Prologue
“Do you have any idea of how dangerous this is ?”Yelled Professor Snape.
On his left, few paintings were pretending to be asleep. Even though all ears were listening to this rather curious conversation, even the little choosing hat that rested on top of the bookshelves. Albus Dumbledore, who was sitting calmly on his chair, wasn’t paying attention to the Professor anymore. His eyes were wandering on his desk where a small letter was vaguely flying around.
“I think she will be well protected here…” He tried to say before Snape turned to him hastily.
“The boy...”He whispered “She is an open door for…” He stopped.
Both of his hands rested on the side of the desk. Only the sound of small trinkets floating in the air echoed in the headmaster's office. Albus Dumbledore could read few words of the letter levitating in front of him. A signature, a name, few worthless promises that even himself feared. He made it disappear with a swift movement.
“I understand Severus, how much you care for the boy” He raised a hand to stop his colleague from interfering again “But I do believe that you were the one who brought me the Riddle boy few years ago, putting Harry Potter in more danger than all of us could think of. Yet I chose to let him find his place at Hogwarts. The same...love that you carry for the boy must be able to see through”
“See through what Albus” He implored.
Albus Dumbledore couldn’t hide a soft chuckle. Maybe it was age, or perhaps wisdom that let him saw how young and sad Severus Snape seemed when he talked about the boy.
“Severus, my friend. You know the prophecies.” He let his eyes wondered near the door where he heard a noise.
He left his desk and began to reach the door as Snape whispered.
“The boy who lived…”
He opened it with a swift wand motion.
“No my friend, the other one” He responded before turning to the two figures beside the phoenix sculpture “Minerva.” He said with a much warmer tone.
The transfiguration teacher seemed very much worried. Her pointy hat kept on verifying her back as if someone could of followed.
“Albus you must stop this pinkish monster!” She yelled as the door close before the two of them.
Severus Snape was left standing near the wall, reflecting on the headmaster’s last words. His eyes followed his colleagues before setting themselves on the young women behind them.
“Oh” Smiled Dumbledore “You mean Ms. Umbridge...Yes...Yes, quite a character isn’t she. She won’t follow you here Minerva I assure you.”
A small laugh escape the old man as Professor McGonagall sat on a chair which appeared suddenly. The young women had not moved a finger since she crossed the threshold. Standing still, her breath was quick, an evident hint of her nervousness. Albus Dumbledore was heading to his own chair as he turned to observed the girl with a calm smile.
“Welcome at Hogwarts Miss Nereus, please have a sit” He said as a small chair, almost identical to his, appeared in front of her.
Behind her, Professor Snape studied her for a second before turning to the door himself.
“How can you be so sure of it?”He asked.
“Severus, what are you saying?” Asked McGonagall rising on her sit.
“I see through what you refuse to believe.” Said calmly the Professor Dumbledore.
The young woman turned her head to face the Professor behind her before turning back to the rest of the study. What always frightened the Potion master was the resemblance the children had from their parents. He noticed that in the most interesting persons, from Harry to Draco and even Mattheo. Harry, Draco, Mattheo and her.
“So it is real then.”
What McGonagall thought was a question ended quickly on the sound of the pushed door. The Professor had left them.
“What in Merlin’s beard was he saying?” She asked.
“Nothing to worry about Minerva.” He said rapidly as his gaze came back to the young woman. “I hope you had a safe journey Astride. You mustn't worry about this, or about our newly Dark Art Defense teacher also” He laughed before stopping “Oh that I wouldn’t know...We will be quick because I don’t want you to be tired on your first day of school tomorrow, wouldn’t we ?”
She smiled weakly.
“I think you know the rules of our establishment as well as its subjects ?” He waited for her to nod before continuing “I decided to let you follow the class of the 13th Grade since your age let me decide and…”
“That would make me a year younger…” She said with a concerned look.
“And as I was saying, your past academic achievements have always been followed here.”
“Here?”
“Right on that desk”
She stood on her two feet.
“It was you?”
“It was me who tutored you those past years, yes. But nothing is better than a real education isn’t it?”
She sat on her chair with a distinguish shock on her face. How could it be she thought before turning her attention to the Professor who accompanied her in all those, Poseidonknow how long corridors.
“It is quite late Albus, the girl needs rest. We can organize a choosing ceremony tomorrow, it will be a warm welcome for…”
“No ceremony please.” She asked with a pleading look “I know...I need a house but please not in front of everyone”
Albus complied with a smile and turned to his bookshelves. Astride did not understand where the voice was coming from and as her eyes wandered near the many books, she couldn’t help but pinching her eyes as an old maroon hat moved.
“Don’t act as if I needed to be put on that head to see where she belongs. It runs deep doesn’t it?”
She pointed a finger to her face, not knowing if he was actually speaking to her.
“It’s Slytherin of course!”
Albus Dumbledore closed his eyes for a second. He annoyed himself on how this single phrase troubled him as if he never knew. And as he opened them, he noticed how haunting theses words were for Astride Nereus.
“Please no. I studied the architecture of this castle. I know where theses rooms are. I cannot.”
“Nereus, my dear, no one can escapes their chosen house”
“Minerva. For reasons I am about to tell you later, I will allow Miss Nereus to choose something else. It is all about choosing I swear” He said with a wink.
“Bad omens, bad omens...Intelligence is there of course...Clever and a passion for knowledge but something else lives deep inside you Miss...Courage but at it’s purest form...That must be a hint of Gryffondor”
She could not observe any part of the castle, or even her own room as she walked back with the transfiguration Professor. No one was awake and has she crept into her bed sheets, she couldn’t help but let few tears run down her cheeks. She wondered about all the decisions, the choices, the paths she had just taken. Were they good, were they bad. As the teacher came back to the Headmaster’s office, she drove off to sleep.
“I found her an empty room with a bed, must have been there for young Mr. Lupin…” She rose her hand before Dumbledore could add anything “Now explain to me where the girl was for her to miss all theses years of education Albus”
“The question isn’t where but why my dear.”
Behind the cold stone walls, the discussion was only beginning. But not an echo filled the rooms and the corridors, leaving the castle of Hogwarts empty and peaceful before the morning hours.