AN: This chapter and the next were supposed to be one, but as I was writing I ended up adding more than expected, which was a welcomed surprise. As always, I hope you like this chapter, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.

"I think I liked it better when you two weren't getting along." Draco drawled from his seat across Aries and Daphne in the Three Broomsticks.

"Jealous, Malfoy?" Daphne said with a smirk. "I had heard the rumors that women weren't your fancy, but now I'm starting to believe them." Aries couldn't contain his laughter as Draco's ears turned an almost Weasley red. "I'll let father know so he can call off the marriage contract."

"Oh, come now, Draco," Aries interrupted before the two starting throw spells. "Play nicely. After all, we all know Astoria adores you." Draco rolled his eyes and set back with an exaggerated huff. They both knew he could do far worse than Daphne's younger sister, though the contract had yet to be finalized. That was in part Aries doing, as it ensured that Lucius Malfoy maintained particular goodwill with the grey party.

"At least you two can have fun with your meeting. I'll be stuck here listening to Pansy whine about the contract all afternoon."

"Speaking of which, it's time for us to go," Aries said as he rose to his feet with an offered hand to Daphne. "Still cannot believe they choose the Hog's Head of all places for this meeting. Umbridge will know about it before the meetings even done."

"Then why didn't you change it?" Draco asked.

"I've made a good habit of capitalizing on people's mistakes, Draco," replied Aries with a smile. "This is no different."

Aries and Daphne took their time as they walked towards the Hog's Head arm in arm. They had already gotten their shopping out of the way and had a light lunch at the Three Broomsticks. The blonde girl had never been an unconfident witch, but her confidence had seemed to rise to new levels after their conversation a few weeks ago. Their Dark Arts lessons had continued as well, something she had begun to attack with new vigor as if she hoped to prove she could outdo Fleur in every way.

At last, they had reached the Hog's Head, and, as requested, Astoria, Blaise, and Tracey waited patiently outside for them. He gave them each a nod and entered the pub. A quick count told him that twenty-five had decided to attend the meetings, most of them being fifth year students. Every house was represented, at least now that they had arrived. He glanced around the room, and after seeing the four individuals he had asked to be here, sat at the last available table with the other Slytherins. A motion to the bartender, a man he knew to be Aberforth Dumbledore, brought a round of butterbeer to the table.

"What the bloody hell are they doing here?" Ron exclaimed loudly to the agreeance of the rest of the group.

"We want to pass our exams too, Weasley." Daphne drawled as she rolled her eyes. "You lot aren't the only ones not learning anything from Umbridge."

"This is about more than passing our exams," Susan Bones said from her spot at the front next to Thomas. "This is about learning how to fight Death Eaters."

"Oh, are there some here?" Aries, who seldom had an issue controlling his emotions, found it very difficult not to laugh at Daphne, as she looked around the room frantically. "Well, thank goodness we have all of you to protect us."

"They're here because I asked them to be." Thomas interrupted as he stood. "Susan is right. This is not only so we can pass our exams but so that when Voldemort and the Death Eaters show themselves, we're ready."

"And so, you invited Death Eater spawn to train with us?" A Hufflepuff said, Zacharias Smith if he remembered correctly. "For all we know, they could be spying on us. And not to mention, you invited him." All eyes landed on Aries, who returned their glares with a smirk.

"Is my presence a problem, Smith?" Aries asked innocently.

"Enough!" All eyes looked back to the front, where Hermione had snapped in her quill in frustration. "Why are they here, Thomas?"

"Just because someone is a Slytherin, does not make them a Death Eater," Thomas began. "And just because someone isn't in Slytherin doesn't make them good either. The night my grandparents died, we were under the Fidelius. Our secret keeper, and the man that betrayed my family to Voldemort, was a Gryffindor. If a lion can become a Death Eater, then a snake can be the good guy." He took a deep breath, with a sideways glance towards Susan. "Throughout this year, Aries has been training me. You see, while our parents have been out doing what they can, Aries and I have been training to take the fight to Voldemort. Every day I get stronger because of him. He's the most powerful wizard I know besides Dumbledore and Voldemort. He's taught me how to duel, to perform the Patronus Charm, and how to survive. If you want me to help you, then you'll have to accept Aries, which means accepting his friends as well. I trust him, and if you trust me, you'll trust him as well."

