Andromeda felt very glad she had chosen Molly's compartment rather than finding an empty one. The girls ate together and talked for hours, their initial awkwardness completely dissipated. They spoke about what they had read in the schoolbooks, and speculated about what houses they would be in, and what their teachers would be like. Andromeda knew that the only acceptable houses were Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and Slytherin was vastly preferable out of these two. You knew you were safe from the mudbloods in Slytherin. She didn't really know which house she would be better suited to anyway, and said so. Molly thought she would be a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw. Andromeda winced slightly. She remembered Mother's lectures on the subject of houses all too clearly. ("Hufflepuffs are weak dunderheads and Gryffindor is full of reckless muggle-lovers!")
Andromeda tried to steer the conversation away from their future houses.
"What's your family like?" she asked. "I saw your brothers, I think?" she said, remembering the tall red-headed boys with Molly on the platform.
"Yes!" said Molly with enthusiasm. "That's Gideon and Fabian. They're twins. In their fourth year. They're my only siblings, fortunately, because between the two of them they cause mayhem!"
"I think I can sympathise with you there," said Andromeda, laughing. "My older sister's a nightmare! She gets in trouble all the time."
"What house is she in? Gid and Fab are in Ravenclaw. They told me they live in a tall tower with blue armchairs. I wonder what the other houses look like?" Molly wondered, reaching for a fifth Chocolate Frog. Andromeda hadn't touched any of them, sticking to her liquorice wand. She didn't like the way they were almost alive when you ate them. Andromeda paused, wondering whether Molly would dislike her if she knew.
"My sister's in Slytherin." she said, looking nervously at Molly. She was worried she would be biased against Slytherins, like how Bella had told her.
"Really?" asked Molly curiously. "I would have thought she'd be better at not getting caught if she was in Slytherin! I thought they were meant to be sneaky!" Andromeda smiled in relief at Molly's friendliness.
"She didn't tell me much about Slytherin.. Bella doesn't talk to me very much. She prefers being on her own. My other sister, Narcissa, is much nicer, although she's only nine."
Molly smiled, and they passed the hours until the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Andromeda frowned slightly when she realised that Bella had never come to find her. She didn't even know if she had got on the train. They walked out onto the platform. It was full of students in black robes, most with coloured hoods. Red, yellow, blue and green. Molly gently nudged Andromeda.
"I hope I'm in Slytherin just because those robes'd go best with my hair," she whispered, and the two girls giggled as they walked towards the man shouting for first years.
A group of the smallest children, all in fully black robes, was starting to congregate in front of the shouting man, who was tall with a twirly moustache.
"Is this all of you?" he asked, looking at the group. A couple of stragglers hurried towards them. Andromeda looked closely. It was Ted and a boy with hair the same colour as Molly. Before she had time to say anything to Ted, the man spoke again. "There we go," he said, and turned around. "Follow me, everyone," he said curtly, and walked away from the platform, towards a small path. The first years had to almost run to keep up with his long legs. Andromeda looked around at the others as they scrambled to keep up, caught in the middle of the group. She couldn't see Ted and his friend anymore. To her right was a small, skinny boy she thought she recognised. He had dark, smoothly combed hair and immaculate robes. Andromeda frowned slightly, trying to remember where she had seen him before. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her as they rushed towards the lake's edge. She ended up in a boat with Molly, the dark-haired boy, and tall blond girl. The boy introduced himself as Rabastan Lestrange.
"Oh yes!" said Andromeda, realising she had seen the small boy waiting outside Father's office once before. "I think my father knows your father." Rabastan looked at her sceptically, and she realised she hadn't introduced herself. "I'm Andromeda Black," she said quickly. He smirked.
"Do you need saving from a monster?"
Andromeda glared at him, not liking the jibe at her name, and turned to the other occupant of the boat. She was chattering away with Molly already, but before she could introduce herself, the boats turned a corner. Hogwarts loomed out of darkness, its fairytale towers and twinkling lights shocking the first years into silence.
"It's beautiful," gasped the blond girl. Molly and Andromeda nodded in agreement.
The first years huddled together once they had passed though the hanging vines and climbed out of the boats. They waited at the bottom of steps, talking amongst themselves. Andromeda and Molly looked at each other nervously.
"I hope we're in the same house," said Molly.
"Me too," said Andromeda, although she was thinking that if they'd both have to be in Ravenclaw for that to happen or she'd be in serious trouble. Molly was utterly un-Slytherin. "We'll see each other in lessons anyway," she said, knowing that they probably wouldn't be able to be friends.
"What did that boy mean about a monster?" asked Molly curiously. Before Andromeda could reply, the crown fell silent. A man stood at the top of the steps, smiling benevolently down upon them.
