Chapter Four
The next morning, Holly woke up early, her excitement making it impossible to fall back asleep. She quickly took a refreshing bath and, using a helpful spell Aunt Cassie had taught her, braided her unruly hair into two neat French pigtails. Afterward, she slipped into the clothes she had set out the night before, ready to start her day.
Hedwig had decided to fly ahead to Hogwarts, so Popi had shrunk her cage for easier transport on the train.
Checking one last time to make sure she really had everything in her trunk, the young girl placed a meticulously folded set of Hogwarts robes and school uniform on top of her other possessions. Then Holly closed her trunk.
Popi and Pip had offered to take it to the entrance hall of the mansion for the two students, so they wouldn't have to worry about the stairs.
As if on cue, Lupus knocked on her door. Silently, the two walked to the breakfast room, each lost in their own thoughts.
Lord Black was reading the Daily Prophet when they arrived. Another house-elf served them breakfast, consisting of a healthy fruit salad, then French toast for Holly and something disgustingly healthy for Lupus. She had discovered early on that he didn't like sweet things, but had a penchant for Japanese food for whatever reason.
After the customary polite inquiries about everyone's well-being, Lord Black lowered his newspaper, a clear signal of his immense seriousness. The room grew quiet, and all eyes turned to him.
"Lupus, you are the Black Heir," he began, his voice carrying the weight of generations. "I expect you to conduct yourself with the dignity and responsibility befitting your position. Take care of your betrothed and yourself, and always uphold the family name. Remember, a true Black bows to no one! Ours is a legacy of strength and independence. Never forget that." His stern gaze emphasized the severity of his words, emphasizing the need to be understood.
In response, the raven-head nodded firmly. "Yes, sir," he replied with clear conviction, his voice steady and respectful. To lighten the moment, he added an unexpected playful salute, a glint of mischief in his eyes. This small gesture brought a brief smile to the corners of Lord Black's stern mouth, showing a rare moment of lightness in the otherwise serious atmosphere.
“Holly, many eyes will be on you. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are the Potter Heiress, and will lead this House alongside my great-grandson one day. Be cautious about whom you trust. If something troubles you, tell Lupus right away. He will decide if it needs my direct attention. I understand you may not like this approach, but at the moment, you are lacking the experience and background to correctly deduce a sound plan of action, due to your prolonged absence from Wizarding Britain. This may only change with time," the old man advised almost as sternly.
"Yes, sir," Holly replied softly, feeling slightly disappointed but understanding the importance of the words. The rest of the meal passed in a comfortable bout of silence.
Pip and Popi popped the two new Hogwarts students to the Express, Pip going so far as to help with the heavy luggage, while Popi pressed a last picnic basket into Holly's hands with tears in her huge eyes. Then both bowed and popped back to Black Hall.
Holly and her betrothed had arrived very early, long before most of the others would. Therefore they could choose any free compartment they liked. Holly carefully stowed the picnic basket under one of the benches.
Holding a captivating book of magical fairytales, the tiny eleven-year-old settled next to her remarkably calm betrothed. Lupus, perhaps having become accustomed to her frequent, awkward hugs over the summer, generously let her lean against him.
The raven was reading an interesting looking book about dragons which seemed to fascinate him. And while Holly kept wiggling and being chaotic in general, his eyes never strayed from the pages.
The Black Heir had thoughtfully closed the blinds on the compartment door, anticipating the unwanted attention Holly would attract once her presence became widely known on the train. She was grateful for that, the endless staring in public places always unnerved her. Adjusting from a life of relative obscurity to being recognized as a famous witch was going to take time for her to get used to.
Neither of the two children noticed when the platform, and consequently the Hogwarts Express, filled up, both deeply engrossed in their respective books. It was only when the train began to move that they snapped out of their captivated trance.
Holly closed her book and stowed it in her trunk, deciding to take a nap. Lupus seemed to understand something from the look in her eyes, as he affectionately patted the seat next to him, rolling his eyes fondly. "Sleep.”
