Secrets of a Slytherin Princess

The Head Girl found it extremely difficult for her to get anywhere near Draco. Even while they were in the common room, a place where no other student could interrupt them, Draco stayed away. You-Know-Who’s threat really must have freaked him out, Apollonia thought, if this is to continue. I can’t even get near him. She didn’t know what it was, but was sure of one thing; ending the war was the only thing that would fix this. Harry needed to end this, to send Voldemort back to the deepest depths of hell from whence he came.

Draco’s self-imposed isolation continued through the next few weeks, at which point Apollonia became privy to a piece of information that Draco needed to know about. A werewolf patronus came barreling towards the young Head Girl, stopping just in front of her. Tonks’ voice filled her ears. “Quarter-Blood Princess, your godson has only recently been born: Teddy Remus Lupin. Remember what we discussed; Teddy cannot go through his life without knowing Draco or Aunt Narcissa.” With that, the werewolf disappeared.

Apollonia hung her head. Worst possible time. She had not spoken to Draco since Eater break ended. And now that Tonks’ son was born, Apollonia had no way to introduce the boy to Narcissa or Draco. Even worse, the war had not yet ended, meaning that even if she did find a way to alert them as to the fact that Teddy existed, Voldemort might target them. She couldn’t do that. No, telling Draco or Narcissa of her godson’s familial connection to them could only occur after the war ended, much like with her true identity.

The news of her godson’s birth only strengthened the resolve Apollonia had to do what she could to help the war effort. Aside from her school work, preparing for the N.E.W.T.s, the Head Girl was busy helping Poppy with tending to the injured students, and aiding Neville in training the Resistance. There was only two and a half more months before Apollonia graduated Hogwarts and joined the Order. No matter what her father wanted, staying out of the war was not an option; if she wanted this to end, Apollonia had no choice but to step in and help Harry. It was the only way that the war was ever going to end and Teddy could be raised in a world without the constant fear that families might be ripped apart.

Apollonia cast the patronus charm and allowed her Chinese Fireball to emerge from her holly wand. She planned on sending a message to them; maybe get out of the castle for awhile. Not once had the Slytherin even thought of doing such a thing since Voldemort took over the Ministry. But, this time it was needed; Apollonia had to get out of the castle, at least for a little while. Getting away from the Carrows would be great. “Where are you and Remus?” she asked. “I’m getting out of the castle and I think the best place is for me to go over there; no one would even think of looking for me there while I’m with you and Remus.”

Upon giving this message, Apollonia allowed the dragon to rush off and went back to what she was doing. Friday, April 10th, 1998. If Teddy was born, it could only mean trouble. So long as Tonks was pregnant, she was protected; Apollonia doubted that Lupin would permit his pregnant wife to fight. Teddy’s birth put Tonks in danger, whenever the war ended. The people she cared about were in danger and Apollonia could only hope that Harry finished this before that was allowed to happen. It can’t happen, the Slytherin thought. Hmm? I wonder if Harry is still at Shell Cottage. Maybe if he is, I can go try talking to him about what’s going to happen, convince him to speed up the war. If I can do that, maybe there’s still a chance for me to salvage what’s left of my friendship with Harry.

For the second time that day, a werewolf patronus came barreling towards her. Just as she expected, it bore a message from Tonks. “Quarter-Blood Princess, if you plan on escaping the castle for a while, you might want to go to Bill’s. Remus is there talking to Harry, informing him of his godson. Meet him there and you’ll travel together to my current location.”

This time, as the werewolf patronus disappeared, Apollonia tore into her bedroom, packing a small bag and slipping into the passage that led up to her father’s office. She would use the floo there to avoid detection; to use any other fireplace connected to the floo network was to do so at her own risk. The Ministry—Voldemort’s Ministry—was probably monitoring all those fireplaces belonging to Order members. No, her father’s was the only one that Apollonia could even consider using, the only fireplace that was even safe using. When the Slytherin arrived at her father’s office, she found that he wasn’t even there. Aside from the portraits, Apollonia was completely alone. She did not stay for long though, immediately heading the floo. A handful of floo powder was grabbed and thrown into the fireplace. “Shell Cottage!” A puff of green smoke engulfed the teen and her father’s office disappeared from sight, stepping forward to the cottage she only recently left behind.

