"Children?" Remus Lupin asked, lifting his fist to knock on the door.
Before his fist made contact with the door, it opened inward, and Cressida Black, the younger and smarter twin, stood completely dressed, and holding a suitcase.
"Papa! Are you ready to go?" she asked excitedly.
"I'm supposed to be asking you that," he laughed, watching her pull the trunk into the hall.
"We have been ready since last night!"
"Is that so?"
Zenith Black lay in bed, fast asleep, snoring actually.
"Yes, we have everything we need. We'll be fine Papa, I promise," the small girl said smiling, she didn't dare know the depth of her words.
All of a sudden, a small alarm clock's tune filled the room, Zenith practically leapt out of the bed, "I'm awake, I'm up," he said, very much still asleep with his arm flailing in search of the clock.
Walking back into the room with a glare, Cressida said, "Zenith James Black! You were supposed to be up twenty minutes ago!"
"I am up! I have been up," he said, attempting to tame his hair which was sticking out in all directions.
She looks at him with an eyebrow raised, "You still have drool on your chin."
"Who?" Zenith asked, looking at his sister unenthusiastically.
"You."
"Who asked?" he grinned.
Rolling her eyes at his antics, she turned back to the hallway where Remus was watching them.
"We still have an hour until the train even gets to the station, we will make it. He has plenty of time to get ready." Remus said, patting her head.
"But we need to get there early, just in case!" she argued.
He sighs, "Come on, let's go eat. I made your favorite, your first day is a big day!
Zenith stumbled into the room, still wearing his pajama pants, "That smells good," he said, rubbing his eyes.
Cressida groaned, "You're still not dressed? Zenith!"
"Relax!" He says as he sits down in the chair next to her, "I have plenty of time."
"Cressida, stop pushing me, we'll find someplace to sit," Zenith said irritatedly. The inner walls of the train were slim.
"Papa said it's important to find a good seat!"
Zenith knocked on the door of the first compartment on the left, there was no answer, so he knocked again.
"Occupied," a voice said sharply.
Zenith pulled back the door to see a blond-haired boy sitting all alone, he was surrounded by snacks of all kinds. The seat adjacent to him was as empty as could be. He walked inside.
"What do you think you're doing?" the boy said, obviously talking to him.
"Sitting down?" he answered, semi-aggravated.
"Zenith, maybe we shouldn't sit here," Cressida said softly, her pacifist nature in action.
"The witch is right," the boy said, although his tone sounded entirely demeaning.
"You don't own this train car," Zenith said.
"I quite frankly do, so get out," the platinum-blond said again, this time he stood up, and raised his wand.
"Zenith, please," Cressida said, pulling him back.
"No, this kid thinks he runs the place," Zenith whispered to his sister.
"I do run the place," the boy stood interjecting, "The name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" Zenith asked, he was not a fan of this kid's ego.
"Do you live under a rock? Who even are you?" Draco asked, insulted.
Zenith didn't answer and turned to walk away, but Draco grabbed the back of his robes, "I'm talking to you!"
"I'm Cressida, and he's Zenith," Cressida stepped forward in between the two boys, always wanting to avoid conflict.
"Surname?" Draco asked.
"Black," Zenith said, closing the door.
"Zenith, people aren't going to like us if you keep trying to start fights," Cressida warned.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
The next room they checked was on the right side, Zenith was in such a foul mood, he didn't even consider knocking, he just pulled the cabin door open, and inside sat two individuals. A girl with silver hair was reading a magazine, her violet eyes scanned the page. Across from her sat a red-headed boy, who was staring at the window. It was awkwardly quiet.
The red-haired boy turned to look at the two intruders. He wore a small frown and pushed his hair out of his face. The girl looked up from her magazine with a small, shy smile.
"Hello!" she said quietly, her voice soft and melodic, "Are you looking for somewhere to sit?" she questioned.
Zenith was glaring, still angry about the last encounter, and didn't answer, just moving further into the compartment. Cressida grabbed his arm.
"Yes, we are. Is it alright if we sit here with you two?"
"That would be nice!" the silver-haired girl beamed, "My name is Ivy."
She motioned to the free seat next to her and by the other boy. Cressida let go of Zenith's arm and let him move to a seat. He sat across from Ivy by the other boy who rolled his eyes and grumbled.
"Daniel," He said when Cressida looked at him, "Who are you?"
The twins looked at each other for a moment, hesitant.
"I'm Zenith," the dark-haired boy finally said, "this is my sister Cressida."
Daniel gave them a weird look for a moment and they froze. He knew who they were.
Before they could respond, there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal another red-headed boy with freckles and dirt on his nose. He was wearing a sweater with the letter 'R' in the middle, "Sorry, hi. I was just wondering if you have seen a rat?" he measured with his hands, "he's about this big, and pretty fat. I set him down and now he's gone!"
The four sitting down looked at each other. They hadn't seen a rat.
"I'm sorry, we haven't seen him." Cressida said, "But we can look out for him! What's his name?"
The boy brightened, "Scabbers! He's missing a toe on his front left foot, and he's been in my family for years so I have to find him."
