Chapter 13

I told the password to the statue before Dumbledore's office and the staircase rose up, letting me enter the office of the Headmaster. He smiled as he saw me, a crinkle in the corner of his eye that told me this wasn't a pleasant reason.

"I see you're dressed for Imbolc, Miss Potter," he said to me, sitting in his high back chair. "Take a seat and we may begin. Has Professor Snape told you the reason for this meeting?"

I smoothed down my white linen shirt, my House robes over it for some warmth. He wasn't wrong when he said I was dressed for Imbolc. I wouldn't have had the time to get changed after this meeting so I did it before. Everyone partaking would need to wear white and light fabrics.

I took a seat, sinking into the plush upholstery of the chair. I nodded at his question.

"At least the basics are sorted then," he stated. "What do you know, Miss Potter?"

"I'm to be a double spy," I said carefully, raising a foot onto the cushion and draping my arms around my raised leg. "Infiltrate the ranks of the Death Eaters, in any way I can."

"And have you thought of a way?" he said. "There are several routes you can take."

"I'm going to befriend my fellow Slytherins. There's nothing like loyalty in Slytherin, as you know, sir," I stared at him for his reaction but he gave none. "Rumours spread like wildfires in schools, sir. If I became friends with the children of Death Eaters, those who would one day become Death Eaters themselves through family lineage and duty, I can get a rumour of my dissatisfaction with my brother and everything the Order stands for."

He nodded slowly. "It seems you have thought ahead. That plan is one of the most convenient but time-consuming parts of your role now, Miss Potter. You cannot lack in any manner before them. If they sense a crack in your persona, your whole image can come down."

"You want me to be a spy," I didn't bother adding sir. "You need to trust me enough to work."

"You're a child, Viktoria. I can't expect the burden to be placed solely on you," he said to me as if I was incapable of understanding. "There are many precautions that need to be placed on you."

"And what are these precautions?"

He stared at me through his crescent glasses, old eyes staring into mine.

"Do you know what an Unbreakable Vow is, Viktoria?"

That struck me as odd. Why would he ask me what that was if he wasn't thinking of making me do one? It was the only obvious explanation. He didn't want me to betray him or the Order or my brother.

"Just as its name states, a vow that is unbreakable, punishable by death on the betrayer's side," I said. "Before that, sir, I have conditions of my own."

"Oh?" his grey eyebrows rose. "And what are your conditions?"

"Apparition. I know I'm too young for a licence, but the ability would be useful," I put force into my voice. "If I'm in a bad situation, I need to be able to leave."

"Alongside that, my dear, you should be an Animagus. Unregistered, of course," Silver said to my left. I paid him no attention but listened. "Be able to blend in, hide and attack. Every girl should have a weapon, or be one."

"And that I need to become an unregistered Animagus."

"And the reasoning for being an Animagus, Viktoria?"

I looked at my hand, seeing the long nails I always wore. I imagined them as claws, animalistic as I slashed through any who meant me harm.

"Personal protection, sir," I said, swinging my free leg a little. "If I ever lost my wand, I would lose my ability to do spells. Professor Snape is going to teach me Wordless and Wandless Magic, since he saw I had the aptitude for it, alongside Occlumency and Legilimency."

Dumbledore's lips turned up a little at the corners, "To be a weapon is different to having one. Are you sure you are capable of this, Miss Potter? There are better candidates."

I scoffed softly, "If you had better candidates, you wouldn't have chosen me. That tells me you're lacking good people to be spies. Sir, you seem like a wise man. You wouldn't have requested a meeting without thinking it through completely, and that shows that you've already chosen who the spy is going to be. No one else but me is sitting here."

He took off his glasses, cleaning them with a soft cloth as he hummed.

"You are much more perceptive than you are given credit, Viktoria," he tucked his glasses back on. "Back to the matter at hand, before I can let you leave the room, to embark on this long triumph against Voldemort—"

He watched my expression at the name. I had no bad reaction to his name, nor any good ones. It was just pure indifference at this point, especially when I had to act in front of other people. It seemed like Dumbledore was looking for a pawn to be a spy, and not expecting me to negotiate.

