warning, Hazel's a bit of a twat near the end. You'll know it when you see it.
Chapter TextThe sun rose, and Hazel briefly cursed not being in her dim underwater dorm as she shifted to cover her eyes. "Whoever built houses with windows facing east oughta be dragged out into the street and shot."
"That's what you get for living in a dank hole all the time~" The voice was thick with sleep and Hazel couldn't tell who'd spoken, so she glared at everyone equally. After a few moments she shook her head and roused herself; it was Christmas day, and there was no telling what sort of disgusting holiday nonsense Sirius and the adults would try to force on them.
She hoped people would appreciate the gifts she got for them. Nothing fancy, just an assortment of jewelry for her friends, some perfume and some toys for her girls (which she had tried to send discreetly; no need for seeing that stuff in the middle of family time), a homework planner for Ron and a violet pendant for Narcissa. She had also arranged for further anonymous investments in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes through Gringotts, and bought an enchanted helmet and motorcycle jacket for Sirius.
She decided to pamper herself and take a shower after her morning workout, instead of the usual cleaning and scouring charms. A decision that justified itself when Ginny and Luna joined her under the water.
Once everyone was presentable, they went downstairs to find the others eating breakfast, with a pile of wrapped gifts beneath the tree. Sirius smirked at them. "The queen of the castle and her entourage! We figured you lot would appreciate a lie in."
Hazel smirked back. "Nice to see you saved a little breakfast for us."
They sat down to eat, then moved to the tree after breakfast, Ron leading the pack like a little kid. Hazel hung back, not wanting to be crushed by the various Weasleys, girlfriends and Order members. Instead she leaned against a table and watched for a while.
Ron, Fred and George were like kids in a candy store, having appointed themselves the masters of ceremonies by right of being first to the tree. Ginny was right behind them, still stoked at having her father back. Arthur and Molly hugged in the background and looked on with fond smiles, while Remus and Sirius egged the kids on. Mad-Eye and Tonks were in the middle ground, and even Kingsley lurked, nursing a glass of what looked like eggnog. Ezra and Leah lurked off to one side, hugging each other and enjoying the ceremonies around them. Older witches and wizards belonging to the Order drank eggnog and firewhiskey and acted merry.
Luna drifted up and inserted herself beneath Hazel's shoulder, and she squeezed her close. "Bit much, them."
"Yes, but they're having so much fun, the nargles can't stand to be around."
Hazel smiled and kissed her nose.
There was a commotion at the front door, which turned out to be Pansy and the Malfoys coming back. Going to see who it was, Hazel saw Pansy first, sprinkled with snow even though she had been exposed to the elements for seconds at most; Narcissa and Draco were likewise lightly dusted. Pansy was wearing the earrings Hazel had bought her and Narcissa wore the pendant, she was gratified to see.
Narcissa smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Merry Christmas, my dear."
"Same to you, Lady Malfoy." Draco mimed gagging behind his mother's back and Pansy rolled her eyes; Hazel flipped them both off behind Narcissa's back before letting go. "How were the Bulstrodes?"
"They were well. I do hope you didn't feel slighted, my dear, they genuinely expected you would not have time to attend."
Hazel shrugged. "I would have made time. Millicent is like a sister to me."
Pansy cocked an eyebrow. "Is that why she's the only girl in our dorm you haven't shagged yet?"
"That and she isn't my type. Now come on in, you missed breakfast already but we're opening presents."
By that point, Hazel's gifts had been separated from the rest and set to the side, so she led the three of them over and sat down to open hers. She got a sweater and some mince pies from Molly, a box of candy from Ron, some advanced spellbooks from Sirius and Remus, a homework planner from Hermione, and an amazing painted portrait of herself from Luna.
She looked at everyone else. Sirius was already trying on the jacket and helmet she had bought him; Ron was groaning over two homework planners, one from herself and one from Hermione; Fred and George were cackling over the certificates of investment they had gotten by owl from Gringotts, and the sly looks they sent her said they weren't fooled by the anonymous nature of the money; Ginny, Luna, Hermione and Leah were all putting their jewelry on. Pansy already wore hers.
Everyone, even Ezra, Leah and Pansy, got a sweater from Molly, and Hazel imagined her cursing under her breath the previous night as her needles went superspeed to knit the extra ones into being. They had their initials on the front and the wool was of their house colors; Luna's was pale blue, and Ezra and Leah, who didn't have houses, had purple ones.
