Come-and-Go

The evening following their meeting at the Hog's Head, Edelweiss gathered Ron and Hermione by the roaring fire in their common room. She muttered gibberish under her breath as she used her strength in the Force to warp the space around them and ensure their conversation would be private. Whether or not it would work was unknown to her. All she knew was that the Force and her magic both operated off intent. That meant she should be able to impose her will on the space around her. Hopefully. Then again, she had waited until the common room had cleared out before acting. Ron seemed completely oblivious to what she did, whereas Hermione flinched and looked around with a wild look in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Edelweiss said. "I don't want to risk any unseen eavesdroppers."

Not that I wouldn't sense them first. Someone might be lingering on the stairs up to the dorm, but they're far enough away they don't concern me.

Hermione frowned. "Truly?"

Ron snorted. "Doubt Edie would claim something's true if it weren't, Hermione. You know how she is. Did either of us doubt her when she confessed to using the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hermione scowled at him and then turned back to Edelweiss. "I want to know how you set that ward up."

"I cannot teach you," admitted Edelweiss. "For you do not have the potential."

And she was honest about it. Edelweiss had checked. Hermione did not possess a bone in her body that was sensitive to the Force. She seemed resistant to its power, but then her mind was fortified against most manipulations.

Hermione gritted her teeth. She looked ready to argue about the Force—about something she knew nothing of—but after several long seconds, she sighed and gave up the point. She then asked, "Why did we need to wait until the common room cleared to talk?"

"Because I desired it. We need to discuss our little defense club and where we're going to hold it," Edelweiss said. "I will not allow others access to the Chamber of Secrets. It is mine. It has been that since I slew the basilisk and it will remain mine as long as I breathe."

"I… I wasn't going to propose using the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione said, exchanging a nervous look with Ron. "Even if the idea did cross my mind."

Edelweiss raised a doubtful eyebrow. "It would be poetic…"

Hermione nodded, though her face was ashen. "That it would be. Using the Chamber to train Volde… Voldemort's enemies, that is."

Ron squawked. Edelweiss blinked and her anger cooled. A wave of warm pleasure flowed through her. Finally, Hermione showed she possessed the strength to utter Voldemort's assumed name when so many flinched and panicked at its mere utterance. She glanced at her first friend, who was busy glancing between Edelweiss and Hermione as though they were mad, and wondered what it would take for him to garner that strength.

Then again, he was probably right to think them mad. In time, she would be spoken of in the same way. Perhaps none would flinch at the name of "Gladiolus" the way they flinched at "Voldemort". She would certainly be spoken of with the same tone: fear and awe.

Edelweiss shivered at the thought. She quickly masked it by muttering, "Poetic, huh…" At Hermione's uncertain frown, she added, "I imagine Voldemort would be furious if he knew I routinely used the Chamber of Secrets to become stronger. He must have viewed the Chamber as his oasis within the miasma that is Hogwarts."

She as honest enough with herself to know she projected her own experience on to Voldemort. After Dumbledore told her of how similar they were at the end of her second year, she wondered about who that young Tom Riddle was like during the summer hols between her second and third year. What would sharing a common room have been like? Classes, the Great Hall, all of Hogwarts. She had felt ashamed about her elective choices then. But when she thought to write McGonagall, her courage failed her. How could she explain her change to others?

Now, Edelweiss knew she had been foolish. How much further would she be along her chosen path had she taken Runes and Arithmancy instead of Divination and Care of Magical Creatures?

Perhaps I would be free of Voldemort's tainted essence by now.

"Still, there must be other secrets within the walls of Hogwarts," Edelweiss said as she leaned back into her plush chair. Were she sleepy, she would have certainly yawned. "Dumbledore once mentioned he stumbled upon a room filled with chamber pots when he needed a bathroom. I'm certain the Twins have stumbled upon similar in their time here." Edelweiss hummed and crossed her arms. Her brows furrowed deeply. "But to not be on the Map…"

"Maybe it can't be Plotted," suggested Hermione. "Like Grimmauld Place."

"Perhaps. But then how would we find it?"

Ron, who had been looking between them like a tennis ball in action, said, "We could always ask the house elves. If anyone would know, it'd be them. Plus"—and here he glanced at Hermione strangely—"we haven't spoken to Dobby or Winky this year."

Edelweiss noted how Hermione perked up and beamed at Ron. He blushed in turn, and she had to swallow an aggrieved sigh. She did not wish to witness whatever strange courtship her friends were caught up in play out before her. So she turned her thoughts inward. Freeing Dobby had been the easiest victory of her second year, and she realized she had never completely taken advantage of his loyalty to her. Edelweiss allowed the odd house elf to be bound to Hogwarts, and thus to Dumbledore. A foolish choice, but one she could not undo. Only once Dumbledore was dead could she take Dobby into her confidence and make him a tool of her will.

She made her decision suddenly and cleared her throat. Hermione and Ron frowned as she grinned crookedly and summoned: "Dobby!"

