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Chapter Nineteen: A Tender Moment.

Christina was relaxing in the sitting area when her father walked into the flat. She watched his eyes to judge what his mood was. She knew herself enough to know that she had inherited her temper from him, and she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that kind of temper. He gave her a wary smile before sitting on the couch.

" In two days the whole of the wizarding world is going to change." He stated, his voice still coming out as Minerva's. " Either we win and there is finally peace, or we don't, in which case I will be forced to send you back to America. I know you don't want to go back, and I don't want you to, but I can't have you live here in this world, if the Dark Lord is in control. He would use you to hurt me, and keep me in line. He would probably kill us both for our deception. Mind you if he wins he'll kill me anyway because I won't even to pretend to fight for him any more. You will be given half of my Gringott's vault if you leave, and the other half will be held in trust until you're 25." He said, sounding tired.

" What about Harry? Doesn't he get something too?" Christina asked, snuggling up to Severus.

" First and foremost I should tell you about the prophesy. Almost 18 years ago a prophesy was made. It said that a boy would be born at the end of July to parents who had thrice defied the Dark Lord. The child would posses a power even the Dark Lord knew not, and the Dark Lord would mark him his equal. Neither could live while the other survives. Two boys would have qualified for this. Harry and Neville. The Dark Lord went after Harry, and by giving him that scar, marked him as his equal. Harry has to kill the Dark Lord, or he will die. If it comes to it that Harry somehow does survive, he will go to America with you, and everything will be halved. As it were he also has a substantial amount of money in his personal vault, his inheritence from his parents." Christina took this in for a moment.

" Does anyone know what this power is that Harry is supposed to have?"

" Albus believes it is love. Harry's mother died to save him, that left him some very powerful protection. The Dark Lord also has no concept of love, beyond that only fools love. A couple of years ago the Dark Lord possesed Harry. Harry was distraut over the very recent loss of his Godfather, and he felt a powerful surge of emotion. This emotion drove the Dark Lord from him." Severus said in Minerva's voice.

" Dad, what could have driven someone to become so evil people dare not speak his name?"

" The Dark Lord is very bitter. His father had no idea his mother was a witch. When he found out he left her pregnant on her own. She died shortly after his birth. She gave him his father's name because she still loved him so much. Tom Riddle grew up an orphan, and was very bitter for it. He killed his father and his grandparents. He hates muggles because his father was one. He wants to kill all the muggles and muggleborns because he deeply loathes his lineage and himself."

" So, he's a lot like Hitler." Christina said.

" Who was Hitler?"

" Adolf Hitler was a German man born to a Jewish woman and a German man. He never knew his father either. He came to power in Germany. While he reigned he killed millions of Jewish people. He hid the fact that he was half Jewish. He only wanted pure Germans in Germany. He tried to take over all of Europe. He was stopped because there was a world war. Soldiers from many countries came together to remove him."

" Yes then, the Dark Lord is very much like Hitler. They both hid the fact that they were half of what they truly despised."

" He wants to kill me and he doesn't even know I exist. He wants to kill me because of something that was an accident." Christina said, on the verge of tears.

"Yes, but there is more to it. He is the heir of Slytherin, who wanted only to teach pure blooded wizards in Hogwarts. He is a sick man, he's taking his ancester's idea too far. Slytherin didn't want to kill the muggles, he just didn't want to teach them. Slytherin was afraid of what could happen to the pure blooded wizards if the muggle's found out that wizards existed."

" How can one person hate so much?"

" I don't know."

" You used to believe in him, you followed his ideals. When did that change?"

" When I found out about you. You were my child no matter your mother's heritage. I could no longer believe in his ideals because I, myself had a child who was at the least a muggle. I began spying for Albus soon after I returned to England."

" Were you there when I was born?"

" Yes, I was there. I wanted to name you but I couldn't, your mother's husband had already decided what your name would be, he threatened to kill her if she did not name you what he wanted."

" What would you have named me?"

" I wanted to name you Laila Ariadne. Laila after your Granny, Ariadne after my mother."

" It's too late to change that now I guess. I know you never loved my mother, but did you...?"

" Yes, I have always loved you. I thought about you often, where you were, what you were doing, if you were even alive."

" Dad, do you think we'll win this war?"

" I don't know, I can hope, and I can fight as hard as I can, but I can not say that I'm 100 sure we'll win. I do know that I will have an advantage, I have a son and a daughter to fight for." He smiled and ran a hand over her hair.

" Are you scared?"

" Yes, not of dying. I'm scared that you and Harry will, or that you'll be captured and forced to the other side. I'm scared for my students, and I'm scared that good people, people who give so much to this world we live in, are going to die."

" Is that why you've been nicer to Professor Lupin?"

" No, I've been nicer to Professor Lupin because he is Harry's last tie to his parents, and he can often pull Harry out of his douldrums when I can not."

" Who is fighting with us?"

" The Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic, the Aurors, many witches and wizards. Some of the werewolves, a few giants, and the sixth and seventh years."

" That doesn't really sound like a lot."

" It is a lot."

" Who's fighting for him?"

" His death eaters, some pureblood families, the dementors, some werewolves, most of the giants, and some of the students in the school."

" Aren't there other creatures we can call on as allies?"

" Which creatures would you call on as allies?"

" Well, the mermaids in the lake. They can take out invaders who pass by the lake with arrows. House elves, the Hogwart's house elves would do anything for Albus. Goblins, they have a lot to lose in this war. Some of Hagrid's creatures."

" Those are some very interesting ideas, I shall talk to Albus about it."

" What about foreign wizards?"

" They don't want to get involved with a war that won't potentially affect them."

" If the Dark Lord wins, they think he won't come after them next? How can they be so blind?"

" It is hard for you to see it their way. You are here, on the battle ground, they are away safe in their homes."

" Oh, I'm going to go write to Manda. "

" okay sweetheart."

" Dad... I love you"

" I love you too."