See No Evil: Prologue

by bowtruckle90

Recently revised and slightly expanded. Prologue to See No Evil Series, coming soon! Norah Dumbledore and Leopold Lestrange: destined to be together while war and evil tear them apart. R&R! I own Norah, Leo and other minor characters. JKR owns the rest!

ON A STILL NIGHT…

Bellatrix sighed contentedly. The record Tom had put on earlier was still playing. The violin was enchanting. Looking to her right, Bella saw that Tom was snoring beside her, lying atop the rumpled sheets. Her eyes traveled from the graying hair that still remained to the unnaturally toned muscle beneath taught skin, and finally came to rest on his manhood. Limp and flaccid, it was still perfection, like the rest of him.

Bella's pulse rose and suddenly she wanted more, but she dare not wake him. Sighing again, this time in agitation, Bellatrix gathered her share of the blankets more closely around her own naked torso. The air was chilled and goose-bumps prickled along her skin. That seemed to happen a lot lately, and not always because of chilled air.

Things were getting intense. The world was getting more unstable everyday. Tom's ideas, however radical, were growing popular among Purebloods. Among others, not that they would want members of mixed bloods, were being received with more hostility than perceived. As of yet, Tom did not have enough followers to make a movement. Lately he'd been talking about the reform of the wizard race into its former glory. On still nights like this, when Bella had time to think, she sometimes believed his ideals were almost unattainable without mass murder like the German muggles had done to muggle Jews some forty some odd years previously.

Ah, well, no matter at this point. Bellatrix pushed the thoughts out of her mind and closed her eyes. The violins of the record assailed her ears with crisp and quivering notes as she fell fast asleep.

…IN THE BEGINNING

Minerva's smile glinted in the candlelight. Albus continued to play at the piano as she watched his intensity through the strands of misplaced hair. The compelling music flowing through the air was intoxicating. Minerva thought these days the kind of simple pleasures like music should not be taken for granted. In fact they should be taken while they could be got. Lord Voldemort was gathering new followers every day and it seemed more people than Albus anticipated agreed with a lunatic who was quickly rising to unnatural, unlawful political power.

And did that make them lunatics? She wasn't so sure. But it certainly had Albus worried. When he worried, he played. And when he played, Minerva's heart sang, which is why she supposed she had been his lover for so long, despite a radical difference in sexual preferences.

This thought brought her attention to the goblet sitting still full on the nightstand beside her. After all, she wasn't getting any younger. Thirty-eight was already somewhat late for children, even for a witch.

Albus' fingers remained on the ivories, tickling away. Perhaps he could be a good father, he thought. If nothing else, parenting could be…an adventure.

MERRY MEETINGS

Norah sighed and slumped lower at the banister three landings up at Flourish and Blotts. Albus looked over the content page of the textbook he was skimming through and glanced at his child. He felt sorry that she should be here with him today while Minerva decorated the great hall for Halloween. It was only two days until the feast, and likewise until Norah's birthday.

"Would you like to visit Otto next door and see if you can play today, Norah?"

She perked right up and grinned widely before darting down the stairs and out the door.

When she entered through the oaken door of Tickled Ivories, Otto was not in his usual place at the counter. Stranger still was the sound of the baby grand out back. Norah weaved through other pianos awaiting repair and made her way to her usual instrument, only to find someone already playing on it.

A boy about her own age and only a little taller than her was sitting on the bench and playing Vivaldi. He had messy dark hair and was wearing a set of black robes. The piece came to an end and the boy sat quietly.

"That was beautiful," Norah said. The boy jumped down from the bench and turned around. His eyes were gray and piercing. After a moment, he finally said, "Thank you." He held out his hand toward her and said, "My name is Leo. Leo Lestrange. And you are?"

"Norah Dumbledore. You play wonderfully." She shook his hand and Leo thanked her once again before asking, "Do you play?"

"Yes, for a few years now. You?"

"Same. How old are you anyway?"

Norah sat on the bench and announced with a grand smile, "I'll be eight on Halloween." Leo raised his eyebrows and smiled, eyes sparkling. "Me too."

Leo sat to Norah's left. His hands found the keys easily. As he began to play, Norah started to complement and soon they were playing in perfect harmony.

As they played together a cloaked figure looked on from outside the window, watching the mirrored wall at the back of the shop. He was focused on the boy. So young still. So dark; he looked remarkably like Bellatrix. And yet there was something familiar about the eyes. Some piece of Tom himself was in there, somewhere.

Tom was never the fatherly type. Most days he thought he never could be. Those were the days he wished Leo had never happened. The rest of his days, Tom wished he could spend some time getting to know the child he had sired.

Tom shook his head and readjusted his hood. Leo could wait. Halloween could not. And anyway, if all went well, this would be the last birthday Leo would spend without his father. And next year, when all the plans had come to a head he could return to Bellatrix's house, run Rudolphus out, and ensure his boy would grow up knowing he was the heir to an empire.

