Finally meeting your mother. I mean babysitter.
Dumbledore felt ready. Ish. He watched as a Delphi snored softly on a transfigured bed. It was late in the night but he had made a decision on what to do now. He flicked his wand, summoning Minerva to the room. He asked her quickly to bring Harry up. Within minutes the teenager was standing anxiously in front of his desk.
“My boy! How are you? I am sorry to disturb your sleep,” Dumbledore said, smiling gently as he watched the boy yawn and brush a strand of hair out of his eyes.
“Great, thank you, sir,” Harry said, fiddling his thumbs. “May I ask why I am here?” He said, almost unsure of what to say.
“Well, your observation skills need a bit of work,” Dumbledore joked as he indicated behind Harry to a sleeping child.
Harry frowned, wondering why he was sent all the way up here, in the middle of the night, only for the Headmaster to point at a kid. He didn't know her. Though, she did look a bit familiar…
“That, my boy, is Delphi. She needs someone to look after her. She will be staying in Hogwarts because her home is rather, unsuitable at the moment.” Dumbledore said, gazing into Harry's eyes.
“What? Do you want me to babysit? While I am studying for my N.E.W.T.S?” Harry asked aghast. Dumbledore nodded.
“Anyway, don’t wake her up, but you can carry her back to the common room. A dorm shall be made for her, for when help is needed at Hogwarts, it always will be given.” Dumbledore said mysteriously.
Harry was left alone as he gaped at the girl. Ok. He can do this. He is babysitting a child. He carefully fishes his wand from his back pocket before levitating the sleeping girl. She rolls over twice causing Harry to freeze and hold his breath. Once she seemed fast asleep once more, Harry started to take her back to the common room. After locating a new door decorated in vibrant pink paint, he opened it and gently lowered the girl into a small bed with sides. He walked out the door frame and turned off the lights. But not before looking back once more to make sure she is alright.
“Good night Delphi,” Harry said, remembering her name from what Dumbeldore previously told him. Harry smiled fondly, surprising himself with the softness and actually sincere smile. Harry sighed before shutting the door closed.
Delphini woke up in a soft bed. She froze, forgetting where she is. Then her memories came back to her. Dumbledore! He told that Harry will look after her for a few weeks! She gets to see Harry again! But Dumbledore warned her not to mention anything of her parentage. Delphi frowned. That was a major party pooper. But she can work around that! Harry will love her anyway. But what about Papa? Delphi wondered what he will do. Will he steal her back? Rage a war? Kidnap Harry? Demand they both be returned? Kill Dumbledore? Leave her and Harry alone? Delphini knows it's risky staying at Hogwarts. Especially in the Lion's den. But she can’t bring herself to care. She is a snake after all, and in the long run, the venom of a serpent hurts more than a Lion's roar.
Harry told Hermione everything. After dropping the girl off he ran up to the boy's dorm and woke Ron up. He mumbled something about dinner and rolled over again. Harry sighed, knowing that Ron wouldn't really care anyway. Harry snorted as Ron accidentally kicked his blanket off before grabbing his wand and pointing it at his Galleon coin from the DA. He saw it light up with his message for Hermione and climbed on top of a couch in the common room as he waited for her to come downstairs. He stared at the entrance to the Girls dorm’s for a while before realizing she might be asleep. Before giving up and walking to bed, Hermione appeared down the stairs, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, her arms full of books, and her face panicked.
“Harry!” She called.
“Hermione, I was just called to the headmaster's office!” Harry whisper-shouted. Hermione frowned slightly before dropping her books gently on a table and walking over to him.
“Why? Did something happen?” She asked urgently.
Harry quickly mumbled everything that Dumbledore told him before asking Hermione questions as to why he might have to look after some kid.
“Maybe it's a test! Or…” Hermione’s voice dropped quieter, “The girl’s parents could be Death Eaters! And Dumbledore wants the girl to be in a happy home or something!” She whispered, sharing her ideas. “I mean, there was a raid on Malfoy Manor earlier today! Maybe she was there! Or parents killed in the cross-fighting! She exclaimed.
