Doing her best to not be seen by wandering eyes, Lilith apparated to the edge of the Gaunt property under the Invisibility Cloak, her boots sinking almost knee deep in pockets of snow. As she approached the disheveled shack, she took the Cloak off but not before activating a notice-me-not charm specifically to keep anyone in the nearby moors from seeing her. Her heart started beating faster as she approached the door, a snake corpse nailed to it making her see why the Gaunts and other Parseltongues had never gotten along, especially concerning the Hogwarts Founder. Salazar Slytherin's reputation was unfortunately mired and warped by his so-called descendants and it had started while his corpse had yet to be burned and buried. The man she considered almost like a grandfather might not have been warm at first and he was certainly the cunning and somewhat manipulative man everyone believed him to be, but that didn't mean that he was heartless. After all, it was his heart that drove the man to leave Hogwarts, as the woman that he had loved as his second wife had been out about the country, looking for magical children and getting them and their parents to agree for them to refine their talents at Hogwarts, only for her to be caught by the religious zealots of the growing Christian presence. Aislinn Slytherin née Peverell lived a few more days, likely being tortured, raped and berated by her capters as Salazar searched for her, desperate to save her and bring her home. When he finally discovered where she was being held, he sought the help of the other Founders, only for them to refuse.
And to be fair to the other three Founders, some of them had their reasons for refusing his summons. Rowena had recently lost her beloved daughter Helena to the Bloody Baron in a murder suicide, the bodies having barely been delivered just a few months prior to Aislinn's disapperance. The woman was understandably distraught and was commonly seen wandering the castle's hallways in a delirious and emotional state, leaving the entire collection of keepers, teachers and those who were apprenticed under her fearing that she might seek to take her own life as well. For her safety and their peace of mind, she was given a room on the ground floor, under the careful and gentle care of Helga Hufflepuff. Said grey witch wasn't much help either, as her skills with magic weren't directed towards the martial arts or what would one day be called Transfiguration or Charms. She was a Witch who practiced Witchcraft, Potions, Herbology and Animal Handling. Her talents weren't suited to helping Salazar and her attention was already strained by the grieving Rowena and the burdens of the school. The call had essentially been directed to one man and he had unfortunately declined. For all of the talks of Godric Gryffindor being this noble and courageous wizard, those who spoke of his legend often neglected to mention one important detail. The man was a Dark Wizard, just like Salazar.
He had to be, as the head of the Martial Magics courses that eventually would be divided into the three wand based courses of Hogwarts; Defence, Charms and Transfiguration. The red haired Celt had built his entire reputation before Hogwarts as a Battlemage, engaging in combat with Goblins, Non-Magicals and even Giants. The phrase "don't tickle a sleeping dragon'' that became the school motto was partly in reference to him, as Salazar, who had grown to consider Godric as something like a brother, was prone to testing out new spells as pranks on the man. Salazar said that there was no sweeter prank than developing the Sonorus charm and applying it to Godric, before leaving a few poxies in his room. He swore the Castle shook from the curses that erupted from that man's mouth, especially since he happened to be drunk that night. The other teachers had torn into him for his wicked tongue as Salazar did his best to hold in his laughter. Still, for all of their pranks, they had been as close as two men could be without being blood or sharing the same bed. So when Salazar called for help, he had expected Godric to answer. Yet the man refused, as he didn't want to drag the school into further conflict with the Christians, not so soon after the first iteration of Hogwarts had been destroyed by them. He had hoped that Salazar could handle the matter himself, with the school electing to chastise him should the Christian's come knocking. That plan was never implemented as Salazar Slytherin died soon after finding the corpse of Aislinn, his will to live stripped away.
