Secrets of a Slytherin Princess

Professor McGonagall gave the password and led Apollonia up the spiral staircase to her office. As they did, Apollonia wondered exactly what it was that the Gryffindor matriarch wished to speak with her about. Several possibilities flitted through her head, though she couldn’t be sure of what it would be the Headmistress stopped short and gasped. Apollonia peered around the Headmistress and came to realize exactly what had caused the stern older woman to stop like that. Not even a day had passed since his death and already the portrait of the man. “This office will never be the same,” Professor McGonagall sighed.

“Hogwarts will never be the same. Without Dumbledore or my father,” Apollonia admitted. The Slytherin recalled a time when she and Harry had this same conversation. He insisted that Hogwarts was nothing without Dumbledore while Apollonia touted that it wouldn’t be the same without her father. Now they were both gone and things would never be the same. “Professor, what did you wish to speak with me about?” It was clear that the Transfiguration teacher seemed rather stressed, and it was obvious that Apollonia had a part in all of that. She was the only daughter of the man who killed the Headmaster, a girl who normally spent her summer in a manor where the darkest wizard around currently resided.

“Your situation,” the Transfiguration professor decreed, “is a rather unique one. Out of all the professors that chose to have families, your father was only one to ever opt to keep their child close, to admit them to Hogwarts rather Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. Because of it, there is a slight problem that the remainder of the Hogwarts staff must deal with. After what your father has done to this school, it puts you in a very precarious situation. We—that is to say the Order—are not sure where we want to put you. It is unclear if the school even open. It may end up that you will stay with one of the Order members.”

Though she was not too fond of the fact that he did such a thing at the time, it actually turned out that the arrangements her father made were not in vain. Of course, convincing her might be the trouble. “Professor, why not allow me to go home with my brother? You know that Lily Potter is my mother. Her protection extends to me as well. Perhaps staying at Little Whinging with my brother will work. After all, the protection extends until we turn seventeen.” Apollonia was pleased that her father told her who knew about her secret. Otherwise, she would have to sit down and painstakingly explain what was going on.

“If that occurs, what about after that?” the Headmistress prodded. “If the school remains open, it will only be a month; but, what if the school decides to close? What will you do then?”

“I’m not sure at the moment,” Apollonia admitted to the Headmistress. “But, Privet Drive is the safest place for me at the moment. I’ll figure something out afterwards.” Dumbledore asked her to help the Order protect the Dursleys. Maybe it was possible for her to go into hiding with them should the school close down. But, she would deal with that when the time came. Perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary for the Slytherin to even consider. Maybe there was a way for Apollonia to help the Order fight alongside her brother and ensure that Voldemort was destroyed for all that he had done to destroy the Wizarding World.

“Ms. Snape, you’re the product of two very different people; if the traits you inherited from your mother will help us fight what Severus did when he solidified his position within the Death Eaters, then we could use your help. Your brother needs you. The Dursleys treated him unfairly throughout the years; he doesn’t have a true family member he can turn to. Despite the paternal side of your family at the moment, you are the one Mr. Potter can rely on. Nothing must happen to you because of it,” the Headmistress said.

“Dudley, I think, knows of this,” Apollonia stated quietly. “I’ve been in contact with my cousin since Christmas.” If McGonagall was aware of the Slytherin’s recent communiqués with Dudley Dursley, it could help. Only her father knew whom the letters Willow carried were from. But, since he fled the school with Draco, Professor McGonagall would need to know.

“Meaning they must be protected more than ever,” the Headmistress warned. “Someone will also have to explain to the Dursleys that your secret must be concealed.” The woman eyed the younger girl. “You did make any of them aware of your blood relation to them.”

“Petunia and Dudley only,” she replied.

“Which might make things difficult,” the Headmistress mused. “While you go back with your brother, I will go ahead and see to it that your aunt and uncle understand what has transpired. You know, I never agreed with Albus’s decision to send your brother back there. It was always possible for you and Harry to grow up together, aware of the common bond through your mother. You are a blood relative; going to the Dursleys did not have to be considered. But, Albus insisted; he insisted that your brother grow up away from magic, and you.”

