4
Henri was walking beside Harry and his two friends, heading towards the Hogwarts Express. Henri was going to enter her fifth year at Hogwarts while her brother and his friends were entering their sixth year. The trio were talking about how they found out Professor Snape was the DADA professor. They (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) were not too happy about that. Henri understands, but from how Professor Snape treats her, she disagrees with her brother.
"I think it's great we will have Professor Snape to be our DADA professor. At least, we will have someone that will know what do to," said Henri.
Harry let out a fake chuckle before placing his hands on her shoulders, making both of them stop. Ron and Hermione stopped and glanced at the Potter siblings.
"Henri, don't be so naive," Harry shook his head, "I know he treats you differently from everyone at Hogwarts, but you don't know the real Snape, little sis. Listen, I know you can be so naive, but that doesn't mean to trust anyone at Hogwarts besides Ron, Hermione, and me. You don't need anyone, but me. Henrietta, I have been the only one there for you. I don't want you to get hurt by anyone. So, please don't trust Snape."
Henri nodded, thinking her brother was right. All her life, she had her brother. Yes, her aunt and uncle "raised" both Harry and Henri, but they didn't do a good job. So, the only "parent" Henri had was her older brother - sixteen-year-old Harry James Potter. Her fifteenth birthday will be in October - meaning Harry's been the parent figure for fifteen years. Yes, she's going to be fifteen, but she always believes what Harry tells her. Even the lies Harry would tell her. There were lies Ron and Hermione knew Harry would tell Henri, which made the friends feel guilty for the young fourteen-year-old girl. It's like Harry manipulates Henri. The two teens were not the only ones who noticed this.
"Now," smiled Harry, walking again with his arm around his little sister, "We don't need to be late for Hogwarts. I'm sure this year will be different from each year. Actually, why don't you find a compartment for us four while I speak with Ron and Hermione?"
Henri nodded her head before racing onto the train, humming to herself. She had a sweet smile on her face before she let out a small yelp when she was pulled into a compartment. Her green eyes meet the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. Her eyes widened when she backed away from the older Slytherin. She knew what Draco wanted. That's why she didn't answer his owl during the summer.
"Malfoy? I think you know my answer when I didn't answer your owl. I need --"
"Stop!" said Draco, taking her arm, "I think you need to know you have no say in that."
Henri's eyes widened in fear, breathing hard, "Please! Malfoy! I don't want Rabastan Lestrange! I know your mother is related to Bellatrix Lestrange, who is the sister-in-law of Rabastan! Please don't make me go to him!"
Tears streamed down her face, making Draco's heartbreak. He sat her down. Uncharastically of Draco, he pulled the crying girl into his arms. He rubbed her back, allowing the Gryffindor to cry against his chest. It took a few minutes before Henri pulled away from Draco's arms.
"I'm not going to take you to Uncle Rabastan, Mother will not allow it," said Draco, taking Henri's hand, "When she learned that Uncle Rabastan forced James Potter to sign the betrothal contract, she wasn't too happy. We learned something interesting. And it's about you, Henrietta."
Henri blinked her eyes a few times, trying to dry them, "What is it, Malfoy?"
"Well, Aunt Bellatrix found out that James Potter wasn't allowed to sign the betrothal contract since he's not your father. Your mudblood mother cheated on him with Sirius Black. And it seems like both your mother and Sirius knew you were not James Potter's daughter."
More tears formed in Henri's eyes, "Sirius knew I was his daughter, but he still left me with Aunt Petunia. Did he not want me? Was I a mistake in his eyes?"
"I don't know what he was thinking. However, Mother found out that you're Sirius Black's daughter. Do you know Mother is Sirius' cousin? You shouldn't have been raised in the Muggle world. You should have been sent to live with us. Mother had been trying to owl you, but you never answered. You were supposed to come to our home after she found out about you being her second cousin. Mother will help you get out of the arranged marriage since your father doesn't have custody of you anymore. I promise you Uncle Rabastan will not have you as your wife. As I said before, Mother will not allow it."
