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Chapter 23:
Grindelwald Strikes Again,
By Anita McKlein.
A shocking discovery has come to light two days before the Hogwarts term ended and the children were to depart to London aboard the Hogwarts Express. A student who wishes to remain anonymous, began to suspect the Greatest Wizard of the Century, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, of foul play.
Since the student wishes to remain anonymous, backed up by the Head of the Department of Magical Law and Enforcement, Amelia Susan Bones gave me a statement of her actions regarding her peculiar suspicions. Now we all know the quirky Headmaster had a fondness for those Muggle sweets, Lemon Drops; Fawkes, the Headmaster's familiar covertly delivered the student one of the sweets that were oddly hidden from the offered ones remaining on his desk. With the help of Professor Severus Tobias Snape, the Head of Slytherin house and Potions Master at Hogwarts, they discovered the sweet to be heavily laced.
Sit tight my readers, for the truth shall devastate you; Albus Dumbledore was not who he was. No… for the Lemon Drop was laced with Polyjuice Potion; quite ingenious since it is commonly known for our venerable Headmaster to absorb those sweets religiously.
Who may you ask was the impersonator? Gellert Grindelwald, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Amelia Bones immediately bound the evil Dark Lord and questioned him under the heavy effects of veritable Veritaserum, and the ugly truth is that our heralded Headmaster had been impersonated for eighteen years! Eighteen! Grindelwald was instantly whisked off to a holding cell at the Ministry under the vigilant watch of the war veteran and lifetime friend of Albus Dumbledore, Head Auror, Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody, until a Wizengamot Court had been arranged and justice shall be served.
Madam Bones herself, along with a few aurors portkeyed to fortress Nurmengard in Germany and they located next to the alleged Grindelwald's cell, four guards lying dead in the most gruesome of ways. It seems our heralded Leader of the Light and Greatest Wizard of the Century has a guardian angel, for three days after Grindelwald was revealed and captured, he appeared at St. Mungo's, unconscious but healing at a remarkably fast rate for somebody who had been imprisoned in an eighteen year stint in Nurmengard.
We at the Daily Prophet wish Albus Dumbledore a speedy recovery, for justice to be served, and for the perpetrators who came up with this dastard scheme to be captured. We are also hoping to unveil the guardian angel who aided in his rescue and we profusely thank the anonymous student for her contribution in aiding the Magical Community and our heralded Leader.
All around the British Magical Community, a drove of owls dispensed the morning edition of the Daily Prophet, impatiently hooting for the customary payment of one Knut before swooping over to the next wizarding household. The main office in Diagon Alley for the wizarding newspaper were under pressure as they were ordered to send the Daily Prophet to those that hadn't queried for a subscription due to their adamant beliefs regarding the Prophet lacking journalistic integrity and factual accuracy.
On July 1st, the entire Wizarding Community was in a state of uproar; the magical households in Britain went through a variety of emotions from every shade of the rainbow; shock, anger, fear, scandalized, horrified, disbelief and many more. The categorically light families demanded retribution and were hard-pressed to floo directly to St. Mungo's to visit their cherished Leader of the Light; the neutral greys were uncertain, and began questioning their previous doubts in regards to their private thoughts of the Chief Warlock; the undeniably dark families however, were at a stalemate and fervently confused over the shocking turn of events, especially since most turned to the Dark Lord because the alleged Headmaster alienated them from their peers during their Hogwarts schooling, marking them all as Junior Death Eaters before their time.
On the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon England, in the magical dwelling dubbed The Burrow, seven occupants with identical flaming red hair were congregated together having their routinely family breakfast. Molly Weasley was ecstatic now that her four sons were back from Hogwarts and was staring fondly at her mischievous twins who reminded her of her dearly deceased younger twin brothers who met their downfall during the First War when suddenly, a sharp intake of breath snapped her from her reverie. In fact, six redheads were studying the Patriarch of their family with weary eyes and concerned brows; the usually jubilant Arthur Weasley adopted a wide-eyed, aghast mien, his knuckles had whitened and shook tremendously, threatening to rip apart the Daily Prophet edition. Wordlessly, he handed over the newspaper to his concerned wife and pandemonium ensued. For the next hour or so, screams reverberated around the dilapidated house that was held together by magic; screams of denial, outrage, worry and fear. Arthur Weasley had to forcibly hold his ferocious wife from flooing to St. Mungo's and even the impish twins adopted a solemn mien, one worthy of their prim and proper older brother, Percy.
