Chapter 2
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore an elderly gentleman closing in on his hundreds sat at the head table of his school looking down on the students below. He is often seen as an eccentric fellow always wearing bright robes with clashing colors, heeled shoes and half moon glasses. The fingers of his right hand were sliding through his long beard in contemplation as he watched the various students below while his mind wandered.
It has been close to four years since two of his faithful followers were killed by the dark wizard Voldemort and their little girl survived the darkest of all curses. It was a sad day when he lost James and Lily Potter but everything must happen for the greater good. Thus is the reason he had procured the child before anyone else and had her placed in the proper environment to be molded into the hero she needs to be. Even if it is at the sacrifice of a happy and comfortable childhood but all that needs to come to pass shall.
Humming to himself Dumbledore cast his gaze to his fellow teachers who were quietly discussing the events of the day with one another. He watched as McGonagalls, a stricken Scotswoman in a tartan with her hair pulled back into a severe bun, mouth pursed in disapproval at some of the children at the table clad in red and gold. He would definitely need to talk to her about that. It wouldn't do for the children of the house of lions to be uncomfortable now.
It was the sudden flutter of wings and small barking sound that brought Dumbledores gaze further down the table to where a handsome snowy owl with a harness attach to its back landed. He watched as the beautiful bird stuck its leg out for the dour man to take its missive then settled in to wait patiently.
A few tense second later after the potions master finished reading a slight quirk of the lip flashed on his face before he reached out to slowly pet the bird. Causing Dumbledore to muse silently to himself who's bird it was until McGonagall broke him from his thoughts.
"Severus who does that lovely owl belong to? I could swear I've seen him before I just can't place my finger on it."
Severus a young man with a perpetual scowl marring his features with a crooked hooked nose from it being broken one to many times and somewhat long and greasy hair tilted his head. His features became more pinched with his annoyance as he subtly smoothed his black robes before pinning her with his onyx eyes.
"This is Archer Lily's own from the Potter family roost. The keeper of the roost has told me he wishes to remain with me as my own personal owl."
As Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak a sudden shutter passed through him as a sense of foreboding settled over him. Narrowing his eyes Dumbledore slowly sent his magic out into the wards to see where this feeling was coming from. It took him a few moments before the unadulterated fury of a pissed off witch echoed on his senses.
Eyes widening Dumbledore quickly commanded the doors of the great hall to slam shut silence the chatter from the various students. All the features looked to the headmaster as he kept his blue eyes trained on the large, ancient oak doors. The air practically charged with dread filled energy.
Huffing McGonagall opened her mouth to demand what he was up to when the walls of the castle shuttered and the walls groaned. Not long after every person within the great hall could practically taste the unadulterated fury crackling around them. It was thick and intense and directed at someone yet no one could tell who.
All the teachers slowly pulled out their wands frozen to their seats as all eyes focused on the doors. It took just a few moments before the sound of heels hitting stone in brisk steps echoed from beyond the doors. The sound reverberating ominously off the walls causing everyone to suck in and hold their breath.
Creaking joined the clapping of the heels as the magic in the air condensed on them as if the energy had been charged in the room just to be pulled into focus on the doors. The tension became almost unbearable before a final loud click echoed right outside the door and the magic burst against them from the other side blasting the doors open causing many children to scream.
Standing on the other side of the door was someone Dumbledore hoped to never see again. Especially now that he had all his pieces set on his board just the way he needed them to be. Standing glaring right at him with furious laced silver blue eyes. Her hair in a fishtail braid on the right side of her head with a few flyaway sections of hair framing her face. A fitted emerald dress with gold embroidery twisting from the skirt up her body to her shoulder where the fabric ended just barely covering the top of her shoulders. Her cloak was pushed back far enough to show her front and shoulders but covered enough of her upper shoulders so the wyvern could safely grip them. Her arms were crossed over her chest with her Purple Heart and oak wand sending off sparks in her hand while the runes on her wrist glowed with a silvery light.
On her left shoulder sat a small wyvern who's striking blue scales shimmered in the candlelight. The small creature was also starring right at Dumbledore hissing and clicking in fury as it's tail thrashed behind it in agitation. It's ocean blue eyes flashing like a predator who found its prey.
Tilting her head with her aristocratic features blanked into a mask where only her eyes portrayed her emotions Cordelia Potter stood in a fury. The whole ride up to Hogwarts her temper grew as she ran over everything in her head once more. Her agitation causing Aquarius to his and twitch on her shoulder gripping the padded cloak she wore over her dress for warmth. Seeing the man sitting there on his golden throne in a room full of impressionable young minds did not help her temper.
