Alina couldn't lie: she was quite fascinated the first time she stepped into the castle. She'd heard stories, of course, about Hogwarts, as many said it was one of the best wizarding schools in the world. The building itself looked impressive with its many high towers, grand halls, floating candles and enchanted ceilings, but a nice interior wasn't enough to convince her. Because even though people around the world praised Hogwarts, her peers and teachers at Durmstrang had very different views.
They're too soft, her Dark Arts teacher used to say. Durmstrang didn't look nearly as pompous, its design simple and clean, but in Alina's opinion, the education was over the top. Her professors had never gone easy on her or anyone else; they weren't afraid to push their students' boundaries further and further, and with that, to bring out the best of them. Alina never minded if her tutors were strict or had harsh methods, as long as they helped her to become more powerful.
The Sorting Ceremony came to its end, but Alina stood there, alone, in the middle of the Great Hall. She knew people whispered behind her back, heard the quiet murmur that swept across the room, but she didn't care. She didn't mind the attention.
"Now, I know it's rather unusual to sort a witch in her last year, but we have a new student with us today," an old wizard said, someone Alina recognised as the headmaster. "Please, welcome Miss Belova, whichever house she gets sorted into!"
There was some quiet, uncertain clapping, which died away once she stepped up on the few wooden steps. The headmaster barely lowered the old, wrinkled hat on her head, when it shouted,
"Slytherin!"
The cheering and the clapping erupted once more, this time louder, and after Professor Dippet pointed her in the right direction, Alina walked over to the Slytherin table. Over the summer, she had read all about Hogwarts and its four houses, and it pleased her she ended up in the House of the Snake, clearly the best of them all.
A girl with long, midnight-black hair and piercing, silvery eyes made some room, waving her over. Alina took a seat, not surprised by the way her fellow housemates checked her out. Back at Durmstrang, it was enough to bat her eyelashes to have those boys on their knees in front of her, and they had a strong self-control.
She put a strand of flaming-red hair behind her ear and smiled innocently at a young wizard, who flushed so deeply Alina was sure he was going to faint.
"My name's Black," the girl with dark hair said, offering a hand. "Walburga."
Alina heard of the name Black, of course; they had quite a reputation in Durmstrang, too. Smiling, she shook Walburga's hand.
As the food appeared and everyone dived in, Alina took her time to look around the table. She couldn't recognise anyone, but it was easy to tell who came from pure-blood families and who did not. Wizards and witches near Walburga Black all sat like they owned the place, eyeing Alina from the corner of their eyes, eager to know more about her—and, surely, from her background.
But there was only one who caught her eyes, too. There were no stolen glances, no whispers into his friends ears. He looked at her directly, his posture oozing that effortless confidence that would make any girl go weak in the knees. His dark hair fell perfectly around his forehead, his cheekbones high and his jawline sharp, as if sculpted by some higher power. His eyes, despite dark as night, lacked any warmth. Alina wasn't easily charmed, but she was sure she had never seen someone so beautiful.
"Had an eye on Riddle already?" A blonde girl to her left asked, bumping her shoulder against Alina's. "Don't waste your time. No one's good enough for him, apparently," she said, sounding quite sour, and Alina was sure she had unrequited feelings for the boy.
She spooned mashed potatoes onto her plate, and didn't reply. Riddle was no longer watching her, and she tried to act disinterested too, but she could deny: she was curious what made him think he was better than anyone. Alina had never heard the name Riddle, so his arrogance couldn't come from his ancestry. He didn't look like the bragging type, either. So what was his secret?
She chatted a bit with Walburga and the blonde next to her (Eleanor Yaxley), who were the most curious about Durmstrang. They subtly asked about her family as well, but Alina was very brief and changed the subject as soon as she could. Perhaps it was too early to reveal everything just yet.
When the feast came to its end and Alina finished her dessert, a short wizard in green robes appeared next to her.
"Miss Belova, if you're done, please come with me."
Alina nodded, then looked questioningly at Eleanor. "Professor Slughorn, our head of house," she explained. "Don't worry about him. He's kind of a joke."
