The first of September brought the crowds to platform nine and three-quarters once again. Throngs of witches and wizards filled the space in front of the Hogwarts Express in uncomfortably close-spaced groups, chatting amicably with their friends and family instead of boarding the train or leaving to go about the rest of their business.
Draco had never understood why all these blood traitors and mudbloods were allowed to attend such a prestigious school as Hogwarts, but all the blame, according to his father, lay solely at the feet of Albus Dumbledore. If that old man wasn't headmaster, then it was guaranteed that only those of proper stock and pure blood would be able to attend.
And speaking of proper stock, Draco spotted two families that were perfect examples of the exact opposite of what a magical House should be: Potter and Weasley.
The two blood-traitors in his year, Evan and Ronald, with their filthy muggle names, kept glancing at the barrier to the non-magical world in confusion, speaking lowly about something so their parents wouldn't hear.
Draco was curious to know what they were discussing but didn't dare go closer. His father and Mr. Weasley—and how Draco loved rubbing it in the blood-traitor's face that their family wasn't a Noble House like the Malfoys or even the Potters—had gotten into a muggle-style brawl in the middle of their shopping during the summer, so it would reflect negatively on him to been seen that close to their family so publicly.
He was torn from his thoughts by an unpleasantly familiar voice.
"Lord Malfoy. Lady Malfoy."
Draco looked around his parents to see the bane of his existence approaching: Hardwin Potter, known now as Krios Black, according to the Daily Prophet.
Despite Krios's new status as a pureblood from a Noble and Most Ancient House, Draco would never forget that he had once been Hardwin Potter, the forgotten son of a blood-traitor family who was abandoned to a family of disgusting muggles. Draco had wanted to make Hardwin's life in Slytherin miserable, but then the filthy mudblood had gone and earned the respect of Professor Snape and stopped that problem before it could start.
Whether he had intended to do it or not held importance. All that mattered was that he had done it.
The fact that the House of Black could make life miserable for the Malfoys because Draco's mother was born a Black didn't make things simpler. Draco had been planning on taking control of Slytherin House this year by joining the Quidditch team and supplying them with new brooms, and he knew that Altair Black would not have had the confidence to challenge him.
But Krios Black was different.
He had spent an entire year in Slytherin as a disowned mudblood and come out unscathed—the teachers' favourite even, somehow surpassing that annoying know-it-all from Gryffindor. Krios was charming, polite, intelligent, and handsome—and he had only gained more power through his adoption into the Black family.
Looking upon him now, Draco actually felt a fear-induced shiver run down his spine, but he quickly composed himself before anyone could notice.
Krios had been almost a full head shorter than him a year ago, but now he seemed to tower above Draco by the same amount. His sleek jet-black hair was intricately made, like a medieval aristocrat's, and his pale skin was like ivory. His face was chiseled with the Black looks that Draco had always been jealous to not have received from his mother, having taken more from the Malfoy side of the family, and his blue-white eyes were as bright and cold as ice. Whereas before he had been small and frail, he was now tall and muscular with broad shoulders.
He was aptly named, in Draco's opinion.
"Heir Black," Lady Narcissa Malfoy greeted pleasantly, looking pleased to see him. "How are you?"
Krios bowed slightly to Lord Lucius Malfoy before doing the same for Lady Malfoy—the proper manners that any respectable family expected to be treated with.
"I am not as rested as I had wished," Krios replied smoothly, his voice already deeper than it had been just two months before, "but it is not my sister's fault she gets so excited."
Lady Malfoy gave a small smile. Draco knew how much she envied the Blacks for having a daughter—the one thing that the Malfoys would never have. Draco's father was more than satisfied having only one child, an heir to the family, and didn't seem inclined to want more.
"Heir Malfoy," Krios said tonelessly, looking at Draco now.
Draco wished he wouldn't. Those frozen eyes of his were as piercing as 'Uncle' Severus's, as if Krios were seeing right through him.
"Heir Black," Draco replied, attempting for the same smooth sound as Krios, but wincing when his voice cracked.
