Sirens, Hermione Granger wrote, are a natural occurrence amongst the sea born mermaids. Less so amongst their fresh water cousins. The most rare sirens are born to witches. They are only born to families in which a sea born mermaid or merman has left the sea to join the human world. Even then they are not born often and many centuries may stretch between the births of sirens. The land bound sirens at some point gain a Heart Charm. This charm if taken from them allows someone else to control them. As long as they are wearing it they can be protected from all Unforgivable curses, however it’s power is limited and each curse causes it to grow weaker until they are as vulnerable as any normal person. Only two land bound sirens are known to have existed in the last 500 years. One was Cynthia Vindershimt, who’s heart charm was taken by Lord Voldermort and died shortly after being captured by the ministry. The other is Ashley Katrina Hood. Both of these women are linked by blood to the MacFarllens. A wizarding family that is known for their singing abilities. Ashley lost her heart charm when Lord Voldermort attempted to turn Harry Potter into stone and she threw herself into the path of the spell. One more Unforgivable cast upon her and the left over affects of it will be completely gone.
Ashley can control her singing thanks to the training of Albus Dumbledore, and therefore can sing without putting anyone under a trance. Which is preferable as a silencing charm would eventually kill her....
Hermione paused and stared at the parchment in front of her. As a friend of Ashley she had been asked to help write some pages for the new book on sirens. The material hadn’t been available for years simply because people thought there were no more land bound sirens, and the ministry kept a hush on the one that had been used by Voldermort.
It was hard to concentrate on the work though knowing that Harry had nearly died recently. Though she tried to lose her worries in work she couldn’t. Even the books around her didn’t help a bit. Picking up one of the books she opened it up to personal charms. At a random place she began to read.
While it’s never been proven it’s believed a witch or wizard can store not just their memories but their very soul inside an object such as an amulet. Should anyone wear this item their soul will be transferred to that person. Thankfully such a thing has never happened.
“Great,” Hermione muttered to herself. “Well, I suppose that’s one less thing to worry about.”
“Hermione!” Her mother called from downstairs. “Dinner!”
Putting the book and work aside, Hermione headed downstairs. For once actually forgetting what she just read.
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As the weeks slowly past Ashley found herself often playing with but never getting a chance to put on the ring. It seemed every time she was about to someone interrupted and it ended up back in her pocket. Harry was finally up and about. For which Ashley was grateful. But now that Molly Weasley had gone back to her own home Jenkins was fully in charge and he seemed insistent on driving Ashley insane.
“Madam Hood!” The frazzled butler approached with a large number of letters. “We must talk about this. Now a number of eligible wizards have made requests to court you. What am I to say to them?”
“That I’m not entertaining any suits for my hand until I finish school.” Ashley stated with a sigh. “You already KNOW this, Jenkins! Don’t bother me about it.”
“You’re going to be 30 in a year!” Jenkins snapped. “You cannot keep putting this off. It is time you thought about settling down and marrying. Now this Remus Lupin may be poor and a werewolf but he comes from a good wizarding family and seems dedicated to you....”
“I don’t love him!” Ashley shouted, tired of hearing all this. “I don’t want to marry any of these men!” Grabbing the letters she ripped them and flung them in Jenkins’ shocked face. “I can marry whom I choose and when I choose, Jenkins, and it won’t be any of these men and it won’t be until I’m out of Hogwarts! If even then. I may NEVER marry! You know why? Because the man I love is incapable of loving anyone back. Forget the fact Remus is a werewolf. The one I love is something much worse. Tell them that, Jenkins. Tell them that I just might spend the rest of my life pining over someone who cannot love me back!” Her back ramrod straight, Ashley marched away, leaving poor Jenkins to stand there decorated in pieces of paper like if he had been in some strange snowstorm.
Harry stepped out of his hiding place to help Jenkins clean up. They worked silently picking up the paper the muggle way.
“It’s Professor Snape,” Harry said suddenly. “She’s in love with him.”
Jenkins said nothing for a moment, then, “You know, Mr. Potter, there wasn’t a Peeves or any poltergeist at Hogwarts until Severus Snape entered the school.” With that odd remark Jenkins walked off to answer the ripped up mail.
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Finally the Hogwarts letters came and it was off to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies. Mrs. Weasley was strangely silent as they shopped. Harry wondered if she would ever tell, especially now that she was starting to show. Ron sighed as she ran off for the bathroom for what seemed the millionth time.
“She’s been doing that for two months.” He said, taking Hermione’s hand as they walked thru the stacks of books. “I wish she’d just see someone about it already.”
Harry’s arm had slipped around Ginny’s waist earlier when he saw an older wizard looking at her as if she was a chocolate frog he’d like to consume. Feeling slightly jealous Harry had made sure that people knew that Ginny was his girlfriend. However Ron’s complaints made Harry feel bad. He was keeping a secret from the people he loved. Even if it was for a person he loved it still bothered him. When was she going to tell?