Edelweiss had once heard the phrase "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery". She wished she could recall when or where, for that phrase immediately leaped to mind the moment Dobby appeared before her. The house elf painfully resembled Albus Dumbledore, complete with a lucidly colored robe and hat. He even wore a fake silvery beard. She was half-tempted to yank the beard from pure curiosity.

At least Dobby forewent those infuriating half-moon spectacles.

"Missy Edie Potter!" squeaked Dobby. Edelweiss knew she had been right to wait until the common room was empty, for not even the Force could keep this house elf a secret for long. "What can Dobby bes doing for you?"

"I have a question: is there a secret room within Hogwarts? One that can only be accessed under specific conditions?"

Dobby nodded vigorously, his ears and false beard flopping about wildly. His hat flew off thanks to a particularly vigorous nod. Edelweiss caught it, an amused smile gracing her lips.

"Oh, yes, Missy Edie Potter! There bes that place! We house elves calls it the Come-and-Go Room, but I also hears it called the Room of Requirement."

"Where is this room?"

Dobby paused thoughtfully. Edelweiss went to skim Dobby's mind with the Force, yet stumbled upon a block. After several long seconds, her power bypassed the curious magic house elves possessed and discovered the house elf did not know. He confirmed what she learned and then quickly offered, "I coulds ask the other elves. Many bes knowing where the Come-and-Go room is."

"Could they write down and deliver written directions with my cleaned laundry?" asked Edelweiss. The elves would take away the dirty that night and return the clean in the morning.

Dobby nodded, nearly throwing off his false beard. "Dobby will speaks with Eekl about leaving message for Missy Edie Potter in her's laundry."

"I appreciate it, Dobby," said Edelweiss. Before Dobby could depart, she continued: "Are there any particular socks you wish for Christmas?" A gift to reward good service would always be appreciated.

"Dobby does not knows, though he will accepts any socks Miss Edie gifts Dobby."

Edelweiss smiled. "I'll try and surprise you regardless. I'll be in touch, Dobby."

The elf bobbed his head, this time mindful of the false beard upon his chin. He then reclaimed his hat and vanished with a soft pop. Edelweiss rose to her feet and smoothed out her robe, beaming at how easily they found a secret training room.

"Well, I am off to bed. I suggest the two of you get some sleep as well. Once we know where this 'Come-and-Go Room' is, I want to prepare for our first session with those still interested." Her smile twisted into something vicious, yet lacking in cruelty as she turned away from Ron and Hermione. "I wonder how they will handle disarming and shielding," she wondered aloud. "Cannot allow them to build upon a faulty foundation."

She sensed them nod in agreement. Neither moved to follow her as she headed from the common room. Edelweiss paused right before she would vanish from sight and looked over. They remained beside the fire, leaning in close and whispering. There was something they did not want her to know about.

Edelweiss frowned. Suspicion welled within. Her impulse was to learn what they plotted against her. Yet she decided quite suddenly that she would not interfere. Not yet, anyways. She sensed no malice from them.

She turned and ascended to her dorm and her bed.

Edelweiss entered Ziost Hangar the next day during those quiet Sunday morning hours when most the castle remained abed. She dressed in a dark robe taken from Grimmauld Place, cinched at the waist with a belt of matte black metal that Hermione failed to recognize. It made sense, for the belt had come from a stash of random objects in Ziost Hangar. She drew on the dark side, and Lord Salazar and Naga Sadow appeared almost immediately.

"Masters," she said, bowing her head without breaking eye contact. "I have come to inquire after the ritual to cleanse the taint of my enemy's essence."

"We have made good progress," said Lord Salazar. "There are factors on your side concerning the materials needed that we must discuss."

"However, there is another matter. One that is more important," continued Naga Sadow. "You are woefully unprepared to use the runic language this ritual shall require if you are to use the dark side alongside the natural magics of your world."

A pattern of twenty-three characters appeared before her. They reminded her strongly of the Futhark alphabets third-year Rune students learned, though she knew these were not of Earth.

"So this is the ancient Sith language," she breathed.

"Your awe is amusing, apprentice," said Naga Sadow with a vicious grin. "When the time comes, you will need to act alone. That is necessary for all Sith as they embark down the path of Sith alchemy. Yes, you can be taught much. But to succeed, your master cannot guide you. You shall either live or die by your own merits."

Edelweiss nodded. She had yet to consider where she would preform the ritual. Thankfully, Hogwarts possessed enough to easily find and claim an abandoned classroom for her needs. She had done as much the previous year when preparing for the Tournament's three tasks with Hermione and Ron.

"I assume I must learn to write all of these characters, then?"

"It would be wisest to learn them all. Not all shall be required for the ritual. Should you continue further into the realm of Sith alchemy, you will inevitably require every character. This particular ritual uses only twenty-two."

She could almost hear him chuckle. Of course, they would make it so that she had to learn all but one. Edelweiss stood up straight and declared, "I shall learn them all, Naga Sadow."

