A Premonition

Edelweiss crawled into bed early on the night some two days before the Hogwarts Express was set to return to London. For the first time in her time as a witch, she would not spend her Yule hols within the castle walls. Professor McGonagall confirmed she would be allowed to spend the hols with the Weasleys at Grimmauld Place. The Dursleys, for once, had written the school to grant their consent.

She suspected that what actually happened was that Mad-Eye paid them a visit. How the auror threatened an agreement out of Uncle Vernon would be quite the story. Edelweiss was disappointed she missed witnessing that confrontation.

The Force drew her to bed that night. She sensed its currents, beckoning her to bed. Edelweiss worked to resist the draw of the Force, but it grew stronger the more she resisted. It reeked of the Cosmic Force—that dreaded aspect of the almighty power that swayed minds and made puppets of the Jedi. And yet Edelweiss failed in her effort. She succumbed to its siren call. It came swiftly, crushing all resistance abruptly. Edelweiss found in the span of a blink she went from struggling to finish an essay in the common room to laying in her bed, changed and ready for sleep.

Might as well learn what the Force wishes to show me, she thought mulishly. Edelweiss pushed aside her hesitation, closed her eyes, and embraced the draw of the Force.

Time blurred into inconsequential nothingness—and then Edelweiss became aware of her surroundings. She was in a dream but not; a blurred, greyed ripple of some other place she had dreamed of once before. The grey coloring faded, but the ripples and blurs did not.

She stood in a long corridor, the walls and floor and ceiling all covered in identical black tiles. They were smooth and glossy, reflecting a pale blue light that drew her forward. As she went, Edelweiss noticed her reflection. She stopped and stared, burning the image into her mind. This was how Darth Gladiolus would dress when the time came. She wore boots made of a dark, pitted metal. That same metal covered her hands and forearms, gloves merging into gauntlets that reached up to her elbows. There, metal met bare flesh. The black, swirling marks from her cleansing were exposed for all to see. She wore cloth over the rest of her form; supple pants and a sleeveless tunic, with a long, flowing cloak over her shoulders fluttering behind her.

And at her belted waist hung a lightsaber, sleek grey metal stylized to mimic her holly wand.

The weapon of a Sith Lord.

She followed the corridor until she came to a door. She opened it and entered a strange, circular chamber. A dozen doors surrounded her. When she reached the chamber's center, the wall shifted and started spinning. Instead of watching the wall or the doors, Edelweiss closed her eyes and focused on the Force. Time passed. Eventually, the chamber stopped spinning. Relying only on what she felt, she went to a door on her right. It was not directly before her, yet it was not directly to the side. She opened that peculiar door and stepped through.

On the other side of the door was a massive chamber with a high, arching ceiling. Before her was row after row of shelves, all bearing blue, shining orbs of wildly varying sizes. Edelweiss frowned and started forward. The Force beckoned her onward, onward, onward! She had a terrible feeling about what she would find at the end of her path, but she had no—

A man screamed. Edelweiss turned toward the scream. The world rippled into its proper color and shape as she broke from the guidance of the Force. She rushed to the scream's source. She nearly stumbled over a massive snake as it weakly crawled, seemingly spent. There was no time to stop and inspect it. She had yet to find the man who had screamed.

She found the man near the dying snake and froze. She knew him. She knew the balding red hair on his head and his paunchy stomach. His eyes widened as though he could see her. But he shouldn't be able to. This was a dream, or so Edelweiss told herself.

His lips moved, her name reflecte—

Edelweiss shot up in bed. Hair was plastered to her brow and her breaths came in harsh pants. She sprung to her feet, raced across the dormitory filled with snores, and scurried down the stairs to the common room. Her heart pounded hard enough to bruise her ribs. Her mind whirled, grappling with her dream.

What had she seen? She did not know the place she had walked through, yet Edelweiss feared what she witnessed was true.

But for that to be so…

She shook her head to banish the thought. Edelweiss went to the portrait over the fireplace, one of a Scottish warrior cleaning his massive sword.

"Summon McGonagall!" she demanded. Edelweiss remembered the copy in the professor's office from prior years. She suspected McGonagall used the portrait to keep an eye on the Gryffindors, despite her apparent blindness to the madness which occurred most days. "Go now! Fly!"

"Now, hold ye—"

"Go before I ruin you!" bellowed Edelweiss. She knew she was too loud. Her voice might be loud enough to awaken all of Gryffindor. "Hurry! A man's life hangs in the balance!"

The portrait nodded and vanished. Edelweiss spent the next few minutes stressfully pacing before the dark fireplace. The dark side cloistered around her, a second skin that provided no real comfort. She tried to make sense of what she witnessed. Arthur Weasley had been attacked. That was clear. But where? And by whom? Voldemort? She would be unsurprised to learn he possessed the power to control snakes. But something had been off about the snake she noticed. Wrong. She hoped that snake had housed some of his essence and had now perished, though it should have been slain by her cleansing ritual. It would be dead now. Yet the thought of it infuriated her. It never should have had the chance to look Arthur Weasley in the eye, let alone attack him.

"Did I make an error with my ritual?" she murmured.

There was no time to dwell on that thought, for McGonagall burst into the common room, family tartan wrapped around her night robe. She went to Edelweiss and asked, "Miss Potter, what is—?"

"Inform Dumbledore that Arthur Weasley has been attacked. It was done by a snake in a chamber with glowing orbs on shelves."

McGonagall blanched. Edelweiss knew the place she dreamed of was connected to the Order. She was tempted to press the issue, but a man's life hung in the balance. If she were to claim the Weasley's loyalty for herself, she needed to ensure their patriarch survived to see the new year.

To see more years.

"Go on," said Edelweiss. "Go tell Dumbledore, so that he can send someone to get Mr. Weasley to safety."

McGonagall stared at Edelweiss pensively. For several seconds, she worried the professor would ignore her—or worse, try and punish her. But then she sniffed and said, "Remain here, Miss Potter. I will go speak with Albus."

She watched the professor go and only worried about Arthur Weasley, who had always been decent to her. Some did not deserve death, and he was one of those rare few.

