CHAPTER ONE:
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT
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September first was both a blessing and a curse.
The beginning of another Hogwarts school year meant that Nova could get away from the evil surrounding her home. Living everyday with Theo was like watching a clock tick, and she wasn't sure how much time she had left. At least at Hogwarts, Theo would be safe from their father and Lucius Malfoy.
Hogwarts also meant that Nova had to deal with Hogwarts students.
While there were a few students Nova could stand - mostly Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy - there was a flood of students she hated. Over her years at Hogwarts, she had grown the reputation of the cold and calculated Slytherin. She and her brother were notorious for the emotionless stares and icy quips they handed out during the school year. Another Hogwarts year, another year of watching students trip all over themselves trying to prove themselves worthy.
"They aren't pure-bloods," her father sneered her second year at Hogwarts as he dropped her off at the train. "They're imbeciles. Look at them, floating around like children. You won't ever be that unfortunate, Konstantinova. I'll make sure of it."
She had the same mindset three years later as she stood next to her brother at King's Cross, already shadowed within the magical barrier of the Platform.
"There's more Muggles each year," Theodore sneered, referring to the bumbling idiots that had stumbled around the station before the twins had run through the Platform wall. Nova silently agreed, her lower lip curling down in disgust as a first year rushed past her, running and laughing with friends.
"Malfoy's saved us a spot on the train," Nova said, gesturing to the bright red Hogwarts Express. He had written her the night before to let her know that he'd most likely be there before the twins. Theodore gave her a look.
"Been writing Malfoy a lot this summer, have you?"
Nova gave him a stoic look. Theodore was grinning, shrugging his shoulder as she pushed through a group of people saying goodbye to their families. He caught up to her easily.
"I'm just saying, Father would be pleased if you dated Draco," Theodore continued as they climbed aboard the train. There were conversations and laughter coming from a thousand different compartments, making Nova's frown deepen. "It's a very respectable pairing."
"I'm not a Potions experiment," Nova replied, whirling around to glare at her brother. "I don't want to be respectably paired with someone. Malfoy and I tried the dating thing last year. It didn't work."
She stormed away from him, stomping up and down the Hogwarts Express until she finally found the compartment Blaise Zabini was sitting in. Nova raised a brow as Blaise gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Malfoy's not here?"
"He's been made a prefect. He's sitting with the others," Blaise replied, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Should be back in an hour or so."
Nova nodded and sat across from Blaise, crossing her arms over her chest as she brought her legs up to rest next to Blaise on the other seat. He didn't seem to mind. He and Theodore swapped pleasantries before it grew silent in the compartment. Nova briefly wondered where Crabbe and Goyle had run off to, but she figured they were waiting for Malfoy outside of his compartment.
The hour passed in relative silence. Occasionally, Blaise and Theo would talk about something Quidditch, since they both loved the sport and hadn't gotten to see any games last year, due to the Tournament. Nova couldn't care less about the sport, but she went to the occasional game because Malfoy played and always loved when someone was around to watch him win.
After Nova had seen a Hufflepuff girl with a prefect badge watch by, she figured the meeting was done. She stood, smoothing out her skirt and leaving the compartment to Blaise and her brother. Walking through the train, she spotted Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. He was in the middle of opening a compartment door, sneering at whoever was inside.
Nova assumed it was Harry bloody Potter.
Nova had heard enough about Harry Potter in her life to write a book about him. Whether it was from her father, who hated the boy with a passion in fierce loyalty to the Dark Lord, or from Malfoy, who had made it his life goal to try and make sure Potter knew how much he was hated, she knew the name well. When she finally made it to Malfoy's side, she saw her suspicions were correct.
"Nova," Malfoy said happily, giving her a smirk as he looked back at Harry Potter. The rest of his crew was sitting in the compartment with him, and Nova spotted the bright red hair of the Weasley first. "Did you hear? I, unlike Potter, have been made a prefect."
"Fascinating," Nova deadpanned.
"That means that I, unlike you," Malfoy said, sneering towards Potter, "have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah," Potter replied, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."
Nova might have laughed if she didn't Potter so extremely annoying. Instead, Potter's friends laughed. Nova could see the anger flash in Malfoy's eyes and saw his lip curl.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?"
"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione Granger snapped. Malfoy chuckled.
"I seem to have touched a nerve. Well, just watch yourself Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."
"Get out!" Granger demanded, standing up.
Nova blinked and scowled at the group in the compartment as Malfoy laughed. "C'mon, Malfoy," she spoke, and her voice was so steely that Granger blanched. Nova felt a flare of triumph. "Theo's waiting in a compartment."
Malfoy nodded, shoving past Crabbe as he walked on to where Theo and Blaise were still chatting. The two Slytherin boys followed closely behind, but Nova stood planted where she was, eyes locked on the group in front of her. Neville Longbottom shivered.
