I shall obey my betters.
The morning after Edelweiss received her detentions from Professor Umbridge, the three chasers of Gryffindor's Quidditch team intercepted her as she entered the Great Hall. She had forgotten about Quidditch and the team, for last year's season had been canceled in favor of the Triwizard Tournament. And then she stumbled upon Lord Salazar's collection of holocrons and her future as a Sith Lord. The chasers loomed over her even though she gained several centimeters. She almost matched heights with the shortest of the three, sixth-year Katie Bell.
"What were you thinking getting detention with Professor Umbridge?" demanded Angelina Johnson, her frustration like poison. "I need you available for tryouts on Friday. Go apologize or do whatever you need to get that night cleared." Her dark, glowering eyes would have cowed the Edelweiss of a year ago. But now? She was a Sith apprentice, superior to all around her.
"Apologize? Better you should speak with Umbridge yourself," said Edelweiss. When Angelina's glower didn't let up, she sighed and added, "I would love to get out of detention with her, but I doubt she'll agree without reason—and Quidditch won't be good enough."
Angelina snorted. "You know your reason. The entire team needs to be there for tryouts."
Edelweiss blinked. In the four years since she first joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team, there had never been a need for tryouts. The team had been all but assembled when she first arrived. And after that flying lesson with the remembrall, she had readily agreed to join the team when Professor McGonagall suggested it to Oliver Wood. She realized there always would have been a need for try-outs; Oliver, team captain and keeper, graduated following her third year at Hogwarts.
"I'm the seeker, though. You only need a keeper. I don't interact with them out on the pitch."
Angelina glanced at Alicia and Katie. Both shrugged as if conceding Edelweiss's point. She knew they would not openly do so. Yet they should know Umbridge would never surrender a day's detention. Had they minded the speech from the Welcoming Feast as Edelweiss and Hermione had, they would have understood Enemy Number Two in the eyes of this year's Defense professor was Edelweiss Potter.
Enemy Number One remained Headmaster Dumbledore. Edelweiss might hate the old man, but better he remain at Hogwarts than be scattered to the four winds. For now.
"Still, it's a matter of team spirit."
Edelweiss turned to Alicia, then to Katie. Neither appeared willing to speak on her behalf. With a sigh, she muttered, "I'll try, but don't get your hopes up. You know Umbridge hates me."
"Then go to class!" hissed Angelina. "It's the reason she gave you detention in the first place!"
"Why? It's a bloody waste of time!" Edelweiss shouted back. The dark side responded to her rage, banking it like a dimming fire. "You three might have luckily dropped Defense, but I am technically required to take it until June. That wretched woman is going to scuttle the Defense scores for my year and nobody at the Ministry should be surprised when most of the Defense OWLs taken in June turn out to be Poors and Dreadfuls! Morgana's tits, they probably want that. That will give them plenty of reason to force Dumbledore out of the headmastership."
Ugh. They're making me defend him! Curse the Ministry and curse Umbridge! I'll enjoy ending her when the time comes.
Angelina grimaced and her dark skin went ashen. Katie Bell blanched while Alicia Spinnet merely looked a touch sickly. Edelweiss blinked, wondering what she had said to draw such expressions—and then she realized their gazes hovered just past her.
She turned and found a mirthful Professor Umbridge standing nearby. "Is that what you think of me, Miss Potter? One more week of detention should help sort out your priorities. And I will add another week if you do not come to class as scheduled."
Edelweiss clenched her hands tightly, her sharpened nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms. She met Professor Umbridge's gaze and grasped the Force. It flowed, dark and potent, between them. Her instincts took command, recalling what she had done to Dudley a month or so ago. The squat woman's gaze dulled and dazed as Edelweiss's power worked into her mind.
And then a thought struck Edelweiss. What did she truly know of Umbridge's intentions? Yes, the woman likely wanted to remove Dumbledore. But what else? What other powers did the Ministry intend for Hogwarts? What else did they intend for her?
She withdrew her powers, scrubbing over any awareness Umbridge might have had that someone meddled with her mind.
