Interlude - Of Teaching, Friendship and Grudges.

Albus Dumbledore POV

"As expected, tardiness is finally beginning to abate, now that the new students have gotten time to know the intricacies of navigating the castle."

"That's wonderful news, Minerva. It was faster than normal, this year's prefects seem to be performing their duties outstandingly. " Albus replied with a cheery smile.

"Or we got a particularly smart batch of first years." Minerva said, unimpressed eyes rising from the parchment she was inspecting in order to pierce him with a look. "As I have repeated countless times, Albus, isn't it about time to start giving first years a map of the castle?"

"Oh, the wonders of exploring the castle is not something I am particularly keen to snatch away from them." Minerva sighed, likely knowing that he would not budge in this instance. They had this exchange every year, and she was never able to convince him.

He remembered his own years studying here. Finding a secret hallway or a hidden room always brought a great feeling of satisfaction to Albus, so he wanted every student to be able to experience the same.

Minerva rolled the parchment in her hand and placed the scroll on his desk. He would need to check it once more and seal it, before sending it -and another pile of them- to the governors.

September always was a busy month, but Albus could say that it was his favourite time of the year.

He was well used to the work, so it hardly bothered him, and the opportunity of seeing the wonder on each and every new student to grace his halls made it all well worth it.

Yes, Albus Dumbledore loved his job.

After a long lifetime of mistakes and regrets, knowing that he was helping mould and raise the next generation of witches and wizards of his beloved country felt like a balm to his old soul, even after decades of being an educator.

He steepled his fingers, placing his chin on them, and looked at the four Head of Houses in his office. Pomona, with her kind and motherly semblance, Filius, cheerful and energetic as ever, Severus, dedicated and uncompromising in his duties, and Minerva, his confidant, dependable and strict.

He smiled. Each and every one of them had his full trust, so he never felt the need to check in on their work, but the last week of September always gave him the opportunity to ask about their charges.

They were certainly experienced enough in their duties to not need his help, but he liked to keep abreast of every problem they may have.

"So, my dear friends, to finish this small meeting, is there any student of note that you'd like to remark about? Be it for good or bad?"

As always, Minerva took the opportunity to complain about the newest menace the school was graced with.

"The Weasley twins have certainly not made us wait for a restart of their antics this year." She sighed, annoyance and old nostalgia warring on her face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if they were the children of one of those four." She remarked, and Albus could see Severus' face souring at the mention of his childhood… tormentors? Rivals?

Albus sighed, wondering what it would take for that bitterness to finally disappear. Having two of them die, another rotting in prison and the last one fading into obscurity didn't seem to have diminished his feelings.

Well, Albus would certainly understand about how one's feelings could be rooted so deeply that, even after decades, they'd hardly fade.

"If only they could use their talents in something more productive than… pranking."

Albus smiled at Minerva's words. Yes, the amount of effort and dedication those two children put on their illicit activities was quite remarkable. He wondered what their intentions were after they finished their schooling.

"Keep an eye on them, Minerva. The worst thing one could do to a bored, smart child is to leave them unattended." He could see some amused smiles forming on the teachers' faces, but he wasn't quite joking.

Yes, he knew how bad it could be, a smart child left alone in this castle.

"Maybe try to direct their energy elsewhere?" Tried Filius. "I remember they were quite enthusiastic during the Quidditch games last year."

Minerva huffed. "If anything, I can threaten their positions in the team to get them to behave."

Severus snorted, a small sardonic smile on his face. "You'd have to catch them first, Minerva. They are quite… slippery." Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose, likely thinking of the headaches awaiting her this year.

"Leaving Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley aside, anyone else you'd like to remark?"

Minerva's new students didn't seem to make too much trouble for her. They seemed to be good children, a little rowdy, but nothing the experienced Head of Gryffindor couldn't handle.

She had been a little worried about skittish Neville Longbottom, but the boy seemed to recently strike a friendship with the youngest Weasley boy, and was little by little coming out of his shell.

Filius continued, talking about his ravens, mentioning a particularly smart muggleborn child -even amongst the students of the House of Wit- named Hermione Granger. The girl had no problems with the curriculum, but Filius too was a little worried about her lack of friends.

Albus sighed, coming to a new place was hard for some children, and some struggled to establish friendships the first time away from home. There was not much to do, however.

Some trials one must try to overcome on their own.

