1st September, 1989
The girl sat on the emerald-green settee, playing with the hem of her robes, shoes tapping on the flagstones of the entry-way floor. Hushed voices could be heard from the drawing room next to her, but the door was closed and an Impertuable Charm had been placed on it. She couldn't hear distinct words, and she didn't strain to hear anything more. Curiosity killed the cat.
Apart from that, the manor is silent except for the quiet clicking of her new shoes. Click... Click... And then a thump as her heel whacked against the trunk next to her. The owl in its cage hoots angrily, and the girl shushed it out of habit, feeling the hairs on her arms stand on end at the unfamiliar noise. Not that the noise matters, really, it's just sacrilege to disrupt the silence around her. Her brother is still asleep upstairs, and her mother has already scolded her for making an ounce too much noise in bringing the trunk down that morning.
She sighed, and put her head in her hands. Her heel thumped against the trunk again, but this time Celeste the Owl ignores it, focusing on a forgotten owl treat lingering at the bottom of the cage. How much longer will she have to wait?
As if by magic - and it might have been, you can never be sure in the Wizarding World - the door to the drawing room opens, and the girl looked up.
"Come on, Selene," her father brushed past her, grasping the trunk in one of his thin, pale hands. Celeste's cage is left, and Selene picked it up in her smaller hands, reaching the other one up to take her father's hand. "We'll be late."
"Is mummy coming?" Selene asked, glancing behind her at the open drawing room door. Nobody appeared from behind it, and her father tugged at her arm impatiently.
"You know your mother isn't well right now, darling," although he uses the pet name, his voice is icy and thin, and barely masks the anxiety in his tone. "We need to go. Now!"
Selene sighed again, risking an eye roll. "Bye mummy!" she called back, but Narcissa didn't respond.
Lucius growled, any patience he had now long gone. "You can't be late for your first day at Hogwarts," he griped, as the door to the manor swung open, hitting Selene with a gust of cold air to the face. "We can't have you disappointing us now, can we?"
"Yes, father," Selene said quietly, allowing herself to be pulled outside into the cold September day. "I don't want to disappoint you or mummy."
That, at least, was true, and the fervent nature of Selene's small voice obviously reached her father. He slowed, and turned around, smiling at his young daughter. "That's my girl," he said indulgently, waiting for Selene to return his grin until he continued. "You'll do well at Hogwarts. You've always been proficient."
The advantages of growing up with a Pureblood family were mostly the private tutoring you got before you started school at the age of eleven. Selene had been taught some basic-level Charms, a good standard of Latin, some Arithmancy and could just about transform a mouse into a teacup. Not that it mattered - anything she was taught by her tutors would be covered in First Year - but it was still nice to know some things before going into such a new, unfamiliar place.
"Keep up!" her father barked, his earlier good nature now fully gone, and Selene picked up the bottom of her new Hogwarts robes, running as fast as she could to catch up with Lucius.
They paused by the entrance to their maze, and Lucius grasped his daughter on the shoulder. "Ready?" he asked, but before Selene could respond, she was being pulled and stretched through a long, elongated tube.
Her stomach jolted as she was set onto solid ground once more, and Selene swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat from the unpleasant experience. But then she fully took in her surroundings - and she gasped.
It was full of Muggles! Old men with newspapers and briefcases, shiny businessmen with bowler hats and suit jackets slung over one arm. Women waving goodbye to their children, kids in shorts and trainers running around and giggling. And the trains! Selene bit down the smile that threatened to rise on her face as she looked around, noting the big shiny 'PLATFORM 9' sign emblazoned on the side of the train platform. She wasn't meant to look so pleased with the non-Wizarding World, she knew. But it was so shiny and new, and-
"Come on boys!"
Her attention was drawn from the large diesel train that had just pulled up to Platform 8 to a group of rag-tag redheads, spearheaded by a woman pulling along two identical boys. Lucius tightened his grasp on his daughter's shoulder as they passed, his mouth straightening out into a firm line.
"The Weasleys," he spat, and Selene grimaced, remembering the tales her father brought home from work of Mr Weasley's silliness and his obsession with Muggle artefacts and all the problems he caused for her family back in the War. Her parents didn't like them, and although they looked nice, Selene knew that looks could be deceiving. "You don't want to be talking to them."
The eldest of their number - a tall redhead with hair swept back in a ponytail - overheard Lucius's words, and glanced behind them, scowling at the blonde man before his eyes looked down to the small, pale girl now holding her father's hand. His gaze softened, and he shot her a small smile.
Selene was about to smile back, but her father's words about the Weasleys rang in her head, and she frowned back, unsure of how to respond. Then, after a moment's thought, she stuck her tongue out, narrowing her eyes as she did.
The redhead spluttered a laugh, cackling as he walked off with the rest of his family, the matriarch's calls of 'hurry up! hurry up!' echoing back to where Lucius and Selene still stood. Selene smiled as the boy left, wondering if he was at Hogwarts too, and if so, what House he was in. He looked nice, and even if she wasn't meant to talk to the Weasleys she could still want to be in the same House as them.
