Marius Black.
Book One. BLOOD OF THE FATHER.
Part One.
Marius was starting to curse Dora's name. Everywhere he looked he saw occupied cabins, and he was nearly at the end of the fourth carriage. They would have arrived a half hour ago but Dora just had to lose her Transfiguration homework, so late they were. He was desperate to find an empty cabin to throw himself into so he wouldn't be badgered immediately about his name or his father, was a few moments of quiet too much to ask?
Trundling along to the fifth carriage Marius nearly sagged in relieve when he glanced through a door and saw blessedly empty seats. Quickly he shouldered his way in and hefted his case onto the luggage rack. Finally sat down he allowed himself the smile that had been threatening to break out on his face since they'd eventually arrived at the platform. Uncle Ted had insisted on taking the car to King's Cross for his first year, as they had for Dora's seven years ago. He had taken ages in the London traffic and his sister had complained most of the way here, though she had winked at him behind Ted's back.
A part of him still couldn't believe he was on the train. He had been excited about going to Hogwarts his whole life. Every Christmas and summer when Dora had returned from the school she had regaled them at the dinner table with tales of all the trouble she had gotten into and the lessons she had taken. Marius, wide eyed, hung on every word, something he just knew Dora loved. He had begged and bartered with her for her old textbooks and had read through the material for first year through to third at least twice. He knew the theory, he knew the wand movements and he knew the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane (not that there was one). All he needed was a wand.
He looked out the window as he reached over and gently touched his right forearm. Dora had bought him a wand holster for his birthday. When Auntie Andi had commented that she'd never heard of any first year with such a thing Dora had shrugged and commented that, "I'll be damned if I let my little brother walk around with his wand in his back pocket, I'd be the laughing stock of the Auror department." Not that she was in the Department yet of course, but everyone knew where she wanted to go after she graduated at the end of the year. The holster used the same magic many magical tents used so that wands of any size could fit comfy on the arm. Uncle Ted had called it TARDIS Technology, and Marius had needed it.
Thirteen inches, Hawthorn and Dragon heartstring. Forceful and Unyielding. Great for Transfiguration. Those had been the words Ollivander had told him when he handed him his wand, the words burned into his mind. Marius knew before the wood even touched his palm it would be his. The feeling of acceptance and warmth that at flown through him when he held it for the first time was not something he would ever be able to forget.
He watched as the platform began to empty and a quick look at the clock told him the train was set to leave in five minutes. There was a flurry of activity by the muggle entrance as a large group of redheads barrelled on to the platform. He shook his head with a small smile, and he thought they'd cut it close.
Knock Knock.
He turned sharply to the sudden sound and saw two people standing at the door to his cabin. The closest one, a boy, nodded towards the empty seats and Marius made a vague motion with his left hand towards them. The boy opened the door and the pair of them hurled their luggage in the rack and as they did so Marius got a closer look. The boy was shorter than him by a good few inches. He had sandy blond hair and dark eyes. His companion was a shy looking girl who was as lithe as her friend was stout and also had blond hair, though hers looked brighter than his, which she wore in pigtails.
Once they had settled themselves across from him the boy smiled and held out a hand.
"My name's Ernie Macmillan. Thanks for letting us in, the train's frightfully busy."
"You're not wrong there." Marius took his hand in a quick shake. "I'm Marius." He looked over to the girl and raised his eyebrows.
"Hannah Abbot." She said softly.
"Hope you don't mind but we are also waiting for Hannah's friend Susan." Ernie said.
"There's more than enough room." Marius shrugged, hoping they hadn't noticed he'd left off his last name. "What house do you think you'll be in?"
"Oh I'll be Hufflepuff for sure. My family's been all badger for centuries and I can't see why I'd be any different." Ernie spoke with an easy confidence, almost like his sorting was preordained. He eyed Marius as if waiting for him to spit curses at him.
The reason hit him a second later. Most first years wouldn't have been nearly so happy about the idea of being sorted into Hufflepuff. Indeed to hear Dora talk about how some of the first years reacted you'd think they'd been sentenced to Azkaban.
He smiled at him. "Same here actually. Well not about the centuries of family members, but I'm hoping for Hufflepuff too. My sister is a seventh year there and she always talks about how great the common room is, and how close to the kitchens it is." The fact that people probably wouldn't curse him half to death if he sorted in yellow and black rather than green and silver he kept to himself.
Ernie's face lit up at the words. "Oh fantastic. People normally laugh at us badgers, glad to hear you're part of the family already."
Marius turned to Hannah. "What house are you rooting for then?"
She blushed lightly.
"I'm hoping for Ravenclaw, I've always loved books and stories so I think I'd fit right in. Hufflepuff wouldn't be bad either, but I'm not brave enough for Gryffindor."
"Nonsense Hannah, as brave as they come you are. I'd have you at my back in a fight any day." Ernie said throwing an arm over her shoulders.
She pushed him off and glared.
"Then you'd be fighting alone Ernie. I ran away from a spider last month. A spider."
"We all have our moments of weakness." He smiled wide and Hannah gave a long suffering sigh.
They settled into a comfortable conversation as the train started moving. Ernie mentioned how annoying it was to floo down to London from his family home near Glencoe just to have to travel back north again via train. Hannah on the other hand lived in King's Lynn with her magical dad and muggle mum.
"It's my Uncle Edward who holds the Wizengamot seat thank God, we've never needed to concern ourselves much with it." She told them when Marius had asked about her family name, Andi had drilled him on the important political houses just in case.
