CHAPTER ONE
The news had spread across the Hogwarts staff like wildfire. Many still could not believe it as they stood in a huddle in Albus Dumbledore's office.
Professor Flitwick looked at the headline in The Daily Prophet and then to Dumbledore again, who sat behind his desk. Flitwick shook his head. "I still can't believe it. Arthur Diamond. I mean, Arthur Diamond. I still don't believe he could have done something like this."
Dumbledore looked strangely somber. "I can't either, Professor. But it's true."
Professor McGonagall shook her head in disbelief and connected her gaze with Dumbledore's. "But Arthur was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher we ever had here at Hogwarts!"
Murmurs of agreement rippled though the staff.
McGonagall continued. "He taught the subject with so much passion. The passion that drove his hatred against He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. I still cannot believe it. What could have changed his will?"
Silence filled the room, as the staff pondered this very question. Of course, the sarcastic, rather edgy voice in the back of the group answered: "It was the same passion that drove him away from You-Know-Who that drove him to You-Know-Who."
Every eye in the room turned towards Severus Snape. Snape wasn't jolted at all by this reaction. He simply continued. "Perhaps he came across the idea that he wasn't getting anything done rallying against You-Know-Who. No power. With You-Know-Who, he could have all the power he could possibly want--but the wrong kind of power. It would take a powerful force to alter the will of Arthur Diamond. But You-Know-Who has that power. 'Tis a pity Arthur didn't realize the consequences--being sent to Azkaban and given the Kiss of Death."
A sheet of quiet descended on the room as the staff soaked in what Snape had just said. If was quite a few moments before Professor Spout spoke up, rather softly: "How is Dunner taking this?"
Madame Pomfrey let out a sniffle.
Dumbledore looked saddened by this question. "Poor Dunner Diamond...He will be taken out of his classes for a while..."
"Such a pity. The boy is so young. He has no one now..." McGonagall whispered.
Professor Binns suddenly looked like a revelation struck him. "What about his sister?"
More murmurs rippled though the staff.
"Dia," Dumbledore stated.
"Dialeste Diamond. I remember her," McGonagall replied, nodding her head.
Spout shook her head. "Don't even remember the girl. Arthur had a daughter?"
McGonagall nodded her head yet again. "Yes, I remember. She was a Gryffindor, in my house. Dratted quiet thing she was. Hid behind big glasses and all her books. Not very good in Transfiguration, but if I remembered right she was rather excellent in Potions."
All eyes in the room once again turned to Snape. He just snorted, as though saying that he had never had a good potions pupil--let alone an excellent one.
This time, Madame Pomfrey took over the conversation. "Girl was part veela, was she not?"
Madame Hooch piped in: "I remember the contraversy Arthur created when he married that veela..."
"I would have remembered if I would have had a veela in my class..." Snape sneered.
Many rolled there eyes at him and ignored his comment.
"What ever happened to the girl, Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall inquired.
Dumbledore sighed and shrugged. "Arthur wanted her to take over his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher here when he retired, but Dia refused when she graduated from Hogwarts. She got a job at the Ministry of Magic. Was rather horrible at it, you see. She had much talent, but she never showed up for work. After, now what was her name...? Oh, yes, when Andromena, her mother, died, Arthur became more obsessed with his work and his intent was raising Dunner, who was just born before Andromena died, to follow in his footsteps. They say Dia just stopped coming to work one day. No one worried for a while, since she never came anyway. After a while they declared her missing and she hadn't been heard from since."
"Then it's been what, like four years since she vanished?" Flitwick asked.
"Five," Dumbledore corrected.
"Arthur went rather insane after his wife died, if I daresay. I don't think he even realized that his own daughter was missing," McGonagall said, with a tone of resentment in her voice.
The staff was silent until Dumbledore broke it by ordering, "Well, one things for certain, we must find Dia Diamond and bring her to Hogwarts--for Dunner's sake."