"What're you looking at, Nott?" Ron Weasley sneered at her.
Her eyes flickered to him. While she wasn't familiar with the Weasley family, her father had always snorted at the thought of them. "They hardly count at pure-bloods, Konstantinova. They associate themselves with Muggles. Can you believe it, Konstantinova? The Dark Lord would be so displeased."
He had the signature red hair. Though his robes looked new, she couldn't be sure. He was the only one in the compartment that seemed to be looking at her in the eyes. When the Basilisk had attacked the school in her second year, rumors had spread that she was the heir of Slytherin, simply because of her icy nature.
Ron Weasley's friends were smart enough to remember that. Their heads were focused downwards, eyes locked on the ground.
Her lips twitched. "Nothing," she replied, eyes wandering down his robes and back up to his face in a gesture she knew was incredibly judgemental. "Nothing at all."
Whirling around, she followed the trail of crumbs Crabbe and Goyle had left on the ground. She found the compartment easily enough, plopping down on the seat next to Malfoy.
"Potter's a joke," Malfoy snarled, adjusting the tie around his neck. "His group of stupid friends, too."
Nova rolled her eyes. She didn't care enough about Harry Potter to listen to Malfoy complain about him the rest of the ride.
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"Get off, you clingy git. I'm not going anywhere on this carriage without Nova."
Goyle looked mildly offended as Theo nearly pushed him off the carriage. Nova was looking at her nails, examining the buds as Theo gave Goyle a shove. "I was here first, Nott! You can't force me off!"
"I'll find somewhere else, Theo," Nova mentioned in a bored tone. Goyle sent her a look of thanks before Theo's hand connected with his side, a whoosh of air soaring into Nova's face when Goyle panted.
"We always sit together," Theodore argued. Nova sent him an icy glare.
"I guess this is the year that things change."
The look on Theo's face resembled that of someone who had gotten the breath knocked out of them. Nova twisted on her feet, walking towards the carriages further on down the line. Just as one carriage door was closing, she whipped her hand out and caught it before it could slam shut. With all the strength she could muster, she heaved it open.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ron Weasley asked sharply when she climbed in, shutting the door behind her.
"Don't take it as a personal attack, Weasley," Nova grumbled out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. "There's no where else to sit and I don't fancy walking to the castle, thank you."
"Konstantinova Nott," a vacant looking blonde spoke. Nova sent her a glare, but the girl with the Ravenclaw robes didn't even flinch. "I was just telling Harry here that I could see the creatures pulling the carriages. You can see them as well, can't you?"
Nova narrowed her eyes, choosing not to respond.
It was silent in the carriage for a short while before the youngest Weasley began to speak. "Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" A few nods. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?"
Nova didn't particularly like Hagrid, but she didn't particularly like any of her professors. Even Snape, who seemed to be fine with her.
"I'll be quite glad if he has," the airy blonde from earlier mentioned. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"
"Yes, he is!" Three in the carriage shouted.
Nova tuned them out. Their childish arguments weren't of concern to her. She stared out the window, watching the fleshless horses pull the carriages forwards. She vaguely wondered what the Ravenclaw had meant when she had said Nova could see them. She and Theo had always seen them pulling the carriages. Could no one else?
Thoughts of Theo brought on thoughts of the summer. While earlier in the July month both Nott children had been excluded from Death Eater meetings between their father and Lucius Malfoy, Theodore had been asked to stay for the last three. She had been forced to wait alone in her room, staring at the walls and wondering how much time she had left until her brother was one of them.
He always claimed he would protect her. But who would protect him when he had the Dark Mark labeled on his skin? Not only Death Eaters and Voldemort would be after him, but Aurors too. Who would fight for him?
She would, she vowed. She would always fight for him. No matter what the consequences.
They were all each other had left.
Three in the carriage seemed perfectly content with ignoring her, but the blonde continued to look at her oddly, as if something was off. Nova shot her another glare, but she received a not-all-there smile in response.
Nova was thrown forward when the carriage came to an abrupt halt, flinging her towards the Weasley boy sitting across from her. Her hands reached out to catch on something, landing on his knees too keep her from falling over. His mouth gaped in shock as his eyes darted down to his legs, then back up to her face.
"Close your mouth, Weasley. You'll catch pixies," Nova said with an eye-roll, leaning forwards even more to open the door of the carriage before she slid out, relieved to be stretched out to her full height. Without saying goodbye to any of her companions in the carriage, she walked forwards towards where Theo was waiting
The second she reached him, he held his arm out. She accepted it, sliding her own through his as they trekked up to the Great Hall. Malfoy was blathering on about something in front of them, Crabbe and Goyle hanging on to every word he spoke. Pansy Parkinson was staring at him like he was the inventor of butterbeer.
