The Hog's Head Conspiracy

Edelweiss sat upon her broom, watching the sun rise behind Hogwarts and her many towers on the first Tuesday after her detentions with Professor Umbridge finally ended. She hovered there in crimson Quidditch robes, basking in the golden warmth of a new day. Angelina was bound to come flying by soon and reprimand her for hovering about instead of flying around, pretending to be busy.

Is it too late to hand over my resignation? Edelweiss thought. Her Firebolt swayed in the wind. Lightning rippled up her spine and an old longing well up within. Ah, who am I kidding? I want to race, to feel the thrill of flight. If only there could be a way other than Quidditch.

Her gaze dipped to the rest of the team. The Twins were off on their own, bouncing bludgers between themselves as they tried to knock the other from his broom. The chasers tossed around a quaffle, floating about as they went. And then her gaze fell upon the red-headed bloke hovering before the goalposts. She blinked, and then frowned.

Is that? It can't be! He would've…

She leaned forward and dove toward him. There had only been a need to replace one member of the team, that being former captain and keeper Oliver Wood. Edelweiss wanted to be cross with Ron, yet all she felt was pride that he kept a secret from her.

"Ron! Why didn't you tell me you made the team?" demanded Edelweiss. She had been told about tryouts, but nobody had said a word to her afterward. Then again, she had been drawn into conflict with the newest Defense professor to properly care.

Ron blinked owlishly before looking around as though the chasers—or worse, his brothers—would sweep out of the sky and suddenly scold them. "I thought you knew. Hermione gets so much of your time these days I assumed she would have told you."

"Most of our conversation concerns classwork," admitted Edelweiss. "She's overjoyed I'm applying myself more, though she grumbles so often about Defense it's sometimes tempting to curse her. Bad enough I have to attend it."

Ron burst out laughing. "Wouldn't that be nice, not having to attend! Umbridge is a menace." He sighed. "I miss Professor Lupin. He was great."

"That he was."

"Still, a bit odd how she took the job but doesn't teach."

The irritated letters still on the back of Edelweiss's hand ached. She flexed the hand, open and close, open and close. Ron glanced at the hand and frowned.

"Hey, I've heard rumors about her detentions, and… Well, I wanted to know if they were true."

Edelweiss glanced at her gloves with a pensive frown. Thanks to them, she didn't need to maintain the glamour over the now-fading scar. It was slow going, though the influence of the dark side helped cut through the dark magic responsible, for the power of the Force was greater than that of magic.

Edelweiss looked at Ron. Truly looked at him. She could not bring herself to show her weakness to him. She had poured plenty of effort into masking the wounds and now toward healing them. There was an image of her she had to maintain, and revealing this particular lie would damage it.

"I don't know what rumors you've heard, but it was boring." Edelweiss glanced toward the chasers, who were now flying over. "Don't worry about Umbridge, Ron. She'll be gone by the end of the year. Trust me."

He nodded, though the doubt she felt from him frustrated her. Some other worry lingered under the surface, kept secret from her. Edelweiss wanted to press and draw out what was eating at him. But the chasers arrived before she could press. Angelina, at the fore, radiated frustration, aimed almost purely at Edelweiss.

"Potter! Is there a reason you're troubling our new keeper?"

"Just giving him a hard time for keeping his position a secret from me," she said with a sly grin. "Can I help you, Captain Johnson?"

Angelina visibly recoiled. Edelweiss felt her shock and hurt at being referred to so. They had all called Oliver by name, despite the fact he was their captain and technically should have been called by his title. To use that on Angelina—and with her family name as well—was an insult in the confines of Gryffindor House.

Edelweiss fought down a smirk. The very passions that strengthened her connection to the dark side rippled off Angelina. Edelweiss wondered what effect they would have upon the witch. She could almost taste the indignation.

"No. That was it, Potter." Angelina's gaze swiveled to Ron. He squawked under her intense look. "Get into position. We're beginning drills against the rings."

Ron gave Edelweiss a worried look before flying into position before the center ring. The Quidditch posts were fifty meters tall, terminating at rings two meters in diameter. She had once wondered how the chasers threw so accurately; but now that she knew the power of the dark side, she recognized the power they had built, even if it was a different kind of power.

For now, her task would remain to be catching the golden snitch.

While the chasers attacked Ron's goals, she floated about the stadium. There was a practice snitch somewhere. She could sense the golden ball, fluttering out there, but she had no desire to hunt it down. Instead, she watched Ron and the chasers. He was a decent keeper, which she had known from summers at the Burrow. But the way he performed now revealed that he had done more than just play with his siblings. Edelweiss would bet he had taken time early into the summer to practice. It was a shame his time at Grimmauld had dulled his ability. But it appeared he had enough talent to make the Gryffindor team.

Twenty or so minutes passed before a sudden volley of bludgers rocketed toward her. She rolled out of the way and watched them break from each other, roaring toward separate ends of the pitch.

"Nice try," she shouted, turning toward where Fred came racing up. "Next time, try and have George on the other side. Maybe then you'll have a chance of hitting me."

