2: Curioser and Curioser
"Chocolate frog."
A solid stone statue of a majestic dragon swung silently to one side as Snape hissed the sugary password. Slowly they ascended into the headmaster's quarters. Gwen moistened her lips nervously as a long slender hand gestured for her to enter and followed her silently in.
The headmaster's office was surprisingly spacious for what appeared to be a statue-guarded broom cupboard from the outside. Dumbledore greeted his two visitors with warm smiles and offered them each a glass of brandy. Gwen thought that Snape was just a little too eager to drink it as he placed the empty glass back on the desk and sat down a split second later. Gwen remained standing, not really sure what she was supposed to do.
"Sit down, my dear." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled enthusiastically as he regarded the girl in front of him, our warrior princess he thought chuckling slightly to himself.
Gwen took a sip of the brandy, relishing the fiery tendrils as they slipped through her veins and eased her mind. She sank a little further into her over-stuffed chair and waited.
"I should imagine that all this is something of a surprise to you," his voice took on a serious note, "But I am afraid that the worst has yet to come. You see, it goes something like this..." Dumbledore refilled Gwen's glass from an ornate decanter as he described the rise and fall of Voldemort. "But that is not all. When Voldemort was at the peak of his power, around sixteen years ago, he took it upon himself to seduce an extremely powerful, yet highly vulnerable, young witch. That witch was, is, your mother."
Gwen blinked, what was he trying to say? Who was this Voldemort guy?
"Which makes you Voldemort's one and only heir." There was a long and uncomfortable silence. Dumbledore seemed a little lost, as if he were feeling his way, "Obviously this entails certain...duties which you must carry out, and of course the followers of your, biological, father will expect you to behave accordingly." Dumbledore hated being so blunt about such matters but he thought that, considering the circumstances, the girl would appreciate him getting straight to the point.
Gwen nodded slowly, "Thankyou for telling me, Headmaster."
"I am afraid that that is not all." Dumbledore cleared his throat, "I would be very grateful if you were to...assist me, that is the other side of the coin, in our inquiries." Gwen knew what he was saying. A huge load that she hadn't noticed settling over her evaporated leaving her slightly dizzy. Silently she thanked god that he hadn't pushed her aside as the enemy.
"A double agent." She smiled, "Who's Q?"
Dumbledore smiled in return, grateful for her choice to join and not the slightest bit confused about her quip.
"I am afraid that you are taking this all too lightly." Gwen jumped, she had forgotten that Snape was hiding in the shadows, "I hope you realise the delicate balance with which you are faced. After all, you hold in your hands not only your own fate but also the fate of many others." His tone of voice made Gwen think that he was considerably concerned about his own future being in her hands, "This is an awesome responsibility and one which," he turned to Dumbledore, "I do not think that she is fully prepared for." Snape had been present for the entire discussion and from the very moment Voldemort's name had been mentioned he realised who it was that the girl had reminded him of. That calm self-assurance, that self-contained power, he should have known. And now, faced with this small blonde, he felt vulnerable, weak and angry.
"Ahh, Severus. I was wondering when you would join the conversation." The headmaster beamed sedately, "You see, our princess will not be alone. You shall train her."
Snape froze behind Gwen's chair.
"Come now Severus, don't look at me that way." Gwen tried to discreetly look at the expression on the face of the man behind her but it was impossible to do without craning round. "After all, what better task to secure you in His favour?"
Snape's emotions were running away with him. Fear – for his life if he got it wrong or if He was toying with him as He so often did. Anger – at Dumbledore's assumption that he would go along with his schemes as well as anger at being completely at the mercy of some jumped up child. And lower down, much lower, the anticipation of having an intelligent mind to mould without constraint. Of course, he revealed none of this in his facial expression. One of the few benefits of being a spy.
"I am sure that Voldemort will get in touch with you soon. No doubt he will be anxious to see how his daughter has grown." The headmaster gave Gwen a grandfatherly look, a slight mist over his eyes betraying his true feelings.
"For now however, I wonder if you will be so kind as to escort Miss Silverine to her dormitory Severus? She will of course be a member of Gryfindor House."
Snape looked sharply at the headmaster, "Gryfindor House?"
"You heard me correctly Severus. Harry and his friends should consider Gwen as a normal member of their house so that she is able to befriend them." Snape sneered. "I can see that you are upset not to have such an asset in your own house Severus, but rest assured that you will see much of the beautiful Miss Silverine in the months to come."
Snape swept out of the room, pausing only the lightly hold the door ajar for Gwen as she pulled herself out of the headmaster's chair, which seemed to have taken an inhuman hold of her behind, and sashayed after him.
The headmaster poured himself another large brandy as the pair left his quarters.
Gwen tiptoed up the stairs leading to Gryfindor Tower behind Snape. It was all she could do to stop her shoes from clacking loudly against the echoey stone floors, she wondered if Snape's feet actually touched the ground or whether he was just gliding silently along.
The Fat Lady greeted Gwen with a curious look but when she noticed Snape her face cleared and she curtseyed as much as her frame would allow before gliding open for her. Gwen tried to smile back at the portrait, but Snape was already disappearing into the darkened common room.
He led her up the heavily carpeted common room, to the girls dormitory before whispering in her ear, "The bed at the back near the window is yours. You'll find your luggage in the chest at the foot of the bed..." and just when she thought she couldn't stand anymore silken threads slipping into her mind, "...Goodnight Miss Silverine."
Gwen whipped round to face him, only to find that he had gone. Gently she felt the warm patch on her ear where his mouth had been.
Once in bed, she lay for a while thinking over the events of the day, it certainly had been, well curious was an understatement. But most curious of all was the way she felt when Snape whispered in her ear.
She shivered, but not from cold. Before she could dwell anymore on the subject, she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
"Chocolate frog."
