Chapter 2
I woke up cuddled next to Cissy... Right! I had another nightmare last night. She looks so peaceful right now... She never looks like this. She's so pretty. I wish I can be as pretty as her when I'm older. I shook her shoulder a little. "Cissy...?" She grumbled a little and turned over. I giggled a little. She always complains when I do that but then she does it! What's that word that Pansy's mom used? Hypeo... Hippo... Critt? Hypeocritt? No. Hypocrite! That's it! Cissy is a hypocrite! "Cissy wake up!" Cissy mumbled a little bit before she snored again. Damn it! I'm sure I'm never this stubborn.
Wait... I've got an idea! I take Cissy's wand off of the bedside table. Cissy taught me and Draco some first-year spells already but Draco couldn't do a lot of them. When I got most of them right on my first try, and the rest on my second, she promised to teach me any spell I ask of her. So far, that's only two: Sonorous (the amplifying charm) and Vox Mutantis (the voice changer spell). "Vox Mutantis," I whispered. "Sonorous." I know my room has a silencing charm on it. Lucius had insisted the second night after my mom was taken as it was the second night in a row he had been woken up because of my nightmares. However, Cissy had put a charm on my room to alert her any time there was screaming in my room. I spoke with Cissy's wand pressed against my throat.
"NARCISSA ANDROMEDA BLACK! WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!" My voice, charmed to sound like Grandma Druella, screamed. Grandma had woken Narcissa like this the last time I saw her. It was the only time I had seen Cissy terrified. Cissy shot up awake.
"Yes, mother." I cancelled the charms and I couldn't stop giggling. Cissy went red. "Oh, you evil, little... Get here!" Cissy went to grab me but I jumped out of her reach. She chased me around the room before catching me and doing the worst thing she could... She tickled me.
"No! No! Please! Stop! I'm sorry, Cissy! Please!" She stopped and looked at me weirdly.
"Cissy? You usually call me Aunt Cissy."
"Oh, yeah... I just... It's easier this way?" She just smiled at me.
"It's okay, Mia. I don't mind what you call me but guess what?"
"What?"
"It's your birthday! Happy eleventh birthday, Hermione!"
"I get my letter today!"
"Yes. Yes, you do."
"And, you really won't mind if I'm not a Slytherin?"
"I really won't, Mia... I'll let you in on a secret... Your mom was almost Sorted into Ravenclaw. A lot of Blacks are considered for Ravenclaw. We are highly intelligent, after all."
"What about you?"
"Yes, I was too. The only one of us that wasn't was Andy. She was Sorted into Slytherin the moment the hat touched her head."
"What if I'm a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor? Sirius was a Gryffindor, so Blacks can be Gryffindors and you said I'm really loyal. Mom is known for her loyalty and Hufflepuffs value loyalty. Will you or mom or father or Dray care?"
"Draco won't. I'm sure he's concerned about his Sorting too, even if he doesn't show it. I guarantee the way he'll react when his House is called out will prove it. I can't say anything about your father except he always put you first when you were younger. He wasn't around much but he was always there for anything important. Your mom and I will love and support you no matter what, Mia." I nodded. "Now, let's go get some breakfast." I nodded again.
...
I saw an owl fly towards me and I got really excited. My Hogwarts letter! I untied the letter when the owl landed and watched as it flew off. Cissy and Draco looked at the letter. "Well, go on then, cuz!" Lucius looked at me annoyed.
"What's the point, Draco? We all know what the letter will say," Lucius said before he stood up and left. I frowned a little and Draco came over and hugged me.
"Don't listen to him, cuz. Open it!" I opened it up and Draco took the envelope as I unfolded the letter. "Read it out loud! I wanna hear it word for word." Then, I realised something.
"I... Uh... I can't. You read it." I handed it to Draco. Draco and Cissy looked confused.
"Are you sure? You've been looking forward to this for years now."
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Okay." He looked at the letter. "Dear..." He frowned. "Oh... That's why you..."
"What is it, Dragon?" Cissy asked.
"Just... Read it... Please, Dray." He nodded.
"Dear Miss Cassiopeia Narcissa Black." Narcissa had a look of understanding on her face. How could I have been so stupid as to not realise that, when receiving my Hogwarts letter, it wouldn't have my name on it? "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will be required to report to the Chamber of Reception upon your arrival. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment, you can find all of these items located at Diagon Alley. I have also enclosed a train ticket, the Hogwarts Express will depart from Kings Cross Station from Platform 9 3/4 at 11 o'clock sharp, don't be late! Term begins on September 1st, we await your owl no later than July 31st. Yours Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress."
"Cissy... If we get our letters on our birthday, then what about those whose birthdays are after July 31st?" I asked.
"Anyone whose birthday is on July 25th or later receive their letter on July 25th." Draco and I nodded. "What's on the list of equipment?" I unfolded the second piece of parchment and took my train ticket. I handed both to Cissy. She read the list out loud.
