Chapter 9
Today was finally September First and Amara couldn’t feel more prepared for the upcoming year. Yesterday she went out to celebrate her upcoming year and drank one cup of Vodka, by Ryan’s insistence as she was apparently growing up and now could, but stopped at that since she knew she had quite bad genetics coming from her family.
Nevertheless, she had a plan today.
To find a compartment, spent the next hours preparing to strike up a conversation with whoever she ended up at the dorms, she’d breathe, drink the water she brought and the food Tabby made her bring. She’d hopefully find allies in the Slytherin House but that was not immediate. She had years to get their loyalty after all.
At exactly eight am she was up and about, checking her trunk and double checking it before doing some light exercises and meditation.
At nine she had breakfast after a quick shower and she dressed up correctly for the occasion. A white button up shirt with black trousers and a green robe that seemingly made her eyes shine even brighter.
And at ten she was flooring to Leaky Cauldron to buy some jewellery with her trunk shrinked in her pocket. Why? She wanted some protective jewellery and also because she needed to find a way to show she had money in discreet but effective ways.
So she got her Usher persona quick and went to buy jewellery in Thenly’s shop.
At exactly 10 and a half she got out of the shop wearing two earrings and flooring straight to the platform entering the train and finally finding an empty compartment where she settled and started to read.
She didn’t, however, show her scar. Not yet. That would be a surprise.
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After a few minutes of quiet reading someone barged in her compartment without knocking first and also not even saying a good morning. Rude.
“Can I sit with you? The rest of the train is full” The red head said and Amara blinked a few times. She frowned at the lack of good manners.
“Good morning. Are you perhaps acquainted with George and Fred Weasley?” She ignored the question totally as the boy had already made his way to the other seat. She pinched herself to not say anything too offensive so early on.
He grimaced and glared at her fiercely “Yes.” he grumbled out loud. Seems like even that had been offensive. As if she knew of their relationship.
Ah, this was Ronald then. Yes the twins have told her a bit of him. Not motivated enough to do anything to surpass his brothers.
She honestly didn’t want to spend time on yet another Gryffindor, (nothing against them but Amara had to have at least some allies in Slytherin too) much less one that didn’t even do things for himself. She had wanted a quiet journey in preparation for the year, not a baby who was now scowling at her as if it was her fault for his mood. The twins could handle their own problems with their family very well alone.
‘SLAM’
She refrained from scowling and turned towards whoever barged in this time.
“Good morning.” She greeted the newcomers with only the force of will to not insult whoever came.
The other girl blinked and took a step back while the boy behind her shrinked even more.
“Good morning. I was wondering if any of you had seen a toad?”
“No, but perhaps you wish to ask a prefect, they might be able to summon the toad.” The girl grimaced before nodding and muttering about how she wished she’d thought about that earlier.
Amara could’ve summoned the toad, but she didn't want to waste time on them. Rude people as they were.
She looked at the boy and stared at him until his grimace became bigger and bigger.
“What?” he snapped.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to stay.” she said coldly and he sputtered.
“Leave, Ronald, I will not repeat myself.” she stated firmly and continued to read.
Calling people by their names has always been funny, they would always get freaked out when they realised she knew them.
Ronald stayed frozen for a few seconds before he muttered something about ‘are all girls like that?’ and went out.
She breathed in a sigh of relief and made sure to check if there were more people coming before shutting the curtains of her door and locking it with a charm.
Brat.
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It was already night time when the train had finally arrived in Hogwarts.
Soon they were called out of the train by a giant. Amara breathed in and closed her eyes, letting her magic taste the air and the wet earth.
She straightened her spine, held her head high and looked for Hogwarts. Unfortunately you couldn’t yet see her but soon.
“Get ‘n the boats!” a giant of a man cried out and waved towards the boats “No more than fou’!” the ‘r’ being pronounced rather…badly. Amara closed her eyes and steeled herself, lest she wants to cut his tongue. Cruel perhaps for someone who she just met but Amara couldn’t care less for this stranger.
Now, as she walked into those boats she felt the reality of the situation sinking into her bones. She was going to study magic in a magic school. She was going to learn more about her ownmagic. Her gift! There probably was a library there, with books in various themes.
Black Manor had Dark Magic books but unfortunately lacked alchemy and any family Magics outside of their own. Most of the family members being metamorphmagus and those who weren’t, had an affinity to Dark Magic, mostly Curses with one or another being more adept to Jinxes. But no Black (that she was aware of) had an affinity to Ritual Magic, with simple examples being Alchemy or Runes.
