Meeting at the Ministry
Late on the first day she dueled Sirius, a letter arrived bearing her name. Edelweiss blinked at the sight of her name written in the Headmaster's careful scrawl. After a moment of hesitation, she opened the letter. She read it over several times, a vague furrow on her face once she finished. Dumbledore had come through for her this time, and scheduled a meeting to be in a few days, upon the twenty-seventh. The message was otherwise sparse, though it did say Mr. Weasley would be her escort and they'd be expected at the Ministry first thing in the morning.
Sirius decided they would put their training on pause when she told him the next morning. He defended his decision by reminding her how she would be speaking to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which meant she had to go through Ministry security.
"And that would be an issue why?" she asked.
"If your wand displays any sign of being used since June, the Ministry has to investigate," said Sirius, sounding quite exhausted. "It doesn't matter if you're in a magical household and thus the Trace can't pick up the difference between you, me, or Mrs. Weasley. They're bound by law to act, and the Minister will certainly act—unless you can get Amelia to protect you, but she's always been a stickler for the letter of the law."
Edelweiss spat on the floor of the dueling chamber beneath Number Twelve before storming out. Her godfather was right, and she wished he wasn't. When she had first met him two years ago, Minister Fudge had seemed kind, if perhaps incompetent. But after what he had done back in June and over the summer, it was clear she had judged him wrong. He only desired power, and thought she and Dumbledore were a threat to that power.
She could only hope Madam Bones would be understanding, or susceptible enough to the dark side to be influenced.
The morning of the Twenty-seventh arrived with little fanfare. Edelweiss woke early, startled out of her restless sleep by visions of Voldemort. She barely remembered them, though she swore as she stumbled into the bathroom that she had seen everything from the perspective of Nagini, his pet snake. How she could peer through the eyes of his snake was a great mystery, one as intriguing as disturbing. She had thought little of being informed there was a connection between her and the Dark Lord years ago—one she wished she could fully explain. Her recent vision was proof enough that the connection existed and was firmly entrenched.
I must destroy it, she thought while under the steaming shower.
Edelweiss knew she'd need guidance to sever their connection. Lord Salazar, she hoped, would provide something. The dark side possessed powers over the mind; certainly, it had an answer to whatever tied her to Voldemort. There had been an odd error while accessing Ziost Hangar. That, she hoped, would provide answers.
That reunion was still six days away.
For now, she had to focus on her looming meeting with Madam Amelia Bones. From all she learned from Sirius and the aurors in the Order, the woman was fair, though strict with an edge of practicality. Edelweiss was confident she would experience little trouble from Madam Bones when it came to the events early in the month. She would have to step around the matter of the Force, though, for her secret was too valuable to hand over so easily. Maybe the woman could be bound by an oath. Sirius had mentioned them in passing, once.
Arthur Weasley was present when she entered the kitchen for breakfast. Edelweiss had grown accustomed to rarely seeing the Weasley patriarch, for he often left for work early and returned late. He smiled at she made her way to the table.
He wore a plain robe over muggle business clothes, including an oxford tie. That the colors didn't clash or stand out took her by surprise, though Edelweiss guessed Mr. Weasley had enough experience dealing with muggles to know how to dress around them. His behavior around muggles and his treatment of them reminded her uncomfortably of the patronizing teachers she had in primary, though.
She probably should tell him. Any enduring qualities to his oddity had faded long ago.
"Albus told me about your meeting with Madam Bones today," said Mr. Weasley, setting a plate of toast and rashers before her. She scooped out a bit of blackberry jam and spread it across a slice. "He asked me to escort you there, since Bones demanded the meeting be first thing this morning."
"So he said in his letter informing me," said Edelweiss around her first bite. She swallowed, and then asked, "Why so early?"
"I imagine the Minister would interfere if he knew about your meeting. Fudge has pushed some odd conspiracies about you ever since you sided with Albus back in June. I think part of him wishes you would have rejected Dumbledore's claim You-Know-Who has returned."
"Then he is a fool," grumbled Edelweiss. "Dumbledore only makes that claim because I told him. Anyways, I doubt Fudge will be in office this time next year."
"I didn't take you for an expert in politics."
Mr. Weasley might have meant it kindly or even thought it might remind her to be humble, yet a twisted, offended anger roiled low in her gut. Her face twitched as she struggled to maintain a calm composure. The dark side flowed into her, whispering that she should lash out with her terrible power. Yet it would be counterproductive to act rashly, especially since this man was her key to accessing Madam Bones.
