Upon Sirius mentioning the potion, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger exchanged furtive glances, their expressions shifting with a mix of discomfort and curiosity.
Harry, unable to contain his amusement, flashed a sheepish grin, his eyes darting between Celestia and Sirius.
Meanwhile, Celestia, caught off guard by the sudden topic of conversation, snaps out of the shock of seeing a supposed serial mass-murderer casually talking to her through the gryffindor fireplace, she felt a rush of embarrassment flood her cheeks, turning them a deep shade of crimson. With a shaky voice, she quickly protested, "I don't know what you're talking about," her attempt to deflect attention only added to the tension in the room.
Sirius chuckled, enjoying the situation. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But I must say, you've got Harry wrapped around your finger if he's buying you potions now."
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, embarrassed.
Celestia rolled her eyes, feeling both amused and exasperated by Sirius's teasing. She kneeled down beside Harry in front of the fireplace, "Well, it's not exactly what you think," she replied, trying to deflect his teasing.
"Of course not," Sirius said with a grin. "But if you ever need any help, you know where to find me."
"I actually don't" Celestia admitted.
"For now, you can find me through Harry" said Sirius, excitingly "Oh, and I almost forgot, I've already talked with others, Celestia you are invited to spend Christmas holidays at my place, we expect your presence"
Weasley opened his mouth, then closed it.
"You two looked great together" continued Sirius, looking in between them "I wish James were here to see you too, his son pulled a Malfoy for himself, he'd be so proud."
Celestia laughed uncomfortably by the mention of her surname, she suddenly realised that the boundaries that she has set at the beginning of the term were long crossed and to Celestia's surprise, she couldn't care less.
"the striking resemblance you bear to my cousin, your aunt, Bellatrix, only your blonde hair sets you apart." Said Sirius, hurriedly looking away "Anyways, How're things?" said Sirius.
"Not that good," said Harry, as Hermione pulled the ginger back to stop him singeing his whiskers. "The Ministry's forced through another decree, which means we're not allowed to have Quidditch teams -"
"Or secret Defence Against the Dark Arts groups?" said Sirius.
There was a short pause.
"How did you know about that?" Harry demanded.
"You'd want to choose your meeting places more carefully," said Sirius, grinning still more broadly. "The Hog's Head, I ask you."
"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" said Hermione defensively. "That's always packed with people -"
"Well I think three broomsticks would have been a great choice, less chances of being overheard," said Celestia bluntly, "besides who would want to suspect or listen to the conversation of a bunch of Hogwarts students in a packed pub?"
"Exactly," said Sirius. "You've got a lot to learn, Hermione."
"Who overheard us?" Harry demanded.
"Mundungus, of course," said Sirius, and when they all looked puzzled he laughed. "He was the witch under the veil."
"That was Mundungus?" Harry said, stunned. "What was he doing in the Hog's Head?"
"Mundungus Fletcher?" Asked Celestia, "he's a low-life thieve, isn't he?"
"No, He's brilliant" snapped Ron Weasley angrily.
Harry shoots him a look, causing Ron to shut up immediately, Although he looked angry.
"Well, he does act like a low-life, what do you think Dung was doing?" said Sirius impatiently. "Keeping an eye on you, of course."
"I'm still being followed?" Demanded Harry.
"He's being followed?" Celestia asked, horrified.
"Yeah, you are," said Sirius to Harry, "and just as well, isn't it, if the first thing you're going to do on your weekend off is organise an illegal defence group." He then grinned at Celestia, "No worries, Dung didn't look when you pulled our dear Harry behind the olk tree"
Sirius looked neither angry nor worried. On the contrary, he was looking at Harry with distinct pride.
"Why was Dung hiding from us?" asked Ron, sounding disappointed. "We'd've liked to've seen him."
