A/N I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS. QUOTES BELOW FROM THE BOOKS ARE NOT MINE.
'Bella, think this through, please!'
'I have Cissy! This is what I have to do!'
Narcissa pulled at her long, blonde hair in desperation. She had to convince her sister, had to make her see reason. This was folly. Absolute madness.
'Bella, it's over! Why can't you see that?'
'It's not over while I'm still around,' said Bellatrix dramatically. She swung a travelling clock over her shoulders and made for the door.
Her sister moved to block the exit.
Bellatrix laughed harshly. 'Cissy, if you think I won't make you move, you really do not know me.'
'But Bella, what good will it do? The Longbottoms might not even know anything about him.'
Bellatrix shrugged. 'Perhaps. I shall have to find out, shan't I? Don't you, worry, dear sister, Rodolphus and the others will help me. We'll find out what they know.'
'Rodolphus?' asked Cissy in bewilderment. 'How could Rodolphus possibly want anything to do with this? After what's happened, after what you've done? After-'
But she fell silent at the look on Bellatrix's face.
'Now, listen here Cissy. You are not to mention that ever. Do you understand? Do you understand what danger you put us in? Do you?'
Narcissa nodded and, sensing victory, Bellatrix moved towards the door.
This was her last chance, Narcissa realised. Her last chance to stop her sister getting herself into even more trouble than she was already in.
'Bella, please. There's still hope. You won't have to go to Azkaban. Lucius didn't, did he? He managed to find a way.'
Bellatrix revolved on the spot and laughed, with more than a hint of mania to her voice. 'Cissy, don't you dare compare me to your cowardly, traitorous husband. I will not cower to the Ministry and buy my freedom. I will not betray my beliefs. I will not betray Him.'
Her hand was on the door now, so Narcissa threw one last roll of the dice.
'And what about her? What happens to Carina when you're locked up in Azkaban with the key thrown away.'
Bellatrix turned back to face her sister. 'You know what you have to do Narcissa. I've told you.'
'I can't!'
'You must. If you do not, the consequences will be severe.'
And with that, Bellatrix Lestrange strode out of the house into the waiting night.
...
Ten Years Later
Carina Lestrange arrived at King's Cross on 1st September, excited and apprehensive just like every other new student.
Except, perhaps she was a little bit more excited, and certainly a lot more apprehensive, than the average eleven year old. Unlike most of the others starting Hogwarts today, Carina had more baggage than just an incredibly heavy trunk: her Death Eater parents, currently at the Ministry's pleasure in Azkaban; an over- privileged cousin who seemed confident that they would both end up in Slytherin together; and an uncle who was strutting along complaining furiously about Muggles.
'I see this place is as filthy as ever,' muttered Lucius Malfoy, as he pushed his son and niece's luggage on a trolley. 'Why we have to skulk through this Muggle dump in secrecy is beyond me. Oh, if only-'
Carina's uncle tailed off, clearly lost in lovely fantasies about the state of the world had Voldemort won the First War. As usual, Lucius conveniently ignored the fact that he had begged, bribed and practically sold his soul in order to avoid imprisonment when the Dark Lord had fallen a decade ago.
That was Lucius Malfoy through and through. He spent half of his time complaining about the Ministry, Dumbledore and generally anyone connected with the defeat of his old master, and the other half greasing palms and bullying his way into societal prominence. It didn't really matter to Lucius if the Dark side was in charge or not- he still had an uncanny ability to worm his way into the right place.
'Oh, yes, I quite agree, dear,' murmured Narcissa.
Carina's blood aunt walked a few steps behind her husband, keeping close to their beloved son, Draco. Narcissa was a very pretty woman in her early thirties. She had long blonde hair and startling blue eyes. Had she not always walked around with a turned up nose and a displeased expression on her face, she would have turned heads wherever she went.
The quartet weaved their way through the crowds of King's Cross, attracting a lot of glances thanks to the two large trunks and pair of noisy owls. One woman seemed ready to approach them with a reprimand about animal cruelty, but she fell silent at the look on Lucius' face.
Secretly, Carina found it an unnecessary security risk that so many witches and wizards passed through one of London's busiest stations at the same time on the same day every year, but she would never have said as much to Lucius. The two of them disagreed about politics and Muggles and pretty much every topic under the sun on a regular basis. So she didn't want him to think they had any common ground.