A solid stone statue of a majestic dragon swung silently to one side as Snape hissed the sugary password. Slowly they ascended into the headmaster's quarters. Gwen moistened her lips nervously as a long slender hand gestured for her to enter and followed her silently in.
The headmaster's office was surprisingly spacious for what appeared to be a statue-guarded broom cupboard from the outside. Dumbledore greeted his two visitors with warm smiles and offered them each a glass of brandy. Gwen thought that Snape was just a little too eager to drink it as he placed the empty glass back on the desk and sat down a split second later. Gwen remained standing, not really sure what she was supposed to do.
"Sit down, my dear." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled enthusiastically as he regarded the girl in front of him, our warrior princess he thought chuckling slightly to himself.
Gwen took a sip of the brandy, relishing the fiery tendrils as they slipped through her veins and eased her mind. She sank a little further into her over-stuffed chair and waited.
"I should imagine that all this is something of a surprise to you," his voice took on a serious note, "But I am afraid that the worst has yet to come. You see, it goes something like this..." Dumbledore refilled Gwen's glass from an ornate decanter as he described the rise and fall of Voldemort. "But that is not all. When Voldemort was at the peak of his power, around sixteen years ago, he took it upon himself to seduce an extremely powerful, yet highly vulnerable, young witch. That witch was, is, your mother."
Gwen blinked, what was he trying to say? Who was this Voldemort guy?
"Which makes you Voldemort's one and only heir." There was a long and uncomfortable silence. Dumbledore seemed a little lost, as if he were feeling his way, "Obviously this entails certain...duties which you must carry out, and of course the followers of your, biological, father will expect you to behave accordingly." Dumbledore hated being so blunt about such matters but he thought that, considering the circumstances, the girl would appreciate him getting straight to the point.
Gwen nodded slowly, "Thankyou for telling me, Headmaster."
"I am afraid that that is not all." Dumbledore cleared his throat, "I would be very grateful if you were to...assist me, that is the other side of the coin, in our inquiries." Gwen knew what he was saying. A huge load that she hadn't noticed settling over her evaporated leaving her slightly dizzy. Silently she thanked god that he hadn't pushed her aside as the enemy.
"A double agent." She smiled, "Who's Q?"
Dumbledore smiled in return, grateful for her choice to join and not the slightest bit confused about her quip.
"I am afraid that you are taking this all too lightly." Gwen jumped, she had forgotten that Snape was hiding in the shadows, "I hope you realise the delicate balance with which you are faced. After all, you hold in your hands not only your own fate but also the fate of many others." His tone of voice made Gwen think that he was considerably concerned about his own future being in her hands, "This is an awesome responsibility and one which," he turned to Dumbledore, "I do not think that she is fully prepared for." Snape had been present for the entire discussion and from the very moment Voldemort's name had been mentioned he realised who it was that the girl had reminded him of. That calm self-assurance, that self-contained power, he should have known. And now, faced with this small blonde, he felt vulnerable, weak and angry.
"Ahh, Severus. I was wondering when you would join the conversation." The headmaster beamed sedately, "You see, our princess will not be alone. You shall train her."
Snape froze behind Gwen's chair.
"Come now Severus, don't look at me that way." Gwen tried to discreetly look at the expression on the face of the man behind her but it was impossible to do without craning round. "After all, what better task to secure you in His favour?"
Snape's emotions were running away with him. Fear – for his life if he got it wrong or if He was toying with him as He so often did. Anger – at Dumbledore's assumption that he would go along with his schemes as well as anger at being completely at the mercy of some jumped up child. And lower down, much lower, the anticipation of having an intelligent mind to mould without constraint. Of course, he revealed none of this in his facial expression. One of the few benefits of being a spy.
"I am sure that Voldemort will get in touch with you soon. No doubt he will be anxious to see how his daughter has grown." The headmaster gave Gwen a grandfatherly look, a slight mist over his eyes betraying his true feelings.
"For now however, I wonder if you will be so kind as to escort Miss Silverine to her dormitory Severus? She will of course be a member of Gryfindor House."
Snape looked sharply at the headmaster, "Gryfindor House?"
"You heard me correctly Severus. Harry and his friends should consider Gwen as a normal member of their house so that she is able to befriend them." Snape sneered. "I can see that you are upset not to have such an asset in your own house Severus, but rest assured that you will see much of the beautiful Miss Silverine in the months to come."
Snape swept out of the room, pausing only the lightly hold the door ajar for Gwen as she pulled herself out of the headmaster's chair, which seemed to have taken an inhuman hold of her behind, and sashayed after him.
The headmaster poured himself another large brandy as the pair left his quarters.
Gwen tiptoed up the stairs leading to Gryfindor Tower behind Snape. It was all she could do to stop her shoes from clacking loudly against the echoey stone floors, she wondered if Snape's feet actually touched the ground or whether he was just gliding silently along.
The Fat Lady greeted Gwen with a curious look but when she noticed Snape her face cleared and she curtseyed as much as her frame would allow before gliding open for her. Gwen tried to smile back at the portrait, but Snape was already disappearing into the darkened common room.
He led her up the heavily carpeted common room, to the girls dormitory before whispering in her ear, "The bed at the back near the window is yours. You'll find your luggage in the chest at the foot of the bed..." and just when she thought she couldn't stand anymore silken threads slipping into her mind, "...Goodnight Miss Silverine."
Gwen whipped round to face him, only to find that he had gone. Gently she felt the warm patch on her ear where his mouth had been.
Once in bed, she lay for a while thinking over the events of the day, it certainly had been, well curious was an understatement. But most curious of all was the way she felt when Snape whispered in her ear.
She shivered, but not from cold. Before she could dwell anymore on the subject, she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.