"Death Eaters?" Aurora asked, not matching the reverence in Gresham's tone. "What does that even mean? And how did you get in here? Did Dumbledore let you back in?"

He ignored her questions.

"We are pleased to invite you to join us, Aurora Townsend. Your family's history is…illustrious and you have proven you have talent beyond –"

"Merlin, Donovan! What is this?"

"It's a meeting of Salazar Slytherin's most faithful followers," he said.

"What?"

Everything was moving through her mind too quickly and the time potion couldn't process it. English and Latin mixed in her mind. Her former life was colliding with her current one.

Gresham was smiling. "We want you to join us."

"To join you doing what exactly? And who are you?"

One by one, the hoods were pulled down. Davida and Brigham were there, as was Narcissa. Galen's older brother, Abe, was there too, along with several other final year students. In the corner she even spotted Severus.

"We are doing Salazar Slytherin's noble work," Gresham was saying. "Purifying the magical community, saving it from Muggle ruin." He looked at her. "Our elders were quite impressed with you. The Blacks had been skeptical, but now, even they are convinced. You are one of us and you can help us achieve our founder's dream."

Aurora swore in her mind. But even as she did so, there was another small voice that said, This is what you wanted, wasn't it?

Isn't it?

"Gresham," she said in a lower voice, hoping to appeal to his sanity. "You don't like me. In fact, you hate me. You've always hated me. I beat you in front of all your friends. I got you thrown out of school."

"I did hate you," he said. "But not anymore. You did magic I have never seen anyone do before."

She didn't know what to say. There was an amazement in Gresham's tone that unnerved her.

"You don't understand what you saw," she said carefully.

"No, I don't," he agreed. "But I know a sixth year shouldn't be able to do it."

"I'm gifted."

"Yes, you are." He nodded. "So use your talent and help us."

"Help you what? Start the blood registry? Track down known Muggle sympathizers? Take their jobs, kick them out of school? Torture them?" She shook her head. "I won't help you eradicate a group of people just because you don't like them, Donovan."

"Why not?" Davida asked from behind him. "Torture is in your blood."

Donovan threw a silencing spell at her before she could say more.

"She's right," Aurora answered. "Punishment, torture, executions…they are all in my blood. But if that's what you want, you aren't going to get it. Not from me. I don't use those spells."

"But I saw –"

"You don't understand what you saw," she said again. "Whatever this is," she said, waving her hand around at the group of students, "and whatever it is that you are doing with death, I don't want to be part of it."

"It's not just us," Gresham said quickly. "We have a leader –"

"Enough," she said. "I am…flattered by your invitation, but I have to refuse. I will, however, give you one hour before I tell the headmaster you're here. I suggest you leave before then."

Brigham and Davida both made moves toward their wands, but Gresham waved them off.

"If you change your mind…." he said, trailing off.

I won't.

It was a quick walk to the common room and she made it even quicker. In the dormitory, she tore through her things until her hands found a cool sheet of glass. She picked it up and stared into it, trying to remember how it worked.

She shook it, then she tapped it. Nothing happened.

There was no one else in the room, so she said, "Sirius?"

A boy's face appeared.

"Rory?" He grinned for a moment and then took a look at her pale expression and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Get James, Remus, and Peter and meet me in the astronomy tower. Now."

He nodded quickly and his face disappeared.

Twenty minutes later, the Gryffindors ran up the final steps to the tower. Aurora was waiting.

"What's wrong?" Sirius demanded, slightly out of breath.

"Gresham Donovan's back."

Remus frowned. "Dumbledore let him back in?"

She shook her head. "But he's in the dungeons right now with a group of Slytherins – the Derbys, the Turnpikes, Snape – and they've formed a... club of sorts."

"A club? What kind of club?" James asked, his eyebrows furrowing behind his glasses.

Aurora looked at Sirius. "It looked like what we saw in your parents' house," she said. "They are calling themselves the Death Eaters."

Her skin crawled at the name.

"I've heard about them," James said with a serious expression. "My dad has to deal with them at the Ministry. They're violent."

Sirius looked at her. "Is my brother with them?"

She shook her head. "I didn't see him there, but he's been disappearing more and more lately. If they haven't gotten him yet, they are going to try. Soon."

"We have to tell Dumbledore," Peter said. "He can stop it –"

She nodded. "I'm going to tell Dumbledore after this. But, I think this might go beyond even his control."

"Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the world," Remus said confidently.

Slowly, she nodded. "I know."

Exactly one hour after her warning, she was standing outside of the headmaster's office. She moved to open the door, but stopped when she heard voices inside. They were low enough that she couldn't make out any of the words until Dumbledore called her name.

"Good evening, sir," she said, stepping inside. "I'm sorry to –"

She stopped short. There was another man in the office with the headmaster.

"Good evening," the stranger greeted her.

Her eyes flickered to the headmaster.

with him. He was tall with dark hair – and his face looked far younger than his name.

"Aurora, this is Professor Auberon Highmore." His eyes twinkled.

The stranger gave her a nod. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes – and a face and voice that seemed far younger than his name.

When she spoke, her speech was stunted. Her heartbeat had gone back on high alert. "Good evening, professor."

The headmaster continued, "Professor Highmore will be the new Astronomy teacher."

She nodded, trying to study the new professor discreetly.

Dumbledore turned back to Professor Highmore. "Now, Auberon, your rooms have been prepared in the west tower. Lovely bluebell wallpaper I think you will find quite enchanting. If you will excuse us, Miss Townsend and I have some private matters to discuss."

The new teacher left and the headmaster sat down behind his desk. He turned his blue eyes to his student. "Mr. Donovan found you then?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "You knew?"

He nodded slowly.

She frowned. "How did he get in?"

"There are a few ways to get in here that, I imagine, only the two of us know about," he explained. "And now there is one less."

"And the 'Death Eaters'?"

"An unfortunate sliver of society that has found its way to our school." He sighed. The phoenix, Fawkes, hopped down from his perch and settled next to the old man. He began to stroke the bird absentmindedly. "I thought it might have taken longer. Did they ask you to join them?"

She nodded. "I refused. Almost politely. They'll try again."

"Good," he said. "If you remain curious, you may be able to keep an eye on them."

"Won't that be a little difficult?" she asked, her mind seizing up with suspicion. "I mean, you are going to keep them out of the school, right?"

The headmaster nodded. "Gresham Donovan will not host a meeting inside Hogwarts again," he promised. "But the others will try to continue without him."

She thought for a moment. Her acceptance was begrudging, but he might be right. "I'll do what I can."

It was what she had been doing all along, after all. Pretending to be curious, pretending there was even a possibility that she could support their beliefs, pretending to be as evil as everyone thought she was. She could do that for a little while longer.