Althea never understood why she didn't feel connected to her own family. Her twin sister, Elena, was closer to Bonnie Bennett than to her, while their parents had always shown a clear preference for the firstborn—even if it was only by fifteen minutes.
But at least Thea had her Uncle John, the only person she truly felt loved by. He enjoyed telling stories about Mystic Falls and never hid the existence of vampires from her. Instead, he simply tried to make the subject less frightening, always emphasizing that these creatures should be eradicated.
While Elena had Matt and Bonnie, Althea was inseparable from Caroline Forbes. It was alongside her best friend that Thea exhibited her first accidental magic. The two were alone in the playground when Caroline suggested they climb a tree. Althea agreed without hesitation, never imagining that, minutes later, her friend would lose her balance and fall. But in an instant of pure instinct, Caroline began to float safely to the ground, leaving both girls in shock.
By coincidence, Sheila Bennett was passing by at that moment. She saw everything but chose to tell only John Gilbert, fearing what Grayson and Miranda might do if they discovered their daughter's abilities.
The truth was that John had long suspected the possibility of the twina being witches. Isobel Flemmings, Althea and Elena's biological mother, descended from an ancient line of witches known as the "squibs" of the Ravenclaw family—being a direct descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw.
YEARS LATER, on the twins' birthday, a peculiar woman appeared at the Gilbert residence. John answered the door and immediately recognized her: Minerva McGonagall. In her hands, she held an envelope sealed with the Hogwarts crest—John knew it was meant for Althea.
As soon as the word witch was mentioned, John quickly took Elena and Jeremy out of the house, leaving them with Liz Forbes. When he returned, he found Grayson furious, Althea in tears, and McGonagall barely holding herself back from cursing the girl's adoptive parents.
"This is all your fault, John," Miranda said, her voice cold and emotionless. "Yours and that little whore you got pregnant."
At that moment, the truth came out: Althea was not Miranda and Grayson's biological daughter—just like Elena.
"Your precious Elena came from me too, Miranda," John mocked, his tone dripping with irony. "How could I have failed with one and succeeded with the other if they are twins?"
He firmly placed his hands on Althea's shoulders as she tried to process the shocking revelation.
"From now on, I will take responsibility for Thea."
John wanted to take her with him right then and there, but Grayson refused to allow it. Jeremy was extremely attached to his sister, and the older Gilbert didn't want to make his son miserable. However, he already had a plan: over the coming months, he would sever any bond between the siblings, completely isolating Althea and making her feel like an outsider in her own home.
Unable to endure the situation any longer, Thea ran away to John's house. It was there that she met Isobel, her biological mother. They connected instantly.
"I will tell you about our family," Isobel said, pulling two books from her bag.
The first, titled Petrova, detailed a special lineage of witches, describing the story of Silas and Amara. Isobel explained that this was the most complete version of the book—unlike a shorter, more common edition that omitted crucial information, such as Amara being the original, followed by Tatia and then Katerina. It also mentioned Adria Petrova, an ancestor killed by werewolves. Some witches from the community performed a spell to reincarnate her—and that's how Althea was born.
The second book was about the Ravenclaw family. It revealed that Rowena had another daughter but left her to be raised by a childless couple. Over generations, this lineage was cursed, causing all children to be born without magic. However, the fact that Adria Petrova had been a witch allowed Althea to break the curse.
ONE COLD MORNING, Althea made a decision.
"I want to change my name," she said after finishing her reading about Adria Petrova.
John and Isobel exchanged glances. The connection was clear: Althea was the reincarnation of Adria.
"Althea Petrova… I don't feel like a Gilbert anymore," she admitted hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Dad. I mean… Uncle John."
She looked at him expectantly, fearing his reaction. But John gave a small smile.
"You can call me that if you want."
Inside, he was ecstatic.