Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything affiliated with Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. I only own Laelia.

Notes: I was too lazy to write in Hagrid's accent in this chapter, but I made a note that he has one. Maybe someday I'll fix it up, lol. Anyway, in this chapter Laelia will meet with Dumbledore, and Snape (yay!). I realize that these first few chapters aren't as good as the rest will be, but I was having trouble getting started I'm still having trouble, lol. I can't seem to get through the sorting hat scene If any of you guys out there in ff.net land think you can give me a hand with it, please email me!

As the carriage that had taken her from the train to Hogwarts came to a stop just outside the gates later that night, Laelia grabbed her bag and Damon, and moved to open the door. But just before her hand reached the door, it opened by itself, causing her to jump back a bit.

"Hello, there, Miss Wiltshire," Hagrid - Hogwarts resident giant and keeper of the keys - greeted amicably as he offered her a hand to help her out of the carriage. "Good to see you again back at Hogwarts after all these years." With his thick accent a few letters seemed to be left out here and there, and some words almost strung together.

"Hagrid," she greeted with a forced smile. It felt strange to be back at the school after all that had happened in the fifteen years since she had left. Truth be told, she felt extremely out of place and was beginning to wonder if she had made the right decision. "Did the Headmaster send you to take me up to him?"

"Aye," he confirmed. "He thought it'd be nice for someone you knew to welcome you."

"That it is, Hagrid," she replied distantly.

"Well, uh, if you'll just follow me, miss," he said, starting off toward Dumbledore's office. "If you don't mind me asking, why'd you leave before graduating? We were all very worried about you."

Laelia smiled softly at the giant and hesitated for a moment as she followed him into the school. "It's, well, it's complicated, Hagrid," she muttered.

Hagrid nodded, and nothing more was said as he lead her through the school, and down several corridors to Albus Dumbledore's office.

Even if she had been paying attention, which she hadn't, it might have been difficult to remember the way. As they came to a stop in front of a large statue, Laelia turned to look back the way they had come. She didn't bother to listen to the password as Hagrid muttered it to the statue, in fact, she barely heard him call her name.

"Are you okay, Laelia?" he asked in concern.

Snapping out of her daydream, she nodded at Hagrid and followed him onto the top stair as the statue wound the staircase up toward the office. Hagrid stopped beside the door to the office and gestured for her to open it and go inside. "Thank you, Hagrid."

"Well, I guess I'll just be on my way, then," he said as he turned back to the staircase. "It's good to see you again, Laelia."

"You too, Hagrid," she said honestly and with a kind smile. She watched the giant leave, then turned back to the door and went into the office. When she entered she saw Albus Dumbledore stooped over a table pouring a cup of tea. As she watched him she cocked her head to one side, and smiled lightly.

"Ah! Laelia!" he exclaimed as he turned around. "Welcome back, my dear!"

"Hello, um," she paused, uncertain of what to call him.

"Please, call me Albus, my dear," he said.

"Hello, Albus," she greeted amiably, though she was obviously still extremely uncomfortable.

"Might you like some tea? Perhaps some peanut brittle?" he offered kindly. "As I recall peanut brittle was your favourite."

Laelia couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt over everything that had happened. How could he be so kind to her? She was certain that he knew of the terrible things she had done. And that is just what they were: terrible. "No, thank you," she muttered guiltily.

"Well, then, perhaps you can tell me to what I owe the honour of this visit?" he prompted.

"As I said in my letter, I need answers," she replied.

"Ah, yes, about the letter . . . ," he began.

"I know. I realize it was foolish of me to send Damon, especially alone so late at night, but I could think of no other way to contact you," she explained.

"And signing the letter with your full name?" he pressed.

"Another foolhardy mistake," she said. "When I sent you that letter, I was angry and confused . . . and hurt. I needed answers, Albus. I still do." It still felt strange to address her former Headmaster so informally.