"But I'm George," he claimed.

Edelweiss rolled her eyes, openly and blatantly. "I know you're Fred. Don't bother trying to fool me."

For several seconds, she thought he might challenge her. Then his shoulders slumped and a weak sigh passed through his lips. "How'd you know?" he asked, putting on a good attempt at a puppy begging.

"Intuition," she said, while she thought, The Force. It was almost hilarious how easy it was now to parse out which Weasley was which.

"Well then," Fred said with a grin, "we'll have to work on fooling you."

She huffed. "Good luck."

He nodded, but before he turned away, Fred asked, "Would you care to test one of the products George and I have been working on?"

Edelweiss tilted her head and considered what they had been up to over the summer. After several seconds, she said, "Why not. I'm curious what my gold became in your crafty hands."

Days later, Edelweiss left Divination early by using the Nosebleed Nougat the Twins supplied her. She considered her investment well made as she chewed the other half of the sweet. She rubbed away the excess blood covering the lower half of her face and headed for the nearest entrance down to the Chamber of Secrets. She had found a little time during the prior month to study everything Naga Sadow told her about related to Sith alchemy. Hermione had become annoyingly curious about why Edelweiss had taken a sudden interest in runes and arithmancy. Worse, she no longer fell for the bait of berating Ron about his poor schoolwork.

Annoyingly, Ron had been distant since Quidditch practice. She had overheard him arguing with his siblings about a letter from Percy. Of the Weasleys who had attended Hogwarts alongside Edelweiss, Percy Weasley was the one she knew least. He was an adult now, working at the Ministry. He had talked to her about his work during the Yule Ball the previous year and she had allowed his words to brush off her. Maybe she should care. Percy could be useful, with Umbridge working to expand her grasp around Hogwarts.

Maybe Edelweiss should stick her nose into Weasley business. She had been involved with the family long enough that she had a claim of her own to them.

That would be left alone until a better time. There were also whispers and rumors circulating among the student body concerning Umbridge and her apparent power grab. Hermione knew the most about it among those Edelweiss knew, but then Hermione had maintained her subscription for The Daily Prophet. She wasted her precious coinage on the Ministry's propaganda, regardless of how far from the truth the paper drifted.

I should do something about the Prophet. Overt? Secretive? Should I kill or just intimidate?

Edelweiss sighed. She was nowhere close to making a decision, and she had already come upon the Chamber's fifth-floor entry. She set aside thoughts of magical Britain as she commanded the passage to open and followed it deep into the castle, beneath the dungeons, and all the way to the Chamber of Secrets. She barely recognized how easily she switched to parseltongue when commanding the paths left behind by Slytherin or one of his many heirs.

She went to the small meditation room where Naga Sadow's holocron awaited. She kneeled before the small pyramid and focused her power over the dark side upon the holocron. Naga Sadow appeared, a great grimace marring his expression.

"Time has passed since you last came to me, young apprentice."

"An unforeseen foe conspired to control my time. I am free of her manipulations now."

"Does this enemy live?"

Edelweiss grimaced. "For now. I cannot destroy her at present, for I am the most obvious suspect…and I am not yet powerful enough to destroy every threat to me."

Naga Sadow made a harsh, dismissive sound. "That you possess sense enough to avoid a trap shall pay dividends for your future endeavors. That said, you must create opportunities for action. Do not be passive or react. That is the way of the Jedi."

Edelweiss nodded as she considered the Sith Lord's advice. She knew it would be necessary to undermine all authority Umbridge drew around herself, but she had planned to be patient. She feared she would need Hermione's help with plotting against Umbridge. Together, they should create a viable, even effective plan.

"Now that you have returned," continued Naga Sadow, "I assume you have plans for how you shall deal with the essence your enemy left within you." He chuckled. "He was a fool to do so."

"I doubt he is aware that a part of him is bound to me. Given how often he has attempted to murder me, I believe he is completely unaware some of his essence has broken away without his command or knowledge. I would be shocked if he has entertained the thought."

"A fool indeed."

Edelweiss nodded, even if she thought Naga Sadow was too dismissive of Voldemort. "I have an idea about dealing with the essence bound to myself and even to other shards spread across Britain."

Naga Sadow frowned while a single eyebrow rose.

"Three years ago, one of his old possessions was smuggled into the school. It possessed one of the students and unleashed a creature of Lord Salazar's upon the student body. I destroyed the beast with a sword, but by then the object had produced a likeness of Voldemort. I destroyed the vessel containing his essence with basilisk venom—and I maintain a store of the venom after the basilisk was rendered for parts."

"How would you apply basilisk venom? The means by which you pursue this venture will determine other aspects of the ritual."

Edelweiss paused to mull over the ways she might use basilisk venom. The most obvious was as a potion, but she was mediocre at potions on the best day and a danger on the worst. She'd be more likely to kill herself than achieve her aim of safely cleansing Voldemort's taint.