The destruction of the village and the death of both Slytherins sent shock waves throughout the Magical World of Scotland. Godric was inconsolable, literally drinking himself into the grave after failing the man he called a brother. The children of Salazar's first and second wives were outraged and left the castle, deciding that they would see to their own education from then on. They took residence with their maternal grandparents, the Serpens and the Peverells, except for the oldest daughter who was already married to a Gaunt. As Aislinn only had one child, a son, the boy chose to take the Peverell name, going on to become one of the many exceptional wandsmiths, Dark Hunters, and strong political leaders the family was known for, his legacy and talent as a Parseltoungue all but forgotten as his children never seemed to inherit the trait. The Serpens Family prospered for a time but they eventually entered into open warfare with the Gaunts. The Serpens revered the snakes who they could speak to and were a grey family, known to welcome and protect the Druids from the Christians within their homes. The Gaunts, not wishing to let the Serpens have any competing claims to the Slytherin name or legacy, attacked them in the dead of night, slaughtering them all. In the centuries since, the Gaunt family's legacy was wasted away as debts began to pile up, along with charges of rampant attacks against Muggles and other Magicals. Gormlaith's assault against the Sayre family in North America was the last straw, eventually getting the family kicked out of the Wizengamot and left with heavy financial losses.
The ramshackle hut before Lilith was all that was left of the once belligerent descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Squaring her shoulders, she approached the door, scrunching her nose at the sight of the snake, a clear reminder that the Gaunts still held no respect for the creatures they could speak with, and knocked. A few minutes later the door was opened and before her stood a man that reminded her of her godfather when they first met. Morfin Gaunt had an unkept hair and beard that looked to be somewhere between the colors of black and brown, though the smell made her wonder if the man bathed at all. His eyes had difficulty focusing on her, though his vision seemed to work just fine as he hissed at her. " What do you want, you harlot? If you are here to ask about father's will, there was nothing left for any bastard children, though I seriously doubt you are one. Father never was one for letting them reach adulthood. " Lilith tried her best not to show that she understood him, though his assumption did make her wonder how many bastards the Gaunt family had. Then again, the fact that he just admitted that they killed their own blood for being born out of wedlock made such thoughts moot, especially as she saw the man slowly drawing his wand. "Morfin Gaunt is it? I am merely here to discuss the possibility of buying this land you're standing on. For a bit more than what the terrain is worth, though I am also able to offer another plot of land with a dewling. Would you be agreeable to discuss terms before you decide to use your wand?"
Morfin looked her over again. "Get lost, child. I ain't no fool. You got no coin to buy what this land be worth." Lilith raised an eyebrow. "I assure you that I do have the coin, sir, and I can assure you I have enough to afford both your plot of land and what I would offer in return. Working the horse stables of the local estates only earns you so much and your places of employment are some distance away. I can offer you a piece of land closer to them in exchange for this one, plus enough galleons to last you a year or so without employment. It should be an agreeable offer." The man smirked at her, exposing his crooked teeth. "Child knows the value of the Gaunt property. Gaunts don't sell for nothing! This land has been ours since the days of Salazar Slytherin. As for moving closer to the filthy muggles…" Morfin Gaunt spat at her feet. "I only work for the wretches to get food and even then it's with their horses, who are far more dignified company than their owners. Only reason I don't kill the muggles or own their lands, which rightfully belong to us, is because of the accursed Ministry. They placed a bloody Trace on my Wand, as if I was some impudent mudblood child. I am a Gaunt, heir of the many Noble, Ancient and Pureblood Houses of old!"
The man raised up his hand, showing her a ring on his finger, pointing at it with his other hand. "See this? This ring says I own this land for the rest of my life, no matter how much coin you offer me. This ring be of the old Peverells, old purebloods now gone but for the blood that runs through my veins! I am a true pureblood, better than you, tramp, and your nasty mixed blood parents. Better even than my whore of a sister of mine who ran away with a bloody muggle and died for it, the useless bitch. I am the Head of House Gaunt and we do not give that which is ours by birth. Not our land, not this ring, not even our flesh and blood! No matter how much filthy Goblin gold you offer us. Now leave. My wand has been itching to hurt another and though you are young, you will do. Might even enjoy your flesh for a bit. Show you what a real wizard can do!" The man laughed at his own words as he slammed the door in Lilith's face, misinterpreting her silence. She decided to leave, disappearing from sight behind a thick grove of trees near the property before apparating away. Her plans to deal with the remaining Gaunt had just been made a lot more complicated. She had hoped that the man would have some sense of self preservation, which he did, but clearly not enough to leave the land or to surrender what she knew was utterly priceless.
