INTERVAL 9:

PLANNING

Genevieve Aristide was not a happy woman, to say the least. In fact, it was a frequent truism uttered by employees of Armacham (albeit when her back was turned) that if Genevieve Aristide ever smiled, it would be a sign of the Apocalypse. And while this was an exaggeration of course, it wasn't that much of one. Ironically, a few had said this of Alma Wade, and she smiled a lot more often now than Genevieve ever did.

It had been four years since Alma Wade and Harry Potter escape from Armacham, four years since she had shot and killed Harlan Wade (and not a single fuck given by anyone important). Four years, and all she had heard was rumour and hearsay about those two insolent little whelps. Nothing concrete, nothing at all.

Until today.

She had a subscription to The Daily Prophet, and sensationalist bullshit though it was (journalistic integrity being considerably laxer in the Magical World than it was in the mundane world), it had just enough grains of truth to be worth the money to pay for a subscription. Especially if she could learn that Harry Potter had been found.

As it was, the latest issues actually did have something. There had been exciting news (how the newspaper put it, anyway) about how Harry Potter had re-entered the Wizarding World…in the company of a strange, grey-skinned girl with orange eyes known as Alma Wade. No further details were known, and Genevieve knew that mobilising a force to try and take them would be a disaster. Diagon Alley was a magical enclave, after all, and while ATC troops would be able to shoot any wizards or witches opposing them down, Genevieve also knew that it would be too loud and too noisy. She needed to make Harry and Alma disappear from the world, and ensure they were kept in the Vault, which had been completed, despite Alma's destruction of the darker projects of Armacham. And she needed to do so quietly, in a manner which she could say she was innocent, being able to lie through the teeth. So, basically, make like a Slytherin, and do it with cunning and foresight, not to mention subtlety.

She had made plans for this for some time, though. She knew that, if she couldn't get a hold of Harry and Alma before Harry was meant to go to Hogwarts, then it meant he may end up at Hogwarts. And that meant that she needed to find an inside person. Indeed, she had begun to cultivate a certain inside person for the job. She had filled their ears with poison, ensuring that said person would be loyal to her, and not that old wether(1) Dumbledore. And it had worked. Money was an excellent lubricant of loyalty, and so too was the promises she gave them of power. Power she would give them once she got things underway again.

After all, there were weak links everywhere in the Magical World, always overlooked. And of them all, there was an underclass who were demeaned and treated with patronising kindness at best, and withering contempt at worse. And unlike the House Elves, they weren't bound in any way, save for how society normally bound their underclasses.

Indeed, Genevieve knew how to exploit that underclass. It was how she was able to wipe out her entire family, and claim the inheritance that was her own. True, it required her to dig another grave besides those her family were put into, but the Aurors didn't suspect a damn thing here. Her contact, though, she would actually reward, as long as they kept quiet until she could get what they wanted, though she made sure that they learned Occlumency as much as they could.

Given that Harry and Alma were now at Hogwarts, she would have to start putting her plans into motion. She had obtained, through various illegal means, a special kind of Portkey, that could transport people out from heavily-warded places. It was an invention of the American Aurors, to try and extract recalcitrant suspects from heavily-warded homes. The inventor had once boasted that it could even take someone from out of Hogwarts, which was widely considered to be one of the most heavily-warded locations in the Wizarding World.

She intended to put that boast to the test. And hopefully, she would not be disappointed. She had spent a lot of time and money getting the Portkey to take whoever was holding onto it to a special room near the Vault that would trigger the release of an anaesthetic gas the moment it detected movement inside it. Once Harry and Alma were subdued, they would be put into the Vault with all due haste, and the psychic shielding put up.

And then, she would have what she needed.

Having waited long enough, she decided to send the Portkey to her contact at Hogwarts. Dumbledore was really an old fool. Those he thought he had on a leash would bite him given the chance to live as a man and not as a dog.

Dumbledore was not looking forward to this meeting. Early this morning, Alma Wade had asked Pomona Sprout to meet with Dumbledore. And Dumbledore, despite his years of experience and immense magical power, was frightened of the girl. He wondered if she intended to take him to account for leaving Harry with the Dursleys. It seemed that his sins, even if they were of neglect rather than malice, were coming home to roost.

