Chapter 2

13 years later…

Dumbledore stood in a quiet room of the bustling Burrow, staring at the glass of the mirror he had enchanted to show him whatever he desired. Today it shifted between two youths, a black haired boy with green eyes and a lightening shaped scar above his eye and a black haired girl with familiar blue eyes. Today both youths turned sixteen, and thankfully, both were still alive, although in the boy's case, there had been a few close calls.

Harry Potter was proving to be more than a match for the darkest evil of their time. From the moment he had entered Hogwarts, Harry had battled for his life, showing great loyalty to Dumbledore and to the school. The boy had endured more pain that anyone would have wanted him to bear. Dumbledore was still chafing under the lecture he had gotten from McGonagall early in the summer about the boy and he couldn't blame her for her concerns. If Harry had not been strong enough, if he had been unable to love, they would have lost him to Voldemort just a few weeks ago. She had every right, he knew, to insist that the boy was protected. Had things worked out differently, she would have gained custody of the boy back when he was an infant, if Dumbledore hadn't insisted that they rely on the protection Lily Potter had placed around her son.

Protection, that now seemed to have failed. Voldemort could now touch Harry, which had changed everything. Although he suspected that the drop of blood Voldemort took from Harry the previous summer would play a vital part in the boy's survival, he couldn't be sure. He had managed to silence Minerva's fears for the moment, telling her he was going to take a much more active role in Harry's education and future. His previous attempts to distance himself from the boy had proven dangerous and something he could not allow to continue. Harry had become too precious to him.

The reflection in the mirror shifted again, this time to the girl. She had developed into a young beauty with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. She had a pale appearance, like her father before her, but her eyes came from her mother's family. As Harry was identified as Lily's son by their shared eye color, so would Marissa be identified to her mother's family, more specifically…to her great grandfather, through theirs. She was powerful too, if the reports the Siren's academy were sending to him were accurate, nearly as powerful as Harry. It was no surprise, given who their ancestors were. The fact that she had reached her sixteenth birthday with Voldemort none the wiser that she existed was remarkable. The door behind Dumbledore opened and he slowly turned to see who had entered.

"Who is she," asked the fifteen-year-old girl with flame red hair. Ginny Weasley had entered to get her brother's bedroom ready to have an extra occupant. She was so different from the scared first year he had encountered before he realized her potential. The Weasley family, thanks in part to their devotion and desire to protect Harry, had become members of the Order. When Dumbledore had first really encountered a Weasley was as Harry's first year at Hogwarts was ending, when he, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley had upset Voldemort's plans to get the Stone. He had never considered the Weasley's to be a real force up until then, only to be pleasantly surprised. Harry's friendship with Ron and his siblings had proven vital to having more places for him to be protected. Arthur and Molly had both confided in Dumbledore that they would willingly take in Harry to keep him from his Muggle relatives, to raise him as another son. He was touched by their obvious love for the Chosen One, but as with Minerva, he had declined, still believing that the protection Harry's mother left behind would protect him during the summer.

Ginny Weasley too had become a surprise to him. In her first year, she had been a victim of Voldemort's dairy, which nearly cost her life, but she had bounced back in recent years, becoming one of the powerful Weasley children. Her actions in the Battle at the Department of Mysterious had made him stop and look at her very differently. He had anticipated Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom joining Harry there, along with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, but Ginny's addition was a bit more surprising. He got to see first hand the extent of power contained in the youngest Weasley. He could only hope that Harry would wake up in time to see just how unique she truly was. "She is a friend's granddaughter. Is there something I can help you with, Miss Weasley?"

"Mum wants me to get Ron's room ready for Harry tonight, if it's still the plan to have him stay here, of course."

"Of course, I will leave you to your chores, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore said, moving past her to exit the bedroom. He stopped as felt something in his pocket vibrating. He glances at his pocket watch, frowning, and then went downstairs, walked outside the Burrow to a place where he could apparate and vanished.

After dropping off Harry at the Burrow, Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts and his study, grateful that his plan had worked. Slughorn would be safely back at Hogwarts, where Harry could use his linage to get what they needed. A voice in the darkness startled him, causing him to go for his wand before recognizing the voice.

"The Siren's Academy has been compromised, Albus." McGonagall's voice said in a tired tone.

"How...when?" He asked, easing into his chair and looking at her. His first thoughts going to the child that would be hidden there in just a few weeks, safely anonymous, or at least he hoped so. If her identity was compromised in the slightest, it would destroy his plans for her future.

"This morning, I received an owl from the Headmistress saying they were compromised. That Death Eaters had invaded the school, they destroyed everything." Minerva said as she sat down opposite him.

"She'll have to attend Hogwarts where we can protect her. Extend invitations to those we knew were attending there for them to come to Hogwarts."

"What about Snape?" Minerva asked.

"He'll have to continue to play along. Harry and Marissa know nothing about their combined destiny. I don't intend to burden Marissa until we have no other choice."

"The prophecy referred to their powers combined. Wouldn't it make more sense to tell them the truth? To reveal who they really are to each other?"

"No. From why my spy has told me, Voldemort has already gotten to someone inside Hogwart's walls. It's going to be dangerous enough to have them both attending here. To add the knowledge of their shared linage and destiny would alert Voldemort to the truth."

"Then what do we do? We can't hide this from them forever."

"Sort Marissa into Slytherin. At least there she can be protected by Snape and the pure blood mania. Harry's prejudice toward Slytherins will keep him from wanting to be friendly with her, which should protect her for the time being.

"Anything else?" Minerva said, standing up and preparing to leave his office.

"Yes, actually. Assign extra time with Mr. Longbottom and Miss Weasley. Tell Flitwick to do the same with Miss Lovegood. I have a strong feeling that they are going to be instrumental in the war that is coming and I want them prepared. Try to keep it from the other three if you can." Dumbledore said, watching as Minerva left. This development was unsettling. If Voldemort had attacked just a few weeks from now, there was a very good chance that the Sirens would be under his control. Luck was with them, for now.