Hermione Granger scanned the platform at Hogsmeade Station for Edelweiss Potter. Ever since the end of the previous school year, her best friend had begun to drift away. It pained Hermione to witness, but she understood why Edelweiss created space between them. Her friend was filled with a mad obsession with the looming war, convinced she needed to fight it alone, and that she needed to shed blood. Unfortunately, there was precedent to defend her belief. Edelweiss Potter solved her troubles alone and did what had to be done in the end. She had faced Quirrell and You-Know-Who alone in their first year. She had gone into the Chamber of Secrets alone in their second year. They might have been together during their trip through time in their third year, but Edelweiss had displayed a magical prowess Hermione wished she could not be jealous of.
And during the previous year, Edelweiss had faced down three deadly tasks before a reunion with her dreaded foe. Merlin knew what she would face in this coming year.
"There she is!" shouted Ginny, pointing towards a pack of Slytherins heading for the horseless carriages. "She's with Greengrass and Nott!"
Dread slithered cold and slow through Hermione's body. She pushed through the crowd, using her prefect status a few times to get bemused older years out of her way. She reached Edelweiss and the Slytherins with her soon enough. Luckily, it was before they could board a carriage up to the castle.
"—so you see them as well, Nott?" Edelweiss asked, staring at the blank space before the carriages. "What are they?"
"Thestrals," said Nott, looking a touch peaky. "Only those who have witnessed someone die can see them, Potter."
Edelweiss hummed. She peered over her shoulder quite suddenly, a flash in her familiar emerald eyes. "Ah. There you are, Hermione. I was wondering where you were. I was quite disappointed you didn't find me on the train."
Hermione scowled defensively. "We searched the train for you, Edie." She glanced at the Slytherins before asking, "What are you doing with them? Nott's a—"
"I'm well aware of what his family is like, Hermione. He proved himself willing to be compliant while on the train." Nott shot Edelweiss a distressed look but said nothing. "I have grown tired of fighting the wars of our parents and grandparents."
She was tempted to argue with Edelweiss over how trustworthy any who followed You-Know-Who could be, but Hermione doubted her points would sink in. Some delusion twisted her friend's mind, poisoning her against those who wanted the best for her—Dumbledore most of all. While she could not deny that Edelweiss was justified in her petty anger at the Headmaster, he was still Albus Dumbledore. He had defeated Grindelwald. He was the one Voldemort feared. They could not fight the war Edelweiss was obsessed with without him.
"Fine," Hermione grumbled. Edelweiss smiled victoriously, and Hermione felt a flush of anger. Impulsively, she added, "We're joining you in the carriage."
"There's only enough room for you and Ron."
"Go on," said Ginny before Hermione or Ron could protest. "I see some of my friends. I'll head up to the castle with them."
Ginny then departed, heading for another carriage somewhat nearby. She began speaking with her fellows, who glanced at Edelweiss and the Slytherins with strange expressions.
"Come on, then," said Edelweiss, stepping up into the carriage before them. The three Slytherins exchanged uncertain looks before following after her. It chilled Hermione, seeing Slytherins so willing to follow her friend.
"Might as well join them," grumbled Ron, stepping up into the carriage. Hermione followed after him, and she found them sitting with Edelweiss, the Slytherins across from them.
The carriage shifted forward several seconds after they all sat down. To Hermione's surprise, the unfamiliar Slytherin girl reached out with her right hand in a very muggle manner. "I'm Tracey Davis," she said as an introduction. "I've wanted to speak with you for a while, Granger, but I've always been so worried about Malfoy that I've kept my distance. We have Ancient Rune and Arthmancy together, so I guess I could have risked it, with him taking the same electives as Potter, but—"
"Trace," warned Greengrass. "Malfoy has not been defused yet."
Davis deflated at Greengrass's words. Nott rolled his eyes, though his face was morose enough Hermione suspected he might enjoy seeing Malfoy be publically humiliated. From what she had seen, he spent most of his time with that dark-skinned Slytherin in their year, and periodically with Greengrass and Davis.
And that assumes Parkinson is elsewhere. Otherwise, she and Davis remain in Parkinson's orbit. It's all so strange.
Hermione put that sudden realization out of mind. She felt troubled by it. But then, life in the magical world was easier for her when she approached it like a children's story, with black-and-white morality. Slytherins evil, Gryffindors good, and nobody minded the other two houses beyond when their numbers stepped into the grand conflict within Hogwarts, all of which seemed to surround her friend.
Edelweiss, the central figure in so much these past four years, had abandoned that worldview. Where a year ago she too would have dismissed Slytherins as cruel prats, she now entertained a possible friendship with Greengrass and Nott and even Davis, who seemed decent.
"Oh don't worry so much," remarked Davis, drawing Hermione's attention back to her. The girl was surprisingly tan for a pureblooded Slytherin. "They don't know it yet, but Potter more or less has those two wrapped around a finger. We've all been looking for an excuse to get away from Draco. Thankfully, she's stepped up to provide it."
"You make her sound like one of you," said Ron, his face reddened with fury. "You snakes need to—"
"I made the decision to reach out to them, Ronald, of my own free will and volition," Edelweiss suddenly said, voice low and cool. "You will speak to them politely—or not at all."
Ron released a frustrated growl before crossing his arms, making clear his decision to suffer in silence rather than risk Edelweiss's wrath. Hermione listened carefully to what Edelweiss said and struggled to keep her feelings to herself. Deep within, fear and disgust swelled, for her friend appeared working to orient herself—and those she drew to her—into an alternative to You-Know-Who and Dumbledore.
It was brazen.
It was foolish.
It was, unfortunately, also brilliant.
Worse, Hermione struggled to justify why Edelweiss should not seek to create her own faction, for that was what it appeared to be. Using her young age would only get those very words thrown back in her face. It was clear from everything Hermione saw and heard over the summer that her friend was utterly convinced she fight the Death Eaters soon. And worse, she spoke of fighting on her terms. By her methods.
What worried Hermione most was what Edelweiss intended for Britain after the war. Hermione trusted Dumbledore's vision, regardless of the likelihood the Headmaster would live long enough to witness a lasting peace settle across Britain.