"Good. Lord Salazar had his droid prepare a chamber for you to read over and practice each character. Return to us when you have perfectly written each one twenty-seven times." Naga Sadow glanced at an amused Lord Salazar. "He has told me that number has great significance upon your world."

Edelweiss nodded, even as she glanced at the Sith Lord in question. Twenty-seven was vital to arithmancy practices, for it was the cube of three. Three, three times. She wondered if he had selected that number for that sole reason, or if there was another purpose behind the command.

For now, she would play along and learn what she could. The reason would certainly come to light before the ritual could be performed. Edelweiss bowed and said, "Partings, Masters," and turned. Her grasp on the dark side loosened and she felt them return to their holocrons.

Edelweiss pulled Ron and Hermione aside after dinner three days after the Hog's Head meeting. They sidled into an alcove off the second floor. Edelweiss drew out a small bit of parchment, rolled and sealed with the same purple wax that came on their Hogwarts letters. She had found it in the pocket of that very robe that morning, and she had been left wondering how long it lingered there before she found it.

"This explains who handles the school letters," Edelweiss said when Hermione's eyes focused on the seal.

No comment came. Edelweiss shrugged, broke the seal, and unrolled the message. Instead of writing down instructions as any witch or wizard might, the elves had gone with moving pictographs. Edelweiss held the message low so Hermione and Ron could stare at it as well. There was an image of a man teaching what she assumed were trolls how to dance of all things drawn on to a scraggly banner. A tapestry? A humanoid shape went back and forth thrice, an exclamation point hovering over its head, followed by a door appearing. Edelweiss watched the image repeat several times, taking note of how it was always on the third pass that the door appeared.

"Isn't there a tapestry like that up on the seventh floor?" asked Ron. He used his height—Edelweiss just reached his shoulders these days while Hermione stood right beneath his chin—to peer over them and get a better look at it. "Yeah, I've seen that before. Up on the seventh floor, near the Fat Lady."

"Well then," Edelweiss said using a spark of Force lightning to sear away the message. She ignored their shocked gasps. "Let us go inspect this 'Come-and-Go Room' then."

Her companions said nothing, only following in her wake.

They found a tapestry that matched the house elf drawing several minutes later. They did not need to pass the Fat Lady while en route, but they had climbed up to the seventh floor near Gryffindor Tower. Edelweiss immediately withdrew the Marauder's Map from her pocket and found where they stood. There was no sign of a secret. None of the bubbles proved the password or the meager hint or indication something secret lay in wait nearby. Either her father and his friends had been ignorant of this particular secret or their genius could not map this particular room.

"How curious," Edelweiss murmured as she glanced around. She cleared the Map before putting it away. "Either the room is not on the Map, or maybe the directions are faulty."

"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Hermione as Ron grumbled, "Maybe if you hadn't burned that note, Edie—"

She raised a hand as she recalled the message. Yes, she had destroyed it, but she had committed it to memory before doing so. They needed to watch their steps, especially with someone like Umbridge lurking about the castle. The tapestry before them matched the message, almost alarmingly so. But the house elf had done more than merely draw the tapestry that hung before her. The figure in the drawing had paced before this spot, yet the door had not appeared behind the tapestry.

She glanced over her shoulder at the blank wall behind her. It cannot be this easy, she thought, even as she grinned widely.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

Edelweiss drew on the Force and expanded her senses. There was something there. Something mercurial and strongly based on intent. She sensed something else, but it escaped her before she could identify it. "I may visit the kitchens and personally thank the elf who brought me that message." She stepped up to the wall across from the tapestry and ran her hand along the blocks, searching for any physical signs of what she knew rested behind the wall. "The door is here, but it is also not. How fascinating…"

She paced three times before the hidden door she sensed, wondering exactly how it would respond. As she feared, nothing happened when she merely paced. She grasped for an idea that she could fix in her mind, for the drawing had shown a person with an idea over theirs.

Edelweiss settled on a simple one: We need a place to train for Defense.

She paced before the blank wall once, twice, a third time; and a door appeared. Edelweiss grinned and wrapped her hands around the iron-wrought handles. She pushed the doors open and stepped into a spacious chamber, her friends following on her heels. Hermione closed the doors behind them, for Edelweiss had already drifted into the grand chamber her thoughts brought into existence.

The chamber established for their use was about twelve yards across and almost fifty long. The long walls were coated in ceiling-to-floor mirrors. One of the short walls was lined with engorged bookcases, while the other had a variety of objects and devices leaning against it. Hermione headed straight for the wall of books, while Ron awkwardly lingered beside Edelweiss. There were targets and dummies in each corner, waiting to be deployed.

"I think this will work magnificently," she said. Edelweiss turned to Ron. "Would you agree?"

"Looks good to me." Ron looked to Hermione, who was still busy perusing the books supplied. "What about you, Hermione?"

"I'm very impressed by these books, though where do you think the room got them from?"

"Who cares!" said Ron. "This place is amazing!"