It was not a branch that any of the family paid much attention to, never having had any members with much interest in it.
They were interested in RItuals, yes, but only those that Amara held no need for.
Basic cleansing and streightening rituals. Helping to better control their magic and such.
She found one or two books on Alchemy but none others detailed anything at all. She needed to study both of these subjects to understand Blood Magic better, as it was most commonly used in Rituals and so, they had much more knowledge on how they worked. Not to mention that they worked better alongside Runes, as Blood Magic (any Dark Magic really but especially Soul Magic and Blood Magic) were known for their unpredictability and force.
So, yeah, she was excited to know more about the library even if Ryan had already told her that most of the interesting books were inside the restricted library and there was no way during the day you could enter what with it being strictly watched by the librarian. She just had to wait for the night then.
Her magic was humming a soft tune heard only by her and she smiled pleasantly towards nothing in particular. That ‘adventure’ had to wait though.
She shook her head and tuned out the words while focusing more on who she would end up with, yes that was her priority. She spotted Daphne with her head held high in typical pureblood heiress and walked towards her in confident and slow steps.
Seated behind a boy with brown hair and another one with black skin and short black hair, she kept her face calm and relaxed.
She wouldn’t make the first move. Didn’t want to seem desperate for allies (even if she was a little bit, not that she’d admit it, she’d rather lose a limb than do that)
She kept looking ahead with her hands securely tucked inside the pockets as she knew her fingers would be twitching in anticipation. Her magic was turning and being distracting to Amara. Colours and sounds are distracting in case you didn’t know.
The waters were rather pesky and kept trying to turn other boats while theirs was uncommonly secure. Her magic's cortesy, how sweet of her gift to help them without much prompting.
Granted Amara also may have done a little nudge for that to happen but nothing more than a little nudge.
She saw the two boys' share a look before they turned slightly towards them.
“Daph, how are you?” the dark skinned boy greeted before he eyed her over. Inspecting her good quality robes, her expensive jewellery and her calm mask. He smiled friendly.
He blinked while she inspected him in turn and avoided her eyes.
She saw the way the brunette's lips turned downwards and he avoided her eyes. Looking everywhere but her eyes. Seems like her eyes would forever be intimidating for people who she was inspecting.
“Theodore Nott, Heir to the Most Ancient House of Nott, and you are?”
His tone was neutral and bored but his eyes were sharp enough to not fool her for even one second.
She smiled a little but refused to close her eyes.
“Amara Potter, Heiress to the Most Noble House of Potter.
Well met, Heir Nott.”
Theo, for all that was worth, swallowed down the shiver that followed the fear of this girl in front of him after she finished speaking.
Those eyes that reminded him of the childish fear he once held of the dark.
‘There is something in the dark Grandpa.’ his young voice yelled frantically while looking at that spot, that damned spot where he thought that something was close. Close enough to breath his scent, to memorise it and follow him until it would kill him when he wasn’t looking.
The cycle continued until he finally found out it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. That there was nothing there that would harm him.
Something dangerous followed this girl and he wasn’t sure it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity she looked towards Blaise and he breathed out a sigh that he hadn’t realised he had been holding.
“Blaise Zabini, Heir to the House of Zabini.” Blaise nodded, sounding much more composed than Theo felt and they each shared a look. Theo of silent despair and Blaise of silent excitement.
Blaise felt like laughing hysterically. His mother would definitely like this girl. Who knew that the Girl-who-lived could be so…like his mother.
And then Hogwarts was there in all its glory and Blaise felt more than he saw as the girl behind him smiled sharply.
He felt his lips turn upwards a bit.
This year was going to be very, very good indeed.
Amara was almost vibrating with energy but she schooled her expression the second she heard Mcgonagall's voice.
She ushered them all inside the magnificent castle and made them wait inside a room. She took the opportunity and turned to Daphne who held an analysing look in her eyes.
“Well met…” she trailed and saw the smile overtake Daphne’s delicate features
“Daphne Greengrass, Heiress to the Noble House of Greengrass,” Amara showed courtesy by held her hand out and taking it, bringing it for a quick peck of Amara’s lips to her knuckles.
Daphne felt as if she had just felt lightning in her hand. Power cursed through her veins as she shook the other girl's hand and knew she made the right choice. Oh, this was power. Power that is most feared.
She liked power.
“Is it true then?” an obnoxious voice came from somewhere in the crowd “ Hayden Potter came to Hogwarts.” the voice, who she now recognised as Draco’s voice, exclaimed loudly and watched as the whispers broke.