"Why don't you have a seat, Laelia? Please." He drew his wand and summoned a chair for her, then asked, "now tell me what's happened."

Laelia took a deep breath, then told Albus Dumbledore, the man she thought she'd hated for the last fifteen years, everything that had happened since the day she left Hogwarts - well, nearly everything. Though she had the feeling he already knew all the details of what she chose to tell him, it felt nice to be able to talk to someone after all this time.

When she finished her long tale an hour and a half later with the details of what she had heard the previous night, he smiled sympathetically at her. "Laelia," he began, "what you heard Bellatrix and Rodolphus saying was the truth." She knit her brows together, her angry and confused eyes demanding an explanation. "You mother and father had just come to me, asking for my help. They had discovered just what Voldemort and the other Death Eaters were capable of, and they feared raising you in such an environment. They wanted to keep you safe, Laelia. Before they died, your parents asked me to protect you, to look after you."

Laelia's gaze dropped to the ground in shame. "I suppose my running off to Voldemort after their deaths wasn't what they had in mind," she scoffed. The various paintings around the room gasped in shock and horror when she uttered the Dark Lord's name, but Laelia didn't seem to notice. "I can't believe what a fool I've been."

"You were young," he tried to reassure her. "We all make mistakes when we're young."

"My mistake lasted fifteen years, Albus," she pointed out. "And the only thing I can chalk it up to is my own foolish ignorance." The office was silent for a short while, then Laelia quietly spoke. "I just don't know what to do, Albus."

"Well, my dear, we have a position available within the teaching staff," he offered with a jovial grin. "It just so happens we are in need of a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."

"You're offering me a job?" she asked, an amused but extremely bewildered twinkle in her eyes. Albus Dumbledore didn't reply, only smiled. "How do you know you can trust me? That I won't betray you?"

"I suppose I don't, really. But it just so happens that I have experience with this sort of thing, Laelia, and I have the utmost confidence in you," he assured her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, but with a half-smile.

"Why don't you go to your room and get some rest, hmm?" he offered. "You can give me your answer come morning."

Her gaze drifted to the ground as she thought about what had just been offered to her. "I think having a rest sounds like a wonderful idea, Albus. Thank you." She stood up and collected her bag and Damon, then went to the door. "I really appreciate this," she thanked him yet again. "I do hope I'm not a bother."

"Laelia, you are most certainly not a bother." He opened the door for her and smiled. "I do hope you'll be joining us this year, my dear. But I would understand if you declined."

"I shall let you know in the morning. Thank you once again, Albus." She smiled at the knowledge that she would be safe at Hogwarts, even if Voldemort had discovered what she had been up to that night, and she bid Albus Dumbledore goodnight. Then she left to find the room Albus had told her to take.

Walking through the corridors to her room, Laelia struggled to organize the flurry of thoughts in her head. Her life had been completely turned around in less than twenty four hours. If Voldemort didn't know now, he would surely know soon enough, and Laelia would have to go into hiding for fear of her life. Maybe a position at Hogwarts wasn't the best idea, after all.

Truth be told, though, Hogwarts school was the safest place for her to be whilst on the run from the Dark Lord. Albus Dumbledore was the only one that Voldemort had ever feared, and if she were going to find any allies, it would be here of all places.

Yet, she might endanger the students.

This was going to be a tough decision. Though she knew she would be safe for the night, she knew she would find little rest until she was able to reach her decision.

Of course, the notion that Dumbledore had been lying had entered her mind, not that she really believed it deep down, but with all that had happened her mind was was a mixture of disordered thoughts.

Finally, she reached the painting Albus had told her to look for. She looked up and studied it for a moment. The painting was of a tall and thin woman with black hair and arrogant features seated at an elegantly carved table, drinking tea. The woman was dressed in a long royal blue dress that looked to be from the eighteenth century.

She peered down at Laelia and looked to be about to say something when Laelia heard a noise to her right.

