To make up for taking so long before. Again, anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling, not me.
"Gryffindor!" Around me, the hall was filled with deafening silence. I don't know if it was because I couldn't hear anything over the roar in my ears or if I'd shocked everyone speechless. When the hat was lifted off of my head I peered out to see a room full of frozen faces. I met the eyes of the person whose reaction I dreaded most, Draco. He looked as if he literally couldn't comprehend it. The blankness in his eyes bore the signs of not being able to compute or accept what was just said.
A polite clap was started by Professor McGonagall and picked up by a few of the students but most just sat in awkward silence as the stern Deputy headmistress urged me down the step and to the Gryffindor table, my house table. Next to join me at the table was Lavender Brown, who trembled with nerves but received a much warmer welcome than I, despite the similarity of our names. Next was Seamus Finnigan, then Hermione Granger, who was the first to sit next to me after the other side of the table nearly filled.
"I'm Hermione Granger." She introduced unnecessarily, holding out her hand, as if her name wasn't just announced to the entire school mere seconds ago.
"Elizabeth Black." I shook her offered hand.
"Could you imagine anything so magical existing? It's difficult to wrap my mind around." She stared about fantastically.
Despite being raised around magic and growing up in a beautiful manor, I couldn't help but agree. "Fearsomely magical."
Hermione gave me a friendly smile and I couldn't help but return it, grateful that at least someone acknowledged my presence. Neville Longbottom joined us and began chatting with Hermione about the lost toad he'd recovered, thanking her for her efforts in finding it. Much like Harry Potter, I had a hard time making eye contact with Neville Longbottom, who was in nearly the same position as the Boy Who Lived, except that it was because of my aunt, rather than my father. And I imagined Neville's fate may have been even worse, to still have parents but to have them not even remember him, barely able to communicate. Lucius had made comments and snickered about the Longbottom's who had been tortured daft and the conversations nearly always made me vomit.
My head hung as my best friends, Draco and Theo were sorted into Slytherin. I knew there wasn't much to do about Draco, he'd been bred into a society of Slytherin's and took their philosophies to heart, and brave was not the first adjective I would use to describe him (though neither was it to describe me) but Theo I thought had a shot at joining me. He wasn't as deeply rooted into pureblood society and he was the bravest person I knew, wrangling dragons in Italy and outsmarting trolls in Bulgaria. If anything, he deserved to be here more than I. I was starting to think the sorting hat had grown senile. He had to be to sort my coward of a father into this house.
Finally, it was Harry Potter's turn. The hat took a long time with him and Harry seemed to be having a conversation with the headwear. As I had a feeling it would, as most Potters were sorted here in generations past, the hat's announcement of "Gryffindor!" was met with deafening applause.
"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Shouted red headed twins, who I had to assume were Weasleys, their reputation in the Wizarding World preceding them, and not kindly. At least not according to my uncle, who worked with their father and only had nasty things to say about them.
The last two took their places on the stool, another Weasley named Ronald was sorted into Gryffindor, and Blaise was sent to Slytherin with the rest of my friends, then Professor Dumbledore made his remarks and the feast began. I picked at my food, not having much of an appetite, while everyone around me gorged themselves and carried on polite conversation.
At one point, Longbottom regaled, "Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."
After that I anxiously moved food around my plate until it was finally time to retire to bed. Percy Weasley, the Prefect, led us out of the Hall and up to Gryffindor tower, climbing endless stairs, being interrupted by the mischievous poltergeist, Peeves, before finally reaching a portrait of a fat lady.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. We all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found ourselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door to our dormitory and the boys through another.
At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - we found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Our trunks had already been brought up.
"Wow! How amazing is this?!" Hermione ran across the room, joining the other girls in checking out the bathroom. I didn't want to join them, I could only imagine what state my hair was in. I didn't think I could handle the embarrassment of that on top of everything else. My dorm mates were Hermione, Lavender Brown, one of the Patil twins (though I forget which) and Fay Dunbar. I didn't give them much heed though, nor they I, as I went about my evening routine silently and then curled up in the small bed. What a day.
Classes the next day were long and arduous after a fitful night's sleep. I had nearly as hard a time finding my classes as everyone else did, Hermione and I getting lost and/or misdirected several times before each class but we stuck with it and managed to make them all on time, much to her relief. Hermione was very serious about her studies, I discovered. She was very intriguing to me, being muggleborn and yet seeming to know just as much if not more about the Wizarding world as I did. I stared in wonder as she answered questions in class that I couldn't even answer, despite my years of formal teaching by a very expensive and prestigious tutor. I felt suddenly ashamed, here was a girl who had to work hard for her knowledge while I, despite my privileged upbringing, would fall behind for lack of work ethic. It was inspiring, really. I would need to think about how I approached these classes, they might not be as easy as I imagined them to be.
Whispers followed me down the halls nearly as much as they did Harry. "What's she doing here?" "I don't know how she can even bear to show her face here." "And Gryffindor of all places?"
