Living as a half-blood in a world full of pureblood supremacy should have been difficult…only for me it was as easy as breathing. While people looked down upon me because of my status, often they never noticed until they heard my name. In any case growing up in an orphanage where I was hated and despised taught me not to care about others feelings. Naturally I persuaded the hat to sort me into Ravenclaw for in ether Slytherin or Gryffindor I would be treated a whole lot worse. I've learnt to hide, survive and adapt not to mention make people pay…. I've got a gift you see, well many in Gryffindor would say it's a curse but really it isn't. If I want someone to feel pain they do, I have no clue what Slytherins would think about it but let's just say only my house knows.
"Circe, Riddle keeps looking at you…" Luna whispered she's one of the only people I trust. Like me Luna's different too, she sees the world in a different light. She's my only friend in a world full of enemies. "Have you let your gift slip?"
"Of course not Luna, why would I?" I murmured. "I'm much too careful to let something so fundamental slip without a reason. I've heard of Riddle's circles and I refuse to join a part of it." I added.
"Any ideas why he's looking at you then?" She asked. Riddle's family was one of the most powerful if not the most powerful in Britain. His father being the minister…. When you attract the attention of a Riddle it is not a good thing in anyway. When the attention is visible that's more dangerous. I have deliberately avoided Riddle for a reason. Slytherin would have brought me closer, Gryffindors are emotional and constantly under suspicion.
"None whatsoever but that doesn't really matter right now does it? It only matters that if the others noticed my authority in Ravenclaw may be challenged which makes me in more danger. If one confronts me then my magic shall immediately lash out in such a manner pain shall be instant and really right not that is not a good thing." I spoke calmly despite the panic burning within, I dread to think what would happen if the dark lord found out.
"Indeed, but what are you going to do about it?" Luna asked softly.
"Watch and wait it out, what else can I do?" I answered in a matter of fact way, sometimes you had to wait till opportunity came to you. This was probably one of those times.
"You could confront Riddle." Luna pointed out.
"It's too much of a risk; he's the dark lord's son after all. As a Potter I cannot be seen near him if something happens. My parentage leaves little to be desired and while I'm respected in Ravenclaw I'm not with any other house. I need to be careful, very careful when it comes to this." I muttered darkly.
"Circe are you going to enter?" Cade Malfoy enquired.
"Enter what Cade?" I asked softly, Cade Malfoy is dangerous but a very good ally. He's deadly, the only reason he isn't in Slytherin like his twin Draco is because Cade tends to observe before choosing who to side with. Cade sees the world in more subtly shall I say…
"The tri-wizard competition… It would be the perfect opportunity to shock the purebloods and show them you're a force to be reckoned with." Cade smirked. "Draco certainly needs to be taken down a couple of pegs as well as my father; we both know your one of the most powerful people in school. Seeing as the dark lord would refuse to let his son to enter, if you don't enter ether then Hogwarts shall lose. That certainly wouldn't be good. Britain would be humiliated and the dark lord would be furious."
"That would certainly have merit." I smirked.
"Circe please I'm begging you! My father as the headmaster might even be killed for his failure to educate the students!" Ahh… so that was his motive.
"Bringing attention to me would not be good for me in anyway… Why should I reveal my magic's strength?" I asked.
"Please Circe!" Cade begged.
"I'll do a deal with you Cade, if I intervene you find out why Riddle keeps looking at me." I smirked, okay so maybe my power was going to be revealed at least I would find out more about Orion Riddle. As the Dark lord's son it would definitely be profitable.
"You want me to infiltrate Riddle's circle?" Cade's eyes widened.
"Indeed." I smirked.
"Why?" Cade asked.
"As the child of the Dark lord seems to be looking at me it might mean he knows something. It is vital I find out what. I also need to find out if I have a spy because if he knows anything I need to know how and control the information he's gaining. As a Malfoy he'll be more inclined to trust you. We both know Riddle would welcome you to his group so very easily." I smirked.
"What if he finds out?" Cade asked fear ever so apparent in his voice.
"He won't. After all Cade he hasn't got any reason to suspect a thing does he?" I smirked darkly. "Besides you asked me for help so it is only fair you help me in return especially as by helping you I'll be setting myself back further. It won't be that difficult of you." Cade looked worried but he couldn't assume I would do something for nothing.
"Are you sure?" Luna asked. "Riddle would punish Cade badly if he finds out." Luna bite her lip drawing fresh blood.
"Indeed I am sure." I glared. "If the dark lord finds out my gifts I doubt he will leave such a power unregulated. I do not want my power bound to serve another but myself. I control my powers and wield them for purposes that I agree with not purposes dictated by another. By entering you know fully well that is a high probability of happening. In such this is nothing. Pain isn't forever and that might not even happen for Cade but if I enter the dark lord is bound to find out!"
"Please just think about what you're asking!" Luna pleaded.
"I have and what I am asking isn't very much compared to what I shall have to endure!" I glared. "So what is it to be?" I asked coldly.
"I'll do it." Cade agreed.
