"Professor Dumbledore," she began, "Viktor Krum is here to see you."
The old man looked up from his books. "Thank you Minerva. Please show him in." The young man's appearance had taken the headmaster by surprise. It was a long trip for a young wizard to make without any notice.
Krum shuffled in awkwardly. He gave the impression of a gangly, uncoordinated oaf, not the athletic quidditch star that he was. Only his eyes gave the slightest hint of the important matter that was on his mind. They seemed to stare at nothing, focusing blankly on the floor. Dumbledore motioned for the young man to take a seat. "Mr. Krum," he began. "What a delight to see you again." He had not seen the young man since the tri-wizarding tournament a year before. "I hope all has been well with you."
Krum looked up at the headmaster quickly and mustered polite smile before he returned his eyes to the floor. He nervously twisted a string in his fingers. His breathing was shallow and quick. "Professor Dumbledore, the matter I have to discuss with you is of a very serious nature." He looked up imploringly at the headmaster.
Dumbledore smiled his reassurance. With great kindness, he looked directly into the boy's eyes. "I see. Mr. Krum, please, continue. What you say here is of the greatest secrecy. Your name will not be implicated."
"Thank you, Professor." He said quietly. His eyes flickered around the office. "Mr. Karkaroff has always been like a father to me, and I would hate to bring about his ruin."
Dumbledore leaned imperceptivity forward. "It is alright, Viktor. Please, go on."
Viktor Krum looked up hopefully at the professor. He searched the old man's eyes for compassion and found it. With renewed strength he began, "Well, as I've said, Mr. Karkaroff has always been like a father to me. He has been by my side through every major event in my life. He was at every quidditch match when my parents could not make it. He supported me through my hardest subjects at Drumstrang. As such, his daughter Alona has been like a sister. For as long as I can remember, the girl has been my friend and confidant. She knows things about me that certain wizarding publications would die to know. " He looked up at Dumbledore, blushing slightly. "We have been friends for as long as I can remember." His voice shook with this statement, overcome with emotion. Then, he retreated back into the sanctity of his monologue. "I have always known Alona Karkaroff as just that, Alona Karkaroff. It wasn't until recently that I have had reason to suspect otherwise."
Dumbledore sat attentively, care shown through on his kind face. "Viktor, please continue. I know it may be hard, by the truth will let your conscious rest."
Krum sat for a moment before continuing. "I know, Professor, this I learned at Drumstrang." He breathed deeply, focusing on nothing for a moment. Suddenly, his mind recalled him to the present. "Because of our close relationship, I spent a great deal of time at the Karkaroff's house. I heard things. One evening, I was staying over at the house and young Mr. Fudge was over. You remember Mr. Fudge? He was responsible for the tri-wizarding tournament situation."
"Yes, Mr. Krum, I do remember," was all Dumbledore said.
"Well, I was getting a drink from the kitchen. Alona and I had been practicing quidditch moves and I was exhausted. She is quite good." He smiled, "Anyway, I was getting a bit of water when I heard Mr. Croutch and Mr. Karkaroff in a heated argument. Mr. Croutch seemed very agitated. He said, 'The girl will only be worth something if she is indeed the Heir of Ravenclaw. If she is just some run of the mill witch she will be worth nothing to our lord.' I didn't want to be nosey, but the conversation had sparked my interest, so I listened further. 'Alona is a remarkable young woman, intelligent, cunning, talented, and precocious.' Mr. Karkaroff hesitated. He seemed sad. His next statement was very quiet. 'What more could our lord want?'
Mr. Crouch got very excited. 'If she is indeed the Heir of Ravenclaw her power could equal or surpass young Mr. Potter's. Our lord would be very impressed, Igor.'
Mr. Karkaroff responded in a way I thought improbable of him. His voice did not seem his own. It was the voice he uses when he has turned his emotions off. He said, 'Dear Mr. Croutch, please inform our master that our plan is in hand, and that the Heir of Ravenclaw has been in my possession for some fifteen years. She has been groomed for service to Him. She will not fail Him. Alona is the Heir of Ravenclaw. With the Heir on his side, he will be unstoppable, even by Harry Potter.' I became too ashamed to listen any further any more. Please understand, Professor Dumbledore," he pleaded. His eyes betrayed more hope than his question did.
Dumbledore reflected for a moment. He shook his head in shame. "Mr. Krum. I thank you for this information. We will investigate it to the full extent of our powers." Viktor's face momentarily took on concern. Dumbledore only smiled, "and I assure you that we will be as kind to Mr. Karkaroff as he deserves."
Albus Dumbledore watched the young man leave his office. Could it be? He thought to himself. The Ravenclaw line has been thought dead for years, ever since He had his hand with them. He sat in silence for a moment pondering the possibilities of young Krum's information.
"Minerva," he called out. "You may come up and discuss what you have overheard." Professor McGonagall stepped into the headmaster's office, embarrassment clearly showed on her face.