Looking to her right, she saw none other than Severus Snape standing only a few feet away and glaring at her. The greasy-haired, hook-nosed Death Eater eyed her with a vicious sneer.

Voldemort knows! Laelia thought in a panic.

Her chin came up defiantly as Snape began stalking dangerously toward her, but her eyes remained filled with fear at the sight of another Death Eater within Hogwarts. Severus Snape did not scare her, but the idea that Voldemort knew what she had done did. How had Snape gotten into Hogwarts anyway?

"You!" he growled. "How did you get in here?"

"How did I get in here?" she repeated, still obviously frightened. "What about you?" Snape lurched forward, trying to grab her, so Laelia ducked away and shouted, "PEANUT BRITTLE!" The hidden door to her left swung open and she dashed inside, anxious to get away from Snape. Why Albus had given her such a bizarre password, Laelia could not understand, but now was not the time to think about it.

But Snape squeezed through just before the door shut.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed venomously, putting down her bag and Damon beside a small couch.

"I believe I asked you first," he drawled menacingly as he slowly approached.

With each step that Snape took forward, Laelia took one back until she felt something bump the back of her leg. She risked a glance behind her and saw that she had backed into her bed. "Actually," she began bravely as she returned her gaze to Snape, " you asked how I got in, not why I was here."

Before she knew it, Snape had her pinned down on her bed, straddling her waist and holding her arms above her head. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" he repeated angrily.

Laelia just stared at him with a defiant scowl, not answering.

Suddenly the door to her room opened and Albus Dumbledore walked in. "I just came by to see how you were settling in, Laelia, and make certain you were able to find the room . . ." He trailed off when he saw Snape straddling Laelia on the bed, and mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Ah, I see you've met Professor Snape, our Potions Master. Severus, I have offered Miss Wiltshire here the Defence Against the Dark Arts position."

"What?" he growled in disbelief. "But she's a -."

"Death Eater?" Dumbledore supplied. "Yes, I know. So are you, as I recall."

"Wait, you know about Snape?" Laelia asked as she impatiently shoved Snape off her and got off the bed. As soon as she was standing she straightened out her clothes.

"Of course, my dear," he assured her.

Maybe Voldemort doesn't know about me, then, she thought in relief. "Then what is he doing here?"

"As I said," Albus started patiently, "Professor Snape is our Potions teacher. And he has been working for me for many years."

"He's a spy?" she asked curiously. Snape was a traitor? He certainly didn't seem the type. Of course, years ago at Karkaroff's trial, Dumbledore had annouced that Snape had been spying for him, but Snape had said it was only a ruse. Then again, with her whole world being turned upside down, she didn't really know what to think anymore.

"Of course," Snape replied sharply as he came to stand beside her. "What else would I be doing here?"

"How would I have known that?" she asked irritably. "Not only that, but you didn't seem to know about me either!"

"If you had simply explained yourself when I asked you to -."

Laelia cut him off. "You didn't ask me to explain, you asked how I got in," she repeated exasperatedly.

Albus smiled at their bickering, and explained, "Laelia came to me seeking help, Severus."

"Hmm," he snorted shortly.

"Why don't we leave her to get settled, then?" Albus suggested.

Snape crossed her room to the door, followed by Dumbledore. She still couldn't believe that Snape was a traitor. But, on the bright side, if Voldemort believed Snape wasn't a traitor, then perhaps Laelia stood a good chance here, better than anywhere else at any rate. As they neared the door, Laelia called, "Albus?"

"Yes, my dear?" He turned to face her, while behind him Snape paused at the door.

"I think I shall accept your offer," she said with a smile.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Yes, Professor, I am."

He nodded happily, while behind him Snape whirled around to glare angrily at Laelia. "Then we shall go over the curriculum in the morning. I'll answer any questions you may have then as well."

"Thank you, Albus. I really do appreciate your help," she said sincerely.

"Until the morning, then," he bid her, then turned to follow a bitter Severus Snape out the door.