In the two days leading up to Thursday, the day-to-day routine was starting to fall into place with the first years. Even if it meant getting lost to find their first classes. The Bloody Baron was happy to point new Slytherins in the right direction. "If Peeves claims to offer you help, accept at your risk," he would say. "Heed one word and you'll find yourself in an sticky situation."

Victoria was able to stay awake to History of Magic, while Eridani was nodding off beside her. Furiously taking notes while Professor Binns droned on ("How could you be awake during that?" she said when they left for Transfiguration. "I was practically nodding myself to sleep."). For Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Quirrell never could say a sentence without stuttering and stammering when he lectured on the signs to identify a Hag.

She supposed that Malfoy and a certain few were not helping with their chuckles and calling this class a joke. Yet, she did nothing and Professor Quirrell nearly tipped his cauldron over when she first answered a question.

"He's probably not going to last long," sighed Eridani as they left for lunch.

"What makes you say that?" asked Kevin.

"Alphard has been here for five years now and they haven't been able to secure a teacher for more than an year," Eridani answered. "There's speculation that the position is jinxed. Old Abraxas Malfoy said they never had that problem when he was in school."

"Maybe someone got upset they didn't get the job and were petty enough to jinx it," theorized Millicent.

Aside from their first classes, the main topic among the first years' was flying. Andrew Black's stories of flying his mother's broomstick over the gardens of his mother's home was more believable then Draco's long boastful tales that ended with him getting chased by Muggle helicopters ("They aren't true," Victoria would whisper to an few). Tracey Davis had been zooming around on broomsticks since she was four, if her stories were any indication. On Tuesday, Victoria had come into the Slytherin Common Room to see Eridani and Kevin get into an row about both football and Quidditch. While Kevin didn't seem to understand why three of the seven players had to pass an ball and avoid getting hit in the head with one, Eridani didn't seem to see the point of an sport that didn't involve flying.

Kevin's preference to football indicating his Muggle heritage. Something that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle gave him an hard time for.

"Vincent thought it was funny to short-sheet his bed last night," explained Blaise on Wednesday morning when Kevin was in a stony silence. "If I hadn't helped him fix his bed, it would have taken him forever."

For all of Malfoy's boasting that Slytherin was the "House of Purebloods," those with Muggle blood seemed outnumber actual purebloods in Slytherin House. Millicent's grandfather was what was called an surgeon apparently. Tracey Davis was open about the fact that her witch mother married an muggle man.

However, Kevin was just the minority in Slytherin house it seemed. As the number of half-bloods outnumbered both pure-bloods and muggle-borns. Though Mulciber was considered an pure-blood family, the wall slid open when Victoria said, "half-blood." Further cementing her questionable parentage.

On Wednesday afternoon, she had put her usual studying (including the ones on Occlumency, nonverbal magic, and wandless magic) on hold. Opting to look through the Hogwarts Alumni books. Which were located by the newspaper archives.

"What year did your mom graduate Hogwarts?" she asked Andrew an few moments beforehand.

"1976," he answers. "Two years before dad and Uncle Moony. Why?"

"Oh, just curious," she lied without hesitation.

She plops the one labeled 1976 on the table. On the first page, listed under Head Girl was the name Edythe Lupin. Slowly flipping through the pages as to not miss anything. She finds Edythe Lupin on the page of Ravenclaw graduates. Who in appearances could be an older version of her when the photo was taken.

Yet, she starts to see the resemblance when it shows the class of 1976 in their first year. With the exception of the eye color (hers an sea green in contrast to Victoria's dark brown) and her chin, she could be an double of her.

She finds her in an section titled Memories at the Slug Club. Where and others were gathered at the table around a jovial looking man identified as Professor Slughorn ("He wasn't an bad teacher," Severus said one time. "Though I should say he had an low bar of expectations for his students"). Victoria finds Edythe once more on the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team 1976 line up. Where she was listed as the Captain and Seeker for the team.

If it weren't for the fact that she overheard parts of the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Victoria could have chalked up her likeness to Edythe Black as coincidence. The Sorting Hat even considered putting her in Ravenclaw before deciding on Slytherin.