When they finally reached the castle and disembarked from the carriages, they found the caretaker, Argus Filch, waiting at a narrow point right before the main doors, waving about a strange object that reminded Hermione of a portable metal detector. They had been informed that dark detectors would be used on arrival during the prefect meeting, but it was different seeing it in person. He waved it over them as they disembarked and trudged forward. He grumbled about Gryffindors and Slytherins mixing, calling it "unnatural." His dark detector registered nothing, though there was an odd moment when it twitched while passing over Edelweiss.
The three Slytherins separated from them by the time they reached the Great Hall. While heading for the Gryffindor table, Hermione came up to Edelweiss and whispered, "What was that about?"
Her friend was slow to answer. "I cannot say. If I knew, I would tell you."
Hermione had a strange feeling that she had been lied to. Somehow, Edelweiss knew why the dark detector reacted to her so—and why it was not enough to set the device off. Hermione thought it might be due to the influence of Grimmauld Place, but then why had it not reacted to her and Ron the same way? Was it because of the times Edelweiss went off alone when they were meant to be cleaning?
You're overthinking things, Hermione. Just calm down and consider everything appropriately.
She released a long, deep breath. It made her feel better. And once she was freed of worrying over Edelweiss, Hermione finally had the mental space to be happy that she was back at Hogwarts. Aisles and cases of tomes remained unexplored and unread in the library. Her personal reading time would be diminished this year when compared to previous years. They were taking their OWL examinations this spring. High marks on those would allow her to register for more NEWT-level courses, and high marks on those offered access to internships, apprenticeships, and posts at both Gringotts Bank and, more importantly, the Ministry of Magic.
One day, she would become the Minister for Magic. She knew deep down it was a lofty, even arrogant dream. But she had the ability to reach that high office. She was intelligent and tenacious enough to push past the lazy prejudice of the purebloods around her and seize power for the common good. She, Hermione Granger, would prove to them that her lineage was not something that held her back, but a source of strength. She was stronger because she was the child of muggles, not despite it.
For now, Hermione would focus on studying for her OWLs. It would be impossible to achieve what she wanted without passing those tests with flying colors. And after them would come their NEWTs—
"Stop worrying about tests and the future," grumbled Edelweiss as they finally sat at the Gryffindor table. "We still have months before we sit our OWLs."
"I…" began Hermione, the word squeaking out of her. "I am not worrying about them."
Edelweiss rolled her eyes, a fond smile coming into place. "If you say so. Hermione Granger never worries about tests, especially not weeks or even months in advance."
Ron snorted. When Hermione glowered at him, he shrugged and mumbled, "Edie has a point, Hermione. You've always been too intense about exams."
"They're very, very important!" Hermione hissed. "And our OWLs are more important than any we've taken so far. You two should take them seriously as well."
"There's a difference between taking them seriously and worrying about them way too early." Edelweiss's gaze drifted, and Hermione's followed. Malfoy was currently forcing some other students to shift around the Slytherin table so he could sit with Nott and Greengrass. Davis sat away from them with Zabini and a short girl who looked akin to Greengrass. "Once Christmas has passed, then you can bother us about OWLs. Even write up study schedules, since you have done that every year."
Hermione tried to not blush, despite how a fiery warmth swelled within her cheeks. Her friend was correct, regardless of how much she wanted to protest the claim. Hermione had grown up obsessed with school and education, for her parents had long talked about the schools she might be able to get into with high test scores. Despite how far they had risen in the world, they had wanted her to go even further.
Hogwarts is the same as those schools, she told herself, almost as though she were repeating a religious mantra. Magical Britain is the same as the muggle world. The better I do on these tests, the better off I will be. It has to be so since that's the world I know.
Edelweiss struggled to not sigh and roll her eyes, as Hermione's thoughts remained fixated upon the fluttery, unnecessary miasma that was her worries over their OWLs. She probably could peer into her friend's psyche, so that she might discover why Hermione was so obsessed with tests. However, Edelweiss worried she might give away her powers while stumbling about the choppy tides of Hermione's mind. She had been sloppy in the presence of those three Slytherins while on the Hogwarts Express.
A glance at the Slytherin table revealed that Malfoy had finally cornered Greengrass and Nott. Davis was obviously beneath his attention, for the girl was a halfblood. Zabini, though, did seem to inquire into whatever happened on the Express. No doubt all of Slytherin knew that those three had journeyed back to Hogwarts in Edelweiss's company.
Daphne Greengrass appeared to be defending their decision to share a compartment with Edelweiss. No doubt many would know she had slept through most of the journey north. And yet a faint reddish blush crawled up Malfoy's neck. Nott had a sly smirk on his face. One that grew when he caught Edelweiss's watching gaze.
She smirked back. Perhaps she would not need to act on their behalf. The mere presence of an alleged friendship—even an alliance—with Edelweiss Potter could be enough to gain what they wanted. Given their ease in embarrassing Malfoy, it could even be that others were seeing through the illusion that was the influence of the Malfoy name and wealth.
The doors of the Great Hall suddenly swung open. Professor McGonagall entered, guiding the new crop of first years between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables toward the hall's front, where the Sorting Hat awaited. They were tiny and timid, numbering nearly seventy by the time they were all gathered in a funky line before Hat and stool.
The Sorting Hat began its song, but it fell on deaf ears. Edelweiss's gaze drifted from the first years to the Head Table. While she looked over the familiar faces, her gaze lingered longest on a squat woman with a wide, unpleasant face. She was dressed in pink, wearing a thick cardigan and had a small bow in her soft brown hair. The woman noticed Edelweiss's focus on her and sneered.
Oh joy, Edelweiss thought, turning back to the first years as the Hat finally wrapped up its long, monotonous song. She clapped automatically. Another Defense professor who looks more than ready to try and kill me.
Beyond the troubles she experienced every Samhain, Edelweiss recognized a disturbing trend of Defense professors attempting to murder her. Quirrell had actively attempted to murder her once ordered by Voldemort. Lockhart sought it by proxy, threatening to obliviate all of her memories. Lupin had succumbed to his werewolf nature and attacked her. And the false Mad-Eye had betrayed her to her foe before trying to steal her away from Hogwarts.