"We're from the Cotswolds ourselves, a little village called Bibury. Dora, that's my sister, hates how out the way it is but I love the quiet. Well, in the winters it's quiet, Tourists can sometimes overtake the place in the summer." Marius complained. Tourists really got on your nerves after a while.
"Shame you have to go back over the summer then." Hannah said and he Marius froze. A part of him hadn't clocked that one of the only times he'd be returning home was during the horrid tide of tourists and holiday makers who 'just needed a break from city life you know' while they stormed into his village and turned the place into a landfill.
Before he could continue his mental whirlpool of dread the door slid open once more.
In stepped a girl their age with dark red hair tied back behind her in a plait. She had bright blue eyes and wore scowl on her freckled face.
"Thank Merlin I've finally found you. Malfoy's stomping up and down the train searching out Harry Potter, took him five minutes to convince him I had no idea where he was." She went to sit down opposite Hannah but paused and stared at him, as if she hadn't seen him upon entering the cabin.
Ernie looked at him nodded and his head to the side. Catching on Marius scooted over and Ernie threw himself in the now empty seat beside Marius, leaving a space open next to Hannah.
"I'd be mad to split the pair of you two up so there you are. This is Marius, who graciously allowed us to overtake his compartment."
Susan slowly sat down as she eyed him. Before she could say anything Hannah frowned.
"Why would Malfoy think you knew where Harry Potter was?"
Susan's scowl returned.
"Because he's convinced Auntie has sorted all his security out for the trip to Hogwarts. Like the DMLE has nothing better to do than escort a kid to school, even if he is a national hero."
Ernie leaned over. "Susan's aunt is Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Ah. Marius turned and looked through the glass door to hide his grimace. She was one of those Bones. The Bones family had been slaughtered by Death Eaters, much like his own mother's family.
He wondered if his father had been there as well.
'Stop it. You have to stop thinking like that."
The rest of the trip past was mostly uneventful. They discussed what their favorite lessons might be and he, Ernie and Susan argued over Quidditch (Arrows fans, urgh). They bought a number of cauldrons from the sweet trolley and Marius smiled at the ease of new friendship.
"There you are!"
They all looked over to the hallway and saw a tall young woman in a Hufflepuff robe beaming at them, or more accurately at him.
She slid the door open and leaned against it.
"You been hiding from little ole me?"
He glanced at his new friends who looked at him in confusion.
"This is the sister I was talking about earlier." He turned back. "I'm not hiding from anyone Dora, I honestly expected you to come find me when we were around Leeds, and we must be in Scotland by now. You must be getting slow."
Tonks's short and spiky pink hair lengthened to her shoulders and turned a bright green, she also widened her eyes to a comical size.
"Oh you've been talking about me Marius! You're so kind."
Next to him Ernie made a noise somewhere between a snort and a gurgle before he started to cough.
"What-how?" He hacked out.
It was Susan who answered. "You're a Metamorphmagus." She breathed. "Auntie has mentioned you before."
Tonks straightened and shook herself a little, returning to her normal look, before shooting Susan a look. "Your Aunt?"
Marius took the opening to introduce the group and Tonks's hair flickered to its natural black for a moment. "The head of the DMLE knows about me?" She said, somewhat shocked. "Well." Her mouth twitched as she fought to win back her confidence. "I bet she does. I've been sending letters to the department for five years, so she better."
"You want to be an Auror?" Hannah asked.
"I will be an Auror, thank you very much." She pushed off the door frame. "Anyway, the name's Tonks and if you are so blessed to be sorted into the best house-." He tapped the yellow and black badge of Hufflepuff on her chest. "- I'll be there to help you out if you've any questions."
Ernie looked at her chest and frowned. "But you aren't a prefect?"
Tonks grinned at him. "Been checking out my chest have you? No I'm not, Sprouty says I make too much trouble as it is. But any friend of Marius is a friend of mine."
Ernie turned a deep crimson and snapped his head away as he spluttered.
"What's with you two and the single names anyway?" Hannah asked as she looked between them questioningly.
Marius's heart froze in his chest and he stared into Dora's eyes, silently begging her to not say anything. 'Please, please, please.' His mind seemed to chant.
Dora stared right back and for a second it was like time stood still. Until she threw her head back and barked out a laugh.
"Well it adds to the mystery doesn't it? We Tonks have to stand out." She winked at Ernie, who after calming down promptly turned red again, and left back down the train.
"Your sister's weird mate." Ernie said.
Marius shrugged. "I think she's great."
"Oh sure, she's in the best house after all." He agreed easily. "Still weird though."
Susan threw her sweet wrapper at him and he stuck his tongue out at her. Marius allowed his shoulders to relax.
Soon enough the train arrived at Hogsmeade station and they all piled out the train. It was hard to keep together in the mass of bodies but over the heads of all Marius could see a bushy beard and broad shoulders.
"First Years ov'r here now. First years."
"Is that at giant?" Ernie breathed next to him and he had to agree with the question. The man was huge, bigger than anyone he'd ever seen before, and he had a beard to match. They slowly pushed their way through the great crowd of students and reached the end of the platform where a group of children had formed.
"Right then. I'm Hagrid, Carekeeper and Keeper of Keys here at Hogwarts. Follow me now." The giant, now Hagrid, instructed them as he turned around and walked off towards the lake. Ernie shared a look with Hannah and the four of them latched onto the back of the group.
"Four to a boat now, hurry up hurry up."
Marius looked at the small rowing boats and felt infinitely grateful Uncle Ted had took him to swimming lessons. He moved with his three new friends onto a boat and saw Hannah bunch up a little. Susan looked over and put an arm around the girl's shoulders.
