Marked as His Equal (unedited)

by TheL0sts0uls

On September 1st, 1941, Hogwarts welcomed refugees of Grindelwald's War, as Tom Riddle has been researching his past, trying to uncover his ties to Salazar Slytherin. Among the refugees is an Austrian witch intent on guiding the future Dark Lord down a better path, even as she too must contend with forces threatening to tear her and the world apart. Female Harry Potter, Time Travel

4. Chapter 31-40

Chapter 31: The War Comes Home

"See these flat wires? When you pull on it like this, the claw closes. Now, normally the claw could be opened easily enough with sufficient force, but when you use gearboxes that don't reverse until certain conditions are met…" Tom watched as Orion tugged on the fountain pen held in the claw attached to Lilith's proof of concept box. She had admitted to him that after her experiences making the enhancements to the record players, she had built herself this box as a place where she could test out ideas. In it she had essentially every type of gear, cog and piston, not to mention an excessive amount of oricalcum wiring, that could be used in any of her mechanical constructs and had been testing each section of her builds individually, first getting the mechanisms to work, before trying to simplify and refine the working parts. She had pulled out the proof of concept claw that helped to develop both Pandora and Galatea's feet, so that she could show Orion how the inner workings of her creatures operated, much to the boy's interest. With Orion soon going on to his third year, many of his classmates had been hounding him about his elective choices. Being overwhelmed by their incessant attention, he decided to join Lilith in her and Tom's cabin on the Hogwarts, with Lucretia following soon after, after she had exhausted herself dealing with Ignotus and his friends. "Now, I take this rod, run a charge of magic through it and… there! The mechanism holding the gears in place releases and the grip goes lax."

Orion nodded. "And everything that controls the grip is in the gearbox." Lilith nodded as she set the rod back into the box. "Indeed. With Pandora and Galatea, I made a more elongated gearbox to better fit the shape of their feet and leg structure." Orion looked at her right arm. "And for your arm?" Lilith raised her hand, twirling her gloved fingers. "Same principle, though the wires and gears in my arm are a bit tougher than the ones in the box and a few had to be secured to the actual frame from the inside. With the wrist and elbow joints, it was a lot more complicated. Adding the magic and the means to get a measure of sensation and fine motor control was a lot more frustrating, but the payoff… it's beyond words." Orion nodded before he started asking her about the gear box, with Lilith unscrewing the lid. "I am glad that she is doing better now." Tom nodded in response to Lucretia's comment, before she turned to him. "So, did you get the letter?" Tom sighed, responding in a dry tone. "Yes. Lilith and I have been formally invited to meet the head of the Black family." Lucretia chuckled. "Don't make it sound as if you are going to get killed. Dad is far more relaxed about it all. Besides, it's the Black Townhouse. If it was the Castle, then you could start sweating. We have a proper dungeon up there with a lot of equipment that hasn't seen use since the Renaissance." Tom eyed her warily. "Noted." Lucretia smiled, before she turned to Lilith, who was showing Orion how to pull out the gears using her tools. "Any idea when you two will be dropping by?" Lilith hummed to herself, her eyes on the gear box as she gestured towards Tom. "Well, first I need to get this guy here to the Ministry to update his registry of residence for the rest of the summer. After that, I need to check with my patron."

Tom looked at Lilith. "I can get to the Ministry by myself." Lilith looked up towards him. "As you are still an Heir, you can't use magic beyond self-defence. Since you will literally be walking into a building that houses the Aurors, maybe you should avoid breaking the law, even if it doesn't seem blatant. Having a clean record goes a long way in keeping the other Departments off your back. Besides, are you really going to complain about having a day out with me?" Tom blushed as Lucretia giggled next to him. "She has you there. The registry will probably be the first thing you do tomorrow, since Dad says it takes forever to actually update anything. Still, do try and see if you can drop by before the end of July. Aunt Dorea will be joining us and presenting her own suitor and Mother wants to check on all the ladies of the house, making sure that everything is going fine in their lives. Cygnus too." Lilith blinked at Lucretia for a moment, after hearing the name Dorea. If Dorea Black was going to be presenting her suitor to the Blacks… that could mean that Charlus Potter would be back in the country. Lillian had barely heard about them from Sirius, beyond the fact that Dorea the Aunt that really favored him and the reason why he was welcomed to spend his last few Hogwarts years at the Potter Manor with Euphemia and Fleamont. Alexander had said that he wouldn't be taking too much of Lilith's time, so maybe she could get to know them now. "Sure, I have heard plenty about Dorea from Poppy and Teresa in the Hospital Wing. I would love to meet her."

Lucretia turned to a puzzled Tom. "Dorea Black is our Aunt. She volunteered as a Healer for the ICW Peacekeepers and has been working hard for the last few years in the French countryside. She dropped by in January to help out father with something and then had to return to Europe soon after." Tom hummed to himself. "Well, at least I won't be alone under the scrutiny of the Blacks." Lucretia smiled at him. "That's the spirit." Tom looked at Lilith. "I will check with Thomas about what his plans for the summer are. We can try and organize our time for the next month while we are at the Ministry tomorrow. With portkeys, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting around." Nodding in response, Lilith returned her attention to what Orion was doing with the mechanic pieces in her box, as Tom turned his gaze out the window. Aside from dropping by the Ministry, he needed to go see the Director of Gringotts about the mail he had been receiving throughout the term at Hogwarts. He also needed to check with him if there was anything else he had to do to become the Lord Slytherin, or if right now it was only a matter of time. On December 31st, he would be 17 years of age, an adult in the eyes of the Magical World. Once he was Lord Slytherin, Tom could finally take control of his life, especially as he still needed to find a place that he could truly call home. He eyed Lilith from the corner of his eye. He also needed to make sure that he was the right sort of person that Lilith wanted by her side for the rest of her life. He certainly wanted her by his.

As a dark haired man with unruly black hair and brown eyes gave the Customs Officer a smile after she finished checking his passport and documents, he felt a hand swipe at the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" He turned, looking into the grey eyes of his companion. "Must you flirt with every woman before we even get to your parent's home, Charlus?" The Potter Heir frowned. "I wasn't flirting with her." The woman rolled her eyes, turning around and walking towards the exit, her suitcase in her hand and her long, wavy brown hair wrapped in a braid whipping around over her back. "Sure you weren't. She wasn't fluttering her eyes at you, nor adjusting her neckline while you described what you had been doing these past few years." Charlus picked up his suitcase and rushed after her. "I mean it, Dorea. I wasn't flirting with her." Dorea turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "Really, and what would you call that just now?" Charlus looked at her. "I was being polite and sincere and she just… took it the wrong way. I swear to you, love, the only person I will knowingly flirt with is you." Dorea slowed her steps. "You better mean it, Charlus. I remember how you chased after every skirt in the medical tent during the start of the war. If you really meant what you have said to me, you will be behaving yourself. Especially in front of my family." Reaching out with his hand, Charlus raised Dorea's right hand, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "I will be the perfect example of a proper British gentleman and Heir to a Noble and Ancient House. You have my word on that."

Charlus smiled as he saw Dorea's pale cheeks blush slightly, before she pulled her hand out of his. "You better. Now come along. Cassie might get distracted by the ladies nearby but unlike you, she keeps time just fine." Charlus followed after Dorea, his heart feeling calmer once more. The last few years in mainland Europe had been hard, harder than he had been willing to admit to his father and brother in his letters home. The sight of his friends, comrades from every European nation in the ICW, laying dead on the ruined grounds of the fields of war, surrounded by even more corpses, many from the French Resistance, the German Army or even innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, haunted him in his dreams and even in the waking hours. Initially, the Peacekeepers had been organized by the ICW to put an end to Grindelwald and his followers, before the war broke out. As the war dragged on and the German amassed more victories, however, the Peacekeepers had been forced to pull back their forces. They weren't even able to get too far into German territory, before the Hexenmeisters came down upon them hard, hunting them like rabid wolves. They had been forced to fight while retreating multiple times, moving further and further into rural French territories, hiding in the wilds. With the assistance of the local magical families, they had at times even been able to move into estates whenever the Hexenmeisters came close to catching them. Just a year prior, they had almost been overrun, before the enemy grew disorganized and retreated, giving the Peacekeepers the time they needed to evacuate their injured and regroup.

Much of their time, begrudgingly, had been spent protecting the ICW Healers that had been assigned to them, since the Hexenmeisters favored targeting them over engaging the Peacekeepers directly. That was where he had met what he was certain would be the love of his life. Dorea Black had volunteered as a Healer, slowly working her way up the chain, before becoming one of the most distinguished Healers in the camp. Her no nonsense attitude and quick wittedness made her quite popular among the Healers, especially when they needed someone to help keep the more mentally unstable patients in line and calm whilst they were being treated. She was often the last of the Healers to leave the tents whenever they were under attack, usually seen casting curses that were just as deadly as the ones used by her Peacekeeper escorts, if not more so. Charlus had often butted heads with her for that, which, if he was honest with himself, was part of what attracted him to her. She was strong willed and driven, never backing down from any arguments unless she was successfully convinced that she was in the wrong. His first few attempts to catch her eye had been… poorly thought out, to say the least. His direct propositions, a few under the effects of alcohol, would often end with stinging hexes, a stunner and then waking up in a Healer's Tent with a massive hangover and no pain medication. It had been during one deadly skirmish with the Hexenmeisters, when her leg was injured by a curse, that Charlus had personally carried Dorea in his arms.

The feel of her body against his, the way her magic felt against his own… he could still remember fighting his arousal down. Finding himself under spell fire helped out with that. When he turned her over to the other Healers, without so much as single word of sexually charged innuendo, he was certain that was the moment that she saw him in a new light. He remained cordial and restrained in his advances towards her for the next few interactions, before they started courting. Their first night together… he would never forget the way his heart melted at the feel of her lips on his own, the way her body made him hum with desire. It was the first night that he slept without a single nightmare since the war began. They had been courting for almost a year now and he had every intention to propose to her soon. Coming home, introducing her to the family and meeting hers was a welcomed respite from the war, a benefit of the sudden influx of British Aurors that had not only reduced his unit's workload, but also kept the Hexenmeisters from making any more full frontal assaults. He intended to take advantage of coming home to search through the family vaults for an engagement ring worth offering to Dora on the day he asked her to marry him. For now, though, he needed to behave himself. He had heard of the Blacks and how their eyes seemed to be everywhere, so caution seemed prudent now that he was back in Britain.

Feeling a bit paranoid, Charlus swept his eyes over the sea of people around him and Dorea as they entered the Ministry Atrium, joining a line of people making their way to the exit. He frowned when he felt something tug at his magic, but all he spotted was a redheaded young girl chatting with a boy as they left the Ministry's Registry Department. He searched again, growing more concerned when he spotted people looking at him before turning their gaze away. He reached out and gripped Dorea's arm, whispering into her ear. "There are people following us." Dorea swallowed her complaint, before keeping her gaze forward. "How many?" Charlus searched his memories. "Maybe six. Probably more." Dorea growled softly. "That's not us. Blacks don't send that many, least of all for an escort." Charlus lowered his hand, making it look as if he was holding Dorea's, his wand slipping out of his wrist holster and into his grasp. As the two closest suspects approached, he tapped Dorea's side before he did one last sweep to figure out where the rest were, his precaution paying off as he watched a wizard raise a wand towards him. Erring on the side of caution, Charlus conjured a solid shield, which intercepted the green curse the man sent his way. Then the screams started, as the bystanders dispersed as quickly as possible, with Charlus hearing a few trying to raise shields to protect themselves from the erant curses. Casting shieldbreakers and piercers, Charlus did his best to keep his spells from hitting any of them, though the attackers had no such qualms.

At his back, Dorea managed to drop one of the attackers that got close, his face looking like a crater covered in blood, as her shields intercepted a few blood boiling curses. Her eyes found a few more combatants moving their way. "Four more incoming!" Charlus cursed, as he took an assailant down by slicing off their leg, before striking their chest with a blasting jinx, the black marble floor covered in spilled guts and blood, his mind threatening to flash back to a field in northwest France. He just barely kept his mind in the moment. "I have four on my side too!" The two recent arrivals were forced to take on a more defensive stance, with both of them managing to take two more assailants down each. Dorea watched the remaining assailants in front of her collapse from spells coming from the crowd, but felt her heart sink as she felt Charlus grunt in pain behind her. The Potter Heir fell to his knees as he was forced to take a Cruciatus curse aimed at Dorea, before a wave of his wand disrupted the caster by banishing them away. He barely managed to open his throbbing eyes, vision unfocused, before he watched one of the assailants aiming his wand straight at him, a familiar green light leaking from the tip of their wand. Charlus raised his wand, trying to conjure a barrier, but even he could tell his aim was off. His vision was utterly filled with the green light of the Killing Curse, his mind filling up with images of Dorea and her beautiful smile.

"Two hours, all just to change an address." Lilith gave Tom an amused look. "Think of it this way. If it takes them so long to make a deliberate change to the records, it must mean that the chances of old records getting unintentionally altered are unlikely." Lilith held up an enchanted envelope which held a lot more parchments than either of them were willing to go through on a single day. "You were also the one who asked for every file that involves the Noble and Ancient House of Slytherin." Tom looked at her. "Yes, well, after Anton snuck up on us, it seemed prudent to make sure that there are no other wanna be heirs trying to stab me in the back or any grudges and Blood Feuds that might start up if a family suddenly gets revived from the dead." Lilith shrugged. "Fair enough." As the two made their way through the Atrium, Lilith felt something odd. She frowned and searched the crowd, not seeing anything of interest. Then the screams began and spells started flying everywhere. Pulling Tom down to his knees, Lilith looked through the thinning crowd, watching as the attackers seemed to be focused on attacking a wizard and a witch. Both of whom looked very familiar to her. When the man was brought to his knees by a curse, Lilith screamed. "No!" Deploying her plates around herself and Tom, she sent the third and fourth sets to ward off any attacks on the two magicals. Her intercept disc just barely reached the man she thought was Charlus Potter, disrupting the killing curse before it could cut him down.

She turned to Tom, who had already brought down two of the attackers who had been focusing on the woman and had not been guarding their backs. He looked at her and smirked, before rushing forward. "I will help her out." Nodding, Lilith rushed to the man's side, her barriers taking a few hits from curses, before one of her offensive plates unleashed a cutting curse, slicing through one of the assailants wand and fingers. Charlus brought his wand up, stunning the man, before Lilith reached his side. He spared her a look. "I can-" Lilith rolled her eyes. "Spare me, soldier. I can defend us both on my own, so all you have to do is take them down. Do it and we can all go home today." Charlus clenched his jaw, but relented when her barrier took a Bombarda and held. Together, they started pushing against the remaining assailants, before a massive explosion shattered the Fountain of the Magical Brethren, raining chunks of gold and stone across the majority of the Atrium. As Charlus took down another assailant, Lilith searched the room, her eyes landing on the figure of a woman as she directed the assailants towards them. Lilith felt her heart grow cold as she felt her way through the magics of the Head of House Ring, finding the Maledictus. While it felt active, it certainly wasn't reacting currently. When the woman looked her way, Lilith understood why. Where before she would have seen amber colored eyes, she was now met with a pair of heterochromatic eyes. Eyes that she had heard were one of the traits of Gellert Grindelwald.

"We need to regroup with the other two, now!" Charlus, having dispatched another assailant, looked towards the gathering force and grunted. "Agreed. Come on!" As the two regrouped with a winded Tom and Dorea, the four of them watched as the assailants blasted Lilith's barriers, but were unable to cut through, their killing curses getting blocked or disrupted. Lilith could see their growing frustration, before she turned to Dorea. "Tell me Nana Aquilla wasn't kidding about how all Blacks have to learn to master the Fiendfyre curse at nineteen." Dorea looked towards her with surprise, before recognition sat in. "Your… yes, I can cast it safely." Looking towards the group of attackers and the ruined Atrium, Lilith shrugged. "Safely seems unnecessary right now, but we don't have much choice. Do it." Nodding, Dorea closed her eyes and held her wand up before her face. Lilith felt the shift in magic around her, as Dorea's magic turned from warm and gentle to wild and violent. The witch waved her wand in a circle and uttered the incantation, "Ignis Monstrum!" At the sound of the incantation, Lilith pulled her magical plates back, just as the cursed flames filled the air before them. The attackers were caught off guard, a few trying to cast shields that crumpled quickly, before the enemy casters themselves were enveloped by the flames. Lilith watched as Vinda Rosier looked at her surroundings as her forces tried to push the flames back, before she yelled something incoherent. In the blink of an eye, the assailants were gone, portkeyed away.

Dorea, no longer seeing any threats, called back the flames, before the massive bird-like beast of her Fiendfyre curse uttered one last screech as it faded away into smoke. Lilith kept her plates up, just in case, as Dorea knelt down, clearly drained from the effort, as her magic returned to a calmer state. Lilith gave her a soft smile. "So there is a little of the Black Madness in the Black Family Healer after all." Dorea looked at her and chuckled. "Trust me, my patients and coworkers know that well enough. Right, Charlus?" The man cleared his throat, not sure exactly what would be an adequate response. He settled for a "No comment." Within minutes the silence that had lingered in the Atrium was filled with shouting as the Aurors scattered across the area, checking every corner for any hidden assailants or traps. Lilith and Tom spotted a familiar looking witch making her way to them, as Lilith called back her plates, the woman yelling at the top of her lungs. "Why is it that when there is trouble, you are always in the thick of it?" Lilith responded, though so did Charlus. "It's not my fault!" The two looked at each other and Charlus gave her a smile and chuckled, while Tom hugged Lilith to him. She checked his face for a moment, but he shook his head. "No injuries here. You kept us all safe." Lilith blushed as he kissed her forehead, with Euphemia looking at all four, before she rubbed her eyes. "You are all going to make me retire early. Come along. We need to take your statements."

"Charlie!" The Potter Heir felt the air get knocked out of his lungs as Fleamont pulled him into a hug, before patting him on the back, his younger brother speaking up before Charlus could respond. "I missed you so much, brother!" Charlus hugged Fleamont tightly, patting him back in return. "Missed you too, Monty. You've been working out?" Fleamont pulled himself back, giving Charlus a big smile. "Just a little. Been testing out a new batch of the potion with a few exotic ingredients, which doesn't seem to drain much of my energy throughout the day. It lets me have a bit more energy for exercise." Charlus pulled back, giving his little brother a once over. "Well, the muscles suit you well. I am sure Euphemia doesn't mind either." Fleamont smiled as another voice spoke up. "I would very much rather that a workout and the love of a lovely witch was all the excitement you were getting, son." As Fleamont stepped aside, Charlus saw his father standing a few feet away. The Potter Heir felt a lump in his throat as he saw his father's hair had gained more white strands than when he saw it last in his memories. "Sorry, Dad. You taught us to do our part when things are bad in the world." Henry gave Charlus a soft smile, pride replacing some, though not all, of the worry. "So I did. Now come here and give me a hug. And weren't you supposed to be bringing a lovely witch with you?" Charlus hugged his Dad, kissing his cheek. "I wanted to, but after the mess at the Atrium, she decided to head to St. Mungos to help out with the injured." Henry patted his son on the back. "Well, at least she has the heart of a Potter."

The doors of the foyer closed as Euphemia walked in, her red Auror coat in her arms. Fleamont looked her over, noticing the look of exhaustion on her face. "You good, love?" Euphemia gestured towards Charlus. "I am fine. We only ran into a few of the assailants as we tried to get to the Atrium, so I wasn't casting all that much compared to others. This hotshot here was in the fight from the very beginning." Henry looked at Charlus who rubbed the back of his head. "In my defence, they seemed to have been after me." Henry frowned. "Who?" Euphemia sighed. "A few of the bodies and some of the survivors match members of the Dark's extremists, but a few aren't in the registry. One of the witnesses placed Vinda Rosier on the scene, which means that this was Grindelwald's doing." Henry sighed, rubbing his face. "Make sure that the DMLE has a report for the Wizengamot. I will speak to Fawley, Bones and Black and get an emergency session in order soon." Euphemia placed her coat on the back of her seat. "I will check with Shafiq. He can get Crouch to speed up the investigation and get a report ready. I am just glad he was happy to take Pensive memories from all the witnesses or I would have spent another night at work with those kids." Getting confused looks from the others, Euphemia sighed. "Lilith von Schwarzwald and Tom Riddle, from the incidents at Hogwarts and last summer near Birmingham. The two teens helped keep Charlus here alive. Him and his witch friend. I swear, it's as if those kids are attracted to trouble wherever they go."

As Charlus took off his vest, he groaned, leading Fleamont to go fetch vials of Potions and ointments. "Come on, hero, let me see the injuries. Guessing you didn't want to go to St. Mungos with your girl?" Charlus shook his head. "They needed all the beds for the rest of the victims. I just took a few cuts and scrapes." Fleamont, having taken to reading some Healing texts due to his condition, scanned Charlus. "Right. And when were you going to mention Cruciatus exposure?" Charlus withered slightly under his father's glare. "Sorry." Henry sighed, rubbing his family ring. "Petersby." The old elf popped in next to him. "Yes, Master Potter?" Henry gestured at his son. "I am sure you have his bed ready, but get a few more layers of blankets for Charlus here. The warmth will help him fight off any lingering effects after Fleamont is done treating him." Petersby nodded. "Of course, sir. Young Master Charlie will be well cared for. Also, sir. A letter arrived with that old seal. Here sir." Henry took the offered letter, breaking the seal as the elf vanished as soon as Henry thanked him. He read the letter as Fleamont rubbed ointment over Charlus' wounds. "Our friend wishes to meet in person again. About the attack and the information they provided earlier in the year." Charlus frowned. "Friend?" Euphemia turned to him, handing him a cup of tea after Petersby placed a fresh pot and cups on top of the table. "Some guy that has inside knowledge on Grindelwald and the war. They pointed out some indications that someone is trying to lay the foundations for a civil war within Magical Britain."

The Potter Heir looked between Henry and Euphemia. "You two believe this?" Henry nodded as he placed the letter on the table. "I had my own sources and allies verify their intel. They confirmed that a group is forming among the Light Families and the unaffiliated magicals that is strictly Anti-Dark. Lord Longbottom and Mister Weasley are the most… vocal faces of the movement. But they are trying to get a stronger backing from the other Light and Light leaning Neutral families. If there were Dark extremists among the attackers, they would certainly try to spin it as a wider threat from the Dark families to the general population." Charlus frowned as he recalled a memory from Hogwarts. "I think I remember someone trying to sell that stance to me. I think it was Professor Dumbledore." Fleamont looked at Henry. "Yeah, he tried it with me too but gave up after I told him I wasn't going into politics." Charlus looked to his brother, before looking at his sister-in-law, who nodded. "Mother got the same approach, though he didn't try it with me. The McKinnons are too many for him to bother getting everyone on the same page, it seems. We warned mother and a few of the others to keep their eyes open for any changes in posture among the faction." Euphemia looked towards Henry. "So, when is the meeting?"

"Let me look at you." Dorea sighed. "I am fine, Cassie." Cassiopeia ran her wand over her sister's body just outside of the Black Family London Townhouse after climbing up the steps. "You were at St. Mungos helping the wounded for hours, Dory. That's a lot of time for blood and who knows what else to get onto your clothes. You aren't going in there until I know you are clean. Or do you want to leave a bloody smear on your nieces and nephews clothes?" Dorea sighed, raising her arms up to let Cassiopeia check her out and do anything necessary to clean her up. She couldn't exactly blame her sister for being careful, despite her own disposition for cleanliness as a Healer. She had gone straight from the DMLE to the Hospital, lending a hand in the corridors to the injured patients and their families, as everyone tried to come to terms with the fact that a lot of people had been harmed at the Ministry, more so than Dorea had been aware of during her brief scuffle with the assailants. While she, Charlus and those two teens had been busy fighting for their lives, more of the assailants had been carving their way through the throngs of people fleeing towards the elevators and the Floo Terminals. Many of the victims had been left with deep cuts, amputations, holes in their abdomens and severe curse damage. And that had just been the survivors. Dorea had heard the hospital's morticians talking about potentially running out of room in the basement.

With so many people injured by cutting curses, Dorea and much of the hospital staff had been focused on saving as many lives as possible, while the DMLE focused on recovering any missing limbs and putting them under stasis for reattachment when possible. The Curse Damage Ward had been the one who dealt with the most losses, with many victims suffering from blood boiling curses. The worst off were those who had suffered under the Cruciatus Curse, as there was no effective means to reduce the damage to the nerves quickly, only the lingering symptoms. What little comfort the Hospital could provide them wouldn't be enough, especially in the coming days and weeks. By the time Cassiopeia had found her in the hallways of the hospital, Dorea had been on her third dose of Pepper Up. Her cousin had been patient enough to wait for Dorea to be certain that the hospital didn't need her aid anymore, giving Teresa Prewett and Poppy Pomfrey hugs in greeting as she passed them on her way out, the two witches arriving from Hogwarts to lessen the strain on the still overworked staff. After several sweeps of her wand and a few waves to clean up anything attached to Dorea's clothing, Cassiopeia nodded. "There, that's better. Now Come along. The family is waiting." Dorea lowered her arms. "Does that include Aquilla's granddaughter? I can imagine that she will be wanting to take a long nap after what she went through." Cassiopeia gave her sister a curious look. "You met the hellion?" Dorea nodded. "She helped protect me and my suitor at the Ministry. Her and Tom Riddle. At least, I think that was his name."

Cassiopeia sighed. "Yup, that was Aquilla's grandchild. She and her suitor are practically attached to the hip. They also seem to have the worst luck possible. Remind me to send the girl a letter. I swear, that girl is going to get all of us to age prematurely." Dorea gave Cassiopeia a sympathetic look. "If it's any comfort, she saved my life and my suitor's. Deflected a few Killing Curses with some odd floating metallic discs." Cassiopeia shook her head. "Of course the girl has some new way to protect herself. I suppose that's what happens when you have a genuine Artificer in the family." Dorea did a double take as she reached the door of the Townhouse. "She's a what?" Cassiopeia waved the comment off. "Trust me, you will know what I mean in a few hours. Orion won't shut up about it." As the door to the Townhouse opened, Cassiopeia tapped the troll's leg umbrella stand with her wand, before the two of them crossed through the threshold safely. After Dorea took off her jacket, she walked into the house, before she heard a collective yell of "Aunt Dorea!" She instantly found herself smothered by the Black family children, with Walburga, Pollux and Irma watching from the dining room entryway. As soon as she gave all the kids and teens hugs, she walked up to her brother and sister-in-law. "Hello, you two. Quite the warm welcome." She then looked at Walburga, pulling her niece into a hug. "Congratulations. I heard your scores were amazing."

Walburga blushed softly. "Thank you. Uncle Marius said he would be by later today. He will be helping me with learning what it takes to get a solicitor's certification for the Ministry." Dorea pulled back, smiling widely. "I can't wait to see him. It's been too long." A deep voice filled the air. "Good to see you are well, Dorea." Turning to look at Arcturus and Melania, Dorea blushed slightly, catching the meaning of his words. "It's good to see you too, cousin." Melania gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She whispered into Dorea's ear. "Don't let him intimidate you, dear. He is just grumpy from spending too much time in the office." The Lady of the House of Black then turned to the children. "All right, everyone one of you to the family room. The adults need to have a chat with Dorea for a few minutes. After that she is all yours." As the kids left, Dorea turned to Arcturus, rubbing her elbow. "So, what did you hear?" Arcturus sighed. "Crouch was kind enough to give me a brief summary about the attack. You were lucky to make it out alive." Dorea nodded. "I know. I am guessing… that you know who I was with?" Arcturus raised an eyebrow. "I do." Silence stretched out before Pollux sighed. "For the sake of the gods, just put her out of her misery, cousin." Arcturus looked to Pollux for a second before turning back to Dorea. He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I have no complaints, so long as you bring him here to meet the family. I trust your judgement enough to know better than to question your taste in men."

Dorea's smile was as wide as anyone in the family had ever seen. "Thank you cousin. Trust me, he takes a while to get used to, but he is a good man. I just need to put him in his place once in a while." Melania chuckled. "Sounds like someone I know." She gave her husband a wink as Cassiopeia looked at her cousin. "Dorea here mentioned that Lilith was caught in the incident and helped her and her man out. Did Crouch say anything?" Arcturus shook his head. "Caspar followed procedure and kept the names of the kids out of it. I was, however, informed by the girl in question herself." Arcturus held up an envelope. "She also mentioned the fact that Vinda Rosier was part of the attack. It seems that the witch found a way around the Maledictus binding the Rosiers. Lilith believes that Vinda was blood adopted by Grindelwald. That and a disownment from the Rosiers would keep her isolated from the bloodline curse that was inflicted on them, at least for the moment. For how long she isn't sure, though she had set a few limits to the Maledictus to avoid harming the innocents of extended families, so Grindelwald might be exploiting this loophole." Cassiopeia whistled. "Sneaky, but at least this means that Marcus Rosier still has his hands tied. We should at least make sure that he isn't giving her and Grindelwald any more aid that could slip past the Maledictus' limitations. If he was actually behind this attack…" Arcturus nodded. "Lilith agrees. She has asked for a private meeting in the Wizengamot Neutral Chambers to discuss the attack and some other pertinent information. You better grab a few changes of clothes, Cassiopeia. You are staying here until then. I want you and Dorea to go over her memories of the attack."

Cassiopeia sighed. "There goes my girl's night out." She noticed her niece blushing at the comment, before she returned her attention to Arcturus. "Fine, fine, I will stay." Arcturus sighed in relief. "Good." He then turned to Pollux. "You and I are needed in the office. There are a lot of documents we need to sign concerning the properties in Fara." Pollux whined as Irma rubbed his back. "Sorry, husband, but duty calls. And to think you had once thought about becoming Head of the Family." Arcturus gave his cousin a bemused look. "You want it? I might be tempted to part ways with the Lord's Ring." Pollux shook his head. "After watching you up to your head in papers? Not a chance. I prefer to have a functioning wrist." Cassiopeia wrapped her arm around Dorea, pulling her away. "Come with me, sister. If I am going to miss out on a relaxing night with a lovely girl, I am going to make sure you and I have some fun in a sleepover." She hooked arm with Walburga aswell. "You too, niece. I want to hear all about this girl you are sleeping with." Walburga went red in the face. "Wwwwhat? I don't know what you are talking about!" Cassiopeia squeezed Walburga's arm as she looked her in the eyes. "Dear, you know me and my tastes. I would be the least to judge you. Now, will you at least be honest with me? I promise not to chase her away or threaten her… unless she breaks your heart." Walburga looked from Dorea to Cassiopeia, before slumping her shoulders. "Ok, but can we take it easy? She's my first and… I really like her." Cassiopeia gave her niece a big smile. "Oh, then we need to get some alcohol for this. I have a few pointers you will surely enjoy." Dorea sighed as she was dragged away, though she had a smile on her face. It was good to be home.

Chapter 32: Family Sticks Together

Tom moved about in the Neutral Chamber, his eyes taking everything in, as Lilith sat on one of the leather chairs, her thumb running over the band of her Head of House Ring. She looked up slowly, watching her boyfriend pacing, knowing that he was feeling as nervous as she was, though for different reasons. She had informed him that they would be meeting with both Lord Potter and Lord Black tonight about the attack in the Ministry's Atrium, though she had told him that it would involve a secret that she had been forced to keep from him since the beginning. She saw the way that affected him through what little his control over his emotions allowed to slip through. His face hardly ever betrayed his feelings, but the same couldn't be said about his body language. Lilith certainly felt nervous herself. He would soon know that the girl that haunted his dreams and her were one in the same. It had warmed her heart knowing from his writings in the Diary that Voldemort, not just the Diary fragment that she had met, felt some measure of remorse for his actions towards her. Sure, his plans for her service to him after he murdered her parents were exactly what she expected from a cold, calculating megalomaniac. But the glimpses of remorse that he revealed when he learned that her life had been a mirror of his in their youth, that had certainly helped to soften her mental image of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord. If anything, it proved to her that while he was a threat to others, there was enough humanity in him to recognize the evils done to him. It was a small thing but more than enough to show that he hadn't stopped being human. Not completely.

The door opened and Alexander entered. "They are both in the building, each bringing their most trusted aides." Lilith nodded as she lowered her gaze, as Alexander approached Tom. "Hello again, Mr Riddle. I hope that after tonight we will be able to have more discussions. I am very curious to hear your opinions on a few things, especially on Lilith's cooking talents. You see, we have a few differences in opinion about the right way to cook, especially lamb. There is also the fact that she seems a bit more relaxed when you are around. If I might say, I find her to be a lot more prickly around me than the way others describe her." Lilith growled. "Of course I would behave differently around you. The first time we met, you stunned me!" Alexander turned to her with a smirk on his face. "And you broke into my house. Seemed only prudent." Tom had a slightly bemused look on his face as she muttered in German to herself. "Oh, I think she tends to be more reserved around others, though I am fond of her gentler side. As for her cooking skills, all I can say is that I quite enjoy her meals." Alexander chuckled. "I am sure you do. Ah, our first pair is here. Good evening, Lord Potter. We are waiting for one last set of invited guests before we begin." Henry nodded as he waited by the door, with Euphemia searching the Chamber, clearly curious as to why Lilith and Tom were there. She stopped in front of Lilith and bent down, looking at her with concern. "How are you doing? We hardly had a chance to talk outside of the interviews concerning the Atrium incident. Teresa told me you got yourself a prosthetic." Lilith held out her right hand for Euphemia to see, though she blushed when the Auror touched it.

"I am better now, though I still need to check the stump every other day, just in case there is any tearing or dry skin. I am just glad I don't have to worry about blood clots. I was actually considering cutting my hair because of how hard it was washing it with one hand if the prosthetic didn't give me the mobility I needed." Euphemia smiled at her. "Well, I am glad you don't need to worry about that anymore. Long hair suits you." Lilith lowered her face, fighting back tears, as the door to the Chamber opened, revealing the curious expressions of both Arcturus Black and Cassiopeia, who then proceeded to scan the Chamber. Euphemia stood up as the Shadow of the House of Black approached her. "I didn't realize that Auror training was so common that civilians could use it so effortlessly." Cassiopeia gave her a smirk as she lowered her wand. "Come now, Euphie, you don't really think the Blacks would waste any knowledge we gather, no matter what the source is, would you? We have had our fair share of Aurors and Hit Wizards in the past, which means we know how they tick or how best to deal with them." Euphemia raised an eyebrow at the veiled threat, before moving to stand by her father-in-law, who bowed his head to Arcturus as he entered. "Lord Black." Arcturus bowed his head back. "Lord Potter." He then looked at the others present as soon as the chamber was sealed, frowning at the sight of Alexander, before looking at Lilith. "You didn't mention you'd be having so much company."

Lilith sighed. "My apologies, Lord Black, but the information we have needs to be shared with everyone here. Whether you share it with others… that would be at your discretion, though we hope it doesn't spread to our enemies' ears." Arcturus sighed but waved his hand in her direction. "Very well, what can you tell us regarding the incident?" Lilith looked to Alexander, who nodded, before she stood up. "The attack on the Atrium will, as you know, be only the beginning. Vinda will act as Grindelwald's attack dog, doing as much damage as she can, while trying to stir up the locals into conflict with each other. She will make it seem as if it was the Dark that is behind the attacks, as seen by the canon fodder she primarily used in the assault. This will be exacerbated by the Anti-Dark sentiment growing in Light and unaffiliated families." Henry nodded. "I have been getting reports that the planned emergency session might get a few members from these people to voice their rhetoric. We are hoping that the eyewitness testimony helps to implicate Grindelwald and diminish their influence." Lilith rubbed her left arm. "What we aren't completely sure about… is why the attackers focused on Charlus Potter and Dorea Black. Grindelwald might have a bone to pick with Heir Potter, as the face of the ICW Peacekeepers and British opposition, and Dorea is of the family that replaced his pawn as Speaker of the Dark. Even then, their attack would have been far more devastating if they had focused on the crowd, not on two targets capable of defending themselves." Arcturus frowned. "Are you saying that Grindelwald attacked the pair for another reason?"

Alexander stepped up. "I was able to trace an information leak out of the Ministry concerning the return of Charlus Potter to Britain. The odd thing about it, however, was that the leak was through people inside the Light Faction. The information should never have reached Grindelwald, but somehow it did. We believe that Grindelwald's source manipulated him to attack Heir Potter directly, as a way of weakening the Potters' political power in the Wizengamot. Dorea Black's death would have simply been a bonus, possibly retaliation for the political losses of their most trusted supporter, and it would be one less Dark witch to deal with." Henry growled, slamming his cane to the ground. "I would not have yielded, even as my heart was broken. I will not let my people down, let alone my own children!" Lilith's eyes grew misty, but she shook her head. "The attack wasn't meant to affect the present, Lord Potter. We believe it was meant to diminish your family's place in your absence. Without Charlus… Fleamont wouldn't be able to take your place in the Wizengamot as easily, not with his medical condition. Even if he sat amongst your peers, your words, your presence and your family's distinction would have been gone. The Light would lose their strongest leader, only for another to replace him, one likely to be a pawn of the Anti-Dark movement. A pawn of Albus Dumbledore. We believe this was an attack aimed at shifting the balance of power years in advance, preparing Britain not for this war, but for the next." Henry visibly paled, with Euphemia holding his arm in support, as Arcturus eyes narrowed. "How can you be certain of this? Did your Seer friend view this all in a vision?" Lilith closed her eyes. It was time. "No… she didn't. I did. Or more accurately… I lived it."

Cassiopeia frowned. "The von Schwarzwald family were as distrusting of Seer blood as the Blacks, for fear of Fate disrupting their family's will. There should be no Seer blood in you." Lilith shook her head. "It wasn't a vision. I lived in a world where the Factions were gone. Where Henry Potter's name was never uttered, where the oldest and most time honored traditions of the Ancient Families had to be practiced in secret and in private. I lived in Albus Dumbledore's Wizard Britain, where every word or action of his was worshiped by the masses, as if he were the second coming of Merlin, with one notable exception. The remnants of the Dark, gathered together and radicalized by a Dark Lord, stood as Dumbledore's foil. A war that saw the deaths of thousands, the extinction of hundreds of families… and the abandonment of so many children to a cruel world. A war that Dumbledore never got to finish, because Fate tried one last time to disrupt everything, to take away his position of power by passing it to another and hopefully giving the people a chance at a better future. In the end, however, it didn't matter. Fate's last attempt to steer the world to a different path was co-opted by Dumbledore, as the Dark Lord was seemingly defeated by a one year old boy, an orphan that Dumbledore would shape into his successor. All the while a one year old girl was left abandoned, alone and betrayed." Tears ran down Lilith's eyes as she looked into Henry Potter's face. "A little girl named Lillian Lily Potter, the last of the Potter family."

Alexander reached out to steady Tom, whose legs fell out from under him, his heartbeat filling his ears as Lilith's words carved their way through his heart. He never wrote Lillian's name down in his Diary. He had kept that to himself, just in case fate was indeed sending him a message that was his alone. And now… he heard it once more, from the lips of his partner, whose eyes ever reminded him of the little girl that Voldemort had spared on the night his ambitions were thwarted. Alexander conjured a chair behind him, lowering the boy down, before blue eyes met blue. Tom frowned, realizing for the first time that their shade was close in color. "Easy there, Riddle. She will explain it to you soon enough." Tom searched his face, seeing the concern for him there, as an odd warmth building inside of him. He hadn't seen that much concern in an adult's face with the exception of his grandfather when Tom slipped off a horse for the first time. It was… comforting to know that someone else did care. He took a steadying breath as Alexander turned to look towards the others, with Tom following his gaze. What they both could see was evident to all. Henry was clearly shaken, and Euphemia was seemingly holding something back, but both Arcturus and Cassiopeia looked at Lilith with clear disbelief. "Time travel is impossible, girl." Lilith's eyes narrowed as they started to glow. "I am not lying to you!" Lord Black felt the magic in the air surge as Cassiopeia drew her wand. "Then prove it. Reveal something that only a time traveler would know."

Lilith bit her lip, looking at Henry and Euphemia for a second. Much of what she knew of the Blacks was from Sirius and Walburga's adult lives, information that wouldn't serve her here at all. There was one piece of information that she could use, but… "What proof I have is a secret that I don't think you would like Lord Potter to know." Arcturus frowned, surprised by her choice of words. "Regardless, I need a measure of proof from you." Lilith sighed. "Phineas Nigellus Black. Of all the Headmasters of Hogwarts, he refused to use the same portrait process the others went through. All Headmaster Portraits can be compelled by the Headmaster to answer their questions. Phineas successfully got the Black Family to be in control of his painting's enchantments. Of all the Headmaster Portraits, he and he alone can refuse to answer the questions of the Hogwarts Headmaster, with only the Head of House Black being able to compel him." Lilith stared at Arcturus, watching as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. "Well… as that is a secret only a Lord Black could know, I am certainly curious how you, the last Potter, came to know it." Lilith sighed in relief, glad she convinced him of her truth to an extent. "After the death of my parents, my Godfather was the only person who ever bothered to care for me. He spent 12 years for a crime he didn't commit in Azkaban, before he broke out. When he heard that I was staying at an Orphanage, he opened #12 Grimmauld Place and we lived there together. He was the last Black to carry the name, the Lord Apparent, though he never claimed the ring. So long as he wasn't the Lord, the Black wealth and properties couldn't be claimed or searched by the Ministry in their manhunt for him. He died, with no Heir of his own but me, who couldn't inherit the family ring."

Arcturus frowned at hearing that his family had also died out, as Euphemia sucked in a breath. That the girl couldn't inherit the Black family Lordship meant that she wasn't Charlus' descendant, if he had indeed married Dorea by that time. That meant… "Lillian… was my granddaughter, wasn't she?" Lilith looked at her, nodding. Tears slipped from Euphemia's face as she cupped her mouth briefly. "Ever since we met… I could see you looking at me oddly. As if you wanted something from me but you always held back. And I could feel something from you, calling out to me. Some force that I could neither name nor explain, but it was always there…" Lilith felt as more tears slipped from her eyes as she walked up to the Potters, pulling out a fabric and presenting it to Henry. "This is all the proof I can give you. I only ever read your names, though my godfather did his best to tell me about the woman who welcomed him into her home like a second son. How she was his inspiration to join the Aurors, born from her steadfast belief in doing the right thing, no matter the personal cost. The magic of the Peverells to their artefacts is one that binds the souls, not the blood or flesh. This followed me back. I… I think Charlus should still have his, but I don't know… if my coming back did anything to it." Henry reached out with his trembling hand as he took the fabric into his hands, feeling the familiar weight and feel of the magic of the Cloak. He closed his eyes as tears marked his wrinkled cheeks, before handing it back. "He does still have the Cloak in his possession. Whether it works the same or not, I wouldn't know." Euphemia breathed deeply. "How… how could you have come back…"

Alexander spoke up from beside a thoughtful Tom. "The soul is an odd thing. It is more than just a source of life for the flesh, more than just our wellspring of magic. It binds people together. Father to son, husband to wife. Even across space and time. Lillian was given a means to save her own life and the life of the soul that was attached to hers. She took it. A soul ritual as old as Britain itself, if not older, hurtled her soul into the past, tearing through time and space violently. But a soul is nothing without flesh to inhabit. The ritual sought out the most convenient body it could find, one whose soul had recently departed. Lillian Potter's soul found its way into the body of Lilith von Schwarzwald. Disoriented and fleeing for her life, she drew on her considerable magic and apparated all the way to Britain. To seek refuge and to find out what had happened to her." Euphemia looked at Lilith. "You could have come home to us. We would have taken you in, protected you." Arcturus, for his part, looked at the girl with pity. "While I would have welcomed you as Aquilla's grandchild, I don't think my father would have liked what you had to say about what became of our family. I do not blame you for staying away from us for so long." Lilith nodded at Arcturus, before looking at the Potters as she stuffed the Cloak away. "I didn't know if you were alive, nor if you were married. I didn't know anything about the Potters of this exact time period until I arrived here. I didn't even know if Fleamont or Charlus were still at Hogwarts, let alone where the Manor once stood." She lowered her eyes. "When I turned 17, I learned that I could have control over one of three families; Potter… Slytherin… and Peverell."

Lilith walked away from the Potters, before kneeling in front of Tom, placing her hand on his knee. "In my time, the Potter name was toxic to me. I was held against the example of two martyrs who died protecting the Boy-Who-Lived and Wizarding Britain. Not only had the wealth of the family been squandered, but I had nothing tying me to them, as I was raised at an orphanage without a clue as to what I was. As for Slytherin… I learned that I was descended from Salazar Slytherin, as all Potters and some Peverells are, though I was the first to be able to speak to snakes in centuries of my bloodline. I had been to the Chamber of Secrets and learned from Salazar's portrait what our family truly meant. But when given the option to claim the name, I learned there was another who claimed to be Salazar's Heir. I had met a fragment of who he once was before he was warped into the form of a Dark Lord, the enemy of Dumbledore's Britain. Through what little kindness he showed me I was able to discover more about myself. So when the option was given to me to claim his birthright, I refused. The Legacy of Salazar Slytherin was his and I refused to take it from him. Not then… and not now." Tom looked up into Lilith's eyes, seeing the truth of her words. He clenched his fists slightly, as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She then turned back to the Potters. "So Lillian took the ring of the Peverell family, toured the Peverell Estate and prepared to live her life as a recluse. Except that even at the end, her enemies refused to let her find peace. Her future threatened with little chance of being left to her own devices, she did the ritual, awakened within Lilith's body and apparated to the only place she felt was safe. Peverell Manor." She glanced towards Alexander. "Where I found that the Peverells weren't as extinct as I was led to believe."

Alexander ruffled her hair, as he looked at Lord Potter. "Indeed. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Alexander Peverell, Head of the Ancient House of Peverell. Lilith here wasn't exactly keen on sharing her secrets with me initially, as I was an unknown factor, but she did come to trust me eventually. In the last two years, we have been monitoring events and gathering evidence concerning the reasons why she was sent to this particular time period, as the ritual gave her no real expectation as to what time period she would end up in, only where she was needed most. We have been careful in what changes we felt were necessary to pursue to get the best results. As you might have guessed, Lord Potter, this meant ensuring that the Heir of Slytherin was able to safely claim his title, that Magical Britain was better prepared for war and that the House of Black would be free from the Blood Supremacy movement to make its own choices. Sadly, we have reached a point where our own actions are not enough to guarantee success against the coming threats." Alexander looked at Lilith. "And I can no longer watch silently as this one struggles every day to fix a broken world, at the expense of her own life." He looked back at the two Lords. "If you wish to safeguard your family's futures, not to mention Albion's, we need to work together to secure it from Grindelwald's threat and Dumbledore's manipulations." Arcturus frowned. "Why don't you claim your seat? In any faction, your name would carry just as much weight as either one of ours." Alexander looked to Henry, seeing some of the concern in his face at that statement. He knew what risk the Peverell name carried.

Looking back to Lord Black, Alexander decided that he deserved to know. "A secret for a secret seems to be fair, after Lilith spilled the knowledge of your family's window into Hogwarts. The Potters received from my family an object, one that has been sought out by certain powerful wizards. One of the Deathly Hallows. Should I make my presence known, Grindelwald would seek to abduct me or at least kill me, so that the fact that he possesses the Elder Wand is kept hidden and in the hopes that I might lead him to the other two Hallows. I can assure you that their power is quite real, though none but those of Peverell blood could ever wield it in its entirety." Cassiopeia hissed. "That would explain his destruction of the Paris Necropolis and how he always seems to best everyone he ever battles. Gifted he might be, but that was more than even a powerful wizard could achieve on their own, especially against a force of Aurors on his tail." Alexander nodded. "Indeed. Keeping the Hallows away from him and Dumbledore, who is also aware of their existence, is paramount. My family's name, therefore, cannot be used politically. Fortunately, I have quite the hidden network of contacts that have been keeping tabs on possible threats and accomplaces since Lilith here made me aware of their existence." Arcturus looked at Alexander, feeling better that he now had a secret of the Potters to balance out Lilith's reveal of Phineas, before he turned his attention to the girl, who was looking at him with concern in her eyes. He frowned, feeling guilty that he pressed her a bit harshly by his disbelief, though he was certain his caution merited it.

"You have been protecting our family from the very beginning, haven't you? You saw what my father's support of the extremists did to us and sought to keep history from repeating itself." Lilith lowered her eyes. "I have. Though I fear that what I have done has prevented any chance for my godfather from ever being born. I am sorry that I am not Aquilla's grandchild, not really, though her memories are a part of me." Cassiopeia frowned. "Wait, you have two sets of memories in you?" Lilith nodded. "Two sets of memories… and two sets of magic." Cassiopeia winced. "Your physical condition. That's why you can't use magic like everyone else." Lilith sighed. "Yes. That's why. I have been hoping that my condition would improve, but so far it hasn't." Cassiopeia turned to Arcturus, who nodded at her, before she returned her attention to Lilith. "Then, regardless of how you came to be here, you are still a part of House Black. Whether by your godfather or Aquilla, it doesn't matter to us." She gave Lilith a soft smile. "Though I am grateful that you saved Dory for us. The family wouldn't be the same without her. So, make sure you keep your itinerary open, because you are still invited to the townhouse." Lilith searched her eyes before smiling. "I will be there." Arcturus nodded, shifting his attention to Alexander Peverell and Henry Potter. "I believe we have heard much today that needs to be… taken in. Lord Potter… Henry. I wouldn't mind getting the chance to work together with you in keeping our families safe. Especially now when we seem to have quite the few familial ties building up. Send me a letter when you feel we can meet again. Here, or in our home, I would be open to either."

Henry chuckled to himself. "It would seem so and I would be more than happy to welcome you to my home as well. I will be writing to you soon to set up a meeting, Arcturus." He then focused his attention on Alexander. "Keep us all apprised of any changes you think point to any enemy action or manipulation. You can inform me by letter, though I wouldn't be opposed to welcoming you to my home either." Lastly, he looked at Lilith. "And there are no words that can express the debt our family owes you, my dear. For saving my son's life and for what our family failed to provide you in your time of need. Whatever the circumstances, you should not have been abandoned as you were. Even I cannot blame you for choosing the Peverell name in the end. Whenever you wish, you are welcomed in our home." Henry dug into his robes breast pocket before pulling out a card. He handed it to her. "It is a portkey to our front gate. Read the address and you will arrive. Call for Petersby and he will bring you in." Lilith took the card and nodded silently, as Henry looked towards Tom. "I look forward to getting to know you as well, Mr Riddle, Heir of Slytherin. Again, thank you for helping save my son." Tom stood up and bowed his head. "It was nothing, sir. Just doing my part." As the room emptied out of people, Lilith looked at her boyfriend, reaching out to grab his arm, but he pulled away from her grasp. "Tom?"

Taking a deep breath, Tom shook his head. "I… I need time to process everything, Lilith. I… it's not you. I just…" Lilith felt a lump in her throat but nodded. "I understand. Can I come over and see you tomorrow?" Tom gave her a nod. "I… yeah, tomorrow will be fine. Lord Peverell, thank you for what you have done for me and for her. I await your owl." Alexander nodded as he stayed by Lilith's side, while Tom left through the door. He reached out and pulled Lilith into a hug. "Everything will be ok. I think… I think you just made everything he was seeing all too real now. He needs time to realize that it wasn't him." Lilith nodded into his chest. "I know. I could have told him on his own, but it wouldn't have been fair to him. My coming back here was as much for his sake as it was for them." Alexander kissed her hair. "When you go see him tomorrow, make sure that you remind him of that. For now, let's go home." Lilith allowed Alexander to lead her out of the room, on their way out of the Ministry. While she hated the way Tom recoiled away from her, she felt a bit more reasured than before. In fact, she felt like a weight that had been crushing her down for two years now was finally lifted. Though she still struggled with who she was, thanks to Lillith and Lillian's memories, the fact that the people who needed to know her truth now knew and acknowledged her… it gave her something she had yet to feel in this time period. For once, she felt that she belonged here.

Walking through the Riddle Manor's gardens, Tom found that the heat of summer and scent of the flowers weren't enough to distract his mind from what he learned the day before. His visions had been more than just odd sensations and feelings. He had always assumed that they were real, but he could never place as to how that was. Now he knew. Lillian Potter. The dark haired, green eyed girl from his visions, had used a powerful ritual to reverse time. And in doing so, two consciousnesses, two souls even, were flung back into the past. One found its way to its original owner, melding with Tom's existing mind, causing the strange dreams and visions. The other was thrown into the recently deceased body of a fourteen year old girl, who then proceeded to move to Britain and began the process of changing history. His dream of killing Anton Bryce in a different way had been real. It had also revealed the mistake that he had once made, a mistake that utterly destroyed Tom's dreams and ambitions, replacing them with warped versions of his initial thoughts and hopes. Tom currently stood in the center of the Riddle Manor Garden, looking back at the façade of his grandfather's house. From the moment he had met Thomas Riddle, something nagged in the back of his mind. He would often see brief glimpses of the old man on the ground, his lifeless eyes staring up at him. The thought of what that vision meant made Tom want to hurl. He had killed him. His own grandfather.

As his breathing deepened, Tom failed to notice the sudden silence that filled the garden, how the air seemed to have gone perfectly still in the warm, overcasted sky. He did, however, feel two thin arms wrapping around his chest from behind and the familiar figure of Lilith pressed into his back. "Whatever it is that you are seeing, let go of it." Tom pulled himself out of Lilith's grasp, turning to her now visible form, his breathing labored. "How can you look at me with anything but hate? How can you even stand to touch me? After all that I did? I am a killer!" Lilith cocked her head. "As am I." Tom flinched at the bluntness of her answer, watching as she walked forward towards him. "I have killed people, Tom. No, I did something worse than kill people. I erased them from existence. And not just Death Eaters or Order members. I have erased people who I had loved. My first love is gone, not likely to be born in over thirty years, if at all. My godfather… will never be born because of me. So when you say that I should be repulsed by you, trust me when I say that what I did, what I still intend to do, was and is far worse than anything your other self has done. At least, in my heart, that is how I feel." Tom felt his heart slowing down, his breath growing smoother. "I killed your parents." Lilith raised an eyebrow at him. "And I killed your uncle." Tom raised his voice again. "I condemned you to the same hell I lived through! How can you bear to be by my side, knowing that I am to blame for everything wrong that befell Lillian Potter, possibly to her very end!" Lilith waited for Tom to recenter himself after his outburst, seeing his body growing steady once more.

"There was plenty of blame to go around. Sure, Voldemort killed my parents." Tom watched as Lilith approached him by a few short steps, surprised as ever that she could say that name without a hint of fear. Even as an eleven year old girl with no one she could trust, she had never been afraid of the name like the rest of the population. It had initially irked his other form, but he eventually grew to enjoy it, as while the members of Dumbledore's order did it out of defiance, Lillian seemed to do it out of respect for the name, the identity he had assumed. Tom shook his head as he was momentarily drawn into an unexpected memory, though he noticed Lilith standing there, waiting for him to regain his concentration. Her patience was always something that he admired, in both Lillian and Lilith. The redhead continued. "But he didn't cause my family's friends to fail in seeing through to their last wishes. He didn't force my mother's relatives to dump me at an orphanage, or for no one to bother checking up on me in ten years. Everything that happened at Hogwarts was the end result of Voldemort's battle with Dumbledore and his puppet and I am very grateful that I was never drawn into those messes. And before you bring up Lillian's third and fifth years, that was everyone else playing a part. I know you never intended me any harm." Tom lowered his eyes, his breath going steady, even as he felt Lilith pressing up against his chest once more, her scent of metal and electricity filling his nose. "That is not to say that I didn't blame certain people for my troubles. I blamed Dumbledore for the world I was born into. I blamed my parents for failing to raise me because of his sweet words. I blamed Wormtail for betraying my family. As for you…"

Lilith raised her hand to caress Tom's cheek, watching as he couldn't help but lean into it. She smiled at him. "I had blamed Voldemort for making me an orphan once, though I also would have thanked him for sparing my life. Even though his reasons were self-serving, even though my life would have been that of a tool, I would have still been alive. And then, when I read how he felt in your Diary, when I looked back and saw how he treated me, I could finally let go of my hate for him. Because he saw what he had done to my life and decided not to add more misery to it." Tom closed his eyes. "You… everyone had ample reason to blame me. I was a monster." Lilith shook her head. "You weren't, Tom. You, this you, was never the monster. You never became Voldemort. And even as a monster, he still had traces of humanity in him. Granted, his were few and far between, but they were there when it came to me. Do you know why?" Tom shook his head. "I can't seem to remember." Lilith smiled at him. "Probably because he couldn't put it into words. A fragmented soul would do that to a person. But I think that the reason he was kind to me, the reason he cared enough to leave me in peace, was because he saw us as one in the same. Orphans, abandoned, betrayed, forced to make our own way in a cruel world. He may have lacked any pity for anyone else, but he still knew himself, Tom. He saw himself in me and felt regret for his actions towards me. Regret that his life, his pain, was repeated once more. That is why I never hated the man, Tom. That's why I could never hate you."

Wrapping his tie around her wrist, Lilith pulled his head down. "That is why I feel like I am falling in love with you, without any regrets. Not Voldemort, not the version of you from the Diary. You." Lilith brought her lips against his and allowed herself to put every ounce of her feelings towards Tom into the kiss, her magic letting him feel just how deeply she had fallen in love with the awkward, intelligent, deeply conflicted boy that she had met when she arrived at Hogwarts. Tom, for his part, felt his body shudder at the sensations bombarding his mind. He caught glimpses of memories, of the times they shared together at Hogwarts, the peaceful silences that they both cherished, and the joy they both felt at saving Rene from Anton. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, before both broke away as they ran out of air. Lilith's right hand, covered in her usual black glove, rubbed his cheek, looking into his eyes. "I am sorry that I couldn't tell you for so long. I was scared about what my knowing your future could affect your path to the Slytherin Lordship. I just… I couldn't keep it from you anymore. It wasn't fair to either of us, especially if you wanted us to become more… intimate. I wanted to make sure that the moments we will spend together were genuine, that there were no misconceptions between us. That we like being together because it's what we both want, knowing the other person to our fullest."

Tom smiled at her. "You have always been thinking about my own interests, haven't you? Giving me the choice, telling me what every decision could mean for me if I took it." Tom leaned forward and gave Lilith a tender kiss. "Thank you, Li- wait. What am I supposed to call you now?" Lilith blushed. "Well, Lillian would sort of be wrong, as I am more now than I was back then. Lilith feels better because this is her body and I am honoring her as much as possible. Cassandra calls me Lily because she can't decide between the two." Tom blinked at Lilith. "You told her?" Lilith pouted. "No, I didn't tell her. She's a Seer, Tom. She pulled my true name out of the Aether. Do you have any idea how hard it is to lie to a Seer? I told her the truth and she decided that Lily was a decent middle ground." Tom hummed to himself. "Can't say that I disagree." Lilith sighed. "I personally like being called Lilith, but Lily from you is fine… in private." Tom chuckled, though he suspected it was better to call her by the name she had taken, as she had done for him once before. "Very well, Lilith. So, what happens now?" Lilith blinked at him. "Well, there are terrorists hiding somewhere in the country and you now have two families who will be judging wether you are worth being my suitor." Tom closed his eyes. "I think I prefer being under fire from the terrorists, especially when concerning Cassiopeia Black." Lilith smiled up at him. "Well, you're out of luck. They have first dibs." Tom pressed his forehead against Lilith's. "Good to know."

"Everything alright, Orion?" The young boy looked up as Lilith stood next to him in one of the family rooms of the Black Townhouse. Lilith had arrived at the place earlier in the day, getting a warm welcome from the Blacks, though she had noticed Orion seemed a little odd. As soon as Tom got practically dragged away by Melania, she checked on Walburga, who was very busy reading over the law books of the Ministry, before making her way here. Orion lowered his gaze to the parchment on the table, which Lilith recognized as some of the summer assignments that students tended to get, this one from Potions. "Yeah, I'm ok." Sensing that he wasn't, she sat next to him on the sofa. "Aunt Cassie would say that you need more practice lying, you know." The boy chuckled a little, before he grew somber. "Father wants to take me to Diagon Alley to see if I find a Familiar." Lilith narrowed her lips. It was actually tradition for the Magical Families to wait until a student's third year to get them a pet or a familiar. Not only were the children more mature, but they would have access to the Professor for Care of Magical Creatures, meaning that they could ask for help in the keeping and raising of animals. Finding a Familiar was considered almost a right of passage, though it was a far more rare occurrence in the most recent years. "Isn't that something to be excited about?"

Orion sighed. "I just… I really had my heart set on one of your creations as my pet or familiar. If I have a Familiar of my own, it wouldn't be fair for me to try and get a construct too." Lilith smiled, very happy to see that he was very much a gentle soul. "That is very thoughtful of you, Orion. You do know that finding a familiar is a very rare thing, right?" Orion nodded. "No one in our family currently alive has ever gotten one. Dad says that if I don't find mine, then they will settle on finding a decent owl for me." Lilith hummed to herself, curious if maybe they were all looking in the wrong place. Dorea's Fiendfyre had taken the shape of a crow or a raven. She would have to let Arcturus know, just in case Orion might have a Raven familiar, as the creatures weren't commonly found in the Alley. "I had a Familiar myself, once." Orion looked up. "You did?" Lilith swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah. I can understand that you feel disappointed that maybe you won't have one of my constructs as a pet. But at the same time… a Familiar is a very powerful connection, Orion. When you are with them, you feel as if you are whole. Their joy becomes yours and vice versa. Believe me, my constructs are a pale imitation compared to the real thing." Orion seemed to be getting a bit more excited. "What was yours like? What happened to it?" Lilith sighed. "She… died. We never got to enjoy our time together."

Orion lowered his eyes. "Oh, sorry." Lilith raised her hand and rubbed his hair. "She was beautiful though. A Norwegian Ridgeback that purred like a kitten when I rubbed her scales. I watched her hatch." Orion looked at Lilith in wonder and Lilith smiled. "I don't know what your Familiar might turn out to be, but I promise you, they will love you and you will love them back. They are a privilege and a gift from magic. If you find yours, treasure it." Orion nodded, though she could see he was still disappointed. "In the meantime, I could get you a sculpture kit." Orion blinked at her. "A what?" Lilith smiled at him. "A sculpture kit. It will be using clay and a few simple tools, but if you work hard at it, you could create the form of a construct. If you complete it and you don't have a Familiar, I can use it to get the frame and parts for a construct. After that, if you want, I can show you how to make one yourself." Orion's eyes brightened. "Really?" Lilith nodded. "Really. So when your parents take you, have fun with all the animals. I will get the sculpture kit to you soon and then we will see what happens. Kay?" Orion hugged her. "Thank you so much! I can't wait to try it out!" Lilith patted his back. As he went back to his homework, showing a lot more enthusiasm, Lilith felt Tom approach her. "They want to see you now." Lilith looked up and smiled at him. "Did everything go well?"

Tom lifted her up from the sofa and looked into her eyes. When he had arrived at the Black Townhouse, he had expected to be stared down into some measure of humility, if not intimidation. Instead, the Lady of the House had dropped him off at the Black Family Tapestry and had gone to fetch her husband. Seeing a massive tree that covered all the walls in the room certainly made Tom realize just how massive the Black family was, though he could see that many had married into other Neutral and Dark families, more than likely cementing some political alliance. He had searched the tree as much as possible for signs that he might be related to them, but only ended up finding Lilith's name, the animated faces of her predecessors all frozen in place upon their deaths. "Find what you were looking for?" Tom turned around and lowered his head in deference. "To some degree. I was merely admiring the intricacy of the tapestry when I found her name. In all honesty… I was curious to see if my family's name would be on here. When I went to Gringotts, the tree they provided was only able to show me my ancestors, not the other branches. A Tree like this… might have saved me some trouble, with regards to my wayward cousin." Arcturus gave him an understanding look as he walked into the room. "I imagine it would. Sadly, a Tree like this is only possible because it is traced down from the first person to be registered." Arcturus placed his hand gently against the wall.

"This Tapestry doesn't even begin to cover all of the descendants of our Progenitors, Orion and Artemisia Black. From their Roman blood, despite their Greek names, our family reached out and became a part of almost every single aspect of the Central Roman Empire and eventually Magical Britain. Sadly, I can attest that we have no relations with the Gaunt or Slytherin Families. Both were… understandably concerned about our Roman ancestry diluting their Celtic origins. The full Black Family Tree is an heirloom of our House within Castle Black. What started as a single roll became something… beautiful yet overwhelming beyond measure. So when I tell you that the legacy of all those souls, Lilith's included, falls upon me to honour, preserve and expand upon, then I hope that you can understand how truly important our Family is to us." Tom swallowed nervously but nodded. "I don't think I can begin to understand, as an orphan barely beginning to take up my Ancestor's responsibilities, but I can definitely feel how terrifying it must be… and comforting." Arturus looked towards the young man. "Comforting?" Tom had a wistful look on his face. "Lilith once told me that my being an orphan gave me some liberties that she and you might never be able to enjoy. The ability to redefine the legacy of my Ancestors in my own way, perhaps even begin it anew through me. But I am currently the last Slytherin, at least with the ability to claim the Lordship, and failure to me would mean not only failing my ancestors… but the utter ruin of my family. For someone whose family touches every corner of Magical Britain… It must be comforting as well, knowing that even should you fall, your kin will remember you and act in your stead to fulfill your responsibilities."

Arcturus looked thoughtfully at Riddle for a moment, before nodding his head. "I suppose it is comforting as well. From my cousin Cassiopeia, to my beloved wife Melania, I know that in my absence the House will stand proud and strong. At least, so long as we avoid the future that Lillian and your alternate self went through." Tom steeled his gaze. "Believe me, I want to avoid that fate as well, regardless of the role I had been forced into." Arcturus smiled at him. "Good, because I would hate to send Cassiopeia after you. Now why don't you follow me into my office so we may discuss your future as both a potential Wizengamot member and what your intentions are regarding a daughter of House Black for whom we all are now deeply indebted." A snap before Tom's eyes brought him out of his memory, staring once again into Lilith's eyes, which were now filled with concern. He smiled at her reassuringly. "Yes, everything is fine. Lord Black and I simply went over a few things, regarding my position for the Wizengamot, responsibilities as a Head of House. And, of course, about my intentions towards you. I made it out safe and sound, with a promise not to get a surprise visit from Cassiopeia in the middle of the night so long as I treat you right." Lilith stared at him for a bit, clearly still somewhat worried, but far more reassured now than before.

"Very well. Could you stay with Orion? In case he needs some help with his homework?" Tom nodded and Lilith kissed his cheek. She found Melania watching from the entrance to the living room, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you for brightening up Orion's day. We really didn't know what to tell him to make him happy." She gestured with her hands and Lilith followed after her. "It's fine. He has a gentle heart and is very thoughtful, so little things like getting a Familiar will affect him differently." Melania nodded. "I agree." The moment they arrived at the third floor, Melania noticed that Lilith's gaze was fixed down the hallway. "My husband told me about Lillian. I imagine that you have some memories of this place?" Lilith's eyes remained fixed on the hallway, seeing echoes of Lillian's life flashing across her eyes. The sight of her godfather in his animagus form rushing down the hallway before tumbling over a trap that she had set. His roaring laughter as he turned back into the slightly unhinged man she had grown so fond of as she peered out of her room, having caught him before he could wake her up at an unseemly hour on Christmas Eve, his body covered from head to toe in water. The vision faded from her eyes, replaced by a melancholy that filled her heart. That lovable oaf was now gone, erased but for what her memories preserved. Seeing the Lady Black waiting on her response, Lilith swallowed the lump in her throat.

"My godfather brought me here after my third year at Hogwarts. The place was a mess, with all the remaining Blacks having died but a few years prior, most having hidden themselves away at Castle Black. Kreacher was in a poor mental state too, having been forced to obey the ramblings of a portrait that had reflected the depicted woman's madness for far too long. We ended up cleaning the whole place up, just the two of us, during our first summer together. New wallpaper, better lighting. Even Kreacher cheered up a bit after the house seemed more presentable, especially as we were able to return some sanity to his beloved Mistress' portrait. Then the war started. My godfather, though I loved him, was a fool. He invited Dumbledore's Order to hide here with him, as it was a location the enemy could not access. I managed to make sure that the third floor was off limits to them, as I was deeply against his decision. The Order used the myriad of rooms to keep its more vulnerable elements safe, though they definitely abused my godfather's hospitality, even if he never could bring himself to say it. I personally warded the stairs leading up to the third floor, keeping the most important rooms safe from them. A few were mild, turning the stairs into a slide and all. A few more were not so mild. Parselmagic wards can be quite dangerous if you pick the right… or wrong snake venom to conjure within the snake's fangs."

Melania shook her head. "A few of our ancestors would certainly have complained about unwelcome guests. Though that bit of Parselmagic would certainly have earned you a warm welcome. Now then, Arcturus is just down the hall. I will be close by, if you need me." As soon as they reached the door, Melania opened it, letting Lilith enter alone. Her eyes swept the room, with Arcturus looking at her with interest. "Did my son change much in this place?" Lilith lowered her eyes. "He never lived to be Lord. You and Cassiopeia held on to the bitter end, but still died before my godfather escaped. You would have been proud of him, to a point. He swam from Azkaban all the way to the coast, then walked up all the way to Hogwarts. He was quite the stubborn mutt, even when he wasn't in his animagus form." Arcturus raised one of his eyebrows. "An animagus?" Lilith nodded. "He was sixteen when he completed it. Don't worry, I won't be teaching Orion that. I never did manage it myself." Arcturus shook his head before leaning back. "I checked with my contacts. You were right. A few families have loved ones that are absent from their Estates. This Vinda must be training them, to use them as her fodder." Lilith sat down. "I expected nothing less from her." Arcturus rubbed his face. "When I took the Lordship, I never intended to lead our family in a time of war." Lilith gave him a soft smile. "I never intended to try and save the world. And yet, as I try to save the families that are dear to me, I know that I will be facing off against Vinda. Maybe even Grindelwald. I would rather someone else do it but…"

Arcturus nodded. "But when there is no one ready to take the responsibility, it falls onto you. Believe me, I understand. Still, I can agree with Peverell. You have risked so much already, lost so much just the same. I hope I don't have to try and threaten you with Alphard, Lucretia and Orion following you everywhere if it gets you to take a quieter year at Hogwarts." Lilith sighed but she nodded. "I understand. I will certainly try my best." Arcturus sighed as he sat back into the chair. "Now. I had quite an interesting discussion with Riddle. I don't particularly blame him for the Black Family's fate in your shared alternate future. My conversation with him was actually quite pleasant. He has learned much about the responsibilities that will soon fall upon him as the last Slytherin. That and the document you two drafted and made binding allows me to feel a measure of ease. Still, I must ask. Why him?" Lilith paused for a second, not having expected that question. At least, not in the way he worded it. "I… I am not sure. As Lillian I definitely felt something for him, as both the fragment that I met and the entity that followed. It wasn't love then. Maybe empathy… we definitely could understand each other easily enough, though he had a harder time seeing through my motivations. Coming back here, seeing him grow past the limitations that plagued him later in life, seeing the sort of man he genuinely wishes to become, free from the manipulations of the world… I don't know. It woke up something in me."

Lilith rubbed her von Schwarzwald family ring. "Even though I know it's a long shot, even though there is so much on the line, I just want to be there, by his side. If he needs me, then I will help him. If I need him, I believe he will be here for me. Knowing that… not to mention the way we connect on an emotional level… I simply can't help myself but believe that what we have can be love. And if it is, I don't want either of us to miss out on it." Arcturus stared at her before sighing deeply. "Then you two can be safe in the knowledge that we will not stand in your way. The burdens that you two as Head of two Ancient Houses will not make your lives easier, and that is further complicated by your current condition. Which reminds me. I do have something for you." He handed over a book to her, with Lilith frowning at the title. ""Magical and Spiritual Possession."" Arcturus shrugged. "The Blacks never threw any knowledge out. One of our more… dangerous relatives studied Soul Magic and Possessions. It might have some information about how to settle the effects of your magics as they try and synchronize. Bring it up to Peverell and see if he concurs with the information within. From what I hear his family has a history with soul magic, though it's more along the lines of how best to put would-be immortals in the ground permanently, rather than figuring out how to bind a soul into the body of another safely. Perhaps the two disciplines may help your recovery along, if not at least reveal something that he may have originally missed in your condition." Lilith chuckled. "True enough. Thank you."

Arcturus stared at her for a second before he opened a drawer and pulled out a small felt jewelry box, which he promptly placed before Lilith. "Just one last thing. It's yours, if you want it." Lilith stared at it, her eyes wide. "I can't-" Arcturus interrupted her. "Yes, you can. Whether as Lillian or as Lilith, you are a Black. What fate denied you once, I hereby offer it to you freely. I would certainly feel safer, knowing that you could lend your voice to the family were I or Orion to ever need it. Besides… after talking to Riddle, it is quite clear that your intervention was paramount in keeping this family safe and intact for the foreseeable future. Orion, despite his currently dower mood, has certainly grown much under your care and not just as a student. I was never fond of the knowledge that he would one day carry the burden of becoming the next Head of House after me. But now, as he seems more comfortable around others and has been able to express himself more openly, I believe he will be fine. Regardless of that, this family owes you a depth I doubt we could ever really repay. Letting you be a part of it, with a voice of your own, is the least we could offer in return." Lilith took the box into her hands, a tear running down her cheek. "Thank you… Uncle Arcturus." The man gave her a brief smile, which made her heart ache instantly as it was the same smile she had seen on Sirius' face, before excusing herself.

After Lilith walked out the office, she found herself standing at the entrance of the living room, watching as Tom helped Orion with his assignment. She had watched him back at Hogwarts, helping groups of first year and second year students with their assignments, but this time it felt different. This was a living room that she, as Lillian, had spent some time in. It had been the place where Neville had tried to convince her that he actually cared about her. It was also the place where she and Sirius would just sit and relax, with him brushing her unruly hair, something that he had done for his cousins when they were all younger. Seeing Tom here, in such a deeply personal place made her feel warm all over. She could see the beginning of Ton's change, how he could step away from looking after his own interests and focusing more on family. She smiled softly to herself. Tom, as always, sensed her and looked up. "All done with the interrogation?" Lilith chuckled. "For now. Mind if I borrow him for a second, Orion?" As Lilith led him into the corridor, she pulled him by the tie and kissed him. Tom gave her a satisfied smirk as he pulled back. "What was that for?" Lilith shook her head. "Nothing. You don't always need a reason to do it." Tom hummed in appreciation. "I quite like that." They two took their time before returning to Orion, hands intertwined.

Euphemia watched as Charlus slumped into his seat, sighing to himself, as they enjoyed a warm summer day in one of the terraces of the Potter Manor, overlooking the garden and grounds, along with Fleamont and Dorea. "I take it that the meeting with her family didn't go well, Charlie?" Dorea hummed to herself as she smelled her tea. "I thought it went rather well. He only broke once while my sister was trying to gauge his reactions. To be fair, her choice of words were rather crass, though his spit take was quite the sight. All the kids were laughing themselves silly, which in my opinion constitutes a ringing endorsement from them." Charlus glared at his girlfriend. "Of course you enjoyed it all. You didn't humiliate yourself, as I spat all over your dad! The only way that could have been worse was if I did it to the Lord or Lady Black. I had to restrain myself from drawing my wand to clean the mess, knowing how bad it was going to look!" Fleamont chuckled before looking at Euphemia. "I am so glad that Lady McKinnon and I got along well. Though having Euphy's four sisters teasing the hell out of me the entire time wasn't entirely fun." Euphemia raised an eyebrow. "Really, I thought most men would enjoy the attention of four young ladies." Fleamont cleared his throat. "They were all wonderful ladies, but I only had eyes for one, and she was just having too much fun watching her sisters use me as a mannequin." Charlus laughed out loud. "I certainly enjoyed the moment you got back home. You had more makeup on your face that night than what mother wore in her entire lifetime."

Fleamont shuddered. "Don't remind me. If it wasn't for Euphy, I would have bolted out the door." Charlus grew thoughtful at that. "Lilith looked like she was about to bolt out the door too, when she came by. I thought… I thought she would have been more comfortable around us. Was she that nervous with the Blacks?" Dorea lowered her eyes, knowing that she could hurt the feelings of the Potters, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to them either. "No, she was relatively warm and relaxed. To be fair, she has spent two years with the kids going to Hogwarts, so she is very comfortable around them. She was formal with all the parents, but was able to relax with Cassie and me just fine. I couldn't exactly tell you why that is." Euphemia sighed and sat back. Lilith had accepted Henry's invitation and came over to visit the Potters soon after the revelation of her origins. And just like with Charlus, it was clear to Euphemia's eyes that she was nervous being in the house. She mostly seemed saddened by it, as if some depressing weight had settled onto her just being there. Fleamont added a sugar cube to his tea and started mixing it with his spoon. "I suppose it was going to be awkward regardless of what we would have liked. I mean, what are we supposed to say to the spirit of our orphaned grandchild from the future? Sorry that we weren't there for her? I don't even think it would be fair to ask her what our son would be like, since she never met the man."

Charlus sighed. "Yeah, I couldn't figure out what to say to her either. I just don't understand why she won't say anything about her time as a Potter. It's not like we could change anything inadvertently. Hell, her being here has already changed her past by who knows how much." Dorea rubbed her cup of tea. "I think she feels guilty because of that, Charlus. She already admitted to Arcturus that the circumstances that led to her godfather were changed so severely, that she doubted that he would ever be born at all. She never speaks his name, though, because she might still be holding onto some vague hope… that she didn't erase one of the few people that loved her out of existence." Charlus lowered his eyes. "Is that why she barely talked to us? Because she feels guilty?" Everyone practically jumped as another voice joined in. "That girl carries many burdens, son. Guilt weighs heavy on her mind, though I believe shame is what keeps her from bonding with us all that well." Charlus stood up to pull a chair out for his father. "You ok, dad? Weren't you taking an afternoon nap?" Henry patted his son's shoulder. "I am fine, son. And no, I wasn't napping." After taking a seat and placing his cane to the side, Henry picked up the cup of tea that Petersby had placed before him, thanking the invisible elf. "I was actually talking to young Lilith until a few minutes ago."

Euphemia blinked at him. "She was here?" Henry nodded. "She was, though she didn't want to disturb anyone else. She recognized that her initial visit left you all feeling that she was disinterested in the family and wanted to clear the air with me." Charlus sat down. "What did she say?" Henry ran his hand through his grey hair. "Much as you thought, she feels guilty that her interventions are disrupting some of the events of our family. Her history never recorded an attack on the Ministry like the one you were in, Charlus, until during her own lifetime. She feared that her interventions had placed your life in more danger than what a military career already entailed. But I think what really troubles her is the shame that comes from her decision when she turned 17." Euphemia frowned in thought. "When she chose the Peverell family over the Potters." Henry nodded as he steepled his hands. "She wanted me to understand why she did that more directly. At eleven years of age, she was sorted into Slytherin House, a place that in her lifetime had become synonymous with support for violent extremism and the outlawed Dark Arts. As her parents, whom she never knew in person and only ever read or learned about whenever someone else was feeling generous, were both Gryffindors and martyrs of the war against the Dark Lord, she was seen as a traitor for being different from them. She became a pariah. She was mistreated by other children because of her name and Hogwarts house, never because of anything that she herself had done."

Charlus sighed. "Her Hogwarts was certainly a far worse place than when we were there." Fleamont looked to his father. "Just to check, you sure she didn't earn any reputation as a troublemaker… legitimately? She was a Potter and we do have a habit of misbehaving." Henry shook his head. "I don't think she did. According to her, her rulebreaking was mostly limited to sneaking out of the Dorms to visit the Chamber of Secrets, and that was only after the beginning of her third year. What violence she inflicted on others was always in response, never in outward aggression. After all, she had to constantly weigh the benefits of what her responses would result in. With the other houses, she ignored them, allowing them to only get so far, but never to the point where she felt truly humiliated. In Slytherin, however, she was forced to be more assertive. Her status as a Parselmouth was revealed early and she used it and her wits to stay clear of as much trouble as possible. She confessed to me that in her seven years at Hogwarts, she only came close to killing one boy, a housemate, who was jealous of her position and felt cheated of his rightful place. His near death kept him from ever testing her position ever again, though she was clear that if it hadn't been for a dear friend holding her back, she might have killed the boy." The table was silent, with Dorea speaking first. "I can see why she feels more comfortable with my family then. Blacks protect their own viciously and without hesitation, with death always reserved as a viable option. She must feel safe and comfortable with us, rather than the guilt and self loathing she must feel under your gaze."

Henry nodded solemnly. "Based on my own interactions with Sirius and Arcturus Black, I would certainly agree there." He rested his arms on the table. "Back on the matter of Lilith. She explained that the way the people treated her, judging her poorly against her parents' example, never stopped. In fact, it grew even more pronounced once the war started up again. She, having no family, no affiliations and having seen some of what the Dark aligned families were fighting for, chose to keep herself Neutral. Oddly enough, the Dark Lord seemed to have allowed her to remain as such, though she believes he had some long term plans for her. The Light didn't take kindly to that. So, when she was seventeen and trying to decide where her allegiances would lie, she picked the one name that had no attached consequences to it. Peverell. Their legend had practically died out by then. So, when all of us treated her warmly when she arrived here… she felt guilt and shame for betraying the Potter name, though she readily admits that in those circumstances, she wouldn't have picked differently. And… I cannot blame her." Euphemia rubbed the rim of her now empty cup of tea, her eyes looking beyond the discolored remnants at the bottom. "It's hard to think of her as someone so… passive. The girl I have met and butted heads with is so assertive and proactive about… well, everything."

Charlus snorted. "Not to mention talented. The youngest of the Black children was talking about her creations. To think that the idea that an Artificer could manifest, almost a century after they were conceived as a flight of magical fancy. It almost seems like she is making up for lost time." Henry sighed deeply, as he looked out over the edge of the balcony. "Making up for lost time… or making do with what little time she believes she has left." Everyone at the table turned to him, before he elaborated. "Soul Magic is rare and illegal, so no one knows for sure the limitations that it possesses. What is known, however, from what few practitioners accomplished before their untimely demise is that a soul inhabiting another's body is never a simple thing. That girl's physical condition is a symptom of what she did, a condition that, if memory serves me, is likely to lead to an early grave. So no, Charlus, I don't believe that Lillian and Lilith are all that different from each other. They are the same spirit, the same soul, doing everything they can to build a better world for those that she cares about. The difference now is, as Alexander Peverell stated, that they have reached the limit to what they can do on their own, without Lilith's life being endangered any further." Everyone was silent, with Charlus rubbing his hair. "Is there anything we can do to help her?" Euphemia placed her cup down. "We have to respect that she is her own person and that she will continue to act of her own volition. That said, she is our family. Our child failed her already. I won't do the same." Henry nodded. "I agree. If she were to need our help, we shall grant it to her, whether or not she asks for it. We will stand by her side to the very end, as all families should."

"We are lowering the scrying wards down for a few minutes. Don't take too long, the Ministry can detect a scrying connection occurring through their borders and will send Aurors to investigate." Vinda grunted. "Fine! Just make sure that when they do come back up, they aren't faulty. We almost got caught in that old Estate when the wards collapsed." The young man bowed his head and said "Understood," before exiting the room. Pulling out the silver scrying bowl, she placed it atop a small table, before spilling a transparent magical liquid into the bowl. Within the edges, runes started to glow as soon as her fingers touched the water. The surface of the water began to ripple in odd patterns, all coalescing unto the center. As soon as two familiar heterochromatic eyes appeared on the surface, the ripples ceased. There, within the reflection of the water, was Gellert Grindelwald. His voice came in rough, as if he had been yelling for hours. "It has been days since the attack, Vinda. As you can imagine, we have already heard what happened from our informants. Why did you take so long to contact us?!" Vinda bowed her head. "My apologies, my lord. We were preparing to contact you as soon as possible, but the Aurors moved quickly and searched Rosier's properties. We were forced to flee. This is the third safe location we were able to establish, with the previous two becoming unfavorable as the wards kept collapsing." Grindelwald growled. "What happened? The attack on the general population went as desired but word is that Charlus Potter survived your attacks yet again."

Vinda swallowed nervously. "We aren't sure. We believe the group that spotted them were identified and countered quickly. When more of our forces arrived, we found Potter, the Black Family Healer, along with the rumoured Heir of Slytherin and the young Lady von Schwarzwald combating our forces. They had shields that blocked every curse we threw at them, including the Killing Curse. The Black Witch then filled the Atrium with Fiendfyre. We couldn't not remain there, not with the Aurors arriving from the upper floors. We would have been pinned down with enemies on both sides." Grindelwald pulled away from the scrying mirror, with Vinda catching a few glimpses of movement as he paced around the table. "This is the second time Fraulein von Schwarzwald has intervened in our plans, though I seriously doubt she was there in response to our possible attack." Vinda ran through what information they had managed to hear from their fallen comrades. "The soldiers that were present during the initial confrontation said that the targeted pair received reinforcements from one of the offices on the floor of the Atrium. Possibly the records office." Grindelwald snapped his fingers. "Of course. The Heir of Slytherin would have to be at the Ministry to register and verify his claim. This might be a blessing in disguise. While records are difficult to erase, we can certainly read them easily enough. Have your local contacts try and search the Registry for Heir Slytherin and Frau von Schwarzwald's addresses. We can plan an attack based on that information. That said…"

Grindelwald reappeared in the mirror. "After your failure in crossing off Potter, I decided to do a re-evaluation of the intel we received. Specifically, concerning the sources of information. There were… inconsistencies in the sources of information and in the time they were delivered to us. I believe the information was leaked intentionally." Vinda frowned. "Who would do something like that that isn't on our side?" Grindelwald bared his teeth. "In Britain, I know of a man who would be capable of putting supposed allies or neutral forces in harm's way, if they served his purpose. The arrival of Newt Scamander in New York had seemed to me a coincidence at first, but after Paris and Bhutan, not to mention his other appearances all over the globe, many in regions were my operatives were active at the time and were soon uncovered, I believe the fool of a man is being directed by a puppet master. One intimately familiar with my interests and long term plans. Albus Dumbledore." Vinda pursed her lips. "What would you like us to do about him?" Grindelwald sighed. "For now, nothing. He is too well protected at Hogwarts and while suspect, my informant close to him remains a valuable source of information that I can't simply ignore. In any case, your orders for the foreseeable future are to cause as much damage as possible in Magical Britain. I will get you intel on Muggle British targets from the idiots in Berlin to hit as well. Train as many of the local riff raff as necessary for the most dangerous assignments. I don't want you wasting valuable manpower on soft targets."

Those dual colored eyes focused on her own. "Keep our own forces as intact and as well trained as possible. I want you to use them to attack the Heir of Slytherin, Frau von Schwarzwald and any other family estates that we can identify. The goal, Vinda, is to keep our enemies guessing as to what the next target will be. Do not let yourself be found." Vinda watched as he rubbed his family ring and felt her body warming up, her breathing growing shallow. Those eyes never left her own. "I will not be tolerating failure from you much longer, Vinda. Your loyalty and achievements in the past earned your position at my side. Fail again, and I will not only reconsider your position within my Hexenmeisters, but also within my family. I allowed you to become a Grindelwald because you had proven yourself worthy of it. Continue to do so, before I find another, less pleasant use for you. Do we understand each other?" Vinda tried and failed to utter her reply from the pressure on her neck. She nodded, before he released his grip on her life, leaving her breathing deeply, as the image on the scrying mirror faded away, small trails of steam leaking out from around the edges of the bowl. "Valerio!" The door opened, and a familiar looking young man stepped out. "Yes, my lady?" Vinda turned to him, trying to be as presentable as possible. "Contact your father. We have a need for some information from within the British Ministry Registry, with regards to two old housemates of yours." Valerio's smile widened, though he flinched slightly in pain from his heart. "I will let him know."

Chapter 33: Preparing for the Worst

"So, Lord Potter, how would you say that the emergency session of the Wizengamot went?" Henry rubbed his forehead as Arcturus Black sat before him. They had agreed to meet in one of the Neutral Chambers today, just as soon as the Wizengamot session concluded and had settled down just a few moments prior. Henry opened his eyes. "If there is something to be said about our observer in the shadows, it's that he can certainly read people. Though I must admit, I never expected Albus Dumbledore himself to speak before the assembly." Arcturus grunted in response. After the DMLE had read the report concerning the attack in the Atrium, there were certainly a lot of complaints being thrown around. Most of the corpses belonging to the attackers were young men and women from vassal families, repeat offenders and a few unaffiliated magicals. The trouble was that, as expected, most were known to be Dark Witches and Wizards. The most vocal members of the Anti-Dark movement jumped onto that fact, utterly ignoring the confirmed report of Grindelwald Hexenmeisters being part of the terrorist attack. Lord Longbottom himself drove these facts home, even as Arcturus and the Neutrals kept asking him to cease coloring anyone who doesn't consider themselves as Light a potential threat to the peace within Great Britain. Weasley, again, pressed for the recall of all British Aurors to return back to Britain, but was again denied by the Speakers.

Henry looked across the small coffee table to the younger Lord Black. "The Dark seemed quiet today, with the exception of your faction's rebuttals to Longbottom and Weasley's statements. Even when Dumbledore spoke up, your people hardly reacted to his rhetoric." Arcturus smiled. "Indeed. I quite liked seeing the man try his best to instigate our side and get nothing but silence for his troubles. Thanks to our mutual friends, not to mention Crouch's slow and methodical approach to investigations, I was able to reach out to the majority of the representatives and get them to agree to a reserved response. You have no idea the amount of laughter I heard as soon as we exited the chamber. They might be hard to control at times but my fellow faction members aren't above falling in line if it means humiliating a shared political adversary. If anything, it's one of the few things they can all readily agree to doing." Henry shook his head with a soft smile. After both Longbottom and Weasley had said their peace, Lord Diggory had invited Albus Dumbledore to speak, as a non-member of the Wizengamot can only address the assembly when invited. "My fellow witches and wizards, what we saw a week ago within this very building is more than just a consequence of war or the poor judgment of troubled minds. It is a symptom of a condition that has plagued our world for centuries now. The cause of it is our misunderstanding of a fundamental truth about magic. Much of Europe views magic as a duality, between Light and Dark. This vision of the world, this justification and institualization of the Dark Arts is what has led the Continent to its current state."

Dumbledore had looked around the chamber before continuing. "It is what now has led us to our current travesty. Dozens killed, hundreds maimed and hospitalized. So long as we continue to allow the practice of the Dark Arts, which are an affront to the harmonious and balanced state that magic is in its truest sense, we will continue to see more tragedies like these repeat themselves. I ask you all if that is what you truly want. Do you wish to continue watching our children and grandchildren lying on hospital beds, injured and cursed as our Healers struggle to save their lives? Do you wish to hear of how our brave Aurors find themselves under attack by seemingly ordinary men and women whose skills and deadliness matches their own, with none of the training that prepares an Auror for the proper enforcement of the law? The more these people are allowed to learn and practice their craft, the more twisted they will become. I ask you now to hear my words and to ignore the protests of the Dark. We must enshrine within our laws a rejection of the teaching and the use of deadly and dangerous curses and rituals that do nothing but bring renewed horror to our world. Then, and only then, will we see a safer Wizarding Britain, moving towards a brighter future for all witches and wizards." A loud section of the Light and the Visitor's gallery applauded his speech, though their numbers were well below the majority, before Arcturus took to the Speaker's Stand.

"What a clear indication that one of Hogwarts Professors has a poor understanding of magic and the role that it serves in our lives. You claim that it is the fault of our faction that these attacks are occurring? Perhaps." Arcturus looked towards Rosier and his extremists. "There are those that sit within this assembly that would indeed welcome the harming of innocents if it secured them their positions of power and wealth." He then looked towards Longbottom, Weasley and Diggory. "But do not be deceived by the soft spoken words of those who too would seek to benefit from the tragedy that befell our Ministry and community. They would condemn an entire faction for the crimes of but a few. A Faction that, as a majority, stands in opposition to these acts of barbarity!" The eyes of the assembly and the visitors were all drawn to the Dark faction due to the sudden movement of the majority of their representatives standing up in solidarity. Arcturus pressed on. "These terrorists do not represent a symptom of the precence of the Dark Arts, but a failure in the education of our youths in the proper use and the dangers in the missuse of the Dark Arts. My own cousin, Dorea Black, best embodies this. She is, as stated by the Head Healer of St Mungos, one of the most gifted Healers he has ever had the pleasure of working with. And yet, she was able to chase away the terrorists by the use of the Fiendfyre curse, without harming anyone else in the process."

