And yes I'm back with another chapter! I just can't get this story out of my head!
I just totally am so smitten with Lisa at the moment. It's insaaaaneee. Plus, I'm eager to get to the rest of the characters!
There's some bare background or foreshadowing for Lisa in this chapter and Dumbledore's here! Hopefully I made the arguments believable!
There was panic in the air.
Lisa couldn't see through the thick, deep haze of vermillion that choked her throat, blocked her airways and watered her eyes. There was something hard underneath her knees, too rough and uneven to be cement and her elbows felt wet. Hair flew into her face and she couldn't use her hands to push it back, instead dropping her head against the rough surface she was prostrate upon and begged for an end.
However, even though she couldn't see, her ears worked just fine. There were soft gurgles echoing around her, coos and breathy grumbles that made her head rise even through the overwhelming red haze.
She turned further to where she could hear the sounds from and then with as much strength as she could gather, she opened her eyes.
Light abruptly flooded her sight, streaming in easily from the windows she had forgotten to draw curtains across. Blinking in confusion at the safe environment she had woken up in, her head whirling from whatever her prophetic dream had left in her, she closed her eyes, each vision she had ever had crystal clear.
Only this time, her memory fogged – unable to recall anything she'd seen but the crimson that had painted across her eye range. Whatever she'd seen, there was nothing she could do about it now. It had probably already happened, it was past.
So Lisa opened her eyes again to turn to face what had wakened her up.
Last night after watching the fireplace remain empty for about an hour or so, she had retired back to her bedroom; curling up on one end of her bed, while baby Harry continued to rest up from an eventful day of his life.
But now it seemed that he was ready to wake and go about his day. Big green eyes stared up at her as he shook his fist, seemingly entranced by his fingers. Lisa sat up, heel of her palms digging into eyes which she knew were bloodshot. Each vision filled dream she had gave her those, making her look perpetually exhausted.
Almost half of the time, she was exhausted too.
Harry cooed something again, almost a word she couldn't make out.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting up." She patted her knees, sliding Harry from his position between her pillows to place him gently on his feet. Harry teetered for a second, grabbing the edge of the bed as he began to totter ahead as she went and opened the bedroom door, so he could go where he pleased.
Lisa followed the baby to where he dropped to crawl to the armchair again, climbing onto it by paddling his small feet. She smiled; he seemed to like the huge armchair for some reason, she thought when her eyes fell to the grate again, and the addition in it jolting her into movement.
She reached into the fireplace to extract the envelope, definitely not hers this time as the writing on it was one she had seen once before, on the letter left for Petunia Dursley.
She jammed her fingers into the fold, ripping it in half to see a simple note card in it.
Tomorrow at noon
Lisa had hurried about the house, dropping the note card in the desk drawer of her office.
Dumbledore had actually replied to her. He was going to come for her at noon. She had only two hours or so remaining and she doubted Dumbledore was a tardy man.
She brushed her teeth, cleaned up both her and Harry and put him in another pair of clothes she had shrunk. Today was the day. She had to go out and get some things for Harry today. She also had to tell the Blishens today.
That was if Dumbledore didn't kill her and take Harry back to the Dursleys.
She debated if she wanted to leave Harry in the bedroom, if she wanted him in the same room. Lisa had already engaged the child with a multitude of spoons, letting him whack the metal against every surface he could find. She ultimately decided against it. Having Harry in the same room might guarantee her safety, hoping Dumbledore wouldn't resort to violence in the presence of a baby boy.
So at twelve noon exact, she placed Harry down in the armchair, moving it further to the center of the room where he would be clear sight and dumped his play spoons in his lap, sitting on the sofa to wait.
She didn't have to wait long.
As she had presumed, Dumbledore arrived right on time. With the last chime of the clock's twelfth strike, the fireplace burned alive, green flames rising high into the chimney.
Lisa got to her feet, barely making out the silhouette of the man who materialized in her home.
Backing away when he stepped forward, Lisa Westfield finally found herself face to face with Albus Dumbledore.
She had always heard tales, of a great wizard, as aged as wisdom itself, with solutions for every problem wizard folk could have.
She had seen this man, blearily though it had been in her dreams and visions. She hadn't been underwhelmed.
And now, she wasn't disappointed.
He wore a pale blue set of robes, pure white beard and hair tucked into the slender gold belt at his waist. The pointed blue hat atop his head was trimmed with similar filigree. His hands were clasped at the front, a calm, benign look on his face. All in all, he didn't look as if he was going to be pulling out his wand at all.
