The Great Hall was filled with green, silver and happy chatter as the students ate their last meals of the year. Slytherin had completely curb stumped any competition easily winning the house cup, they were able to gain it with a hundred points of margin from the second place. Albus at least had the solace that his lions had been able to win the Quidditch cup after a tough match with Ravenclaw who had beaten the Slytherins in their previous match.

In the middle of Slytherin's table were two of the main reasons behind this crushing defeat. Violet Riddle and Jasmine Potter had become, for most of their professors, two of their favorite students, most of them were simply delighted to teach the bright duo. Even Albus had been fascinated by the intuitive understanding of magic the two prodigies had, he was unable to truly challenge either of them even when he started giving them work that they wouldn't truly have to see until they started next year.

In a certain way they remind him of himself and Gellert. He was ashamed to admit, even if only to himself, that he found many similarities in the cold superior facade and little tolerance that Violet had for most people. She only seemed to be marginally more open with people with political and economical power and he suspected that she was only truly herself when she was alone with her best friend. He sincerely hoped that he himself hadn't been as cold and detached from those who he considered inferior. Sadly he knew what his brother would say if he asked and he was the only one he trusted to not decorate his opinions with flowery words of unearned praise or political machinations.

The smaller girl was, at least in the eyes of Albus, much more dangerous and frightening. On the outside, she had the same charismatic open personality that painfully reminded him of his once wayward lover. People seemed to be drawn towards her, awed by her talent and her charisma. However, he hadn't forgotten the stories the matron had told him, nor how close and how guarded she was when he first met her. That girl hid something dark behind her benign facade and he feared to find something as disturbing as he had discovered in Gellert.

The young Potter heiress hadn't been sitting idle during the year. She had close relationships with most heirs and heiresses to noble houses near her age, moreover, she had also become quite popular in the lower years thanks to her study group. Violet may help in the endeavor but people knew who was the person that was the most invested in it, the true mastermind behind it. He had decided to investigate the study group when it first formed, fearing it was nothing more than a facade to gather followers. He cast a strong disillusionment spell to spy on the meeting and he was pleasantly surprised by how well the young girl structured and explained her lessons. He had seen many of his apprentices doing a much worse job when they took their positions as junior professors, the girl clearly had a talent for teaching. The other students definitely noticed the quality of the group, the younger students saw her with awe which made Albus more nervous.

Nevertheless he was starting to think that maybe he was being just paranoid, she wasn't doing anything else other than instructing them after all. Maybe the matron had been irrationally paranoid about the two intelligent girls that did strange unexplained things from time to time. It wouldn't be the first time a muggle exaggerated the tales related to accidental magic. However, his attempts to calm his doubts failed completely when a few weeks into the school year, Slughorn proudly bragged of having two students that had been able to get in the dueling club as first years, a feat with barely any precedent in recent history. He didn't need to listen to their names to know who the two talented students were, he definitively didn't need to listen to them each time he saw the cheerful professor.

He used the opportunity to try to see where their true capabilities lay, by watching their first session in the dueling club under a heavy disillusionment spell. They were definitively good, to the point where if he didn't know they had been living in the Muggle world Albus would have thought that someone had instructed them before coming to Hogwarts. He was glad to see that the Black heiress had also seen that something wasn't normal between those two and she challenged them to a duel, he wasn't being paranoid. When the duel between the older girl and the two first years began, Albus's fears were confirmed, someone had been training them. Jasmine was almost able to cast a perfect water prison, that's a feat that most sixth years couldn't even hope doing much less any first year. Jasmine at least was clearly trained, and even more worryingly, as the young heiress pointed out she wasn't trained for dueling but for war.

Albus was sincerely scared, where did a first year student who had spent the last four years living as a muggle learn such advanced magic, and that wiliness to use dangerous magic that could easily kill, it was just a matter of time before she did the deed. Albus had spent long nights contemplating this dangerous mystery and the only explanation he could come up with was that she had been recruited and radicalized by Gellert's forces. After all, he suspected he had used similar tactics for his annexation of both Bohemia and Austria, another topic that frighten him and robbed him of his sleep.