The visitor gallery began to murmur among themselves, having heard the rumours that a Fienfyre curse had been used in the Ministry, despite the insignificant amounts of cursed damage, indicating a rare degree of mastery over the temperamental curse. Arcturus waited for a moment. "These attacks and the troubles of the last fifty years are not a symptom of the continuation of the Dark Arts, but of the failure in addressing the root problems that exist among all magical and non magical races. Greed, violence, a thirst for power, and many more. In our current state of war, we cannot begin to address these within our society, including the lack of proper education for our students, as the enemy on the other side of the Channel should be the priority of everyone here. As such, I ask that we leave such discussions aside, condemn Grindelwald for facilitating and directing these attacks and allow our Aurors, both abroad and at home, to fulfill their duties, so that once this threat is neautralized, we can begin coreecting the mistakes of the past, to build a better future for us all." Arcturus' speech, followed by the support of both Speakers Bones and Potter, silenced much of the protests from the rest, before the meeting eventually adjourned with the allocation of more funds for the DMLE and the deployment of the DoM to aid in the search for the terrorists. Back in the Neutral Chamber, Henry looked towards Arcturus. "I am afraid that Dumbledore's message has reached more people than I would have liked, especially after the attack. They do not have a majority and are likely to never get it, but they will be vocal." Arcturus tapped his fingers on the armrest. "Is there anything that you could do to reign them in?" Henry sighed, digging into his robes pocket, before handing Arcturus an envelope. "I was thinking of using this when your father was still the Head of House Black. I am hesitant to use it now against my own faction, but it may become necessary soon enough."

Arcturus read through the Alliance agreement. "Huh. It seems that our families have even more in common than we thought. Lord Longbottom, Mr Weasley and even Diggory may be intimidated by this, though I doubt they will understand the implications of being declared Oathbreakers should they refuse. At least, not until they visit Gringotts and find their accounts frozen and the Bank demanding them to pay a cancellation fee and the relocation of all their coins." Henry sat back. "Indeed. What do you think? Is it worth it?" Arcturus shrugged, though felt quite pleased about being consulted for his opinion. "Not yet. I would say that you should continue to be diplomatic, trying to pull back the weyward members. If they try a stunt to force some type of ban on the Dark Arts or to impede the DMLE from fulfilling its duty, then that would be the time to use it." Henry rubbed his chin before placing the envelope back into his robes after Arcturus returned it to him. "You have a point. Now, onto happier matters. I have no trouble at all welcoming Dorea Black to the Potter Family in full. In fact, we would be honoured to welcome such a gifted witch to the family." Arcturus raised an eyebrow. "Many will say that your family would be turning against the Light if that were to happen." Henry huffed. "They can say whatever they like. The young woman is a Healer by profession, thoughtful but steadfast in her commitments. I could think of no better future Lady Potter, other than Euphemia of course." Arcturus smiled as he sat back. "I will have to share that praise with Cygnus. He has always had trouble walking the line between proprietary and duty to family, so hearing your assessment of Dorea will do much to better his opinion of himself. Especially now."

Henry gave Arcturus a sympathetic look. "My condolences on his health. I pray that the glad tidings will ease any lingering regrets he may have." Arcturus nodded. "Thank you. I will let him know. As for me, I welcome the union as well. Perhaps it will do much to ease the tension among the Factions, though I refuse to let anyone politicize it. If their love is true, they deserve to celebrate it privately." Henry chuckled. "No arguments here. I suppose that leaves the matter on the other person tying our houses together." Arcturus smirked. "The little hellion giving you trouble already? That's what my cousin Cassandra calls her. Lilith is aware and finds the term endearing. Her own father apparently had a similar term, though she refuses to repeat it." Henry sat back. "Euphemia is prepared to raise hell over her, as is Charlus. She has an open invitation to our home, but I am doubtful she will take it up again." Arcturus smiled at him. "Same with us. She is a deeply independent girl, so I am not surprised. For now, I think we should let her come to us, but be there when she needs us. The same for her suitor." Henry rubbed his chin. "Have you had a chance to speak with Tom Riddle?" Arcturus nodded. "I have. I can see some of the concerns that one of our kids had for him, but Lilith's time by his side has done him well. He has a quick temper, though great control over his emotions. A capable, analytical mind." Henry rubbed his Head of House Ring. "Then perhaps we shall see the name of Slytherin mean something new in the coming years."

"Thank you for coming, Mr Riddle. Please, follow me." Tom fell into step besides Headmaster Dippet as they made their way through the corridors. "I wish to apologize to you for not being able to arrange a meeting sooner. As Heir to one of the Founder Families, you have certain rights afforded to you, as you are aware, though we weren't able to go over them all when the investigation was active. That being followed by the OWLs examinations kept me rather busy." Tom nodded. "I understand, sir, though I can't imagine the amount of paperwork you have to go over, let alone your other responsibilities." Amando chuckled softly. "Believe me, had Phineas Black told me how much work the position of Headmaster entailed, I might have refused to take over after his retirement. That man was never very popular as a Headmaster, but he did what he had to keep the school open in difficult times. Still, now that I have a few decades on the job, I can with every fiber of my being say that it's the one career I could only ever see myself for my remaining years. Now then, I am told that you are intimately aware of the danger that currently hides somewhere in our country?" Tom swallowed the lump in his throat at the tone the Headmaster used. "I am. My apologies if my actions in the Ministry brought any more trouble your way." Armando waved his hand. "You and Miss von Schwarzwald did fine. Merrythought received quite a bit of praise for the excellent skills you two displayed. She has been quite pleased with herself these last few weeks thanks to the examiners comments on her students,"

Tom chuckled. "Perhaps we should refrain from telling her that Lilith named her owl after her, though I am certain it was more aimed at the myth attached to her name." Armando laughed softly. "Yes, I think I will be keeping that to myself for now. No need to feed Galatea's ego any further for the moment. Speaking of Miss von Schwarzwald, I have considered offering her the chance to study Spell Creation under me. I want to extend the same offer to you. It's more of a self study course, though we certainly can have group sessions when required. The goal is the development of either the creation of new spells or enchantments, or, perhaps, the reapplication of old ones to a more modern setting. While your family's gift of Parselmagic might prove difficult to evaluate, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing you develop it in a more academic setting." Tom blinked at the Headmaster in confusion. "I am honored, of course, I am just surprised you would be willing to take such a subject matter to evaluate." Dippet looked at Tom. "As difficult as it might be, Mr Riddle, I personally enjoy the creativity and challenges that come with blazing new trails for magic, even those frowned upon by less enlightened minds. It would be more of an honour for me to witness a Parselmouth at work than anything else. Still, there are other forms of magic that you could pursue if you would rather keep that talent of yours a family matter and I would not be opposed to helping you pursue other interests, so long as they are not harmful to you in any way. Ah, here we are."

As they walked through the Armour Gallery and into the original Trophy Room, Dippet approached one of the shelves filled with trophies and plaques from centuries past, tapping it with his wand. The case and the wall behind it moved outward into the center of the chamber, revealing a wall with a darker shade of stone in the recess. Dippet pressed his hand on the center block and whispered an incantation, before the stones parted. The two of them entered the dark chamber, which went pitch black as soon as the stone door closed itself once more. Then, at the center of the hidden chamber, a light with a bluish hue grew in strength, casting shadows all along the walls. Eventually, Tom's eyes adjusted to the light, his eyes searching the walls. Wherever the light touched, runic texts of varying languages would glow in response with their own inner light, until they would fade back, left indecipherable until the shifting light returned. "It's beautiful." Armando nodded. "I concur. There are many ward chamber designs in the world, from Asia, to the Americas and even the African continent, and yet this one always holds a special place in my heart." Tom reached out with his right hand to touch the wardstone, feeling it respond warmly to his Heir Ring. He was again assaulted with a glimpse of the Castle's interior, but with the practice he received from Salazar, he was better able to control what the wards showed him, while also feeling the way the wards worked. He frowned as he found none of the signs of ward enchantments on the stone itself, before looking at the walls.

"That's odd. The stone acts as the magical nexus of the Castle, drawing power from the leylines, while the walls themselves are the ward scheme. They had them operating separately. I wonder if it was to avoid overtaxing the stone, in case of catastrophic failure." Dippet nodded. "I have thought much the same. I believe the wardstone itself is meant to be replaceable, which makes it a far less difficult task when the wards are anchored to the walls themselves." Tom smiled warmly. "Lilith uses a similar design for some of her creations, when she is concerned that the crystal cores could fail. Now you said that you wanted to check the ward schemes, to better understand how the Castle can be defended, beyond just locking down the place." Dippet rubbed his beard. "That is correct." Tom placed his hand on the stone again, trying to find a way to get the wall text to light up constantly, but there was nothing that indicated a magical trigger, even from his connection to the wards themselves. Thinking about Lilith's more mechanical approach, he checked the small raised platform that held the stone at arm's length, finding odd markings and recesses in them. Gripping the edges of the circular stand, Tom turned the platform clockwise, until he heard something click. The stone platform descended onto the floor, before it reached its lowest point, the ward stone lighting up once more in a dimmer light. The ward scheme that had been mostly kept in shadows lit around them completely, bathing the room in a soft blue light.

Armando looked around, clearly surprised. "Well, I'll be." Tom looked at him. "You never learned how to do this?" Dippet shook his head. "Not all Headmasters chose to trust their Deputies with every conceivable secret of the Castle, and a few died before they could prepare their replacement. Now let's see here…" As Dippet searched the walls, clearly having no trouble reading the ancient runic languages, Tom's eyes searched the chamber, finding what he expected to see. On the lowest point of the wall, written in thin and barely noticeable script, were Salazar's additions to the Castle's Wards in Parselscript. He found the ones detailing the concealment of the passageways, as well as a few for opening and closing sections of the Slytherin Dorms, but nothing beyond the first entrance to the Chamber was visible. He then searched the other sections of the walls, finding much of the same wards to be as expected. Anti-Apparition and Portkey Wards with certain loopholes, invulnerability to some of the more important stone work, perimeter wards to the Castle Grounds. There were a few indications of ward gaps, one of which seemed to be on the Seventh Floor, while two more were located elsewhere, the latter two only indicating an activation response to an external factor. Tom thought that they might be indications of the private chambers belonging to the other Founders, though without the Lord or Heir Rings, they were likely to remain unopened. All in all, everything else seemed to be in order. "Aside from a few Parselscript wards that Salazar left behind, everything else seems to be fine, though I don't see anything for mail or the Floo Network." Dippet hummed to himself. "The wards for the letters are attached to the specific windows and the Floo Network is a relatively new invention. The chimneys themselves are warded."

Tom frowned. "Perhaps you should see about adding the wards to this place, just in case. While the terrorists are currently outside the Castle's walls, they could send students to sabotage entry points for them. Other than that, I don't see much else concerning the defences of the Castle. Salazar said that aside from the staff, the Castle was to be protected by Godric's stone statues, Helga's shifting corridors, and Renenutet stalking the corridors, while the children were kept safe in the Room of Requirement." Dippet hummed to himself. "Interesting str- wait, Salazar said?" Tom cleared his throat. "Yes, well, there is a portrait of him in the Chamber, fully enchanted. He and his repository of books have been guiding me to my family's legacy and my eventual position as Lord Slytherin." Armando sighed to himself. "Whenever you have the chance, please see if I can speak to Salazar concerning the Castle's defences. It sounds like a plan was made, which simply means that the staff needs to prepare a way to carry it out. Also, getting everyone to the Room of Requirement will be quite tricky while we are under attack." Tom shook his head. "Not if someone, like an elf, enters the room and asks for passageways leading to vital areas. You could evacuate the Dorms and the Great Hall quite easily as these passageways wouldn't be confined to the Castle's structure." Dippet hummed approvingly. "That could work. Now then, you mentioned that the Basilisk was part of the defences. How exactly…" Tom sighed internally. He knew it was a possibility but he was now certain he would be here all day. At least he wasn't dealing with overprotective family members. He had more than enough of that for the days ahead.

"So, my son has magic?" Lilith nodded as she and William Warren watched Myrtle and her brother Martin scanning the selection of books within a second hand bookstore within Diagon Alley. As before, Lilith had made sure to keep Myrtle's father apprised as to his daughter's situation while she was petrified. He was understandably angry about his daughter getting singled out again and had contemplated pulling her out of Hogwarts. As she had already completed her OWLs by the end of the term, Lilith was certain that he could have done it without much trouble. Fortunately, Myrtle had been adamant about her desire to return to Hogwarts to complete her education there with her friends. Her steadfast belief that she needed to prove to herself and to all of the other students who looked down upon her that she belonged at Hogwarts was able to just barely convince her parents. Getting MP Warren to come to Diagon Alley with the rest of his family was another thing entirely, further complicated by the attack on the Ministry and a few surreptitious attacks on British military targets. The Aurors being on high alert was keeping the saboteurs from being as effective in their destruction as they would have liked, which the Ministry would fix as quickly as possible, though it certainly made them more brutal as they switched to increasing casualties, as magic itself couldn't bring back the dead. Diagon Alley itself was currently under heavy watch as Aurors moved through the streets on patrols.

Knockturn Alley, on the other hand, was eerily quiet as all the Hags, Vampires and Werewolves stayed out of the streets. While Dumbledore's rhetoric failed to move much of the Assembly to act, it certainly reached the ears of the more fearful masses, who started calling in suspicious activity in the street, getting many of the legitimate vendors harassed by the Aurors. Lilith had been forced to speak to the British Hag coven herself, explaining to the elders the need to be civil, as she sent a letter to Arcturus about the current situation. She had momentarily dipped into the alley to check on the alterations being made to an abandoned building's interior as it was expanded into something resembling a bazaar while she was waiting for the Warrens to arrive. All the street vendors were getting their wares registered and inspected, before they would be allowed to set up their carts within the building, which would have security in the form of retired Aurors and members of the Dark Creature Community. The building would allow business to continue for the Dark Creatures free from harassment, under effective security measures and the protection of their own. While it was currently being funded as a private venture of the Blacks, there was hope that it would get Ministry oversight. The relief on the Dark Creature population that their source of income, which was already lower than the rest of the population's, wouldn't be impacted anymore by the current unrest had been noticeable on the faces of the vendors as Lilith left Knockturn to meet up with the Warrens.

Passing a roll of parchment to William, Lilith elaborated on the results of her test. "Magic isn't always something that can be measured simply by whether a person can wield a wand or not. Though the term is derogatory, there is a sizable Squib population in much of the world, many of whom have even forgotten or never heard about magic. From what I was able to gather, your family had a Magical ancestor some centuries back, same as your wife's. That doesn't make either of you Magical, but the bloodline was there for the genes to be passed down. The two of you together were able to allow Myrtle to manifest magic, with Martin having magic but not the ability to access it. There is a high chance he could one day have children or grandchildren that, like Myrtle, can use magic freely." William looked over the document before looking to his son, who was enthralled by the moving images on some of the childrens books. "What will happen to him, then? Does he get to study about the Magical World?" Lilith pulled her bangs out of her eyes as she rubbed her hair back, her braid having partly come undone after a long day out on the streets. "Officially, nothing happens. The Ministry has no policy towards Magicals without access to magic. Unofficially, he could be taught the finer details about magic, so that he understands why he can see ghosts, fairies or other magical creatures when others don't."

Lilith turned towards William. "However, I believe that there is an initiative within the British Government that welcomes people like Martin to their ranks. They are known as the Carmarthen Trustees. After witchcraft ceased to be a criminal offence in 1735, The Royal Family sought out people with true knowledge of magic, but lacking the ability to use it. The Carmarthen Trustees became the advisors of the crown concerning some magical matters, while the Wizengamot handled the governance of the Magical population as a whole. I am sure if you get a chance to speak to the King or the Prime Minister about the subject, they could help you get in touch with the other Trustees. From what I gather, a few even serve in the military as commanders or scouts, keeping an eye out for any of Grindelwald's Hexenmeisters and their spellwork. They can provide your son with their own books so that he czn learn about magic from their unique situation and help him find a profession that both interests him and serves the crown." William returned the parchment to Lilith, nodding his head. "I will speak to the Prime Minister and with these Trustees then. While my son would have loved to practice magic, the fact that he will still be a part of the same world as his sister will hopefully be enough for him." Lilith looked towards the young boy and his mother and sister were buying the books in the store.

"I know that what I am about to ask is a lot, but if you do get in touch with the Trustees, could you get them to contact me? I have a few ideas that might be of interest to them and the British War Department. Unfortunately, like the Crown, they aren't overly fond of the general Magical population, so I can't approach them directly." William looked over at Lilith. "It isn't as simple as asking, Miss von Schwarzwald. I would need to try and convince the heads of the military that you would be worth their time. If the Trustees are as secretive and adverse to the general magical population as you claim, then the task will be all the more difficult." Lilith sighed, pulling her glove off her right hand, before using her wand to pull the rubber layer away, exposing the metal underneath. William had initially looked ill, before his concern turned to curiosity. Lilith was hoping curiosity would be enough to convince the War Department and Trustees of her offer. "I lost this arm soon after your daughter was petrified. I managed to replace it with a mechanical prosthetic powered by magic. I also have a mechanical owl that is able to imitate a real one, including their ability to fly. With Grindelwald attacking military targets and the high chance that he will continue to break the Statute of Secrecy, I was hoping to offer your government a chance to even the playing field. I already took a hand cranked record player and modified it to run using magic. If I can get a chance at working on some of the Military's mechanized units, I might be able to do something similar with them." William hummed to himself. "That might catch their interest, especially if there are Trustees among the military as you believe. The question that will come up is what this will mean for the war exactly?"

Lilith resealed her rubber skin and pulled her glove over her hand. "I can practically guarantee your government a tank that can operate without the need for refueling or a living crew within the armored shell. If the tank was damaged, I could trigger a self-destruct enchantment that would keep the secrets of the magic hidden. And, if a theory of mine proves true, a Magical like your son could be able to control and direct it miles away from danger, at no risk to themselves. I would certainly be curious to test if I could cover the ammunition situation as well, but that type of magic is not one that I have practice with. At least, not yet." William sat back on the bench. "Those suggestions of yours will certainly get their attention, though the Military is known for being overly cautious. They might need a proof of concept they can see for themselves before signing off on the idea." He looked towards Lilith. "These modifications… how quickly could you apply them to, say, a car?" A smile grew on Lilith's face. "Not long at all. I had a godfather who had a modified motorcycle. He was actually a big part as to what got me interested in modifying mechanical constructs with magic in the first place, since he allowed me to tinker with it. His bike could even fly, though I promise to keep you car land bound if that's what you're offering." William shook his head, with a smile on his face. "I would certainly appreciate that, though the car I had in mind was an older model that belonged to my father. If you are willing to follow us home today, you could take a look at it. You are welcome to stay for dinner, if not the night." Lilith looked towards the approaching Warren family and smiled. "I would love to."

"My apologies if you were hoping to have a tour of the Estate with your girlfriend. Lilith has been busy with a project of hers at the Warren Residence these last two weeks and tends to stay out until dusk." Tom shook his head. "It's fine, Mr Peverell. I am used to Lilith's obsession with her projects as is." Alexander chuckled as he opened a set of double doors leading into his family's crafting chamber. "I imagine so. And please, call me Alexander. We are related, however distantly." Tom gave the man a measured look, before nodding. He walked around the crafting chamber, looking from workbench to workbench. A few had a few items left on top of the desks, but most were cleared of anything of interest. "I wonder if Lilith's interests are something she inherited from the Peverells. From what I can see, your family was quite diverse in their professions." Alexander hummed to himself. "Perhaps. As Lillian, she admitted to tinkering with a few enchanted items during her time with her godfather. Having to clean up an old London townhouse with lots of odd objects must have been quite the interesting experience. When she arrived here, she spent a few days bedriden due to her first brush with a magical backlash. When I told her that I didn't have a record player, she practically guilt tripped me into getting her one. Found her messing around with its internal components a day later." Tom chuckled to himself. "I am not surprised. She never struck me as an idle person."

His smile faltered, though, as Voldemort's memories of Lilian filtered into his mind. "At least, not as Lilith. As Lillian… It's odd. What memories I have of her are of this quiet, reserved little girl who barely spoke a word. I remember… I remember her being in a class that I was teaching. Defence, I think it was. I actually had to ask her to speak up as she never voluntarily answered any questions that I asked of the class." Alexander moved his hand over the nearset workstztion, resting it on one of the chairs in the room. "Is she really all that different now?" Tom frowned, searching his memories of the last two years and seeing the same lack of interest in the class. "In some ways, she is the same. In others… I don't know." Alexander gave Tom an understanding look. "Circumstances can have a definitive impact on the lives of the people who lived through them. Lillian struck me as the type who had given up on the world and was only interested in securing her own life. Pride, acquaintances, Hogwarts. These things didn't matter as much to her, so long as the destination was different from where she started from. As Lilith, however, I imagine she can look back on that life, see how her choices affected her future and adjusted them to better suit her new circumstances. What about you? Have your memories of Voldemort affected how you act?"

Tom reached what he assumed was a wandmaking workbench, though it seemed to have built up quite the layer of dust on it. He ran his hand over a block of wood, feeling how his magic reacted to it as his finger brushed away the layer of dust, his mind trying to make sense of what he felt towards the memories of Voldemort. "I… don't know. The memories I get are fragmented. Some come as clear as if I myself had lived them, the images, thoughts and emotions lingering in my mind for days, if not weeks. Others… it's as if I am staring at a magical portrait, watching the events play out, but not really feeling anything. There are times… when those dulled memories come up, I wonder if it is as Salazar told me. How a fragmented soul loses touch with reality. For I watched as these… minions of Voldemort tortured a family of witches. I watched them do horrible things, things that turn my stomach even now as I discuss them. And yet… I think he felt nothing. He watched these things with a cold, emotionless detachment, finding neither pleasure from the actions of his servants… nor from the suffering of their victims. I watched that and I wondered if he truly understood what he had lost… and if he even was capable of caring about the loss towards the end." Tom's words left both of them in silence for a second. "Perhaps he did. Perhaps… his kindness towards Lillian was a fragment of that understanding that he was lost, in the hopes that another would not lose their way. But what matters now isn't what Voldemort lost, is it?"

Sighing, Tom turned his attention towards Alexander. "I wish I could tell you that I am a better person for having Voldemort's… my future memories. Hindsight is supposed to be this powerful tool that allows a person to better themselves. I feel that my life is certainly different now. I have people in my life that are clearly more than just acquaintances, though I don't know if I can call them friends yet. I have a family that cares about me in the form of my Grandfather, and I feel myself more… grounded for it. For years I felt as if I was just a leaf on the wind, my place ever shifted by forces beyond my control. Part of something greater, but at the mercy of the ever changing currents of reality. As Voldemort… I think I wanted to find a measure of control. To feel that I wasn't a lost soul in the passage of time. Now? Now I feel like I have a steadier floor beneath my feet. I can see a road before me, though the destination eludes me. I know that I feel better because of this. And yet… am I truly a better person because of this? Or am I just reacting to the changes in circumstances and playing a role in someone else's game?" Alexander walked up to Tom. "The fact that you can feel at all is an improvement, Tom. Believe me, it is easy to fall into apathy. I did. For a long, long time. I would go out, buy a book that I had yet to read, watch the sun set and then return home. Over and over again. I didn't look beyond the confines of these walls for a reason to live. I was content to just… be. And I was wrong. I felt it every day, though I never understood the feeling. This… weight on my chest that made me contemplate death all too many times."

Alexander reached down and picked up the wooden block that Tom had been fiddling with. "I was like this block of wood, or one of Ollivander's wands. Idle, filled with potential, but indifferent to the flow of time. In fact, I found myself hating the passage of time. The more it passed, the more disconnected I felt. My wife… my children… my family… all of them were gone. Why did I linger? Why did I struggle day by day, when I could be done with it all? Why did I struggle to find meaning when the world outside, the people outside, cared nothing for me and I cared nothing for them in return. That was my life, Tom. Until two years ago. Until Lilith crashed into my home, barely escaping death." Alexander smiled at the memory. "At first, I was quite angry with her. She had disturbed my peace, my home. And yet, as I tended to her, I felt something I hadn't felt in years. Pity, tenderness, empathy, a yearning to do something for her. Then… I found my family's cloak in her hands. When she told me who she was and what she had done… I knew then that I couldn't just send her on her way and return to the existence I had once sustained. Here was a life that, however thinly, was connected to mine. A life that needed help, help that I could give her." Alexander cleared the dust from the block of wood, before returning it to the desk. "And in doing so… I found myself living again. I could feel something that wasn't apathy or self-loathing. Terror for her safety, sure, but compassion and understanding began to grow in me in ways I had thought were impossible. Believe me Tom, your life is better now, and it can be better still, so long as you are able to feel joy in your heart again."

Tom looked at the block of wood on the desk, his breathing deep and steady as mind wandered. Joy. He searched his mind over and over, finding that there were many moments that were indeed joyful in his life. But those moments belonged only to Tom. As Voldemort, what fragments he saw held little joy. There was satisfaction, sure. The death of Neville Longbottom at his hand. The feeling of beating Anton Bryce and claiming the Slytherin legacy as his own. Even the lead up to the creation of his first Horcrux. He had felt satisfaction, but never joy. As Tom, with Lilith by his side, however, he had felt so much more. Concern, amusement, empathy…even love. The love of his grandfather, who himself found a new purpose in life, the love of his mother, who had given her life to save his own. And, of course, Lilith. The girl who risked so much to save herself and the future from the events that Voldemort had a hand in perpetrating. She could have done it any number of ways, up to and including killing Tom. And yet she hadn't. She spent two years trying to reach him, helping him understand his place in the world and the choices he could make to secure a better future for himself. She knew what he had become before, what he could still be, and had somehow fallen in love with him. And he had fallen in love with her. A smile grew on Tom's face. "I suppose you are right. Things are better now."

Alexander chuckled. "Thinking of a lovely redhead? Should I be giving you the shovel talk now? Mr Riddle?" Tom gave Alexander an amused look. "I don't know whether she would appreciate it or not. On the one hand, she might like your concern for her. On the other hand, she might call you out since she is old enough to take care of herself." Alexander laughed. "Of course she would call me out. That girl has been butting heads with me from the start. Still…" Alexander's face turned wistful. "It's worth it. Even if she complains that I am treating her like a child. Even if she calls me out for being overprotective of her, it's worth it. She is worth it." Tom felt his skin break out into goosebumps as Alexander's eyes locked onto his own, those similar looking blue eyes glowing faintly in the light. "I don't have to tell you just how special she is. What she goes through every other month. What she has done for you and others. She means a lot to me, more so than I ever thought to feel for her when we started working together. You hurt her, truly hurt her, and you won't have to worry about her killing you. Because I will get to you first and I will employ every dirty secret this family has kept to itself to make sure your suffering lasts. Do we understand each other?" Tom swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing now that Cassiopeia and the Blacks might not be the scariest people he has ever met. "We do." The overwhelming feeling of fear dissipated as Alexander smiled. "Great. Want to help me prepare dinner? I make some of the most splendid desserts!" Tom shook his head as the Head of the Peverells led the way to the kitchen, briefly wondering if Voldemort's life might have been safer than his current one. He had the distinct feeling it had been, though he still wouldn't change anything about the path he was on. Not a thing.

Tom's eyes opened, seeing the ceiling of his room in the Riddle Manor. He had been staying at the place for a few weeks now and he could honestly say that it was a pleasant time. Thomas and Madeline were always courteous and engaging during the meals, with Thomas keeping track of the weather for a few minutes of horseback riding. While it wasn't the most comfortable experience in the world, Tom could finally see why the Quidditch players enjoyed the sport so much. The feeling of the wind in your face as the scenery shifted every other moment was actually quite pleasant. Though he had ridden a broom before, he found the weight and power of the horse underneath him more comforting than a thin piece of wood. While Thomas clearly enjoyed horseback riding for the thrill, Tom found the act of traveling itself far more pleasant. Taking a horse out for an hour, finding the highest hills overlooking either the countryside or the far off ocean were what Tom truly enjoyed. Both he and Thomas found a bit of middle ground with their sessions, as Tom would indulge him in a few races from the different vantage points the old man would point out on the map of Devon, before they would stop and enjoy the views, returning home to Madeline, who may not enjoy the fact that Thomas had found a new riding partner, but wasn't willing to try to force the old man to take it easy.

Madeline's presence in the Manor did make Tom feel a measure of guilt over the death of Anton Bryce. It had been his lack of interest that had never prompted him to realize that her family name and Anton's were the same, that he would happen to be the boy born from the raping of her sister, Rose. He had spent many hours going over letters and legal documents, trying his best to bury the desire to confess to Madeline as to what had happened to her nephew. When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he apologized to her. Madeline had looked stricken then, but she did show up to the next meal, though clearly bothered by what he had told her. "Rose had never told me or her mother about the child. I think that she left for Cardiff, both out of fear and out of shame, because of what happened. She didn't want us to know. She might have gone there with the intention of ending the pregnancy. The laws might have forbidden it, but finding a woman working on the streets who might take pity on the girl wouldn't have been too hard. I think our aunt found out and stopped her. After the child was born, it was probably left at the orphanage." Madeline looked at Tom, tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry for what he tried to do to you. To blame you for your family's sins was wrong of the boy, just as it is wrong for your father to blame you for your mother's sins. Thank you for telling me. I may tell my family in time, but not right now."

Her words regarding Tom's father rang true as to what had occured just a day prior. With Tom and Thomas returning from a ride, he had heard a man arguing loudly with Madeline. Thomas had looked stricken when he heard the voice, before he took his cane and sought out the source of the noise, with Tom following close behind. When they reached the foyer, he watched as a man turned towards them, his face filling with hate when his eyes landed on Tom. "I told you I didn't want him anywhere near our home!" Thomas raised his hand in between Tom and the man. "And I told you that this is my house, not yours. The boy is welcomed here, as he would have been if you had told me and your mother about him." The man, who definitely looked like an older, but more rugged and poorly groomed version of Tom, turned his ire on his father. "And I told you that he is the offspring of a witch! She had me under her spell for months before I broke free of it! I bet you that he has you under a spell at this very moment. Now get out of my way so I can send this hellspawn out of our house." Thomas stood between the two of them. "I can assure you that my mind is my own, son. Now I will ask you to respect my wishes. The boy isn't a threat to anyone here and so long as he is in this house, you will treat him with respect." The elder Tom didn't take his father's words to heart and went to reach past him, before Frank, Madeline's brother and the groundskeeper, pulled him into an arm lock from behind.

"Let me go, you inbred hick! Let me go or I swear…" Keeping Tom Sr. bound tightly, the sandy haired young man looked to his boss, who sighed. "Take him outside, Frank. He can either cool off or head back to town. I will not have him in this house if he can't behave himself like a proper gentleman." Thomas turned to Madeline, who tried her best to cover her cheek, which only made Thomas' anger rise. "Actually, why don't you stay with him for a bit. I need to make a phone call." Frank looked to his sister, his expression darkening as well, before nodding at Thomas. "Will do, sir." As Frank escorted a struggling Tom Sr. out, and while Thomas lifted the nearby phone and started dialing, Tom had gone to check on the young woman, who refused to let him inspect her cheek. "Leave her be, Tom. The constable will be up here to take her statement and ours and he will need to see the bruise as evidence." Tom turned to his grandfather, lowering his wand. "Are you sure about getting the police involved?" Thomas nodded, though it clearly pained him. "My wife and I raised that man better than that. Raising his hand and striking at a woman, in my house no less? No, a night in the town lockup might do him some good." That night had been a quiet one after the constable took everyone's statements, before he and his fellows drove away with the man. Tom had gone to bed, feeling a weight on his chest over the entire ordeal.

As his eyes adjusted to changing light in the dawn hours of his room, he frowned when he still felt a weight pressing down on him. Unlike the one from last night, however, this one seemed to weigh down the entirety of his left side. Looking down, he stared at the thin looking dark hand resting over his shirt covered chest, a cascade of dark looking hair nestled into his side. The sudden surge in his heartbeat or some other movement caused the body next to him to stir, the head turning upwards as a familiar set of green eyes looked up at him, a dim light glowing from within them. "Morning." Tom blinked back at her. "Morning. What are you doing in my bed?" Lilith readjusted herself slightly as she stretched out, her dark right arm resting on his chest still. "Well, I arrived a bit early today to check on you. Frank and Madeline told me about yesterday and I thought you could use some pleasant company." Tom raised an eyebrow. "And you couldn't wait to surprise me at breakfast… because?" Lilith gave him a mischievous smile. "Because then I couldn't get a feel for whether I might enjoy sneaking into your bed at night at Hogwarts. Though since those beds are singles, I thought the one here might be more comfortable to see if it was worth it at all." Lilith pulled herself up, the sight of her nightgown making Tom actively aware of how uncomfortable his shorts were getting. "Lilit-" Tom's protest was silenced as her lips pressed into his.

The feel of her body pressed against his and the passion from the kiss made Tom wrap his arms around her, before Lilith pulled away. She smiled at him. "See? That wasn't a bad way to wake up, was it? And I must say… I might get addicted to this." Tom closed his eyes as he tried to restrain his urges as Lilith's hands explored his body briefly, her hips having grinded into his briefly, before she turned over, leaving him free to move. "Why don't you go into the bathroom and take care of business. Then we can just relax her for a bit more. With all the time working with the Warrens, I feel like I neglected you. Will you let me make up for that?" Tom sighed, but nodded, giving Lilith a heated kiss as he pulled himself out of the bed, before making a hasty exit to the bathroom. As he washed his hand and face, he looked himself over in the mirror, seeing echoes of who his father was. His brief glimpse of the man didn't make Tom any more fond of him. It also made him wonder if he too could still fall into the bad habits that drove his other self down into a road of self destruction. Returning to his room, the sight of Lilith resting on his bed with her eyes closed chased away all dark thoughts, which was probably why she did it in the first place. To remind him that, despite his father and the realities that surrounded both of them, he was still loved. Feeling a bit bold, Tom turned Lilith onto her back and climbed on top of her. Her smile and gentle touch confirmed that she didn't mind his little stunt, as her lips captured his own once more. He didn't want to admit it… but he certainly wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning. In fact, he wondered briefly if he could ever live without it.

Chapter 34: Times Are Changing

Armando Dippet stood at the Speaker's Stand of the Great Hall and called for silence from the students taking their seats after the Sorting. "Welcome, welcome to our first year students as they embark on the beginning of a seven year journey of learning and self-discovery, here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now then, onto the announcements. As you all experienced, there are new security measures being taken to keep all the students safe for this new term. Firstly, all visits to Hogsmeade are hereby cancelled, as are any unsupervised excursions to the Forest. All letters and packages will be inspected by the elves for any harmful enchantments or potions. Any that are found to be in violation of the new safety rules will be held and the Aurors will be conducting an investigation of the recipient and of the senders. Prefects will be conducting their usual rounds but will be required to be within their Dorms by 10:30 at night, unless escorted by a teacher, and all students are to remain within their dormitories until six in the morning. These measures have been put in place for the security of all students while the Ministry hunts down the terrorists responsible for the mindless, violent attacks of the last few weeks. Please report any suspicious activities to the Prefects or the Professors, the latter of whom will handle the matter. Now then, I hope you have all worked up an appetite, so please, enjoy the feast."

As the Headmaster returned to the Faculty Table, Lilith started serving her meal, before turning to Lucretia. "So, how is Walburga doing? Was she enjoying spending her entire summer at the London Townhouse?" Lucretia chuckled. "Oh, definitely. Well, except for the times that Cassiopeia came over to visit to have a girls night with all of us. Our Aunt is very interested in our cousin's love life." Lilith shook her head. "Of course she is." During her few visits to the Townhouse, Lilith had found Walburga focused on her studies, though she still made time for the rest of the family. Word did get out that she had a lover, as her frequent disappearances during the weekends seemed to confirm it, but the young woman had been able to keep Lakshmi's identity to herself. Lilith could understand Walburga's reticence. While the family's treatment of its members with different interests in partners had improved, she was probably still trying to figure out if she and Lakshmi had something together beyond what was purely physical. If she did bring one of the newest members of the Department of Mysteries to meet the family, they would be taking it as a sign that she was ready to marry her, which probably wasn't the case at this point for the young women. As Lilith drank from her glass of water, Lucretia eyed her knowingly. "You know who it is, don't you?" Lilith gace Lucretia a smile. "I do. And for both their sakes, I won't be saying more. Besides, I am pretty sure Cassiopeia already has all her interest's information, down to what she likes to eat. Walburga will be fine."

Lucretia turned her attention to her meal, eating a few bites, before looking at Tom a few seats away, surrounded by the other Heirs, including Abraxas and Theo, with Cygnus and Alphard listening in, the former getting a few words in himself. She looked back to Lilith. "What about you two? I thought you wouldn't be letting him anywhere near the other girls." Lilith looked towards Tom and shrugged. "To be fair, he needs to spend time with the other heirs and heiresses in Slytherin and beyond. He had a ton of mail to look over when he returned to Gringotts. While some of it was a bit insulting and presumptuous, there were quite a few decently worded letters that required him to respond, which he did. The future Lords and Ladies will want to get to know him more on their own as well, so he is required to entertain them from time to time." Lucretia hummed to herself. "And if the girls get a bit touchy?" Arcs of red and green light danced over Lilith's left hand as she stopped cutting into a bit of chicken. "Then I will remind them that he and I are courting and I will make sure that it sticks this time." The newest seventh year chuckled to herself, before focusing on her meal, while Lilith searched the table, finding nothing overtly of concern. The attacks by the now Vinda Grindelwald had left her worried that she would seek to emulate Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts during Lillian's lifetime. It would certainly fit with Grindelwald's strategy of intimidation and control through violence, threatened or otherwise.

Out of concern over Tom's involvement at the Ministry fight, the Riddle Manor had received some magical wards to keep it safe from attacks and infiltrations, with Lilith adding a few personal touches to them for added security. While the wards weren't as strong as the ones found in a Magical Estate, they would hold up well enough, giving Tom and Alexander, who had accepted being connected to them as well, the time needed to intervene should the House be attacked. Lilith looked towards the Staff table, her concern over the coming year now focused on Albus Dumbledore. From Lillian's experience, she was certain that some of the incidents at Hogwarts were due to Dumbledore's actions or inactions. Umbridge's rampage against Neville and the rest of the Gryffindor Trio, the delayed reactions to the petrifications, not to mention the incident that led to Dumbledore's death involving Draco were all, in some way, orchestrated by the old man. Years later Lillian had been able to connect Dumbledore to the incident with the third floor corridor during her first year, an incident for which she had no first hand involvement in. Lilith had herself searched the current configuration of the Room of Hidden Things for any trace of a Vanishing Cabinet, but had found no such object as the one that Draco had worked on, which crossed off that avenue of attack, at least for now. Still, if the rumours of Dumbledore and Grindelwald being in a personal, if not romantic, relationship proved to be true, then she needed to keep her eye on the man. Just in case history repeated itself.

"Alright! Gather around, Slytherins! The time to confirm the composition of the heads of the Slytherin court is upon us. As you all know, I was the King for the last iteration of the court along with my sister, who has since graduated. However! We are now aware that the Heir to the House of Slytherin is a student within our Dorm. It would be inappropriate for us to deny the rightful descendant of Salazar Slytherin the position as the head of the court. Tom Riddle, Heir of House Slytherin. Please, step forward." Tom took a deep breath before standing up from his seat and walking up to the center of the court's gathering chamber. While the ceremony was usually held between the more influential students of Slytherin House, and usually completed within the Common Room itself, it seemed that Cygnus had called for every Slytherin to participate in this one, due to Tom's presence. As he scanned the faces of all the students, he felt a massive surge of pride at being the focus of attention for them. This was what he had envisioned when he believed himself to be Slytherin's Heir. Now that he was here, the sensation was certainly more than he expected. Tied to the feeling of pride, there was a measure of concern, even anxiety. Thanks to his ancestor's instructions and Lilith's lessons on the current state of the Wizengamot and of Magical Britain, he understood the symbolic weight that his presence would one day hold. He also understood just how fragile that position was.

Centering himself and controlling his emotions, Tom spoke up before the gathering of students. "I am grateful for the opportunity and the respect shown to me and my family. However, I must humbly decline the offer." Tom continued on in the stunned silence of the gathered students. "While I wish I could lead this court and the Students of Hogwarts' Slytherin House, I must also be realistic. As the Heir of House Slytherin, I still have responsibilities, many of which might force me to abandon my duties as King, or even as Prefect. Rather than failing this House and its students to satisfy my ego, I believe a more experienced hand will better serve all of us. As such, I nominate Cygnus Black to continue in his position as Slytherin King. For a full year he led this House with distinction along with his sister. If by next year, matters have changed and Cygnus Black wishes to nominate me again, then we will see if I am in a position where I can honor my family and this House. For the moment, however, I will continue to serve the House and School as a Prefect in these unprecedented times." The older students gave him a soft clap, followed by the younger years, as Tom bowed his head, before stepping out, taking a seat next to Cygnus, who shook his head in surprise, before he looked at Lilith. "Should I even bother to offer you the position of Queen, Frau von Schwarzwald?" Lilith stood and gave Cygnus a smile. "I am honored by the offer, Herr Black, but I believe our recently selected Head Girl deserves the honor of your nomination."

Everyone turned to a blushing and somewhat annoyed Lucretia Black. Her selection had been a surprise to everyone, including Lilith, but her general friendly disposition and dedication to her fellow students, not to mention her academic excellence, had earned her the position on her own merits. Cygnus smiled as he looked to his cousin, whom, based on the smiles on the younger students who had benefited from her and Lilith's tutoring sessions, was definitely a favored choice. Checking on the rest of the possible choices and seeing no one looking to challenge Lucretia's selection, he presented his hand to his cousin. "It seems to me that the court has accepted your nomination, cousin." Lucretia took his hand and sat next to him on the main chairs, though she did give Lilith a stink eye for pushing her into taking the role. The meeting continued, with Cygnus confirming the need for the students to take the threats of the terrorists seriously, with everyone agreeing to an early curfew and bed check in the Dorms, with tutoring taking place during the lead up to the curfews. After giving Slughorn the news, the students started returning to their rooms, with Tom beginning to strip off his robes and tie, when he heard a knock at his door. Checking the wards and holding his wand out, Tom pulled the door open, seeing nothing even as he swept the corridor before him, finding it empty of any concealed beings. A soft brush on his chin was all the evidence he needed as to who had knocked on the door as he closed it.

"That Peverell Cloak is certainly something, to not even react to a single sweep." As Lilith pulled off the cloak, stashing it away into her bag, she gave him a smile. "Did Alexander fill you in?" Tom nodded. "He did. The fact that Grindelwald has the Elder Wand is quite concerning, but I am glad to hear that the other two are safe." Lilith gave him a curious look, wondering if he had guessed that his interactions with his mother's spirit a year prior was a result of the Resurrection Stone, but she decided to leave that alone. "I must say, I was surprised that you turned Cygnus' offer down." Tom raised an eyebrow. "Odd, since I seem to recall Lillian doing the same." Lilith blushed, pulling a loose lock of red hair over her ear. "True. Though to be fair, they offered me the position in my fourth year. I was certainly not even close to being ready then for the responsibility Still…" Lilith walked up to Tom, resting her glove covered hands against his chest, her eyes staring into his. "While you gave ample reasons, I want to hear from you if there was anything else bothering you." Tom sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist. He found that he quite liked holding her in his arms like this. He didn't even consider lying to her, let alone concealing his thoughts. "As you know, I spent quite some time with Ragnok concerning my possible ascension to Lord Slytherin. We looked over every conceivable document and found nothing that indicated as to when I would be gaining the title… if I ever would."

Lilith rested her head against Tom's chest, focusing on his heartbeat, catching a bit of the anxiety that she assumed was present in him from the realization in his slightly elevated heartbeat. "There is nothing left to do, except wait and see." She pulled her ear away from his chest and stood on her tiptoes to reach his face, hating that even as Lilith she was still short. "Still, I think you did the right thing back there and that Salazar would agree. Just try to relax into the role as Heir and continue to be the best student to House Slytherin you can be. The Lordship will come, in time, so long as you believe in yourself." Tom smiled at her. "The fact that you believe in me makes me feel a bit better about my prospects, Slytherin's Princess." Lilith groaned at his use of Lillian's nickname. "Of course you would have heard about that. Did you hear about why they gave it to me too?" Tom shook his head. "If I did, the memory hasn't surfaced yet. If it ever will." Lilith looked up at him. "I was apparently the first person in living memory to refuse the position of Slytherin Queen. As I was a Parselmouth and still considered a possible Heir of Slytherin, they felt that I was still deserving of a special name. So since I refused to be the Queen, they decided that Princess would do. The name stuck, spoken even by the other students, though only the Slytherin's knew what it truly meant."

Tom hummed to himself as he brushed his lips against Lilith's. "So I suppose that makes me the Slytherin Prince to you, my Princess." Lilith blushed as her fingers dug into his shirt. "I should step out and leave you to your dreams, seeing as it's a Wednesday night and all." Tom ran his hands up her back, his eyes never leaving hers. "Stay." Lilith searched his eyes before sighing as she stood back. Tom felt his heart beat quickly as she turned around and began stripping off her clothes. Soon she stood before him in nothing but her dark, form fitting underwear. Lilith could feel her skin heating up under Tom's gaze. He too stripped down what was left of clothes and she watched as he decided against dressing in his pajamas. As he turned out the candles, Lilith joined Tom in the slightly magically extended bed, with her carving the runes into the wood to keep the modification active until such a time as the carvings were removed. The feel of her skin against his made her blush deepen as they laid together, with Tom running hand over Lilith's artificial arm. "Does it bother you? Should I try and change the color to something that matches my own skin tone?" Tom kissed her right arm before holding her right hand within his own against his chest. "You could do that, but not because of me." Lilith kissed his chest in gratitude, as his warmth and the length of the day prior drew both of them into a peaceful sleep.

