Status: In progress :)
The Noble House of Black
Andromeda
Lucius Malfoy, in Andromeda’s opinion, was easily the snobbiest, most bigoted Pureblood she ever had the misfortune of being in the same house with. And now they were being forced to interact as somewhat equals.
Andromeda had been rather proud and excited when her Slytherin Prefect badge had arrived with her letter this summer. For one, it was a one-up on Bellatrix, who had failed to earn the badge her own fifth year. And for another, it gave Andromeda an authority over her fellow students, something that she had desired greatly from her first day at Hogwarts. But half an hour showed her that she wasn’t going to quite have an enjoyable time as a Prefect when Lucius Malfoy showed up wearing a badge as well.
Luckily, after the first meeting and they assigned patrol times, Andromeda wouldn’t have to see him again until the end of the train ride. She spent the day in a compartment with a group of mostly Hufflepuffs which, over the years, she had become good friends with. Edgar Bones had just come back from his patrol with Rachelle Fires (they were the new Hufflepuff Prefects) when Lucius opened the door. For once, his typical group of cronies wasn’t following him.
Lucius wrinkled his nose as he observed the fourth and fifth years in the compartment with disgust. “Andromeda, I had a hard time finding you. The stench of these Mudbloods was so overwhelming,” he sneered.
“Oh, shut it, Lucius,” Andromeda said wearily. Her compartment mates glared at him as she stood.
“Get lost, Malfoy, no one wants you here,” replied Edgar coolly.
“I’d watch how you speak, Bones,” Lucius said, his grey eyes flashing malevolently. “Things are going to be changing sooner than you think.”
Before Edgar or anyone else could respond, Andromeda pushed Lucius out of the compartment and shut the door behind her.
“Lucius, you’ve got Bubotuber puss for brains,” she chided, walking down the hallway in front of him.
“And you’ve got the sense of a Troll,” he retorted with a sneer. “You’re a Black – you shouldn’t be hanging around with Hufflepuff riff-raff.”
“Frank is a Gryffindor, thanks. And a Pureblood,” she pointed out. “They’re my friends.”
“You should re-asses who your friend are, then,” Lucius advised.
-
Andromeda and Edgar were among those who had to help direct first years towards Hagrid and the boats, but their friends waited for them anyways. They climbed into a carriage with Ted Tonks, Amos Diggory, and Edgar’s little sister Amelia when they were finished.
“Why did Dumbledore make Malfoy a Prefect?” Edgar grumbled as the carriage set off.
“Well, the rest of Slytherin is full of complete trolls,” Andromeda said. “So I expect Dumbledore didn’t have much choice.”
“But he’s a complete prat,” Amos argued. “He’s going to abuse his power.”
“Of course he’ll try.”
“That’s why Meda is one too,” piped up Amelia. “So she can keep him in line.”
Andromeda sent her a smile.
When they reached the school, Andromeda left her friends for the Slytherin table. She sat by her younger sister Narcissa, purposefully avoiding Bellatrix and her friends. It was people like that who gave Slytherin house a bad name, people like Dolohov, who liked trying out new curses on first years; people like MacNaier, who got kicked out of Care of Magical Creatures because he was torturing the animals; people like Alecto and Amycus Carrow, the deadly duo who liked to curse members of opposing Quidditch teams right before games. And Andromeda was tired of being considered “guilty by association” by the rest of the school.
She could have been a Ravenclaw. She should have been a Ravenclaw. The sorting Hat had almost put her there, but her first-year fear of not being in Slytherin like the rest of her family had forced her to choose poorly. It’s not as if she didn’t have good friends in Slytherin (they were a rather tight-nit bunch, after all), but when people started making assumptions about her just because she wore the silver and green tie, it made her wish she had picked differently.
It wasn’t even that long after she had sat down that the first years were ushered in to the Great Hall. McGonagall set out the Sorting Hat and stool, and after its song, she started calling out their names. Andromeda watched the new-comers closely, looking for her younger cousin.
“Black, Sirius!” McGonagall called out, and Sirius’ familiar shag of black hair and mischievous grin emerged from the crowd and had the Hat placed on his head. Andromeda half hoped he would be in Slytherin so she would have someone decent from her family in her house. But she also hoped he wouldn’t be, simply so he could escape all the prejudice that came with being a Slytherin.
“Gryffindor!” the Hat called out, and Sirius joined the cheering table.
Andromeda didn’t really pay attention to the rest of the ceremony – she was mostly focusing on how hungry she was. She did note, though, that Lucius seemed to pay particular attention to a sallow, greasy boy by the name of Severus Snape. The boy kept glancing over at the Gryffindor table almost longingly. Andromeda didn’t blame him.
As usual, the feast was fantastic. Though, it did make her miss Flecher’s cooking a little. When the last of the sweets went away, Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent.
“Welcome, welcome everyone, to a new school year at Hogwarts,” he began. “I will not keep you from your beds much longer, so this will indeed be short.
“Firstly, Mr. Filch wishes for me to remind you all that magic in the hallways is forbidden, not to mention a list of objects that seems to be getting longer every year.
“Secondly, first years please take note that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to everyone.
“Thirdly, as some of you may have noticed, there is a new tree on our grounds. Professor Sprout requests that everyone please stay away from the Whomping Willow, and I suggest you follow her advice if you value your life.
“And finally, I wish to calm fears about the threat I’m sure you’re all aware of – Lord Voldemort.”
Whispers floated through the Great Hall – whispers of fear. Up and down the Slytherin table, every fourth student had a smirk on their face. Narcissa and Andromeda exchanged frowns, but Bellatrix had the biggest smirk of anyone at the table.
“Let me assure each and every one of you now that while you are within the walls of this school, you are safe. You have no need to fear him, and I do not wish for anything to disrupt your studies.”
