"He's coming," Tom hiss-whispered as the door to the room opened. He, as the closest to the end of the hallway, pushed the three back into the shadows. He moved to stand by Isidore, offering a warm squeeze on the arm before following Eleonora's gaze as she stared ahead for Evander to pass them. Eleonora barely was able to snap back to reality with Eva, and Isidore remained frozen, his gaze pained.

Evander passed them, and he laid eyes on his true father. Time felt like it froze, and Isidore caught a good look at the man's face. They had the same defined jawline, perfectly sculpted cheekbones with an oblong face. He indeed had the same looks as Isidore- identical, actually- with a different hair and eye color.

Eva was laying eyes on the man for the first time, her jaw dropping in surprise. Even the way the man carried himself, his glower; it was unnervingly similar to Isidore's. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Evander nearly passed the hallway, coming to a stop suddenly. The four of them held their breath, holding as still as they could against the wall, praying he wouldn't see them. He glanced sideways in their direction for a moment, then looked forward again.

"Who's there?" Evander asked calmly, and all Eleonora could think was SHIT.

To their surprise, Isidore stepped forward, close enough to where Evander could see him in the dimly lit hallway. Evander looked at him for a moment, not quite able to see well enough to study Isidore's face.

"Who are you?" he asked, and Eleonora bit her lip as Eva's heart sank.

"It doesn't matter, I'll have to obliviate you," Evander muttered, remembering Cornelius was right next to them.

"Wait-" Isidore finally cried, but Evander was too fast.

"Obliviate!"

"STOP!" Eleonora boomed, and the light of the spell was frozen in midair, a mere 8 inches from Isidore's head. Evander saw a pair of glowing light green eyes with slitted pupils, and he lowered his wand.

"Eleonora," he whispered.

She stepped forward, waving her arms that shattered the spell's light to the ground before it disappeared.

"Evander, you can't be so wary of people," they heard, seeing Cornelius step out of the room and into the hallway. Evander turned, shielding Eleonora and Isidore, aiming his wand at Cornelius.

"Stay back," he commanded, and Cornelius began squinting in the light.

"Is that...?" he asked, his eyes focused behind Evander. Isidore felt the blood drain from his face, a mixture of anger and dread overcoming him as he looked at Cornelius.

"I won't remove my wand. Dragon eyes will prevent me from doing anything," Cornelius said, and Eleonora scowled, her teeth bared a little. Cornelius cried out, jumping back and muttered, "the freak has fangs!"

Eleonora stared at him looking hurt, as he had just called her the two names that her many childhood bullies used. Evander looked down to her face, his heart sinking as he remembered the struggle she had making friends as a child. When her powers were revealed, she'd only scare people away. They'd call her hideous, and a variety of names that had to do with being an inhuman monster. Parents actively told their children to avoid her, and to make her feel less powerful so she would never attack.

That of course, was a false assumption. She was gentle, quiet, and caring. She has them to thank for becoming cynical and mistrusting. And that's why he treated Eleonora like his own daughter when he saw her. And she loved him like a second father.

Isidore, Tom, and Eva looked at her, never having seen this degree of a change in appearance. Her skin was normal, and she looked entirely human aside from her eyes and teeth. Yet it was a little unnerving. Each of them had the same thought: who is she?

"As I was saying," Cornelius said, jolting everyone from their thoughts.

"I suggest you use better lighting and take a good look at the person behind you."

Evander's eyes narrowed, and Cornelius held up his hands with a shrug as he took a step back.

"I'll hold him back. I'll show him how much of a freak I really am," Eleonora snarled, cracking her knuckles as she gave Cornelius a glower. Evander nodded to her, and she stepped in front of the two of them, her back hunched slightly in a predatory stance as she stared the man down. Cornelius remained unmoving, then Evander stepped forward and turned to Isidore.

"Lumos," he said, his wand illuminating the dark hallway. He hesitantly raised it a little, then the light shone on Isidore's face.

Evander studied it, a look of disbelief all over his features. He looked down, seeing the same tall and lean frame that resembled his own when he was Isidore's age. The same eye color and jet black hair of the woman he always loved, with his face. It really was his own son.

"Allow me to introduce you, Evander, to your son. Isidore Maven Lestrange."

Silence ensued, Evander's expression dropping with pain. Isidore saw the growing emotion in Evander's face, as he looked surprised, apologetic, and regretful all at the same time. Isidore's expression looked simply like a kicked puppy's, only making Evander feel worse.

"Isidore?" Evander whispered. Isidore nodded sadly and slowly, finding himself unable to speak aloud. The thundering of his heartbeat was overwhelmingly loud, his pulse reverberating strongly throughout his body in a way that kept him frozen.

"I'm-" Evander uttered, looking down shamefully.

"I'm so sorry," he finished, and Isidore frowned a little.

"Don't be," he finally murmured, and Evander looked back at him, almost hopefully.

"None of this is your fault."

"How?" Evander whispered. Isidore's frown deepened, and he jabbed a thumb at Eleonora, saying, "I saw everything."

Evander nodded, clearly knowing the full extent of Eleonora's power that even Isidore wasn't aware of.

"You seem wary," Eva said, stepping closer to Isidore. His eyes met hers, and she said, "you don't know who to trust anymore."

"As usual, you're right, Eva. I'm just tired. Tired of all this," Isidore answered bluntly with a long sigh.

"But I'll trust you," Isidore added, to everyone's surprise.