A half-hour later, a tight-lipped Professor McGonagall escorted Edelweiss to Dumbledore's office. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of Minister Fudge and Umbridge. But then she had kept the Force close to her after what transpired in her dreams. The adults appeared slightly exhausted, though the Minister was frightened awake when he gazed upon her marked face. She stared impassively as he babbled about "rotten morals" and "a need to do something". It would have been hilarious, were it not so pathetic.

"Pardon me, but why was I summoned?" asked Edelweiss.

Dumbledore rose to his feet. Minister Fudge cleared his throat, shot the Headmaster a dark look, and then turned to Edelweiss with a grimace. "It was reported to my office around twenty minutes ago that there were several breaches into the Department of Mysteries. One of these breaches was caused by you, possessing those strange, dark marks on your face. And worse, there were reports of yellow eyes! Yellow eyes! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I woke up about a half hour ago from a most terrible nightmare." Edelweiss fought down the sudden want to liquidate the Minister with Force lightning for daring to compare her Sith markings to the slave-tattoo Voldemort branded onto his servants. She also suffered a wave of jealousy, learning others had seen her eyes burn sulfur-yellow before her ascension. They would be like glowing coals in her skull. "I wish I could aid you, Minister, but I'm afraid I don't know—"

"You told me about Arthur being attacked in the Hall of Prophecy," interrupted Professor McGonagall. She had freshened up, though her tartan hung around her just like when she stormed into the Gryffindor common room. "While I disagree with the Minister's claim you were there physically, I cannot fathom why you would know about something in London."

"And especially not after what happened to Arthur Weasley," the Minister added. He shot a foul glare at Dumbledore. "This is the second time someone with close ties to you has been found where they should not be, Albus. I want to know why the Department of Mysteries!" Edelweiss tried to recall who the first person had been, but she was drawing up a blank. Perhaps she should read the Daily Prophet, for all she detested the Ministry's propaganda rag. No doubt they would have bragged about a member of the Order of the Phoenix being caught somewhere illicit. "I am tempted to see you drummed out of your position here at Hogwarts!"

"I am afraid you do not have that authority, Cornelius. Otherwise, you would have removed me this summer while you pushed me out of my other posts," said Dumbledore. He glanced at Edelweiss, a hint of amusement hidden in his blue eyes. "It pains me to confess that Arthur took a concern of mine too far. I am covering his care at Saint Mungo's, and I will ensure his family receives restitution for what has happened."

Minister Fudge huffed. "That does not explain the snake corpse we found!"

"Snake corpse?" asked Edelweiss, playing dumb. She glanced at Dumbledore. "Do you think…?"

She let her question linger in the air between them. Edelweiss wondered if Dumbledore would bite at the trap laid for him. She certainly hoped so. But he only smiled back, obviously aware of what she was doing—and he found it amusing. Amusing!

"I have no doubt, my dear, that Voldemort believes there is something of great value to him in the Hall of Prophecy."

Edelweiss raised an eyebrow while Minister Fudge spluttered. "A prophecy? Perhaps connecting me and him—?"

"Enough!" boomed Minister Fudge. "Enough about him! He has not returned! He has not! He has been dead all of these years!"

"Then how would you explain the Chamber of Secrets being reopened?" asked Dumbledore. "I told you then that it was the same man—and that it was never Hagrid."

Minister Fudge's face pursed as if he had eaten a handful of prunes while Umbridge shot Dumbledore a deathly glare. Professor McGonagall appeared to have aged several years in as many seconds. All the while, Dumbledore remained behind his desk, strong and stoic. Here was the wizard Voldemort feared. Here was the wizard she would destroy.

"May I return to bed?" asked Edelweiss. She yawned. "I would appreciate a few more hours of sleep before you inevitably inform the Weasleys about what happened to their father."

There was an awkward, almost pained exchange of glances before McGonagall said, "I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower, Miss Potter."

Edelweiss nodded. No protest came despite Umbridge's frustrated expression. They left Dumbledore's office to the sound of Fudge bellowing about alleged threats to the integrity of the Ministry, and the Department of Mysteries in particular. She smirked. The Minister was a fool if he remained unaware of the truth that he had long been subverted.

Like clockwork, the story of Arthur Weasley's peculiar attack in the Department of Mysteries was plastered across the front of the Daily Prophet. The student body of Hogwarts almost immediately began to speculate as to what happened. The Weasleys, along with a frightful-looking Hermione, had been told shortly after Edelweiss returned to the common room. They had gathered, worried over her disappearance from bed. That was amplified by the panic she put into the portraits while reporting the attack. She remained silent when questioned how she knew of the attack. Judging from the dark gleam in Ron's gaze whenever he glanced at her, she would need to take him aside and correct whatever foolish notion bubbled in his head. She would prefer to not threaten and cajole him into seeing things correctly. But knowing him, it might be necessary.

Edelweiss would never forget how he believed she secretly put her name into the Goblet of Fire the previous year. She had been sorely tempted to throw his lackluster apology in his face and end their friendship following the First Task. Were it not for the pressure she received from Hermione and the other Weasleys along with her weak heart, she might not have accepted Ron back into the fold.

She suspected there were other ways to ensure his compliance.

Edelweiss also suspected that what she witnessed was connected to her cleansing. Had she not cleansed herself of Voldemort's tainted essence, she might have witnessed the attack on Mr. Weasley from the snake's perspective. She could not fathom how that change would have affected her reaction to the incident.

Naturally, she had begun to question how she had been in the Hall of Prophecy while her body slept in Gryffindor Tower. Lady Bastila's holocron currently resided in her trunk, so she easily had access to someone versed in the Force and its many phenomena. Hopefully, her master possessed an explanation for what Edelweiss had experienced. While she felt triumph in possessing powers beyond the scope of what Voldemort and Dumbledore could do, she wondered why they would both be interested in the Hall of Prophecy. The obvious sprung to mind, yet how likely could that be? Was she tied to one of these men—Voldemort, no doubt, for he began their story by orphaning her via failure to murder her—by prophecy?

The Force told her yes, and that she hated.

