METANOIA, james potter.

00. PROLOGUE

(   00 — PROLOGUE. )

FEAR. An emotion strong enough to push a person to become someone they're not. All Carina Black knew was fear. . . all Perseus Black knew was fear. Though he tried his best to bring light and hope into their dark and dull lives. Carina never had what Perseus had. . . dreams — of a future.

She had one thing, her need to survive.

Moving through the usually busy platform, it was unusually empty. Filled with the families that wanted to send off their children early and students wanting to get good compartments. The Black Family wasn't the nurturing type, the moment they had dropped their children off, they were gone.

Left to their own accords, the twins found an empty compartment to settle down in. Perseus instantly claimed the bottom storage, putting his luggage down, taking a seat. Carina struggled trying to set her luggage on top of his. It didn't help that she was slightly shorter than the boy, "A little help wouldn't kill you, Percy." Carina harshly expressed, huffing in frustration and side eyeing him.

Perseus looked amusingly at his sister, "What's the fun in that? I don't get to see you struggle." he smirked enjoying the struggle that his sister was going through.

Carina pressed on her tiptoes trying to push the luggage fully in, it took so much for her to push it in, but she did it — all by herself. Dusting her hands off she gave her brother a look of triumph.

Just then the compartment door opened, Sirius Black stood before them. "Sirius!" Perseus joyfully exclaimed.

"Rina! Percy!" Sirius called out equally excited to see his cousins. Before any other words were exchanged, Sirius left. The twins looked to each other wearing confused expressions. The look didn't last long as the boy made a reappearance with some else. "This is my new friend." Sirius gleefully proceeded to sit down with this new friend.

"And this is? . . ." Carina trailed off cautiously as she wasn't allowed to interact with people that weren't in their social circle.

"James." he smiled at the twins; Perseus returned the smile, but Carina remained cautious of the new boy. "James Potter." he continued, revealing his surname and Carina knew she would not be allowed to associate herself with this boy.

"Oh. . . so you must be a muggle sympathizer like your parents." Carina bluntly said, leaning back in her seat earning a look from Perseus and Sirius. "What? It's true." she nonchalantly shrugged.

"And you must be a blood supremacist like your parents." mocked the bespectacled boy.

"Rina! . . ." Perseus stopped his sister before she did or said anything they would all regret. "I apologize for my sister; she has her morals all twisted up — but we're working on it." he half-joked sending James an apologetic look causing Carina to roll her eyes at the sappy apology.

"I must be going now — wouldn't want to associate myself with blood purists." James coldly expressed as he started getting up to leave. Sirius attempted to stop his new friend, but James continued on out of the compartment. Sirius looked disappointedly at Carina before moving to follow suit behind his new friend.

Once the door shut, Perseus outburst, "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Are you!?" she yelled back, "Have you forgotten what Mother and Father told us?" Carina pointed an accusing finger at Perseus, "We are not supposed to associate ourselves with blood traitors and mudbloods." the girl seethed earning a look of shock from her brother.

"We promised that we would never end up like them." recalled Perseus as he watched Carina shift in her seat. "Why are you acting like this?" he asked sensing her uncomfortableness.

Silence followed as Carina didn't know how to answer his question. She moved to sit across from the boy instead and watched as the train departed from the station. "You can talk to me you know that." he placed a comforting hand on her wrist. "You're supposed to trust me." Perseus softly let out but was met with silence once again. The entire ride to Hogwarts was filled with silence as the twins didn't know what to say to the other. They sat in silence on the boats, Perseus was disappointed to say the least — Carina unable to think of anything to say.

The Sorting Ceremony was the most important event in the entirety of the seven years spent at the school. Whatever the Sorting Hat decided — sealed your fate, whether it was fulfilling a family tradition or finding lifelong friends. Carina stood before the hat as nervous as she ever had been, this was her one chance to know where she stood. Perseus sensed her nerves and tried to calm the girl, but nothing was working. Finally, her name was called, "Black, Carina." The girl walked up the platform taking a seat allowing the hat to be placed on her head.

"Hmm, another Black I see. . . there's a thirst for knowledge, that would make you a terrific Ravenclaw. . . but I would say if Slytherin is where you believe you belong then let it be. . . Slytherin!" The hat shouted as Carina felt herself loosen making her way over to the table with the students that was adorned with green and silver robes. Carina took a seat next to her cousin, Narcissa Black as Sirius was called up next. "Gryffindor!" The Hall went silent— Sirius Black just broke tradition. Not having the time to process, Perseus was called, Carina anticipated for the hat to call out the same house she had been sorted into. However, her anticipation was met with disappointment as the hat announced, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

In the matter of seconds her world was flipped around. What did the next seven years hold for them? Carina was terrified to find the answer to that question.