"All students are to report to their head of house in their common room." I started awake, the instruction was resonating throughout the castle. Pulling on a robe over my nightdress I climbed out of bed and made my way down to the common room. I swore Flitwick sighed in relief when he saw me.

This is bad.

I chewed my lip thoughtfully and was soon joined by my friends. We piled onto one of the sofas, the common room was packed with bodies, it was never usually this busy. I perched myself on Casper's lap, we were all silent, faces drawn with worry.

Flitwick stood on the table before the fireplace.

"Another student has been petrified," he told us all. "A third year Gryffindor was found near the kitchens."

There was silence.

"Who was it?" I asked in a small voice.

"Margery Davenport," he said gravely. "A muggleborn."

This was my fault. I taunted Tom about his family. He stopped this madness because he thought he had hurt me, but now I've driven him back to the chamber.

I thought I was going to be sick.

By the end of March there had been one more attack. I had practiced my sorcery relentlessly, anything to take my mind off the guilt I felt. The more I tried to convince myself that I was not to blame, the worse I felt about myself. Could it really be really Tom's fault? He was just an orphan who had never known family or power. This was my entire fault.

But what I could I do? Turn him in? I couldn't do that to him. I just couldn't and I knew it. I couldn't have him go to Azkaban when I had driven him to this. I was supposed to know better.

So I practiced instead, sorcery, mind arts, becoming an animagus. Anything to keep my mind off my own guilt. What was I planning to do? Take him on myself?

A part of me thought yes, I would.

April came and it was more of the same. The attacks were becoming more frequent, every time I told myself, one more and I'll try. I'll confront him, but we hadn't spoken alone since that party.

My mind was distracted from that for now, however, we had an added pressure to deal with. My grandfather had summoned each of us back to the manor for Easter.

He sat in his high backed chair in the dining room and we stood before him likely naughty school children. All of the chairs were on one side of the table, our entire house sat next to him, Arcturus to his right and Hesper to his left.

"Dorea my dear," he said in a low voice. "As an engaged woman you are standing on the wrong side of the table." Her eyes widened in surprise and she took a furtive glance at her cousins, before bowing her head and taking a seat beside her mother.

"It has come to my attention that some of my scions are well on their way to becoming old maids," his eyes flicked to Cassie, Callidora then Lucretia.

"It is my wish to betroth you as soon as possible," he told them clearly. His grey eyes were so frosty. Even I, his most beloved granddaughter felt chilled.

"Cassiopeia, you are eldest stand forward," he instructed. Jaw set she stepped forward, head held high. There was no way she would yield to marriage.

"Cassiopeia you are the eldest of the Black children, it is my wish to marry you to the Prince of Aquitaine, you are well acquainted are you not?"

"Indeed my lord," she replied stiffly. "However it saddens me to tell you that Raimond Lestrange is involved with another and will be disinclined to accept my hand."

Lord Sirius looked pensive.

"Who is the girl?" he asked.

"Elizabeth of House Turpin," she replied. "She is Poppy's closest friend in Ravenclaw." His cold eyes flicked to mine and he nodded once.

"Very well."

"My lord," Cassiopeia said with a pleasing smile. "If I may be so bold, perhaps my betrothal could wait until I finish my NEWTs. I am top of my year and I would hate for anything to get in the way of my results. Besides, elder lords would not consider someone who was still at Hogwarts."

Lord Sirius knew how headstrong Cassiopeia was, so he regarded her sternly, but then relented. Perhaps at the hint she would agree to marry an older lord, something which everyone else was completely against made him agree.

"Very well," he said in a bored voice. "Callidora then." Cassie smiled and stepped back.

"The eldest daughter of my late brother Arcturus and Lysandra of Clan Yaxley," he said contemplatively. "I know being Lady Longbottom doesn't roll off the tongue but it is a good match."

"Yes my lord," she said with a bowed head. "A marriage to Mr Longbottom would be most prudent." I knew they were friends already, so it was not such a hardship for her.

"Very well, I will dispatch a letter to Lord Longbottom shortly," Lord Black agreed.

"Next is Lucretia…" and on it went through each of us. Until the Quidditch star had agreed to marry Ignatius Prewett, a sixth year Ravenclaw and Charis had agreed to marry into the Crouch family- my own suggestion.

Three acceptances and he was placated. It was much more taboo for girls to be unmarried after all. Alphard, Cygnus and Orion all left relieved, yet apprehensive as they knew a lot more careful consideration was going into their matches. The girls would all be leaving the House of Black, it was much more problematic when bringing people into the family.

Luckily no one commented on my lack of betrothal, not when there were 3 seventh years to pair off. Besides I'm sure they assumed Abraxas would have proposed to me by then anyway.

I went to see my grandfather later in his study. When he was not 'being Lord Black' he had a warm twinkle in his eye. Grandpa stood tall and regal and used words sparingly too, but Lord Black was ice and Grandpa was one of the people I loved most in the world.

I visited him and he welcomed me in, laying an affectionate hand on my shoulder and guiding us to the sofa.

"My dear," he said, his voice low and rough like always. "I am giving you fair warning, I know you must have friends in your house which you would not see out of Hogwarts. The others would see their Slytherin peers at functions and the like, so it is you I am most concerned for."

"What do you mean Grandpa?" I asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"There has been another attack today," he said gravely. "On a halfblood, I do not know the name. Poppy your father says that your mother was a pureblood witch, but I am not willing to take chances were you are concerned. One more attack and I am pulling the entire Black family out of Hogwarts immediately, exams or no. And then as Head of the School Governors I will be recommending to the board we close the school. Not one of the teachers has any idea what is going on, what is causing these attacks, and I am not willing to put the safety of my house, and the rest of the students at risk."

