Astoria Greengrass was good at magic. She always had been. It seemed to flow from her fingers with an ease her classmates envied. She could learn spells as easily as others learnt their mother tongue. That's why she couldn't work out why this spell had failed so spectacularly.
It was supposed to give her a glimpse into her future. She didn't entirely believe in Divination but she was curious. It was her seventeenth birthday and her sister had just got engaged and she wanted to know something. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, and Astoria was more than willing to take the risk.
The spell was easy. Ridiculously so. A couple of words in Latin and some hand gestures. Nothing she hadn't been doing for years. She mouthed the words as she faced the mirror. She had barely started it when the doors burst open and Daphne came running in.
"Tory!" Her face was pink with excitement, and Astoria bit back her sigh. "Tory, I've got something to ask you."
Astoria turned from the mirror, giving Daphne her full attention as she kept walking closer. "What is it, Daph?"
"Will you be my maid of honour?" Grabbing her hands, Daphne seemed to shine with happiness, and Astoria nodded before she knew what she'd done. "Oh thank you, thank you! Mummy and I are starting to plan it now, but I wanted to ask you first." She leaned forward and kissed Astoria's cheek, twirling and leaving the room before Astoria could reply.
Smiling bemusedly, she turned back to the mirror. She started the spell again, managing to finish it without interruption this time. But nothing happened. She frowned at her reflection, picking up the book and scanning the page. It should have changed to show her a moment of her future. There was nothing on what to do if it didn't work.
Astoria peered at the mirror. It looked the exact same, but she had an urge to poke it and see what happened. Her finger tapped it lightly and nothing happened immediately, prompting a relived sigh. But as she moved her finger further back, her reflection began to shift, swirling like water in a sink until she was unrecognisable. She stood, horror creeping onto her face, as the mirror started to calm down and slow the twisting.
When it was finally clear, her mouth was hanging open slightly. She shut it quickly, years of being told off catching up with her, but she was just as shocked. A boy about her age was standing with his back to the mirror. He seemed to be in school uniform, but the robes hung on his shoulders with a grace she hadn't seen from anyone in her year. His dark hair was highlighted by the fire burning steadily in front of him, lifting it from just black to a more nuanced tangle that Astoria wanted to bury her hands in.
"Abraxas. Next time, just ask her out, or I'll do it." Astoria had read about attractive voices, but she'd never heard one before. This boy had one that could make your knees weak.
Another boy moved into view, his angular face twisted as he pushed his hands through his hair. "You'll ask her out for me?" He collapsed into a chair, and Astoria guessed that he was Abraxas.
"No. I'll ask her out for me." She could hear amusement in the first boy's voice, and she giggled slightly. She couldn't help it.
Abraxas nearly fell out of his chair as he tried to stand while grabbing his wand out of a pocket. "Who was that?"
Astoria got a look at the other boy's face as he turned to face her, and she nearly gasped. He was as attractive as his voice suggested. "I think it came from her, Abraxas." He smiled slightly, more amused than his friend.
Abraxas came over, his wand outstretched. "Who are you and how did you get into the mirror?"
Astoria frowned at him. "That's not very polite."
"One could argue that appearing unannounced in our mirror isn't very polite either." The attractive boy stepped forward, his eyes curious as he studied her and the mirror. "Would you mind answering my friend's questions, regardless of how rude he was?"
Astoria sniffed slightly, but nodded. "My name is Astoria Greengrass. What are your names?"
Abraxas frowned. "Greengrass? Are you related to-?"
The other boy cut him off. "My name is Tom Riddle, and this is my friend Abraxas Malfoy. May we inquire as to how you got into our mirror, fair maiden?"
Astoria tried not to blush. No one ever complimented her. "I cast a spell on the mirror, but I think it went wrong. It should have ended by now." Something triggered a memory in her head, and she frowned again. "Sorry, did you say Abraxas Malfoy?"
"Yes, that's me. Heard of me?" Abraxas looked like he couldn't help the cocky grin that crossed his face, and Astoria tried not to smile at him.
Tom tilted his head to one side. "You know, Arcturus and I got drunk a few weeks ago, and I asked him about his family. He has a few distant cousins, but no one the same age as him. I'm guessing you're about 17?" Astoria nodded, and a satisfied gleam flashed in Tom's eyes. "Well then, Miss Greengrass, would you mind telling us how you're related to Arcturus Greengrass?"
"He's my grandfather. How-how do you know him?" Astoria's mind was racing, and she gasped suddenly. "Of course! But how?"
"I'm presuming your spell had something to do with time?" Tom stepped forward again, curiosity sparking behind his words, his body subconsciously angling itself so that Abraxas wasn't as included.
Abraxas frown deepened. "Excuse me, what exactly is going on here?"
Astoria glanced at him. "Time travel." She turned her attention back to Tom. "Yes, I was trying to get a glimpse into my future. It seemed simple enough." She explained what had happened, both of them ignoring Abraxas and his ever growing concern and confusion.
"May I ask whether you've ever heard of me in your time?" Tom's voice was carefully calm, but Astoria recognised the stress beneath it.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, no. Are you thinking of going into politics?"
Tom hesitated. "Not quite, no."
Abraxas stepped forward. "Tom, no. We have no idea who this girl is, or who she works for. She could be an illusion by Dumbledore to discover our plans."
"Dumbledore? That old fool?" Astoria scoffed. "Why would I be on his side? He's dead anyway, Lord Voldemort ordered his death last June."
Tom sucked in a breath. "Lord Voldemort killed Dumbledore?"
"You know him?" Astoria was confused. "I thought he was younger than that. He's only recently resurrected, he died before I was born. And no, he only ordered it."
There was a long pause before either of the boys spoke again, and Astoria wondered what she had said wrong. Eventually, Abraxas spoke to her. "Perhaps you better tell us more. Can you come through?"
Astoria hesitated, and Tom saw it in her face. "You don't have to right now, just move the mirror to a more comfortable place and we'll talk some more. I think I'd like to get to know you a little better, dear Astoria."
Astoria blushed slightly. "I'll take it to the upstairs sitting room, hardly anyone uses it." She reached for the mirror, but Tom spoke again.
"Oh, and Astoria? I'd like this to stay between us for now. No reason for everyone to know about this little secret."