Joining-Cj and Ellei

I stood up and walked back to the school. I was going to go sit in my room while I thought it out to make sure the choice I had chosen was the right one for me. I sighed pushing open the doors to the great hall and walking down to the duengens. I gave the wall the password and entered. It was empty everyone was at Breakfast or on their way to their first class. Looked as if I was skipping today too. But I had more important things on my mind then lessons. I sat on my bed thinking it over. Yes I had soemthing to lose but what was the point if I was going to lose him to that french brat whatever side I chose anyway. No point.

After Rahj and I finished up breakfast, I looked at the schedule for today. I had Charms first, and that was with the Slytherins. Maybe Vena would have calmed down enough that I could sit next to her and try to explain myself. But when I got to the classroom, Vena wasn't there. I shook my head and sat next to Rahj and Doc. It felt strange, hanging around with them again, even if it had only been a few days since I had started spending all my time with Vena. I actually paid attention and took notes in charms for the first time since school began, while answering every question about Celine that wasn't vulgar or directed at me by a Slytherin. Eris glanced at me a few times during class, looking smug, as if my sitting with my friends was some kind of triumph for her. Surely she didn't think that I was abandoning Vena. I was just giving her the space that she needed to figure herself out.

I managed to make it through Transfiguration, as well, where Vena was once again absent. I approached a Slytherin prefect and quietly asked if she was in the Slytherin commons, but I was only scoffed at. I assumed she was in the Chamber and just tried to get on with my day. It was only a few more hours until Celine would be here and the school would have something brand-new to talk about.

I sat on my bed. Yes. I was going to go my plan. I dicided I would go for a walk into the tower that I had showed Scor once. I got up and walked to it making sure that I wasn't seen by teachers or students going to their next class. I saw Scor on his way to whatever class he had but walked by him unseen. That was a skill I had learnt but barley ever used. In a crowd it's easy to make yourself unreconised, it just doesn't work on your own. I got to the tower and sat by the window looking out over the grounds. Was this the last time I would ever be at Hogwarts? I shook my head. It couldn't possibly be. But my only thought was the next time I was here I would most likley be fighting the people in it. Lost in my thoughts Ilooked out the window and saw a carrige pull up outside the gates, I hadn;t notice the time pass and this was probably the french brat Scor was bethroed too. I saw Scor walking down the lawn and dicided to join him. It would most likley be the last time. I ran down the stairs and into the yard and got to Scor when he was halfway across the yard.

The hours passed quicker with my friends than they seemed to with Vena, and before I knew it someone had informed me that a carriage was awaiting me outside. I knew it must be Celine, so I straightened up my robes and headed out to the lawn. I tried not to appear to be in too much of a hurry. I was about halfway down when I realized that someone was walking just behind me - Vena. I almost let my joints and vocal chords freeze up in panic, but I knew that she'd know she got the best of me. "Hey, Vena. Glad to see you came down to welcome the French minister's daughter. Dumbledore will consider you positively social." I didn't wait for an answer, just kept on walking toward the carriage. Before I quite got there, though, the door flew open and I watched as a blur of turquoise robes came running towards me. Before I knew it there were arms around my neck and I was hugging back.

"Good to see you, Lin," I said through a mouthful of her blonde hair, which she had worn all the way down her back when we were younger, but was now chopped off neatly at her shoulders. Finally she pulled away from me and I tried to keep from changing my facial expression. Celine, who at 13 had been rambunctious and still what you might term a "cute kid" now look sophisticated and elegant. She was absolutely gorgeous.

"It is wonderful to see you to, Peri! I was so excited when Monsieur Malfoy owled Father. I've been dying to get away from that school full of girls for ages." She smiled broadly at me and then noticed that we were not alone. "And who is your friend?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes as the french brat when she tackled Scor. So much for elegansy. They talked slightly and she asked Scor who I was. Not waiting for Scor to answer I answered. "Vena Riddle." I held out my hand and rolled my eyes again when she froze, it irked me beyond belief when people did that, come on seriously. I suppose they had a reason now, not that they knew what the reason was. "And you are?" I asked pretending not to notice her frozen posture. I let my hand drop. "Nevermind." I scowled twirling my wand that I hadn't notice was in my hand I tried to recall when I had taken it out.