"We can help look for him!" Ivy spoke up, leaning forward. She stuck out her hand as she stood, "I'm Ivy Warrington."
The boy carefully took her hand, "Ron Weasley."
He looked to the other redhead and Daniel nodded his head in greeting, "Daniel Page."
Ron looked at the last two, "I'm Cressida, Cressida Black."
"I'm her brother Zenith."
The boy had gone wide-eyed and still, "Black?" he questioned, "As in, Sirius Black? The mass murderer?"
The twins cringed, and the boy looked back and forth between them, "Wicked!" he breathed.
Cressida and Zenith exchanged shocked looks, "What?" she asked.
Ron blushed, "I mean- not 'wicked', but like-I just-"
He was interrupted by another boy calling his name, "Ron! Ron!"
A small boy with big, circular glasses came running past their compartment, doubling back when he saw Ron. He came in with a big smile, green eyes glowing, and black hair sticking up in every direction, "Look who I found!" He held up a large rat with a missing toe.
"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed, beaming as he grabbed him from the boy, "Thank you, Harry!"
The Great Hall was clamoring with noise as all the students entered. The ceiling was a clear night sky, the stars shining brightly. The floating candles gave a warm glow as everyone reunited and sat with their house.
When they saw McGonagall enter with a gaggle of first years behind her, they began to quiet in anticipation, whispering to each other.
"It's the year, isn't it? The year Harry Potter and the Black's are coming?" "Is that him? Harry Potter?"
The whispers did not affect the children as they took in the magnificence of the hall.
"It's even better than what Papa described!" breathed Cressida as she held her brother's hand.
They were looking around in wonder, taking in the school they had grown up hearing about.
"There's so much here!" Zenith said as they came to a stop in front of a wooden stool.
They turned their attention to the severe-looking woman in green robes in front of them, holding an old parchment in her hands.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."
She lifted the hat from the stool and looked at the list.
"Abbot, Hannah!"
A small, pink-faced girl with blonde hair slowly stepped forward and sat on the stool where Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
"I bet she's Hufflepuff," Zenith whispered to his sister as he pressed a galleon into her hand.
Cressida rolled her eyes, "I'm not betting on something so obvious."
They smirked at each other when the hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Applause and cheering filled the hall as she hopped off the stool and made her way to the yellow table, smiling.
"Black, Cressida!"
A heavy silence fell as she stepped forward, the once loud room now echoing with her footsteps.
Zenith held her hand for a moment, "Gryffindor." he said and gave her an encouraging squeeze.
Cressida made her way over to the stool and quickly found her vision obscured in darkness.
"Ah," an old voice spoke inside her head, "A Black. You lot were always my favorite to sort. Especially your father!" it laughed before going quiet for a moment.
"Hmm, this is interesting. A good mind, sharp wit." A pause, "Filled with bravery and ambition, a want to prove yourself, to protect your family."
She could feel the hat sigh on top of her head, "Your brother sees Gryffindor, but I feel you will find it much more interesting in... SLYTHERIN!"
The room seemed frozen for a moment as the professor took the hat off Cressida's head, and gave her a small smile. Cheering and applause quickly swept through the green table as she stood, mind racing.
Cressida looked to her brother, Zenith looked just as shocked as she felt. His eyes were wide and his arms slack at his sides, galleon forgotten. He never guessed wrong.
Cressida reached out to talk to him, but she was cut off by the professor.
"Black, Zenith!" Professor McGonagall bellowed throughout the room.
He stepped forward to the center of the platform where the stool was, and with each step, he could feel his heart beating so loud. He was afraid it was going to explode.
"No need to sort him! He's Slytherin too!" "Twins are always in the same house!"
Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head anyway, it quickly engulfed his black curls.
"Another Black? I was shocked to hear the name once, let alone twice," the old, yet wise voice spoke diligently.
Zenith sat, fidgeting with his hands.
"No need to be nervous, young one, I've done this plenty of times."
The room was silent in anticipation.
"Your father was an easy pick, a Gryffindor through and through," Zenith shifted uneasily at the hat's words. "You are not a fan of your father, and very strong-willed at that, but you have an edge."
Students in the room started to whisper, this was taking longer than anyone anticipated.
"A darkness cloaks your mind, you need to let go, but even so, you will find what your heart desires in... GRYFFINDOR!"
Unlike the typical clapping, the room was dead silent, you could hear a quill drop. Professor McGonagall lifted the hat from his head and patted him on the back.
He stepped down from the stool, and could tell his journey was only just beginning. He knew then and there he was different.
Months later everyone sat at their respective tables in the Great Hall for the closing ceremony. The chorus of chatter filled the room. The children's first year at Hogwarts was finally coming to an end.
Albus Dumbledore stepped forward and struck his spoon to his glass, and every voice in the hall silenced in response.
"I know there is a bit of information you are all anxiously waiting for," he said calmly, "but we shall get to that in a bit. First, we must address the recent events."
The students of the Gryffindor started whispering to one another. Their chatter echoed in the large room.
"Did you hear what Harry Potter did?" A ginger-haired boy with freckles said to a boy who looked identical to him.
"Forget Harry! Did you hear what Ron did?"