She blinked as a terrible, brilliant idea came to her. It aligned with Naga Sadow's description of having to channel the dark side through a ritual. It was potions-adjacent, which gave her some pause, but with the implementation of runes and arithmantic arrays, she should not have to worry about errors from preparing the venom.

"If I were to bathe in diluted venom, surrounded by runes and arrays, could I achieve my end and destroy the foreign essence within me"

Naga Sadow gave a thoughtful hum. "An interesting idea. I will need you to provide information about the materials available for this ritual. Otherwise, I cannot assist you."

"As you request, Lord Sadow. Lord Salazar must retain knowledge concerning potions and rituals on this world. If your holocrons can commune beyond what I have been told—"

"Take me to him."

Naga Sadow vanished. Edelweiss sighed and leaned forward, picking up the holocron. She went swiftly to Lord Salazar's solar and set Naga Sadow's holocron beside Lord Salazar's. She stepped back and waited. Seconds passed with nothing happening. The holocrons sat there, a pair of crystalline pyramids, red and black metal. Lifeless. Pathetic. Ignorant.

She grasped her fury, the delicious cold power that was the dark side, and focused all of the power she could wield upon the two holocrons. They glowed, and the two men appeared beside each other.

"Can you two not sense each other from within your holocrons?" asked Edelweiss. She gave Lord Salazar a pointed look. "You, Lord Salazar, have reacted to my presence on more than one occasion."

"And on those occasions, you were cloaked in the dark side. You did not need to focus your power on my holocron to achieve activation."

She flared her nostrils and turned to Naga Sadow. "And you? You were the one who commanded I bring you to Lord Salazar, so you two could commune."

"My holocron, just like his, requires intent and the Force to activate."

Edelweiss growled, all the while shrugging off the flush of embarrassment that even a half-year before would have left her mortified. She had grown past that foolish girl. She would be a Sith Lord come June. She felt it in everything: in her bones, upon the wind, and all throughout the Force. She wondered if Divination might lead to a foretelling of her future power. She did not fear that quack Trelawney recognizing what Edelweiss had become. Was becoming.

She only wished for confirmation.

"And now that you are both awakened?"

"Give us some time," said Naga Sadow. "Our holocrons were created thousands of years apart, and we Sith Lords are hesitant to grant knowledge and power to those who are not our apprentices."

Edelweiss nodded and considered what they had said. If she wished to learn from any other than these holocrons, she would need to seek them out—and then debase herself, bowing to one who may not be as powerful as her.

Still, if any still live in the cosmos, I shall seek them out, she promised herself. Once I have settled the matter of Britain, I shall find them all… and destroy them, no matter their strength.

She waited the better part of a half hour for the holocrons to finish their communion. She suspected whatever potions knowledge Lord Salazar imbued into his holocron had to be guarded with fierce protectiveness. That, or the knowledge necessary for their exchange was greater than she could guess.

"How fascinating," purred Naga Sadow. He turned his gaze upon Edelweiss. She nearly flinched from the intensity. "I will require time to determine the best means to achieve your end. In the meanwhile, research all you can about the rituals of your world. If what this enemy of yours has done is based upon the powers native to this world, you will need them to overcome his work."

She scowled. "You mean that the dark side will not be enough?"

"For this? I suspect it is so. Had he trained in the dark side, then my answer would be different."

Edelweiss hummed.

"What he has done is laudable," continued Naga Sadow, "but immensely foolish. To allow his essence to fall into your hands, even by accident, is an oversight he deserves to be punished for."

"Laudable?"

"The pursuit of immortality. His error has come about because of his methods and his failure to account for what his defeats may cost him. In his effort to master death, he has opened the path for you to destroy him forever."

"And so I shall," declared Edelweiss. The dark side descended upon her, a great shroud of power that soaked into her bones. She knew, then and there, that her words would become the truth. Not today, perhaps not soon, but one day. That day would come, that promised day of inevitable victory.

Edelweiss was returning to the castle from Quidditch practice, walking side by side with Ron, when Hermione stormed down from the castle. She frowned at the sight of their friend. For her to be awake so early was no surprise, but to be emerging from the castle? That was.

"What do you think Hermione wants?" asked Ron, already sounding frustrated. He had gotten on Hermione's bad side recently. He had said a few choice words about their OWLs and schoolwork, and all of Gryffindor had sat back and watched as she berated him.

"I have no clue, though it'll be something she finds very important."

Hermione reached them at the top of the sloping lawn that led down to the pitch. Hermione stopped first, crossing her arms as her gaze went to Edelweiss.

"I wanted to talk to you about Umbridge's new post as the Ministry's 'Hogwarts Investigator' and what we are going to do—"

"What we are going to do?" drawled Edelweiss with a sneer. She nearly growled from how she struggled to suppress all of her rage at Hermione. She needed her bushy-haired friend, even if she might endanger Edelweiss's student of Sith alchemy with Naga Sadow. "I have decided to sit back and let her self-destruct as her petty power trip creates enemies out of those who sit on the sidelines. If we are fortunate, she will drive Snape and Trelawney from this castle. We could use a real professor for both classes, potions in particular. Could you imagine what our lives would be like if we had an actual teacher? And not just some prodigy confused by how children do not understand topics that are so plainly obvious to them?"

