Author's Note: Interludes will play an important role in the story. They detail events outside of Harry's immediate vicinity of influence but which are nonetheless integral to the story. Hope you like it.


Interlude

Eleanor Vadyrn

The Headmaster of Hogwarts had read all there was to know about Eleanor Vadyrn, and he was more interested in what was missing from her application than what had actually been included.

The prospective Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was great deal more fascinating than what her file claimed, a conclusion at which he had arrived from the vast void of information and missing years that were unaccounted for in her report. It was an obvious attempt by her to conceal details of her past, but she had to have known Dumbledore would see through such a blatant attempt at subversion. Whoever the woman was, she was playing a dangerous and complex game.

It was why he had asked for an interview.

And she was due to arrive in three…two…one—

There was a knock on his door.

"Enter," said Dumbledore.

The door opened and in stepped a raven-haired woman. She was tall and slender, with piercing black eyes that never wavered from his. Her gait was smooth and efficient, and she had bound her hair tightly behind her head so as not to mar her vision if she was forced to fight. Every inch of her bespoke battle-readiness, a will to strike down any who would stand in her way.

Dumbledore knew her kind well. One of his oldest friends, Alastor Moody, exuded a similar air of danger, as did the majority of veteran aurors who had not only fought true evil, but taken lives in the process. It was the mark of a born fighter—not merely someone who had learned about battle from history books and the accounts of others.

She was a woman worth fearing.

The Headmaster stood smoothly and gave her one of his famous smiles. "Mrs. Vadyrn. Please, come in."

She nodded but didn't return his smile. Nor did she offer any words of greeting as she moved deeper into his office and assumed the indicated seat. Before she settled in, he noticed her eyes flick across the room, mapping out the possible escape routes and points of ambush. It was what anyone trained in survival would do.

It made Dumbledore wonder what had required her to learn such arts.

"Would you care for a sherbet lemon?" he asked, offering her a glass bowl.

The woman frowned at him before eyeing the sweets. She drew her wand in the blink of an eye and murmured a dozen or so spells without pausing to draw a breath. When she was satisfied there were no poisons or enchantments of any kind, she popped one of the sweets into her mouth and crushed it between her molars with a loud crunch.

"They're my favorite," commented Dumbledore, rolling one over his tongue. "I always keep a bowl in the hopes that someone will share my sentiment. I have yet to find anyone with an equal love as mine."

Eleanor Vadyrn licked her lips and leaned back. "Am I to assume I have been hired for the post," she asked in a husky voice, deciding not to engage in small talk, "or is this a meeting to gauge my abilities?"

Right to business, then.

The Headmaster waved his hand amiably. "I have no doubt as to your abilities, Mrs. Vadyrn," he replied. "In fact, I have spoken to your many teachers over the years, those of whom you learned from after leaving Durmstrang fourteen years ago. Dashgar the Blind spoke most highly of your warding skills, going as far as to claim you were greater than any student he had ever taught, even Lord Voldemort."

She did not react to the Dark Lord's name. Not even the slightest twitch. "It's true; I was better," said Eleanor Vadyrn without artifice or pride. "But I suggest you ask the questions you want to, Headmaster. I don't take pleasure in bandying words, especially not with a master of manipulation such as you."

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, the truth then," he murmured quietly. "It's certainly refreshing to set aside the games. Once you have done it for as long as I, the twists and turns lose their charm. All I want is honesty, so I will ask you the important questions and leave the rest as a mystery. Hopefully, you'll surprise me. It's been a while since I was surprised."

The woman inclined her head.

"There are four years missing from your record," he stated, rifling the pages of her application. "I have spoken to those who claim to know you, but I have received nothing but vague answers. What did you do in that time?"

"I traveled."

"Four years of travel?"

Eleanor Vadyrn relaxed. "After teaching for a while at Durmstrang, I set out on foot toward the east, letting the road guide my path," she said. "I traveled across Europe and followed the Silk Route across Central Asia until I arrived in China. Along the way, I stopped occasionally when I sensed the presence of a powerful wizard or witch. I learned from them what I could of magical lore before continuing along my path.

"Eventually, I found myself on the shores of Japan," she continued, "from where I finally returned to my homeland of Romania. Four years, Headmaster. If you wish, I could detail every part of my journey, but we would be here for many more hours."

Dumbledore nodded. "There will be no need for that," he said. "I don't suppose you would be willing to open your mind to me? It would be far easier that way."

This drew a cold smile from her. "You know better than to ask, Headmaster," she replied. "However, I would be willing to do so if you, in turn, opened your mind to me."

"Let's forget I asked."

She laughed. "Forgotten, Headmaster. Forgotten."

Dumbledore considered the file for a moment before looking at her shrewdly. His question was sudden and without warning. "Are you a student of the dark, Mrs. Vadyrn?"

"Your question is incredibly vague, as you well know."

"Very well," he replied. "Have you studied and learned the dark arts?"

The woman shrugged. "Yes, I have."

"And are you a servant of the darkness?"

"If I was a servant of the darkness, Headmaster, you would have already separated the soul from my body and unraveled the very fabric of my creation," she answered calmly. "But I understand if you want to hear the answer from my own mouth. I have studied the dark arts, but I have held back the temptation to give it my mind. Nor do I ever intend to succumb to that evil. But I believe it is necessary for one to know the darkness before one can battle it, no? For that reason, I have spent years learning its ways. You of all must agree with me."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mischief. "And why would I agree, Mrs. Vadyrn? I am the champion of the light."

"You are a great wizard, certainly, but not so great that you would be able to defeat Gellert Grindelwald and fight Voldemort on equal footing unless you had a personal understanding of the nature of evil," she replied. "The taint upon you is very slight, but I see it nonetheless. All great wizards have dabbled in the dark arts at some point, even the founding fathers of this ancient school."

The Headmaster said nothing to confirm her words, but his silence was enough for her. He set aside the file that had occupied his desk since the early hours of morning and contemplated the powerful witch sitting opposite him.

"I must ask one final question, and if you answer does not satisfy me I will ask you to leave and never return to Britain," said Dumbledore, the lightness gone from his tone. "The students of this school are of paramount importance. Their protection is a sacred and ancient duty to which I have given my life. If you have come here with the intent to harm Hogwarts or its occupants, my wrath shall follow you unto the very ends of this Earth and I will show you no mercy."

The weight of his magic settled on the woman, and her back stiffened against the strain of staying conscious. His power was thick haze between them, invisible to the naked eye but easily discernable to wizards of their caliber. It was a signature of sorts, a testament to one's resolve.

Eleanor Vadyrn gathered a deep breath. "Will my oath suffice, Headmaster?" she asked evenly. "I am willing to swear upon my magic to defend Hogwarts in the dark times to come and to equip its students with the tools necessary to halt the march of darkness. Gellert Grindelwald is free, but we both know there is a more terrible force rising from the abyss. It is against all these evils that I swear to defend Hogwarts, even should the cost of such a burden be my life."

Very slowly, Albus Dumbledore nodded his head. "September 1st, Professor Vadyrn. Do not be late."