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Behind the Veil	By : Leo Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > General Views: 3540 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I own no rights to the Harry Potter franchise and seek to make no profits from the distribution of this fictional work.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Pairings: FemHP/TMR, LP/JP, SB/OC, RL/NT, DM/DG

Disclaimer: I own no rights to the Harry Potter franchise and seek to make no profits from the distribution of this fictional work.

A/N: Thank you to those of you who reviewed, I am always grateful for your warm words of encouragement as without them I don't think I would have the desire to write this story.

On that note, this chapter is dedicated in part to my reviewers Sousie and She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Sane.

Behind the Veil

By StycianLeo

Chapter V

Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, UK

October 31, 1991

The morning of Halloween the scent of baked pumpkin wafted throughout the castle, as far up as the Girl's Dormitory in Gryffindor tower; Iris knew where the kitchens were and considering the castle's composition she was sure that the house-elves had spread the deliciously appetizing smell. Not that she was complaining, the smell really was quite nice but it made her stomach rumble as soon as she climbed out of bed.

After a quick burst of cold water to wake her up and a relaxing warm shower to ease the stiffness of her muscles from her thrice weekly quidditch workout, she dressed in her uniform (she still thought it rather bland but at least the red and gold trimmings brightened it up somewhat); and then descended to the common room to join Hermione and Ron down to breakfast.

The first years were abuzz because today they were going to be taught how to levitate objects, a feat that many of them had been excited about after Professor Flitwick had made Neville's toad, Trevor, zoom to and fro through the air. Iris would have been excited about it too, if she hadn't inherited Harry's mastery of the charm; still she wasn't one to be a killjoy.

When they arrived in class, the Charms instructor divided the students into pairs; Hermione was saddled with Ron and it was evident that the girl was displeased with the turn of events since she had made an effort to avoid Neville and Ron since the incident involving the midnight duel. Ron looked equally displeased at being paired with the girl who was top of her class and studiously ahead of the class.

Iris had been paired with Seamus Finnigan, from Harry's memories she could recalled that he was a nice enough boy with a love for sports; so it wasn't very difficult to engage him in conversation over quidditch and the boy took a shine to her quickly since word had quickly spread through the Gryffindors that she had made the House team as a seeker.

The class proceeded well for Iris, she feigned difficulty initially so that she wouldn't draw much attention to herself but she did raise her feather about a foot or so off the desk to prove that she could do it. Seamus had some more difficulty with it but well aware of what had happened before, Iris managed to prevent the boy from lighting the pinion with his wand.

Ron was having trouble with the spell as well, though from where Iris was sitting it was plainly evident that besides the boy's mangled pronunciation he had completely disregarded the wand movement by flailing his arms rather than the pointed swish and flick that had been advised and reviewed all week.

Hermione sighed I exasperation, it seemed Ron's incompetence was starting to grate on her nerves and she snapped at the redhead, "No, no! You're doing it all wrong! Pronounce it, Wing-gar-dium Levi-osa; you have to draw out the gar part." Hermione commented, though Ron glared at the girl harshly; as if it were her fault that he had failed.

"Well if you know so much, why don't you do it then!" Ron demanded angrily, Iris knew that the boy was just transferring his frustration at his own ineptness onto Hermione but she knew from Harry's memories how this would turn out if she didn't head this off now.

"Oye Ron! Don't bite her head off, she trying to help you!" Iris snapped at the boy, reprimanding him for his behavior; the boy looked at Iris with a glare but when he was met back by her own unflinching gaze and those of several of his housemates he subsided and flushed a furious scarlet to match his hair.

The boy looked apologetically at Hermione who nodded graciously, the brunette was smiled over at Iris for coming to her defense before executing the precise swish and flick with the textbook pronunciation that had the feather floating a good four feet in the air.

Flitwick immediately set upon the twelve year old, "You see there, Ms. Granger's done it! Very good, indeed!" Hermione blossomed under the praise and smiled radiantly at her peers.

As the class was dismissed Iris saw the look of consternation that was on Ron's face as he opened his mouth, once more heading off disaster the girl snapped into action. "Ron!"

The call drew the boy's attention from what Iris was sure would have been a cutting remark directed at Hermione, crossing the distance between herself and the pair of boys she was able to speak at a more civil volume. "Sorry for butting in here, but Ron if you want; I would be happy to help you with your spell work."

Iris said the first thing that came to mind and she was somewhat surprised by the offer that she made; looking at the redhead's face it was evident from the emotion on his face that he was wrestling his pride at needing help.

"Don't worry about answering now, consider it an open offer." Iris stated with a smile as she brushed past the boys and headed towards Hermione but she wasn't quite beyond earshot when she heard Neville's words.

"Would you look at that; she plays quidditch, gets top marks, and she's nice to boot. She's bloody perfect." The boy said to Ron who was staring at the boy like he was mental, "You've gone and lost it mate; she hates you!"

Neville shrugged nonchalantly, "She hates me now but she won't after I win her over!" he stated firmly, his eyes watching as Iris made her way down the hall arm in arm with Hermione.

After classes were finished, Iris made sure to stick with Hermione all afternoon; which wasn't all that different from what she usually did anyway. The collected Draco and Daphne during lunch and then climbed up to the library to do their homework in a quiet corner that they had claimed for themselves.

Madam Pince had long since gotten accustomed to the four first years camping in her library and while at first she had considered the lot of them suspicious and had watched them warily in an effort to protect the books in her care but she eventually warmed to them after seeing them nearly continuously over the last two months.

Hermione spent so much of her free time here reading that Iris was constantly surprised that she had yet to find a cot amid the shelves reserved for the brunette. On the other hand, because the girl was something of a resident at the library her friends were by extension fairly familiar with the venue as well since they spent so much time together.

When they descended to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Iris, Daphne, and Draco openly scowled at the decorations that hung rampant in the room. Floating jack-o-lanterns hung in the air over the tables, illuminating the room in soft orange hues while a thousand bats hung about the ceiling and made occasional low sweeps over the tables in clouds of fluttering leather wings that stuttered the candles.

Hermione found the scene enchanting and she wasn't the only one, many of the students were staring at the spectacle with wide eyes and gaping open mouthed. Perhaps with good reason too, for the first years this was the first time they had seen the Great Hall decorated and it was a mystifying experience to see the already awe-inspiring room with its high arched ceiling depicting the night sky to suddenly be illuminated by hundreds of floating pumpkins.

It was a testament to the beauty and power that magic was capable of, but to many the sight was a disparaging reminder that their way of life was being erased in favor of hallmarked beliefs that had been forced upon them.

As the group separated, Iris crossed the room with Hermione to take a seat at Gryffindor table besides the rest of the quidditch team. It was one of those things that Wood encouraged them to do, besides training together as a team he had insisted that they eat together, study together when possible, and just hang around together.

With Harry's memories, Iris found that she didn't mind the forced interaction since it was like hanging around old friends and the other team members had warmed up to her quickly; she had proven she deserved her slot after their first week of practice after pulling off a repeat performance of her signature vertical stoop and catch.

Although, there were some interesting changes in the dynamics this time; while Harry had been friendly with all the players he had been most close to the Weasley twins. Iris by contrast had found the most welcome reception and inclusion from the three female chasers; it seemed that the girls were happy to have another female on the team and they had taken Iris under their collective wing, though she didn't need it.

Pulling her thoughts back to the matter at hand though, Iris was trying to sort her mixed feelings on the decorations that filled the Hall while Hermione stared at her inquisitively. "Iris, what's wrong? Why are you upset?" the brunette asked quietly to her friend as the feast suddenly appeared on the golden plates.

Iris waited for the buzz of conversation to pick up through the hall before she turned to Hermione, "It's a bit difficult to explain 'Mione but if you want to know, it's these decorations." She stated but the confusion in the girl's face was so apparent that she knew she needed to clarify the statement.

"These are Halloween decorations Hermione; Halloween is a secular event marked by the giving of treats to children and dressing in costume. You're a Muggleborn and my dearest friend but this is an affront to my beliefs and the beliefs of many of the old magical families in the isles." Iris stated as she gestured towards the Slytherin table, many of the students there likewise shared the sour looks of distaste that Draco and Daphne were wearing as they looked around the room.

"In the magical community our beliefs and traditions are what shape us; why we use quills and not pens, parchment and not paper. Our traditions define us, our culture defines us! For us Halloween is the evidence that our faith has been put to the side; for us today should mark the beginning of Samhain." Iris continued as understanding dawned in Hermione's eyes and she stared at the decorations in something close to horror.

"Samhain is a part of the ancient Gaelic traditions; it is a time to mourn the dead and to celebrate life, we give thanks for our fortune, and we cleanse ourselves by walking between bonfires. For us tonight is one of the most important observances of our faith but curfew and this," Iris gestured at the Hall, "prevent us from bidding farewell to summer's end and welcoming the approach of winter."

Hermione looked truly aghast now as her features had paled tremendously, she who loved to learn had been completely ignorant of the Celtic faith that was being eroded by the practices that she had come to think of as commonplace.

"It's not your fault Hermione, you didn't know anything else; you haven't been taught the old ways, it seems that less and less are taught every year. I'm sure if I hadn't had my mother then even I would have been ignorant." And Iris sadly knew that this was the truth, Harry had never observed the traditions until he was out of Hogwarts and had been given a talking to by Walburga Black at Grimmauld Place.

