Disclaimer: In no way do I own or claim to own Harry Potter. That is the original work of JKR and I'm not stupid enough to attempt to steal it.


The Enlightenment

"To free oneself from ignorance and superstition...to enlighten."

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"Tonks, what's going on?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked, walking over to Tonks. Her hair was orange tonight, standing on end as if she had just been electrocuted. She looked a pumpkin.

"Apparently someone tried to break into the place. She's a Muggle, but…" Tonks trailed off, and glanced over at the woman who was yelling and trying to kick the two Aurors holding her arms.

"Listen, you dolts!" she was screaming. "I don't mean any harm! I just needed to speak with Severus! I know that's his house!"

"How would she know Snape?" Kingsley asked distastefully.

Tonks shrugged. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

The two made their way over to the Aurors holding her. They looked slightly alarmed and seemed to be standing as far away from her as possible to avoid being hit while still holding her.

With a grim expression, Tonks pointed her wand at the woman and said, "Stupefy." The woman appeared surprised as she saw the wand, but could see no more as she slumped, unconscious.

"Take her in for questioning."

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Kingsley took a seat in the chair opposite the Muggle woman in their questioning room. Tonks remained by the door, her usual cheerful self nowhere in sight. He looked at the woman; her jaw clenched shut, her arms and legs bound to the chair with magic, the chair attached to the floor. She appeared afraid but doing her best to keep in control of herself.

She had been pretty once, he could tell. Her eyes were the most unique, and beautiful, blue he had ever seen, save for a painting of an ocean hanging in his sister's house. They were almond shaped, with thick lashes and nicely shapedeyebrows. But there were dark bags under the blue orbs, and they were bloodshot. They appeared haunted, as if she had suffered through a great tragedy. Her hair was dirty and messy, cut short and layered, though a pretty dark brown that suited her. Her cheekbones werequite defined and her cheeks had a hollow look. There was a light scar across the left side of her face, straight across from the side of her nose to about an inch under theouter cornerof her eye. Her nose was thin and slightly upturned at the end, and her lips were full and red, though chapped and she obviously had the habit of chewing them.

He couldn't see much of her body, as she was wearing baggy clothes that almost made her appear to be a pile of shirts and pants. He knew she was skinny, though, from the accounts of the two Aurors who had held her. There was a peculiar cut between the knuckles of the middle and ring fingers on her left hand. It looked rather nasty, probably infected, and there was still dried blood around it and in a line over her hand towards her wrist.

Yes, but if she was cleaned up, given a few hot meals, and some new clothes, she would definitely be pretty again.

"What's your name?" Kingsley asked.

"Lexi Medley."

"Where do you live?"

"None of your business."

"Do you know why you're here?" Kingsley used a toneless voice, trying to keep her from becoming riled up.

"I tried to break into a house," she all but snarled.

"Do you know who owns the house?"

She rolled her eyes, making it clear what she thought of him. "Of course."

"How?"

"Phone book."

"Do you know that Severus Snape is guilty of murder?"

The woman faltered here, staring at him with wide eyes. "Who did he kill?" Medley asked slowly, as if expecting a certain answer and not wanting it to be true.

"Albus Dumbledore," Kingsley said. She gasped and would have reeled back had her chair not been attached to the floor.

"Not Dumbledore!" she exclaimed. "No, Severus would never do that…no…Dumbledore was…he wouldn't…"

"How do you know Dumbledore?" Kingsley demanded.

"He was the Headmaster of Hogwarts last I heard…but Severus…"

"Who told you about Hogwarts?"

"I've known about it since I was eleven! Severus went there. I know he wasn't lying to me, I saw the letter."

Kingsley was slightly surprised by this. Obviously, Medley knew more than he originally thought.

"How long have you known Snape?" he asked.

"My whole life," she said, and then an expression he couldn't understand crossed her face for a brief moment, quickly replaced by indifference. "Not my whole life. No, until I was sixteen."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Twenty years ago. The night before he went to his last year at Hogwarts."

"And you were only going to see him now," Kingsley stated, rather than asked.

Her jaw clenched, as it had been when he entered the room, and she said no more.

Kingsley, realizing his mistake too late, left the room, Tonks following and walking beside him.

"So what do you think?" Tonks asked.

"I'm not sure. That woman is very strange."

"I thought so, too."

"Think we should do some research about her?"

"It can't hurt."


A/N: Constructive criticism is very welcome. Please, if you see any way in which this can be improved, don't hesitate to inform me. However, I ask that you do it in a helpful manner, and that you don't just say, "This is terrible." Thank you!

Also, I began writing this without realizing that Kingsley Shacklebolt is working in the Prime Minister's office. I had already written eight chapters when I remembered that. So I apologize for that and hope you enjoy it anyway.