Chapter 14

6th of March 1940

Atticus turned the shower off and cast a drying charm on himself. He grabbed the towel and made his way back towards his room.

Once he got dressed, he made his way towards the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, near the Forbidden Forest. It was around 6AM and it was still just before dawn though light was beginning to filter.

He's been doing this since April last year, a few nights of the week when there was at least an hour of daylight before breakfast.

He approached the hill that oversaw the forbidden forest, the hill that he has appropriated for himself, though no one knew. He cast his gaze towards the forest and he saw the sparse sunlight illuminating the dark forest. 

He raised his wand 45 degrees perpendicular to his body and pointed the tip towards the sky as he got into his stance and he closed his eyes. He tightly controlled his magic, calming the ebbing flow of his magic as he turned his senses to their highest.

He breathed the cool air in and out as he focused on his surroundings, the feel of the wind on his skin, the few sunrays that almost warmed his skin. He heard the rustling of the leaves, the sounds, the songs of the animals that inhabited the forest that broke the eerie silence of the morning.

He sank deeper in his concentration, the noise surrounding him falling away into the distance, as he sought something that he knew was present. He didn't know how long he was at it. Time was meaningless to him in this state.

There. He felt what he was searching for and he coaxed a deliberate link between himself and the magic. He loosened his control over his magic and he felt free. He continued his focus, his singular aim as he flowed his magic with the ambient wild magic in the air. Magic that was mixed with nature, a beautiful symbiotic relationship.

This was him and his magic interacting with nature in its truest form. He could feel the energy that was natural magic so clearly and so distinctly, so beautiful in its simplicity and purity.

He opened his eyes and he smiled in rapture as magic swirled around him, a vortex of energy with him in the epicentre. Magic manifested itself into the visible light spectrum and he was awestruck at the intensity of the whirlpool of dense magic that was surrounding him. He was in control, forcing the mixture of his suffused magic and natural magic to his will, his desire. 

He cannot lose concentration, even for a second for it would severely injure him. He slow raised his wand upright, as close to vertical he could be and slowly began to rotate his wand into a circle above him. 

He envisioned what he wanted, desired. There were no words that would bring about what he desired to create, unleash where he stood. He imagined being at the epicentre of a tornado, violent, unyielding and ravaging in strength and intensity.

He forced the vortex of magic surrounding him to obey his will, his desire and shape nature to his will. He felt the air twist around him, building slowly in strength. He saw the magic surrounding, a light violet interspersed with greens and browns slowly diffuse as the vortex grew in size as air began to be picked up by the maelstrom.

Slowly he saw dried grass, sticks and stones lift of the ground in sync with the rotating swirl of air and magic.

Time past. He began to sweat, his bones rattled as he forced himself to stay in position, lest he begin to waver, to lose himself to the unforgiving and unrelenting gathering of magic and nature.

The small whirling wind grew larger, much larger. The wind howled as it furiously swirled around him. It turned from howl to shrieking to wailing as time past. The large whirling wind turned to what he desired, what he was capable of.

He cast his eyes straight up and saw the diameter of the tornado was large, at least 40 metres across. He did not know how tall it was, perhaps a hundred, a hundred and twenty.

"Veðr" he whispered though his word was carried well through the air. 

He was approaching his limits now. His body was shaking as he struggled with the violence of containing, controlling the magic. While his magic is suffused with natural magic, there is also a corresponding mix of natural magic with his core. 

He breathed out and he slowed the twirling of his wand gradually, just as a drummer in a jazz band would slow his tempo in a careful, deliberate, measured manner.

The tornado was now smaller, the magnitude lessened, the magic around him once again more vivid and potent.

His body was aching, he felt pain as his bones throbbed. Finally, the tempest stopped and Atticus sank to the ground, sweating profusely as he sucked in as much air as he could. 

Once his breathing settled he flopped himself onto the ground facing the sky.

He smiled deliriously. It was his best effort so far. 

He was exploring magic that has been lost for hundreds if not thousands of years. 

The texts that he had found during his trip in Scandinavia were poor and even the lesser forms were ill defined, conjecture rather than truth. He had asked Benedict if he had any contacts that could help him find more texts and while some were useful, they did not give him much information.

It had taken performing ceremonial Norse rites explained in surviving texts to give him the clues he needed to reconstruct Norse Battlemagic

Northern Magicks do not use the magical core in the traditional sense; they employ the magic of nature itself. The individual's magic is the focus in this way, just as a wand would be a focus for internal magic. The individual's magic channels the natural magic as it is interspersed, mingling with the arcane force. 

Atticus was not using his wand beyond it being a lightning rod and at the same time used as a baton a conductor of a symphony would use to direct the music to his will and his rhythm. 

It was a taxing form of magic, at least for now. He believed that he was still missing a number of things, things that would help him ease the strain on his body. Natural magic was chaos at its most beautiful. It was untameable and could only be directed and minimally coerced. He would find it eventually.

He tilted his head sideways and he felt the grass touch his cheek. It was just past dawn now. 

He had perhaps half an hour before his presence would be missed.

He returned his gaze directly skyward. It's been a productive two and half years. He decided against participating in any duelling competitions in favour of focusing on academics. It did not mean he did not train. 

He managed to convince his parents of hiring a duelling and combat instructor during the summers and he had been put under a rigorous training regime. Mr Dayton managed to find the perfect tutor for him. 

Emile Brosovic was a Croat and he was a three time international champion before he quit two decades ago. He was a dark wizard and he was very powerful. 

He finally managed to win their bouts 9 times of out of 10 only last summer when they went all out. Brosovic proved to be a tricky opponent; he did not specialise in one form of magic and proved to have extensive knowledge of combat magicks. He had a duelling style that was aggressive but held an anchor in unpredictability.

He often used dark magic and though he refrained from casting magic that couldn't be undone, he did not hold back too much, especially last summer. He was thankful for the time he had spent with him, it helped him refine his own style which was still developing. His own style was predominantly set on riposte using Transfiguration and Elemental magic interspersed with Charms and curses both grey and dark.

This summer was the last summer he would spend with Brosovic as the man decided to return home and help his country against the depredations of Grindelwald's forces.

Academically, he completed his NEWTS in Transfiguration, Charms and DADA at the end of his third year and it yielded an expose on the Daily Prophet as Atticus was the youngest ever complete his NEWTS in those subjects since education was standardised over three hundred years ago. He achieved all O*s in his NEWTS, just as he achieved all O*s in his OWLS. 

Given that he was able to do NEWT level spells so young, it did not take a genius for them to come to the conclusion that Atticus was powerful. 

It had gotten him in the national consciousness. His parents had thrown a party to celebrate his achievements during Yule and the guest list was much larger than he could have expected it. 

He met a number of interesting people at the party, some of them had truly impressed him. Thankfully given how well attended the event had been, he'd been able to flitter in between different groups and he managed to leave good impressions on them with his charisma.

