Chapter 18: Motivations

Thanks to Rosamanelle for Beta Reading

The children who resided in 12th Grimmauld Place arrived at Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express just two days before the New Year holiday ended. The Gryffindor trio quickly made their way back to the dorm, unpacking everything in preparation for the new semester, much like the other students from the House of Lion that returned early.

However, just as Harry finished unpacking his belongings, Dobby appeared bearing a message from Dumbledore. The Headmaster wanted Harry to meet him in his office alone after dinner to discuss something of importance.

On one hand, Harry was happy to hear that the old Headmaster – who was sort of like a grandfather to him, always caring for him and being supportive – wanted to talk with him about something important. It reassured him that Dumbledore still trusted him, and was still willing to share things with him.

On the other hand, the memory of diving into the Dark Lord's conscience was still fresh in his mind. It made Harry hesitate, made him wonder if the trust the Headmaster had in him was misplaced. He was very sure that Dumbledore learned something and was able to come up with a solution to the incident from before the Christmas break – at least, he hoped he did, now that he was a potential secret leak and the greatest threat to the Order's secret operations.

Harry quickly banished those thoughts; he was getting ahead of himself there. He didn't even know what the Headmaster wanted to talk to him about, and Hermione already told him that Voldemort couldn't dig through his memories. In order for him to learn where the base was, he'd have to hear it directly from Dumbledore, and Dumbledore would never repeat the information he told Harry. They were safe to an extent… for now.

However, nothing could've prepared him for what Dumbledore had in store. Opening the door to the Headmaster's office, Harry froze, gawking at the sight before him. There, seated opposite of the Headmaster himself was Harry's least favorite professor in the entire school. His head – complete with greasy hair – turned to stare at him the moment the door opened, one eye twitching as he spotted Harry. Turning away with disdain, Snape looked back at Dumbledore, who, tactfully ignoring the tension between the two, wordlessly motioned for Harry to sit next to the Potions professor.

Harry sat reluctantly, trying his best to not make eye contact with Snape. Apparently he and the Potions professor were on the same page, as Snape tried very hard to concentrate on the aged Headmaster, totally ignoring the boy who sat next to him.

Once Harry was seated, Dumbledore looked at both of his guests, his eyes no longer twinkling. He spoke calmly, looking at both Harry and Snape as if daring them to make a fuss. "Severus, once this semester starts I want you to teach Harry Occlumency. I expect you to attend this class without fail, Harry…"

It was Harry who reacted first. He jumped out of his seat, eyes wide with shock. "You're saying that I have to learn Occlumency from Sna – sorry, Professor Snape?!"

Dumbledore smiled crookedly. "Indeed, my boy…"

Snape coughed, subtly showing his displeasure with the assignment. However, instead of voicing his thoughts, Snape chose to change the subject instead. "May I ask you why the sudden arrangement, Headmaster?"

Now the amused smile on Dumbledore's face disappeared as he frowned. He looked at his desk for a moment, decided what to tell them as his mind wandered back to the day before the Christmas Break – the day Harry dreamt of the attack on Mr. Weasley.

After a moment of pondering, the old Headmaster decided on partial truths as he spoke grimly. "I'm afraid that Voldemort is now aware of the mental connection you share with him because a reliable source told him…" He glanced briefly at Snape, indicating what 'source' he was speaking about. "…I fear that with that connection he'll use you to spy on the Order, or worse, compel you to do his bidding…"

Even if Harry expected Dumbledore to say something like that, to hear it out loud was definitely stressful. His mind raced, questioning the safety of his friends and adoptive family – even the safety of the Dursleys mattered to him at this moment – and the presence of Dumbledore did little to calm him down. As of now, Harry was in the perfect position to jeopardize all of the old Headmaster's plans to counter the Dark Lord by relaying said plans to said Dark Lord.

He should leave before he damages the plans of the Order…

However, before he could stand up, Professor Snape swiveled in his chair, meeting the eyes of the Boy Who Lived for the first time since Dumbledore began speaking. He glared coldly at Harry, an expression that when matched with an equally cold scowl screamed 'sit, you idiotic child.' Harry narrowed his eyes, glaring back at the Potions Professor. Neither broke their glare. Their impromptu glaring contest was interrupted when Dumbledore cleared his throat, both student and teacher begrudgingly tearing their gaze from the other before turning back to the Headmaster.

Once he had the duo's full attention, Dumbledore sighed. "I phrased that incorrectly earlier, Harry. Let me make amends." He coughed once, continuing where he left off. "Don't about endangering others by relaying your currents memories right here, right now. I'm quite certain that Voldemort won't try to access your mind for the time being… This is why I think we should capitalize this moment by preparing you to face Voldemort's mental attacks. The more we can prepare, the better."

Professor Snape spoke, quelling any further doubts. "If you do not trust Professor Dumbledore's judgement – who is, by the way, the only one privileged to speak the Dark Lord's name freely without fear and the only person on Earth that the Dark Lord is wary of – then who will you trust?"

Snape's words rang true, even if Harry wasn't fond of him. Although Harry's sister was strong, she only called Voldemort by his name because she never encountered him, nor had she heard about his reign of terror in the past. Not only that, Voldemort certainly didn't fear Aisha, as he had never heard of her before… and Harry doubted that Aisha could – or was willing to – fight him, either…

Taking over from where Snape left off, Dumbledore continued to explain. "Thanks to my reputation, Voldemort most likely fears that I will try to use this connection to my advantage and spy on him via your dream sequence, most of them being Voldemort's memories. For the time being, he'll try to shut the connection through Occlumency and avoid invading your mind. You're safe for now, until he grows enough confidence or grows tired of playing a waiting game with us while we work our scheme."

