A/N: Thanks for the follows and reviews! Here's the next chapter!
By the way, the finally Pairing for our heroine will be as follows: Estelle x Daphne x Fleur. Yup, our little biter will be the center of a yuri harem with her as the dominant.
Edit: Revised as of 10/13/2017
Act II
Morning came too swiftly for Estelle's likening. But the light of dawn filtered through the dark curtains, pooling on the girl's tired features. Somewhere in the distance, nocturnal birds warbled. Unable to ignore the obnoxious sunbeams, the tiny girl stirred. It wasn't morning; it was evening, she had realized. And the light was from the silver eye in the sky; the tickling rays actually moonbeam.
Bellatrix or Kreacher must have opened the normally sealed blinds since dusk fell. At least she hadn't been exposed to the sun or she'd have died. She'll have to chew them out later.
She discovered the last year and a half hadn't been but a cruel dream. She wasn't curled up on an uncomfortable mattress filled with lumpy bedding. Instead, she was lying on a soft bed with black and silver sheets. Neutral colors; she gave it a brief thought. But it didn't last and closed her eyes again.
Opulence and luxury, she had concluded as the gears of conscious cognizant thinking took over this of her subconscious. Old wizarding families were quite wealthy. She only hoped Bella would continue to spoil her unlike her past. After all she had been through, it was only natural she believed she ought to be treated like a princess. However, she wouldn't put too much hope into anything. There was still an unvarying chance they would be just like Vernon and Petunia.
Speaking of her former upbringing, the young girl wasn't regretful that she had accidentally murdered her aunt, uncle and cousin...well, if it counted as Bella dishing out vengeance in her stead. They had treated her rather foul. In her mind, she believed her former relatives deserved what happened to them, even if it wasn't intentional. She had explained to her therapist the first session that she just wanted them to stop hurting her; to be left alone. Her magic she'd been told, just acted off of her own instincts and the will to live.
She rolled onto her back and tried to remember the dream that she had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it, but she hadn't recognized anything else since it had been dark. She had a funny feeling she'd had the same dream before, she just knew it. Clenching her fists, Estelle vowed that one day, she'd get to the bottom of what it meant.
Nuzzling her face back into the velour pillow, the young ravenette wholeheartedly intended to fall back asleep. That was all she desired for the next thousand years. To slumber without being disturbed. No horrible aunt or uncle to force her up the crack of dawn to make breakfast she never got to eat. A place of dreams catered to her best fantasies of having her family back. Bellatrix was pretty great mother so far, even if she was a bit on the wild side.
But the intensity of the full moon wouldn't let her return to her slumber. Eventually she dragged herself out of bed and showered.
Sitting on a stool by a slate mirror, she stared blankly. It had been difficult to get used to waking up in the evening opposed to the morning now that she was a vampire. She admired the silver mirror a bit longer before taking the brass handled brush with nubs. She took that to attack her unruly mane. Wet hair was easier to deal with than dry.
An outfit was already laid out on her already neatly made bed. Estelle suspected it was magic and the culprit was that insane house elf whom had startled her the day she'd first moved in. Kreacher was always muttering under his breath.
The dress itself seemed tailored to her exact measurements. Dark forest green spanned through the majority of the dress length, only parting the peninsula of the occasional black rifts. Below the waist, the fabric fell into three tiers. The first wefted into black spider webbing lace. Following that to the later betwixt the first and third. This middle was fairly plain, but hosted a semi-opaque teal bunches ribbons folded upon themselves. The final tier was garnered into sequined ruffles.
Just looking at it, she could tell it cost more than a pretty penny. If she'd had anything else, she'd have worn it instead. But everything she had owned before had been turned to ash in the magical fire she had unwittingly conjured. Since then, her new mother was trying her best to make sure she was as pretty and spoiled as possible.
Once she had finished getting ready for the night, Estelle stumbled down to the kitchen to find an owl sitting on one of the chairs. It gave her a disappointed hoot and took off.
"Mum!"
Bellatrix rushed into the kitchen where she had heard little Estelle's voice crow from. Immediately, she skidded to a halt to the entrance of the room. She rest against the frame, panting.
Said girl was seated at the dinner table, holding a letter, batting her eyelashes innocently.
Holding a hand over her heart, she grumbled, "You brat! Don't make me worry like that over something so trivial. It's just your Hogwarts' letter of acceptance. I should spank your mischievous little arse for that prank."
Estelle gave a fanged grin. It was unnerving if one wasn't used to it. Thankfully, the elder witch had gotten nine months to get used to her daughter's antics that came from being a blood sucking vampire. "Love you too mum. But, I learned from the best."
Shaking her head, she muttered, "You're just as bad as Sirius. He was always my favorite cousin."
Her hearing was sharp. Estelle asked, "You say that a lot, mum. But I never get to see him. How come?"
"Like me, he's considered a criminal in the Wizarding world. Unlike me, he's on the run rather than staying safe here at #12 Grimmauld Place. Dumbass should have come here. He's too hooked up on revenge. Supposedly Peter Pettigrew was the one to betray the Potters. Sirius lover those dumb lions. Enough of that. We have other things to worry about. "
"One question."
Belle rolled her eyes. "Alright. Shoot."
"How did Uncle Sirius escape Azkaban? You just got lucky but you still fought your way out. The paper says he just vanished one day," she said.
"He's a dog." At the unimpressed look on her daughter's face, Bella elaborated, "He's an unregistered animagus. He takes the form of a big nasty dog that he calls a Grim."
"Ah."
After a few moments of silence, Estelle looked down at the article of mail she had received. It both piqued her and worried her. Would anyone attempt to look for her and Bellatrix? The loopy handwriting didn't seem entirely innocuous.
Miss K. Black
Unknown Black property
Unknown sleeping quarters
-Unplottable-
London
England
She turned the envelope over and broke the wax seal. Inside, was a folded parchment that she pulled out and unfolded to read.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. E Black,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 of July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Inside was said list of supplies she needed. A number of the spellbooks and theory texts seemed...mundane; beneath her skill level. Despite how much she had learned from reading alone in the last eight months, school was still necessary.
Being the sharp cookie she was, the young girl brushed an ebon curl out of her face and asked, "So...how will I get my school supplies if I can't go with you? The moment you leave the wards, I'm sure the Aurors will catch you."
With a smirk, Bella tousled her daughter's hair. "Smart girl. I knew it was a good idea to adopt you. I have a solution for that. You haven't met my younger sister, but Andromeda and her husband will take you to Diagon Alley to purchase the shit you need for the year."
A vampiric pout was both adorable and terrifying at the same time. "B-but mum...you won't get to see me buy my first wand...o-or anything. And I bet auntie 'Dromeda doesn't know bout my affliction."
