Chapter 7: Dumbledore

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

September 3, 1993

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts stood before the window of the Headmaster's Tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To any observer, it would appear as though the headmaster were staring out the window and looking with pleasure upon the beauty of the day. It was the first day of sunshine in three days and there was not a cloud in the sky. The sudden lack of rain and appearance of beautiful sunshine had lifted the spirits of all who dwelled within Hogwarts hallowed halls. The sunshine gave him no joy. His blue eyes did not take in the beauty of the day. There were storm clouds in his mind that troubled him far too much for him to notice the beauty of the day.

He could point his finger at the source of his troubled mind. Malfoy. Specifically, the eldest child of Lucius Malfoy. The girl's name was Lyra.

He had been surprised when Lucius's children began attendance at Hogwarts. He had expected any child of Lucius Malfoy to be sent to Durmstrang or Beauxbatons. The Malfoy twins, Lyra and Arya, did move and behave as though they were taught by one of Beauxbatons finest instructors in Etiquette. It had been a surprise when the two little girls were in the line of first years waiting to be sorted into their Houses a few years ago. Arya had been sorted first and had shocked the staff by being sorted into Ravenclaw. Lyra had been true to all thoughts on Malfoy's and had sorted into Slytherin House. A year later they were joined by their youngest sibling, Satyra, and she was sorted into Ravenclaw House.

He had put all thoughts of the Malfoy children out of his mind because he had expected them to be just like their nefarious father. It had been easy enough to ignore them until Satyra Malfoy was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and Lyra Malfoy had begged the staff to save her sister. Minerva had shared her memory of the event with him and Albus had been deeply moved and deeply troubled by the memory. Lyra Malfoy's faith in the school staff had been shattered that day and Albus didn't know how they would restore her faith or if they even could.

While viewing the memory, Albus was suddenly struck by how much Lyra Malfoy reminded him of her grandfather, Abraxas. Proud and beautiful, Abraxas Malfoy had cut quite a swathe through society. He had wielded power like he was born to it and Albus could not deny that he had been born to a power of a kind. It was a dark power, but power nonetheless. Abraxas had been the Prince of Slytherin during his school days and he had been like a Prince in society after his school years. He was a superb politician and a formidable opponent. Albus had attended his funeral, but he had not paid much attention to the little Malfoy scions who were in mourning. His attention had been on Lucius. Now, Albus wished that he had paid more mind to the little Malfoy darlings mourning their grandfather, because while Lucius was the heir of the Malfoy fortune and estate, Albus now suspected that it was Lyra Malfoy who was the true heir of Abraxas Malfoy.

Harry Potter had been swayed by Lyra Malfoy's tears. He had gone down to the Chamber of Secrets and fought an artifact of dangerous dark magic and a Basilisk for the life of Satyra Malfoy. Albus wished that it had been for Satyra Malfoy that the boy had chosen to risk his life. Satyra seemed a kind girl, for a Malfoy. She was not his ideal match for Harry, but he would prefer it to Lyra Malfoy. Albus knew that it was already a lost cause though. The dye was cast. He had watched James Potter succumb to the symptoms of longing for and attempting to please his soul-mate, Lily Evans. He had watched Harry's grandfather, Fleamont Potter, do the same for his soul-mate, Euphemia. Now Harry was doing the same regarding Lyra Malfoy. He could still remember Harry's confession.

"She was hurting. I just knew that if I didn't go and save Satyra that Lyra would cry forever," Harry had said.

Albus closed his eyes. He had spent the summer trying to figure out how to manipulate the Malfoy family to his advantage. Lyra was Harry's soul-mate and so he needed to maneuver the Malfoy's into a position that would give Harry what he needed. He had not had any luck figuring out a way yet, but he had been sure that observing the Malfoy girls would give him an answer this year. He had not expected the revelation that Remus had given him.

He had argued against Dementors being allowed on the Hogwarts Express. There were children on the train, and underage children should not have to be exposed to those horrors, but he had been overruled and so the Dementors had been allowed to search the train. He had asked for Lupin to be on the train for that reason. Remus was skilled at Charms and Defense and would be able to assist the children. Albus had consoled himself that several of the underage children had enough raw magical power to perform a Patronus Charm. Of course, that would not have helped them if they had never read about the charm, as was the case with Harry. Albus had not expected to learn that Lyra Malfoy had performed a fully formed Patronus.

