Chapter 2: One to spin, one to weave, one to cut
Her world stopped spinning abruptly as Iris pitched forward, smacking her knees against dirty hearthstones and choking in the swirls of ash. Her eyes smarting from the smoke, she glanced around the dingy pub, rubbed her face with her hands as she stood shakily. All conversations had ceased immediately upon her ungraceful entrance and every shabby patron now looked askance at this new figure amusingly costumed as a bar wench.
"Can I get you summat?" asked the barkeep, straightening his spectacles.
"Ah, no," Iris said, swallowing another wave of nausea. As she struggled to right her system again, she brushed at her clothes and hair. "But I'd appreciate it if you could point me to Hogwarts."
Conversations began tittering again, glances and whispers telling her that most likely she was the topic, Iris stepped over to the bar. The barman, who she assumed was Aberforth judging by the familiar blue eyes, simply raised a whiskery eyebrow.
"What you'd be needing up there I don't know," he replied gruffly. "But so's you know its out of here, to the right up High Street and straight on over t' top of the hill."
"Thanks loads."
"Don't know what for," was the stiff response.
Iris trailed out, leaving the dungy smell of livestock behind and breathed deeply in the fresh smell of freedom. Without a backward glance, she trudged straight out of town and began her hike, hoping that Dumbledore was in residence and not off on any clandestine missions yet. Nearly an hour later, chilled in the Highland damp and breath rasping from exertion after so long indoors, Iris heard a much welcome voice say, "hullo, there!"
Glancing up, she was overjoyed to see Hagrid's large form at last, whittling away at a branch in front of his hut, and nearly wept from the sight behind him of the castle higher still up the hill. Finally, she felt safe.
"Can I help you 't all?" asked the half-giant.
"Please. I'm on my way up to the castle. I need to speak with Dumbledore; do you know if he's in? It's really important that I speak with him."
"On'y just. Hes been gone a week, now I think on it. Come on up, an I'll take you to him straightaway." He hefted his great self up from the stump and, branch and knife still in hand, crunched up ahead at an easy gait. Iris doubled her pace, trying to keep up, clutching the stitch in her side.
At last they reached the high oak doors and Hagrid swung straight through, trailing Iris who was now wheezing softly behind him. She stopped just in the doorway, taking in the vastness of the place while trying to catch her breath. Dark, damp curls clung to her face and she swept them away to get a better look at the huge curving banisters lined with ancient tapestries and paintings whose occupants floated and flitted back and forth between frames. Seeing Hagrid waiting just on the other side of foyer, she mentally chided herself to get a grip and get on with things.
"Grand place aint it?"
"It's fantastic!" she replied. "Even better in person that anything I've read."
"Aye, its an amazing place, Hogwarts." Hagrid looked back as he set off up the stairs. He headed off toward a small alcove, in which the stone gargoyle guarded the entrance to Dumbledores study. "Skiving Snackbox," Hagrid chuckled. "I think he's missing the Weasley twins already. They ended their year here with a bang, they did."
"So I heard," Iris smiled, remembering their gleeful flight from Umbridge only months ago.
Again treading up stairs, for what Iris hoped would be the last time for a while, the two came out into Dumbledore's fabled study to find the wizard standing before his pensieve. At the sound of the door, he closed it smartly and turned, taking in the scantily dressed woman and the hairy groundskeeper.
"Hello, Hagrid. And who may I ask have you brought us?" asked the headmaster peering over his spectacles in a gesture nearly mirroring Aberforth's.
"I'm Iris Manon, a Muggle," she said, suddenly nervous. "I've come quite a ways to speak with you and I have news you might find interesting and useful. Before I start what I can assure you will be a very long story, I'd really like to sit down."
Gazing intently at her face, Dumbledore inclined his head. "Yes, please do. And thank you Hagrid, for bringing her."
"Sure thing, Professor. I'd best be off; pleased to meet you, Iris."
"You too," she smiled wanly as Hagrid trudged back down the stairs still swinging his branch.
"So, suppose you tell me what news you have about Lucius Malfoy," said Dumbledore as he sat down at his desk, and tapped his wand once, causing a plate of sandwiches and a flagon of pumpkin juice to appear. "You look like you could use a bite, as well, if you don't mind my saying."
"Not at all, I'm starving thanks," she replied as she grabbed a turkey and Swiss and began her story, stopping only to take bites or sip her drink. He listened attentively, nodding, and only interrupted toward the end when she mentioned killing the snake.
"And why did you do that, may I ask?"
"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you, but Ill get to it. Suffice to say though, once I killed Nagini I went on to send Lucius after her."
Dumbledore bowed his head at that, but did not seem surprised. "I had word from the Ministry that he was dead. They raided the house not long ago when some Muggle women mysteriously turned up at St. Mungo's from there and began describing the place to them. Draco turned up not long after raving that a servant had killed his father. Upon arriving on the scene Aurors found a cache of dark magical objects in an open vault they'd missed on previous raids. Given the loss of his faithful servant now it is doubtful that Voldemort will show up there, as you said he had planned."
"That's actually a good thing. It may mean Draco can be kept safe a bit longer, I hope."
"You would wish to save the son of the man who did these things to you?" Dumbledore asked, once again gazing into her eyes.