It was during this event that he got formalised in society as an apprentice to Professor Brown and Professor Fawley. He wasn't the youngest to be an apprentice, in either branch of magic, after all, prior to centralised education in Europe, apprenticeship was the predominant method of dispersing knowledge. 

He was however the youngest in hundreds of years in both branches. It had been a shock to all present bar the few who were directly linked to him. His status had skyrocketed at that stage. 

He chose Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care and for his electives. He impressed his Ancient Runes and Arithmancy professors when he showcased his deep knowledge in the subjects. He spent his time in those classes as a teacher's aide while he was set post NEWTS assignments once they determined his level.

He would be taking his OWLS and NEWTS in both at the end of this academic year along with his Potions NEWTS. He was offered apprenticeship in Runes which he would begin in his fifth year and he would officially be a teacher's assistant as well. 

He was submitting his contributions to the field of Transfiguration at the end of the academic year so he would be maintaining only two masteries at the same time in his fifth year. He expected to complete both masteries by the end of his sixth year.

Professor Brown was no longer the Transfiguration professor as she retired at the end of the 1938-39 year though she came to Hogwarts three days a week to work with him on his research.

He had two original contributions to submit, both dealt with permanent and semi permanent transfigurations. Though both contributions had several novel methods of transfigurations and a multitude of new avenues to research.

Duration of transfigurations depended heavily on the magical power of the individual, willpower and visualisation of the individual. Complexity required greater visualisation and understanding while larger transfiguration required both and magical power. 

Eventually the magic that sustains the change from one state into another will run out as the object's inherent state of being will resist and counteract the forced change that magic induces in the object. 

Much of the understanding that transfiguration teachers and masters have are in the perspective of magic and do not expressively explore the object's resistance to change.

That is something he intended to change, by proxy. One factor that he knew was overlooked in the field was the strides that the muggles have done in Chemistry and Physics. 

With his coarse knowledge in these fields from his previous life, heavily supplemented with knowledge he obtained in this era, he sought out to create and proof a finer theory of transfiguration, Theory of Transfigurational Molecular and Atomic Reconstruction. 

He had brought the barebones of the theory to Amanda, as she insisted to be called now. She had been ecstatic at the idea and was stupefied when he had informed her that the idea had its roots in muggle science.

He gave her books and published papers about Physics, particularly on Nuclear Physics, Chemistry and Biology along with introductory texts so she could begin to set foundations to understand the jargon and the more complex writings. 

Once she had digested the works and Atticus filled the gaps in her knowledge, she had fervently thrown herself in research. He knew now that she was heavily focused on her own research when she wasn't teaching him or aiding his research.

That had started their exploration into the atomic and molecular level of objects.

He broke down objects that he knew the structure of, down at the molecular level and slowly induced change to reshape into the image he visualised. 

The change, from a visual perspective was mesmerising. The objects rippled slightly as the change occurred and it spread gradually and evenly. It was akin to watching the tide come and go.

They tested this thoroughly and found there were no cancelling charms that could disrupt the transfiguration, no matter how much power was included in the casting.

The magic required to cast molecular reshaping transfigurations were penalising; it required substantial amount of magical investment to induce permanence in structure. 

It also required deep understanding of the molecular structure of the material. Not only that, permanence is only limited to reshaping the original material. 

There were already near permanent methods of transfigurations, as you could pour power into a transfiguration that would effectively retain its shape for decades. 

The next avenue he researched was atomic restructuring. He started simple. Beech wood to steel. Stick into needle.

This had been his most challenging venture of them all. This was nuclear transmutation, changing the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom to change it to another element. 

Magic was strange. It was a field of energy that defied logic, that made the impossible possible. Nuclear transmutation should have been more difficult, more complex but magic made it easier, far more achievable.

With clear understanding of chemistry and nuclear science, he was able to use his imagination, his visualisation, his intent to change the atomic and molecular structure of the piece of beech wood into steel.

If molecular reshaping had been mesmerising, atomic restructuring had been awesome. 

The change happened much like the other; it had been gradual rather than simultaneous like most other transfigurations. 

But that is where the similarities ended. The transfiguration glowed, luminescent with magic as the change gradually spread.

Much like the other permanent transfiguration, no cancelling charms worked to undo the change. Though both he and Amanda had theorised that given enough time, the transfiguration would revert back though they did not know for certain. 

His last contribution had been an entirely accidental one. When he was younger he had broken a delicate transfiguration he had made and had stashed it away in the back of his closet. When he had returned years later, he had found that the transfiguration had kept.

Amanda had laughed at his admittance about how accidental it had been and teased him about finally being a mortal like the rest of them. Most discoveries were accidental in nature after all.

He named this Law of Permanence after Transfiguration. 

'Any object that is transfigured from one state to another completely will retain its permanence if it is broken apart in two or more pieces. An incomplete transfiguration will not retain its permanence even if it broken in two or more pieces. Completeness of transfiguration refers to understanding the change of state of one to the other and understanding the final transfiguration in totality'.

In truth, he would only need the second contribution to obtain his mastery as it would be more than enough to meet the criteria. However, he wanted the respect and acclaim that came with contributing both. The downside was the damn doctorial papers he had to submit. He already had the arithmantic calculations sorted and the notes sorted and only needed to be written.

His contribution to Charms was far less exciting as it was simple expansions of current laws.

He yawned and stretched. He sprang to his feet and dusted himself off. He began the long journey back to the castle.

His time at the school was different now, mostly. He still had a few classes that he took with his year group but they were trivial. As part of his apprenticeships, he was used sometimes as an assistant in classes intermittently for the Pre-OWLS years except for Transfiguration which Dumbledore now was teaching. 

He grimaced as he recalled his time with the man. The man had been insistent with obtaining answers from him once he had returned to Hogwarts from the Yule break. He met Emily Riddle. From what he told Atticus, he had taken her to Diagon Alley as opposed to what his counterpart had done. 

Atticus had played ignorant and confused which unfortunately had not convinced the man. This had been the downturn of his meddling. 

That had shifted a relationship that was cordial into a cold one, not quite antagonistic but certainly not friendly. 

Dumbledore made efforts to curtail Atticus' academic progress through acting through intermediaries which were unsuccessful, in the extreme. There had been consequences for Dumbledore that had him practically glow in schadenfreude.

Atticus had informed his family of Dumbledore's actions and they had taken care of it. 

Dippet, in a rare showing, chewed Dumbledore out once he received evidence of Dumbledore's actions. It hadn't been enough to warrant official investigation but it was enough for the board and Dippet to put him on five years' probation though unfortunately it wasn't enough to remove him from the deputy position. 

Since then, he barely had anything to do with the man much to his relief.

Dumbledore's actions did not make sense to Atticus other than he was doing it because he edging closer to seeing him as a threat. He knew that Dumbledore had massive controlling issues but he did not understand why he was acting so overt.