"I'm sure the boats are charmed, you can't fall in."
Marius looked over the side as the boats began to move, into the black fathomless depths below, and wondered if that was true. As they cleared a bend and pasted by the last tree the castle was unveiled before them. Faintly Marius heard gasps around him but he barely noticed them, eyes locked on the sight before him.
Tall towers stretched into the clouds above. The castle seemed to swat on the edge of a cliff like a sleeping dragon glittering with light in the darkness and the closer they got the bigger it became.
They were herded up the stairs from the docks and stood before a set of great oaken doors, so tall they dwarfed even Hagrid. The man lifted a huge hand and knocked three times. The doors swung open and there stood a tall stern woman in green robes.
"All first years present and accounted for Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you Hagrid." She had a broad Scottish accent, broader than Ernie's even. Hagrid smiled back at them and wandered off, leaving them alone with the new Professor. She stood aside and beckoned them inside. The entrance hall was huge, it reminded Marius of some of the manor houses he'd been to in the National Trust. Stone walls all around with torches hanging in place. He craned his head up to look at the ceiling but only saw blackness.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." Said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be like your family within Hogwarts."
Marius stopped listening, looking around at all the people he didn't yet know nervously peering around the empty room as the Professor gave her speech. Family. Your house will be like your family within Hogwarts. Marius loved the family he already had. His father hadn't. Was that why it was easier for him to betray everyone in the end?
'Stop It.'
He saw the Professor cast a stern look over them all and kept his head down.
"I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly." With that she left the chamber.
Marius took a peak through the door as she left and saw hundreds of people sat around waiting. His stomach twisted at the idea of being sorted In front of them all. As the door closed behind her everyone started talking at once.
"My Father refused to tell me-"
"-Lumos, Nox, Windgarim Levoisa-"
"-Fred said it hurts a lot-"
"How do you think we get chosen?"
It took Marius a Moment to realize that last voice was talking to him. He shook his head.
"My family never said, Tonks told me it was a tradition that first years go in blind."
Ernie grimaced and nodded.
"Same here. Who knows what it could be, we've not even learned any magic yet."
"It can't be so bad, we're only eleven." Hannah said.
Susan nodded, but looked concerned at the door. Then her eyes widened in shock. Marius turned quickly to see pale figures phase through the door and the surrounding wall. There must have been twenty of them at least and some of them were clearly arguing, not paying them any attention.
A rather fat ghost with a bald scalp and long plan robes stopped short as he saw them.
"New students." He? It? Said. "About to be sorted I suppose."
Marius saw someone nodding at the question.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
Before he could think to ask any questions the door opened and the stern witch from earlier walked through. "Move along now, The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The ghosts floated away through the opposite wall, with the fat bald one give them a final smile and wave before disappearing.
"Now, form a line." She motioned to them. "And follow me."
Marius took a place between Susan and Ernie hoping for safety in numbers. They followed the Professor out the chamber through the way they had come, turning twice before coming to a set of double doors just as big as the last leading into the Great Hall.
If Marius had been impressed by the last room they had been in, he was speechless now. The Great Hall was a cavernous place. It reminded him of Westminster Abbey, if the Abbey was the size of a football pitch. Candles floated above four long tables packed with students who watched them pass. At the front of the room at another table for the Professors who all looked rather different, some dressed in black and others in bright purples and blues. Behind them were huge stained glass windows which reflected the light of the moon outside. He heard Ernie gasp and nudge his shoulder, turning he saw his new friend looking up and followed his gaze
.
The ceiling was gone. He was sure of it. Instead of wooden beams and a study roof above the floating candles Marius saw only the night sky. Thousands of stars twinkled back at him as he gaped at them, looking around the Hall just to make sure he was actually inside.
"Magic is amazing." Ernie breathed.
They finally came to a stop at the front of the Hall in front of the Professor's table. Professor McGonagall turned and looked over them with a stern eye, though Marius was starting to think that maybe she always looked like that. Next to her was a stool with a large pointy hat lay atop it, marked with dirt and the edges curled up with strands of thread poking out at the seams.
Then its brim opened into a mouth and it began to sing.
"Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me."
He took a step back in shock as he listened to the song. A Sorting hat? How in the world could such a thing work? Or think?
"…You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;…"
The idea of going into Gryffindor filled Marius with no small amount of dread. His father had been a Gryffindor and the last thing he wanted was to be like him, he heard the whispers of what people might say in his nightmares.
"…Or Perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends…"
'Any means' echoed in his mind. If he was sorted into Slytherin there would be no end to it. The whispers, the glares, the unspoken suspicion. Nothing he ever did would be able to clear his name, always scoffed at and seen as a trick towards a larger goal. Thanks to his fretting Marius missed the rest of the song.
"I will call you up by name." McGonagall held out a long sheet of parchment in one hand and the Sorting Hat in the other. "Abbot, Hannah."
Hannah blushed and with a push from Susan walked up to the stool. Marius felt the ice in his bones grow colder as he watched McGonagall push the hat down over her head, the brim covering her nose. There was a moment or two of silence, then.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" Shouted the hat atop her head. The table of the right of him cheered loudly at their newest member and Hannah scurried off to join them. If Hannah was first because of her surname then that meant-.
"Black, Marius."
The cheering stopped.
He stared at the stool his feet refusing to move. He could see the look of betrayal Ernie was giving him from the corner of his eye and it made his throat seize up.
"Black, Marius." She called again, stronger this time, and Marius felt himself walking towards her.
"Black did she say? Like the Betrayer?"