BIRTHDAY BASHING

Norah was scared. Worse, she was alone. Her parents had walked her into the hidden compartment behind a wall in her father's bedroom and locked her inside. All her mother would say was that things were getting bad out in the world and tonight it would be safer for her inside the compartment. It had been several hours. There had been no sound, no noise. Whatever her mother had said about the world as it stood that night apparently none of it was touching the school.

Feeling an intense need to escape her cell and maybe learn what was going on. The girl stepped out of one of her shoes and held it close to the only fairy light in the tiny room. From underneath the inner sole, she extracted a tiny blade, small enough to not be noticed but useful for picking locks. Particularly in the library's restricted section before the screaming book enchantment was cast for those who broke in.

Inserting the blade into the lock Norah only had to jimmy it for a few minutes before the handle smoothly turned and the wall opened. Probably one or both of her parents would know the door had been opened. No way they would leave her at the school and not charm the lock in some way. Still, Norah tucked the blade back into her shoe and made her way through the bedroom into the office. Still quiet. Outside the office, the halls were dark.

"Young Lady. How did you escape?"

The portraits were mostly gone, checking on second portraits, friends, loved ones, but there was one who was not only in attendance but awake. Phineas Black.

"I'm not telling. Where are the confiscated wands?"

Phineas crossed his arms and sniffed. "You are not permitted without your father and I completely agree. You have no idea of the -."

Norah pulled a face and sighed. "Fine, you're not usually a help even when you want to anyway."

Norah had knicked wands before for various reasons, and every time her mother saw fit to hide them somewhere new and convinced her father to do so. Norah swept her dark hair out of her face and tied it back with a hair tie that sat about her wrist. This done, Norah twisted the handle of the fairy light on the ceiling, bathing the room in light, before she went through drawers and cupboards searching for wands. She didn't find any, but she did find some papers that caught her intrigue. Norah gathered the hem of her white nightgown up to sit in her father's chair and started pouring through the parchments she found.

"Nothing to say about snooping I see," she said glancing up at Phineas.

"Well, information never hurt anyone, even disturbing news. Besides, the school is quiet. No one is coming in here tonight."

Norah didn't answer. She simply read. There were death reports, injuries, offensive attack plans. Norah had decided some time ago that war was stupid. Her whole life there had been tension and then a couple of years ago things had just exploded. This guy her father was chasing was a piece of work. He was trying to take over the world, as far as her mind could tell from the snippets she had overheard from eavesdropping on Order of the Phoenix meetings in her father's office. Even her birthday had been canceled today…

The clock on the wall chimed ten o'clock. Just as the final tone died Eupraxia Mole came back to her frame on the office wall screeching. "Oh, they're coming, dear Merlin help us!"

Norah shot from her seat and made her way toward the picture. "Who's coming Euphraxia?"

The elderly witch clapped her hands over her mouth to silence herself while Phineas moaned. "You stupid hag!"

"I didn't know she was awake!" Euphraxia shot back.

"You know that child, you should have guessed she was going to get out of there!"

They continued fighting, all the while Norah decided to take the opportunity to slip out of the office. Neither portrait noticed until the door was just about closed. Phineas was screaming after her. Norah did not heed his calls and proceeded down the stairs and out the guarded entrance.

The corridor was cold and dark. There lanterns weren't lighting, even as she walked past them. Someone had charmed them to remain dark. Probably her mother. It was the kind of thing she would think of.

Norah proceeded down the corridor carefully, until she heard a noise. She stopped and closed her eyes to listen. Eventually she recognized the noise as talking. Norah listened harder to try and understand what they were saying. The closer they got the clearer the words.

"…do anything to a child. Can you only imagine what that would be like if it were us?"

"Well it's not us and our son is not as capable as this child. Regardless of our triumph tonight, this little girl could ruin everything when she grows up. Prophesy or no. Besides, she's a Dumbledore. She deserves to die."

Little girl. The term caused Norah to snap her eyes wide open. When she did, a witch and wizard were standing at the other end of the corridor. They were dressed in black and pale as ghosts. Norah froze. These people were after her. Norah turned and bolted back for the entrance to the office. Before she made it three steps her legs just stopped working and she fell to the floor, scraping her cheek against the flagstones. Torrents of pain ripped through her body, causing Norah to scream and tears to sting her eyes. The pain was horrendous, and just as soon as it came it stopped. Norah opened her eyes. She was slumped against a the wall, her face throbbing from the cuts caused by writhing on the flagstones.

The woman, the one who had spoken about Norah deserving to die, approached her and smiled a sinister grin in the moonlight streaming in through the corridor windows. Norah backed up to the wall. The woman stood right over her, wand pointed at the young girl. Just as she opened her mouth, another voice rang out strong and clear.

"Bellatrix!"