Yet he hadn't said a word about his suspicions, neither to Dippet nor to a political ally or even people who shared his fears such as the Black heiress. He justified it by thinking that even now he didn't have any concrete proof that they were working for Gellert. But if Albus was honest with himself, he would admit that he was afraid of confronting either girl, he was afraid of what they would tell him about Gellert. His ex-lover may not be dramatic enough to give either of them a message for him outright, but speaking with them would be too close to seeing directly what he had helped create.

His brother would be so disappointed by his lack of moral fiber.

So Albus was left there, at the head table looking at his students celebrating after a long and tiring year, knowing perfectly well that there were dangers lurking both inside and outside the castle without being able to defend them against either. He clapped for the victory that could prove to be the genesis of the downfall of his beloved school.


Eileen Prince had always known fear. She had been born as the spare of the Noble and Ancient Prince family. The daughter was born in case something happened to her older brother, but by being born she had killed her mother. Belladonna Prince had always had problems conceiving, the birth of his brother had almost made her barren and she had needed more than five years to become pregnant once more.

His brother had always told her that he immediately knew something would go wrong. He saw how his beloved mother slowly faded as the pregnancy continued. He implored their parents to stop the pregnancy but they didn't listen. At last, on the night of the 12th of May, he heard her screams and he immediately started mourning his mother.

Eileen had been born sickly, barely conserving the gift that her mother had fought to give her. His brother told her that despite everything when she was first born she had a fire within her. Indeed, despite the odds, she survived, she grew up in the care of house elves and third daughters. Her father, a man who had always had an expression as cold as ice, barely acknowledged her existence. The only one in her family that seemed to care that she had lived was her brother. He always surveyed her tutoring, always demanding that she accomplished what was expected of the daughter of a noble, and the few times she was able to meet his expectations he smiled warmly at her.

Yet she failed almost every time, when she was four and hadn't shown any signs of accidental magic, her brother started to try to help her wake her magic. She threw her from the stairs or the balcony and a few times he even hit her. He always explained that he was sorry for hurting her but that accidental magic came with strong emotions and this was the best way she had to wake it. After all her efforts to search her magic core had been for null. Thus she lived, surrounded by fear, fear of being a squib, fear of continuing to disgrace her family name, fear of her brother.

She learned early on what her destiny was if she failed to show her magic and she dreaded it more than anything else. At last one day, when she had once more failed during her introductory classes to magic she thought she finally achieved it. When her brother tried to strike her she was sure she saw a shimmering blue light form in front of her, but the hit still came. When she awoke in her bed and remembered what happened she was so happy, this proved she could do it, her father wouldn't let her in the streets with the Muggles. For almost the first time since she could remember, Eileen felt hope.

Sadly the feeling wasn't long lived. For months she tried to replicate the feat, to create an actual shield, to prove to her brother that her efforts were worth it, yet she failed. Eileen started to doubt if she had really cast magic at all that day. Her brother redoubled his efforts trying to make her express her magic until he had to go to Hogwarts. And a small part of her was happy when her brother had to go, there she wouldn't disappoint him anymore.

However, most of her yearned for him, she was left in a house that started to feel too big. A house where the only ones she truly interacted with were the house elves. She had never felt more alone, she impatiently waited for the Holidays and the return of her brother, even if she didn't know when the Holidays were. Each time her brother returned, she was assessed on how much she had improved since he left. Even though she had been able to learn to write and read, something that her brother rewarded her with a wide smile and warm hug, she still regularly failed at her etiquette lessons, there were simply too many rules without rhyme or reason to memorize them all and worst of all she still hadn't done any form of accidental magic again.

When she was eight, at last, it was determined that she had learned enough to start appearing outside in society. The thought excited her and scared her in equal measures, she was barely able to follow the rules in the familiarity of her home, how will she be able to do it in front of people who she didn't know. Even worse, as her brother told her, those children would be the same ones she was going to go to Hogwarts with. The first impression was going to be key so she needed to do everything perfectly, no matter the nerves she felt. After all, at least she would be leaving her lonely home.