Not that he ever shouted at her, or even openly disagreed with her. Whenever Carina said something remotely controversial in Malfoy Manor, Lucius and Narcissa simply remained quiet and seemed to pretend as though Carina was not there. It was incredibly annoying.
The four of them reached the barrier. Lucius gave a bored look around and then gestured to Carina and Draco. 'You two go first, then.'
Carina glanced at her cousin, who looked back nervously. At the same time, they leant forward and fell through the solid wall into nothingness.
A great, gleaming steam train rose above them. It was scarlet red and emblazoned with HOGWARTS EXPRESS. There was a great deal of commotion all along the platform. A variety of pets were making a lot of noise, parents were exchanging emotional goodbyes with their children and, near the barrier, a kind-faced woman was attacking a tall, ginger boy's nose with a handkerchief.
Carina looked around, taking it all in. She grinned to herself. A few more minutes and she was off to Hogwarts, the place she had dreamed about for years. The beginning of the rest of her life.
Behind her, Lucius and Narcissa had joined them on the platform. The two of them were fusing around Draco. Narcissa was straightening his robes and smiling in a sickening kind of way. The three of them were the perfect picture of family pride on the child's first day of school.
As usual, Carina felt very separate from them. She supposed that they were her family- Narcissa was her mother's sister after all- but it had never felt that way. Carina didn't even look like the rest of them. All three Malfoys were pale and blonde with light eyes. Carina might have matched their pale skin, but her hair was thick, black and long. Her eyes were a completely different shape and very dark. None of this particularly bothered her. On the contrary, looking as little like the Malfoys as possible was something she took personal pride in.
'Carina.' Narcissa was beckoning her over to them. Carina moved back towards the group with slight reluctance.
'Now, you have a good term,' smiled Narcissa to Carina, although her eyes kept flicking back to Draco instead.
Lucius echoed the sentiment and nodded to her. Carina supposed this was the extent of the goodbye she could expect.
Lucius had already levitated all the luggage into a rack in one of the carriages, so Carina seized the chance to escape. She waved a half-hearted goodbye to her aunt and uncle, and left them to resume their fusing over the prodigal son that was Draco.
Carina by-passed the mother and her red-haired son. They had now been joined by a pair of ginger twins who were chattering excitedly to their mother.
'Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?'
The mother looked stern and began to berate the twins about something, but Carina barely registered the next part of their conversation as she climbed onboard the train. So there it was, Voldemort mentioned already. She'd been on the platform for, what, five minutes? Not even at school yet and already people were talking about him. She knew they would, obviously. But a small part of Carina had dared hope that, somehow, they might not. That none of that mattered anymore. Well, that obviously wasn't going to happen. She would simply be Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange's daughter. Case closed.
Carina sighed in frustration and made her way down the carriage walkway, searching for an empty compartment. She found one in the next carriage along and settled herself into the window seat, torn between wanting someone to come in and talk to her and wanting to be left alone for the whole journey.
She dug into the book bag that had stayed with her and pulled out a copy of Hogwarts: A History. It wasn't on the first years' reading list but Carina had devoured the set texts within three days of buying them in Diagon Alley. She'd 'liberated' this one from Malfoy Manor's vast library, knowing full well that Lucius would not notice it was missing. He rarely picked up a book for actual reading, and simply maintained an extensive collection because it looked impressive to guests.
The train began to move out of the station. Back on the platform, parents were calling and waving to their children, some of whom were leaning out of windows to shout goodbye. Carina ignored them all, feeling irritable, and pressed on with her book.
Carina was half-way through a chapter on different heads of the school, when the compartment door slid open. To her dismay, it was Draco, accompanied by two human boulders that she recognised as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The two boys were occasional guests at the Manor, sometimes visiting with their parents when Lucius felt like a Death Eater reunion and a good old showing off. Crabbe and Goyle were from pureblood families that had lost their wealth generations ago and descended into financial ruin. They kept up a blood purity obsession to make themselves feel superior to other wizards and Lucius, despite supposedly being friends with Crabbe and Goyle's fathers, loved nothing more than the chance to flaunt the Malfoys' continued riches.