Sirius told them that mundungus had been banned from the pub, and the lose of their spare invisibility cloak. He later proceeded to deliver a message from Mrs Weasley, warning against joining an illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts group. Despite this, Sirius supports the idea, advocating for learning self-defense. Hermione worries about expulsion, but Sirius encourages them to prioritize learning over safety. They discuss meeting locations, ultimately deciding against the Shrieking Shack due to space constraints. Sirius suggests a secret passageway for practice instead. Harry explained it has been blocked.
Amidst the conversation, He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.
"Sirius?" said Harry anxiously.
But he had vanished.
Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at Ron, Hermione and Celestia.
Celestia's heart pounded in her chest as adrenaline surged through her veins. With a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation, she sprang to her feet in a single fluid motion, her mind racing with one singular thought: escape.
"Run!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing with a fierce intensity as she seized Harry by the back of his collar. His senses still reeling from the sudden turn of events, Harry stumbled momentarily before finding his footing, his eyes wide with alarm as Celestia dragged him behind her to what she guessed as gryffindor boys dormitory.
"Why did he -?" Weasley began.
Hermione gave a horrified gasp and leapt to her feet, still staring at the fire.
Over their shoulder, Harry and celestia saw a hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as though to catch hold of something; a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings. The four of them ran for it.
At the door of the boys' dormitory Celestia looked back. Umbridge's hand was still making snatching movements amongst the flames, as though she knew exactly where Sirius's hair had been moments before and was determined to seize it.
As the door shut behind them, Celestia noticed Hermione wasn't with them, she probably left for the girls dormitory. For a moment, they stood there, chests heaving as they caught their breath, the tension of their flight still lingering in the air like a palpable presence. But as the adrenaline began to ebb away, Celestia's mind raced with questions, her thoughts spinning like a whirlwind of uncertainty.
"It was umbridge" Celestia told Harry.
"How do you know?" Ron Weasley asked accusingly, "how does she know Harry?"
Celestia stared at Weasley coldly, Harry sensing the danger, turned to Celestia "you should leave, go back to the Slytherin common room before Umbridge suspects you"
Celestia nodded nervously as Harry went to his trunk and pulled out his invisibility cloak, "take this" he said. "Be safe"
|||
The Charms lesson provided the perfect backdrop for a private conversation, with its bustling atmosphere and constant activity minimizing the risk of being overheard. Amidst the cacophony of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, accompanied by the relentless downpour of rain against the classroom windows, Celestia saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione engaged in a hushed discussion.
Celestia picked her bullfrog and slowly made her way towards the Gryffindors, thankful for the perfect opportunity. As she approached, the trio stopped their whispered conversation. "Celestia?" Harry asked.
"I have a theory" Celestia said under breath, pointing her wand at the bullfrog as though she hadn't noticed her surroundings. "I think Umbridge has been reading your mail"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed in a whisper, coming to her side as she said "SILENCIO" her wand pointed at her Raven.
"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" Harry said, outraged.
"Your owl was attacked?"
"Yeah," says Hermione, watching Harry's frog trying to escape. "She broke her wing"
Celestia went silent, her wand pointed at her bullfrog as she murmurs "SILENCIO" the bullfrog's month freezed.
"It confirmed my theory" Celestia said finally, Ron Weasley rolled his eyes. Celestia ignored the red-head and the sudden urge to throw insult at him, "see Umbridge is trying to read your mail, Harry, that's why she tipped off Filch"
"Watch your frog, Harry " said Hermione "it's escaping"
Harry pointed his wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully towards the other side of the table - "Accio!" - and it zoomed gloomily back into his hand.
"I've had my suspicions ever since Filch accused you of ordering Dungbombs, in owlery" Celestia whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the surrounding noise. "I first thought it may be Draco but when I asked him he said he had no idea about it, It just seemed like such a ridiculous accusation. I mean think about it, once your letter was opened, it would have been obvious that you weren't the one ordering them. So, why would anyone bother with such a feeble attempt at a joke? But then I started thinking, what if someone just wanted an excuse to read your mail? That's when it hit me yesterday when I was walking back to dungeons- it would be the perfect opportunity for Umbridge to snoop around. She could have tipped off Filch, let him handle the dirty work of confiscating the letter, and then either find a way to swipe it from him or demand to see it herself. And let's be honest, Filch isn't exactly known for defending students' rights, is he?"