Yawning slightly after a restful night's sleep, Lilith made her way towards the Hospital Wing. She personally would have prefered to sleep in, seeing as she would still be doing patrols in the evening, even with the shorter nights of the new curfew rules. She would also have prefered to sleep in with her very warm and comfortable pillow, but Tom had taken to waking up early and doing personal training, usually consisting of push-ups, sit-ups and crunches. His grandfather had suggested it during the summer to improve Tom's stamina while on horseback. Though if Lilith was honest with herself, the signs of growing muscles on Tom's body weren't all that unpleasant. After the incident with Tom's father, Lilith had taken to sleeping with him as a way to give him comfort, but she had personally enjoyed it more. The way his eyes lingered on her body, the feel of his hands exploring her exposed skin and the sensation of his breath on her arms was making it hard for Lilith not to give in, consequences be damned. Now that he knew about her true origins, the reasons for not letting their relationship become physical had gone down to simply a question of whether or not she felt that he was mature enough that she wouldn't be taking advantage of him. Yes, like her, he had fragmented memories of his former self, who was several decades older than Lillian had been at the moment that she turned back time. At the same time, he had stunted his growth by creating a Horcrux when he was just sixteen years old, so the question of emotional maturity was still up in the air.

Seeing the doors of the Hospital Wing, Lilith buried her wandering thoughts and squared her shoulders. She pushed the door open, her eyes seeing the empty medical beds but not the staff. "Hello?" She watched as Poppy appeared from behind a privacy screen. "Please come in. Madam Prewett is busy with someone in her office but should be out soon. Why don't you come here and sit? I can do the check on your upper arm and any cleaning it might require." Lilith sighed but stepped inside, stripping off her robe and folding it over her arm as she approached the chair that Pomfrey cleared for her, placing a tray of ointments on the table next to it. Leaving her robe on the nearby bed, she started unbuttoning her modified white long sleeve shirt's right shoulder, until her upper arm was exposed. "How did the certification go?" Poppy gave Lilith a smile. "You are looking at one of the youngest Healers with Ministry certification in the last fifty years, though Dorea still holds the record by a full year ahead of schedule." Lilith nodded as she sat down, exposing her arm. "Congratulations. I am guessing some of the Ministry examiners wanted you to volunteer as a Healer for the war effort?" Poppy nodded as she disconnected Lilith's prosthetic arm, with Lilith closing her eyes, her breathing turning labored, finding the sudden disconnect unpleasant. Poppy gave Lilith a concerned look as she pulled the cover off from Lilith's upper arm. "They did but I was allowed to continue my work at Hogwarts."

As Poppy finished checking the upper arm, using her wand a few times, she started applying the ointments, before Prewett stepped out of her office, walking in their direction. "Well? How is our patient's condition on this fine day?" Poppy reattached the arm, with Lilith sighing in relief as soon as she recovered sensation and movement along the prosthetic. "Not bad. A bit of wear and tear on the muscles, but nothing that can't be corrected with periodic Healer appointments. Other than that, she did a good job keeping the skin hydrated and clean." Teresa gave Lilith a smile. "That's good to hear. Poppy, would you mind taking this list of potions to Slughorn? I would like to know how many he can produce in the coming week and if he can't, then discuss and write down what equivalent potions he can provide us and which ones we should make orders for." Poppy took the list after removing her Healer's apron and gloves. "Will do. See you in a few weeks, Lilith." As soon as Poppy left the Hospital Wing, the wards snapped into place and a disillusionment spell faded, revealing Alexander standing next to Teresa. Lilith looked between the two of them. "Why am I suddenly getting a bad feeling about me being here this morning?" Teresa looked at Alexander before looking at Lilith. "Your patron and I compared your medical results from Gringotts and Hogwarts over the last two years. We are concerned that the incompatibility between your magics won't improve on its own, as was initially expected."

Lilith looked towards Alexander, who sighed. "I informed her that you are a wayward soul that attached itself to a deceased body. Based on the medical observations and your worsening condition, we believe that you are going through the same issues that affect bodies when under possession. Since the body's soul was missing upon possession, the issues weren't as severe. Now…" Teresa looked at Lilith, her eyes not meeting the girl's own. "We think that at the rate of deterioration, you have a year left. Maybe a little bit more. At least if we do nothing to adapt the body and soul to each other." Lilith looked from Alexander to Teresa, her heart beating wildly. "You wouldn't be telling me this if you didn't have an option to improve my condition… right?" Teresa looked to Alexander, who spoke up. "Based on texts kept within my family's library and the book that the Blacks provided you, we think there might be a way to stabilize your condition. The issue lies with the way the method would affect your mind and soul. There are two ways to go about this. Either you go through the ritual, overwriting Lilith's memories and magic with that of the soul's, or we can try and force the two to synchronize. You can imagine the impact the former will have on your current situation. The process will also take months, though either solution should extend your longevity during the process." Lilith closed her eyes. Overwriting Lilith's memories and magic would mean losing them forever, replacing them with Lillian's.

Could she do that? Erasing Lilith would mean the end of the von Schwarzwald family. Everything that Lilith did to keep the family's legacy alive would be gone. Memories of her grandparents, her father Nicholas and her mother Grazyna filled her thoughts. The feeling of comfort and safety within the von Schwarzwald Estate, the warmth of her mother's voice as she read to her the stories of the Brothers Grimm. To replace all that with Lillian's hollowness and disconnect with the Potters, even as she was now getting to know them… No, she couldn't do that. Not to them. Not after everything she went through to keep the family alive. Opening her eyes, she looked into Alexander's. "I won't betray the von Schwarzwald family. I will take the forced synchronization of our memories and magics." Teresa looked at Lilith with clear concern. "That option is the hardest of the two. Mood swings, personality shifts. Even the current magical backlashes. They will all continue throughout the year, essentially getting worse, before we see signs of improvement." Lilith shook her head. "I have gone two years through all of these symptoms. I can endure one more year." Teresa sighed, running her hand over her braided and tied up hair. "Very well. To synchronize your magics forcefully, the rituals and the potions must be taken during the same days that cause a magical episode. You will start the treatment on the Fall Equinox and it should hopefully end on the Spring Equinox."

Lilith buttoned up her right arm sleeve as Teresa left for her office, with Alexander left watching over her. The redhead gave her patron a look. "You knew what I would pick." Alexander gave her a soft smile. "I did. Because I have gotten to know you these past two years. The von Schwarzwald family would have been proud to call you one of their own." Lilith blushed as she pulled her robes on. "So, will I see you here on the Equinox?" Alexander sighed. "Don't know. I have decided to hunt down these infiltrators of Grindelwald. While I might not get to their base of operations, I can at least give the attackers someone to keep their attention away from the innocents." Lilith grew still at Alexander's words, before she approached him, keeping her head low. "Please, don't do anything too hasty." Alexander smiled at her, ruffling her hair slightly. "I promise you, I will be perfectly fine." Lilith pushed his hand away as she glared at him halfheartedly. "I mean it, Alexander. I… I don't want to lose you after getting to know you these past few years." Alexander nodded, the smile never really leaving his face. "You won't. Not like this. I expect a letter every once in a while, even if it is another one full of enchanted flour." Lilith smirked at him. "I am getting that memory commemorated into a photograph, you know." Alexander chuckled. "I know. See you around, kid." As Alexander vanished into thin hair, Lilith said goodbye to Madam Prewett, before leaving the Hospital Wing and to begin her next set of classes.

As Lilith finished writing her letter to Myrtle's father, the trapdoor to the Council of Walpurgis chamber opened. She watched as a young looking brunette climbed up the stairs, her tie the yellow and black of Hufflepuff house. As she turned around, Lilith briefly wondered why the Hufflepuff Prefect didn't notice her in the room, until she remembered that she had been practicing the disillusionment charm after Tom teased her for relying too much on the Peverell Cloak. "Oh, wow." Lilith felt a measure of pride from the clear appreciation in the girl's tone as she looked around at the decorations. After the meeting that signalled the beginning of the Council, Lilith had asked the elves if they could find other pieces of furniture from all four houses. The four sofas that had initially been in the Slytherin colors were altered to match the color from each of the Hogwarts houses, the same as the curtains, flags and the seats, though the latter was changed to match whomever would be taking a seat. As the girl ran her hand over the felt of the Hufflepuff styled sofa, her eyes landed on the bird stand next to the window, where Pandora and Galatea were currently grooming their feathers after a night of making deliveries. "Oh… my. What… are you?" The girl approached the owls, both of whom focused their attention on her before returning to their grooming.

"They are quite the sight, aren't they?" The girl almost jumped out of her skin as Lilith dropped her disillusionment charm. The girl turned to her, holding her hand over her chest as Lilith smiled at her. "Hello, Miss Sprout. Sorry for startling you. Please, make yourself comfortable. The meeting will start soon, probably after Mr Prewett arrives. He tends to arrive a bit late, as you know all too well." Pomona smiled softly. "Yeah, I remember. Used to drive Manuel nuts having to wait for him." She turned to look at the owls. "I have never seen owls like those two. Are they enchanted toys?" Both owls started screeching in indignation, causing Pomona to take a few steps back. Lilith giggled before reaching out to the irritated birds, petting them gently as they settled down. "They are magical, but unlike an enchantment, they can think for themselves for the most part. Easy now, she didn't mean to offend. So, Galatea, are you willing to take a letter for me later? Maybe one for Myrtle too?" The light colored owl hooted happily as Lilith stepped away from them, walking past Pomona. "So, do you have any questions about the group?" Pomona followed Lilith, taking a seat on the Hufflepuff colored sofa. "I just don't know why I am here." Lilith turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't Mr Bones explain it to you?" Pomona nodded. "Sure, but you have so many other choices from prominent families. Why bother with someone like me?"

Lilith sat on the Slytherin sofa and leaned back, crossing her legs. "We don't just listen to the prominent families. Sure, the majority of the Council are from Old Magical families, but that was due to who we could trust to give us all their genuine opinions on matters. We are also getting input from Lakshmi Patil, who just graduated, Myrtle Warren from Ravenclaw and Ignotus Prewett of Gryffindor who, despite his pedigree, doesn't behave all that much like a member of a prestigious family. We want as many points of view as possible so that we can get a better feel for what Hogwarts feels like for every student." Pomona frowned. "Because Riddle is the Heir of Slytherin?" Lilith nodded. "Of course. As the only known Heir to a Founders' family, his words and actions will have some traction among the Wizengamot and the Board of Governors, regardless of what the reputation of Salazar Slytherin was. As such, he wants to have the best possible understanding of where Hogwarts stands at this moment within the framework as Britain's premier magical school and if there is anything that would need to be improved upon so that the reputation remains justified. As a Prefect for Hufflepuff House, you will be aware of your house's concerns and can voice them with us freely. Once we know what can be improved, it will just be a matter of figuring out how to promote the changes that need to happen to the Wizengamot and the Board of Governors."

Pomona hummed. "I suppose I can see the point. And if I can help the Badgers by being here, then I will do my best to represent them." Lilith smiled. "That's the spirit. Though out of curiosity, do you have any idea how we could get Minerva McGonagall to join us? We thought about inviting her, since she has a more critical eye than Ignotus among the Lions, but her animosity towards me and Tom has remained quite high, despite the Headmaster's vote of confidence. We think she could be of great help, but with the way things are…" Pomona sighed, running a hand through her short brown hair. "I don't know if I can help there. I mean, we get along fine, but Minerva is very set in her ways. When she gets an opinion in her head, it's hard for her to let go of it. Like with Professor Ross. I personally enjoy his class, but she doesn't want to hear about him at all." Lilith sighed. "Yeah, her animosity towards her grandfather is definitely up there." Pomona blinked. "Wait, Professor Ross is her grandfather?!" As the other members of the council started to arrive, Lilith's mind focused on what Sprout had told her about McGonagall. Getting her to change her mind wouldn't be easy, but maybe she wasn't a lost cause. If they could get through to her somehow, they could loosen some of Dumbledore's hold on the other muggleborns and unaffiliated families. She just needed to figure out how to do it.

As the meeting took place, Lilith found that Pomona, while shy and soft spoken, did bring in the perspective they needed from Hufflepuff and the magical families that never signed up for the Wizengamot or simply lacked standing and support to join it. She was clearly intimidated by Abraxas and Cygnus, but started to relax more when Myrtle and Ignotus got a chance to add their own opinions on the current concerns of the students, with Ignotus obviously complaining about the shorter practice times for the Quidditch teams due to the new security measures. Her passion broke through her nerves when she was asked about what changes she might like to see in Herbology, though it was clear that Professor Greengrass' focus on training the budding Herbologists in how to find and harvest plants in the wilds of the forest wasn't Pomona's cup of tea. As Lilith jotted down the mention of Pomona's relatives who weren't able to use magic for her own private musings, the meeting quickly came to an end. Closing her notebook, Lilith gave Pomona a smile. "See? That wasn't so bad." Pomona shook her head. "No, it was rather pleasant. Though Mr Black is…" Lilith chuckled, having noticed her discomfort around Alphard. "He takes some getting used to, but trust me, he can be a great friend if you can accept him fully." Pomona smiled softly. "The meeting sort of reminded me of the study sessions me and Minerva have. We sit together with a few other Gryffindor and Hufflepuff girls for assignments or tests, though the discussions can get easily derailed."

Pomona's expression grew wistful. "Minerva would actually enjoy being a part of this. She has a few strong opinions that aren't shared by everyone but she has a good eye and genuinely cares about the students of Gryffindor." Lilith rested her hand on Pomona's shoulder. "While we won't tolerate certain opinions here, we don't necessarily mind having someone with an opinion that doesn't match everyone else's. Malfoy and Nott, for example, come from very strict families, so we know that their opinions can be somewhat narrow sighted. The fact that both of them are open minded enough to hear, entertain and debate opposing views regarding the merits of classes concerning non-magical matters that intersect with magical matters, such as laws and sciences, is why we like having them here. Having McGonagall's point of view, while not entirely embraced by all of us, would still help us understand how certain groups of magical and non-magical families interact, and what we could do to make such interactions less strained." Pomona nodded as she pulled her bag's strap over her head. "I will try and see if I can convince her to be more open minded, but I think it might take some time, if it ever happens at all. But from what I saw, what you guys are discussing is worth it, especially if real change can come of it." Lilith looked towards Tom, who was finishing his notes on the day's meeting, a smile growing on her face. "I think real change will come out of this, one way or another."

Alexander looked out over one of the streets of Lancashire, the hood of his black robes pulled up to block out the bitter cold rain that had the area covered in a light fog. As he walked forward, he stepped lightly, as he could still see through the thin mist the bodies that littered the ground. He clenched his jaw as he walked deeper into the street, before he reached the area at the far end, his feet almost stumbling on the loose ruble on the ground. Before him, where once stood the nondescript façade of a warehouse, now sat a massive gaping hole. Bricks were thrown about on the street, with a mound of them next to the collapsed wall, from which a pale, delicate looking hand jutted out. Lord Peverell felt his skin burn as he looked within the warehouse, before he checked that his disillusionment spell was working as intended as he stepped inside. The interior of the building was a mess of stone and wood, the latter still crackling from embers that had yet to die out. Alexander pulled his scarf over face to keep out the noxious fumes that were intermixed with the smell of iron in the air. Everywhere he looked were bodies, either torn to shreds by the explosion, burned from the flames that had lingered for a few minutes until his magically enhanced rain soaked the area, or crushed by the toppled floors, if not the ceiling itself, all having collapsed soon after the blast. He knelt down as he passed by a young woman's corpse, closing her lifeless eyes with his gloved hand.

War hadn't changed much, even as men could now die in the thousands by bombs from the sky, gas from artillery shells, or the persistant hail of bullets from a machine gun. Men might be out on the front lines, dying in droves to capture a foot hold in an ever more ruined landscape, but that didn't mean they were the only ones to die. Women were dying too, even far from the battlelines. In the wreckage of the munitions factory, almost every single corpse around Alexander were those of women, many of them young. Too young to have known the dangers they exposed them to in the factories that kept the soldiers armed and fighting, both from the dangerous chemicals they were exposed to, as well as from the threat of saboteurs making their way inside and igniting the TNT. And, of course, innocents including children were also dying, for no militarily strategic reason whatsoever, not that anyone could or should legitimize the slaughter of children in the first place. Hearing a few voices outside, Alexander knew that he didn't have much time. He hated himself for what he was about to do, but he needed help to find the people responsible for these deaths. Resting his hand on the smudged face of a dark skin woman, Alexander closed his eyes and allowed his magic to reach out. Magic was an odd thing. Ordinary people had but the faintest of traces, but that didn't mean that they were disconnected from it. There was a reason that so many people could hear and feel the presence of the dead, or feel a premonition that something was wrong. While magicals claimed that only those with magic could leave ghosts of themselves behind, that wasn't the truth. Not all of it.

As he opened his eyes, the world had faded into a dark void, the sound of rain now replaced by an ever present wind that tugged at Alexander's robes. There, as his eyes stared into the Void, were dozens, if not hundreds of errant and wayward lights. Much like how fairies could appear to the eyes of the non-magical, these formless balls of light darted around, lost and confused. Alexander took a deep breath, before he allowed his magic to spread out into the void, touching the souls of the departed. The lights stilled and gathered around him, swirling softly as they brightened, drawn in and strengthened by his magic. "Spirits of those who have passed, taken by violence unbecoming of a kind world, hearken to me. Those who are responsible for your untimely deaths will seek other victims, their crimes growing ever more numerous and unforgivable before the eyes of the living and the dead. Please, guide me to those who are responsible for the tragedy of this place, so that I may avenge your passing and that your families may be safe from further violence. Please… help me." The spirits swelled around Alexander at a faster pace, their voices filling his ears, drowning out the Void's gusting wind. He heard many of them screaming in rage, while others were crying, begging him to aid their families. Alexander closed his eyes, letting the voices fill his mind, before the spirits scattered into the Void.

While gold and favors served as means of securing contacts across the world, even the most well paid people wouldn't venture into areas where death was a certainty. The Peverells had long learned that the enemies of Albion, if not of a civilized world, would not always be easy enough to find. Rather than relying only on the living, they had turned to the dead for aid. Of course, forcing a soul to linger against their will was a crime that even the most poorly trained Peverells knew all too well. Most of Alexander's long standing contacts were ghosts who had willingly lingered in the world, seeking penance or vengeance in their service to him. But even ghosts couldn't be everywhere, or know everything. Places like Nurmengard, well hidden and likely heavily warded, were especially hard to find, unless one knew where to look. That was part of the reason why Alexander's contacts hadn't been able to locate the Hexenmeisters hiding in Britain. Grindelwald would have taught them how to hide themselves well from scrying and other means of divining. Searching every warded property on the island was time consuming, even for the dead. These spirits, however, would help him just fine. As they were the spirits of mundane humans, no magicals would be able to see them, except for Lilith at Hogwarts. And as Lilith proved, souls were more than just the spark of life in all living entities. They were connected to each other in unique ways. The very act of taking a life bound the victim's soul to the attacker and vice versa.

As reservists, firefighters and the police arrived on the scene, Alexander looked around the ruined warehouse, his eyes landing on a dark cloaked figure looking at him from the far wall, their face hidden by shadows. He stood in the rubble, staring at the figure, before it turned away and faded into the void. Alexander sighed, knowing that he needed to be careful with how far he used his magic, before he possibly angered the entity by interfering with their duty. He looked around one last time, his heart feeling heavy. He had no illusion about whether he would be able to find the main base of operations for the saboteurs. If they were following the same playbook as Grindelwald had concerning Numengard, they would never have the immediate assault force head back, drawing unwanted attention to their hiding place. With them potentially using locals as their scapegoats, the possibility of finding all of them together was far from likely. He also knew that this wouldn't be the last mass casualties caused by these bastards. From the factories and their workers to the streets filled with innocent bystanders, these monsters would continue to sow chaos and destruction wherever they could, casting aside the very people under their command to conceal their larger force. But with his family's magic and the aid of the recently departed, he could at least make sure that the people responsible didn't get to rest comfortably as they contemplated further crimes. No, if these terrorists wanted to bring the suffering of war to the innocents, then Alexander would make sure that they paid for their crimes. And if he could have his way, their end wouldn't come painlessly. For the victims in their wake, they didn't deserve mercy and they certainly wouldn't get it from him.

Chapter 35: The Burden of Pain

"May I join you, Myrtle?" The black haired girl turned away from her breakfast and smiled at Tom. "Sure." As Tom sat down beside her and Cassandra on the Ravenclaw table, under the watchful gaze of the Entire Great Hall, he spared her recent hair style a glance. "Trying something new with your hair?" Myrtle blushed as she nodded, her hand rubbing her now much shorter hair, her bangs over her forehead shortened and parted to the sides. "The summer was quite warm and after all the teasing… I just felt like having a bit of change would be nice." Tom nodded and gave her a soft smile as he served some of the food onto the plate before him. "It suits you. Wouldn't you agree, Cassandra?" The blonde gave Myrtle a smile and nodded but turned away, with Tom looking at the girl's behaviour a bit more curiously, as Myrtle blushed from the compliment. "Thank you, though I think you should be careful about giving girls such compliments, Heir of Slytherin. A certain Austrian redhead might take offence. She's already looking a bit irritated." Tom spared a glance at Lilith, before eating a forkful of scrambled eggs. "She is just feeling stressed because of something Madam Prewett told her. May I?" Myrtle nodded and handed him the newspaper, with Tom finding the news there not much better. While the press was hardly reporting on any incidents regarding bombings on British soil, the blast in the Lancashire Munitions Plant had been reported, due to the severity of the losses, though the government were quick to declare that the loss of the factory wouldn't lead to a munitions shortage.

As he returned the newspaper to Myrtle, he pulled out the copy of the Daily Prophet he got and passed it to her, though her eyes were fixed on Lilith. "Whatever it was must have been difficult for her. When she was at my place over the summer, I could have sworn that she was like a different person." Tom gave Myrtle a sideways glance. "What do you mean?" Myrtle looked at him. "Well, she seemed so happy. We would spend about an hour or so together with my little brother, going over the books we bought at Diagon over the summer, before she would disappear with my dad into the garage. She usually stayed over for dinner at my mom's insistence, before heading home for the night, though a few nights she slept over, if she slept at all. It was so odd, though, when she spent most of the night awake, I thought she would be irritable in the mornings, but she was just fine. Even giddy at times. She and dad did get along great while they were working on grandad's car." Tom chuckled to himself. "I think that's just how she usually is. When there is nothing but a mechanical or magical problem before her that she can focus on solving, she drowns out all other concerns, including sleep. Still, she will crash after a full two days awake, no matter what she tries." Myrtle chuckled back. "Mom found her asleep in the car one time. Had an argument with Lilith about taking better care of herself and sleeping comfortably in the guest bed."

Tom looked towards Lilith, before Cassandra spoke up. "She likes solving things, but when the issue is beyond her control, she gets irritated." Tom gave the Seer a curious look but the girl shook her head. "What troubles her can't be fixed easily, let alone with aid. Be by her side when you can, but know that what trials she must face, will be hers alone." Tom frowned at the cryptic words, committing them to memory, even as the prospect of letting Lilith face anything alone troubled him greatly. "Be that as it may, I won't stop trying to help her." Cassandra smiled at him. "And she loves you for that, as she should." With Cassandra turning her attention back to breakfast, Tom did the same, his mind going over the news from both the magical and non-magical press. The war seemed to be moving in favor of the Allies, with the Japanese losing ground in Asia and the Pacific, while the European nations were engaging the German and Italian armies as they sought to break through their defensive lines. These attacks within Britain, however, were doing a lot more damage than the bombings ever did to the Magical community. While the Anti-Dark Faction kept trying to blame the attacks purely on the Dark Faction, the majority of the Wizengamot knew better. The issue was the growing vocal opposition from this splinter group of the Light, though oddly enough, their numbers seemed to have stopped growing within the Chamber.

Lord Potter, Lady McKinnon, Proxy Ross and a few other members of the Light seemed to be putting a lot more pressure on their own faction to stay together and to ignore the growing distrust against the Dark. Lord Black, for his part, had much of the Dark in his orbit, barring the few that remained loyal to Rosier. While investigations into their families were ongoing, any overt support beyond a few absent family members was hard to find, meaning that the Wizengamot and the DMLE couldn't punish them. At least, not at the current time. Gringotts, however, seemed to be getting a lot more business lately, according to Director Ragnok. The fear of attacks within their homesteads saw many magical families investing in stronger wards, courtesy of the bank's Warding Department and Curse Breakers, the latter of whom were forced to either join the Auror forces or seek other forms of making profit, as the expeditions to Egypt and other remote locations had been put on hold due to the war. Hogwarts' own wards were going through a small retrofit, with a few runic arrays being added to increase the effectiveness of the lockdown wards. While the Castle had been built primarily to cope with attacks of the non-magical variety, the defences weren't as well developed to fight against a magical threat. It said a lot about the dangers of the times that the greatest threat to Britain's Magical Society was from other magicals and not ordinary humans.

Running his hand gently against Lilith's back, Tom sat down next to her in the classroom. "I wasn't sure if you would be taking the class." Lilith smiled at him, resting her leg against his. "I wasn't planning to, seeing as I am still taking Runes and Care, but without Astronomy and History to fill my time, I thought it might be worth it. My patron even encouraged me to do so." Tom raised an eyebrow at that. Alexander, so far, had struck him as someone who cared deeply for Lilith but valued her independence. That he actually involved himself in her choice of classes spoke of something else. Could he have a relationship with the Headmaster? It would explain his ability to arrive and leave Hogwarts without much issue. As Tom thought about Lilith's comment, she looked around at the classroom. Of all the classrooms she had ever been in, this one felt rather small, with only three rows and two columns of tables. Then again, with Spell Creation being a NEWT exclusive and requiring a high degree of understanding concerning magic, it didn't surprise Lilith at all that so few students would take it. Right now, there only seemed to be four other students with them, three from Ravenclaw and one from Hufflepuff. Still, the classroom itself felt rather comfortable, with rows of books covering the far back wall behind the Professor's desk, whilst the wall opposite the tall windows had a chalkboard covered in runic arrays and Arithmantic equations.

The door behind the desk opened and Professor Dippet stepped out, smiling at all of them as he closed the door behind him. "Welcome everyone, to Spell Creation. As you all might have gathered from my note on the reading list for this class, this is very much a self study course. During the first few months, my goal will be to help guide you all through the intricacies of dissecting and constructing spells, before I then spend time with each of you presenting me a spell or enchantment you would like to study, refine and or create. By the end of your final year here at Hogwarts, I will hope to see, at least, a detailed breakdown of a brand new spell, a previously forgotten enchantment, or anything in between. If you demonstrate exceptional skill and understanding of magic, your written assignment can be turned in as evidence for any Masteries you might pursue, whether it is Charms, Transfiguration or Defence. Now, for the next few months we will be meeting here as a class together as I walk you through the processes to dissect magic and to write it down accurately in essay form. After that, our time together will be one on one, with this classroom and time in your schedule being left available to you all so that you can practice your magic under my supervision. Now then, let's get started. Oh, and before I forget, please approach me one by one at the end of class and give a clue as to what you would like to pursue for this class, so that I can give you reading recommendations that you can look over in the Hogwarts Library or acquire through other means."

As the professor started going over the process by which spells could be broken down using Arithmancy, Runes and language, Tom made sure to take as many notes as possible, with Lilith only jotting down a few things that she hadn't already learned on her own when she broke down the information regarding the conjuration or transfiguration of owls. She had a similar approach for the creation of her offensive plates, as these were constructed to simulate spellcasting, by bypassing the mental and intent based elements that most spells cast using wands required. Oddly enough, her unique form of casting tended to produce more stable results when compared to a person casting them through a wand, and they used even less magic than normal. It was part of the reason she had wanted to contact the Carmarthen Trustees. Since most of them had magic but no means of unleashing it with or without a wand, their more stable magic would make them a better benchmark to prove if her constructs could actually allow them to use their magic effectively. The men that she had been introduced to by MP Warren had been intrigued both by her enchanted and remotely controlled vehicle, as well as he demonstration regarding the use of magic without a proper foci. They had agreed to secure her a few military vehicles to test her designs on, as well as a rifle for her to tinker with to see if she could replicate a gunshot without ammo. With Myrtle's dad handling the transportation of these vehicles, and Alexander holding them in storage for her to work on when she could sneak out of Hogwarts, Lilith would certainly have a lot of trial and error in using spell deconstruction and creation in the upcoming weeks.

With the students taking a moment to pitch their individual ideas to the professor, however, Lilith grew thoughtful. Her experiments with constructs was something that she didn't want to elaborate on, at least not yet. The fact that many of her designs would allow the population of so-called "squibs" to use magic was already going to throw the whole Magical Community for a loop once it was made available to them. Testing those designs with Dippet, however, didn't seem right. That was more her life's work, than just a simple project for Spell Creation. With her research into Runes using Aramaic script as a magical medium aimed at understanding the way that Kaballists created and breathed life into Golems, she had plenty to work on for either project, but neither would be worth the time for Dippet's class. If she wanted to use the class time and the help of the professor appropriately, it would have to be studying a form of magic where an outsider's perspective could be helpful. Maybe… "Miss von Schwarzwald. If you would?" Lilith passed by Tom, who had finished giving his pitch to the Headmaster, before he waited at the door of the classroom for her to finish, as she approached the Professor's desk. He had a piece of parchment in front of him and looked up at her. "Well, Miss von Schwarzwald, what would you like to study in this class with me?" Lilith sighed, rubbing her right arm.

"Professor, since my patron recommended for me to take this class with you, and since you were very accomodating regarding my entry to the school as a student… I assume that you are willing to observe as I try to refine magics that are… not exactly well regarded?" Dippet leaned back on his chair. "And which magic would you be working on that would have you so concerned over my willingness to help?" Lilith took a deep breath. "I would like to get a better understanding of Soul Magic." Dippet didn't flinch as Alexander had once done, which made her think that the old man had been speaking with Alexander about her, with her patron being quite open as to her interests. "Miss von Shwarzwald, I hope that you understand how dangerous that magic is." Lilith nodded as she pulled a few plates of hers loose from her right arm. She floated them out of her robe's sleeve, the two metal plates spinning and darting about in front of her. "Believe me, sir, I am aware of this. But I am also keenly aware that Soul Magic can be used safely, resulting in changes to what we can understand concerning magic in general. These plates of mine are tied to me through Soul Magic, without the dangers that fragmenting one's soul presents. I want to have a better understanding of how Soul Magic can be used safely beyond what I have already worked out and I would like to do it with someone else who has a wider range of magical expertise than I could ever have."

Dippet looked at the flying plates, waving his hand over them, before nodding to himself. "Impressive. While it is faint, there is indeed a connection between you and these plates that seems to use Soul Magic, and yet it holds none of the dangerous energies associated with the foulest practices of magic. They are a credit to your ingenuity, Miss von Schwarzwald. However, I need to be clear about this. This research you have done and that you wish to pursue under my supervision will not be looked at kindly by the Ministry. Whatever you learn here concerning this branch of magic can never be published, at least not safely. Knowing that this will delay or even impede your ability to gain a Mastery, are you still willing to pursue this research?" Seeing Lilith nodding, Dippet made a few notes on his parchment. "Bring whatever text you might have on the subject to our first private meeting. I must also be clear that you won't be able to practice this magic in front of the other students, though I imagine Mr Riddle is an exception." Lilith blushed. "He is and I understand. Regardless, Soul Magic doesn't strike me as the type that requires a lot of spellcasting space to practice." Dippet chuckled. "No, I don't suppose it does. Very well. I look forward to seeing what new information you might be able to uncover about magic and the soul. I will be seeing you in our next class Miss von Schwarzwald. Until then, take care."

"You don't have to be here for this." Tom gave Lilith a half hearted glare. "It's not about having to be here, Lilith. I want to be here." Lilith lowered her eyes. "You've seen it happening before. It's not going to be pretty." Tom nodded as the two of them approached the Hospital Wing. "No, I don't imagine it will be. But I won't let you go through this on your own. Even if I am powerless to help you, I want to be there for you." Lilith was pulled into a hug as Tom rubbed her left upper arm in comform. For Lilith, it showed how far he had come from their very first interactions, as he now sought and initiated physical contact all on his own, comfortable in the fact Lilith would welcome it. While he still refrained from being as physical with others, mainly due to his lessons in manners, she could see him growing more comfortable with being near others, especially the younger students who were still learning to behave according to magical customs. While a few people, like Alphard, were still learning that Tom's improved comfort with physical closeness wasn't an open invitation for just any contact, it did seem to make him far more approachable by the other Slytherins. Of course, that included the girls who were trying to catch his attention, much to Lilith's displeasure. For his part, Tom seemed to have noticed her growing displeasure and continued to appease her by being more affectionate, which warmed her heart in seeing how caring he could be.

As soon as they entered the Hospital Wing, Madam Prewett directed her to her bed and asked to strip off her robes, vest and tie. She directed Tom to sit by Lilith's left side. "Alright, Mr Riddle. I want you to be very careful. While Lilith's condition causes her harm, you have seen and heard how it can harm those in contact with her, so I want you to keep your hands to yourself until she stabilizes for the night. Remember, she might relapse tomorrow and even the day after the Equinox. You shouldn't miss any of your classes just to stay by her side, understand young man?" Tom nodded before kissing Lilith cheek, as Pomfrey brought in the bowl and a potion jar. Teresa looked towards Lilith and rubbed her shoulder. "Are you sure about this? In two years, your magics haven't stabilized and you are about to force them to find a balance. This will be quite painful and the effects on your mind for the duration of the ritual are unknown." Lilith released a steading breath. "I know, but this is what I want. I am ready to begin." Sighing, Teresa took the bowl now filled with potion and held it over Lilith's body. "Ceridwen, may your blessing fall upon this night as a child of magic seeks rebirth. Let your maternal heart bring care and renewal to a body and soul in disharmony. By your blessing on this Equinox, allow that the life before me that began as two, finally be as one." As the bowl glowed with magic, Tom held Lilith up as Teresa had her drink the charged potion, before laying her back down.

At first, all that Lilith felt was the warmth of the potion sitting within her stomach. For a while she thought that the ritual had failed and was about to comment as such when a sharp pain ran across her entire body. Her back arched as every bone in her body felt as if it had snapped and cracked in several places at once. Arcs of red and green magic danced over her skin, with deep gashes forming whenever they intersected each other, as Lilith screamed in pain. Teresa and Poppy rushed to her side, using what spells they could to heal some of the damage as Tom watched in horror at the pain Lilith was going through. His eyes, however, noticed something odd, Lilith's hair started to shift in color. Where before was the typical dark red hair that he knew her by, there were now more pronounced streaks of a familiar black color. The colors of her hair shifted again as Lilith twisted and turned on her bed, her mind lost in a sea of conflicting memories.

…

"Lily, get to the kids now! It's him!"

"Lilith, I want you to wait here."

"Are you saying that you were never raised by your mother's family?"

"Magic is more than light or dark, my dear Mara. It is life, and it is also death."

"Your parents risked their lives to save our world."

"And condemned me to a lonely existence without them!"

"Vati, Mutti… why? Why? No, please…No…"

"Don't worry, Lilllian. Trust me, Hogwarts will be loads of fun."

"Do you miss Hogwarts, Omi?"

"No, my dear. While the castle is important, it is nothing compared to a loving family home."

"How could you? Your parents died to save us and you betray them by being a filthy snake?"

"But I…"

"I don't want to see you anywhere near us again!"

"… you… promised…"

"Wand up, Mara. Keep your legs spread out. And… start!"

"May you find some comfort in the afterlife in the arms of your parents."

"Sorry, child, it's not personal but our lord can't have you turning our people against us."

"Avada Kedavra!"

…

The suddenness of the way that Lilith's body went still shocked both Tom and the Healers, the latter of which started casting diagnostic and healing charms on her. Teresa sighed in relief as soon as her scans revealed Lilith's condition. "She's stable for now, but she has lost a lot of blood, not to mention I am seeing quite a few bone fractures all along her body. We need to wait until her magics settle down before we can give her any potions. Poppy, fetch the ointment and bandages. We need to do this the old fashioned way for now. Mr Riddle, you are free to hold her hand until we need to work on that arm. Though, please, do be gentle." As the Healers got to work, Tom lifted Lilith's hand, noticing that the star-shaped scar on both sides of her hand was open again. He found it odd, though he distinctly remembered some memories of Voldemort mentioning that Lilian's hand had a cursed scar on it, one that never adequately healed, from the time that he had attacked the Potters and the Longbottoms. He looked up at the unconscious face of his dearest friend, noticing that her hair had returned to its usual dark red, though the streaks of black that had always been present and had initially puzzled him now seemed a bit more pronounced. As the Healers wrapped bandages over the open wounds, Tom remained by Lilith's side, her left hand against his cheek. Even with the blood on it, Tom found comfort in the warmth that returned to her skin. He hoped that she could feel his warmth too, that it would somehow ease some measure of her pain. She deserved it after what she just went through.

Lilith, her hair a bright red and tied in a braid, held her mother's hand as her father argued with another man in the section of the von Schwarzwald Estate just outside of her grandmother's bedroom. "I understand your desire to see her improve, Herr von Schwarzwald, but we have already done every treatment available, including a few pioneered by the non-magical doctors. Her condition will only deteriorate further because her immune system was already heavily compromised. I can prescribe her some potions to ease her pain and let her have more restful nights, but her lungs are beyond healing and the disease has already entered her bloodstream and infected other areas. We simply can't cleanse the disease in its entirety." Nicholas rubbed his hair, with Lilith catching sight of tears in her father's eyes. Her father had almost never cried. At least, not that she could remember. "Can we see her?" The Healer nodded, handing them a few face masks made of cloth. "Your family has been fortunate to not have developed symptoms as of right now and with the newer prevention methods, the bacterial infection in your systems should clear out in a few months. That said, you must continue to isolate yourselves until the tests read as clear. I will be training your at home physician on how to test for the disease and all the magical methods for treatment, in case it manifests. I highly recommend you keep your daughter under stronger observation. Aside from those with a weak constitution, the disease favors and is far more deadly in children."

Grazyna knelt down in front of her daughter after taking one of the masks from her husband and placed it tightly over the child's mouth. "We will be seeing your grandmother in a moment, but you have to keep the mask on at all times, ok? Try to keep your distance, especially if she coughs. Once we are out of the room, I want you to go and wait for me in the bathroom, ok? We need to clean up properly before returning you to your room." Lilith searched her mothers eyes, her voice coming out a bit muted by the mask and her nerves. "Ok." The two remained outside the door as her father spoke privately with Aquilla, before the door opened. There was no hiding the tear tracks covering Nicholas' cheeks as he allowed his wife and daughter into the room. "Don't take too long. She is already very tired from all the potions in her system." Grazyna nodded as she led Lilith into the room, with the little girl looking over at her grandmother as she rested on the bed. The sights would never leave her mind. The vibrant and always well dressed Aquilla von Schwarzwald née Black had lost much weight, her cheeks sunken in and her skin having lost almost all of its color. She rested against several pillows, her breathing labored, before she turned towards them, giving Lilith a smile as she bid her to come closer. The little girl's eyes filled with tears as she walked closer to her grandmother, who spoke out to her, her voice raspy.

"Have you been… keeping up your studies, my dear?" Lilith nodded. "Yes, nana." Aquilla rested her outstretched arm back onto her chest, her breaths deep and long. "Good… I know it is not easy… but you mustn't neglect… your studies." Tears started to fall from Lilith's eyes, before they were sucked up by the mask. "I will try…I just… I miss your lessons, nana." Aquilla chuckled. "As do I, my dear. As do I. Tell me, are you scared for me?" Lilith nodded, before her grandmother continued. "I am scared too… though I am also feeling… relieved." Lilith started shaking. "I don't want to lose you." Aquilla sighed. "I know. But you must be strong. I can tell you… that my time with you has been a blessing, especially… after my husband passed away. I am very grateful… for having the chance to guide you as much as I could. One day you will make a very wonderful Frau von Schwarzwald. On that day, even if… I am gone, I will still be… by your side. We all will. Remember that…" Lilith nodded, before she was led away by her father. For the next few days, she remembered spending a lot of time with the Healers, who kept checking her over and feeding her potions. Eventually, they finally gave her a clean bill of health. That bit of good news had been soured, however, when Aquilla passed away in her sleep. What words her grandmother had spoken to her felt hollow to the little girl, who had just had her first experience with death.

Aquilla's funeral had been a quiet affair, with a few welcomed guests. The Blacks had been invited, but Lord Black declined to come, and apparently didn't inform the rest of the family about the passing of one of their own. She remembered hearing her father cursing Sirius' name from the corridors just outside his office. Grazyna, for her part, became the heart of the Estate, keeping everyone's mood as high as she could over the following days, though Lilith gave her the most trouble. The little girl couldn't understand why her grandmother was gone, let alone why Aquilla seemed to have accepted her fate. Her parents spent a long time trying to help her understand how devastating diseases are, especially for people with weaker constitutions like her grandmother. How her father had once had an older brother that he never got to meet because he too had been born with a weakened immune system. It was why they now had a dedicated Healer in the house to watch over everyone. As for why Aquilla was accepting of her end, they tried their best to teach her about what death meant beyond the loss of life. As the days turned to months, the pain in Lilith from the loss of her grandmother lessened. Still, even as she started her more dangerous training sessions, even as she learned the feeling of pain and experienced the fear of death herself, there was a part of her that still clung to the belief that no matter what, she wouldn't let death take her. Not without a fight.

Walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, Tom ran his hand over his face, dark circles marking his eyes from the least restful night of sleep he could remember since his close encounter with a bomb in London. Lilith's condition hadn't worsened physically into the night as the Healers had worried. Her mental state, however, had. While asleep, Lilith's mind had slipped into a memory of her past and had apparently relieved it in its entirety. He had, of course, heard about Aquilla Black from Lilith, with Arcturus mentioning his aunt briefly during Tom's evaluation as a suitor for Lilith. He knew that she had died, but hadn't been aware that she had been suffering from a weakened immune system, similar to what Fleamont Potter was still going through, though to a much more manageable degree. Like Fleamont, she had dedicated her life to becoming a Potions Master in order to gain a degree of independence from her condition, even going as far as marrying a reclusive family in the Austrian Alps, a place that should have been far removed from the dangers of infectious diseases. But even in the remote countryside, contagious diseases could still propagate, even going unnoticed for weeks, before the illness manifested violently. Lilith had been exposed to not only the barrage of medical tests necessary to secure her own safety, but the sight of her own grandmother wasting away from Tuberculosis.

This traumatic experience was something Tom was absolutely certain that Lilith had buried deep in her memories, with Lillian's mind and soul keeping it isolated. But since the ritual that would stabilize her condition was designed to integrate both Lilith and Lillian's minds together, the girl had been forced to relive the entire experience of her grandmother's death a second time. Hearing the young woman that he had relied on for the last two years break down in tears as she relived the moment of her grandmother's death made Tom remember why he had initially pursued information on ways of avoiding death. Though he wasn't stupid enough to consider making a Horcrux now. While the summer had mostly gone smoothly for Tom, he had certainly experienced his fair share of dreams filled with Voldemort's memories. The moment his future self had successfully restored himself into a humanoid body had been an… interesting set of memories that were both a great source of information and a nightmare to relive. The ingredients that went into the making of the base homunculus form… there were no words to express how ill they made Tom feel. If there was ever an indication that Voldemort's faculties had been impared, the fact that he was willing to kill an innocent woman and use their unborn child as the core to his new body went past much of what Tom considered a viable option to extending his life.

As Tom neared the entrance to the Slytherin Chamber, where he was hoping to spend a restful moment with Rene, before approaching Salazar about some tips regarding spellcasting in Parselmouth, he paused as he sensed movement behind him. Drawing his wand slowly, Tom swept the area around him surreptitiously, before he turned around slowly. "You can drop the disillusionment charm, I know you are there. Why are you following me, Miss McGonagall?" When nothing happened, Tom sighed, turned around completely and flicked his wand. The young woman suddenly appeared some distance away, her face frozen in shock for a second before she recovered. "It may not be curfew, Mr Riddle, but wandering the corridors is still grounds for suspicion." Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? I find the fact that you… suspect me of wrongdoing while I am within a walking distance of the Slytherin Dorms, while you are certainly quite far from the Gryffindor Dorms, let alone what I believe is your Quidditch team's allocated field time for practice, is far more suspicious. Wouldn't you say, Team Captain?" Minerva's cheeks turned slightly red. "My Vice Captain can handle the team for a moment. I am simply doing my duty as a Prefect." Tom crossed arms over his chest. "Right. By wasting your time tailing a fellow Prefect who has also sworn to protect the students and is a known critic of Grindelwald."

Minerva's eyes narrowed. "You are studying Dark Magic. Any and all practitioners of it can easily be swayed by Grindelwald's words, even while he is thousands of kilometers away." Tom's voice took on a deeper tone. "Need I remind you, Ms McGonagall, that Slytherin House has declared its opposition to Grindelwald's stance and actions before the Great Hall. The fact that none of the other Houses have done so is personally a bigger concern for me, and it is not just because they may harbor saboteurs. There should never have been any doubt that Slytherins should stand with Hogwarts' safety, and yet we were required to make it known for us to be treated with less suspicion. Clearly, it hasn't been enough or you wouldn't be pestering me." Minerva, who had been walking towards Tom, stood eye to eye with him. "Perhaps because we know that we can't take you at your word, no matter how well you or von Schwarzwald can play at being civil with everyone else. Who's to say how quickly you will turn your back on us all to serve your interests, like Grindelwald did in his rise to eminence in Germany. Then again, she is probably the more dangerous between the two of you, spinning webs everywhere, ensnaring anyone that buys into her kindness ac-" Tom suddenly pressed Minerva into the wall, his wand against her throat with a few curses running through his mind. He took a few calming breaths before speaking.

"You… don't… get to lump her… with Grindelwald and his followers. You claim to know so much, but you don't know ANYTHING about her! I was with her last night, in the Hospital Wing, listening to her relive some of her worst memories, as she screamed in agony from physical pain from her condition. The memories of how Grindelwald's people took her home, her family and everything else away from her. And yet, for all of that, she is a kind person who thinks of others more often than not, even when she is racked in pain and grief. You do NOT get to call that an act, or I will show you just how much she means to me." The two stared at each other in silence before Tom pulled away, lowering his wand, though Minerva kept hers raised between them. Tom eyed the wand before looking at the girl. "And believe me, McGonagall, you deserve to feel some measure of pain, if only to give you a reality check. But it won't be from me, because Lilith has asked me to be a better person for my own sake. And it won't be from her, because she cares about your grandfather, even if you refuse to acknowledge him." Tom turned his back on her, even as he decided against entering the Chamber. Getting some peace and quiet in his room with a bit of music seemed like a better idea right now for him anyways. A few steps away from the witch, who kept her wand trained on his back, he looked back towards her.

