Half Blood Royalty

The Wrong Slytherin Family

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had previously been nervousness into actual panic. It was mostly Nearly headless Nick's fate that seemed to have people the most worried. "What could possible do that to a ghost," students would ask each other in the halls, "What terrible power could harm someone who was already dead?" There was practically a stampede in order to book seats on the Hogwarts Express for students to go home during Christmas. Not that I was complaining. If there was anything I learned from having to visit the castle when I was younger, it was just how beautiful it felt to be at Hogwarts while it's empty. Creepy as all hell, but beautiful.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left." Ron told Harry, Hermione, and I as we all sat at an empty section of a table in the back of The Great Hall. Far away from others, in the hopes that no one could actually hear us. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

Of course, Crabbe and Goyle weren't going home. Always doing whatever Draco did. I doubt their fathers were paying Lucius a visit this holiday. Probably found out Draco was staying and instantaneously wrote letters home practically begging to spend Christmas at Hogwarts just to be with their leader. At least everyone going home for the break meant I had more spaces to be kept more to myself... even if it did mean I'd have to spend every waking second in the Slytherin Common Room around Draco's flock. I'd take that any day if I didn't have to watch everyone else roam the school grounds eyeballing me and whispering amongst each other about how I could be Potter's link to the Heir. Somehow, a new rumor spread about the grounds how I was the only one who knew how to calm Harry down before he sprouted fangs or spit out poison; I've no idea how that rumor came to be but is has Draco written all over it. Fred and George Weasley did know how to make all of this humorous. Going around the corridors, shouting out, "Make way for the heir of Slytherin - seriously evil wizard coming through-" whenever they saw Harry coming past. Would always tick off their older brother, though; pretty understandable. I'd be ticked off too if I had pesky younger brothers making light of a serious matter all while I'd try to be a perfect little prefect. Hell, all these rumors going around school about myself probably makes my father feel the exact same way. Always did manage to piss Draco off as well, which is pretty funny to watch in itself.

"You know why Malfoy's always so sour each time he watches Fred and George go on and on?" Ron told us, "Because he's really just bursting to say how the Heir is really him."

"He wouldn't-"

"You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you, Harry, are getting all the credit for his dirty work." Ron added. Harry chuckled.

"Not for long." Hermione said in a satisfied tone, "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

'More like, you'll be getting pretty disappointed any day now.' I couldn't help but think to myself. I must admit... the dedication these three have to Draco's guilt would have been fooled if I didn't already know who he was. "Honestly, I'm pretty sure they'd have a much better chance at finding out I was the actual Heir of Slytherin than Draco, but-" I blurt out, not realizing my thoughts were escaping my lips.

"I know he's your friend, but-" Harry touched my arm, giving me a look of concern.

"You'll see, Melody. The potion'll be complete, and you'll see just who it is that you're defending." Ron told me.

"I'm just saying," I responded, "that there's a bigger chance that it'd be me, rather than it being-"

"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Ron, "Maybe we should have never even told you about this plan."

"Excuse me?"

"Once this potion is complete, how should we know that you won't just go and warn Malfoy before we got the chance to use it. Or, that you'll go and tell your father about what we've done and get us caught before we took the first sip. Bet Snape would love to find a reason to-"

"I think you forgot who stole those ingredients from my father's stores, Weasley," I told him.

"Like he'd ever do anything to his daughter." Ron scoffed.

"You don't know my father." I stated.

"None of us do, really." He told me, "Do we even know any of you Snapes? Maybe we're looking at the wrong Slytherin family for this... Professor Snape would be evil enough to-"

"How dare you." I spoke calmly, feeling the anger slowly bubble up to the surface. The way it always did when I was younger; except The Malfoys, my father, or even Dumbledore wasn't around to stop myself before anything were to happen.

"Now you seem like Malfoy." Ron let off a soft chuckle, as if he was trying to break the tension.

I stood up from the table, slamming my fists down.

"Melody?" Harry tried to grab my sleeve, but I pulled my arm away. "He didn't mean it like that-"

"Oh, he knows exactly what he meant." The angry feeling began to flow into my fists. What felt like air began to stir up around me, bringing the attention of everyone else in The Great Hall just before I took a deep breath. My eyes fell onto my father just as everything began to calm down once more, before turning back onto Ron once more. "Don't you ever speak ill of my family again." Ron didn't say anything back. Instead, he just exchanged looks with both Hermione and Harry as if to try and figure out what in the world just happened.

A hand touched my shoulder, startling me. Behind me stood my father, whose facial expression showed that he was not exactly happy to have witnessed what had just happened a moment ago. "What is... going on... here?"

"Nothing, dad." I shot the others a look of 'don't say anything', but I doubt they were even finished thinking about what just went down before.

"Nothing?" His hand still on my shoulder, squeezing slightly. The way he did whenever I acted out as a kid, kind of like a sort of secret language for when he wanted to speak to me without anyone else knowing the topic of the conversation. "Did you happen to just... forget... what you were told... the last time something like that happened?"

I shook my head.

"Perhaps," My father spoke with concern, "You should go to see Dumbledore now."

"I don't need to-"

"Go." He told me, "Now."

"But I-"

"I won't say it again."

I slipped myself off the bench, mouthing 'goodbye' to the others before turning to face my father once more. "Why is it always-"

He pointed towards the doors without saying another word.

"Got it." I nodded, heading into the corridor.