To Step Lightly

Edelweiss woke a little before dawn on her first morning at Grimmauld Place. Something felt wrong, though she could not tell whether it came from her magic or the Force. She sat up slowly, and then stretched out her back. Pops echoed up from her, continuing as she rotated her body left and right. She was sorely tempted to meditate, now that she was awake. Until she could secure her master's holocron, though, she would not be able to focus well enough to sink fully into the dark side.

Ginny and Hermione snored away, hours from waking. Edelweiss slipped from her bed and crossed the room, pausing only when she accidentally stepped upon a particularly squeaky floorboard. Neither woke, though Ginny's breathing shifted for several seconds.

With a shake of her head, she pressed on. The other girls might wake while she was about, but Edelweiss had priorities more important than pedantic matters like the bonds of friendship. Her master's holocron was elsewhere, and that left her nervous in an almost quaint manner.

She slipped from the room. The hallway outside was plain with dark walls and a long stretch of green and silver carpeting down its length. Edelweiss found she was surprised there were no paintings lining the walls. Given Dumbledore used them at Hogwarts to keep an eye on the comings and goings about the school, she had thought he would replace the portraits that could be used by the enemy against him with those loyal to him. There were faint lines to reveal where they had once hung from; perhaps he thought it wiser to avoid worrying about potential spies within the house.

Edelweiss descended the stairs with a leisurely manner. She glanced around, her gaze passing by the mounted house elf heads, and spotted no movement. Not even a doxy or a cockroach was about so early. She paused halfway down and reached out with the Force. Nothing, not even Kreacher, was about the ground level. Nothing was between her and her trunk, left behind in the kitchen.

She finished her descent swiftly, bare feet soft on the carpeted steps. The Blacks, seemingly, did not spare any expense. Despite the inevitable ravages of time, Number Twelve was quieter than the bland prefabricated hovel the Dursleys called home. The stairs had been silent the entire way down; Edelweiss suspected she could sprint up and down their full length and struggle to make even half the noise of Dudley coming down for breakfast.

No sound echoed through the house when she reached the ground level. Edelweiss glanced up and down the hall, and found she was marginally surprised there was nobody about. She reached out with the Force, feeling all around her, and grimaced. There was a dearth of magical protections within the house and what she could feel around the house was pathetic, perhaps even insignificant. She did sense the strange ward protecting the house from the naked eye; it was like oil over the structure

It was not enough to fool the Force.

She smiled at that thought. The Force was greater than magic, even if she didn't know how it might replicate the transfiguring magic of her Hogwarts education. Edelweiss decided she would eventually speak of it with Lord Salazar. He would know, having been both a Sith Lord and a grandmaster of the magical arts.

Edelweiss hurried to the kitchen and spotted her trunk beside the chair she had used the prior night. She went to it, kneeled down, and ran a hand over it as she scanned the battered exterior for signs of tampering. She had relied mostly upon muggle means to secure her belongings, for she had gone years before employing a magical means to protect what little she had gathered in her life.

"Edie?" asked a familiar voice, yawning at the right moment to stretch the nickname. "What's ya doin' up so early?"

Edelweiss peered at Sirius over her shoulder. He stood in the kitchen doorway, wearing a nightgown like one Aunt Petunia would wear. It took some effort to force away the mental comparison. Even with his prankster past, he had grown up in a privileged, pureblood household. Perhaps he would claim he was different, but she suspected there were aspects that remained in line with his upbringing.

That was a realization he would never acknowledge himself, she imagined.

"I wanted to get my trunk," she said, standing straight. "The Dursleys usually lock it away. When it didn't appear upstairs…. Well, I wanted to ensure it was fine."

Sirius sighed, his grey eyes softening. "I'm sorry about—"

"You don't need to apologize." Edelweiss sighed. "You did what you thought was right. Your mind was clouded by emotion, and you made a mistake." She glanced around the kitchen, trying not to think of how she crept toward hypocrisy with those words, before adding, "And trusted the wrong man, to both of our regrets."

"Edie," began Sirius, his face falling. "Dumbledore is a goo—"

"He is a fool, and an old one at that," she growled. Wrath bubbled within her; her blood ran hot. "And…and he failed me. I begged him to not send me back after my first year, and he claimed it was the only place where I was safe. I have never been safe while living with the Dursleys."

"You seemed fine when I saw you…before your third year."

