Chapter 3: Sparks

Hogwarts, September 16, 1968

His friends had tapped into some hitherto unknown resolve and appeared before eight for breakfast in the Great Hall. Alphe was quite impressed.

"Ready to seize the day?" he asked with an earnest smile.

"How do you find the energy to torment us so early" Elaine droned sarcastically,

"By not spending the night writing to impress our lofty Defense Professor." Alphe retorted sweetly, biting into a croissant and taking the time to savor his fifth cup of coffee. "We can leave Charms and make a beeline for the East tower, I know a passageway that can probably get us to the third-floor annex before Yaxley gets down."

"We'll be late to Defence," added Elaine, hesitantly. Alphe made a quick flick of his wand.

"Just a few minutes. Nowhere near long enough for anyone to notice. Charlie, you'll head up the tower and block off anyone coming down, Elaine you curse the bitch." he smiled, nibbling on the last of his foreign delights. "And I'll make sure no one comes up the tower."

"So she gets to cast the spell that puts Yaxley in the Hospital Ward for the next week?" Charlie huffed indignantly

"Yes." Alphe responded simply. Searching for another croissant.

"Fine by me, as long as we don't miss too much of class," she added, nabbing the last pastry from out of Alphe's hands.

He scowled back, "I'll make something up then." Pointing to the shiny badge, "About time I put this to use."

"For more than tormenting eleven-year-olds you mean." Charlie smiled dashingly while making eyes at a fourth-year Hufflepuff taking her seat. Alphe didn't dignify that comment with a response and focused in on the stunning black-haired pureblood taking her seat with a third and fourth-year girl at the end of his table. He was becoming much more confident in his plan. Although he wasn't quite ready to share all the details with his friends. He was sure Elaine at least would approve of what was coming. She threw her bag down, drawing out a familiar-looking book.

"I'm going to the library, I'll see you guys in Charms," Alphe announced quickly. "I need to grab a book."

"One that has to do with Aetos?" Elaine asked icily, glaring over her tea.

"In a sense. This is hardly the place to discuss it. I have to go." Alphe rushed, chucking his bad over his shoulder. Suddenly concerned that he may have underestimated his fellow Prefect.

"Is he serious about using Aetos as bait?" asked Charlie with mild concern, "She's not someone we should be crossing lightly. And she's not nearly as bad as most of the purebloods. Besides she's had a hell of a year as it is."

"I know, but I trust Alphe." buttering her flaky loot, "and I really doubt you can do better."

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Hogwarts, September 16, 1968

Helga Smith was caught rather off guard coming out of the floo. She remembered the Headmaster's Tower from her days at Hogwarts to be a dreary place. Dumbledore seemed to, for all his other flaws, have a rather keen eye for decoration.

"Cheif Auror!" the fashioner in question called, climbing down the ostentatious gilded stairs connected to his bedchambers.

"Albus, it seems you've been busy." she smiled, gesturing to the plus and colorful office. "I hope you've found time for more than catalog shopping."

"You'll have to forgive an old man's eternities. Though I've always said that a little color can make a world of difference." he chuckled deeply, gesturing for the two to take a seat in plush armchairs.

"It's more than a little Albus. I'll let it go if you tell me we've made some progress."

"Some, not near as much as I had hoped for Helga. The student body is rather ingrained in its beliefs. And the more conservative elements do not seem overly happy with my posting." he paused, leaning back into his seat, gesturing for her to wait. "I've begun an alternative approach. I'm hoping that the Principles children will be more receptive to a new face, one that espouses solidarity with their families."

"And this new asset you're throwing at us in the final hour?" Helga sprung from her chair with a huff. Turning to face the towering windows.

"He is reliable. I went to great lengths to find him, Helga. I'm certain that the man will never become a true ally of the Principles, regardless of the masks he wears. And he is undoubtedly a practiced believer in the Principles more philosophic tenants." A flash of green lit up the headmaster's tower.

"You'll never believe what I've just learned Abby!" the head Auror shouted to her sister, ignoring Albus's frown.

"And what is it." Abby Smith yawned, exhausted and eager to end her last meeting of the day.

"A necessary change to our plans, one that," Albus jumped up, standing on a pretense for the minister.

"Please get straight to it Albus, the Wizengamot did a real number on me today." she groaned, sliding into a bright yellow couch.

"I've brought another asset into my confidence." he offered calmly, staring into the minister's warm brown and perfectly still eyes. At least a minute passed before she responded.

"How deep into your confidence Albus?" focused entirely on the potentially disastrous repercussions of his answer.

"I've told him the full extent of our plans regarding the Principles."

