This is definitely my longest chapter yet, over 5000 words. Please comment if you can find any mistakes or inconsistencies


Avior sleepily cracked his eyes open at the sound of knocking on his window, an owl waiting for its master to receive their post. He grumbled incoherently, burying his head deeper into the embrace of his pillow. His breaths evened out once more, about to fall back into sleep, before his eyes shot open, and he sat up dizzyingly fast.

Avior hopped out of bed, stumbling in his drowsiness and shivering from the cold morning air, but he still made his way excitedly towards the owl. He unlatched the window, swinging it open for the owl to enter, who hooted in thanks to being relieved of their duty. He eagerly untied the letter from the owls offered claw, jumping in glee at seeing the Hogwarts crest stamped on the front. Absentmindedly giving the owl a treat in thanks, Avior jogged to the door, throwing it open in his haste.

"Mother, Father! It's finally arrived, look!" Avior shouted down the stairs after he'd made sure the bird made its way to the owlery. He hurried into the sitting room where his family gathered in the mornings, still dressed in his pyjamas. His mother, who was reading a book on healing spells, glanced up and smiled at him. She loved when he was like this, acting young and happy as he should at his age.

" Has it now? Well, we better read it then. We can head to Diagon Alley this afternoon to grab all your school supplies so that you can be ready for your first day." Before Avior could answer in agreement, his brother Orion cut in from his place at the table.

" Mother, don't you remember? Lucretia and I were planning to go tomorrow with our friends. If you'd like, Avior can come along. I bet Abraxas will be bringing Arcadius, and it shouldn't be too much trouble to persuade Marilyn and Cassius that Casimir should tag along." He smiles indulgingly towards his younger brother, seeing his growing excitement.

" Yes! Mum, please can I go with them, please~?"

Melania sighed out in defeat as she stared into Avior's puppy-like eyes. She really couldn't bear to say no. She had been looking forward to taking her youngest shopping, but to see him so excited about this, she indulged him.

" Alright, yes, you may go with your siblings and their friends."

"Yes! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"

" But! Don't cause a single bit of trouble for either them or the others, understood?"

" Yes, mother. I promise." They shared a mutual grin before turning their attention back to his acceptance letter.


"Avi, I'll head over first then you follow, Luce will be right behind you, ok? Remember to pronounce your words clearly otherwise Merlin knows where you'll end up." Orion lectured him as they made their way to one of the homes ornate floo's, Lucretia behind them snickering at her brother's fussing.

"Orion, he'll be fine, he's been flooing since he was a babe."

"But anything could happen! You know it's dangerous times now Luce, and if he ends up somewhere random, who knows what kind of threat he could face!"

"Britain's safe, Ori, and he's got a portkey on him. He knows to activate it if he feels even the slightest bit wary of a situation, as do you. Now, go on, the others expect us to arrive at any moment. We don't want to keep them waiting, especially Tom." She looks at him sternly over Aviors head, and he nods in staunch agreement.

"Right, let's head off then." Orion turns to grab a handful of floo powder, chucking it into the fire. He gives Lucretia one last look before stepping into the flames. "Diagon Alley!"


" Casimir, Arcadius!" Avior shouted in joy as he spotted his two closest friends within the large group of eight they were approaching.

" Avior!" Arcadius grinned back, Casimir nodding in greeting before turning back to his brother. The rest of the group looked up to watch the Black siblings approach, many of them focusing on the youngest.

Most of them had briefly interacted with him at gatherings and social events before, but the youngest Black was hard to meet. He'd always lived a sheltered life, away from big crowds and the outside world. He was a great unknown, barely any information having come out about him.

Not knowing all about someone was something Tom Riddle hated with a burning passion. He couldn't even glean the facts of Avior out of his relatives' minds, them being protected magically by ancient family magic too old for him to tamper with. Tom would have to learn about the boy from the source. He could be a great asset to his plans in the future, being the sole heir to a notorious lordship as well as an heir to Britain's wealthiest and darkest house.

His mind set, he went to greet their new arrivals.

"Hello Lucretia, Orion." He acknowledged then and they both nodded their heads in greeting, albeit reluctantly, not exactly keen on their brother seeing them bow their heads to a half-blood. Although they would, only for their Lord. Tom looked to Avior, observing the curious but guarded expression on his face. "My name is Tom Riddle, and you must be Avior. I have heard much about you from your relatives. Walburga seems very fond of you, so I have been eagerly waiting to meet her cousin who she adores so much. She is a very hard person to please."

