Subtle Obsession
By: TwistedMister
Chapter 1: Memories
The lively sounds of Platform 9 & ¾ met Carwyn Quigley's ears as he pushed his trolley past the barrier, into the crowd of students and parents alike.
'Another year without mum and dad seeing me off to Hogwarts. Well I guess I should be used to it now, they always seem to schedule holiday's right before I leave for term.'
Carwyn dragged his trunk to the train, without stopping to greet any friends or say hello to anyone. He preferred to board the train early so he could find an empty compartment in the back. At least this year he wouldn't have to sit awkwardly with a bunch of strangers that didn't appreciate his company.
Carwyn let out a sigh of relief, no one was on the train yet. He dragged his things to the end of the train and found a suitable compartment, he hoisted his luggage up onto the rack. Slumping back into the seat he opened his owl cage. His beautiful golden colored owl Freya leapt out onto his lap.
"Hey Freya are you ready to go to Hogwarts? I'm nervous… I hope this year won't as bad as the last." Carwyn said, as he fed her an owl treat. Freya nibbled at his hand affectionately.
At that moment an all too clear memory came to mind. He remembered a very embarrassing situation last year when he was placed in a full body bind, and left by the icy waters of the lake on a cold January evening. A surge of anger tore through him like a hot knife, as that memory accompanied the image of a girl with long curly black hair, high cheekbones and cold dark eyes. Laughing at him cruelly with a gang of fellow cronies, as they walked away towards the castle leaving him to freeze.
'Bellatrix Black.. that foul, evil little bitch. She always makes my life hell, for what? Because in her words I'm a filthy little mud blood.' His fists clenched in anger as he brooded about his tormentor.
"Well at least no more OWLS this year. I think sixth year will be a lot better." He stroked her feathery head. 'I got pretty good marks on my OWLS, I got E's in DADA, Charms, Potions, and Herbology. I can't believe I got an O in Transfiguration and Ancient Runes.'
Transfiguration is Carwyn's absolute favorite subject, he loves how scientific it is. How a simple change in the wording or wand movement can entirely alter the effects of the spell. If you follow the instructions explicitly and visualize the outcome, then the spell will most likely be successful.
Transfiguration spells are basically like muggle cooking recipes to Carwyn, cooking was one of the few things his mother ever used to do with him.
Carwyn heard the train whistle blow loudly outside and heard the hurried goodbyes from students and parents wishing their children good terms at school. He peered out of the window at the mass of students entering the train. 'Brilliant, I bet no one will sit with me as usual.'
Then after some minutes the door to his compartment suddenly opened and standing there was a little first year boy, standing quite awkwardly looking nervous.
"I'm Dirk Crestwell, c-can I take a seat in your compartment all the others are full." The boy said in a quiet voice..
Carwyn was shocked for a moment, as he didn't expect anyone to come by except the trolley witch. Much less sit with him .
"Hello my name is Carwyn Quigley… Sure you can sit in here if you like." He gestured to the seat opposite him.
Dirk stared at him for a moment his face turning red and muttered. "Thanks." He put his trunk on the rack and sat down. They were quiet for awhile, both looking out the window intermittently at the countryside rolling past them. Carwyn noticed his reflection in the window, he was of a slim build, he had short dirty blonde hair that was always kind of unkempt. The only thing people complimented him on was his ocean blue eyes, he guessed they fancied them or something.
Dirk was the first to speak up. "So what is Hogwarts like? I asked a few people in diagon alley when my parents took me to buy my school supplies, but they didn't explain it that well. You see I never knew about magic until I received my Hogwarts letter, I'm still getting used to it all." Dirk said all of this rather quickly.
Carwyn thought for a moment "Well its fair enough, you learn loads of magic while you're at Hogwarts... Its not that bad, you may be homesick at first but you will get used to it. I'm a muggleborn too so I know what it's like.."
