(DISCLAIMER: All characters and the whole Harry Potter franchise - except for Jeremiah Hallysworn, Mallory Evans, Alice Urie [plus a few other more characters I haven't decided to get into the story yet] - belong to none other than J. K. Rowling)

Word spread so fast that it seemed to have beaten the speed of sound, Alice thought to herself. People around her acted either one, she was a goddess of some sort with such great power and people looked up to her as if she would bring good fortune; or two, a threat to the beloved Slytherin prefect known for his reputation of being an epitome of a perfect student.

Now, Alice was far from perfect and she knew that. She did not exactly have the 'social' skills, if you could even call them that, or the manipulating glances of the Slytherin prefect. But somehow, her presence was a threat to the Slytherin boy and she wasn't even trying hard in doing it.

She was confused every time someone would wave to her and she would smile back and then the person would go all nuts about how she smiled at them.

This society, she sighed in thought.

"Enjoying the limelight, Urie?" A familiar voice disturbed her from her thoughts.

The hallway was a bit empty, seeing as most of them are at the Great Hall and Abraxas' voice echoed in an eerie manner. Alice only stared at the man, not seeing the necessity to even respond. She just eyed him with her icy blue orbs. Although careless, her stare made him waver in confidence, just as it did last time.

"Not as much as you would, I presume?" Her voice matched the way she looked at the boy. A careless way of drawling out.

Alice thought about the boy suddenly approaching her after a few days since her duel with him. She had been seeing him in the Great Hall and roaming the halls while he tailed behind . . . Tom Riddle. Of course.

The boy merely smirked at her before talking once more, "I don't mind a bit of attention. However, there is something that may come to yours."

Alice raised her eyebrow at this. If the Riddle boy wanted something across, why couldn't he tell her himself?

"Although it pains me to be within the same any vicinity as you," oh believe me, Alice thought, the feeling is mutual, "Riddle wanted to tell you he'll be waiting at the seventh floor at 9:00 pm tonight. I'll let your mind wander in the possibilities of this meeting's purpose." Abraxas just turned on his heel and left Alice to he town thoughts and the fact she was surprised that Tom Riddle had even wanted to talk to her after their duel.

Alice roamed in the possibilities of why she was being summoned. Not just why, but how will she get there? It'd be roaming with prefects! Oh, prefects. No wonder.

+-+-+-+-+

Alice was still in her uniform and cast a disillusionment charm on herself once she found that everyone, including Mallory, was asleep. She walked into the Common Room and out the eagle door.

Used to having things dark, she went on with just a very faint glow from the tip of her wand.

She had no idea why she agreed to meet the Slytherin. She should've been avoiding them, but somehow, she agreed. It was Saturday after all, and tomorrow would be the first Hogsmeade weekend. She had no intention whatsoever to go even though Mallory had insisted as did Jem. So it would be fine.

As she finally climbed the final flight of stairs, Alice felt the presence of someone else and she immediately knew who it was. She started to mentally vow that she was never to come in contact with a Slytherin unless absolutely necessary.

"I'm surprised you even turned up, to be honest, Urie." That enough went to start the fire inside her. She heard the sudden burst of rage in his words as she suspected he was beyond and into the fuming flames of Hades' lair but it seems he managed to come back to his senses. Although it was very obvious he despised her with all of his being, it was no hidden fact he smirked at her then and there. He was leaning at a pillar when she saw him. His hair was anything but imperfect. He had flawless curls all in place and tame as a sleeping serpent. His skin was clear and seemingly smooth in Alice's eyes. Pity, Alice thought, his insides seem to be nothing of what he looks like outside.

'I am surprised with myself as well, Mr. Tom Riddle.' Alice had wanted to say with a nonchalant tone. She wouldn't and couldn't care less with what the Slytherin thinks of her. She lazily let her eyes gaze at the sight before her once more and actually speaking up.

"What is it you want, Mr. Tom Riddle?" She asked, her voice showing no emotion whatsoever. Good, then. He should feel what everybody feels when he talks to them. That is, if he does feel.

The Riddle boy only smirked, "Eager, are we?"

