Chapter 17
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Dumbledore had made a mistake years ago. A naive mistake, made in the years of his youth as he lost himself to his anger and fueled a dream full of hate and anguish, a dream which would die for him, but would live in the heart of Europe's most feared Dark Lord.
It was through Gellert that he understood the power of aspirations and influence, and so he chose to make amends as he followed his dream of nurturing young minds. He promised to do better. Be better, for he had already sinned greatly.
Yet he had failed again, as he failed to see the darkness in one of his own students. He failed Tom Riddle, and now that darkness threatened to upend their very way of life, as Lord Voldemort wreaked havoc on their society.
The name had gone from rumors to whispers, and now those whispers had become open murmurings, and though no one officially took blame for the murders and deaths of the Muggles, it was an open secret that it was all his work.
Albus had chosen to ignore him, hoping that he would learn. That time would heal the wound that he had failed to sew. Yet, upon looking at those mutilated corpses, he had understood that he had failed again.
That he could no longer turn his eyes away from his failure.
"Is this my punishment?" he asked, and Fawkes cawed, and the doubt and grief went away as he opened his eyes and saw his oldest and truest companion flying above him.
"Thank you," he whispered, and the fiery bird nodded as it headed out of the window. Its song soothed his heart as he pushed himself forward and began to think of a plan.
"Tom has an army," he whispered, and he was expanding it. The Ministry had the aurors, but the only explanation for why none of his people had yet been caught was that Tom had already infiltrated the Ministry.
It wouldn't even be that hard, given that the Pure Bloods had always held a distinct view of the newcomers. Tom would have had little trouble finding those who sympathized with his cause.
He could not rely on the Ministry.
He had to do this on his own. He needed to have people of his own. People loyal to him. People who desired peace, just like him.
And so, he leaned forward and took out a quill and some parchment as he began to make a list of the people, and as he thought of all the names to put down, his mind continued to circle back to one name in particular.
"Alder Evans…."
0000
ANDROMEDA BLACK
Life had taught Andromeda to be very cautious in her hopes. So when she had introduced Narcissa to the dueling club, she had not hoped for much. She knew of her family's beliefs, and though Narcissa had never been vocal like Bellatrix in her views about Blood Purity, her younger sister had never spoken against it as well.
Neither had she, but one could never be sure. Andromeda had made her choice years ago, for she had realized that her family would never accept Ted. They were all simply too set in their ways, and so she would choose him and bear all the consequences.
But then, Lucius had struck her sister, and when word of it reached her, her heart ached for her youngest sibling as she decided to try to save her from the disaster that was their family.
It was a prayer. One that was now answered.
"He asked you out on a date," she asked again, trying to confirm what she had just heard.
"Yes," he did, Narcissa answered her face shifting between joy and fear as they sat in her room, and Andromeda could hardly believe her ears.
"And you said yes?" she asked again, and her little sister rolled her eyes and sighed tiredly.
"Yes," she groaned, and she did not know whether to laugh in joy or cry in fear as she listened to that answer.
"But I don't think I should go," Narcissa began softly, as her eyes dimmed.
"I could write to him and apologize…."
"NO!" she cut in before her sister made the biggest mistake of her life.
"You are going," she declared, as Narcissa's head snapped towards her.
"But…" the rest of the words died on her tongue, as she refused to say anything.
"Do you like him?" she asked, and Narcissa took a few seconds to answer.
"What does it matter?" she whispered in a defeated tone.
"I am already engaged," and so was she.
"You are not married," she replied, as she sat beside her sister and reached for her hand.
"And that is not the answer to my question?" she added, as Narcissa continued to stare at the floor, too reluctant to say out the truth. But Andromeda knew the truth without her speaking it out.
She had seen how she would smile whenever she was with him. How her eyes would light up, and how they would subtly glance in his direction when no one else was looking.
She also knew of the guilt, fear, and conflict tearing her up, for doing this meant going against everything that they had been taught in their life. It was a betrayal of what it meant to be Black.
