A/N: You'll find some useful background information in this chapter. I admit that all these background information can get a little confusing but it's important for the story. Have fun!

Greetings to garrett627 and dumisalive92 - thank you for reviewing.

--

6. First Day

--

To the days of Avalon, where magic rules as king

The moon beneath the castle walls

As the nightingale sings

And so we sat hand in hand and watched the fireflies

And never spoke a single word

But lived to do or die

We lived to do or die

We read of tales of treason

A soldier's legacy, blood beneath the crimson sky

Fighting without reason but the crime of loyalty

A tattered flag left to fly…

"Avalon" by Blackmore's Night

--

It was seven o'clock in the morning when Remus Lupin used the floo network to visit Severus Snape in his private chambers. There hadn't been enough time to answer the owl the potion master sent to him the previous night so he hoped that he would be received.

With mixed feelings he stepped out of the fireplace, brushing some dirt off of his worn shirt, trying to make himself a little more presentable. Of course his efforts were in vain. Remus sighed, feeling a little downcast when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the huge mirror that was placed on the opposite side of the wall. He looked like he had slept in the clothes he wore, which would have been true, except for the fact that he hadn't been able to sleep at all. In two days the full moon would rise and he could already feel the beast inside him awakening.

Slowly he took some cautious steps inside the room. It looked very much like a prison cell, Remus thought, surveying the bare stonewalls and the dark interior of the room. One corner of the room was dominated by a massive desk which was laden with papers and books. Right beside it several vials were placed on a table, along with at least five different small cauldrons.

On the other side of the room a couch and two dark green armchairs were placed. Only then he noticed the tall, dark figure sitting on one of the chairs. He had to suppress a gasp and hoped he had been able to conceal his surprise before the other man noticed him.

Of course that was a vain hope. Severus Snape was far too intelligent to miss even the slightest detail of his facial expression, and if he could judge from the raised eyebrow and the amused glint in the dark eyes, his general dishevelled appearance, too.

"Good morning, Severus," he greeted and managed a small smile. The other man stared at him for a moment and then nodded in his direction.

"Sit down." He motioned to the unoccupied armchair. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

"A cup of tea would be nice."

Obviously amused by his request, Severus stood and took a teapot and a second mug from one of the shelves behind him. "I already thought you might ask for it."

Taken aback by the unexpected kindness of the usually grim man, he hesitated for a moment but then Remus couldn't help but be glad about the change. With a grateful smile he accepted the cup and sat down on the comfortable chair.

For a moment they were silently sipping their tea and then Severus started to speak. "I have made some interesting discoveries in the past few weeks. It seems like the Dark Lord is interested in forming an alliance with the elves." Remus almost choked on his tea but the other man just continued. "He is willing to use violence to ensure their obedience. Someone has told him about a place called Anor Cirith, a mountain ridge which is said to lead to Menel Niphrendil, the Legendary Forest."

"I've heard about the Legendary Forest," Remus said thoughtfully. "Its location is still unknown and some people doubt it really exists."

"Oh, I can assure you, it does exist. But that's not the point. Only creatures with Ancient Blood are allowed to enter it, and the Dark Lord certainly isn't that privileged. He has sent a messenger."

"The Dark Lord has allied with one of those creatures?" Remus blinked, not sure what to make of that piece of information.

Severus looked at him with a serious expression on his face. "You have met the person I'm talking about already."

"That's impossible. I would have recognized him." That was one of the few advantages of being a werewolf, he thought bitterly. The beast could smell Ancient Blood – its purity was overwhelming. A dark creature, one of Voldemort's servants, could never be one of those beings.

"Lucius Malfoy's mother is a Veela. His blood had been tarnished when he was still young."

Well, that explained why everyone was attracted to the bastard back when they had still visited Hogwarts. A Veela's power was often underestimated but those beings could seduce even the most cold-hearted person if they wanted to.

"So I didn't notice it because the blood was no longer pure." It was common knowledge that Ancient Blood could be tainted when the person who carried it became evil. But it happened very seldom, only when the person's soul was affected severely.

"Yes. I think you will understand it better than I do."

He laughed quietly and nodded. Then he watched Severus picking up his cup and encircling it with his long, slender fingers. For a short moment Remus caught himself watching the potion master's hands. They were the hands of an artist, he thought. And in a way the other man was an artist. He was one of the best potion masters and his creations had even helped Remus with his lycanthropy problem. What would he have done without the Wolfbane Potion?

