Selecting a Form
December arrived with a thick torrent of snow that paralyzed the castle. Professor Sprout was forced to cancel Herbology for the better part of a week as continual storms deposited feet and feet of wet snow, stacking up and up across the school grounds. The greenhouses held firm under the snow's weight. But with students unable to travel between the castle and the greenhouses without an absurd amount of warming charms and shoveling their way through, there was little the portly witch could do beyond assign two weeks' worth of self-study essays at breakfast following two futile days of strenuous work to clear the route to her greenhouses.
Edelweiss found the winter perfect for focusing on her Sith studies and her defense group. Concerning the former, she neared a point where the holocron Siths involved with her instruction were almost proud to call her their student. She planned to challenge Lord Malgus soon and she had considered turning to self-study for Sith alchemy, now that she had learned so much from Naga Sadow.
As for the latter, she was left at a loss for moving forward. While those first sessions, where she taught them basic defensive and offensive spells had gone well by her regard, the ones afterward had been less so. Especially the first one of the month.
"You want to teach us what?" shrieked a Ravenclaw boy. Edelweiss could not recall his name, nor was she that interested in doing so. His ability was middling, though enough to pass his OWLs.
"I said that today's session revolves around household spells that can be utilized for defensive or offensive purposes." Edelweiss wished she could outright tell them she wanted to teach them war spells from the previous war, but she suspected that would scuttle the group moving forward. Many considered this defense group to be nothing more than a study session to replace Umbridge's pointless, debauched version of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Some believed her claims about the war, but many still doubted Voldemort's return. Would it not expose her studies as a Sith apprentice, she would force her memories of that night in the graveyard into their minds. "Those who are crafty or cunning are capable of turning simple spells, devised for household use, and deploying them on the battlefield in a manner that creates carnage, destruction, or a terrible, bloody wake."
"Like what?" demanded Zacharias Smith. Most of the boy's animosity had been drained away, yet he was still the most vocal of her skeptics.
Her lips twitched up into a smirk as she twirled her holly wand. It had become less responsive recently. It still answered her beck and call, but not as strongly as it once did. "What would you say if I told you the same spell potion masters use to boil water for certain high-level potions is the same spell now banned by the Ministry under the name Blood Boiler Curse?"
There was a series of hisses and swears, along with a few mumbled curses. Most sounded doubtful, but Edelweiss only had eyes for Zacharias Smith. He lost some of the color in his face, though his rebellious streak had not been broken. Not completely, at least.
Edelweiss stopped twirling her wand as she asked, "Would anyone care for a demonstration? I've only read of the spell."
A suitable lie—
She felt the room go cold. Most faces were stricken white or green, and several glanced toward the door as if it would save them from her. Edelweiss sighed and lowered her wand. "If you are to prepare for what lurks in the shadows of our society, beyond the walls of Hogwarts, then you must know what exists. This is not the time for cowardice or weakness."
Few were mollified by her words. Edelweiss could feel that truth as strongly as she saw it on their faces. She knew she was stronger in the Force now, able to sense how these children thought and reacted with simplistic ease. There were a few with more mutinous emotions; they would be handled if necessary. Hermione had placed a curse on the document everyone had signed. That curse would protect their secrecy from willful exposure. Accidental exposure was still possible, but she did not think anyone present would be so foolish to speak of this group beyond the Come-and-Go Room.
After all, she had modified the curse and added an extra hex. One that would ruin the treacherous fool.
"How about we learn the Patronus?" suggested Hermione, glancing between the unsettled group and Edelweiss. "I think most of us want to learn that."
More muttering came from those gathered. Annoyingly, most of the chatter was approving of the suggestion. Edelweiss swallowed a sigh. She would not fault Hermione for making the suggestion, though if they could have discussed plans beforehand, that would have been better.
That is as much upon me as it is with her, though. I've kept her out of the loop.
Edelweiss recalled their conversation in the Great Hall after her discharge from the Hospital Wing. It incensed her that Hermione would dare pity her. The Dursleys had been wretched to her, yes, but that was a reason for her to gain power: so she could put them and those like them beneath her boot. The dark side of the Force gave her that power. The markings on her face were a sign to all with eyes to see that she was undergoing a metamorphosis into a new person. A new being, one of great power and influence. Let the lightning bolt upon her brow fade and with it the girl she had been.
"Fine," Edelweiss said, stuffing down her frustration. "It's a nastily difficult spell, though it can be bloody useful. I know the Headmaster can use it to send messages. I saw him do it back in June following the third task."
A few perked up at her words, though most remained a haze of swirling emotion. Saying she was vexed by their reaction felt like an understatement. These children should be grateful she was willing to burn the time that should be dedicated to her Sith studies just to tutor them. That's what this was. Tutoring. None of them were serious about being able to defend themselves. They just wanted a decent Defense OWL mark, to have a hope of a chance of getting into the Defense NEWT class and thus one of the more lucrative Ministry jobs.
"Now, we can begin working on Patronuses today—"
"Can we see yours?" asked Lee Jordan, raising a belated hand.
