druxy
Somewhere in Scotland, Hogwarts
September 1st, 1968
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Andromeda knew it was coming, she held her breath as McGonagall went through the list of names. Waiting for the inevitable name of Black to come up soon, the first of her generation with Florence following soon after.
"Black, Andromeda," McGonagall said, almost holding her breath as she looked up in the sea of unsorted first years.
Slowly Andromeda approached the front, looking back at her cousin to see Florence was mirroring McGonagall in her way. The black-haired witch knew what was coming, she didn't even need to be sorted as there was no other choice besides the obvious. All the professors seemed occupied elsewhere, not bothering to watch the sorting of students they knew would be sorted into Slytherin. On the train she had contemplated asking the hat for a second opinion, some third years that had taken pity on her told her that might just be a possibility if she bothered to take it.
As she sat on the stool her eyes fell on Florence as the hat was placed on her head. "Curious, curious mind this is..." the sorting hat said, so loudly she had to look around, thinking that perhaps everyone else could hear her as well.
"You would do well in Ravenclaw, but it seems you hope for another." Andromeda held her breath, would I? she questioned, unsure if the hat could even hear her. "That is not the question you seek, I know where you belong now." Once again the girl's hazel eyes fell onto her cousin's blue ones.
"SLYTHERIN"
Andromeda almost jumped as the voice boomed through the great hall, standing up quickly as McGonagall removed the hat from her head. Slytherin table broke out in cheers, unexpecting, unlike the professors. She didn't bother to sit down, she had to wait for Florence.
"Black, Florence." eyes lit up again, looking right back over towards the sorting hat as the slightly taller Black sat down on the stool. The brown-haired girl didn't remain there for very long, though it seemed to be long enough that it caught Gryffindor table's attention. The elder had to agree, that Florence would fit great into Gryffindor, however, they both knew the consequences that would hold when it came time to explain to their parents what house she had been sorted into.
"SLYTHERIN"
That was expected, Andromeda thought to herself as she and Florence walked over to their spots at Slytherin's table, knowing what was to come next in recent years.
July 14th - September 4th, 1969
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Caspian had wanted to go to Hogwarts since he had even heard the school's name muttered. He was happy, happy to continue the Black family name proudly—there was no doubt he would've been sorted into Slytherin. That was until the days grew closer to when their Hogwarts letters would arrive, and Caspian had yet to display any magic besides just a shimmer up into the air.
Nobody was quite happy at the thought of that, the second born of Alphard a squib? The hope held on, that perhaps going to Hogwarts would enhance his magic so he could bring pride to the Black name. Then the moment came for their Hogwarts letters to arrive, Andromeda and Florence waited excitedly at the window when they got the news their friends had begun to receive their letters for their second year. Caspian joined them, only for two to arrive and the third to remain unsent.
"I'm a wizard!" He shouted, frustrated as his family turned their backs on him.
His mother sighed, "You aren't enough," she scowled, turning to her daughter almost glaring, "Do you wish to protect someone like that?"
The raven-haired boy had begged his sister to plead with their parents his case. There had been a mistake, he wasn't a squib, he couldn't be. He couldn't put such a disgrace to his family name. Florence promised she'd tell McGonagall, and ask if there had been a mistake in the letters sent out. He seemed confident that had to be the case, confident that he would be the one who would bring the most pride to their name.
By the time September 1st came around, he'd had to use every last skill in his book to convince his parents he should come. The boy spent his time at the station spotting for anyone who could help, even dragging along his younger cousins to help spot for them as well. Sirius had seemed more curious on the train, trying to climb onto it before his eye caught on another boy around his age with round glasses who was helping his sister get her stuff onto the train. Andromeda had to stop him from getting onto the train, practically putting him on a leash before handing him back over to Cassiopeia with a glare.
Nobody had been there, so he took to waiting by the window for his sister's letter, and little 9-year-old Bellatrix watched his face drop as he received the news they had all known he would receive. It hadn't been a mistake.
September 1st, 1971
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The three of them knew what was coming. Bellatrix had accepted her fate after Caspian had spent the following years after his disappointment ensuring that Bellatrix would be the one to carry on the pride of their family name.