Edelweiss nodded, for she agreed with Ron in part. She only found his lack of concern to be troubling. The most obvious solution to Hermione's quandary was that the Come-and-Go Room shared texts with the library, sneaking them out for their use. She would need to check, or perhaps have Hermione do so in her stead. Free reign in the library would probably make her happy, even with their looming OWLs. Yet what Edelweiss noticed most of all was how the room pulsed with power. It felt more like the Force than of any magic she knew of. Perhaps this was another of Salazar's secrets. She thought it was perfectly in line with any Sith Lord to construct a room controlled solely by desire and will. That brought into question just what it was capable of.

"Ron, Hermione. Step out for a moment," said Edelweiss. "I want to… investigate something."

Hermione looked ready to protest Edelweiss's "odd" request with how her lips pursed and shoulders squared. But Ron dragged her out before she could speak. Edelweiss watched the doors as they went. Once the doors were closed and her friends were back in the corridor, she focused her will on the doors. She desired for them to vanish. They responded almost immediately, vanishing just as she wanted. She reached out with her feelings, inspecting the barrier placed between the room and the corridor beyond. She could feel her friends panicking. Hermione's feelings bled through clearly, while Ron's were difficult to make sense of. Edelweiss did detect to her amusement that he was already hungry, despite how recent breakfast had been.

Magic is the sole explanation for that boy's appetite.

Once her amusement bled away, she willed the door to reappear. Hermione and Ron stormed in with wands drawn yet not raised. Edelweiss slapped her wand against her left hand. Magic shot outward from her, and they turned to face her with confused, wary expressions. "I could have hexed you both, coming through that door as you did," she declared. "Frankly, the way you two entered was predictable—and foolish. Mad-Eye would certainly have harsh words for you two." Their cheeks burned red; the redness spread to Ron's ears, while Hermione's hair bushed up like a hissing kitten. She watched them, now tapping her holly wand against her left palm. "But there would be no reason for you two to expect danger. Neither of you are an enemy of mine… though perhaps some lessons in how to handle danger may be necessary. 'Constant vigilance,' as Mad-Eye likes to say."

"Maybe you could hold off acting like Mad-Eye until after a few meetings," suggested Ron. "Though, I would like to see Smith's face when you suddenly hex him."

"Doubt there would be much to see. He'd be flat on his back and likely unconscious before he could draw his wand. His anger afterward might be amusing, though he'd be more embarrassed. I'd be surprised if he did more than slink back into his group afterward, tail between his legs." Edelweiss smirked as her wand came to a rest with a soft smack. "Hermione. How long would it take to organize our first meeting?"

Hermione considered the question for only a few seconds before a torrent of ideas poured forth from her mouth. Edelweiss snatched up the idea of using the protean charm and said, "I'll leave crafting our communication to you, as long as you leave handling our little Slytherins to me. They'll flee or get defensive if you try approaching them."

Hermione looked relieved at the prospect of not dealing with Slytherins. Edelweiss almost pitied the girl. She would need to grow accustomed to those four quickly.

Hermione surprised Edelweiss when on the Ninth of November she handed over five large coins. Galleons, she realized on closer inspection. It was late in the day, and she had been attempting to cut through her increasing workload. Her Sith studies had begun to eclipse her magical studies, including her independent study of runes and arithmancy.

Four of the coins Edelweiss now held had the regular goblin imprinted on to all magical currency, while one had Edelweiss's smirking face imprinted on it instead. "They have a protean charm placed on them," said Hermione, sounding greatly pleased with herself. "Those extra four are for your Slytherin… allies. This way, they can know when meetings are along with everyone else." She pointed at the serial numbers. Edelweiss blinked. They looked wrong. Off. After seconds of careful study, she realized the serial numbers had been repurposed to express date and time. "Yours can be changed to alert everyone else when the meeting will be. Theirs will heat up when you send out a message."

"This is genius, Hermione," said Edelweiss. She glanced at Ron, who was admiring his coin. "How do you plan to prevent Ron from accidentally spending his?" she asked Hermione. "You know how his family is."

"Given it's the only galleon he owns, he shouldn't spend it," said Hermione. Ron frowned at them, though his expression revealed he did not exactly know what had been said. "Now go on, Edie. You should deliver those as soon as you can. I've already had several questions about when the first session will be."

Edelweiss nodded. She returned to her dorm, gathered what she needed for a late night jaunt, and slunk out of the common room under her father's invisibility cloak as a group of disgruntled third years stumbled through the portrait hole. She made it several yards from the Fat Lady before drawing out the Marauder's Map. She hissed, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She quickly found her four Slytherins down in the dungeons and away from their common room. Unfortunately, they were not alone. A few Slytherins were with them, Malfoy and Parkinson among them. Even being outside their common room, it would be a risky affair supplying her allies with the fake galleons.

