The Slytherins

Cassiopeia Peverell was going to Hogwarts. She wasn't sure if she was happy or not, considering her family's reputation and the abuse she was bound to receive, but ultimately, did she care? Not really.

She walked into platform 9 3/4 with ease, haven taken the journey before to see her cousin Cassius Warrington off to to school for the past two years.

Her mother swiftly followed alongside a man whose eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as if he couldn't quite work out where he was.

"He's supposed to be the chauffer," her mother spoke, her high drawling voice icy with frostbite. "It'll take me half an hour to produce a memory charm strong enough to make him forget," she slid her back sunglasses higher up her nose and folded her black gloved hands.

The chauffer took Cassie's leather trunk and her silver cage where her snowy owl Attie lay from her, asleep and unbothered by the sudden loud chattering noises that engulfed the platform and put them in the luggage compartment on the train.

Her mother glanced at the back designer watch on her wrist. "Oh no, I'm running late for work. Go and find your aunt until it's time for you get onto the train, Cassie darling." And with that she strutted of off the platform with the chauffeur following swiftly afterwards.

As Cassie began to turn around to find her aunt, a squat figure came hurdling towards her and she stumbled back.

"Salazar's sake what is wrong with you!" Cassie exclaimed out-load, smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt as a boy with brown hair got up from the floor.

She looked down at him, one eyebrow raised in disgust and looked him up and down. The boy gulped, and wiped his snotty nose with his sleeve. "Sorry," he sniffed. "But have you seen a toad?"

Cassie let out a harsh breath. "No I haven't, but if I do, I'll make sure to shove it down the gap between the train and the platform," rolling her eyes she left, and walked towards her cousin and aunt.

Cassius Warrington was a large, pure blooded Slytherin third year with black slicked back hair and green eyes. His mother, Cassie's aunt, was standing besides him, immersed in conversation with another man.

When her aunt spotted her, she waved Cassie over. "Ahh! There is my beautiful niece!" Her aunt clasped her shoulder with her bony fingers.

"Good morning, aunt Priscilla," Cassie replied. Her aunt was an odd woman; she knew so many people and did so many things that Cassie's mother disapproved of her. Today, her thin lips were coated pale pink and her brown hair was styled into a messy side part.

"Hello Cassie. How are you dear?" She didn't wait for a reply, instead she introduced the man to her right. "I must introduce you to Quirinus," Quirinus was a pale young man with a purple turban wrapped around his head. It made his head look so big that he could probably conceal something in there.

Cassie reached out her hand towards him. "Cassiopeia Peverell. It's nice to meet you," The man's eyes widened.

"Y-you are a-a Peverell?" something suddenly flashed in his eyes and he clutched his hands to his chest.

She frowned. "Should I not be?"

Cassie's aunt suddenly let out a hasty chuckle. "It's alright Cassie. Quirinus doesn't like physical contact much," she laughed. "And," she whispered in Cassie's ear out of his earshot, "he tends to get a little nervous quite a lot,"

A little nervous? Cassie thought to herself. I'll give it to him, he's a good actor.

Priscilla glanced down at her watch. "Goodness, look at the time! Why Cassie, I'm afraid that I must go and help Cassius load his trunks onto the train. Have a lovely term, dear girl, and we'll see you at Christmas?"

Cassie shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that I'm spending Yule with the Malfoys, as mother is away on business. Actually that reminds me, I better go and find Draco, I haven't seen him yet this morning," I said, beginning to scan the crowd of adults crying and students running around everywhere, double checking their trunks.

"I'll see you at school, Thea," said Cassius , and winked at his cousin.

Look after her, will you Cassius?"

He rolled his eyes at his mother. "Don't worry mum, I'll keep her out of trouble,"

"What about your mother? Have you said goodbye to her?" Her aunt asked, frowning.

Cassie shook her head. "No, unfortunately Mother had to work. It's alright though," She added, after seeing her aunt's frown deepen. "She doesn't like goodbyes. She'll just owl me her expectations for the year, and the usual lecture on what it means to be a Peverell," I shrugged.