Alina followed the professor out of the Great Hall, down a set of stone steps, and into the dungeons. It was dark and chilly down there, the corridors only lit by a few torches here and there. When they stepped into Slughorn's chamber, he immediately pointed his wand at the fireplace.
"Incendio," he said, then gestured at a chair across his table. "Please, Miss Belova. Sit down."
Alina did as she was told. "Is there something wrong, professor?"
"Ah, no, not at all!" The man said, chuckling as if he just heard something funny. She found him weird. "As head of Slytherin House, I wanted to welcome you at Hogwarts. I know you have only one year left, but let's make the best of it, eh? I'm sure you'll find some very good friends in your house."
"Thank you, professor."
"I, uh…" Slughorn started, then fell silent, clearing his throat. "I've heard what happened to your family over the summer. My condolences."
They were not my family, Alina wanted to say, but swallowed back the urge. It burned her throat, and instead of speaking, she only gave a curt nod.
"I must ask, Miss Belova, has your guardianship been settled yet? Do you have anyone to take care of you?"
"I'm taking care of myself, sir," Alina replied. "I turned seventeen a month ago."
"Oh, right. Of course," he said, giving an awkward smile. "Well, if you need anything, anything at all —don't hesitate to come to me! I'll ask Mr Riddle to show you around."
"Riddle?"
"Ah, Tom Riddle, such a brilliant young wizard—he was chosen Head Boy this year," he said with such pride, one would think he was talking about his own son. "Now, come with me." Slughorn stood, walking around his desk. "I'll walk you to the common room."
The Slytherin common room was also located in the dungeons, hidden behind a bare wall. The entrance revealed itself once she gave the password, the bricks moving out of the way and giving just enough space so a person could step through.
Alina felt exhausted and she couldn't wait to fall asleep, but she caught her own name, and it made her halt. It didn't seem as though her housemates noticed someone walking in, so she carefully moved behind a large marble pillar, listening.
"So, what do you think? A Belova in our house?"
"You say that like we should know that name."
"How thick you are, Rosier?" Alina recognised Walburga's sharp tone. "The Belovas are one of the oldest and biggest pure-blood families in Eastern Europe."
"And the most deranged," a boy with a deep voice said. "Haven't you heard? Half of her family got killed by Aurors. The other half is rotting away in prison. And, mind you, their laws aren't as ridiculous as ours. They must've done something very serious if they basically wiped them out."
"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they're one of Grindelwald's biggest supporters."
"My father said her grandfather used to hunt muggles for sport."
The boy with a deep voice laughed. "A bit deranged, alright. I like it."
"Lestrange, you'll never get far in life with that attitude," Walburga said. "Sure, hunt muggles, who cares? But doing it so recklessly? You'll just end up dead or imprisoned."
"Okay," Eleanor cut in. "So who raised her, then?"
"Muggles, as far as I know."
Hearing that, all of them snorted with laughter.
Alina weighed her options. She could stay and listen to what else they had to say, learn how much they know about her, but she had heard enough. Her fingers itched to touch her wand, wondering how satisfying it would be to curse them all, but she stayed her hand. She came to England to lay low for a while, and it wouldn't be smart to get into trouble on her very first night in the castle. She could also just wait a little longer, until all of them returned to their rooms, and they would never know she was there.
Instead, she decided to make her presence known. As she walked out from behind the pillar, walking with easy steps as if she just entered the common room, everyone fell silent.
"Would any of you be so kind and show me my dormitory?"
Eleanor was the first who stood, practically jumping up from the black leather couch. "I'll show you."
Alina woke up early the following morning, much earlier than the rest of her housemates. As it turned out, classes started an hour later here than at Durmstrang, and even though she didn't mind the extra time she could've spent in bed, it wasn't easy to strip old habits. She woke up six o'clock sharp, and as she couldn't fall back to sleep, she climbed out from under the warm covers.
She went to the bathroom she shared with the other girls, washed her face in cold water, and brushed out her long, rusty waves. Her lips had a natural, pinkish tint, but with a simple spell, she darkened them just enough to make them more alluring. Alina learned long ago that there was power in beauty, and she wasn't shy to use it. The sun seemed to bring her freckles out, because she was sure they had never been so visible when she spent her time at Durmstrang.
