2. The Visitor

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Change
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights and battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead

Best
You've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And you use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

"Butterflies And Hurricanes" by Muse

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It was never easy to say "good bye" to people she had come to love but somehow this time it was even harder than usually. Her friends had cried, especially Leila, and even Nicholas, her closest friend, the one who always remained cool and composed had been upset. Gods, she would miss them all! They had been kind to her even though they knew nothing about her past and had just accepted her the way she was.

Candice knew that she would never find better friends. It was too bad that she had to leave them but there was nothing she could do about it. Gwyneth had made it clear that she was needed elsewhere and being the obedient person she was raised to be she had complied with her mentor's wishes.

Nicholas had given her a ride to Grimmauld Place and then they had said their good byes.

"Call me whenever you want. Maybe they give you some kind of holidays, then you can visit us."

Candice had nodded and embraced the drummer. He was much taller than her and very strong, but still had a surprisingly gentle side which he only showed to very few people. She was happy to be one of them.

"I will miss you, you know?" she had said and kissed him on his cheek. Then she had fled from the car, because he didn't want him to see her tears. Parting with Nicholas had been the most painful part so far. He was like the big brother she never had and she loved him dearly.

I hope I really get some kind of holiday, she thought as she picked up her few belongings and started to search for the right number. Candice had only packed a few things she needed most, leaving the rest with her friends. The only thing she really needed was her guitar. It didn't matter that the clothes she wore were torn. She preferred lose T-shirts and jeans over the outfits she was forced to wear on stage. "You are our 'Selene'," Leila used to say when Candice objected to wear yet another tight fitting dress. "We cannot have you walking around in holy jeans and fanshirts no matter how much you love to wear them in private."

Candice smiled when she remembered how uncomfortable she had felt at first. Now she had no problem showing off her body in front of an audience although she never really enjoyed this part of the show. Sometimes she wondered if all the people would still listen to her if she was ugly.

But that was not important anymore. She had to find number twelve and who knew what would await her there. It didn't take long to find number 14 and 10 but there was no number 12. Then she remembered Gwyneth's words and a sad smile appeared on her face.

"I never thought I'd have to use my special power, as you called it, again," Candice whispered. She sighed, closed her eyes, felt the familiar warmth spread in her body as she tried to gain access to her fea.

She raised her voice and spoke the words Gwyneth had taught her. When she opened her eyes she saw a large manor standing on the formerly unoccupied area between number 10 and 14.

"Found it."

With a pleased smile on her face she continued her way, opened the gate that led to the huge building and followed the path to the entrance. The closer she got to the front door, the more uneasy she felt. There was something about the house that unnerved her, like something evil was hidden inside.

But it was too late to back down now. She had already agreed to meet Albus Dumbledore, whoever that person was. Probably a wizard, since he lived in a house that was magically sheltered.

I haven't interacted with wizards for years. I wonder if they are still as condescending as before.

When Candice reached the front door, it opened automatically. She took a deep breath and finally entered the manor. Immediately the doors shut behind her and she was left standing in a dark hall.

"Gilden," she muttered and her hands were covered in a soft golden light, allowing her to survey the large entrance hall. It looked rather old and intimidating. Large portraits of indifferent faces were put up on the wall, as well as thick, dark hangings that covered the bare stonewalls.

I don't like this place, she thought but just when she contemplated leaving again, she heard a shrill voice calling her.

"You! What are you doing here?"

Quickly, Candice turned around to see who had addressed her. She couldn't see anyone besides her standing in the hall.

"Leave my house at once! You have no business being here, you filthy creature!"

A frown appeared on her face. "I have not come here to get insulted, you know," she said, while still scanning the room to see who was speaking with her.

"A creature of light in Black Manor! Oh, what a disgrace! Go away, you horrible person!"

"Shut up already!" another voice suddenly boomed. Candice turned her head and saw a tall, dark haired man standing on the bottom of the staircase. He quickly made his way towards the opposite side of the room where one of the portraits was placed. An angry looking woman was drawn onto it and to Candice's astonishment, she heard the Portrait shout: "YOU! Oh, don't get me started on you! You are even worse than her, you are a…"

"SILENCIO!" the man yelled and immediately the ranting of the woman stopped. Relieved, Candice sighed. She would never have guessed that one of the portraits was insulting her.