Before she could receive the comment from her aunt about her mother having work as bigger priorities than her daughter, Cassie spoke again. "Well I really should be finding Draco, aunt. I'll see you next summer!" Her aunt sighed and patted Cassie on back.

"Goodbye Cassie,"

_____

As the train let out a harsh high-pitched whistle, she spotted Draco and his parents at the end of the train, Draco already in his black Hogwarts robes. "Draco, you will be put in Slytherin. I wont have you in any other house do you here me?" Lucius said firmly to his son.

"Of course," said Draco, smoothing back his blonde hair.

Narcissa looked up and saw Cassie. "Oh, Cassiopeia! There you are!" Draco's face lit up as he saw me. Narcissa came up to me and checked me over. "Oh you look just fine for your first day. First Impressions go a long way,"

Those were the same words her mother always said to her. "Make enough of an impression so that your name stays their brain, but not enough to cause a scandal."

Of course, her mother said that an outfit can go a long way too. Which was why Cassie's wardrobe consisted of mainly black and red designer items; they made her look sophisticated and intimidating. She liked to think it made her look a little dangerous at times. Because who doesn't love a little bit of danger?

After the final whistle went off, and her and Draco had said goodbye to his parents, they walked onto the scarlet steam train.

Draco sighed as the platform rolled out of sight. "So we're finally here then."

Cassie yawned. "Yup. I don't know if I'm scared to go, or scared to go back."

"So did you get the 'you better be put in Slytherin or else' talk?" Draco said, as they started walking through the compartments.

"Nope. I will be put into Slytherin. I know I will. If I don't, there must have been a mathematical calculation added up wrong." All of a sudden, they heard two voices call their names.

"Draco!"

"Merlin! Cassie is that you?"

Two boys ran up them, and Cassie recognised one of them instantly.

"Theo! What are you doing here? I though you were going to Beauxbatons!" She engulfed him in a large hug.

"Yeah well I was, but Dad changed his mind last minute, because he didn't want me surrounded by the French for a whole year. So now I'm here, for now, because mum still think Beauxbatons is a better school,"

Cassie then turned to the other boy.  "And you are?" She said not frostily, but friendly either. She would stay acquaintances with him until she knew who he was.

"I'm Blaise," said the boy, with a husky voice. Cassie nodded.

"Are you pure blood?" She asked sceptically.

"Yeah, My last name's Zabini. I don't know who my father is to say whether I'm one of the twenty-eight, because my mother had a few guys she was dating at the time."

Draco spoke. "He's the guy I met at the tornado's camp I went to last year,"

The quidditch camp Draco went to was invite only, so Blaise must have been a good quidditch player, or very rich.

"Where do you play, Blaise?" She asked him.

He laughed. "I'm not really into quidditch. I only went because my mum's husband at the time wanted to bond with me over something, and mum mentioned to him that I listened to a match one time on the wizarding wireless,"

"Want to find a compartment together then?" Theo said.

Draco shrugged, "Sure," and Cassie nodded.

After wandering the halls for a minute, she sighed. "Come on D, I think all the other compartments are filled up. Let's just take this one," she slid open the compartment door and they sat down on the burgundy seats.

Cassie looked over to the far corner where a boy with dark brown curly hair and brown eyes was sat, staring out of the window. She didn't bother to ask if it was ok if we sat in his compartment, because she was going sit there anyway.

The boys chattered away for a few minutes, whilst Cassie studied the boy. His clothes weren't designer like the rest of theirs, but he didn't exactly look scruffy; he had style, for an eleven year old, although it was obvious he'd been in a fight recently, because of the slash across his cheek. She recognised him from somewhere, and she was fairly sure she'd seen him before somewhere, although his nose did look a little funny.

He must have felt her gaze on him, as he broke his staring contest with the window and rose his brown eyes to meet her green ones. They stayed there, holding eye contact for a few seconds, neither one of them breaking it. Cassie's mother always said that breaking eye contact is weakness, and makes you look cowardly. When the other person breaks eye contact, it is a statement that you hold power over them, and that your status is higher than the other person.

However, their contest was interrupted as someone slid open the compartment door and lunged for Cassie, squeezing her in a tight hug. "Cas! Finally! I've been looking for you for ages!"

