Chapter Twenty-Three
America vs. England
Lenore, as usual when she traveled by floo, sat sprawled on the floor of Dumbledore's office covered in soot. Pain shot up her back and leg and she winced, shifting as she heard Laura shout something. Peering from her position around Dumbledore, she saw Snape and Laura arguing, quite loudly. Dumbledore, for once, had a look of shock on his face as Snape shouted back at the redhead. She closed her eyes bringing the words into focus.
"…LEAVE!" he thundered.
Laura looked spitting mad. "YOU DON'T HAVE WHAT'S BEST FOR HER IN MIND!"
"BEST FOR HER! YOU WANT TO BLOODY TAKE HER AWAY FROM HERE—"
"BACK TO WHERE SHE'S SAFE! BACK TO HER HOME! YOU DIDN'T WANT HER TO BEGIN WITH JUST LET HER ALONE! LET HER BE HAPPY!"
"YOU HAVE NO SAY IN THIS! NOW LEAVE ME BE, DAMNED WOMAN!" Snape whirled around to leave but Laura grabbed him by the arm spinning him around.
"May I remind you, Snape, she is my charge too," snarled Laura.
"But not your child." He shot back.
Lenore got to her feet as Dumbledore shook his head with a sigh. "You didn't want her before, why do you want her now? What gain is it to you? I know how you work, you want something from her." Laura exclaimed.
The raven-haired teenager looked at her clothes, which had taken an over-all charcoal-gray color. "Severus, Ms. Bent." Dumbledore cut in before Snape could find anything to say.
She searched for her wand as the two adults looked at him sharply, startled to find both of them there. He didn't even have to ask, both looked like guilty children. "Headmaster, I—" started Snape but Dumbledore held up his hand.
"Why are you two back here?" he asked firmly.
"We never left," huffed Laura, with a glare directed at Snape. "Do you know what this, this man is trying to—"
"Enough," Dumbledore stopped her. Lenore found her wand. "Your behavior is inexcusable. Such arguing is that off teenagers and younger, not grown adults." He shook his head. "This is—" He never did get to finish his sentence because Lenore at that moment had muttered a cleaning spell, forgetting her magic was out of control. It did it's job on her—and everything else in the room.
Her spell had not only done the normal job, brushes and rags and combs appeared. "Eek!" squeaked Laura ducking a comb that started yanking it's way through her hair. "LEO!" Toothbrushes appeared and forced their way into Dumbledore, Laura, and Lenore's mouth. "Cmubhlump!"
Snape, on the other hand, hexed his away from him and was now battling with the comb yanking its way through his black hair. Lenore ducked a rag that started shining the mantel. She spat the toothbrush out and dogged it. "FOLLISH GIRL!" Snape shouted so loudly her ears hurt.
She fought the brush pulling through her hair. "I only wanted to get clean!"
"END THE SPELL!"
"I'M TRYING!" Instantly, once she said that, the spell ended, the brushes (both tooth and hair) disappeared and the rags did as well. Her eyes focused once more and she glanced at the others. Dumbledore had toothpaste on his beard but amusement in his eyes. Laura spat some of the toothpaste on the floor, holding her hair. "Sorry," she said softly.
"We're lucky you didn't try a different spell! Want to summon something! How about burning those papers over there? Have you no sense!" Snape yelled at her.
"I didn't—"
"DON'T USE YOUR MAGIC!" he roared. "You can't control it! YOU FOLLOISH, HALF WITTED GIRL!"
Something snapped inside her. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOUT AT ME! I GET IT! I MADE A MISTAKE! I'M SORRY!" She shouted. "MERLIN KNOWS YOU NEEDED A CLEANING ANYWAY! YOUR SANITARY HABITS ARE WORSE THAN A RAT!"
"You will not speak to me like that I am—"
"What! An adult! My superior! My father! NO! ADULTS JUST AS KIDS HAVE TO EARN RESPECT!" Her eyes leveled with his. "You haven't earned mine, not yet."
He stared at her. "You will show me the prop—"
She looked down cutting him off. "No," she clenched her teeth and hands. "You lost what respect I had for you, Snape, when I found out that it was him," Her arm jerked, pointing sharply at Dumbledore. "who wanted me here and not you." Snape stared at her, a mask of indifference now on his face. "I will not be shouted at. Not by you. It was an accident and I'm sorry.
His glare hardened. "Severus," Dumbledore's voice had a warning tone in it. The old man looked at the young woman who was now cleaning his floor via magic. "What was the argument about?"
Laura shot a frosty look at Snape. "After you offered me the…" Lenore stared at her as Dumbledore nodded. "We came back and he was shouting at me, saying I didn't have claim over her." She looked at Snape. "I'm taking you to court once she's safe at the Weasley's house."