Both the woman and the girl whipped their heads down the corridor opposite the end Bellatrix and the wizard had come. It was Albus Dumbledore. "Bellatrix, you will get away from my daughter. Now!"

The witch backed away but without lowering her wand. "Why so serious, headmaster? I thought you were against the idea of having children. I mean, the means to which they are created seem so unlike your persuasions."

Albus stepped closer as the gap between Norah and Bellatrix widened. All wands were out now and Norah scrambled her way to her feet to run behind her father. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're referring to. Now you and Rudolphus will leave my school. You don't want to do this, Bellatrix. She just a little girl."

"She'll be a lot more one day, old man." The man who had been called Rudolphus was standing close enough to speak quietly. "But you're right, we don't want to harm her."

"Speak for yourself," Bellatrix sniffed. "Wouldn't we be so welcomed as heroes if we took them both down?"

Without another word, Dumbledore jabbed his wand in their direction and both Bellatrix and Rudolphus went flying through the air. Another wand motion after they landed some twenty feet away and their wands were sent flying out a nearby window. One more, and they both began screaming in agony. Norah ducked behind her father completely and covered her ears. It was short lived. When the screaming stopped. Albus said, "I don't think I need to tell you what comes next if you don't vacate the premises, immediately."

Bellatrix was the first to recover. She hauled herself to her feet and drug her husband up with her. They retreated around the corner. Albus called over his shoulder, "Severus, see that they are going."

A young man in black robes crept from shadows and passed father and daughter to follow the witch and wizard, however meekly. When he was gone, Albus sighed, replaced his wand in a pocket and turned to Norah. He brushed her bleeding cheek. "Come along."

They walked back up the stairs and back into the office. Upon closing the door behind them, Albus looked up to Phineas' portrait, saying, "Thank you for your help. I know you don't like visiting others."

"My discomfort or your daughter's life. Hardly a competition."

Albus nodded and walked Norah to the back of the office and toward the left, where the bedrooms were. This time he brought her into her own room. It had a ceiling just like the great hall that moved with the skies. Stars were shining brightly tonight and with a small wave of the hand toward a lamp on a table beside the bed, light engulfed the room on gold. Norah sat on her bed and Albus kneed before her, eyebrows knit together and an expression of concern on his face.

"Daddy, what was that that just happened? To me I mean? I was hurting so badly and then it was just gone. I thought I was going to split in two."

Albus sighed. "I should have been honest with you from the beginning. If you knew the scale of what was happening in our world, this would not have happened."

Before Norah could launch a protest, there was a sound from the office like a rush of air. Too fast for Albus to even draw his wand, Minerva was inside Norah's room, Fawkes gliding behind her, and holding tight to Norah. "I was so worried."

"She's all right Minerva," Albus coaxed.

"Oh yes, I can see that. Can I speak to you, Albus? Outside?"

Minerva stomped out of the bedroom, leaving Norah with a grimace. "I can understand why you didn't marry my mother."

Albus smiled a little. "Be kind to her. She's just afraid. We could have lost you tonight. We're lucky. Not all families are. Not tonight." He brushed his thumb over Norah's cheek and when he withdrew there was a warmth that lingered. Norah touched her fingers to the spot where her scrape had been and observed them to be free of blood when she inspected them. "Now," he added. I'm going to speak with your mother and then we will have a long talk. Everything I should have told you a long time ago."

The argument, quiet as it was drifted into her room.

"I told you one of us should have stayed, just because it was over it didn't mean it was over for us."

"How should I have known Minerva? The boy defeated Voldemort; I thought it best to have both of us working on exactly what to do with the boy."

"The devil with the boy, she is out daughter."

"She's smarter than we give her credit Minerva. And speaking of the boy, I have some preparations that need to be made for him. Hagrid has him now from the disaster, who knows where Sirius is, but his bike is with Hagrid. He will be at the Dursley home as I appointed within the next hour and I still have to speak with our child about what happened here."

"Well…I'm going to bed. I imagine she is staying in here tonight?"

"Yes."

"And what will you be telling her?"

"I'll start with the truth."

Minerva sighed. "I trust you to not take it too graphically. You're right, she is smarter than we give her credit for. Even if she is only eight."

It had completely escaped her in the day's tense events that today was her eighth birthday.

BIRTHDAY CRASHING

Leo was still sitting in the drawing room at his uncle's house with his aunt and baby cousin, Draco. The baby was asleep in a cradle and Narcissa was pacing the floor and biting her nails. The men had all gone out some time ago to make considerable progress in the new world order. At least that was what his parents said when they left.

The night just seemed to last forever. At some point Leo fell asleep on the couch. When he woke up there was a horrible racket going on. The drawing room was dark now, but there was some light streaming in from the hallway.