"Hello to you too, Pansy," said Draco, amused.

"And I'm here," added Blaise.

Pansy rolled her eyes at them. "Ok, fine, sorry, it's nice to see you guys again too." She turned to Theo, a frown on her face. "And I don't think I know you, do I?"

Theo shook his head and held out . "I'm Theodore Nott, It's nice to meet you-?" He held out his hand.

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson," she said reaching for his hand and shaking it.

"Pansy Is my best friend," Cassie explained to Theo, "and Theo is my somewhat distant cousin."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Cousins? I didn't know you two were related,"

Theo shrugged nonchalantly. "Not by blood. My family married into Cassie's a few decades ago, but we still call each other family. So she's like my very distant cousin. We're still close enough that we both get invited to the same family events and weddings though,"

"I mean if you think about it, we're all technically related. Most pure bloods breed within themselves, don't they; so basically everyone here's related, apart from Blaise because he can't work out which dad is his," Cassie replied.

Blaise feigned being hurt and clutched his heart, hurt. Pansy laughed, and sat down on Cassie's right. "So basically we could be sisters,"

Theo shivered. "Don't use the word breeding, it makes our ancestors sound like animals,"

Cassie crossed her legs, and leaned her back on Draco's side. "We are."

_____

Around quarter to one, a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and asked, "anything off the trolley dears? I'm afraid there really isn't much left, as a greedy little boy with glasses took most of the lot, and didn't think to worry about if the rest of the school was being fed," Cassie looked at her name tag. Peggy obviously held grudges.

It was because they'd chosen the room furthest away in the train, and Cassie made a mental note to never choose the last compartment ever again.

Draco spoke for Cassie. "She'll have a handful of liquorice wands please, if there's any left. I'll pay," Cassie looked up then and began to argue with him that he didn't need to pay for her food because she has her own money, but Peggy spoke.

"Unfortunately they've all been taken, my lovelies. Is there anything else you'd all like?"

Theo got out a few knuts from his pocket and handed it to Peggy. "I'll have some Drooble's best blowing gum please." She rummaged around in the trolley for a few seconds, before pulling out a few bars gum wrapped in light blue packaging.

Peggy handed it to him, and asked for a final time, "Will that be it, lovelies?"

Pansy looked around at everyone before saying, "I think that's all,"

Peggy then waved goodbye to them all, slid the compartment door shut, and carried on walking past their carriage.

Whist Theo chewed his gum,  the others started talking again, and this time Cassie joined in.

"So what number is your mother onto now, Zabini?" Draco said.

Blaise scratched his neck and sighed. "Number four, for now, but I think number five is on his way,"

The others frowned, not following the conversation.

"What are you two talking about?" said Pansy, eagerly.

"My mother's husbands," said Blaise.

Before anyone could respond, once again the door to the compartment slid open and a boy with floppy mocha hair appeared. "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have any sugar quills? I've only just tried them, and now I think I have an addiction,"

No one spoke until Theo looked up in surprise. "Laurie! Hey! Where have you been?"

"Hello Theodore!" He said to Theo, then he turned back to the group. "But do you have any though?" The boy asked, in desperation.

Pansy looked curiously at the boy. "No, we don't, some guy took all the sweets,"

Enzo rolled his eyes. "I know. Harry Potter finally discovers food and devours the lot," Everyone shot up in their seats, including the mystery boy in the corner.

Surprisingly, mystery boy spoke. "Harry Potter is here? Like on this train? As in going to Hogwarts?" His voice came out as if he was dreading the answer.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Laurie rolled his eyes again. The boy stiffened and, all colour drained from his face. Draco had a similar reaction.

"I mean I'd heard rumours about him, but I didn't actually know he would be attending Hogwarts," said Blaise.

Draco's palms began to sweat as he wiped them down his trousers. I knew why. Lucius had made it clear that if Harry Potter was going to be going to school with Draco, then him and Harry must be friends. I think it was because Lucius wanted the Malfoy's to regain their reputation before the dark lord's downfall.

"Who are you anyway?" Pansy asked the boy in the corner, curiosly. Cassie was grateful that Pansy had asked, as she herself was very curious.