He knew that his success and popularity greatly grated on the man. Was he acting because of that? 

He wasn't one to have fears, not anymore in this life but he was certainly growing more apprehensive about Dumbledore having political power. 

Dumbledore, despite his refusal to face Grindelwald kept growing in political influence and the man collected many previous students, often Gryffindors. That meant that he had connections within the ministry and if his father was right, he even had a number of Wizengamot members in his debt or influenced. It was grim.

Though he didn't see his distant future in Britain, the man's reach would be long if he gets as influential as he did in Rowling's books. He would be able to stymie him significantly if he didn't build his own influence. He hated politics but he would never allow himself to be exiled.

It seemed that his meddling didn't even have much impact and he worried that he made it worse. Dumbledore treated Riddle decently enough especially given on the thin ice he was on but there were lingering looks cast toward her and from the few interactions he witnessed, Dumbledore disapproved heavily of her.

Dumbledore seemed to spend his time during meals in the great hall eying the pair of them. He was becoming insufferable. He truly was adept in creating dark lords. 

In hindsight, he should not have expected more from Dumbledore. Though it was subtle, Dumbledore greatly disfavoured the Slytherins and Riddle was the epitome of a Slytherin. They were both powerful and Dumbledore did not like powerful people other than himself, he was sure of it. 

The man would never be able to change his tendencies and his suspicions even if it was in the best interest of everyone involved. The more he saw of Dumbledore, the more he understood that the man was ill suited for children. He is an excellent teacher but he should not be in any position of power over children.

Speaking of Riddle...when he laid his eyes on her, he couldn't help but be transfixed. She had a thin build, pale skin, as pale as his and long jet black hair. 

It was difficult to imagine such small girl having the potential to rise to become the darkest witch or wizard in British history. Though it made sense once he moved past her physical appearance.

His magical senses were growing continuously especially since his second and third set of rituals and the manifestation of Hyper-Percipience and he had sensed her power. She was, even then as a first year among the strongest in the school. He estimated she was now probably the second strongest student in the school now.

The difference however was the control of her magic. Where the other first years' magic was uncontrolled and unsteady, hers was tightly coiled around her.

Other than meals in the great hall, their paths never crossed in her first year. It seemed that she focused on other matters, matters pertaining to her house and her reputation. She was quickly compared to him, another prodigy gracing the halls of Hogwarts. It hadn't been difficult to notice how she rose to become leader of her year within a few months or the subtle shift of her standing in Slytherin house by the end of her first year.

He was assisting Professor Fawley in Charms occasionally and it seemed that her attentions on him were growing. He hadn't been blind. He had noticed in the corner of his eyes her calculating gaze that had him under her inspection, assessing him. He ignored it. She never needed his aid and was the first among her class to correctly cast spells. His interactions with her had been limited thusly.

He hummed in thought and crossed his arms behind his back as he walked back. He was now approaching territory that he did not know how to cross. He's had years to figure out a way to deal with her but it had not mattered now that he was facing it directly.

She was dangerous and it was only confirmed given how quickly she gained prominence in Slytherin despite her blood status and lack of family name. 

Now she seemed to be taken more of an interest in him given that her own position is secure. He did not know how to feel about that. He did not care for ruling, he never did so that should not be an issue that she should have with him. After all, he was the perfect Ravenclaw. 

He would have to tread carefully and honestly, for the most part. She was a genius and extremely capable in deception, both in detecting it and doing it.

He would engage her if the situation ever arose. From what he could observe, she had no friends or true companions. That meant that he had an avenue that he could explore but it would be difficult.

Ultimately his aim was to ensure that she did not create horcruxes. His knowledge of soul magic has only increased in the last few years and he was more certain than ever that creating multiple horcruxes are what destroyed her counterpart's sanity. 

The soul was never meant to be removed from the trinity. You could abuse your soul, fracture it and it would not nearly cause the insanity that splitting your soul would do. 

Horcruxes aren't simply vessels of the soul, they are vessels that keep an integral part of who and what you are. In addition to the sacrifice of the innocent, it requires a sacrifice of yourself. It literally dulls the world for the person who creates the horcrux. Instead of a world of colours, it reduces to a world of greys. Nothing will feel as good as it once did. 

Vibrancy of life shrivels into dried husks. Positive emotions are muted if not extinguished until only the darker ones remain and grow in strength to fill the imbalance that was caused by the removal of the more positive emotions. 

Cruelty that once seemed distasteful becomes preferred for it brings a spark of what was lost. Desires of the individual are amplified and distorted.

He had the unenviable task of ensuring she didn't violate herself. He already had destroyed the copy of Magicke Most Evil that was in the library once he figured out past the protection spells. 

She made one when she was sixteen, only three years from now. Given his own reputation of brilliance, if he developed a positive relationship with her he should have an easier time convincing her away from this path. He would be truthful to her and admit to her that he was seeking his own form of extended life if not near immortality.

He would help her understand the dangers of certain magic. He did not care if she was set on gaining power, whether it was political or magical. After all, choice and free will was the right of all. He only cared to ensure she didn't destroy their world or expose it or killing a large part of the population. 

The Voldemort from the stories would have eventually destroyed their world directly or indirectly if he had succeeded. That was unacceptable. He would not allow such a thing to occur.

He approached the hidden outlet that allows him entry into the castle that he had found on the map and proceeded inwards. 

----------------------------------------------Break----------------------------------------------

6th of March 1940

Emily elegantly made her way out of the common room as she made her way to the Great Hall. 

She smiled to herself with the slightest of upturn of her lips as she remembered the significance of the day.

Slytherin House, the house of the ambitious and cunning. Soon to be Her house. When she was sorted in Slytherin, there were people...who had misconceptions about their place, about her place. 

She was regarded as the mudblood of Slytherin. Through her own actions, that derogatory slur soon disappeared from their vocabulary they used to describe her...at least in her presence or her associates.

She met Theodore Nott, Alard Carrow and Druella Rosier on the train when they joined her compartment. 

They had been hostile to her until she was able to show her brilliance and her power which had gotten her the time she needed to charm them. By the end of the train ride, they were firmly in her camp.

When she arrived at Hogwarts and promptly sorted in Slytherin, she had been patient. She watched her new house hawkishly, memorising names and faces, attitudes, all for the single purpose of assessing who would pose problems for her or would be useful.

 Dumbledore had been surprisingly useful, much to her displeasure when he had taken her to Diagon Alley. He helped her pick the books out that helped introduce muggle raised students to the magical world.

It was a shame that she spoke with the snakes at the pet store in front of him near the end. Before that, he had been indulgent, seemingly trying to ingratiate himself with her but after being outed, what she now knew to be a parselmouth, he completely changed demeanour and she become even more apprehensive of him.

He was curt and short with for the remaining of the trip and he sought to return her to the orphanage immediately. 

