Chapter Thirty Seven – Story Time
"Maybe we should wake Dawn up for this," Kennedy said.
"She needs her sleep," Willow responded. Her hair had returned to its normal red. She waved her hand and a chair slid across the floor from the office's small seating area and stopped next to Dumbledore. Willow walked over and sat down.
"So, story time," Willow said.
Dumbledore took note of the arrangement. Kennedy, a Slayer, whose abilities he still did not know, sat next to Sinclair. Willow, obviously a very powerful mage sat next to him.
"Wait a sec," Willow said. She waved her hand in the direction of the wands on the floor. "You can have those back now."
Dumbledore and Sinclair both held out their hands, the wands flew off the floor and both men caught them. Dumbledore gave his a quick swish and a brief show of sparkles appeared. The wand was undamaged. He summoned his portkey and then tucked both away.
"A very impressive show of magic Miss Rosenberg," Dumbledore said.
Willow shrugged. "Just Willow's fine, Miss Rosenberg makes me feel old," she replied. "It helped that I caught you two off-guard. You also chose to not put up much of a fight."
"I did not come here for conflict," Dumbledore said. "And you did take our wands."
"Like that would stop you," Willow said. "You both accessed your magic without your wands. I could feel you using it to fight the paralysis spell and just now to draw back your wands. And your defenses are powerful enough that I couldn't have done any real damage. You don't need your wands to fight."
"It took many decades of practice to master the skill," Sinclair answered. "It is difficult and requires concentration. Albus has mastered the talent better than I."
"It is mostly a matter of control," Dumbledore said. "And Edgar sells himself short. He has his own talents."
"You mean like that extra wand he's got tucked away," Willow said.
Sinclair's eyes narrowed. "How did you know? You did not take it."
"It was out of your reach while the paralysis was active. And I didn't need to take it to make my point," Willow said. "So much for the one wand per wizard idea."
"I am one of the very few of our kind gifted with the ability to craft a true wand," Sinclair explained. "Which means I can not only make wands for others, I can also craft wands to fit my needs. I made many wands at a young age and practiced with all of them. Very few know of my talent, something that has surprised many over the years."
"Your granddaughter has the same talent," Willow said.
"Yes."
"That explains why her magic felt a little different occasionally," Willow nodded. "She was switching wands. Well as fascinating as all this is, you have a story to tell."
"Yes a tale," Dumbledore said. "Much of what I am about to tell you is conjecture on my part and things I have only learned in recent years. Had I known these things at the time, much pain could have been avoided."
"Hindsight's always 20-20," Kennedy said. "So what's Riddle got that the rest of you all don't?"
"The truth, Miss Winston..."
"Kennedy."
Dumbledore nodded, "The truth Kennedy and the reason we are both so circumspect in our dealings with Tom, is that we do not know. Even with all the power, knowledge and skill at his disposal, Tom should not be able to do what he has done," Dumbledore paused in thought. "I first encountered Tom when he entered Hogwarts as a student. I was only the transfiguration teacher then and did not have the access to Hogwarts that I do now. I might have been able to stop him if I had. Tom was a brilliant student. Easily the most gifted wizard of his generation and one of the most powerful to pass through Hogwarts in many years. At some point during his years at Hogwarts Tom opened what we call 'The Chamber of Secrets'," Dumbledore explained. "The Chamber was created by Salazar Slytherin."
"One of the guys who founded your enclaves," Willow said.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "He aided in the creation of the Sanctuaries. I do not know what Tom found inside the Chamber, I have only been able to examine it in the last three years. But I believe Slytherin left behind much of the knowledge of the Wizarding world and its true history. The nature and scope of our Covenant with the Crown. Along with other knowledge related to the protections around the Wizarding world. And most likely other things of which I can not even guess at."
"By protections you mean not only the spell the Crown crafted to keep outsiders from being able to see your world but also the means you use to keep your people inside," Willow said.
"You are perceptive," Sinclair said.
"Dawn's the one who noticed the pattern," Willow said. "And it's a little weird how hardly anyone ever seems to leave the Wizarding world."
