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CHAPTER ONE;
FOOLS OF HOGWARTS
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ATLAS BLACK, LIKE'S TO HOPE CERTAIN THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON, AND LEADS TOWARD SOMETHING BIGGER IN THE FUTURE.
His mother dying when he was a mere infant, him being sent to life with the Malfoy's whilst his twin sister got sent to live with their grandparents (apparently they could only take on one, and the Malfoy's were the only blood related family they had left,) meaning they had gotten separated a mere few months after their month. His father being a notorious serial killer, and being thrown into Azkaban, the highest form of security in the Wizarding World.
Maybe this all happened for a reason?
(If someone had a reason now he would honestly like to know however-)
Atlas hadn't seen his twin sister, Aurora, since they were kids, maybe four or five - it was for a Christmas dinner party in the Malfoy's, and she arrived with their grandparents. He still remembered how tall she had been compared to him. He also still remembered the aching feeling he felt when she had to leave - they never got to talk with one another.
They were introduced, as if they weren't related.
As the years went by the invitations to his grandparents dinner parties seized almost completely. To the point where his cousin, (who might as well have been his brother) suggested that they were dead.
"Maybe they're dead?" a seven year old Draco Malfoy suggested. The two of them were sitting on the grass outside Malfoy Manor. "They must be old by now."
"I hope they are." Atlas commented. "Maybe she can come live with us then. They look pale. Maybe they're ghosts?"
"Ghosts?" Draco repeated, eyes filling with fear. "Those don't exist."
"Did you not know? There's one under your bed every night. I seen him. I think his name is Freddie."
Draco screamed so loudly that day.
He was glad he never had anything to do with his grandparents, in an odd way. He never got a good feeling when he saw them. He knew they were prejudice - he himself had grown up with that - and most likely pushed their views upon his sister, but of course he would never know that. He would never know anything about his twin.
Because his family were informed by word of the mouth, that she had been sent to carry out her studies in France when she turned eight.
Unlike her, he had gotten his letter alongside his cousin to attend Hogwarts - like how he knew his parents had also. Perhaps, it was foolish of him to think that maybe his sister would also attend and they could somehow be reunited.
He was also sorted into Slytherin, like his mum had been also.
Atlas himself often wondered if she looked the same as she did when they were little - all he could remember was she had straight black hair, and had been towering over him in height. Now, he himself had grown rather tall over the summer, (thank Merlin for that one) and his own hair had been almost non-visible in the dark, it was so black.
He also remember she had big, round grey eyes, unlike him, who had brown eyes. Like his mum, he was informed by Narcissa.
When Atlas reached a certain age, he stopped wondering about his sister.
He stopped wondering if they would ever meet again, if she sometimes felt as though them being separated had made her feel the same way as him. He stopped caring, because caring had caused him to much hurt.
Even though he would never admit that to anyone, not even his two closest friends.
It was only until his father escaped from Azkaban, that she started to occupy his thoughts.
-Azkaban, Luke Murphy thought, how he would much prefer to be there right now rather than attending another year at Hogwarts.
He stood outside platform nine, and three quarters. His grandmother stood in front of him, after handing him his bags. He looked towards the train, and people boarding onto it.
"You promise me you'll have a good year, this year?" she asked him softly, pulling her cardigan over herself. His mouth opened, but she quickly added, "And it's not impossible, before you say anything."
"How are you cold?" Luke asked, "It's roasting in here."
"Old age." Elenor replied, stiffening a laugh. "Promise me you'll try and have a good year."
Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I will." the train gave out another blow. "I should probably head now. I love you. I'll see you at Christmas."
He leaned forward, and hugged his grandmother once again, before heading to the station. He started to walk towards the train.
Merlin, Luke hates Hogwarts.
The short answer as to why he did so much was because for the last three years, he had been completely, and utterly alone. Of course, he was apart to blame in this. Firstly, he wasn't able to speak to people at all. His social skills had never been the best, and since joining Hogwarts they somehow got even worse. Secondly, because of his lycanthropy he knew even if he became friends with someone there would always be a risk.
Besides, he had always told himself, he didn't need friends. It was better off anyway.