"Laura, what," gasped Lenore.
"I will not sit by and watch that man ruin your life. Nor will I watch you run your pawn from afar," Laura said with a firm glare to Dumbledore. "He does not have her best interest at heart. I want her to be safe and away from England and away from," She shot another glare to Snape. "And away from Voldemort."
The man flinched horribly as Dumbledore sighed, sitting at his desk. "All of you, sit, please." For the first time since she met the man she saw the hint of true distraught in his eyes. Lenore cast a glance at both adults before sitting in a large gray-blue armchair. Laura took the green one next to her. Snape scowled and sat in the red chair. "You cannot take her back to the states, Ms. Bent."
"Who are you to tell me what I—" Laura started.
He held up his hand. "Please, let me finish and you will understand." Laura glared and nodded. He began again. "You cannot take her back to the states because of Voldemort." Snape winced.
"What are you talking about? He's here in—" Laura started again.
Albus held up his hand and the redhead stopped. "I'll explain. I only ask that there are no interruptions."
The Potions Mistress scowled. "Fine."
Lenore raised a hesitant hand. The blue eyes landed on her. "Um, can I get something to eat? I haven't had—" A plate of sandwiches appeared in front of her. "Oh…um…thanks." She took one nibbling on it.
"Voldemort has been raising forces in the States. That is why I have been visiting the states with the conference. There has already been a group that has outright said that they joined him and has begun to attack certain areas of no real consequence but enough to send a message." Lenore paled drastically. It couldn't be that group. "They changed their mark, insignia I think is what you call it,"
"Logo," Laura corrected quietly.
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Right, their logo into a variation of the Dark Mark with flames around it," The teenager's was parlor. "Voldemort, however, has not connected your blood lines due to the line Severus told him when he left her." She glanced at Snape, who was determined not to look at her. "Due to this he did not come after you but now the story of the 'Keller Woman' has been spread throughout the States and into Canada." If Lenore's face went any paler it would be translucent. Dumbledore went on. "Unless she were to change her name completely, she would be in danger of one of the more radical groups, hoping to win favor with Voldemort by killing you or at the very least bringing you to him, whereupon he would learn immediately of your heritage."
She sat perfectly still, so many questions racing through her mind at an impossible speed. "So what makes you think here is any safer for her! She's right under his very nose!" Laura spoke with venom.
The answer was spilled from Lenore's lips instantly. "The-Boy-Who-Lived," she said quietly. Snape sneered darkly. She looked at Laura. "Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts, he is the number one target for Volde—" Halfway through she stopped, knowing that Snape didn't like hearing his name. No really knowing why she changed in mid-sentence. "for the Dark Lord. If he's safe here, Laura, I will be too." Laura stared at her but Lenore's mind had already jumped onto another topic. She looked at Dumbledore swallowing hard. "What groups joined him?"
The old wizard looked confused at the question. "Pardon?"
"The groups." She repeated. "You said that groups joined the Dark Lord's forces. Which ones?"
Dumbledore frowned. "Three that we know of, two in the United States," Lenore paled even more. "The Cult and the Daggers," She nodded, praying that the third was not one she thought of. "The third is a group in Canada, I doubt you heard of them."
"The Destroyers?" she ventured looking at him. Dumbledore nodded slowly. She shut her eyes in horror. "Saul…"
"Sweet Merlin, you don't think that they would…" Laura asked, looking at her sharply.
Lenore opened her eyes. "Yes they would."
"Who is Saul?" growled Snape.
"Saul Ret, he is…" she cleared her throat. "He is an old friend of mine. He got mixed up in the Destroyers when I was twelve or so, he was nearly fifteen. He joined because his family moved him from Egypt after…after his brother had been killed by a werewolf attack…" She drew in a haltering breath and continued. "He dropped out over a year ago and they keep trying to get him back. He was the best of the best but he refuses each time. With Voldemort's troops bringing them to join then…then we are in trouble because…" She stopped shaking her head and looked at Laura. "We have to help him, get him out of there!"
"Calm down, Leo. First lets owl him and see if he's in trouble. All right?" Laura said calmly but worry reflected in her eyes quite clearly.
"May I have a pen and paper?" Albus handed her a piece of…parchment? and then a quill. English wizards are very medieval, she thought writing quickly on the parchment:
Heard about Dest. Talk to me, Saul. Are you all right? I'm at Hogwarts.
Leo
"Fawkes," Dumbledore said and a large orange and red bird woke up. It trilled and Lenore gasped at the sight of a phoenix. She couldn't believe she had never noticed it. "He will take it to Saul immediately, Lenore. Have no worry." Dumbledore reassured her as she handed the parchment to the gorgeous bird.
