Growing up Pureblooded

Aunt Cassiopeia

     Later that afternoon, Aries returned to Windermere Court with Uncle Marius and Aunt Clytemnestra. He eagerly recounted all the news of the holiday to the portraits, who laughed and gasped in all the right places. "A parselmouth?" Lily was stunned. "Where did that come from?" James grinned. "Maybe you're not as Muggleborn as we thought. Maybe you're the Heiress of Slytherin." "But I'm not a Parselmouth," Lily protested. "Maybe you are, and just never had the opportunity to find out," Regina observed. Uncle Marius cleared his throat. Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to him. "Whilst all this is most diverting, I am afraid we have some rather pressing matters that demand out attention," he said. "Aries, right after you left for Grimmauld Place, Arcturus and Abraxas informed me that they and Pollux have agreed to allow you to remain here with us." "That's great!" Aries exclaimed, and James cheered. "there however are a few conditions," Marius said. "You will live here Monday through Friday. You will spend Saturdays at Grimmauld Place and Sundays at Malfoy Manor. Over the summer, you will go visit Arcturus and Melania in France."

     "That doesn't sound so bad," Aries said. "There's more," Aunt Clytemnestra said. "Cassiopeia will be coming to live with us." Aries jaw fell open. "Cassiopeia? Why?" "She'll be tutoring you," Uncle Marius explained. "Draco will be coming over for lessons as well." Aries wasn't sure what to think of that. Cassiopeia had been perfectly nice to him, after all, but he had seen her be utterly nasty to other people. He didn't think he would much enjoy having her living with him. On the other hand, taking lessons with Draco could be a lot of fun. "We'll have to be careful," he said. "no one can slip up at all." "Certainly not, " Uncle Marius agreed. "It would take only one mistake to destroy all that we have accomplished." Aries's face fell. "I hope she doesn't ruin everything." "Cheer up, Aries," James said with a mischievous grin. "We can make things very exciting for Aunt Cassie."

     As things turned out, Cassiopeia was not nearly as awful as Aries had feared. She continued to treat Aries well, and manged even to treat Uncle Marius and Aunt Clytemnestra somewhat civilly, She spent much of her time alone in her rooms, engrossed in her own studies. As for her lessons, Aries and Draco found them quite fascinating. "Most pureblood families nowadays," she lectured them on their first day of tutoring, shortly after the New Year, "leave intensive instruction in magic until Hogwarts, and so handicap their offspring. They claim that studying too much magic too soon can overwhelm children." She spat in disgust. "I do not hold with such new-fangled nonsense. I shall be teaching you the way I was taught as a girl: two years of serious theory followed by two years with practice wands. We shall purchase your real wands a year before you go to Hogwarts, giving you a solid foundation from which to excel."

     "If that is the way they used to do things, why did they change?" Aries asked. Cassiopeia snarled. "Dumbledore, that Muggle-loving old fool, persuaded the Wizengamot to pass a number of ridiculous statutes restricting what could be taught to children of various ages." She snickered. "He claims, of course, that it's for their own protection, but everyone knows it is an underhand attempt at putting Mudbloods on the same footing as decent wizards." "So what we are doing is illegal?" Draco asked, looking positively thrilled. "Technically," Cassiopeia admitted. "But so is special magic. Laws and regulations are for lesser mortals, not for such as we; The noble descendants of great and powerful wizards. One must learn to manipulate such petty regulations to one's advantage, but one can never allow them to prevent one from doing whatever is necessary to achieve one's ends." 

     Cassiopeia instructed them thoroughly in the basics of Astronomy, Herbology, and potion making, as well as the theoretical foundations of Transfiguration and Charms. Fridays were devoted to what she called "special magic", in other words, the Dark Arts. Draco and Aries were both quite bright, and made steady progress, much to Cassiopeia's satisfaction. After lessons Draco often stayed over for much of the afternoon, and the two cousins spent many exhilarating days flying their broomsticks in the garden, playing pranks on the Squibs, who didn't mind very much, and also on Aunt Cassiopeia, who didn't appreciate it. They also explored the three large magical homes that they had at their disposal. As time passed, Aries grew more and more accustomed to his new life, and the abuse and pain of the Dursleys slowly became a little more than a faintly- remembered nightmare.