Edelweiss wondered how the new professor would attempt to kill her. Would it be purposefully done, or occur by incident? It mattered little since it appeared her class would either be a waste of time or merely poorly run.
Best to skim the assigned text and hope my worries are misplaced.
The Sorting took over a half hour. Several sat on the stool for a minute or two, the Hat mulling over which house to send them to. Edelweiss only clapped when she heard the loud announcement of, "Gryffindor!" There was enough bad blood between her and the other houses that she tossed aside politeness and propriety for the night.
"Lot of midgets this year," Ron grumbled. "They should hurry up. I'm starving."
Edelweiss bit her tongue to stop from snorting at Ron's ill-timed comment. Hermione took umbrage with his words, slapping him across the table. A few of the others around them glared at her, but nobody said a word when they spotted the red and gold prefect badge proudly displayed on her chest.
"Dumbledore will want to speak as well," she told Ron as a "Rollins, Carol," was sorted into Hufflepuff. "He will likely keep his speech short in favor of announcements before we head to bed."
Ron nodded, even as he stared longingly at the large golden platters along the table's center. Soon, they would be filled with a grand feast. For now, they remained barren and empty. His gaze remained fixed on the platters, even as Dumbledore stood and spoke a few words of greeting. He was subtle as he referenced his speech from June, yet Edelweiss heard his warnings nonetheless. The new Defense professor glowered at him as if he had spat directly in her face.
Ah, yes. She is loyal to Fudge. So Dumbledore failed to find another candidate.
Food appeared and conversation began almost immediately after the Headmaster sat back down. Edelweiss plated herself roasted chicken and pork, along with a salad rich in cucumber and tomato. She listened to Hermione theorize about the Hat's song—the same song she had ignored—while Ron ate with his usual blistering speed and lacking graces, his plate piled almost alarmingly high.
"Close your mouth while you chew," snarled Edelweiss. "It was amusing a few years ago. It's revolting now."
Ron glared, yet snapped his jaw shut nonetheless. Edelweiss noted a few grateful glances shot her way. Yet many more frowned at how she forced Ron to behave correctly. Many glared at her. She turned to Hermione and whispered, "Do you know why I'm less popular now than right after my name came out of the Goblet?"
Hermione blinked. "You have been reading the Prophet, yes?"
Edelweiss rolled her eyes. Despite Rita Skeeter's so-called reporting from the previous year, Hermione had decided to waste her limited coin to renew her subscription to the Prophet. Hopefully, her friend had picked up on how it was little more than the Ministry's mouthpiece, barely above a propaganda rag.
Maybe that is why she's so surprised, Edelweiss realized. I guess it is obvious, now that I think it over, that many would be angry at me because of what was written. How foolish are they all, to take the Prophet at face value? Did they forget the lies last year, or did they believe them as well?
"You know I don't read the paper, Hermione. Everything I saw from it last year came from either issues you received or those Malfoy used to taunt me."
Hermione had the grace to appear embarrassed by the reminder. She was saved from answering by Ron. "They've been saying terrible things about you all summer," he said, his mouth miraculously not filled with half-chewed food. "Hermione used to rant and rave about the articles."
"I never heard any of that."
"She stopped a couple days before you suddenly showed up. Dunno why, since the articles continued to make her mad. Once you stopped cleaning with us, she'd rant and—"
"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "You can't talk about this summer!"
"She has a point," Edelweiss said with a bit of pork chop on her fork. "This is not the place for a conversation about that place."
Ron's ears went bright red while his cheeks took on a rosy hue that highlighted his freckles. He returned to eating, all the while appearing mindful of Edelweiss's earlier words. She tried to not be surprised he was capable of polite manners. But then she was so accustomed to him eating like a slob that any change of pace would stand out.
"What about those Slytherins in your train compartment?" asked Hermione with a hint of suspicion. "Is this the wrong place to talk about them?"
Edelweiss glanced up and down the table. Only a few were actively paying attention to them. Most were caught up speaking with their friends they had likely not seen in three months. After a few seconds of thinking, she made her decision. "What of them?" she asked. "I was asleep when they arrived. They have as much love for Malfoy as we do. Perhaps even less, since they have to suffer him in their common room and the ill-effects he brings to every Slytherin here."
"But they're Slytherins. You can't trust them."
Her left hand clenched. Had she been holding a knife, it would have bent under the force. "The Hat nearly sorted me into Slytherin. I begged for anything else, and so I was sorted into Gryffindor." Edelweiss tried to feel nothing as she stared at Hermione's stricken expression. "I will not fault you for distrusting Nott, since I don't as well. But Greengrass? Davis? They could be allies. Perhaps even friends. The latter faces enough scorn and contempt within their walls, given her blood status is equal to mine."
"It doesn't matter," grumbled Hermione, turning back to her dinner. "She's as rotten as the rest."
Edelweiss clenched her jaw. After a moment of stewing with frustration, she decided to allow her friends the chance to eat in peace. She focused on her meal, all the while wondering when she had grown up compared to them. Over the summer would be her first guess. But then she had focused on her studies of the Force and its dark side under her master's tutelage, and later eked out what she could from living in a Black family home. Yet the more she reflected upon the past months between bites of roasted meat and vegetables, the more she realized she had also pushed them away. It had been a slow process, aided as much by her diverging interests as by how they followed Dumbledore's order concerning letters. Both of her friends dangerously idolized the man. Hermione more than Ron. And could she truly trust anyone who idolized him?
They don't have the same experience with him, she reminded herself. They aren't the ones sent to an uncaring household. He doesn't manage their lives as he does mine, dictating their summers and manipulating their time at Hogwarts.
Why would they hate him the way I do?
She ate on in silence, stewing in her anger and hatred. More than once she glanced at the Head Table. It took a few glances to notice Hagrid's absence; his massive bulk had always stood out. And for all the man's many faults, he was still the one who introduced her to the magical world. There must have been someone else to escort the first years to the boats they took across the Black Lake to the castle. Maybe it had been the woman in Hagrid's usual seat. She looked familiar as well.
