"Only with persons who try to kill me." Answered Alexandra, rolling her eyes all the way. Her interlocutor chuckled.
"Pleased to meet you." The red-robed girl said, tending her hand. "I'm Astrid Sverre, of the Sword and Ice House of Sverre."
"Sverre...isn't it Norwegian royalty?" Asked Alexandra, shaking the hand firmly and realising by the iron grip the muscles of the girl weren't for show. Moreover, the slight feeling of discomfort didn't decrease. The eyes of Astrid were scrutinising her on every angle, to the point it was discomforting.
"Indeed it is." Said Astrid in a pleased tone that didn't reach her facial muscles. "The time my ancestors reigned over Norway was a few hundred years ago, but we have still the better royal claim of all the Norwegian Houses. And the wealth too." She admitted, though she didn't look bothered by it.
"Not to sound overtly curious, but..."
"What I am doing here? My great-grandmother was Charis Black, who married Caspar Crouch. One of her daughters, my grandmother Elladora Crouch, married a Norwegian wizard named Valdemar Sverre. They had two children, Ulrik and Dagmar. Dagmar never married, but I am Ulrik's eldest daughter out of five children."
"Okay." Said Alexandra slowly. Seriously, she would have to make a genealogic tree if she wanted to understand the situation clearly. "And the three imbeciles who got demolished by the door?"
"Demolished." Laughed Astrid in a sound that was joyous and freezing at the same time. "Not a bad description at all." Trying to regain a more serious expression and failing, the brown-haired girl explained. "The boys are Edmund, Arnold and Matthew Burke. They are cousins, the last descendants of the union between Herbert Burke and Belvina Black. I heard the family got a lot of financial troubles in Britain in the last years."
"They seemed to know you pretty well." Commented Alexandra.
"Not really." Astrid contradicted her. "But they tried to enter Durmstrang the same year I did, I met them at this occasion. They failed by a catastrophic margin, and I only saw them once again at the burial of Lord Arcturus Black one year ago."
So the furred red-robes looking like an army uniform were in fact the standard robes of the Durmstrang Institute. There were a lot of rumours at school spread by the Gryffindors and the Slytherins concerning this school, and most of them were outright terrifying.
"Strange." Before Astrid inquisitive expression, Alexandra rolled her shoulders. "I had not seen them at Hogwarts, so I wondered what school they were going to."
As Astrid began to walk towards the other end of the corridor, the Norwegian girl started to speak again. "I think honestly they are Squibs or near-Squibs. I've not seen any of them having wands, and they are nowhere in any European school's enlistment."
"That would explain it." Conceded Alexandra as they began to climb another stair, this one as derelict as the first. "But what are they doing here? The Black family is infamous for having disowned all the Squibs of their House thorough history!"
"The answer to that, I'm afraid," Said Astrid in a cold-meditative tone when they reached the top of the stairs and entered another corridor, "is the same reason why we're here. Normally, they don't bother inviting a foreigner and a half-blood, especially ones who don't carry the Black name." Pausing a moment in silence as they reached an imposing bronze door carved with runes and snakes, Astrid then asked, "Do we knock?"
"It would be preferable." Said Alexandra. "This door looks incredibly warded."
"Hmmm...you're right." Said the Norwegian girl. "Any other questions?" Astrid said as she knocked on the door.
"Did Malfoy try to enter Durmstrang?" Asked Alexandra, honestly curious about it.
"Ah...no." A large smirk was seen on Astrid's face. "There are some who affirmed his father wanted to, but his mother intervened and he went to Hogwarts. At least, that's the rumour. What I know is that no one from the Malfoy family ever tried to enter Durmstrang in the last decades. Father and son went to Hogwarts of course."
And on this remark, the doors opened, revealing dozen of wizards and witches sitting in comfortable chairs all over the room, watching and studying them in silence. Sure enough, the silence didn't last.
"Miss Potter," drawled Professor Snape. "I would have expected you of all the students I brought here to understand the directives which were given to you. Return immediately back to your room and wait for us to call you back."
"With all the respect I have for you, Professor" Alexandra replied, marching into the room. "I'm afraid I must decline." She knew she was taking a risk, but Snape wasn't one of her Professors this year unlike the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. "Seeing the Heirs of the Malfoy and Longbottom families vomiting is distracting for a few minutes, but the odour was a bit nauseating."
"Yes," Agreed Astrid, walking next to her. "And seeing the Burkes being struck down by a door is no fun once they're all unconscious."
By the shock on everyone's face, it was evident no one had seen that coming. Like in a movie, the two girls saw the adults' brain turning at full speed and then at once half of the room screamed: "CASSIOPEIA!"
An old woman, who had been formerly hidden in their seat by all the other witches and wizards, was now cackling madly.
People rose from their seats and shouted, but the witch was still sporting a very nasty smile. Looking at her, black-haired and black eyes, no one could doubt she was a Black. This was not her most striking features, however. Her body was skeletal, like she had eaten nothing for a few months, and there were a lot of nasty scars visible despite the fact her black robes hid virtually everything save her head and her hands. Oh, and the darkness she had felt in the residence was like a halo of night around her.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/Makimafic
If you guys wanna check it out.