Adjacent to The Burrow, in a black-colored cylindrical house on top of a hill taking the peculiar shape of a giant chess rook, an idiosyncratic man who so happened to be the editor of the Quibbler barely reacted upon reading the front page of the Daily Prophet. Xenophilius Lovegood merely pursed his lips in thought and smiled oddly at his equally eccentric daughter, "Like I said, Luna. There was a large infestation of Nargles following the imposter around the castle. I always knew there was something odd about him." Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Meanwhile, in Wiltshire, England, the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor were readying themselves for a delectable buffet laid out by the trusty house-elves. The Lestrange Family and the Zabini Family assembled for a family breakfast with the Malfoys. Just as a barn owl arrived with the Daily Prophet, Kipsy, the Lestrange Head Elf and Boper, the Zabini Head Elf simultaneously popped in with the morning edition before transporting back. Lucius Malfoy had been unfortunate enough to be sipping tea and spat a mouthful of the lukewarm liquid across the front page; Rodolphus Lestrange nearly toppled off his chair and Eduardo Zabini completely missed aiming the spoonful of porridge in his mouth, aiming behind his shoulder instead and splattering on the marbled floor along with the clattering of the spoon. Their respective wives and children gaped at the usually held-together Lords, curious and concerned over their odd behavior.
"Grindelwald Strikes Again?" Bellatrix screeched, sounding much like her previously deranged self before the downfall of her Lord. Pauline Zabini, Narcissa Malfoy and Esmeralda Lestrange clutched their children tightly to their side, unable to imagine that their children had been in close proximity of the second most feared Dark Lord that was until Rabastan pointed out a certain statement they had all blindly forgotten, "We were in close proximity to him! Eighteen years, Dolph! We were all attending Hogwarts in the year 1985!"
"And he started alienating us and treating Slytherins unfairly at that time," Lucius uttered in a hush; the shocking discovery had them all forgetting their children's presence as each of the adults were lost in thought.
In the year 1985, Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Black, Lucius Malfoy, Eduardo Zabini and Pauline Ravolini returned from the summer for their seventh year at Hogwarts, while Rabastan Lestrange, Esmeralda Zabini and Narcissa Black began their fifth year at Hogwarts; in their previous years, the twinkling-eyed, lemon-drop-sucking Headmaster continuously spouted off numerous speeches at the beginning of the Sorting Feast about House Unity, imploring the four houses to disregard bigotry, make friends with those in the other Houses and always doled out punishment justly when it came to bullying. Though he had his favorites, he never once acted upon them. Until the Sorting Feast of 1985… the routinely speech they all adamantly ignored was strangely absent, the Headmaster started favoring Gryffindors above all, alienating Slytherins and turning a blind-eye on the constant bullying of their peers and pranking of the Marauders.
The Slytherins were cunning and immediately narrowed in on the Headmaster's contradictory behavior, but they merely batted it away as the old fossil finally losing his marbles or in the case of the Dark Families, they started considering the Dark Lord's propaganda regarding the Leader of the Light finally showing his true manipulative colors. Oh, how wrong they all were!
Liam Warren, the American Representative to the International Confederation of Wizards was dumbfounded. Despite the fact that he hated the rag the British Wizarding Community called Wizarding Newspaper, as Lord Warren and a prominent member of the ICW, he made it a habit to follow the news regarding every wizarding community to be updated and well-informed at all times. His father, the late Alexander Warren, had a close bond with the Greatest Wizard of the Century, Albus Dumbledore and would constantly regale tales of his old friend; heralding him as one of the best wizards he ever had the opportunity of meeting and befriending. When Liam took the mantle as Lord Warren after his father's death, he immediately arranged for a meeting between him and the legacy his father continuously boasted about; during his father's ailment, he lost all contact with Dumbledore, and four years after his father perished, the meeting occurred. Liam had always been an astute man and recognized the Leader of the Light, his father's close comrade, lost his way and in all actuality, was a manipulative old goat. How was he to know that his father's closest friend was being impersonated by the evil Dark Lord Grindelwald?
In Potter Manor, James, Lily, Sirius, Angelica and Remus had assembled in the drawing room unable to convey their thoughts into articulate words. Their mentor, the man they all looked up to – bar Angelica – had been an imposter all this time. Remus began recalling the many Order missions the alleged Dumbledore sent him out to, and he finally comprehended that the reason why they were too dangerous, was because the imposter was hoping him, 'a filthy Dark Creature', would perish. James and Sirius now understood why ever since their fifth year at Hogwarts, the Headmaster abruptly halted berating them for their numerous pranks, choosing to laugh at them and fabricate excuses for their deplorable behavior. Lily acknowledged that the imposter had been anticipating her failed friendship with Severus for some unknown reason. Angelica however, inherited her father's acuity, and there was one thought that plagued her mind, "How did Odette manage to realize Albus was being emulated after one year of schooling, while you all never caught on?" her husband and his friends merely gaped at her, their heads shaking in synchronization, but Angelica was on a roll, her cornflower blue orbs burning into James and Lily, the failed parents of her favorite niece, "And while we're on the subject of Odette, how in Merlin's saggy balls did she free Albus from Nurmengard?!"