Andromeda could have sworn she heard Bellatrix scoff.
“Now, chop, chop! Off to bed!”
Andromeda had been rather proud and excited when her Slytherin Prefect badge had arrived with her letter this summer. For one, it was a one-up on Bellatrix, who had failed to earn the badge her own fifth year. And for another, it gave Andromeda an authority over her fellow students, something that she had desired greatly from her first day at Hogwarts. But half an hour showed her that she wasn’t going to quite have an enjoyable time as a Prefect when Lucius Malfoy showed up wearing a badge as well.
Luckily, after the first meeting and they assigned patrol times, Andromeda wouldn’t have to see him again until the end of the train ride. She spent the day in a compartment with a group of mostly Hufflepuffs which, over the years, she had become good friends with. Edgar Bones had just come back from his patrol with Rachelle Fires (they were the new Hufflepuff Prefects) when Lucius opened the door. For once, his typical group of cronies wasn’t following him.
Lucius wrinkled his nose as he observed the fourth and fifth years in the compartment with disgust. “Andromeda, I had a hard time finding you. The stench of these Mudbloods was so overwhelming,” he sneered.
“Oh, shut it, Lucius,” Andromeda said wearily. Her compartment mates glared at him as she stood.
“Get lost, Malfoy, no one wants you here,” replied Edgar coolly.
“I’d watch how you speak, Bones,” Lucius said, his grey eyes flashing malevolently. “Things are going to be changing sooner than you think.”
Before Edgar or anyone else could respond, Andromeda pushed Lucius out of the compartment and shut the door behind her.
“Lucius, you’ve got Bubotuber puss for brains,” she chided, walking down the hallway in front of him.
“And you’ve got the sense of a Troll,” he retorted with a sneer. “You’re a Black – you shouldn’t be hanging around with Hufflepuff riff-raff.”
“Frank is a Gryffindor, thanks. And a Pureblood,” she pointed out. “They’re my friends.”
“You should re-asses who your friend are, then,” Lucius advised.
-
Andromeda and Edgar were among those who had to help direct first years towards Hagrid and the boats, but their friends waited for them anyways. They climbed into a carriage with Ted Tonks, Amos Diggory, and Edgar’s little sister Amelia when they were finished.
“Why did Dumbledore make Malfoy a Prefect?” Edgar grumbled as the carriage set off.
“Well, the rest of Slytherin is full of complete trolls,” Andromeda said. “So I expect Dumbledore didn’t have much choice.”
“But he’s a complete prat,” Amos argued. “He’s going to abuse his power.”
“Of course he’ll try.”
“That’s why Meda is one too,” piped up Amelia. “So she can keep him in line.”
Andromeda sent her a smile.
When they reached the school, Andromeda left her friends for the Slytherin table. She sat by her younger sister Narcissa, purposefully avoiding Bellatrix and her friends. It was people like that who gave Slytherin house a bad name, people like Dolohov, who liked trying out new curses on first years; people like MacNaier, who got kicked out of Care of Magical Creatures because he was torturing the animals; people like Alecto and Amycus Carrow, the deadly duo who liked to curse members of opposing Quidditch teams right before games. And Andromeda was tired of being considered “guilty by association” by the rest of the school.
She could have been a Ravenclaw. She should have been a Ravenclaw. The sorting Hat had almost put her there, but her first-year fear of not being in Slytherin like the rest of her family had forced her to choose poorly. It’s not as if she didn’t have good friends in Slytherin (they were a rather tight-nit bunch, after all), but when people started making assumptions about her just because she wore the silver and green tie, it made her wish she had picked differently.
It wasn’t even that long after she had sat down that the first years were ushered in to the Great Hall. McGonagall set out the Sorting Hat and stool, and after its song, she started calling out their names. Andromeda watched the new-comers closely, looking for her younger cousin.
“Black, Sirius!” McGonagall called out, and Sirius’ familiar shag of black hair and mischievous grin emerged from the crowd and had the Hat placed on his head. Andromeda half hoped he would be in Slytherin so she would have someone decent from her family in her house. But she also hoped he wouldn’t be, simply so he could escape all the prejudice that came with being a Slytherin.
“Gryffindor!” the Hat called out, and Sirius joined the cheering table.
Andromeda didn’t really pay attention to the rest of the ceremony – she was mostly focusing on how hungry she was. She did note, though, that Lucius seemed to pay particular attention to a sallow, greasy boy by the name of Severus Snape. The boy kept glancing over at the Gryffindor table almost longingly. Andromeda didn’t blame him.
As usual, the feast was fantastic. Though, it did make her miss Flecher’s cooking a little. When the last of the sweets went away, Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent.
“Welcome, welcome everyone, to a new school year at Hogwarts,” he began. “I will not keep you from your beds much longer, so this will indeed be short.
“Firstly, Mr. Filch wishes for me to remind you all that magic in the hallways is forbidden, not to mention a list of objects that seems to be getting longer every year.
“Secondly, first years please take note that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to everyone.
“Thirdly, as some of you may have noticed, there is a new tree on our grounds. Professor Sprout requests that everyone please stay away from the Whomping Willow, and I suggest you follow her advice if you value your life.
“And finally, I wish to calm fears about the threat I’m sure you’re all aware of – Lord Voldemort.”
Whispers floated through the Great Hall – whispers of fear. Up and down the Slytherin table, every fourth student had a smirk on their face. Narcissa and Andromeda exchanged frowns, but Bellatrix had the biggest smirk of anyone at the table.
“Let me assure each and every one of you now that while you are within the walls of this school, you are safe. You have no need to fear him, and I do not wish for anything to disrupt your studies.”
Andromeda could have sworn she heard Bellatrix scoff.
“Now, chop, chop! Off to bed!”