a/n don't own. Sorry to that person that followed this b/c I have a lot of this story done and have for awhile. I just haven't posted it. These edited/updated chappies are for you as well as anyone else who finds Ascella as amusing as I do. Just don't take her too seriously. ;)
September 1991
The next morning she was significantly less satisfied with with her choice. It had definitely landed her, in what could only be described as, the most "unique" house.
And that was putting it nicely. All anyone had talked about was how smart all the Ravenclaw's were, how much they valued education, and what lessons they were looking forward to. Classes hadn't even begun and she already needed a break from all the school talk. So taking the prefect, Robert Hilliard's advice she made sure she had everything in her bag that she'd need for the day (Merlin only knew she didn't want to try her hand at that stupid door knocker) and headed down to breakfast before the rest of her classmates. She didn't even get lost once.
"Budge up Weasley," she said down in the Great Hall poking Ron in the side and sliding in between him and the boy with glasses everyone had been staring at last night. Ascella had known Ron ever since Dora had started Hogwarts and had befriended his older brother Charlie. If anyone could counter the Ravenclaw's batty chatter it would be Ron Weasley.
"What - what are you doing?" he sputtered.
"Eating breakfast," she said, buttering some toast.
"But - why here?" he asked mouth still gaping. She took a bite of her toast, unconcerned about his confusion.
"Had to get away from those bloody Ravenclaws. All they want to talk about is school this, experiment that. Real tiresome. And don't even get me started on how drafty the dorms are; wind howling outside and all. Hardly got a wink of sleep last night."
Ron was still staring at her, a mix of awe and indignation on his face. Awe most likely because she seemed to so blatantly be breaking the rules already, though no one expressly said they couldn't sit at other house tables, and indignation because she'd interrupted his breakfast.
Ascella chose to ignore him, instead turning to the boy on her right. His bottle green eyes met her grey ones. She studied him, then deciding he seemed nice enough she smiled sweetly.
"Hi. We haven't met. I'm Ascella Black."
"Harry," he replied a little apprehensive but confident nonetheless. "Harry Potter." Understanding flooded Ascella. That was what everyone had been buzzing about last night. The boy who lived had come to Hogwarts.
Instead of acknowledging this though Ascella smirked at him, her eyes never leaving his; she refused to gawk at his forehead for the famous lightning bolt scar. He surely got enough of that as it was.
"Well Harry, I just have one question for you then." Ron recognizing her tone tried to interrupt. She discreetly prodded him in the side with her fork. Hard. "Tell me, what was it like growing up with muggles?" she continued. Harry's eyes widened in surprise. He, like Ron, had clearly been expecting a more tactless question. Then he laughed.
"Awful," he said grinning. "To be honest I didn't even know this world existed until a few weeks ago," he confessed, helping himself to some bacon. And like that Ascella knew they were friends. They, along with Ron once he got over the shock, easily conversed and laughed through the rest of breakfast.
Nearing the end McGonagall began working her way down the row of students handing out timetables. Ascella waited patiently wondering what her reaction would be. She was disappointed, McGonagall merely handed a timetable to Ron and then Harry, and continued on.
"Well that was anti-climatic," she said dryly. The boys laughed.
"And now we know you are allowed to sit here," Harry added.
A few moments later tiny Professor Flitwick, her head of house she'd learned last night, came bustling down to her.
"Ah Miss Black there you are," he said in a squeaky voice.
"Uh yeah, here I am," she said weakly, worried he'd be upset with having difficulty finding her.
She needn't have worried though as Flitwick airily waved her off. "Not to worry, not to worry! Making friends in other houses is encouraged! Good for you! Now here is your timetable." He handed her a piece of parchment outlying her classes for the year. "And I'll be seeing you later today!" And with that he bustled back off towards the staff table.
"Cheerful that one," Ron commented as they all watched him leave. Harry and Ascella nodded in agreement. Then Ascella plucked Harry's timetable out of his hand. After a moment of indignation he realized she was comparing and bent his head to compare as well.
"Rotten luck," he said. " Only Astronomy, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts together." Ascella nodded, giving him back his timetable.
"At least we have Astronomy and Transfiguration today," she said. "Not that I'm looking forward to lesson's mind you," she continued. She had more to say but she was promptly cut off from speaking further by the bushy haired girl from the night before.
"But how can you not be looking forward to lessons?" she asked in amazement. "I think it all sounds so fascinating! I can't wait to see what they can teach us, granted I've already read all the textbooks but I've only tried a few simple spells..." and she continued on and on about their courses while Ascella, Harry, and Ron stared at her. Ascella in shock, she'd thought she'd left the Ravenclaw chatter at her house table two tables away, Harry in mild discomfort and Ron in complete annoyance. When she finally stopped Ascella blinked.
"Right," she began slowly, "Remind me to never talk to you. Like ever again." Ron snorted. Turning to the boys she asked incredulous, "Are we sure she's supposed to be in Gryffindor?" Both boys grinned. The girl turned away with a curt tut.