Leo sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He stood and crept quietly towards the door, attempting to make no sound. The closer he got the more familiar the racket became, but whatever words were being spoken before, now there were only tears and wailing. When Leo ventured to peek beyond the door frame, his mother was collapsed in the arms of his aunt Narcissa, who was consoling her sister as tears streamed down her own face.

Leo would have liked to have said that he was good at sneaking, but the cold truth was he was just terrible. His mother looked up and caught his eye. She quickly wiped at her eyes and stood herself up. "Leopold, darling"

The child stepped outside the room and asked his mother," Why are you crying?"

Bellatrix sighed and stepped close to him, bending to meet his eye and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Oh my dear, tonight was a disaster. You father…"

She teared again. Lip quivering, she covered her mouth with her free hand. Leo had paled and was just about to ask what had happened when the door down the hall opened and Rudolphus came in from the inky black night. "They'll be on us soon, Bella. We have to go. Though I have no idea why I'm even taking you with me…"

Bellatrix ignored her husband and looked into her son's eye. "My darling boy, your father…has died tonight."

"But he's standing right there," Leo pointed toward a very sour looking Rudolphus.

"No my dear," Bella shook her head. "The man who sired you, not the man who raised you. The Dark Lord…he is gone, my dear."

Rudolphus stomped his way to Bella and pulled her away. She was dragged behind him as she looked back at her dark haired, pale faced little boy. "You're the One now darling! You'll be our savior someday!"

Leo would not see his mother for fourteen years. And he would never see himself the same ever again.

TRIAL AND ERROR

Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange weren't caught until a year after the downfall of Voldemort. In November 1982, she stood her trial for crimes committed against wizard kind in the war.

There had been a big fight about whether or not Norah should have been allowed to go to the trail, but she had been summoned by the Minister to testify to the crimes committed against her the year before. Minerva did not like it, but there was really no choice in the matter. And so Albus brought the primped and polished nine-year-old to the Wizengamot to describe the worst night of her life.

Millicent Bagnold, the Minister, sat in the very center of a very large gathering of witches and wizards in purple robes. Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting like a queen in her seat set off to one side of the oval clearing, where she was chained. She was sowling in Norah's direction when she finally stood, alone, before the Wizengamot. Albus himself was sitting among the spectators. He had been a member of the Wizengamot for years, but had been asked to bow out of this case, as his daughter was a victim.

"If you please, recite your name for the Wizengamot, child," Millicent said in a loud commanding voice.

"Norah Anita McGonagall Dumbledore."

"Please describe for us the events of the night of October the 31st of last year."

"This woman who I now know to be Bellatrix Lestrange, and her husband Rudolphus broke into Hogwarts on my birthday last year, October 31st, and they cast the Cruciatus curse on me."

There was a pause. A counselor sitting back and to the right of the minister adjusted his glasses and asked, "Do you know what that means, young lady?"

"Ms. Lestrange cast an unforgivable curse."

"And you know about the unforgivable curses?" the same wizard asked.

"Yes sir. I think if the Lestranges had never come to that school that night to kill me, I would not have learned about them for some time. But since I find myself to be a victim, it was necessary to delve into the quite distasteful subject." It was getting easier. The more Norah talked the less she could hear her own voice deflecting off the stones and coming back to her own ears, and she found her natural vocabulary, her inner dictionary her mother called it.

"How do you know they were coming to kill you, child," asked a fat witch in the front row with a deep voice.

"Ms. Lestrange was fighting with her husband when they happened upon me. She said that I was a Dumbledore and deserved to die anyway."

The room was silent for a moment. But only a moment. There was a cackling in the corner. Norah looked over and Bellatrix had a mad look on her face.

"Stupid child," she sighed between giggles. "The Dark Lord will rise again. He will. And when he does, you and your entire family will suffer for it. You will pay. Your mother…your father…and especially you." Bellatrix let out a loud cackle before someone had the good sense to silence her. When Norah, eyes wide, turned to try and run, Albus was there, striding from his place to one side of the room and motioning her to come to him. He had silenced Bellatrix. With Norah standing beside him, he turned to the Wizengamot and said, "I think you have quite enough testimony in this matter Millicent."

The Minister nodded, and with his handon her shoulder, Albus and Norah turned and left through the witness entrance.

Albus sat Norah on a deserted bench outside the courtroom. They weren't entirely alone though, there were several other people of various ages seated on other benches awaiting their turn. Norah looked around at all their faces, pink lips tense and rosy cheeks aflame. "Are they all here to speak against Bellatrix?"

Albus knelt before her. "They are my dear."

A Wizard with a clipboard called out to Dumbledore from the counsel entrance to the right of the benches occupied with dozens of people. Albus held up one finger to Norah, indicating she wait a moment, before standing and walking toward the man.

Norah sighed and started clawing at the braids her mother had done her hair in. she hated her hair being tied up. As she finished one braid and started the other, there was a tap on her shoulder. She snapped her head to her left, and there was a little boy whose face she recalled quite well from two years before.

