1st September 1992

"Just promise us you won't get into too much trouble Venus," Andromeda sighed as she stood in front of Venus on Platform 9 ¾ on the 1st September 1992.

"You know she can't promise that Mum," Dora laughed. She was sporting bright yellow hair today, showing off her Hufflepuff pride. Dora had taken the day off of work to see Venus off.

"Dora's right, I'm a menace!" Venus grinned.

"And remember-"

"I know Uncle Ted, you don't care which house I end up in," Venus rolled her eyes at him.

"We'll miss you sweetie." Andromeda smiled. "But you have fun okay?"

"That, I can agree to!" Venus' grin widened. She had practically been bouncing off of the walls that morning, the day she had been waiting for since Dora had gone to Hogwarts had finally come. She was finally going to see the castle for herself.

The train let out a loud whistle, and there was a flurry of movement on the platform.

"You'd better get on the train!" Andromeda dragged Venus' trunk over to an open door and Ted heaved it aboard the train.

"See you soon Little Ve," Dora grinned at her sister, "I'm sure in no time you'll be running rings around me." Dora ruffled her sister's hair affectionately and then pulled her into a hug as Ted and Andromeda faffed with Venus' trunk.

"You can bet on it!" Venus grinned as Dora released her. She hugged her Aunt and Uncle quickly and hurried aboard the train, swinging the door shut behind her. Just in time too, as the clock struck eleven, the train pulled out of the station. Venus stayed at the window, waving at her family until they were out of sight.

As London whipped past the train, Venus began to make her way down the corridor, peeking into compartments to try and find somewhere to sit. A little ways along the train, there was a compartment with only two girls in it, who looked around her age.

She hesitated for a moment outside the compartment, undecided as to if she should go in and introduce herself. But one of the girls spotted her and slid the door open.

"Do you want to sit with us?" She asked. She had long bushy brown hair and very large front teeth. "I can help you with your trunk if you want."

"Thanks!" Venus grinned, pulling her trunk into the compartment and with help from the other girl they hoisted it up onto the luggage rack.

"So are you a first year?" The bushy haired girl asked.

"Yeah," Venus said as she settled herself down on the empty seat closest to the window.

"I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ginny Weasley," Hermione said, gesturing across at the other girl. Ginny Weasley was ginger with a friendly face and large brown eyes. She grinned over at Venus.

"I'm a first year too," Ginny said, "Hermione's in second year. What's your name?"

"Venus Black. Weasley?" She asked, "like Charlie Weasley?"

Ginny nodded, "my brother."

"He was mates with my sister Dora," said Venus. She had met her sister's friend Charlie when Dora had him to visit over the summer a few times. Venus had thought he was incredibly cool with all of his talk of dragons and Quidditch. She noted Ginny's look of confusion, "Nymphadora Tonks."

"Oh! Yes, I remember her! She had the coolest hair!" Ginny grinned.

"Yeah, that's Dora!"

"So you grew up around wizards then?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Venus nodded. "Lived with my Grandmother until she died a few years ago. I live with my Uncle Ted and my Aunt Andromeda now. Ted's a Muggleborn, Andromeda's a Pureblood. Not a very good one though, think she got disinherited."

"Don't worry, the Weasleys are the biggest Blood Traitors there are," Ginny offered. "Not into all of that Pureblood crap."

The door slid open again and another girl looked in, "is there space in here? Everywhere else is full."

All three of the girls nodded and the new girl grinned. She had chocolate coloured skin, with a beautiful set of braids in her hair which she'd pulled back into a ponytail.

"What's your name?" Venus asked as she helped the new girl stow her trunk.

"Mali," said Mali, "Mali Young."

"I'd better go and look for Ron and Harry," said Hermione, "you lot will be okay won't you?"

They all nodded and Hermione left them alone.

"So," Mali said. "Anyone else you know here?"

"My brothers," said Ginny. "Percy is in sixth year, Fred and George in fourth and Ron in second."

"Four brothers?" Mali gawped, "sounds horrible."

"Actually, I'm the youngest of seven," said Ginny, "only girl though. Bill and Charlie both graduated already."

"Wow, like I said, sounds horrible. I'm an only child." Mali said. "You?" She turned to Venus.

"One sister," said Venus. "She graduated already though."

"Cool," said Mali, "so you're both from magical families?"

Both Ginny and Venus nodded.

"The lady who came to give me my letter said I was a Muggleborn," continued Mali. "Never heard of this Hogwarts before she showed up. I thought Dad was going to box her ears until she started explaining."

Don't associate with dirty Mudbloods Venus, the Nobel and Most Ancient House of Black are above them. You must make your house proud and uphold your name.

Venus laughed, pointedly ignoring Walburga's voice as she so often did.

"My whole family's gone to Hogwarts," said Ginny, "all in Gryffindor. I expect that's where I'll go too."

"Gryffin-what?" asked Mali.

"Gryffindor," said Venus. "It's one of the four Hogwarts Houses. We'll get sorted tonight."

"What are the houses?" Mali demanded.

Ginny was quick to begin explaining, "Well, Gryffindor, it's for brave people. Then Ravenclaw, they're all super smart. Hufflepuff, they're uh-"

"Loyal and kind," said Venus. "My sister was a Hufflepuff."

"And then there is Slytherin," said Ginny, "they're, well... a lot of dark wizards come out of Slytherin."

"Aunt 'dromeda was a Slytherin," offered Venus, "they're not all bad."

"How do they sort us then?" Asked Mali, "who decides?"

"There's this old hat which they make you wear. It decides," said Venus.

