Why Me?
Dear Readers
This will be the only disclaimer message in this novel so please pay attention I unfortunately do not own any of the Harry Potter characters they are only for me to look but not own. However the characters I do own are Lyra Malfoy, Maia Black and Thomas Parkinson and any other characters that you do not recognize. There will be events that happened in the later Harry Potter Books e.g. Bellatrix Lestrange breaks out of Azkaban in the 5th book and this story line is set in the 4th book. I apologias for any spelling, grammatical mistakes and the lack of vocabulary that occur throughout the story. I hope you enjoy this story and the life of the unfortunate Maia Black. I have set the Malfoys and Bellatrix in a kinder personality towards Maia, so if you find it weird I apologies to you and I think that behind closed doors with their loved ones and extremely close friends they show their softer side to them. If I offend you in anyway with what I have said or written, please know I am sorry, and did not mean to offend anyone.
Authors note: A big thank you to Leanora, my Beta Reader, she has quite a few amazing stories so go and read her stuff. My favorite is The Malfoy's Servant; read it, trust me it's amazing!
Prologue
****General P.O.V****
It was a crisp winter's afternoon with the mixture of pinks, yellows, and oranges in the sky as the sun was setting behind the soft grey clouds. With a gentle breeze picking up, the fallen leaves of the giant oak trees surrounded the Victorian Manor house of the noblest house of Black in Melbourne, Australia. A lone figure stood on the footpath leading up to the glass doors which lead into the manor. The lone figure was the only female Black to be born in two generations.
She had three of the most brilliant brothers in the world: Leo, Orion, and Perseus. Perseus hated his name so he made everyone call him Percy. Leo was the oldest of the boys, and was the heir to the Black legacy. He looked like a carbon copy of their father, and their mother said that "he looked exactly like their father when he was that age of 17 ." Leo had the prominent cheek bones, the long flowing black hair, and stormy grey eyes which from what her brother told her, he enchanted all of the girls at Merlin Academy of Magic when he attended.
Then there were the twins Orion and Percy, and they had only just turned 16. Orion and Percy were identical and they were the perfect mix of their mother and father. The twins both inherited their father's height and his hair, but they had their mother's eyes, with a sparkle in them that put the biggest and brightest of diamonds to shame. They were the kings of the school back at Merlin's. Every girl wanted them and every guy wanted to be them, just like their older brother Leo; they followed in his legacy.
All four of the Black children either had played or were still playing Quidditch and all of them played for the same house as well. Leo was the seeker, Orion and Percy were chasers and the lone female Maia Black, well she was a beater. She is not how the typical Australian should look like; she doesn't have blonde hair, nor does she have gorgeous blue she has short brown hair and golden eyes. She isn't tall, in fact, she's around 5 foot 1, so you can probably tell that she's short. The only thing that was stereotypical Australian of her is her nice tan.
The day after the funeral Maia stood in front of the giant glass doors facing the large mercy green lake. Tears streamed down her face she kept screaming hysterically aloud, "Why me? Why did they have to die? Couldn't it of been me instead? They had so much to live for!"
Leo was due to be engaged to his long term girlfriend Meissa and the twins were about to enter their fourth last year of schooling. Their mother was pregnant again with her little brother he was going to be called Aries; Maia was the only one of the Black children who knew of her mother's pregnancy. Maia began sobbing again once she realized that she was alone.
No direct family alive; she was it – she was the last remaining black of her generation. Maia had one last look at her house where she had her first kiss with Victor Krum in the middle of the quidditch pitch on starless night, when he and his family came to visit her father. Where she had rode her first broom around the family quidditch pitch.
She sighed and headed towards her grandparents, who were deemed too old to take care of a young witch of her age. Maia would be spending her last night in Australia back at her Grandparents place and then at 6:30A.M., she would be picking up everything she loved dear and moving halfway around the world to start her new life in England with her two cousins, Aunt, and Uncle.
Chapter 1: The Manor
***Maia's P.O.V***
So here I am, Maia Black, at the age of 15, standing the gate of the Malfoy Manor, orphaned and holding everything I could carry and I held dear to my life back in Australia.
As I walked through the front gate looking over the gardens, I remembered the very few times I had played in them. The gardens hadn't changed at all. I can still remember the time when I was racing Draco around the garden beds because I told him that I could out run him and I fell and broke my arm.
My mum wasn't every happy about it because I wasn't acting like Lyra was and I wasn't being a proper pureblood girl who shadowed my mother and I definitely was seen and heard. My brothers didn't seem to mind, however,because they were laughing at me because they saw me trip over thin air and Dad wasn't there, he was inside talking to Uncle.