"Uniform
First-year students will require:
- Three sets of plain workrobes (black)
- One plain, pointed hat (black) for day wear
- One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
- One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)." Cissy smiled. "Okay, that's normal. I needed all of that for my first year too."
"Set Books
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jugger
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble." Cissy frowned. "Okay, that last one is new but understandable coming from Dumbledore."
"Other Equipment
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 Set glass or crystal phials
1 Telescope
1 Set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad." Draco grinned. He was VERY attached to his owl. He even named it Draco Junior. I call it DJ.
"Awesome! Hermione, which are you gonna get? I can't believe you haven't chosen a familiar yet."
"I don't know. I probably won't get one." Cissy chuckled whilst still looking at the letter. "What is it, Cissy?"
"PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS." Cissy chuckled. "As if we wouldn't remember that. Then again..."
"What?" I asked.
"They only started putting that on the acceptance letters after your mom smuggled her broomstick into school in her first year. She said, and I quote: "I'm not using the school's ratty, old brooms for MY flying lesson. I'd rather kiss that kid's toad!" She was... She easily annoyed every teacher at the school." I grinned at her and her fond smile fell. "I just gave you an idea that's going to get you in trouble, didn't I?"
"Yep!" Cissy groaned. "How did she do it?"
"I'm not going to tell you now!"
"But, it's my birthday..." I pouted at her and she looked a little conflicted. "And, I want to know more about mom." I forced some tears up and I could tell she couldn't hold out much longer. "Please, Aunt Cissy..." A tear fell and I could tell this broke Cissy's resolve.
"Fine! Just... Stop. I'll tell you." I grinned at her as she wiped away the tear. Draco and I grinned at each other and moved closer to Cissy.
"Bella!" Narcissa yelled as she chased after her older sister. Bellatrix cackled as Narcissa struggled to keep up. "Give me Draconis back!" Bellatrix ignored her sister's pleas and just laughed as she ran into the library before running into someone and falling over.
"Did you steal Cissy's dragon again?" The voice asked before Bellatrix got up.
"What if I did, Andy?" Bellatrix helped her sister up off of the floor.
"Why didn't you let me join in on your heist?" Andromeda grinned at her older sister before noticing her younger sister. "Oh, no, you don't!" Narcissa grabbed the teddy before running away as her sisters chased her. She ran into her mother in the hallway before pulling her closer.
"Mommy! Bella and Andy keep stealing Draconis from me!" Druella glared at her two eldest.
"You're such a snitch!" Andromeda yelled.
"Andromeda! Bellatrix! Leave your sister and her dragon alone! I will not tell you again. Next time, your father shall deal with you!" Andromeda and Bellatrix tried to hide their horror at the threat as Narcissa trembled slightly. "Bellatrix, an owl came for you whilst you were behaving like a common Mudblood." Druella handed the letter to her eldest before leaving.
"I'm sorry!" Narcissa desperately said. "I didn't think she'd threaten to go to father." Narcissa started crying and her sisters pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay, Cissy. We know you didn't mean to," Bellatrix reassured her. "Here. Why don't you open my letter?" Narcissa took the letter, opened it, read the first sentence and started to cry harder. "What's wrong, Cissy?" Narcissa handed the letter to her sister and Bellatrix read it.
"You... You're gonna leave us!" Narcissa let go of Bellatrix and grabbed Andromeda.
"No, Cissy... You'll join me soon enough and we'll see each other at Christmas and Easter and during the summer."
"I don't get to go for four years, Bella! You'll leave, then Andy will and I'll be left with mother and father all alone!" The two sisters pulled Narcissa closer.
"We will never leave you. We will go to Hogwarts but we'll owl you all the time and be here as much as possible. Mother told us before that first-year students can't bring their own brooms so how about you help me plan a way to smuggle my broom into the school? Then, we can do the same for Andy's first year and then yours? It can be a tradition."
"Okay, Bella."
...
Narcissa approached her first flying lesson. To smuggle in Bellatrix's broom, they had just hidden it in her suitcase. To smuggle in Andromeda's broom two years ago, they had ordered their house-elf to apparate it to Hogwarts. They had come up with a plan to smuggle Narcissa's broom into Hogwarts by putting it in Bellatrix's suitcase with her own broom (now that Bellatrix was Slytherin's Star Chaser and Quidditch Captain). She took it to her first flying lesson and immediately saw an annoyed Madam Hooch. Narcissa spotted Sirius standing next to Longbottom. He had lost his toad on the train. "Why do you and your sisters insist on bringing your own brooms despite the fact that Hogwarts doesn't allow first years their own brooms?"
"I'm not using the school's ratty, old brooms for MY flying lesson. I'd rather kiss that kid's toad!" Narcissa said, grinning, as she pointed at the Longbottom kid. She knew her sisters said the same thing in their first flying lessons.
Draco and I grinned at each other. Time to make a plan.