Hogwarts Express
A few weeks later Celestia was waiting at St. Peter's Graveyard, her Trunk filled with every single item that had once been in her lonely prison cell.
Tom and she had agreed that it would be best to pack everything and take it with them to Hogwarts since she would be able to move into Pendragon castle on her Yule break, and it would make things easier.
Though it was a hassle to get every device and electronic gadget inside without accidentally breaking or damaging any of them.
She would eat an entire broomstick before letting her life work get even a single scratch near it.
And unlike before Professor Flitwick would not be the one to bring her to King's Cross Station.
He had told her that it would be a surprise as to who would come and pick her up and requested for her not use her Sight to find out, which she promised not to do after seeing the part-Goblin teacher's excitement.
,, Whoever is getting us, they sure are taking their time....." She muttered, glancing at her Pocket-Watch, Chrome making a noise of agreement from her shoulder, at which she smiled the tiniest bit, returning her focus back on the book in her lap.
It was Morgan Le Fay's personal journal, filled with Curses, Potion recipes, and Dark Spells, as well as other information gathered over the many years of her life.
Celestia had found out a lot about her family because of it, and she felt a personal connection to the late Queen of Avalon, not only because she bore a name in memory of her, but also the fact that she feared for her own life, her youngest brother Arthur always having been favored over her by their father since he was born with a bloody cock between his legs, and the fact he was the only normal child born to the late King.
Morgan had been the one to take care of and raise her other two younger siblings, Eve and Xavier, both having lost their Father's favor after they started showing signs of being... different... like their older sister.
She had been the one who taught them, not minding the fact that Eve's Core was More Light orientated, or that Xavier was unable to use Magic unless it concerned a Weapon.
She loved her siblings, even Arthur who was the only one of the four who held no Magic in him, and that was what made Celestia admire her.
And so she continued reading, patiently waiting for whoever was going to get her.
--------------
All the while Narcissa Malfoy née Black, her husband Lucius Malfoy, and their son Draco Malfoy were walking towards the orphanage, ready to pick up their niece/cousin that their family had searched for so long......
Arcturus Black was close behind, his Charge Regulus next to him, with Xavier Lestrange following..
Narcissa had been in denial after Fillius Flitwick had arrived at their doorstep, informing her that Celestia had been found..
Who wouldn't be in her position ?
For ten years they had searched for the little girl, hoping and praying to Mother Magic that she was alive and well...But they had not been able to find a single trace of her on this God-forsaken Planet.
Lucius, Arcturus, and other family members had multiple times begged the Potters to tell them where they had left her, but they had always shrugged them off, telling them that she was safe and somewhere where she would be treated right.
Even Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE could not help them, the information having been categorized as sealed by Albus Dumbledore.
Their family hated that Old Goat even more for that.
They had just started to accept that Celestia would forever be gone, and then the Head of Ravenclaw arrives at their doorstep, happily informing them that their niece had been left in a Muggle Orphanage of all places!
An Orphanage far from any kind of actual civilization, only a few Muggle Villages, and a National Park, alias a Forest filled with Creatures of all kinds, surrounding it...
He had described her as a kind and respectful Soul, her words always well thought off, and from what he had seen she had an intelligence that rivaled even some of his best students.
Their family immediately wanted to get her, to bring her home...
But they were not allowed to do so.
It had made Arcturus and Xavier Lestrange, Father of Rabastan and Rodolphus, who were the girl's Godfather and Uncle, go mad in rage.
Their Charge had been in an Orphanage, probably not having been explained anything about the Wizarding World, and they were not allowed to take her in !? Who in Merlin's name would agree to such a thing !?
So they could do nothing but wait..
And now finally it was time for them to meet her, even if only for a short amount of time.
Still, the group entered the building, spotting several children looking at them curiously, as they made their way to the front desk.
,, Oh! Hello, and welcome to St. Peter Orphanage, how can I help you today ?" The middle-aged woman at the front desk asked, smiling at them.
,, Hello.. We are searching for someone named Celestia Grindelwald. Our family has been informed that she was wrongfully placed here and we would like to take her in after she has been missing for so long." Lucius replied, not very happy about talking with a Muggle of all people..
,, Celestia Grindelwald ...?... Hmm... Just a second, I'll look in the files, yes ?" She said, quickly making her way into her office.