It continued to this day, this disapproval and unhidden enmity that radiated from him. It truly vexed her that her own actions had exposed her so to such a dangerous man. Despite the kind facade he puts up, she knew better. She shook her head.

She had returned a number of times and spent half her time familiarising herself with how this world worked.

Purebloods. The magical world was ruled by a small number of families. The ministry may be elected and have half of the total maximum number of votes in the Wizengamot but it was a mere front. 

She didn't know her own status and she searched through all the genealogy books she could find and she never found her surname in it. She refused to believe she was a mudblood especially considering she was a parselmouth. She was not born from muggles she thought furiously to herself. She discarded that train of thought.

Slytherin house was dominated by purebloods and the hierarchy represented it as such. There was no violence in her first few months at Hogwarts though she was often scorned and disdained. 

She had spent the first few months in her first year building her reputation, charming students and teachers alike, presenting an unfailingly polite mask in front of them all. 

Yet her house was the least receptive to her other than a few in her year which she had early on captured. They soon saw the error of their ways. She planned. She excelled in class, earning points from all the professors. She cast the spells correctly on the first try. She showed her deep understanding of the subjects. 

She was serene in her position. She waited until the right moment, the moment where they would see the error of their ways.

By the end of February, she was favoured in her classes, especially in Potions by Slughorn. The hostile glares and stares increased in frequency and she knew it would only be a matter of time before her house members attacked.

She set up the conditions perfectly. She knew that she could not expose her abilities completely to her house but she could target her antagonists that would leave enough witnesses for her abilities to be verified.

These antagonists were the insecure, the prideful bunch that she had profiled. Soon enough, a ripe opportunity came, the fateful day where she had shown her superiority in front of them all when they had confronted her in the common room. A day that burned in the minds of many Slytherins.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

She was seated cross legged on one of the sofas reading her book with Carrow and Nott seated next to her. Her eyes glanced towards the door as she saw movement in the corner of her eyes. 

Avery, his brother and a few third years. He looked furious, unbalanced and her lips twisted into a nasty smile as she set down her book on the table in front of her. 

She looked around and saw that there were mostly first and second years along with a few fifth and seventh years at this time in the common room.

She had been expecting him to make a move. She had skilfully shown him up in class earlier in the day. Among the first years, he was the most prideful, the most aggressive in his stance against her.

His elder brother was little better and generally considered to be average. What she would do to them both would send the message she waited to deliver to the house.

She gracefully stood up and sauntered her way towards the centre of the common room, with her wand palmed her in her hand. She raised her hand and halted Carrow and Nott from getting up.

"You fucking uppity mudblood bitch!" Emerick Avery snarled at her and pointed his wand at her. The third years wore sneering faces and had their wands in their hands.

Her smile made way, her mask vanished from her face as her face morphed into an expression of menace and hate and it removed any resemblance to her usually beautiful pale face. Her eyes blazed, her dark eyes made way for orbs of the darkest blue in existence as they glowed unnaturally.

The third years glanced at each other in alarm as they took in her face but Avery didn't understand how dangerous his situation was.

"How dare yo-" He didn't get to finish his vitriol as her magic filled the room and she pressed down her magic on them all. Her magic was heavy, undeniable as it sought to crush her enemies. He choked on his words and his wand clattered on the ground. He clawed at his throat as he struggled to breathe.

"KNEEL" she commanded, simply and utterly and she showed her teeth in hostility. Her command, laced with malevolent magic, cruel and spiteful, rang out and they all obeyed her will, for there was no denying her. 

She carefully turned around, her movement measured, calculated and polished as she sought to pierce gazes at the students that were present in this spectacle.

She eyed the Malfoy heir who hadn't been antagonistic towards her but had been disdainful. He stiffened as she met his eyes and she saw the fear and apprehensiveness clearly shown in those eyes.

She broke the gaze and continued to do meet every single one of the eyes that were drawn to her. There were more than a few that showed fear in their eyes and some even looked at her display of magic as if she was inhuman, unnatural and she revelled in their fear. She returned her gaze at the Avery's and the third years. 

"It seems that you made leave of your senses, boys" She said sweetly though it was rightly understood as nothing as that from the expression of their faces. 

The elder Avery, Michael Avery, held nothing back as he stared at her with pure unadulterated hatred on his face. He was snarling and struggled against the magic.

'It seems I must make a more thorough example' she sighed internally though she was ecstatic that he was defiant as it would cement her prowess in their feeble minds.

Her eyes were lidded as she gazed him, bored and unfazed from his gaze and she smiled at him innocently. "It seems as if you wish to make your displeasure known, dear Michael?" She cooed his name, her tone as sweet and alluring as a siren but intent as deadly as a basilisk's stare.

She decided to remove her magic from him to let him rise and she wasn't disappointed. In his rage, he lost all reason or sense of danger. Good. She thought.

He moved forward wand out, he cast a dark yellow spell at her and she simply stepped to the side and before he could cast again, she directed her magic at him as well, pressing down on him like she did with the others but orders of magnitude worse. He dared cast at her after all and that spell looked positively dark and deadly. Unacceptable. They would all understand why they should not.

She directed her magic with her intent, her desire and her malice and her magic responded. He screamed as her magic continued to press down on him and she began to direct her magic to break his hands, his arms, his legs and feet. 

His screams turned into high pitched shrieks that reverberated off the walls of the common room until he fell unconscious. He was left twitching on the ground.

The room was silent as a grave as they witnessed her retribution.

"In case it wasn't clear" she paused as she pierced her gaze across the room and moved gracefully towards Emerick Avery who remained kneeled and looked at her in fear white faced and he had soiled himself. 

Disgusting she thought to herself. She intensified her pressure on him and he fell flat on his face and she placed her foot on his neck and returned her gaze to the room who looked at her in disbelief.

"Never go against me." she said smiling though her eyes remained cold and malignant. When she saw some faces turn in displeasure, she finally unleashed her magic in totality, malice caking her magic signifying her intent as she pinned them with her cold piercing eyes with a mocking smirk on her face at those displeased faces.

Their faces changed instantly as they stilled wide eyed and more than a few gulped heavily as they struggled to deal with the overwhelming presence of her magic.

"Any objections?" She smiled winningly. She heard none. It was satisfying to see them all so cowed and beneath her. Those who only ten minutes ago felt themselves to be above her. No longer.

She finally withdrew her magic and the room immediately lightened up. She heard more than a few breaths of relief.

"Good. This was a simple warning. The next one will see me...be creative in my punishments" she said as she smiled down gleefully at the third years who shuddered and rushed to their feet and backed away.

She once again gazed at the crowd "There is but one rule. Never go against me. There will be no mercy if you break that rule." She announced as she continued to survey the crowd. 

Nothing. The uneasy silence continued. It was precious.