Leveling her own lilac hued eyes with her daughter's crimson pair, Bella said, "I know sweetie. But I have to remain within the wards to remain safe. I'll tell her about you if I find it prudent enough to do so. You be good for my sister and for fuck's sake, don't bite anyone!"
"Yes mummy," she mewled dutifully. Then her senses kicked in. She had always been independent. Just because she had a new mother did not mean she was going to roll over like a puppy. "No. I don't think so."
"No?" repeated the dark haired witch, looking down at Estelle. "What do you mean? You can't go without an escort. You're eleven, you little brat."
Said vampiress huffed. "I'm not an innocent little girl, Bella. I lost that ages ago when I was put in the Dursleys care. And now that I'm an undead freak, I think I can defend myself quite well, magic or physical. If anything, nobody would expect a young girl to be able to rip someone's throat out or claw them enough to maim. No need to be an overbearing witch."
Bella's lips cracked a smile at the intention of the way her daughter had said 'witch'. "Fine. But I want you back by midnight missy!"
"But of course mum," the girl said dutifully, grinning.
Four PM rolled around; the time of day when the larger buildings cast their blanketing shadow over the smaller locale. Perfect for a fledgling vampire to do her school shopping on her own. She had flooed to the Leaky Cauldron where she'd been told was the liaison between the Alley and the rest of London. Of course, only magical folk would be able to see the tavern at all.
Sure enough, the snowy white building was easily distinguishable and Estelle walked up the golden steps to reach the gilded double doors that opened up as she approached. Short creatures in robes walked by, and she realised that they were goblins. Estelle had read about them in a compendium of magical creatures.
She walked inside the building, and was amazed at the sight of hundreds of goblins sitting on teller machines, running transactions for various people. Some were counting money, others were answering questions, and there were a few leading people through the numerous doors leading out of the main banking room. Estelle found the first free goblin that she saw and approached him cautiously.
"Yes?" asked the goblin impatiently, looking down on her over half-moon spectacles.
"I want to access my trust account," commanded Estelle in a steely tone.
"Key," snapped the goblin.
Estelle took the key from her satchel and slid it over to the goblin. The goblin picked it up and examined it briefly. "Griphook!" he called out shortly, and another goblin ambled up to them. "Show the little miss to her vault."
Griphook took the key and beckoned her to follow. Estelle grabbed her satchel and set off behind him as he led her through one of the doors out into a mineshaft. A minecart came hurtling up in front of them and Griphook jumped in without much difficulty, and nodded at Estelle to do the same. Estelle leapt into the cart and the cart set off down the rails through the cold tunnels.
"How big is this place?" asked Estelle idly.
"As big as it needs to be," answered Griphook curtly. How helpful.
Estelle raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anymore questions until the cart came to a stop in front of vault 687. Griphook jumped out and grabbed a lantern from the wall as he approached the vault. Estelle followed him and watched in fascination as he used her key to unlock the vault.
The lock turned easily and the door swung open with a hiss. Estelle's eyes took a moment to adjust, and her eyes went wide when she saw that the vault was filled to brim with gold, silver and bronze coins. She walked inside further and saw an entire wall full of jewellery boxes, laminated documents, and sealed scrolls.
"What is all this?" asked Estelle.
"Deeds, heirlooms, property documents, gems," listed Griphook in a bored voice.
"So anything that's not a liquid asset," murmured Estelle. "And the money? How are they valued?" She already knew, but she wanted to piss of the rude little bastard.
"The gold ones are galleons, silver are sickles, bronze are knuts," said Griphook. "Seventeen sickles to a galleon and twenty-three knuts to a sickle."
"How many British pounds to a galleon?" asked Estelle calculatingly. While she shared a view about most muggles being terrible people in her experience, she did love the muggle fashion. It had more freedom than the basic robes. As far as she had seen of the patrons of Diagon Alley. She planned to buy some clothes from the mundane shops before returning to her mother.
"Five pounds to a galleon," said Griphook.
"So, how much money is in this vault?" came her query.
Griphook pulled out a parchment from his robes and handed it to her. He explained that it was necessary for her to sacrifice a few drops of blood to confirm her identity.
Estelle took it and used the torchlight inside the vault to read it after she bit a digit with a fang and allowed the brackish blood to fall onto the yellowed sheet. The parchment happily imbibed her tainted blood. A few seconds later, swirling gold letters appeared on the sheet with bountiful information.
The inheritance of Estelle Amaryllis Lilith Black nee Potter
Father: James Fleamont Potter (deceased: 1981)
Mother: Lillian Elizabeth Potter nee Evans (deceased: 1981)
Blood Adopted Mother: Bellatrix Violetta Black (formerly Lestrange-widowed)
Godfather: Sirius Orion Black (alive; missing)
Title
Heiress of the Noble and Ancient House of Black
Vaults
Vault 3: Active (Black Family Vault)
Liquid Assets: 100,677,233 galleons 12 sickles and 5 knuts
Vault 687: Active (Potter Family Vault)
Liquid assets: 358, 675, 019 galleons 10 sickles and 3 knuts
Unconfirmed heritage-research needed.
The document went on to list several documents and other solid assets but Estelle had stopped reading. She wasn't just rich, she was rich.
She tucked the parchment into her satchel and nodded at Griphook in thanks. She carefully counted out five hundred galleons and put them into a featherlight bag that Griphook gave her. Once she was done, Griphook led her out of the vault and locked the door before giving her the key back. The cart ride back to the main foyer of the bank was as silent as the ride to the vault.
"I also want to change some of this for Muggle money," said Estelle, as they walked back into the foyer.
Griphook nodded and led her to a free goblin and muttered something in a harsh language that she didn't understand. The other goblin turned to Estelle. "How much?" he rumbled.
Estelle counted out a hundred galleons and placed it in front of the goblin. The goblin carefully counted it again, before handing over 500 pounds to her in twenty pound notes. "Thank you," said Estelle, carefully putting away the money in her bag.
"I'd suggest returning here in a year to speak with Director Ragnok the VI. In fact, would you like me to pencil in an appointment?"
With a dip of her head, Estelle replied, "Indeed. Preferably after dark."
"Why..." The goblin received his answer in the form of glowing crimson eyes and a fanged smirk. "I see, I was grossly unaware. How about midnight on September 29th, 1992? I believe that is a Friday-Saturday."
She shrugged, "It'll do. And I trust you'll keep what you learned at discretion?"
Griphook nodded and bowed, departing a moment later.
She left the bank with the sack full of money stuffed into her satchel, her mind preoccupied with the revelations that the visit to Gringotts had brought. The biggest one being that she'd had a godfather, who had gone missing the same year that she was born, and whose title she had inherited. She wondered why he had named her as his heiress, rather than his own child, but deduced that he must have died without one.