The foul woman blinked. She frowned, but only said, "Best you be in class, Miss Potter."
Edelweiss nodded and then turned away. She headed to the Gryffindor table. She had learned something useful: Umbridge was heavily susceptible to the Force.
Despite having stormed out once and suffered a second time, Edelweiss dreaded entering Umbridge's classroom. It was a reminder of her weakness, of the weakness she would expel once she became Darth Gladiolus. But the moment for that was not at hand. She just knew it, though whether it was the Force as a whole or the dreaded Cosmic Force telling her, she did not know.
She shocked Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike as she entered. They stared as she set her bag down between Hermione and Ron, reclaiming the seat she had occupied and abandoned during their first session. Professor Umbridge shot Edelweiss a vicious, victorious grin. Yet she suspected the woman would have been as happy to assign an extra week of detention. Punishment came before instruction for one Delores Umbridge.
After all, what were her classes but punishment? They most certainly did not learn anything of use.
Once seated, Edelweiss drew out the assigned text, some parchment, and a quill. Hermione shifted her massive inkpot into place between them. Surprisingly, Professor Umbridge said nothing about it.
The period passed with them only taking notes from the fourth chapter of Defensive Magical Theory, which was concerned with the Ministry's list of illegal spells and the reasons why. While some made sense to Edelweiss, like the Unforgivables, she did not understand why others were on the list. A few hexes and jinxes that got tossed around the halls of Hogwarts were present, though those spells had fee punishments instead of time in Azkaban. Stunning spells and disarming charms had not made the list, though the author included a passage that suggested he believed spells of that nature—being more suitable for combat and defense than daily living—should be heavily regulated if not outright banned for civilian use. There was even skepticism toward dueling as anything more than childish foolery that injured valuable future members of society.
"What a load of tosh," grumbled Hermione.
Edelweiss glanced over and nearly gaped at what her friend was doing. Instead of taking notes, she openly annotated her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. Very heavily, given the tremendous amount of excess ink on each page. She risked a glance at Professor Umbridge. She watched Hermione carefully with a pinched expression, yet she did nothing to stop the bushy-haired girl from marking up the book before her. Odds were since Umbridge had not attempted to stop Hermione, the annotation had occurred during the class Edelweiss skipped the prior day.
Meeting with Naga Sadow and learning about Sith alchemy had been worth the absence. And Edelweiss hoped to find some way out of her detentions, unless she could find another route forward—and out of this class entirely.
She thought over what detentions Umbridge would issue to her. She doubted it would be anything worse than writing lines. Though perhaps the woman was crafty enough to try "honey" instead of "vinegar", as the saying went. Edelweiss had no reason to like the woman, but if Professor Umbridge dared suspect Edelweiss was anything other than Dumbledore's loyal pawn, then she would be a fool to not attempt to build rapport between them.
It would be amusing if she got handed a cup of tea, spiked with a potion like veritaserum. She might even test her powers in the dark side and drink from that meddled cup.
Class continued without anything of interest occurring. When the bell rang, only Edelweiss rose to her feet. She froze at the nervous glances sent her way. After a moment of hesitation, she sat back down.
"Thank you, Miss Potter, for remembering where you are," Umbridge said sickly-sweet. "For next Thursday, I expect all of you to write nine inches about the chapter you read today. I am curious what your thoughts on it are. Do leave behind your homework from yesterday.
"You are all dismissed."
They left the classroom in a rush, only Hermione and Ron leaving behind homework. After several steps, Hermione snarled, "I cannot believe that cow! She's holding back our education because Minister Fudge is too cowardly to see reason!"
Edelweiss rolled her eyes. "Why would you expect anything different from him? Fudge was a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts and has been receiving bribes from Lucius Malfoy for years, if not a full decade. The man might have been willing to give his job to Dumbledore if asked years ago. But now? With the threat of war over his head after years of peace?" She glanced over her shoulder, back to the classroom they left. Umbridge lingered at the threshold, watching them with a dark glower. The professor dared not follow them, yet certainly, she could know what they discussed.