She looked at the broken mess that was the elder Avery. She looked at the two fifth years, Dennis Brushworth and Lewis Mulstone who stood straight stiffly when her eyes fell upon them and she turned to her mask she wore so often and so long 

"Would you please take him to the infirmary? I believe he's taken a fall down the stairs. Make sure he understands" she said warmly though her eyes never reflected that false warmth.

They shuddered and nodded and hurried to take the elder Avery off the floor. She returned her gaze to the crowd "You may leave. Thank you for attending" she said kindly though none of them felt that kind as they only saw a terrible being in front of them. 

She turned and saw the awe and reverence held in the eyes of her...associates and smiled at them as she returned to her seat and crossed her legs.

FLASHBACK ENDS

That had been the start of her rise in Slytherin. Word of her actions had spread and after a few more examples were made, her position in Slytherin was secure. She held prominence in her year and come next year she expected to be 'invited' into the hierarchy. None uttered mudblood to her since.

She let it be known amongst the leadership and her associates, despite her lack of family name, she was a parselmouth. With her magical power, her academic brilliance and now her parselmouth, she would be on the hierarchy when two of the current leaders graduate at the end of this year. 

Orion Black was in her year and while she was more powerful than him, he was no slouch himself and he was primed to be a leader given his blood and his status as a Black and THE heir Black. 

They were on amicable terms though she would completely supplant him for the head position in a few years time.

The Avery's were no longer a threat to her once she had...shown them the error of their ways and now the younger Avery was in her sphere of influence.

She brought herself out of reverie as she walked into the Great Hall. She cast her gaze towards the middle section of the Slytherin table and saw her spot free. Nott Carrow and Malfoy were seated on both sides while Rockwood and Rosier was seated across from her.

She walked towards her spot and Rockwood caught her coming and his shoulders slightly tensed. She tilted her head slightly at the action. 

'It seems that he is still uncomfortable with her presence after her show of displeasure in his actions'. She sighed internally. She would have to work on coaxing him into being more...relaxed around her again. There was a balance after all. 

"Miss Riddle" Malfoy inclined his head from his seat which was mirrored by the others.

"Malfoy, Carrow, Nott" she acknowledged and did the same for Rosier and Rockwood.

She took her seat elegantly and a plate appeared. She filled her plate with bacon, eggs and toast delicately and began to eat her breakfast. She loved the food at Hogwarts. It was such a contrast to the orphanage where food had been...less than plentiful or as tasty and filling.

Malfoy continued to talk with Nott and then the newly arrived Orion Black and Walburga Black. She interjected once in a while, paying them a little of her attention.

The hall filled with students and her eyes snapped towards the one student that held her interest more and more these days.

He walked purposefully in between his...friends...as they moved towards the Ravenclaw table. The way he walked told her plenty about him. His movement was precise and efficient and it flowed easily. He did this without fail whenever she had observed him.

She had never seen him partake in the duelling sessions that Professor Merrythought held once every fortnight but she suspected that he likely had experience in duelling given his prowess in magic. 

 His shoulder length midnight black hair was tied neatly behind his head, a blackness that contrasted well with his pale angular aristocratic face though his eyes were truly what crowned his face. 

They were bright amethyst colour that was speckled with bright emerald green flecks and even from her position, the eyes could be discerned. They were captivating. It was a useful weapon and it had her envious. There were a lot of things that made her envious of him.

He was everything she was but better. Largely considered so by everyone but herself. She hated him. On top of that, he was a pureblood and not just any pureblood. An influential and powerful one that was charming, courteous and more than a little enigmatic. 

He was a member of the oldest house in Britain, practically royalty and he looked every bit of it.

His name was Atticus Sayre, the British boy wonder that was now well known in the country thanks to the Daily Prophet. 

He was a supposed genius in all forms of magic and was an apprentice in two different branches of magic and if rumours were correct, he would soon be an apprentice to Professor Goshawk, the Runes professor.

He was also someone she was consistently compared against. She hated him for that, for setting an unassailable standard that she would take years to surpass. 

She should be seeing him a threat. To make plans to get rid of him just in case. He was magically powerful, held huge amounts of influence and seemed like he would continue to grow in both. It should have been unacceptable. And yet...

She longed to know what made him special, to know the truth of it.

She couldn't understand why she was so drawn to him. She had suspected that it might have been his power. She had noticed her sensitivity to magic when she visited Diagon Alley and even more so when she entered Hogwarts. 

She was able to sense flavours of people's magic. Most of her classmates didn't have anything noteworthy to their magic, except for Orion for his subdued nature of his magic despite its strength and Walburga Black who's magic felt...manic.

Dumbledore's a furnace of magic but there were sickly undertones to it. She hadn't known it was like that until she figured out this phenomenon of hers. It made sense to her now why she acted so...unhinged in his presence at first. His magic made her feel severely uncomfortable. She waved that thought away.

When Sayre aided Professor Fawley, she had finally gotten a better sense of his magic and it had been mesmerising. He was powerful. Incredibly so. His magic felt endless. Not in the sense of power. No, while he was exceedingly powerful, she did not feel the same strength as Dumbledore, he wasn't there yet she thought. No it was more in the sense that he himself was endless in nature. 

It made sense to her. Everything she knew of him and she did all she could to find out more about him, indicated that he was the perfect Ravenclaw, endlessly curious about magic and consumer of knowledge. As perfect as she was a Slytherin. 

It was what started her...almost obsession with him.

Other than his closest friends, Macmillan, Rowle, Greengrass and Pyrites, he was distant yet unfailingly polite and courteous, even friendly. She saw more. He was hiding something. He had a mask, a near perfect one, just as she did. Just as Dumbledore does. 

She was informed when she began inquiring about Sayre this year, of Dumbledore getting sanctioned for his actions against the Sayre heir the year before she started her first year.

She felt strangely satisfied at that. That she wasn't the only one getting ill behaviour from Dumbledore and it only increased her interest in Sayre.

"If I didn't know any better Emily, I'd say you were interested in the Sayre heir" Melissa Parkinson muttered though she widened her eyes as she realised what she said and collapsed slightly on herself.

Emily turned towards her and smiled "Who would not be? After all, he is nation's boy wonder is he not?" she said matter of fact though there was an underlying tone to it.

Avery, who had arrived shortly with Thomas Burke after the Sayre heir scoffed opposite her "I doubt he is anywhere near as good as they say he is." He derisively said.

Emily turned her gaze towards him and he stilled in response as if she was a viper. She ignored his reaction and she tilted her head slightly "Tell me, Emerick" she said softly though there was no misinterpretation that there was danger in her tone

"What gives you the impression he isn't what he seems?" she asked intently.

Avery gulped slowly "I mean..." he stammered out slightly before he coughed clearing his throat "There are all these rumours that he is as powerful as Dumbledore and is set to eclipse him." He said after finding his courage

"I do not doubt that he is powerful or smart but you have to know Riddle, he had a lot of private tutoring before he came to Hogwarts." He said growing in confidence

"Anyone could achieve what he did given enough money and time. He's simply taking advantage of his heritage and family status" he said with steel in his voice.

