Corridor of Black Tiles

Hermione had not meant to gather nearly every Gryffindor in the common room. Her intention had been to gather everyone who had been in the defense group—the group Edelweiss had renamed Dumbledore's Army in a hopefully vain effort against the Headmaster—so that they could learn what would become of their lives at Hogwarts, now that their group had been revealed. Would they be expelled? Her wand snapped? Could they be imprisoned in Azkaban? Ever since she had learned of magic, Hermione's world had been irrevocably changed. There could be no future without the magical world, no matter the price she might pay.

Now I sound like Edie, Hermione thought sourly.

In the midst of gathering those who would be affected, others had come down. It began with the seventh years, but eventually the other NEWT students joined them. That was followed by the third and fourth years and the few second years still awake. Hermione even spotted two of the first years, gathered by the roaring fire. They obviously fought sleep, yawing widely in their plush chairs. Yet they were present nonetheless.

Her gut twisted at the sight. It reminded her painfully of those simpler days, when they feared Snape might be plotting to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

The common room rippled with conversation and speculation. A dozen theories floated about. The most common held that Edelweiss would be suspended. Others proposed she would be shipped off to Azkaban after having her wand snapped. Hermione knew what Edelweiss wanted from this incident. That nobody had yet to suggest Dumbledore might be removed from the school was unsurprising.

She was the only one who knew, who cared, who feared that outcome.

And then the Fat Lady's portrait swung open. The room fell silent as Edelweiss ghosted through the hold. Her glowing emerald eyes scanned all gathered. She appeared unfazed, despite the fact nearly every Gryffindor stood before her. She stepped forward. Gryffindors parted before her like the Red Sea before Moses.

Edelweiss stopped at the room's center. "Why are you all out of bed?" she asked, voice soft and smooth. There was nothing in her tone that suggested she was in trouble.

Did Edelweiss's plot work?

Several garbled answers met the question. Hermione picked out one consistent element: her name. She swallowed as Edelweiss's gaze found her, eyes glinting darkly. Hermione nearly retreated, but she held strong. She was a Gryffindor for a reason. She was brave, courageous, and always sought to do the right thing, regardless of her hunger for knowledge.

Hermione stepped forward. "I wanted to gather everyone who would be affected by what happened tonight."

"You could have been patient. We both knew I would slip through Umbridge's grubby hands." Edelweiss sighed and closed her eyes as a rumble of astonished whispers rippled through the common room. Hermione pursed her lips at the black markings that consumed all of Edelweiss's eye sockets. How her friend could ruin her appearance was beyond her. She might not care about her appearance as much as Parvati and Lavender, but she still cared enough. "However, not everything went well."

"What happened?" demanded a seventh-year.

Edelweiss turned away from Hermione, casting her gaze across the common room. "Dumbledore has fled the castle. He is no longer the headmaster. Worse, the Ministry has decided to prevent the transition of the Headmastership as dictated by the school's charter. Instead of the Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, becoming the interim headmistress, Professor Umbridge has been… selected for the role."

Gasps of horror and outrage filled the common room. Hermione knew this was what Edelweiss wanted. But to hear it aloud made her sick. Worse, Edelweiss sounded truly regretful that these events were coming to pass. How had she come to be such a foul liar? Had there been some secret perversion of her character?

Perhaps that was where Edelweiss's terrible marks had come from. Their source was the same as the evil that now festered in her heart.

"Umbridge has taken it a step further. She has removed me from the Gryffindor Quidditch team." Edelweiss's gaze landed upon the chasers. "I'm sorry. You will need to find someone to fill my position."

Angelica Johnson nodded gravely. She seemed unsurprised, but then she had already needed to replace the Twins. To have three new players would hurt the team. Everyone knew that.

"There's something else, but it only concerns those I have been teaching. The rest of you. Off to bed."

Shockingly, they followed Edelweiss's. Hermione gaped, outrage and frustration churning within. She had tried to send most of those who gathered back to bed. They had ignored her, more interested in Edelweiss's words than in what she had to say. Her! A prefect!

Once only those who had been in their defense group remained, Edelweiss sighed. "I'm afraid to inform you that Umbridge will be doling out detentions to the rest of the group. She decided that instead of giving me detentions, it would be better to inflict them upon the other members. I was the one in charge. The one responsible for all of you. This will hurt me as much as it does the rest of you."

Hermione shivered. There was something about Edelweiss's tone that convinced her the detentions would actually be terrible.

"And she has already picked out her first two victims."

"Ron and I," said Hermione.

Edelweiss nodded. "You begin tomorrow, at seven."

Hermione sighed while Ron grumbled under his breath.

"I should warn you," continued Edelweiss, "that she will force you to write lines with a quill that I am confident was made using dark magic. It will draw blood from you and scar the back of your hand with the words she has you write."

"And how did you avoid having those words when you had detention with Umbridge?" asked Seamus Finnegan, sounding frustrated. Their world had been tilted upside down in an evening.

Edelweiss waved a hand over her face. Hermione bit a yelp, watching as those strange black markings vanished. After a few seconds, they shimmered back into place. "I can affect their appearance, both in whether or not anyone can see them"—there were sudden gasps—"or if only one or two can see them."

She then winked at Hermione, lips drawn into a wry smirk.

"Still," Edelweiss said, returning to a serious tone, "Umbridge will have a story of her own, concerning a false title: Dumbledore's Army. The page we all signed was disfigured to have it at the top." She sighed and shook her head. "This is my fault, for I did not dare write my name at the very top. None of you have done anything wrong, though I will not fault anyone if they wish to part ways with me."

Hermione watched with astonishment, having heard from Edelweiss's lips exactly what she was going to do, as every Gryffindor who had been in their defense group—who had been in Dumbledore's Army—stood tall and told Edelweiss in no uncertain terms: "I'll remain faithful." Nobody said it the same way, but their words meant that nonetheless. Hermione went last. Done on purpose by Edelweiss, no doubt. Her friend had become a master manipulator when she had not been paying attention. Perhaps the truth was that only Hermione understood what Edelweiss did. Not always the why, but enough to try and guess. Never had she fathomed a Gryffindor would be so capable of guile and deception.