At last, she put on her new uniform. It was very different from the crimson set she had to wear in her previous school. She liked the little snake tie pin and matching ring that came with it, and her silver and green tie seemed to bring out the emerald flecks in the blue of her eyes.
By the time she was done in the bathroom, the girls in her dorm were still fast asleep, so Alina walked out into the common room. It seemed to be under the lake, because when she looked out the window, she could see nothing but floating shadows and the very little daylight that steamed in through the water, giving the room a greenish tint. Her first thought was how rich it looked, with all the dark furniture, black leather sofas, and grand silver chandeliers. There were tapestries on the walls, framed by ivy that ran along the edges. It was definitely more like her taste.
Having nothing better to do, Alina decided to take a look around the castle. She left the common room and the chilly dungeon, walked past the Great Hall, and up the grand marble staircase. There were a few early risers here and there, but she was free to roam the corridors by herself.
But walking around Hogwarts was like trying to find her way out of a labyrinth. Some of the staircases were moving, others had steps that vanished when her feet touched them. There were doors that appeared out of nowhere, and she spotted a girl who walked out from behind a tapestry, but when she peeked behind it, there was nothing but the bare wall. She quickly realised how easily she could get lost here, and she wished Slughorn handed her a map as a welcome gift.
It was still quite early when she reached the Great Hall, but more and more students filed out of their common rooms. Her first period was free, which meant she still had plenty of time before her Transfiguration class. Alina took a seat by the Slytherin table, far from everyone else, and poured herself some tea. She nearly finished by the time the first few people from her year approached.
"Morning," Walburga said, sitting down next to her. "How did you sleep?"
Alina watched the three boys who sat down across from them - Riddle, Nott, Lestrange - before she turned back to the girl.
"Slept well, thank you."
"That's good, because you'll need your energy." She bit into her waffle, then made a sour face. "Double Transfiguration and double Defence Against the Dark Arts. This schedule is a nightmare."
Alina arched an eyebrow, but decided to keep quiet. Defence Against the Dark Arts seemed quite a ridiculous concept to her.
While buttering her toast, Alina noticed the boy who sat right in front of her wouldn't take his eyes off her. There was a mix of suspicion and amusement on his face, something she couldn't understand. She was used to people watching her with admiration, fear, or sometimes hatred, but she definitely wasn't used to someone eyeing her as if she was some kind of a joke. With his golden brown hair and deep blue eyes, he could have been rather handsome, if there wasn't that cocky smile on his lips.
When he caught her eyes, he finally spoke up. "Kind of a strange time to transfer to Hogwarts, Belova."
"Is it?" She asked, taking a sip from her tea.
"Well," he went on, trying to sound casual, as if this conversation had no purpose. "Perhaps you've noticed the empty chairs. Some parents weren't keen to let their children come back to Hogwarts… not after what happened last year."
Alina had heard scraps of the incident, of course. The British Ministry of Magic tried to cover it up, but news travelled fast, especially in the kind of circles she used to be in. There were rumours about murders, an ancient chamber, and Salazar Slytherin's heir. Alina wasn't sure how much of it was true, and she decided against revealing what she knew.
"What happened?"
Nott seemed even more arrogant now that he thought he knew something she didn't. "A student was killed. And many were badly injured."
They were silent, waiting for Alina's reply, who wasn't sure what kind of a reaction Nott was expecting.
"Eddie, why don't you end that dramatic suspense and tell her they were all mu —" Walburga started, but caught herself as a teacher walked past them. "Muggleborns?"
Nott gave a light shrug. "Didn't want to scare her."
"I beg your pardon?"
Alina's tone was so sharp Nott's smirk faltered for a second. Lestrange, on the other hand, looked like he was having the time of his life watching the two. Walburga rolled her eyes and sighed, returning to her breakfast, while Riddle silently observed the scenario, absent-mindedly fiddling with the black and gold ring on his finger.
"I've heard that you were raised by muggles. Or is that not true?"