"It really is a shame, though. Ignotus and Pomona both speak very highly of you. They believe that you have a lot to offer as a student. Yet, all I can see right now is a little girl that is so obsessed with being right that she has allowed herself to be manipulated by the words of others and serves them without realizing it." McGonagall's eyes narrowed ase she raised her wand. "I am not being manipulated by Grindelwald!" Tom chuckled. "Are you sure? Because the man doesn't care about Dark or Light. He cares about sowing chaos and conquering whoever's left. The fact that you don't trust me, not because of anything that I have done, but simply because I have chosen a different path than what others deem as appropriate, would make you the more dangerous of the two of us. How is what you are doing any different than what Grindelwald's words did as he fomented fear among the Magical communities with regards to the humans of the world? How is it any different from the priests and faiths that condemn others for who they are, for the color of their skin or for who they choose to love? One side or the other doesn't matter, McGonagall. Discrimination isn't a trait of the Dark, but of humanity. Until you take a moment to see what you have allowed yourself to become, you will never be as good as you believe yourself to be, let alone what your friends and family hope you can become. And that really is a shame." As he walked away, Minerva collapsed onto the wall, her heart beating wildly. Whether by the fear of what he could have done to her or by the weight of his words, she didn't know.

Chapter 36: Caring for the Vulnerable

"Wood, Proudfoot, set up a perimeter while the DoM carries out their investigation. Potter, sweep the area. See if you can find any witnesses to this bloodbath." Euphemia nodded silently as she made her way around the blasted cobblestone craters of one of the side streets of Diagon Alley. Usually, she hated when Shafiq ordered her away from the crime scenes, as she felt it was the man being condescending or dismissive of her due to her gender or sensibilities. Today, however, she was glad that the Department of Mysteries was handling the grunt work for the crime scene. If she had been ordered to do it, she was certain that her own stomach contents would have contaminated the scene. It wasn't that she had no experience with gruesome sights. The bodies of many victims of psychotic Dark Witches and Wizards were often found mangled and mutilated. A few Werewolf attack victims were often found mauled to death, their rib cages cracked open and their organs partly eaten. She could still remember the awful smell from the body they had managed to pull out of the Lindow Moss peat bog. That had left the entire Auror team retching for days with how bloted and rotten it had gotten. Today, however, it wasn't a rotting corpse that was the problem. It was the entire streets worth of body parts strewn about. The gaps in the cobblestone were filled with blood from who knew how many victims, a number they might be able to get if they found the heads. That is, if the heads were still intact. Euphemia was pretty certain she saw a bit of brain matter in a gutter back there.

As she approached the locals, a picture of what took place started to emerge. Many of the nearby tenants heard screaming in the streets, followed by explosions and blasts that kicked up dust into the air. The storefront and entrances to a few buildings were definitely showing signs of having suffered some damage. A few brave souls managed to poke their heads out of the windows, however, and caught sight of something odd. A cloaked figure had appeared behind the assailants and proceeded to carve their way through them. None of the witnesses could identify the figure as their face, hands and clothing were all the same pitch black tone. They weren't even sure if the attacker was a man or a woman due to the black robes they were wearing. After getting a few more names and statements, Euphemia walked across the crime scene towards Head Auror Shafiq and Director Crouch, who had just arrived. Based on his hair, he had probably just bathed as it was matted and wet. Shafiq noticed her approach and called her over, asking for an early report. After discussing what she had found, Shafiq sighed, before looking at the bodies as they were now being collected. "The DoM puts the death toll at around nine. Of those, two were civilians who had been caught out in the street, probably killed by the saboteurs as they prepared to set up an attack for the early morning crowd. The other seven, however, are going to take a while to identify. What with them looking like the reject pile out of a butcher shop."

Crouch visibly shuddered. "Thank you for that image, Shafiq. A great thing to have in my head before breakfast." The Head Auror rubbed the back of his neck. "Anā āsef, boss. If the witness statements are right, however, it seems the saboteurs have found themselves a hunter worth their salt." Crouch grumbled. "I am not a fan of vigilantism, Shafiq." The Head Auror straightened out. "Neither am I, sir. That said, with the war going on and the Aurors stretched thin, the chances of civilians taking up the fight are high. The attacks here and in Lancashire haven't been conducive to civilian intervention due to how quickly they turned violent but, as we saw at the Atrium, there are people who are going to fight back against this threat on their own." Crouch rubbed his hair, frowning as he noticed his hand getting wet, probably having forgotten to dry himself off. "Keep an eye out in case we get more information on this vigilante, but not enough to detract any of our attention from the saboteurs or our day to day tasks. We will deal with one threat at a time and until Grindelwald's puppets are dealt with, we will have to let these civilian vigilantes go, at least for now. I will go inform Spencer-Moon about the incident today. Shafiq, gather as much information as you can concerning what happened here this morning. I want the first source of information given to the public concerning this incident to be from the DMLE through an official statement."

As Crouch walked away, Shafiq turned to Potter and gestured with his head to the nearby alley. "We are close enough to Knockturn that the locals could have either seen or heard something. At the very least, get some statements from the local Patrol Force, just to be thorough. I don't want the troublemakers to start pointing fingers at them and not have some official statements to throw in their faces. This vigilante counter strike saved who knows how many lives, but for some it will still be a source of concern and a potential source of conflict with the Dark Denicens. Get their statements, gather what evidence there might be, but make it clear that this isn't us blaming them. We want peace in our streets just as much as they do." Euphemia nodded to her boss and headed into Knockturn Alley, speaking with a few of the patrolling force. Like with the indoor market that had cropped up after the street vendors had been accosted, the locals had formed their own patrol forces, usually manned by whichever species could best serve as guards. The Vampires, as expected, formed the bulk of the night time force, while the Hags and Werewolves often patrolled by day. The few Dark Witches and Wizards were often split up between the patrols, with a few retired Aurors overseeing the deployments. The group had been a godsend for the DMLE, as it freed up many of the officers to other assignments across the island.

Speaking to the Hags and the Dark Witches that were in charge of the intermediate shift, it became clear that the attackers had arrived in Knockturn, but as they moved through without attacks or being overtly gathered together, the patrolling force had only stopped a few of them briefly, before letting them go on their way. They had managed to get some identifications from a few of the people, which Euphemia wrote down as it could hopefully lead to some quick matches with the corpses in the morgue. As she finished her last interviews, she stopped for a second to just stand in the Alley, finding it odd how peaceful it was. She poked her head into the indoor market for a second, watching as the vendors were restocking for the day, the few food carts already placing some delicious smelling food on display and stasis, before she gave the guards a polite nod and left. The change in the darker section of Diagon was something that boggled her mind. Sure, it started as a reaction to the fears of the Anti-Dark movement and their inflammatory words, but the community seemed to have only grown more protective of their own, banding together rather than just lashing out. The Hags in particular had grown more comfortable being out in the open, feeling safe in the knowledge that as long as they kept their taste for human flesh curbed, they were free to be themselves. As Euphemia neared the exit of the alley, she paused as she saw a disillusionment charm shiver.

Drawing her wand, Euphemia was about to dispel the magic when the spell faded, revealing Alexander Peverell standing there, a finger to his lips as he gestured to a nearby building. Once inside, Alexander turned to the vampire at the counter. "Mind if the two of us have a quick word in here?" The bald vampire shrugged, his red eyes looking at Euphemia with curiosity. "This one has never been trouble to us, so you two can feel safe here. Just don't take too long. I will charge you for any lost revenue." Alexander nodded, with Euphemia frowning as she walked around, the place looking like a muggle diner. She followed Alexander to a table before privacy wards sprang up, her eyes fixed on the enigmatic Lord Peverell. "Should I assume that you are responsible for the mess a few streets away?" Alexander hummed to himself. "I am afraid I can't share that information. Don't want to cause you any trouble with your bosses. You're a good Auror and ending your career is not in my list of things to do within the near future." Euphemia sighed, her suspicions confirmed in her mind. Noticing her look, Alexander gave her a smirk. "Besides, I don't appear as a living citizen, let alone one that you could summon up any records of. It would be quite hard for you to even try and pin this on me, even if I happened to be the person responsible for the deaths of those traitors. I know since I got notified about your attempts to dig up any information on me."

Euphemia looked away from Alexander's eyes. He wasn't wrong. After his revelation in the summer, she had tried to find any information that the Ministry had on Alexander Peverell. Except that there was no Alexander Peverell in any of the records at the Ministry, going back almost a thousand years. "Sorry, but I needed to do my part." Alexander smiled at her. "No need to apologize. You were doing your diligence in keeping your family safe. Believe me, I would do the same in your place. Now then, I can give you a heads up on what your investigation will find on the identities of the bodies. All but one of them will be locals. The other is a German National, one of Grindelwald's soldiers. I have my feelers trying to trace back his movements to see if we can locate their current base of operations. What information could have been gleaned from his mind was made useless, however, after he injected himself with poison. Your spooks should be able to confirm that too." Euphemia rubbed her face. "They are really trying to make this look like an internal matter." Alexander shrugged. "That they are, but their commanders are all trained soldiers. The best way to catch them all is to cut off their local support. You do that and they will have no choice but to come out in the open." Tapping her fingers against her shoulder, Euphemia looked out through the diner's front window. "The community here is against them, right? They haven't gotten any locals to aid in the attacks?"

Alexander chuckled. "Not entirely, but for the most part, that is the case. The support of the Blacks, not to mention a certain hellion's presence has kept them all happy with the current situation. Were the Ministry open to including Dark Creatures in their ranks, a few might have even volunteered to help the Taskforce." Euphemia frowned as she turned to Alexander. "Lilith? What does she have to do with Knockturn Alley?" Alexander crossed his arms as he leaned back against the seat. "Her Austrian family had a strong connection to the Hags. She has been keeping the local coven appraised and in business, in exchange for their help. They then introduced her to the Vampires. She was the point of contact between the Dark Creatures and Lord Black. As you might imagine, she is now a very well regarded member of the community of Knockturn Alley." Euphemia lowered her eyes. "She doesn't care who she helps, does she? So long as everyone is better for it?" Alexander smiled at Euphemia. "She's hard not to get attached to, isn't she?" Euphemia nodded. "She is. I will wait for the spooks to reveal the information about the attack, but I will make sure we can get started quickly on targeting the local troublemakers. I imagine you will be handling those that don't listen?" Alexander dispelled the wards and handed the vampire a few galleons. "Who can say? All that matters is that our mutual enemies lose their foot soldiers. Then we will see what happens next." Euphemia watched the man leave, paying the vampire a few more galleons herself. If the saboteurs got cornered, things would get bad. Alexander had to know that. Which made her wonder exactly what he had planned for that eventuality. Whatever it was, she probably didn't want to know.

"She's not getting much better, is she?" Cassandra sighed, sparing a look at Lilith across the tables, who was sitting next to the Blacks. Usually that wasn't something that her friend found taxing, but whatever had happened to her during the last Equinox had certainly taken more out of her than the Ravenclaw Seer had expected. The magical storm that surrounded Lilith in Cassandra's eyes only seemed to be getting worse now, with any traces of upcoming events being overwhelmed by Lillian's future memories. Cassandra brought her hand up to feel the pendant that rested beneath her shirt. She had seen the pendant in Lillian's future, around the neck of a blond little girl that she now knew to be her granddaughter, Luna. While Lilith seemed to have many cold or even painful memories of her soul's past self, the ones about Luna stood out by how happy they were. Cassandra blushed softly at the memory of who was surely her granddaughter in an intimate embrace with Lillian, the love they had for each other, while not the love of soulmates, was stronger than most she had ever seen in any other couple, even with a few who seemed to be happily married. Then again, it didn't surprise Cassandra at all that Lillian, now Lilith, could love so deeply. She wasn't sure if it was the absence of love throughout much of her life or if it was finding someone who loved her back just as deeply, but Lilith seemed to be capable of giving so much of herself, without much thought about it, when it was to the people who she cared for.

The best example of that, in Cassandra's eyes, was Tom. What glimpses she had gotten of Tom's former future had been even worse that Lillian's, mainly from his own actions and decisions. And yet, even though Lily clearly knew more about who Tom had once become, she still did everything in her power to aid him. That time that she had almost died at Rosier's hands had terrified Cassandra enough to find Riddle and get his aid. When she caught a fragment of his future, she had been initially terrified of the monstrosity he seemed to become, until that image faded and seemed to be replaced by a regal looking gentleman speaking before the Wizengamot, his face closed off but not without genuine emotion. It was at that moment that Cassandra understood why Lily spent so much time by Tom's side. The person who had become a monster was slowly learning what being human was like, all because of Lily taking her time and guiding him through it slowly. Not that he wanted to wait, of course. A few times in the past weeks she had inadvertently touched Tom and felt the overwhelming desire in him to be with Lilith in a far more intimate way. The way they looked at each other at times made Cassandra yearn to receive that same look from the person who she was currently crushing on. Right now, however, as Samhain drew near, Lily's health was probably more important. No, definitely more important.

Clearing out her mind, Cassandra looked towards Myrtle. "No, she isn't. And Samhain is a week away, meaning she is going to be feeling stressed again, before her condition does a number on her." Myrtle frowned. "Isn't there anything we can do to make her feel better?" Cassandra thought for a second, her eyes locking onto Riddle, as well as the Black family. Lilith tended to either be with them or tinkering with her constructs, but Cassandra felt that what her friend needed now was something a bit more relaxing. She knew that her friend liked listening to music, but that was common enough. She had seemed to like their time in the Prefect's bath together well enough. As an idea started to form in Cassandra's head, she whispered to Myrtle for a bit, before the Great Hall started emptying out as lunch came to an end. She managed to pull Lucretia to the side and get her permission, before contacting the elves. As the classes for the day came to an end, Cassandra, Myrtle, Lucretia and, much to her own surprise, Pomona, were stripping off their robes and getting ready to enter the Prefect's bath, when Lilith walked into the changing room. "What's going on? Hogsby said that you all wanted to see me?" Everyone looked at Cassandra, who fidgeted as she walked up to Lilith. "We all sorta noticed that you haven't been in the best of moods lately and I thought you could use some time to just relax. You seemed to have been feeling better the last time we were all here, before your condition kicked in, and I thought you might like to try it again."

Lilith looked around and found that most of the girls didn't seem to be willing to just let her walk out, especially Lucretia, who definitely seemed to be aware of where her thoughts were going. Sighing, Lilith began to strip and headed to the showers to rinse off some of the grime, before stepping into the large tub. She groaned in relief before flinching as her hair got pulled out of the knot she had made in the shower. "Please, let me." Hearing Cassandra's pleading tone, Lilith decided to just let the girl do whatever it is that she wanted to do. In time, her mind just started to wander as Cassandra combed Lilith's hair with her slender fingers, finding a few knotted strands. The rest of the girls just chatted amongst each other, with Pomona getting a bit more attention as this was her first time in the baths with everyone else. For Cassandra, all that she needed to do was make sure that her friend felt relaxed. Sure, she knew that Lilith and Tom were getting a bit far in their physical relationship, but since they were past a certain point, they both had some measure of nervousness with each other. With the girls, Lillith could just relax and enjoy being pampered, without feeling the need to reciprocate. As she started rebraiding what she swore was a slightly darker shade of red hair, Cassandra could feel the storm around Lilith eb but a little. When her friend pulled her into a hug and thanked her, Cassandra hugged her back. Even if it was just a moment of peace in the storm, it was still a moment of peace. For her friend, she knew it meant a lot more than words could express.

"It is good that you have friends that care so much about your wellbeing, especially of the mind, my dear." Tom smiled softly as he listened to Salazar and Lilith talk as he patted Rene on the head. With the heightened security in the Castle, his excursions to his ancestor's chamber had been few and far between. For Lilith, even more so, which had initially bothered Rene, who still harbored some guilt over Lilith's amputated arm. He actually spent far more time in the chamber over the summer, checking in with Salazar about what the plans had been for the Castle's defense in case of attack. While the Founders' defenses had certainly been built with attacks by magicals in mind, the spells and capabilities of the magical population of the time had been less compared to now. The Castle could hold up well under siege, but its air defenses were limited to locking down all possible entrances and windows, as brooms hadn't been in use during its construction, only flight capable steeds being of concern and the windows and doors were far too large for their entry. Headmaster Dippet had agreed that the Castle's current wards lacked much of anything to impede an attack by modern brooms, which while slower than the broons of Lillian's tenure at Hogwarts, were still faster than most creatures, hency why Dippet had secured the assistance of the Department of Mysteries in finding wards against such possible points of attack. When Tom had informed Lilith of this development, she had initially been pleased, until she realized the full extent that such wards could have, particularly towards her constructs.

Which was why Tom wasn't surprised to see her working on alterations to her constructs to make them immune from the effects of such wards. As he stepped into the Chamber's crafting station, a small alcove hidden behind a false wall just a few steps to the left of the entrance to Rene's nest, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, watching as Lilith used a wooden disc and chalk based sigils to test the resistance of the arrays to external wards designed to inhibit movement by air. She sat back and bit into her index finger nervously as the wooden disk started floating in the air, before she triggered a ward on the desk. The disk seemed to fade for a second before a second sigil from the bottom activated, causing the disk to stabilize and remain in flight. Lilith pumped her arm up in the air. "Yes! I managed to create an anti-magical disruption sigil! If a ward field tries to interfere in the operation of one of my constructs, it will trigger instantly." Salazar clapped his hands from within his portrait. "Well done. I imagine, however, that it will be quite taxing to maintain, especially if you are the source of the construct's magic." Lilith hummed as she sat back. "I suppose it depends on the construct. My plates should be able to ignore it easily enough and even gain some magical resistance from the added sigil. Pandora and Galatea would be a bit more taxing, but not by much. The massive constructs I am working to develop for the war effort… those will be harder to sustain. Good thing I am not trying to make an aircraft magical construct."

Tom chuckled. "Indeed, though I do remember hearing talk about a certain flying car." Lilith turned around, a big smile on her face. After Cassandra's little intervention, Lilith's mood had certainly improved by a bit, for which Tom was quite thankful for. Not only had her bad temperament been impacting her studies, it had also been disrupting her crafting work, which he knew bothered her to no end more than what grades she got for her classes. He could sort of relate, as his studies in everything but Spell Creation had felt… nostalgically dull. "I got the sigil to work! Pandora should have nothing to worry about as soon as I can add it to her core!" Tom approached Lilith and kissed her on her hair. "I and Pandora will be feeling relieved. Now, I believe it is time for your weekly moisturizing session." Lilith pouted. "You have been hanging around Teresa again, haven't you?" Tom rubbed her back in an attempt to placate her. "I have. As your suitor, with a strong hope of being your fiancée one day, I need to be able to take care of you, whatever that might entail." Lilith blushed as she disabled the wards on her desk and the flying disk, before standing up. "So, where to, Salazar?" Giving Tom a thoughtful look, the portrait turned towards Lilith. "The main Chamber. I don't get to speak to Rene all that much being stuck in a room and all. I would very much like to change that."

After placing Salazar next to the edge of the heated pool, with quite a few safety charm based wards applied to the portrait and its stand, Tom sat Lilith down in a conjured sofa at the center of the chamber, under a soft white light they had installed to illuminate the chamber. He watched as Lilith flinched when he disconnected her artificial arm. "It's still a jarring experience?" Lilith nodded as Tom used a cleaning spell over the stump of her arm first, before applying the balm directly with his fingers. While he was certain it would always be an unpleasant experience for Lilith, he could honestly say that he rather liked spreading balm over her skin. Pushing down his wandering thoughts, Tom focused on making sure that he got every inch of the currently exposed skin, before drying up the excess with a cloth. As he reattached Lilith's arm, he looked up, finding those green eyes focused on him. "What?" When her lips pressed up against his, Tom did his best not to make any unbecoming noises, before she pulled back. "I… would you be willing to hold me, after I start the ritual on Samhain? I am afraid my magic could lash out and hurt you, but… I don't want to feel alone while my mind is losing cohesion temporarily." Tom raised up his hand and gently caressed Lilith's cheek, with her leaning into his touch. "I wouldn't mind at all. Though our school healer might have something to say about it." Lilith chuckled but she kept her eyes focused on him. The two lingered in silence, comforted by their physical contact, as Salazar smiled, happy to see his heirs having a moment of peace to themselves.

Before the sculpture of Salazar Slytherin's face, within the Chamber of Secrets, Lillian slumped over, breathing heavily, her black hair matted and wet. She stared at the candles of the Ritual of Calling, watching as each one went out, before all five were extinguished. Tears ran down her face, her nails scraping into the stone of the chamber, as she screamed as loud as her lungs could let her, the pain of the entire summer becoming unleashed as green arcs of light danced over her skin. The scent of her godfather's cologne. That was all that the ritual offered her, despite doing extensive research on finding ways to pierce the Veil and recall the dead. Long hours buried within the Black Family Library, researching every single book on ritual magic that she could find, and all of it was something just short of nothing. Lillian waved her left arm before her, scattering the candles, bowls of magical ingredients and even managing to wipe some of the chalk off the ground from the sheer force of her banishing spell. Even that expenditure of magic did nothing to ease her pain. After clenching her hands, Lillian slammed her fists into the ground, as she began to sob. "Sirius…"

For the last two years, since Lillian had helped him escape from Fillius' office using the Slytherin passageways, the two had been in almost constant communication. Helping him reconcile with his mother's portrait had been hard, taking up much of their first summer together, that is when they weren't cleaning the rest of the Town House from pixies, doxies and a few other magical and non-magical freeloaders. While Lillian had pushed the two to reconcile, it hadn't been exactly for altruistic reasons. So long as Sirius remained a fugitive, he couldn't officially adopt her or become her guardian, which made her living situation very unattainable. Having read up on the laws regarding residency just before his escape from Azkaban, Lillian knew that she needed to spend at least a week at the Orphanage every summer. Her third year had been quite the mess up to that point, with Remus Lupin doing his best to both get Lillian to have some sympathy for him, while also trying to distance her from the students of what she truly believed to be her rightful Hogwarts House. His constant attempts at getting her to make peace with the Golden Trio fell on deaf ears from both sides. With the Dementors running around, leaving her feeling cold and restless and the school constantly going into lockdowns because of what she now knew to be Sirius' attempts at hunting down Pettigrew, Lillian's third year hadn't given her much hope for the future. Holding out a week before she vanished with her godfather into Grimmauld Place had been simple enough, but it wasn't something that she wanted to repeat every bloody year just to return to a Hogwarts that just barely held her interest.

Getting Walburga's portrait to recognize her son as the rightful Lord Apparent was only the first step in keeping her away from the Orphanage. As expected, the woman had information regarding family lawyers and assets, which were instantly put to use as Ted Tonks began to represent Sirius in the Wizengamot, demanding an end to the manhunt and for the DMLE to carry out a proper investigation into what happened between the death of the Potters and Sirius Black's subsequent arrest and swift imprisonment. While Director Bones had been sympathetic and willing to carry out the investigation, the delays on the proceedings because of interference from the Minister for Magic, at the behest of Lucius Malfoy and Bartimus Crouch Sr, kept the case stalled for all of two years. It was only after Sirius' death, with the arrest of several Death Eaters who started to sing in an attempt to get their sentences reduced, did the Minister finally declare Sirius as innocent. For Lillian, of course, it had been far too late. The reading of Sirius' will had granted her ownership of the Black Townhouse, as the Ancestral Home was still in Castle Black, but a dwelling of brick and mortar simply couldn't replace the fact that a man that she had grown to love and care for was now gone. She could still taste the alcoholic beverages he allowed her to sample, hear his voice as he told her stories of his many Hogwarts crushes and their escapades. She had loved every moment they spent together as a family. Her love, however, turned quickly to anger.

She remembered the days after the end of the Triwizard Tournament, when Neville Longbottom returned with the dead body of Cedric Diggory. Lillian had been dreaming about Voldemort for months, feeling his vulnerability, anger and eventual relief. She never told anyone about those dreams, since they didn't bother her all that much. She had been living with anger, hate and disappointment all her life, so the odd flashes of Voldemort's thoughts were of little consequence to her moods after getting some training in Occlumency from Salazar Slytherin's portrait, as well as a few books that Daphne Greengrass had been happy to provide to her in exchange for Lillian's support within the House, with Professor Snape's encouragement, of course. She knew that Voldemort was the person that Tom would eventually become, so she had decided to give him the same courtesy that he had shown her through his own actions during her second year. As the Triwizard Tournament started and she sensed that he would be involved in it, she kept her mouth shut and allowed Neville and Dumbledore to deal with it all on their own. The war between Voldemort and the Hogwarts Headmaster wasn't her problem and it should never have been, until Sirius decided to let the Order hold their meetings in their home. That had been the one time that she actually yelled at her godfather in rage, because he was getting himself, and her by extension, involved in another war. He ignored her concerns and went right back into the fight. A year later, he was dead and she was once more an orphan because of a fight that she had no business getting drawn into.

During their first year apart, Sirius had given her the shard of a broken mirror that allowed her to talk to him whenever they could. On the day that Voldemort and the Order fought within the Department of Mysteries, Sirius had called Lillian to let her know that he was going to help her classmates, even as she told him not to go. She had pulled up the scrying mirror that she found within the Black Townhouse and locked onto him, watching him fight beside Remus and Neville as they battled against Malfoy and some masked grunts, before Bellatrix' voice filled her ears and a bright green curse struck Sirius as he pushed Neville to the ground, his body vanishing into an archway. Then her bowl failed, leaving Lillian in stunned silence. She spent the next few weeks hearing Sirius voice speaking to her in her dreams, before waking up and being reminded that he was gone. The students in Slytherin gave her space when word reached them about the incident in the Ministry, with even Draco being wise enough not to boast about being the first in line to the Black family seat. Sirius had bequeathed her as much of the family funds as he could, so she wasn't feeling strapped for cash or a home, but none of that could fill the giant sized hole he left in her life. Luna was supposed to have been her saving grace, but at the time the two of them had been at odds over her decision to follow Neville to the Ministry, almost getting herself killed in the process. Living in the Townhouse alone during the summer without Sirius brought all the pain of her life at the Orphanage back in full force, even though kicking the Order out to the curb had been extremely cathartic for her.

It was in the deathly silence of the Townhouse after Sirius died that Lillian first began to dabble in the Dark Arts, reading books on Necromancy and summoning the dead. Unfortunately, all of those texts made it clear that without the soul, the body would just be animated by magic that was no different than what magicals already did with animate transfiguration. In her case, there was no body for her to use at all, so that was never a consideration of hers. The only means to speak to the dead were a lost relic of some obscure family as told in the Tale of The Three Brothers, or the Ritual of Calling during Samhain, which had apparently diminished in effectiveness over the centuries. Lillian had hoped that finding the right materials used in the oldest ceremonies would be enough to draw her godfather to her. There was a part of her that wanted to yell at him, curse him for abandoning her just her parents had done before, even as she yearned to have him by her side again. In the end, as Lillian knelt within the dark shadows of the Chamber of Secrets, crying, she knewone of her efforts had ultimately mattered. Months of preparations, purchases and research and pain and all she got was the same result as every other ritual. Nothing but a whisper drawing upon the memories of the living. So Lillian screamed and cried as she found that her lessons from the Orphanage struck home once again. It didn't matter if she did everything right… in the end, she could still fail. In the end, she was always left to be on her own.

Tom held the restless body of his girlfriend against his chest as she went through the trailing effects of the ritual that should bring her condition to an end. She had asked him to stay by his side and he accepted her request, even as Madam Prewett initially complained about the two being in the same bed together after Lilith's magical backlash settled down. When she found that Tom's physical presence actually seemed to reduce Lilith's outburst, the woman agreed to let them share a bed, though she made it clear to Tom that he shouldn't take advantage of Lilith. He had certainly felt a bit insulted by that, and said as much. He might still have the urges that come from being a teenager, but his control was definitely enough to resist doing anything inappropriate. Besides, he could never bring himself to harm Lilith intentionally. Despite Lilith's words and her affection for him, he would always feel a measure of guilt over severing her right arm, let alone what pain Voldemort had caused to Lillian in their previous life. Sure, she was alive and he understood that in his mind she had forgiven him. But his heart… that was another matter. For a brief moment he thought that perhaps his alternate future self had been in the right to abandon emotions like love or affection. He certainly didn't feel any pain when any of his subordinates died. They were merely tools to achieve an end after all. He only really felt his emotions running rampant when it became clear that Neville Longbottom had been hunting Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Though if he looked closely at the fragmented memories, there were quite a few that showed his attention on Lillian Potter, with these having some emotions attached to it. He clearly remembered the moment that Severus Snape stood before Voldrmort that first time since his resurrection at the Little Hangleton Graveyard. His spy had certainly looked conflicted, as Voldemort tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "Well? What has been happening at the school since my absence?" He watched as Snape swallowed, his long black hair as black as his cloak. "Dumbledore has continued coddling the Longbottom child, teaching him to duel a bit earlier than expected and ignoring and dismissing any concern when the brat would inevitably break the rules of the school. It wasn't until the start of the Tournament that the boy seemed to have lost his ability to hide all that well whilst he snuck out to explore the castle." Voldemort hummed as he rubbed his chin with his elongated fingers. "And I believe you know why that is, isn't that right, Severus?" The Potions Master nodded, though he kept his eyes down. "It would seem that Dumbledore had given the Longbottom boy James Potter's Invisibility Cloak. It was how he was able to move about freely for those first three years at Hogwarts. When Sirius Black was readmitted to the Order, he found out about the Cloak and demanded that it be returned to Lillian, as it was her birthright. They must have come to some agreement as the cloak was indeed returned to the girl."

Voldemort chuckled. "Typical of the old man, to betray his subordinates and their will, even in death, all in service of his greater good. Speaking of the Potter child, how has she been doing in Slytherin?" Severus grew thoughtful. "She has gained some confidence since the end of her second year and solidified her support within the House after this last Yuletide. Once the situation with the Chamber of Secrets was resolved, her position wasn't challenged as openly as before, when her Housemates felt that another Parselmouth had proven her to be a false Heir. Her friendship with the Lovegood girl hasn't done her many favors, but she has embraced much of what it means to be a Pureblood witch. Even Lucius' son has recognized her right to rule, at great personal cost, though she seems unwilling to claim the position of Queen of the Slytherin Court." Voldemort hummed to himself. "I haven't had much of a chance to understand what it is that happened with the Chamber of Secrets incident, though if my suspicions are correct, I believe Lucius deserves to endure quite a bit of punishment for disobeying me." Voldemort stood up and walked up to Snape. "I am somewhat pleased to hear, however, that my choice to invest some time into Potter's development in her first year has borne some fruit. Even if she isn't as comfortable as I was in a position of power, the very fact that she is behaving as a proper pureblood witch will earn her quite the place among our supporters and the general population." His red eyes locked onto Snape's. "You will continue to protect her, as we had agreed to in her first year. In time I will approach her myself and determine how best to utilize her for our future plans."

Snape seemed to sag in relief. "Of course… my lord. Though I must confess… she will likely be spending the summer with Sirius Black once more. I initially had some reservations about her doing that the year prior, but she seemed to have received some lessons in edicate from the portraits at the Black residence they were hiding in." Voldemort chuckled. "Then even if she is under Black's care, she is not at risk of losing her progress as a potential Dark Witch. That is good news. While it might seem counterproductive, I think we can inform the others that Black is off limits. It will earn us more goodwill from the girl and it should ease some of Bellatrix' anxiety about attacking her own family." Severus bowed his head. "Your generosity knows no bounds, my lord. I am sure Bellatrix will be pleased, if her mind isn't too far gone from Dementor exposure." The two men had spent much of the night discussing their next plans, but it was Voldemort's behaviour towards Lillian that always seemed to stand out to Tom in his memories. Lillian had been right that his future self had seen himself in her after she arrived at Hogwarts. Her being a Parselmouth and someone who didn't fear the Dark Arts had placed her perfectly in Voldemort's sights. While Longbottom was celebrated as the Boy Who Lived, Lillian herself enjoyed some measure of fame from her parents' death, though the girl never reveled in it like the boy did. Had Voldemort's war succeeded, she would have probably served as a bridge between the general population and the new regime.

Lilith stirring in his arms drew Tom's attention back to the moment, as he stroked her hair in comfort. He felt as tears descended from her eyes before her magic surged. "No… please… don't leave… not again… please! SIRIUS!" Tom held her down as best as he could, her magic leaping off from her body and washing over his own, though he noticed oddly that it didn't seem to harm him at all. Running on instinct, he allowed his own magic to unfurl and wrap around her, though unlike hers, there was no visible light from it. Still, the effect seemed to work as Lilith stilled and relaxed against him again, her head resting comfortably against his chest. Madam Prewett, who had arrived as soon as her patient started screaming again, waved her wand over them both and sighed in relief. "She is alright now. Your magic settled her down quite well." Tom looked up at the Healer. "Do you think I could get a Pepper Up Potion? I think I need to stay awake a bit longer, just to be safe." Teresa searched his face. "Very well, but I am only giving you a small dose. You might not be a patient yet, Mr Riddle, but you are a student. I won't have you endangering your health." Her eyes focused on Lilith then and her expression softened. "Even if it's for a good cause. Wait here." As the Healer went to fetch the potion, Tom's attention returned to Lilith, who seemed to be far more calm now, though at times she would make a sound as if she were sobbing.

He couldn't exactly blame her. Memories of Voldemort's interactions and observations of Sirius Black had turned up a few times, especially in recent weeks. The third man to carry the name in the family, Sirius Black had proven himself a capable Wizard, even if he had dedicated his life to the Order. As an Auror trained by Alastor Moody, the man had been quite effective against the Death Eaters, even killing a few when stunners weren't getting him anywhere. His loyalty to the Potters had been quite well known, though so many of the general population had their doubts due to his family name. When Voldemort attacked the Potter and Longbottom safehouse, suspicion instantly fell on him and the Purebloods who supported the Death Eaters did nothing to stop the man's imprisonment, as the removal of such a talented Auror served their interests. As Voldemort was in no condition to affect the situation, his thoughts on the matter were moot. After he recovered his body, however, there was a bit of contention as to how to handle Black. He wasn't opposed to letting the Ministry dump all of the activities of the reconstituted Death Eaters on Black's lap, it certainly made moving about a bit easier. His orders to leave Black alone, however, weren't as well received by Malfoy, who wanted his son to inherit the Black family wealth. Since Malfoy had failed in keeping the diary safe and lost Voldemort one of his Horcruxes, the Dark Lord found himself… unmotivated to aid the man's ambitions.

Then the war started to heat up again, and the matter of Black's actions became more pressing. The use of Longbottom's blood in Voldemort's resurrection had created some form of connection between the two of them, a connection that Voldemort exploited by feeding the boy useless information, which only served to create greater tension within the Order as they got dragged into a few unnecessary battles. When it came to retrieve the prophecy, Black had gone off to save the Longbottom boy with the rest of the Order. Voldemort had ordered that Black was to be spared, but the man was caught in a killing curse aimed at the boy. Even as he prepared to confront the brat, he felt the moment that Lillian's heart broke through the link that existed between them, a link he had felt no need to expose or utilize at all at the time. Bellatrix herself was clearly out of sorts after she inadvertently killed her cousin, refusing to take part in any raids during the summer. The woman eventually continued to fight, though she was a lot more careful about what curses she used. Lillian's behaviour, however, had changed drastically. She became far more withdrawn and disinterested in the conflict around her and instead focused on herself and the students of Slytherin who, like her, were losing family members. Voldemort had found the change puzzling though not entirely unwelcome. It would only serve to improve the plans he had been contemplating for her.

For Tom, watching, hearing and feeling all the plans his alternate self had made for Lillian made him feel conflicted. On the one hand, he was glad that Lillian was kept away from the conflict that left her bereft of family twice over. On the other hand, the fact that he had planned to take advantage of the girl's kindness and apparent neutrality to suit his own ends had made Tom aware that he too had looked at Lilith the same way, at least initially. In fact, the only reason that Tom's attitude towards Lilith had changed had been because of her actions in his favor and the way she carried herself. Her defiance of Rosier, despite her limitations, her ability to make calculated decisions that didn't impede her personal relationships. But above all, the kindness that lingered in her heart, despite everything that Voldemort and Grindelwald had done to strip her of any family in either Lillian's or Lilith's life, the way that she could still care about others, especially Tom, when she could have simply stepped away from the fighting and let the world destroy itself again. How could Tom not have fallen for her? Though there were moments he had wondered if he had been more interested in Lillian or Lilith, he decided that in the end it didn't matter. As he pulled his girlfriend into a tighter hug and kissed her hair, Tom could honestly say that what mattered was that she liked him back. For that, he would do his best to atone for Voldemort's sins against her, for as long as he could.

Chapter 37: Civility in Times of War

~"Aguamenti!"~ Tom felt his magic respond but it then seemed to grow still after he completed the wand movements and incantation for the Aguamenti spell, under Dippet's supervision in the Spell Creation classroom. The old man rubbed his beard as he watched the spell fail to manifest. "Interesting. Latin based incantations became the norm for much of the European Magical World, but it doesn't seem to translate well when used as the base spell casting for a Parselmouth." Tom looked towards the Professor. "From what I understand, the languages used by the other magical communities of the world all seem to share the same reality in that they are the general language spoken by the population, at least in their past." Dippet nodded. "That is quite true. All the Latin and Greek based spells can be traced back to the ages when the languages were spoken quite commonly. Even newer spells that have their verbal component drawn from these ancient languages could be seen as an extension of the old tongues." Tom frowned and looked at the Yew Wand held in his hand. "If that's true, then would that make the verbal component of most spells… inconsequential? Because it would mean that there are no true magical languages, just languages that become associated with magic." Dippet chuckled as he placed his hands behind his back. "That is well put, Mr Riddle. However, there are magical languages, they just aren't spoken by the general population, simply because they cannot be. Fae, Mermish, Draconic and, of course, Parseltongue."

Tom rubbed his thumb against his wand. "If that's true… then rather than using the other languages as a base, I need to use the base Parseltongue words as the verbal incantation itself. Though, how have I not been casting spells in Parseltongue by accident in the past?" Dippet raised an eyebrow. "Ahh, but how certain are you of that? Perhaps you have been casting some spells without realising, such as when you are opening the hidden passages that Salazar left behind. Then again, for a spell to truly form, you need to have proper visualization of what the spell will do in your mind. This is the heart of Spell Creation. Taking what you have learned over the last five years of study at Hogwarts and inverting it." Tom smiled softly. "Beginning at the end. No wand movements, no defined verbal incantation, just magic, will and imagination." Dippet nodded as he stepped back. "Indeed. Now focus your mind, find the words that feel right with the action you desire and let your magic make it happen." Taking a deep breath, Tom aimed his wand down at the barrel in front of him and closed his eyes. He felt the magic inside of him come alive as he focused on the image of a stream of cold, clean water rushing out of his wand and filling the barrel. He allowed his thoughts to wander, searching for the right words. Lilith's musings as she worked on her plates came to mind. "I could make a plate that could do everything that I want it to, but doing so would weaken the overall strength and resilience of them. Simplicity can be far more effective, especially when you only have one goal in mind."

Simplicity. ~"Stream of water."~ Tom felt his arm thrusted back against his shoulder, followed by the spray of cold water covering his face, before he drew his magic back. He rubbed his face to keep the water from his eyes, before looking around, seeing that he had covered much of the immediate desks of the Spell Creation classroom in water. He looked towards the Headmaster but found him perfectly dry, his hand held before him in a shielding gesture and an amused smile on his face. "A bit too much magic and will in that first attempt, wouldn't you say, Mr Riddle? Still, we seem to be on the right path." Tom blushed lightly as he casted the drying charm over his person and the surrounding areas. "My apologies, Professor." Dippet chuckled. "Nothing to apologize for. There is a reason we start with rather innocuous spells first. Much easier to dry up some excess water than putting out some flames or knitting together some open wounds." Tom turned his attention back to the task and repeated the incantation in Parseltongue a few more times, refining the control he had over his magic, until it felt like he was getting the same result as the Aguamenti spell. Armando waited for him to finish switching between the two. "Well?" Tom thought about how the two spells felt. "It's… odd. The latin based spell feels slower and with a higher drain on my magic. The Parseltongue spell felt smoother, easier to cast. I spent more time restraining the magic, rather than drawing on it for the spell."

Dippet hummed to himself. "An interesting observation. Either the language strengthens the connection between spell and caster, or whatever magic inherent to the language itself is used in the spell, rather than having the magic be drawn from the caster in its entirety. A topic that will likely result in much debate in the Magical Academic Institutions should you ever publish your observations. Would you be willing to try another spell? Perhaps a levitation spell?" Tom blinked as he looked at Dippet with curiosity. "Why that spell?" Dippet smiled at him. "There is a reason it's among the earliest spells that a first year learns. It has a defined wand motion and verbal component that have been analyzed and correlated with the behaviour of the spell. We can determine if the wand motions actually affect the spell casting in Parselmouth, or if they are superfluous." Tom nodded and aimed his wand at the now empty barrel. "Levitate."As expected, the barrel went up in the air quickly, though Tom's previous practice with the Aguamenti spell prepared him for the excessive strength in the spell and kept the barrel from smashing into the roof. After a few more practices using and omitting the wand movements, Tom lowered the barrel back to the ground. "I am not sure about the wand motions being required. I didn't feel much of a difference. Then again, I hardly feel a difference with or without the wand movements using the Latin incantation."

With the sound of the bell signaling the end of the class period, Tom holstered his wand as Dippet waved his hand, reorganizing the desks back into their proper place. "Perhaps that would be a better test for a younger Parselmouth, one whose magic has yet to fully mature, as yours seems to have already. Still, this was an enlightening experience for me and I hope for you as well. If you wish to practice other spells, remember to have someone there to make sure you don't suffer any unexpected injuries. Teresa and Poppy might be willing to care for all students, but that doesn't mean they will let you off without a stern talking to for ending up in the Hospital Wing for preventable reasons." Tom chuckled as he picked up his bag and pulled the strap over his shoulder. "Believe me Professor, Madam Prewett has said as much to me and Lilith. I will see you in two weeks." Dippet nodded. "Good. See if you can make some arithmetic calculations on how the spells you practiced today performed and decide what other spells you would like to develop using Parseltongue. Until we meet again." Tom closed the classroom door behind him, before making his way through the corridors, feeling far more confident than he remembered ever feeling before. Being able to not only cast in Parseltongue, but to do so openly and with a supportive Professor who was interested in seeing his skills with Parselmagic improve, was like something out of a dream. A dream he hoped would never come to end.

Lilith narrowed her eyes at Cassandra as the two sat through another dull class of Arithmancy. While Professor Croaker went over the intricacies of using the equations as a means of predicting the end result of three spells interacting on a physical target, the redhead couldn't focus on the class all that much. Over the last few weeks, Cassy had been integral in helping Lilith through the after effects of the last two rituals designed to synchronize her magics. Since this process affected her mind, it had left her feeling out of touch with reality, even with Tom's calming presence. Cassy's insistence in taking relaxing breaks, either in the Council of Walpurgis chambers or in the Prefect's bath, had helped as Lilith could easily relax with her around. It brought back so many wonderful memories of Luna doing the same for her a few months after Sirius' death before they restored their relationship, so Lilith had been happy to indulge Cassandra's concern, knowing that she was right. Now, after getting her memories a bit more under control, Lilith had been able to pay attention to Cassy's own behaviour and noticed something was off. Every once in a while, Cassandra would look to her side and stare at Myrtle, before she snapped out of whatever it was that she was seeing and refocus on the class. Lilith had already caught her doing this several times, which had her worried.

As soon as the bell rang, Lilith followed her friend into the girl's bathroom. "Is something going to happen to Myrtle again?" Cassandra nearly jumped out of her skin. "Lily! Don't do that! Has anyone ever told you that you are really quiet when you move?!" Lilith thought for a second, scratching her chin. "Tom does. Either he doesn't notice I am there or he says something about the silence of the grave making him aware of my presence." Cassandra sighed. "Not sure that is a compliment. Anyways, no, I am not seeing anything dangerous in Myrtle's future." Lilith blinked, not sensing a lie in Cassandra's words. Not that she ever seemed to lie. "Then why did you keep staring at her during class?" Cassandra turned away from her friend, though not fast enough that her blush went unnoticed. "No reason. Say, did you finish Professor Ross' assignment on imps?" Lilith sighed, before pulling Cassandra into a hug. "No, and I would be happy to complete it with you, but I want you to be honest with me. Do you have a crush on Myrtle?" Cassandra sighed, finding no way of getting out of the situation. "Maybe…? I am not sure." She was able to turn around and look Lilith in the eyes, before avoiding her gaze. "I never really thought about her that way, you know? I was more worried about her dying and wanting to be there for her as a friend. But now that all the death omens are gone and she seems to be growing into her own…"

Lilith smiled at her friend. "Now you are wondering if there could be something more. So, why don't you approach her?" Cassandra shook her head. "I can't." Lilith frowned. "Why not?" Cassandra rubbed her arm. "I never entered into a relationship with Myrtle in Lillian's time. If I do so now… Luna might never be born. I… I don't want to prevent that from happening." Lilith froze for a second, her best friend's face flashing before her eyes. Cassandra wasn't wrong, at least not exactly. If she did pursue a relationship with Myrtle, and it turned out fine, it could change whether or not Pandora would be born. Hell, Lilith had no idea if Xenophilius was even going to be born right now, from all the changes she had made to the history. At the same time… there was a part of Lilith that hoped that these people that she once knew as Lillian would still be born, one way or another. Lilith released a deep sigh, trying to cast away some of her own apprehension. "Cassy, I know that Luna has become very important to you. She is very important to me too. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her in some way. The same as I miss my godfather. Because of me, his life has already been irrevocably changed. He might never be born at all. But I refuse to believe that to be the case. Even if he is born a decade later, I believe he will still be born. The same will be for Luna and her mother. Whether it's going to happen with Myrtle, or another person altogether, what matters is that you live your life as you see fit."