"Is your father here?" Lord Malfoy asked, ending the awkward moment. "I have a business proposition for him."
"I believe he is with my sister and mother." Krios gestured to a spot about ten metres away, where the current Lord Black was speaking with his wife and daughter.
"Excellent," Lord Malfoy smiled. "Thank you, Heir Black."
He swept off without another word.
"It has been a pleasure to see you, Lady Malfoy," Krios said, letting genuine emotion into his voice for the first time since he had joined them. "I look forward to our next encounter."
Draco's mother gave an approving nod with an accompanying smile as Krios strode off, looking as graceful as a prince and as lithe as a panther. Draco simply didn't understand how a single summer could change a muggle-raised wizard so much that he was unrecognizable.
But he did know one thing: This school year was going to be interesting.
Krios said goodbye to Regulus and Hera with the memory of the jealousy he had felt exactly one year ago as he watched other children do the same in his mind. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in just two months.
Despite being a full metamorphmagus with the ability to look however he wished, Krios wanted to pay his respects to the family that took him in by resembling them both—having the looks of the powerful Black family with Hera's intimidating eyes.
He boarded the Hogwarts Express with Altair on his heels. Krios found an empty compartment and helped Altair lift her trunk into the overhead luggage rack. They were both already dressed in their acromantula silk school robes—his with their emerald lapels and Slytherin crest, hers still plain until she was sorted.
Personally, Krios was betting on Ravenclaw. Altair was undoubtedly inquisitive enough and had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, but her respect for tradition and views regarding blood status would likely put her in Slytherin. She was very much like her father—their father—in that regard.
"Relax," Krios told her with a smile. The girl was nearly bouncing with excitement in her seat, a broad grin on her face. "We have a few hours before we get there. You wouldn't want to fall asleep during your sorting, would you?"
Altair immediately stopped bouncing, looking horrified at the thought.
A small laugh escaped Krios as he sat down next to her. He couldn't believe how close he had gotten to Altair over the summer—closer than he had ever been to anyone in his life. They spent quite a bit of time together every single day, doing anything, even just reading quietly in the same room. It would be strange if they weren't in Slytherin together.
Hera had informed him in private that she had been nervous about sending Altair off to Hogwarts alone until they had adopted Krios. The Lady Black considered it a blessing that they had been able to adopt someone like him to watch over her precious daughter. He would hold enough influence in Slytherin House that he could protect Altair, and even if she were in a different House like Krios suspected she could be, his reputation would keep her safe from younger years—the Black family reputation alone might be more than enough if it was Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. The only challenge that Krios could potentially see was if she—by some divine interference—became a Gryffindor.
As the train headed north, the two of them spoke of Krios's last duelling session with Bellatrix—which Altair had watched, but not participated in, having no interest in the skill herself. They were forced to pause when the door to their compartment opened.
Krios looked over to see two girls from his year—the twins Flora and Hestia Carrow. They both had dark hair and pale skin. They had built a reputation during their first year for their considerable talent when it came to intimidating anyone they did not wish to be around, despite being amongst the youngest students in the school.
It piqued his curiosity, wondering why they were here, though Krios had an idea.
"Heir Black," they said together, inclining their heads.
Krios rose to his feet and inclined his head in return. As he spoke, he nodded at the respective person to show that he could tell them apart. "Heiress Carrow. Miss Carrow."
Heiress Flora and Miss Hestia Carrow looked briefly surprised that he correctly identified them when their hands were behind their backs, preventing him from seeing which one wore the ring.
"How did you know?" asked the one on the left.
"I pay attention, Miss Carrow," Krios told Hestia. "Others may not be able to tell a difference between you and your sister, but I can."
They looked reluctantly impressed. The Noble and Ancient House of Carrow supported the pureblood ideals almost as enthusiastically as the Blacks, so they probably hadn't expected much from a muggle-raised wizard like himself.
"How can I help you?" Krios asked pleasantly, gesturing for them to take a seat. While they did that, he lifted their trunks up into the luggage racks after noting that they too were already in their school robes. "I expect this isn't a social visit."