-✦-
"What do you know about the Deathly Hallows?" Lilith looked up from the books she found in Alexander's library that discussed the different ways to enchant an object. The man had a far more extensive collection on the creation of magical objects than she had ever seen, whether as Lillian or as Lilith, some of the books dating back centuries, written by members of the family while it was still at its prime. With the way her magic was acting, creating enchanted objects and wards, temporary or otherwise, would be the best way for her to go through Hogwarts, even as the thought of going back to the Castle made her shiver and her wrist ache. Those bloody entrance exams were really giving her a hard time, especially the Defence Against the Dark Arts section. Writing down an appropriate answer rather than Lilith's far more detailed and involved understanding of the Dark Arts was an especially hard balance to maintain, especially when her brain kept trying to tell her to write in German when drawing from Lilith's memories. Still, if there was one thing that she knew was going to be a problem, it would be the wanded courses. The moment she had gone to Diagon Alley to retrieve her wand hadn't gone well. Not in the slightest.
"Curious." Lilith had felt utterly naked under Garrick Ollivander's careful eyes, the man being surprisingly young as the current minder of the Ollivander family's wand shop. "I take it this won't be the first wand you have ever used?" Lilith shook her head, feeling out of sorts on the day that she visited Diagon Alley in the exceedingly early morning. She hadn't wanted to run into anyone that she could blow her cover with and Ollivander could do that due to his family's unique gifts. Unfortunately, she needed a wand and Alexander wasn't in the business of making wands, with none of the spare wands belonging to the Peverell family responding well to her. Ollivander rubbed his chin as he finished measuring her, before he started placing boxes of wands in front of her. Many went inert the moment they landed on her hand, making Lilith's heart grow cold. She desperately hoped that the wands would awaken again should a proper owner arrive, even as she knew deep inside that the wands losing their magic could be traced back to her actions. She prayed that Ollivander didn't go on and speak about what had just happened in his store. She would have to warn Alexander, just in case some Unspeakables came looking for her. Eventually, the odd man came out from the back with a very new looking wand case and opened it, revealing a wand that made Lilith's heart ache. More accurately, it made Lillian's heart ache. "Hawthorn, 13 ½ inches, flexible. Its core is a phoenix feather. One of my own creations, I must say."
Lilith took the familiar wand into her hand and felt her magics react. Half seemed eager and happy to be reunited with the wand, but the other part seemed to regard it with suspicion and dislike. Lilith yelped as she held the wand, even as the air around her filled with a swirling light. The magics eventually settled down, even as her wand seemed cold to the touch. Ollivander took the wand back and held it up to his ear. He nodded. "I see. The wand is suitable for you, but only just. The phoenix feather at its core, a gift from a wild and temperamental bird, seems to be of two minds concerning you. The wand will struggle as you struggle, its essence unable to fulfill its true potential until you come to your own and define yourself fully. When that time comes, please return to this shop with the wand, Young Miss. I will remake the wand then to be the most suitable version for you. Until then, I fear no other wand will be able to endure the conflict within you. This one alone will, as it recognizes you as its master, but be careful with it. The wand dislikes the way your magic currently is and will fight back violently should you seek to force it to act against its will." Lilith took the wand with her, even as her heart felt heavy. Lilith's wand had seen her through so much was now nothing more than a placeholder. What did that mean for her?
Shaking herself out of her thoughts from her first day at Diagon Alley, Lilith thought about Alexander's question. "As in the objects from the story about the Three Brothers?" Alexander nodded. "Indeed. What do you know about them?" Lilith thought back to the moments she spent reading the massive selections of books within Tom Riddle's Diary. The young man had been very proud of his near eidetic memory and his ability to accurately recreate them. They spent many nights sitting together in silence within his version of the Hogwarts Library, the two content to be in each other's presence. Those moments were now being repeated in the real world and Lilith found them to be all the more pleasant now. While Tom hadn't been particularly interested in children's stories for their moral value, he had read the book as a way to further his own understanding of magical society. Lillian herself had read it for the exact same reason. "A stone that created specters of the dead, a wand that was unmatched in its deadly power and a cloak that could conceal its owner even from death itself. That's all that I know about these so called artefacts. I think I heard Voldemort had been after the wand after his and Neville's kept failing to strike the other one down. Don't know if he found it or not. Why do you ask?" Alexander chuckled to himself as he approached the bag beside Lilith on the table, pulling out her Invisibility Cloak from within.
