My Eternal Curse

Latin Note: atra: dark, gloomy.

Chapter Seventeen

Struggling Foundations

Albus walked into his office and sat down, just returning from checking on Sybil's 'condition.' After his visit with Poppy and Sybil, he had no doubt left in his mind that Sybil was now beyond their help, and would have to be sent to St. Mungo's to recover. And to think, all it took was a dark reading from Miss Weasley... Unfortunately, her breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time. Where were they going to find another Divination teacher, on such short notice? Finding anyone with even the faintest spark of The Sight-

"Albus..." said a brusque, and burly voice, a voice Albus hadn't heard in a long time. Albus looked up and saw in the fireplace the head of last person he expected to see. Zachary Alvin Montgomery. Zach had wavy, shoulder length, dark red hair, which was speckled with silver-gray. He had piercing blue-green eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a handsome, distinguished face. His expression reminded Albus of a trapped animal and yet, for some unfathomable reason, he seemed greatly determined as well. "We need to talk."

"Zach, I didn't expect you to answer my message so quickly." Albus smiled at him kindly, with a faint twinkle in his eyes. "I just sent it three days ago."

"I didn't," Zach replied. "Your message won't reach me for another two days... Don't ask me how I know that, I just do... I've seen the Daily Prophet article on the Weasley girl. Is she showing the same potential?"

"The same as you, and more," Albus answered.

"I was afraid of that..." Zach muttered, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "In for a Knut, in for a Galleon... I sensed that something had happened to your Divination teacher this afternoon, and I understand that you now have an opening. I'll take on the full position, provided you can make suitable arrangements for me. Expect me in two weeks. There are some things I must attend to before I arrive."

"Of course," Albus said, surprised.

"One more thing..." Zach asked, the tension he felt coloring the tone of his voice. "The Weasley girl... What wand is she using?"

"She replaced her old wand yesterday, because it's core corrupted," Albus replied. "It's mahogany, with snake's tooth and Hippogriff feather, thirteen inches."

"Double-cored?" Zach confirmed. "I see... Make sure you and your staff keeps close to this one. She's... different, somehow, for lack of a better word. Something about her..." Zach shook his head, as if trying shake something off. "I don't know..."

"Don't worry," Albus assured him. "I have Minerva and Severus watching over her."

"Good, good..." Zach said. "I'll see you in two weeks, and it's nice to see you again, old friend. I don't know where I'd be without you. Let's just hope that my stay at Hogwarts goes smoother this time."

"Agreed, old friend," Albus replied. "Goodbye."

"Good luck," Zach wished him. "I suspect you'll need it."

Zachary's head vanished, leaving Albus alone in his thoughts.

*~*~*

Ginny found an empty spot at the Gryffindor table and sat down. She tried not to pay attention to the other students, as she and Ix Chel started to eat. A minute later, the last Gryffindor she expected to see sat beside her. It was Neville Longbottom. Ginny studied Neville, who seemed to be completely at ease with her.

"Hello, Ginny," Neville said.

"Hi, Neville," Ginny replied. "Pardon me for asking, but... why are you sitting here, when almost everyone else seems to be afraid of me?"

"Because I know you," Neville answered. "You wouldn't hurt me. There are still some Gryffindors who feel that way, though your pet is a little weird."

"This Gryffindor seems to have some good sense, for a change," Ix Chel commented.

"What did she say?" Neville asked, looking unnerved.

"She just complimented you," Ginny explained.

"Oh... Thanks, I guess," Neville said to Ix Chel awkwardly.

Ix Chel hissed.

"Your welcome," Ginny translated, as Mark arrived and sat next to them.

"So, what have the other students been saying about us?" Ginny asked.

*~*~*

Severus wondered why Miss Weasley felt it necessary to escort one of his students to the Headmaster's office. The Slytherin students preferred to keep everything amongst themselves, and only went to their head of house when things got out of hand. They never went to another teacher, much less the Headmaster, unless the matter had become life threatening. Severus knew that anything Miss Weasley had uncovered about Miss Levine had to have been serious, or the Slytherin would never have let herself be escorted anywhere, much less to Dumbledore's office. To top it off, Miss Weasley had, once again, shown a level of discretion unheard of among Gryffindors. That girl was quite a puzzle, one Severus hoped to unravel soon. Severus entered Dumbledore's office and sat down. Albus looked up from a small mountain of paperwork, and smiled.

"You know, the only thing more difficult then finding someone to teach DADA on short notice, is finding a new Divination teacher," Albus said, taking off his glasses for a few moments to rub his eyes.