However as brown haired girl ran by him, and into the arms of her friends he felt differently.
"I've missed you so much!" he heard one of them say as he passed them. He continued walking to the train.
-Unaware to him, the three people he had passed was Dawn Kale, Colleen Rosemary, and Drew Gellar. The three of their laughter seized after pulling away from one another.
"I've missed you both." Dawn could only say, as the three of them started walking towards the train.
"I've missed you both, too." Colleen mentions, flipping her red hair behind her shoulders. She glances at Drew first but looks away. "This year is going to be weird, right?"
"You mean because Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban and is most likely going to come to Hogwarts?" Drew retorts.
"Why would he come here?" Dawn questions, furrowing her brows slightly. "Oh. Because of Atlas?"
Atlas Black had been a boy in their year in Slytherin, a popular boy, who she had no encounters with before. He was a Quidditch player too, a fine one indeed, he played the position of a beater. According to Colleen also, the boy had gotten increasingly good looking this year also, not that it mattered. His popularity increasingly grown this year due to the fact his father had escaped from Azkaban.
Dawn thought he was arrogant, he had always been fighting with Professor McGonagall, and showing up late to lessons. Not to mention the amount of times he played rough in Quidditch.
"Imagine that." Drew says, loudly. "Your father escaped Azkaban, and is coming for you."
"Maybe he won't be coming here." Dawn suggests, shrugging. "He has a sister - a twin sister at that. I read about her in the newspaper. Studies in France. Maybe he's going for her."
"Since when do you read the newspaper." Colleen snorts.
"It's next to the Quidditch section." Dawn replies.
"Of course, what a foolish question. Your mum drop you off?"
Dawn nods, a wide smile on her face. "Mum and Dave-"
Drew laughs. "Oo la, la la!"
Drew nudges her shoulder so hard that the book in her hands (it was a Quidditch book) flies forward hitting the person, who was walking in front of them. The person stops abruptly walking and turns around. By the worst luck, it had been the boy they were talking about. Atlas made it quite clear he had heard their conversation, just by his expression.
Colleen was right, the boy was much taller now.
He plastered an almost sarcastic grin on his face, before leaning down and picking up the book.
He read the cover, before handing it over to Dawn. She wondered how he knew it was hers.
Dawn did not want to have to apologise for gossiping. She takes it. "Thanks."
"Is there anything else you would like to know about me?" Atlas questions, his brown eyes flickering between the three. He didn't seem annoyed, he appeared not entirely bothered and used to it. "I'm right here, please ask."
Shamelessly, Dawn, Colleen and Drew all shook their heads.
"Are you sure you guys don't want me to sign an autograph or something?"
Dawn glances up at the boy, and he glances back at her. She really wished she could wipe the grin off the boys face. Once again, the three of them shake their heads.
"Good." Atlas grins, again. All three of them find his smile alluring. "In that case, I'll be going. Have a nice trip."
With that, he walked away.
"That's was so embarrassing." Colleen breathed, her cheek red.
"That guy is an ass." Dawn comments.
"No truthful words have ever been spoken." Colleen agrees. The three of them get on board the train just as the doors close shut, and head down the aisles in hope of finding an empty carriage.
"I think this one is empty." Dawn mentions, opening one of the doors. However, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley all sat inside it. Alongside them, was someone lying asleep under a blanket. They all look up at her. "Sorry thought this was empty."
"No problem, Dawn." she hears Hermione say as she closes it.
It took them almost half an hour to find an empty compartment, one Hufflepuff boy was sat in one alone. Drew asked could they sit and the boy didn't reply, so they left. Dawn hadn't seen him before, but then again there were so many people in Hogwarts who could keep track.
Finally, the three of them sat down in one of the compartments.
At the opposite end of the train, in the Slytherin compartments, three other individuals sat around.
Atlas had two close friends in Hogwarts, Calum and Emerson - both of them had been in Slytherin, because to be frank he could never see himself befriending anyone from another house. That wasn't him being prejudiced, it was him being honest. He was always honest.