Edelweiss twirled her wand once, then shrugged. She had not made any attempt at the Patronus since that day back in August when her fury and wrath had been too hot to allow her to draw forth the peace and serenity casting the Patronus charm required.
Peace, she thought bitterly, turning from her gathered audience. Peace is a lie, yet can there be power in it? She could feel the interest of the others, their excitement to see her cast the infamously tricky charm. A year ago, it would have been simple. Even six months ago, before she stumbled upon Salazar's secret legacy.
But that was before Edelweiss had started down the path of Sith Lord.
She took her time to gather those positive emotions that fueled the Patronus Charm and the silvery stag she had been able to cast for two years. It took some time for Edelweiss to center herself, to find that place of joy that empowered the spell. Once she had those emotions fully gathered, she thrust her wand into the air and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
It came slowly, but a shape of silvery light fluttered out of her holly wand. It did not take on the shape of a stag as expected. Instead, she witnessed a strange bat-creature emerge, with a brain-esque tumor bulging from its head and a pair of fierce arms, shimmering blades at the end of each. It flew over the gathered crowd, its thick tail fluttering like a squid through a channel.
"Well that is new," she murmured, watching this strange creature fly above them all. Edelweiss had a feeling it bore some connection to the ancient Sith. Perhaps what she saw came from their homeworld, Korriban. She should show her feat to Lord Salazar or—
No. She would keep it a secret for now. This was a product of her witch inheritance, and not from the Sith tradition.
"New?" asked one of the Ravenclaws. "Does that mean something has happened?"
"Yes," replied Edelweiss, allowing the Patronus to fade. "It used to be a stag. Now it is… well, it's whatever that is meant to be."
There was a flurry of whispers and gossip at her pronouncement. Chances were by tomorrow morning half the castle would know something was amiss with Edelweiss Potter. The specifics would be retained to this group. Else, whoever the responsible party was would have their face branded with the name of their sin.
"For now, we're going to cover the theory of the Patronus Charm. It took me the better part of a school year to learn the charm, and my first success was more luck than skill or ability." It burned her to utter those final words, yet they were true. She had witnessed herself cast the spell before traveling through time. She achieved the feat because she knew she would. "The Patronus is a curious spell, for it is powered almost exclusively through emotion…"
Almost an hour later, most gathered for her defense group filed out in their usual packs, chatting excitedly about the "special lesson". Nobody had produced more than a silvery shield, but it had been a surprisingly productive evening. Yes, they had not focused on the spells she had planned on, but it had gone better than what she had planned would have played out. She would need to rethink the defense group in between her Sith studies and keep atop what remained expected of her.
Six lingered behind with her: Ron, Hermione, and the four Slytherins drawn into their group.
"Is there a reason you have remained behind?" she asked. In her bag was her practice lightsaber. She itched to run through the katas of Shii-Cho. She would approach Lord Malgus soon. Edelweiss knew the Sith Lord would demand she show him what she had learned. The how remained uncertain.
"Edie, we're worried about you," began Hermione. "We wanted to—"
"You are worried about me," she interrupted. Her gaze turned to the Slytherins. "Why have the four of you remained?"
"Because Granger asked us," said Greengrass with arms crossed. The others nodded, though only Davis felt comfortable with their admission. "She made some good points. And frankly, you've gotten more erratic."
Unspoken yet understood among them all was that the markings on Edelweiss's face troubled them all. She knew most flinched when they caught sight of her face; let alone how they reacted whenever she dared meet their gaze. She had yet to flinch from her reflection, though some mornings passed when she nearly wondered whose face she saw reflected to her. And then she remembered who she was becoming. Who she would soon be. Once the emerald eyes of Edelweiss Potter turned sulfuric yellow, she would finally be Darth Gladiolus.
"You do not need to worry about me," she said, trying to not sound overly contrite. "I am strong enough—"
"And that's what worries me!" shouted Hermione. Edelweiss paused, mouth falling open as she stared at her furious friend. "You keep talking about strength, about the things you must do! But you never tell me anything! You keep all of these secrets. You do strange things to yourself. It… it frightens me! I worry about you all the time, especially when you act as if our friendship means nothing!"
Something putrid burned in her veins and churned in her gut. "If that is how you feel," began Edelweiss, her voice low and soft and brimming with frustration, "then you can always leave, Hermione. If our friendship is too great of a burden for you, then be wise for once and relieve yourself of it. Go on. Leave. Live an easier life."
Hermione gaped. Her brandy brown eyes watered. Edelweiss turned away with a sneer, drawing the shroud of the dark side close around her. Her hands itched, the flickering start of Force lightning sparking along her fingertips. Oh, was it tempting to lash out with her power. But she had to restrain herself. Secrecy was paramount. She could not reveal her powers. Not yet. Not so soon.
"Well?" she snarled after several long seconds of silence. "Are you not going to say something, Hermione? Try and plead for me to take back my words? Perhaps demand an apology?"
Hermione remained silent for a little while longer before she suddenly murmured, "I barely know you these days, Edie. I doubt you'll accept my words were I not genuine… and I think even were I truly genuine, you would still reject my words."
Edelweiss huffed. Her gaze flowed over the others, embracing their anger and confusion. "What about the rest of you? What do you have to say?"