"Professor Trelawney will not be returning to work?" Severus asked.

"No, I'm afraid Professor Trelawney has suffered a nervous breakdown," Albus explained, putting his glasses back on, observing him again. "We're sending her to St. Mungo's to recover. She has been under a great deal of strain lately. Apparently, Miss Weasley's reading was just 'the last straw', as muggles would say. Fortunately, I wasn't completely unprepared. A new Divination teacher has been appointed. I initially attempted to employ him as a tutor for Miss Weasley, but he's asked to take on the full position. He'll be arriving here in two weeks."

"Are you sure we can trust this person?" Severus asked.

"I would trust him with my life," Albus said, with a twinkle in his eyes. "He is perfect for the position."

"Who is it?" Severus asked, curiously.

"Zachary Alvin Montgomery."

"Zach Montgomery?" Severus asked. "Wasn't he the Seer who went into seclusion about fifteen years ago, and hasn't been heard from since? I thought he was dead..."

"He is very much alive and well," Albus said. "He contacted me just after I heard about the incident with Trelawney. He sensed that something had happened to our current Professor, and knew we had an opening."

"Why did he go into hiding in the first place?" Severus inquired.

"For the same reason Virginia was overwhelmed in the pub yesterday," Albus answered. "The visions... a fact I had not truly understood until now."

Severus remembered the vision that Weasley showed him, and understood just how overwhelming something like that could be.

"Miss Weasley said she brought one of my students to your office this afternoon, and refused to explain further," Severus began, changing the subject. "She seemed to think it would be a good idea to talk with you. Why?"

"She didn't tell you?" Albus asked.

"No."

"I suppose she didn't want to take the chance of the whole school finding out accidentally," Albus said, his eyes twinkling slightly. "Are you aware that Miss Levine's parents are Death Eaters?"

"Yes, I have been for some time now," Severus said, wondering where Albus was going with this.

"According to young Miss Levine, her parents have been pressuring her for some time to take the Dark Mark," Albus said. "Miss Weasley ran into Miss Levine on her way to meeting with you, and had a vision. She saw the girl committing suicide. Miss Weasley somehow managed to get the girl to open up and accept her help. She brought the girl to me, and stayed until she was certain that Miss Levine would be alright."

Severus knew how strongly Levine felt about anyone who became Dark. The girl had chosen death, rather than submit to the darkness that threatened to devour her. Weasley had somehow managed to pull her back from of the edge the abyss, by pure force of will. Why hadn't Levine come to him sooner, when they started to pressure her? The girl must have been afraid to reach out to anyone... and after all of that, Weasley still showed the proper level of discretion in not telling him right in front of Dippet, but rather informing him of who he needed to go to for answers. Not very Gryffindor of her...

"What are you planning to do about the situation?" Severus asked.

"Levine has given me more than enough information to have her parents taken into custody," Albus informed him. "Without bringing the girl further into it, thankfully. Levine tells me that her Aunt feels the same way she does about the Death Eaters, and will be willing to take her in."

"Good," said Severus, standing. "If there is nothing else, I think I'll go have a talk with Levine."

"I'll keep you posted," Albus said. Severus left for the Dungeons.

This Weasley girl was just full of surprises...

*~*~*

Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ix Chel, and Mark sat together in the Great Hall for lunch. Harry and Ginny noticed Ron walk into the Great Hall. When Ron caught sight of them, he sneered at them for a few moments, then sat as far away from them as he could. Ginny and Ix Chel started giggling for no apparent reason, and stopped when everyone started looking at them funny.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked Ginny and Ix Chel.

"Nothing," Ginny said, looking at her food again.

"Just a thought," Ix Chel muttered.

Harry regarded them for a few moments, before going back to his conversation with Mark about Quidditch. Twenty minutes later, Ginny, Ix Chel, Mark, and Hermione left for their next classes. Harry had a free period because Professor Trelawney was still in the hospital wing. He decided to go for a walk on the grounds, enjoying the fall atmosphere. When the period was over, he headed for Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry saw Malfoy, and a blond Slytherin fifth year talking in the distance, well out of earshot... The world around him seemed to fall away as he watched them. Harry could feel the emotions radiating from them in their quiet battle of wills. He could sense powerful magic at work here. Harry pulled out the necklace, which was still around his neck, hidden beneath his robes. The necklace glowed brightly, the large blue crystal pulsating in perfect rhythm with his heartbeat. Harry's mind was inexorably drawn towards the argument in the distance.

"...were you doing with Weasley?" Draco accused, afraid that the Gryffindor brat was up to something. "Don't bother to deny it! I saw you two enter the Headmaster's office together."

"What's it to you, Malfoy?" Alexis asked, knowing that she would have to answer him anyway.

"What did that Gryffindor prat want with you?" Draco persisted. He wasn't going to let her, or anyone else in his house, be used by a Gryffindor.

"For the same reason why I've asked the others to leave her alone," Alexis sighed. "She helped me when no one else would, or could... I got another summons yesterday."

Malfoy nodded, paling slightly at her words.

"They seem to be getting more of us every day..." Draco thought. "How much longer will it be before that's me...?"

"She brought me to Dumbledore to protect me," Alexis continued. "She understood, and knew that I couldn't handle it alone. Ginny has kept her silence on the matter, something Gryffindors are often incapable of. That is why yesterday's incident isn't all over the school."

"That's why you asked them to stay out of her way..." Draco said, the truth dawning on him.

"There aren't many who would want to help... people like us," Alexis said, knowing she could make him see reason. "You know that better than anyone."

"I do," Draco acknowledged, as dark memories and emotions flashed though his mind for an instant. "Fine, I will leave her alone, for now, and I won't get in your way. Never forget she's a Gryffindor. They're not to be trusted."

"And we are?" Alexis whispered softly in his ear. "I must be going... I don't want to be late."

Alexis walked off, and Draco resumed his trek to Care of Magical Creatures class.

Harry returned to himself, as if a fog over his senses had lifted. What was that? Harry looked down at the necklace, just in time to see the brilliant glow it had given off fade. He thought about the conversation between the Slytherins. What were those two talking about? What secret was Ginny protecting for the Slytherin girl? They had mentioned something about a summons... something that, surprisingly enough, frightened Malfoy. What preyed on the Slytherin students? Voldemort? That was it. It had to be him... So that meant, one by one, the students were being summoned to take the Dark Mark. Then why was Draco so afraid of it? Unless... By Merlin... that couldn't be possible... could it? The very idea that Draco didn't want to be a Death Eater was shocking, to say the least. He wouldn't have believed it was even possible, if he hadn't felt it from Malfoy himself.

Harry stared at the necklace for a long minute. Could the legends his mum had been talking about be true? Could the Necklace of Umbra really show you the hearts and minds of others? Harry hid the necklace from view again. He needed to find out more about this necklace, and soon.

*~*~*

Voldemort paced back and forth in his throne room, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands. He was sure that Potter had the Necklace of Umbra but, if this paper was any indication, the information he received was wrong... Finding the others was paramount... Voldemort studied the paper again.

The squad he sent to retrieve Potter had failed, thanks to this girl, this child who thwarted his plans... He stared at the picture of the shield again, and finally remembered where he had seen such a power before. Tutela... It somehow figured that the boy was The Guardian. Always off saving the world, with little regard for himself. People seemed to gravitate towards the boy like a powerful magnet, including this girl, this Seer who seems hell-bent on protecting him. Maybe there was some way he could turn this Weasley child and use her to his advantage.

Voldemort felt a surge of power and held up his necklace, staring at it. It had a single, large, flawless, black stone seamlessly suspended from an equally flawless platinum chain. The necklace glowed faintly, the ghostly light pulsating in perfect rhythm with another's heartbeat. One of the other necklaces was in use. So, Umbra had a rightful holder after all... Voldemort tried to pinpoint its location, but it vanished before he could get much information.

All he discovered was that the necklace was somewhere in Europe. That didn't narrow it down much, but it was a start. Voldemort let go of his necklace, allowing the stone to rest on the chest of his robes again. The holder was bound to use it again. It was only a matter of time before he discovered the holder's true location, and struck...

*~*~*

Ginny headed for her next class. She felt a sudden surge of power and stopped dead in her tracks. Ginny looked at her necklace and saw it glowing faintly, the ghostly light pulsating in perfect rhythm with another's heartbeat. She tried to examine the strange feeling that assaulted her, but it vanished. Ginny stood there for a few moments pondering the feeling, before continuing on her journey to class. There was something familiar about it, but what? For the life of her, she couldn't remember... Ginny shook her head. Whatever it was would have to wait, she had a class to attend.

*~*~*

Ginny and Mark studied together by the window in the library, while Ix Chel sat on the table watching them. All through the study session, she couldn't get her mind off Professor Snape and their strange new... what? Partnership? Alliance? Snape had made her his new Apprentice. A title few ever obtained before they finished school. What exactly did it entail? Did she have to call him 'master' or something? She felt that she should have asked him sooner. She would just have to talk to him about it during their session tomorrow.

