I still down own Harry Potter. I hope you enjoyed what I did with the Alliance; I wanted Charlotte to do what Dumbledore wanted in that case because she is going to leave Magical Britain later and find her own way in life.
Please let me know what you think.
The Hell of Fourth Year.
"You did a good job today, Charlotte," Gryffindor complimented, looking amusedly down at the exhausted young witch who was standing on shaking legs while looking like she would fall even at the smallest pressure from exhaustion.
Charlotte was too busy panting to speak. Honestly, while she enjoyed these sessions with the Founders - they might have been ghosts, spirits, something along those lines, but they were as capable as any other witch or wizard - she was amazed by the level they had attained years ago. She knew thanks to their talks only a few witches and wizards even bothered training themselves up to similar levels.
Charlotte knew if she continued on the rate she was going she would easily near the levels of both Dumbledore and Voldemort without any problem, and the prospect was both frightening and exhilarating. Charlotte liked feeling powerful and confident in her abilities and at first, it had simply been a matter of self-preservation because of the Tournament, but as time had passed and she had learnt duelling magic from Gryffindor, healing magic from Hufflepuff, obscure spells from Ravenclaw which had added to her repertoire magnificently while at the same time Slytherin himself taught her parselmagic.
All four of the Founders had taken it upon themselves to speak to Charlotte about different matters and had helped to teach her things about magic that bypassed everything currently learned at Hogwarts. She especially loved her time with Slytherin since, ironically, he was the only Founder who seemed to look at the world differently much like she had.
Hufflepuff came over and with a flick of her wand, she gave Charlotte a bottle of water. Charlotte took it instantly and downed a huge gulp, tasting the cool refreshing water along with a potion she identified as a pepper-up potion. As soon as she swallowed the potion the magic did its work, and she felt her strength return.
"You look like you enjoyed that," Helga commented with a chuckle.
"I did. Hurray for pepper-up potions," Charlotte chuckled herself. "So what now?"
Smiling at her dedication Gryffindor replied, "Actually Charlotte, you can now have the rest of the day off. However, don't think I won't go easy on you next time," he added in warning, "I want to build your magical strength up to better take the spell chains."
Charlotte nodded. "Okay."
"However, for now," Slytherin said as he approached with Gryffindor stepping to the side while Salazar came closer so Charlotte could give the other Founder her undivided attention, "there is a collection of books in a secret library we set up for our descendants so they would know what we knew."
"I thought all knowledge would have been in a chamber, like the Chamber of Secrets," Charlotte commented.
"There is, and you are right; all four of us had libraries of our own containing scrolls and books we'd either collected or written over the years detailing our studies of branches of magic which we were experts in, but the knowledge in the library also contains our personal observations. Diaries, essentially," Slytherin replied. "We have diaries going back years, speaking of our greatest triumphs and failures and what happened afterwards."
"We think it might help you if you have our insights and come back to us, we can help you in those areas," Hufflepuff explained.
"I see. So, instead of just piling all of your knowledge onto me, you're giving me the opportunity to look at your diaries and coming back to you later so you can train me in those areas?"
"That's right," Ravenclaw folded her arms. "For instance, if you look in my diaries and journals, you'll come across references and accounts of my travels to what is now called China, Egypt, or Japan and Central America and Africa, where I encountered many different forms of magic and studied it all before bringing it back here. I travelled for years and years, Charlotte, but if you go into the library and read those diaries, you will also have access to the magics which interest you, and if you come to us then we can help teach you more about them."
Charlotte mulled it over and nodded. "I like the sound of that," she smiled.
"We thought you might," Slytherin smirked back before he became more serious. "I will send you the directions to the library, Charlotte if you would please lower your mental barriers…."
Charlotte did as she was told, although she kept herself vigilant as always when she felt the map being transferred into her mind. Once Slytherin retracted the probe she reinforced her occlumency barriers.
Slytherin smiled. "Take care," he said.
XXX
After getting Dobby to take her back to the mill so she could shower and get a change of clothes which consisted of a black hoodie covering a purple shirt, a red-white-black checked plaid skirt and black stockings and her running shoes, Charlotte returned to the school - she knew she could have just changed in Hogwarts, but the discovery of the Founders was a major secret she wanted to keep, and she didn't want anyone else cottoning on the help she had was coming from the school itself - and headed off in search of the library.
