บท 54: Chapter 54: Family Values (1)
June had always been the quietest month at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The usual chatter and laughter were replaced by heavy sighs and whisper emanating from the Library and the Common Rooms, where students engaged in some last-minute cramming, perusing notes, and practicing wand movements.
The end-of-the-year exams had commenced, and Catherine was doing her best to focus on her performance rather than worrying about Lucius Malfoy or racking her brain for a way to uncover the instructions on preparing the Animagi Potion.
The girl found herself reading the same page from her One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi for the fifth time, her mind continuously replaying the encounter at Slughorn's tea party and what followed. After Malfoy's departure, Catherine hadn't returned to the gathering but instead walked straight back to the castle. Halfway there, she had come across Greg who appeared extremely agitated, almost sprinting towards the Greenhouses.
"Thank Merlin, you're alright!" – he said, panting.
"Why wouldn't I be?" – the young witch answered, much more calmly than she felt.
"Frank came running to tell me Lucius Malfoy took you somewhere. We split up to search for you." – Greg explained, looking around as if he expected the Slytherin sixth-year to emerge from behind a tree.
"He just wanted to talk about a disagreement we had with his sister." – Catherine lied.
"Really? Is that why the ring got activated?" – asked the older boy, irritated.
"How do you know it got activated? Is that why you gifted it to me? So you can spy on what I do?" – snapped the young witch.
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't know where you go or what you do. But I do know if the ring activates and you are in distress, as long as it's not too far away, the spell is not that powerful." – explained Greg sulkily.
"Can you stop with this big brother farce already?" – the black-haired girl asked sarcastically. To her surprise, Greg grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly.
"Do you think this is some sort of a game?! Don't you understand how risky it is for all of us if your true identity gets exposed, especially before people like Malfoy?! He's dangerous! Not only is his family associated with the House of Borealis through a few marriages in branch families, but they are also involved in some quite suspicious activities related to Dark Arts!"
"How do you know that?" – Catherine asked, completely shocked.
"It's not that easy to be the McMahon heir. There are a lot of things I need to keep a secret and be aware of, so we can act accordingly if needed." – responded Greg bitterly, releasing his sister.
"I'm sorry." – the girl murmured softly – "The ring indeed helped me, so thank you for the thoughtful present. I suppose it was expensive."
"Gold's not important." – the Gryffindor boy shook his head – "I just want you to be safe. Did he try to hurt you in any other way?"
"No…I mean yes, but…" – Catherine hesitated for a moment – "Greg, I'm a Parselmouth!"
"What?!" – the third-year asked is awe.
"I can speak to snakes." – the girl clarified.
"I know what being a Parselmouth means!" – the young wizard growled – "But you were not one before?! Are you even sure?"
"How do you know I haven't been one before?" – Catherine asked, annoyed – "I had never seen a snake in real life before today when Malfoy used the Snake Summons Spell in an attempt to intimidate me, I presume."
"So, you talked with the snake?" – Greg inquired, still in disbelief.
"I ordered it not to attack me, and the snake obeyed." – the girl admitted.
"And Malfoy saw that?"
"He did and was as surprised as I was." – nodded Catherine. Upon seeing Greg's anxious face, she tried to comfort him – "He wasn't suspicious of who I was. I think the likes of Malfoy could never imagine that someone would pretend to be a Muggle-born if they are not. For him, it's the worst fate possible that one can suffer. I believe he's just curious, in a way, like I'm some sort of an exotic pet."
"Sounds plausible from what I have observed from him so far." – said Greg contemplatively – "Nevertheless, please be careful around him! Or even better, avoid him as much as possible. He's going to graduate next year anyway, and you won't be seeing him around anymore."
"I promise. Believe it or not, I'm not interested in interacting with him or any other Slytherin whatsoever." – the young witch assured her brother.
"Glad to hear it, especially considering what type of interactions you usually have. I just hope Malfoy would keep it quiet that you speak Parseltongue." – the boy sighed heavily.
"I have the feeling he would rather keep this information for himself, although I'm not sure of his reasons." – mumbled the second-year.
Catherine closed the book and looked around the packed Library. So far, she had seen no indications that Lucius had shared what happened between them with anyone. He was ignoring her, just like before, and the rest of the Slytherins were either pretending she didn't exist or throwing her hostile glances, just as they used to do . The young witch buried her head in her hands.
'It's going to be a darn miracle if I manage to pass my exams in this state of mind.'
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