Chapter One
Aletheia couldn't be more excited to finally hop on a wagon of the Hogwarts Express, on this September 1st of 1989. Not because she couldn't wait to learn spells and charms, but mostly because it meant she could get away from her parents.
Aletheia Coleridge was the daughter of a very traditional Pureblood family, who had lived in America for a few generations. Her parents, Juno and Robert, had developed a great passion for Voldemort and the war he lead in Great Britain. Unfortunately at that time Aletheia was too young for them to join the Death Eaters on the old land, and they had arrived a year after his defeat. After a while, they had started to blame their daughter for not being there during the reign of terror, as she obviously had no talent for evil. The little child was a smiling one, gracious, very intelligent and everything a parent could hope for. But she was too shy and too quiet, and worst of all: not the least interest in the dark side. She had no natural inclination for it, and could not be moved by her parents' attempts. Her nature and character could not stand for it. The little girl did her best to hide her talents as soon as she understood that her parents would never be her allies in life. Her first name meant "truth" and it was oddly well suited to her skills. She had indeed a gift that allowed her, from time to time, to just know the truth. And very rarely, it gave her the ability to read into the future. She had kept that secret well guarded and no one knew of this power.
At almost eleven, Aletheia was a promising but juvenile girl. Her hair was of a dark ebony color and barely reached her shoulders with very small ringlets at the tips. She had a large forehead and delicate dark eyebrows over ice-blue eyes, piercing and oozing intelligence. Her nose was fine and her lips a bit too full and redish for her taste. She had dark circles under her eyes and was way too skinny to be healthy. The reason was that she had spent too many days locked-up into the cellar in her house's basement.
It was her parents' favorite way to punish her for not meeting their expectations. She was of course very well educated in the best Pureblood fashion, speaking French and Italian fluently as well as reading Latin and ancient Greek, dancing perfectly, knowing the Wizarding History by heart, and ignoring everything about the Muggle world. Her only flaw was her patent distaste for the dark.
Therefore, the perfectly well dressed with velvet robes and carrying an expensive leather luggage little girl was most anxious to get into the Hogwarts Express wagon and forget all about her family and home for the next months. She barely spared a glance for her parents when they got on the platform and hopped on, feeling guilty that the only "dark thoughts" she could produce were that of her parents being trampled on by the damn train. She got to an empty wagon where she took a seat and began to read quietly her Potions textbook. After a few minutes, a boy entered and introduced himself as Terence Higgs, followed by a Miles Bletchey and a Lucian Bole. The last one was a second year Slytherin, the others were first years, but pretty sure to get into the same house as their elder. Aletheia spoke very little, but acknowledged them and declared that she would most likely end up into Slytherin as well. She knew that they would give her peace knowing that and that was all she was asking for. When the trolley full of sweets went their way she dismissed it but Terence Higgs, who was clearly the nicer of the three most definitely "Slytherin" boys, offered her a Chocolate Frog. She thanked him with a smile and looked at the card of Albus Dumbledore she got.
Aletheia had no inclination towards the Dark side of magic, but she was little interested in having a "side" at all. She was a quiet and calm child, who only desired to learn and be left alone in peace, not bothered nor tortured. She didn't know if she thought that Albus Dumbledore was really "the greatest wizard of the age", and she didn't really care. What she cared about was peace, silence, and getting into Slytherin House. She didn't mind about what was said of it, but she knew that if she didn't get into it, she would be killed or worse – tortured and locked-up for days and weeks – by her parents. Such defiance as getting into any other House would likely be the last thing she would have done in her life. For the remainder of the journey she gazed through the window, admiring the beauty of the countryside, and trying not to listen too much at the stupid and prejudiced words of Bletchey and Bole. These two she would definitely stay far from and she would pay attention not to get in their way. All in all, Aletheia thought that she was quite a coward, and that she liked it enough. She had no noble goals, no ideals but to stay alive until she came of age. She knew that then she would be free, but she had no idea of what to do at this point. She had no passion, no career wish, no dream but to get away from it all. Sometimes she thought it was a miracle she hadn't committed suicide yet, and never had the will to. She would get through the next seven years of class by studying day and night if need be, and then she hoped that maybe she would find something that she would be likely to enjoy doing.
The young girl was still thinking about all of this when the train stopped at the station, and she followed the first-year boys to the little boats that would bring them to the castle. Aletheia was hardly ever moved, but she had to admit that the school was quite impressive. She immediately felt that she could get comfortable quickly enough, and smiled to herself while following the others to the Great Hall. She watched the whole ceremony unfold before her on a daze, not really hearing or seeing anything. When she was called to sit under the Sorting Hat, she finally woke up from her daydreaming and her heart started to beat madly.
She didn't know what had happened, but it had happened in just a few seconds. She sat on the stool, Professor McGonagall went to put the Sorting Hat on her head, but the filthy object had only just touched her hair when it screamed "SLYTHERIN".
