The return trip had Regina thinking of her Grandfather's words on that first day. She was loading the train when Hermione Granger, Ginevra Weasley, and Neville Longbottom approached her. "Could you give us a minute of your time?" Neville asked her, showing quite a bit of nerves. Regina steeled herself to be friendly.
"How may I help you?" she asked.
"We wanted to speak to you about a few things on the train," Hermione said, since Neville stuttered his way to speak. Regina nodded.
"Come find us in Compartment twelve, an hour in," Ginny said. Regina nodded again, then removed herself from the Gryffindor threesome as quickly as possible.
She was barely relaxed in her compartment, eating a chocolate frog when the compartment door opened, and Theodore Nott stepped in smartly. "Miss Fawley –" he said with a nod.
Regina smiled – a little more comfortable with the Slytherin than the Gryffindors. "Mr. Nott," she replied in turn.
"Oh," please call me, "Theo," he said. Regina replied. "And you can call me, Regina. Would you like to sit with us?"
The girls were in a little shock as the 6th Year Slytherin boy came in to sit by Regina. He joined in the conversation for quite a while. Regina felt much more comfortable with him at this point, but as time grew closer to her appointment with Neville, she grumbled – almost unlady like.
"Is something wrong?" Theo asked her.
"Alas," she said with a sigh. "My grandfather wants me to play nice with Longbottom."
At this, Theo's face turned red and his eyes narrowed, and his lips crashed together. She gently touched his hand.
"Don't worry," she looked him in the eyes, "Where can I find you when I am finished with the Gryffindorks?"
Theo relaxed, slightly. "I will be in Compartment eight." With that Theo got up, kissed her hand and walked out.
Gale whistled once he was gone. "Kind of young for that attention, aren't you?"
Regina nodded. "I think I have been doing too well in school for my own good." Then, she stood up. "I am supposed to meet with Longbottom next. I'll be back when I can."
Azure stood up, "I will walk with you," she said. "I want to check on my brother." The two friends walked arm-in-arm from their lowly cabin all the way to twelve. Azure made sure the three inside saw her pat Regina's hand and then Regina walked smartly in.
Regina slowly made her way inside, trunks and luggage strewn all over the cabin, just as it was when Harry Potter had traveled with these three in the past. She wondered about Ron Weasley, but then she guessed that he was with Lavender Brown – that was the rumor regarding him. Ginny and Hermione were elbowing Neville hard who finally stood up and offered Regina his arm.
"Would you care to sit," he asked with his arm out.
"Thank you, Mr. Longbottom," Regina replied all too formally.
Neville blushed red, "It's Neville," he said. "Please call me Neville."
Regina forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Neville." She did not yet offer him the same luxury of using her given name.
"Please have a seat," Hermione said as they made room for her. Regina sat with Hermione on her right arm, Neville on her left and Ginny just to the right of Hermione. When Regina was seated and comfortable, Hermione waved her wand speaking the charm to stop eavesdropping. Regina's eyes narrowed, but so far said nothing.
When Hermione was done, she turned and looked straight into Regina's eyes. She took a deep breath. Regina who knew what Hermione was like before was prepared for an all and out assault.
"Harry – " she said.
Regina's eyes narrowed further, and moved to stand, but Neville's strong hand moved to hold her. "Harry, please – " he said.
Regina's mouth turned into a smirk. "Could any of you make some sense and tell me what you are actually talking about, here?"
Ginny chose at this point to talk. She like Neville seemed a little uncertain of this tact.
"What we mean to say –" Regina wandlessly pushed Neville away.
"You are all absolutely crazy," she said as she stood up. "I don't know what made you think my name is Harry. I have talked to you before, and you know my name is Regina. I don't know any Harry, but I know that I am never going to sit alone with any of the three of you again."
Regina turned to leave and looked at Neville. "You can be sure that my Grandfather will be hearing about this conversation, Longbottom."
Then, she flipped her hair, dropped an eavesdrop charm over Neville, turned and left.
As Regina left, she saw no one in the Hallway, so she disillusioned herself and waited for the three to talk. It was finally Ginny that spoke.
"That went rather well –" Ginny said.
"I don't know," Neville said. "My grandmother is going to be very unhappy, and what were you about thinking Regina is Harry Potter anyway?"
Hermione said, "Professor Dumbledore told me that Harry had done something to himself. He was so sure that he had made himself into Regina Fawley. Even I am not so sure."
Regina smirked as they continued to talk.
"So Dumbledore suspects what I did –" she said. "I will have to be careful of him." She also thought this made up her mind about Longbottom as a potential suitor. "I need to do what I can to cut that that loose."
