Chapter 19

To find the Slytherin Aces, it was quite the trek. I couldn't find them anywhere so it got to the point where I had to find Whitehorn to even have a chance of finding them. I hated the fact they were so secretive but I couldn't blame them. I had my own secrets hiding in my shadow.

She sat in the library with fellow Seventh years trying to study for their NEWT exams. I knew interrupting their studying would be inbeneifical but I had to find them. I had spoken to her maybe once before but never by myself.

"What is it, Potter?" she asked lightly, skimming through her notes page by page. "It isn't a good time."

"I need a word with you," I said to her. "All four of you."

She knew which four I was talking about, raising her eyebrows lightly before she packed away. Her friends knew I wasn't talking to them so they let her go with ease. Molly Whitehorn flicked her hair over her shoulder before picking up her bag.

She was much taller than me when she stood, turning her head to prompt me to follow her.

"This better be important, Potter," her words were not cold but they held no tone of emotion. A pure void of feeling. Her dark eyes didn't help, deep pools of something not quite there, a darkness of some magnitude that the normal Wixen would have described it as just a lack of emotions, or, in the cases of people like me, who saw exactly what was there.

Nothing.

I ignored this and continue on, frowning, "When Umbridge is involved, it is."

Whitehorn hardened her jaw, the first true twitch surfacing, "That bitch again, huh? We'll see about her. Let's find the boys before anything. If this is about her and us, it must be important, huh, Potter?"

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, faintly smiling. I returned it. We reached the cage of the restricted area and she made me wait there. She went off to find the boys, quickly returning with all three. Theo shot towards me.

"What did the bitch do?" he asked instantly, looking over me for any injuries. "She didn't hurt you, did she? She's been known to use her blood quill on students."

I rolled my eyes. "She put Veritaserum in my tea and I drank it,"

Whitehorn craned her neck around a bookshelf before frowning, "Let's move this conversation to the Head suite. One of you escort her."

She put her hand on the nearest wall. It shook as a door materialised out of the stone wall, shimmering into existence. Ever the gentleman, Theo opened the door as she strode in, passing without a word.

"Escort me?" I crossed my arms tightly, cocking a hip with attitude like the teenager I was. I even raised an eyebrow to emphasise my point. "And where do this thing go to exactly? And how? Like what kind of Magic could make th—"

I slapped Draco's incoming hand to cover my mouth.

"Cover my mouth and I'll bite your hand," I slapped his hand away with a glare.

I had no shame in saying those words because I was completely willing to go along with my threat. Ever since I had that Mandrake leaf in my mouth, and with my need to wait until the next storm, I had an ache in my bones. I needed to sink my teeth into something, Magically or not, I didn't know.

I stated my next words clearly, "I'm not going somewhere I don't know."

"Right, well, I've had enough," Theo clasped his hands together, looking at each of them before landing on me. "Viktoria, darling, don't kill me."

He stepped close before crouching, almost like he went from one location and appeared in the other, arms reaching out for me. My view changed, now higher as he tucked my withering form onto his shoulder, letting me claw at his back in retaliation. My clawing moved his untucked shirt, making it ride a few inches up. A glimmer of something on his skin, like golden thread stitched into his skin.

The lowest bit of a warded Rune circle glowed on his back. I could only see the bottom of the Rune circle, the tail going further down his back and below his trousers. I didn't dare raise it anymore. I needed to figure what it was myself.

I hadn't seen it when we went for a swim in the Inferi pool. Maybe he had a way of glamouring it to be hidden when he wanted.

I didn't fight after that, letting Theo carry me like a sack of potatoes. One of his hands were on my thigh but that was to keep me secure. They didn't roam and I was glad for it. After that situation at Lupercalia, I didn't want to know what emotion could stir up.

"It's only a passage any Ace can create," he said as he went through a small side passage, looking like every other passage with stone wall and floor. "It's only accessible for Aces, so one of us would have had to hold your hand or be touching you all the way through. Don't need that now, do we?"