“I wish he did grow up with me,” Apollonia said wistfully.

“Severus would not have wished it,” the Headmistress reminded the Slytherin. “Each of your respective fathers despised the other. There were times over the years when I wondered how you could have been conceived if James despised your father to such a degree.”

“I was never informed of the story myself,” the Slytherin said. “It was only a few months ago that I realized who my mother was at all.” Apollonia hated her father for that. The blood protection could have kept Harry safe as he grew up with Apollonia under her father’s tutelage. But, it was probably her father’s stubbornness that precluded the man from doing so. I wish that happened; I wish that Dad would have taken Harry in to grow up with me. Things would be a lot easier had her father raised the pair—Evans’ blood coursing through their veins and emerald eyes—thus reminding the former teacher of the woman he clearly loved.

Of course, that time had come and gone. For the next few weeks, Apollonia was to return to the Dursleys’s along with Harry. And, it was there that that the pair would remain until July 31st, their seventeenth birthday. It might even be before. “Professor, the plans for the Dursleys; do you happen to know when that must occur?” the Slytherin asked. Thanks to Dumbledore’s order for Apollonia to help the Order in protection detail—though definitely not an official member of the Order—the Slytherin had to help them protect Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley; with the exception of Vernon, they were blood relatives. And, they were the only relatives Harry had left. Of course she would protect them. Professor McGonagall would have to agree to such a thing, only if it was occur before July 31st.

“It is not clear,” the Headmistress said.

“I was afraid of that,” Apollonia mumbled. It seemed fairly obvious that the Slytherin would not hear anything about such plans for the next month, until it became clear that Voldemort was about to attack. What could she do without contact from anyone in the Order? “Good evening then, Professor McGonagall.” Apollonia left the Headmistress’s office, but opted not to return to the dungeon. There was nothing down there right now, so the Slytherin made a sharp turn to the Hospital Wing. A lot of the Weasleys had gone, namely Arthur, Molly, Ron, and Ginny, as well as Harry, Hermione, and Lupin. Tonks was just getting ready to leave when Apollonia bumped into her. It was then that the Slytherin remembered the pictures. She quickly pulled out a set and handed it to the metamorphagus. “Thought you might want these,” she explained. “I played the prank on Parkinson and made several copies of the pictures. Since you were one of first people to see said prank, I figured it would be best for you, Charlie, and Bill to get a copy of it.”

“You might want to be careful then,” Tonks said.

“How come?” she asked.

“Charlie is still annoyed that you brought that up again. Then there’s always Ronald; he’s sure that you have some secret agenda just like your father. You know, it’s too bad that I can’t mention what’s really going on. You might not have to worry about his attitude. But, you insist; it must never be told until Voldemort is no longer of this world. Because of your wish to keep this quiet, you must suffer the consequences of your decision. So, be careful.”

Apollonia seethed with rage. She really needed to have a nice chat with the youngest Weasley son about what he was doing. Yes, he was currently clueless as to the truth, but he still should have been treating her with respect. What would happen when it came time for Apollonia to reveal her mother’s identity? The situation with Ron was the same with Pansy, except that it was the revelation of her mother when dealing with Ron, and the revelation of her father with Pansy. Ron was especially getting on her nerves as he was on Harry’s side; he claimed that he was willing to accept everyone. Yet, Slytherins did not seem to be a part of that list. Harry trusted her—though that might be fleeting—and so did Hermione; why was it so hard for Ron to trust that a Slytherin was against Voldemort?

Bill, Charlie, and the twins seemed willing to accept her, though she supposed it had something to do with the Mottled Dye potion. The twins probably wanted to market her product after a little experimenting; and the eldest two Weasley boys had an encounter with Apollonia eleven years ago that proved she wasn’t a bad person if one didn’t get on her bad side. And, that was exactly what Ron had done. Ronald Bilius Weasley was nothing more than a hypocrite; touting that he was accepting of everyone, yet utterly despised every Slytherin in existence. This, unfortunately, included Apollonia, a girl he had no idea was related to his best mate. He treated her unfairly, a fact that would come back to haunt him.