She went to the seventh birthday of one of the cousins of the main Longbottom line, at first everything went right, she did her curtsy and no one laughed, she talked with the other noble sons and daughters present and no one frowned. It was going perfectly and she was actually starting to enjoy the party. That's until they started sharing stories about the magic they had performed. Eileen was getting nervous just by listening to the tales of the rest of the noble girls.

When one of the girls asked her what magic she performed, her breathing hitched. She opened her mouth wanting to tell them about the time she had created the shimmering blue light, even if she wasn't sure she had done it, even if she hadn't done anything comparable since. But her mouth wasn't cooperating. She felt paralyzed by the curious stares of the other children.

"You have performed accidental magic haven't you?" asked one of the girls in a curious innocent tone.

Eileen felt her throat close down, she had, she truly had. It was small and not as impressive as some of the things these girls had done but she had done it. However, the words didn't come out, the chatter and muffled laughs began shortly afterward. Eileen felt herself getting red and her eyes started to itch, tears risking to fall, she got up and took the floo back to her home, she started sobbing the moment she arrived.

For once the cold expression of her father was replaced by another, he looked furious. He screamed at her for humiliating the House in such a public manner, for being such a failure, for killing her mother. Eileen cried until she fell asleep that day. She felt so angry, how dare his father who had ignored her for most of her life just come eight years late and have the nerve to punish her, to scream at her. She wanted her brother, at least he cared for her, at least he tried to help her.

After that she never went out again, she spent her time either in lessons on various topics or reading the books that his brother sent her about great wizards and witches that lived many years before. She dreaded with all her heart the day she would need to go to Hogwarts, the day she would need to see the same kids she had run away from years ago and the day was quickly approaching. Part of her really hoped she was a squib and that the light had been all in her head, that she would never have to hear those laughs again. But at the same time, she feared the possibility of being a squib, a life away from everything she had always known, it frighten her to her core.

Her brother still tried to assist her in her studies, she had had a breakthrough in potion making, she hadn't had many difficulties learning the safety procedures and she actually felt relaxed brewing the first few simple potions they asked her to make. She had never seen her brother more proud.

At last her letter came, apparently her father had needed to move a few strings to let her in but she was going to Hogwarts despite not having shown much magic at all. With much dread she got her wand, she reluctantly boarded the train, got into an empty compartment, and took out a book hoping that no one would bother her if she looked busy. Luckily for her, it worked as the only interruption she had during the whole trip was a couple of older students who wanted somewhere to sit, and their chatter quickly faded into the background.

When she first saw the imposing castle she was left in complete wonder. You could almost feel how ancient it was in the air, it looked awe inspiring especially illuminated by the hundreds of stars behind it. She was quite surprised when the hat had decided to put her in Slytherin due to her ambition, Eileen asked herself what ambition the hat was talking about, but she was able to fade into the background for the rest of the banquet.

The first few days at Hogwarts were terrible, she hadn't been able to complete any spell at all, and rumors of her being a squib had been spread far and wide. At dinner, someone had put some form of potion on her food that made her vomit all night, she sometimes even had to avoid the occasional curse. Her brother didn't seem to have time for her saying that he needed to start studying for his N.E.W.T.s. Her only light was Potions where she had started to show talent in the discipline.

She outshined her peers easily enough, with the exception of the two prodigies, Violet Riddle and Jasmine Potter, the two young talents that had taken Hogwarts by storm. Performing complex transformations and charms even before the first week was out. At first, she was quite intimidated by the ease at which the two witches were able to do magic, they had a certain air of confidence and inherent superiority that made them seem like imposing figures.

However, even during the first Transfiguration class when most of the students weren't able to perform the transformation, Potter and Riddle started helping other students around them, taking their time to explain the spell with kind and calm words. Near the end of the class, Eileen was able to gather enough courage to ask Riddle for help. She wasn't unpleasant. She calmly explained how to do the spell, exploring more in depth the idea of intent and she didn't say anything when she was so tired that she was unable to cast anymore. However, there was something wrong, maybe it was just Eileen's paranoia but she felt as if Violet was doing this more out of obligation than because she wanted it.

Maybe it was because of that, that she didn't immediately go to the study club the genius pair created. She had to suffer through a few more weeks of struggling to make her magic work for her, stifled whispers and muffled laughter, for her to decide that going to the by now famous study club was her best option.