Exhausted, the young girl tiredly followed his suggestion.
Holly woke when she heard their compartment door open some time later. Lupus was slouching in his seat, one hand tugging gently at the girl's ponytail to discreetly return her to consciousness. A bushy-haired girl had come inside of the small sanctuary that they had built.
"Hello. Have you seen a toad? Neville lost his."
Holly winced compassionately. She would feel bad about losing Hedwig although that was probably impossible anyways.
"No, but why don't you ask one of the Prefects to summon it?" Lupus suggested helpfully. He must have noticed her slight wince. How remained a mystery, as he was looking at the newcomer.
The bossy, bushy-haired girl smiled, thanking them for their help. After which she disappeared again.
Sighing, Holly decided to stay awake. "Are you hungry?" She turned to her betrothed, worrying her bottom lip.
He tugged her ponytail again, setting aside his book for the moment. Holly had always noticed something intriguing about Lupus—his somewhat melancholy but bored demeanor, which hid a kind and somewhat shy nature. Despite his reserved manner, there was a gentle warmth in the way he looked out for her, like the protective shadow of a watchful guardian.
Deciding this was a yes, Holly opened the picnic basket. Popi had packed another fruit salad for them, as dessert. There was also an abundance of sandwiches, healthy ones. Furthermore, the old house-elf had also thought about adding water bottles, because neither child appreciated the taste of the very sweet pumpkin juice offered exclusively during the train trip. Lupus' bottle was blue and Holly's a nice shade of green.
She handed him a chicken sandwich and his water bottle, herself snacking on her portion of the fruit salad.
"Thank you," he muttered quietly.
Five minutes later, the same bushy-haired girl returned with an anxious boy in tow. Apparently the one who had lost his toad.
"We found him. Thanks for the reference," the other girl said politely, in her own bossy way. However, the boy had stiffened angrily behind her.
Holly smiled serenely, pushing back her shyness. "No problem. I would hate to lose Hedwig, my owl. Why don't you both sit down and introduce yourselves?"
To her surprise, they complied. Lupus shot her an amused glance, clearly noting the other boy's hostility.
"I'm Neville Longbottom, Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom," the boy declared stiffly, his eyes fixed on Lupus with a challenging gaze. "And this is Hermione Granger." With all the formality and dignity an introverted eleven-year-old could muster, he bowed.
Despite the barely-concealed belligerence directed towards him, Lupus returned the gesture. "Lupus Black, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. This is Heiress Holly Potter of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter."
Both of the newcomers grew wide-eyed at that seemingly blasé declaration. Although Hermione seemed a bit puzzled about the very formal and slightly archaic introductions.
Holly curtseyed briefly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Heir Longbottom, Miss Granger. Would you like to join us for lunch? We have some extra sandwiches. You may find you like the variety." Here she sent a quick glance at the other boy, for emphasis.
He hesitated briefly, but still accepted the invitation a moment later.
"So, do you have a favorite House?" Hermione wondered curiously, trying to break the tense silence.
Holly smiled at her, grateful someone wanted to befriend them. "I would like to join my parents' old House, but will accept whichever one is my best fit."
Lupus quirked a small smile at her. "You do fit well into their House. There's nothing you have to fear," he assured her readily.
The Longbottom scion frowned briefly when he observed their obvious familiarity. "I would like that as well. What about yourself, Heir Black?”
In return, Lupus shrugged uncaring. "Lord Black prefers Slytherin, although it does not matter much to me. My parents used to be in Gryffindor, however I had a cousin in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw respectively."
Hermione glanced between the two boys, obviously still puzzled about the complete turnaround of her previously nerve-wrecked, apprehensive friend. "Ravenclaw doesn't sound too bad, but Gryffindor appeals more to me. I read that our headmaster is also an alumnus of Gryffindor House."