Yet the challenge of delivering these galleons with enemies nearby propelled her forward. She was to be a Sith Lord. What did she have to fear from Malfoy's ilk? Edelweiss kept an eye on the Map as she went, secretly hoping the unwanted Slytherins would depart her chosen four. She stumbled on an abandoned classroom with excess stores of parchment and ink thanks to Mrs. Norris. She stole some, slipped away from Filch's cat, and wrote a note. She addressed it to Nott since he was the slyest of the four. Davis was too obvious, Greengrass was sitting beside Parkinson, and she had no reason to trust Zabini in this venture. Perhaps it was foolish, believing she could trust any of these four, but her other option was to seek them out at another time.

Most of the Slytherins had departed by the time she reached her four. They were gathered in a chamber with several couches and a square central table. Malfoy and Parkinson lingered about with Lillian Moon, Crabbe, and Goyle for company. It appeared they had been working on an essay for Flitwick, but had become distracted by something else. Edelweiss stood beside the furthest wall and listened to their conversation.

"You think we're going to tell you where we were?" asked Greengrass with sneering amusement. "We have all told you the same thing, time and time again: we cannot say a thing."

Edelweiss smiled. These four must have noticed the hexes placed upon the parchment they had signed. That or they were smart enough to know they would be punished for betraying her.

Malfoy huffed. "So you're going to side with mudbloods and blood traitors? What happened to the Greengrass family—"

"My family's blood is older and purer than yours, Malfoy," snarled Greengrass. "We were well established on these isles when your forefathers came across in the service of a bastard muggle king."

"She speaks true, Draco," added Nott before Malfoy could protest. "Remember that my family was here before yours as well. Only the Blacks and the Longbottoms remain from when Rome first touched these shores and perhaps a half dozen more who crossed with the first waves of Anglo-Saxon settlers. And don't forget how worse it is in Ireland, thanks to the meddling of the Ministry in tandem with the muggle Crown."

"You sound—"

"I am only telling you the truth, Malfoy." The warning in Nott's voice impressed Edelweiss. "You are too caught up in your father's conception of the world to see what iisgoing on. Something dangerous is afoot, and none of us will be prepared when it comes to light."

Malfoy fell quiet, his face splotchy with embarrassment. Edelweiss moved forward, slipping around the near couch and standing right behind Zabini. He was the only Slytherin still working on his essay. A glance over his shoulder revealed he was more capable in Charms than she would have thought. Or perhaps she had grown too accustomed to sharing the class with Ravenclaws and not Slytherins.

"You've been quiet, Zabini," said Parkinson. She stared at her dark-skinned housemate intently. Malfoy glanced between them with a pronounced frown. "What do you think?"

He grumbled something under his breath in what Edelweiss assumed was Italian.

"Zabini!" whined Parkinson. "I want to—"

"What I think," Zabini snarled, "is that each and every one of you are more concerned with external politics than the reason we're all at Hogwarts." When they fell silent, he pressed on. "We are here to learn magic. You can't be a decent witch or wizard if you're more worried about your ego than your wandwork and theory."

Parkinson huffed. "That's not what I meant. I wanted to know about wherever the four of you were at Hogsmeade. I heard a rumor you were at the Hog's Head."

"And?"

"Well, Draco and I were worried about you four. I heard there were a lot of people over there, though nobody will say anything about what happened."

Moon huffed and started packing up her half-written essay and charms text. "I'm heading back to the common room," she told an uncaring Parkinson. "You're welcome to come back if you want. I doubt they're gonna say a thing to you or Malfoy."

She only passed the corner where Edelweiss had first hid when Parkinson scrambled to hurry after Moon. Malfoy took that as his cue to depart, though he could not leave without uttering, "Best you four think about where your loyalties lie," with a sneer. Crabbe and Goyle followed in his wake.

Edelweiss drew out the Map and waited until the departed Slytherins had returned to their common room before slipping off her invisibility cloak. She had planned to make a stealthy delivery and leave, but now she had the option to speak directly with her Slytherin allies. Their attention, though, had returned to their charms essays.

Edelweiss took advantage of their industriousness to circle the couch and sit beside Zabini, watching as he worked to finish up his essay. He glanced at her, looked over again, and then choked on a yelp. Greengrass looked up, a question on her lips, and froze when her gaze met Edelweiss's. Her mouth snapped shut and she sighed loudly through her nose.

Davis turned at the sound and shrieked when she noticed Edelweiss. "Must you sneak up on us like that? You nearly scared me to death!"

"Did I? It wasn't my intention."

Nott and Zabini snorted.

"Tracey!" hissed Greengrass with narrowed eyes. "If Potter has sought us out, then she has something she wants to speak about!"

Edelweiss drew out the four galleons Hermione had given her to pass along to the Slytherins. She held them out so the four could see them. "These coins are not as they appear. They are tokens meant to inform you when meetings will occur. We found a secret place to practice, and so we're ready for our first session." She set the false coins on the table. "On the seventh floor, there is a tapestry of a man teaching trolls how to dance. A door will appear on the other wall. We will meet in there."