Once presents were distributed, the house-elves cleaned up with snaps of their fingers, and then it was eggnog and whiskey all 'round. All in all, a rather cozy and comfortable Christmas. After lunch, Hazel took Leah upstairs for one more shag before she and Ezra had to go home, and she made sure to drag it out as much as she could.
Sadly, she couldn't drag it out as long as she wanted, and she had to finish up and help Leah get cleaned up eventually, which she accomplished with a few flicks of her wand. Then she heaved a sigh. "I'm gonna miss you, you know."
Leah smiled and hugged her. "Don't, you've got all your girls to keep you company. And there's a few Muggles at school I've got my eye on too, once I know for sure they swing our way I'll put the moves on them."
"That sounds like an amazing plan and I hope it works out for you~" They kissed one more time, then went downstairs, holding hands. She had to fight off a wave of melancholy as she handed Leah over to Ezra, though she shook his hand with a bright enough smile on her face.
He smiled back. "Take care of yourself, Hazel Potter. You've been a bright spot for my darling one, and we'd hate to lose you."
"You won't lose me, sir, Leah's a bright spot for me too." One more hug and kiss, and Ezra and Leah apparated away. Hazel heaved a melancholy sigh, missing her Squib girlfriend already.
To distract herself she went back upstairs and hung up the painting she had received from Luna. It truly was magnificent, at least to Hazel's eye; Luna had captured all her scars, even the one through her eye, and made them look mysterious and alluring. Her thick black hair cascaded down her back in uneven waves, and she wore a simple black fairy dress with a leather bodice that highlighted her generous curves. She had a wand in each hand; one looked like her first one, the second resembled the Elder Wand, and Hazel wondered where Luna had found out she now owned it.
Or maybe she'd just seen it in her things and didn't know what it really was? She'd have to ask.
Back to the painting. The painted Hazel's eyes glowed, and her expression was fixed in a thoughtful frown. The background was dark, with stars above and what looked like the Aurora Borealis, and in the lower corner there was a castle-like silhouette on a hill that might have been the outline of Hogwarts.
The door opened and Luna wandered in. "Oh, Hazel, are you trying to hang it up?"
Hazel couldn't help the silly smile that creased her face. "Yeah, I wanna put it somewhere I can see it from bed, so behind it won't work."
"Put it on the ceiling." Luna drew her wand and murmured an incantation, and the painting floated up and affixed itself to the ceiling above Hazel's bed. "And you can make it move too, watch. Piertotum Animator!"
The Hazel in the portrait shook herself, as if waking up. She looked down at the real Hazel and sneered, but her expression softened when it shifted to Luna. The real Hazel scowled and flipped her portrait off, and in response the portrait laughed soundlessly.
"It can't talk?"
"No, not yet." Luna seemed momentarily troubled. "Strange, she wasn't so willful when I was painting and training her."
"Training?"
"Oh yes, you think a portrait just knows how to act?" Luna smiled up at her, oddly serious. "You've got to teach them about their subject, of course, about the person they represent. I've been working on this one for months and months."
Months and months, eh. Hazel looked back up at the portrait of herself, thinking about the sort of dedication that would demand. Unexpectedly she felt guilty, and hugged Luna tightly. "Oh Luna, I hope I haven't been a bad girlfriend."
"Of course not." Luna hugged her back. "We've been over this, silly. You're free to love as many girls as you want, and I can love whoever I want in return."
"But do you?"
"Sure, Ginny's very lovely, and so is Pansy when she's not pretending to be you. Neville is very vigorous too, the nargles always avoid me after I've been with him~"
There was so much to unpack in that sentence Hazel had no idea where to start. Pansy, pretending to be her? Neville? Why was she suddenly so angry? "Luna, I had no idea you were…"
Luna hummed tunelessly for a few moments, apparently seeing something in Hazel's face she didn't like. "You're very close-minded sometimes, Hazel. But I love you anyway." She kissed her cheek and turned to leave. Hazel, feeling lost, let her go, glancing up at the portrait. She had a smug I told you so look on her face, and Hazel flipped her off again.
Feeling put off, Hazel lay back in bed, lying on her side so she wouldn't have to stare at the portrait. Close-minded. Was that Luna's way of calling her out for not liking boys? But there was nothing she could do about it! Just the thought of shagging a boy made her want to gag, she was definitely a lesbian!
Or maybe it was her reaction to Luna admitting she liked boys, too. She thought back to how she had reacted when Hermione admitted her interest in Viktor. Had she taken it like this? She didn't think so, she hadn't been involved with her at the time. Or how had she reacted when Pansy declared she liked boys? Also not like this, though that was because she was too busy consoling Pansy at the time.
