The Neutral Aid Society had outgrown its original purpose.
Publicly—
It remained exactly what it claimed to be.
A place for unity. Cooperation. Growth.
Privately—
It had become something else entirely.
Selective.
Controlled.
Mine.
I stood in an unused classroom deep within the castle, the door sealed with layered enchantments—silencing charms, detection wards, and a subtle trace of Ancient Magic woven into the structure itself.
No one would overhear.
No one would interrupt.
Before me stood a smaller group.
Carefully chosen.
Abraxas Malfoy stood at my right, composed as always.
Around him—select members from Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.
No Gryffindors.
Not yet.
I let the silence stretch.
Anticipation built naturally.
Then—
"I believe the wizarding world is broken."
No theatrics.
No dramatic tone.
Just truth.
They listened.
Closely.
"We hide," I continued. "We divide ourselves by blood, by status, by house."
A Ravenclaw frowned slightly.
A Hufflepuff leaned forward.
"Purebloods hoard knowledge and power," I said evenly. "Muggle-borns are thrown into a world they barely understand—and expected to adapt without guidance."
Murmurs.
Quiet agreement.
Good.
"I intend to change that."
Silence returned.
Heavier this time.
"How?" someone asked.
I stepped forward slightly.
"By unifying power."
A pause.
"By ending pointless division."
Another step.
"And eventually…"
I let the words settle before finishing.
"…by stepping out of the shadows."
That drew a reaction.
"We don't belong beneath the Muggle world," I continued. "We are stronger. More advanced. More capable."
Careful.
Not supremacy.
Not yet.
"Whether we rule… or stand as equals," I said, "that will depend on how the future unfolds."
That gave them something to accept.
Something reasonable.
Something justifiable.
I watched them carefully.
Not their words.
Their expressions.
Their reactions.
Some were hesitant.
Some intrigued.
But none rejected it outright.
That was enough.
"This is not something I expect you to accept immediately," I said calmly.
Lie.
"I expect you to think."
Truth.
"Observe the world as it is."
I turned slightly.
"And then decide if it deserves to remain that way."
Silence followed.
Then—
Abraxas stepped forward slightly.
"And if we agree?" Abraxas Malfoy asked.
I met his gaze.
"Then you become part of something greater."
A faint smile.
"Something… inevitable."
That was the moment.
Not when they agreed.
Not when they spoke.
But when they stayed.
No one left.
Later, as the room emptied, I remained behind once more.
Thinking.
"Death Eaters…"
I dismissed the name immediately.
Too crude.
Too obvious.
Too bound to fear.
This—
This required something better.
Something that reflected unity, power, evolution.
A name that didn't just inspire fear—
But belief.
I leaned against the desk slightly, eyes distant.
"The world we build…"
A faint smile formed.
"…needs a name worthy of it."