"That was all for now. But I'll continue my observations and hope to find out more about the Dark Lord's plans."

With that the other man leaned back in his chair and continued to drink his tea. Remus quickly regained his composure and focused on the present again.

"Your discoveries are alarming. If the Dark Lord finds out about the Sacrifice and that the Elves have already decided to stay neutral again he will be angry."

"I don't think he suspects anything yet. Otherwise he wouldn't have sent one of his most loyal servants to Menel Niphrendil."

"You are right." Remus sighed. "Unfortunately I didn't have much time to work on our assignment. Dumbledore sent me to the Muggle world to a rescue mission and it took longer than expected to complete it. But I found something that could be helpful to find out more about the Sacrifice."

He pulled an old, ragged parchment out if the bag he had carried with him. "In one of the Dark Lords former hideouts I found some interesting parchments and ancient scrolls. They are written in a rather unusual language. The expert I asked at the Order's Headquarter didn't recognize it. But there was a drawing on one of them I had seen two weeks ago in one of the books I used for research."

He handed Severus the parchment and watched him closely to see whether he recognized it as well. The other man frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know this characters but I'm not an expert." Then his eyes widened and took a closer look at the bottom of the page where the drawing was. It showed a small coat of arms with a delicate flower and a unicorn which bowed its head gracefully.

"The most interesting thing about it is the way the two elements are connected. The unicorn is smaller than the flower and the flower itself is a very rare one. It looks familiar to the Elda's Legendary Flower."

"A Niphrendil flower. But…" Severus Snape seemed to be too stunned to say more. For some reason it was amusing to see the usually eloquent potion master at a loss for words. He seemed to be more human this way. But he quickly caught his composure and continued Remus's train of thoughts.

"You think this parchment was written by an elf. And not just a common elf but one of the Elda."

Remus nodded. "It would explain the foreign characters and the strange drawing. It could be an Elda's coat of arms."

Severus looked at him seriously. He didn't laugh at his speculations, as Remus had thought he would. After all there was no reason to prove his theory because there was no school that taught elvish language. Only a few old families with Ancient Blood in their lines knew it and he didn't know anyone who would be willing to help him with this cause. The Order's connections didn't go that far.

"There is only one way to prove my theory," Remus said aloud, "but it will be very hard to find someone who will help me deciphering the text."

"That won't be necessary." With a small smile Severus Snape met his gaze. His eyes seemed to be darker than Remus had thought. They were almost black and had a hypnotic effect on him. He couldn't look away no matter how hard he tried. It was difficult to concentrate on their conversation. It irritated him.

"What do you mean?" he finally managed to say.

"I know someone who will be able to help if these characters are really elvish ones."

Remus was confused. "Who?"

The grin on the other man's face widened. "My godson, of course."

--

"You look like shit, mate."

Harry looked up from his plate and glared at his best friend, who had stopped refilling his own plate for the third time. Sometimes he wondered how Ron could stomach so much food and remain as skinny as he was.

"Thank you. If it wasn't for you I'd never have noticed." His mood was getting worse by the second. His head was aching and he had to fight the urge to rub his forehead. Harry had thought that his nightmares would disappear once he returned to Hogwarts but he'd been wrong. The dream he'd had last night had been especially gruesome and again it involved him watching Selene die. Or rather Candice, he reminded himself. Now that the girl he saw in his dreams had a name, a real name, they felt different. More real. Fantasizing about an idol was one thing but meeting her in person had unsettled him. Oh, and the fact that everyone was talking about her all the time and that he would see her regularly for a whole year didn't exactly help to ease his mind.

"Harry? Are you listening?"

"What?" Harry snapped and focused his attention to the boy who was sitting beside him. Concern was written all over Ron's face and his anger faded immediately.

With a sigh he shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's just that I… didn't get much sleep." He didn't want Ron to worry about him so he couldn't tell him about the dreams. They were disturbing but not as important as the war against Voldemort. His friends already had enough on their mind and he wouldn't add to their problems one of his own. He could deal with it alone.

"You sure you're okay?" Ron asked and stopped to pile even more food on his plate.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

Ron opened his mouth to reply, but then something else caught his attention. His eyes widened and he stared at the large doors at the far side of the room. Harry followed his friend's gaze… and couldn't help but stare as well when he saw who had entered the Great Hall.