Rather than being excited on the prospect that she herself confirmed that a classmate was her half-brother, it was as if her heart was weighted by an stone. Even if Andrew saw any familiarities, there was no way he wouldn't peg it as just an coincidence.

Her frustration turns to confusion as she looks through the book for the class of 1945. She sees an Gaius Mulciber but it's not him but another boy of that year named Tom Riddle that she sees an few familiarities. The dark brown eyes and chin does she share with this Tom Riddle instead of the man that is her father.

That's an coincidence, her mind tells her. She goes to look through the 1978 Alumni book to see any familiarities between her and Dominic. His eyes were brown but just not the right shade of brown that hers were.

This was weird. If she didn't look like either her father or brother, why this Tom Riddle? Who was Tom Riddle anyway?

Her confusion on the matter had temporarily slipped from her mind when their owl post arrived. She was in the process of opening the package that Mrs. Malfoy had given her when she heard Professor McGonagall demand, "What's going on?"

"She has my Remembrall, Professor," said Neville.

Victoria looked up and sure enough Cassiopeia and an couple of her friends – Josephine Macnair and Katherine Sewlyn – were behind Neville Longbottom. Standing in the aisles between the Gryffindor and Slytherin table. Looking sheepishly as she was holding an clear ball in one of her hands. Harry, Ron, and Andrew were standing up as if they were ready to fight.

Cassiopeia shrugs before putting the Remembrall by Neville. "Just looking, Professor," she said innocently before going back to where she was seating.

"Can you just leave him alone?" Victoria demanded to her.

"What did he do to you, anyway?" Eridani spat.

"I don't know what you see in that sniveling crybaby," sneered Cassiopeia. "He's as good as an Squib. Victoria, you're not doing any better, with you being taken to Potter and all."

Things did not go well for Neville as the day progressed. When the Slytherins and the Gryffindors gathered for flying lessons, his broomstick started to lose control at the blow of Madam Hooch's whistle.

And of course, when Madam Hooch was out of sight with an injured Neville, Draco had to goad Harry into following him up in the air when the latter tried to get Neville's Remembrall from the former. Even for someone who was on the broomstick for the first time, Harry did manage to impressively catch the Remembrall after Draco tossed it through the air and didn't even get hurt. Safely landing on the ground.

The fun had ended when Professor McGonagall came and took Harry with her. Apparently having seen him in the air on his broomstick when he wasn't supposed to.

"You don't think he'll get expelled," Victoria asked as Flying Lessons ended.

Andrew shook his head. "No," he said. "The worst he could get is a suspension."

When they entered the castle, the nauseating smirk that Draco had been wearing on his face was wiped clean when they met with Severus at the main doors. Who was wearing the severe expression he would usually wear when he would dock points from someone in Gryffindor.

"Mister Malfoy, if you follow me, please," he prompted.

"Someone has to check Neville to see if he's okay," said Hermione as Severus led Draco down to the dungeons. Victoria, Eridani, and Andrew followed Hermione to the hospital wing while Ron said something about checking with Harry.

In the hospital wing, Neville was lying on a bed. His wrist bandaged up and arm kept up in an sling.

"The hospital wing twice in one week," Neville groaned. "First the accident in Potions, and then I fall off my broom."

"It is only your first week," said Hermione. "Don't be hard on yourself."

"Cheer up, everyone has their ups and downs," Andrew tried to assure.

"Everything will get better," said Victoria, though unfortunately, her words sounded hallow. For Neville seemed to attract the worst of luck so far. Not the "brawny Gryffindor type" that Severus seemed to lump all the Gryffindors into. Though, Victoria wondered if the Sorting Hat saw what might happen in years to come and therefore sorted into Gryffindor.

During dinner, Harry never displayed the look that someone would have when they were given an suspension or detention. Ironically, he was rather cheerful and in good spirits. In comparison to Draco's foul mood.