Hermione nodded her head as color slowly began to creep back into her face though there was an unspoken question in her eyes when she met Iris' gaze. The raven haired girl smiled and nodded her head, "Of course Hermione, between Draco, Daphne and I we'll teach you everything we know."

As Iris finished her rant she looked up at the Head Table to see the scowl of Tom as he looked at the festive decorations, the rest of the staff was oblivious and even Dumbledore seemed in good mirth as he spoke to Professor McGonagall. It was enraging to see that the Headmaster could be amicably talking over dinner when his actions were allowing the destruction of her beliefs.

Riddle caught Iris' gaze and for a moment she thought that through the barely contained fury and disgust in his eyes there was just a touch of sadness before the doors to the Great Hall burst wide and Professor Quirrel came running into the room, his eyes were alight with terror as he raced to the Head Table screaming, "TROLL! THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!"

As he reached the raised platform he looked at Dumbledore, "Thought you should know…" the words were stated quietly before he collapsed in a boneless heap, Iris thought she could make out a faint smirk before his face was hidden by the uproar of the students as they bolted from their seats in panic.

The Headmaster rose from his seat, his gilded throne like chair sliding backward with a shriek though it didn't topple; his silver hair shone in the soft light of the hall though strangely his merrily twinkling eyes had turned steely and hard. It was a moment where the genial grandfather was replaced with the arcane sage hardened by war; his very presence commanded attention and it took much of the panic out of the students.

'Sheep' Iris thought to herself as a half-smirk half-frown contorted her features as she looked at the crowded room in disapproval before she schooled her face into a mask of neutrality and then adopting the horror stricken expression of those around her. Thankfully with the students all standing around no one had the opportunity to see her face and thus give away her secret.

"Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!" Dumbledore stated, his voice rumbling through the silent hall like a thunderclap; seemingly reviving the prefects he had addressed and setting them all into motion. Like the previous panic, the order that Dumbledore created was contagious and people sorted themselves out once the hierarchy was established.

Percy stepped forward, whatever could be said about the boy; he did thrive under pressure and that was a trait that you had to admire. "First years, follow me! Stay close to me and follow my orders! Make way, first years coming through!" Smart thinking there, the older students would want to protect the students and as they made way the younger students would follow the example of the older ones.

But with the troll being in the dungeons it did leave the question where the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were going to find refuge, however that was a curiosity that Iris had neither the time nor the inclination to indulge. As far as she was concerned she had done her job, Hermione was safe and she was going to leave the troll for someone else to deal with.

Iris followed at the tail end of the column of Gryffindors herding her housemates up the stairs after Percy; watching how groups of students were hurrying in different directions seeking safety, Iris was quick to gather these students and drive them up to the relative safety of Gryffindor tower.

Damn her savior complex, but she couldn't leave them to fend for themselves; the timeline was already different just because she knew what would happen but she distinctly remembered Harry fighting the troll on the fourth floor, without that intervention there was no way of knowing where that troll would end up this time.

But it seemed fate had a way of spiting those who tried to change its plans, since the group of Hufflepuffs that Harry and Ron had used to pull away from the group now jostled into the train of Gryffindors and slammed into Iris in their panic. The girl was unprepared for the impact and stumbled backwards, her foot missed the step and after that it was just an uncontrolled tumble down the stairs as the Puffs rushed on.

The last thing Iris thought before her head cracked against the edge of a marble step and passing out was a rather nastily disparaging remark that would have left several of the good badgers blushing and hot eared.

As it was Iris came to with a throbbing headache and bleary eyed, biting back a groan of pain she carefully she did a mental inventory, 'Fingers are wiggling and the little piggy can still go to the market…' Fixing her eyeglasses the world snapped back into relief and the young girl gingerly sat up.

The back of her neck felt warm and sticky, careful prodding induced a sharp pain that left her head swimming and her fingers bloodstained. 'Well that's a concussion if I ever felt one,' she thought to herself with a grimace as she peered around her.

The hall was empty and there was a prevailing silence that she knew wasn't good, Hogwarts was often quiet; but it was never silent. Silence was bad… horror films used it to build suspense right before they surprised you but in the real world, if you're ever out in the woods and you hear nothing but the wind in the trees; it meant something had spooked that wildlife and if that wasn't you then it was a predator.

And trolls were definitely predators, twelve feet tall with thick enough skin that most spells bounced right off them without leaving a mark and just enough intelligence to wield makeshift weapons; they might only be able to hit the broadside of a barn with them but that didn't mean the barn was any less flat for it.

Plus their stink, if their size and movement didn't make the animals run for the hills then the smell of stagnating defecation and spoiling meat was sure to drive away the woodland creatures.

Speaking of horrendous smells, Iris couldn't help the bile and accompanying gag that rose in her throat when she smelled the pungent odor; and she turned her head sharply towards where the smell was originating as her flight-or-fight responses kicked in.

Which was a poor move to make considering the sudden blackness that seized the edges of her sight as she aggravated her concussion. Biting her lip bloody from the sudden pain, Iris forced herself steady as her head cleared of dizziness and her nausea settled. Moving slowly, Iris scooted backwards until she had a clear view down the hall and the small of her back was pressed against the stairs.

Not exactly prime territory for defending against a troll but she had a clear sightline and her back wasn't vulnerable to a flank attack unless her newfound friend was planning on climbing another set of stairs and coming back down from another, which was still possible but unlikely; not with blood in the air.

'Well that's one mystery solved' Iris thought to herself wryly as she began to hear the scrapping of wood on stone and the heavy shambling steps of the troll, 'That's what Riddle's magic tastes like; metallic like pennies or blood. Now to find out what tastes bittersweet…' The thought actually brought a faint smirk to her lips as she flicked her wrist and felt rather than saw her holly wand settle comfortably in her right hand.

She could feel a strong warmth in the wood, it had ceased pulsing every time she came close to Riddle since she had taken to spending at least an hour a day with the man. Still the memory gave her an idea and she cast her senses outwards from her like a net; she could feel the troll around the corner and Snape a floor below and below that were the professors combing the floors since the troll had slipped the dungeons.

There, she could feel the Deputy Headmaster's aura on the first floor and she plucked at his magical aura with her own which was the metaphysical equivalent of grabbing someone by the sleeve and tugging at them.

Thankfully the distance between them turned the heady rush she would have normally gotten from the action into more of a pleasant tingle that numbed her headache and dulled her pain. That would have been more than enough prompting to continue pulling at his magical aura but she relaxed her efforts as soon as she felt the man's magic wash over her own.

With his attention set on her she could feel him moving but it would still take him a few minutes to gather the other teachers and come up four floors to her… rescue. She was loathe to put it that way when she knew she could probably turn the troll inside out but first years weren't supposed to be able to do so she would have to rely on others to "save" her until she could get away with protecting herself.

She didn't have much time to worry about the issue though as she caught sight of the troll rounding the corner, she could see the nostril's on the creature's coconut shaped head sniffing deeply as it scented her blood on the air.

The hulking form was probably as tall as Hagrid, it looked very much like someone had stuck a misshapen boulder onto a pair of stubby, thick tree trunks, and painted it a matte grey.

A most unattractive sight but one look at the bulging muscles of its arms and it was plain to see that the beast was still immensely powerful and the club that it was carrying was easily taller than her and probably had twice her weight.

She resisted the urge to retch as its stench wafted over her, its proximity redoubling the strength of the foul smell and forcing the girl to cover her mouth and nose with a handful of her robe. While the creature was dopily attempting to find its prey, a feat that Iris was not helping much since she wasn't moving, the girl was running through a list of defensive spells that she might be able to use against the troll that were age appropriate.

Wingardium Leviosa was really the only viable option since it targeted the weapon and not the troll, the Knockback Jinx might work if she pumped enough juice into the spell but that would be unnecessarily wasteful. Damn, she had really tried to avoid this situation and here she was stuck in the same position as Harry without her friends and with a concussion.

Fate really was a fickle mistress…

The troll finally picked out the young girl from the stone and Iris was left with two options for her defense, use the levitation charm and stay in character or go all out and risk exposure as not being all that she seemed.

Raising her wand, Iris executed the textbook swish and flick motion; or would have rather if a stabbing white hot pain hadn't shot from her shoulder and down to her fingers causing the girl to actually cry out in pain. The injured sound seemed to egg on the troll as is was now moving at a brisk pace and lifting its club eagerly in preparation.

She could tell that the shooting pain was derived from a broken clavicle, just one more thing to chalk up to those Hufflepuffs; Azkaban might not be so bad if she could wrest the life from those children… she would have to plot her revenge later, for now she had to figure out a way to save her own skin.

And as that thought entered her head, Iris could suddenly smell dittany in the air and she was overcome with the familiar calm that Hecate always brought with her. Though she could not see the goddess she could hear her instructions.

Raising her left hand towards the approaching creature, Iris pulled on her magic from her reserves and let it surge through her while she held the incantation and the spell itself in her mind. Her body was acting as a conduit now, rather than channeling her magic through her wand, Iris was jettisoning the raw power with the barest semblance of control on it.

As the magic spilled out though her open hand the world was obliterated in a flash of light, for a single moment the corridor became a tunnel of white light so brilliant that the very shadows ceased to exist as a bolt of lightning seared the atmosphere, leaping from Iris' hand to the troll.

