Secrets In The Eyes Of The Enemy

Chapter 5 Discoveries


As the first years shuffled into her class for their first class, Hermione felt her stomach pitch with a sense of nervousness. This year marked her tenth year of teaching Potions, but not since that first class ten years ago had she felt so uncomfortable standing before a classroom of students. Per usual as if by some unspoken rule the Slytherins stayed together on one side of the room while the Gryffindors grouped together on the other. Hermione’s heart wrenched as she watched Rose make her way toward her brother Jaden only to see him shake his head and point her towards the other side of the room. Throughout the years Hermione had worked to improve the interhouse relations; a case she took as seriously as her S.P.E.W campaign in her younger years, only more successfully given the power of being a professor.

Before Rose was able to reach the empty seat on the far side of the room Hermione announced as calmly as possible, “Miss Nott you may go ahead and take a seat next to your brother. In fact I want everyone to pair up with a member of another house. I won’t tolerate segregation of houses in my classroom, and since this is your first day lets brake the habit before it starts. Now quickly everyone change seats unless you’d like me to choose partners for you.” Without hesitation the students quickly bustled around the classroom moving there belonging and swapping seats. With a grin on her face Hermione continued, “Now that we’ve got ourselves sorted out let begin. Today we’ll be making a simple boil cure using the ingredients on the board.” With a wave of her wand the words Dried nettles, crushed snake fangs, stewed horned slugs, and porcupine quills, appeared on the blackboard. Remembering Neville’s mishap their first year Hermione said strictly, “The porcupine quills are not to be added until after you take the cauldron off the fire or you’ll end up melting your caldron and giving yourself boils rather than curing them.”

For the remainder or class Hermione walked though the room offering her assist to to anyone in need, and keeping a sharp lookout for potential disasters. She had looked in on the twins numerous times to see if they were in need of any help, but each time she asked they had both responded that they were fine. By the end of class there had been no melting caldrons or explosions, and Hermione was secretly thrilled by the fact that there had been no hexing or name calling between opposing house partners.

“Good job today everyone. Now everyone place your finished potion in a vial labeled with your name on my desk for grading and clean up your area.” Hermione announced moments before the bell announced the end of class. Having placed the vials of their completed work on Hermione’s desk the students filed out of the potions dungeon. While Hermione bustled about the classroom cleaning up areas the children missed she failed to notice the single student who had remained behind.

Jaden cleared his throat to get her attention before saying, “Professor Malfoy.”

Hermione’s spun around and was shocked to see Jaden standing before her. “Yes Mr. Nott, is there anything I can help you with?” she asked.

Looking determined Jaden replied, “I know it’s early, but I was wondering if I might as you for some private tutoring. You see I wishbecobecome a potions master myself.”

An enormous smile broke across Hermione’s face before she said, “I think it’s fantastic that you already know what you plan to do after graduation Jaden. I would be honored to assist you in anyway possible. You did a fantastic job with that boil remover today; maybe you could come down this evening after dinner and assist me in making a batch of pepper-up potion for Madame Hedrigal.”

“Thank you Professor Malfoy, I’ll see you this evening.” Jaden replied before leaving the room to meet his sister, who was anxiously pacing the halls outside the potions classroom.

Upon exiting the room Rose pounced on her brother and asked, “What did you have to talk to her about?”

Jaden took Rose by the arm, and began to lead her down the hall before replying, “I was just asking for extra pos tus tutoring seeing how I wish to become a potions master one day.”

Roses eyes whirled with anger as she said, “What are you playing at Jaden? You’ve wanted to be a Quidditch player since the day you got your first toy broom. What’s with the sudden change?” She continued to glare at her brother waiting for a response.

“There’s no guarantees with sports Rose, I’m simply covering my bases.” Jaden replied offhandedly trying his best not to look directly at his sister.

“Your lying Jaden, you won’t even look at me and there is no way you could possibly wish to spend more time with her than necessary. So I’ll ask again what are you playing at?” She said in a rage at her brother.

Jaden turned and looked directly in his sister’s eyes before saying, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to Rose.”

Burning with indignation Rose nearly shouted, “I want answers Jaden!”

Taking note of their surrounding Jaden pulled Rose off into an alcove before saying, “Alright I’ll tell you. Mother sent me a letter today saying that she is on the run from Aurors who were sent after her by our father’s dear sweet wife. She gave me a vial of poison to give to her in hopes that with her out of the way the charges will be dropped and father will go back to her.”

Rose looked at her brother in shock before saying; “Jaden, they’ll send you to Azkaban for this, and father will hate you. There must be another way.”

Jaden shook his head before saying, “Rose, I won’t go to Azkaban, I promise. I’m only a first year they would never suspect me of being able to do it”

Beginning to cry Rose hugged her brother and said, “You can’t know that for sure Jaden, please rethink this.”

Jaden hugged his sister and wiped away her tears before saying, “Just trust me Rose everything will be ok. Now we better get going or we’ll be late for our next class.”

Brushing the remaining tears away Rose nodded and the two went off in their separate directions to class.

****

In a breathy voice, winded from running, Rose said, “I’m sorry I’m late Professor Flitwick.”

The merry midget laughed, as he replied, “No problem Miss Nott take a seat and we may begin.” Rose did as she was told and took the first open seat she could find. Now that his entire class present and accounted for he continued, “Today we be learning a levitation charm. In front of you, you will find a single feather. I want you to point you wand at the feather and say, Wingardium Leviosa, if done correctly the feather will begin to float up off the desk.” As he said this, his own feather was gracefully floating towards the ceiling. With an ear-to-ear grin he announced, “Now you try.”

All around the room students were attempting to do the charm with little or no success until one single voice said, “Wingardium Leviosa” and her feather lifted off the table on it’s way towards the ceiling. With a smug grin on her face, Rose watched with pride as her feather took flight on her first try.

Professor Flitwick dashed he yhe young girls side as he announced, “Look Miss Notts done it, and on her first try too. I haven’t seen that happen in nearly twenty years.”

Still maintaining to hold the feather mid-air, and grinning Rose asked, “Was it my mother, Pansy Parkinson Nott?”

“Oh no child, Pansy Parkinson was dreadful at charms.” He laughed.

His laughter broke Roses concentration as she turned to say almost in a whisper, “How can that be she was the greatest witch to ever come through Hogwarts.”

Again the Professor laughed as he replied, “Is that what she thinks? No as a matter of fact that title is currently held my your own head of house Professor Malfoy.”

Roses eyes grew wide as she attempted to comprehend what he was saying, but without a word she gathered up her books and sprinted out of the classroom, into the deserted halls. She had no idea where to go, or what to say. The sorting hat had told her, her mother was the greatest witch to pass through Hogwarts, but the professor had been sure it was Professor Malfoy who had been the greatest witch. What was it Myrtle had said, the Malfoys’ had their children stolen. They had been twins. Twins like her and Jaden? So many questions were swimming through her mind as she entered the trophy room in search of a place to think.

Inside the glass cases Rose discovered numerous plaques bearing the name of Hermione Granger or Hermione Malfoy for various acts of bravery, skill, and intellect. However she found but a single one bearing her own mothers name, it was an award she shared with her late husband Theodore Nott, an award for cunning. Waves of grief and uncertainty passed through Rose has she collapsed to the floor allowing the tears and sobs to overtake her.

In the midst of her outpouring of emotions Rose felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find the kind face of Albus Dumbledore looking back at her. He extended his hand to help her off the ground before saying, “Rose why don’t you come with me to my office, I believe we have much to discuss.”

Tearfully Rose sobbed, “You knew, didn’t you?”

The headmaster nodded as he replied, “I had hoped.”

Confused by his words Rose responded, “You hoped?”

“Come with me my dear and I will explain everything.” The ageing headmaster said, as he led the emotional young girl into his office.

As the two sat opposite one another Dumbledore began, “I’m going to start at the beginning so that you can fully understand everything that has occurred, not all of it are you apart of but all of it is a part of you.” Rose simply nodded as Dumbledore continued, “Long before you or your parents were born. I was a wizard in love. However fate did not see it fit to allow me to be with the witch I loved and sent a young wizard and his master into our path. The year was 1944. I had been teaching Transfiguration for about five years and during that time Greselda and I had been spending quite a bit of time together, and were even considering marriage. The world we knew was in anarchy. Grindelwald’s forces along with the muggle war were sweeping through Europe. It was in 1945 that Grindld bld brought his battle to my door when one of his newly recruited minions Tom Riddle attacked Griselda, when she stumbled upon him stealing ingredients from the potions lab while on her way to visit me in my quarters. Tom panicked and carried her off to the forest before apperating with her to Gindelwald. Grindelwald agreed to take the blame for her disappearance upon gaining promises of retribution from Tom. When I heard that Grindelwald was holding Griselda I was furious. Up until that point truth be told, the war and Grindelwald’s muggle persona of Hitler hadn’t had a personal impact on me. However when they took her, that all changed, I became a different person. I chased Gindelwald through Germany and finally caught up with him in one of his bunkers in Berlin. My rage was uncontrollable I set fire to everything I touched, when I finally had him cornered he was stunned and unable to react so I yelled “Flamma Letum” and brought forth the flames of death. The room was so small though I killed Grindelwald, but also badly burned Griselda.” Rose flinched at the image of the carnage but continued to listen.

