I do not own Harry Potter.

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Chapter Twenty

"GRYFFINDOR!"

From the Slytherin table, Maia's heart sank as Hermione went to Gryffindor. Of course, she knew it was unlikely that the friendly muggleborn would join her in Slytherin, but she had hoped it was possible. Still, she sighed, it wasn't the end of the world. There was no rule against talking to the lions.

She swelled with pride though, when she remembered the Slytherins cheering and leaning forward to shake her hand as she became the first Slytherin of the year; another Black to add to the long line of serpents.

Dad would be pleased, it was the family House after all, and Aunt Cassiopeia would smugly inform them that she had known this would happen all along. Maia laughed, knowing that she had tried to See this herself with to avail. What meant the most to her though, was that she was in Slytherin for her loyalty. The Sorting Hat had felt her loyalty to her family and friends and had, on the basis of that, decided where she ought to go.

She had already been joined by Vincent and Gregory, and then the next Sorting sent her Daphne, who she almost ran to hug had a prefect not laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. She was certain her dreams were coming true, only to be dashed when Ernie was sent to Hufflepuff. He looked over towards the Slytherin table and smiled at them all, before running to joining the Hufflepuffs. They did look like a friendly bunch, and Ernie had always been the nicest out of the lot of their group.

At least she got Draco. The hat hollered 'SLYTHERIN' at the same moment it touched his head, but she was sure it had taken far longer to place her. Harry and Weasley both went to Gryffindor, and she felt truly sorry for Hermione. The other Slyterhin first years were two rather unfortunate-looking girls called Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson and another girl Tracy Davis, who was almost as beautiful as Daphne. The two soon fell into a deep discussion over the latest edition of Witch Weekly. A tall, seemingly reserved boy called Blaise Zabini was the last student to be Sorted, and the last new Slytherin. Looking around, Maia hoped they would all get along well enough.

She sat up straight in her chair and arranged her features to be both haughty and impassive, as Aunt Cassiopeia had taught her to behave. Now she was here, she had to act as she ought. She wasn't a child at home, she was a young witch from an important and wealthy family. She had to conduct herself with dignity, continue her friendships and display the traditions of the House of Black, and the other old families, and attest to their long line of superior magical abilities.

The old headmaster stood and clapped his hands, declaring "Nitwit, blubber, oddmint, tweak" which had all the Slytherin first years wondering if he was a little odd, but they shrugged their shoulders (elegantly, of course) and the gentlemen began to serve the ladies their food, before helping themselves.

The prefect who had held Maia back before lent across, and whispered, "I know what you're thinking, and yes, he is mad. He's absolutely brilliant as a wizard though, very powerful. He is a bit of a muggle-loving fool, though, which you ought to watch out for."

Maia blushed and was about to say something when she stopped herself. Firstly, it would be very rude to answer back to a prefect. Secondly, how did she know he hadn't had a bad experience with muggles like herself? She didn't want to upset someone on her first night. She went back to her dinner and caught Draco looking at her. He winked at her and she nodded slightly in response. They had long ago managed to communicate silently. She was sure they could find time to prank the aforementioned prefect at some point during the year.

Soon enough, the conversation turned to their families. It was Blaise Zabini who started it. He smiled, friendly enough, and asked them all about home. It seemed that his mother was a pureblood British witch who had married a number of rich wizards and travelled all over the world with them. Mongolia had been his favourite place, though now it meant he didn't know anyone before he got to school.

He turned to Daphne on his left who explained that she was a pureblood as well; her father was involved in some kind of business and had a seat on the Wizengamot. Her mother was a pureblood as well who once briefly worked in the Ministry before marrying her father. She had a little sister, who would join Hogwarts in their fifth year. Tracey, it turned out, was the only other half-blood apart from herself. Her father had been a muggleborn who was now a senior official in the Department for International Magical Cooperation while her pureblood mother wrote books that children their age did not read. They had all laughed at this, though Pansy Parkinson turned her nose up and announced that she was a pureblood and that her father was a successful businessman. This made Maia frown. Aunt Cassiopeia had made them memorise the family trees of the last four hundred years for all the pureblood families in Britain and she'd never once heard of a Parkinson family They didn't hold a seat on the Wizengamot like her family did, or Draco's, or any of the others. She wondered perhaps if they were an American pureblood family who had emigrated.