" Yes, she is, Tom...Riddle? Huh." He glanced around, taking note of the older students' wary expressions at his questioning tone. 'If some of the wizarding worlds most powerful purebloods heirs are hanging around this guy, he must be strong. He can't be a mudblood ' Avior thought to himself, focusing on feeling Tom's magic. What he found there surprised him, however. 'Hm, so he isn't just some no-name mudblood." Are you related to the Gaunt's by any chance? Your magic feels just like a Gaunts would. I can feel their family magic surrounding you." He commented airily, like he didn't already know, taking pleasure in seeing Tom's expression change to one of surprise.

" I am. My mother, she was a Gaunt. You can...feel magic?"

" Yes." Avior can feel the moment that he piques Tom's interest, sees it in his eyes as they become sharp and full of want. Swears that he saw them briefly flicker red.

" How did you acquire the ability to do so?" Tom queries innocently enough, putting on a questioning air to hid his growing greed.

"It's a hereditary trait that first appeared in my ancestors, although the ability has been showing less and less in recent years. Only me and my grandfather have it. At the moment, I can only sense magic, but I'm getting closer to being able to see it as well." He saw Arcadius looking at him questioningly, asking him if he would tell Riddle about him. Neither of them saw the look of utter panic on Abraxas' face as he went to speak once more. "Oh, and Arcadius also has the ability, one of the few Malfoy's to ever do so. He can see magic, yet can't sense it." Avior explained proudly.

" How interesting, I had no idea such an ability existed. It seems that my friends forgot to inform me of some things." Avior watched as he looked to those surrounding him, noting the subtle warning in his eyes. He saw how they all minutely cowered under his stare. They were afraid of him.

Avior could tell, at that moment, that Tom Riddle was the undisputed leader of Slytherin, maybe even the whole of Hogwarts. Even while not being a Pureblood.

He was not someone Avior could mess with yet, not if even his older siblings couldn't disobey him without consequences.

" My family try not to let the abilities existence spread, the ministry is known for labelling magic's that they can't control as evil." He broke eye contact with Riddle when he felt Casimir shuffle over to him, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

" Be careful around him, Avi. He's incredibly dangerous. I can only read small snippets of his future, so he must be well-rehearsed in the arts of occulmency. Please, don't tell him that I'm a seer, he'll abuse my power like crazy. He's already beginning to wonder how he can fit you and Arcadius into his plans. You've both intrigued Riddle, he knows now that you both hold a power that he can never attain." Avior kept a blank face throughout the conversation, not looking in Riddle's direction now that he knew he might be a Legillimens.

" Sure, Cas, I'll do anything to protect you, you know that I would." Casimir nodded in thanks, turning to walk in Arcadius' direction, probably to warn him as well. He was regretful that he'd bragged about Arcadius and himself sharing the same power, unknowingly dragging him into whatever Riddle's plans were.

Avior turned back to the others only to discover that he was under the scrutiny of Cassius Lestrange.

" Yes, Cassius?" He questioned his friend's older brother with an eyebrow raised. Cassius was a tall boy, with sharp aristocratic features, ruffled-looking dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, unlike his younger brother's softer cerulean.

" Whatever my brother just told you, Avior, you must take it to heart. He is mostly never wrong. What he warned you about, it must be something important, Casimir wouldn't have intervened if it wasn't. So, please, listen to his advice." With that, Cassius turned on his heel and walked off, leaving Avior to stare confusedly at his back.

He turned back to continue his conversation with Riddle, only to see that he was now deep in discussion with Abraxas, who was growing increasingly paler the longer they talked. He was nodding his head shakily to whatever Tom was saying to him, eyes flittering towards Arcadius in fear.

Avior sneered at the scene, stomping towards his friend to get him out of their line of sight. He grabbed Arcadius' arm and pulled him towards his siblings, Casimir joining them on his other side. He pointedly glared at his brother, who chuckled, ruffling his hair fondly.

"You must be getting bored. Everyone's here now though, so we can head off. Madam Malkins first, eh?" He got three identical grins in return.


