August 25th, 1972

Ivy Selwyn stood in Diagon Alley beside her parents, staring up at a narrow, shabby storefront. The gold letters over the door read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. She frowned at the shop, not thinking much of its appearance despite its claim to have been in business even Before Circe.

"Mum," she said doubtfully as her parents led her into the store cluttered with thousands of wand boxes. "Are you sure Ollivander is the greatest wand maker? It's pretty dusty in here."

"Hush," her mother chided as they approached a single, solitary chair on which sat an elderly wizard.

Ivy frowned deeper at the sight of him, mildly concerned that she was related to the man. They both had silver eyes and his hair was as white as her own, though she realized that was probably just due to his age. Taking that in, plus the fact that she'd never seen him on her family tree, she dismissed the thought of a familial link.

"Avdima Selwyn née Rowle," Ollivander stood, eyeing her parents. "9 inches long with yew and dragon heartstring… Unyielding if I remember correctly, which I'm certain I do. And Rhaen Selwyn, 9¾ inches, made of elm wood and unicorn hair. Quite brittle." His gaze went to Ivy, who lifted her chin in response. "And who might you be?"

"Ivy Eira Selwyn," she used her middle name as her parents had told her to.

"Indeed," the wandmaker said, taking a measuring tape out of his pocket. "You have a sister, don't you? Extend your wand arm for me if you would."

"Hazel," she looked at her parents questioningly and they shook their heads, silently telling her to lie. "She couldn't come because she's sick."

"Well, I'm sure I'll see her when her time comes. Now," Ollivander held out the tape, which magically extended itself to capture her measurements. "Wait here one moment."

He vanished momentarily and upon his return, began handing her wands. None seemed to agree with her as he took several back seconds after her fingers grazed the fine woods. However, when he came back with an 11-inch wand, she gripped it, feeling a warm sensation burst in her hand as silver and blue sparks shot from the tip.

"Hazel, eh? Wonderful wood, that," the old wizard said, looking satisfied. "It's known to absorb negative energy and disperse it at random so do be careful in times of stress… But that wand should have the unique ability to detect water underground. You'll know if it emits silvery, tear-shaped puffs of smoke when passing over concealed springs and wells. Supple with a dragon heartstring core, yes, this is quite an exemplary fit."

Ivy made sure to thank Ollivander, surprised when her words came out genuine.

After her parents made the purchase and listened to a healthy amount of begging, they conceded to let her explore Diagon Alley, as long as she agree to meet them at Flourish and Blotts within the hour. Pleasantly shocked that her parents were allowing her to wander about unaccompanied since they never let Hazel do so, Ivy's step had a little extra pep in it as she wandered over to Broomstix.

Two younger children were already ogling the display, their noses and fingers pressed up against the glass. Disgusted by the wet halos of breath left on the surface, Ivy loitered a few feet away, though she stared at the elegant brooms with an equal amount of enthrallment.

"Gross, right?" A voice came from beside her, yanking her from her daydreams of being on the Hogwarts Quidditch team.

She looked to the source of the voice to find a girl with shoulder-length gold-brown hair and hazel eyes. She was shorter than Ivy, though she looked to be the same age.

"Do you mean the kids getting their germs all over the display?" Ivy asked loudly.

Said kids looked back at her and removed their sticky noses and fingers from the glass, running off at the sight of an older, taller, glaring girl.

"That's exactly what I meant," the girl snickered, pulling a silk handkerchief from her pocket and using it to wipe the window. "I'm Theya, by the way. Theya Greengrass."

"I'm Ivy Selwyn," she was relieved that the other girl was a pureblood. Her parents had forced her to memorize the Sacred Twenty-Eight before starting at Hogwarts so she could quickly know who she was allowed to spend time with. "I hope you're not putting that back in your pocket.

"Absolutely not," the girl tossed the fabric in a nearby waste bin. "Do you go to Hogwarts?"

"It'll be my first year in a few days." Ivy hoped she wouldn't be the tallest girl in her year like her mother had been. "Just got my wand, actually."

"Me too," Theya said, motioning for Ivy to follow her into Broomstix, which she did. "I just wish I had a brother or cousin or something already at Hogwarts to sit with on the train. Seems like it'd be embarrassing to sit alone."

"I'll sit with you if you want," Ivy stopped to stare wide-eyed at the Nimbus 1700.

"That'd be great," she sounded relieved and looked just as thunderstruck by the carved oak broom. "Blimey, this is so much cooler than the Comets and Cleansweeps! My parents said if I make the Quidditch team at Hogwarts they'll get me a Nimbus instead of my ratty old Comet 290."

"I'm not allowed to fly," Ivy pouted, quoting her parents. "'Heiresses are only supposed to use the Floo and Disapparition because they must always look presentable.' But my parents let my little sister Hazel fly. Encourage her to, even."

She'd always thought that double standard strange. Whether it had to do with Hazel not being the heiress or the S word her parents kept whispering, Ivy didn't know. What she did know was that she was not allowed to say Squib to anyone, much less when Hazel was around.