"For Merlin's sake Albus!" Helga groaned, "What the hell were you thinking not telling us sooner?" pacing a hole in his brunt crimson carpet.

"You left me, both of you left me, free to use my own discretion in bringing the Grindelwald sympathizers into the open. I've applied that discretion," he answered perfectly still.

"And you introduced a completely unknown element, into what was a well-calibrated ministry operation! Who the hell is this man?" Helga demanded, still pacing in fiery circles.

"I'm not at liberty to reveal his identity to you, per my agreement with him but rest assured that he will never be a supporter of the Principles."

"How can you know that Albus?" Abby sighed head buried in her hands.

"He is muggle-born."

"And you expect him to entice our little pureblood supremacists?" Helga questioned with genuine confusion. "Have you gone mad Albus!"

"No more than I was when I bested Gellert Grindelwald, Helga," he responded pleasantly, his eyes twinkling like mad. "His blood status is known to no one else. He is playing the role of a foreign pureblood prodigy, a role that I'm certain he can play convincingly. And per a private accord I stuck with him, he will do all that he can to see them exposed. I'm quite certain the man finds them personally abhorrent."

"And I was hoping for good news." Abby muttered, she stood to concede "Don't mess this up, Albus. We cannot allow a fifth column to grow in this country with the enemy on the doorstep." Abby pleaded, throwing her billowing robes behind her. "We need something to leverage against the Principles by Yule, or they will pull us closer to Grindelwald. And we will lose everything." Abby added in a somber tone, stepping into the floo. Her sister made to follow,

"And for Merlin's sake don't drop a bomb like this on us again. You are not alone in this and you cannot continue to behave as if you are." She warned the elderly man. Standing at her full height she stared into his twinkling blue eyes. "You came here to make amends for your mistakes. I respect that Albus, and I believe that you mean to do right. But it seems to me that you are dangerously close to repeating the errors of your past." she finished stepping into the vortex of green flames.

Albus was tired. For all the time he had spent dreading this conversation he hadn't been forced to divulge any of the more, sensitive, terms of his agreement with his new hire. He knew that they had appreciated his commitment to their Iron Agenda. And the role he'd played in fortifying the islands against the Continentals but this faith in him was a very welcome surprise. Nonetheless, their faith was a little too steadfast, it revealed just how little they could trust the Wizengamot.

"Come in Tom." the headmaster called out rising from his desk with the full weight of his age.

"It is generally considered rude to beckon someone to enter before they've announced themselves Dumbeldore. At least in civilized societies." Professor Dellrid snarked opening the ancient door.

"And would you not consider our little isle a member of your polite societies" Dumbeldore retorted with a warm chuckle. Gesturing for his final appointment to take a seat. "I apologize for not asking sooner Tom, but how are you settling in?"

"Just fine, although I am rather alarmed by the state of your student's education. With the exception of the Principles and a handful of gifted and independent minds, your students are terribly misinformed of magic." he leaned into his seat and rolled his neck. "I fear most of them wouldn't last a minute in a duel with a student from one of the continental colleges. Most of these children can hardly cast a cutting curse or produce a proper shield charm. Had I known how much work I had cut out for me, I would have asked for more lessons." Tom drawled.

"I'd consider unfettered access to the library a great privilege in and of itself. Private lessons from me are more than most would dare ask for." Albus responded with a frown.

"And very few would dare dabble in magics that require private tutoring from you, Albus. It's been a long day for me as well, can we please get started." he drew his slender yew wand and a small black journal from his robes.

"Of course Tom. I am a man of my word." Dumbeldore conceded, bowing his head ever so slightly.

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Hogwarts, North Tower, September 16, 1968

Alphe watched Charlie climb up the narrow stone stairs with a playful smile at a pair of Gryffindor girls. That boy could never stop chasing. He himself was doubling back the empty corridor to keep an eye out, Yaxley would be passing by Elaine in a second. He didn't want to break it to Charlie that the main reason he couldn't launch the actual attack was that he didn't know how to cast a halfway decent disillusionment charm. Charlie's ego would take weeks to recover, and he'd never shut up about it. Alphe took another moment to steady his breath, today's task was hardly a challenge. But it was the beginning. Once they set this chain of events in motion they would be in place to remove the Principles and a Pureblood competitor from their path. And it would all begin with a little hex. Any minute now. Alphe thought to himself again, tapping his foot on and off of the little channels worn into the ancient stone floor.

A high-pitched scream set him free from his worries. For an instant.

"Shit!" he heard Elaine squeal a second before a bloody Yaxley rolled off the stairs. His wand was halfway drawn when a resounding thump stopped him. It took a moment for his Occlumancy to slide into place, and it took all his focus to keep it in place as he knelt to check the girl's pulse. He took a deep breath.