"Because you are carrying one of them with you." Lilith stared at the Cloak as a lot of pieces fell into place. "But… don't the Potter's still have it? Or did my journey back draw it away from them?" Alexander shrugged. "Hard to say for sure. The Cloak should be in Charlus Potter's possession, especially since word is that he is currently fighting in France, but I don't know Henry Potter enough to be certain that he didn't keep it hidden at the Estate. What I do know is that the Cloak is very picky as to who it's rightful owner is. In another's hand, it is nothing more than an Invisibility Cloak with an unnaturally long lifespan. In the hands of a Peverell or a descendant, it is a way to avoid all forms of detection and even injury. I am asking because it's possible we may need to get all the Hallows back. Especially if you are dead set on facing Grindelwald. On their own, they are certainly capable of abnormal feats of magic. Together… Well, there is a reason so many wizards and witches have gone insane trying to locate all three." Lilith thought about it but shrugged. "If you think so. Any idea what the other objects look like?" Alexander waved his hand and conjured a replica of the remaining two. "The stone will probably be the hardest to find. Cadmus' line ended quietly and its descendants never spoke of what became of the stone. Antioch's wand, however, should be easy enough to trace. It has a habit of leaving a trail of corpses in its wake. Last I heard, some wizard had been using it during the Napoleonic Wars. What is it?"
Lilith was snapped away from a memory as she looked back up at Alexander from the replica of the wand. "This wand was in Albus Dumbledore's possession in my time. It was the one that Voldemort stole to kill Neville with, though he ultimately resorted to a more… mundane weapon. I am absolutely certain that this is that wand." Alexander froze, before he rubbed his chin n thought. "This Dumbledore you're speaking about. There are whispers about him and his connections to Grindelwald. As the Ministries tried to stop the man's rise to power, his name did come up as a possible challenger, yet he never did go out to face Grindelwald in Paris, the one chance the Aurors had to capture him." Lilith frowned. "In my time, he eventually did face Grindelwald and became famous for it. In early 1945, he and Grindelwald fought in a massive duel just outside of Nurmengard Castle. He defeated him and the Castle eventually became Grindelwald's prison." Alexander sighed. "Then it's possible that he acquired the wand then or some time after." Lilith thought back to the news just before her final days at the Castle in 1998. "Grindelwald died just before the tomb where Dumbledore was buried was opened by Voldemort. What are the chances that it was a coincidence?" Alexander clicked his tongue. "Probably zero. Which means the wand is possibly in Grindelwald's possession and it's the reason as to why Dumbledore is keeping his distance." He looked at Lilith right in the eyes. "Retrieving the remaining Hallow is a priority now. We can't let it fall into anyone else's hands. For the sake of all."
-✦-
Lilith stood outside the door of the Gaunt Shack under the cover of her Invisibility Cloak in the dead of night, the nearby church beginning to ring the bells signaling midnight as Britain welcomed Christmas, before bending down and placing a wicker box on the ground. Four black snakes tasted the air as they popped out after she lifted the lid, the creatures slithering their way underneath the door of the shack. The Gaunts may once have had wards on their property but the ring on Morfin's hand wasn't tied to any. Lilith was certain of that. What defences they once had were well and truly gone, which made infiltrating the house easy enough. Still, having just gone through another cycle of her magic tearing its way through her body just a few days prior, this one bad enough that Alexander had to carry her again to Gringotts to have the Goblins try and reduce the damage done to her body, Lilith was in no way ready to fight a wizard in a protracted battle, no matter how out of practice they were. With her own wand still unwilling to commit to her, with her magics each trying to dominate it separately, there was nothing she could do about fighting Morfin the old fashioned way. So she wouldn't try. Salazar's Portrait, made and enchanted by his second wife as a gift to the old Wizard, held the image of a very vindictive man, especially concerning the people who destroyed his impeccable legacy.
