Aurora was woken up early on September the First by a great crash coming from Dora's room next door, followed by a loud string of swearing. "Nymphadora!" Andromeda's voice rang sternly through the house. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing! It's fine! Bloody Merlin!"

Aurora grinned as she got out of bed and padded to the hall just in time to see Dora hopping out of her own room and clutching her toe. "What did you do?"

"Knocked over my bookshelf again. Everything fell on my foot. Merlin and bloody Morgana that hurt!"

"Aurora!" Andromeda called. "Is that you awake? Is everything packed?"

"Yes, Andromeda!"

"Good, I told Gwendolyn's mother we'd meet her at half past ten so we had best not be late. Nymphadora, come and help me with breakfast!"

Still cursing and holding her toe, Dora made her way clumsily down the stairs, glowering as Aurora continued to laugh. Heading back into her own room, she got dressed quickly in a semblance of Muggle clothes, lay her robes in a small backpack along with her wand and purse, and checked and double checked that she had everything she needed in her trunk before heading downstairs, where the smell of pancakes was already wafting through the kitchen. Ted sat reading the Daily Prophet in the lounge, frowning. He glanced up as Aurora entered.

"All ready then?" She nodded. "Good, good. I'm still reading about this Lockhart appointment, Dumbledore sounds daft."

"Don't judge him before he's shown his skills," Andromeda chided, coming through. "I'm sure he'll prove a brilliant teacher, otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him." Aurora thought of Quirrel. She wasn't so sure Dumbledore was a great judge of character. "Pancakes are ready, anyway."

The pancakes were brilliant, and Andromeda beamed when Aurora told her so. "I had better get going," Dora said at around half past nine. She grinned at Aurora. "Moody'll be furious if I'm late, even if it is September the First."

"Well make sure you're on time then," Andromeda said scoldingly.

"Have fun," Aurora told Dora, who grinned.

"You too, munchkin." She ruffled Aurora's hair again, causing her to pout. This only amused Dora further. "Tell me about Lockhart won't you? It'd give the trainees a good laugh."

Ted grinned at Andromeda's weary expression, and Aurora laughed. "See you tonight Mum."

They were very punctual, meeting the Tearstons at half past ten precisely on platform number nine. Little Jessie practically ran towards them, Gwen having to pull her back. "You've got a cat!" she shouted to Aurora, who laughed. Stella hissed in her arms. "Gwen, you didn't say your friend had a cat!"

"She's called Stella," Aurora said, bending down so Jessie was eye level with Stella, who did not seem to want to meet her eyes. "She's a bit stubborn, but I can hold her while you pet her if you like."

Jessie did so very carefully, and looked like she was concentrating heavily. Stella eyed her with great suspicion. "She's very cute," Jessie said before she drew back to stand with her mother. "Can we see the magic train now?"

Gwen scoffed. "It's called the Hogwarts Express, Jessie."

Mrs Tearston gave Gwen a chastising look as they headed off towards the barrier between the platforms. Aurora and Gwen went through first, both of them together, followed by Andromeda with Jessie and Mrs Tearston, then Ted bringing up the rear. "Looks like you're making good time," he said, "let's get the two of you girls onto the train."

With some assistance from the adults, and a lot of pestering from Jessie, Aurora and Gwen managed to stow their trunks in an empty compartment. Stella settled on one of the seats and refused to move, so the girls had to go back out onto the platform without her, much to Jessie's upset. "Can't I just stay on the train?" she asked Gwen pleadingly. "I promise I'll be quiet, no one will even know!"

"Yeah," Gwen said, "until I kick you out."

Jessie pouted then turned on Aurora. "You'll let me come with you, Aurora."

"Oh, I wish I could, Jessie," she said, laughing. "Maybe once you're older you'll get into Hogwarts."

"I wish! That Professor said it's some weird old gene that makes normal people magic and me and Gwen don't have the same ones."

"Well, you never know," Aurora said awkwardly. "You aren't seven yet - most witches don't show any magical signs until that age."