I could subvert her, thought Edelweiss. She was almost surprised she hadn't considered it before. The dark side has the power to sway minds, though a woman like Bones wouldn't have reached her station without being stronger than the walls of Hogwarts. It may be impossible…
She rejected the sudden thought, even if the idea of controlling those in power sounded lovely. One day, Magical Britain would be hers. She should sow the seeds of her conquest.
"I've seen enough muggle politics to guess what'll happen when the truth comes out," was what Edelweiss ended up saying. Mr. Weasley's eyes brightened at the comment, and he began questioning her about the muggle government. It was almost alarming how many questions he posed. It was alarming that the Head of the Office for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts would be so clueless about the governance and law systems of Muggle Britain.
Mr. Weasley leaned forward. He nearly placed a hand upon his plate of eggs and toast. "Tell me: what is the fundamental dynamic between the Tories and the Whigs."
She blinked and felt everything she had picked up through osmosis almost slip away. "The Tories are still around, though they're technically the Conservatives." Edelweiss shrugged. "They're who Uncle Vernon supports. They're opposed by Labour, not the Whigs. It's been that way for a century or more."
"Labour? Truly?" Mr. Weasley had the look of a man introduced to a miraculous prophet. "And who do they represent? I know that much about your…parley-a-ment"
Edelweiss bit her tongue to stop from laughing, though she did smirk. For now, she wouldn't bother correcting his pronunciation. Watching Hermione argue over matters like that was always amusing, and there was time to engineer a conversation that would lead to a discussion of parliament. "Labour is for working folk. Miners, fishers, industry people." She tilted her head, remembering her uncle's rants. "Uncle Vernon hates them. Goes on and on about how they're ruining the country, but then he's in business."
"Ah, well they must be decent folk."
She shrugged. "I wouldn't know, since I barely followed their politics. But what I have noticed is that men are men, regardless if they're wizards or muggles. Fudge is afraid of losing his office, especially since he's in the pocket of a formerly alleged Death Eater."
Mr. Weasley frowned, but she waved off his impending response.
"Yes, I know. I know. I saw Lucius Malfoy in that graveyard, but that isn't the point. The issue is that he, as far as the law is concerned, was innocent of any crime during the previous war. It'd take finding him in robe and mask leading Death Eaters without a trace of the Imperius to put him in Azkaban. Or a strong minister, but that would require Fudge being dismissed from office. He's a worm, and one without use during a period of war."
"Fudge performed well for most of the past thirteen years."
"Because it was an era of peace, where any fighting between the factions hungry for power occurred within the halls of the Wizengamot and not in the streets and fields of Britain," said Edelweiss. "I've read enough of Voldemort's previous war to know that he was on the verge of victory when he came to murder me—and was defeated." She sighed softly. "A tragedy how weak the Ministry was in the war's wake to allow so many to go unpunished."
"You wouldn't understand," Mr. Weasley said, turning away. Edelweiss frowned. After a moment, she reached out with the Force, careful with her probe. "Nobody knew who to trust back then. It was a dark, dark time, Edelweiss. Nobody batted an eye when Death Eaters claimed Imperius, since so many innocents were under it as well."
Edelweiss nearly choked upon a scoff. She knew from what she had read that the war was a mess, with Voldemort and the Death Eaters abusing the Imperius, but she was surprised the Ministry hadn't developed some means to determine whether or not their claims were genuine. Certainly, someone must have studied the Imperius, or better yet, the Dark Mark, if only from a speculative perspective.
Perhaps there he left notes behind in the Chamber, she thought, leaning back. I never did try to decipher those documents in the accessible areas. If those were Voldemort's…
It was unlikely she would find the secrets of the Dark Mark down there, though she wouldn't know until she tried. It would be a challenge, making sense of the scribbles and markings upon those pages, but perhaps with Lord Salazar's aid, it would be possible.
All things are possible, either through magic or through the dark side of the Force, she reminded herself. One only needs to seize the power necessary.
They finished their breakfast shortly after, eating in silence. Edelweiss glanced at Arthur a few times, noting his furrowed brow and uncertain expression. She wondered if she had introduced any doubt into him, perhaps enough to sway him even a hair away from Dumbledore. It was unlikely, given how partisan his family was, yet if she could create separation between the old man and any of his supporters, it would ease her domination of magical Britain.