It was undeterminable if the creature died outright as its entire nervous system was short circuited, the liquid in its body vaporized, and its organs cooked; or if the few milliseconds that were required to drive the life from the creature were actually experienced in an agony so intense that it had suffered beyond the capability of words to encompass.

The thunderclap that shook the very castle was derived from the superheating of the air as the lightning passed through it; and the roar was so deafening that Iris could hear nothing but the ringing of her ears even as teachers filled the corridor and descended upon her.

What she could make out when the vision returned to her eyes was the twitching form of the troll though it no longer looked grey but a charred black and as that thought crossed her mind she could smell the burnt flesh, the sickeningly sweet smell of cooked meat and that was the odor that finally tore her stomach contents from her in a violent spasm.

The sudden heave jarred her injured head and Iris careened into a blissful darkness as consciousness drifted away.

Professor Riddle was furious and disgusted as he sat at the Head Table for dinner, his eyes sweeping over the floating pumpkins with their carved faces and the bats that Minerva and Filius had conjured for the evening's festivities.

How he despised Halloween, if ever there was an example of the ruin that the Muggles had brought upon the Wizarding society this was it, forgetting the fact that wizards lived in constant fear of exposing themselves to Muggles or the fact that they were reduced to hiding themselves away from the world.

It was disgusting that these children could sit there and stuff their faces when the culture that birthed them was vanishing before their very eyes. He wanted to leap from his seat and yell at them, yell at the teachers that sat with him, most certainly he wanted to topple Dumbledore in his seat and strangle him for allowing the observances die.

He restrained himself because he knew logically that the perversion of the old faiths wasn't the fault of the children, or the teachers, or even Dumbledore. For generations the old ways had been slowly phased out as policies were put in place to make Muggleborn students feel more comfortable in the wizarding world.

Instead of educating the newly discovered wizards in the faith of their peers, educate their peers on the beliefs of the integrating wizards. That single decision that predated his life had set into motion a chain of events that had left most ignorant of their origins.

Most though, not all had forgotten as a glance around the room revealed to him the malcontents who shared his outrage, if not his rage. The pureblood families at the Slytherin table mirrored his sentiments as evinced by the contempt that was written plain on their faces despite their carefully schooled expressions of indifference.

The was more revelry at the Hufflepuff table though he could make out pockets of dissatisfaction; from the Ravenclaws there was more anger there than at the Hufflepuff table but much less than the Slytherins.

But Gryffindor, the children there seemed entirely oblivious; even the pureblood children there were openly reveling in the Halloween feast with abandon. In the midst of it all though was a pocket of subdued revelry, and his eyes fell upon Iris at the heart of it; and in her eyes he saw the reflection of everything he felt. Fury. Disgust. Contempt. Sadness…

Before he could contemplate that last emotion, the Great Hall's double doors burst open and Quirrel came screaming between the aisles about some troll before he collapsed in front of the head table.

The uproar that rose was instantaneous and he sneered at the display; it was mob mentality, the children allowed themselves to be swept up into a right state. To him it was a clear panic response; he had seen and created it enough times during his campaign ten years ago to recognize it now, even the scent of it was familiar to him.

As Dumbledore settled the students, Riddle rose from his seat and vaulted over the Head Table to land beside Quirrel in a crouch; pressing the fingers of his right hand against the man's throat he could feel a strong but racy pulse, probably elevated as a result of his run through the Great Hall.

"This is foolish; this cannot be done while Dumbledore is here!" Riddle said under his breath as he leaned over the Muggle Studies professor as he cast a diagnostic charm on the fully conscious man while the children bustled outside, creating enough noise to mask the quiet words.

"This wouldn't be necessary if you had just handed over the stone when you had it!" Quirrel snapped back quietly as Riddle feigned reviving the instructor and he sat up. Brown eyes flecked with azure chips stared intently into crimson speckled obsidian as the men silently warred with each other over the benefits of this plan.

Quirrel was the first to look away and Riddle smirked at the man as he stood, the Great Hall was mostly clear by this point and he tugged the recently 'revived' professor to his feet.

"Professors split up into groups of three and fan out through the school, remember this is still a large castle with hidden passages; it may have already ascended so let's clear the floors one at a time!" Riddle barked out his commands and was sweeping out of the Hall before anyone could get a word in.

Heading for the dungeons with the staff following close behind him, Tom descended into the castle's underground and cast out his senses to search for the Troll. It only took him a moment to ascertain that the creature had departed the dank stone level but he would still have to find the way that Quirrel had brought it in and seal it.

Unfortunately, the castle was a rather large structure and the dungeons were themselves a labyrinth to navigate with its numerous corridors and few discerning markings to tell any corridor apart from another. After Professor Sprout checked the same corridor twice, Riddle began to mark cleared passages with a Flagrate spell, leaving a floating red 'X' at the mouth of the hallways.

It took them the better part of fifteen minutes to find the Troll's entrance, in the furthest recess of the dungeons Riddle came across an earthen tunnel seemingly carved by hand and not magic; which would explain why the wards had not alerted Dumbledore to the troll's presence.

'Very clever, Quirrel; let the troll do the work and guarantee it a free meal for its efforts.' Riddle had to give the man credit; while basic the idea was so simple that it had beaten the castle's complex wards and defenses. Dumbledore would undoubtedly learn from this mistake though and add new defenses to prevent such an incidence from occurring again.

The tunnel would have to be explored further and investigated but for now, the tunnel would have to be sealed off. "Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick; please remain here and guard this area, we can not afford a second troll coming in through this way." Tom instructed, while polite his tone brooked no room for argument and the two teachers nodded and took up positions to defend the school.

Back tracking at a light jogging pace; Riddle ascended up to the first floor and sought out the Headmaster who was tucked into a side room off of the Entrance Hall where numerous fireplaces had been installed.

Four of the massive hearths were in use as the sorcerer was conversing with prefects. There was an air of urgency that hung around the man, though he displayed a serene calmness and listened attentively to the reports of the students before each one withdrew.

"Ah Tom, it appears that most of the students are safe and accounted for," The wizened Headmaster said though there was a harrowed look to his eyes that gave Riddle pause enough that he didn't rebuke the man for using his first name.

"Headmaster, you said 'most.' Who's missing?" Riddle asked carefully, he wasn't sure why but he could feel a cold tendril squeezing his stomach and wrapping around his spine.

"Slytherins and Hufflepuffs mostly who in their haste to find safety did not relocate with the rest of their Houses; Ravenclaw and Gryffindor prefects seemed to have taken in those students. It seems that Miss Potter took it upon herself to gather as many of the lost students as possible and directed them to the Gryffindor tower, but she herself is not among them." Dumbledore said his voice a mixture of pride and worry as he spoke of the missing child.

Tom felt that cold tendril wrap around his lungs and squeeze, though he did not present his stress to the Headmaster. He had only had this experience once before; when Hogwarts had nearly closed after the death of a student. He was afraid, but why was he afraid; certainly not for himself, he could dispatch a troll with a flick of his wand… but Iris couldn't.

But why should he care about the student who carried the brother to his wand, she had been nothing but a thorn in his side; forcing him to devote hours of his time to her presence so that he could attune his wand with her magic and cease the incessant pulsing.

It didn't matter that she was intelligent and a particularly astute student, perhaps the best student he had ever had at Hogwarts save perhaps Granger who seemed to swallow knowledge whole. She was still just a child, a talented and useful one, but still a child and that was no reason for him to feel worried on her behalf.

How many of his followers had he sent to their graves without feeling worried for them in the slightest? Still, the circumstances were different he could deduce that much logically; he did not have an army at his beck and call anymore, so every follower he had counted now. Yes, that was it; he realized her strategic importance as an informant and he could not risk losing her without having any other spies so close to Longbottom.

His mental deductions had only taken a moment though it seemed that Dumbledore had noticed the cogs in Tom's head spinning furiously as there was a merry twinkling in the old fool's eyes again. He resisted the urge to snatch the blue orbs from the man's head, "The girl's probably gone gallantly off to rescue the lost children or fight the troll herself; she's as Gryffindor as they come." He replied coolly, a small smirk of satisfaction forming at the Headmaster's frown as the merry twinkle dimmed.

"Let's pray not Tom, I shudder to think what would happen if a troll were to get their hands on a child." Dumbledor replied gravely as he motioned for his Deputy to lead the way out of the room.

Riddle nodded his head and prepared to leave when he felt a tug on his magic; the sensation was altogether different from anything one could experience. It was as if someone was reaching into your chest and pulling at some invisible string; it wasn't painful but it was entirely disconcerting.

Glancing over his shoulder, he glared at the Headmaster accusingly before he felt the same pull again although this time the sensation lingered; using his magic, Riddle seized the 'string' and followed it stretching his senses along the probe until he could taste the scent of ozone and feel the static charge that was the physical manifestation of Iris' magic.

"She's on the fourth floor…" Riddle said as he stretched his senses further and examined the girl as best he could, "She's injured, I can't tell how seriously…" Spreading his senses further from the girl he could feel the mass of the troll further along the same floor, "And the troll is there, on the fourth floor."

Dumbledore was already moving past the Defense instructor and sweeping his wand through the air, several silvery apparitions bursting from the end of the wooden instrument that Riddle recognized as Patronus forms, undoubtedly carrying messages to the staff.