It was her. For a moment he thought he was still dreaming. Then he reminded himself that this was the reality and tried to calm down his rapid heartbeat. Why did he react to her like that? It had never happened before with any other girl. Hell, he had never been particularly interested in a special girl, maybe because his short interlude with Cho Chang in his fifth year had ended up the way it did. Oh, there were some girls who had showed interest in him, but he suspected it was more because of his status as the boy-who-lived and not about himself. And besides it had been easy to avoid the unwanted attention. After one forced date none of them had been interested in meeting him for a second time.

Selene – Candice – had entered the hall with Hermione and they were chatting amiably. Obviously they had become friends and he thought that Hermione's worries about not liking her room mate had been superfluous.

They were approaching the Gryffindors' table and sat down across from Harry and Ron. His friend seemed to recover faster than he did, because he flashed the girls a wide grin and then continued to stuff more food into his mouth.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted and looked around the table for something to eat. Candice bowed her head slightly and smiled. When her eyes fell on Harry, all he could do was hope that he wasn't blushing.

"You look tired," she stated and her voice sounded just as magnificent as it had the night before. Harry shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

"It's nothing. I didn't sleep well last night."

Immediately he felt Hermione's gaze on him. He knew what she was thinking. And for some reason he didn't have the strength to meet her eyes.

"Bad dreams?" she asked tentatively. Harry sighed, unsure how much he should tell her. Especially since the person he dreamt about was sitting opposite from him.

"Nothing to worry about. I'm fine," he repeated. "Really."

"I heard dreams can be prophetic sometimes," Candice said and looked at him with just the slightest hint of concern in her azure eyes. He had never seen a more beautiful colour in his life. "It must be scaring to see the future. I used to know some people with that kind of gift but they always behaved strangely and made a big show of telling their prophecies in the most inappropriate moments." She grinned like she remembered some of them.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, obviously confused by the change of topic. Candice had effectively managed to divert the attention from Harry and he was grateful for that. He didn't want to talk about it right now.

"During ceremonies for example. Or while one of our elders told a fascinating tale. And especially during meals." She winked at Harry and he managed a small smile. He couldn't help it, her good mood was contagious.

"I remember that one evening, when we were celebrating Chrystabel's – she is one of the minstrels – birthday, one of them stood up and started waving his arms around like he was stroked by a thunderbolt. Gwyneth, the head minstrel, was just holding a speech when he interrupted her. His eyes were glowing with anticipation and we knew he had been waiting for this moment all evening. He said in a deadly serious tone that he had seen a burning tree in one of his visions. His interpretation was that a fire would burn down our camp."

"Was he right?" Hermione asked and her eyes widened.

"His dreams were always right in a way. However, his interpretations were rather… vague."

"What happened?" Ron had finished eating and followed the story with excitement.

Candice smirked and poured herself a cup of tea. She took a sip and then continued her story. "There was a fire that night. Just when he'd made the announcement some of the youngs came running toward our table. They told Chrystabel to follow them because they had a surprise for her birthday party. So we all stood up and they led us to the outskirts of the clearing. When we all gathered around one of the trees they cast a spell and set it on fire. The tree had been dead for some time and they had performed a ceremony to end its existence to honour Chrystabel. It's an ancient ritual for good luck and health."

Hermione chuckled and Ron grinned. Even Harry smiled at the outcome of the story.

"What I wanted to say," Candice concluded her tale, "is, that though dreams can be prophetic sometimes, they are not always as bad as they may look. It's all about interpretation – or misinterpretation. And besides, not every nightmare has to come true, right?"

At that Harry's smile faded. She was right, of course, but with him it was different. After all he'd dreamt the same thing over and over again since he'd first seen her. And it had happened before, after all. He knew better than to ignore his dreams. How could he misinterpret a dream where he saw her dying again and again?

Harry looked down at his hands and then on the half-eaten food on his plate. He wasn't hungry any longer. All around him his friends started talking about dreams and nightmares but he didn't have the heart to participate in the conversation. At least Candice had managed to divert the unwanted attention from him and he was grateful for it.

Hesitantly he lifted his gaze to look at the blond girl opposite from him. Again he was overwhelmed by her beauty and some part of him wondered what it would feel like to touch her golden tresses, if only for a short moment. He wondered whether they would be as soft as it looked. Suddenly she turned her head and returned his gaze. Her soft blue eyes were mesmerizing, her smile dazzling. Harry could feel his stomach churn at the intensity of her stare.

When he was sure none of his friends would noticed he mouthed a "thank you" in her direction. Her only reply was an indicated nod which made him wonder if she had changed the topic on purpose. Then she turned her attention to the cup of tea that was firmly planted in her hands and took another sip. Harry had to force himself to look away before he was caught staring at her openly. He had a feeling, that he would spend way too much time doing that in the next few months.