Pulling her friend back into a tight hug, Lilith ran her hand down Cassy's back. "What you saw of Lillian's life should be nothing more than a guideline, of things to do and not do. I know for a fact that you will be a different mother than you were before, because you have a different understanding as to what your gift means to you. The world around you will hopefully be different too. So please, if this is something you want to pursue, then do it for your own sake. Whether it happens or not, I will be there to support you." Seeing that her words only did so much, Lilith decided to add one last thing. "If it helps, Luna's last words to me were "when we meet for the first time again, promise me we will still be friends." Do you think she would have been able to say that if she didn't feel sure that whatever happened, she would still be born?" Cassandra looked up at that, searching Lilith's eyes, before tears started rolling down her eyes. She rested her face into Lilith's chest, crying, as Lilith rubbed her head gently. It was an odd experience for her. As Lillian she had been forced to learn to conceal her emotions, though if she ever cried, it was because of pain overwhelming her control. Yet she knew that Cassandra wasn't crying in pain, but in joy. Her tears were born from the weight of the future coming off from her shoulders. For a Seer, seeing the past, present and future was a heavy burden. Even Lilith could understand the relief that came when some of that burden was lifted.

"Orion! Tell that bird of yours to let go of the snitch!" Lilith smiled as she watched the black feathered raven land on Orion's shoulder, the golden and clearly agravated snitch caught in its beak, as Alessia brought her broom closer to the stands, her Slytherin green robes moving a bit in the cold wind. How the girl enjoyed being on a broom while being from a naturally warm region, Lilith could never really understand. Then again, she herself favored warm rooms over the biting cold of the snow, so maybe the young third year Italian refugee found the cold more appealing to her. Orion looked to his familiar and ran his hand down her beak. "Alright, Artemis. You had your fun. It's her job to catch the snitch, so let it go on its way. I promise you, if she loses it, you can go and fetch it yourself." The bird cawed, releasing the snitch, which proceeded to dart away at blindingly fast speeds, while Alessia glared at her yearmate. "And I am not going to lose it!" Orion smiled at her. "Of course not, Signorina de Francesco. I would never presume that you would fail." The young girl blushed slightly, saying "Good!" before darting away to return back to the Quidditch practice. As Lilith sat back again, the young raven turned its eye to look at her, before Lilith raised her finger. "Don't even think about it. Your other half can only excuse you so much before the girl gets angry at you."

Hearing the disappointed caw from his avian familiar, Orion looked back towards her. "What, it's just a bit of fun." Lilith raised an eyebrow at him. "To you two, maybe. To Alessia, playing Quidditch means something to her. It's a way for her to break free from what was usually expected from an Italian young lady of a Magical background, not to mention a way to push back on her own anxieties. With the war spreading onto Italian soil, she is really worried about her family. She needs this to just relax and have fun. There is a time and a place for harmless fun, but this isn't it." Orion frowned but nodded, rubbing his raven's chest feathers. "Sorry, Artemis. You will have to look for something else to play with." Seeing the disappointed look on the bird, Lilith sighed as she detached one of the plates hidden on her lower arms. "Here, Artemis. Catch it if you can." The raven perked up as her eyes latched onto the floating disk, before it darted away towards the Castle, the black feathered bird close behind as it cawed happily. Orion smiled at Lilith. "Thanks for that. I never had any idea how hard it was going to be to care for a Familiar." Lilith smiled at him. "It's a bit like looking after a part of the family, isn't it? You have to do more than just feed her. I imagine getting a Raven has its own difficulties, though having to deal with whatever shiny objects she brings home is a lot better than the fact that Galatea and Pandora are always bringing in living rats and mice."

Orion chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose it could be worse. Still, I never thought getting Artemis would be such a big deal. Great Uncle Cygnus even sent me a letter… before…" Lilith nodded as rubbed Orion's back. "I know." The passing of Cygnus Black wasn't entirely unexpected. His health had already deteriorated quite far by the time summer came around. The Black children all managed to see him in good spirits at the Black Summer Estate in the Hebridean Islands, before he passed away. Lilith had agreed to join them for the funeral in the graveyard at Castle Black, and had watched as even the former Lord Black looked stricken with grief. The former head of the family had been allowed to be at the funeral, though he was under careful watch by his brother, the elder Arcturus, who had been watching him since January. The man gave Lilith quite the glare, before he tried to yell at Marius, Callidora and Cedrella, all of whom had come to pay their respects, before the old man got whisked away and the two women left with barely a spoken word. The younger Arcturus had been doing his best to put the family back together again, with Marius eventually warming up to the family once more, even getting his own children to meet the rest of the Blacks. Callidora and Cedrella, however, were giving him a harder time, due to the politics that their husbands were taking at the Wizengamot. While Arcturus had made it clear that he was putting family above politics, the same sentiment was not shared by the two women, who left the funeral as soon as the slab of black marble was sealed in place.

"So, are you still interested in joining her up there?" Orion looked up at the Quidditch team, practicing their flying routine while dodging a few Bludgers, with Flint running Alessia through the best way to pull out from dives in the different sections of the pitch. "I don't know. Riding a broom is fun, but I don't particularly like the idea of taking a hit from a Bludger. I know Dad got Mom to be more open minded about it for my sake, but…" Lilith hummed to herself. "Well, before we met, I was at a Quidditch game and still got hit by a Bludger in the stands, so I can tell you that the safest place to avoid the buggers is behind the Castle's walls. Other than that, you have quite a bit to pick from. Slughorn would love to mentor a proper apprentice in Potions, Ross might not be looking to teach anyone the family trade, but there are plenty of research projects with creatures. Or, if you are still interested, you can work with me and my projects." Orion turned to look at Lilith. "You'd actually let me work on something, not just on a clay set and proof of concept box?" Lilith pouted at the boy. "First of all, that clay Raven that you made was beautiful. I am sure even Artemis could agree. Second, since I already made an owl, I wouldn't mind letting you actually try and make a proper Raven. I am actually working on something that won't connect the constructs as deeply to the owner as Galatea and Pandora are, so it should help keep Artemis feeling special, while you can keep practicing the craft."

Orion looked back up at the players, his eyes focused on Alessia as she almost tumbled while celebrating the fact that she caught the snitch, while the team clapped at her. The small smile on his face made Lilith wonder if there was something in the water at Hogwarts this year. When he looked towards her, Lilith had a good idea what he would say. "Do you mind if I take my time to think it over?" Lilith smiled at the youngest member of the Black family. "Take as long as you need and don't feel like I am backing you into a corner. Whatever you decide, remember to think about your own happiness and fulfillment first. Your family will understand, as will I, even if you end up changing your mind down the road." Orion nodded and rested his weight against Lilith. "Thanks. I know that you are right about it all, but sometimes… sometimes it doesn't sink in until you actually hear the words." Lilith kissed his hair gently. "I know. Now, I am going to go inside before fate decides that I need a second Bludger strike in my lifetime as a non-player. Pull that scarf tightly around your neck and when you see Alessia taking a break, offer her a cup of hot chocolate. You know where the Hogwarts kitchen is, after all." Orion nodded as he pulled his scarf tightly around his neck. "Thanks, I will. See you later, cous!" Lilith waved at him goodbye, before taking a look at the players practicing a flying pattern. It was moments like these that made Lilith glad to be back. In Lillian's last year, all games had been cancelled, as had the year prior. With the war going on now, it was only a question of if that were to happen again. For their sake, Lilith would do anything to keep the war away from Hogwarts. Anything.

"Arcturus, you have a visitor." The young Lord of the House of Black groaned as he had just finished answering the massive stack of documents that Gringotts had dropped off concerning the Family's investment portfolio. After taking over from his father, he had ordered a full investigation into what the family was investing in. Aside from the family vineyards in Southern France, much of the money was spent within the British Isles. What Arcturus hadn't liked learning was that a few investments were used as loans towards members of the extremists. He had, however, been able to use that information to his advantage, as it became clear that very few of these families could pay back the loans that they had received from Sirius. Being destitute was far more terrifying to these people than whatever Rosier or Grindelwald could do to threaten them, so he was able to get a few more members of the Dark Faction to abandon the extremist agenda. A few other investments, however, were quickly terminated, especially the ones that sought to increase the supply of creature components for either potions or wandmaking by breeding them in less than legal conditions. He had felt no guilt whatsoever when he was able to hand the information to the DMLE, before the managers of the illegal enterprise were quickly put out of business, a few now serving time in Azkaban. He did, however, like what he saw from the Knockturn Alley investment that he had approved of.

Not only was the new marketplace far safer for anyone to visit, including with the kids, but the actual products were now of better quality. Arcturus had been pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of poultices that the Hags concocted and had available. While Hogwarts had discontinued many of the Witchcraft courses, except for Potions, the Hags had apparently retained and continued to perfect the practice all on their own. His uncle Cygnus had actually benefited from a poultice that reduced some of the fatigue that plagued him, allowing him to breathe more comfortably, which certainly made him far more pleasant to be around in his final days for Polux and Irma. The recent attack in Diagon Alley had, fortunately, not drawn as much attention as it could have. While the loss of any innocent bystanders is a travesty, the fact that the perpetrators didn't get away with the crime did much in diminishing the venom in the Anti-Dark movement's condemnation, though the question as to who did the deed remained. These vigilantes had already intercepted two more attacks, these directed towards the muggle population, all stopped before they could do too much damage to the civilians. Arcturus had a suspicion as to who might be behind the counter offensives, but he wasn't going to voice it. The name Peverell, while forgotten by the general population, definitely carried a lot of baggage among the Dark Families, even now.

Melania knocking on the door drew his attention. "Our guest is waiting for you in the lounge." Arcturus raised an eyebrow at that. It was unusual for Melania to invite the guests into the lounge alone. Locking his office door, Arcturus followed his wife down to the first floor, before she opened the door to the lounge area, revealing the seated form of Henry Potter, his eyes taking in the room from his position on the sofa, before he stood up as Arcturus entered. "Lord Black. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." Arcturus shook his head. "Not at all, Henry." As he sat down, Kreacher popped in, placing a tray of tea and biscuits on the coffee table, before disappearing, as Melania served the tea. "I hope you don't mind if I join you two." Henry smiled at her. "Why would anyone mind having such lovely company, my dear?" As she sat down, Arcturus sat back. "I am surprised you arrived on your own. I have often seen you with your daughter-in-law by your side." Henry chuckled as he raised his cup of tea. "Fleamont thought it best to surprise her with a quiet day back at the manor. All these terrorist attacks have put quite the strain on the Aurors that remained to keep the DMLE operational. I found myself with a very present need to leave them to a bit of peace and quiet." Melania smiled at that. "Well, I am sure she has earned it. Have you heard anything from your other son?" Henry laughed. "Believe me, Charlus sends letters home whenever he can, often speaking about his lovely Healer and his attempts at getting her undivided attention. Even with the two of them engaged, he can't seem to stop himself."

Arcturus took a sip of his tea. "Well, with Dorea, it's very much the same as always, asking about the family. She has never been the love struck type, so she only ever gives a passing comment about your son. Quite the pair they make." Henry waved his hand. "I am not surprised. Our family has been known for men pursuing seemingly unavailable women. The tale of Hardwin's quest to win Iolanthe Peverell's hand in marriage is almost as thrilling as the romantic stories of medieval knights." Arcturus lowered his cup. "Speaking of Peverells, what is that distant relation of yours up to?" Henry pursed his lips. "A bit, actually. He has kept our family aware of movements on the continent by the Hexenmeisters. He even met with my sons and was able to get a secure means of communication with Charlus, so that his group of Peacekeepers could avoid getting caught by surprise. Other than that, Euphemia has shared with me her suspicion as to his private activities. I am sure you can guess, considering the Peverell's were quite famous for their less than peaceful means of dealing with threats to our community." Arcturus looked towards his wife. "Records say that the Wizard's Council lost many family seats to the Peverells during their last great period of activity, before they vanished at the dawn of the sixteenth century. They took their oath to the crown and the Council very seriously and all who crossed either were soon lost to the annals of time."

Melania hummed to herself, before looking at Henry. "Our family holds to some of their ideals, but we have never been as infamous for it. Still, it is comforting, in a way, knowing that a Peverell is keeping the country safe. It says a lot about the situation we are in, as well." Arcturus nodded. "True, though it says a lot about our time traveler as well. I am not sure if she has informed you, but she has had a difficult time correcting the effects of her condition, though some improvement has been noticed of late." Henry sighed. "No, I was not told. While our family is more than glad to call her a Potter, she hardly sends us letters." Melania lowered her cup of tea onto her saucer. "She hardly sends us letters, unless it's about something she deems important. I wouldn't take it too personally. From my interactions with her, she is quite single-minded and driven. Her focus is on the Schwarzwald family and her ability to help the war effort in some way." Henry frowned. "I wonder if that is why Charlus is focusing some of his attention on intelligence reports regarding troop movements near the Austrian Alps. With the Italian campaign stalling a bit and the Soviets just barely taking Kiev, it did seem odd to me that his Peacekeepers would seek out information on that territory." Arcturus tried to remember what he read from Aquilla's letters concerning the region. "I doubt the focus is on anything Grindelwald left behind. Perhaps there is something about the region that makes it hard to sustain a military presence. If it's safe, maybe it could be a launching point for an attack against Grindelwald directly."

Henry rubbed his chin. "Perhaps. There have always been whispers of Grindelwald having a fortress deep in the mountains. I always found it odd that he made such a devastating attack against the von Schwarzwald family. Perhaps it had less to do about securing or eliminating a possible enemy, and more about securing his hidden base from possible incursions." Arcturus frowned. "It would make sense. While the von Schwarzwald family were deeply isolated in the magical community, word was that they had a deep connection to the surrounding regional villages. Such a connection would only be possible with an exceptionally well developed sense of the terrain that they inhabited. If that knowledge and expertise could have been used against Grindelwald, he was less than likely to just let them pose a future threat and would have acted swiftly to keep his position hidden. Which would make Lilith's knowledge of her Estate and her ability to reach it all the more pressing." Henry sighed. "I just hope my son won't get caught in something… unpleasant. That region was known to be dangerous and that was with the von Schwarzwald family keeping it under control. Who knows in what state it is currently." Melania spoke up into the silence left by Henry's statement. "Well, enough about such dreary subjects. Dorea and Charlus have both expressed an interest for a summer wedding. If all goes well and the war is a thing of the past, would you be opposed to their wedding being in the Black Chateau and Vineyard? We have a lovely view of the Mediterranean coast." Henry smiled at that. "That certainly sounds delightful."

"Still planning that party you discussed at the staff meeting, Horace?" The young Potions Master lowered his glass of wine back onto the staff table within the Great Hall as the students had their dinner. He looked at Theseus, surprised with the fact that the older gentleman had decided to sit by his side. He was often more comfortable sitting besides Professors Croaker and Bierley on the other side of the table, so when he switched places with Melia, it had made Slughorn a bit curious. "I am. As I stated with the rest of the staff present, I believe the school could use a bit of civil merriment, especially in these trying times." Ross pulled out his flask and took a sip. "It is a fine idea, but besides yourself and Greengrass, there was little chance of either Doge or Dumbledore going along with it. Doge is very much a stickler for tradition, meaning he won't lift a finger to do anything that wasn't covered by the Hogwarts Charter and Dumbledore…" Horace sighed. "Is being very reserved right now. I can sort of see why, with him being dismissive of the threat these infiltrators are posing for the country, calling them nothing more than rogue Dark Wizards from the Dark Faction, which has alienated him quite a bit from both the Light and the Neutrals. As beneficial to his image as a Yuletide party might seem, it wouldn't do much to better his standing among the families."

Theseus grunted. "Yeah, which was why I wanted to ask if you would be willing to open up your party to welcome more than just Slytherin students. I got approached by a few Gryffindors who would like to enjoy a party with their friends, before heading home, since most of the Magical Families will be going on lockdown during the Yuletide Break." Slughorn rubbed his chin. "It wouldn't be too difficult. I would have to ask Dippet for a larger chamber to use, not to mention having either the Prefects or other Professors to escort the students from the Dorms to and from the party, but it should be fine." He looked towards Theseus. "Sure, why not. Though I hope you understand that you practically volunteered yourself for being the Gryffindor House Chaperone. Though I am curious if that was your intention from the beginning." Ross closed the lid to his flask. "Not exactly. I figured that Dumbledore wouldn't be overjoyed about his students mingling with yours, so it would likely fall onto me. Though I know what you are thinking and I highly doubt she will attend, even if she were personally invited to the party." Horace sighed but nodded. "Then you have my apology, for thinking you had an ulterior motive." Theseus chuckled. "Apology accepted. So, aside from the Staff, who else knows about your planned party?"

Slughorn shrugged. "I am not foolish enough not to ask my students as to whether or not they would like to have a gathering that involves them. While I only asked a few, naturally, I assume that all of Slytherin knows by now. Though I am sure a few will be relieved to know that their intended dates will be able to join them, if they were from another Hogwarts House." He then gave Ross a knowing look. "Though if you are asking about a certain young lady, she was the least vocal about the whole party discussion." Theseus smiled a little. "I am not surprised. The family never favored the austentatious magical gatherings of the Continent, so it's no wonder she isn't enthusiastic about this one." Horace hummed to himself. "Well, I certainly hope that she and Mr Riddle decide to grace us with their presence. It will be good practice, for the future Lord Slytherin, if he joins the Dark Faction, as is expected of his Ancient and Noble House." Ross looked towards the Slytherin table, and the pair that never seemed too far from each other. "And I imagine that if she doesn't show up, there will be plenty of ladies that would be fighting over the honor of having a dance with him, let alone being on his arm for the evening. She won't be happy about that." Horace took a sip from his drink. "I don't imagine she will. Still, Miss von Schwarzwald might surprise us all. I am certainly looking forward to the night in question. So, I imagine you will be needing some liquid courage. Any particular brand I should bring?" Theseus waved his hand. "As much as I would enjoy sampling your extensive collection of alcoholic beverages, I think I will keep myself as functional as possible." Horace smiled at that. "And here I remember your son talking about all those times that you got drunk, even on your expeditions. I distinctly remember that you were there for his first drunken bender."

Theseus smiled at the memory. "I offered all my children a chance to get drunk. My daughter Isobel refused, but the rest took up my offer. Acamas has since been building quite the collection from all of his journeys in every corner of the world. He has surpassed my own by quite a bit." Horace smiled at that. "Times have changed much since your own escapades, so I am not surprised that he has found many more suppliers. I would send him a letter, but I hardly hear him standing still long enough for a letter to reach him." Theseus shrugged. "I never did in my days. There is a reason that our family has always entrusted our seat in the Wizengamot to Proxies." Horace raised an eyebrow at that. "You could have taken the seat yourself. There is nothing stopping you, not even your position here." Theseus shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I trust my daughter-in-law to know her way in the Assembly without me meddling in her affairs. My wife trained her, after all. Besides, with the way things are in the Wizengamot, I wouldn't last a day without casting a curse at someone." Horace smiled as he raised his glass. "Now that I can easily believe." Though the two chatted more about his heir's escapades, Theseus' eyes would always linger on his granddaughter's form. While the Ross' family was known to never sit still for long, they never truly felt separated by distance. Which is why he hated that he could be within the same building as his granddaughter and still feel so distant from her. He took another swig from his flask, letting the heat of the alcohol rush down his throat, as he tried to chase the coldness that lingered in his heart away. It never left him for long.

Chapter 38: A Brewing Winter Storm

"By the gods!"… "her dress is beautiful!"… "Wanna bet she gets more invitations for Beltane?"… Lilith felt her face grow warm under the attention of the other party goers as she walked into the room, her left arm wrapped around Tom's right arm. He bent his head down a bit to whisper to her. "See? I wasn't exaggerating. You look absolutely stunning." Lilith's face went even redder. She had never wanted to come to another party dressed up. While she would never regret taking Luna as her date to the Yule Ball, she hadn't exactly enjoyed the whole aspect of parading one's self for the enjoyment of others, even when receiving compliments from people who had no intention of treating her any differently outside of the dance floor. She had been ready to avoid going to Slughorn's party this time around, when she felt Tom's eyes land on her the moment it was announced. A party like this would be exceedingly important for him, as it would be his first outing into the more public circles of the Ancient Magical Family. If she was absent, it would certainly affect his image as they were in a somewhat publicly acknowledged courtship. It would also leave him open to the advances of the daughters to the other magical families, which was something that Lilith had no intention of permitting. So, despite her own feelings towards parties that required her to dress up, she had accepted the invitation and then made the arrangements to get a dress ready.

Since Lilith had anticipated that Tom would be dragged into such events, they had made sure that he had his pick of clothes, with just a few adjustments being done to it by Lucretia, who had been rather happy that they had asked her for her services. Her experience with enchanted clothing certainly showed, as the clothes that Tom had initially purchased had been in need of some degree of resizing, as he had bulked up and gotten a few inches taller, exceeding some of the self adjusting enchantment's limitations. Lilith had no such clothes, as she hadn't wanted to be dragged into such activities, which is why she had to ask Alexander for a set. The man eventually sent her what would certainly be a rather… atypical dress, even in the magical community, though one that she certainly liked. The dress itself was form fitting, so it had no need for any adjustments. It also made the wearing of certain undergarments impossible, as it would ruin the look. When she stepped out into the Slytherin Common Room, where Cygnus and Lucretia were giving Tom a few final tips about proper edicate, she certainly felt a bit nervous. However, when Tom's eyes fixed on her, she suddenly felt quite warm. The dress certainly showed off her curves quite well, though the black cape made it seem less revealing as it hid her silhouette from just above her hips. The dress itself was strapless, the color shifting between green or black depending on the way the light interacted with it. She was wearing a choker of the same material, to which she had attached the locket that Tom had given her much earlier in the year. Both her arms were wrapped in black gloves that went all the way up to her upper arm, hiding her artificial arm in its entirety.

Tom, wearing a very muggle looking black suit with a tie that Lilith had provided him that matched her dress, walked up to her and lifted up her hand in his, before kissing it on the palm. "You are absolutely beautiful tonight. I am tempted to skip the party all together." Lilith pouted a little. "After all the trouble I went through to get into this dress and to get my hair into a proper braid, you better not." Tom looked at the braid of red hair that rested on her left shoulder. "I personally think you look better with it hanging loose." Lilith blushed a little. "Yes, well, that is a look you might get to see later, once the party is over." Tom smiled. "Then I look forward to that." Cygnus cleared his throat. "You two lovebirds done? We are already a bit late to the party where everyone is waiting, since they decided to go ahead as none of us need an escort, being Prefects and all." He looked towards his cousin, who was wearing a dress that was a bit of a mix between a more traditional dress and something closer to what Lilith was wearing, though hers was clearly black, with beautiful gold trimmings that she added to the dress herself. "And one of us is the Head Girl, so there was no worry about our safety. Now, come along. I had to let Druella go first with Alphard, Malfoy and Nott." Tom turned towards Cygnus, while presenting his arm to Lilith. "And I am guessing you don't trust two of those with her, though I imagine you have your own concerns with leaving Alphard all on his own." Cygnus didn't bother to respond as they left to join the party.

As they started mingling with the other students in the room, Lilith watched as Ignatius Prewett, looking far more dapper than she ever expected from the Quidditch player, asked a blushing Lucretia for a dance. Tom followed her gaze. "I get the feeling you know more about those two than I do." Lilith hugged his arm a bit more tightly and whispered. "Just curious about how much things change or stay the same." Tom raised an eyebrow at that as he wasn't entirely aware of what relationships did happen among his previous life's classmates but kept quiet, before stopping to speak with a few of the other Gryffindors who showed up to the party along with Ignotius, with their own dates from a mix of Hogwarts Houses. Many of them were clearly surprised by his less than traditional attire, with Tom having to explain himself a few times. "While I am from a Traditional and Ancient Magical Family, I wasn't raised in magic until my letter from Hogwarts. My mother's side of the family, sadly, passed away, though I have found that my father's family is very much still alive. While I have dedicated myself to seeing the Slytherin family restored to its rightful place amongst the members of the Wizengamot, I feel that it would be ignorant of me to forgo my upbringing and use it to better the relationship between the Magical and Non-magical community. In our current times, when the dangers of war from either side affects our very lives, having a variety of views and ideas to draw upon is certainly a wiser course of action, rather than allowing myself to remain ignorant and in danger of things I know nothing about."

What started with mingling, eventually turned into a proper waltz, during which Lilith found her attention glued onto Tom. At Smethwick, Lilith had taught him how to dance, including the waltz, though at the time she hadn't been as enamoured with him as she was now. With the way their bodies pressed against each other, his own gaze fixed on her the entire time, there was no mistaking how far their relationship had grown since their first summer together. She was certainly glad that she was wearing her gloves, or the feel of his skin on hers would be pushing her over the edge. The rest of the night was a blur of movement, with Slughorn eventually giving a speech of thanks to all those who participated and vowing to make this party a yearly thing, which was received with quite a few cheers from the crowd as they responded to him with applause. With everyone returning to their dorms, Lilith couldn't bring herself to be seperated from Tom, and neither could he do the same. Like so many nights before during the year, she snuck into his room under the Invisibility Cloak, stunning the half undressed Tom by still wearing her dress. "I believe I made you a promise." When her hair fell free from its braid, Tom gave her a big smile. "See? Beautiful beyond words." Lilith turned around for him, letting his eyes take her in, before she pressed her body into his, her eyes never leaving his own. Under the cover of darkness, the two undressed themselves, slipping into their night clothes, before laying together in the bed, eventually falling asleep, their hands clasped together.

"Professor Ross. My apologies for having you come down to St. Mungos, but we literally had no other choice." Theseus nodded as he dusted the Floo powder off his robes. "Not a problem at all, Auror. Now what was so urgent that you needed me here at the hospital?" Euphemia, wearing her red robes, sighed, before leading him down a corridor. "There was a suspected saboteur attack on the town of Wick earlier today. Some injuries, including a few muggle bystanders, as well as RAF personnel. Among the bystanders was a witch. Miss Isobel McGonagall née Ross, who managed to raise a wandless shield that kept herself and her husband from dying, but not from suffering severe injuries. Since she and her husband know about magic, we brought them to the hospital for treatment, but both are refusing treatment and to cooperate with our investigation into the attack." Theseus sighed, running his fingers through what little bit of hair he had on his head. "Of course she is." Euphemia gave Theseus a look. "The Ministry isn't aware as to what the situation is between the Ross family and your daughter, and frankly it's none of our business, but her injuries are serious enough that if she were only to receive muggle treatment, she might lose a limb, if not die from an infection. As an adult, the hospital can't overrule her decision. The only one who could is…" Theseus completed what she was about to say. "Her Head of House, which happens to be me. I understand why you called for me, Auror Potter. Please, lead the way."

As Euphemia walked down the corridors, she looked back at the Professor. "I feel weird hearing you call me Auror Potter." Theseus smiled at her, though it was strained. "Yes, well, you had your pick of the quiet but proud Gryffindor boy or the bombastic and trouble prone boy who couldn't help but sneak out and explore the Forest on the Hogwarts grounds, despite my instructions otherwise. While it is a bit rude of me to say, I believe you made the right choice with Fleamont." Euphemia chuckled at that. "And I agree. I do feel sorry for my cousin, though. Having to look after the rest of your family while her husband is off goddess knows where." Theseus shrugged. "As the future Lady Ross, and our current Proxy, I think she got the better end of the deal. You would be surprised how many of our marriages only work when we spend months away from our spouses during our early years together. How else do you think my wife and I made peace with the fact that I would be living ten months of the year away at Hogwarts?" Euphemia shook her head. "And here I thought the Potters were oddballs when it came to relationships. Anyways, this is her room. I will stay outside, but be aware that her husband is currently getting checked over by the hospital's muggle doctor, who will be letting us know if he would be fine without receiving magical treatment." Theseus nodded, before opening the door to the room. The moment the brunette wearing a hospital gown turned towards him, she gasped. "Hello Isobel."

The haggard looking brunette with fresh scars in her face and arms turned sheepish. "Fa-father? What are you doing here?" Theseus raised an eyebrow as he closed the door. "Because you are here and were injured. They also tell me you are refusing treatment." Isobel turned her eyes away from him. "I promised my husband to leave magic behind." Theseus sighed as he walked up to the edge of the bed. "We both know that magic isn't something that you can just give up, not to mention that you managed to use it to save yourself and your husband from certain death." Isobel started to shake. "I… didn't have a choice then!" Taking the chair that was next to the medical bed, Theseus turned it to face his daughter before sitting down. "And do you honestly think it's wise to not receive medical attention from the healers now? Your wounds are dangerous enough that they need special attention." Isobel shook her head. "I don't need magic." Theseus' eyes narrowed. "Isobel, this is serious." The woman turned towards her father. "I swore to never use magic again! To leave it all behind." Theseus stared at her. "Because your husband loves you?" Isobel raised her voice. "Yes! He loves me, father. And I love him enough to give up magic for it." Theseus sat back. "And I believe you. But will you…" The door behind Ross opened, as a man wearing the dark robes of a Presbyterian Minister entered, one of his arms held up in a sling against his chest. "Isobel, it's time for us to leave this place."

Theseus rested his hand on Isobel's shoulder after standing up to face the man. "I am afraid that you will have to wait, Minister McGonagall. My daughter and I are in the middle of a conversation." Looking between the two, the man's face started turning red. "Your daughter has abandoned the ways of witchcraft. She and I have no reason to let you intervene in our lives." Theseus raises his voice. "And what of your daughter, Minerva? She is at Hogwarts, studying magic." The man scoffed. "Were it not for your people's insistence that she study magic to better control it, I would have had her remain at home. When her studies are complete, she will abandon your ways and continue to embrace our lord's faith." Theseus turned to Isobel. "So, I ask you again. You say that you chose your husband over magic. Are you going to force that same decision on Minerva? Or on your other sons?" Isobel looked between the two, clenching her hands. "I…I… I need to speak to my father, Robert. Could you please step outside for a moment." Robert looked between the two. "Fine, but we will be leaving soon!" The man stepped out of the room and slammed the door, as Theseus turned to look at his daughter, who now had tears in her eyes. "He loves me. I know he does." Sighing, he knelt down and pulled his daughter's hands into his. "Perhaps, but he doesn't love all that you are, and the same seems true for your children, whom you keep forgetting about."

Raising a finger to keep Isobel from replying, Theseus carried on. "When you were eighteen, the two of you made the choice to elope, with you abandoning magic in the name of love. When it was only the two of you, then it could be said that your sacrifice was worth it. But you are not alone anymore, Isobel. You are the mother of three children, one of whom is a brilliant and gifted witch. Yet, because of your choices, she doesn't understand why you and your husband argue over magic. I wouldn't be surprised if he constantly cursed our family whenever something magical happened in the house because of the children." Isobel lowered her eyes, confirming his words, as Theseus continued. "Minerva took those words to heart and has refused to speak to me, blaming me and your mother for what your husband says. She doesn't understand that Robert is cursing the very existence of magic, or that he wishes her to abandon magic as you once did. As a woman, you could decide for yourself what your life would look like. But as a mother, are you willing to force that choice on them? Are you willing to force them to continue to live with a man who constantly curses the fact that a part of you and them is against his God's supposed will? Are you willing to risk their livelihoods by putting your own health at risk now, refusing medical treatment?" Isobel started shaking. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." Theseus raised himself up enough to kiss his daughter on the head.

"Not everything goes as we wish it could be. While your mother and I might not have approved of you and Robert's wedding, that never meant that we were disappointed in you. Though your mother was quite annoyed when you didn't bring your children home to meet their grandmother." The young brunette started tearing up. "I… am so sorry, father. For everything. I just… I wanted to be happy with him." Theseus nodded. "And you were. But now it's different. You need to see to your injuries, or would you rather watch your children worry as you return home with a missing limb? What would happen to them if you died from an infection? You need to decide for yourself what is more important to you. Your husband's faith, or your childrens' livelihood." Isobel shook her head. "I don't want to worry them…I would never…" The woman took a few deep breaths, before her shaking ceased. "Could you tell the healers that I will be accepting treatment?" Theseus patted Isobel on her shoulder. "I will." As he approached the door, Isobel spoke up. "Robby and Malcolm were being looked after by our neighbors. I…I don't think Robert will be happy with me. Do you think… Can I come home? With my kids?" Theseus turned back to her, giving her a warm smile. "Isobel, you never needed to ask. You are a part of the Ross family and our daughter. No matter what, we will always love you and you are always welcomed to come home and stay for however long you need."

Stepping outside, he became aware that a privacy charm was active on the door as Robert McGonagall's voice instantly assaulted his ears. "I already told you, my wife and I have nothing to say to you!" Theseus closed the door quickly, spotting the Healer hiding behind one of the Aurors that had apparently been guarding the hallway. "She will be receptive to treatment now. You can go in." The Healer nodded as Robert turned his attention towards him. "I told you, we want nothing to do with magic. My wife and I will be leaving at this instant!" Theseus crossed his arms over his chest. "Your wife needs a healer's attention now, before her injuries are beyond help. As she has agreed to treatment, you have no further say in the matter." Robert's face turned red. "You used your magic on her to force her, didn't you?! No, we will leave now before you condemn her soul any further to Hell!" The Aurors quickly blocked his path, drawing their wands, before Euphemia arrived with another Healer in tow. When the Aurors repeated what happened, she turned towards Robert. "I am afraid that you have no further say in the matter. Now please accompany one of my Aurors out of the Hospital so that they may get you back to Wick." As the furious Robert left under protest, Theseus turned to Euphemia. "Isobel has decided to come home and wishes to retrieve her children, over concerns that her husband might take out his frustration on her or them. She didn't elaborate on which she was more concerned with" Having seen the man's behaviour, Euphemia nodded. "Either way would be unacceptable. I will go in and ask your daughter about their location and then we can both pick them up together."

As the woman entered Isobel's room, Theseus took a moment to breathe, resting his weight against the wall and pressing his hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating wildly. He closed his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks. His beloved daughter would be coming home. It wasn't the way he wanted it to happen. He would never have wished her harm or for her relationship with her husband to become strained. What mattered to him was that she and her children would be safe, and now they soon would be. Watching as snow started falling through a nearby window, Theseus' eyes widened. This would be the first time that Isobel's children would be spending Yule, or Christmas to them, at the Ross Estate and he had no presents for them. After getting everyone home safely, he would have to ask his daughter-in-law to accompany him out for some shopping, as he couldn't bring himself to ask his wife to leave the house after getting her to meet their grandchildren after all these years. Abigail would kick him right out of the house and back to Hogwarts if he were to do something like that. No, he would let the family get to know each other while he and Cornelia went out to get them all presents. For the first time in decades, the Ross family might just be all together under the same roof, if Minerva agreed to come as well. Sure, he was well aware that she might refuse, but even that didn't bother him all that much. His daughter was finally coming home. That was more than enough for him now.

"That's far enough, you dyke." Lillian clenched her fists as she watched Crabbe and Goyle holding up Luna, who was sporting a few bruises on her face. While the Yule Ball had been a pleasant enough experience, she knew that quite a few people in Slytherin, usually those who were firm believers in the Death Eater cause like Malfoy, had felt affronted by her decision to bring Luna as her date. In Lillian's mind, there was no one else she would have taken. Over the last two years, the two had become fast friends, despite Luna's eccentricities. The young Ravenclaw had been quickly ignored by her friend from youth, Ginerva Weasley, who had initially been a recluse, probably because of Tom's manipulations from the Diary, before immediately becoming one of Neville Longbottom's many admirers. Having found Luna one time as she explored the Castle, left entirely in her underwear and locked out of Ravenclaw Tower by some of the older students, Lillian could honestly say that she took advantage of the Heir of Slytherin situation to inflict some vengeance on the Ravenclaw bullies, all of whom were found paralized from some unknown poison. While these students could be resuscitated by less complicated potions, none of them were able to identify an attacker. What they did know was that every attack was followed by a period of all consuming pain before they blacked out. The girls would bully Luna a few more times, and were attacked and hospitalized with a greater level of pain inflicted, until they learned their lesson.

While not necessarily proud of what she did, Lillian never forgot the spells that Tom taught her and now, after finding the threatening letter with a lock of Luna's hair inside of it, she had reverted back to her old instincts. The two shadow like snakes were making their way towards the pair of idiotic goons as Malfoy walked up to her, wand in hand. "You have done enough damage to our Hogwarts House. First you dismiss the words of our greatest benefactor, then you ignore the will of the rightful Heir of Slytherin. You were lucky that the Dark wasn't ready to deal with you and your afronts to our ways, but after the show at the World Cup, you should know that we are done playing games." Draco raised his wand and pointed it at Lillian's face. "You have humiliated me at every turn, when the position of King of Slytherin is rightfully mine. Now, you will do as I say. You and I will make an Unbreakable Vow where you will submit yourself to my will, in exchange for letting your little fairy of a friend here leave this place unspoiled. If you refuse… well. no self respecting Magical Family will be accepting either of you as brides and I will make sure that you end up before the Dark Lord, just as Longbottom will be. And this time, he won't leave either of you alive. Crabbe." Draco raised his arm as Goyle took over restraining Luna all by himself. As Goyle neared Lillian, she felt a moment of relief. These boys were really quite dumb. "Very well, Draco. How does one make an Unbreakable Vow? Do we shake hands after spitting in our palms?"

With Goyle and Draco distracted by her words and the disgust they elicited, neither of them noticed as two more pitch black snakes slipped out from her pant legs. She was never really fond of skirts and they would certainly have made what she was about to do a lot more noticeable. "No, you uneducated Halfblood! You hold my hand as Crabbe seals the magic, before we add the conditions." Lillian raised her hand and grabbed onto Draco. "Oh, that seems rather painless. I am actually a bit disappointed. Let me fix that first. Crucio!" As the curse jumped from her fingers and made direct contact with Draco's hand, her snakes struck out against the two buffoons, both succumbing almost instantly to the paralytic venom that rushed through their veins. It wasn't lethal by any means, unless the person was left paralyzed until they died of exposure, but it certainly would make dealing with them a breeze. As Draco screamed in pain, Lillian took his wand into her hand and snapped it before his eyes. "You know, Draco, I have been somewhat amused with you since our little duel before that fraud Lockheart and our Hogwarts Head of House. You, utterly spoiled and catered by mommy and daddy dearest, fed with a silver spoon, never seemed to understand that I am not like you." Lillian's smile was predatory as the effects of the Cruciatus Curse faded away, her hand still holding onto Draco's wrist.

"I don't particularly care about being Slytherin's Princess. I honestly don't care about your Death Eater upbringing. All I care about is for everyone to leave me, and the people that mean something to me, alone." Lillian's green eyes turned cold and Draco would forever swear that he saw red pinpricks of light emanating from them. "Today, after I had a fine evening with my dearest friend, you dare to threaten almost all that I hold dear. So, I am going to give you and your family my one and only warning. Leave…Us…Alone! Crucio!" As Draco's screams started to become an incoherent mess, she felt two thin arms wrapping around from behind her back. "Lillian… please…stop." A growl escaped the young Potter's throat. "You heard what he said! What they threatened to do to you! I won't let him have the chance. He either leaves this place for St Mungos or the nearest graveyard! Crucio!" Luna tightened her grip as Draco continued to convulse uncontrollably. "Please, don't do it. Not for me! I don't want this, Lillian. You are better than this! You are better than them." Lillian looked down at the quivering mess of a boy, his face covered with tears and snot. "I don't think I am. He is a greedy little brat who only cares about his delusions of power. I only care about myself. About what matters to me." Luna tried to pull her friend away. "You are wrong, you care about others too. Just leave him be. Please. Let me…let me take care of you too." Hearing Luna crying against her back, Lillian sighed. "Bite him too."

Using her wand, she levitated the now three unconscious boys behind her as she held Luna against her side, before they both entered the Slytherin Common Room. Lillian called on her Head of Hogwart House, before the rest of the students were gathered in the chamber, with Cassius Warrington taking his place as King. "Why have you called the House and Court to order?" Lillian pulled the Invisibility Cloak off from the unconscious bodies, before unceremoniously dropping them onto the ground. "These three threatened bodily harm and rape to myself and my companion here, who was already harmed by them before my intervention. These so-called Heirs of Noble Families dared to threaten two girls, themselves descended from Noble and Ancient families, with crimes that no Head of House should ever tolerate from their own family members. I called everyone here to make a few things clear. Is this what passes for Heirs and upstanding members of Magical Society? Are these the types of children you wish to raise, where they threaten everyone who refuses to abide by their childish whims? Well, is it!?" Looking across the entire breath of the House of Slytherin, it was clear that the girls were looking at the three boys with contempt, while the boys were anxiously avoiding their eyes, as even Cassius swallowed nervously. "Of course not." Lillian raised an eyebrow. "Then I suggest that you all make it clear to them that threatening rape, harm or death against anyone, for any reason beyond self-defence, won't be tolerated."

Resting her arm on Luna's shoulder, Lilith looked into those silvery eyes, seeing her more jovial side returning, before turning back to Cassius. "I also wish to make clear that Luna Lovegood, descendant of the Moon family, is under my protection. Should anything happen to her that you could have impeded or failed to notify others capable of keeping her safe, I will hold you responsible for whatever befalls her and seek out an adequate punishment." Lillian's voice turned heavy. ~"Make yourselves seen."~ The two snakes wrapped around her neck were now clearly visible, as were the two wrapped around her right hand, their tongues liking the air, as everyone reared back a little. "I didn't take the title of Queen because I believe myself unsuited to rule. But make no mistake, I am of Slytherin's line and will use his knowledge and power to avenge myself on anyone that crosses me. These three have learned it the hard way. I ask you all not to make me repeat myself on this matter ever again." As everyone shook their heads, Lillian turned to her professor, his face impassive for the most part. "A standard restorative drought ought to cure them of their current state of paralysis. Draco will need a bit more time and a new wand, so I suggest you have his family pick him up. Oh, and if his dad threatens me or mine again, please inform him that I am very much aware of who owned the book that Longbottom destroyed a few years ago. I don't think the owner would be very pleased to know how his most "loyal" servant treated his most valuable possession. Wouldn't you say, Professor?"

Snape pursed his lips. "I will let him know, though I doubt he will take his son's condition kindly." Lillian hummed dismissively. "Then remind him that my godfather can disown his cousin and her son from the Black Family with but a command." Lilith said the next part under a privacy ward. "I am also aware that the Dark Lord is making preparations to return. The loss of the book and his inability to have any access to the Black family wealth would certainly make Malfoy's personal value to his master drop to…well, nothing really. Now wouldn't that be a shame for Lucius Malfoy, in the face of an angry Dark Lord." Snape narrowed his eyes. "You know this about the Dark Lord's upcoming return… how?" Lillian remained silent, allowing the Legilimens to search her thoughts, showing him her dreams. The man was clearly surprised by what she had seen in her dreams, but controlled his reaction. As Lillian passed by his side, she turned to him one last time. "I better not get accosted by Dumbledore for this. What I did for you now was a courtesy, as a mentor and my teacher." Snape nodded. "I understand. Now go. Warrington will bring the Court to a close and Miss Greengrass will tell you what happened after you left in the morning." Soon after, Lillian sat down on her bed, breathing heavily, as Luna finished applying some healing salves on her bruised skin. The two stripped down and hugged each other to sleep, with Lillian not sure who was comforting whom, as Luna caressed her friend's black gently, telling her that they would both be ok. Lillian allowed herself to believe Luna's words, even as she knew that she had been but a few words away from killing Draco. How could someone who contemplated murder ever really be ok? Especially when she had looked forward to it?

"Miss von Schwarzwald, please leave Mr Riddle alone as I complete the scans." Lilith fidgeted as she was forced to release Tom's hand. Teresa seemed relieved by what her wand revealed. "It seems that you were fortunate, Mr Riddle. Though you will have some of the lingering effects of Cruciatus exposure, there was no neurological damage." Tom nodded before looking at his nervous girlfriend. "See, I am fine." Lilith raised her voice. "Of course you are not fine! I had you under the Cruciatus Curse for a few minutes without realizing it! None of this is fine, Tom!" Not wanting her running away, his arm reached out and pulled her into a hug, as he kissed her hair. "And as I told you, it wasn't your fault. We knew that you were being forced to relive some of your memories in their entirety, including the emotional baggage tied to them. We should have predicted the fact that you could potentially end up casting spells or curses accidentally while reliving some of your worst memories." Teresa cleared her throat. "Quite. And while I am bothered by the fact that you, Mr Riddle, were exposed to such a vile curse, yet again!…I also cannot dismiss the fact that your quick actions kept either myself or Poppy from becoming the victims of it. Still, I am puzzled by the lack of long term damage on your end. You were under the effects of the curse for quite some time."

Tom looked at Madam Prewett, his arms still wrapped tightly around Lilith, who still kept trying to pull away, though half heartedly, as they sat on bed with the Hospital Wing. The two of them had decided to stay at Hogwarts for a few days into the Yule Break in order for Lilith to go through the resonance ritual under experienced medical supervision. Like before, Tom had held onto Lilith while she went through her convulsions, her magic passing safely and harmlessly over his skin, until her arm darted out. He had reached out to pull her hand back when the words of the Cruciatus Curse slipped out from her lips. The sensation of the curse rushing over his skin was oddly warm, before the pain dug into his body. Biting his cheek, he refused to scream as Lilith uttered the words of the curse again and again, sending pain shooting throughout every inch of his flesh. Eventually, Lilith grew still, her hair returning to its lighter shade of red, though with the black streaks becoming more pronounced yet again. The two Healers, who had been overseeing the ritual, had tried to treat him whilst he was holding onto Lilith, but for some reason her magic kept acting up, almost harming Poppy Pomfrey. They were forced to wait for Lilith to wake up, before beginning the process of treating him for the Torture Curse's afliction. "Lilith's magic seems to be incapable of hurting me during her episodes of instability. Maybe it's the same reason as to why her magic usually doesn't hurt me."