"You both can perform the Patronus?" Katie Bell asked as she looked towards Aries. Her cheeks flushed when they made eye contact, but a raise of the eyebrows from Daphne caused the Gryffindor to look away.

"Yes," Thomas answered. "But Aries can produce a corporeal Patronus."

"Prove it," Smith demanded. Aries yawned and lazily drew his wand.

"Expecto Patronum." The white fox shot from his wand, running through the pub before it stopped in front of Thomas and disappeared. "Happy?"

"That's all good and well," Hermione said. "But Aries' proficiency in magic isn't our-"

"What about Cedric?" Michael Corner interrupted, another fifth-year student in Ravenclaw, as he looked intently at Aries. "You and Dumbledore keep saying Voldemort killed him, but no one actually knows. Besides you." Cho Chang, who had been staring at the floor for most of the meeting, suddenly looked up, and Aries could not quite place the look in her eye.

"If you here for me to tell you how Cedric died, then you've come to the wrong place," Aries replied. "If you don't believe Albus Dumbledore and Thomas Potter, then what makes anything I say matter? Unless, of course, you mean to accuse me of something?" He looked around the room, his eyes stopping on the Hufflepuffs, but they remained silent. "I thought we were here to learn about magic, not put me on trial, Granger."

"We are," Hermione replied, though he could tell she was tense. "But unfortunately, your presence, along with the rest of the Slytherins, was never agreed upon. I understand why Thomas invited you, and it makes sense logically, but I have some concerns of my own."

"Because you're a muggleborn," Daphne offered.

"Yes. I, along with many others, have been constantly harassed by the Slytherins since I came to Hogwarts. What I want to know is why you would be willing to teach us anything."

"You're referring to the incident this summer?" Aries asked, and when Hermione gave a nod, he shook his head slightly. "It is not uncommon for magical families to have a grimoire, but for those of us who can trace our familial lines to the founders and beyond, there is family magic, traits, and secrets that are protected. These things are sacred to the family and are passed down from heir to heir and taught throughout the family. As even Thomas can attest to with the Potter family, this is common regardless of whether that family is considered 'light' or 'dark.'

"Now, as to the concern of your blood status. Many of our ancient families have long held to the belief of blood purity, but the fact is that inbreeding has done the exact opposite of what was intended. Instead of ensuring the strength of blood, bloodlines that had existed for centuries began to die out. It is part of the reason for individuals like Crabbe and Goyle, who can hardly read yet alone perform any great magics. It is a practice that must be cast aside. That being said, magic does not appear out of midair. Somewhere in your family, Granger, there has been a witch or wizard, which has resulted in you being magical. Therefore, you belong in our world, but not without sacrifice.'

"This is not the muggle world, and as such as we have traditions that are sacred to those who have shaped this world for centuries. You, who were born and raised in the muggle world, cannot come here and expect it to change just because it is not what you have come to understand as right and wrong. That does not mean, however, that we cannot progress. Individuals, like you, can help us make our magical world a better one. But you must understand that you are giving up one world to live in ours. Does that answer your question, Granger?" A glance around the room saw that many had taken his words to thought and were genuinely surprised at the Slytherin's point of view.

"What about the Dark Arts?" Ron suddenly asked. "Thomas said you would be helping teach us. You cannot expect us to want to learn from someone who openly practices them."

"And why not?" Thomas replied heatedly. "Who better to learn from? I've had run-ins with Voldemort before, but both times he was weakened. And yet, Aries went toe to toe with him when he was at full strength. If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it out alive." Aries watched Thomas eye the room as he dared them to challenge him. "I can teach you what I can and what I know, but if you want the best chance to survive a run-in with Death Eaters, then you have to learn from Aries as well."

"Look, you have the chance to be taught by two Tri-Wizard champions," Hermione began slowly after a tense moment had passed. "Thomas is the best at defense in our year, and I think everyone knows what Black got on his OWLs. If there was ever a chance to learn how to best defend ourselves and pass our exams, this is it. So, is everyone agreed?" No one said a word, but no one left either, much to Aries' surprise, though he was sure there was still some ill will towards him. "Right, so the question is how often we are-"

"It can't clash with Quidditch," Angelina Johnson said from the back next to Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet.