"Oh, and Harry, you're squashing your frog." Said Hermione, "and what is this about owlery?"
Harry looked down; he was indeed squeezing his bullfrog so tightly its eyes were popping; he replaced it hastily upon the desk as he started explaining the incident to his friends, leaving out the part where Celestia did him in.
Hermione hummed, "Celestia is right, I am almost certain it's Umbridge" she said, "It was a very, very close call last night, I just wonder if Umbridge knows how close it was. Silencio."
"See, I'll suggest you tell him to stay away from Hogwarts as far as possible, tell him to go in hiding, do not let him take a step in London" Celestia said urgently, Weasley sniggered. "I've been talking with my father, he says they have their eyes out for Black"
Before anyone else can say anything, Celestia quickly slipped through the gryffindor students, going back to slytherins as Draco who had just finished with the silencing charm.
By the end of the class, Harry and Weasley had been given additional homework on silencing charm.
The students were allowed to remain inside the castle as it was pouring outside. The dungeons was deserted, save for Celestia Malfoy, who sat alone at one of the desks, her thoughts swirling like a tempest in her mind. The dim torchlight cast flickering shadows across the stone walls, creating an eerie ambiance that matched the turmoil within her soul.
As she sat there in solitude, Celestia couldn't help but feel the weight of the secrets she carried. Her clandestine relationship with Harry Potter, the boy who stood in direct opposition to everything her family believed in, she believed in, weighed heavily on her conscience. She had never imagined herself falling for someone like Harry, a Gryffindor who championed causes she had been taught to oppose.
But love knows no bounds, and Celestia found herself drawn to Harry in ways she couldn't explain.
Celestia knew it all started when Harry rescued her from the Ravenclaw whose name she couldn't remember, ever since that day, Celestia felt their connection ran deep, forged through shared experiences and whispered confidences in the dead of night. Despite the risks and the potential consequences, she couldn't bear the thought of ending their relationship.
Her heart ached at the memory of her best friend's disapproval, the hurt in her eyes as she walked away, unable to understand or accept her choices. Celestia had tried to explain, to make them see that love knew no house boundaries, but their words fell on deaf ears. The rift between them had grown wider with each passing day, leaving Celestia feeling isolated and alone, Celestia was thankful she still has Draco with her.
And then there was Sirius Black, the infamous fugitive whom Celestia had met through the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Their encounter had left her reeling, torn between loyalty to her family and the undeniable truth she saw in Sirius's eyes. She felt like a blood-traitor, betraying everything her family stood for by consorting with a known enemy of the Dark Lord.
But it wasn't just her relationship with Harry or her encounter with Sirius that weighed on Celestia's mind. She had recently joined the secret Defense group, a decision that had sparked internal conflict within her. On one hand, she believed in her father's faith and the Malfoy family motto of "blood purity" and unwavering loyalty to the Dark Lord. On the other hand, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that blind allegiance to a cause wasn't always justified.
As she sat alone in the dungeon classroom, Celestia grappled with doubt and uncertainty, torn between loyalty to her family and her own convictions. She wondered if she was betraying everything she had ever known by questioning her beliefs and her choices. But deep down, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that perhaps there was more to life than blind obedience and unwavering loyalty.
Celestia remembered Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's and her's mother telling them about Andromeda, their material aunt who had married a muggleborn, thus got banished from the family. The thought of being banished made her want to kill herself.
In the quiet solitude of the dungeon, Celestia searched her soul for answers, longing for clarity amidst the chaos of conflicting emotions. She knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges and sacrifices, but she also knew that she couldn't turn her back on what she believed to be right, no matter the cost. And so, with a heavy heart and a determined spirit, she resolved to follow her own path, wherever it may lead.