Floundering for some sort of response, James stammered, "I-I-I, I don't know."
"You don't know?" Angelica mimicked him, her blonde brows nearly disappearing into her hairline, "She's your daughter, James! For ten years you've been ignoring the very soil she walks on! Now it has come to bite you in the ass! You and Lily are completely oblivious when it comes to anything remotely about Odette! Let me tell you what I managed to find out about her through word-of-mouth; she formulated an amicable bond with your most hated rival, Severus, she apparently has friends in high places since they managed to rescue Albus from a magically protected and impossible to penetrate fortress, Nurmengard, IN. GERMANY! She is a phenomenal prodigy for a girl that had been assumed to be a Squib. She worked alongside Severus to discover Albus' odd behavior. When she was barely out of your womb, she uncannily knew that Albus and Pettigrew were evil. What? You have NOTHNG to say? Or are you just going to stare at me with your jaws hitting the ground like utter morons!?"
"I-I, we-, we don't know," James stammered yet again, unable to even think eloquently.
Suffice to say, Angelica Warren-Black was not happy, and the remaining four were adamant in receiving answers to the conundrum that was Odette Arielle Potter.
At St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Healer Richard Welphs was updating Madam Bones on the actual Albus Dumbledore's health. For a man well over his hundredth birthday that spent eighteen years in a highly guarded cell in Nurmengard, under horrid weather conditions and offered barely edible nourishments, he was healing splendidly. The wizened man's pallid and ashen face was beginning to radiate with a healthy glow; his muscles and joints were able to be restored to its previous state allowing him to be mobile; also, he was losing his emaciated figure and recovering phenomenally.
"I'm telling you, Madam Bones, whoever healed Mr. Dumbledore before transporting him to St. Mungo's is a godsend. I'd be fighting tooth and nail to get that Healer on our team; he or she did miracles. Albus Dumbledore looks like an old man recovering from the flu!" Healer Whelphs rambled in shocked astonishment.
Looking at the fully-recovered Leader of the Light, Amelia pondered over whether or not she should assemble a meeting with the enigmatic Odette Potter, who for an eleven-year-old girl seemed to know more than she should and apparently had strong connections with the outside world.
In a quaint neighborhood situated in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Müller was pacing frantically around his bedroom, muttering hysterically to himself while tugging on his wavy straw-colored hair. He had failed in his mission, and he feared the wrath of his girlfriend when she finally discovered that Dumbledore escaped after five years of meticulous planning and eighteen years of triumph.
Adolph was appointed with one job, one job and he had failed abysmally! Guard the heralded wizard's cell on rotation, and every hour on the dot, ensure the dosage of Polyjuice Potion. Night watch, he was free from his duty, and his four comrades were given charge of watching the highly guarded cell. In eighteen years of the religious routine, only two guards discovered the truth and were swiftly dealt with by him. On the night of Dumbledore's escape, the alarm signaling a break-in that he himself had installed due to his affinity in warding, rang in his loft, but by the time he portkeyed to Nurmengard, Hans, Ahlf, Aldrik and Dirk were dead, their hearts laying by their feet and their neck snapped. Adolph was left with only one solution, he ran.
The gig had come to a failed fruition; there would be no war where Grindelwald turned out the victor, and it was only a matter of time before his beloved Tima arrived at his loft to swoop down on him like an incensed inferno for failing in his entrusted duty. He did not know if he would prefer to have his heart ripped out by the unknown brutal assailant like his four partners in crime, or face Tima's legendary temper.
Coinciding with the Wizarding population's reactions, the Professors at Hogwarts were in chaotic turbulence; either they were weeping for the years of suffering Albus went through, or berating themselves for not noticing the sudden change in their heralded Headmaster; they could barely prepare for the next year of schooling. Muggleborns needed to be informed of the magical society and escorted to Diagon Alley by the end of the month, and yet, none of them could move past their office, all of them subdued with worry over Albus' condition and guilt over their naivety. Of course, they had all been confided in the identity of the anonymous student and they felt shame engulf them. A mere first year managed to expose the imposter while they who worked alongside Albus for decades were totally oblivious!
