The fallout of her relationship with Ominis Gaunt makes Esther Hitchens's life even more complicated than usual. She receives unexpected encouragement and no less unexpected censure.
Julius Hearst belongs to @helenadurazzo
February 1898
As the last minutes of the lesson were slipping away, Esther absentmindedly recounted the many Alchemic symbols, all written down with care and precision on her parchment. Triangles depicting the four elements, all sorts of figures for planets and substances... Her favourite one had always been an eight-pointed star, meaning creation. It was ironic, she supposed, given her unfortunate connection to the astronomically named Blacks.
Her mood soured even further upon the mere recollection. In most cases, the subject Esther was so passionate about improved her spirits effortlessly, but the end of her and Ominis's relationship weighted heavily upon her, as did the humiliation that followed. It didn't help that right after the class, she would be expected to serve the most bothersome detentions the Headmaster could come up with.
Professor Sharp finished explaining their homework, and Esther opened her mouth automatically, biding him farewell alongside the others. Normally, he would give her additional reading to do, or a practical task to complete - Esther was ahead of the curriculum, having studied Alchemy at Beauxbatons before, - but this time, he began assembling his books wordlessly.
With a tinge of embarrassment, she remembered that he had witnessed her beration at hands of the Headmaster yesterday, and was thus aware of her punishment. He probably assumed she had no time for extra work now.
Damn Cantankerus Nott, laughing at the ruin of her first love! And Esther couldn't even stand up for herself without being reminded of her own unworthiness by her dearest uncle.
As she was packing her supplies, she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. Julius, her unchanging neighbour and partner during Alchemy classes, was looking at her with worry. Her usual mask must have cracked, mirroring her troubled thoughts.
"Let's meet in the Room of Requirement after your detention," he said quietly. "I believe you could use some distraction."
"Wow, are you two planning a date? I knew something was going on between you," he drawled slyly. Esther's eyes widened, realising how their conversation sounded from an outsider's perspective. Not that it justified Garreth's blurting out the contents of a private conversation, complete with his own ridiculous assumptions.
Even from a distance, Esther could see the way Sebastian clenched his jaw angrily.
"Not everything is a joke, Garreth," she retorted, immediately wincing: Ominis often used this precise wording. "Besides, yours is in very bad taste."
"The class had ended some minutes ago," Professor Sharp interrupted gruffly, installing a cauldron on his now vacant table, "and I prefer brewing in peace."
"But we're the most peaceful of students!" Garreth exclaimed, always willing to try the Potions professor's patience. Still, the glance he sent Esther over Julius's shoulder seemed almost apologetic. The glare he himself received from Professor Sharp was anything but.
As Julius and Garreth left, she and Sebastian were the only students yet lingering in the classroom. Esther looked at the professor with hesitation.
"I would like to thank you, sir," she said in a low voice, not wanting Sebastian to overhear. "I appreciate your offer to oversee my detentions."
Given that she could have helped him make potions instead of scrubbing abandoned dusty roomes nobody needed, he truly meant well.
Professor Sharp continued paying his undivided attention to the collection of knives, meant to slice a wide range of ingredients, but Esther noted the way his brows furrowed.
"From what I gathered, you had done nothing to deserve them to begin with."
"From the Headmaster's point of view, talking back to a Pureblood is offensive enough," Esther commented and instantly reproached her own thoughtlessness. She had heard that the Sharp family, while not ancient or noble, was still Pureblood. "Excuse me. It looks like I'm not much better than Garreth in filtering what I say."
Professor Sharp surprised her. "The Headmaster Black refuses to admit that blood doesn't equal greatness, and the loss is entirely his. You have the potential to be great, Miss Hitchens. Don't let the others trample on it."
Esther could only bow her head in a gesture of sincere respect, committing his words to memory. It was probably what had warranted her sorting into Slytherin, this constant desire for recognition burning in her chest. And while the idea of a future with Ominis was shattered alongside her heart, she couldn't let the pieces pierce her lungs.
Professor Sharp went to his closet, likely to retrieve the necessary ingredients. Esther threw one of the straps of her bag over her shoulder, heading for the exit. Yet, the sound of Sebastian's voice made her halt.
"How is life, Esther? I believed you would be more upset, having broken a bond so strong. But you're the one to recover swiftly, aren't you?" His tone held none of his usual cheerfulness. "Looking for someone less demanding to settle on? Sorry to disappoint, but the Hearsts don't like Half-Bloods much, either."
"Do you know, Sebastian," Esther started, her own voice deceptively composed, "that, when you have an urge to offer an opinion on something you have no knowledge of, it's much better to keep your mouth firmly shut?"
His dark eyes flashed with something akin to rage. "How dare you! Ominis is my closest friend. I can see how much he suffers, all because of you!"
Esther digged her nails into the skin of her palms. "And has it ever entered your head that I might suffer, too?"
Sebastian snorted, a malicious sound that broke something inside her. The friendships she so delighted in seemed to be crumbling like a sandcastle under the relentless waves.
"If you had truly loved him, you would have found a solution," he said sharply. "You would have run away together, if needed. Instead, you abandoned him the moment your relationship became problematic."
"What a romantic outlook on the world! Tell me, Sebastian, would our love also protect us from the wrath of the Gaunts? Would it shield my family? My father is dead," it took her much effort not to waver, "brutally murdered in the prime of his life by the rabid dogs that Ominis has the misfortune to call family. Tortured for happening to be a Muggle in a wrong place and at a wrong time. What would stop them from hunting my mother? My brother or sister? And now, their choice would be deliberate. They would seek to punish me, a dirty Half-Blood, for daring to love a descendant of Slytherin." Esther looked him straight in the eyes, willing her resolve not to leave her. "I know how deeply you love Anne, so don't stand in front of me, pretending that you would have sacrificed her for a love story."
Her vehemence seemed to put Sebastian off guard. Good. Getting off his high horse was exactly what he needed.
"I would sooner perish myself than stand over their graves, believing myself to be the cause," Esther hissed, hating the sudden wetness of her eyes. And she thought she had already cried all her tears out. "So don't pretend to understand my situation. You have no clue what I went through, and you have absolutely no right to judge me."
"What is going on here? I believe I was clear when I asked everyone to leave the classroom."
Esther flinched, caught unawares by Professor Sharp's return. Sebastian, too, looked startled.
She hoped the professor hadn't heard the contents of their argument, though that seemed unlikely, as they raised their voices considerably.
Regardless, Esther kept her head high and swallowed the knot in her throat. "I apologise, sir. Mr. Sallow and I shall depart now."
Calling Sebastian by his surname was a deliberate move. If he allowed himself to talk to her in this manner, she could establish her own borders, putting him at arm's length.
While his loyalty to Ominis was commendable, she didn't need friends who would demean her so readily.
She had the potential to be great, and she wouldn't let the others trample on it.
Jonthia is a series of stories that initially started as an AU but have developed to be much more between me and @melodymidway asking the question of how things would change if Jonathan Midway and Cynthia Hearst got together. This started on amino and has developed over the years but now we are planning on moving it over to tumblr. While this story initially started focusing on Hogwarts Mystery characters, stories range from the Hogwarts Legacy and Magic Awakened generations
This will take some time with different posts needing edits due to recent changes. However everything that is listed here and does not have a link is either on the Hogwarts Mystery amino still or is in either mine or Melody’s drafts.
Hogwarts Legacy MC -> Phineas Hearst (1880 - 1953)
Hogwarts Mystery MC -> Melody Midway (1973 - ????)
Magic Awakened MC -> Genna Raleigh (1996 - ????)
Aesthetics
HPHL Parents
HPHL Aesthetics
HPHL Kids Aesthetics
HPHM Parents Aesthetics
HPHM Aesthetics
HPMA Aesthetics
Hephaestina’s Curse
Years
Phineas’ Year
Jacob’s Year
Jackie and Renée’s Year
Melody’s Year
Genna’s Year
Info Posts
Mariam x Zacharias
Jonathan x Cynthia
Garrett x Olivia
Alessandro x Liza
Facundo x Fauna
Jonathan’s Friends
Jacob Durazzo
Rex and Ru
Georgiana x Gladys
The Livingstone Family
The Scandal
Genna x Elma
Lady Hephaestina’s Curse
Hazel Wotton
Hearst Succession
The Hitchens Family
Stories
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
The Seer’s Promise (June 1981)
Turbulent Times (May 1981 / July 1981)
Beach Day (July 1981)
Spreading Their Wings (Sept 1984)
Waiting It Out (May 1986)
Frightening Flames (Nov 1986)
A Cozy Corner (Dec 1986)
Catching A Toad (Apr 1987)
Changing Love (Nov 1987)
Revelations of Love (Mar 1988)
The Howler (June 1988)
Fire with Fire (July 1988)
Dwindling Flames (July 1988)
Smoldering Ashes (July 1988)
Summer Days and Quidditch (July 1988)
The Spark (Oct 1988)

Just a Little Encouragement (Mar 1989)
Lottie Midway and the Cursed Vaults (Dec 1986/June 1988/Mar 1989)
Alma Sharp is the daughter of Esteban Sharp and his Muggle lover. While her mother was pregnant with her, she found out about the existence of magic and took the news very negatively. Thus, Esteban had to obliviate her immediately after Alma's birth and raise the girl on his own.
Born on December 13th, 1974, she is a Ravenclaw like her father, whom she adores and looks up to.
Alma has a keen and strategic mind, which she uses while playing her favourite game, chess, as well as Quidditch in the position of Chaser. She's also very headstrong and competitive, beating her opponents smartly. Many consider her irritating due to her snarky attitude.
Alma participates in many chess tournaments and eventually decides to design chess boards and pieces for a living. Her passion is what put her together with her husband, Murphy McNully. Together, they have two children, Castiel and Caissa McNully.
Cascadia Osborn is the daughter of Irvin Osborn and Marissa Sharp, as well as the younger sister of Aegeus and Beckett Osborn.
Born on January 29th, 1972, she is the only Ravenclaw in her Slytherin family and a Prefect.
While Cascadia is responsible and serious, she is also dreamy and creative. As a child, she spent a lot of time with her great-grandmother, Esther Hitchens, from whom she inherited her passion for Alchemy. Wanting to live up to her scientific legacy, Cascadia studies at Beauxbatons as an apprentice and later continues her education in the Centre for Alchemical Studies in Egypt.
While at Beauxbatons, Cascadia falls in love with a fellow student named François Lavigne. Their brief romance results in Cascadia's pregnancy. However, her grandfather, the head of the Osborn family, is against the union, and François himself doesn't want the responsibility. While she feels guilty, Cascadia understands that it isn't the right time to raise a child, and so she gives the newborn Atlanta Osborn away to her brother Beckett and his wife, who can't have biological children.
Later, during her years of working in Egypt, she meets Kauri Trangmar, a student of Alchemy from New Zealand. They fall in love and get married, eventually having a son, Pacific Trangmar.
Esther Hitchens and Mina Dallimore, the new transfer students from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts, attempt to find a place for themselves in the unknown surroundings. Some people make it easier, and the others much more difficult.
Marie McKay and Phineas Hearst belong to @helenadurazzo
September 1896
The day of her sixteenth birthday greeted her with serene sunlight, its warmth seeping through all the layers of her clothing to her very core. Esther willed herself to consider it a good omen for the new beginnings; and as she made her way to the hidden platform at King's Cross Station, the world around her brimming with wonder and brightness, she felt something like anticipation at last.
Ever since she quit homeschooling and left for France to study as a nine-year-old, then entering Beauxbatons in the age of twelve, bound as she was to be the eldest of her classmates, Esther managed to receive only hurried congratulations from her mother, Hugh and Mira, before departing for a new school year. Per an already established tradition, the presents were given in advance, alongside a small festive dinner in the family circle.
For the last four years, Mina refused to abide by it, as she could and did organize a celebration for Esther on their way to school. As soon as it was determined that they were in no danger of being late, Esther found herself in her friend's firm clutch.
"Happy birthday, Essie!" she chirped, handing over a colourful package that, judging by its form, hid a new book underneath. "Though you're tremendously unlucky to have been born on September 1st, of all days, you deserve all the best!"
It was a phrase she repeated every year without fail. Esther smirked, responding in kind: "It's a shame I couldn't in good conscience ask my dear mother to endure the pains a little longer."
"A little?" The lady in question was indignant upon overhearing their conversation. "I spent the entire night in agony in order to bring you to this world in the wee hours of the morning, and you lot still have objections?"
"None at all, Iola," Mina said innocently. She was allowed to call Esther's mother by her first name since the two of them were little girls, playing on the vast grounds between the mansions of their families. "We wouldn't want Essie to be a year above me either, would we?"
Iola Hitchens didn't answer, for she was no longer attending. Having noticed the steadily approaching fair heads and blue robes of the Ellingtons, Esther instantly understood her train of thought. Though many years had passed since her mother and Walter Ellington established a warm friendship, it never wavered, and they were as glad to see each as ever. Lorna Ellington, though more reserved than her husband, also seemed sincerely pleased with the encounter.
Well-wishes and inquiries were exchanged; the names of some acquaintances Esther heard about for the first time in her life were mentioned. Then, the conversation habitually turned to the youth.
"Little Miranda is what, ten now? Only a year older than my own Hyacinth!" The child hid behind her mother's back shyly at the sound of her name. Esther involuntarily remembered Mira's passionate demands to join them on the platform, and thought that there couldn't be a more dissimilar pair of girls. "How quickly time flies! Our youngest will both soon head to school alongside their siblings. And Esther's friend, of course," Mr. Ellington hurried to add, noticing that Mina had been ignored so far.
"My name is Wilhelmina Dallimore, sir," came her smooth, amiable introduction.
