Lindsay Irene Durham was alone. A sigh escaped her lips as she stood waiting for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. Another school year was dawning on the train station. Her parents had already left her and said their goodbyes. They always arrived early to Kings Cross Station, it generally worked well to avoid large crowds of people with eyes that turned cold when they looked upon them. Lindsay lived in a vast sea of ice, the ocean constantly rolled on with its waves of isolation.
She was still dressed in her Muggle clothes with her hair down. Her clothes consisted of modest caramel heeled boots, black tights, and a wavy black skirt ending above her knees. Under a dark violet overcoat she wore a silver sweater with a basic leaf pattern. The deep plum coat reached just over her waist and was lined with soft warm fabric. Lindsay wore the hood down and her head up. She tried her best to look inconspicuous, after the train ride she would be easily identified in her House robes.
The platform was empty at this early hour. All of her belongs were stacked neatly beside her. Noctem was sleeping in her cat carrier on the top of the trunk. She was patient as the waiting continued for the famed Hogwarts Express to move into the designated area. Lindsay was grateful for the lack of students, and the few that were there had already stolen their glances in her direction at their arrival. Her parents offered to stay and wait for the train with her, like they did every year but she refused. It would not do any good for all three of them to be there. Enough hatred was already accumulating amidst the rest of the Wizarding World. The Battle of Hogwarts was still fresh wounds to some, and scars that would never fade for others. It had been eighteen years since the day the school was attacked and several died. Lindsay could never forget, and she had not even been alive. It was not possible for her to not remember what she had never experienced.
Unlike the vast majority of the noble House of Slytherin, Lindsay Durham has a direct connection to their infamous founder. She is one of his descendants, an Heir of Slytherin. Due to this family heritage and during the times of war her family began to use the surname 'Durham' when in the muggle world and in certain places of the Wizarding World.
Cruelty was not a foreign concept to her, she found it on a daily basis. The students of Hogwarts had seemingly made it their sworn duty to uphold the long standing traditions associated with Salazar Slytherin and his wrongful successors. Lindsay had never supported the hatred and alienation of muggles, the shaming of Muggle borns and the so called 'blood traitors'. She wished for the prejudice to just stop. Yet, she knew that after this new year at Hogwarts nothing would change. Four previous years had shown her that- no companions, no fellowship, no partners, no relations, no friends... none to call her own. Even the staff had ceased forcing other students to be paired with her for activities and classwork. The professors had tried to talk with her about it, futile efforts to repair what was highly damaged. But she told them it was fine. There were no distractions for her schooling this way.
Another sigh. And her eyes slipped down to look the ground below.
Naturally her summers had been spent preparing for the school year with extensive hours of studying. When she was not pouring over her educational work Lindsay had been on her Firebolt practicing for Quidditch. Previously she had a Nimbus 2001 (which she had purchased with her own money) but this year her parents thought to buy her a new broomstick. The position of Chaser on the Slytherin House team was not something she took for granted. Her skills were undeniable, when practically all students spent their summers relaxing and blissful ease she maintained a busy schedule. Other students would invite their friends over and have parties for social gatherings, except for Lindsay.
A faint whistle sounded. Her eyes peered upwards, her mental recollections silenced. Far off in the distance she could hear the whistle from a train. It would not be long of a wait now for the Hogwarts Express to pull into the station. Then she would have the opportunity to load her luggage and choose her own compartment. No one ever sat with her or joined in company. Lindsay longed for the moment when she would be able to great her beloved professors, they were the only ones who spoke to her with legitimate reasons. Younger students would come up and ask her things about keeping dangerous beasts inside the school, and if she had plots to kill all the blood traitors. She never answered them, usually a stern glare was enough to turn them away. If no then the slightest movement towards her wand sent them fleeing.
The Hogwarts Express churned its wheels and came to a resting halt. She gathered her belongings and loaded them away in the storage compartments. Onto the seating carts Lindsay brought her carry on items such as her bag and cat carrier. Once inside she selected a suitable spot and shut the door behind her. The window curtains were left open and she let Noctem out of the carrier. The black feline stretched and walked around. All that was left for Lindsay to do was to wait.
It was cold inside the train compartment. The persistent chill was enough for Lindsay to draw her dark forest green blanket from her bag. She draped the blanket over herself and Noctem stepped lighting onto her lap. The cat stretched a paw for Lindsay's arm, asking to be pet. She complied and stroked Noctem's black fur till she was purring. Her parents liked to occasionally call her with nicknames of either Nox or Nyx. Lindsay did not mind but stayed with her formal one. One year a student had asked why she kept a cat, as opposed to a reasonable thing like a snake. It had not matter if that student was just being a pain or genuine, Lindsay left the Common Room and roamed the halls.
Often in her free time, or as an alternative to rather avoidable situations within the student body, Lindsay would walk throughout the corridors and grounds of the school. She had become quite familiar with the changing staircases and seven stories. She had even discovered some of the secret short cuts from one place to another. Lindsay most preferred routes went to the towering areas, the bridges, and the courtyards. When the need was there she would venture to the library but it was not a well liked place for her. Several students made use of it and there were always questioning stares, and whispers if she picked a not so light read.
From her own bag Lindsay brought a book on vampires. In its early chapters it explained what they looked like; usually pale and gaunt with their most recognizable feature being their sharp fangs. Some people had the misconception that vampires could only eat and digest blood, but that was not the case. In reality they were capable of eating normal things. Though they did have the dislike of garlic. During Defense Against the Dark Arts in years one, two, and three they had covered the topic of vampires but Lindsay wanted to review. The texts available now had more in depth studies and were meant for experienced readers. It had been heard that vampires were able to breed with humans, resulting in a part or half-vampire. The child of the two was called a Dhampir, according to myths.
Previously a student had shouted that she was some sort of freak. Whether or not they were implying a vampire, werewolf, veela, or anything else they would never know. For Lindsay had sent them flying through the hair tumbling over their own shoes, and when they stood up after regaining their balance they found their voice was gone too. Quiet words or even screams were not audible from them, it did not last forever as even the school nurse had told them to just go get some sleep. After that no one called out things at her, or at least not in her presence.
So far no student had knocked on the door or even partly opened it to speak with her. Lindsay paid it no mind and continued on with her readings. Noctem had curled up once again and this time it was on her lap. While she had no knowledge to speak the language of cats, Lindsay could speak with serpents. On her ninth year she had a full conversation with one, before all that had been heard was faint voices when she had been around them. Lindsay had not known speaking Parseltongue was a thing until her parents told her. The rare visits to the zoo were interesting after that, her parents encouraged her to use the ability. They spent a long while in the reptile house and all her parents were aware of was a low hissing.
Outside the train platform people were flooding the station. It was nearing closer to 11 o'clock and more students were boarding the Hogwarts Express. Lindsay paid no mind to the slowly growing noise. Instead she thought of her professors. Lindsay adored to see their happy faces when she entered the Great Hall, and she would not have to wait much longer now.