I sighed. This was how it was going to be between them? Leave it to girls to make a situation as awkward as it could possibly be. "This," I said waving a hand at our new arrival, "is Celine Mathilde Sangpur, daughter of the French Minister of Magic, Monsieur Adrien Sangpur, and his lovely wife Clarisse. She's a good childhood friend of mine." I hoped we could leave it at that, but of course, Celine's pride was hurt from her momentary freeze from facing down Vena.
"Oh, not just childhood friends anymore, silly," she said, and I realized that her English was much better than the last time I had seen her, although her accent was still thick. "Peri and I have been engaged to be married for eight months now. Mama is simply bursting with joy that I get to come and stay with you. She is very confident that it will secure the bond between our families." Looking back at Vena, she gave a small, simpering smile. "Papa believes that Peri here will one day be the English minister."

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. This girl was seriously unbelieaveable. "Nice to meet you." I said untruthfully personally I would prefer it if she stayed in France, but as I was leaving soon I suppose it didn't matter. "Should we get up to dinner?" I asked.The other two nodded and we set up to the castle Scor and the french girl talking happily to each other. We got to the hall and I ignored the french girl and turned to Scor. "I'm sorry Scor." I said and without waiting for an answer walked off to the SLytherin table.

On the way up to dinner, Vena was silent as per usual, while Celine asked me questions about our school and customs. We soon began to wonder if she'd be placed in Ravenclaw for the sake of proximity to me or if she'd properly sorted like a first year. Personally, I thought it would be more interesting to see her be sorted, as I was entirely unsure where she would end up. She was rambunctious and generally brave, like a Gryffindor; she was pure-blooded, which gave her a decent shot at Slytherin when combined by her tendency to plot; she was very intelligent and so might very well end up in Ravenclaw with me anyway. The only house I couldn't see her landing in was Hufflepuff, since kids as spoiled as us were rarely hard-working.

When we reached that hall, Vena turned to me. "I'm sorry, Scor," she said firmly, and then simply walked away. Celine looked confused and I couldn't say that I was feeling any differently. I was unsure what to think, but Celine continued to pull me along towards where my friends were waving at me. The whole school seemed to turn and look at us. Lin waved elegantly at them all, and when I sat down at the Ravenclaw table she easily rested on the seat beside me and began to spoon food on her plate as if she had been in Hogwarts her whole life. I guess that's how she had learned to behave after all that time traveling the world with her father when she was young. No one at the table had worked up the courage to speak to her yet, so I chatted with her quietly over the quality of the food as we sat in the middle of the Hall with whispering all around us.

I dropped my fork when I saw Vena stand up on the Slytherin table. Something in me snapped, and I realized that I had been waiting for something. In part, I had been waiting for it since I had met her that first day on the train, but more so, I had been waiting for her to do something that she needed to apologize for. The beginning of her speech wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but as soon as the name Voldemort fell from her lips I knew that everything was ruined. This is what she had been planning all along? From the moment I'd met her, she'd been defending her individuality, trying to separate herself from Tom, but now she was leaving to join him. Everything inside me that had grown in the past week was crushed. If she had known she was going to do this, why would she lead me on? Why would she tell me that she loved me and make me believe? Certainly anyone who was abandoning everything good in the world couldn't feel love or compassion. I just couldn't believe that after all I had felt for her, she was turning out just like her father. The teachers had already left the hall in a rush, no doubt putting together emergency plans and getting ready to notify the ministry. Celine looked over at my face, which was covered in the tracks of my tears.
"Nice choice of friends, Peri," she whispered, slipping her hand under the table and into mine. I pulled away from her and got up from the table, headed towards where the teachers were congregating. If this was going to happen, if the world was going to bite back against Vena, I was going to have some kind of say in it.

I looked back over my shoulder to make sure that Lin wasn't following me. Even in my distress I was amused to notice that Doc had finally managed to begin introducing himself to her and she was watching him bemusedly over a forkful of asparagus (Lin had been a vegetarian since we were very small kids). Part of me wanted to let go and just start laughing, try my hardest to just keep laughing until my head got light and I felt dizzy and I could forget everything that had happened so far this school year. But another part of me told me that there was no way I could let that happen. i wasn't sure yet if I knew how I felt about what Vena was doing, her motives, or if any ot the things she'd been telling me were true. Vena was very crafty but somehow I couldn't see the things that had been passed between us in the chamber as any sort of plan. What could she have gotten out of it? Obviously I couldn't be swayed to the Dark side. She hadn't fed me anything that could be false information to mislead our side. Could she really have said all those things to me just to hurt me before she left?

I finally approached the spot where all of the teachers and the headmaster were huddled together. I wasn't surprised to see James Potter standing there among them, although the absece of Desi Vernon, the Head Girl, was a little strange. The Headmistress was looking intently at James and his face was expantant. I reached them just in time to hear what she had to say.

