The Gryffindor Malfoy

Chapter 2

After we've hugged and Stella has calmed down a bit, it's her turn to ask, "What about your parents? What did they say?"

I sigh before answering. "Mum reacted positively to the news. She said she loves me no matter what house I am." I reply. "My father, on the other hand... She told me he was coming to Hogwarts, probably today, to have a chat with me."

"I'm so sorry." she says, with an sympathetic look.

"All right, it's not really your fault. But at least I wasn't..." I stop talking before I finish the sentence, as I was about to say that at least I wasn't disowned. That's when I have an idea. "Stella, you can come and live with me."

Her face seems to brighten up for the first time since the Sorting. "Are you serious? Are you sure I can? I don't want to be a nuisance, and your father..."

"I don't care about my father! I'm sure my mum wouldn't mind, in fact she'd love it if you moved in with us. Besides, she'd probably invite you herself if I didn't do it first."

She still doesn't seem quite sure whether to accept the invitation or not. "I don't know..."

"Come on, you know you're practically family. You're my sister, Draco sees you as a sister too, although he's not talking to me much at the moment... And you know that Mum sees you as a daughter. Besides, this isn't an invitation, it's a command!" 

She laughs for the first time since she got into the Hufflepuff.

"All right... I don't think I have a choice anyways."

Soon Professor McGonagall arrives to start the class.

Sitting at dinner with my roommates and other people from my House, I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. I turn round to see who it is, Professor McGonagall. I freeze immediately, expecting something bad.

"Yes, professor?" I ask hesitantly.

From the look on her face, I can see that it's definitely not something good that she wants with me. "Miss Malfoy, I'm afraid Mr Malfoy is waiting for you in the headmaster's office." the teacher explains.

I gulp. Although I can't say I'm surprised to hear that my father is here, since Mum had told me he was coming, I'm still shocked, it really is worse than I expected.

Unexpectedly I feel someone hold my hand, a gesture of compassion, as if they were supporting me. When I get up from the table, I see that it's Hermione. I can't help but blush at the gesture. Why would something like this make me blush? Perhaps it's because she's a muggleborn, and I've never been so close to one. 

She smiles at me and I smile back, silently thanking her for the gesture, before following Professor McGonagall to the headmaster's office.

When we arrive, the professor says something and the gargoyle statue guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's room moves, causing a staircase to appear. Professor McGonagall signals for me to go up and so I do. She puts her hand on my shoulder, something that momentarily reassures me.

As soon as I set foot in the headmaster's office, I hear a voice coming towards me. "You ungrateful little girl!" I recognise my father's voice. "How dare you soil the family name like..." 

Ready to receive the biggest lecture of my entire life, I even close my eyes, expecting anything from my father, when I hear someone interrupting him, clearing their throat to get his attention.

"Mr Malfoy," we both hear Dumbledore say, slowly approaching us. "I don't believe that your daughter has done anything to sully the name of one of the oldest and most traditional families in the wizarding world. After all, she didn't make a choice, did she? From what the hat itself tells me, Miss Malfoy herself asked to be sorted into Slytherin, but the hat had already made its choice."

That seems to be enough for my father not to do anything to me. He stops in front of me, the most disgusted look I've ever seen on his face. 

"Real Malfoys aren't Gryffindor. Real Malfoys aren't from any house other than Slytherin." says my father, although he's looking at me, he's talking to the headmaster.

"Well, Miss Malfoy seems to have more of the Black family blood than you probably expected, doesn't she?" says Dumbledore. "I assume that Carina may have more Black attributes than just her physical appearance."

Dumbledore was probably referring to the fact that I look more like my mum, apart from my eyes. Although Mum nowadays has bi-coloured hair, both black and blonde, Mum is naturally blonde, she's had her hair that way since she married my father, as a show of unity between the Black and Malfoy families. After all, Mum has always been very proud of being a Black.

My father raises his hand, pointing his finger at me. "You should know that the only reason I haven't disowned you or done something worse to you, Carina, is because your mother forbade me to." he tells me. It's obvious that it's Mum who's behind this, if it was my father he'd probably make me take the Malfoy surname off my name. "You and Stella, both of you dishonouring the name of families as important as ours... You're both a disgrace to us. You're not a Malfoy to me, you're not my daughter."

With that, he leaves the room, leaving just me and Dumbledore. I can't hold back the tears, I let them fall. I might have been expecting this reaction from my father, but I never knew how real the reaction would become, how him saying all this to my face would hurt so much. If something like this already made him react this way, I can't imagine if he found out my secret... I can't even think what my own mum would say about me, she'd probably think I am a freak, no matter how much she says she loves me unconditionally.

"Miss Malfoy." Dumbledore pulls me back to reality. 

I raise my head, looking into his eyes. 

"Don't listen to what your father just told you." the headmaster tries to comfort me. "Your house isn't what makes you family or not. Besides, you're not the only one."

I'm confused by what he says. "What do you mean, sir?"

He takes a deep breath before answering me. "I don't think your mother ever told you, did she?" he says, and gets his answer from my still confused expression. What didn't my mum tell me? "You know, your mother almost didn't get sorted into Slytherin."

This revelation really surprises me. What did he mean Mum almost didn't get sorted to Slytherin? As if reading my thoughts, he answers me.

"The hat was very undecided between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, in the sorting of Narcissa Black." It's so strange to hear Mum's name like that, without Malfoy. Strange in a good way. "That's when she begged the hat to put her in Slytherin, and it accepted."

Mum almost got sorted into Ravenclaw. I can't imagine that. But she kind of suits Ravenclaw too... I wonder what other secrets apart from this one Mum is keeping from me, Draco and my father.

"The curious thing is that, talking to the Hat about you, Miss Malfoy," Dumbledore continues. "Slytherin wouldn't be the second choice it would give you if it weren't Gryffindor."

What?

"According to the hat, its second choice for you was Ravenclaw, just like your mother."

I sigh, finally trying to control my tears. I say goodbye to the headmaster, turning back to where I came in when he calls me for the last time. I stop walking, but I don't turn back to him. Instead I wait for him to tell me whatever he has to say. 

"Your secret doesn't make you a freak, Carina." he says, making my heart race. He really has read my mind, hasn't he? "You'd be surprised to know that you're definitely not the only one like that. There are many other people..." he seems to be thinking about which word to use. "different people like you and me. Have a good evening."