Jessie seemed only a little bit cheered up by this answer, though she still tried to sneak on the train after Gwen and Aurora when it got nearer to eleven o'clock. "Leave off, Jessie," Gwen huffed. "Stay with Mum!

Jessie was very upset by this, so Gwen tugged Aurora sharply onto the train to avoid having a confrontation. They got into their compartment just as Hermione Granger paced up and down the corridor, muttering under her breath. She smiled tensely at Gwen, then hurried onwards. "What's got her wand in a knot?" Aurora wondered aloud.

"Oh, I don't know, she seems stressed. Maybe it's the train; she was stressed last year as well. Though that was mainly because of Longbottom's toad going missing."

"Maybe Potter's gone missing," Aurora mused cheerfully, and Gwen sent her an exasperated look. "What? He went missing when they tried to go to Diagon Alley in the Summer."

"I'd have thought you two would have called it quits."

"I would have if he hadn't won all those points for Gryffindor, when I was the one who saved him. He owes me now."

"You really are dreadfully stubborn."

"You must never let a debt escape," Aurora told Gwen firmly, gaining only an eye-roll. She sighed in return and pulled out her copy of Gadding with Ghouls. Much of the information was concealed by flowery and overly complicated prose, so she only made a few notes as Robin Oliphant came in, keeping up a steady chatter with Gwen.

"Parkinson and Malfoy are looking for you, by the way," Oliphant told her. "And that Greengrass girl."

It took some time for Pansy and Draco to actually find Aurora, by which time she had gotten as much from Lockhart's book as she thought possible, and was content to cease reading. "Come to our compartment, Aurora," Pansy said, with a glance between Gwen and Oliphant. "Daphne and the others have all been waiting, we thought you'd disappeared like Potter and Weasley."

Draco looked very smug. "Word is neither of them made it through the barrier."

"You were right, Aurora," Gwen said, shaking her head. "Jesus, where have they got to?"

"Oh, I don't know. Probably some greatly illegal scheme." She glanced awkwardly at her friend. "I'll see you later, alright?"

She took some time to persuade Stella to move off the seat - she was growing into a very lazy cat - before proceeding down the narrow, shuttling train aisle with Draco and Pansy. "How did that fight end up at Flourish and Blotts?" she asked Draco curiously.

He wrinkled his nose. "Rather brutish on Arthur Weasley's part, I must say, but what can you expect of people like that? Father still came out on top." He sniffed as though there should be no question about Lucius' superiority. "He told me there could be all sorts happening at Hogwarts this year, with that youngest Weasley here, too. All five of them." He smiled. "Well, perhaps four."

"What d'you mean, all sorts?"

"Oh, I don't know. Father can be very secretive about things, I expect we shall find out. He often knows these things ahead of time, as a governor, of course."

"And you?" Aurora asked, turning to Pansy. "How was the gala, you've barely written."

"Oh, you know how busy my family is in the Summers," Pansy said with a dismissive sigh. "But we are together now aren't we, and we have so many stories to tell you, don't we, Draco? You know old Orcus Selwyn was at the gala and he hardly ever comes to those sorts of events anymore - and Draco's great-aunt Claudia, What did she do, Draco?"

"They did the foxtrot," Draco mumbled, going red. "Drunk. And then she made me do the foxtrot."

"And she tried to lift him!" Pansy pealed in laughter. "Which you must never do in the foxtrot! And she dropped him, and - and - Oh, Draco, you tell it!"

"And Daphne's little sister picked me up, lifted me instead, and then I nearly crushed her." Draco pursed his lips. "Honestly I'm rather glad you weren't there to witness it."

"Oh, I'm not! I would have loved to have seen that! Will little Astoria ever recover?"

Pansy snickered. "Daphne says she's traumatised by the smell of the hair gel."

"Oh, shut up, both of you," Draco muttered. "I have news for you, Aurora - I've secured myself a spot on the team."

"What?" she asked, excited as the realisation came to her. "The Quidditch team?"

"Of course."

"But how? Term hasn't even started, you couldn't have tried out!"

"Well, father made a rather generous donation to the team," Draco said smugly. "I have to prove myself, technically, but my position is all but given to me."

"A donation," Aurora said, looking curiously at him. "Of what?"