"Mina is a Muggleborn, so her family asked me to assist her in the wizarding matters," her mother explained, and then sighed. "To be honest, I fear the period of adaptation may be rather tough for the girls. While they heard and read much about Hogwarts, it's going to be so different from Beauxbatons," she lowered her voice, "especially under Phineas Nigellus's rule. Therefore, I would be very grateful if Basil and Farrah helped them, at least initially."
"It will be my pleasure, Mrs. Hitchens!" Farrah Ellington replied enthusiastically while her brother nodded solemnly. Both were already dressed in the school uniform, adorned with the blue and bronze of the Ravenclaw House, sporting identical 'P' badges.
Farrah was the same age as Esther, and Basil a year older, yet despite the occasional visits between their families, she never grew particularly close to either of them. Farrah's personality boasted of an almost overwhelming extraversion that Esther found difficult to keep up with; Basil, though calm and guarded like herself, wasn't interested in acquiring another confidant.
Regardless, she put a polite smile on her face. "Mina and I look forward to going to school with you."
The Hogwarts Express let out a puff of smoke, warning them about the imminent departure. Esther's mother hugged Mina first, ruffling her red locks affectionately, and then repeated the procedure with her.
"Try not to get sorted into Slytherin," she whispered in Esther's ear. "There are adequate people among the snakes, but not enough to test your luck."
Esther nodded soundlessly, giving her mother one last kiss before turning her back to the platform and facing the train. Her future, fortunately or not.
An intense pang of nostalgia pierced her heart at the reminder that the doors of Beauxbatons were now closed to her, and the apprenticeship in Potions and Alchemy that she had worked so hard to get and keep would belong to someone else. Even with all the struggles and sneaky individuals that the crowded and highly demanding academy made her face, even though she was bitter about being tossed out so, she knew she had much to thank it for. Esther would miss the light blue silk of her uniform, and the characteristic Beauxbatons roses in the courtyard, and the music classes, and Nicolas Flamel's occasional lectures most of all.
"Hurry up, Essie! It wouldn't look good on us to be late on our very first day."
Though ever the more energetic of their duo, Mina also had a slightly faraway look in her eyes. Esther thought about Lander Braydel, the boyfriend her friend had left in Beauxbatons with the promise of writing regularly, and wondered how long such a relationship would endure the distance. She then remembered Bernadette, and Carmen, and even Odile Perrot with all her competitiveness and cold-blooded brilliance...
Esther took a deep breath and stepped inside. There was nothing rational in crying over spilled milk, especially when she had yet to build a new life for herself. Mina followed Basil and Farrah briskly, and Esther forced herself to borrow a bit of her strength, relaxing her face expression into something friendlier.
"There should be plenty of space in my compartment, especially since I will have to leave you to take care of my Prefect duties," Farrah said brightly. "Naturally, you won't be alone there, as I will introduce you to my friends. You shall like each other immensely-"
"Don't go too fast, sister," Basil intervened softly. "Remember that Esther and Wilhelmina may want some time to themselves."
Farrah deflated a bit until Mina reassured her that they would be happy to accept her invitation. As much as Esther appreciated Basil's comment, for it was accurate for herself at least, she had to admit that making acquaintances was a good first step to integrating into the reality of Hogwarts.
On their way, they were intercepted by a black-haired girl in a dark red robe. She seemed to be a close friend of the Ellingtons, for their manner of greeting was explicitly warm, and Basil's face in particular lit up in an entirely new way.
"Why are you not in your uniform yet, Georgiana?" Farrah inquired. "The Prefects are expected in the first wagon as soon as the train departs."
The girl named Georgiana raised her eyebrows. "Well, it doesn't concern me in the slightest. Mabel was chosen as the Gryffindor Prefect, after all."
"No way," Basil sounded surprised. "I thought you passed Professor Weasley's tasks with flying colours?"
"I'm sure there's no shame in losing to Mabel," Farrah said quickly when Georgiana's eyes narrowed in obvious irritation. "She's great at communication and planning events."
"Whatever." At last, Georgiana turned her attention to Esther and Mina, and her frown receded a bit. "I did hear a rumour about transfer students, and it seems to be true. Welcome to Hogwarts! I'm Georgiana Wotton. You're going to be in the fifth year, right?" They nodded and introduced themselves. "Then maybe I'll see you in the Gryffindor dormitory this evening. We had a transfer from Uagadou last year, and she's a proud lion now. Best of luck to both of you!"
"Won't you join me and the girls?" Farrah inquired when Georgiana made a move to retreat. "I saved us a compartment nearby."
Georgiana only shook her head. "I'm afraid I really need to find Hamish. We have an important issue to discuss."
"Well, that's a lot of names," Mina whispered once both Georgiana and Basil left, the latter wanting to be precisely on time for the Prefect meeting and urging his sister to do the same.
"And there will be many more," Esther sighed. The train set off abruptly, but she steadied herself with the relative ease of someone who had enough experience with Portkeys for a lifetime.
Their compartment was rather cozy-looking, but small enough for Esther to wonder where Georgiana and her luggage would have fit, had she agreed to accompany them. Thankfully, it contained only two people, Amit Thakkar and Marie McKay, as the introductions supplied.
"You have a beautiful name," the former said a little bashfully as they shook hands. "It literally means 'star' in Persian."
"Amit is very fond of Astronomy," Farrah explained with such obvious warmth that the boy's ears reddened.
Esther smiled, determined to be engaging. "My mother does have a penchant for star names. My younger sister is Miranda, for instance."
Amit nodded. "The moon of Uranus. It reminds me of the Black family a bit, to be honest. They also have a fascinating tradition to give their children astronomical names. You must have heard about them when you transferred since our Headmaster is a Black."
Though she felt both Mina's and Farrah's eyes on herself, Esther didn't even blink. She knew the general ignorance of her relations wouldn't last, but she was still a little relieved by it.
"Actually, we conducted the procedure with the help of the Deputy Headmistress. However, I have heard much about the Headmaster Black." Largely her mother's biting mockery of his intellectual abilities, but they didn't have to know about it.
Farrah, the only one who was still standing in the doorframe, turned her head at the sound of a distinctly annoyed voice. "It's Andrew, so I really need to get going. Hopefully, it won't take too long. Have fun!"
Mina, whose curiosity and excitement were rapidly overpowering momentary melancholy, prompted: "The Prefect title seems to be important at Hogwarts."
"It's a position of honour with privileges, but also additional responsibilities," Marie McKay said eagerly. "Prefects are appointed on the fifth year, which is why so many conversations gravitate towards this topic among us now. Does Beauxbatons have anything of the sort?"
"Not precisely, but I believe apprenticeships come close. The best students in various disciplines get a more intense training alongside certain advantages." The corners of Mina's mouth rose. "Actually, Esther should know more about it. She was an apprentice herself."
"Mina is too modest," Esther rebuffed smoothly. "A position in the Beauxbatons Quidditch team has about the same perks, and is as hard to achieve. Yet, she managed it."
Her friend waved her off, unsuccessfully trying to hide her pleasure at the praise. "The Hogwarts Houses all have their own teams, right?"
"Yes, and they take the rivalry way too seriously sometimes. The competition between the House in general can be pretty rough." Amit must have noticed the lack of sincere understanding, for he asked: "Does Beauxbatons have no Houses?"
"No," Marie answered before Esther or Mina could. "My mother studied there, and she told me and my brother some stories. I think students are just separated into different wings according to their gender?"
"Indeed!" Mina grinned. "They're also usually divided into smaller groups for classes. Many disciplines have several professors teaching them due to an overflow of students. That is the very reason Essie and I were sent back to England, after all."
"To be honest, I was a bit surprised by your English-sounding names," Marie looked rather timid. "If you come from here originally, why didn't you go to Hogwarts from the start?"
Esther was unpleasantly transported back into the aftermath of her father's murder, when her mother's first impulse was to send her away. "I'm a Half-Blood, and Mina is a Muggleborn. The Headmaster isn't known as a tolerant wizard."
"He isn't," Amit agreed uneasily. "Marie and I are Purebloods, so we definitely don't see the full extent of his prejudice, but he did remove Muggle Studies from the curriculum."
"And he treats Houses that aren't Slytherin as lesser, which we do feel as Ravenclaws," Marie added. "For example, the positions like Head Boy and Head Girl are almost always occupied by Slytherins. There was a Ravenclaw Head Girl when we were first-years, but I don't know how she managed it. My brother and his fiancée, a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor respectively, did their best but were overlooked in the end."
"And I also heard he gives his children titles even if they did nothing to deserve them," Amit lowered his voice. "I can't really judge if Phineas Black is fit to lead the Quidditch team, I'm not an expert in flying. However, Basil once mentioned that he had a mutual Prefect assignment with Sirius Black last year. He said Sirius was the most irresponsible and frivolous person he ever had the displeasure of working with."
"They sound lovely," Esther commented wryly. Those people were her uncle and cousins, by blood if not by anything else. And what she was hearing aligned completely with her mother's predictions.
"Oh, we don't want to dampen your enthusiasm," Marie assured hurriedly. "Like everything, Hogwarts has its positive and negative sides."
"Nobody said there are no prejudiced professors or students at Beauxbatons. Or the ones who resort to ugly measures, for that matter," Esther shrugged. The main difference was that those at Hogwarts were likely to hold a personal grudge against her mother that had every chance to transfer to herself. "In my opinion, it's a very efficient school with an absolutely deserved high reputation. Still, there are problems and much pressure lurking underneath."
"Pressure, indeed! The amount of subjects is enormous. There aren't nearly enough hours in a day to deal with everything," Mina rolled her eyes. "I mean, there are some great ones, like Flying, or Arts, or Herbology, maybe Enchantments, but the rest are wild. The languages alone! Latin is an obligatory discipline, and students are encouraged - almost forced - to take up at least one more language. Not to mention the classes of French for foreigners."
"Mina has a rather difficult time with languages," Esther said, trying not to smile, "but don't take her outrage too seriously. She was extremely fond of Beauxbatons."
"I did like Spanish, and I speak it better than you do, Essie!" her friend huffed. Still, she didn't object to the second part of Esther's comment.
"My French cousin sometimes sounds rather stressed in her letters," Marie admitted thoughtfully, "but she also says she would never for the life of her exchange Beauxbatons for Hogwarts since we only have 'a meager Frog Choir' in terms of musical activities. Actually, you may know her: does Jolene Beaufort ring any bells?"
"We had some mutual classes, singing included," Esther informed, not without a certain delight in the unexpected connection. Jolene was an acquaintance, not truly a friend, but nonetheless it was pleasant to have a fellow connoisseur of music in her social circle. "Before that, I went to the same elementary school with her."
"The world truly is small, it seems," Marie beamed.
The trolley of sweets arrived soon, and Esther purchased a stack of Cauldron Cakes for everyone to share in honour of her birthday. As soon as they found out, Amit and Marie congratulated her warmly, and Mina went to retrieve something from her suitcase with a sly look on her face. It turned out to be nothing short of a big bottle of Butterbeer.
"Where did you even get it?" Esther inquired with amused surprise.
"On the Diagon Alley, of course! Alongside all the robes and books." Mina miracled four cups and poured the beverage there with several movements of her wand. "We can't leave you without a little fiesta."
"Perhaps you meant fête," Esther suggested and Mina giggled.
"Alright, you can call it whatever you want on your special day."
Esther let herself relax fully in spite of the company of people she barely knew. Though their transferring wasn't without complications, and her personal preference for stability left her feeling out of depth amid the changes, it was much easier with Mina around. She didn't have the privilege of familiar faces when she first travelled to France, miserable and disoriented, away from the only home she ever knew and feeling like her mother abandoned her among the people who would sooner belittle her for having a Muggle for a father than offer compassion for his death.
The conversation turned to history, first of Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, then of more general events. Though Esther's first impression of both Amit and Marie was the one of shy, rather quiet individuals, it soon became clear that their mutual favourite subject did wonders for their disposition. It was quite pleasant to listen to their thoughts, not to mention very useful. After all, the schools of different countries had vastly different curriculums in terms of history; though she and Mina read extensively during the summer, it was difficult to work through four years worth of material.
Outside the window, the plains smoothly turned into hills. At some point, Farrah resumed her place among them, partaking in the improvised party and gladly contributing to any discussion. As their destination drew near, she instructed them to change into their uniform.
"Everyone is supposed to be dressed this way for the feast," she explained. "And it's particularly important for the two of you! Your robes will change once you're sorted."
"Good luck with the Sorting Ceremony, by the way," Amit said encouragingly once the train came to a halt.
"Do we go separately from now on?" Mina asked.
"I suppose you will join the first-years on the boats. This is how new students arrive at the school. The rest of us use carriages," Farrah informed helpfully. "There will be a bit of a commotion on the platform, but you need to search for one of the professors. They will make themselves known by calling out for the first-years. There's a different professor on this duty each year, so I can't help you with any descriptions." She spread her arms in regret.
"You did more than enough, Farrah. Thank you for your assistance," Esther smiled sincerely.
Many hours were spent on the ride, so the sun had already begun to set, and a slight haze of twilight descended upon the roofs of what was likely the village of Hogsmeade, though Esther couldn't see it very well from this perspective.
"I wonder why they didn't come up with a faster way of transportation," she commented.
Beside her, Mina shrugged. "To stimulate communication? We likely wouldn't have talked this much to Amit, Marie and Farrah without having to share one compartment."
"That does make a certain amount of sense," Esther murmured, finally spotting a tall, stern-looking man, surrounded by a growing crowd of children. "Here we go, I think."
Indeed, when the man's eyes fell on the two of them, he immediately inquired: "Transfer students?"
