The next several weeks dragged on – every meal, every classes was filled with tension. Even in the Slytherin House, there was still a division in the common room. The air seemed to grow thicker in the dungeons and left Aurora feeling strange. She started to spend as much time as possible in the library. It seemed that Remus had the same idea and they started to spend their evenings studying together. Sometimes James, Sirius, and Peter would come with him and they would talk and joke until late in the night.

One night after studying Ancient Runes with Remus (while James and Peter pretended to duel in the background), Aurora found herself alone in the corridors, walking back to the common room. The walk was eerily quiet. She saw no other students and it almost seemed as if the suits of armor were a little tenser than they had been before.

She kept her wand at the ready as she walked, but she saw nothing strange. When she pulled opened the door to the common room she was met with stillness and several pairs of eyes staring at her. The room was empty except for a gathering in the corner. Galen, Brigham, and Davida were among the group. She didn't acknowledge them, just turned and went up to the dormitory.

In the morning nothing seemed amiss in the dormitory or in the common room. However, when Aurora stepped out into the dungeon hall, she felt a heavy weight settle around her. On her walk to the Great Hall, she found herself between Galen and Regulus, who were chatting animatedly about Quidditch. Davida and Brigham walked behind them, their faces nearly identical with their scowls and glares.

Something was wrong.

As it had when she had cast the time spell, the air had shifted. Powerful, dark magic had been worked and left an oppressive atmosphere. It must have been happening for a while – that was why the common room had felt so strange.

The Derby twins were up to something.

Aurora sat down at the Slytherin table gingerly, between Galen and Regulus. Davida and Brigham sat across from them. Throughout the meal, they reached for no food and only exchanged glances with each other.

As they left the hall, Aurora was careful to fall into step with Regulus.

"So," she began. "How was your night?"

He shrugged. "Davida taught me some new techniques for the Defense Against the Dark Arts mid-term," he said.

Aurora frowned.

"She would teach you too," he continued, "if you ever left the library."

"I prefer a quieter studying atmosphere," she said, ignoring her memories of James and Peter's laughter the night before.

"Well, reading isn't everything. You'll need to actually practice the curses before the exam," Regulus said. "We are meeting again tomorrow night. You should come."

Aurora thought on his offer all day. She even mentioned it to Remus when she met him in the library later. James, Sirius, and Peter had all been given detention for trying to transfigure Professor Binn's stool into a lizard – from what Aurora had heard, the stool grew scales and started hissing at students, jumping about the room and only being subdued when trapped under a bookcase by Frank Longbottom – so they were alone.

While opening her Muggle Studies book, she broached the topic.

"What do you think of the Derbys?"

Remus didn't look up from his parchment. "Davida and Brigham?" He didn't wait for a response, only shrugged his shoulders and turned the page in his book. "Evil."

"And Gresham Donovan?"

"Pure evil."

She nodded. "And about what Regulus?"

He stilled before he looked up. "I was joking before," he said. "Trying to fill the void of….." he gestured to where the other Gryffindors usually sat. "Why are you asking me these questions? And why are you asking about Sirius's brother?"

She didn't want to insult him by asking if he could keep a secret so she only studied him a moment before continuing. She told him about the tension in her House for the past few weeks, about what she had witnessed the night before, and what she had felt that morning.

"Something's wrong," she said, voicing her worry from earlier.

Remus spun his quill in his hand. "And you think Regulus is involved?"

"I think he could be."

"Then you need to talk to Sirius," he said.

She shook her head. "Sirius hates me."

"He'll want to hear about this."

"But his family….from what I've heard…..well, isn't this kind of what they do?"

He met her eyes. "That's exactly why you need to talk with him."

The next day, Aurora made numerous attempts to speak with Sirius Black. She tried to talk to him after breakfast, but he made his way to Divination amongst a swarm of girls. Before lunch he was too engaged with James to hear her yelling after him, and before the Gryffindor-Slytherin Potions lesson, she found him kissing a girl from the crowd that morning.

She had agreed to meet Regulus for Defense Against the Dark Arts training that evening and both he and Galen had been so happy she knew they couldn't just be practicing disarming spells. She needed to speak with Sirius before this meeting and she was running out of time.

After the combined lesson, she waited outside of the Potions classroom. When Sirius exited, he was laughing with Peter. His laugh became a yelp when she grabbed his arm and pulled him into an alcove.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" he said after a long string of profanity.

"Tell me about your family."

He stared at her. "Merlin. You know, I told Remus you were strange," he said, trying to step out of the alcove. "But does he listen to me? No –"

Aurora caught the back of his robes and pulled him back.

"This is important," she said quietly. "I have been trying to speak to you all day but you are a very difficult person to get alone."

"There are many people in this school that would attest otherwise," he said with a wink.

"I need to know about your family," she said again, ignoring him. "Your parents, what do they do?"

"That," he said carefully with flashing eyes, "is none of your business."

Quickly he stepped around her and out into the hall.

"It's about your brother," she called after him.