Edelweiss grimaced at the reminder of their early, unknown encounter. At the time, if she had known that dog was Sirius Black, she would have done anything other than be startled by a strange, massive dog. She had allowed her stupid, foolish Divination class to fill her head with silly ideas about Grims and prophecies.

She regretted choosing that class, though dropping it would open up her schedule for more time to further her studies in the dark side of the Force while at Hogwarts. What would it matter, if she failed her OWL in Divination, were she to achieve all being a Sith Lord entailed by June? The Edelweiss Potter of old would be shed, and Darth Gladiolus would be born in her stead.

The drums of war echoed faintly in her mind, and Edelweiss's heart was already seized by its beat.

"And what did you see, Sirius? Me, fleeing that house, afraid what I had done would bring further punishment down upon my head?" When no answer came, she continued. "Unlike you, I don't have another family I can safely flee to without risk. I'm trapped in that house, for however long Dumbledore wishes—or until I turn seventeen."

Unsaid was Edelweiss's certainty Dumbledore would never remove the orders which kept her entrenched within Number Four until she became an adult. Best she free herself bore that day could come to pass.

She frowned as her mind recalled the blood wards around Number Four. She doubted their power, despite how they allegedly saved her at eleven. Would being there for a month or two every summer be enough, as Dumbledore believed? Had Voldemort using her blood for his revival already subverted them? Edelweiss sighed and shook her head. She had no answer for the questions spiraling within her mind, and she didn't trust Dumbledore enough to answer them.

And all of that was built upon the assumption Dumbledore had told her the truth and that he always will. She could front him, yet for all Edelweiss knew, the old man would be out and about wherever he wished. Unlike her, there were no restrictions upon his movement and his ability to use magic.

"I don't like that look," Sirius said. He entered the kitchen with a wariness that surprised her. Did he think of her like a wild animal? She watched him approach her, and kneel before her with a saddened look. One of his hands came up under her jaw and raised her chin so their gazes met evenly. "You were hurt by what happened this summer. More than anyone thinks."

Edelweiss huffed, drawing away from him. "I found a way to survive, Sirius." Her jaw clenched and lips pursed as she tried to suppress the flash of pain she felt at his saddened expression. She lifted her trunk and stood. "I'll be fine."

He stared at her with an unreadable look for several seconds before sighing, standing as well. "If there is something troubling you, Edie. You can always tell me."

She smiled and tried to forget the invasive warmth in her chest. "I will, if there is something you can help me with."

Her words received a snort in response. Sirius shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, her trunk on the other side. "Just like your mother." Edelweiss tried not to stiffen, even as she allowed Sirius to guide her from the kitchen. "Let's get you back to bed. You have been sleeping, yes?"

"I've been sleeping fine," Edelweiss grumbled as they headed for the stairs. "I'm used to waking early. Blame the Dursleys."

"They make you cook breakfast?"

She glanced at her godfather with a guarded look. He was staring down at her with those soft eyes again. Indignation and fury swelled within her. As easily as she could touch and wield the power of the dark side, she knew implicitly that Sirius did not deserve that power used against him. He had followed his own wrath and hatred into a trap. Edelweiss had to learn from his example, or else the very passions that granted her immense power through the dark side would betray her to a terrible fate.

"And more," she replied, looking away. They climbed the stairs in silence. Edelweiss eventually drifted away from Sirius and toward the room she had shared with Ginny and Hermione. "Clean. Garden. Cook. Those were my main chores. If I did too well at school, they'd stuff me into the boot cupboard. Talk back? Cupboard. Show any emotions? Cupboard." She scoffed and shook her head. It felt strange, telling Sirius anything. "Not that they fed me enough food to make it as small and cloistering as they'd like. I was safe from them in there. I had friends in the spiders, for they afforded me none."

"Edelweiss…"

"It's fine, Sirius," she said, straightening up. "It's all in the past." She took several steps toward the door, trunk swaying slightly. "They'll get their due in good time." With that, Edelweiss crossed the final steps to the door and pushed it open. She didn't wake them, though Hermione rolled over and grumbled in her sleep.

Without a glance towards Sirius, Edelweiss stepped inside. She set her trunk down near the bed she had used and ran a hand over it. She could feel the holocron within and how it called out to her, beckoning her interest and power.

"In due time, my master. In due time."