Remus had shown him the memory of Lyra Malfoy standing in a compartment on the train, wand in hand and the beautiful Lioness that had battled the two Dementor's that had entered her cabin. The Lioness had been truly beautiful and at first, Albus had not wanted to believe that it was Lyra who had cast the charm. Yet his doubts were swiftly put to rest when he recognized the protectiveness of the Lioness toward Lyra specifically.

A Lioness. Protective of those she saw as her own. Fierce against all perceived enemies. Cunning and resourceful.

Her Patronus revealed a great deal about Lyra Malfoy. He wondered if the sorting hat had considered placing this child in Gryffindor. He knew better than to ask the Sorting Hat. He never revealed the secrets of the sorting. The hat never told him the secrets he had learned from the heads of the children. More was the pity. He could use such counsel now. He didn't know how to maneuver Lyra Malfoy where he now wanted her. He had looked over Lyra's school record and had found no complaints from the Professor's about her. Her scores were high. She was a bright student and within the top five percent of the students for her year. In fact, Lyra Malfoy had beaten out Minerva's favorite, Hermione Granger, in quite the number of their classes. He had expected a Malfoy child to come to school with knowledge of magic, but he had not expected one to excel in the way that Lyra, Arya, and Satyra Malfoy were doing. All three girls were superb academics.

A clear chime echoed through his mind, bringing him away from his contemplations. The chime was a handy little spell that he had cast long ago on the Gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's Office. It alerted him to when someone had been let past the Gargoyle to come up into his office. Minerva always wondered just how it was that he knew she was coming up. He liked to tease her that he could hear her stomping because she rarely visited him unless she was angry. It always made her bristle reminding him of her Animagus form. Perhaps someday he would be kind and tell her the truth.

He had just crossed the room away from the window and to his desk when the knock sounded at the door. With a wave of his wand, the door opened revealing Lyra Malfoy.

"Ah, Miss Malfoy, please do come in," Albus said in a jovial tone of voice.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment and entered the office. He watched as her eyes swept through the room, her gaze lingering for a few moments over many of the more interesting objects in his room. He inclined his head, waving a hand toward one of the seats before his desk. "Please have a seat, my dear girl," he invited. He observed her as she gracefully settled herself into the chair. If she felt the truth monitor that was cast upon the chair that she was seated in then she gave no sign that she noticed. This made Albus relax slightly.

Truth monitors were ancient magical devices that were often embedded into random everyday objects, such as the chair Lyra Malfoy was now seated in. The object could not force her to tell only the truth like a truth serum could, but it would subtly tell someone else if she were lying. He had been sure that the more flamboyant Malfoy's would not utilize the more subtle magics such as a truth monitor in order to gain truths from others. Surely Lucius's way was to bribe and interrogate.

The girl sat before him with her hands in her lap, her legs crossed at the ankle and sitting with her back perfectly straight while still looking somehow relaxed. It was perfect etiquette that made her seem like a princess looking over her court. 'One of the Malfoy Princesses,' Albus thought as he stared at her. The girl was silent, not showing any sign of distress at his silence. He was far more used to dealing with Gryffindor students who would have already spoken, asking him why he had wished to see them. Lyra Malfoy was a Slytherin, she would not give him that much power.

"I am sure you are wondering why I called you here," Albus began after several moments more of staring at her. She resembled her beautiful mother but she was less golden than Narcissa Malfoy. She was all moonlight with silvery-blonde hair and eyes like silver moonlight. She was more a Malfoy in her coloring, but she had Narcissa's beautiful and delicate features. She would be a breathtaking beauty in another year, he was sure of it.

She merely inclined her head, her face showing a polite curiosity.

"Professor Lupin informed me of what happened on the train," Albus explained. "Please tell me, how are the Slytherin students fairing?"

There was a slight meeting of eyes then but not enough for him to use Legilimency to glean her surface thoughts. "The Slytherin students are frightened," she said after a moment. "The Ravenclaw students are also frightened. I am not sure if Professor Lupin informed you that there were Ravenclaw students in our compartment as well," she said in a gentle off-handed manner. "Arya tells me that the Ravenclaw students have been searching the library for all information on Dementor's and on the Patronus Charm."

"It was unfortunate that the Dementor's had to search the train," Albus said, allowing his regret that he could not stop the Minister's decision to flow into his voice.

"It was foolish and never should have happened the way it did," she told him.

Albus smiled at this. "How should it have been done, dear girl?"

