Okay, so this is my first fanfic. Yay! This has been floating around in my mind for sometime and I found it rather interesting.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...if I did, Sirius wouldn't have died...well, I still remain unconvinced that he's dead, but...blah.
Chapter One: Slytherin
"Kash, there you are." The dark skinned witch with straight black hair didn't move as she watched her cousin's reflection in the train's window. "Kashmira, look at me," she said more forcefully. Kashmira sighed and turned to look at Bellatrix.
"What?"
"Don't use that tone with me," she said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder and sitting down next to her. "You know why I'm here." Kashmira looked at her blankly, knowing very well why she barged into her compartment like that, but not saying a word. Bellatrix scoffed. "I'm sure your mother told you this already, but I'm here to drive it into you. You will get into Slytherin…" Kashmira wore a smug look as her cousin went on, though finding it somewhat unnerving to hear this from a second year. She had heard the same speech from her parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and now from her fourth cousin (or whatever, she couldn't keep track) who she hasn't even seen in three years. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh…oh, yeah. Slytherin," she mumbled. "I'll get in. I mean, if our whole family did then there's really nothing to-"
"Well, not everyone in our family did," she said bitterly. "That Sirius Black -- he's in my year -- got into Gryffindor." She looked disgusted when she spoke his name. "But as far as I'm concerned, he's not a part of this family anymore." Kashmira pondered the name, knowing she heard it before.
"Isn't he your cousin?"
"Yeah, but by marriage. He's not really blood, thank God. But anyway, you do have a good chance. Just don't screw it up." She got up and swiftly left, not giving Kashmira one more look as she slid the compartment door shut. The girl sighed and sunk down in her seat. This was going to be a long night…
"Hey Sirius!" A boy with messy dark hair ran up to Sirius Black, who was getting food from the trolley. He turned around and smiled at James, the boy he remembered he met last year.
"What's up, James?"
"You wanna sit with me? I've been looking for you everywhere…"
"Sure." He pocketed his snacks and followed James back to his compartment. Before entering, however, he felt someone knock into him from behind. "Hey, watch where you're going," he said, turning around and seeing a dark haired girl continue to walk down the corridor. She turned around and he nearly growled as he realized who it was.
"Not for you, traitor," she snarled, turning around again.
"Who was that?" James asked, watching her continue to strut.
"No one," Sirius muttered, going into the compartment.
The train had finally slowed to a stop and Kashmira slowly stood up to stretch. Yawning, she looked up at her trunk, wondering how she got it up there in the first place. Standing on the seat to try and reach it, she heard the door to her compartment slide open again and someone quietly walking in.
"You need help?" She turned around and saw a boy with lovely long, dark hair. He couldn't have been much older than she was.
"Yeah, actually," she chuckled, stepping down off of the seat. The boy smiled and took out his wand, muttering something incoherent under his breath. Kashmira watched her trunk lift up off and gently place itself down at her feet.
"Thanks," she said, quite impressed.
"No problem," he winked, walking back out of the compartment. Feeling slightly confused at the random act of charity, she picked up her trunk and followed everyone else out of the train.
"Kashmira!" she heard someone sharply say. She turned around and saw Bellatrix and a platinum blonde, gaunt faced girl rush up to her. "Come on…" She took her by the arm and dragged her out of the sea of students to the lake's edge.
"No more 'an four to a boat!!!" she heard a booming voice say.
"Ignore him," Bellatrix hissed. "He's just a no good Half-breed, but get in. I'll expect to see you at the Slytherin table." The blonde (who she now recognized to be Bellatrix's sister, Narcissa) shoved her trunk into the boat. Before Kashmira could respond, Bellatrix and Narcissa quickly hurried away to one of the horseless carriages. Sighing, she got into the tiny boat, shortly joined by three other students. They soon set off across the lake and she couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the castle was. Even if she was put into Slytherin with everyone else, she knew she would thoroughly enjoy living here at Hogwarts.
"Really, though. Who was she?" James and Sirius made their way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Sirius sighed.
"My cousin. She's in Slytherin," he said quickly.
"Oh…that explains the rudeness," he grinned, trying to make him feel better.
"Yeah…" Sirius looked over at the doors to the Great Hall, wondering why he had yet to see the pretty dark girl he had helped on the train. She probably didn't come in yet… Before he knew it, though, it seemed that everyone was finally seated and the first years were now being ushered in. He gaped when he saw that the dark girl walked in with them. She looked so much older than a first year. He watched as she walked in with the others, very posed and confident. He only broke his gaze on her, however, when he saw his cousin Bellatrix whisper something to her. He narrowed his eyes, now wondering if she was a part of his family. She looked unfazed, though, as she continued to walk up and he couldn't help but be rather intrigued. Sitting restlessly through the Sorting ceremony, he sat forward when her name was finally called.
"Cayley, Kashmira," the dignified witch, who she recognized to be Professor McGonagall, called next. Taking a deep breath, Kashmira walked up to the stool and sat down. Almost as soon as McGonagall placed the hat on her head, she heard it muttering something.
"Ah…a part of a pureblood family. Related to the Blacks too, I see."
Do I need to be put into Slytherin? she thought, hoping the hat could hear her thoughts.
I mean everyone wants me to, but…"Where do you think you belong?"
I don't even know what the other Houses are.
"Well, I see you succeeding in Slytherin. Not all witches and wizards that go into Slytherin come out evil. You mustn't let its reputation dictate your life."
Oh, please no!"I don't understand. You are not like the others. However, you are smart and cunning."
Then why not Ravenlcaw?
