Lydia's Story

Dinner was a very welcome event that evening. Not having much time to eat lunch, Lydia's stomach was growling as she sat down in one of the isolated seats at the end of the table. She once again focused on her plate, not wanting to face the staring crowd.

Don't they ever get bored of staring at people? She though bitterly to herself, feeling tired since her encounter with Peeves. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the note that had fallen next to her plate until the end of the meal.

When at last she saw it, she opened it carefully beneath the table, away from prying eyes.

Lydia,

Meet me by the fireplace tonight at midnight.

Harry

Glancing down the table, Lydia saw where Harry sat talking to Ron and Hermione. As he took a drink from his goblet, he met her eye, giving a small wink. She gave the smallest of nods, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. She tucked the note into her pocket, and returned her attention to her dessert.

Returning to the common room that evening, Lydia went straight to the dormitories, intent on getting some sleep before her meeting that evening. Out of her trunk she pulled a small device that looked a lot like a Muggle watch, except that it was covered with numerous dials and buttons. After pushing a few buttons, she fastened it around her wrist and crawled into bed, drawing the curtains around her.

*~*~*~*~*

"Headmaster, how can you be sure she is trustworthy?"

A silence followed his question, broken only by the gentle snores coming from some of the portraits around the office. Dumbledore regarded him calmly, his blue eyes looking serious.

"I have given you numerous opportunities to examine her for yourself, Severus," Dumbledore said at last. "Has she done anything to warrant any kind of suspicion?"

"No, Headmaster," Snape replied, though his black eyes looked adamant. "But, if I may say so, one day isn't enough to judge by. You know as well as I that the Dark Arts are no light matter."

"Severus, I thought that you of all people would understand that people can change," Dumbledore said softly, looking knowingly at Professor Snape. "Lydia's father has done much to gain my trust throughout the years. Don't judge the girl by the mistakes of her family. She is a good student, and comes from good parents."

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape answered, not sounding entirely convinced.

*~*~*~*~*

Lydia was woken up at eleven thirty as the small device on her wrist hit her with a Tickling Charm. Trying her hardest not to laugh, Lydia fumbled blindly with the gadget, unable to see through the darkness. Finally hitting a dial on the side, the charm subsided. Lydia sat panting for breath, listening for any sign that her dorm mates had woken up. Once Lydia was sure that she was the only one awake, she pulled back the curtains on her bed. The room around her was surprisingly dark. The sky through the window looked overcast and grim, the moon and stars hidden behind the clouds.

Already dressed, Lydia grabbed her wand and made her out of the room, moving as quietly as she could. The common room was empty as she made her way towards the fireplace. She sat down in one of the squashy armchairs, wishing that she had brought something to read. Gazing around restlessly, Lydia's eyes fell on a book across the room.

It was sitting forgotten on a table, a scrap of parchment sticking out from between its pages. Curious, Lydia made her way to the lopsided table. The book was thick, and seemed quite heavy as Lydia picked it up. Across its cover was written, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. Flipping through the pages, Lydia stopped at the part marked off by the piece of parchment. It was a chapter, entitled A Family of Darkness.

The rise of the Dark Arts is credited to two prominent families of that time: the Slytherin family and the Meliflua family. While many in the wizarding world are familiar with these names and their association with the Dark Arts, few realize the connections that have long joined these two infamous families.

The Meliflua family, well known for their role in helping You-Know-Who in his quest for power, have a base in Dark Arts that extends long before his time. In fact, many believe that had You-Know-Who not risen to power first, there would have been a similar uprising by a member of the Meliflua family.

It is uncertain when the Melifluas first started in their study of the Dark Arts, though many agree that it was started by Astucia Meliflua-Slytherin. Astucia, who married Salazar Slytherin at the age of sixteen, was said to keep strong ties with her family. These strong ties, coupled with her undying devotion to her husband, are said to be the reason her family followed the Slytherins in their pursuits of the Dark Arts.

Lydia's attention was shaken by the sound of footsteps coming down from the boys dormitories. Closing the book, Lydia threw it back on the table and hurried back to her seat by the fire. She sat down just as Harry appeared in the doorway, his hair looking extra crumpled from sleeping.

"Hey," Harry said with a smile, once again taking the seat across from her. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."

"Oh - yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Lydia stammered, trying to force her face into a smile. "Just a bit tired, you know." She gave an unconvincing yawn.

"Er - right," Harry said sceptically, looking a little confused. "So, how was your first day?"

"Pretty good," Lydia said, relieved that he had changed the topic. "Classes were okay. The teachers seem nice. Or at least, most of them do," she paused for a moment before continuing, not sure if she wanted an answer to the question that was weighing on her mind. "Tell me, is Snape that suspicious with every new student?"

"Don't even talk about that git!" Harry said irritably, his smile evaporating into a scowl. "I'm only in his classes to become an Auror one day. He's had it in for me since my first day at school."

"Why?"

"It's a long story. He and my dad didn't get along, so now he hates me, too," Harry answered, snorting contemptuously. "Anyway, lets talk about something else. I wanted to ask you why you were sitting with Malfoy."

"Draco?" Lydia asked, thoroughly confused. "He's my friend. Why do you ask?"

" 'Cause he's as bad as Snape!" Harry said forcefully. "His dad's a Death Eater, and he's probably going to go that route when he's done here, too. He's been a jerk from the beginning, and he still is! Didn't you see him blow up Ron's potion sample?"

Lydia felt her temper flaring up. "I didn't see him do anything! If Ron's potion blew up, it was probably his own fault! Besides, Ron's been nothing but a git, so he would have deserved it anyway! Draco's the only one who's been a true friend to me in this whole school! He was nice to me after you guys kicked me out. So tell me, who's the jerk: you or him?"

"I didn't kick you out!" Harry said defensively. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm the one who's coming down here to see you!"

"Sure, but you're too scared to talk to me when anyone else is around! And maybe you didn't kick me out, but you didn't exactly stand up for me on the train either!"

They both glared at each other for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. When at last Harry spoke, his voice sounded restrained.

"Okay, fine. I won't try to convince you, you'll just have to wait and see for yourself. I'm not trying to make enemies with you, I just wanted to warn you. I won't say anything about him when I'm with you, and you won't insult my friends. Deal?" He gave a small smile, and extended his had to Lydia.

Glad to find a compromise, Lydia shook his hand. "Deal."

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed to herself, watching unseen from the doorway to the girls' dormitory. "Why won't you ever listen?"