Ben Mathis was a fifth year Hogwarts Slytherin, hair dyed black with one metallic silver streak, most of his hair held in place by a black and silver headband in a camouflage-styled pattern. Right now his was in school robes and heading for the library. In some ways he hated the library, but he'd conned another note out of Professor Slughorn to come into the restricted section.

When he came in there was another student in the section too, but he ignored her and reached for the book he was after. It was the companion piece to a book in his family's library; unfortunately both were one of a kind. The book in the school was the less dangerous of the two- unless you had access to its companion piece. He flicked the right spot to keep the book from screaming when he opened it. He sat down at one of the tables and pulled out a fresh notebook out of a new batch he'd just gotten Owl'd to him today.

In the restricted section, Elaine Kainis took a little longer to find the book she was after. It was the only book ever written with even a fraction of the truth she was after in it. She sat down at one of the other tables. But she looked up and noticed Ben- or rather- his pencil, a muggle pencil that he was using to sketch something into his- muggle notebook…

Ben sat up straight as he felt eyes on him from somewhere, but when he looked around no one was looking at him…

Elaine had looked back down into the book she was reading. Taking her own notes with a quill and parchment. While Ben looked around again this time he noticed the book she was reading- he'd been reading it last week, it depicted several mass murderers, their motives and modis operandi. The book he was reading described devastating spells. The companion piece at home describes what the spells do in greater detail, even between them it wasn't quite enough to perform them- but between them it was usually enough to track down more information.

Elaine got up to go asked the librarian, Ben found himself insatiably curious- but this was a bad time- he was so close…

"How can I help you Ms. Kainis?"

'Kainis?' Ben remembered now- the Kainis girl- she was in Ravenclaw, he about fainted when he heard back in first year. Da'arric and Mathers Kainis were practically idols for him; his family had even tracked down stolen memories- the days of the murders- weeks of drawn out torture and darkest magics. This girl, directly related- was a Ravenclaw-… And a beater for their Quidditch team, vicious little thing, ever since she joined the team, Ravenclaw had been a threat for the cup- and even won one year. But then- he'd been sick a good part of that year-…

He missed a good part of what Elaine asked, except that she seemed to be gathering all the official information on her grandfather and father, looking to rectify it, clarify all the misinformation. Ben smirked, he'd seen the memories, been inside them- the official documents had inaccuracies yes, but not drastic ones… Put simply the Kainis' duo made Black's story look tame- never mind that he knew Black's story was a fabrication, even before the Potter child killed Voldermort…

Only three years and the wizarding world was still afraid Voldermort would return again. Meanwhile he'd been gathering every ounce of information he could on the matter… The only people who knew more- of them only Harry himself was still alive- and maybe his friends if he told them… He'd tricked Slughorn into slipping about Voldermort's horcruxes, learned from several sources the specifics of the battle he was forced to evacuate before.

In fact the only people he hadn't spoke to yet- were the ones most likely to have the answers he was still missing. The now Headmistress McGonagall, refused to talk of the matter to anyone, the now Mrs. Potter, formerly Ginny Weasly, had graduated and also refused to talk to him…

This could actually warrant a worthy distraction from his current projects… Well he'd found the notes he needed for the final stage, and quickly wrote down the page number- but Elaine was leaving the library as he quickly put back the book and scooped up his stuff to follow her.

She was clearly different, almost the same height as him, though he was a little short. She had black hair cut off at about her ears, her eyes were green and her face showed traces of oriental decent. Ben came out of the library shortly behind her. It took less than twenty feet before she stopped and turned around.

"What do you want?"

"I could ask the same," Ben said smartly.

Elaine glared at him, "Why are you following me?"

"I'm possessed to do so by my curiosity, Kainis, you're related right, to them?"

"Father and Grandfather, why?"

"They do nice work."

"It's not what you think."

"It was an experiment," he smiled, that fact wasn't in any book.

She frowned, "Yeah, it wasn't supposed to be a massacre."

"Oh but they knew it could be…"

"No," she said firmly. But Ben only smiled.

"What do you want?"

"You told the Librarian you're writing a book- I happen to be working on one too- different subject matter- I have research skills that could help."

"I have all the information I need," she said crossing her arms.

"There's always more information to be had."

She growled and turned away from him and started walking away.

He let her walk off without saying anything else, once she was out of sight he spoke to himself, "Well, keeper guarded that one well, but the snitch is no where in sight so this game is far from over," he chuckled and turned back to the library.

AN:

Short chappie to begin with… but I don't want to do too much at once..

This fic was originally an RP I did over IM… but I'm doing this my own way- and the RP ended shortly after a real plot actually formed… Le Sigh and such…