"I already told you where I stand," Hermione said. "But I won't follow you mindlessly. Somebody needs to tell you when you're going wrong."

Edelweiss grinned—grinned!—at that. "I would expect nothing less from you, Hermione. You might not be my oldest friend, but you're my dearest. My most trustworthy."

Hermione blushed and smiled, even as something in her gut told her that she was being deceived. That she was being told the words she wished to hear, regardless of their validity.

A solemn air filled the Great Hall the next morning. Only the Gryffindors, last to arrive, knew what occurred the previous night. No owls arrived as the student body awkwardly sat at their tables. But they would come eventually. And when they did, they would bear copies of the Daily Prophet that would gleefully report the coup that took place at Hogwarts. Edelweiss sensed the gazes of those in her defense group who were not Gryffindors. She would seek them out soon and speak with them as she had done with her Gryffindors. She was greatly pleased they would look to her for guidance and reassurance. All she had to ensure, for now, was that none of them learned what Hermione knew. Only the Slytherins would appreciate the kind of manipulation and deception necessary to depose Albus Dumbledore.

Edelweiss knew she set herself on this path of suspicion from Hermione the moment she revealed that the parchment of names bore "Dumbledore's Army", writ large and bold at the top. She reached out to Hermione with the Force and nearly gasped, discovering her friend was uncertain how to handle her suspicions.

Umbridge arrived soon enough that Edelweiss put concerns of Hermione out of mind. Umbridge's old pink cardigan had been discarded in favor of a flowing pink robe. Edelweiss swore the witch now challenged Dumbledore for the ghastliest robe to grace the halls of Hogwarts. She went to the great golden throne at the center of the Head Table and stood before it proudly.

Gossip spread immediately. Edelweiss sensed confusion and fear from all party to her defiance with the defense group. She closed her eyes, focused on each of their minds with the Force, and replaced their fear and anxiety with cool serenity false to all but Edelweiss herself. She sensed a few jump, startled by what they felt, but most echoed with relief not having to worry about their fear or anxiety overwhelming them.

Umbridge soon cleared her throat with that obnoxious "hem, hem" sound. Once the Great Hall fell silent, she began speaking. "Last night, a conspiracy against the Ministry of Magic and this nation was discovered in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. The main conspirator was revealed to be the former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Instead of allowing himself to be taken into custody so that he might stand trial, he instead fled the castle. Even now, he is at large.

"He committed his treason by organizing through a particularly divisive member of the student body. She convinced those who believed they knew better than the Ministry of Magic to learn unorthodox and dangerous spells instead of trusting and following the guidance of their professors. She has accepted her punishment, and those who were party to this treason shall be punished as well."

She then drew out a small scroll, one that Edelweiss did not recognize. "By order of the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, I, Dolores Jane Umbridge, have taken up the position of Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Gasps. Shock. Panic and fear. Edelweiss felt them all flow into her. They were potent with dark side power. It slid through her veins like magma rolling downhill. She had to breathe slowly, else she risked being overwhelmed by the burst of emotions that could be easily wielded through her dark powers. She could become intoxicated from the wash of fear crashing into her.

"Edie?" whispered Ron, staring not at her face but at her hands. "Are you alright?"

She blinked and glanced down. She had twisted the fork and knife she held, the metal warped in her hands. She released them and noted how her fingers bent and curved the previously straight lines of her utensils. They vanished a moment later, replaced with fresh ones.

"If anyone knows anything else about Dumbledore's plot against the Ministry, my door shall remain open to all." Umbridge then smiled widely. "I will also be continuing to instruct Defense Against the Dark Arts until a time at which a new instructor can be provided by the Ministry—"

The far doors groaned open. An older man in red auror robes stepped through the gap. He was alone and undisturbed by the confusion his sudden arrival sparked. He crossed the distance of the hall, gaze focused solely on Umbridge. She did her best to mask her emotions, though Edelweiss sensed some unease under the surface. She had not expected more time before her classroom replacement.

"Headmistress," the auror said, holding out a letter. "I was to give you this. Madam Bones didn't say what my orders were other than to await what you have to say."

Umbridge took the letter as though it might burn her skin. She unfolded it carefully before blanching. She must have read it several times over before she weakly said, "Congratulations on your assignment, Professor Proudfoot. You will be instructing Defense Against the Dark Arts until the end of term."

He nodded. Edelweiss felt discomfort from him. She was quaintly surprised by the appointment, but then she suspected Madam Bones had pulled strings at the Ministry to get one of hers into the castle. What those had been, she could not fathom. Perhaps the Minister was still worried about Edelweiss, so he went to the sole figure at the Ministry who had any sway with her. If so, then he acted in error. She did know if she could use this new figure at Hogwarts, but there was no harm in trying.

Edelweiss was left wondering as she ate just how Auror Proudfoot's presence at Hogwarts would destabilize all Umbridge sought to put into place. She had a feeling, deep down, that they just could not work together. She just couldn't say why.

That did not stop her from leaving the Great Hall that morning with a smile.

In the days that followed Umbridge's ascent to the office of Headmistress, Edelweiss was exhausted by the continual need for reassurance from her. The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins of her defense group sought her out in the following days, always careful and wary of the Inquisitors. The names of those who had been in her group were an open secret now. They expressed fear of what Umbridge would do to them. In response, she would say: "Hold fast and stay true. And most of all, do not submit in spirit. Her title is a false one, usurped from Dumbledore. She cannot last. And do not forget that only we can sweep away the refuse that would be Umbridge's legacy."

Miraculously, her words heartened them. Edelweiss wished to assume it was because they all trusted her so, but she was uncertain of that. More likely the reminder Umbridge had not come to her position properly heartened them. She had seized it by illegal means—and they would play a role in seeing her removed from Hogwarts.