As I approached the large front door with the Malfoy insignia on it,Dobby came out of nowhere with a warm loving smile just like my Dad had given me before he and the rest of the family was killed in a cross fire of spells between the Auror's and supporters of the Dark Lord. My family wasn't even supposed to be there.
"Welcome, Mistress Maia. Master Lucius has wished for you go to see him as soon as you have arrived. He's in his study in the west wing; Dobby will take your stuff to your room," Dobby said.
"Thank you Dobby," I replied as I headed off in the direction of the west wing of the house.
Once away from the entrance parlour I looked upon the walls to the portraits of the past Malfoys. Though I had gotten lost, I found the portrait of Abraxas Malfoy, Draco's grandfather, and my family relation of some sort.
As I was desperately lost, I needed direction to find Lucius' study I decided to ask the man who I had met only twice previously.
"Excuse me Abraxas, I was wondering if you could help me find Uncle's study?" I asked quietly as I was scared, lost, and somewhat alone.
"Oh hello Maia, why are you here?" He asked curiously.
I replied in a monotone, "Because my parents and brothers were killed and I was sent here to live with Lucius, Narcissa, Lyra and Draco, until the time where I come of age of the Australian Magisterial and I inherit all of what comes to my family being then first of my name." "I'm sorry for your loss girl, Lucius' study is two doors down to your left."
Abraxas retorted with a pitiful stare. "Thank you," I said and strode off toLucius' study.
I knocked on the door three times.
"Enter," came a cold voice from within the study.
I opened the black mahogany door and let myself in. "Uncle, you wanted to see me?" I said.
Lucius' head rose up from the profit and with that same cold expression on his face as always, he spoke. "Ah Maia, welcome. How was your journey?" he asked in the same cold tone.
"It was pleasant Uncle; well, as pleasant as it could be anyway," I replied in the same tone.
"Lovely. Now, I want to discuss a few things with you now that you're staying with us for the next two years. You will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, entering your fifth year, with Lyra. Both Lyra and you will go out with Draco in two days' time to buy everything you need for the upcoming year. As for the time you're at the Manor, you will show up to every meal, all social occasions, and you shall not go wondering about in the West Wing unless instructed. You will do all homework you are given from your private tutor, beginning tomorrow and I expect top marks. In addition, you shall also attend lessons that Narcissa has arranged for Lyra and yourself to become proper ladies, though you might have had these lessons back in Australia. Our social culture is different than the one you were brought up in back home. And finally you are expected to make the Black name proud once more. Maia, is this clear?" Lucius asked in a stern tone.
"Crystal, Uncle," I replied with no emotions in my voice.
"Very well. You are excused Maia, I shall see you at dinner," Uncle said with a smug expression across his face. I left my uncle's study and headed towards the entry parlour. It then took me TWENTY minutes to get back to the parlour because I had lost my way more times than I care to imagine.
As soon as I placed a foot into the parlour, Draco appeared. "Hello Mai, how are you?" he asked with all sincerity in his voice.
"I'm as good as could be as anyone in my position could be Drake. How are you? Excited to be a fourth year?" I asked with a loving tone. Truth be told, I have a soft spot for my baby cousin.
"That's good to hear Mai. I'm better now that you are hear surrounded by family and no not really excited to be a fourth year. It's not a very important year to be totally honest. Have you heard? We're going to the World Cup finals next week," Draco said excitedly.
I replied, "You know you're growing up too fast for me kid. This year you're in your fourth year, the next thing I know you'll be graduating Hogwarts and starting your political career. And no, I didn't know we'd going to the World Cup finals; that'll be interesting to see. To be totally honest I really want Ireland to win because Bulgaria knocked us out to play in the finals. But you never know really. So tell me about Hogwarts and what's it like to go to school with non-pureblood people?" I inquisitively asked.
"You mean at Merlin's there were no half-bloods, or mudbloods? Wow, I wonder why Father didn't send Lyra and me there instead of Hogwarts who let anything in. But to tell you the truth it's horrible! They don't have any respect for you at all; they treat everyone as equals. And the teachers! Don't get me started; the only decent one is Professor Snape, who is the Potions Master and he's the head of Slytherin House, which is the best out of the four if you ask me." Draco replied in all seriousness.
"Well, then it shall be an interesting year and to answer your question, he probably didn't want to send you half way across the world to a school he had no influence over whereas at Hogwarts he probably has a highly respected position on the school board. Tell me, what are the quidditch teams like? Are any of them half decent at least?" I inquired.
