Matilda Black: Going to Hogwarts

Hello and welcome to my new Harry Potter story! So, some of you may know that I originally wrote a story about my OC Andy Black, but after struggling to keep the plot going, I have created a new OC, of the same origins, and here it is!

Welcome to the life of Matilda Black – unlike my old story and some other stories about Sirius's daughter, mine will not follow the life of the Golden Trio. Mattie will be in the year below along side Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood, and I hope to develop my story differently to others as well as seen in the books.

So sit back, grab a cup of tea and I hope you all enjoy this first chapter.

She couldn't remember her mother. Not her face, at least. There were certain smells and feelings that she thought belonged to her mother. The smell of wild flowers reminded her. The warmth and snugness of a hug made her think of her. The thunder made her crave her comfort. The falling rain and sunshine made her think of a smile she couldn't picture.

2 was too early an age to make mental imprints. But what she could remember, would have happened several days after her mother died. Whoever had been looking after her had taken her to the Room. It had been big. Sparsely furnished. The fireplace was shimmering green, people stepping between the fire and the Room. That seemed normal to her. The first person she saw was the blonde woman. Not the dark blonde tangle she had inherited from her mother. This woman's light and shimmering hair was matched her husband and the boy between them on the bench, who would have only been a year older. The woman had smiled sweetly at her. The man looked cool and calm, a silver snakes head poking through his black clothing, his hair tied back in a bow. The boy seemed to be sulking, unhappy to be there.

Soon, an old woman appeared. Her worn out face lined, and her hair thick and black. Her grey eyes watched her cautiously, as if she would charge and knock her walking stick away. She didn't like her, and the feeling seemed mutual. She tried to avoid the old ladies eye, not knowing the close family connection between them.

She'd watched them with mild interest, until the fire burst and the pink haired girl had fallen out of the fire. She was older than the boy on the bench, and seemed funny. Her hair was a tangle of the brightest bubblegum pink she'd ever seen. A large, but kind faced man followed the pink girl, and next a dark haired woman. If she'd been older, she would have seen the family resemblance between the two women, but she'd been too small. She categorised them as the dark haired woman and the blonde woman. If she liked the blonde woman, it was because her mother had been blonde, but darker, and because the woman had smiled.

But the pink haired girl had been funny. More grown-ups had arrived and she was sat on a bench besides the fire, not understanding the big words being said between them. But she could feel a coldness between the women. The boy on the bench understand no more than her, and was falling asleep. As the grown ups spoke, the pink haired girl watched her across the room, and her face began to change. Bright blue spots, a warty nose, even a ducks bill. The boy had fallen asleep, but she giggled hysterically at the faces the pink girl pulled. She giggled until she nearly fell off the bench.

At one point, people tried to talk to her. She couldn't remember what was said. But all she knew, was that she liked the pink haired girl and the two she sat with, who must have been her parents. It would have been hard to hold a conversation with a 2 year old, never mind ask a question. But she could remember, quite vividly, was pointing towards the Tonks family, still giggling madly. The blond man sighed and countered, as the old black haired lady banged her stick impatiently.

That was the first decision Matilda Black made – to live with the Tonks rather than the Malfoys.

'If you're not out of bed in two minutes, I'm dragging you there in your pyjamas.'

Nearly ten years had passed since that day in the Room. Matilda Black rolled out of her bed with a sigh, staring up at her bedroom ceiling.

'Matilda!'

'Coming!' She shouted back down to Andromeda. Andromeda was the cousin of her father, and along with her husband Ted and daughter, lived in a small cottage in the countryside.

Once out of bed, Matilda wriggled into some clothes and ran downstairs, her toothbrush in her mouth.

'Okay? I'maready.' She said, before she pulled the brush from her mouth and watched as Andromeda rolled her eyes, a light smile on her face.

'I swear, you're getting too much like Dora.'

'Hey!' A shout came from the kitchen, followed by the clattering of pans. 'I'm not that-' Another lod clang erupted.

'Have you even brushed your hair?' Andromeda summoned a comb to her hand and began to tackle the tangle of dark blonde hair, as Matilda squirmed.

'Oi!'

'Calm down, Mattie. It's not that bad.' At eleven, she still did not enjoy her hair getting brushed anymore than when Andromeda attempted when she first came home. Since she came to the Tonks household, they had given her the nickname Mattie. She was only Matilda if she was caught doing something she really shouldn't be. Like the one time she'd glued the pages of Dora's school books together. After all, Dora had stolen her chocolate frogs.

Outside, the late August sunshine was warm and no breeze passed through the air. In two weeks time, Matilda would attend her first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her letter took pride of place on the mantle, above the fire they were about to step into. The flames became green, and licked at her trainers when she stepped in after Andromeda. Ted was going with Dora to the Ministry to enrol her in the Auror recruitment course. The idea of her big cousin being an Auror was exciting, and Mattie had begged Dora to lend her the books on Auror training.

'Diagon Alley!' She called as she stepped into the fire. She loved the feeling of Floo Powder travel, even if she did feel sick. It was the same with brooms. She loved the thrill of Quidditch and flying, but she was terrible. She crashed more times than she could count.

'Watch out!' A wizard bellowed as she rolled out of the fire inside the Leaky Cauldron, knocking into a small table.

'Sorry.' She mumbled, getting to her feet, Andromeda dusting her off at once. 'Stop it Andy.' She said, not wanting the comb to come out again.