I did my best to ignore them, sticking close to Hermione, who didn't probe me about the things they were saying. The only comment she made of the subject was, "Don't let them get to you, they don't even know who you are." The truth was she didn't know who I was. I sat next to the girl-genius in all my classes except Potions at the end of the week, where she instead joined Fay at her beckoning, giving me a sympathetic smile. I took the only seat that was still available, next to Neville Longbottom.
Gulping down my anxiety, I moved to sling my bag across the chair and took a seat.
"Neville Longbottom." The boy greeted friendly. I gave him my best ice-queen glare, not trusting my voice to speak. It seemed to do the trick because he stared back at the front after that. It's better that he learned to hate me now rather than down the road.
Sev- Professor Snape began the class with roll call. He didn't pause on my name but shot me a covert encouraging smile, as he did when he reached Draco.
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity." He said when he reached Harry's name. Draco and his goons sniggered behind their hands.
Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but we caught every word, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." More silence followed this little speech.
Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. I think Severus would be surprised and impressed by the muggleborn girl, as he was in nearly the same situation as she, with the same drive to learn and thirst for knowledge.
"Potter!" said Professor Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry glanced at the Weasley, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air. "I don't know, sir," said Harry.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. "I don't know, sir." Harry answered again. It didn't seem fair for Severus to pick on him, and it was a little out of character from the Severus I knew. I hoped he wasn't a completely different person in this teaching role than he was in his role as my godfather.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Silence. Hermione's hand quivered. I watched the scene like a pedestrian watches a broom accident, with rapt attention but helpless to interfere. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" A few people laughed, myself included.
"Sit down," Severus snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment.
Over the noise, Severus said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
Professor Snape put us all into pairs, myself with Neville, and set us to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching us weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Draco and I, though he did berate Neville for a mistake I failed to catch him from making and I gave Longbottom an apologetic glance.
He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke clouded my vision and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt our cauldron into a twisted blob, and our potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.
Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs. I wrenched back, having caught some to the arm and cried out. Severus raced to my side to check that I hadn't been severely wounded.
"Idiot boy!" he snarled, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Both of you, to the hospital wing, now!" I obeyed quickly, following Longbottom out of the dungeon.
"I'm so sorry, Eli. I just got confused." Neville stuttered. I shot him a glare.
"My name is Elizabeth. If my parents wanted me to be called Eli they would have named me so." I think it was more the pain speaking than any real anger at Longbottom. "It's fine, I should have caught it before you did it. I know that potion by heart and I guess I got a little complacent."
We continued onto the hospital wing in silence then waited at the edge of separate beds while Madam Pomfrey tended to others, mostly first years who fell for a trick step and sprained an ankle, or walked straight into a door, giving themselves dual black eyes.
Neville started chatting amicably, making jokes at his own expense, seeming to try to make me feel better.
"Don't you know who I am? Who my family is?" I turned on him. His smile dropped.
"Of course I know who you are."
"Then why are you being so nice to me? After what my blood has done to you?"
"Your blood, not you. We're not our family. Everyone has power over their own destiny and a child doesn't inherit their parents' mistakes." It was strange to hear something so serious and profound come out of such a silly boy's mouth. But Neville knows real pain, he understands real suffering. And it only makes sense that he would try to cover it up by being silly.
"The hat said I was just like him." I admitted. "Do you think I'm destined to betray those I love most?"
"Not everyone is all bad, in the same that not everyone is all good. Maybe you are somewhat like him." Neville said gently, understanding that I was referring to my father. "And maybe that's not such a bad thing. You have control over your own heart and your own purpose."
I sat in silence for a moment, thinking about what he said. Maybe he was right, maybe the sorting hat was on to something. I could have been put here to atone for the sins of my blood, to right the wrongs of my family. Is it a coincidence that all three of us wound up in the same house, in the same year.
Almost as if reading my mind, Neville said, "The three of us aren't so different, you, Harry, and I. Because of one man, all three of us grew up without their parents. Who had it better or worse is still to be determined, you being raised with privilege and prestige but by dark wizards who dog you about your birth status, me getting to see my parents every day but not have them recognize me, or Harry who grew up blissfully ignorant of the Wizarding world and his part in it but went underfed and unloved. We're all linked together by sheer circumstance and it'll do us no good to dwell on what happened and what could have been. We need to think about the here and now and move on."
Neville's words lingered with me as I went about the rest of my day. After being treated in the hospital wing I swung back around to the dungeons to see Severus.
"Are you alright?" The stern professor asked when I entered his classroom.
"Yes, I'm fine. It was an oversight on my part." I admitted. Severus twisted his lips in distaste.
"You shouldn't work with Longbottom anymore, he'll drag your grade down. Why don't you partner with Draco?"
"Draco will probably never talk to me again." I answered gloomily, taking a seat at one of the tables. Severus leaned up against it and studied me.
"Why do you say that? He's your cousin."
"A cousin who was raised to loathe Gryffindor's. I've been indoctrinated into the lion's den, literally and figuratively. How could this happen?! I'm nothing like them! They don't even like me. I've lost all my old friends. What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, have you tried talking to Draco?"
"Uh, I mean, not exactly…" I twisted my fingers anxiously.
"And why not?"
"Because I know exactly what he'll say, 'good riddance, finally I'm rid of you." I imitated Draco's drawling voice.