She took a moment to sit down at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and eat a small sundae suited for vampires to gather her thoughts and go through her list to make a plan of how she was going to tackle her long shopping list. The proprietor had given her a scrupulous peer, wondering why such a young girl wanted to try a Transylvanian Blodhren softserve. Once she was done, she gathered up her satchel and walked to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Inside, she saw that someone else was already getting fitted. A plump witch in all mauve robes with twinkling eyes smiled at Estelle as she entered.
"Good evening, dear," she greeted. "Hogwarts too?"
"Yes, please," said Estelle, smiling the sweet smile that melted hearts of all the adults.
"Come this way, my dear," said the witch, that Estelle presumed was Madam Malkin. "Got another young woman being fitted up right now."
Estelle stood up on the tall platform and glanced at the girl next to her, who had robes pinned to her body. She had long blonde hair that was in a braid and sharp blue eyes that looked curiously at Estelle.
"Hello," said the girl. "Starting this year at Hogwarts?"
"Yes," replied Estelle stiffly. "I am Estelle Black."
"Daphne Greengrass," she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you. Although, I was sure the Black family was nearly extinct."
"Nice to meet you too," said Estelle. "My mother and I are the last. Well, mother's sisters are alive, but they've married off into other families."
Daphne surveyed her closely before speaking again. "Are you here on your own too?" she asked.
"Yes," said Estelle. "Why do you ask?"
"Then I would suggest buying a featherlight trunk before you continue shopping. Otherwise you would be lugging heavy bags all day," she said, in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Where would I procure one of those?" asked Estelle, feeling slightly out of her depth, which was a feeling she didn't like.
"There's a shop just down that way," said Daphne, pointing east. "Ask for the Elysian 319 model. It looks just like mine," she added, indicating a mahogany trunk on the floor.
Estelle nodded slowly and made a note to buy the trunk. "So, why are you on your own?" asked Estelle casually.
"I could ask the same," countered Daphne, but it was said with a small smile.
"Mom's bedridden," said Estelle shortly, creating a little white lie.
"Stepmother who can't be bothered," said Daphne. "My father works a lot and is frequently out of the country, and Odette doesn't bother with my sister and I. So I usually do all the shopping."
"Sounds tough," said Estelle. "Auntie Andy buys all our things at the manor that I live at, but we are allowed to go Christmas shopping. Mum never leaves the house and Kreacher. That little shit stain doesn't do anything.."
Daphne nodded with a wince at the harsh language. "Have you bought anything else on your list yet?" she asked.
"No, I started here," said Estelle with a shrug.
"A bit late in the day. Do you want to shop together?" she asked, sounding quite hopeful.
"Sure," answered Estelle, already liking the girl with the dry attitude.
"Great," said Daphne, as Madam Malkin declared her done. She hopped down from the platform and waited until Estelle was done with her fitting. Madam Malkin rang them both up, and they left the shop together.
"Come on," said Daphne, tugging the raven haired girl along by the arm. "The trunk shop is just down here."
Estelle fell in step with Daphne as they dodged the crowd and finally reached a small shop tucked between an eatery and Gladrags Wizarding Wear, which Estelle realised was a clothes shop. The interior of the trunk shop was dusty and filled to brim with trunks, suitcases, knapsacks and satchels of all sizes and styles.
An elderly witch with neatly styled grey hair smiled at them when they walked in.
"Want another one for yourself, do you, dearie?" she asked Daphne.
"No, thank you, Hilda," said Daphne politely, though Estelle realised that she was using the same polite tone that Estelle used around adults to get what she wanted. "My friend here wanted to buy an Elysian 319 and I said there would be no better place than here."
"Oh, of course, of course," said Hilda, peering at Estelle. "Will your parents be buying it for you, dearie?"
"No, just me," said Estelle matter of factly. She loved the rise she was getting out of teasing the shopkeeper.
Hilda looked intensely curious but since the girls were looking at her expectantly, she smiled at them. "This way then," she said, and Estelle followed her to a small display of trunks.
"We have mahogany, ash, birch, beech and cherry," said Hilda, pointing at the different ones. "All of the Elysium 319 trunks are featherlight, and have rolling wheels and a handle so you don't have to carry them. They have a unique lock that you can set, and an anti-theft charm."
"I'll take the cherry," said Estelle, admiring the dark glossy red trunk. It reminded her of the color of freshly spilled blood on wood.
"Excellent choice," said Hilda, picking up the trunk in question and bringing it back to the counter. "That will be thirty galleons then."
Estelle reached into her satchel and pulled out thirty gold coins and handed them to Hilda. "Thank you," she said, popping the bags with her robes into her new trunk.
"Of course, dear," said Hilda, as she waved Estelle and Daphne from her shop. "Tell your friends."
Back outside once again, Estelle was looking at Gladrags next door with a contemplative look on her face.
"Everything okay?" came Daphne's inquiry, noticing that Estelle's attention was diverted.
"Yeah," said Estelle. "Just making plans for future visits."
Daphne looked curious but didn't ask. "We should get on then," she said. "Shops will close in a few hours. Dangerous people wander around here after dark."
"Alright," agreed Estelle easily and they headed towards Flourish and Blotts for their books.
While the clerk put together two sets of the first year textbooks, Estelle wandered over to the 'New to Wizarding World?' section of the store and found a few books instructing new witches and wizards about the world they were entering. After some deliberation, she picked out two books 'A Concise History of the Ministry of Magic' and 'Everything You Need to Know About the Wizarding World and How it Works'.
While the clerk rang them up, Estelle was astonished to see a large pile of a thick golden tome, that had a round-faced boy with blonde hair and pink cheeks waving from the cover.
"Ugh, this again," muttered Daphne, as she glared at the book.
"Neville Longbottom: the Boy Who Lived," read Estelle in a drawl. "An autobiography? Isn't he the same age as us?"
Daphne snorted. "I forget that you haven't been raised in the wizarding world," she said. "The boy wonder loves the spotlight. The entire wizarding world worships him. Enough to let an eleven-year old boy write an autobiography that will no doubt sell millions of copies."
"They have good reason to worship him, though huh?" asked Estelle. "He vanquished Voldemort."
Daphne shuddered at the name and hushed Estelle. "Don't say the name," she said. "And besides, he was just a baby when it happened. People make it sound like he heroically jumped up from his crib and slaughtered the Dark Lord with his own baby fists."
Estelle choked back giggles as they paid for their books and packed them inside their respective trunks. She was tempted to stay and browse through more books, but Daphne told her about Owl Order, so she decided to pick up some catalogues instead. Their next stop was Eeylops Owl Emporium to get Estelle's owl, since Daphne was bringing her father's old owl to Hogwarts.
"His name is Dundee, and he is as mad as a hatter," complained Daphne as they walked through the rows of owl cages. "But Father was kind enough to give him to me, so I'm bringing him instead."