Crabbe and Goyle nodded mutely at Carina and took seats opposite one another near the door; she was not entirely sure either of them had mastered speech yet.
Draco, however, sat down across from Carina and gave her a surprised look. 'What are you doing?' he gestured to the book and screwed up his nose in an uncanny impression of Narcissa.
Sighing, Carina marked her page and closed the book. 'This is what we call reading, Draco.'
He gave her a rather scathing look and his cheekbones flushed slightly. 'I know what a book is. What I mean is, why are you sitting on your own reading when you could be talking to actual people?'
Carina glanced between her cousin and Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were watching the exchange with their mouths open. It was not a good look and merely added to their aura of troll.
'You mean like this riveting conversation you're having?'
Draco ignored the slight. 'So what's the plan then, Carina, get sorted into Hufflepuff?'
Carina shrugged unconcernedly. As long as she was in a different House to her dearest cousin, the Sorting Hat could stick her where it liked.
Disappointed by her lack of reaction, Draco tried a different tactic. 'I bet you'll befriend the first Mudblood you can find, just for the sake of it, won't you?'
Either Crabbe or Goyle laughed sycophantically. Carina wasn't sure which one it was since they both looked so similar, so to be safe she gave them both a look that made them quickly shut up.
She had learnt a long time ago that the most effective way to wind Draco up was to simply ignore him and not give him the reaction he so desired. It was very satisfying. So, rather than shoot back with a retort, Carina picked up her book in one hand, swung her bag over her shoulder with the other, and left the compartment. Behind her, Draco muttered something about 'drama queens.'
Carina walked a few feet down the train so that she was out of Draco's line of vision, and leant back against a window. She flicked Hogwarts: A History back open but had barely read one page before a new voice appeared.
'Oh, isn't that a fantastic book? I bought it back in Diagon Alley, just so I could learn some more about Hogwarts. I've been trying to learn as much as I can about as many topics as possible. It'll be good to be prepared before classes start, won't it? I heard a rumour back in the Leaky Cauldron that they start us off with a test, just to check we've been through the reading list properly. I've learnt them off by heart of course, in case that's true. Well, I suppose we'll find out soon, won't we?'
Carina lifted her book away from her face, to see a girl of a similar age beaming enthusiastically up at her. She was a couple of inches shorter than Carina and had a lot of rather bushy brown hair. She had said everything very quickly.
Feeling they should start at the beginning, Carina held out her hand. 'I'm Carina.'
The girl shook it vigorously. 'I'm Hermione Granger.' And without giving Carina the chance to get a word in edgeways, she was off again. 'I'm the first one in my family to come to Hogwarts, you know? I've always done weird things as a girl, but we never had any clue that it was magic! Mum and Dad were thrilled when we found out.'
Carina couldn't help but smile at the excitement on Hermione's face.
'Well, nice to meet you, Hermione.'
The other girl looked as though she was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a plump boy with a tear-stained face. He was shuffling down the corridor, looking very sorry for himself.
'Are you okay?' asked Carina. She didn't want to judge people right away, but the boy looked like a prime target for any bullying that might go on at Hogwarts.
The boy sniffed loudly. 'I've lost Trevor!'
Who or what Trevor was, Carina didn't find out because the boy wailed loudly and covered his face with his hands.
'Is Trevor your friend?' asked Hermione, sounding business-like rather than sympathetic.
The boy shook his head and looked at her. 'He's my pet toad. My uncle bought him as a present. Oh Gran is going to be so angry...'
Carina cut him off before he could start crying again. 'Look, I can help you find him if you want. He'll be on the train somewhere.'
The boy nodded and sniffed. 'Thanks.'
'I'll come too,' announced Hermione, bossily. 'Let's work our way down the train and ask after him in all the compartments.'
To Carina's relief, she headed in the opposite direction to Draco's compartment. Carina was not remotely bothered that her cousin might laugh at her for her choice of travel companions. But she was concerned that he might be particularly rude to a crying boy searching for a toad, and an enthusiastic girl who was quite clearly Muggleborn.
The trio checked in a few of compartments but were greeted with blank faces and, in some cases, amusement that they were even bothering to look for a missing toad in the first place.
'So, what's your name?' Carina asked the round-faced boy as they left their fifth compartment.