After spending years teaching Lilith all the tricks that a Parselmouth could use against other Magicals, he taught her how to use Parselmagic against other Parselmouths. This one spell was particularly nasty, as these conjured snakes were tied to Lilith's mind not too dissimilarly to how a Familiar was connected to a Magical. Lilith could see through their eyes, commanding them with but a thought. They also possessed some unique skills, as these snakes reached the sleeping form of Morfin Gaunt. After teasing him in order to get him to turn onto his back, the snakes struck out with their fangs. While she could conjure and create any type of snake, these had been created specifically with the ability to carry venom provided to them by the caster. In this case, they were filled with Essence of Mara, a potion Lilith had gone through a lot of trouble to recreate from her grandmother's notes. When Aquilla Black married into the von Schwarzwald family, she did her best to add to the von Schwarzwald's extensive potion book collection by creating a massive tome filled with her notes, which thankfully survived as a copy existed within her personal vault in Gringotts. Her grandmother was the first person to successfully replicate the Mara's ability to cause sleep paralysis in its victims, allowing the victim to be aware of their surroundings, but unable to move or fight back. Grandfather Nicholas had been very impressed by her talent, though the potion had been reserved for those recognized as enemies to the family. Lilith hoped that the deceased von Schwarzwald family would agree to her use of it here as she watched the effects take over Morfin's body.
She could have used any other potion to incapacitate him, but all of them left the victim unconscious. After doing some extensive research on Morfin Gaunt at the Ministry of Magic's records, she found herself unable to give him such mercy. The amount of reports of rapes and murders from the region of Little Hangleton and the adjacent communities in Dartmoor, followed by all the arrests and imprisinments of Morfin Gaunt, revealed a dangerous and bloodboiling patern. While the Ministry had bothered with arresting the bastard, since the victims were all muggles, his punishments were always slaps on the wrists and short periods of imprisonment. So many women, families, had their bodies violated, their peace of mind destroyed, after which the very government that should have been protecting them and punishing the criminal responsible did nothing except appear as if they were getting involved, but ultimately doing nothing. Lilith couldn't let this pass. Such a person was going to remain a permanent threat to the area, including the Riddle family and those close to them. To keep this monster from poisoning Tom's mind or forcing him to take matters into his own hands against a man that should have been a source of comfort and belonging, Lilith needed to intervene. And she needed to make sure that the bastard knew that his end was coming. With Aquilla's help, she could now guarantee that.
As soon as the time for the full effects of the potion to be active was passed, Lilith entered the Shack and took off the Invisibility Cloak, placing a notice-me-not and silencing charms on the door before turning her gaze to the paralized man. "Allow me to be perfectly frank, Mister Gaunt. I wasn't interested in your property. I mostly wanted to understand who you were as a person. Had you accepted my offer, we wouldn't be meeting like this." Taking the mostly clean and stable chair from the kitchen table. Lilith sat next to the paralized man, his eyes looking at her with murder in them. "But instead you proved to be everything I heard that was wrong with the Gaunts; arrogant, lazy and violent to all, including your own flesh and blood. Believe me when I say that I wanted our meeting to be over quickly. A few signed papers, a lot of galleons and that would have been it. But now I have a problem." Lilith leaned over to stare at him in the eyes. "You see, I know the boy born to your sister, Merope. Orphaned and looking for ties to his family. If he were to come here, I don't think you would give him the familial relationship he needs to be a good person, to be able to reach the zenith of his potential free of madness and hate. Hell, you might even try to kill him, as a Halfblood." The lack of remorse from Morfin's eyes told her the truth. He would try and kill him, to keep the Gaunt blood pure to the bitter end. Lilith sat down at the side of the bed, her eyes never leaving Morfin's.
"He deserves better than you, he deserves to be welcomed and made to belong by his kin. But more than that, the people of Little Hangleton and beyond need for you to pay for your sins. I personally believe that you should spend the rest of your natural life rotting away in Azkaban. But the Ministry wont do that to you and even there you might still manage to poison the mind of my friend, proving to him just how wicked your family has become. No, I think it's time for you to pay for your crimes, once and for all. The line of the House of Gaunt will end here, with you, stained by your sins." Lilith smiled at him as she switched to Parseltongue. " The rightful Heirs of Slytherin, however, will endure, free from your stench. " Morfin's eyes widened before Lilith's hands wrapped around his throat. She began to squeeze hard as she did every Occlumency trick possible to control her feelings, burying them deep, her lips frozen stiff. Paralized, the man was only able to grunt under her attack. Eventually, as the seconds turned to minutes, he stopped making any noise all together, his chest going still. Lilith pulled her shaking hands back, seeing the blank and lifeless look in Morfin's eyes. Dispelling the snakes turned into bindings, Lilith scattered the clothes and wooden objects in the shack, making it look like someone had trashed it, as her heart started to beat wildly within her. She turned the wooden table over and pulled out the brush from the basket, dipping it in a liquid designed to be consumed in flames after hours ablaze.