Ashley finally joined them. She had looked sad all day and no one could blame her. This was the last year of her best friends. After this the only one of the old gang still around would be Ginny, and after that Ashley would be alone. It was hard to be the only adult student in Hogwarts history. It would be even harder to face those last three years without your three best friends. At the very least they had potions and herbology together. Ashley’s electives even included Divination though she was with the general consensus that Trelawney was full of crap.
“Well,” Molly Weasley said with a too bright grin, “shall we all go see how Fred and George are doing?”
After graduating Fred and George had opened up their wizarding jokes shop and it was the most popular place in Diagon Alley, even amongst the adults. There was all sorts of laughter outside and inside the store. Fred and George were doing a brisk business and it was several minutes before they could even say hello to their family and friends. It gave everyone a chance to roam the store and look at the newest pranks.
“Who knew my little jokers would grow up to make this a successful business?” Mrs. Weasley said with a bright smile to her husband.
Arthur was about to open his mouth when someone screamed. A jar fell and shattered. Like a shadow of evil three of the most horrifying things Harry could imagine walked in. Their black cloaks brushing against people even as they pulled back, shuddering in fear.
“What are those?” Ashley asked, her voice cracking.
“Dementors.” Hermione whispered in a quivering voice, curling against Ron.
The Dementors swept once around the room, pausing as they came to Harry who had prepared his wand to drive them out. He felt weak and dizzy. His breath came faster then normal as all three gathered around him. Raising his wand he felt the word start to form on his lips....
And they passed by him. Harry watched as now all three surrounded Ashley who looked as sick as he felt. All thee glided around her as she whimpered. They kept her pinned against the wall. They didn’t move to give her the dreaded kiss, but all three seemed unnaturally fascinated by her. One actually reached up and touched the scar on her cheek. Ashley’s eyes rolled back in her head as she sank down into a faint.
“Expecto Patronum!” Harry cried out, a giant stag forming from his wand. It seemed to take up the entire shop as it charged the Dementors, sending them fleeing from the shop. Harry felt tears sting his eyes as he looked at the stag fading from sight.
In the silence that followed no one moved. Then finally Harry moved to Ashley who lay on the floor, her hand deep in her pocket. Harry could see the outline of a fist, she must’ve been clutching something.... However he didn’t bother with that, rather he was patting her face and calling her name. “Come on, Ashley, wake up.” He said.
Slowly Ashley’s eyes opened. For a brief second they looked blue but another blink and there was her usual warm mold green eyes. “That,” she whispered huskily, “was freaky.”
George and Fred came out carrying two caldrons, “Free chocolate for everyone!” George called out.
“Don’t worry, no jokes in this batch.” Fred added. Chocolate was the recommenced treatment for someone who just encountered a Dementor. The twins went about making sure everyone got a piece. Harry and Ashley got the biggest pieces.
“They’ve been in here every day. Percy told us they’re looking for You-Know-Who. What with Pettigrew being caught and all no one can deny anymore that he’s back.”
“Bad for business,” George said. “We have to keep giving out most of our working chocolate to people who’ve seen them. At this rate we’ll have to take out a loan from Gringott’s.”
Ashley was helped up by Arthur Weasley and a stranger with blond hair not unlike the Malfoys’. Her face was pale and she nervously rubbed the scar as if trying to rub away the Dementor’s touch. “That was awful!” She exclaimed.
“Indeed, Lady Hood,” The blond man now said, grasping her hand and making moon eyes at her. “I only wish I had been as quick as the famous Harry Potter here and had rescued you from such a horror. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Justin Malfoy, Lucius’ baby brother.” With a simpering smile he kissed her hand. Ashley made a face at everyone as he did so like if she was going to be sick. “Lucius has often complained about you but he must be lying. For I have never seen such a ravishing creature like yourself.”
Like if she was trying to pull herself from some very sticky glue Ashley withdrew her hand. “Um, thank you, Mr. Malfoy, but - I really need to sit down and - um - finish my chocolate.”
“Come on in back,” Fred said, “the rest of you too,” he added to his family as he gallantly took Ashley’s arm and started leading her away. “We’ve just got Bill and Charlie like you asked, mum. Lee,” Fred said to Lee Jordan, their friend from Hogwarts and former Quidditch announcer, “watch the shop, okay?”
In the back was many bubbling caldrons. However the work room was much brighter then Snape’s dungeons. In the fireplace floated the heads of Charlie and Bill Weasley. Both boys greeted everyone, Charlie’s eyes lingering on Ashley.
“You all look so pale, what’s wrong?” Bill asked.
“Dementors,” Fred spat out. “Bloody beasts. It was a sad day when the wizarding world made a deal with them. We wouldn’t have such a bad reputation with the muggles if we didn’t work with creatures like that, even if most muggles think we’re all part of their fairy tales.”
“Well,” Charlie said, “that’s just horrible. So are you going to introduce us to the new friend?”
“Oh,” George said, “This is Ashley, Ashley, these are our no-good older brothers, Charlie and Bill.”
“Hi.” Ashley said, waving weakly.
