Harry Potter's revenge

Do you think she'll come?" Daphne asked.

"She may. She seems quite capable of sneaking out to the Alley. On the other hand, she might have been caught, or she never opened the book, or the Blacks have a prior engagement, or, and I admit this is a low chance event, she didn't want to."

Daphne stifled an unladylike snort. "A witch seeking the dark arts not wanting to attend a party after being invited personally by Lord Slytherin? I just don't see that happening."

Harry looked towards the small blonde beside him. "I do find it unlikely, but remember, we've been purposefully altering people's perceptions of what Slytherin stands for. It's bound to alienate the more hardcore blood-supremacists, and we don't know how indoctrinated Alex is by the stuff she's read in the Black Library."

Daphne acknowledged his point with a slight tip of her glass.

Suddenly, the floo flared green, and a small figure stepped out, wearing an elegant black-laced dress robe, and a Lord-Slytherin-style, black mask.

Harry and Daphne watched the figure hand the master of ceremonies an invitation before holding a short conversation with him. The man nodded, straightened, and called out…

"Miss Incognito."

Harry snorted. Daphne looked dumbstruck.

"Wow. Way to call attention to yourself. Someone reads far too much historical fiction," he said, as every head in the hall turned to the floo.

The young witch looked uncomfortable at the sudden attention, but rallied, and strode over to a food table on the opposite side of the room to him and Daphne.

The general hubbub of the party resumed, and Daphne spoke. "I'm guessing Lord Black has been taking it light on the social training. What do you bet everyone in the hall knows she's the Black Heiress by the end of the party?"

Harry grinned. "You know I don't take losing bets."

"Are you going to introduce yourself now?"

"Nah. Give it a half-hour. Let her sweat for a bit. She's not getting any good conversation when no one knows who she is, apart from being treated like a guess-my-name-puzzle. Oh. I spoke too soon."

An even smaller blonde, this one a centrifuge of energy, had barrelled over the ballroom floor towards 'Miss Incognito,' and was now attempting to draw the lace-dressed witch into a mile-a-minute dialogue.

Daphne sighed. "Oh, Tori."

His grin widened. "You love her."

"I do, but I wish—"

"—Hey, I wouldn't change a thing about her. Enthusiasm like that is a rare commodity."

The Black heiress was now being dragged out of the ballroom and into one of the many antechambers.

"Guess I'll go introduce myself earlier then."

Daphne nodded. "Good luck, my lord."

Five minutes later, Harry opened the door Astoria had dragged Alexandra through to find them both happily engaged in conversation, Alex leaning on an ornate dinning table. When Alex saw him, she snapped up, and immediately dropped a curtsey.

"My Lord Slytherin."

"Miss Incognito. Although I'm sure our inimitable Astoria has already done so, I'd like to personally welcome you to Greengrass Manor. Astoria, could you excuse us a moment?"

Astoria giggled and also dropped a curtsey. "Yes, my Lord Slytherin." Before dashing out of the room.

The door clicked shut.

The two regarded each other, both masked, one, tall and comfortable, the other, smaller and stiff.

"You made quite an entrance, Miss Black. If your purpose was to keep your father knowing you're here, that may not have been the best way."

"Kuh. It wasn't easy getting here you know." She sounded defensive. "I had to slip sleeping potion in my old man's biscuits."

"But you managed it."

"Yes, I did. Umm… Thank you for buying me the book."

"You're welcome."

"What was that potion you said I should use? I didn't recognise it."

"Ageing potion."

The girl slapped her mask in a theatrical gesture of chagrin. "Of course. And…"—her voice changed to confused—"…you carry ageing potion around with you?"

"Why are you interested in the dark arts, Miss Black?"

She shifted, uncomfortable. "Well, they're really interesting."

"You don't need to pretend with me. I know more dark magic than perhaps any other person alive."

"More than held in the Black Library?" She sounded hungry.

"The Black Library no doubt holds many secrets that I do not know, but, as a whole, yes, far more than the Black Library."

"Is that why you invited me here? The Black Library?"

"No. I'm far more interested in you, Miss Black."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. It's rare these days for a young witch to be both independently interested in the dark arts, and have the potential resources to pursue those interests. And I'm also still interested as to the why."

"I'm… I'm not sure I'm comfortable discussing that right now."

"That's okay. There are many reasons for walking the path we walk, and many of them are very private."

She made a gesture of grateful thanks.

"There is another thing. There is someone I'd like you to meet."

"Who?"

He walked over to a nearby low chair, sat down, and wordlessly invited Alexandra to sit opposite him. "Miss Black," he started after the raven-haired girl had sat down, "what I am about to tell you is a closely guarded secret. If you can't keep secrets then I suggest you say so, and we'll part ways now."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "No, I can keep secrets. I succeeded in keeping out my instructor's probes last month."

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