"I'm never going to get this," huffed Alice. She numbly glared at the History of Magic textbook that lay dormant before her. "Why do we need to know about Bowman Wright?"

Evangeline pinched her eyebrows together. "Because," she said, "He invented the Golden Snitch to keep the Golden Snidget from going extinct."

Alice frowned, "They used a poor, defenseless creature for Quidditch?"

"We spent a whole three days discussing Bowman in class, Alice. Our exams are tomorrow morning."

"I know," Alice sighed. "I'm not as worried for History of Magic as I am for Potions."

"You're more than capable," Evangeline smiled. "You can brew a Forgetfulness Potion in your sleep."

_

Exhausted, the pair stepped out of their final exam of the year. Transfiguration with Professor Dumbledore had gone exceedingly well while Potions earlier that day had left them in quite a strop.

Alice rubbed a petite finger over the hairs that remained of her eyebrows. "That Lestrange, I tell you. He did something to my flame. I had it set perfectly!"

"I agree," Evangeline nodded, eyeing the frayed ends of her hair. "Trouble. The whole lot of them," They made their way quickly toward their dormitory and stashed their books before making their way to the Great Hall for dinner. They took their seats at the table and waited for Headmaster Dippet to speak. Evangeline sighed, "I can't believe this year is ending already."

"I can," Alice grinned. "As great as it was, I can't wait to go home and relax. Not have to worry about horrid exams. You'll write me this summer, won't you?"

"Of course, Alice. Promise to do the same?"

Alice winked, "Every chance I get. I'll need someone to converse with during my dreadful summer. My family never goes on holiday so I'll have to get my excitement from you." Her face contorted into something of hesitation as she secured a strand of hair behind her ear. "I might ask Rich for his address, too."

"Oh, really?" Evangeline teased.

Alice knocked her elbow into Evangeline's side. "Come off it, Eve. He's our friend, too, isn't he? Besides, I wouldn't write him every day. Just a quick check-up now and again."

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I should write him, as well. I'll ask him on the train tomorrow."

_

Headmaster Dippet concluded his speech with a clap of his hands, signaling the appearance of the end of term feast. Evangeline neatly sectioned her food on her plate while Alice grabbed a little of everything in sight. Halfway through a bite of steak and kidney pie, Alice's eye-line met with steel gray. The girl, herself, was beautiful; Breathtakingly so. Sharp aristocratic features and full lips. Long, spiraled black hair and porcelain skin. It was the grimace set upon her lips that made her ugly. She was eyeing Alice with a careless air of authority to her. She was older, probably two or three years older than themselves, and was clad in an immaculate Slytherin robe.

"Eve," Alice whispered, breaking eye contact with the girl. "Who's that?"

Evangeline swallowed her food and turned her head, "Who's who?"

"That girl, there. The one that's staring at me."

An older boy in their House overheard, having been sat on Alice's opposite side, and excused himself into their conversation. "Walburga Black, is who that is. You've never heard of the Black family?"

Evangeline knitted her eyebrows together, "No? Should we have?"

"Well, you're a Fawley, ain't you?"

Evangeline answered slowly, "Yes,"

"Well, I'd assume your father'd have told you all about them. Pureblood mania, their sort. They believe that magical blood is sacred and should only be mixed with others of their kind. Y'know, purebloods. And, so, they've taken to, ah, how should I say this? Keeping it within the family?"

Evangeline frowned, "That's absolutely disgusting."

"Right," the boy nodded. "Most pureblood families will marry within other pureblood families. The Blacks, however, believe that it would be better to intermingle within themselves. Not directly, but still. I hear Walburga is set to marry her cousin, Orion, when she graduates. Poor thing."

"They have no other choice?"

"Not if they want to keep the family name and reap the benefits that it presents them, no." The boy glanced toward the Slytherin table, "Look at them. Already grooming and fitting the young ones to their mold. They'll do the same to the new lot next year, too, I expect."

Evangeline observed the the far tables occupants. Sat in the middle was Walburga and to her right was a much older boy with platinum hair and striking blue eyes to which she didn't know the name of. Sat around them were more of their year and cluttered around them, eagerly listening in on the older students conversations, were the horribly mean boys from her year. The all looked positively delighted to be able to converse with the ones above them. It was almost sickening, knowing what she knows now.
However, sat off to the left but still within earshot of the rest of the clan, was none other than Tom Riddle. He wasn't eagerly snapping his jaws along with the others or leaning ever so close into the person next to him, but was sitting regally on his seat. His head held high and his face blank of emotion. He'd nod along with whoever turned their eyes to him but would ultimately remain silent. His eyes, though. Those coal-dark eyes held an unmistakable glimmer of respect. Evangeline couldn't fathom how he could respect people like that.

_

Evangeline stood with Alice and Rich on Platform 9 3/4, resting against their trollies and peering into the sea of faces. Rich threw his arms around the girls, pulling them in tight. "Now, you write me as soon as you're settled, yeah?" He smiled brightly and brushed a hand through his pale hair. "I'll likely be locked away in my room all summer for all the trouble I've caused my dear ol' brother."

"I assume he wasn't happy about Gryffindor not winning the House cup?" Evangeline grinned.

"Bullocks," Rich swore, laughingly. "He probably told mum I lost all our points single-handedly. I suspect I'll get an earful for that, too." Rich paused. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Well, I'm off, ladies. Lovely seeing you and whatnot. Be sure to write!"

"There's my parents, too," Evangeline sighed. She turned to Alice and enveloped her in a hug. "Maybe, when we come back from holiday, you can come to mine this summer?"

"Sure," Alice smiled. "I'll ask mine, too."

Evangeline bid her final goodbye to her friend and set foot toward her parents. Her mother's watery smile greeted her first, followed by the same stiff hand on the shoulder from her father.

"Did you have a good year, my darling?" asked her mother.

"The best," Evangeline beamed.

Next term couldn't come fast enough.