"I want you to apologize to Hermione," said Ron, stepping forward. "I apologized last year—"
"Because you were too blinded by your jealousy to listen to my words!" boomed Edelweiss. She found no joy in watching her first friend flinch away, though some pleasure was derived from his shocked expression. "I told you last year, Ron, that I would never put my name into the Goblet of Fire! I told you before the drawing, and I told you after. But did you listen?" She waited a half second before continuing, running rough shod over whatever he tried to say. "No! No, you did not. Ronald Weasley has to be ruled by his inferiority, by how he longs to surpass all his brothers! Do not think I have forgotten the Mirror of Erised. I remember what you saw and what that means about you."
His pale face suddenly burned a hearty red. "This is the same, Edie. You're being a bad friend. We've never hesitated to help you with your burdens."
"We both know that is not true," she said lowly. "For if it were, then I would have never returned to the Dursleys after my second year at Hogwarts. Remember the bars the Twins ripped off the window."
Edelweiss turned from him in a wordless dismissal. She peered through the staunch masks each of the four Slytherins present bore: Davis was greatly worried, though there was no hint she might act upon her feelings; Greengrass was more frustrated than furious, despite what her balled fists suggested; Zabini felt regret and remorse, wondering why he allowed himself to be bullied into remaining behind; and lastly there was Nott, who couldn't help but project the white and crimson form of Voldemort on to her.
"Leave me," she demanded, unwilling to deal with their foolishness. The dark side writhed in the back of her mind, a demanding voice desiring her to lash out and strike against them.
They hesitated.
"LEAVE ME!" she bellowed, the Force projecting a faint, dark aura around her person. Shocked gasps filled the air. For a split second, Edelweiss wanted to burn them all with her power. But that would be obvious. Foolish. Without purpose beyond settling a momentary grievance, one easily buried.
And so she whispered, "Go."
They fled. Left to her own devices, Edelweiss grasped all the fury and frustration she felt and poured it forth into a massive torrent of Force lightning that left jagged black stains along the far wall. She stared at those marks and envisioned herself as Darth Gladiolus. She would not be ruled by her wayward emotions. They would not escape her the way they had weak, pathetic Edelweiss Potter.
Darth Gladiolus would be better. Would be more.
Edelweiss woke the next morning, stiff and groggy. Several seconds passed before she realized she had never returned to Gryffindor Tower the previous night. Instead, she occupied the small, uncomfortable bunk she found aboard Lord Salazar's strange black ship. She wondered how old it had been when Lord Salazar claimed it and journeyed across the galaxy to Earth. She had been tempted to pull up star charts and follow the course this ship had followed, but she resisted the temptation. Her emotions had still been a torrential mess when she stormed into Ziost Hangar. Her reaction to that confrontation with her friends and the Slytherins had led her to a revelation: she needed time to pull herself back together. To reassert control.
She was a Sith, not a mindless animal.
Even after awakening, she resisted the temptation to inspect the star charts. Instead, Edelweiss inspected the chamber marked as a 'Refresher' and showered underneath the strangest showerhead ever. It used high-pitched air instead of water and soap to clean her. It was strange, yet effective. Edelweiss lacked any scent when she stepped out, but it was better than the sheen of sweat that the coating of sweat that clung to her following lightsaber training.
"Should I…?" Edelweiss hesitated before shaking her head. She still had her classes in the castle above. Ones she was expected to attend, else she risked drawing undue attention to her. She struggled to not fall behind with her essays. McGonagall had yet to say anything, but she had a feeling the Transfiguration professor was very disappointed with her lacking work. That Edelweiss could get the spells to work in class meant she was not failing, per se, but if the OWL exam had a heavy emphasis on theory, then she would be in danger of performing poorly.
Or I might not, she thought as she headed to where her school robes should be. A droid, somehow maintained by the strange functions within Ziost Hangar, had taken them away after she undressed, claiming they would be laundered. She sniffed her robe set outside the refresher and found the droid had spoken true.
Yet there's no sign of the droid.
"How odd."
Once dressed, Edelweiss climbed back up to the castle. She would have loved to remain in Ziost Hangar for the day, but she still had a life in the magical world. Hogwarts and Britain beyond could not be abandoned just because she preferred the ways of the Sith to being a witch. Also, she did not trust the house elves enough to attempt summoning one to Ziost Hanger. Perhaps they could not come to the hanger proper, but the mere thought of Dumbledore learning of her sanctuary beneath the castle sent disgust and horror pulsing through her.
A great murmur erupted when she stepped into the Great Hall. It was late into breakfast. Only the Ravenclaw table had obvious holes from the early risers, off studying somewhere quiet. Edelweiss paused only a moment before she went to the Slytherin table, where Greengrass, Davis, Nott, and Zabini sat slightly apart from their house. Only a few from the younger years sat nearby, including a girl who looked like a younger version of Greengrass.
"Bunch over," she commanded Zabini. When he stared at her, she repeated the command. He shifted over enough to grant Edelweiss space to sit down.
"What are you doing here?" asked Greengrass. Edelweiss could feel fear and anger rolling off her in faint waves.