"Thank you," she said gently stroking the feathers before the bird disappeared with a pop. She turned back and saw three very contrasting faces staring at her. Dumbledore's held hints of amusement again, Laura's held worry, and Snape's held…well she wasn't quite sure what Snape's held. "And thank you, Dumbledore."
"Now that that is done with, we must get along with your sorting."
"My sorting?" Lenore said surprised and then nodded. "Oh, the four houses…right."
Laura looked at her. "Those that you told me about/ What were they called, they all had weird names, Ravenpuff, Slythindor, Gryffinclaw, and Hufflerin?"
Lenore snorted and Snape looked appalled at Slytherin being combined with Gryffindor. "Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She corrected with a smile.
"Oh…right." Laura said turning slightly pink.
Lenore smiled and then looked at the headmaster. "I read about this, it's some sort of hat right?"
"Correct, the Sorting Hat," a black, tattered wizard's hat came floating over.
"Hello Ms. Lenore Keller-Snape," the had said causing her to squeak in shock, totally missing the fact he called her Snape. "Albus speaks greatly of you…"
"Um…okay…it talks." She said looking at the white-haired man. "What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Just put me on
And you will see
That any Jane or John
Will be placed by me." The hat sang.
"It sings too?" Lenore said making a face. "So a singing, talking hat," Dumbledore nodded. "What next, a tap number?" she asked placing it on her head, the brim dipping over her eyes and she waited, a frown deep on her lips. She tapped her foot nervously. Come on, please get on with it.
"You have great promise." The voice of the hat said in her head.
She jumped slightly but then relaxed. English wizards are very weird. You kinda smell, you know that? She wrinkled her nose.
"Wit and bravery,"
Bravery?
"Not everyone would stand up to Severus Snape nor would they prank him."
I'm not just everyone. She retorted but felt a surge of hatred and hurt roll through her
"There is such determination to make it in the world yet such hate for it just the same." For once she remained silent, thinking about her mother. "You are filled with a longing for love, all types of love but hate eats at you and devours your time."
She rolled her eyes. Maybe she could prank the hat along with Snape…
"Devious one aren't you?"
Perhaps I should stop thinking because you apparently can hear everything.
"You love knowledge and always want to learn more, such a trait of might Ravenclaw."
Lovely, at least I'm not Gryffindor.
"There is nothing wrong with Godric."
I've read about the house, it's too praised for it's own good.
"Yet your qualities would fit it."
Yuck. I'd die surrounded by that much red and gold.
"You have such loyalty to your friends that it is hard to miss…no matter how…" The hat paused as she swallowed hard. "No matter how evil the world thinks they are."
What do you know? You're a talking hat.
"I know more than you think."
Really?
"Yes."
Then tell me something that I don't know.
"Rowena Ravenclaw had a thing for Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin were lovers until Godric drove Salazar away."
Um…okay…that wasn't what I was expecting.
"It's also not what you're taught in the history books."
No not really.
"You would be coveted by all the Founders if you lived when they were teachers."
Would girls be allowed in the school?
"Why of course! Do you really think that Rowena would allow the men to exclude women? You do not pay your knowledge enough heed."
No, I prefer to lean about things by asking stupid questions.
"You're very honest."
Almost brutally so. She said with a smile. She started thinking about Slytherin, Snape's house. Purity was a strong suit in that house. She wouldn't be welcome.
"Well the purity of Slytherin never really mattered as much as people thought."
Huh?
"The tale is very mistold by the general public. Yes Godric drove Salazar off because of Salazar's qualms about who to teach in the school but it was not because of the purity. Salazar's second son was born of a Muggle whom he had fallen in love with after he left Hogwarts. Godric always felt terrible about running him off and Helga, the one who kept them all together, fell into a depression until she met her husband."
Wow…did you ever think about getting this written down?
"I don't die."
I suppose not but some people might like to hear about this history.
"Who would believe a talking hat?"
Point taken. Lenore shifted. So do you know where I'll be placed?
"Yes….you have a great thirst to prove yourself…I have not a had one of you for many years." The hat said.
What does that mean?
His voice pulled out of her head and she heard him sing:
"I cannot sort her
She belongs to all
Too many traits to be sure.
So alone she must fall
The first in seven hundred years
Not to be placed
Many great works can be expected along with cheers
She will hold true and cannot be replaced
In her aid the side of light
Her power strong, helping young Harry Potter
Fighting for what's right.
As this war grows hotter.
She will do Gryffindor proud.
And bring respect to Slytherin once again
Hufflepuff up on a large cloud
Ravenclaw would sing her praise for her smart brain,"
Lenore arched her brow when finished and pulled the hat off. "All that for being unplaceable?" she sat handing the hat over shaking her head. "And people say Americans are weird," Laura started laughing as Dumbledore blinked, startled.