Eventually, dinner gave way to dessert, and then that too went away. Edelweiss drew away from her anger as Dumbledore rose back to his feet, his long silvery beard almost fashionable against a robe of magenta and puce.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts," the Headmaster began as the Great Hall went quiet. "I will begin with this year's beginning of term notices." He smiled fondly as if there was nothing he would rather do. "Firstly, it should be noted that the Forest on the grounds is out of bounds to all students. Some of the returning students should remember that it is called Forbidden for a reason."
Edelweiss smiled fondly, remembering her many misadventures in the nearby woods. She had risked death there several times, especially when she and Ron had foolishly wandered into an acromantula nest while seeking an answer to the Chamber of Secrets.
"Next, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind everyone that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a great number of other magical items. You can find the complete and extensive list fastened to the door of Mr. Filch's office."
He paused and glanced up and down the Head Table. "We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be instructing Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid recovers from his summer sabbatical on the continent. Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taught this year by Professor Umbridge, who has kindly stepped down from her Ministry career to pursue one in education."
His announcement was met by polite, if disinterested clapping. Hermione and Ron shot worried looks first at each other, and then at Edelweiss. She shrugged while trying to not narrow her eyes, for she suspected the "sabbatical" Dumbledore spoke of was Order business.
As the Headmaster continued to notices about Quidditch tryouts, Professor Umbridge rose to her feet. Edelweiss only noticed because the squat professor's chair shifted back loudly enough that the professors nearest her turned and stared, shocked at her brazen action. Dumbledore trailed off once he noticed her as well. He stared curiously at his newest professor.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat with a "Hem, hem." Edelweiss grimaced at the false sound. The moment she opened herself up to the Force, she felt a deep undercurrent of discomfort swirling amongst the student body. Only some at the Slytherin table felt pleased by the events occurring before them. Odds were they knew more about Umbridge than anyone else.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high and breathy like a teenage girl trying desperately to flirt with a boy who never gave her the time of day. Edelweiss clenched her jaw to hold back a laugh at how ridiculous the new professor sounded.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" The Great Hall remained silent as her words echoed high above in the rafters. When no response came, she continued as if nothing was wrong. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Giggles broke out nearby. Edelweiss glanced over at Parvati and Lavender. She suspected one of them had made a snide comment about Professor Umbridge's ghastly pink cardigan, or about how silly the bow in her hair looked. Regardless, it was doubtful the woman would find many friends at Hogwarts.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance," continued Professor Umbridge. "The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Edelweiss frowned as she leaned forward onto an elbow. A bad feeling pooled in her gut as the new professor spoke, slowly laying out in her strange way what she planned for her tenure at Hogwarts. Edelweiss's frown slowly deepened as the woman went on and on. She was left wondering who this Umbridge woman was among Fudge's cronies and minions. She was certain this woman had been within Fudge's inner circle. Edelweiss's lacking knowledge of the Minister's office and the Ministry in general meant she knew nothing about Umbridge beyond what was being revealed, here and now. She had to relax her jaw as Umbridge's speech began to come to an end.
"…because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment," said Professor Umbridge, smiling sweetly. It was the smile of a creature confident it had nothing to fear from those it thought as prey. "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She was met by silence. Nobody clapped. Not the Ravenclaws who understood what she said. Not the Slytherins who might agree. Not even the Hufflepuffs who were overly polite. There was no whispering or gossiping about what was said. All that met Professor Umbridge was the silence of a student body quite incapable for once of coming to a sudden, rash decision about how to handle an oddity in their midst.
Headmaster Dumbledore, surprisingly, came to her aid. "Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for those illuminating words."
Professor Umbridge, for her part, glowered at the Headmaster. Edelweiss suspected the woman thought she was being mocked. That, or her hatred of the Headmaster was too strong to hide her honest feelings.
A fool to challenge him so openly in his castle. Not even Voldemort dared to act against Dumbledore within Hogwarts without some cunning scheme in place.
"As it has grown very late," continued Dumbledore, "I believe all of you should head off to bed."
The Great Hall erupted in a rumble of voices as the student body rose to their feet. Edelweiss waited where she sat, watching as Ron and Hermione squabbled over how they would escort the Gryffindor first years to the common room. She tried not to laugh as Ron proceeded to call them midgets despite Hermione's efforts to correct him.
The first years, on the other hand, were more interested in staring and ogling Edelweiss than following the new prefects. She stared back, vibrant emerald startling several who stared too long.
"Come on, Edie." She turned and found Ginny standing behind her. "Let's head up while they argue over the first years."
Edelweiss glanced at Ron and Hermione, who were still busy arguing amidst the Gryffindor first years. She glanced at the twenty or so children chattering to each other.
"Lead on, then," she said, rising to her feet.
Ginny dominated their conversation as they climbed Gryffindor Tower. Edelweiss allowed Ginny's words to wash over her, for her mind was more intrigued by what Umbridge said. Most obvious from her speech was the Ministry's blatant intention to fully interfere in the affairs and operation of Hogwarts. She would not be surprised if something occurred that would allow the Ministry—through Umbridge, their agent at Hogwarts—to influence or control the staff's composition. They could go as far as sacking and replacing professors.
Edelweiss thought first of Trelawney, and then of Snape and Binns. They could all be justifiably sacked. She would not even shed a tear, seeing them permanently forced out of the castle, disgraced and ridiculed over their poor instruction.
When they reached the Fat Lady, guardian of the Gryffindor common room, Ginny suddenly asked her, "Do you know the password?"
Edelweiss blinked. "Password?"
She recalled how she slept through most of the trip from London before spending the remainder with those Slytherins. After that, she argued with and ignored Ron and Hermione enough that she had forgotten to ask them for the common room password.
As prefects, they would know.
"Afraid not," Edelweiss admitted. "You?"
Before Ginny could answer, a familiar voice drew their attention behind them. "I do!" They turned as Neville Longbottom reached them, grinning. "For once."