"Much of that knowledge was believed lost," Dumbledore said. "One of Slytherin's final acts was destroying the library that contained the ancient scrolls used to craft the spells."
"Will let Dawn handle the history portion of the lecture," Willow said. "Let's stick to Riddle for now."
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "At the time I did not know the Chamber had been opened. In hindsight, as you say, it is obvious. When Tom graduated Hogwarts, he was at the top of his class and already displaying more skill and power than wizards of twice his age and experience. He was also beginning to draw a following among the young so-called pure blood wizards. His message was much more moderate in those days. It was then that I made a grave mistake. I recognized the power Tom possessed and the potential for danger. In my overconfidence I thought to train him, to initiate him into our people's mysteries."
"And you thought this was a good idea why?" Kennedy said.
"The mysteries relate to our people's history," Dumbledore said. "The truth about the founding of Hogwarts and the creation of the Sanctuaries. I did not know that he most likely already had that knowledge. Those truths are revealed only to those Initiated at the lower levels. Along with that initiation the person is bound by various magics not to reveal their knowledge and to obey the Senior Initiates, Edgar and myself being among them. I had hoped by binding him in this manner he could be controlled. What I did not know was Slytherin must have left the means to break the bindings."
"Giving him the knowledge and no restrictions," Willow said.
"Precisely," Dumbledore replied. "As I said, Tom most likely already knew our peoples' history from what he found in the Chamber," Dumbledore sighed. "What he did not know, what he could not know, until I told him, was the location of the true Sanctuary of Mysteries and knowledge of how to enter it."
"You mean the Department of Mysteries," Lady Aydin said. "I thought that was in the Ministry of Magic's complex here in London."
"The only things of any value in that area are the prophecies. And they are of questionable worth," Sinclair said. "Everything else is there mostly for show. A distraction to fix attention and keep people from learning the truth. Security is so weak a moderately skilled child could penetrate it. I always found it humorous that no one seems to notice that fact."
"So what's at this 'real' Sanctuary of Mysteries?" Willow asked.
"Much of the legacy of our people before we were forced into hiding, from before the founding of the Sanctuaries," Dumbledore said. "Knowledge of ancient magic. The means to combine and use various types of magic. Tom took this knowledge and disappeared for many years."
"When he returned, he was calling himself Voldemort," Sinclair picked up the tale. "At first no one made the connection between the powerful new charismatic wizard named Voldemort and Tom Riddle. Many of us falsely believed Tom was long dead. When he broke his oath, the binding magic should have killed him. I was one the first to notice the danger Voldemort represented."
"But nobody noticed the power base he was building," Willow said.
"No, we did not," Sinclair said. "Even when people began to disappear, everyone was strangely quiet. And then the Death Eaters appeared. They were not called Death Eaters at first. Simply the Knights of Walpurgis. Albus and I tried to get the Ministries to listen."
"But something stopped them," Willow said. "Do you use some kind of mind control to keep your people in line?" Willow's voice carried an edge.
"Nothing so overt or dangerous," Dumbledore said. "It's difficult to explain. As I said, Slytherin destroyed much of that knowledge."
"We'll save the detailed explanations for later," Willow said. "I'm guessing Riddle found a way to use those spells."
"I believe so," Dumbledore said. "But even if he had the knowledge, he should not be able to effect people the way he has. Even Edgar and myself as full Initiates lack such power."
"Ok, that's a couple of times you've mentioned this 'Initiate' thing," Willow said. "And you both seem to know the 'true history' of your world. Some kind of secret society I guess."
"You are a demanding young woman Willow," Dumbledore said. "We are sharing a great deal of our secrets with you and you have shared few with us."
"You think Willow's demanding?" Kennedy smirked. "You'll never survive Dawn."
"Dawn?" Sinclair said.
"Head of our research department," Kennedy replied. "There's a picture of her in the dictionary next to the word tenacious. She's the one who discovered your world."
"Yes, a very intelligent young woman," Lady Aydin noted. "As for secrets, I'm certain Edgar has already told you everything he knows about MI5's operations."
"Yes, he has," Dumbledore replied. He nodded towards Willow. "But neither of us has any knowledge of your Council."
