Chapter 2

We were met at the steps of Hogwarts by a tall witch with auburn hair streaked with grey. I recognised her from Bella's stories as Professor McGonagall. I knew what she was going to tell us as well, so I tuned her out, a half-smirk gracing my aristocratic features.

Instead, I focussed my attention on the room that I was standing in, gazing round silently. It was so large and so ornate that even I, Andromeda Black, had trouble believing what I was seeing. It was just as well Bella had warned me a little through her tales, or else I might have disgraced the House of Black by gawping around like an awestruck Muggleborn or something.

As it was, however, I was able to maintain my composure, even as the great doors were swung open and we were led into the Great Hall for our Sorting.

I glanced around for Bella, finally spotting her sitting beside Livia Malfoy. To my delight (and relief, though as a Black, I would die rather than admit that), there was an empty spot on the bench beside her.

There was a three-legged stool at the other end of the Great Hall, with a reasonably clean, though extremely patched hat lying on top of it. Professor McGonagall waited for all of us to file in behind her and then said, "When I call out your name, you will come forward, put on the Hat and thus be Sorted into your House."

People told me afterwards that the Hat sang a song next, but I never noticed. I was too busy working out which of the students sitting at the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were Pure and which weren't. I recognised most of the Purebloods by sight, though that didn't necessarily mean I wanted to associate with them. Like the three redheads at one end of the Gryffindor table, for instance. They were obviously Prewitts. Filthy Blood traitor scum.

They were practically beneath my notice, though I did raise an eyebrow, just slightly, at the way the girl was making dew eyes at Arthur Weasley. Goodness. He wasn't just as bad a Blood traitor as they come; he was also poor as a church mouse to boot. Not to mention that he was at least a year younger than her. Couldn't she learn at least a little discretion?

"Black, Andromeda!"

I was jolted out of my reverie by McGonagall calling my name. Head high, I glided to the stool and lowered myself on to it, trying to hide my disgust for the threadbare hat that I was being forced to put on.

"Ah, another Black. Bellatrix's sister, I gather?"

A small voice sounded in my ear and I had to school myself not to show my surprise. Bella hadn't told me about this.

"You'll be wanting Slytherin then, I presume?"

"Of course! Where else would a daughter of the House of Black go?" I thought.

"Are you sure, child? You're just as talented as your sister, without as much of her ruthless streak. You could do well in the House of Wit."

"Ravenclaw? Never! Do you presume to tell me, Andromeda Honour Black, that I do not belong where my forefathers have gone for generations? Might I remind you, Hat, that the Blacks have been in Slytherin for as long as this school has been in existence?"

"On second thoughts, with that temper and those views…perhaps you are more of a SLYTHERIN!"

At the Hat's words – I still can't believe I entered into conversation with a hat – I threw the thing down and sauntered to the empty seat beside Bella, feeling my robes grow momentarily warm as they morphed to show my new House's badge and colours.

"Finally! I was beginning to think that we'd raised a Squib!" Bella teased. I threw myself down beside her.

"Don't ask. I had to talk the Hat out of putting me into Ravenclaw."

"What? And you a Black? I tell you that Hat's going senile. Everyone knows that the Blacks go into Slytherin!" Bella squeezed my hand briefly beneath the table and glowered up at the Hat, now busy Sorting, "Corner, Katherine!" into "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Let it go, Bella," I sighed, knowing that, if I didn't intervene, she would go storming to Dumbledore to complain about this insult to the House of Black. "I'm here now, and that's what counts."

"Yes. You are," Bella flashed me a sidelong smile and then fell silent as we applauded, "Greengrass, Cressida!" the first girl to be Sorted into Slytherin besides me.

There were whispers all around us and I knew they were wondering at the closeness that we two seemed to share. The fact that I had managed to soothe Bellatrix Black's rather formidable temper had not gone unnoticed. I smiled briefly, the confident half-smile that came so naturally to all of us Blacks and then turned back to the Sorting.

Bella too, seemed to have decided that, show little emotion though we Blacks might do at other times, it would be best for everyone if she made it clear right from the start that my place was at her side.

Thus, when Aconite Parkinson, the Fifth Year Prefect came over to us at the end of the feast, meaning for me to follow him to the dungeon Common Room, she pulled me back by the folds of my robes, hissing, "You think a Black will follow you, Parkinson? Think again. Andromeda stays with me."

"You don't know the password, Bellatrix."

"Then tell me."

The look that my sister fixed the Prefect with was so icy that even a Slytherin recoiled. Uncomfortably, the older boy leaned forward to murmur into her ear. Bella smirked.

"Superior Purity. Excellent. Thank you, Parkinson. We'll see you later."

That's why, when I finally entered the First Year dormitories, I was somewhat behind the other First Years. Not only had I undergone a quick tour of the castle led by my sister, I had also remained in the Common Room talking to her and her friends.

I found my bed easily enough, but it wasn't the one I wanted. It wasn't the one under the window. I always slept under a window at home and I saw no reason to change that just because I was at school.

Admittedly, this window was little more than a slit in the wall, but it did at least allow a hint of fresher air into the room. I turned to the girl sitting on the bed beneath it.

