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SITTING through History of Magic class, Athena could not help but let out a sigh as Professor Cuthbert Binns droned on and on about how Hogwarts was founded—as if they hadn't learned that in the same class years ago.

Still, she had to sit through the hour-long class, glancing at the clock on the wall every few minutes.

Tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, she took a look around the classroom and noticed everyone else looking as bored as she felt.

Cygnus Black was scribbling absentmindedly in his notebook, his quill flicking across the page in disjointed patterns. Druella, sitting beside him, had her head tilted to one side, eyes unfocused as she stared at the mess of doodles.

On another desk sitting were Abraxas and Tom Riddle. Abraxas was out cold, deep asleep, his cheek pressed into the crook of his arm, snoring lightly. Tom Riddle, however, sat upright, his face impassive as he absorbed every word of Binns' lecture, his dark eyes fixed on the front of the room.

On the desk behind them were Antonin Dolohov and Dorian Nott. Antonin was staring into nothing, obviously zoned out with his head on his hand, while Dorian Nott fidgeted with his Slytherin tie, twisting it tighter around his neck with an expression of mild frustration, as if it were personally attacking him.

Athena turned to her left. Lucinda, her best friend, was slumped over her desk, head buried in a textbook. Drool trailed from her chin onto the pages. Athena winced. How does she even sleep like that? She wondered, knowing that wasn't a comfortable sleeping position.

With another sigh, she glanced at the Gryffindor side of the classroom.

She did not know most of them if she was being honest, but she knew Fleamont Potter and Lyall Lupin—both of whom were in a hushed argument over the chocolate frog in Lupin's hand as if it was the last one in the world. Euphemia, seated in front of them, chuckled softly, shaking her head, though her attention remained on Binns.

Then, there was a guy with glasses Athena did not recognize. And a girl with a ponytail and blonde hair, staring dreamily at him instead of focusing on the lesson.

Shaking her head, Athena looked away and focused on the textbook in front of her.

Focus. Only five minutes left, she thought to herself. Though, she could not help but debate whether she should follow Lucinda's example and fall asleep as well. She definitely needed it, especially after staying up the night before working on an essay.

Athena wondered if all the hard work she had been putting into her studies and into the 'top student' title over the past few years were with it at all.

She knew that her mother would jump at the opportunity to marry her off, like she had tried to do when Titus Lestrange had offered to betrothe her. And she didn't know if any man she'd be pushed to get betrothed to would want her working.

But that was a long time away.

Abraxas had to get betrothed first for her to even matter at all. Thank Merlin for that.

The bell ringing snapped Athena out of her thoughts, making her jump to her feet and pack her textbook, quill, bottle of ink, and her wand into her bag.

She leaned over, shaking Lucinda out of her deep sleep while other students filed out of the classroom.

Lucinda didn't even open her eyes. "Five more minutes," she mumbled sleepily.

With a quiet huff of annoyance, Athenae snatched the textbook from underneath her friend's head, ignoring the soft snore that escaped Lucinda's parted lips. In one swift motion, she slammed the book down onto the desk, the noise sharp and sudden.

Lucinda jolted awake, her eyes wide with alarm as she shot upright, barely missing the edge of the desk with her nose. She blinked a few times, clearly disoriented, and then scowled. "What was that for?" she mumbled, rubbing her face as she sat up straight, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

"Class is over," she said flatly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lucinda blinked, looking around as if she had just woken up from a long nap. "Oh. Guess I missed that."

Athena rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, watching the slow exodus of students. Cygnus and Druella were already gone, whispering something that probably wasn't worth overhearing. Abraxas had snored his way through the last five minutes, still blissfully unaware of the world around him. Tom Riddle, predictably, was the first to leave with an unreadable glance in her direction.

Then came Dorian Nott, who lingered at the edge of their desk. Athena noticed him before he even spoke—his posture too casual, his movements just a little too deliberate. But it wasn't until he leaned closer that she caught sight of the new purple mark on his neck, dark and bruised against his pale skin. She didn't comment on it, though; she just raised a brow, letting him believe she hadn't noticed.

"The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw is tonight," Dorian said, his voice low and smooth. His eyes flickered to Lucinda, the gleam of mischief unmistakable. "Will you help me hex their brooms?"

Lucinda's eyes lit up immediately, a grin spreading across her face like she'd been waiting for exactly that. "Whose?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Her fingers drummed lightly on the edge of the desk in anticipation.

For years, Slytherins were accused of playing dirty. Even when they played and won fair and square, they were sneered at and called cheaters.

In return, that led to Slytherins actually playing dirty. Might as well do something you were already accused of.

Dorian gave her a look, the kind that said who else without needing to say the words. "Gryffindor's," he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He shoved his hands in his pockets, a bag slung over his shoulder and glanced at Athena, knowing her answer, but still asking, "Will you join?"