Lucius tugged on Selene's arm again, and she looked up, quickly picking up Celeste's cage again as she was directed to the large, brick barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. The Weasleys were disappearing through, one at a time, being ignored by the Muggles walking past.
"Oi!"
Selene started, looking around for the source of the noise. She noticed the two identical gingers from earlier beaming at her, as they stood off to the side with their mum. She looked at them curiously, raising her owl cage in some weird semblance of a wave.
"Are you Hogwarts too?" the one on the left asked, pointing at the owl, who was now hooting in indignation at being moved around too much.
She opened her mouth to reply, but her father grasped her shoulder sharply. "Yes, she is," he replied icily, eyeing the boys and their mother - the latter of whom glared back. "My eldest, in fact. A credit to Slytherin."
At the mention of 'Slytherin', the two boys wrinkled their faces up and grimaced, and Selene bit back another smile at their antics. What was with Slytherin and all this pooh-poohing? Everyone knew that Slytherin was the best house to be placed into!
"Come on boys," the twins' mother said, eyeing Lucius warily as she directed the young boys towards the barrier. "Go on now. You can talk to your new friend on the Platform."
"You will do no such thing," Lucius hissed in Selene's ear, waiting until she had slowly nodded to loosen the grip he had on her shoulder.
The first twin disappeared through the wall, and then the second did, followed shortly after by his mother. Then, Lucius pulled Selene closer to the barrier, gently easing her into running through the brick wall.
She closed her eyes and braced for impact out of habit, but none came. She cracked open one eye, and then the other, and relaxed as the scarlet of the Hogwarts Express appeared in front of her, along with the sign for Platform 9 and 3/4.
Her running slowed, and she came to a halt next to one of the doors of the train, her face cracking into a grin finally as she looked up at the train that would take her to her new school, and the new chapter of her life.
"Anton, Lucia!"
Professor McGonagall, an older witch with spectacles and a stern gaze looked over the crowd of first years in front of her, spotting Lucia Anton and beckoning her up onto the stage and towards the stool where the Sorting Hat sat. Selene waited expectantly as the small girl sat down, and the massive hat was placed onto her head, almost swallowing her whole.
Almost immediately, the Hat spoke. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it bellowed, and Selene smiled as the yellow and black decorated table erupted into cheers and yells. She clapped politely, along with the first years and the rest of the other houses, and glanced around at the rest of the students around her.
The twins from the Platform were stood together, beaming up at Professor McGonagall and the top table. As Selene looked at them, the one closest to her happened to glance her way, and dug his twin in the ribs, until both of them were staring back at her.
She managed a small smile, but looked away quickly before she could see how they responded to that, just in time to see 'Johnson, Angelina' being sorted into Gryffindor.
Looking up at the table of Professors, Selene glanced across each one, recognising each from her parents' stories. Severus Snape, the Potions Master, was glaring sallowly at a wall (she remembered him from one of her family's many Balls over the years), and the Charms teacher Professor Flitwick was balanced atop a large number of cushions so he could see over the table. He noticed Selene glancing at him, and he beamed down at her.
Finally, it was her turn. "Malfoy, Selene!" Professor McGonagall called out, and Selene straightened up, taking a few confident steps towards the stool. She sat herself down, gazing out at the tables in front of her, and closed her eyes, readying herself for the call of 'SLYTHERIN!' that was expected.
But, as the Hat was dropped onto her head, no call came. Just an echoing 'hmmmmmm' that reverberated around the inside of Selene's skull.
"You're an interesting one," the Hat said to Selene, making her jump as she realised the bee noises were coming from the thing atop her head. "No need to seem so surprised, I am magic after all!"
"Put me in Slytherin," Selene thought to the Hat, crossing her arms as she waited for the verdict. "I'm cunning, and smart, and ambitious."
The hat chuckled, and Selene grimaced as it hummed again. "You aren't a fit for Slytherin," it said back, making Selene jolt in surprise. "Not all family members are the same, after all - your mother was very nearly a Ravenclaw, and your father could have been a Gryffindor if he hadn't begged for Slytherin."
"Where do I belong then?" Selene thought at the hat, tapping her foot. "Put me somewhere before I burn you!"
"Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure," the Hat chuckled. "You'll thank me for this one day."
"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat yelled into the hushed silence of the Great Hall, and after a second of surprise, the blue and bronze table erupted into cheers. The green and silver table - the Slytherins, looked disappointed as Selene was pushed off the stool and towards her new House.
As she walked past, she could hear the two twins whispering to each other, and she shot them a glare as she went to meet her new friends. Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure. Not ambition, not cunning or wishes for glory. Maybe Ravenclaw was the right pick, she thought, as a bronze and blue tie was placed into her hands by a jubilant second year student. "Welcome to Ravenclaw!" he grinned at her.