"Does he make you happy?" she asked, and Narcissa scoffed as she pushed away her hand.
"But that is inconsequential? I am a Black, and he is a…" and her sister refused to say the words.
"Muggle-born," she finished, as Narcissa looked her in the eye.
"But we don't choose who we love? We don't choose who makes us happy, Narcissa," she whispered, as she stood and caressed her face.
"Our family. Our society. They will never accept him," and they would not, just as they would not accept Ted.
"Nothing worth having ever comes without a cost," and sometimes that cost was family itself.
"You have to fight for your happiness. That is a battle no one else can fight for you, and one cannot have a better comrade in this fight than Alder," and she spoke that, for he was perhaps the Muggle-born she interacted with the most after Ted.
He had been the one to suggest the use of Polyjuice and was also the one to make sure that their tracks were covered. He was in many ways the best of the Muggle-born.
Still, that would not matter if he ever dared to hurt her sister, for Andromeda would tear him up without any hesitation.
But he would not harm her.
Because just like she had watched Narcissa, she had also seen him laughing with her sister. She had seen him stealing glances at her when he thought no one else was looking.
"I had the same fears as you," Andromeda repeated, and in many ways, she was in a far more precarious situation, and as she thought of those days, she remembered the first time she had ever interacted with Alder Evans.
"You did?" Narcissa seemed surprised, and she nodded.
"Yes, but one day after returning from my lessons, I found a letter and a small flask in my bag," and that was how she had met Alder.
"You cannot mean," Narcissa was quick to connect the dots.
"Ted told me a year later that it was Alder who arranged it all, with Carina and everything," and their little trick was far more well planned and thought out than one would think, for that was the kind of person Alder was.
"Why would he do that?" her sister asked just as she had.
"Because that is the kind of person he is," and this was why she had explicitly asked him to be her partner for the Duelling club. She had not hoped for this when she had done so, but she had wanted to give her sister an example of what a reasonable person was. What kindness, determination, and devotion were.
"Alder has been wronged by people from our House, our friends, and people of our social status for years," and if there were anyone else in his place, they would take any and every opportunity to get back at them, yet he always chose to be a bigger person.
"But he is kind, so he forgives easily. Even on that night when he protected you from Lucius, he lied because he knew that if he told the truth, then it would get you in trouble," and it would have forced a rather difficult choice on her sister, but he had protected her even though he had every reason not to.
"So, I would appreciate it much if you don't string him along, Cissa," she whispered as she looked her in the eye.
"Choose, as I did, for this one choice can alter the very course of your life…."
0000
MARLENE MCKINNON
There was no greater rivalry in Hogwarts than Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and there was no victory sweeter than one won against the wretched House of Snakes.
House Slytherin had a good team, but despite his attitude, Potter and his group were simply too talented. James was one of the most talented Seekers in the country, and many whispered how he could play for the national Team, even, but that all would come later for the blonde could hardly keep that grin off of his face as he walked hand in hand with Lily, as the pair led their group through the streets of Hogsmeade.
And James was not the only one basking in the joys of victory, and Lily, for she had not missed the subtle smile on her friend's face as she walked hand in hand with none other than James.
"I never thought that I would see this day," she whispered, her own joys were mired by worries as the two of them followed behind the pair.
"I did," Sirius answered, and she looked at him with a frown, surprised by his confidence.
"How?" she asked.
"Because I know James, and he has never wanted anything more in her life than her," and that was sweet in a way, and the boy seemed genuinely happy with her.
And again, the two of them fell silent as their minds drifted to their own worries until James and Lily stopped in front of a rather newly built shop.
"Madam Puddifoot's," Sirius declared as he began shaking his head.
"Nope, I am not going there," he spoke as if haunted, as James and Lily turned towards them for the first time.
"Why?" James asked in indignation.
"Yeah, I agree with him," the words slipped out of her mouth before she could think.
"We have tagged along for long enough," she said, as she grabbed Black's hand.
"You two enjoy yourselves, but I am not going to this snogging campus," and Lily laughed.