"Merlin, Black had a son?"
"Slytherin for sure, only house for a murderer's get."
The whispers seemed to surround him, as they always did in his nightmares. Heart pounding against his ribs Marius sat on the stool and his vision went black.
"Well what do we have here?"
He nearly jumped off the stool at the voice in his head.
"No need for that now, no one can hear me but you. And you have quite the mind don't you young Marius? There's a keen intellect in there, but no lust for knowledge itself. Oh but the desire to prove yourself burns brightly doesn't it?"
Marius would have choked out a cry at that if his throat wasn't so tight. That sounded like…
'Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin.'
"Not Slytherin?" The hat seemed amused. "Well you've the drive for it I'm sure of that. But if it pains so to be in the den of snakes? There is something else here though. Yes. Yes I think you'll do well in- HUFFLEPUFF"
The last word was shouted across the hall. Marius blinked as the hat was removed from his head. There was no cheering for him, just a stunned silence. Then Dora stood from her place clapped so hard he thought her arms would fall off. He hopped off the stool and started walking over to the Hufflepuff table as the rest of the house caught up and began clapping as well. He glanced at the open space next to Hannah but something in her eyes stopped him sitting there, so he plopped himself a few spaces away and glared at the wood of the table.
"Bones, Susan."
He could hear the sorting continuing behind him but refused to lift his head and look. Every time a name was called he robotically clapped his hands. This was it. He was happy to not be in Slytherin he supposed. But he'd caught the way Ernie's head had snapped towards him when his name was called, and the look in Hannah's eye when he sat down. He'd lied to them. Of course he had. He was Sirius Black's son, no wonder he'd lie and cheat. What a joke that he'd been placed in the house of loyalty-.
"Potter. Harry."
The Great Hall quieted a second time and knock Marius out of his spiraling thoughts. Fighting against his fear he twisted around to get a good look at the Boy-Who-Lived. He was shorter than he thought he'd be. His hair was as black as coal same as his, but Harry's was messy where his was tidy and short. As he sat on stool Marius caught his green eyes before they disappeared under the brim of the hat.
Marius turned back to stare at the table. There was only one place Harry Potter could go, everyone knew that. A moment passed. Then another. He frowned and fought the urge to turn around again. This was taking longer than it should surely.
"GRYFFINDOR."
The Gyffindor table erupted in cheers and clapping. He could her some older years chanting "We got Potter" under the din of noise. He shook his head and nearly smiled. Of course he was a Gyffindor, nothing else made sense.
For the rest of the sorting Marius stayed in his own head, not daring to glance up the table. Since he'd sat down both Susan and Ernie had been sorted and neither had sat next to him. He really tried to not let that hurt. Dora was on the other next of the hall so he didn't expect her to come and sit by him.
Soon enough the hall quieted a third and final time before the Headmaster stood from his golden throne.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few worlds. And here they are: Nitwit! Bludder! Oddment! Tweak!"
Within the blink of an eye the tables of the Great Hall were covered in food. Full roast chickens, mountains of potatoes and rivers of gravy. All kinds of food Marius could think of lay before him and he quickly piled it onto his plate.
Just as he bit into his chicken he fell someone shift up beside him. He glanced over, fork frozen in his mouth, and saw a boy with light brown hair grimace at his chicken before he took a slice of beef.
"I hate chicken, father never allows it at dinner."
Marius blinked slowly and swallowed.
"I mean it's just such a common food-"the boy continued. "-Beef on the other hand is a refined meat don't you think?"
"I've never had any problems with chicken." Marius half believed he was imagining this whole conversation.
The boy nodded sagely.
"Father caught me with a KFC bucket when I was seven. I've never seen him so disappointed." They stared at each other for a few moments before Marius saw his lips twitch and they both started laughing.
"I'm Justin by the way. Justin Finch-Fletchley."
"Marius Black. Why would your father be disappointed with you eating muggle chicken, is he on the Wizengamot?" He couldn't for the life of him remember the name Finch-Fletchley but the way he spoke, not to mention the way he was cutting his beef into small chunks, screamed pureblood heir.
"I've no idea what that is, I'm muggleborn you see."
Marius blinked. "Oh I'm sorry. The Wizengamot is the part of the government where some of the important families make the laws."
"Ah I see, sounds familiar. My father's in the House of Lords which is the same thing in the normal-well muggle world I suppose."
Marius reached over for some mash. "Sounds cool."
"It's a big responsibility." Justin nodded. "I don't know much about it but my dad gets really stressed. What do your parents do?"
He took a slow drink of his pumpkin juice and glanced down the table towards the other first years.
"My mother's dead."
Justin paled. "Oh. I'm so sorry." But Marius waved him away.
"My mother died when I was still a baby so I never met her. I live with my Aunt and Uncle, well they're more like great cousins I think but I call them Aunt and Uncle anyway, have done all my life." He pointed down the table. "The girl with the bright pink hair? That's my sister Tonks, she's their daughter."
Justin lent forward to see, his tie falling into the gravy on his plate. "Oh yeah I see her."
"Uncle Ted works at Saint Mungos, that's the Wizarding Hospital, and Auntie Andie is a Lawyer."
He wasn't sure what his uncle did at Saint Mungos exactly, just that he wasn't a doctor and kept odd hours.
The two of them sat and discussed their families for a while longer until a loud voice called out for attention. They looked back to the head table and saw Headmaster Dumbledore waiting for the hall to calm down.