Perhaps they assumed it would be alive. Edelweiss would not dissuade them of their delusion.

The school body slowly noticed the quiet defiance of her followers. Many were spoken of in such terms, and it made Edelweiss proud. Neville Longbottom walked the halls of Hogwarts tall and proud. Tracey Davis no longer cowered before those who had blood purer than hers. Susan Bones appeared to rule over all of Hufflepuff, leveraging her house's pliant nature to great effect. And even dreamy Luna Lovegood, once the most easily tormented child at Hogwarts, went about her day as though protected by an invisible power.

Edelweiss watched as over the course of weeks, those four—and others—inspired change elsewhere in the school. The process was slow, for the ever-present threat of the Inquisitors weakened their influence. Yet it happened, slowly brewing under the surface. A day could come before June when the school might rise up and cast down their unwanted Headmistress.

And for all Edelweiss desired to influence events at Hogwarts, another matter demanded her attention. At some point in the spring, she had begun to dream of a fateful place. A place with corridors of black tile.

It took her two days to remember which place that was. Minister Fudge had called that place "the Department of Mysteries" when he visited Hogwarts in December. That had been at the same time she walked those halls in her dreams, garbed not as Edelweiss Potter but as Darth Gladiolus. She did not know what exactly occurred then. Only that Arthur Weasley might have seen her, but nobody else had been aware of her presence. Not the Minister, not the aurors, not even the rumored "Unspeakables" who operated the department.

Edelweiss meditated before sleeping the next night. She came to the Department of Mysteries again, though she remained in her nightwear. With some concentration, she was able to change her clothing. But to come directly dressed as she had back in December would require effort—and understanding.

The next day, she went to Ziost Hangar and told Lord Salazar of what happened. He was the sole Sith Lord who knew the magical ways of Earth. He stared at her for several seconds before murmuring, "So astral projection is possible with the Force. Rowena thought as much, but I rejected her ideas…"

She tried to not be disappointed that Lord Salazar knew little of astral projection. Edelweiss did confess herself annoyed he rejected the pleas of Rowena Ravenclaw to experiment with such a power, but she surmised Lord Salazar had been arrogant in life. He had learned much of Earth's magical ways, yet he never dared combine them with his Force powers.

Perhaps arrogance is not the right way to think of him, she thought in those following days. Maybe shortsighted. Or just unwilling.

Regardless of which it was, his failure set Edelweiss behind in understanding the full extent of her new power. She had combined magic and the Force before, but never in a manner as mad or dangerous as astral projection. What she did learn over those nights was that through meditation, she could retain awareness. Even after falling asleep, she retained a shred of consciousness. And since that consciousness was no longer synced with her body, she could travel as she wished.

At first, she remained conservative with her efforts. Edelweiss returned night after night to the Department of Mysteries. She took her night appearance as a sign that none would spot her as she slunk about the department, learning as many of its titular mysteries as she could. In the other rooms, she found a giant tank with brains, hundreds of time turners, an extensive library, and a strange stone chamber with an onyx archway that shimmered with death.

But on most, she visited that chamber she thought of as the Hall of Prophecy. Edelweiss did not wander about it. She just stood near the entrance and bathed in the pale, low light that filled the chamber. The Force whispered to her, begging and demanding she drift further in. It was tempting to follow the whispers, but she was suspicious of them. Was it something about that chamber, or was it related to astral projection? Elsewhere in the Department of Mysteries, there was always a feeling she was in the wrong place. As though the Force wanted something of her from that place.

Perhaps it is time to go elsewhere… Edelweiss decided. She woke back in her bed and rolled over, content to plot another night.

In the midst of April, Edelweiss decided to experiment with where she astrally projected. Time and again she had gone to the Ministry, primarily to snoop about the Department of Mysteries. She feared what might happen to her, should she never experiment. Go further. She did not desire her power of astral projection to be bound to the Ministry. That would serve her poorly in the future. Her ambitions required her to travel beyond that place.

She meditated before falling asleep that night. Unlike recent efforts, where she only went in mind, she would risk her body. On this night, more than a shade of her person would travel. Her mind conjured up the shape of Edelweiss garbed as Darth Gladiolus, and then allowed the dark side to sweep her away. When she opened her eyes, she stood on a familiar muggle road, lit by a few glowing lamps. It was silent at this late hour. Her cloak hid her features in shadow.

Her gave swiveled across the cookie-cutter houses along Privet Drive. One house, where she recalled Miss Figg living, had a "FOR SALE" sign posted out front. Slapped over that with a bright red "SOLD" marker.

As Edelweiss peered up and down the street, she thought over what she needed to do to ensure her presence went unnoticed. A smirk came to her face. The Force was all she needed, and magic would risk exposure anyway. She stared at the nearest lamppost and willed the light to disappear. She had to focus more intently than usual, for her hands remained at her side. But as inevitable as death, the light flickered out with a pop. Three sparks fell to the asphalt street, dying as they bounced off the dark surface.

Good, she thought, drawing out the vowel within her mind.

Edelweiss smirked maliciously as she approached Number Four. She strode up the path she had strolled down in August when she embarked out into the wider world. It was fitting that she returned as she approached the cusp of her ascension.

She reached out to the door. With the Force, she unlocked and opened it. Edelweiss entered and closed the door behind her with a flick of a few fingers. No need to alert the neighbors something would happen in Number Four this night.

The house was as plain and grotesque as always. Edelweiss climbed the stairs, silent as death. Her cloak slithered behind her. She came to the junction with the doors to her room and Dudley's on one side and the way to the master and guest bedrooms on the other. A slight snoring sound brought her up short.

Dudley was home. Why would he be home? His school, like hers, had dormitories.

Edelweiss smirked, for she believed this was the Force's doing. She brushed open his door with a slow gesture and stepped inside.

Dudley's room was a pigsty, just as his second room had been when she first moved into it. She stepped carefully as the dark side filled her. She approached his bedside. Her cousin was sound asleep, snoring where he lay like a pig ready for the slaughter.