"You have a lot of explaining to do Albus to many names for me to care Dumbledore. Starting with where the bloody hell my niece is and who the bloody hell gave you the right to choose her fate!?"
Cordelias voice raised at the end of of her question as her magic crackled out of her in a display of agitation. She had been approaching the head table as she spoke and was now standing a few feet before the staff table starring the old man down. The students leaned forward in awe of the young woman who was willing to go against the venerable headmaster the greatest wizard of their time.
Dumbledore smiled genially down at the young woman his eyes twinkling trying to gain control of the situation.
"Now, now my dear girl this is not the time nor place for suc-"
He was cut off by a sharp laugh from the young woman as her wand was quickly pointed in the mans direction her eyes blazing.
"First off I am not your dear girl , not now not ever. Second I don't give a bloody damn if this is the place for this or not. At least here like this you can't try and talk your way out of giving me the information I demand. Finally you will sit down and answer me now or so help me Dumbledore you will not like how this will end."
She hissed out her words at the elderly man who slowly sat in his throne silently fuming on the inside at the shear disrespect this young woman was showing him. Cordelia Lyra Potter had always been a thorn always questioning his every move and steering her fathers votes away from the greater good. It was the sharp brogue of McGonagall that took the young woman's attention off of him.
"Young lady I don't know who you think you are but I would appreciate it if you'd put your wand down and leave these premises!"
Raising her brow Cordelia gave a slight nod in the strict deputy headmistress's direction before lowering her wand to her side.
"Forgive me professor I am Cordelia Lyra Potter interim and rightful guardian of Heir Aster Harriet Jamie Potter. As her last living relative on her magically inclined side of the family she should have gone to me from the second she was orphaned. Now than what I would like to know is who's brilliant idea was it to not try every possible avenue to contact me to take charge of my niece. Not to mention sealing my brother and his wife's will before their bodies even had time to cool and settle in the ground."
Minerva paled before her furious gaze settled on the elderly headmaster hissing like her animagus form.
"Albus you said there was no one else who could take in the poor child! Clearly that's not true!"
Dumbledore held up his hands in a placating manner as his eyes twinkled over his half moon glasses while he panicked slightly on the inside. He had few options and even fewer that got him out of this still looking like the scion of goodness. His sharp mind was running through many different possibilities to settle things without to much damage to his reputation. Sadly the easiest and best way would to give up the girl who lived into her aunts care.
The problem with handing the child over to Cordelia? The young woman is a force of nature one that can rival Dumbledore himself when riled. They say the dark lord didn't attack hogwarts because he was head master but that was only partly true. The other truth was he had access to James who could easily contact his big sister the only magical to not only bring significant damage to the dark lord but escape nearly unscathed as well. After that battle the dark lord and his followers had gained a healthy fear and respect for the young woman.
With a resigned sigh Albus knew he had to give up the child's whereabouts since right at this point he needs his reputation to remain in tacked. Not to mention dueling the woman before him would be detrimental to his health. He knew for a fact that Cordelia was a natural at the Potter family magic which makes her deadly. Although he could try to dissuade her one more time.
Slowly Dumbledore tilted his head giving a sad yet disappointed smile to the young woman still glaring poisonously at him. He unfolded his hands holding them out slightly as if ready to embrace the world before addressing her.
"Now my girl there is no reason for hostility but I'm afraid I cannot disclose where young lady Potter has been placed. She is safest where she remains and it is for the greater good that sh-"
Once again Dumbledore was cut off mid word only this time it was by a whip of fire slicing right through the table on front of him. Something he had not seen since the first raids that directly involved the young woman standing in front of him. That whip is something many death eaters to this day fear being on the receiving end of and now he knew why. Even when the whip doesn't hit it still does damage considering his considerable beard had caught in the flames strike.
With a quick flick of his wand Dumbledore had douses the flames that had caught in his beard. His face had gone slightly pale as Cordelias face morphed from annoyed fury into a blank mask.
"Like I said headmaster I don't give a damn what you think all I care about is finding my niece, taking custody of her as is my right as her closet living magical relative, and finding the nimrod that put an innocent man in Azkaban! Also finishing the fine details of Professor Snape's stay on Potter Island during his Holliday's. You keeping him here during them have breached our contract thus putting him in danger of backlash. So I suggest you shut your trap tell me where my niece is and release your potions master to me to discuss the remaining terms of his contract before anything bad happens to him.
Cordelia watched out of the corner of her eye as Snape's brow furrowed slightly before his face blanked. This caused a tiny smirk to quirk at her lips before quickly disappearing. She couldn't help but feel smug that the man stayed silent on her gamble. She always did love transferring signatures with a little bit of semi transparent muggle paper and great calligraphy skills. All she could do is send a silent prayer to her brother and his wife for that trick and the deities for slytherin thinking.