"Is anyone there!" he screamed up the tower, "Help!" Alphe screamed down the corridor,

'Run' he thought to himself.

"I need help! Bring Matron Klinly and a Professor!" he screamed at the empty hall, letting genuine anger flow through him. He began casting every healing spell he knew at each wound, and she kept on bleeding, thumping against the stone. Another breath, a chance to collect his thoughts, 'What the hell happened?' He rose with shaking and bloody hands to find an irate Transfiguration Professor marching towards him.

"Salvat! What is the meaning of this screaming? You had best exp…" she stopped, almost perfectly still with widened eyes.

"We need the Matron Professor!" Alphe cried back in desperation, rushing towards McGonagall. "I don't know what happened, Yaxley, she just fell from the tower right in front of me, but she's alive Professor, we need to do something, we need to," he rambled desperately buying time for his friends to flee and be seen anywhere else 'What the hell happened, damn it!'

"Yes of course Mr. Salvat. Go bring Sandra here immediately, I will watch over Ms. Yaxley." she spluttered, pushing Alphe aside and down the corridor to reach the broken girl. Alphe was left staring at the fractured and warped body that had begun to soak into the channels of stone, wondering how today had gone so wrong.

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Hogwarts, September 16, 1968

"What was that Charlie? For fuck's sake, what were you thinking?" Elaine screamed an inch from Charlie's face. The duo had taken cover in the abandoned second-floor girls bathroom, only after Elaine dragged the two out of the library, exiting in clear sight of Madam Prince. A silent and stoic Elaine led Charlie into the massive and ornate bathroom, throwing up more wards than Charlie could keep track of.

"Answer me Charlie, and wipe that stupid expression off your face, you just killed a girl."

"Emric's eye Elaine! What do you mean kill? I just hit her with a wink. I had nothing to do with her fall."

"Is that really what you wanna go with Charlie?" Elaine asked coldly.

"I swear to you, Elaine. I didn't do a thing to Yaxley." Charlie offered, stepping forward, eyes locked and dark. "I was the one who was against killing in the first place. I thought you had cast the spell, and I ran when I heard you scream, that's all Elaine." Their eyes stayed locked for another minute as Elaine stood perfectly still.

"We need to talk too Alphe." she finally answered starting to pace. "This has gone completely fucking wrong. You better pray no one realizes that you were there Charlie." she turned on him, an accusing finger stabbing his chest.

"I can handle those pricks, Elaine." Charlie huffed stepping towards the door.

"No you can't," Elaine grabbed his arm and pulled him back in. "You can't take them all alone, and you definitely can't take on the bloody Ministry if they get wind of this." Elaine reasoned to a stiff and prickly boy. "You keep your head down, anyone asks we were in the library the whole time after Charms, making up homework or something. Merlin!"

"Yea, I followed. Let's just find Alphe and figure out what he knows. He's not going to be happy."

"For good reason Charlie. If you or he were seen, this changes everything with the Principles and his plan to see us secure ourselves this year." Elaine took a measured breath and turned around. "You go on ahead, I'll see you guys at dinner."

Charlie hesitated for a moment, weighing his options, "I'll see you then."

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Hogwarts, North Tower, September 16, 1968

"Are you certain you didn't see anyone Mr. Salvat? Nor hear anyone besides Ms. Yaxley?"

"Yes sir," Alphe responded. He had slouched in a deep crimson armchair, positively exhausted from the day's turmoils.

"Very well then." Headmaster Dumbledore sighed, looking down from Alphe's eyes. "I am very sorry for your troubles today my boy. But if it weren't for you I'm afraid Ms. Yaxley wouldn't have survived. The healing charms you cast saved her life." he added with a sad smile.

"Is there any word on her recovery sir?"

"I'm afraid not, it will be at least several days until we know the full extent of her injuries. Although I imagine it will be at the very least several months before she can return to Hogwarts, Mr. Salvat." Alphe redoubled his Occlumancy.

"Now, I'll let you go back to your dormitory. I'm certain the day's events have been taxing on you Mr. Salvat, but I advise you to keep a close guard tonight. There are certain parties that will blame you for Ms. Yaxley's most unfortunate fall."

"Thank you, sir, but I'm well aware of the danger I'll be facing."

"Ah, but of course you are." his baby blue eyes twinkled. "I am sorry for the challenges you face in your house, and the Wizarding world in general Mr. Salvat. I understand better than most what it is like to be alone, unaccepted."

"Yes sir." Alphe answered, desperately fighting his own tongue. The two shared another moment of silence. Alphe was nearing his wit's end.