"Don't you think this is a bit more important?" Ernie McMillan replied. "Even with our OWLs coming up and the denial of You-Know-Who. I mean, the Ministry gave us a teacher who is actually trying to prevent us from using defensive spells!"

"Fudge believes that Dumbledore wants to take over the Ministry," Aries said as he answered the implied question. "And he's afraid that he's using students to build an army to do just that. But Angelina is right. If we are suddenly all rescheduling Quidditch practices for this, it will become suspicious. This is important, but we must remain discreet. As far as location, Thomas and I have already decided. We'll let everyone know the time and place at the last possible minute so that Umbridge has no time to find out where we're meeting."

Hermione began to rummage in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.

"I think everybody should write their name down just so we know who was here. But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So, if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge or anybody else what we're up to."

One of the Weasley twins went and wrote his name first, all too happily, but Aries noticed that some were immediately hesitant to write down their names. Aries couldn't blame them, but did they really think Granger would just leave the list lying around? It took some convincing from Thomas, but eventually, everyone began to sign their names, including the Slytherins. Aries was the last to go up to sign his name but stopped the minute he saw the parchment up close. It was dripping with magic, and he immediately knew the spells Granger had cast. He looked up, making eye contact with her with a raised eyebrow, and she instantly paled. His name formed on the parchment with a wave of his hand, but Granger knew the magic wouldn't affect him.


Daphne had waited for him outside, but he gave her a slight nod towards the castle, while he waited for his companions to meet him. As she walked away, Cassiopeia, Sirius, Remus, and Fleur exited the Hogs Head, their glamours still on. They walked in silence towards the Shrieking Shack, a Notice-Me-Not charm keeping their movement hidden. When they had arrived in the small upstairs bedroom, they removed their glamours and waited for Aries to make himself comfortable in the chair before they took their own seats.

"I hope we all have good news?" Aries asked. "Cassiopeia?"

"The Legion continues to grow, both in number and skill." Cassiopeia began. "Commandant Taim again expresses his gratitude at your trust in him and hopes you can come to see his progress at your earliest convenience. He has also selected four more wizards to become Praetorians. He will inform you should they survive the training." Aries nodded, a slight grimace on his face. Taim was more animal than man, but he owed his life to Aries, and after being named Commandant of the Legion, he had taken to only allowing the best to have the honor to protect their lord. Five had already died in Taim's evaluations, as far as he knew.

"The DMLE has doubled its recruitment, as has the Auror Department," Sirius said, though he threw a weird look towards Cassi. "We've been able to up patrols in most of the major populated magical regions. Unfortunately, there is little we can do as far as patrolling Muggle regions. That has been left to the Order. It took some convincing, but we've started trying to follow known Death Eaters. Hopefully, we can get a guess as to where they're hiding, and maybe we can find out where they'll strike first."

"I think the Dark Lord is content hiding, for now." Aries interrupted. "He'll move slowly but surely and do little to draw the attention of the Ministry. Azkaban is our main concern. You need to convince Bones and Scrimgeour to replace the Dementors. The Dark Lord's most powerful servants reside in that prison, and we cannot allow them to escape." Sirius nodded his understanding before continuing.

"Dumbledore still has members guarding the Prophecy." Cassiopeia gave a loud huff at that. "He refuses to have it removed. I think he wants to use it as bait, but he truly does not want the Dark Lord to get his hands on it."

"Can we destroy it somehow?" Remus asked.

"Not without alerting both the Order and the Ministry. For now, it's a waiting game."

Aries nodded as he turned to the werewolf. "Cassiopeia informed me of the Conservation, Remus, so no need to waste your time. What of the other projects?"

"I've convinced forty-four to join your cause, my lord," Remus said as he pulled out a folder, which he handed to Cassiopeia. "Each has met your conditions and will be sent to Commandant Taim for training. The Dark Lord has sent a delegation to the werewolf packs in the north, but as you requested, we did not respond. A wise move indeed, my lord, as the packs have selected a representative, and she has requested we send a delegation as well."

