Chapter Three
by TeSjah
--------------------------
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and her associates.
--------------------------
Incognito
Draco pulled her into an empty compartment and closed the door. Next he put down the blinds and sat down onto on of the couches. "O, Merlin." He looked down at his hands to see them shrunken down a bit. He ran his hands over his hair with caution. "O, Merlin."
"Yes, Malfoy. Your hair is gelled back." She was trying hard to disguise a smile.
"Well, you're bucktoothed. Again!" Draco scoffed.
All of a sudden, the door slid open and a strict looking girl with curly blond hair looked at them. "You two! You better listen to me carefully: there will be no insulting of oneothers looks, no matter how horrible they are. Understood?"
"Oh, yeah. And who are you to tell me that?" Draco stood up, far less tall than his sixteen-year-old self and far less threatening.
"I am Rita Skeeter, Hufflepuff. Fifth year prefect. You'd be wise not to mess with me or I will destroy your reputation in a heartbeat." She folded her arms over each other and glared at Draco.
"Fine," he huffed. And returned to his seat. His stuck out his tongue after Rita Skeeter closed the door again.
"Honestly, could you be any more immature," Hermione sighed. She pulled McGonagall's bag out of her pocket and emptied it onto the small table. Draco immediately grabbed two black pieces of parchment of the table and stared at them in awe.
"What is it?"
"Pureblood Birth Registration."
"Excuse me?"
"We have been given false identities, Beaver. Honestly, I thought you had some sense in that brain of yours."
"I am Muggleborn. How could I possibly know that you stuck-up purebloods have you own special birth acts? Give me mine." Hermione reached out and extracted one piece of paper from Draco's hands.
"My name is Lucretia Ignata Yaxley?" Hermione said in disgust.
"Don't make fun of that! Lucretia is a fine name. I fine pureblooded name. It's my grandma's, on father's side, middle name. You should be honoured."
"Pfft," Hermione scoffed. "What's your name then?"
"Cygnus Phineas Malfoy," he grinned. "Combining the best of two worlds."
Hermione sighed. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Cygnus is the name of Grandpops Black. And do I really have to explain the name 'Malfoy' to you?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. Draco continued to go through the stuff from the bag when the door of the compartment slit open again.
Another blond girl stood in the doorway and dragged her suitcase in. She ignored both Hermione and Draco and levitated her trunk onto the stacks. "You don't mind if I use this compartment too, do you? I need to get away from some people."
"If you tell us your name, maybe?" Hermione said irritated.
"Narcissa Nymphadora Black," she stretched out her hand and Hermione shook it hesitantly. "And you are?"
"I am," Hermione paused for a moment, for she didn't want at all to pronounce the horrible name she had been given. "I am Lucretia Ignata Yaxley. Nice to meet you."
"Splendid. And you are?" Narcissa asked Draco. "You look familiar."
"I am Cygnus Phineas Malfoy," he answered. "I doubt we've ever met."
"I doubt it too. You do look a lot like that dreadful second year Lucius Malfoy. Are you related to him?" she asked with interest, though well-hidden.
Draco had been staring at the included family tree and needed some time to answer. "Yes, we are. He's my second cousin, twice removed. But we've never met."
"Someone's been disowned?"
"Family row."
"Ah, I understand. We have those all the time. Unfortunately my parents and my aunt and uncle always have a truce about those. They believe that keeping the peace with all pureblooded families will keep the bloodline running. Someone should really step up for our rights, don't you think?"
"Well, maybe somebody will," Hermione said confident.
"I heard that Darren Nott's father is rooting for Minister. Things would change if he'd because that. For one, Mudbloods wouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts."
"I thought the school had it's own supervision over their students?" Hermione asked, hiding her anger.
"For now. The Ministry prefers to have more influence there. Half of the students are to have a job at the Ministry after they graduate. They prefer to have well-respected people as their staff instead of some accidents."
Hermione couldn't believe how easily Narcissa M—Black spoke of Muggleborns. She began to think that maybe people like Malfoy couldn't help but being prejudiced against Muggleborns, they had been raised like that, just as their parents were. Yet it didn't take away that everyone can change.
"You are right. But don't you think that… Mudbloods might have some wizard blood in their veins? How else could they receive their Hogwarts letter?" Hermione carefully asked.
"As I said: Mudbloods are accidents. Maybe, some time, long ago, a pureblooded wizard made the mistake of bedding a Muggle and that blood has travelled through the years. So that wouldn't even make them one percent wizard. Say, you are not defending that filth are you?" Narcissa asked suspiciously.