That left her unsettled. Her gut churned. Had discovering the Force and the dark side, embracing Salazar's Sith legacy, been her working within the confines of this prophecy?

Or could she break away from its influence?

It would not matter in the end. She would destroy Voldemort regardless of external forces or influences. That was her truest power.

Fifteen minutes after lunch, Edelweiss was summoned to Professor McGonagall's office. She passed through the slightly ajar door and found the other Weasleys gathered along with Hermione. She sensed their discomfort, along with McGonagall's frustration. She had a few suspicions as to why the professor had summoned her. The trouble was that the only logical answer meant incurring the wrath of the Ministry through Umbridge.

"You're sending us to Grimmauld," said Edelweiss. Of all present, only her trunk would be packed. Hermione packed the night before they left—which would be tomorrow—while the Weasleys had a destructive habit of not packing until the day of departure.

"Aye, I am," said Professor McGonagall. "With the rumors about what happened to Arthur spreading throughout the school, Albus and I decided it would be best for all of you to depart today."

"Even Hermione?" asked Edelweiss. "Won't that make Umbridge more suspicious?"

McGonagall pursed her lips, appearing a heartbeat away from outright glowering at Edelweiss. "I reminded him of that very point, Miss Potter. But Albus believes that sending all of you from the castle now can be done without drawing their ire to you and the Weasleys. And even Miss Granger, thanks to her connection to you, Miss Potter, along with the Weasleys, can be excused in this case. Frankly, given the situation with Arthur, it would be more suspicious if Miss Granger remained behind." She sighed before adding, "Aurors will likely be at King's Cross. On Fudge's orders, since he has grown even more suspicious of Albus and his intentions."

"And Dumbledore fears they might catch on to Grimmauld Place as the Order's headquarters if they follow us," Edelweiss surmised. "With the Fidelius Charm, is that truly of great concern?"

"Albus believes so. I do not think it is the appropriate reaction, but I understand his reasoning."

Edelweiss sighed and then nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Within the hour. Albus has modified the wards so that all of you can depart from my office instead of his."

Something changed after June, thought Edelweiss, bitter poison in her mouth. For the best, truly.

She still recalled the portkey that spirited her away at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, along with the price she paid for her weakness. She glanced at the others, who were asking McGonagall about their trunks. "A certain house elf with handle it," McGonagall said with a smile.

Edelweiss embraced the Force then and carefully parsed out their emotions. The Weasleys projected varying states of anxiety. They wanted nothing more than to hear about their father and his condition. Ginny even wanted to see him at Saint Mungo's immediately. Hermione's were more muddled; yet her feelings were similar enough that Edelweiss almost mistook the bushy-haired girl for a Weasley.

"Miss Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "I would like to speak with you privately."

Edelweiss nodded. She watched as the Weasleys and Hermione filed out of the room, the latter shooting her a worried look.

"What do you wish to speak about, professor?"

"I am concerned about the quality of your schoolwork," began Professor McGonagall. "You are struggling with most of your courses, especially with the written work expected from you. All of your professors have reported this decline to me. Even Severus is concerned, which surprised me."

"I find writing to be boring and tedious," said Edelweiss, unable to reveal the truth. "I excel with my wandwork, along with the rest of the practical work required of me."

"And that is only half of what will be expected of you on your OWLs." Edelweiss almost thought Professor McGonagall was angry with her. Disappointment rippled off the older witch, potent through the Force. "If you continue as you are, I am worried you may not be able to register for many NEWT-level courses. Worse, you may need to take remedials so you can catch up with those in your year."

"I will be fine, Professor, but"—and here she paused, smiling slightly as if she were still the girl savior everyone expected—"I appreciate the concern."

That seemed to be enough for McGonagall, for a burst of relief flowed through her. "If you ever need help, know my door is already open."

"Of course," said Edelweiss with no plans to accept aid from McGonagall. She did not trust the professor. Not after everything that happened over the past four years. But for now, there was nothing wrong with allowing the Scottish professor to think she possessed influence over Edelweiss.

Better yet, that assumption would trickle up to Albus Dumbledore. He would believe there remained a means by which he could influence Edelweiss, now that she was increasingly beyond his control. She wondered how long she could string them along before they realized her game.

For now, though, she would lie low. The Christmas hols would allow her time to focus on learning Ataru and to prepare for whatever trouble she would face when she returned to Hogwarts in January. Edelweiss sensed unseen powers at work. They were too blurry to make sense of, yet she knew a threat loomed upon the horizon.

A threat, oddly enough, that she thought could be used to her advantage.

Professor McGonagall briefly stepped out of her office, returning almost automatically with the Weasleys and Hermione in tow. She then drew out a length of rope and held it out for them to them.

"This is the portkey Albus prepared for you. It's set to react to an activation word."

Edelweiss was the last to grasp the portkey. She grimaced, remembering what happened the last time she touched one. The others must have forgotten, for she received confused looks at her hesitation.

Worse, they acted as though Umbridge might barge through Professor McGonagall's door at any moment. A foolish fear, for the woman was currently giving first years an academic debauching in Defense. Edelweiss, for her part, was ready to return to the Grimmauld. Perhaps she would bully her godfather into dueling her. He would expect her to ask after it. The others would not blink at her doing so, thanks to the defense group.

And once we have a schedule for dueling, then I can ensure I can train with my lightsaber without issue.

McGonagall waited until she was confident they were all holding the rope tightly before she said, "Leo." A moment later, something yanked Edelweiss behind the navel. She was taken from Hogwarts. The world spun in a flurry of muted colors. Reds and golds poked through for a time, eventually replaced by greens as the world slowly righted itself.

She crashed to the floor as they arrived at Grimmauld Place. Edelweiss cursed under her breath, for the Force failed to warn her of their sudden arrival. The Weasley Twins chuckled at her misfortune. Hermione helped Edelweiss to her feet, amusement and worry on her face. She almost ripped the hand away, but her relationship with Hermione was too valuable to wantonly destroy.

"One of these days you'll land on your feet," said Hermione. "I still don't know how you're so clumsy with magical transit."

"I would rather never use portkeys." Edelweiss recalled the previous night. "Maybe one day I won't require them."