While it was surprising the Founders had decided to create a separate library where all of their lives were documented year after year instead of simply placing the knowledge in their own Chambers, Charlotte spent a couple of minutes thinking about it as she walked through the corridors of the school, nodding politely to the students of Hogwarts itself as well as Durmstrang and Beauxbatons although she kept on her guard; while she had shown off just how violent she could be during the First Task, she knew there were probably a few students who would try to be daring.
Anyway, as she walked through the corridors, following the map in her mind, Charlotte wondered if the Founders had wanted to show a united front. Instead of just having separate Chambers, the descendants would find just one place where all of the knowledge of their ancestors and their personal accounts in a room where the other Founders would have kept their knowledge. A meeting place where they would be equals.
A far cry from today, she thought to herself gloomily, today the Houses are so insular, friendships between the Houses are so rare and infrequent they may as well have been other countries.
As she was turning the other corridor, she ran into someone. Charlotte gasped a little at the impact and she pulled away, an instant apology on her lips, but then she saw who it was.
It was Professor McGonagall, and she was looking stunned at the sight of Charlotte, who just stared at her for a long moment. A long sigh left her lips; she wasn't in the mood to speak to any of the useless or bullying teachers in the castle, not right now, not when she was in a good mood.
"Excuse me," she muttered and stepped around her former Head of House, but unfortunately McGonagall wouldn't let her go, not that easily.
"Wait!" McGonagall placed a hand to her mouth when it came out too loud, louder than she'd intended, but it was enough to attract Charlotte's attention, and the girl turned around just as the Transfiguration professor was pulling herself together. "Please, Charlotte, don't go. I…I need to speak to you."
McGonagall looked at the girl for a moment, wishing she could see the brilliant emerald of her eyes, both of them, even though one of them was now gone forever and were now covered by a pair of sunglasses. Why didn't I say something? Why did I let Albus manipulate me? How could I have done this to a girl who was once a sweet baby, who even then was being manipulated by Dumbledore?
Minerva was snapped out of her brief thoughts when Charlotte replied in a cold voice that made the old witch go cold herself since it was clear this conversation would be the equivalent of two strangers speaking together.
"I have nothing I want to speak to you with, Professor. Why don't you speak with a Gryffindor, you know the House you head up? Just deal with them. I'll be out of your hair soon. I am a shame to your House, right?" a rather cruel, sarcastic smile crossed Charlotte's face.
A million curses ran through Minerva's head as she thought about the morons she was forced to be Head of House too, although she wasn't a particularly good one since one of the students she had been looking forward to having had been hounded out of the House of Gryffindor by a bunch of idiots who simply did not deserve to belong there. Minerva felt her eyes beginning to sting with tears. One of the children she had wanted to see in Hogwarts, and what had she done?
She had, in an attempt to appear impartial, to show no favouritism, instead of being approachable become unapproachable. And now, she had completely destroyed every chance she could have had in forming a worthwhile relationship with Charlotte.
"I never believed that," she said quietly.
"Really?" Scornful surprise crept through Charlotte's tone while she folded her arms before saying sarcastically, "Oh yeah, I remember you standing up in front of the fucking lions you claim to cherish and stopping them from casting me out! Or what about when they were harassing me? Or were the death threats I received back in my second year where everyone thought I was the Heir of Slytherin done with your approval since you apparently believed I was guilty."
Minerva took a deep breath as the pain from the reminder of that horrible year haunted her, but she was horrified by the mention of death threats. "I never knew about the threats, Charlotte," she said, "and as for believing you were the Heir of Slytherin, I never believed you were."
"Then why was it whenever you had me in your class you would deride everything about me? I seem to remember you making snide comments about parseltongue. And how about the way you looked at me as if you were disgusted to be near me after that bastard Finch-Fletchley was petrified, I saw the look in your face and I can tell when people are disgusted by me. I'm not stupid, Professor; I had to live with a family of disgusting animals who looked at me the same way."
Minerva looked down in shame. She couldn't say anything about the accusation since it was true. She had derided parseltongue, and had even spoken about the branch of magic with disgust, and had even dropped little tidbits of its dark history. Worse, she had even dropped little insults like "Lily and James would be ashamed," things like that once or twice. It was no wonder Charlotte went berserk and brutally cursed half of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff when Nightstar had been petrified. Even Ginny Weasley had been injured when she was pulled out of the Chamber of Secrets.
It wasn't surprising in the least Charlotte had lost respect for the teachers, for her. Realising this was neither the time nor the place to get into a fight, and that she needed to talk about the Tournament with the girl, she lifted her head. "I will never be able to make up for what I did," she whispered, "and if it takes me the rest of my life to make up for my mistakes, I will. But for now, I need to speak to you, it's about the Tournament."