“She looks very young. Like, I dunno- 4? 5? Maybe even 6?” Harry said, trying to answer Hermione’s questions. “She is in that room over there-” Harry muttered, pointing at the pink door.
“Delphi is Greek for ‘womb’! The name originated from ‘dolphin’ Would that eman anything?” Hermione interrogated Harry quietly as he sought his head for an answer. As he was about to reply to this random and useless question, Harry thought privately, the pink door opened. Out waddled Delphi, smiling widely and rubbing her eye’s with her fists.
“Hello?...”
Voldemort was enraged. He only wants three things. His Horcrux, his daughter, and world domination. And right now, the easiest of those seems to be world domination. Voldemort knows the old coot has his daughter. And he also knows an old coot is a weak-willed man, believing in ‘humanity’ and ‘love’. Voldemort scowled. If Dumbledore was going to ignore him and steal his daughter, two can play that way. His next meeting his Horcrux and the pack of flaming chickens is in a few weeks. He wanted earlier but Lucius warned him away from sounding to desperate. After all, it would get to the old coot’s head, so he would start believing he actually has leverage.
Voldemort has a plan. A well thought out one as well. Voldemort decided he wasn’t going to wait around for his Horcrux to fall into his arms. He will have to push him. Hence, he is taking a drastic change in approaching this situation. The best course of action will have to influence him. And Voldemort knows how he is going to do that.
Voldemort places a glamor over himself before looking into his mirror. He looked young, late twenties. With golden curled hair and a chiseled jawline, Voldemort admitted to himself he looked good. Transfiguring his clothes into a formal robe, he climbed gracefully into the floo. He knew what he had to do.
Dumbledore was nervous. But excited. He has an interview for the new Defence against the dark arts position. They didn’t look that experienced from their resume, but in all honestly neither did any of the previous teacher Dumbledore reasoned, looking up as a figure smoothing strolled out of the floo.
“You must be Derril Tom Moldove,” Dumbledore asked, frowning at this young man.
He looked rich, clearly. Dressed in fancy robes, and caramel-colored hair, swept gracefully to the side, he was very obviously aware of his looks and appearance. Marveled in it.
“Indeed,” He drew, his voice sounding almost familiar yet so far from it. His warm and welcoming face almost didn't match his cold words.
“Take a seat, my boy!” Dumbledore insisted, beckoning to a purple chair.
Derril Moldove’s nose crinkled slightly in distaste but he sat anyway.
“So, you are interested in the Defense against the dark arts teaching position?” Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. Derril nodded stiffly.
“Excellent! Now, you are very underqualified…” Dumbledore started.
Derril stiffened and his face creased ever so slightly, for the first time since he arrived showing emotion.
“But… I do think you will be a good fit! Welcome to the world of teaching my boy!” Dumbledore exclaimed. Derril sat silent still.
“That, that was it?” Derril asked. “No questions of any sort? You don’t even know me. I just get the job?”
Dumbledore chuckled. “Well, if you don't want it…”
“No, no, I do! I do!” Derril interrupted.
“Fantastic! Why don’t you come to drop in and see me in 2 days' time, by then I will have your classroom, office, and room sorted.” Dumbledore said. Derril nodded as he left.
“Till I see you again!” Dumbledore waved him off. As he left Dumbledore huffed to himself. Now, why did he find him familiar, Dumbledore pondered as he walked over to his memory cabinet.
Voldemort was salty. He got the job easily and didn’t even need to tell a single lie. Or open his mouth. Was Dumbledore really this senile? And why is he just handing out jobs to everyman and his dog? Voldemort wanted this job decades ago and got denied! And what if he was only here to do hard to his Horcrux? What if he was actually here to harm the Boy Who lived? It would be so simple! Just knock him out now that he has a literal job in the castle! But now, to convince, manipulate and black mail his Horcrux to come home, find his daughter and conquer the world. Simple plans.