A fitting image, thought Edelweiss as her lips peeled back in a sardonic grin.

She reached out with the Force and felt his heart. It was overburdened from a life of sloth and glut. A little pressure and it shuddered, struggling against her grasp. Edelweiss closed her right hand slowly. Her cousin's heart strained and struggled. Dudley's heart stilled before he could wake. With a final breath, he died quietly and unaware.

Dudley Dursley, her childhood tormentor, was dead. Dead! And by her hand!

Edelweiss nearly laughed, then and there. Oh, how easy it had been! Why, she could have acted years ago! A little mistake in the kitchen would have been enough to bring about a similar end. Why, she could do this again! Twice over, even.

Her gaze, flickering between emerald and yellow, peered over her shoulder, toward the master bedroom. Her work was not finished yet.

She slipped out of Dudley's room, closing the door behind her. No reason to allow signs of foul play to linger behind. The magical world might not be easily fooled, but muggles would only come to the conclusion she wanted. They might even turn the Dursleys into martyrs, the tragic, cautionary tale of American vice infecting merry 'ol England.

Edelweiss glided to the master bedroom, opening their door just as she opened Dudley's. The master bedroom was obnoxiously clean, compared to Dudley's. They had a spotless floor and a carefully maintained bedside. Vernon rumbled, snoring away, while Petunia was silent, her face covered with a cloth mask and a pale cream meant to slow aging or some rot. Edelweiss cared not. She glanced between her two tormentors and swiftly devised how she would end them.

The sardonic grin that overcame her when she ended Dudley bloomed again. She reached out, focused on Vernon's heart, and held tightly. His heart failed faster than Dudley's, for he had more time to pile up the mistakes that overwhelmed his already struggling organ. Edelweiss was almost disappointed by how easily he went.

And then a wretched stink filled the air. Edelweiss waved a hand over her face, conjuring a bubble of fresh air before her. She had not considered what Vernon's death would cause, for there had been no terrible smell when she finished off Dudley.

Petunia's nose wrinkled. After a few seconds, her nose drew up so harshly it nearly disappeared into the rest of her face.

"Vernon, dear, what is that smell?"

After a few seconds, Edelweiss cheerily proclaimed, "Why, that's Vernon, Auntie!"

Petunia stiffened. "No… No! It can't be—"

Edelweiss clenched a hand and the Force responded. Petunia gasped, slowly being choked. Her hands came up to grasp at her overly long neck. Edelweiss brought up her other hand and restrained Petunia's hands. She stopped them from reaching their destination. There could be no sign that this was anything other than a horrible, horrible tragedy.

"I want you to know before the end that this is all your doing," whispered Edelweiss. "You could have treated me well. You could have cherished me, loved me as my mother would have loved Dudley… and I would have been yours to mold however you wish.

"But you allowed resentment and hatred to fester in your heart. And from that fertile soil, I shall be reborn."

She relaxed the pressure on Petunia's throat. The woman coughed several times before rasping out, "You're a monster! You've always been a monster!"

"One of your making."

And with that, she slowly collapsed the windpipe. Edelweiss did not fear evidence of foul play being found on the corpse of Petunia Dursley.

When Edelweiss felt Petunia perish, she released the Force. A shuddering breath passed out of her as she felt the cold embrace of the dark side race through her once more. It was enthralling. In an instant, Edelweiss understood why Voldemort killed so easily and readily. The rush of possessing the power of life and death over others, and watching as they died…

She could easily become addicted to it. Unlike him, though, she would always act in the name of justice and peace.

Two days passed before Madam Bones and a pair of aurors arrived at Hogwarts during breakfast. Their expressions were dark and grim, yet their postures did not suggest a fear of confrontation. They went straight to the Gryffindor table. Edelweiss suspected why they had come. She did not need the Force to guess. Yet it was only when Madam Bones softly said, "Miss Potter. Could I speak with you privately?" did she know with certainty.

The Dursleys had been found.

Edelweiss rose to her feet, wiping her hands clean of crumbs. "I know a place where we won't be overheard."

Madam Bones nodded. She glanced quickly at her niece at the Hufflepuff table before saying, "Lead on."

They walked on for five minutes in silence. Edelweiss took them into one of the less used parts of the castle. She held the door open. One of the aurors entered first, followed by Madam Bones. The other, whom Edelweiss only then recognized as Tonks, flicked her head toward the room.

"I'll stand guard out here."

"…okay then."

Edelweiss entered the room. The door was closed right behind her, and she was left alone with one auror and Madam Bones. "So. What did you wish to tell me?"

The two adults shared an awkward look before Madam Bones asked, "Has there been any strange interruptions to your mail home?"

"No," Edelweiss said carefully. "I might live with the Dursleys, but there's no love between us. You could go poke around the cupboard and learn that much."

Their expressions went grim. Edelweiss reached out with the Force carefully. She did not sense suspicion from them. Yet their emotions remained murky and troubled.

"Then I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news," Madam Bones declared. "About thirty hours ago, someone entered their home in Surrey and killed all three Dursleys."

"…all three?" asked Edelweiss, feigning confusion. "Dudley attends a boarding school, as far as I know. If someone went after the house on Privet Drive, then they only should have been able to kill two—and the blood wards—"

"No such wards were found around the house," the auror said snidely. "There were hints something had been established, but they had fallen long ago."

"Huh." Edelweiss was unsurprised by that, but then she had not bothered to check if the wards were fine when she returned to Number Four. "Still, my point remains. I cannot fathom how Dudley would be home."

"Yet he's dead, along with his parents."

Edelweiss stared at the auror for a few seconds before sighing. "I wish I could say that I'm saddened to hear of their passing. But that would be a lie. They were uncaring on the best of days… and abusive on the worst."

Madam Bones hummed thoughtfully, light glinting off her monocle. "Would you have any suspicions about who the culprit would be? Otherwise, our business here is finished."

"I would assume it was Voldemort or a Death Eater, but since there's been nothing in the Prophet, I guess there are no signs of magic?"