Cassiopeia has been his first option, sharing the first part of his name her surprisingly more wantable. However, once he had discovered her plans to not completely accept the family name he moved on, going to the "next best option"- which would remain unknown to Bellatrix (Cassiopeia promised to never tell Bellatrix of the truth about her being wanted). Sirius didn't take too much insult to that, opting that Caspian assumed the "best" opinion about him.
On the train the groups split up, Sirius ran as quickly as he could towards the boy he had seen constantly helping his older sister onto the train in earlier years, someone they would soon know to be James Potter. His black-haired twin avoided them, noticing two other boys in the compartment, a short chubby blonde boy as well as a tall boy with scars all over his body. She ended up sitting with her best friend, Arii Parkinson, as well as some other girls in their year, Dorcas Meadowes, Lily Evans, and Alecto Carrow. All of them took to call her Kali soon after the train had begun moving, whether that was due to her adamant behavior of being called by her nickname or the threats of being hit with the cruciatus curse.
Bellatrix wasn't sure when they had gotten to the great hall, standing there beside her cousins. The three of them waited, Sirius turning over every five seconds to talk to his newly made friends. Carefully they listened for their names as McGonagall got into the B section of names.
"Bailey, Clara" she called out, Kali watched as Bellatrix flinched, seemingly nervous as she looked over for Andromeda and Florence with every new name called.
A few more names were called before the one they had been waiting for, "Black, Bellatrix" she called out, and the wild black-haired girl practically ran up to the stool. The hat barely even touched her head before calling out what they all knew was coming.
"SLYTHERIN"
Bellatrix looked proud as her ties turned into the sliver and green colors of Slytherin, wasting no time she bolted off the stool and put her head up high as she took her spot at Slytherin's table. Kali took notice of how they seemed grateful to have someone with so much pride. McGonagall watched, suddenly remembering to continue calling names as her eyes assumingly fell onto the next Black to be sorted.
"Black, Cassiopeia" she called, and Kali rolled her eyes as she walked up. Unlike her cousins, she didn't feel bothered to allow her eyes to fall on any of her family members who remained in the crowd. Despite the thought of allowing herself to be sorted into another house- if the sorting hat should so wish to put her in another- she had a reputation to uphold, a family that would lose their minds if their daughter was sorted into another house besides Slytherin.
"It's Kali," she reminded her professor before taking her seat on the stool, taking note of the bewildered look on McGonagall's face as she corrected her. The hat was placed onto her head and it started to speak to her "Ah, a bright mind with a courageous and ambitious heart... such a curious thought of where to put you." Kali's eyes landed on her brothers, watching as the boy messed around with his friends, already knowing exactly where she would be put.
Slytherin. she responded, not bothering to question it.
"Are you sure? You would do very well in Gryffindor my dear. Yet you do have a clever mind, not afraid to voice your opinion as well." She didn't bother answering knowing where it was leading off too. "Very well, I know where you belong..."
"SLYTHERIN"
Her eyes fell onto Bellatrix's, watching as they looked concerned to proud, happy to have her cousin in the same house as her. Slughorn looked curious, as did some others in her new house that were in older years, she hoped that they would realize it would be a horrible mistake on their part to even bother with her.
"Black, Sirius" he walked up slowly, Kali held her breath almost anticipating what was to come.
The hat waited for a moment, everyone watched as his expressions changed and Kali just knew something drastic would happen. Her mind searched for all possible things that could be happening until it landed on one... Sirius wasn't going to be in Slytherin. It was no surprise, he was never one to try and please their parents, and neither was she, but she did know the many things that could happen, most of which she was not keen to find out if it did come down to her being in a different house.
Andromeda also looked concerned, almost as though she knew exactly what was to come- Kali wondered if she too had come to the obvious conclusion that Sirius would bring "death" to the Black family's reputation.
"GRYFFINDOR"
Everything froze. Nobody clapped, not even the professors bothered to move as the hat shouted its decision. Sirus looked stuck to the chair, frozen in place as he tried to process what had just happened. The short black-haired Black should've put two and two together once she concluded that Sirius would not be continuing their legacy. He wasn't smart enough to be in Ravenclaw and certainly wasn't kind or humble like a Hufflepuff should be.