See, for some reason, people in Hogwarts tended to somewhat fear Atlas. He didn't know where it came from but he only realised it last year. Maybe it was because of his father. Maybe because sometimes he acted as though he had a god complex (that's what his cousin suggested), or maybe because he was brutally honest with people.
Calum was from Ireland, and was possibly the smartest person in their year (excluding one Gryffindor girl who he often had arguments with over answering in class). He had shaggy red hair that almost looked brown sometimes, a thin face, and used sarcasm more than normal words. He also cursed frequently.
Atlas got along with him, because he had been the first person in Hogwarts who didn't ask him about his father.
Then there was Emerson, who Atlas had found that her personality was rather contagious. She was a whimsical witty blonde haired girl, who had been a slightly confided, shy character to view at first. However, once you got to know the girl she proved to be an opinionated, outspoken girl. He liked that about her. She also had blue eyes, which for some reason she had hated. Atlas couldn't come to understand why however, he always thought her eyes were fine to look at.
He found she and Calum were two people he couldn't go without in Hogwarts.
Atlas glances up from his book, and sees Emerson had stopped exchanging glances with Calum.
"Just get it off your chest." he told her. "You two have been exchanging looks for almost an hour. Plus you're nervously playing with your wrist."
"Have you talked with her?"
"Her?" he asks.
"Your sister." Calum answers, as if obvious. "I mean..with everything that's going on, with your dad and all," Atlas rolled his eyes. "Don't you wanna know how she's doing?"
"No." he answers dryly. Lie.
"Oh, that is such a lie." Emerson looked away from the window, and at him. "You're telling us you haven't thought about how she's doing. Not even once."
"Nope."
"You're to stubborn."
"This conversation is boring me."
"All we're saying," Emerson continues, not fazed by him. She held her hands up, and Atlas noticed they were painted blue, much like how he felt right now by the fact she was still talking. "Is that maybe she feels the same, maybe she wants to reach out to you, but is to scared, like you."
"I'm not scared of anything."
"You're scared of rubber ducks." Calum points out.
He sent him a look, ignoring the laugh that came from Emerson. "I'm not scared of them. I just think they're a rather creepy muggle invention."
Why would someone decide to make a rubber duck into a plastic toy for children? Atlas never understood this.
"Come on," Emerson sighs. "She's the only family you have left. She's your twin."
"That's gotta be a strong bond." Calum adds.
Atlas looks out the window, at the passings. "I have the Malfoy's."
Atlas did have the Malfoy's, and he always would. They were a family to him, or at least Draco and Narcissa were. Lucius had always been a bit off putting to be honest. Atlas thought he was slightly controlling over Draco's viewpoint on blood statuses.
Atlas himself was brought up to believe his
blood status meant something.
However, as he entered his third year in Hogwarts, this statement started to feel less truthful.
"She's in Beauxbatons?" Calum asks.
Reluctantly, Atlas nods. "That's what I heard last."
Suddenly the train had come to a halt, sending Calum onto the floor, who let out a series of curse words.
"Fucking shite on it," Calum yelled, in pain.
Emerson remained in her seat. "What was that?"
Atlas glances towards the window, which had now turned black. Yet, the darkness outside it had been a faded colour. He narrowed his eyes slightly, before leaning forward to touch the glass.
Emerson smacked his hand away, however, before he had the chance.
Atlas retracted his hand. "What was that for?"
She shrugs. "Could be jinxed."
He stood up, and opened the door. The lights in the hallway were flickering. He turns back to his friends. "I need to go check on Draco. I'll be right back."
Emerson opened her mouth. "Be careful-"
"Careful!" Dawn hissed to Colleen at the opposite side of the train. The three of them sat in the compartment after locking the door. The lights had gone out, and it was almost completely silent. Drew went to open the door. "There could be something out there!"
"Oh my god." Colleen whispers. "What if its him."
"Who?"
"Sirius Black."
"Oh Colleen, don't be such a fool."
"Did you just call me a fool?"
Before Dawn could answer, suddenly the hallway had been occupied with a figure standing outside the door. Drew jumped back onto Dawn's lap, letting out a scream, whilst Colleen curled up onto her. Her eyes widened. It was a clocked figure (or so Dawn thinks) with long hands, that reached out onto the door handle, to open it.