"Well I guess I'd best be off," Ascella said seeing her fellow Ravenclaws rise across the hall. "See you in Astronomy theo!" she called as she left blowing kisses and then laughing with Harry at Ron's disgusted face.
Ascella caught up with her dorm mates Lisa Turpin and Mandy Brocklehurst and their fellow first year Ravenclaws at the top of the marble staircase.
"Where've you been?" Lisa asked pointedly. Lisa had short brown hair and she might have been pretty if she wasn't always scowling. Mandy on the other hand was beautiful, with long pretty brown hair and wide baby blue eyes and Ascella had already learned she was always ready with a smile. Mandy had been the other girl in her boat the night before. Mandy, Ascella liked, Lisa however, well Lisa wasn't likely going to be on her list of favorite people. Like ever.
"Making friends Turpin," Ascella said airily. "You should try it, but first you might try smiling." Ascella laughed as Lisa's scowl deepened. Before she could retort however Ascella breezed past her and into the History of Magic classroom on the first floor.
Ascella bi-passed the Ravenclaws that were all plopping down in the front and headed straight for the back. She was pleased to discover at least two of her fellow Ravenclaws preferred the back. She sat in the empty seat next to a lanky blonde boy who was casually popping his gum. On his other side an Asian looking boy appeared to be asleep, his shaggy black hair fluttering with his breathes.
"Glad to see I'm not the only sane Ravenclaw," she said by way of greeting. The boy smirked at her in agreement. "I'm Ascella Black by the way," she held out her hand.
"Aaron Morag," the boy replied shaking her hand. "And that's Kevin Entwhistle." He gestured to the sleeping boy.
"Entwhistle?" Ascella repeated trying not to laugh. Aaron laughed.
"Yeah weird I know. His dad is English but his mum is from Korea. Or something like that I can't remember exactly," he said shrugging.
"Why's he asleep?" she asked. Morag looked at her dubious.
"You slept in the same dorms as we did right? With the winds howling outside?" Ascella laughed in understanding.
"Ah yes I feel his pain," she said.
The first years from Hufflepuff house entered shortly after and the lesson began. The most interesting part without a doubt was when Professor Binns entered the classroom from the blackboard. A muggleborn in the front row fell off her seat in shock. Ascella and Morag spent the rest of the lesson in the back chatting and seeing how much stuff they could pile on Entwhistle before he woke up. Turned out the boy was quite the heavy sleeper. It wasn't until Morag's last exploding snap card slipped from his fingers as he'd tried to place it on the top of the pile of books and ink bottles and the resulting boom! that finally woke Entwhistle.
"'Was goin' on?" he flailed around arms waving, and causing items from the pile to fall loudly to the floor. At this point the entire class had turned to the three in the back. Ascella and Morag tried to look back innocently while Entwhistle slowly colored as he realized what had happened. Ascella was sure that it was only a matter of time before Binns came and told them off for the ruckus they'd made, but Binns was still droning on about Merlin only knew what. Ascella couldn't contain it anymore, she let a small giggle out. Soon all three of them were leaning into each other laughing. Lisa Turpin's death glare sent them all into more peals of laughter.
By the end of the lesson Ascella had decided Morag and Entwhistle were good people. Entwhistle was a muggleborn who hadn't wanted to be in Ravenclaw but who knew that being in the "smart" house would be something that his muggle parents would understand and be proud of. Morag was from Scotland and had been raised on a manor with his parents, and younger sister. His family was from an old pureblood line that died out when his mum married a half-blood and ended the family name. Apparently it had been his grandfathers proudest moment ("My granddad was a bit obsessed with muggles.")
At the bell the three followed the rest of the students to a courtyard for break. Ascella soon spotted Harry and Ron and saying a quick "see you later" to Morag and Entwhistle, made her way to them where she promptly told them just how "droll" and "illuminating" the History of Magic lesson had been. They laughed. At the end of break they all made their way to the fourth floor Astronomy theory classroom.
The whole lesson Harry was fascinated, while Ascella couldn't stop wondering at how learning about the stars felt like a family history lesson. The Blacks, including her, had been named after stars, and constellations for generations. Of course she got all of them in stitches when she kept writing Aunt, Uncle, Great Uncle, cousin, etc before all the named labels on the star chart they were supposed to be copying down. Particularly when she'd looked at Harry's and told him it was all wrong and upon stealing it she returned it with the added prefixes. The only one she didn't label was father. He had no place in her life and he didn't deserve one, even in a joke.
Ascella ate lunch with Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table. This time the twins noticed her. Of course they heckled her but she'd always been quick with words and so kept up nicely with their jokes. They seemed mildly impressed with the young first year, though only George betrayed anything outwardly.
After lunch she, Morag, and Entwhistle had a hard time finding the Charms classroom. It wasn't so much the classroom that was the problem it was the floor. Once they'd been sure the staircase they'd taken from the second floor had taken them to the third floor, only to find themselves on the fifth, a fact they were told when they'd walked into McGonagall's 5th year Transfiguration class. While McGonagall's lips thinned in annoyance, Ascella can't help but think she was at least a little amused as she directed them to the correct staircase.