Suddenly noise returned as James Potter began to clap, soon followed by the Gryffindors and some of the other unsorted 1st years. Sirius slowly began to regain movement as he made his way to Gryffindor's table, eyes meeting Kali once he sat down. She wasn't mad at her brother, certainly not pleased because of what would come- but he had the strength and the bravery to get himself sorted into Gryffindor. Bellatrix didn't look pleased, she looked downright angry, Florence seemed almost indifferent, and Andromeda didn't look too happy either but she still bothered to smile at her younger cousin. Kali noted this, thinking that she wouldn't need to do much backup work with those three, besides maybe convincing Bellatrix to not kill her brother or tattletale to the family about this little predicament they had gotten themselves into.
The rest of the ceremony went without anything too drastic. Arii, Alecto Carrow, Dorcas Meadowes, Severus Snape, and a girl Bellatrix had taken an interest in, Rita Skeeter, were all sorted into Slytherin. Ravenclaw had been joined by Victoria Nott, Gilderoy Lockhart, and Greta Catchlove. Hufflepuff didn't gain many exciting members in Kali's eyes, though Florence's eyes often fell on a girl, Amelia Bones. Gryffindor had gained her brother, as well as Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Marlene Mckinnon, Mary Macdonald, and Emmaline Vance.
September 1st, 1972
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Regulus was prepared, he had to be. After Sirius, there was no option for him or Narcissa to ever be sorted into a different house. They had always talked about considering asking to be in Ravenclaw, while not the most desired in the Black family, to be sorted into Ravenclaw was fine, probably due to the factor that many of the partners of Blacks were in Ravenclaw. The pair would be attending Hogwarts with multiple of their friends, Evan and Pandora Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr, and Rhea Parkinson. The group sat in a compartment closest to the exit, the children smushed together with some sitting on the floor as another made her way into the compartment.
The black-haired boy took notice of her tall figure and the way she carried herself, she didn't seem lost, perhaps a pureblood.
"Who are you?" Barty spoke, studying her as he turned over to look at Evan before laughing.
The girl didn't seem too amused by that, moving her set of double braids behind her shoulders, "Jean Potter."
Narcissa almost laughed, "A Potter? In our compartment? Sweetheart your brother is at the front."
She nodded before taking the seat next to Regulus, clearly not caring what they thought before joining in on the conversation. Regulus admired that, if Jean proved to be worthy enough perhaps they would be friends. Of course, if that were to happen then he would never escape the teasing from Bellatrix about how his brother was friends with a Potter and now he was as well. Maybe Kali would save him from that embarrassment.
The train ride was quicker than he thought, yet by the end Narcissa, Jean, and Pandora seemed to be the best of friends. Barty, Evan, and Regulus went in their boat while the girls went in the other, all fully prepared for what was to come.
There were no A names this year, as well as very few B names before theirs, "Black, Narcissa" Everyone perked up, Sirius' incident last year had made sorting the Black family exciting suddenly, but this year there would be no surprises. The hat took its time, yet his sister didn't seem bothered to look up from whatever book she was reading now.
"SLYTHERIN"
No surprise there, Regulus thought as Narciss stood up from the stool, standing aside as she waited for him to join her. "Black, Regulus" He knew what was coming, so why did his siblings both look up as he was about to be sorted?
"Ah yes, another Black... I do remember your siblings from last year, wasn't one put into Gryffindor? Perhaps you will join him- you too have a very loyal soul with a brave heart, perhaps you should join him?" No. He thought, muttering under his breath as he cursed himself for following Sirius around too much when he was younger. "No? Perhaps that is too ambitious, you would do well in Ravenclaw though, even Hufflepuff might suit you. Yet there is a strong sense of ambition, a reputation to uphold I see... I know exactly where you belong."
"SLYTHERIN"
Regulus let out the breath he was holding, standing up as quickly as he could to get the hell away from that thing. His blonde cousin laughed as he ran away from it, seemingly scared of a harmless hat.
Barty soon joined them in Slytherin, Evan followed and Pandora was sorted into Ravenclaw. Then it came time for the Potter girl- Regulus didn't have very high expectations for her, and neither did anyone else besides some of the older children, including Andromeda and Florence. The hat took its time with her, the black-haired boy timed it at nearly 3 minutes before it graced everyone with its choice.
"SLYTHERIN"
Now that, was a surprise. She didn't seem very fazed, and neither did the majority of the Slytherin table, all clapping for her, Narcissa even pointed out that James Potter was also clapping for his little sister, something Sirius hadn't done for him.