Secrets of a Slytherin Princess

It didn’t take long before Apollonia had a meeting set up between her, Ginny, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood; she spotted the signal coming from the Gryffindor table that night at dinner. Her only issue was ditching Draco. How the hell was she supposed to accomplish that, especially when her father was the one to order that she stay at his side? She was doing everything to defy her father and didn’t really care. In fact, her father locked himself in his office earlier in the day, not coming down for either lunch or dinner. Maybe I can actually get away from Draco and talk to them, she mused. I might be able to help them set up the Resistance with Dad and Draco none the wiser. It has to work.

She, of course, had no way of knowing if her plan would work. There were too many variables to account for. Amycus and Alecto Carrow were the main ones; they were about as unpredictable as Draco’s aunt, the crazy woman whom Apollonia was lucky enough to be spared from meeting the summer before her sixth year when all of this started. Narcissa kept her older sister from coming near Malfoy Manor while Apollonia was there, a fact the young Snape was grateful for. The Head Girl did not wish to deal with any of that; she just wanted all of this to be over, for her life to be normal. How could this have been allowed to happen, for things to get so out of control that even she, a girl who was not supposed to become a part of the war, got dragged into the middle of this? The war her brother was fighting, the war her father was fighting, was taking its toll on the Wizarding World. And, Apollonia doubted that it could handle much more, part of the reason she was so intent on helping Ginny, Neville, and Luna in starting up the Resistance.

Upon finishing her dinner, Apollonia started to get up, only to be yanked back down. “Apolla!” Draco hissed. “Have you not been paying attention? If you got anywhere without me by your side, the Carrows will target you. It’s not wise for you to be going somewhere on your own.”

Of course Draco would stop me, Apollonia realized slightly dejectedly. He’s not about to neglect his duty again, not like when he did with Amycus. Damn it! This is going to be harder than I thought. She scanned the room, searching for a way out of her current predicament; something that would allow her to escape unscathed. “Draco,” she said softly, “I’m going to need time for myself. Other than my free period, that is.” He was about to object when Apollonia held up a hand. “Don’t even start quoting my father. He may have the right idea, but he’s going about it the wrong way; yes, I need someone who will protect me at my side, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you need to be at my side all the time, just that you’re watching out for me. Remember the snake pendant?”

“Of course,” Draco sneered.

“Yeah well, that’s exactly my point, Draco” Apollonia reminded him. “You made it perfectly clear that there’s no way for me to remove it; and, you don’t plan on removing the pendant until after you’re sure that I won’t be harmed. So, why not use the pendant rather than forcing me to be at your side whenever we’re not in the common room?” The pendant was a nuisance since there was no way for the Head Girl to remove it herself, but she might as use it to her advantage. However, when met with Ginny, Neville, and Luna, Apollonia would have to find a way to encase it; to ensure that Draco couldn’t spy on them. “I don’t need to be at your side all the time. You just have to protect me from the Carrows.”

“And, what happens if I can’t get to you?” he asked.

“There are other people who can help,” she replied.

“Like whom?” he sneered.

Apollonia grimaced. She couldn’t exactly tell Draco who would help her. If he knew the identities of the people she trusted, there was a possibility of others finding out, the Carrows especially. No, the less people who knew, the better. And besides, Apollonia’s Occulemency shields were practically indestructible; having inherited her father’s talent for the art allowed for strongest shield she could ever produce. After all, who ever heard of a lightning storm barrier protecting one’s mind? That was why the barrier worked, because no one ever expected that a lightning storm at such an intensity that Apollonia had could be used to protect her mind from any intrusions. “I can’t tell you, Draco,” she informed him. “But, trust that I’m safe; you and Dad have done everything in your power to keep me safe. Hell, I wouldn’t be this way if you didn’t shield me from becoming a Death Eater. I wouldn’t be on Harry’s side if not for your actions.”

“I figured that out for myself; thanks,” Draco grumbled.

“Right. Well, I need to go deal with something,” Apollonia told him in a quiet voice. She stood up and hurried out of the Great Hall, making sure that Neville, Luna, and Ginny were on their way. As she came to a deserted corridor and wait for the others to arrive, Apollonia encased the snake pendant in a black bubble; she was not about to let Draco spy on this conversation. The two Gryffindors and Ravenclaw arrived and greeted Apollonia.

“Hello, Apollonia,” Ginny said.

“Hi Ginny,” she said. “Neville. Luna.”

Neville eyed her warily. “Why would Snape’s daughter want to help us with the Resistance?” he asked curiously. Unlike when Ron found out, Neville’s voice was even; he seemed slightly more understanding of Apollonia’s plight. “You don’t side with your father?”