I went to kick his chest but he held my legs down, tightening his hold on me. I kneed him instead. He laughed and patted my thigh as we went through the passage and neared the door. We went through and I was promptly put on my feet just outside the threshold as we filed in.

The Head common room, saved for the Head Girl and Boy of each year, was a dark marble masterpiece. It was covered from chandelier-lit ceiling to the rug covered floor. The windows were huge and clear, like there was no glass.

Whitehorn sat on the crisp white leather sofas, waiting for us. I strode over, taking the white recliner as my throne. I sat back and waited until the boys were seated, all on the same sofa.

"Let's get to the point," I started before anything else could be spoken about. "The pink bitch called me into her new office. She's Headmistress now. I don't know where Dumbledore went. She wants to know all of your identities. She's completely against the concept of Magic choosing you to protect Hogwarts. She's enlisted a group of students. I don't know who they are or how many. I can't be the only one she demanded to find out."

"And what did you say?" Draco said slowly, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I told her your identities," I said with fully serious expression. I watched their faces crack with anger and horror. I snorted a laugh, crossing my legs at the knee. "I'm not stupid. I told her I knew jackshit but how I would be oh so overjoyed to serve her. She thinks I know nothing so she'll assume the boys aren't Aces."

I was speaking more to Molly Whitehorn then.

"You can feed her information about others then," she said, taking a moment to think and nod. "Keep her from sticking her nose into places it shouldn't be."

I nodded. "I can do that."

"Those who already know won't say anything," Blaise said. "The curse stops them. There aren't many people, mostly in our year."

"Starting a rumour won't be hard," I said. "Keep people talking about two dozen people, random people we would never look at twice. I can keep Umbridge busy with that as long as other people are saying similar things. I won't be here over Ostara so I'll start as soon as possible."

"I can secure the fact rumours will spread within my year," Whitehorn said. "As soon as one of us says something, it barrels down the school. It'll keep Umbridge busy. Thank you for telling us, Potter."

I nodded my confirmation.

)()()(

Every waking moment I wasn't busy with dealing with Daphne and Pansy, or the Aces, or Umbridge as of late, I spent it with Snape as per his schedule allowance. He still had his duties as Potion Master and Head of Slytherin, alongside his newly resumed life in Death Eater ranks, and his new mentorship of me. I wasn't slacking off. I wasn't messing around. I stuck to my goals and strived to achieve them.

I told the plan to Pansy and Daphne as soon as I was allowed by the Aces, which was straight after the meeting. I had three days before the holidays began. I would make my way to the Greengrass manor to celebrate the Ostara. A full ball was taking place and it was making me nervous.

On the first morning of the three days left, Umbridge was declared Headmistress and the rumours of who exactly were the Aces began. I started them at the Slytherin table, where I, alongside Pansy, Daphne and all the Slytherin Aces received a little letter from Umbridge.

A new group was made called the The Inquisitorial Squad, a silver badge in the letter. It listed what we could do. Patrolling curfew and docking points were new ones, the latter being something that even Prefects couldn't do.

All of us slipped our badges on, alongside Crabbe and Goyle.

By first lesson, it had spread that a Forth year was possibly an Ace. Even the teachers heard about it. Their name had never been revealed, only a super vague description which could be any of them.

Care of Magical Creatures was ever as easy and as I was leaving with my friends, my brother and his friends stopped me.

"Where are you staying over Easter?" he asked. "McGonagall said you signed the list to leave Hogwarts. She asked me where you were staying."

I hummed a laugh, "Certainly not Privet Drive but I'm back to the house before I go Daphne's." I smiled at her.

"My family is having a ball for the ton," she said smugly. "We've invited everyone of importance. Only the most influential are invited. My mother always said a lady should be presented to the ton when she's ready."

"The ton?"

"She's referring to Wixen nobility," Granger said, clutching her book of monsters tightly. "Very old, very powerful families. Almost all of the Sacred Twenty-Seven are nobility."

"My family ain't," Weasley pointed out.

Pansy scrunched up her nose, "Only families of worth are nobility."