"Could you please get Miss Vernon, and Mr Malfoy while your at it." She then turned and saw Scor. "Just Miss Vernon and meet me in my office." I nodded then walked off to find Desi at the Hufflepuff table. Once I had found her we made our way to Ms. Matcarey's office and gave the password. Once we got up there I noticed that Scor Malfoy was there and Eris too. Maybe they had passed her on their way here.


*Vena*

I appearated to the Riddle Manor. I had a odd feeling that's where he would be. I waved my wand and changed my Hogwarts robes into deep purple ones and set off closer to the manor.

*Eris*

I had waited until Scor was properly out of the hall to get up and follow him. When I got outside of the hall I noticed Scor walking alongside the Headmistress and hurried to catch up. Before I could let Scor know I was walking with them, Mrs. Matcarey glanced over her shoulder and nodded at me. "I didn't think to call or you, Miss Malfoy, but your presence is appreciated." Scor looked surprisedly at me and even though I wanted to feel smug, I was immediately hit by a wave of sadness around him. I could see where the tears had been running down his face and I awkwardly rested a hand on his shoulder as we walked. I wasn't too good at this whole sisterly love thing, but I could at least try. We made it to the office and Scor and I sat quietly as we waited for...well, whoever else we were waiting for. A knock came and after the Headmistress had called for them to enter, James Potter and Desdemona (I wasn't sure whether to call her Desi or Mona, so I tried my best not to speak to her at all) Vernon walked into the room. My heart jumped and I reminded myself that now was not the time.

*Scor*

I was surprised by my sister's attempt at a show of affection or support, and at a time like this I was appreciative of what I could get. Wasn't all that had happened today solid proof that Eris knew what was best for me? I wiped my face up on my sleeves until the Head Boy and Head Girl came. Mrs. Matcarey cleared her throat and looked at all of us. "I've called you here because you are the foremost students at our school. Our Head Boy and Girl," she said, nodding at James and Desi, "the CLEAR choice for next year's Head Boy," she said, tilting her head towards me, "and the head of our new defense club," she finished, waving a hand at Eris. "Hogwarts does not usually wish to involve its students, especially those who are underage, in dangerous matters, but I find that this instance is highly different than any the school has ever been in. I think that you students will know much more how to deal with Miss Riddle, especially you, Mr. Malfoy."

I quietly nodded but inside my head I disagreed. If this morning had taught me anything, it was that I really didn't know anything about Vena. Everything I had thought about how wonderful and different she was had been a sham. "How do you expect us to help, Ms. Matcarey?" I asked.

I walked into the Manor my senses alert just in case some idiot of a Death Eater tried to hex me. I had my wand at the ready of course but you never knew where a spell or hex was coming from. I walked up the old stairs they creaked loudly and I sighed knowing that my presence would be known if it hadn't been before. I flash of red came my way and I deflected it. "Nice way to welcome guests firing spells at them" I shouted out not caring who heard me know. I got to the top of the stairs and noticed three Death Eaters standing there each holding their wand. I rolled my eyes at them. "What is the point" I asked. "To hex me when you don't know who Iam, or why I am here?" "That's a good point. Who are you and why are you here?" A voice rang out.


*James*

"Well, no doubt the third war with the same wizard is about to erupt. This time he has Miss Riddle. Which can;t be a good thing. Expecially as she can appaearte in and out of here." "She can?"Dumbledore asked. "Well unless im mistaking she did it right then." Ms. Matcarey replied. "Interesting." Dumbledoe said. "Interesting? She can get into the school!." "Yes, but how I would love to know. Ive never met anyone who can get around the anti appeartion charms." "Not the point right now Albus. So with Miss Riddle and he-who-must-not-be-named ready to start a war, we must be too."

In the hurry of things, I hadn't even noticed that Vena had apparated out or that it was supposedly impossible to do here at Hogwarts. That was one of the many things she had never mentioned in our few days together. "Well, Ms. Matcarey, obviously the DA is the place to start with something like that, right?" I asked, glancing over at Eris. I bet she'd love teaching those little classes even more now that she knew it was a way to fight against Vena.

"That is one of our options, yes," the Headmistress conceded, "but we don't expect to train our students here as warriors. We will need to get adults on our side. I'm sure Professor Potter can get in touch with the living and willing members of the former Order of the Phoenix. Our teachers here will immediately begin to work on protecting the school even more heavily than usual against attack. We may not be able to keep Miss Riddle out, but we can keep the Death Eaters away."

I nodded. "We are also going to need to be ready to evacaute younger students." I said. "Just in case fighting ends up happening here if Riddle finds a way to get them in." "That is a good point Potter." said. Ms. Matcarey. "We're going to need to think out alot of things of waht to do in emergencys and that sort of thing."

