Note: I do not own 'Harry Potter' but do own my own characters...if anything doesn't seem to jive with the books, it's not meant to...Hope you enjoy it...

In the morning, with several chaperons and two Aurors they were escorted to Kings Crossing. Sirius went with them in his Animagus form. He walked between Harry and Pyx, his eyes scanning the crowd for any trouble. They went through the barrier and Pyx looked at the long red train. She heard a screech and saw Thanatos flying above her. She held out her arm and he landed.

"You didn't have to come here."

The falcon nipped at her finger, drawing blood. Pyx sucked on the bite till it stopped bleeding and petted the bird again before it flew off. She said goodbye to everyone and headed to follow Hermione onto the train. Blond hair caught her attention instead. Pyx stopped to watch 2 blond people, one man and one female, say goodbye to a younger blond man. She didn't get a chance to see his face when Lucius caught her looking. She smirked and gave him the finger.

In the compartment, she took a seat near the door and took out her Herbology book. She hadn't had much time to read about the subject so she thought she'd do it now. A tall, slightly pudgy boy joined them. He didn't notice Pyx at first so he said hello to the others before sitting down.

"Neville, this is Pyx. Pyx, this is Neville."

"H…hi," Neville stuttered, looking at the new girl.

She brushed her hair away from her face and smiled at him. He caught sight of the book and started to talk to her about his favorite subject. He was telling her all about the special properties about the plant he had in his arms when the door opened and 3 shadows fell over the compartment.

"Potter. Weasel. Mudblood. Longbottom. And who is this beautiful creature? Did she get lost and you didn't bother helping her find her way to someone more of her own stature?"

Pyx looked over at Harry and gave him a smirk. He saw and shook his head. Pyx turned her attention back to the blond.

"You'll learn my name eventually and I doubt your father told you but I'm Pyxis Malfoy-Black. My mother's your aunt."

"Aunt Bella?" he questioned.

Neville sat straight up, listening more closely to the conversation between Pyx and Draco.

"No. Your father's sister Lucy. The Black is from my father Regulus. So we're cousins, Draco Malfoy," she said, looking him over. "Not like I could do anything so we weren't related. Who would want to be related to you anyways?"

Draco looked at the girl and saw the ice blue eyes that were Malfoy trademarks. If she had the blond hair, she could have passed as his sister.

"Close your mouth, Malfoy. It's not becoming of a pureblood," Pyx said.

"Father does not have a sister."

Pyx pulled out a picture of her mother and grandmother. She had managed to take it the one time her other hadn't dyed her hair black. She got up and stood close to Draco as she handed the picture to him. He looked at the photo and there was no mistaking her. She was indeed a Malfoy although her hair wasn't as pale as his or his father's.

"Not anymore. Why don't you go write a letter to your father asking how and why his sister died? Feel free to find me when he refuses to tell you. Until then, leave."

Pyx pulled the picture out of his hand and pushed Draco and the other 2 boys out of their compartment. She stared at him before lowering the shade over the window.

"That went pretty well. Do you think he'll spread it around that I'm here?" she asked, sitting back in her seat.

"Nah. He's probably thinking about what you said."

"So, Neville, tell me more about this plant."

They spent the rest of the trip talking. When they changed into their robes, Pyx felt out of place without a House patch on. Rather than going with the 1st years on the boats, she followed her friends to the carriages. Harry stopped short and Pyx ran right into him. She looked at her friend before looking past him. Pulling the carriages were black skeletal winged horses.

"Harry, what are those?"

"I don't know."

"Thestrals," a sing song voice called from the carriage.

Harry went to talk to the girl while Pyx approached the creatures. She reached out and petted it. After a second, it snorted so she got on.

"Harry, I'm telling you. There's nothing pulling the carriages," Hermione said.

"I see them," Pyx said.

"Me too," Neville agreed.

Everyone got on the carriage and it took them up to the castle. Pyx was amazed at the sight. Every window seemed to be lit up.

"It's brilliant. What does it look like inside?"

"Like a castle. Don't let the ghosts scare you. Be aware of the moving stairs and you won't get lost."

Pyx followed the others up through the courtyard and through the giant doors. Their group was stopped by Snape.

"Ms. Malfoy-Black, Professor Dumbledore would like you to go in with the 1st years."

"Great. I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"You already do," Harry joked.

Pyx left her friends and followed Snape to where she was to wait for the 1st years. He stayed with her rather than entering the Great Hall.

"Professor, in your opinion, will I be ridiculed for who my parents are?"

