Secrets of a Slytherin Princess

Just like nine months ago on the train ride to Hogwarts, Apollonia sat in a compartment alone. Only this time, there was no Draco around to slip inside and keep her company. Evening crept upon the train by the time it reached King’s Cross station and Apollonia went to find her brother. She needed to explain what was going on to him, that her father’s order dictated that she stay in a place where she would be protected. As she passed by one of the windows, Apollonia spotted Dudley. Oh crap! Dudley isn’t home to hear what Professor McGonagall has to say, she realized. And, if that was the case, how was she supposed to explain anything that was going on? How was anything going to work?

Apollonia got to her cousin first; Harry was off collecting his things. “Don’t say a word of who I am,” she whispered. “Harry can’t know that I’m related to you guys.” Her cousin nodded. “It was agreed that he won’t find out until all of this is over. Unless we’re alone, don’t say a word of this. And, don’t mention anything about what I’ve told you. Play dumb if Harry tells you.”

“Okay,” Dudley agreed. “What about Harry?”

“What do you mean?” the Slytherin asked.

“Is he aware that you’re staying with us?”

“Oh, no,” Apollonia whispered, tears threatening to fall from the eyes she inherited from her mother. “Dad did something a few days ago and I’m afraid he’s a bit angry with me for that, taking out his anger on me since Dad decided to disappear.” Since coming from Dumbledore’s funeral, Apollonia had been able to suppress all thoughts of Draco or her father. But, as if was under her father’s order that she spend her summer with the Dursleys’—rather than at Malfoy Manor—the memories suddenly came flooding back.

As she was in tears, her brother came over. “Snape! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be going to join your father?” Harry sneered, thus proving that the friendship between the two was gone.

Dudley came to her aid since Apollonia was in tears. It seemed to shock Harry that his cousin would come to the aid of a witch, even after the Dementor attack from two years ago. “One of your people—I think was a stern-looking older woman—appeared at home and ordered us to take her in, said the Order of the Phoenix or something issued it. We can’t refuse.”

“Professor McGonagall?” Harry asked. “Why would the Headmistress protect the daughter of the man who killed Dumbledore? Doesn’t she realize what she’s doing in putting a Snape under the Dursleys’ roof? We’ll kill each other.” By his words, it was clear to Apollonia that Hermione and the Order were the only ones on her side at the moment. Harry would never trust her again. He decided to listen to Ron, after all. “What is she thinking?”

Apollonia stared at her brother, tears shining in her emerald eyes. “She did it because it’s the one place where I’m protected, at least until the end of July; or didn’t you figure it out yet?” The Slytherin knew, of course, that Harry wouldn’t figure out what was going on; he was busy worrying about the horcruxes—whatever they were—and destroying Voldemort. And, Apollonia wanted that to occur soon, for it would give her the chance to break the Fidelius Charm and tell Harry that they were siblings. Harry—and Ron—would then see what Hermione and Tonks knew, and learn of the memory Apollonia found within her father’s head. He would understand after Voldemort was no more.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Harry asked.

“Dense,” Apollonia muttered.

The trio walked over to the car, Apollonia sitting in the back beside the cages that Hedwig and Willow were in; their trunks were stowed away in the trunk. Apollonia remained silent as Dudley drove them to Privet Drive. If Professor McGonagall had indeed spoken with the Dursleys, a confrontation with Vernon was sure to occur; she knew it would because of everything that transpired six months ago. Aunt Petunia and Dudley already knew that she was a witch, but not Uncle Vernon. Thankfully, Dudley helped her conceal that she went to Hogwarts. And, she had her brother to thank for that, a brother who now didn’t trust her thanks to what her father did. In retrospect, she supposed that everything was planned out. No! Apollonia thought. He can’t have planned this. It made sense though; why else was Apollonia forced to stay here with the Dursley? I have to talk to him. There must be some way for me to speak with my father about what he’s done.

But, even Apollonia knew that was impossible. The Order would never let Apollonia speak with her father ever again. He was an outcast to all those loyal to the Order. And, the only reason she was even trusted by the Order was because of a prior connection to Tonks and the oldest two Weasley boys, a connection that seemed tenuous at best. If anyone in the Order learned that Apollonia wished to speak with her father about everything that was going on, she would lose the chance to help the Order protect Harry and the Dursleys.

By the time the trio arrived at Number 4 Privet Drive, Apollonia had once again burst into tears, not that Harry seemed to care. And, though Dudley cared, he didn’t understand what Apollonia went through; he was just hers and Harry’s muggle cousin. Apollonia entered the house and stood off to the side; Uncle Vernon would not be too pleased with this, that his son lied to him about who she was. The second Uncle Vernon realized who she was and the fact that she was around six months ago, her summer would turn into hell. “Dudley,” she heard her uncle call from the other room, “have you and the freak returned?”

Before her cousin could answer, Apollonia stepped into the other room. “Freaks, are we?” she roared. “Just because magic really does exist doesn’t give you the right to treat Harry like rubbish!” She shot a look at her brother. Be glad. I’m doing you a favor here. Though, it was likely that Harry wouldn’t see it that way. “Harry is blood. Family should never treat blood like this. Family, no matter what they are, is still family.” She said that for her brother’s benefit, because Harry seemed to have forgotten that fact. Nor was he aware of what Apollonia’s grandfather Snape did when her father was growing up; Apollonia knew and she saw the same thing happening to Harry. The pair was more alike than either would care to admit; Uncle Vernon and her grandfather were the tormentors of Harry and her father respectively. And, she refused to watch that occur anymore.

“You!” Vernon yelled, pointing.