She turned her back on Umbridge and grumbled, "He's afraid his legacy will be that of weakness or failure. He's right, but the fact we're suffering as a result… The damned fool is too worried about what Dumbledore might do that he forgets about the rest of us. Just look at who he installed into Hogwarts."
"We should do something about Defense," Hermione said. Ron nodded in agreement. "That'd be a start."
"Leave me out of it," Edelweiss said, waving her hand. "I have enough trouble with Professor Umbridge without crossing her so brazenly." She glared at Hermione as her mouth opened with a ready response. "I already received detentions because I dared defy her. Were I not so busy, I would be happy to aid you, Hermione. You speak of rebellion in the halls of Hogwarts"—and at that she grinned maliciously—"and I would not mind that."
Hermione dragged Edelweiss into a nearby alcove. Ron hesitated, daring not to follow them into the alcove. "And what is so important you can't do something, Edie? Any other year and we'd already be discussing—"
"I cannot tell you, Hermione. I am not keeping this secret lightly, but it must remain so."
Hermione crossed her arms and glared. Ron frowned.
"Don't give me that glare!" hissed Edelweiss. "As it is, I plan to tell nobody about this secret. Not until the time is right." And I stand over the corpses of my foes. "For now, I'm more concerned over the two—no, it's become three weeks now—"
"Three weeks? She gave you three weeks of detention?"
"Yes, and if we are frank, it does not matter in the grand scheme," said Edelweiss, waving a casual hand at Hermione's concern. "I have no reason to worry or fear what she may do. The worst she might attempt is to spike a cup of tea with a potion. Perhaps a calming draught or that truth potion Snape pumped into the Death Eater posing as Mad-Eye last year." She grinned crookedly. "Imagine her shock when I tell her how Voldemort returned to his powers."
"Or maybe she'll ask you about Sirius!" Hermione hissed.
Edelweiss shook her head. "She has no reason to ask after him. Anyways, he's safe behind the wards at Number Twelve. Worse comes to worse, I blackmail Madam Bones into giving him a trial. That will make Fudge's day."
Hermione was unconvinced. Edelweiss put an end to Hermione's questioning by stepping out of the alcove and heading for Gryffindor Tower, ignoring Ron's strangled outburst as she stormed by him. When she was not followed, she paused and glanced back. Edelweiss had assumed Hermione or even Ron would follow after her. Instead, her friends had gone elsewhere.
Maybe Lord Sadow spoke true when he rebuked me. I am allowing a useful tool to slip through my fingers.
Edelweiss lingered and considered how to rebuild the bond slipping through her fingers. Apologizing would be the best way to put things right between them, yet any wrong that she might have done to Hermione came about because of how Hermione betrayed her. And annoyingly, Hermione was accustomed to being the smartest and cleverest person in her peer circle. It was difficult getting her friend to admit when she was in the wrong. She continued to defend her choice to inform Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt Edelweiss received for Christmas in her third year, justifying it by her suspicion Sirius Black sent it. And while the Firebolt had not been cursed or jinxed, it had come to light at the end of the year that Sirius had indeed sent her the broom.
And Hermione used that as justification she made the right decision, despite being proven wrong on the dangers of the broom.
Edelweiss sighed. She had a feeling that handling Hermione would prove most frustrating. Ron was simple to deal with; like the other Gryffindor boys, he was interested in girls, food, and the rare magical talent he possessed. For Ron, that would be chess and Quidditch.
Maybe I can start playing chess with him again? Some of the tactical skills there would be useful to a Sith Lord…
Edelweiss received cold shoulders and estranged stares from her fellow Gryffindors following her early dinner. Whether their attitude emerged from her absurd detentions or her perceived lack of dedication to the Quidditch team, she did not know. All she knew was that their stares irritated her. Her connection to the dark side grew strong, thanks to her irritation.
Yet Edelweiss did not leave the common room early. She still had time before her detention with Professor Umbridge, and yet she neither desired to wander the corridors of Hogwarts nor to find some other place to spend her time. She did have essays to write for her other classes, yet her thoughts lingered on the looming detention and what Umbridge would have her do. That would help dictate how she handled the matter.
