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groundedangel: Thank you so much for your reviews. It means a lot to have someone telling me my story is worth reading. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
A Future Riddle
Armando Dippet and Grindelwald
The surreal outline of the mystical castle would have made Jessie's heart soar, had it been beating that is. Hogwarts was truly a magnificent sight.
Jessie had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for a week before heading to Scotland and Hogsmead via the Knight Bus. There, she had flooed the Headmaster of Hogwarts at the moment, Armando Dippet, in order to set up an interview.
This had accomplished two things: Foremost and most obvious, it had set up an interview so that she could be considered for the teaching position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. A position which always seemed to be vacant. Secondly, the floo had shown her where she was in the arc of the story.
Armando Dippet had been Headmaster when Albus Dumbledore was only the Deputy Headmaster. He had also held this position the seven years Tom Riddle had gone to school. Unfortunately for Jessie, she had no way of knowing if Tom was at school yet or had graduated, but she still knew there was a chance.
It was this chance that prompted Jessie to walk up the stone steps and through the large oak doors into the looming castle.
Dippet, a gray-haired wizard in purple robes, stood next to the large stairway, apparently waiting for her arrival. His beady eyes bore into her green-blue ones as he introduced himself, "You must be Ms. Pandora, a pleasure to meet you." He held out a hand disdainfully which Jessie gingerly shook. It was obvious that it wasn't so much of a pleasure for him, her either for that matter.
He quickly dropped her hand and said in a crisp, pompous voice, "You seem very young to be teaching. Where are your credentials?"
"I'm afraid they would be useless to you Sir. I was home-schooled and obtained my teaching license in Italy. I realize that this bodes unfavorable to you, but rest assured that I am qualified. And, you are desperately in need of a DADA professor from what I've heard." Jessie said in a professional, confident tone.
The Headmaster still seemed unimpressed, and it seemed that he wouldn't even grant her an interview, when descending the staircase behind them, non other than Albus Dumbledore appeared.
Jessie was in complete shock as she was introduced to the tall, auburn-haired professor. His blue eyes twinkled as he bend down to kiss her hand. He straitened up and said, "I'm afraid you have heard correctly Ms.-
"Pandora." Jessie said once she had regained her composure. To be actually standing in the presence of Dumbledore was unbelievable to her.
"That's right! Ms. Jessie Pandora. How could I forget? We get so few applicants for that position." Dumbledore said enthusiastically.
Dippet grew tired of being ignored and said, "Ms. Pandora, this is my Deputy Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He's our Transfiguration Professor." Turning to Dumbledore, Dippet said rather dismissively, "Ms. Pandora and myself were just about to conduct an interview, if you don't mind Albus."
Dumbledore smiled and taking off his half-moon spectacles to clean them said, "Not at all Armando." He replaced his glasses and giving Jessie a final nod proceeded into the Great Hall where all the students appeared to be finishing their supper.
Jessie watched him open the large door and be accosted by a small black-haired boy in Slytherin robes. She would have turned her attention back to the Headmaster, except for the fact that just as the door to the Great Hall was shutting, she heard with her Vampiric hearing Dumbledore say, "Now now Tom, I really think you should apologize to Myrtle for saying that." And just like that, the door finally closed on the scene.
As Jessie followed Dippet to the gargoyles that guarded the Headmaster's office, she thought about the future Dark Lord. He couldn't have been more than a second year. There was still time to destroy him. All she had to do was get this job and kill him one night in his sleep. Easy as transfiguring water to blood. Not that that was ever easy.
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By the end of the interview, it was obvious that Dippet did not plan on hiring her. Jessie was perplexed at this, because she had answered every question beautifully and had been the epitome of confidence and professionalism. Her only conclusion was that Dippet was a jerk. That, or he was smarter than he looked and might have been suspicious about her "pale" tendencies.
As they both stood up, and Dippet gave the agonizing, "I'm sorry, but you're not quite what we're looking for," speech and escorted Jessie out of his office, she couldn't help but panic. If she didn't get into Hogwarts, then how was she supposed to kill Riddle? She didn't know exactly where to look for him after he graduated.
Just as she was about to exit the school, Dumbledore came up from behind her and said, "Ms. Pandora, I know Dippet didn't hire you. He's very discriminatory against magical creatures."
Jessie started at this. "So he knew the whole time? You knew?"
"Yes. But I have a way to change his tune about you, if you're up for it that is." Dumbledore didn't seem to mind at all that he was a foot away from a Vampire. His eyes were twinkling more brilliantly than ever.
"I'm up for anything."
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It was a good thing that Vampires didn't feel the cold, Jessie thought as she kneeled in the snow outside a small barrack with Dumbledore by her side. The December weather was cruel, and Jessie could tell Dumbledore was using magical warmer spells to keep himself from freezing to death.
It had been several years since the day of her failed interview. On that day, Dumbledore had offered Jessie a secret job. She was to track and spy on Lord Grindelwald and his forces. Dumbledore would occasionally accompany her when he was free of his school responsibilities, but most of the time, it was just Jessie and Trixz.
Jessie had forgotten about Grindelwald in her rush to destroy Voldemort. Grindelwald was at his greatest power right now, and although he was not as immortal as Voldemort would become, he was still the most feared Dark Wizard anyone had ever seen.