Estelle chose a snowy white owl, with beautiful amber eyes. She held off on naming her until she found an appropriate name, and the girls left the shop with the owl in her new golden cage.
"We should go to Scrivenshaft's and the Apothecary next," said Daphne, checking the list. "After that it's the equipments shop and then wands are right next door."
Estelle nodded as they walked into Scrivenshaft's which sold parchments and quills. They bought scrolls of parchment, quills and bottles of quick-drying inks in almost every colour. It only took a short while and they went to the Apothecary, which sEstelleled terrible, but looked fascinating. The kindly shop assistant fixed up two standard beginner's potions kits for the girls. The equipments shop was where the girls bought their cauldrons and telescopes before they finally reached Ollivander's.
The small, dusty shop was filled from top to bottom with neat, rectangular boxes. There was a strange hush about the place, and even the confident Daphne looked a little solemn as they waited.
"Ah," said a soft voice, making the girls jump. "Come in, come in. I was expecting you, Miss Potter. And you too, Miss Greengrass."
Timidly, she muttered, "It's Black now. Blood adoption."
With surprise at her new friend's true identity, Daphne gasped. Estelle silently told the blonde she would explain later and to not make a big deal about it.
A frail, elderly wizard with untidy grey hair stepped into the light, surveying the girls with large silver eyes. "I remember your father's first wand, Miss Black. Mahogany, designed for Transfiguration. Dragon heartstring did him well. Your mother, on the other hand, favoured a cherry wand with unicorn hair, freely given. Excellent for Charms work. And your new mother...hmm...walnut I believe." Estelle shifted uncomfortably as the man turned to Daphne.
"And your parents, Miss Greengrass. They were childhood sweethearts. Both chose an ash wand, but your mother's had a unicorn hair, while your father's had dragon heartstring. Oh yes, I remember every wand I have ever sold." He took a deep breath. "So, who wants to go first?"
The young girl smiled sadly. 'My parents wands...I would have liked to have them. I only wish people wouldn't have hid so much from me.' She she had been gravely aware how not only her step parents but also other adults would would shy away from the mysterious circumstances of their deaths. Only Bella had told her the truth
"How do I know which wand is right for me?" she asked, outing those dark thoughts behind her.
A creepy smile slipped onto the man's face. "The wand chooses the wizard Mz Black."
Estelle nodded at Daphne to go ahead. The man that Estelle presumed was Ollivander, handed Daphne a wand. "Ash and phoenix feather, nine inches," he said.
Daphne took it and gave it a wave but nothing happened. Ollivander snatched it out of her hands and immediately handed her another one. "Ash and unicorn hair, nine and a half inches." Daphne waved it and the wand emitted bright blue sparks from the end.
"Excellent, excellent," purred Ollivander. "You are more like your mother, Miss Greengrass than you might realise. Let me wrap that up for you." Daphne handed the wand back in a daze and paid for the wand. Both Estelle and Ollivander pretended not to notice the mistiness of her eyes.
"And now you, Miss Black," said Ollivander, and Estelle stepped forward.
Unlike Daphne, Estelle went through nearly a hundred different wands, until Ollivander went to the backroom and came out with a wand wrapped in crinkly paper. "I crafted this one yesterday," he said. "An odd combination and not one I use normally. Especially the core material. I was just lucky enough to stumble upon it. My finest piece of art yet."
Estelle gave a small gasp as she saw the wand. Unlike all the wands she had seen before, this one was almost pure white. Black and gold tendrils raced down the bone white shaft. The butt of the beautiful instrument was inlaid with a glittering marquise cut tourmaline. She automatically reached for it and picked it up. Bright silver and gold sparks shot out from the tip and then a shower of rose petals fell out of it.
"Oh, perfect!" Ollivander clapped. "Most unusual and very temperamental, but it chose you. Absolutely astounding!"
"What is it?" asked Estelle curiously, admiring the wand.
"The wood is from an old Aspen tree and the core is the feather of a Thunderbird from the States. His name was Frank if I recall correctly. Ah, but not only that, but there is a few thestral hairs as a secondary core. Ten and three quarter inches. Truly marvelous," he gushed. "Excellent for both elemental magicks but also...dark spells. It's a powerful wand and it will help you become quite the powerful witch."
"Thank you," Estelle said absently, still looking at her wand in fascination. "How much do I owe you?"
"Seven galleons," said Ollivander and Estelle paid him, before placing her wand carefully inside her satchel.
By the time they emerged outside, evening had fallen over Diagon Alley. More so than when she had first arrived. Daphne turned to Estelle with a small smile. "I should get going," she said. "My little sister will be expecting me back for supper."
"Of course," said Estelle. "Maybe I'll see you on September 1st?"
"No maybe about it," said Daphne firmly. "See you on the train."
Estelle smiled a genuine smile. "See you on the train," she repeated and turned to leave.
"Oh, hang on," said Daphne, turning back to her. She reached into her pockets and tore out a bit of parchment and scribbled something down on it. "This is my address. Just put it on the envelope and your owl will find me," she said. "Write to me with any questions you might have. I suspect that there are quite a few."
"You have no idea," said Estelle, pocketing the address with a grin. "Goodbye, Daphne. Thank you for all your help."
The girls parted ways and Estelle went back into Muggle London. She must have looked an odd sight with a satchel around her neck, dragging a trunk behind her and carrying an owl cage under her arm. She had ducked into a few clothing stores and bought some skirts, blouses, a pair of leather boots and a hooded trench coat with several feminine accents. When she was done, Estelle sat at a corner. She hailed a cab right outside the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron, and did her best not to fall asleep due to sheer exhaustion during the short cab ride.
The cab ride dropped her off right in front of the townhouse much to the cabbie's confusion not knowing the address was hidden by a Fidelius, and Estelle decided to forgo dinner in favour of retiring to her room. Not that Bella needed to lose any more blood today.
Her brief exhaustion had passed, and she started the long process of unpacking her new things and making her owl comfortable. It had been a tumultuous day, but for the first time in her life, Estelle felt like she had found her place in the world.
The rest of the summer had been dedicated with the young vampiress attempting to learn as much as she could about the infernal boarding school she was about to be shipped off to.
Besides that, the remnants of Estelle's summer was spent poring over her schoolbooks. Thanks to her incredible memory and thirst of knowledge, she had gone through her set textbooks within the week, prompting her to make a few more visits to Flourish and Blotts. Whilst it was nothing interesting like what the Black library had to offer, new knowledge was nothing to scoff at.
Of course, Estelle also had Daphne's letters to keep her company when her mother was busy trying to make connections from the comfort of their home. Her first impression of Daphne Greengrass had not been wrong at all. She was much like Estelle, having been raised by a busy father and an uncaring stepmother. Estelle got the feeling that Daphne had learned to be independent in much the same way as herself. The blonde also had a dry, sarcastic sense of humour that the ravenette liked. She would go as far as to say that Daphne was the first friend she had ever made. Bellatrix didn't count; she was a mom.