The three walked into Charms five minutes late commenting on how confusing it was for staircases to span more than one floor in one go around. Luckily Flitwick wasn't upset by their lateness once they explained, he merely chuckled and told them to grab a seat. They clamored into a bench in the middle. Ascella was displeased to see Zabini and the rest of the Slytherin's in the class. She sneered at Zabini as she passed. He sneered back. They were such good friends.
At her seat she noticed a pale pointed faced boy staring at her, grinning smugly. He was sitting between two of the biggest meat head first years she had yet to see. Her blood ran cold. She'd bet anything that the boy was her cousin (or was it second cousin? Just how was she related to her dad's cousin's kid? She'd never been able to figure it out, for him or Dora). Draconius Malfoy, or Draco as his family called him.
She smiled coolly at him before turning her back on him and for the first time all day paying attention in class. That didn't mean she took notes but she did pay attention. Charms she quickly decided was going to be her favorite class, now if only they'd start actually using the spells they were learning.
Next was Transfiguration. Morag, Entwhistle, and Ascella had a good laugh when they darted up the staircase that led straight to the 5th floor and arrived five minutes before their fellow Ravenclaws. Morag and Entwhistle sat a row in front of Ascella. The Gryffindor's arrived just behind the Ravenclaw's, Harry dropping into the seat next to Ascella, Ron filing in on his other side. They laughed when she told them about getting lost on the way to Charms. They told her about how they were already on the caretaker, Filch's, bad side when they'd been trying to find Charms earlier in the day and it had turned out to actually be the forbidden corridor they'd been trying to get into.
McGongall entered the classroom shortly after and began roll. She paused both at Ascella's and Harry's names. Looking between the two of them as if mildly amused and yet horrified at the same time.
"Wonder what that's about," Ascella whispered to Harry. Harry shrugged, equally confused. What they didn't know was that McGonagall was remembering another set of first years, another Black and Potter that had once sat in the exact same seats that the current ones occupied.
Dinner was uneventful. It was only when everyone was headed back to their common rooms that Ascella realized she'd be headed back to Ravenclaw. Bidding Harry and Ron good-bye on the fifth floor she headed to where the long spiral staircase that led to the brass door knocker was. Ascella was not looking forward to trying to answer whatever riddle the blasted door knocker had for her; she had a feeling she'd be rubbish at it. Luckily she caught sight of Terry Boot just after she'd started climbing.
"Oi Boot!" she called catching up to him. He gave her a nice smile. Of all the stereotypical Ravenclaw's Boot was by far the nicest. They chatted amicably about their day before reaching the top, where they found Entwhistle and Morag, both standing with furrowed brows thinking. They brightened on seeing them. Apparently they'd already tried a guess each. Boot hit the knocker and promptly began thinking out loud with Morag and Entwhistle. Ascella felt her stomach plummet as she remembered what it had said. I am a master of disguise; you ne'er shall sniff me out. But what you seek to hide I shall seek reveal beyond all doubt. She had no idea. All she could think of was truth and she knew that wasn't the answer. Entwhistle had already guessed that.
After much discussion Boot guessed truth potion. That wasn't it. They went back to discussing.
Then Ascella realized something. "Hey truth potion. Like Veritaserum ri-?" But her question was cut off as the door swung open.
"Nicely done Black," Morag said impressed with her.
"Er..." she said unsure of how to reply. Truthfully she hadn't been trying to answer the riddle. It was just a fluke that she'd gotten it. Even now knowing that Veritaserum was the answer she could barely see how the riddle described that and she definitely didn't see how anyone was supposed to figure it out.
She spent the rest of the evening with Morag and Entwhistle between practicing (and easily perfecting) the spells Flitwick and McGonagall had been talking about today and magicing notes to Harry about the knocker and the strange happenings around her house. One girl had somehow managed to turn herself green while doing some experimental magic and couldn't undo it. The 4th year also didn't take well to Ascella offering her opinion of what she could do to fix it.
Really? Harry's reply had been. The only "experimental" magic going on here was when the twins jinxed Percy's quill to always write charming comments about them instead of what he wanted to write. Ascella had laughed at that. She'd bet Percy hadn't been too enthused about that though.
Ascella bid Morag and Entwhistle goodnight and threw one final comment at the fourth year ("You know you really should try the decolor charm in combination with a skin potion. I know you were trying for transfiguration but you messed up the wand movement and so you ended up charming yourself.") and headed to her dorm.
The rest of the girls were already there getting ready for bed and chatting. They stopped when she got there, but Ascella smiled and they continued. Mandy even smiled tentatively smiled back and one Padma Patil openly said hi, after Turpin had continued to glare. Ascella smiled back at both Mandy and returned Padma's hello. She couldn't help but think as she drew her hangings around her, that maybe Padma wasn't so bad; there was nothing like mutual dislike to bring two people together. She fell asleep that night and found that maybe the wind whistling through the turrets was actually rather calming, not that you'd ever catch her admitting to it. No she'd never admit to it but she was starting to feel quite at home.