Granted, her parents were good enough for this particular House, but she thought that at least the Hat would be put on her head to search inside her mind for a few moments what would be best for her, like it did with the others! She was not cunning, nor ambitious, so she told herself that her need for self-preservation and the purity of her blood had done the job. 'Well enough' she thought, happy that her parents would let her live. Maybe they wouldn't even lock her down in the cellar next summer. 'Better not get my hopes up'…
She didn't see that the Hat's behavior had caught the attention of one Head of House and several students in both Slytherin and Gryffindor, but she wouldn't have cared either way. Now that this matter was settled, she sat and ate like there would be no tomorrow to fill her very empty stomach, daydreaming about anything that would cross her mind.
Indeed, the daydreaming went too far when it was suddenly the moment she should have listened and followed the group of first-years led by the Head Girl to her dormitory. She was lost, alone in the cold corridors of the dungeons. Not feeling much reassured she walked around, trying to find someone.
"May I know why a young student is wandering in the corridors? Are you wishing for a detention on your first day?" asked a deep velvety voice, whose owner was none other than Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin and Potions Master. He didn't see her well but realized that she might be a first year, already lost in the maze that was the castle, and relaxed his stance. Then he saw it was the girl whose head the Hat had barely touched before sorting her. He tried to look into her eyes when she finally lifted them to meet his. A glimpse of the misery of her life at home got into his mind, and suddenly he was drawn to her haunted eyes until she shook her head and looked away.
"I apologize, Professor. I believe I have lost my group. I don't know where is my dormitory", she finally answered. She had felt the push of his legilimency on her and didn't want to know what he had seen.
He looked at her in silence for a moment. "Follow me, I will take you there", he offered and walked in the other direction, robes billowing behind him.
She found the teacher quite impressive, but loved the sound of his voice. It made her feel safe somehow. She knew he had seen her in the cellar, seen her wait to be released, alone and without any food. But he had only looked at her in understanding – not pity – and hadn't dared ask any question. She was grateful for his restrain.
"'Salazar' is this week's password. It is quite easy, for the first year to remember. It will change next week for a monthly new password, harder to find out," he explained when they got in front of the Common Room's portrait. He looked at her for a moment and asked "What is your name?"
"I'm Aletheia Coleridge, Professor. But I would rather be called Thea Coleridge, if that is no trouble" she said without looking at him.
"Very well, I should inform the teachers of your desire, Miss Coleridge. Your dormitory is the highest one on the right side of the stairs; I believe you will find your luggage at the foot of your bed. Don't wander again in the corridors at night. Sleep well, now."
"Good night Professor, and thank you," she answered politely with a little smile.
He barely nodded at her before turning back and leaving.
All in all, Aletheia's first two years had been everything she had hoped for, and then some. She loved studying and was excelling in every single subject, while particularly fond of Potions. She had a strong attachment to the man who had led her to her Common Room on her first day, even if he was not the easiest-going man on earth. Quite the contrary, he was rather hard on his students, but he nice enough to her. She saw that her love of Potions endeared her to him, and he had taken the habit to put detailed appreciations on her tests corrections. He even gave her titles of books that might appeal to her and once he had asked her what she thought about one of them. The only thing was that even if he had agreed to tell the teachers, when he didn't call her "Miss Coleridge" – which was almost always the case – he never called her "Thea" but stuck to her real first name. She found after a few occurrences that she didn't actually mind him being the only person calling her that.
But Snape was not alone in admiring her abilities; in fact every teachers liked her. Though they were a bit worried about her lonesome character. She was quite withdrawn and even seemed to be trying to hide her talents. She never put her hand up in class, but always answered right when questioned. Outside of class, she seemed to have no friend even though the first-year Slytherin Terence Higgs and first-years Gryffindor twin brothers Fred and George Weasley were nice enough with her when they met in the corridors or sometimes sat together in class or during meals.
She spent every holiday at school, except from the summer break when everyone had to return at home. She dreaded these times and it showed well enough on her face. It had disturbed Snape to see her so distressed before her first year's summer, and maddened him to see her come back in September looking exhausted and under-nourished.
Her parents had been proud of her sorting, but had hoped that her Slytherin friends would have changed her into a dark-magic lover or something of the sort. When they found out that she hadn't changed for a bit and that she didn't even have friends, they had been furious, and sent her back to the cellar, with a loaf of bread and a glass of water.
The summer of her second year had been pretty much the same, and she dreaded the next four to come. The only unexpected light had been the letters she received from the only people who came close to friends when she was concerned: the Weasley twins and Terrence. The twins had wrote few news from their summer and lots of jokes, and a little "see you soon" note was attached from their brothers Percy and Charlie – the handsome Gryffindor Quidditch team's captain. She had burnt the letter right after reading it, too afraid that her parents would read it. Terrence's letter was short as well – a real twelve-years old boy's one – and nice enough, asking how she was and if she was having a good time. She answered only to him – and not very truthfully – , hoping the twins wouldn't mind not receiving a reply.
The summer over, it was finally the start of her third year, and she couldn't wait to get back to what now seemed a priceless heaven to her. She made a few hellos and barely glanced at her parents before boarding the train, soon joined by Terrence and his friends. When they were almost arrived at the station, a sudden rumor got to them.
"Harry Potter is on the train"