“I took Griselda to St Mungos to be treated for her burns and while the world rejoiced I fell into a state of depression. My old potions teacher and friend Nicholas Flamel tried to help me with creating an item like his sorcerer stone which when placed on an individuals body would heal any harm which had befallen them. It wasn’t until mid summer that Griselda, who healed on her own accord, woke from her coma and was able to tell us what happened. By then it was too late, Riddle had graduated and was nowhere to be found, either hiding from Grindelwald’s other servants who were seeking retaliation, or myself. As Griselda began to fully recover from her injuries we began to grow apart, she told me often enough that what happened to her was not my fault, but the guilt of knowing it had been me who inflicted more pain on her than even Grindelwald, proved more than I could bear. In the coming years I learned that Griselda had married a muggle named John Plummer and I was happy for her to have found love again. I continued teaching at Hogwarts and led a solitary life for many years after. It wasn’t until one night during the fall of 1960 that Griselda turned up on my door wet from the rain and covered in tears. Her husband had passed away quite suddenly during dinner from what the doctors deemed a heart attack. She was distraught and lonely so we spent the night together in the castle. It was more than eleven years before we were to see each other again. During the summer of 1971 I was preparing to send out letters to our new first years when I came across a name in the registry of Albert Plummer born to Greselda Plummer turned Marchbanks and Albus Dumbledore. The registry you see writes things as they are not as we imagine them to be. I immediately went to speak with Griselda who informed me that she was sorry for keeping the truth from me, but that she herself had not wanted to believe it. Her friends, family and even new muggle husband had thought Albert to be the last and only child of her first husbands union. Over the years she had tried to overlook the resemblances he bore to me, but in recent years had had little doubt he was my son. After waiting so long she found it impossible to confess until I had learned the truth for myself. With Tom rising up as Voldemort we decided that maybe it was for the best that no one was aware of Albert’s parentage, as he would be in enough danger for being Griselda’s son without adding myself as his father.”

Dumbledore took a sip of the pumpkin juice he had conjured for himself and Rose before launching into the story once more, “Eventually Albert discovered the truth. It was during his seventh year at Hogwarts he found myself alone here in this room and spotted the registry there on the shelf. You see he had always wondered if his father was truly who his mother said he was, since as far as he could tell from the pictures of him they shared no resemblances at all. He decided to take the opportunity to peak inside the book and was shocked to discover that not only had he been right about John Plummer not being his father but that it was actually myself, his own headmaster, who was. When I returned to my office he was still holding the registry in his hand and was in a state of shock. Seeing that he now knew the truth, I called for his mother, and we explained to him the story much as you have heard it today. Afterwards we agreed that it was in everyone’s best interest that we kept things a secret at least for the time being. So he went on with his life and over the coarse of the year he fell in love with that year’s Head Girl Andrea Weasley. At that time Voldemort’s power was sweeping through the magical community and Albert decided it was only fair to tell Andrea the truth of his parentage, and the potential danger involved, before asking her to marry him. She was very understanding and never changed her mind about being with him, regardless of the risk. They were head of heals in love and married within a month of graduation. Their life was perfentilntil a cold night in January of 1980 when Lucius Malfoy came knocking on their door. He had used polyjuice potion to look like Andrea’s father Arthur, which fooled them completely. There was no way to stop him. He threw Andrea and Albert against the wall in full body binds before they were able to react. He then proceeded to torture them with various curses for a good portion of the night. When he finallyed wed with toying with them he said that as a final punishment for Albert’s mother being responsible for the fall of Gindelwald, on Voldemorts orders the couple was to die. They were helpless to stop him without their wands, the next thing they knew he shouted Avada Kedavra, and a blinding green light shot out at Andrea. It was met by a shining white light, which threw Lucius against the wall leaving him unconscious. Albert was terrified, Andrea lay on the floor breathing but obviously also unconscious. He called me immediately to tell me what had transpired.”

Albus took another sip of his pumpkin juice before continuing, “When I arrived both Lucius and Andrea were indeed unconscious so I worked quickly to transfigure two chairs to look like the lifeless forms of Albert and Andrea. Albert and I, then quickly floo’d to the to safe house with Andrea to determine what injuries she had sustained. Normally the killing curse is unstoppable in fact according to the history books, it is only Harry Potter that has ever survived one. However at the time, unknown to Andrea and Albert, she was with child. The life of a magical unborn child is very strong, it will do anything it needs to protect itself. Even by protecting the mother from death. Which is exactly what happened. The effects though of using such magic are very draining on the mother and thus Andrea remained unconscious for three days. During our time in hiding we learned that Lucius had awoke later that night, and believing be had killed the Plummers, so he cast the Dark Mark in the sky signaling their demise. The transfigured bodies were buried, with no inquires at Greselda’s request, so for all intense and purposes the world thought them deceased. We decided that since they could no longer exist in the magical world, that they would continue the remainder of their lives as muggles. Together they decided on the name of Granger and legal paperwork was acquired to provide them with mugdocudocumentation proving their identities. They quickly found a house and enrolled in University to study dentistry. However as one last protection, I cast a spell in them that would change their appearance to all those who looked upon them unless they had been given the counter spell by myself, This way they would be able to go through life without the fear of being recognized. The rouse worked well, until their daughter Hermione’s seventh year, in which she was given a book of heahrouhroughout the years. Her best friend Ron Weasley pointed out that his sister and brother-in-law had been heads before being killed by Death Eaters. Hermione took one look upon the photos and she knew instantly that it was her parents. She has always seen them for who they are, because she was inside her mother’s womb when the spell was cast. That night Hermione came to my office with her friends Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Virginia Weasley in search of answers.”

The day was flying by as Dumbledore told the story; he fortified himself to begin the part, which directly affected the young girl sitting silently before him. “She was tolf the same stoy as her father before her, and by you today, However the news came as quite a shock to Hermione, who been dating Draco Malfoy, Lucius’s son since the beginning of the year. She was devastated by the news that her boyfriend’s father had at one time attempted to murder her parents. At her parents’ request, she broke it off with him, and if memory serves she began dating Harry Potter. During this time Draco went back to dating his on and off girlfriend Pansy Parkinson. Though they shared quarters the two kept their distance from each other until a Seventh year outing we like to call Muggles in London. Though I’ve never been told the full story it seams Draco and Hermione were dancing when Pansy came between them causing a fight in which Hermione ran off. She foolishly left the protection of the hotel, and was attacked in the park by three men sent by Lucius Malfoym with the intent to kill her. Thankfully before the attackers could succeed in their plan, they were stopped by a mother’s magic. Hermione wasn’t aware until after she woke three days later, that she was pregnant. Well after the attack the couples relations remained strained, Hermione was unsure of how Draco and his family would handle the pregnancy, so she choose to hide it from him as long as she could. However the two share a love so strong neither was able to resist for long, and the two managed to put aside their differences toward the end of the year.”

Dumbledore began to shake slightly as he prepared to speak of the events that unfolded next, “That year we had a ball on New Years Eve, and unbeknownst to us Hermione was wearing a portkey set to activate at midnight. Against her will she was transported from the safety of Hogwarts to Lucius Malfoy’d dungeon, where she was held captive by Voldemort. Fortunately with everyone’s help we were able to locate and retrieve Hermione, however in the process, we were abducted ourselves. The group of us managed to faced off against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, bringing about the Dark Lords destruction. Mercifully we were all able to escape with our lives and Draco and Hermione set to work putting the pieces of their relationship back toget The The truth had been discovered about Hermione’s pregnancy, and the young couple was free to being their lives. They were married on Valentines Day, and by June, not one but two children graced us with their presence. Twins named Romeo and Juliet. Two more beautiful babies I have never seen. However their time in our lives was short-lived as on graduation night, they were stolen from this very school. Without a trace, that is until now. As far as the rest goes I believe those answers lie with you.”

Rose took a deep breath before saying, “Do you really think Jaden and I are those s?” s?”

Dumbledore nodded as she said, “I am hoping, but I admit that my reasons are selfish. I would like nothing more than to see my family whole once more.”

The young girl looked down at her hands before whispering, “Is there any way to know for sure?”

“There is a spell which can be performed, however it requires your blood. I will not take it forcefully, so it is your decision to make.” He calmly replied.

“I want to know the truth. I’ve never doubted who my parents were until today, and I don’t like the feeling. It’s like I don’t know who I am.” She retorted.

“Very well then, let me get the quill.” He said before crossing the room and taking a large purple quill and a scroll from a solid gold chest. He unrolled the scroll across his desk before continuing, “Step over here Rose. I’m going to have you hold this quill and say the words Monstrare Pater you’ll feel a prick in your hand as the quill writes the name of your father. Are you ready?”

Rose gave a nervous nod as she took the quill in her hand and said “Monstrare Pater” with no control of her own the quill wrote out in large looping crimson script DRACO MALFOY . Rose gave a small gasp at the pain in her hand, rather than the name written. Her and her brother Jaden had always known who their true father was.

“Now you will need to say Monstrare Mater to reveal your birth mother.” Dumbledore said softly trying his best to suppress the nervousness he was feeling at that very moment.

Rose took a deep breath as she contemplated what she was doing. Did she really want to know? Yes, the uncertainty of it all was more than she could bear. If she was about to learn that her entire life had been a lie then she could deal with the repercussions, but she needed to know the truth. The quill shook nervously in her hand as she said; “Monstrare Mater” Again there was the prick of pain in her hand as the quill wrote out in its loopy handwriting HERMIONE MALFOY. Thoseds wds were the last thing Rose saw as she slumped to the ground drowning in a world of darkness.

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