"Unfortunately so," Madam Bones said, clearly frustrated. "The killer was smart. As far as the muggles are concerned, Mr. Dursley and his son passed away in the night. Shortly after, Mrs. Dursley took her own life. A terrible tragedy, they're calling it."

"A terrible tragedy indeed," said Edelweiss. She was careful to downplay the insincerity in her voice, even as she mentally crowed over how they did not suspect her. "Well, it was nice to see speak with you again, Madam Bones, even if it concerned something… unpleasant. I assume you'll spend some time with your niece before returning to London?"

Madam Bones sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately Fudge is cutting my budget once more." She glanced at the auror with her and then back to Edelweiss. "I'd suggest you say nothing of what I just mentioned, along with your family's fate. The Ministry is keeping this one silent for now."

"Of course."

Edelweiss remained in the room as Madam Bones and the auror went. She caught a glimpse of Tonks, who mimicked something. She cared not. The Dursleys had been found dead, and the responsible party was in the clear.

And now I am one step closer to my ascension.

Discontent continued to brew in the halls of Hogwarts as April continued on. Edelweiss went to each member of her defense group after they finished their week of detention with Umbridge. Some, like Colin Creevey and Ravenclaw Lisa Turpin, bore their new, bloody scar with pride. Others, such as her Slytherin allies and Lavender Brown, requested assistance in healing their wounds. Hermione proved invaluable with that latter group, somehow drudging up large supplies of essence of dittany. The sappy substance proved effective in helping to heal scars and combat the pain. But it did not compare to the power of the Force.

Yet Edelweiss could not openly use it to support those who had been her followers. Between secrecy and the dark side's poor capacity to heal others, it would be a fool's errand to even try. And so when away from her Sith and magical studies, she encouraged those opposed to Umbridge in their efforts.

Chief among those she supported against Umbridge and her Inquisitors were the Weasley Twins. Once only good-natured pranksters careful to remain away from barbaric cruelty, they took Umbridge's rules and Headmistress position as a personal insult. As far as anyone could tell, their aim was to crack her mind in their effort to remove her from Hogwarts. Somehow they snuck nifflers—treasure-hunting critters—into Umbridge's office, which caused havoc with all of the glittering metal left behind in the wake of Dumbledore's flight weeks prior. The rumor mill claimed Lee Jordan aided them, but Edelweiss personally suspected it was house elf involvement that led to their success.

They continued to sell their products, as well. Fireworks were sold in equal rate to their production. Most were shot off during meals, coming from all four tables. They also sold the Skiving Snackboxes they showed Edelweiss earlier in the year. And while they also had a substance called Peruvian Darkness Powder, they would not sell it. Edelweiss thought they should rename the substance in case they changed their minds, but the Twins stood firm. Even firmer than their decision to sell none of their stockpile, though they did provide her some powder free of charge.

"Repayment for all you did to help us," they said, bowing lowly. Edelweiss had to suppress her grin. Willing minions and servants were necessary for her future as Darth Gladiolus. Fred and George had leap-frogged to the top of her list.

And it was not only the students who resisted. Professor McGonagall, following a very obvious leading question from Dean Thomas, explained how transfiguration could be effectively used in warfare, like when barricading a location or sending out scouts to see if a location was safe. The next day, a sign was posted in the Entry Hall, informing the professors they could only discuss the Ministry-approved content of their subject.

The next day, Professor Flitwick somehow slipped the Disarming charm into his second-year classes. When Umbridge tried to come down upon him, he publically announced, "The spell is a charm, and my subject is Charms, Headmistress. Thus, it falls under the purview of my subject. If the Ministry has an issue with my judgment, informed as you know by masteries in three core fields of Charms, they can inform me of the specific spells I can and cannot teach, along with the appropriate grade level. Until then, I will continue as I always have."

Unsurprisingly, a list arrived two days later, rolled up in a scroll thicker than it had any right being. Flitwick looked amused rather than furious or flabbergasted. He made a point of ignoring the scroll. Edelweiss sensed amusement and even victorious glee from the diminutive professor as Umbridge went a furious red.

Everyone knew something major would occur soon. Something to try and reinforce Umbridge's authority.

As the final day of April dawned, the school awoke to a loud show of crying and begging. Edelweiss sensed what was occurring long before she reached the outer courtyard, close to the main gates onto the grounds.

At the courtyard's center stood Professor Trelawney, surrounded by bags and luggage. It had been known, if implicitly, that Umbridge, in her post as the High Inquisitor, could dismiss any professor from their post. But she had never acted on those powers.

Not until today, Edelweiss thought as she glanced about the courtyard.

"Hogwarts is my home!" sobbed Trelawney. "I've known no other for sixteen years! You cannot send me away!"

"I am afraid that you are wrong," said Umbridge, prim and proper. Her pink attire clashed against the tan and grey stone around her. "While I may have been unable to dismiss you from the castle when Dumbledore was still here, I am now the Headmistress. I now have the power to both dismiss professors at my whim and ensure they can no longer pollute this fine institution with their presence. You were told quite politely at the end of March that you would leave the school at the end of April unless you were able to turn around the poor outcomes of your class."

Trelawney tried to defend herself, but she bubbled and sobbed instead. She skirted away from Umbridge when the woman took a step forward.

"We should do something," whispered Hermione.

"What would you do?" asked Edelweiss, keeping an eye on Umbridge and Trelawney. She decided against mentioning how much Hermione detested Trelawney. Edelweiss had never been impressed with the professor, but her friend was actively hateful of the woman. "What power do you have to prevent Umbridge from removing Trelawney?"

"Are you truly going to allow Umbridge to do this? To remove a professor with Dumbledore gone?"

Edelweiss paused to glance about the courtyard. Most, if not all of the student body, had gathered to watch the proceedings. Few supported Umbridge wholeheartedly with her attempt to banish Trelawney from the school. But fewer actually wanted Trelawney in the castle. What she did sense was the sinking dread that Umbridge revealed she had the power to determine who could and could not stay in Hogwarts. And for many students, they feared she might turn that power on them, now that she was willing to act upon it.

