Lauralie Black and the Cloak of Destiny (YEAR 1)
Chapter 2: Letter of Encouragement
The feast was by far the most magnificent that Lauralie had ever attended. Never in her life had she seen so much food. Chickens, and hams, and turkeys. A plethora of deserts as well. And all the pumpkin juice you could drink in your like. This was heaven to her.
Lucious Malfoy had began to rant about Quidditch.
"Well, Severus and I will of course be trying out for the team this year," he was saying, "I mean you're the only decent player we have left from last year, Ludo."
Lauralie raised an eyebrow.
"Ludo Bagman," Severus whispered, "Beater for our Quidditch team, best one in school in fact. Hey Ludo, you met Lauralie yet."
Ludo turned. "Ah, yes, a Black in Slytherin. Most surprising. I'm in the fourth year. So if any of the others give you any crap about not being a proper Slytherin, I'll be sure they get a bludger in the nose."
"Uh, thanks… Ludo," she said.
"Think nothing of it," he said cheerily. And with in moments he and Lucius were enveloped back into their Quidditch conversation.
"What position will you be trying out for?" Lauralie asked Severus.
"Oh me? Seeker or Keeper. I'm better at Seeker though," he said, "But I'm quite good at both, at least that's what Ludo says. And he's Captain of the team."
"My brother says that James is going to be Gryffindor's new keeper," Lauralie said.
"Really," Lucious said, "How interesting."
"Katia, can you pass me a treacle tart," Ludo said.
Katia Delazerda seemed startled that Ludo, who was obviously one of the most popular Slytherins, had remembered her name from the Sorting. She passed the tart to him with a shaking hand.
"Katia, are you Rianne Delazerda's daughter," Lucius asked, helping himself to a treacle tart as well.
Katia seemingly overwhelmed by all the attention suddenly being sent her way, merely nodded.
"Thought so, works with my dad in the Department of Mysteries," he said, "Have no idea what they get up to though."
"I know, all secret," Katia said, "Mum never has anything to talk to Dad about, because he'll talk about work and she can only say. 'Well, work was interesting. Can't tell you why though!'"
"Where do your parents work, Severus," Lauralie asked him.
"Hmm, I think I'd fancy one of those tarts too, if you don't mind Katia," Severus said suddenly, clearly changing the subject.
Considering she had just met him that day, Lauralie decided not to push it. Instead she turned to another first year beside her.
"Hey, I'm Lauralie," she said, offering up her hand.
"I know who you are," the girl snapped, "You're one of the Blacks. All Gryffindors, what are you doing in Slytherin, eh?"
"Haven't a clue actually," Lauralie said. "Just told the hat to put me where I belonged and here I am."
"Well, I guess if the Sorting Hat says you belong here, then I reckon you really do," she said, finally giving Lauralie her hand, "I'm Narcissa, Narcissa VanBuren. And this is Anastasia Swankler." Narcissa nodded her head towards a girl with long, burgundy hair. She waved in a friendly manner.
The plates were soon clean, and the goblets empty. Suddenly Lauralie began to realize how exhausted she was. Every step she took down the stairs and into the dungeons. She vaguely remembered Ludo Bagman announcing that the password was "Pepper Imp", and trudging up the steps to the room for the first years.
"Night guys," Narcissa whispered as she wrenched the curtains closed around her bed.
Lauralie never managed to do the same; she was asleep before she hit the sheets.
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"Oh, there you are," Severus said, as Lauralie entered into the common room the next morning. "I was beginning to wonder if you four weren't going to simply sleep away the first day of term."
Narcissa grunted. Katia scratched her head.
"Don't mind those two," Anastasia trilled, "They're not really morning people."
"I see," he said, eyeing the two sleepy-eyed first years, "Well, you lot better come on, or you'll be late for breakfast.
Anastasia pushed them out of the door and towards the Great Hall. Lauralie and Severus walked behind them; amused at the way Katia and Narcissa were stumbling over their own two feet.
"Do you think they'll wake up enough for their first lesson?" Lauralie asked, sounding a bit concerned.
"Yes. You see, and don't tell anyone I told you this," he said, lowering his voice, "Professor Lestrange, the Potions teacher, put a bit of Energy Potion in the orange juice and milk every morning."
"Really?!?" she asked, "Cool!"
"Yeah, she's cool like that. We have the best House Head in Hogwarts," Severus exclaimed, "The Gryffindors have ruddy McGonagall, and the Ravenclaws are stuck with Binns till he kicks the bucket, if he ever does, and the Hufflepuffs Head is Lucchesi, the charms teacher."
"She looked really strict when I saw her at the Head Table last night," Lauralie commented.
"Naw, she's OK. Favors the Huffs a lot though," he said, "It's McGonagall who's strict. She's only been out of school a few years, you'd think she'd remember what it was like to be a student."