"It could be," Heiress Carrow said without emotion.
Krios retook his seat next to Altair and elegantly raised a single eyebrow, thankful for Narcissa's and Walburga's incessant lessons about proper movements and poise to make powerful statements without the need for speaking. Only the best of politicians were able to do it perfectly, and Krios had a long way to go until he reached that point, but he was better at it than most his age.
"We'll get right to it," Heiress Carrow continued. "You are easily the smartest student in Slytherin House—for our year, at least—and we need your help to improve our grades. We barely made the top twenty after exams, which isn't acceptable."
Krios said nothing.
"We mostly need help in the practical application of theory," Miss Carrow continued, taking over for her sister. "In return, we can help you with the class where you scored lowest—History of Magic, which happens to be where we scored the highest."
Altair watched the exchange silently, observing closely. Krios easily hid a smile, keeping his face expressionless, thanks to his Occlumency training. He had managed to get up to a skill with the Mind Art that, while not strong enough to keep out a full-powered attack from the teacher—and especially not the Headmaster or the Dark Lord— was more than competent enough to have near-total control of his reactions and prevent any surface uses of Legilimency.
The deal with the Carrow twins was definitely more beneficial to them, at least in their eyes, but they failed to see that by raising his History of Magic grade, he had the potential to overtake every other student in their year and reach the number one spot by their final exams. This was easily more favourable for him, which meant he would have to be a fool to not take the deal.
But first he wanted to see how far he could push them.
"It seems to me that you get the better bargain," he said softly. "I help you with three, perhaps four classes, but you only help me with one…"
"We will also place our support behind the House of Black," Heiress Carrow added quickly, looking desperate even if her voice was even. "Our parents have already agreed that the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is the current powerhouse for politics, even if Lord Black doesn't frequently attend the Wizengamot meetings. Just knowing that our Houses are working together would be enough to make our lives easier."
There it is, Krios thought triumphantly. This was about more than school work. Their parents had put them up to this to gain the support of his family. While he was not opposed to supporting the Noble and Ancient House of Carrow—a fellow Sacred Twenty-Eight family—he wasn't so sure that their views aligned enough to make it worth it.
He needed to know more before he decided anything. It was very rare that a student got involved in their parents' politics—even in Slytherin House, where the outside world mattered more than it did in the other three. For the Carrow twins to approach him under the guise of tutoring to build up a potential political alliance showed how much they truly wanted it. They might even be willing to change their personal beliefs, if it mattered enough.
"Possibly," Krios responded carefully, sitting back in his seat and staring intently into Heiress Carrow's eyes, not even needing to use Legilimency to know how nervous she was. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement in time. Before that can happen, though, I need to more information."
Both girls slumped, relieved, and said, "Thank you, Heir Black."
Now that the show was over, Altair gracefully stood up.
"I'm going to go look for some students my age," she told Krios. "Have fun with your grown-up stuff."
She almost skipped out of the compartment with Krios's burning gaze on her back.
He turned back to the twins, who suddenly looked uncomfortable to be the sole focus of his attention once more. He bit back a smirk at his ability to make the girls who had even seventh years looking the other way feel nervous. The lessons from Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Walburga that centered around the physical presence of a wizard seemed to be more useful than he could possibly have foreseen.
"Tell me about yourselves."
The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful. Just after the lunch trolley had gone by, Krios and the twins got up to stretch their legs.
It was more for his sake than theirs, since he had spent his summer going no longer than a couple hours without exercising something, but they were desperate to prove their loyalty to him and followed.
Krios was surprised to discover that Altair had found a group of fellow first year girls. He decided not to go further than looking in the window of the compartment door. She looked happy where she was, so there wasn't any need for the protective older brother.
Yet.
He had a brief confrontation with Potter and Weasley when they had sought out Malfoy to mock him for something or other, but all it had taken was a single look to send both boys running in the other direction.
Word spread fast from there that Krios and the Carrows had joined up to form what was possibly the most dangerous trio of students in the school. By the time they reached Hogwarts, it seemed as if everyone in the school knew of their new group—not that Krios minded. It kept more than a few annoying fools away from him, having his own reputation combined with that of the Carrow twins.
