SCORPIO ROSIER

"So I was thinking, since there's a Hogsmeade trip soon, we could go to Madam Puddifoot's together?" Aries smiled nervously, annoyingly different from the reckless, take-no-prisoners boy I knew.

"I'm busy," I replied, looking away.

"Well, there's the Quidditch game-"

"Busy."

"How about-"

"Maybe some other time, okay?"

"But-"

"I've got class. See you soon."

I turned on my heel, knowing Aries was watching me, his heart breaking slowly. at this point, I couldn't help it. I just didn't want to see him, didn't want to be near him, didn't want anything to do with him. I was just... done. I was so, so done with Aries.

The worst part of all that?

He'd done nothing.

It was all me.

Retreating down an all-too-familiar wing of the castle, I looked up to see Leo leaning against the wall, boredly examining her nails. "What took you so long, Rosier?" she asked.

"Got held up."

"Didn't realise you and your brat sister were so alike."

"Shut up, Snyde. Where are the others?"

"Inside."

I focused on the wall, willing for a door to open, willing to reach her...

A small, brown door appeared, letting me into a large, palatial conference room, complete with stools for seating, large chandeliers and polished walls. Virgo and Capricorn sat on stools, silently conversing, while the Patil boy and Gemini Rookwood stood in silence. Gemini looked handsome as always, a smirk on his face as he watched Leo and I walk in. Aquarius, however, stood absolutely still, his sharp features at complete rest. For some strange reason, that made him more attractive than Gemini in my eyes. "Well, well, if it isn't the most ornamental member of our little organisation," Leo chimed, approaching Gemini.

(Conference room)

"Takes one to know one," Gemini replied as Leo got (uncomfortably) close to him.

That would've been enough to cause most people to blush and get flustered, but Gemini retained his composure, confident in his movements and words. This was Leo's pattern with every boy unlucky enough to cross her path - lure him him, tangle him up and then kill him, like some sort of venomous spider. Sometimes I wondered if she could change. I wondered if she could fix herself, if she could stop being so cold.

"Can we start the meeting?" Capricorn asked, looking irritated, even though we all knew she was more jealous than anything else. The reason she'd tried so hard to become the best, to become the boss of this joint, was because of her obsession with Leo. Because of her feelings for Leo.

"Quit daydreaming, Rosier," Virgo snapped, arms crossed over her chest. "R-right."

I chided myself internally. I didn't get flustered. I was better than that. Stronger than that. "I've kept an eye on my sister and her friends. You know, Granger, Weasley, Potter, Shacklebolt. Potter acted up in Umbridge's class. Same old garbage he's been spewing since Diggory died."

I looked Virgo dead in the eye as I finished. "And I don't daydream, Virgo. I don't answer to you either. We both know how besmirched the Selwyn name is in the Dark Lord's ranks, so don't do something you'll regret, got it?"

Somehow, this didn't intimidate her. She glared at me questioningly. She was challenging me, prompting me to make a move. To do something I would regret later on. They were right-she did resemble a bird of prey. Her eyes reminded me of a falcon, her broad shoulders of an eagle. Imposing, but beautiful. Majestic and stately.

Virgo Selwyn.

"Patil?" I asked, breaking up the tension. "You haven't failed to disappoint us thus far. Got anything new?"

"Actually, yes," Aquarius replied, pulling a piece of faded parchment from the pocket of his robe. "I have reason to believe this is Granger's writing. She drafted some sort of secret society in Umbridge's class the other day. She ripped up the parchment, and I found a piece of it. Didn't take long to use the Summoning charm and put together as much of it as I could."

"What do you propose we do with your findings?" I asked. Even though my expression was unwavering, I was shocked on the inside with this boy's ability to procure something from nothing. His resourcefulness, his intelligence, his cunning-it all impressed me.

"I believe we should send in one of our own," Aquarius replied, wringing his hands.

"Would you be the one going in?" Virgo inquired.

"No. Rookwood will."

Gemini turned away from Leo, the smile wiped clean off his face.

"What?" he asked, looking incredibly shocked.