"I have detention tonight with Professor Snape," spat Draco, "and what does Potter get? An spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"For Merlin's sake, they are not going to make him Seeker when he broke the rules," said Theodore Nott. "You're just upset that you didn't get off scot free."

"Not when Laelia Carrow said that she heard those Weasley twins going on about it," spat Draco. Beckoning Vincent and Greg to come with him.

Theodore shook his head as he turned to his shepherd's pie.

"Even if it was true, he seems upset that Professor Snape gave him detention," Millicent pointed out. "He bragged about how his father was buddy buddy with Snape."

"Being a teacher's pet doesn't mean that he won't be free from detention," Blaise pointed out.

"Professor Snape is literally my guardian," she said, "and I'm no teacher's pet of his."

Draco was returning from Gryffindor table. With that smug smirk on his face. If this thing about Harry being the Seeker for the Gryffindor team was true, then he was probably planning getting back at Harry for not getting into trouble.

If it was the intention, it probably didn't work. For the next morning, he literally dropped his toast in surprise at the sight of Harry in the Great Hall.

Dear mum,

School is better than expected. An few people made some comments about my dad, but that was pretty much it. My dorm mates are pretty cool (I share a room with Harry Potter! Can you believe it? Harry Potter. He doesn't talk too much about his home life, but I don't think those muggles treat him right by the sound of it).

My teachers like me with one exception. The Potions Master never liked dad back when they were in school, so I'm not surprised that he doesn't like me either. He was pretty unfair to me and Harry first day of lessons. Don't worry, I'm not going to cause him any trouble as you asked. He already seems to hate me enough.

Some of the Slytherins are alright. Victoria Mulciber is very nice. She looks a lot like those pictures of you when you were younger, though. It could be coincidence, but one never knows.

Tell Uncle Moony and Vi that I give them my hugs and that I'll see the three of you come Christmas.

With love,

Andrew.

The second to last paragraph of her son's letter was the one that caught her attention the most. Edythe closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and sighed. Of course, she should have seen it coming. That Andrew would see something was familiar. It didn't help that Victoria was practically an spitting image of her save for the hair and the color of her eyes.

And if Andrew noticed something, perhaps she did too. Even if Andrew was like his father in miniature, she could still see a bit of herself in him.

What was she going to do if Andrew wants to invite her over to the summer?

A question that she posed to her brother after dinner once Violet went to bed.

"If it happens, it's because everything led up to it," answered Remus. "I wouldn't be surprised if she thought herself to be illegitimate given that Mrs. Mulciber had put her in Snape's care months after her husband and son were shipped off to Azkaban. That she's trying to find out the truth of her parentage."

"She's probably only trying to find out the identity of her mother," said Edythe. The full magnitude of her parentage was much greater, and in Edythe's opinion, much worse. At this point, she didn't want Victoria to know the truth about the violent nature of her conception and the true identity of her father. At this point, she'll just be eleven on the eighteenth of October.

Much too young to learn about the magnitude of it all.

During the Christmas holidays, she was going to have to sit down with Andrew and tell him some things. Just to give him the idea that she didn't have a choice in the matter. He didn't need to learn the gory details at his age. At some point, she'll have to say the same things to Violet.

And at their ages, he and Violet didn't need to know the true identity of their half-sister's father either.

"May you do my Potions essay?"

"No."

"I can give you half my allowance money."

"No, I'm still not going to do your Potions homework for you, Gamp," Victoria sighed to one Mauricius Gamp. She should have known that once it started to spread that her guardian was the Potions Master, an portion of Slytherin House (though there were those in Gryffindor too) would want her to do their Potions homework for her.

Something that irritated her to no end ("It's an good thing, I suppose," she heard Cassiopeia remark at one point. "No need for being our Head of Houses apprentice to go further into her head.") and it seems Severus had gotten wind of it. For one morning, he posted on the common room bulletin board, Any assignments done by any other person aside from the person assigned to it will result in an deduction of forty house points and detention.

"Even if they copied what I wrote, he'll know," Victoria said. "He knows everything, I swear."

"As if you don't sit next to Potter during Potions?" she heard Pansy say from nearby.

