Hidden Weapon

'This is my only chance,' Adelind thought as she stood facing the castle that housed the man who was ultimately in control of her life from then on.

~Are you sure?~ a voice hissed from her shoulder. She glanced at the small yellow viper winding its way up her arm. ~I don't like the smell of this place.~

~Hush Ciaran. This is my only hope. Our only hope.~

~If they pull anything, I'm biting them, no questions.~

Adelind smiled at her familiar. She knew he wasn't kidding, and part of her was thankful for that. She herself was nervous this wouldn't work out the way she had planned. It wasn't often she was scared, but when she was it was paralyzing. Her current fear was what was keeping her glued to the spot, growing continually wetter from the pounding rain, staring up at the tall towers of the castle. 'Here goes everything,' she thought. Grabbing her wand she cast a rain blocking charm over herself and a drying charm on her clothes. Pulling the now dry hood of her cloak over her head, she slowly made her way up to the school.

When she felt the tingling magic of the wards accept her, she grimaced. ~Father was right, I'm still young enough for the school to accept me.~ Red eyes looked up at her, ~And this is supposed to be the safest place you could think of?~ the viper asked her.

~As long as Father cannot enter here, I'm safer than anywhere else.~

When Adelind reached the heavy wooden doors, she hesitated. 'Do I knock?' she thought. From what she had heard from her parents, Albus Dumbledore was pretty on the ball about what went on at his school. 'He must know I'm here already.' As if conjured by her thoughts, suddenly the door was sweeping open revealing possibly the oldest man Adelind had ever seen. He wore long cerulean robes complete with a matching wizards cap, his long white beard tucked into his belt, which sparkled with glitter. He looked at her with blue eyes that contended her own in clarity. The overall effect was what Adelind could only describe as silly, despite that she knew that the man who stood in front of her was the most powerful wizard she'd ever met. Magic washed over her in waves, and she could feel the nervous stirring of Cairan, who she knew could feel it also.

"Well hello. I wasn't expecting a visitor this late at night. Please, come in, it pouring cats and dogs out there." At that Adelind glanced over her shoulder. 'Cats and dogs?' she pondered. 'Oh he's just as odd as Father lead me to believe, Merlin help me.'

"Cats and dogs. It's a muggle expression that means its raining hard. Found it rather funny myself. But please, do come in, the floor is getting wet."

Adelind looked to the floor and sure enough water was coming inside. "Forgive me," she whispered and walked through the entry way. As she walked in she looked around and noticed for the first time the second set of doors leading Merlin knew where. Her father had told her before that the school was tricky, constantly changing and rearranging itself in the hopes to get its students lost. Not that her father had ever gotten lost, he'd told her. He was much too smart for that.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of having a guest so late in the summer evening?" Dumbledore asked, and Adelind was grateful to notice that he didn't attempt to look at her face, which was still hidden under her cloak. Keeping her eyes down, as she'd been taught to when addressing her superiors, Adelind spoke softly.

"You're Albus Dumbledore?" she asked, even though she knew the answer. No one else could have carried such a strong magical signature.

"Why yes, I am. Have you come to see me?"

"Y-yes," she faltered, then cleared her throat slightly. "I've come to ask you for something, but before I do, I think it's imperative I tell you about me and where I came from." Cairan tightened slightly around her upper arm, as if sensing her distress, but stayed hidden in her robes.

"Of course, of course. Please, follow me up to my office where we can sit and speak." He herded her down a hallway to the left of the double doors she'd just come through before coming to stand in front of a stone gargoyle. "Rainbow Sherbet" he stated as the gargoyle sprung away revealing a spiral staircase. "Up we go, careful now," he said as they stepped onto the stairs. As the staircase slowly spun upward, Dumbledore hummed merrily, finally reaching the door and walking into the circular office.

"Would you like some tea my dear?" he asked while wandlessly conjuring up a tea tray. Adelind wasn't surprised at all that he was capable of wandless magic, even though she herself and her father were the only people she'd even seen do it before. Wary of being polite, she accepted the tea and sat in the chair across the desk as Dumbledore gestured to it.

"Now that we're all settled," he said, motioning for the fire place to start. "I'd love to hear why you've come to see me tonight, and please take all the time you need it's been ages since I've had an unexpected visitor." His eyes twinkled at her, and Adelind relaxed as she felt the sincerity of the words he spoke. Slowly she set the tea down at the table in front of her and nervously adjusted the front of her cloak.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I come here to seek protection and help, and also to offer my knowledge and services in the fight against the dark. My name is Adelind Lestrange and I am the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort."