"My satisfaction comes from my commitment to advancing to a better world."
Faye Wattleton
29 August 1942…...
Her eyes snapped open in the middle of the night.
Her mother was shaking her, trying desperately to wake her.
Athelinda sat up in bed, and abruptly got out. She knew what was happening. She didn't have to ask.
The almost-fifteen-year old girl leapt up, hastily pulling on the dressing-gown her mother handed to her and her slippers.
In the other room a child screamed. "I'll get her," her eldest brother replied. He ran out of the room. Her mother screamed, "Be careful!" their home shook.
This was no Muggle Air-raid. This was Grindelwald's forces dropping explosives themselves unto civilian houses in Britain.
Next door, the child screamed again. Just nine years of age (though she was nearly ten), it terrified her every time their home shook.
An explosion sounded yet again, and green light exploded in a flash outside their windows. They were running out of time.
Athelinda and her mother ran out of her room. Her eldest brother ran as well, holding their little sister by her arm. Her second older brother's face was white as a ghost.
Knocking the door to the cellar open, the House-elf Winny ushered them all in, before her mother pulled her in as well. Their doors shut. Athelinda shrieked.
"I forgot my text-book!"
Her second brother did what was later known as a double-take. Her family stared at her in shock. Athelinda rose, lunged for the door, fiddling with the locks while her mother screamed, "Athelinda, no!" She rushed forwards to scramble and grab her arm, but the girl would not be dissuaded. She pulled her arm out of her mother's grasp, while her brother shouted, "Are you insane?!"
This was her potions text-book. She already kept her other text-books in the cellar which now doubled as a bunker.
She ran upstairs, and managed to grab the text-book- it was on a tea-table- to run down, before another explosion sounded.
Her brother, Rhaegar, grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly in.
He was always like that. And he slammed the door shut and locked it before another explosion came.
Three days later saw their return to Hogwarts. Unlike the Muggle children who were sent away to the country (where Muggles thought they would be safe), whom they posed as in the station, These children were returning to school, where they undoubtedly would be safe.
Athelinda was bundled in coats and wraps, so much clothing she felt stifled. Her sister clutched her mother's hand. She insisted on coming along to say good-bye. She would start Hogwarts soon enough.
Her second brother, Willamar looked resigned. But Rhaegar stood determined and poised, like a falcon or a lion, ready for combat.
Her mother held them close. "Take care," she whispered. "I know you'll be safe."
Athelinda nodded. Her brothers picked up their trunks. It was time to board the train.
After crossing the barrier, she saw the new train- it gleamed red and gold, the colours of Gryffindor, she thought, almost smirking. But her smirk was wiped off her face when she remembered where this thing had come from. It was a Muggle device that took the biggest concealment charm ever performed in Britain- not to mention countless memory charms- that was required to make this Muggle invention to be turned into something wizards and witches could use.
Only Athelinda could see it: Wizarding society worldwide was going into decline.
Now Muggles have learnt to fly- and they barely had any ground-breaking innovations for themselves. And they had to modify Muggle inventions, instead of making one of their own. How shameful is that?
Unhappy with this line of thought, Athelinda boarded the train.
She could hear boys and girls arguing and accusing each other of taking their things. Boys and girls showed off new pets, owls hooted and cats hissed when they were discontent. Parents and students alike all fussed and made sure that their trunks were in place and once again checked that they had packed everything. Parents hugged their children. Children who normally would have fussed about being smothered, hugged them back, aware that their homes might not be standing, nor their parents present, the next time they came home. Normally students would be gushing about the things they did over the holidays, but now there was no real cheerfulness. No joy. No excitement. Only a great deal of hope- and fear.
Athelinda loaded her trunk in the compartment. She sat down and sullenly changed into her uniform. Then she went on patrol...
As the new Slytherin prefect.
She could hear the others arguing about this and that. She knew full well who the other Slytherin Prefect was. Griselda Penrose the other Slytherin prefect, had resigned due to something Athelinda never even bothered to find out. What her fellow students' personal problems were, she never bothered to find out; it was none of her business.
But Tom Riddle was there. She caught him conversing with another student- a trouble-maker, she realised in disgust. A trouble-maker named Lestrange.