" Ow, watch it!" Arcadius yelped for the nth time as he was once again pricked by a needle. Avior swore that he saw Madam Malkin roll her eyes as she tutted in exasperation.

" If you just stayed still, then I wouldn't poke you." She ground out, on edge from having so many students in her shop at once. Arcadius glared at her, turning his head to the side while gritting his teeth. He didn't want to act up, not with all his brother's friends around.

The older students were watching on in amusement, having already gotten their robes fitted, although Abraxas looked five seconds away from cursing the witch.

" That damn witch, she's doing that on purpose!" He grumbled quietly to those surrounding him, earning a snicker from Rosier.

" Now, now Abraxas, I'm sure your little brother can handle himself just fine. Stop being such a mother hen."

" He is eleven years old, and my baby brother, I will not sit here and watch that filthy scum deliberately poke him!" He raged, glaring heatedly at the witch who looked at him warily as she overheard their conversation. He stuck his nose in the air, looking down on her. " I would have much rather of gone to Twillfitt and Tatting's, the service there is always exemplary, but unfortunately we couldn't. I'd heard such great views about this place, yet it seems to me that it was just the mudbloods and blood traitors talking again." Abraxas took please in seeing the witch grit her teeth, trying so hard to keep calm. He knew that she needed the business they were offering, as she was a newer shop in Diagon Alley. She wasn't going to chuck them out, no matter what he said, so he wanted to milk this chance as much as possible. Unfortunately, Tom was beginning to grow annoyed, so he glared sharply at Abraxas, telling him to keep quiet with a hiss. He listened to him immediately, sinking ever so slightly back in his chair. The others didn't even dare to laugh again.

Madam Malkin worked in silence for the rest of their visit, glancing warily at them from time to time, trying to finish with their robes as soon as possible. Luckily for her, and them, she was finished just before lunch, sending them on their way to eat while she added the finishing touches.

" Hey, Braxus, can we go Magical Menagerie? I need to get some treats for Aphaea." Arcadius asked his brother, who hummed in agreement but not before eyeing Tom for permission, Avior observed.

"Turtles have treats?" He asked his friend, who huffed indignantly.

Aphaea is not a turtle! She's a tortoise, Avi. And of course tortoises have treats, she's particularly fond of the ones the Selwyn's make."

"You have a tortoise?" Casimir questioned with a raised eyebrow, earning dumbfounded looks from his two friends.

"Yes, I thought I had told you that father bought me one a couple of months ago. He was trying to bribe me into not telling mother that he'd broken one of her favourite vases. She still found out, but I'd already gotten her by then."

You did?"

"Yes, I sent you multiple letters. You did receive them, didn't you? Antheia always can back empty-handed."

"Ohhh, that's why there are loads of envelopes on my desk."

"You don't read them?!"

"I never read the post unless it's sent in a colourful envelope. My relatives have unfortunately found this out and now send theirs in red, forcing me to read it."

"Why?"

"My father says that since I'm still young, I can choose what post I want to read or not, and he'll read the rest. White hurts my eyes." He explains as if its a reasonable excuse.

"I don't think that's what he meant."

"Tough."

They had a short stop in Magical Menagerie, before deciding to go and get their wands before they picked up their uniform.

Walking into the shop, the group crammed in, there being barely enough space for all of them to fit comfortably. The older ones watched on expectantly as Ollivander greeted the three soon to be first years.

" Ah, what a pleasant surprise! I don't think I've had this many people in this shop since It was my father's. Abraxas Malfoy, Aspen wood and dragon heartstring, 11 1/4 inches, I hope it still serves you well?"

"Yes sir, it's a fine wand to be paired with." He responded stiffly, uncomfortable with the way Ollivander is staring so intensely at him.

"Yes, yes... Ah! Lestrange, I remember, Chestnut and also dragon heartstring, 12 3/4 inches. A most wonderfully crafted wand, one that my great-grandfather himself made." He turned to Cassius, making him shuffle uncomfortably, but nod back in confirmation. "And Tom Riddle. I remember when you first got yours as clear as day. Yes, phoenix feather, 13 1/2 inches. A spectacular wand, only made by me a few years before. It was one of my best creations so far... Anyway, let's get picking. Come along, hold out your wand arm young Malfoy, that's it."

