The Tale of a Gaunt

Back on the Train

Arabella boarded the Hogwarts Express on the first of September. She had decided that she was going to get a compartment of her own this time, and so she did.

Arabella walked along the corridor, and approached an empty compartment and entered. She slumped onto a sofa and closed her eyes, wanting a short break from it all. After a while, she heard the compartment door slide open.

Arabella opened her left eye slightly, to see a blonde boy with grey eyes. She recognised him as her cousin, Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want?" Arabella asked.

"I just wanted to see how you are, that's all" Draco smiled, before sitting down opposite Arabella. Arabella opened her eyes and looked at Draco.

"Well, I'm fine" Arabella said.

"Really? You don't sound it" Draco said.

"Fine, I'm not, now what do you want?" Arabella asked.

Draco sighed. "I know what you're going through" He said.

"No you don't. Your dad being arrested isn't the same" Arabella said, rolling her eyes.

"I know, but there's also something else" Draco said.

"What is it then?" Arabella asked.

"I know you're going to hate me after this, but I'm a Death Eater" Draco said.

Arabella's eyes widened, she then quickly got up and made to leave.

"No, wait!" Draco yelled, grabbing Arabella's arm.

"Get off me, you evil-" Arabella started.

"I didn't want to become one! I was forced to!" Draco exclaimed.

"Sure, and if you want to fulfil your aunt's wish, then you can kill me right now" Arabella said.

"No, listen, I was forced to as a punishment for my father!" Draco cried.

Arabella walked back in. Draco then grabbed his left sleeve and pulled it up, revealing the Dark Mark burnt on his arm.

"I'll take your word for it, now get that thing away from me" Arabella said.

Draco rolled his sleeve back down and looked at the floor.

Arabella then sat next to him. "We really do have awful parents, don't we?" Arabella sighed.

"Yes, we do. Cygnus and Druella should have never dated" Draco said.

"Yes, and neither should have Victoria and Edgar. Look at the mess our grandparents have made" Arabella said.

"Yes, apart from your grandparents weren't bad people, I'd assume" Draco said.

"Finally, something you know about my family history" Arabella chuckled.

After a few minutes, Draco got up. "I think I'll go now, sorry" Draco said.

"It's fine, I wanted to be alone anyway" Arabella said, and she was finally alone again.

Arabella closed her eyes again, and would have finally drifted off, before she heard the compartment door slide open once again.

Arabella sighed. "Look, I don't care if you're- oh" Arabella said, looking at the person who had appeared. It was Harry.

"What do you want?" Arabella asked.

"Slughorn wants us to go to his compartment. Some sort of party thing, it looks like" Harry said.

"Do I have to go?" Arabella asked.

"I mean, it would be nice if you did" Harry said.

"Fine. I'll come" Arabella said, getting up.

"Brilliant. This way" Harry smiled, and the pair of them walked towards Slughorn's compartment. They entered.

"Ah! There you are, come in! Come in!" Slughorn smiled, and the pair of them walked in and sat down.

"Now, don't know everyone?" Slughorn asked. "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course" Slughorn said.

Arabella looked at her fellow Slytherin, and the pair nodded at each other.

"This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other? No?" Slughorn asked.

Arabella looked at McLaggen, who was staring at her rather a lot.

"This is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether-?"

Belby gave a strained smile.

"-and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Slughorn said, pointing at Ginny.

Ginny grimaced at Harry and Arabella from behind Slughorn's back.

Slughorn then started explaining what everyone was here for, and most were because they were connected to someone influential, apart from Ginny.

"... and now, Harry Potter and Arabella Gaunt! Where to begin? I feel I barely scratched the surface when we met over the summer!" Slughorn exclaimed.

"The Chosen Ones, they're calling you now?" Slughorn asked.

"What in Merlin's name happened to the Children who Lived?" Arabella thought.

"Yes, terrible what happened that night. Lily and James gone, and you survived! Incredible. Of course, I'm not excusing the second thing that you went through as a baby too, what with your parents and their little... well let's say, drama scene" Slughorn chuckled.

"Horrible, although, your mother was a brilliant student of mine, shame how she turned-" Slughorn said.

However, Arabella had already heard enough, and she got up and left the compartment.

The compartment fell silent.

Harry then got up and left the compartment and walked after Arabella.

"Bella, wait!" He called. Arabella turned to him.

"What?" Arabella asked.

After he caught up, Harry spoke up. "What was with that? Why'd you storm out?" Harry asked.

"Well, if he's going to keep shoving my mother in my face then I'm afraid that whatever plan Dumbledore has isn't going to work" Arabella said through clenched teeth, before the memories of that night resurfaced in her mind.

After she said this, she spun around and ran back to her compartment where she sat alone for the rest of the journey.

At the end of the journey, she got off the train and made her way to the Great Hall and sat at the very end of the Slytherin table.

The Sorting Ceremony started momentarily, and Arabella didn't pay much attention, she just watched her plate, waiting for the food to appear.

After a while, the food appeared, and Arabella started eating.

However, she looked up as she was eating, and noticed that a black haired, pale skinned, grey eyed first year was staring at her, smiling.

Arabella stared back for a few seconds, before speaking up.

"What?" Arabella asked.

"Nothing, um, are you Arabella Gaunt?" The girl asked.

"Yes" Arabella said, eating her food.

The girl smiled. "Great, and so I'm assuming that you knew Charlotte Sallow?" The girl asked.

"Yes, why do you care?" Arabella asked.

The girl smiled. "Well, that's great. I'm her sister, Angela Sallow"