Dumbledore fisted his hands before slowly getting up from his chair. He knew it wouldn't work but he had to try yet now she's telling him that Severus has a Holliday job with her. This was not good not good at all in the headmasters mind. He needed his soy to remain close especially when the dark lord returns but how when he now has a legal escape. Maybe he could use this to his advantage, after all he did not have a spy on the most neutral grounds in the world.
"Very well. Shall we all retire to my office so I can give you the information in a setting with less ears to hear?"
Cordelia just nodded her head before looking right at Snape slowly raising her right brow in questioning. She watched as the man gave a curt nod before standing and swooping down the steps after Dumbledore and out the great hall.
It had taken the group of three about ten minutes to get to the headmasters office where he then told both Cordelia and Snape where he had placed young Aster. To say they were not pleased would be an understatement. Snape knew full well the kind of woman Petunia Evans was and he had no doubt that she would not teach the child of Potter with anything more than contempt. While Cordelia who had only met the woman once just shook her head in true disappointment.
"You never change Albus. You try to see the big picture yet often times you forget that the picture your looking at is made up of millions of smaller ones. Take one piece out and it throws the whole thing off. We are through here, Professor if you will escort me to your private office we shall discuss your contract."
With a nod Snape turned sharply and strode out of the office with his robes fluttering back light bat wings. He was to livid to even speak to the headmaster with his game of ruining people's lives. He could sense Cordelia following him down the long corridors silently letting him stew and cool down.
It was right before they reached the dungeon level that they were stopped by a slightly flusters McGonagall who quickly approached the pair. It looked like she had been waiting for them just so she could talk to Cordelia. Her stern face had softened slightly but her body was still taunt as she held her head high.
"Forgive me for my rudeness earlier Miss, Potter it has just been such a long time since I've seen you that it was hard for me to recognize you. Time has been wonderful to you it seems."
Cordelia gave her old professor a soft smile bringing her hand up to her shoulder to give the little wyvern a gently scratch causing it to purr.
"Absolutely Professor, your right the times have done wonders for me. I finally found my familiar in this little guy and I've seen the world and worked with my passions. Now I can start working my way towards my other dreams and as much as I'd love to catch up Snape and I have much to discuss. It was very good seeing you again Professor."
Giving a slight smile McGonagall nodded her head in agreement before making her way back into the castle. Once out of sight Cordelia turned back to Snape and motioned for him to continue leading on.
It didn't take long before the pair were settled into chairs in Snape's office. The office was moderately decorated with a large pine desk with a basket full of papers on one side and an empty basket on the other. Behind the desk was a large comfortable looking leather chair that forces one to sit proper. In front of the desk were a pair of hard uncomfortable chairs where naughty children would sit while waiting for their professors attention. Behind the desk covering the whole wall divided into two parts was a bookshelf. Half the shelf was filled to the brim with books and old tombs whole the other half displayed an array of common potions ingredients pickled in jars or laying in bundles to dry.
Severus quickly made his way to his chair and sat down lacing his fingers together whole eyeing Cordelia as she sat in the seat in front of the desk. She had transfigured the chair in to something more comfortable and was now looking at the potions master patiently. It was a battle of wills that neither wanted to loose but both knew someone had to crack.
Sighing Cordelia decided that there were more important things than a silent battle of wills with the formidable young man.
"Look I know you despised my brother and loved my sister-in-law. A person would have to be blind not to see this but don't screw this up for yourself just because of a old grudge. I know for a fact that you know about the island considering it's every potion masters wet dream. I'm fairly certain you will enjoy your time there far more than here. After all we don't have any goats on the island especially older ones, to gamy. The people prefer sheep if anything and that's for wool and meat."
She watched as Snape's lip quirked slightly at the jab at his employer before holding out his hand. Silently she reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out a scroll and handed it over.
"Read through that. If you are agreeable to the terms sign it with the provided blood quill and a specialized Portkey will pop out and the contract will duplicate itself. After that just give one copy to Archer and he should be able to deliver it to the right people. As for me I am on quite a time constraint so I shall bid you a good day."
Getting up Cordelia brushed off her skirt before heading to the door only to stop short in the door frame. Without looking back around she spoke towards the silent potions master.
"If one were to gain the greatest type of revenge with the possibility of there being even a slightest bit of redemption for Petunia how would one go about that?"
Slowly looking up from his desk where he was reading the contract Snape's mouth twisted into a sneer before answering with one word.
"Reputation."
A predatory smile blossomed on Cordelias face, her back still to the Professor. She gave a curt nod of her head before finally leaving. After all she had a reputation to crush.