Black and White

3

(Media pic is Zuben and Draco)

I follow my cousin onto the Hogwarts Express, trunk and kitten in tow, but he doesn't want me to sit with him. Or, really, Pansy doesn't want me to sit with them.

"Just... hope you make Slytherin," he tells me quietly before I go to find an empty seat.

Unfortunately for me, the most empty seat is in the very back, where a professor is asleep. His trunk says R. J. Lupin. I assume he won't mind and sit across from him.

"Do you mind if we sit with you?" I hear Hermione asking only seconds later. I look to see her, Ron, and Harry all at the compartment door. "Everywhere else is full."

"I don't mind," I say. "I can't speak for him, but he was asleep when I got here."

Hermione smiles, and her and Ron sit beside me, as Harry sits beside the professor.

"Er, sorry I didn't say so before, but it's nice to meet you, too," Harry tells me awkwardly.

I laugh nervously. "It's ok. And I'm sorry for what my uncle said. About all of you. He's... well, he always speaks his mind, I suppose, no matter what others will think."

"So what about you," Ron asks. "Do you hate us, too?"

"Ron!" Hermione scolds. "I told you, Zuben is really quite nice!"

"It's fine," I tell Hermione. "No, I don't hate you guys. Any of you. I don't think the way my family does. I don't hate people unless they give me a pretty good reason. I may be a Lestrange, but I don't act like one. At least, I'm trying not to."

Ron nods his head, accepting my answer. "So," he continues. "What kind of name is Zuben-ek-mali?"

I laugh at his struggle to pronounce my full name. "Close. It's pronounced zoo-ben-es-sha-mali," I correct. "Everyone on my mother's side is named after stars and constellations. Zubeneschamali is the brightest star in the Libra constellation, though some astronomers still consider it to be a part of Scorpio. It took me awhile to figure it out myself."

As the three friends discuss the upcoming year, their third year, I watch as Merlin tries to play with Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. The older cat doesn't want to play, and keeps batting my kitten away.

"You're going to get yourself in trouble," I say to Merlin as I pick him up and set him beside me.

"Let me get this straight," Ron is saying to Harry. "Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban to come after you?"

"Yeah," Harry sighs.

"But they'll catch Black, won't they?" Hermione asks, glancing at me. "I mean, everyone's looking for him."

"Sure," Ron replies. "Except, no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before, and he's a murderous raving lunatic."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry says sarcastically.

"Well, he does have a point," I agree. "I mean, how did he get out?"

Suddenly, the train lurches to a halt.

"Why are we stopping?" Hermione questions. "We can't be there, yet."

"Has this happened before?" I ask, but the three shake their heads at me.

Harry gets up to check outside the compartment, but another lurch of the train sends him back into his seat.

"What's going on?" Ron asks.

"Don't know," Harry answers. "Maybe we've broken down?"

"How can a magic train just break down?" I question, but no one has an answer.