It becomes apparent in this chapter that since HBP, the appearance of Professor Dumbledore as the pre-deceased headmaster catagorises this fic as AU. Please bear with me and keep in mind this was written before the release date of HBP was even made known to the public. Thank you!
Ancient Past
Millicent Weasley woke sleepily then sat up fast, looking at her mechanical alarm clock and swearing.
“Damn Muggle contraptions!”
She heavily threw her blankets aside and scrambled out of bed in haste, looking for her bag.
“Shut it, Millie. It’s what, five in the morning?” said her roommate and cousin Giselle sleepily. She rolled over and glared at her before rubbing her sleep encrusted green eyes and yawning loudly.
“I don’t have time, Gis, I have to go now! Why do Muggle contraptions refuse to work here? It’s such a nuisance!” she said hotly, blowing her hair out of her eyes as she viciously ripped open her schoolbag that was hiding stealthily behind the curtains. She sorted through it, pulling out rubbish and strewing it all over the bed. She shoved several thick books inside before closing it and swinging it onto her shoulder.
“I don’t know what your problem is, really. It’s a lovely Saturday, the sun is shining, the world is smiling, and baby I love you,” she sang happily, rocking back and forth on her four-poster.
Giselle loved to sing; although usually it wasn’t a sound you wanted to wake up to. Her voice would raise low and high sporadically throughout the song, and it tickled Millie’s ears as a deep hum grew in her throat.
Her raven colored hair fell in graceful cascades around her face, a trait Millie was envious of. Her hair usually fell straight stick down. Her smiling face was perfect, in Millie’s opinion, and had none of the freckles Millie had come to despise in her adolescent years. Her eyes shone a brilliant green and were a lovely almond shape that all the Gryffindor boys found adorable. But not everything that went on behind those eyes was sunshine and daises, in fact quite the opposite. Giselle’s happiness was often delayed by frequent memories of her tortured childhood. Millie shuddered to think what that girl had gone through.
“Lighten up, sweetie. Dad’s not going to yell at you for being a few minutes late, now is he? It’s not like he was any better at our age!”
Millie turned around and shoved her hands on her hips, now grinning at her cousin. Giselle was right. Her Uncle Harry had been known to be lenient on the two girls, recognising their distinct disrespect for rules as a family trait, and laughed off any accusations the carefree girls threw at him, calling him a complete push over.
“Your father would punish me if I was, for example, to go down to the Great Hall and bring us both up a hot breakfast, he wouldn’t add time to my detention?”
Giselle grinned back at her and flopped back down onto her pillows. She held her hands in the air beckoning for Millie to come closer.
Millie stepped forward and stopped down to hear her whisper. It became apparent straight away she needn’t have worried; Giselle’s voice exploded into her eardrum.
“And neither would I, for your information. As you know, laziness runs in the family!” she winked and squealed as Millie threw a pillow at her.
Millie sighed and sat down on her bed. “Wouldn’t hurt to get dressed properly either, you know. Dad would be extremely annoyed if he knew his daughter’s only talent was to be wasted and ignored.”
Giselle sat back up and leaned back on her elbows, surveying the crime against fashion her cousin was wearing. Giselle was, in fact, as talented in the craft as her mother and father, but often didn’t pay attention to anything the teachers were saying, and as a result usually only just passed exams.
“Are you saying plaid pyjamas aren’t fashionable?” Millie said, sweeping her hands down her body in mock confusion.
“Truly, darling you should at least wear the pants the right way around-”
Giselle was stopped by a pillow to the face that Millie had thrown at her, and grinning, she declared war. She picked up her pillow and bashed Millie over the head with it. Soon the girls were involved in a pillow fight so fierce it woke up the sleeping Halle in the other bed. She blinked her brown eyes in a bemused sort of way, before shaking out her bushy brown hair and seizing her pillow and thumping Giselle in the head, sending her sprawled to the ground gasping for breath. The two Weasley’s ganged up on Giselle and soon all three were breathing hard, their cheeks flushed, their eyes wild.
“I’ll see you later guys. Wait for me in the entrance hall,” she said as she waved goodbye and set off for the Fat Lady’s Portrait, humming merrily down the spiral stairs.
“Wonder if she knows she's still wearing her pyjamas?” Halle whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Giselle. The girls broke up in giggles and walked over to their beds and waited for Millie to come back.
* * *
Millie had gone back to change hurriedly into some robes, glaring good-naturedly at her still giggling cousins and had exited once more through the Fat Lady and down to the Great Hall to pick up some breakfast.
