Chapter One

A Twist of Fate

My eyes wandered the large hall in front of me. Music was playing softly in the background, though nobody was actually dancing. No one was going to let the moment go to waste. Except for me. While I knew that I should be out mingling with all the others, I couldn't find it in myself. If I were to move further into the crowd I knew I would have to be much more calculating with my words. Staying on the side lines let me breathe. At least for a second.

"Lyra, you're daydreaming again."

I rolled my eyes and I turned to the blond haired boy who walked up next to me. It was the first time since the party started that we actually had a chance to talk.

"Daydreaming or analyzing the crowd?" I teased and Draco scoffed, folding his arms.

"Either way, Mother isn't going to be happy."

We looked down the hall to where Mother and Father stood. There was a crowd of adults around them, drinks in hand. Everyone wanted to talk to the hosts. It was typical. Though this whole party was supposed to be a send off for all of the children going to Hogwarts, the parents were the ones who were enjoying it the most. Using it as a chance to network and scrounge up gossip. It was boring how predictable they all were.

"She isn't going to notice. Have you gotten bored of Crabbe and Goyle yet? I'm surprised they haven't come to look for you yet."

"They are always dull." Draco sighed exasperated, and I couldn't stop a laugh from escaping my lips. A smile played on Draco's as I pushed his arm.

"Are you going to be able to put up with those two for the next seven years?" I asked.

"Are you going to be able to put up with Parkinson for the next seven years?" He shot back and I gave him the most deadpanned look I could muster. Draco laughed in response.

Most of the other pureblood children I could deal with. Pansy Parkinson was another story. To put it bluntly, the girl was a spoiled brat who had no manners and a flair for the dramatics. I, however, was not allowed to say any of that to her face and had to play nice. It didn't help that she constantly clung to Draco when she was around and followed him like a puppy despite his clear disinterest.

"I'd rather go to Beauxbatons than live with her for seven years." I sighed and Draco rolled his eyes. He was about to respond when a lazy drawl cut the two of us off.

"Aren't the hosts supposed to be socializing?"

We both looked up to see Theodore Nott coming towards us with the rest of the pureblooded children trailing after him. The corners of my lips turned up at his words. I had a feeling that he was mainly coming over to get the others off of his back, preferring solitude just like myself. Draco took the attention happily.

"We were just talking about the Sorting." Draco supplied and the rest of the group immediately lit up with excitement.

"There's no point in wondering where we are all going." Daphne Greengrass grinned as she spoke. "I'd be surprised if any one of us were sorted into another house."

"Slytherin obviously is the best house." Pansy drawled and I had to stop myself from wrinkling my nose at her tone. "I would rather die than be sorted into another. I'm sure well… most of us feel the same way." Her eyes narrowed on me with that jab but I kept my composure.

"Ravenclaw is also a well respected house. I'm sure you already know this but they are the most intelligent house." I gave her a sickly sweet smile and she scoffed loudly. Classless.

"You'll probably end up in Hufflepuff. Your head is always in the clouds." Pansy shot clearly looking for a fight. I tried not to roll my eyes, bored of this back and forth already.

"Anything but Gryffindor." Daphne cut in, stopping the conversation before it got too heated.

"Anything but Gryffindor." The rest of the group cheered, bursting with laughter.

Everyone started to talk excitedly about the journey before us. We ignored the looks we were getting from the adults for being too rowdy. As excited as everyone was, I could feel the unease in the group. It made sense though. Tomorrow, our lives were about to change.

Boredom and curiosity drove me wandering the halls of the Hogwarts Express. The hum of the train and the chatter surrounding us made my feet itch to move. I couldn't take much more of the other purebloods so I made my escape.

It was much more compelling to see the other students interacting. Most of the older students were much more lively and comfortable in the environment. Greeting friends they hadn't seen in ages, showing off new tricks, telling each other stories from over the summer. The first years were easy to peg. The wide eyes and anxiety gave it away. Most were sticking in large groups, looking for comfort and familiarity. While the train was more rambunctious than I was used to, there was something about the buzz in the air. The energy on the Hogwarts Express was alive and I was eating it up.

Hiccups and stifled tears stopped me from my lazy wandering. I peered into one of the compartments to see two other first years turning over the seat cushions, clearly looking for something. Both looked up at me as soon as I peeked my head into the open door and the boy let out a small squeak. I immediately recognized Neville Longbottom and he clearly recognized me.

Though our paths did not cross often, there were a couple of times we ran into each other in public, so his grandmother and Mother would chat. The mousy haired boy seemed like an anxious mess every time I had seen him. This only seemed to solidify my impression of him.

"Have you seen a toad at all? Neville's lost his." The bushy brown-haired girl asked, her tone a little bossy but I shook my head.