"She's digging her grave," murmured Edelweiss, her lips barely moving. "Think about what every halfblood or muggleborn is seeing play out."

Hermione said nothing. She knew what Edelweiss spoke of. Fear and uncertainty rippled off her.

"'Who will be next?' That is the question running through many, many minds," Edelweiss continued. She shot Hermione a pointed look. "You would be high on that list. A muggleborn with little influence and power—and the wrong relationships. You would be easy to remove, especially since whatever protection I could provide you has been burned to nothing thanks to Fudge and the Prophet."

Hermione took in a deep, shuddering breath. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't. I doubt the thought has crossed Umbridge's mind, but if it does…"

Edelweiss allowed the conversation to end there. She could feel Hermione's mind whirling. Hermione struggled to make sense of what she was witnessing, of what she had been told, and how it clashed against all she believed about magical Britain and Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall soon arrived, sweeping into the courtyard with Snape, Flitwick, and Spout at her heels. None looked pleased to be present. Even Professor Sprout, who was generally quite cheery.

"What is the meaning of this, Dolores?" demanded McGonagall, her Scottish brogue coming through. "The castle was awakened by screaming and crying!" She glanced at Trelawney, who flocked to McGonagall with a pathetic sop. The professor almost looked offended. She turned her offense into a dark look for Umbridge. "Is there cause to remove Sybil from the castle?"

"I have relieved her of her duties as a professor." Umbridge pursed her lips, looking briefly like a distressed frog. "It was a shame she caused such a fuss. But I had warned her that she would be dismissed should nothing change."

"There is a difference between a professor being dismissed from their post and them being completely removed from the castle. Did you ensure that Sybil would have somewhere to go once she left the castle?"

Umbridge sniffed. "I assumed her family would take her in."

"She has no remaining family. Something you would know if you were thorough with your investigations into all of us. I know you inspected the backgrounds of Severus and Fillius when you inspected their courses back during the fall term—"

"My decision is final," said Umbridge, her voice echoing out over the courtyard. "I would suggest you return to your office, Minerva. Else I reconsider your position at Hogwarts."

McGonagall sniffed before turning her back on Umbridge. She did not return to the castle as commanded. Instead, she saw to Trelawney. Edelweiss reached out with the Force, working to sieve through the churning emotions of the gathered crowd so she could focus on whatever McGonagall was planning. Would she send Trelawney to Dumbledore? Edelweiss knew the former divination professor had some legitimate prophetic ability. She had predicted that Pettigrew would flee to Voldemort's side back in her third year.

"Edie," whispered Hermione.

Edelweiss withdrew slightly from her Force sieve and turned to Hermione. "Yes?"

"What are we going to do about this? You know"—and here Hermione smiled slyly—"Dumbledore's Army."

The single regret of Edelweiss's plot to remove Albus Dumbledore from Hogwarts was his martyrdom. Behind her back, Hermione had somehow leaked that name to the defense group. And so in the hearts and minds of those she taught, Dumbledore became the symbol she desired for herself. The name had become a banner to rally under. They all knew the headmaster had been usurped from his rightful seat. And if Edelweiss's intention with the name was to remove the man from Hogwarts, none seemed to know or care.

It troubled her she did not know which, as well.

She pursed her lips. "Skive Divination. Leave the classroom of whichever quack is brought into the castle to fill Trelawney's position empty and barren."

Hermione hesitated a few seconds before nodding. Edelweiss sensed the bushy-haired girl's uneasy acceptance. She was somewhat surprised, since Hermione had very strong opinions about education and learning. Opinions that—ignoring Hermione's infamous storming out of Divination in third year—she was good at living by. Edelweiss suddenly felt a touch uneasy. She had expected pushback, no matter how futile it was. Instead, she got a quick, uneasy acceptance.

Maybe it's because she used that Dumbledore's Army name against me, Edelweiss thought sourly. She watched McGonagall escort Trelawney to the gates, Flitwick following with all of Trelawney's bags and trunks levitating behind him. Once they passed through a colonnaded arch and out onto the main lawn, Edelweiss turned away and returned to the castle.

She hungered for more than food quite suddenly.

Ron tried to settle his nerves as he entered the common room. It was late and Hermione wanted to speak alone. Without Edelweiss. He thought the request odd, but then their friend had become something strange over the course of the year. He might even admit she had been odd during the summer. But at least then something resembling the Edelweiss Potter he had known for over four years still existed.

These days, he wasn't sure if he should even call her "Edelweiss". There were even times when he thought there was something else staring out through those familiar emerald eyes.

"Over here," called out Hermione, waving him over. She had claimed the two large, plush seats by the fireplace. It was low, but still burning. Ron went over and slumped down into the other chair.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" he asked.

"It's… It's about Edie. About what she's done."

Ron frowned. "Like what?"

"She's the reason Dumbledore isn't the Headmaster anymore. She even bragged about it."

Ron froze for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Merlin's beard, Hermione! You had me worried for a moment. Edie? Plotting against Dumbledore?"

"You don't think she wouldn't? You know she hates him now."

"Sure, but you know about her crumby childhood. Edie's blamed him for it for a while now. Started some time after Sirius went back into hiding."

Hermione sighed and leaned forward. "I'm afraid it goes deeper than that. You know how I went with her to Hogsmeade right before the Christmas hols? And we talked in private?"

"Sure. What about it?"

Hermione paused again. This time, she looked over her shoulder toward the dormitory steps. Ron frowned, glancing between her and the stairs. "Is there something wrong?"

"No… It's just—" Hermione sighed. "I'm just worried about her. I'm afraid she's becoming a monster and we're powerless to stop it."

"I think she's just too obsessed with fighting You-Know-Who," said Ron. When Hermione glowered at him, he rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Always going on about how she has to fight him. She has to be the one to stop him. How she's willing to kill. I think once he's gone and all the Death Eaters are locked up in Azkaban, she'll go back to normal."