"Goodnight Mr. Salavt. Please do tread carefully this year." the headmaster warned, watching him climb the steps down.

Hogwarts, September 17, 1968

"I have some welcome news for you Albus?"

"What is it?"

"A handful of the Principle's spawn have requested additional tutoring. In fact, they all seemed to be especially focused on dueling and combat magics." Tom took his customary seat across the headmaster's desk, smiling. "They seem scared. All that pride and prejudice of theirs has shriveled up at the first blood."

"I see." he paused "And what have you been teaching them, Tom?"

"The things they should be learning, if not held back by the mediocrity of their peers."

"I do not wish to rehash this argument with you, do not invite the attention of the Ministry. Please, let us move on to tonight's material. I believe you wanted my opinion on the after-effects of regenerative magics on one's soul."

"Yes. The writings I've found from Naples were very vague. And Hogwart's Library is no better it seems."

"Well, some magics shouldn't be thought to teenagers Tom."

"That's rich Albus. How old were you when you cast your first unforgivable?" Tom snorted.

"Let us not get distracted." the greying wizard sighed. "We will have much to discuss tonight."

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Hogwarts, September 18, 1968

"Took you long enough." Alphe said. Sitting in a simple wood chair opposite the couch of the trio's old meeting room in the Astronomy Tower.

"I was trying not to be noticed. We're not all prefects you know." Elaine answered. She took her time to pace the perimeter of the room as Alphe's eyes stayed glued to the door. "He says it wasn't him. It could have been an accident Alphe. Yaxley's alive in either case."

"Do you remember when we first started practicing here?" Elaine asked with a sad smile, her eyes staring out onto the grounds.

Alphe finally turned his head to face her. "I do. And it was just us then." Alphe rose and brushed off his robes. "Do you remember why it was just us?" He watched her brush her hair aside. "Charlie didn't want to do any more work. He thought he had everything figured out already."

Elaine turned back to stare out the dusty window.

"He was arrogant and proud. And he still is Elaine. While we worked to be better, to earn our place, Charlie was playing. He couldn't see what needed to change, he couldn't change." Alphe marched back to his seat, staring down the door again.

"He knows that Alphe. On some level he does, he's just, scared and insecure. Pulling him into an ambush like this," She said gesturing to the dark room "only makes it worse." she sat on the couch. "What's done is done. I was just as angry as you. And I am angry that Charlie's hiding this. But scaring him won't fix any of this."

"It'll teach him not to reach beyond his means, at least for a while. It worked when he started picking fights with Malfoy. It worked when he wanted to try out for Quidditch." Alphe explained, rolling his neck, "Charlie needs to be pulled back down to reality once in a while. And after Yaxley, I'd say now is the time. We couldn't afford this kind of attention a few days ago. We definitely can't afford anymore."

"I know that Alphe!" she groaned, throwing her head back. "Need I remind you that whenever things start going bad, Charlie and I feel it first." she paced. "We can't waste time fighting, once he owns up to cursing her, you two make up so we can decide on our next moves."

"Charlie is not going to be involved in our next move."

"Why the hell not? He's not going to fuck up twice in a row."

'Probably not. But he's not going to be any use in stealing Aetos' hair."

She stared at him. "Are you going to tell me what we need her hair for, or am I supposed to find out afterward?"

"Polyjuice. I'm not sure when we'll be using it but it's best we start brewing it now, to have it on hand when the time comes." he stared back at her, perfectly calm.

"She's a bad mark Alphe." Elaine shook her head. "A really bad mark. What the hell are you thinking?"

"She's an unpopular Pureblood, one who the Principles hate. She's a perfect choice." Alphe said tapping his fingers rhythmically on the arms of his chair

"She's also one of the best duelists in the school after you, and one of the best students period. She's smart, clever, ruthless, and has no reason not to come after us when she realizes she's being framed." crooking her head, "How is she the perfect choice?"

"Yes I realize that, but she would never cooperate with the Principles." he answered smiling, " Black was in on the attack on her sister."

"Does she know that?" Elaine asked quietly.

"She does, which is why she's actually treated me better than pond scum so far this year." Alphe smiled to himself, "Maybe she's even coming to like me now."

"I don't think she likes you enough to take the fall for something like this." she shook her head again, tapping on the rough upholstered arm of the couch, "No one could like you that much."

"She won't have a chance to do anything about it. When everything falls into place, the Principles will be forced to face her. All that Pureblood etiquette and honor dictates it. Aetos will lose, or she'll have to beat them so badly she'll be expelled. Either way, she won't be in a position to retaliate against us." he said, leaning back into his seat and throwing back his head.