He didn't even turn around. "I don't have a brother."

There was no more time before dinner. Aurora sat down at the Slytherin table and looked over to the Gryffindors. Peter glared at her but James only seemed to study her apprehensively. She hoped that meant he might talk to her if she found him later. He would never break the confidence of his friend, but maybe, if he listened….

Aurora felt a hand on her arm. It was Regulus.

Casting another glace at the lion's table, she nodded and stood. They made their way to an empty classroom deep in the dungeons.

The twins were waiting, deep in conversation. Davida eyed Aurora cautiously when she entered the room. Galen stepped in just behind her, breaking the tension.

"Aurora," he greeted with a smile. "Glad you came."

Davida's eyebrows shot up, but she quickly straightened them. Aurora frowned.

"Yes, welcome," she said.

"Welcome," Brigham added.

"Well," Galen said, clasping his hands together. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Not tonight," Davida replied, standing up from her seat and taking out her wand. "I thought we could start with some revealing spells and then try some jinxes."

Aurora was paired with Galen; Regulus with Brigham. Davida sat on the desk at the front of the room and observed them as they practiced. Aurora had no idea where she had learned spells like these – they hadn't been taught in any of the lessons – or why her control of the classroom was so unquestioned. Not even Brigham seemed to match her control.

As she practiced, Aurora began thinking about how little she knew about the Derbys. She knew she didn't like the twins, but she didn't know much else. And that, as she shot a spell at Galen, began to scare her.

After her hit landed, Galen fell to the ground. She took a step toward him but he held up his hands and Aurora paused. She could see angry welts appearing and arcing down his arms. Crossing over, she took his arm and looked at it closer.

"What kind of jinx is this?" she asked coming over to kneel next to Galen, horrified.

"It's alright," he said, trying to wave her off but grimacing.

Aurora looked to Davida. "What is this?" she asked again.

The Slytherin girl rolled her eyes. "It's just a jinx. It'll wear off."

Distracted by the conversation, Regulus got hit with the jinx cast by Brigham. He let out a yelp that he tried to cover up.

"Alright, that's enough," Aurora said, pulling Galen back to his feet.

Davida slid off the desk and walked over.

"Don't be childish, Aurora," she said with condescension. "This is a real jinx – not something Dumbledore picked out. This is something you might actually have to defend yourself from in the future."

Aurora frowned. "Where am I going to be that someone would be doing this?" She lifted Galen's injured arm. The welts were not going away.

Davida didn't answer.

"Is this what you have been practicing?" Aurora asked, looking to Regulus.

"We could always practice some disarming spells," Davida said loudly. "We know how good you are at those."

Her brother stilled.

Aurora could have pretended not to understand, that she didn't remember. She could have refused to acknowledge it. But she didn't want to. Her House was scaring her and she was tired of it.

"Careful, Davida," she said firmly. "You are starting to sound jealous."

Davida reached for her wand, but Brigham caught her hand.

"You said something about glamor spells," he said. "How about we practice those?"

After a pause she nodded and they practiced for another hour but their hearts weren't in it. Regulus and Galen were clearly in pain and trying to ignore it.

"That's enough practice," Galen finally said with a strain in his voice.

They walked to the common room in silence. Aurora disappeared into her room and waited long enough before she left for the library but she didn't find Remus in their usual spot.

She did find Lily Evans.

The Gryffindor greeted her before she could leave.

"Oh hi, Lily," she said. "How are you?"

"I've got a Potions essay due tomorrow. Do you know anything about Celtic Eternal Elixirs?" She gestured to the piles of books in front of her, looking desperate. "I can't seem to find anything…."

"I know a little," Aurora said, sitting down at the table. "What have you got?"

Lily handed her the parchment.

Aurora squinted as her eyes ran over the page.

"Newt's eyes are fine," she said, pointing to a spot on the page, "but squid's eyes are better – if you can get them. Trade the batwings for fly-wings. It seems counterintuitive, I know, but really it's the same effect – and easier to get. For this one, add a little bit of thyme. It won't affect any of the properties, it'll just make it taste better. And for this one, I don't know what they taught you, but stirring counterclockwise and then clockwise and then counterclockwise has always gotten the best results for me." She paused, looking up at the other girl and her large eyes. "My House is showing, isn't it?"

Lily blinked and looked down, scribbling on the parchment. "Thanks."

Aurora nodded. She sat there another moment, not sure if she should leave. Before she stood up, Lily spoke again.

"I spoke to Severus again."

"And?"

"He still says it was James' fault."

"He's wrong," Aurora said. "James saved my life."

"I believe you," she replied. She opened her mouth to continue, but closed it again. Aurora waited.

"He's been strange lately," Lily said finally.

"James?"

"Severus." She frowned. "I know you didn't know him, but he used to be…nicer."

Aurora lifted an eyebrow.

"He did," Lily insisted.

"Okay," she replied.

Lily didn't say anything else. Aurora wrote down another potion recipe and slid it across the table. Then she left, leaving Lily in the library alone.