As he marched towards the circular table in front of the office, he met the worried and anxious glances of the order members across from him.
He took a seat and addressed the audience across from him. "Welcome everyone; I'm certain you're wondering why I've assembled you here on such timely manner once more. This isn't about Lord Voldemort, but rather about Rose Potter. I regret to inform you that Rose has managed to sneak out of Hogwarts undetected. As a result, we will have to act. The risk of Rose wandering off on her own is far too great to disregard." The order was unsettled and apprehensive after having heard Dumbledore's statement. Were their actions really justified?
Arthur took a step forward to speak. "Albus, I recognize that you intend to protect Rose, but if she hadn't been dragged here against her will, she wouldn't have fled in the first place. We don't have the right to make decisions for her, Albus, It feels unjust." As he sat back down and sighed, he formed a gloomy look in his eyes. He knew he'd have to hunt for her regardless, but he wasn't intending to take action. He would restrict himself to merely informing the rest of any sightings; he would not personally contribute to her capture.
Dumbledore was getting agitated by the act of defiance. How dare they question his words of wisdom? The great Albus Dumbledore could do no wrong. "I understand your concern, Arthur, but this must be done for the good of the wizarding world."
"Albus, where do we even begin? She may very well be anywhere, from a run-down alley to a hotel across the nation, as far as we know." Kingsley inquired.
"She was residing in a muggle apartment complex at the time of our first encounter, and she might return there. There's also the likelihood that she'll locate Diagon Alley with the guidance of a wizard. Arthur and Nymphadora, survey the area around the leaky cauldron. Alastor, you will be stationed at the apartment. Remus, Sirius, investigate muggle hotels. I will get in contact with squibs I have stationed in muggle areas." Dumbledore clarified.
He was about to wrap the order meeting up when Severus and a woman alongside him entered the office. The woman looked and dressed a lot like him; they were roughly the same height and had the same eye and hair color, but her skin, face, and figure were nothing like Severus' own. They could be mistaken for siblings by those who knew no better!
"Ah, Severus, you've arrived at last. I'm afraid it's rather late. And who may that besides you be? I don't suppose we've actually met before." Dumbledore expressed his curiosity.
Rose was barely regulating the righteous anger she had built up against the older man. She wanted to shave his absurdly long beard, blend it with his crushed fingers, and dump it down his throat, but it would only lead to her being apprehended. Rose was well aware of the purpose of the conference; they were most likely assembling a search party to recapture her. Oh, the irony! The very thing they were meant to be looking for was staring at them right in the face, and no one realized it was.
"Bertha Shanks, sir. I recently managed to track Sev down through the use of a family ritual, and it turns out that we're half-siblings. I'd like to be a part of the war against Voldemort, which he told me about, he picked me up today." Rose replied.
Betha Shanks? That was a new name to him. There's no doubt it's a muggle name. So that's where Severus had disappeared to; he was beginning to suspect him of being the mastermind behind Rose's escape, but it would seem that conspiracy was uncalled for. Why have one spy when you can have two? He could absolutely use her against Voldemort.
"Have you heard about the Order of the Phoenix through Severus yet, Bertha? It's the organization we've established to oppose Lord Voldemort's machinations. Severus has been spying on Voldemort's forces, and we've seen many great successes as a result of his efforts. Is it reasonable for me to propose that you assist him in his quest?" Dumbledore offered.
Of course, the old man would not miss a chance of acquiring a new pawn. For the time being, she'd have to feign ignorance, but the old man's sole concern to her would soon merely be unpleasant memories if she had it her way.
"Anything I can do to make Sev's position easier sir. Voldemort's antics are disgusting. We can't let that monster get the upper hand." Rose responded, trying her hardest to seem determined. The old man was completely fooled by the act, as seen by the twinkle in his eyes and his happy demeanor.
"It's wonderful to hear that, Bertha, though I'm wondering as to where you'll be residing. If you are to join the order, I ought to be able to communicate with you."
"I've only just arrived, sir, I haven't decided yet." Rose responded.
"Could I suggest that you remain at Hogwarts? I can provide you with a rather comfortable room at no cost "Dumbledore inquired.