--

With a contended sigh Candice felt the warm liquid run down her throat. Although she liked drinking tea she would have preferred to have a cup of coffee. She loved the taste of the slightly bitter beverage more than anything in the world but it seemed as if that wasn't an option right now. Although the huge table was laden with all kind of food and drinks, she couldn't smell coffee anywhere nearby. Only from the High Table she could smell a faint aroma of the roasted beans. It seemed that only the teachers were allowed to drink coffee.

What a shame.

"What is your first lesson today?" she heard the redhead who was sitting opposite from her ask. She lifted her head to look at the boy who was looking at her with barely concealed curiosity. Candice was glad that the people at the table – the Gryffindors, as Hermione had told her – seemed to like her. It was good to have some friends in a surrounding she wasn't familiar with.

"I think it's Potions."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Then you can come with us. We have Potions as well."

"Oh, good." Candice smiled but then her eyes travelled to the dark-haired boy again. She couldn't help it, for some reason she just had to look at him. When he had mentioned his dreams she had sensed his distress even through the barrier that shielded his thoughts so firmly from her gentle probing. Of course she had to do something to help him out. The thankful look in his emerald eyes was the best reward she could have hoped for. She found she liked the colour very much. It reminded her of her past, of ancient trees and leaves rustling in a soft breeze.

Quickly she shook her head and rose when everyone else did. They left the Great Hall and walked towards one of the many staircases. This one lead downwards and it wasn't moving as far as she could tell. It would take some time until Candice would get used to it.

Suddenly she felt Hermione touching her arm gently.

"I know you chose this class voluntarily," she started, "but I feel like I should warn you. The professor can be a little… difficult."

Candice frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Snape is a bastard," Ron cut in, his face twisted into a painful grimace. "He would do anything to torture us and shamelessly favours the Slytherins. He hates Gryffindors and it's almost impossible to meet his expectations. Even Hermione has her difficulties in his class."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "But in the end he has to give me a good mark."

"Yeah, but not as 'outstanding' as you'd deserve."

"Well, that's true." Hermione wasn't bragging. Candice could sense that she saw no reason to hide her intelligence. It was a good thing to be aware of strength and weaknesses of the own character, she thought.

"But you all passed last year, didn't you?"

"We did but most of the others didn't. Now there are only about nine students left who take this class voluntarily."

Candice looked at the other boy who was walking silently beside his redheaded friend. Harry was his name, she reminded herself. He wasn't paying any attention to their conversation and just kept staring at his feet. He seemed to be deep in thought, far away from the presence. And again she could sense a faint trace of sorrow.

But while she thought of something to say to him, Hermione and Ron stopped walking. Now they stood in front of a massive oak door deep within the dungeons. Immediately her senses rebelled against the environment. She had always been suspicious of places deep within the earth. Being locked up in a cellar was one of the few things that made her feel wary. She needed the open space of fields and forests around her to be content, wind touching her skin and sunrays, no matter how faint they were, to make her feel alive. Whenever she was forced to enter a room below the ground or without windows she felt uneasy. Even when she was facing the sun her body always felt cold but without the nature around her it was even worse.

Despite the slightly nauseous feeling she forced herself to behave normally. To calm herself down a little she summoned her fea and let her instincts take over a part of her mind. Now she could sense the presence of the three people who were with her, the two people behind the doors, then the six people who were walking down the stairs just as they had done only moments before. Candice could also feel Draco Malfoy's presence who of course noticed her spirit brushing his swiftly. She could feel him stiffening but before he could reach out to connect with her she drew away, let her spirit wander to the Great Hall, felt every single person there, listened in to some of their thoughts before she realized what she was doing and quickly stopped herself. It wasn't her intention to spy on people. She just needed to make sure she was still safe.

Only when she felt a hand on her shoulder she was able to stop her useless wandering. As quick as possible Candice commanded her fea back to her, let it stay in the immediate surrounding. She couldn't quite bring herself to withdraw completely. A small trickle of sweat was running down her spine and her heartbeat had increased a little. Only now she realized how close she was to panic.

"What's wrong? Candice, can you hear me?"

She took a deep breath and finally turned to face the three pairs of eyes that watched her worriedly. The concern that shimmered in Hermione's large eyes made her force a smile on her face. There was no need to worry the people who had been so nice to her with this stupid fear.

"It's alright. I just don't like being locked below the surface."