'Neville,' he sniffed. 'Neville Longbottom. What about you?'
It was like someone pouring a bucket of boiling hot water over Carina's head. Her heart pounded impossibly fast.
Lucius might never have openly told Draco and Carina about what exactly he'd gotten up to during his Death Eater days, but he hadn't made much of an effort to shield them either. For her own part, Carina had found out as much as possible about her parents' past through recent history books and old newspaper articles.
And now, it was her first day of school and she'd ran into a boy whose parents had been brutally tortured by her own.
Thanks, Mum and Dad, she thought furiously.
Luckily, Neville didn't seem to notice anything strange in her reaction, and she was able to quickly mutter 'I'm Carina' without anything seeming amiss.
Still furiously thinking about her parents and the situation they had forced her into, Carina followed Hermione into another compartment at the end of the carriage.
It was quieter than most of the others, only occupied by two boys.
One was slight with a lot of messy black hair, the other lanky and ginger with a long nose. They had the distinctive look of first years- excitement and nerves- and were eating their way through what seemed to be most of the food trolley.
'Can we help?' asked the red-haired boy, giving them a bit of a look.
Hermione was talking before either Carina or Neville could so much as open their mouths.
'Have you seen a toad? Neville here has lost his.'
'No, sorry,' the ginger boy shrugged.
The other boy looked up at them to say that he hadn't either, but suddenly Carina's mind was far from toads.
Harry Potter!
He had to be. He had the scar and everything, even though it was partially hidden by his very untidy hair.
Hermione, meanwhile, was introducing the three of them to the two new boys.
'...I'm Hermione Granger, this is Neville Longbottom and- sorry Carina, what was your surname?'
Feeling as though everything was going to come out soon enough anyway, Carina threw caution to the wind. 'Lestrange.'
The effect was predictable and instantaneous: the ginger boy poked himself in the eye with a liquorice wand, and then tried to pass it off as though nothing had happened; Neville yelped and gave a strange jerk as though hit by a bolt of electricity; and Hermione openly stared at Carina as though she were a particularly interesting book.
Only Harry Potter had not reacted at all. In fact, he was looking around the compartment in confusion at what he had missed.
Neville shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other.
'I might erm… well I think Trevor maybe ended up at the back of the train... I think I'll go and look for him.'
With a quick glance at Carina, Neville shuffled out of the door and hurried along the corridor with surprising speed.
'What's his problem?' asked the redhead in surprise, as though he had not just almost given himself a black eye with a sweet. 'I'm Ron by the way. Ron Weasley.'
Carina smiled weakly and collapsed into a seat by the door. If she made it through the first week of school without having some kind of nervous breakdown, it would be a miracle.
'Harry,' said Harry.
Hermione, who continued to hover in the doorway, tore her eyes away from Carina and looked at Harry instead.
'You're very famous, you know. I've read all about you in...'
She reeled off a list of books that mentioned Harry Potter. Meanwhile, The Boy Who Lived looked increasingly apprehensive. Carina wondered how much he was aware of his celebrity; according to Lucius, he had been sent to live with Muggles for the past ten years.
'Well, I better go and help Neville,' said Hermione. 'Are you coming Carina?'
'No, I think I might stay here actually. I'll see you a bit later.' If Neville didn't want to be around her at the moment then she was most certainly not going to force her company on him.
'Alright then.'
Hermione said goodbye and strode off down the train after Neville.
Ron raised an eyebrow to Harry. 'I better not be in her house.'
'She's quite nice actually,' said Carina.
Ron looked at her awkwardly, as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to put it.
'Yes, my parents are Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange,' sighed Carina. 'Yes, they're in Azkaban for murdering, torturing and other horrific crimes. No, I don't admire them, or miss them, or have any contact with them. Any more questions?'
Ron's mouth hung open for a few moments. 'No, no questions.' He mumbled finally.
The compartment door slid open again. It was not, however, Hermione or Neville returning. Instead, Draco stood there, flanked on either side by Crabbe and Goyle.
Carina sighed in frustration and leant her head back against her seat.
'What do you want, Draco? Bored without someone to taunt?'
Draco glanced from Carina to Harry to Ron, and then back again.
