Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, so I don't own Harry Potter.
~*~*~Chapter Twenty-Eight: Three Messages~*~*~
It was a week after Valentine's Day, and it was a very quiet night, the silence only broken by the sound of Sophia Aparating right outside the gates of Hogwarts, where Borislav was waiting.
"Well?" He asked. Sophia took a deep breath.
"The Dark Lord has ordered us away from here. He says we should stop focusing on Larisa and worry more about getting a hold of the weapon." Sophia said sadly. Borislav kicked the wrought iron gate onto the grounds.
"Damn it." He snarled.
"The Dark Lord's word is law, Borislav. He told us to leave, so we need to leave." She said, still a little disappointed. The two Disaparated, and Slinky slithered out from behind the rock, his eyes alive with excitement. Quickly, he turned and shot off towards the front door of Hogwarts. He needed to share this news with Dumbledore.
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The doorbell rang, and Larisa hurried over to the top of the stairs as Bellatrix opened the front door.
"Hello, Severus." Bellatrix said, and Larisa took a step down the stairs.
"Hello, Bellatrix." Snape said, coming into the front hallway. "I have three messages from Dumbledore." His eyes swept around, resting on Larisa. He jerked his head, indicating for her to come downstairs. Larisa quickly swept down the remaining stairs, stopping when she was standing next to Bellatrix.
"Hi, Professor." She said quietly. Snape nodded at her before turning to Bellatrix.
"The first message from Dumbledore is for both of you." Snape explained. "The second I need to take up with you, Bellatrix, but Larisa can listen in, and the third message is for Larisa alone." Bellatrix gave a stiff nod, and Larisa looked down at the floor.
"We can talk in the kitchen." Bellatrix said, turning on her heal and walking towards the kitchen. Larisa followed, wondering what the messages were. Snape followed them both, looking a little like an overgrown bat. Bellatrix opened the door, and Larisa entered first, followed by Snape. Bellatrix closed the door behind her, then pulled out her wand. "Colloportus." Larisa heard the door click, and then Bellatrix sat down at the table. Larisa sat next to her, and Snape sat across from them. They sat there in silence for a minute before Snape spoke.
"I'll start with the first message," Snape paused for a second, as if he was choosing what he was going to say next very carefully. "Sophia and Borislav have left Hogwarts. We were informed of this by a snake who happened to be listening in. A snake who can understand the human tounge-"
"Slinky!" Larisa blurted out. "I know that snake, he was here a few weeks ago when Andromeda showed up."
"Oh, so that's what that was about." Bellatrix said.
"Yes, so to get to the point, it's safe for Larisa to return to Hogwarts."
"Thank God." Larisa said, sighing with relief.
"The second message," Snape began, and Larisa fell silent, waiting. "is where Larisa is going to go over the summer. Dumbledore believes that Sophia told Borislav about where Larisa is staying, so we have decided to move her to a safer location."
"And exactly where would that be?" Bellatrix asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Dumbledore says that it would be best if she moved here." Snape said. There was a ringing silence that followed what Snape said, and Larisa's mind again flew into a whirl. Larisa had a feeling that it was taking every ounce of Bellatrix's self control to keep from celebrating, and Larisa felt the same way. Snape looked from Larisa to Bellatrix, looking a little confused.
"That would be perfect." Bellatrix managed to say after a few minutes of dead silence.
"Y-yeah..." Larisa also managed to say, her voice getting very high pitched. Snape looked very confused after this. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"You're both very strange."
"Deal with it." Bellatrix said with a small laugh before getting up. "I'll have to take this up with Rodolphus. If you'll excuse me." With that, Bellatrix walked over to the door and pulled her wand out. "Alohomora." The door swung open, and Bellatrix walked out, closing the door behind her. Snape then turned to look at Larisa.
"The third message is for you alone."
"You said that earlier." Larisa said, folding her arms. Snape blinked slowly, then shook his head quickly.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."
"You do that." Larisa replied, tilting her head to the side.
"Now then, you are probably aware of the Occlumency lessons I'm giving Mr. Potter."
"Yup." Larisa said, straightening up a little.
"Well, Dumbledore said that he would like you to learn Legilimency while Mr. Potter is learning Occlumency." Snape said, and Larisa froze.
"W-what?" She stammered.
"Legilimency. Dumbledore wants you to learn Legilimency." Snape repeated.
"Why?" Larisa asked, her eyes going wide. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Dumbledore didn't say exactly why, he just said it would be useful for you to be able to do Legilimency. Probably because of you being forced to be a Death Eater. Being able to do Legilimency would possibly convince the Dark Lord you are on his side-"
"-when I'm really not." Larisa said, looking down at the table. "I really don't see why the Dark Lord wanted me to be a Death Eater in the first place..."
"With that temper of yours? He probably thinks that he could push you into a rage and set you on his enemies." Snape suggested.
"I don't lose my head completely when I'm in a rage. I'm still able to control my actions-"
"Larisa...You cursed me out last year. You call that control?"
"When I'm mad, I don't mean to say things that I say. I'm able to control what curses and hexes I use, I just...focus more control on that. I don't really care what I say when I'm mad. All that matters is making sure I don't accidentally kill someone." Larisa explained, her voice getting very quiet.
"Well, if I may say so, I believe that the Dark Lord thinks that some day, you'll really lose control and end up killing someone." Larisa gave a sharp intake of breath and looked up at Snape, horrified.
"What would make you say that?"
"Karkaroff told me that you were usually on edge when you were at Durmstrang. Little things would set you off and it was difficult to calm you down. The Dark Lord wants people like that on his side."
"Well, I'm not on his side."
"Nor am I, Larisa." Snape said. "Listen, your first lesson is on Monday, six o'clock. Tell no one, not even Bellatrix."
"Professor?" Larisa asked.
"Yes?" Snape replied as he got up from the table.
"Can I tell Draco, at least?" She asked uncertainly. Snape looked flabbergasted for a minute, but quickly cleared the look from his face.
"Well, I supposed so. But nobody else!"
"Alright." Larisa said as she got up from the table as well.
"But, if I may ask, why Draco?" Snape asked suddenly. A pink tinge crept up Larisa's face, and she looked at her feet.
"Well, we're dating." Larisa said, looking back up at Snape.
"Ah." Was all he had to say before he opened the kitchen door and walked out.
"See you later." Larisa murmured before sitting back down.
In May, 1980, the last will be born.
Different than the rest, but many traits the same as the one before.
Skilled she will be, like the one before.
She will survive the attack when she is five,
but at a horrible price ten years later,
yet bringing her special abilities, not at all like the one before.
Alright, be honest, who said "FINALLY" when Larisa admitted that she and Draco were dating?
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