"I really don't think Draco could ever be as twisted as his father. Having lived around them for these months, I know that most of Draco's mouthing off about Muggles and purity of blood is just from years of conditioning. It's the environment he was raised in. But I also know that he has a yellow streak the size of the prime meridian down his back, and now... well being faced fully with what his father truly was, he may very well back away from that precipice entirely. He accepted us as servants and god knows he was snide, but he never once tried to take advantage of any of the girls there even though he's old enough to want, and to know what that wanting is. Rape is about power, and though he loves giving orders, he doesnt relish it to the extent of taking away someone's will entirely or humiliating anyone sexually. Besides, he's still very much a boy who just had one very harsh life lesson. I have no idea how he'll turn out ultimately, but I very much doubt it will be the same as Lucius."
Dumbledore nodded. "It is very true what you say of him. Even I had no true knowledge of the depths of depravity that Lucius possessed. And it is a shame he could not be saved from himself. Draco, on the other hand, may yet recoil from the vileness of the things his father did and represented. Yet at the same time, he may very well condemn the entire race more forcefully now that a Muggle killed his father. We can only hope."
"Exactly. But fortunately having known him a little, I do think there is room for hope. True he's selfish and spoiled, but he's not soulless. So well see. The more important thing for the moment though is the snake. You were right to suspect her as a horcrux."
The piercing gaze sharpened. "You know that for a fact? Did they speak of it in front of you?"
"No. How I know is an entirely different story, and I know its going to sound strange..." she said as she launched into a brief explanation of her world and a lengthier version of the stories she had read, up to the end of the series. "So suffice to say, she finished, when you find Gaunt's ring, do us all a favor and stifle the urge to put it on."
"Indubitably," the professor smiled thinly. "And by your timeline, if I am not much mistaken, when Voldemort arrived at Malfoy Manor he would have invariably made Draco a Death Eater in order to get back at Lucius for failing at the Ministry... I confess it does make me ill knowing that Professor Burbage has been taken, especially after Emmeline Vance and Amelia Bones."
"She's as good as dead too, because he'll be royally pissed when he finds out about Lucius--especially since it was a Muggle who killed him."
"Then too, Narcissa and Bella would have gone to Snape's and bound him in the promise to keep Draco safe and kill you if he couldn't do it himself, so hopefully that won't be happening now at least."
"True," he nodded, rising. "I am in your debt for that. You may have saved not only myself but ultimately Draco as well as Severus. In the meantime, I feel I must make haste in the interest of repaying you by ensuring that your own family remains safe. Should Voldemort discover your identity he will surely want to exact revenge."
Iris blood chilled at the thought. Her family was worlds away, but then if Lucius knew how to travel between them, surely Voldemort did too.
"God yes, I hadn't thought of thatthat he might be able to find them so easily, but--"
"It is important to realize at times like these that he is remarkably intelligent as well as a skilled wizard. With that in mind, I am off. Meanwhile, I should like you to remain here until such time as I can find a safe place for you, my dear. I do confess I am curious as to why you did not also go to St. Mungo's?"
"Would they or would they not have modified my memory so as to not know what I'd seen and heard about your world? Wouldn't they have sent me to the Ministry--inept as it is--to give them what information I've just given you? In the first place, I don't think I would ever heal without being able to face the memories of what's happened to the others and me. And more importantly, I know that everything I've told you, you needed more than anything right now. There are so many lives that can be saved from this, and we may be able to thwart him before he's really begun this time."
"It is true, I would have been this week going to Marvolo Gaunt's old home to search for the ring, and before much longer must secure Harry at the Weasley's and somehow persuade Horace Slughorn to come out of hiding. Be that as it may, and you are most likely correct in your thinking about the healers and Ministry officials, I would like Madame Pomfrey to have a look at you, nonetheless."
With that, he turned and tossed a pinch of Floo Powder on the flames crackling in his fireplace and stuck his head in. "Poppy? If you would be so kind as to meet me in my office please."
"And if I have your consent," he replied turning around to face Iris again. "I will do a trifle bit of transfiguration on you as well, so as to keep you unrecognizable to anyone who may be familiar with your story. I fear there may be no end to the outcry from Draco should he come back to school and find his father's killer in residence."
"Sure. You want me to stay here?" she said, incredulously as he circled her, tipping his wand at her. It felt as though her insides were shifting all over and she distinctly felt herself shrink a bit, whilst her hair suddenly seemed that it went past her shoulders.
"Oh yes, my dear. Given the things you know it would be detrimental if somehow you fell into the wrong hands. Besides, I believe I have the perfect place for you here."
"Now, about your state of dress," his gaze flickered briefly to the still too-short skirt and corseted top. "I know it cannot be helped considering your previous predicament, but I think you will not mind if perhaps I transfigure your costume into something a little more befitting a self-respecting woman?"
"Please do," she moaned piteously, feeling a strong blush creeping up to her hairline. "I was starting to feel like the humiliation would never stop."
With a flick of his wand, and a flutter of the material Iris randy barmaid attire thickened and lengthened to a velvety deep blue gown with empire waist and silver cord.
"Wow, that's loads better and much warmer! Thanks." She fingered the fabric as her throat tightened, and completely undone, finally dropped into the chair and burst into tears. He strode over, placing a hand on her shoulder, and it was at that time that Poppy Pomfrey came through the office door.
"Poppy, thanks so for coming in," Dumbledore said, ushering her through the doorway as she looked questioning at Iris sobbing form. "I have just hired a new Muggle Studies professor on the interim, and she has had a serious run of bad luck. I would appreciate greatly if you could give her as thorough a check-up as you can manage, then perhaps show her to Professor Burbage's rooms and help her settle in. I would, but alas I must be off again posthaste."
"Certainly Headmaster," replied the flabbergasted woman. As she took Iris by the arm, tutting sympathetically, Dumbledore turned once again and strode to the fireplace. Iris heard the puff behind her, before he said "New Orleans" and was gone.