1st Week of School

Early the next morning, Rowan woke up early and dressed before the other girls even awoke. Down the stairs and into the common room, Rowan finds a seat close to the fireplace. It was the middle of the night when a perturbing thought had occurred to her and awoken her from a deep sleep. 'Just how did Tom Riddle gain access to so many young impressionable Slytherin minds?'

The fire crackles causing Rowan to suppress an automatic flinch. She still flinched in surprise at abrupt sounds. A reflex from years in the making that wouldn't easily go away.

Furrowing her brows, Rowan is in pensive thought. According to the timeline that she knew, Tom Riddle attended Hogwarts from 1938 to 1945. He would have easily made friends. He was popular, charming, and would have easily influenced his generation (with subtle brainwashing). But Bellatrix or Lucius didn't attend Hogwarts until the 1960s and even then, Tom Riddle would have zero access to the two of them since during that same time period, he would be considered missing from 1957 until 1967, at which point, he requested the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts post and is denied by Albus Dumbledore, who is now Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Since Tom Riddle is in no position to teach or model characters such as Bellatrix, then how on earth did he gain access to them? No matter how ignorant the purebloods might be, they wouldn't just let anyone associate with their children without some sort of background check. Considering the blatant corruption in the Ministry of Magic, it would not be difficult to unearth Tom Riddle's past and prevent their children from contacting Tom Riddle.

After all, no matter how much of a purist Tom Riddle may claim to be the truth of the matter is that he was still only a half-blood. But better yet, if Tom Riddle had been introduced somehow to these children in secret, who would be powerful enough to warrant an introduction without causing Tom Riddle to be investigated? Unless it was more than one individual, which would cause the pureblood families to look no further.

Rowan taps her fingers impatiently against the couch. That was the one piece of item that had always bothered her about the Potter timeline. Perchance, then had been a master puppeteer all along. And if so, then, just maybe, Tom Riddle as the unwitting evil puppet of the true puppeteer hidden somewhere in the shadows.

A hidden mastermind would certainly explain a remarkable amount of coincides. A subtle puppeteer could have discreetly or rather casually mentioned the idea of power beyond death prompting the seed to be planted in Riddle's ambitious mind. Frankly, that is all that it would take. Riddle would eagerly do all the hard work and find the means for eternal life, a Horcrux. Confidentially inspired by a fellow parselmouth, Herpo, the Foul.

Surely, there are far easier methods to immortality. The use of the Philosopher's Stone would have a similar effect without requiring the destruction of one's soul. If Riddle could track down the relics of the founders and even the Elder wand at the end of everything, the Philosopher's Stone would be far simpler.

Even more peculiar, why was Tom Marvolo Riddle never caught? Considering his arrogant personality, Riddle should have been attacked if not killed by other Dark Wizards. Surely not all Dark Wizards would have sided with him in his thirst for power for they wished to be the next Grindelwald themselves. And naturally, in the process, he would have naturally made scores of enemies. And if so, then just who had suppressed the countless enemy Dark Wizards the entire time?

"I thought you would be up," a soft voice said from behind causing Rowan to flinch in surprise.

Rowan suppresses her heart pounding as Severus smugly grins at her. "Heh, got you," he teased.

Seeing a scowl towards Severus, Rowan arches her brow at him. "So, what's your excuse? I couldn't sleep."

"It's the first day of classes," Severus loftily said. "One should always be prepared."

Rowan knew for a fact that Severus is brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Fine, let's head down to the Great Hall."

With their school bags, Rowan and Severus wandered through the dungeons and somehow made their way back to the Great Hall. They had always had a pretty good sense of direction. Then again, they had often wandered into the woods and fields to play. It is rather easy to get lost if one doesn't develop a sense of direction.

Sitting at the nearly empty house table, Rowan and Severus sit down glancing at the simple breakfast in front of them. Oatmeal or porridge with toast, milk, and pumpkin juice for breakfast. Rowan selects oatmeal and a slice of toast carefully spreading raspberry jam, before taking a bite. She hadn't taken more than a bit when someone clasps Rowan and Severus's shoulders from behind.

Rowan and Severus's spines become rigid. They hated being snuck up from behind. Glancing back, they turn to see, Prefect Wilkes, standing behind them.

"You two are early risers, eh?" Wilkes cheerfully remarked.

"You are abnormally cheerful for a Slytherin," Severus grumbled as Rowan added, "Or for a Perfect for that matter."

"I just strive to show the world that Slytherins can be just as charming as any old Gryffindor," Wilkes said with a twinkle in his eye as he takes a seat next to them. "Well, have you got any questions on your first day?"

"Is there anyone we should avoid?" Rowan instantly asked.

Wilkes chokes and says, "Well aren't you direct?"