Taking Morfin's wand, she cast a flame charm on the ward scheme she painted on the upside down table. The flames grew quickly, covering Morfin Gaunt's body after she had doused it in kerosene from a lamp, having already taken the ring off his finger and replaced it with a replica. If the Ministry came, they would find nothing missing or wrong. The body would be nothing but charred bones as the ward scheme would keep the fire burning long enough for the flesh to be destroyed entirely. All traces of her being in the room would be non-existent. Lilith took one last look at the surroundings as the flames engulfed the wooden walls and began to race up the roof. Within her heart, two feelings mixed together. On the one hand she was feeling the effects of seeing the flames so close to her once more, no more than seven months since the von Schwarzwald Estate was consumed in flames, terror threatening to devour her mind as echoes of that night demanded to be heard. The other feeling was one that she was utterly unfamiliar with, at least until she apparated away and looked at herself in the mirror within her own bathroom. Morfin Gaunt's end would be no different than his father's; two lives being snuffed out and unmourned by those of Little Hangleton. Morfin's spree of terror and suffering brought to an end with one more murder. A murder commited by a girl who had never taken a life before. She knew beyond a doubt it wouldn't be the last life she would take, as bile rose up her throat. The thought of killing again wasn't in any way pleasant or welcomed.
-✦-
Alexander knew something was wrong as soon as he entered the Wing of the Peverell Manor that he had set aside for Lilith to inhabit. Walking into the main living room, he frowned as he felt the magic in the air, wild and violent as the two currents seemed to struggle, though thankfully not as violently as they had on the Winter Solstice. The moment the sun rose in the morning after the 21st, as the Dark gave way to Light, the magic of the world itself seemed to reverse itself. For Alexander, the event was no different than it was for him every winter of his long life. The magic within all beings, despite how unattuned they may be to the currents of the world, are tied to the environment around them, to the air, the land and the sea, but most importantly to the lines of magic that crisscross the globe. Everything had magic, one way or another. It is the reason even a muggle knows when spirits of the departed are about, why certain plots of land carry echoes of horrifying events and why even in the darkest of forests, the non-magical populace know when some unfathomable creature looks upon them as prey. Despite the vile comments of the Blood and Magical Supremacists, Magic cares not if you are capable of wielding it or not. It affects all in unique ways that make even him question whether the world has a will guiding it to some greater purpose.
Through the currents of the magics around him, Alexander followed the trail of the two unique signatures that were of his ward's, following their crackling and violent state into the bedroom, before entering the bathroom. He had watched but a few days earlier as the girl fought the pain to no avail, even as the Goblin Healers he hired did their best to contain her anguish. He hated seeing her in pain, and even the Goblins, known for their appreciation and reverence of pain endured in some great enterprise, looked stricken with grief at the sight of her skin splitting open from the magic running through her veins. Gripping the sink with enough strength to crack some of the wood and stone, stood Lilith, her body shaking as if fighting another attack, wearing only her long sleeved shirt and pants, both of which were soaked as the shower was left running, the air filled with steam and the scent of vomit. It took her a second to notice his presence as his eyes caught hers in the mirror's mostly foggy reflection. He rushed forward to grab a hold of her as he flicked his wrist, closing the tap of the shower. Even soaked in a room that felt like a sauna, Lilith's body felt unnaturally cold as he pulled her back and down onto the ground. Forgetting about any concern for modesty, Alexander vanished her clothes and summoned a towel to dry her off. That was when her fists started striking his chest. "Stop… please… stop being… kind to me!" Alexander shook his head as he tried to dry her face, tears stubbornly refusing to stop their constant streams from her eyes. "Not bloody likely."