The pair reached the stairs and quickly began to ascend, Riddle taking the steps two at a time while Dumbledore trailed only a step or so behind him. As they reached the third floor landing the men were thrown to the ground as light filled the stairway, quickly followed by a shuddering quake and a roar of sound that physically knocked the air out of Tom's chest.

The buffeting pressure disappeared as suddenly as it had come and the two men looked at each other in shock as the scrambled to their feet and raced up the last two flights of stairs to the fourth floor and stood frozen by the scene.

Laid out flat on its back was a full grown mountain troll, it's once grey hide was blackened and charred as wisps of smoke curled off its body; filling the air with the pungent odor of cooked meat and a slight undertone of fresh rain and ozone from the ionized air.

Tom's gaze swiveled over to Iris was sitting against the stairs staring blankly at the scene; the girl was a right mess, her wild hair hung loosely around her but was matted against the back of her head thickly. She was paler than usual and the fine hair that dusted her arms was standing on end and her skin was visibly speckled with gooseflesh.

The cuff of her left sleeve was smoldering slightly, smoke wafting into the air; and her right shoulder was unnaturally slumped down. Glancing over at the stairs, Tom could see a trail of blood droplets and a good fist sized puddle of the red fluid pooled at the base of the steps from where her head had rested for some time. He was sure that more blood would be found in her hair and soaked into the back of her robes considering how profusely head wounds tended to bleed.

Quickly moving over to the girl, Tom kneeled beside her and waved his hand in front of her face trying to draw her back to reality. "Miss Potter…Potter… look at me child!" Tom said a layer of urgency in his voice as the girl did not respond. Cupping her chin, Riddle turned her head to look at him and he stared into her eyes to see the pupils were as small as he had ever seen them on a person, leaving her eyes a much more brilliant shade of emerald without the black centers to provide any contrast.

As he stared intently, he could see her pupils dilating slowly as they funneled more light into the girl's retinas. It appeared that her eyes had responded to the intense glare that the lightning she had manifested had created by shunting the pupils shut to limit the amount of light to prevent her from going blind. It was a testament to the healing nature of magical people that the girl hadn't gone blind outright from the spell.

When her pupils returned to normal size, he relaxed slightly and brushed her hair behind her ears in an uncharacteristic show of tenderness. He didn't know why he did it but it had seemed like the right thing to do, up until he saw the trickle of blood coming from the girl's ears and dripping from her earlobes to the collar of her blouse, which was already soaked in blood and turning her skin a faint rosy color as the cloth rubbed against her neck.

Riddle was quickly joined by Snape, the Potions Master arrived with Quirrel in tow; the latter upon seeing the troll backed against the balustrade and placed a hand over his chest as though stilling his heart. McGonagall arrived shortly after and gravitated towards her injured student while Dumbledore walked around the felled trolled curiously inspecting the creature.

With three teachers surrounding the girl, Iris seemed to regain her vision and she stared at them curiously before her eyes fell on the charred creature. Tom moved to block her vision but her pale skin took on a distinctly green ting and she promptly wretched on the ground besides her, McGonagall and Snape moving to dodge the semi-digested dinner.

It seemed the jarring movement was too much for the girl as she promptly blacked out, Riddle caught her before she could hit her head further on the stone floor while Snape flicked his wand and banished the vomit.

Riddle prepared to lift the girl into his arms before Snape stopped him, "We shouldn't carry the girl, not with a head wounds; the steps could worsen her condition." Tom nodded at the man, mentally berating himself for the stupidity of his action.

He knew that, he was the DADA instructor; what the hell had possessed him to try to lift the girl! Stepping back from the girl he drew his wand and silently waved it over Iris, causing the child to rise into the air as though she were laying on a stretcher. Her wand dangled loosely from her fingers, and he was suddenly struck by the scene before him.

If he hadn't seen the girl's slowly rising chest as she breathed, it would have been easy to believe she was dead; and that thought chilled his veins and he felt his heart overcome with an iron vice that threatened to strangle the beat in his chest.

Fury rose up in him over his inane sentiments, what should he care if this girl died; it was no concern of his! She was a distraction and a weakness for invoking such concepts in him and he steeled himself; drowning the feelings in an icy indifference that left him in absolute control.

Stepping forward, he grabbed the girl's wand and nearly lost the carefully schooled mask he was wearing as he felt the wand flare with heat nearly searing his hand as her hand tightened around the holly rod, but it lasted only a moment before the wand pulsed and cooled to a comfortable warmth as the girl's hand relaxed and allowed him to take it from her.

That was rather strange, Riddle thought to himself as he pocketed the instrument and turned to guide the girl's body down to the Hospital Wing; his eyes feel upon Quirrel and he met the half brown, half ultramarine orbs that were staring at him and the girl carefully… calculatingly. Giving the man a pointed glare, Tom descended the stairs flanked on either side by Severus and Minerva as they watched the girl concernedly.

Dumbledore finished his examination as the group descended the stairs and his eyes followed the ebony locks as they vanished from sight much as his Muggle Studies Professor was doing.

'How remarkable that so much power came from such a young girl' The Headmaster pondered as he wore a thoughtful smile, 'I will have to keep a close eye on that child; she could prove to be immensely useful.'

Clapping his hands, Dumbledore was met with several pops as a group of house elves appeared before him. "Remove the troll to the Black Forest and see about repairing any of the damage it may have caused." Dumbledore intoned as he strode over to the small pool of blood that was coagulating on the stone floor.

Raising a hand to banish it, he thought better of it and instead drew his wand; with a careful swish, the blood rose from the stairs and formed a small sphere in the air as he conjured a vial from the air and directed the blood inside of it. Stoppering the vial, he pocketed the red fluid and looked over at Quirrel who was staring at him curiously.

"I suddenly had the thought of a rather interesting Christmas present for the Miss Potter, I'm sure she won't mind." He said whimsically to the man, who simply bowed his head in acceptance as the Headmaster advanced up the stairs.

"I'm sure it will be quite an interesting gift indeed, old friend." Quirrel muttered as his brown eyes flashed blue for just a moment before he too scurried away to his apartments; leaving the house elves to move the body of the troll. 'I may have failed to acquire the stone, but tonight has proven to be a most informative event.' He thought to himself as a cackle rose in his throat and threatened to burst.

Iris floated in an inky darkness aware but not awake, she had become used to this sensation and viewed the stage of consciousness as something of a retreat; in this state seconds passed like hours giving her time to think and plan because time was such a precious commodity that few ever have enough of.

But she was not alone in her mental wanderings, Hecate's ethereal form was with her now in her softly glowing silver gown and the three faced mask that revealed nothing but those same piercing golden eyes that could see down into your very soul.

"What happened tonight?" Iris asked as she looked at her patron meeting the goddess' gaze with her own; not challengingly or warily but simply to fixate on something real, behind the entrapments to the entity itself.

"Tonight you exercised a power that has been nearly forgotten by wizards today but was once much more common, wandless magic." Hecate replied in that powerfully haunting voice that bespoke of power and an agelessness that made Dumbledore a pale shadow in comparison.

"The wizards of Britannia, the ancient druids that once lived here were feared for their power, they wielded their magic the way you discovered it last night, wandless magic. It is the primordial way to use magic, it is still seen today as children use it reflexively; what the Ministry terms 'accidental' magic." Hecate explained as the darkness around them began to come alive with images… memories of the past.

"Wandless magic is much like opening the spillway of a dam; it flows out constrained only by the direction of the channel it is released into. The magic is defined only by the caster's will, the stronger the will of the wizard the more defined the magic." Hecate indicated a memory, the events of Iris against the troll from a third person perspective illustrating the white flare of lightning that the girl had used against the creature.

"But the Romans were an older culture, they had become 'civilized' and when they came to Britannia they brought with them their wands. Wands acted as a focus for those wizards, gave them greater control of their abilities; like a valve, it allowed them to control the pressure and define their magic into narrower constraints." Hecate pulled up the image of Ollivander's wand shop and how it started off as a street vendor until Diagon Alley had formed around it until the present day.

"Over time, wizards forgot what it was to define their magic through their own force of will and now they all rely on a piece of wood with a core, some motions, and a few words. They have forgotten their origins and now only the 'strong' wizards delve into wandless magic as if it were some kind of astonishing feat!" Hecate obviously had a passion behind her words and Iris could feel the weight of the goddess' power like a pressure on her chest as she became just the remotest bit angry.

Hecate seemed to notice and the oppressive tide of magic eased from Iris and the woman's golden eyes conveyed her apology though she did not voice it. "Wandless magic is the birthright of every creature that has magic in their veins; take one look at house-elves and goblins and you'll understand the power they wield. Harry saw the power of it, Kreacher Apparated through Voldemort's defenses, a man considered to be the strongest Dark Lord the world had ever seen."

Iris nodded her head as she looked at that particular image on the wall, Kreacher surviving the test that Voldemort had placed around one of his horcruxes and teleporting away.

"Like any skill, with practice and exercise of it comes mastery. You will need to earn that mastery Iris, this is not something I can give you; and I implore you to master this skill because I suspect you will have need of it in the future." Hecate said as she wrapped Iris in her arms and gave the young girl a kiss on the forehead before Iris was swallowed by light.

Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, UK

November 1, 1991

The day after Halloween, Iris awoke to the familiar white ceilings and the smell of disinfectant that only accompanied the trip to a hospital; and since she was quite sure that her injuries hadn't necessitated a trip to St. Mungo's then she was left with the Hospital Wing of the school. It seemed that she was fated to become quite familiar with this section of Hogwarts as Harry had.

As she stirred from her bed, Iris didn't know what to expect but she was quite relieved to know that her head did not threaten to split open from pain and that her right arm was able to support her weight as she sat up and scooted her back against the headboard as she reached for her glasses on the bedside table.

Madam Pomfrey appeared out of thin air it seemed as soon as her patient had shown signs of life and she bustled right over. One look at the woman and Iris was relieved by the sight, no tightness around the lips or eyes and the mediwitch's forehead was quite clear of frown lines at the moment; which meant that she wasn't in any serious condition.

"Well dear, I'm glad to see you're awake. Let's have a quick look at you, shall we?" The nurse asked rhetorically with a warm smile that would have put Iris at ease if she wasn't already. Madam Pomfrey quickly drew her wand and waved it over Iris' head as she cast a diagnostic charm.

"Concussion is gone and so is the skull fracture, ear drums are fully repaired, and your collarbone is good as new." The woman said more to herself than to Iris, "Color looks good, and your eyes still seem to be functioning."

Iris nodded her head as she contemplated the significance of the last two observations; Pomfrey seemed to catch the confused look on the girl's face since she explained. "You lost a good deal of blood young lady and Professor Riddle says that when you were discovered your pupils had shrunk to the size of pinheads."

Iris nodded her head accepting the nurse's words as she cast a curious look around; she had yet to be in this part of the castle yet but it looked like a carbon copy of the one from Harry's memories. Well, how much different could the place really be; see one hospital you've seen them all really, only difference was the layout and staff.

"Am I fine enough to attend classes then Madam Pomfrey?" Iris asked the mediwitch as she returned her attention to the woman who held the power to discharge her or keep her waiting in the hospital bed, it was a comfortable bed but it was still a hospital bed.

The nurse looked at her for a moment before nodding her head, "I suppose you could, although if I remember correctly the only thing you had today was double Potions and since lunch just passed there wouldn't be much point to it, now would there?" Pomfrey inquired with a playful smile as she moved from the edge of the bed.

The woman returned quickly with a tray of food for the girl to eat since she had missed breakfast and lunch apparently and had been treated for her injuries. Iris' stomach growled audibly at the sight of the food and Pomfrey smiled delightfully while the girl tucked in.

Moving away from the hospital bed, Poppy allowed the girl to eat in peace while she returned to her office and made a fire call to Dumbledore in his office to inform him that the girl was awake and could be seen. After her brief call she stepped back out into her infirmary and watched Iris from afar, making sure the girl ate the meal she had set out for her.

After a few minutes, Iris leaned back against the headboard contentedly full of the soup and sandwich that the Nurse had provided her with. As she looked up for the nurse, she heard the swishing of robes and looked over at the entrance to see the Headmaster approaching her and the faces of several children at the threshold, notably Hermione, Draco, and Daphne but they weren't alone.

Dumbledore waved at Pomfey as the nurse removed the empty tray from the bedside which allowed him to sink gracefully onto the edge of the bed beside Iris' legs. "Hello my dear, I'm very glad to see you awake; you gave us all quite a scare." The silver haired man greeted her as he sunk into the cushy mattress.

"I'm sorry to have worried you Headmaster, but I'm quite alright as you can see." Iris responded cordially with a soft smile, honestly Iris didn't know how to feel about the man. In Harry's universe the man had been his hero, his mentor, a grandfatherly figure; but he had also been a manipulative bastard who had dicked around with Harry's life so that he could die at Voldemort's hand in order to destroy the man's horcrux.

Iris may have looked like an eleven year old but she had nineteen years of Harry's life experiences and that boy was definitely older than any nineteen year old should have been, she wasn't about to play into the headmaster's manipulations unless it served her to do so. She wasn't going to be fattened up like a lamb to the slaughter; she had family to protect this time around and friends that she cared for too.

Dumbledore smiled at her warmly, "Worrying my dear, is what someone in my station does. I'll have you know that when I took the position of Headmaster, I still had color in my hair." Iris looked at the man's silver hair skeptically; it was hard to imagine that the man before her had ever been young enough to have color in his hair.

"If I might be so bold sir, I think silver suits you well." Iris responded instead, it was more polite at least than saying what she had been thinking about the old wizard; it seemed it was an adequate response since the man laughed cheerfully at her words.

"Thank you child, it is seldom that I get such compliments." Dumbledore said while he playfully smoothed his hair, the movement looked so ridiculous that Iris couldn't help but giggle at it; the Headmaster's eyes twinkled merrily at the girl's response before he cleared his throat and took on a more serious air.

"Now my dear, I'm afraid I do have to ask you a rather serious question: Do you know what you did to that troll last night?" Dumbledore asked quietly and watched as Iris' cheerful expression fell quite sharply and she looked down at her hands, her hair falling in front of her face and preventing him from seeing her facial expression.

Iris felt the wash of magic over her and a sudden compulsion to look the Headmaster in the eye came over her but she resisted the urge, it would be far easier for Dumbledore to accept a stubborn will in a child then for him to come against her Occlumency barriers now.

"I killed it sir, I didn't mean to but I was frightened and I just wished that it would stop coming at me." Iris said softly, her voice as haunted and sorrowful as she could make it. "I wanted it to stop coming towards me so badly and I couldn't raise my wand because my arm hurt so much. The next thing I remember is a bright light and the smell… it smelt like cooked meat; and after that I woke up here."

Dumbledore looked at the girl sadly; she was so remorseful for taking a life that even his compulsion could not force her to meet his eyes through her sadness. He nodded and patted the girl's hand, "I understand child, it is never easy taking a life; even when it threatens your own. Our magic is a dangerous and volatile thing, so often it reacts in our moments of greatest desperation that we have little control for what happens."

Like Ariana, his poor sister, how much had she suffered because of her unstable magic; he saw much of his younger sister in this girl before him and he only hoped he could keep her from her fate. "Do not blame yourself Iris, for something so beyond your control. If you need help getting through this difficult time I will make myself available to you and the rest of the staff will be there for you as well; but if you perhaps decide to confide in someone your own age, might I suggest Mr. Longbottom; he is quite familiar with the loss of life as I'm sure you know."

Iris smirked under her curtain of hair as she felt another wave of compulsion magic sweep over her at the Headmaster's last words. "Thank you sir, I'll come to you if I need anything." Iris replied as she felt the bed lift as the Headmaster rose from his perch at the edge of his bed.

"Ah, one more thing Iris; Professsor Riddle wanted me to inform you that he has your wand; he will be expecting you in his office as soon as you've been discharged." Dumbledore said before he departed the Hospital Wing, Iris waited until he was truly gone before she lifted her head and swept her hair back from her face.

As soon as Dumbledore was out in the hall, the sounds of hurried footsteps filled the infirmary as Iris' friends surrounded her bed in a small group. On her left was Hermione who stood beside Ron and strangely enough Neville, and on her right stood Draco, Daphne and another surprise guest; Blaise Zabini.

It was hard to miss the air of hostility that filled the air as the Slytherins faced the Gryffindors, or more specifically as the boys glared daggers at each other for being in the same vicinity while Daphne and Hermione were just plain looking at her worriedly, the concern on their faces was endearing.

"I'm fine, I swear! Madam Pomfrey said I'll be okay to leave today." Iris said preemptively answering the question that occupied the girls' minds. As soon as she said the words, the both of them seem to visibly relax and they hugged her tightly.

"When we heard you were in the Hospital Wing this morning we thought the worst, 'Mione said you never returned to Gryffindor tower last night and with the troll on the loose… we were scared something terrible had happened to you!" Daphne said in a rush as sat beside her friend and cast her arm around Iris to pull the girl into a one armed hug.

Hermione mirrored the action on her other side and nodded her head in confirmation with Daphne's words before she asked a decidedly more pragmatic question, "Why didn't you make it to Gryffindor Tower? I remember you being right behind me and you kept grabbing the lost students and giving them instructions and then all of a sudden you were gone!" Hermione said as she pulled back and gave her ebony haired friend a penetrating look.

The boys stopped their staring contest to look at Iris imploringly, the interest evident on their faces; "If you think I went looking for the troll to play the hero, uh uh! No way in Merlin's name would I have gone after a troll!" Iris said emphatically to which Hermione and Daphne looked relieved, Draco and Ron looked minutely relieved at her words though they tried not to show just how much because they were in the presence of their archenemies.

Neville looked crestfallen, as though he had expected the girl to go on some kind of school saving adventure with heroics and fanfare. Blaise maintained a stoic indifference, and Iris was again wondering why he was there; she wouldn't be surprised if the boy really was indifferent to the situation since she had never so much as had a conversation with the boy.

"I got separated from the line when some Puffs jostled past us on the stairs; I fell down the stairs and cracked my head. When I come to I'm staring down a twelve foot mountain troll, I can't move my arm because my collarbone was snapped; next thing I know there's a blinding flash and a thunderclap, when I can see again I was surrounded by professors and Dumbledore was standing over a cooked troll."

Iris explained the situation, it wasn't the entire truth but nothing she had said was a lie either and if they drew certain conclusions from her version of the retelling of events then so be it, it suited her just fine that way.

Her friends seemed to accept the story as Ron looked at her wide-eyed, "That's wicked Iris! I knew I heard thunder last night! Wow, can you imagine that; Dumbledore hurled lightning at a troll!" The redhead was saying enthusiastically as he looked at Neville before looking at the Slytherins and sobering a bit.

Draco sneered at the boy, "Of course he did Weasley, what did you expect the man to do? Leave his student to fend off a troll on her own?" The platinum blonde said condescendingly, a hard stare from Iris prompted a soft smack on the boy's hand from Daphne.

"Be nice! We're in the infirmary Draco; do you want to get us kicked out?" The honey blonde said with a pointed glare as she jerked her chin over to the matron that was sitting behind her desk at the other end of the ward, watching them intent in case they were distressing her patient.

Draco looked sheepish for an instant and flashed Iris an apologetic smile before he took on a cold face when Neville laughed at him, "Did you see that! Malfoy actually looked sorry there for a second!" The round faced boy said with a vindictive smirk that left the Slytherin heir bristling with rage.

"As should you Longbottom, did you not just hear what was said! We could all be tossed out of here if you don't control yourself!" Blaise said cuttingly as his hand gripped Draco's wrist to restrain the boy from drawing his wand, his amber eyes boring into Neville's chocolate ones.

Iris couldn't be sure if it was the words or the stare but Neville shut his mouth at the retort and simply glowered at the Italian pureblood. Whatever the case, Blaise made a nice counterpoint to Neville's obnoxious arrogance with his reserved confidence. Still she didn't know much about the boy though she would endeavor to learn more about him and perhaps befriend him in the future… if only because he had proven more successful at quieting Neville than anyone else had been so far.

"Well on that note, I'd rather like to be getting out of here; Hermione, did you happen to bring me a change of clothes by any chance?" Iris asked the brunette who was currently resting on her shoulder, much the same way she was doing to Daphne.

Hermione nodded with a smile as she pulled up Iris bag and placed it on the raven haired girl's lap, because of the bag's expansion charms there wasn't even a bulge in the fabric from its contents. Holding her bag, Iris gave the boys a pointed look that only Blaise seemed to be able to decipher since he actually managed to blush slightly through his tan as he pulled Draco away and mouthed 'privacy' at the boy.

Draco blushed as well but nodded his head, "We'll see you at dinner Iris!" he said as he gave his 'cousin' (really his second cousin once removed but who's keeping track) a hug and a peck on the cheek before he and Blaise left the infirmirary.

Ron was left gaping at the display of affection and Neville looked as though a blood vessel were about to pop in his temple before Iris explained their familial connections to settle the Boy-Who-Lived from having an aneurism. Even then he still looked distinctly peeved as Hermione herded the two out of the infirmary so that Iris could change out of the hospital gown and leggings into her own clothes.

She knew that she was about as clean as you could get since she had been in Madam Pomfrey's care, but without the conscious shower that she was used to she couldn't help but feel a bit dirty even if it was irrational. Dressed in her casual jeans and a thin long sleeved jumper, Iris emerged from the infirmary's loo and bade Madam Pomfrey farewell and a sincere thank you for patching her up before she was escorted down to the dungeons by Hermione and Daphne.

She rolled her eyes at her friend's protectiveness but she smiled all the same, if they wanted to stick close to their friend after a near fatal run-in with a troll; she supposed that they were a bit entitled to do so.

Iris entered Professor Riddle's study after hissing the password to an ornate mural of a dragon guarding its horde. Looking around the room, she was surprised to see that Deputy Headmaster wasn't sitting at his desk as usual but was instead sitting in an armchair by the fire with Nagini draped across his shoulders as he read a book through reading glasses.

With much less trepidation then she had once shown in this room, Iris crossed over to the lounge portion of the room and plopped down in the overstuffed leather armchair across from Riddle and simply watched him read.

The man was absent his robes now and she could admire his taste in clothes now that he was swaddled in all that excess black cloth; his cargo styled trousers were a dark grey that hugged his hips but relaxed through the thigh and lower leg to gather slightly around the well-worn leather shoes he had on.

He favored long sleeved shirts and now was no different, the white shirt was tailored nicely to display the trim athletic body that he possessed without giving away anything else; the first two buttons were left undone to reveal a smooth expanse of pale peach skin.

His thick black hair was loose at the moment and hung down to his shoulders in a light wave; a forelock rested along his brow above his right eye and accentuated his aristocratic and well-proportioned features.

The man was without physical imperfection, easily the most gorgeous man Iris had ever seen and it was easy to see why so many of the girls and women at Hogwarts swooned over the man; it was impossible to find the man anything but attractive.

The man even moved with a grace and fluidity that was almost serpentine, every motion was exact with no wasted energy, powerful but not flauntingly so; as though he were constantly ready to strike against any foe. The man was constantly aware, even now in the comfort of his study with nary a threat to him the man was on guard, on a perpetual vigil.

And for all his beauty and strength, Iris felt sorry for the man who could not relax in his own sanctuary; and she wondered what this man had been through to deprive himself of the simple pleasure of letting down the mask of indifference, to just let himself be.

"If you're quite done appraising me, what is it that you want Miss Potter?" The Deputy Headmaster inquired his voice rumbled through the air in that cultured baritone of his; never anything but steady and paced.

"The Headmaster informed me that you have my wand sir, I would like it back." Iris replied simply as she lounged backwards into her seat as she relaxed into the comfortable leather and basked in the comfortable warmth of the hearth while she watched her professor.

The man glanced at her over the top of his book, a glance at the spine revealed it to be in Arabic and as a result beyond her level of comprehension. His face was hidden behind the leather bindings but she was certain he had a smirk on his face as he reached onto the side table beside him without taking his eyes off of her.

The only indication that the man was going to whip an object at her was the hitch in his shoulder that caused Nagini to rear back a bit from the shift in position. But that was all she needed to move her head to the side and snatch the object out of the air with her left hand, her Seeker's reflexes kicking in.

The object was scalding hot for a moment before the temperature dropped dramatically into a more therapeutic warmth that eased the pain out of her hand. Shifting her gaze to the object, she realized that it was Riddle's wand, the brother to her own; yew, thirteen and half inches, with the phoenix feather core.

It felt familiar yet foreign, the same and different from her own wand; but she knew that the moment she had laid hands on it. It hadn't reacted as smoothly as her own wand had the first time she picked it up but this wand was close enough to her own that she knew it would have no problem conducting her magic.

"Then you notice it as well." Riddle stated more than asked, almost as though he were reading her mind though Iris knew that hadn't happened, they had simply spent so much time together they could read each other.

"But why would your wand choose me when it already chose you?" Iris asked as she sent a small pulse of magic through the wand and found it responded just as powerfully as her own, shooting red sparks from the tip.

"I have no answer for that but I believe that since the wands are brothers, they recognize the other's master as their own as well." Riddle suggested as he set down his book and lifted Iris' wand from the table beside him, likewise sending a shower of sparks from the tip of her wand.

Iris contemplated the implication of that, Harry's memories of the war was bereft with scenes of wands failing to defend their user since they had not won their allegiance; many had been injured or killed because they had not earned their control of the wand in their hands. But it seemed that their wands had willingly chosen a second master to give their loyalty too, that was a strange thing indeed.

The pair traded their wands and Iris felt the holly pulse in her hand, rejoicing in its return to its owner as it warmed comfortably in her hand before settling into what the girl could only think of as a slumbering state as it sensed that it was not needed at the moment.

She didn't remember Harry's wand ever being this responsive and he wondered if this was a property of her own universe or just a byproduct of her situation.

"Thank you for caring for my wand Professor." Iris said warmly to the DADA instructor to which he simply bowed his head in acknowledgment before waving a hand at the door. "I'm sure your friends are expecting you at dinner Miss Potter." The man said in a clear tone of dismissal as he raised his book again and returned to whatever it was he was reading.

Rising from her seat Iris crossed over to where Tom was sitting and leaned over him which caused the man to look up at her in consternation for invading his space but before he could retort the girl kissed Nagini on the head and hissed good bye to the serpent before departing the room.

§"Was that a wise course of action master? Presenting your wand to the girl, that is."§ Nagini inquired after the door shut firmly behind Iris' back, §"She is the first of my new followers; this will allow me to know where she is and when she is threatened."§ Tom responded, logically he needed to ensure that with his depleted resources the ones that he developed now were protected.

The snake nodded her head in agreement with the statement, §"Indeed master, but the child will also know where you are and when you are threatened. And when she learns the true implications of this…"§

§"She will not learn of any other implications unless she develops a penchant for Hebrew; so I'm quite sure that those secrets are safe with me for the time being."§ Riddle hissed confidently as he returned to his book and continued to read more on ancient wandlore.

Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, UK

November 9, 1991

The week after the troll incident was marked by a sharp decline in temperature as the weather turned bitterly cold, the mountains around the school became an icy gray and the water of the lake turned into frosty steel that snatched the air out of your chest. The morning illuminated the frost covered ground and reflected a sea of shiny ice crystals that glistened in the soft rosy light of the dawn.

The quidditch season had begun and Wood had stepped up their training though he had prevailed to keep their sessions as low key as possible so no one but the Gryffindor team had come to discover just how good of a player Iris was.