Regulus all the while looked around the orphanage..
It was old, but the children looked happy and well-fed...
Though something about this seemed off...
And it rubbed him the wrong way.
,, Do you think we'll find her, Reg ?" Draco whispered, standing next to his cousin.
Regulus had not told his family about meeting Celestia on the day the Potters had taken him to Diagon Alley, deciding to hold that information to himself for the time being, since he did not want to give anyone false hope.
,, Maybe..... But I've got the feeling it won't be here.." He told him, his eyes not spotting a single Magical signature inside the Orphanage.
Just like Celestia, who had the Gift of Sight, Regulus had been blessed by Mother Magic with the gift of actually being able to see Magic, which made a lot of people interested in forming alliances with him.
It annoyed him greatly.
Draco nodded, feeling slightly sad that there might be a possibility of Celestia not being here..
Right then the woman returned from her office. ,, We do not have any records of a girl named Celestia Grindelwald-" Those words made Narcissa's hope already fade. ,, But we do have a Celestia Strange."
,, Strange...?.." Arcturus repeated, remembering something.
He held back a sigh of annoyance and said. ,, That is her Father's Last name."
,, Really? My.... What a small world." She said, handing them the file. ,, I personally never saw much of her, but if I remember correctly she's often around the Forest, that or she's at the Graveyard near it. She's a sweet girl, always leaves Flowers on the Graves since no one ever visits them beside her."
,, Where can we find that Graveyard ?" Narcissa asked, wanting nothing more than to see her Goddaughter.
,, It's right around the corner, you won't miss it. Celestia always leaves red flowers on the entrance." She replied, smiling.
,, Thank you for your help." With that they quickly left, Draco never having seen his Mother walk somewhere at such a fast pace before.
Regulus on the other hand was surprised when he spotted the many different Magical Signatures surrounding the Graveyard, there were so many that it almost hurt his eyes to look.
,, Regulus ?" Arcturus wordlessly asked, seeing the boy's eyes wander around. He knew he was seeing something, so he waited for the boy to explain.
,, That Graveyard is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of Magical Signatures....." He said, swallowing the lump in his throat since he knew what that meant.
Draco shook in fear, the adults in their group less than pleased.
That Graveyard was not a resting place, it was a Mass Grave for Witches and Wizards.
,, I will kill that Old man..." Xavier seethed, not so silently cursing Dumbledore in his Mind.
They entered, walking further inside in hopes of finding Celestia..
On their way Draco silently went closer to his father, Lucius placing a hand on Draco's shoulder so that the boy would keep on walking.
The others kept on walking, sometimes passing graves with no names at all or simply the Wizard's / Witches' First names....
But all Graves had one very disturbing thing in common.
There were Numbers engraved in their Tombs.
Narcissa did not want to know why those numbers were engraved there, the only thing she wanted was to take Celestia into her arms and never let go of her again..
She couldn't imagine what her beloved Goddaughter had to go through over the years, left at the mercy of incompetent Muggles....
,, I should have asked Professor Flitwick for a specific time." They suddenly heard a soft voice speak, making them stop dead in their tracks.
Turning to the source of the voice they spotted her...
A girl with Snow white hair, dressed in a white dress with black shoes and a Golden Star Pattern on it, a Niffler on her shoulder, and an old book in her hands.
,, Celestia..?..." Narcissa called out unsurely, and the young girl turned around, snapping her book close.
She was slightly confused about who these people were...
Though she recognized Regulus.
,, Those are Narcissa Malfoy née Black, your Godmother, and her husband Lucius. The blonde little box would be their Son, though I'm not sure what his name is... Next to the boy Regulus would be your Great-Uncle Arcturus and Xavier Lestrange, your Godfather's Father." Tom informed her, making her look at the group.
,, Aunt Cissy ?" Celestia carefully questioned, remembering that nickname from her childhood whenever Bellatrix would call her that.
That was enough for Narcissa to break into tears, quickly walking to the girl and taking her into her arms.
Celestia froze, awkwardly standing there while Narcissa hugged her as if her life depended on it.
She wasn't very fond or used for that matter of human contact.....So Hugging someone was always an awkward experience.