As the Slytherin brushed the soot off herself, she spotted a blonde woman approach her. She was thankful that it was Fleur who came in. “Ah, Mademoiselle Snape, eet iz you.”

“Hello, Fleur,” the younger girl nodded.

“Why are you ‘ere?” she asked. “You should be at ‘Ogwarts.”

Apollonia nodded. “Ah, well, I needed to meet with Remus. I needed to get out of the castle for a few days and his son’s birth offered the perfect opportunity for me to do so. I’m the boy’s godmother.”

The Veela nodded. “Yes, the werewolf just came to inform ‘Arry of his godfatherly duties. Did not Bill say zat you and ‘Arry ‘ave been at odds zough? ‘Ow can you interact wiz one anozzer when you are not getting along yourself? Would zat not be important?”

“I know that,” Apollonia answered. “But, it was Dora’s idea. My association with people that she has not seen ever in her life is why I was named godmother. And, I have a way to speak with Harry about how much he hates me. I would not worry about that, Fleur; I know what I’m doing.”

“I ‘ope you do,” Fleur muttered.

Apollonia slipped out of the room and went to find out where Remus and Harry were. She entered another room and heard the former professor’s voice. “No…no…I really must get back.” Upon hearing that, Apollonia disillusioned herself and slipped out after him; she needed to keep Harry and Ron from discovering that she was here, that she was coming to speak with their former professor. They were both sitting there, so Apollonia had no chance of mentioning any of this in front of them. Very few people knew that Apollonia was named godmother and she prepared to keep it that way, at least for the moment.

When there was no chance of her getting caught by her brother or Ron, Apollonia lowered the disillusionment and stepped up to her former professor. “Have you had a chat with your wife?”

“I was just going back,” Lupin answered, not looking at her.

“Which is exactly the reason I’m here,” Apollonia informed him. “Dora thought I needed a break from all that I’ve been doing. Said I should escape the torture I’m going through.”

Her former professor turned around to look at her in shock. “Ms. Snape, you’re having trouble with the events going on at the school? Even with your father running the school?”

Apollonia nodded, wishing—praying almost—that it wasn’t so. She despised the fact that any of this was going on; that Harry had not yet ended Voldemort’s life. It infuriated her beyond all reason. “The Carrows torturing me; trying to hide my activities from me father; and worrying that Harry might get killed before he can finish this; I don’t think I’ve ever been more worried about what was going to happen around me than I am right now.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Lupin said. “I’m sure Harry will end this.”

Unlike the werewolf, Apollonia was not so sure of Harry’s success. The Carrows were positively insane and would do whatever they could to stop Undesirable Number One from succeeding in his quest, from destroying their master. And, he was already captured once; it was only by a stroke of luck—Dobby—that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were even able to escape. What would happen the next time that Harry and his friends happened upon the Death Eaters? “Perhaps,” Apollonia shrugged. “But, in any case, I’m spending the weekend away from the castle, away from everything that’s been happening.”

“Well, we’ve been staying with Dora’s mother,” Lupin told her.

“The location is secret,” Apollonia mused. When the Weasleys went into hiding, Dora went to stay with her mother. Her portkey was scheduled to take off immediately following the Weasley clan’s. And the Tonks home was secure, the best place for Dora and Remus to stay as they awaited the baby. Andromeda, the Slytherin recalled, was Narcissa’s sister; and, that could only mean that Apollonia had the chance to get to know the woman that was Draco’s aunt. “That’s why Dora didn’t dare give me the location, instead sending me here.”

“My mother-in-law is the secret-keeper,” the werewolf explained.

“I expected that it would be Andromeda,” the girl replied.

“Right. Well, I’ll take you to that location and get Andromeda,” Lupin informed her. Apollonia then side-apparated with her former professor to where she could only assume Andromeda lived. She could not really be sure, since the house in question was nowhere in sight, a sign that the Fidelius was working.

While Remus disappeared to go collect his mother-in-law from the house, Apollonia could only wonder how Draco and her father were doing back at the castle. A better question; would they even notice that Apollonia was gone? Her father most likely wasn’t going to notice, as he barely paid until to anything going on in the castle. Otherwise, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn wouldn’t be trying to force him out of the castle. When it came to Draco…well, he was ignoring her, so he might not even care that she wouldn’t be in the castle. It was difficult to say if either of them would care. The only person that Apollonia suspected might even think to care about her was Neville since the two of them were leading the Resistance, Neville more so than her.