Mr. Weasley led the way once they left Grimmauld Place. Edelweiss took in the sights as she followed him, wishing only slightly that she could know have known the location of the Ministry and how to enter prior to today. While it was possible to use the Number Twelve's floo, that could risk exposing Sirius's hiding place to any aurors actually attempting to capture her godfather. She could give Dumbledore credit for convincing the aurors in the Order to hide Sirius from their peers and superiors.
I should try to learn his rhetorical tricks, thought Edelweiss. I will need them once he is gone. I would be a fool to only rely upon my name and my Sith powers to ensure the complacency of the public.
As they traveled from Islington to Whitehall, Edelweiss noticed they began to acquire unwanted attention. Mr. Weasley appeared ignorant to the stares directed their way, even as he waved to a group of men in plain muggle business suits. Those men gave him a queer look, with a hint of confusion and more than a hint of disgust. Their gazes fell upon her, turning to a leer. She sneered back. Had she the power to get away with it, she would make them suffer for how they looked at her.
They rounded a corner near Whitehall proper, which loomed with its many fluttering Union Jacks. Edelweiss smiled slightly at the sight, and wondered if the Ministry of Magic possessed as much grandeur and national pride. She couldn't fathom the Ministry looking less splendid than muggle government buildings, constructed in beautiful styles old enough wizards would remember them fondly, despite the centuries of secrecy and separation.
Mr. Weasley brought them to a phone booth, marked off with a large OUT OF ORDER sign. Edelweiss glanced between him and it, wondering if his mind had been addled or if the Ministry was truly so arrogant they thought muggle laziness would protect the entrance.
"This is the visitor's entrance," said Mr. Weasley. He slid the booth door open and stepped inside. Edelweiss followed after a few seconds, earning a smile. She watched as he dialed: 5-1-3-3-1. She nearly groaned, realizing he had dialed magic. Magic, of all bloody things!
That was when the booth shifted. It shook; rocking for a brief moment, then began to descend into the ground. Mr. Weasley lifted the phone from the receiver.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic!" said a small, cheery voice. Edelweiss stared at the phone; else she might glance at Mr. Weasley. She did not need to see the smile on his face. "Please state your name and the purpose of your visit."
"Arthur Weasley and guest, Edelweiss Potter, to see Madam Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
A few seconds passed, as if there was someone on the other side of the phone's receiver. Soon enough, two badges popped out of an oversized coin deposit, larger than any quid should be. Mr. Weasley took one and handed the other to her. She stared down at the green badge and read:
EDELWEISS POTTER — — — — — GUEST
MEETING WITH DEPARTMENT HEAD BONES
"Huh." She played with the badge, and smiled upon finding a very muggle-styled pin on the back. Edelweiss pinned the badge to her breast, the green a shade similar to her eyes. It went well enough with the robe she wore, though perhaps she should've chosen a robe that was grey or white instead of the plain black one she had gone with absently.
The booth was completely underground now. Edelweiss assumed an illusion or a replacement had moved into place above them. She would not fault the Ministry for selecting a common phone booth for their visitor's entry, though the proximity to Whitehall had to be because of location. Had the magical ministry been closer to the muggle crown before? She had never considered whom among Her Majesty's government knew of the magical world, though certainly some did: the Queen, certainly; probably the prime minister, along with those cabinet members whose department would be affected by mages and their ilk.
She glanced at Mr. Weasley, before shaking her head. He was too clueless about muggle governance to know who in high office would be informed of the magical world. She would learn after her ascension as Darth Gladiolus, when she had cowed all of magical Britain. For now, she needed to focus on her impending meeting with Madam Bones.
The lift emerged from the dark underground they had passed through to reveal a large atrium hidden beneath the streets and tunnels of London. It stretched out past several dozen fireplaces, many glowing a fiery green as people came and went. Most were dressed in fine robes; those not either had business in the muggle world, she suspected, or were one of the red-garbed aurors. There were only a few aurors present, symbolic of the apparent safety the magical world lived under than a serious effort to maintain security in the Ministry.
There was a great fountain near the far end, where the stretching path opened into a circular space with several doors equally spaced. The statue was difficult to see clearly from a distance. Edelweiss had to remain content with the knowledge she'd see it as they headed to Madam Bones's office.