The Slytherin nodded. “I understand, Tonks.” She entered the Hospital Wing, only to find Fred and George trying to fix their hair. “Fred, George, I hope you know that all efforts are being made in vain. The hair effect will disappear in three days. After that, you have a week of an effect that I shall leave as a surprise; Charlie may know what it is, but I doubt he’ll ever tell you. Of course, just be glad that I didn’t do this in the days prior to Bill’s wedding.

“Why purple?” George asked.

“Yeah, it clashes immensely,” Fred interjected.

“I don’t exactly have control over it,” Apollonia warned them. “I think it has to do with the color of the victim’s hair. My black hair turned green, the famous Weasley red hair turned purple, and Pansy’s blonde hair turned black. I don’t exactly know what color brunettes are; my guess is pink. You’ll have to test it.” Apollonia removed another set of pictures and the letter she intended to send them. “Here; everything is explained in here. I intended on sending a letter, but you two being here, albeit under these circumstances, is a good thing.”

“You are letting us…”

“…market your product?” the other finished.

Apollonia nodded solemnly. “Would you rather I send it over to Zonko’s?” The Weasley twins would never turn down the chance to market this new product; the young Snape offered it to them first and they would be complete idiots to turn her down. Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was the future, a fact Apollonia planned on taking advantage of. The Mottled Dye potion was her creation and she wanted the twins to sell it; all details were in the letter.

The purple-haired twins exchanged a glance before turning to face Apollonia. As far as she could tell, the news they were about to give was happy. “Ms. Snape,” they said together, “we’re honored that you would let us market your product and would be delighted to do so.”

While the twins looked through the pictures of Pansy and the effects of the potion, Apollonia turned to Bill and Charlie. “After everything that happened,” she said quietly, “I know this really isn’t the best time for me to be doing this, but it’s the only time I can. I had every intention of sending this to you by owl; however circumstances being what they were…well, let’s just say that you two being here makes things easier.” Her attention flickered to Draco and her father as they fled from Hogwarts. All she really wanted to do was cry, particularly since they might never come back to the school after this. Hogwarts without her father was bad enough; not being there with Draco would be even worse. Harry and Hermione were all well and good, but Draco was the first person to know.

As the Slytherin handed the oldest two Weasley boys—for Charlie, what would serve as a reminder that he wasn’t the only one to have the potion used on him—their copies of the pictures, Apollonia wondered what was to happen after today. How much was going to change? She determined one thing though; it was necessary for Apollonia to speak with her brother and Hermione about what was going on, about what was going to happen. They might know; Harry spent enough time with the Headmaster to have an understanding of everything and would figure out what would happen after Dumbledore’s passing.

Bill, Charlie, and the twins thanked Apollonia—surprisingly without any grumbling from Charlie—and the Slytherin went to the Room of Requirement. Now that Draco was no longer a part of the school, Apollonia might not be welcome anymore in the dungeons. The only reason she ever stayed there was because she knew that Draco was there to help her. But, now that he fled the school along with her father, there was no point. It was far better to be closer to Harry than stay in a place she wasn’t wanted anymore.

The following day passed on a somber note. Everyone trudged about the school, not really doing much. As far as Apollonia could tell, only the Slytherins—without the exception of herself—were pleased with Dumbledore’s passing. Classes were cancelled completely, so the Slytherin went to the Hospital Wing for part of the morning, followed by a jaunt about the castle, surveying the damage inflicted. Thanks to the Order members and the staff, a lot of the damage seemed to have dissipated; but there was still damage yet.

On her way by, Apollonia eventually found her brother and his friends. Well, I guess now is a good a time as any to tell them. The story of the Half-Blood Prince—her father—needed to be told. She stepped forward lightly and Ron scowled when he saw her. “What do you want?”

