"Odynne! Come upstairs at once!" called Irma Black forcefully. Odynne, a pale girl just shy of seven got up from her armchair and climbed the steep stairs. At the top of the stairs, a stern woman dressed in fine, black fabrics and jewels stood, tapping her foot impatiently. A dark head peaked out from behind the long gown she wore.

"Would you please enlighten me as to why I found your younger brother screaming with a third degree burn on his hand in the library?" Odynne looked down and kicked her foot, avoiding her mother's glare. "Odynne! Answer me, now!" ordered her mother. Odynne looked up at the cold grey eyes with matching grey ones and said adorably,

"Alphard tried to burn the book I was reading and failed, so I showed him the proper way to burn something." Odynne tucked a stray, black ringlet behind her ear and looked up at her mother with fake innocence. Her mother sighed and pinched her nose.

"Sweetheart, you know you aren't supposed to practice magic on your brother. Only on the house elves, darling."

"Yes, mother," replied Odynne sweetly, as she bounded back down the stairs. Walburga sat in her previously occupied chair with her arms crossed and a severe look on her face.

"I can't believe you got away with using magic on Alphie again. You always get away with magic! It's not fair!" she cried. Odynne shrugged and smirked, sitting on the floor in front of the roaring fire to resume play with her potions set.

"Look at it, Alphie!" taunted Odynne, waving her new 9-¾ inch rosewood wand. With its stained black surface, intricate silver designs, and onyx jewel at the base, the wand was easily one of the most extravagant wands Ollivander had sold in a long time.

"It looks stupid!" replied Alphard sourly. "Like your face!" Odynne snarled and attempted to hurl a stinging jinx at him, but it only managed to turn his arm a burnt red color. Alphard screeched and turned to hit Odynne in retaliation but was stopped by his father.

"Alphard, do it and I will have your arm severed and hung above your bed," he threatened, his deep voice scaring Alphard into submission. His head was lowered in resignation and he quietly followed his father into the bookshop. Odynne went with her mother and Walburga into Madame Malkin's for her new school robes.

"Ah, Irma! It's a pleasure to see you!" said a young woman, stopping to kiss cheeks with Odynne's mother. "I see that little Walburga has grown and will be needing new school robes, yes?" asked the seamstress. Irma nodded and carefully pushed Odynne forward. The seamstress squealed with delight and hugged the dark-haired child. "My little dove! My, how you've grown! And look, a wand! Oh, you'll be starting Hogwarts this year, which means you'll be needing robes as well!"

"Yes, Miss Malkin," responded Odynne.

"When you're finished taking their measurements, I'll be ready to go through the catalogue, Cassandra," said Irma, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs. Cassandra quickly measured the girls, taking into consideration their possible rate of growth throughout the year. With her notes completed, she lead Irma to the front counter where they compiled a list of things needed for the school year.

"I'll be sure to make their gymslips are form fitting and up to your specifications and their cloaks will be embroidered with the Black family crest, as per usual," said Cassandra, putting the order form on top of the large stack. "I'll have these finished first and they will be owled to the school before the train arrives."

"Much appreciated, Cassandra," said Irma, bidding farewell to the seamstress. Odynne waved at her outside the shop a cute smile on her face. Cassandra waved back, returning the smile. Walburga huffed and walked ahead to meet their father at the entrance to the Owl Emporium.

Inside, Odynne was surrounded by the hoots and squawks of hundreds of different birds and owls. She took her time, taking each one into consideration and making sure to choose the best one available. Turning away from a boisterous barn owl in disgust, she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," the small voice apologized. Odynne looked upon a boy roughly her height with black hair and pale skin like hers. The similarities stopped when she noticed he had deep emerald eyes full of excitement.

"It's all right," said Odynne. "It's rather busy in here as it is. If you add a dozen more people someone's bound to run into someone else," she said kindly. The boy nodded his head in understanding.

"Which one are you going to choose?" he asked suddenly. Odynne shrugged.

"I don't know, I can't decide."

"Well, how about that black eagle owl up there?" he said, pointing on top of the shelf. In a cage was a small black puff of feathers with large, golden eyes flitting about. Odynne smiled and turned to the boy.

"It's perfect! Thank you…?"

"Tom," he said with a grimace. "Tom Riddle."

"Odynne Black," she said, shaking his hand. Tom's lips quirked up in a small grin.

"Are you going to Hogwarts?" he asked. Odynne nodded.

"It's my first year!"

"Mine too. What house do you think you'll get sorted into?"

"Slytherin. My entire family has always been in Slytherin. What about you?"

"I want to be in Slytherin too," he said with great longing. Odynne nodded. She could be friends with him.

"Well, Tom Riddle, I look forward to seeing you on the train!" she said, turning to her father to tell him which owl she wanted. Tom smiled politely and left the shop, the smile slowly turning into a smirk.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat cried loudly. A table to Tom's left burst into applause as he got off the stool and sat next to Odynne. She smiled at him and booed with the rest of her table when the last first year was sorted into Gryffindor. An old man in conservative robes stood up and the room fell silent.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts and to our new students, welcome! I hope you enjoy the year and please eat!" he said with a smile plastered onto his face. He quickly sat down and began to eat with a look of boredom written on his face.

Odynne and Tom began to fill their golden plates with potatoes and ham and rolls and everything else that was within reach. Tom ate three plates full of food before the table was cleared and dessert appeared. Odynne only ate a small portion of cake when Tom had just finished his second helping of pudding.

A few minutes later, the students were dismissed for bed. Following the Slytherin prefects, Tom, Odynne, and the rest of the Slytherin first years descended the many stairs into the dungeons. The prefects stopped in front of a wall and turned to speak to the students.

"The common room can be accessed through this portrait, and this portrait alone. Speak the words 'superbia et ambitio' and the portrait will open," said one of the prefects as the portrait of a large, black snake coiled around a dagger swung open to reveal a room with an odd light.

The students filed inside, in awe of the luxurious common room. The green light that came from the Black Lake gave the room an eerie glow. Black leather couches were adorned with satin throw pillows and blankets. A monstrous fireplace to the left of the common room was the only source of heat and light other than a few strategically placed lamps.

Odynne drank in the dark beauty of her new home and turned to Tom and whispered,

"I think we'll do just fine in here, Tom." Tom looked at her and smirked, nodding slightly.

"I agree."

Welcome, dear readers. This came to me Christmas day, when I was listening to the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince score on my new headphones. At about 1:34 into the song Journey to the Cave by Nicholas Hooper, an idea struck. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the idea. I hope you enjoy the road this story takes you and encourage you to leave a review with any questions, concerns, or constructive criticism. Please no hate.

Enjoy,

CraftyK13