Ginny thought about her vision of Professor Snape again. If they couldn't find a way to avert it, it would happen in a few months. Why did Snape refer to her as one of the people capable of stopping Voldemort? Why would he believe in her enough to say that with his dying words? Dumbledore and Harry she could understand, being such great wizards, but her? Ginny didn't think she was anywhere near that powerful. A few months... What could happen in a few months which could change that?

"What are you thinking about?" Mark asked.

"My new classes with Snape," Ginny replied quickly.

"It's so cool that he made you his Apprentice!" Mark exclaimed, the admiration he felt obvious in his voice. "Few people ever get to become Apprentice, especially while still in school, and to get an Apprenticeship with Snape... He's like one of the top three Potion masters in the world! I wish I could work with him like that... He must really think highly of your talents to take you under his wing."

"Or maybe it's just what I have to offer him in return..." Ginny thought.

"Mark, your drooling..." Ginny commented, shaking her head slightly.

"What can I say?" Mark replied. "I admire his work."

Tom felt the darkness in Mark intensify when he talked about learning from Snape. It was a general belief that Snape knew the Dark Arts, and taught it only to his most trusted students. With her Apprenticeship to him, Ginny was becoming one of his most trusted. In a flash of insight, Tom finally understood. Mark had a dangerous fascination with the Dark Arts, and was studying it on his own. Like a moth to the flame... The one problem was that moths get burned, and so do the people who are anywhere near them when they are.

This could become either an immense asset to them, or a serious threat... Only time would tell which one Mark would prove to be. For now, all Tom could do was watch, and protect his Ginny from harm, when the need arose.

*~*~*

Tom waited patiently for Ginny to fall asleep. Things had been spinning out of his control for long enough. Tom Riddle hadn't sat around and let others take control in the past, and he wasn't about to start now. He needed to do something to get a handle on things, something to solve the madding puzzle that his life had become. After all, he hadn't become Lord Voldemort by just sitting around, waiting to get caught. He finally felt her mind ease into a peaceful slumber. He took control of her again, and sat up quickly, knocking Ix Chel off Ginny's stomach, and onto to the floor with a dull thud. Ix Chel awoke with a start.

"Damn," Tom thought. He forgot about her. Well, this certainly wasn't going the way he planned.

"Tom?" Ix Chel asked, uncertainly. "What are you doing?"

"Going for a midnight stroll..." Tom hissed, sarcastically. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Hijacking Ginny's body while she sleeps," Ix Chel accused.

"Bravo!" Tom said, the sarcasm in his voice increasing. "Give the snake the fluffy doll!"

"Tom, what are you really doing?" Ix Chel asked. "Keep in mind, I know when you're lying to me."

"Why should I tell you?" Tom asked, acidly. "It's not like any of my decisions ever mattered to you before."

"Would you like to explain it to me?" Ix Chel replied. "Or should I just wake Ginny? Maybe she would like to join our little conversation."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Damn, she meant it. The bloody creature was just as bad as Ginny. How did I end up with two females who are just as willful as I am?

"If you must know, Ix..." Tom said. "I was going to the library to do a little studying in the Restricted Section. There are a few things I wanted to check out."

"Do you realize how foolish that is at this point? If you were to be caught-"

"I wouldn't be caught."

"If you were to be caught, you could expose us," Ix Chel continued. "We are being observed, Tom. You know that, and to take over young one's body without perm-"

"Spare me the speech," Tom snapped. "It's not like you two are doing much better in remaining discreet."

"This has little to do with the library, Tom, what is it?" Ix Chel inquired softly. "You're afraid... I can feel it. Why?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle afraid? Never..." Tom scoffed, trying in vain to hide his unease. Tom felt Ix Chel put the pieces together, and damned himself for being so bloody transparent. He felt like his life was becoming an open book, with big print and lots of pictures.

"You fear being left behind," Ix Chel said, reading his emotions. "You believe that we don't care what you think, and we will get rid of you at the first opportunity. You couldn't be more wrong. I see you as a valuable member of our team, so does Ginny. Believe it or not, we would never get rid of you, no matter the circumstances... That is what she agreed to when you two became a team. That is what I agreed to when I became bonded to you and young one, and it is what you agreed to as well. Listen to me, child. You know I am not lying to you. We value your insight. We would be diminished without you."