"I trust you have chosen a delegation?"

"Yes, my lord." Remus handed another folder to Cassiopeia. "I will lead them, of course. I fully expect to gain their allegiance by Winter Solstice." Aries did not respond, as he waited for Cassiopeia to finish looking over the dossiers Remus had given her. When she had, at last, nodded her approval, he turned back to Remus.

"Excellent work, my friend." Fleur smiled coyly as his gaze landed on her at last.

"I've managed to look over the vaults of our known Death Eaters, though convincing the goblins has not been easy," Fleur said, idly looking at her fingertips as she spoke in French. "Luckily enough, Dumbledore and the Dark Lord have rubbed them wrong enough for them to consider giving you their support. They allowed me to look over the inventories in an attempt to bridge a more formal alliance with you. The goblins seem to hope to have more. . . flexibility within the magical world. Something akin to what the Lycans have been given. That being said, I found nothing similar to the locket or the cup. The goblins seemed to have an idea of what the cup was, I think. They've requested a meeting with you, no doubt to discuss their demands, but perhaps they could be convinced to part with that information as well?"

"Dealing with goblins is a tricky affair, Aries," Cassiopeia stated suddenly. "They've given us something for seemingly nothing in return. They will expect something during the negotiations, I have no doubt."

"And yet, we cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity," Aries replied. "Did they mention when they wished to meet?"

"No, my lord." He caught the flirtatious tone Fleur had used, but ignored it for now.

"Then I will meet with them at Christmas Break," Aries decided. "Leaving beforehand would be more suspicious than I can afford right now."

"Then, is it wise to help with this defense club?" Cassiopeia asked with a raised eyebrow. "It will surely draw the attention of Dumbledore, considering his brother was the barkeep."

"I have little concern about the reaction from the Ministry, and I'm aware that Dumbledore will be in the know. This is an opportunity to gain followers outside of Durmstrang and Slytherin. It is a calculated risk, but one I believe will pay off." Aries left them shortly after, though he thoroughly enjoyed his time with Fleur once the others had left. He looked forward to seeing how Daphne would 'put her in her place,' though he supposed he would have to ensure the two did not end up killing the other. Sirius' unease at the mention of the Legion had not gone unnoticed by Aries, and he hoped he would be able to resolve the issue at Christmas when he would go inspect his army himself.


Thomas jumped as Susan suddenly slammed her hand on the desk.

"She knows," Susan whispered angrily. "She's banned all student organizations, including Quidditch."

"What?!" Thomas fought to keep his voice down in the library and quickly glanced around to make sure Madam Prince had not heard him. "How?"

"How do you think?"

"Don't start that, Susan." His tone was dangerously close to anger. "Hermione charmed it, and he signed it. If it was him, we would know. I trust Aries. Why can't you?"

Susan was saved from answering as Hermione walked up to them frantically. They all eyed each other before sitting down, pushing their chairs close together.

"He knows?" Hermione asked as she looked at Susan, who nodded. "It had to have been Aries."

"He signed!" Thomas whispered aggressively, but his frustration changed to confusion when Hermione hesitated.

"Actually, he didn't. He saw my enchantments. I don't know how, but the minute he looked at the parchment, he stopped and looked at me like he just knew somehow."

"He can see magic," Thomas face-palmed. "He told me during one of our training sessions."

"He can see it?" Hermione looked as if she wanted to bombard Thomas with questions, but Susan quickly cut her off.

"So, Hermione's magic doesn't pertain to him," Susan stated hotly. "He's the only one who didn't sign."

"There were other people there!" He glanced between the two girls. "Why are you so hell-bent on blaming him for everything that goes wrong in this castle? A statue falls, and you immediately assume Aries did it. It rains, and it's somehow Aries' fault."

"Why are you so determined to defend him?" Thomas could hear the coldness in Susan's voice, but suddenly he didn't care.