The news had spread across the Hogwarts staff like wildfire. Many still could not believe it as they stood in a huddle in Albus Dumbledore's office.
Professor Flitwick looked at the headline in The Daily Prophet and then to Dumbledore again, who sat behind his desk. Flitwick shook his head. "I still can't believe it. Arthur Diamond. I mean, Arthur Diamond. I still don't believe he could have done something like this."
Dumbledore looked strangely somber. "I can't either, Professor. But it's true."
Professor McGonagall shook her head in disbelief and connected her gaze with Dumbledore's. "But Arthur was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher we ever had here at Hogwarts!"
Murmurs of agreement rippled though the staff.
McGonagall continued. "He taught the subject with so much passion. The passion that drove his hatred against He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. I still cannot believe it. What could have changed his will?"
Silence filled the room, as the staff pondered this very question. Of course, the sarcastic, rather edgy voice in the back of the group answered: "It was the same passion that drove him away from You-Know-Who that drove him to You-Know-Who."
Every eye in the room turned towards Severus Snape. Snape wasn't jolted at all by this reaction. He simply continued. "Perhaps he came across the idea that he wasn't getting anything done rallying against You-Know-Who. No power. With You-Know-Who, he could have all the power he could possibly want--but the wrong kind of power. It would take a powerful force to alter the will of Arthur Diamond. But You-Know-Who has that power. 'Tis a pity Arthur didn't realize the consequences--being sent to Azkaban and given the Kiss of Death."
A sheet of quiet descended on the room as the staff soaked in what Snape had just said. If was quite a few moments before Professor Spout spoke up, rather softly: "How is Dunner taking this?"
Madame Pomfrey let out a sniffle.
Dumbledore looked saddened by this question. "Poor Dunner Diamond...He will be taken out of his classes for a while..."
"Such a pity. The boy is so young. He has no one now..." McGonagall whispered.
Professor Binns suddenly looked like a revelation struck him. "What about his sister?"
More murmurs rippled though the staff.
"Dia," Dumbledore stated.
"Dialeste Diamond. I remember her," McGonagall replied, nodding her head.
Spout shook her head. "Don't even remember the girl. Arthur had a daughter?"
McGonagall nodded her head yet again. "Yes, I remember. She was a Gryffindor, in my house. Dratted quiet thing she was. Hid behind big glasses and all her books. Not very good in Transfiguration, but if I remembered right she was rather excellent in Potions."
All eyes in the room once again turned to Snape. He just snorted, as though saying that he had never had a good potions pupil--let alone an excellent one.
This time, Madame Pomfrey took over the conversation. "Girl was part veela, was she not?"
Madame Hooch piped in: "I remember the contraversy Arthur created when he married that veela..."
"I would have remembered if I would have had a veela in my class..." Snape sneered.
Many rolled there eyes at him and ignored his comment.
"What ever happened to the girl, Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall inquired.
Dumbledore sighed and shrugged. "Arthur wanted her to take over his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher here when he retired, but Dia refused when she graduated from Hogwarts. She got a job at the Ministry of Magic. Was rather horrible at it, you see. She had much talent, but she never showed up for work. After, now what was her name...? Oh, yes, when Andromena, her mother, died, Arthur became more obsessed with his work and his intent was raising Dunner, who was just born before Andromena died, to follow in his footsteps. They say Dia just stopped coming to work one day. No one worried for a while, since she never came anyway. After a while they declared her missing and she hadn't been heard from since."
"Then it's been what, like four years since she vanished?" Flitwick asked.
"Five," Dumbledore corrected.
"Arthur went rather insane after his wife died, if I daresay. I don't think he even realized that his own daughter was missing," McGonagall said, with a tone of resentment in her voice.
The staff was silent until Dumbledore broke it by ordering, "Well, one things for certain, we must find Dia Diamond and bring her to Hogwarts--for Dunner's sake."