"Bollocks to that. Say, wanna go to Florean Fortescue's?" Theya pulled some coins from her pocket, waggling her eyebrows. "My parents gave me a few galleons; we can get massive sundaes with extra extra sprinkles."

Admiring the girl's mischievousness, Ivy raced her there.

September 1st, 1972

Excited, nervous energy pummeled through Ivy as she stood on Platform 9¾. It felt like a really big sugar high, similar to the one she'd gotten in Diagon Alley before she threw up from eating too much ice cream. Her parents had been none too pleased to find Ivy hurling in a nearby alleyway while a Greengrass girl did the same a few feet away.

"The train's going to leave soon," Ivy said quietly to her mum, who was currently adjusting the collar of Ivy's clothing as it was apparently not yet perfectly presentable.

"Quiet," Avdima snapped. "I'm not about to send my firstborn daughter off to school looking like some Muggle street urchin."

She held in an annoyed sigh, seeing as her mother was close enough to hear it and she didn't want to get whacked upside the head for huffing. Hazel's sweaty hand was in Ivy's right one and although she wanted to shake it off, she knew the ten-year-old would probably start crying. The last thing she needed -on top of her mother fussing in front of all the other students- was her little sister making a scene.

Finally, Avdima released her and Ivy turned to hug Hazel, who was only slightly shorter than her.

"Don't leave me," her sister begged through a face full of white hair that mingled in with blonde locks. "This is the first time I've left the Estate in months. Take me with you."

"You know I can't," Ivy whispered back.

"Just wait until the train starts to leave, you can hold the door and I'll just jump on!"

"Shh," Ivy hissed into her sister's ear as her father's blue eyes narrowed at them, as though knowing Hazel was plotting escape. She pulled away as the last of the stragglers boarded the Hogwarts Express. "I have to go. Just behave and you'll be fine."

"Give your mother a kiss," Avdima leaned down as Ivy obeyed. "Don't you dare come back a Hufflepuff. Now, off you go."

The second she was bid to leave, Ivy bolted onto the train with her trunk and caged owl.

Entering the loud chaos that was the Hogwarts Express, a grin wandered over her features. She gracefully dodged students lingering in the corridor. Entirely avoiding the compartments with older students who very clearly did not want her joining them, she hurried on until she located one with kids who looked her age.

Focused on getting to the window so she could wave to Hazel as she'd promised, Ivy barged into the compartment with a polite apology to the two occupants. Paying their response little attention, she shoved her trunk overhead just as the train began to move.

Quickly undoing the latch on the window, Ivy stuck her head into the open air and waved frantically to Hazel as the train pulled away from the station. As the wind picked up in her hair, Ivy watched her little sister run alongside the train, Hazel's favorite black hair ribbons billowing behind her.

When the train picked up speed, Ivy ducked back into the compartment and shut the window, finally taking stock of the other two kids.

They looked nearly identical, both with shaggy black hair and similar features, aside from the eyes. One, who appeared to be older and was indeed taller, had grey eyes and was watching her with an amused expression. The other who was brown-eyed appeared to be invested in a book.

"And you are…?" The grey-eyed one asked.

"Sorry, I'm Ivy Selwyn," she sounded like she meant the apology, though she didn't. She then matched his tone. "And you are…?"

"Sirius Black," he grinned, seeming to appreciate the reciprocated sass. "And this is my brother, Regulus."

"Nice to meet you." Ivy could hardly believe her luck as she recognized their last name as another from the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Her parents would be happy to know that she was starting off on entirely the right foot. "How long is the train ride? My parents didn't say."

"Not long," Sirius said. "But enough with the chit-chat, what House are you in?"

"Oh," Ivy blinked at his bluntness. "I dunno, this is my first year. But most of my family is from Ravenclaw. I don't think my parents care as long as I'm not a Hufflepuff."

"You're freakishly tall for a first year," Sirius replied, ignoring the way she bristled in response. "Anyway, who cares what your parents think? What House do you want to be in?"

"I-" she frowned, never having really thought about it before. "Maybe Ravenclaw. Or Slytherin. I like snakes."

"I don't," Sirius snorted. "Slytherin is the worst House. Luckily for Reg, here, I think he's gonna join me in Gryffindor. The best House. Right, Reg?"

Regulus just shrugged, looking as though he had been happier with his exclusion as he continued to focus on his book.

The compartment door then slammed open, causing Ivy to jump and her hand to go immediately over her heart. A head of atrociously messy black hair poked inside. "Sirius, come quick! I found Snivellus!"

Sirius nearly leapt out of the compartment, the messy-haired boy giving Ivy and Regulus a grin before departing. Scowling at the door they'd left open, she gave a huff and closed it before any more chaos could enter the compartment.

"Your brother doesn't have very good manners," she sat neatly back down.

"No, he doesn't," Regulus closed his book to give her his attention, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," she said, still feeling a bit frazzled. "What's a Snivellus?"

