Yevtery: Thank you for the review. I will think about what you said and try to incorporate the critique into my writing in a meaningful way.

- formalkitty -

"Mr, sir, I mean Professor Snape, Headmaster Dumbledore has asked me to bring Alexandra Potter to his office…"

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About time, Snape thought, it was about time for Dumbledore to put his mingling fingers into the child's affairs.

Severus prided himself on being able to recognise 'rotten apples' as Dumbledore called them, and that child was as rotten as they came. She seemed angelic, behaved angelically, but he was smarter than that. Behind the facade, there was something rather disturbing: A deep black hole that he recognised as it was one the Dark Lord also carried. That hole should be filled with love and compassion. How she had gotten that hole he didn't know, he didn't care, he just hoped that it could still be filled up, not only for her but also for the world. No, Snape didn't hate the child, neither was he scared of her like he knew Pomona was or madly blinded by her talents like Minerva. He just pitied her.

"Professor Snape..?" A husky voice made him concentrate on the classroom, it seemed he had zoned out for a second.

"Professor Snape, are you okay?" Miller, as he had come to call her, looked concerned.

"I'm perfectly fine Ms Miller, now hurry along. Don't be away for too long, though."

The girl nodded.

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Alexandra didn't like the way the potions professor looked at her. It was the same way Caroline had looked at her when she had first found her out in the park on that damned bench and Mrs Smith had looked at her when she hadn't had any friends on the school's playground. It unnerved her. Not because she was afraid of it, but because she didn't understand it. It looked as if their hearts were breaking, their eyes were filled with some kind of sorrow, but they weren't crying so they couldn't possibly be sad.

That look really unsettled her.

Well, might as well go and see what the headmaster wanted from her. She slid out her seat and caught Theo's worried glance. The boy had, without her noticing it, become an addition to her circle of friends. He was also the only Slytherin that didn't seem to antagonise her for hanging out with some of the Gryffindors. Even Draco, Blaise and, especially, Alastair seemed to think that it was 'unwise' to make friends with the other houses, they just avoided voicing their opinion near her and sucked it up.

Alex silently mouthed a 'don't worry' to him and then left the room.

The second year seemed much more at ease now that he wasn't in the presence of the menacing eyes of Professor Snape. But no matter how relaxed he seemed it didn't equal a comfortable walk. Alexandra felt absolutely no desire to talk to the boy, he was but a messenger.

They soon reached a gargoyle, here the Hufflepuff stopped.

"Well, this is the entrance," he turned to the gargoyle, "lemon drops."

A hidden corridor was revealed and Alex nodded farewell to the boy.

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Albus Dumbledore mentally readied himself for a conversation he had both looked forward to and dreaded. He wanted to talk to Lily and James' child, but he had to admit that he was a bit anxious, she hadn't grown up exactly liked he wanted her to, as evidenced by her placement in Slytherin. He also knew, from the monthly staff meetings, that not every teacher seemed to have the same view on her. Sure she was intelligent, and quite the social butterfly, but he had heard differing versions of how her behaviour should be read from the different teachers.

Minerva seemed to think that she was wonderful, albeit a bit cold toward her fellow classmates she meant that the girl was great at making relations with people from other houses, namely Gryffindor. If he was to believe McGonagall the girl would be all he had hoped for.

And he wanted to believe her, he needed to believe her. Yet he just couldn't, not when Filius and Pomona told him a different story.

Yeah, they also said she had an aptitude for their subjects but they did not think she was sweet in any way. Especially Professor Sprout had expressed her outrage over Alexandra's cold demeanour and controlling nature. This picture was one he didn't want to look at. It reminded him of a boy he once knew… Actually, it reminded him of two boys he once knew.

A knock was heard.

"Come on in, Alexandra." Albus softened his expression to make sure he seemed harmless.

"You called me sir," in front of him stood Alexandra Potter, she looked like the picture of childish innocence.

"Yes, take a seat my child, lemon drop?"

"Yes, thank you, sir." She reached over and grabbed a lemon drop in see-through wrapping paper.

"Call me Albus, my child. No need for formalities."

Alexandra smiled sweetly and for a moment Dumbledore became absorbed in it, then it was broken as a dark shadow flickered across her eyes.

"Then please call me Alexandra, Albus. 'My child' seems too… familiar, don't you agree?"

He had to applaud her for that move, he had underestimated her and forgotten that she probably wasn't the meek child Minerva had made her out to be. He had to say yes or else she would have an excuse to dislike him. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

"Of course, Alexandra. If that is what you want."

"Thank you, Albus. Now, what did you want to talk with me about"

"Nothing important, Alexandra. I just wanted to know how you find Hogwarts so far, I hear you are doing well in your lessons."

"You flatter me, Albus," she didn't seem very flattered… "I really like it here, it's much better than the muggle-schools I've gone to. I must, however, admit that I find the lessons a bit, what would be a fitting word, dull."

"I see, is there anything I can do to make them more interesting?"

Albus was concerned when a hungry glint entered her eyes.

"Not unless you want to give me a free pass to the restricted section of the library," her tone was light, playful and very, very hopeful.

"My dear, I'm sorry to say that I can't. I do not think those books are suitable for someone so young." He studied her disappointed expression, maybe he could use this to his advantage.

"I can make an exception, though. If you come here every Friday after school I will have an assortment of books from the restricted section ready for you to read in. That'll work as long as you are under supervision from a teacher, in this case, me, meaning you can't bring the books with you outside of this room."

Alexandra nodded slowly.

"Then, if there's nothing more you want from me I'm eager to get back to my class before Professor Snape decides that I've been gone for too long."

"Yes, I'll see you next Friday."

As she exited the room Albus Dumbledore leant back in his chair. This was terrific, he would get a chance to spend some time with the girl and shape her as he wished. Albus, of course, would be the one to chose the books too so he could pick the ones that dealt with light magic instead of dark magic.

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Alexandra was also happy, she knew Dumbledore would try to manipulate her and she knew he was the man that had made the first six years of her life living hell, but she also knew that she would gain access to new information. Whether it was light or dark magic, Alex didn't care, she just wanted to know everything there was to know.

She returned to the potions classroom and finished up her potion all the while ignoring her fellow Slytherins questioning glances, only after class when she was cornered by Pansy did she speak.

"What'd he want, Potter?"

"Well hello to you too, Pansy. I've had a nice day so far, what about you?"

Pansy, however, didn't seem to be in the mood for small-talk. Sad, really.

"Cut the crap Potter what'd he want?" Was it just her or did Parkinson sound genuinely concerned? Nah might've been a flicker of her imagination. Deciding it was time for a change Alexandra vowed to be civil with Pansy.

"He just wanted to know how I was adjusting. You know, typical teacher-student talk."

"Are your grades so bad, Potter, that you need to talk to the headmaster about it?" Pansy snorted.

That had definitely been a flicker of her imagination, Pansy was still behaving like a vindictive bitch towards her. There went the vow.

"You know, Pansy, I'd insult you but I think I'd be wasting my efforts, you would simply be too dumb to understand the complexity of my words."

Alexandra turned around skipping towards the DADA classroom. She hummed, insulting Parkinson always made her feel good.