I let him continue.

"I need your vow. Severus?"

From the shadows, Severus Snape appeared into the office. He wasn't wearing his normal black clothes. Instead, a white linen shirt was tucked into off-white trousers. His black robe hid most of it but I noticed it peek out of the layers. His hair was slicked back and out of his face. He looked fresh, like he had just bathed.

Everyone partaking in any part of a ritual needed to be cleansed, especially for any Sabbat.

"Professor Snape will be your mentor," Dumbledore said, standing up slowly. He moved like a statue, but purposefully. "You will report to no one but for him and myself. You must understand that I cannot let you be a spy without an Unbreakable Vow in place."

I nodded stiffly, standing up carefully but I had one final demand before I would let myself be bound to a vow. "I want immunity. Complete and utterly immunity for my actions and those I choose. You will make sure that happens. I will not be hunted like a criminal after the war."

It was such a pathetic thing to ask but I wanted to grow up. I wasn't going to be hunted for however long after the war was over, because it would be over. I would end it if I had to. I needed to have a life after everything settled down. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life just yet but there were many paths open for me. I could do whatever I could dream of.

"I will take care of that," Dumbledore said and raised his wand. "Shall we?"

Snape raised a hand, the wrong one. I knew for a fact that the Unbreakable Vow was used with one's right arm. For Snape to raise his left, the one with the Dark mark under his sleeve, it meant something. I didn't quite know yet but I had to find out. I pressed my left forearm to Snape's, feeling the heat of the Dark Mark through the fabric. We grasped each other's arms, linking us as Dumbledore took out his wand. The tip was placed on our linked arms before he began.

"Will you, Viktoria, do everything in your power to infiltrate Death Eater ranks?" Dumbledore said to me. There was no grandfatherly warm in his eyes. There never was when it came to me. I was a tool for the him and the Order.

I stiffed my shoulders, "I will."

A whip of brilliant fire escaped from the wand tip, snaking around our hands. I had to bite back the hiss of pain as the hot wire secured itself.

Dumbledore turned to the Wizard in front of me, "And will you, Severus, do everything in your power to make sure Viktoria succeeds in her plans?"

Snape took one glance at me, scrutinising my eyes and any emotions I showed. I let none be known but he nodded.

"I will,"

The second wire lashed around, wrapping our hands tighter in the bright golden flames.

"Will you, Viktoria, Severus, do everything with your powers to cause Voldemort's downfall?"

Silver grinned as he looked between me and Snape. "A dangerous choice of words. Carefully chosen for your success."

Snape and I echoed our words, "I will."

The last wire shot forward, binding us like a fiery snake. The wires heated up until it was burning gold on our skin, sinking into our very beings as it linked our Magic and lives to the Vows. We stayed like that until the gold was gone, absorbed.

Snape let my arm go with a nod. I let mine drop like it weighed a stone, limp by my side.

"As ever your timing, Albus," Snape said. "Miss Potter and myself have Imbolc to celebrate tonight. If you would excuse us, to be late on such a night is blasphemy."

"Of course. Enjoy your holy night," Dumbledore sat back down at his desk and we marched out, going down the stairs.

As Snape led me through Hogwarts, he kept an eye on me. I could feel it. It was like having Silver watch me while I could see him. Eyes on me and I could always tell where it came from. Having Dudley as a cousin did that.

We walked through the dark grounds of Hogwarts, making our way to the other side of the Black Lake near the Forbidden Forest. The sky was full of stars and everything was quiet as we went.

When we began approaching the ritual area, the most shallow bit of the lake with a shore, Snape slowed down and motioned for me to do the same.

"Have you considered his words, Miss Potter?" he said as if he was spilling a secret. "Carefully chosen words can be artful."

I knew what he meant.

