ONE
ARRIVAL
TODAY WAS THE DAY.
Today was the day Valentina Dominique Lestrange would finally be attending Hogwarts. For as long as she could remember this was what she wanted and finally, the Malfoys' were letting her go. When her mother Bellatrix Lestrange was sent to Azkaban for torturing Frank and Alice Longbottom Valentina was sent to live with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. The Malfoys'.
Valentina took a deep breath as she stepped onto platform 9 3/4.
"Now darling, have you got everything you need?" Her Aunt Narcissa said beside Valentina, looking at her.
"Yes, Aunt Narcissa," Valentina smiled.
"And you know what you have to do?" Lucius appeared along with Draco.
Valentina rolled her eyes. "Yes, I've known all summer and I still know," Valentina looked around to check if anyone was listening and lowered her voice. "Very soon, I will be a Harry Potter expert and if I'm really good, he'll be dead by the end of the school year. I'll see you next summer and keep you updated," she said snarkily.
"Just don't stuff up this school," Lucius told the young Lestrange before she turned around on her heels and walked towards the big scarlet train.
Valentina rolled her eyes. Within only three years, Valentina had already been expelled from five different schools. In her first year she attended Illvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, however, two months into the year she accidentally set one of the towers on fire, which lead to her immediate expulsion. She then spent the rest of the year at Beauxbatons but it was way too fancy for Valentina's taste and they agreed something like her shouldn't be in such a place. For her second year, she went to Durmstrang. She noticed the lack of girls at Durmstrang and thought she should help out the remaining few by getting rid of girls altogether. So, with the help of her good friend Viktor Krum, they made it happen. Then she was sent off to Japan to attend Mahoutokoro and they thought she was too much trouble to stay. Third year was spent at Castelbruxo in Brazil which Valentina didn't mind too much, but when she accidentally set one of the dangerous creatures from the forest around the school she had been kicked out once again. To say the Malfoys' were mad was an understatement. With no other suitable schools left, they were forced to send Valentina to Hogwarts.
This year Valentina was sure it would be different. She had a purpose in going to school now, not just to be away from Draco. This year she was going to do something other than get herself expelled. Something she thought would benefit the world.
Valentina walked with her head held high onto the train and quickly settled herself in a compartment as far away from her cousin Draco as she could be. If she had sat with him all she would have heard was him talking about himself and how amazing he is or how unfair it was for her take up his old job that he had failed to do.
She sat down and closed her eyes, drifting into her thoughts for what was a while until she heard a ruckus coming from outside her compartment causing her to snap her eyes open. After waiting for it to calm down she closed her eyes again, going back into relaxation.
BANG!
Valentina shot her eyes open again. Letting out a huff she stood up and opened the compartment door before peeking her head out. "Would you shut the fuck up!" She yelled, not bothering to look at whoever was making the noise.
"Oh, sorry, love," she heard a voice say, forcing Valentina to turn her head left and look at them. One glimpse at the red hair was all it took to know this was a Weasley. He was tall, light freckles scattered on his face and chocolate brown eyes much lighter than Valentina's dark ones and judging by the identical looking boy standing right next to him, Valentina knew she was faced with the Weasley Twins. "Just testing out some new products we were working on," he shrugged and Valentina looked closer to see they were both holding wands.
Valentina put on a bitter smile and said, "I think you need to fix the noise coming out of your products and should do it elsewhere."
Both the boys nodded. "Yes I agree," the same boy said before turning to his brother, "George, we need to be louder."
"Right back at you, Fred. Needs more boom," the other twin agreed.
"No," Valentina scowled, "What you need to do is fuck off."
"She's a tad scary don't you think, George," Fred leaned towards his brother while looking at Valentina.
"Yes, Fred. She also seems a bit angry," George said back to Fred.
"I know what will cheer her up," Fred smiled before pulling something out of his pocket and sticking his hand out in front of Valentina, revealing a small lolly. "Ton-Tongue Toffy? Made it ourselves," he added.
Valentine frowned. "No, I don't want your fucking Ton-Tongue Toffy. What I want is for you to go away," she slammed the compartment door, making sure to lock it.
"Who is she?" Fred asked his brother.
"I have no idea," George replied as both boys smiled, recovering from meeting probably what was the greatest witch ever.
After having to calm herself down from her interaction with the Weasley Twins, Valentina stepped through the front doors of the great Hogwarts castle and smirked. 'Finally,' she thought. A lady stepped in front of her, who she assumed is Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress. McGonagall took a quick look at Valentina and knew that this is certainly the daughter of Bellatrix. "Follow me, Miss Lestrange," she said curtly before turning around leading the young girl into the large room known as the Great Hall. Valentina followed the older lady and could see where the 'Great' came from in its name. This room was massive.
Thousands and thousands of candles were floating mid-air and below them were four long tables where the rest of students sat, set with glittering gold plates and goblets. At the top of the hall stood another long table where all the teachers were sitting. Valentina took a glance up to see the ceiling didn't really look like a ceiling but instead looked like the midnight sky, bright dotted stars covering it.
As if on cue whispering and mutter broke out about the new mysterious girl who told the Weasley Twins to fuck off on the train. Valentina knew this was to be expected though, she had been through it many times before.
They continued walking until stopping at the front of the Great Hall right near three-legged stool. Valentina scrunched up her nose in disgust, no way was she wearing that in a thousand years.
"Wait here Miss Lestrange while I go get the first years," McGonagall spoke to her before walking outside of the hall.
