𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 | golden trio era

prologue

Lucatrix Lestrange knew her expectations: live up to the family name, embrace their pureblood lineage, do her mother proud.

She had a spotlight on her from the day she was born. She was learning jinxes and hexes before she was even toilet trained, and by the time she was 5, she was following in her mother's footsteps and was on her way to becoming one of the greatest, most powerful witches out there.

Lestrange's didn't follow the rules. They broke them. Lucatrix received private training from her mother, Bellatrix, and her uncle, Lucius Malfoy. It was no surprise when she'd received her Hogwarts acceptance letter – any pureblood would – and unlike the other first years that were going in scared and clueless, she was prepared and ready to expand her knowledge in witchcraft and wizardry.

"What if I don't make Slytherin?" Luca asked, masking her anxiousness about what house she'd be sorted into with her usual monotone voice. "What if I make Hufflepuff? Or worse...Gryffindor?" She shuddered as the house name slipped past her tongue, visibly wincing when her mother stared down at her with hard eyes.

"You will. You're a Lestrange," Bellatrix stated. She smoothed down her daughter's frizzy curls and patted her cheek. "Now, off with you. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish when you make Slytherin."

Luca looked around at the other young witches and wizards at the train station. They were all hugging their mums and dads goodbye, shedding tears knowing that it would be a while before they saw them again.

Lucatrix Morgana Lestrange didn't cry. She didn't feel any emotion. And she most certainly did not hug. No one in her family did.

She sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and made her way onto the train, not looking back once. She walked through a narrow corridor, peeking inside the different rail cars for a spot to sit, but nearly everywhere was full of people.

She received strange looks from her peers. Just by taking one look at her, anyone with half a brain cell would know that she was Bellatrix Lestrange's kin. From her wild curls to the twitch of her brow and the upward sneer of her lips, she was practically a carbon copy.

Luca reached a car near the back and recognized a familiar blonde. "Draco." She stared blankly at her older cousin when he looked up and met her gaze. "Everywhere else is full."

"Have a seat, little cuz." Draco motioned to the empty spot next to him.

The journey to Hogwarts was silent. She didn't speak a word to her cousin or his friends, not even a "goodbye" or "see you later" when she joined the other first years for the sorting ceremony.

She watched as a girl named Ginny Weasley got sorted into Gryffindor. She pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing slightly at the redheaded blood traitor. Her family was pureblood, but they didn't honor or embrace their status.

"Lucatrix Lestrange."

The Great Hall fell silent when the young witch's name was called. Luca stepped up and took a seat, folding her hands in her lap to hide their shakiness. Her dull brown orbs scanned the room of students as the hat was placed on her head. A girl sitting at the Ravenclaw table caught her eye, but she quickly averted her gaze when she realized that Luca had caught her staring.

"Lestrange, eh?" the Sorting Hat spoke. "Hmm. What to do, what to do? Sharp mind, heart of darkness, and an 'I am so much better than all of you' attitude...I know exactly where to put you."

Luca closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled. She flexed her jaw a couple times, her lightly-freckled nose twitching.

"Slytherin!"

A satisfied smirk crossed her lips as her house name was called. The Slytherin table erupted in cheers, but little did she know that a certain bushy-bearded wizard had his eyes on her as she made her way to sit next to Draco.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter turned to his best friends, who were watching the curly-haired girl with wide eyes.

"Ron. Hermione. Who's that?" he asked them.

"That's Lucatrix Lestrange," Hermione Granger whispered, anxious eyes glancing over to the petite first year. "Her mother is the most wicked witch there is. She turned to the dark side and served the Dark Lord."

"And if a Lestrange has come to Hogwarts..." Ron looked at Harry, his eyes wide with fear. "None of us are safe."