Bellatrix Black didn't return to the train station until two years later.
The day she would go to Hogwarts herself.
It seemed as if every day since the day Sirius had left, two years ago, had been spent on her waiting to go to the school herself.
Her pranks had suffered; they weren't as creative or well-thought out, and she got caught much more often. And of course, that meant more punishments.
But that wasn't the reason she couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts- and it certainly wasn't for the learning, either. That always came easy to her.
She simply just couldn't wait to get away.
From her mother, with her ridiculous pureblood ideas- the muggle boy she had met at the park was far nicer than other children she had met- and her father, who never paid her enough attention to even pretend to care about her. From Sirius, and his aching perfection, and Andromeda's memory-but they don't talk about her anymore.
She'll finally get to be her own person.
Bellatrix rushed onto the platform with the same intensity she had two years ago, her younger brother at her heels.
The train was just as beautiful as it had been two years ago, and now that she got to go on it, it was even more perfect.
"Bella!" Regulus called from behind her. She turned around, and to his surprise, pulled him into a hug. Her brother squirmed in her arms, but she didn't care. "I'm going to miss you, you know that, right?" She asked, looking down at him.
Reg rolled his eyes. "You better miss me!"
She laughed, and added, "Don't spend all your time with your books, okay? At least try to pull a few pranks?"
Reg gave her a look. "If I pull a prank, they'll know it was me."
Bellatrix sighed. "But you won't get in trouble. They'll blame me for being a bad influence!"
It sounded ridiculous, but it was true. No matter how much evidence pointed to Regulus having caused the trouble, their parents always blamed Bella. But she was used to it.
Bellatrix felt a pair of hands on her shoulders about half a second before she was turned around. It was her father.
Orion looked right into her eyes, and it was one of the few times he had actually done that.
"Bellatrix Black, try to behave. I have a feeling that you aren't going to be a Slytherin. But don't be a Hufflepuff, please. I can deal with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw- the people in those houses always have strong magic- but your mother won't be able to."
Bellatrix blinked- that was the longest speech her father had ever given her, without some sort of punishment attached on the end of it.
"Of course father." She replied, as he let her go.
"And try to be good, alright?" He repeated. She nodded her head in reply.
Next, came her mother.
"Bellatrix, please don't blow up the school. The gossip would be horrible if you did." Her mother informed her, and then added, " And avoid all of the Mudbloods. Or they'll rub off on you."
Bellatrix tried her hardest to not roll her eyes, and said, "Yes, mother."
She turned quickly, and avoided all of the other students, and rushed towards the train.
She clambered on, and slid into one of the compartments.
It was empty, except for a boy with messy black hair, and large glasses.
"Can I sit here?" she asked, trying to be polite.
He nodded, not even looking at her.
Bellatrix sat down, and tried to ignore the rude boy. She was finally going to Hogwarts! It was her greatest dream, come true.
Then, suddenly, a girl with long red hair rushed into the compartment, and threw herself down in the seat in the corner. She was crying.
At this, the boy turned to look at her, and mouthed Do you know her?
Bellatrix shook her head, and asked the girl, "Are you alright?"
The girl ignored her, and continued to cry.
Just before Bella could stand up and walk over to her, a boy with greasy black hair slid inside.
"I don't want to talk to you," the girl muttered.
"Why not?" the greasy haired boy demanded.
"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."
Tuney? A sibling maybe? Bellatrix looked at the other boy, who looked just as confused as she felt.
"So what?"
The girl sent the boy a glare.
"So she's my sister!"
"She's only a-" the boy started, but the girl gave him a look before he could finish.
"But we're going! We're off to Hogwarts!" He exclaimed, excitement lighting up his face, the same way it always did to her own.
The girl gave him a little half smile in return.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," the greasy haired boy informed her.
"Slytherin?"
The messed haired boy had finally spoken.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He had directed this question to Bellatrix, who thought about it.
She didn't really want to be in Slytherin, but her whole family had been! The odds were definitely against her.
Bella didn't return his smile, and said, "My whole family has been in Slytherin."
"Blimey!" the boy exclaimed. "And I though you seemed all right!"
Bella couldn't help herself; she grinned.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you going, if you had the choice?"
The boy lifted an invisible sword.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart! Like my dad!"
The other boy scoffed. The Gryffindor boy- she really needed to learn his name- turned to him.
"You got a problem with that?"
The other boy sneered slightly at him, as he said, "No, if you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"
Bella couldn't help herself- he had walked right into that one.
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" she interjected.
Gryffindor boy laughed, and the red haired girl looked at bother of them in dislike.
"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment."
"Ooooo.." Bella and Gryffindor boy said together, as the other two left.
Gryffindor boy tried to trip the greasy haired boy as he passed, and Bella called after them, "See ya, Snivellus!"
Bella and the boy laughed together.
He stopped suddenly, and said, "My name's James- James Potter."
Bella smiled at him, and replied, "I'm Bellatrix Black."
James smirked back at her.
"Well, Bellatrix Black, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
Sorting next time(: