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THE Ravenclaws gathered for a small funeral to honor Myrtle Warren, the student confirmed dead by Headmaster Dippet during a heavy-hearted breakfast—as if they didn't already know.

Classes were canceled for the day, and Ministry officials, including the Minister himself, were meeting privately with Headmaster Dippet.

Athena was already aware of what they were talking about. It was on everyone's lips.

Hogwarts was set to be shut down.

The sound of nearby sobs pulled her gaze from her thoughts, and she exchanged a look with Lucinda.

"This might sound terrible, but I don't understand why they're crying," Lucinda said softly, eyes on the crying Ravenclaw that was hugging a Hufflepuff boy in the corner of the courtyard. "They bullied Myrtle for years and she had no friends at all."

"Maybe it's the guilt," replied Athena, shaking her head in pity.

She pulled her coat closer to herself, due to the chill in the air, but was not bothered enough to go back inside.

Druella, meanwhile, was not with them. She had been avoiding them all morning, and Lucinda and Athena were not complaining about it. In return, they were avoiding her too.

It took all of Athena's strength that morning not to run up to Riddle, who seemed calm as usual and unbothered.

It took all of her strength not to go to her brother, who was quietly eating his breakfast as if he did not know about his friend doing what he did.

Athena was not even sure Abraxas knew at all. She only had a feeling he knew about Riddle's relations to the Gaunts, since there was no other explanation for Abraxas to willingly be friends with a half-blood.

"Do you think Edmund knows?" asked Lucinda, pulling her out of her thoughts. Her gaze left the couple when the boy kissed the girl's head softly and landed on her friend. "About Riddle, I mean."

"I don't know," said Athena truthfully. She pursed her lips and let out a sigh full of disappointment. "I don't know how I didn't figure it out sooner. It made so much sense. The fact alone that he knows wandless magic, is a half-blood in Slytherin, is friends with Abraxas—I don't know. I should have figured it out sooner."

"What would have changed if you did?" Her friend shot back softly, giving her a look. "Nothing, Athena. You ought to let go of your constant worries and focus on the bigger picture."

"That is what I am doing and am going to do tonight."

At that, Lucinda's brows pulled together. "What are you doing tonight?"

Athena's eyes landed on Dorian Nott and Cygnus Black, who were walking around the courtyard and disappearing a minute later into the corridors. "I am going to follow them tonight and see who exactly knows about Riddle, and what they are doing."

It took no hesitation for Lucinda to say, "I'm joining you."

Athena opened her mouth to disagree, worried for her friend's safety, but when she looked back at her, all she saw was a glint of stubbornness in Lucinda's eyes that already closed the topic. So Athena nodded and decided to wait for her friend that night to join her.

That night, as Athena and Lucinda lingered in the common room, they exchanged a glance the moment Riddle and his roommates slipped out in silence.

The air felt heavy, and Lucinda froze at the sight of Edmund leaving just a minute later.

Athena's heart sank when she noticed Titus following him, with Marius Mulciber trailing close behind, their black cloaks swirling in the dim light.

With a shared determination, the two girls slipped out of the common room, moving quietly through the darkened corridors, their footsteps muffled against the stone floor.

They trailed the boys all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a place that always sent a shiver down Athena's spine.

Riddle paused multiple times along the way, glancing back as if he sensed their presence, but he quickened his pace, urgency evident in his every step, eager to avoid being caught out after curfew—especially heading toward the ominous forest.

"Ouch," Lucinda whispered suddenly, grimacing in pain. She glanced down, noticing droplets of blood oozing from her ankle where she had grazed it against a sharp thorn.

Athena shot her a warning look, a mix of concern and irritation, before turning her gaze back to the dark expanse of the Forbidden Forest, where shadows danced beneath the trees.

They crouched behind a tree, their hearts pounding as they observed the boys—clad in black hoods—form a tight circle around Riddle.

One by one, they knelt before him, bowing deeply as if he were some dark master commanding their loyalty.

Athena's lips parted in shock, and she was sure Lucinda's did as well; both of them were frozen in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

Seven Slytherin boys were kneeling around Tom Marvolo Riddle, who seemed utterly unfazed as he looked down at them, an air of authority surrounding him. He began to circle them slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, a predator surveying his prey.

Seven.

The number that held so much significance in the Wizarding World.

"Holy Merlin," Lucinda breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath, the weight of the moment suffocating.

Athena didn't even bother closing her mouth—it only dropped further when the seven boys murmured in unison, "My Lord."

To see each one of the boys was a greater shock than the rest: Abraxas, Antonin Dolohov, Cygnus Black, Dorian Nott, Edmund Avery, Titus Lestrange, Marius Mulciber.

All pureblood heirs, bowing to someone they deemed lesser than themselves.

"Rise," Riddle commanded, his voice cold and cutting through the night air.

None of them hesitated, rising as one, their expressions a mixture of reverence and fear.

"My lord," Titus Lestrange began, his gaze flicking nervously from Riddle to the ground. "The mudblood is dead, and there are whispers Hogwarts will shut down. What do we do now?"