But not all of the Professors were plagued with guilt and shame.
No.
One Professor was about to self-combust with violent anger as she ripped apart the offending Daily Prophet into multiple little pieces and set them aflame with a non-verbal Incendio. Adolph would rue the day he became complacent and failed her! All her plans, all these painstaking years of fastidious scheming came to an abrupt end, all because of that bitch spawn of Potter's! After she deals with her failure of a boyfriend Müller, Odette Potter will cease to exist for disrupting her plans in world domination alongside Gellert!
This woman was fierce and quick to anger, her temper was known as terrifying and entirely unpredictable and her uttered words could be deeply damaging when she wanted them to be. Why? Because she had almost no need for people, and had no trouble hurting those that disappointed her.
There would be a trial by the Wizengamot where they would obviously question Gellert under the effects of Veritaserum, and he would have no free-will with his answers. They would all discover her to be the brains behind the entire operation, the person who meticulously planned his freedom and ingeniously captured the old fossil and made the switch. Those vultures would report her name, plastering it in the front page of the Daily Prophet and the Aurors would swoop down on her. Oh no, she had no desire to spend a lifetime locked up in Azkaban or Nurmengard. No; she would escape before the trial and hide in Germany with that fool Müller and once the wizarding world became complacent, she would free Gellert once again and release the hounds in the Wizarding and the Muggle Community and finally achieve her plans for world domination.
Packing her bags in haste, she shrunk them to fit inside her pocket and be conspicuous, not wanting to draw attention or suspicion regarding her sudden leave. Smiling at her gullible co-workers, she finally crossed Hogwarts' wards and apparated away.
Odette Potter would rue the day she ruined her complot!
"Adolph Müller! You have failed me, Lieber Freund!" she sneered, pointing her wand at the despicable weakling in front of her. Raising his hands in the air in a placating manner, Adolph whimpered, "Tima, Meine Geliebte, plea-"
"CRUCIO!"
***THE FORGOTTEN POTTER***
Nicholas Flamel warily approached the Roman white marble steps of the Gringotts branch in Liberty Lane, his cerulean orbs scrutinizing the plethora of wizarding folk surrounding him as he searched for the one who saved his Stone and sent him the surprising missive with Fawkes. Of course, he knew the person meant no harm otherwise Fawkes wouldn't have aided the aforementioned, however, to one that lived a long life like he, one learned to practice caution and remain vigilant.
"Excuse me?" Turning around, wary cerulean orbs sparkled slightly at the cherubic beauty in front of him, unable to be brusque with a young girl who looked no older than fourteen. She had long, curly red hair the color of pure rubies, an ivory complexion that seemed to be slightly sun-kissed, a straight-sloped petite nose, pouty petal-shaped pink lips, high cheekbones and a heart-shaped face; but what drew his attention the most, was her expressive emerald orbs, for a young girl, they radiated death and agony, haunted by ghosts and horror no child should ever know.
"Yes?"
An amused smile appeared on her divine mien, "Lord Flamel. I am the person you seem to be wary of. We corresponded by Fawkes." Odette couldn't help but smile at the dumbfounded expression on the nearly seven-hundred-year-old alchemist's face; however, if she were to be completely honest with herself, when Divus informed her through their familiar link that the roguishly young and handsome lithe man with cerulean orbs was the famed alchemist, she was in a state of disbelief since she expected a withering old man resembling Dumbledore.
"But you're a child," Nicholas gasped, and despite his words, Odette detected no offense, merely astonishment and a slight amount of denial. Melodious giggles escaped from those angelic lips that now seemed to be more devious and she retorted, "And you're very young for one nearing his seven-hundredth birthday. So I guess we both failed in our expectations."
Blinking once, twice, thrice, Nicholas finally let his head fall backwards and guffawed jovially. Once he ceased with his laughter, his cerulean orbs gleamed with mirth and delight, "Touché. May I enquire a name to fit your face, or shall I constantly call you child?"
Extending a hand of courtesy, Odette abandoned her hostile demeanor in the face of the celebrated alchemist and smiled genially, "Odette Arielle Potter, at your service, Lord Flamel, though I do hope this remains confidential." Nicholas recognized it more to be a polite demand than an imploring question and he nodded in acquiescence, the corner of his eyes crinkling with a smile, "Just Nicholas, Odette. I don't want to hear all this Lord Flamel nonsense; it makes me feel old." He successfully – and to Odette's tumultuous shock – brought forth genuine laughter from her. A few individuals of the Wizarding World were really testing what The Red Room indoctrinated her into being; who knew that a certain few could shed the assassin's cold and emotionless skin and bring forth the abandoned four-year-old who merely wished to be loved.