"I am sure you are all ready to rush off to your beds so I will not keep you long. The forest that surrounds the castle is forbidden to enter without a Professor or member of staff. Mr Filch has helpfully created a list of banned products that we have put up on the noticeboards in each of your common rooms." Dumbledore point towards the back of the hall where a haggard looking old man with a cat purring around his ankles stood hunched and glaring at them all.
"And finally the third floor corridor is strictly forbidden to all students who do not wish for a painful death." Marius felt a jolt inside him at the unexpected warning as the Headmaster gave the hall a measured calm stare. "Now I believe I have kept you all too long. Head off to your dorms and let me be the first to welcome you to another year at Hogwarts!"
"All right first years, with me now." A voice called out from down the table over the din of students talking and moving off out the room.
Justin and Marius looked at each other and shrugged as they stood and walked over to the crowd forming around the tall girl.
"I'm Nicola Dodworth and this is Alistair Thaxted." She thumbed towards a heavy set boy who looked like he'd been born to play beater. "And we're your fifth year Prefects, follow us down to the common room and no wandering off."
The gaggle of children followed behind the two like a clutch of ducklings. Marius held to the back as they rounded one corner then another. He nearly bumped into Justin as the group stopped.
"Go check." Nicola hissed to her prefect partner.
Alistair rolled his eyes and jogged lightly back the way they came. He placed a hand on the wall and peaked his head round the corner. After a moment or two he looked back over his shoulder and nodded.
With a firm nod of her own Nicola marched to a broom closet and swung open the door.
"In, quickly now." She beckoned.
There was some hesitancy from the group as they looked around at each other, slowly they trickled into the room. By the time Marius got in the already small room was cramped with children squashed together and forced up against huge barrels which stood along the walls.
"You, the redhead at the front, knock on the barrel by your knees. Knock twice, then wait a mo and knock three times."
Susan turned and sent a glare at the older Prefect, but did as she was bid. The knocks rang out hollow and loud. Just as he began to wonder if this was the strangest prank in Hogwarts history a 'click' was heard and the largest barrel in font of Susan swung open. They looked back at Nicola.
"Go on then before someone comes." She urged
They poured into the room and his eyes widened as he entered what he could now see was the Hufflepuff common room. It was large and circular, it's curving walls of stone where lit in the soft, warm glow of the fire. The floor and lower part of the walls were wrapped in light wood planks and plants of all kinds hung from baskets which dotted the walls. Marius could see some of the older years relaxing in large cushioned yellow chairs and sofas striped with black.
They turned around to see the two Prefects had entered and closed the barrel-door behind them. Nicola smiled.
"Congratulations on being sorted into Hufflepuff! As the sorting hat helpfully told us the four Hogwarts houses are separated by a number of different traits and traditions. For us Hufflepuffs it all boils down to loyalty, fair-play, hard-work and patience. You may think these are not the most exciting things to be known by." She gave them all a stern look over that momentarily reminded him of McGonagall.
"I'll not have such talk amongst us badgers. Could Henry VII have won the Battle of Bosworth Field without the loyalty of Giffard Abbot? Could Bridget Wenlock have discovered the magical properties of the number seven without hard work? Or Newt Scamander learn of so many magical creatures without his sense of fair-play and compassion? Not to mention the patience of Artemisia Lufkin in her quest to be the first female Minister of Magic. For every great feat in your history of magic books be sure there was a team of Hufflepuffs who made it possible."
She pointed behind her back to the door "To get back in just knock on the barrel the same way again. It's in the pattern of Helga Hufflepuff, two knocks then three, and the door will pop open."
"Rules are quite simple." Alistair spoke up and he had a much higher voice than Marius was expecting. "First of all, don't tell anyone outside of the house where the common room is or how to get in. All the common rooms are secret so If I see anyone not wearing gold and black loitering 'round here I'll be on your cases."
Nicola shoved him.
"Second, no boys are allowed in the girls dorms." He pointed to the back of the room towards two sets of doors. "Doors on the left for girls, right for boys. If you're wondering why that is I'll tell you when you're older."
"Alright!" Nicola said loudly and clapped her hands. "Breakfast is at six until nine in the morning so no excuse to be late since we are right next to the Great Hall. Any questions?"
They shook their heads.
"If you think of any later its ok, just find someone with a badge." She tapped the little shield of steel on her breast, a golden 'P' in its center. "Doesn't matter what house they're in but if its house related try to find one of us." She looked over them and smiled softly.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
With that the two walked away and the year dispersed into friend groups. He could see Susan and Ernie wandering towards a table and fought the urge to go and talk to them. Looking around the room he noticed Dora sitting on one of the sofas by the fire drumming her hands on her knees trying not to look at him. He smiled and walked over.
"Hey Dora." He said softly as he approached.
"Hey!" She perked up. "How was your first feast?"
"Great. There's just so much food."
"Yep." She popped the P and poked the blond sitting next to her. "Told you he'd love the food."
"You know your brother better than me Tonks." Penny Haywood said as she smiled at him. "Remember me don't you Marius."
"Of course Penny, you're round every summer." Marius fought his blush as her blue eyes softened. Penny was Dora's best friend and came round to the house for a week every summer holiday, she was also the prettiest girl Marius had ever seen and according to Dora's was the most popular girl in Hogwarts, after her of course.
"So." Tonks smirked as she noticed his discomfit. "Why aren't you sat with your friends?" He nodded towards the table of other first years.
He shrugged. "I don't think they appreciated me lying to them about my name."
"They'll come round." She kicked her feet onto the small table in front of the fire and crossed them. "They'll see how awesome you are and be won over."
He didn't feel very awesome.
"You grew up with me. Some of my awesomeness must have rubbed off on you."