Henri pulled her hands away from Draco, not knowing what to say. This teen boy - a teen she barely said a word to - just told her that Sirius was her biological father instead of James Potter, who didn't know the truth. She wasn't sure if Draco was telling the truth. The only person who would know the truth would be Sirius, but Henri was too afraid to ask him. Maybe it is the truth. Maybe that's why Sirius was more protective over her than Harry. But if he knew he was her father, why would he try to be there now when he was framed for a murder? If Lily and James were still around, would he still be a father to her?
Henri glanced back at Draco with sadness in her green eyes, "I don't know if I should believe that, Malfoy. How do I not know this isn't a trick? I don't want to fall---"
"What?! Why are you speaking with him, Henrietta Charlotte?!"
Henri and Draco glanced over to see Harry standing in the doorway. He was clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes at Draco.
"Remember what I said, Henrietta," said Draco before he left the compartment.
Harry kept his eyes on Draco before he stepped into the compartment with Ron and Hermione following him. Ron and Hermione sat across from Henri while Harry sat down next to Henri with rage on his face.
"Harry..."
"No, Henrietta. I told you to not speak to Malfoy! But did you listen?! No! You didn't! Why did you disobey me, Henrietta Charlotte!?"
"Harry, I think you should calm down," said Hermione, "We don't know who spoke to whom first. Look, I agree with you, Harry, but I don't think it's right for you to get angry with Henri."
Harry glared at Hermione, "Don't tell me what I can say to my sister! She's not your sister! You were not there, raising her! I'm the only family she has! I'm trying to protect Henri! Why don't you two understand?!"
"Harry, mate. I understand protecting your sister. But I think you're taking a step over. I don't know if you notice this, but I know you're controlling Henri. You know Ginny is my younger sister. My brothers and I are protective over Ginny, but not as protective as you are with Henri. Maybe it's time to let Henri figure out things on her own. That's what my brothers and I do with Ginny. Look at her. Ginny is fine. What do you think, Henri? How would you feel about figuring out things on your own?"
Henri bit her lower lip, glancing over at Harry before looking back at Ron, "I-I don't k-k-know, Ronnie."
Hermione and Ron, who noticed Henri had glanced at Harry, shared a look before they glanced back at the Potter siblings. Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by Harry saying coldly, "Henri is fine with me watching her, aren't you, sis?" Henri slowly nodded her head, not knowing what to say. Harry continued what he was saying, "See. Henri doesn't care I'm looking over her. Like I said before, I'm the only family Henri has."
Henri sighed softly, glancing out the window. Henri blocked out what Harry was saying to his friends. Her mind drifted towards what Draco told her. She didn't want to believe him about her mother cheating on James Potter with Sirius Black. Henri saw photos of her parents when they were younger. She looks identical to her mother while Harry looks like their father with their mother's eyes. From what she could tell, she saw nothing similar between her and James, but that doesn't mean she's not his daughter, does it? She could feel her heart beating under her chest and her anxiety was coming through. She didn't want her brother or his friends to see this.
She quickly stood up, "I have to use the loo."
She left the compartment, ignoring Harry's calls for her. She didn't know where she was going. She opened a compartment and saw Neville Longbottom in there. He was alone with sadness on his face. She stepped into the compartment with her eyes on Neville. He was looking at her. They were both quiet until Neville asked, "Are you okay?"
Henri didn't want to say anything since she didn't want to pull Neville into her problems. But she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She dropped her head in her hands, sobbing loudly. She tensed up, looking up when she felt arms around her. Her green eyes met the eyes of Neville. She turned, sobbing into his chest, not knowing what to say to her brother's friend. Yes, the only people she hung out with were Harry's friends since she barely had her friends.
"It's okay, Etta."
Henri's head snapped up when she heard the new nickname, "Etta?"
Neville's cheeks turned a shade of pink when he rubbed the back of his neck, "I always thought of you as a friend, even though Harry told me that you never wanted friends. Is that why you barely hang out with anyone but Harry?"
Now, Henri was confused, "No! I always wanted friends. Harry told me that no one wanted to be friends with me. I liked this guy, but my brother said that no guy would love me like my brother would. My family hated Hazza and me. The only family I have is Harry. He's always been there for me. Even when we were in Muggle school, I never had friends. One time I overheard the students saying Harry would threaten them if they became my friends. I don't believe Harry would do that... would he, Neville?"