Up close, Esther could see a scar that went through the left side of his face.
"Yes, sir. Are we to follow you?"
He nodded sharply and addressed the youth: "We will cross the Black Lake in order to reach the school. I strongly recommend you not to do anything that could lead to a fall. Though Merlin knows," he muttered much more quietly, "that no year passes without at least one incident."
The boats looked spacious enough to accommodate four first-years and two fifth-years each and were equipped with lanterns, shining brightly in the approaching dimness. As it soon turned out, they moved without the aid of paddles, so Esther and Mina were left with a perfect opportunity to examine the place they would spend the next three years in.
And there was much to examine and admire, for the Hogwarts castle, bathed in the last rays of sun, was breathtaking. It had no opulence or finesse of Beauxbatons, instead boasting of a somber, imposing beauty, different from what Esther was used to but enchanting nonetheless. If possible, it emitted wild, intense magic that she could almost feel on the tips of her fingers as she immersed them in the cold water of the lake. Mina, her chin tilted high and her mouth slightly opened, let out an impressed sigh.
The charm was broken, naturally, by a shout and a loud splash. A boy from the neighbouring boat fell off, and his chaotic attempts to swim brought him closer to Esther and Mina's vessel than his own.
"Come here, everything is fine," Esther tried to soothe him as he climbed on board with their help, shivering.
The professor waved his wand from his solitary front boat without as much as rolling his eyes, drying the boy in an instant.
"T-thank you," he hiccuped and huddled up to them for the rest of their short journey.
As their small group arrived at the shore and passed through the main entrance, they were greeted by two more professors. The lady was likely the Deputy Headmistress Weasley whom Esther had corresponded with, if the famed red hair of this family was anything to go by, but the man standing by her side made Esther's relative ease melt away. She knew those steely grey eyes too well; the very same ones looked upon the world from her own face. She knew that pitch black hair, generously diluted with silvery strands, and that proud stance that all the Blacks seemed to acquire at birth. The family resemblance between him and her mother was truly incredible.
The professor who accompanied them rose his eyebrows in what looked like amazement, his eyes drifting briefly to the Headmaster. The lady gave him a tiny smirk.
"Professor Black has come to meet the transfer students."
"I still don't see the purpose," the latter huffed, oblivious to the nonverbal communication of his colleagues. "If they don't belong to nobility- Why, Matilda, is that girl a relative of yours?" He gestured at Mina, whose freckled face was distinctly illuminated by the torches.
"This is Miss Dallimore, sir," Professor Weasley announced with a peculiar expression on her face, pretending as though she didn't hear him. The following pause rang loudly in Esther's ears. "And that is Miss Hitchens."
She hardened her face into stoney neutrality.
"That surname sounds fami- What?!" he barked as soon as understanding dawned on him. Esther could almost physically feel the rapid increase of his contempt when he scrutinised her from head to toe. There was no mistaking her for a namesake; she took after her maternal family way too much for that. "Matilda, how am I supposed to understand it? Such unworthy individuals in the school! Will we really sink that low? Are Mudbloods not enough?" Professor Weasley's lips formed a thin line while the unnamed professor's brows rose even higher. The Headmaster looked down at Esther, and Mina stiffened beside her. "One wrong step, girl," he seethed, "a single step, and I will personally throw you out of Hogwarts. Mark my words."
Three years of treading upon hot coals. Marvellous.
"Of course, sir," she said and mentally winced from her own freezing tone.
Thankfully, the Headmaster turned around and left immediately afterwards.
"Well, thank you for bringing our new students here, Aesop," Professor Weasley spoke as lightly as she could in an obvious attempt to diminish the tension. "I will now instruct them in terms of the Sorting Ceremony."
While her little lecture was very general and provided no new information, it was a refreshing change. Esther wished Mina would stop looking at her with concern, though. The confrontation was unpleasant, but predictable. Her mother's assessment of him and the entire House of Black, the one she had chosen to leave behind many years ago, was accurate.
Haughty. Pompous. Cruel.
Only the sight of the Great Hall managed to break her out of her musings. It was smaller than the one in Beauxbatons, and this fact made it a bit more snuggly, in her opinion. Over the four House banners, an enchanted ceiling displayed a cloudless night sky, numerous constellations and a bright, domineering moon clearly visible from every corner.
Their group walked through a wide passage between the tables of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, straight to the perpendicular table of the professors. Professor Weasley picked up an ancient-looking hat.
"When I call your name, you sit on this stool. I will put the Sorting Hat on your head," she explained briefly. "Let us begin! Black, Arcturus."
And wasn't it a charming start? Esther snorted when a surprisingly blond boy, likely his mother's son more than his father's, was sorted into Slytherin upon spending mere seconds on the stool. The Headmaster now looked considerably less out of temper.
"Bletchley, Barron."
The boy who had previously fallen into the lake stepped forward and received the exact same result. Esther soon lost interest in the children, instead studying the professors.
She easily spotted the one she and Mina had met on the platform, conversing discreetly with a young witch in a flowery hat on the one side and a grey-bearded man in a purplish blue robe on the other. They were seated on the right side of the table, alongside a proud-looking man who was whispering incessantly into the Headmaster's ear. Two chairs on Professor Black's other side were empty, one of them likely waiting for the Deputy Headmistress.
As soon as the first-years dissipated, now seated at four different tables, Professor Weasley cleared her throat. "The Sorting Ceremony is yet uncompleted, as this year we are honoured to welcome two transfer students from Beauxbatons," she announced. "They will join the fifth year. I hope their new classmates treat them amicably and offer their assistance in the school matters." Her eyes went back to the parchment of names in her hand. "Dallimore, Wilhelmina."
Esther squeezed her friend's palm briefly, receiving a smile in return. Mina walked to the stool confidently, and in a second, her head was covered by the magical cloth. Though her lips moved, Esther couldn't make out the words: the Sorting Hat definitely had a built-in spell that made conversations private. It took only a few phrases between them for the thunderous verdict to reach every corner of the Great Hall: "GRYFFINDOR!"
The students under the red and gold banner clapped enthusiastically; Georgiana Wotton, Esther noticed, immediately waved at Mina, inviting her to sit together. It was reassuring that her friend already had a familiar face among her housemates. Catching her gaze, Mina winked in encouragement. Esther straightened her already straight back, a habit instilled by the many etiquette classes she had to attend.
"Hitchens, Esther."
Before she was seated, she risked another glance at the professors' table. Not unexpectedly, all the force of the Headmaster's glare was directed at her. Esther took a calming breath as the Sorting Hat was lowered on her head.
All at once, she heard a voice that seemed to sound from inside her mind. "What a glorious day!" it exclaimed. "Two names in the Book of Admittance that I expected to hear four years ago! It's good to meet you at last, Miss Hitchens. I remember your mother: her fiery spirit almost made her a Gryffindor."
"Would you consider Gryffindor for me as well?" Esther asked hopefully, thinking about Mina.
To her disappointment, the Sorting Hat huffed. "Absolutely not. You're by no means risky or guided by emotions, and those are important requisites for the lions."
"I would be happy with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, either." More with the former than with the latter, as it was where most of her Hogwarts acquaintances resided.
"But not with Slytherin?" the Hat inquired slyly.
Esther sighed. "I have no desire to reside among people who will scorn me for my blood status."
"Alas, no House can truly protect you from prejudice." The voice in her head quietened for a moment before reappearing. "Ravenclaw would satisfy your eager mind, and Hufflepuff could develop your empathy further."
"I sense a 'but' coming," Esther remarked dryly.
"Your ambition and determination suit Slytherin perfectly," the Hat admitted, much to her dismay. "Though you're wary, and not without good reason, it can grant you plentiful opportunities. Especially if we consider less obvious factors at play."
"Your words are a bit too vague for me to take at face value," Esther rebuffed, suddenly aware that her sorting must have already exceeded the standard length of time. From what she noticed, the majority of students had their House decided within mere moments.
"There will be difficulties," the Hat continued, ignoring her comment, "but do you not want to make the most out of your situation? I can safely promise that your status as a Slytherin will be of great help in this regard."
For a sole moment, a spark of hesitation lit up inside her. It was more than enough for the Sorting Hat. "You will have to trust my discernment, Miss Hitchens. SLYTHERIN!"
The table of the snakes was located right near the Gryffindor one, yet their applause seemed quieter and more restrained to Esther's ears. Why did she let herself be persuaded to accept a path of more unease? Did she not have enough trouble with the appreciators of pure blood by the likes of Renard Tremblay at Beauxbatons? Emanating poise and calmness she didn't feel, Esther made her first steps towards her new House. Behind her, a chair creaked as the Headmaster stood up all of a sudden, scowling heavily.
"It must be a mistake! There can be no Half-Blood in Slytherin!"
Did he really try to intervene in the sorting, in front of the entire school no less? Esther clasped her hands together, meeting his eyes in what she hoped was not a defiant manner. Though she already regretted her placement, she couldn't allow herself to look cowed.
"There already is a Half-Blood in Slytherin, sir," Esther said coolly, "for I do not believe it feasible to overrule the decision of an almost millennia old artifact, enchanted by Godric Gryffindor himself. There is no documented precedent throughout the history, I recall."
As though proving her point, the collar of her previously plain black robe turned green, and a tiny snake curled on her chest, forming an intricate "S". The Headmaster was rapidly turning quite red.
"Then such a precedent will be created today!" Even the Sorting Hat, already dozing off in Professor Weasley's hands, was startled by the vehemence in his tone. "Place it back on her head, Matilda."
"My verdict won't change even if Miss Hitchens and I sit chattering here for the rest of the evening," the Hat declared, not without irritation. "She belongs precisely where I sorted her, and that's my last word on the matter! I didn't serve this school for hundreds of years to be treated with such blatant disrespect!"
Esther wasn't sure whether to laugh at the absurdity of her circumstances or to be intimidated by the degree of the Headmaster's disdain.
"I suppose it's settled," she said instead, keeping her composure. "By your leave, sir, I shall take my seat now."
She inclined her head in a gesture that she hoped would convey more deference than she really felt, and headed to her new classmates. The whispers around her were amplifying with an almost alarming speed.
A girl with short dark hair moved, obviously making room for Esther. She looked friendly enough, and Esther noticed no questionable maneuvers that could mean a trap, so she landed on the bench with both caution and a bit of much-needed relief.
"Welcome to Slytherin! My name is Violet McDowell. I'm a Prefect, so you can come to me if you have any questions or problems." A slight smile on her face dimmed a bit as she muttered: "And to Phineas, I suppose, but he's Merlin knows where."
Phineas? Was the Headmaster's son in her year and House by a very happy coincidence? Esther gave Violet an absent smile, looking around discreetly. Judging by the looks she was receiving, she had just turned from a vaguely interesting novelty to the celebrity of the day.
The Headmaster recovered from the fiasco swiftly and, though still visibly disgruntled, began a speech in honour of the beginning of a new school year. Many students, Esther noted, didn't bother to listen.
"It really is a shame Phineas missed such a show, though knowing him, he is currently having his own one," the boy in front of her snickered. His face was freckled, and his brown hair a little disheveled.
"I'm glad to have entertained you so." Light sarcasm seeped into her words effortlessly. It really was a long day, especially for her birthday.
The boy didn't look offended in the slightest, smirking amusedly. However, his neighbour rolled his pale grey eyes. "Not everything is a joke, Sebastian."
"And who is joking? I, for instance, am very serious in my desire to greet Esther in our House." He bowed as far as the table let him, which looked rather comical. "I'm Sebastian Sallow. The grumpy one is Ominis Gaunt." Esther bit her lip, remembering that her mother had warned her about the Gaunts in particular while explaining the hierarchy of the British Pureblood families. "Now, the girl on my left is-"
"I'm perfectly capable of introducing myself, Sallow," she interrupted him sharply. "Imelda Reyes. You might have heard my surname, as many of my family members are renowned Quidditch players."
"Actually, I had a roommate named Carmen Reyes in Beauxbatons. Is she a relation of yours?"
"She may be. My grandparents are Spanish, but I don't keep track of all my cousins," Imelda shrugged indifferently.
The other two Slytherin girls in her year were, as Esther soon found out, Nerida Roberts and Grace Pinch-Smedley.
"I'm certain you will love the Slytherin common room," the former said surprisingly pleasantly, given that the Headmaster had announced her blood status for everyone to hear. "It's located under the surface of the Black Lake, so you can observe mermaids right from the window!"
"The most Beauxbatons had in terms of water bodies is a fountain, so I can't wait to examine the lake more thoroughly than I did on the boat ride," Esther said genuinely.
Nerida smiled, stretching her hand out to shake Esther's, but her smile wilted a bit when Imelda said: "Nerida can definitely show you the Black Lake, given how she tumbled into it as a first-year. And without being able to swim! That was quite a spectacle."
The Headmaster was finished at last, and huge tablecloths rolled out of nowhere, covering all five tables. Dishes and cutlery followed suit, and in the end, there was a lot of marvellously smelling food.
"You know," Grace started quietly from beside her as they dined, "the Headmaster was wrong about Half-Bloods in Slytherin. Far from everyone here has an impeccable bloodline. I know I don't."
Esther supposed her manner retained a certain defensiveness that motivated Grace to offer reassurance. She was about to thank her when a different, cocky voice interrupted them: "Oh, yes, Slytherin is far from what it once was. We have the misfortune of housing plenty of pathetic upstarts these days." His eyes measured Esther with something akin to disgust. "And here is another example of that. Dirty Muggle blood spoiling a noble Black heritage."
There he was, the source of her future problems. Finally. She knew the Slytherin table couldn't be this peaceful.
Grace flinched visibly, and the boy sitting beside her winced, his startlingly purple eyes fixed on Esther.