The days blended together as August pressed on. Most hours were spent cleaning the house, which Edelweiss realized a few days in was akin to waging a protracted war. The house fought back, with Kreacher often her most ardent defender. Only she had any impact, which frustrated the Weasley children. While she held no ill regard toward Ginny or the Twins presently, Ron and Hermione were still on thin ice with her. Their conversations were often short and clipped, barely more than twenty words in total.

Sirius and Arthur Weasley worked together one Saturday morning to get the cooling charms working properly, and once done, they all took a long break for afternoon tea. Edelweiss went straight to the Twins once everyone gathered in what Sirius named "the large family room" and said, "I assume you've made good use of the gold I gave you."

They blinked in unison, staring as her question registered with them. They then grinned widely and seized her hands, giving long shakes that felt capable of tearing her arms from their sockets.

It was Fred who began speaking. "We have made—"

"—great use—" continued George.

"—great use, indeed—"

"—with the gold you gave us, Lady Potter," they finished together, beaming.

Edelweiss smiled, amused. "I had thought the gold would do more good in your hands than mine, so I appreciate that my donation has gone to great use."

The Twins grinned wider than they had been. "Wish to see what else we've developed?"

"Perhaps upon the Express," she replied, glancing about. "Hermione will get named prefect, so I should be free of her for some time." Edelweiss leaned in close. "You know she doesn't approve."

"I don't know about that," said George.

"She's quite intrigued by a few of our products," Fred added, nodding.

Edelweiss raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The Twins glanced around the room before smiling smugly. "One of our developments. Extendable Ears. Perfect for listening in on conversations." George reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a pair of small human ears, linked by a long spool of clear string. "We used them to listen in on a few meetings, but the Order has been placing wards now."

"As they should," Edelweiss replied. She reached out to grab them, yet hesitated halfway. "May I?"

George answered by handing over the Extendable Ears. "Consider it a gift," he said, beaming. "We couldn't have finished this without the gold you gave us."

"Good, good," she said, distracted as she inspected her gift. Once finished, she pocketed the strange pair of ears. "What else have you two developed?"

"Skiving Snackboxes," stated Fred, proud of the name. "We have a few versions, though they need further refining."

Edelweiss nodded. "Make sure to pay anyone who tests your products. Hermione will have a fit if you don't pay them."

"She'd approve?"

"Would who approve? Of what?" asked the devil herself. Hermione was approaching them, struggling to not cross her arms. Her piercing gaze stuck upon Edelweiss. "What were you talking with them about? They've been secretive all summer about whatever they've been up to with the money you won from the Tournament."

"That's for them to decide, not you or anyone else," Edelweiss said, her gaze fluttering to a watching Mrs. Weasley a few times. "I gave them gold to help them with their ambitions. Maybe I'll get something back, maybe I won't. Regardless, I think Hogwarts might be more amusing once we're back."

"They should focus on their grades," Hermione stated pointedly. "They only got six OWLs combined."

Edelweiss glanced at the Twins. "Did I ever ask you two about grades, or just tell you to use the gold as you thought best?"

"Thought best," replied George as Fred added, "And to create mischief!"

She snorted softly, reminded of the password to wipe the Marauder's Map clean. "Have you two asked Sirius for help? He is Padfoot."

The Twins glanced at each other before running over to where Sirius stood, chatting with Tonks while sipping what looked to be brandy into their leftover tea. Hermione glared at Edelweiss before muttering, "Ron and I thought it prudent to not tell them who the Marauders were."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything, then," said Edelweiss, utterly unapologetic. "I thought they were already aware, with Moony having taught us two years ago."

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. Her bushy hair flumped about like a nest caught by racing gusts. Edelweiss turned aside to scan the others about the family room. Most of the cherry and ash furniture was in questionable condition. She doubted Sirius or Mrs. Weasley cared enough to restore them to their prior luster. Across the largest wall, absent of doors or windows, was a sprawling family tree, growing ever rightward. There were several burned spots along the various branches, one of which she'd bet once was Sirius. There were many among the recent generations, with only some here and there throughout the centuries going back.

She glowered at the sight, even as she knew deep down, a Sith would toss aside a worthless pawn like the House of Black pruned their family.

"I've been meaning to ask," said Hermione, drawing Edelweiss's gaze. "How was your summer, really?"

