Bellatrix bid goodbye to her temporary housemates as they went to their respective classes after breakfast. Slowly, the Great Hall cleared out until only few faculty members and the Slytherins out of time were left inside. Bellatrix got up from her seat and approached Narcissa. "So, what will you be doing now?"
Narcissa said, "Well I personally would have liked to follow Daphne to class. She's really nice. But we're being detained until this afternoon, so..." she trailed off, "For the first time, I don't have anything to do."
"'Daphne'? What, you made a friend already?" Bellatrix asked, Narcissa shook her head. "I wish," she said, "So, how's Gryffindor? Did you meet anyone interesting?"
Bellatrix thought of the boy with the messy hair. She also thought of the twins who irritatingly finished each other's sentences. "I met a gaggle of Weasleys." She looked at Severus, who was disdainfully looking towards the teachers' table. Suddenly, she got an idea. She held her hand out, directly in front of the younger boy's face, effectively stopping him from shooting daggers to teachers with his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and Bellatrix grinned.
"There's no need to look so glum during your first day," she said grandly. Severus said nothing, choosing to give her a confused look instead, and she continued, "I'm Isabella Larson, from France. What's your name?" she heard a snort. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Lucius grinning mischievously. Narcissa was smiling. Regulus looked exasperated but he nudged Severus and said, "No need to be rude to the lady. Say hi!"
"This is stupid," Severus hissed.
Lucius gasped, faking a horrified look, "Seth, you know we don't really believe what people say about you. You're a very smart person. You would have to be, since you're related to the fabulous me." Lucius shoved the other boy outside and shook Bellatrix's still outstretched hand, "It is such a pleasure to meet you, Miss Larson. Sorry about my brother there, he's always grumpy during the weekdays."
Severus' frown deepened. The look of exasperation on Regulus' face was replaced by sudden wariness and resignation, which eventually turned into surprise in 0.06 milliseconds. "Cousin," Severus said, eventually.
"What?" Bellatrix asked.
He looked at Lucius and said, "We're cousins, get your act straight."
"Oh. Oh, right."
"Well," Bellatrix continued loudly, "The pleasure's all mine. Have you met my sister?" Bellatrix asked, patting Narcissa on the head. Lucius nodded, "Bright young lady. Quite lovely, too, though she could lose a few pounds." Narcissa didn't, not really, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. She said nothing about it though.
"And this is why Narcissa will never go out with you," Severus said dryly, "I thought pure-bloods came with a complete set of manners."
"You think too highly."
"So," Regulus said, breaking the silence that settled, "Everyone else is heading to their classes. We'll have nothing to do until the afternoon. What will you all be doing until then?"
"I'll be sleeping." Bellatrix said, "I'm really, really tired and I do not want to face the day at all."
"I'm not surprised." Aside from hexes and intricate spells, Bellatrix was also a master at procrastination. Her sister was only capable of being responsible for... perhaps 25% of the time. "I'll be in the common room if anyone needs me. I'm going to read about my electives."
"I'm going to explore the castle." Lucius looped his arm around Severus', "And you're coming with me."
"What? Why?" Severus asked. Lucius raised an eyebrow, "You have something better to do, then?"
"Well, no... not really." He sighed, "Fine, I'm going with you."
Bellatrix turned to the youngest of their group and asked, "What about you, Reg? Any plans?"
"No," he shook his head, "I'll be in the library though, probably until the afternoon."
The school bells rang, indicating the start of first period. The five students out of time looked at each other and left the hall one by one.
- . -
Narcissa entered the dorm, found the bed that was hers, and flopped face first, abandoning whatever grace she had. It had been a weird few hours. Though she tried not to, she kept thinking of her own time period. It was nice here, sure. The new generation of Slytherins weren't that different from their predecessors. But that's what made it all the more painful. She wanted to talk to her friends but all she saw around her were the students who were possibly their sons and daughters.
At least she still had one of her sisters. At least.
She sighed and got up. She opened up the trunk at the foot of her bed. It had all the books she needed for her electives and an empty bag for her to use was at the bottom. All provided by Professor Dumbledore. Maybe he wasn't as awful as her mother made him out to be.
From the trunk, she retrieved Unfogging the Future. She briefly wondered how the headmaster knew what electives they decided to take when she remembered that this was the future and that student records existed.
Her mother was very against divination, saying it wasn't a very helpful branch of magic. Narcissa agreed but still wished to take the class. She wanted to understand it. She had no talent in it but... well.