Her susceptibility to the Force means I can warp her mind to whatever ends I desire. It'd be too suspicious to outright kill her, but to warp her thoughts? To make her a puppet? I could do that…
But I will restrain myself until I know what she has waiting for me.
She finally left the common room to ensure she reached Professor Umbridge's office right at seven o'clock, her mostly emptied school bag tossed over a shoulder. Edelweiss knocked as a bell tolled through the halls of Hogwarts. A response of "Come in, Miss Potter!" sounded between two tolls. Edelweiss opened the door and paused upon the threshold as her gaze wandered the re-decorated Defense professor's office.
The walls and ceiling were coated with an eye-watering shade of pink wallpaper. The dark wood flooring she had appreciated from Lupin's tenure was hidden by pink carpet, along with a large rug a few shades darker placed at the room's center. Thick ribbons bearing eight porcelain plates hung evenly along the walls, with each plate displaying a kitten of a unique breed.
Professor Umbridge waited, sitting behind a large desk identical to the one in the Defense classroom. Two chairs sat before her desk, though only one had a roll of parchment and a black quill set before it.
There was no inkpot beside the quill.
Edelweiss frowned.
"Take a seat, Miss Potter. You'll be writing lines tonight."
Edelweiss slowly crossed to the seat, a touch relieved that her suspicion she would be forced to write lines had been proven right. She dragged the chair back, sat down, and scooted forward. She went to grab a pot of ink from her bag when Professor Umbridge cleared her throat with a small "hem hem".
"Yes?" she asked, a hand in her bag.
"You won't need any ink."
Her gaze went to the strange black quill, then to Professor Umbridge's wide smile. Edelweiss sighed lightly and nodded. She reached out, picked up the quill, and rolled it between a pair of fingers. She discovered a hint of coppery red up the quill's black length. She reached out with the Force, brushed her power against the quill, and then swallowed a gasp. Something cruel was embedded into the quill akin to the cursed objects that littered the House of Black. The darkness encroached on Edelweiss as she held it. After a moment, she allowed the darkness in. She suffered disappointment when the quill's dark magic failed to resonate with the cold touch of the dark side.
She wondered what Umbridge planned for her with this strange quill.
"What will I be writing?" asked Edelweiss, quill in hand. She unfurled the roll and found no line at the top for her to copy.
"You will write 'I shall obey my betters'."
Fury erupted within Edelweiss. Her immediate impulse, thanks to her growing connection to the dark side of the Force, was to bathe Umbridge in a lethal torrent of Force lightning. She remembered the inky bolts she had unleashed upon the dementors over the summer. A wave of euphoria nearly swept over her, imagining how it would be to wield that power against Umbridge. But doing so would draw unwanted and undue attention to her.
"How many lines will I write?" she asked, struggling to maintain restraint. Edelweiss could not allow suspicion to dawn upon her.
"You will write until the words sink in."
Edelweiss stared at the quill she held and focused her senses. She felt its power and how the cruel grasp of the quill ended at her wrist. Its energy was concentrated in her hand, especially upon the back. She set the quill to parchment and wrote the first line: 'I shall obey my betters.' The back of her hand itched. The sensation was faint, just like the crimson letters she had written.
Edelweiss glanced up at Professor Umbridge. The woman sipped her tea, a pleased smile marring her drawn face.
She continued writing lines, her jaw clenched. The itching grew worse as bloody letters started emerging on the back of her hand. She knew long before the first word emerged clearly what it would say:
I shall obey my betters.
The only betters I have are the Sith Lords who came before me, she thought bitterly. And one day I shall grow beyond them all. That is the duty of all apprentices. To be greater and stronger than those who trained them.
Her burning, wrathful feelings rippled outward. She suddenly felt the crimson crystal far below in the Chamber of Secrets. It resonated with her power, reinforcing what she felt. Edelweiss shivered as that familiar ripple of the dark side filled her.
Edelweiss glanced up at Umbridge. She continued sipping her tea, watching as her torture continued.
One day, I shall kill you, Dolores Umbridge, Edelweiss mentally swore to herself. At the very moment your power is at its greatest, I shall cast you down into a pit of your own making. In that final moment, all you will know is Darth Gladiolus and the wrath that sits buried in her heart.