"Who is that?" Dawn whispers. "What is that?"
The door handle started to open, before the door slid upon revealing what Dawn could only describe as a floating hooded figure. Immensely, Colleen and Drew let out screams. Dawn in a short matter of seconds found herself feeling at a low point. Everything started to feel sad. She felt sad. Maybe the saddest she had ever felt-
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" a voice suddenly bellowed out.
The creatures was shunned away leaving nothing but the three individuals in the carriage who let out screams. The person who casted the unfamiliar spell had been a grown man, who seemed to be a new professor. He wore old ragged clothes and they could barely see him in the hallway, since the lights were gone.
He used the lumos spell for his wand. He gave them all a once over. "Are you all alright?"
Colleen and Drew nod reluctantly.
"Well I'm not freaking okay!" Dawn yelled, bringing the attention over to her. The man looked confused for a moment. "What was that thing?"
The man tells them, "That was a Dementor, sent from Azkaban, to protect the grounds leading up to and on Hogwarts. Dementors are creatures that fed off the happiness of people, sometimes more vulnerable people, and make the aura around them feel almost like nothing but pain, and sadness."
Colleen shivers. "Who are you?"
"I'm Professor Lupin, I'm the new Defence professor. Here," he pulls out three unopened bars of chocolate. "Eat, you'll feel much better."
Dawn took the bar first and the others followed in pursuit. "Do you have to eat chocolate specifically?"
"No, but I find chocolate is quite nice." Lupin replies.
She smiles at this. "Suppose."
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The Great Hall was full of unimpressed students with what had just happened on the train. Some people had even heard that someone had fainted.
"Welcome!" Dumbledore bellowed out, causing the Hall to become silent. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast."
Emerson gave out a small grunt of displeasure. "I am starving."
"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
Atlas looks up at this. Those things he saw on the train were Dementors? When he went out to look for Draco, he saw one in the hallway. They scared the living life out of him, he ended up jumping into someone else's random compartment.
"Dementors from Azkaban." Atlas commented, to his two friends. "Hope they sucked the happiness out of my father before he got out."
Emerson frowned, not knowing how to reply, whilst Calum nods. "Hope they did too, those things are wicked."
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore adds. "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises, or even Invisibility Cloaks."
"I'd love to get my hands on one of them." Atlas mentions.
"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors. On a happier note-"
"Merlin, there's a first." Calum says, loudly.
"I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill to fill the defence against the dark arts post."
Lupin stood up, and the only thing Atlas noticed was how his eyes went towards the Gryffindor table. More specifically towards where Harry Potter sat. He was probably another fan, or someone who wanted to see his bloody scar. His eyes then went towards the Slytherin table, and around the room again. He was a tall man, with several sore looking recent scratches, and scars across his face.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
"The gatekeepers going to be teaching us?" someone asked. "What?"
Loud applause came from the Gryffindor table where Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley sat. When Atlas looked over, his eyes narrowed slightly at Potter.
Atlas didn't necessarily hate many people, but Harry Potter was someone who he did in fact hate.
He was nothing but trouble, him and his friends. The three of them caused trouble every year. One year Slytherin had won the house cup, and was told last minute basically that Potter and his musketeers had done some stupid heroic thing and deserved to win. Not to mention the fact, he also had an on going feud alongside Draco.
Atlas just hated the boy, and Potter hated him back.
Once the feast was over in the Gryffindor Common room, the conversation about Sirius Black had been quite a controversial one. Around the fire sat Harry, Hermione, all the members of the Weasley family, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom.
"Imagine if he does come here," Seamus says loudly. "We're all doomed!"
"He can't get passed the Dementors." Hermione interjects. "That's why there here."
Harry and Ron snicker.
"He'll come to finish off Atlas, right?" Dean questions. "Why else would be come here?"
"I actually feel quite bad for him." Hermione says quietly, causing Ron and Harry to look at her in shock. She didn't like Atlas either. "I don't like him but even you've got to admit his situation doesn't seem nice, does it? His father has escaped from Azkaban, and his sister, who the newspapers say he doesn't talk to, is over in France-"
"He has a sister?" Harry asks.
