Chapter Text
Lily
After a long train ride, or rather, a train ride full of conversation, we arrived at our final destination. I was excited to finally see the school and Alexander shared my excitement. We traveled together on the boats to the castle. This has a completely different atmosphere than Aunt Olga's former workplace. It's like something out of a knight novel. However, I can't dwell on the sight too much because they're showing us around.
A friendly-looking professor explains the essentials and then leaves us alone for a while. I don't really pay attention to those around me. I'm busy staring at the walls and listening to Seraphy tell me what the place was like the last time she was here. I'm suddenly startled out of this state by a boy who suddenly steps up next to me. He has creamy blonde hair and gray eyes, and he's terribly grumpy.
"He has no idea who he rejected!" He growls, shooting murderous looks at a black-haired boy. I start to giggle at the blonde's face, he is such a cutie. "What are you laughing at?" He glares at me, before I get serious and raise one of my eyebrows.
"Hi to you too! You know it's not very polite to greet someone like that!" I shake my head, before he blushes, although I don't know why. "Lily V. Nenil! By the way, don't scowl, it doesn't look good!" I smile as I extend my hand towards him, and the boy smiles back.
"Draco Malfoy!" He shakes my hand.
"Nice to meet you Draco. Can I ask why you grimaced like that?" The boy is about to start answering when the professor reappears and, ending our conversation, leads us into the breathtaking great hall. I'm excitedly waiting for my turn to be sorted. I want to know where I'll end up. Right now, Alexander is sitting under the hat, he's been grinning and giggling for about ten minutes now, while my stomach has contracted to a microscopic size. I'm about to shout 'Alexander, get on with it' when the hat shouts 'Gryffindor'. I sigh loudly, finally. I was starting to feel sick. But my peace doesn't last long, it's my turn. I sit down on the chair with a huge swallow. The hat is placed on my head and a strange voice speaks in my mind.
~ Nenil, yes? Hmm... Not just any! Do you know that you're the successor of Salazar Slytherin? ~ The thought crosses my mind that this voice must have been talking to Ollivander, when he continues. ~ So he recognized it too! I'm not surprised, you can't deny it! ~ I roll my eyes, he could really get to the point and sort me. Why bother with my origins, no one needs to know it except me anyway! ~ I won't waste your time. I'll just say one more thing, as the saying goes. Know your enemy! So... ~ I feel the excitement as I wait for him to say it, but I'm surprised too when he screams out loud.
"Gryffindor!" Despite my surprise, I stand up smiling and head towards the Gryffindor table, then take a seat next to Alexander. My gaze meets Draco's, who is sitting at the Slytherin table, it's as if he's disappointed, but I don't understand why. There's a lot I don't understand about this boy.
The next few days passed calmly. That is, except for the cases when the great Harry Potter - who I have since learned is a kind of superstar around here, because he survived an attack by someone whose name no one will say - well, Harry Potter and his small circle of friends were not late or made some kind of trouble, usually because of the youngest Weasley child, that I was ashamed of myself for them.
I don't even understand how Harry can stand being around Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, even though he's a completely normal kid when he's not hanging out with them. We hit it off pretty well and we often talk the three of us, Harry, me and Alexander, who it turns out has known the Potter boy for a long time.
So my everyday life was pretty boring in the first month. Although there were times when I really got into fights with the members of my house, but is it my fault that they were wDADA? Please, why do you always have to go to the wall head on? Are they surprised that Slytherins tease them when they're so stupid?
Speaking of Slytherins. There's something about them too, I mean they don't pick on me, and sometimes I even study with them, which, to be honest, can seem pretty weird. I don't even understand how they tolerate me in their company. Maybe they're like that with me because I usually side with them in arguments. Harry would take their side too if he didn't have his team there. But I don't care what my house thinks of me. I know I shouldn't think that way, but I just can't seem to fit in.
Maybe that's why it's become a habit of mine by October to stumble down to the basement once a week and sit in front of Professor Snape's door to vent my worries. I know it sounds pretty weird, especially coming from a Gryffindor, but I can't help it. It all started when I was studying with Draco Malfoy and his gang, who are famous for their hatred of Gryffindors. They were talking about how much Professor Snape helps them with their mental health. That's when I decided to give it a try. Of course, when I mentioned it to the professor, he slammed the door in my face, and I sat down in front of it sullenly and started telling him my troubles out loud just for the sake of it. To my greatest surprise, instead of simply sending me away, he managed to calm me down and guide me on the right path with a gentle scolding. That's when I started going down to the basement, and I've had this habit ever since.
