Reader POV

"You mean you came from a long line of magical beings?" I stared at my mother with wide eyes. "So all of those stories of elves and dragons, they're real?"

"They are." Mum looked down at the ring she always wore, the one with an emerald and an engraving Sanctimonia Vincet Semper, which meant Purity will Always Conquer. "I had hoped neither of you would have to carry on the legacy that I myself have rejected."

Philip and I followed her to her study, her opening a very small compartment that I had always dismissed in my earlier snooping days. She pulled out a crest and handed it to me.

"Long ago before I met your father, I was born into a well-off family who valued their own status and blood purity over anything, including their children. My brother and I were also twins, though I was not given this name that I choose today. My brother Scorpius and I, Cygnus Malfoy, lived in relative family trifles. Day and day, our parents would try to prod at our magical attributes. They surfaced rather quickly and upon our tenth birthday, we received letters to various schools to attend once we reached our 11th birthdays. I was tired of living a life under immense pressure and chose a school in the United States, Ilvermorny, just to get away. I changed my name and cut the Malfoy family off, hoping that it would change the way our parents, your grandparents, viewed us. We were not their children, but their trophies." Mum leaned on my father who gave her a kiss.

"You children are everything to me, and not trophies. I distanced myself from the Malfoys in hopes to live a normal life and marry the man I wanted, and I did. My parents did find out and fully excommunicated me, not that I care. I don't know what happened to Scorpius, but I hear he has a son your age. You will most likely meet him."

Philip looked to Mum and I. "So where's my letter? Aren't I magical too?"

"No, sweetheart. You are what we call a muggle, or non-magical being."

"So how come one twin isn't magical while one is?" Father asked. "That part doesn't make sense, considering you and Scorpius are also twins."

"I don't know," Mum said with honesty. "Having magic can be a curse. I wouldn't want either of you pressured into something you didn't want, just because you're magic."

"Indeed," Father said with a bit of sadness. "My own family rejected me because I was born without magic, though I couldn't care less."

Philip and I listened to more of our parent's upbringing, neither of us willing to accept that our lives were about to permanently change. However, we wouldn't have a choice in the matter. With books bought and my cat sleeping soundly in the carrier, I found myself on a strange platform that wasn't on any map.

"Platform 9 and 3/4. I never thought I'd see this again." Mum squeezed my hand and gave me a warm smile. "You ready, sweetheart?"

"Well, if it isn't my dear sister." I turned my head and saw a man with similar pale hair to my mother and a boy about my age with the same hair and blue eyes. "Cygnus. Or should I say Margret?"

"What do you want?" I could feel the contempt that my mother was trying to hide.

He motioned to the boy who looked at me with curiosity. "Bringing Abraxas to the train. I presume the same with your two?"

"Just me," I said with a careful smile. "I'm the only one going to Hogwarts."

"And the boy? Is he going to Ilvermorny like his dear mother?" Scorpius asked with false concern.

My father gave him a glare. "Leave my boy alone, Scorpius. He is a proud muggle."

"All of that pure blood in them, and the son turns out like his father; a squib." Scorpius shook his head. "Pity. I'd hope the Livingston bloodline mixed with the Malfoys would prove useful for them, I see your daughter is the sole heir then."

After parting ways with my unfriendly family, my family loaded my stuff onto the train and gave me a big hug.

"You'll write to me," Philip declared. "I want to know what weird things you're doing so I can make fun of you during holiday."

"And make sure to remember that everyone, pureblood or not, is worthy of practicing magic!" Father pleaded. "Don't be like your cousins, they will try to convince you otherwise."

"Don't stay out too long either," Mum warned. "I'll ask my friend to keep an eye on you, no fooling around! And no boyfriends!"

"As if she could get anyone," Philip teased.

The train whistled and they got off, waving enthusiastically while Uncle Scorpius looked at them with contempt. The train pulled out of the station and I was joined by Abraxas who nodded quietly to me and sat down.

"It's you!" I looked up to see Tom in the hallway of the moving vessel. He entered our compartment and sat next to Abraxas who looked at him with curiosity but went back to reading. "I knew you were like me."

"Yeah, well you hurt my brother. I want nothing to do with you." I crossed my arms and looked away. "Go away."

"I didn't hurt him, not entirely. I just can't control my magic," Tom said with honesty. "It happens sometimes. Surely you understand?"

I could understand to some level, but I didn't like his attitude. "That's still a rude thing to do. You didn't even apologize."

"I won't be able to, seeing he's not on the train with us." Tom leaned forward. "So I'm stuck with the sister. Pity."

This time, Abraxas put down his book and pushed his glasses up. "If you've nothing to say to my cousin, just leave her alone. We're trying to relax."

"Whatever." He put his feet up and poked my knee. "Ey, what's that in your carrier?"

My cat hissed and went back to sleeping. "A cat. Surely you've seen them before?"

"Yes, but this one is abnormally fat. What do you feed it, whole chickens?" This got Abraxas and I to both laugh, lightening the mood.

"No, Tom." I took the cat out of the carrier. "Seasmoke just eats too much tuna, but he's a good boy." Seasmoke let out a purr as I scratched his chin.

The rest of the journey was spent eating magical sweets and I began to see Tom in a nicer light, far different from the rude boy I met at Wool's. I was pleased to be sorted into the Slytherin House, which I was informed the Livingston and Malfoys have long ties to. Abraxas spent the majority of the time by my side, more interested in his book than conversation with Tom and I who was also placed into our house.

"So tell me," an older boy in the second year gave me a quizzical look. "If you're part Malfoy, isn't your mother Cygnus, the blood traitor? Does that even qualify you as pureblood?"

Abraxas spoke up before I could, much to my surprise. "Knock it off, Preston. She's your cousin whether you like it or not. Victor Livingston is still a pureblood despite being born with no magic, so therefore (y/n) is a pureblood."

"Which is more than what he can say." Preston looked to Tom who met his challenge. "Which one of your parents is the magical one? My dad works for the ministry under the department of heritage and lineage. He's never once mentioned the Riddle family. Are you half-blood?"

"What does it matter?" Tom questioned. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"In the Slytherin House, blood purity is everyone's business. It's stupid," Abraxas said as he jumped to back Tom up. "I don't get why so many wizards and witches get a stuck-up attitude for it, I find it stupid. You're magic regardless."

"Funny a Malfoy would say that," a girl said. "The name's Skyrin Larkwing, pureblood. You and your cousin Abraxas are the topic of discussion here, you both are from strong bloodlines but little is known."

The conversation turned from poking at Tom (much to his delight) and to interrogating Abraxas and I. Once we made our way to the common room, I spotted Tom over by the fireplace.

"You know all about your family," Tom said as he looked at me. "But I can't find any Riddles on anything here. Maybe they were in the other three houses?"

"It's possible," I said. "If you want, I'll help you look. You seem decent enough."

"Even what I did to...Philip, was it?"

"Even moreso." I bumped his side. "Philip is a good person, just very...opinionated."

"Truce?" Tom held out his hand.

I shook it. "Truce. You aren't bad, Tom. Maybe a little strange, but we're at a school for witchcraft and wizardry. Can't get more strange."