"Your scheme? You mean the thing inside the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked out of pure curiosity, momentarily forgetting his mental dilemma over knowing what the 'weapon' the Order was guarding against Voldemort – which Harry and his friends suspected was in the Department of Mysteries for quite a while.

Of course, the sudden question drew the ire of the Potions Professor, the expression on his face one of a barely restrained desire to strangle the boy. He cleared his throat, attempting to speak calmly. "That's none of your business, Mr. Potter… But it will be if the Dark Lord is able to manipulate you through the mental connection. It would be disastrous if he used you to obtain information on our… interest in the place and its contents."

"Why…?" Harry asked, a baffled look on his face. However, before he could ask why the Order didn't just steal the object and protect it here at Hogwarts, he suddenly remembered Quirrell infiltrating the school during his first year. Thinking back to the attack in Mr. Weasley, he quickly concluded that if they brought this object to the school, every single student would become a potential victim of Voldemort's attempts to steal it.

Dumbledore looked at Snape as Harry went silent, nodding at each other as they conversed silently. The old Headmaster coughed to gain Harry's attention, elabroatign once more. "I think I can give you vaguely modified versions of our plans, Harry, but you need to promise me something." He looked directly into Harry's eyes before delivering the ultimatum. "Promise me that after learning what the Order of the Phoenix is doing, you will do everything you can to learn Occlumency from Professor Snape. You have to promise me this, or else Mr. Weasly will have been injured for nothing."

Harry looked dumbfounded, his head racing at what Dumbledore offered; should he agree to Dumbledore's conditions and learn Occlumency from the man he despises the most sans Dursley? Dumbledore trusted Snape – that much was certain – Aisha was seemingly okay with Snape's treatment of him during Potions class, even going to the extent to say that it was his fault (something that Harry only begrudgingly admitted when no one was watching). But Harry still didn't want to spend more time with Snape than necessary, if past experiences were anything to go by.

Seeing that Harry was still hesitant, Dumbledore spoke once more. "To make your decision simpler, Professor Snape is the most proficient in Occlumency out of every member of the Order of the Phoenix. It was necessary for him to be a double agent working in close proximity to Voldemort and his Death Eaters – if he weren't good, he would've been caught and executed a long time ago." He paused before adding on to his previous statement. "That's why I can't trust anyone to be a spy in the Death Eater circle but Snape. So, can you put aside your past and try to learn the only thing that can stop Voldemort from using you, Harry?"

If his godfather, Sirius, had asked him to tolerate Snape's lessons as per Dumbledore's orders, Harry knew he would've reluctantly agreed but make no effort to actually learn anything, mostly because he would instinctively jump to the conclusion that by sending Sirius to give Harry his orders, Dumbledore was trying to distance himself.

But things were different when Dumbledore asked him directly, willingly explaining his reasons for making such arrangements. "I promise I will, Professor…"

A relieved look briefly crossed the lined face of the Headmaster before he sighed, recalling his end of the bargain. "Good. Now, to keep up my part of the deal. It's time to tell you what Voldemort's been up to since you miraculously escaped him."

Harry sat still, giving all of his attention to every word that left the old man's mouth. "The fact that you lived… it more or less riled Voldemort up more than ever before. I can confidently say that because of what happened that night, he decided to seek the answer, in hopes that it holds the secret of invincibility… It's been his life-long goal since even before he graduated from Hogwarts."

"What… answer, Professor?"

Surprisingly, it was Snape who looked nervous as he glanced between Dumbledore and Harry, however he chose to remain silent and allow Dumbledore to explain. Noticing Snape's reaction, the Headmaster glanced at him reassuringly before turning back to Harry with a sigh. "Do you remember what question you asked me when you woke up after the incident with the Philosopher's Stone during your first year?"

"I asked you why Voldemort has been trying to kill me since I was a baby…" Thinking back to that time, Harry slowly began to piece the puzzle together. His eyes widened in realization. "Wait… You don't mean…?"

Confirming his suspicions, Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "A year before your parents' demise – a few months before your birth, actually – a prophecy was made; a prophecy that tied the fates of both you and Voldemort together forever…"

Stunned by the revelation, Harry struggled to put his thoughts into words as he stammered out an answer angrily. "You… you can't be serious, Professor! Voldemort tried to kill me because of a single prophecy that may have not been true?!"

Without a doubt, his mind wandered to all of the false prophecies Professor Trelawney had made over the two years he studied Divination. Out of those two years – and the hundreds of prophesied deaths – only one of her predictions were correct! Because of that, it's not surprising that the Boy Who Lived is unamused at the fact that his parents died because of a single sentence predicting the future.

Seeing the expression on Harry's face, Dumbledore waited until the boy had calmed down enough to listen fully before continuing his story. "It is fairly ridiculous, as you have said. As a matter of fact, your sister Aisha made an interesting point that explains why Voldemort acted on this debatable prophecy fairly well…"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise, but Dumbledore cut him off before he could even voice his thoughts. "Before you ask; no, she does not know about this prophecy yet, however I am not against you telling her. Although I request that you don't tell your classmates and friends for the time being…" He paused before continuing. "She commented on the state of the Ministry of Magic while it is under the rule of Cornelius Fudge, as well as his campaign against us. Surprisingly enough, it fits Voldemort's situation as well."

Harry, who had been listening up until now attentively, spoke, curiosity lacing his voice. "What did she say, Professor?"

"I believe her exact wording was 'it is a dictator's nature to be paranoid of everything they believe can dethrone them, no matter how unlikely it may be.'" An almost wistful smile crossed his face. "She's wiser than her appearance may suggest. Because of that, I will allow you to repeat this information to her. Not to mention that she has the approval of Severus…"

Getting back on track, the Headmaster continued to speak. "But enough about that, back to the prophecy. Every prophecy made by a witch or wizard within Britain will always be recorded by some unknown mystical means. Not even I know how this works. Those records are kept deep inside a vault within the Ministry of Magic, watched by the Unspeakables of the Department of Mysteries."