"Thank you," she said to the stranger and smiled gratefully. "I didn't know the picture could talk."

The man looked at her questioningly. "It is a common thing for pictures to move and talk." He took several steps in her direction, then halted. "Don't mind her, she had always been a bitter, cold-hearted person." She could hear the regret in his voice, but also his hatred and disappointment. He probably knew her in person, and obviously he held no fond memories of her. It was best to change the subject, Candice decided.

"I don't care. I've been called worse names. Have you ever tried serving beer to a bunch of already drunk hooligans after a football match? I assure you, this is much more frightening than some weird portrait's yelling."

The man grinned. "I wouldn't know, I'm not a woman and I never served beer to anyone but my mates. But you do have a point."

She nodded, flashing a grin of her own. With this man around the atmosphere suddenly seemed to be much less oppressive.

"I'm Candice Armstrong," she introduced herself and extended a hand to him. After a moment of hesitation – since her hands were still glowing – he took her hand and shook it. His eyes widened at the contact and she knew he felt the power of her fea emitting from her hand.

"Daro," she said quickly, not wanting to cause him any harm. Wizards reacted stronger to her power than Muggles did. The light vanished and left them in the dark. After some time she heard him whisper "Lumos," and she could see a small source of light appear on the wand he was now holding in his left hand.

"Sirius Black," he replied after some time and then let go of her. He eyed her warily for a moment. "What did you do with your hands?"

Candice shook her hand, scolding herself for forgetting something as basic as this. "Nothing dangerous. Really," she added when she him raising an eyebrow. "I just summoned a spark of light to my hands. Nothing you are not able to do as well, right? Only that you use a wand and I don't." She pointed at the glowing tip of Sirius' wand.

"Right…" he said after some time, but decided to drop the matter. Luckily his fea hadn't responded to hers very strongly and she was thankful for that.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked her curiously. Obviously he doesn't see me as a threat any longer, Candice thought. She had no desire to scare the first person she met in this strange place away. Sirius Black seemed to be different from the other wizards she had met before – he was much friendlier.

"I'm here to meet Albus Dumbledore. Do you know where I can find him, Mr. Black?"

Sirius frowned. "I had no idea Albus was expecting a visitor so late at night. Maybe you should come back tomorrow, I'm sure he will see you then."

Before Candice could explain her situation and that her instructions left no space for disagreements a large oak door opened at the left side of the room and a beam of light found its way in the dark entrance hall. She heard Sirius take in a sharp breath when the light illuminated her features and she was surprised as well when she noticed he was much older than she had expected. Deep lines marred his face, lines which showed that life had not been easy on him. He had been quite handsome when he was younger, she thought. Only his eyes were still sparkling, probably in the same way they had in his youth.

"I see you have found the way to our headquarters, Miss Armstrong." An old man with long white hair and beard was standing on the threshold. Even from the distance Candice could feel his piercing gaze on her, trying to penetrate her very soul. Immediately she knew that this man was a powerful wizard, one of the most powerful beings she had ever faced. He was even more powerful than her mentor. Instantly she knew he was the person she was looking for.

"Good evening, sir," she finally said and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be here earlier but I had a performance tonight."

The man looked at her for a moment, before a smile spread on his face.

"Yes, I have been informed of your previous activities. Please follow me so we don't have to continue our conversation in the entrance hall."

Before following the other wizard, she turned to Sirius again. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Black." He was still staring at her, but when she returned his gaze, he quickly shook his head and grinned instead. "Yeah, same here."

Candice waved at him and then quickly followed Albus Dumbledore into another room, wondering what she should expect of this visit.

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The room where the meeting would take place was dark. A fireplace that never went cold was the only source of light but it was almost hidden completely behind the large, cloaked figure that was standing in front of it. With its back to the audience, the figure looked into the flames like they would reveal all secrets if one just tried hard enough. Eleven people had gathered in the small, ominous room. They were standing behind the figure, waiting anxiously for their leader to acknowledge their presence.

