DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.
September 1st 1962, Hogwarts, the Great Hall
Bellatrix Black stood there in line as the little wizards and witches were being sorted. Her turn was yet to be. Well, it didn't matter, did it? After all, being from the most ancient and noble house of Black, she would surely be sorted into Slytherin.
Her family was a powerful pureblood family, and was dark too. An ancestor of hers had once tried to pass a bill in the Ministry of Magic to make Muggle hunting legal. Another one named Elladora had started a tradition of beheading house elves when they became too old and weak.
And of course, their family was against Muggles and Muggleborns. Her father, Cygnus Black III, often spoke to them about how Muggles were causing war and destruction and declared that their 'weak blood' did not belong with theirs.
Currently, Bellatrix herself was quite cheerful, mostly around her sisters Andromeda and Narcissa. While she at this point did have some animosity towards Muggles and Muggleborns, she was not sadistic, but mostly caring, towards her own sisters of course.
And then suddenly, she heard the deputy headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, calling out, "Rodolphus Lestrange."
A boy with black hair, quite tall, strode up to the stool placed near the teachers' table where the headmaster, Armando Dippet was observing everyone.
This boy was Rodolphus Lestrange, quite arrogant. He was a big braggart.
The sorting hat had barely touched him when it announced its verdict, "Oh, I know it, SLYTHERIN!"
Rodolphus took off the hat and walked over to the Slytherin table.
And then, Bellatrix heard Dumbledore calling out, "Bellatrix Black."
She went up to the stool and sat down. Just as it had been with Rodolphus, Bellatrix was instantly sorted into Slytherin, the hat telling her, "You are quite powerful, so you will do best in SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table clapped in joy to have a member of the Black family joining.
Just as she went and sat down opposite to Rudolphus, she heard Dumbledore call out, "Abhimanyu Pandey."
She turned to look at the one who had just been called.
Meanwhile, a Muggleborn wizard named Abhimanyu Pandey rushed forward in excitement up to the stool.
He had glasses, and had the complexion of coffee, just slightly darker. He was of Indian origin, but had lived in the United States for a while before coming to the UK with his parents.
Soon after coming to the UK, he had turned out to be a wizard.
He had been quite excited to know that and was now going to be sorted into one of the houses of Hogwarts. He hoped he would be in Gryffindor.
He sat down and the hat was placed on his head.
The sorting hat whispered, "Let's see; where should I put you? Quite excited, I see. You'd do very well in…"
At this point, Abhimanyu began to whisper, "Please, Gryffindor, please, Gryffindor, please…"
The sorting hat replied, "Well, if you're sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"
Many at the Gryffindor table clapped as Abhimanyu got up and went to sit there.
As soon as he sat down, he felt someone right next to him clap him on his back. Upon turning to see who it was, he saw a red haired boy, looking slightly older than him.
Abhimanyu spoke, "Hello."
The boy spoke, "Welcome to Gryffindor. You're Abhimanyu Pandey, right?"
Abhimanyu replied affirmatively.
The boy responded, "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Arthur Weasley. I'm in my second year. By the way, are you Muggleborn?"
Abhimanyu replied, "Yeah I am. I lived in America for some years before moving to the UK."
Arthur spoke, "You must know all about Muggles. Now, tell me, what is the function of a rubber duck?"
Abhimanyu looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on his face and said, "It's a toy, a toy that you can play with in the bathtub while you're taking a bath."
Just then, they heard Dumbledore calling out, "Molly Prewett."
Abhimanyu smiled and looked at a girl with red hair.
Molly Prewett was in his year and they had met on the Hogwarts Express. She was quite sweet. She had shared some goodies that her mother had made for her with him.
To be honest, for Abhimanyu, she was already starting to seem like a sister.
And Arthur was quite nice.
Bellatrix looked at Abhimanyu. He seemed to be quite cheerful.
Little did either one of them know just how much they would influence each other's lives.