Remus soon returned along with a woman with similar features to a maniac. During Apollonia’s fifth year, she saw a picture of Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco’s aunt. The woman standing before her looked rather similar to the insane witch, except for having light brown hair and kind eyes. “Mrs. Tonks, I presume.” This was, without a doubt, Andromeda.

“I am. And, are you the young woman that my Nymphadora asked to become godmother?” Mrs. Tonks asked. Apollonia simply nodded. “I see. Well then, you might want to come in and see your godson.” The middle Black sister gave Apollonia the location and the house appeared before her. “Now, could you please give me your name?”

Apollonia walked into the Tonks house and smiled at the older woman. “I’m very sorry about that, Mam; I was thinking of something else at the moment. My name is Apollonia Snape.”

“A Snape?” the woman asked.

The Slytherin shook her head in annoyance. I should have known that Andromeda would want to know about that; I’m the daughter of a Death Eater, and this is always going to follow me. Well, I guess I better explain this until her and hope she understands. “Mrs. Tonks – Andromeda – I can assure you that I am nothing like my father. For one, I am not a Death Eater. Dora trusts me completely; it’s why I was named godmother…well, that’s aside from the connection I have to your younger sister and nephew.”

“Narcissa?” Andromeda asked.

Apollonia nodded. “I spent my summers at Malfoy Manor. Dad did not exactly raise me in the proper method. Nannies up until I was eleven, only during the times that school was in session; otherwise, he was around. At the end of my first year at Hogwarts, I started spending my summers at Malfoy Manor. Though, I had no idea that you were Narcissa’s sister.”

“I married for love rather than blood as my parents would have liked,” Andromeda explained to the younger girl. “I was considered the black sheep of the family for marrying beneath my blood. So, I left. Went off to live my own life. There was a part of me that regretted leaving the family though; Cissy might have followed in my footsteps if not for Bella’s influence.”

Though it was not exactly what she intended on doing when she came here, Apollonia decided that she would have to tell the older woman about how Narcissa was during the last few years, perhaps just to ease the woman’s worries since she hadn’t seen her younger sister since being disowned from the family. “I don’t think Narcissa quite followed in Bella’s footsteps; she actually cares about those around her; she’s not as cold as Lestrange. In fact, she’s done whatever she could to keep both me and Draco safe; although, only her attempts at protecting me succeeded at all; Draco became a Death Eater and I’m pretty sure that his life is in danger for what he’s been doing to protect me. I think Narcissa is more of the middle ground between the two extremes; she married for blood, but is not as obsessed with blood purity as her sister is. After all, if she was, I wouldn’t even be permitted in the house.”

“How do you mean?” Andromeda prodded.

It was not Apollonia who answered this, but rather Tonks, who had just come in with Teddy to see what was going on. “Mum, Apollonia here is known in the Order as the Quarter-Blood Princess. She’s the one helping keep Harry’s relatives safe. It’s only because of the little princess here that Harry’s family—what’s left of it—is still protected.” Tonks winked in Apollonia’s direction. “Apollonia is the one person that no one would ever suspect to become the secret-keeper to Harry’s remaining relatives; the Quarter-Blood Princess.”

“Quarter-blood?” Andromeda asked.

Both Apollonia and Tonks nodded at the older woman’s question. “Though, Draco and Narcissa never really cared. It never really mattered all that much that I’m not a Pureblood, not to them.”

“I’m not sure if I can believe that,” Andromeda murmured.

“I assure you that you can,” Apollonia insisted. Andromeda scoffed and soon left the Slytherin and her daughter to talk. “It seems as if I must prove this to her; that her younger sister is not like the older one.”

“She may not believe you,” Tonks answered.

“Like now; yes, you might be right about that,” Apollonia mused. Emerald eyes traveled down to where Tonks held onto her newborn child. As it seemed however, the boy had bright blue hair. “So, this is Teddy; a metamorphagus like yourself by any chance?”

Tonks nodded in affirmation. “Yes, he inherited my talent rather than the lycan gene of his father. He seems to favor blue hair. That’s the only color that it’s been for more than ten minutes since his birth.”