"Well umm… I was wondering how you made friends at Hogwarts? You know with being a muggleborn you don't really know anyone, so I bet it is like being an outsider at first right?" Dirk said. Carwyn felt a lump tighten in his throat, the boy hit the nail right on the head. 'I can't tell this little firste that I have no friends and that I am basically an outsider.' The silence stretched between them for awhile until Carwyn spoke up. "You just be yourself I guess and you will make plenty of friends…." he said finishing awkwardly.
Dirk looked at him puzzled for a moment, then let out a loud laugh. "Hahaha well that's easy, I thought I would have to wrestle a troll or something to prove my worth." the boy said smiling. "I'm sure you will make loads of friends Dirk." Carwyn returned his smile warmly.
They sat there for the next hour talking about different topics, Dirk talked about his family and how he wanted to try out Quidditch. The trolley witch came by and they bought lunch "I wonder what house I will be sorted into, I hope I get into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff it doesn't really matter to me, but I'd rather be expelled than sorted into Slytherin. I hear they are all evil and prejudiced…. So what house are you in?"
Flashback
All eyes were on them as they entered the great hall. Carwyn was so nervous that he was shaking. When his mother and father took him to platform 9 ¾ that morning they didn't give him any words of encouragement. Instead they had been quite cross with him ever since his letter arrived with a ministry of magic representative, there to explain that their middle son was a wizard and that he would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Carwyn was bursting with excitement and joy at the news, but his parents didn't share his enthusiasm. At first they didn't believe the official, saying it was an elaborate prank planned by their son. Their anger soon turned into disappointment when the representative changed a vase of flowers into a toucan.
They looked at Carwyn and shook their heads in shame, both disgusted to have such a freak of a son. After this fateful day they treated their son like a ticking time bomb, Carwyn was no longer allowed to be around his brothers. They didn't want his freak nature to rub off on them.
A week before the start of term they gave him money to head to London to buy his school materials at diagon alley, they sent him alone not even a teenager yet. He was awe struck by the splendid nature of the place, but the wall put up by his family really made him feel isolated and lonely. He wasn't as happy as a young boy should have been upon learning they had magical powers, or a place at the finest wizarding school in the world.
Carwyn didn't fit in at regular school, he had no friends and as the weeks drew closer to his first year at Hogwarts he felt maybe he would have a better place in Wizarding society. Maybe he would finally find a place where he was accepted. How wrong he was…
His parents scowled at all the people in wizards robes, making nasty comments about them as they made their way across the platform. All in all they told him two things. "You are not to get in any trouble at your wretched school, we won't be taking you back if you are expelled and you are to stay there for the Christmas holidays." Before giving him a disgusted look, turning and exiting through the barrier, leaving their son close to tears.
He recovered somewhat as he was one of the last to board the train and discovered all compartments were full. So he decided to go into the least packed one, that had two girls inside.
One looked about his age she had black curly hair, dark eyes and wore fancy formal robes, she had a look of superiority about her. The other girl looked about year older, she looked much like the younger girl but she had brown hair instead of black and wore a softer friendlier look.
"Hey, umm may I have a seat in your compartment please? All the others are full." He asked politely. The girl with black hair looked at him up and down as if sizing him up. But the older girl responded. "Sure you are welcome too, I'm Andromeda, Andromeda Black and this is my sister Bella." The younger sister cut in. "It's Bellatrix Dromeda! Don't call me that in front of people!" Her face blushed red with embarrassment. "Speak for yourself! You called me Dromeda in front of a stranger." Her sister said smirking.
Bellatrix glared at her, but Carwyn cut in. "My name is Carwyn Quigley it's a pleasure to meet you both." He held out his hand to Bellatrix, she took it blushing slightly. "Its a pleasure to meet you." She fidgeted. Then he shook Andromeda's hand. "I see you are already getting along well with my sister. She doesn't like boys that much, probably because of our cousins." She said, as Bellatrix shot her a nasty look behind his back.
