Out of the Darkness

By Trephinia Cealyn

Chapter 2 | The Other Malfoy

'…the world is falling apart…dragging all of us down deeper…'

          Tom sat in an empty compartment and pulled out one of his school books preparing himself to wait for Talon and Flute. He didn't have to long to wait because not to soon after he read the title of his book Flute sat across from him and Talon sat next to her. They both looked in a very sour mood and Flute was whispering to her kitten.

          "What's wrong?" Tom asked setting his book aside and focusing his attention on the twins.

          Flute glanced up at him. Her eyes were puffy and red. Tom knew she had been crying and without even asking he knew why. Tom looked away and picked his book back up.

          "He fell asleep," Talon said quietly, "we almost missed the train."

          "He promised he would take us." Flute added, "Promised!"

          Tom sighed and put his book back down again. Flute had buried her face in the cat's fur and was sniffling. Talon wouldn't even look at him. Tom shook his head sadly.

          "Maybe he stayed up working to late," Tom said trying to ease the tension a little bit. This comment set off something in Flute because she stood up and almost dropped her kitten.

          "He stayed up to late alright," Flute said harshly as if accusing Tom, "Stayed up to late thinking about mom. I don't even know her and she's ruining my life! He promised to take us! Said he wouldn't miss it for the world! He didn't miss it for the world either! He missed it for her! If she loved us so fucking much then why'd she go off and have herself killed? Why'd she have to die?"

          Tom didn't trust himself to say anything. Flute was obviously not done ranting but she sat back down and looked out the window refusing to move a muscle. Tom glanced over at Talon. He hadn't moved either.

          Suddenly and without warning Kalten and Lily stormed in. Tom-for the first time in his life-was very glad to be a triplet. Kalten squeezed himself in between Flute and Talon who had suddenly recovered and were smiling happily. Lily sat herself next to Tom. As they moved out of the doorway Tom spotted Cecilia and moved over so she had a spot to sit in.

          "So what house do you guys want to get sorted in?" Flute said in a happy voice. She had the three fooled. Her face was still red but they didn't seem to notice.

          "Gryffindor," Kalten said immediately. Tom snorted. Kalten glared at him.

          "Ravenclaw," Lily said after a moment's hesitation. "I'm not brave or anything. I'm defiantly not cut out for Slytherin or Hufflepuff but I'm sort of smart."

          Flute shrugged and turned to Cecilia, "What about you?" Cecilia shrugged she wasn't much of a talker. Flute's eyes bore into for a moment and then giving up she turned to Tom, "Tom'll be in Slytherin I'm just sure of it. Father agrees with me. Isn't that right Talon?" 

          "Slytherin eh?" Kalten said grinning at Flute, "I don't think so, Tom isn't very clever." Tom had a strong urge to punch him. In fact he DID punch him.

          Kalten rubbed his forearm where Tom had hit him and lunged for Tom. Tom dodged him and as Kalten passed him by he tripped him. Kalten's head slammed on the wood of the seat breaking his nose.

          "Kalten!" Lily shouted as Kalten slumped onto the floor. Blood pooled around his nose. "Why'd you go and do that Tom?" She accused him. She turned Kalten around and held some tissues up to his nose. "Cecilia help me get him to the front."

          The three left as quickly as they had come and the compartment went back to the state it had been in before. Quiet. Tom sat down and picked his book back up again.

          "Good little Schmoo…" Flute crooned petting her kitten. Tom sighed and tried to read the Transfiguration book. "Tom?" Flute said hesitantly. She didn't want to disturb his reading.

          Tom looked over the top of his book at her, "What?" He snapped, immediately he regretted doing so because it looked like Flute wasn't going to talk to him.

          "I'm sorry," she said after a few tense minutes, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. You didn't do anything wrong! You weren't asleep," she said the last bit rather spitefully.

          "I'm hungry," Talon said all of a sudden. Flute laughed and glanced over at Tom. Tom shrugged.

          "Dad said you could buy sweets and stuff somewhere," Tom said glad that things were back to normal. "A witch sells them, she comes around with a cart, and at least that's what he said."

          A smiling witch poked her head through the door, "Want anything off the cart dears?" Talon ran out into the corridor and came back with handfuls of candy.

          Talon threw a chocolate frog at Tom's head, "Here I can't eat them all."