Holly grinned encouragingly at her. "Then we could all be in one House together!"
"That would be ever so nice," Hermione agreed readily. She seemed to be quite relieved to have found another friendly girl, and so was Holly.
Lupus shrugged blithely and tugged at his betrothed's ponytail. "If you think it best, Holly."
"Excuse my forwardness, but how do you two know each other?" Hermione wondered curiously.
Lupus and Holly exchanged a quick, meaningful glance. Then he smiled resignedly as she nodded decisively.
"Ah, I might have omitted something earlier. My apologies. This is Heiress Potter, my betrothed. We would appreciate your discretion."
Longbottom appeared to be quite shocked, more so than Hermione. Evidently, he had not expected this reply, or any so forthcoming.
"How -?" Hermione stuttered out.
Lupus shrugged uncaring.
"Our fathers got drunk one day and thought it would be hilarious if Holly and I married someday. Great-Grandfather just had enough time for some damage control," he informed his listeners rather bluntly.
Holly rolled her eyes at him. She knew he loved to unnerve others, especially like this. Finally, Longbottom loosened up. "I see."
Hermione began to mutter under her breath. Her ideas sounded a bit excessive, especially for an eleven year old.
"Please stop, Miss Granger. The contract was imbued with magic. Unless you want to kill one of us, there's no way out of this," Lupus cautioned her gently.
"Besides, Lupus and I are friends. He's a bit of a jerk sometimes, but reliable. And protective." Holly added teasingly, playfully poking her best friend in the ribs.
Heir Longbottom wasn't particularly convinced of that yet, however he was also wasn't as angry or standoffish as when he realized just who Hermione had unintentionally introduced him to.
The rest of the trip flew by while they learned a little more about each other. Eventually, Longbottom thawed and allowed the girls to call him by his first name, while Lupus had to contend with his last name.
Sometime after that, the pale, blonde boy from Madam Malkin's practically barged into their compartment, (compared to what his Pureblood manners dictated he should have done, at least.) He was followed by two large, seemingly dim-witted companions. Neville straightened up, casting uncertain glances between Lupus and the intruder. Before anyone else could speak, he asked bluntly, "So, you're Holly?”
If the aforementioned witch had not been tutored by Aunt Cassie in the intricacies of Wizarding society, particularly the etiquette expected by most Purebloods regardless of their status, she might not have been bothered by this manner of address. After all, her relatives always called her that whenever they actually deigned to use her name. Now, though? The brunette could read the implied insult and his arrogance from that single usage of her name and not her station.
In Pureblood society, only family members or extremely close friends were allowed to use a first name in public (past a certain age). Nicknames were considered a private matter, to be banned from anyone but immediate Family. Or lovers.
Since he was neither someone she considered a friend, much less a good one, nor were they closely blood-related, the rude boy deemed himself superior to her. If that wouldn't have antagonized her already, Holly certainly could distinguish his opinion from the arrogant tilt in his voice. Because she stood, the two 'friendly' wizards followed suit. Hermione tentatively glanced from each face to the next, evidently unsure what to do.
"I believe you forgot to knock before entering. And your mother seems to have been remiss in impressing the importance of a respectful introduction onto you," Lupus commented airily, drawing everyone's attention, "Cousin."
Immediately, the pale blonde boy blanched a little more and turned to the raven. "Why are you sharing a compartment with them, Cousin?"
Lupus' lips quirked upwards. "The sandwiches were quite good," her betrothed mused out loud, exchanging a mischievous look with Holly. Said girl had to stifle a snicker.
Lupus had a way to unbalance everyone around him. Every time his wit came out to play, Lord Black would sigh and simply shake his head resignedly. But he was usually fond of and amused by the young heir's antics.
"Heir Longbottom, Heiress Potter, Miss Granger, may I present my second cousin once removed, Heir Draco Malfoy. The other two gentlemen seem to be his bodyguards or security trolls; not that it would make much of a difference, really, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. Gentlemen, please meet Heir Longbottom, Heiress Potter and Miss Granger."