She didn't know what they were talking about- it didn't look like Riddle was telling him off for something-or-other. But she didn't care to find out. As previously mentioned; it was none of her business, and she had other things to do.
She didn't even bother to glance their way.
Rhaegar stood with the Head Girl. Her brother had previously been named Head Boy, much to the pride of the entire family. Athelinda hoped she could continue that pride someday.
Glancing quizzically at her, he excused himself and went over to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Fine," she replied.
He raised an eyebrow.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I am fine, Rhaegar. Believe me when I say so."
He shook his head and sighed. "Being prefect is a responsibility. And I thought you should know what happened to Griselda Penrose before the stories start spreading."
She scoffed. "Really. I don't pay the least bit attention to those stories, Rhaegar, you know I never listen to gossip." she sniffed.
For the first time, Rhaegar- who prior to his appointment as Head Boy had been Gryffindor Prefect- wondered if his sister was truly suited to the role. No, he didn't doubt her qualifications. He knew she was one of the best students in the school, possibly one of the best Hogwarts had ever taught. And she would preform her duties immaculately but there was the problem of her not really paying attention to what the students were really doing. What if they were up to mischief and it was too late to solve the problem because Athelinda didn't care to find out beforehand? She was too interested in her studies than in poking her nose around. That was a good thing- but a prefect had to sniff out mischief before it needed solving.
"Well I think you need to know, anyway," Rhaegar said. "Griselda needs to concentrate in finding some place to live."
For the first time, Athelinda was startled. "You mean her house was destroyed?" Rhaegar shook his head.
"No," he admitted. "She was a half-blood. Her mother disappeared when she was young and her father never really knew she was a witch. And he didn't know Griselda was one either."
Athelinda was stunned. How could a father not know his own daughter was a witch?
"The ministry, the school and even Griselda kept it a secret," Rhaegar explained. "Her father comes from a very conservative family- for Muggles, that is. Fanatically religious. They believe that even practising 'sorcery'- reading false tarot cards and fake crystal balls, as they thought that was what it meant- was an abomination, and blasphemy. So naturally when her father found out..."
Athelinda felt the first chills of dread creep up her slender form.
"Wait a minute," she interjected. "How did she manage to keep it from him this entire time?"
Rhaegar took a deep breath. "Everyone told him she had been accepted to a private Christian school, somewhere in Northumberland." Athelinda was speechless.
"So he found out," he continued. "And when he did she was promptly kicked out. Professor Dumbledore is helping her, but it looks like that she is mostly on her own, save for him."
Athelinda was speechless. "She was a good student," she whispered. "And a good prefect." She looked heatedly up at her brother. "She helped many students. I assumed that she resigned because she had too much work to do."
Her brother shook his head. "She didn't."
"You're in charge of Slytherin now," he said. "Along with Tom Riddle. I know it's not my house, but I can't help worrying about everyone. It's not a happy time, Athelinda."
Indeed it wasn't.
With that final thought, Rhaegar went back to his previous conversation with the Head Girl. Athelinda shook her head.
Times could be better.
She dreamed it would be. But she wanted to take part in it- to make the world a better place herself.
The train hooted and Athelinda went on patrol, asserting her new-found authority on the Hogwarts students.
She would make things change.
She was going to.
The Hogwarts beginning-of-term feast was marked by a series of noted that made everyone miserable:
Firstly, Hogsmeade visits would be cancelled until 'further notice'.
Playing Quidditch outside was banned- so Quidditch matches and practices were all banned.
Students were not allowed outside of school grounds.
Letters and packages were to be given over for inspection.
Parents and guardians were being notified of this.
And lastly they would have compulsory duelling practice.
Only the last part seemed to gain any enthusiasm. Groans and looks of disgust were exchanged. Athelinda popped a chocolate treat into her mouth and glanced at Dumbledore, the transfiguration teacher. His normally cheerful face was somber.
And they had already started rationing, so even Hogwarts had little to give in its 'feasts'.
The Armed forces- both Muggle and Wizards- were making their next move. And she knew this because her father was one of them.
Let the aurors handle everything in Britain- the armed forces would do the real work.
Eyes cold, she rose after the feast to guide the first-years to their dormitories and common rooms.
This was not going to be an easy year.
The dungeons may seem cold and dank but once inside the Slytherin common room, the place always seemed to cheer Athelinda.
It was a little formal, but she liked it. And she was used to it enough to see it as her home; even with the unusual artefacts like ancient skulls and ancient silver instruments decorating the place. It was grand, it was cold, it was mysterious and that was the way she liked it. Some people even pretended it was a mysterious underwater ship-wreck. She smiled at that.
The first-year students were gazing wide-eyed around the place. Low-hanging green lamps glowed and the furniture were made of dark wood up holstered in green and black. Tapestries, including a rather grand one featuring Merlin, hung on the rock walls and the sofas were dark green or black button-tufted leather. She sighed in delight.
She was home.
Home where the mysteries and secrets of the past were kept. Home where the Great Salazar trained Merlin to be the most powerful sorcerer in history. Home where mysteries in magic were discovered and young minds reared to be great. Or at least they used to be.
The smile slid off Athelinda's face.
"The password changes every fortnight," she announced. She pointed to a board. "Make sure you read it at the appointed time, or else you would be stuck outside unless someone is kind enough to let you in." she gestured with her head to Tom Riddle.
"Boys dormitory is that way," he announced, pointing his long-fingered hand. "For girls, it's this way. All your belongings have been transported there, and you have each been assigned a four-poster bed, make sure you sleep on the right one- all your belongings are placed at the foot of your bed."
They each took turns telling the students the rules and regulations, the head of the house- Professor Slughorn- the procedures for boring things like laundry, the bathrooms and so forth. Timetables would be handed out at breakfast tomorrow. WhereWhat the wanted to do if they had laundry. What time breakfast, lunch and dinner would be served. How much recreation time they had. All those things Athelinda dutifully told the Slytherin first-years and any idiot who had been to Hogwarts for some time but chose to forget.
She then spent some time telling students off, making sure they were complying with school rules, banning items that were forbidden, making sure to write to their parents and report them to Slughorn or Headmaster Dippet if necessary, all the while scowling to herself that she still needed to look at her astronomy chart again. If it was possible she would re-do it. She could always do better, she knew she could, and she would take every opportunity to do so.
She guessed Slughorn didn't take much time choosing the new prefect either, she thought as she entered Griselda's former room- the prefect room where the female prefect slept.
The four-poster bed was ancient, ornately-carved and hung with green silk and silver trimmings. It was furnished with dark walnut and maple and had an ebony bedside table and wardrobe. The room was very spacious.
Athelinda hastily rummaged through her text-books and found her chart. Waving her wand, she erased everything and sat down at her desk to do everything again. When she was finished she was satisfied- for a while.
Sighing, she sorted through her text-books and re-did every piece of homework. They were not bad, but she knew she could exceed everything she had done. And she read the new text-books again, just to be sure. She wrote notes, and made corrections. Time was too valuable. She could gain so much more.
Erasing, making notes, writing on parchment- she had brought mountains of those- Athelinda was too absorbed in her work to do anything else.
That was just the way she liked it. And soon she would achieve much more than anyone had ever dreamed.
She would accept no less.
Merlin was her hero- he changed the world, she thought glancing at his tapestry-portrait before she went on her way. Athelinda did the usual prefect duty of guiding the first-years back to the Great Hall, where the feast was served last night and where they had breakfast that day.
She went to greet Professor Slughorn.
"Ah, Athelinda, m'dear!" Slughorn boomed in his jolly voice. "How are you this fine term?"
Athelinda smiled.
"Well, as ever professor," she simpered. "I'm simply glad to be back."
"Well I'm glad you've been made the prefect," he smiled. "Well, you made me," she pointed.
"True," he chuckled. He leaned forwards. "Although I confess, my dear girl, I didn't think to consider anyone else."
Athelinda chuckled while the potions master winked conspiratorially. "Well, you are the best," he noted. "You and Tom. I couldn't have anyone else as prefect. No doubt that you're sure to be on your way to be Head Girl soon enough."
"Thank you, professor. I think you're too kind," she said pretending to be astonished by his remark.
"Nonsense," he said. Although he actually showered his favourites with gifts and job opportunities the less talented could only envy. "I was just speaking with Tom. He suggested that you would be the next prefect when poor Griselda stepped down."
