CHAPTER 44: IDEALIST AND REALIST
(Ilya POV)
"I'm back," said a female voice, as she entered the room on the fourth floor, sounding cheerful.
"So how did it go, Ilya?" inquired a black-haired girl named Alice.
It was now one o'clock in the afternoon, three hours since the bird, which according to Alice, was Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes came to visit them.
Flashback
As suddenly as it had come, the glowing orange bird vanished in a flash of bright light, leaving a glowing feather and a note in it wake, which the silver-haired girl picked up, reading it carefully, before handing it to her boyfriend.
The raven-haired young man took the note and read:
Ms. Emiya
Please come to my office once your classes are finished. There is an important matter which I would like to discuss with you.
Albus Dumbledore
P.S. I enjoy eating Sherbet Lemon
"It seems like the Headmaster wanted to talk with me about something," said Ilya, with a frown on her face.
End of Flashback
"Are you alright, Ilya?" inquired a worried male voice. "What did Dumbledore want to talk about? Did he ask y…"
"Don't worry Sev, I'm fine," the silver-haired girl. "The Headmaster just wanted to give me this." And she handed over a note to him…
"You are hereby authorized to … but this is…" gasped Sev, taking his eyes off the note and looking at his girlfriend, undoubtedly surprised at what he was reading.
"Hey, give me that," said Alice, as she took the piece of parchment from the raven-haired young man's hand, reading it, before reacting in almost exactly the same way…
"Merlin, Ilya," she said, with a note of surprise, handing the note over to Rose, who also ended up reacting in a similar manner…
Their reactions were only to be expected. It could, after all, be one of the greatest blessings a Hogwarts student can hope for…
It was a letter, signed by the Hogwarts Headmaster himself, which gives students certain advantages that many would wish to have. It was a pass which granted unlimited access to any and all resources in Hogwarts, the potions storage, the library (including the Restricted Section), as well as giving the priveledge to walk around freely at night, without fear of getting caught for breaking the rules. And also...
"Does this mean that we no longer have to attend classes Ilya?" inquired Rose quietly.
"Yes, although it is on the condition that we make sure to do well on our O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s ," replied the silver-haired girl conversationally.
"Sweet," said Alice, who could not help but whistle.
"Still, I doubt that is all there is to it," said the raven-haired young man, who was looking skeptical and suspicious, a scowl forming on his face. "Tell us, Ilya, what does Dumbledore want in return for this?"
You really are perceptive, aren't you Sev? thought Ilya to herself, as she locked eyes with her boyfriend, who was undoubtedly determined to get to the bottom of things.
Yes indeed, the priviledge does indeed come with a price...
The silver-haired girl took a deep breath, before opening her mouth to explain the situation…
-BREAK-
(Dumbledore POV)
The old headmaster was sitting on his headmaster's chair in his office, deep in thought.
Albus had sent Fawkes, his phoenix friend, to deliver a message to a certain silver-haired girl who went by the name Ilyasveil von Eiznbern-Emiya. It was not much really, just a letter asking the girl for a chat. And in just a little while, the girl had arrived at his office. Although the Headmaster was prepared, she came by much earlier than expected.
Flashback
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Enter."
"You called for me, Professor Dumbledore?" inquired someone with female voice, entering the Headmaster's office.
"Ah, Ms. Emiya," said Dumbledore, as he saw that it was the silver-haired Ravenclaw. "Please take a seat." The Headmaster gestured to the one of the two chairs situated in fron of his desk.
"Thank you, sir," replied the girl, as she elegantly took her seat.
The Headmaster then offered her what he had available in his office which were: sweets. Lemon drops, Cockroach Clusters, Lollilipops, although for some reason she refused every single one.
"… yes, Minerva... oh, sorry, that is Professor McGonagall to you," Dumbledore was saying. "She actually warned me to tone down on the sweets, seeing as how old I am, but there are some habits that people simple cannot seem to let go of... and this happen to be one of mine…"
"Please cut to the chase Professor," said Emiya suddenly, cutting the Headmaster off, a note of irritation in her voice. "I know you did not call me here just to talk about your eating habits…"
A moment of silent passed...
"Very well then, Ms. Emiya," began Dumbledore, realizing that his charade was not working. "I want to ask you a few questions…"
End of Flashback
Yes. The Emiya girl was perceptive, and straightforward… very much so. Apparently she was the kind of person who want to get straight answers, and seemed to dislike those who beat around the bush. Noticing this, the Headmaster decided to ask his questions directly. And therefore he did so one at a time. First, Dumbledore asked her about August 3, the Diagon Alley and the Evans residence incidence. Then, he asked her about the Hogwarts Express incident and her version of what happened. Instead of answering, however...