          "Morgana!" Flute said holding the card in front of Schmoo's face, "Look Schmoo Morgana! Now if we give this to Uncle Ron he'll teach me how to ride a broomstick!"

          "Not fair," Talon said trying to make a grab for the card. He ended up narrowly missing Schmoo's unsheathed claw. "Uh, you can keep it Flute," Talon said retreating to the other side of the compartment. Flute grinned at him and put the card in one of her books. As a bookmark. Talon rolled his eyes.

          "I'm still betting you'll get into Slytherin!" Flute said to Tom peering over the top of the book, "Then you and me and Talon will all be in the same house!" Tom nodded and turned the page, "And I bet Cecilia will get into Slytherin too," Flute predicted with authority. She turned to Talon, "Although you might get into Hufflepuff."

          Talon glared at her and if it hadn't been for Schmoo they probably would have had a fight. "Yes I bet Talon will get in Hufflepuff," Tom said. Talon went to hit him but Tom held the book up in front of his face and Talon hit that instead.

          "Ow!" Talon said holding his hand, "I wasn't really going to hit you!" He lied.

          "The train's stopping!" Flute yelled and ran to the window, "The train's stopping! The train's stopping!" She picked up her book, her cat and her traveling bag and ran out into the corridor.

          "Wait for me!" Talon yelled racing after her. Tom grabbed a chocolate frog and ran out right behind Talon.

          "First years," said a stern looking lady, "First years right this way!" She guided Tom, Talon, Flute, and Cecilia into a tiny looking rowboat. "First years!" She called again. After every first year was accounted for the boats took off speeding towards a looming castle in the distance.

          The witch stepped off her boat and it 'swam' away. The boats unloaded their passengers and the witch herded them up the stone steps and into the castle. Flute stood near Tom and Talon taking it all in. She knew it was just a hallway but Flute was absolutely amazed by it. Flute gasped as ghosts floated by chatting about the new first years.

          "Alright come on," the witch said sternly, she led them into a gigantic room, and placed an old tattered and worn hat on a stool. A tiny rip opened in the hat and it started to sing.

'Place me upon your head and you'll see I'm the smartest hat around I'll tell you the house your suited to be And that's where you'll be bound Whether it be Slytherin Clever, sly, and evilly inclined That's where you'll find your kin Hope you don't mind Or maybe it'll be Gryffindor Brave and bold, It won't be a chore That's where you'll grow old Hufflepuff where the loyal one's go If you're there you're sure to know Everyone's friendly, granted a bit slow And no doubt that comment will cause a great row

Ravenclaw's for the brightest

Smartest kids around

They're the nicest

They'll never frown,'

          Flute stared at the hat and had a great urge to go first. She almost ran up and jammed it about her ears but didn't. Flute hardly paid attention as the witch called out names.

          "Black, Cecilia." Flute watched as her friend put on the hat. After a few minutes the rip opened up and the hat shouted Slytherin. Cecilia hopped off the stool and placed the hat gently upon it. Flute tuned out again and waited for her name to be called.

          "Malfoy, Flute." The witch said. Flute ran up to the stool and the hat barely touched her head as it screamed Slytherin. Flute giggled knowingly set the hat back down and ran over to the Slytherin table where a lot of the older years were cheering her over.

          Flute watched as Talon set the hat on his head and it sorted him quicker-if possible-than her into Slytherin. He sat next to her and they waited for Tom to get sorted Slytherin because it was just inconceivable for him to be any house besides Slytherin.

          The witch looked down at the parchment, up at Dumbledore and back down at the parchment, "Mal-Malfoy, Seymour," a black haired boy with empty brown eyes strolled up to the stool and repeated the same thing the other two had. Flute was about to protest as the other Malfoy walked by. Flute shrugged and dismissed him as a distant cousin.

          "Potter, Kalten," Kalten placed the hat on his head and it yelled Gryffindor.

          "Potter, Lily," Lily sat on the stool as the hat decided. It took a few minutes and then said Gryffindor. She smiled and practically skipped over to sit with her brother.

          "Potter, Thomas," Tom walked up to the stool slowly and placed the hat on his head.

          "SLYTHERIN."

          There was a momentary silence in the hall. No one clapped, and no one dared to breath. A Potter-a Slytherin? Preposterous! Then from the Slytherin table a solitary clap rang from Flute. Slowly the entire table followed her example.