Narcissa cradled the girl's face in her hands, gently caressing her cheeks with her thumbs as tears of happiness ran down her own cheeks. ,, .......My little Star......... *Chuckling Softly* ..... Merlin...... you are as beautiful as your mother."
Celestia returned the smile, though did not remain eye contact for too long, at which Narcissa let her go, still smiling.
,, Good meet, cousin...I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco greeted, smiling at her, and before she knew it she was once again brought into a hug. ,, We've been looking for you for so long...." He whispered, also close to tears, glad to finally have her in his arms again.
She awkwardly hugged back, not sure if what she was doing was correct.
Arcturus and Xavier noticed this, which made them even more furious.
Draco soon let her go, yet stood close to her, not wanting to let her out of his sight in fear she might disappear again.
,, Do you know who we are ?" Xavier asked, not having much hope since she had been taken from their home when she was less than a year old...
The girl smiled politely, nodding. ,, You are Xavier Lestrange....My Godfather's Father." She then faced Arcturus. ,, And you are Arcturus Black....if I remember correctly my Mother had given you the title of my Magical Guardian."
The two men were surprised, yet did not show it openly........
Xavier nodded, smiling slightly..
He was happy that she remembered him, often having watched his sons and daughter-in-law take care of her when she was an Infant.
He had always told his sons that they were wrapped around her tiny fingers, which they didn't even try to deny, knowing it was the truth.
,, A Daughter will always have her Father wrapped around her Fingers, and I would not hesitate to fulfill her every need and wish if it meant her happiness or me receiving her smile." Rodolphus loved her as much as a Father could Love his Daughter, he and Bella pretty much at that point having been ready to Blood-Adopt her to make her their actual child.....
But of course, Dumbledore's followers had to ruin everything....
Arcturus put a hand on Regulus' shoulder, making Celestia focus on them.
Regulus, having lived and been trained by the man knew what he wanted without him even using words, so he stepped forward. ,, Good meet." He greeted, kissing the back of her hand. ,, My name is Regulus Black.."
Noticing how he pretended to meet her for the first time she decided to play along. ,, Good meet, my name is Celestia Grindelwald."
Chrome suddenly jumped on Regulus, startling the boy who immediately let go of Celestia's hand and stared at the Magical creature that was currently standing on his shoulder and holding his face in place.
The Niffler eyed him suspiciously, his eyes narrowing...
Draco tried to hide his laugh with a cough, his face slightly red from trying to not burst out laughing at the scene in front of him.
His Stiff and normally best example for a Pure-Blood Heir cousin, getting glared at by a Niffler of all things.
Chrome's glare was stopped by Celestia lifting him up by the scruff of the neck. ,, That is not how we greet people, Chrome."
He turned to her, making noises of disagreement, but she only gave him an unimpressed look. ,, I do not care that you find him suspicious, it's a Formal way of greeting."
Chrome huffed, crossing his arms, but didn't protest when she put him on her shoulder.
,, You can understand him ?" Lucius asked, amused by his niece's little Companion.
She gave a nervous chuckle. ,, Chrome has been with me for a long time and I seem to have a great hand when it comes to Creatures."
Narcissa smiled the tiniest bit, remembering Theseus whenever the man came to visit her parents back in her childhood.......
The man had always some kind of Creature with him, Narcissa's absolute favorite having been the Thunderbird the man had raised back to health after it had been shot by Muggle Hunters.
She and Bellatrix would always play a game, trying to guess which Creature he would bring next, and always laughed in glee when he showed them how to work with them..
Andromeda never wanted to part take, too scared about the possibility of them accidentally harming her.
,, *Chuckle* I like him, his name is Chrome right ?" Draco asked, Chrome tilting his head and turning to him.
,, Yes..... And don't even think about it Chrome, I know what that look is for." Celestia said, making the Niffler give a sound of mock shock as if saying ,, How dare you even think so low of me ?"
Draco once again smiled, fascinated by the little Creature...
It seemed like Narcissa's glee had found itself back in Draco, which made Lucius and said woman very happy.
,, Say what do Niffler's Eat ?" He asked, the two cousins engaging in a conversation about Nifflers while the adults and Regulus, who did not want to risk getting jumped on by Chrome again, watched.
It was a happy moment for the family.