'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter is in this compartment. So, it's you, is it?'
'Yes,' said Harry.
Draco raised an eyebrow at Carina. 'Making friends?'
'Is that what you call them?' asked Carina, gesturing at Crabbe and Goyle. 'I thought the word you used was bodyguards.'
Ron laughed loudly and Draco turned his attention to him.
'Well well, you must be a Weasley. Yes, I've heard all about you. More children than your parents can afford apparently.'
'Get out, Draco,' snapped Carina, giving her cousin a look that bored into him.
Draco hesitated for a moment and then smirked. 'No, I don't think I will actually. You see we've eaten our food but you seem to have a lot left.'
Goyle lumbered over towards Harry and Ron's pile of sweets. Ron made a furious movement towards him but, before he got there, Goyle was suddenly jumping back, howling.
A very fat rat was dangling from the end of his finger. Goyle howled in pain and swung his hand through the air until the rat fell off.
All three of them laughed as Draco, Crabbe and Goyle hurried from the compartment. For quite a while they didn't stop laughing; it was a very nice feeling, sitting there with new friends, laughing at Draco.
A few minutes later, Ron wiped his eyes and pulled himself together.
'You know Malfoy? Poor you!'
'He's my cousin,' grimaced Carina. 'Our mothers are sisters and I've lived with them since I was a baby.'
Ron looked horrified but Harry grinned. 'Wow. Didn't expect to meet someone who made the Dursleys look like kind and friendly people.'
'Who are they?' asked Carina.
Harry pulled a face. 'Aunt Petunia's my Mum's sister. I've lived with them for as long as I can remember. God, I hated it there.'
Carina laughed. 'Well I didn't expect to bond with a new friend over horrible families.'
The next couple of hours passed quickly. Carina remained in the compartment with Harry and Ron- her book lay forgotten.
They talked about everything under the sun, from Quidditch (which she and Ron had to explain to an agog Harry) to Albus Dumbledore. Ron was just telling them about his father's job at the Ministry, when Hermione reappeared to tell them they'd better put their robes on because they were arriving soon.
Sure enough, a short while later and the train slowed to a halt. They all clambered onto the platform, by which point Carina's stomach was full of butterflies. This was it- Hogwarts!
'First years over here!'
A giant of a man, holding a lamp and wearing an enormous coat with at least twenty pockets, was beckoning them over.
Ron gulped audibly but Harry hurried over to greet the man.
'Alright Harry?' said the giant.
Carina and Ron stood back slightly as Harry spoke back to the man. Other first years grouped around them, waiting for further instruction.
The man turned his beetle eyes on them.
'Hello, the name's Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts.'
He smiled happily down at them all. Some of them smiled back, most looked very apprehensive. Carina noticed Draco laughing about something with Crabbe and Goyle; she glared at him through the crowd.
'Right, this way to the boats!'
Hagrid held his lamp high in one hand to light the path. Although that was hardly necessary since he towered over them all so much.
Carina, Harry and Ron walked near him, taking three steps for one of Hagrid's enormous strides.
'Made friends already, Harry?' asked Hagrid approvingly, as he glanced down at Carina and Ron.
Carina was just about to introduce herself when Hagrid caught her eye first. A strange expression passed over his face. He looked quite taken aback by something. Just as Carina was feeling quite disconcerted, Hagrid blinked several times and looked away. He shook his head reassuringly as one might do if they'd seen a trick of the light.
No one else noticed anything.
Hagrid led them out onto the lake where a small fleet of boats were awaiting their arrival. As soon as the students grouped up and climbed aboard, they magically set off, gliding across the lake.
It was undoubtedly cold, but there was something quite wonderful about this mode of transport. They passed through the grounds as Hogwarts loomed before them, a splendid castle of twinkling lights and soaring turrets. Many students gasped aloud at the sight, and Hermione could be heard talking about something she'd read about the castle.
Once they'd climbed back onto dry land and made their way up to Hogwarts, a stern looking woman wearing emerald greeted them.
While they were waiting to enter the Hall, Harry and Ron were becoming quite nervous, speculating wildly about what they might be expected to do next.
'You do know you just have to try on a Hat, don't you?'
'A Hat?' Ron looked both furious and immensely relieved. 'I'm going to kill Fred. He was going on about having to wrestle a troll!'