"Best one with the Dursleys. Rarely saw anything of them, which was the best for all of us. I kept myself busy, out of the way." Edelweiss thought of her master and her lessons concerning the Force and the dark side. "I was able to work on my summer work for once as well, so don't worry about badgering me to complete it."

Hermione huffed, even as her gaze swiveled over to where Ron and Ginny sat, listening to a tipsy Nymphadora Tonks. Edelweiss watched Tonks speak, and guessed it could be about her auror training. "Ron was hoping you wouldn't have started, like usual."

"Best of luck to him, then."

Edelweiss allowed her mind to drift away, settling upon her next lessons with Lady Bastila. She hoped to further develop the Force powers she had called upon during her encounter with the dementors. Something about her magical training made it easier for her to draw from the Force, to use the powers already associated with it. Wherever possible, she would learn the powers fresh and anew, away from the influence that had grasped her on that eve.

What had happened then reminded her of how her master had described the Cosmic Force; perhaps not exactly, for she retained her right mind, but the influence, that cold hand of tradition, still chilled her in its own way.

"You'll be helping as well," threatened Hermione. "This is our OWLs year, and I won't allow you to coast through them like Fred and George."

Edelweiss sighed and tried to give Hermione her best pleading look. All it earned was a huff and a glare. "Must I? He's the reason I picked Divination instead of Ancient Runes…"

Hermione blinked; she'd been too worried about her own choices to properly mind Ron and Edelweiss until it was too late. They smiled a moment later, as if their friendship remained as strong as ever. Edelweiss still remembered how her bushy-haired friend had fluttered about the common room, harassing and questioning most of the upper years. Were it not for the Chamber of Secrets and the string of petrifications, they would've been calm enough to handle Hermione in a manner where she'd then be able to turn around and perhaps convince her friends away from the easiest electives.

Her lips twitched, remembering those childish, halcyon days. "Ron and I did warn you that Muggle Studies wasn't worth your time, and you're the one who stormed out of Divination."

"Because it's bunk! Rubbish!" Hermione protested, on her way towards raging about the few topics that got her blood up. "The woman is a complete fraud! As much as I admire the Headmaster, I don't understand why he keeps her!"

Edelweiss remembered that day when Trelawney had spoken strangely. The events of that night, and what they had led to had been easy to forget, when faced with the reality she had been wrong about her godfather and the crimes he committed. "She did make a prophecy, though," she mumbled. Hermione made a confused, disbelieving sound. Edelweiss was too lost in her thoughts, though.

It was a real prophecy, wasn't it? What was said that day, what came to pass… Yes. Indeed, it was. But—

"Could there have been others?" she finished aloud.

"What did you say?" asked Hermione. It almost sounded like a demand, and was probably meant as one.

"Hmm?" Edelweiss blinked. She had gotten a bit lost in her thoughts and had enemies been about, worse could have happened. She needed to speak with her master, and soon. Still, the cat was out of the bag concerning her third year. "Oh. Trelawney. Guess I never told you, with all the excitement at the end of our third year. She made a prophecy on the day we encountered Sirius, and Pettigrew escaped justice. I only realized that it came true, now that Voldemort has returned. Because Pettigrew escaped, just as Trelawney predicted."

"As if." Hermione sniffed before adding snidely, "She must've guessed right for once."

"No. I believe it's true. Her voice was different. Guttural, as if she were possessed."

Hermione scowled and turned away, muttering bitterly. Edelweiss wished her friend could accept when she was wrong. It would make it easier for them to get along, especially as she continued to delve into the power of the Force. That which transcended magic, created by the entirety of life, could not be explained through the ways of understanding her friend accepted as gospel. Then again, would Hermione even be a strong candidate for a future Sith apprentice?

Edelweiss didn't know.

The makeshift party ended shortly afterward. Any conversation of Trelawney and prophecy was abandoned as they were put back to the tedious task of cleaning the house. Edelweiss bit her tongue, for her frustration from the summer and being forced to clean a magical house by hand had piled up like dirty dishes in a sink. She spent most of their time cleaning with Ginny Weasley. The youngest Weasley was an oddity among her family, mostly from the hero worship she possessed when they first met. That had melted away over the years, though the Chamber of Secrets incident had initially reinforced that view in a manner Edelweiss wished she could have avoided.