Flashback
"I refuse to answer your query, Professor Dumbledore," said Emiya coldly. "For I find it quite unnecessary."
"And why do you find it unnecessary Ms. Emiya?" inquired the Headmaster, his voice becoming less cheerful.
"Because you already have the answers you seek for your questions," replied the silver-haired girl bluntly. "Therefore, there is no need for me to answer. Whatever information you will receive from me will probably be the same as the one you acquired from your other reliable informants."
End of Flashback
It should not have come as a surprise. Emiya, after all, had been able to play a game of words with Lord Voldemort and prevail, yet the old man still could help but be mildly shocked at the girl's calculative methods, as well as her way with words. She was much younger than he was, yet the way she talked, it was as if she was addressing, not a superior, but someone who was on an even playing field with her. And not only that, after evading Dumbledore's questions, Emiya actually had the nerve to fire away her own set. Instead of the Headmaster interoggating his student, the student was able to turn the tables on him…
Flashback
"Why didn't you stop them…" asked the silver-haired girl quietly.
"Ms. Emiya," began Dumbledore, but the girl ignored him.
"…why did you allow them back into the castle, knowing full well the danger they pose? Why did you not do anything about it? And now… let me guess… you want me to help keep an eye on them, am I right? Very well, but I have conditions…"
End of Flashback
Even for someone of Albus Dumbledore's caliber, it was still unnerving. The silver-haired girl had taken control of the entire conversation. The moment she found an opening, she took it, and did not let go of her momentum. The situation actually reminded the old Headmaster of the times when he had a friendly chat with an old friend, Nicholas Flamel, who happened to be hundreds of years older than he was. There was no way for Emiya to be older than sixteen, yet from the way she talked, it was as if she had centuries' worth of experience, especially in the conversation aspect.
In the end, it was Albus Dumbledore who surrendered, settling for the bargain which the girl had set. He had, after all, called for her for that reason in particular. The girl was sharp, and accurately predicted the headmaster's purpose, which gave her the opportunity to head him off at every twist and turn the conversation could end up sent into, and thus prevented him from attempting to leech any information out of her. Yes, Dumbledore could not deny that that was indeed one of his objectives, and he had not succeeded at it. Still...
It was not as if it was all that bad. The girl, although with a set of conditions, had agreed to help without asking for anything more, and her requests in exchange for her assistance actually made the old headmaster feel rather relieved. He knew that Emiya (a.k.a Archer) seemed to have the tendency for playing pranks on people (just like the Marauders), and Dumbledore, based on gut feeling, actually had a suspicion that she had something to do with the little bathroom incident in which James Potter and Sirius Black were allegedly caught peeping on girls, locked together with twenty angry females before their remains were sent to Professor McGonagall, who unfortunately, gave the two Marauders the same courtesy the girls did, and as it seemed to be the right thing to do, all evidences rock solid, Dumbledore could not deny the Deputy Headmistress' request to have the two pranksters suspended.
Yes it had been settled, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, in exchange for some trivial priviledges, would help assist in spying and monitoring on the movements of the twenty returning students, who had undoubtedly returned to castle on the Dark Lord's orders, to prevent them from causing harm to the rest of the Hogwarts population. Things, though not exactly going according to plan, were as fine as they can ever be.
However, Dumbledore could not help but feel nervous and unsettled, at the final exchange of words he had with Emiya, before she took her leave from his office.
Flashback
"… so now that we have that settled," said Dumbledore, as he saw the girl looking at the piece of parchment in her hand with a pleased expression on her face. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"
"No… wait… I suppose there is…" replied Emiya, pocketing the piece of parchment, before looking at the Headmaster straight in the eyes, emerald ones on blue. "Professor Dumbledore… have you ever killed anyone before?"
The temperature of the room suddenly seemed to drop a degree at the question.
"I seem to have misheard you," said the Hogwarts Headmaster, the twinkle disappearing from his eyes. "Could you please repeat your question, Ms. Emiya?"
A few moments of silence passed, and then…
"It seems that I have overestimated you, Professor," sighed the silver-haired girl, sounding disappointed. "You don't smell of blood… I guess that means you've never killed anyone."
End of Flashback
Dumbledore was shocked by the girl's question. Moreover, he was further electrified by Emiya's declaration. How could she have known? How could the girl possibly tell that he had not killed anyone? Indeed, the old Headmaster had never killed any of his adversaries. No, he had done so at any point in his life, had never taken a man's life, except perhaps for one instant, and that time he wasn't even sure if he was the one who did it, and had it been the case, it would have been purely by accident. Despite his powers and achievements, even during his epic duel with Gellart Grinderlwald, Albus Dumbledore had never, not even once, tried to take the life of a person, no matter how evil or how deserving they might be, having always believed in second chance and redemption. Yet the girl…
Flashback
"What exactly are you implying, Ms. Emiya?" the Headmaster's voice was now cold, and rising.