"So… The Order of the Phoenix members are keeping watch over the place so no Death Eaters can enter and steal the recording of this prophecy?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. Although he knew there was one more condition that needed to be fulfilled before the records could be stolen, he decided Harry didn't need to know that just yet.

However, his answer prompted more questions from the boy. "Why isn't Voldemort going after the one who made the prophecy? Or the person who heard it? And if he heard about it in the first place, why is he hunting for the records like the? It doesn't make sense!"

Dumbledore smiled slightly at the display of intelligence, silently wondering if Aisha's presence had affected the boy, as he rarely showed such mental prowess during his four years at Hogwarts. Before he could reply, the nearly forgotten Snape spoke, his tone cold and calculating, a blank poker face etched across his features. "That is because the Dark Lord didn't hear the whole prophecy. He only knows the first part; the part that states a child who has the power to defeat him will be born at the end of October that year from wizards who had defied him thrice." He went silent, choosing his next words carefully. "… Your parents and your birth fit the criteria perfectly."

Dumbledore then added on to Snape's reply. "As for the others you mentioned, the one who made the prophecy was honesty unable to recall making the prophecy – even if Voldemort used Legilimency on her, she would still know nothing. As for the one who heard the original…" His eyes twinkled with amusement behind his glasses. "… The only one to hear the complete prophecy is currently the Headmaster of Hogwarts… You must have realized the reason you need to learn the art of Occlumency by now."

Indeed, Harry could think of some scenarios where Voldemort used him to get to Dumbledore. If that happened, guarding the Department of Mysteries would have been meaningless and Arthur Weasley would have risked his life for absolutely nothing. Not to mention that Voldemort gaining knowledge on how to beat him would be fatal…

Still, the curiosity was beginning to gnaw away at Harry's willpower. "Does the prophecy contain a way to defeat Voldemort, too?"

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry, obviously thinking that he's asking for too much from Dumbledore. Dumbledore replied crisply, seemingly on the same train of thought as Snape. "That's a story for another time – after you have mastered Occlumency to be specific. That knowledge is a double-edged sword, you see."

Knowing that he wouldn't get any more answers today, Harry stood up and nodded slowly. Snape took the opportunity to further drill into the boy's mind his new schedule. "Meet me in the Potions classroom after dinner at 9:00 PM once the semester starts. Don't be late." With that, Snape gave Harry a glance that clearly dismissed him. The young boy stood up silently, leaving the office without another word.

The room was now down to two members, both members of the Order. Now they were free to discuss this new development as Snape began the discussion. "Are you sure it's alright to tell that boy so much?"

Dumbledore popped a Lemon Drop in his mouth, waiting until the candy was half-melted before replying to the Potions Professor. "I think it'll be a good idea to properly motivate the boy so he pays attention to your lessons, or this entire thing will backfire horribly."

"You mean he'll skip my class." Both knew that it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Choosing not to reply, the old man turned to other – possibly more important – matters. "So, what news do you bring on him today, Severus?"

Snape narrowed his eyes before replying, a puzzled look crossing his face. "The Dark Lord seems to have secluded himself in the library, leaving the Death Eaters to proceed with his plan on their own. It's almost like he's searching the old records for something, as he's also tasked me with borrowing books on the Wizarding lineages from our libraries as well." Finishing hesitantly, he eyed the elderly man, as if asking for his approval.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll give you the go ahead; ask Madam Pince for any books related to the subject – but don't borrow all of them, the students still need to learn." The last part was added on jokingly, a bright twinkle in his eyes.

Not in the mood to joke around with the Headmaster, Snape shook his head worriedly before asking Dumbledore a question. "Do have any idea why Voldemort is looking through the old records right now?"

Dumbledore looked at the Potions Professor with weary eyes, placing a hand on his forehead before replying. "I'm quite aware that the stunt Miss Aisha pulled at the Quidditch Pitch has reached his ears. In all honesty, I'm just as surprised and worried as you are about her, despite the fact that she and Harry both consider her to be Harry's elder sister."

Snape huffed in response. "She's the only one who can influence the boy and, if controlled by dark forces, the only one who can ruin your plan, Headmaster. Why should I not worry?"

"You're a terrible liar, Severus…" Dumbledore chuckled at the seated Potions Professor. "I may not be as competent as you in the art of mind probing, but I'm quite good at reading people's expressions. I can tell for certain that you feel sympathy towards Professor Aisha, Severus."

Nothing else needed to be said, as they both had a glimpse into Aisha's past. And the things a child had to do greatly disturbed them.

"Then may I take a guess and say that the reason you told Potter all of this in person has something to do with a promise you're upholding with that girl?" Although Snape asked, he already knew the answer despite Dumbledore never mentioning anything like that. After all, he'd have to be stupid to not be expecting something like that.

Dumbledore nodded, closing his eyes. "After she allowed me to see her memories, she asked me to prevent the second Wizarding War from escalating at all costs."

Snape couldn't bring himself to disagree with the Headmaster, considering all they had experienced. No one in the current generation of witches and wizards – especially those below fifth year – knew what a real war looked like. It worried the two professors that some of the students in the House of Snake were openly expressing their desire to join Voldemort's cause and, from what Snape has seen via eavesdropping and Legilimency, that some of them even saw Voldemort as a second Merlin who would reclaim their rightful place in the world from 'Mudblood and Muggle filth,' bragging that they wouldn't hesitate to go to war if it meant putting those they saw as lowborn in their place.

