DARK SOULS ☽ 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚘𝚢

𝔩𝔦𝔳 | seventh year

I sit in Muggle Studies class the next morning, with red-headed Alecto Carrow dissecting our every move as we're supposed to be reading out of a textbook that doesn't look all that official. The words inside of it spit phrases that Muggles are worthless, and on a lower tier than witches and wizards. 

Sure, my mother might not have any magical powers, but she's one of the smartest women I know, even smarter than some of the students here at Hogwarts. 

This morning, newspapers flooded with the headline that Harry Potter was spotted at the Ministry of Magic, using Polyjuice Potion to conceal himself, Ron, and Hermione, so Alecto began class by digging into Harry, talking about how his mother was a mudblood and he technically isn't even a real wizard. 

Now, we sit in complete silence. The passage I read is horribly derogatory: "It is well known the world would be much more prosperous without the existence of Muggles. Magical beings would not have to hide from them and our world would be completely ours. Sharing this Earth with the Muggle population is purely harmful for the wizarding community." I roll my eyes. Maybe I should write to my father about this, even though we haven't been on good terms recently. I'm sure he would find this curriculum outrageous. 

Luckily, the Carrows still haven't seemed to make the connection between my last name and my father. I'm sure Alecto would hit me across the face with a slap if she found out about it, like she loves to do to anyone caught off track during our working periods. The Carrows are purely ruthless. They aren't opposed to firing spells at students or just straight out hitting them. 

I haven't yet seen Snape once, he seems to hide in his office all day, or maybe he just isn't even here. 

My thoughts are slashed through by Alecto's words, "Now what have we learned from today's reading, and this time, we'll hear from somebody other than Parkinson." She says in her rough voice. Pansy answers all the questions, it must be because of all the hatred in her heart. 

Aurora raises her hand. I used to see a friend in her, now I only see a traitor, "Well, some people learned that our world would be better off without Muggles, but those of us who are smart and can actually see the truth in this world already knew that." She smiles, twiddling her wand around her fingers.  

Aurora and Pansy have molded themselves into the perfect teacher's pets, answering every one of Alecto's questions with smiles and their hands perkily raised. Not even Draco answers questions, he just sits silently in the back of the classroom next to Blaise, without even speaking to each other. 

"Maybe Larkspur wants to answer?" Pansy giggles, turning to Aurora, "Since your father knows so much about Muggles." My eyes still fixed on Draco, he meets his eyes with me. Something is wrong inside of him. 

I just want to reach out and help. 

"Larkspur, is it?" Alecto chuckles, approaching me with her long dagger-looking wand, "I know all about your father and his silly little theories. Wasn't it that he ended up marrying a filthy Muggle," she stares me dead in the eyes as I try not to burst into a fit of anger, "What a tragedy that he passed." 

It hits me in the stomach. That he passed. What does she mean, "What?" I gasp for air, "Are you talking about my father?"

"F/N Larkspur? The Dark Lord's Ministry informant?" She chuckles again, "Oh, dear there is so much you don't know. He couldn't provide the information that was needed at the time, so... well, you know what happens when the Dark Lord is angry." She makes a gesture across her neck, imitating someone being decapitated. 

No. There's no way. She's messing with me, there's no possible way my father was an informant to Voldemort or that he's dead. 

The second class is over I rush to the owlery, hoping to send my father and mother both a letter about my concerns. I practically write the letters while walking, drafted with concern and fear. The early winter chill races through the air as I climb the stairs, finally walking into the drafty room at the top. 

When I arrive, I find a common barn owl with a letter addressed to me. It must be from Hermione and she doesn't want to alert suspicion with any owl other than this one. Before reading her letter, I tie my two letters to my parents on two of Hogwarts' owls that sit in the roosts. 

I'm surprised we're still allowed to send owls back and forth during the reign of the Carrows. I pray the two letters arrive, and I pray that I get one back from my father. 

I rip open Hermione's letter, which is also printed in code. A few of the letter and number combinations have changed since the last time I used the code, so I spend a little trying to decipher the new changes before reading the letter in its entirety. 

Y/N,

So much has happened. I wish I could see you and the rest of the Army but there is so much going on. I'm sure you've found out already but yesterday we were caught infiltrating the Ministry. Make sure to tell the D.A. this– the first Horcrux, a locket, was in the possession of Umbridge. I thought I couldn't hate her any more, but when I walked in disguised as a Ministry worker and saw the damned locket around her neck I was shocked. In the end, we made it out, but Apparating went awry and Ron got splinched. Don't worry, I had the materials in my bag to help him, and he's healed, but I think we've accidentally given away the Order's location at Grimmauld Place when Apparating, so don't write there anymore. Daphne's owl found me, but maybe next time use a random owl, such as this one, I don't want you to get caught. We have been staying out of sight in the woods for a couple nights, trying to figure out how to destroy this Horcrux, but it's impossible. We've tried everything we could think of and it's all hopeless. Please be careful at Hogwarts, I've heard it's getting worse and worse by the day. 

Keep me posted and stay safe, 

Hermione