Twelve people, his inner circle. They were his most trusted allies, the only ones he could rely on in these troubled times.

With a slow, graceful movement he turned around to face his followers. He could not see their faces, for they were hidden behind white masks but he could recognize every single one of them immediately. Their eyes were laced with fear as they stared at the ground. He had taught them not to look at him and only to speak when he addressed them directly. A humourless grin spread on his plain face.

"The inner circle has come together again," he said. His voice was little more than a whisper. Again he felt anger boil inside him because of this obvious lack of strength. His eyes were blazing with hatred as he continued to speak. "The time for you has come to renew your vows to me. Afterwards you will return to your assigned position without anyone noticing your absence."

One by one Voldemort called the names of his most trusted Death Eaters and they crawled to him on their knees, kissing the hem of his robes. Without them noticing it, he absorbed some of their energy, using it to strengthen his own power.

After the last one of his followers had risen to his feet, he felt much stronger than before. The main purpose of his inner circle was to provide him with much needed energy. He would reward them after he had regained power.

"Gather all information about our enemy's strategy that you can. I want you to tell me about every rumour that you hear immediately. You may leave."

With that he turned around again to face the blazing fire in the fireplace and listened to the sound of feet hurrying out the door of his private quarters. Only when he could be sure he was alone again, he cast a spell and the flames showed the scenery he had wanted to see. He only saw the outlines of the magical creatures that were sitting around a large tree in a perfect circle.

"So it is true," he whispered as he watched the figures clasping their hands together and chanting a spell of their own. "Ethuilrost Council. They are going against the pact we made." He shook his head, not knowing what to think about it. Just the existence of the council threatened his plans. Now it was obvious that the elves were no longer going to stay neutral in the war. The decisions which were made by Ethuilrost Council were of great importance and he would have to make sure they would decide to support his side. Otherwise… well, he would have to be a little more persuasive. He chuckled darkly as he thought about the methods he could use to help them make a decision. Yes, he was more than capable of going against a whole army of magical creatures so this peaceful tribe would not exactly be the most threatening opponent he would have to face.

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"Please, sit down, Miss Armstrong." The old wizard waved his head at the two large armchairs that were placed in front of a blazing fireplace. Candice obeyed his request and gracefully sat down on the edge of the chair. It was always better to be careful while being with someone whose powers were stronger than hers. Although she supposed she could overthrow him with a surprise attack, it was better not to rely on this small chance of winning.

"Do you want some tea?" Candice nodded hesitantly. Maybe a hot cup of tea would help her to stay on guard in case she needed to defend herself. In her past she only had few encounters with wizards when she had been much younger and they had been anything but pleasant.

Five minutes later a house elf brought a tray with a teapot and two cups, along with some cookies. They had spend the time in silence; Candice had surveyed the room, but found nothing interesting or alarming while Albus Dumbledore had been watching her closely, a fact which she had tried to ignore.

Finally he sat down opposite from her, pouring them both a cup of hot tea. She took the mug in her hands, closing her cold fingers around it. Her body temperature had always been too low, but tonight it seemed to be even worse. Breathing in the fruity aroma of the tea, Candice turned to look at the mysterious man.

"Why did you want to see me, sir?"

Albus Dumbledore smiled and took a sip of the hot beverage. "Straight to the point, I see. Well, I have been informed that your previous encounters with wizards had not been a nice experience. You probably don't like being here."
She gazed at him intently. There was no point lying to him, she realized. "I will be honest to you. It would be a lie to tell you I have a high opinion of your kind. The wizards I have met in the past have been condescending bastards who were trying to intimidate the people I have been living with. When they didn't succeed they fled, showing how cowardly they were." Candice grinned at the memory when she remembered Gwyneth threatening to jinx the party that had paid the minstrels' tent a visit when they were touring Eire. Her mentor was not a wizard – she called herself 'Enchantress' and didn't like to be around wizards as well.

"Yes, I have to admit that some of our kind are fools. But you will find fools wherever you go, Miss Armstrong."

"You are right. I hold no grudges against wizards in general. I'm sure there are others who are not as stupid as the ones I have met."

