The next morning in the Great Hall, Hera sat with her usual tea and a book in her hands. Not paying much heed to the whispering around her, many younger Syltherins strayed as far away from her as possible because of her mother's well known Death Eater status and it was also announced that Dementors would be patrolling the Hogwarts grounds, in search of her murderous cousin, Sirius Black. The extra weight of the news of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban put pressure on her, as it seemed as though everyone besides her social group thought she was the Black plague, avoiding her.
Sirius Black was almost a name of taboo in the Malfoy household. There would be times when Lucius was in his study, would she hear him talk about him. Refering to him as a 'bloody blood-traitor'. It confused her greatly, as he was known for assisting in the murders of his own best friend James Potter and his wife, Lily Potter, and killed his other friend, Petter Pettigrew, leaving nothing but a finger. Why would he be still considered a blood traitor? He did great deeds for the Dark Lord, it was all so confusing for her to process.
With her book open and her tea growing cold, Hera just looked at the words in deep thought. She had heard about the dementor attack on the train, where Harry Potter was targeted, and if it weren't for Professor Lupin, he would have been done for. The new Defence against the Dark Arts professor was evidently a new face amongst the faculty's table. Having a cup of coffee and dressed comfortably in his brown sweater and black dress robes. He was totally different compared to Lockhart's flamboyant style and nature.
Hearing shuffling close to her, Hera looked up to see a first year boy with shaggy red hair and piercing green eyes sit across from her. The red hair immediately made her scoff inwardly, but his blue tie, and the emblem on his school robes obviously signalled that he was not one of the boisterous Weasleys. Intrigued, Hera's eyebrow rose up in question as he set his plate on the table and began to eat without greeting her.
It was unusual for anyone outside her social circle to approach her, let alone, have their breakfast across from her. She closed her book, and leaned forward, tapping the space in front of the first year, making him look up to the older student. "Hello, there." Hera's amused brown eyes watched the young Ravenclaw. "I think you must be at the wrong table."
Surprisingly, the boy didn't look phased as he offered her a familiar pokerface that she was used to giving others. Forking a piece of bacon into his mouth, he chewed before swallowing, "Is this the Slytherin table?"
Hera's eyebrows narrowed, as she sat back properly in her seat. "Yes, but-" "Then I am in the right place."
A wide-toothed grin spread onto his round chubby cheeks, before he continued eating his breakfast. Hera felt confused, not used to having company so early in the morning, and not even with her own companions. She took her now-cold tea, and took a sip of it, her dark eyes not straying away from the young boy that sat in front of her.
As he finished his last bite of bacon, he took a sip of his orange juice, and finally looked at Hera, ready to make conversation. "Are you Cassiopeia? Cassiopeia-Hera Lestrange?"
With a quirked eyebrow, Hera looked at the boy. "Why are you asking if you are already sitting in front of me? You've already made your assumption, boy."
"So you're the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange? That crazy death eater that tortured Neville Longbottom's parents and stuff?" He continued, leaning forward in curiosity, completely ignoring the uncomfortable look on the Slytherin girl's face. "If so, that would mean you're related to Sirius Black, right?"
Hera bit her tongue, clenching her fists tightly under the table as if it would make the pesky Ravenclaw to go away. "What is it to you?" She kept her face calm. "My relations-"
She was cut off by the red head, "Oh, nothing. You see, my father works for the Daily Prophet and he's doing another story on Sirius Black, and I'm helping him get some more, insider information."
"I was just a baby when he was arrested-" "Well surely you must have heard more about him through the Malfoys?"
Hera grit her teeth and slammed her fist on the table to get the boy to shut up, a murderous glint shone in her brown eyes as she narrowed them on the Ravenclaw boy. The Great Hall hushed, all eyes turned to Hera and the boy before her. "Can you just shut your bloody mouth for one second? I'm telling you that I don't know about Sirius Black's whereabouts or his bloody escape, stop relating me to my bloody mother and can you please find some other willing source for information." She burst out at him, not paying attention to the attentive eyes around her.
The boy was taken aback from the outburst, but quickly laughed off his nervousness at Hera's anger. Meekly he responded, "Well for one thing, you truly look like your mother when you're angry."
Ready to pounce on the Ravenclaw boy, Hera was stopped by a strong hand grabbing her arm. She looked to her side, seeing the familiar hooked nose and long greasy hair of the head of her house. "Miss Lestrange, your schedule." He spoke in his usual monotone voice as he handed Hera her class schedule.
She gave one last glare to the Ravenclaw boy before grabbing her schedule and her book, and storming off to her next class.
♧
Since it was the week of the school year, most of her classes were uneventful and consisted of going over the syllabus for the year. Unlike Draco and Elena's Care of Magical creatures period, where Hagrid had taken over the class as their official Professor. He had introduced hippogriffs to the third years, and well...Hera felt regretful that she didn't choose that elective. Apparently, the hippogriff had attacked Draco, so she had to rush to the Hospital Wing during her Arithmancy class to check up on Draco.
When she arrived at the hospital wing, there was barely a scratch on Draco's arm, making Hera roll her eyes at her cousin's dramatics. She missed twenty whole minutes of her first Arithmancy lesson of the school year, and she barely knew anyone in her house that would be able to help her out, or fill her in on the lesson.
Later in the week, Hera found herself walking to Defense against the Dark Arts, and Elena decided that she wanted to arrive early for their new professor's class. It was clear that Elena wanted to be teacher's pet before Hermione could arrive and snatch away the title from her. The academic competition between the two were so intense, so much so that whenever the two were in a face-off in class, she'd hide behind her books so she wouldn't be dragged into the battle.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Hera entered the class with Elena leading her. The desks were cleared out of the way and a large wardrobe stood front and center of the classroom. By his desk, Professor Remus Lupin stood with a book in his hand, twirling his wand in-between his fingers as he read. As soon as he heard the girls' footsteps, his head looked up and a small timid smile played on his lips.