"Don't waste your time. After this year, I doubt we'll ever meet again," Charlotte sighed. "Alright," she said after a moment. "Lead the way."
Grateful and yet surprised the girl was giving her the chance to speak, Minerva nodded and walked off in the direction of her office. Occasionally she would look over her shoulder to mentally appraise the teenager. Minerva was pleased to see Charlotte appeared to be healthy, indeed she seemed taller and fitter than she had appeared, and although the older witch wasn't entirely approving of some of the girl's choice of clothes, she was grateful to see that the choice did at least show Charlotte was taking care of herself.
As they walked through the corridors, it suddenly occurred to her that Dumbledore would eventually learn Charlotte was moving openly through the castle and he would want to speak with her. Minerva had been at the school long enough to know the Headmaster could see what was going on thanks to the portraits, it was almost certain the headmaster knew she was walking around the castle by now. He had given standing orders that Charlotte was to be escorted to his office so they could have a talk, but Minerva had no intention of doing that; she knew nothing Albus would say to the girl would help, in any case, she doubted Dumbledore would use his common sense, and would only make things worse.
Minerva sighed and wondered when her life had become so complicated…Anyway, she didn't have time to dwell too much on the subject when she flicked her wand at the door of her office, using her own password to unlock the door and they went inside. Once inside Minerva closed the door, and the two witches sat down. It occurred to Minerva to offer the younger witch something to drink but she decided against it; she had seen the temper Charlotte had, especially how she had retaliated against the bullying in her second year, and she didn't want it thrown in her face, in her office.
In any case, Charlotte would likely see it as a sign of friendship, of the sort of relationship Minerva had enjoyed with Lily and James and had foolishly thrown the opportunity of having the same type of relationship with their daughter away simply because she decided to be neutral and impartial in the school.
Minerva licked her lips and wondered where she should begin. There were so many things she would love to say to the girl to make up for the lack of help she'd given her over the years, starting from when she had stood near Dumbledore and had allowed him to place an innocent child on a doorstep in the dead of night after she'd lost everyone who'd loved her.
"The Tournament, Professor?" Charlotte prompted.
Minerva winced. She knew now there was no way the girl was ever going to stay here and talk with her about anything else. "Charlotte….I am aware you have more than enough reasons to be…angry with Hogwarts-," she began, stumbling over the right word to describe Charlotte's feelings, but the girl interrupted her instantly.
"Wow! You finally show off your brains, and I thought they'd atrophied in your skull. I am so impressed. How long did it take for you to reach that oh so logical conclusion, mm? With that one statement you have finally proven that the mastery you have in Transfiguration is well deserved and that you have some intelligence at last," Charlotte's voice was scornful as each word came out so sarcastically biting Minerva actually flinched and wished she was anywhere else at that minute. "You finally get it, do you? Second-year all over again. Only instead of just being threatened outright, and poisoned by a venomous magical creature, I lose my fucking eye. What's next, Professor? I don't know…I've got…well, a heart. I could always have that lopped out of my chest. Or, how about my stomach? It's not as if I need that, right, especially since the entire Wizarding World seem to enjoy taking everything from me until I have nothing?"
The older witch winced, realising from Charlotte's perspective all the teachers and the students seemed to take and take and take from the girl until she had nothing left. She had never thought of it like that, but while it disgusted her the rest of her fellow witches and wizards enjoyed hurting this orphaned girl more and more, she didn't want to dwell on it just now Trying desperately to regain her composure and get the conversation to the track she wanted, Minerva carried on, "The reason I wanted to speak to you was because of the Yule Ball."
"A what?" Charlotte asked.
"The Yule Ball. It's a Ministry sponsored event. They want to try to promote international relations. All the Champions are meant to be there."
"And you want me to take part as well. Why? I have disowned Hogwarts as my school, and I am only in this to represent my family. Why am I being included?"
Minerva sighed mentally as she said the rehearsed words and she hoped the girl didn't lose her temper. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. It's a tradition and you need to go."
"What am I supposed to do?"
Taking that as a good sign although she knew she would need to go on carefully, Minerva went on, "There is going to be a dance, and all the Champions are expected to open the ball with their chosen dates."
Charlotte groaned.
Minerva looked at her sympathetically. She guessed Charlotte didn't like this because of the way she had been treated so far. She hesitated with the next bit, knowing Charlotte would lose her temper if she mentioned who Albus had in mind for her date. "I'm afraid to say the Headmaster, knowing you might have…trouble with finding someone for the Ball has chosen someone already."