Lilith shivered under his care, her hands digging into his chest. Alexander knew he would need to cast some healing spells later. Her voice came out stuttering and soft, shame filling her next words. "I killed someone tonight. I am a killer, Alexander. At 18 and 14, I am a bloody killer! It wasn't some grand battle where I risked my life. I pinned him down through magic and choked him to death. I… killed him…" Alexander sighed, even as he hugged her tighter against his chest. "You could have done it differently." The fingers dug deeper into his chest. "I didn't want it to be easy! I wanted… needed, to feel the life leave his body. To know… Why is it so easy to take a life? He was a killer too. I saw it in his eyes. A rapist and a murder, he enjoyed every moment of it as he inflicted his violence on innocent and powerless women. Like Voldemort, he enjoyed the feeling of being in control of a life and abusing them until he was satisfied. Why? Why is it so easy for them to do that? And why…? Was it so easy for me to take his?" Alexander reached up and pulled the wet hair away from Lilith's face. "I don't know. But that doesn't matter. You are here and a monster is off the streets. But the next time you go hunting for these sorts of people, take me with you." Lilith's grip on his chest softened. "It wasn't your burden to bear. I needed… I needed to be sure that I could do this. That I could be strong enough to do what was necessary. And I… Tom couldn't see what his blood family was like. He wants nothing more than to belong and that monster… would have denied that to him and affirmed his worst instincts. I couldn't let it happen! Not again…"
Picking her up in his arms, much to her displeasure, Alexander dropped Lilith gently on the bed and pulled out some robes for her before sitting by her side. "Regardless, you aren't alone. You don't have to suffer alone anymore through this, Lilith. As for getting blood on my hands… believe me, there is plenty of blood already there. A little more wouldn't make much of a difference." Lilith's magics seemed to settle and Alexander could see her closing down. For a second he thought she was using Occlumency but the look in her eyes was of pure exhaustion. He wasn't surprised, with the amount of emotional upheaval she must have gone through. As he tried to get her to wear her robes for bed, he felt her hand press something cold and magical into his cheek. He stopped for a second at the familiar sight of the Resurrection Stone. "You said we had to recover it. I wasn't sure he had it but he did. Morfin Gaunt will take the secret of it to his grave. I left a worthless copy on the property. The flames should have melted the metal and the stone should have cracked." Alexander sighed, happy that the Stone was recovered but sad at what it had cost his ward. "You should keep it." She seemed to hesitate a second. "I am keeping it in the lockbox here. If I could, I would forget the combination for it." Alexander chuckled as he sat by Lilith, her eyes closing in exhaustion. Sleep finally claimed her, though he doubted her dreams would be kind. He gently rubbed her hair, praying to the gods of old that she should find some rest. "You are the best of us, Lilith. Tonight, you have proven that, in more ways than one. Don't ever doubt that."
Alexander would return to his own room, feeling emotionally drained. It had been too long since he had to care for another member of his family. Far too long. Yet he couldn't not care for Lilith. No matter how tenuous their connection was, her soul was that of a Peverell. Of all the ones he knew of, she was the kindest but the most driven. The price she paid to undo time was dear, the burden of the von Schwarzwald family was heavy and she still refused to let herself be coddled. The girl's stubbornness brought a smile to his face, reminding him of his wife. She would have been a worthy Heir to the Peverell name. The Cloak had seen it and the Stone, shining a soft green in her palm, agreed as well. That left the wand. He looked at the latest photograph of Gellert Grindelwald and the wand that he waved in his hand as he tore through the Parisian Magical Districts, the picture propagated to get the French Magicals to capitulate. Whether it worked or not was left for them to decide. What mattered to Alexander was the wand in his hand. The Elder Wand. He thought about the history that Lilith had told him, a history that was both devastating as it was awe inspiring. Intervening too soon could give too much of an advantage to the Soviets, leaving all of Europe exposed to their anti-magical agenda, or to Grindelwald and his puppets, who wouldn't hesitate to slaughter muggles by the millions, as evidence was beginning to mount of their atrocities. They needed to bide their time. And when the time came, they all had to be ready. The Peverell family would recover its lost legacy, whatever the cost might be, for the sake of the whole world. They could not fail.
