Prologue

"I am sorry, Tiyama… as much as we, the staff, like you as our pupil, your behaviour in the past weeks has been unacceptable."

The words rang clear in the frozen space, bounced off by the ice adorning the once pristine walls of a Potions classroom. Great icicles hung from the high ceilings, giving off an ominous light in the semidarkness caused by the winds blowing off the candles, but the figures inside gave these no thought as their severe looks were locked upon a straight figure standing slightly cornered in one side of the room. With a swish of wand, the ice seemed to melt and dissappear, as the rock walls regained their grainy texture.

"I am sorry, child" the voice repeated. "Do you have anything to say? To explain your behaviour, perhaps?" Angry eyes of a pale blue flashed towards the speaker… "I have nothing to say, Headmaster."

"Very well, then…" the tone had changed, from weary and tired to a steely one… "Then you are giving us no option than to dismiss you from this school." A startled look passed briefly the angular features of the student, before being replaced by a shuttered mask, giving away nothing but a restrained anger… and hurt. Long looks were exchanged between the professors in the room, before were rested again on the guilty student. "However, I will speak to a good friend of mine to see if you could finish your studies elsewhere, Miss Adonay, but keep in mind, that the circumstances you have created here will follow you no matter where you will go. A history of violence and disobeying of rules is a stain in your file that will be staying there for a long time. It will depend on you wether it will go away or not… and on your new Headmaster, if he will agree to take you in."

"I understand, sir."

"Very well, then… you should head up to your room and start packing. Your train will be leaving soon."

With a short nod, the guilty student fleed the rom, leaving behind two weary professors and a slightly angered Headmaster.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Headmaster?" asked a middle-aged man, long white hair framing a soft looking face with gold rimmed glasses. "After all, you know of her status in the Muggle world, being expelled from school would mean she'd have to go back to that sort of life."

With a long sigh, the Headmaster answered "Of course I am not sure, but you know there will be voices asking for miss Adonay's head… it would be better if she were away when this would happen. Attacking a fellow student is not easily forgiven in our society, Professor Hasimir, and neither is attacking a teacher. Now, if you will excuse me, I must fire call an old friend, and see if there is any escape for our young troublemaker." With a last look, the old Headmaster turned and left the other two occupants of the room, seeming not to notice Professor Hasimir's tentative step towards him and the other Professor's hand stopping him.

With a short shake of his head, Darien Varshadow stopped his coleague, "There is no point, Damien. Let it go."

"But…" "No, let her go."