"The teams are alright, nothing special though" Draco replied in a sorrowful tone. "So which team are you playing for once you've finished Hogwarts?" Draco quires.
"None. Unfortunately I won't be able to play on a team because it's deemed not suitable behaviour for a lady of a noble house, so after Hogwarts I shall marry a nice rich pureblood man and have lots and lots of pureblood babies. That is my future as I had been told by my parents so therefore I must respect their wishes for me, no matter how much I disagree with it," I told Draco with a sorrowful tone to it.
By the time Draco and I had finished talking it was time for dinner, where I'd finally get to see Aunt Narcissa and Lyra. Lyra and I screamed and ran towards each other. We'd kept in touch by owl, and so I knew everything about her and she knew everything about me.
"Mai, how are you? It's been too long!" She exclaimed whilst engulfing me into a bone crushing hugs. Lyra is a replica of Narcissa with her porcelain white skin and white blond hair; she was engaged to Adrian Purcey, another Slytherin Pure-Blood. From what she has told me, he is the perfect man for her: he is kind, loving, and loyal and, of course, a Pureblood.
"Lyra I'm as good as can be, and yes it has been too long. But don't worry, I'm all yours once we get to Hogwarts. I need someone to show me the way around the place after all," I replied. She laughed and released me from her hug.
Once Draco, Lyra, Narcissa, and I had made our way to the dining room, I found my place besides Lyra and opposite Draco; but I saw a place set for another beside Draco. I inquired to Aunty, "Aunty who that place for beside Draco? I wasn't told we had a guest coming over, otherwise I would have changed into something nicer."
I lookeddown at my creased and wrinkled satin white business shirt and black pencil skirt as she replied reassuringly. "No need to worry about that dear, your Aunt is dropping by to see you. After all she hasn't seen you in nine years."
A loud crack echoed throughthe house as a lady dressed all in black, with very curly hair and an extremely pale completion, came out of the fireplace. I didn't recognize her at all but I assumed that was my Aunt Bella.
"Where is she? Let me look at her, let me see he,." Bellatrix insistedas she searched the room to find her niece that had eluded her for all these years.
"Here I am Aunt Bella," I said in a quiet voice.
"Come here girl let me look at you," Bellatrix demanded whilst holding her hand out for me to grab it. "You look like your father at this age, with those prominent and high cheek bones and such a delicate face you inherited from your mother," She said while stroking my check.
"Thank you Aunt Bella," I replied.
As soon as I responded, Uncle appeared in the dining room. "How nice of you to join us Bella. But in future, if you decide to join us for dinner, please turn up on time," Uncle snarled
"Now, now Lucius, control that temper of yours. We don't want another incident, now do we?" Aunt Bella smugly replied with a cackle.
"Aunt Bella, I was wondering what is Hogwarts like? I really don't know what to expect. At that school, it seems very different from what Merlin's is like," I asked, so she and Uncle wouldn't get into a fight.
"Oh it's alright but nothing compared to your old school. I just hope that the fool would have left by the start of the school year. But not to worry dear, you'll be fine if you stick with Lyra here. Maybe by the end of the year you could have a husband all of your own, how about that? Wouldn't that be nice sweetie?" Aunty Bella said.
"That's the plan, Aunt Bella," I replied. After a painfully long dinner, it was time to retire into the sitting room for tea. Aunt Bella grabbed my arm and lead the way into the sitting room and placed me right by her side.
"So Maia, tell us how were your mother, father, and brothers before they were so tragically killed? Hmm, tell Aunty Bella all about it," Aunt Bella inquired in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"They were happy. The last thing Dad said to me was that he loved me and that what ever happened to the family that he was proud of my…" I choked out through the tears streaming down my cheeks. It was the first time I had spoken about what actually happened to me before they were killed.
"Now, now come dear there's no need to cry. You're surrounded by family now," cooed Aunty.
Two hours passed when Aunty said, "Come on children time for bed. Lyra, show Maia to her room. It's been a big day for everyone and we all need our rest for tomorrow. Pip pip."
Lyra, Draco, and I headed toward the door when I turned and said "Thank you Aunty."
"Why are you thanking me dear?" Aunty inquired.
"For taking me in, for giving me a roof over my head, and for being so – "
Aunty interrupted, "Nonsense. You're family and that's that. How could I live with myself when my favorite niece was all alone? Now go on it's time for bed you have a long day ahead of you. Go on you need your rest," Aunty said in an endearing way.
"Come on Maia, I'll show you to your new room. It's right opposite my room," Lyra called from down the hall.
"Coming," I replied and with that I was off too my new room.
Soon after arriving in my room, I fell asleep hoping for a better day.