His eyes slightly narrowed as he took in the appearance of the two girls. Something familiar of the taller, European girl stood out to him. A sense of familiarity filled his head, but he could not place where he had seen the young girl before.
"Goodmorning, I see you two are quite early. Eager to meet the new DADA teacher?" He jested, a light chuckle came from his mouth, an easy going aura filled the room. "I'm Professor Lupin, what are your names?"
Hera appreciated Lupin's effort to communicate with his class, seemingly a very respectful man, it made Hera wonder how did he get the scars that he had all over his face. "My name is Elena Huang," Elena introduced herself proudly, proud of the last name she carried.
Hera was still occupied, taking in the appearance of the professor, not fully conscious at that moment. Sensing Hera's silence, Elena opened her mouth to introduce her friend but was interrupted by the Slytherin girl. "Cassiopeia-Hera Lestrange the second."
Hera was slow with her words, watching an emotion of realization wash over the Professor's face. Remus finally put the two and two together, as he stared at the thirteen-year-old longer. Because of Hera's now-straight hair and her brown eyes that she inherited from her father, Remus couldn't immediately place who she was.
Fortunately, the rest of his third-year class arrived, dissolving the awkward silence and tension that had fallen among the three. Remus excused himself to start the lesson as Draco made his way over to the girls, a look of suspicion was etched on his face as he looked at the retreating back of the Professor. "Did he say anything to you?"
It was clear on Hera's face that she felt awkward during the encounter with her Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, so it was no questioning as to why Draco asked such a question. Hera shook her head no, and looked to the front of the class where Professor Lupin had called for their attention.
She watched as Professor Lupin introduced himself to the class, before directing the pupils' attention to the large wardrobe in front. "Intriguing, isn't it?" The wardrobe jumped, making the whole class moving back slightly from fear. "Would anyone like to guess as to what is inside?"
"That's a boggart, that is." Dean Thomas piped up from the front of the class, as Professor Lupin walked towards the wardrobe. Elena's cheeks reddened slightly and coughed to hide her burning cheeks, looking to the closet. Hera's eyes lingered on Elena suspiciously, but chose to ignore it.
"Very good, Mr Thomas. Now, can anyone tell me what a boggart looks like?"
A voice piped up from the side of the class, everyone turning their gaze to look at the person. Hermione Granger stood next to a very surprised Ron Weasley, who seemed to not have noticed her prescence until she spoke up. "No one knows, boggarts are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so-"
"So terrifying, yes." The professor cut her off. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Without your wands, repeat after me. Riddikulus."
A murmur of the word rippled through classroom chamber. Not looking satisfied enough, the professor hummed. "A little louder, riddikulus."
After another try, he looked satisfied before he continued on with his lesson. "See, the encantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a boggart, is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you truly amusing." Sensing the confusion amongst the third years, he called Neville to the front of the class to stand with him. "Neville, what frightens you most?"
He mumbled inaudibly making Hera stand on the tip of her toes to see him in front, as if it would better her hearing. Professor Lupin leaned forward to hear him better, "What was that, Neville?"
"P-Professor Snape." He stuttered, looking ashamed and nervous in front. It was no questioning that Neville was often bullied by Snape, but never did Hera ever think that it would reach the extent for the shy Gryffindor to have him as his worst fear. A feeling of shame grew in her chest.
"And I believe you live with your grandmother." "Yes, and I-I don't want it to turn into her either." A couple giggles erupted from around the class.
Reassuringly, the professor comforted Neville by promising him that it won't turn into his grandmother. "I want you to picture her clothes, and only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Now, I open that wardrobe, this is what I want you to do," He bent down and whispered into his ear.
With a nod of his head, Neville turned to the wardrobe, his wand out as Professor Lupin waved his wand, opening the wardrobe. Slowly, Professor Snape - or what looked to be like Professor Snape, emerged from the closet. Uttering the encantation, Neville pointed his wand at the boggart and immediately, Professor Snape was dressed in the most hideous of outfits.
Laughter spread amongst the whole classroom as Professor Lupin called for them to stand in a line so that they'd each have their turn. Elena dragged Hera towards the front of the line, so that they'd have their turn as soon as possible. The laughter was constant during the lesson, as many forms of the boggart had turned into something very riddikulus.
When it came to Hera's turn, the class was still recovering from the previous transformation of the boggart, when the boggart had turned into the young Slytherin girl. Confusion washed over her, as she looked at herself then at Professor Lupin, who looked just as confused as her. The class had quietened down, so that they could make sense of what was happening.
Hera's identical twin stood parallel to her, a sly smirk etched onto her face, before it's face slowly started morphing into something completely different. Her height grew, and her straightened hair became curly, a maniacal smile had replaced the smirk on it's red painted lips.
Before her very eyes, Hera watched as the boggart had transformed from her and morphed into her Death Eater mother, Bellatrix Lestrange. A feeling of anxiety spread in her chest, sweat forming on her temples. A chilling cackle came from her mother's lips, and Professor Lupin moved forward to handle the situation, but Hera stopped him by whipping out her wand and pointing it at the boggart.
"Riddikulus!" And from her mother, the boggart turned into a baboon in a pink ballerina's tutu. Eruptions of laughter filled the chamber again, but Hera didn't laugh.
Not after that sudden realisation.