"Of course not," scoffed Athena. She shot Dorian a glance, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You two are kids, you know?" she said, her voice tinged with the disbelief that always came when she had to deal with their antics.

Lucinda, unfazed, waved her hand dismissively at Athena's disapproval. "I'll meet you outside their locker rooms an hour before the game starts," she said to him, the excitement in her voice too evident to be ignored.

Dorian grinned even further. "I'll see you then," he replied just before following his other friends that filed out the classroom.

The library was still Athena's favorite place in Hogwarts.

Whenever she stepped foot in it, the whispers of knowledge made her heart swell with love.

While everyone else was watching the Quidditch game, Athena sat down in her usual spot in the library after taking a new book out of the shelves. The book in her hands, called "Witchcraft and Wizardry: The Founders' Legacy", was a book about the four founders of Hogwarts and how Hogwarts came to be created.

Athena did not know how she hadn't read the book before after being in Hogwarts for the past two years. Though, she remembered how she was more focused on books about the dark arts rather than informative books about Hogwarts.

Still, the book now in her hand was going to keep her occupied for the night and would keep her thoughts away from more pressing matters.

She glanced at the letter peeking out of her bag—the letter that Abraxas received from their parents that morning and finally had given it to her to look at.

Only the last sentence was about her. The sentence that said, in her mother's cursive handwriting, Athena is to be home this Yule with you.

And Yule was less than a week away.

She did not know what to do.

Knowing she didn't want to go back to Malfoy Manor, Athena wondered if it would be worth it to defy her mother's order and stay at Hogwarts instead.

The more she thought about it, the more the idea seemed appeasing.

Abraxas would protect her, anyway.

With a nod, Athena made her decision and focused on the book in front of her as she read.

Her eyes followed the text and the information about Salazar Slytherin when she remembered the boy in her year that was related to that very founder—

"Stalking my family?" asked a drawling voice in boredom.

Athena clenched her jaw before looking at him.

How did the universe keep reminding her that she was the unluckiest girl in the world? Was everything else not enough?

"You are too full of ego," Athena said, her voice laced with cold disdain as she curled her lip, eyes narrowing slightly.

He didn't even seem to acknowledge the sting in her tone. Instead, he pulled out the empty chair across from her with a deliberate slowness, the scrape of it against the floor echoing in the quiet room. Without breaking eye contact, he sat down, his movements smooth and calculated, as though he were in complete control of the situation.

"Is that so?" Riddle raised an eyebrow in amusement. He crossed his arms, eyes never leaving hers. "Here I am to... assist... you in a particular situation, and the first thing you say to me has to be so... you?"

She rolled her eyes when he curled his lip in the end. But when his words finally registered, her eyes narrowed even further as she looked at him in confusion and suspicion.

"What assistance?"

At that, Riddle smirked. He leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table between them, then said, "I know about that letter." He motioned towards the letter peeking out of her bag with a nod. Riddle watched her closely, his eyes glinting with an unreadable calculation.

He leaned in just a little further, as if drawing her into his web with each word. "I can offer you something," he continued, his voice smooth but carrying an underlying intensity. "In return, I need you to—" He paused, and for the first time, Athena saw a flicker of hesitation, just enough to make her sit up straighter, suspicion flooding her features. "Join the Knights of Walpurgis." The words dropped from his mouth with surprising gravity in a whisper.

Athena immediately scoffed, causing his eyes to flicker with heavy disdain.

Not caring for it, she stood in her seat and shook her head in disbelief, putting the book in her bag and planning to spend her time in her dorm room instead.

"You are unbelievable," she retorted, still shaking her head in disbelief. She slung the bag over her shoulder after closing it and took a step forward, planning to leave.

But Riddle's hand shot out, his firm grip on her arm immediately, stopping her from moving. His gaze held a sense of urgency that made her pause and hear him out.

"You need my offer a lot more than I need you, Ravena." Riddle stared into her eyes, each word coming out as urgent as his eyes showed.

Though, when he realized it, his grip on her arm fell and the emotion in his eyes left immediately—and he curled his lip, as if disgusted at himself for letting himself go for a moment. Still, he shoved his hands in his pockets and awaited her answer.

"I am not a follower," said Athena dangerously, eyes flashing at his audacity. "Don't you dare ask of this from me again, Riddle. I swear it, you will regret it if you do."

Stepping aside, she immediately left, her footsteps faster than usual in an effort to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Malf—Ravena!" he called out after her, but she did not stop.

And did not look back.

Because whatever 'offer' he had, she would be giving up a lot more to become a mere follower.

Her dignity, her pride, her reputation—all the hard work she put into her studies in an effort to become so much more—all would go down the drain if she became a follower.