And despite any good Umbridge could do, she will overstep her authority. Once she does, then I will act. Her death shall be the prelude to my ascension as Darth Gladiolus, and all shall be thankful such a wretched creature is in the grave.

"Wouldn't that be the day," Ron muttered, sounding quite pleased with Edelweiss's suggestion. "No more Snape."

"The issue isn't potions. The issue is that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts."

"Yes, and?" asked Edelweiss. "After five defense professors in five years, perhaps someone should interfere. Would it be best if they waited for her to end up ruined, if not dead? I would enjoy that. Yet it is clear the post is truly cursed. It would have been wiser to send curse breakers instead of the Minister's stodge—"

"And there's the issue!" hissed Hermione. "She's the Minister's agent! A puppet! Do you actually think she can adequately teach us how to defend ourselves? You've seen what she thinks is appropriate for Defense!"

Edelweiss sniffed, her anger rippling under her skin. "I read the book she assigned, Hermione. Umbridge would not be qualified to give aurors instructions, let alone teach children! Your vision is too limited if you think of Hogwarts as only a school." She gestured toward the castle, directing her friend's gaze. "It is so much more, Hermione!"

Hermione's face went blotchy and red as she turned back. "Then what is it?"

"Hogwarts is the soul of magical Britain. Whoever controls it, controls the future." Her emerald eyes burned with passion, just as her veins burned with the Force. "Until Dumbledore is expelled from its walls, he can influence generations and control the future. Remember that before Voldemort blew himself up trying to murder me, he was winning. He would have won as well, had he been able to claim Hogwarts. His home." She slapped her chest. "My home!"

With that, she pushed past Hermione. Edelweiss felt Ron linger behind, begging Hermione to help him with an essay. They had several due before the week's end and she had only started half of them. Between Angelina's impression of Oliver Wood and her Sith studies, she barely had enough time to take her classes seriously, let alone stay atop her ever-increasing mountain of assigned work. Were it not for the expectations hanging around her neck, Edelweiss might have considered blowing it all off.

Instead, she would be a good little witch and go to the library. There was an image to maintain if she was to control public perception.

About halfway through October, posters went up announcing the date of the first Hogsmeade visit. It would be on the Saturday before Halloween, which happened to be the following Tuesday. Edelweiss, who had claimed a corner table in the library when she wasn't in the Chamber or Gryffindor Tower, did not glance up as Hermione sat down across from her with a frustrated huff.

"I'm assuming your anger is over Umbridge." She paused and peered up. "What has our favorite stodge done now?"

Despite her tendency to respect authority too much, Hermione snorted at Edelweiss's mockery. Her lips did twitch, though Hermione had enough restraint to not smile. She took a moment to compose herself before saying, "If she will not teach us how to defend ourselves, then we need a real teacher."

Edelweiss glanced around the library, her burning gaze lingering on all within view. There were a few Hufflepuffs at a table several meters away and a group of Ravenclaws skirting about in the shelves; both flinched away from her gaze. Only then did she ask Hermione, "Who were you thinking would be this teacher of yours?"

"You."

She blinked, glanced around again, and then frowned. "Please repeat that. I swear you just said I would be an appropriate teacher."

"But Edie, you have to understand," said Hermione, her brandy-brown eyes luminous with certainty. "You've done so much since you started at Hogwarts! The Stone's defenses, the Chamber of Secrets, rescuing Sirius from the dementors, even the tournament last year! You've survived all of that, and you're stronger because of it."

"I guess I am," said Edelweiss with a wry smile. She would not lie and claim to not appreciate her ego being stroked, yet she did not trust it. Not from Hermione, that was. "Still, that does not explain why I am going to be teaching. You happen to have the patience for it."

"Who's gonna be teaching?" asked Ron as he suddenly joined them. He set his bag down between the girls, and then looked between them. "Hermione telling you about her defense club idea?"

Edelweiss stared at him with a harsh, piercing stare. Ron recoiled slightly. "You knew? You knew and said nothing?"

"Well, uh…" Ron glanced between them for a few seconds before sighing. "Hermione said she wanted to tell you herself. I came up with the idea after shooting down her idea to get someone from the Order to sneak into Hogwarts and teach us. She was certain she could convince you, since I said you would reject the idea."

Edelweiss pursed her lips. Despite how little time she had, their 'defense club' proposal would be a means by which to assault Umbridge's authority and power. She leaned forward on an elbow and softly asked, "Convince me how?"

Hermione swallowed thickly, pinned as she was by Edelweiss's intense gaze. "As I said, you're the only one who could teach us. You have experience, and that's more important than book smarts, Edie."