"New brooms. Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, one for each player - and for the reserve."

"Slytherin doesn't have a reserve," Aurora told him with a frown. "Flint says it gives you an excuse to slack."

"Well, we don't have a reserve yet," Draco said with a smug smile. "But Flint has agreed to host tryouts, a quiet affair, not advertised, for the position. And he's relaxing the rules about girls."

It took Aurora a second to realise what he meant. "You're joking! Draco! You are, aren't you?"

"No," he said, grinning at her. "See, Pansy, I said she'd care more than this about your ballgown!" Pansy pouted, but Aurora didn't care at the moment. Her face was splitting into a wide and overwhelming grin.

"So he's going to let me try out! For real?"

"It's only a reserve position," Draco said. "But I thought you would be an asset. And it isn't as if you're bad at making poisons."

She pulled a face at him, descending into elated laughter. "Oh, I'll have to practice. But even a reserve - I'll work my way up, they're bound to need me at some point." She hugged Draco swiftly, beaming. It was a small victory and not one that she'd won for herself - yet. But it did give her an opportunity to show Flint what she could do. And who knew, maybe she wouldn't even be a reserve? Maybe she would get a proper position, perhaps not this year, but the next. She was sure there was a Chaser who was meant to be leaving at the end of next term.

Elated by the information that she might get to be on the team, Aurora spent much of the rest of the train journey daydreaming about flying, about racing for the Snitch neck and neck, maybe with Potter, snatching it out from right under his nose. A Nimbus Two Thousand and One. Maybe she could be a Chaser, scoring goal after goal so the Slytherin stands went wild. Or a particularly nimble Keeper, dipping between the goalposts and saving the team from defeat.

It would be amazing.

She had a happy feeling all the way to Hogsmeade, when she set off with the others for the carriages, Stella in her arms. The night air was getting steadily colder as they followed the crowd, stars sparkling through the trees. She first saw the carriages, glimmering faintly in the moonlight, and then the strange skeletal creatures in front of them. They were creepy, a bit, but not in a repulsive way. They made Aurora curious more than anything else, but when she came closer she could see the faint shadow that usually accompanied Death, rising beneath them even despite the darkness.

Entranced, Aurora raised her hand to the creature's neck and ran her fingers down. They were cold like a dead body but there was something beautiful about them that nothing living could truly touch. "Aurora," Draco said sharply. "What are you doing?"

She turned, blinking as though coming out of a trance. "I was just... This thing."

The others were all staring at her like she'd gone mad. "What thing?" Daphne asked, perplexed.

"This creature. Like a horse. It's right in front of you." The expressions on their faces said that it was not right in front of them, at least as far as they could see. "I must be getting tired," she said, as they all looked very confused. "The sooner we get to the feast, the better. Come on."

She was quick to get in the carriage, but the others still looked at her curiously. She could feel them looking at her, judging her. It wasn't a nice feeling. They were silent on the journey to the castle, and Aurora found herself hurrying to sit with Gwen and Robin rather than Draco and Pansy, who stared at her like they thought she'd gone a bit mad. "What's wrong with you?" Robin asked, staring at her.

She shook her head. "Nothing, I'm fine." Gwen looked at her suspiciously, but Aurora gave her a pleading look and she didn't ask, instead averting Robin's attentions to the addition of Gilderoy Lockhart at the staff table.

"My mum seemed quite impressed with him," she said.

"Yes, because Andromeda was telling her all of his deeds. Dora thinks he's overrated."

"You didn't mind his books though."

"The plots are interesting enough," she said, "but a little too extravagant to be believable, and the prose is weak - though I suppose that doesn't determined his magical prowess, it's just all rather unimpressive to me. I'd rather judge him on his work that I can see face to face - there's bound to be a lot lost in the writing itself, and histories always have room for deviation from the truth. It's always been a trend, even Herodotus doesn't align well with the archaeology, though of course, there is the distinction between history and biography. I suppose a better example might be-"

"My mum just thinks he's hot," Robin interrupted, and Aurora glowered at him for it. Gwen looked like she was stifling a laugh, and she gave Aurora the sort of look that indicated she should reserve her rambling interests.