The old man sighed. "I am glad to hear that. It will make things much easier for us."

A frown appeared on Candice's face. What was that supposed to mean? Quickly she caught herself, remembering how important it was to remain calm in situations where she didn't know how to react.

"Gwyneth requested me to come here. I want to know why."

Albus Dumbledore watched her closely for a moment, before asking an unexpected question. "What do you know about Hogwarts?"

Candice blinked, trying to remember where she had heard that name. It sounded vaguely familiar but it had been a long time since she last heard it. "It is a school, isn't it?" she finally asked. "A boarding school for wizards."

"And witches," he corrected her and an amused twinkle appeared in his eyes. For the first time Candice felt not threatened by this strange man. Somehow she knew he was not evil, just like Sirius Black. Her body relaxed visibly and she allowed herself to lean back in the comfortable armchair. Then she remembered the teacup she still held in her hands and swallowed a mouthful. It tasted sweet and had an aftertaste of vanilla. Hesitantly she also took one of the cookies and started nibbling at it. Again she tasted vanilla and cinnamon.

The older wizard waited until she had finished chewing before he started to explain. "I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The school has a good reputation and many great wizards and witches have graduated since it was founded. Your mentor has approached me to ask whether it would be possible for you to spend one year at Hogwarts to provide further education. Usually we don't accept transfer students, especially in the higher classes. But I was told about the power you posses and well, it intrigued me."

All Candice was able to do was staring at the wizard in disbelief. Why would Gwyneth ask the Headmaster of a wizard school to accept her as a transfer student? She hadn't heard anything from this woman for years and now she wanted her to gain further education at Hogwarts? That didn't make any sense at all.

"But I…" She took a deep breath. "Sir, I cannot accept your offer. The kind of magic I use is different from the one which is taught at your school."

Albus Dumbledore smiled at her kindly. "I'm well aware of that. But I was told that you had some basic education in using regular spells when you were younger. And I know some people who would gladly fill you in on everything you have to know about our world."

Damn, Candice thought. He won't back down. Obviously she had no choice but to do what Gwyneth had asked of her. In a way the idea of visiting a real school for once – even though it was a wizard school – was thrilling. A boarding school no less!

"Alright." Candice lowered her gaze and bowed her head slightly. "I will do what you ask of me."

"Very well. I will make all necessary preparations." He seemed to be pleased with the outcome of their conversation. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

She thought about it for a moment while staring into the yellow liquid inside her teacup. "In which year will you put me?"

"I think the seventh year will be most suited for our purpose. Anything else would not be a challenge for you." He winked at her and she allowed herself to smile. "If there is anything else you want to ask me, go ahead."

After some time Candice shook her head. She was getting tired and now was not the right time to ask the million questions she had in mind. Maybe in the morning when she could think straight again she could approach him.

"No, I don't think so."

Albus Dumbledore rose from his chair and motioned for her to do the same. "The new term will start in two weeks. Until then you have to be prepared to attend the seventh year at Hogwarts. But that shouldn't be a problem for you."

"I will give my best," she replied, not sure how to react to this news.

"That's the spirit I want to see!"

He guided her to the door that led into the entrance hall. "I will summon a house elf to accompany you to one of your guest rooms."

Candice nodded, shouldered her guitar case and lifted the bag of clothes. "Good night, sir," she said when the house elf arrived and bowed her head.

"Good night, Miss Armstrong."

With a sigh she started to follow the house elf to her assigned room. But then he called out her name again and she turned around.

"You have met Sirius Black already, haven't you?" When she nodded, he continued. "Would you mind if he would be tutoring you?"

A smile appeared on Candice's face. She was relieved that Albus Dumbledore didn't assign some old, strict teacher to tutor her. Sirius Black seemed to be nice and easygoing. It would be fun spending time with him. "No, of course not."

He didn't bother to answer but continued to look after her when she continued her way down the hall until the house elf turned at a corner and she disappeared from his sight.

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A/N – When you look up the meaning of "gurvelon" in English, you'll find a different translation than the one I have given you in the last chapter. I did it intentionally because it's important for some of the later chapters.

gilden – spark

daro – stop

ethuilrost – spring rain