20th of September 1986.

It wasn't rare for Heidi to be taken from Malfoy manner with her aunt and little cousin. It was rare though for the outing to be focused mainly on Heidi herself rather than her mother or father, her little cousin or inflating her aunt and uncle's own egos. So when Narcissa Malfoy had gathered the six year old Draco into her arms and grabbed nine year old Heidi by the hand and Flooded them to both Diagon alley, Heidi had not been expecting her aunt to haul them over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and buy them both ice-creams. Nor did she expect her aunt to wish her well on her birthday.

"Nine years old Hydra. Almost a grown woman," Narcissa had teased, though unless you paid close attention to the woman at hand you never would have caught it. Her face remained blank, and her voice dull. It was only the slightest of flashes in her aunt's eyes that tipped Heidi off to her joke.

"I'll be married any day now," Heidi had teased back, although she was much more open about her teasing then her aunt, with a wide smile on her face.

Although it had been all fun and games so far, something flashed in Narcissa's eyes and posture that made Heidi instantly regret her words to her aunt.

"Speaking of marriage Hydra, I saw you and the Zabini boy getting on fair enough at our last Christmas party," Narcissa had said in a light tone, eyes on Draco as she wiped some ice-cream from his chin.

"Blaise Zabini? Yes he and I were discussing the latest book by Barberus Kettletoft," Heidi answered her aunt as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress slightly awkward.

"Hmmmmm," Narcissa had now turned her eyes to her niece and was looking at her through slightly glared eyes. "Hydra you must stop your infatuation with reading. If you are not careful you will be placed in Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin."

'Of course the house card,' Heidi thought as she inwardly rolled her eyes. Everyone was so fixated on what house she would be placed into. Her mother and father had subtly hinted that if she was not placed into Slytherin there would be hell to pay. Her aunt and uncle were much more open about the fact that everyone in their families had been placed into Slytherin house, apart from the blood-traitors of course. Even her uncle Sirius had his own opinions on it, and it all frightened Heidi. She loved her uncle Sirius more than the rest of her family, even though she didn't see him that often and when she did there was always the threat that her aunt would catch them hanging over her head, and it worried her that if she was placed into Slytherin house he would stop talking to her. But she was also scared at what the rest of her family would do if she was placed into another house.

Heidi knew if she was placed into Gryffindor she would automatically be disowned by her family. Gryffindor's were Slytherins counter opposite. Arch-nemesis. Yin to their yang. Her uncle had told her stories of his childhood growing up as a Gryffindor in a house full of Slytherins. About how his mother, who had never really liked him to begin with, had begun to hate him, about his little brother, Regulus, who hadn't even talked to him throughout his school years. Heidi wasn't sure she could put up with that for seven years.

Then there was Ravenclaw. A few Ravenclaws were mixed into the Black, Malfoy and LeStrange history, although not many as far as Heidi could tell. Heidi knew her aunt and uncle wouldn't be pleased with her, but wouldn't disown her just for being placed into that house. Her parents on the other hand, they would be pissed. Her mother would go on another rant about her daughter being a stain on the Black and LeStrange pure names while her father wouldn't be that angry with her, he might even be pleased if they caught him on a good day. So it was a tossup for Ravenclaw.

Hufflepuff was something that Heidi wasn't even sure about. Nobody even seemed to think that Hufflepuff was a possibility for her. They all seemed so sure that she'd be a coy Slytherin or a brainy Ravenclaw or in her uncle's case, a noble Gryffindor. During Heidi's readings on the four houses, in one of her momentary fits of fear for being cast out by the people she cared for, she had found nothing wrong with Hufflepuff house. When she had asked her uncle Sirius about it, he had just laughed at her and told her she was a sure thing for Gryffindor. Something that both pleased and angered her simultaneously. She was nice enough thank-you very much.

And that left Slytherin. Heidi knew most of her family wanted this house for her. And if she was being truthful, Slytherin was probably the safest house for her. She was the daughter of Bellatrix and Rodolphus LeStrange, the right hands of the Dark-Lord himself. She herself sported his mark on her left arm. Her family had close connections within Slytherin house, and she could easily climb the social ladder and make many more connections within it. But being part of Slytherin meant the rest of the school hated you. She would make few friends in Ravenclaw, less in Hufflepuff and most likely none in Gryffindor. She would be alienated from others.

So instead of worrying about her life in three years, because she'd still be ten when the Hogwarts express left in two years, she decided not to worry about it. She still had moments when she would break down in the comfort of her own bed-room about her family, but those had become rare and far in between. Now whenever the topic came up she'd panic for a split second then calm down and diffuse the topic.

"I'll be sorted where I belong aunty, just like you and mother were," Heidi said in her most calming voice, purposely choosing two Slytherins.

Her aunt seemed to calm down a bit at her niece's words, and offered a small smile. "There is only one place you truthfully belong Hydra."

"Of course aunty."

(Another short chapter. I've shown the love between Heidi and her uncle Sirius but not much of her aunt, the woman whose been raising her. So some Narcissa/Heidi love here. Heidi and her aunt have a really touchy relationship. Narcissa wants her to be a pure-blooded lady like her, but she sees a lot of Bellatrix in her. She also sees Andromeda in her, and that worriers her. Bellatrix is nuts, not even her own sister will deny it. Andromeda is a blood-traitor and Narcissa doesn't want to lose her niece like she lost her sister.

This chapter was originally going to have Andromeda and Nymphadora in it, but then I remembered that Tonks is at school and I couldn't think of a way to add her mother in without her. So maybe in a chapter or two.

Also this chapter has Heidi's own thoughts on which house she wants to be in. It's a big thing for and I really want to build up to the sorting. I can't stress enough how scared Heidi is over what house she'll be in.

Plus I think people have forgotten she doesn't have to be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. There's also Slytherin and Hufflepuff, I think she'd do well in all houses.

Ravenclaw – 3

Gryffindor – 1

Slytherin – 0

Hufflepuff -0

P.s: I'm going to have maybe eight or nine chapters before she goes to Hogwarts. She's meeting new people and having fun with her family before I (Possible) destroy her life.

Also I'm now opening a charity up. People need to know that authors are hungry things, and need constant food to keep them going. Otherwise they quiet and become normal people. Do your, feed an author today.)