Ch. 12

Lyra Granger-Riddle followed her cousin Hermione, along with Severus Snape to the Great Hall; where Albus Dumbledore was sitting at the Head Table. The girls were walking close to one another as they followed Severus; Lyra was nervous and Hermione was hoping that Lyra was in the same house as her, as they made their way closer to the Headmaster. Who looked up and saw both girls walking towards him, he had no sparkle in his eyes; which made Hermione feel cold towards him.

Albus spoke when they were at the Head Table, "Hello girls, Severus. What can I do for you?"

Severus nearly stepped back when he heard his bosses cold voice, "You know my wife Mrs. Hermione Snape, and this is her cousin Lyra Granger-Riddle, who will be known as Granger while going to school, sir." He was unsure of how he should act in front of the Headmaster, after hearing the uncaring through his voice.

The old man sighed, "I am sorry Severus. Nice to see you again Hermione and nice to meet you Lyra. You will be sorted after the first years, as for right now; how about you sit with your cousin for the time being?"

Lyra gave a small smile, "I would like that sir."

"Good, and I have spoken with your husband and I have arrange things for you stay with the Snapes while you're here at the castle."

"Thank you Headmaster."

Both of the girls walked away and sat at the Gryffindor table as they wait for Lyra to be sorted. Dumbledore faced Severus when he sat down next to him, "Why did he have to marry one of the Granger girls, if I knew of this before, I would not have allowed either of them in school at all."

Severus glared at the Headmaster, "Don't go there sir; Lyra has gotten Riddle to change his ways, to where he is about to this deadly war from even started. He is going to be sending you a list of his people that are deadly and have you send them to Azkaband or have them killed. He really wants peace, all because he wants to keep his wife safe, sir. He will do anything for Lyra; even stop all the killings just to make her happy."

"What," roared Albus, "he can't do that, I want him killed and everyone else who stands with him."

Severus looked over to the tables; which had saw that every table was full and saw that all the students were glancing over to them. "Albus; you do realize that everyone had just heard that right?"

The Headmaster looked out to the sea of students looking towards them; he gulped and saw that the Granger cousin looked at him with pale colored faces. Then he looked of at Harry Potter, who looked down in shame; as if he believed that he was nothing more than a pawn in this whole war business. Dumbledore than realized that he just lost the key person in the whole world that he was using against the dark forces of the world.

"Oh my," was the only thing he was able to say. He then glanced over to the double doors of the Great Hall and saw Minerva McGonagall with a hurt look upon her face. He knew that she did not approve of children fighting in this war, even Harry Potter for that matter; for he had lost more than anyone else alive could lose so much as he has.

After a while; Minerva McGonagall had started the sorting for the night and all the first years had been sorted into their houses, she stayed before the crowd of people and she took over the speeches for the night, she would be yelling at the Headmaster later. "We have another person to add to our ranks here at Hogwarts, she comes from Ireland's School of Witchcraft and she will be joining the seventh years for her last year of school. Please welcome; Lyra Granger."

Lyra stood up and made her way to the front of the Great Hall; where she sat on the stool where other students had done, and Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat upon her head.

"Hello Mrs. Riddle; I know your husband well and I don't blame you for going under your madden name. Let's see; you're cunning for going by a name different from your husbands. You're loyal to your family and friends, no matter what. You're extremely smart, almost as much as your cousin but on a different level. But you're mainly brave, so you must be in . . . GRYFFINDOR!"

The Headmaster was openly shocked on seeing Tom Riddle's wife going into his old house; then again she is the cousin of Hermione Granger, the bravest woman that he has ever known. The sighed; he knew that he was beaten, he was acting like Severus Snape has towards Gryffindors and Harry Potter, all because he was the son of James Potter. He was a grown man and he is acting like someone his potions master, all in the name of hatred and he cannot afford something like that.

The hall clapped for Lyra as she made her way back to the Gryffindor table and sat next to her cousin Hermione, who gave her a hug a bit longer than most hugs go. Albus stood up from where he sat, "Welcome to one and all for another year at Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest is like its name, forbidden. Be watchful of curfews and look over the rules and band things on lists that are posted in your common rooms. Now, eat."

As he sat down; the tables came to life with food and plates that come upon the tables from the kitchens by house-elves. Hermione half leaned into Lyra, letting her know that she was there for her cousin, no matter what anyone says about her. Lyra gave her a small smile in thanks. Both girls; as well as Harry, looked up at the Head Table at the Headmaster and saw that they need to talk to one another without him being around or anyone else for that matter.

Harry leaned over the table to the cousins, "Can we talk tonight, before we go into our own places?"

"Yeah," answered both of the girls.

Once dinner was finished; Harry followed Hermione and Lyra to a nearby classroom which is hardly ever used and locked and warded the door from ease droppers.

Harry said, "I will make a deal with Riddle; if it means to end this war and I did not like how Dumbledore had acted tonight, as if he wants the war to keep going have many people die in all of this. I am getting a hold of Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley about all of this. Hermione, you talk to Snape and let him what I am thinking about and see from there, okay?"

"Yeah," both girls agreed.

Harry sighed, "Can we meet again in a couple of days and see where everyone is?"

The girls nodded. Then they split up from there and made their ways to their own places for a good night's sleep. What they did not know was that Professor Severus Snape had overheard everything that was said, as he has used the Disillusionment Charm on himself before following them inside the classroom. He sighed; seeing that the Headmaster had put a few of the students against him or even more, all in the due fact that he wanted a war, no matter what everyone else believes in. He undisillusioned himself and made his way to his rooms, where the girls were waiting to be let in.