"Leo?"

"Hello Norah." He was still dark haired and his eyes still gave her the impression of being made of stone. He pointed toward the door. "Saw you come out just now. Did you talk about my mum too?"

"Your mum?"

Leo nodded. "Bellatrix is my mum." The boy clasped his hands and looked down into them as Norah freed her second braid and collected the green ribbon in her fist. The thought had flitted across her mind once or twice whether Leo, the boy playing the piano some time ago, was a relative of hers, but Norah never expected the woman who tried to kill her was the mother of the only other child her age she ever met.

The look on his face made her want to cry. He seemed dazed, confused. When he opened his mouth he always shut it again, as though he was unsure of what to say. Finally he managed to get out a few sentences: "My mum did some horrible things. I don't know why. They think I know something. But I swear I didn't know how bad everything was. How bad everyone I know was." He looked up into her eyes, icy blue like her father's. "It doesn't matter anyway. My uncle doesn't want the chance I might talk so he's quashing my summons." He turned his attention to the floor again. There was a great shudder and tears began slapping the floor between where his feet sat upon the flagstones. "Merlin everything is so messed up. My father isn't my father and I'm now the savior of the pureblood race and the worst of it is that I don't even think I believe in the purity of blood. And if I do this certainly isn't the way to preserve it." Norah reached out and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Leo looked at it. "But…you must think I'm horrible."

Norah took a breath and said, "I think what your mother has done, what they all have done, is horrible. But I don't believe in punishment by proxy."

"Norah." The girl and boy looked up and toward the end of the corridor. Minerva had come to collect her daughter so Albus could continue hearing cases as part of his duty to the Wizengamot once Bellatrix was dismissed…if she was dismissed any time in the near future. Norah hopped off the bench and Leo followed suit, standing with his hands shoved in his pockets and watching her walk away. "I'm sorry Norah."

After a quick word with her mother, Norah turned back and stood with Leo. She reached for his hand and said, "You're only like her if you choose to be." When she let go and rejoined her mother, there was a green ribbon left in Leo's hand. Then just as quickly she had come back she was gone again.

"What on earth is that?"

Leo's uncle Lucious was standing behind the boy. "That ribbon where; did that come from?"

Leo peered down the hall. Norah and her mother were gone.

"Nowhere. I found it."

"Well discard it and let's go. They will not be interviewing you today or any other day."

Leo waited for Lucious to pass and then tucked the ribbon up his sleeve. Later that night, for safekeeping, he decided to sew it into a pillow to keep it hidden from his family and close to his dreams. No one had ever told him he had a choice before. Leo thought he might need to be reminded of that someday.

BEGIN AGAIN

Leo looked up at the cathedral ceilings as he set his wand to rest behind his ear. It was a habit he had recently formed. Besides, it was a convenient place to leave it. He like the other first years around him was anxiously awaiting the great hall doors to open and welcome them. When Professor McGonagall returned, she was leading a short, thin girl in school robes toward the rest of the group. "But mother," the girl protested, "I don't want to march in."

"You're a first year like everyone else." The woman then addressed the group. "We're ready for you now."

As the group went in, Leo weaved his way through the crowd toward Norah, who was straightening her robes. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," she answered. "It's been a couple years. Again. How've you been?"

They lagged behind the rest of their classmates chatting. When the hat began calling out houses, Leo leaned into Norah's ear. "Think you'll be in Gryffindor?" Norah nodded and asked, "Slytherine?"

"Unfortunately." Norah knew why he was so adverse. The word was no one comes out of Slytherine a good person. She leaned in again, and said, "You know, it's not the house that makes you who you are, Leo. It's you."

"Dumbledore, Norah!" The hat was placed on her head and barely had time to rest before shouting "Gryffindor!"

Norah joined her other classmates at the table. When Leo was called, Norah listened intently. The hat seemed to sit for ages, before finally calling, "Slytherine!" Leo tried to look proud as he stalked toward his own table. After sitting he caught Norah's eyes. She winked at him, and he smiled. Maybe Slytherine wasn't the worst thing that could happen.

IMPROPER

"It's inappropriate, Norah, hanging out with that Lestrange boy, and you know it. We've had this discussion many times before."

Norah sighed and slumped in the seat she was occupying in her mother's office. "So change the schedule so we're not in classes. It doesn't matter. Meal times, weekends, you can't possibly watch me all my spare time."

Minerva took on a very serious look. The kind she got when Norah slacked off on doing all her homework the moment it was assigned. "He's a Slytherine."

"Who knew you were such a house loyalist mother?" Norah pushed her seat back and collected her bag from off the floor. "If you'll excuse me mother, I have a meeting with Dad now. I suspect about the same subject. And as usual I suspect he will have a different take on the matter. He always does."

