Hello everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank my two reviewers for my first chapter. I appreciate your support so much and the time you took to leave a review. Without further ado, here is my second chapter! I hope you enjoy it. I know its quite a slow start to the year at Hogwarts, but I felt it was important to adequately introduce most of the characters.
Chapter 2
It was a rather beautiful morning at King's Cross Station with the sun shining proudly hugged by an ocean of blue. Narcissa and her sisters walked towards the barrier with their parents who had looked as though they had fallen into a sewer as they walked through the sea of muggles. Cygnus Black was grabbing his expensive silk robes towards him in order to prevent it from brushing up against one of the inferior beings. As they made their way through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾, they were greeted by the majestic Hogwarts Express.
Narcissa stared in awe and unleashed a tiny inaudible gasp while marveling at its beauty. Bellatrix strode by next to her and put an arm around her little sister.
"Oh, come on Cissy suck it up, it's the third time you've seen it. Stop acting like it's your first."
Narcissa rolled her eyes and continued admiring the train as it indeed did feel like the first time seeing it all over again. That is the effect the red and golden accents of the Hogwarts Express had on you. It was a non-magical magical feeling which was a rare encounter in the magical world.
She looked to her left and saw her mother approaching her with a tall menacing-looking dark-featured man. This man was Rosier, Narcissa's uncle from her mother's side, who was trailed by Narcissa's first cousin, Evan Rosier. Evan Rosier was in the same year as Narcissa and they were both sorted into Slytherin together two years prior. As her only immediate family member who was the same age, she had grown up spending time with him, and together they had formed a decent friendship. Evan Rosier was a shoulder taller than Narcissa and had dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes.
"My dear cousin!" Evan exclaimed as he walked towards Narcissa and placed a kiss on her hand.
"Evan" Narcissa smiled while she nodded courteously. He took her hand and ushered her towards the train where they were met by Bellatrix at its entrance.
Bellatrix was standing with Andromeda, a tall dark-haired boy with olive skin and a scar on his cheek, and Andromeda's best friend Driscilla Abbott, a Hufflepuff member of the Sacred 28 pureblood families. Had she not been part of the sacred 28, Bellatrix would not have dared being seen with a Hufflepuff.
"Cissy, there you are! We've been looking for you. Wouldn't want your dainty little self to go missing, would we?" Bellatrix said in a mocking and slightly erratic tone.
"Roddy will you go put my trunk and save us a compartment, love?" she said batting her eyelashes towards the tall dark-haired boy.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you Bellatrix Black," He said after kissing her cheek and eventually leaving with her heavy baggage.
"See my little sisters, that is how you get a man twisted around your beautiful little fingers. Men are blimey idiots" barked Bellatrix in a low mischievous tone.
The group was interrupted by a loud crash coming from the entrance to the platform. A tall and well-built red-headed man had stumbled and fell along with the trolley he was carrying. The man was not dressed in school robes, however, was accompanied by a slightly chubby red-headed girl dressed in Gryffindor robes.
"What a mess" expressed Narcissa while glaring at the pair in a disapproving and disgusted manner.
"That's the Weasley boy, he graduated last year. His family of blood traitors is a huge disgrace to the sacred 28 list. Father has been signing petitions to get them removed. The girl is some irrelevant Gryffindor in my year, I don't care enough to know her name" explained Bellatrix loudly attempting to humiliate the pair in front of their classmates.
Bellatrix's loud attempt at humiliating the pair drew in the attention of a boy.
"Father says he's been trying to get a position at the Ministry since he graduated. He actually thinks he stands a chance, what an embarrassment! We're already plagued with a mudblood-loving headmaster, we don't need that Weasley scum in the higher ranks."
Bellatrix turned around and was faced with a Slytherin fourth year. He was extraordinarily well-groomed with luscious silvery blonde hair that reached his shoulders, cold grey emotionless eyes filled with hatred as he talked about the Weasley boy, and a head standing tall and proud. Above his school robes, he was wearing a black coat made from the finest cashmere and expensive black leather dress boots.
"Spoken like a true pureblood Malfoy, mom and dad would be proud" replied Bellatrix with a slight smile that was unseen from her towards younger students excluding her sisters.