“Yes, me!” Apollonia yelled, tears shining. “I was here six months ago. I was here for two bloody weeks and you had no idea that I was a witch. And, you were perfectly okay with my being here. No doubt that’s going to change; I’m going to get treated exactly like Harry.”

Harry eyed her. “You were here at Christmas?”

“Oh, did I forget to tell you that?” Apollonia asked, knowing full well that she did. It was left out on purpose because she knew that Harry hated being here; he would spend most his time with the Weasleys at the Burrow. Come August, that was where he would be; for there was no reason for Harry to ever come back to the place he despised so much. Dudley’s changing attitude towards Harry was Apollonia’s attempt at trying to mend the broken relationship between the two cousins, in the hopes that Harry and Dudley might become friends after this.

“Why wouldn’t you mention that?” Harry asked.

“Because,” Apollonia replied simply, “you would have thrown a bloody conniption over the fact that I was here. Although, I did save you the trouble; I didn’t want to be here all that much myself. But, it’s not like I have much of choice; like you, if I recall. I’m stuck here until my seventeenth birthday, which is the same as yours incidentally.” Apollonia slipped that in, hoping that Harry might figure out what was going on. Not like he would though; Harry was far too dense to figure out what she was trying to tell him.

Apollonia listened to the argument between Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon about letting a witch stay in the house, in addition to their nephew for a few minutes before disappearing up to the guest room. It was there that she would remain for the next month. She flopped down on the bed and ran her fingers over the serpent pendant that still hung around her neck. Draco had not yet removed it, so it would remain hanging from her neck until the war was over. “What am I going to do for the next few months?” she wondered.

***

As he walked through the Manor, carefully avoiding where the Dark Lord had housed himself, Draco Malfoy’s thoughts drifted to Apollonia Snape for what was the fiftieth time that day. He saw her earlier on in the day at Dumbledore’s funeral, but still; under Professor Snape’s order, the Invisible Slytherin was under his protection. Now that she was no longer around for him to watch over her, Malfoy Manor seemed empty, almost cold without her presence. What could he do to protect Apolla when he was all the way in Wiltshire? He had no idea where the former professor might have placed her; he only knew that she was safe. That was all the information Draco could muster out of the snarky ex-professor and it irritated him to no end. He missed Apollonia’s company during the summer months. But, I had to protect her, a voice reminded Draco. She might have been a Death Eater had I not interceded in the Dark Lord’s affairs; Apolla would have lost her innocence.

He would never wish such a thing upon sweet, innocent Apollonia Snape. She was unlike any girl in Slytherin. Most were cruel and heartless, using any method they could to get what they wanted; this went particularly for Pansy Parkinson. And, it seemed as if many of them were glory-hounds; admittedly, a lot like himself. Apollonia Snape was completely different from them; the most glaringly obvious difference being that no one seemed to notice her. Until Easter break of their first year, even Draco hadn’t noticed her. She would not do well as a servant of the Dark Lord; of course, that wasn’t even counting the fact that she had sided with Potter. That fact would put a damper on the Dark Lord’s plans; he wanted to use Apollonia for something, only she was not within his grasp.

Upon locating one of the secret passages within the Manor, Draco slipped inside and removed the snake pendant that he always kept in his pocket. Thanks to the order to kill Dumbledore, this was the only way that Draco could watch over the younger Snape. And, he might be able to figure out where she was placed for the summer. He stared into the serpent’s emerald eyes and caught a glimpse of his friend lying on a bed. “What am I going to do for the next few months?” Apollonia asked an empty room. “I’m stuck in a place where I’m not wanted. Even if Dudley cares about me, it’s not going to be enough to help me through the summer. Why did Dad have to kill Dumbledore for Draco? And why didn’t I do anything to stop it? I knew what Draco was doing; the second Ron was poisoned I knew what happened. I had three months to do something about it, but I didn’t. I might have been able to stop it; Dumbledore might not be dead if I could stop it. Nor would my brother hate me.”

Draco pulled away from the serpent’s gaze to run through what he had just uncovered. Apollonia knew. She knew of his mission and tried to stop it. Or at least attempted to do so. Had it not been for Draco distancing himself from her, Apolla might have succeeded in stopping him from killing Dumbledore; then his parents might have died because of Apollonia’s interference. No, it was definitely for the best that Apollonia was no longer a part of his life. As much as he loved and cared for her, she supported the light and Harry Potter; he couldn’t let her become a part of this and risk losing her to this war.

And, what was all this about a brother? Apolla didn’t have a brother; he would know about it. Over the years, Apollonia always spent summers with the Malfoys and not once had the girl ever mentioned a brother. Why would her brother hate her anyway? Exactly what happened between the two of them that Apollonia was forced to suffer the wrath of her brother, whether one existed or not? And, was that where Apolla was staying for the summer? Severus gave Draco no hint as to where Apollonia was staying; only that she was safe, as if that counted for anything. Draco did not recognize this place; it seemed rather Muggle.

Suddenly a conversation from the beginning of the year drifted to the front of Draco’s recollection. Apollonia took Muggle Studies because she was interested in it. What if that wasn’t the only reason? What if she actually had Muggle relatives? If that was the case, then there was no doubt in Draco’s mind that Apollonia had to remain out of the Dark Lord’s reach. He couldn’t find out about any of this; that much was clear. I’ll have to watch over her carefully throughout the war, Draco surmised. There’s no way I can risk her life because of this recent discovery, as much I don’t like those who have Muggle heritage. But somehow, just like always, Apollonia Snape was the exception to the rule. He was thankful to Aunt Bella for teaching him Occulemency last summer; it would come in very handy in protecting this knowledge about Apollonia from the Dark Lord.