The odd pair, under Nicholas' stubborn cajoling, picked a private table in the five-star French restaurant, Merlin Meilleur and after surprising the prestigious alchemist with her fluent French as she ordered her meal, entertained each other with small talk. After all, how many people could actually say that they had the honor of lunching with Nicholas Flamel? The two intellectual minds argued amicably about theories of magic and spells and runes, and finally, Odette confided in him the happenings of her first year at Hogwarts, adding emphasis on the failed protections of his life work.
"Three first years managed to pass through Albus' magical protections with ease? Merde sur lui," he cussed, forgetting for a moment that the eleven-year-old, and yes, he was shocked upon discovering her actual age, could understand him perfectly. Odette giggled, an action so unlike the cold assassin, and parotted, "Yes, shit on him."
Squirming sheepishly, Nicholas muttered, "If my Nelly was here, she would crucify me for cussing in front of a young girl. I apologize, it's just, I cannot comprehend why my old friend, my devoted student, would betray me in such a despicable way. Why, he only needs ask and I shall gladly share a few drops of the Elixir with him."
Placing her cutlery on her plate, Odette cocked her head to the side, "Do you not have a subscription to the Daily Prophet?"
"Bahh! That old rag? It's a joke of journalism, why would I waste my time reading that hogwash?"
The only response Odette deemed him with after his, honestly – perfectly correct justification, was to wandlessly enlarge the copy of the newspaper that shook the entire wizarding nation that very morning and hand it over. A myriad of emotions passed through Nicholas Flamel's handsome visage before they finally settled on concern for his old friend's predicament, "Merde!"
Suffice to say, their luncheon came to an abrupt end. Nicholas was adamant in collecting Perenelle and visiting Albus at St. Mungo's, but what palpably shocked Odette Potter was when the noted alchemist offered her his tutelage in Alchemy, an offer she promptly accepted before he disappeared in a flurry of robes. Over the moon with Nicholas Flamel being her mentor, a prestigious offer any witch or wizard would give up their wand arm for, Odette failed to notice a body bump into her until the impact and a modulated voice simultaneously spoke up, "Sorry, miss. You alright?"
Later on, in the confines of her bedroom, Odette would harshly berate herself for letting her guard down and acting like a foolish simpleton for gasping out loud and uttering, "Sirius?!" The Sirius lookalike nearly dropped his shopping bags at her inquiry and sharp astute turquoise orbs scrutinized her warily and with no amount of suspicion. Mentally facepalming herself for her colossal faux pas, Odette adopted her emotionless Shadow Swan mask; this stranger was obviously not her so-called godfather, despite their nearly identical appearance, this man lacked the expressive stormy gray orbs and jovial demeanor. "Pardon me, I thought you were somebody else." Turning to leave, a hand shot out in front of her face and the man asked, "Where are your parents?"
Odette recognized the undercurrent suspicion in his question, and she fathomed this man was probably related to Sirius Black and not in good terms. Before she could retort a crisp answer, the familiar silky voice of Loki resounded from behind her, "There you are Grænn gimsteinn minn." Loki smiled at the Sirius lookalike, his forest green orbs shining with mirth, "I do apologize for my daughter if she insulted you. Children these days, they are allergic to abiding by the rules."
"No, it's-it's uh, it's alright. I just thought she was lost. Goodbye," the man was only too glad to add a large distance between them, though he continuously turned around to scrutinize Odette with palpable suspicion before disappearing around the corner. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Odette raised a crimson eyebrow at the God of Lies and Mischief, "Daughter? Really?!"
"Oh hush you. I saved your behind. That man is obviously in relation to your godfather," and here, Loki couldn't help but sneer Sirius' title in distaste before he gazed proudly at the chastised assassin, "So, I here congratulations are in order, Grænn gimsteinn minn. Nicholas Flamel will be mentoring you from hereon now." Odette raised her arms up to the heavens, "Peeping Tom! I hate it when you stalk me, Stalker-God!"
Loki flicked her nose playfully, "It's called looking out for you. Really, Odette Arielle. Now, the reason why I appeared to you is because Heimdall informed me that Amelia Bones wants the name of the 'Healer' that cured Albus Dumbledore. His recovery is listed as a miracle and they are all baffled since his health is even better than before his stint at Nurmengard," he smirked arrogantly causing Odette to roll her eyes.
"Jeez, you Gods really are egotistical prats, tone it down a bit would ya, Bree contributed in Dumbles' recovery too," Odette pointedly informed him, "Besides, Bones is wasting her precious time. I won't be disclosing any names, so she might as well spend her time doing something of good use to mockery that is Magical Britain, they're all in uproar."