"Sit down beside Bella, I guess you must be excited to start your first year. My sister is a little firste this year too." Carwyn took a seat and nodded "Yeah I can't wait to start learning magic, I've read through some of my textbooks there is so much stuff I don't know." He said looking at both girls. "Yeah you learn loads of stuff at Hogwarts, I'm in my Second Year now and I have barely scratched the surface." Andromeda said as she laid back in her seat.
"I can't wait to learn jinx's and counter curses! So I can hex whoever I want when they take my stuff." Bellatrix said looking at him excited.
Andromeda looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What like the time when our cousin Sirius stole your little dolls and threw them in the fireplace when you broke his toy broomstick?"
Bellatrix's face turned scarlet. "NO! But if you don't shut up Dromeda you will get the first hexing!"
"Well I can relate to that, one time my older brother broke my set of toy soldiers. I was so angry that boils started to appear all over his body, my mum thought he had an allergic reaction, so they took him to the hospital." Carwyn said to Bellatrix grinning.
Bellatrix's face turned pink as Andromeda glanced at both of them. "I think you two would make great study partners." she said with a wink.
They sat chatting about different topics. Until Andromeda asked. "What houses do you two want to be in?"
"Slytherin! Our whole family has been in it, I'm going to make mother and father proud." Bellatrix said sitting up straight. Andromeda rolled her eyes.
"I dunno which I want to be in really, I hope I get into a good one." Carwyn said causally.
"They all have their good qualities, I'm in Slytherin of course. The whole school is kind of against us, but Slytherin's stick together, we always take care of our own." Andromeda replied.
'Come to think of it I'm starting to like the idea of Slytherin, it seems I've already made a couple of friends. Hogwarts may not be that bad after all, this is great!" He thought happily.
The train began slowing down to a halt. As it approached Hogsmeade station, "Both of you get your robes on we will be getting off soon." Andromeda said as she walked out of there compartment.
They changed into their school robes, when the train stopped the three of them disembarked and Andromeda bid them farewell. "Good luck you two."
In the chaos of students leaving the train, a giant man with bushy hair was bellowing "First years! This Way!"
The first years gathered and followed him down a path to the edge of a lake. "All of ya first years get three to a boat, we will be taking them to the castle. Mind ya stay inside don't wanna fall in the lake, unless you don't mind swimmin with the giant squid."
Bellatrix and Carwyn nodded at each other and got inside a boat together. They began moving across the lake, after few minutes Hogwarts castle came into view. It was simply astonishing, he had never seen anything like it before, it was breathtaking.
He felt a hand clasp around his he looked down and saw that Bellatrix was holding his hand transfixed with the scene. Then she looked at him, it seemed like for a second time stopped as they both stared deeply into each others eyes. After a moment they realized what they were doing and let go, both looking away embarrassed.
The boats reached the castle and they all were led inside by a stern looking witch named Professor McGonagall, who explained that the sorting ceremony would start soon and said they should prepare themselves.
Bellatrix looked at him and asked. "Do you have any family at Hogwarts?" "No, I'm the first one from my family to go to Hogwarts that's crazy considering my they are all muggles, right?" He said smiling.
At that moment it looked as if Bellatrix had been slapped right across the face. Her mouth hung open as she stared at him wide eyed.
"Wha-whats wrong?" He said his smile faltering.
The doors to the Great hall opened as Professor McGonagall entered once more. "Your attention please, everyone line up in alphabetical order." Thus Bella and Carwyn were separated. She was standing a good ways in front of him, he couldn't she her face. 'Did I say something wrong?'.
But then the line started moving into the great hall, he had no doubt it was the largest room he had ever seen. The ceiling was beautiful, it was like he was looking up the night sky. All eyes were on the first years, he swallowed nervously shaking all the while, wondering how he was going to be sorted.
Professor McGonagall placed an old tattered hat upon a stool in front of the line of students. Surprisingly it sprung to life and began singing! Carwyn didn't listen to the song closely because he was so nervous. After a few moments it stopped and everyone applauded. The first students were called up, they sat on the stool as the hat was lowered on there heads. Then the hat shouted what house they were in.