It was, and she loathed to admit it. Alina was only five years old when Aurors killed her parents, and as most of her family members met a similar fate, she ended up in a muggle orphanage. "The later she gets back to the magical world, the less likely she'll turn out like her parents," she heard them saying. She was adopted not much later, easily charming her way out of there. She didn't like the idea of being raised by muggles, but it was still better than staying there with all those weak kids and useless teachers. Her adoptive parents, however, knew about her being a witch. Deeply religious and deadly scared, they did everything to beat magic out of her —figuratively and literally.
Unfortunately for them, they didn't succeed.
"My upbringing has little to do with my blood," she said calmly. "I can assure you, I have more magic in the tip of my little finger than you have in your whole body."
Lestrange whistled appreciatively, but Nott didn't seem so impressed. He gave a laugh and shook his head, as if he wasn't sure he heard her right.
"Clearly, you haven't heard my name."
"And clearly, you haven't heard mine."
"Oh, I have. And I have nothing against your real family," he said, lifting his palms defensively, before he lowered them and went on. "But you lived with muggles, which… raises some questions. And you're delusional if you think you're anything like me or anyone else at this table. You're just… not the same."
Nott must've thought he said something smart, because he looked so proud of himself as if he was waiting for a pat on the back. Alina, however, merely smiled, biting into her toast.
"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"
But there was a limit to her patience, too.
"I don't care about boasting, but since you seem so eager to hear my voice…" she started, which made Lestrange snort with laughter. "I don't think I'm like you, Nott. On the contrary, you're so far under me you should be thankful I haven't raised my wand yet after you had the nerve to compare me to a mudblood. You think you're better than me? Fine. Show me what you've got in a duel, or stop wasting my time."
Once again, silence settled around them, and it seemed students nearby stopped what they were doing to watch them.
"I…" Nott paused to clear his throat, and Alina was pleased to see his confidence waver. "I have no interest in beating up girls."
"That view is a little outdated, don't you think? It's okay to admit you're scared of me. You wouldn't be the first."
Nott's demeanour changed rapidly. Gone was his smile and the feigned nonchalance, anger flashing through his eyes. He was furious that someone he thought so low of humiliated him in front of his friends. Desperate, he tried to retrieve the irretrievable.
"I'm not scared of a nobody who never even heard of magic until —"
Alina had had enough. She slipped her wand out of her sleeve, pointing it at Nott, whose eyes went wide. He didn't get a chance to raise his own wand, as he was already flying backwards, groaning as he slammed into the wall. Nott squeezed his eyes shut in pain as his head knocked against the stone, and while several students gasped loudly around them, Alina rose to her feet. She didn't need to say the incantations out loud: ropes sneaked around the boy's legs, his arms, his neck, slowly squeezing the life out of him.
"Miss Belova! Miss Belova, stop this at once!"
There weren't many teachers in the Great Hall, as the first period had already started, but her head of house happened to be one of the few who was up there. She glanced at him, still holding Nott up against the wall. Slughorn looked horrified.
"Merlin's beard! Miss Belova, let him go!"
Alina clenched her fist, drank in the despair she caught in Nott's eyes, then lowered her wand. He collapsed on the ground, gasping for air as the ropes disappeared while two girls rushed to help him. By that time, the headmaster arrived as well.
"This—this is outrageous!"
"Is there something wrong, professor? We were just duelling."
" Duelling ? You were choking the poor boy!" Professor Dippet shouted, while Slughorn seemed to be too stunned to speak.
"I wasn't going to kill him," Alina said coolly, though she was getting annoyed they were making such a big deal out of it. If this happened at Durmstrang, the headmistress would go to Nott and warn him he better take a grip on himself and learn how to fight.
"You weren't—" Slughorn started, but he was cut off by a calm, confident voice.
"Excuse me, sir." Alina wasn't sure how Riddle got behind her back, but she nearly jumped when she felt his presence. "I'm sure Alina didn't mean to cause any harm. She's new here, and I think we all know they handle things differently over at Durmstrang."
Alina looked up at him (though he didn't spare a glance at her), then back at the headmaster and her head of house. They seemed conflicted still, but less angry, less terrified, and less as though they were going to kick her out.
"I understand that, Tom, but we do not tolerate this kind of behaviour at Hogwarts," Dippet said, turning to Alina. "Students aren't allowed to duel outside classes, and especially not so violently! And if you have… disagreements with your housemates, you tell the teachers."
