The next day, Aster was helping Ron and Harry study in the great hall. Books were scattered between them, most of which neither Harry nor Ron had opened before that week.
Ron let out a groan and slumped over his parchment. "How can you be so smart, mate?"
Aster didn't look up from his notes. "I just pick out what matters from the books and add logic on top."
Harry blinked. "Yeah, but you're even smarter than Hermione."
The silence that followed was sharp. Hermione turned her head slowly toward Harry, her eyes narrowed. She didn't say anything, but the look alone spoke volumes.
Aster glanced up, sensing the tension. He considered saying nothing, but then replied, his voice calm. "She copies exactly what's in the book. Word for word, down to the punctuation."
Hermione bristled slightly, lips tightening, but again, she didn't argue. She couldn't.
Aster continued, now addressing Harry without malice. "If you did the same with books designed for simple understanding and step-by-step processing, even you, Harry, would get better marks."
Hermione let out a quiet huff, then finally muttered, "I do more than just copy."
Aster looked at her, not unkindly, just observantly. "You remember perfectly. That's different than understanding. You're the best at learning the rules, Hermione. I just see the cracks in them."
That gave her pause. Her irritation faltered into thought.
A few seconds of silence passed before Hermione spoke again, her tone sharp but not unkind."Shouldn't you be focusing on beating Draco for control of Slytherin?"
Aster let out a quiet sigh, leaning back slightly. "Yeah, yeah…" He paused, eyes distant for a moment before continuing. "Most of them don't follow Draco because of him. They fear his father's influence. Lucius is the real reason he has a hold over them."
He looked at the three Gryffindors now, unusually open. "I'd need someone with equal footing backing me, someone whose name makes people think twice."
Ron whistled low. "Well, that's not exactly easy to come by."
Harry nodded slowly, thoughtful. "But you're already stronger than him, aren't you?"
Aster gave a small, lopsided smile. "Strength doesn't matter when everyone else is watching the name behind you instead."
All three nodded, the weight of the wizarding world's politics sinking in just a little more.
Pansy approached the group with her usual graceful confidence, though something in her eyes was softer than usual.
"I know someone…" she said simply.
All four turned to her at once.
"Who?" they echoed in perfect, unplanned unison.
Pansy gave a small, knowing smile, but instead of answering, she turned her gaze to Hermione.
"But before that…" she said, stepping closer. "Hermione, may I speak with you?"
Hermione hesitated just a moment, then nodded. The two girls walked away together, leaving behind a very confused Ron and Harry.
Ron blinked. "What was that about?"
Harry shrugged. "No idea."
But Aster watched them go, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, not quite a smile, more like quiet recognition.
"See…" he murmured, almost to himself. "She had the potential to grow."
Ron turned back to him, frowning. "You're talking about Pansy, right?"
Aster didn't answer directly. His eyes were still on the girls disappearing down the corridor. Whatever was said next… it might change more than just house alliances.
After approximately twenty minutes, both girls returned.
They weren't just walking side by side, they looked close. Hermione had a subtle flush on her cheeks, the kind that hinted at an intense conversation, but her expression was calm, even thoughtful. Pansy, for her part, was composed as ever, but there was something genuine in the way she waved to the group.
Without a word, they rejoined the others, sitting down, Hermione between Harry and Aster, Pansy beside him without hesitation.
"Susan Bones," Pansy said clearly.
Everyone turned to her, waiting.
"She's the niece of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she continued, her tone measured.
Aster's head tilted slightly. That was a name he hadn't expected, not so soon.
He didn't say anything at first. His mind was racing, calculating.
Susan Bones... Amelia Bones' niece... That's not just a connection, that's leverage.
He glanced at the others, then back at Pansy. "That's… well over Lucius's reach," he finally said, tone neutral but weighty. "Lucius has influence at Hogwarts, but Susan's family has power in the Ministry."
Pansy only nodded, eyes fixed on Aster. There was no smugness in her expression, no need for it. She knew what she'd just offered him.
It wasn't just a name.
It was a move.
And the board had changed.
Aster leaned back slightly, his fingers steepled under his chin. "Is there any information on Susan? Something… to get closer to her?"