It must have been around Halloween when Harry and his team managed to run into a mountain troll. Which was strange for several reasons. One: how did a troll get into the school? Two: why was it in a girls' bathroom? Three: why would a DADA teacher faint from a troll? Although Quirrel is quite a strange man, starting with the fact that he doesn't really stutter, I only realized this when I mentioned it to him during a detention that it was annoying and I jokingly remarked that he definitely don't stutter. And he started to ask angrily how I knew, to which I told him that I had no idea, it just made me really anoyed. Since then, when I'm in detention, he doesn't stutter. The other strange thing is that he has a terribly strange aura that I can't put my finger on, but Seraphy and my wand don't like it either. And neither do the Weasley twins, but my best friends solve such problems in their own way, with jokes. And that always makes me smile. Time flies so fast at school, it's already half term, and then trouble strikes...
McGonagall
I blink widely when Severus grumpily opens my office, saying he needs to talk to me about one of my students.
"Minerva, it's quite annoying to hear Lily Nenil, a Gryffindor, whining outside my door every week!" He explains, but I can't answer in surprise, I don't understand why Miss Nenil didn't turn to me. I'm just about to pull myself together when my door opens again and two students almost crash through it.
"Professor McGonagall! Wood can't move! Someone poisoned him! But we have training! Professor, what are we going to do?" One of them blinks at me.
"Someone poisoned him, hmm..." Severus starts listing potential students. He's already listed about five when the little Hyde boy speaks.
"It's all right, they're s-seventh-years, b-but if she really wanted to, Lily can do it too!"
"Miss Nenil?" I look at the boy in surprise, who just nods.
"I-If Oliver h-hurt her, t-then she must have done it."
"Bring Miss Nenil here!" I give the order. "You wanted to talk to her too, Severus!"
Lily
I wasn't surprised when Alexander and one of the Quidditch fanatics showed up. After what I did with the team captain, I was expecting to be called in. Although I didn't expect to have to calm Alexander down for so long to make him believe that I wasn't angry with him. Smiling and proud, I enter my head of house's office, and to my greatest surprise, Professor Snape is there too.
"Did you poison Mr. Wood, Miss Nenil?" Professor McGonagall looks at me with a spark-scattering look.
"There's no point in denying it!" I shrug.
"Why did you do it?" She looks at me with a slightly desperate look, and I sulk and clench my hands into fists.
"He teased me because I'm going down to the basement! He didn't get more than he deserved! He should be glad he didn't get truth serum!" I growl, but instead of the professor, the other professor speaks.
"Speaking of the basement! Would you be so kind as to explain why you have to come down to my door to complain?" He asks, and I lower my head and look away.
"If possible I wouldn't say it, I don't want to offend Professor McGonagall!" I mutter.
"Just say it, Miss Nenil!" I can hear the mockery in the woman's voice, but I don't care.
"Because I can't talk to McGonagall about things like that, three-quarters of Gryffindors only have Quidditch on their minds, and I need advice."
"I never gave advice!" Snape says firmly, and I start to giggle.
"But you did! You always scolded me, but you always gave some kind of implicit advice along with it, and that helped a lot. A thousand times more than Professor McGonagall's Quidditch obsession."
"That's enough! Miss Nenil, we're going up to the headmaster's office right now! We'll continue this conversation there." With that, the three of us stumbled up to Professor Dumbledore's office. I looked around the room curiously and ran my eyes over the many books, when my eyes fell on the Sorting Hat. Professor Dumbledore was listening to my head of house's angrily recount of the story, but I ignored her, only looking at the hat.
"I see you've gained quite a bit of knowledge!" The sound of the hat fills the room, making everyone fall silent. I blink as his words come to mind. 'Know your enemy!' "I can now proudly announce that Lily V. Nenil is a born..." I smile, almost knowing that he's only stopping for effect. "Slytherin!"
"What?" Both of the two heads of house are surprised, before I start giggling.
"All my relatives on my mother's side were Slytherins." I grin, they don't need to know that I'm a descendant of Slytherin.
"Are you sure?" The headmaster looks at the hat.
"I've never been more sure!" Says the hat.
"In that case, there's nothing to be done. Miss Nenil will be a member of Slytherin house from tomorrow morning! I'll have her things transported by an elf, and you can stay here for the evening. Minerva, Severus, you can go, Lily will be safe with me." For some reason, I doubted this deep down, but I didn't say anything. After all, I have my wand and Seraphy here, I can protect myself. Fortunately, though, I didn't need to. My evening passed peacefully, although I overheard a few strange conversations. The next day, in my green and silver robes, I march into the dining room with my head held high and my widest smile, then I walk with noble simplicity to the Slytherin table and take a seat next to Draco. All eyes are on me, until Snape appears next to me and speaks with his usual emotionless face.
"Big entrance, huh? Miss Nenil." I look at him with a smile and nod.
"You can say that, Professor!" As I said this, Snape left the table. Of course, the Slytherins immediately started bombarding me with questions, and I told my story, of course omitting the message from the Sorting Hat that was personally intended for me. Of course, trouble struck after breakfast, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins started arguing about which house was wrong, that I should switch.
"You brainwashed Lily! I told you she spent too much time with you!" Ron growls loudly. I can see Draco about to speak up when I decide to end the argument and stand up on the bench.
