"Hogwarts, dear," said Mother as she packed my trunk. 

"Sybill! Sybill!" yelled Father from downstairs. 

"Coming, Father!" I yelled. You may know my father. He's Theodore Nott Sr's brother. Older brother. My mother's a Hufflepuff but my father's a Slytherin. His father was too. My father's family comes from a Slytherin line. And so when Grandfather didn't know any other pure-blood Slytherin families, he gave Father to Mother. Mother's brother's a Ravenclaw and her sister-in-law is a Hufflepuff and their son is a Slytherin. Mother's sister is a Hufflepuff and her brother-in-law is a Gryffindor and their daughter is a Gryffindor. Mother's other sister is a Hufflepuff. My dad's a Death Eater and my Mother's family also agrees with You-Know-Who, even though I'm not looking forward to my school year at Hogwarts. I feel like I'm a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw. I know a lot.

 I raced down the stairs and into the living room where Father was. 

"Father," I said exasperated. "

Sybill," said Father. "Lucius Malfoy and his family are coming over." YES! YES! Draco Malfoy's my best friend. 

"Oh really?" I asked excitedly.

 "Yes," said Father. "Now, you know Lucius. We're connected. He wants you to be in Slytherin. We all do. Don't disappoint us."

 I nodded. "I know what Uncle Lucius wants," I said. "Is Uncle Theo coming too?" Oh, I wished I'd shut up. 

"No," said Father harshly. "He's off again. Poor Theo Jr." Father walked away to the window.

"Father!" I called. "Draco will be here too right?" 

Father nodded merely. 

"What happened, Father?" I asked in a concerned voice.

 "Ah, nothing. Nott Residence is old now, isn't it?" He asked. 

I nodded.

 "Alright, go. Practice Quidditch. I want my daughter to become a Death Eater and a great Quidditch Keeper like myself," Father said. 

"Yes, Father," I said a little glumly as I headed out.

 "Wait," Father said. I looked back. "You look pale, Sybill. Do you need something?" he asked.

 "No Father," I said. 

"And take Amber with you," said Father.

 "Amber's doing her homework, though, Father," I said. Amber's my older sister and she's in Slytherin. 

"Fine," said Father. "Go alone." Father looked out the window. 

"Yes, Father," I said as I headed out the door. Father's a Death Eater. "I can't think of me being a Death Eater," I muttered to myself as I walked into the room of brooms. I stopped. I didn't want to ride my broom right now. What if I rebelled? No! Said a part of my brain. You know what Father will do! I sighed. Fine, I thought. I'll ride my broom. My broom was the Nimbus 2000. Dad bought it for me.

Now, after all my practice, I was sitting under an apple tree. 

"Syb!" an excited voice called. I didn't lookup. 

"Hey Co," I said in a gloomy voice. 

"What's up, Syb? You sound weird," Draco said as he sat down next to me.

 "Father wants me in Slytherin, Draco," I said. 

"So? Father wants me in Slytherin too," said Draco. 

"But I don't think I'm a Slytherin, do you?" 

 "I think you are," said Draco in a very weird voice. 

"You don't, do you?" I asked. "Be truthful." 

"Fine, I don't," said Draco.

 I sighed. "I wish Uncle Theo was here," I whispered. 

"Theo's out sick, I thought you knew that," said Draco. 

"I know," I said.

 "What about Auntie Bella?" Draco asked.

 "She's in Azkaban with Uncle Rodolphus and Uncle Rastaban," I said. 

"Oh right," said Draco. He scratched his head. "What about Uncle Amycus and Auntie Alecto?"

 "Shut up, you're just naming people," I said, crossing my arms and looking up at Draco for the first time today. 

"Yeah okay," said Draco. 

"You don't sound much of a Slytherin either," I said truthfully.

 "Really?" Draco asked outraged. 

"I'm kidding," I said. 

"Houses are nothing to kid about, Syb," Draco said. 

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah okay," I said.

 "Where's Amber anyway?" Draco asked. 

"Working on-" I started but I was cut off by Uncle Lucius and Father's loud laughter. They both were coming towards us. 

"Father!" I yelped as I and Draco jumped up. Uncle Lucius and Father stopped laughing. 

"What happened, Father?" Draco asked. 

"You should have seen Amber!" Father said laughing again. 

"Hi Uncle Lucius," I said smiling.

 "My Syb!" Uncle Lucius said as he held out his hands for me to hug him. I hugged him. 

"So what happened with Amber, Uncle?" Draco asked.

 "She hit that Muggle, what's his name again, Tom?" Uncle Lucius asked. 

"Emior Clawfinger!" Father said. This time even Draco joined the laughter. I laughed too. Hey, it was fake, don't worry.

After Father and Uncle Lucius went away, Draco rounded to me. "What are you doing now?" he ordered. "You're supposed to be laughing! Like a Slytherin!" 

I shrugged. "I was laughing," I said. 

"Not hard enough!" Draco retorted. 

"What?" I asked. 

"Syb, you weren't kidding when you said that you weren't a Slytherin," Draco snapped. 

"Yeah, Co. You were thinking I was faking?" I exclaimed. 

"Um, yeah! You're a Death Eater's daughter!" Draco said. "A Death Eater! You can't be a Death Eater's daughter and not be in Slytherin!" 

I looked behind Draco's shoulder and saw Amber, my older sister, snickering as she went away.

 "Hey, Co!" she called. 

"Hey, Am," Draco called as he waved a little carelessly. Amber kept snickering as she went away to Auntie Narcissa and Mother

. That's when Auntie Narcissa and Mother went over. "Hey, Auntie!" I called as I waved.

 "Hey, Syb! How are you, m'dear?" Auntie Narcissa called. 

"I'm great!" I called back. 

Mother smiled. "She is thrilled for Hogwarts, Cissy," she said to Auntie Narcissa. 

"I can see, Mel," Auntie Narcissa said as she and Mother went away. "

Then why don't you teach me how to be a perfect Slytherin?" I asked. Draco stopped. "Ohhh," he said. "Great idea!"

 "What?" I asked. "Really?"

"Alright, come on," Draco said. "We have a lot to teach you."

 "But, are you sure this is going to work?" I asked.

 "Sure it's going to work," said Draco confidently.