She drummed her fingers upon the table. It was soft, barely loud enough to reach the nearby Hufflepuffs; it drew faint flinches from her friends. She nearly snorted, noting how she still thought of them as "friends". The only serious time Edelweiss spent with Ron at Hogwarts was during Quidditch and classes, and Hermione was increasingly more like a tool than a person in her mind. Was this what becoming a Sith Lord would do to her? She had understood from a young age that she was different, set apart from the rest—but to think so differently? She had never expected this change.

And for whatever reason, she could not determine how she honestly felt about her new view of the world.

"What else? You must have more arguments to convince me." Edelweiss strained to hold back her smirk. She was baiting Hermione now, drawing out everything the bushy-haired girl thought up. It should be obvious what she was doing, for there was only one person in the castle she hated more than Albus Dumbledore. She longed for the day she destroyed the Headmaster, no matter how far away it was. Edelweiss was certain she would be Darth Gladiolus that day.

Perhaps she would even stand over Voldemort's corpse when that came to pass.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a look that drew a dark scowl to Edelweiss's face. What right did they have to judge her? They had allowed a man who did not have her best interest in mind to cow them into following his will over doing what they knew was right. They knew the misery she usually suffered over the summer. But no, they had to go along with Dumbledore's foolish demand they not tell her anything!

"Just imagine Umbridge's face when everybody passes their Defense OWLs because of you," said Ron.

"Stroking my ego as well?" Ron choked while Edelweiss chuckled. "A wise decision."

"Edie," grumbled Hermione.

"Oh come off it, Hermione. You know I would agree, if only to spite Umbridge."

Ron guffawed; not loud enough to draw Madam Pince's ire, but it did draw unwanted eyes their way. The Hufflepuffs looked away when Edelweiss's gaze fell upon them. The Ravenclaws stared back. She shot a filthy glare their way, and they scurried off as if she had just transformed into Voldemort.

"Is that all you care about?" asked Hermione. Her voice was soft in a manner that angered Edelweiss. "Spite? Making people furious?"

"Umbridge was the one who began this, Hermione, not me," Edelweiss declared, all but snarling. "She is dedicated to the acquisition of power and influence, just like any with eyes to see the world around them. I must destroy her, for that is the only option she grants me." She sighed and rose to her feet. "And it is the same with the war. I will not offer quarter to those who fight against me. Think on that before you make any rash decisions." She glanced between her friends and their pale, stricken expressions. "I'll see you later."

Edelweiss stormed off before either could try and stop her. She sensed the growing separation between them, and for all she tried to tell herself she was content to allow the gap to grow and fester, part of her longed to reclaim their old friendship. Yet working to reclaim that would only delay her other ambitions.

Edelweiss made her decision. She would keep her focus on the future and all she must do: destroy Voldemort and Dumbledore. Umbridge's fall would come about as she gained the strength to tear down those two men.

Darth Gladiolus, the Dark Lord of the Sith. That is who I shall be, once these foolish old men are dead.

Edelweiss sat beside the roaring fire of Gryffindor Tower, an arithmancy tome lying in her lap. She rubbed her face, willing what she was trying to read to seep into her mind and stick. Unfortunately, someone more interested in the minutiae of the subject than in writing clearly and coherently had written the bloody tome. Her mind wandered more often than naught as she struggled to read more than half a page at a time.

She felt Ron storming into the common room, but only glanced up when he crashed into the seat next to her. She glanced up and spotted a crumpled fold of parchment in Ron's hand.

"Did Percy send another letter?" asked Edelweiss. His hand clenched around the parchment, answering her question. She sighed and closed the tome in her lap. For all she had been convinced she would be striding forward toward her ambitions, she could still be a good friend—or so she hoped. "You should burn his letters if they're only going to give you grief." Ron paused, and turned to face her. "One day, he will come crawling back to your family with an apology on his lips. You should hope it does not require a death in the family to do so."

Ron scowled as he glanced between the letter he held, the nearby fire, and Edelweiss. She waited for his response, for she could feel the gears in his mind clicking away.

"Yeah, well he better apologize to Mum and Dad." Ron sighed, leaning back into the chair he picked. "Hermione and I decided to go forward with the idea, since you've agreed to teach." Edelweiss raised a curious eyebrow and he smiled. "The upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. The Hog's Head, at noon. We're going to meet with some people interested in learning from you."

They fell silent after that. Edelweiss tried to focus on her reading once she returned to it, but all her mind could fixate upon was how this defense group would forward her broader agenda. Yes, she sought to destroy Voldemort and Dumbledore, but what would happen after that? She had always been so concerned with achieving victory that she had never considered her life afterward. Building a faction of her own would be useful toward that end. They could manage affairs on her behalf while she was elsewhere, seeking the ancient secrets of the Sith.

"Hey," said Ron, drawing her from her thoughts. "I'm heading to bed."

Edelweiss nodded as she leaned back into the cushioned seat and considered what her friends—they were still that, though for how long—had planned. They would invite Gryffindors, and perhaps a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Yet for all she detested the thought, Edelweiss remembered how the Sorting Hat sang of unity within Hogwarts. If magical Britain was to advance after decades of strife and war, then all of society should be folded into the new world.