Carina laughed, wondering why on earth she wasn't nervous about the Sorting herself.
She'd spent the last few weeks losing sleep over the thought of Slytherin. Many a night, Carina had woken in a panic, her dreams punctuated by green ties and dungeon common rooms. She knew, deep down, that she was nothing like her parents. But what if her shining traits were best suited to Slytherin? It would be confirmation that she truly was her mother's daughter.
And, yet, as she waited by the doors of the Great Hall, Carina found that all of the worry had left her. She felt only excitement.
With a final glance around the group, Professor McGonagall pushed open the doors and ushered the new first years inside.
'The ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky!' Hermione had reappeared next to Carina as they strode down the Hall, past all the house tables together. 'That's in Hogwarts: A History, you know.'
The first years reached the top of the Hall, just before the teacher's table. Everyone was suddenly very quiet, even Hermione. Judging by Draco's flushed cheeks and darting eyes, he too was nervous. Carina took sadistic pleasure in the thought of him not ending up in Slytherin. Obviously he would- he was such a sneaky git, he'd never be put in any other house- but it was a nice thought nonetheless.
One by one the students, were called up to try on the famous Sorting Hat. Hermione- who had gone very pale and quiet by the time her name was read out- was placed in Gryffindor.
A few more first years took their turn, and then, suddenly, 'Carina Lestrange.'
She certainly wasn't imagining it- as Carina walked up to the Hat with her head held high, a quick bout of whispering flew through the Hall.
Carina ignored it and picked up the Hat. Her nerves had returned now; the confidence she'd felt not long ago had gone.
She sat down and began to apprehensively lower the Hat towards her head.
'GRYFFINDOR!'
Carina blinked and looked around in surprise.
The Hat had barely touched the topmost hairs on her head!
She jumped up with enthusiasm, practically threw the Hat back onto the stool, and hurried over to the table which had exploded with applause.
'Well done!' exclaimed Hermione, as Carina squeezed in next to her on the bench.
A short while later and they had been joined by Harry and Ron, the latter of whom was looking very pale beneath his freckles. Harry just kept grinning to himself.
'Hello, I'm Pavarti.'
A pretty girl with lots of dark hair pulled back into a plait leaned over to introduce herself to Carina and Hermione. She gestured at another girl on her right. 'This is Lavender.'
Carina introduced herself but, while Hermione struck up conversation with their new housemates, Carina found herself scanning the staff table.
There was Albus Dumbledore himself, bedecked in magnificent purple robes. Was it her imagination or did he glance over in Carina's direction?
Hagrid was a few seats down, drinking wine from the largest glass Carina had ever seen. The professor who had overseen the Sorting was there too, talking to a small witch with a grubby hat pushed down over fly-away hair.
'Who's that?' asked Harry suddenly.
Carina followed his line of vision towards a pale man in his thirties with greasy hair.
'Professor Severus Snape,' she murmured back. 'My uncle talks about him sometimes.'
'He just looked at me as if he really hated me,' frowned Harry.
Carina considered the matter. 'Well, if he knows Lucius Malfoy, he's probably up to his nose in the Dark Arts. You did sort of kill their leader, remember?'
If Snape had been staring at Harry, he wasn't any more. He was talking to the teacher next to him, although neither of them looked particularly interested in what the other was saying.
The second professor- a pale, young man in an absurd purple turban- suddenly broke off from Snape and looked directly at Carina. It took her by such surprise that she jumped slightly and spilt pumpkin juice all over Hermione's arm.
'Hey!'
'Sorry,' muttered Carina, recovering herself. She handed Hermione a spare napkin and chanced another glance up at the staff table.
The turbaned man was still staring right at her. She maintained eye contact for perhaps a minute or so, until Snape asked the professor something and he quickly looked away. Carina kept an eye out during the rest of the feast but he didn't look in her direction again.
At the end of the meal, one of the Gryffindor prefects- who, it turned out, was a brother of Ron's- jumped up and started bossily directing the first years.
Carina got up and followed the others out into the Entrance Hall, where there was something of a bottleneck as so many students tried to get to their common rooms.
'Excellent food,' moaned Ron, rubbing his stomach as they waited for some space to clear. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked faintly disgusted.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't take Draco long to hunt Carina out.
