Ascendancy - Book I of the 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰

I. 1st September 1931 - alone

"Look at me."

Dorea slowly lifted her chin. Her eyes shone with a terrified glow as she looked into her older brother's.

"You'll be in Slytherin, you can be sure of that. Our family has been there for generations, and you have too much Black blood in you not to join that house. Besides, if you're not there, Slytherin is just as respectable."

"And why wouldn't she be in Hufflepuff, for example?"

Cassiopeia turned her head towards Marius, commanding him to be quiet by the sheer force of her gaze. Callidora chuckled.

"Hufflepuff, what the hell."

Dorea, in no way reassured by the conversations of her siblings and cousins, tried to reassure herself. Pollux was right. She had no reason to worry. In any case, her sister Cassiopeia will stay with her at the beginning, she had promised her. Since Callidora never left her cousin, and Cedrella and Charis, Callidora's two younger sisters, stayed with her, she would be well taken care of. If she would enter Slytherin, of course. The only one not to be with her would be Pollux, to his great despair. He had just passed his N.E.W.T and was entering the Ministry of Justice this year. He was the only one who could really reassure her.

"I'll write to you, little sister."

He pulled her close, and she held him tightly, as if to keep him from leaving. The train whistled. The students were busy on the platform, fighting for seats on the train, meeting their friends after a long summer. Cassiopeia took her hand and pulled her into the crowd. When Dorea turned around, Pollux had already left. Marius must have followed him. If only Marius had had magical powers, he could have gone with her too. He was the one she was closest to.

"Cedrella, where are you going?"

The blonde turned around. She had thought she could escape from her sister's clutches with peace of mind, but she should have known that Callidora was watching her every move.

"Saying hello to acquaintances."

"On the Gryffindors' side?"

"Yes, so what?"

Cassiopeia let out a small laugh and pulled her little sister by the hand. The two girls entered the Slytherin carriage leaving their cousins behind. Pollux had already taken care of getting their luggage into a compartment, but it was unclear which one. This detail had escaped them.

"Flint!"

The Head Boy walked towards them with a nonchalant pace. Dorea was amazed at the way he acted. It was as if everything bored him.

"What's the matter, Black?"

"I don't know where my bags are."

"You think I do?"

"Did you see Pollux enter a cabin by any chance?"

He raised an eyebrow and just shook his head. The hands in the pockets, he centered his attention on Dorea, who then felt uncomfortable. His eyes looked her up and down. For a few seconds, she held her breath.

"The last one? Well, I hope it's the last one, there are too many Blacks here."

"Shut up. Now let us pass, since your ignorance outweighs your stupidity."

"Who taught you to talk like that?" he said with an evil sneer.

"Flint, get out of our way," intervened Callidora, joining her cousins.

Cedrella followed her by holding her cheek, the tears full of the eyes. Charis were speaking with a friend of hers whom she had met on the way. The Head Boy sent a look of disdain at the girls and left without another word.