Soon, Alma entered the office, escorted by Pomona. Seeing her closer was highly unnerving. Her grey skin, orange glowing eyes, and impassive face all added to a very sinister aspect. So, the best approach was a diplomatic one. "Miss Wade, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Three things, Alma said, speaking into his mind. First: Peter Pettigrew is alive.

Dumbledore blinked. Of all the things she could have said, it was a strange thing to say. "Miss Wade…why would you say such a thing? Peter Pettigrew was murdered by Sirius Black shortly after Black betrayed the Potters."

Pettigrew was the true Secret Keeper. He betrayed the Potters. He escaped because he was able to change into an animal. Namely, a rat. The pet rat of Ronald Weasley. I sensed his thoughts when we were on the train.

Dumbledore looked at Pomona, who seemed shocked by this, before returning his gaze to Alma. "I will tell Professor McGonagall about this." The Cat Animagus knew of the charms used to detect an Animagus, and who to revert said Animagus back to human form. If Pettigrew was truly alive, then it certainly threw the guilt of Sirius Black into doubt. On Pettigrew's murder, at least. And if what Alma had said was true, then Sirius Black was innocent of all charges placed against him.

Dumbledore felt ashamed at this, if this was the case. It meant he had allowed prejudice to overcome what good thoughts he had about Sirius, being able to buck the Dark reputation of the Black family. Out loud, he said, "I will investigate this further. If it is Pettigrew, then I will hand him over to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Madam Amelia Bones."

Alma nodded slightly. Secondly, I have removed a fragment of Voldemort's soul from Harry. It has been destroyed.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in sheer shock. Eventually, he said, "Thank you. But…I will need to check to make sure. If you have done so, you have done me, Magical Britain, and Harry Potter himself a great service."

You know what it was?

"I suspected," Dumbledore said. "It is not something to be discussed lightly or openly. And the last thing?"

Our accommodation outside of Hogwarts, Alma said.

Dumbledore sighed. He had been giving this not inconsiderable thought, and he was yet to find a satisfactory answer. "My apologies, Miss Wade. As the Dursleys are no longer suitable, there are other factors I need to consider before I send you into the care of someone else. Professor McGonagall told me that you are afraid of reprisals from Genevieve Aristide. If what she has told me is true, then I need to give it some considerable thought. I will speak with you at a later date on the matter. That being said, I have some tentative candidates for your guardians. Trusted people."

Alma gazed at him impassively. He was reminded, even now, of the uncomfortable scrutiny of a scientist looking through a microscope at some germ, dispassionately and coldly. Then, after a moment, he heard, Thank you, Professor. The thank you seemed far from sincere, used more as a calculated nicety than out of any true gratitude. She didn't trust him, and if what Minerva had said was true, the only person she truly trusted was Harry Potter, although Minerva had some of the girl's trust, if only because Alma had invaded Minerva's mind, and found little wanting.

"You're welcome, Miss Wade. Now, I suggest you go and have some breakfast. Young minds and bodies need energy for the upcoming day of learning," he said, giving as much of the paternal grandfatherly air that he could.

She nodded, before she left. Pomona shot an apologetic look to Dumbledore, who waved it away. Gaining Alma's trust would be hard. He also signalled Pomona discreetly, saying they would talk later. He would need to ensure she didn't speak of what had been in Harry's scar.

After the two left, Dumbledore began looking over the small list of names for potential guardians for Harry and Alma. He needed people he could trust. Each had their own pros and cons.

One of the names was Severus Snape. Given the life-debt Snape owned James Potter, and that he regretted Lily's death, his loyalty in this matter would be assured above all else. But his attitude towards James Potter and his issue left a lot to be desired, and Dumbledore knew that in all likelihood, he would end up on the wrong end of Alma Wade.

Another possibility was Remus Lupin. Although not Harry's godfather, he was a good friend of James Potter, and of a very good temperament. But the fact that he was a werewolf had to be taken into account: even if Remus could control the beast with Wolfsbane Potions, the moment the fact that a werewolf had been given guardianship over the Boy Who Lived, there would be, frankly, a political shitstorm of epic proportions. Senior Ministerial Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, that odious toad in dubiously female form, would have a field day, and as that werewolf-hater had the ear of Cornelius Fudge, her immediate superior, Harry and Alma would be taken from Remus forthwith.

