What's in a name

"Why does everyone seem to care so much about your surname?" Hermione asked Jazlyn as they were settling into their new dormitory. "Or about your father? The prefect, Flora Cram, mentioned him during the feast, and that Malfoy boy mentioned him too."

The other girls all quieted at Hermione's question. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown glanced at each other before staring at Jazlyn with somewhat awkward looks on their faces. Both of them were purebloods, like Jazlyn. And knew exactly why it was such a big deal that she was a big deal. She had only met them a few times whether through charm school or through their parents. She knew Parvati more than Lavender. The final girl Sally-Anne Perks looked just as confused as Hermione.

"I don't get it either. Isn't it a common surname?" Sally-Ann said.

Jazlyn looked between all the girls staring at her and decided to simply ignore the question with a shrug. She opened her trunk and began fiddling around like she was looking for her nightgown.

Behind her she heard someone clear their throat.

"It's not actually a common name in the wizard world." Parvati started slowly. She paused and waited to see if Jazlyn would stop her but Jazlyn just stayed silent."You know what purebloods are right?"

"When you have two parents who are witches and wizards." Hermione answered. Out of the corner of her eye, Jazlyn saw Sally-Ann nodding along.

"Well, sort of." Lavender said. "It's essentially that but going back generations. If someone's parent was a muggle born and a pureblood, they would be a halfblood."

"Anyways the Black family is one of the oldest families in the wizarding world. Their family has had wizarding blood going back for countless generations." Parvati said. "Like mine and Lavender's family. Except even more so. So when someone mentioned the Black Family everyone usually knows who they are talking about."

"The Black family has a reputation for being dark witches and wizards." Jazlyn scowled knowing she would've had to have this conversation eventually and that there was no getting out of it. "Everyone on my father's side we're either Death Eaters working for Lord Voldemort-"

All the girls flinched when she said his name, including Hermione and Sally-Ann. Jazlyn simply rolled her eyes, everyone in her family used his name.

"Or were Death Eater sympathizers." She continued.

"So when people talk about your father," Sally-Ann said slowly. "They're talking about a Death Eater. But what exactly is a Death Eater?"

"You-know- who's followers," Lavender said.

"And yes they're talking about a Death Eater." Jazlyn grimaced.

Suddenly Hermione gasped loudly, as if she suddenly realized something. Jazlyn flinched knowing exactly what that something was. Here it comes.

"That's where I've read the name!" Hermione exclaimed. "In Rise and Fall of the Darks art, Modern Wizarding History, and recent wizarding events noticed by Muggles! Your father is Sirius Black isn't he? He killed 13 people with a single curse!"

And there it was. Jazlyn looked away.

"Hermione!" Parvati exclaimed In Jazlyn's defense.

"WHAT!?" Sally-Ann exclaimed. She started backing away.

Everyone turned to look at her. Jazlyn had expected a bad reaction. But she wasn't expecting to be looked at with such absolute fear and pure hatred the way Sally-Ann was looking at her.

"You-you mean that Sirius Black who caused that explosion in London 10 years ago was act-actually a wizard!?" She stuttered out.

"Well it's not like they could tell muggles it was a wizard," Jazlyn said slowly. "But they had to tell them something. I mean it was mostly involving muggles so they couldn't just ignore it."

"He killed my mother!" Sally-Anne gasped out.

The world froze for a split second. The girls stared between Jazlyn and Sally-Ann. Then it exploded. Sally-Ann lunged at Jazlyn who quickly dodged and dazedly ran out of the room. Behind her, Hermione and Lavender held the enraged girl back while Parvati tried calling after Jazlyn.

But Jazlyn didn't stop or look back. She held back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She didn't know where else to go so she ran down to the common room. She stopped before entering to pull herself together. She took a deep breath and peered around the corner. She was relieved to find that most of the students had gone to bed and only a few older students, probably 6th or 7th years, lounged around catching up from their summer holidays.

She quickly crossed the room and up the stairs of the boys Dormitory. When she reached the first year dorms at the top and knocked on the one on the right in hopes that it was the right one. She heard rustling and muffled confused voices.

It was Neville who opened the door.

"Jazzy wha—?" He didn't get to finish as Jazlyn pushed past him and went straight to Harry. She didn't care about the other boys exclaiming that a girl shouldn't be in their room.

Harry turned around at the commotion and saw Jazlyn fighting off tears. He grabbed her arms when she reached him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She said. She shoved his hand off. "Owl."

"What?" He asked.

"Dammit Harry!" She yelled frustratingly, fighting off more tears. "Just let me use Hedwig."

"Alright. Alright." He let Hedwig out and the snowy owl immediately flew to his cousin and nestled against her cheek. "But what happened? Are you ok?"

He shared a look with Neville who had come over and stood behind her.

"I'm fine." She said with a huff and turned on her heels and left. Hedwig dutifully following her.