Slytherins, Slytherins, thought Edelweiss, almost singing the word. How shall the rest handle the snakes I set among them?

With that thought in mind, Edelweiss went to retrieve a map and a cloak.

Edelweiss folded up the Marauder's Map as she whispered, "Mischief managed." She folded and slid the parchment into a pocket as she peered around a corner. Within the large alcove before her sat the three Slytherins she shared a compartment with on the Hogwarts Express. Were it not for the Map, she might have missed the fourth with them. His dark skin reminded her of the caramels Dudley stuffed his mouth with when they were ten. She almost wanted to apologize for the comparison, but then she knew little of Blaise Zabini.

Perhaps he would be amused by comparison.

Tracey Davis spotted her first, freezing on sight. The girl's tan had barely faded, despite the cloudy weather that suffocated Scotland most of the year. Her golden hair had lost some of its shimmering sheen.

"Trace, what's the—" Daphne Greengrass swallowed her words almost immediately. Her auburn hair was loosely tied up, with several strands brushing against her neck and shoulders as they rested upon her collar. "Oh. You."

"That's all of you have to say, Greengrass?" Edelweiss asked as she strode into the alcove. Theodore Nott watched her silently with a wariness in his eyes that nearly excited her. "'Oh. You'? I thought I had left a greater impression upon you than that, Greengrass."

Soft green eyes, like a meadow in spring, glowered coolly. "After we went weeks wondering when you might show up, perhaps I'm allowed a little surprise when you finally show interest, Potter. It's nearly Samhain. Halloween. You've wasted two months playing games with Umbridge."

Edelweiss sniffed. "Samhain, Halloween—I care not which you use. I always remember it as that day, when terrible events came to pass. Dead parents, a returned madman, attacks within the safety of Hogwarts." She smirked at their discomfort. Even Zabini looked off put by her. "Still, that's not why I am here. My dear friends have decided they have had enough of Umbridge's obvious incompetence. We're organizing a little defense club. Open to all houses, though you can guess which one won't receive an invite. I want you three—four, if Zabini can be trusted enough to not whisper secrets to Malfoy—to make an appearance for our little…meeting. Let others see not all Slytherins saddle up to evil."

Zabini scoffed. She raised an eyebrow as he said, "What would you know of Slytherin?"

"A great many things." Edelweiss thought of the Chamber and Ziost Hangar. However, she could not speak of the latter around these four. Another thing came to mind, a little tale that had gotten the other Slytherins to warm up to her. She glanced at the trio from the Expression and knew instantly none had told Zabini what she told them. "One of which is a story of the past."

"…what kind of story?" asked Zabini.

"You can thank Draco Malfoy at your leisure for convincing me to all but demand the Sorting Hat send me anywhere other than Slytherin. The Hat said Slytherin would lead me to greatness, and I've begun to think that maybe it was right."

Zabini stared at Edelweiss for several long seconds. He then burst out laughing. She glanced at the other Slytherins, the ones who had heard her tale. They all rippled with fear, though it was Nott's that was the most potent. He must have seen enough of Voldemort over the summer hols to know that torture usually followed up an insult like this.

Edelweiss held a hand toward Zabini, low and draped by her robe's sleeve. She tightened two fingers, and Zabini began to choke on his laugh. His bulging eyes met her steady gaze. She smirked, released her grasp, and then turned to the others.

"So—"

"Why should we go?" demanded Tracey Davis, sounding more confident than Edelweiss expected. "What's there for us if we go along with your… with your plot?"

Edelweiss blinked, a touch surprised it was Davis who was considering her proposal. Then again, the girl was a halfblood in Slytherin. Her defenses were Daphne Greengrass and whatever meager magical ability she had.

"I could fight you four, here and now, and walk away unscathed," Edelweiss declared. "Without even breaking a sweat." Only Nott looked slightly uncertain of her claim, but the dark side of the Force would allow her to easily overwhelm him. "That is what my intention with this club will be. To train fighters. Hermione will get some silly idea caught in those curls of hers, but with you lot, perhaps I can sway her mind.

"Plus, you will have a chance to make connections in the other houses. I would assume those in the house of ambition and cunning can see a good deal when it arises."

"What about Draco?" asked Greengrass. Her slender nose twitched. "He'll make a fuss when he finds out."

"If he finds out." At their skeptical frowns, she sighed and added, "I shall handle him." Edelweiss then gave them a dark smile, all teeth and upturned lips. "I have handled him as one deal with a child. Perhaps it is time I remind him that even his father has been forced to flee before me—and my power."

The Slytherins shot her skeptical frowns, but that was to be expected. She was overstating how her little confrontation with Lucius Malfoy played out, following the Chamber of Secrets incident.

"Hogsmeade. Noon. The Hog's Head. Either make an appearance, or I will ensure none of you recall this little conversation…and perhaps scrape up some secrets for my own use."

Edelweiss swept away in a manner she hoped reminded them of Snape. She departed to the sound of hissed, furious whispering. They would show. She knew it.