"Students," he said, with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor Dumbledore, and I am the Deputy Headmaster and Head of Gryffindor House. I will soon be taking you from here to the Great Hall, where you yourselves will be Sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each of these value different characteristics and you will be Sorted into the House that is best for you. I hope that each of you will find a family in your House."
Professor Dumbledore was wearing a rather silly outfit, Andromeda thought. He had on long purple robes, and his hat was pointed with hundreds of golden stars on it. It clashed horribly with his hair and beard, which were both very long, and a reddish colour that was heavily streaked with grey and white. She didn't remember Bella ever mentioning him before, in one of the rare moments when she deigned to tell Narcissa and Andromeda about Hogwarts. Andromeda supposed it was because he was Head of Gryffindor. She abruptly stopped her pondering as she realised that everyone was walking up the stairs towards two immense wooden doors. With a flourish of his wand, Professor Dumbledore opened the doors, and the first years entered the Great Hall, a mass of small children in dark robes following the gaudily outfitted teacher.
Andromeda held her head high and tried not to gasp and look around, as some of the others were doing. She did smile in wonder at the ceiling, but she couldn't help but feel intimidated by the hundreds of faces staring at her. She walked with Molly to the end of the hall, where a small stool rested in the centre of the platform. Andromeda looked at it, puzzled. How was the Sorting going to work? She was under the impression a Hat would be placed on her head, and it would shout out the name of her new house. Perhaps Bella had been lying, as she was wont to do. The mystery was soon solved, however, when an austere-looking woman stepped forwards and placed a battered-looking lump of fabric on the stool. It then proceeded to sing a song, the words of which completely eluded Andromeda, as she once more disappeared into her thoughts. Se had a habit of doing that, especially when particularly anxious about something. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"When I call your name, could you please sit on the stool," he said quietly, his voice only extending to the group of first-years, as he smiled at them kindly once again. "Andromeda Black," he called, this time his voice projecting across the whole hall. Andromeda started. She hadn't expected to be first! Surely someone had a name before Black in the alphabet. Apparently not. She stepped forwards, slightly nervous, so caught up in her surprise at being first she didn't notice the muttering that broke out across certain parts of the hall at the announcement of her name. She sat up straight on the stool, as had been drilled into her. Professor Dumbledore placed the hat onto her head. She was glad it covered the sight of the sea of faces staring up at her.
"Ah!" a voice said, seemingly coming from inside her head. "I see you don't like being the centre of attention!"
"You can speak to me?" thought Andromeda furiously. "No-one ever told me that!"
"Of course I can," said the hat dryly. "I'm the Sorting Hat. Now then, where to put you? I see you have loyalty in droves, intelligence certainly, I can see a healthy dose of bravery. What's this I see? A watcher, then. You like to observe, don't you Miss Black? Hmmm… You're a difficult one- you'd suit any house… But where's best?" The hat continued to ponder. Andromeda thought about what Mother would say if she was in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. ("NO child of mine!")The hat caught on. "Not Hufflepuff or Gryffindor eh? You could be happy there… Hufflepuff would make you kinder. Gryffindor would make you more confident." Andromeda frowned.
"I'm already kind and confident enough," she thought.
"Are you? Very well. Now, is it to be Slytherin, or Ravenclaw? You can be cunning, certainly, and you don't lack ambition, even if that ambition is to not be noticed."
Andromeda thought carefully. Did she really want to be so close to Bella? Perhaps Ravenclaw would be best…
"Ravenclaw, eh? No, I don't think that's right. You've intelligence, certainly, and a desire for knowledge, but that's not quite enough. No, better be SLYTHERIN!"
The table on the furthest right burst into applause. Once Professor Dumbledore had lifted the hat off her head, Andromeda walked towards it, her heart slightly heavy with disappointment. She could see Bella smirking at her from a seat in the middle of the table where she was surrounded by a group of older students, who were all looking at Andromeda with interest and whispering, now the applause had died down. Andromeda stepped to the table where the empty seats were, elegantly setting herself onto the bench next to an older boy, who had a sharp face, and cheekbones that jutted out alarmingly, although he still looked attractive. He looked at her appraisingly.
"Black's sister, then?" he asked in a pleasant, deep voice.
"Yes," said Andromeda, as steadily as she could.
"Pleased to meet you," said the boy, after glancing down the table to where Bella sat. "I'm Harrison Runcorn. Fifth-year. Prefect." She stuck out her hand in greeting, but didn't say anything else. She was slightly flustered at being the centre of attention.
"You took a long time to be Sorted," said Harrison. "Not quite a Hatstall," he said, raising an eyebrow in question, "but you took a lot longer than average." Andromeda shrugged indifferently.
"I suppose I'm more complicated than average," she said, looking him straight in the eye. She didn't want to tell anyone what the Sorting Hat had said. Not good enough for Ravenclaw.
Harrison smirked and turned his attention back to the Sorting. Lots of the older students were still looking at Andromeda in interest, though, although another three students had already been sorted, including the blond girl from the boat, who went to Ravenclaw.
