Hydra Lestrange Finch-Fletchley

I told Harry yes. I'll try it, at least. If I don't like it, I'll put an end to it.

I can't tell you all the things I want to say because if I did I'd never stop writing. But you know me and you know my heart and you know who it belongs to, always. I can't imagine anything in this world that could ever change that.

That's all.

See you at Tea.

So. As awkward as it is to request directly, I think you will have to specifically and pointedly invite me to Tea Appreciation, Harry, if I'm going to be able to attend.

Having Draco do it won't be enough. Mummy won't even let me see Auntie Narcissa.

You could write her an Owl, or just mention in publicly in the journals somewhere, or even just show up at St. James on the day of. It doesn't really matter. If it's your idea she won't question it.

I'm not sure why I'm so worried about attending, only one day soon Mrs Longbottom will remember that I have access to Auror Lestrange's hair and will want to pull me aside for a chat, I'm sure.

Speaking of Auror Lestrange, Mummy's taking me to MLE with her today. I don't know what I'll see, but I hope that it doesn't involve her killing someone.

Mrs Longbottom has made it clear that we should share with the entire Order when we believe someone is in danger, so that's what I'm doing.

Harry, Hermione - Teddy hasn't decided to stop interfering with the both you. If anything I think he's got worse. You might have noticed he's been trying to follow me around ever since Justin and I yesterday. He sat next to me at supper last night and offered to "take my mind off" things. And then he sat next to me again, tonight, because I was late and couldn't get in next to Remy or Pansy. I tried to be very busy with my woolten pie, but he just doesn't care about interrupting a person. And it's not that he doesn't know he's interrupting, he just doesn't think to care.

Well, he started talking about "Harry's mudblood" and said that he's thinking of changing his strategy. It was then that I started actually listening to him. Because it was about you, Hermione, and this is Teddy we're talking about after all. You see, he thought that Hermione was awfully unconcerned when he threatened to expose her secret, so now he's sure that Hermione's secret must have been a lie. He also thought she was way too certain that Harry wouldn't allow her to do anything she didn't want to do.

I had to start talking to him then, to find out more. And it meant I had to say terrible things. But I just pretended I was Mummy, and it wasn't really so hard, even though I couldn't finish my food because of it.

So I asked if he thought Hermione's secret was very awful, and he said it was awful enough, but then he said "I think that mudblood bitch had the stones to lie to me. To a pureblood! One of her betters! And I want to know why."

I said: "They probably all lie." (because everyone does, honestly)

He said Harry was far too trusting and that it was important we find out why Hermione thinks she can get away with lying, and make sure she knows she can't. Only then I asked him if that wasn't Harry's job, not ours, and he said that Harry's been tricked, and it's our job to look out for him and drop the scales off his eyes.

And I knew then that what Teddy wanted me to do was legilimise Hermione, find out what her real secrets are, and share them with him.

He kept calling me Hides and touching my hair. I thought I'd be sick.

I suppose I paused a little too long, because then he said that I must have "gone soft." (What does that mean? When have I ever not been soft? That's what Mummy's called me my whole life... only I think Teddy believes I'm like her, or he thinks I'm like him, which is a frightening thought. He kept going on about how "we" were both too clever to be fooled by a mudblood, even Harry's mudblood.)

I told him I found his obvious goading a bore, and he didn't like that. Said he'd just find out by himself if I wouldn't help him. So I told him, very low and clear, "I'm not helping YOU. I'm going to find out myself, for myself. How are you going to get it out of her? You don't have the means. I do. If you want me to share with you what I find out then we do it my way."

A really horrible smile crossed his face and he said "Oh, I have means, but yours are less likely to get my arse kicked again."

I tried to get what he was thinking just then, because it sounded so awful. But Teddy isn't easy to listen to. It doesn't seem as if he's afraid of anything, and his mind fires in all sorts of directions at once. All I saw was that he thought his black eye made him look dashing. I told him that it didn't. He must've been flattered that I legilimised him because he only said "you know you think it's sexy."

He's really so repulsive and foul. But he's not stupid at all. I only wish that he were.

So I finally told him that I would legilimise Hermione and find out what she was hiding, but that I would only tell him what I discovered if I was in the mood. He was smug and ever so confident that I would tell him everything, but at least it finally made him leave.

We'll have to think of what to do. Some false secret I can pretend to have legilimised out of Hermione. Or, I don't know, maybe we ought to have Vince and Greg kill him.

I'm sorry. That's a horrible suggestion, I realise. But his head is dark and awful and I know, I know that he's capable of anything.

Hi, Harry,

I found a way to ask Daddy about the ritual. I told him that I was looking through my new Dark Arts textbooks for information about something I'd read in a storybook.

He asked "what storybook?"

I said that it was one of the Bramblewick Orphan books, and in it, when Elinor and Petra are kidnapped by the hedgewitch, she locks them in the cellar, then makes them part of a ritual, during which Petra holds their dead Mother's locket while the hedgewitch tries to make Elinor murder the hedgewitch's enemy, the glass knight. But the ritual is interrupted when Elinor and Petra's brother, Cid, bursts into the cellar and saves his sisters.

It's all true up to the part with the glass knight (I don't even know what a glass night is, I just made it up, but it sounds like something from a storybook, doesn't it?).