"Are you claustrophobic? 'Cause I know some people who are they reacted just as you did." Ron lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"I'm not claustrophobic," Candice assured him and shook her head a little. "Really, I just need to concentrate a little then it's no problem at all."

"Okay, but…" Ron interrupted himself and suddenly his expression changed. His eyes darkened and the smile disappeared from his features as he spotted someone at the end of the corridor. She didn't need to turn around to know that Draco and the five other people were approaching them.

"Malfoy," he hissed and immediately Hermione and Harry looked up as well. The animosity in his voice surprised Candice. The two others seemed to be irritated as well. A frown creased their features and especially Harry seemed to be angry. Before she could ask any questions the small group came to stand right in front of them. Reluctantly she turned around as well and bowed her head to greet them.

"Good morning," she started and smiled at the newcomers. They just stared at her, obviously taken aback by her friendliness. Draco was the only one who returned the greeting by lowering his head respectfully.

"Good morning," he said with his deep, melodious voice. But when he looked at her companions his expression was just as hostile as theirs. Without acknowledging anyone else he strode past them, turning the handle of the door and entered the room. The other five Slytherins seemed to be unsure how to react as they followed him, looking back at her like she was a creature from outer space.

Candice sighed and turned around when she felt a rush of shock emitting from Ron. All three of them were staring at her with wide eyes, amazement clearly written on their faces.

The redhead was the first one who found his voice again. "What was that?" he whispered, staring at the open door and then at her.

"What do you mean?" She didn't understand their behaviour. Sure, they didn't seem to like Draco and Slytherins in general but he wasn't a bad person. She had touched his fea after all and it had not been corrupted in any way.

"That was Draco Malfoy who just greeted you!" Ron shrieked. "He never greets anyone!"

"He lives next to Hermione's room. We share a bathroom. It's only natural to greet someone you know," Candice reasoned.

"Ron is right." Harry spoke up. When he turned towards her she found genuine puzzlement on his serious features. "Malfoy is not someone who likes to socialize with people. He's a cold-hearted, cruel person."

The words sounded so bitter and loathsome that a shiver ran down her spine. She had never been capable to feel hatred of any kind, it just wasn't in her nature. But she realized that her new friends really despised Draco.

"Well, I don't think he's as mean as he wants to make the world believe. What did he do to upset you?"

"Maybe you should ask what he did not do," Ron hissed through gritted teeth. "He's always picking on younger people, mostly Gryffindors."

"He had been Harry's nemesis from the very beginning," Hermione said quietly and Candice could again see a strange flickering in her eyes just like yesterday when they had spoken about the Veela-boy first.

Harry snorted and shook his head. "He insulted you and Ron. I don't want to have anything to do with him." With that he strode past them through the open door. Ron followed him immediately while Hermione bit her lip and looked pensive for a moment. Then she shook her head and motioned Candice to come with her.

Severus Snape sat behind his desk, his features impassive and with a well-trained menacing look in his eyes as he watched his students entering the dungeon. Of course the Slytherins were the first ones to arrive since they had nothing to be afraid of. All six of them were good students, followed his orders without question and did well in the exams. Sure, some people – in fact almost everyone – said he favoured people from his own house, and they were probably right, but he thought it had more to do with the fact that they weren't distracted by their own fear when they attended his class. If he was honest to himself, he had to admit that he tended to be mean to the others, especially Gryffindors, but when it came to this special house he had no chance to be objective. Severus had his reasons to detest the Gryffindors and he didn't think it would ever change.

As if they had listened in to his thoughts the other four people who had chosen Potions as a subject entered the room. Three of them were Gryffindors. And they were accompanying the Sacrifice. The corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile. Ever since he was told she would attend Hogwarts this year he had been looking forward to test her abilities. People of ancient bloodlines were said to have a tremendous skill with everything that had to do with nature and had a special connection to plants and animals. His godson was already a talented boy when it came to Potions but his blood was by far not as pure as hers.

Severus watched as the four people sat down on the left side of the room. The Slytherins were occupying the right side so it was only natural for them to sit as far away from them as possible. Then he took a deep breath and decided to get started.

"So you all found your way into the dungeons," he started instead of greeting his students. "I really hope it will stay this way. If anyone even considers skipping this class or dares to arrive late he will get detention. Twice a week, for two months."

A groan was coming from the direction of the Gryffindors and some of the Slytherins chuckled. He pretended not to notice it.

