DISCLAIMER: You ought to know this one, but any name you recognize from the books is owned by J.K. all others are inspired by other people. Lauralie Black is my brainchild!

Lauralie Black and the Cloak of Destiny (YEAR 1)

Chapter 1: A Sorting Surprise

The hustle and bustle surrounding the Black family on Platform 9 3/4 was enough to annoy anyone. Sirius was anxious to run off and find his friends, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and James Potter. His younger sister, Lauralie, was looking around her with wonder. She was beginning her first year at Hogwarts, whereas he was entering his second.

The Blacks were a long line of Gryffindors. On both sided in fact. It was even rumored that perhaps they had the blood of Godric Gryffindor himself running through them.

"Ooh, Mum look, there's Lily," Lauralie said, "Can't I go sit with her?"

"Of course you can dear," Mrs. Black said.

"Can't Lauralie go find some first year friends mum?" Sirius grumbled.

"Now Sirius," Mr. Black said, "you are well aware that your sister will be in Gryffindor house with you, and it will do her well to get to know some of the students who are already in there."

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Black agreed. "We wouldn't want her to get mixed up with some first year who'll end up in Slytherin now would we?"

"Suppose not, come on Lauralie," Sirius said, taking his sisters hand.

"Bye Mum, bye Dad!" she shouted over her shoulder.

"You two behave yourselves," their mother said. "Watch after your sister Sirius!"

"I will Mum," he said. "Bye."

Sirius pushed his sister up the steps of the Hogwarts Express. "Now go on, go make some friends of your own."

"But Mum said!"

"I don't care what mum said, now scram," he growled, entering into the full compartment.

Lauralie peered in to see him join his friends. She was simply furious.

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"Your sister's starting this year, isn't she Sirius?" Peter was asking.

"Yeah, just means I'll have to put up with her year round," he answered, "as opposed to just in the summer."

"Who knows, maybe she won't be in Gryffindor," Lily said.

The four boys laughed. "Lil, every Black that has ever lived was in Gryffindor house," James said. "And so will Lauralie, mark my words."

"Ooh, yes, can't wait for another of you bloody Blacks to add to the ruddy Gryffindor pool," said a cruel voice from the door. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy, flanked by his band of Slytherins. Among them were Crabbe, Goyle, and even a young Severus Snape.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Sirius sneered.

"Nothing, just came to greet our old friends," Severus piped up. "Planning on joining the Quidditch team this year, Potter?"

"What's that any business of yours, you slimy git," Potter snapped.

"Ooh, touchy," Snape sneered through his curtain of black hair. "That the best you can do?"

"Why don't you crawl back under the rock you came from Snape?" Lily piped up, "Because you're nothing but Slytherin pond scum!"

"Why don't you shut your trap MUDBLOOD," Snape bit out.

The reaction to this was almost immediate. Peter, Remus, James, and Sirius were on their feet, wielding their wands at Snape. But Snape and Malfoy were far quicker.

"Serpensortia!" Malfoy screamed, and a snake burst from the end of his wand.

Snape was grinning. "Just keep still, and he'll leave you all alone," he said lazily.

But Potter was too impatient for this and bustled toward the snake, which promptly leapt at him. Lily began to scream, and Sirius began throwing curses at the Slytherin intruder. Peter had curled up defensively in his seat.

It was then that Lauralie Black appeared at the door to the compartment.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, and instantly every wand flew out of its owner's hand and the snake from Potter's shoulders. "Finite incantatem!"

Suddenly everything stopped. Sirius stopped hopping on one foot. And Snape stopped dancing.

"Will you all please act your age," Lauralie hissed, "Sheesh, and to think I'm the only first year in this compartment." She stroked her cat.

She walked away, and back into the deserted compartment she had been hiding in.

"There you go Mrs. Norris," she said, allowing the cat to leap down onto the seat. "And to think they're the Gryffindors I'm supposed to be looking up to."

The door to the compartment slid open. She looked up hastily. Standing, framed in the doorway, was a thin, pale boy, with long, slightly greasy, black hair, his black eye's twinkled with mystery.

"Hello," he said, slipping into the compartment and sliding the door closed behind him.

Lauralie examined him from top to bottom, she'd seen him in the compartment with her brother and his friends, but she hadn't paid him much mind. He was already in his Hogwarts robes; her eye's fell on the Slytherin crest that was displayed proudly on his chest.

She froze. All her life she had been poisoned against anything Slytherin. They were those of evil and mischievous things.

"Hi," she said, looking back towards Mrs. Norris, scratching at the fur behind her ears.

"You're Sirius Black's little sister, aren't you?" he asked, taking a seat across from her.

In the back of her mind Lauralie wondered if all Slytherins were so rude as to waltz in and make themselves at home without being invited. She nodded her head slightly.

"It's amazing how little you resemble him, or any of your family for that matter," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that, perhaps, you are the special one out of a long line of people who have done everything the same for thousands of years," he said.

She looked at him. He gazed calmly back.

"My names Severus," he said, extending his hand, "Severus Snape."