Hermione blinked. "What do you mean— Wait, is this related to our conversation—"

"It is and it is not, Hermione. For now, worry not. I do not think that day is near." Edelweiss glanced around the room. They had landed not in the entry, but the small family room with the great, sprawling family tree of the Blacks. "Where's—?"

The door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall, as Sirius Black stormed in. "Edie!" he shouted. "You're here!" His voice bore a barking quality that drew a fond smile to her lips. Her godfather pushed his way over and scooped her up into a hug. She embraced him, grinning widely, despite the faint, embarrassed flush that came to her face.

"What happened to your face?" Sirius whispered into her hair.

"We'll speak of it later," Edelweiss replied.

Sirius then set her down. Edelweiss took a small step back. "It's good to see you, Sirius." She glanced at the Weasleys, taking in their jealous, morose expressions. "Is Mrs. Weasley around? How is Mr. Weasley?"

"Molly is at Saint Mungo's, along with Bill and that bird of his. Seems like he's getting serious about the girl he's been seeing recently."

Edelweiss nodded. She had met Bill Weasley twice now. Once during the previous summer and a second time, following the First Task. In another life, she might have looked up to him as his siblings did. Instead, he was just another Weasley; one she knew just better than Charlie, who worked with dragons.

"Arthur is doing well," continued Sirius. "Hopefully he'll be released before New Year, though with the aurors sniffing around him…"

"You think they'll hold him longer?"

Sirius nodded. He glanced at the Weasley children before admitting, "It was a near thing. The Unspeakables are furious with Dumbledore since he was able to sneak members of the Order into their department without getting approval from them. But because of how the Department of Mysteries is structured, the Minister can't do much." He shrugged, a faint grimace marring his attempt at being elusive. "I believe he'll be fine, but I won't know anything until Molly gets back."

"Do you think he might be fired from the Ministry?"

Sirius's uncertain silence was answer enough. Edelweiss thought it was foolish on the part of the Ministry to consider eliminating the man heading one of their most vital muggle-facing departments. But then she had witnessed firsthand how witches and wizards thought of Muggles. It was as though muggles were human-shaped animals and not human. Arthur Weasley acted so oddly around them it was a miracle he did not expose the magical world on his own.

It would be a tragedy to allow magical Britain to be exposed as it was. The muggles, for all their "liberal softness" as Uncle Vernon boomed too often, would not suffer their magical populace to act as they had during secrecy. They would be yanked, screaming and biting, into the modern age—or risk being destroyed in the process.

Edelweiss almost wanted to witness it happen. It was only an irrational fear muggles would snuff out many British mages that kept her firmly on the side of secrecy. Purging enemies was one thing. Genocide was another.

"They would be foolish to fire him, but then we are speaking of the Ministry." Sirius huffed while the Twins tittered. "I wonder who they would hire to replace him. Not a muggleborn, despite the fact they would be the most qualified to fill the post."

The Weasleys grumbled and complained about Edelweiss's comment, though she sensed that Hermione secretly agreed. She would not take up the position—Hermione Granger had too much ambition for that—but she would see a muggleborn step into that position if given the chance.

"Come on," said Sirius. "I have tea ready for you lot. Kreacher will handle your luggage once McGonagall sends it over."

Edelweiss bit her tongue. She knew she would room with Hermione and Ginny once more. Mrs. Weasley would insist after what happened with Arthur Weasley, and she could sense from Sirius that he would not risk helping her this time around.

Not that his help amounted to anything over the summer.

An hour passed before Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Bill's unknown girlfriend returned from Saint Mungo's. Shouting arose from the entry as the Weasley children greeted whomever their brother had taken up with. She tuned out their shouting. Edelweiss had remained in the kitchen with Sirius, wishing she could have placed her training lightsaber and holocron into her robe. Had she done so, she would be in the dueling arena, running through her katas and other training exercises instead of listening to a few months' worth of pointless gossip while Sirius stepped around the single matter he wanted to talk with her about.

"Shouldn't you be out there?" asked Sirius, once more avoiding the elephant in the room.

Edelweiss shook her head. "I'd only be in the way. They might like having me around, but I'm not one of them." She raised her cup of dark, lukewarm tea to her lips. It smelled oddly unpleasant, as though whatever granted the tea its pleasant flavor had been leeched away. "I never will be. Not as Mrs. Weasley would like."

Sirius raised a curious eyebrow.

She considered the surface of her cup for a second and then chugged down all that remained. Edelweiss wrinkled her nose. "She wants for me to fall in love and marry one of her sons. Ron would be expected since we're of age." She sighed before muttering, "He's a decent friend, but he's too controlled by envy. It could never work."

And I have plans of my own. Plans that his petty sense of self-righteous morality would clash with—and I will not have that. None will stand in my way. I will cut down any who dare stop me.

Edelweiss wondered if she could maintain her earthly bonds when the time came for her to step out into the galaxy beyond. She knew the day would come, even if she had no clue of when that might be. There was so much out there in the cosmos. And a sentimental side of her thought Salazar would appreciate having his holocron brought to Ziost one last time. That, however, could only come to pass after she destroyed all who stood in her path. Perhaps she would embark on some social reform before her departure. It would be foolish to leave magical Britain as the same backward quagmire some fool stylizing himself as a dark lord could conquer.

I am the only one with a true claim to the title of Dark Lord on the Earth, Edelweiss thought, reflecting on her lessons under her many Sith masters. Her future title no longer troubled her as it once had. Any who dare to invoke what is mine shall be destroyed.

She paused in her thoughts. Someone was thinking about her, projecting their emotions her way. She could not ignore them. Edelweiss sighed the moment she realized who it was. She shook her head and muttered, "Worry about me less, Sirius."

"But you know I'm always Sirius!" he quickly said with a wry grin.

Edelweiss glowered and growled, "Must you make such childish jokes?"

"If it'll keep you acting normal, then I will tell as many as I humanly can," he said. His amused smirk fell away. She watched, secretly impressed, as his prankster mask slid away, revealing a solemn man beneath. "I'm your godfather, Edie. It's in my job description to worry about you. Especially when the only way I can learn anything about you and your life at Hogwarts is through the letters Molly gets. And even then, that's all filtered through her feelings. Most of which happen to be negative."

"I could have guessed that," Edelweiss grumbled. "Still doesn't explain why—"

"I don't need a reason," Sirius said, crossing his arms. "That's what love is."

Her gaze left him and her jaw clenched, lips pursing. "And what if I risk your love for me?" she eventually muttered, turning back to him. "What will you do when what I wish to pursue and what you believe is best for me cross paths? Or worse, diverge completely?"

His brows furrowed. His grey eyes took on a dark look, almost worryingly so. "Is there something you wish to confide in me? Something I need to know that you've kept secret? I have a feeling it relates to those strange black marks on your face." He suddenly shivered. "They give me the creeps. They feel… wrong. It's a shame they mask your beauty, Edie."

She huffed, annoyed. "No. There are no secrets that I wish to confide in you, Sirius. I do not trust you with this secret. I trust nobody with it."

Not even the one who knows part of it.

Sirius hummed thoughtfully. He then surprised her by nodding. "If you ever change your mind, Edie, you can always tell me. I will never betray you. You can trust me on that."

"So you say. I will keep you to your word."

Sirius nodded, seemingly proud of the quick agreement they had reached. He proceeded to set his cup down and leave the kitchen. She sensed his emotions and knew they were true when he headed for the entry. Edelweiss sat there in the kitchen, hearing his low yet tenor tones come from where the Weasleys still were. She turned to where he disappeared, staring. For several seconds, she considered going to join them—and then Kreacher appeared, grumbling, "Filthy muggle-loving elvies. Comes into my mistress's home, just as blood traitors and mudbloods. Worthless. Worthless!"

Edelweiss waited for the house elf to notice her presence. After all, she had garnered something akin to approval from the foul elf. Instead, he returned to his bedding alcove under the sink. After several seconds of nothing but low mutterings coming from the closed space, Edelweiss rose to her feet, slipped out of the kitchen, and headed for the stairs. She scurried up them and down the hall above, heading straight to the door she remembered from the prior summer. Within, as expected, were three trunks. Edelweiss crossed to where hers waited, kneeled before it, and popped it open. She quickly withdrew her training lightsaber and the Ataru holocron.

She slipped them into her pocket, just as the door behind her opened. Hermione stood on the threshold, her brandy brown eyes watching Edelweiss carefully.

"Just checking that everything was here," said Edelweiss as she closed her trunk. "Mine looks good. Going to check yours?"

"No. I spotted you slink up the stairs, and decided to follow. Mrs. Weasley is cross that you haven't come to ask after Mr. Weasley, especially since you asked Sirius about him when we arrived."

Edelweiss rose to her feet and stretched, drawing a few pops from her back. She needed to stretch more, especially if she was to master the lightsaber form she had chosen. Ataru required quick movements and a level of flexibility she struggled to achieve.

"I was going to speak with the Weasleys once I came down." A lie, but Edelweiss increasingly excelled at lying. Not that she had been a poor liar to begin with. "And then there's something personal I must attend to."

Hermione crossed her arms. A moment passed and then she strode forward, righteous fury cast on her face. "Such as what, Edie? You've been secretive all year. Too secretive. I'm still not happy with the evasive half-truths you've given me, especial—"

"Stop!" growled Edelweiss, holding a hand toward Hermione. The Force flowed through her and into her friend. "No more talking from you!"

Hermione froze. Her eyes did not dull as others had, but she did not speak. She barely thought. It was as though she had been turned into a statue, which retained her natural coloring.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Edelweiss approached her friend. Hermione's brandy-brown eyes did not follow her. "You should know better than to speak of matters others have no right to know. Be careful, Hermione. Who knows what wandering ears linger about this hovel." She turned aside and grumbled. "It's bad enough I have to put up with your meddling speculation."

Edelweiss sighed and released the Force's grasp on Hermione. She blinked suddenly and then glanced around with a dazed, confused haze over her eyes. She flinched away from Edelweiss, who had moved while Hermione had been ignorant of the world around her.

"What—? How?"

"Worry not about what has transpired," Edelweiss whispered. She nearly giggled at how Hermione reeled away from her. "You should worry about the ease with which you might be deceived. I have done nothing more than to guide your mind in one direction—away from where it should be."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hermione. "What did you do?"

"You do recall our conversation in the Shrieking Shack, yes?" When Hermione nodded, Edelweiss smiled impishly. "Then know that what happened to you relates to that. It would be a waste of your time to try and learn the truth, for none but I know. And once I decide to let it come to light, the world will be changing so quickly it will matter not what I did or did not do."

"You speak as if your actions are inexplicable even to me, who knows more of your secrets than anyone else."

Edelweiss stiffened as old memories, all but buried, returned to her. She had confided to Hermione, some time around Easter in their first year, about her first acts of magic. Naturally, nothing happened as a result of telling someone. Muggles were powerless to affect her life. The magical world would not dare intervene. Not as long as they bowed and scrapped before Dumbledore.

"Then you understand why act as I do." Edelweiss offered up a false smile. "I grow exhausted of your questioning, Hermione. Why must it be in your nature to peel back and question all you encounter? Can you not accept that events play out beyond your understanding? Doing so will certainly make your life easier. Perhaps even more peaceful."

"Edie…"

"Don't you dare 'Edie' me, Hermione!" Edelweiss felt the passionate embrace of the dark side wrap around her. "I can see your mind at work. Don't you dare turn against me."

Hermione swallowed nervously before nodding. "I won't. We're friends. We'll always be friends."

"Good. Then you will keep secret anything I decide to entrust you with. Understood?"

Hermione nodded weakly, a shard of fear dancing in her gaze. She would likely operate under the delusion she might gain the chance to learn the secret being kept from her by remaining compliant. Edelweiss made her way to the threshold. She lingered there a moment. She had nearly gone without adding one last warning. "Tell anyone about what we have discussed, Hermione, and I will find out. And despite all our long years of friendship, I do not forgive betrayals of the highest order. It's only by your grace that I agreed to allow Ron back into the fold last year; and recall that his betrayal was nothing truly serious in the end. Only doubt, and the inability to believe my word over his failures."