Andromeda focused her attention back onto the sorting. She could see Molly's hair poking out at the side of the group. The boy currently being sorted was taking an awfully long time, longer even than Andromeda. He eventually went to Hufflepuff, stumbling slightly as he stood up. The table furthest away from Andromeda burst into applause and cheers. They were much more raucous than Slytherin had been for Andromeda, and she started feeling the slightest hint of regret. Maybe Hufflepuff would have been nice. Then she remembered Mother and Bella, and felt glad she was in Slytherin.
A few more were sorted but no-one else came to Slytherin, and Andromeda started to worry. What if she was the only one? She watched carefully, hoping. Dumbledore read out the next name.
Owen Cauldwell was a tiny boy with huge ears. Andromeda watched carefully, but he went to Gryffindor, as did the next two, Dirk Cresswell and Ella Dorny. There were still no Slytherins. When they got to Aidan Kiely and every single student had gone to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor except for her, she turned to Harrison.
"Is this normal?" she demanded in a whisper. Harrison frowned, and pushed his glasses higher up his nose.
"No," he said. "Most years, though, there is one house with fewer students. It appears that this year that house is Slytherin."
As they spoke, Dumbledore called Rabastan Lestrange. Andromeda sighed. He appeared to be having a whispered conversation with the hat. She knew what was going to happen a split second before it did.
"SLYTHERIN!" called the Hat. Rabastan almost seemed to saunter as he walked towards Andromeda. He had the loudest applause yet, the Slytherins seemingly spurred on by the lack of students, wanting to make sure that they few they did have got a good welcome. He sat opposite her, and smirked, again.
"Looks like it's just us, princess," he said casually. Harrison looked on in interest, waiting to see Andromeda's reaction. She waited for the next bout of applause whilst glaring at him, then kicked him viciously in the shin.
"Don't. Call. Me. Princess." she seethed. Rabastan squealed in pain, and she laughed at the affronted look on his face. Harrison joined in her laughter.
"Looks like we have a prime batch this year," he said, snickering softly. "Quiet but vicious," he said, pointing at Andromeda, "and arrogant but clever," pointing at Rabastan. "I suppose with family like yours, you wouldn't be anything but," he said, gesturing down the table to where Bella sat. Andromeda noticed the boy she was sat opposite. He looked exactly like Rabastan, but taller and broader, with a sharper face.
"You have a brother," she stated, looking at Rabastan.
"Congratulations on pointing out the obvious. Has your sister never mentioned Rodolphus before?" said Rabastan, leaning forwards onto his elbows. Andromeda shook her head slowly, but didn't speak. Clearly Rabastan knew of Bella. She filed that piece of information away, before turning her attention back to the sorting. It was Molly's turn. Andromeda watched in interest. "Gryffindor, for certain," said Rabastan.
"Yes," said Andromeda, just as the hat did, indeed call out Gryffindor. Molly almost skipped in happiness as she moved towards the cheering table, but she did glance towards Andromeda and gave a little shrug. There were only five students left to be sorted, including Ted from the train, but there were still only two Slytherins. Andromeda watched carefully, intrigued to see where Ted would go. She sort of hoped he'd be Slytherin too. He seemed far friendlier than Rabastan.
"Edward Tonks," called Dumbledore.
Andromeda gasped in shock. Tonks. The name reverberated through her mind. There was no wizarding family with that name. Andromeda knew every single family name. Nature's Nobility, A Wizarding Genealogy was required learning in the Black household. He had to be a mudblood, or at best, a half-blood, though Andromeda somehow didn't think so. He hadn't known about owls, and his voice had been strange, she remembered. He didn't talk like everyone she knew. Mother had told her she'd be able to tell the mudbloods apart. She'd already managed to slip up. At least Bella didn't know.
Rabastan raised an eyebrow at her gasp, and Andromeda realised in Slytherin, much like at home, she would have to be careful. Since Bella was in Slytherin, thought Andromeda, she supposed everyone around her would be like that too. She'd better not show any weakness then. Being quiet was okay, she thought. Bella was quiet eighty percent of the time. It was the other twenty percent you had to watch out for. Fortunately, she was good at hiding her emotions. It had just shocked her that she had already touched a mudblood, thought he was nice, even, and not even realised.
He went to Hufflepuff.
"Figures," muttered Andromeda. "Mudbloods in Hufflepuff. It's the only place for them."
Rabastan nodded in agreement. Andromeda thought she had managed to cover up for her gasp. There were only four students left now, and still no other Slytherins. They all went to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Andromeda and Rabastan looked at each other, her in distaste, that this would be the only student of her age in her house, and he in intrigue.