"Be my guest, then," said Edelweiss, gesturing forward to the bemused Fat Lady, who rested playfully in her portrait.
Neville stepped forward and proudly said, "Mimbulus mimbletonia."
The Fat Lady winked at Neville before swinging inward, granting them access to their common room. It was as red as it had been in years previous, yet as Edelweiss entered, she didn't feel as though she were coming home, as she once might have. Ever since she discovered she was a witch, Gryffindor had become her true home, the place where everyone she cared about was. Yes, that was before Sirius, but her godfather had called it home when her parents were a Hogwarts. It counted in the end.
Nothing had changed with Gryffindor. She had changed.
Her favorite seat, a massive plush chair by the fireplace, was occupied by a group of giggling third-years. She considered bullying them away from it for a moment, but a wave of exhaustion swept through Edelweiss. She turned to Neville and Ginny, murmured a good night around a wide yawn, and climbed the stairs to the dormitory she had occupied for four years.
Beyond Hermione, who remained elsewhere guiding the first years up to the common room, the other girls in her year had beat her to their room. Fay Dunbar had already climbed into bed, a mask over her eyes. Edelweiss sensed she had not fallen asleep yet. Whatever gossip Lavender and Parvati had been engaged in halted the moment they noticed Edelweiss.
"Were your summer hols pleasant?" she asked, crossing to her bed. When they had been first years, Edelweiss had insisted on having the bed furthest from the door, and thus closest to the bathroom. Lavender and Parvati had been displeased with the arrangement, but their hero worship of the Girl-Who-Lived prevented them from daring to argue against her. Now, that mysticism was gone, replaced with uncertainty and doubt.
"Fine enough," said Lavender awkwardly. "You were in the papers a lot. The front page, mostly. Not the parts I read."
"They only said nasty things about you," added Parvati with a frown. "Padma doesn't think you or Professor Dumbledore are barmy, though she says most of Ravenclaw won't agree."
"If only they could see half of what I have," Edelweiss muttered with a sneer. She entertained what the Ravenclaws might say and how she might sway their minds. Would it be her memory of Quirrell removing his turban to expose the ghastly face attached to the back of his head? Perhaps the memory of Tom Riddle revealing how and why he devised the name 'Lord Voldemort' would convince them. Or perhaps she could outright show them all what occurred in that graveyard—events even now suppressed in a dark, damp corner of her mind.
"My family believes you, though," Lavender said, her words rushed and stumbling. "We've long supported the Headmaster. Ever since he went over to Germany and beat Grindelwald."
Edelweiss hummed. Revealing her true feelings toward Dumbledore would not endear her to Lavender—and thus would not endear her to Parvati, in turn. Perhaps with time she could trade loyalty to Dumbledore for loyalty to her, but that would take time and more patience than she wished to exert with these two.
"And Fay?" she ended up asking, glancing at the now-sleeping girl.
Lavender shrugged. "She didn't say much when we came up. She ate with her friends at the feast. Fay climbed into bed shortly after we got comfortable."
Fay had long been the odd girl out in their year. Where Lavender and Parvati were childhood friends and Edelweiss and Hermione had a bond forged in fire, Fay existed along the periphery of their year. Not even Neville went as unnoticed as Fay Dunbar did. She had latched on to some girls in the year above them to mask her loneliness. Sometimes Edelweiss felt bad about how they had all but marginalized the girl. But with all that weighed upon her shoulders, Edelweiss discovered that she did not truly care about Fay Dunbar.
"So the normal, then."
Lavender nodded. Parvati stared at the sleeping girl and sighed. "It's depressing, having a stranger sleeping in this dorm with us. We've been together for four years, yet how much do we really know about her?"
"Beyond she's friends with a few sixth years?" asked Edelweiss.
Parvati nodded.
"She's a halfblood like me," Edelweiss remarked. "One parent muggleborn, one parent pureblood. I think it's reversed, but then she doesn't talk about her family much."
"We could say the same about you, Edie," Lavender teased. "I know you holiday in the muggle world—"
"Wouldn't describe my summers as holidays, but go on."
Lavender frowned at the interruption before continuing. "Well, it's just we never hear anything about your muggle relatives. I don't want to be pushy or nosy, but I've always been curious. What is the Girl-Who-Lived's home life?"
An impulse struck her. Edelweiss pondered the potential of telling these two the truth. She considered telling them how she had called a cupboard under the stairs her bedroom for nearly ten years. How she was ignorant of being a witch until she received her Hogwarts letter. That her muggle relatives purposefully kept her ignorant of her magical heritage thanks to their hatred of her parents. How she had cooked and cleaned and handled the gardening since she was five and had been expected, at least until the past summer, to continue doing so despite being a witch. She even considered telling them how she had lived in fear she would be beaten—or worse—by her muggle uncle.
But secrecy was her tool. A source of power, and allowed her to avoid telling lies.
Hermione stormed into their dorm, face flushed with fury. For several seconds, she paced back and forth before her bed, hands opening and clenching. Edelweiss watched Hermione until she suddenly approached her and said, "I cannot believe what they're saying about you down there! I nearly took twenty points because of what they said!"
"Nearly? I'm impressed that you were able to restrain yourself."
Hermione grimaced. Frustration flashed in her brandy brown eyes while her jaw clenched tightly. Edelweiss wondered what exactly ate at her friend. Was it the fact she had not given into the impulse to abuse her power? Or was the comments Hermione overheard truly that bad?
"I take it they said nasty things about me."
"…yes, they did." Hermione turned away. "I will not repeat what they said."
"A wise choice," said Edelweiss, her mouth filled with bitter poison. The dark side flowed into her, through her even. A brief impulse passed through Edelweiss, nearly prompting her to return to the common room below. No doubt those responsible for offending Hermione had run off to their dormitories. "Though I wouldn't mind another reason why I shouldn't go down there and hex anyone who looks at me wrong."
"Because it won't solve your problem?"
Edelweiss shot Hermione a sideways look. "I dunno. I think controlling the Ministry or the Prophet might improve my life."
