Chapter 3 - A Need to Know Basis

Athena and Sirius finally made it to the Great Hall, much to the pleasure of Athena. She wanted to get away from Sirius.

Dumbledore stood up from his chair. "Ah Athena, Sirius please sit and dine with us!"

Athena went on one side of the table, while Sirius went on the other. She was quite happy with that arrangement. She was positioned between a stern looking woman, with emerald green robes, blackish gray hair pulled into a tight bun, along with square spectacles perched upon her nose. On the other side of her was the dark man known as Severus Snape.

"Hello again, Severus," said Athena.

He turned his head and sneered at her. "Good evening…uh, what's your name again?"

"Athena, do you have a short term memory problem of something?"

"Pardon me?"

"I just told you my name a few hours ago," she stated.

"I must have forgotten."

She cocked an eyebrow at him and turned her attention to something else. This man was definitely going to be a challenge to uncover.

Throughout the rest of the meal, she conversed with only a few professors. She met Professor McGonagall, who was the stern woman next to her, and Professor Flitwick, who was an extremely short, old man that was a sweet as the come.

After the lovely meal, she left the Great Hall for her quarters to rest. As she walked slowly someone grabbed her shoulder and said, "Wait."

She jumped from the fright and turned around to see Mr. Severus Snape staring her down. "You scared me! You don't just pop up behind people and grab their shoulders."

"We need to talk Athena!"

"You remembered my name Severus, maybe your short-term memory is returning! Now what do you need to talk to me about?"

"Dumbledore informed me you received a letter telling you not to come here and that someone was looking out for you."

"Yes," she said, "and it isn't your business. It is between me and Professor Dumbledore."

"And it's my business if someone is threatening a professor or the school!"

"I thought that was Dumbledore's job? Besides I'm a tough girl, I think I can handle my own affairs." She gave him a fake little punch against the arm and winked at him. "I'll see ya later." She then headed to her quarters for the night.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Athena was to meet Dumbledore in his office at 9 a.m. She slowly headed towards his office, trying to remember which way to turn to get there. She then bumped into someone. She fell hard to the ground on her butt. "Athena! I'm sorry didn't see you there!"

She looked up to see Remus there. "Remus! Oh I'm so glad it's you!" He helped her up and she thanked him. "Can you show me to Dumbledore's office, please?"

He smiled, "Gladly, besides it's on my way to the Owlery anyway."

She began to follow him to Dumbledore's office. "So what are you mailing, or owling as you put it?"

"A letter," he said, "to my wife."

"Awww, Remus I didn't know you got married. How long now?" she asked.

"Three months tomorrow."

Athena sighed and smiled, "So what's her name?"

"Is this what women do when they talk about their husbands?" Athena cocked an eyebrow at him. "Her name is Anna."

"Awwww," sighed Athena with a smile.

"Well here is Dumbledore's office, you remember the password right?"

She laughed, "Peppermint Twists!" She then headed into the office.

She knocked on the door, and Dumbledore answered, "You may enter Athena."

She entered the office and smiled. "Yet again you know it's me. I just wanted to drop off the lesson plans and the book lists." She handed the large folder over to Dumbledore. He skimmed through the file and read over the book list.

"Hmmm, I like your chooses for the books. Especially the 7th years, they'll have a challenge for this year."

"I intend not to let any student just skim through me class. A rigorous professor taught me, I admit I hated him when he was my professor. But now that I'm grown, I thank him for all he's taught me. He prepared me well."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad that you'll be a tough professor."

"Like I said, I intend to be!" she stated.

"Good, good. Now there's some business about this letter you received." He pulled the letter out of his desk and held it. "I have been informed by the Ministry that they are not taking this as a hoax. We are being told to increase security around here. Also the Ministry wants to question you personal about any connections to the Death-Eaters."

"But I'm from America, sure I lived in London for a extremely short time. But there are no Death-Eaters in America! The Federal Bureau of Magic would have informed the people!" she exclaimed.

"The Ministry has tightened up security procedures because of recent threats and there is a new Minister of Magic, and he doesn't take threats as joke. He takes them very seriously! And about the Federal Bureau of Magic, they don't have to inform the people, and they didn't inform them! There are small cells of Death-Eaters in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas."

Athena was shocked. "But that can't be! What does Voldemort want with America?"

"Many things Athena. Power, wealth, total and complete control of the world!" stated Dumbledore, "There are many things in America that aren't here in Britain. There is one thing in specific that Voldemort wants that can only be found in America."

"And that is?" asked Athena.

"That I can't tell you at this moment. That piece of information is only relieved on a need to know basis."

"This is a need to know basis," replied Athena.

"I'm sorry Athena, but this isn't the time to be relieving such information." Athena nodded. "Good, now there is one more thing. Like I said earlier the Ministry wishes to talk to you, you'll be heading to London in two hours with an escort."

"Who is my escort?" she questioned.

"Severus Snape."