"You know that's not how he feels about you. What about Theo?"
I sighed wistfully. Maybe Theo would forgive me but I couldn't imagine eve if he did that our friendship would stay the same as it was.
"Do you still love me, Severus? Even though I'm on the side of your enemies?" I asked in a small voice instead of answering his question.
"I will always love you, Elizabeth Black, no matter what. And they're not my enemies. In fact, one of my best friends was a Gryffindor."
"Lily?" I offered. Severus gave me a surprised look.
"How would you know that?"
"You forget how well I know you, God father. I hear even the things you don't say." I admitted. Severus gave me a small indulgent smile.
"You're too clever for your own good." He said to which I answered with a smirk, before it fell.
"Is that why you were so hard on Harry? Because of who his mother is?" I asked.
Severus stared at me for a moment before sighing. "I guess I was hard on him, wasn't I? He's just so much like his father. His mother was so brilliant and motivated, she would have gotten every one of those answers correct. His father was lazy and entitled, much like his son seems to be. I guess it's just hard to see so much of him and so little of her."
I regretted asking when I saw the look on Severus' face. He loved her. It was different than how he talked of my mum. I knew that I looked, and according to the sorting hat, acted much more like my father and I knew Severus loathed him, yet he didn't hold it against me. Harry, on the other hand, was the walking embodiment of Severus' lost love. I could only imagine how hard that must be on him.
"Go on and talk to your cousin. Trust me, friends are worth keeping. Don't let it fall apart because of house rivalries." Severus squeezed my shoulder, which was akin to a bear hug for the two of us, with how little we liked physical affection. I looked at Severus as more of a father than I did anyone, my uncle, my real father. It was Severus who has been there for me, time and time again.
Following his advice, and using the password and instructions he gave me, I made my way over to the Slytherin dorms.
"What are you doing here?" An older Slytherin said viciously when I entered their common room. It was beautiful, situated under the lake so green light filtered in, and extravagantly decorated.
"She's with me." A voice piped up. Theo crossed the common room and grabbed me by the arm gently, hauling me to the door. "What are you doing here?!" He exclaimed in a whisper.
"I came to talk to you and Draco. I wanted to make sure we were still… alright." I answered warily. Theo sighed.
"Of course we're alright, you're my best friend. My betrothed, even." Theo joked and I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"I don't know, it's one thing to promise you to a halfblood, but it's another altogether to agree to a Gryffindor halfblood. Your father might back out of our engagement because of this." I teased.
"Then we'll elope, like the Hatfield's and the McCoy's. Nothing gets between true love." He waggled his eyebrows at me and I could almost hug him in relief. Maybe this didn't have to change our friendship.
"Elizabeth." A voice interrupted our exchange. I met my cousin's frown with one of my own. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in?"
"That's not really important. I just wanted to talk to you."
"I'm going to leave you two be." Theo said and moved to join his friends.
"Are you okay?" Draco took my hand and peered at my arm. There wasn't even a mark left. Madam Pomfrey did good work. "I'll curse that oaf of boy next time I see him."
"It wasn't Neville's fault." I defended but I couldn't help my smile at Draco's brotherly instinct. Theo was right on the train, Draco was my brother for all intents and purposes. "Do you think Auntie and Uncle will disown me because I was sorted into Gryffindor?" I asked Draco nervously. He dropped my hand and shifted between his feet.
"I don't know. I haven't told them yet. Have you?"
"No."
"They're bound to find out sooner or later. You haven't gotten a Howler yet?"
"No."
"Then maybe it'll be fine. I mean, they can't disown you. Where would you go?"
"They'd probably send me to live with Andromeda. Her branch has been burned from the family tree, just like Sirius and just like mine probably will be." I said glumly.
"I don't think that'll happen. Mum loves you."
"How come isn't she sending me treats like she does to you? I don't think I'll go home for Christmas this year."
"Come on, it's not so bad. Everything will be fine."
"So you're not mad at me?" I asked hopefully.
"I mean, I'm disappointed. It's not going to be like it was before. We won't get to play quidditch together next year like we talked about. But we've been living together long enough, maybe some space will be good. And I'll still see you at holidays, even Christmas." He gave me a pointed look. I did feel a little better, though I felt sad.
"They don't like me over there. They say mean things when I walk by and everyone whispers behind my back." I admitted.
"I'll hex every one of them." He promised.
True to his word, it was like Draco and his friends had a personal vendetta against all Gryffindors. He cursed anyone he saw wearing read in the hallways, be it our year or not. This started an all out war between the two houses, though I don't know that they ever really got along very well in the first place. But Draco certainly didn't help things, throwing jinxes at any random soul that walked by.
I became old news and things finally started to mellow out into a normal routine. The only class I shared with the Slytherins was potions, and despite Severus' advice I stuck with Neville, determined to help him succeed in potions, or at least pass the year. Severus laid off Harry a small amount but it really wasn't much. He was still brutal in his critique of the boy and while I understood why, it still didn't make it fair.
I spent a lot of time studying with Hermione, determined not to let my grades slip because of my complacency. I wouldn't say the Gryffindors and I really got on but they at least tolerated me for the time being and so I was content with that.