"A twin, yeah." Fred and George say in unison.
"Can't be nice." Fred adds. "Having a twin and having nothing to do with them! Imagine that George."
George held his chest. "Hurts me to just think about it, Freddy."
"Why is she studying in France then, and he's here?" Ginny asks.
"No clue." Ron shrugs. "At least she's not here."
"Good thing at that." Harry adds, scrunching his nose. He was the least interested in this conversation. "She's probably just like him."
All of them nod.
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"People have been whispering about me all fucking day." Atlas tells them irritably.
Calum shrugs. "I'd love all the attention."
"I do, of course, but not when half the shit I'm hearing is bad." Atlas complains, rolling his eyes. "I head one stupid Ravenclaw say they think I'm going to murder them all, that it's in my blood."
"Ravenclaw's aren't stupid." Emerson didn't look up from her nails.
"Well, that one was." Atlas sassed back.
Emerson lifted her eyes to meet his for a moment, and rolled them.
Calum pulls out a mountain of books causing Atlas to make a face.
"What are those for?"
"Studying." Calum replies, lifting a book that read revision for your O.W.L.S: an advanced study guide. He waves it around. "We have O.W.L.S in three years. Three years. That is not enough time to prepare. I'm starting early."
"Our O.W.L.S aren't that big of a deal." Emerson replies, patting his knee. "You'll be fine, Cal."
"Like the bird?" Atlas asks, unaware to what they were talking about.
Emerson leans forward and flicks his forehead. "You're lucky you're pretty."
Atlas grins. "Very pretty."
The two of them sit back when Calum declares utter silence whilst he is studying. Calum opens his books and begins writing. Emerson starts to paint her nails.
Atlas lays across the couch in utter boredom.
As a few moments go by, Atlas starts to somewhat sad, all of a sudden. It came upon him out of nowhere. The weird thing was he didn't know what he was sad about. Then it happens again, the burning sensation. Over the last few years, Atlas started to experience this burning sensation out of nowhere. It spread throughout his body and made him feel as though he was covered in fire.
He takes off his jumper.
"Is it happening again?" Emerson asked, noticing his expression, she leans over to touch his hand. She retracts it straight away. "He's burning up."
"I thought you said this stopped." Calum adds.
He held his chest. "I-It did."
Calum goes over to the window, and unlocks it. Emerson practically pushes him to the window to breathe in the cold air from outside. It helps a little. It cools him down slightly but not for long. He still has the burning sensation - the place he feels it the most is his chest. The burning sensation overpowered the sad sensation.
It goes on for a few more moments, before it goes away.
"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" he asks them both. He turns around. Calum hands him his jumper. He thanks him. "Why does this keep happening? Even more so now."
"You've really got to get that checked out, mate." Calum mutters. "You could be ill."
"It's not that-"
"How do you know-"
"I don't know." was all he could say. He didn't know what was happening to him, but all he knew was that he wasn't ill. "I just know that I'm not sick. I don't know what it is though!"
"Might just be heartburn." Emerson suggests. Her lips fall into a frown again. "You can get a prescription for it at Hogsmeade."
Atlas nods, sitting back down beside the fire.
Unaware to him, he wasn't the only person who had the sensation.
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So this chapter was mostly just to introduce some of the characters. Especially Atlas.
Okay so tell me what you think!!! Did you guys like how it switched points etc, or did you find it confusing?? Would you prefer if I did a chapter for one character each or what? Or was it good?
And sadly Aurora won't be in ACT 1: and we will have Fletcher joining in Goblet of Fire, and Riley in Order of Phoenix! And I will be keeping when Aurora comes into it as a surprise!
I can't wait to write her and Atlas/ and her and Harry!
The main things focused on in this act will be:
- atlas' character
- small defining moments for Emerson/ Calum, and showing their characters!!
- dawn's interactions with harry
- luke's character
- atlas + Harry
- Dawn!
- and some other things.
- Draco + atlas
Vote + comment if you enjoyed :)