Hermione's face reddened as if she had been openly insulted by Edelweiss's words. Perhaps she had.

It mattered not to Edelweiss. She drew the dark side about her like a cloak and as she descended to the floor below, willed the Force to coat her so all gazes slid from her as rain slid off glass. She made her way down and further still to the hidden entrance Sirius had shown her over the summer, and down to the subterranean chamber beyond.

She had forms to practice. A future to prepare for. The rest were distractions from that future.

On Christmas Day, Mrs. Weasley finally relented to the demands of her children to visit Mr. Weasley at Saint Mungo's. Edelweiss briefly considered staying at Grimmauld and using the empty house to focus her energies toward hours of dedicated study into the dark side and practice her lightsaber skills. She then remembered how stiff and sore she was, and decided she could sacrifice a few hours visiting the man she rescued from mortal peril. She hoped to learn something from the man about her strange astral wandering. She had taken to thinking of what occurred as "astral" after some careful questioning of Sirius. And if necessary, she could wield secrets drawn from his mind against the Weasley family so that she could control their futures as she saw fit.

That was unlikely if she were honest with herself, but the thought was enough to draw a smooth smile to her face when Mrs. Weasley blinked with astonishment when Edelweiss said, "Yes, I would be interested in visiting Mr. Weasley," in response to her question.

Hermione, the most aware of recent events, shot her a suspicious look as they readied to leave. Edelweiss allowed the suspicion to flow past her, even as her Sith instincts bayed for punishment and retribution. They might need to have a conversation about what was and was not appropriate in the public eye. It was imperative nobody suspect something was wrong within the mind of "disgraced saviour", Edelweiss Potter.

They left Grimmauld around half eleven, walking in a manner akin to when they went to King's Crossing in September. Remus and Mad-Eye accompanied them, while Nymphadora Tonks would hover about Saint Mungo's. Sirius had been left behind, whining as they stepped out the door. Edelweiss used the walk to peer into the minds of random muggles and see, through magic and the Force, what she could glean from them. There was little of interest or note, though she found the practice useful. She knew magical minds were heartier than non-magical ones, with their natural and unnatural defenses against invasion. Possessing the power to punch through or subvert those defenses could mean the difference between life and death, should her Sith training miraculously fail her. They had yet to; only through her lack of training in the arts of subtlety had she risked revealing her powers whenever her passions risked getting the best of her. That folly had nearly exposed her completely to Hermione, and even now kept the bushy-haired girl slightly suspicious of her.

They came to an abandoned department building twenty minutes after departing. Mrs. Weasley waved them into a small entry with boarded-up windows. Once everyone was inside, she approached a disturbed mannequin that had the appearance of a massive nutcracker dressed up like a wizarding version of Santa Claus. Its head tilted slightly as Mrs. Weasley approached.

"Welcome to Saint Mungo's Hospital," it said with a monotonous voice. "How may I help you?"

"We're here to visit a patient. Arthur Weasley."

The mannequin nodded, stiff and awkward. Edelweiss reached out slightly with the Force and felt a strange power tied to the construct. She immediately thought of the gargoyle defending Dumbledore's office.

The Force can make sense of magical workings. How fascinating.

The other set of doors in the room groaned and drew back a few inches. They then slid aside silently, revealing a clean white interior.

"Go on, now," said Mrs. Weasley. She waved them through the open doorway, her gaze lingering briefly on Edelweiss.

Suspicion or worry? Which may it be?

Edelweiss decided to not worry about learning. To try and learn which it might be risked worry becoming suspicion. And if it were the latter, then the suspicion would deepen into a void she might never cross.

The welcoming room was plain, though a receptionist sat behind a wide pane of glass. She glanced up and blinked, bewildered. Edelweiss assumed the woman expected only a few visitors, maybe upwards of six. Instead, she watched ten enter the hospital, present to visit a single man.

"Come along," said Mrs. Weasley, ignoring the receptionist. "He's this way."

'This way' turned out to be the first floor above. They passed through a swinging green door labeled:'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites. Edelweiss exchanged bemused looks with Ron as they entered the cramped ward. There were seven beds present, bunched up together with barely enough rough for a child to slip between them. Only two beds were occupied, both set near a small window at the far end. The other patient was a sleeping man, his bandaged arm woven with shimmering thread. From how Lupin glanced at him, Edelweiss surmised a werewolf bit the other man. Dust floated in the air, though Arthur Weasley looked quite well when he spotted them.

"Molly! Children!" He paused, spotting Edelweiss and her marked face. "Edie! Why, I had thought those marks were a hallucination on my part."

She snorted and stepped forward. Everyone else remained behind her as if recognizing she wanted a private moment with Arthur. "I'm surprised the Prophet hasn't plastered my face all over the front page ever since it changed last month. My markings have been the gossip of Hogwarts for weeks now." She tilted her head. "Then again, Fudge flinched when he saw them just recently. I guess nobody outside the castle believed the tales."

"Well, you can't trust what you read in the paper," said Mr. Weasley as though Edelweiss placed the full blame for his ignorance on the Prophet. "And after everything that happened in the Department of Mysteries…"

Edelweiss nodded. "I was surprised you noticed my presence. I dreamed all of that from Gryffindor Tower."

"How strange…" murmured Mr. Weasley. "How strange."

"Indeed." She then stepped aside and allowed the other Weasleys to crowd their father. She watched on for a time with Lupin and Mad-Eye standing beside her. It was quickly tiresome and Edelweiss itched to be anywhere else. The two men beside her were enough to resist the temptation of poking into Mr. Weasley's mind.

"Could I see more of the hospital?" she asked Lupin. "I've never been here before."

He glanced first to Mrs. Weasley and then—annoyingly—at the man with the werewolf bite. "As long as you're careful."

Edelweiss beamed at him. "I'm always careful, Remus."

He stared at her with a look of horror and regret. Odds were he was as much seeing her parents as he was seeing her. Perhaps the marks on her face dulled those memories of his halcyon past. But she knew the look well enough from her third year to recognize that exquisitely painful blend of past and present.