The whispers didn't die down and even with Valentina's back turned away from the rest of the students, she could feel all their stares digging into her, trying to claw for answers. She so desperately wanted to roll her eyes.
Not too long after waiting, Professor McGonagall returned with a group of little, keen first years, who looked rather saturated with water. It seemed as if they decided to go for a swim in the Black Lake and with the way one boy was talking, it appeared he might of.
Valentina waited for the first years to stand beside her in front of the stool, however, none of them dared to stand any more than a meter close to her. Soon enough, McGonagall placed down an old, ugly, patched wizard's hat. There was a moment of silence before the hat sprung to like and broke out in song. Draco hadn't been lying about the hat.
Paying no attention to the words coming out of that ghastly thing, Valentina thought of what house she would be in. Definitely not Hufflepuff, she wasn't loyal to anyone but herself. Possibly Ravenclaw, she was a rather intelligent witch even if she didn't let on about it but learning from different schools all around the around had its perks. She was very sly and cunning like a Slytherin and that was the house that seemed the best fit. If she got anything else she was sure she should tear the damned hat to shreds, especially if she got Gryffindor.
The hat had finally stopped singing and Valentina let out a small clap.
Professor McGonagall started unrolling a large scroll of parchment.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told Valentina and the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go sit at the appropriate table."
"Lestrange, Valentina." Her name had been called out first.
More whispers had broken out due to finding out the mysterious girl's name. Many gasped and talked amongst themselves, Valentina was sure she heard a scream and with the look on Neville Longbottom's round face, it would seem he had just faced Death himself. Valentina knew this would happen though. Her name had come with a curse. She ignored them and walked towards the stool and sat on it facing everyone else in the room, soon feeling the old material being placed on her head.
"Aha!" the hat yelled. "An incredibly smart and clever mind! One that will do well in Ravenclaw. Certainly not Hufflepuff. Very well suited for Slytherin, that would seem like a very good choice." She smirked, definitely Slytherin. "But there is only one house you will do well in and will lead you on the right path." Please say Slytherin.
"I think you'll be best in GRYFFINDOR!"
Valentina was stunned, she could not believe what just happened. No one was clapping or cheering, just deathly silence. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. She looked over at Draco who had a shocked expression. None of them saw this coming.
She ripped the hat off her head and made sure to keep her head up as she walked towards the Gryffindor table, and took a seat, not bothering to see who she was sitting next to.
Valentina couldn't even listen to the rest of the first years that were being sorted, all she could think about was what her Aunt and Uncle would say. They would be furious, especially her mother. As soon as she finds out, Valentina was sure she would feel her wrath from Azkaban for being in the blood traitor House.
Valentina snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she saw food appear out of nowhere in front of her eyes but Valentina wasn't feeling hungry.
"So, Valentina, you're Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter?" She heard a familiar voice say next to her.
She looked to see who it was and to her great disgust, it was one of the Weasley boys from the train. "Oh god," Valentina groaned. "If this day couldn't just get any worse."
The boy frowned before smiling, "Well I'm Fred Weasley by the way, and that's my brother, George. We're twins, if you couldn't tell," Fred pointed to his identical twin sitting beside him who gave Valentina a short smile. "and I'm Lee," a boy with dreadlocks, popped out from behind George with a face stuffed with food.
"How charming," Valentina said once again disgusted. Draco was right again, this place was a joke.
Fred leaned closer to her about to open his mouth but before he could say anything Valentina glared at him and he immediately moved back. It was best he learned now not to get on a Lestrange's bad side and he didn't bother her again for the rest of the feast. No one did.
Once all the food vanished Dumbledore stood up and started talking, to which Valentina zoned out of until she heard the rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall being banged open.
A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff table, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then began to walk up towards the teachers' table.
A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling.
The Lightning had thrown the man's face into a sharp relief, and it was a face, Valentina, immediately recognised. Mad-Eye Moody. However, something seemed a little off about him.
Trying to figure out what was wrong with Moody, she jumped slightly when she heard Fred Weasley scream out really loudly beside her.
"Where was I?" said Dumbledore. "Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament ... well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely." He didn't have to go to tell Valentina twice.
Valentina honestly didn't care about a stupid little tournament to find out who was the best witch or wizard from each school. She had much bigger things to worry about, like what she was going to do when she receives a howler from Uncle Lucius yelling at her for being in Gryffindor.
Dumbledore soon finished talking and sent everyone off to bed. All the students stood up and filed out of the hall, Valentina following the Gryffindors to their common room.
She found her dorm room and saw she was with a girl called Hermione Granger (who Draco had described as a know it all mud blood that thinks she knows best and one of Potter's best friends) and two others who seemed unimportant to Valentina.
"Hello," Hermione said to Valentina as she walked into the room. Valentina put on a fake smile before walking right past the girl.
"I know it must be hard being the new girl but if you ever need anything— " Hermione started before Valentina faced her and cut her off.
"I understand you feel the need for everyone to like you," Valentina said while Hermione tried to let out a small process but was cut off again. "But, I already don't like you. My dear cousin has talked about you a lot and you're just not the kind of person I would want to associate myself with," she continued smiling. "I'm sure you're very lovely but it's best you know that you and I will never work out as friends."
"But I was just saying—"
"I understand this must be a major damage to your ego and I'm sure you will find someone who cares," Valentine faked concern. "Goodnight," she turned away from the girl and rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long year.