Lavender and Parvati choked in horror while Hermione blanched. Edelweiss smiled crookedly and waited until her friend realized she was being teased.
The conquest of Magical Britain would come in time and not soon. One day, though, these three would realize Edelweiss had been serious.
"Just go to bed," grumbled Hermione as she headed to the bathroom. Edelweiss followed after her friend. She wanted a shower before trying to get a good night's sleep. Hopefully, a peaceful night in Gryffindor Tower would leave her in a better mood come the morrow.
Edelweiss woke as a fire bloomed in her veins. A power beckoned her, weak and distant. She sat up with a frown and reached out with the Force. Her senses grazed against the enchantment on the stairs up the girl's side of the tower and those upon the Fat Lady's portrait. The power drew her attention deeper and deeper, further down into the castle.
Lord Salazar. He was summoning her to the Chamber of Secrets. No, to Ziost Hangar. And who was she to make him wait?
Edelweiss slipped from her bed and snuck over to her trunk. She opened it up and drew out a robe to cover her nightgown, the Marauder's Map, and her father's invisibility cloak. Those final two, along with her Gringotts key and the album of family pictures Hagrid gifted her long ago, were all she retained of a Potter family legacy. The only other possession she had that was as valuable as them was her master's holocron.
And none can be replaced. Not even the Map.
She closed her trunk and rose to her feet. Her yearmates were deep sleepers—even Hermione, who was prone to waking at odd hours to write down strange insights from her garbled dreams. For all she hated divination, Edelweiss sometimes wondered if her friend possessed a slight gift for it. Hermione remained too rigid in her thinking to realize what she was capable of—and Edelweiss would take advantage of that oversight.
Were Hermione more attuned, perhaps she might pick up on the Force and Edelweiss's slow transformation into a Sith Lord—into the Dark Lord of the Sith.
She shivered at that realization and then shook her head. Edelweiss could engage in thoughts of greatness later.
The descent from Gryffindor Tower to the Chamber of Secrets passed quickly, thanks to her past effort in her third year. Shortly after being given the Marauder's Map, Edelweiss stumbled upon a passage on the fourth floor that possessed a parseltongue lock. Her father and his friends, muddled by confusion, had left behind awkward and odd notation. The parselmouth safeguards had stumped the Marauders—months would pass before she learned who they were—over that particular passage.
Edelweiss happened to be a parselmouth and thus she could pass through. She soon learned just about every trace of parseltongue sealing within Hogwarts led to the Chamber's entrance. That locale on the fourth floor was the closest to Gryffindor Tower, close to a passage that led over to Ravenclaw Tower.
With cloak and map, Edelweiss had zero trouble reaching her desired passage. From there, she vanished from the Marauder's Map. Edelweiss allowed her father's invisibility cloak to hang from her neck, bound together as if it were a regular cloak and not the oddest silvery blanket in the world. Once she had joked with Ron about using it while she slept. He had not found her joke as amusing as she thought he would. He had sprouted off some wizarding nonsense about her never waking up.
Apparently, she learned later, the wizarding tale of Sleeping Beauty involved a cloak of invisibility instead of a curse.
Barely twenty minutes after waking, Edelweiss came to the door into the Chamber of Secrets. It was tall, lined with serpents that sealed it shut. She barely lost her stride as she demanded with a sharp hiss: "Open!" The door leaped to obey her, and she slipped into the familiar confines of the Chamber of Secrets before it fully opened.
The massive stone block that had guarded the entrance to Ziost Hangar sat precisely as she left it back in June. The crimson crystal glowed as Edelweiss approached. She grasped the dark side, and the crystal glowed brighter. She had learned some of lightsabers during the hols. She understood that unless something else happened, that crystal would one day be instrumental to her weapon.
Edelweiss headed to the stairwell down to Ziost Hangar, stepping here and there as she cursed her oversight of not putting on slippers or shoes before answering Lord Salazar's summons. She hurried down the stone steps and reached the strange metal door that guarded the Hangar. The door hissed open automatically. No strange, robotic voice attempted to block her entry.
Edelweiss went not directly to Lord Salazar, but to the guardrails several paces beyond the entry. She peered down at the strange, black ship below. It was sleek, all smooth surfaces that slowly curved to the forward point. Part of her was tempted to inspect the craft—and then Lord Salazar's summons struck her like a bell. She turned shakily from the ship and proceeded into the holocron room.
Lord Salazar appeared almost immediately, his massive red-hued projection hovering over the desk. Edelweiss kneeled before him, head bent as she murmured, "What do you wish of me, Lord Salazar?"
"You came. I was not certain you would recognize my summons," the ancient Sith Lord said. "Though you did not come as quickly as I desired."
"I… I only hesitated once, and only a few feet away from here. The summons awoke me, and I knew where I must go," said Edelweiss. "Thankfully, I know the swiftest routes through the castle, including those you installed."
"Are you the only parselmouth living?"
"The only one within these walls. The other, the one who names himself the Dark Lord Voldemort, is my enemy."
"This Dark Lord? I presume he is a descendant of mine."
"He is," Edelweiss admitted sourly. "He prides himself on his connection to you through his mother. However, I know that while he found the Chamber above, he remains blind to the Force. Else you would have trained him, and this place would have remained secret to me."
Lord Salazar scoffed. "You would have found your way here. But since you seek to become a Sith Lord and he dares name himself the Dark Lord, you must destroy him. I do not doubt your capacity to slay him."
"Thank you, Lord Salazar," she said shakily.
He smiled before asking, "How have your studies under Lady Bastila's tutelage proceeded?"
Edelweiss nearly reached into her pocket. The Map rested there, but her master's holocron was not. It resided back in her trunk. She had seen no reason to bring it with her when she responded to Lord Salazar's summons.
"They went well," she said carefully. "My master's holocron is in my dormitory back in Gryffindor Tower, so she is not available to speak now. She would better report on my progress."
Lord Salazar nodded, though a hint of something disappointed or exhausted slipped onto his weathered face. "Rowena and Godric were fools, claiming tower dormitories for their lot. Helga and I were more sensible, placing them lower in the castle. Teaching should be done higher up. Better to draw the gazes of our students to the heavens."