She only raised her eyebrows. "And who precisely do I have the pleasure of talking to?"
"Cantankerus Nott. You should memorize this name very well, Hitchens, and treat it with all the respect an old Pureblood line deserves."
"Don't you have something else to recommend you? I'm certain you must have accomplishments other than being born."
Sebastian, who was in the process of taking a gulp of water, started coughing and chuckling simultaneously. It didn't look like Nott was well-liked among his classmates, Esther thought with a certain measure of contentment. Even Ominis Gaunt's mouth quirked in the semblance of a smile.
Nott blushed and opened his mouth for a retort when a quick figure of an unfamiliar student brushed past him, squeezing himself into a spot between Sebastian and the purple-eyed boy.
"What in Merlin's name did you do this time, Phineas?" the latter whispered, but the angry tone made it easy to overhear him. "How could you miss the train! You're a Prefect, you should start acting like it."
"Wait, you're Phineas?" Esther couldn't help interrupting, gazing at the boy. "But I thought-"
"He's not Phineas." The purple-eyed boy shook his head.
"What in Merlin's name are you going on about?" the newly-arrived student inquired, confused.
"She thinks you're Phineas Black, which you're not last time I checked," the purple-eyed boy turned to her again, "but in all honesty, Phineas Black isn't that bad, I've roomed with him since we were first-years, after all."
Esther wasn't sure what to answer, so she kept silent.
"When I get to Phineas, I will give him a dressing-down he deserves," Violet muttered darkly, "but at least you can meet the second Slytherin Prefect of our year, Esther. Phineas Hearst, the epitome of responsibility and punctuality!"
The receiver of such high praise was too busy talking to Sebastian to be flattered. Esther felt comforted, if only a tiny bit.
Her life at Hogwarts promised many difficulties, and she wondered if the bargain was fair. In the end, there was only one way to find out.
Lileas the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad Employee
1973-????
Lileas MacFusty is the daughter of Martin MacFusty and Ottilie Lovegood. She is the younger sister of Radley MacFusty, the younger twin of Leathan MacFusty, and the older sister of Adair and Clyde MacFusty.
Born on May 11th, 1973, she is a Pureblood witch and a Gryffindor, though her biggest fear is her House's element - fire.
Lileas is compassionate and fiercely loyal to her family, particularly her twin brother. While she has her traumas and anxieties, she is brave enough to face them. Her friendliness and sense of responsibility result in her appointment as a Prefect alongside Charlie Weasley. Lileas is particularly interested and talented in Charms, so she chooses a career related to them.
She is married to Ben Copper. Together, they have two children, Christina and Craig Copper.
In this story, Headmaster Black assigns Esther Hitchens and Cantankerus Nott a task in the Owlery. The former's allergy to owl feathers and the latter's general nastiness produce interesting results.
December 1897
Winter came to Hogwarts with startling precision: its very first days were accompanied by fierce snowstorms and frost. While the scenery was, undeniably, charming, Esther wrung her cold hands, secretly wishing for a milder weather. The torches on the walls did little to protect the school corridors from chill, and even her thick robe felt quite insufficient.
Besides, the elegant snowflakes on the windows were a reminder of the approaching end of the term, thus an inevitable shortage of free time. Of course, Esther had known worse schedules - Beauxbatons had more obligatory subjects and even higher demands - yet her alchemic aspirations required an advanced level of many disciplines, and she bent over backwards to do her absolute best. At least her efforts would be rewarded in the foreseeable future: Hogwarts was about to host a masquerade ball.
Esther had to admit that her fifth year had been a little bland in terms of festivities. Used to frequent dances at Beauxbatons, she had been surprised when at Hogwarts, months passed by with no amusement of the sort. As Quidditch had been cancelled as well, she theorised that the school must have had financial issues and used a bit of economy. Or mayhaps, the Headmaster was just in a peculiar state of humour. Esther couldn't pretend to understand him.
All in all, balls and Quidditch were both back this year, to everyone's immense excitement. Esther shared the general flutter, looking forward to seeing Hogwarts in its full majestic glory at last and already beginning to muse on a proper dress. It might have been a bit too early - right now, the better course would be to concentrate on her assignments, and finally writing a response to Bernadette's latest letter wouldn't hurt, either - but Esther couldn't help dreaming about dancing under the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall to the accompaniment of beautiful music.
Naturally, her thoughts had to be rudely interrupted.
Having planned a little study session, she was heading to the library - Esther never admitted it to any of her classmates, but she liked it significantly more than the Slytherin common room - when several voices sounded right behind the corner. She sighed with doom upon identifying one of them as the Headmaster's.
Indeed, he appeared in the corridor within a few seconds, walking in such a quick, abrupt pace that Professors Weasley and Ronen could barely match it. Even in his best mood, he was far from the most pleasant man to walk upon the earth, and now he looked very much disgruntled.
"It's a very serious business! The first event of such grandeur at Hogwarts in years! Naturally, we need to invite as many respected wizards and witches as possible. The Notts, the Gaunts... And many more."
Esther couldn't help shuddering at the thought of Ominis's parents - her own father's murderers - coming to school.
Professor Weasley looked worn out. She likely imagined the amount of work that would be placed on her shoulders, as the Headmaster was very unlikely to undertake anything other than unrealistic planning.
"Of course, sir, but the invitations need to be prepared shortly. And we only have so many owls."
"Then put those in the Owlery to work. Send someone to fetch them. Hitchens!" The professors stopped in their tracks, and so did Esther, her face habitually assuming a politely disinterested expression. It was a useful trick in a place governed by someone who felt intense repugnance towards her. "Yes, the girl can do it. The task is easy enough even for someone by the likes of her." His cold eyes regarded her for a moment. "However, there also needs to be a student to control the situation... Abraham, inform Mr. Nott without delay. I trust him to handle everything."
Esther's lips formed a thin, pale line. Why hadn't she used a different path? Mayhaps she wouldn't have been chosen if she hadn't happened to appear in the Headmaster's sight in an inopportune moment. Not only did he appoint Nott of all people to accompany her, but her job also involved owls. The very same owls whose feathers made her cough and sneeze.
Merlin knew, Esther avoided those birds to the best of her ability. She could tolerate a few at a reasonable distance, yet she was always out of the Great Hall by the time the post arrived in the mornings, developing a habit to take her breakfast early. And she could bet her copy of Nicolas Flamel's Alchemical Hieroglyphics that he knew about her allergy. Her mother, his sister, had it as well.
Professor Ronen offered her an encouraging smile. "I hope you complete your mission before our repetition in the evening. Young Mr. MacKenzie learned that French piece that you had given him and is very eager to demonstrate it to you."
Esther managed a smile in return. She loved the Frog Choir, but since they were supposed to perform during the ball, it started to turn into another load of pressure.
"I'll do my best, sir. It's good to hear that Macaulay liked my little present."
The Headmaster cleared his throat with obvious irritation, now addressing her directly. "Off you go, Hitchens. In case you haven't noticed, it's an urgent matter."
Esther nodded stiffly. Having changed schools once, she didn't want to be sent packing again, and due to impulsive disobedience no less. Hogwarts grew on her, after all.
***
Other than the initial sneer at the time of their meeting near the main entrance, Nott was silent during the entire road, and his pensive expression stirred Esther's internal unease. None of it was reflected in her movements - as a matter of fact, she wore her demonstrative look, stony and almost haughty, that Mina came to call her Black face, for it made her and the Headmaster look incredibly alike - yet she didn't feel safe in the slightest. When she entered Hogwarts almost a year and a half ago, it quickly became clear that Nott was not only bothersome, but also quite malicious. Needless to say, the Headmaster did nothing to keep his favourite student in check.
Esther had always waited outside when her friends needed to mail a letter, so she stepped on the threshold of the Owlery for the very first time. Immediately, she wished her lungs had been strong enough to hold breath for the entirety of her stay there. Feathers of various colours were flying around, and the owls were watching her with their huge curious eyes, unaware of how their presence affected her.
As though sensing her lack of fondness, a big brown owl ignored her entirely when Esther tried to cage it. Nott made a sound to attract the bird's attention and sent her a mocking smirk when it sat on his extended arm without any problems.
"That's how it's done, Hitchens," he drawled. "As a Muggle's spawn, you should be grateful to have a noble Pureblood sparing his time to teach you."
"If one's nobility is measured by how high they can turn their nose up, you're very noble indeed," Esther said quietly, but the stillness of the Owlery let her be heard perfectly well. Her voice had already started sounding hoarse to her ears, and her eyes were stinging.
"You should better hush, or you'll fall apart right here and now," Nott commented with the same condescension, but his eyes grew angrier. "The fact that such traditionally magical creatures as owls reject you says a lot about you, Mudblood."
Esther felt her blood boil as he pronounced the last word. Mira would have beaten him senseless. She was very different from her sister, naturally, but not without a bit of the same all-consuming fire. After all, what could Nott do that he hadn't done before?
"I'm a Half-Blood, and the one with a Black mother besides. It's not good for a bigot to mess their own perverted vocabulary up."
Nott gritted his teeth, and Esther turned away, returning to her work. The next owl was slightly more cooperative, and while her productivity couldn't really match Nott's, most of the cages were soon filled with birds, some docile and others more indignant. Esther absently thought that if someone received payment for tending to the place, they kept fooling the administration of the school spectacularly. Nott wrinkled his nose hilariously at the sight and smell of feces, making her snicker to her heart's content. Her stuffy nose was useful at least somewhere, it seemed.
Supported by Nott's spell, the cages were floating around and followed him outside as soon as he deemed the work done. Esther made a move towards the exit as well, yet Nott suddenly halted, blocking her way. When he looked at her, the look in his eyes was every bit as calculating as before.
"You know what, Hitchens? Headmaster Black tries to put you in your place, and he's doing right, but you seem unable to take the hint. What about a slightly harsher lesson? All for your education, of course."
His wand moved swiftly, and Esther found herself falling backwards, her contact with the floor resulting in searing pain. She jerked forward immediately, drawing her own wand out, but it was too late: Nott shut the door from the outside. The mutter of several spells could be heard across the decaying piece of wood.
Esther waved her wand, yet instead of an enchantment, her mouth let out a rough cough. Breathing through her nose seemed impossible, and her throat felt drier than a desert. Apparently, all the moisture went to her eyes, making uncontrollable tears run down her cheeks. The remaining owls around her flipped their wings, hooing without a care.
Her symptoms had never been this severe, but then, her mother actively shielded her from the owls, knowing the consequences of such a contact firsthand. And now, with tens of birds in close proximity, Esther experienced pure dread. The spells she did manage to croak out failed to affect the door in any meaningful way.
She shivered, both from the rising fear and the freezing wind from the open windows under the very top of the considerably high tower. They were left in such a state in any weather for the owls to fly back and forth freely, she supposed. Climbing the stairs upwards again with considerable difficulty, Esther wondered what fate was better: shutting the sashes closed and suffocating or breathing fresh air but turning into an ice statue. Her warming spell could only help so much.
Inhaling loudly and with effort, she leaned heavily on the windowsill, as dirty as the rest of this forsaken place. Esther lit her wand up, studying the old bird seats and a half-empty bag of corn, carelessly thrown in the corner. Her blurry eyes noted a mop nearby, only to widen as they distinguished the emblem of a broom-making company on it. It looked even more ancient than the school brooms from a Quidditch closet, apparently having been used for cleaning rather than flying, but it was most definitely a broom. In the Owlery of all places.
Esther squeezed it with shaking hands. Neither a formidable flyer nor a completely hopeless one, she sometimes humoured Mina and circled around the Quidditch Pitch with her. Her meagre skill must be enough to get her back to school.
The wind, if possible, howled even more violently when she protruded outwards, and her respiratory system produced another fit of coughing, glad for the lack of owl feathers but passionately disliking the temperature. For the first time since her arrival at Hogwarts, Esther cursed the underwater windows of the Slytherin dormitories. She usually enjoyed gazing at the inhabitants of the Black Lake from a cozy couch, but now such a position deprived her of the chance to reach her potion box directly, and the Owlery stood far enough from the school as it was. Barely seeing the outlines of the spires in the creeping twilight, or feeling her fingers for that matter, Esther pointed her wobbly broom to the ground. The landing was rocky, as the broom insisted on doing whatever it wanted, yet the relief that filled her was unimaginable.
The school corridors now felt decidedly warmer comparing to just a few hours ago. Esther stopped by the solid stone wall, hiding from the gusts of wind. Her chest felt cold, and her exhales came out of her throat in wheezes. With any luck, she would still be able to come to the choir repetition. Probably.
"Miss Hitchens?"
She didn't need to tear her stare away from the floor to recognise the low, deep voice as Professor Sharp's. In a few seconds, she felt one of his hands rest on her shoulder, steadying her, while the other searched for something in the many pockets of his robe. Esther was gratified to see that it was a vial of the Pepperup Potion.
"What happened?" he asked as soon as she swallowed the liquid.
"The Headmaster told me to go to the Owlery," came her clipped response. "I'm allergic."
Professor Sharp frowned. "You need more medicine. Follow me."
Esther must have looked a fright, with snow in her disheveled hair, red-trimmed eyes and wildly flushed cheeks with frozen tear trails. Her legs barely moved, yet she managed to keep up.
"Aren't we going to the classroom?" she asked huskily when he skipped the staircase that led to the dungeons. "Or to the Hospital Wing?"
"The first option has no fireplace, and you require warmth as quickly as possible," Professor Sharp stated. "The second is crowded. Plenty of students fall ill this time of the year."
So the Faculty Tower it was. Esther dragged herself to the fourth floor, waiting as Professor Sharp moved his wand, willing the passage to open.