"We're just your basic little group dedicated to fighting evil," Willow said. "Mostly vampires and demons along with the occasional hell-god."
"Don't forget stopping various attempts to blow up the world and/or suck it into some random Hell dimension," Kennedy said.
"You battle demons," Dumbledore said.
"All the time," Willow said. "You ever heard of a Hellmouth."
"A place of mystical convergence that draws demons and other dark creatures," Sinclair replied.
"Wizards avoid such places," Dumbledore added. "Too great a risk of discovery."
"I lived on one my entire life," Willow said. "Kind of shame we had to blow it up in the end."
"Blow it up?" Dumbledore asked.
"We collapsed a Hellmouth," Willow said.
"Impossible," Sinclair said.
"People keep telling us that," Willow said. "And yet there is this big salt water lake where my home town use to be. Good job changing the subject by the way. Now about this 'Initiate' thing."
"You are persistent," Sinclair said.
"Kennedy's right, Dawnie is going to have a field day with you two," Willow said. "Nobody in your world knows about the Covenant or that magic exists outside the enclaves. You two do. Explain please or I might get annoyed again," Willow smiled.
Dumbledore was beginning to understand how Cornelius must feel when dealing with him. These women had controlled every aspect of the meeting and their deceptively flippant attitudes had kept both him and Edgar on the defensive. He shared another look with Sinclair. He nodded.
Sinclair started, "Since the founding of the Sanctuaries there has been a small select group that knows the truth. We call ourselves Initiates."
"Let me guess," Willow said. "You guys make sure nobody else finds out the truth."
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "We also watch for threats from outside our world."
"There are two levels of Initiates," Sinclair explained. "Those at the lower levels are granted the knowledge but placed under powerful binding magic. Those lower level Initiates are positioned at key points in our world that enable them to monitor potential threats and provide us with information."
"And the high level guys like you have the restrictions removed," Kennedy said.
Sinclair nodded, "Correct."
"How many of you are there?" Willow asked.
Dumbledore smiled, "I will not reveal all of our secrets yet Willow. Our numbers are few that, is all you need to know for now. I will tell you that Alastor Moody is an Initiate of the lower levels. He tracked many dark wizards though muggle areas. It was necessary to make certain he understood all the potential dangers that existed."
"Fair enough," Willow replied. "Back to Riddle. You don't know how he does it, but do you know what he's doing?"
"You must understand, when D'Karsh led our people to these shores, we had been hunted for centuries," Dumbledore said. "Subject to attack without warning. Our numbers were few. D'Karsh's efforts to find a peaceful solution had failed. The Founders believed the only way to protect our people was to isolate ourselves from the outside world. Our agreement with the Crown hid us from those seeking to destroy us. But the danger still remained."
"Wizards still lived outside the enclaves," Lady Aydin said. "It took a couple of decades before the majority of your people moved inside."
"Yes," Sinclair said. "And so long as wizards remained outside they were vulnerable and could lead our enemies back to the Sanctuaries. So the Founders decided to craft the means to keep our people protected."
"A spell that made them want to live the enclaves," Willow said. Her eyes narrowed. "That's sick. You manipulated their minds to keep them under control. Wiped out their memories of the truth."
A sad look crossed Dumbledore's face. "We were being hunted. Mages such as you sought to annihilate our people from existence. Any risk of discovery could have meant our destruction. I no longer believe the Founders intended it to be a permanent solution, but Slytherin's final act destroyed the means to reverse the spells."
"And now Riddle has tapped those spells to make people fear him," Lady Aydin said.
"Possibly," Dumbledore said. "We can only guess as to the full nature of the spells. It is not deliberate mind control. It is more like a little voice that whispers suggestions into your ear. A subtle hint to stay away from muggles, to prefer the Sanctuaries. They were never perfect. There has always been some interaction with the muggle world. That is necessary for our survival."
"And your people stagnate," Kennedy said.
"We have stability," Dumbledore said. "Far more then exists in your world. How many wars have you fought? How much destruction has occurred over the past century alone? We are at peace. The few conflicts we have are small and end quickly."
"Until now," Willow said.
"Until now," Dumbledore acknowledged. "Tom has somehow found the power to do what we believed impossible. I've spent many years searching for the source of that power. I have not been able to find it."