Hermione led them over to the Hog's Head about ten minutes before noon. Snow a few inches deep blanketed the land. Edelweiss ignored Ron and Hermione's trite conversation, more concerned with wrapping herself in the dark side of the Force. She would require its power for the task at hand. More than one fool would be present, and she no longer suffered them lightly. It might only be a feeling, but it was one she would not ignore. She had learned, if slowly, to trust her feelings, even if doing so reminded her of that deep-seated fear of the mind-altering nature of the Cosmic Force. Sometimes she mentally cursed her master for telling her that truth, but she was mostly grateful for the warning.

The Hog's Head was a dilapidated structure, or at least as dilapidated as Hogsmeade would allow beyond the Shrieking Shack. The building was two stories tall, yet remarkably squat. She assumed it would be a tight squeeze if more than a few dozen showed up. Neither Ron nor Hermione had mentioned who they spoke to about their defense group, but she suspected it would be a great many. She had sensed plenty of minds oriented toward the noon meeting during breakfast.

They entered the pub to a ringing bell and a wretched smell. The common room was maybe a dozen yards in each direction, with several cramped tables spread about haphazardly. The old barman glowered their way. Edelweiss paid him little heed. She was more interested in the four patrons present: a man whose entire head was wrapped in greying bandages, chugging a strange, simmering drink at the bar; a pair of hooded, cloaked figures sitting at a distant table as they argued in thick Yorkshire accents; and a black veiled witch, tucked into a corner beside the roaring fireplace.

"Do you think—?"

Edelweiss raised a hand, cutting off Ron's question. She could guess the answer to his unasked question without the Force. None of these figures were Umbridge or a known spy, though she could not trust any of them to not go running and squeal about what they overheard in exchange for some gold. From all she skimmed from their defense professor's mind, Edelweiss knew any defense training behind Umbridge's back would lead to repercussions upon discovery. Reaching out carefully with the Force, she projected her power upon the four patrons, focused into a single word:

"Leave."

They scurried out of the Hog's Head as if a mountain of cockroaches had fallen from the ceiling. Edelweiss hoped her Force-laden compulsion sent them all back to their homes. For now, she would put them out of mind. Should it be necessary, she could try her hand at modifying memories.

"Edie," whispered Hermione, faint and afraid. "What did you just do?"

"Cleared us a space to talk openly." Edelweiss crossed over to the scowling barman. He reeked of goat and looked familiar. Annoyingly so.

Could he be…?

"We'll need thirty, maybe forty bottles of butterbeer. I'll pay extra for exclusive use. Tell nobody about what we discuss—especially your meddling brother. I think we can both agree Albus deserves to be left out of this little secret."

The barman blinked and then sighed. He smiled faintly behind his shaggy grey beard. "Should've expected you would know who I am, Potter. How'd you find out?"

She grinned with all teeth. "Call it a woman's intuition."

He shot her a filthy glare before muttering, "It's gonna be a galleon for every two fools who walk through that door. Don't try to get out of paying. I know the Potters were disgustingly wealthy."

"That we are," she murmured, turning away. "That we are."

Edelweiss set Ron to handling the butterbeers while she aided Hermione in setting up the room. They moved a table into a position that granted them a commanding view of the room and door, and then sat three chairs behind it. She wanted the three of them united before the invited crowd.

The first through the doors were the Weasleys twins and Lee Jordan, carrying bags of Zonko's products. Shortly after them came the chaser girls; Angelina glowered at Edelweiss, which she returned with a bemused grin. More Gryffindors entered: Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, already gossiping; Fay Dunbar, their quiet roommate, and her sixth-year friends; the boys in their year, Irish Seamus Finnegan, muggleborn Dean Thomas, and a nervous Neville Longbottom. Edelweiss was surprised to find Ginny with Dean, hand in hand. It was cute, in a quaint manner. She wished them the best, especially after feeling Ron's anger at Dean.

At this point, students from the other houses filed in as well. There were a number of Hufflepuffs, including a number from their year: Susan Bones, niece of Madam Bones who held Edelweiss's respect; her friends, Lily Moon, Hannah Abbott, and scarred Sally-Ann Perks; and a group of boys, including popular Ernie Macmillan, a skeptical-looking Justin Finch-Fletchly, and pompous Zacharias Smith. Edelweiss remained impassive at their arrival, though she feared one of them would accuse her of murdering Cedric Diggory if given the chance.

Had she suspected what would happen, Edelweiss would have cursed him in the back. He was more useful alive, able to speak on her behalf, than as a martyr.

There were Ravenclaws as well. She recognized Padma Patil, twin to Parvati, along with Su Li, who often competed with Hermione for the top seat in their year. Following the came Cho Chang, who glared at Edelweiss as though they were serious rivals. The girl with Cho glared as well. She tried to not roll her eyes at their foolish anger. A few of the Ravenclaw boys were familiar, but Edelweiss could not recall their names. In fact, she knew few of the Ravenclaws.