Mr. Weasley led her out of the booth and to a security check, where a pair of lazing aurors inspected the wands of people entering the Ministry. Some passed through without being checked, and she hoped they all worked for the Ministry. Edelweiss was guided to the auror with a sullen face and an obvious bit of fat beneath his jaw.
"Arthur, good to see you," the man said before turning to Edelweiss. "Who's the girl?"
She flashed her badge and the man nearly bit his tongue after gasping, his eyes flickering toward her brow. A few people glanced their way, though none spotted the green badge pinned to her robe. Edelweiss brushed her bangs to fully hide the lightning scar across the right side of her forehead and brow, knowing a glimpse of that would reveal her identity faster than reading her badge. Though given how the auror reacted, she might not have the luxury of stealth for long.
"She's a family friend," said Mr. Weasley.
"Of course," mumbled the auror before shaking his head. He held out a hand. "Wand, miss. Need to inspect it before you enter."
Edelweiss flicked it out from her wrist holster. The auror frowned at the gesture, but wisely decided to keep his thoughts private. She handed over her wand. He was quick with his inspection.
"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven and a half inches," the man said, handing it back with a slight furrow. "Feels like you've used it since June, though nothing came up."
"Just been around a lot of magic—more than usual for my summer."
"Muggle family, huh?"
Edelweiss nodded, trying to not scowl at the reminder.
Mr. Weasley thanked the man, and they headed further into the Ministry. She wondered when Minister Fudge would learn of her presence. She should reach Madam Bones long before he could interfere, and hopefully be gone, as well. If his efforts to slander her and the Headmaster via the Daily Prophet were to judge by, she could only guess at what he might attempt with her within the halls of the Ministry. Most likely, she supposed, would be a sudden trial. Violations of the Statute of Secrecy and the Underage Ban would come up, despite the fact she had cast no spells that night.
And then she remembered what the aurors had said when they came to Surrey. Her decision to blend the dark side of the Force and her magical powers had drawn their attention to Surrey that night. Not enough to securely press charges—and that was a pleasant surprise, given the slander—but it was enough to take note, and to remain curious.
They eventually reached the golden statue she had spotted from the lift. Her lips twisted into a pursed frown upon seeing it closely. At the center were a witch and wizard, positioned to subtly portray the superiority of wizards over witches. They held up wands that spewed water in cascading arcs that fell into the fountain around them. As accompaniment were a trio of magical beings—a goblin, a house elf, and a centaur. They stared at the humans with awe and gratitude, as if their meager positions in society were not a deliberate insult.
"The Fountain of Magical Brethren," commented Mr. Weasley, noticing when she stared. "All money thrown into the water is donated to Saint Mungo's."
Edelweiss nodded, sickened. For a moment, she considered the merit of tossing a coin. She rolled a silver sickle in her right hand for several seconds. After her hesitation passed, she tossed it over her shoulder, and smiled at the small splash of water.
Let them see the savior or the fool they expect, though Edelweiss. They came to the circular end, which turned out to be an elevator bank. One door happened to already be opened, and they entered.
Madam Bones's office was in the back of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which dominated the Ministry's fifth floor. Edelweiss had been surprised to learn the atrium was the eighth floor, for simple logic would dictate an entrance to be the first floor or the ground level. She assumed the first floor was where the Minister had his offices, as if the numbering was enough to prove his importance. It was hard to not sneer thinking of the portly man "leading" magical Britain. The moment he rejected her declaration Voldemort had returned from his exile and was restored to his old powers was the moment he had set into place the destruction of whatever legacy he had.
Mr. Weasley guided her to a desk where a pleasantly attractive woman sat. She looked up from whatever had kept her busy and smiled glibly.
"Miss Kline."
"Mr. Weasley." She glanced at Edelweiss, then back to him. "How may I help you this morning?"
"Miss Potter to see Madam Bones," he replied. "We might be a tad early."
"Amelia had her schedule cleared this morning to ensure she could meet with Miss Potter immediately and for however long their meeting takes." Miss Kline turned to Edelweiss. "If you'll follow me."
Edelweiss nodded. The secretary rose and started towards a group of offices along the far wall. She gave Mr. Weasley a quick nod of thanks, then followed Miss Kline. A few aurors glanced her way, along with several of the patrolmen she had seen in passing in Diagon Alley.
She paid them no heed.
Miss Kline knocked twice on Madam Bones's door, likely only for Edelweiss's sake. She could sense the woman within; she must know who waited beyond.