"Can I not come sit with friends?"
Davis choked on whatever she drank in the morning while Nott openly gaped. A new rumble of whispers went flying as her words spread throughout the Great Hall, moving almost faster than light.
"After last night—"
Edelweiss narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on the Force. Greengrass's words squeezed out as her throat tightened and her eyes bulged from the mystical pressure applied to her neck. Greengrass happened to be smart enough to not raise her hands to her neck, even as she gasped for breath with a horrified stare lingering upon Edelweiss.
"Be mindful of your words, Daphne."
And with that, she released the pressure. Greengrass took in a great, gasping breath as Professor Snape swept up to them, his robes billowing behind him as usual. Edelweiss turned to the potions master with a serene smile. Her mind envisioned the many, many ways she could use the Force to rend him asunder.
"Professor Snape. A good morning to you."
"Miss Potter. What madness has possessed you to sit at the Slytherin table?"
"Branching out, sir. I thought it might be wise to build connections in other houses."
Snape blinked. His dark eyes then flashed with surprise. "I did not expect a lick of sense from you, Potter." He glanced at each of the four Slytherins sitting with her, his gaze lingering longest on a panting Greengrass. "Be careful of what comes from your acquaintance with Miss Potter. She has caused great trouble and grief for several around her."
Professor Snape gave her one final, almost shaken look before sweeping away. He returned to a distressed Head Table. Edelweiss's gaze followed him to the other professors. Most looked upon her with a look of surprise or pride. All except Umbridge, who masked her distaste with a thin, flat expression. She could feel hints of hatred rippling off the frog-faced professor. Unfortunately, they were only hints. Not the inferno Edelweiss wanted.
She also felt Dumbledore's gaze bore into her, as though he were trying to make sense of her other power. Edelweiss clamped down on the Force, shuttering her connection to that great power until the Headmaster looked away with a troubled frown.
"The Headmaster doesn't appear happy with you, Potter," said a familiar sneering voice. She turned lazily to Malfoy as he strode up, Crabbe and Goyle following as always.
"Let him be troubled. His opinion of my choices has become something I no longer care for."
Malfoy blinked and then frowned. His grey eyes, usually filled with spite, frustration, or amusement, went dark as he considered her words. Had she truly been perceived as Dumbledore's little puppet, or had Malfoy fallen in line with what everyone else said?
If it were the latter, then she was disappointed. She expected better from the son of Lucius Malfoy—unless Edelweiss had somehow overestimated the man.
"So you understand how this school has gone to the dogs then, Potter?"
"What I understand is that he has been too busy for too long with political matters which prevent him from fulfilling his duty to Hogwarts appropriately." Edelweiss did not need to glance around to know everyone stared at her, nor did she need to look over to know who strode her way. She turned just as Hermione and Ron reached them. With a firm grasp on the Force, she said, "Head back to our table. I have everything in hand here."
Ron nodded as his eyes glazed over. He then mumbled, "I'll head back to our table. You have everything in hand, Edie." His tone reminded her of how Dudley mumbled on that fateful August eve. Hermione blinked and frowned as she watched Ron return to the Gryffindor table, just as Edelweiss had ordered.
"What—How?"
"Nothing you need concern yourself with, Hermione," said Edelweiss, even as she filed away the fact the Force easily influenced Ron's mind while brushing off of Hermione's. Thinking back to the Quidditch game and his performance as Keeper, it was dreadfully obvious that his will was not as strong as it should be. She would remember this fact for their next game. It would relieve the stress on her shoulders as seeker if Ron performed in accordance with his capability.
"Looks like that Weasel understands where he should be," said Malfoy gleefully. "You should follow along, mudblo—"
Edelweiss's gaze fixed on Malfoy's throat as he uttered the very slur that caused trouble back in their second year. She tightened his throat just enough to stop the rest of the word from emerging. His grey eyes fluttered about as a hand rose to paw at the constriction he felt. Eventually, his gaze settled upon her. There was enough intelligence in him to recognize who and what was responsible for his struggle to breathe and speak.
"The next time I hear you utter that word, Malfoy," Edelweiss whispered, soft enough only he heard her words, "it shall be your last." She released the pressure on his throat while flexing her hands. She had to fight down the desire to cast Force lightning. "Am I understood, Draco?"
He nodded frantically. Deep in his eyes, she spotted a glowing ember of fear. Edelweiss would seek to ensure that ember did not die out, but that it grew into a conflagration. A great, terrible wildfire that would reshape his psyche. It would be in his best interest to be so terrified of her that he fled the moment he laid eyes on her.
"Go," she commanded, threading enough of the Force's influence into her voice to send Malfoy on his way. Crabbe and Goyle hurried to follow after their leader, shooting befuddled looks her way as they went.
"Merlin's balls," whispered Nott. "He looked like he was about to piss himself."
"That is the humiliation he deserves," said Edelweiss as she turned back to the table, her anger icy and cold. "However, I will not inflict that upon him just yet. Anyone can learn."
"How did you do that?" asked Zabini, leaning toward her. Whatever fear he had of her was abandoned, replaced by a burning curiosity.
"Power beyond your imagining, Zabini," she said slyly. Edelweiss turned to the platters before her. They were stacked with small omelets bearing bits of tomato and sausage, along with bowls of fresh fruit and pitchers filled with several varieties of juice. "If I knew how good the fare was here, I would have come to the Slytherin table earlier. This beats Gryffindor by a mile."
"Edie," said Hermione. Edelweiss glanced back at her friend, an eyebrow raised. "We need to talk. Soon."
Edelweiss tilted her head as she recalled a recent announcement. "There's a Hogsmeade trip this Saturday. We can talk then."
Hermione realized without being told that she had been dismissed. She nodded and stalked back to the Gryffindor table. Ron sat there, feasting with his mouth slopping open like a cow happy with its cud.
Edelweiss looked away, else her appetite leave her. She would need her strength.
Lord Malgus glowered at Edelweiss when she activated his holocron. Weeks had passed since he put forward his challenge to master Shii-Cho. Though she was not finished with mastering the form, she needed—wanted, more so—to acquire a form to make her own. She was confident with her skill and reflexes that she could deceive the Sith Lord.
They stood there silently for a few minutes. And then he asked, "Have you mastered the first form?"
"I am where I must be to gain more knowledge and power from you, Lord Malgus."
The bald Sith Lord blinked at her brazen non-answer. With the breathing device over his lower face, it was almost impossible to read his moods. Edelweiss was grateful he revealed even a little of his feelings through a simple blink.
"Then you will prove yourself to me, little apprentice."
A loud hiss filled the chamber as a humanoid body was raised from the floor near the far end of the chamber. There was a small rod in one hand. It raised the rod high and a vivid red blade ignited with the telltale snap-hiss of a lightsaber. Edelweiss raised her training weapon. The red-edged blade hummed low and dangerous as she brought the weapon up into a high guard.
"So that is how you wish to approach this?" asked Lord Malgus, clearly judging which guard she chose. His holocron form blinked away. A moment later, the droid's eyes flashed a cruel red. "Let me test you, child."
The droid moved quickly, but not so swiftly Edelweiss was unable to keep up. She blocked the first two strikes, both aimed at her core, before leaping over a low slash and parrying the higher follow-up attack. Her attempt to go on the offensive was quickly stopped. But she did prevent his countering parry from tapping her right shoulder.
"Impressive, for a green child," Lord Malgus taunted. He brought his weapon down from a high position, trying to use raw force to knock her down. Edelweiss relied on her reflexes as a seeker over her lightsaber training as she backpedaled away from the overhead slash. She waited a moment after the blade came down before lunging forward, her blade straight before her. He slapped away the thrust and nearly took her on the wrist with a backhanded swing. It was only a quick and timely twist that brought her blade into position to glance aside the slashing blow. Even so, it sent her reeling away.
"I am more… than a green child," Edelweiss panted as she adjusted her stance. She opened herself to her anger. The dark side filled her muscles with strength, and her breathing eased. "I am a Sith, Lord Malgus. You shall recognize me on this day."
He chuckled, which sounded doubly strange through his vocalizer and the droid's system. It chilled her slightly, though not enough to quail and falter before him. "Then prove yourself, girl. Show me your power."
She waited, forcing him to approach. Yet the droid body stood where it had sent her back, blade lowered. She knew Lord Malgus was inviting her to attack. Edelweiss took a small step forward, and then a second. The droid remained posed and in place, unmoving yet somehow unrelenting.
Blast. He truly wants me to charge in. And given his experience, I will break long before him.
Edelweiss moved in slowly, waiting until she was just within the droid's range before lashing out. She knew her lunge was daring, foolish even, but it was not meant to strike. Lord Malgus would respond, spotting an obvious weakness in her form and posture. There was a chance he would move too swiftly for her to react, but she was committed now.
He did react, but not as she desired. She had expected his lightsaber to come down upon her like the guillotine's flashing blade. What he did was drive a sudden, swift knee into her exposed gut. She went flying, crossing several feet before crashing to the durasteel floor. Edelweiss tumbled over and over. Her lightsaber slipped from her grasp and deactivated as it clattered a few feet further away.
"That was a daring attempt. But a foolish one," said Lord Malgus. Soft footsteps approached. "If you do not move, I will kill you."
Panting, she made an effort to not glance at the droid. The moment she did was the moment Lord Malgus would strike. He was a predator. He enjoyed toying with his prey. A lack of fear or panic should keep him at bay long enough to retrieve her weapon and defend against his looming assault.
And so Edelweiss sought out her lightsaber. She spotted it two meters away, just beyond the range for her to crawl, retrieve, and defend herself. She twisted her right hand so it was oriented toward her weapon, and then she reached out with the Force. It twitched; the footsteps drew closer. Lord Malgus's humming blade remained several feet away. If he wished it, he could swiftly close the distance and strike her exposed legs.
Still, Edelweiss reached out with the Force.
Come to me!
A step closer.
Come to me!
Another step closer. Within range.
Come!
The lightsaber shook once more and then finally skittered across the floor and into her hand. Edelweiss spun as she thumbed the ignition, that glorious snap-hiss coming to life as she swung her blade up and blocked Lord Malgus's great chopping motion downward. It took the breath from her and left her right arm shaking. But she had stopped his blow from striking her.
And that was the least she could demand of herself.
"Heh, heh, heh," the Sith Lord chuckled. Ominous red eyes stared down as the droid continued to push toward her. Edelweiss clenched her jaw. She raised her free hand and held it beneath the tip of her lightsaber blade. For a moment, she was dedicated to pouring her strength into supporting that end of her weapon.
And then she realized that there was something else she could pour her Force powers into.
Edelweiss thrust that hand at the droid. It flew across the chamber, limbs flailing behind the torso she pushed against. Without flesh and blood, Lord Malgus's vessel was powerless against the Force. It was a dead thing, something that could only be acted upon with the Force, and thus was unable to touch and wield that power.
Lord Malgus cackled as his droid body crashed to the floor a foot from the far wall. Edelweiss knew she was powerful enough to send him completely across the chamber and impact terribly against the far wall. She had acted upon instinct, creating enough space so she could rise to her feet and prepare for the next assault. She held her blade forward in one hand while her other readied to use the Force once more. The humming blade jutted forth, held high enough to not sear the durasteel floor. Her body ached from her crash. She drew on the power of the dark side flowing through her and channeled her pain into strength. Anger at being bested in the slightest kept that power thick and heady within her.
She watched the droid form slowly rise.
"I confess myself impressed. You have accomplished more than I expected in the brief time I allowed you. However, you have risen faster than you should. Unless you have gotten lucky." Lord Malgus paused, as though he had expected her to respond to his accusation. "From all I witnessed during my era, that shall lead you to a pitiful, ruinous fall."
"I am not like those Sith from your time, Lord Malgus. I am different. I am more."
"Because of your witch magic?" The long-dead Sith was able to thread a sneer into his tone, despite the doubling layer of mechanical distortion. "Perhaps that will work against the Jedi. But against a properly trained Sith, you are as feeble as a newborn."
"And yet I was able to hold my own against you."
"Because you remembered what other powers you possess. I was reminded of how powerful Force powers could be in combat when I dueled that traitor Revan's spawn, Satele Shan, on Alderaan. We had met years before when the Sith Empire liberated Korriban from the Jedi. I slew her master, and so she sought me out. As we dueled, she shattered a tree to create space between her and me. When I thought her disabled, she was able to catch and absorb my blade with her power in the Force. And finally, she slammed me so hard into a cliff with the Force it shattered—and I acquired the vocalizer I use even now."
Edelweiss found herself smiling. While she was still disgusted that her master's descendant had been a Jedi, she was pleased to hear how capable that woman had been as a warrior. To face Lord Malgus in single combat and seriously injure him in the process? Lady Bastila's descendant was powerful. It was only a shame she served the Jedi instead of the Sith.
"What became of her?" she asked. "This Satele Shan."
"She would become their Grand Master, though she later went into an exile of her own after I crushed the pathetic Republic of that time." Lord Malgus made the droid's body shrug. "It matters not what became of her in the end. The Jedi lived on, and the Sith fell into decline. I know this much from the Sith who brought all of us to this backwater."
Edelweiss blinked. "You know where you are?"
"Thanks to the systems of Salazar's 'Ziost Hangar', I am aware he came to a backwater far from galactic civilization. It has even gathered information from what you have provided its master from the castle above us." He then chuckled. "How fascinating that the humans of a desolate world, far away from all I knew in life, would be identical enough to humans elsewhere in the cosmos that they can reproduce. The Dark Lord you seek to unseat is Salazar's descendant, yes?"
"Indeed." Edelweiss sneered at his claim that she sought to "unseat" Voldemort. Were she not Sith, she would have no interest in the title of 'Dark Lord'. "While the Force will be enough to defeat him, I must be able to destroy those who follow him as well. They are unsuitable to be my followers."
Lord Malgus made a strangely approving hum. Edelweiss hoped she had impressed him enough he would deign to teach her whichever lightsaber form she desired. She would need that power for the day she left Earth. She recognized now that one day she would leave, and that the Jedi and Sith beyond Earth would attempt to destroy her.
They shall either bow to me or be destroyed in turn.
"So, Lord Malgus," Edelweiss said once it became clear the man would say no more. "Have I proved myself as you commanded?"
He hummed again, the droid body rubbing a chin as if it were Lord Malgus before her, in the flesh. "You have done better than I expected, though I am hesitant to teach you more beyond what you need to know to further develop the basics. It takes longer than a few weeks of intensive practice to master a form. A true Sith Lord masters all seven.
"But I sense your impatience. You wish to prove yourself. You thirst to achieve greatness." Lord Malgus paused. Edelweiss thought he might be impressed with her. "I shall assist you down the path you have chosen. But which form you learn is on your shoulders alone."
Edelweiss straightened as her eyes flashed brightly. "Name them, so that I may choose."
He chuckled lowly. "So be it, apprentice."
Edelweiss emerged from the Chamber of Secrets pensive. Lord Malgus had walked her through the other lightsaber forms, discussing their merits and difficulties, before all but leading her to a decision. She sighed. He had offered to let her choose; in a way she had, though he had nearly guided her into following his footsteps.
Form Six had been dismissed immediately; Niiman required ten years to master, built atop knowledge of the five forms devised before it. Perhaps one day she would learn Form Six, but for now, she put it out of mind. Form Seven had appealed to her, with its brutality and ferocity, but Lord Malgus had rejected that option for her.
"For now, choose another," he said, almost sounding like a caring master. "But in time, you shall learn it. Juyo shall serve you well once you are a Sith Lord."
With two out, she had been left to consider the four remaining options after hearing their description. Form Three was too defensive for her liking. Perhaps a year or two ago she would have chosen Soresu. But the days of Edelweiss Potter being that reactionary girl were gone. She would act and take the offensive. Form Two seemed good for that purpose, yet she found Makashi lacking. Form Five, while powerful, relied too much on countering and using the enemy's strength against them for her tastes. Lord Malgus had seemed almost disappointed by her decision; Djem So, she suspected, had been his form of choice.
And so she settled on Form Four, Ataru. It was built upon fluid movement and a willingness to move into the sky while fighting. To Edelweiss with her seeker instincts, it was the perfect form. The sky might not be the safest place in a fight, but Ataru would allow her to use skills already developed in tandem with her new Sith training. Lord Malgus accepted her choice, overcoming his disappointment over her rejection of Djem So.
Edelweiss glanced at her right pocket, where she held the training holocron provided to her. She left Lord Malgus's holocron in Ziost Hangar's dueling room. With Lady Bastila secured in Gryffindor Tower, she distrusted having the two within proximity of each other. Lord Malgus had summoned Lord Salazar to the dueling chamber. They spoke in a tongue Edelweiss knew not before agreeing on a supplementary holocron for teaching Ataru. Her Force powers needed to be practiced in the safety and security of Ziost Hangar. As far as they were concerned, lightsaber training could be completed elsewhere. Edelweiss had already used the Come-and-Go Room for that purpose. And with the Christmas hols around the corner, she could use the dueling chamber beneath Number Twelve for her purposes.
Naturally, she would need to keep her Sith training a secret from Sirius.
Edelweiss drifted through the lower reaches of the castle as she made her way to Gryffindor Tower. It was late, though not so late that she openly risked losing points for violating curfew. She snorted, thinking of losing house points. The others might care about that farce, but she did not. She had grown beyond the simple, pedantic qualms of Hogwarts. Her calling was that of the Sith; to dominate and rule, to wield the dark side in pursuit of all she desired.
Soon she would be a Sith Lord; she would be the Dark Lord of the Sith. How could she take herself seriously as Darth Gladiolus if she allowed the rabble—even those older and respected within British society—to seek to tear her down to their pathetic level?
Footsteps approached as she climbed a stairwell up to the fifth floor. Edelweiss continued on. She passed the fifth floor and soon came to the sixth floor. There, she followed a curving corridor toward Gryffindor Tower. The footsteps followed. They quickened after she turned a corner and headed straight for the stairwell up to the Gryffindor common room.
Amusingly, she felt unthreatened by whoever pursued her.
Let's give them a chase.
Edelweiss pressed on. Let whomever it was in pursuit attempt to catch her before she came to the Fat Lady. Perhaps they would succeed; perhaps they would not.
Regardless, she would maintain the upper hand however she wished.
Edelweiss reached the stairwell up to the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady's portrait guarding the common room. She moved swiftly, skipping steps where she could. She resisted outright running, though she did smirk when she heard her pursuer swear. That was followed by hurried footsteps, harsh enough to suggest he was running.
How should I handle my pursuer? I cannot allow them—him—to know who I am, nor can I attack him in a manner that could be traced back to me.
She came to an alcove on her left before the landing. Her pursuer was nearly upon her, yet she had nearly reached her destination. He was close enough Edelweiss knew that only the Force would allow her to escape his notice. Yes, she could challenge him. But modifying memories could be a tricky affair when it came to magicals, and she knew not how strong her pursuer might be. She could brute force the matter, but that risked the potential for exposure.
And so she embraced the obvious solution and stepped into the alcove. Edelweiss cloaked herself in the Force, using her will to prevent any who passed the alcove from noticing her presence. She could sing and dance about, breaking a sweat, and they would be unaware. She felt a touch of exhaustion from her long day. Her anger flared and her exhaustion fled.
A tall Slytherin prefect huffed up the stairs, wide in the shoulders with a pronounced jaw and small, dim eyes. He passed her alcove, reached the landing, and crossed the threshold without even glancing her way. A few seconds passed before he swore loudly. He looked around and muttered, "Merlin's beard. Where did the bitch go?"
"Where did who go?" asked a familiar voice. Edelweiss edged up to the alcove's lip and watched as Hermione strode forward and confronted her fellow prefect. "You're a long way from the fifth floor, Collins. Were you following someone?"
"What's it to you, mudblood?"
Hermione's nostrils flared. Edelweiss had heard Ron complain about how prefects were not allowed to take points from each other. Instead, they had to go to the Head of House for both parties to make a complaint—and Professor Snape never failed to defend his snakes. She knew that if Hermione had the power to take points, Slytherin would already be fifteen short because of the slur.