Davis picked up one of the false coins. She stared at one under thick torchlight before nibbling the edge. "At least you didn't use real coins," she remarked. "The goblins would've wanted your head for that."

"Hermione didn't explain everything she did to make them. What she did mention relates to 'a protean charm'." Edelweiss frowned mulishly. "I had the feeling she wanted me to deliver these immediately.

Nott whistled lowly, inspecting a galleon of his own. "That's NEWT-level work. I didn't think Granger could pull that off."

Edelweiss rose from the couch. "The only spell Hermione has ever struggled with is the Patronus. Why you're surprised… Well, I guess you haven't paid attention. She spends all of her free time cooped up in the library." She drew her invisibility cloak over her shoulders, her head all that remained visible. "Keep in mind that if any of you rat us out, I will know. I will set the Weasley Twins upon you to begin with. They will enjoy having targets who betrayed my trust."

And before they could react, she tossed the cloak over her head and vanished into the twisting maze of Hogwarts.

Bitter cold and biting winds slammed the walls of Hogwarts as November rolled along. The time had come for the first defense meeting. Edelweiss went to the Come-and-Go room an hour before the scheduled time, preparing the chamber for the initial session. She mulled over which spell or spells to teach. Her old instincts suggested the disarming charm. It had saved her life when she dueled Voldemort, yet it would not be good enough. Shield charms were vital to magical combat. She assumed none would have an issue learning stunners. Nearly all of the signees were fifth years or older, and the younger students were exclusively fourth years. They should all be capable of that much.

Hermione and Ron arrived first, followed by a long stream of Gryffindors. They spread out before raiding a stack of cushions along the far wall and sat down. Edelweiss thought it a bit silly, but she knew bad habits died hard. Perhaps she should force them to their feet. Yet without her interference, they were quick to chat and gossip, slowly growing more comfortable in the chamber they had never seen before.

I guess I can leave them alone for now, Edelweiss thought with a slight smile.

The Ravenclaws came next, streaming through the doors in groups of two or three. Shortly after them were the Hufflepuffs. A minute before Edelweiss's chosen time, her four Slytherins arrived. They received a few hostile looks, but most ignored them.

The door closed softly behind Davis. Edelweiss made a loud bang with her wand and then clapped thrice.

A thick bar slammed down over the door. On the other side, the door would be vanishing from sight, thus hiding their presence from the castle. Any who walked down that particular corridor would pass the Come-and-Go Room, utterly ignorant of its presence.

"Everyone is here, so we will begin," Edelweiss declared. Many glanced between her and the door, shocked looks gracing their faces. "Worry not. None will find us here. For now, I want everyone up on their feet."

She watched as they scurried up off the cushions. The newly arrived Slytherins joined the crowd, taking up positions among the Ravenclaws.

"Welcome to our first session. I am not naming this group, because anything that has a name can be betrayed—and I will not suffer traitors lightly. You will know my wrath if you go against all of us gathered here." The Slytherins grinned, having already heard her threat. The rest looked alarmed. Edelweiss took that as a sign they understood her. "Our meetings will occur when they can. The sooner Quidditch practice schedules are delivered to me, the sooner I can plan out the remaining sessions between today and the winter hols. I want to fit in a good dozen sessions before we all leave. But if it only ends up being three or four, I will make them worth your time."

"And how will you do that?" asked Zacharias Smith. His question sounded annoyingly genuine. "I understand having a dozen sessions, but only three? How would—?"

She whispered "Stupefy" with her wand held low and at her side. It was a risky position for cursing someone. But she had the Force to help guide her hand and ensure her targeting was dead on. The red spell smacked Smith full in the chest before he could raise a defense. He collapsed like a puppet cut from its strings. Edelweiss raised her holly wand, spinning it about a finger, as she gazed upon her gobsmacked audience. "There is one lesson I must teach you all: advantage. If you attempt to fight fairly, you abandon any advantage—and thus any hope of victory—you might possess. Surprise is an excellent example, especially if you have a quick, accurate spell up your sleeve."

Edelweiss stepped forward and pointed her wand at Smith. The Hufflepuffs shuffled bout their fallen comrade just as she cast, "Rennervate."

Zacharias Smith gasped as he woke, reacting as if injected with a lorry-sized quantity of adrenaline. His wide, wide eyes found her hovering above him, wand out, and he scurried away on hands and feet.

"What the hell, Potter!"

"I'd apologize for using you as a prop for my demonstration, but you volunteered yourself the moment you opened your fat mouth," said Edelweiss, lowering her wand. "Still, I thought you could have tried to raise your wand before you went down. That was… pathetic. How you passed Defense under Professors Lupin and Moody is beyond me. I would have failed you after that pitiful performance."

Zacharias's face first went a brilliant red before settling on the ruddy puce color Uncle Vernon sported whenever she infuriated him. Edelweiss sighed and offered her free hand. He stared at the hand with narrowed eyes for several seconds. It was only when others began grumbling that he accepted her help and rose to his feet. He slunk into the pack of Hufflepuffs, muttering and grumbling all the while.