So the team's secret weapon had stayed a secret just as they had intended it to be, the cat would be out of the bag after today though. Their first game was against Slytherin and Iris had every intention of going full out in the match today, with her inheriting Harry's skill there would be no difficulty in taking a victory today.

The only issue she had was that her new found friends were in Slytherin and she really didn't want to damage her friendship with them over a silly thing like Quidditch, as much as she loved the sport. But Draco and Daphne had told her that if she didn't give it her best they would be expressly angry at her; which had been all the incentive she needed to bring her A game.

She had descended to the Great Hall in her casual attire since it was a Saturday and had tucked into her breakfast heartily, it wasn't the fry up she was used to having on such a day; but since she was going to be flying for the next couple of hours the grease probably wasn't a good idea.

Instead she had settled on a simple oatmeal with toast, the carbs would keep her energized for the upcoming game. While she was eating she was getting encouraging quips from her friends and Daphne had even swung by the Gryffindor table despite the many evil eyes to give her friend a hug for good luck.

At eleven, the whole school had packed into the stands around the pitch and Iris was in the locker room along with the rest of the team. The locker room was divided into two halves, one side for the men the other for the women; so alongside the chasers, Iris changed into her uniform.

She had stuck her casual weekend clothes into her locker and pulled on the familiar black leotard and tights that the team wore under their gear, the tight clothing was enchanted to keep them warm on such cold days as this but not too hot that they would be passing out from heat exhaustion.

Over the skin tight apparel they buckled on their protective pads, foam pads over the thigh and a hard ceramic styled breastplate to guard their upper bodies from blows to the ribs or spine. Over the pads came the white trousers with the leather greaves over the shins and knees, as well as the maroon and gold tunics and their accompanying bracers and gloves.

Of course of all the protective equipment, Iris' were the thinnest and lightest of them all; less for protection than to give the semblance of protection she knew. It wasn't a very comforting thought really so she put it out of her mind as she slipped on her robes and grabbed her broom, falling into the line beside the chasers.

Alicia gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "No worries Iris, leave the bludgers to the twins and the scoring to us; just keep an eye out for the snitch and when we give you the sign just do your thing." The elder girl said to her as Wood moved to stand in front of the team.

"Okay men," he began, puffing out his chest and drawing himself to his full height to appear as confident as possible.

"And women." Angelina cut in with a pointed look that left Wood looking slightly embarrassed but he nodded his head and continued on.

"And women," he agreed, "This is it!" Wood resumed once again but it appeared he was doomed as the twins got in on the speech.

"The big one," said Fred while George picked up with, "The one we've all been waiting for!"

Oliver looked decidedly crestfallen now as Fred smirked as he looked down at Iris, "We know Oliver's speech by heart, we were on the team last year."

"Shut up, you two!" Wood said as he stepped forward, "We're going to win this, I know it! This is our time, so good luck to you all!" His eyes were blazing determinedly as Iris simply nodded her head with the team chorusing his words with affirmatives.

The team marched out of the locker room and onto the pitch, Iris took in the sight for the first time with her own eyes and she smiled to herself at the rush of emotion that filled her. Looking over at the sea of crimson that was Gryffindor, she could make out the banner at the top of the stands that said "Potter for Minister" with a roaring lion underneath it with the colors shifting every few moments.

But there was definitely a difference in this universe that hadn't been there in Harry's; there was another skybox in the stands and as Iris peered up into it curiously she could make out a familiar shade of red hair and an unruly mop of black hair.

Turning to glance at Wood, the Captain was smiling at the girl, "Yeah, forgot to mention that; parents of the quidditch players are invited to attend the games. We didn't want to put any pressure on you but it looks like the surprise is out now."

Iris was of half a mind to smack the Keeper but the other half of her wanted to hug him in excitement, in any case the decision was out of her hands when Madam Hooch pointed at both of the Quidditch captains calling them up to join her in the middle of the field while the rest of the team lined up on the pitch.

"Alright, I want a clean game from all of you!" Hooch said looking fixedly at the Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint. "Mount your brooms, please."

Iris swung her leg over her Nimbus Two Thousand, stroking the wooden shaft of her broomstick affectionately; the golden lettering jumping brightly at the contrast from the reddish brown wood.

Madam Hooch gave a blast of her whistle to start the game and Iris shot up into the air at a near perfect vertical ascent that put her way above the pitch so that she could begin her search pattern for the snitch and observe the game while Lee Jordan called out the play by play.

"The Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too…"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

It seemed that Jordan wouldn't be getting away much with his commentary in this lifetime either with McGonagall keeping a close ear on what the boy was saying.

Angelina was shooting across the pitch with Alicia flanking her to the right and Katie on her left; as they approached the hoops Angelina passed the Quaffle over to Alicia who dropped her altitude to hide underneath the leading Chaser.

As they drew closer, Alicia threw the ball up into the air in a pass back to Angelina at the last second to throw off the Slytherin Keeper at the last second and the lead Chaser launched the ball towards an open hoop.

"- no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains possession and off he goes"

The troll like Fifth year was crossing the pitch with his fellow Chasers leading in front of him to protect him while the Gryffindor Chasers followed up behind them.

The Slytherins peeled off as Marcus shot for one of the hoops and looked like he was going to score before Wood seemed to drop out of the air and knocked the ball downwards into Katie's hands as she snatched the Quaffle out of the air.

Banking upwards sharply, Katie turned her broom around and the dove to pick up speed, shooting past Flint who had been pulling up to meet her. She weaved up the field on her own as Alicia and Angelina separated to draw off the Slytherin Chasers.

"OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger!"

Iris winced as her teammate was clipped by one of the iron balls, the impact threw her forward and she lost her hold on the ball as it fell from her hands.

Adrian Pucey sliced across the field and cut the Quaffle as it was falling, turning his broom he advanced towards the Gryffindor rings but was stopped as a second Bludger sent by one of the Weasley twins slammed into the boy's gut.

Angelina reappeared on the scene as she snatched the Quaffle from the winded boy's arms with a clear field ahead of her; she ducked to the left to avoid a Bludger and drew on the goal posts, she faked a toss to the left hoop and forced Bletchley to dive but she slipped to the right and tossed the Quaffle through the exposed central ring.

"GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Cheers went up around the pitch while howls and moans arose from the gathered Slytherin fans.

Above the action of the game, Iris was hovering over the game looking for some sign of the Snitch through her prescription strength goggles; Wood had gotten them specifically for her since her eyes had a tendency to water up when she went into her steep dives. Plus there was no risk of them falling off her face if she had to dodge suddenly or got hit by anything.

She was watching for the Snitch but her eyes followed the game and the commentary going on below her while the Slytherin Seeker circled the pitch across from her obviously looking as intently as she was for the golden sphere.

Adrian Pucey was driving up the field again with the Quaffle, he dodged one… then the second Bludger in short order, weaved around the Weasley twins, and ducked under Katie but pulled back sharply and lost his hold of the Quaffle as a flash of gold shot across the bridge of his nose and past his left ear.

Iris saw it and immediately stooped to go after the streak of gold, her counterpart Terence Higgs was barreling down right along after her and quickly pulled up alongside her as they went for the Snitch.

The race must have been impressive as the two dove and challenged each other since the Chasers had frozen in play to watch the two.

Iris knew how to fly though; she flattened herself against the shaft of the broom and pushed her broom forward outpacing the bigger and heavier Higgs and she could make out the fluttering wings of the Snitch before she felt the jarring impact against the rear of her broom that spun her out of control.

Iris gripped the broom tightly and recovered quickly but she had lost sight of the Snitch and from the way Higgs was pulling up on his broom to ascend back to the top of the pitch he had lost it as well. The Gryffindor Seeker gave Flint the finger as she ascended back upwards as the screams of "Foul!" roared through the air.

Lee Jordan was spluttering over the commentary, "After that obvious and disgusting foul –"

"Jordan!" McGonagall warned sharply cutting into the boy's words.

"I mean, after the open and revolting foul – "

"Jordan, I'm warning you…" McGonagall growled at the boy, though whether the woman was upset at his commentary or just angry at the foul and taking it out on the boy was unknown. She had been a Quidditch player for Gryffindor in her youth after all.

"All right, all right! Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker and Gryffindor gets a penalty shot by Alicia Spinnet, who puts it away with no trouble and we continue play, Gryffindor in possession."

Iris was scanning the pitch once more looking for the Snitch, dodging a Bludger that had streaked right at her; she felt her broom give a lurch and the girl couldn't believe it. It was the exact feeling that Harry's broom had given when it had been jinxed, but she wasn't even marked in this universe; why in the hell would Quirrel be trying to take her out.

Looking at Wood, Iris gave him the sign for a time out just as her broom went completely out of her control and began jerking through the air, violently swishing from side to side in an effort to unseat her.

With the Keeper distracted by his Seeker's out of control broom he missed the throw that Flint scored but quickly called timeout as he pointed up at the young girl on her broomstick, alerting everyone to the problems going on above their heads.

Iris could hear the shrill blow of the whistle as Madam Hooch called the timeout as her broom began rolling in the air against her will; she hooked her ankles and squeezed the shaft with her knees, taking the broom in a death grip to keep herself from being thrown off.

