Chapter 16
Lilim stirred, the soft dawn light filtering through the enlarged window overlooking the Black Lake. The cool air kissed her skin as she slipped out of bed, her thoughts already racing. The school uniform lay waiting—a necessary disguise to blend in among her peers.
The darkened corridors of the Slytherin dormitory swallowed her footsteps. Stone walls pressed in, a stark contrast to the vast expanses of her homeland. Emerging into the common room, she faced its grandeur—a cavernous space dominated by a roaring fireplace. Emerald green and silver decor adorned the room, an austere elegance reflecting the house’s values of ambition and cunning.
Hushed conversations swirled around her. Noble families and purebloods gathered, discussing alliances and marriages. Their voices dipped lower, veering toward a forbidden topic: joining the Dark Lord after graduation. Lilim observed them, unnoticed. No one recognized her—no whispers about the mysterious girl from the Quidditch World Cup. Only those she’d directly engaged with remembered her presence.
Then, a blonde-haired boy approached, annoyance and curiosity warring on his face. “You’re the one who locked the door on the Hogwarts Express,” he accused, entitlement dripping from his tone.
Lilim met his gaze with icy calm. “You could have used an unlocking spell,” she countered.
His anger flushed his cheeks, but he held back. “Pureblood?” he pressed. “And your family name?”
“If you’d paid attention to McGonagall,” Lilim replied coolly, “you’d know I’m from Russia—a pureblood.”
Draco Malfoy, for that was his name, sneered. "You could be lying to avoid being beaten up for being a lowly mudblood."
Lilim's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint appearing in them. "Are you a mudblood? Because you seem pretty intent on projecting your insecurities."
Draco's face turned red with rage. "You should know my family name. I'm Draco Malfoy."
Lilim internally sighed, hoping not all wizards were as foolish as this one. Draco's gaze turned calculating. "Is your family rich?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Noble?"
"The most ancient and noble," she replied. Technically not wrong, as her family had led the Golden Panther Clan for thousands of years. Lilim began to understand what Draco wanted—an alliance through marriage to gain her family's influence and wealth. Amusing, since she was the last of her family, and he didn't know that.
Draco's next words confirmed her suspicions. "Would your family sign a concubine contract?"
Lilim felt a burning anger inside her. As the daughter of the clan leader, she had always been off-limits and had the freedom to choose whom she married. The concept of a concubine disgusted her. She turned her voice icy, her gaze sharp. "Never. And you're pathetic."
Draco's face contorted with fury. He pulled out his wand, and the common room fell silent, everyone watching the confrontation. Before he could cast a spell, Lilim grabbed his wrist with a vice-like grip, yanking him towards her. With her right knee, she struck him hard in the stomach, making him double over and drop his wand.
Draco let out a choked gasp, his face turning pale as pain radiated from his abdomen. "My father will hear about this!" he wheezed, clutching his stomach and struggling to breathe.
Lilim looked down at him with disdain, her voice dripping with contempt. "Sad, you need your father to fight your battles for you."
Draco attempted to stand, but Lilim didn't give him the chance. She swiftly kicked his wand across the floor, out of his reach, and leaned in close. "Next time, think before you speak," she whispered, her tone deadly serious.
She turned and left the common room, the silence behind her punctuated by Draco's labored breathing and the hushed murmurs of the other students. As she exited the common room, the other Slytherins began to follow, casting her curious and somewhat fearful glances. Lilim made her way to her first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts, her mind already focused on the lessons ahead.
The rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor was annoying, but she knew she would have to deal with it. She took a deep breath, calming the anger that still simmered within her.
Lilim entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with the other Slytherins, taking in the surroundings. The walls were adorned with various magical artifacts and posters depicting dark creatures. As expected, nearly no Gryffindor students were present, except for the ever-diligent Hermione Granger. Lilim could feel Hermione's gaze on her as she walked to a seat near the back.
Slowly, more students filtered into the room, most of them Slytherins. Lilim noticed that Gryffindors seemed to hold their house in high regard, often displaying an air of arrogance. She could sense it in their minds—they believed those outside their house were not worth their time. Their winning streak in Quidditch had only inflated their egos further. Arrogance will lead to their early demise, she thought.
The last two students, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, finally arrived, looking slightly out of breath. A moment later, their teacher, Mad-Eye Moody, entered through the door behind them. As soon as he stepped inside, Lilim felt a pang of suspicion. Something was wrong with him. She often disguised herself as part of her duties for Shadow Garden, and she could sense the magic clinging to his body, distorting his real features.
Strange how no one else noticed it, she mused. The Headmaster also seems to ignore it, or perhaps he doesn’t notice it. But how wouldn't he? He is the strongest wizard, after all. Were these wizards truly this weak compared to her own magic, or did the Headmaster want this to happen—a Death Eater at Hogwarts?
Moody immediately started talking about the Unforgivable Curses, calling up students to ask why they were forbidden and to name each one. He demonstrated the Imperius Curse on a spider, making it perform various tasks against its will, then the Cruciatus Curse, causing it to writhe in pain. When he floated the spider onto Lilim's desk, he asked her which one the last curse was.
"The Killing Curse," she answered calmly.
Moody looked at her intently and asked, "Have you ever seen it or used it?"
The other students turned to look at her, curiosity and apprehension in their eyes. Moody continued, "I've heard about you at the Quidditch World Cup. They say you killed tons of Death Eaters. How did it feel?"
Lilim met his gaze steadily. "I enjoy the thrill of fighting and defeating my enemies. They attacked me; it's their own fault they died."
The students were shocked, murmurs spreading quickly through the room. The Gryffindors muttered among themselves, labeling her a dark witch—no wonder she was in Slytherin. Lilim continued, "I've never used the Killing Curse. It gives a fast and painless death. Where's the fun in that?"
Moody's magical eye whizzed around as he studied her. "How did the Aurors not even question you?"
Lilim smirked internally. She had used powerful and nearly undetectable compulsions on those who wanted to question her, not wanting to waste her time with them. Moody then cast the Killing Curse on the spider, and it stopped moving, dead on her desk.
"Lessons are over," Moody announced abruptly.
The students began to gather their things, still whispering about what they had just heard. Lilim remained composed, her thoughts already shifting to the next part of her day. As she walked out of the classroom, she noticed the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione watching her closely. She ignored them, heading towards her next class.