So the pale blonde was called Draco Malfoy? He acted even worse than Holly's porky, spoiled bully of a cousin, Dudley. A feat she had previously not thought possible.
"So it is true. Why didn't you introduce yourself in that shop?" Malfoy demanded arrogantly.
"You did not introduce yourself either, Heir Malfoy," Holly pointed out helpfully. "You also never allowed me to get a word in edgewise."
This response, of course, garnered an amused glance from Lupus, while her other two potential friends exchanged a puzzled look. Malfoy flushed a faint pink in embarrassment. Before he could contribute even more to her simmering ire, the blonde was swiftly manipulated into leaving the compartment ‘so the girls may change into their school robes.’
Holly just knew Malfoy would be a pain in her neck for years to come.
The foursome managed to get into one boat together, including Trevor the toad, croaking quietly in Neville's cloak pocket. Hermione remained silent which Holly found out a rarity, simply taking in the breathtaking scenery around them.
Holly smiled warmly at her best friend, holding Lupus' hand tightly. She desperately hoped they would both be sorted into the same House at Hogwarts, wanting to stick together just as they had over the past few weeks.
Hermione, despite her bossiness and strict adherence to rules, had already shown herself to be friendly, even before knowing Holly's name. Holly found herself liking Hermione, though she secretly thought the girl could benefit from loosening up a bit.
Neville, with his shy demeanor stemming from low self-esteem, hid a kind and brave soul beneath it all. Only a day older than Holly herself, Neville had earned her admiration for standing up for himself against someone who he had undoubtedly received discouraging messages about. Despite any perceived shortcomings, Neville's courage shone through.
So, Holly started her first year at Hogwarts with three friends. Three more than she had two months ago.
Maybe this truly was a magical world.
Lupus squeezed Holly's hand reassuringly when they entered the Great Hall together. A ratty old hat began to sing a song, much to her amusement. Who had ever heard of a singing hat before?
Hermione exchanged a quick glance with Holly, both having crossed their fingers for luck. The brunette thought that her fellow witch might not have had that many friends either, until today when they met on the train.
The youngest of the four watched anxiously as Lupus was called to the front. He sat on the small stool seemingly forever, occasionally twitching in a manner that betrayed his surprise or frustration to those who knew him well. Then, at last, the hat's brim opened and bellowed loudly: "Gryffindor!"
Hardly anyone clapped for Sirius Black's son, but Holly made a mental note of the faces of those who did. She silently vowed to find a way to express her gratitude to them later, as Aunt Cassie had drilled into her the importance of subtlety in navigating the Wizarding World—a lesson far more effective than anything the Dursleys had managed to teach her during all those years she'd spent sneaking into the kitchen at night.
Neville and Hermione both also joined Gryffindor, seating themselves on the opposite side of Lupus, so there would be space for another First Year. Holly had to contain a happy grin at the thoughtfulness of her new friends.
After what felt like an eternity later, it was finally her turn. She ignored the whispering, gawking students to the best of her abilities, although their sensationalist behavior still made her visibly uncomfortable. Then the Sorting Hat settled over her eyes and she could no longer see the rest of the people in the Great Hall.
After some deliberation, the Sorting Hat finally agreed to place Holly in the same House as her friends. Before announcing it to the entire school, it whispered to her, "You have found a very loyal friend in Lupus Black. Never doubt that he would go to great lengths for you and your loved ones, Miss Potter. He is quite special."
Amidst the uproarious applause that followed her placement in Gryffindor, Holly found the only available seat next to Lupus. She quickly gave him a one-armed hug, silently affirming her loyalty in response to the Hat's words.
Lupus appeared surprised by her gesture but gently tugged at her ponytail in reassurance. Neither of them seemed to notice the contemplative looks they received from the staff table.