The first few pages talked about Tessomancy. Reading tea leaves. Hm. Well, if Andy were here, I could ask her for some tea, she seems to have an endless supply. And again, she mentally berated herself for thinking about the sister that wasn't here. Longing sparked in her heart again.
"You need to get a grip." she said aloud and went back to reading. The book gave meanings to the symbols one might see in their tea leaves. An acorn meant windfall and/or gold. A club means the person will be attacked soon. The cross meant suffering - If I had tea, I'd certainly see that. The book also mentioned that multiple shapes could be seen in tea leaves, like a combination of falcon - a deadly enemy - and the grim - basically the symbol of death, that was something Narcissa knew beforehand.
An hour later, Narcissa progressed to palmistry. A lot of the terms flew over her head and she couldn't help but wish for her first Divination class. By the time she stopped reading, it was lunchtime. She hoped to see the others in the Great Hall, but when she arrived she saw no sign of them. At first she thought she saw Bellatrix but it ended up being some other redheaded Gryffindor. Maybe she overslept? She did say she was going to sleep.
Unlike earlier in breakfast, the hall was nearly full. Narcissa sat by the end of Slytherin table, farthest from the front of the hall were the teachers sat. Again she looked around the table. No Severus, Regulus, or Lucius. Odd - if there was anything Lucius held as high as his looks, it was food, and she knows him long enough to know that he would never skip food. Unless he was sick because then he wouldn't want to eat at all, but last time she checked, Lucius was in perfect condition. How he's not fat is beyond her.
Narcissa helped herself to some stew. She listened to the chatter of students as she ate. She picked up bits of conversation. Someone froze some corridor, someone blew up a cauldron during Potions, someone was given a death omen...
"Wait, what's this about a death omen?" she asked loudly. The girl sitting beside her whispered, "Not so loudly," and added, "We were reading tea leaves earlier in divination and Professor Trelawney said that Harry Potter-" she looked behind her at the Gryffindor table, Narcissa followed her gaze to a black haired boy. A lanky boy with hair like it hadn't been brushed in years. Yes, she thought, definitely a Potter. "-had the grim in his cup."
The grim. Death. The girl kept on talking, "It was quite a shock - but not everyone is convinced. Professor McGonagall apparently said that Professor Trelawney predicts deaths every year. I heard from my brother that she predicted the death of this one Hufflepuff but he's still alive." She pointed out a brown haired Hufflepuff, perhaps a fifth or sixth year, laughing with his friends.
After lunch, Narcissa met Daphne while she was on her way to the common room to get the books she needed for that afternoon's class. Conveniently, Daphne was headed to the same class and offered to walk with Narcissa and she felt a little less alone.
Care of Magical Creatures will take place in 'Professor Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest', according to the class schedules. Narcissa listened as Daphne made remarks and dropped information about the surroundings, including rules such as 'don't enter the Forbidden Forest', things Narcissa already knew but Daphne thought she didn't.
Hagrid stood outside the door of his hut, waiting for the whole class. Narcissa had felt appalled when she learned who taught the class. Why did Dumbledore choose some half-blood - in more sense than one - as the professor?
Then she felt shame well up inside her. Severus was a half-blood, too, and she had no problem with him.
"C'mon, now!" He called, his voice booming. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comon' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
Hagrid led the class to a fenced clearing by the edge of the trees. Narcissa, a little on the short side as she was, stood near the front.
"Make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is to open yer books-"
Narcissa reached into her bag and pulled out the book required for class. It was bound with rope when she picked it up, with a note saying 'If you wish to keep your hands, it would be in your best interest to not unbind this'.
"How?" Narcissa asked in sync with another boy. Her head turned to look at him. Pale blonde hair and an all-too-familiar haughty expression - he must be Lucius' son. Narcissa squinted. The boy caught her staring and sneered. Yes, definitely Lucius' son.
"Eh?"
"How do we open our books?" The boy, definitely Malfoy, repeated. He took out his copy of the book. Like Narcissa's, his book was bound shut. The others took theirs out as well, all copies sealed with tape, rope, bags, belts...
"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?"
The class shook their heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke them. Look-" as an example, he took the book of a bushy haired Gryffindor girl and removed its bindings. Narcissa watched in fascination as the book mimicked a monster opening its jaws to bite, even more fascinated when the half-giant stroked it spine, making it turn placid and unmoving like a normal book should be. It was only then that Narcissa understood the note left on her book.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"I - I thought they were funny," Narcissa could hear the uncertainty loud and clear. It was jarring to the eagerness and confidence she heard earlier when the half-giant lef them to the edge of the woods. She felt a bit bad for him.