"He's not copying from my work," she said. After that first Potions lesson, she had opted to sit next to Harry. Certainly, Severus wouldn't give him such an hard time if she was his Potions partner ("Interesting that you'd choose to partner with someone who proved to be mediocre even in his first lesson," Severus had said, though he'd never made any effort to separate them.). Despite not throwing out barbs, he'd still managed to give Harry those looks of loathing.

Harry Potter sitting with her wasn't the same thing as someone asking her to do their Potions homework.

"Would it hurt to be quiet, Pansy," Daphne said. "There are people here who don't care what you say."

Though not in her bubble of friends, Victoria had gotten along well with Daphne and Tracey. The same couldn't be said for Pansy Parkinson and her posse of friends which consisted of Laelia Carrow, Rosalie Runcorn, and Esme Sewlyn.

Outside the Slytherin Common Room, she and her friends fortunately took an break from Draco running his mouth. In the library, Victoria, Millicent, Eridani and Kevin would study in the library with an few students from other houses. Even the ones from Gryffindor, like Andrew, Harry, Ron, and Neville.

They were an odd sight to behold. Slytherins mingling with Gryffindors as the two houses were not known for civility. Victoria recalled Mrs. Malfoy's statement, "make good choices!" as they boarded the train. She'd have kittens if she heard that she was mingling with people the likes of Weasley, for Mr. Malfoy was always vocal about his distaste towards their "Blood traitor" patriarch and his brood. She hoped they see it as her testing the waters of "political prowess" even if it wasn't such.

"And we were leaving flying lessons when this small black snake slithered up through the grass," Millicent recounted one Friday afternoon. "I'm certain Victoria's screams carried to Gryffindor tower."

"You're afraid of snakes?" asked Ron incredulously. "Slytherin house literally has an snake as it's symbol!"

"I just don't like real snakes," Victoria said, stomach curdling at the memory of seeing the snake slithering through the grass. "They are slimy, the way they flick out that tongue, and you don't know if they are poisonous or not."

I hate it when they talk, she adds mentally. They are creepy when they talk.

But she never says it out loud. Not with the reputation of Parseltongue being the mark of an sorcerer being associated with the Dark Arts.

Harry appeared as if he might say something, but he closed his mouth shut as if he had second thoughts. If it was about snakes, well, at least he thought best not to broach the subject at least.

As far as one Zacharias Smith was concerned, Victoria took to tuning him out ever since that first Herbology class ("Nope, not going to pay him any attention," Eridani had said, sharing her sentiment.).

After an eventful Halloween (one would as an troll had managed to get in during the Halloween Feast), Hermione Granger had joined their Library study sessions. Victoria had often wondered what bought that on, as Granger had often gazed at Harry and his friends with exasperation and disapproval beforehand. She did hear that Hermione went into one of the girls' bathroom that day in tears after Ron said something mean to her. Perhaps it was because he apologized.

The other thing that had caught her attention was Severus' noticeable limp every time he had walked. Almost as if something that hurt him.

"It's one of those things you don't need to know the answer to," he said when she asked him. Victoria never asked. Though she wondered if it had to do with the Third Floor Corridor. Therefore, she had never asked.

Yet, that was wiped from her mind as she stepped into the dormitory. Catching the site of Eridani hiding an piece of parchment as soon as she entered. Gazing at her as if she hoped she didn't get an glimpse what she was writing.

"Hello," Eridani greeted brightly.

"Hello," Victoria returned. She had half the mind to ask what it was, she was writing. Then, she decided against it. Whatever it was, Eri probably wanted it private for a reason.

With the first Quidditch game of the season nearing, that was among the many things preoccupying her mind. In the two weeks leading up to the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match, Victoria, Eridani, Millicent, and Kevin would join some of their fellow house members; sitting in the stands bundled up in their scarves and coats as they watched the Slytherin team practice.

"I wish I didn't have to wait an year," Victoria heard Draco say wistfully on one such afternoon. "Still unfair that the rest of us first years can't play while Potter does."

"Well, good luck trying out next year," Blaise replied. "Theo heard from Pucey that Flint goes by bulk then actual skill."