Foolishly, Jessie had engaged him twice. She had believed her magical powers and training to be sufficient to duel him. She had been wrong. The only thing that had saved her from becoming dust, was that Grindelwald hadn't been immediately aware that she was a Vampire. Avada Kadavra had no effect on her, because she was already dead.
Grindelwald, a half Wizard-half monster, was unbelievably cruel and animalistic. Jessie would almost go so far as to say he was slightly barbaric. While Lord Voldemort was to be every bit as evil and cruel as Grindelwald, he had, or would have, Jessie corrected herself, a finesse and refinement that his predecessor Grindelwald lacked.
It just so happened that on this particular frigid December night, Dumbledore had been free. He had met up with Jessie at the inn she had been staying at with Trixz, and the three of them had set off to where Jessie had last tracked Grindelwald.
"Trixz will go in first to create a preliminary diversion, and then I shall make my appearance. You come in last as the calvary." Jessie instructed to her two accomplices. They had agreed that the surprise would be gone as soon as they set up the anti-apparition wards around the barrack.
Dumbledore and Trixz nodded. On the count of three, Jessie and Dumbledore said the advanced spell and placed the ward around the entire barrack. There would be no escaping for any of them this time.
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As soon as Jessie heard the first spells being shot off inside the barrack, she charged in and began firing off curses. Trixz had done such a good job of distracting them, that it took a while for Grindelwald's supporters to realize her presence.
When they finally did, it was Dumbledore's turn to appear. He entered as quick as lightning and defeated so many of Grindelwald's supporters, that Jessie almost felt left out.
Luckily for her, Grindelwald chose that moment to make his presence known to her. She had been watching Dumbledore cast a Petrificus Totalus on a hag out of the corner of her eye as she prepared to Stupefy a dark Wizard lying before her. Suddenly, she had felt an enormous, cold hand grip around her neck and lift her off her feet.
She could tell it was him when he whispered hoarsely in her ear, "Hello my little fang girl." He threw her to the cement ground before him and continued with a wild laugh, "I know you've missed me dread-fully. But is all this really necessary?"
Jessie's prized possession, her eleven inch oak wand with a Unicorn's hair core, had landed several feet out of her reach to the left. Grindelwald's huge form advanced on her and began kicking her viciously in the sides. The physical pain was not unbearable to her, because of her Vampire healing, but it was rapidly draining all her energy.
As Jessie lay there beaten and still, she channeled all her remaining energy into her childe-bond with Trixz.
Trixz immediately made a tremendous jump over the hulking figure of the Dark Lord, and ran past Jessie's prone figure to pick up the oaken wand lying just out of her master's pale fingertips. Before Grindelwald could figure out what the creme-colored cat was doing, Trixz had delivered the wand to her master and jumped straight into the surprised face of Grindelwald himself where she scratched for all she was worth.
When Grindelwald had swiped Trixz away to the ground, he found himself confronted with an exceptionally powerful Bombarta spell that flew him into a wall. Jessie was just about to finish the job, when she saw another Dark Wizard out of the corner of her eye about to hit Dumbledore from behind. She sent the Avada Kadavra she had planned for Grindelwald at that Wizard instead. Dumbledore turned around just in time to see the man fall face first.
Dumbledore nodded to her and shouted, "Excellent hit Ms. Pando-AVADA KADAVRA! Jessie almost screamed at the nearness his spell came to her, but when she turned around to see what the spell had hit, she saw Grindelwald huge, motionless form slumped against the wall with his wand drawn out. Dumbledore had had her back just as she had had his.
With their master defeated, Grindelwald's remaining supporters surrendered, and using a fireplace in the barracks, Dumbledore was able to floo for Aurors to come pick them up.
After the place had been cleared out, Dumbledore found Jessie standing in front of the wall where Grindelwald had been killed. She was holding the tired Trixz in her arms and her face was contemplative.
"Well my dear, it seems that you and I are heroes." Jessie continued staring at the wall. "A reporter from the Daily Prophet was just here. I dare say you will receive a fair share of the publicity. I can't go around taking all the torture, now can I?" Dumbledore came up behind her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What do you say we go request another interview with our dear friend Professor Dippet? I think he'll be quite happy to have you on our staff once he is privy to your exploits here today. And I made sure that your bloodline was kept out of the paper. In fact, since I already alerted the press to your future plans at Hogwarts just now, it would be quite impossible for Dippet to deny you again. You're a national hero my dear!"
Jessie finally turned to Dumbledore. She took in his sincerity and said, "There is nothing, nothing, I'd rather do, than go to Hogwarts right now."
With the customary twinkle in his blue eyes, Dumbledore led her and Trixz to the fireplace and they fooed to Hogsmead.
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Jessie was aware of her luck. Not only had they managed to defeat Grindelwald before Tom graduated, but the latest temporary DADA Professor had just quit due to the incident with the Chamber of Secrets. He had unfortunately been a half-blood and was forced to resign by his wife who feared for his safety.
When Dippet interviewed her for the second time, he had acted completely different. This time, he was charming and polite and as soon as the interview was complete, he shook her hand and welcomed her to Hogwarts. Jessie knew this was all a front due to her new "celebrity" status.
She really disliked the current Headmaster.
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Because the downfall of the Dark Lord Grindelwald had occurred during the Christmas break, Jessie was able to move into the castle and get organized for classes before any of the students had come back from the break.
However, Jessie had forgotten that one student always remained at Hogwarts over the holidays. He was the orphaned, sixteen year old future Dark Lord, Tom Marvolo Riddle.