The next best possibility was his old friend Alastor Moody, better known by his nom de guerre of 'Mad-Eye'. On the plus side, his home was a veritable fortress, magically, and he would be an excellent teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts. His job, being an instructor with the Aurors, was less demanding than some. On the downside, Moody was infamously paranoid, and there was the possibility that he and Alma might not mesh, though Dumbledore suspected it was better than it would be with Snape. Frankly, Moody was the best option he could think of so far.

Of course, there were other options, albeit somewhat less suitable ones. The Weasleys, for example, but he would have to arrange a stipend (and hope that Molly, in her pride, would accept the extra income) and find a way to ensure the living space was adequate. Arabella Figg was a possibility, but given how she had helped keep an eye on Harry while he was at the Dursleys', he wasn't sure whether Harry or Alma would accept the woman.

But Alma's words opened up another possibility. He would need to make sure, and there was no guarantee of it going anywhere. But if she was telling the truth, and Peter Pettigrew was alive and the actual traitor to the Potters, then it meant that, once Sirius Black was released, they could live with him. Black, after all, was Harry's godfather, and had priority. And the ancestral Black home of 12 Grimmauld Place would doubtless have a ridiculous amount of wards and protective spells, and a Fidelius Charm on top of that might help.

Dumbledore considered this information carefully. If Sirius did turn out to be innocent, then perhaps this was for the best. Of course, as the saying went, one shouldn't count one's chickens ere they hatched. Otherwise, you'll be deeply disappointed.

Even as he did so, he had to wonder whether Alma had learned about the Philosopher's Stone yet. If she truly was as powerful a psychic as McGonagall had claimed, then she may have learned about it already. He could only hope that she didn't decide to target the Stone…

INTERVAL 9 ANNOTATIONS:

Sorry about the wait, guys. Inspiration was lacking. Anyway, with this chapter, this story will surpass the chapter count and word count of the original version of Lux in Tenebris Lucet. It's already surpassed the view count, sitting at 18K views, while the original sits at about 12K.

Alma's rather chatty in this chapter, isn't she? I'm trying to avoid that, but here, she does need to say things to Dumbledore.

Although I said I was going to do vignettes of the first year, I do find I will probably do something in the first few days of Harry and Alma being at Hogwarts, namely Genevieve carrying out her plan. Who is her contact at Hogwarts? Well, you'll have to wait and see, but some of you might be able to make a reasonably intelligent guess. I might reveal who it is in the next chapter, when I finally get around to writing it…

Review-answering time! Insanity Pie: I understand your concerns in this regard, and the romance, such as it is, will be slow-burning. Harry considers Alma to be more like a sister/best friend, but Alma, having a twisted psyche, thinks otherwise. The actual romance is a long way off.

Space King Wizard Duck: Just be patient (I know that's a dirty word on the internet, but even so, you can try it). For example, here's the latest chapter. Try having a look at some of my other works. There's a lot of new ones you might like.

Danget the critic: Thanks. Regarding Alma 'dying', well, I figured out two potential points where it happens. I'm more or less set on the earliest point. It will be a very dramatic moment, and where we see Alma become more like the canon Alma. It will cause a rift between Harry and Alma because of what happens, not necessarily because Alma does anything to hurt Harry, but because what she does alienates the others at Hogwarts. That's somewhat in the future, really.

peroli ryu: Part of the problem with writing Alma effectively is her power is ridiculous huge, as you say. It was the reason why I abandoned the first version of Lux in Tenebris Lucet, as someone pointed out that I was demeaning Harry by giving his bigger triumphs to Alma. But one thing uniting both versions is that this is about how Harry is drawing Alma out of the darkness.

1. I discovered this term, wether, while writing my Harry Potter/Highschool DxD crossover, Fall to Zenith. A wether is a name for a castrated goat. Given the Dumbledore-bashing I was doing in that particular work, I found that an interesting term to use for Dumbledore, either in works where I bash him, or else in works where I don't, but I look into the thoughts of people who detest him. BTW, Fall to Zenith is fast becoming one of my most popular works. If you don't mind some Dumbledore-bashing, and like Highschool DxD (especially with a bit more sanity to balance out the comedy and raunchiness), give Fall to Zenith a look.