"None so far. Do you two need help looking?" Neville mumbled something under his breath, his face growing redder by the second. Both the girl and I looked at him in slight confusion.

"What was that?" I asked and all that came out was an incomprehensible jumble. "Well, we can always-"

"I'M- I'm going to look around." Longbottom practically shouted, cutting me off. His voice was higher pitched than I remembered and before the girl and I could say anything, he rushed out of the compartment.

I didn't remember him being that… strange in all the times I met him. Then again, he never really talked much.

"Well… I was just going to suggest asking one of the older students to use a summoning charm." I trailed off and the bushy haired girl's eyes lit up at that.

"Oh how daft of me. I should have thought of that." She muttered. "Let's put together the compartment then we can find someone. I bet Neville will be thrilled. I would love to see how the summoning charm works."

While she prattled on, I started to put the cushions back in their rightful spots. Following my lead, she quickly began putting her side of the compartment back together as well.

"- Though I haven't seen that one in our course books so it must be more advanced- I've read all of them you see, multiple times. I'm Hermione Granger. What was your name again?" She asked as the two of us exited back into the hallway.

I craned my neck trying to look for Longbottom but didn't see him either direction. Students started to fill up the hall, most in their Hogwarts robes. We must be getting close. I was about to help Hermine further when I spotted a familiar head of blond hair.

"If you find a Prefect they can help you out with Longbottom's problem. I'm going to change. We should be getting to the station fairly soon." I said and before she could ask anymore questions I slipped through the hallway using the crowd to my advantage.

Hermione seemed nice enough but from the way she spoke, she clearly didn't grow up with magic. She was someone I probably shouldn't be caught speaking with…

"What are you three doing?" I called to Draco who came into view with a look that screamed trouble on his face. The same look that got us grounded for a week because he had convinced me it would be fun to steal Father's broom and attempt flying with him.

He looked a little surprised to see me but took it in stride.

"Looking for you." Draco said a little too innocently and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No really. What are you doing?"

Draco rolled his eyes at that. Both Crabbe and Goyle stayed silent during our interaction. Like normal.

"Harry Potter is supposed to be down here. Do you want to come with us?" Draco's gray eyes shined. Of course he latched onto that.

The boy who ended the Wizarding War. We never talked much about You-Know-Who and the war in the house. It was a touchy subject yet it was clear where our family, and most of our friends stood. Though our parents never talked about the war, that didn't stop us from making up stories when we were younger. I mean, he was the kid who stopped the strongest wizard known to man as a child. Harry Potter was a legend.

"I've got to go change. You, be nice." I gave him a pat on the shoulder and he rolled his eyes again. As curious as I was, I really did need to go get changed.

"I'm always nice."

I shook my head at that and walked away from him. By the time I grabbed my robes from the compartment and was dressed and ready to go, the Hogwarts Express was pulling to a stop. Instead of hanging around with Pansy and the others, I chose to go off on my own in the corridor where students were starting to crowd.

When the train finally pulled to a stop everyone pushed their way out the door and onto a tiny platform. The night air was crisp causing a shiver to run down my spine. I looked around confused but then saw a lamp and bellowing voice call to all the first years.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

I pushed through the sea of people to see the largest man I've seen. He towered over everyone, and while he was rather unkempt with his tattered overcoat and scruffy beard, he had a large crooked smile on his face.

The other first years started to crowd around the large man though nobody said much. Everyone was too filled with nerves to talk. My heart felt like it was beating faster as I stood there, my stomach in knots. Panic was starting to set in. I started to push through the other kids, looking for a familiar shock of pale blond hair.

A hand grasped mine and jerked me back and I spun around to see Draco. Relief filled me and I quickly stood next to him. Just having him at my side brought so much comfort. His eyes met my own and he gave me a smile, easily picking up on my nerves. Like always.

"C'mon, follow me." The man finally called after it was clear that we had all the first years gathered. "Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

We started to push forwards down a steep path.

"Yeh'll get yer fir' sight of Hogwarts in a sec." The man called. "Jus' round this bend here."

An audible gasp left my mouth as we turned the corner. The path opened up to a large lake, sparkling with the reflections from the stars. Standing tall on a mountaintop on the other side, was a large castle. Warm light poured from the windows highlighting its size and majesty. Draco's hand gave mine a firm squeeze. Looking at my twin I couldn't stop the smile that found its way to my face. His excitement mirrored my own. We were finally here.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man called, pointing to a fleet of boats that were sitting by the shore. Draco dragged me towards one of the boats and helped me in. Crabbe and Goyle quickly followed.

"Everyone in? Right then- FORWARD!"

The boats lurched forwards, moving smoothly and all at once. Nobody said anything as we sailed closer and closer to the towering building.