"Today I will examine what you have forgotten during the holidays. I'm sure none of you bothered to study careful enough to pass this class at the end of the year with top grades." His gaze wandered to Hermione Granger whose back straightened immediately. The girl returned his stare and didn't flinch. Against his will he found he held some respect for her. She had an alert mind and a quite impressive wisdom despite her young age.

And her superb mind was guarded by wards he couldn't even touch for the briefest moment without feeling a sharp pain cursing through his body.

Even though he condemned his fate that bound him to a creature of darkness he had learned long ago to accept the merits of his existence. His mental abilities were rather helpful – he could detect emotions from other people easily and sometimes even read their thoughts or visit their dreams. Severus knew that creatures of Ancient Blood could do much more than he was capable of but these abilities already distinguished him from other wizards. As soon as the creature that was bound to him by a fate none of them could determine found out and claimed him as a mate, he would be even more powerful. But since he had sworn to never let it happen he would probably never know.

Sometimes he wished he never found out about his cruel fate. His life wouldn't have been so difficult and exhausting. And he certainly never would have turned his youth over to the madman he had once proudly called his master.

He shook his head slightly and concentrated on the present situation. Ten students were looking at him expectantly, some of them a little wary, others simply impassive.

"On the desk in the back of the room you will find the samples of five potions you came to know last year. The potions are manipulated – I deliberately altered them and you will tell me not only which potion it is but also what is wrong with it." The – only partly concealed – shocked look on the students' faces was priceless. Ron Weasley looked like his eyes would pop out of his head any minute. Three of his Slytherins also looked paler than usually. Even the two top students – Granger and his godson – seemed to be at a loss.

"Do you want us to work in groups or on our own?" one of the boys asked. Severus just shot him a glare. "If you think the others will be able to help you, Zanibi, feel free to ask. I don't care as long as you will be able to answer my questions in fifteen minutes."

Then he leaned back and watched the scene unfold. Of course there was a reason why he had chosen this special task. Three of the five potions were rather simple ones – sleeping draughts and a healing potion where only one component was altered. The last two ones were tricky to figure out. One was the infamous Felix felicis potion, only that it had an ugly brownish colour and smelled like the rotten dragon tree roots he had used to taint its purity. The last one was a strong healing potion he had invented some months ago. It was meant to heal mental diseases and hadn't been tested properly yet. Only few people knew about the potion and certainly none of his students had ever heard of it. The only way to figure out its contents was to examine its composition.

He wanted to know if the rumours were true. He just had to know what creatures of the most ancient bloodline were able to do. What she was able to accomplish with her incredible gift.

The next ten minutes Severus watched his students with a mixture of amusement and frustration. Three groups had been founded and were working hard to figure out the content of the five vials. One group was still working on the second one. Severus shook his head and felt humiliated by the fact that these three students were members of his house. They really should have done better. Draco, Zanibi and Parkinson had mastered the task so far and were obviously close to figuring out the Felix felicis potion. He had expected nothing less from them.

When his gaze travelled to the three Gryffindors and the Sacrifice he noticed that they were testing the last potion. Granger was flipping through one of her textbooks, as always relying on the gathered wisdom books contained. Although she had an alert mind she was still too inflexible. The Weasley boy and Harry Potter were staring at the bright yellow, viscous liquid that refused to boil up under the heat of the flame the sample was placed on. The Sacrifice was examining her sample with a frown on her face. There was a faraway look in her eyes as she moved the vial, then she grasped it with both hands and closed her fingers around the thin glass. Suddenly her eyes widened like she felt the power the potion possessed. Severus allowed a small satisfactory smile to appear on his features for a split second. Mental diseases were most difficult to cure. But this potion would enable healers to treat almost every disorder listed on the DSM.

"Present your results," he said after the fifteen minutes had passed. He knew it was technically impossible to fulfil the task within time but he was still curious whether the Sacrifice would be able to name all contents of his fifth potion.

As expected the first Slytherin group had been a disappointment. Two of the three potions they examined were labelled incorrectly. He shot them a nasty glare and then turned to his godson's group. Draco looked at him with narrowed eyes obviously discontent with his results. He let his associates name the first three potions before speaking up himself.

"I know the fourth one is the Felix felicis potion. Its colour suggests you added a poisonous root. The last potion consists of water, bellflowers, foxglove, dragon hide… and some poisonous ingredients."

Severus frowned, faking disappointment but in fact he was impressed that Draco had been able to figure out at least two of the most important elements.

"So you don't know the name of the fifth potion," he drawled and the blond student shook his head once.

"No, professor."