“Now,” Molly said, taking over the conversation, “let’s just put everything out of our minds. Including that, Charlie Weasley,” the redheaded mother said, raising her eyebrow as Charlie finally ripped his gaze from Ashley. “I’ve a bit of news for you all.” Gently she rested her hands on her stomach. “I only wish Percy could be here....” She sighed. “Well, he’ll hear soon enough when your da goes back to work today. Ahem - I’m pregnant.”
The room was dead silent for a minute except for the crackling of fire and the bubbling caldrons. Then cheers erupted from everyone. Along with questions such as “How long” and “do you know if it’s a boy or a girl”. Molly clapped her hands loudly before getting everyone to quiet down.
“I’m about two months now. And there’s more....” She took a deep breath. “It’s triplets.”
There was a loud thunk. This time it was Arthur Weasley’s turn to faint.
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The days now seemed to fly and before Harry knew it they were all on the train, heading back to Hogwarts. Ashley was unusually quiet, her hand often in her pocket. Still, everyone was excited and happy to go back. Hermione was relieved, having finished her section of the book she had agreed to work on. She and Ron played Wizard Chess all the way up, it was the one thing where Ron often beat her. Harry sat with Ginny, sad because this would be his last year at Hogwarts. What was worse is he didn’t know what he’d do with his life after this.
“Well well well,” The hated voice of Draco Malfoy entered their happy little world. “If it isn’t Potter and his motley crew of the poor and mudbloods.”
“Shut it, Malfoy,” Harry said, “when are you going to grow up?” He looked to Draco and the gorilla like faces of Crabbe and Goyle behind him. “Save us all a lot of embarrassment.”
“Oh you should be embarrassed.” Draco sneered. “Your girlfriend’s a pauper. I heard Mrs. Weasley is expecting again, is she a witch or a rabbit?” The insipid twerp laughed as Ron was barely restrained from attacking. “Nice robes, Weasley, you girlfriend buy them for you? And Hermione and Ashley, the mudbloods. I can’t even begin - UFF!” Draco grunted as Ashley stood and reached up, grabbing his throat.
With one hand on Draco’s throat and the other in her pocket, Ashley pulled Draco close. Blue eyes met blue eyes and a thin, twisted sneer curled her lips. “I would suggest, young man,” Ashley said in a deeper voice then normal, “you watch what you say, you never know who might be listening.” Releasing Draco she pushed all three boys out with just one hand. As she removed her hand from her pocket she blinked, her eyes mold green again. Everyone thought that it was just a trick of the light that they looked blue.
However grabbing Draco by the throat was not like Ashley at all and it was tense in the train for the rest of the ride. Though at least there were no Dementors on it.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Ashley said to the others as soon as they were inside Hogwarts. Turning she headed for the nearest girl’s room.
“She’s acting awfully strange.” Ron said as they headed into the Great Hall - only to be stopped by Professor McGonagall.
“Children,” McGonagall said, Draco standing behind her rubbing his throat which had some slight bruising. “Where is Miss Hood?”
“She went to the bathroom, Professor,” Ginny said.
“Very well, when she returns you may inform her she has detention with Mr. Filch for the rest of the week for manhandling Mr. Malfoy.”
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As soon as she could Ashley fell to her knees in front of a toilet and threw up. Tears streaking her face. What she had done on the train - it just wasn’t like her. She hated Malfoy, yes, but to practically strangle him? Guilt gnawed at her revolting gut. Finally she flushed and stumbled out of the stall. She took a mouthful of water from the sink and paused, spitting the water into her hand. The ring she had found fell into it. All summer long she had carried it in her pocket. Unable to put it on because someone always interrupted.
Holding the ring to the light she looked at the snake carved into the stone. Finally she took a deep breath and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand.
The world seemed to spin, to grow dark, then light, then dark again. Finally everything stopped. But Ashley realized she was not in the bathroom anymore. Or rather, she was, but she was not the one in control of her body. Thru eyes that seemed oddly detached she looked into the mirror and saw not her warm mold green eyes but rather ice cold blue ones.
“A woman.” A male voice sneered thru her lips. “Well, I suppose she could be useful. Took the cow long enough to put it on.” Whomever was in Ashley’s head lifted the hand. The ring had shrunk to fit the finger and looked more delicate. The snake was almost invisible now. “Yes, she’ll be a useful vessel, now, to plumb her mind for information. Bah - a Gryffindor! Why couldn’t it have been a Slytherin?”
Ashley felt searing pain as whomever it was ravished her mind. Desperately she grappled with him. Fighting to take her own body back over. The struggle was brief but intense. Ashley won...
Won what? Suddenly Ashley couldn’t remember anything beyond putting the ring on. Hm - somehow it looked different. Well, no matter. She rinsed her mouth and headed to the Great Hall where the sorted was already getting over with.
Hidden in the corner of her mind where he decided that he better stay, holding back the memories from the past few minutes, Salazar Slytherin laughed. It would be more amusing to use the woman without her knowledge.
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