"Neither of us has," Sinclair said. "The source must come from something Slytherin left behind. And as long the source of that power remains unknown simply killing Tom leaves us vulnerable to the same attack in the future. Most likely from an unknown quantity."
"Better the devil you know," Willow said.
"We have told a great deal Willow," Dumbledore said. "Far more than I originally planned. What do you intend to do with this knowledge."
"Help," Willow replied. "It's what we do. This is lot different than what we normally deal with. But it's clear we don't have much choice."
"I don't understand," Dumbledore was puzzled. "How can you not have a choice."
"I'll field that one," Kennedy jumped in. "Slayers sometimes receive visionary dreams that guide us. Several Slayers have had dreams about your world and about this Tom Riddle."
"Dreams," Dumbledore said. "Amazing. I would like to learn more of these dreams. Interpreting such signs has long been an interest of mine."
"The hour has grown quite late," Lady Aydin said. "And there still practical matters to discuss. I assume you want Sirius Black returned."
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I understand Moody has been injured. Ordinarily I would prefer him to be treated at St. Mungo's, but if he were moved there, Tom would learn of his injury. I prefer that he remain ignorant of such matters. Edgar has also assured me that your medical facilities are adequate to the task. I would like to be able to visit him of course. But it is safer if he stays with you until he is recovered."
"Easily enough arranged," Lady Aydin said. "I've already alerted Major Chisholm to expect you and the Elder. You can visit the compound as soon as you leave this meeting."
"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Edgar can remain as our liaison. And the Death Eaters will remain in your custody."
"For the foreseeable future," Lady Aydin replied. "The knowledge they possess is protected by a fidelius charm of course. We have the means to work around it but our key person for such magic requires a few days rest from his activities over the past two days. And such things take time. It will most likely be several weeks before we get any useful information from them."
"Tom will take some action in response to this perceived betrayal," Dumbledore said. "I must take steps to prepare for it."
"And your Order of the Phoenix," Lady Aydin said. "What do you plan on telling them?"
"Truthfully, I do not yet know," Dumbledore replied. "Moody can be told the full truth and Black already knows of the Crown's involvement. But the others. Revealing the existence of magic outside the Sanctuaries is dangerous. A fidelius is not powerful enough to protect such knowledge. I cannot make them all Initiates. The others would never agree."
"Have a good time sorting that out," Willow said. "We've got to get back and brief the other Scoobies."
"Scoobies?" Dumbledore asked.
"Do not ask," Lady Aydin said. "It makes little sense and frankly the longer you can avoid their insanity the better."
"Why does everybody keep saying we're insane?" Willow pouted.
"Because you are honey," Kennedy replied. "It's why I love you. And it's what makes you all so effective."
Dumbledore watched the exchange with amusement. "I have found over the years a certain amount of eccentricity to be invaluable," he said. He held out his hand, "Would you like a lemon drop Miss Rosenberg?"
"Thank you," Willow took the offered candy.
"Oh God, there's another one," Kennedy said rolling her eyes. "I should have guessed when he came in here wearing a costume reject from 'That 70s Show.'"
Sinclair shook his head. "There are still practical matters to be dealt with. Albus and I have much to do in very short time. It seems I will be joining Order despite my efforts to the contrary."
"A word of advice when dealing with your friends," Willow said. "If you trust them, tell them the truth. I've found lying and trying to hide things comes back and bites you in the ass pretty hard."
"Sound advice," Dumbledore acknowledged. "If crudely put. I shall give it serious thought. I must see to Sirius. Lady Aydin this has been a most enlightening meeting."
"Likewise Headmaster," Lady Aydin held out her hand. "I have had many such meetings over the last few months."
"Dealing with people such as this," Dumbledore took the offered hand. "I can see how that could be. Ladies it has been interesting meeting you."
"Same here," Willow said. "Don't think you're off the hook yet. Dawn will cover all the stuff you left out later."
"I look forward to meeting her," Dumbledore said. "Edgar it is time to depart."
"Lady Aydin," Sinclair said with a nod. "Ladies again an interesting meeting."
The two men left the office.