Then with baited breath he watched as "Black, Bellatrix." was called up, she looked disheveled when she sat down, but right as the hat touched her head it yelled. "SLYTHERIN!" Loud applause erupted from the Slytherin table. She joined her new housemates immediately and whispered something frantically first to her sister then to everyone around that could hear.
But his attention went back to McGonagall when "Black, Sirius." Was called up, the hat was placed on his head and it yelled. "GRIFFINDOR!" At first there was a ringing silence, then extremely loud applause broke out from the Griffindors as Sirius ran to them grinning from ear to ear.
Carwyn looked back over at the Slytherin table and saw that they were muttering something amongst themselves while giving him quick covert looks, except Bellatrix who wasn't looking his direction at all and Andromeda who was looking at him with an emotion that resembled, pity? or was it sympathy? 'What did I do wrong?' He thought nervously.
After an eternity and a half the name "Quigley, Carwyn." was finally called. His legs felt like rubber as he approached the stool. He sat down upon it shakily as Professor McGonagall placed the ancient hat over his head, the hat was so large it covered his eyes.
Immediately it seemed like a voice came from the depths of his mind, Hmm lets see interesting, very interesting, plenty of intellect and a will to work hard. You have a natural instinct of self preservation, you are not the most ambitious however. I see you possess great cunning and skill. Also you are Muggleborn, this may be difficult for you but I believe this is for the best, it is rare that I ever do this. Better be….."SLYTHERIN!"
All of the tension and stress left his body as he let out a sigh. 'Yes! I get to be in the same house as Bellatrix and Andromeda!'
But as the hat was pulled off his head he noticed that there were no applauding or cheers from the Slytherin table, in fact no one was making a sound. There was a complete and absolute silence that seemed to stretch for the longest time. Until Professor McGonagall whispered "Go on now Mr. Quigley." as she gave him a gentle push.
He felt as if his feet were made of lead as he walked to the Slytherin table, all the while looking down not daring to meet his fellow Slytherin's in the eye. He took a seat beside Bellatrix and tried to seem as normal as possible.
He glanced at Bellatrix who was staring down at the table, she was not looking up to meet his gaze, none of his fellow classmates were looking at him either, it was like he was invisible.
'Something is definitely wrong, what did I do? I must have said something. But what!' He thought frustrated. So he gathered up all his courage and whispered. "Bellatrix what's wrong? No one seemed that happy I was sorted into Slytherin and now everyone is ignoring me…. Did I do something, can you please tell me?"
He saw her face turning red as she began to shake, her fists clenched on the table in front of her. She looked at him, her eyes fierce full of anger and loathing. "How dare you talk to me you filthy mudblood, if I would have known what you were on the train I would have never even looked in your direction. I want you to know that I hate dirty mudbloods like you, that think they deserve to be here!...Now get away from me before I hex you." She finished scowling at him.
He felt something deep in the pit of his stomach falling, as his mouth fell open in shock. "Tuck in." The distant words of the headmaster and the appearance of many delicious plates of food snapped him back into reality. His face reddened with embarrassment as he moved to a seat on his right where he sat at the end of the table alone.
He looked up for a moment and saw many of his fellow Slytherin's glaring at him and laughing amongst themselves. Andromeda looked apologetically at him, but she didn't dare tell the others off. Everyone around him was enjoying the feast, but he had lost his appetite. The pain of Bellatrix's words still stinging as he remembered what Andromeda said on the train. "Slytherin's take care of their own."
Hello folks, in this fanfic I have decided to change things up a bit. Bellatrix is in the same year as the marauders, Snape, Lily etc. Also Andromeda is older than Bellatrix, one year ahead in Hogwarts. In the next chapter there will be a Bellatrix POV, so look out for that. I hope you enjoy, yours truly TwistedMister.