A low toll echoed through the castle. Curfew had finally arrived. Edelweiss grimaced. While she could try and sneak past them, she would be noticed when entering the common room. And being spotted would cause more trouble for Hermione than she deserved.
The Slytherin made a strange, swaggering motion. Edelweiss crept forward to the threshold, the Force answering to her will. She pursed her lips for a moment—and then she reached out carefully. She nearly choked on her breath at sensing how simple the Slytherin prefect's mind was. Before Hermione could respond to the attempt at intimidation, Edelweiss whispered, "I am returning to the dungeons. Good night."
A moment later, the prefect drolly said, "I am returning to the dungeons. Good night."
He returned to the stairwell as if in a daze. Edelweiss did not bother to slink back into the shadows. The prefect's gaze was dulled by her domination. He trudged down the stairs, neither hurrying nor slothful.
"What was that about?" mumbled Hermione. "It was though…"
Footsteps approached the threshold. For a split second, Edelweiss considered how she could vanish. But Hermione had proved resistant to the Force, and Edelweiss's invisibility cloak was in her trunk.
Hermione entered the stairwell before Edelweiss could reach a decision. They stared at each other for a long, painful second. And then Hermione said, "I will ignore this the one time, Edie. Head up to bed and please be asleep before I return from my rounds."
Edelweiss nodded. She could argue or protest; even brag how she sent the Slytherin troubling Hermione to bed. None of it mattered, though. If Hermione were unable to put the pieces together—pieces that Edelweiss both hoped and feared her friend noticing and putting together—then she would forever remain in the dark.
She went to bed and dreamed of herself as Darth Gladiolus, clad in black as she strolled down a corridor of black tiles.
Come Saturday, the upper years of Hogwarts flocked to Hogsmeade. Most of them, at least. Some, like Ronald Weasley, remained in the castle so they might catch up on their schoolwork as the winter hols began to encroach on Hogwarts. Edelweiss knew she should be working with Ron on essays and readings she had ignored, but she had a conversation that was more important than schoolwork. And so that was how she found herself following Hermione up the high street amidst a snow flurry. Instead of heading for the Three Broomsticks or the Hog's Head, as she expected, they pressed on to the edge of town.
"Where are we going?" she asked. "You only said to follow you."
"It's up ahead," Hermione said, pressing forward.
Edelweiss frowned; she knew she could use the Force to learn what Hermione kept secret from her, but that would further expose her than the tricks and errors she had committed in Hermione's presence. More so, her friend—if she could still be called that—had proven resistant to the Force's sway. To try and dominate her mind could destroy it, and that would eliminate all utility Edelweiss found in their relationship.
They departed the village and continued for a while longer, plunging into the sparse woods around Hogsmeade. Edelweiss already suspected where they were going, but she remained silent. This would be Hermione's show, and she wanted to see how it would play out.
Edelweiss drew her cloak tighter around her form as the snow fell heavier. She did not rely on magic to protect her from the cold weather, but the Force. It was the greater power.
Eventually, they came to the Shrieking Shack. It was a sad, dreary sight, and yet Edelweiss held warm feelings toward it. This was the place where she learned the truth about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, and where her first great hope to escape the Dursleys was presented to her.
If only Remus had not been a fool that night, she thought bitterly. Her hands clenched. She envisioned stripping down the Shrieking Shack until it was nothing but rubble and dust.
"Inside," said Hermione, heading for the door. She paused, turning to face Edelweiss when she reached the bottom step up. "Come on, Edie."
Edelweiss sighed and followed along. She waved a hand, clearing snow away from her shoulders and hair. Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she said nothing as Edelweiss stepped past her and entered the shack.
Dust floated everywhere and most of the furniture was covered in white sheets. Hermione entered behind her, closing the door and casting several hexes upon it.
"Don't forget the windows," Edelweiss whispered as she went to the stairs up to the floor above.
Hermione only sighed, exasperated, and continued her work.
Several minutes passed before Hermione stormed upstairs, her hair puffed out like a furious cat. She shot Edelweiss a foul glare as she slammed the door to the small room shut.
"You wanted to speak," Edelweiss said. "So speak."
She watched Hermione pace back and forth for a while. She sensed that Hermione struggled to order her thoughts now that she was thrown off her game. How muddled had Edelweiss left the allegedly most brilliant witch of her generation?
Hermione stopped and turned to Edelweiss with an intent look. "Over the past week, I have seen you use magic in a way we have not been taught. I have tried to search for anything that would explain what you have done, and I've found nothing."
"Unsurprising. What I have learned came from the private notes of Salazar Slytherin."
"Can I—"
"You need to be a parselmouth to read them, Hermione. And I have been unable to replicate them in another language. A… strange element to their nature, I believe."
Hermione drooped. After several seconds, she nodded. Edelweiss almost felt bad lying to her friend so, but she could not tell her the truth. That had to remain under lock and key until the time came to destroy her enemies and impose her will over all of magical Britain.
They left shortly after. Edelweiss smiled back to Hogwarts, knowing one problem had been neutralized.