"I would not call a common room beneath the Black Lake sensible, even if it is impressive, Lord Salazar."
"You have been to the Slytherin House?"
"I have," Edelweiss admitted. "In my second year, when Voldemort's… memory possessed a student and used your basilisk to attack students, my friends and I brewed a batch of polyjuice potion. With it, we disguised ourselves as Slytherins, so that we could access the common room and try to uncover what others knew."
"A memory that possessed people? Polyjuice? These are not known to me." Lord Salazar scowled and crossed his arms. "Magic has grown in the thousand years since I passed away. I am both pleased and vexed."
Edelweiss nodded as she pieced together a proper response in her mind. She wished she understood what that memory of Tom Riddle had been beyond what he claimed. However, that happened to be another secret Dumbledore continued to keep from her. She would be shocked if his theory about whatever that diary had been was proven false.
All she knew was that the diary had almost killed Ginny Weasley and that basilisk venom destroyed it in turn.
"Perhaps this relates to the anomaly the scanners discovered during your first visit," murmured Lord Salazar. "I have spent the months since the reactivation of Ziost Hangar to analyze what was discovered."
Edelweiss frowned. "Anomaly? I remember that faintly…" She hummed thoughtfully. "Do you know what it is?"
"The anomaly relates to the scar upon your brow." Edelweiss brushed some of her wild black hair over the lightning bolt scar that cut across her right eyebrow, across her forehead, and into her hairline. The highlight was the obvious bolt that cut across her brow, for it was red and ached something fierce. "Indeed. That. I have gone over the scans taken, and the best we can determine is that there is something of another's essence lodged there."
"We?"
[SYSTEM REPORT: ZIOST HANGAR OPERATED BY SERIAL NUMBER: ZETA-ALEPH THREE-SEVEN]
Edelweiss stumbled back to her feet as her emerald eyes scanned the room for the source of the strange, metallic voice. Lord Salazar chuckled, low and mirthful at her panicked reaction.
"What was that?" she demanded, on the verge of drawing her wand. She grasped the dark side and drew power into her using her panic and fear. Edelweiss suddenly felt drunk with power, ready to lash out at any moment.
"That was Zeta-Aleph, a droid brain plugged into the computer systems that operate Ziost Hangar," said Lord Salazar. There was pride in his voice, tempered by a hint of glee. "Rowena begged many times to study him. Her methods were crude, however, and would have destroyed that which I could not dare be lost."
"Why not?"
"Because he possesses knowledge unknown to any organic life form on this planet. Ziost, my homeworld, is on the far side of the galaxy."
Edelweiss frowned at the reminder that Lord Salazar had not been born on Earth. "Lord Salazar. I have a request: show me the galaxy beyond Earth, and show me where Ziost is."
Lord Salazar stared at her, almost amused by the demand. And then he nodded and disappeared, suddenly replaced by a large wheel. Her mouth fell open as she stared upon its brilliance, upon a million million stars. One portion, reaching out from the edge of the furthest ring, glowed. "This is the Orion Arm, where we currently are. Rowena insisted upon naming it so." The Orion Arm dimmed, and then most of the far half glowed. Segments appeared, divisions that meant something to him yet nothing to her. "This is the Known Galaxy, at least at the time when I was a young man. I fled after prophetic dreams revealed the looming destruction of the Sith Order I knew. The one who would destroy it would also bring about my death, so I fled for a world where I might sow the seeds of my future vengeance against his legacy."
Lord Salazar said nothing as Edelweiss approached the projected galaxy. Lines streaked out from the core, spreading out like the branches of a tree. She raised a hand and followed one. "What are these?"
"Hyperspace lanes. People beyond this planet can travel across the stars swiftly, moving faster than light."
Her breaths became shaky. "The ship in the other chamber. That's how you came to Earth…"
"Yes. A thousand years ago when I first came to this world, it was beyond a backwater. A dirty, impoverished world. That ship was the most advanced craft by all measures."
"And so it remains," Edelweiss murmured, recalling the little she remembered of muggle space travel. "I cannot fathom what it must have been like to arrive on this world after all the luxuries a space-faring people must enjoy."
Her education concerning early Britain had been undermined thanks to the Dursleys and their efforts to ensure she performed worse than Dudley. Fury roared in her veins thinking of them. She tried to cool her ardor, even as she took comfort in thoughts of plotting their final destruction.
"Worry not, young apprentice. One day you shall leave this world and step out into a new galaxy. You shall encounter the remnants of the Sith Order which replaced mine, and deal with whatever remains of that tired old religion."
"I would not call it tired," declared Edelweiss. "Not yet." The Gryffindor courage that had driven her through the trap door, into the Chamber, to face dementors and Voldemort, bloomed with her fury. "Perhaps that is how you feel, my lord, but I am filled with energy, with the strength to carry on. Entrust me with this legacy, and I shall be the greatest Sith Lord who ever lived. I shall still be spoken of five thousand years from now when every other name of this age has long since faded."
Lord Salazar reappeared to gaze upon her. She stiffened, unwilling to back down before him. Eventually, a wry smirk crossed his old, weathered face.
"You have many trials ahead of you, apprentice. Only once you are worthy shall any Sith confer upon you the title of Sith Lord. Only once you are… Darth Gladiolus will I recognize your ambition as more than a simpering girl's idiocy."
Edelweiss blinked, wondering how Lord Salazar had learned that name.
"What trials do you foresee for me, Lord Salazar?"
"There are two great trials I foresee. How you face them shall be upon your shoulders: you must overcome the two lords of your age. You have spoken of this Voldemort, the unruly descendant of mine who calls himself a dark lord. But there is another. You radiate with wrath and fury whenever you think of him, even more than toward the one who murdered your parents."
"The Headmaster of Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore." Edelweiss clenched her hands so tightly a nail cut through the flesh of her palm. "That is who you speak of. He is this other lord—the one in opposition to the false dark lord."