Madam Bones responded almost immediately. "Send her in."
The secretary opened the door for Edelweiss. She gave the woman a slight nod before entering. Miss Kline closed the door behind her. She was now alone with Madam Bones.
The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was a severe woman with red hair like her niece and a monocle over her right eye. Her lips were drawn in a thin line, even as she gestured to one of the chairs before her desk. "Please sit, Miss Potter. I would like to end this meeting as soon as possible."
Edelweiss sat before asking, "Because you wish me gone, or you worry the Minister will interfere?"
Madam Bones frowned slightly, only affecting her lips "Does it matter to you which?"
"I have no desire to deal with the bumbling buffoon we call Minister," said Edelweiss carefully, "though you must suspect he will make a greater deal out of what happened back in August than it's worth the time—or the tax money—to trouble with."
Madam Bones sighed. "If Cornelius knew about our meeting, you would be facing a trial before the full Wizengamot."
"I'm not an adult, though."
"One could argue that having participated in the Triwizard Tournament, where the rules stated an Age Line was to be implemented to keep under-aged witches and wizards from putting their name into the Goblet of Fire, that you already are one."
"That would eliminate his chance to prosecute me under the Ban on Under-aged Sorcery." Edelweiss smiled, thinking of how Hermione had spent days researching magical law the prior year. Had they possessed access to the Black Library, they might have spent days there preparing for this meeting. "Naturally that means my wand cannot be snapped without committing a capital offense, nor will he have the ability to expel me from Hogwarts without the Headmaster's approval."
"Fudge is already at odds with Albus. There's no point in worsening an already difficult case." She sighed. "He's already furious I've blocked any attempt to bring you in on trumped-up charges. He knows little of that night. Be thankful what he does know is not enough to try prosecuting you, Miss Potter."
Edelweiss hummed as she wondered what Fudge knew. Odds were he knew about the scars she left on the dementors, along with the uncertainty over how it was done. If they pieced together with the lingering magic on her wand from training with Sirius, maybe he'd come to a conclusion close to the truth.
She'd need to smooth matters over with Bones before anything could become worse. It was too soon to reveal the whole truth.
"So, what did you wish to know?" Edelweiss asked, laying her hands upon her lap. "I doubt the report you received from your aurors was satisfactory, given you pushed for this meeting. Dumbledore was less than pleased about allowing this."
Madam Bones frowned at the mention of Dumbledore. "Albus has long preferred for others to bow to his whims and fight using his methods. The Ministry listened to him for too long during the previous war, and we nearly lost because of it. I hate to admit it, but if nothing changes soon—and you turn out to be right—then Britain will be lost."
Over my dead body, Edelweiss thought bitterly. She felt her anger flare, the dark side whispering sweetly of battle and death. She suppressed that wish. This was not the place for those powers.
"You did not answer my question, Madam Bones."
"I want to know everything that happened on the day those two dementors were cursed. Our sensors detected unknown magic in Surrey. What was your involvement?"
Edelweiss struggled to not frown. "Will you require an oath? Threaten me with veritaserum?"
"Must I?"
She grimaced. "I would demand an oath from you in exchange for the full and entire truth. I do not wish my secrets to spill out into the halls of Ministry—or worse, the front page of the Daily Prophet."
Madam Bones considered the proposal for over a minute, one eye peering through her monocle. If it did not possess enchantments, Edelweiss would question how this woman earned her post over someone as dedicated as Mad-Eye Moody. Then again, dedication could become zealotry or madness. Given she was willing to go against Fudge, there was clearly steel in her spine and a functioning mind in her skull.
"And if I won't?"
"Then I will keep my secrets. There are a great many things I do not want others to know. You will be left to wonder and speculate about the gaps, knowing it was by your had they exist."
She watched Madam Bones consider her options. Whatever thoughts she had previously were being revised, or so Edelweiss assumed. Eventually, she sighed and murmured, "I, Amelia Bones, swear to keep the secrets of Edelweiss Potter as told to me within the next hour."
"That I can accept," replied Edelweiss, hoping she was not about to make a fatal mistake. She felt a ripple of magic as the oath took shape. There were other requirements to secure an oath as it would be done traditionally, but the Force transcended that power. She grasped the fragments of the magical oath with the Force and bound Madam Bones by her word.
"Wha— How?" whispered Madam Bones, eyes blown wide from feeling a brush of the Force. Edelweiss felt a tremor running through the older witch.