Wilkes paused to spread butter on his toast, before replying, "For first years, you're in pretty good hands. The professors can be strict, but they tend to be a fair bunch. The only teacher that is a real bore is Professor Binns, but that's because he's a ghost. It's a shame really, Professor Bagshot was rather interesting and enthusiastic about the subject, but she retired years before my time. And since then, we've all been stuck with good old boring Binns for History of Magic."

"As for the new Dark Arts Professor, Professor Strives, I have no idea as he's new this year," Wilkes shrugged. "Other than avoiding last year's new Caretaker Filch and his nosey cat, Mrs. Norris, you should be fine."

Wilkes strategically takes a bite of his toast. "But I got the feeling that you two may cause quite a few disasters of your own." Rowan innocently smiles back as Severus snorts in reply.

By the time the majority of students begin to arrive, Severus and Rowan are long finished. Severus peers around before happily spotting Lily and hastily says, "I'll meet you back at our first class."

Rowan shrugs and takes a short walk on the grounds after breakfast to at least get some exercise before heading to their first class, Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Hogwarts had about 142 staircases that moved or vanished different steps or simply led to a different place on a Friday. With the aid of a few portraits, she was successful in being able to find their Transfiguration classroom.

Having arrived early, Rowan takes a seat in the back and saves a seat next to her for Severus. Severus arrives sometime after in a rush and looked like he had possibly been chased by Filch at some point. More than a bit cross at this point in time, Severus stomps over to Rowan and glares at Rowan. "Why'd you keep a seat all the way back here?" Severus snapped as he took the seat next to her.

"So, I can sleep better," Rowan shamelessly replied.

Severus vehemently resists the urge to bash Rowan in the head with his book and gruffly says, "I think I'm going to pretend; I don't know you."

"Tough chance, we're twins," Rowan cheekily muttered.

Severus grumpily takes a seat next to Rowan and says, "I'm picking the seat next time."

"If you can get here first," Rowan cackled causing Severus to roll his eyes as the class quiets down as Professor McGonagall arrives.

The room turns quiet as Professor McGonagall says, "Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous magic's to be learned here at Hogwarts. I will not tolerate misuse of it, you have all been properly warned." With a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall turns her desk into a pig and back as everyone lets out ohh's and ahh's of awe.

Rowan, as usual, doesn't react as Professor McGonagall begins the class and begins to explain the proper first steps on how to use one's wand. The students hurriedly take notes as Rowan dozes with her eyes half-closed. Severus carefully leans away least he be associated with Rowan's ill lapse of judgment.

Afterward, Professor McGonagall explains that they will start with matches causing quite a few to sigh in disappointment. Professor McGonagall hands out matches to the students and tasks them to transform the match into a needle. All the students urgently try except for Rowan who is still dozing off with her eyes half-closed but still managing to appear as though she is intently paying attention.

Rowan suddenly startles awake after a painful nudge from Severus causing her to wince in pain. "What?" Rowan unhappily grumbled.

"You're supposed to be turning this match into a needle," Severus hissed.

"Oh that," Rowan dully said as she rolled up her sleeves and stared at the match for a minute.

Pursing her lips, Rowan waves her wand and suddenly the match turns into a neat needle. "Done," Rowan cheerfully said causing Severus to choke in vexation.

"I clearly saw you; you were dozing off!" Severus growled at the unfairness of it all.

"I read all the textbooks before coming to Hogwarts," Rowan proudly declared.

"So, did I!" Severus countered back.

"Sheer talent, I guess," Rowan shamelessly replied.

Severus snorts in disbelief, "As if I'll believe that."

"No, it's true," Rowan honestly commented. "I can tell you right now, that you will be a great potions master one day, while I will probably be passable if at all."

Severus opens his mouth to speak, before quieting down. He knew that this was Rowan's strange way of saying, she was bad at things too. Severus turns back to his match and furrows his brows. "Anything Rowan can do, I can do too," Severus thought to himself. "After all, we're twins." Feeling that much more confident, Severus flickers his wand as the match also turns into a needle. Maybe not as good as Rowan's, but still a needle.

By the end of the class, only Severus and Rowan have managed to turn their matches into needles. Professor McGonagall carefully shows the class, before saying, "Slytherin twenty points!"

Rowan and Severus blink in surprise as Professor McGonagall gives them a rare smile. "You both did an excellent job on your first try, I thought you each deserved a well-earned ten points," Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"Huh, she's sweet in her own way," Rowan idly thought to herself. Not that she would ever voice out loud lest anyone consider her mad or worse, Professor McGonagall heard her!

With that, the class ends as the students sigh and head to their next class. With a beaming smile, Severus turns to Rowan and confidently says, "I'm just as good as you are!"

"Of course, you're my twin," Rowan sincerely said in praise.

Severus blinks and flushes at Rowan's sincere statement and hastily says, "We better hurry to our next class, we don't want to be late!" Rowan smiles as she too hurries after Severus lest she misses grabbing a seat in the back to take a nap!