She seemed to startle slightly at his endearment but she didn't let it deter her. "Auror's should have searched the train, preferably without the Dementor's presence. If the Minister had to insist on the Dementor's searching the train then there should have been enough accomplished Auror's who could perform the Patronus Charm there to keep them from harming any of the students," Lyra said decisively. "My little sister was nearly kissed and I have heard rumors that Harry Potter of Gryffindor House and Susan Bones of Hufflepuff House were likewise almost kissed by those creatures."

"Yes, Miss Bones was most fortunate that a seventh year Ravenclaw student who could perform the Patronus Charm was in the compartment across from her and came to her aid when her friends screamed for help," Albus said. "Our Mr. Potter was fortunate that Professor Lupin had been riding in his compartment and saved him. And your own compartment was fortunate to have had you," Albus pronounced. "Was that truly the first time you had performed a fully-fledged Patronus Charm?" he asked.

"Yes, it was," she said simply. "I have for some time been able to produce the silvery mist, but I could not get it to take full shape until just a few days ago on the train."

"Extraordinary," Albus praised her because it truly was. He had not thought a child born of one of the darkest families in Britain could ever perform such a spell of truly light magic. For her to have done it under duress at the age of thirteen proved that she was already a formidable young witch. He sat back in his chair, watching her intently. "May I ask what memory you used to produce such a powerful charm?" he asked of her. "Forgive me my curiosity my dear girl, but it is rare for one so young to be able to produce the charm."

She smiled slightly then at his praise and he wondered if she were truly flattered or if she were merely dissembling. "It was a series of memories since one memory alone was not strong enough," she revealed. "I thought of happy memories with my siblings, with my grandfather, and with my mother," she told him.

She looked into his eyes then and he saw it. At the forefront of her mind, he saw what amounted to a collide scope of memories. He saw Abraxas Malfoy holding her on his lap and whispering words of love and power into her ears. He saw a child he recognized as Nymphadora Tonks holding her close as she took her up for a flight on a broom. He saw Lyra, Arya, Satyra, and Narcissa Malfoy dancing in the rain, twirling around and singing as though they had not a care in the world.

He was surprised by the memories. He would never have pictured Abraxas so loving with his granddaughters. The man had put up an image of having been delighted with his granddaughters, but everyone had believed it to be just an illusion. Everyone had believed that he was probably cruel to them behind closed doors, taking out his bitterness upon them that they were females instead of males. Lyra's memory of her grandsire disproved the theory that Abraxas had been a cruel taskmaster to his granddaughters.

The memory of Nymphadora Tonks surprised him as well. He was not aware that the Tonks family was in anyway close to the Malfoy family. Yet the memory showed the infamous gardens of Malfoy Manor was where young Nymphadora had taken a young Lyra Malfoy flying on a broom. He was assuming that it was Lyra's first time on a broom.

He was more surprised by the memory of Lyra, her sisters, and her mother dancing and singing in the rain. The Narcissa Malfoy he knew was a socialite who was always perfectly behaved. He had not thought her capable of this kind of passion and simple joy. He had not thought that she would let her teenage daughters dance in the rain let alone join them in their sport.

"Tell me dear girl, where did you learn about the Patronus Charm?" he asked of her.

"I first read about it in a book. I asked mother about it and she explained the spell to me. Then my cousin, Dora, learned how to produce the charm while she was in the Auror Academy. It really pleased her instructors, who before that were treating her rather harshly," Lyra told him. "Dora said that it was a good idea to study the charm and try to learn how to do it because it could protect me from dark creatures such as Lethifolds and Dementors. I so added it to the charms that I should study."

"I see," he said and somehow, he did. It seemed to him that the girl had a fondness for her maternal cousin. He had never once, in all of Nymphadora Tonks years as a student at Hogwarts, suspected that she was close to her Malfoy cousins. He had not thought to look into the matter. He had assumed that the two Black sisters must be estranged because Andromeda had married a Muggle-born Wizard while Narcissa had married a man known to all as a Muggle-hater. It seemed that the affection between Andromeda and Narcissa had not been broken after all. How very fascinating. He made a mental reminder to himself to seek out Alastor Moody for a chat about his current students at the Auror Academy. Perhaps he could learn a bit more about what sort of asset Nymphadora Tonks might make to his future endeavors.

"I have awarded thirty points to Slytherin due to your actions on the train, my girl," he told her, expecting to see her happy.