"Because, unlike you lot, Aries has been there for me since the beginning!" He turned an accusatory look towards Hermione. "When my name came out of the goblet, he encouraged me to do my best. He made me see that my worth was more than what you and Ron determined it to be. He encouraged me to make better friends. When the merpeople tried to kill me, he saved me. When Cedric was imperioused in the final task, he saved me again. When Voldemort returned, he faced down the most infamous wizard of our time to save my life. If not for him, I would have been expelled this summer! And, while everyone else I care about is too busy trying to decide whether I'm lying or not, or whether Aries is a good person or not, and while Dumbledore has too many things to deal with besides helping me figure out just what the fuck is happening to me, Aries Black is taking his time to train me. To make me better. So, that the next time I face Voldemort, I can walk away alive on something other than luck. And if you two can't see that, then I don't want anything to do with either of you."


Thomas paced back and forth as he waited for everyone to show up. He could have talked to Susan, Hermione, or Ron, all who sat around the small table the room had provided for them, but ever since their argument in the library, he had steadily avoided all three. Aries was the first to arrive, followed by his Slytherin friends. He seemed to study the room before he gave Thomas a nod of approval. Thomas released his breath that he had not realized he had been holding before. Since when did Aries' approval mean so much to me? He pushed the question from his mind, as the rest of the group slowly made their way into the room.

"Thank you all for coming," Thomas greeted far more confidently than he felt. "I think first we should decide a name, as I think it means something to all of us."

"The Defense Club doesn't work?" Astoria said with a laugh.

"The Defense Association sounds better." Chang offered from her spot. "Or D.A. for short."

"Well, we aren't a club." Katie Bell informed the group. "And we aren't here just to be some association. We're here to learn and train how to beat You-Know-Who's Death Eaters."

"What about Dumbledore's Army?" Ginny asked.

"It's what the Minister, and Umbridge, fear most," Aries replied to the group after the murmur had died down. "This group is in open defiance of our High Inquisitor, and the Minister by default. So why not make their fears come true?"

"I cannot believe I am saying this, but Black is right," Ron said from beside Hermione. "Our loyalty lies with Dumbledore, not Fudge." A murmur of agreement ran through the group, and Thomas nodded to Hermione.

"Dumbledore's Army it is," Hermione said as she wrote it across the parchment of their names. She magically stuck it to the wall, and the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army was in session.

"Aries and I will take turns teaching everyone different things," Thomas began. "I know many of you are wary of Aries' knowledge of magic, which is why I will teach you all the spells we've agreed need to be known. When it comes to tactics and dueling, Aries will be teaching. If you can't accept that, the door is right there." No one moved, so Thomas continued. "The first spell we are going to learn is the Disarming Charm."

"Expelliarmus?" Zacharias said indignantly. "That's a first-year charm! Are we going to be learning how to levitate things too?"

"So, you're a master of the spell, then?" Aries asked.

"Of course, I am!"

"Prove it then." Aries flicked his wrist, and his wand shot into his hand. "Disarm me." Smith hesitated for a moment, but when no one stepped in to stop them, he took out his wand as well. Thomas watched as Aries fell into his Viper stance, something he had come to understand was intentionally misleading. He wanted his opponent to think he was lazy and untrained. Smith fired off the disarming charm with a shout, but Aries only sidestepped the spell. Again, the Hufflepuff attacked, but each one attempt flew by Aries as he moved with ease. Then suddenly, Aries went on the offensive. In the blink of an eye, Smith's wand had flown out of his hand, and he was hanging upside down by his ankle.

"You are disarmed and helpless," Aries said as he strolled towards Smith. "You are now worse off than those that die at the hands of the Killing Curse. If I wanted, I could torture you. I could use the Cruciatus. Simple but effective. But if you were in the hands of some of the crueler Death Eaters, they would find more elaborate ways to deal with you. Maybe they'd cut you until you were close to death and then heal you. Break every bone and then give you Skelegrow. Use the cutting curse and remove parts of your body until you begged for death." He turned to the rest of the group, all very pale beside the Slytherins. "That is what you have waiting for you. You all want to act as if you want to learn to fight, but you ignore the reality of what you will be facing. This is not a game. So, you will either accept that everything Thomas and I are here to teach is as valid as the next, or you can leave, and hope a better wizard than you is there to save you."