Parkinson cackled slightly before she spoke up "Aren't your family wealthy themselves, Avery? Who are you apprenticing under? After all, it must be so easy to do it before you're of age" she said mockingly raising her eyebrows which garnered a few laughs around the table.

Avery scowled at Parkinson "I have no need to spent all my time on magic" he smirked "What good would a few masteries do when I'm in the ministry? That is where real power is" he smirked at Parkinson who rolled her eyes.

Malfoy contemptuously looked at him. "Yeah, as if the ministry and your gold would or could protect you if a Dumbledore or Grindelwald level wizard came after you. Especially one as well connected as Sayre" He sneered disdainfully.

Avery paled slightly at the insinuation but composed himself "He wouldn't dare. No one could attack an Avery with impunity" He said firmly with bravado though it was weak.

He received looks of disbelief and Emily decided to interject "Really?" She said not so unkindly as she pierced him with a gaze.

He began stammering but Malfoy decided to help the idiot out Malfoy snorted next to her "Just...stop talking Avery" Malfoy said exasperated.

"You're just bitter that he never liked you in those gatherings our families held" he dismissively said. 

Carrow guffowed "I remember that. It was funny. You tried hard to befriend him and he simply ignored you." He smiled predatorily at Avery who was beginning to turn red in anger or embarrassment though likely from a combination of both.

Malfoy held a dark glint in his eyes "Did your father show his displeasure on you for not being able to foster a relationship with the Sayre heir after his own friendship with Sayre's father?" he said nonchalantly. 

Avery scowled but only looked away. Emily was amused at the interplay though her interest was bloomed.

She turned towards Carrow "You met him before Hogwarts?" she asked lazily though her curiosity was evident in her voice.

Orion interjected at this point and hummed affirmatively "Yes, most of us have met him before Hogwarts and a few of us, especially my family have met him since" he said calmly.

"Isn't his family part of the grey faction? Why would your families mix?" she inquired as she hummed lightly. 

Orion answered her "Well, despite his family being grey, they tend to mix with other factions freely. It is what they have done for a very long time. Besides, they aren't particularly political" he shrugged "Plus the Black and Sayre families are quite close to each other so it is expected we attend each other's events and parties." He said calmly.

Emily looked at Rockwood who met her gaze and understood her immediately

Rockwood turned his gaze to Orion "What is he like? Outside of Hogwarts?"

Orion hummed in thought as he crossed his arms "I've not spoken to him much in recent years but I remember the times I spent with him clearly and I remember liking him." He pursed his lips.

"He was...engaging" he said testing out the word on his tongue "I remember him generally just asking things about me, my interests, what I liked and if I was looking forward towards Hogwarts and so on." He tapped his chin in thought with his index finger.

"He seemed genuinely interested and didn't pry more than was appropriate. He was as courteous as I can remember, despite it being clear that he was...more mature?" he cocked his head as he tried to put it into words. He nodded to himself "Yes, mature is the right word. It was obvious even then that he was...different. There also wasn't any arrogance in his behaviour." He said calmly. "Believe me, it is rare to see a lack of arrogance in pureblood heirs." He said nodding towards Malfoy while smirking. 

Malfoy shot him a disapproving glare which Orion promptly ignored.

"Dorea and Lucretia know him better nowadays" he shrugged carelessly 

Malfoy interjected at this point "He does have aloofness around him that he seldom" he paused.

"Though you would never know from the way he would spend time with you" he paused once again in thought "If I didn't know better, he would make an excellent Slytherin."

Orion tilted his head and gazed lazily at Malfoy "The only bad thing I can say about him is that he's...not like any pureblood heir I've met that has similar enough pedigree" He pursed his lips in slight distaste.

"While he has never said it out loud nor particularly intimate as such, I'm given the impression that he..." he paused as he glanced at her. She slightly narrowed her eyes at that.

"That he doesn't particular care about blood." He finished to the surprise of the rest of the table.

"He's a blood traitor?" Walburga asked sharply.

Orion shook his head "No. I do not think so. He simply doesn't put any importance to it. The talks I've heard from him and from aunts Dorea and Lucretia, he places ability far more than blood." He stretches lazily "They seem to be under the impression that he values other things than what most purebloods do" he shrugs.

Malfoy frowned in response "It makes sense I suppose" he murmured.

Once he noticed the eyes on him, he straightened out a little "My father and I attended the party the Sayre family held in honour of his academic achievements" he nodded at Orion who returned the nod 

"Orion and his family were there too. It was there that he was inducted as an apprentice to Professor Fawley and former Professor Amanda Brown, who was the Transfiguration professor before Dumbledore" he twisted his face in displeasure.

"I would have preferred her over Dumbledore" Nott murmured, speaking up for the first time.

He received noises of agreement "Yes Dorea said that while Dumbledore is good at teaching Transfiguration, Professor Brown was better and she was non judgemental gave points freely to Slytherin. Unfortunately even if she stayed we would still have been cursed with him as a teacher since he taught DADA" Orion complained to the amusement to the rest of the table.

"Anyway" Malfoy silkily said after giving a reproachful look at being interrupted

"The few times I or my father spoke with him, it was clear that he knew his stuff and how much he valued magic." He paused and held a strange indecipherable look on his face "Father had been impressed by the Sayre heir, immensely so." He pursed his lips and smiled wryly "He managed to convince my father of the importance of being a patron of education and innovation, no matter of blood status." 

And his wry smile grew into a full one "'Is it not the duty of the noblest of families to ensure that magical Britain remains the centre of magical innovation? That we look past blood and focus on the magic, the magic that binds our community? The community that the founders helped build with the existence of Hogwarts?

To allow innovators the opportunity to come up with new ideas, ideas that are built on the old? Regardless of their blood status? Why does blood matter when everyone benefits from genius, including the innovators themselves, regardless of where it comes from? Ability and merit matter more than blood status.'" He finished saying to the silence of the rest of the table.

Emily looked away in thought 'A pureblood as influential as him not caring about blood?'

While she was beginning to understand she wasn't a pureblood, she knew she was at least a half blood. A half blood related to Salazar Slytherin given her parselmouth. It meant that many purebloods would be against her regardless if she was proved to be the heir of Slytherin and the other houses would be against her on principle of being related to Slytherin.

She was confused at his actions and words. He was at the pinnacle and yet he held opinions that could be held against him by the other families. 

It was a poor strategy. But from what Malfoy said, it seems that he isn't interested in politics. She needed to know more...from a personal perspective. None could hold up against her if she wanted to know something. She returned to the conversation

Walburga scowled "Sounds like a blood traitor to me." She sneered and Emily thought it suited her. An ugly face for an ugly person she mused. She's had to...educate the girl regarding her opinions more than once.