The boy shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm... no one. No one that matters, anyway,"

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Laurie asked, and again he didn't wait for an answer.

Blaise shifted in his seat as Laurie sat down next him. "Merlin, I can't wait until 4th year when Slytherin's get their own compartments," Blaise complained. "I can't bare to sit on these seats,"

Cassie raised her eyebrows. "You reckon you're gonna be in Slytherin then?" she asked.

"It's the only good house. Hufflepuff's for the ones with no brain, Ravenclaw's for the one's with two much brain, and Gryffindor's for the prats and pricks of the world."

"Agreed," said Pansy, "Besides, mum would kill me if I wasn't,"

Draco scoffed. "I've already had that talk this morning," he said rolling his eyes. "I mean do you think I'd actually want to be in any other house?"

Laurie sighed. "I'd love to be in Slytherin, but it'll probably put me in Hufflepuff," he sighed. "Mum was a Hufflepuff, and dad was a Ravenclaw, but he should've been a Slytherin,"

Theo spoke then. "I think the hat lets you choose. My sister was about to be put in Slytherin, but she asked the hat to be put in Ravenclaw instead, and then she was. Personally I'd take Slytherin over Ravenclaw any day, but she's leaving Hogwarts in a few years, so I won't have to  endure her rants about how clever she must be because she was put in Ravenclaw for much longer," he scoffed.

"What about you Cas?" Asked Blaise. Cassie stiffened. Usually she didn't like telling people about her family, but she supposed now she was at Hogwarts people would find out. Besides, when people heard her full name they would definitely know who she was.

"I'll be put in Slytherin, no question." She said.

"How can you be so sure?" Laurie asked.

"Because It's in my blood," Cassie replied.

"Literally," Draco said. Draco knew about Cassie's family, obviously, as he was her best friend.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked.

Cassie shrugged. "I'm the last living known descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Antioch Peverell is my great grandfather way, way back. He was the oldest of the Peverell brothers, who Salazar Slytherin was related to. Slytherin is quite literally in my blood."

The boy in the corner's gaze darted to Cassie's as she spoke. He held something in those eyes, but she couldn't quite work out what was hidden in them.

The rest of the room was shocked. "I knew," Pansy said, boastingly. "My mum was so proud when I said that I'd been invited round to the Peverell's house for tea when I was younger. But by the way, YOUR FULL NAME IS CASSIOPEIA? WHY AM I ONLY FINDING THAT OUT NOW?"

Cassie laughed, glad that the tension in the air was thinning slightly.

Blaise glanced up at her in confusion. "Didn't the Peverell male line die out?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I mean technically, but there was no feminism around in those days so no one expected the last remaining female in the line, as she was supposed to take her husband's last name, and so everyone was quite shocked when her and her children kept her maiden name, once she was married," she said proudly.

"So I guess it's a sort of tradition that every Peverell in my family keeps their last name. But as I am the last Peverell and last known descendant of Slytherin, I must continue the blood line. So anyone I marry will have to take my name."

Whilst Cassie had been taking, the boy in the corner had been listening intently to the conversation. Then, the boy spoke. "Isn't my- the dark lord related to Slytherin?"

Everyone in the room looked at him.

"How do you know that?" Blaise asked.

"Only the twenty-eight and the dark lord's closest followers know that," said Draco.

"You can't go around telling people that information! That's very important and secretive knowledge to possess," Theo said, cautiously.

Laurie spoke then. "But does that make you and the Dark Lord related?"

Speaking to the boy in the corner directly again, she said, "Yes. Very, very distantly, I suppose. Not enough to count as family. I'm more related to Blaise, Draco or even Pansy than the dark lord."

Cassie still wasn't sure if the fact that her and the Dark Lord, however distantly, were related was a good thing.

"Are you even pure blood?" Blaise asked Laurie.

"My dad was. My mother was a half blood; my grandfather married a muggleborn, which is why our name isn't on the sacred twenty-eight. I suppose that makes a three-quarter blood." Enzo said, thoughtfully, staring at the ceiling.

"You're pure blooded enough for it to count," Draco said, and Cassie nodded her head in agreement.