Chapter Two

As Ruby walked through the empty corridors after parting with Sirius outside the library, she found herself wondering whether he really was that bad at wandless magic. They had only started seriously learning it this year due to their N.E.W.T.s and most people were still struggling, but Sirius Black? And to come to her for help?

Ruby frowned as she walked down the stairs to the Entrance Hall and turned to go down the corridor to the dungeons. Nowadays, there seemed to be a mutual agreement to ignore each other when they were with their separate friend groups. She liked each of the 'Marauders' themselves, and Lily was once one of her closest friends, but she also liked her Slytherin classmates just as much. In some ways, they knew and understood her better than anyone else. Most of them had met each other before coming to Hogwarts because their families were close friends and moved in the same social circles.

Lately though, Ruby pretended to be studying so she wouldn't have to spend much time with anyone. She disliked the growing piety of her fellow peers from the other Houses. She knew they whispered about her and her family just as much as they whispered about the so-called 'Death-Eaters' of her House. Although perhaps not as badly; before talks of a coming war was in the air, she got along well with everyone. She was often asked why she was even in Slytherin because she was so unlike a 'Slytherin.'

Ruby sniggered at this thought, because it not only showed how much that person stereotyped people based on what House they were in, but how little they actually knew about her. She often advised that person to not get on her bad side or perhaps they might find out exactly why she was in Slytherin. This comment would drive away the more fnervous students.

So her time was usually spent alone in the library where she did her own research on magic. Hogwarts had one of the finest libraries in the country and she had more than enough time to spare, so why not?

"Hey Selwyn!"

Ruby turned and said, "Oh hey, Evan."

Evan Rosier grinned at her and said, "I hear there's going to be another Slug Club meeting, huh? You going this time?"

"Maybe, depends on what food he's got in," she replied.

Evan laughed, "Always one to look after the stomach, aren't you? I heard that he might have some special guests coming too."

"You hear a lot, don't you?"

"Yeah well, knowledge is power, I'm not ashamed."

Ruby grinned and together they walked down to the stone wall that concealed the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Knotgrass," Ruby said.

"They're getting a bit slack with the passwords now, aren't they?" Rosier commented.

Ruby shrugged as the wall opened to reveal a long, low-ceiling room at the end of which a large fireplace was set. Round glass orbs hung from the ceiling and emitted a strange greenish light onto the rough stone walls and elaborate tapestries. Being deep in the dungeons, the Slytherin common room windows didn't show a regular landscape, but instead revealed the lake as a mysterious water underworld; sonething which inhanced the strong feeling that the room was in fact located in a sunken ship. Tonight, however, the windows showed the lake in an inky blackness. Not even a fish swimming by could be seen.

Evan pointed to the silhouettes sitting in the carved chairs closest to the fireplace and said, "Come on, everyone's sitting over there."

Walking over to the fire, Ruby saw that most students were lazing about talking in the black leather sofas scattered around the common room. One group of second years were huddled around a table, poking their wands into a cauldron that was smoking slightly. "No, no, you've got it wrong, it says stir three times clockwise, you dunderhead," she heard one of them hiss.

Reaching the chairs, Rosier flung himself down beside Mulciber and said, "So, what's this little meeting for, hmm?"

"Where have you two been?" Rodolphus Lestrange asked, raising his eyebrow.

"None of your business, you gangly git," Rosier replied.

"I was in the library, finishing off my Arithmancy essay," Ruby yawned, sitting herself down in a chair and stretching.

"See, now why can't you be nice like Miss Selwyn here and speak nicely to your friends, Mr Rosier?" Lestrange said.

"Because you're a git, Le Strange. Now what's going on?"

"Well," came the voice of Avery from the corner, "Regulus has something to show us, don't you?"

"Ooh, yes, show them Reg!" exclaimed Bellatrix, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes dancing.

Regulus Black, a year younger than the rest of them, smiled and casually swept his hand through his hair, savouring his moment of suspense. "Well, I don't know if I really should. It is meant to be a secret..."

Bellatrix snorted and said excitedly, "Us Blacks have had the special pleasure of having a certain visitor to our dinner table over Christmas. He took a particular fancy to Regulus. So much so, he honoured my little cousin here with a gift."

All eyes widened and Regulus grinned more broadly. He beckoned them all closer and slowly pulled up his left sleeve.

"The Dark Mark," breathed Snape.