She had never visited the quarters of the professors before, and in her current condition, her curiosity about her surroundings was quite diminished. Still, she noted that the room was spacious and snuggly, its design differing from what could stereotypically be expected from a Slytherin. Cauldrons of various materials and sizes were scattered around with surprising lack of structure, and the many flasks preserved the brews that Esther very much wanted to inquire about as soon as she felt better.
To be honest, she already did, as the Pepperup was blissfully quick to react. Still, she was ushered into one of the armchairs near the fire and given a thick blanket, along with a potion that she recognised as the one soothing the allergy symptoms.
"You once told me that you always have potions with you, Miss Hitchens," Professor Sharp said a little gruffly. Esther looked up at him, attempting to measure the level of his annoyance, but only saw the hidden worry in his eyes.
She genuinely didn't want to cause any trouble for him. He was one of her favourite professors, and she rather hoped he didn't consider her a mere nuisance by the likes of Garreth Weasley, whom Esther liked a good deal but could still understand Professor Sharp's impatience with. After all, even with his reputation of a strict and demanding teacher, he allowed her to use his classroom for her practices and experiments. They even happened to talk during their work.
"It was a very hurried business," she admitted. "I only managed to grab my cloak before I had to meet Nott. The weather worsened very recently, and I haven't transferred my portable potions there yet."
"What of Nott?"
"He and I were assigned to go together. He locked me in the Owlery and returned on his own, though. I think he might have cast a dark spell on the door. I'm not familiar with it, but the Latin words he used didn't have a very positive meaning."
Professor Sharp's scowl deepened. "Attempted murder and possible usage of dark magic. How wonderful."
Leaving her stuck in a desolate place that could invoke a lethal allergic reaction did sound like attempted murder. Esther flinched involuntarily.
"It will be reported. Such behaviour from a schoolboy! The likes of him grow into wizards and witches whom Aurors have to chase around the world."
For a moment, Esther remembered Sebastian's disturbing fascination with darkness. Then, her thoughts turned to her father.
"The Headmaster will protect him from any repercussions, and if he doesn't, the Notts will. Nobody wants to anger influential families." The last sentence came out more bitter than she had intended. Bob Hitchens met a horrible and premature end, and the Gaunts weren't given as much as a slap on the wrist.
Esther knew Professor Sharp was watching her, but she refused to look away from the fire.
"I won't inconvenience you any further, sir. Thank you very much for your help. I feel quite recovered," she assured. "I recall having a few questions in terms of my personal project. Would it be possible for me to consult with you a little later?"
"Of course, Miss Hitchens. Not today, however. You need to rest."
Esther decided against telling him that she still had some singing to do. She hoped her throat could forgive her a bit of additional exertion.
***
Despite the remainders of coughing and a pretty bad headache, Esther was navigating her classes as though nothing was wrong, refusing any attempts to send her to the Hospital Wing. A healthy amount of sleeping hours and a bright sunny day with no trace of yesterday's snowfall restored her spirits significantly and readied her for a long day.
Naturally, she was watching Nott like a hawk, and he had the gall to look unpleasantly surprised when she entered the Transfiguration classroom in a perfectly decent state, landing on her usual seat, second from the front in the right row. Did he seriously expect her to curl up on the Owlery floor, begging Merlin for mercy? What a fool. A dangerously hostile fool.
The last class was Potions, and by the time Professor Sharp started explaining how to brew the Laughing Potion in an unimpressed manner that didn't suit the topic in the slightest, Esther was sufficiently fed up with Nott's presence. It was usually easier to coexist with him, as she was hardly the only person he tormented, yet his antics grated on her nerves particularly strongly after the Owlery venture.
Stirring the potion more automatically than consciously, Esther was analysing the situation. All of her fellow Slytherins disliked Nott, and the Gryffindors with whom they shared the N.E.W.T. class even more so. None of them would benefit from turning her in. Professor Sharp was busy looking through their essays.
Having added Knarl quills to his brew, Nott headed to the closet, likely to collect some Puffskein hair. Esther looked at his cauldron for a long moment, gathering her courage. Potion-making was a delicate art, with even the tiniest surplus or shortage of a certain ingredient capable of ruining everything. One excessive quill was more than enough.
After all, wreaking havoc wasn't Esther's intension. She just wanted to take her revenge, and her safe options were very few.
The potion began bubbling incessantly, and Esther turned away, tending to her own brew. Nott ran back to his place, incomprehension plain on his face, and had the misfortune to be the chief victim of the following explosion.
In all honesty, it was nowhere near big. Nott's desk was the only one to suffer substantial damage, and Esther waved her wand, cleaning the surface and restoring the overthrown cauldron to its initial position. She didn't bother to do anything about Nott's hair or clothes.
Garreth whistled cheerfully, ignoring the murderous look on Nott's face.
"Twenty points from Slytherin and a week of detention," Professor Sharp said coldly. Esther wasn't terribly disappointed about the points: she never quite got the spirit of House rivalry. "It was written very clearly in the recipe that you need precisely three Knarl quills."
"But-" Nott stuttered, suddenly interrupted by a giggle that escaped his own mouth. The next second, he doubled over, laughing so hard that his eyes soon started to water.
"Miss Wotton, fetch an antidote for Mr. Nott from the closet," Professor Sharp ordered.
Georgiana looked like she'd rather fetch a poison but replied with a nod and got up from her seat. Having swallowed a half-ready potion with no horseradish powder in it, Nott went almost hysterical and was now desperately gasping for breath, which Esther found oddly fitting. She didn't consider herself a vicious person by nature. After all, he was in no serious danger.
The rest of the lesson flowed smoothly. While Nott was scrubbing his cauldron, visibly fuming from humiliation, Esther sang a barely audible tune under her nose as she finished her potion. Professor Sharp asked them all to leave the samples on his table.
"You're free to go," he said at last. "I only ask Miss Hitchens to stay."
Esther paused in the middle of putting her textbook into her bag. As soon as the room turned completely silent, she raised her eyes at the professor.
"I hope it was the last such occasion," he spoke seriously, but his voice didn't contain real censure.
And so he did see her little stunt. Looking at his face carefully, Esther decided not to deny the obvious. "I apologise for the mess I created. In my defence, I cleaned most of it myself. Also, I lament the waste of good ingredients, so I doubt my conscience will allow me to repeat it." The last phrase earned her a smirk. Esther gave it a try: "If you knew it was me, why did you still punish Nott?"
Professor Sharp only shook his head, still smirking. "Yesterday, you mentioned that you had questions about the project. If I'm not mistaken, you have no more classes. So, I'm all ears."
This post is dedicated to Esther and Miranda Hitchens, the daughters of Bob Hitchens and Iola Black. It also contains quite a few headcanons about Beauxbatons and the Black family.
Julius and Phineas Hearst, as well as the Elysians, belong to @helenadurazzo
Cygnus Black, Ella Max, and their four children: Sirius, Phineas Nigellus, Elladora, Iola
Don't mind Phineas Nigellus's Picrew, I tried to make it as similar to his HL look as possible, lol
Iola Black was the daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, which automatically meant much drama and trouble for the entirety of her life. The youngest child of Cygnus Black and Ella Max, born in 1851, she had no memory of her father, who died mere months after her birth in some reckless adventure of his. Neither did she know her brother Sirius, whose seemingly innocent cold turned into a full-fledged fever and took his life when the boy was barely eight. However, Iola grew under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, mother, Aunt Misapinoa and Uncle Arcturus, who later became her stepfather.
The marriage of Cygnus and Ella took place when both were very young, and was a part of a deal between the Black and the Travers families. As there was no Travers bride of the suitable age, the choice fell on the daughter of a Travers lady, who had married a Max. The union was entirely loveless, but produced four children. Ella's particular favourites were Sirius and Elladora, yet she didn't quite like Phineas Nigellus and cared little for Iola. Cygnus's death brought her no despair, save for the one of losing the position of an heir's wife; however, the fate of her eldest son scarred her for life.
Several years later, Ella married her deceased husband's younger brother Arcturus, whom she liked way more and who allowed her to remain in the Black family circle and wield some influence. It caused considerable indignation among the Blacks, as Arcturus was supposed to establish new connections with his eventual marriage. In 1860, they had a son, Rasalas, yet Ella never loved any of her living children as much as she did the ghost of her dear Sirius, with only Elladora coming close.
Rasalas was the only sibling Iola was genuinely fond of, and she often helped to nurse and educate him. Phineas Nigellus and Elladora were too cold and haughty for her taste, and out of her three Blishwick cousins, she only liked the youngest, Hadrian. Like the vast majority of the Blacks, Iola became a student of the Slytherin House. However, her best friend was a Ravenclaw by the name of Walter Ellington. Some even expected them to wed eventually, yet their friendship was entirely platonic, and Walter soon announced his engagement to Lorna Lovegood.
Iola was aware that her mother placed all her hopes of a successful match on her, as she liked keeping Elladora near too much to encourage her to join another family. At first, she tried to avoid matchmaking at all costs, claiming to be occupied with her career in Healing and Potion-making, as well as making lengthy visits as far from her relatives as possible. Yet, she couldn't hide forever, so she began to consider potential suitors. Those who pleased her family inevitably disgusted Iola, and those she could hope to like turned out taken or weren't interested or were of too lowly an origin for the pride of the House of Black.
One day, Iola ended up attending a muggle ball with Walter as her partner, as the Ellingtons were among the families that didn't reject such invitations out of arrogance and sense of superiority. There, she accidentally stumbled upon a crying child. Iola loved children and was rather skilled in dealing with them, so she was able to soothe the boy, Hugh Hitchens, with relative ease. It was how she ended up meeting his father.
Robert Hitchens, or simply Bob, was a well-to-do landowner of a noble lineage, being the grandson of a baron on his mother's side. Being the only child of a good family and having lost his father quite early, he managed the affairs of his estate, which was located near Bath, as well as the surrounding land. To aid his ailing mother and make the house less gloomy, he took a wife, who gave birth to Hugh. However, both of the women soon left him, his mother dying of a disease and his wife not surviving a carriage accident.
Iola was charmed by him and his son since that very first meeting and seeked new opportunities to cross paths in the months to come. Various events allowed them to spend much time together, and they fell in love, deciding to get married. Bob, an intelligent and courteous man, was determined to ask for her family's blessing, yet Iola dissuaded him, knowing that it would end very badly. She left the Black residence discreetly and without any regrets. Her suitcase contained only her most precious possessions, including a golden crown with stars and onyxes, her uncle's present. Bob searched for a perfect ring for Iola meticulously and eventually found one with an intricate crest, believing she would love it. Iola was flabbergasted to recognise it as the Black family crest. The ring turned out to be an heirloom, previously in possession of Apollonia Black and considered long lost.
Only Rasalas, the Ellingtons, Hadrian, and Noctua Gaunt, a good acquaintance of Iola's with whom she shared many grievances about their families, were present on the wedding on the bride's side, though Rasalas did so secretly as not to face repercussions. Phineas Nigellus, officially the head of the Black family after the death of his grandfather Licorus, personally disowned Iola and burned her portrait off the family tapestry, passionately renouncing her as his sister. Ella was completely disappointed, saying that instead of heirs, Iola's children would be pathetic Half-Bloods by the whim of their thoughtless mother. Elladora proposed to cut off the heads of Iola's husband and any children they would have, the practice she often used on the old house-elves.
Together, Bob and Iola had two daughters: Esther Emma Hicthens, born on September 1st, 1880, and Miranda Hannah Hitchens, born on June 7th, 1886. The first names were chosen by Iola and continued the star thematic of the Black family while Bob picked the middle names to honour his mother. His own name alluded to his mother's maiden name, Robinson. Emma was the lady's first name, and Hannah was the name she had wished to give her daughter, the one she never ended up having. The girls were affectionately called Essie and Mira by their family and friends.
Esther looked like a Black through and through, with her grey eyes and black wavy hair that was, fortunately, more manageable than her mother's unruly curls. Miranda's appearance mirrored her father's, her hair being straight and brown, and her eyes likewise brown. Hugh's features and clear blue eyes gave him a stronger resemblance to his mother's family. His hair was also a lighter shade of brown than Bob's and Mira's.
The relationship between Hugh and his father's second family proved that it was, in fact, possible for one man's children by different wives to get along. Iola treated Bob's son as though he were her own, and was warmly respected in return. The children never perceived each other as only half-siblings. Hugh was fond of his sisters and, having inherited his father's kindness and good humour, often indulged their games and antics. Thanks to the input of his stepmother, whom he grew used to call mother, Hugh knew quite a lot about the wizarding world. Being particularly interested in art and photography, he was fascinated by the moving portraits and pictures Iola got him.
In 1888, Iola's favourite brother Rasalas got married to Marthe Auclair, the younger sister of Maurice Auclair. The Auclair business had previously experienced a crisis, which forced the head of the family to arrange a match between his heir and Adele Lefebvre, the daughter of a less prominent but wealthy family, to get financial support and provide political standing to the Lefebvres in return. Marthe's marriage into one of the most prestigious British pureblood families was believed to be a blessing which would recover the reputation of the Auclairs completely. Rasalas, not quite as progressive and enthusiastic about the non-magical population as his sister, as well as mindful of his image, didn't invite Iola and her family to the wedding. While Iola understood his reasons and, frankly, didn't much wish to see her relatives and sister-in-law Ursula Flint (who, in her opinion, was almost as unpleasant as Phineas Nigellus), she couldn't help feeling offended and hurt.