Neville sighed, giving Henri the truth, "Etta, I know you look up to your older brother, but I cannot lie to you. Harry is protective over you, but sometimes he's taking a step too far. I care for you, Etta. You're going to be fifteen in October. I believe you shouldn't always rely on your brother. I always wanted to tell you to be your friend and to get to you more, but Harry did threaten me. If you need to know the truth, I can help you. I'm not saying your brother doesn't love you, but I think he's trying to keep you from getting friends or even being in a relationship. Is that why you're upset?"
"Yes and no," replied Henri with sadness, "I learned something over the summer. I have four letters on my wrist - Rab L. I didn't know why or gave them to me. Fred Weasley overheard Professor Snape telling Professor Dumbledore and Remus Lupin about the letters. My dad signed a betrothal contract with Rabastan Lestrange. He did it to protect me! But I don't think that's the truth! I don't want to marry Lestrange! Then Malfoy told me that Lily Potter cheated on James Potter with Sirius Black! And that Sirius is my biological father! If that's the truth, he told me that his mother will try to get custody of me! That means Lestrange will get his hands on me! Please! Neville! Help me!"
Neville hugged the sobbing girl in his arms. He rubbed her back, not knowing how to help her. From what he could see, the younger Potter sibling was confused about everything. Neville hates this, but he blames Harry for how Henri turns out. Neville felt like it was his job to protect Henri from everyone, even her brother. But the question was how the Longbottom Heir was going to protect Henrietta Potter.
A week. It's been a week since Hogwarts started. Henri had been avoiding her brother, which he noticed. Henri had been hanging out with Neville, which Harry, Ron, and Hermione noticed. Ron and Hermione thought this was a good thing, but they noticed their friend wasn't too happy with Neville and Henri. Neville was the only person Henri would hang out with. She noticed Draco was trying to talk to her even more, but Neville would stop him. Henri was grateful for that. Henri didn't know how to explain it, but it feels nice to not have Harry breathing down her neck.
Henri walked into her dorm. For the past week, she's been alone (minus spending time with Neville during their free time). It felt weird to be alone since she always had Harry by her side. Neville was the one who was pushing Henri to spend less time with Harry. In the last week, Henri was opening her eyes little by little. Yesterday, she was spying on Harry with Neville. That's when she knew Harry was trying to keep people away from Henri. That's when she knew Neville was telling the truth. But the question was why would Harry do this. Henri felt like she should have friends or even be in a relationship. But it seems like her brother disagrees. She wanted to ask Harry, but she felt like he wasn't going to answer her question. Well, Henri wanted to go to Harry. However, she was forcing herself to not cry to Harry. You cannot image how hard this was.
She froze in the middle of the dorm when she saw an owl sitting on her bed. The owl stared at her like it was waiting for her reply. Henri went over to her bed, noticing a package and a letter. She glanced around before picking the letter up and unrolled it. She got a whiff of something very strong. It smelt smelt like some kind of flower, but she couldn't name it.
Ma chère fleur,
H is for Hyperactive, nothing ties you down
E is for Enigmatic, you have an alluring pull
N is for Noble, an honorable heart
R is for Ravishing, an entrancing beauty
I is for Illustrious, your accomplishments are many
E is for Engaging, a fetching smile
T is for Tactful, ever sensitive
T is for Trustworthy, your word is as good as gold
A is for Arresting, people flock to you
Nous nous reverrons très bientôt, jeune fleur.
She set the letter on the bed, looking at the package. Henri knew she shouldn't open the package, but something inside of her made her open the package. Her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful necklace. Deep down, Henri knew she needed to turn this necklace in, but something was compelling her to wear the necklace. With a smile on her face, Henri placed the necklace around her neck. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew she didn't want to take off the necklace. She decided to write a letter back to the person who sent the letter and necklace to her.
"What did you do?!"
Rabastan turned around in his chair to see Narcissa standing in the middle of his room. She had her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him. He wasn't sure what she was talking about. There were a lot of things Rabastan had done.
"You need to be more specific, Cissy."
"You're mother's necklace!? You sent it to Henrietta, didn't you?! Don't answer that bloody question! I know you did since Draco owl me that Henrietta has a new necklace! Why did you send it to her?! I thought I told you will not have your hands on her anymore when I have custody of that young girl!"