*Vena*

"Well." I said lazily. "Im Venomous Riddle but more commenly known as Vena and you must be T-Voldemort." I had so nearly said Tom. Which probably wasn't smart cause I knew Tom didn't like the name Tom which was why he changed it to Voldemort. "And I am here because I want to join your side."

*Eris*

My palms were a little sweaty and I couldn't really pay attention as they discussed how important the DA would be now. Could I really train students to fight against the Dark Lord? My hearing finally focused in again as the Headmistress was noting a good point James had made. "That's an excellent point, Potter, wish I'd have thought of it myself," I said, although I had no idea what he had suggested. Everyone in the room looked at me curiously and I looked quickly away. I could see the portrait of Dumbledore chuckle out of the corner of my eye. "Anyway, why not just send home all the underage students now? Why wait until they could possible be endangered?"

"Because we can't deprive them of an education until it's necessary," my brother pointed out, being his rational self. "The Ministry would throw fits and so would their parents."

"You are what?" Tom replied. "Do I really need to repeat myself? Because I'm sure you heard it perfectly fine. I want to join your side." "Why?" I rolled my eyes. "Because "dumbledore's side" isn't going to accept me if I chose their side, the majority of them are idiots and I have a feeling this is going to be the winning side at the end of this war."

*James*

"Exactly, we can't send students home they may never end up attacking here but they most likely will. " Ms. Matcarey said. "Weare going to also need Staff and Order members to patroll corriders, just in case Miss. Riddle dicided to 'pop in'" "I dont think she will." Dumbledore said. "Why?"

"I think Miss Riddle will avoid Hogwarts as much as possible between now and any impending attacks. I think there are certain people...well, person....that it would be difficult for Miss Riddle to deal with." I stared up at Dumbledore's portrait in dismay. Why was the old man so perceptive? I thought he was wrong, though. I doubted Vena would treat me any differently than any other student; she'd probably just hex me out of the way and carry on with whatever she was doing.

*Eris*

"Yeah, yeah, everyone's knows she' was Scor's little girlfriend. If she's willing to fight with the Dark Lord I doubt that she has any inhibition about hurting people she knew." I frowned in my brother's general direction and wondered how he had managed to get into such a mess.

Dumbledore sighed. "You would be surprised what love can do to a person. You guys are thinking she is too much like Tom, who couldn't love. She's not that much like him." "But she chose his side." I said. "Because we forced her to." Dumbledore replied. "She knew she had to choice a side, its hard being in the middle. And we pushed her out of our side by ignoring her. Would you chose the side that would prefere it if you didn't exist? No." "But Voldemort abondoned her." I said."Because he can't love. But we can love and we pushed her out. How would that make you feel?"

"That's not true. I never pushed Vena away. She might have felt that way before,but I cared about her in a way that no one here ever did. Where's her excuse then?" I asked, unable to hold back the emotion in my voice. It still stung very badly every time I said her name. Every time my mouth formed the word I thought of that day at the chamber. I'd told her I loved her and now she was gone, set against me and everyone I knew.

Dumbledore sighed sadly. "That may be right Mr. Malfoy but you are one out of a million. She got rejected more then she got accepted. And I think she was tired of it, as anyone would be." "But sir," I said. "Why did she have to chose a side?" "Its hard not being on a side I suppose but in another way it is a bonus. Miss Riddle didn't and doesn't care who lives or dies as long as she gets what she wants in the process." He smiled sadly. "But she felt that Tom's side would get her waht she wants easer." "And how do you know this Sir?" Dumbledore smiled. "I just have a hunch that that is how she feels."

*Eris*

"What exactly DOES she want, sir?" I asked curiously. Certainly if she was joining sides with the Dark Lord she was looking to take over the world, but for what purpose? Did she expect to gain love or acceptance by forcing people into submission? That didn't make any sense to me. I glanced over at James who had a passive but curious look on his face. Or that might have been how he always looked, and I was just reading too much into it. Either way, he glanced my way and caught me looking and I looked back up at Dumbledore again quickly. "What does she have to gain from the Dark Lord's reign?"

"That I don't know. But I dont think she is planning to take over the world. I'm sure she has a plan in her head, and the way she goes out performing that plan won't make any scence to anyone but her. She's the only one that knows exactly what she's aiming for.."

*Vena*

After a incredibly boring conversation Tom agreed to have me on his side. Though I doubted he would say no. But if he did where would it have left me? Stuck in the middle again but even further away from Both sides. I wouldn't be able to get on a side. I wondered what I would have done then.