The look Charlotte sent her was annoyed, even she could see that with those sunglasses covering her remaining eye. "Does this person happen to be my age physically, has red hair, and yet have all the charm of a dog turd and the manners of a pig?"
Minerva nodded. "I didn't want Ronald Weasley to be your partner, Charlotte-."
"And he bloody well won't be, I can promise you that. No-one is going to press me on the matter. If you do then I will simply not go, and I will make sure everyone understands why, especially since the Daily Prophet have realised the depths of their mistake," Charlotte added with a cruel smile.
Minerva swallowed, wondering if this was a trait inherent in Charlotte's personality or if it had just entered it later on in her life. The news Charlotte actually owned more shares in the newspaper than the Ministry itself had caused a shock, but when she read the article the girl had withdrawn her support and the editors office had run a frantic letter of apology, stating they'd gone as far as terminating Rita Skeeter's employment, Minerva had wondered how far Charlotte was going to go. "As far as I am concerned, Charlotte, you can go with whomever you wish. It isn't my business. I don't care who you go with so long as you are happy. Unfortunately, Albus doesn't share my beliefs."
"Dumbledore has meddled in my life long enough and I have suffered for it. I don't know what made him think I would forgive Weasley especially after what he nearly did to my cat, but that waste of flesh has made it his life's mission to make my life hell this year. I am not going to dance with him."
"Dumbledore will try to force the issue," McGonagall pointed out.
The scowl on Charlotte's face was vicious. "If the old bastard tries to force the issue, then I will simply not attend," she said.
McGonagall nodded, feeling the dull ache in her temples already, but she decided to just simply hope Charlotte went away and found someone so then Albus wouldn't play his deluded games.
The door opened and she looked up in annoyance, although it turned into shock when she saw Albus himself waltz into the room with his gaudy robes acting like he owned the place with that infuriating manner of his. The old Headmaster's expression brightened with joy when he saw Charlotte.
"Ah, Charlotte my dear girl. I am delighted you are here to meet with me," the old wizard said in delight.
Charlotte glared at McGonagall, tilting her head. Did you know he'd do this?
McGonagall shook her head. No.
The teenage witch sighed and lifted her head. "What do you want?" she asked the old wizard, making it clear she was not happy to see him.
"Why, to speak with you of course!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, inwardly he was frustrated because with the sunglasses on he couldn't get any idea of what Charlotte was thinking.
"What if I don't want to speak with you, did that not occur to you?" Charlotte asked.
Dumbledore waved a hand. "There is no need to be childish, my dear girl-."
"Childish? What's so childish about wanting to be left alone so other parts of my anatomy don't get destroyed because the people who are supposed to be protecting you have a plan in mind which is so badly thought through, and only help the bullies?" Charlotte countered, looking at Dumbledore with contempt; while she loved her sunglasses and what they did for her eyesight, she wished she still had the capacity to show emotion like she'd been able to, but she knew it would be wasted on Dumbledore, which only gave credence the old wizard was high on drugs and his brain periodically went around and around the solar system until everyone got dizzy.
To her surprise, Dumbledore's manner became more solemn. Hello? she thought, not fooled one moment. What's the sly old twat after now?
"Charlotte, I know I have made a grievous mistake. I should have announced to the school at large you hadn't put your name into the Goblet of Fire. It was a foolish decision, and believe me it is one I will always regret," Dumbledore said, putting in some solemn sadness into his usual grandfatherly persona.
But Charlotte was not fooled. This reply was too pat, too rehearsed; she had known since that conversation with Sirius before she'd vanished the mirror Dumbledore had some scheme in mind, but after giving it some thought with the Founders, namely Slytherin, they'd agreed Dumbledore had deliberately made sure she wasn't proven innocent and was seen as guilty because he wanted to draw out whoever was behind the whole thing. The thought of being used as nothing more than bait was infuriating, but there was nothing about it she could do. Not now. It was just another check against the old wizard as far as she was concerned.
"Bollocks," she said crassly, deciding to be blunt and to make it clear she wasn't going to play this game by his rules. Dumbledore reared back as if he'd been slapped. "You don't regret what you did initially, you just regret the fact it blew up in your face. In fact, you would probably do it again, especially if you think your Greater Good warrants it, right?"
Dumbledore glared down at her. "You will not address me in that manner, Charlotte-!"