"Thank you." I murmured. "Do not worry, if the worst comes to the worst you can relay some information to riddle but I want to be able to know what is going on with him."
"My brother told me that Riddle's fascinated by you…." Cade murmured my heart seemed to pound in my chest. While I'm no coward I've noticed whoevers caught his eye always ends up worse for wear. Fear seemed to burn through me. Riddle was a Slytherin, the leader of Slytherin. I'm almost certain that they know far more magic then we do. "You let your shield slip last year…he saw your magical core."
"Does he know anything?" I demanded.
"He knows your core is ebony, that you're extremely powerful." Cade murmured.
"Why is he so interested?" I hissed.
"He wants to know why you've hidden your gifts; he knows your hiding something and is intrigued as to why you're hiding. Why someone with a dark powerful core would hide is something he wants to find out. You're a mystery he wants to unravel. With your blood he is even more intrigued with you Circe." Cade murmured.
"What then?" I asked.
"I'm not sure…my brother never told me though I must say he had a dark glint in his eyes when he spoke of this." Cade admitted.
"Riddle has always been obsessed with you…" Luna murmured.
"What?" I hissed.
"He's always noticed the way you rule Ravenclaw despite the way you've hidden it." Luna murmured. "He needed an excuse to investigate you or he would lose favour for it. You are a half-blood after all, showing such interest in a half-blood would be seen as scandalous for him. When you're magical shields subsided for a second it gave him an excuse for it. Seeing as several other Slytherins had noticed as well he had more of a reason."
"More of a reason Luna? So he had other reasons?" I hissed angry.
"He did…he does…" Luna murmured.
"These are?" I glared.
"Well…." She trailed off…
"Well…are you going to continue?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why have you never told me before?"
"I never told you because we both know Riddle wasn't a danger back then." Luna murmured.
"He is now! If you had told me I would have been extra careful to not let my magic slip and allow my shields to fall." I glared.
"It might not have made a difference in the end! If you had been looking at Riddle he would have suspected you knew and you had something to hide! It would have made it far worse for you. He would have stalked you despite the fact that his reputation would have been distorted, which would have only made it more dangerous Circe! Honestly as a seer I know that would have happened. Every occasion when I could have told you I looked ahead and that's what happened." Luna defended herself fiercely.
"Why did you never tell me that I was going to let my magic slip?" I hissed more calmly.
"Circe I never thought they would." I looked into her eyes; yes she was telling the truth.
"They would what?" I shivered, that wasn't the voice of a Ravenclaw… Unlike the Ravenclaws, magic was weaved through his dark voice. It seemed powerful. Knowing my luck this was bound to be Riddle… "Hello Circe, I've heard so much about you but we've never actually met."
Slowly I turned my head. "You flatter me Riddle but I've heard far more about you than you could have ever heard of me."
"I doubt that." Riddle smirked darkly. "Circe you are rather well known shall I say, especially your past. You do know about your parents Circe don't you? While indeed your parents were powerful they were fundamentally light if my father told me correctly, the fact both parents were light and you are dark is positively unheard of. Your magic preference is inherited and as far as my father can remember the Potter's have been light." Ok, that was something I hadn't expected…Riddle had a point…it was unusual.
"Oh but you have forgot my mother's line." I replied casually.
"Oh as far as I knew your mother was a muggle born…" He stated sounding surprised.
"Actually you'll find she was the child of two squibs, one of a light family the other of a dark. Believe me I have researched my family heritage. When you grow up in an orphanage of the muggle world you automatically find yourself longing to learn more about your family bloodline." I smirked slightly, my blood red lips curling into a smile.
"You grew up in an orphanage?" Riddle sounded surprised. "Then you didn't know you were a witch? Your joint top with me in all classes…how is it possible you knew nothing of the wizarding world?" Riddle asked shocked.
"I study Riddle, and I'm also competently intelligent. I am in Ravenclaw for a reason. If I wasn't intelligent I would probably have been sorted into Hufflepuff." I arched an eyebrow. "Why so intrigued Riddle?"
"Call me Orion please Circe." Riddle smiled charmingly. "Indeed I am intrigued, though I must be forced to disagree with you. I doubt you would ever have been sorted into Hufflepuff Circe. Like your namesake you're positively glowing with magic. I'm so intrigued because your magic is so potent, it is so unusual for one of your blood status so be so powerful. Please pardon the stereotype Circe." Riddle- no Orion smiled.
"It is fine; I know that blood status tends to effect magical ability unlike my parents." I replied quite coolly. "Note that I said tends, most muggleborns don't tend to be powerful but sometimes you get certain surprises. Interbreeding, like with dogs, causes a loss of power when it comes to the family line. Due to this sometimes half-bloods can be more powerful that purebloods because they've awakened the previous magic which had been lost in the line due to interbreeding."
"You seem to know a lot about blood purity." Orion noted.
"In the muggleworld I excelled in history and science… these skills come in useful here." I smiled. "While I still have to return to the muggle world adapting isn't that difficult."