"What?" Evander asked, and Isidore saw Eleonora and Cornelius looking shocked behind him.

"Oh," she whispered, still reading his thoughts.

"Eleonora seems to have read my mind, but I'll give the rest of you a few reasons why. My mother spoke highly of a guy named Evander, but failed to mention you are Cornelius's half-brother. I now realize she was hoping I wouldn't think less of you by knowing your last name or do anything spiteful out of my distaste for the Lestrange family as I got older. If my mother thought of you that highly, I trust her judgement."

"I'm glad you think of your mother highly. She's an incredible woman," Evander said, breaking into a sentimental smile.

"You aren't off the hook completely, I don't like trusting people I don't know. It's not your fault, but it'll take time for me."

Evander nodded with a chuckle, saying, "you really are my son, then."

"I'm surprised you're giving me a chance," he added, and Isidore pursed his lips with an embarrassed expression.

"This Hufflepuff girl is Eva Mansfield," Isidore said, pulling her wrist so she jumped in front of him. She stared at Evander like a deer caught in headlights, pushing her blond curls back shyly.

"Since I met her, she's helped me be a little less cynical. Thanks to her, I'm giving you a chance. Even if you are a Lestrange and I should be wary, it doesn't mean you're the same person as my fath- well, I guess, uncle- or grandfather."

Evander couldn't help but smile ear to ear, reminiscent of Theodora's personality breaking down his own cynicism at Evander's age. A smirk passed over Isidore's face, saying, "secondly."

Evander gazed at him, finding his son's sneer sudden, as if the shock he had just gone through was finally passing.

"You and I share a common enemy. I was planning on ruining him once I graduated, but now, I don't have to wait. I'll help you throw that man in jail. Anyone would've done what my mother did to protect her children, and it seems you know what a kind person she is. Yet she's sitting behind bars while that imbecile runs free."

Isidore scowled, pointing to Cornelius. He looked back to Evander, seeing the man's smile gone and replaced by a a glare with his jaw clenched.

"I like that look," Isidore added quietly.

"I'm giving you a chance, and will form my opinion of you over time. But my mother takes priority."

"That goes without saying," Evander said darkly. Isidore smirked, taking a step closer and extending his hand.

"It'll be a pleasure working with you," he said, then Evander firmly shook his son's hand.

Evander smiled politely, though the hidden snickering was evident in his eyes as he replied, "the pleasure is mine."

"Isidore, Mr. Lestrange," they all heard Tom's smooth voice say. He stepped forward, a calm smirk written across his features. Tom was blocking Eleonora's power, and she couldn't read his true thoughts.

What's he hiding? she thought, her eyes narrowed. Tom was truly intrigued with the opportunity of picking the brain of the genius in front of him, drunk with power as he imagined how formidable this group would be.

"Allow me to help. I am the son of Merope Gaunt," he said with a charming smile and polite nod, despite the dark look in his expression and eyes.

"What?!" both Evander and Cornelius cried, and Tom nodded with his head raised.

Eleonora cackled with laughter, and all attention was turned to her.

"Forgive me, I just can heard everyone's thoughts right now. This man," she cried, pointing directly at Cornelius with a grin as she continued, "is terrified. He's got two powerful Lestranges against him, Slytherin's bloodline is now his enemy, along with Merlin's now."

Isidore, Eva, Cornelius, and Tom all dropped their collected expressions and either gasped or forgot to breathe.

"Merlin?" Tom asked, more to himself than to Eleonora. She smiled triumphantly, and said, "Yes. Slytherin's strongest student is my ancestor. Hundreds of generations later, his gifts run through my veins as the youngest of his descendants."

Her friends remained stunned, each of them having flashbacks of when they saw her power seeming strangely stronger than anything they could recall. It all made sense now, and the earrings she used for legillimency must've included others for suppressing the true strength of different powers.

"Don't even think about it!" Eleonora suddenly barked, reading Cornelius's mind.

"I didn't move!" he cried.

"I can hear everything in your mind. You touch me, and I will snap your arm in half with my bare hands," she threatened.

"I'll let you get back to your precious business meeting downstairs. It's best that none of us create a commotion here, or we'll be in trouble with the ministry. But Mr. Lestrange," Eleonora said, then walked toward Cornelius slowly. He was frozen, her eyes crazed as they glowed with her power.

"You better watch every single movement you make. Isidore and Evander, and Tom are the most challenging opponents you could ask for. Eva is gifted and can read your thoughts by looking at you, not through magic. The subtlest movement of your hand, and she'll know what you're thinking. Then you have me. You may be three steps ahead of most, but Tom will be five steps ahead. Evander, Isidore, Tom and I- we like to calculate as Slytherins.

"You've treated people like their pieces on a chess board your whole life. This isn't a normal game though, this one's personal for them

Eleonora's warning sent a chill down Cornelius's spine, and he could feel the enraged stares of Cornelius and Evander. Eleonora was right- his most formidable opponents were the ones with the reason to fight him- who weren't afraid to lose anything.

Eleonora read his thoughts, nodding her head vigorously as she leaned closer to him. She gave him a sly smirk, with a girly giggle that did indeed rattle everyone around her.

"Yes, Mr. Lestrange. You know the rules of chess. You've already stolen their queen. Now, they go in for the kill. Checkmate."


A/N: Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be a little lighter than the last few. These poor people need a break.

Thank you to those who have followed and favorited. Any feedback is much appreciated as well.

See you next chapter~