As he turned his face to glance at me, his pupils seemed to disappear into the darkness of his eyes. It made him seem inhuman, and when I said my next words, the corner of his lip curled up just enough. Just enough for a single, sharp canine to shine.

"I have, sir."

He left me at that, starting the Imbolc traditions.

Anyone who was taking part in the Imbolc traditions wore white. It was going to be cold but worth it when everyone walked down to the Black Lake in thin white shirts and clothes. We dipped ourselves into the water of the lake, careful to not go too deep but enough to immerse ourselves in the cold waters.

As I sipped my goblet full of orange juice and Malibu, I contemplated the last few weeks. It had taken Dumbledore a few weeks to make a meeting with me, giving me time to already start my new persona's introduction.

I saw a shift in the way Parkinson and Greengrass acted. Instead of being a four with Tracey Davis and Millicent Bulstrode, they split off from those girls. They were a duo now, but their glances and comments towards me had soften, no longer as snide or cruel. It was more civil now.

It was strange to watch but it was exactly what I needed. I needed them to want me to be a part of the group, to be a member that they could trust and relay information back to their parents, and thus back to Voldemort. With Dumbledore's wording of the vow, I knew there were loopholes to it.

He specifically stated that I had to infiltrate Death Eater ranks, never mentioning anything about me relaying information to the Order or him. There was no connection for me to be forced to do anything the Order said. That was something I liked. And having Snape as a mentor, with his reputation in the Order and Death Eater ranks being respected enough, I could get away with a lot more.

I could find out more information with Snape as my mentor, especially with him being forced to help me with everything.

That last vow was for both of us. There was no time restraint, no restriction on how we would do it, but we would be the downfall of the Dark Lord or we would die trying. If we failed, we would be dead anyway. Voldemort wouldn't let a traitor live.

I swallowed more of the alcohol and juice mix, needing it in my system to deal with the later celebrations in the Seventh Year common room. Everyone was still in their white clothes, now dried and wearing shoes as the fireplace still roared.

I stood with some of the Sixth years as we spoke about the most random things.

Ella Wilkins shoved her brown hair out of her face again, "I always hate the water ritual of Imbolc. It's always so cold."

"Maybe if you did a warming charm beforehand, it wouldn't be so cold," I laughed.

"I doubt she thought of it," Parkinson came over to interrupt. She clutched a goblet in her hands. "Your nails look nice, Potter. You need to tell me who does them."

My lips curled up a little, "I do them myself. It's not that hard."

She hummed before turning to the Sixth years, "If you'll excuse us, we need a word with Potter."

Wilkins raised an eyebrow, "Will there be a problem?"

"No," Greengrass said. "Not at all. Come on, Potter."

Wilkins nodded to me, keeping an eye on me as I followed them over to a quieter corner of the common room before I expectantly looked at them.

"Well?" I asked. "What do you both want?"

Parkinson sucked her teeth in displeasure before Greengrass nudged her and rolled her eyes.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot this year," Greengrass said carefully. "Don't you think so, Pansy?"

She sighed deeply before nodding, "Yes. I think we did. I just wanted to know why you were at Hogwarts. No one transfers in when they're fifteen. It's just so strange."

"That's my life," I said. "I was quite sour about my lack of Magic for a while. I didn't want to discuss what was happening at the beginning of the year. I won't apologise for spilling juice on you."

She laughed, "I did deserve that. I should have been more careful of how I acted. I'm sorry about the Harrowing. I saw that the Aces' attention was on you and I got jealous. I'm the top girl in our year and suddenly they spoke to you more than they should."

"It's because I'm Harry's sister," I explained. "They're just curious about what Harry's been doing. He's scheming again and the Aces want to keep peace between the Houses as much as they can."

"Oh," She blinked. "I think we should start over, don't you, Daphne?"

"Yes," She stuck her hand out. "Daphne Greengrass."

"Pansy Parkinson,"

"Viktoria Potter, then," I shook their hands. "What are you doing for the Hogsmeade visit?"