She headed down to the common room. She checked around the corners to make sure none of the girls were there looking for her. She didn't know why they would be anyways. She made her way over to the window sill she made sure to sit against the side of the sill that was on the same side as the entryway to the girls' dorms so that no one could see her if, by small chance, one of them did come to find her. She was incredibly small for her age, so unless she was directly in someone's line of sight, she would not be seen. She also made sure Hedwig was somewhat out of sight as well. Which was good because a few minutes later Hermione came down to find her.

"Has anyone seen Jazlyn. She's a first year?" She heard Hermione asked.

One of the 7th years sitting near the window and in sight of Jazlyn glanced over at her. But Jazlyn shook her head desperately at the boy.

"Sorry, I don't think any of us were paying attention." The boy said with a shrug and a subtle wink at Jazlyn. "But you should probably head up to bed. It's almost lights out. I'm sure your friend will turn up soon."

Jazlyn heard Hermione rush back up stairs. She gave the boy a grateful smile. Then after realizing she didn't have a quill or parchment on her, she turned to the older boy. Immediately she was met with one of his friends who, anticipating her need, was already shoving a quill and parchment in her direction.

"Keep it." The older girl said quietly. Jazlyn simply nodded. In gratitude and went to work on writing her letter home. After she finished she tied the letter to Hedwig, opened the window and sent her away.

Slowly the common room emptied and eventually it was just Jazlyn and the boy and his friend from earlier. He went over to her and asked if she was ok. She just nodded. The boy understood that she didn't want to talk about it and simply told her where his room was in case she ever did want to. His friend, the older girl who gave her the quill and parchment, also offered her own dorm, with instructions that it didn't matter the time. They probably figured it was just a short bout of homesickness.

Jazlyn was unsure of what to do. She figured she was unwanted in her dorm so she stayed in the common room for a few more hours. The fire in the fireplace continued to burn and she wondered who tended to it and if it would go out magically after she left or if it burned constantly. Slowly she stood and crept back up the steps of the boys dormitories. She pushed open the door to the first years room.

When she entered the room she realized she had a small problem. All the boys had the hangings of their four poster beds drawn closed and she didn't know which bed was Harry's. She had been too busy fighting off tears to notice which bed he was by. But then she saw the light of the moon bounce off a familiar gold colored owl cage. Next to it a pair of round glasses and a familiar wand lay on the nightstand.

"Perfect." Jazlyn muttered to herself she crossed the room to the bed next to Harry's things and threw open the curtains. She was glad that they didn't make much noise.

"Harry!" She whispered. "Wake up."

'"Mmm not now Aunt Jane." Harry murmured in his sleep.

Jazlyn quickly looked around to see if, he woke any else.

"No, Harry!" She whispered again. "It's not mom it's Jazlyn. Get up!"

She shook him until he woke up.

"Whaa?" He said unintelligently and far too loudly for Jazlyn's taste as he sat up. He looked around dazedly.

"Shhhh!" Jazlyn said. She covered his mouth one hand before she grabbed his glasses from next to her. She shoved them into his hands and he put them on.

"Jazlyn?" Harry whispered. "You're not allowed to be here. These are the boys dormitories. And it's the middle of the night."

Then he seemed to remember that she was in the room earlier that night and sat up straighter and more awake.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked. "Ready to talk now?"

"Who cares about that?" She shrugged it off like it was nothing even if it was the reason she was still awake. "Do you want to help me find the map?"

He squinted at her like he was trying to decide if she'd grown an extra head since he had last seen her.

"You want to find the map now?" He whispered incredulously. "Without even answering my question!?"

"What's going on?" Another voice sounded.

Jazlyn quickly jumped onto Harry's bed and they both grabbed his curtains and closed them. They heard someone fiddling with their hangings. After a few tense minutes Jazlyn peeked out and when she saw nothing she turned back to Harry but kept the hanging closed.

"Uncle Moony told us to find it." Jazlyn whispered back to answer his earlier question.

"I'm sure he didn't mean on the first day." Harry argued back quietly.

"Well when else?" She asked.

"We literally have seven years." Harry said. "And right now you're ignoring my question."

"Because it's not a big deal?" Jazlyn said. "And We're innocent now. It's not like we'll get in that much trouble on the first day."

Harry held back a snort. "Right innocent. I'm sure the Professor's know exactly who our parents are. They won't think we're innocent."

"Oh come on." Jazlyn said. "Where's your marauder spirit?"

"Asleep." He insisted. "Like you should be if you won't tell me what's bothering you."

Jazlyn scowled. "Fine if you won't come with me. I'll just do it myself."

She left the boy's room and the Gryffindor common room. She quite frankly had no clue where she was going. She didn't even know where to look. So she simply and casually wandered down the halls. She was used to wandering a castle having grown up in the cameliard estate, which was pretty much a small castle itself. And thanks to her uncle Moony she knew there were trick steps, doors that wouldn't budge, and walls that were doors. However, he never told her exactly where the secret passages ways or rooms were. He always said it was something she'd have to find for herself.

An: sorry that it's been a while I'm currently in the middle of finals. I wasn't planning on posting until after finals. But I write to de-stress so this is the result. But since it is still finals the next chapter wont be out for a couple more weeks. My apologies