It wasn't like Odette could simply tell Bones that a Servant of Nature – witches they have no inkling of, and a Norse God – the Asgardian Prince Loki in particular, spent two entire days healing the unconscious Greatest Wizard of the Century with unknown spells aided by Nature and the spirits of dead witches, and sorcery and potions meant for and created by mythological Gods, now could she? Asgardian Healing was superior to the limitations of mortal wizarding healing; the major reason why Loki aided in healing Dumbledore, was because the All-Father was extremely fond of and respected the Leader of the Light and wished his son to aid in his speedy recovery.
Loki rolled his eyes in amusement, "You've been hanging around Gods ever since you were the age of four, you should be used to our arrogance and superiority complex by now, Grænn gimsteinn minn." They halted by a vacant corner so that Odette could Shadow-Travel without any witnesses; Loki knelt down to be in the same elevation as Odette and placed both hands on her shoulders, proud that she barely flinched at skin contact anymore ever since Lexi stalked her until she finally agreed in befriending her, "I have two messages to divulge before I take my leave. Mother wishes to spend more time with you and teach you a new creation of hers, and Thor wishes to spar with you again," at that, the Silvertongue aggressively rolled his eyes while Odette smirked in amusement, "The other message is from Heimdall ordered by the All-Father; you must visit Ragnok at the earliest convenience. Gringotts takes precedence to anything else, do you comprehend?"
Nodding in confusion, Odette hugged the God of Lies and Shadow-Traveled away.
***THE FORGOTTEN POTTER***
Charlus Potter had been reserved ever since his confrontation with Quirrell and woke up after his three day coma in the Hospital Wing. Not only did the arrogant Boy-Who-Lived discover his twin sister was correct in her theory of Snape being innocent, but he awoke to the news of his mentor being the Dark Lord Grindelwald and had been molding him since the age of five to inevitably die at the other end of Voldemort's wand.
Despite the shocking discovery, his parents puffed up in pride due to him saving the Sorcerer's Stone and ridding the school of the possessed teacher, and although Charlus adored being praised for his astonishing feats, a part of him knew that Quirrell's death and Voldemort's temporary banishment had nothing to do with him, and that he was most probably taking credit for another's triumph.
Wandering the vacant hall in Potter Manor, Charlus gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in envy at hearing his parents had once again congregated with his Uncle Sirius, Aunt Angelica and godfather, Remus, all five of them in a deep discussion of Odette, again! Ever since he returned from Hogwarts for the summer, they have been pestering Odette to reveal how exactly she knew the Headmaster was an imposter and how exactly she managed to rescue the Headmaster from Nurmengard in Germany; to no avail. She just wouldn't budge and barely acknowledged them despite the fact that they all lived under the same roof.
Hearing Odette's voice, Charlus curiously followed the musical lilt to Harry's room; another point that irked the Boy-Who-Lived was the fact that his little brother preferred the Squib over him and everybody else. Five year old Harry Potter basically worshiped the ground Odette walked on and she wasn't even the twin who rid the Wizarding World of Voldemort!
"Dee-Dee, I wanna see Wexi and Wee!" Harry squealed childishly bringing forth a rare smile from his impassive twin's face.
Another bewildering fact was these strange people that Odette seemed to know and nobody could discover how she met them or even how she manages to leave the Manor without getting caught. In his youth, Charlus demanded attention from everyone and disregarded the cruel treatment of his twin, but regardless of that fact, he never failed to notice her in the background with tears streaming down her face. Odette had always been an exuberant baby, boisterous even in the face of the harsh treatment doled out to her, until after his fourth birthday ball in the Ministry, she completely disappeared.
His parents failed to notice her sudden disappearance, but Charlus didn't, after all, he was her twin and despite his arrogance and blindness due to his fame, Charlus recognized the lack of her appearance, and he heard the house-elf, Daisy that his mom ordered to take care of her, frantically searching high and low for his missing twin. And then suddenly, around three years later, she began to show up more often, yet she never tried to steal his adorers or garner attention. Charlus noticed that his twin was no longer a happy child, but cold, impassive and lacked any emotion on her visage. A part of him was concerned, after all, Squib or not, she was his twin, his sister, they formed together from their mother's womb, but his arrogance was overwhelming and he continued to ignore her existence… until her miraculous Hogwarts letter arrived.
Cooing at Harry, Odette laughed, "First of all, Har, its Lexi and Lee, we really need to fix your pronunciation, huh?" she ruffled his hair fondly before stiffening and without tearing her emeralds from Harry's person, she snapped, "What do you want, Charlie?"