Startled by that remark, Athelinda shot an involuntary glance at Tom Riddle. Since when did he take such an interest in her?
"Well," she stammered. "I'm honoured either way. Slytherin is a great house."
"Yes, even though some idiots tend to be prejudiced." He scowled. "If they don't mend their ways, soon we'll have the whole ministry behind us, arresting us for being Grindelwald sympathisers. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Bah!"
Athelinda empathised. She knew what it was like. A number of students in their house came from old pure-blood families with great fortunes. These had ancestors who had fought in wars and struggles against Muggles and many had thus, lost family members to terrible fates such as hanging, drownings, or God forbid, the Witch-Burnings. When the international Statute of Secrecy was imposed world-wide this provoked a fury in many of these families. They had sacrificed so much, lost their loved ones, and for what? For their governments to accept defeat and decide they should all cower and hide underground?
So they taught their rage and loss to their offspring and these were passed down from generation to generation. And then Grindelwald rose promising freedom, and the ability to walk in pride and unashamed to all. It was almost too tempting for many. And Griselda Penrose was only one person who suffered at their hands. Even to that day, Wizards and witches were not safe. They were lucky enough that the Muggles were distracted with their war.
But these were getting out of hand. They discriminated strongly and some were even arrested, arousing suspicion within the Ministry that they might be in league with Grindelwald and were his spies. They were bringing shame upon themselves. Yes, Grindelwald's idea was tempting, but Athelinda was certain murder, torture and Dark Magic were not the way to do it.
She wanted a different path; wanted to change the world another way. Into the shining image she had long since envisioned.
Athelinda sighed. "One can only do so much, Professor. It's not your fault these people are deluded. I can assure you, I won't accept any prejudice to taint our image of a great house."
Slughorn beamed. "I knew you'd say that, my girl! I knew I could count on you!"
Athelinda smiled.
Of course he could. There was no one who couldn't.
If only the monsters like Grindelwald, the cowardly idiots in the Ministry and the unambitious, resigning persons who were content with the way things were could just get a hold of themselves…
She saw her brother at the Gryffindor table. He was holding a letter. The look on his face…
He looked up as he saw her walking over to him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Father's been injured." It was all he could say.
Athelinda felt as if the world had opened up a gaping, black, bottomless pit beneath her feet. She staggered and sat.
"Easy," her brother reached out with a warm and comforting hand. "It's not too serious. Soon he'll be patched up. Mother just wrote."
"Then what?" she spat. "He'll go back to the front again?" She looked furious. "It's not how I want him to live out his life!"
"Well, how do you want him to live out his life?" Rhaegar asked.
She looked incredulous. "I want him to retire, return home in peace. To go home- be a family once more." She looked miserable. "I don't want to stay up worrying about whether or not he'll make it home, whether we can bury him, or whether we can even find his body."
She looked down at her hands. Hot tears soaked the inside of her eyelids as she thought about how long this war would last and how long she would have to wait, listening for every shred of news, until she could be sure Father would return home.
It wasn't how the world was supposed to be.
How had things happened? She thought. How did the world manage to get into such a place?
She knew things had to change.
One day it would.
This much, will be.
She looked up. Her black eyes met his blue ones- he had deep blue eyes, but almost icy in colour. He inherited that from their mother. She didn't know where her black eyes came from. Possibly it was an effect of the Naga venom.
Willamar came over from the Hufflepuff table. His face was ashen. Rhaegar took a deep breath and prepared to tell the news.
She couldn't stay here. She had to console herself- she had to make plans.
And plan she did.
Yes, I know. Rhaegar is the name of a Prince in Game of Thrones, but I like the name so I named Athelinda's elder brother after him. Athelinda herself, is a variation of the name Ethelinda ( I admit I switched the E for an A) which itself comes from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelinda- meaning Noble Serpent. Cool name for a Slytherin, huh?
As for her powers- this will be explained in the next chapter, along with her mysterious back-ground. As for the Armed forces thing- well I don't really expect aurors- and there are only so much of them in the Wizarding world anyway, and they're more like policemen, anyway than real soldiers- to be the one to fight against Dark Lords with vast and colossal armies such as Voldemort and Grindelwald. So why not have armies of your own? But that will be explained in the next chapter!