"No…not Ravenclaw. You would not do well there. You are strong and will not succumb to Slytherin's bad reputation. Salazaar happened to be a very good man despite some of his views." She felt like tearing the hat off of her head and running away, knowing it had made up its mind. Before she could lift her arms, however, it whispered something that caught her attention. "You would do well to show others that not everyone who comes from Slytherin is prejudiced and opinionated…SLYTHERIN!!!" She sighed as McGonagall took the cursed hat off of her head. Seeing the table off to her left cheer the loudest, as well as Bellatrix and Narcissa standing up and screaming at the top of their lungs, she figured that was the Slytherin table. Slowly making her way over, she suddenly felt sick, knowing she wouldn't be able to eat. Sadly looking at the table next to hers (she figured it was Gryffindor) she saw the boy who helped her on the train quickly look away, a blank look on his face.
"Good job, Kashmira," she heard Bellatrix say as she moved made a space for her. She sat down next to her distant cousin, trying to smile at the faces around her.
Well…at least I know some people here…though the sick feeling never left her stomach, even when Dumbledore gave them the word to tuck in. She scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate and played around with them, tuning out the conversations around her.
"A toast!" she suddenly heard Bellatrix say, watching her raise a goblet of pumpkin juice. "To my fourth cousin, twice removed," she added, getting a few chuckles, "and the others for getting into the noble House of Slytherin!"
"Here, here!" All within ear shot rose their goblets and drank deep while Kashmira merely smiled and pretended to drink.
"Sirius…aren't you hungry?" James asked his friend, looking concerned. Sirius had been glaring down at his plate for sometime, feeling somewhat betrayed though he didn't even know her. He looked up at James and shook his head.
"Not really…"
"All right. You okay?"
"Just fine. You trying out for Quidditch this year?" He listened as James babbled on about practicing over the summer and how he was going to try out for Chaser this year. He admitted he was going to try out for Beater, but soon lost interest in the conversation, finding himself brooding once again. Even as they finally left the Great Hall, he watched with narrow eyes as Kashmira was talking to Bellatrix, going down to the dungeons with her as he followed James up the stairs to the Gryffindor common rooms.
"You sure you're okay?" James asked again as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Just fine," he mumbled. "Portly Porter." The oversized woman nodded to them and swung forward, along them access to their common room. Upon entering, Sirius found a strange peace and realized how much he had longed for this moment. Plopping himself down on one of the sofas, he put his head back and closed his eyes, the events of the night slowly leaving his troubled mind as he came to realize he was finally home.
"Here…you can have this bed," Bellatrix said, shoving Kashmira's trunk against one of the four-poster beds. The dark girl sat down on her bed and sighed. "I'll send a letter to your mum saying you got into Slytherin." Kashmira looked at her, much rather owling her own mother when she felt like it. However, she knew Bellatrix wouldn't budge, possibly being told to do so herself. She just shrugged and laid down on her bed, closing her eyes. "You haven't said more then about two words," Bellatrix said haughtily.
"What's there to say?" Kashmira mumbled.
"When I got into Slytherin I was ecstatic! You're just acting like a big blob without a personality.
"I'm tired…"
"Sure." She stood there for a moment then finally turned away from her cousin, making a disapproving noise as she left and slammed the door behind her. Kashmira sat up and grinned, finally getting rid of her. She got up and fished around in her trunk for a piece of parchment and her quill and ink. Finally able to find them, she went over to her nightstand and scribbled a letter.
Dear Uncle Alphard,
I know I've only met you once, but I've heard my mum talk about you a lot, especially how "disappointing" you are. You are the only family member I've got that will understand where I'm coming from when I say this.
I expect you will be told soon enough, but I have been, unfortunately, sorted into Slytherin. I trust you'll understand how much this upsets me, but I want you to be my witness when I say no matter what, I will never be like the others. I still see nothing wrong with Muggle-borns or even Muggles. The hat said that I could possibly show others how not everyone that goes into Slytherin comes out bad, so I reckon I could do just that. I just don't know how…I trust that my owl will find you. She's pretty good at that. It would be great to hear back from you.
Sincerely,
KashmiraAfter rereading it a couple of times, she rolled it up took it to her red morph screech owl, Blythe. "Hey, pretty," she whispered, stroking her beak. "Want to stretch your wings?" She gave a soft hoot leapt onto her outstretched arm. Kashmira quickly opened the door, cursing the fact that she had to go all the way upstairs just to deliver a letter, seeing as how the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons and had no windows. She passed her cousins who were still on the couches, talking and laughing with a bunch of their friends. Fortunately, they hadn't noticed her as she left the common room with her owl on her arm. Darting up the stairs, she finally made it to the Entrance Hall. She looked up and could see a bunch of open windows on the wall near the ceiling. "All right, Blythe." She placed the letter in her beak. "Take this to Uncle Alphard for me?" She blinked and flew off of her arm towards the window, disappearing as she flew out. Satisfied, Kashmira made her way back down, trying to sneak past again, but Narcissa caught her.
"Where were you?" she asked, turning around to look at her.
"Bathroom," she muttered.
"You know we have bathrooms down here, right?" Bellatrix giggled.
"No…I didn't," she smiled.
"Just down the hall, right across from the Potions room," she waved, turning back to the group.
"Right," she mumbled, going into her room again. Pleased with herself, she put on her pajamas and hopped into bed. Maybe she was sorted into Slytherin for her sneakiness also? She shook her head, turning onto her side. No…she wouldn't become a conceded Slytherin. She was here to prove something…she just didn't know how, yet.