"If you only learn one thing from me before the OWL examinations, let it be this: the ability to handle sudden, violent confrontations and to emerge from them relatively unharmed." Her gaze drifted across every pale and greenish face. She was disappointed, but unsurprised by their reactions. "I have learned these skills through necessity; I seek to teach them to you without risking your lives.

"Today's session will center on two spells. The first is the one I used to knock down Smith: Stunners. The other is the shield charm, Protego. I want a show of hands: who knows either of these spells."

Several hands rose, mostly among the sixth and seventh years present. A few fifth years, mostly Ravenclaws, raised their hands, along with Ron and Hermione.

"Drop them if the spell you know is Protego."

Most of the hands fell. Edelweiss found herself disappointed. For all she detested the man, she had hoped many would have taken Dumbledore's words at the end of the previous year to heart and learn spells useful for safeguarding their person.

Perhaps, she thought, rubbing her jaw, they have come to me now because they understand what Dumbledore wished for them to understand then, and fear what may occur when they depart this castle should we have spoken true.

That or Umbridge has buggered up Defense so badly that they have no other option.

"For now, line up against either wall. Hermione, I will need your assistance for this demonstration."

The gathered crowd hurried to line up against the walls, finally mixing houses if by accident. Edelweiss kept her focus on Hermione as they took up positions between the two lines. "Stunners and shields," Edelweiss said. "Since those are our spells for this session."

Hermione nodded firmly as she raised her wand. A red spell leapt toward Edelweiss. She ducked beneath it, holly warm against her palm. Hermione shot a second stunner racing across the distance between them. Edelweiss raised her wand with a muttered, "Protego." A bluish sheen rose before her, glowing bright and harsh as the red stunner slammed against it. The offensive spell broke apart, and her shield was left unaffected by the attack.

"My turn," Edelweiss declared with a wide, almost vicious grin. She launched a swift trio of stunners, muttering the incantation as she used the simplified wand motion for the spell. Hermione's eyes went wide with alarm. Her hastily raised shield blocked the first two spells before crashing apart as the third smashed against it. Edelweiss frowned at how her final spell failed to maintain its strength as it destroyed the shield. She had thought her final spell powerful enough to pierce Hermione's shield and stun the other girl. Still, it was not the worst outcome. Bringing down a shield was important.

She spun her holly wand in her right hand as she surveyed those watching from along the walls.

Hermione surprised her by springing a counter-attack. Edelweiss ducked the first stunner, shielded against the second, and nearly followed a Force-driven impulse as a third streaked her way. Her master had mentioned in passing that the Force allowed one to absorb energies like Force lightning. Edelweiss already suspected it worked on spell fire, but this was not an appropriate audience for such a trick. Instead, she flicked her wand, pouring through it her intention to prevent Hermione's spells from working.

Her magic responded, amplified by her power in the Force. Hermione's spell fell apart. As her bushy-haired friend stared gobsmacked, Edelweiss swiftly stunned her.

"Don't try to replicate what I just did," she said to her astonished crowd. "Though if any of you can figure it out, well… You're welcome to see if you can get a prefect to give you extra points."

Her comments were met by a few smiles, but no chuckles. She sensed how they all felt and tried to not be bitter. Only a few betrayed their feelings with their faces or eyes. The rest masked their fear and terror, yet it existed nonetheless. Edelweiss released her grasp on the Force, else she accidentally become intoxicated by their potent, heady emotions. Part of her was tempted to cultivate their negative emotions regardless of the trouble it was bound to cause. She had been careful with her use of the Force at Hogwarts so far. Perhaps she had finally reached the proper moment where she might test its boundaries around witches and wizards.

Best not bother while I am meant to be instructing. Another time, when I am ready to ascend to my true and proper nature.

She resuscitated Hermione, who glowered up at Edelweiss. She offered a faint smile before turning to those who had been watching. "I want all of you to line up. Only one row for now. We will work on dueling later. You will practice the shield charm to begin, but we should get to stunners before you need to return to your common rooms." Edelweiss watched as none gathered immediately reacted to her command. She grasped the dark side and channeled its power into her voice. "Hurry up."

The gathered crowd scurried to form a line along the wall opposite the barred door. She clenched her jaw at how they jostled and bumped against each other. Friends stayed close to friends. If she could paint them in their house colors, Edelweiss knew there would be no odd stripes, no overlap. It would be four perfect bars of color.

They all stared at her, though only a few held their wand. Zacharias Smith, she noted, was one of them.

"Wands out!"

She struggled to not grimace at how long it took several of them to draw their wands. Hermione had hers firmly held, while Nott and the Slytherins were quick to flick them out of their sleeves. Most drew them from pockets in their robes, though a few kept them in back pockets. One girl had to remove hers from a small purse tucked into the pocket of her robe.

Breathe in, and breathe out. Don't be angry with them. They're just children.

