･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

AVA VIOTTO TENSED WHEN SHE FELT HER MOTHER'S COLD HAND firmly grasp her shoulder, hissing scoldingly in her ear, "Stand up straight! Slouching is not ladylike!"

"Sorry, Mother," Ava mumbled the words she'd voiced too many times to count over the years as she fixed her posture.

"Speak clearly, Ava!" Mrs. Viotto said, exasperated.

"Sorry," she said a bit more loudly this time.

"I can't believe they just don't build a separate station for us magic folk," Mr. Viotto said with disgust, eyeing the passing Muggles with disdain. "We shouldn't blend with inferiors."

Ava pursed her lips as she gripped her trolley tightly, her eyes dancing around the heavy crowds of people. Her whole body was rigid as she walked between her parents. Today was the day she left for Hogwarts and she was terrified.

She should feel overwhelming excitement coursing through her; this was, after all, a new adventure for her to overtake, a new scenery to explore, an opportunity to meet new and interesting people. Ava thrived in knowledge and she was sure she was going to be getting loads of that at school.

Instead, however, she felt fearful.

Viotto.

It sounded and looked like an ordinary name to ordinary people but the weight of it felt heavy against Ava's chest.

She was supposed to be on top of the food chain and yet she felt as if she were nothing more than a scared rabbit ready to be slaughtered.

The Viotto name was ancient, it was well respected, it was powerful amongst wizards. The family were supposed to be legends, never really spotted in plain sight in England, for they had their home in Italy. One could only recognise a member of the family if they introduced themselves with their surname or if they displayed their unusual magic, their slight accent was a small clue as well.

Ava felt ashamed of her family. Of her name. Of her status. Of her magic. Of her parents' prejudice. She wanted to cover her face with her hands and hide away from the world.

But, following her mother's lead, she held her chin up high, hiding the tremor in her hands and her quivering chin.

There was something in her favour still, though. Even if she felt as if people were studying her with a close eye—even as they crossed through the barrier and made it to platform 9 and three-quarters—no one was actually seeing her.

It wasn't particularly odd, though she still found herself frowning.

Ava guessed they were still unrecognisable, they had just recently arrived from their old home in Italy after all.

She missed their old manor; they'd lived in Treviso, where many of her ancestors had resided before. It had been a beautiful home, her bedroom had been overlooking the canal, and she would sit on her window, watching all the different faces that passed by on the daily.

The city of Treviso was small, but she'd enjoyed her life there all the same. She'd taken pleasure in waving at the bakers each time she passed by them, going to the park and selecting flowers to decorate her room with, sitting by the glistening water and dipping the tips of her toes into it, feeding the ducks and taking walks all over town.

It had felt like a small fairytale amongst the nightmare that awaited her each time her parents were home.

Ava didn't want to hate them, she really had tried to tell her entire being to stop her distaste towards those who had given her life but alas, some feelings were just too powerful to restrain.

She managed to disguise it well.

She followed orders, she attended English lessons, she'd taken piano, she'd attended balls. She was the perfect daughter.

At least on the surface.

On the inside, she squirmed each time she fulfilled one of her mother's many requests. She didn't want to be the dutiful daughter, she didn't want to have to grind her teeth in order to keep her protests in check, she didn't want to hide herself to be someone she wasn't.

At eleven years old, her mind was wise beyond her age and she resented her parents for it. They had rarely given her a chance to behave like a child, they abandoned her for work and she often had to look after herself instead of enjoying the carefree feeling a kid often possessed.

Ava had never really been given the chance just to enjoy being a child.

She resisted the urge to sigh as she looked around the platform, parents were giving their children warm hugs and loving kisses on the cheek, murmuring words of encouragement.

For a second, just a second she let herself imagine a world where her parents showed her affection but that dream was quickly swept away when her father opened his mouth.

"Remember, Slytherin is the only option if you want to succeed, we don't need you bringing down the family by ending up elsewhere. Viottos strive to be the best, make sure you do your duty by our name."

Little did her father know, no one would know her real name, her real identity or ancestry. She'd thought ahead, and she didn't want people to treat her differently just because of her family. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had been surprisingly understanding of her situation and made a special request and arranged a small name change on her behalf for her time at school.

When she arrived at Hogwarts, she wouldn't be a Viotto.

"Yes, Father." Ava gave a forced smile, knowing that from this day forth, things would change between her and her parents, and not for the better.

"Go ahead then, we don't need you missing the train." Mrs. Viotto urged.

No tender words, no gentle goodbye and no comforting hug.

Ava had expected this, but she still couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of warmth.

"Goodbye Mother, Father." Ava gave them a small nod, hiding her dismay with a press of her lips.

She turned to leave, grabbing her trunk and going over towards the gleaming red train that would take her towards her new identity.

As she did, she caught sight of a boy standing beside whom she assumed were his family. He had slightly long black hair, styled to perfection. Grey eyes as striking and bright as a thousand stars. He seemed to be her age, though he was taller than most eleven-year-olds. She tilted her head curiously when she saw him roll his eyes at something his mother said, his lips moving as if he were mumbling something under his breath.