That's not even including the many hotheaded Gryffindors who – unsprisingly Dumbledore – would probably fight against the Death Eaters should they somehow enter the school. Or, should the government be overtaken, they would be forming resistance groups, performing dangerous magic and lacking any experience because they think it's the right thing to do. He hadn't even taken into account of those who are Muggle-born, half-bloods, and Muggle sympathizers yet! If Voldemort usurped the government, they would be forced to kill or be killed.

If there were any lessons to be learned from Aisha's past, one would be that throwing a child into a slaughterhouse called 'war' will break them – if not physically, then mentally. And there's no such thing as a potion or spell that could heal their minds. Aisha would be a living example of the 'best case scenario,' where the child in question manages to keep most of their sanity intact. But who says that every child will be as lucky and strong-willed as her?

That was Dumbledore's true motivation behind the turn of events. They were taking things too slowly and their plans were too simple, only hoping to stall Voldemort from obtaining the things he wanted. Now they had to find a way to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all, something that could be put into effect faster than their current plan. If they couldn't, they would condemn their children to suffer a fate like Aisha's; a fate where the word 'normal' meant 'battle-weary.'

So, first things first; preventing Voldemort from learning about their plans. If they were to hasten their own plans, they would first need to be kept a secret.

Their thoughts were cut short as a strange, bright blue, oval-shaped portal suddenly appeared in the Headmaster's office. Honed by experience despite the lack of practice during the last few decades of peace, both Dumbledore and Snape sprung up from their seats, wands drawn in the blink of an eye and pointed at the strange phenomena in the center of the room.

Mere seconds later, two people came out of the portal and landed gently on the floor. The first was a young girl with violet hair and a white jacket – the subject of their earlier conversation – while the other (who was holding hands with her, much to their surprise) was someone they never saw before; a red haired man with matching red eyes who had to be at least a head taller than the girl. His red and white armor, like that of a medieval knight, glinted in the candlelight.

Then there was the massive sword as large as him strapped to his almost equally massive backpack. Combining the now cramped space of the Headmaster's office and wards that prevent apparition there would be nowhere to run if the man decided to attack, a fact that put both professors on edge. Although it was unlikely he would attack, considering that he was with Aisha and was most likely her friend. There was no way Aisha would let him attack the Headmaster, as she respects and trusts him to a certain degree because he looked after her 'brother.'

The girl found the two older men's eyes the second her feet touched the ground, her long staff tapping the floor lightly as she bowed to Dumbledore in a rather awkward greeting. "Er… Good evening, Professor Dumbledore… I guess. Sorry for landing in the middle of your office like that."

Wearing twin expressions of confusion, both Dumbledore and Snape studied Aisha carefully. For a moment, the young professor's behaviour seemed, for the lack of a better word, brighter, unlike the cynical war veteran they were used to interacting with for the first half of the semester. However, they soon noticed the slight blush on her cheeks and, when paired with the fact that she was still holding hands with the redheaded knight, it didn't take long for them to figure out why.

It was the Headmaster who greeted her first. "Please, Miss Aisha, don't apologize over such trivial matters. You have yet to break anything in the office." He trailed off, chuckling as he glanced at the redheaded knight. "On the subject of returning to Hogwarts, it seems that you have brought along quite the companion. Would you mind introducing him?"

His words seemed to jolt Aisha and they mysterious young man back to reality, quickly detangling their hands with matching red faces. Aisha coughed several times to quell her embarrassment before she introduced her companion, although a shade of pink still lingered on her cheeks. "Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, allow me to introduce a friend of mine from my homeland; Elsword Sieghart. Elsword, this is the Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore. The man beside him is the Potions Professor, Professor Severus Snape."

Said young man nodded slightly towards the older men, apparently understanding English well. He spoke slowly in slightly accented English, like he was remembering the language. "I was curious about this new 'world' beyond our boundaries that Aisha kept talking about while she was back home. Because of this I asked her if I could come along." He extended a hand towards the Headmaster. "A pleasure to meet you, Professor Dumbledore."

"I see…" Dumbledore nodded as he lowered his wand, as it was clear that Elsword meant no harm, before shaking the knight's hand. "Welcome to Hogwarts then, young one."

However, Snape was seemingly still a bit intimidated by the large sword on the redhead's back, if the glare at the offending object was anything to go by. It was Aisha who noticed his gaze and, chuckling slightly, she spoke reassuringly to the Potions Professor in the same professional tone they were used to hearing from her. "It's just a force of habit to carry his sword everywhere, Professor Snape. It's nothing to worry about. After all, you saw what we went through already, haven't you?"

Glancing at the sword furtively once more, Snape reluctantly returned the greeting before turning back to Aisha to ask a more important question. "Now that we've exchanged pleasantries, are you going to ask us to provide a stay for him in the castle, Professor Aisha?"

A small smile appeared on the girl's face as she leaned against a wall casually, the smile growing as she replied sarcastically. "As much as he looks like a knight in shining armor, I doubt that it's considered appropriate conduct in your culture to have an unmarried couple sleep in the same room, right?"

Elsword blushed slightly at the notion, shaking his head furiously, refusing to do what she just suggested anyway. After all, Aisha would have no 'sleeping in the same room' when it was technically her place. Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, running through all of the options in his head. "It'll depend on what position Mr. Sieghart does and if he wishes to stay at Hogwarts, Miss Aisha."

Elsword blinked in seemingly confusion as he struggled to process what was being said and translate into his language. Saving him the trouble, Aisha lightly patted him on the head. "He's saying that you can't be a freeloader, Elsword. You have to work, like how I'm teaching the children." Then she turned to address Dumbledore, ignoring Elsword instinctively swatting her hand out of the way with his gauntlet-clad one. "I doubt he can teach, though, since all the teaching positions are filled. Unless he's a teaching assistant… I'm not sure, though."