Severus talked about Lucius Malfoy's boy, Draco. The young Malfoy seemingly intended to follow his father's steps, if his comments about muggleborn students were any indication.

Albus hoped the boy would desist from that path, but by the look Severus gave him when he asked to try and curb the worst of the boy's attitude, he seemed to think it was lost cause already.

Still, he hoped.

Pomona was the last, and her own report was as brief as ever, Hufflepuff prided itself in their support system. There is not a homesick student that is not comforted by their peers before the day is over. There was a little hiccup with Justin Finch-Fletchley who seemed to struggle at first but a certain student helped him.

Albus didn't try to hide his interest.

"I hope you forgive my meddling, Pomona. I was wondering if you could indulge my curiosity over a certain matter."

Pomona smiled ruefully, likely figuring out what he was talking about.

"I'm guessing you mean Miss Potter?"

Rose Potter.

Reading that name on this year's roster had been a… shock?

No, not quite.

Albus had known perfectly well that the girl was bound to join the school this year.

But it brought to sharp focus the passing of time.

To see the babe that he had held in his arms and rocked to sleep that night of October from ten years ago, standing tall in front of him, already wearing her Hogwarts Uniform, was a curious experience.

"Luckily, Miss Potter hasn't given me a reason to worry about her. She has become inseparable from her two little friends, Misses Abbott and Bones, and from what I've seen she has been doing well in her classes, she even helps other students when they struggle with their homework!" Pomona gushed with a proud smile.

Albus had to contain an amused chuckle at the almost envious looks that Minerva and Filius sported.

Both had been sure that James and Lily's girl would join their houses, and the sorting had been a sour surprise for both of them.

Still, Minerva nodded at the words. "You can say that again, the child shows as much talent as her father in transfiguration." She said, "Miss Potter seems to have an almost instinctive grasp on magic that few have at that age. She usually takes just a few minutes to get a spell right."

"And on flying, if what Mr Corner has reported is not an exaggeration." Added Pomona, "She's one of the three students that caught the eye of the quidditch team for next year."

Albus smiled. "It seems the apple has not fallen far from the tree, then."

Severus shook his head, a distasteful expression on his face. "It seems quite obvious from which tree she has fallen from, then. The girl is painfully average at Potions."

"Oh? Are you quite sure about that, Severus?" Filius asked, "Miss Potter is as good at charms as Lily had been. Maybe the difference is that she does not have a future Potions Master as her best friend."

Severus huffed, "If you think that Lily's skills on potions were acquired from me, then you are wrong. Her talent as a potioneer was evident from the beginning."

Albus clapped his hands, stopping the brewing argument before it got started. "Well, well, whether the girl shares her magical skills with her parents is not something to fight over. Her abilities are her own, after all."

Filius harrumphed. "Well whether her talents are a result of her blood or something else entirely, I have to say, after what I've seen from her, I am sorely tempted to offer her an apprenticeship."

Albus felt his eyes widen. It was one thing to praise a student for their ability, but another entirely to consider taking them as an apprentice before not even their first term was over.

Was Rose Potter that good or was Filius drunk on nostalgia?

"Oh? I was going to hold my interest until her OWL years at least. Is she that proficient at Charms, Filius?" Minerva said, surprise evident in her tone

"Oh no, I wasn't referring to charms, but duelling." Former duelling world champion Filius Flitwick said, a sharp smile on his face.

"Are you finally out of your mind, Filius?" Severus demanded, shocked. "The girl is not even twelve yet! What could she have shown, a wand-lighting charm?"

Albus wouldn't put it that way, but he had to admit of sharing the disbelief Severus expressed.

"I wasn't talking about her spells, though as Minerva said, she has shown a prodigious ability to manipulate her magic. She even changed the properties of a light arrow charm on the fly!" Filius remarked. "Her movements, her instincts. The girl was born for the sport. And I want to nourish her talents."

Albus looked at the teacher in front of him, now realising that he was serious in his offer.

To be honest, the fact that Filius was interested in passing his lifetime of knowledge on the sport was something of a shock to Albus.

He knew that he periodically received offers from duellists wanting to learn from him. Yet he never accepted.

What was it that impressed the champion so much? He was growing curious about how Rose Potter would develop with his tutelage.

Besides, if what he suspected -what he feared- turned out to be true, then Miss Potter would need all the assistance she could get if she wanted to live a long life.

…For neither can live while the other survives…

The Dark Lord Voldemort would not stop until he finished what he started ten years ago.