"…I wish I could share your belief, Ron. But I can't."

Ron shrugged. "Well, why don't we just ask her about the things she's keeping from us? With how she's been talking, I wouldn't be surprised if she comes clean over the summer. I doubt she'll stay with her muggles for long."

Hermione stared at him oddly. She then shook her head, bushy hair flying about. Ron was surprised by the endearing emotion that fluttered through him.

"Fine," Hermione eventually said. The way she spoke, Ron knew this would not be the end of this conversation. Not yet, anyway. "We'll see what she says about the summer. After that, we'll discuss this again."

And with that, Hermione rose to her feet and headed up to her dorm. Ron shook his head. He appreciated how much Hermione cared, but sometimes she worried too much. Edelweiss would be fine. He was certain of it. Things would go back to normal before next September. Maybe they'd even have a simple school year, or as simple you could have as NEWT students.

Great, he thought morosely. I need to study.

May arrived with a sweet breeze and a swell of anxiety. A black market of tokens, potions, and totems to aid the OWL and NEWT students through their revisions and tests arose almost overnight. Edelweiss struggled to not be buried under the massive pile of essays assigned every other night. It seemed every professor had become suddenly desperate to hammer every trace of knowledge potentially necessary for their OWLs into their soft skulls, regardless of the fact the rest acted in the same manner.

Only Professor Proudfoot took pity on them. He decided with their OWLs nearly upon them they would practice spells in class—"As long as none of you tell the Headmistress." They could not cast at each other, even when practicing shields and counters. Still, Edelweiss quickly determined the few Ravenclaws who had not joined her group purely from their mediocre ability. Their auror professor stared at her oddly a few times. She eventually realized that he was trying to figure out which spells she had taught and which she had not. It was amusing. Even so, she appreciated the revision of spells taught and practiced by her group both before and after the Christmas hols. She almost felt bad for those learning them now in the weeks before their OWLs.

Edelweiss found cause to be grateful for her dismissal from the Quidditch team. They came stumbling in most nights, sweaty and exhausted. Some final game lingered in the near distance, close to when their OWLs were. Ginny Weasley had taken up Edelweiss's spot on the team. She happened to have Edelweiss's Firebolt as well. That broom had not been confiscated from her thanks to some deception and trickery.

Ron came stumbling over to the small table Edelweiss and Hermione had commandeered one night several days into the month. He slumped over, nearly dripping sweat onto their essays.

"You look miserable," said Edelweiss, not looking up. Her nose wrinkled. "You should shower as well."

"No time," grumbled Ron. He dropped his bag onto the floor beside him. "I'm behind on my essays for Flitwick and Sprout."

"Certainly you can do that after you shower," said Hermione. She hesitated before adding, "Edie's right. You should go shower."

Ron sighed and muttered something under his breath. Edelweiss felt his frustration and annoyance. She suppressed the sudden impulse to use the dark side to ensure his future victory. The final Quidditch game of the season between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw would determine who would win the Cup. Gryffindor had to win by a major margin, or so she heard gossiped about the common room. Edelweiss had not kept track of the Quidditch Cup, busy as she was with her Sith studies and maintaining appearances.

"Maybe he's worried about falling asleep in the shower or turning in early," suggested Edelweiss, knowing neither was true. She forced a wide yawn. "I could enjoy going to sleep early as well."

"And what has you so exhausted?" demanded Hermione.

Edelweiss glanced at Ron, then back to Hermione. They were stiff. Suspicion rippled off them so heavily she knew without listening to the Force. "I'll tell you two this summer. How about that."

They exchanged a look before nodding.

They've been plotting behind my back. I'm almost impressed. I'll need to learn what they plot before I can punish them, though. That is unacceptable.

"We'll hold you to your word, Edie," said Ron. He grabbed his bag and rose to his feet. "I'm just gonna head up. I'm too tired to work on essays tonight."

And with that, Ron departed for his dormitory.

"Will you actually tell us?" asked Hermione.

Edelweiss bit back a sigh. By the time summer arrived, she would be Darth Gladiolus. The girl Hermione had been friends with for nearly five years would be dead, replaced by the Sith Lord Edelweiss was meant to become.

"You will know something by then," said Edelweiss. "As I have said time and again, I will face Voldemort soon. And when I do, I will seek to make that day his last."

Hermione nodded, seemingly satisfied. Edelweiss waited for any other questions that might be posed, but none came. She shrugged to herself and returned to work, wondering all the while in the back of her mind why she bothered. OWLs mattered naught at this point. But studying for them was expected from Edelweiss Potter. She still had that mask to maintain, no matter how much she'd like to rip it off.

And so Edelweiss sacrificed an hour writing essays about magics that no longer compelled her.

Edelweiss's head barely touched her pillow before her spectral form appeared in the Department of Mysteries. She glanced at her hands and the hazy sheen around them. Good. She did not wish to be completely present this night. The time approached for her to plot how she would draw out Voldemort. He plotted against her, or so she assumed. She suspected he desired one of the prophecies badly. One, she suspected, that connected them to begin with. He dared not enter the Hall of Prophecy, for he still practiced secrecy. Yet he, like Dumbledore, sent agents there. The Unspeakables who operated the department remained clueless about the infiltrations.

Somehow, Edelweiss would draw Voldemort to the Department of Mysteries. And there, she would end him.

On this night, she would find the source of his interest and, hopefully, put into motion the events that would lead to Voldemort's destruction. Dumbledore most certainly knew what Edelweiss sought. There was no other reason for him to place Arthur Weasley in the Hall of Prophecy back in December. She increasingly believed Voldemort sought a prophecy, though whether it concerned only him or the both of them, she did not know. Not yet.

But once she did know, she could better understand how to bring about his inevitable destruction by her hand.