Edelweiss spent the next few minutes demonstrating and explaining the shield charm and its mechanics to those who did not know. Sirius had been pleased by how quickly she had learned the spell, though she suspected he had wanted to move her along and teach her other shields. Most magical shields were built on the foundation of Protego. Were she not accustomed to the laziness of wizards; she would have been pleased by the logical choice.

She would remain grateful most magical shields were based on the basic shield charm. If she could teach it to everyone present, then they could learn the other shield charms. There were plenty of specialized shields, including those that deflected dark curses, or the rare curse designed to puncture more common shields. Yet before she could get to those, Edelweiss had to ensure everyone present could cast a competent shield charm reliably.

"Now, I want all of you to cast on the count of three!" commanded Edelweiss once her explanation had wrapped up. "One… Two… Three!"

The room filled with the cries of "Protego!" Her emerald eyes went up and down the line, watching as silvery and bluish magical shields formed. Only a couple failed to produce a shield, though most shields looked weak enough that a single stunner would punch through without falling apart. Her impulse was to cast a nasty hex at each, but she stuffed it down. They were not like her. Edelweiss's instincts reacted to danger and death. They were normal and needed to be handled lightly.

"That was not a bad first attempt, though I am disappointed by the poor quality of many shields."

She had them repeat the spell until she was happy with what she saw. With every repetition, the shields improved. Edelweiss approached those struggling the most, coaching them through whatever impeded their ability to successfully cast what she thought should be a second-year spell. Most got it down quickly. A few of the boys, she discovered, were holding back to get closer to her. A hex disabused them of that option.

And then there was the curious case of Neville Longbottom. For as long as Edelweiss had known him, she had been befuddled by his struggle with spells—and really all wandwork. It had been during her second year that she learned he used his father's wand. She had thought the decision odd, though Ron had used his brother Charlie's wand up until that year. As such, she had thought nothing strange of wands being passed down through a family. Neville just happened to use his father's.

But now, having watched him struggle more than everyone else combined? Edelweiss was disturbed by his struggle. She wondered why nobody had tried to intervene beforehand. She felt the power he possessed within. He should be great at magic, not almost falling behind everyone else.

She sighed and forced herself to approach Neville as he struggled through another attempt to cast the shield charm. She waited for him to finish his attempt and turn to face her before saying, "I know you use your father's wand, but I've been wondering: Did it choose you?"

Neville looked away. Despair and fear bubbled through him. "I, um…" he began, hands tightening around the wand. "My gran said it was an honor to use his wand. He was an auror, before, well…"

Edelweiss knew Neville would rather speak about anything else than his family situation. The Edelweiss of June would have backed off the issue. But that was before she discovered Ziost Hangar and Lord Salazar's holocrons underneath the Chamber of Secrets. She was now awakened to the Sith Code and their ways. She could feel the potential within Neville Longbottom. She could draw it out and refine his power. She could help him become stronger, and by doing so gain his loyalty until his death.

"Was he killed?" she asked softly. "Or did something else happen to him?"

Neville glanced around as a splotchy redness coated his cheeks. "I don't want to say."

She hummed. Edelweiss could understand why he would be hesitant to speak with her when so many strangers, including those who had been cruel to him, stood nearby. He was worried about what they might think of him. Either his parents were unsung heroes of the war, or whatever happened that led to him living with his Gran was the family's shame.

"I understand. If you wish to speak another time, let me know. There are private places in this castle for such a conversation." Neville blinked. She felt his astonishment, though it went quickly A few seconds passed before he smiled, small and sheepish. Edelweiss gestured to his wand before saying, "Now, I want you to try again. Think of your father. Of how proud he would be of you."

Neville's smile faltered, stiff and strained. Edelweiss laid a hand on his shoulder, trickling power from the Force into him.

"Go on, Neville. You can do it."

He nodded. She withdrew her hand and stepped back as he held his father's wand before him. Neville took a moment to center himself before bellowing, "Protego!" He jammed his wand forward, and a great expanse of silver appeared before him. He held it for several seconds and then turned to face her with a shocked look.

"You're more capable than you give yourself credit for, Neville."

Ninety minutes passed before Edelweiss ended the session and gathered the sweaty, panting witches and wizards she was training around her. Most had moved on to stunners, though she planned to return to shields eventually. She gazed upon them with a soft smile and nodded to herself. "A good showing tonight," she said. Smiles bloomed around her. "It will take time and practice to get these spells to where they should be, but you should all be proud of how far you came tonight." She glanced from the Ravenclaws to the Hufflepuffs to the Gryffindors and finally to those Slytherins drawn in by her. "I would advise you to gather in small groups—no more than five or six—and practice these spells until our next meeting. We'll begin with revisions before moving on to whichever new spells I decide to practice."

There were several nods, and several more looked ready to nod off and fall asleep.

"You're all dismissed," said Edelweiss. A few minutes later, she was left all alone in the Come-and-Go room. She closed her eyes, kneeled, and meditated on the dark side. She had her training to attend to.