Norah stalked out of the office, bag swinging on her arm and dark hair bouncing on her shoulders. The walk was long and it gave Norah some time for reflection. Surely Slytherine students were far more conniving and manipulative than others, and as a Gryffindor who was the daughter of celebrated Gryffindors, Norah could understand the concern over reputation. What she could not understand was that she and Leo were children. Surely no one could find a reason why young children could not be friends. That and Leo was not like the others. He was kind, genuine and helpful. He would never do a thing to hurt another person.

All too soon, her father's office loomed. After speaking the password and walking up the stairs that were revealed by it, she rapped on the oaken door, to which her father answered.

"You're early my pet."

Norah stepped inside. "Mother is being horribly unfair as usual." Norah dropped her bag and removed her cloak, slinging it over the back of a chair near the fireplace and sitting with her de-shoed feet up on the coffee table. "What on earth is the matter with her? Leo Lestrange is not a bad person. Just because he's a Slytherine…"

Albus joined his daughter. "That's not the only reason, my dear. Not even half of it. You know that."

"Then can someone please give me a good reason because just being his mother's son is not good enough to discard him." Norah whined.

Dumbledore nodded. "That's why you have this."

He handed her a small piece of parchment. As Norah read it, he added, "It's only to be used for emergencies, and you are not to tell your mother. This parchment is protected from most curses and destructive spells. Keep it somewhere safe."

In her hands, Norah held a standing permission to peruse the restricted section of the library without guidelines for specific subjects. It was signed by her father.

She looked up at him, and he winked, saying, "Go and find out for yourself."

Norah leaped from her chair with a wide grin and slipped her shoes back on her feet as she ran for the door. "Thank you, Dad!"

"Just don't forget to do your homework! For your mother's class at least!"

INSIDE OUT

Norah poured over book after book. Books on family trees. Books on genealogy and family trees, books filled with old news reports. Still nothing seemed to click. What was her father expecting her to find. Eventually Madame Pince came and got her. The library was closing for the night. After seeing her lantern had enough oil to get her to her father's office, Pince left the girl to find her bed.

Norah rubbed her eyes and yawned as she turned a corner. Cutting too closely, Norah ran her hand right into a wall, dropping the lantern in the process, snuffing the flame and breaking the glass. "Damn," she said to herself. "No answers, no homework done, no lantern…"

She set out again without the lantern. Norah made the end of the corridor and rounded another corner coming face to face with a bright light. "Oh!"

The light lowered and a boy said quietly, "Sorry."

Leo held the light further away from Norah who had shielded her eyes. When she looked again, she said, "You scared me. What are you doing out here? You'll get in trouble."

They started walking. "I've been waiting for you all night. Peeves came to me and said he overheard you and your mum talking about me in her office, and then you went off to your father's where you spend all of two second before rushing off with a note for the restricted section and start looking up books on family. My family."

"You were watching me?"

"I wasn't, Peeves was. I was waiting for you to leave the library so I could ask what you were doing."

"You could have come and asked."

"I wanted to say hello, but…well my mates in Slytherine were around and they sort of tease me about hanging out with you. Not that I care what they think," he added quickly, seeing the hurt expression on Norah's face. "I just don't fancy another dunk in the lake."

Leo gestured down the hall, and he and Norah began walking together, taking their time. Norah sighed. "There's something about your family my mum and dad think I should know. Well dad thinks I should, mum thinks I should just listen to her and never mind why. I was there for hours and found nothing. Just the usual about your mother."

Leo licked his lips and hung his head a moment. "I am surprised your father thought you could find clues like that in the library. No one knows but my parents."

"So you do know what they're getting at?"

Leo nodded.

Norah smiled and blew a puff of air and smiled. "Well why don't you just tell me so I can stop wasting time?"

Leo was silent for a moment. Then he stopped walking and pulled Norah into a small alcove. "I will tell you, but you must promise me to never tell another soul. The Unbreakable vow."

"That bad huh?"

"Promise!"

"Okay all right. This seems like it's really big so whatever you want."

Leo took a deep breath and leaned his head in the crook of an arm against the wall. "My father…" he said slowly and deliberately, "was the Dark Lord. I am the son of Voldemort."

After three years at school with him Norah knew Leo well enough to know he was not kidding. This was serious. She had read in one of the books filled with old new articles that there were portions of the trial where it was alluded that Bellatrix's son was not her husbands, but since the information was neither here nor there and there was so much testimony to go through, anyone who even started to bring it up was dismissed.

"So that bit about your father not being your father at the trial. You almost told me who it was right then didn't you?"

Leo turned his head toward her. "I didn't know any better at the time. But now you know."

"You're not your mother, Leo. And you're not your father. You're you. Only you can decide who you'll turn out to be one day." She paused. "Why tell me?"

"You're my only friend, Norah, but you're a good one. I'd rather have one of you than a hundred of those mates of mine. And that's the truth. We should always tell each other the truth. That's what best friends do." He sighed and stood away from the wall. "And the unbreakable vow thing. You don't have to."