She grinned, crooked and full of teeth.
"That power you just felt is the same one which injured those dementors," whispered Edelweiss as she leaned across the table. "It is a power greater than magic, one only known by Salazar Slytherin. Every pretender seeking to live up to his legacy is deaf and blind to it; yet I, who stand in opposition against the current, possess it." She leaned back and crossed her legs. "That, Madam Bones, should be enough, yes? Am I free to go?"
Before Madam Bones could respond, still rattled by the revelation, her office door slammed open. Miss Kline scrambled backward into the office as a trio of red-garbed aurors escorted a squat man in a green suit wearing a purple bowler cap atop his head.
Madam Bones rose to her feet with a burst of fury. "Minister Fudge, what is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning of this? The meaning of this?" hissed Fudge, pointing at Edelweiss as his eyes narrowed. "Why was my office not informed you had scheduled a meeting with the Potter girl, Amelia?"
"The Potter girl?" snarled Edelweiss. She rose to her feet. The sweet siren call of the dark side roared, memories of wielding Force lighting flashing in her mind. The dark side beckoned her to repeat what she had done that night. This pathetic man would certainly make sweet, sweet sounds as he screamed and begged. It would be so simple to unleash her wrath and fury upon the foolish man who dared to defame and attack her. Her restraint could easily slip, yet she could not act yet. She was not that powerful. Not yet. "The Potter girl? It was only a few months ago you were singing my praises in the Prophet, talking about a potential upset in that thrice-cursed tournament! And now this is it? Girl? Girl!"
The room rattled as sparks crackled between her fingertips. Edelweiss paused to reel back her power. Now was too early, too soon for it. I have yet to complete my training. I have yet to sit my OWLs. Those stepping stones toward my future power are necessary, no matter how insignificant they might be.
Fudge whimpered, backing away from her. The aurors had drawn wands, but without her drawing her own to curse the Minister, there was nothing they could do other than aim theirs at her, all the while awaiting orders.
"Stand down," demanded Madam Bones. She came around her desk and told the aurors, "Get out of my office if you're going to raise wands so willy-nilly."
"But ma'am," one of them protested, "Miss Potter threatened the Minister."
Madam Bones glowered at Edelweiss before telling that auror, "She is quite upset about the Minister's actions towards her this year. Miss Potter should have more sense than to allow her magic such free reign, but she appears to have it under enough control to avoid violating the law."
"But—"
"No buts, Fudge. If there is a problem you have with Miss Potter, you can handle it on your own time." Madam Bones turned back to Edelweiss. "My apologies for troubling you today. Thank you for your time, Miss Potter. You are free to go, though if you mind, I can have one of my aurors escort you out."
"Thank you for the offer, Madam, but I believe I can see my way out." Edelweiss knew Dumbledore would loathe her having the freedom to roam as she pleased; this was her only chance before September and the inevitable return to Hogwarts. She gave Amelia Bones a polite nod, then turned to the Minister. "Minister Fudge. This has been my most…unpleasant meeting with you—and that does include back in June, when you first called me a liar."
And with that, she departed Madam Bones's office to the shouts and screams of full-grown witches and wizards, storming out of the Department of Law Enforcement before her simmering rage got the best of her.
Had Edelweiss paused to glance into a pane of glass, she might have noticed her eyes briefly flash a poisonous, sulfuric yellow.
It was nearly dinnertime when Edelweiss returned to Grimmauld Place. Dressed in her black robe, she had garnered a great deal of attention across the day. It didn't hurt she had slipped into Diagon, acquiring books and knick-knacks for the coming year Sweat had trickled down her back and across her brow, uncomfortable and unpleasant as it was. The day's heat had already begun to wane, thanks to the grey clouds that commonly hovered over England. Still, a sticky sheen stuck to her skin as she stomped up the small flight of stairs to the door of Number Twelve.
She tried the handle. It barely turned; locked. Edelweiss scowled, rattling the handle. Edelweiss opened her mouth, ready to demand the house grant her entrance. She was the closest thing to an heir that Sirius had, and thus this house would be hers upon his death.
The door was yanked open before she could speak. Albus Dumbledore stood upon the threshold. He did not look upon her as a kindly headmaster or a disappointed grandfather might. His blue eyes were thunderous and she could feel his power, restrained enough to ensure people remembered who he had stood against and defeated.