"Silence!" I shout, getting all the attention. "You want to know why I'm here? Know your enemy! That's why! I'm a Slytherin! Debate closed! And you'd better not talk unnecessarily, you leech Weasley!" With that, I jumped up from the bench and grabbed Draco's arm, dragging him out of the room. However, before we got too far, I spoke loudly. "Show me around the common room, Draco!"
I didn't have to ask twice, and it wasn't just Draco who showed me around, but the entire Slytherin house. I feel much more at home here. Everything is much better than in Gryffindor. This is my real family. And they quickly proved that. By the end of the year, I had more friends than in Gryffindor combined. My mood is getting better every week. Plus, I'm lucky enough that Alexander and Harry are still talking to me, albeit in secret. According to Potter, he needs more intelligent company, although he says I'm much more outspoken than in the first semester, but I'm still his closest friend. I can thank this title of mine for our conversation today.
"So, Quirell wanted the Philosopher's Stone, which Dumbledore hid in the school and had a three-headed dog guard it, hidden in a mirror?" I look at the person standing opposite me with folded arms.
"Yes." Potter answers.
"And it's not enough that Quirell wanted the stone, but he... He had Voldemort in the back of his head?" I continue, making a rather strange face.
"You know, the way you put it, it sounds quite bizarre!" The boy grumbles.
"That was bizarre, the way you said it too! Did Dumbledore tell you why the stone was here?" The boy shakes his head. "One last question! Why do you need to discuss this with me?" I nod my head to the side.
"Because Voldemort said something strange." I gesture for him to continue. "He asked if I wanted to join him because I could get a lot of things on his side. Don't you think that's suspicious?" He looks at me desperately.
"Well, if he wants to make you a friend instead of an enemy, that's something to consider!" I say thoughtfully.
"So do you think I should accept it?" He scratches his head.
"If I were you, I would accept it, but not just like that. He needs to be given a little brainwork, but I'm not in your shoes and you're a Gryffindor! It's better not to worry about this for now. Focus on school!" I give him some advice, then we discuss a few more small things. And after we go about our own business. As the end of the year approaches, I get some bad news from Aunt Olga. We're moving back to America for a while. Needless to say, I'm desperate, I don't want to leave Hogwarts, but luckily my aunt has sorted that out too. I can continue to study at this school, I just have to travel back to America for the holidays, which is quite a journey, I have to admit. I complained to the other Slytherins a few times about this, but only mildly, it's still better than having to leave school.
One of my outbursts happened in our common room. I lay down on the couch and complained with my eyes closed, but when I opened my eyes, there was a parchment in front of my nose. I looked up with a curious look at Draco, who had a tomato-red face, and was holding the paper in front of me.
"Read it!" He gives the order, and I sat up and take the letter in my hand. Draco sits next to me and watches me read. By the time I got to the end of the page, my mouth is open and I gape like a fish, I blink at the person sitting next to me.
"Is this serious?" I say with great difficulty, he nods.
"I talked to my father and the family, you can spend the month before the start of the school year with us so that you don't have to travel so much in one go. Of course, only if you want to and your aunt allows it." He smiles, and I can't help myself but hug his neck with tears of happiness.
"Thank you!" I say, then I start repeating it, which makes Draco start giggling and start teasing me by saying that I'm tired. Of course there was something to it, but I didn't take it seriously. That same evening I wrote to my aunt about the situation and she quickly replied in agreement. So the summer didn't seem so terrible anymore.
I sat with Draco and the others on the train home. We were planning what to do this summer, and time flew by. We almost didn't notice and we had already arrived. As soon as I got off the train, I saw Aunt Olga, who was alone now, but I was still happy for her. We were about to leave when Draco appeared, with a tall man who looked a lot like him, who was probably his father.
"Surely you are the ones we are looking for, Olga. Would you be the girl who wants to spend August with us?" The man looks at me, and I nod.
"Lily V. Nenil, sir!" I say politely.
"It's been a while since we met, Lucius!" My aunt's lips twitch into a strangely evil smile. "Knowing you, you must be wondering now whether my Lily will be embarrassing for you, right?" My aunti puts her hand on her hip.
"You know me too well, Olga! But you can't accuse me, your husband is a Muggle!" The man grimaces, and Aunt Olga starts to giggle.
"Don't worry about that, Lucius! Lily is not my daughter! But I suggest you take care of her! Now, if you'll excuse me, we have to hurry! We can't miss the plane!" Well, my stomach turned again at this moment. I hate planes. "See you next time, Malfoys!" Aunt Olga grabs my hand and pulls me behind her, leaving the two boys behind.
"She is Maria's daughter?" I can still hear Lucius Malfoy's question, but I forget it almost immediately when I step through the entrance and am greeted by Uncle Samuel's murderous embrace. So much for the peaceful summer! He's sure to nag me until I tell him every little detail. That's my uncle.