"Eager to be away from the devil, more like." She forced the insult out. Her throat was unused to the feeling of speaking often as she didn't speak as much before.

Riddle raised an eyebrow at this. "The devil, you say?"

Alice just had her arms cross upon her chest. He started to walk towards her.

"See, Urie, if anything, I wouldn't be the devil. I would have the devil working for me."

Alice wasn't surprised at all. That was all this boy wanted – power. To get knowledge is to gain power and control for him. He charms people and manipulates them just to be in control.

Alice did not like this boy one bit. She only stared straight into his eyes as if trying to read him. She knew this was a dangerous situation. For all that she knew, the boy approaching her could hex her right then and there. But it's as if he would hesitate to even utter an incantation that would harm her. What was it then? Has Tom Riddle finally seen some knowledge worth knowing in Alice?

"Look, Mr. Riddle. I've been awake for hours contemplating whether or not to show up. I just figured it would seem impolite to you that I wouldn't. The night is young and so am I, therefore in need of plenty of proper rest.  So, if this is going nowhere then I bid you adieu." Said Alice as she prepared herself to walk back to the Ravenclaw dorm.

"You do know I am a prefect." The boy remarked. He was directly in front of Alice and his face was hovering a few inches from hers. He was smirking, knowing his manipulative powers would work on her.

"And?" Alice urged on. She seriously wasn't in on for another prideful talk but she'd have to stall as she readied her enchantments.

"And I could just report to the teachers that the new fifth year has been taking late night strolls. Don't want that now, do we?"

Alice inwardly groaned. This boy has an even bigger ego than the whole Hogwarts castle.

"And you think I'd let you get away after that little duel of ours?" Alice's back had gently come in contact with the ancient walls just a few moments before. He had her trapped to the wall and his gaze was only returned with an uninterested stare. His jaw clenched when he saw he wasn't getting any particular reaction from the Ravenclaw girl.

"Whatever." Alice just settled before slipping away at the space between them as her Disillusionment Charm took effect and she was nowhere to be seen. She had the urge to laugh but held it in. Her throat wasn't in the mood to be used strenuously.

"Urie! Don't you dare!" She heard him groan and pace as she reached the stairs. She smirked. Well, what do you know, he wasn't going to report me after all.

But Alice couldn't care less if she was reported. The few days here would been such a waste. It was a very nice school. And she had something she had not expected — friends.

This meeting wasn't a serious one at all. It had no certain purpose, but Alice was sure of what it might be for.

He was just testing me out, she thought, unamused, but let her lips curl when another concept entered her mind. Let's see how the scientist does without getting a reaction from his experiment.

+-+-+-+-+

It's 3 am; Alice hasn't slept at all. She had no idea what she had in her mind that made her stay up. She planned not to anymore, seeming as she was obsessed with watching the stars in the Astronomy tower, a place she recently discovered as she had a mistake at one of her turns when she went back. She figured to stay for a while. It wouldn't hurt while everyone else was fast asleep.

Alice didn't feel like this was insomnia. Well, if it was, then she'd be one of the insomniacs with extreme cases. She can survive three days without any proper sleep and two vials of what her mother calls energy juice. When she didn't feel like sleeping, she wouldn't sleep. She would be fine the next day as if she wasn't lacking in sleep at all.

Heck, it only felt like it was still day to Alice. Her body clock had no specific schedule, whatsoever. She was still in her robes and it was Saturday already. She thought about how she would like a very good nap once everyone goes to Hogsmeade and she'll have the Common Room to herself (aside from the first and second years). That is, if all of them would be at Hogsmeade.

She was there for another three hours as she finally saw a bright red color tinting the sky slightly. She smiled.

"Helios." She muttered to herself as the sun's rays reached where she was. They were gentle and warming. But she knew where it had originated, it would've caused someone to cough up blood nonstop. She took time to admire the atmosphere. It was a filter. A dream catcher of some sort. Where all the bad things get caught in the strings and the good things pass through the holes.