Well, Daddy said there were lots of rituals involving objects that require "blood sacrifice," but it's the sort of thing that can kill you, if you don't know what you're doing. And it's usually for making an object that causes a lot of harm and destruction, often death, but that that's definitely not always the case - some dark objects are for protection, too, or make a person more powerful. He talked about how the glass knight being the hedgewitch's enemy is significant, because the blood of one who wronged you is different from the blood of the innocent. He said that the most important thing to ask was why the hedgewitch would want a powerful and deadly object, and that I should wonder if the object was meant to go to Petra, since she was the one holding the locket.

Then he laughed and pointed out that it was just a storybook, and probably not based on any "true depth of knowledge for dark artefacts."

So, whatever you had to do, it wasn't something that Daddy immediately recognised. But it sounds like it wasn't anything good.

I'm sorry I couldn't find out more. Maybe this gives you some ideas to go on?

From,
Hydra

Hello,

I've been talking with Justin and Remy about having a Tea Appreciation club, and they both thought it was a good idea. And then I thought that Lazlo's of London would be a good spot for a first meeting. It's more of a shop than a cafe, but it's cosy, and really, I wanted to invite the two of you because Dora Ponds, the proprietor, is Draco's cousin, and mine.

Draco, I know you don't know her very well, but she's very kind (and so is her husband, Mr Ponds), and she's a metamorphmagus, which is fascinating, and her little daughter has the ability, too. I don't think you've really properly met Bea, have you? I'm sure that she'd be happy to meet another cousin.

I was planning to invite Harry, too, since the whole point of the clubs is to keep him busy. And Pansy, I think Sally Anne would be interested in coming too, if the Strettons will give her permission.

We'll be going there tomorrow at three. Do you think you would like to come?

From,
Hydra

I have several people to send well-wishes to.


Congratulations to the two Hogwarts Champions for the Tri-Wizard Cup Tournament: Harry Marvolo and Cedric Diggory. Well done and good luck to you both.



Happy Birthday to my Aunt Narcissa. I made a special card and sent it by Owl so I hope that you got it, and I hope that you had a wonderful day.



And thank you to Teddy, who saved me the last roll and plum tart at the feast last night.



That's all.

Hermione -

Harry, could you maybe not read this? I know you're supposed to but I just want to talk to Hermione.

Hermione,

Are you both still down in the west gallery? I'm in the loo by the blue drawing room and I think I might need something.

Some help, I mean.

From,
Hydra

Harry,

I thought you should know that I heard Mummy and Daddy talking last night, and they both think that the person who wrote the grim truth is Snape.
Since you're back at the castle with Raz and Granger, I thought you should know.
I know other teachers are there too, so he probably wouldn't try to get into the castle again, but why do you suppose he's writing grim truths?
I don't know why he'd tell mudbloods to do wandless magic, it's really difficult to learn and you have to know how to use a wand first, anyway.

From,
Hydra

Harry!
Mummy says that I can stay at the castle with you!
I have to go home on the train and stay until Aunt Narcissa's party, but then Uncle Raz will bring me back to school with him on Monday.
And then I have to go home for Christmas, too, but I'll be coming straight back afterward.
I don't know what you wrote to Mummy but it really worked, she was even proud of me!
I told her that it would be hard to give up spending time with her in New London, but that I would somehow manage it, heh!
We'll have such a jolly time, I just know it.

From,
Hydra

Dear Lord,

I'm so sorry that I haven't written to You in some time.
I was very busy with some obligations, such as visiting friends and also my family's holiday to the seaside.
I had a very nice time, and Mother sai it was remarkable to see how rich and wonderous life is in even the far reaches of Your Kingdom.
I've been thinking about You, though, and the lovely time how we spent the last afternoon that we had tea at Buckingham.

I might have told You before, but I really think the room that You take tea in is just lovely, the chairs are so comfortable, and those scones that Your elves serve are the best that I've ever tasted.
A friend of mine said that they must be made with real butter and cream.
But besides the scones I mostly like what we talk about.
I was worried that You might be cross with me for what I said about Mother, but she really does confuse me some of the time, especially with the way that she speaks of me to other people and the way that she speaks when we're alone.
I really did think she was happy about my meetings with You, and even on our trip I heard her telling the locals about it, almost boasting.
But in private she doesn't seem quite as happy about it.

Thank You so much for listening, I know that You have so much more important things to think about than what is going on with a school girl like me.
And thank You for not laughing when I told You how I felt about Tom.
He didn't laugh, either, when I told him, and I appreciated it very much.
Are You ?
Sometimes I miss him.
I don't know how to tell anyone else that without them thinking that I'm a nutter.

School will start soon, and I feel ready, I think.
I might have new friends, and if not, there's always Harry and Draco and Pansy.
And Tevis, too.
I wish there were a way to keep up our tea times together.
Maybe if You still want to have one sometime, You could come to the school, because they'll probably let You do what You want there, I think.
They already let Uncle Lucius do what he wants, so of course they'll let You.
There's more I'd like to talk about someday, if we can.
It's probably silly, but when we were at the cottage I just wondered some things, like if You ever took holidays, and if so where, and what sort of things You liked to do when You were my age.
I know You're so busy and probably don't think about those days any more, ever.
It's just that if You ever wanted to, You could.
With me, I mean.

From,
Hydra