"And you expect Dumeldore, to find the political power to expel the Principles suddenly?"

"No," Alphe smiled, "I'm expecting him to have them charged with maiming and raping a Pureblood."

Elaine sighed and turned to look out the window again. Feeling the full gravity of Alphe's plan strike at once. "This could go wrong very easily Alphe. Very very easily." Aetos is not that easy to manipulate, even if we frame her and she doesn't get a chance to lash out. The Principles don't pick fights with Purebloods lightly. Orion might have been a nutjob, and a sadist, but the others aren't going to act out of anger so easily."

"Not until they think they'll get away with it." Alphe was rolling his wand over his fingers. "That's a work in progress. But we have months to figure that out. Charlie, and most of our year mates, will be busy reviewing for OWLs. That will give us a lot more time, and focus than any of them."

"Do you have any idea what we're going to do Alphe because right now it sounds like your plan is to 'figure it out? Need I remind you how terrible that played out last year." she stared at him, her hands clenched at her side. "Have you ever considered how Aetos knows about Black, and what else she might have found out?"

"The fact that she hasn't tried to kill me implies that she doesn't know much more." Alphe sat up straight, feeling a prick at the back of his head. "We'll finish this conversation when we're alone Elaine."

The door creaked open to Charlie with his wand drawn. "I thought you said eleven Alphe?"

"I did. It's a quarter past." Alphe said motioning to his watch, "Take a seat, Charlie, we need to talk about this now." Charlie stepped forward with his chin up.

"Look Alphe,"

"Don't bother lying to my Charlie. You can't," said Alphe, staring into his warm brown eyes. "Besides, Dumeldore identified the remnants of a poorly cast crushing curse. It broke her leg causing her to fall off the stairs."

"You're defending her! She's a Principle Alphe!" his face turned a surprising shade of red.

"And you're incompetent. Your incompetence has put all three of us in danger." Alphe responded coldly.

"Elaine? Come on you know that," he turned, pleading.

"You shouldn't have lied to me in the bathroom Charlie." she frowned "And you shouldn't have lost your head in the tower."

"Ok, I messed up the timing. I'll own up to that." he stood up with his hands raised, "But we still got her. Merlin, she's even worse than we planned, and she's alive. We should be celebrating. The Principle's are fuming! They're,"

"The Principles are sure it was us!" Alphe roared, jumping from his seat. "Yaxley was supposed to run into a professor while we were in class, with a clear alibi. Now all the Principles know is that one of their Pureblodd heiresses was nearly killed when she 'slipped' off a staircase. And that I was there. They know I found her first. Who the hell do you think they blame?"

"Hey, we're all in this together Alphe." he tried to reason, forcing his voice to be calm. "We've been in this since the beginning, if they come for you, they have to go through us, through me Alphe. I'm not letting any of those squibs get you." he promised, trying his best to look strong.

Alphe's head collapsed into his hands. "And you're going to be beaten bloody. You're not half the duelist that Selwyn is. Almost any of the other stand a better-than-even chance of beating you. Get a grip Charlie!" he roared. "And for the record. It's been me and Elaine since the beginning. You tagging along for an adventure does not mean you understand the real danger we face. They might not like you Charlie, but they would tolerate you. Your existence isn't an insult to them."

"He's right Charlie. You're our friend and you have it harder than any Pureblood, but not like us." Elaine said squinting.

"Emric's evil eye! It's always pity with you two!" Charlie roared, he marched up, and punched the worn door. "You need to be the victims, to remind everyone how tough you've had it." He was pacing the perimeter of the room sneering at Alphe. Charlie took a moment and approached Alphe's chair wearily, before he stuck a finger in his friend's chest, "The two poor mudblood prodigies. Take a long look at yourselves. Two of the best students in Slytherin, probably in the school. And you want pity. I have to work twice as hard as you to get the same result. But you don't see me crying out for pity."

"It seems like you are right now." Alphe interrupted, flatly. "You always want pity, Charlie. I suppose it's the attention of last resort, but it's still attention." He took a step forward, blue on brown. Charlie's finger was digging into his chest, and he didn't care, this had to be said. "And that's what you really crave. Validation, others' approval to make up for your mountain of insecurities." Alphe grabbed Charlie's wrist, pushing it aside and ignoring the look of rage on his face. He continued in a calm voice, "Normally, we'd play along. But nearly killing a girl to satisfy your inferiority complex is a step too far." he took another step past Charlie and out the door. "Come back to us when you've gotten a grip on yourself."

Charlie looked desperately at Elaine leaning on the window with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry Charlie," she sighed and made to follow Alphe. "You really fucked this one up."