Narcissa saw Malfoy start to open his mouth again. Without thinking, she said, "I found it funny." She saw the majority of the class gawk at her. She added, "I thought the squirmy, weird-looking book was funny."
Malfoy glared, "Did I ask for your opinion?"
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "No, but we didn't ask for yours either." She felt a nudge to her side. Daphne was giving her a look that clearly said shut it. She had seen it countless times before on her sisters' faces when they got fed up with her spouting random facts due to boredom.
"Righ', well-" the half-giant murmured, breaking the icy silence that had settled. "So - yeh've got yer books an' - an' - now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get em'... Hang on..."
He walked into the forest. Once he was out of sight and hearing range, Malfoy said coldly, "You. Transfer student. Who do you think you are? What right do you have to talk back?"
Narcissa squared her shoulders, glaring right back at him. Thanks to having Bellatrix - paranoid Bella who points her wand at everyone who surprises her - as an older sister, a brat who stood four inches taller than her was not at all frightening. "I am Natalie Larson," she stopped herself before she could say 'Narcissa Black', "Who do you think you are? You didn't have to be such a git. He's the professor, at least show some respect."
Malfoy scoffed, "And that's the thing. I can't believe they made that half-breed oaf a professor. When my father hears about this-"
"Shut up, Malfoy," A bespectacled boy with glasses, who Narcissa recognized as Harry Potter, said.
"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-" the boys snickered.
Suddenly, a girl cooed, pointing towards the paddock, and Narcissa momentarily forgot her annoyance with Lucius' spawn. In the most simplest terms, the creatures were half horse and half birds. Hippogriffs. Narcissa had seen them multiple times before but every time she saw them, she always felt as if it was the first time.
The hippogriffs seemed to lift Hagrid's spirits. Narcissa only listened partially, already having learned about hippogriffs from Andy when she was younger. Andy had a phase when she was obsessed with all magical creatures. Except Kreacher Aunt Walburga's house elf. Andy hated him. She and Sirius bonded over their dislike for the thing.
The rest of the hour almost went off without a hitch. Almost-
Harry Potter was the first to get to touch one of the hippogriffs - of course, before he got to that point, he had to bow to the creature. The hippogriff bowed back after a long pause, allowing Potter to pat - it? him? - and even allowing him to ride on his back. She's only seen that a few times in her life. This encouraged the rest of the students to approach the other hippogriffs.
Narcissa was about to bow down to an inky black hippogriff when she heard her fake name being called. She backed away, looked around, and saw Daphne waving her over, a worried look on her face. Narcissa approached her, stopping halfway upon seeing Malfoy along with two larger boys - Crabbe and Goyle, their features practically screamed - smiling menacingly at her.
"Daphne? What's this about?" Narcissa asked, though she had a good idea exactly what this was about. Daphne looked apologetic, as if she just sent Narcissa off to the gallows, "Please don't sound so betrayed, Natalie," the girl pleaded, "Draco just wants to meet you."
"Oh, I'm honored," Narcissa said dryly, "Though I simply can't imagine why."
As a response, Malfoy bowed, grandly and as is taught to all children of the noble households, yet with a stiffness in his movements that Lucius did not have. "Have I forever gotten on your bad side?" he asked with a smile.
Narcissa gave him an unimpressed stare. "Yes."
"I'm simply curious about the little witch who thought she could talk back without any consequences." Malfoy continued in a low voice, not strong enough for anyone else to hear, and definitely not when the others and the professor were occupied with the hippogriffs. "Once my father hears about your disrespect-" Narcissa scoffed, Malfoy ignored it and continued, "-to the Malfoy heir, you'll be done and out. Expelled. Sent back to France."
"What a nice threat," Narcissa hummed. Malfoy stared her down, "It's a promise."
Narcissa blinked.
As if he hadn't just threatened - promised - her with expulsion, Malfoy said in a slightly louder, cheerier voice, "Why don't you accompany me, madame?"
Malfoy led Narcissa towards a particularly stormy grey hippogriff, one that Narcissa recognized as the hippogriff the professor called 'Buckbeak'. Malfoy bowed - Narcissa's lips quirked, Lucius had told her that Malfoys bowed down to no one, wouldn't he like to hear about that? - and Narcissa followed suit. The hippogriff bowed back and allowed Malfoy to pat his beak. If it were Andy here, she would be ecstatic and not disdainful, unlike Malfoy who was frowning, because she may not be as obsessed as she had been when she was twelve, Andy still loved creatures.