She stared at him for a moment and he gleaned consternation from her mind. It was surprising, to say the least. "Have you awarded any points to Ravenclaw for the saving of Susan Bones?" she asked of him then. "And what about Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Houses? The older students from those houses went around the train giving out chocolates to soothe the frightened students and many of the older students sat with the younger kids through the rest of the trip, just in case the Dementors came back."

Albus was stunned by this. He had not been informed that the older students had gone around the train to reassure the students. "I was not made aware of this, my dear girl. I am glad that I have had this talk with you. Of course, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw all deserve House Points for their actions."

He was surprised when he could find no happiness about this in her surface thoughts. There was turmoil there. Distrust and disappointment. Was she disappointed that he had not known in full the events that took place on the train? It was tempting to delve into her mind, but then she would know. She was a pure-blood heiress who would be of age for courtship in just a year, surely her family had begun her studies in guarding her thoughts. She would sense his intrusion if he tried to delve into her mind.

"Sir," she said softly. "It is very good of you to award all of the Houses points to show your appreciation of how we looked after each other, but," she paused then and looked down at her hands. "That for a moment on that train Slytherin's and Gryffindor's were not trying to hurt each other. Ravenclaw's were not sneering that they knew more than the other Houses and Hufflepuff was not made to somehow feel inferior to everyone else for their quiet confidence and diligence," she looked into his eyes once more. "That is greater than winning the House Cup."

Albus slowly smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling as he let himself take in her words and the earnest expression that had transformed her face. Yes, this girl was not Lucius's creature. She was the true heir of the Old Dragon, as Abraxas had been called in his final years. She would disarm her enemies because they were expecting her to be either a vapid socialite who could only speak about the latest fashions or a nasty brat, spoilt by her proud and arrogant father. She was neither. She was clearly a faithful student of her grandfather and she was a beautiful delicate beauty. She would have men quaking in their boots in a few more years.

Soul-mate or not, Albus was beginning to see how it could be that Harry Potter would fall in love with this girl. That she was a Lioness comforted Albus slightly. If she could come to love Harry, come to value him as her own, then she would use all that she was for Harry's betterment. She would not easily be manipulated into Harry's arms though. This was clear enough to Albus now. She was not an easy mark for such romantic manipulations. She was too self-possessed to be manipulated in that way. However, there was still hope. She had shown honor of the Old Ways when Harry had saved Satyra Malfoy months ago. She had insisted that her own father acknowledge and honor the fact that the Malfoy family owed Harry a life-debt. Perhaps that was the key to giving Harry his Soul-mate. He would have to do more research. He had many things to consider.

"I am very proud of how all of you chose to assist each other on the train," Albus told her gently, his voice full of true warmth. It truly did please him to hear her words and imagine the students trying to protect each other. All four houses united in a common goal. It was a beautiful image. Were they too divided? He had to admit, albeit ruefully, that he rarely gave the Slytherin's a thought unless a Slytherin student was brought before him for punishment. Had he been too neglectful of Slytherin House? Were there other students in that House that were from dark families that were of the same caliber of Lyra Malfoy? He had much to consider.

"Thank you, my dear girl," he said as he slowly arose. She likewise arose from the chair. "for indulging my curiosity and more for sharing your thoughts with me," he told her sincerely. "You have given me a great deal to think about. I hope that we may have a chat again sometime in the future."

Lyra gave him a soft smile, a slight upturn of her lips. "It would be my pleasure, Headmaster," she said politely. It left him feeling hopeful that one day she would address him with a warm tone instead of the unerringly polite tone.

He walked with her to the door and watched her go down the winding staircase. He felt the tingle that allowed him to know that she had departed away from the Gargoyle Guardian of his office. He went back to the window then and stared out upon the grounds of Hogwarts. This time his eyes took in the bright sunshine, the way the leaves on the trees were beginning to change colors. The silvery-gray water of the Black Lake. The children in various states of relaxation and play. A slow smile curved his lips as he took in his children enjoying the day.

Thank you for reading! I really am ashamed of how long it has been since I updated this story. I had this chapter written and then tore it apart, shredded it, killed it, and started all over again. I just had such trouble trying to get Dumbledore just right in this chapter. I am finally satisfied with how I portrayed him here and so at long last I am sharing it with you. I hope that you like it. The next chapter should be up soon since it is almost finished with the editing stage. It is titled "Boggart".