On the morning of the long-awaited trip to Hogwarts, Sera rose bright and early. Her last meeting with Dumbledor had been two nights ago and she was now caught up to the other fourth years. Leaping from her bed, she hurried to feed Rakesh-the flyer and Zane-the snake. Flying down the stairs she saw her trunk and Rakesh's cage in the hall by the door. "Figured you wouldn't want to wait." Her father said coming in from the kitchen and tossing her a breakfast bar.
"What about Zane's cage?" "I figured he cold ride on you if you hide him before you get on the train." Zane poked his head out from her sleeve and hissed a thank you, promptly concealing himself again. Of course, as they all knew, that had been the plan all along.
"Well", her mother said coming in, "here we go. Time to leave. Final destination...Hogwarts!" she said trying to sound like an announcer and failing drastically in the attempt.
There was nothing more to say. This was the day they had all been waiting for. Driving the short distance to King's Cross Station seemed to take forever. "Why couldn't we have just apparated?" Sera asked. "Because we want to look and act like muggles until we get there. Randomly appearing is not normal in this world I'm afraid." Her mother explained.
"We're here." Called her dad from the driver's seat. As if they didn't know. Getting to their platform was not a problem as both her parents had graduated from Hogwarts and had a lot of experience in the crossing.
"Okay hun, when that man over there looks away, grab your trolley and walk or run through that wall there. Oh, and wait for us on the other side please." Sometime during this little speech, the man had looked away. Noticing this Sera did as she was told. The crowded area reminded her of Diagon Alley where she had first gone shopping. Finding a small alcove by the wall, she waited., rejoining her parents after a few minutes. The family walked to the largest train she had ever seen. Saying their farewells, Tina and Ben left to return to their home and Sera boarded the train to the rest of her life.
Leaving her trunk with the baggage master, she found what seemed to be the last empty compartment. She settled in and stretched out on a seat and said, "Zane, it's safe." The black snake that had been wrapped around her arm under her cloak showed itself. The girl reached up and the snake curled itself around her neck.
This is how it was for the rest of the trip. About half an hour before they were supposed to arrive, Sera changed into her robes, hiding the snake in her sleeve. Gathering her things, the girl transfigured her robes to look like those from the school from which she "came". Durmstrang, the hardest school to get into and the hardest classes in the world. Which is shy it was mostly boys who attended.
Instead of going with the first years she had been instructed to use the carriages and to just stand in the background until her name was called. Easy for them to say. When the children got to the school she stayed to the rear of the group hoping she would not be noticed.
And she wasn't, at least not by the students. The teacher who was watching the first years was another story. She was approaching quickly. "What's your name child?" she asked. "Sera ma'am. Please don't tell anyone you saw me. Nobody's supposed to see me yet." "All right Sera, but I have to see you soon, it's your turn with the hat." Sure enough the name Sera was being called. As she entered the room, she could hear the headmaster explaining that an exchange student would be spending the next four years with them and to please make feel welcome their newest addition straight from Durmstrang. And at that, Sera walked up to the dias and put on the sorting hat.
"Sera what professor?" Snape asked wondering why her last name had been omitted. "You'd best say it, sir." McGonagal whispered. "Very well Minerva, I'm afraid you're right." Agreed the headmaster.
"SLYTHERIN" shouted the hat. Smiling to herself, the girl rose to join her new house now wearing school robes with her family crest on them. "Sera Slytherin-Black, we welcome you to Hogwarts." Said Dumbledor clapping. Gasps could be heard even from the first years. "Why did you want to come here?" a slytherin asked. I heard it's much better at Durmstrang." "I wanted to see what my greatgrandfather's house was like. I was kind of hoping I would be put there."
"You can stop staring at me now." She said pointedly to a group of first years. She heard someone snickering behind her. "There's no way you cold be the heir of slytherin." Said a blonde boy. "I am. I don't care if you believe me." "Prove you are who you say." "How?" "Talk parsletongue!" Zane please come here for a minute and feel free to show off. She said in parsletongue. "Happy now" she said as a black mamba snake showed itself and hissed at the boy. "Your familiar is a snake? That's so cool!"
"Well one of them is anyway. I have two. This is zane." She said as she held up the serpent. "you can meet Rakesh, my other familiar tomorrow if you like." "What is he?" "Oh, he's a storm flyer. Ever heard of them?...I guess you have." She added seeing the incredulous looks on the faces of everyone within hearing distance.
"You mean he's your pet?" the boy said rather loudly. "Yeah, anyway, what's your name?" "Draco, Draconian Lucien Malfoy." "Cool." "I think we could be friends." The boy, Draco, stated. "What year are you?" "Fourth year slytherin we're in most of the same classes. I can show you around if you want." "Cool, um would you like to start with showing me how to get to the dorms?" "heh, yeah, sure." Draco said finally noticing they were some of the only people left in the great hall. As they exited through the doors, they ran into none other than professor Snape."
"You should have been back ages ago, sera." He snapped. "Yes sir, I got sidetracked speaking with this boy here. He's offered to show me around." "Good. Malfoy, it's clear. You can trust her and befriend her, but she may not trust you for a very long time. She's been through a lot." "Sharing family secrets are we?" Sera said coming up behind them. "No, just warning him not to get his hopes up." "Of course you were." I heard every work. "How very slytherin of you." Both smirked at the joke and parted ways. Draco, completely confused, followed the girl taking the lead soon after."
"What was that?" Draco asked as they walked down the hall. "what? All I did was say hello." "You sweet talked a professor!" "That's how you survive in Durmstrang. If you're not polite, you're beaten. That's just how it is." "Polite?" "Well actually he didn't see me. He knew I was there though." "How?" "He can sense my basic magic. Most powerful wizards can."
"um okay. Well here we are. The girl's dorms are to the left." Walking to one of the many couches around the blazing fireplace, the boy sat gracefully in the farthest to the left. "Who is that girl? That spell was dark magic and she managed to confuse a teacher. Well maybe her parents taught her or something. I'd better stay on her good side." He thought to himself.
Entering her room, Sera found all of her belongings stacked at the foot of the bed she was to use. Charming her area to be blocked off, she applied silencing spells and charmed her new door only to open to parsletongue. She didn't need any snoops. Instead of the dark green and silver of slytherin, she changed her room to be blood-red and silver and black. The only silver was the huge snake adorning the ceiling.
"Much better. Come here for a moment please Zane." As the snake slid over from his little corner of the room. "What iss it misstresss?" "How do you like our new home?" "Perfect misstresss, ass ussual." "Thank you zane."
Their conversation was stopped by a banging on the door. A moment later the noise stopped. A message written blood had appeared across the door. ENTER AND DIE coiled around these words was a great snake with blood dripping from it's fangs. This was the door guard. "Well, I'd better go and greet my dorm mates, I suppose." Exiting her room, she came upon six terrified faces.
Snape was trying not to show it, but he was terrified of this girl. The most pure bloodline in existence and a master of the dark arts with only 3 years of schooling. He didn't even want to know how she had managed to perform magic of such power within the Hogwarts grounds without anyone sensing. This girl was a genius. Perhaps the most powerful the school had ever seen. Little did he know that this result was only after a single week's schooling.