Ugh! Hazel scowled and punched her pillow. "I hate feelings!"
After a few moments she growled at herself and forced her Occlumency up, and gradually she calmed down. She had to figure this out, why did she get mad when Luna admitted she liked boys?
She made herself analyze the moment in detail. Luna mentioned Ginny, which was fine. Then she mentioned Pansy pretending to be her, which had thrown her off. Then she mentioned Neville being vigorous. That had to be it, being hit with Pansy and Neville in quick succession had disrupted her usual control and caused that angry surge.
Knowing where her feelings came from didn't make them easier to handle, though. So she did what she always did and compartmentalized them away for later sorting. Christ, her little emotions bin wasn't so little anymore, was it? She really had to get around to them sooner instead of later… but she was so busy…
She was drawn from her sulk by a knock on the door, and she perked up at the sound of Narcissa's voice. "Hazel? Hazel, come out and join Draco and Pansy and I, we're going to do a few rituals."
"I'll be right there." Putting her feelings to one side once again, Hazel straightened herself out, using a few charms to tidy her appearance. She checked the mirror, winced, put on some makeup; there, now she looked more human and less hideous. Wand? Wand. Time to go.
The others were gathered in Narcissa's bedroom, which was devoid of personal touches; Hazel wasn't sure if it was always like this, or if she had tidied up for tonight. There were candles burning on every surface, a large log burning merrily in the fireplace, and the others held mistletoe and holly; it was just herself, Narcissa, Pansy and Draco.
Pansy handed her a sprig, and she sat down, listening as Narcissa invoked the spirits of the season, of the new year. After a while they tossed the sprigs into the fire, and Draco brought a wooden bowl to his lips, took a drink and handed it around. Hazel found it to contain spiced ale, and drank deep.
When Narcissa was done chanting, they threw their sprigs into the fire, finished the bowl of ale, and that was that. "Another year down."
Draco heaved a sigh, while Pansy glanced at Hazel and took her hand. Hazel smiled and squeezed gently. Narcissa flicked her wand and banished the candles, though she left the log burning. "Traditionally the Yule Log is supposed to burn for twelve days and nights, though one needs a full tree for that, and the fire is outdoors. We could use magic to make the flames burn everlasting without consuming the log, but where's the fun in that?"
Chapter 66: Back to the GrindSummary:School's NOT out.
Chapter TextThe rest of the hols went by in a blur. Hazel did the last of her assignments, indulged in food and drink, enjoyed the company of her girls (except Hermione, who was spending a lot of time outside Grimmauld Place with Viktor while the cold-weather ceasefire held). But she was eager to return to Hogwarts too. There was Quidditch to look forward to, where she still planned on taking Hufflepuff under her wing like she'd promised Zacharias. She also had to review Snape's memories, set the trap for Voldemort, keep up with her classes, and find a way to get the Elder Wand to Dumbledore.
Nothing out of the ordinary, in other words.
Sirius seemed a little down as the end of break approached, and Hazel hated seeing him like that. "Don't worry Sirius, I've still got that mirror, remember? Just be sure to share with Remus and Narcissa too, you aren't the only one who worries about me."
That brought a grin to his face, and he hugged her tightly. "Sure thing, kiddo."
Remus was preoccupied with his furry little problem, brewing Wolfsbane in a private room and preparing for the full moon, which would take place just as they were heading back; the potion made him safe, but no one liked to take chances with lycanthropy, so he would isolate himself for the duration of the full moon.
Watching him prepare the potion, she wondered at his skill. Obviously he wasn't as adept as Snape or Penny, but it was clear that years of self-sufficiency had made him adept enough to get by. He handled ingredients by hand rather than with flicks of his wand, and had to weigh each step, whereas Snape or Penny could accurately judge quantities by glance.
This reminded her of some old theories she'd once come up with, and she waited for a moment when the finicky potion could be ignored briefly. "Remus, doesn't the transformation only affect you once a month, when the moon is fullest?"
He looked up with a tired grin, apparently glad to have someone to talk to. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? Perhaps it works that way for some, but for me, I'm forced to change shape every night when the moon is mostly full. So I have to prepare this foul concoction four times a month; once before I begin to change, and once a day during the process. During the day I am deathly ill and weak, as you saw at school when Snape had to sub for me in addition to his potions classes, but even though I'm weak I hate to take chances, so I isolate myself the whole time, day and night, potion or no potion."