"We'll see about that," Draco retorted, giving Victoria the idea that one conversation with his father would be enough to buy him into the team.

As discouraging as it was, Victoria still wanted to try out for the team in an couple years. Even if it was just for tryouts and that she wouldn't get picked. Even if Severus looked down on the sport. For that reason, she didn't plan on attending tryouts come second year. She didn't want Severus to get the idea that she was rushing into it.

The Saturday before the match, Victoria – with Eridani and Kevin to tow – went with Andrew, Neville, and Ron to watch the Gryffindor team practice. Victoria mainly wanted to see Harry practice on his broomstick and was disappointed to see that he wasn't there.

"Wood said I am their secret weapon," said Harry when he was asked about why he wasn't there.

"But how can it be an secret if everyone knows?" Eridani asked.

"Laelia Carrow said that she heard the Weasley twins going on about it," Kevin pointed out.

"Leave it to Fred and George to spill," sighed Ron.

"Maybe Wood doesn't want people to see how good he is," Victoria pointed out. "Though, good or not, there are going to be those that want to hex him so he wouldn't play."

In the days preceding the game, tensions arose between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Which was saying something, as even with Victoria and her friends were friendly with some of the Gryffindors from their year, for there were always tensions between the house of the serpent and the house of the lion. Some of the older Gryffindors had taken upon themselves to hex the younger Slytherins and vice versa. A fourth year Gryffindor, who she had never spoken to, made the mistake of directing the bulbotuber pus hex at her with Severus present. She had managed to dodge it, only for poor Eridani to be at the receiving end of it.

That week, Victoria was unsettled by the malicious glint in Cassiopeia's eyes when she was gazing at Neville Longbottom. Fortunately, she never acted out anything. Though Victoria suspected that Alphard's presence prevented her from acting out whatever she had in mind. With him leaving in an couple years, come fourth year and she was going to make sure that she didn't do anything.

The Great Hall's enchanted ceiling was an clear azure blue when the school congregated for breakfast the morning of the Quidditch match. Everyone in Slytherin were decked out in their green and silver colors with Victoria among those not choosing to don the face paint.

At one corner of the table, the Slytherin Team sat congregated. Alphard did not hesitate to point them out to anyone asking: Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey, Miles Bletchley, Terrence Higgs, Peregrine Derrick, and Lucian Bole.

"Bletchley still in the Hospital Wing? He should be out by now."

"Yeah, but you know how Madam Pomfrey is. I get what she was saying. It was an particularly nasty hex he took."

"They say that Abigail is just as good on an broomstick as her twin brother."

Abigail Bletchley was the chestnut-haired girl who betted that Harry Potter would be sorted into Slytherin, and wound up losing the bet to her brother.

Speaking of Harry, looking over at the Gryffindor table, he looked rather pale. Probably nervous. Victoria knew that she would be too if it were her first Quidditch game.

"You'll do good, Harry," she told him, hoping to be of some help. "You were able to catch Neville's Remembrall with no problems, so certainly you can catch the Snitch with no trouble either."

"Thanks, Vic," he replied brightly.

On the way to the pitch to watch the game, Malfoy felt the need to protest.

"You're not supposed to wish luck on one of the players on the opposing team," he protested. "That's not how it's supposed to work."

"It's not like I know anybody that well on our team," she pointed out.

"You don't have to be friendly with Potter," Malfoy sneered.

"Oh, sod off, Malfoy," spat Kevin as they ascended the stairs to the viewing stands. As with their meals and most of their classes, the students were separated by their Hogwarts houses. Eridani managed to find some good seats in the front row. Though Malfoy was not too far away unfortunately.

"How are they going to come in?" asked Eridani, who was gripping her binoculars in anticipation. "The house teams?"

"They usually walk onto the field," Alphard answered two rows from behind. "And then they fly at the sound of the referees' blow of the whistle."