Estelle and Daphne wrote to each other frequently, discussing everything from Hogwarts to the wizarding world in general. Daphne was a pureblood, Estelle had learned, and her mother had died in a potions lab accident when Daphne had been seven. Estelle would have shared the story about her birth parents, but the other girl had apparently known all about it. In the wizarding world, the deaths of the Potters and the torture of the Longbottoms on the same night, and the miraculous survival of the Boy-Who-Lived were well-known events. Estelle honestly had no idea how to feel about it, but in the few weeks that she had bought a subscription to the wizarding newspaper 'The Daily Prophet', she had learned quite a bit about Neville Longbottom.
After the torture unto the insanity of his parents, Neville had been raised by his paternal grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, who had made sure that the wizarding world understood that her grandson had been victorious over the darkest wizard in history. As a result, Neville Longbottom had grown up a spoilt little brat, as Daphne described, and after reading 'Longbottom Watch' which was a section of the Daily Prophet dedicated solely to cataloguing the Boy-Who-Lived's activities every day, Estelle had to agree. Despite the obvious attempt at making that section pander to the adoring masses, Estelle could read between the lines, and it appeared that Neville Longbottom was a selfish, childish boy, with an entire world full of admirers.
Estelle had no doubt that she would see him at Hogwarts soon enough, but decided to keep her distance from him. She hoped that she would be sorted into the same house as Daphne, who was certain that she would be a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin, because of her parents. Estelle's parents were Gryffindors, but she didn't think she would be one. If A History was to be believed, Gryffindor favoured the brave and chivalrous. The dark haired girl felt more like a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin, and Daphne had been quick to point out that they would likely end up in Slytherin due to their blood status.
Blood was an enormous matter in the wizarding world, and Estelle learned that her father and godfather had both been purebloods, while her mother would be considered a Muggleborn. Her current family was a Noble and Most Ancient House, and she hadn't missed the reverent way Daphne had spoken about it. Even the Potter family was one of the wealthiest pureblood families in the wizarding world with the Blacks right behind them. With that, it was almost guaranteed she would be a snake. However, only time could ascertain that assumption.
With her starting school in the fall, Bella had invited her sisters and their families to get reacquainted.
Narcissa had come, but her husband and son had declined the invitation. While the woman appeared uptight and snooty, it was discovered that 'Cissy' as her mother put it, was quite the socialite.
It was absolutely brilliant to meet her half cousin Nymphadora. The almost adult was a metamorphmagus and she loved to transform her face and body to entertain the younger witch. At one point, Nymph (who hated the nickname at first) had discovered that Estelle had a 'bit' of an affliction. The vampiress had been worried her new friend would start avoiding her, but that never happened. Dora didn't care that she was different and even offered a bite from time to time.
In between family visits and studying, the mother-daughter duo worked on renovating Grimmauld Place to make it inhabitable. There, they'd had to deal with not only a couple Doxy nests, but an ill mannered boggart, several cursed items and even a lethifold. Of course with her being a vampire, it was easier for her to control her fear. Other than that, it had been a much easier time removing the bitchy portrait of Walburga Black. And by mid August, it was starting to look like a proper pureblood manor.
It had been the best summer since she was born. Especially meeting new family and making a friend out of her half cousin. That, and she'd finally found a name for her new avian friend. She named her new familiar Circe.
As the end of August approached Estelle was startled her midnight reading by a few raps on the door. Who would be by the manor this late in the evening?
When the vampiress had answered the door, a very grizzled man stood at the threshold with both hands in the pockets of his trousers. His leather blazer looked to have been repaired many times with different patches of leather. It was the same story with the wizard's calf length boots.
"Is ol' Regulus around? An who's this little morsel?"
"Reggie isn't 's dead. Fenrir, this is my cousin, Estelle." Nymph piped up to introduce her relative. "She prefers Estelle. Me, I call her a bookworm or Stella. Love this little monster."
The large man gave a sniff. "Half blood it seems, but filled to the brim with magic. Hahaha, Bella got lucky to adopt you." She bared her fangs, hissing. "And a feisty baby vampire too!"
Shrinking at the sight of the massive, intimidating and broad shouldered man, the short redhead tried to manage a timid hello. She could tell that there was something inhuman about the man. But the only thing that accomplished was another slight chuckle from the wizard.
"No need to be afraid." He said as he scratched the stubble on his chin. "I know my presence is a bit unnerving with me being a werewolf an all. But I won't hurt a cutie. But do stay away during the full moon. Not entirely myself then. Think of me as an uncle if you will."
"O-Okay. Sorry for staring. Mum kept me sheltered from the think I'll get snatched away by some Dark Lord or Light fanatic," scoffed Estelle disdainfully. Ever since she'd had her scars discovered, her step mother intended to keep her from doing anything remotely dangerous. All she's had were her books. It had only been recent that she'd met Daphne and made her first friend.
A deep rumbling sound emanates from the grizzled man's chest - it was laughter. "Hahaha, spunky. I like ya kiddo. Here, I got something for ya. The lady I was going to propose to snubbed me. Bitch yelled at me for going out wit a couple blokes of mine. But here, you can have this since I don't need it anymore. "
In the thin gray velvet box lie a ebony velvet choker. The top and bottom half was a dark blue lace. A raven carved from onyx with an amethyst for The visible eye. But something was clutched by the black bird. The small teardrop gem sitting in a mithril setting of the corvid's beak sparkled with a black opal with splashes of radiant purple and indigo that reminded her of the nebulous scenes of the distant void beyond the skies on the clearest nights in August. To finish the masterpiece, the closing latch was a stylized lobster clasp hewn from possibly fourteen carat gold.
Shaking her head, Estelle gasped, "I-I cannot accept this sir. It's too much!"
Removing the accessory from it's prison, Fenrir swept the girl's hair out of the way and clasped around her neck. At first it was a mite too big, but it seemed to magically resize to adapt to the witch's petite throat.
Looking into the reflective surface of the silver lamp post, Estelle felt beautiful. The jeweled accessory fit so well with her svelte build, giving her an extremely delicate appearance. She was certainly looking like a proper lady, vampire or not.
"You look downright like a doll innit," grinned Fenrir as he slicked back his graying black hair. "Don't worry bout paying me back for it. Just seeing you wear it is precious enough." Looking around, he then said, "Since papa Reggie ain't here, I'll get going. Things to do and kids to scare. That and Andromeda and her sis don't like me round these parts. Toodles, kiddo." He gave a raspy chuckle and disapparated.
After the grizzled werewolf left, Bellatrix huffed, "Lucky bint. Greyback has never given me a present like that for no reason. It's only ever a few measly galleons and a card. Even on my birthday. Less so since I got out of Azkaban."