"As everyone knows, the incantation is Expelliarmus," Thomas informed the group, once Aries had returned to his group of friends. "Each of your pair off. Take turns using the spell on one another. Once everyone can successfully disarm the other, we'll move onto the Shield Charm."

Thomas walked around the room as he watched the group that had become Dumbledore's Army practice. He hadn't been surprised that there were adjustments to be made, even among the seventh years, as Aries had had to correct his own casting of the spell. Aries made little effort to go outside the Slytherins and spent most of his time on Astoria. Thomas didn't blame him, and he knew it would take time for the group to accept him, though the Ravenclaws seemed to watch him as if analyzing his every move. The group worked hard for nearly an hour and a half before Thomas brought them to a halt.

"Well done, everyone," He waited as the group formed around him. "I think that's a good start, but everyone now has a grasp on the Disarming Charm. We'll work on the Shield Charm next week." Thomas and Aries waited as the group exited but he noted Aries' interested gaze on Neville, who seemed to have avoided the Slytherin. "You didn't need to scare them like that."

"Half of them do not believe the Dark Lord has returned," Aries replied with a raised eyebrow. "But there are still Death Eaters out there. They need to take you seriously, Potter. You cannot allow Smith to question your every move and expect the others to not have lingering doubt."

"We are teaching them to defend themselves, not make a political move!"

"Every decision you make matters, Potter," There was anger in Aries' voice that Thomas seldom heard. "Whether you like it or not, you are a leader of witches and wizards. They look up to you. If you want your words to have weight and for them to listen to you, you have to treat every moment as a game of chess. A single wrong move within a game of brilliance can cost you.'

"And unlike us, Potter, they don't know what they're facing. They should be scared. Before today half of them couldn't cast the Disarming charm correctly. Only a fool, like Smith, believes himself to be above fear. Even the greatest wizards experience fear. It's how we face it that determines who we are. They need to face that fear if we want anything we teach them to actually matter."

"You're annoying sometimes," Thomas said with a sigh. "Every time you do something, you always have some reason behind it that I can't find fault in. You could be nicer, though, you know?"

"Come now, Thomas," Aries said with a smirk, "I do have a reputation to keep."


Aries knew that Thomas' idiotic friends were looking for the missing Boy-Who-Lived, but he knew exactly where he was. He walked quietly through the halls, a disillusionment charm over him, as he made his way towards the Room of Requirement. Thomas was, just as he expected, in the process of destroying one of the practice dummies the room had provided, still in his Quidditch robes. The boy did not notice his arrival, so he chose to wait on a comfy chair the room provided and to sip on a glass of firewhiskey that he had been inclined to bring. He watched intently as the spells clashed against the unmoving targets, though Thomas seemed to be frustrated at the lack of destruction from his spells. At last, the fifth year dropped his wand, eyes on the floor, as he tried to catch his breath.

"The Dark Arts would yield the results you're wanting, Potter," Aries said with a smirk as the boy whipped around, wand at the ready. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be done. Sit." He raised an eyebrow when Thomas made no move, but eventually, the boy wilted.

"Why are you here?" Thomas asked grumpily. Aries poured him a glass, which he took somewhat hesitantly.

"You are my student. I've put a lot of time and effort into our training sessions."

"Can't you just say we're friends?" The Gryffindor asked with a laugh as he slowly sipped the firewhiskey. Aries didn't answer, choosing instead to sip his own glass.

"You did a poor job controlling your emotions today," Aries observed. "I'll be having words with Draco, though take pity on him. The Dark Lord's return has not made life all roses and rainbows for him." Thomas' eyebrows shot up at that, but Aries did not elaborate. "But you know that Umbridge is out to get you, and you gave her, as well as the Minister, more fuel to add to the fire."

"I know, I know," Thomas said with a sigh. "It's just lately, I've not been able to. . . control my anger. I get mad at things I shouldn't. I can't explain it."