Arcadius was chosen first, stepping forward once the measuring was over. Ollivander was muttering, bustling about his shelves and picking down what appeared to be random wands. He dropped them carefully on the counter, opening one and offering the contents to him.

" Applewood and unicorn hair, 11 1/2 inches. Give it a swish." Arcadius took it warily, and rightly so, as it set a stool in the corner on fire as soon as it touched his fingertips. Ollivander snatched it away from his grasp hastily, flicking his own wand to extinguish the fire. " No, no, not a match at all! Try this one, Ebony and dragon heartstring, 12 3/4 inches long." Arcadius accepted the wand carefully as if he expected it to combust in his hand. When it didn't do anything, he stared at it blankly. Ollivander tutted, taking the wand. "Not quite... ah, I may have just the match for you!" He disregarded his previous selection wands, going back to the shelves, humming happily. He picked one off of the shelf and handed it to Arcadius. " Willow and dragon heartstring, 13 inches exactly. Reasonably flexible." He finished with a grin as the tip lit up in a bright Lumos. " Well, it seems as though we've found the one." He announced proudly to the others, delightfully taking in the sight of Abraxas congratulating Arcadius on his wand. Oh, how he adored watching the bonds between sibling flourish.

" Mr Lestrange, hold out your arm please, thank you," Ollivander ordered, picking up the boxes to return them to their places, selecting new ones to bring to the front, prospects for Casimir's wand. He held out a rather dusty box to him, flipping the lid open for Casimir to pick up the wand inside. "Rowan wood and dragon heartstring, 10 1/2 inches." Casimir picked it up, and the shop windows exploded. The wand clearly didn't accept. He hastily dropped the wand, looking sheepishly at his chuckling older siblings.

" Oh, that's a definite no. Well, I've got hundreds more to try and I am very sure we'll find the one that matches you perfectly." Ollivander said, cheerfully. That perfect wand took another six disasters to show, and the occupants in the room let out an inaudible sigh of relief when it let out colourful sparks. " Black walnut, dragon heartstring and 12 1/4 inches, a very fine wand. Ridgid and firm. Quite the personality as well, from what I can see. You have an enthusiastic wand there, Mr Lestrange, I hope that It will serve you well for many years to come."

Casimir happily stared at his wand, showing it off to his siblings who smiled indulgently at his delight. Avior stepped up last, holding out his arm before Ollivander could ask. He earned a nod, the man scurrying off to find wands that he felt would fit the young Peverell heir. It almost made him salivate, the potential of the young man standing there was far greater than most. No matter what path he took, it would be one that led him to greatness and eternal glory.

He located the wands that gave off a slight glow, showing that they were a possibility for compatibility, although he wouldn't know for sure until they came directly in contact with the young wizard. He was making his way back to the front with an armful of boxes, when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a brightly glowing box, tucked away in a dusty corner. He approached it, eyes widening as he read the label.

" I wonder... How great you could be with a wand made by one of my most revered ancestors, heir Peverell." He muttered to himself, picking the box up and placing it atop the others. He tottered back to the front, smiling as he placed them down in front of the child, who looked like he could barely stop himself from snatching one.

" Here, try this one. Blackthorn and dragon heartstring, 11 3/4, relatively springy." Ollivander offered it, even though he was itching to give that one to him first. Patience was virtue

The wand didn't have any kind of reaction, only laying limply in his hand without even so much as a spark. Avior sighed, passing it back to Ollivander so that he could try another one. " Cherry, unicorn hair, 12 1/4 inches." This back and forth went on until all the boxes picked out had been discarded to the side, and only one remained. " I saved this one until last because it is a very old one, I wasn't sure if it would ever find its match," Ollivander explained solemnly, holding out the wand. Avior grasped it, eyes widening as he felt a current spark through his whole body, igniting it. A wave of pure magical power flowed out from him, and the tip of the wand spat out bright silver sparkes. "Extraordinary. I never thought I'd see the day his last wand was sold."

"Who's last wand?"

" My many times' great-grandfather, Gawain Ollivander, one of the finest wandmakers our family has ever produced. And that wand in your hand is the only wand of his that never sold. It's almost as if it was waiting for you..." He drifted off in thought, leaving Avior to stare in awe at his new wand.