"I'm not trying to imply anything," replied Emiya honestly. "By the way, do you want to hear a story Professor?"
The Headmaster did not speak, which the girl seemed to have taken as a yes, as she took a deep breathe and began telling her tale…
"There was once a wizard, who was using magic to scare and steal money from an innocent lady," began the silver-haired girl. "Another wizard saw what was happening and attempted to put a stop to it. Caught in wrongdoing, the hooligan engaged his pursuer in a magical duel, even trying to kill him, but lost. In the end, knowing he was outgunned and outclassed, the man pleaded for his life, promising never to hurt anyone again. Feeling pity for the one kneeling on the ground, the other wizard spared his life and let him go free."
The girl paused, but seemed to be waiting for a response. Seeing this, Dumbledore decided to play along… how he wished that he hadn't.
"So is that the end of your story, Ms. Emiya?" asked the headmaster. Predictably, the girl shook her head.
"Unfortunately, it is not," sighed the silver haired girl. "A few days later, the wizard once again ran into the man he spared, though this time, he was dead, another wizard standing over him. Angered, he was about to pull out his wand when the other man suddenly cried out! 'THIS IS FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN!' Soon, the wizard found out that the man he spared a few days ago, went out, robbed, and killed, a total of twenty people, including the family of the man in front of him. The merciful wizard could not help but blame himself… had he killed the man in the first place, none of it would have happened… and thus, ends my story."
The headmaster remained silent, as he realized what the girl was trying to tell him. But then… he was even more brought to unease as the girl continued talking.
"I am not like you Professor," declared the silver-haired girl. "For unlike you, I am prepared to do what I deem necessary to protect as many people as I possibly can. I have my resolve, yet you… despite your superior abilities, I do not see any coming from you… you are torn, torn between your useless morals and doing what is necessary, and it is for that very reason that you will fail… you cannot protect everyone… yet with the way you are acting… I doubt you would be able to protect anyone at all… and you will probably be the cause of many more people getting hurt, even though it could have been prevented…"
"I will do as you wish and merely act as an observer for the time being like you want… but if ever there are any casualties, do not blame me for you indecision…"
Dumbledore could not help but stare at the girl, as she left his office. Despite being a wise old man, he was speechless…
End of Flashback
The old Headmaster could not help but think about the girl and her words, as he sat alone in his office. It wasn't easy. A part of him was telling him that the path she was taking was absolutely wrong, and she had to be guided away from it. The girl, while undoubtedly a good person at heart, viewed things from the wrong perspective. And yet, another part of him was screaming at him, telling him that the girl was absolutely right, and that he, Dumbledore, had been the one going about things the wrong way…
"Kill one to save ten... kill ten to save a hundred... a hundred to save a thousand?" muttered Dumbledore under his breath, as he recalled what the Sorting Hat had told him. "Is this really how you lived your life, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya?"
-BREAK-
(Severus POV)
Ilya had just finished giving her friends a shortened version of what she and the headmaster had agreed upon. In return for the extra conveniences they were receiving, they were expected to give Dumbledore a detailed report on suspicious activities around the school, particularly giving extra attention to the recently arrived students (for obvious reasons).
"So, how are we going to go about it, Ilya?" inquired a raven-haired young man, as the two other females seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Do you have some sort of plan? Is there anything we can do to help?"
"No, I've got it covered, don't worry," said Ilya cheerfully. "With this."
"What is it?" asked Alice curiously, as a butterfly landed on the tip of her finger.
"It's a familiar," replied the silver-haired girl conversationally. "I have hundreds of these scattered all over school, and I am able to see through their eyes. In other words, I can see what they see…"
"Amazing," commented Rose in a quiet voice, realizing the implications.
"And we also have this map," added Ilya, holding up the piece of parchment which shows every square inch of located areas in the school. "Overall, we have everything taken care of."
"You mean you have it taken care of," sulked a male voice.
"Sev?" inquired Ilya, as she noticed the bitterness in her boyfriend's voice.
"Why do you always go out and do everything by yourself?" asked the raven-haired young man exasperatedly. "Can't you see that you're not alone? We're here you know. Rose is here. Alice is here. I'm here! You are not alone!"
"I know that," said the silver-haired girl, after a moment of silence.
"You sure don't act like it," said Severus with a sneer. "Tell me Ilya, how exactly have I been of any help to you, hmmm?"
"Severus!" shot Rose warningly, but the former Slytherin did not give a damn, as he continued glaring.