"You have a way with your words, Gemini," Aquarius began, stepping forward. "You can work your way into their little organisation, find out what they're up to and destroy their plan from the inside."

"Well, that's just-"

"Brilliant." Leo cut Gemini off, walking toward Aquarius. "You know, Patil, I've got a thing for guys with brains."

"You've got a 'thing' for every guy at Hogwarts, as long as he's 5'6" or taller," Aquarius answered, not at all fazed by her attempts to win him over. "This meeting is adjourned, correct?"

"Yes," I replied. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious-"

"Before we go, I'd like to propose the addition of Draco Malfoy to this little group of ours," Capricorn said, standing up.

"Ooh, yes! He's quite the catch..." Leo began.

"Absolutely not." Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo and myself chimed at almost the same time.

"I never get to have any fun anymore!" Leo whined, pouting.

"Draco Malfoy can't be trusted, and neither can his family," Gemini said, standing up a little straighter.

"I second that," Aquarius added.

"He's not joining us," I concluded. "And before you open your mouth to say such things, Delacour, you need to consult privately about them with me. I run things around here, got it?"

With that, everyone split up, Leo cozying up to Aquarius on her way out.

.....

PISCES SHACKLEBOLT

"Hey, Pi-"

"What the hell do you want, Sagittarius?"

My idiot brother wasn't exactly the person I wanted to run into first thing in the morning. I had things to do, observations to make, places to be. Listening to my dimwitted twin only slowed me down and made my blood boil.

"No need to get your panties in a knot," he said, walking backwards so that he could face me. "Dad wanted me to ask about you. Says he hasn't heard from you in ages."

"He'll hear from me when he does," I replied. "Run along, now, brother. Don't you have Dungbombs to throw or something?"

Sagittarius rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving me alone to make my way up into Trelawney's room. Pulling the mask over my face, I pulled the red coat over myself. This way, she couldn't put a name to the person. Drawing the wand I had crafted almost entirely from scratch, the wand I called my 'burner wand', I approached Trelawney, fast asleep on top of a table in the room. My hand hit her cheek as I slapped her and she awoke suddenly, looking up at me.

"How are we, Professor?" I asked, smirking as the teacher recoiled, terrified. "Forgive me for my lack of manners. There's just something I need to... check..."

Concentrating on my power, on my intentions, I flicked my wand, watching as Trelawney's eyes rolled up, only the whites visible. The whites were soon replaced by a golden glow emanating from the seer's eyes, her mouth open. "Show me what you saw," I uttered, placing my hands around Trelawney's head as the images registered in her subconscious flowed into my own brain. I gasped, the vertigo from this practice causing me physical pain.

Nothing, as always. Trelawney's thoughts were scattered. Indecipherable. It was next to impossible to make sense of it all. Perhaps that was the loophole with this 'Legilimens' spell. Maybe the actual ability was required to perform a full mental scan.

Or maybe Trelawney's conscience was just as scattered as her presence. Pressing my wand to her head, I pulled her memory of our encounter, leaving no mental residue. After some hesitation, I pulled her memories of me as well, rewriting them as a I placed them back into her mind. Trelawney opened her eyes, looking at me in surprise, like she hadn't expected to see me here. "What are you doing here?" she asked, smiling.

"Just brought you some tea, Professor," I replied, summoning a cup of hot tea as subtly as I could muster.

"Thank you, sweetheart!" Trelawney replied, drinking the tea I had procured. I left the room, annoyed. It wasn't working.

But I knew what would work...

Standing in front of the wall, I concentrated, allowing the magic of the castle to meld with my brain. Let me leave them a message.

The room opened up for me, a room of operations of some sort, and I placed the letter on a stool, making sure to read over it before I placed it there.

To whomever it may concern,

As requested, I have procured new information about Arthur Weasley. This information is situated inside the book 'Muggles: They're Just Like Us'. I have left this book somewhere only the brains of your operation to take down Granger's new club would know. I expect payment as usual. 50 galleons for this information, 50 more for files on the other Weasleys. Leave payment hidden under the third stool from the right in this room. I will collect it later. Be careful and don't get caught.

- Morgana

I turned and left, the letter behind me.

This is how you rise in a world of darkness.