She arrived early, she took a seat at the back of the classroom, and waited for the two girls to begin. She was really impressed by how well Potter explained the concepts she had just struggled to wrap her head around a few hours earlier. Not only was she making the lecture engaging and entertaining but she also irradiated an aura of charisma that was impossible to ignore, with an easy friendly smile that seemed to calm any nerves you could have.

The study group quickly began to become a much needed relief in her miserable school life. She never spoke up, but she enjoyed the amicable atmosphere of the group and her efforts were being compensated by an uptick in both her efficiency in using her magic as well as her grades.

When the option to stay in the castle during the Holidays arrived, she didn't think much of it until she saw that Jasmine had decided to stay, she started to doubt what to do. Her brother was staying to study for his N.E.W.T.s so if she returned to her home she would be alone once more. Deciding that the castle was much more lively than her home she wrote her name on the notice.

She spent the first few days of the Holidays alone, which was much better than constantly trying to escape her bullies, as most of the students her age had decided to go back to their houses. At last the day before Christmas she gathered her courage and decided to sit with the two prodigies. She was quite surprised when Jasmine decided to talk with her, even allowing her to use her first name. She even talked to Slughorn so that she could use the potions lab during the Holidays and she called her a prodigy! She was truly saddened when she said that she wouldn't be joining her in her time at the lab.

After the holidays, Jasmine seemed to have taken a much more personal interest in her. Eileen frequently stayed behind after the rest of the club had already exited the classroom, Jasmine amicably helped her and explained the intricacies of magic in such a way that Eileen was sure that those personal tutoring times with Jasmine were helping her more than any other class.

By the end of the year she was able to proudly show to both her brother and father that she had been able to surpass the average grade of the class. They hadn't been as thrilled as she was but when she told Jasmine on the train she had been so proud of her that she had hugged her and that was enough for her.


The fireplace burned, dimly illuminating an ample library full of books old and new. In front of it, on an elegant chair, sat a tall figure, he was calmly reading a book, an orb of light floating above him. Suddenly the fire turned green and flared from it a man and a child exited the fireplace before the fire turned bright red once more. The man was tall and slim with a narrow face and long dark brown hair, the child was clearly his son as he had a similar face but with more delicate features.

They both put themselves in front of the man sitting in the chair and they bowed deeply. The man didn't look up from his book but the light grew bigger and floated to the center of the room, illuminating it completely. The man who had been reading the book was middle aged. He had short dark hair with a few gray strands, a square face and he was wearing a pair of round glasses.

"What can you tell me about what happened in Hogwarts this year?" he asked, his voice calm and imposing.

"There are two students in my year that have shown great potential sir, they could be recruits. They both are advanced for their age in almost all forms of magic. They also seem to have some form of experience in dueling as they were able to join the dueling club. Their names are Jasmine Potter and Violet Riddle." said the child with a steady voice.

"I'm not familiar with those surnames. Are they part of a Noble family?"

"The Potters are a minor light noble house, they are well known for their potions, Jasmine is the last Potter after her parents died almost five years ago, the only other thing notable with her past is that she disappeared from the magical world after her parents' death." explained the young boy.

"Riddle claims to be a Half-Blood, saying that her mother was magical but she has never given her name. It may be possible that she is the daughter of a disinherited noblewoman or a squib, but we can't dismiss the possibility that she is lying about her lineage. I have been unable to determine either way." said the father.

"But you do know where they grew up?" asked the man with a cold voice.

"They claim to have been raised for the majority of their lives in a muggle orphanage." said the kid.

The man raised a curious eyebrow at that. "You don't believe them." it wasn't a question.

"In my opinion they are too well trained to have been raised by Muggles. They claim that they received etiquette lessons in their old school but I have my doubts. It is well known that one of them beat a sixth year old during the trials for the dueling club." said the boy.

"If they were trained and someone is already backing them, they wouldn't be a good target for recruitment." affirmed the man with a slight frown.

"We think that they were being approached by the Black family. Dorea Black seems awfully close to Potter and the Black heiress is rumored to have taken them under her wing in the dueling club. This seems more like a discreet way to get a light family to switch sides on the political spectrum, they may be open to help the cause."