"You have a lot on your plate, Potter. Even the wisest of wizards do not always handle all stress well. You are human, after all. Don't be so hard on yourself, but be better. Now, on your feet. I did not take time out of my day to have a Potter pity party." He noticed Thomas laugh at that and forced the room to change. "We're here, so we might as well train. Though, today will be something different." Along the walls formed racks of weapons. Swords, shields, and spears of all kinds lined the walls. "No doubt you've noticed I always wear these combat robes, and there is a reason to that. Long ago, I created a unique fusion spell that allows you to change something into another with a simple pulse of magic." Aries closed his eyes, and with a push of his magic, his robes changed into the golden black armor he had worn in the Second Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. "It's something I will teach you eventually, but for now, you will use the armor provided."

Thomas hesitated for a moment, but then quickly went to change at Aries' irritated look. Aries' irritation, however, was not at Potter. Every day he felt that their training sessions were becoming more and more of an apprenticeship. But he did not plan to teach Thomas everything, right? No, and if Thomas was his apprentice, he would willingly soak in all his knowledge, the Dark Arts included. But the reality was that Aries had little reason to continue their lessons. So, why did he? Aries shook his head as Thomas returned. His conflicting thoughts on the Potter heir would have to wait for another day.

"Pick a sword," Aries commanded, and once Thomas had returned, he transformed his wand into a Greek sword. "Now, why do you think I am going to teach you the Way of the Sword?"

"Because it's good to know other ways of fighting?"

"Yes, but not entirely." Aries took up a simple high guard and slowly moved through different forms. "The Way of the Sword is much like a dance. It flows, and in a battle between masters, it would ebb and flow like a river. But it is never choppy, or rigid. As you move the blade, your entire body moves with it, and every movement feeds into the next one, like bends in a river. These forms, when done correctly, maximize every muscle and movement, allowing the least amount of effort to achieve the greatest result.'

"That is the result we long for in our magic, especially in dueling. You see, right now, you act as if you are wielding a muggle gun." Thomas dropped his jaw at the reference. "Yes, I know of them. But you point your wand and fire the first spell that comes to mind. Instead, your casting should be deliberate, with every incantation and wand movement feeding into the next. As you will come to understand with the sword, not every form flows into the next. There is a sort of choreography into the art. It is the same with magic. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Thomas answered honestly. "But it's hard to imagine."

"It will not be, once you have begun to practice the forms," Aries replied. "Now, widen your stance, and do as I do."

For nearly two hours, Thomas mimicked the movements Aries made. Aries was not always a patient teacher with Thomas, but he ensured that the younger boy knew every form by heart before moving to the next, and often would go back and make him perform a form from earlier again until he could do every movement perfectly.

"There!" Aries exclaimed. "Did you feel the difference?"

"Yes," Thomas answered, slightly out of breath. He was drenched in sweat, and Aries was thankful the room provided showers. "Everything felt smooth like the blade was pulling me along."

"Exactly. That feeling is what you need to focus on with your dueling. It'll take time, just like these forms, but once you understand the idea and apply it to how you fight with magic, there will be few who-" Aries stopped as the door suddenly opened, and Susan Bones walked in. She paused, the sight of them both wearing Greek armor with swords was no doubt a shock. Thomas looked up at her, a guilty look starting to cover his face.

"Hi," the Gryffindor greeted rather awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Fancy seeing you here." Aries rolled his eyes and casually transformed his armor and sword back into his robes and wand.

"When Hermione said you weren't in the common room and I couldn't find you in your favorite spots, I figured you'd be here," Susan glanced at Aries for a moment, before she turned back to Thomas. "I'm sorry about Quidditch, Thomas. I know it meant a lot to you."

"It's okay," Thomas replied quietly. "Aries was right, I didn't control my emotions at all. I practically handed Umbridge what she wanted."

"That's not true!" Susan countered with an open glare to Aries. "Malfoy practically taunted you and-"

"Malfoy was trying to get a rise out of me, and I let him." Aries was surprised at that admission but remained silent as the two faced off. "He didn't control how I reacted. I let him and Umbridge win."

"That's rather. . . mature of you." The redhead walked over to him slowly, as if she forgot that Aries was there. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I haven't been very good to you this year. You've needed me, and I haven't been there."

"You aren't wrong there," Thomas said with a harsh laugh. "But I haven't exactly made it easy on you." The two embraced, and Aries suddenly felt like he was intruding on a somewhat personal moment. He made to leave quickly, but as he left, he saw the boy mouth the words 'thank you.'