"Miss Potter," he said softly. She shivered, and had to restrain herself from grasping at the dark side for strength. "You have been missing for most of the day, and have done so without leave. Kingsley was assigned to return you to Grimmauld Place after your meeting with Madam Bones, yet instead you decided to wander muggle London. Alone and without escort during a time of war."
"I also went to Diagon for supplies," she said without remorse. "Still, I doubt any of Voldemort's pawns are capable of walking the streets of muggle London without making a fool of themselves—and as for Diagon, since you'll ask, nobody recognized me as I came and went."
"Do not underestimate what Tome is capable of," warned Dumbledore. "He is a cunning foe. One who benefits from his enemies turning against each other."
Edelweiss struggled to not roll her eyes. The Headmaster might think his words could convince her to go along with what he wanted, but she could see through his intention. If she separated herself from his banner and created her personal faction in the looming war, then there was a chance that he might lose without defeating Voldemort himself. It was an arrogant, foolish desire. Yet he was an old man, losing glory and prestige.
She had seen enough, read enough, to know old men did not like to be challenged by the young—and especially not by a young woman like her.
"I am well aware what kind of man he is, Headmaster. There's no need to lecture me about that fiend. I could have ended up like him, were I stripped of the few sweet mercies I have been able to snatch for myself. Were it not for my friends, for the Weasley family and their influence, I could have followed the path he blazed—or worse, made myself into one of his pathetic, simpering servants. You were the one who told me it was my choices and decisions that make me different from him, regardless of our similarities."
Dumbledore frowned as she threw his words back at him. He had spoken to her in that manner following the Chamber of Secrets crisis, when she had been young and foolish and coated in several foul fluids. Edelweiss knew she would not have felt so back in June, but that was before her discovery of the Sith Order and the dark side of the Force. That path would take her uncomfortably close to what Tom Riddle had made of himself, yet she still possessed her mind and senses.
"You should be careful how you speak, Miss Potter. Those opposed to Voldemort must work together, side by side as friends."
"'Side by side,'" she repeated as her brows furrowed. "One can do that as allies, not as friends."
He smiled, appearing as a friendly grandfather once more. "Is there a reason we cannot be friends?"
"Is there a reason you must control where I go? Ever since my parents died, you have influenced every choice I have! I understand my death would be a devastating blow to your cause, but can I be more than a living symbol?"
Her words echoed out around them for several seconds. "Yet you understand how it is, Miss Potter," said Dumbledore. "You are a living symbol. I would have preferred for you to have had a longer childhood, happy and safe from the evils and dangers of the world."
"Wishes, hopes, and dreams, Headmaster. Wishes… hopes… and dreams. Best you treat me as an equal partner or ally in this coming war, or let me act as I see fit."
Dumbledore considered her for several seconds before sighing. The strength he had been projecting faded, his old sorrows and exhaustion seeping up to the surface. "Must you fight me at every turn? Only a few months ago, you trusted me with the truth of what happened that night in Little Hangleton."
"You're Albus Dumbledore," said Edelweiss. "Of course I would tell you about his return. I only hoped you would come to terms with the fact I will not back down from my role in the war to come. I have two paths forward: win or die. Either he dies, or I do. There is nothing else for me." She stepped in close, the Force whispering to her. She listened, and despite her training otherwise, allowed the Force to guide her words. "I cannot live while he does. My survival requires his death."
Dumbledore's face went pale. Not as brittle and white as his beard, but close enough. She could feel horror and fear rippling from him. She would have savored the feeling, were she not confused by how her words had drawn that reaction. For a split second, she was dearly tempted to reach out with the dark side and learn what she could from him.
But she remembered her need for secrecy. She had allowed him to learn too much already. Edelweiss might wish to lash out, but she needed to learn patience and develop enough wisdom to properly wield her powers.
"Please step aside. I wish to enter."
He blinked, and whatever dark mood trapping him vanished. Dumbledore stepped aside, granting enough space for her to slip past him. Edelweiss continued forward into Grimmauld Place without looking back, even with his gaze following her. She would not grant him the small victory of turning to meet his gaze.
In a few short days, she would be back at Hogwarts. Her mind already raced for the Chamber and the strange, metal chambers she had discovered beneath the castle. There awaited more holocrons, more knowledge from the ancient Sith, long dead when Salazar Slytherin walked the land.
Edelweiss would learn from them, and ascend her in time to be Darth Gladiolus.