"Why couldn't it have been Dumbledore? If the Potters are light they are closely aligned with him."

"I doubt it, he seems to be keeping a wary eye on them and Riddle has shown some proficiency in the dark arts." affirmed the boy.

The man hummed while considering the words. "What were their reactions to the annexation?"

"They seemed convinced that Grindelwald was going to go to war with the other great powers. They seemed preoccupied that war was going to start soon my reassurances meant little to them."

The man stayed silent for a moment as if he was digesting the words. "Was the reaction similar for the other students?" he finally asked.

"No sir, most believe that he is going to continue his diplomatic approach. Although Dumbledore did seem particularly distressed that day."

"Aren't there any other potential recruits?" asked the man.

"None of the other students in my year showed enough potential to be worth the trouble sir."

The man closed his book and rose up from his seat.

"Nott, I want you to approach them next year, you will try to get a clearer picture of both their abilities and their political inclinations. If they both were raised in the Muggle world they should understand the danger we are facing much better than most wizards. I have another meeting tonight, you are dismissed."

The father son duo bowed once more before leaving through the floo, the man sat again in the chair and continued calmly reading his book, waiting for the floo to flare up once more.


After almost a whole year at Hogwarts returning to the orphanage was a lackluster experience. The rundown building looked even more decrepit, the orphans looked thinner and the staff looked sadder. All in all, after months of swimming in and exploring the joys of magic to the furthest extent they could, returning here not only felt like a step backward but it felt eerily similar to when she returned to the Dursleys, to a prison.

The same night they arrived they tried to use the enchanted trunk to do magic outside of the school. Sadly, despite the number of enchantments the trunk had, it wasn't enough to hide their magical trace from the prying eyes of the ministry. As they discovered when Violet tried to cast a simple levitation spell inside of it, only to receive a warning for casting magic around muggles. They had to change that, they couldn't just waste two months of the year without practicing any magic at all.

"Are you sure that the trace can be confused at all?" asked Violet that night while thinking over the problem.

"I did it in Grimmauld Place during all my summers after the fourth year. Sirius told me that any house with old and powerful enough wards would be able to hide us from the trace."

"Well we could try to buy a more expensive trunk. The theory of that was sound those things always leak magic surely it would be enough to trick the Trace."

"I doubt that it would work, more expansion charms aren't going to be much different than a single one and they aren't going to be more similar to powerful wards than a less enchanted trunk. We could ask for someone to let us stay at their home." proposed Jasmine.

"Who? The Blacks have made it quite clear that they don't want us spoiling their house." said Violet with a scowl. "Malfoy may be an option but do we want to be in their debt?"

"We wouldn't be in their debt they are our friends, not a bank, but if you don't want to go with him we could ask Eileen. She mentioned that she sometimes gets lonely in her house, she may like our company."

"The fidgeting coward, I still don't get why you spend so much time with her. And the House of Prince is barely considered an ancient house, do you really believe they would have old powerful wards like those you say you need."

"Even if they aren't, it would be better than spending our time here." promptly replied Jasmine frowning slightly.

"Right spending our time with that near squib would be incredibly rewarding. Who else do you want to ask, any of those beggars you like to teach? a member of the club?" said Violet sarcastically.

"They could be an option if you swallowed your pride." replied angrily Jasmine.

"Oh, because they are always there for you! They aren't leeches, only interested in using you for what you can give them." snapped back Violet.

"They aren't leeches, they are my friends!"

"Yet you only show them the good carrying side, you have tortured and killed in this life and in the past one! If they saw the real you, they would be terrified!"

Jasmine felt her magic uncoil as a wave of pressure violently sent Violet towards the wall. She clenched her teeth trying to control her magic again. How could she! She had opened up to her, she had shown her everything, she had allowed her inside her head multiple times! And now Violet was using that knowledge to taunt her! To hurt her!

"Jasmine…" said Violet tentatively lifting herself from the ground.

Jasmine turned towards her with her fiercest glare, making Violet back down. She took a couple of deep breaths trying to control her breathing. Then she grabbed her enchanted blanket and without saying another word she exited the room slamming the door behind her.