Track:

I've arrived on Platform 9 3/4.
Alone.
But not scared.
Bella's words have awakened the fight in me.
Hogwarts, Bring it on!

"Narcissa!" I hear two deep voices calling.
"Narcissa!" I turn in the direction of the voices. Tarmac Crabbe and Vance Goyle are hurrying towards me.
Never underestimate the loyalty of some Slytherins.
Despite their faults, Tarmac and Vance are forever loyal to those who respect them. I happen one of the few that do.
"My boys!" I smile with relief at the two sixteen-year-olds in front of me. I hug each of them in turn. Since I don't hang out with the girls in my year, my choice of friends is limited. Yaxley's ego is too big for my taste, and Jugson is downright weird. So although Tarmac and Vance aren't the brightest lumos charms' in the classroom, they're my boys.
Slytherins are judged as uncaring and selfish. But really, if you're respectful and loyal, a lot of them will be respectful and loyal back.
If you have low expectations for people, expect them to meet those low expectations.

"Narcissa, what's going to happen?" Tarmac asks.
"Let's find a compartment. We'll talk on the train." I say.


"I'm surprised you two aren't with the other boys." I admit once the three of us have found an empty compartment.
"You come first right now, Nars." Tarmac says seriously.
"So what's been happening? We haven't heard from you all summer!" Vance asks.
"And we couldn't find your house." Tarmac adds sadly.
Obviously, you dolt! There are protective enchantments around it!
Oh well, you gotta love them.
"I've been tip-toeing around the house all summer, staying out of sight of my parents. They're furious." I explain solemnly.
"You stayed in your invisible house all summer?" Tarmac exclaims.
"I practiced occlumency a lot, and apparition. Bella taught me how. I'm rather good now." I remark.
"No way! You can apparate! That's wicked!" Vance exclaims. My two friends stare at me in awe.
"Guys, I don't know what they're gunna do to me." I whisper about the rest of the Slytherins.
"Well then, you'll just have to stay close to us." Vance says as though it's obvious.

I think I can survive this year.


"Black, Regulus!"
Professor McGonagall called out my baby cousin's name in the silent Great Hall. Little Regulus hurried up the steps and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the aging hat on the small boys head, and then,
nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
No house was called for a full minute.
What could be taking that stupid old hat so long! Put him in Slytherin or he'll be slaughtered! I'LL be slaughtered!

I look over at the Gryffindor table. I haven't seen Sirius so hopeful looking since his own sorting. Of course HE wants his little brother in Gryffindor with him. He just wants the whole family to turn into blood traitors then!

Regulus has his eyes glued shut in concentration. The hat keeps whispering to him. His hands are now covering his face. The small boy shakes his head.
"Very well, I've a fair idea where to put you..." The Sorting Hat begins. He opens his prim wide, and shouts:
"SLYTHERIN!"

Oh, Merlin, thank you! Relief floods my stomach. I feel better than I have in months. Sirius got away with choosing Gryffindor, but Regulus is the pet, the baby. And after Andromeda, the adults in my family are really cracking the whip on loyalty. I'll sleep better tonight now that Regulus is safe.
Wait, where's Sirius?
I spot my younger cousin storming out of the Great Hall.
His face. It was,
pain?
Anger, disappointment, sadness, anxiety, everything!
I know Sirius wanted Regulus with him, but I thought it was so Sirius wouldn't be an outcast by himself. Maybe there's more to it. I may never know.

I spot Regulus at the end of the table. It appears he's made a friend. An east-Indian boy, Gibbon, is smiling at Regulus, happy to have made a friend.
They're just like all the other first years.
So why does everyone see them as evil the moment the hat says Slytherin?


After Dumbledore's depressing speech about dark times, us banding together, and students being Voldemorts weapons, we've all been sent to bed.
The moment I've been dreading.
Not because I'm not tired.
But because of the cheerful trio who are surely awaiting my arrival in my dormitory.
A permanent headache in the form of three sixth year girls:
Athena Gibbon
Bridget Bulstrode
and Iris Kwaad.

Yes, my three dorm-mates will surely have something to say about my former sister. This should be good.
Merlin help me.

I've made it to my dormitory. I'm not afraid of dumb, dumber and dumbest, I'm just not looking forward to this exchange.
Alright Narcissa, you're not scared of them. This is good. Self control. Easy.

The room goes completely silent when I strut in.
(I don't mean to strut. It's just how we Blacks walk.)
My three roommates stop whispering and whirl around to face me, their best attempts at intimidating looks sprawled across their average looking faces.
Yes, I know I'm prettier than them.

Finally, someone speaks.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show her face in public at last! Brave girl." Athena Gibbon begins.
"More like stupid girl." Bridget Bulstrode adds.
Iris just looks nervous. As usual. Iris Kwaad is a timid girl with a nervous nature. She's an easy target for bullying; too easy. Which is why the other girls would rather tolerate her as a follower rather than spend their energy bullying her. They save it for people who can fight back. Like me.
"What gives you the right to march in here like you own the place, scum?" Bridget has always been the harshest of the three. Tall, broad shouldered, bigger boned Bridget has never been much of a prize in the eyes of the boys. Her dark, square features wouldn't be bad looking under her short dark hair if she'd wipe that scowl off her face.
"You're not welcome here, Narcissa. You and the rest of your blood traitor family, thinking you can control everyone else. Andromeda's shown her true colors. Just get it over with!" Athena flips her sandy, dark blond hair and glares at me with her blue eyes under too much eyeliner.
Iris looks on, her big brown eyes nervously watching the scene unfold, her mousy brown hair covering half her face like a curtain.
"Are we finished here? As much as I don't enjoy your company, I do need to sleep." I reply sarcastically.
"Oh, is that really the best she can do? You're slipping, Black." Bridget snarls.
"I've had it with you!" Athena explodes. "You think you're so cool for hanging out with older kids, but they only tolerated you because they were afraid of Bellatrix cursing them! What are you going to do, now that you've run out of sisters to follow around?"
"Apparently Athena's been wanting to say that for quite some time now." I snicker.
"Oh, that's been waiting years to come out, scum!" She shrieks at me.
I walk out of the room, into the bathroom to prepare for bed, still snickering.