"Well, I suppose he isn't the winner of Witch Weekly's best smile for nothing."

Gwen and Robin picked up a conversation about Lockhart's deeds which didn't much interest Aurora, and she took to looking around the Great Hall, picking out the faces she knew. Sure enough, Potter and Weasley were nowhere to be seen, and Granger looked stressed beyond belief. Aurora felt a little bit sorry for her. She would be very worried if Draco or Pansy or Gwen had gone missing.

She was soon distracted by the new first years entering the Great Hall, all looking a mix of excited and terrified. Aurora picked out Ginny Weasley, who was looking around earnestly for her brothers, as well as Ivanna Rosier, whom Pansy had acquainted her with once a few years ago. She would be a Slytherin hopefully. Aurora couldn't help but look towards Frida Selwyn, who appeared to be trying her best to make conversation with Granger, and Alice Runcorn, who was chatting amicably to Susan Bones. She'd hardly spoken to either of them, and when it came to thinking about it, she wasn't sure any of the other girls had either. It was rather sad, but she didn't exactly know what to do about it. They both seemed happy enough, after all, and she hadn't heard of any scandals yet - though considering she'd been with Andromeda all Summer, that didn't mean much.

Caught in her musing, Aurora very nearly missed the Sorting Hat's song, only managing to hear the tail end about Slytherin ambition and school unity in times of great division and peril. The Sorting seemed to drag on now that it didn't involve her, but they had a few promising additions to Slytherin, while Ginny Weasley went to Gryffindor. She was far from surprised by that, but it seemed Ginny had become intensely aware of her missing brother, and didn't look very cheerful throughout the feast, even while Granger and a short little boy chatted to her.

"Any idea what McGonagall might set us this year?" Robin asked as he tucked into some dauphinois potatoes. "I had a look through the textbook and it all looks really complicated."

"Really?" Aurora asked, surprised. There were a considerably many spells in there that she hadn't had experience with, but that was to have been expected, and she had thought the content this year built quite well on the basics they had covered last year. "Which ones?"

"All of them," Robin said gloomily.

"Robin failed his end of year exam," Gwen said, "so he's in a strop already."

"Gwen! I only failed by two marks!"

Gwen just smiled at him daintily. "Aurora, I can be your Transfiguration partner this term, can't I?"

At the dismayed look on Robin's face, Aurora had only to laugh. "If I can persuade Draco and Pansy to sit together, then sure."

Robin shook his head. "McGonagall's going to kill me without your help, Gwen."

"Go find Granger," Aurora suggested, "seeing as it doesn't look like either of her friends will be showing up for term."

All in all, the feast was quite pleasant, but Snape appeared in a foul mood when they all got to the common room. He barked out the rules, terrifying the first years, and sent them all to their rooms with strict instructions that if he caught them out and wandering there would be severe consequences.

"He can't come into the girls' side of the dorms," Pansy said, rejoining Aurora with Daphne, Millicent and Lucille in tow. "What do you say to a game of cards before we all turn in?"

Aurora grinned. "That sounds lovely. Gwen, do you want to join us?"

Pansy raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"It would be rude not to invite her," she whispered, "seeing as she is my roommate. Besides, she could still tattle to Snape if she wanted to."

Gwen didn't look pleased by Aurora's reasoning, but Pansy accepted it with a sigh. "Fine. Come on, Tearston, but don't touch anything of mine."

Gwen rolled her eyes and muttered, "Snob," under her breath. Aurora grinned back, tugging her along after the others.

Despite Pansy's reservations, the six girls all got along rather well, and Daphne seemed tentatively curious about the Muggle world. Lucille told her off with a sniff, but Aurora thought Millicent had looked interested too. "Personally," Aurora said, "I think the telephone is a remarkable invention. Far faster than owls, and more comfortable than using the Floo network."

Pansy pulled a face. "Yes, well, I disagree."

"Have you ever seen a telephone, Pansy?" Daphne asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't need to. Mother says they're crude, clunky things and incredibly backwards."

