Chapter 007 – Wheels Set in Motion....
Another week past with Celeste avoiding people and concentrating on her work. The Marauders spent the week trying to convince Dumbledore to allow Celeste into the Order, which they weren't even a part of and only knew of it with some serious snooping. They were told that they were all too young. The boys were waiting to graduate to join the forces but Celeste desperately needed the invite before then.
"Miss Black?" called McGonagall as she walked up to the girl during dinner. "Dumbledore would like to have a word with you," she said, loudly and clearly. Celeste raised an eyebrow in question before getting on her feet. She glanced around the room as she followed her professor out. She smiled happily, the Death Eaters she knew watched her in suspicion. "Sugar Quills. Just knock on the door when you get up there."
Celeste nodded in thanks and stepped onto the spiralling steps. She knocked on the wooden for and was asked into the office. She walked in and paused, confused by the Marauders in the office. "You called for me, Professor Dumbledore?"
"Ahh, Miss Black. How are you feeling?" the old wizard asked, motioning her to sit, which she did.
"Besides the changing staircases moving every time I touch them, I am doing fine."
"I hope that you don't mind that Sirius has allowed me to view the last of the memories that you gave him. I wish to ask you about some things connected with it."
"Alright, but I can't be sure if I could answer. I will do my best to though."
"You seem to have stocked up on plenty of ingredients and potions. I couldn't help but wonder what they are for, Miss Black."
"Having watched that memory, you must be thinking that Voldemort will try to kill me, if I could assume that."
"You may," Dumbledore nodded, as the four boys listened carefully.
"The potions are just an extra measure to keep myself safe. Though, some of them are illegal...."
"For example, the Polyjuice Potion."
Celeste nodded. "Yes, that potion has come quite handy when I have to go out. Like boarding the Hogwarts Express," she answered, smiling. "Walked right past him, and he didn't even know it was me."
"He was at the station...?"
Celeste nodded. "Which is very much like him."
"You've met Voldemort?"
"Plenty of times, sir. We played wizards chess a lot over the years."
"...Sorry, but you've lost me...."
"I was staying with his favourite...worker in France for six years. I was bound to meet Voldemort some time. He is much nicer than what the newspaper has made him sound like. I spent quite some time playing with him, mainly chess. He even helped me with my duelling skills."
"What?! He taught you!? And played chess with you?!" Sirius exclaimed, shooting up from his seat.
"Yes, it was that or Morgan has his fun, Sirius. I was rather happy to see the 'Dark Lord.' It's not like the time I spent with him was all for waste. I'm not half bad with a wand and he's not going to kill me like he would someone else if they killed Morgan."
"Sirius, please sit down, and Miss Black, please explain," Dumbledore interjected.
"The games of chess I played with Voldemort, the ones I took seriously."
"Pft, you never take that game seriously," Sirius huffed, crossing his arms and sinking into his chair.
"I do take the game seriously. When I don't, I move the king into the wide open, and so Voldemort had to bribe me into playing it with some thought."
"You don't think. You move your pieces randomly."
"Awww, and you lost every round we ever played since I learned all the rules," Celeste cooed. "And so did Voldemort. Rarely won against me in wizards chess."
"Is that so, Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked, curious.
Celeste smiled. "I can count the times I've actually lost to him on one hand. He didn't like it, but instead of killing me, he's determined to defeat me in that game. So for now, I'm safe until he can defeat me."
"...You haven't been killed yet because of that?!" Sirius gasped.
"Weird but yes," Celeste said calmly. "And I learned a lot about his movements from playing chess with him so much."
"What does that have to do with chess?"
"...Chess is a form of a battle. A battle of strategy and wits," Remus mumbled, making Celeste and Dumbledore smile.
"Yes, that is very true," Dumbledore said.
"And that was how I knew he would be at the station waiting," Celeste added.
"But if you've played so much with him, he should know you well as well."