"You ever dream of him?" Ginny asked out of the blue. Edelweiss blinked, glancing at the Weasley girl. "You know," she mumbled, cheeks redder than her hair. "Tom."

Edelweiss couldn't help the sudden, shaky draw of breath. Despite the years, the memory of Tom Riddle lingered. Perhaps it was her appropriation of the Chamber of Secrets, but that memory of the teenage Voldemort had never truly faded. He had been handsome, charming, and had enough of the monster she encountered the year before to be a ghastly threat. She had thought nothing of destroying him with a basilisk fang, yet now she wished she could've stabbed it right into him instead of the diary that empowered whatever crude magics he operated under.

Strangely enough, the diary reminded her of her master's holocron. She didn't know what to do with that thought, so she let it fade and continued about what was expected of her. For now.

Edelweiss made her opportunity to speak with her master near the middle of August, close to when Hogwarts letters would arrive. She pocketed the holocron early in the morning, while Ginny and Hermione were still asleep—she and Sirius had failed to secure a separate room for her—and waited until Mrs. Weasley finally gave into her anger over Kreacher's efforts to save artifacts of the House of Black. The others hadn't noticed, as she slipped away. A good sign, in her mind.

A hand upon the holocron, Edelweiss made her way upstairs. She knew Buckbeak, the hippogriff that had aided Sirius's escape from Hogwarts, had his own room. Given the prideful nature of the aerial species, she had a feeling it could be used for communing with her master safely. Other than her godfather, none went to see the beautiful creature, unfairly locked away.

She snuck down the second floor to where Buckbeak resided. It was cruel to keep him locked in a room, but there was nowhere safe for a beast legally executed yet in the care of a wanted criminal.

"One day," she whispered, thinking of the Code. "One day you'll be free." Edelweiss knocked once upon Buckbeak's door. She smiled at the lack of a human voice.

Edelweiss opened the door softly and made eye contact with Buckbeak as she crossed the threshold. She closed the door with a foot, standing firm before the hippogriff. Once their gazes were completely locked, she bowed, remembering clearly Hagrid's infamous lesson. Buckbeak returned the bow a moment later.

She rose, smiling, and approached the hippogriff. He accepted her rubbing his beak, a chirruping sound rumbling in his chest. Edelweiss chuckled, then turned away as she withdrew the holocron from her pocket.

She found a suitable corner for her lessons, one that gave her the best view of the door. Edelweiss kneeled upon the ground, feet tucked beneath her, and focused her simmering anger upon the holocron. The pyramid's tips twisted and the red projection of her master, Lady Bastila, projected above.

"Apprentice. How long has it been since we last spoke?"

"Over ten days, master. It has taken me longer than it should have to speak with you. I am around those who would not approve of you and your lessons. Soon, I will return to Hogwarts, the school that Lord Salazar helped raise. There, I will have more time to dedicate to my studies as a Sith."

"Good," crooned Lady Bastila. Edelweiss shivered at the tone. "From what you told me of your encounter with those dementors of your world, you have discovered the potential you will have, thanks to the dark side of the Force. While there are other powers I could teach you, perhaps even should teach you, it would be wiser to focus upon what you have already accomplished, thanks to the power of the dark side."

Lady Bastila leaned forward, a sly smile upon her lips.

"Which power do you wish to learn first?"

Edelweiss considered how she used the Force that night. The lightning she wielded, as powerful as it had been, was too dangerous to be wielded inside a house within a tightly packed urban area. There was only one logical option, and one that'd be more useful while back at Hogwarts.

"Teach me how to use the Force to influence the minds of others. I will need that ability to protect your lessons, both here and once back at Hogwarts."

Lady Bastila nodded. "A wise choice, my apprentice. With time, you may become capable of learning the greatest of my Force powers: battle meditation."

"Battle…meditation?" whispered Edelweiss, unable to help her reverent tone. She knew her war had come; any advantage she could gain was one to seek with feverish intensity.

"As you have learned, the Force can sway the minds of others, especially the weak. Battle meditation takes this power to its greatest extent: the ability to manipulate multitudes. An entire army, both sides, if one is that powerful, can be swayed by the might of one who wields the Force. Through battle meditation, you can embolden your allies with courage and confidence, and weaken your enemies by filling them with doubt and fear.

"When I was still a Jedi, opposed to Lord Revan, my power of battle meditation was the sole defense against him sweeping across the galaxy." She chuckled darkly. "Eventually, I saw the truth of the dark side. I joined him, and so died the Republic."