"Heads down!" The man bellowed as we reached a cliff and we all ducked.

The boats carried us down a dark tunnel until we reached what looked like an underground harbor. As soon as we were all out, the man led us up a passageway to a large oak door. We all watched with bated breath as the man raised a fist and knocked on the door three times.

The large door swung open right away. A tall thin black haired witch wearing emerald green robes. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her expression stern.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from there."

She pulled the door wide open and we entered a large well lit hall with a large marble staircase leading up to the upper floors. There were two large doors where I assumed the Great Hall was. From the sounds of muted chatter, I was correct.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." McGonagall said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. Now, form a line and follow me."

There was a scramble not to be first in line. While the others were fighting their way to the back, Draco and I took the first two spots despite our nerves, the other pureblood children following our lead. First impressions were everything. Once we were organized, Professor McGonagall pushed open the large double doors.

My mouth fell open as I took in the hall. The hall was lit by thousands of candles suspended in the air. The ceiling mirrored the sky, velvety black and twinkling with stars. Two full tables stood on each side of us, four total. Hundreds of faces stared at us as we made our way to the front, most human, a couple ghosts.

I looked up at the Head Table to see our Professors sitting there, in the center was Dumbledore in all of his glory. He certainly did not disappoint. The elderly man had long flowing silver hair and a beard that had beads woven into it. He was wearing rich purple robes and his blue eyes shined behind his glasses as he observed all of the first years. Wisdom seemed to seep off of him. My lips turned up a bit at the sight of my godfather to his left. He was a stark contrast to Dumbledore. Dark and imposing, Snape had his typical scowl on his face. As if sensing I was looking at him, dark eyes met mine. He only gave a small incline of his head but that was all I needed. My lips upturned at that.

Draco nudged my side and I looked lower to see Professor McGonagall had placed a stool in front of us. Sitting on top of the stool was a tattered and worn wizard's hat. The whole Hall went silent and within a few seconds a rip opened up near the brim like a mouth and the hat began to sing.

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a thinking cap!

The hall burst into applause once the hat finished its song and then fell silent again. McGonagall stepped forwards, a long roll of parchment in her hands.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." she called and all of us shifted nervously "Abbot, Hannah."

We watched as one by one first years walked up to the sorting hat, put it on, and usually after a moment or two, the hat yelled out a house. So far, Daphne, Crabbe, and Goyle were sorted into Slytherin as predicted. My stomach tightened as McGonagall was getting closer and closer to the M's. We were coming up. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Draco did not even look my way as he swaggered forward to the stool. The hat barely touched his head before yelling "Slytherin!" The other Slytherin's cheered loudly at that. I smiled a bit at my twin's success before composing my expression. It was my turn.

"Malfoy, Lyra."

My legs moved forward on their own accord. Sitting on the stool McGonagall dropped the hat on my head. The last thing I saw before it went dark was Draco's face in the sea of students. His uncertainty, his unease, caused my stomach to drop. His anxiety fueled my own and the confidence that I had been feeling before wavered.

"Hmmm. The other Malfoy." The hat whispered in my ear. "Much more difficult than your brother."

Difficult? I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. We had joked about me being in a different house but… to be separated from Draco?

"There's a thirst for knowledge but you are proud of yourself. Too proud for Ravenclaw. You have something else to you though. It's not as prominent due to your upbringing but… yes there it is… the impulse to help others. I think I have just the house for you… One where you will thrive…"

Slytherin. It had to be Slytherin. I thought desperately, a frown growing on my face. I was ambitious, I was determined and resourceful.

"Yes but you are so much more. You might not see it yet but you are going to do great things… trust me when I say…this will give you room to grow." The hat whispered. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The house of blood traitors as my father liked to say. There was a beat of silence after the hat made its announcement and then a small applause. I set my jaw as I handed McGonagall the hat, trying to keep my expression neutral. She gave me a small nod and I made my way over to the Gryffindor table. Keep your head up- was all I could think. Don't let them see your frustration.

The older Gryffindor students eyed me warily as I took a seat near the other first years. I tried to ignore their judgment but my stomach was twisting in knots. I sat down next to Hermione and an empty seat, trying not to look too out of place. I couldn't stop myself from looking over at the Slytherin table across from us.

Seeing my twin did not make me feel better. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared back, mouth hard set. The disappointment and worry were evident.

Hello and welcome!

I am incredibly excited about this story. For old readers, welcome back and I really hope you like it. Lyra is very different from Cassie (from my story Letting Go) but I am incredibly excited about this. She's got some sass to her.

To new readers... welcome! This story is a long time coming. I've got a lot of big plans for it so I really hope you stick around!

As a general note, this story will contain child abuse. It will be a theme later down the line.

And obviously I am not JK Rowling.

Enjoy!