Rose may have had a bad first impression of Hogwarts, but one thing was certain: the meals here were far superior to anything she had cooked previously. Besides, having a close watch on the old fool was a benefit she could definitely use. "I don't see why not; And besides, Sev stays here, doesn't he? If it's feasible, I'd prefer to be in a room close to his."
"But of course, show your sister to her room, Severus; I have other issues to resolve at present. The rest of you may begin your search for Rose at any time."
After Severus and Rose left the office, the rest of the order began to make its way through the floo. They were all fascinated by the discovery of Severus' sister, but Remus was too preoccupied with trying not to burst into laughter.
Bertha's scent reminded him of something he knew. It was all too familiar. It was, in fact, the same scent he had detected in Rose's room prior to the meeting. Rose might have just pulled off a prank greater than any of the marauders ever could have! They had never been successful at pulling a prank on Dumbledore, no regardless of how advanced they might have been.
He'd have to contact her in private if he wanted to join hands with her. He had to be sure his motives weren't misinterpreted, because if he made any mistakes, he'd never have a chance at getting close to Rose again.
Remus followed Sirius around muggle hotels, trying to appear focused while trying to figure out how to approach Rose.
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Severus led Rose through the maze of corridors that Hogwarts appeared to be, into what would seem to be a dungeon, and came to a halt in front of a door. The interior of the room was considerably more lavish than the one in she had formerly been held prisoner in.
It was substantially bigger. There was a four-poster bed in corner the room and the couches looker far more inviting than the previous one she had the misfortune of sitting on. There was even a door leading to a neat bathroom, unlike the isolated toilet she had to use beforehand.
Rose saw this as an opportunity to have some fun and pushed a now naked Severus onto the bed, in which he was joined by a very stunning redhead who was also naked. This time, Severus endured well over 8 minutes, much to Rose's delight. He may have lost control of his body, but he hadn't lost control of his mind, therefore his lust was still stimulating his genitals.
She cleaned them both up and changed back into her Bertha Shanks attire before sending Severus off to his room, taking a shower and going to bed.
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The morning after his fruitless search for Rose, Remus returned to Hogwarts and reached the dungeons. She had requested that her room be close to Severus', so if he wanted to find her, he could do it there.
It didn't take long to locate Rose strolling out of her room, walking towards Severus' room, still in her Bertha Shanks disguise. It seemed s he spotted him approaching her because she now had a very different expression on her face than she did previously.
"Morning, Bertha. Is it possible for us to speak in private?" Remus questioned.
Rose cocked her head and gestured toward her room with her hand. "Please be my guest, Mr... ?"
"Lupin. Though I'd prefer if you simply called me Remus."
Rose gave a nod and led Remus into her room. "So, Remus, what was it that you needed to discuss with me?"
Before addressing Rose, Remus gulped and took a deep breath. "I recognized you and want to assist you. I disagree with Dumbledore's and the Order's actions. I vowed , Rose, that I would support you in whatever you chose to do when we found out where you had lived for nine years." Rose locked her gaze on him, and sweat began to build on his forehead as he awaited her response.
"How do I know this isn't one of the old man's schemes to change my view in his favor? It's possible that you're conspiring with him to capture me." Rose finally responded.
"Do you have any knowledge about magical oaths?" Remus asked her.
"No, I don't"
"I'll explain it to you. When a wizard takes an oath, they can swear on their magic as well as their lives. They will forfeit their magic or their lives if they break the oath. If you don't believe me when I say I'm not working with Dumbledore, then I'll swear an oath to prove it." Remus answered.
"Then do it." Rose demanded.
Remus held his wand high in the air. "I, Remus John Lupin, do hereby swear on my magic and my life that I am not in any way conspiring against Rose Lily Potter. So I swear it, so note it be." A bright light briefly flared around Remus as he took the pledge and then vanished.
Rose's face grew brighter as the oath was administered. "Alright, Remus, since you can't flee to the old man anymore, let me tell you about some plans I'm working on..."
Remus gave her a puzzled look before sitting on the the couch and listening in.