He snorted and shook his head. "If you say so. I'm going to check on my stuff. Bye Penny."
She gave him a small wave and as he turned to leave he heard Tonks speak again.
"First year rooms on the first on the right when you go through the door."
Marius crossed the room and looked about the dorm. Much like the common room it was round with curved stone walls and windows hidden high up near the roof. Five trunks had been placed at the base of five beds and he picked his own out with ease. As he moved towards his new bed Marius noticed a door between him and the next bed along which he gathered must be for the bathroom. He gathered his things and with some clean pajamas went to take a quick shower.
When he was washed and changed he returned to the dorm to find the other boys had made their way up. Justin had taken the bed on his right and smiled as he saw him.
"Hope you don't mind?"
Marius shook his head and sat down on his bed, bouncing a little.
"Soft aren't they?" Justin patted his own bed. "Reminds me of home."
"You've got a bed like this at home?!" The boy on Justin's other side exclaimed. Marius must have missed his sorting, he had shoulder length straw hair and a wide open face.
Justin nodded somewhat bashfully. "My Father's a Lord, so I'm used to soft beds."
The lad lent back on his bed. "Christ you as well." He pointed over his shoulder towards where Ernie and a pinched looking boy were arguing. "He's got a Lordship father too, 'ow've I got wedged between you two."
"Well I'm sure you will manage, who knows you may even rub off on us." Justin smiled.
The boy smiled back. "Should you be so lucky. Name's Wayne Hopkins by the way. No Lordships in my future, not many of those lying around in Salford."
"I'm guessing you're a Utd fan then?"
"Born and bred. You?"
"Arsenal."
"Unlucky for you."
The two began to bicker about football and Marius swung his legs over and lay down facing up at the roof. He hoped he'd be able to clear things up with Ernie and Hannah, he'd enjoyed talking with them on the train. With a final glance over at his new roommates he shuffled onto his side and willed himself to sleep.
The next few days carried on with little incident. Marius hung around with Wayne and Justin for the most part and while he never went to talk with Ernie, Hannah or Susan it wasn't like they were making an effort either. Instead Marius suffered is friends ribbing about his support of Swindon instead of a 'proper league one' team at breakfasts.
The work was horribly boring. Most Professors had decided to teach the theory of spell work first, which meant wands away and quills out. He supposed it was smart really as he didn't want anyone getting hurt, but he'd learnt all this years ago. To have to sit there and write line after line about the dangers and rules of preforming magic in a classroom was maddening.
"You realize that neither Wayne nor I knew any of this stuff before coming right, being muggleborn and all? And I doubt most of the magically raised kids here are as much as a bookworm as you Marius." Justin pointed out as they walked to their first Potions lesson.
Marius felt his face redden. "Of course! But I've been dying to actually use my wand and start preforming magic for years now and to finally be a Hogwarts and being forced to write out things I already know is just so frustrating."
"I'd rather you be stewing than blow my own arm off with a miscast spell if it's all the same to you." Wayne commented and they sat in the dark dungeon classroom.
He rolled his eyes as he gathered his things together. "I've heard from Dora that Snape favors the Slytherins something fierce."
"Good job we're in with the Ravenclaws then." Justin commented looking around at the others in the room.
Before he could reply Marius jumped as the door behind them flew open and crashed against the wall. In strode a thin man covered all in black with black hair and crooked nose. He stopped in front of his desk and stared back at the class with small, dark eyes.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." His voice was low and soft, but in the deafening silence of the dungeon everyone heard him. "As there has been a little foolish wand waving here many of you will believe it's hardly magic."
Marius elbowed Wayne. "I wish." He whispered causing Wayne to smother a laugh.
Snape paused his speech and looked at the two of them. He glanced over Wayne with barely a notice but when his eyes met Marius's grey ones something turned hateful in them.
"Something to say Black." Snape spat out his name like a vile curse and he felt the jolt in his heart.
"Nothing Sir, sorry Sir." He looked down trying to break eye contact.
There was silence for a few moments longer and he could feel Snape's eyes boring into him until the Professor continued.
"I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes. The delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle a flame, brew glory and even stopper death. As long as you aren't a big bunch of dunderheads as I usually teach."
Once again Snape took a slow look over the whole class, waiting for the point to sink in. Marius chanced a look as well and saw a number of Ravenclaws who looked rather put out that a Professor would ever think them dunderheads.
"Black." Snape drawled as he turned back to him. "What would I get if I added powered root of asparal to an infusion of wormwood?"
Marius blinked, he knew that one. "Draught of the living death Sir."
Snape stared at him, if he wasn't a Professor he'd be tempted to call it a glare.
"Where would you look if I asked you to find a Bezoar?"
He glanced at the glass cupboards which held the class equipment but didn't think Snape would appreciate the cheek.
"The stomach of a goat Sir."
Snape's lips curled down in a sneer.
"What, Black, is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"
His eyes lit up. "Oh it's the same plant Sir, I think it's got another name as-"
"Ten points from Hufflepuff, and a detention tonight Black."
The words died in his mouth.
Snape's sneer grew somehow worse. "Thought you would share notes with Potter? Knew what I was going to ask before you walked in the room hm? Thought yourself clever."
The level of disdain dripping off Snape's voice nearly caused him to cower back, he'd only heard such hatred once before when he'd eavesdropped on Andromeda talking about her sister Bellatrix. To hear it in a teachers voice in his first lesson knocked him sick. The other Hufflepuffs around him were outraged.
"But Sir, Marius hasn't spoken to Potter-"Ernie started before Snape interrupted.