"Switch beds with me."

She looked up in surprise. "Why?"

Now it was my turn to look surprised. Who did this girl think she was? No one in their right mind ever questioned a Black.

"I'm a Black," my voice was cold, scornful, disdaining.

"I don't care who you are. My stuff's on this bed, so it's mine. Your Mother and Father might never have said no to you, but you're not at home now, Princess. Take the empty bed and live with it."

Turning her head, the girl began to draw a brush through her auburn curls.

Silence reigned in the room as the others watched me fearfully for my reaction. They all knew what the Black temper could be like.

I blinked. No one but Bella had ever spoken to me like that before. Despite myself, I had to admire her spirit. She was almost a Gryffindor. Or a Black.

Throwing back my head, I laughed and extended a hand to her.

"Andromeda Black."

"Cressida Greengrass. Friends call me Cressie."

"Fine, Cressie. Keep the bed. If I can't sleep in it, then you're clearly second best."

The ice thus broken, the others thronged around me, clamouring to be introduced.

"Carolina Zabini."

"Starling Sabine"

"Amber Warrington.

"Ivy Parkinson."

Christabel Nott."

Introductions over, we tumbled into bed, too exhausted to attempt any more conversation.

The next morning I went up to breakfast flanked by Cressie and Carolina (who I'd taken to calling Cara).

Waving to Bella as we crossed the Great Hall, I promptly slid into the seat next to her.

"Bella, these are my friends, Cressie and Cara. Cressida and Carolina, I should say."

"Hmm." Bella eyed the two girls appraisingly as I turned to them; "My sister, Bellatrix."

"Blaise's cousin?" Bella suddenly asked, her voice sharp. She was gazing at Cara with her trademark piercing glare.

Luckily, Cara didn't lose her nerve.

"Third cousin," she corrected, seating herself beside me and reaching coolly for the marmalade.

Bella raised an eyebrow at Cara's nonchalance, but she didn't say anything and I knew she was impressed despite herself.

She only proved my point when, as breakfast ended and the two of us left the Great Hall arm in arm, she let them fall into step with the rest of her – our – group.

Unfortunately, Athena's brother didn't meet with such approval.

When Cressie, Cara and I slipped out of Charms to meet Bella and the others for morning break, a sleekly handsome dark-haired boy was standing with them, his arm slung carelessly around Athena's shoulders.

"Ah, Meda. Cressida. Carolina. This is Athena's brother, Aristeus." Bella gestured to him and I turned, automatically fixing my coolly polite smile in place.

The Selwyns were the second most powerful family in Wizarding Britain after us Blacks. I knew that their son and heir would most definitely figure prominently on Mama and Papa's list of the 'right people to mingle with', so I greeted him with a cordial, "How do you do, Aristeus? It's nice to meet you."

However, I wasn't prepared for the sheer arrogance of his reply. Without even disengaging himself from his sister, he inclined his head the merest inch and smiled half-mockingly as he answered, "Hello, Meda."

For a moment, I was struck dumb by how casually he treated me. Did he not realise who I was? Not realise that I was Andromeda Black; that I was Bellatrix's sister; that I could pull off a finer Jellylegs Jinx and Bat Bogey Hex than even my sister?

In the end, however, I decided that wasting a hex on him would be beneath me and instead contented myself with snarling," It's Andromeda to you, Selwyn! Only my sisters call me Meda!" before linking arms with Bella and flouncing off, leaving him staring after us, Athena hovering uselessly at his side, torn between defending him and seeking absolution for his arrogance from Bella.

"Dearest Cissy,

As promised, a letter all about my first day at Hogwarts. I'm in Slytherin, of course – where else would I be? – and the classes are all right. Most of them are too easy of course, but what can you expect? Since Dumbledore does insist on allowing scum like the Mudbloods to share a school and even lessons with the likes of us, one can only expect standards to be low.

Nonetheless, the castle itself is pleasant enough and I've become quite good friends with the girls in my dormitory, particularly Cressida Greengrass and Carolina Zabini. I think you'll be starting Hogwarts with Cressida's cousin, Othello. How would you like that, I wonder? Well, we'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

I have to admit that one or two of Bella's crowd are a little arrogant for my taste. Notably the Selwyn boy, Aristeus. I had to take him down a peg or two within two minutes of meeting him this morning.

However, that's a story for another day, as it's getting late and I don't want to make Astra fly out too late tonight.

Hope all's well…give my love to Mama and Papa and keep a big hug for yourself. I look forward to hearing from you and I'll try to remind Bella to write soon.

Toujours Pur, little sister.

All my love,

Meda"

Reading over the letter and deciding that it was quite detailed enough to be going on with – I had to save some stories to tell Cissy as a Christmas present, after all – I folded it up, scribbled 'Cissy C. Black' on the outside and waved my wand over it to seal it with the Black stamp.

Holding the letter out for Astra to take in her beak, I whispered, "See that Cissy gets this, will you?" and carried her to the window, setting her free into the night sky.

I watched her fly off out of sight and then turned from the Owlery to begin attempting to find my way back down to the Slytherin Common Room before curfew.