Apollonia looked to Hermione; surely she knew. The Gryffindor spent most of her time in the library. It was possible that the girl knew exactly what Apollonia wished to speak of. Her next words confirmed the Slytherin’s suspicions. “Eileen Prince,” she whispered.

“My grandmother,” Apollonia nodded.

Ron and Harry questioned the situation, to which Apollonia allowed Hermione to answer their questions. Ron probably wouldn’t listen, and it was not clear as to whether or not Harry still trusted her. She was a Snape; but she was also Lily Potter’s daughter. Harry and Ron soon left, leaving Apollonia and Hermione to speak on their own. “He’s torn,” Hermione explained. “He hates Snape for what he did to Dumbledore. I really don’t know if he’ll be okay.”

“I don’t blame him,” Apollonia mumbled.

“I’ll try to convince him,” Hermione said.

“This just makes things even more difficult,” Apollonia realized. Upon noticing the confused expression on Hermione’s face, the Slytherin elaborated. “My father has disappeared, as you very well know. It leaves me with only one choice in where I’m allowed to go: Number 4 Privet Drive; I must spend the next few weeks in Harry’s company.”

“Oh dear,” Hermione gasped.

“Exactly!” Apollonia grumbled. She wished that her father was around; despite Dudley’s kindness, it seemed as if spending time in Little Whinging would be far more cumbersome than she even thought possible. In addition to Vernon and Petunia, Harry might not be too pleased with what was going on. Thanks to Dumbledore’s death, there was a possibility that her own brother despised her. And, Apollonia was unsure of how things would go upon returning to the Dursleys anyway; things might get worse than they already were.

Since only Hermione seemed willing to speak with her—thanks to her knowledge of whom Apollonia’s mother, though she could not speak the woman’s name—the Slytherin made herself scarce about the castle; Hermione, Madam Pomfrey, and Tonks were the only ones to have an idea as to where Apollonia might have been. Apollonia was either in the Room of Requirement, the Hospital Wing, or out by the lake over the course of the day. Tomorrow was supposed to be Dumbledore’s funeral; she overheard Professor McGonagall talking about it, that he wished to be buried at Hogwarts. After that, Apollonia was Dursley-bound. All students would be returning home after the funeral, as it was unclear if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would open after this.

Rather than trudging through the somber castle, Apollonia remained out by the lake throughout the night, eventually falling asleep out there. It was by the sun’s first rays that Apollonia awoke, going to check on the progress in the castle. Though there was but minor damage, certain portions of the castle were attacked and, if the school decided to open next year, it would have to be repaired. Why did it have to be Dad? Apollonia wondered as she wandered through the castle. Didn’t Narcissa realize what this would do to me? The fact that Narcissa Malfoy chose to bind her father to the Unbreakable Vow caused Apollonia a lot of grief; how was she supposed to have a normal life now that her father was no longer around.

It was around three o’clock that Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was laid to rest. As she looked around at the somber faces, three particular ones stuck out; they were the only ones that mattered: her brother’s, Hermione’s, and Ron’s. Compared to everyone else’s, their faces were a mess. Apollonia, knowing that she had to know what was going on, snuck closer and listened in on their conversation. “…Hogwarts is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place. What d’ you reckon, Harry?” Ron asked.

Apollonia’s emerald gaze drifted to her brother. She feared what her brother’s next words would be. No! Please Harry; don’t do what I think you’re about to do. Already, the Slytherin had lost her father and her best friend; she couldn’t lose Harry too. There would be nothing here at Hogwarts for Apollonia if she lost him too. Though, she supposed she already lost him thanks to her father’s actions. The trust between the two siblings was wavering; only Hermione and Tonks seemed to truly trust her anymore. “I’m not coming back even if it does open,” Harry said. And, there it was, the one sentence Apollonia dreaded to hear from her brother. He wasn’t coming back. Anything she cared about would no longer be at Hogwarts; what was the point of coming back if it opened without them?

“I knew you were going to say that,” she said looking over at Apollonia sadly. Hermione’s words nearly killed the younger Snape. It was even worse. “But then what will you do?”

