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『 Isabella Lestrange and The Two-Faced Reflection 』
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Consequences
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Isabella watched as the clouds steadily moved across the sky following the breeze.
She watched as they hid the luminosity of the stars and moon from her sight.
She watched the movements of the clouds and how the light shined through small breaches in the mist, casting shadows on the stone floor below her.
One would almost believe it was real, it they didn't know better that was.
You would believe that the room she was in had no ceiling. But the rain that fell from the skies did not touch her face, and the breeze did not cool her down or play with her hair. It was simply an enchantment, a parlour trick to impress those who didn't know any better. A miniscule piece of magic designed to astound, and by the sound of the chatter around her it had worked. The people surrounding her gasped and pointed amazed by the sky shown on the inside of the building.
'Pathetic' she thought as she looked around her, turning her nose up at the easily impressed and less educated individuals.
She heard an obnoxious voice break through the general chatter.
"It's not real the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.'
The girl who belonged to the voice seemed to be more hair than person, almost as bad as the half-breed who brought them from the train. Her hair was loose and frizzy half covering the face of the swotty little girl.
"Mudblood?" Her cousin whispered to her with a look of disgust on his face.
"Most-likely." She whispered back quickly meeting his eyes with a smirk, before looking forwards again. "You'll have to learn tolerance Draco, they're all over the place here, especially the half-ones."
He turned his head away from her looking out at the crowd, it was as if he could discern just by sight who had pure-blood and who were less worthy. They continued walking down the hall between the four extended tables towards a single stool, with old moth bitten hat rested atop it. Now that was impressive magic. To bring an object to life and give it intelligence, judgement and a will of its own. She didn't hear the obnoxious girl admiring the hat though, it obviously wasn't as show stopping as a see-through ceiling.
'Short sighted fools, the lot of them.' she thought to herself.
The older woman at the front of the room had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She was a stern old-woman, dressed in traditional wizarding robes and hat, Isabella already knew her to be the head of the Gryffindor house. When she stood before them everyone immediately fell silent, including those already seated at the tables. She was the type of person that demanded your attention with a single look, and no-one seemed to go against her ruling.
She stood beside the stool and spoke out it a strong voice:
"Now before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."
The old man stood from his seat at the head on the hall. His beard reached his knees, and the robes he wore were deep purple with twinkling silver stars all over them. 'Another way to impress the ignorant souls.' Isabella rolled her eyes upwards, in a way that would have gotten her in much trouble at home had she been caught.
"I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce." Dumbledore begun in a loud voice. "First year please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our care-taker Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor on the right is off limits to all those who do not wish to die a terrible death. Thank-you".
'A terrible death? Now that's interesting.' The information was locked away, she'd be sure to figure out what the old man was referring to later.
As he sat back down he kept his attention solely on one person stood at the front of the crowd before him. She would have bet her cousins life that it was Harry Potter, she wouldn't bet her own life on anything.
"Now, when I call your name, you will come forth. I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall peered over the parchment she was holing up in front of her, making sure that they were all listening closely. Her eyes were serious and narrowed slightly as if looking for any trouble makers before they could even cause trouble. She must have been pleased with her assessment as she returned to her list and called out in that broad Scottish accent:
"Hermione Granger"
The obnoxious girl from before walked forwards, talking to herself in a quiet voice as she went. Taking excessively deep breaths, she perched on the very edge of the stool uncomfortably.
"Mental that one, I'm telling ya." Weasley had spoken quietly to Potter who was stood at his side.
"Maybe he does have a semblance of intelligence after all." She muttered to herself.
"Don't be ridiculous. Even a blood-traitor would be able to tell that she's mad, maybe all the magic has got to her muggle diseased brain." Draco muttered back snidely making her laugh to herself quietly. Maybe it's true, they must feel insane when they first come here, she could already be touched.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat gave out a yell startling the people around her, she and Draco remained still and stoic though. They had been taught better. As Hermione ran to the Gryffindor table McGonagall called out the next name, then the next and then the next.
Hannah Abbott, Hufflepuff.
Susan Bones, Hufflepuff
Terry Boot, Ravenclaw.
Mandy Brocklehurst, Ravenclaw.
Lavender Brown, Gryffindor.
Millicent Bullstode, Slytherin,
On and on it went as names were called and children sorted. Slytherin welcomed their new members respectably with hand-shakes and cool indifference. The first years sat at the very end on the table poised and proper, that was where Isabella would be sat, that was where she belonged. They gave showed of the emotional greetings the other houses were giving.
Every time someone was sorted into Gryffindor the entire house stood from their benches and cheered, banging their hands on the tables, stamping their feet and whistling in celebration. Very uncouth, they were by far the loudest and most energetic of all the houses.
Ravenclaw were better, they welcomed their members with warm handshakes and conversation. Very dry conversation however, they immediately talked to them about the lessons they would be taking and asking which they were most excited about.