" What is it? What's it made of?" He asked in a hushed tone.

" Acacia wood and a phoenix feather from his trusted companion. 14 inches exactly. He never made a wand like it again, phoenixes didn't ever approach him due to him owning one himself. I believe you'll do great things with this wand, young Black, very great things indeed. I wish you well, all of you. That'll be 7 galleons each, please. Have a good rest of the day!"

They departed from the shop in silence, the occasional glance being sent at Avior, who took no notice, too busy staring at his wand.

" So, you got a special wand, eh? That's my little brother. Mother and father will be proud to know this." His brother patted his shoulder with a grin, staring down at him with sincerity

" Yeah," Avior replied happily. He hoped to live up to the expectations now placed on his shoulders. He would be the best he could possibly be.


Saying goodbye to his family till the Christmas holidays was probably the most challenging thing Avior had had to do in his life so far. He'd never gone longer than a week without seeing either of them before, so how was he supposed to wait until the holidays!? Seeing his mother's proud tears and his father's smug expression made up for it though. They were sending their last child off to Hogwarts after all, why wouldn't they be pleased?

The whistle of the train signalling its imminent departure came all too soon for the family, who were still clinging to each other, tightly. Another round of promises to 'Look out for your baby brother' 'Make sure you eat well' 'Lucretia, you better woo that Prewett boy or your grandfather will send you a howler', and then their children were off for the year, loading onto the train.

hey waited to wave them off, smiling indulgingly as their youngest waved excitedly from one of the windows, the train quickly speeding up until it pulled out of the station.

Avior walked up the aisle, determined on finding his friends. He'd left his siblings behind in his rush, not paying attention to which compartment they disappeared into.

He was in luck, as his friends were standing in the hallway, having yet to find a compartment.

" Cas, Arca!" Avior greeted them.

"Avi!" They called, pulling him towards them. He spotted an empty compartment a little further up, dragging them into it so that they could talk in peace. He didn't exactly want to be stuffed in a cabin with his siblings and their friends for the whole ride, after all

" So, how was the rest of your summer? Mine was boring! Mother kept nagging me constantly to read all my school books even though I knew everything in them already! But she told me that it's best to be prepared and that I don't want some mudblood knowing more than me just because I couldn't be bothered to read the book." Avior complained, earning grave nods from his two friends.

" Yeah, my mum said the same thing. She even made me read extra books to 'further my knowledge'!" Arcadius ranted, the others adding on that they'd experienced similar.

Their grumbling was cut short by the door of the cabin sliding open with a bang, revealing two out of breath first years. Avior was immediately intrigued. He hadn't ever seen these two before.

" Hi, can we sit here? Thanks." One questioned, before plonking himself ungracefully onto the seat without waiting for a response. Avior's lip curled in disgust, before smoothing out. It wouldn't do well to make an enemy of them when he didn't know what kind of backing they held.

He held out his hand to the one closest to himself, garnering a confused stare back

" My names Avior Black, and you are?" He drawled, flashing a quick, disarming smile his way. His grandmother always emphasised on the importance of wooing potential enemies before they could become one. The boy seemed to relax at his polite introduction, grinning back and leaning forward to clasp his hand

" David Marley. Its nice to-" He began before startling as Avior ripped his hand harshly out of his, cradling it to his chest as if he had been burnt.

"A mudblood!"

" What?" He answered, shocked at the seemingly kind boys' aggressive reaction.

"Must we really share a cabin with these filth, Avior? Surely they can find another place to go." Casimir drawled out, looking disgusted as if they'd contaminated the place.

" I would rather not sit where they have, either. Come on, let's find the others, I bet they're sitting with our siblings and their friends. Oh, and did you hear? The Eibon's have the gall to send their youngest daughter to Hogwarts this year even after all the ruckus they caused at our ball. They didn't even send us a formal apology! Honestly, trying to shame my mother for wearing the Macmillan crest to support her family? The nerve of them! They're lucky she is so forgiving, I wouldn't have been. Father says that the school board are going to be watching for any slip-ups they make this year though, you know how much they adore mother, they barely agreed to let her attend here."

They left the compartment gracefully, not looking back and leaving the two muggle-borns to stare after them in startled confusion.

"Wizards sure are weird." One muttered, gaining a firm nod of agreement from the other.