"A teaching assistant?" Snape quirked an eyebrow at her suggestion, before shaking his head in denial. "I don't think it's a good idea even if they are permitted according to school rules. After all, we have that Umbridge digging through every nook and cranny to see if we slipped up…"

Aisha nodded in agreement slightly, however Dumbledore interjected quickly. "I don't think it will be a problem, after all you passed their many 'tests' with flying colors." The old Headmaster winked at the girl, causing her to chuckle as she recalled the 'tests' he meant. "Besides, as much as I loathe students risking their lives because of them, the Dementors they sent to crash our Quidditch Match can be quite… beneficial in this case."

It didn't take long for Aisha to realize what Dumbledore meant; it seems that right now the Ministry's reputation hasn't recovered from the Dementor attack on the Hogwarts Quidditch Pit, essentially restricting any foul play from them for the time being as they would fear that it would backfire and cause Fudge to lose his seat.

However Snape still has one more point to make as he studied Elsword closely. "There's the matter of his appearance that may cause trouble for the both of you, Professor Aisha, Professor Dumbledore."

Blinking at the Potions Professor's announcement, Elsword pointed at himself. "Excuse me, but what do you mean that my appearance may cause problems?"

If the question was asked by a particular raven-haired boy with glasses and green eyes, Snape would've snorted at him. But he remembered that this person was a newcomer to the Wizarding World, and even if he had a good grasp of magic from his homeland, he can't be expected to know foreign traditions. Snape sucked in a deep breath before explaining slowly, as if talking to a child. "It is a social stigma against people who have red eyes, Mr. Sieghart. The Wizarding World believes that red eyes are the sign of a Dark Arts user – I'm assuming that Professor Aisha already explained that to you, correct?"

Elsword nodded, folding his hands over his chest plate while frowning. "I'm not that adept in magic, but aren't there people with red eyes despite having no magical ability? What about them?"

"There are Muggles with red eyes, Mr. Sieghart," Snape replied coolly. "However, they are still viewed by our society as someone who can't be trusted with the secrets of magic out of fear that they'll turn evil."

"That's one stupid superstition you have." Elsword sighed in annoyance. "As if using the Dark Arts or being evil is related to something no one has control over, like their appearance."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, his opinion of the redheaded man increasing greatly. "I have to agree with that. The Wizarding World is quite backwards in their thinking. I can say with confidence that our magical development is stagnant because of that."

Elsword looked to his girlfriend for clarification, to which her response is a shrug. "The magic they use today is the same magic they used thousands of years before; from the incantation to its effects."

The knight's eyes widened as he gaped at Aisha. "You're not serious, are you? In that amount of time, the magic in Elrios has evolved beyond the recognition of ancient beings! And you've invented dozens more since the day I met you seven years ago!"

Unfazed by the sudden attention gained from the Headmaster and Potions Professor because of the redhead's outburst, Aisha brushed the topic aside to focus on more pressing matters. "I don't think having red eyes will be much of a hassle in the foreseeable future, but we still need to find a job for you to do. I won't have you freeloading off of my salary, either."

Elsword ran a hand through his hair, muttering quietly. "Since when did I ever say that?" The he turned to address the Headmaster. "Are there any other jobs that you overlooked aside from teaching? Say, guards, gardeners, cooks, janitors…"

A surprisingly long list of applicable jobs followed. Dumbledore sighed, raising a hand to stop the knight's rambling before speaking to Aisha. "I think your original plan for a teaching assistant position should be fine." After all, it was already late at night and both he and Professor Snape would really need sleep after this.

The day before the end of the Christmas break, Harry was summoned once more, this time by his sister who had mysteriously disappeared for the duration of their vacation. The elf that brought him the letter also told him that he could bring his friends with him if he wanted to. Needless to say, Hermione practically jumped him and demanded to come so she could ask Aisha some questions. Ron, on the other hand, had yet to finish his Christmas homework and doesn't want to give a certain grump in the dungeon an excuse to take away their House Points, and instead opted to have Harry say hello to Aisha for him.

There was no reason to deny his sister's summons – after all, Dumbledore gave the go ahead to tell Aisha what's going on. He also has a slight feeling that Aisha's 'Elemental Magic' or whatever she practices might have the answers to his dilemma, answers the knowledge of the Wizarding World failed to provide.

As Harry and Hermione stood outside of Aisha's corridor, her voice rang out from within. "It's not locked. Come in, you two."

Both looked surprised that the one in the room recognized who they were before they even announced their presence. Perhaps she heard their footsteps, but that doesn't mean that the people in the hallway were coming to see her. Pushing aside those thoughts, they opened the door and stepped inside. "Sorry for the intrusion…"

Aisha's quarters were still as Spartan as ever; cramped with the bare minimum of furnishings, yet clean. Next to the window was the same old work desk, the same old chair, and as always, Aisha seated behind said desk on said chair. Except this time, a young man, red haired man with matching red eyes clad in a red-and-white shirt and black trousers stood to her right as he examined the two students that entered.

Hermione blinked at the new face, but before she could say anything Harry spoke, looking at the redhead in surprise. "Sis, if he who I think he is…?"

Chuckling slightly, the young man stepped forwards, glancing at the boy as he spoke. "You've grown, Harry… But only height wise. Are you still being poorly fed by those relatives of yours? Or does the school not give you proper portions?"

"Elsword…" Aisha interrupted his 'worried mother hen' speech, amusement clearly written on her face. "After you finally see the kid again, you bring up bad memories and make a fuss over his eating habits instead of saying something like 'I'm glad to see you again'?"