"How did you know? About Dumbledore, I mean," Charlus blurted out. But Odette merely snorted cruelly and gave him a cynical glare while keeping a tight hold on Harry who only had eyes for her, "If I hadn't confided in James and Lily, what makes you think I'll tell you? Unlike the other mindless sheep in this Faustian community, I won't kiss your feet just because you asked."
Instead of snapping back with a biting remark, Charlus asked, "Why do you call them by their names? They're your parents!" Odette burst out into uproarious laughter, a few cackles blending in with the melodious ringing causing Charlus to recoil slightly, "Your parents, Charlie. In case you didn't get the memo, or you were too blinded by your adoring fans and being raised on a holy altar, I was raised by nobody! I have no parents, and I need no parents. The only Potter I actually love is Harry, and nobody else. So run along and whine for the new Nimbus Broom that came out like you had been planning on and leave me be," she sneered, completely dismissing him as she returned her complete attention to Harry.
"Wexi and Wee! Wexi and Wee! Me want Wexi and Wee!" Harry chirped, flapping his hands adorably in the air. Sighing in mock-defeat, Odette carried Harry in her arms and into her room, "Okay, champ. Your wish my command."
Unbeknownst to her, James and Lily heard the confrontation between their twins and their hearts bled at their abandoned daughter's words in regards to them. Sirius had to bite his tongue from spitting out, 'I told you so,' but Angelica had no reservations as she shot them both a smug smirk; a vindictive side of her took great pleasure in the Potters' suffering, after all, they brought it upon themselves.
***THE FORGOTTEN POTTER***
After dropping off a squealing and ecstatic Harry to the resident vampires who were equally delightful at the chance to spend more time with the lovable five-year-old boy, Odette morphed her looks with her metamorphmagus ability into a black-haired and black-eyed pale twenty-year-old woman and Shadow-Traveled to Diagon Alley.
She strode over to the majestic snowy building with a purpose, her head held high and ignored the curious looks she was on the receiving end of from the few gossip-mongering housewives who took pride in gathering scandalous information on every individual who passed by since they lacked importance in their lives. Upon entering the ornate doors, she dipped her head in acknowledgement to a few staring goblins who instantly recognized her magical aura to be Odette Arielle Potter, friend to the Goblin Nation, deemed worthy and bequeathed the prestigious title by the Head Goblin, Ragnok himself.
Due to her title, Goblin-Friend, Odette was immediately escorted to Ragnok's antechamber without uttering a word, barely sparing any attention to the cacophony of mutterings originating from the curious witches and wizards who noticed the utmost respect given to the dark-haired woman as a few goblins brandished their weapons in a means of protection once her back was turned.
"May the strength of your ancestors flow through you, Goblin-Friend," Ragnok sinisterly grinned upon her entrance, and due to his ferocious guise it appeared more as a grimace that a benign smile.
Smirking in return, Odette formally dipped her head and took her accustomed seat opposite to him, "May the blood of your enemies trail rivers of red behind your feet, Leader Ragnok my dear friend."
Ragnok puffed up in satisfaction at her respectful greeting and the identification of their alliance before speaking with a shrewd stare, "I should have known by now that you will continue to surprise me. I have been planning on sending you a missive in the nearby future. I don't suppose you are willing to share how you knew I required an audience with you…?"
"A little birdie told me," Odette cheekily winked, prompting raucous laughter from the Head Goblin who had a morbid sense of humor and a fondness to the peculiar human who held so much power in her tiny fists. Sitting straight, Ragnok adopted a solemn mien and took up a professional stance, "I see you have been busy at Hogwarts. I always suspected something terribly wrong with Dumbledore for more than a decade now, but unfortunately, the cowardly imposter knew the goblins would recognize him if he entered the front doors," leaning comfortably on his seat, Ragnok continued, "For the past eighteen years, the imposter has been sending lackeys when it came to Gringotts business and continuously rejected my requests for a summit. Now I know my suspicions to be correct; but entertain me, how did you discover what many others failed to?"
Interlocking her fingers together and resting her chin on top, Odette smirked, a triumphant gleam in her emerald gems, "Dumbledore was a heralded wizard, adored by all and yet, when I was a mere babe, I cried in his presence. Pettigrew the traitor would elicit the same reaction out of me, and so, it got me thinking, what if my hatred toward Dumbledore playing a part in my tarnished childhood was blinding me to the truth. Those accursed lemon drops always struck me as odd; I grabbed one and dissected it and they were laced with compulsion potions and a weak truth potion. Me being the Phoenix Queen, Fawkes aided in my endeavor and delivered a lemon drop from his secret stash, and the rest as you know, is history."