Rasalas Black and his daughter by Marthe Auclair, Alcyone Black
Bob and Iola's marriage was very happy, but rather short. In 1889, Bob went to a different town on business and was unlucky enough to encounter the Gaunts, who resided there. Fond of torturing Muggles for the fun of it, the heavily prejudiced family made Bob their new target. He was hit with the Cruciatus Curse multiple times, and his cries for help were so horrible that Ominis Gaunt begged his relatives to show the man mercy. The next spell Bob received after the boy's words was Avada Kedavra, for the only mercy the Gaunts were capable of was death.
Iola, worried about her husband's long absence, came to the town herself and found his body. Though the Muggle doctors stated that he must have taken a bad fall and had brain hemorrhage, the witch knew what the death by the Killing Curse looked like and put two and two together quickly. Moreover, Noctua herself came to apologise for her family's actions and offer her sincere condolences, briefly meeting both of Iola's girls during her visit. It was the last time the two of them had seen each other, for Noctua soon departed to the Slytherin Scriptorium and never returned. Another loss that quite shook Iola, though it happened a few years later, was that of her cousin Hadrian Blishwick. He was an Auror and perished in the same battle where his colleague, Aesop Sharp, got his injury.
The news of Bob's untimely demise shook the family badly. Hugh, only seventeen, was forced to take over his father's work. Usually quite open to communication, he closed off and hardly ever left the estate for some time, even losing his enthusiasm for the things he had previously loved. Iola didn't tell him the truth about Bob's death, fearing that he would come to loathe magic, as well as not wishing to add another burden on his shoulders. Esther, a girl of nine at that time, was utterly devastated, for she adored her father. She was the only person whom Iola told about the magical nature of Bob's passing, without any details. Mira was only three and preserved few memories of Bob.
Phineas Nigellus thought that Iola would crawl back to the Black residence after the death of her husband due to not having anything to live on. Needless to say, Iola never did. Unlike Hugh, she didn't lock herself away in her grief, but applied for a more active job at St. Mungo's instead of selling potions from home in order not go mad within four walls. She also preserved her place as the mistress of the house, doing her best to help her stepson.
Since Iola was now often away, Hugh looked after the girls, playing an almost paternal role in Miranda's upbringing. Esther was often put under Rasalas and Marthe's guidance in France, as Iola wanted to prepare her for the future while also placing her in safety. Hearing how particularly anti-Muggle Hogwarts became during Phineas Nigellus's time as the Headmaster (the appointment Iola had once laughed at and called absolutely idiotic), she decided to send Essie and her friend to Beauxbatons.
Said friend, Wilhelmina Dallimore, whom Esther tended to call Mina, came from a neighbouring family, was discovered to be a Muggleborn witch at some point of their acquaintance, and thus taken under Iola's wing. The girls were close as children, and going to the same school in a different country made them only closer.
Mina Dallimore
Potions and Alchemy were always considered to be the main specialisation of Beauxbatons, which suited Esther perfectly. Having watched her mother make brews and learned many a particular, she was curious about these sciences since her very childhood. She also excelled in Herbology and was good at Transfiguration. Still, it was Alchemy that she felt particularly passionate about. The subject was compulsory at Beauxbatons, and Esther learned everything she could about the experiments with genuine fascination. In particular, Spagyric, the plant alchemy, piqued her interest, especially since there were few studies on it, undeservedly so. As Nicolas Flamel was the benefactor of Beauxbatons, he sometimes gave lectures on Alchemy there, and Essie attended them all.
Beauxbatons was usually associated with elegance, which was an accurate description, yet few of the outsiders cared to remember that such an appearance was created by strict order and discipline. A student's looks must be neat, and their manners refined and pleasing. The freshmen even had special classes dedicated to the rules of conduct in the wizarding society, as well as the traditions of various beings. Beauxbatons also paid a lot of attention to the classical aspects of education, particularly music and languages. Most of its students were well-versed in dancing, Esther being one of them and enjoying the process very much. She also took singing lessons, and her naturally lovely voice helped her become quite good at it.
In addition, the grounds of Beauxbatons were famous for their organised lawns and labyrinths of shrubberies, as well as enormous flower beds. Roses were the particular pride of the academy, and Essie even took a couple of them with her, charming them so that they preserved their beauty. She really liked her school despite some of its faults.
As Esther often said, Beauxbatons wasn't only about the duels of wands, but also the duels of words. The French Academy of Magic had an insane competition due to the huge amount of students from various countries, and many did their best to fight for their place under the sun. Some chose to do so with hard work and patience, as did Esther, others attempted flattery, certain individuals gladly made their rivals trip to promote their own chances. Esther quickly learned that if she wished to achieve something and stand out, she must prepare to be always vigilant. Though she and Mina made some good friends, particularly Bernadette Auclair, the daughter of Maurice and Adele whom Esther also knew since childhood, as well as their other roommate Carmen Reyes, there were way less friendly students in their year. Renard Tremblay, the cousin of Falco and Clarisse Tremblay, was a prominent example. Coming from a noble French family, he felt superior to the non-Pureblood girls and happened to mock them, not without receiving a hex in return.
Beauxbatons taught Esther equanimity, restraint, and shrewdness. It wasn't too hard a lesson since her demeanour was naturally calm, and she possessed innate intelligence. Essie even jokingly claimed that she was lucky not to inherit the Black fierceness, which sometimes turned into madness. She preferred to take things slow, disliking rush and abrupt change. Though she was unfailingly polite and kind, with all the gentleness of the world reserved for her loved ones, some considered her unfeeling due to her self-control and mostly rational approach. In addition, her sense of humour could be quite wry and biting. Esther had a pet, or rather, she took one of her mother's pets with her to school. Being allergic to owl feathers, Iola used her ravens, Huginn and Munnin, for communication. Since Essie inherited her allergy, she made Munnin, her favourite of the two, her own familiar.
In contrast to Esther, Mina was outspoken and quite reckless, seeking excitement rather than peace. She quickly became very fond of flying and Quidditch, playing in school matches as a Chaser and even dragging Essie along to a professional one. Nowhere near as enthusiastic about Potions and Alchemy as her best friend, Mina still sometimes kept her company during her practices and witnessed quite a few of her experiments. During one of them, her intervention actually saved Esther from harm. Mina pushed her friend away from the explosion, sustaining mild burns herself, much to Essie's horror. After this accident, she developed the habit of automatically conjuring a shield the second something seemed suspicious.
Esther and Wilhelmina studied at Beauxbatons for four years. Since the number of children who were willing to enter it exceeded the school's capabilities, the management decided to only accept those who belonged there by birth and couldn't be transferred closer to their place of residence. Two English girls, whose place was, by default, at Hogwarts, were on the top of their chopping list. Esther made sure Professor Weasley was contacted rather than the Headmaster, knowing that they wouldn't be accepted otherwise, and Matilda took great pleasure in welcoming Phineas Nigellus's Half-Blood niece and her Muggleborn friend at Hogwarts for their fifth year behind his back.
The witches were introduced to the Headmaster on the first day of the studies. Phineas Nigellus first wondered if Mina was a relative of the Weasleys, with her red hair and freckles, but quickly forgot about her when Esther was announced. Not unexpectedly, Professor Weasley received a lecture about letting such unworthy individuals into the school, which ended with a warning to Esther: should she make one wrong movement, she would be expelled. Such behaviour confirmed all of her mother's snide remarks on the Blacks, and Essie found herself heartily disliking the Headmaster. Alas, she would have many more reasons to loathe him in the future.
During the sorting ceremony, Mina became a student of the Gryffindor House. However, this option was immediately excluded for Esther, seeing as she was too careful and cautious to be a lion. Having briefly considered Ravenclaw, the Hat hesitated between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Essie would have preferred the latter, as the former was famous for Pureblood supremacy that she didn't want to deal with, yet the decision was made in favour of the snakes.
Surprisingly, most of the Slytherins in her year were quite friendly. Essie co-lived pleasantly with her roommates, growing particularly close to Violet McDowell. Being the Slytherin Prefect of their year, Violet helped her a lot with her transfer troubles. She encouraged a slightly competitive friendship between Imelda and Mina since both were great flyers, all while using her purely Hufflepuff compassion to help Nerida and Grace in their respective quests. Esther also rather liked Sebastian and eagerly accepted his invitation to the Crossed Wands, however, his dark inclinations eventually led them to go separate ways.
As for adapting and meeting more people, Essie received eager help from Basil and Farrah Ellington, the latter more than the former, as they knew each other since childhood due to the friendship their parents shared. Esther also bonded with Garreth Weasley over their shared passion for Potions, and with Natsai Onai over their transferring experience. She would also grow closer to Georgiana with time, and the two would work together on the projects connected to Healing.
Still, her payment for having nice classmates was the simultaneous existence of an extremely nasty one. Cantankerus Nott was obsessed with blood purity and family lineages, so he immediately classified Esther's family situation as "dirty Muggle blood spoiling such an impeccable Black heritage" and caused unrest on multiple occasions. For instance, he once closed Esther in the Owlery, all while being fully aware of her allergy to owl feathers. One day, Cantankerus would create a list of noble Pureblood families, known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. However, his choice of them wouldn't be entirely impartial. For instance, Georgiana Wotton and Phineas Hearst wouldn't find their surnames there due to being in conflict with Nott.
Given Esther's enmity with the Headmaster, her cold head was still very much needed. Ever since their distasteful first meeting, she decided to preserve her place at Hogwarts by being quiet, respectful, and mindful of the rules. She put a lot of effort into her studies and paid particular attention to Potions and Herbology. Professor Garlick quickly warmed to her, appreciating her help in the greenhouses; Professor Sharp wasn't against letting her practise her brews in his classroom, with their comfortable silence sometimes interrupted by small conversations.
The absence of Alchemy baffled and upset her immensely, and she tried to compensate it with books and new experiments, eventually collaborating with Julius Hearst to get a sufficient number of students to be able to take Alchemy as an elective course. The eventual list included the two of them, Stanley Midway, Garreth Weasley, Cressida Blume, Georgiana Wotton, Sebastian Sallow, Zsuzsi Shröder, and Adelaide Oakes. Professor Sharp was selected to give Alchemy lessons, and he wasn't very fond of the prospect, but with time, the so-called Alchemy Club grew on him. The students also became united among themselves. Esther received the nickname 'Lady Alchemist'. Her friendship with Julius strengthened, and his brother even believed they were a couple.
Esther's newly-found balance was destined to be ruined rapidly, though. At some point, she happened to get caught in the crossfire of a fight against the goblins, which led to her closer acquaintance with Phineas Hearst. While Essie did well at DADA, she wasn't an extremely talented dueller and could hardly stand her ground in a serious battle. Phineas proposed her to join him on his trainings, and Esther came to aid him in his researches, especially since she knew quite a bit about the goblins. Yet, the activities she found herself involved in often differed from what was allowed, so she did her best to stay unnoticed. It didn't prevent Phineas Nigellus from voicing his often ridiculous suspicions. For instance, he even claimed that Esther's loyalty to Hogwarts was just an act, and she was, in fact, helping the goblins. Essie couldn't quite understand if he genuinely believed it was so, or simply wanted to damage her reputation.
In spite of all the issues Esther had to face, Hogwarts granted her an unexpected ally. He was watching her intently ever since she first entered the Great Hall, and upon looking at him more closely, Essie recognised the boy she had met and briefly talked to during one of her visits to the Diagon Alley. When she got lost on one of her first days at school, he offered her help and introduced himself as Phineas Black. Esther was suspicious about his intentions at first, believing that he only meant to mock her, yet Phineas was completely sincere.
He was a year older than her and the only one of Phineas Nigellus Black's five children who didn't believe in the Pureblood supremacy. Thus, he didn't consider developing a good relationship with his Half-Blood cousin, whom he was very curious about, below his dignity. Esther was surprised at how easily they got along, and how quickly she began to feel the sort of intimacy that very few inspired with him. However, they had to be discreet about their friendship, as Phineas Nigellus was very likely to do everything to prevent it. Arcturus, Phineas's younger brother, noticed their interactions and tried to dissuade Phineas from ever talking to Esther again. Still, young Arcturus loved his brother enough not to report his every step to their father.
Phineas Nigellus Black, Ursula Flint and their five children: Sirius, Phineas, Arcturus, Belvina, Cygnus
Phineas had an imaginary scale of his siblings' awfulness. Arcturus was the least problematic of them, followed closely by Sirius, who had already graduated. He was often irritated by Phineas Nigellus, but not due to his glaringly unfair conduct as the Headmaster, but because he was overbearingly controlling and tended to ruin the fun Sirius was trying to have. Belvina and Cygnus were almost equally spoiled, having inherited all the arrogance and pompousness of their parents. Belvina was particularly attached to her father and proud of his position as the Headmaster. In the future, she would name one of her sons Nigellus. Cygnus's own behaviour greatly resembled that of his descendant, Draco Malfoy. His prejudice and disdain would reach their peak in his horrible treatment of his son Marius, who would be born a squib.
Phineas played in the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Seeker and was furious at Phineas Nigellus for banning Quidditch. However, his attempts to persuade his father to lift the ban alongside Imelda were fruitless. Still, even though Phineas was no favourite son of his, Phineas Nigellus proposed to make him a Captain the following year, when the students' restlessness forced him to let the season happen. The Headmaster saw no problem with using his position to give his children more influence. For instance, he had pushed Sirius to become a Prefect, though he was clearly not qualified for it. Phineas refused with indignation, defending Imelda's right to be the Captain. She was a good friend of his, and he admired her drive and enthusiasm to bring victory to their team. Esther had little fondness for flying, but she sometimes accompanied her friends to the Pitch, pleased to see a blooming friendship between Phineas and Mina that would eventually turn into something more.