Iris looked around sharply at the family skybox and she could see her mother standing, her hand clutching her father's arm while the two of them stared at her fixedly muttering under their breath while Liatris simply watched her sister with frightened eyes.

A look at the teacher's skybox and Iris saw the unblinking eyes of Severus as he also was muttering under his breath, combating the jinx while Quirrel stared at her fixedly. Riddle wasn't looking at her but instead scanning the crowd looking for the person that was trying to kill her, unfortunately with Quirrel sitting almost directly in front of him and nearly everyone staring up at her and muttering in shock that was a difficult job.

The Weasley twins had tried getting close to her but as the approached her broom had jumped harshly and risen by feet to keep them away from her and she had lost her footing, leaving her dangling from the broom as she gripped it tightly. After that they had taken to circling beneath her hoping to catch her if she fell while yelling up at her that she was going to be okay.

Harry had been, but that had been because Hermione had spotted Snape muttering the counter-jinx and thought he was cursing the broom; she had knocked into Quirrel accidentally and broken the effort.

But with Snape actually looking out for Iris in this universe and treating her fairly (which was something that none of the other Gryffindors got) it was unlikely that Hermione would consider him to be the threat.

On the other hand, maybe Hermione wasn't meant to be her savior this time around; Iris watched as she spotted Neville moving through the teacher's stands, jostling Quirrel and 'stumbling' into Professor Snape.

With the curse unable to complete its work, the broom ceased vibrating and once more responded to her commands. Flexing her wrists, Iris forced the broom to go vertical and she wrapped her legs around the broom and quickly back looped the broom so that she was sitting appropriately on the wooden instrument.

Looking over at the teacher's skybox, she watched as Snape and Riddle were giving Neville a blistering talking to and that Quirrel was desperately holding onto his turban and making his way out of the stands. Heaving a sigh of relief, Iris gave Wood a thumbs up that she was good and the Keeper nodded his head and breathed a bit easier.

The Weasley twins came up on either side of Iris and flanked her as she headed for the goal posts, "Oye Iris, why don't we take this to the ground, eh? We'll get another match, no worries." Fred was saying as they leveled off in front of their Captain and the three female Chasers were nodding their heads in agreement.

"Nah, someone was definitely trying to throw me off my broom! I'd rather finish this game and give them two more opportunities then calling it quits now and give them a third one too!" Iris said sharply, the point she made was a good one and the team couldn't help but agree with that assessment.

"If you're sure Iris…" Wood trailed off as he looked at his Seeker giving her an opportunity to back out if she was having second thoughts. He was not expecting her knowing smile, as she looked down at her sleeve that was clenched to her thigh and he could make out movement in the folds.

"I'll be damned, you've got it!" Wood gasped but schooled his expression quickly as he nodded to Madam Hooch and yelled, "We're going to play on!"

The woman looked at the Gryffindor team as though they were insane but it was their call, so she simply nodded her head and blew the whistle as the team pulled away from each other and Iris rose back into the air.

"Looks like Gryffindor is going to play on despite Potter's broom troubles, we can only hope that they know what they're doing; and it looks like Potter has spotted the snitch, she's diving into the maintenance trenches!"

Iris had executed her signature "Stop and Stoop" move, rotating her entire broom over the tip of the shaft so that she was perfectly vertical and facing the ground as she dived straight down and disappeared into the maintenance trenches on the edge of the pitch.

The entire pitch was held aloft by a series of long wooden stilts and beneath the turf that everyone could see was a large empty chasm in which water could drain into during the exceptionally rainy games so that the pitch didn't flood.

It took a skilled flyer to maneuver down there, dodging the numerous pylons that stuck out at all angles; but it was a fantastic place to get away from the eyes of the spectators. She weaved her way through the underground for a bit until she was sure that she was alone before she pulled her hand back into her sleeve where she had caught the Snitch when she executed that midair back flip after regaining control of her broom.

Grabbing hold of the golden Snitch, she thrust her hand in front of her as she pulled up and back into the pitch proper, holding the sphere over her head as she alighted on the green turf in the center of the field. A look around showed that the Slytherins were a man down, so Higgs had probably followed her down into the underground and gotten knocked off his broom.

"And there you have it ladies and gentleman! Gryffindor has taken the game, one hundred and ninety to twenty! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

It only took a moment for Iris' teammates to settle on the pitch around her and surround her in a crushing embrace. A few minutes later she could hear the familiar voices of her family as they pushed through the growing crowd and they joined in on the celebratory hugging and cheering for their daughter.

Iris wrapped her arms around her parents and her younger sister as they enveloped her in a group hug, the Snitch still gripped firmly in her hands. Pulling back she stared up into her father's proud but concerned gaze, her mother was openly crying but she was still smiling proudly, and Liatris was just staring in awe at her older sister.

"Sorry if I scared you guys, I don't know what was going on with my broom; it's never done that before." Iris apologized though she knew there was no point to, it hadn't been her fault and her father waved it away as he enveloped her in a bone crushing hug.

"None of that baby girl, you didn't do anything wrong! Hell, you won the game; I'd say you did quite a lot right!" The man said proudly as he set the girl down before she could complain of lack of oxygen. Lily nodded in agreement with James, "He's right sweetheart, it wasn't anything you did! I'm so proud of you, that was a marvelous game!"

Liatris was practically bouncing in excitement, "That was brilliant Iris! You were amazing up there! I can't wait to come to Hogwarts!" The younger girl was saying enthusiastically as the crowd began to bleed off and return to the castle.

Iris' friends were hanging around the edge of the pitch and watching the girl with a mixture of concern and elation, though her Slytherin friends were trying to hide their amusement but were failing miserably; except for Blaise who could easily keep a straight face if he was handed a billion galleon check.

"Hey Mom, Dad; these are my friends. You already know Draco and Daphne, but these are Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini!" Iris introduced them with a happy smile as she waved them over to meet her family.

Riddle burst into the Quirrel's study to find the man carefully wrapping his turban around his head; shutting the door behind him harshly, the DADA instructor erected a series of powerful wards and silencing spells before he rounded on the Muggle Studies professor.

Grabbing the man by the shoulder, he slammed the smaller man against the wall forcefully smashing the man's face into the mirror he was using and cracking the silvered glass. "What the hell was that about Quirrel! Do you realize that even if you weren't suspected before, you most certainly are now!" Tom barked enraged by the man's stupidity, though his voice did not rise as one would have expected.

No his voice dropped into an icy whisper, his fury was chillingly cold and his obsidian eyes were ablaze with garnet as he gazed into the other man's blank brown eyes through the shattered mirror. Grabbing the turban from the man's head he pulled it away to reveal the back of the man's head and the second face that was there.

Stretching forward and defining itself was the remainder of Gellert Grindewald; the shade of the Dark Lord that had existed as one of the most powerful and feared sorcerers in recent history. "You fool! What were you thinking!" Tom hissed as he pinned Quirrel to the wall by the back of his neck, wishing that he could throttle his onetime partner instead.

"What was I thinking! Look at yourself! Enraged over a mere child!" Grindewald spat back, ultramarine eyes piercing obsidian and garnet studded eyes with contempt and disgust.

"She has made you weak Riddle! We cannot abide such weakness if we plan to restore me to my rightful body and reclaim this place for our rightful rule!" The shade continued its ire growing as it looked at the mask of Voldemort, of his apprentice.

"She is the key to your resurrection Grindewald! You have not been around the child and do not know my machinations for her! Longbottom is infatuated with the girl, her magic is incredibly strong, and she's Dark!" Riddle whispered as his grip tightened on Quirrel's neck, squeezing so powerfully that Grindewald feared that his servant's neck would break before the hand eased and released.

Quirrel sank to his knees and his hands rose to his head to stem the blood that was coming from his cut forehead while Grindewald pondered the new information that he had been given. Admittedly, now that he knew this information she was obviously more useful as a living asset then when he had simply considered her a pet of Riddle's.

"Well this changes everything then, but how Dark is she Riddle?" Grindewald inquired his interest piqued by the information that had been revealed.

Riddle turned his back on the Dark Lord and quietly seethed at the man's incompetence, for a man who had quite nearly taken control of Europe he was incredibly stupid sometimes, unable to see beyond his own plans.

"She's as Dark as one can be without breaking the Rule of Sanctity, but she will; every time she tastes my magic, every time she comes into contact with a Dark object or creature her magic compels her to taste more. It will only be a matter of time before she breaks the Rule, and when she does there will be a Reckoning like the world has never seen before."

These words were spoken almost reverently, and when Riddle turned to look at Grindewald his eyes were completely red, the color of aged blood and his pupils had become snake-like slits. Voldemort was in those eyes and Grindewald shivered with Quirrel's body.

"By the Lady! I await that day, but she must be guided Voldemort; as you were my apprentice, so must she be yours!" Grindewald said his eyes seeing a future that he had dreamed of since he was but a boy.

He did not see Voldemort's gaze darken with rage, he only the heard the quiet affirmative; "Yes Grindewald, she will be guided to a glorious future." Riddle left the room as soon as he had composed himself, leaving Quirrel to straighten himself out and set his study back into order.

Author's Note: So what did you guys think of this chapter? So far you guys have been really patient with me so I wanted to give you a little treat on where I'm taking this storyline but it's just a taste of what's to come much further down the road.

Next Chapter: Yuletide, More Quidditch, and maybe everyone's favorite pet dragon
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Behind the Veil