"You shall never fail to evoke interest in me, Goblin-Friend. I am honored to be considered as such to you," Ragnok grinned, a finger stroking his cheek in wonder.
"Yes, although I have failed to discover the brains behind the operation. No way in hell could Grindelwald have escaped Nurmengard without anybody noticing, quickly overpower Dumbledore and make the switch," Odette huffed in annoyance; she hated being out of the loop, and didn't fancy discovering the truth with the rest of the Wizarding World during Grindelwald's trial. Noticing the malicious glint in Ragnok's beady eyes had her sitting up straight and leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, "What do you know, friend?"
"Merely conjecture," Ragnok bit out, though the evil grin remained in place, "But my presumptions nearly always end up veritable. Twenty four years ago, a Muggleborn witch arrived in my lobby asking for an inheritance test notwithstanding the cost. Her Muggle mother had recently perished and in her despondence was desperate to locate the father she never knew. The result of her lineage was… staggering, even in regards to the Goblin Nation since we are unconcerned with the matter of wizards. Then, she materialized four years later, and I received intelligence that the aforementioned witch attained herself a secure position at Hogwarts as a Professor, and according to the Grindelwald's confession, he had been impersonating Dumbledore for eighteen years, approximately one year after the aforementioned witch succeeded in procuring the position as a Hogwarts Professor where she had perfect access in deceiving and disarming the Greatest Wizard in a Century without a hitch."
Completely riveted with Ragnok's tale, Odette felt a spark of curiosity in her belly, "I presume you kept the copy of her inheritance test." It was not a question, but a statement, for Odette knew those greedy bastards would never rid themselves of evidence in the hopes of receiving reimbursement.
"You presume correctly," Ragnok's chapped lips twisted into a nefarious smile and he instantly began rummaging through his private drawer, "Of course, since you are a Goblin-Friend, I require no compensation from you. After Grindelwald's trial, the Head of the DMLE will, without a doubt summon for an audience with me, and I will demand a trade," he sneered at the mention of the Ministry.
A worn-out, fragile papyrus parchment was laid out in front of her, between her and Ragnok; emerald gems immediately perused the myriad of cursive letterings for a familiar name and her eyes widened marginally upon reaching the end; the last three names in particular.
A Regina Vector had no marriage bond, but she did have a connection with Gellert Grindelwald in terms of procreation; the two separate names each had one name connecting them together, indicating the offspring of their copulation;
1943 –
Septima Vector
A/N: What do you think, Dear Readers?! XD
German:- Lieber Freund – Dear Boyfriend.
Meine Geliebte – My Love.
(1)I couldn't just show the capture of Grindelwald and not portray the reactions of a certain few. (2) Regarding the Death Eaters; I am not giving them excuses for swearing allegiance to Voldemort, however, there must be a reason for some; not everyone is evil. Evil is made, not born! With the fake Dumbledore alienating the Slytherins and calling them Death Eaters in training, allowing the other Houses to get away with bullying them and showing favoritism to the Light Families, that would push many of the dark families to swear allegiance to Voldemort. I am not giving them excuses, merely portraying how Grindelwald was a contributing factor in pushing a certain few over to the Dark Side. (3) Did you like Charlus' thoughts? I couldn't help but write a part for him so I can add variety to my story. Despite the fact that Odette is the main character, I have to show the background of the other characters. (4) To the extreme Harry Potter fans, some are maybe confused in regards to the year differences; as my author note states in chapter one, everything is pushed ten years in advance; for example, instead of Charlus and Odette being born in 1981, they are born in 1991, so instead of Grindelwald being captured in 1945, he was captured in 1955. (5) I am sure you all noticed who exactly Septima Vector is, but to those who don't know… she is the Arithmancy Professor at Hogwarts. Did you see that coming? I mean, it is no easy feat to overpower Dumbledore, somebody had to have the advantage of surprising him, and where better than to have received the trust at Hogwarts. (6) I have been receiving many Reviews regarding Sirius and Angelica; I have not forgotten them, but I won't be focusing on them until at least the end of Chamber of Secrets OR the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban. So please be patient. I'll be adding more light to our favorite Padfoot and charming Angelica later. (7) I'm sure you all recognized who Odette bumped into in Liberty Lane… surprised? Oh, I hope so! (8) In the next chapters, more of Septima's background will come to light. I'm not going to just say 'oh, she did it,' and not offer the HOW! ;)
I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, there are still many more plot-twists and surprises to come! XD
R&R.