He leaned back, crossing his arms, "I still don't believe she's the daughter of your cousin. Plus, Potter sent the contract. There is nothing you can do, Cissy."
"If there is proof Henrietta is Sirius' daughter, then you cannot marry her since Potter wasn't her biological father! That means the contract means nothing, Rabastan! You need to find a woman your age and leave that young teen alone! I don't know why you're so obsessed with her, but I will not allow you to go down this path!"
Rabastan sighed, "I don't know what you want me to say, Narcissa. I already love Henri. I cannot leave her alone, knowing she's going to be my wife soon. I had to get her to get used to me. I cannot get close to her. Sending my mother's necklace was the only option for me. I spelled the letter and necklace. No one will stop me from getting her, Cissy."
"Why? Why do you want a teen girl?"
Rabastan didn't know how to answer that question. At first, he wanted to protect the young girl from his Lord. That's why he forced Potter to send the contract. His eyes drifted to the photo of Henri. Now, he claims he loves her even though they never said one word to each other. Rabastan felt like his life would be so much better with Henri in his life. He wasn't lying when he saw their life together. But he did lie when he said it was because he first saw and held her. It was time to get the truth out. His eyes drifted back to Narcissa.
"Narcissa, this has to stay between us. I said I saw my future with Henri when I first held her in my arms. That's a lie. You need to understand I always knew I would be with a redhead since I was fifteen. It was back in my fifth year of Hogwarts..."
- Past -
Fifteen-year-old Rabastan Lestrange was running from bullies. He didn't want to get his brother - who was in his last year at Hogwarts. So, Rabastan ran into an empty room, slamming the door. His back was up against the door while he was holding his breath. He could hear the bullies running past the door. He let out a long sigh, walking farther into the room. The reason he was being chased was because of his brother. Rabastan's brother bullied those boys. So in the boys' mind, they thought to get back by harming Rabastan. Lucky for the young Slytherin, he escaped the three older boys. Rabastan glanced up, rubbing his eye (that he knew was going to be black and blue), and paused his movements. Rabastan discovered an enormous mirror (the Mirror of Erised). The words Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi were on the mirror. Rabastan didn't know what this mirror was or what the saying was. He slowly walked over to the mirror. Rabastan looks in the mirror, and to his shock sees an older him with a beautiful redhead, green-eyed woman. His older self was standing behind the woman, looking down in the woman's arms. There was a newborn child in her arms. His eyes drifted down to see a young boy - dark hair with green eyes - standing there with his arms around the woman's leg. His eyes drifted back up, feeling his heartache when he saw his older self kiss the woman on the lips. It looked like he was in love with this woman. He walked over to the mirror, touching it so softly. The woman looked like a Gryffindor mudblood, however, he knew it wasn't the mudblood since this redhead woman was old enough to be his daughter. So, this woman was the daughter of the Gryffindor mudblood's daughter. But who would the father be of his future wife? He didn't care. He has to stalk Lily Evans, waiting for her to give birth to his beautiful wife - not knowing he will be waiting until October 1981.
- Present -
"... and since I found out that Lily Potter was the mother of Henri, I knew I had to follow her. I had to get my hands on my future wife. Please, Narcissa. I spent my Hogwarts years looking in that mirror, wanting to know more about Henri. She belongs to me and I know it."
"Rabastan, that mirror - the Mirror of Erised - isn't what it seems. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi means I show not your face but your heart's desire. I think you wanted a family that would love you for you. I know your life wasn't the greatest growing up. But that didn't mean to sit in front of that mirror. I heard people waste their lives by sitting in front of that mirror. I would like to know why you thought it was Henrietta in the mirror."
Rabastan grabbed the Daily Prophet, showing the picture of Henri to Narcissa, "The woman in the mirror had a scar above her earbrow. Look at Henri. The same scar is in the same spot the woman had. I know it's Henri. I told you that I would not give up until I had Henri in my arms as the mirror showed me. This could be my happiness. Can you please help me get Henri as my wife? Please don't take her away from me."
Narcissa had her eyes on Rabastan, who was pleading for her help, "Rabastan..."