"She's only a Halfblood," Granger said accusingly, her eyes narrowing. "Why would she introduced to them?"

Pansy's hand went for my forearm, linking me to her as she glared at them, putting herself between us. She was protecting me like I was her own. That was exactly what I wanted, what I needed for my plan to work.

"His little stunt forfeited any right he has to his title," Daphne was talking about Harry and how he tried to attack me. "We've let in Halfbloods because of the need to expand the bloodlines. As long as they have a Pureblood parent, or exceptional power, we've let them in. Viktoria has both."

"Like favours like," Pansy said before pushing off her heels and pivoting. "We're going to be late to second lesson."

)()()(

Even after hours of travelling on the Hogwarts Express back to London, Pansy, Daphne and I walked off the train with the elegance of a well-bred lady and style of a fashion icon. It wasn't unusual to see us dress like this, dressed our absolute best at all times. When we went to class, we weren't as fussed but still dressed nicely.

Because of our shiny new badges from Umbridge, we got priority to leave the train first. As usual, Warrington and Bletchley walked me out of the station and into the normal King's Cross.

When the usual sleek black car reversed cleanly into a space in the taxi line, tiny flags attached to the front and back, marking it as important, I knew I was in trouble. The passenger window went down and Sirius snapped his fingers at me, pointing to the seat.

I slipped in without a word to Warrington and Bletchley as they started their own ways home. The door locked instantly and Sirius put his foot down, smoking a cigarette out of his window.

He glanced at me as we sped through London traffic like it spread apart for us. I realised we didn't go straight to Grimmauld Place, instead we went around London, continuously in random ways.

"I prefer a motorbike but we can't talk on one of them," Sirius said, ashing his cigarette. He grabbed the pack, throwing it in the air as it got caught by his Magic. The lid came off and a new cigarette floated to me. I took a drag.

"Muggle," I said, nodding in satisfaction as I opened my window. "Why did you pick me up? I thought you weren't allowed out of the house."

"Things have changed, Viktoria," he said coldly, dark eyes on the road. "Because of you."

"What?" I snapped. "What did I do?"

"Harry sent me a letter saying your friends are Slytherins, which I wouldn't mind usually. There are some good people in Slytherin but a Greengrass and Parkinson? And you're going to a debutante ball on Ostara?" a look of relief came before it faded. "Thank the gods I found out before you left Grimmauld Place."

"So what? I was invited by Daphne. Her family is hosting it," I said like it was no big deal. I had to pretend it was but his scathing look told me he didn't believe it.

"Your little lessons with Snape, what are they a cover for? Why would you be taught Wandless and Wordless Magic alongside Occlumency?" he said to me before muttering under his breath. "Harry was only given Occlumency."

I scrunched my nose. "Well, I'm not Harry,"

"Exactly. You have no link to Voldemort. Why is Dumbledore getting Snape to train you? Train you for what? He wouldn't have you trained for nothing…" He turned to me, eyes off the road but his hands kept the wheel in check, gliding effortlessly through the continuous London traffic. When he came to realisation I feared he'd have, the destination of all his questions, his eyes hardened and hands gripped the steering wheel. "He made you a spy."

I lowered my gaze.

I heard a shuddering sigh, turning to watch Sirius pull up at Grimmauld place and escort me inside. He held me by the shoulder, walking us over to the room where a collection of Order members were, alongside Dumbledore.

A map was set up on the table but apparently they weren't expecting us back just yet. Dumbledore's soft smile dropped at the sight of us, Sirius's hand on my shoulders while a firm curl of anger was on his lips. I had never seen that dark look on my godfather's face, but I hadn't known him that long.

"I need a word alone with Sirius," Dumbledore said to the room, standing up.

We followed him to the living room, lit up with the fireplace and floating candles. I sat on the sofa Sirius pointed to. As soon as I sat down and the door was closed and room charmed to silence, Sirius turned to Dumbledore.