"Of course not. I would never think of caring, or worse: promoting, those lower beings," Hermione answered resolutely. "But I was wondering how the concept of Mudbloods could even happen if wizards and witches weren't involved."
"You make a valid point. But instead of wondering where they come from, I prefer to think of ways to get rid of them. They're a pest to the wizarding community. If we don't stop them now, they'll take over."
Narcissa was going to add something to her statement, but the door slid open and three boys and a two girls stumbled in. Three of them crawled under the benches and one jumped on one of the luggage rack. The girl with black hair looked around herself hastily and then jumped on the luggage rack that hung over Narcissa's head. Narcissa herself rolled her eyes and huffed disapprovingly.
The door opened loudly and in the doorway stood a much younger, yet not less uglier, version of Filch, Hogwarts caretaker. "You!" he pointed at Narcissa. "Where did those culprits go?"
"I am dreadfully sorry, sir. But I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you care to explain who you are looking for and what they have done. Maybe I'll be able to identify the people you are looking for."
"A careless looking lot. Three lads and two lasses. One lad with blond hair, much like that firsty in the corner. The lasses are related, Black I believe, one blond, one black hair. They were throwing dungbombs at the firsties. I reckon that freshes up your memory," Filch scoffed.
"I'm very sorry again, sir. I don't recall seeing my sisters and their friends strolling about. I think you have invaded the wrong compartment. I do heard a few people laughing out loud and running along the corridors. They went for the prefect carriage. Could you please go now, I'd like to discuss some matters with my friends."
Filch turned around and trusted on Narcissa's judgement. He gave her a nod of thankfulness and closed the door. The second it closed five people came out from hiding and seated themselves on the benches. The girl with black hair dangled from the luggage rack before letting herself fall next to her youngest sister.
"Truly Bella, I have no idea how you became a prefect. You're so immature," Narcissa noticed.
"I'm a born leader and I study. Besides, others in my year are dumb cows. I mean, I can't make out whether Annabelle Bulstrode is a bloke or a girl. Hey, who are your friends?" Bellatrix asked.
"The girl is Lucretia."
"You can call me Lucy," Hermione said. At least that name was far less worse than 'Lucretia'. Hermione still had to get used to talking regularly to people she would consider an enemy in the future.
"Very well, then you can call me Cissy. Or Cissa, whichever you prefer. And the lad in the corner is Cygnus."
"Like father," the other blond-haired girl noticed.
"I know that, Andy, he's my father too. Remember?" Narcissa retorted. "Anyway. These two girl are my sisters: Bellatrix and Andromeda. You can shorten both names down to Bella and Andy."
"Or Annie. Just not the entire name. I detest those long names. May I ever bare children, remind me to give it a normal name." Andromeda took a yoyo out of her pocket and started playing with it.
"But do name it after a family member. It shows respect," Narcissa implied.
"I'll think off a nice star to satisfy Mother. But I'll shorten it down. Were it only to regain a normal social status for the kid." Andromeda almost hit the boy opposite of her with the yoyo.
"Do watch where you swing that bloody object," he raged.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Narcissa apologized to Hermione and Draco. "That is Korvin Gibbon. That blond boy is Gustavé Jugson and 'he who already develops a beard' is Rodolphus Lestrange. And… where on earth did you leave Lucius?" Narcissa asked, wrinkling her nose.
"I… well…" Rodolphus began to explain. "We couldn't stop him."
"Stop him from doing what?" Narcissa asked.
"Stop him from stepping outside a carriage and hiding on the outside of the train," Andy said nonchalantly, still playing with her yoyo.
"You do know the doors of the carriages don't open from the outside?" Hermione said, getting everyone's attention. "You didn't?" she asked astonished. "Because he can't get back now."
Within seconds, all five people who had come in half an hour ago were running outside, stumbling over each other. Hermione heard Bella cursing Rodolphus for letting Lucius cling onto the carriage.
"How did you know that?" Narcissa asked, the moment Draco was going to ask the same question.
"I have read it in Hogwarts: A History. It's quite a useful book, you know. I think Hogwarts should force every student to read it before entering the school."
"That's quite amazing. Maybe I'll have a look at it when we arrive."
Ten minutes later they now hextet came strolling into the compartment again. Rodolphus and Korvin carrying Lucius inside. They threw him onto the bench, next to Hermione. Draco had trouble not to laugh at his father.
"What are you snickering about," Lucius glared at Draco. He also made an attempt of straightening his hair an muttered something about 'ribbon and wind' under his breath.