Either way, Daphne had told her that she ought to keep her opinions to herself if they were so crudely expressed. It was a sign that one had true wealth and social standing when one didn't need to flaunt it to remind everyone of the fact. If you really mattered, everyone already knew.

That was certainly the case with Draco, who went next and politely informed them that his mother had been a model, who married his father not long after they left Hogwarts. He didn't even bother to mention that he was a pureblood. The moment he mentioned his surname Parkinson threw him what she, presumably, thought was a charming smile. He looked at her as if she was deluded and gestured to Maia, "And this is my dearest cousin, Maia Violetta Black. My mother was a Black before she married my father."

"And what does your father do, Maia?" Asked Parkinson in a previously unheard tone of politeness, which was clearly for Draco's benefit and not hers. "I hear the Black family are a very political one."

"That's true but my father used to work in finance. He handed over most of the control of the businesses just before I was born. My parents were quite old when they had me, so I'm something of a miracle."

Parkinson simpered, "How lovely." She was clearly assuming that Maia was a pureblood by virtue of her relationship to Draco, and her surname. Maia fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was a perfectly capable half blood witch, and she was a Seer, which she highly doubted anyone else in their class would be.

"It must be so splendid," continued Parkinson, "to come from such a well-learned magical family. I hear the Black family library is almost unparalleled. Did you mother teach you much magic before you came?"

Maia wondered for a moment how to respond, but family mattered and she wasn't going to pretend that her mother was somehow less because she was a muggle. Besides, Draco and the others would shoot the stupid girl down if she tried anything. And for all the girl's claims, when it boiled down the name of Parkinson was nothing compared to the name Black, even on a half blood.

"No, my mother is a muggle." She said simply, looking at Parkinson with a delicately arched eyebrow and daring her to say something.

The nearby prefect chocked on his pumpkin juice.

"Oh, well love does conquer all. Your father must have loved her very much. When did he tell her he was a wizard?" said Parkinson, looking more at Draco than Maia. Her mouth had formed a thin line, making her look like a cross between a pug and a toad.

The prefect breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Actually, he never did." She watched as Parkinson frowned, "He's a Squib. She only found out about magic after they had me."

Parkinson blanched, "Goodness, and you're a witch?"

"Evidently." Drawled Draco with a smirk. He understood perfectly that Maia felt the need to be loyal to her family, even her parents, but he really wondered why she was saying all of this when she could easily pass for a pureblood. Well, of the two of them, she had always been the most headstrong. It had been her idea to switch all of Aunt Irma's copies of Witch Weekly with muggle newspapers, after all.

The prefect chocked on a mouthful of food again and his friend had to slap him on his back. He'd barely worn the badge for a few hours and he was going to have a blood-purity riot on his hands, for a girl with the purest name and yet the most dubious blood-status. So much for Always Pure, he thought, wishing he had turned the badge down.

"Doesn't that bother you?" She asked, looking from Draco to Maia again.

"No," snapped Maia, tossing her hair, "my father is one of the most successful financiers of his generation, my mother one of its greatest philanthropists. I am a recognised daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, which can trace its ancestry back to the founding of the Wizengamot, when records began. We hold a seat to this day. We have produced a headmaster of Hogwarts school, four Chief Healers of St Mungos, seven Chief Wizards of the Wizengamot and ten Ministers for Magic, among so many other achievements that were I to list them I would be in danger of boasting. I feel I have little to be bothered about regarding my magical lineage."

"And it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Maia is my cousin, and a powerful witch. Whilst blood-status is important, so is heritage and Maia is part of that. So if anyone has a problem with her, then they should know that she has the support of the House of Malfoy as well as the House of Black. My own mother gave Maia her first wand."

To this Daphne added coldly, "And the House of Greengrass."

Vincent and Gregory nodded menacingly, though couldn't contribute verbally as their mouths were full of food.