"As far as I can tell, it's something greasy."

"Ew," Ivy wrinkled her nose. "And who was that with your brother? Someone needs to tell him what a comb is and how to use it. My mum would never let me out of the Estate looking like that."

"That was James Potter, he hangs around with my brother a lot. Maybe you should be in Ravenclaw, you seem curious enough."

"Sorry," she deflated a little. Her parents had told her to learn everything and anything she could whilst at Hogwarts, but perhaps she wasn't supposed to do so on the train ride over.

"It's alright," he smiled. "Nothing wrong with Ravenclaw. Or Slytherin, despite what Sirius would like you to believe. He's like most Gryffindors; annoying and ill-mannered."

Ivy decided that she didn't want to be in Gryffindor after that description. She also decided that she liked Regulus. He seemed just as well-spoken and well-educated as her. Additionally, he appeared to have a good sense of propriety, which her parents said was important.

"What House do you want to be in, then?" She asked.

"Slytherin, like my whole family. Except for Sirius, obviously."

"Known for their cunning and ambition."

"Don't forget cleverness," he puffed out his chest a little. "Determination, and resourcefulness."

"What's the difference, then, between Slytherin and Ravenclaw?"

Regulus paused as they went over a bump in the tracks. "Ravenclaws gather information to have it. Slytherins gather information to use it."

Ivy thought that she very much liked the sound of Slytherin.

Hearing a knock on the door, she turned to find Theya on the other side of the glass, waving eagerly. As Ivy motioned for her to join them, she thought about how James Potter and Sirius Black could learn a thing or two about politeness from Theya.

Once Theya settled in, Ivy made introductions between her and Regulus.

"I met Regulus's brother, too," Ivy said, catching Theya up. "He was a little…"

"Bit of a git," Regulus finished for her.

Ivy and Theya burst into laughter.

By the time Ivy was walking to the castle, she'd already had more fun than the last eleven years at Selwyn Estate. The entire train ride had been spent chatting with Regulus and Theya, both of whom were clamoring to be in Slytherin, making Ivy want the House even more. In fact, the only thing that would've made walking through the giant wooden doors of the castle better, was if Hazel had been with her.

Next year, she thought, expelling the thought that her sister might be a Squib. Hazel's magic hadn't showed yet, but that didn't mean it never would. Besides, she still had a year for it to manifest.

Walking alongside Theya into the Great Hall and between the four massive tables, Ivy's jaw dropped when she looked up. Thousands upon thousands of lit candles floated above her head and the space above the candles looked exactly like the night sky, to the point that she almost thought it was the real thing.

She only looked down again when she ran into a girl ahead of her who had stopped. The first year had dark hair and eyes, and was giving her a dirty look. Ivy stuck her nose in the air as the Sorting ceremony began.

Fortunately or unfortunately, she was tall enough to see over the heads of the other first years, and had a clear view of the singing Sorting Hat that sat on the stool, spouting information about the different Houses and their founders.

When the song finished, a witch appeared beside the hat, wearing crimson robes. She was old, with dark hair and a no-nonsense look on her face. Only when Regulus whispered that the woman was Professor McGonagall did she even notice the giant table behind the Sorting Hat where the staff sat.

The Professor began the Sorting alphabetically and it was quite a while until she called, "Selwyn, Ivy!"

By then, Theya and Regulus had already been placed in Slytherin and Ivy was the only first year left aside from the girl she'd bumped into earlier.

Walking up to the stool, she sat down, trying to ignore that most of the eyes in the room were on her. Then, the Hat was placed on her head, immediately slipping right over her eyes.

"Well, well," a voice in her ear startled her. "You're a complicated one… Bright and curious, certainly. Cunning and resourceful as well, I see, with great potential in that particular area… But then there's that pesky loyalty. Careful with that, be very careful with that. Hmm, what should I do with you?"

Ivy blinked in the dark of the Hat and listened to it debate with itself for a good three minutes. When she heard the other students whispering and realized that she was bordering on becoming a Hatstall, she began to scowl.

Put me in Slytherin, she demanded, wondering while she did if she was allowed to make demands.

"Mmm, but you don't want the attention of being a Hatstall," it argued. "And seeing as your sister is a Squib, that may make things difficult…"

The Hat continued to argue, but Ivy didn't hear what it said.

There was that word again, that horrible word.

Squib.

Ivy was shocked the Hat had said it, as her parents had demanded that she never utter that word since being magicless was even worse than being a magic thief like the Mudbloods were. More than shocked, she was horrified to hear her sister's identity confirmed.

Remembering her cousin who was cast out for being a blood traitor, a mental image of Hazel being tossed out in the rain became brazen in her mind. Immediately, Ivy knew that she would never be the person to confirm her sister's Squib status. She would quite literally take the secret to the grave. And if anyone, even her parents, threatened Hazel… It would be like fighting the sea.

"…But with that loyalty to your sister," the Hat continued. "And your willingness to tear down everything and everyone to protect only one individual… Better be… SLYTHERIN!"