Norah shrugged. "I will if you want me to."

Leo shook his head and offered his hand to Norah. She took it and they continued down the corridor as he said softly, "I trust you."

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Norah was pouring over her arithmancy notes trying to prepare for the O.W.L.s scheduled for the following week. Knowing the material was never much of a challenge. She was a very bright young witch, everyone who met her said so. Even if she was often lazy and seldom intrigued by classroom activities.

Laziness aside, she wanted to do well for two reasons: she would be able to choose whatever rubbish classes she wanted for the next two years and her mother would be happy. Albus said he knew she would amount to quite a lot regardless of the paperwork so he wasn't concerned about scores. Besides, he would say, she scores almost perfectly every year at the final exams anyway. She was lazy in school structure, not in the pursuit of knowledge.

And this was the thought that was distracting her at the precise moment Norah's mother entered her bedroom. Norah let out a frustrated sigh.

"Mother I know you mean well, but I did get a bed in the dorms to get away from you barging in all the time." She held up her arithmancy book. "And I am actually studying you know."

Minerva was not amused. "We need to talk, now."

Norah's mother often got worked up over nothing, but her face was livid. So Norah put down her parchment and her quill and sat at rapt attention amongst her sea of information. Minerva stood squarely at the foot of Norah's bed and said, evenly but with a distinct sense of outrage, "You caught Leopold Lestrange sneaking firewhisky into school from the Hogsmeade outing. Not only did you not turn him in, you helped him. You are a prefect, Norah. Explain yourself."

Norah should have guessed. She slouched now and tossed herself back upon the overstuffed pillows at the head of the bed. "I would love to mother, but this argument is rather low on my list of priorities."

"Would it be higher if I said your father would also like an explanation? In his office?"

"Now?"

"Right now."

Norah and Minerva walked to Albus' office and after being welcomed inside and provided with tea and scones beside the fire, the small family sat and talked.

"Now, why on earth would you do that Norah?" Minerva said, still rather worked up, and getting worse the more she talked. "I gave you that patch so you would start taking more responsibility, realize that rules are rules and apply to everyone. Instead of handling the honor with pride you're flouting your authority and turning a blind eye to the wrongdoing of your friends!"

"One friend, mum. Singular. Isolated incident. An incident which, I might add, happens all the bloody time and no one ever gets turned in." She paused a moment. "He's a little more than a friend, too if you know…"

"Enough of that, you know how I feel about you seeing that boy, but it's beside the point."

Norah's tone was decidedly unenthused, one way or the other. "I told you I didn't want this thing, I told you to pick someone else. Are you trying to put a target on my back? This is the perfect damned if you do and damned if you don't situation."

Before Minerva could chastise for language, Norah turned to her father, saying, "Dad, either she passed me up and everyone thought I was lucky to not be shouldering the responsibility and she's playing favorites or I was chosen and she's only giving it to me because I'm your daughter. There's no win, but at least people would eventually forget that I wasn't called out. I'm a prefect and no one is ever going to forget it. Mum slapped a label on me because she didn't like the one I was born with." Norah sighed and turned back to Minerva. "Mum I know your intentions were to help me buckle down and focus and impart a sense of responsibility in me. But you've seen my test scores. I'm buckled down just fine. As far as responsibility goes, all this episode shows is that I'm completely loyal to those who count in my book and I don't think one mistake should black list him. With his name all it takes is one."

Minerva took her daughter's hand and patted it. "Well…I suppose you're right. But there is no changing it now, sweetheart. How about we agree that you will go after less common offenses and take action where truly inappropriate and I will resign myself to the fact that you are not necessarily the prefect sort of person we hoped you would be."

Minerva hugged her daughter tight, saying into her ear, "And I love you just as you are." They parted and Minerva wiped a tear from her eye. "I never wanted you to think I was trying to make you into something you're simply not. We clash sometimes. But I wouldn't change you for anything. Just do me one thing…how many bottles did you smuggle in?"

"Six."

Minerva groaned. It would have been one thing if it were wine or butterbeer or something. This was firewhiskey. "Bring those to the kitchens please. And then continue studying."

Norah kissed her mother's cheek. After bestowing the same on her father she left on her mission.

"So why did you want to talk in here?" Minerva asked, turning to Albus.

"Well," Albus said with a smile, "Raising a teenager has been far more challenging than we anticipated. I am studying the role of disciplinarian. Normally I'm the one she comes to when she doesn't get what she wants from you. I think it's high time you played the fun parent don't you?" Minerva raised her eyebrows and sipped at her tea while Albus chuckled amusedly. "Perhaps take her shopping this weekend."