“I kind of like it,” Apollonia stated. “It’s like you with the pink hair.” A thought occurred to the young teenager, something that Tonks might not have realized. “Perhaps the color preference has to do with the gender; while you – a girl – happen to favor pink hair, your son favors blue, so that each color corresponds to the color usually associated with each gender.”

“I never thought of that,” the metamorphagus said. “Although, I now that I think about it, it’s true. I did favor the pink; and, after my sorting, canary yellow was added to the bubblegum pink.”

Apollonia thought back to her earliest memory of Dora; that day when she was five and pulled the Mottled Dye prank on Charlie. Dora’s hair was neither color that day; in fact, it was the same color as her son’s. “I seem to recall a time when your hair was blue.”

“The legend of Dungeon Bat,” Tonks grinned.

“I almost wish I never mentioned that to you,” Apollonia muttered. “Between you, Bill, and Charlie, Dungeon Bat became much more than I ever expected. It’s lasted twelve years, nearing thirteen.” The fact that it would last this long; that she would enter Hogwarts to hear of the nickname she created, the nickname that she inadvertently told Bill, Charlie, and Dora about…well, it could only meant that her father left such an impression on the students. That was something that the Slytherin never expected would happen; her father’s teaching method left quite an impression on all of the students, one that they would never forget.

“It was too hilarious not to mention,” Tonks reminded.

“Yes, but I think it was taken a bit too far,” Apollonia insisted. It was true. The whole thing became so much of a legend, a legend that few people ever actually knew the start of. And, it was not something that she ever wanted, for her father to become a joke. A joke was what he became, particularly this year. No one—save the Slytherins—respected the man. In regards to Apollonia’s respect for her father…well, it was fleeting. She could not say for sure just how long such respect could last, not with the way that he was treating the students, like they came second. She still loved her father; but, respect him…that was another story.

“That may be your opinion,” Tonks argued. “However, you’ve never seen him when just dealing with his students, without a relative around. The whole thing was not pretty.”

Apollonia shrugged. “I suppose. Now, can I see my godson?”

***

Neville didn’t know how Harry was able to do this; he made it seem so easy, standing up to those trying to oppress him and all others. Though, Harry did have years of experience, as well as people to help him. The once-shy Gryffindor did not quite have such a luxury; Luna was captured and Ginny eventually had to go into hiding because of something that happened with Ron. And now, his most recent helper – Snape’s daughter, Apollonia – just disappeared without any explanation. How was he supposed to do this on his own; before the Ministry debacle, Neville had an immense amount of difficulty doing the simplest of spells.

It seemed as if seventh year was to be a plague, especially to the Gryffindor contingent. Of the eight students that were sixth-years last year, only four were here at the moment: himself, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were trying to destroy Voldemort, and Dean was captured around Christmas along with Luna. It was a sad fact that Gryffindors were dwindling in numbers and Neville was the only one even remotely willing to stand up to the Carrows. And, even though the seventh-year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were willing to help, it was not to the degree that Ginny or Luna helped him.

Even though she was the Head Girl, Neville had his doubts that Apollonia Snape would come through for the Resistance; he was sure that she would be exactly like her father. It was only the story he heard from Ginny about Snape’s daughter saving Bill Weasley’s life that Neville allowed himself to trust Apollonia. And, she did seem most unlike other Slytherins, actually caring about students that were not of pure blood. The problem with trusting her was that she had a Death Eater father, as well as Malfoy for a best friend. How could he really be certain that Apollonia would not betray the Resistance to the Carrows; that she would defend the Resistance—and the Order—with her life?

The Gryffindor spent hours searching for the Head Girl and soon discovered that she was nowhere in sight. He feared that the last person that might be willing to help him was gone; the last person that he was able to count on had disappeared. Exactly how was he supposed to continue the fight against the Carrows when there was a part of him—a very small part of him—that was still afraid of what was going to happen? Most of that fear had been allayed as the Gryffindor grew into his power – as he proved to himself and others that he was worthy of the magic he had – but there was still that slight insecurity lingering. Despite Apollonia being Snape’s daughter, her presence allayed such fear. Now that she had disappeared, for whatever reason, Neville wasn’t exactly sure how well things would turn out.