Estelle was in a daze, not even having heard her mother's jealous rant.
Sitting in a cozy room with a fireplace, Estelle stared at the flickering flames. Warmth radiated from the hearth, bathing her and part of the room in a yellow-orange glow.
"Stella... may I call you Stella? I know I named you Estelle, but it's a cute nickname. I'd very much like talk to you. About what happened almost two years ago."
She merely nodded and pulled the soft quilt closer to her malnourished form. She was nervous; in a new place she had never been before as well as having many things on her mind. She couldn't seem to shake the haunting expressions of hatred and betrayal as her abusers were incinerated by the flames of hell she had summoned to protect her.
Nodding timidly, the young witch answered shakily, stuttering more than a few times, "I-I can try." Estelle took a few gulps of air before continuing. "T-they barely fed me. Whenever I had the chance to steal food, I did. It was on purpose―they starved me on purpose. If I got caught taking more than what they gave me, I was punished." A sob broke out and she sniffed. "They hit me. It's always my fault if something goes wrong. I am...I was forced to do most of the cooking and cleaning since neither my aunt or uncle would do it. When I take my shirt off in front of the mirror, I can see my ribs too easily. Often covered in bruises. A-and then...then..." She couldn't bear to keep speaking.
"Go on."
Bursting into a cascade of tears, Stella wailed, "When I turned eight, things got worse. When my relatives weren't home, Dudley f-forced me to pleasure him. I was weak and him fat with muscles. He was thirteen at the time. I..." She whimpered at the thought of what had happened in the past. Her small, tiny body shook as the trauma resurfaced.
Despite she usually didn't offer reassurance in a physical manner, Bellatrix wrapped her arms around the eleven year old's frail, petite form. "Aren't you glad I murdered those filthy muggles?"
With a hiccup, Estelle nodded, trying to banish those fresh memories. Bella proffered her arm, wincing as her daughter sank her fangs into her flesh
Back at Hogwarts, McGonagall looked to the elderly wizard who sat in his oval office. He quite liked the seat of power he swaggered. He would never give it up even if the Ministry had caught him cursing students. While he was the public proclaimed leader of the 'Light' during the last war, he liked to think of himself as quite cunning.
"I'm worried too, Minerva," spoke Dumbledore, faking a distressed sigh.
Said teacher grimly replied, "She hasn't sent a reply, Albus! She's been missing for two years. If she was dead, the owl would have returned straight here! What's more perplexing, is that a Miss E. Black has sent her reply, but Potter hasn't. Why did you even accept the Black daughter?!"
The wizened old man stroked his beard replied, "Perhaps...I was hoping that under her tutelage under our staff, she can be...coaxed into the Light. Shed her ties to the Dark. If we gain the Black family influence on the Wizarding world, we may just be one step closer to being finally rid of the Dark lord Voldemort. Riddle won't last another decade if we play our cards right."
"I hope so, Albus..."
It had been ages since she had seen the sunlight and frankly, Estelle wasn't a fan. An understatement if there ever was any.
King's Cross blocked a good portion of the sky, but much light still filtered through the platforms on the day of September 1st. Worse, she had been forced to dress head to toe in black and cover as much skin as possible. A scarf was used to protect her face as well as a pair of sunglasses.
Estelle walked away from her, pulling out her ticket as she did. Her stomach dropped when she read the platform number on the ticket. Platform 9 ¾ sounded like someone's idea of a joke. Estelle wondered how she had never thought to look at the ticket or ask Daphne how to get onto the platform. Her heart thudding in her chest, she walked between platforms nine and ten, trying to see if there was a magical entrance somewhere.
Her search yielded nothing, and there were only fifteen more minutes before the train would leave, and Estelle was beginning to feel a little frantic. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened her eyes, she saw an amused pair of startling blue eyes staring at her.
"Do you want to move out of my way?" the dark-skinned boy asked, an arrogant smile playing on his handsome face.
Estelle was about to move when she noticed an owl on his trolley. "Hogwarts?" she asked, hoping that her panic didn't show on her face.
"Obviously," he said. "The platform is that way."
Estelle moved out of his way and nodded at him. "After you then," she said.
He smirked at her and walked straight towards the ticket barrier between platforms nine and ten. Estelle watched with wide eyes as he disappeared a moment later. Heartened, Estelle followed him and passed through the barrier with ease, emerging out onto Platform 9 ¾ where the Hogwarts Express was waiting. She glanced around to see the boy who had helped her, but he had been lost in the crowd. Making a note to thank him if she saw him at Hogwarts.
Because she didn't want to deal with the whining teenagers, Estelle ended up going straight to the back of the great iron horse and settled into the very last compartment. Whilst families bothered with merry or tearful goodbyes, she was content with reading 1001 Herbs and Fungi which was a textbook for not only Herbology but also potions.
Finally discovering an empty compartment, Estelle sighed in relief, making sure the blinds were completely closed and secured with a shadow charm. Putting trunk into the overhead storage, she sat down and closed her eyes. This was all still so surreal.
After a moment, she reopened them and pulled out one of the advanced books her stepmother had bought for her, Moste Potente Potions. The young witch was reading the recipe for the Drought of Living Death when the compartment door opened and Daphne opened the sliding door and glared at the dark haired witch inside.
"About time you found me," she smirked to the blonde.
Slightly offended, the other witch defended, "Hey! Most first years don't sit at the back. It's supposed to be sorted by years, but I'm guessing nobody wanted to mess with such an unnerving little girl."
With a faux gasp of hurt, she pouted, "You wound me, Lady Greengrass." Both looked at each other for a full minute. Then the two of them burst into laughter.
Grabbing her robes, she changed.
"Why are you changing already? We have hours before we get to Hogwarts," asked the aloof girl as she watched the other witch shucking off her muggle clothes. Thankfully there was a lock on the sliding door and a screen for privacy.
"Robes are comfier than muggle threads," Estelle replied simply. "I like a nice healthy breeze between my privates."
The pureblood gave the ravenette an odd look, but said nothing.
Several minutes of unnerving silence drew between the two while waiting for the train to leave. A spork; a plastic spork could be used to sever the tension born of a weird comment.
The train had started lurching forward, and the two girls had been discussing the origins of the sirens from the Odyssey as being veela, when the compartment door opened again. A skinny red-haired boy stood in the doorway. He peered furtively at the two girls, especially their foreheads, before saying, "Sorry, wrong compartment," and leaving the two girls alone.
After an hour of talking and joking with each other, Stella found herself extremely tired. Within minutes, she found herself quite asleep, head in the blonde's lap.
Daphne was utterly surprised when the girl was slumbering, and on her. It was not right, as her parents told her. Improper behavior between two women. But she didn't have the heart to rouse the girl when those ebon ringlets surrounding her face like a halo. At least the blinds on all sides were down and the door locked to provide absolute privacy.