Lisa didn't move at first, her hands tense at her sides.
Dumbledore blinked slowly, as if getting rid of the dizziness Flooing usually leaves and then his eyes fixed on her.
He didn't curse her, first hand.
Instead, a small smile graced his lined face – almost too young looking for his age.
"Hello, I am Albus Dumbledore. I presume you're Miss Lisa Westfield?" He asked.
"Yes," She said after a second, reaching forward to offer him her hand. The old wizard shook it lightly before his eyes studied her, some of the benignity gone from those twinkling blue eyes. "I, of course, have heard of you."
"Then you have me at a disadvantage my dear, because I have no idea who you are." Dumbledore glanced to his side, where he could see Harry Potter busily playing with some spoons – big and small – entranced by the shiny sheen on them. "And why you thought it fit to take Harry Potter and disappear, and then contacting me about it."
Lisa didn't say anything, hesitating when the man moved away from her towards the baby. "He's not harmed. He's healthy, clean, wearing new clothes, and seems comfortable. Dare I say your intention was to give him over to the Death Eaters but you had a change of heart?"
"Of course not," Lisa scowled, following Dumbledore to stand at the other side of Harry. "I brought him here to protect him."
He simply stared at her.
"From the muggles where you left him," Lisa finished.
"Forgive me, dear, but Harry Potter was best protected where I left him at the Dursley household."
"No, he wouldn't be."
"My dear, there are charms, spells, to see to his safety." He turned to look at her. "I can see you have the child's better interests at heart. I do as well; I have invoked powerful, ancient magic to watch over Harry Potter…but only if he stays with Petunia Dursley. So you see; he will have to go back."
"He wouldn't be safe there. He would be tormented every day. He would be abused, unwanted – unloved." Unwilling, her hand went to the crook of her elbow. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Dumbledore eyeing her and the gesture so she quickly dropped her arm.
"You cannot possibly know that."
"You read my letter. You know what I am." She said simply.
"I'm sorry to say this, but in my experience…Seers haven't been very…accurate about much that happens."
"I'm not like that. I have been having dreams and visions about this boy from well before He Who Must Not Be Named made the choice to seek him out. I refuse to believe that I have been led astray by the Fates so cruelly."
Dumbledore didn't say anything to that. Instead he glanced between Lisa's postures – hovering over the child, to the baby itself.
"He cannot stay here. You must see reason – if you've been seeing his future. There is a reason why he was not put in a Wizarding household, in a Wizarding settlement. It is much too dangerous for him."
Dumbledore was putting as much emphasis as he could in his words. Lisa almost smiled at the genuine desperation she heard in his voice. She looked away from Dumbledore, down to where Harry had discarded the spoons to stand up in the armchair, looking curiously at Dumbledore in his bright robes. His eyes darted from Lisa to the old man quickly, as if sensing the current of the conversation.
Normally, she'd have listened. She had heard great things about Dumbledore – nobody in the Wizarding world mistrusted him. Nobody disobeyed him. These things were enough for Lisa to close her eyes and follow blindly – usually, when she couldn't be bothered.
Now, however, she was bothered. She hadn't been plagued by perpetual visions and dreams to just turn a blind eye now. She hadn't suffered fatigue and more magic than she had had to in years to just succumb to a honey tongued man now. She had committed herself to this one child.
If she had rebutted You-Know-Who, she could rebuke Albus Dumbledore as well.
"What did you do? Why do you think a muggle house is the best for him?" Lisa countered.
This time he hesitated, looking almost reluctant. "Lily and James Potter sacrificed themselves for their son. That is the tale told about the child. What they don't know, is that Lily cast herself between Voldemort's wand and her son, thus becoming a shield. Her very life essence, her sacrifice is centered on her boy, becoming a very powerful protection that bars the Dark Lord and his followers from hurting him."
He sat down on to her sofa, looking grim. "The only way to make sure the magic protects him is to raise a ward where her protection tethers to a location or a person."
"You used blood magic. So Lily Potter's only blood relation is the tether." Lisa said bluntly, finally.
"Yes, I did." Dumbledore didn't argue.
Lisa could have laughed at the sick irony. "Some say you are above dark magic, Professor. In my knowledge, blood magic is pretty dark stuff."
There was a quick twitch to his lips. "Some things are necessary for the Greater Good, Miss Westfield. I have used a blood spell only once before; this time I used it to protect a young child."