Only Mad-Eye followed her out of the ward. Edelweiss felt both eyes on her back as she sought out the nearest stairwell and ascended. She sensed a pair coming down the stairs, but neither presence stood out. As she rounded the first landing, she came face to face with a man she thought to never see again.

"Professor Lockhart?" Bad habits died hard. Edelweiss grimaced at how easily she uttered 'professor' in the face of Gilderoy Lockhart. She bitterly recalled his attempt to wipe her memories and leave her for dead. Thank Merlin Ron never replaced his broken wand that year.

"Me?" said Gilderoy Lockhart. He frowned at her, though whether from his lacking memories or her marked face, she could not say. "A professor? Why, I think I would remember if I was a professor!"

"Oh, don't mind her, Gilderoy," said a white-robed woman. Edelweiss noted the badge of twin snakes around a stave on her chest and assumed she was a nurse. Madam Pomfrey wore nothing of the like, yet they felt alike. "You know how people can be when they see a familiar face."

"Oh, of course!" he said, beaming that wide white smile Edelweiss recalled from her second year. "She must be here for a personal autograph!" He turned to head back up the stairwell. "Come along, then. All of my stuff is by my bed!"

And so the four of them awkwardly ascended to the fourth floor. Edelweiss followed nurse and patient to a set of wide double doors, a sign beside them proclaiming the room beyond to be the Janus Thickey Ward.

"I know some good folk who've spent a long time here," murmured Mad-Eye. Edelweiss glanced back at him. "They were aurors, Frank and Alice. Damned good ones, as well."

"Were they in the Order?"

"Aye, they were. That's probably why they were attacked in the end."

Anything else Edelweiss might have asked was interrupted upon entering the ward. There were a dozen beds, each set at even intervals. To her surprise, almost half were occupied. Two beds near the far end had a pair of visitors—an old woman and a young man. Her grandson, Edelweiss guessed. She was tempted to turn around and leave. Her encounter with Lockhart had been a surprise, and she wanted nothing to do with him.

And that was when she recognized the young man.

"Neville?"

Edelweiss snapped her mouth shut, surprised by how loud she uttered his name. Neville Longbottom reacted in kind, jumping a good inch as he turned her way. His mouth fell open. He spent a good few seconds trying to work it before the old woman said, "Neville, dear. Who is your friend?"

"That's Edelweiss Potter," said Neville, sounding slightly hesitant and very awkward. "I've told you plenty about her."

Neville's grandmother hummed, staring intently at Edelweiss. She, in turn, recognized the red handbag and vulture hat that Neville had inflicted upon his boggart.

So that's his gran.

"Well come over, dear," said Neville's grandmother. She waved Edelweiss over for good measure. Once Edelweiss reached them, Neville's grandmother looked her up and down. "You look a great deal like your grandmother Dorea under those strange marks on your face. Neville told me of them in his letters, though that the Prophet has yet to mention them… How curious."

"Curious?" muttered Edelweiss.

"Though your eyes," continued Neville's gran, ignoring Edelweiss's words. "Those are Lily's without a doubt. Had things gone differently, perhaps you would have grown up beside my Neville."

Edelweiss glanced at Neville, who looked pained at his grandmother's revelation, before asking, "You knew my family?"

"Few could claim to not have known Charlus and Dorea by some measure," said Mrs. Longbottom. It was the best name Edelweiss had without using the dark side to draw up the woman's given name. "She stunned many when she married into the Potter family, especially since it was still well known that Henry, Charlus's father, had advocated we aid the muggles during that Great War of theirs. Many families, including the Blacks, sought to have his magic bound, his wand snapped, and his memories obliviated for daring to suggest we provide any succor to our muggle counterparts."

"So then the Blacks didn't approve of the marriage."

"Other than Arcturus, yes. He, I suspect, saw through the illusions we all held close during Grindelwald's war and recognized something of a kinship in Charlus Potter. The alliance they built during the 50s should've led Britain into a long peace." Mrs. Longbottom sighed and shook her head. "A shame what happened in the early 60s."

"And that is?"

"Dumbledore finally gained enough support to make himself the head of the Whig faction in the Wizengamot. They had always been friendlier to the muggle world, but Dumbledore took their advocacy a step too far, as many believe. Some accused him of being an integrationist—or worse, wishing to completely undo the Statute of Secrecy. Henry Potter was never so daring, which allowed him to avoid exile."

Edelweiss blinked as she clamped down on her surprise. She knew Dumbledore's political influence came from defeating Grindelwald back in '45, but to hear he had outright taken control of part of the Wizengamot? She understood little of the archaic leviathan at the heart of magical British governance, yet she knew enough to be disturbed by what Mrs. Longbottom said. As to integrating magical and muggle Britain, that reminded her of her fears of secrecy and discovery—and, she realized, that extended to the broader galaxy. Should the Republic the Jedi supported find Earth, they might destroy the world just to purge her.

Mrs. Longbottom chuckled faintly. "Charlus had been the leader then. He had made progress when it came to the recognition of muggleborns within blood purist circles. They had slowly opened to integrationist policies for them—earlier induction into the magical world, even adoption into various families. To say that he was irate by Dumbledore seizing that faction and eliminating Charlus's policies puts it lightly. He resigned in protest after a particularly nasty argument over the emergent Knights of Walpurgis."

"The Death Eaters," growled Edelweiss. The dark side rippled around her. "Those were the early ones. Before war broke out in the '70s."

Mrs. Longbottom nodded, a stern look on her face. "I attended Hogwarts with many of them. Most are dead now. Only Nott lives, and he escaped Azkaban because of his poor health following You-Know-Who's fall. After he recovered, his family had restored enough prestige to prevent future prosecution."

Edelweiss hummed, before sneering. "I assume Dumbledore did nothing?"

"Just about." Mrs. Longbottom sighed. "I'm still shocked by what young Sirius did. It must pain you—"

"My godfather is innocent of his crimes," said Edelweiss softly. "It was Pettigrew who betrayed my parents, not Sirius. He was exposed as the Weasley pet rat and fled Hogwarts at the end of my third year." She glanced at Neville, then back to his grandmother. "He was there at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. When Voldemort returned."