"Lauralie," she said, shaking it.

"Don't you go cozying up to my sister, Snape," Sirius said from the doorway, "She'll be in Gryffindor as every other Black has been."

Snape regarded him coldly. He stood up and faced her brother with an air of distaste. "Black, you presume far too much," he hissed.

"Severus, leave it alone," Lauralie spoke.

Snape looked surprised to have been addressed in such a friendly manner, especially from a Black, the whole family had tended to be the bane of his existence.

Sirius looked simply furious.

"Don't you go getting friendly with Snape, you hear me Lauralie," he said. "He's the foulest of the foul. And even worse, a Slytherin."

Snape was glaring daggers at him. His mouth twisted into a sneer. "And Gryffindor is better, eh Black?" he hissed. "You all with your high and mighty attitudes, you are all a bunch of closed minded fools. You can't see beyond the tip of your nose. You all think you're the best, but we'll prove you wrong Black. You'll see, you discriminatory bastard!"

Black pushed him against the wall, "Shut up Snape."

"Sirius, leave him alone," Lauralie said in a hushed voice. "He's not unwelcome in my presence, you, however, are at the moment."

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked; he looked fairly surprised.

"What I mean is if this is the way all the Gryffindors act, then I'm not so sure I want to join their ranks," she snapped.

Sirius glared at her, and then at Snape, before charging out the compartment door.

"Well, I better go, before he and his upstart friends come back to hex me," Snape said, "I expect to see wonderful things from you, Lauralie. We're nearly there, best get dressed, love."

She nodded. "Bye Severus, see you later," she said.

"I have no doubt I will."

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Lauralie gazed up at the starry ceiling, far, far above her as she shuffled in for the Sorting Ceremony. The crowd of first years all seemed nervous and unsure of themselves. Lauralie, however, seemed resigned to her fate as a Gryffindor.

She was looking over at the Gryffindor table as Professor McGonagall moved in front of them. McGonagall had only been out of Hogwarts for a couple of years, but thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to teach Transfiguration considering she was one of the youngest Animagi in the world.

As "ARMANDO, PHALISIA" was sorted into Hufflepuff, Lauralie was gazing at the Head Table. The Head Master Dumbledore was seated in the center. Beside him sat Alastor Moody, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, beside him a living Professor Binns, History of Magic teacher. And beside him Professor Greta Lucchesi who taught charms. On the other side of Dumbledore was an empty chair, presumably McGonagall's, then Professor Marie Lestrange, master of Potions, and Head of Slytherin house. Finally, beside her, was Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper.

She didn't realize that "BLACK, LAURALIE" had been called until a girl behind her nudged her forward. She saw Potter, and his band of Gryffindors, looking smug as ever. She sat on the stool and began to slip the hat over her head when she caught sight of Severus over at the Slytherin table. He smiled as his eyes met hers and winked. Renewed, she allowed the hat to fall over her eyes.

"Hmm, very very interesting. You come from a long line of Gryffindors, don't you? I suppose you'll want to go on and follow in their footsteps, eh?" a voice whispered in her ear.

No, Lauralie thought desperately, I want you to put me where I really belong!

"Well, well, well, what have we got here. What a surprise! Your brother had none, but it seems you have the blood of a Slytherin. And the thirst to prove yourself. But you have the bravery of a Gryffindor. But you're not nearly as weak. So what'll it be the Mighty Lions, or the Cunning Snakes?"

Please, just put me where I'll fit in. Put me where I belong.

"Oh, well if that's the case, it better be SLYTHERIN!"

Lauralie slipped off the hat and sat it back on the stool. She point blank refused to even glance over at the Gryffindors; she didn't want to see the shocked and disappointed looks on the faces of her brother and his band of friends.

Instead she focused on the Slytherin table and the first friendly face she saw. It happened to belong to Severus, and he was smiling broadly. He gestured to the empty seat next to him. He didn't look surprised, she noted. Unlike the rest of the table, who looked taken aback.

Lucius Malfoy wasted no time in recovering; he slipped an arm across her shoulders and waved jauntily at Sirius. Sirius was looking murderously back at him.

Lauralie spent the rest of the sorting stunned. "DELAZERDA, KATIA" soon joined the table, sitting across from her and introducing herself, soon followed by "FILCH, ARGUS" a nervous, shy boy, with dirty blond hair.

This can't be real, this can't be real. But she looked down at the Slytherin crest on her robes where the Hogwarts one had been and knew she was kidding herself.

"GREER, DARRELL" was pronounced a Slytherin, as was "MARCUCCIO, MARCUS" and "MOLLIGAN, BRANDON".

This is real. I'm a Slytherin!

"SWANKLER, ANASTASIA" joined the table, and finally, "VANBUREN, NARCISSA".

Lauralie was no longer scared. These were not evil people as her parents had always insisted. She was suddenly very proud to be a Slytherin. The Sorting Hat had seen Slytherin blood in her. How?

It didn't matter.

She turned and found herself looking into Severus Snape's eyes.

He smiled at her. "Welcome home, Lauralie," he whispered, "Welcome home!"