"It is always a possibility, Ms. Malfoy-Black. Muggleborns are ridiculed, half-bloods are ridiculed, but it seems purebloods are not."

"But, sir, I don't believe in their pureblood ideology. Wouldn't that set me apart? A blood traitor is what they wrote on the wall."

"You may have some opposition but remember who your parents are and what they did for you," he parted before leaving.

Minvera McGonagall approached with the 1st years. The two had briefly met before an Order meeting but didn't talk. The older witch seemed to stare intently at the girl before her, almost looking her over to see if anything was out of place.

"There you are. Wait here and I'll be back."

Pyx looked at the little students while they looked up at her.

"You're too big to be a 1st year."

"Duh. I'm 5th year but I'm new so I have to go through this with you."

McGonagall came back with a rolled up piece of parchment, clutched in her hands. She led everyone into the Great Hall. Pyx stayed near the back and didn't let the sight amaze her, like the rest. She just wanted to be out of everyone's sight, sitting with her friends.

"Stay. When I call your name, you will come forward and sit. Then you'll be sorted into your Houses."

The girl looked over to her friends and then over at her cousin. He was looking at her so she smirked and turned her attention back to the front. She wasn't paying much attention to where the 1st years were being sorted. She didn't even notice her own name being called.

"Pyxis Malfoy-Black."

People started to murmur as she made her way to the front. Just before she sat down on the stool, a student yelled out.

"A family of Death Eaters. Each and every one of them."

Pyx clenched her fists tight. A faint ice blue glow surrounded her just before a burst of energy left her.

"You have no bloody idea what you're talking about. I am no more a Death Eater than Harry Potter is. They killed my parents. So you all can bloody well sod off," she screamed.

Pyx grabbed the Sorting Hat and stuck it on her head.

"A Malfoy and a Black. Quite a combination. Your father was in Slytherin. I see drive and ambition in you and those are traits of a Slytherin."

"If you put me in Slytherin, I'll hunt you down and roast you alive. My father and mother were good people. They may have been misguided in their youth but they both died honorably," she said.

"But you have so many Slytherin qualities and would do best there," the Hat told her.

Her eyes started to glow again and a second later, the brim of the Sorting Hat started to smoke.

"I warned you. Now should I keep going until you're aflame or would you like to put me somewhere else?"

"Alas, Slytherin would have done great things with you there. Maybe surrounded by friends will help you control that temper of yours. GRYFFINDOR!"

The Hat literally jumped off her head and she made her way to the loudest table in the Great Hall. Harry and Ron moved down so she could sit in between them. The rest of the sorting finished and the meal began.

"What was going on up there? I could see your eyes glowing," Harry said in between bites.

"The bloody hat tried to put me in Slytherin and I had warned it that if it tried, I'd go pyro on its ass. You must have seen the smoke coming off of it. I didn't hurt anyone with that burst of magic, did I?"

"No. The goblets rattled and that was about it."

Just before they were dismissed, McGonagall approached the table.

"Ms. Malfoy-Black, the Headmaster would like to see you. And, 10 points from Gryffindor for your outburst and choice of language."

"Shit," she mumbled as she got up to follow her new Head of House.

At the stone phoenix entrance to Dumbledore's office, McGonagall said the Muggle candy password and started up the stairs. Pyx followed and hoped it wouldn't take long. The wizard sat behind a large desk clustered with different magical objects. Snape stood off to the side, like he was taking in a show vs. being there for school business.

"Please sit, Ms. Malfoy-Black."

"I'd rather stand. Is this because of what happened before I was sorted?"

"Partly but first, I'd like to ask how and why you set the Sorting Hat on fire?" he asked, looking to the top of a bookcase where the Hat laid.

"Actually, it was only smoking. There's a big difference between being on fire and smoking. It tried to put me into Slytherin so I threatened it if it did. It kept saying how I was perfect to be a snake and it pissed me off so I smoked it. Then it said maybe my friends could help with my temper."

"I can't recall any other sorting where the Hat went against its first instinct," Dumbledore said.

"Then Ms. Malfoy-Black should be in my House," Snape spoke up.

Pyx stared at the professor and her eyes started to faintly glow.

"If you force me there, I will not be held responsible for what I do," she seethed.

"Calm down, Ms. Malfoy-Black. No one is forcing you anywhere. The reason I called you here is to discuss your studies. I thought it would be beneficial to provide you with extra assistance. Professors McGonagall and Snape have offered to help you get to where your peers are."

"Thank you, Professors. I would like to be further along than where I am now. I've read the spells and the background info but am still unable to do some of them."