Even though her words should not have carried, fear and panic rippled through the quaint ward. Edelweiss glanced around the room. The nurse who had been with Gilderoy Lockhart stared at her, horrified. It was though she had not realized the strange girl with black facial markings was Edelweiss Potter.

Doubtful she would have, given what the adults in my life have all said. What are you up to, Fudge? Why not use my face to discredit me?

She sighed and turned back to the Longbottoms. "It was nice seeing you two, but I think I should go. Happy Christmas." Edelweiss turned to Neville. "Our first session will be three days after the hols end. Oh, and the wand situation. Have you gotten that handled yet?"

Neville glanced at his grandmother, a grim look on his face. Mrs. Longbottom shot Edelweiss a pointed look, as though she were upset with the course the conversation had taken. Edelweiss understood why since Mrs. Longbottom was the one responsible for Neville using his dad's wand in the first place. Judging from the two lying in the beds before them, the true owner of that wand was not Neville Longbottom. Not now, and likely not ever. There was still breath in his chest, even if he felt… wrong.

And then Edelweiss was surprised. "Neville, dear," began Neville's grandmother. "What is Miss Potter speaking about?"

He stiffened and glanced between the two women. Edelweiss knew that with anyone else, she would be hesitant to reveal her subversive actions at Hogwarts. But the Longbottoms were good people, and she trusted Neville just enough to extend that truth to his grandmother. "Neville is part of a group that practices spells we are not being taught in Defense."

Mrs. Longbottom pursed her lips disapprovingly. "Why am I not surprised? I told Albus to find someone—anyone!—but did he? No! The man is so beholden to his view of the world that Hogwarts ended up with that dreadful Umbridge woman."

"Has Neville told you about her?"

"Oh, I knew Dolores Umbridge long before Fudge grew frightened of conspiracy in the halls of Hogwarts," snarled Mrs. Longbottom, every bit the hardened matriarch Edelweiss had long imagined. "She's a vile woman, responsible for outright heinous laws. The worst is her anti-werewolf legislation. That Lupin fellow who taught you two was forced to lie to us about his condition, though I've long suspected Albus had his reasons for bringing him into the castle."

That reason, Edelweiss knew, was Sirius Black. She still did not know if Dumbledore had known from the beginning that Sirius was innocent. Though the lack of action on his part made it too easy to suspect conspiracy at play when it came to her godfather's many years within Azkaban.

"Yes, well we founded a group in response to Umbridge's poor teaching." Edelweiss glanced down at the pair lying in beds, unaware of the world. She could feel them in the Force. They were lost within their minds, labyrinths of trauma separating them from reality. "I take it these are Neville's parents?"

"Yes." Something hard—almost hateful—burned in Mrs. Longbottom's eyes. Edelweiss felt the emotion directed elsewhere. "Frank was my pride and joy. And Alice… Oh, I was uncertain at first, but they proved me wrong. They were good together. Good for each other." She glanced at Neville. Edelweiss felt a ripple of confusion from her. Disappointment underlined it, though she thought there might be a shred of hope. "When they had Neville, we were all so excited. Children during those terrible years were to be treasured."

Edelweiss glanced at Frank and Alice Longbottom. "Were they attacked before or after Voldemort failed?"

"A few days after. Just long enough nobody knew exactly what happened beyond your survival—and a hope of peace and recovery."

"Gran," Neville said suddenly. "Can I talk with Edie alone?"

Mrs. Longbottom blinked, rather surprised, and then glanced between them. Her expression was waspish, though her gaze was not accusatory. There was some curiosity there, despite there being nothing she should be concerned about. "I will wait for you in the lobby. Take your time, Neville."

They watched Mrs. Longbottom go before Neville said, "My parents were attacked by Death Eaters. They thought my parents would know what had happened to You-Know-Who since they had gone into hiding at the same time as your parents. They… They tortured them."

"With the Cruciatus?"

Edelweiss vividly recalled how Neville had shied away from Crouch's demonstration of the Unforgivable. He was pacified with a herbology book following that class. Naturally, it proved useful for her efforts during the Triwizard Tournament. Ever three steps ahead, Barty Crouch Jr.

He nodded. "It was the Lestranges and… and Barty Crouch Junior."

Her veins chilled at the mention of the Death Eater who had replaced Mad-Eye during the previous year. For a long moment, Edelweiss considered telling him the truth about Defense that year. But she decided otherwise the moment she touched him with the Force. He would not succumb to the passions that drove any Sith should she tell him. It was disappointing, but not all had the character to be a Sith.

Not yet, anyway. Perhaps with time, he could be swayed.

"At least one of them is dead."

Neville looked distressed, even as he nodded. "I shouldn't wish dead on them—"

"You live every day with what they did to your parents!" hissed Edelweiss. "You have every right to hate them! Every right to desire the day the Lestranges perish in Azkaban."

She recalled Voldemort mentioning them during his monologue. Edelweiss had thought nothing of it then, for she had not known those names. Now was different.

"I guess," he muttered, unable to believe her.

Edelweiss could tell she had left Neville troubled and hopefully with plenty to think over. "I would suggest you speak with your grandmother about getting a proper wand." She glanced down at Frank Longbottom. "Your father would want you to be the greatest wizard you can be, Neville. Not to be like him."

She waited several for a reaction, for anything from Neville. When it did not come, she laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered; "I'll see you back at Hogwarts."

She made it halfway across the ward when she heard Neville reply softly, "Thanks, Edie. For everything."

Edelweiss paused, feeling something peculiar well up within. She brushed it aside and pressed on, Mad-Eye silently following in her wake. By the time she returned to the Weasleys, Mr. Weasley had fallen asleep. They were all ready to return to Number Twelve. She spotted Mrs. Longbottom on the way out. The woman stared at her for a few seconds and then nodded as if approving.

Edelweiss used that approval to fuel her training through the rest of the hols. She would kill those three Lestranges, no matter what.

They, like their master, would perish by her hand. She owed that to Longbottoms.