 "Disgraceful that a member of the noblest of family other than my own could fall so far." She says disgusted.

Nott scoffs as he looked at her mockingly "Really? Seems to me it's just makes sense. He didn't say anything offensive"

Walburga glared at Nott "He said blood didn't matter, ability matters more. He's a mudblood lover" she near screeched but managed to keep her voice down and prevent it from travelling the hall. Heads turned their way however.

Emily's eye twitched in annoyance and she cast her darkening eyes at "Walburga" she said sharply and her tone brook no dissension. 

Walburga bit back a response when she saw Emily's face and simply scowled as she returned to her food.

Nott broke the uneasy silence "He isn't saying love mudbloods, simply do not discount capable mudbloods just for their dirty blood." He said calmly

Malfoy nodded slowly "It is the impression my father had. He said that the Sayre heir was brilliant but quite non political. He said it was clear that his focus was on magic" He shrugged 

"Seems like he will follow his ancestor's path and focus on other things" he said glancing at the Sayre heir though it seemed that he was no longer there.

Emily turned her attention towards the Ravenclaw table and found her subject of interest gone. She pressed her lips slightly. 

"Seems like he's slipped away again" Orion said bemused. 

"I want to know how he does that" murmured Nott to the bemusement of the rest of the table.

He did that often, slipping away without drawing attention to himself. No one knew where he went when he wasn't in the Ravenclaw common room, in class or with his friends. He often disappeared in large stretches of time.

She sighed and returned to her breakfast. She would discover his secrets, one way or another. She was good at that.

----------------------------------------------Break----------------------------------------------

Atticus stood at the centre of the astronomy tower gazing upwards at the concave domed ceiling. 

"So do you think you could do it?" Fawley asked next to him and he turned his attentions back to his Professor.

He smiled at his professor and nodded and returned his gaze upwards, humming in thought as he looked on calculatingly "It is doable. I've already replicated the charms of the Great Hall ceiling enchantments on a smaller scale as you know" he said glancing at Fawley who was stroking his chin and nodded absentmindedly. 

"Blocking out the sun's influence so that the stars can be observed during all times of the day and having the constellations highlighted out like the one in the Ravenclaw Tower is achievable before the end of the year." He said confidently.

He always was interested in figuring out the enchantments on the ceiling of the Great Hall and once he had, he determined that it was perfectly possible to recreate it for Astronomy's purposes. He had received permission from Dippet and Medelin the Astronomy professor, to replicate it and create a perfect rendition of the night sky with the correct alignments while blocking the sun's influence. 

"It will probably take me a little while so I will do it on a smaller scale to test it out" he smiled mischievously "And have it done on the ceiling of my room. I believe that it won't be considered vandalism?" he said while his eyes twinkled slightly.

Fawley barked out a laugh "No, I think as Head of House I can easily say it wouldn't be considered as vandalism" he said smiling at his student.

"I suspect that it would likely become a prized room once you graduate" he said smilingly and the boy laughed "Yes, I suppose so" he mused.

Michais in his years since teaching had only taken on one apprentice prior to this boy which ended badly as the young woman died when she failed to take proper precautions as she attempted to develop a spell without his knowledge.

He had vowed not to take another apprentice as guilt consumed him. Which he could not stay true to once he met this brilliant young man. 

He was a rare student for whom everything aligned perfectly for and was someone who truly loved magic and it was evident in his work and how he talked about it. He could not find it in himself to be disappointed that he broke his own vow.

"I may be able to modify it further as well" He said deeply in thought. "It's one thing to be able to view the night sky during the day time but it wouldn't be true observation unless you could use it to magnify celestial and planetary bodies like with the telescopes."

He shook his head. "One thing at a time" he said as he turned smiling at his professor who nodded at him "Yes, one thing at a time" Fawley looked at his watch "Well, I have a class of seventh years next. I will see you tomorrow if not the day after." Fawley said as he began to take steps away slightly

"Of course professor" he said and bid his professor goodbye. 

He returned his gaze upward and was deep in thought. Creating the modified ceiling enchantment was easy enough but to modify to allow for magnification? 

Was a charm in existence that could be used for such a purpose? 

He was deep in his thoughts until he was broken out of it by a voice 

"Oh, I didn't know anyone was here" a soft melodious voice spoke out. He twisted his head around towards the source of the voice and his eyes widened slightly. It was Emily Riddle.

Emily POV

"Oh, I didn't know anyone was here" she said softly. It was a lie of course. She had been informed that he was in the astronomy tower.

He turned his head around had his eyes widened slightly before he controlled himself quickly. 'Interesting reaction' she thought to herself. It was of surprise but not the kind she expected. Neither was she expected the quick control over his expressions.

"Ms Riddle? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head and smiled slightly "I needed some air so I left the History classroom." She strolled towards him, and then past him and carefully leant on one of the railings and she crossed her legs as she leaned back.

 She returned her gaze to him "The Astronomy Tower is one of my favourite spots in the castle and it often helps clear my mind" she said as she smiled at him.

He tilted his head and a little amusement appeared on his face as his lips upturned slightly "Yes, Old Binns can be quite...stuffy with his dry dispersal of information." He said with amusement clear in his voice.

He looked away into the distance as he spoke "Yes, The Astronomy Tower is one of the best locations to seek something out in private" he turned partially towards her and shrugged lightly "Whether it may be to clear your thoughts or just simply to be alone" he said.

He moved towards the railing opposite her and sat down and pierced her with a gaze. She returned the gaze in equal measure. She considered him, briefly, as she took in his gaze. She knew that there was more to the Sayre heir than what is known. His gaze was sharper than she had seen so far in this school.

She quirked her eyebrow in curiosity "Is that what you're doing right now? Wanting to be alone, professor?" she questioned with a quirk of her top lip.

He looked at her amusedly and shook his head lightly "I'm not a professor, Ms Riddle but you knew that" he said as he quirked his eyebrow in amusement and she looked on keeping an innocent mask on. He smiled a little broader at her expression. 

"No, I'm here for a different purpose." He chuckled and he looked upward at the ceiling. She followed suit and she returned her gaze to him when she found nothing noteworthy to look at.

He spoke "Do not mention it anyone, at least for a little while" he calmly breaking the easy silence that was between them. "I'm sure you're quite adept at keeping secrets, Ms Riddle" he said as he glanced at her in the corner of his eyes.

Her eyes darkened briefly as she narrowed her eyes. 'What did he know? He wanted her to know that he knew she kept secrets' she thought to herself swiftly. Her wand hand twitched. 

She eased when she realised it might have been a comment regarding her status as Slytherin though she was doubtful about that.

He continued "I'm here to assess the ceiling of the Tower as I'll be applying a modified enchantment, a variant of the Ceiling Enchantment that is in the Great Hall." He finally said.