Edelweiss nodded, trying not to be overwhelmed by the potential of battle meditation. With it, she could be victorious before she was age. Perhaps even earlier than she had once hoped possible.

"Should I begin with my meditations, master?"

"How much have you meditated since we last spoke?"

"Not as often as I should, master." Edelweiss glanced down at her hands, scowling as they clenched. "The others around me do not understand fully, and occupy more of my time than they should."

"It is not in the nature of a Sith to allow others to dictate our actions," said Lady Bastila. "Outside of our master-apprentice relationship, you should have no others who can command or control you."

"Yet not all of my chains have been broken. They still exist, and they bind me to a world trapped in the past. Voldemort I have long known would be one I must cast down, else he drive me to live like a cowering beast. Yet beyond him is Dumbledore, for he holds sway over those I have, by either chance or happenstance, bound myself to."

Lady Bastila stared at Edelweiss with a ponderous expression. She waited, for her master would eventually speak. There were a few moments when she thought words would come, but they proved to be false. That was until her master finally said, "This Dumbledore. How long has he controlled you? Manipulated you?"

"He left me with the Dursleys after the death of my parents. He insists I remain with them, even with the alleged protections around their household brought into question." Edelweiss snarled, thinking of how her blood had been used by her enemy. "I have told you some of his sins."

"Some, but not all. Close your eyes and feel the dark side while you tell me all this Dumbledore has inflicted upon you."

Edelweiss did as commanded, reaching inwards to flare her hatred and fury, to awaken the desires hidden away. She murmured the Sith Code as she focused on the dark side, seeking to place herself at the center of its cold, swirling power. Once centered as she wished, she began.

"In my four years at Hogwarts, Dumbledore has forced me to face threats to the castle in his place. He knew Voldemort sought to steal the Philosopher's Stone in order to regain his body. Instead of placing protections that could thwart the Dark Lord, he established ones children only a year into magical education could circumvent. I had to stop Voldemort from seizing the Stone. I risked death to stop him, and Dumbledore allowed it without remorse or regret.

"In my second year, when Lord Salazar's basilisk threatened the castle, he made no effort to stop the attacks. He was there, fifty years ago, when attacks of the same nature occurred. He could've done something, anything to stop the threat. Instead, I had to shoulder the burden. It was I who went into the Chamber of Secrets, into Lord Salazar's secret place, and destroyed the beast. I even destroyed the false pretender who called himself the Heir of Slytherin, for he knew nothing of the Force."

Her master hummed, but said nothing about Edelweiss's summary of her early years at Hogwarts.

"The next year, my wrongfully imprisoned godfather escaped his cell. Dumbledore stood back and did enough to only prevent Sirius from being executed in a foul manner. The man could keep his soul but he could not be allowed to regain his liberty. Worst, despite his influence over the Ministry and the Minister himself, he allowed those foul demons, the ones I turned back with the power of the dark side, to be stationed around the castle. What did it matter to him, if students were traumatized by their presence? Better to play his silly political games than to act properly as the Headmaster of a school.

"And then last year, my fourth year at Hogwarts, he stood back as I was forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. He made no effort to figure out who placed me in the tournament, and he didn't even notice how one of his old allies was replaced by a foe! How blind can he be, to not notice a threat amongst his staff until it was too late? Or did he want me to be bait, to fall for the trap laid out by Voldemort and his supporters?

"And in the end, when I told him my blood, the source of the protections that justified my placement with the Dursleys was used to revive Voldemort, he sent me back! His arrogance has blinded him to a danger that we were all fortunate the Dark Lord was even more arrogant not to abuse."

"You are a pawn in his game," whispered Lady Bastila, almost as if consoling Edelweiss. "Your life matters not to him, regardless of what he may claim. What must you do, apprentice?"

"Destroy him," she growled. "I must strike him down with all of my hatred."

"Yes. Yes, you must. And once you do, apprentice, you shall be a Sith."

Edelweiss smiled at that. She could feel the dark side, that desire to channel her wrath and fury into the power necessary to destroy the Headmaster, just as she desired. Her greatest chain would be shattered. Through the Force, just as the Sith Code claimed, she would be freed.