"What did you do?" his voice was ice cold, sounding like Silver. That Ghost sat next to me, petting my hair as I sat back, watching everything unfold before me. Sirius' shoulders were hunched and hands clenched by his sides. I could almost see the electrifying Magic sparking on his skin. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"What do you mean, Sirius? I have done nothing,"

If he didn't keep his fists by his side, he would throw a punch. He couldn't and wouldn't, not at Dumbledore. Even in his rage, something Silver would like to call sparking pissed, when you were so angry that your Magic started reacting too. I had it happen a few times but Silver knew to calm me down.

"You made her… a spy!" his voice quivered, pointing a finger at him before gesturing to me while never taking his eyes off the old Wizard in front of him. "You're training a child to be a spy for you. She's only a kid!"

"A child with purpose, Mr Black," Dumbledore straightened his shoulders, coldly looking at both of us. "If you cannot accept my plan, I do not think you are a fit for the Order."

"I have been here from the start!" Sirius shouted. "I have a right to be in the Order. I was sent to Azkaban for twelve years. I never got to see them grown up. My own godkids! I'm not letting you take Viktoria's childhood away."

Dumbledore didn't even look at me. "She has made her choice."

Silver sighed and shook his head slowly, "A decision of one is not a choice."

My words came out as a mutter, "As if I had a choice."

Sirius whirled back at him, giving him the darkest look I had ever seen on this man. "You didn't give her a choice? You didn't give her an option of staying out of all of this? You're forcing a kid into a war, a war she has no need to be in."

"If Harry's involved, so am I," I said loudly, gathering my courage. "If Voldemort is back and Harry is in danger, I'm going to help."

"No, you're not," Sirius pointed a finger at me and I had the urge to bite it off. "You're going to finish attending Hogwarts."

"There won't be a Hogwarts if Voldemort kills all of us," I sat up, leaning to rest my elbows on my legs. I stared at Sirius as he sent a calculating look at me.

"And how do you suppose you'll get into his ranks?" Sirius tried.

I hung my head a little in shame. "Ostara will be my introduction."

His face fell before anger replaced it, turning to Dumbledore with clenched teeth and a desire to seek revenge. I could almost sense it myself, feeling the dark energy in the air as he stared Dumbledore in the face, unafraid and unbroken from in his years in Azkaban.

"You're letting him near her?"

Like a flip was switched, Sirius changed. If I hadn't watched the change myself, I wouldn't have believed it. There was a different edge to him now, a sharpness that added to his movements. Every twitch was accounted for, every word now calculated.

Like a true Black.

"She's not going alone."

"I do not know what you are insinuating, Mr Black?" Dumbledore raised his chin. "What is it you are trying to achieve?"

"How much can a person change in twelve years in Azkaban?" he almost shrugged but decided for a simple tilt of the head. "Apparently, a lot. If you think I'm going to let Viktoria be a spy for you, you're more stupid than I thought. I'm going to introduce Viktoria to the Pureblood nobility, in Black fashion."

"If you do this, you cannot come back from it, Sirius," the old wizard said, clasping his hands together. "The world will know you as complete traitors if you go along with your plan. No one can know your plan. Viktoria is to be a traitor to her brother, on Voldemort's side by my orders. Harry will know you as a traitor unless you can end the war."

That struck me.

Something in my chest hurt, ached like a stone on my chest. I didn't realise that not telling Harry was part of the plan. I knew our relationship wasn't the best but I wanted him to still care about me. To see the way he looked at me at the moment he raised his wand at me, I knew I could handle the pain of knowing my brother, my own twin, my other half would hate me.

I had to handle it.

"You don't have to do this, Sirius," I told him earnestly. "You don't have to leave your family behind."

His long hair, looking ever like a mane around his head, obscured one of his eyes when he tilted his head. His hand was warm on my shoulder.

"You are my family, Viktoria," his words were a comfort. "If Harry needs to believe I am a traitor, I can deal with it if it means I can help keep you and Harry alive."

"Very well then," Dumbledore nodded to himself. "You'll be assuring me that Viktoria's plans are set in stone."

Silver smiled.

"Even the most wise should know the moves of their most dangerous pawns."