Regina smoothed her Hogwarts robes and slowly made her walk back to Theo's compartment. She spent the rest of the ride with the Slytherin 6th years.
A week after they had returned from Holiday, Draco Malfoy pulled her aside into a classroom.
"How can I be of service, Heir Malfoy?" She asked.
Draco looked at her carefully. "How serious are you in your service to our Lord?"
Regina looked carefully at Draco. "When I received Slughorn's attention on the journey on the train, I was very aware that I would have to make a decision sooner rather than later regarding the Dark Lord. I wasn't foolish enough to believe that the Dark Lord was truly gone as the Daily Prophet had said. So, when I came face-to-face with him, I was prepared to give him my honest answer. I am his servant to command."
Draco nodded. "I believe you."
"But there is something I have a concern about," Regina said carefully.
"What is that, Miss Fawley?" he said.
"My grandfather's policies have me in a tough position. My grandfather wants me to consider a marriage contract with Longbottom. He also wants to reinstate Dumbledore as Chief Warlock."
Draco nodded. "If your grandfather does either one, it would have the possible danger of upsetting the balance in the Wizengamot and losing position we have carefully worked for. Very good, Miss Fawley," Draco said.
Miss Fawley bowed. "I and my House shall serve the Dark Lord."
Chapter Fifteen
Life continued for Regina after this. She wrote to her Grandfather about both interactions with Heir Nott and Heir Longbottom. Neville within a week got a Howler from his Grandmother when she became aware of Neville's botched courtship of Regina. But still her grandfather insisted that she should try and make it work. Granger tried to catch Regina in the next Slug Club, but she stuck close to Blaise, who shooed her away. Hermione tried to bump into her in the library or in the hallways. But the 5th-6th year Slytherins had figured out that Hermione was becoming a problem for her and began to create their own counter movement against her.
All of this was forgotten when Regina was called by Professor Marchbanks into the Headmaster's office one evening. Her grandmother and Professor Marchbanks and her Head of House, Severus Snape were waiting for her. As soon as Regina walked into the room, her grandmother let out a wail.
"Regina –" she wailed.
Regina felt a terrible pit in her stomach. She ran to her grandmother, who couldn't get any words out.
"Regina," Professor Marchbanks said, "Your Grandfather died of a heart attack last night in bed."
Regina let out her own wail. "Grandpa –" But inwardly, she was relieved. No more Neville Longbottom. No more alliances with Dumbledore.
Regina was wearing her hair up in a bun, black opal earrings and a black turtleneck dress with black high heels on the day of the funeral. It was quite the sad affair. Her grandfather had been a well-respected member of the Wizengamot.
Regina had gone off to the restroom to freshen up when an arm pulled her out of the Hallway and into a side room. She turned to look who had done this, and she came face-to-face with Albus Dumbledore.
Regina tried to scream, but Dumbledore held her mouth.
"Now, Harry," he said, "Let's be reasonable."
"Not you too," Regina said as she fought him off. She carefully took hold of the pin on her dress and narrowed her eyes at him. If things got out of hand, this was a Portkey out of here.
"I know what you did, Regina," he said. "You used a blood ritual to change yourself. There was no Regina Fawley, but you attacked the Fawley line. You destroyed the Potter line."
Regina rolled her eyes at him. "Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet was right about you, and the Wizengamot was right to remove you. You are losing your mind."
"I didn't want to have to do this," Dumbledore said as he raised his wand. Regina pulled the pin and disappeared on him. This instantly alerted her grandmother, and her aids that she was in danger.
Before anyone could figure out who had threatened the girl, the former Headmaster made his escape. Albus cursed as he disillusioned himself. "I thought this would have gone better."
The rest of Regina's year was quiet. Regina as the Heir of House Fawley was able to appoint the solicitor who would speak in the Wizengamot in her place as Stewart. Her Grandmother wanted nothing to do with politics. She picked someone that Lucius Malfoy had recommended, cementing the Fawley's alliance with the Dark Houses and moving them out of Neutral. She turned down the Longbottom marriage proposal and using her position in the Wizengamot was able to get the Ministry and Hogwarts to sanction Dumbledore and Granger from coming anywhere near her.
Regina had no further confrontations with Granger, Longbottom, or any Weasley for that matter for the rest of the year. At the end of term, she again finished in the Head of her class with perfect O's on every class. Before long, she and her friends were on the train back home again.
While the students were on the Train, the Dark Lord struck against the Ministry. He assassinated Cornelius Fudge and named himself Minister.