"Or what? You'll put me in detention? I'm not your student anymore, for which I am grateful," Charlotte glared at him. "In any case, even without me not being a student of your school anymore, I would still speak in that manner to you. Now, what do I want? I've got better things to do with my time than spend any length of time in your presence."
Minerva glanced at Albus. She hadn't seen him this taken aback by someone speaking back to him before, and she was interested in what he would do. She knew he wouldn't argue with Charlotte, he would know it was a waste of time when he had so much to say to her.
Dumbledore needed all of his skills in occlumency not to lose his temper. After a few seconds of using the silence to steady himself and to move on and hopefully get through to Charlotte, he realised it was not a good idea to speak to the girl about the events surrounding the Goblet of Fire.
"Professor McGonagall has told you about the Yule Ball, I take it?" he asked, although both witches knew this was an attempt to change the subject.
Charlotte nodded. "Yes, she did," she replied, grinding each syllable out. "I've already told her I won't be going with Ronald Weasley."
Dumbledore once more had to lock down his emotions with his occlumency skill; why was it teenagers were so quick to argue? And why in the name of Merlin and Morgana, of all the teenagers he had to deal with at the moment, did it have to be this one?
"I know that you and Ronald have had your disagreements, my dear, but you must forgive him. Mr Weasley is a hotheaded young man who doesn't understand actions have consequences," he said.
"You've got that right," Charlotte folded her arms, unsurprised when her own occlumency barriers filtered out the magic lacing Dumbledore's voice; she sighed mentally since this was the dozenth (she'd lost count in truth of how often Dumbledore used this mind-control method, but it was still frustrating) time or so the old wizard had tried making her see things from his point of view. "Look, Professor; I have never liked Ronald Weasley. He's a pig, and when I found him trying to kill my cat, I had had enough. He'd already kicked her a few times, deliberately stepped on her tail, and no matter how many times I hexed him to stop, he continued to harass her and complained even if Nightstar wasn't around. You can claim he is repentant, but I don't believe you."
"Maybe if you spoke to him Charlotte, then you will see he is repentant," Dumbledore went on.
"No, I refuse," Charlotte replied, her hand reaching for the handle of one of her wands.
She had no idea if she could actually defeat Dumbledore at her current level. In truth, she didn't want to fight the old man ever since she would likely have to dig down into her growing repertoire, but if she did face him in a fight, then he would likely consider her to be the next Voldemort and that was something she didn't want.
"If I choose to go to the Yule Ball it will be on my terms, not yours. I don't want you in my life anymore; I think you've done enough damage, and if you try to push Weasley into becoming my date, then you can have the joy of standing up posing for a picture for the Daily Prophet, while I explain to the whole country why I didn't attend," Charlotte handed him her ultimatum.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Resorting to blackmail and refusing to go to a Ministry sponsored event? Your parents would be ashamed of your choices-."
"ALBUS!" Minerva shouted, furious with the low emotional blow Dumbledore had just delivered. She screamed in shock when Charlotte punched Dumbledore in the jaw with enough force to break it. And it did.
The blow sent the old wizard to the ground, nursing his broken jaw after the pain had exploded in his mouth. Dumbledore was about to stand up when he felt a pair of hands flip him over and he was thrown onto his back. Everything happened so fast and then he suddenly felt something pressing down hard in his throat, choking him.
Albus reached out his hands and he felt the object pressing down into his throat before he realised what it was. It was a foot. The pressure it was exerting into his throat was blocking off some of the air from his head into his lungs, so it made it hard for the old man to concentrate, but somehow he was able to push that aside when he heard Charlotte's voice.
"Emotional blackmail, using the parents who fought in your war?" Charlotte was furious, and she smirked as she pushed the heel of her shoe deeper into Dumbledore's neck. "Would my parents have wanted me to be pushed into this hell? Would they have wanted me to live in an abusive home with a family of filthy muggles? Would they have wanted some little bitch to slash my eye? You are under the mistaken impression I actually care what they would have thought; I love my parents, but that doesn't mean I am going to be a slave to their memories."
Dumbledore was having trouble concentrating from the lack of air, and he choked desperately to get some air into his lungs before he died of suffocation. But somehow he was able to focus his eyes through the pain in his broken jaw and his lack of air to focus on Charlotte who was looming over him, looking down at him with an expression of coldness it frightened him.