'Even Dora couldn't look this messy, and she was terrible.' Andromeda laughed lightly, before they made their way through the packed pub. All sorts congregated at the Leaky Cauldron. Witches and Wizards from all over the country. Several goblins sat around a table, drinking from tankards almost as big as them, and a witch covered in a large black veil called for a shot of Firewhiskey.

They stepped out into a small courtyard. As Andromeda pulled her wand from her purse, Mattie bounced on the balls of her feet with excitement. Going to Diagon Alley for her wand and books made everything seem all the more real. Several taps in, the bricks began to make way, revealing the long cobbled pathway of Diagon Alley. The best assortment of wizarding shops in all of Britain. Mattie had been fascinated every time she came. She peered into every store window, and was in awe of all the equipment, assorted books, Quidditch supplies, and the chocolate frogs on sale. Andromeda allowed her to have one as they started their shopping. First stop, Andromeda had said, was Madam Malkin's. As they stepped into the robe shop, Mattie unwrapped her frog, the little chocolate creature bonding away from her down the street, and under the feet of witches and wizards doing their shopping. The card inside was Dumbledore. She had four of these already, but smiled all the same.

'Hogwarts dearie?' The seamstress asked. Andromeda nodded and helped her up onto the measuring stool. Pins and tapes flew around her, but Mattie focused on the window, ignoring Madam Malkin as she pulled her dark blonde hair away to measure for her school hat. There was a gaggle of witches all running towards Flourish and Blotts. Loud voices could almost be hard over the snap of the measuring tape.

'That you all done my dear.' Mattie stepped down and ran to the shop.

'Mattie!' Andromeda called. She hastily paid the seamstress and ran out of the shop. 'Matilda!'

Mattie had stopped outside the book shop as a large crowd clustered by the door.

'What's going on?' She asked Andromeda as she finally caught up. Andromeda herself became curious by the crowd.

'I'm not too sure.'

'Gilderoy Lockhart is signing books!' A frantic middle-age witch called as she sped down the street towards the crowd, a copy of Magical Me tucked under her arm. Mattie saw a man wink at her from the cover. She screwed her nose up.

'Good thing Ted's not here. He thinks Lockhart's the best thing to happen with all the charms to help him with the gnomes.' Andromeda said and the two of them had a small fit of laughter.

Their next destination was Ollivanders. Mattie had wanted to go their first, but Andromeda, once she made a list, wouldn't go against any sort of plan. As they struggled through the crowd to go up the street, several were pushing their way out of the shop. Just before they finished their swim through the crowd, their path was cut off by a familiar blond boy with a pale, pointed face. Mattie Screwed up her face trying to re-call it. But when the tall man with the same hair came up behind him, Mattie remembered them.

Lucius Malfoy looked the same to her as he did when she chose to live with the Tonks. The only different thing was the formation of a black eye, and his neat hair ruffled. Andromeda stopped in her tracks and grasped her shoulder. Lucius Malfoy took both their faces in, before the formation of sneer grew and he whacked his son with the same silver headed snake cane.

'Come, Draco.' Draco glanced at her once before following his father out of the crowd, towards a narrow passage way out of the street.

Andromeda squeezed her shoulder all the more and pushed them both out of the gaggle of witches into the open street. She stayed quiet as they made their way towards the famous wand shop. The bell tinkled as they stepped inside. Looking up, Mattie saw how flushed Andromeda's face had become, but she didn't press the matter.

'Andromeda Tonks. How nice to see you again.' A wispy looking man came out form behind some shelves. His hair was white, his eyes wide and observant. 'Oak. Twelve inches. Phoenix feather. Good for charms.' Andromeda managed to crack a smile and nodded.

Ollivander smiled lightly, before glancing towards Mattie. 'And you must be Matilda Black. I was wondering when you would come for your wand.' Mattie felt herself become flushed at the name Black. Most days, she would forget it was her name. She'd been brought up a Tonks her whole life. But when others met her, she wondered what they thought when they heard her name. But Ollivander did not stare at her with any sort of distrust. Instead, he smiled and turned back towards the vast amount of shelves in the shop. His fingers danced over boxes, before shaking his head and examining others.

'Here. Try this. Firewood with phoenix feather. Your mother had a firewood wand. They were good for charms.' Mattie took hold of the sleek dark wood. After staring for a second, she gave the wand a quick wave, and a jet of boiling water shot out and sloshed against the window, steam rising and the window blurring. The wand was snatched away instantly.

'No. No. No.' The wand was re-boxed. One minute later, a second wand came out. Cherry and Dragon heart string. This one cause all of Mr. Ollivander's papers to set alight. Again, it was snatched away.

The third box came after Ollivander rummaged around for five minutes. 'Try this one. Dogwood. Unicorn hair. Reasonably flexible. Eleven inches. Good for transfiguration.' Mattie gripped this one lightly, but felt no discomfort. She gave it a wave, and, with a cannon like burst, a group of little blue birds shot from the tip of the wand. They soared through the air in formation, before disappearing with a pop. Mr. Ollivander smiled, and Andromeda clapped. Mattie smiled as the wand was boxed and paid for.

For the rest of the trip, Mattie couldn't help but imagine her time at Hogwarts. The school of magic was her dream. But she just hoped her name would not cause many problems for her during her time there.

And my first chapter done! I've been planning this for a while, but have been sceptical about publishing it on here. But hopefully this will go down well. If any of you have opinions or suggestions, I would love to hear them! Please take a second to follow or review, and I'll be forever grateful :)

See you next chapter.