-SL-
Some time later, the pale skinned girl woken up and pulled herself off her friend's lap with a blush and a cough.
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.
Nobody came to bother them throughout the journey and when it got darker, they changed out of their clothes and into the school uniform. Estelle tied and untied her ponytail, feeling nervous despite her earlier words. Daphne looked a little pale too, but confident nonetheless.
Estelle finally decided to leave her shoulder-length hair down as the train began to slow down and eventually came down to a stop. The two girls left the compartment together and jumped down onto the platform.
A tall, giant of a man with bushy black hair and beard was looming above everyone at the very end of the platform. "First years, over here," he called. "First years."
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Alright there, lil lady? Mind yeh toes." The tree-sized man boomed again over the sea of heads. This giant of a man, was the academy's ground's keeper, or so she'd been told. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Estelle thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Estelle and Daphne got into an empty boat and were followed in by a girl with bushy brown hair, and a sandy-haired boy.
. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little vessels moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. The tiny boats rounded a point of land to show Hogwarts. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
Huge, an enormous pile of dove gray stone, it's hundreds of windows filled with warm light, it's turrets raking the stars, it's pennants fluttering in the night air, massively magical, the castle perched atop a lakeside cliff. Harriet felt something, something wonderful, something like the feeling she had when her wand picked her. Magic filled her, warm in her heart, tingling in her fingers. Beside her Daphne gasped, "Did you feel that?" Estelle nodded, smiling.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of Estelle that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. It seemed that the rebellious amphibian would rather seek respite in the mud than with the round faced boy.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The pudgy faced kid nodded.
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
Standing on the threshold was a brief moment. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Estelle's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. At least, not while she's watching.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid in a way too proud tone.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it and then some. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Estelle could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." She paused for a moment before continuing: "The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on the redhead's smudged nose. Estelle nervously tried to sweep her hair under control from it's normally wild waviness. Like her mother, her curls did whatever they liked.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Estelle swallowed.
A few soon to be students chattered whilst they waited. She had no such intention and pretended to be interested in the rough hewn masonry.
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Estelle got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with a scrawny redheaded boy behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Estelle had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Estelle looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open into the heavens.
Estelle quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years.
The plain, little stool beckoned her attention. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia nor Narcissa wouldn't have let it in the house. Upon the surface, sat a ragged hat obnoxious in fashion like the costumes muggles wore to go trick or treating. A rip near the brim opened wide and it...began to sing!
'Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!'
With a silent deadpan, the young orphaned witch thought, 'That was the shittiest, most out of tune song I have ever heard. The Headmaster must be delusional to have this on the day we arrive. What kind of impression does he think it'll give us? It better not become an annual thing.'
Estelle's mental beration was interrupted as the first adult witch she met in the institution spoke again.
"When I call your name, step forward to the stage and place the Sorting Hat upon your head to be sorted into either of the following houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin," spoke the matronly woman with obvious authority. "Abbott, Hannah."
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Estelle saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Estelle could see what was probably the red headed boys's twin brothers catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Hopefully the others weren't as aesthetically challenged if she were to end up a snake herself.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Estelle noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Estelle in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the talking cap finally declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. A redheaded boy groaned.
Like she had said in Diagon Alley, Daphne Greengrass had indeed ended up in Slytherin. Hopefully they wouldn't be separated. She liked the spunky blonde.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Estelle honestly didn't expect anything else from the slippery ferret that was her step brother. Their entire family on both sides minus a few anomalies had been Slytherins.
There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Black, Estelle!"
She found it quite odd that she hadn't been called before the Bones girl; after all, she had a surname before the rest of those whom had been sorted. Or maybe she had merely been forgotten. However, none of the audience seemed to think anything of it, and had opted to chat to friends instead.
No one seemed to have ever heard of her. She loved the lack of interest from the crowd sitting at the four long tables. When she'd first been picked up by Bellatrix, she had been told that the magical world knew her as Holly Potter, the Girl who Lived. But since she had been turned, any traces of the unsightly scar on her forehead had faded and altogether vanished. She was just another body amongst the masses. That, and Neville Longbottom had taken the spotlight instead when she was believed to be dead.
Because she sat on the stool, Estelle didn't see the reaction of the staff at the Teacher's High Table. To them, she was an exact copy of Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the most wanted serial killers who worked for the Dark Lord. What was more pressing was that Black was the Ancient house which she had hailed from.
When the sorting hat fell onto her head, she frowned. It stank like the inside of Kreacher's filthy pillowcase when he got too close. And thanks to her enhanced sense of smell, it was ten times as worse for her than her mum or her aunt who occasionally stopped by.
'You indignant whelp! I am a noble artifact of this fine establishment!' scoffed a gravelly Scottish brogue.
"What the fuck?!" hissed the young girl, quite surprised the old rag had spoken directly into her mind.
The Sorting Hat tutted, 'Watch your language young lady! I can hear your innermost thoughts-Quit calling me a piece of rubbish!' Estelle giggled and sobered. 'Yes, I know what you are, miss Black. You're the first vampire I've had the displeasure of rifling through their head. Not an easy feat with your wonderfully strong natural mental shields of yours. Shame no one will get to see those beautiful emerald eyes of yours again. Lily was the same. Although, I'll admit Bella had some unique lilac colored eyes. Shame that she's in hiding.
"You won't tell anyone who my mother is?" she asked before the hat could go on.
With a sigh, the old Hat replied, 'Normally, I report the more alarming things to Albus- the headmaster to keep the school safe. But seeing as you seem to have excellent self control, so I'll keep silent on the matter. Unless you plan on attacking students in their sleep.'
"Thank you. I don't want people finding out a monster lives among human children. That'd be very detrimental to my plans. Now, get your moldy ass moving and place me wherever I best belong.' Estelle was relieved that her condition was safe for the time being.
She grew irritated when the internal hat began to hum a very annoying tune as it pondered something.
'Ambitious little tart, aren't you?' teased the Sorting Hat snidely. 'Queen of the Undead or Empress of Dark Creatures eh? Not bad little fledgling. Plenty of thirst for power...but what's this? A hunger for knowledge and a determination to prove yourself. Quite the conundrum, where to put you...'
"Just get it over with, you moldy sack of shit," hissed the impatient ebon haired girl. "And maybe I won't be tempted to 'accidentally' set you on fire. Never know when someone may accidentally throw a candle at you. Or a misfire of a nasty curse..."
"SLYTHERIN!" cried the old hat, fearing for his boring life.
After she joined the green and silver clad table and found an empty seat next to Daphne, the sorting resumed for a bit longer.