He had always been frightened of this, of her going dark; one of the reasons why he had allowed her mistreatment at Privet Drive was so then her childhood would mirror Tom Riddle's own upbringing. But he had always been worried the girl would be too much like Riddle, although he had known it was a risk. With the Horcrux in her scar, there had been the possibility of whatever Lily had done would break down, and the soul fragment would take over Charlotte's body, destroying her soul while having access to her magic. It had been a relief it hadn't, but Albus had still kept watch over her, especially since she had a dark side to her nature he didn't like although it never occurred to him that side of her nature only came out when she was threatened, or felt she was being threatened.
Albus tried to wriggle out desperately, instinctively he even tried to physically move Charlotte's foot from his chest without reaching for his wand - when he would look back on the incident he would regret it, but he had been acting on instinct at the time even though he didn't want to harm her. But still at the same time, he would lament not getting her to Poppy so she could get a replacement eye, and then he would be free to work on her personality.
Charlotte lifted her foot. "Stay away from me. And don't you ever use my parents like that again; I've already had to deal with the Ministry, I don't need to deal with you."
"What do you mean, deal with the Ministry?" McGonagall asked, making Charlotte turn to her. The Transfiguration teacher was holding out her wand, but it was clear to Charlotte the older witch had no idea what to do; physical violence was an unknown in the magical world since it was considered beneath them.
"You mean he never told you?" Charlotte sent a glance down at Dumbledore in mock confusion before looking back up at the older witch. "He never told you how the Ministry, in its infinite wisdom, bulldozed that house, taking everything belonging to my parents and locking it away, with the excuse they were going to place it in a museum?"
Dumbledore stood up shakily, wincing as the lack of air caught up with him. "The Ministry wanted to uphold public morale," he said, but the words passing through his jaw sounded slurred rather than clear.
"My parents belongings belong to me, and I had the right to them. In any case, there were no plans for a museum; that was just another lie on Fudge's part; I don't know what he had in mind, but it doesn't matter now. I've got them back in my possession," Charlotte replied, "and if you think you're going to have any say in my parents possessions, then I punch you again."
Dumbledore closed his eyes to muster his patience and reinforce his occlumency again. "Charlotte, Ronald is from a light family. You must go with him," he tried again.
Charlotte closed her eyes in irritation. This again…
"Light? You think he's Light? And why aren't you listening to me? I am not going with Weasley. I don't even know if I am going, and besides, why is Weasley the only person you have in mind? There are other boys in this school, and truthfully I don't care about the affiliation between Light and Dark. It sounds like something out of a kids program," Charlotte retorted, although truthfully she knew precisely why Dumbledore was pushing Weasley and her together.
Dumbledore had conspired with Molly Weasley to have her and Ron married so then he would have a share of her family fortune. The fact he would go that far disgusted her no end, and she had the proof already locked up in her windmill, but until she was ready it wasn't going to leave.
She sighed and shook her head.
She was tired of this, and she was too angry to really care about going on and finding the library the Founders had told her about. She needed time to herself so she could think straight once more.
"I'm not fighting anymore with you on this subject, Dumbledore," she said as she crossed the room. "I am tired of saying something with you only for it to pass through one ear and then out of the other without you taking anything on board. I've already told you I am not going with Weasley and why, but I'm no longer going to waste any more time and energy explaining it to you. I am a teenager, I don't want to suddenly die of old age telling you over and over again about my decisions. And using my parents…," she just shook her head and walked out of the room.
The moment she was out of the room Dumbledore collapsed into a chair and nursed his jaw. It was aching and while he knew some healing spells, he would need Poppy to help him.
Minerva placed her hands on her desk and shook her head. "Even I didn't know you'd sink that low," she commented bitingly.
Dumbledore sighed, but with the pain in his jaw it came out as a groaned gurgle. "Minerva-," he began, but she interrupted him.
"No! How dare you use the memory of two good people for your schemes!" Minerva spat, knowing if she let him speak he would say something which would twist her perspective. "It's bad enough you made this whole mess, but now you are using their memory to make their daughter go to some stupid Ball that Fudge had only organised to bolster his ratings on the international stage. What are you going to say next, that they would have wanted their child in this Tournament? They wouldn't and you know it, but you would still say it regardless. Just get out, Albus, I want you out of my office."
Dumbledore stood up again and walked to the fireplace, knowing he could command the fire with his thoughts rather than vocally. He could see Minerva was very angry about what he had said and he was already cursing himself for his own stupidity, but he decided to come back and make her see reason later.
At the same time, he might be able to make her see they couldn't let Charlotte turn to the dark side with the amount of anger she was exhibiting right now.
So why did he feel like he was fighting a losing battle?