Andromeda passed the feast in a haze, still thinking about Ted. Tonks, she corrected in her mind. Blacks and mudbloods weren't on first name terms. She joined in the conversation that Rabastan and Harrison were having intermittently when Harrison asked her a question, but tried to ignore Rabastan. She mostly concentrated on the food, and observing her fellow Slytherins. She could see Molly across the hall, sat next to a small ginger boy, in deep conversation. The blond girl from the boat- Andromeda still didn't know her name- was sat silently between two boys who seemed to lack the smallest amount of table manners. They were ripping apart the chicken with their bare hands and stuffing it into their faces, with little regard for the poor girl sat between them. Andromeda turned away in distaste. When they got to pudding, she kept an eye out for Molly, and suppressed a smile at the girl's plate, piled high with profiteroles.
The feast seemed to drag on for ages, but eventually the food all disappeared, and Harrison looked at her and Rabastan.
"Right then, you two. We'll wait for the hall to clear before we go, so you don't get caught up in the hordes." Harrison turned away and spoke to a pretty girl with dark hair, who has walked over to speak to him. Andromeda was left with just Rabastan.
He spoke to her, with a serious look on his face for the first time that night.
"Andromeda," he said. She looked at him. "Look, there's only the two of us. We've clearly got off on the wrong foot. I didn't mean to upset or offend you." Andromeda raised her eyebrows, surprised by this overture. He continued, "I'm sorry I made fun of your name."
"I accept your apology," said Andromeda, her tone still suspicious.
"And since there's only the two of us, better friends than enemies, right?" said Rabastan with a small, but genuine smile.
"Alright then," said Andromeda, who shook his proffered hand. Harrison turned back to them. Most of the students had gone now, with only a few stragglers hanging back.
"May I introduce you to the other Fifth-year prefect? This is Anita Quirke." The girl smiled at them.
"Black and Lestrange, right?" she asked, eyeing them with interest. "I'm sure you'll soon get the hang of how things work in Slytherin."
They got up together, and left the hall, Harrison explaining where the different stairs led. They walked back through the Entrance Hall, and down a set of stairs.
"This is one of the fastest ways to Slytherin from the Great Hall. Try and remember where we're are going. Anita or I will give you directions for the first week or so. You'll learn quickly. Don't rely on directions from any other older Slytherin. You'll probably never be found. Once you've been here a while, you can try to find other routes. There are several passageways behind tapestries and so on, but you're better off sticking to the main hallways for now."
As they walked, the light grew darker, and Andromeda felt a slight shiver down her spine at the thought of getting lost in this huge castle. Before too long, they reached a large tapestry, which had embroidered silver and green snakes surrounding an embroidered crown, which had one very large snake entwined around. The snakes were shimmering, and seemed to be moving.
"Sanguine," said Harrison, as if he were speaking to the largest snake. The snakes began to writhe, and slithered around the tapestry until a door appeared in the fabric. Harrison stepped forwards and opened the door. "Don't forget the password. It will change once a week. You'll be notified on the House noticeboard."
Rabastan looked at Andromeda and stretched a hand out.
"After you," he said, with a smile. Andromeda rolled her eyes slightly, but stepped through the door.
Inside was a large room, about the size of the Entrance Hall. It was filled with beautifully carved furniture, and had many nooks and crannies, where students sat, chatting to each other. The far wall was made of glass, and behind it Andromeda could see the greenish black water of the lake. It was too dark to see much beyond a few metres that were lit up by the common room's lights, but she wondered if you would be able to see the squid Bella had mentioned once in daylight. A few students looked up as they entered, but they were mostly ignored.
"This, obviously," said Harrison, "is the Slytherin Common Room. You'll be spending a lot of time here. Dormitories are through these corridors." He walked towards two doors set into the left wall. "Girls on the left, boys on the right. Breakfast is at seven-thirty. Either Anita or I will be waiting in here at seven-fifteen to take you to breakfast." Harrison showed Rabastan through the door on the right. Rabastan smirked, and gave Andromeda a little wave goodbye. Anita took Andromeda through into the girls' corridor. There were doors set into the walls on each side each few metres. They walked right to the end, Anita explaining that the first -year dormitory was always the furthest from the common room.
"You move closer each year," said Anita. They reached the door right at the end of the corridor. "Don't be late in the morning. No-one will be coming to get you. I hope you won't be annoying and pathetic, though you don't seem it. First-years are the curse of the fifth year prefects." Anita turned to walk away, leaving Andromeda alone. She reached out to turn the handle. As she touched the door, a sign materialised onto the dark wood bearing her name, Andromeda Black. She smiled, and walked into the room. A single four-poster bed was placed in the middle, its headboard against the far wall. The room was fairly small, and Andromeda wondered if they were resized depending on how many students there were in that particular year. The glass wall extended into here too, but there were curtains to pull over it. Andromeda quickly got changed into her night clothes, and lay in bed. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the day's events.