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"So, let me set this straight. So you're saying you-know-who's putting on an act? Is the mass murdering, immortal, unstoppable madman now somewhat sane and no better than just about any regular street wizard?" Remus asked. His entire perception of the war had been shattered. Did they really need to be frightened about much of anything anymore? The death eater raids haven't been happening all that much, and according to Rose, the war's leader is actively doing his best to conceal his loss of strength.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Remus, and it's also why we're carrying out the plan. It's not like we're setting loose a dragon camouflaged as a human on the streets. Besides, he won't be looking anything like he formerly did once I'm through with him." Rose responded.
Remus sat there for a few seconds, staring at the ground, sorting through the ocean of thoughts that were currently flooding his mind. Could he really let a man who has committed so many atrocities walk free? "Can't we at the very least bind his magic so he can't harm anyone?"
"He would sooner serve a prison sentence than lose his magical abilities. Weak or not, he is immortal, and time in prison would only serve to crush whatever sanity he has left. Just get on with it and stop whining. As long as he believes he is still alive, the old geezer will continue to try to capture me." Rose answered back.
"Fine," moaned Remus. "I'll help you do it. But, you WILL have him swear an oath not to murder or torture anyone again unless it's self defense again. I'll go tell Dumbledore that you've gone with Severus to start work on your spy activities as you stated, and I'll get the potion before the order meeting starts."
Rose nodded and watched as he walked out the door. The plan had already been put into action. Voldemort will be nothing but a a memory after today, and Rose Potter will be free of the old man's grasp. She walked to Severus' room, grabbed both of them, and simply apparated through Hogwarts' wards to Malfoy Manor. Such a thing should have been impossible, but Rose was clueless.
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"Come in!" As he reached the door of Dumbledore's office, Remus heard Dumbledore speak. During his fifth year, when he and James were arranging a prank at the door, he figured out how he detected people approaching. There was a detector ward around the office that had interfered with the prank they were planning to set up, so they decided to abandon it so as not to disrupt it.
He swung open the door. "Headmaster, Bertha has requested that I inform you she and Severus will be heading to you-know-who's headquarters to have her become a spy."
"Thank you for informing me, Remus. Did you remind her about the order meeting we'll be hosting later today?" Dumbledore asked.
"I did, indeed. She'll most likely be preoccupied with you-know-who, but she'll try to make it if she can."
"Great. In the meantime, Remus, I ask that you and Sirius continue your pursuit of Rose."
Remus did his best to suppress his urge to frown. "Of course, Headmaster. I'm going to get Sirius." Remus marched away from the old man's office to continue his tedious task of fruitlessly searching for Rose, cursing every time he had to apparate to a different area.
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Voldemort, who was presently in his study, was startled by the sound of apparation and began to reach for his wand, but stopped after he saw who had arrived. "I'm still not used to the idea that anti-apparation wards can be completely ignored. It's a constant reminder of the gap in power between us."
"What are you on about? Can't you teleport wherever you want?"
Voldemort raised an eyebrow. She had no idea how powerful she was? He was reminded that Rose had only recently discovered her heritage. "No, not at all. Most houses, buildings, and stores have a barrier that prevents people from 'teleporting' in and out. Thought it would seem you can completely ignore it."
Rose merely shrugged. "Eh, whatever. I'm here to keep you up to date on our plans. Some bloke called Remus John Lupin agreed to help us with the plan and made an excellent point. Before I go through with today's confrontation, I need you to swear an oath that you will never kill or torture anyone unless in self-defense. After all, you will be a former Dark Lord."
Voldemort released a short chuckle. "Without a doubt. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have sworn a vow. With my current level of power, I can't afford to be pursued by the aurors. Due to my experience, the most I could take down in a fight would be a group of five " He briefly paused. "I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, do hereby swear on my magic and my life never to kill or torture unless in an act of self defense. So I swear it, so not it be." A light momentarily enveloped him before disappearing.
Rose snickered. "So that's your real name, right? Tom Riddle? Tom? It's no wonder you kept your real name hidden! Can you imagine a Dark Lord calling himself Tom?"
Voldemort locked his gaze on her. "Are you done making a mockery of my disaster of a name?"
Rose grinned. "Of sure, on with the plan. So, what did you say I needed to do after you teleported away from the green light again?"