“No, I don’t,” the Head Girl replied. “I’ve always supported the light, despite the ties I might have to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Just because I’m close to Draco, and Dad is the person who killed Dumbledore, doesn’t mean that I’m evil by association. It’s something that Ron and Harry don’t seem to understand. Especially Harry. Before Dumbledore’s demise, Harry had complete faith in me; he knew who my father was, one of only a handful of students to know the truth. After that, I don’t know; he lost his trust in me, though I technically had nothing to do with anything that happened. I can’t stand it. I just can’t.” Apollonia was able to make it through her speech before breaking down in tears and falling to her knees. “Dad doesn’t…he doesn’t want me to get involved in the war. There’s no way that I can do that, not with what I know. I need to help with the war efforts. Not fighting, but everything else. I need to prove to Harry—and Ron—that I’m not what he thinks.”

“So, you wouldn’t betray us?” Neville asked.

“Of course not!” Apollonia insisted. “There are things about me that very few people understand, something that I’ve been dying to explain. But, I can’t. Neville, you saw what’s been happening to me. If even the Head Girl is being targeted, there’s no way that I can revealed what I know; I’d be targeted even further. To turn my back on the light would mean betraying the secret I’m trying to protect. No, I’ll help you in any way that I can. While you guys are fighting, I’ll be helping Pomfrey. That way I’ll be protected, but still helping you guys.”

“I trust you,” Luna said.

“You do?” Apollonia asked.

“Of course,” the Ravenclaw replied. “You don’t seem like other Slytherins, the ones that would make fun of those they considered to be beneath them. You seem to genuinely care about others.”

“She’s the Quarter-Blood Princess,” Ginny replied.

“You’re a quarter-blood?” Neville asked.

She nodded. “I am indeed. I think I’m the only Slytherin seventh-year to not be a Pureblood. Dad’s blood-status was not something that he liked to publicize, not like every other Slytherin in the world. But, I have every reason to oppose that monster; and, my blood-status plays a part in it.” Since only her connection to Harry was meant to be secret, Apollonia needed to inform this trio of friends what her motives were, at least a portion of them. If they were ever going to trust her, that was all she could do. Unfortunately, Apollonia had very few allies; when Draco took her from the battleground and took her to Hogwarts to speak with her father, it alienated her from many of the Order members.

As of right now, McGonagall, Tonks, Bill, Charlie, and the twins were the only Order members that trusted Apollonia implicitly. McGonagall because she knew the type of person that Lily Potter was; Tonks, Bill, and Charlie because of the Mottled Dye incident when she was five; in addition, Tonks knew that Apollonia was Harry’s half-sister. Then, there was Fred and George, who would be selling the Mottled Dye potion; they were quite pleased by the fact that Apollonia would offer them the opportunity to sell her product. That fact guaranteed the twins’ trust, a fact she was quite grateful for. Right now, Apollonia needed people in the school—preferably part of Dumbledore’s Army—to trust her. And, it would be great if Ginny, Luna, and Neville were the ones to do so. “So, about this Resistance?” Apollonia asked. “How do you plan on doing this, leading the fight against the Carrows?”

Neville nodded. “We were thinking of doing something similar to the D.A. This year’s teacher is as bad as Umbridge. The only difference is that, whereas Umbridge only taught theory, Amycus dropped the Defense attachment. We’re in need of a defense class and I’m going to teach it.”

“You?” Apollonia asked.

“It has to be me,” Neville answered. “Harry and I were the possible boys that could be the Chosen One. Ultimately, Harry was chosen, but my family was still targeted. To make up for what happened to my parents—and help Harry—I have to lead the Resistance. Much like yourself, I have to do anything I can to help Harry; he helped me two years ago with Dumbledore’s Army. Leading the Resistance is the least I can do to help him, Ron, and Hermione.”

“Harry is lucky to have a friend like you,” the Head Girl stated. “Who knows what would have happened if you weren’t around? There would be no one around to do this, no one willing to stand up to the Carrows. It’s only the end of the first week and you’ve seen what those Death Eaters have done to the school. With each passing hour, Pomfrey receives at least three new patients. My offer to help her tend to patients is the only reason she hasn’t gone off the deep end, though she’s still overworked even with my help.” She sighed heavily and looked between the trio of friends. “If this continues, the school may crumble; it may not last the entire year. Amycus and Alecto Carrow could have complete control over the school by Halloween if things continue as they have been.”

“So, we definitely need to do something about it,” Ginny stated in a solemn tone. “Hogwarts must survive this. The Carrows can’t destroy the place we’ve all come to love so much.”

“For more reasons than one,” Apollonia agreed, thinking of her father. The only way for Apollonia to ever spend time with her father was for her to be at Hogwarts. If the Carrows turned it into their own personal playground, or hell as the students would come to acknowledge it, there would be no way for Apollonia to go see her father. And, that was something that the Head Girl was trying to avoid; she had to. “Now, I think we might want to start planning.”