"How is a hat supposed to decide?"

"It's a magic hat," Ginny offered. This caused both Mali and Venus to burst out laughing and Ginny quickly joined.

As the train continued to snake it's way through the country, they quickly left London behind and conversation turned to their interests. Mali had never heard of Quidditch before so Venus and Ginny described the sport with enthusiasm.

When the trolley trundled down the aisle, Venus used the money that her parents had given her to buy them all some sweets and Mali bought herself some. Ginny muttered something about having a sandwich packed for her, but Venus and Mali were very willing to share with their new friend so they gorged themselves on wizarding sweets until they felt like they were going to burst. They compared chocolate frog cards and laughed over the silly names of old wizards.

They were just deciding if it was too early to put on their Hogwarts robes, when Venus' attention was drawn to something that appeared to be following the train.

"Is that a flying car?" She asked, pointing at the blue car that was revealed in a cloud gap.

Ginny started laughing immediately. "That's my dad's car! Oh my parents are going to kill him!"

"Kill who?" Mali asked, gawping at the flying car.

"My brother Ron."

*

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. The incoming First Years were gathered in a small chamber decorated only with a few portraits. The journey across the lake had been fantastic, the castle had been lit up and Venus was beyond excited to spend the next seven years learning everything there was to know about the place.

"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall continued. "The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I will return when we are ready for you."

McGonagall left the chamber.

Ginny immediately started trying to smooth down her slight faded Hogwarts robes which had been a hand-me-down from one of her brothers. Venus tried to smooth her own hair, which often stood up as if she had a static shock. Her curls refused to do as they were asked so she quickly gave up.

Low muttering started up amongst the first years, until McGonagall called them to attention. "Now, form a line and follow me." She commanded.

Ginny, Mali and Venus stuck together as they began to file out of the room and into the Great Hall.

Dora had described it to Venus many times, but nothing could have prepared her for how awestruck she would be by the room. Its ceiling was cavernous and made more intriguing by the fact that it seemed to have no roof, displaying an exact reflection of the night sky. Candles floated in mid air over four long tables, all of which were full of students.

The first years filed towards the front of the hall, where an old hat was resting on a wooden stool. They stopped before it. And everyone in the hall waited expectantly.

"Are we supposed to do something?" Mali hissed.

"Shush, I want to hear it!" said Venus.

"Hear what-"

"Welcome Back

To Hogwarts School.

Another Year begins,

But first we must sort some things.

You may look at me and see a hat,

But I'm not just here to chat.

The task falls to me to put you where you belong,

And I assure you, I am never wrong.

Perhaps you're feeling brave?

Then it's Gryffindor for you!

Perhaps greedy to learn?

To Ravenclaw you'll go!

If you are true and loyal,

Then Hufflepuff is where you'll find your friends.

Or if your drive and cunning is boundless,

To Slytherin with you!

Now while I appear a simple hat,

I promise you I know my stuff.

So put me on.

Try me for size.

And I'll send you where you belong."

The hall burst into applause when the hat finished. Venus joined in jovially. As the applause died down McGonagall stepped forwards holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will step forward and put on the hat," said McGonagall. "Adams, Neil"

"So we just put the hat on and then it does what?" Mali hissed.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat declared. There was a smattering of applause and Neil Adams hastened over to the Ravenclaw table.

"It decides where you go," Venus whispered back. "But Don't worry, it's alphabetical so you won't be for a -"

"Black, Venus." McGongall said.

No one moved. There was a muttering around the hall.

Black

I thought they'd died out?

"Black, Venus," McGonagall said again. Doing her absolute best to hold her head high and ignore the muttering, Venus made her way to McGonagall. She seated herself down on the stool.

McGonagall dropped the hat down onto Venus' head and it fell to her shoulders, hiding the rest of the Great Hall from her view.

Ha , said a voice in her head, A Black. It's been a while since I've seen one of you. I suppose it'll be Slytherin for you.

No thanks, thought Venus bitterly. She had considered this heartily and did not see herself enjoying a life in Slytherin. She did shiver slightly at the thought of what Walburga would've done if she had found out about this, but Venus forcefully shoved these thoughts to the back of her mind. Walburga was dead.

Hmm, raised by a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff. Interesting, very interesting. But I remember Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black. Yes, both very bright, Gryffindors. But where to put you? Not Slytherin, I see that now...

I'd like Hufflepuff, thought Venus. Just like my sister.

Yes, Nymphadora Tonks did excel in Hufflepuff. Said the hat, But I don't see you thriving there. No, you need a challenge. Better be -

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat cried for the room to hear.

The hat was pulled off of Venus' head and the table clad in red and gold erupted into applause. Venus hastened over to the table, looking at her feet and not making eye contact with anyone. She wasn't disappointed, she would have preferred to be in Hufflepuff like Dora and Ted, but she was embarrassed.

Every Black had been in Slytherin, apart from Sirius Black. But only a handful hadn't turned out to be dark wizards. Actually, the only Black who hadn't supported You Know Who in the war had been Andromeda herself.

Everyone in the school knew now. It was always going to be a terribly kept secret, but everyone knew that she was the daughter of You Know Who's right hand man. Being a Black, being placed in Gryffindor, people would draw assumptions no matter what she did. She did not want to be associated with Sirius Black in any way.

Someone thumped her on the back when she sat down and she spotted Hermione Granger grinning at her from across the table, but a pit had formed in Venus' stomach. She gave a weak smile back to Hermione and turned her attention to the front of the hall to watch the rest of the sorting.