“I’m going back to the Dursleys’ once more, because Dumbledore wanted me to,” she overheard her brother say to his friends “But, it’ll be a short visit, and then I’ll be gone for good.”

“But, where will you go if you don’t come back to school?” one of them asked. Apollonia nodded, for she had been wondering this as well. What did Harry plan on doing?

“I thought I go back to Godric’s Hollow,” Harry muttered. “For me, it started there, all of it. I’ve just got a feeling I need to go there. And, I can visit my parents’ graves; I’d like that.”

“And then what?” Ron asked.

Apollonia listened carefully to her brother’s answer, wondering what was so important to him that it meant he wished to skip his seventh year at Hogwarts altogether in favor of a road trip. “Then I’ve got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven’t I?” Harry asked. Horcruxes? What are horcruxes? the Slytherin wondered. “That’s what he wanted me to do, that’s why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right—and I’m sure he was—there are still four of them out there. I’ve got to find them and destroy them, and then I’ve got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort’s soul, the bit that’s still in his body, and I’m the one who’s going to kill him. And, if I ran into Severus Snape along the way, so much the better for me, so much the worse for him.” Apollonia gaped at her brother. He wouldn’t, would he?

There was no need for Apollonia to think any further about that statement. Harry was always close to Dumbledore; of course he’d take offense to the fact that her father killed his mentor. Besides, there was always a mutual hatred between the two of them. This latest stunt only strengthened Harry’s hatred for the man, despite the fact that he was Apollonia’s father.

“We’ll be there, Harry,” she heard Ron say.

“What?”

“At your aunt and uncle’s house,” Ron said, not bothering to consult Harry or Hermione in his decision. He seemed determined to do this. “And then we’ll go with you where you go.”

“No—,” both Harry and Apollonia said.

Hermione looked over at Apollonia sadly; she was the only one that seemed to know that Apollonia was listening in on their conversation. Just based on the look she was given, the Slytherin knew what was coming. Even Hermione was abandoning her. Hermione knew who she was; she knew that Lily Potter was Apollonia’s mother, that she and Harry were joined thanks to the Evans’ blood coursing through their veins. And, if her father, Draco, and Harry weren’t going to be at Hogwarts next year, having Hermione around would have at least been a comfort to Apollonia, simply because she knew her secret. It seemed as if the Gryffindor brainiac chose to abandon the Slytherin, albeit hesitantly. “You said it to us once before that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We’ve had time, haven’t we?”

“We’re with you whatever happen,” the red-head declared. “But mate, you’re going to have to come round my mum and dad’s house before we do anything else, even Godric’s Hollow.”

“Why?”

“Bill and Fleur’s wedding remember?”

“Yeah, we shouldn’t miss that.”

Having listened to her brother’s conversation with Ron and Hermione, Apollonia was ready to burst into tears. If Hogwarts decided to reopen after Dumbledore’s death, the young Slytherin would have nothing awaiting her. That much was clear. As she was the only one outside yet—everyone else drifted over to the carriages—Apollonia knelt by Dumbledore’s white tomb and place a hand on it. “Why? Why did you have to let things turn out this way?”

***

A pair of silver eyes watched as a girl with shoulder-length black hair rose from the white tomb at the base of the school and headed over to the carriages. He knew he shouldn’t be here, particularly after what happened over the last few days, but he couldn’t stay away. The young man needed to know that she would be okay after this. A hand was placed on his shoulder. “Mr. Malfoy, your time is up. If we stay here any longer, the Ministry may find us,” a silky voice said.

“But, Professor,” he objected. “Your daughter…”

“She is protected, Mr. Malfoy,” the former professor assured his young companion. “Arrangements were made around Christmas, thanks to your own suggestion, for my daughter to remain with relatives. She is safe and out of harm’s way until the end of next month. Now, come; we must be going. I allowed you one last chance to see her, but this is it.”

He nodded and followed the man. “Goodbye, Apolla.”