"You return to the muggle world? Circe your power is incredible; as is your intelligence surely some pureblood family would be happy to adopt you." Orion seemed shocked, stunned almost. "Your results show that you're powerful, your house shows your no fool. Why are you still living with filthy muggles?" Orion spat with venom. Casually I arched an eyebrow.
"You seem passionate when it comes to muggles…any particular reason?" I asked coolly.
"My father was raised by muggles believe it or not Circe, in an orphanage where he was treated like a freak. Witches and Wizards should not ever be left in the hands of muggles Circe; the two worlds should never be brought together. My father's still got scars." Orion hissed.
"Believe me when I say no pureblood would dare to adopt me." I smirked. That was definitely true; technically in the muggle world I was famous. As a killer they feared me, known for torturing my victims but the wizarding world knows nothing of me. Then I say I'm a murderer I only murder those who are murderers themselves. I befriend them then stab them in the back…quite literally sometimes. "Plus my parents were part of the resistance."
"Yes but you weren't, you never knew them." Orion murmured.
I laughed. "That doesn't matter, after all many say 'the apple never falls far from the tree'. Besides as I'm a half-blood that hardly helps matters." I scoffed. "Anyway, please pardon me if this sounds rude, but what was your purpose for coming over to the Ravenclaw table?"
"Do not worry about coming across as rude Circe." Orion smirked. "Originally I came across here because my father wants me to relay a message to you." My heart rate quickened. "After the assembly he desires to talk to you, your results and progress are extraordinary. My father has got a proposition with you Circe. If you meet me outside the hall I'll take you to his chambers here in the castle."
I paled considerably. "What sort of proposition?" I asked softly.
"You don't need to worry Circe, you'll be perfectly fine. I'm sure my father will have nothing bad at all to say to you, it's a positive thing believe me." Orion smiled, my heart sank. Did the dark lord know anything? In the muggle world I was a name to be feared, but here in wizarding world I'm practically powerless. Seems that the dark lord may have discovered my secrets…which means I've practically lost me freedom. In this world if you're powerful then you have no freedom unless you're at the top. If you're powerful then you're used as a tool and nothing else…it's so stupid. You have no idea how much I value my freedom.
"What sort of proposition?" I asked as coolly as I could without shaking.
"Believe me when I say it shall benefit you Circe…" Somehow I doubt that but in the pureblood world it would be a good thing. Seeing however as I live in the muggle world the connections wouldn't help me in any way. Connections get your far in the wizarding world but not in the muggle world of this time. Maybe in the past it may have affected that world but no longer.
"In the wizarding world maybe but not the muggle." I replied calmly, hiding my imminent stress.
"You certainly know how the Slytherin world works Circe, which is strange even for a Ravenclaw. Most just judge on what Gryffindor say." He murmured.
"Indeed but I've always been different."
"Indeed you have…" Orion's eyes met mine almost cautiously like he was self-conscious of revealing something. How odd… "You think very strategically, almost Slytherin Circe. Normally Ravenclaws only focus on gaining knowledge rather than self-gain."
"You are correct of course, but gaining knowledge does benefit one's self. Ever heard the phrase 'power is knowledge'? I've never been a typical Ravenclaw by any means. In fact the sorting hat said I would suit pretty much any house…" …only not Hufflepuff. If I remember correctly the hat said I'd tear them apart in seconds. "So how would this benefit me? In the muggle world I doubt it would help."
"You are correct of course but I strongly doubt a girl like you would have a fulfilling life in the muggle world. Ravenclaws seek knowledge that is a Ravenclaw trait that applies to all. There is no work that could ever interest you in the muggleworld because anything they are working towards could be done so simply with a wand." Orion pointed out; while he was correct he didn't know the current mission I was working on. I was purging the muggle world of those with the will and means to have the power to destroy the wizarding world. Orion was right when he said that our kind shouldn't mix with muggles…
"You are correct of course but until I turn 17 I'm stuck in the muggle world."
"You won't…" Orion replied smiling slightly, how odd… For the Dark lord's son he doesn't seem so sinister and dark. He seems almost kind towards me like he cares. In truth no one cares about someone like me, I'm practically a hypocrite. The light would call me a monster, not that it isn't justified.
"Why is that?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Well if you agree to my father's proposition then believe me when I say your summers won't be spent in the muggle world Circe. You would have to live in the wizarding world." A dark gleam seemed to cross his face like he favoured the idea, I shivered. Why did Orion Riddle care? While he seems determined to find out my secrets I'm determined to find his. Why was I drawn to him like a moth to a flame…? His aura is just so intoxicating…so alluring… "Personally I think the proposition will intrigue you at the very least Circe."
"What makes you sure?" I asked.
"Believe it or not but we are very similar, you and I. Like a nightingale your magic has the sweetest of lullabies, almost like the call of a Siren. Your magic has always called to me, so sweet and melodic though it was only till you slipped….I found out what was going on… You were hiding your potential, only a true match…." Orion trailed off, how curious. "Trust me when I say this proposition shall befit you greatly should you choose to accept it."