Elsword flashed Aisha an annoyed glace, before turning back to Harry and muttering sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

However, the knight's comments confirmed that he really was the Elsword from seven years ago. Extending his hand, the young boy greeted him with a nervous smile. "Hello Elsword. It's been seven years since we last met, hasn't it?"

Hermione was still confused by the somewhat awkward reunion and the sudden friendliness the two young men displayed. "Prof- um… Aisha, who is he? Do you and Harry know him from somewhere?"

"Thank you for the obvious," Aisha shot back without malice. "That's Elsword Sieghart, another one of Harry's childhood friends. Well, they are childhood friends, but they didn't meet each other much…"

"We saw each other exactly three times." Elsword added distractedly, busy ruffling the younger boy's hair affectionately, ignoring the protests from the boy in question who was trying and failing to avoid the knight's hand.

Hermione looked at the two of them, an amused yet nervous smile crossing her face. "It looks like you get along quite well…"

Aisha chuckled at the comment. "Get along? He was more like an impatient, temperamental guy who couldn't go sell ice cream alone for more than an hour before getting into a fight with the kids who were supposed to be our customers – really, he was seriously detrimental to our business back when we first met Harry."

"Hey, I could hear that, Aisha!" Elsword shot back with a scowl, his hand momentarily freezing, allowing Harry to flee behind Hermione. At this point, however, Elsword didn't care. "After everything that happened and all that we've gone through you still think of me as a brat?"

Aisha covered her mouth, hiding her mischievous smile. "You know, saying things like that tend to lead to misunderstandings, right?"

Elsword paused, looking behind him to see the other girl in the room, her face bright red as she began to stammer. This looked like a married couple's quarrel – at least, it did to Hermione. "You… You're…"

"We don't have that kind of relationship!" Elsword nearly shouted, his cheeks flushed bright red at the thought of someone misunderstanding his relationship with Aisha. Sure they were in love, but from the way the brunette acted, it seemed like she was thinking of something else entirely. "We… We're just friends, and that's it!"

"Friends, you say…" Aisha shot up from her seat, grinning while pointing an accusing finger at Elsword. "Why is your face red like a tomato, then? Are you possible thinking something dirty right now?"

Elsword wasn't about to take a one-sided attack, so he pointed an accusing finger right back at her. "The same could be said about you, Aisha! Tease me all you want, but you still turn red, too!"

"Speaking of which, what about Miss Rena?" Harry, who had finally recovered from all the drama transpiring, decided to step in and stop their pointless quarrel by asking about another member of their little group. His actions were met with limited success, as the couple stopped arguing but immediately turned away from one another, refusing to look at each other.

At first, Harry and Hermione thought the two were angry at each other, but after looking closely they saw that both Elsword and Aisha were shaking slightly. Soon, the redhead burst out into laughter, Aisha barely containing her giggles as she fell into her seat. "Ah, that felt just like the old times… Arguing about anything, even the most stupid subjects you could think of!"

Both teens were speechless at the sudden mood swing. Glancing at the two, Aisha couldn't contain her laughter as she saw their utterly confused expressions. Elsword's laughter died down, smiling at he glanced at Aisha's still laughing form and the confused faces of the Hogwarts teens. "Don't worry, she just can't help it."

Harry blinked twice, wondering if Aisha was hit on the head or something, because her personality did a one-eighty degree change. Even though they knew it was their real teacher and not some Polyjuice imitation, the sudden change was still somewhat excessive.

Chuckling at the boy's obvious confusion, Elsword decided to elaborate. "Back in our homeland, she's… an accomplished magic user that many people look up to as an example. She's restricted to behave properly to keep up with that public image. And from what I've heard, she's still getting red flags from the Ministry, so when the chance came to blow off some steam, she just…"He trailed off, glancing meaningfully at the still giggling professor.

Overhearing their conversation, Aisha stopped laughing immediately, returning to normal in and instant as indicated by her sudden professionalism and lack of mirth when she addressed the duo. "So, how are you kids doing? Especially you, Harry."

"Huh?" It was quite obvious that Harry had absolutely no idea what Aisha was talking about, if his response was anything to go by.

"I heard that you saved your redheaded friend's father by dreaming about what Voldemort's doing." Aisha didn't have time for games, so she went straight to the point as always. "Dumbledore also told me that you're going to have Professor Snape teach you how to prevent mind-reading… I hope you put all of your effort into that class."

"Oh…" Harry suddenly seemed worried as he averted his eyes from Aisha's piercing gaze. "I… I don't think it's a good idea…" He muttered.

Aisha raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because Snape may sell information to Voldemort and therefore can't be trusted?" She sighed when she saw the scowl on Harry's face. "Let's face it, the life of a double agent is certainly not the same of that of a normal spy. You have to get both sides' trust – the one whom you're truly working for and the side you want to spy on. What better way to gain that trust than by giving both sides some information about their employer?"

"But…" Harry narrowed his eyes of the implication, his anger growing towards a certain greasy professor who taught in the dungeon. "He sold information to Voldemort! Isn't it because of him that Mr. Weasley was hurt? If he didn't, then maybe… maybe…"

Harry found himself unable to finish his sentence as Aisha spoke coldly. "Maybe what?" Unfazed by his display of emotion, she continued. "While you may view this conflict as a secret operation, it is still a war… And in war, there are always casualties, without exception!" She barked, startling both teens. "The job of a double agent is to make sure your target trusts you enough that you can find out information about them while mitigating the damage done to your own organization. Yes, mitigate the damage, as there's no such thing as 'stop' or 'prevent,' because if that's possible then you're a lousy and probably useless double agent."