Albus sighed, looking at the diminutive teacher critically. "Don't approach her yet with the offer. Let the girl enjoy her first year without adding unnecessary stress." He ordered. "Take the opportunity to keep observing her, decide if she has what it takes to learn under you. If you think the same after her second year starts, I will approve your apprenticeship."

Filius nodded. "Of course, I wasn't about to offer her right now, I was just expressing my interest. I will, however, tell her by the end of this school year if she keeps impressing me."

"That's fine." Albus easily acquiesced. "It's better if she comes back ready next year. Keep me abreast of your decision, please."

When he was left alone with Fawkes in his office, Albus considered the words of his Heads of Houses.

Skilled with transfiguration, charms, duelling.

A good flyer.

Kind and helpful to her peers.

A curious girl, if what the ghosts and portraits reported of her weekly explorations of the castle were any indication.

He quite liked the image forming in his head of the girl prophesied to vanquish the dark lord, but there was nothing like a face to face meeting to truly know someone.

Albus wondered if the girl would remain in the castle during the Christmas Break. He could take the chance of inviting her for a cup of tea.

He glanced at the locked chest in his office, remembering the silvery cloak that was held inside.

He could also use the opportunity to return it to whom it belongs.

It was her inheritance, after all.

Hannah Abbott POV

Before Hannah came to Hogwarts, she expected to spend all her seven years in the school with Sue.

Well, she had thought she'd make some friends, but she had assumed that no one would be as close to her as her bestest friend ever.

I mean, how could they, when Sue's my sister in all but blood?

Dad had wanted her to branch out and make valuable allies outside of her friend, but being completely honest, Hannah didn't care about the stuffy things he insisted on being important.

Maybe later, she had seven years to worry about pureblood politics.

If dad was so worried about his stuffy image, then he should have thought about it before marrying mum. How come it was down to her to fix it now?

So, yeah, Hannah expected to spend her time having fun learning magic with just her best friend.

And then she met Rose Potter.

It hadn't even crossed her mind to reject her joining them back when she asked, but seeing her slightly shaking hands and her blushy cheeks reminded her of how Sue reacted when meeting new people. So she said yes instantly.

Yes, she noticed that, for all her efforts to seem confident and cool, and in contrast to how tall and pretty she was, in truth Rose was… shy? Awkward? Skittish?

Unused to people?

Hannah couldn't describe it well, but it was one of the reasons she accepted her so readily into their compartment, and then into her life.

To be honest, and this is something that she would never ever admit to Rose, but she had been a teensy bit disappointed that the hero she had grown up hearing about was just a normal girl.

But she soon realised that It was silly to feel down because the girl hadn't been a fairytale character in real life. So she accepted her, trying to forget the previous image she had of her.

Of course, she wasn't about to say that she took Rose Potter under her wing, but she was practised in getting shy girls to come out of their shell. Sue made sure of that.

A train ride later and Rose was laughing and having fun with them like she had been there all along.

Of course, it wasn't just some kind of pity that made her befriend Rose. Once she got to know her, she realised that she's funny, kind and as adventurous as she herself was.

Hannah knew that Sue loved her, but she also knew that she could be tiring to be around sometimes.

Sue needed a rest from her sometimes. Like, for example, how she had gotten a little bored of their weekly explorations of the castle already, and often preferred to stay in the common room reading or writing on her little notebook.

But Rose was always up for an adventure.

She was always happy to spend time with Hannah -she only refused when she had practice with the Quidditch team- and the more time they spent together, the closer they got, and the more Hannah got to know her newest friend.

How hard-working she was, how she loved sweets over anything else but always held back from eating them, how she enjoyed seeing her hair done in different styles, how she loved learning about magic.

How she never spoke about her family, or any friends from before she came to Hogwarts.

How skittish she was when being touched, like she had never been hugged before…

She didn't like to think about what the last few meant about Rose's life before meeting them, but Hannah would definitely talk with Mum during the break.

Sometimes she worried about her friend, and she didn't know what to do about it.

And so a month after meeting her, and almost without Hannah realising, Rose was fast becoming as important to her as Sue was.

So, days spent together in their little room on the fifth floor was becoming a routine for them. Like now, when they decided to spend the last weekend of october practising the spells they learnt last month.

Hannah's eyes left the figure of Sue casting a spell, following the streak of light towards its target, the focused face of Rose, green eyes tracking the spell unerringly.