The Malfoy boy was quickly interrupted by a pretty brunette accompanied by a blonde who both looked to be in the same year as him. The brunette wore Slytherin robes and the blonde Ravenclaw. Narcissa recognized the girls from passing them in the corridors last year, however, had never spoken to them as they were in the year above her.
"Lucius! How was your summer?" They chimed in unanimously while looking up at him adoringly.
Malfoy turned to face them and a sly smirk starting creeping across his face as he pointed at the glaring blue sky.
"Nothing like that," he remarked sourly as he turned back to give them a quick nod before disappearing into the train.
The two girls started giggling before retreating to join another group of students. Narcissa was aware of Lucius Malfoy, how could she not be. He was a year older than her and the heir to the Malfoy bloodline, whom amongst Pureblood society were very powerful and influential. Lucius Malfoy's power, charm, and handsome good looks meant that he captured the interest of most girls in his year including those of other houses. He even garnered the attention of those older and younger than him alike. He was adored by professors, received top marks, and was Slytherin's seeker with rumors circulating that he would be made captain of the Slytherin quidditch team next year. Lucius Malfoy was who every girl wanted to be with and who every boy wanted to be. Narcissa had never made proper conversation with him and frankly was not interested enough to. She was content with her social circle and thought life had more pressing matters than chasing a school heartthrob.
The clock suddenly chimed loudly signifying that the train was expected to depart in exactly five minutes.
Druella and Cygnus quickly approached their three daughters and gave them small hugs.
"Behave and look after each other girls! I better not see anything below an EE on your report cards," mentioned Cygnus in a playful yet stern tone that reminded the sisters that those grades would indeed not be tolerated.
Druella crouched down at eye level with Narcissa.
"And you little one, don't get into too much trouble at Hogsmeade" chimed Druella before planting a kiss on Narcissa's forehead.
"Alright that's enough everyone is staring" growled Bellatrix as she recoiled from her father's grip and lightly pushed him away.
The Blacks, and most pureblooded families alike in the 1950s, were not supportive of exaggerated public displays of affection. Narcissa had grown up watching her parents have an affectionate and loving relationship behind closed doors, however, to the public they withheld from expressing it.
Narcissa followed her two sisters and climbed onto the train. As she walked through the narrow corridor of the train, passing by numerous compartments, a third year slammed into her knocking her wand out of her grasp.
The third-year quickly picked up her wand and looked up at her piercing and frosty blue eyes glaring down upon him. When he realized who she was he shot up and fumbled nervously.
"S-s-sorry Narcissa" he stuttered before looking back up at her.
"Next time look in front of you before you accidentally claw someone's eye out," she said in a low icy tone before turning back and finding that her friends had reserved a compartment nearby.
Over her two years at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Narcissa had garnered a reputation in her year of being Slytherin's ice princess. She was cold, calculating, witty, and nobody dared to cross her. Unlike her sister Bellatrix, and to the delight of her mother Druella, she was calm, elegant, and collected in her composure and manners. Bellatrix was loud, erratic, had a very short temper, and was not afraid to break rules. Narcissa was the type to break rules but was very intelligent and never discovered while doing so giving her a high and dignified reputation amongst her peers and professors. Narcissa was also a very talented witch for her age and, like her sister Andromeda had a charismatic aura that drew people to her and the gift of being able to entertain a crowd. This instated her popularity within her year. Andromeda, however, was warm, sympathetic, and refrained from breaking rules sharing little to no characteristics with her eldest sister Bellatrix.
Narcissa's social circle was mainly confined to her fellow third years. She was occasionally invited to fifth-year gatherings by Andromeda and seventh-year gatherings by Bellatrix, although Bellatrix forbade Narcissa from attending most parties until her fourth year due to the high levels of alcohol consumption.
As she entered the compartment, she was met with the familiar expressions of her friends. Evan Rosier, Phoebe Avery, Ramona Johnson, Arthur Carrow, and her best friend Nancy Parkinson who quickly pulled her into an embrace. Each of them belonged to Slytherin house.
"Cissy! Oh, merlin how I've missed you" Nancy exclaimed as her other friends chimed in with their greetings.