Though Phineas was done enough with his family not to mind being disowned, Essie resorted to various tricks to undermine their closeness in the eyes of their fellow Slytherins to avoid consequences. For example, she used the identical names of her cousin and friend to her advantage and made it seem like she always referred to Phineas Hearst. Among her trusted fellows, Essie could call him Finn, a nickname that would soon get glued to him. She also enjoyed addressing him as her cousin since she grew up with no cousins, her father being an only child, and so treasured their bond very much.
On the summer after her fifth year, Esther invited Phineas to visit her family's estate. He gladly accepted, telling his parents that he would go to a friend's place. Iola embraced her nephew with all of her characteristic warmth; Hugh found an intriguing interlocutor who was extremely interested in the Muggle world; Mira made him her playmate. It was easily the most carefree summer in Phineas Black's life.
Another bond that changed Esther's life quite a bit was the one she formed with Ominis Gaunt. Their relationship had a rocky beginning due to Sebastian inviting Esther to the Undercroft without Ominis's permission, but they soon got along and gravitated towards each other in an almost unconscious way, going from exchanging small comments to getting engaged in long conversations. They had the same values and beliefs; Ominis loved the sound of Esther's voice. From the very first months of their acquaintance, they started developing feelings for each other.
By the end of Essie's first term at Hogwarts, the two of them were already close enough to open up quite a lot to each other. It was when Esther spoke about her father and his early death. Ominis was horrified when the few particulars she knew gave him a clear understanding that the murder had been committed by his own relatives. He confessed his guess immediately and tried to beg for her forgiveness, but Esther, though shocked and pained, insisted that he was in no way responsible for the crime and had even attempted to help. She needed time to process the truth, but she never held Ominis accountable and proceeded with their communication as before.
During her winter holidays, Esther convinced her mother to reveal everything to Hugh and Mira. Hugh wasn't a revengeful sort and knew he could hardly oppose the wizards, but he was rather offended by the former concealment of truth. He asked if any measures had been taken to punish the guilty. Iola's answer was that she had made an attempt, yet the Ministry was unwilling to anger such an influential Pureblood family as the Gaunts.
Ominis told Esther many stories of his Aunt Noctua. His genuine attachment to her made Essie quite curious about the witch, who reminded her of her own mother. In the Scriptorium, she had a chance to meet Noctua's ghost and interact with her. Only then did she learn about the friendship between Iola and Noctua and remember her own short encounter with the latter. In the end, Esther overheard the ghost telling Ominis that she thought the two of them would make a great couple.
Their relationship officially began during the second term of their fifth year. When it came to the Christmas ball during their sixth year, Esther attended it with Basil Ellington, considering it a safe option since she needed cover while Basil didn't want to invite anyone after his breakup with Georgiana Wotton. Still, she managed to steal a dance with Ominis when Phineas Nigellus was sufficiently drunk, and Cantankerus had a tiny accident, organised by their friends.
While they were secretive about their relationship, with only the trusted friends knowing and their dates being very private, the situations that could make an onlooker suspicious did happen. For instance, Ominis once defended Esther against the Headmaster's accusations, automatically squeezing her hand in process. Phineas Nigellus didn't like it and made a scathing comment about the Gaunts never letting him take a mere Half-Blood for a wife.
While the Headmaster only meant to mock in that particular case, he soon began to consider the possibility of Ominis and Esther being together in truth. What fed his disagreeable conclusion were the quite transparent hints of one observant Cantankerus Nott, whom he even summoned to his office to question. Upon receiving all the confirmation he needed, Phineas Nigellus contacted the Gaunts, who in turn gave Ominis a violent lashing out, threatening to subject Esther to her father's fate if he didn't break up with her.
As hard as Ominis and Esther tried to find a solution, their options were few. They were yet schoolchildren, both dependant on their families, so running away and living separately was out of their reach, and frankly, too early and abrupt for Essie's sensibility. Staying with the Hitchens family was also considered uncertain since they could be opposed to it, given Bob's story, even if her and Ominis's romance resembled Iola's quite a bit. Still, she feared that should the Gaunts find them, their wrath would be unleashed on her mother and siblings, and she must protect them at all costs.
It was what eventually convinced Esther that what she had with Ominis for more than a year at that point had to be put to an end. The circumstances forced a difficult and painful breakup on them. While Esther was pretty good at putting a brave face, she still went to Phineas, Mina, and Julius for comfort. She also tried to soothe herself by repeating that it was the most optimal thing they could do, but she wasn't quite able to keep herself from tearing up as she did that.
Even though Esther did her best to keep her feelings to herself and insisted that new assignments would make a good distraction and lift her spirits, she did snap at Cantankerus, who made a nasty comment about her and Ominis within her hearing. Though her attack was only verbal, she had the misfortune to be overheard by Phineas Nigellus, who wasted no time in assigning her detentions. Professor Sharp, who was also present, suggested that Esther serve them in his classroom in an attempt to give her a less bothersome task at least, since the situation was as unfair as could be, but the Headmaster insisted that she clean the dusty rooms. In one of such rooms, Esther stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised, where she saw herself and Ominis as adults, with two girls that could only be their daughters.
It was in such troubled times that Hugh announced his engagement, albeit sorry that when he found his happiness, his sister lost hers. His fiancée, Saraswati Byrne, whom everyone called Sara, was the only daughter of Suscrita Shah. Much like her mother, Sara attended Cambridge under the disguise of a gentleman, reversing her name to call herself Aras Byrne. However, unlike her maternal family, she studied literature instead of astronomy. Being particularly fond of poetry and knowledgeable about languages, Sara worked as a translator and was glad to find an equally creative husband, with whom she could move in the circles of their fellow talented individuals and build a loving family.
Hugh Hitchens and Saraswati Byrne
They got married in the summer of 1898, with Sara's aunt Satyavati Shah and Phineas Black among the many guests. They would soon have two children: Sullivan, born in 1899 and given the middle name Robert, as well as Hillary, born in 1902. Surprisingly, Hillary would one day become the mother of Myrtle Warren, a Muggleborn witch who, much like her great-grandfather Bob, would become the victim of the Gaunts, or rather, their descendant Tom Riddle.
Though Iola said that the estate had a new mistress, therefore she and the girls must move out to let Hugh and Sara build their lives as they saw fit, Hugh insisted that they stay at least for some time, especially since he and his wife would go to their honeymoon. Iola, Esther and Miranda liked Sara very well, and the former took up teaching her daughter-in-law how to manage a household. It was to Sara that Esther often went for advice while in doubt.
They didn't have to wait too long for another drama to occur, though. Phineas Black, freshly graduated from Hogwarts, started working in the Ministry of Magic, as his family wanted. However, it was soon discovered that he had chosen the Muggle Liaison Office of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, which enraged his father. Still, Phineas Nigellus held hope that his second son could yet be influenced and transferred to a more respectable position. It lasted until young Phineas began to publicly support Muggle rights. Such behaviour, in the eyes of the Blacks, warranted disinheritance.
Esther was on her seventh year when it happened. She found out from the Daily Prophet, along with a letter from her cousin that came with it. Determined to help Phineas, she and Mira immediately contacted Hugh, asking to let him stay in the estate at least before he found himself his own accomodation. Hugh was amenable, and Iola basically adopted her nephew, treating him as a son. Phineas Nigellus, furious as he was, accused Esther of twisting Phineas's beliefs and demanded that she not aid him in any way, which she chose to ignore, as controlling her life outside of school was nowhere near his rights or obligations.
Esther's last year at Hogwarts brought her reconciliation with Ominis, as they valued each other's friendship too much to part ways completely. They would keep in touch after graduation as well. The time before her finals was spent on preparation and musings about her future. Esther initially entertained the thought of becoming an Unspeakable, but the prospect of joining the Centre for Alchemical Studies in Egypt outweighed the previous plan. Since entrance control was required in the centre, Esther undertook the preparations with utmost diligence, agreeing with Professors Sharp and Garlick to act more like their apprentice than a regular student during her last year.
Professor Garlick treated her more as a friend than an apprentice; they called each other by their first names in unofficial settings and promised to keep a correspondence. Her closer interactions with Professor Sharp let Esther discover more about him and his past, which made her appreciate him even more, a feeling that was completely mutual. Her attachments made it quite difficult for her leave Hogwarts, the school she once had to get used to because of unfavourable circumstances but eventually grew to love.
Esther's graduation was notable for Iola's presence and thus her first meeting with Phineas Nigellus in two decades. Unlike her daughter, Iola had no reservations against calling her brother out in a harsh and mocking manner. Moreover, Phineas Nigellus noticed the ring with the Black family crest on her finger, accused her of stealing it, and wanted to take it away from her, believing that it belonged to his line. Only Esther's intervention saved the party from a scandal.
That summer, Iola decided to move out of the estate at last, and Phineas found them a nice house on the Diagon Alley. He didn't live there for long, though, as he soon got married and relocated to Hogsmeade, where Mina worked as an assistant at Spintwitches. As passionate as she was about Quidditch, Mina had no aspirations to play professionally, but Georgiana Wotton's tales of wood for brooms made her very interested in their crafting. She would eventually get a job in a company that produced brooms. Upon their marriage, Phineas changed his surname to Dallimore, and his name to Finn, as his full name reminded him too much of his father.
Esther enjoyed herself in Egypt, diving deep into her researches. There, she met Ryder Prewett, Leander's older brother and the second son of the Prewett family, who worked in the local branch of Gringotts as a Curse-Breaker. They became friends, and Esther joined his Curse-Breaking group for her alchemic practices, helping them with the tasks connected to her field of study. Eventually, they tried to have a romantic relationship, but for all its shine and cheer comparing to the secrecy and calmness of her and Ominis's romance, it didn't last long. Perhaps Esther intentionally didn't let it be long since she had an unpleasant experience with the Purebloods of such rank and waited for the time when his family would forbid their union. Ryder didn't take the breakup well and was angry at Esther for a while. Ironically, he would one day marry Violet McDowell, her close friend, and they would be able to have a good-natured communication once again.
Returning to little Mira, the girl began her education at Hogwarts when her older sister was on her sixth year. She had none of Esther's natural tranquility, being way more spirited but no less cunning, so she entered the school with all the drive and boisterousness of many a Black, Iola among them. While Mira had no Beauxbatons to teach her the intricacies of social ties, she was forced to learn them at Hogwarts, and very quickly. Though the Sorting Hat seriously considered Gryffindor for her, Miranda eventually ended up in Slytherin, greeted eagerly by her sister and cousin but not by her classmates. Where luck had smiled upon Esther, it didn't spare much for Mira, as the snakes of her year were mostly convinced Purebloods. Belvina Black was the absolute worst of them.
Since their very first days at school, Belvina proved that she was nothing like her brother and sneered at Miranda constantly, calling her a filthy Half-Blood. Never the one to tolerate such attitude, Mira declared war and used every trick to make Belvina's life miserable in return. Their shared dormitory gave much room for action on both sides. While Mira adored being in the centre of attention and gathering people around herself, she didn't succeed with the Slytherins, as they either supported Belvina or kept quiet in order not to be bullied.
There was one Slytherin who remained unfazed by Belvina's threats, though. Valerian Lovegood, Basil and Farrah's cousin, was a rare snake among the eagles of his family, notable for minding his own business in his perfectly acceptable loneliness and only watching the people around with mild curiosity at best and annoyance at worst. Despite their obvious differences in temperament, Mira decided to approach him, and they made a great pair of friends.
The students from other houses joined in, forming a united circle. Caitlin Sparks, a Hufflepuff who came from a huge family, brought all the kindness of her House and much fun; Severn Macmillan from Ravenclaw, the heir of the Macmillans, was the most collected and witty person of their company; Demetria Weasley, mostly called Demie, was way more well-behaved than her brother Garreth, and her cuteness masked her fierce protectiveness of her friends.
Valerian Lovegood, Mira Hitchens, Caitlin Sparks, Severn Macmillan, Demie Weasley
Mira was a skilled flyer and played for the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Beater. Her favourite subjects were DADA and Beasts, for she was a more talented dueller comparing to Esther, and the creatures, particularly big and epic ones, fascinated her. However, all the gift for Potion-making ended up in Iola's and Esther's hands, with nothing left for Miranda. She also intentionally ignored Astronomy due to the associations with the Blacks. She was disgusted by the vast majority of them no less than Essie, yet she couldn't conceal it as well.
Some were surprised that Gryffindor hadn't been chosen for Mira in the end, as she was considerably more inclined to the fire element. Even her Patronus was a Fire Dwelling Salamander. Meanwhile Esther loved water and could swim very well, so her own charm took the form of a seagull.
Sometime on the second term of their fourth year, the Slytherins were going down the staircase after the Charms class to attend Herbology a few floors below. Belvina, deep in her inner plotting, accidentally tripped and fell all the way down. Her first instinct was to cover her embarrassment and accuse Miranda of pushing her. When the news reached Phineas Nigellus, he summoned Mira and the other students to his office, all while Belvina lay in the Hospital Wing with a sprained ankle and some bruises. She decided to go along with her lies, as it allowed her to save face and get rid of Miranda simultaneously. The witnesses repeated her version of the story, some eagerly and others fearfully, with the only exception of Valerian, who had walked right near Mira at the time of the accident and tried to give truthful testimony, but to no avail. The Headmaster saw his chance to cause trouble, and did just it.
Miranda was supposed to be expelled, and Valerian, as he was Pureblood, to be given detention for slander. As soon as it was known, Mirabel Garlick wrote a letter to inform Esther. Iola was abroad at that time, and there wasn't much time, which meant that Essie had to resolve the problem on her own.