Norah reached Leo's room around nine in the evening. Most Slytherin boys were lounging in the common room; they knew enough to mind their own business when she came by. Leo always gave her the password. Most of them were witting around chatting in the common room, but Leo could be found in his own space, his single bedroom for being a Slytherine prefect, much like Norah's private chamber in the Gryffindor tower, studying his astronomy charts. He looked up at Norah's knock and a wide grin spread across his face. "So you got caught."

"I told you twelve would be too conspicuous." Norah joined Leo on his bed and wrested the papers from his hands. "I've been ordered to hand it all over. But my mother thinks we only brought in six."

"Ooh," Leo explained lightly. "In that case, what say we bring in the reported six, take the rest and a blanket and enjoy this lovely weather free night under the stars on the far side of the lake, yeah?"

Norah leaned in and placed an insistent kiss upon Leo's lips. "Sounds like we're going camping."

BLIND FAITH

"What do you mean you're leaving? I thought you were going to stay here with us for a while after school until you found your feet."

Norah watched Leo pack his trunk the day the train was going to pull out of Hogwarts bringing students back to their families. Leo was supposed to be staying at the school for a while until he found work and could live outside the Malfoy Mansion. Upon hearing he was packing for home, she had stormed into the Slytherine common room and into Leo's bedroom. No uncommon occurrence, save for the storming part. But no one was left to notice. Everyone else was saying their goodbyes in the great hall before heading to the train platform.

"This isn't what I wanted either, Norah. Believe me…it's not."

Leo was glassy eyed and nervous. He hardly ever got nervous. Something more was up than just a change of venue.

Norah stood there watching another sweater, another robe, another set of books be piled in to the trunk. "So that's it then?"

"I can't change it Norah. If I had it my way-" there was a thud near the door, but it was only another stack of books. Leo flicked his wand their way and they came flying over tucking themselves in between pajamas and socks.

Leo closed his trunk and said, "Listen," he said, "I don't have much time to tell you this. I would have stayed here forever with you, taken over for Binns like your dad wanted but…" he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Then he lifted up his sleeve. There on his left forearm was the ugly mark which all of his father's Death Eaters bore. Norah never recoiled from Leo for anything. This was no exception. She grasped his arm and looked closely. "When?"

"Christmas." Leo took his arm back and rolled his sleeve down again. "Uncle Lucious said it was time to take my place, now I'm seventeen."

Norah was confused. "But I never even saw it…every time we…"

Leo shrugged and tucked his wand behind his ear. "I've been borrowing your cover-up. Sorry, but I just didn't know how to tell you."

Norah sank to his bed, head wagging side to side and still holding fast to his left arm. "We will figure this out, Leo. You'll stay here and we'll protect you. And I can take you to London and we'll find a place to live where no one will find us…"

"No." Leo, who was now more than six feet in height, knelt in front of Norah, tiny witch that she was, and said, "This isn't all about me. I'm going back for a reason. They think something is going on. They also think I'm the successor. I'm going to try and take this down from the inside out. That and-"

"Draco," Norah finished for him. "He's starting school soon."

Leo nodded. "Next year. Just…keep an eye on him for me, all right? See he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Hm," Norah answered, "Assistant Headmistress now, I don't think you want me doling out any special attention. I can't save his ass like I've been saving yours."

They giggled for a moment and everything was normal again, just for a glimmer. And when they stopped Leo lowered his voice and took both Norah's hands in his own. "I don't know how this is going to end…but if there is something I can do I'm more use on the inside and pretending to play their game."

"Just promise me this isn't the end," Norah said tearing up.

"I will come back. Until, then," he whispered. He took her face in both hands and kissed her lips with such tenderness, Norah almost melted there in his arms.

Leo broke away and smiled, stroking a lock of Norah's hair before standing straight and levitating his trunk. Norah stood with him, holding his hand in hers until he was too far away to reach. He walked out of the room and left Norah standing alone. She felt something silky in her hand. She looked down and there was a green ribbon in her grasp. The same ribbon she had left in his hand eight years ago.

Norah snapped out of it a few minutes later and instead of going to see the train off like she usually did, she made her way to her father's office, running the whole way to beat the clock. He would definitely be on the platform for the moment, which gave Norah time to slip inside and grab a fresh piece of parchment and a quill from his desk. After jotting a quick note, she walked around the headmaster chair and greeted her father's phoenix with a friendly stroke of the head. "I need this to go to Leo, quick before the train leaves." After securing the note in his beak, Fawkes disappeared in a burst of flame and was gone.

Below and away from the castle, on the other side of the lake, Leo Lestrange was taking his final glance at the castle, trying not to think about the amazing witch he was leaving behind. As the train slid away from the platform, there was a burst of flame in his compartment. This had happened once or twice before when Norah had been grounded. Fawkes deposited his note and disappeared again. Leo unrolled the short message and read:

Leo, if you ever need me, call out for Fawkes. He's the fastest safest way to hear from one another. Don't forget about me. And let me know you're safe every now and then. All my love, Norah.