-------------
As soon as they arrived at Platform 9 3/4 via Apparation Celestia tucked Chrome into her pocket and glanced around, ignoring the crowd that had gathered around the Potters and eyed the train, the red Steam Engine not impressing her in the least.
Sure, every child held excitement in them since that train would take them to Hogwarts for the very first time, but Celestia had seen so much of the Muggle-World Technology that the Scientists made her see and learn about, that such a thing only fascinated her in the aspect of how the Mechatronic was able to work with only Magic Guiding it.
,, What do you think about it ?" Regulus asked, standing next to her, with Draco on her other side, his expression neutral, yet if one looked closer they could see the young boy's excitement in them.
,, It's impressive....Though I'm more interested in how the Mechanism of the Train connects to Magic and still seems to work without the usual Functions and Molecules involved.." She absentmindedly answered back, surprising those around her.
,, That is a very specific answer....Were you taught lessons on those subjects ?" Arcturus asked, watching her eyes.
They were much more focused and serious, she seemed to be in her Element.
,, You could say so." She vaguely answered, not wanting to talk about her past in such an open setting.
He understood and silently looked at Regulus, who looked at her with interest..
A Teenage Regulus Arcturus Black was sitting beside Violet Grindelwald, the young female smiling softly as she showed the male her newest little Project..... The pair seemingly in their own little World..
The Head of the House of Black hid his smile, noticing the similarities....
It seemed like Fate sometimes really did find its way...
,, Celestia, come, let me introduce you to our friends." Draco said, smiling as the three cousins made their way to their small group of children, the four adults following amused.
Pansy Parkinson looked sour, her scrunched-up pug nose not helping her mask her expression in the least as she looked Celestia up and down, silently judging her....
,, Just like her mother....... That woman was and probably still is a true nuisance." Tom said, both knowing fairly well what the expression on the girl's face meant.
She was jealous of Celestia's looks, something that didn't surprise the half-Veela in the least.
Those with Veela blood could simultaneously cause attraction and disdain in those who were left at their mercy, mostly those of the opposite sex, which meant resentful looks and anything the likes of it was to be expected on some level, even at their age.
Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, and Blaise seemed indifferent though, which she was thankful for.
,, Lord Black, Lord Lestrange, Lord, and Lady Malfoy, it's a pleasure to see you again." Lady Zabini warmly greeted, her eyes landing on Celestia. ,, I see you have brought a guest, may we know your name, my dear ?"
Xavier placed a hand on Celestia's shoulder. ,, This, is my Grandaughter.. Celestia Grindelwald-Lestrange."
Celestia rose an eyebrow at the added last name but decided not to comment-
After all, she was Heiress to the House of Lestrange thanks to her Godparents, and she had too many Last names to speak out loud anyways.
Instead, she smiled politely, curtsying. ,, A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Zabini."
The adults who had joined looked at her in surprise, while the Blacks and Malfoys were proud.
Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott looked at her in slight shock, both of them having learned of the Grindelwald Heiress having been hidden somewhere by the Potters, who foolishly believed her to be a Squib thanks to Dumbledore..
Lady Zabini though quickly snapped out of it, her smile reminding Celestia of that of the Cheshire Cat. ,, My........The pleasure is all mine, Heiress Grindelwald-Lestrange." She then shortly looked at her son, before turning back to her. ,, This here is my son, Heir Blaise Zabini."
,, Well met, Heir Zabini." Celestia greeted, Tom's snicker not helping her in the least.
Blaise kissed her knuckles, similar to how Regulus did a while earlier. ,, Well met, Heiress Grindelwald-Lestrange."
Draco introduced her to the other three, Celestia ignoring the sour Note in both Parkinson's and Greengrass's voices, the two girls flinching as their parents shot them warning glares, not wanting their daughters to ruin their chances of an alliance with someone so powerful.
The adults greeted her as well, the girl returning the greeting politely each time.
It wasn't that difficult, concerning the fact that she had been trained to respond perfectly to every possible human emotion correctly.
And shortly after that, it was time to depart on the train.
,, You must write this evening once you are sorted..and with that I mean all three of you." Lucius said softly, looking at the three children.
,, Yes-" Narcissa agreed, fussing over them in a way only a mother could. ,, Should anything happen write us immediately, all right ?"
,, We will, Mother." Draco promised, letting his mother fuss over him while Arcturus talked with Regulus.
,, Remember, should anyone comment about your parentage, ignore them. The House of Black does not give such people the satisfaction of giving them even a single moment of our time."
,, Yes, Grandfather." The boy replied, his expression darkening slightly...
,, Celestia." The girl in question turned to Xavier, tilting her head at him. ,, Yes, Sir ?"
He smiled the tiniest bit. ,, It's fine if you call me Grandfather....Rodolphus and Bellatrix saw you as their own and so do I."
She blinked in surprise but smiled the tiniest bit at the mention of the two people she saw as her parents. ,, All right...... I will do so, Grandfather."
Xavier chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder. ,, Be sure to write us Letters.......And stay close to Draco and Regulus... People will try to shove you in a box, because of your name, but from what I can tell you won't have much trouble with it." He crouched down, to be at her height and said. ,, Since I claimed you as my Grandaughter first, Mother Magic has probably already made me your Legal guardian, which means that if you want you can write Letters to them...I'm sure they would be delighted to hear from you again."
He didn't need to use names to tell her who he meant, at which she smiled, nodding. ,, I will..."
The whistle blew, making them part with a final goodbye.
,, We'll see you at Yule. And make sure Chrome doesn't cause havoc!" Narcissa said, smiling slightly as she waved the three Goodbye.
---------------
The three cousins searched for their group, but Celestia stopped at an Empty Compartment giving Draco and Regulus an Apologetic smile. ,, I think it would be best for me to not sit with everyone........ I would not like to cause any sort of discomfort, since Heiress Parkinson and Greengrass do not seem to like my presence much."
Draco pouted, allowing his Pure-Blood Mask to fall since he was with his cousins. ,, But you'll be alone....."
,, He's persistent, I'll give him that." Tom said, the amusement clear in his voice.
,, I'll stay with her." Regulus suddenly said, making them turn to him, one surprised and the other perplexed.
,, You know how I don't get along with Parkinson anyways....and I'd rather not cause a Blood Feud by hexing her for her commentary." He said, not lying but also not admitting the whole truth.
Draco eyed him suspiciously, but gave a nod, turning back to Celestia. ,, Be sure to come to our Compartment should anyone harass you, understood ?"
,, *Chuckle* I will, Draco." She promised, finding his worry rather adorable. It strangely reminded her of Chrome in a way.
Giving a satisfied nod, he gave her a hug, before continuing onward, Celestia and Regulus sitting down in the Compartment.
There was an awkward silence for a few minutes since neither of them knew how to start the conversation.....
,, .........How long have you lived there alone ?" Regulus finally asked, looking at the white-haired girl.
,, Two and a Half years." She answered, remembering the day Sai's body had been carried out of his Cell, his empty black eyes filled with something similar to relieve.. ,, The last Wizard who had been living with me and also taught me died in his sleep from Multiple-organ Failure."
,, I'm sorry to hear that...." Regulus said, remembering the names of the Graves Celestia had been standing close to when they had found her.
It probably was one of them.
She gave him a small smile. ,, It's fine.......He was sick for a long time, and though he did not say it, I knew he was in pain.........He once admitted that if he died, he hoped it to be painless and in his sleep. So his Death came more as a release to him than anything."
He gave a small hum, observing her....
The smiles on her face were more often than not fake, he could tell, but at least they weren't shown out of malicious intend or because of she was trying to be overly friendly.
He liked it about her, usually not doing well when it came to people with loud and cheerful personalities, like Harry for example.
They reminded him too much of his Father, who he disliked with a great passion.
She noticed his emotions shift, making her hum quietly....
His eyes were like her own whenever she was reminded of her Mother......
,, Say Regulus..." He turned his attention back to her. ,, What is your favorite subject ?"
He blinked, confused, before realizing what she was trying to do....
She was trying to take his mind off of whatever he may be thinking about.
He smiled the tiniest bit, leaning against his Seat. ,, Potions and Astronomy, you ?"
He maybe didn't say it, but she knew what he was trying to say anyways, so she replied. ,, Herbology and Ancient Runes."
They continued on with the conversation, two silent words left unspoken yet understood....
,, Thank you......."
And
,, You're welcome....."