"Malfoy, Carina"
Harry shot his head up; his mouth was gaping open. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Swerving his head, he faced Hermione and Ron. Both of them have their eye widened. Shock and surprise written on their faces. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows into a frown. She likely was thinking about it.
"It's strange. I never heard Malfoy has another sibling. Everyone knew that Malfoy is only child. What's change?"
Harry looked at Ron. His expression showed that he was asking the matter. Ron saw his expression and shook his head somberly.
"Sorry, mate. I have no idea about it."
Harry turned his head towards Slytherin table. He frowned seeing that Malfoy widened his eyes. He assumed Malfoy knew about this but clearly it was not. But, why Malfoy looked paled and horrified. This piqued his curiosity. His attention snapped towards the sorting.
A girl with signature-platinum blonde-Malfoy hair walked heading the sorting hat. Umm…she not walked but skipping. And, a smile plastered on her face.
Harry blinked his eyes in disbelief. A Malfoy SMILE and SKIPPING?!That not how a Malfoy acted. He cannot believe what he had seen. He swirled his head towards Malfoy to see his reaction. It was intriguing him to watch Malfoy's reaction. Malfoy looked as if he was expecting the girl to act like that. Harry watched the sorting intensively as the Malfoy girl sat on the old-three-leg tool.
She still smiled widely not caring about whispers and murmurs about her. Prof McGonagall put the sorting head on the girl head. Everyone watched the sorting with hitched breath, anticipating about the result. The hat had finally announced the girl's house after waiting as if an eternity.
"Hufflepuff."
Everyone gaped hearing the house. Not once in history that a Malfoy sorted into Hufflepuff. The girl was unfazed with everyone reaction. She walked towards Hufflepuff table with a smile on her face. She sat at the table and turned her head to the front. Every eye was on her.
"What? Did I do something funny?"
Her nonchalant remark snapped everyone out of their reverie. McGonagall cleared her throat before continuing the sorting like nothing had happen.
"Rosewood, Layla"
Hermione faced Ron and Harry. Her face told everything that she was curious and eager to know the truth.
"That's weird. How can a Malfoy was sorted into Hufflepuff?"
Harry shook his head. He has no idea about it. Hell, no one in Wizarding World knows about the Malfoy girl. Where did she come from?
"I don't know mione. How about you make a research about it? Only you know a start on searching this matter."
Hermione bit her lip slightly. She clearly thought what Harry had say before nodding. Her eyes shone with determination on her new side project. Ron emitted a sigh and muttered something under his breath.
"Oh, joy. Another Malfoy in Hogwarts. I'm sure she is the same with her brother."
Harry looked down to his lap. He rubbed his sweating hands nervously. He knew he would never get a peaceful year. Dread filled his body as he thought about what that Malfoy girl would do along with his brother.
Draco gaped seeing his younger sister skipping through the hall towards Hufflepuff able. His eyes followed every Carina's (who he called Annie) movements. He tried to refrain himself from breaking his Slytherin mask but he had slip from his mask a few times. Annie really caught him off guard.
Blaise leaned towards him, whispering in hush tone.
"Umm…Draco. Is that girl really your sister? She was acting very unlike Malfoy persona."
Draco cast a glance at his best friend. A sigh escaped from his mouth as his hand moved towards his temple and massaged it.
"Yes, she is. She acted like that ever since she was born. No surprise there. What had catch me surprise is why she was here?"
Blaise frowned, not expecting that kind of answer. Theo, who sat on Draco's right, questioning him in wonder.
"Why are you surprise your sister came here? Isn't that good?"
Draco lifted up his head; his face was facing Theo before he turned to his front. Blaise looked at his friend in concern but he masked it well as no one notice.
"Mother had decided that Carina will never come Hogwarts for her safety. Father and I had agreed with this. We don't want to put her in danger as whole Wizarding World likely put their focus on our family. Especially with the Dark Lord has returned."
Blaise and Theo looked at each other in surprise. They never knew their friend was really worried about this matter. Draco was one of few who could keep his mask tightly. It was unlikely to see his mask almost dropping. That mean Draco held a strong and special emotion towards his sister.
Draco suddenly scoffed and muttered something incoherent under his breath. Theo elbowed him to gain his attention.
"What are you muttering about?"
Draco cast a glance towards Theo before opening his mouth.
"Nothing. It's just about my mask. I need to throw my mask away, being the real me towards everyone at school."
Blaise and Theo widened their eyes in shock. They were stunned to hear that as they knew Malfoy mask was important to a Malfoy. Blaise grasped Draco's shoulder, asking him the reason.
"Truth to be told, Annie will make sure that I'm dropping my mask. She hate that mask more than anything."
Blaise rose hi eyebrow in confusion. He don't understand what his friend was talking about. Theo caught Blaise's expression and decided to ask Draco.
"Umm…Draco. Who is Annie?"
Draco was caught off his guard with the question. He cursed slowly as he realized he never told his friends who Annie was. Blaise and Theo looked at Draco in amusement as they watched him cursed with so many colorful words. Not once they ever saw him cuss near them. Draco cleared his throat before telling his two best friends whatever they want to hear.
"Annie is my sister's nickname. She is too kind and nice. She loves making friends and mostly makes sure all of her friends know me. Annie knew I will not wearing my mask near her, so she use that as an advantage to make sure no one hate me."
Theo gasped in horror as he realized the real reason behind it. As a Slytherin, they wore a mask to avoid anyone see their emotions as emotions could be used against them. They needed to survive their lives especially in the middle of the war. They couldn't afford being targeted by their enemies and used their cunningness to get out from troubles. Not wearing a mask could make anyone see the real self. Their enemies would use it as their weakness. Theo swerved his head towards Blaise. He saw a frown on his face. He knew Blaise realized about it too.
"That's why I need to throw it away in advance as I don't want anyone to shock or fainted when Annie has start on making friends. Anyways, she is the only female Malfoy in this past decades and Father really favoured her."
Draco turned his attention back to the sorting. He clapped politely to anyone who had sorted into Slytherin. Theo and Blaise looked at each other in worried before they copied Draco's action.
Unbeknown to them, an onyx eyes observed them from the teacher table. His face was impassive as not a single emotion displayed on his face. Internally, he was twitching to know the truth. Draco Malfoy was his godson and he was close with the Malfoy family. But, he never knew about this Carina kid. If she was a Malfoy, how could he not know?