Such utter rubbish , Alina thought, and suddenly, she seemed less sure that she could go through a whole year in this joke of a school. She was just about to voice her opinion, when she felt a hand on the small of her back.
"I'm sure Alina knows that now," Tom said, her hand sliding to her waist, giving a brief, warning squeeze. "Sir, I don't think it would be wise to expel such a talented witch over a misunderstanding."
She knew what he wanted. And as much as she hated to bow, she had no better option.
"I'm truly sorry, professor." Alina found that her voice went weak from Riddle's little touch, then immediately blushed at the thought. She felt embarrassed, but seeing as her teachers had mistaken it, thinking she felt ashamed for her actions, she carried on with it. "I—I didn't mean to hurt anyone. At Durmstrang, we could practice duelling between classes too, you see. I didn't know it was against the rules here."
Nott, who finally lifted himself from the ground, looked like he had a few words to say, but a quick look from Riddle was enough to shut him up.
"Well…" Dippet started, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Considering it's your first day, I'll let you go without punishment. But Horace will keep an eye on you, won't he?" He asked, turning to Slughorn. She highly doubted that.
"Certainly, Armando," he replied. "And, Tom, go over the rules with Miss Belova. Let's make sure nothing like this will happen again, eh?"
"Of course, sir," Tom drawled, giving a brief nod.
"That's settled, then," the headmaster said, then looked around the hall, where dozens of people watched them. "Well? Don't you have classes to go to?"
Students who gathered around them quickly turned away, leaving their breakfast and scurrying out of the hall. Alina, as if nothing happened, sat back down to finish her tea, earning an amused look from Lestrange.
"Are you alright, Mr Nott?" Slughorn asked warily. Once again, the boy looked like he had something to say, probably encouraging Alina's punishment, but he caught Riddle's gaze, and that silenced him.
Alina wondered who this boy really was, if he had such a strong choke-hold on all these rich, pure-blood kids. They seemed to respect him, fear him even, and she was dying to know why.
"I'm fine, professor."
"Good. But—go to the Hospital Wing, just in case. Miss Yaxley? Please accompany him."
As they left the hall, Riddle leaned down to Alina. "Come with me."
She wasn't going to be ordered around, but Alina felt too compelled by him to say no. She followed him out of the Great Hall, walking silently by his side, before they stopped at the marble staircase.
"Are you going to list the rules, Head Boy?"
"I'm sure you know them quite well, Alina." An almost invisible smile lifted the corner of perfect lips. Then, he turned away, walking up the stairs. "Slughorn asked me to show you around, and we have some time left before Transfiguration."
"We can skip this, Tom," she said, but followed him anyway. "Tell him you did as you were told. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"And where's the fun in that?"
She remained silent, and for a while, none of them said a word. Alina wished she knew what was going through his head, when he suddenly said,
"That wasn't quite smart, you know." He slowed down, then stopped, watching her. Alina was tall enough that she was used to looking down on people, and it infuriated her that she had to tip her head back to look into his eyes. "Attacking someone so openly… Besides, Nott is one of my most loyal… friends."
Am I in trouble now? she wondered, refusing to cast her eyes down. Tom seemed so calm, so collected, Alina was sure it was only a mask. He had to have a dark side, and her scalp prickled with curiosity. If only she knew how she could bring that out of him…
"Perhaps you should keep your friends on a leash," she said. "And teach them how to behave."
He eyed her wordlessly with that cold, calculated gaze of his for a while, then said, "I apologise for Edward's behaviour. That's not a way anyone should talk to a witch like you."
Well, that was definitely not the response she was expecting.
Tom briefly showed her the main classrooms, the courtyard and the greenhouses, but the castle was huge, and they didn't have the time to visit everything. They had ten minutes left until Transfiguration, so they retreated to the Slytherin common room to grab their books. Before they both returned to their dormitories, Alina stopped him at the foot of the stairs.
"Why did you help me?"
Riddle looked at her, seemed to mull over her question, then said,
"Because you intrigue me. And I'd hate it if you got expelled before I got the time to learn more about you."