Chapter 1
September 1973
Capella stood there and admired the scarlet train in front of her. She has seen the train a number of times over the last two years while her older brothers have gone off to Hogwarts without her but it looks so different now that she would be joining them, that she would finally be going to Hogwarts.
She looked around in search of her brothers, keeping the frown away at being unable to find them. Her parents Walburga and Orion Black had already left, reminding her once more about the honour it is to be a Black before leaving and reminding both Sirius and Regulus to keep an eye on her.
Except they both quickly left in search of their own friends.
Capella never really had her own friends. Her parents pushed her onto the children of their associates, it was the way it worked among the families they associated with and she got along with a couple of the daughters but she didn't know if she could really call them her friends.
Catching sight of her eldest brother first she walked over to him, the Black sheep of the family, the first one to be sorted into a house aside from Slytherin, ever.
"Sirius," she spoke quietly and the four of them turned and looked at her.
She knew who Sirius friends were, having heard stories about them during the summers, in the short time he was present since he started at Hogwarts and even the occasional letter that he had managed to send home when he remembered.
"Is this the sister?" one of them questioned and judging by the glasses she took this to be James Potter.
"Yes, Ells this is James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew," Sirius spoke as he introduced the two of them and Capella politely nodded her head, keeping her mask in place.
"Merlin I forgot how creepy that whole stoic mask is," Peter spoke and Capella narrowed her eyes.
"Calm down Ells," Sirius spoke as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Just ignore Pete, we do most of the time," he teased.
"Is she going to be joining us in Gryffindor mate?" Remus questioned, looking at Sirius and Capella's body stiffened at the question.
She had no idea as to where she was going to be sorted and that's what scared her. She remembered her parents' reaction to Sirius' sorting in Gryffindor, how furious they were and how badly damaged the dining room was at the end of the day with her parents taking their anger out of the furniture and dining ware. But it was with Regulus' sorting the following year that they spent weeks claiming how proud they were having a son in Slytherin, it was like they forgot about their eldest son, the heir to the Black family.
"Oh, there's Frank. I will see you lot on the train," James spoke before he turned and broke out into a run to catch up with another student.
Capella looked up at Sirius, she was curious as to what her brother thought on her sorting and where he thought she would be placed.
"Gryffindor, hm. It would be good to have another disgrace the family like I have but I feel Ravenclaw is more her, she is always so eager to learn to new things. But the question is if she lets the hat to do what it pleases with her," Sirius explained.
Capella's mask finally slipped as her eyes went wide. "It's a hat that sorts me?"
The other three laughed at seeing the shock on her face. "Yes," Sirius responded.
"You weren't meant to tell me that I bet," Capella cut in and Sirius grinned at her.
"You got me. How about you go find some other first years. Isn't Darcy a first year as well?" he questioned.
"I don't like Darcy, she smells like onion most of the time," she complained only to earn a laugh from the boys once more.
"Wait a minute," Remus cut in and they looked at him. "Doesn't McKinnon have a younger sister starting this year?"
"Yes I believe he does, he complained about it on the train ride home," Peter responded.
"Who is McKinnon?" Capella questioned.
"Anthony McKinnon, he is a year above us and on the Quidditch team with Sirius and James, plays Beater with Sirius," Remus explained and Capella nodded.
"So in other words, a Gryffindor's little sister is someone who you are going to palm me off to?" Capella responded, slightly angry and Sirius let out a soft groan before placing his hands on her shoulders.
"We have stuff to do Ells. Either sit with this girl, go find Darcy or go find Regulus," Sirius offered her a suggested.
Capella pulled away from Sirius' hands, a harsh look on her face. "I'm going to find Reggie then," she snapped before she turned and walked away from them.
Capella didn't get the chance to find Regulus until everyone had boarded the train, she had no idea where her trunk ended up and just hoped that Regulus still had it with him and she could find him before she had to change into her Hogwarts uniform.