"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, cutting off Narcissa's train of thought, much to her annoyance. "I knew it must have been, of Potter could do it... I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"
-And what followed is why the class only almost went off without problems, for suddenly Narcissa caught sight of sharp talons and, without thinking, shoved Malfoy out of the way. From behind her, she heard a collective gasp and someone screamed - and a minute later, she registered the pain and the blood seeping through her robes as she clutched her bloody arm close to her chest.
- intermission iii -
"Rosier!"
Evan stopped in his tracks to look at who called him. He immediately regretted his decision as he saw 1/4 of the bane of every Slytherin's existence running towards him. He was drawing attention to himself and Evan, too. "What do you want?" Evan hissed.
"Relax," Sirius Black said, putting his hands in the air in some gesture Evan vaguely recognized as surrender, "I'm not here to hex you this time. I just want you to answer a couple of questions."
"I don't have time for this, Black," he tried moving past the older boy but Black hurriedly ran to block his path. A minute later, two boys joined him in blocking the corridor heading to the classroom where Defense Against the Dark Arts was taught. This proved to be an inconvenience to more than just Evan, of course, but no one seemed inclined to tell the group of stupid Gryffindors off, much more preferring to watch the second year Slytherin suffer. They just stood there, watching in amusement - though some looked apprehensive and confused. Evan scowled. "I'm serious!"
To that, Black and one of the boys - by the head of unruly black hair, Evan recognized him to be Potter - laughed while the brown haired boy simply looked tired. "No, I'm Sirius," said Black, grinning. Evan internally groaned. No wonder Regulus could go on and on ranting about his stupid, lame, exasperating brother. They were talking for less than five minutes and he already wanted to bash his head against the wall.
"All I want to do is talk," Black said once he stopped laughing. "Just answer my questions and you can go. If you don't, well, I'll keep pestering you until you talk to me."
"He can be really persistent," the brown haired boy added unhelpfully. Black nodded, "And if you agree to keep helping, I swear not to prank you for the next three months."
Ugh. "Make it six months and you have yourself a deal."
Black grinned. "Alright, deal. So Andromeda - do you know her? My cousin, a prettier, saner version of Bellatrix, fifth year and a prefect-"
"Yes, of course I know her, in case you forgot she's my cousin, too."
Black ignored his commentary and continued talking, "-she informed me that dearest little Reggiekins - you know, your roommate - went missing along with Narcissa, Bella, Malfoy, and Snivellus. I want to know what you know about their disappearance."
Evan raised an eyebrow, "You do know that the investigation department is already on the case, right? There's no need for you to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
"That's the same thing Andy said," Black said, "Just make things easier for everyone and tell me what you know."
"I don't know much," Evan admitted. "All I know is that we woke up at an unholy hour to see the common room look like a desert." Judging by the crestfallen expression that set itself on Black's face, he already knew that bit. So Evan reached into his robes and pulled out a tube from his pocket, filled to the brim with golden sand. He handed it over to Black whose dejected expression quickly faded to curiosity. "If you insist on meddling and doing your own investigation, you can have this."
"What is it?" Potter asked.
"I said the common room looked like a desert, didn't I? I procured a sample of the sand. Maybe it'll be useful to you somehow."
Professor Slughorn didn't immediately allow the common room to be cleaned, fearing that there may be some clue to the whereabouts of the missing students buried somewhere in the golden sand, allowing Evan ample of time to collect a few samples. He wasn't even sure why he did so - the sand just looked eerily familiar and it gave off an aura. It was magical - Evan just couldn't figure out why it was. He suspected it had something to do with Regulus and the others' disappearance, but he kept that bit to himself.
"Can I leave now? I have a class to go to and you do, too, in case you weren't aware." Evan asked when Black made no move to step aside. This seemed to startle Black out of his thoughts and he stepped aside, his two friends doing the same. The students that crowded them then forgot why they were crowding them in the first place and moved on with their previous tasks. Evan rolled his eyes and, with one last look at Black, Potter and the brown haired boy - he still can't recall his name. Romulus, or something - headed down the corridor to DADA class. He hoped he wasn't late. Professor Bailey was particularly harsh to latecomers.
- . -
A/N: I wrote ten different versions of this chapter. Ten. And though I am not at all satisfied with how this chapter turned out, I'm giving it to y'all anyway, because we'll be stuck here forever if I don't. And also exams were last week so I was busy. Sorry, yikes.
Thanks to the reviews and all I can say is I am glad it seems y'all are enjoying this so far. I really won't say much here, it'll give the future chapters' contents away, so yeah. Until next time.