"Very well." He turned towards the last group. "Maybe one of you can tell me what kind of poisonous root tarnished the Felix felicis potion. Miss Granger?" he asked, knowing she came to the right conclusion.

"It is the dragon tree's root, professor. It caused the strange colour and rotten smell." Severus nodded once and motioned for her to continue. She looked at him uncomfortably but then forced the words out of her mouth that would declare her defeat. "I wasn't able to figure out anything about the last potion, professor."

He smiled his most unpleasant smile. "So even your genius mind has its limits, Miss Granger."

Her cheeks flushed but she squared her shoulders and met his gaze unafraid. Almost against his will he felt his respect for her increase. There weren't many people who dared to stand up to him.

"Can anyone else tell me something about the mysterious fifth potion?"

"It is used to heal diseases," a melodious voice behind Granger spoke up. Severus noticed how all his students fell silent and turned their heads to look at the Sacrifice. A shiver of excitement ran down his spine. He was thrilled to find out about her observations.

"Aside from the elements Draco mentioned it contains valerian and hop to calm the mind. Vervain and marigold are responsible for the yellow colour." She closed her eyes for a moment and seemed to concentrate on the vial clutched in her right hand. "There are also traces of belladonna and opium. The potion's structure is similar to hallucinogenic drugs but its effect is different. It is not meant to destroy the mind but to heal it."

Silence met her words. Even Severus who always had a sharp comeback for everything a student could possibly say was speechless. He had expected her to find out about the colouring and the valerian. But he had to admit that he thought it was impossible to trace the poisonous elements of his potion and the similarities to hallucinogenic drugs that had been his model for creating a masterpiece.

The Sacrifice had not only met his expectations – she had surpassed them.

"Ten points to a house of your choice," he managed to say after the silence stretched and became rather uncomfortable.

"Thank you, professor," the Sacrifice replied with a smile on her face. She didn't seem to understand what she had just accomplished. Neither did her fellow students who just stared at her with awe or plain suspicion. Oh, but Severus understood. The Sacrifice proved to be smarter and more dangerous than he'd thought. He would have to watch her closely and then decide whether she was a threat or not.

After the first day of the new term was almost over Hermione had to admit that her new friend's abilities amazed her. It took a lot to impress Hermione in the field of magic for she herself was an able witch. From the very moment she found out that she was a witch she had made sure to learn everything about this new world, especially since she had been raised in the Muggle world and felt that other children who had grown up with magic all around them had a huge advantage. She became obsessed with the wish to be equal and eventually exceed them.

Hermione had always possessed a strong will and so she had managed to do just that. She was the best student in her year and the only person who could compete with her was Draco Malfoy.

But after spending one day in Candice Armstrong's company she couldn't help but think that the new girl had enough potential to beat even the most powerful wizards. It was not so much her knowledge that was impressive – it was something else. It was the natural grace with which she cast the spells in Transfiguration and the ease she showed when using her magic. As if she was born to achieve things Hermione's logical mind still classified as "miracle".

She would never forget Severus Snape's face when she named the ingredients of his potion. A potion that wasn't listed in any of the books she possessed – as far as she knew it was impossible to treat all mental diseases with one potion. It was obvious that Snape had thought no one could figure out his masterpiece. But Candice had done it. And he seemed to be just as surprised as everyone else. Only the blond girl herself had been unaware of what she had just done. She seemed to be genuinely puzzled why everyone kept on glancing at her suspiciously every now and then.

After her impressive success in Potions she had accompanied Hermione, Harry and Ron to Transfiguration and to Hermione's surprise met Professor McGonagall's high standards. They had repeated some of the spells they had learnt in the previous year and Candice had been able to perform almost all of the tasks without any problems.

Only in History of Magic it became obvious that she lacked a lot of common knowledge about the wizard world. Although she listened very carefully to what the Professor was telling them there was no sign of recognition evident on her face. After some time a faraway look had appeared in her eyes and to Hermione's horror she had joined Harry's and Ron's conversation to distract herself from the rather boring lesson. Of course the boys had been delighted by her attention.

Then they had attended the Ancient Runes class – without Harry and Ron – and again Candice had impressed Hermione with her knowledge on the subject. Her new friend had told her that the minstrels she used to live with when she was younger had taught her a lot about deciphering runes and ancient texts.