" Four to a boat, let's not dawdle." The gamekeeper, Ogg if Avior remembered correctly, ordered them. They obliged, not wanting to annoy the sour-looking man and excited to reach Hogwarts as soon as possible.

The boats lurched forward abruptly, swaying to the side almost dangerously. Avior and his friends clung to it where they sat, as far away as possible from the brave muggle-born who had decided to sit in their boat.

All insulting thoughts, however, were wiped from their minds the moment the boat cleared the corner.

The collective gasp of awe at the sight of Hogwarts was shared by even the most composed purebloods, as it was a view to see for all. The elusive school was rarely seen by those who didn't attend it, so the ones raised by wizards had grown up listening to stories about its beauty, but those recounts couldn't hold a candle to the real thing.

"The castle, it's magic looks so dense and powerful!" Arcadius breathed out softly, not wanting to break the astonished hush that had settled over the once rambunctious group. His friends turned to him with light smiles, nodding along.

" Yeah, it feels ancient, almost suffocatingly so," Avior responded, skimming his fingers gently over the surface of the rippling lake. "The lake is enchanted too, or that may just be the magical creatures inside of it that I'm sensing. It's hard to tell."

hey shared a grin, eyes sparkling in awe at what would be their new home for the next seven years. If only they knew what troubles they would face inside these aged walls.

The silent walk through the great hall with hundreds of eyes upon them was terrifying for the three of them, although they kept their expressions blank and heads held high. It wouldn't be proper for them to gawk like the mudbloods and blood traitors surrounding them.

Luckily for himself, Avior was early on in the register and was sorted quickly after the hat finished its dreary song about the ongoing war.

"Hm, Ravenclaw would suit you well, wit is a trait most prominent in your being. Alas, it would be ill-advised of me to put such a cunning fellow amidst Rowena's beloved students. You would suit Salazar's house more, much like the rest of your family has for generations on end. Therefore, it better be SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted out the last word, and Avior grinned in delight. He'd gotten into Slytherin! He heard the hall burst into claps, slightly more subdued ones coming from the Gryffindor table, but they still had the decency to be polite. The hat was pulled off of his head and he stood up gracefully, walking towards the elegant table decked in silver and green. He was greeted by the enthusiastic (or as enthusiastic as Slytherins could publicly be) handshakes and nods of approval from his new housemates, each eager to meet the youngest Black.

"Avi!"

Avior looked down the table to find his cousin Alphard waving animatedly, his relatives all staring at him like he was committing a great sin."Alphard! Sit down now and stop making a fool of yourself, your actions are unbecoming of a Black! Father will be most displeased with you once I tell him." Walburga ranted at her younger brother, sighing as he thumped back onto the bench with a sulky pout.

" But Walbie-"

" Do. Not. Call. Me. That." Walburga snarled at Alphie as Avior walked towards them, grinning madly at their banter. He could hear the announcement of the next student being called up in the background, a Jeremiah Bletchley.

" Aww, but why Burgie, Cygie does, I'm your little brother too!" Alphard practically pouted at her, turning to grin at Avior, gesturing him to take a seat beside him.

" Cygnus is five years old, Alphard." Walburga deadpans, looking around him to smile softly at a now seated Avior. "Avior, darling, how are you? Congratulations on getting into Slytherin, the family will be proud."

" Thank you." He beams at her, earning a soft hair ruffle back.

" RAVENCLAW!" The hat finally shouts out, the hall once again bursting into cheers as the Ravenclaw table welcomed their first student of the year. Avior claps along with them, fitting seamlessly into the tightknit house of Slytherin, and his relatives watch on proudly.


Honestly, this chapter was so hard to post on here. It kept on adding codes every time I posted it so I had to remove them all.

The next chapter should be out quicker next time since this chapter had quite the bit extra added to it until I deemed it too much.

A fact for you all:
Avior's wand was originally supposed to be Hornbeam wood due to its obsession with its owner, but I preferred the Acacia in the end
Arcadius' wand was originally meant to be Hazel, due to it being based on emotion, but willow worked best for him in the end.
Casimir was meant to get a silver-lime wand, due to him not really having much of a personality to me at first except being a snob, but in the end, he got a black walnut wand due to me liking him now and actually giving him a personality.