"No, Celeste's movements on the board are too random to make any sense. You can't read her, not through wizard's chess," Sirius corrected. "It just frustrates you to play against her."
"I see....That is why you made it so far, Miss Black. You're treating this entire problem as a game, a game of wizard's chess in reality."
Celeste sighed and stared at her lap. "Yes, a game where you have to gather your pieces as well as playing them. He has the advantage of having most of his while I start with a couple....My potions, you could say, is a piece of mine...."
"Are you going to gamble the lives of the Order in a game?" Dumbledore asked darkly. "Your brother has requested that I allow you in."
"No, not at all," Celeste answered with a smile. "I don't want innocent blood on my hands, Dumbledore."
"Oh...?"
"I need the offer to get in, but I can't accept it, or deny it. I need to keep that option open."
"Please explain, Miss Black."
"I can't talk to anyone if Voldemort is going to kidnap and torture them in hopes to get me to join him. But if there was the option for me move against him completely, he wouldn't attack those people. If I accept the offer then he'll just kill everyone I know."
"So what you're saying it that he doesn't want you as an enemy, not one who isn't alone at least."
"Yes, he wants me in his ranks. I would have been Morgan's replacement."
"So he has to find out that you have been contacted by the Order, correct?"
"Yes, if that is alright with you? I can figure something out if that is not possible."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I can see why Voldemort would like you to be with him. You are quite fast on your toes and confident in yourself. Does death not scare you?"
"Once upon a time, it did scare me," Celeste replied with a smile and without hesitation. "If you need help with something, feel free to ask me. Otherwise, I will be working on making, as Sirius has so kindly put it, Voldemort frustrated with me."
"Ah, that's why he had calmed down this summer. He was trying to deal with you."
"And as long as I'm a free agent, I can help with that, but since I'm in Hogwarts at the moment. I won't be much of a distraction. For Christmas holiday, I can leave these grounds and run about for him to chase. It will give you and your friends a break."
"No, I can't ask that of you, Miss Black," Dumbledore said.
"I'm not letting you be bait, Celeste!" Sirius yelled at her. "It's too dangerous! You can die!"
Celeste sighed. "I'm not planning to let the man kill me, Sirius."
"It's too dangerous!"
"Miss Black, enjoy your time at Hogwarts," Dumbledore suggested. "You can worry about Voldemort when you are off grounds."
"Then I'll make plans for summer," Celeste said with a smile, standing up.
"How will you know if he received news of the offer?"
Celeste smiled happily. "He'll send me an angry letter, and hopefully he keeps enough of his brain so he doesn't send me a howler, announcing to the school that I know him. His 'eyes' in the school are keeping a close watch on me so I think a couple of them are downstairs waiting."
"How will you get Voldemort to know about the offer?"
"For now I know that he wants reports about me, seeing how Bellatrix is quite angered with me at the moment."
"Why did you go and piss her off anyways?" James asked.
Celeste sighed. "I need some way of keeping tabs on Voldemort. Bellatrix is easy enough to read when she's upset." She stood up stretching. "I think I know a way to speed the grapevine along," she said with a smirk.
Dumbledore also stood up. "I'm all ears, Miss Black."
"Call me Celeste, sir," she said with a playful curtsy. "And I will need your help. Would you mind showing me out and vaguely refer to some offer. Doesn't have to be the Order, he's smart enough to figure things out."
"But of course," he said with a knowing smile. He held out his elbow and Celeste took it. The boys got up to follow them. "It's best that you leave at a different time than Celeste. In case things don't go as how she planned."
"Have a little confidence, Dumbledore. I have back up plans; it's just this was the most sane one I had."
"I must hear another one of your clever plans."
Celeste shrugged. "The most amusing one is break into his home and hold something of value captive...whatever that maybe....His wand might be a good one. What do you think?"
"...Let's hope this works out, dear." They waved to the boys and left with the same knowing smiles.
"That's was creepy. It's like they're on the same page in just a meeting," Peter commented.