Hazel nodded. "And Sirius is immune to your bite when he's in dog form, right? All animals are?"
"Correct again. Lycanthropy only affects humans, so animals and transformed Animagi are unaffected. They may even be immune when in human shape as well, though neither Sirius nor myself have ever been keen to test this." He cast an eye over the potion and the assembled ingredients, and huffed a sigh. "I was very lucky to have the three of them as my friends while we were in school, Hazel. I was a very lonely lad, and perhaps I clung to them a little too hard, overlooked a little too many incidents. But the companionship they offered was worth any price; James and Sirius were big enough to control me while transformed, and Peter fast and small enough to scout ahead for danger and warn them to divert me when necessary. We could roam the Forbidden Forest with impunity, rather than stay cooped up in the Shrieking Shack."
It was difficult for Hazel to imagine that slimy rat being friendly or helpful, so she focused on Snape instead, how he had given up his time during her third year to not only brew the potion for Remus but to teach his classes when necessary, as well.
The very last night before they were due to return was somewhat melancholy. Hazel missed Hermione, who was with Krum again for a few more hours, and Luna had returned to her own home the day before. Ginny and Pansy were amazing, of course, but neither of them were Luna, who was Hazel's first girlfriend, and they weren't as voluptuous as Hermione.
Afterwards, with the two of them cuddled up on either side and their hands idly exploring her scars and muscle definition, Hazel lay back, post-coital bliss gradually giving way to languid thought. She wondered about what she'd find in that vial of memories Snape had left her, and cursed her mind for giving her that to think about, now of all times.
Well, whatever. What would she find? Memories of her Mum, maybe? Or of times when he was bullied by her Dad and the other Marauders? She hoped not. Either one would be classless; she didn't want to think of her teacher creeping on her Mum, or be subjected to a montage of why her Dad and his pals were arrogant toerags.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ginny and Pansy's fingers became more insistent and purposeful in their wanderings. "Round two, huh?" She chuckled and put her thoughts to one side, more than happy to let her girls distract her.
They fell asleep eventually, and in the morning were woken up by Winky's tiny fists banging on the door. "Mistress Hazel will let Winky in! Or else Winky will get Master Sirius to allow Winky to let herself in!"
Ginny giggled sleepily. "Forgot to take the wards down again, did you?"
Hazel grumbled as she reached for her wand. "Why do I only forget on days when we're leaving?"
Pansy was already awake and had occupied the bathroom to get ready for the day. Privately amazed that she had woken up before her for once, Hazel let Winky in and got out of bed. Break was over, they were heading back to Hogwarts.
Despite last night's excitement, Hazel found herself unwilling to leave. She dragged her feet getting ready, and was left without any time in front of the mirror. "Winky, can you do your elf thing and get me ready for the day? Those two are hogging the bathroom."
"Right away, Mistress!" Winky snapped her fingers, and just like that, Hazel was clean, her hair brushed and her uniform neatly pressed.
"Thanks, Winky." Hazel got dressed, glanced over her room to make sure she had everything packed, then kicked the other two out so she could use the toilet.
Downstairs, the other Weasleys were in the middle of their usual chaos, though thankfully no one was trying to snag Ginny's knickers. Hazel put her trunk and Hedwig's cage by the fireplace, and sat down to breakfast: eggs, bacon, beans, mushrooms and hot sauce. She grabbed toast and made herself a bunch of little sandwiches.
Moments later, Pansy and Ginny sat down on either side of her. "How'd you get ready so fast? You were still sulking when I got up."
Hazel smirked. "I cheated and asked Winky to help out, that's how. I'm sure she would have helped you guys out too, if you'd asked."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I've managed to wake up in the mornings without a house-elf for fourteen years, pretty sure I can keep going for another fourteen years."
Pansy sniffed. "Hazel really is adjusting to the pureblood lifestyle, isn't she? Snapping her fingers, ordering her servants around, abusing her concubines~"
"Hey! I'm not abusing anyone!"
Once breakfast was concluded, most of the adults went to work, and everyone else lined up at the fireplace. Normally it was only the Headmistress' office that was actively connected to the Floo, but the common room fireplaces were also connected, though the Head of House had to be on hand to unlock them. Molly checked a pocket watch, silently counting down until it flashed green. "Right then. Hazel, Pansy and Draco, you go first, call out 'Slytherin common room' and it'll land you straight there."