Edelweiss came to the circular chamber that played the role of the Department of Mystery's entrance. In her astral form, she only needed to find the correct door and then pass through like a ghost. Annoyingly, the chamber spun about when she inspected each door. It was simple to keep track of which door led where. Yet the chamber continued to react as if she physically opened each door.

Eventually, she identified and passed through the Hall of Prophecy's door. Edelweiss paused to gaze upon the great, expansive chamber. It was cathedral-esque, with a great vaulted ceiling that tossed soft light into every corner, and walls so distant they appeared hazy. Energy buzzed in the air. She felt it with every false breath.

Edelweiss started forward, passing shelves five times her height. They held glowing prophecy orbs of white and blue on pedestals. Most would sit nicely in her hand, yet some were egg-sized while others were larger than her head. She paused to peer down a random aisle. There appeared to be small bronze or brass plaques under each orb. Identification for every prophecy stored in this great chamber.

The last time I came here, the Force drew me to a specific place before Arthur Weasley distracted me, thought Edelweiss. She closed her eyes and opened herself to the Force. Reveal yourself to me, prophecy. Come to me, destiny.

A terrible chill shot through her gut. Her prophecy was here. Her destiny. It called to her. Its energies sunk into her bones.

Edelweiss took in a long, deep breath before releasing it shakily. She started forward, walking down the chamber's center. The air was cool and stale, as though the Unspeakables did not use this chamber often. Given the impositions by both Dumbledore's Order and whomever Voldemort had set to enter or inspect the Department of Mysteries, she was surprised they had not increased their security.

That meant something else was afoot. Something that would guarantee any who entered could not steal a prophecy without authorization.

She followed the main aisle, passing shelves on shelves. She was more than halfway across the chamber when the Force drew her to an aisle she was about to pass. She hurried in that direction, soft footsteps beginning to come from her. Edelweiss frowned, realizing how present she had suddenly become. Her plan had been to determine how she would use this hall against Voldemort.

The Force alerted her when to stop. She glanced from side to side, trying to spot something—anything—that might explain why she was drawn here.

Deeper in, then.

Edelweiss entered the aisle and slowly followed it. She felt like a fish on the line, and the Force was cranking her in. She breathed heavily as she pressed forward.

And then she reached that which the Force had guided her to. She gazed upon all around her. One of the orbs glowed brighter than the rest. Her gaze went to the small plaque beneath it. She took in a great, shuddering breath.

And this explains it all, Edelweiss thought with awe and disgust in equal measure.

S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D.

Edelweiss Potter (?) & The Dark Lord Voldemort

She nearly took the prophecy from its pedestal. Edelweiss yanked her hand back as she remembered the orb would have magical defenses. She closed her eyes and used the Force as her senses. There was only one charm upon the orb. The charm would only allow those named in the prophecy to take it from its pedestal.

So it is keyed to us, thought Edelweiss. Only we can claim it. How fascinating. Yet since he's hiding from the public, how would Voldemort lure me here to claim it in his stead?

She realized what a moment later. "His essence," murmured Edelweiss, her voice hoarse and bare. Dumbledore must have feared the connection between her and Voldemort. If she had known the contents of this prophecy, then Voldemort could have learned it from her, instead of wasting time and energy scoping out the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort would have used her dreams against her, had their connection remained. He had to know she dreamed through his eyes last year.

But it was different now. Dumbledore knew she was no longer bound to Voldemort that way. Yet the Headmaster did nothing to change his war plan. It would be simple to escort her to the Hall of Prophecy and take it away. But why wouldn't he? Shouldn't he want to prevent Voldemort from knowing what it said? That was the only reason she could fathom the two men played this silly game of mind chess against each other. There had to be—

Oh! It's so obvious! Dumbledore is using the prophecy as bait. To draw out Voldemort and expose him to Fudge.

Edelweiss burst out laughing. It was a cold, cruel cackle. It echoed throughout the massive chamber. It did not matter if the Unspeakables came after her. She had realized Dumbledore's game. Why she would have her chance to slay Voldemort come June. The Dark Lord of Britain would eventually become desperate. He must know that he could no longer implant information into her head. Would he suspect that she knew of this place as well?

Likely yes. But how do I deceive him now?

She noticed something shimmer out of the corner of her eye. She glanced that way and watched the shimmer draw back to hide behind the far side of the aisle.

Could that be…?

She cloaked her person in the dark side, projecting a field of invisibility. Edelweiss returned to the main aisle, went down two, and headed for the far wall. She approached the shimmer from behind and reached out with the Force before he knew she was there.

The fool had mental defenses. But that did not surprise her. She expected that from a Death Eater. But she sensed holes in his defenses. Ones that Edelweiss could exploit, thanks to her retention of parseltongue following the cleansing.

"§Give me power and access§," she murmured, holding tightly to her growing influence over the Death Eater. Edelweiss smiled as her mental probes sunk in deep. Deep enough she could do whatever she wished and leave him unaware. "§Let us see what I can do…§"

Edelweiss did not learn the man's name. There was no point in doing so. What she did was modify his memories of her vanishing. He knew of her strange appearance, yet he knew nothing of how she came to the Hall of Prophecy. And so she implanted the suspicion she had gone to leave the chamber. He remained behind, in case she returned to inspect the prophecy again. Maybe she had noticed him. Maybe she hadn't. Regardless, Edelweiss Potter was close to the goal.

She only needed to be lured into taking the prophecy.

Let the Dark Lord wonder what I can do now that our connection is broken, Edelweiss thought as she watched the false memories take shape within the Death Eater's mind. He never gained access to my thoughts and memories concerning the Force and the dark side. Let him fear what secret powers I may have but never think they make me more powerful than him.

She retreated partially from the man's mind and impressed upon him an overriding thought with the Force: I must report to my lord. Potter is ready to be lured to the prophecy. Edelweiss stepped aside as the man, still shimmering, stumbled his way toward the Hall of Prophecy's entrance. What she had just done should be enough to draw Voldemort into her trap.

She only needed to prepare for her ascension. To complete her final tasks as Edelweiss Potter.