She allowed the holocron to deactivate and continued her meditations. Her master would understand. She had been the one to command Edelweiss to meditate more, to clear time for practice. She sunk into ebbs and flows of the Force; the dark side surrounded her, caressed her, cleared away the troubles of past days. Edelweiss remained so for some time, losing sense of time and place as she sunk deeper and deeper into the Force.

And then she felt another presence in the room. Her eyes opened, and she was surprised to find Kreacher present. Buckbeak ignored the house elf, though she could sense the hippogriff's frustration as another intruded into his space.

"Mistress Potter calls?" croaked Kreacher.

"I did not mean to summon you," said Edelweiss. She tried not to smile at being called 'mistress'. "Explain how I did, so I won't do so on accident again."

Kreacher wrung his floppy ears, spindly hands wrapped with strings of linen. His ghoulish face shivered as he shook his head. She waited for several seconds before reaching out with the Force, cautious of the elfish magic he possessed. She still remembered what Dobby had done before in years prior. An older elf should be more dangerous, just as an older mage was more dangerous than a younger one.

The elf froze the moment she touched him with the Force. She sensed an influence upon him akin to the dark side. That, she suspected, was the influence of the House of Black. Could the dark side and dark magic have similarities? That would explain the influence she felt within Kreacher. That also explained why he came to her. He felt her power and thought her proper; the cold darkness was what he responded to.

"I understand," whispered Edelweiss. "You felt my power and came to me, as you would for your previous mistress."

"Yes," moaned the house elf, as if giving away his loyalty was the last thing he wanted. "Oh, how my mistress would be horrified by those her terrible son invited in."

"Even me?"

Kreacher froze. Edelweiss restrained herself, even with the dark side beckoning for her to influence the house elf. Deep down, she wanted him to choose her of his own volition. Let her power with the dark side be enough to overcome his loyalties to the dead.

"You…you are…" mumbled Kreacher, wringing his hands. After a few seconds, he vanished with a loud crack. Buckbeak flailed back, squalling and squawking. Edelweiss sighed, for now her hiding place would be revealed to any listening for Buckbeak.

Edelweiss stewed in frustration as she tried to calm the hippogriff. It worked to some degree, yet she could still feel Buckbeak's distress. Her jaw clenched, and she had to breathe in and out several times to not let her anger seep through and influence the majestic creature before her. It was a great shame that he was locked in this room.

The door was suddenly flung open, maybe three minutes after Kreacher popped away. Sirius stepped into the room, dark hair plastered to his forehead and grey eyes blown wide. He bowed to Buckbeak, their gazes locked. Once the hippogriff approved of Sirius's entrance, he turned his attention to her.

"Edie…" began Sirius with a frown. "We've been looking all over for you. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to find a quiet place to meditate in peace, away from the others." She sighed and rose to her feet, trying not to frown. "You can guess what Mrs. Weasley would make of me not helping."

"She's going to be worse," said Sirius. "Your disappearance has the house in an uproar. Were it not for Dumbledore, we would be scouring London for you."

She scowled at the mention of Dumbledore. "He was here? Can he track me?"

"He has influence over the house's wards, being the Secret Keeper. If you had left, he would have known. Because you didn't—"

"Is he still here?"

Her godfather frowned. "He was preparing to leave when we heard Buckbeak from downstairs. I came alone, thinking Kreacher was harassing Buckbeak again."

"Ah. I accidentally summoned him," Edelweiss confessed. "It was an enlightening experience."

"He responds to your calls?"

She shot Sirius a sly look. "Angry that Kreacher ignores you?"

Sirius chuckled slightly. "He comes when I call." A slight frown appeared. "He's slow and doesn't follow my commands as I'd wish, though."

"You're the head of this household. Shouldn't he respond to your summons?"

Sirius sighed, running a hand through his lanky black hair. "I never liked Kreacher growing up. My mother was a cruel woman. My younger brother, Regulus, had her favor. I was the white sheep of the family."

It took Edelweiss a few seconds to recognize the pun. She sighed and shook her head. Her godfather burst out laughing, which startled Buckbeak. She calmed the hippogriff, running a hand over his beak. Then and only then did she join Sirius by the door.

"We should let everyone know I haven't been abducted," she said, before heading downstairs. Edelweiss knew for the rest of the summer, she should step lightly if she wanted to avoid causing too much trouble. A smirk crossed her face. She could do that, and achieve whatever she wished, with them all unaware.