"George, Fred, shut up," the prefect of Gryffindor, Percy Weasley, scolded.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and again the room silenced.
"Recently, there have been rumors circulating about a few of our students." Dumbledore looked around at all the children present, his eyes twinkling, "I am here to put your minds at ease."
The Great Hall seemed to take a collective breath, everyone sitting on the edge of their seat.
"To begin with, I would like to award some last-minute points," many students began muttering at this announcement, "ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom, for it takes great courage to stand up against friends!"
Gryffindor applauded loudly as Neville looked around with a blush.
"To Miss Hermione Granger, for unchallengeable wit, and level-headed thinking in times of need; I award fifty points!"
The table again erupted with cheers and celebration.
"To Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the most exceptional game of wizards chess ever played in Hogwarts, fifty points!"
Ron's brothers cheered loudly and thumped him on the back. The Slytherins were looking at each other in confusion and trepidation. Gryffindor was almost tied with Slytherin now.
"And finally," the room went quiet. Dumbledore looked out over all of the students in the hall, "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award sixty points to Harry Potter!"
The red table exploded with cheer and celebration as they saw the points tally up. They won the house cup!
"Now," Dumbledore was smiling as he raised his hands, "I believe this calls for a change in decoration!"
When he clapped his hands the snake's green-colored banner turned to the lion's red as three of the house tables erupted in celebration.
The Slytherin's were all glaring over at the red table, all except for one. Cressida Black was excitedly clapping, she was happy for her brother even if it meant that Slytherin had become the first losers to Gryffindor.
As the students ate, and talked, what felt like hours passed until all the candles in the hall had burnt down to just wicks. Mostly everyone had cleared out, only two remained. Zenith Black was sleeping with his head down on the table, and his sister Cressida was sitting beside him. The spot where she had been for a while, hoping he'd wake up on his own. With no progress, she needed another solution, so she smacked the back of his head. In response, he sat up hastily, and she couldn't help but laugh.
"We're gonna miss the train if you sleep any longer," she said checking her watch.
"I was so exhausted from all the cheering, you know, because of Gryffindor winning, and all," he boasted.
"You won on a technicality," she said, rolling her eyes.
"A technicality is still a win," he argued.
"We'll get it next year," she said, pressing a galleon into her brother's hand.
"You're on."
The second year at Hogwarts for the twins was a far more chaotic version than the first.
Self-absorbed teachers, petrifications, possessed books, and basilisks were the stories rolling from everyone's tongues.
As they got onto the train to depart for home, the Black's couldn't have been more relieved.
At some point, the two had split ways, and Zenith ended up stepping into a random train car. Inside sat Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, both preoccupied, neither even noticed him at first.
"Oh, hey Zenith," Ron said as Zenith sat down beside him.
Zenith nodded in response, "Hey, how's your sister?" he asked regarding the recent year of drama.
Ron winced, "Well, Mum says she is doing better, but she's still recovering. Ginny will be okay, she's strong."
Harry looked up from the book he was reading at the mention of her name.
"Zenith? When'd you get here?" he asked, slightly puzzled.
Ron and Zenith looked at each other and chuckled.
Before Zenith could answer, the train car door slid open, and Cressida stood in the doorway.
"There you are Zenith, I knew I could hear your dorky laugh," she said with her hands on her hips. "If it isn't the troublesome trio in one place," she said, shaking her head as she sat across from Zenith, parallel to Harry.
Zenith glared at her, "Har har," he said, "very funny Cressida."
She ignored him as she looked at the other two, "And how are you two?" She asked them, "I heard you got stuck in a rock slide or something?"
Ron was the one to answer her question, "Sort of." He rolled his eyes, "Lockheart's a fraud, and he took my wand and tried to wipe our memories. My wand was broken though, so it sort of backfired."
"You mean exploded." Harry laughed.
Cressida laughed as well before lifting an eyebrow, "You just now found out that Lockhart is a fraud? It was so obvious!"
"Thank you!" Zenith exclaimed.
"I knew there was something off, but I didn't know he lied about everything," Ron said, defending himself.
"Well, at least we're getting a new teacher," Cressida said, looking for the bright side.
"Here's to next year," Ron said with a smile as he flipped a coin.
The coin made a clunking sound as it collided with the floor of the train car.
"You didn't call anything?" Zenith questioned.
"He typically doesn't," Harry said observingly.
Ron was busy scourging underneath the seats because the coin had gotten stuck somewhere.
"Accio Galleon," Cressida said, twisting her wand, the coin found its way to her hand, but it seemed to be covered in some kind of gunk. A black darkness surrounded the coin. She placed it in his hand gently.
"That's bloody brilliant," Ron said amazed that she knew a fourth-year spell, he quickly wiped his smile off his face to play tough though, "I mean, I could have done that too, you know, if my wand wasn't broken."
"What's the prediction for next year?" Zenith questioned.
Ron looked down at the dirty coin, and then he laughed, "Hell if I know," and then he dropped it back onto the floor where it rolled into a crack, and remained on its side.
Neither head nor tail.
hey guys! thanks for taking the time out of your day to read our little fanfic, there's no update schedule, and we write when we can thanks. <3
k.rae & agc.