Teresa looked towards Lilith, shrugging her shoulders. "You may be right. Both of your magics have a strong synchronicity on their own, so it's possible that a Cruciatus Curse from her would never be capable of damaging your nerves, and vice versa. Though please… don't go testing that yourselves! Now, take these. They should help reduce the tingling in your nerves." Teresa left the two teens after he downed the potions, feeling a bit better. He turned his attention to Lilith, who was now sitting beside him, her eyes refusing to meet his own. "So, who was it that had you cursing them to within an inch of their lives?" Lilith blushed slightly. "Draco Malfoy." Tom blinked at that, remembering hearing something along those lines from Severus in one of Voldemort's memories. "Lucius' son? I think Severus mentioned something along those lines. He also made it clear that you knew of Voldemort's attempts at resurrection, but never brought it up to Dumbledore. Why was that?" Lilith fidgeted. "Because I remembered you from the Diary." Tom blinked. "Why would that impact your decision?" Lilith finally met Tom's eyes. "The young man that I met in the Diary was very kind to me, even though he used me as he did Ginny. When he told me he was Voldemort, I thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he came back to life. I ignored the dreams that happened before his resurrection because I was curious if there was something left of him. And getting both Dumbledore and Longbottom to panic over his return seemed like a fun way to pass the time. It was, though it stopped being fun when Sirius decided that he wanted to be a hero again."

Tom's expression turned sad at that, though he was still curious. "What did Draco do to earn those curses anyway?" Lilith shook her head. "He tried to hurt me and Luna, right after the Yule Ball. He threatened to rape us, if I refused to make an Unbreakable Vow with him. I might have used a certain conjuration spell that your Diary self taught me to incapacitate his door stops, before I used the torture curse on him." Tom raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought that Lilith was the bloodthirsty side of you. Seems that Lillian had her fair share." Lilith pouted. "Yeah, well, Lillian had a lot of pent up anger and Draco just happened to pick the one person that Lillian would have killed him for." Tom's smile dropped at that. "You really loved her, didn't you?" Lilith noticed the tone in his voice and raised her hand to cup his cheek. "I did. But she and I knew that what we had wasn't going to last. She did, however, teach Lillian what it was to love and to feel love. She made me promise that when I found the right person, I would give them all of my love, as I had done for her." Tom placed his hand over Lilith's and kissed it, before looking into the green eyes that he could get lost in. "Then I owe her quite a lot, and I don't feel any remorse for what Voldemort had the Malfoys go through after his resurrection." Lilith smiled at him. "Neither did I."

A throat clearing brought them back into the moment, with Teresa Prewett looking at both for a moment. "Well, I am glad you two got to discuss some…interesting subjects. Regardless, you both seem to be in good health and Poppy and I have families to go home to, so if you both would be so kind as to take your romantic moments out of the Hospital Wing." Lilith and Tom both blushed, before they started getting dressed. After bidding the two a happy Yuletide, they started making their way to the Headmaster's office, since only his chimney had an active Floo connection currently. "So, I am guessing that both the Potters and the Black's invited you for the season?" Lilith nodded. "Yeah, but I made it clear that we weren't available for Christmas Eve. I was thinking of visiting the Black's for New Years Day, since it's your birthday on the 31st, I want to leave that date up to you. I was thinking of going to see the Potters on the 26th." Tom was thoughtful for a moment, glad that she was being very thoughtful of his own interests with her plans. "I have no problems with either of those dates, though I am not sure where I would like to spend New Year's Eve at." Lilith thought for a second, before blushing. "Would you be willing to leave your birthday up to me?" Tom raised an eyebrow at her, but with a smile on his face. "Very well." Lilith smiled back at him, before wrapping her arm with his and leaning into his side, the peace of a nearly empty Hogwarts settling into their hearts.

"Is this all we have?" Valerio flinched at the tone his aunt took as looked over the dozens of recruits they were currently training, something that Vinda noticed. "The attacks on our people and the vivid description of the damage that these counter insurgents are doing to our forces… have made recruitment all but impossible." Vinda hissed to herself. "Very well, check who among the better trained are ready for a new mission. I will give you the specifics as soon as we get the latest mission reports." She then turned away from the sight of the recruits trying out their curses against training targets. Her assignment to Britain had been one set back after another. Not only did she fail to kill the Potter Heir when he was at his most vulnerable, but the damage done to the population in the Ministry Atrium had failed to motivate the factions to turn on each other. Both the Light and Dark were being well handled by their Speakers, though the attacks that followed their assault on the Atrium had managed to grow some of the animosity needed for the factions to fight against each other. She even got a few attacks completed effectively against muggle military targets, her forces causing many explosions in munitions factories. Unfortunately, those early successes were quickly made moot by the sudden appearance of this counter insurgent force that kept interfering with their objectives on either side of their operations.

Since all of these attacks were supposed to be blamed on Radical Dark Witches and Wizards, Vinda could only send out a few of her officers at a time, leading the local recruits in the attacks. Not only had the locals been eviscerated, but her officers were unable to avoid sharing their fate, further supplying the British Wizengamot with the evidence they needed to continue their insistence that this operation was being sponsored by Grindelwald. Attempts to scry on the force attacking them were all failures, with spies planted in the throngs of people among the target location only revealing that a cloaked androgynous figure was seen in each location, but whether they were the vanguard of a larger attack force or the sole combatants, Vinda's spies were unable to determine. With all of their attacks thwarted, they needed to find a target they could hit that was far more effective, especially in a quick hit and run style attack. Looking over her map of the island, Vinda crossed her arms, her heterochromatic eyes seeing the locations where many of the Ancient and Noble families had their estates. As expected, all of them sat on ley lines, providing the homes with the means to hold up under a concentrated assault. There were also townhouses belonging to said families, but these don't get registered in the Ministry, especially when they belonged to the Dark Faction, who were notoriously secretive.

"Gruppenführer Grindelwald, we have received some intel from our contacts within the Ministry." Vinda blinked a few times, surprised by her lieutenant speaking to her in German. Since she was in Britain and was dealing with the recruits and supporters, she hardly got to speak German, with the exception of her Hexenmeister brethren. She took the offered parchements and glanced through them, before a name and location stood out to her. Looking back at the map, she compared the information acquired with the location of the leylines, before a smile broke on her face. "Oberst! Check with our forces if there are any volunteers. I think we have our next target. Also, find Valerio and send him to me. We have targets for his companions." The man saluted, before disappearing through the door as Vinda marked out the location of the property on the main map of her war room, before rubbing her chin. If the counter insurgents were able to target her forces as soon as they started an attack, then she needed to draw their attention elsewhere. She looked towards the southern shore and tapped the map, her finger striking over the city of Plymouth. The city was the home of the Devonport Naval Base, which had been a primary target for many of the German Air Raids in the early bombardments. While their numbers would be incapable of denting the base, especially if the British Ministry sent its magical forces to repair any damage they inflicted, it would still seem like a viable target.

When her Oberst and Valerio arrived, Vinda turned to her lieutenant first. "Select from the volunteers some who would like to focus on inflicting as much damage to a military base, with a high probability of drawing the attention of this counter insurgency force. They are to focus on inflicting as many military fatalities as possible." As the man saluted and left, Vinda focused her attention on Valerio. "We just got some intel on a high value target that isn't as well defended as the rest. I want you to get your forces into top form. We will be initiating our attack on Christmas Eve. The enemy won't be prepared for us to launch an attack then and we will hopefully have as much time as necessary with a distraction for the counter insurgents. Make sure that you have them practice taking down wards. We will send the bulk of your force against the building but a few are to strike the nearby town, just in case our target isn't at the property, causing as much damage as possible. Understand?" Valerio nodded and made his way towards the door, before his aunt's words stopped him in his tracks. "And Valerio, you will be leading the assault on this home. Make sure you can prove yourself useful, otherwise Grindelwald will leave the Maledictus in place. He might even consider adding one of his own. Do not disappoint us." Valerio swallowed the lump in his throat, but nodded, closing the door behind him as he left.

Vinda rested her hands atop the table, making a few extra marks on the map. If the distraction on the Military base worked as planned, the counter insurgency force would be drawn to that location, leaving their primary target exposed. Even then, splitting Valerio's forces would help make sure that they covered all their bases, since many muggles tended to congregate on Christmas Eve, they had a chance that the targets would be in the town. Destroying both their home and damaging the gathering places of the populace would be a serious blow, regardless if the targets were among them. While Vinda would have liked to lead the assault, she was still concerned about the effects of the Maledictus. Sure, for all intents and purposes, the Maledictus was currently inactive, but she hadn't survived for almost six months on British soil without being cautious. Sending Valerio on his own would let her scry on the attack and gauge whether or not the Maledictus triggered. Based on experience, the Rosiers believed that the Maledictus was protecting the Black family, hence her near death when attacking the Peacekeeper force with Dorea Black assigned to it as a Healer. If the boy was included in the protections, she needed to know, just in case her next few targets required her to recruit more of her former family members. If Valerio ended up dying… well, it wasn't a great loss to the war effort.

Chapter 39: Dark Tidings

"May I see?" Tom turned to his grandfather and nodded, showing him the contents of the package he had collected from Diagon Alley. He had commissioned it during the summer, going over the finer details over a few days, during which the Dwarven Craftsman tested out various designs using metals that were far more malleable and less expensive, before he would start working with the final materials. Tom found the experience of commissioning jewelry from the Dwarves wasn't exactly all that different from the Goblins, though they were more reasonable. Both the Goblins and the Dwarves were exceedingly proud races that value craftsmanship quite highly, even as far as claiming the end result of their work as belonging to the artist, rather than the commissioner. Tom found this would hold to be true of all Goblin made products, which didn't exactly appeal to him if he intended Lilith's gift to be something that would linger in the family for generations. He especially didn't want there to be any doubt as to who owned it. So, rather than taking up the Goblins and their understandably appealing offers, Tom made his way to the Dwarven craftsmen, who would recognize the ownership of the item as Tom's based on the amount of input he had on the design. Spending several hours over a few days on it, fine tuning every detail to his personal tastes, certainly made sure that there would be no debate that the artist couldn't have sole claim over this creation. The product would belong to Tom and whoever he deemed deserving of it, though he did make sure to pay the craftsmen handsomely.

Pulling the lid off the box, Thomas whistled as he stared at it. "How much was this?" Tom blushed slightly. "Enough that Lilith will probably smack me in the head for it. You know how she is when it comes to spending funds, though she certainly didn't hesitate when it came to spending money on me." Thomas chuckled. "Yes, well, she certainly seems the type. Though I think she values functionality and sentimentality a bit more, what with the two owls she made. Seeing those birds bring in the mail and behave no different from a living animal as I wrote a response was certainly quite the experience the first time around. Still, if you make sure that the moment is meaningful, I am sure Lilith could forgive you for the gold you spent on jewelry for her. At least, for a little while." Tom shrugged. "I am pretty certain she spent far more in retrieving a locket that belonged to my mother and my family's ancestor, so I can just say that I am evening out our expenses and debts to each other." Thomas smiled as he pulled away from the box, closing the lid. "I remember those days with my Mary. I would buy her chain, she would buy me a pocket watch that was more expensive a few months later. On and on it went. I actually got quite the glare from the men in town for the amount of pounds that went into my wife's engagement ring." Tom took the box back and placed it over some Christmas wrapping paper.

He thought for a second before he started wrapping the present. "From what I understand, wedding rings don't usually get paid for by the wife. What did she do to one up you when you gave her such an expensive engagement ring?" Thomas sat down behind his desk as he watched his grandson. "Well… probably the longest and most exhausting night of my life… followed by my son some nine months later. Not that I ever complained about any of it, mind you." Tom blinked before he looked up at his grandfather, remembering how even he was a strong advocate for propriety and some traditional values. "Wasn't it a rule that conception should have been on or after the wedding night?" Thomas blushed. "Yes, well… we got married before she started to show. Rules and customs are fine, but you will often be surprised by how your own heart can make life both difficult for you… but also beyond rewarding." Tom pulled on the ribbons to keep the wrapping paper in place and tied the bow. Since Lilith had started the tradition that her own presents to him were always green with silver trimmings, in honor of his Slytherin heritage, Tom had matched her. Though the red was a slightly lighter shade than that of her hair, it did contrast well with the darker forest green of the wrapping paper. "Well, I hope you don't mind that I am going to avoid your example on that. Neither of us are ready to raise a child."

Thomas sat back and waved his hand. "No offense taken." As Tom finished his present, he turned to look towards his grandfather, before the image of the merry old man flickered before his eyes. The present fell the short distance that Tom had raised it from the desk, though it was enough to startle Thomas. Even as his grandfather spoke his name, for Tom, the noise was beyond muffled, his eyes not seeing the office, but the front foyer of the Riddle Manor. His heartbeat was beating wildly, even though the feelings within his mind were bitterly cold, as he gazed at the bodies that littered the floor. The body of his father, Tom Riddle Sr, had hardly any effect on his heart, but seeing Madeline and Thomas, the latter having clearly done his best to shield the young woman from the curse that would claim his life, before she too had the light in her eyes life snuffed out, filled Tom's chest with an unimaginable pain. The wand that Tom saw in his hand was not his own, but even still… he knew. He knew that he had been the person that killed these people. Even though he felt disgust over everything, the cold, empty feeling remained in his head. Tom closed his eyes and ground his teeth. "This isn't me. I didn't do this." The cold lingered as he felt the lie slip out of his mouth. This had been him, once before. He had killed his own cousin, stole the wand from his uncle and then wiped out his last remaining family. And for what?

Killing them would hardly have brought him any wealth, land or power. No, their deaths should have been utterly meaningless. It wasn't until Tom felt the overwhelming pain consuming him that he understood what value Voldemort had given to the slaughter. The creation of his second Horcrux. The very pain that signalled the furthering of his own madness allowed for Tom's mind to finally snap out of the memory, only for the pain to be replaced by guilt as both Madeline and Thomas were tending to him on the ground of the office. Tears welled up in his eyes as he pushed their hands away. "It's alright. I… I am fine now." Madeline shook her head. "No, you are not. A person screaming at the top of their lungs in pain isn't alright. You wait here while I go and see if I can get that Floo powder trick that Lily taught me to work." Tom reached out but released her arm as soon as he realized he had gripped her tightly. "No!... I…I am sorry. I just… I just need a minute. Please, don't bother yourself or Lilith on my account." Madeline rubbed her arm, though she didn't pull away from him, seemingly ready to stand her ground, when Thomas gently rested his hand on her shoulder. "Please, let me. If there is any reason for concern, I will let you know." Madeline looked between them before sighing. "Fine, but I will be back soon. Dinner is almost ready."

With Madeline gone, Thomas turned towards his grandson, watching him slump into the chair behind him, his hand on his head. "Well, I am not going to be taking no for an answer. If you don't want to bother Madeline, let alone your lovely lady, I suggest you tell me what happened." Tom closed his eyes. He didn't want to tell his grandfather about what he saw, what he did. At the same time, they had been growing closer ever since Lilith introduced them. He had even sought out Thomas' advice several times now. But would the old man be understanding or would he too see the fact that Voldemort and Tom were one in the same? If it was the latter, all of their hard work getting to know each other would have been for nothing. And yet… not trusting him with this could set back their relationship just as easily. Both choices came with the same possible result, though only one had a chance of something good coming from it. Tom opened his eyes, his hand over his mouth. "Would you believe me if I said…that I have memories from another life? A life where I was a very different person than the man you know? And that he did… some awful things?" Thomas raised an eyebrow and walked over to the seat next to Tom's, rather than his own chair behind the desk. "Go on." Tom, seeing the determination in Thomas's face, sighed and proceeded to tell him everything that he currently knew about his other life, even mentioning Lilith's part in all this, before going over the things he saw a few minutes earlier.

Leaning back, Thomas kept his eyes on Tom in silence. "Your girl is right. That wasn't you." Tom shook his head. "Thomas, I…" Raising his hand, the old man continued. "The person that killed me, Madeline and my son never bothered to know us. He didn't care who we were, what sort of brandy I like with my tea, what flowers Madeline likes to set around the house and tends to. He certainly didn't bother to learn how to ride one of our horses to humor an old man who will never give up riding until he can't get up on a horse ever again. That person was a killer, as you say; cold, ruthless and self serving. That isn't you, Tom." The young man deflated slightly. "There are moments… when I doubt that to be true. When I killed Anton…I was no different than my other self. The same anger and hate flowed through my veins." Thomas shook his head. "It wasn't the same, Tom. Sure, you killed with anger and hate in your heart, but the boy wasn't the reason that you struck out against him, was he? And neither was it for yourself. Or are you going to say that the anger that surged through you wasn't because Lily had gotten herself hurt while protecting you and this Rene you mentioned?" Tom frowned. "Whether it was out of anger for what he did to Lilith or to my family's legacy, anger is still anger." Thomas smiled softly. "Is it? Because to me, one seems to have been born from selfish desires, while the other was born from selflessness."

Thomas stood up and rested his hand on Thomas' shoulder. "Your lady did quite a lot to give you a chance to make a difference in your life. And you have. You can feel when something is wrong, even in the memories of your other self. You act, not just from self interest, but also because you care. You care about her, Madeline and myself. You care about others whom you have never met. So please, let go of that madman's actions and live the life that you have been given. That we have all been given, it seems, by the sacrifice of a young lady that continues to care for others more so than herself." Tom allowed Thomas' words to sink into his heart. He could still feel a measure of doubt that he was any different from the monster that terrorized Great Britain, from the evil that Dumbledore had apparently seen in him from that day at the orphanage. But, hearing his grandfather's reasurances, along with the ones that Lilith had once uttered to him before professing her feelings for him, was enough to chase the cold away, leaving Tom feeling warm and whole. Was this the difference between having a complete soul and a fragmented one? The ability to feel contentment, joy? Was it why he could also feel remorse and guilt? It was certainly what Salazar had told him before. Cassandra's words floated through his mind for a brief second. "So long as the soul remains whole… no path will be lost to you." In one way, it was terrifying, knowing there was always a chance that Voldmort could emerge from Tom again. But now… perhaps that could only come true now if he allowed himself to become that monster. So long as he chose to stay the course… he would never have to make that choice,

Opening his eyes, Tom looked up at his grandfather's face and smiled, raising his hand and placing it over Thomas'. "Thank you. I am sorry for earlier." Thomas shook his head. "No reason to thank me. Now, I believe we have dinner waiting for us." Tom nodded as he stood up, though he remembered how Madeline had flinched at his touch. He knew that his father had a history with physical violence and had actually assaulted Madeline on the day he came by. "Do you mind if I go to the kitchen first?" Thomas smiled at him. "Not at all. Just don't spend too much time there. Your lady might just hear about it and get jealous." Tom smiled as he shook his head. "I doubt it would come to that. And after Christmas…I hope that she nevers has to doubt my feelings for her either." Thomas watched as his grandson left the office, before taking a few steps and resting his hand on the frame that had a photograph of his wife with her favorite mare, a big smile on her face, before he too smiled, as he made his way through the Manor. He wasn't an expert on all the magical stuff that Tom mentioned, but he could see it clearly before his eyes. The boy wasn't the monster he feared himself to be. He was thoughtful and observant, though trying to clear away some of the awkwardness he still possessed while interacting with others. Seeing everything that Lilith had done for him a lot more clearly now, Thomas knew beyond a doubt that they were meant for each other. They just needed to accept it themselves.

Lilith wiped her lips clean, before smiling at the woman across the table from her. "That was wonderful, Madeline. I can't believe that you were able to make something so delicious with all the rationing going on." Madeline blushed, as Frank chuckled beside her. "That's my sister for you. She spent the entire month planning the dinner, making sure that Mr Riddle still had vouchers for everything. Though the fact she had to travel so far towards Cornwall and Plymouth to find so many of the ingredients was certainly a sign of the times." The young man, who had definitely distinguished himself as an able caretaker of the grounds and the stables, looked over towards Tom. "Though I hear you certainly helped make those travels more pleasant than going by car." Lilith looked over to her left and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Tom was about to respond, before Madeline chuckled, nudging Frank with her shoulder. "Now, it's nothing like that. Young Tom here was simply kind enough to use magic to get me from one location to the other. It is quite a peculiar and rather unpleasant sensation, but I must admit that it is certainly a time saver. Not to mention that we even managed to get enough food for the rest of our family to enjoy as well." Tom cleared his throat, his eyes on his girlfriend. "With you busy at Hogwarts while under medical observation, it seemed prudent to lend a hand during the Christmas Eve dinner preparations." Lilith stared at him for a second, before giving him a smile, as she and the rest started gathering the plates for them to be washed in the kitchen.

With the dishes drying, the five of them settled into the large lounge room, next to the warm fire that was the main source of the light in the chamber, as the presents were opened. Madeline and Frank both received some ornate pocket watches, as well as some clothes better suited for the cold winter ahead from Lilith, while Thomas found some quite expensive bottles of his favorite liquor, as well as new, and enchanted, boots for him to wear while riding. Lilith rested her hand on his shoulder as he inspected them. "There are a few more items that we got for the horses, which should make their time with you and Tom out and about far more comfortable for everyone involved." She looked towards Tom and smirked. "It should make them less likely to throw you off their backs, at the very least." Thomas chuckled happily, especially at Tom's clear display of embarrassment, before Lilith placed a few presents in front of Tom. "With your birthday a few days away, I hope this doesn't disappoint you." Raising an eyebrow, Tom pulled open the boxes, finding a few new record discs, and some lapels. Within one of the boxes, however, was an object that made Tom's heart beat a bit harder. Taking it into his hand and turning it over after the cap was removed, he found his eyes staring into an inverted and indented image of the Slytherin family crest. "Whenever you gain control of the House, you are going to need to send out some official letters. Tying this to the Head of House Ring will let you know when every letter stamped by it has been opened and you can even tie it to letter openers to make sure that only the right recipients can read the contents."

Tom closed his eyes as he ran his finger over the indentation and grooves, before turning towards Lilith. "Thank you." Lilith blushed, before she handed him a final package. "This will take some getting used to, but I felt that now was the right time." Puzzled, Tom took the last box and opened it, setting a familiar set of straps attached to a flat holster, where five bronze plates rested, all of them showing designs and engravings in Parselscrypt. Tom looked up at Lilith, seeing her blushing slightly. "With what happened at the Ministry, I wanted you to have your own set. These were reinforced with Parselmagic, so they can be altered to suit your style. Though showing you how to attune to them and control them as a pure reflex will take time." Tom gave Lilith a wide smile. "It will be worth it. Thank you." After kissing Lilith on the cheek, Tom fetched his own presents and handed them to a red-faced Lilith, as he strapped the holster to his left forearm, getting a feel for the weight and presence of the plates, though no magic yet flowed between them as he had yet to activate them with his blood. For her part, Lilith was clearly surprised when she found a few books on Soul Magic and Kabbalist practices, but when she opened the last one, Tom could literally see her mind misfire. "Tom… how much was this?" Tom smirked. "Less than what you paid Lady Jones for the pendant. The woman was quite surprised to hear that you had given me the Slytherin Locket for nothing in return, when she sent me a letter notifying me that you had it over the summer. Let me put it on you."

After getting Lilith to agree to wearing the necklace, since she felt it wasn't right as her current clothes, which were her usual dress shirt with a black vest over it, wouldn't show it properly, Tom did his best to restrain himself from caressing her neck lovingly as the twin, interwoven platinum bands of the necklace were secured in place. At the front, Tom secured the Locket that he had bought for her several months back in its rightful place, held up by the two tails bound together, while it was held in place at either side by the two snake heads, both bowing their heads down, their eyes made of gleaming emeralds. As soon as the chain was in place, Tom watched as Lilith touched it, knowing that with all of her practice with magically charged metals, she knew the chains had some enchantments on them. She turned to him, pouting slightly, even as her cheeks were flushed, and was about to say something, when her eyes suddenly lost focus. Tom was about to ask what was wrong, when he felt something in the back of his mind too. He frowned. In all his time practicing with wards, he had only ever felt them being tested just a few times, mostly by less than skilled housemates. This, however, felt very different. "What is that?" Lilith's eyes refocused, before locking onto his. "The wards. Someone has placed some wards over the ones on the house and are now trying to break through." Tom cursed in his head, as Lilith went to the fireplace, pulling a bag of Floo Powder and throwing it into the fire.

As the pouch was incinerated, the fire turned green, before it returned to its orange flames. Lilith turned towards Tom, her eyes opened wide in shock. Tom knew why that was. Blocking the Floo Network wasn't possible with the use of external wards. It had to be done from within the Ministry of Magic or by the house's own wards. He knew this because said knowledge had been an integral part in both of Voldemort's wars, with the Death Eaters having sufficient collaborators in the Floo Network Office to disrupt the system whenever they were going on an offensive. This, of course, made it clear that not only were there Grindelwald Corroborators in the Floo Authority, but also within the Ministry. Corroborators that handed the Saboteurs the address of the Riddle Manor and did everything to isolate the property from contacting the outside world. Tom turned his eyes towards his grandfather. "The saboteurs that have been terrorizing the country for the last six months. They are outside, trying to force their way in. The wards are holding them back, but not for long, and they have blocked all means of escape." Frank rushed to his feet and tried to head out the door. "I will go get the horse out!" Lilith stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Don't! The stables aren't tied to the property. So long as there are no humans there, they will probably leave it alone. Besides, if you go outside, they won't hesitate to kill you on the spot. These people don't care about leaving survivors, magical or not."

With Madeline pulling her brother back, both of them turning their attention to aiding Thomas, Lilith ran her hand over the Black family ring, feeling its magic being blocked. She looked towards Tom. "They have blocked elves from being summoned as well. We have no means of getting out of here quickly." Tom drew his wand as he felt the wards taking a beating within his mind. "And we are running out of time. Any ideas?" Lilith pursed her lips, as she used her Occlumency to bury down the panic that had threatened to overwhelm her as the memories from Austria threatened to overwhelm her. "These are definitely Hexenmeisters. Or, at least, the ones working the wards are. They did the same back at the von Schwarzwald Estate." Tom gave her a look of concern. "Please tell me you figured out a way out of this ward trap in the years since." Lilith summoned the bag she tended to keep by her side, strapping the plate holsters to her arms and legs. "I did, but I need time to set it up. Time I don't think we have, even if we were to hide in the Wine Cellar." Tom raised an eyebrow at that. "How elaborate is this thing?" Lilith glared at him. "Dismantling a ward like the one erected over the house takes a lot of magic. Other than using Fiendfyre, which neither of us can control just yet, my method works, but if I had it ready to deploy at any moment, I would be carrying the equivalent of a volatile explosive on me at all times. I may have some of the Black Family Madness, but I am not that crazy!"

Raising his hands defensively, Tom shook his head. "No argument here. How long do you need?" Lilith thought for a second as she regained control over her emotions. "As long as you can give me. Here. Give me your hand." After Lilith placed a ring on Tom's right hand, she blushed as he looked at her oddly. "We can discuss this later. The ring will act as a chain portkey. As soon as we portkey out, so will you." Pulling him down by his tie, Lilith kissed Tom on the lips. "Don't you dare die on me." Tom kissed her back, a bit more aggressively, before making for the front door, with Lilith following Madeline down towards the Cellar, as Frank helped to steady Thomas' gait. As soon as they were down the stairs and behind a locked door, Lilith placed discs on the door and adjacent walls, reinforcing them with magic, before finding a table upon which she placed her bag. She had all the necessary materials and knew that, however strong the wards the Hexenmeisters might have erected over the property, her disruptor should be able to cut through it. Lilith had refused to trust her life a second time to fate, so she had tested the device against some wards on the Peverell property. Alexander had been relatively amused when one of her disruptors worked as intended, though the noise from the collapsing wards had been enough to trigger air raid sirens in the neighboring town, so she had been hesitant to test it again. No, what was making Lilith's hands tremble wasn't because she could get killed by the Hexenmeisters again. She was more worried about Tom and what he might be forced to do to give his family the opening they needed to survive. She needed to finish the device quickly, for his sake.

Looking out through the windows, Tom rubbed his brow free of sweat, his wand held tightly against his chest. While the wards remained in effect, the windows would be reflective to anyone looking in from the outside, even if they were to use magically enhanced vision, so Tom was able to count how many people were outside without being spotted himself. He was pretty certain he caught a few glimmers of people using invisibility cloaks, as the magic from Disillusionment spells tended to interact poorly with the magic being used to disrupt wards, rendering the invisibility useless. Still, there were ways to see through invisibility, something that he had learned from Lilith and her artificial eye. Her talent for seeing magical traces and even through invisibility had intrigued Tom enough to seek other means of replicating the effect. ~"Let me see through snake eyes."~ The Parselmagic spell took effect, with Tom's vision shifting from visible light into infrared as his irises elongated like those of snakes. He frowned as he was able to spot six humanoid figures some distance away, just outside the wardline. By his estimates, there should be at least three other teams of assailants around the edges of the wardline. Voldemort himself had favored sending forces divided into six teams, leaving two to act as support in case the others faltered. Of course, he himself would watch from a distance, essentially composing a seventh team all on his own.

Unfortunately, Tom was pretty certain that he wasn't anywhere as capable as Voldemort had been in either war. Prior to commencing his campaigns, Voldemort had dedicated many of his travels to uncovering ways of enhancing his own magic. With his soul fragmented due to the Horcruxes, that task actually proved relatively easy to achieve, considering that it required the procurement of ingredients and materials that were beyond illegal. Tom had felt quite ill watching some of the memories as Voldemort performed torturous biopsies and mutilations of various magical creatures and humans, all resulting in one of the most magically powerful wizards to have ever walked the earth. Even after recovering a physical form using a Homunculus body, Voldemort had repeated many of the same rituals in order to recover his full strength, hence why he had been more than willing to take almost a full year building up his forces before entering into open warfare. While Tom had no intention of pursuing the same path to power, he couldn't deny the fact that he yearned to have the confidence his alternate self had once enjoyed in his own capabilities. Though his magical core had stabilized, as confirmed by Madam Prewett, she had detected anomalies. Anomalies that he was certain had something to do with the fragmented soul that had been sent back in time. He would have to ask Alexander Peverell for the man's own diagnosis and treatment suggestions.

Thinking about the Peverell Head of House made Tom wonder why he hadn't arrived yet, as he surely had been able to sense the attack on the wards. The man was certainly tied to the Riddle Manor wards as the only other Magical besides Lilith, whom had been added to the wards upon her arrival during the Yuletide, that Tom felt comfortable with entrusting his family to, which meant that he was probably being waylaid somewhere else, probably with a separate attack by the saboteurs. Voldemort had used the same strategy in the future, drawing Dumbledore's Order to seemingly valuable targets, before hitting his real targets with moderate impunity. A sudden flash of radiant light from the direction of Little Hangleton made Tom's frown deepen even further. It seemed these attackers had more forces in the area, but these had been relegated to doing collateral damage, either as a cover or to locate them had they been outside of the estate. Which meant that if he wanted to hold off the enemy attacking the house, he needed to keep them from calling for aid. Tom looked up at the edges of the room, seeing the reinforcement discs that Lilith had added to the outer walls when the wards had been established. They were essentially self contained wards that would go into effect as soon as the primary wardstone collapsed, which would slow down the attackers further. Tom smiled for a second as he used his control over the wards to gain control of the discs directly. He had barely finished adjusting his focus and awareness over them, before the main wards collapsed, as he disappeared under a disillusionment charm.

The front doors were blasted open, before two of the assailants entered through the opening, their wands in their hands as they searched the foyer and stairs landing. "It's clear!" He watched as the rest of the assailants from the front entered, the last of whom was someone whose voice was familiar to Tom. "Not a bad looking place, for a muggle's home. Everyone else will break in from the other entrances soon, so make your way through the building, killing anyone in your path. I want Riddle dealt with quickly. Grindelwald demands it!" Tom, while hidden from view, applied a voice projection spell to his throat, before conjuring a solid stone block to seal the exit. Once the reinforcement discs were activated, he started speaking, his voice emanating from the air itself around the Rosier Heir. "So, even after graduating from Hogwarts, you still haven't learned your lesson. Have you no shame, Valerio?" The young man drew his wand as the five other intruders searched the immediate area, to no avail, the conjured wall behind them resisting all attacks. "Show yourself, Riddle! Or are you a coward just like that whore of yours." Tom tempered down the sudden rage that threatened to compel him to act. He instead focused his attention on the two conjurred snakes he had placed near the entry points into the hallways leading away from the foyer, while his wand was trained on the two men moving up the stairs to the second floor. "Really? You of all people accuse me of cowardice. Not only do you attack our home in the Yuletide, but you claim to challenge me while you have several more men by your side, all of whom you have ordered to strike me down. Lilith was right, you Rosiers don't know anything about honor or respect."

Valerio growled. "I don't have to show you any respect, you filthy half-blood!" As two of the men entered the striking distance of his snakes, Tom smiled to himself. "Funny enough, I don't have to show you any respect either. ~Bite them!"~ For those two men, it was too little, too late as they swung their wands down towards the floor, as the black colored snakes sunk their venomous fangs deep into the flesh of the attackers, just above their ankles. They barely managed to dispel the creatures, when it became clear that the venom, which was a lethal variant of the venom used by the Black Mamba, started to affect them, as the men quickly began to lose control over their legs. At the same time, Tom built up his anger and rage, before swinging his wand in an arch towards the two men who had reach the landing halfway up the staircase, their attention drawn to those who had been injured for a brief second, before they turned their focus on the ground itself, looking for a similar trap, leaving themselves exposed from a direct attack. "Sectumsempra!" The dark cutting curse tore through the two men violently, their faces splitting open and being covered in blood, before Tom had to focus on his own defence. His use of Severus Snape's own creation gave him the opening he needed and while not as flashy as the Killing Curse, it still disrupted the Disillusionment spell on his person, enough for Valerio and the remaining assailant to start sending curses his way.

After confirming that the other two assailants had been fully incapasitated from the poison, Tom raised up his dueling shields and started to fight openly against them, hurling curses back at them, though intermixing them with stunners and shield piercers. He smirked slightly as he watched one of the curses slip through the gap created by the piercer, striking the man on the shoulder. The man clearly thought nothing of the curse, thinking it was some weak stunner that had failed, which was exactly what the curse was supposed to do. Salazar Slytherin had not been pleased by the fact that his Heir had nearly died in combat against another and had started intermixing some lessons in curses with Tom's focus on wards and Parselmagic. Like the venom that had incapacitated the other two assailants, the curse was meant to slow the opponent down gradually, as the magic began to alter the man's blood, turning the very thing that allowed a human to fuction into literal poison. Soon enough, a well aimed piercer struck the stumbling man right in the head, leaving Valerio all alone in the foyer against Tom. Of course, Tom took notice of when Valerio realized that they were alone, knowing exactly what he would do next. The man grinned at him viciously. "Well, I suppose Grindelwald will just have to settle for the memories. Confringo!" Tom countered the attack by casting a rebounding shield, launching the blastwave and flames right back at Valerio.

With the man thrown onto his back, Tom flicked his wand upwards, severing the chains that held up the chandelier, bringing it crashing down onto Valerio, who was too disoriented to cast a spell to save himself, the fixture smashing hard into the ground, entrapping the injured body under its weight. Checking with his snake vision that there were no other attackers near the front of the Manor, though the indication that the air was growing warmer was of some concern to him, Tom knelt down next to the still breathing bastard, prying the man's wand out of his bloodied and glass covered hand, before snapping it. He then pressed his wand against Valerio's temple, the injured but still living young man glaring at him, at least as much as his physical pain allowed him to do. "You will never be one of us! Grindelwald… will make sure that you… and all the other Blood Traitors… are put in their rightful place!" Tom hummed to himself. "Perhaps, but right now I am more interested in seeing what you actually know to be true, and not just what has been spoon fed to you by your family. Legilimens!" Tom's probe of Valerio's mind quickly ran into the man's Occlumency shields. Unfortunately for the Rosier Heir, physical injuries tended to disrupt the concentration of even the most well trained Occlumens, with Valerio being nowhere near skilled enough to put up much of a fight.

Searching through the mind of Rosier was certainly an experience, but it wasn't one that Tom would consider all that pleasant. His thoughts were exactly what he would expect from the young man. Valerio Rosier looked at others with the smug superiority of the typical Purebloods, though his misogyny was even greater, as seen by the numerous times that he had forced himself onto several of the more vulnerable girls and women, a few even from Pureblood families, to little or no consequences. Tom had to pry himself away from a few of the memories that focused on Lilith, as these had caught his eye by how heavily partitioned they had been from the rest, though the knowledge of the Maledictus made it clear as to why Valerio didn't want his thoughts to wander in that direction. It was when he reached a particular partition, however, that Tom realized that Valerio wasn't going to be much help in uncovering the location of the saboteurs' hidden base. Where every other memory had felt like a book in his hands, even the partitioned ones, which themselves felt like heavy tomes with pages that were stuck together, these specific memories he had encountered felt as if he was holding a book of solid marble. There were no seams or pages for him to exploit, and no obvious indications on how to access them. Attempts to brute force his way only seemed to cause Valerio more pain, but did nothing uncover his secrets.

Frustrated by his inability to put an end to the greater threat to himself and to Lilith, Tom was about to pull out of Valerio's mind when he brushed through the man's memories of Lilith once again. Knowing that Valerio was keeping the Maledictus in check by not actively thinking about Lilith, Tom felt that it was time for Valerio to cease being a threat. Lilith had already given the Rosier Heir a chance to do better and he clearly failed at taking advantage of it quite miserably. It was time for him to pay the price for his stubborn pride. So Tom directed all of his power unto the partitions that contained the memories of Lilith and tore through them, forcing Valerio's memories and feelings concerning the girl to surface. The anger, rage and humiliation almost overwhelmed Tom, but he was able to disconnect himself in time. As he stood back, he watched as the Maledictus went to work. Valerio's veins around his neck turned black as he started to scream in pain, even as he cursed Lilith repeatedly, further cementing his own destruction. The sound of a loud roar drew his attention down the corridor as he watched a wall of flame break through one of the doors, creatures of various forms competing with one another as they sought to spread the cursed fire everywhere. As Tom suppressed the surge of anger that came with the realization of what the other attackers were doing to his family's home, he turned his gaze back onto the now silent Valerio, aiming his Yew wand at the face of the man that had brought this travesty upon the Riddle Estate. "You have no one to blame for this fate of yours but yourself. Reducto!"

It was an odd thing, watching the Blasting Curse tear through Valerio's head in what seemed like slow motion, as the familiar feeling of a portkey wrapped around him, the warmth of Lilith's magic pulling him into a tight embrace as he was transported away from the burning structure. Still, Tom was certain that at least Valerio was well and truly dead. He knew that Lord Rosier could make himself a more personal enemy to them now, but that didn't matter, seeing as he was still clearly providing some aid to the saboteurs. So, if anything, the threat would now be out in the open. As Tom felt his feet hit the ground, he was instantly wrapped in a hug from Lilith, who gently lifted his head and looked into his eyes. "Are you alright?" Tom stared into those beautiful green eyes and wondered if he really was. He knew that she was more concerned with his state of mind, rather than any physical injuries. Looking back at the fight, he could remember the rush being there, beneath the surface, threatening to take over. But at all times he had remained in control of himself, never letting his emotions dictate his actions, but not ignoring them either. He bent his head down and pressed it against Lilith's, his eyes closed. "I…I think I'm alright. Especially now, knowing that you are safe." Tom opened his eyes and Lilith saw the truth in them, before kissing him on the lips gently. He would later find himself in a bed, her warm body against his, as the stress from the attack finally brought all of them down into a less than restful sleep.

"Mr Riddle, our apologies on the delayed report concerning the attack on your family home. Last night, there were attacks at Devonport Naval Base, as well as within the locale of Little Hangleton, so our Aurors were quite a bit stretched out. We were able to secure the Riddle property, though I am afraid much of the main building is now nothing more than a hollowed out structure of stone and ash." Thomas visibly slumped, something that Euphemia noticed. "On a happier note, Mr Frank Bryce says that he found three of your horses alive and well out in the Moor, though the remains of the other two were found within the stables of your home. His own family was also fortunate in that they were all far enough away from the town center that the assailants didn't attack their dewling. He will be tending to the horses at their family homestead while your home is… rebuilt." Thomas relaxed a little, Lilith holding his hand as a show of support, with Tom sitting in a seat close by. The group of five had spent a restless night within what Tom now knew was Aquilla Black's cottage, a comfortable place on Anglesey Island, off the coast of Wales, before Lilith and Tom had reached out to Euphemia about the attack, with Frank joining the Aurors to help assess the damage and check on the horses. Thomas, who had been visibly heartbroken over the loss of his home, did brighten up slightly at the mention of the survival of some of the horses.

He ran his hand through his graying hair before looking at Euphemia. "How long would the repairs take?" Euephemia flinched a little. "I am not an expert on construction, especially one of muggle design, but since most of the fire was from the Fiendfyre curse…magic won't be effective at all in repairing the damage. Our Aurors are gathering all the evidence they can find on the site, as well as any items that belong to your property that may have survived. We will be providing a list of these recovered items as soon as the site has been cleared. Young Mr Riddle will be able to inform you regarding the timetable for reconstruction of the property, unless you would prefer m… non-magical contractors." Tom gave his grandfather a reassuring look. "We can go over the details of that in the next few days. While repairs through magic may not be possible, rebuilding the structure won't take anywhere near as long as it does by magical means." He then focused his attention on Euphemia. "While I know Fiendfyre is quite destructive, it does leave enough traces that can be detected, especially regarding human bodies. Were you able to corroborate my memories?" Euphemia looked over the report on the bodies found by the DoM at the scene. "There were six confirmed bodies within the building, all burned beyond recognition, which matches your sworn statement and submitted memories. There were also five other bodies found at the outskirts of the building, just outside of what we believe was your ward line. Any idea how that happened?"

Tom looked towards Lilith, who was clearly doing her best to feign ignorance, something that Euphemia noticed. "I live with two quintessential pranksters, and I was raised in a large household full of precocious young women, Miss von Schwarzwald. I can assure you, you're not going to be avoiding the question." Lilith chuckled nervously. "Off the record?" Euphemia sighed, before pulling the dicta quill off the parchment. "What happened?" Lilith rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, we were trapped within the structure by an external set of wards. So I might have developed a means to overload said hastily established wards with minimal effort. My tests, however, never involved anyone actively connected to the wards, so… they might have been killed by the magic from ward feedback as my device overloaded their ward scheme violently." Euphemeia stared at Lilith. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that device can be?" Lilith pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course I do! That's why I don't want any records of it. Not until I can be certain as to how stable the method is and what methods can work as either a counter or a safeguard against it. Especially after we are now certain that there are collaborators within the Ministry itself. DoM or not, I am not registering my work anytime soon." Euphemia rubbed her eyes. "Well… I am grateful for your foresight. I will keep this information between us, but please…register it with the DoM at some point after the war is over." Tom chuckled. "Right…she will definitely do that."

Giving her boyfriend an amused glare, Lilith looked back at the Auror as she made a few handwritten notes. "You mentioned that there were further casualties in the town of Little Hangleton. How… how many people died?" Euphemia lowered her eyes as she searched the report. "There were over two dozen casualties at a few buildings in the town, including the participants at a party hosted by the mayor. We are cross-referencing the victims with the invitation list as we speak, though we don't know whether we are glad or not that young Mr Riddle here chose not to attend." Tom frowned. "I wasn't invited." He looked towards Thomas, who frowned. "I received an invitation but I declined it, as I usually do every year." Euphemia went through the list. "It says here that Tom Riddle accepted the invitation to the party." Lilith grew still as a thought entered her mind. "Thomas…would…would he have…" The older man looked at Lilith as realization dawned on him, his eyes filling up with tears. Tom went to his grandfather's side, as did Madeline, with Lilith leading Euphemia out of the room. "Tom Riddle Sr. I don't know if you can confirm if he was at the party or not but…" the Auror looked back as the older gentleman screamed in pain into his grandson's chest. "I will do what I can. I…I am so sorry." Lilith nodded, feeling a little numb, as she led the Auror out of the door, before closing it.

She closed her eyes as Thomas' screams carried on for a while, letting the emotions behind them fill her heart. Even though she had changed the past… or even because she had meddled with time, people were still dying. Lives were still being snuffed out, in ways that seemed utterly senseless to her. She waited in the room she and Tom were sharing, since the Cottage only had three bedrooms, for him to arrive, pulling him into a hug as soon as the door was closed. She felt his hands wrapped around her tentatively, before she pulled back to look at his eyes. "Is Thomas…?" Tom nodded. "He's asleep. Madeline and I got him to his bed and we stayed with him until he collapsed." Lilith sighed, resting her forehead against Tom's neck. "I imagine she was conflicted… about her own feelings towards him. What with the way he treated her… and the way that Thomas loved him, despite everything." Tom sighed. "She isn't the only one. I could understand why my father abandoned me and my mother. At least, in my mind, I can understand. In my heart…" Lilith turned her head, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Our emotions aren't always about being rational… or fair." Tom hugged Lilith tighter to him. "No… they aren't." She looked back up at his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it? What happened last night?"

Tom thought for a second. "I don't know if there is anything to talk about. I used every advantage I had and killed six people, one of them being Valerio Rosier. And despite their deaths… I still don't feel guilt…or shame. I feel fine about what I did." Lilith ran her hand up and down his back. "Well, these people went out of their way to try and kill all of us. Valerio was no saint. I don't blame you for not being affected by it all. Even with your father's death… sure, Thomas was going to be affected, but you never knew the man, beyond what his actions revealed of who he was. Compassion and empathy can only go so far." Tom looked down at Lilith. "So you don't think that I am…broken?" Lilith stared into his eyes before smiling. "I think… we are all a little broken, Tom. We all have our flaws and issues, which the world can make all the more pronounced. I think…what matters is that we look past our flaws and find the things that really matter to us. The things that are a part of who we are, what makes us happy. So long as we keep that part of us safe, so long as we remain true to ourselves… we will be able to live through anything. And perhaps do so… with some measure of happiness in our hearts." Tom allowed Lilith's words to sink into his heart before bending down to capture her lips, believing that perhaps she was right. The people he loved were alive. Even with his home gone, what made it feel like home was still here, with him. For now, it was more than enough to lighten his heart.