She ended up writing the same line for almost two hours. Edelweiss had reached the bottom of the roll provided and flipped over to the backside. The bright words on the back of her hand wept coppery tears. Professor Umbridge eventually set down her long empty cup.
"Let me take a look," said Umbridge, her sausage fingers grasping Edelweiss's right hand. She made a tutting sound as she inspected the bloody letters. "It appears it will take some time for these words to fully sink in." She smiled widely. "Remember, Miss Potter. Seven o'clock."
"Of course, Professor."
But instead of rising to her feet, Edelweiss grabbed the power of the dark side that had filled her throughout the ordeal. Already any sting or ache in her right hand had faded, though the skin had not yet healed. The blood dried, leaving dark flaking streaks. She alloweditst searing power to flow through her veins as she held Umbridge's confused gaze. Only once she was confident she had enough power stoked within did she reach out and begin to influence the woman before her.
"But I will not be here," Edelweiss said, voice augmented by her power in the Force. Umbridge's eyes dulled as the Force swayed her mind to be open and susceptible to all Edelweiss said. "You will believe that I come for each and every detention you assign me, acting as though I am present. You will do nothing to prevent me from skipping your class, nor will you act upon any suspicion that I have deceived you." She then smiled cruelly. "Do you understand?"
"Of course, mistress," Umbridge said, sounding as though her wits had been muddled. "You will be here but not for detention. I will do nothing to force you to attend my class. And I will ignore my suspicions about you." She then smiled viciously. "Seven o'clock on Monday, Miss Potter. I will see you then."
Edelweiss then smirked. "I am certain you will," she whispered as she departed Umbridge's office.
September continued with sunny days. Able to skip Defense Against the Dark Arts at her leisure, Edelweiss found a second home in the Chamber of Secrets as she continued to study the ways of the dark side. Between her master, Lord Salazar, and Naga Sadow, there was always something new to study: a new Force power, some philosophy, and most importantly the ways of Sith alchemy.
Umbridge did not bother to levy extra detentions, for the ones already assigned would lead them into the end of the current month. The school began gossiping about the apparent laxness being shown. But given that Edelweiss left the Gryffindor common room every school night for a seven o'clock detention, they quickly assumed that the detentions were being used to cover whatever Edelweiss missed from class.
Not that she missed anything. On a lark, she did as Hermione had and read all of Defensive Magical Theory. Just as her friend said before their first worthless class, the textbook was a waste of parchment and ink. Edelweiss destroyed her copy one evening, using it as target practice. While her master had praised her ability to pour raw power into her Force lightning, Lady Bastila had been critical of her lacking accuracy. Her master had been right to point out her difficulties with accuracy, which had troubled Edelweiss. She was a witch. Her holly wand had been her greatest weapon until recently. Her aim should be far superior to what she had been capable of with the dark side of the Force. That it took her seven tries to strike the book and burn it only annoyed her, or so she convinced herself.
She could handle annoyance better than frustration.
Her time with Naga Sadow was also dedicated to her studies of magical runes and arithmancy. Given their value to her studies of Sith alchemy, the ancient Sith Lord thought it prudent for her to push forward with her studies as they related to her world as well. "Without a strong foundation, your aptitude for Sith alchemy with falter and flagger. I may have had ages to advance my studies and practices, but you do not have the same opportunities before you, child."
"And that is why I am here, Lord Sadow. I wish to live and to destroy my foes. To be a Sith… That shall ensure my victory."
He smirked and then nodded. "Then I have high expectations for you, apprentice. Exceed them, and you shall hold the world in your grasp without question."
Edelweiss bowed her head. "I shall exceed your every expectation, master."
"Good. Now, I wish for you to return to those texts about analysis. The more I know of how your magical systems work, the easier it shall become to devise how we shall destroy that hated enemy of yours…"
And so Edelweiss spent those hours learning at Naga Sadow's feet, even as Umbridge believed her to be in her office, writing the same line over and over: I shall obey my betters.