Gwen laughed. "You use quills and ink," she said pointedly. "I'll have to show you a ballpoint pen."

Aurora, who had encountered such pens over the holidays, sat up straighter and smiled with this secret and very exciting knowledge. The ink was already there, inside the pen, and all one had to do was click it. She thought it rather ingenious, though Pansy appeared determined to steer the conversation back to the comforts of magic and pureblood society, going on at great lengths about her family's gala. It seemed Daphne, Millicent and Lucille had all been present, and Aurora couldn't help but feel a little left out.

She enjoyed when the conversation turned to her, though. "Draco told me you inherited the family ring," Pansy said, and Daphne gave a gasp before clutching Aurora's hand and staring at the silver band that lay on her ring finger.

"Oh, Aurora, it's gorgeous!" Daphne cried. "I'm so jealous!"

"What does it say again?" Lucille asked, leaning over. "Toujours pur. Of course." She smirked, and her eyes flicked to Gwen, who seemed confused.

"It's got all sorts of enchantments," Aurora said, dragging her hand back from Daphne, who was looking at the ring with just too much interest for Aurora to be completely comfortable. "But it just feels right to wear it, you know?"

"So it's official?" Millicent asked her. "Head of the Black House?"

"Unless someone manages to rise from the dead, yes, I suppose." Despite her sadness at the events that had put this ring on her hand, she had always known it would be hers, and how. And though it still hurt, she had come to terms with the matter. "See these emeralds?" she asked Pansy, dangling her hand in front of her. "Brought from Austria in 1578."

Pansy sniffed. "They're rather small."

"They're elegant," Aurora countered, with a fond look.

"Hang on," Gwen interrupted. "What's the deal with the ring?"

They all gave her the same sort of awkward look. It was strange trying to explain things to someone who had been brought up in a completely opposite society, but they did their best explaining the significant of family rings and jewellery. Aurora left out the meaning of the Black family motto deliberately, but she was sure Pansy and Lucille noticed. Not long after that, Gwen declared that she wanted to turn in for the night, and Aurora went with her.

"Are they always like that?" Gwen asked as they got changed for bed.

"Like what?"

"You know. Wonderful pureblood, posh... family summer galas! Do none of them really know what a telephone is?"

"I didn't know what a telephone was until recently," Aurora mumbled, flushing.

Gwen laughed. "You're all so strange. But... I don't know." She bit her lip, looking pensively at her bedside table. "I don't think they - well, no. I know they don't like me. But actually listening to them talk, they're all incredibly up themselves. Parkinson most of all."

"That's just how we were raised."

"You're not the same as them."

She didn't know what to say to that. Didn't she want to be the same as them? "You used to think I was. I think I pass pretty well."

"Yeah, but... You're interested. You don't understand basically anything but you at least want to. Mum thought it was sweet of you. You're not so... pure blood as the others."

Aurora tried to disguise the fact that hurt, because she knew Gwen wouldn't like it to have hurt. "Says who?" she asked harshly.

Gwen didn't say anything at first. "Well, you're... Not."

"Thanks," Aurora muttered. That was just what she wanted to be, a blood traitor. Even Gwen had seen it, who knew what the others were saying. She was like her father. She tried not to be but she was. It would be easy to blame Gwen or Andromeda and Ted but no, that was her. At least she wasn't the alternative. At least she wasn't a Death Eater.

"Are you actually offended by that?" Gwen asked, sounding disbelieving. "Really?"

"No," Aurora said. "It's just weird. That's... That's what my father..." She dropped a book on the bed and huffed, clambering in under her covers. "It's fine." Desperate for a change of subject, she asked, "Did you see the horses pulling the carriages?"

From the look on Gwen's face, she had not. "No? Should I have?"

Aurora sighed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Stella scratched the bedside table. "Probably not. No one else saw them, after all." She set her book aside; she wasn't interested in reading anymore. "Only me."

She took that thought into her dreams. What were those things, and why could only she see them? Was it something wrong with her? The horses were there when she fell asleep, prancing among the stars. They turned on her, obscuring the moon with their deathly shadow, and their eyes glowed onyx, staring her down.

She woke up with her heart pounding.