"What I do shall never be questioned," Riddle replied, his tone frigid. A mocking smile curled his lips as a few of them flinched under his gaze.

Except for Abraxas. He stood tall and unwavering, his expression devoid of fear, as if he had nothing left to lose.

"There are still filthy mudbloods in Hogwarts, tainting it," Antonin Dolohov spat, curling his lip in disgust. Cygnus Black nodded in agreement, his disdain palpable. "Hogwarts would be better off without such filth."

"Hogwarts will be no more," Lestrange countered, glaring at Dolohov, who merely rolled his eyes in response. He finally turned his gaze back to Riddle, his voice low and urgent. "Abraxas's sister has suffered enough. She has been blamed for too long, and we've all seen enough of these petrifications. And a murder? We've all witnessed too much—"

Athena stilled at the mention of her, her heart racing.

She ignored Lucinda's worried glance and strained to listen, her focus entirely on the gathering.

"Do not speak of my sister," Abraxas snapped, his voice sharp.

Dorian Nott chimed in, his tone challenging. "If you're not up to this, Lestrange, then why did you join the Knights of Walpurgis? This is only the beginning—"

"Enough!" Riddle's voice sliced through the air like a knife, his glare turning icy. He suddenly turned his head sharply to the side—directly at the tree where Athena and Lucinda hid. Something dark flickered in his eyes as he announced, "We have guests."

"Shit—"

"Not shit," Athena interrupted her friend, her voice firm. She turned to Lucinda, urgency in her tone. "Stay here."

Lucinda opened her mouth to protest, but Athena silenced her with a fierce look that left no room for argument.

Taking a deep breath, Athena stepped forward, revealing herself from behind the tree. The gasps and shocked expressions of the boys faded into the background as her gaze locked with Riddle's, a mix of defiance and fear coursing through her.

Riddle stared at her, his jaw clenched tight, eyes flashing dangerously. He stepped closer, pointing his wand at her with a menacing intensity. "You."

"Me," Athena shot back, forcing a grin despite the pounding of her heart.

Her eyes darted to the shocked faces of the boys, landing on Titus Lestrange, who shook his head in warning, his expression a mixture of concern and disbelief.

But she looked away, focusing back on Riddle.

"Athena." Abraxas rushed over to her side, positioning himself protectively in front of her. He faced Riddle with unwavering resolve. "Riddle," he said, his voice steady. "You won't hurt her."

Riddle's lip curled in disdain. "It's sheer luck that you're my right-hand man, Abraxas, or she would have taken Myrtle Warren's place long ago, if not at this very moment."

"I'll thank Merlin for that luck then," Abraxas shot back, turning to Athena with a firm grip on her shoulders. "Leave, Athena. You've seen enough. Just go—"

"She has seen enough, but you all have not." Riddle's gaze shifted back to the spot Athena had emerged from, a cruel smirk forming on his lips. "Come out, Avery."

Edmund stepped forward immediately upon seeing his sister. "Luci." He rushed to her, wrapping her in a protective embrace, his eyes darting to Riddle with a mixture of anger and concern at the thought he knew was in Riddle's head. "No. I won't allow this."

"It's not about what you allow," Riddle replied coolly, his eyes glancing disdainfully between the two sets of siblings. He rolled his eyes at the softness of his followers, unimpressed. "I have to obliviate them. This isn't up for discussion."

"Obliviate my arse, Riddle," Athena shot back, crossing her arms defiantly and raising an eyebrow.

Riddle's expression darkened further. He opened his mouth to retort, nostrils flaring with rage as he stepped closer, raising his wand at her.

Then he closed his mouth, nodding curtly. "Fine, then. You have two choices: I obliviate you both, or you join me and become my followers."

"Neither!" Abraxas exclaimed in fury, stepping forward. "You promised you wouldn't drag her into this. That's how I accepted becoming your right-hand man and helped you all these years."

It took all of Athena's strength to merely purse her lips and not think more about the fact that Abraxas had put her safety first all these years without her knowing.

It took all her strength to remain steady, despite the ache in her heart.

"You accepted because you believe it will lead your family to greatness," Riddle shot back, eyebrow raised. "That deal was only a secondary concern."

"It still was a deal," Abraxas argued stubbornly, ignoring the disbelief on Athena's face. "Leave her alone, or I'll walk away."

"As will I," Edmund added, still holding onto Lucinda, his gaze as hard as steel as he faced Riddle.

"I can't let them wander knowing about the Knights," Riddle said, glaring at the two brothers. He motioned dismissively toward their sisters. "They will tell everyone."

"We won't," Lucinda replied, rolling her eyes, her voice muffled against Edmund's shirt. "I couldn't care less, Riddle."

Riddle stared at her for a moment, then turned his gaze to Athena. "And you?"

"Knights of Walpurgis is a terrible name, by the way," Athena shrugged as everyone turned to stare at her in disbelief. She waved a hand dismissively when Riddle's glare sharpened. "I won't tell anyone, Riddle. Not if Abraxas remains safe."