Harry stared at Aisha in disbelief while Hermione covered her mouth with her hands, eyes equally wide. Aisha sighed. "I hate to say this, but neither of you have even been in a war before. Trust me, what Snape has done has been the best course of action he could make already." Sighing again, Aisha added on bitterly. "Being a double agent, if his information can't satisfy Voldemort, he'll lose his trust and will be in no position to provide information to Dumbledore. So, yes, he will endanger his own side, but it's a calculated risk that he and Dumbledore must make to minimize casualties."

Elsword smirked, leaning against the wall. "Well, if you don't like that guy telling sensitive information to Voldemort, you can just ditch this 'How to Prevent Mind Reading' class so Voldemort can rely on you instead."

Harry was no fool, he could pick up what the red knight was saying subtly. Unsurprisingly, he yelled in anger before he could control himself. "No way! I'll never let him use me!"

"Then give your all in Snape's 'special' class…" Aisha nodded while grinning, making sure that the kids had no more doubts about the Potions Professor, or at the very least reduce them. "Think about it. Like Elsword said, if Voldemort has direct access to your mind, why he'll need Snape's services any longer? Don't you think Snape needs to try his hardest to ensure his usefulness to his 'master?'"

Hermione and Harry pondered on what Aisha had said before agreeing, albeit reluctantly. After all, Snape had the most to lose if Voldemort can invade Harry's mind and see what the old Headmaster is planning.

Once the heavy atmosphere has been lifted, the four of them turned to another topic. "So, have you come to stay at Hogwarts, Elsword?"

Elsword shrugged, glancing at Aisha before continuing after seeing her slight nod. "I didn't find any reasons to say no to her, so I tagged along. And it would be unbecoming if I were to freeload her salary, so I found a job – one the Headmaster kindly provided."

Hermione's eyes widened at the mention of Dumbledore, understanding the implication behind his words. "But… all the Hogwarts staff positions are filled! What subject could you teach? And how could Dumbledore hire you in the first place?"

Hermione's ramblings were cut short as Aisha stepped forwards, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Rest easy, he's legally employed by Dumbledore. No need to worry."

Harry couldn't help but wonder aloud as he spoke. "Sorry for sounding rude, but didn't you tell me that he doesn't have magic? Won't that make him invalid for a position in Hogwarts?" Of course, Harry left out Filch's position – not because he was biased towards those who can't use magic, but because he wondered what the old man actually did now that he knows about the scores of House Elves employed in Hogwarts.

Aisha frowned, correcting her little brother's statement with her arms in front of her. "I said that he isn't proficient in magic. That doesn't mean he can't use it, he just prefers not to use it."

Harry's eyes widened, before he turned to apologize to the knight even if Elsword didn't mind much. "I'm sorry…"

Nodding silently to accept Harry's apology, he returned to Harry's original question with a slight smirk. "As for my new position… Well, Dumbledore will announce that soon."

Needless to say, Hermione wasn't pleased when she realized that she got carried away in Harry's dilemmas and had forgotten to ask Aisha about her Elemental Magic.

"… So please, a warm welcome to Elsword Sieghart, our newest addition to the teaching staff!"

The old Headmaster's words echoes throughout the dining hall before the first dinner of the school year. A stunned silence spread across the student body. Dumbledore stood at his usual place, clapping surprisingly loud, but given the silent state of the hall it most likely seemed louder. The rest of the teaching staff – minus the Potions Professor – shared a look of disbelief as they looked at the redhead that was currently the center of the hall's attention.

At the teacher's table, Elsword stood tall, arms crossed in front of his formal attire consisting of red, black, and white, missing only the his armour and his sword. His ruby eyes glanced around the room in a rather friendly manner, lips curving into an amused yet annoyed scowl when he saw some of the students shrink away from his gaze in terror. He sighed as he thought back to the Potions Professor's warnings about their superstitions.

It seemed that this 'warm welcoming' wasn't very warm at all, the cold, New Year winter of Scotland not withstanding…

Meanwhile, seated next to Professor Flitwick, Aisha observed the main hall in silence. Like when she just arrived, her stern, piercing gaze seemed to instill fear into those who looked at her. However, as the months passed, the fear died down a little, replaced with a tiny drop of respect. Not much, and Aisha knew that, but it made it easier for her to control her classes. Now that Elsword would be helping out, it would definitely be easier to deal with the shouts, complaints, and protests that were sure to come from some of the more spoiled brats.

She could care less about whether they think he's a potential Dark Wizard or some medieval knight. If anything, with Elsword here he could drill a lesson into them; it doesn't take magic to beat magic, even non-magical means have as much of a chance to kill wizards and witches as their unforgivable curses.

Of course, assuming they will listen to what he has to say right away is naïve. It'll take time for any of them to show respect to someone who doesn't like showing them magic to prove his lineage (not that his lineage has any major magical achievements anyway) despite having the capability to do so.

It felt like eternity, but the only clapping in the hall died down a few seconds after it began. That was the student's cue to start whispering about the latest event, with a certain blonde brat being more vocal about this new employee as he stood up, arm raised. "Pardon me Professor, but what could he possibly assist in teaching? I don't think he's qualified. And doesn't this appointment contradict the Ministry law?"

Dumbledore smiled at the heir of the Malfoy House, eyes twinkling while letting the youngest (second youngest if you counted Elsword) teacher in the school take the stage with a nod.

Aisha smiled lightly as Dumbledore dumped the pressure on her back, but she didn't really care.

The room quieted instantly as Aisha stepped past Elsword, standing in front of the school. Her hands folded behind her back, she gazed at Malfoy as she coldly shot him down. "We are quite aware of the rules your government instated recently. However, that rule only covers actual teachers, not assistants which the Headmaster may employ."