The Slytherin table cheered for their final addition and as he took the seat opposite hers, Blaise Zabini caught Estelle's eyes and winked. Estelle felt herself blush slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Daphne, but before she could ask, the elderly wizard at the centre of the High Table stood up. He had long silver hair and beard, and he was wearing resplendent
purple robes.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of the school," he beamed. "I would like to say a few words: Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment and Tweak. Thank You!"
Eventually, the food cleared and dessert appeared. Estelle ate her ice cream and listened to the conversations around her. Draco Malfoy was talking about his father, while Pansy Parkinson and Daisy Moon were hanging onto his every word.
Blaise Zabini was quiet, though he kept shooting slightly amused looks at Estelle every time their eyes met. Estelle had a thousand questions about him, but she didn't think she wanted to talk to him when everyone was still around.
Dumbledore stood up again when the dessert cleared. "Now that we have enjoyed the delicious feast, it's time for yearly announcements." There was a pair of groans from the Gryffindor table that Dumbledore seemed to ignore. "The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to everyone. And this year, as is the third floor corridor on the right hand side, unless one wishes to die a painful and horrible death."
Estelle's ears pricked up at that, and she saw confused looks on most people's faces which let her know that it was an unusual announcement.
"Magic is banned in the corridors," continued Dumbledore. "Quidditch tryouts will be held in the third week. Contact your House Captain or Madame Hooch for more information. And this year, we have a new Defense the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirinus Quirrell."
There was raucous applause, particularly from the Slytherin table as the twiggy wizard waved. Even the other three houses seemed happy to have him. Estelle wonder who had been teaching in his absence.
The applause died down, and Dumbledore beamed at the students. "And now, let us sing the school song," he said.
Estelle personally thought the song was a bad idea since everyone was singing in their own tunes. But Dumbledore seemed pleased and clapped loudly when they were done. "Off to bed with you!" he said. "Chop, chop!"
"First years, follow me," a tall brunette said. She had a gleaming badge on her robes that said she was a prefect.
Daphne and Estelle fell into step with other Slytherin first years as the prefect led them towards the dungeon. Estelle tried to memorise the exact path so that navigation wouldn't be a trouble. They reached a green-lit corridor that made them realise that they were underneath the Black Lake.
"Password?" the portrait asked.
"Ceres," the prefect said and the door swung open.
The common room was cosy and comfortable with green and silver decorations everywhere. "This is the Slytherin common room," the prefect commanded. "Sit down!"
The first years exchanged looks but sat down in a group near the fireplace. The prefect's eyes swept over them. "I am Vera Lancaster, the fifth year prefect," she looked to her right and pointed at a tall, dark-haired boy. "This is Hector Runcorn, the other fifth year prefect."
"First off, congratulations on being sorted into Slytherin," said Hector. "It is the house of the cunning and the ambitious and has housed wizards such as Merlin. It goes without saying that we have a reputation to uphold. We have won the House Cup for the past six years and we will keep doing so. Anyone found to be jeopardising that, will be dealt with by us. And we don't take kindly to tomfoolery that costs points for the House."
"What that means is stick with your own and don't cause trouble," said Vera. "And now for dorms. You lot are on the fourth floor down. Boys on the right and girls
on the left. Hop to it."
The students filed into the door leading to the dorms. On the fourth floor down, they reached a split in the path and Estelle followed Daphne to the left. The girls' dormitory had six beds in a semi-circular formation. Estelle found her trunk at a bed near one end of the room, with Daphne next to her. Their luggage was already waiting for them.
"This is brilliant," said Estelle.
"I agree," said Daphne. "We should unpack before we turn in for the night."
Estelle nodded and the girls started unpacking their trunks. Clothes, both wizarding and Muggle, were folded up in the dressers near their beds. When Estelle had finally undressed for the night, Daphne looked at Estelle curiously.
"So, what's the story with you and Zabini?" she asked. At Estelle's surprised look, she rolled her eyes. "You two kept exchanging looks all throughout dinner."
"There is no story," said Estelle. "Not really. He just helped me find the platform, that's all."
"Uh-huh," said Daphne, like she didn't fully believe her. "Alright then, we should turn in. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," said Estelle as she slipped into one of the two beds near the window that gave a view into the depths of the Black Lake in the dormitory.
Before she could go to bed, her head of house peeked into the room she shared with two other girls. "Miss Black, the Headmaster would like to speak to you." Snape's voice was cold and curt.
With a grumble, the vampiress threw on a robe over her nightgown. "What do you what?" her voice was strained. "I've been up for thirty consecutive hours and could use some sleep.
McGonagall added, "Don't worry this won't take long."
At first, she was worried that someone had already found out that she was a vampire. But they couldn't have known. She hadn't been inside the school during the day time yet. Or fed yet.
In an unused classroom a little bit away from the dungeons, she found herself being confronted by what appeared to be the entire staff.
"Well?" she snapped, quite irritated.
Snape curled a lip, obviously wanting to punish the girl for her lack of respect.
The wizened old man who had a grand imitation of Father Christmas spoke up. "It has come to our attention that you are certainly quite the oddity. Many of our new additions to the student body were quite expected. However, you are not. Minerva, do you remember penning a letter to Ms Black?"
Again, the stern witch in the green robes was nearby. "No, Albus, I do not. But you must be aware that I use magic to write out the first year letters. I merely direct the quill. I don't understand why this is an issue. But she..."
The headmaster spoke up, interrupting his colleague. "It's not common for a letter addressed to someone without an address to find it's way to it's recipient. Without a proper home address, it would simply be returned to the sender. This begs an even more important query. Who are your parents? How were you raised. Where is it you live?"
"None of your goddamn business old man!" she snarled testily. First day and personal questions were already being rapid fired at her.
"It's Bellatrix Lestrange, isn't it?" asked a greasy haired man with a hooked nose.
"How? How did you know?"
"You're the spitting image of her. Except younger, less gaunt and very beautiful," replied the shortest wizard in the room with an excited squeak. "She was always such a fantastic duelist in her time at Hogwarts."
The half-goblin wizard seemed to want to keep talking, but he was waved off by his employer. "Bellatrix may be your guardian as disturbing as I am to discover, but you don't carry her features. Not all of them. Perhaps there is something you are not telling us?"
"You know what? Fine. I'll tell you. My birth parents were James and Lily Potter. According to my current mother, Bellatrix Black, they were in hiding for some reason and then got murdered by a psychopathic madman. Then some mental retard sticks me into a muggle home of abuses pieces of trash and attempted rapists. Ha, at least they're dead now. Mum has happily raised me. I'm happy with my family, so don't you dare try to interfere," She huffs."Now if you excuse me, I need to get some sleep if I want to function properly for the first day of classes."
Estelle didn't wait to be dismissed- she simply left.
A/N: Everyone who has followed this fic or left a review for the previous chapter, I'm quite grateful. I would love to see more reviews. Au revoir~