CHAPTER 10: Melissa is Dead

* * * * * * * * * In the Present * * * * * * * * *

"Albus?" Minerva McGonagall asked tentatively. They were standing just outside Severus's quarters. Dumbledore's face was lined with worry, almost seeming as if old age had caught up with him over night. At eighty-years-old, Albus was no longer young, but he was at least younger than most thought, like the speculations of him being one-hundred-forty.

"Everond?" Albus jumped at hearing his real name.

"What's wrong?" Minerva implored. "You've just been standing there for hours."

"I can't help but think that we should have told Severus, dear Min," Dumbledore said quietly. "I can't help but think that if something happens to him in the future that we'll have never told him. He'll have died without knowing the truth."

"Everond, don't worry," Minerva said soothingly. "He'll be all right. He's your son whether he knows it or not."

"Our son, Min," he corrected.

'Our son," she repeated, a smile creeping onto her face. That smile brought back a memory, one from many years ago….

* * * * * * * * * 1955 * * * * * * * * *

Minerva lingered by the door, even though the rest of the class had gone.

"Min, why are you still here?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk.

"Um," she seemed nervous, wringing her hands, her school bag forgotten on the floor. "I-I just wanted to know if you enjoyed my- our- party."

"Of course," Dumbledore said warmly, rising from behind his desk. His cape billowed (A.N much like Severus's does: like father like son) as he walked toward Minerva. She stared almost hungrily at him for a moment then shook her head.

"Min?" Albus asked curiously. And then it happened. She leaned over and kissed him. It was so quick that she was gone before he could even react, but once he came to his senses he could recall the touch of her soft lips, the ways she tasted of cheery, and he felt a longing to be able to kiss her more. That was when he noticed that in her hurry, Minerva had left her book bag behind.

"I should return it to her," Albus murmured.

* * * * * * * * * Back in the Present * * * * * * * * *

Compelled, Albus leaned over and kissed Minerva.

* * * * * * * * * In the Future * * * * * * * * *

Selina found herself lying in the dark castle. Her writs and ankles were bound and her mouth gagged. She found she couldn't move at all, even her eyes seemed frozen in place. Apparently the physical bonds were just for show, or perhaps amusement for the death eaters.

But her mind was working furiously. The last thing she remembered was showing her future mother and father that memory, and then…black. How did I get here? She thought desperately. Then she realized the only way. There is a traitor in 4PD…but who?

* * * * * * * * * In Artemis's Lab * * * * * * * * *

The walls glittered and beeped as if they were alive themselves. Parts of robots or just plain scraps of metal lay on tables, scattered about in no particular order. There were several tanks filled wit ha translucent green liquid. Harry could make out shadows of something in the liquid, but he couldn't tell, nor did he care to find out, what it was exactly. The lab was well lit, but no source of light could be seen.

"Welcome to the lab," Artemis said with a little half bow.

"Wow," Harry marveled. "You did all this yourself?"

"Well," Artemis said, trying to look modest. "I designed it and built the complex parts, wired it, but I got he other members of the Order to help with carrying the heavy things and other grunt work like that," a small smirk appeared on her lips. Then she became serious. "Do you understand everything I told you on the way down (understand, it is a VERY long staircase)?" Harry nodded.

"Hermione is Voldemort's daughter, Snape is Dumbledore's son, you brought us all here to prepare to defeat Voldemort and help you find this Stacy person," he listed. "Now why can't you tell me who Stacy is again?"

"Because," Artemis said, her face darkening. "You can't find out. She's not your problem."

"Problem?" Harry asked. "I thought she was supposed to be able to kill Voldemort!"

"The question is if she will," Artemis whispered. "After all we've done to her."

"What?" Harry said. "I didn't catch that."

"Nothing," Artemis said with a sigh. "Now come on. I have something to show you."

* * * * * * * * In the Dark Palace * * * * * * * *

Night had finally reached its peak: midnight. All of the death eaters were asleep or down in the dungeons, watching the slaves who didn't begin work until morning. Voldemort was still holed up in his chambers, so that left the castle unguarded.

"Shame, shame," she murmured, looking down the empty hallways through her invisibility spell. "Have you truly become so cocky, Tom, that you believed no one would penetrate your fortress? I promise, you foolishness will be your downfall, and you will pay for what you did to me." But then, once Tom was out of the way, the Order was fall as well. No one had the right to do what they did. No one was allowed to play God, not when it was her life they were playing with.

"Damn you," she whispered cruelly. "You will pay, all of you. And then I will finally be able to sleep, the way I was supposed to." She started to go forward, but then stumbled over apparently nothing and as she hit the floor, a memory which she abhorred above all else surfaced, fueling her anger.

* Flashback *

"Wake up, Melissa…" who were they? She could feel power flowing through her, she could feel life. No, that was wrong. She was dead. What was going on?

"Wake up, Melissa…" No! She wanted to scream. Leave me alone! This is what I want! I am dead! Go AWAY!

"Please wake up, mother…" that did it. A surge of unwanted energy ran through her and suddenly she found herself weighed down by a mortal body again. She cracked open her eyes and saw a large group of people standing around her. A few she could pick out, Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Harry Potter, a Malfoy and two Weaslys, then there were others, younger ones who she could not place.

"Welcome back, Melissa," Dumbledore said smiling. No. The word sat on the tip of her tongue but she could not open her mouth and force it out. And then she fell unconscious.

* End Flashback *

"Damn you," she whispered. "How dare you make me your, your genetic monstrosity!" She lifted herself off the floor and began down the hallway once more started down. She was not Melissa, no, Melissa was dead. But in her veins flowed the blood of all of those people who had been standing around her, looking at her like she was specimen they could observe. Melissa was dead, but now she was here. Stacy would put an end to this, the dark and the light.

* * * * * * * * *

Thank you soooooo much! I can't believe I have 41 reviews, it's unreal! Anyway, yes this chapter is short, but if you look on the bright side, sooner or later I'll have to write another longer chapter, and what I covered here leaves room for the next chapter to be probably about double the length (though, I doubt it actually will be, I'm am a bit, er, lazy). Anyway, what do you think about Stacy? Shocked at who she turned out to be, or really, used to be? I'll explain that better later, but this was just to say who she was, but soon you'll get how she came back. Next Chapter: Everyone in 4PD finally heads off to bed, and those in the present think or talk about what they've learned. Then morning comes and Selina is visited by some people I know you'll recognize. Stacy continues to scout out the Dark Palace and you learn a bit more about how she came to come back and her overall plans. Perhaps you'll even get a bit more of Albus (Everond's) story, which I promise you, will be important in the end! Anyway, ideas for Harry's girl and other questions you might have are excepted happily (and answered if they're questions) thanks for reviewing and PLEASE REVIEW! ~ Remo