She ignored the boy and turned to Daphne instead, choosing to get a bit more information of how the boys felt with that.
“What do you think about that?” she muttered and glanced at the boys briefly.
To outsiders, it would look like Amara was questioning Daphne about Hayden Potter’s apparent appearance too but Daphne knew what she was doing.
“Well,” she took her moment in thinking of her words, playing along. “ I believe my friends will need further proof but I know that they can be convinced.” she risked a glance at them, her gaze lingering on Theo’s rigid back “Perhaps let him a bit of time to mull over your words after you state your intentions.”
“My intentions are not bad, of that I assure you, nor would I let anything bad happen to you.”
“Can you?” after a brief moment she elaborated “assure that nothing bad happens to us, even if your intentions are not bad?”
Daphne pinned her with a stare that made Amara smile
“My dear,” the pet name slipped her lips as if they had been using it forever. “ I know that it is early, but don’t they say not to let your doubts control you?”
They stared at each other before a sigh made them look at the already tired looking Theodore Nott.
“You are going to bring us trouble won’t you?”
This time Blaise looked at the other girl and smiled, “I won’t turn my back.”
Amara smiled sharply
“I hope you don’t.” she said honestly and saw them all register and nod at the silent threat.
Mcgonagall was soon back after a few screams from the most idiotic part of the whole group of first years.
She seemed to take a moment to just look at them all with almost a melancholic air before she led them all to the Great Hall and it took Amara embarrassing two minutes to realise that that was because they were the smallest group of years in the whole Hogwarts.
Most years seated in themselves with some odd ones going in the younger or older groups to hang out. There were at the very least 30 to 40 first years, while in the other years, if you took them all up there was at least double that.
Ah, she could see the same melancholy in the other teachers.
It seems like they were the generation of wizards born from the war.
How fitting, that she belonged in this generation and was supposed to fight.
The sorting began after the hat on the stool, an ugly big thing, ripped a mouth and started to sing a song so horrible she had to cover her ears in the hopes of getting them to not bleed.
Daphne went in first, and to no one’s surprise did she come out as a Slytherin.
Theodore went in second, the hat touched his head for a few more minutes before shouting a strong Slytherin.
She heard a boy, Weasley, mutter something about Slytherins and decided she would get her Slytherins away as far away from the boy as she could. While she liked the twins, they had no such bias over Slytherins and were much better conversationalists.
“Potter, Hayden!”
She took a moment to rearrange her bangs to show the scar and just straighten herself a little bit before she walked slowly towards the little stool.
The hat obscured her view of the shocked and amused (for those who knew her) faces.
‘Well that is certainly interesting.’
She honestly didn’t like the feeling of probing in her head. Not at all.
But she knew that maybe this would be a more complicated process than just shouting Slytherin, even if she was very sure that was what she was.
‘Oh no, you are pure Slytherin I must say but I find myself having fun seeing your plans and comic encounters. Alas, this has gone too long for both of us, though I wouldn’t mind if you entertained me some more with specific people for your little pranks.”
‘For a price depending on the person or people.’ she replied without missing a beat.
‘ for a price of course.’ he agreed amusedly.
Well that was certainly a good deal. Causing chaos was something she’d already do, but do it for a price? Now that was good.
‘Anyone in specific?’
‘Ah, I will make sure you know who it is in the right time.’
‘That just told me nothing.’
‘Make sure to become familiar with this type of answer, then, it’ll be the only one you’ll receive if you wish to talk to Dumbledore.’
Amara could practically feel the smirk from the hat (if hats even could smirk)
‘Nevertheless, be careful to not traumatise anyone beyond damage in the snake pit.’
“SLYTHERIN”
Amara smirked and walked to the table with some soft applauses coming from the tables.
She could see how some gryffindors were applauding too, namely the twins, Oliver and Angelina. Together with some other older students who she got to know.
Surprisingly the most who she got to know were Hufflepuffs who then smiled at her.
She smiled back.
She analysed the houses and their reactions towards her. Most younger students were frowning and confused, others were outraged; the older one’s seemed to not have much of a problem with it except one or two odd ones in each year of the houses.
That, of course, did nothing to ease the tension that overcame the Slytherin table.
How ironic. But then again, she supposed they haven’t been able to converse or get to know each other in any way before this feast and while she could get the first years loyalty with some weeks of worth, the older ones were more sure of who they wanted to follow in those regards and would undoubtedly need further convincing other than some simple words and actions.
Maybe they would never really accept her anyways. That wasn’t a problem.
She’d just have to force it down their throats then.