"Also, Professor Snape will help you to learn to control your magic. We cannot afford to have you lose control like you did tonight."

"Whatever. Be glad no one got slammed into a wall. It happened to Harry. Thanks though."

Snape turned to Pyx and sneered at her.

"Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are with me after dinner to curfew. Tuesdays and Thursdays are with Professor McGonagall. You will not be tardy to our lessons. Weekends will be for homework."

"Are you trying to kill me? Did you schedule when I can sleep and pee too? No. Mondays and Wednesday with you and Tuesdays and Thursdays with Professor McGonagall. Fridays and the weekends are free. If and when I get caught up, the lessons will stop. I will not work myself to death."

"No, you'll allow the Death Eaters to do that because you can't defend yourself," he retorted.

There was no warning when the burst of energy erupted from Pyx. It didn't ripple out all around her, it was more focused on Snape. He flew back and slammed into the wall.

"At least if I died, I'll be with people who love me. You'd still be a bitter, alone, angry man, Professor Snape."

Pyx turned on her heel and stormed out of the office. She made it back to the Great Hall before she realized she didn't know where the Gryffindor dormitory was.

"Lost?"

Pyx turned and smiled when she saw Neville. He was out of his robes, in plain trousers and a button up shirt. A toad croaked from his cupped hands.

"That's Trevor. He escaped during the feast. I had to catch him."

"Can you show me the way to the dorms?"

She followed Neville, walking beside him. She caught him looking at her several times before she stopped and grabbed his arm.

"Neville, what is it? You seemed off when Malfoy entered our compartment. Does my stupid cousin tend to torment you a lot?"

"He torments anyone who is not Slytherin or a pureblood. How can you be related to him? You seem nothing alike."

"I'll fill you in on a secret that only a few know. I was raised as a Muggle and it wasn't until after my mum and Gran-mum were killed that my magic came out. They bound my magic so we weren't found."

"But the Malfoys could never survive the Muggle world."

"We did until Lucius Malfoy spotted us. The only reason I didn't die that night was because I was held up at work. I found them when I got home."

Neville and Pyx had stopped walking and he was looking at her. She heard a screech and looked towards the window. Thanatos was sitting on the ledge.

Mistress, a boy is lurking around the corner listening in.

A boy with very blond hair? she thought.

Yes, Mistress.

It's Pyx and thanks.

"Draco Malfoy, come out from around the corner or I'm going to start practicing my hexes on you."

Neville and Pyx turned to see Draco come out of hiding. Neville backed up when he saw the wand in the other boy's hand but she held him steady.

"That was a private conversation you were listening to. If you had wanted to know the truth, all you had to do was ask. Now excuse us because it's almost curfew and we have to get up to the dormitory."

"What you say is not the truth, blood traitor."

"Fine. Don't believe me. I don't care what you think. Thanatos, get rid of my cousin for me."

The falcon flew in and swooped down on Draco. His talons scratched his cheek as he flapped his wings at the boy. Draco tried swatting the bird away but never connected. Thanatos went for one more swoop and finally the Slytherin left before he was bleeding more. The bird landed on Pyx's shoulder and it looked at her.

Are you OK?

Yes, thank you.

"Neville, this is my falcon Thanatos. Thanatos, this is Neville and no, you can't eat his toad. Any small animals in the school and the owls are not food. If need be hunt in the forest or fly to where you can hunt."

Yes, Pyx. Do you need me for anything else?

No. I'll call for you when I need you.

Thanatos flew off and Pyx turned back to Neville. He was looking at her with wide eyes.

"You were talking to him but in your mind."

"Yes. It's not a big deal."

"But it is. Ask Hermione and she'll tell you that most wizards and witches bond with their animal but don't connect telepathically."

"What can I say? I'm unique."

They went up to the common room where Pyx's friends were waiting. She pulled Neville over and told them all of what Dumbledore said.

"Every night doing extra work on top of your current homework. That's bloody nuts," Ron replied.

"Language, Ronald. I'm sure Pyx will be able to handle it. We'll be here to help her."

"You guys have helped me enough. With the professors' help, I'm sure I'll be caught up in no time. I think I'm going to go to bed."

Hermione told her where to go and when Pyx was gone, Neville told them about what happened in the hallway. They were surprised to learn about her connection. Even Harry didn't have that with Hedwig.

"What are we going to do about Malfoy? Her bird isn't going to always be around."

"We just make sure to keep them apart. Hopefully one of us will be in each of her classes," Harry said.