Narcissa had met Nancy Parkinson prior to the Sorting Hat ceremony in her first year. They were anxiously waiting for their turns and had bonded over their shared desire to be in Slytherin as it was a tradition for both families. Nancy was a slim brunette with olive skin and dark brown eyes. Although dark, her eyes were ignited with a flare of passion that shone in a constant twinkle. Arthur Carrow and Phoebe Avery were an item and currently the only pair in the friend group with a significant other although everybody knew that Evan Rosier had a thing for Ramona Johnson. Arthur, Phoebe, and Ramona were a trio in their first year and had bonded with Narcissa, Nancy, and Evan after they were all teamed up by Professor Slughorn to create a Felix Felicis potion in their second-year Potions class. Due to the difficulty of the potion, Professor Slughorn had formed groups of six rather than the usual three.
The remainder of the train ride to Hogwarts was filled with enticing stories from their summer vacations and echoes of laughter in compartment #8. When the train finally came to a halt at Hogsmeade station, Narcissa and her friends disembarked from the train and heard the familiar sound of the gamekeeper Hagrid ushering first years to the special boats that took them to the castle's doors.
"Two years later and it's the same boats, same train, and" expressed Evan before turning to his friends to complete his sentence that had become a tradition since their second year.
"Same oaf!" replied Nancy, Phoebe, Arthur, and Ramona while howling in laughter. Narcissa only chimed in on the laughter but was smart enough to not let herself be heard by any professors insulting a staff member although she had completely agreed with the statement.
The friend group continued to search for a carriage that could fit all six of them. Carriages were the method of transport to the castle for students in their second year up until their seventh year. They approached a carriage that seemed to be empty and groaned when they saw there was one small second year Hufflepuff student in it.
"Need the ride, Cissy? No problem" yelled Bellatrix who had come out of nowhere. Narcissa held the bridge of her nose in disapproval as she heard the wicked laughter that had trailed Bellatrix's words. That was the sound of Bellatrix getting into some sort of mischief.
"SERPENSORTIA" roared Bellatrix as a long, dark, green snake erupted from the tip of her wand into the carriage. The boy shrieked at the sight of the serpent, frantically jumped off the carriage, and ran away.
"It's all yours dear sister" she proclaimed with a sinister smile before running away to join Rodolphus on a carriage while simultaneously looking for an excuse to hex any younger students on the way.
Narcissa did not approve of such careless erratic behavior near the castle in plain sight of their professors. Nevertheless, the carriage was successfully emptied, and she mounted it along with her friends. As much as Bellatrix's behavior bothered her, her first two years at Hogwarts would have been disastrous without her guidance. Bellatrix was always there for her even if that meant hexing anyone that dared to cross one of her younger sisters. The carriage began moving and the Hogwarts castle started peering behind the large dense Forbidden Forest. They were passing the sloping lawns, vegetable patches, flowerbeds, and the Black Lake. The orchestra of towers sparkled in the moonlight.
Upon arrival, they entered the astonishing Great Hall for the annual Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat began singing the usual song as the nervous first years stood by awaiting their fates. The first student had mounted the stool that offered a haunting view of the entire student body.
"Ambitious, cunning, and resourceful…. I'll put you in SLYTHERIN" roared the Sorting Hat as the Slytherin table started cheering at winning over the first student in the ceremony.
The following students were almost equally placed into each of the four houses. The table became filled with a large and exquisite feast which was welcomed by students famished after the long train journey. Exhausted from the eventful day, after eating, Narcissa and her friends returned back to the Slytherin dormitories and directly went to sleep. Excitement was igniting in Narcissa's mind for the year she would be enjoying at Hogwarts.
And that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next chapter I will begin picking up the pace, but I hope you enjoyed my depictions of the characters so far. I tried to make them as much in character as possible and followed the canon timeline (ages and Hogwarts years). I also tried to include as many canon characters as possible (hint at Arthur and Molly Weasley). Even though this is in Narcissa's perspective, you'll still be seeing all our other beloved characters and their lives through her lens. I might switch up perspectives in the following chapters too. So please stick around if you're not seeing too much of your favorite character so far. Soon we will be diving into Narcissa's fourth year where Lucius Malfoy will become prefect and after that will come Narcissa's fifth year where the long-awaited Severus Snape and Marauders will be joining them as first years at Hogwarts. Reviews are much appreciated so thanks again!