'Well haven't you made the family proud?' he whispered, on his way down to the dungeons.
'Shove off, Malfoy,' said Ron, who was standing close enough to hear the exchange.
'Yeah, we've still got Scabbers if you want a bite to match Goyle's' added Harry.
Carina turned away and ignored her cousin, who stalked off looking moody.
However, as she watched him push his way through the crowds of students, almost knocking a couple of first year Hufflepuffs to the ground, Carina's temper got the better of her.
Discreetly, so that Percy Weasley- who was hovering around trying to clear a path to the staircase- wouldn't notice, she pulled her wand out of her robes. Directing it at Draco's retreating form, Carina muttered the incantation so quietly that not even Ron or Harry could hear her.
Draco had just reached the top of the steps that led down to the dungeons, when his legs started dancing of their own accord. He grabbed onto Goyle to try and stop himself falling, but his legs were moving so quickly that there was no stopping the momentum. Draco bumped his way down the stairs, landing at the bottom with dishevelled hair and a flaming red face.
'No magic in the corridors!' bellowed Percy.
But the Entrance Hall was so packed there was no chance of identifying the culprit.
'Was that you?' gasped Ron quietly.
'Brilliant!' muttered Harry, grinning at the sight of Draco picking himself up from the floor and looking distinctly rumpled.
'Hmph,' said Hermione, as they finally started to move up the staircase.
'Problem?' asked Ron.
'Magic is not allowed in the corridors,' she informed Carina. 'Besides, his back was turned. It was hardly fair.'
'Fair?' spluttered Ron. 'He's a pure blood maniac. His whole family are shady! No offence, Carina.'
'None taken.'
The four of them made their way up to Gryffindor Tower with the rest of the first years. Ron and Hermione bickered for most of journey.
By the time they reached the portrait hole that concealed their common room, Carina was feeling the prickling of shame wash over her. Maybe Hermione had been right- it did seem a bit unsporting to jinx someone when their back was turned.
It had just been so tempting though. Draco spent most of his life trying to provoke a reaction out of her, and she was better at magic than him. She'd known that before they'd even bought their wands.
Back in the Manor, Draco had been the typical pre-Hogwarts wizard, making things fly around the room and causing accidents when he was feeling particularly emotional. But Carina had been different somehow. She'd never done magic accidentally because it had always been something she could control. Yet, sometimes magic had saved her from sticky situations without her intending it to. One time, she had been running around the cliffs high above a beach. It had been slippery and raining and she'd lost her footing. But Carina hadn't hurt herself at all. She'd fallen right off the cliff and landed smoothly on her feet on the sand. She bet that a lot of fully-grown witches couldn't do that.
Still, said a small voice in her head, just because she could use magic against Draco, didn't mean she should.
After Percy had pointed out the features of the common room, the first year girls split off from the boys and headed up to their dormitory. Carina and Hermione were joined by Lavender and Pavarti, the two girls who had introduced themselves at dinner. They each grabbed a bed and quickly got changed into pyjamas.
Carina, for one, was feeling exhausted after the day. She climbed into her four poster bed, and smiled happily at just how comfy it was.
'Shall I turn the lights out?' asked Pavarti. 'We should get some sleep before tomorrow.'
The others murmured their agreement and settled down to sleep.
Carina lay back against her pillows, staring up at the canopy. Gryffindor.
If only there was a way to let her mother know exactly where she was now. Oh, that would be satisfying. To have Bellatrix Lestrange, all the way out in Azkaban, know that her only daughter had defied the pureblood mania and made it to Gryffindor.
Carina smiled at the thought.
'I wonder if we'll have a test tomorrow morning,' muttered Hermione, long after Carina thought the others to have fallen asleep.
She grinned to herself, rolled over onto her side, and fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in a while.
Thank you so much for choosing to read my first chapter!
I've been wanting to write a Harry Potter/ Voldemort's daughter story for so long but just couldn't figure out how to do it. I was thinking about using Delphi Riddle but I didn't want to have to bring her back to Harry's school year etc. So just thought I'd make my own OC.
I really appreciate feedback so please leave me a review, even if it's a very short one!
And thanks again for reading!
:)