"And here they come now," said Cassiopeia in her lofty voice. Looking down on the field, Victoria could clearly two of the teams coming onto the field: the Slytherins in robes of emerald and silver while the Gryffindors don the ones in scarlet and gold. Most of the Slytherin team had the same bulky build compared to the Gryffindor team who all varied in size and stature.

Even if each of the latter team had members of different frames and height, Harry Potter still managed to stick out with his small size.

At the blow of Madam Hooch's whistle, all fifteen brooms flew into the air.

"And the Quaffle is immediately taken by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what a excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too –"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

The game was commentated by Lee Jordan, who was broadcasting his obvious bias towards his own Hogwarts House. Even if McGonagall was impartial, Victoria was certain that his Gryffindor bias wasn't the reason she was closely watching him.

Victoria watched the red and green figures on their broomsticks. Dodging or batting away bludgers, trying to keep the Quaffle from passing through the center hoop, and passing the Quaffle around. At times, she had found herself gazing at Harry, who did an few loop-the-loops with his broom at some point. Perhaps to release some feelings until it was time for him to catch the Snitch.

When it was time for him to start his pursuit, he was cut off by the Slytherin Quidditch captain. Victoria watched as Harry was spun off course, and was relieved to see that he stayed on his broom.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors from their stands.

"Why does our captain have to play dirty?" said Daphne.

"Don't tell me that you're on the Gryffindor team's side," said Draco.

"Just because someone pointed out poor sportsmanship, does not bloody mean that they are rooting for the opposing team, you toerag!" Eridani spat.

In the midst of Draco and Eridani's bickering, did Victoria see it happen. Around her, only an portion of the Slytherins gasped in horror as the blood drains from her skin. The others – with Draco the first to, of course – jeered and pointed.

"Oh no, it seemed that the Gryffindor Seeker's broomstick has gained an mind of it's own," commented Lee Jordan.

"He's not going to fall, is he?" Victoria whispers as she watches in horror. The Weasley twins even stopped what they are doing and try to get him on their broomsticks, but they were having trouble as every time they tried to reach for him, Harry's broom reached higher. So, they resorted to circling under him, hoping to catch him should he fall.

"It's not like there'll be teachers to intervene," said Kevin. "The moment he falls, one of them will try to slow it."

"Maybe they are ready to do so when it happens," pitched in Blaise. "They are not really going to let an first year die on them."

When it seemed like an few agonizing minutes, finally did Harry's broom stop throwing him off. Victoria wasn't alone as she sighed in relief when he managed to get on his broomstick and caught up with Slytherin Seeker Terrence Higgs who was in the pursuit of the Snitch.

The two Seekers both tried bumping each other out of the way until Harry dived towards the ground to get his target. Right after he coughed into his hands, Lee Jordan was excitedly announcing Gryffindor's win.

"That's not an win if he swallowed it!" Draco complained as they returned to the castle following the match. "Why didn't his broom chuck him off?"

Desiring to be far from Draco and his string of complaints, Victoria snuck out of the common room and was able to find Severus in his office. Even if she had confidence in the homework assignment, perhaps she could get his input. Anything to escape Draco's drivel.

"I see nothing wrong in your assignment, Victoria," he says, as he looks it over. "Even so, it's still important to ask questions if you felt the need to improve."

Victoria happens to look down as he shifts in his seat and could see an that an end of his black cloak appeared scorched. Almost as if someone set it on fire or his cloak got caught under the cauldron. With all her guardian's potions expertise, it couldn't be the latter.

"How did your cloak get burned?' she asked him.

He regards her for an moment before answering, "It seems that someone – I don't know who, but I have an idea – didn't realize that I was actually trying to stop one of your classmates from falling from his broomstick to his death."

Victoria thinks back to Harry's broomstick trying to throw him off. Even if Severus was unfair to Harry, at least he didn't want him to die. "Who would want to bewitch Harry's broomstick?"

"As fathomless as it may be, not all the teachers here don't prioritize the safety of their students," he simply answered. "The one that is supposed to teach you how to defend yourself from the Dark Arts could probably be the first one to stab a knife in the back."

As cryptic as it sounded, at least to her, it was clear to Victoria who he was referring to.