"We're okay, right?" Theo whispered to Nova once he was sure no one was listening.
"I don't know, Theo. Are we?"
"I can handle it if Father's angry with me," Theo replied softly as they made their way to the Slytherin table. All around her students were celebrating the first day back at Hogwarts, but Nova just wanted to be in her bed, sleeping. "But I can't handle it if you are."
"We'll talk about it later, Theo. I'm tired and I'm hungry and I don't want to be in a bad mood," Nova argued, taking her seat at the table. She was in between her twin and Parkinson, who was all too happy to ignore her existence. Nova preferred it that way.
Theo gave a tired smile. "You're always in a bad mood."
Nova tried to stop the corners of her lips from turning up, but she wasn't sure she could hide it entirely.
Nova's eyes flickered up to the professor's table, taking in the woman that she assumed was taking Hagrid's place, as well as a short woman who was wearing a dreadful amount of pink. Since she recognized the other teachers, she figured this woman was the new Defense teacher. Theo followed her gaze and wrinkled his nose.
Before the two of them could comment on it, the doors swung open and the first years littered inside, surrounding the Sorting Hat. Nova hated this part, the cheerful song that always made her want to cover her ears. However, when the Hat started to sing, it became clear that it wasn't the normal description of the four houses.
As each word of warning left the Sorting Hat's mouth, Nova felt the sinking feeling of failure crash over her. Her eyes were locked on Theo while he stared at the Sorting Hat, her mind racing.
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
Let the Sorting now begin.
Theo was silent, his hand clenching into a fist. Deadly foes. Foes like Theo. Nova wanted to reach out, to take her brother into her arms and promise that she'd protect him until her heart stopped beating. Her hand slowly reached forward and touched the corner of his knuckle, reassuring him that she was there.
He didn't look back at her, but his fist loosened just slightly.
The Sorting was somewhat grim after the Sorting Hat's morbid song, but Theo still clapped when first years were sorted into Slytherin. Nova sat still, eyes narrowed on the professor's table. Dumbledore stood, making his way in front of the table to greet the new students.
"To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Food flooded the table, and from the corner of her eyes she saw Crabbe and Goyle lunge for it. Parkinson was asking Malfoy what he wanted on his plate and grabbing it for him like she was a servant. Nova's nose crinkled in distaste.
"Eat, Nova," Theodore told her quietly. "We'll deal with it later, remember? For now, just let yourself feel happy for once." At the look she gave him, he let a grin spread across his face. "Happy for you, at least. I don't think I've ever seen you smile properly."
That wasn't true. There was a time, before Hogwarts and before Death Eater business, when it had been the four of them. Her father had still been wary of pure-bloods, but it didn't matter because he stayed home. Theodore and Nova would play with their brooms in their backyard, mock up games of Quidditch keeping them entertained while their mother watched from the living room window. Nova never remembered feeling as happy as she did then, scoring against her brother while their father laughed and said how great of a Keeper Nova would be.
That was before Voldemort. Before she had something to lose.
She wondered if that was why she hated Harry Potter so much. When he was an infant and had defeated Voldemort the first time, things had been quiet. Her father could relax without the pressure of being a follower. Her brother wasn't in danger. Her mother was alive. When Potter had turned eleven and reclaimed his place in the wizarding world, everything had gone sour.
If her brother fell into danger because of Harry Potter, she would never forgive the black-haired Gryffindor.
"Aren't you going to eat, Nova?" Malfoy asked, tearing into a turkey leg. Parkinson looked less than happy that he was addressing his ex-girlfriend, even though she had no reason to worry. They were better as friends. Or in Nova's case, someone who didn't get on her nerves constantly. "Though, I don't blame you. I heard you shared a carriage with Potter. I'd have lost my appetite as well."
To prove a point, Nova rolled her eyes and ripped a piece off of a roll to pop it into her mouth. Malfoy gave a satisfied nod before Parkinson demanded his attention once more.
Thoughts of the carriages brought back the weird Ravenclaw's statement. "Theo," Nova mentioned, tugging on the sleeve of his robe. "You see the creatures that pull the carriages, right?"
Theodore nodded. "Why?"
Nova ignored the question, turning to Blaise. "Zabini, do you see the creatures that pull the carriages?"
Before Blaize could answer, Crabbe let out a laugh. "You've gone mad, Nott. There's nothing pulling those carriages."
"Watch who you're talking to," Theo snapped as Nova sent an icy glare. It was cold and steely enough to make Crabbe shudder.
At least it answered her question. Blaise shook his head in response and Nova looked towards Theo. The Ravenclaw and Potter could see them now. What did it mean? Theo noticed the distressed look that crossed her features.
"We'll figure it out, yeah? We always do."