Her eyes gleamed interest and her curiosity was peaked. "You've recreated the Ceiling Enchantment, the enchantment that the founders created?" she asked sharper than she intended. She thought it was a brilliant if useless piece of magic and one of the few things she liked anyway.

He turned his gaze back at her and smiled broadly "I have." He nodded. "It was finicky to figure out what was done but in the end, I managed to replicate it and now I will be modifying it to suit Astronomy class"

She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration "The enchantment wouldn't be useful...unless" she paused as she understood "Unless you intend to modify the enchantment blocking the sun's influence?" she asked 

He nodded in approval and gave her a small smile and she felt strange as something unfamiliar washed over her. She brutally dispelled it. 

"Yes, that's correct. I will be modifying the enchantment so that the night sky can be observed during the day with the correct alignment of the constellations." He paused 

"Though I will be figuring out how to determine how to magnify in a similar manner to the telescope." He shrugged. "That might take me a while" He grinned at her.

"Why are you doing this exactly?" She tilted her head as she narrowed her eyes "Is it part of your apprenticeship?" she asked quizzically

"My, aren't you prying?" He mused out loud and her eye twitched at the insinuation. He might be right but she didn't like being reminded of it. 

It seemed like he caught her and his smile grew into a smirk for a brief second he answered before she could respond "No, it isn't part of my apprenticeship. I was curious about the enchantment for a long while and once I figured it out, I knew that it had practical applications and so I set about finding them." 

He shrugged before he returned his gaze at her "I like creating new things" he said as he moved away from the railing and moved towards the centre of the room.

"Or in this case application of existing magic in a slightly different manner" he said as he turned his gaze towards her and she felt confused as she didn't understand the look he was giving her as it felt out of place and one she never before received. 

It was one of kindness "I've often found it only needs a different perspective and an open mind to find solutions or new uses for things that have long since considered pointless" he gave her a small smile.

His eyes gained an excited glint as he gave her a small grin at her "Magic is meant to be explored, to be practiced, and to be built on."

 He stretched out his arms wide and rotated fully once "What better way to emphasise that point than to make practical use of what was previously a beautiful piece of enchantment but useless in utility." He finished

His enthusiasm amused her. But more than that, she resonated with that sentiment. Of course she knew that her own interests in magic were not altruistic as his seemed. She wanted more power and all magic would help her on that path.

"Is that why you're so good with magic?" she asked keenly "You want to push the boundary of magic?" she pressed on. 

She wanted to know what made him tick so she could use it against him, if she needed to.

He looked at her with a curious expression, as if he knew why she was asking. 'I have to be more careful in my line of questioning.'

"Partially" he nodded and looked upward at the ceiling "Likely not in the way you're thinking." He said upturning his lips as he glanced at her.

"I'm not sure what you mean" she said nonchalantly as she tilted her head in faux confusion.

His upturned lips grew into a smirk and carried on his explanation as he ignored her response "Magic is wonderful, it is utterly amazing we have access to this force, this energy, this power" he said, elucidating power which she tilted her head at. "The more I understand of magic, which even with my own capabilities" he smiled wryly

"Is still quite limited, the more I understand how utterly limitless it can be even if people are limited, particularly in imagination" He said passionately 

He tilted his head towards her "Isn't that something you yourself have begun to realise Ms Riddle? After all you yourself are considered to be a prodigy and from what I've seen in Charms, you certainly seem to be" he said smiling at her.

Her lips twitched slightly and she inclined her head "It is something I have noticed, yes" she said meeting his eyes.

She had to admit Sayre wasn't...boring. In truth she was quite pleasantly intrigued by him and his words. His passion was keenly felt in his words and his keen observation was quite apparent. They were both assessing each other and she found...it refreshing. It was different from her interactions with her associates and professors and students from other houses. 

She also had the distinct feeling that he knew more about her than he let on. She was puzzled and concerned at this notion. How would he know? She would find out, it burned her to want to know. She was brought out of her thoughts by his voice

"And?" he prodded on. "What do you think?" he asked intently as he fixed her with his gaze.

Her eyelids drooped as she considered his question. She tilted her head slightly as she thought it over. "The students I have witnessed so far do not appreciate" she said darkly as her eyes sharpened "magic and what it could do for them. Many of them simply see it as a tool. It is wasteful" She concluded.

He quirked his eyebrow as he walked over to her. He was a head and a half taller than her and she was fairly tall for her age. 

He stopped as he arrived within an arm's length "And you?" he said softly as he met her eyes. She was forced to crane her neck to look him in the eyes.

"What is magic to you?" he asked kindly, tone full of enticing, of persuasion and charm. He was close enough that she could feel his magic tightly coiled around him though it seemed active, roiling and she struggled to keep her breath even, to prevent it from shaking as she began to enjoy the presence of his magic. 

She schooled her face as she scowled internally at his actions. She knew what he was doing. She's done it plenty herself. The fact that there was a tinge of it working she ruthlessly ignored and cut down.

"Magic to me is power. It will grant me whatever I seek. That is what magic means to me." she said with a vicious glee in her eyes hoping to elicit a reaction from him. 

His face didn't change and he continued to meet her dark gaze, as if he expected her answer or more worryingly he was able to control his responses to this degree. She felt severe annoyance that she couldn't tell which was which along with his ability to meet her gaze unflinchingly. 

Finally he responded and his face melted into a soft expression and he nodded "That's understandable." He said warmly to her "No one is similar after all." And he half way turned away from her.

"It would be boring otherwise" he murmured softly as he begun to walk away.

He looked over his shoulder "It's probably time for you to return to your History class. I think there may be about a quarter of an hour left?" he said as he cast Tempus.

She stepped forward abruptly and walked past him "You are correct Mr Sayre. I should be heading back" she said and halted for a brief moment "Thank you for...indulging me." She said politely 'Shame I didn't figure out more but I have plenty of time to do so'.

"My pleasure" he said once again warmly as he meant it. Once again she felt confused at her inability to figure out if he meant it or not. Her magic always helped her figure out when someone was lying to her and not once has it flagged something as a lie.

"Do not hesitate to seek me out if you need any help with anything" he said and she turned towards him and saw him once again with a soft expression that held kindness and compassion. 

She didn't know why she warranted that reaction from him. "Or if you simply need to get some air again I likely will be around the castle" he smiled at her.

She didn't respond but simply nodded curtly and walked away. One thing she learnt from that encounter was that her interest gave way to something deeper. There was something about him that had her off kilter and she would learn what it was. 

It wasn't lust or anything sexual. She would have noticed those signs and she could have used it if she saw it. But there was interest that emanated from him. Though she did not know what it was. 

She wasn't blind to her associates. She knew that they wanted to be close to her because of her power and her brilliance. Her own blood status was forgotten for how useful she was and she let them associate with her for useful they were and would be in the future. She would have recognised it from him if that had been the case but it wasn't.

She left with more questions than answers.