Hermione took a deep breath and turned her head towards one of the library's windows. After lunch a small group of Gryffindors had offered Candice to show her around and she had accepted. Hermione had decided that she needed to study and retreated to the library. The rays of the setting sun were illuminating the huge room, colouring the dark wood in a deep shade of red. The faint laughter of the students who were enjoying themselves was floating in through the opened window. It struck her ears and for a moment she wished she had neglected her duties and instead joined her friends.

She shook her head and concentrated on the book in front of her. Aside from her and the librarian the room was empty. Of course no one would choose to go to the library when the sun was shining outside and exams were nothing but a word on the first day of the school year. She would never allow herself to get lazy because the sun was shining. To her discipline was very important and learning was her priority. There was enough time in the evening to socialize with her friends.

Some time passed until she noticed a disturbance in her quiet little world. Someone else had entered the library and was roaming through the rows of shelves filled with wisdom. The visitor stopped at the Potion section just as she had some hours ago. She frowned but couldn't see who it was. Who else could possibly be interested in learning about potions when the sun was shining outside?

Obviously someone who was just as ambitious as herself.

Realization hit her when she saw Draco Malfoy emerging from the long row with a frown on his face. He carried a small pile of books in his arms but obviously he hadn't found what he had been looking for. Probably he had been looking for books that could help him figuring out the potion Snape had brewed – just like her. She remembered that Malfoy had been able to name some of the ingredients and it had upset him.

He didn't seem to notice her presence because otherwise he would have already made a snide remark or something like that. Hermione watched him as he strode towards the Herbology section. Although he seemed to be irritated he seemed to be much more relaxed than usually. His movements were graceful and his handsome features showed his concentration as he read the titles, searching for something he couldn't find. Again she couldn't help but notice how attractive he was when he wasn't angry – and he was usually angry around her. Additionally she had found out yesterday that not only his face was pretty but his whole body seemed to be exceptionally well build. Probably because he played Quidditch regularly…

Suddenly she felt herself blushing as she remembered how his body had felt on top of hers. How his hard chest had been pressed close to her soft one, the strength radiating from him that had made her feel very feminine, the strange look in his eyes…

She could barely suppress the sigh that threatened to escape her lips. How could she think about Draco Malfoy's body? Never before had she fantasized about a boy like that. Of course she had been attracted to some boys before but it had never felt like that. He was dangerous, Hermione realized. She had to force herself to remember that he was evil and her enemy.

But it was difficult when he wasn't doing something to upset her. Like now. Her rational mind rebelled against the very idea of what she was about to do when she reached for one of the two books she had set her hopes on to reveal the answers to her questions.

I know I will regret it later, Hermione thought when she stood up and turned around to face Malfoy.

"Try this book," she called to him and extended her hand that held the book Altering the mind – 100 potions to treat mental diseases.

Immediately the blond Slytherin whirled around obviously shocked to find out he wasn't alone. He blinked a few times, a gesture that was so disarming and untypical for him that she felt her heart skip a beat. Or two. He was obviously too startled to control his features. Just like yesterday she saw emotions on his usually impassive face a mixture of feelings she couldn't understand or recognize.

Then he shook his head quickly and regained control over himself. "Granger," he said with his deep melodious voice. "Left behind while your pathetic friends have gone outside to play?"

Hermione sighed when she realized the asshole in him was back. "I'm trying to get some work done. Obviously you had the same idea. It must be hard to watch someone best you in your favourite subject."

Malfoy frowned and Hermione realized that she had hit home. It bothered him that Candice had been able to figure out all contents of the potion.

"I managed to name at least some of the ingredients. You didn't even know one of them."

"But I figured out which poisonous root tarnished the Felix felicis potion," Hermione replied with a satisfactory smirk on her face.

Malfoy snorted instead of making another remark. Which was unusual for him. On other occasions he would take the chance to argue with her until he had the upper hand and won their battle of words. Now he just walked over to one of the desks some metres away from her and sat down.

"Take the book," Hermione offered again. "I know you haven't found anything useful because I collected all relevant books before you came. Most of them had been disappointing but this one seemed to be rather helpful."

Malfoy raised his head again and looked at her as if he had never seen her before. Distrust was written all over his handsome features but he made no attempt to get up and fetch the book. Against better knowledge Hermione got up herself and walked over to the other student. He watched her suspiciously but didn't say anything. Then she placed the book on his desk and returned to her own working place.

Satisfied she continued to flip through one of her textbooks feeling a little confused at her own behaviour but not in an unpleasant way. He was seeking knowledge just like her and it would have been unfair not to share her results. Besides, she couldn't possibly have read both of the thick books today.

Even her genius mind had its limits.