Before Malfoy could argue, Aisha cut him short. "I asked Dumbledore to hire Elsword not because he is from my hometown, but because I think it'd be beneficial to your studies to learn how to fight without magic against a magical or supernatural opponent, something in which he's much better at than I am."

Aisha narrowed her eyes, as if daring anyone to ask any more questions. No one dared to raise their voice, probably unaware or unsure about the rules she just cited, indifferent given her classes so far, terrified of her (apparently) angry gaze, or upset that their 'favorite' High Inquisitor wasn't there to scrutinize this development. Ultimately, the students began to reluctantly clap for Elsword, the dinner starting in earnest.

Both knight and magician return to their seats, eating their meal in silence. While Elsword didn't think anything more than how he'll teach the children in the hall how to fight when unarmed, Aisha was confident that actions spoke louder than words and all of their doubts will be cast away once Elsword proves his worth during tomorrow's class.

The next morning was as normal as it could be. Harry walked alongside his two friends and dozens of fifth year Gryffindors as they headed towards the lake. There wasn't much commotion, apart from the Weasley twins telling him that from their eavesdropping, those in Slytherin were quite upset that Umbridge wouldn't be coming to school until 10, therefore being unable to avoid the lesson with Professor Aisha and the inquiry that would guarantee the end of the class.

However, instead of seeing Aisha tapping her foot impatiently next to their gathering place, Harry saw Elsword who was now in what looked like a full knight's armor, missing only the shield and sword. As they drew closer, he made a friendly gesture to tell them to gather around.

"Wicked…" Ron breathed as he got close enough to see that what the young knight was wearing was the real deal, from the metal chest plates, gauntlets, and armored boots, each piece covered in scratches, indicating the experience the wearer had along with the protective gear's history. Although it was amazing, in Harry's mind and the minds of many Muggle-born students', it was a bit out of place in this time and age. Perhaps Aisha's homeland was also cut off from the rest of the world like the Wizaring World?"

However, Malfoy wasn't amused and clearly didn't respect the newly appointed teaching assistant. "Does that Professor seriously think that a Muggle swordsman has anything to teach us?"

Some angry cries rose from the crowd of Gryffindor, as they hated people who showed no respect to those who came from a non-magical lineage or were unable to use magic – which they assumed Elsword to be. After all, he can see Hogwarts, which has wards to repel Muggles, so he had to be a Squib, right?

Harry looked at his classmates worriedly. As much as he was angry at Malfoy's insults, he knew well enough to not rise to the blond's bait. It wouldn't do them any good if a fight started, so he at least tried to pull Ron away from the group with the help of Hermione, the redhead looking angry enough to rush out and hit the blond in the face.

Meanwhile, Elsword couldn't help but wonder if that was what he was like during his younger days. He wasn't that concerned about the kid's gripes though, as Aisha had said she was just going to pick up things for today's class and wouldn't be more than ten minutes. If he was right, she should be back at any moment. That didn't mean he was slacking off; if things escalated and she hadn't returned, he was confident that he could stop them without much trouble – although there would be some bloodied noses, bruises, and sprains, because they were obviously still skeptical about him and wouldn't listen to a word he said.

Just as he finished that thought, the sound of soft footsteps came from the direction of the castle. Elsword spared Aisha a glance, watching with slight amusement as Aisha sped towards them, a pair of wooden swords in her right hand. Once she reached them, she pointed to her throat and muttered a spell before speaking, her voice booming out around them loudly. "What's this? I had just gone to pick up some things and you kids start to fight?"

The crowd separated instantly, although they still glared at each other until Aisha ordered them to stop. Running a hand through her hair, she grumbled loudly. "You kids certainly deserved to be called kids. Really! What's with this senseless argument about one's lineage even after I've taught you?"

Most of the hotheaded students cooled down reluctantly, while the other vocally refused to acknowledge her words, albeit through whispers. Aisha, even if she heard them, decided to let it slide and focus on the lesson. "Stop complaining, we're starting now."

Aisha handed the wooden swords to Elsword, who then proceeded to do some practice swings to test their weighting and balance. Turning back to the class, Aisha addressed them. "If you still remember what the Ministry law tells me what I cannot do, you also would know that I think it'd be best if you learned how to defend yourself without using magic."

Pausing to get a good look at the class, she saw their skeptical glances and motioned to the red knight just as he finished his trial runs with the practice weapons. "So, I'm going to have him help demonstrate how to fight without a wand."

"Please, Professor Aisha. Are you expecting us to believe that?" Aisha sighed. Malfoy was going at it. Again

However, before Aisha could reply, she felt a sudden surge of energy coming from the school gates, notifying her that someone had entered Hogwarts. She paid it no mind, as it was probably Umbridge coming back to work… Until the alarms rang in her mind, as its signature was unique, different from those she felt from the magic users of this world. It was something Aisha was familiar with… which was impossible because –

Her train of thought came to an abrupt stop as Elsword leapt at her, one hand pushing her to the ground as he shouted to the students. "Incoming! Everyone get down!"

Soon, the front of the Hogwarts lakeshore, including the entire DADA class and both teachers, was engulfed in black flames.

Author's Note

Sorry for taking so long to come up with this chapter. But I'm currently quite busy and that affected my writing ability for quite a while.

Still, I may or may not overlooked something important in this story, so I wish that Readers may help point it out if they find it to be a problem. And hopefully I'm not accidentally committed Aisha to "Drama Preserving Handicap" that plagued crossover fic so much. I'm still not sure of how much is qualified though.

So, a cliffhanger, I'll let you all guess who's the next opponent in the next chapter. I have two candidates in mind right now, but it'll be better if you readers guess.

Rate, Review as you see fit, until next time.