"Five points from Hufflepuff for lying to a Professor McMillan." Then he swiftly turned, cloak flaring, marched to the blackboard and wrote down a series of instructions.
"These are the instructions for the most simple boil cure potion. You have fifty minutes. Begin."
Marius sat there frozen for a moment stunned. Did that just happen? Why would Potter even want to talk to him? Justin gave him a poke and gestured towards the cupboards of ingredients.
'Right. The lesson.'
The rest of the two hour lesson past smoothly as he mechanically worked through the potion. Towards the end glanced around to get an idea of how other people's work was getting on and saw white smoke starting to bleach out of a cauldron attended by two panicking Ravenclaws. Snape swooped down on them like a bird of prey, swiftly dampening the fire with a flick on his wand.
"I suppose you two thought to add three rat tails instead of two?" He scathed. One of the duo, a girl with short black hair made to speak but Snape cut her off.
"Five points for even thinking to defend this monstrosity of a potion." He waved his wand again, vanishing the liquid. "And zero marks for today's lesson. Maybe next time you'll stick to the letter of your instructions. The rest of you turn your flames off, time is up."
With that Snape passed between desks and inspected each pair's work, making comments such as "Acceptable." Or "Worthless." Which didn't sound much like a marking system but who was he to judge. Justin peered down at their cauldron.
"Any idea what this is supposed to look like when done right?" He whispered.
Marius shook his head, he'd never brewed a potion before in his life.
Justin's shoulders sagged. "Thought not."
When the Professor descended on them he took a look down his nose at their boil cure. Marius thought he saw his wand twitch in his hand before it settled.
"Passable. Mr Finch-Fletchley's natural talent must make up for your inability Black." And with that he stormed off.
The two boys looked at each other, relief on their faces.
"That was a nightmare." Wayne appeared besides them as they left, book bag on his shoulder.
"Too right it was. I have never seen any teacher so horrid in my life." Justin's voice was hard, which was about as stern or as loud as he got about anything Marius had discovered. "The way he singled Marius out for no reason, and the humiliation of those girls for getting a potion wrong on the first try? How does he still have a job?"
Marius shrugged. "Beats me. Dora's never said he was anything like that, just biased and a bit of a poor Professor. Apparently he's always wanted the Defence job and even though it's open every year he never gets it."
Wayne winced. "Quirrell or Snape? Thats no choice at all."
By the weekend Marius had stopped getting lost as he traveled between lessons, something he counted as a win. Hogwarts was a sprawling castle of twisting corridors and moving staircases which made it plain why the place was unmappable. He was exploring the surrounding area near the Hufflepuff common room at the moment. A number of portraits had informed him that the Hogwarts kitchens were nearby, but none of them would tell him exactly where or how to get in. "It's all about the journey." One court jester had jovially said when he had pressed the matter.
He was on the verge of giving up and heading back to commiserate with Justin, who'd refused to beg off his charms homework for the adventure, when his foot stuck to the floor.
He stumbled but kept himself upright. He looked back at his leg and slowly moved back to a standing position. He tried again with no luck. Even trying to take his shoe off didn't help, his foot wouldn't budge.
"It's no fun if you don't fall down."
He twisted around to find the source of the voice when he was thrown to the side by what felt like a bludger, which was awkward with his leg stuck upright to the knee.
"Whos-urgh." He grunted as another spell hit him.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" A different voice called out.
Marius felt the hairs on his body begin to grow out rapidly. He pushed up his sleeves and was terrified to discover his hair was now green.
A hand grabbed the back of his head and he froze.
"Just so you don't forgot who you really are, snake." His assailant whispered harshly into his ear, before throwing his head forward and walked off. There was nothing Marius could do but squat there as the body hair began to push against his clothes. After a while he slipped over onto the floor as the leg-locking charm ran out. He tried to scrabble to his feet but kept slipping on hair, pulling them out and wincing at the pain as he stood. His eyebrows had grown so long he needed to push them out the way to see where he was going.
Gingerly he began walking back to the common room, which was the last thing he wanted to do in truth. But the Hospital wing was too far a walk in this state on his own. Thankfully he didn't pass anyone as he made his way back. He stared at his furry green fist before he banged the pattern of Helga Hufflepuff into the barrel. The door swung open and with a fortifying breath he slowly walked in.
"Christ is that a werewolf?" A voice shouted and all the conversation stopped in the room.
"Or dinosaur." He heard a laugh, setting the room off.
He peaked out from behind his hair and didn't see Justin or Wayne anywhere. 'Of all the times to finish their homework.' He cast around for a prefect or anyone he recognized and with a sinking heart he caught a flash of blond hair.
'Who else.' He thought despondent and embarrassed as he walked up to the girl.
"Any chance for some help Penny?" He imagined the green of the hair wasn't doing wonders for the red of his cheeks.
Her eyes lit up as she saw it was him and she laughed. "Oh Marius how have you managed this?"
"I was attacked." He responded flatly as he could.
The eyes dimmed as her face dropped.
"I didn't see who." He turned down to the floor, not baring to look at her any longer. "They hit me from behind somewhere near the kitchens.
The rest of the room must have noticed the change on Penny's face as the laughter started to die down.
"What's the matter Penny?" One of her friends asked.
"Tonks's brother has been attacked in the corridors around the corner." The anger growing in her voice.
"Tonks's brother? You mean that's-"
"Black, yes. Come on Marius let's get you to the hospital wing." He felt Penny's arm on his shoulder, through the hair of course, and she guided him back out the common room.
As they walked up to the fourth floor Marius complained.