"How is Aquilla's Cottage treating you?" Lilith turned and bowed her head towards Arcturus as he approached her. The Black Family annual New Year's Eve gathering hadn't been part of their plans for the day, but after Arcturus had been gracious enough to lend the property to the Riddle family until the estate was rebuilt, Tom had pressured her into accepting the invitation for the both of them. Of course, there was a part of her that knew that part of Tom's thought process was also to mingle with the older generation of Blacks and their invited guests, which were quite extensive currently. While both Charlus and Dorea were absent from the party itself, since they were both currently back in France aiding the French Resistance, their engagement was certainly the most discussed subject in the evening. Marius, who had been welcomed with his wife and children with outstanding support from the rest of the family, as well as Pollux and Cassiopeia, were all essentially making the plans for the wedding on behalf of their sister, though all plans by them could certainly be vetoed by the bride, groom, or the Lady Black, with Euphemia standing in for the Lady Potter. Said member of the Potter family was actually in attendance, along with her husband and father-in-law, all of whom had agreed to join in on the Black Family's most time honored tradition, an indicarion of their support for the union and a the commitment they had to keep the relations between the families amicable, despite their political factions.

As far as Lilith was concerned, however, the second most talked about subject at the party was her and Tom Riddle's relationship. At his behest, she had worn the new chain and her pendant, while wearing a black version of her dress from Slughorn's Party, a precaution she had taken in case the Blacks called her to be at a gathering as an official member of the family. Which was why most of the people at the party were themselves wearing black, though each person had their own added flair to their clothes. Alphard, the white sheep of the family, even though his position was now fully secured, was wearing a typical tuxedo, only with a white vest and bowtie, while Lucretia wore her dress with gold trimming. Walburga, who had brought Lakshmi to the party as her plus one, was wearing a black and blue dress and choker, which matched with Lakhsmi's exquisite blue and bronze kota saree. While the brand new couple certainly drew the attention of the family and had their curiosity peaked with the incredible show of interest from the young Walburga towards the youngest member of the Department of Mysteries, it was the future of Lilith and Tom's relationship that had everyone's attention, including Arcturus'. "The Cottage is more than adequate, my lord, though I must say that my grandmother certainly went through a lot of trouble refurbishing it to house a fully functioning Potion's Lab." Arcturus chuckled. "That she did. Aquilla was never one to settle for anything beneath her expectations. And from what I hear, grandfather Phineas was more than happy to arrange for the remodeling, so long as the property remained in the family."

Lilith shook her head, before her eyes locked onto Tom, who was currently in a conversation with Caspar Crouch. While they hadn't planned being here today, it was clear that he was taking advantage of the occasion to gauge the interests and thoughts of the extended members of the family. The Crouch family had quite the history with the DMLE, being one of the most prominent Dark families to hold the directory of the department over several generations, with Bones being the same from the side of the Neutrals. Any discussion on improving or raising the degree of education concerning Defence and Dueling at Hogwarts would almost assuredly require both the Bones and the Crouch families' support to make it through the Board of Governors. Which was why Tom was spending time talking to an old man, rather than being by Lilith's side. Arcturus followed her line of sight. "Feeling left out?" Lilith turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Sort of. I don't begrudge him his responsibility to the House of Slytherin and the wider Magical Community. This is very much what the future has in store for him and being surrounded by a family that has his back is sure to give Tom the necessary confidence to discuss difficult matters with the members of the extended family. It will be good practice for when he has to attend similar gatherings in less than pleasant company."

Arcturus nodded. "Indeed, and so far I am quite pleased with his performance. Caspar has never been one to entertain long discussions, but he seems quite interested in Riddle's suggestions." Lilith felt a cold glass pressed against her cheek, with Melanie handing her a glass flute. "It's just apple cider. Nothing too impairing, dear." As Lilith drank the refreshing cold beverage, Melania shooed her husband away, before giving Lilith a sympathetic smile. "I apologize for my husband. Spending so much time dealing with politics desenticises him to seeing how frustrated people can be, especially when their initial plans are interrupted. Where had the two of you gone for much of the day? If you don't mind me asking, of course." Lilith shook her head, as a soft smile grew on her face. Where Arcturus' mind was ever on the more political aspects of the family, Melania's was ever on the emotional side, keeping everyone, including her husband, well looked after. "I had planned to take Tom out and about, traveling to a few magical and non-magical sights and all. But after the attack, I don't think either of us would have felt safe out in public." Melania placed her hand on Lilith's back in a supporting gesture. "And no one would blame either of you for it. So, what did you do instead?" As Lilith was about to respond, another voice spoke up. "Well, whatever it was, it certainly was outside of the DMLE's attention, for which I am grateful. I am now constantly worrying about whenever a call comes through, expecting to hear your name being mentioned at the Department." Lilith bowed her head to Euphemia, whose dark burgundy dress almost made her dark brown hair look as if it was dyed red. "It could have ended that way, but fortunately for all parties involved, it was a quiet day."

Seeing that neither of them were going to take that as a viable answer, Lilith sighed. "Alexander felt a tad bit responsible for not being able to intervene in the attack and was able to pull some strings for us. He got us permission to visit one of the Seelie Court's sídhe." It amused Lilith to see the surprise on both Melania and Euphemia's face. "You ventured into the Fae Otherworld?" Lilith shook her head. "Not exactly. It's more accurate to call a sídhe a piece of the Otherworld that has bled into our own. The representatives of the Court allowed us to spend the day out in the fields, near a beautiful lake, while still outside of the Otherworld. Since Fae food isn't safe for us, I brought a picnic basket for lunch. It was quite the peaceful meal, listening to the songs of the elves and fairies, while the brownies tried to barter for some of our dessert. We even had a Maiden of the Lake stop by, to offer us a blessing, in exchange for a story." Euphemia rubbed her face in exacerbation. "Melania, is this what it feels to be a mother? Because I am pretty sure I just had a heart attack." Melania gave Euphemia an amused look. "While none of my children have ventured into a sídhe, I can certainly say that the anxiety that you are currently feeling is definitely part of motherhood. Do look forward to enduring that feeling repeatedly, my dear." Lilith chuckled to herself as Euphemia tried to explain to her the danger of the Fae, though Lillian had already done a lot of research on them with Luna over their last summer together, before Lillian turned seventeen.

Though the information on the Fae remained as part of both magical history and non-magical literature, access to the sídhes was essentially impossible. Many of them had been sealed by the Fae as they abandoned Britain for the Otherworlds as their allies among the Celts died out, while a few were heavily guarded by those who happened to be descendants from the Fae. The Peverells, apparently, were well trusted by the Courts, with Alexander knowing of several sídhes that could still be accessed, though only with his blessing. On Christmas Eve, he had been responding to the attack on the Devonport Naval Base, which was actually being carried out by the Hexenmeisters themselves, whilst the Riddle Manor was attacked. Part way through the fight, he had felt the wards on the Riddle Manor collapse and had been tempted to abandon the base, but he simply couldn't bring himself to abandon his duty, leaving soldiers to die. Despite Tom and Lilith's assurances that he did the right thing, especially since the heavy presence of foreign fighters would silence the Anti-Dark movements' most vocal members, Alexander had felt that he owed them for failing his duty to them as descendants of the Peverells. His offer of a safe day and night in the Seelie Court sídhes had been accepted, but the night option was abandoned, both because of the Black Family invitation and because the Unseelie…well, they weren't as easy to negotiate with regarding safe travels at the edge of their territories when compared to the Seelie. Still, seeing the unbridled curiosity and wonder in Tom's eyes as he took in the small fragment of a Fae Otherworld on Earth was a memory she would eternally cherish.

This particular sídhe looked as if it was kept in a perpetual state of spring, leaving both Tom and Lilith wondering if it was tied to the mythical Avalon. Far in the horizon, ever a multicolored sea of flowers, stood a tower that seemed to stretch out for eternity, which reminded Lilith of a particular legend regarding Merlin's final resting place. Sadly, the tower was definitely within the Otherworld itself, not the sídhe, and as such neither Lilith nor Tom dared to satisfy their curiosity. Taking a seat beneath one of the few apple trees, Lilith and Tom spent some time simply looking out over the horizon, letting the fragrant air, the beautiful flowers and songs in the wind ease their hearts. In Tom's case, Lilith swore that she saw his typical mask slip completely as a tear escaped his eye. She could empathize. These fragments of the Otherworld were a clear indication of why the Fae had vanished. Between a world of peace and quiet stretching out for eternity, or a world that constantly threatened their very existence, there was no competition. This particular otherworld was a Fae paradise, which was why the locals grew curious at the presence of the two mortal humans. The brownies, ever curious and friendly creatures to those who are kind, had been more than happy to play around them, looking through the picnic basket and helping themselves to some food that Lilith had set aside for them.

Smaller than their elven kin, the brownies were known to share in their love of work, being the Seelie Court's favored workforce, though they were all still weary of Lilith's presence. Hogsby had once referred to her as smelling like a member of the Unseelie, so she wasn't surprised that they were concerned. It did leave her smiling, however, when they focused much of their attention and questions on Tom. His awkwardness and anxiety faded the moment the Maiden appeared, shooing the brownies away. Lilith had then learned that it was she that Alexander had used as a messenger, as her lake was within the sídhe itself, allowing her to interact with both the Otherworld and the natural world freely. The Maiden appeared fair, as if an inner light shined through her skin, her blue dress hugged to her body as if perpetually soaked in water, the air around her smelling of a soft spring rain, whilst her hair looked darker than the light brown it would likely be if not wet. She had looked between both of them and smiled. "I am sorry if our kin aren't as respectful as they typically are. We don't get many visitors here from beyond the portal. Alexander described you both well to me, though he wisely kept your tales from my ears. I can promise a peaceful meal, full of song and merriment, in exchange for a story." Both Tom and Lilith had debated what to say, with Tom looking to Lilith. "I doubt a tale of tears or pain will be a fair trade, so I probably shouldn't tell any of mine."

Recognizing his logic, the burden fell on Lilith to find the right story, one that would be a fair trade for a pleasant day out in the sídhe. In the end, all she could think about that would be appropriate was to recount the time Lillian had spent with Luna, all the while allowing her magic to build up as if she were about to cast a Patronus. She closed her eyes and spoke, describing the awkward and gentle soul that had once touched her heart, a girl of sun and fields like a Fae, though troubled by loss and loneliness. "This girl with an inner warmth that defied reason called to her another, one whose thoughts were as dark as her hair. Yet she saw not the evil others branded upon her, nor did she heed the warnings of the lost child to steer clear. This child, whose mother had passed but two years prior, found herself unwilling to leave the other girl be. As time passed, through troubled days and sleepless nights, where both were beset by petty souls, the heart of the dark haired girl lightened, and the light of the fair child, that had been hidden within her troubled heart, shined through once more. Even as clouds darkened the sky, as the fields of grass withered and the comforting warmth of a home turned cold, the two never stood apart, until the very end. The child of the sun, called by the moon's name, stood aside, knowing what Fate had decreed, yet she did not part with tears. For…for her dark friend she had shown the meaning of love… now carried within her that same light, forever more, that time and distance would never steal."

Ending her story, Lilith had brushed away the tears that escaped her eyes. Tears of pain mixed with love, as the memory of her dearest friend always drew out of her. The fae herself had also cried, which clearly surprised her as she looked at the tears that her fingers collected from her own cheeks. She looked at Lilith and smiled. "Alexander has never been one to harbor those close to the Unseelie in the past. I had wondered when your presence entered the sídhe, why he would ask you both be granted a chance to walk into our world. Now I see. Hold that light tightly, child who has ventured through darkness and time, but never greedily. Let the lesson of your beloved child of the sun spread to others, even those who would otherwise be deemed unworthy. For your consort here is proof that even those with darkness within them can still allow such a beautiful light into their very being. Thank you for the story, lady from beyond the sea. May your times together be ever merry and kind." The Maiden had left both of them in silence for a bit, as Lilith collected her thoughts and feelings, while Tom held her to him. "You still love her, don't you? Even now, after all this time." Lilith nodded against his chest. "I do love her. And I hope I always will." She reached up and caressed Tom's cheek, before kissing him gently. "Though it wasn't the love I had dreamt of. Now I know that I am able to love another, free from guilt or shame and consider myself fortunate that he may love me as well." Her words were barely above a whisper, but the way that Tom's magic flared, she knew that he had heard her clearly. As promised by the Fae Maden, no other Fae disturbed their meal, though the fairies sang as they hovered nearby, lightening the mood for their meal.

As midnight fast approached within the Black family gathering, Lilith, drawing her thoughts out of their lunch in the sídhe, watched as Tom disengaged himself from the other guests, and made his way towards her. He took her gloved hand and kissed the palm, before linking his arm with hers. "I am sorry for spending so much of my time with the other guests." Lilith shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. You hardly had much of a chance to speak policy with the other Heirs at the party back at Hogwarts. I am just glad that your eyes weren't glued on Lakshmi for much of the evening." Tom raised an eyebrow. "You certainly have given her quite a few looks yourself." Lilith's cheeks grew warm. "What can I say, Walburga has excellent tastes and she is quite striking. Should their relationship hold true, the Blacks will be lucky to have a beautiful and brilliant woman joining the family." She moved her head and rested it against Tom's shoulder. "Though I personally find your smile and eyes far more attractive." Tom chuckled as he kissed her hair. "I got quite a few questions about when I would be putting a ring on your finger, particularly from Cassiopeia. Even Euphemia was interested in my answer." Lilith looked up into his eyes. "And what answer did you provide them?" Tom shrugged his shoulders. "That it would be unbecoming to ask for your hand in marriage at a time when my own position within our society is less than stable." Lilith squeezed Tom's arm in approval, before she guided him out of the party, offering Lord Black an apology since they wouldn't be staying for the night.

As soon as they exited the wards, Lilith apparated them away, with her enjoying Tom's momentary confusion, before he recognized his surroundings. "Are we… back at the cottage near Smethwick?" Lilith smiled at him as she neared the door, opening it for him. "It is. After the attack on the Manor, I thought it would be wise to have a safe house. Unlike the Black Cottage, this place isn't in the Ministry's registry and they won't be able to trace it back to us, so we should be relatively safe coming back here. I reapplied the ward registry stone that we used the first time around, hence why you can see it." Tom waited for her to close the cottage's door, before taking her coat. "Was this part of the plan? Maybe a quiet dinner before celebrating the New Year?" Lilith blushed but nodded. "Yeah." He took her hand and kissed the palm. "Well, either way, it would have been a perfect day." Lilith allowed Tom to guide her, laughing merrily as he twirled her around, both drawn into the memory of their final moments among the Fae, where they had danced in each other's arms, their eyes fixed on each other, as the songs of the fairies filled the air. They slowly made their way to the living room, a low but warm fire having been left simmering, before Lilith found herself caught in Tom's arms. The two stared at each other, their breathing deepening, before the grandfather clock signaled in the New Year, as Lilith pulled Tom's head down for her to kiss him.

Soon enough they broke apart, with Tom resting his forehead against hers. "Happy Birthday, Lilith." Lilith rubbed the tip of her nose with his. "Happy New Year, Tom. Now close your eyes." Following her instructions, Tom felt her guiding him into what he was sure was his old bedroom, certain that she had probably left a present for him in there. When she asked him to open them, Tom found his throat going dry, as his eyes latched onto Lilith's unclothed form before him, before she walked up to him, slowly stripping him of his clothes, before he found himself pushed onto the bed, with Lilith straddling him. Tom restrained a groan as her fingers, both real and artificial, traced his chest before she rested her chest against his own. Her lips tasted his several times, leaving Tom's mind in a haze, as his hands caressed the skin of her back. Thinking this was going to be the same as the few times they had bathed together, Tom found himself surprised when Lilith started grinding against him, a devilish smile growing on her face. "Last year, you gave me your Diary, the key to your deepest, most private thoughts, as a present. I had been thinking what would be the best way to pay you back. Well… now that you know me…truly know me, and you are still by my side, I thought it was only fair…" Lilith pressed her body down onto his lap, her breath tickling his lips. "… if, on the day magic recognized us both as adults, I would offer myself to you. Will you do the same for me?" Tom's heart felt as it was beating beyond count, a heavy weight in his chest, as his hand cupped Lilith's cheek, his thumb tracing her lips, before he smiled at her. "I am yours."

Chapter 40: The Changing Face of War

An incessant itch on his nose broke through Tom's dreamless sleep, with his eyes barely making out the low light of a winter sunrise struggling to break through the clouds. Taking a few breaths of the now cold air, Tom turned his attention, as he usually did, to the source of the incessant itch, which was a loose lock of red hair from his girlfriend, who was currently snuggled into his left side. He gently ran his hand down her back, wishing to awaken her before it got any later in the day, when he found it odd that the usual cloth that covered the back of her chest was missing. It was with that thought that the memories from last night rushed through his mind, instantly chasing away any sensation of cold from his body. Last night… had been so much more than he ever expected, and that was with him having some vague awareness of the times that Voldemort had entertained the idea of bedding a witch, a few of them not being consenting in his advances but being powerless to stop him. Those memories certainly repulsed him now, with the experience from last night highlighting to him just how… intimate the act should be. Though even he could admit that their first attempt wasn't anything special. It was rushed, instinctual and over rather quickly. It was what followed afterwards that made Tom feel a warmth that refused to fade.

Lilith had started it first, teasing and prodding him, finding the points that elicited the reaction she desired, before taking her time, restraining him when he tried to rush through the sensation once more. She showed him the value of a slow, methodical buildup, full of tenderness and physical contact, her eyes hardly ever leaving his, until her own release demanded it of her. Tom then turned her over and took up her challenge, testing, tasting, caressing his way up her body, which had certainly matured since the last time he had seen her in the nude, even if the changes seemed trivial to others. Tom saw the draw of the methodical approach watching Lilith's expressions shift as he drove her to another release, her voice going almost hoarse. Then they became one once more, with Tom taking his time, memorizing every single sensation, every touch and the way their bodies seemed to meld into each other before allowing his senses to be overwhelmed. He couldn't remember anything beyond that, except for this all encompassing feeling of comfort and fulfillment. As Tom was drawn into the memories, he had inadvertently began to caress Lilith's back more intimately, which woke her up, with her hands caressing their way up his chest, his skin feeling as if a fire had been lit beneath her fingers. She shifted her position more, until her green eyes looked into his and her mouth became a sleepy smile. "Morning. How did you sleep?"

Tom captured her left hand with his right, before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. "Better than I ever remember sleeping. You?" Lilith seemed to stretch and adjust every inch of her body, before slumping into Tom's side again. "A bit sore and possibly bruised in places, though nothing to complain about." She interwove her fingers with his, before blinking her eyes, her fingers running over Tom's ring. "Well, I suppose we need to check with Salazar, because I am pretty sure the man has some… odd ideas for what constitutes coming of age." Tom blinked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Lilith chuckled as she released his hand. "Nothing that you need to worry too much over, my Lord Slytherin." Tom's eyes widened at her choice of words, when he brought his right hand up, the ring on his finger clearly being different from the one before. Though it seemed to still be made of silver, with the same emblem in the center made from emeralds, the ring itself was longer and far more intricate. He saw four coats of arms wrapped around the center, with the two to the sides etched into the ring's band. The one at the top of the ring was the Hogwarts emblem, while the other three were those of the other Founders, each one bound to the others through interwoven bands of Celtic knots.

"I…I never thought…" Lilith kissed his cheek. "You are worthy of it, Tom. After all the effort you put into being a rightful Heir, there was no doubt in my mind. Just remind me to get Salazar to admit to whether or not he placed a condition that required the Heir to be sexually active, because you didn't have that ring at all throughout your birthday." Tom shook his head. "With the way things were back then, I wouldn't be surprised." Lilith sat up, stretching out her arms, as Tom found himself greatly enjoying the view. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, with Lilith squealing slightly. "Tom!" The young Lord Slytherin ignored her as he nuzzled her neck, getting her to shiver in his grasp. "I don't want to leave the bed just yet." Lilith sighed. "Neither do I, but you have a few things to handle now. You could ignore them until summer, but I think Ragnok would be feeling quite insulted with you if you don't even bother to ask whether or not he wishes to remain as the Slytherin Account Manager. Not to mention you need to check that the registry with the Ministry is updated, and even submit your request to claim your seat and vote in the Wizengamot." Tom paused his teasing of Lilith for a moment. "Wait, isn't today the first session for the year, the one Euphemia had to prepare a report for on the attacks that took place on Christmas Eve?"

Lilith patted his arm, which was still wrapped around her waist. "It is. Now, you could miss out on it and just let Lord Black handle the situation with Lord Rosier as we prepare to return to Hogwarts tomorrow or you could let us both leave the bed and make for the Ministry in all haste." Tom thought for a second. Getting the Lordship did come with some drawbacks. It certainly meant he now needed to deal with the politics of the Wizengamot and even the Board of Governors, not to mention that he could now be targeted for duels with the Charter no longer being able to protect him. On the other hand, he could finally invest his family's finances and make larger purchases, such as finding a suitable location to erect the Slytherin Estate. He could also afford to aid his Grandfather in the building of a new Riddle Manor too, hopefully making it far more secure against all forms of attacks. It also meant that he could ask Lilith for her hand in marriage, though he was certain that neither of them were ready for that just yet. What he did know was that he wanted to explore the physical side of their relationship far more thoroughly. And she was currently in bed with him, naked and likely willing. Tom licked Lilith's neck, the noise that escaped her lips reinforcing the need for everything else to wait. When she turned around and straddled him, any thoughts about his responsibilities slipped away from both their minds. Tom was certain they would have been late for all of them anyways.

"We missed you at the party last night." Alexander raised his eyebrow as he looked towards Fleamont Potter, who had just taken a seat next to him within the Visitor's Gallery of the Wizengamot, as Chief Witch Fawley began the session. "A party and now the Ministry. I hope you are getting plenty of rest, Fleamont, or Euphemia won't be the only one after your hide." The youngest member of the Potter family smiled at him softly. "I think I will get berated by her, regardless. I am, however, feeling well rested. A new formula for the Immune System Reinforcement Potion has allowed me to endure longer periods of time out among the general population with fewer downsides. Sure, I need to go through a heavy cleaning session everytime I go home, but it's better than just staying locked up in the house." Alexander hummed to himself as he sat back. "Those exotic materials from the Americas must be quite effective then." Fleamont nodded. "They are. In… hang on, how do you know what materials I have been getting for my potion trials?" Alexander smirked at him. "Well, I might have some contacts that help me trace the movements of certain potion ingredients. And I might have also invested in the build up of Non-European resources for Magical purposes, as well as offered a few… monetary incentives for Potioneers to actually do work in developing or refining potions for all forms of medical reasons."

Fleamont sighed. "Well, that explains a lot. How long have you been monitoring our family, anyways." Alexander shook his head. "Not as long as I should have. Your father's exploits in the ICW Assembly and you and Charlus' births had made me complacent in the sense that the Potter family seemed to have reached a degree of stability whereby my intervention and observation was no longer required, the same way that I had assumed that the Gaunt family had died out. It wasn't until Lilith appeared that I was forced to… reevaluate my positions regarding the extended family." Fleamont nodded, as he watched Euphemia stand up to read her report before the Wizengamot, a smile growing on his face. "She has that effect on others, doesn't she? Euphemia was very much a stickler for the rule of law, never doing much beyond what her oath as an Auror required of her. Ever since Lilith challenged her to do better, to be better, she has been far more… proactive as a member of the DMLE." Alexander looked away from Euphemia towards her husband. "Is that being a problem for you back home?" Fleamont laughed softly. "Are you kidding? Watching her get all worked up about doing the right thing, not to mention all the back massages I get to give her after her long days and nights at the office…I can't help but love her more. In every sense of the word."

Alexander chuckled, before he looked back at the report on the attacks across the county of Devon, with a strong emphasis on the identities of the attackers primarily being from the Continent, while also discussing the arrests that occured within the Ministry after it was discovered that certain employees had leaked information that was used to plan the attacks. Even the people who had died when the assailants raised temporary wards to entrap the people within the Riddle Manor had been Hexenmeisters, which would void any claims that the assault on the property was solely due to a conflict within the Dark Faction, which the Anti-Dark movement might try to imply, regardless of the facts. Alexander rubbed his Head of House Ring with his thumb. Even after the two youngsters had forgiven him for his failure to intervene in the attack on the Manor, it still left Alexander feeling guilty, even with him and Dippet getting them permission to spend a day within a Seelie Court sídhe, with Armando actually enjoying the chance to communicate once more with his distant relatives through the Maiden. These two young adults were his distant relations and Alexander had willingly accepted responsibility for their care, only to neglect it when they needed him most. The deadly removal of several Hexenmeisters at the military base they had foolishly attacked definitely made up for some of that, as the saboteurs were a clear and present danger to both of the teens, but even that was a cold comfort for Alexander.

As Lord Longbottom was making a request to address the Wizengamot, an Auror approached the Chief Witch and the Scribe, whispering something to them, before the Chief Witch took a moment to think. The Auror was sent back to the entrance to the chamber, as Chief Witch Fawley interrupted Lord Longbottom. "My apologies, Lord Longbottom, fellow members of the Wizengamot, but we have received a request for the claim of a Seat and the Vote allocated to it. As no votes have yet been cast in today's session, I will allow them to take their rightful place today. Aurors! You may let the claimant through." As the doors to the Wizengamot Chamber were opened, Alexander looked over at the claimant, before doing a double take. Dressed in a suit that, while Muggle in style, certainly suited the young man quite well, as did his dark green tie, the black coat, vest and dress pants were of the same color as that of the robes worn by members of the Wizengamot, but it was clear that the young man wasn't looking to take up the traditional garments worn by members of the Wizengamot in any of the Factions, even as he made an effort to fit in. "My apologies for interrupting the session, Members of the Wizengamot, but the Ministry's Records Office is nothing if not slow in the processing and providing of the necessary documentation needed to file a claim, particularly now as I am told there are several employees under a criminal investigation." Upon reaching the Speakers stand, he handed the documents to the Scribe, who reviewed them, before passing them along to the Chief Witch. Madam Fawley looked towards the young man, before nodding her head. "Everything is in order, though you understand that any votes for which you are absent will be treated as such, unless you select a Proxy to represent you."

The young man bowed his head at her. "Of course, Chief Witch Fawley, though I am also aware that I may submit votes in writing regarding matters that are scheduled in advance on the Wizengamot docket." Fawley smiled at him. "Indeed, though I still suggest you find yourself a proper Proxy. You are still likely to miss quite a few special votes for the next year and a half. Regardless, all documents are in order. Please state your claim and Faction affiliation before the Assembly, after which you may take an available Seat." The young man placed his hand over the text provided to him by the Scribe. "I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, hereby claim the Seat and Vote of the Noble and Ancient House of Slytherin, as the magically recognized Head of House. My family's Allegiance is, as it always has been, with the Dark. So says I, so mote it be." The ring on Tom's finger flashed as it reconnected with the Magics that bound the Heads of Houses to the Wizengamot, before a man rose up. "You have no right to sit with us, you Halfblood! Salazar Slytherin would never accept someone whose blood is so impure as a successor!" Tom turned to look towards the person who spoke up, recognizing him. "As I have dedicated the last year of my life to being worthy of the Slytherin Lordship, I can assure you, Lord Rosier, that I am prepared in the manner that my Ancestor required of his Heirs. I have far more right to sit among the Wizengamot than you do, as a collaborator to a man with whom the Wizengamot is at war with."

Marcus Rosier stormed onto his feet. "You dare!" Tom turned to look directly at Rosier. "It is not about daring, Lord Rosier. I can attest to the fact that your Heir acted in collaboration with Grindelwald's forces within our shores, which could only occur if you yourself permitted it of him. Every Head of House here knows that to attack the residence of a family, with whom no declaration of war has been made before the Assembly, is a grave violation of our most ancient traditions. A tradition… that your son willfully violated when he assaulted my place of residence on the 24th with the intention of killing all those who were currently on the Estate grounds." Rosier's face turned deep red. "My son had nothing to do with that attack. This is nothing more than a ploy to slander our family name." Tom turned to look towards Euphemia, raising an eyebrow. The Auror sighed, before looking towards Lord Rosier. "With all do respect, Lord Rosier, but the DMLE has confirmed that your son and Heir, Valerio Rosier, was involved in the attack on the Riddle residence and died on the scene." Lord Rosier looked to be physically grinding his teeth, before his eyes focused completely on Tom. "You killed him, didn't you?" Tom stared at the man. "His death was of his own making, not mine or anyone else's. Except, perhaps, yours."

With a speed that startled everyone, Lord Rosier drew out his wand and aimed it at Tom, with a familiar green curse heading straight for the young Lord. To the surprise of everyone, Tom didn't move or react, though they all watched as the curse seemed to impact something, before it dissipated. Rosier himself was momentarily stunned by the sight, before his wand was launched out of his hands by the Auror guards, as Chief Witch Fawley yelled from her position on the Chamber floor. "Aurors, clap him with suppression cuffs and drag him away. For his inexcusable use of lethal force within the Wizengamot without a formal challenge or in an act of self defence, Lord Rosier is to be incarcerated. He will be properly charged and tried before the Assembly as soon as I can get it on the docket. The seat and vote of the House of Rosier is hereby suspended until such a time as it is felt that the family has earned the right to sit among us once again. Lord Slytherin, please accept our apologies regarding the behaviour of one of our own. We are glad to see that you came out of this altercation alive and unharmed. Please, take a seat among the members of your Faction." Tom bowed his head to Madam Fawley. "I appreciate the sentiment, Chief Witch. By your leave." To the surprise of many, Tom made his way to Arcturus Black's side, bowing his head to him and earning a bow in return, before he sat next to the Head of House Black.

As Lord Longbottom tried to get Chief Witch Fawley's attention once again, the majority of the Chamber and the Visitor's Gallery were murmuring to each other concerning what had just happened before their very eyes. "Was that part of some plan to further weaken the power of the extremists?" Alexander, feeling glad that he had erected privacy wards around them the moment that Fleamont sat next to him, looked towards the youngest Potter. "I can assure you that I wasn't told of any such plan. Then again, Lilith is very much the type to make calculated decisions in the moment and I wouldn't be surprised if some of that has rubbed off on Riddle. Rosier's decision to speak up was likely the catalyst for that entire situation and that Riddle made a very effective decision on the fly to get him to act inappropriately before everyone." Fleamont sat back as he crossed his arms as Lord Longbottom was trying his best to convince everyone that the attacks were all proof of the belligerence of the Dark Faction, though the DMLE continued to refute his claims. "Still, his gamble was quite risky." Alexander's eyes looked towards where Tom had taken his seat, with him clearly talking amicably with Lord Black. "Perhaps. Or perhaps his confidence was less of a gamble than it might have seemed." Fleamont frowned, though Alexander doubted the young Potions Master would be able to spot the shadow that stood behind the newest Lord on the Wizengamot, a protector who would very much keep her partner safe, no matter what anyone else would dare to try.

"So, how do you want to be addressed? As Lord Slytherin or Mr Riddle?" Tom sighed as he finished signing the attendance sheet for Slytherin House, as the students started arriving at the Common Room after making the trek up the path, all of them having been dropped off at the Three Broomsticks Floo Terminal. From the moment he had stepped out into Hogsmeade on his way to Hogwarts, he had been waylaid by many students and even a few adults, all of them congratulating him on becoming the first officially recognized Lord of House Slytherin since the Founder himself. Cygnus, Lucretia, Alphard and even Orion had teased him for not visiting them on the 1st after his confirmation at the Wizengamot, though when he explained that he wanted Lilith to celebrate her birthday quietly they had all been very understanding. The thought of his girlfriend made him smile, especially at her willingness for the two of them to just have a quiet day at the Cottage. Well… as quiet as it could be when Alexander dragged them back to Peverell Manor for a birthday feast for dinner. Lilith had wanted to murder the man for the amount of sugary desserts that he had prepared, with Tom finding it amusing that the Lord Peverell, descendant of an infamous family of Magical Slayers, was not only an excellent and prolific cook, but one who favored baking pastries. Of course, once back at the cottage, both Lilith and Tom burned through much of their calorie intake with each other, before collapsing into a quiet sleep. Both of them had been forced to shower in the early morning, with Lilith bemoaning how much longer it took after Tom decided to join her.

Looking at the expectant faces of both Abraxas Malfoy and Theodore Nott, Tom decided to bury his pleasant memories for the moment. Though his good mood was definitely reflected in his voice. "That depends. If you two are here in representation of your family, then it's Lord Slytherin. If it's concerning Hogwarts, students or just ourselves… well, I was curious if you would both be willing to call me Tom." Abraxas and Theodore shared a look before smiling, as Tom gestured to a table nearby. After handing the parchments to Slughorn in his office, he sat down beside them. "Much of where I am now is thanks to you two being willing to share our world with me. And, while I might have had difficulty expressing it in the past, I am very grateful for the relationship we share now and I hope we can build it into something more." Tom then gave Abraxas a pointed look. "Though if you ask me anything regarding my plans for Lilith, I am just going to ignore you. Or stun you if you get too annoying. I spent a full night being interrogated by every single member of the Black Family, and I do mean every single bloody member in attendance. I have no intention of humoring others until the experience is behind me." Theodore covered his face with his hand as Abraxas glared at his laughing friend, before shaking his head. "Fine, I will leave your love life out of our discussions. So, I heard you sat next to Lord Black."

Tom raised his eyebrow at Abraxas. "You and your father can rest assured that I won't be stepping on his toes for the foreseeable future. I sat next to Lord Black to apologise to him for the whole mess with Rosier and about the Faction's position regarding the proposals already scheduled on the next Wizengamot sessions. I needed to register my votes with the Chief Witch before I returned here, after all." Theodore nodded. "Makes sense. You still have a year and a half of classes between you and sitting in the Wizengamot for every possible session. Though I believe you are allowed to leave the Castle for the sessions." Tom sat back. "Headmaster Dippet had mentioned it before, but I will only ever leave for any votes that are far too important for me not to be there to vote in person, especially regarding any emergency proposals or addendums not scheduled beforehand." Abraxas shrugged. "Always good to keep your options open. Did you get approached by any of the Neutrals?" Tom thought for a second how to respond to that. "I was welcomed by the Greengrass and Davis families, as well as Lord Bones and Lord Potter. The latter two felt it was their duty, seeing as the Slytherins were among the Founders of the Council of Wizards." The two young men nodded before they started discussing with him the plans for the rest of month, before Tom made his way back to his room.

Looking at the empty room, Tom swept the chamber for any foreign magic, before setting up his record player. He listened to some music while penning a few important letters that needed to be sent out sooner rather than later. At Lilith's suggestion, he had checked with Gringotts and found that Director Ragnok indeed wasn't interested in being his personal account manager, but had been willing to accept Lothbruk's nomination for the task, as the Senior Goblin Account Manager wasn't exactly over worked with both the Peverell and von Schwarzwald accounts, the latter of which he could only manage to an extent as the account was still primarily based in Switzerland within the Dwarven bank. He was fortunate that he had already spoken with Lord Potter and Lord Black fully as soon as the Wizengamot Session concluded, with the Potters and Lord Peverell being in attendance. He certainly enjoyed it when Lilith pulled her cloak off her body, surprising everyone but Alexander, who took Lilith aside for a brief discussion, as Lord Potter and Lord Black went over some of the proposals that would soon be brought up in the next Wizengamot sessions. Euphemia, while disapproving of his provocation of Lord Rosier, was grateful for his assistance, as Rosier's removal from active participation in the Wizengamot and his subsequent imprisonment would leave all of his properties and assets open for investigation.

Finishing his letters, Tom leaned back, his eyes fixed on the Head of House Ring currently on his right hand, feeling a bit odd. Ever since he learned that he was potentially the Heir of Salazar Slytherin, he had yearned to ascend to the same position. To be a Lord, beyond just in name. Now he was the Lord Slytherin, a member of the Wizengamot and would eventually have influence with the Hogwarts Board of Governors as soon as he graduated. The Dark Faction had, so far, embraced him warmly, thanks to Lord Black's influence and support. Even Lord Crouch had stepped up, welcoming him to the Faction and offering him his support on the initiative to improve the Defence program for the NEWT level students and that he would bring the matter up with the director of the Auror Academy before they would approach the Board of Governors together. And yet, despite everything that had happened… he didn't feel any different. He was still the same person he had been before his birthday, a young man with fragmented memories of a very different life. Memories that had him concerned over his own path moving forward. Tom had brought up his unusual episode at the Riddle Manor with Alexander, who had then proceeded to run a scan on him.

While nowhere as fragmented or as self-destructive as Lilith's condition, Alexander did confirm that Tom's soul was definitely showing signs of fragmentation, but there were indications that it was definitely healing on its own. It was Peverell's belief that the reason his reaction to the last memory was so severe was that it was one of the scars healing up completely, the scars all likely connected to every Horcrux he ever crafted as Lord Voldemort. Alexander would be looking into ways to help the process along, which he felt wouldn't be too difficult considering the amount of research he had already done to heal Lilith's condition. Tom wondered if perhaps his healing soul had also played a part in his ascension. Only Salazar would know for sure. He would have his chance to speak to his Ancestor's portrait tomorrow, after everyone had settled back into the Castle. Tom looked towards his bed, feeling a bit bothered by the fact that Lilith wouldn't be spending the night with him. The more time they spent together, the more he wanted for those moments to last forever. Whether they were being physically intimate or not didn't matter to Tom. Her proximity and their shared experiences mattered more to him. Though he would never dare ask for her hand in marriage so soon in their relationship, Tom was certain there would never be anyone like her in his life. And he would make sure that she understood just how important she was to him.

Albus Dumbledore read through the letter sent to him by Lord Longbottom, before he tossed it aside, cursing under his breath. The presence of Grindelwald's saboteurs and their Dark Faction Corroborators had been a boon to the Anti-Dark movement's membership and proposals, just as he had hoped. While the interventions of this unknown third party prevented any significant losses of life within the Wizarding Community, the fear that had been spread across the population had been just the thing he needed to spread his message to people less interested in the politics of the Assembly and more interested in their own perceived wellbeing. Despite the reports from the DMLE and the Wizengamot making it clear that Grindelwald's forces were behind the terrorist acts that were perpetuated throughout the autumn months, people had been quite happy to blame the Dark Faction as a whole. Now, however, public opinion has seemingly shifted in the opposite direction. The DMLE's report of a coordinated attack at a Naval Base in Devon, along with the targeted assault on a Dark Faction's family home made it clear that the assailants weren't actively supported by the Dark Faction as a whole. The subsequent arrest and removal of Marcus Rosier from the Wizengamot, with no complaints from his fellow faction members, made it very clear that he and his family had been mostly acting on their own. Lord Longbottom was definitely certain that the DMLE's subsequent investigation could lead to other Dark Faction families to turn on the extremists, leaving the Wizengamot in a far more stable condition.

To complicate matters further, young Tom Riddle had achieved what Albus had hoped would never come to be; he had become the Lord Slytherin. Albus wasn't a fool. He had studied the Founders and their positions heavily at Hogwarts and even beyond. He knew that some aspects of the stories of the Founders were contradictory, if not utterly incorrect. The figure that had accumulated the most contradictions and mysteries was Salazar Slytherin. He had hoped to take advantage of the Dark's views on Slytherin's anti-muggle reputation to further isolate them from the rest of the Wizarding Society. But now that Riddle had control over the Founder's Family Estate, he could begin to shed light on Salazar Slytherin's true nature himself. Sitting just below Morgan le Fay in terms of influence and symbolism for the Dark Wizards and Witches of the country, any revelations that contradicted the image that had been fostered about Salazar Slytherin could see a radical shift in the Faction's representation and policy. Tom's respectful demeanor, deference to the older members of the Wizengamot, and even his approachability by the heads of the Light and Neutral Factions will draw many people to his side, as was seen by the growing popularity of the members of his so-called Council of Walpurgis. Dumbledore had debated whether to use Ignotus Prewett as a spy into the Council, or even getting Minerva to join, but ultimately decided against either.

Both students were already wavering in their faith in him. Exposing the young Minerva, who showed exceptional skill in Transfiguration, to any further ideas that might run counter to the Anti-Dark agenda could only result in the loss of another promising student. With Ross having intervened with her family already, the chances of using the girl further had dwindled to near nothing. Rapping his hand on the desk of his office, Albus looked over at the map of Hogwarts. His influence over the Castle was slipping away. In a few years, the Lord Slytherin would be further employing his will upon the school and the Board of Governors. He would never allow Dumbledore to take command of it or to continue diminishing the Dark influences in the education of the children. He was running out of time and resources. It infuriated him to no end that he was in the same situation as Grindelwald. The Soviets had made impressive gains in their campaign to capture the territories north of the Black Sea, with the German forces tightening their grip in Italy and the rest of Europe as the expectation of an Allied invasion beyond their Italian offensive would soon take place. With the massive loss of almost a hundred men and women in the failed attack on the Devonport Naval Base, the Hexenmeister Saboteurs in Britain would now be in dire straits. Grindelwald needed a victory that could shift the growing power of his enemies, and Dumbledore needed to use that as an opportunity to consolidate his own position of power. After turning his gaze back over his desk, Dumbledore rested his head onto his steepled hands.

He had no choice. In order to drastically reshift the balance of power in his favor, Dumbledore needed to eliminate the growing strength of the Dark Faction, and to demonstrate his own capability as a leader against Grindelwald's might. He could only achieve all those objectives by allowing Grindelwald to attack and capture Hogwarts. The attack on Riddle proved to Dumbledore that Grindelwald recognized the young man as a threat. If the Hexenmeisters took the Castle, they would not hesitate to eliminate him or the Schwarzwald girl. The students who fought back would likely perish, as would Dippet and much of the staff in the defence of the Castle. In the chaos of the attack, Dumbledore could bring in the forces of his nascent Order of the Phoenix, chase out the invaders and recapture the Castle. With the staff depleted and his victory over the Heixenmeisters, Dumbledore would be the only logical choice to replace Dippet, with the staff replaced with his followers and fellow Order members. After that he would have to let the Wizengamot and the ICW make their way to Austria, before he could face Grindelwald personally. His plans for the Anti-Dark Faction movement might end up being delayed, but they could easily be revised as long as he held a position of Authority at the Wizengamot and at Hogwarts. He would just have to be patient. Pulling out a bit of parchment, Dumbledore began writing his response to the Lord Longbottom. They would need to ramp up their training and recruitment for the Order, if they were to be successful in recapturing the Castle. He would then start making the preparations to bring the wards of the Castle down on command. Everything needed to be perfect for his plans to fully come to fruition.

Vinda held her hand to her chest as the curse inflicting pain to her dissipated, before Grindelwald's voice came through the scrying mirror. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to receive a report about your failed attacks from Hitler himself? I had a half mind to kill him right there in front of the rest of his staff but was forced to restrain myself. As much as he is an imbecile, he still has his uses as my puppet, seeing as the rest of the Generals would be less willing to obey my commands without him in charge. The last thing we need right now, with the Soviets getting ever closer and the other Allied Nations preparing an invasion, is for the German High Command to start bickering over who is to replace the fool! So I would like to know why you thought it was a good idea to send my soldiers to attack a relatively worthless muggle facility, while you sent the local trash to kill the then Heir of Slytherin and the von Schwarzwald child! I am very certain that I gave you the order to handle them yourself!" Vinda coughed as she propped herself into view of the mirrored surface. "I was certain the locals would be able to handle two school children. And with the unknown force hunting us, it seemed prudent to draw their attention elsewhere, my lord."

Grindelwald growled. "So, not only did your cannon fodder fail to kill either of the youngsters, but this unknown force slaughtered some of my most well trained men! You might have heard that your cousin was arrested and that his properties have been seized. That means that the safe Portkey endpoint at his coastal property is now lost to us. We cannot provide you with any more reinforcements. As of this moment, you will cancel all operations within Great Britain and focus exclusively on securing a safe location for my men. Do you understand me, Vinda?" The woman swallowed. "I do, my lord. I am, however, unsure what our end goal will be. Why not recall our forces back to the mainland?" Grindelwald glared at her. "Because your objective has not been completed. However, as you have wasted the lives of so many of the Hexenmeisters, we will have to focus exclusively on the final objective, which is securing the British Wizengamot's cessation of hostilities against us." Vinda watched as Grindelwald paced around, before he stopped. "With the attack on the Riddle Manor, all Ancestral Homes will be on high alert for any signs of attack. Your little stunt has also exposed the collaborators we had within the British Ministry that gained you not only access to the exact location, but control over the Floo Network. We can no longer go after any of the individual targets, even on the streets, as we have no means of trapping them in place, nor preventing reinforcements from arriving quickly."

His heterochromatic eyes turned to her. "I assume that your delay in reporting was due to a change regarding your base of operations." Vinda nodded. "As expected, the moment our forces suffered mass casualties at the Devonport Naval Base, we found our wards being tested. We felt it was safer to relocate, but everywhere we went, the wards would get tested again and again. We were fortunate that our current location lies within the property of another Magical Family, one not as well affiliated with the Rosiers." Grindelwald rubbed his chin. "The rapid nature of the force pursuing you is concerning, but as long as you forgo any further attacks, your location may remain secure. Use this family to supply you with everything my men will need to endure. I will contact what supporters we have left and see if our last, viable target can be taken with the forces you currently have under your command." Vinda bowed her head. "If that is your will." Gellert stepped back from the mirror's surface. "It is. Keep our people trained and prepared at all times. You will receive a message when the preparations are complete. And Vinda… do not fail me again…otherwise, do not concern yourself with leaving Great Britain. Do we understand each other?" Vinda kept her head low as she swallowed nervously. "Yes, my lord. I await your command." As the surface stilled and the image of Grindelwald faded, Vinda left the chamber, with the people who were responsible for the wards raising them up to their highest protections, blocking out any further communication with the outside.

She stood at the top of a set of stairs, looking out over a massive open hall that had initially served as a ballroom, but was currently in the process of being changed into a practice chamber. One of the officers, dressed in civilian clothing, walked up the stairs. "Our orders?" Vinda looked at what remained of her force, seeing a little less than half of the soldiers that she had arrived with. This campaign had been the most costly that she had ever embarked on and yet Grindelwald would have her press on. She had initially accepted the assignment out of a desire for revenge against the von Schwarzwald girl, as well as her means of repaying her extended family for the loyalty they had shown her and her cause. Now… now she began to wonder if this island would be her grave. Strengthening her resolve, Vinda turned to the officer. "Have our people train as much as possible. Our lord believes that we may yet complete our mission here with what forces we have. Let's not disappoint him, for all our sakes. Our target will be revealed to us in due time." The man nodded. "Jawohl." Vinda looked out through the nearest window, watching as a blizzard covered the grounds in a thick layer of snow, feeling trapped by her situation. Grindelwald was right. There were only two options left to them: victory or death. They had to do everything in their power to make sure that their next battle wouldn't be their last.