"You could snog Black," and they both made faces at that, and answered at once.
"I would much rather die…"
"I would much rather die…"
And they looked at each other, at the same time as James and Lily both laughed.
"You guys go. We can meet at Honeydukes in an hour," she suggested, and Lily nodded.
"Sure," and with that, she saw them enter that unspeakable place as the realization dawned on her.
"He has corrupted her," and even Black agreed.
"He sure works fast," and it seemed like Potter was more shrewd than she had thought.
"Honeydukes?" Black asked, and she nodded.
"Yeah, I could do with some Butterbeer," and so they headed to the place and got a table for themselves as Black brought them two pints of that godly liquid.
"Thanks," and she stared at the window, and saw the street filled with students all walking around, some in pairs, some not.
"McKinnon," suddenly, Black called her out, breaking her out of her trance.
"Yeah," she asked, as she sipped her beer, and the black haired boy seemed hesitant for some reason.
"What?" she asked with a frown.
"Don't tell me you are going to ask me out?" she joked, as Black laughed.
"I am not that stupid," he gave a dry laugh to hide his nervousness, and she wondered just what exactly could make the infamous Sirius Black nervous.
"I have a question for you," and it was not as if she was doing much.
"Ask away?" she said.
"What would you do if you found out that someone in your family was a blood purist?" and that was not what she was expecting, as she stopped her sip and put down the pint.
"A Blood Purist?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah, you don't believe in all that shit, do you?" and she rolled her eyes.
"Of course I don't," she retorted a bit angrily, as Sirius nodded.
"Yeah, but what if someone close to you did. Someone like your brother or sister, maybe?" and she laughed for a second.
"But I don't really have a brother or a sister," she replied.
"Hypothetically," and she knew his intentions, and as she thought about it, she wondered what had brought this on.
"Is it about Regulus?" she asked, and the way his eyes narrowed.
"Maybe," he answered, as he sifted his hand through his hair.
"I don't know," and she sighed as she began softly.
"You need to tell me what this is about rather than speaking in riddles so I can give you a proper answer," and while she was perhaps amongst the few who truly understood the complexities of Black's life, and how much pain and suffering hid under all that laughter.
He seemed to think about it for a second, as he tapped the table with his finger before he took a deep breath.
"All my life, I have always thought that I was the only one in my family who did not give a damn about this whole blood purist shit," and he was right not to.
"It's all bollocks!" and she agreed with him.
"But, I have just come to realise that I might not be the only one," and it took a few seconds for the words to register, for the implication behind that sentence was rather shocking.
"You mean…" she gasped, as Sirius nodded.
"Yeah, there are others in my family who share my own views," and he chuckled at that.
"And I just don't know what to do?" But her own mind was making other leaps, for the main reason behind her worry was Alder and the girl hiding beneath the façade of Pandora.
She had not missed the shift in Sirius's behavior, and their hushed discussions and whispers had not gone unnoticed by her. And as she thought of when it had all begun, it took her but a few seconds to connect the dots.
The investigation into Pandora's real identity.
Yes.
It had been around that time. She had also not missed how they had both lied to her and Lily about how they would need more time. She could tell that they were lying, but she could not figure out why.
But now. Now she had an idea.
"McKinnon. McKinnon!" and he shook her arm, as her head snapped towards his as she looked him in the eye.
"That girl. The one pretending to be Pandora…" and his reaction all but confirmed her suspicions as she saw his face turn pale.
"It's someone from the Black family…."
"HOW!"
.
.
.
At the gates of Hogwarts, most students had long left for Hogsmeade with their friends. Others scurried towards the town in groups of twos and threes, while one student simply paced outside the gates, breathing on his hands as the shoulders and collars of his coat got covered with snow.
Some of the boys gave him a nod, the girls eyed him with interest, yet he simply stood there waiting until a blonde, blue-eyed girl strode down the street, lifting his mood as she stood in front of her.
"You came," he spoke, and the girl smiled.
"I did," she answered as she slowly reached for the offered arm.
"Let's go…"
0000
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