"Albus, I am so sorry." She apologized quickly. "It's just..."
Dumbledore interrupted her. "It is fine, Minerva. I'd rather have the two of us remembering this information. I have too much information in my head already." He smiled indulgently. She breathed a light sigh of relief. "However, Professor, what do you make of this information?"
Minerva McGonagall looked into the older man's eyes. "Professor, if it means what I think it means, then Rhiannon Ravenclaw did not die along with her parents fifteen years ago."
"It would seem that that is indeed the case, Minerva."
***
"Alona, there is something of great importance that I must talk to you about." Her father's voice boomed throughout the office. Alona knew what this tone meant, a serious talk. His face fell in sadness. His eyes seemed hollow and lifelessness. He looked at her with this blank expression. She became apprehensive. "You have let me down." He began. His heart was breaking. This girl who had been his daughter for sixteen years was suddenly ripped away from him. He should have predicted nothing less. He loved this girl and had misused her. "I have hoped that you would be destined for the dark arts, like any respectable Karkaroff." His demeanor concealed his heartbreak. He hated to lie to the girl who would be his own flesh and blood, but he had to save her.
His secret had been discovered. He was actually glad. He had thought that he would be able to handle the girl without loving her. Fifteen years ago, right after Lord Voldemort had been defeated by young Harry Potter, he and the other deatheaters had hatched a plan. They would find one wizarding family that was sure to have strong magical blood, and groom one of their youngest children into service for Lord Voldemort. Fortunately for them, one of the most powerful wizarding families had just produced an offspring. All the deatheaters had to do was off the parents, and raise the youngster as one of their own. Karkaroff volunteered for the project in hopes of regaining the Dark Lord's favor when he returned to power. The family that was chosen was the Ravenclaws. Little Rhiannon would grow up never knowing her real name or heritage, or why magic was easy for her.
Igor turned back to the matter at hand. "However, you have chosen the path of truth and light. Such paths are not for the Karkaroff family. If your mother knew, she would roll over in her grave." He winced at his own accusation. No girl deserved such torture, but yet, he must do it to save her. "Because of you firm interest in all things other than the dark arts, I have no action left but to send you to another school where you will be happy, and will not tarnish our name. You will be attending Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft in the fall." His lip curled into a false sneer for effect. "I hope, at least, there you will find more of your own week kind." The girl he had known as daughter looked up at him with despair. "Father," she pleaded, "please!" He only turned away from her. Inside his heart was breaking. Those meddlesome fools at Hogwarts had found out about his beloved Alona. In truth, he had grown to love the girl as his own. She was not some pawn to be used in the battle of good against evil as originally anticipated. However, his bad judgment and greed in the past had come back to haunt him. Alona was to be back where she belonged, at Hogwarts. However, this did not ease the pain in his heart.
Alona stared off into space. Her eyes focused on a patch of air six inches in front of her nose. Her eyes began to sting as tears threatened to blur her vision. Inside, she fought for composure as she had been taught to do. Crying only showed weakness, she was not weak. All the muscles in her chest tightened as her breaths began to quicken. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. She would not let this get the best of her. Finally, she felt that protective iciness cover her like a waterfall. She looked up at her father, grey eyes void of emotion. "If you have further need of me, I will be in my room." She stood up and looked at the back of her father. He stood facing the picture that had been taken of the two of them at Krushnik Court when she was first buying supplies for Drumstrang. The girl in the picture looked imploringly from the real life father to daughter. Quickly, the girl in the picture buried her face in her hands and ran from the frame. A younger, startled Karkaroff ran after her, out of view.
Alona turned and walked out of the room. She pace was slow and deliberate. She would not give him the pleasure of having made her upset. But when she was out of his office, she crumbled. Blindly, she ran through the halls of Drumstrang. She ran, tears running down her face. Her chest felt like a vice-grip had clenched down on it. Every breath brought a new pain. She ran down the south corridor not caring who saw the usually poised and collected Alona Karkaroff crying like a child. Right now she wanted to be one.
Suddenly she slammed into something, or someone. She looked up to see the most unwelcome face she could have found. Ivy Belladonnavich was as cruel as they come, and right now, she was sneering at Alona. "Oh, Alona, dear," she began in mock concern. "What's wrong? Did your dog eat your potions assignment? I'd hate to have Miss Perfect not turn an assignment in. Drumstrang might have to schedule an emergency closure. Everyone, Everyone!" She called looking around the corridor, "Our campus leader has had an emergency! She has not finished an assignment. We must close school, until she can finish it." She glared at Alona. Her emerald green eyes shining in sharp contrast to her fiery red hair. She began to walk off, but she paused just long enough to whisper in Alona's ear, "I hope your father wasn't too upset about having a family embarrassment as a daughter." She turned at looked at a horrified Alona and smiled before continuing down the hall.
Alona could only think of one place to go and ran there as quickly as she could.