"Sev," said Ilya gently as she approached the raven-haired young man. "Do you hate me? For always leaving you in the dark? Do you hate me now?"
"Of course not," said the raven-haired young man, his voice tinged with guilt, as he saw that his girlfriend was on the verge of tears. "It's just…"
"Just WHAT?" asked Ilya, shouting out the last word, as tears began flowing through her eyes. "Tell me, Sev. Did I do something wrong? TELL ME!"
"IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEVER ASK HELP FOR ANYTHING!" roared Severus, unable to control his pent-up emotions any longer. "I PROMISED TO PROTECT YOU, TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO HELP YOU… YET THE WAY THINGS ARE… ALL I CAN REALLY DO IS STAY BY YOUR SIDE AND NOTHING MORE! I FEEL SO GODDAMN USELESS!"
"YOU'RE NOT USELESS!"
"THEN TELL ME, HOW AM I NOT USELESS?! HOW EXACTLY AM I HELPING YOU?!"
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl launched herself at the raven-haired young man, and held him in her arms.
"By staying here… by my side," said the silver-haired girl softly, tears flowing down her eyes.
It was a simple sentence. A simple, honest declaration, straight from Ilya's heart, as Severus felt all the negative emotions he had been feeling wash away from him, tears now flowing down his own eyes, as he returned the embrace.
Yes, in the past few days, Severus could not help but feel insecure. Ilya had always been trying to carry the burden, to do everything by herself. She had always told him of what she was up to, yet she had never asked for his help, and the raven-haired young man could not help but feel hurt because of it. He was no longer sure if his presence held any real value at all. Yet now…
He realized just how wrong he was. The fact that he was there. The very fact that he was there by her side… for her, it had been enough. It was all she was asking from him, yet he was almost blinded, and nearly failed to realize this simple fact… While it did not mean that Severus approved of her doing everything by herself… even if she did not ask him for anything, there was one thing, one very simple thing that he could…
To support her, no matter what…
"Ilya…I'm so sorry," said Severus sincerely, guiltility, as he tightened his hold on Ilya, never wanting to let go.
-BREAK-
(Ilya POV)
"I still think you should break up with him, Ilya," said Alice, looking at a certain man with raven hair coldly. "I honestly thought you were different Severus, but I guess I was wrong… you really are a jerk…"
"I agree with Alice," said Rose, her voice also cold, looking at him with an icy expression. "Or you should at least demand some compensation for what he did… like paying the bills for the next Hogsmaede weekend or something like that…"
"H-hey," said Sev nervously, as the two females, holding wooden weapons in their hands, were advancing upon him.
"That won't be necessary," said Ilya, her voice cheerful once again. "After all, I am also partly at fault… and when it comes right down to it… I've been holding things from you as well, and for that, I'm really sorry." The silver-haired girl bowed her head in apology.
"There's no need for you to apologize, Ilya," said the blue-haired girl, looking a little embarrassed, as she turned away from the raven-haired young man's direction. "I mean, it's only natural to keep some things to yourself." At this Rose seemed to look slightly guilty.
"That may be true," said Alice calmly. "But what about that jerk over there?"
"Hey!" shouted the raven-haired young man, who had now began practicing sword swings to release more of his pent-up vexation (or maybe just grabbed a sword as a precaution against the angry women, who knows).
"He's not a jerk," said Ilya happily but firmly (Well, maybe just a bit of a jerk, added the silver-haired girl in her thoughts.). Even though she had just been crying, it was a great relief on her part to find out the reason he had seemed rather distant in the past few days. Sev's love for her had not changed… In fact, his feelings for her had become even stronger, so strong, to the point that he had become restless and insecure with being unable to do anything for her, and the silver-haired girl could not help but feel touched by that fact.
It took a while for things to calm down, though fortunately it finally has. Now, however…
"Rose, Alice," said Ilya, turning her tone into monotonous form. "Do you still have the jewels I gave you a while ago?"
"Yes." said the two in unison, as they brought out the red gemstones they had kept in their pockets.
"Before I begin," said Ilya seriously, as the room had become eerily quiet, for Sev had stopped swinging his wooden sword and was now focusing his attention on them. "There is something I need to tell you… For you see, I am not really a witch…"
"I'm a magus…"
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Alright... Another chapter out...
Well, I must admit it's getting really difficult to write. Work and schoolwork is already playing a major role, as well as the temptation of other forms of entertainment. Now, another one which added to my problems is that fact that a number of fanfic ideas have now entered my mind. I listed them down on a word document of course, just to make sure I do not forget, and unfortunately these ideas have also been ogling at me for me to give them their as multi-anime fan I guess.
Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy my fic and this chapter.
Later then, people...