Hermione answered first, "She's a Hufflepuff, so she's loyal?" It was a question, but also an observation, one of those traits Hermione trusted and admired.
Pansy gave a slow nod, then added, "Well… she kind of lost her family in the first war. Like Harry here. She might have a grudge with You-Know-Who… and definitely with the Death Eaters."
A pause fell between them.
Pansy's voice softened just a bit. "It's not confirmed. The Ministry swept most of it under the rug. But people talk. Some say Lucius was one of them. He claimed Imperius, said he had no choice, that he was cursed and didn't remember a thing." She looked around, checking who might be listening before finishing, "But everyone in the know… they know."
Aster didn't respond immediately. His gaze was unreadable, but behind his violet eyes, thoughts were swirling.
So Susan Bones has motive, access, and a grudge that aligns with mine. And her power doesn't come from whispers and blackmail, it's institutional.
He exhaled through his nose, quiet but final. "Then I need to meet her."
Pansy tilted her head. "You will. Leave it to me."
Hermione glanced between them, clearly unsure how to feel, proud of Pansy's change, wary of her new closeness with Aster, and quietly anxious about what this alliance might mean.
Ron whispered to Harry, "This is getting serious."
Harry nodded, eyes on Aster. "Yeah. And I don't think Aster's playing anymore."
A couple of days later, Susan approached Aster. He was alone in the library, the weather growing colder, just a month remained before students would leave for winter break.
She walked toward him with a serious expression, though there was a timid air to her. Aster understood; she had clearly been waiting for a moment when he was alone.
"The snake girl said you wanted to speak to me?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes kept scanning the room, checking for anyone nearby.
Aster met her gaze, just long enough to gauge her discomfort. She didn't like being stared at.
So, he returned his attention to his book.
"Yes," he said, pausing to find the right words. "I want to take control of Slytherin. But don't worry, I don't plan to misuse it. Anyone would be better than Draco."
He glanced at her again. Susan was slightly chubby, not like Hermione or Pansy, both of whom were slim, but she had presence. A quiet strength. She wasn't someone Aster wanted to manipulate just because he could.
He wanted her as an ally. As a friend. Someone he could rely on, not use and discard. He didn't want to abandon those he cared about.
Susan stayed quiet for a long moment.
She blinked once, slowly, as if weighing not just his words, but his tone, the way he said them. Her eyes dipped to the book in his hands, then back to his face. "You didn't ask for help," she said softly. "You just said what you want."
Aster tilted his head. "Would asking make a difference?"
"It would make you seem less like a Slytherin," she said, though there was no venom in it, just truth.
He gave a faint smirk, teeth not quite showing. "I'm not trying to seem like one. I just am."
Susan looked at him again, really looked, and for a moment the nervous air around her settled. "You're not like Draco. But you're also not like Harry." She paused, searching for words. "You think before you move. That's what's dangerous."
Aster closed the book slowly. "So does the Ministry. So did Voldemort."
She didn't flinch at the name, and that alone earned her a flicker of approval from Aster.
"You don't want to use me," Susan said, more to herself than to him. "But you do need me. And you're honest about that. That's rare."
"I don't lie," Aster said plainly. "I just don't tell everything. There's a difference."
She gave a short laugh through her nose, the tension finally thinning. "Fine. Let's say I believe you. What exactly do you want me to do?"
He leaned forward just slightly. "You don't have to fight my battles. Just let people know… that you back me. That if Lucius Malfoy tries to push me down, someone bigger will push back."
She blinked, her expression hardening, but not in anger. In resolve. "I can do that."
Aster nodded. "Good. Then let's not be strangers."
Even if using Amelia Bones as backing was a bluff, having Susan as a genuine ally wouldn't be much different. She would keep the illusion alive, let it linger just enough to unsettle both Lucius and Draco. That was all Aster needed, for now.
With Susan by his side, the dynamic of his circle would begin to shift. All he needed next was someone from Ravenclaw. Not necessarily the smartest, just someone to represent the house. But that could wait. For now, his hands were full.
The next day, Draco came to Aster.