She still remembers the outcry her mother has every time they walk into Madam Malkin's for their uniforms about how poor the quality of their uniforms are and that they should improve the standard. Walburga almost stated that if it prevented the riff raff from attending than all the better she believed.
Capella still remembers the worry she felt when her mother made mention about how she may be sent to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts. It was only her father's input that reminded her mother that Capella couldn't speak French.
She finally found Regulus sitting in a compartment with whom she was assuming was his fellow Slytherins, most of them have already changed into their Hogwarts robes.
She pulled opened the compartment door, quietening their conversation as they all turned and looked at her.
"Yes, Ellie?" Regulus spoke, having noticed her standing there not saying anything.
Capella gave her brother a smile. She enjoyed that she had the two different nicknames from the two brothers that couldn't be more different. Despite them looking very similar and the only thing they had in common was their interest in Quidditch and their protective nature over her, they were scarcely different.
Sirius had long ago stopped having his mask up at all times, instead, showing his annoyance around their parents and how they acted to certain things. He had also begun rebelling against their traditions. He had put up Muggle posters in his room and covered it in everything Gryffindor related.
While Regulus still kept his mask in place and decked his room out in Slytherin colours.
"Where did you put my trunk?" she questioned.
"It's there next to mine. You don't have to get changed for another couple of hours yet. Why don't you go find some other first years? I know Darcy isn't too far from here," Regulus suggested.
Capella kept her face neutral, knowing that frowning and pouting towards Regulus wouldn't make a difference. Actually, it would annoy him because of the reputation that was among the Slytherins.
She didn't appreciate that both of her brothers were palming her off.
"Fine," Capella responded before she turned and left the compartment.
She walked down the length of the train hoping to find a compartment that looked inviting so she could join them. She really didn't want to join Darcy Crabbe of all people, she wasn't a big fan of the girl but spent time with her because their parents always pushed the two together thinking they were best friends.
It wasn't until she was halfway down the train that she found a compartment that only housed one person, she looked like she could be another first year and she seemed to be quite happy having her head in the book she was reading.
Capella pulled the door open, scaring the poor girl. "I'm sorry." She quickly apologised.
"It's fine. I was so engrossed in my book. Would you like to join me?" the girl spoke as she pointed towards the empty bench in front of her.
Capella walked over and took a seat on the bench and made herself comfortable. "What are you reading?"
The other girl held her book up for Capella and she couldn't help but grin at the sight of it.
"I love the Warlock Trials, have you read it before?" Capella questioned.
"No, I've read the first three but I only just got this one yesterday. I was hoping to spend the day reading it, my brothers laughed at me," she responded, a slight frown on her face.
"I got it when it came out. We were in Diagon Alley getting my supplies and I managed to slip it in with my Hogwarts books. My brother also laughed at me when I spent the day holed up in my room reading it," Capella responded.
"Oh good, you have a brother and understand my pain. Two is worse than one though, I always think one is on my side, but yet, I'm always wrong."
"I have two brothers. The eldest just prefers to spend the summer with his friends than at home with us, I haven't seen much of him since he started at Hogwarts," Capella responded softly.
"That must suck. My brothers may pick on me all the time but they mean the world to me. I hate when they leave for Hogwarts and leave me at home with mum and dad."
"I get that feeling. How much older are your brothers?"
"Anthony is going into his Fourth year while Matthew is going into his Seventh year. Matthew was made Head Boy," she explained.
"Wait, Anthony, you don't mean Anthony McKinnon do you?" Capella questioned and the girl nodded.
"How do you know that?"
"When I was talking with my brother and his friends, they made mention of a boy who had a sister going into her first year. It was your brother they mentioned," Capella explained and the other girl nodded.
"Who's your brother?" she questioned.
"Sirius Black," Capella responded.
She had liked this girl sitting across her from, without even knowing her name they had seemed to get along with sharing the fact they both had two older brothers and had the love for a book series.
Now knowing who this girl was and who her family was, she just hoped that she wouldn't be judged for who hers is. Maybe with this girl having a brother or two sharing a house with Sirius allowed her to make friends.