And another thing she noticed: underneath all that hidden shyness, all that outward kindness, Hannah realised that there was… steel in Rose.

She had seen it in the train when Draco Malfoy badmouthed them, and during Charms when she faced Daphne Greengrass.

And now.

Duelling, or rather dancing, seemed to bring that steely, confident part of her out.

Rose twirled to the side, the red leg-locking jinx flying past her.

While she was spinning, her wand went through the motions of a tripping hex, hoping to catch Sue mid-step.

Instead of the flashy movements of her opponent, Sue moved swiftly aside with a short step, letting the spell pass her by a small margin.

Before the spell had even hit the wall, another leg-lock left Sue's wand, followed almost instantly by a stinging hex.

Rose evaded the first one, lowering her stance and letting it soar over her, but the second one was too close for her to react properly and got hit mid dodge straight in the chest.

"Ouch!" Rose rubbed the spot that the hex had hit, her face losing the focus that gained whenever she started to dance. "That's a point to you, Susan. Still can't get used to dodging two spells almost at once." She said with a pained smile.

Sue smiled back, "You are learning fast, though. Just a little more and you'll be there, I'm sure. Want to go again?" She asked, hopping a little in place.

Hannah grinned, she hadn't seen Sue have so much fun with another person before.

"Sure!" Rose answered cheerfully, but faltered a little when she met Hannah's eyes. "Oh! Do you want to do it, instead, Hannah?" She asked with a warm smile.

"Nope, have fun, girls! I'm just enjoying the show." And she was, neither girl knew a lot of spells but it was so interesting to see how different they fought.

Sue followed her auntie's lessons to a T. Her posture, the way she dodged, everything was exactly as her aunt had taught them.

And Rose, she was… fascinating.

Her style was still a little rough around the edges, but the more they practised, the more polished it looked.

Hannah had never thought that duelling could look so beautiful, but Rose's graceful movements were always so pretty that Hannah was left speechless after seeing them.

Sue was the better of the two for now, but, as much as she loved her best friend, she was starting to think that soon enough Rose was going to reach her level.

Maybe even surpass her?

And Hannah couldn't wait to see how much more interesting their duels would be then.

So she sat back, eyes following the figures of two of the closest people in her life.

Though some part of her worried.

Rose had been acting… off the last few days. Getting lost in thought, not joining conversations, and smiling so falsely that Hannah could see it from a mile away.

What was it that worried her friend so?

Could Hannah help her? Should Hannah help her?

Normally, if it was Sue the one acting weirdly, Hannah would just ask and hug the stuffing out of her until she felt better.

But she didn't want to act overly familiar with Rose, especially with how she acted whenever Hannah touched her.

What could she do?

He felt his consciousness return slowly when the fabric covering his face was removed.

Red eyes opened, then closed again, getting comfortable in the bright light of the room he found himself in.

"Quirinuss, why have you woken me?" His voice came out as a weak whisper, but he knew his host would understand the words.

"Master… I can't do it… The hallway is being watched constantly. I can not approach without a ghost or a house elf appearing out of thin air. Dumbledore has the castle itself guarding the Stone."

Lord Voldemort gritted his teeth in frustration. To think that he was reduced to depend on a pathetic individual like Quirinus Quirrell.

"Then use a disstraction, my friend." He hissed. His mind felt slow, and yet he could think of multiple plans to overcome such an obstacle. "Samhain is approaching. The housse elves would be occupied with the feast. And the ghostss, they would not lower themselvess to work during that night."

"And the teachers? They will rush as soon as the enchantments are crossed." The weak fool fretted.

"Then distract them too…" Lord Voldemort ordered. "Didn't Dumbledore put you in charge of receiving the beast? Just let it loose."

"But.. But the children! What if they are attacked?"

What about them? He wanted to ask, but he knew that Quirinus ultimately agreed to help him because he thought he'd change the world for the better.

He would, of course, but Quirinus' definition of better wasn't the same as his.

The man was a teacher first, and not even the promise of a bright future would convince him to hurt his charges.

"They will be at the feast, there will not be risks for them." He cajoled.

"Right… Of course you are right. I'll do what you advise then, Master."

"Good. Sspeaking of children…" Lord Voldemort began, "Tell me about the girl…"

Secrecy was his best weapon right now, and attacking the girl recklessly was dangerous for his plans.

Killing the child came second to his return.

He'd act if a chance presents itself, but for that he needed information.

"Tell me about Rose Potter."