Tom could feel the absolute honesty in her words. She wasn't lying; they could be counted on...

"Both of you will hear me out, no matter what I have to say?" Tom asked.

"Yes."

"There are some things you both need to hear, but tomorrow," Tom said. "My little princess needs her rest... There is one thing I think you need to hear first, that Ginny might not... take well."

"What is it?" Ix Chel asked.

"It's about Mark..."

*~*~*

Harry walked to Care of Magical Creatures class with Ix Chel encircling his left arm. He still couldn't believe that Hagrid had managed to get him out of the rest of his classes today for this extra credit assignment. For some unfathomable reason, even Snape hadn't objected to him missing Potions this morning. He just sneered at Harry, and told him to get his notes from Hermione after classes. Snape's response didn't make any se-

"What are you thinking about?" Ix Chel hissed.

"Nothing..." Harry said. Without warning, Harry's scar began to burn slightly. Harry absent-mindedly rubbed it, wondering what was causing it to act up again. Ix Chel tensed.

"You're an Atra Seer... I knew you were special, but this..." Ix Chel said, in whispered hiss. "Why didn't I sense it sooner?"

"A what Seer?" Harry asked, confused. What was she talking about?

"An Atra, a Seer of Darkness," Ix Chel explained. "Their power draws them to the darkest, most powerful of wizards. They can sense their dark power, and even repel it... Almost all of them were wiped out in the first wars between Light and Dark. I thought that gift was gone from our world. There hasn't been a confirmed Atra in more than a thousand years. The gift you carry is unique... Who do you see in your visions, child?"

"See?" Harry asked. "You think I'm a Seer?"

Could his flashes of Voldemort really be visions?

"Who draws your focus?"

"I don't-"

"Who?" Ix Chel persisted.

"Voldemort..."

"I suspected as much..." Ix Chel said. They arrived at the door to Hagrid's hut. "We'll discuss this more later..."

Harry wondered how much Ix Chel really knew about all of this. Could she help him understand his flashes of Voldemort? Harry wasn't sure he could completely trust her yet, but something told Harry he could... He would just have to wait and see. They conversed with Hagrid for a few minutes before class began. The class was Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff second years. The students sat on the grass, forming a semi-circle around them, and class began. Hagrid explained the various uses of and ways to care for a Divinus Animus, then Ix Chel told them a story from ages long past, with Harry translating.

"This is a story passed down through my line, the tale of a beautiful Atra Seer-" Harry translated.

"What's an Atra?" a Ravenclaw girl asked.

"They're Seers who are burdened with the talent to see visions of the most powerful of Dark Wizards," Harry translated, realizing that this story was as much for his benefit, as it was for the students.

"How is that different from other Seers?" a Ravenclaw boy asked.

"Yeah," a Hufflepuff agreed. "Don't Seers see bad things all the time?"

"An Atra is different because they are drawn to Darkness," Harry explained. "The way a moth is drawn to a flame, and Dark Wizards are drawn to Atras in the same fashion."

"So, they're connected?" a Ravenclaw girl inquired.

"Only if something is exchanged between them to form a link," Harry said. "Once that is done, all of the Seer's focus is drawn to that wizard alone, until the Dark Wizard's death. If the Seer is killed, than the bond draws their sprit to the Dark Wizard, and can only be released by the destruction of the Dark one."

"That's horrible..." a Hufflepuff girl whispered.

"What sort of exchange?" another Ravenclaw asked.

"Magical essence..." Harry said, the truth dawning on him. Merlin, was that why Voldemort was obsessed with him...?

"Who would want to do that?" a Hufflepuff boy asked.

"A person's 'want' has little to do with it..." Harry took a deep breath. "Now, let's continue with the story... The Seer's name was Jenna. She became bonded to the darkest wizard of her age, who was known throughout the land as The Stalker. Alone, she searched for a way to break the link. Alas, her search was in vain, for only the death of the wizard would free her, and no one person could stand up to him. After two years she gave into despair, and went into seclusion, far from the prying eyes of wizards and muggles alike, resigned to live out the rest her days connected to The Stalker alone.

"One night, she came upon a Divinus, who came to be known as Ziell. Ziell was thirty feet long and two hundred and twenty years of age, in her final year before she would become unable to bond. Ziell bonded with Jenna, the same way I have bonded with Ginny, and showed Jenna the error of her ways. Jenna learned that hiding would get her no where. The only way she was ever going to be free was to destroy the Dark one herself, and take back her life. With Ziell at her side, Jenna rallied the people and fought to drive back the night. Jenna and her army struggled with The Stalker for three years. In the final battle between them, she faced The Stalker again.