Hufflepuff were a mess. Every new member was greeted emotionally, she swears some of the students cried at each new student joining them. They were all hugs and sympathy and kindness. It was ridiculous.
But she didn't need to worry about that, she was a Slytherin through and through. That was how her aunt and uncle had raised her. It's how her mother and father would have raised her if they could. If the ministry hadn't wrongfully imprisoned them.
Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor.
Unbelievable. The boy that had stood before her was the reason her parents were in prison, if only they could have seen him now. There is no way this boy would have been the one to vanquish the dark lord; he was short, fat and one-hundred percent should have been sent straight into Hufflepuff if the quivering of his chin was anything to go by.
As he ran back from the Gryffindor table to return the hat he had left on his head, he caught her eye. Clearly the glare she was wearing on her face was enough for him to get the message. His face was shocked as if he were taken aback, he obviously couldn't understand why she disliked him so much already. But then again, he didn't know who she was yet.
"Draco Malfoy" Professor McGonagall's drawl was enough to interrupt her thoughts again. She watched her cousin leave her side and walk towards the hat. He seated himself on the stool comfortably with no trace of nerves on his face. She nodded at him when his eyes passed over her, letting him know he did well. The hat had barely touched even a hair on his head when it shouted out: "SLYTHERIN!"
She smirked at him as she walked slowly towards Slytherin where he was greeted by some of the older students.
Harry Potter's turn was next. As his name was called out whispering descended upon the hall, everyone craned to get a look at the boy-who-had-the-audacity-to-live. She rolled her eyes up again, these people were starting to test her patience. He was sorted into Gryffindor and received the largest applause yet, several of the students started chanting.
"We got Potter! We got Potter!"
'As if that's something to celebrate.' She thought to herself.
Ron was sorted after that, of course he made Gryffindor along with all his other siblings.
And then, finally, it was her turn.
"Isabella Lestrange."
The reaction to Potter's name was nothing compared to this.
Silence immediately stretched across the hall. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to watch her, even Professor McGonagall seemed to take a deep breath after she read the name aloud. Isabella was used to this; her name was just as infamous and Potters was famous. The only noise heard throughout the hall was a small gasp from the Gryffindor table. Isabella turned around to look at where the noise came from.
It was Longbottom, he finally understood. His face had gone pale as all the blood left it, he was in utter shock as he stared at her and look as if he would be sick. One of the older students came and sat by his side to give him support – they obviously knew what happened. She threw the sweetest smile she could his way while looking directly in his eyes, he immediately turned away.
Harry Potter looked around him in complete confusion, he nudged Ron in his side so that he would tell him what happened, but Ron never even moved his eyes away from Isabella.
She slowly walked up the steps with intent, letting everyone take a good look at the Lestrange girl they never thought they would know. She smiled again at McGonagall as she sat on the chair, but received nothing but a narrow-eyed stare over thin pale lips in response. The hat was placed on her head and she heard the only noise in the hall.
The hat was speaking to her.
"Interesting. Very Interesting. You have the same morals and beliefs as your cousin, yes that's true. All that blood purity rage and an interest in dark magic. On the surface you are Slytherin through and through, just like your mother. Just like your father. But there is something else… something deeper that even you don't know of yet. How very curious.
"There is more to you than meets the eye Miss. Lestrange, more to you than even you know. Your soul runs deeper than many, especially those in Slytherin, hmmm…what to do with you?"
Isabella began to feel confused and annoyed. She was Slytherin. She knew she was. So why hadn't the hat shouted it out already.
"Yes, yes I suppose you are. Well… you are right now. But there is so much room for change. The power you will possess will be immense, and the role you take on will be even more so. These things may change you, so will you be Slytherin for long? …I think not. Believe me, you won't like this my dear, but it's better for you this way. In fact, it's better for everyone."
There was a pregnant pause in the hall as Isabella's eyes widened in shock. This was not happening. The hat said she was a Slytherin, so she should be put in Slytherin.
Blind panic overtook her, what if it put her in Gryffindor?
The hat was trying to mould her, make her good and change her beliefs by putting her in the most disgusting house of all Hogwarts. It was wrong! The panic immediately changed to rage, and heat flowed through her body as she took a deep breath and tried not to let it show. All the emotion was swirling around her body and thoughts flying through her head. She was half surprised her magic didn't lash out and wreak havoc. McGonagall however did take a step back obviously sensing a change.
She didn't know if she wanted to cry, to scream, to incinerate the damned hat before it could speak, or to simply kill Longbottom then and there to prove how Slytherin she could be, consequences be damned. At least then she could be with her mother and father even if it was in Azkaban.
Just as she was about the act the hat yelled out, and in her panic Isabella was surprised she even heard what it had said.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"