Chapter 2
All to soon it was time to leave. Mum took me as far as Kings Cross Station. Aunt Addi showed me how to get through the barrier and I hugged my mum and my brother's goodbye.
" Take care of yourself. "
"Definitely mum."
"Can't we come?"
"You'll come next year. I'll miss you and I'll tell you everything."
On the train I met another first year, Ginny Weasly. Her brother was friends with Harry Potter. I had heard about him. He had driven Voldemort away. Aunt Addi told me.
When we got there, we were sorted. Professor McGonagal called us forward. But when she came to my name she didn't call Cassi O'Connell.
" Black, Cassiopeia." I hesitated, then when no one else stepped forward I did. Confused thoughts ran through my mind. My name wasn't Black. It was O'Connell. I picked up the hat and put it on.
" Well, Hello. Now where shall we put you? A strong desire to be liked. Brains, lots of them, just like your dad. You'd be a good Ravenclaw. But we also have lots of courage. Loyalty. One of your best qualities. Another thing you get from your father. Hmmm. Let's try GRYFFINDOR!" The last word was shouted.
I joined the gryffindor table and soon Ginny joined us. We were so happy we were in the same house. The feast was great. And soon we were all exhausted.
When we went upstairs, we were soon joined by Ron and Harry. The rumor was they had missed the train and flown in a flying car to get there. The first time I saw Harry was when he walked through the portrait hole. He was short, with messy black hair and bright green eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling I had seen him before. But where? He had been raised by muggles in a town outside of London. I had been raised in western Ireland. A world away. I shook my head and went to bed.
The next day we had classes. Everyone was calling me Cassi Black. After breakfast I gave up telling people that wasn't my name. I decide I would go see Professor McGonagal that night.
Potions was horrible. Snape hated me. I don't mean he just didn't like me. He hated me. I don't know why. When we called role he stopped at my name.
"Who is Cassiopeia Black?" I raised my hand. He glanced at me then did a double take.
" Yes, of course. How could I have missed it? You look just like him. Hopefully you will have more sense than your father did. We can only hope that when you show your true colors they will be ours." For some reason my temper swelled and I clenched my fists. He had no right to say that. I didn't know what my father had done. But It wasn't right that he should insult him like that.
" That wasn't fair." Ginny said after class. " That was really mean of him to talk about your dad like that. I mean what did he do to him? Your dad isn't that bad is he?"
"I wouldn't know." I said
" What do you mean?"
"Well I never knew my da. I know he did something. Because everybody looks at Mum and me either like they think we're going to blow up the street or like they're pitying us. I don't even know his name for gods sake."
" I'm sorry. Cassi."
" S'oaky."
In DADA Professor Lockheart swept into class. When he called our names
" Cassiopeia Black. What a lovely name. You know, I once dated a girl named just that." Then he lunched into some story about how he swept the unsuspecting girl off her feet.
" Yeah, she probably fainted from fear when she found out he liked her." I whispered to Ginny. She laughed and then tried to cover it up.
"But Black." Professor Lockheart had stopped talking about his girlfriend ." That's the name of the psychopathic dark wizard, isn't it? Are you related to him?"
"I don't know sir." He shrugged
That night I went to see Professor McGonagal.
"Professor?" I knocked on the door.
" Yes?" She opened it. " Miss Black, can I help you?"
"It's just that. " She invited me in and I took a seat in front of her desk.
"Professor, I think there's been a mistake. my name isn't Black. It's O'Connell." She peered at me over her square glasses.
"There has been no mistake, Miss Black. You have been down in this book since the day you were born. Your father's name was Black and that's what you are under, regardless of what you have gone by elsewhere."
" My Father?"
"Yes. He was quite a student." Then she smiled.
"You knew him?"
"Of course. He and his friends were the worst troublemakers to ever come to Hogwarts. Why your father got the award for most detentions for a student to receive ever. And he was proud of it." She laughed at the memory. " They were all brilliant. Your father too. No one else could have come up with the things they pulled." Then her face hardened again. " But that was in a different time. He was not the person we all thought he was."
"Professor, what did he do?"
" I'm not going to tell you. You don't want to know."
"Yes, I do."
" I believe you have some homework to do. Now go on back to your room." I tried to resist but she shooed me out and I left with more unanswered questions then when I came in.
The rest of the year passed quickly. Except there were attacks on some of the students. The heir of Slytherin or something. For a while people thought Harry was the one attacking people But he wasn't. I knew he wasn't. It turned out Ginny was. Only she was possessed by the spirit of a sixteen year old Voldemort. Frightening. It didn't ruin our friendship though.
I made friends with her older twin brothers Fred and George. They were five years ahead of us, but we got along great. They pulled me along on some of their pranks and I had loads of fun, even though I got a detention or two. Or three. Or four. They hinted that they had help with their mischief making but would never tell.
Finally they showed me the Marauders map.
Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief- Makers
Are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
Great men, those marauders.
Snape gave me a hard time the whole year, pointing out my failures to the whole class. I exelled in transfigureation. I liked Professor McGonagal. She seemed strict but Ginny told me how she had allowed Harry to play on the team his first year. And I was good in her class. Defense Against the dark arts was a joke. Professor Lockheart though he was all that when what he really was, was a bigheaded loser. Just because he wrote some stupid books. And the whole time he looked at me like he expected me to pulled out my wand and perform some deadly curse on the whole class.
See, that was the only thing that bothered me. I still didn't know exactly what my father had done. It was a little hard, not even knowing his name. But lots of people acted like I wasn't to be trusted, or I was evil or something. Some people wouldn't even talk to me. Those in Slytherin liked me though. Until one of the girls found a live snake in her bed. Complements of someone who for safeties sake will remain nameless.
Before I knew it school was out and summer had started. To my surprise I passed with remarkably good marks. In fact my transfiguration mark was the highest in our class. Potions weren't that great, but then Snape did hate me so I was surprised I passed at all.