Though it happened in the middle of her own school year, she was in London, as the Centre for Alchemical Studies was temporarily closed down due to an accident. Esther's acquaintance from Beauxbatons who also entered Alchemy trainings, Odile Perrot, blew up her experiment and sustained serious injuries. As she came from a high-ranking Pureblood family, her parents demanded an investigation. Odile was an overconfident and assertive witch who cared more about people's intelligence rather than blood status, which allowed her and Esther to form an alliance. Essie was concerned about her well-being, yet she couldn't write to the Perrots, as they wouldn't approve of their daughter's association with a Half-Blood.
Esther was very exasperated at first, thinking that her sister had really done something that warranted expulsion. However, when Mira explained the situation, her sister believed her and was resolved to prove her innocence. Professor Sharp helped her revise the school rules, and the information about a student in danger of expulsion having a right for a trial was found.
Of course, Phineas Nigellus denied Esther's request and dismissed her almost instantly. Still, Mira pointed out that they were no less Slytherin than he was, and so could use their connections to achieve their goals, as it was, apparently, the only force the Headmaster would bow to. That gave Esther an idea to contact Walter Ellington, who was not only a family friend, but also a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Mira's close friends also wrote to their parents. Quite a decent group was collected at Hogwarts afterwards, and if Phineas Nigellus didn't want to anger the influential families, he had to comply.
Miranda was given a small portion of Veritaserum and spoke the truth, which removed all the accusations from her, and Valerian's detention was transferred to Belvina. This case caused the questioning of Phineas Nigellus's methods in general, and though many Purebloods would have liked for him to stay where he was, the majority made a decision to fire him from his position as the Headmaster.
Such news could evoke nothing less than a huge celebration. Only the Slytherins from the highest families were upset to lose a professor who always judged in their favour. As Phineas Nigellus held other Houses in varying degrees of contempt, to say nothing about the non-Purebloods, a large number of people was gladdened by his resignation, his own son among them. Mira and her friends had their own feast with butterbeer; Esther joined the professors and drank her vine with the sensation of unexpected triumph.
Matilda Weasley became the headmistress of Hogwarts and remained in that position up to 1925, when Armando Dippet took the lead. She was determined to restore Muggle Studies, a subject Phineas Nigellus had cancelled and replaced with Magical Theory. Esther advised the her as to the perfect candidate. In the end, Finn Dallimore became a professor, much like his father, yet the subject he was passionate about was nothing Phineas Nigellus could ever approve of.
Esther returned to her researches and wrote an article that caught the attention of the wizarding community. For the first time in a while, Alchemy was actively talked about, and a fair number of students wanted to take the class on their sixth and seventh years. Right after graduating from the Centre for Alchemical Studies, Esther received an offer of a job at Hogwarts, with the promise of being able to proceed with her scientific studies. She consented, especially since Hogwarts and its surroundings housed some of her favourite people in the world.
It wasn't only Mira's willingness to take up Alchemy to please and support her sister, or Finn's steady and comforting presence on her side, or Mina's cheerful suggestions for pastimes, or Mirabel's sweet smiles that made Esther's time at Hogwarts special, though. Close as they were during her time at school and afterwards, with all her esteem for him, she hardly ever entertained the thought of romancing Professor Aesop Sharp. Yet, as the time passed, something in their dynamic shifted. Their easy conversations, mutual assignments, and readiness to help each other gained a tender undertone. Esther's new job threw them together again, closely and constantly, placing them on equal ground and finally making them drop the formalities. Before they knew it, Esther bitterly regretted the impossibility of dancing with her former professor on a ball, and none of Aesop's new assistants understood him and their tasks anywhere near as well as Esther had done.
Esther enjoyed teaching, especially since she had few classes and could concentrate on her scientific activities, yet her profession had its drawbacks. One of her seventh-year students, Barron Bletchley, was intent on flirting with her and winning her favour. Though Esther did her best to gently dissuade the young man, he continued approaching her. Aesop didn't like it in the slightest and was harsher to Barron during his own lessons.
When the traditional ball descended upon Hogwarts in the end of the first term, Esther finally had proper fun with no Phineas Nigellus around to spoil it. It was only slightly dampened by her meeting a past admirer of her mother's, one of the Headmistress's guests, who called her Iola and expressed his regret about the lady's marriage to a Muggle. Still, Esther danced a lot, particularly with her cousin, and drank her favourite wine freely. Mira was also enjoying herself immensely. She had borrowed her mother's Black crown for the occasion, not due to any fondness for her maternal family but rather to rub it in Belvina's face.
Esther and Aesop circled around each other the entire evening. After their duties were completed, they were walking to the dungeons together. Their conversation took an unexpected turn, and in one of the dark empty corridors, they shared a passionate kiss. However, Aesop left immediately after breaking it, feeling ashamed and believing it to be the result of alcohol. Esther wasn't impressed by this decision, confronting him afterwards and saying that she had been nowhere near unwilling, in case he hadn't noticed. Aesop proposed her to meet at Hogsmeade after the winter holidays to talk, giving them time to think about it.
Needless to say, a disaster interrupted it all. Belvina never forgot the slight to her family and, disgusted by Esther being made a professor, decided to take her revenge. Her fury made her bolder, so simple humiliation or resignation was no longer satisfactory for her. Instead, Belvina came up with a complex plan.
Though she and Cygnus meticulously ignored their disowned brother, Belvina pretended to want to mend their relationship. She and Finn met in his personal rooms for tea, which gave her an opportunity to study the protective spells that the professors used and find a way to enter Esther's own rooms, as she wanted to make the attack completely unexpected. She did succeed, stunning and immobilising Esther before casting multiple Crucio curses on her. It was when Aesop came to collect her, and Belvina, scared due to being discovered, accidentally dropped the spells, which allowed Esther to finally scream from the immense pain that hit her with full force. Belvina panicked and didn't manage to find a quick way to escape, so she was caught when Aesop broke into the room.
Finn overheard the noise and came out of his quarters, only to witness Aesop, face pale and angry, with a faint Esther in his arms and Belvina dangling in the air helplessly from the sheer power of his wandless magic. He was left to deal with his sister while the Potions professor went straight to St. Mungo's. Iola and Julius were on a shift at that time. Hearing about her daughter's state sent Iola into hysterics, as she was acutely reminded of the way her husband had died. She insisted on taking care of Esther herself, especially since the latter spent quite a bit of time unconscious and trapped in her agony. Julius used all his knowledge and skill to save his dearest friend.
The Healers feared that the amount of Crucio Esther had received would result in permanent damage and make her suffer chronic pain, something Aesop in particular found horrific and triggering due to having lived through a similar experience. Still, much to the relief of Essie's family and friends, Iola's capable treatment minimised the risks. Anytime Aesop came for a visit, Mira went with him, staying at her sister's side as much as she could. Iola took notice of the Potions professor's constant presence and worry, deciding to have a serious conversation with him.
When she found out, Mira was livid, pouncing on Belvina and actually tearing some of her hair out by the time they were forcibly separated. Belvina faced a trial that ended with her expulsion and sending to Azkaban, as she was already a legal adult at that time. A few years later, her family got her out and married her off to Herbert Burke.
Esther gradually recovered and returned to work. She and Aesop talked and made a decision to try to have a relationship. Some people gossiped about the inappropriate age gap and expressed their discomfort or disapproval, as did Nerida Roberts, Esther's former roommate. Still, it was the first romance of Esther's that proceeded relatively smoothly, and in 1904, she happily changed her name to Esther Sharp. Two years later, she achieved phenomenal success in her Spagyric experiments, managing to find a way to revive some plants that had previously been considered extinct. They were proven to be safe to use in potions, which opened many new paths in fighting the diseases and even some curses. It was one of her inventions that finally healed Aesop's leg. Knowing her to be a passionate dancer, he promised her to make up for all the dances they missed.
They continued teaching at Hogwarts, sometimes staying in Aesop's house near the sea. In 1909 and 1913 respectively, their sons, Castor Hadrian Sharp and Aramis Nathaniel Sharp, were born. Following the tradition of her own family, Esther chose the first names, weaving star theme, Greek mythology and even Herbology in Castor while honouring a French region where she lived and grew so much as a person in Aramis. Aesop named his sons after his late Auror partner and good friend, as well as his father. Thus, Esther never got the two daughters she had seen in the Mirror of Erised, yet as her notion of happiness changed, it caused her no distress.
Ominis managed to move on and fall in love for the second time in his life as well. His beloved, Evangeline Elysian, was also a Half-Blood, and the one raised by her Muggle mother no less. Yet, Ominis was now an adult and independent man who could get and protect a house of his own, separately from the family that had as good as disinherited him, so this relationship faced considerably less obstacles comparing to the one he had shared with Esther. Upon their marriage, Ominis and Evangeline had two daughters, Leila and Gilda, born in 1910 and 1916 respectively. Leila had the middle name Cornelia in honour of Evangeline's mother while Gilda was named after Noctua Gaunt.
Since Esther and Ominis maintained a friendly relationship, the former was made Leila's godmother. Feeling no bitterness due to their past, they were more than capable of being genuinely fond of each other's children. Said children, particularly Castor and Leila, also spent much time together.
Still, the Gaunts, namely Ominis's brother Marvolo, searched for his family. Marvolo's intention was to kill his non-Pureblood sister-in-law and nieces, as well as to potentially rob Ominis's house, since the descendants of Salazar Slytherin were sinking further and further into poverty. Esther was drinking tea with Evangeline, having agreed to babysit the girls for the evening, when the attack eventually did happen. To find out the location of the house, Marvolo had used Imperius on Sebastian.
While Ominis and Evangeline tried to make Marvolo leave peacefully, Esther discreetly apparated Leila and Gilda to her own house. When she returned, Marvolo was nowhere to be seen, but Evangeline lay dead on the ground, and Ominis was seemingly unconscious, a wound in his head bleeding dangerously. The Aurors arrived shortly afterwards, summoned by Sebastian the minute he had come to his senses, and the Healers took Ominis to St. Mungo's. In her horror and pain, Esther couldn't help thinking that if she had married Ominis, she would have been the one murdered.
While Ominis recovered, Esther took care of the girls, and Leila departed for her first year at Hogwarts alongside Castor under her guidance. When he was out of St. Mungo's at last, Ominis chose an even more secluded and protected house to keep his daughters as safe as he could.
Sebastian felt immensely guilty about Evangeline's death and tried to perform a dark ritual to return her back. The ritual involved a human sacrifice, and Sebastian chose to murder a Muggle. The man turned out to be Ross Livingstone, the brother of his classmate Hamish. Once his crime was discovered, Sebastian was sentenced to several years of Azkaban.
Castor and Aramis Sharp, Leila and Gilda Elysian
While Mira behaved in a bolder way comparing to Esther, there was no other situation that could result in her expulsion, and so she graduated from Hogwarts without any problems. As she wasn't opposed to danger in her career and was very fond of creatures, she decided to become a Dragonologist. The head of the MacFusty clan that took responsibility for the population of the Hebridean Blacks for centuries hired her to help him, as his own children, save for one son, all chose different jobs and left home. So, Mira moved to the Hebrides, and Valerian followed her, as their friendship had long since taken a more romantic turn. Despite her usual yearning for big company, Mira found a pleasing occupation and good friends on the islands, while Valerian was thankful for their calmness and quietness.
In 1913, Mira gave birth to their only son, Blaze Lovegood, a name she adored due to its association with dragons and Valerian agreed to rather begrudgingly. While the boy looked a lot like his father, his temper was very reminiscent to his mother's, and so Blaze eventually entered Gryffindor. Both of his cousins were Slytherins, and he often invited Aramis to the lion's table, as the latter was quite exasperated by his roommates.
Later in his life, Blaze would have three children, two daughters and a son. The eldest of his daughters, Elmira, named after his mother, would marry into the McKinnon family and become the mother of Marlene and Mason, dying alongside the majority of her family in a Death Eater attack. The younger daughter, Ottilie, would end up with Martin MacFusty, becoming the part of the family that her father and grandparents so loved. The son, Xenophillus, would publish his own newspaper and live a quiet life, only caring for his wife, Pandora McNully, and daughter, Luna, until the former's untimely demise.
Coming from the family of five children, Finn wanted a similarly big bunch of his own ones. Mina wasn't extremely excited about the idea, as she was very immersed in her job as a broom maker, so she limited the number to three at most. In 1903, Agnes Esther Dallimore was born, named after her godmother. She was closely followed by her brother Alan, born in 1905. As they were still young and two children were enough responsibility, Finn and Mina took a break. Only in 1919 did they have another daughter, little Antonia.
Agnes and Alan, both determined and ambitious, ended up in Slytherin like their father; Antonia took more after her mother and joined Gryffindor. Agnes had a relationship with Ogden McKay while her brother dated Violet Baudelaire, a romance that would eventually come to nothing. Antonia was the target of quite a few attacks from the pureblood supremacists, particularly Thelma Fawley. Yet, she had undying optimism and drive, which helped her move forward.
Blaze Lovegood; Agnes, Alan, Antonia Dallimore
The friends of Valerian and Mira, Severn Macmillan and Caitlin Sparks, also got married. They had three children: Melania, born in 1906, Shannon, born in 1915, and Nyle, born in 1931. Much to Mira's unpleasant surprise, Melania expressed a desire to be betrothed to Arcturus Black III, eventually becoming the mother of Lucretia and Orion, as well as the grandmother of Sirius and Regulus. Being much saner and way less set in the Pureblood ways comparing to her in-laws, Melania was one of Sirius's favourite relatives. Shannon was briefly considered as a potential husband for Reina Rosier, but it didn't happen due to her engagement to a Carrow, much to his relief. Still, he continued his family's lineage, being the ancestor of Ernie Macmillan. Nyle married Georgiana Baudelaire, and they had two daughters, Alice and Kathleen, the latter named after his mother.