"What about the concern of growing up in a Wizarding household?"
"A child growing up with the idea of celebrity in his head is bound to become arrogant."
"So, you're okay with him being put under the stairs with mice and spiders so he doesn't become arrogant? You're okay with him not being fed, not having proper clothes, a bed, and an education, for the sake of his ego remaining small?" Lisa was getting angry now. She swallowed the collected saliva at the back of her throat to calm down.
Dumbledore was getting to his feet when Lisa spoke again. "If you've used blood magic before you know it is not infallible, I suppose?"
There was silence and for the first time since he stepped into the room, Lisa could detect displeasure at having his methods questioned. "I am aware yes."
"Since death eaters are under too much heat for their crimes, and with no master to save them, why would you be worried about anyone wanting to harm the boy, especially when doing so would land them in boiling hot water?"
"Most of the fanatics don't care about that." Dumbledore sighed. "A group of death eaters were just caught torturing a pureblood couple – who were aurors, for information. They are now being treated at St. Mungo's. They have a son too, a child the same age as Harry."
Lisa couldn't bring herself to look scared. Even though her mind raced, picturing scenarios to what she'd been told horrified at what would happen if she was caught, she couldn't turn back now – not at the cost of Harry being taken back to that hell hole.
"I am…willing to take Harry to Privet Drive, just enough so that the magic invoked from Lily and Petunia's blood remains potent professor," she finally relented. "But he is not going to live with them."
"What will you do with him here, all alone? You work, I suppose? Who will you trust to watch him in the time when you are unable to? He will be vulnerable."
"Like I said, I am willing to let him visit his aunt if she agrees to protect her only nephew. Also, she cannot be the only one who will be willing to watch the boy. James and Lily Potter had to be popular."
Minutes passed as Dumbledore and Lisa stared at each other, both unwilling to give up to the other. It was clear Lisa had thought of every circumstance that Dumbledore might try to use to get her to let him take Harry to the Dursleys. Also she never held eye contact long enough for him to be able to broach into her mind, eyes darting around or down to the baby just enough times to not seem rude or very aware of his abilities.
It irked him somehow but he couldn't find anything dangerous about the woman – at least not right now.
"No, they were very popular, yes. They had friends, good friends. One of them betrayed them – which is how Voldemort found them." Dumbledore finally said, letting her peak at his deck just enough.
"Yes, I was worried about that. No sensible person should use their friends as Secret Keepers, no matter how trust worthy they are."
There was a pensive look on her face, Dumbledore zoned in on it. "You seem well aware of our circumstances for someone who is not a member of the Order of Phoenix."
Lisa looked at him in the eye again, smiling wryly. "Like I said, Professor, I've been watching the boy very carefully."
Dumbledore tugged a hand through his beard, fingers slipping briefly into his long sleeves that had Lisa twitching just so but he gave up, sighing. "I see that I cannot change your mind. You are excitable about the child, passionate about his safety and I cannot fault you for that. However, you can see why I cannot just let him be with you, I hope. I will notify a few…trusted people in the order about the change in the circumstances. Also, they will be making sure the child visits Petunia Dursley as much as is needed to keep the blood wards up around him."
Lisa didn't have to be a genius to detect the subtle threat in his tone. "Understood," She nodded.
Dumbledore hovered near the fireplace, eyes now trained on the boy who had returned to his spoons.
"I will send a certain Mr. Remus Lupin here, first thing tomorrow – at this time. He will want to see the boy himself."
Lisa shrugged. "Is he Harry's godfather? I think I saw him having one."
Dumbledore hesitated. "…no; that would be Sirius Black. And Sirius Black will not be visiting the boy anytime soon."
For the first time since he had stepped into the room, Dumbledore saw Lisa looking disconcerted. "Why not?"
"Because he was the one who betrayed his best friends; he killed another friend of theirs, Peter Pettigrew last night…along with twelve muggles. He was arrested very early this morning; he is going to be sent to Azkaban."
For a very brief second, Lisa wavered, thinking back to her dream; the haze of red – the choking, the overwhelming heat…but more importantly – the confusion and panic.
She didn't know what possessed her to say it. She wasn't even sure she had seen him – this Sirius Black. She only knew a vague figure that resembled him, seen from Harry's eyes.
Tall, Shaggy black hair, a crinkly smile that beamed bright for the young child was all she had seen. So when she opened her mouth again, her words were astonishing to both her and Dumbledore.
"That's not true."
And bum bum bum!
Where do we go from here?
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