I nodded, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. "That is very wise of you Grandpa," I said in a small voice. "Thank you for the warning, I will be sure to say my farewells if there is another attack."

When I returned to school, I still had not shaken the feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong. Professor Flitwick's face was enough to tell me my suspicions were correct.

"What is it, professor?" I asked. He looked to the ground.

"Come with me," he said in a grave voice.

When I realised we were going to the Hospital Wing I became very afraid.

"There was another attack wasn't there?" I deduced. "Someone in Ravenclaw." His eyes were full of sorrow. But he nodded.

"Who is it, professor?" I demanded, panic bubbling within me. "Who?"

"Elizabeth," he said in a low voice.

Lizzie… my grandfather said a halfblood he didn't know the name of. Lizzie's grandmother was a muggle. So she was a halfblood, I'd never thought of it before, her last name being Turpin.

"No," I breathed and set off a sprint, tears stinging my eyes. I burst into the infirmary, much to Madam Pomfrey's dismay.

My hand clamped to my mouth when I saw her, her golden skin turned clammy and stiff, her bright blues wide open in shock.

Tears welled in my eyes and streamed freely down my face.

I felt an arm be slung around my shoulder and I immediately knew it was Raimond. I let myself be pulled into his embrace, burying my head in his shirt.

This was my fault.
My best friend was petrified because of me. I fell apart right there in the middle of the infirmary.

Raimond ushered me down to the Slytherin common room, I didn't care that everyone there saw me in tears being led to his bedroom.

I could have been naked and waving a 'future Mrs Lestrange' flag and I still wouldn't have cared that they were staring.

I had never felt more wretched in my entire life.

Raimond and I sat on his bed and he waited for my tears to stop. Then he was good enough to try and take my mind off it. It didn't work, but it made me feel better.

Because I had decided how I was going to make amends.

I was going to stop it. Kill it.

I walked back to my room as if I was in a trance.

Dropping my belongs that I travelled to Black Manor with by the bed, I pulled the Marauders map out of my desk. Then I paused and looked at my hair.

How many times had I gone into battle at a moment's notice? Quarter of an hour wouldn't hinder me. So I decided to do what I did before every exam.

I always got a better grade when I felt good. So I painstakingly washed every hair on my head, put on perfume, a practical, but soft dress and then I went back to the map.

It was stupid, I knew- completely pointless, because of all the slime and mud. But it made me feel much better, as if I was actually prepared for going to slay a basilisk. I swung a cloak around my shoulders and studied the map. Everyone was at dinner.

My thoughts briefly flicked to Liam.

No. I didn't need him.

It wasn't until I was stood before the sinks in the girls bathroom that I realised that the chamber would not just open for me naturally. So I sat on a bucket to think.

There was no way I could imitate Parseltongue.

Not that I didn't try. But there was no way I could make those sounds come out of my mouth. My mouth lacked the anatomical dexterity for that kind of speech.

I rubbed my temples and thought, I could wait for Tom and sneak down behind him.

I'm sure that would end well.

'Oh hi Tom, wasn't expecting to see you here. Don't mind me, just come to kill your massive pet snake, you carry on with what you were doing.'

Despite myself and the situation I let out a chuckle.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped and looked up.

"Myrtle," I said, surprised. My housemate was snivelling and looking up.

"What are you doing?" she repeated, eyes narrowed in suspicion through her tears and inch thick glasses.

I could ask her to leave, but she never would. She was headstrong and very, very annoying.

"Go find yourself a new bathroom to snivel in Myrtle," I sneered, looking at her with disgust. Her mouth gaped open like a fish. She looked like she was going to argue. I narrowed my eyes and stood up, fingering the hilt of my wand.

"I said go."

I had a good few inches on the girl and channelling Cassiopeia's look of distain as advanced upon her must have made me intimidating.

She turned on her heel and left with a sort of indignant huff.

I didn't feel bad for being such a bitch. I probably just saved her life after all.

I conjured an out of order sign for the door and went and seated myself on the bucket again.

This was stupid.

Second years did it in the future.

I took a deep breath and continued to weigh my options. Following Tom was out; blasting a whole through the sinks was probably not such a good idea either. I needed a snake I bend to my will. I could conjure one without problem at all, but getting one to say open sesame was entirely different. I ran my hands through my hair in exasperation. There must be a way!

I could transfigure myself into a snake, but would I speak actual parseltongue then? Or would I just hiss feebly?

Wait… getting a snake to say open.

A grin spread on my face.

Of course.

With a flick of my wand a small, black snake shot from wand, straight onto the sink in question.

I closed my eyes, concentrating hard on the snake. I couldn't enter its mind, human and snake were far too different, it was impossible to use Occlumency on a gorilla, let alone a reptile. But I could plant feelings and abstract thoughts.

You are hungry. Starving.
There is a mouse behind the sink, you just have to open it. Say open.

Nothing.

Open!

I heard the grinding of the plumbing and my eyes snapped open in bewilderment.

I'd done it! I had actually done it!

I vanished the snake and took a few steps forward, peering down into the cavern. I couldn't see how deep it went or what was at the bottom.

I was contemplating how best to descend when both my arms were seized, I gasped and looked round. I couldn't see anyone.

A dark chuckle in my ear.

Shit.

"Impressive Poppy," came a murmur, right by my face.

I could now feel him pressed up against me, holding me on the precipice with strong arms.

"First rule of sneaking," he said, I could hear the wicked grin in his voice. "Never leave witnesses, especially not extremely agitated ones."

And then his arms were gone and I breathed a sigh of relief that quickly turned to a scream.

There were two fingers digging in between my shoulder blades and I was swallowed by the darkness.

He pushed me.