Father's Little Deatheater

The Plan

Over the next few weeks the five of us plan like mad although, Alex spent his free time in detention, scoping out books to borrow but leaving the restricted section for last to clean. Fred and George tell us about a secret room called The Room of the Requirement, which is room located on the 7th floor that would appear when you need it the most, and it will always have all the facilities you desire, We use the room for everything from Quidditch Training, to learning spells, studying, planning, even just to hang out with each other. There were days where I would hang out with just the twins in the room either chatting or helping them with homework, mostly potions.

I had the task of bringing in the ingredients we would need to make the Sleeping Drought while the twins figured out how to give the Draught to Filch. Our final plan was, I was going to make the potion on the day and Atticus was to give the sleeping draught to Filch just before Alex was due to begin his detention, disguised in a pot of tea. Since we heard Filch loves tea. Atticus declared to us he was prepared to take the fall if we got caught.  

Friday September 27th 1991
Prank day

During lunch I slip away to the Room of Requirement to begin brewing the potion. The twins come with me to watch me make the potion. I begin by adding 4 sprigs of Lavender and 2 measures of 'standard reagent' to the mortar and I crush them into a creamy paste using the pestle. I then add 2 blobs of Flobberworm mucus and 2 more measures of 'standard reagent' to the cauldron, then I 'gently' heat it for 30 seconds. After that I add 3 measures of the crushed mixture to the cauldron and wave my wand, the potion turns to a dark purple. It was turning out perfectly. Next was to leave the potion to brew for 70 minutes, the twins would keep an eye on it while we had our second potions class. I instruct them on what to do after that 70 minutes; Leave to brew and return in 70 minutes. Add 2 measures of standard reagent to the cauldron. Heat on a high temperature for 1 minute. Add 4 Valerian Sprigs to the cauldron. Stir 7 times, clockwise. Wave your wand to complete the potion.

After double potions in the afternoon, the five of us meet back in the room of requirement. I do hope the twins have prepared the rest of the potion properly. When we I arrive I notice they had done a perfect job. So Atticus begins brewing the tea then adding the sleeping drought, which only took a few minutes. "Perfect." he says smiling to himself as he walks out, carrying the teapot to the library. Alex walks out a few moments later to start his detention. Now all we have to do is wait, about 20 minutes later, Atticus joins the twins and I back in The Room Of Requirement, he sits down on the couch and I notice his leg start bouncing as I stand behind him. "I wish we could contact him somehow.. I'm getting nervous.." he mutters nervously. The twins look at each other before looking back at Atticus. "Well, I don't know about contacting.." Fred began. "But we have a way to keep an eye on him." George continues. Fred pulls out an empty piece of parchment and hands it to Atticus, as I watch in bewilderment over his shoulder. "What's this?" Atticus asks, staring at it. George taps his wand onto the paper, the two of them recite the words. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The parchment comes alive, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly, green words, that proclaimed:'Messers. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present The Marauder's Map.

"We owe them so much." George says with a smile. "Hang on. This is Hogwarts. And that... No. Is that really...?" Atticus asks, pointing to a set of footprints. "Dumbledore." "In his study." "Pacing." "Does that a lot. "The twins say, alternating sentences. "So, you mean this map shows...?" "Everyone." "Everyone?" I question. "Everyone." "Where they are." "What they're doing." "Every minute." "Of every day." "Brilliant! Where'd you get it?"  I exclaim. "Nicked it from Filch's office, of course, first year."  Fred says proudly. Atticus flicks through the pages to find Alex, we notice him exploring around the Restricted Section, with Filch unmoving in a corner, and Mrs. Norris, his cat, also unmoving on one of the bookshelves. "Oh and when you're done, just give it a tap and say... Mischief Managed." George smiles, as he taps the map again, making the ink disappear. "Otherwise anyone can read it." The twins speak in unison. Atticus nods and hands the map back to them, though they stop him. "Keep it, seems like the three of you will be needing it more than us." Fred grins. "Wicked" I mutter.

When the time reaches 6pm we leave the room and head for great hall to have dinner. We all sit together at the Gryffindor table, me sitting with the twins and Atticus on the other side. Then Alex joins us moments later with a very excited look on his face. As he gets to the table he throws one of the books into the middle of the table in front of us, Atticus quickly grabs the book off the table so nobody sees and hides it in his lap. The two boys whisper amongst each other for a moment before Atticus performs a spell under the table with his wand. I start filling my plate with food and begin eating, while having a conversation with the twins between mouthfuls.

Our dinner was soon interrupted by my bloody brother and his goons Crabbe and Goyle following close behind, "Asteria." Draco demands, placing a hand on my shoulder, gripping rather tightly making me scrunch my eyebrows and grit my teeth. I glace up at him as he's glairing at the twins. "What are you doing sitting here with the blood traitors-" his eyes now glairing at Alex and Atticus. "-a half blood and a filthy little Mudblood," gritting his teeth.  I notice Atticus give Draco a death stare. He's obviously in deep thought and fuming that Draco called him that dirty word. "Let me go, Draco." I demand through gritted teeth, un-able to handle the pain on my shoulder from his grip. "Why should I?" He retorts. I reach for my wand in my robe. "Leave her alone, Malfoy." Atticus speaks up, I look back up at Draco as his eye twitch, pissed of that Atticus spoke to him like that. "How dare you speak to me, Mudblood." He growls back in response.

Atticus now stands up, giving the spell book to Alex. "You'd do well to watch your next words carefully." he warns Draco. "What are you going to do Mudblood? Hurt me?" Draco teases him, Crabbe and Goyle laugh. "You need some better insults, Malfoy. Or is 'Mudblood' the only word in your vocabulary?" Atticus retorts, I chuckle under my breath, thinking how proud I am, that Atticus of all people is standing up to my brother. Suddenly Atticus's hand passes a large bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. Just as Draco lets go of my shoulder to point his wand at Atticus, about to say something. Atticus whispered a spell, and seconds before a bowl of mashed potatoes launched itself at Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, George pulls me closer to him so I'm not in the way. I glance up seeing the boys covered in mashed potatoes. Draco screamed and he slipped on some potato on the floor then falling on his ass. "MY FATHER WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!" He started sobbing as the three of them rush away. "High five?" Alex asks Atticus with a chuckle but was interrupted by Professor Flitwick gesturing for Atticus to come talk to him. I wince and pull away from George's hold, as my shoulder still hurts from Draco grabbing it so hard, plus all my emotions are boiling up inside me, I can't control it. So I get up and rush out of the Great hall seconds before I can feel my hair change colour, hearing the twins voices calling after me.

I find myself running to the room of requirement to try calm down as there's no way I was going to the common room, knowing very well Draco will be telling everyone who I've been hanging out with, including Father. I wasn't worried though I could easily convince him, somehow. I'm too busy in my thoughts that I don't notice George has made his was into the room behind me. "Astra, are you okay your hair is bright red," I look down and he's right my hair is vibrant red. I turn to face him in shame, knowing my face would be the same colour as my hair. I close my eyes and change my hair back to fully blonde. "You should keep your hair natural, I really do think it suits you." George says, as I open my eyes he's grinning for ear to ear. I relax and the right side of my hair turns black. We sit and talk for the next hour before my curfew. As I walk down the marble stairs to the dungeons, I cant help but smile knowing our bond has grown deeper.