Chapter 1: A New Black

Orion "Riley" Dorea Black was born on July 2nd, 1980 to Antares and Mildred Black. According to Riley's mother, everything about their family was perfectly normal. Mildred grew up in a strict religious household, hell bent on portraying the perfect image to the public. Her mother was not one for displays of affection or coddling. Her Father, though loving, was a veteran of the 2nd world war and prone to bouts of withdrawal. As a product of her upbringing, she too was very much not a caring mother. Mildred was of the belief that her husband and daughter were tools to her status.

Riley's father, Antares, knew better. He is the son of Marius Black afterall. Marius loves his family. He worked hard to get to where he is and prides himself in being a doting father. He and Antares appear to be normal and wealthy; which is what drew Mildred to Antares. However, Marius was born into a wizarding family. He grew up in a magical world filled with wonders until he turned 11 and his school letter never arrived. He was labeled a squib and sent to a muggle orphanage with teary goodbyes from his parents and siblings and a decent sized trust.

Marius may have slightly resented his parents, but in a way, he understood that they thought they were doing what was best for him. So, he still loved his magical heritage and followed some of the family traditions. His son was given a celestial name and raised on stories of magic. So, even though Antares and Marius are squibs, they still have a limited amount of magic. Therefore, the first time Riley was handed to them, they could feel the magic she exuded, reaching out in greeting. They were surprised and elated.

When it came to naming their daughter, Mildred couldn't have cared less. Antares insisted on following the Black family traditions and chose Orion, his favorite and more prominent constellation. He allowed his father to choose her middle name and as Marius stared down in awe at his granddaughter, he was reminded of his beloved sister, Dorea. Thus, Orion Dorea Black, Riley for friends and family, entered the world.

At 3 years old, Riley was a calm, quiet, and seemingly intelligent toddler. Her parents absolutely adored her, but for different reasons. Mildred loved how well mannered and cute she was. The attention she gained for having her was ego boosting and she reveled in it. Antares, on the other hand, just loved his child. To him, she was perfect and not because of her magical potential or for vanity. Her only grandparent, Marius, felt the same as his son.

It was also at 3, that she performed her first bout of accidental magic. Luckily for Riley, Antares was the only one around to witness it. One moment, he was sitting in his armchair reading the newspaper, Riley, on the other side of the room trying to get his attention and failing; the next, his newspaper was flying across the room and smacking his daughter in the face. With a startled chuckle, he got up and checked on her. Riley was not as amused, but glad her father was finally attentive.

While picking his newspaper up, he saw a listing for a house in Little Whinging, Surrey. With his recent promotion at work, he'd be transferring to another branch not too far from Little Whinging. He decided that a move may be a good idea and he'd discuss it with his wife later. For the moment, he was preoccupied with Riley's excited babble as she showed off her little house made of blocks. 'For a toddler, she has an amazing talent for structural integrity,' he mused.

Later that night, after Riley was put to bed. Antares brought up the house for sale. Mildred was elated and after viewing the photo on the listing nearly demanded they go have a look. Of course she'd love the demented cookie cutter look. As the couple got ready for bed thinking about the new changes for the family, they had no clue just how much things were about to change. As they were completely unaware of what was occurring just down the hall.

In a room dimly lit by a nightlight where a little girl was sleeping, silvery blue eyes snapped open and flashed with startling awareness, panic, and anger.

"Fuck! That fucking shit. Oh my god!"