The feast slowly dwindled, students finishing up their dinner and leaning back with happy looking faces. Dumbledore reclaimed his place in front of the professor's table, giving his normal speech of how the Forbidden Forest was indeed forbidden, and the changes in staffing. Malfoy straightened up when he started talking about tryouts for the Quidditch teams when suddenly:
"Hem hem."
The toad-like woman covered head to toe in pink had stood in the middle of Dumbledore's speech. Though Nova had never particularly cared much about Dumbledore's speeches, her eyes still widened when this new woman had the audacity to interrupt it. Dumbledore looked surprised for only a moment before he sat back down, nodding towards the woman.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. It is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say. And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
"Is she being serious?" Blaise asked briefly, leaning towards Nova to whisper. "Does she think the lot of us are five?"
Nova didn't respond, but her upper lip curled in disgust. Friends with a professor? Was this woman insane? She cleared her throat with another annoying hem hem before she said the words Nova wished she never had to hear again.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered..."
Ministry of Magic.
The same Ministry of Magic that was stupid enough to believe Voldemort wasn't back. The same Ministry of Magic that would eventually catch on. The same Ministry of Magic that would arrest Death Eaters.
They were interfering at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts, where Theo was supposed to be safe. He was supposed to be a normal student, someone who failed Potions instead of failing to Avada someone. He was supposed to grow up and get a job and fall in love. If the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts, it meant that Theo had less of a chance to live the life she'd always wanted for him.
She hated Professor Umbridge.
She glared throughout the entire speech, contradicting the "happy little faces" comment. No one else seemed all too pleased, either. When Dumbledore dismissed them, Nova quickly stood and stalked out of the Great Hall, ignoring Theo's voice calling out her name. She stalked through the corridors and halls, desperately trying to put some distance between she and her twin.
"Nova!" Theo finally got a hold of her wrist, latching on. "Nova, what's wrong? What did I do?"
Nova turned so fast that her hair whipped her brother in the face. "She's part of the Ministry, Theo. The Ministry of Magic. They hold court hearings for guilty Death Eaters. She's going to be here everyday, teaching us and keeping her eyes on us and reporting everything back to the Ministry. You think that will exclude you?"
"I'll be careful, keep your voice down."
"You don't know if you'll be careful, Theo. What if Father wants you to do something? What then? You'll go and do it like the loyal little servant you are and then get caught."
"I'm not a servant, Nova," Theo said, and his voice was as dark as his glare. "And I won't get caught."
"What will I have then?" Nova snapped, the glare on her face cold enough to freeze him over. "What will I have when you aren't around because you've stupidly decided to follow him?"
Two things happened in that moment. Firstly, Theo grabbed her shoulders to shake some sense into her, screaming something about how it wasn't his choice. Secondly, two prefects turned the corner to the corridor, rushing over when they heard the screams of Nova's twin.
Two prefects that happened to be Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
"Let go of her, can't you see you're hurting her?" Granger demanded, whipping out her wand and casting a spell that forced Theo back at least five feet.
"Stay out of this, mudblood," Theo responded, snarling.
Nova's eyes widened. Though she had grown up with her family, listening to them complain about muggleborns for all her life, she'd never heard Theo use that word. It was one more thing pulling him towards the Deatheaters and away from her.
"Fifty points from Slytherin," Ron Weasley snarled. "And watch your mouth, Nott."
"I can say whatever I bloody well like, you wan-"
"Theo," Nova said sternly, cutting off his response. Theo looked back at her, noticing the scowl on her face. When he caught sight of the red marks on her shoulders from his hands, his face dropped. "Stop this nonsense. You're acting like a child."
"Nova-"
"Go find Blaise, and calm down." Hermione and Ron were silent, eyes flickering back and forth between the two siblings as Theo's shoulders dropped. "And let me calm down. We'll discuss this in the morning."
"But Nova-"
"Go, Theodore."
His face went blank when she called him by his full name. Never before had he heard it from her. He turned on his feet and walked in the opposite direction, his stomps loud in the quiet hall. Nova reached up to rub her shoulder, where his fingers had dug into her skin.
She just wanted the day to be over.
"Are you alright?" Granger asked hesitantly, her voice slightly cool. Nova figured it was justified, as her brother had just called her the lowest of insults. "I can accompany you to the Hospital Wing, if you'd like. Or I can get a Slytherin prefect, if you'd prefer."
"I'm fine," Nova answered.
"Next time, Nott," Weasley said in a hard voice, "try and keep your family arguments out of the halls."
She didn't bother to reply. Without a thanks, she gave a withering look before moving to follow in the direction Theo had gone, only allowing her lips to tremble when she was sure Granger and Weasley couldn't see her.
"Bloody mental, that family," she heard him whisper to Granger when Nova turned the corner.
For once, she let the insult go. Weasley wasn't exactly wrong.
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amanda's excited bc rova so.