They entered into the Great Hall, and settled into seats next to Lucius, and another second year girl.
"Lauralie, this is Rita Skeeter," Lucius introduced, "She's one of the second year girls."
"And the biggest mouth in school," Severus hissed in her ear, "You take care never to tell her anything that you don't want the rest of the world to know."
Lauralie laughed as the mail began to arrive. To her surprise, her mother's owl Hamilton landed in front of her, a letter tethered to her leg.
"Why do you suppose they're writing so soon," Narcissa asked, now considerably more aware after one cup of orange juice, "You've only been gone a day."
"I reckon Sirius has already written to them about the sorting," Lauralie said, a feeling of doom settling in her stomach, "I bet they're really disappointed I didn't end up in Gryffindor."
She untied the letter and Hamilton took flight again. She slit open the top with a sense of foreboding.
Hello dear, how are you fitting in? Sirius wrote us last night to tell us about the sorting, and I know you must be terribly surprised. But that is where you belong now. Your brother is not at all pleased, and neither is your father. Don't listen to them though, they're prejudiced against the Slytherins and always have been.
Listen, I know that this has brought to light a lot of questions about yourself that simply can't be answered just yet. I know you hate hearing this, but someday, when you are ready, you will understand everything about what is happening now. My advice to you is to not brood over how this can be, and simply accept it for what it is. Reach out and make friends with the Slytherins. They do make dangerous enemies, but they're even more powerful allies. I look forward to hearing how you've settled in. I daresay I don't know much about Slytherin's sleeping quarters, but if they're anything like Gryffindor's you'll be quite comfortable.
Love always,
Rainelda Black
Severus, Katia, Narcissa, and Anastasia had been reading it over her shoulder.
"Wow, it sounds almost as if she expected you to not be in Griffindor," Katia commented.
"But why would she when my entire family is made up of them," Lauralie said.
Narcissa and Anastasia traded looks.
"I don't know," Ana said, "But it sounds like you won't be getting any answers until you're older and ready."
Lauralie looked back down at the letter. This caused whole new questions to flood her mind. Her mother knew why she was in Slytherin, and wasn't going to tell her?
"Look on the bright side Lauralie," Narcissa added, "At least you have one family member happy that you're in Slytherin."
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The Slytherin first years first lesson was history of magic. And they found it to be the most boring experience ever. In fact Lauralie and Narcissa passed notes throughout most of it, taking bets on how long it would take Professor Binns to realize that no one in the class was listening to him.
Following that was what promised to be a very good class indeed, Potions with Professor Lestrange. And, unfortunately, the Griffindor first years.
Lauralie and Narcissa, who were quickly becoming close, took a seat at a cauldron at the front of the classroom. They watched as the Griffindor first years filed in, followed by Professor Lestrange.
Professor Lestrange was, well there's only one word for it, gorgeous. She had long deep black hair, pulled back into a braid that nearly brushed the floor. Her robes were a deep deep blue, with a Slytherin badge pinned to them.
"Good morning students," she said, "I am Professor Lestrange, and this is your Potions classroom. Now, many of you will not hold potions in as high esteem as the other courses, because it requires no foolish wand work, with the exception of lighting a fire. But one day you will all appreciate the beauty and power of a well-made potion. Today we will be making a Forgetfulness Potion. Can anyone tell me what this potion does?"
A prim and proper Griffindor first year spoke up. "It helps anyone who drinks it to remember things, like dates or assignments."
"Very good Mr…"
"Crouch, Barty Crouch."
"Very good Mr. Crouch," she said, "Now can anyone tell me some of the ingredients in this potion."
Narcissa spoke up. "Asphodel, wormwood, porcupine quills, and dragons blood."
"Excellent Narcissa, ten points for Slytherin," she said.
There were noises of outrage from the Gryffindors, but if Professor Lestrange heard it, then she paid it no mind. Instead she handed them all the recipe for Forgetfulness Potion and set them to work.
"Wow, she really does favor Slytherins doesn't she," Lauralie whispered.
"I know, isn't it great," Narcissa giggled.
At the end of class, Professor Lestrange declared the girls' potion perfect and gave them an additional five points each, before sending them all to lunch.
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Severus and Lucius were already sitting at the Slytherin table when the first year girls arrived in the Great Hall for lunch.
"So, how was your first lessons?" Lucius asked.
"Well, Binns is boring as watching grass grow, but Professor Lestrange is so cool," Kat said.
"Isn't she?" Lucius exclaimed, "She lets us get away with loads too."
"Well, I hope the rest of our classes are more like Potions and less like Binns' joke of a class," Ana said.
"Ditto," Lauralie added.
Everyone at the table jumped when the doors to the Great Hall burst open with a bang. There, standing framed in the doorway, was Wesley Black, Lauralie's father.