He had more nerve and courage than she ever thought she'd be able to possess. She'd only been looking at him for a few seconds, but she could already tell he was in a similar situation as her.

His mother seemed cold, his father distant and the other boy standing beside him, who seemed to be his brother, looked frightened.

Yet, the boy with the otherworldly eyes stared defiantly at his parents, not cowering away.

She shook her head, ridding her mind of the thoughts of shame and cowardice.

Ava continued her way towards the train, her head held high and her shoulders dropped back, a new mindset overtaking her as soon as she stepped foot onto the steps.

She was no longer going to be a puppet with strings her mother manipulated.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

IT DIDN'T TAKE HER LONG TO FIND A COMPARTMENT. She dumped her carrier bag onto the seat and sat down, resisting the urge to bounce her leg from nerves.

Ava decided that instead of sitting there staring blankly ahead with her hands folded on her lap, she would try to relax. Bringing out her most recent read, she crossed her legs and rested her book on them, flipping the pages to find where she'd left off.

Books, she had decided, were the most fascinating thing ever created. How stories and worlds were created from a single person's mind. How words managed to reach certain parts of people and touch them in ways no one ever had.

How sentences transported Ava into a different reality without trying, sweeping her away into a universe that was far more enjoyable than her own.

A quiet knocking sound brought her back to the present, she lifted her head and saw that there was a girl outside the compartment door; she had wavy long blonde hair, dreamy blue eyes as well as a small smile on her face.

"Do you mind if I join you?" the girl asked as she carefully opened the door.

"Go ahead." Ava gave her a small grin, which was eagerly returned.

The blonde, seemingly Ava's age, dropped her things onto the seat across from her.

"I'm Pandora Rosier," she extended her hand.

"Ava V—Corbin." Ava covered up her slip-up with a smile, shaking Pandora's hand.

She'd heard about the Rosiers, they were one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood families in the wizarding world. Presumably dangerous and powerful, any other person would've fled as soon as they heard Pandora utter her surname, but Ava stayed.

She knew better than to judge someone by their name.

Besides, Pandora seemed like a gentle soul; her big eyes and wild her gave her an innocent look that most pureblood legacies never had.

"What are you reading?"

Ava blinked rapidly as she broke off her scrutinising, "Oh! Um—To Kill A Mockingbird."

"Sounds dark."

"I like it just fine," Ava said, a bit defensive. She cleared her throat. "It's interesting."

"Have you tried reading upside down? It gives it a new challenge." Pandora said, tilting her head and taking out a book of her own.

"You can read upside down?" Ava frowned.

"With a bit of practice." Pandora snickered.

Ava pursed her lips, her eyes scanning Pandora up and down. She was sure an unusual girl but there was something about her that gave Ava some sort of serene feeling.

"What house are you hoping for?" Ava asked politely. Her habit of making small conversations was inevitable.

Pandora gave a delicate shrug, some of her blonde hair falling in the way of her face, "I don't have any preferences, I'm sure I'll end up where I'm meant to. How about you?"

"Oh, well I—I haven't thought about it really." Ava turned slightly pink, closing her book awkwardly. "I'm not sure what house options there are."

She did know about Slytherin, but that was all she knew, her parents hadn't really bothered to educate her on the other three Hogwarts Houses.

"Well, there's Gryffindor, for the brave, Ravenclaw, for the curious, Slytherin, for the cunning, and Hufflepuff, for the hard-working. Each House has different traits." Pandora briefly explained, no trace of judgment on her face.

Ava nodded thoughtfully, appreciating the explanation.

"Could you, maybe, look after my stuff for a bit, please? I need to use the loo." She said, rising to her feet.

She needed a little breather, she wasn't exactly used to interacting with people her age and she was so used to being alone that being in the presence of others could quickly become overwhelming.

"Of course!" Pandora chirped.

Ava offered a small smile, exciting the compartment and taking a big breath when she finally shut the door behind her. She walked down the train, her attention on nothing in particular until she heard loud laughter. She turned her head and looked towards a particular compartment. There were four boys inside, all of whom appeared to be first years as well, and among them was the boy Ava had spotted before boarding the train.

As if sensing that she was watching him, the boy stopped laughing and turned his gaze towards her, making Ava quickly look away, her shoulders becoming stiff as she immediately started walking away rapidly.

"Hey! Girl with the braids!" she heard an unfamiliar voice call to her and she didn't need to turn around to know it was him.

But Ava didn't stop her walking and he didn't start his chasing.

And so, Ava and the mystery boy didn't cross paths again.

Until, however, a day in which Ava decided she'd had enough of Sirius Black blabbing away in the quiet library and disrupting her peaceful time.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

HIII!!

OMG!! Finally the Prologue for this story!!!

I hope you guys liked it and I also hope you're beginning to fall in love with Ava already. 🫶🏼

Please tell me what you thought about this and Ava! I would love to hear your thoughts!

I genuinely can't wait to continue writing this story and dive into Ava and Sirius' relationship!

See you in fourth year, darlings!