Lord Salazar hummed slightly. "Once Dumbledore and Voldemort are no more, then you shall be a Sith Lord for certain. All who know the dark side will recognize you. Should they not know the name of Gladiolus, they shall confer upon you the title of Darth. In ancient times, that title separated those who thought themselves a Sith Lord from those who were Sith Lords."
Edelweiss straightened and smiled. When Lady Bastila had first spoken the name Darth Gladiolus, she had barely minded the first element. The latter, the flower name that emulated her own, had grasped her fancy and imagination so tightly she barely even gave that other one—the title of Darth—a second thought.
With this new realization, she felt the thousands of years of history, prestige, and heritage that title bore. She needed to do right by the title. She would be a great Sith Lord, greater than any who have lived or would live. At the end of time, when all faded to dust, they would still speak of Darth Gladiolus and the shadow she cast across the galaxy.
"But I have allowed myself to be distracted," Lord Salazar said, drawing Edelweiss from her errant thoughts. "We sought to speak of the anomaly detected when you first came to Ziost Hangar. As I had said, it is the essence of another, parasitically attached by some means I do not fully understand."
"When you say essence… What do you exactly mean?"
Lord Salazar was quiet for a minute or so before saying, "Rowena used the word 'soul' to describe what I speak of. A fragment of another's soul has attached itself to you."
"A soul can be broken apart?" whispered Edelweiss. A hand covered her mouth as her gut flipped over and tightened with disgust. Horror bubbled in her veins, even as her mind grasped onto something she hoped would explain what Lord Salazar had told her. Perhaps she was only grasping straws, but thinking of that handsome, cruel boy in the diary had awoken memories she had tried her best to forget and repress.
"You know the memory of Voldemort I spoke of, Lord Salazar? I… I think it could have been like the anomaly. A soul fragment."
"Explain."
"Well, the Tom Riddle from the diary—Voldemort when he was maybe a year older than me—said he had taken from Ginny and had poured some of himself into her. If soul and essence in this case were the same thing, then perhaps that was what the memory was: another fragment of his soul, bound to the diary."
"And where is this diary?" asked Lord Salazar.
"I returned it to Lucius Malfoy after it was destroyed. I used one of the basilisk fangs to pierce it through. The memory vanished and Ginny was restored." She paused and then frowned. "There was something odd about him. Almost… familiar. I cannot place—
"Then it appears this Voldemort left some of his soul with you."
"Oh."
Edelweiss was almost surprised Lord Salazar fell quiet after her verbal realization. But then, he already knew what she had realized. A fragment of Voldemort's soul was with them in Ziost Hangar. She held it within her. It was on that night when Voldemort cast the Killing Curse upon her, his powers failed, and his mortal body was destroyed. It was why she could speak with snakes, why she could access the Chamber of Secrets.
It was why she had always sensed him, for a portion of the Dark Lord sought to return to its master.
"He murdered my parents," Edelweiss began thickly, "and then attempted to kill me. It failed, and he was destroyed—for a time. This part of him has been with me since that night, so long ago." When Lord Salazar raised an eyebrow, she added, "It would have been when I was only a year old, and I only just turned fifteen. Nearly fourteen years have I bore it secretly."
"It will be difficult to remove."
"Yet there must be a way, my lord."
Lord Salazar remained quiet longer than she liked. He appeared thoughtful to her. Perhaps ponderous was a better word to describe him. And all the while, he considered the dangerous task of freeing Edelweiss from the foul piece of Voldemort latched on to her. She wondered how long he puzzled over how to cleanse her of the Dark Lord's taint; had been from their first meeting, or only here and now?
"There are two ways you may free yourself of his essence: either he must kill you the way he first attempted, or you must use Sith alchemy to purge yourself of its taint."
"Sith alchemy?" asked Edelweiss, remembering the hunt for Nicholas Flamel in her first year. She had set aside thoughts of alchemy since then, distracted first by the thankless task of stopping Voldemort from acquiring the Philosopher's Stone and then by the events of past years at Hogwarts. Yet now that she was years into her magical education and newly introduced to the ways of the Sith, the possibility of alchemy was once more laid out before her.
And better yet, there was the option of a future. After all, what life could she lead as long as Dumbledore and Voldemort lived?
She had rarely entertained the possibility of a future, for the Dark Lord cast a long shadow over her life. Once she might have considered joining the Auror Corps, but that was before she discovered the dark side of the Force. She no longer required aurors to gain the power necessary to destroy Voldemort.
"Sith alchemy is a dark science, one whose roots predate the Sith Order. Those who practice it seek to wield the energies of the dark side to manipulate life and the world around them," Lord Salazar said. "With Sith alchemy, you may cleanse yourself of the tainted essence bound to you. You may even find a different path to immortality."
Edelweiss nodded, turning to scan the wall of holocrons. Dozens sat there, waiting their turn to be activated by a Sith apprentice. "Who among them would be wisest and most knowledgeable in this science?"
"I would suggest the holocron of Naga Sadow." The red crystalline glass of a holocron shimmered under an illuminating light. "He was one of the great Sith Lords. Naga Sadow was buried on Korriban, the ancient homeworld of the Sith. On that world did the early wielders of the dark side ascend to Sith Lords, and there did they first face their old Jedi brethren."
"And then the Sith became a religion, a way to commune with the Force and use it for one's gain," whispered Edelweiss. She went to the wall and took Naga Sadow's holocron. For a few seconds, she considered slipping it into the pocket of her robe. She instead drew her wand and cast a swift tempus. The faint glow of numbers warned her that morning had come. Hermione would be awake soon. As such, Edelweiss's ability to conceal the holocron would be hampered.
"I will return for your knowledge and lessons, Lord Naga," she murmured, returning the holocron to its previous place. Edelweiss turned back to Lord Salazar. "I must depart, my lord. Do you require anything else of me?"
"As of now, I do not, young apprentice. When you return, bring Lady Bastila's holocron with you. I wish to speak with her, and you can begin your lessons in Sith alchemy with Lord Naga then. And soon, I hope, we shall begin your lightsaber training."
Edelweiss bowed and departed. Her hands clenched as she envisioned what wielding a lightsaber would be like and the powers she would gain from her studies under Naga Sadow.