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley." She hugged her and Narcissa, and shrank her trunk before stepping up and throwing a pinch of green powder down. The flames roared and turned green, and she took a deep breath before stepping into them. "Slytherin common room!"
There was the usual spinning about, brief glances of other fireplaces and living rooms and kitchens and things, then the spinning slowed down and she was ejected into the Slytherin common room. Professor Sinistra was waiting, and as Hazel straightened up she nodded and beckoned her out of the way; moments later, Pansy came through as well, followed by Draco, and Sinistra clicked a pocket watch closed. "Glad to have you back, Miss Potter, Miss Parkinson, Mr Malfoy." She scrutinized them for a moment, then turned and resealed the fireplace.
"Thanks, Professor. Is the Headmistress around?"
"One moment." Sinistra finished sealing the fireplace, then turned. "Last I knew, Headmistress McGonagall was hurrying through breakfast, then preparing for a meeting in her office."
"Oh? Who is she meeting with?"
Sinistra shrugged. "Members of the Board, I believe, though I didn't ask. I imagine they'll be at it for a while."
"Thank you, Professor." She bowed and went to drop off her trunk, Pansy on her heels, and Draco went off to the boys' dorm. The familiar underwater light of the dorm was comforting, like coming home, and Hazel couldn't resist flopping back on her bed for a moment.
Pansy dropped her trunk off, then came over and curled up next to Hazel. Hazel held her close. "I can't mess around right now, Pansy, I need to get into McGonagall's office."
Pansy frowned and sat up. "Her office? Is that why you were asking Sinistra where she was?"
"Yeah. Dumbledore gave me some memories to study, and the only Pensieve I know about is in her office."
Pansy shrugged and lay back down again. "Don't you ever get tired of being you?"
The question brought an ungainly giggle-snort out of Hazel, and she hugged Pansy closer. "All the goddamn time, you have no idea. Being me is fucking exhausting."
"I know it is, I've watched you being you for four and a half years and I still don't understand how you're still alive."
"Me neither."
Cuddling with Pansy was relaxing, and despite the proper night's sleep she'd had doing exactly that, Hazel felt herself dozing off again. So she forced herself out of bed and did her morning workout instead, which she hadn't gotten a chance to do earlier. That woke her up, so she took a quick shower and got dressed again, blew a kiss at Pansy and headed out the door.
The castle was still mostly empty, since many of the students took the Hogwarts Express back to the castle even when more efficient means of getting around were available. Hazel still encountered a few prefects doing their rounds, as well as Filch, struggling with the remnants of the Christmas decorations.
Most students would either ignore or torment him, but Hazel, who'd never had occasion to dislike the man, decided to try and brighten his day. "Would you like help with that, sir?"
Filch whirled around, ready to tell her off, but paused when he saw who she was. She could tell he wanted to yell at her for using magic in the hallways, and she could also tell his arthritis (or whatever old person ailments he had) was bothering him and he really would appreciate help with what he was doing.
In the end he compromised with himself by being a tsundere about it. "Do what ya want, Potter, I won't stop ya."
"Of course." She flicked her wand and had the remaining decorations brought down and packed away in a trice. "There we go."
Filch didn't reply at first; he was too busy staring at her wand. "Ain't that Dumbledore's wand?"
"Not anymore." She was surprised he recognized it, but concealed her surprise with a bit of Occlumency. "Your office is on the way, I can help you carry the boxes."
He shrugged and limped off, and she trailed behind him alongside Mrs Norris, the boxes in turn trailing behind her. They arrived at Filch's office, little more than a crowded closet dominated by file cabinets; an oil lamp dangled from the ceiling, and well-polished manacles also hung down. It was all rather dusty, and Hazel suspected the old man was usually too busy minding the castle to spare any energy for his own lodgings. "Er, pile 'em up in the corner, like."
Hazel did so, carefully maneuvering the boxes to the specified corner and setting them down. "Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"
"Er." He was interrupted by Mrs Norris having a sneezing fit from all the dust, and he hurried to check on her.
"Watch out sir, I'll handle the dust." She swept her wand through the air and the dust disappeared in a wink. A second flick aimed at the lamp cleaned it and refilled the oil, and the room was suddenly much brighter.
"Blimey, didn't know the lamp was so low." He dithered and petted his cat, and it was painfully obvious he knew he had to thank her and that the words were stuck in his throat. "Say thanks, Mrs Norris."
She smirked and gave him a bow. "Don't hesitate to call on a house-elf if you need real help, sir. Have a good day."
"Er, sure, sure."