-✦-
Tom stirred awake, feeling as if he just saw a dream that left him cold, yet no memories cling to his mind. Checking that he was fine, he sat at the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes, a yawn escaping his lips. After completing his usual morning routine in the bathroom, he returned to his room, his eyes darting to the end of his bed, expecting to see nothing, as always. He had his arm down one of the sleeves of his white shirt before his brain registered what his eyes spotted. There, at the foot of the bed, sat several present boxes, all in forest green wrapping paper with white bows on them. After buttoning up his shirt and putting on his pants, Tom went to check on the boxes, casting detection spells on them. His magic only revealed an envelope that had been concealed atop the pile, but no traces of anything dangerous. Taking the envelope in his hands, he looked at the lovely penmanship on the back, recognizing it. How could he not, when he spent every Potions class by her side, watching as Lilith wrote down notes concerning every step of the procedure. The girl was nothing if not meticulous. His curiosity peaked, Tom opened the envelope and retrieved the letter.
To Herr Tom Riddle
My apologies for not being able to spend the Yuletide in your company. The financial and legal matters of my family were left in quite the disarray with their deaths and despite my best efforts, all was not settled by the beginning of the Hogwarts term. This has, at least, provided me with the means to acquire some items that I hope can make the rest of your time at school as comforting as your presence has been to me in these few short months. I hope these presents find you well and that we can continue to offer aid to each other in the coming months. Until then, Happy Holidays, Herr Riddle.
Frau Lilith von Schwarzwald
Unaware of the pleased smile on his face, Tom folded the letter back and placed it within the envelope, before carefully placing it on his dresser. Taking the presents and placing them in his bed, he began to unwrap them, being surprised by each one. The first was a bag that from the outside looked identical to his, minus some of the scuff marks that it acquired from the years of use under both Tom's care and its previous owners. A parchment atop the bag identified the enchantments attached to it, including expanded pockets and featherweight charms that kept the bag from ever being too heavy to the owner, so long as they didn't get past a certain weight or volume limit. There were even security pockets that could be tailored to only open to his magic by a few drops of blood. Another bag had also been provided, though this one was intended to be used during purchases in the Alley or elsewhere, meaning he could spend a full day out and about and not have to worry about returning to his room in the inn to store his purchases within his trunk. Tom remembered his earlier jealousy at the same bags Lilith was using and wondered if she had caught sight of some trace of his feelings before he could control them on his face. The last two gifts, however, floored him.
Lilith had confided in him that she had patented her modified record player with the aid of her patron, whom she refused to name, and the goblins at Gringotts. As the war was keeping certain materials from being available for any attempts at mass production, selling her creation was out of the question, but she could still make a few models to test designs and alterations with her older supplies. Seeing that she had given him one of these custom models, enchanted to be invulnerable to most damage, as well as wear and tear, Tom ran his hand over the dark oak wood of the traveling case that housed it, the Slytherin House Coat of Arms lovingly painted on one of the corners, the other left empty for the day he discovered his legacy. Within the other box were sets of discs, all labeled. There was the expected collection of classical music renditions of the works of Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven, but also a few more modern artists of a variety of styles, including a disc with Christmas and Yule music. He found a small note within the record player, with a ward design that created a bubble from which sound didn't escape. For those times when company is poor and silence unbearable.
After placing the record player on the bedside table, inscribing and powering the ward scheme on a piece of parchment and placing the Chopin disc on the turntable, he activated the runes that started the music. Tom sat quietly on his bed, feeling the oddest sensation wash over him as the music began to play, the piano and touches of violin causing him to sway softly. He checked the record player again but found nothing that could explain the way he was feeling at the moment that the music filled his ears. It was as if a weight that had been settled onto his very being had suddenly lifted, leaving him feeling lighter than what he could ever remember feeling, though he could still feel the burden, though only barely. The anger and resentment he had felt over the times that Dumbledore caught him in the Hogwarts corridors at night the last few days had been buried beneath a feeling of … content. Tom closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled, before he dressed himself warmly, turned off the music and stepped out into the Castle's corridors, eventually reaching the Courtyard. Though the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, the storm from last night had been reduced to nothing more than a flurry. The sky slowly brightened, though the sun was unlikely to rise until much later, if the roving clouds permitted it. Yet the sight didn't feel cold to him at all that day. Tom would have his breakfast and walk along the castle's corridors, content in the peace of his home and in the music that for now seemed to reside within his chest.