And then her four Slytherins entered the Hog's Head. Everyone turned to face them.

Several wands were drawn before Ron could shout over the bubbling din, "Who invited the snakes?"

"I did," boomed Edelweiss. The room went still. Several seconds for all gathered to face her. "I invited them of my own free will. You all heard the Sorting Hat's song this year. It is folly to think this school—this nation—can stand and remain whole, even as we continue to isolate one group because some among their number prostrate themselves before a madman and his ambitions." She scanned the furious, reddened faces before her. "None do that to Gryffindors, yet one could argue Dumbledore is a madman with ambitions of his own. Until this summer, he held posts not only within the castle many here call home, but also in London and Avignon."

"Yeah, but he's Dumbledore," some Hufflepuff declared. "He's different."

"Because we agree with him, in part or in whole." She scanned the room, taking note of their mood and attitude. Few showed their emotions; she felt a swirling miasma of emotion, only able to draw uncertainty out of the mix. "Yet we delude ourselves, thinking Voldemort and Dumbledore are different in any meaningful way." There were shouts and yelps when she named the Dark Lord. Even the Slytherins were startled, the fools. "They each have an ideological vision for this land and use each generation to fight a proxy war against the other. Some of us have no choice but to fight, regardless of our feelings on the matter.

"That, however, is not why we have gathered here." Edelweiss felt tension leak out of the Hog's Head. "We are here because the Ministry has forced an incompetent spy upon us in a clear attempt to further London's control on Hogwarts—which has always maintained neutrality. After years of madmen and other incompetents, our defense education has been riddled with holes, especially when it comes to the practical application of spells in the real world."

Zacharias Smith cleared his throat loudly. "What are you getting at, Potter?"

"What I am getting at, Smith, is that few among you will be prepared for your Defense OWL should nothing change. Hermione here," and she gestured to her friend, who squeaked and blushed at the sudden onslaught of attention, "proposed I teach all of you how to defend yourselves, since I have more practical experience than any other student at Hogwarts."

She channeled Snape with every word she uttered, especially at the end. Many flinched and sat up straight, as if her words injected a fervent need to listen into them. The Slytherins, standing apart from the rest, smirked. Edelweiss slowly reached out with the Force, recalling all she knew of how to sway and influence minds. One error, one miscalculation, and all she wrought here and now would collapse.

"I have agreed in part because I cannot stand what Umbridge is doing, and because all of you must learn how to defend yourself." Her gaze traveled the breadth of the room, taking in the watchful faces gathered before her. There was no sign her powers or her arguments were being rejected. "If you will not learn how to defend yourself against the dark forces that loom beyond the walls of Hogwarts, then I would suggest you leave now. I won't prattle on about OWLs and education. If that were your concern, then you would already be self-studying, or you would be more interested in what Hermione would say than in my speech."

She paused, waiting for anything to the contrary.

"I can tell that you are all here because you know how far behind you are. That you are unprepared for what is out there in the world beyond Hogwarts' walls. Certainly, you have heard the tales: Quirrell, the basilisk, a hundred dementors, and the Triwizard Tournament. I have overcome them all, and am willing to share what I have gleaned from my trials and train any who wish to learn."

The Hog's Head fell silent. Edelweiss could have heard the scurrying rats and mice were there any. Not even the barman made a sound, busy as he must be calculating the coin she would owe him. It was a fine investment, should her actions here pay dividends. Each mind present was hers to sway, if not already then soon. Some were hers completely, and others would resist for a time.

But eventually, they would all bow to Darth Gladiolus.

"Now, I believe Hermione has a sheet that anyone interested in my offer should sign," said Edelweiss. She smirked slightly at how her friend flinched. Most likely, she had expected this to go on for far longer. Edelweiss would not fault Hermione for thinking so; she did not know there was a Sith apprentice beside her, more than ready to take control the moment an opportunity was handed over. "To any not swayed by my words, I would recommend you tell nobody about our clandestine meeting. Should I suspect one of you might tell Umbridge about why so many gathered here…" She smiled wickedly as her unspoken threat hung heavily in the air. Were she daring enough, she might reveal what horrors she had in mind for whoever betrayed her of their own free will. But she was handling children. Vinegar and honey, as the saying went. And she? Well, she was mostly vinegar.

"I doubt Hogwarts will ever forget the example I shall make out of you."

She turned to Hermione. She was quick to draw out the sheaf of parchment obviously prepared for the meeting. Her shouted words were devoured by muttered conversation. Uncertain parties were trying to make a decision, while Edelweiss sensed jinxes attached to the page set down to be signed. She smiled, accepted a quill from Ron, and added a hint of her own power to the parchment as she dipped the quill in an offered inkpot.

Edelweiss made a point of signing the parchment first, and then stepped aside to allow everyone else to sign. They fell over themselves in an effort to add their signature beneath hers. In the end, everyone present signed their name. She wondered if they would continue on or flake after they thought through their decision. A shame it did not matter.

The magic upon the page would ensure their silence.