That's what most people do when someone dies. Suddenly, that person is a saint. All good things about him/her are mentioned and praised as all bad things are forgotten. Alice wondered, if she dies, will there be enough good things to mention? Alice wasn't much of anything. She was neutral. A balance of both good and bad. She doubts anyone would even attend her funeral and to this, she moped silently.

But as her tears blurred her vision, she shook her head. She refused to think about it now. Not now. Not ever. She refused to be sad for she had been exactly that for such a long time already. She felt as if she was born in the wrong time frame. All this seemed no challenge at all to her. Either that or life's challenges just became to extreme to an extent and she felt numb as she handled it. But what was the difference, really?

It was 6:00 am and Alice decided to get back to the Ravenclaw room to change into something more comfortable. Mallory and the others were just on the verge of waking when she came in. She led herself to the restroom for a comfortable shower and came back to the room to see the girls all up and about to get ready to go to the Great Hall or to Hogsmeade. She was wearing a comfortable jumper and sneakers given to her by her cousin who works in the Muggle world.

"Alice! You're awake early." Another fellow fifth year Ravenclaw by the name Emma remarked as she saw the girl all readied.

Alice only shrugged at the girl and gave her a small smile. "I felt a bit jumpy this morning, I guess."

Emma found that adorable the way Alice rarely spoke and that when she did, her voice was so gentle and light. That's what made Emma like Alice and be acquainted with living in a room where she lived as well.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade today?" She asked. Alice politely shook her head, "I'll just be staying here. Just to get to know the castle a bit."

Emma nodded in understanding, "Alright. Well, next time we go, I invite you to come with Rose and I. You can bring Mallory as well, if you want to."

"I'll make sure to consider it, Emma. But for now, I'm staying here." Alice replied.

Alice went with Mallory and Jem to the Great Hall for breakfast. Once the feast was over she bid Mallory and Jem goodbye as she went back to the Common Room.

It was empty, not a soul in sight except for the glorious Rowena Ravenclaw standing in her portrait.

She went to her dorm room to get her sketch notebook and a pencil she got from a Muggle store her mother took her to. Alice smiled as she looked at the pencil perfectly sharpened.

She walked around the castle and found herself nearing a room where the smell of food attacked her senses. The kitchen.

She knew that just to the right was the Hufflepuff Common Room as told by Mallory. Apparently she's been to all 3 common rooms except for the Slytherin. Anyone would be surprised if anyone not Slytherin would be able to get in.

She walked quietly and was greeted by the sound of House elves running around and making Hogwarts' famous wizard cuisine.

"Does miss need anything of the elves?" A voice from beside her asked. She looked to see a house elf peering up at her with a smile.

"Umm, nothing really." Alice said before kneeling down to meet the eye level of the elf, "I'm Alice, by the way. I'd like to know you're name as well."

"Oh, Miss Alice, Elie would like to welcome you the the kitchen. Any food or snack you'd like, we'd have it ready in no time." The house elf said cheerily, making Alice's decision of staying here even better.

"I'd consider that, Elie. If you don't mind though, I'd like a bowl of rice porridge. It's nice to warm the stomach," And with that, Elie went to join the fiasco in the kitchen.

Alice waited by the stairs and leaned at the wall. She waited about two minutes before Elie came back to her.

"Miss Alice's bowl of rice porridge, all nice and warm for her freezing tummy." The elf remarked as Alice smiled at it.

"Thank you very much, Elie. And your cooking is definitely one of the best I've tasted!" Alice joyfully exclaimed. Her throat hurt a bit at that and scoffed at herself before massaging it through her neck.

"Miss Alice is very kind and to that, Elie is grateful. Anytime Miss Alice comes, Elie will be at her service." Alice smiled once more. She finished her porridge before going further into the castle.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

HOLY SPACES, ALMOST AT A HUNDRED READS OML. WHAT HAPPENED. I JUST HAD A TRIP OUT OF TOWN, ONLY PLACING A PROLOGUE FOR SOME REASON, AND THEN HOLY CRAP I'M SO HAPPY.

yeah yeah, new update soon! Ik this was mostly a filler chapter but yeah, it's getting there. Please vote, I like it when you do (and comment lol)

All the love, tuffhufflepuff xx

P.S. This crap is still unedited