"Did you have to tell everyone it was me?"
"Which other first year would come to me for help?" She countered, then sighed.
"Sorry Marius but it'll be all over the school by tomorrow, whoever attacked you will have made sure of it."
She drew him into a one armed hug.
"Are you sure you don't know who it was?"
He shook his head, sending hair flying. "They were older, maybe fifth years? And they were boys, I heard them speak."
"They spoke to you?"
"They said the hair was green to remind me where I belong, that I'm a snake in badgers clothing."
Penny's hand tightened on his shoulder.
"You've always been a shoe in for Hufflepuff Marius, I remember you pleading me for a Herbology textbook when you were nine. All hard-work and patience you are."
Marius was very glad Penny couldn't see his face.
"You just wait until Tonks hears about this. She'll be on the war path."
"Oh god." He groaned. "She'll go overboard and interrogate half the school."
"I'm nearly just as angry Marius. Someone attacking a first year, not to mention a friend, in the back? And for what reason?"
"Revenge I gathered." He muttered.
"For a father you've never met? Things you've never done? Anyone who attacks an eleven year old in his first week in Hogwarts is the sort of scum that deserves to be ferreted out. And I've found people are willing to tell me just about anything."
They turned the final corner into the Hospital wing. It was a tall and narrow room with long, high windows which allowed the dying light of the day to flood in. Marius was relieved to see all the beds were empty. An older woman wearing a white apron rolled her eyes and gestured to a bed.
"What spell or potion did this one try."
Penny shook her head.
"He was attacked Madam Pomfrey. By fifth years. I didn't know what they hit him with so I brought him here."
She hummed and drew the curtain as waved her wand over him as he sat down, the beds were harder than those in the dorms.
"Some bruising on the left side is the only damage I can find, besides the hair of course. They didn't force a potion down your neck did they?"
Marius shook his head, suddenly horrified at the possibility. People did that?
"A spell then." She muttered and turned to potter around a desk filled of vials and flasks. As she did so he heard the door fly open.
"We're busy in here-"
"Where is he?"
"Miss Tonks you can't just barge in here-"
"Where's my brother." She demanded again.
Pomfrey must have relented as the curtain ripped open revealing a furious looking Nymphadora Tonks, her eyes dark and hair black with red tinging the ends. Before he could say a word she flew at him and engulfed him in a fierce hug.
"I'll find them Leo. Don't you worry." She whispered.
He loved it when she used his middle name.
She was bustled off by Pomfrey returning with a foul smelling vial filled with a blue liquid. "Drink." She ordered.
He took it in one hand. "For the hair?"
"For the bruise, that is for the hair." She pointed at rather larger flask with a viscous purple liquid that reminded him uncomfortably of slime.
He moved the hair out the way of his mouth and downed the vial, nearly gagging the whole thing back up in the process. Off to the side he could see Dora and Penny, heads together and talking quietly.
Pomfrey thrust the flask at him and he grimaced. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Drink, unless you'd rather stay that way?"
He swallowed and took the flask.
"Bottoms up." He muttered and lifted it to his lips.
Night had fallen by the time all the hair had shrunk back into his skin, not a feeling Marius was keen to know again. Madam Pomfrey gave them all a pass for being out after curfew and sent them on their way.
"Thanks for waiting for me." Marius said, mostly to Penny since Dora wasn't letting him out of her sight it seemed.
She smiled down at him. "Like I said Marius you're my friend and needed help, I'm always there if you need me."
"Don't rub it in too much Pen, you'll make him blush."
"Shut up." Marius blushed.
When they entered the common room there was no one still up. Dora and Penny bid him good night, with a promise to talk soon, and Marius went up to his dorm. Once inside he saw all the boys where still awake and waiting for him.
"Did you really turn green?" Zacharias Smith started.
"Where you actually attacked?" Ernie was horrified.
"Are you ok?" Justin asked.
Marius walked over to his bed and flopped down, shoes still on. "Yes I was green. Yes I was attacked. Yes I'm ok. Pomfrey fixed me up fine, didn't even hurt."
"Why would anyone attack you? Doesn't make sense." Wayne looked confused.
"My father is Sirius Black." Marius said flatly. It was the first time he'd said that out loud in years. He'd thought if he never gave it voice it might go away, just fade out his mind and let Ted be his father and not his unofficial uncle.
"Who." It was Justin who asked.
"Sirius Black was You-Know-Who's right hand during the war." Smith was eager to fill him and Wayne in. "He was a spy for the Death Eaters. After the War he was captured and confessed to all sorts of crimes. Like killing the Bones family and betraying his best friends, Harry Potter's parents, to the Dark Lord."
"Surely you heard all the whispers during the sorting." That was Ernie, though he sounded strange.
"Well I was distracted by the talking hat." Wayne bit back.
"They said it was to remind me where my place was. You know, green for Slytherin. Where better for the son of a snake."
The room was silent as the rest took that in.
"That's not on." Wayne said. He saw Justin nod from the corner of his eye.
"I've got plenty of bad apples on my family tree, but that's no reason to attack a kid."
"It was a bit far." Ernie muttered sitting down, looking vaguely sick.
"Black wasn't just a bad apple Justin, he was the worst of the worst. Who knows what else he told You-Know-Who, who else died due to his information."
'Who indeed.' Marius thought, his mother's face swimming in his mind.
"So it's ok to attack his son who's never spoke to him?!" Justin's voice was hard, clearly furious.
The argument looked like it was going to continue so Marius drew his curtains around his bed and closed his eyes, not even bothering to undress.
It had been a tiring week.