The Chamber of Secrets lit up as Aries strode angrily through the great hall. A wave of his hand expelled the dust the seemed to infinitely collect in the small study.

"Welcome back, Aries," Salazar greeted. "And how is your defense going?"

"Good, I suppose," Aries answered idly as he approached the bookshelf. "They've mastered the Shield Charm, and we're finally getting into dueling tactics, though they're complete rubbish. Granger and Daphne are starting to have a bit of a rivalry, so it'll be interesting to see them duel. You wouldn't happen to have any books on Goblins, would you?"

"Oh, there's something on the bookshelf, I'm sure." He rolled his eyes and continued his search. "Anything I could be of use for? Some special projects? A new spell?"

"Perhaps after Christmas break, though, if you can tell me a way to look into the future and get some answers, that would be nice."

"Ah, meddling with time. A rather interesting pursuit," The portrait of Slytherin stroked his beard behind Aries, as the boy searched through his ancestors' study. "Rowena and I once conducted a rather poor experiment. We tried to travel forward in time, though we were never successful."

"Not much surprise there," Aries answered, not giving Salazar his full attention.

"We did, however, achieve something quite peculiar. You see, rather than sending ourselves forward, we ended up pulling an item back." Aries suddenly dropped the book he was holding and slowly turned towards his ancestor's portrait.

"Are you telling me you pulled an object into your time from the future?"

"Well, we weren't entirely sure. It was my locket that showed up, but interesting enough, it was clearly not my locket. It looked nearly the exact same, but it very much had a different owner."

"The locket," Aries began, his heart pounding and his mind racing. "Was there anything different about it?"

"Besides the obvious?" Salazar asked innocently. "Why yes, if I remember correctly, there was something inherently wrong with it. A darkness that could not be explained. We tried desperately to remove it, but nothing worked. It was as if the locket resisted our attempts. Rowena was foolish enough to wear the locket, and it seemed to affect her. She suddenly became angry and jealous, nearly attacking me! When she removed it, she said it was as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders. We quickly banished the item and abandoned our project."

It was as if a spell broke in Aries' mind, like a compulsion charm had been placed on him. Countless times he had been in this study since the beginning of the year, and yet he had never mentioned the locket. A sickening feeling entered his stomach as he began to understand the magic imbued in the locket was far sinister than he had ever expected. But there was hope, as another realization came to him.

"Salazar, you're bloody brilliant," Aries exclaimed and removed his wand. "You didn't pull your locket back in time, you pulled it across universes." He flicked his wand from left to right and a line of magic formed in the study. "Time turners have proved that time is linear. But there is more than just time." A tap of his wand on the line duplicated it, and suddenly lines were running parallel to the first. "Not only is time linear, but it is also parallel. Thousands of universes running along the same line of time, all connected." He flicked his wand up, and lines formed, running across each of the parallel lines at specific points, connecting all of them. "There are events and items that transcend space and time, linking all of these universes together. Your locket is one of them. I have your locket Salazar, and the very magic you described is contained within the one in our timeline. So take an event, such as the fall of the Dark Lord. In our timeline, the Potter children were with their grandparents, and they stopped the Dark Lord. But in another timeline, maybe they are with their parents, and James and Lily die, instead of Charles and Dorea. Or, maybe Thomas has no brother. Perhaps in some, he's an orphan. The point is that that moment is reflected across all the universes, blending and bleeding upon one another. Perhaps in another timeline, Thomas dies, and Harry lives."

"Genius," Salazar said, his portrait eyes widen. "But what does that have to do with the locket?"

"I knew it was important to the Dark Lord," Aries answered. "But this! It means that locket is significant enough for its importance to transcend space and time. For all we know, the locket may hold the key to defeating the Dark Lord. Bloody hell, I've wasted so much time! I have to find the diadem."

"Rowena's diadem?"

"Yes, but it's been lost for centuries. Any ideas?"

"Ask Godric," Slytherin replied, a puzzled look on his face. "He and Rowena remained friends after our split. He may know." Aries grabbed the books on goblins he had found and nearly sprinted as he left the Chamber. He knew he was close to discovering the locket, and he would not stop until it was found.

AN: The Snake