Krios paused slightly at seeing the winged black skeletal horses that pulled the carriages but pushed on before anyone noticed. He had never seen anything like the creatures before, and he wondered why something that looked like a demon from Hell would be allowed around children.
The carriage ride up to the castle was quiet—Krios and the Carrows sat across from a couple of unfortunate Hufflepuffs who were too terrified of them to do anything other than stare out the windows or into their laps. Krios found the whole situation very amusing, considering it was normally him who was uncomfortable around others. He still had some problems, but spending a month around people like the Blacks tended to help one put their comfort aside in favour of doing whatever it was their hosts wanted.
Krios couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped him when the Hufflepuffs nearly tripped over each other to get out of the carriage upon their arrival at the Hogwarts main entrance. Flora and Hestia grinned at each other behind Krios's back, flanking his sides.
"This year will be interesting," Krios mused aloud.
Together, the trio made their way into the Great Hall and to a seat at the Slytherin table, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed them.
Krios didn't really exactly know why everyone considered his new…partnership with the twins to be so important—so gossip-worthy—but he didknow that the Hogwarts rumour mill would find something new to talk about within a few days. The attention span of students was fairly short, Krios had learned the previous year. No rumours lasted more than a week—not as the main focus of attention, anyway.
It wasn't long before Professor McGonagall led the new first years into the hall.
Krios smiled and nodded when he made eye contact with Altair, who looked extremely nervous. He hadn't told her about how students were sorted at the request of Regulus and Hera. It was supposedly tradition to make the first years wet themselves from anxiety.
Krios really didn't understand the magical world sometimes.
"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said, her voice carrying across the Hall, "you will come forward, place the Sorting Hat on your head, and be placed in your new House.
"Accrington, Zoe!"
A small girl with coppery skin and dark hair shakily stepped forward. The Sorting Hat was on her head for almost two full minutes before—
"SLYTHERIN!"
The House of Snakes clapped loudly for their gaining the first student of the night.
"Black, Altair!"
Krios's sister stepped from the line with a mask of indifference on her face and a confident stride that belied her earlier nervousness. She looked the proper pureblood heiress she had once been as she gracefully put on the hat and sat on the stool.
It took several minutes before the hat's brim opened wide and shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"
Krios clapped louder than the others as his sister swept over and took the seat directly across from him with a relieved smile.
"Ravenclaw?"
"Ravenclaw," Altair confirmed with a light laugh.
Krios smirked as the sorting continued.
"Greengrass, Astoria!"
Krios felt his heart stop beating as the girl stepped forward.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but it had to be true.
It was the girl from the Mirror.
She had the same wavy dark hair that flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall; the same pale, alabaster skin; the same aristocratic beauty. The only difference was that her eyes weren't dark and sinister, but bright sapphires full of innocence and intelligence. She looked about ten to fifteen years younger than in the Mirror, but Krios knew it was her.
"SLYTHERIN!"
He clapped with his classmates as Astoria swept as gracefully as royalty from the stool and down to sit with a girl that had her eyes, but looked different in every other way—Daphne Greengrass, her older sister in Krios's year. Daphne's pale blonde hair and harder features, combined with her rather distant and frosty attitude, had earned her the moniker of the 'Ice Queen' of Slytherin.
Krios had a new goal in mind: Ally the Houses of Black and Greengrass.
Astoria looked up from where she was speaking with her sister and their eyes met. She smiled softly at him before turning back to her discussion.
Krios found a knowing smirk on Altair's face when he turned back to the empty plate in front of him.
Not a word, he mouthed.
Her smirk grew, but she nodded anyway. Altair loved to mess with him, but even she wouldn't push something like this.
As "Lovegood, Luna" was sorted into Ravenclaw, Krios couldn't help but wonder who the man from the Mirror was, and if he was a Greengrass as well, or someone completely different.
All he knew was that his second year at Hogwarts just got much more interesting.