Parkinson paled and went silent, although she and Bulstrode shared a 'significant' look.

Having finally regained his composure and free use of his airways, the prefect leant over and said, "While Slytherin House is famed for its awareness of the importance of blood purity, and will always continue to do so, it is fully open to any magical brethren and relatives. While we always promote and encourage the traditions of our forbearers, we will not tolerate snide remarks unbecoming to a Slytherin. We are a House and we are loyal to each other. We certainly don't fight among each other in public. I will remove points if I hear this discussion again."

...

After dinner was finished, the first years were led away by their prefects. They followed them out of the hallway, down a narrow and twisted staircase and into the dungeons. The older students either went straight to their dorms or started to relax in the Common Room. The Common Room itself was large, with candles hanging from racks in the ceiling and the walls were dark, mahogany wood. The Slytherin banner hung from the main wall, with two large, stained glass windows framing it on either side. The light shone through dimly, casting a faintly green tinge to the rest of the room. Maia wasn't sure, but the light seemed to lap like waves against the windows and it then occurred to her that they were under the lake. A dark shadow passed in front of the glass, and she wondered if it were the Giant Squid Mr. Hagrid had told them about.

There were large mahogany desks placed around the room and large, brown leather armchairs and sofas, often found clustered around the various fireplaces. Bookcases filled the surrounding walls, which were also adorned with tapestries detailing notable alumni and the family crests and mottos of prominent Slytherin families. Crystal figurines and models of the planets were clustered upon the mantelpieces. All in all, the common room had an air of ancient and imposing luxury.

The prefects directed them to sit and stand in the farthest corner of the common room, beneath the crest of the Gaunt family.

The prefect who had told them off earlier started to speak.

"Good evening, my name is Bertram Nott and this is Gemma Farley. We are the fifth year prefects for Slytherin House. You will recognise the other prefects in this House by their badges and we currently house the Head Boy, Coeus Blishwick. If you have any problems, you should come to us and, if necessary and appropriate, we will provide assistance. Do not come to us if you feel sick, are homesick, can't find your quill or have any problem that falls into the category of pathetic. Slytherin students are supposedly resourceful and we expect you to act as such. Moreover, never go to Professor Snape unless the matter is truly urgent. He will care even less than us."

"Slytherin House prides itself on tradition. However, we will not tolerate petty squabbles within the common room or the wider school over whether or not so and so's great great great grandmother married the local muggle shopkeeper. They're dead and none of us care. Our traditions include dignity, poise and formality. These are as important as blood. What we can do most to show that our traditions and values are correct is to excel and prove muggle-lovers like the Weasleys wrong. We expect the highest standards of behaviour and academic achievement from all our students at all times. Slytherin House has produced some of the finest witches and wizards throughout history, including Merlin, Elizabeth Burke and our current Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. You are not about to ruin this reputation in the course of a single year."

He nodded to Gemma, who continued, "For those of you who haven't worked it out yet, we're currently below the lake so don't go complaining that your owl can't deliver letters. You can get letters from mummykins at breakfast and other mealtimes. Grow up and deal with it. The current password the wall wants is Hades, God of the underworld. That's the last time I'm telling you so don't forget it. The wall takes a theme each year, this year it's Greek gods. When it changes the password, it will come up with a riddle for you to solve to work out the new one. You're supposed to use your cunning and intelligence to work it out. People may or may not choose to tell you once they have worked the new one out. Deal with that too. It's called standing on your own two feet."

"Slytherin House is a House of nobility and so we don't throw all our students in dorms together like the tree-hugging Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. You will be sharing with no more than two other people."

She pulled out a sheet of parchment and tapped it with her wand,

"Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini will be sharing a room in the boy's wing.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle will be sharing as well.

Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode will be sharing a room in the girl's wing.

Maia Black, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis will be sharing as well."

She pointed to two heavy looking mahogany doors on either side of the room, "That," she said, "is the entrance to the boys' wing." She pointed to the opposite door, "and that is the way to the girls'. Your names are on the door, your possessions are there and any familiars. Your owls are in the owlry. You will be issued with timetable tomorrow morning. Behave yourselves at all times. You are dismissed."