"Armed only with her magical sword and her wand, Jenna combated him with everything she had. The Stalker fought her with dark abandon, using everything at his disposal. Including the power he had stolen from others who had failed to vanquish him in the past. But, in the end, his power failed and she destroyed him once and for all. But not without paying a terrible price. For, in The Stalker's last moments, he cast a long forgotten Dark Curse on Jenna, utterly destroying her eyesight forever. So, Jenna had won the battle, and the war, but never would she be able to see results of her victory. For Jenna, it was a price worth paying, because her people were now protected from The Stalker's evil. Jenna lived a long and happy life, and became the grandmother of Godric Gryffindor."

A stunned silence filled the class. Harry felt more than a little surprised by the identity of the Seer in Ix Chel's story. The Ravenclaws seemed to be absorbing that minor revelation, while the Hufflepuffs were shocked, and even somewhat disbelieving. Hagrid, who seemed to have truly enjoyed the tale, smiled brightly at Ix Chel.

"So..." a blond Ravenclaw girl asked slowly. "How old did Jenna get to be?"

Gradually the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs started asking questions.

"Was the sword Jenna used Godric Gryffindors?"

"What happened to Ziell?"

"Why couldn't Jenna get her eyesight back?"

Harry spent the rest of the class translating Ix Chel's answers for them, as he contemplated his own situation.

*~*~*

Ginny headed toward the Great Hall. It felt odd being apart from Ix Chel, even if it was just for the school day. This was the first time they had been separated from Ix Chel since she bonded with them, and Ginny was already beginning to miss her. Tom listened to Ginny's thoughts, feeling the same way. He had told Ix Chel of his suspicions about Mark, and they had decided not to tell Ginny until they knew for certain. When Ginny awoke the next day, Tom had finally told them of the other suspicions he had, and they decided to keep a closer eye on things, especially on the teachers. The Slytherin girl, Alexis Levine greeted them in the entrance hall.

"Hello, Virginia," Alexis said, somewhat awkwardly. "I wanted to thank you... for saving my life. I don't think I would have found the strength to go to the Headmaster without your help."

"You're welcome," Ginny replied, slightly surprised that a Slytherin would want to thank a Gryffindor. "Call me Ginny..."

"Alright, Ginny," said Alexis. "Would you mind... sitting with me at the Slytherin table today. We could talk... maybe get to know each other a little better."

"I would love to, but the other Slytherins..." Ginny began.

"Don't worry about them," Alexis assured her. "They... understand, and won't bother you."

Ginny remembered the unusual silence from the Slytherins around her, and the odd looks she had been getting all day.

"You told them?" asked Ginny.

"No, but they know enough to know that I trust you, and that you understand the importance of discretion," Alexis replied. "Not even Malfoy will bother you right now."

Tom listened to the girl and mentally smiled. Ginny was making the right connections, after all.

"Sure," Ginny agreed. They walked into the Great Hall together and Ginny followed Alexis to the Slytherin table. The Slytherin students observed her with slightly suspicious, and very calculating, expressions on their faces, but said nothing as Ginny took a seat next to Alexis at their table. Ginny spotted Malfoy a couple of seats away, watching her for a few moments before turning his attention elsewhere. Ginny and Alexis talked while they ate, and discovered that they were more alike then either would have thought. Ginny looked toward the Gryffindor table, and saw many of her own house regarding her with an even greater disgust than they had before. Alexis followed her line of sight, and saw the Gryffindors positively sneering at them.

"Don't worry about them," Alexis said in a low voice. "They're fools if they see you as a monster because you're different. Slytherins understand the value behind being different. We know that the most powerful alliances can be forged out of dissimilarities, as well as from mutual goals."

"It takes all kinds..." Ginny whispered, so no one but Alexis would hear. Ginny watched Alexis closely. "I've been wondering... your parents-"

"They're still out there," Alexis whispered back. "Dumbledore says that they'll find them any day now, but I doubt it. I suspect someone warned them..."

"Don't worry, you will be safe here," Ginny responded. "I promised to protect you, and I keep my promises..."

"Thank you," Alexis said in a low voice. They fell into a comfortable silence and spent the rest of lunch enjoying each other's company. Neither noticed Professor Snape watching them approvingly, or Ron glaring at them from the Gryffindor table silently plotting revenge for Ginny's 'open betrayal' of Gryffindor.

___________

TBC