"Just the fact that you look ridiculous," Draco answered. "Honestly, stop trying to look older than you are, because it's not working."
"I have to give Cyg credit for that," Bella agreed.
"Cyg?" Lucius asked.
"Yes, Cyg; Cygnus. He and Lucy are Cissy's new friends. Cyg, Lucy, this is Lucius. But then again, you must have figured that out by now. Lucius, do try to remember names this time," Bella said.
"What? I am very good at names!"
"What's my sisters full name then?"
"Andromeda," he grinned.
"The other." Bella sighed dramatically and shook her head.
"Ciss.. Cissandra?" he tried.
"It's Narcissa, you pompous prat!" Narcissa spat. "Do try to remember."
"Listen everyone! We will be arriving at the Hogmeade train station within fifteen minutes. I suggest you all get into your robes, or I'll have your head for it if you wont. Certainly if you wont do it under my watch!" Rita Skeeter's voice echoed through the corridor.
"Seriously, I can't stand that girl," Rodolphus complained. Bellatrix hummed in agreement.
"Seriously, you two should take your task more seriously. You two are prefects! You should patrol the corridors and help first year out," Narcissa scoffed. Hermione couldn't help but agree.
"Oi, Cyg. Could I help you by offering you a Sugar Quill?" Rodolphus yelled.
Draco looked up and smiled a wicked smile. "Why of course you can." Draco caught the Sugar Quill out of the air with his mouth.
"See, Cissa, I helped a firsty out. Now I've already done fifty percent of my chores," he smiled.
"I don't mean it like that, Roddy!" she spat at him. "That you could take running and giggling down the corridor into account for 'patrolling'?"
"Lets do that," Bella said. She stuck out her hand and Rodolphus shook it. He grinned accomplished to Narcissa. "Now we've done one hundred percent of our work. I'd say job well done!" Bella smiled.
Andromeda catched her yoyo in her hand. "We should go change," she said.
"You're right." Lucius turned to Narcissa, Draco and Hermione. "Well, see you all at the station. Our stuff are in one of the compartments in the back. Later." He said before exiting.
Hermione only then realised that both she and Draco had no trunks, and therefore no school robes and school supplies. She looked at Draco who had apparently realised the same thing.
There was a knock on the door. And again Filch was in the doorway.
"Again, Mr. Filch. We haven't seen the people you are looking for," Narcissa sighed.
"Oh, I'm not here for them this time, Miss." Filch grinned lopsided and dragged two trunks into the compartment. "I believe these are yours Mr Malfoy and Miss Yaxley?" he asked.
Hermione looked at the trunks and saw her fake name embroiled on the left trunk. "Yes," she gulped. "Those are definitely ours. We lost them when we got onto the train. Thank you so much for retrieving them."
"Don't let it happen again," he huffed and he closed the door with a bang.
"You lost your suitcases?" Narcissa asked. "How… odd."
"Well, it was quite overwhelming, you know. The first time on the Hogwarts Express," Draco tried to explain. "Certainly when you don't have elder siblings to fill in the blanks about the how and what of Hogwarts."
"True," Narcissa said, while straightening her robes. She levitated a mirror into the air and redid her hair. Hermione noticed that it stayed up without a pen or a ribbon.
Hermione was, as Draco, pretty much going through the motions during the walk down the train station while Hagrid yelled for the first years. Draco snickered about Narcissa's comment about Hagrid being a 'dumb oaf'. Hermione couldn't appreciate it.
The journey over the lake wasn't anything new too. Though Hogwarts seemed to be a bit different than the one she had seen while crossing the lake almost forty years later. McGonagall was even then the one leading the first years into the Great Hall, but the latter was different.
At least, the seating arrangement of the teachers was. Not Professor Dumbledore was sitting on the golden throne, but the previous Headmaster, Professor Dippet. Hermione found it an aspect she had to get used to.
"Please step forward when I call your name," Professor McGonagall said.
"Black, Narcissa." It didn't came as a surprise that she was sorted into Slytherin, after all, all Black's were sorted into that House except for Sirius.
Hermione was a bit distracted by the happenings when Professor McGonagall called out her name. Only when she repeated it, Hermione climbed onto the stool. She was the last out of line and Draco had been re-sorted into Slytherin already.
"Hmm, yes. A Yaxley! But what is that… No I really can't deny that. Yes. SLYTHERIN!" it exclaimed. And this was the only thing, Hermione noticed, that has shut Malfoy up.