Looking nervously at each other, the first years all slipped off towards their respective rooms, though Draco pulled Maia aside and made him promise her to tell him the moment Parkinson was rude. He swore he would deal with it for her. Maia, secretly relieved that she wasn't sharing with Parkinson, followed Daphne and Tracey to their room. She was pleased to find that there were three sets of keys. No one else could get into their rooms apart from the house elves. Maia had the furthest bed on the left. It was a large, mahogany double bed with green velvet sheets with silver trimmings and matching hangings. The stone flagged floor was covered in a thick green rug. The room was impressively large; each bed had a large ebony wardrobe next to it and a desk on the opposite wall. They walked through and adjoining door to find a bathroom with a walk-in shower, a full length mirror and three dressing tables. Slytherin students were clearly expected to take pride in their appearance.

The three girls set to unpacking, doing their utmost to make it feel like home. The other two girls didn't visit them. Maia hung her star chart on the wall, which made Daphne laugh. When Tracey asked why, she explained that all the Black family had an unhealthy interest in Astrology. Maia shrugged and started to pile Aunt Cassiopeia's 'extra' books on her desk. Luckily, she then realised that there was a small bookcase in the corner next to Tracey's bed (Daphne was in the middle) which she could use. Tracey didn't mind and Maia promised both girls they could borrow them any time that they wanted.

Soon, the room was filled with their things and they didn't feel quite so out-of-place. Askella was curled up on Maia's lap as they sat on their beds, ate their way through Trixie's box of goodies and chatted happily. Tracey was lovely, a little stuck-up, but then Maia knew she and Daphne were just as bad, if not worse. She was very interested in make-up and celebrities, but she didn't seem to mind that Maia wasn't. She wasn't a fan of cat hair though, and Maia promised to try and keep Askella to her side of the room as much as possible. While the other two went to try out new hair styles (and were very disappointed when Maia declined as they both assured her she had beautiful, thick long hair that they would love to play with) Maia sat at her desk and pulled out her quill and parchment. She would get up early and go to the owlry in the morning to send it, hoping that if she was early she wouldn't get lost and would miss the inevitable rush on the school owls.

Dear Mum, Dad, Aunt Cassiopeia and Trixie,

Thank you so much for the food and the cake, it was all lovely and my roommates and I really enjoyed and appreciated them. They asked me to say thank you as well.

I won't keep you in suspense much longer. I've been sorted into Slytherin. I hope you are all pleased with me. The Sorting Hat seriously considered Ravenclaw but, apparently, my familial loyalty meant that Slytherin was the best fit for me. I'm really happy here. My roommates are Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. So far, we're getting along well. I'm also in the same House as Draco, Gregory and Vincent. Ernie was sorted into Hufflepuff. I haven't spoken to him yet but I hope he's happy as well. I will miss him, but we get our timetables tomorrow morning and hopefully we will have lots of lessons together.

Our Common Room is wonderful, very spacious with plenty of armchairs. It is very comfortable and there is no danger of our standards being allowed to drop. I even have a double bed and my own desk. There is a bookcase for the extra books Aunt Cassiopeia packed. I was pleased when I opened the trunk to find that I guessed correctly which Extension Charm you used to fit them all in. My star chart is on the wall already. I'm hoping to practice my Tarot reading tomorrow, if can find a willing volunteer or else poor Draco will once again have to be told that he's going to grow up to be rich, marry a suitable girl and have a good Ministry position. He's always disappointed that he won't captain England to the Quidditch World Cup but it just isn't going to happen!

Askella is settling in well and is such a beautiful pet. Thank you again for giving her to me, dad.

I love you all and I will do my best to work hard and make you proud. Please give my regards to Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius, as I'm sure they will Floo-call you sooner than I will write to them.

Your obedient and loving daughter,

Maia Violetta Black.

p.s. I know I promised that you would have an owl by the time you sat down for your breakfast tea, but as Aunt Cassiopeia will remember, the Slytherin Common Room and dormitories are in the dungeons and under the lake, so I won't be able to post this until the morning. I am sorry, and I hope that this will reach you by elevenses.

...