"Oh, I've heard of him. Matt couldn't help but groan and complain at being made Head Boy just because of how much trouble Sirius and his friends cause. I'm Marlene," Marlene responded, giving Capella a large smile and it erased any concerns Capella instantly had.
"So you read the Warlock Trials. What other books do you enjoy?" Marlene questioned and it quickly launched a decision between the two girls.
They either talked about similar interests or argued over books that one of them didn't particularly enjoy when they had attempted to read it.
The trip to Hogwarts passed by quickly enough for the two girls, them not being bothered by other students and they barely looked up at the Trolley Lady when she came by as the girls were too engrossed in their conversation.
"Who's the giant?" a boy beside them whispered as they climbed off the train and followed in the direction of the loud voice calling all first years.
"I've heard his name is Hagrid, my brother and his friends are rather fond of him apparently," Capella responded and the boy turned to look at her, giving her a large smile.
"I'm Rodney Greene," the boy stuck his hand out.
Capella eyed it for a moment before she quickly grasped it with hers. "Capella Black," she introduced herself and Marlene followed afterwards.
The three of them climbed into the boat and watched in awe as Hogwarts came into view. Capella couldn't believe the sight of the Castle like this under the moonlight. It was stunning and now she knew why Sirius loved being at Hogwarts as much as he did.
"It's beautiful," Marlene whispered and Capella could only nod in agreement, awestruck at the sight of the castle.
"It's something out of a fairy-tale," Rodney explained.
"Fairy-tale. What's a fairy-tale?" Capella questioned as Rodney turned around to look at her.
"How do you not know what a fairy-tale is?" he questioned.
"Because I'm a witch, what are you a muggle born?" Capella questioned harshly.
"Capella," Marlene hissed.
Rodney's body tensed. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Capella looked between the two of them. "I don't know," she whispered, averting her gaze and looking at the Black Lake.
Capella truly didn't know what she thought about muggle-borns and muggles in general. She grew up hearing about how they were dirty and a disgrace, that muggle borns didn't have the right to be allowed to use magic.
It was with Sirius starting at Hogwarts and him associating with them in Gryffindor away from the other purebloods they normally associate with that he began telling her that they weren't anything like what their parents had told them.
Hell, Capella still had nightmares from the story her aunt had told her when she was five about how were muggles going around hunting down lowly witches.
Capella stayed silent as the boats came to a stop followed the rest of the first years up towards the Castle.
Marlene softly placed a hand on Capella's arm and she jumped away from the touch. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Marlene responded, a slight frown on her face.
"It's fine," Capella responded, her gaze wandering over to where Rodney was standing, having moved away from them.
She was just glad she still had one friend she had made today that Marlene hasn't left her despite her earlier reaction to meeting a muggle-born. Capella knew that she would come across a muggle-born at some point while she was Hogwarts, she just didn't expect it to happen before she had even been sorted.
She ignored the speech that the witch who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, their Transfiguration Professor, had given. It was the same thing she's heard from her parents over the years, that Slytherin would be their home and family. It was the same thing that caused numerous arguments between her two brothers.
Marlene didn't say anything, just looped her arm through Capella's before dragging her into the Great Hall.
"Wow," Capella breathed. She was in awe at the sight of the Great Hall.
The ceiling was her favourite, showing the night sky outside and she was instantly in love at the sight of it.
She searched the room for her brothers, catching sight of Regulus sitting with his friends at the Slytherin table nodding his head when they locked eyes while Sirius gave her a thumbs up when they did.
"Black, Capella," McGonagall called out and she broke away from Marlene before heading up towards the front of the room, weaving her way through the students.
She sat there on the stool as McGonagall placed the hat on her head and she was too busy going over the conversations she's had with each of her brothers, with her parents that she didn't even have time to argue with what the hat was saying before it called out her house.
.oOo.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and set alerts for this story, it means a lot to me.
I'm curious as to where everyone thinks Capella will be sorted.
Thank you to Paulies1994 and Lovelybaka for reviewing, it means a lot to me.