Now she was climbing up the stone stairs to her Uncle’s office where he was waiting for her.
She entered the room and saw his high-backed leather chair facing the windows, which overlooked the billowy Hogwarts grounds. If Millie strained her neck far enough, and averted her eyes to the left, she could just see the tangled branches of the Whomping Willow fighting boisterously with the flittering birds.
Harry turned it around at the sound of the knock of the door and stood up to help her with the bulging bag she carried with her. “Ah, excellent. Breakfast!”
He lifted out a steamed-up container of bacon rashers, sausages and baked beans, each in their own little section. He set them down on the highly polished desk and opened the plastic lid. The heavenly aroma reached Millie’s nose and she inhaled the scent deeply. Harry conjured plates and a pitcher of Pumpkin juice out of thin air and set them down lightly on the table. Millie slipped off her bag and set it on the floor beside her. She looked expectantly at Harry, who was looking, to her surprise, right back at her with an amused look on his face.
“I believe, Miss Weasley, you are late?” He lifted the pitcher to a goblet on his desk and poured a glass for himself.
“I believe, Professor, that I am still standing, and waiting for breakfast. Do you have an explanation?” Millie’s lips curved up in a playful smile as she stared down her uncle.
“Do you, Miss Weasley, have an explanation for letting off Fireworks in Professor Snape’s class? And why do you think I would be sharing my breakfast, which you have so graciously brought up here for me, with you?”
“Because, Sir, Uncle Fred insisted I try out his new range of Liquid Start Fireworks. He suggested I use them for a worthwhile cause to really see what they can do. And I’m really hungry, and as you mention I did bring you breakfast.”
She had her hands back on her hips now, and Harry was trying and failing to stop himself from letting out a chuckle.
“Very well, Millie, sit down,” he said as he conjured up a matching leather chair, which Millie promptly filled, her loud barking laughter filling the room. She knew her uncle couldn’t keep a straight face around his youngest niece.
“You do of course realise that if it had not been me that Severus was having a small discussion with, you could be the one cleaning green slime off the ceiling of the dungeon. Now, of course, poor Miss Griselda Goyle won’t be there all weekend. I daresay Professor Snape will give her a hand by magical means. It is, after all her birthday soon. She should be finished by tomorrow morning, by which time you’ll have completed your conveniently assigned detention with me.”
Harry paused with his mouth just over the rim of his goblet. A smile twitched the corner of his mouth as he drank deeply.
“You can tell Fred his fireworks are up to standard once again, and his Fainting Fancies are coming in handy for the D.A. assignment. You wouldn’t believe how many Voldemort supporters have been, ah, disposed of into cells of Azkaban Prison. All it takes is a slip of the orange end into their drinks over a simple, harmless handshake, a simple flick of the wrist, and they’re out cold and easy pickings for the Aurors,” he said, taking a sip and looking thoughtfully at Millie before continuing. “This brings me to the real reason for our meeting here this morning. I’m under the impression you told Professor McGonagall your career choice yesterday?”
“Yes, sir,” Millie said, suddenly serious and listening intently, “What did she say? She said she’d talk to you about my circumstances, whatever they might be?”
Harry sighed heavily and brought his fingers together in front of his face. He continued to look closely at Millie, analysing her reaction.
“You need not have me tell you this Millie,” he said kindly, staring into her stunning blue irises. “I understand since your sister was taken by Lord Voldemort when you were younger your main ambition in life has been to rid the world of Voldemort’s supporters, but I can assure you, I have been after the same thing in life ever since that bastard murdered my parents on Halloween near to thirty-four years ago. But Millie, that’s not the answer. I tried being an Auror, but contrary to what I thought, it just wasn’t my calling. You see, Millie, getting your sister back and dying in the attempt are different matters. I simply won’t allow you to become an Auror, and I'm sure your parents, while they would agree finding your sister is important, it isn’t as important as being safe and sound. I don’t think Bill and Fleur could handle to lose another child.”
Millie stared at him defiantly, her jaw set. He couldn’t talk to her like this. He couldn’t destroy her dreams, her ambitions, and her goal in life. He couldn’t just make it go away with a few simple words as ‘I won’t allow you’. People saying she wasn’t allowed or permitted to do something didn’t stop her in any way.
But as she looked into the startling emerald green eyes that mirrored Giselle’s own, she couldn’t bring herself to disagree with Harry. She knew how much hurt this man has suffered, and losing any member of his extended family would surely tear him apart.
“Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll be a ‘good little girl’ and aspire to something else, as far as a career at the Ministry goes,” she taunted him using the phrase he had lectured her with many times, and without notice, scraped her chair out and slung her bag onto her shoulders. She turned on her heel and walked swiftly out the doorway, the heavy oak door closing with a click behind her. Harry didn’t attempt to follow her, and she took it upon herself to continue back to Gryffindor tower.
She didn’t make it that far, for behind the One Eyed Witch statue hid a figure, half concealed in shadows. Only her silver hair caught the light as the sun shone dimly through the grimy stain glass windows and betrayed her location. The lithe girl crept slowly and silently behind her target and as Millie turned around unexpectedly, she caught sight of a pair of blue eyes identical to her own and a gleaming silver lock of hair before blanking out into total darkness.
The attacker dragged Millie back into the shadows and stared down at her expressionless face. She stared down in surprise at the lightning bolt necklace around Millie’s neck.
“Hello, sister dear,” she said flatly.
Harry sat back deeply in his chair and stared at his interlocked fingers, but not seeing them completely. Instead he was thinking about Millie, amongst other things. He was deep in thought when there came a knock at the door. In strode Ginny, coffee in hand, pulling their second daughter along by the hand that was covered in mud and had a very mischievous smile on her face.
“Callie decided on the way that a particular puddle of mud would be a good place to sit a have a lie down. Could you please look after her Harry, while I get my errands done in Hogsmead and re-open up the shop?” she asked with a desperate look on her face. "She just couldn’t stop letting off the fireworks in the storeroom. I was hoping a day with her favorite Daddy would set her straight?”
Harry sighed and took Callie into his arms and set her on his lap. She squealed with joy and rapped her sticky, wet arms around Harry. Harry laughed and waved a hovering Ginny out the door with a smile on his face.
“What am I going to do with you?” he said with a grin on his face.
“Piggy back ride, piggy back ride!”
Harry laughed obligingly, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling. She climbed up onto his shoulders and teetered dangerously before Harry grabbed hold of her ankles and stepped out from behind the desk.
He had taken her three times around the office before he heard a polite knock, knock on the door.
“Come in!” he yelled, setting Callie down on the desk where she immediately grabbed some carefully shuffled papers and through them in the air.
“Don’t Callie, bad girl,” he scolded on his way to the door.
“Ah, Professor Dumbledore… err “ what a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting you anytime soon. The D.A meeting preparations aren’t until tomorrow are they? Or have I forgotten?”
Harry licked his lips and nervously ran his hands through his hair hurriedly as he glanced around his untidy office.
His eyes stopped on Callie gleefully parading herself on Harry’s desk pursing her lips, batting her eyelashes and beaming her thousand-watt-smile at Dumbledore. Harry stepped over quickly, embarrassed and quickly put her on the floor where she proceeded to shimmy nonchalantly in front of Professor Dumbledore who was watching her with an amused look on his face, his eyes twinkling merrily.
Harry turned back to Dumbledore with his ears burning. Callie had now stopped dancing and had flung herself on the floor in a tantrum, fat crocodile tears streaming down her face.
“I want an Acid Pop, Daddy! I want it now!” she said through her tears.
Professor Dumbledore strode forward and pulled one out of his robe pocket. He also pulled out a number if sherbet lemon’s and offered one to Harry who accepted it confusedly.
Callie looked back and forth at the lolly in her hand to Dumbledore who was now standing over her watching her quietly.
“Thank you, sir,” she said politely before stuffing the pop in her mouth, wrapper and all. She stared at him in wonder, the lolly pops outline pushing through her cheek like a great bulge.
Harry turned back to Dumbledore with his ears burning and found Dumbledore too be looking back at Callie affectionately.
“Little tyke, just like her father when he was a toddler. I remember it well. I myself was the one who gave you such a fond liking for Sherbet Lemon’s,” he chuckled softly.
This made Harry’s face flush hotly and a pink color appeared in his cheeks. Dumbledore however hadn’t noticed and walked around Harry’s office slowly with a smile on his face.
He quickly sobered and turned towards Harry’s fireplace where even in the early morning it was blazing and crackling merrily. Harry found himself thinking how impressive Dumbledore looked, silhouetted against the flames.
“Headmaster, if you please, what is all this about?”
Dumbledore sighed heavily and turned back towards Harry. Harry was shocked to see his face drawn and shallow. Something was clearly bothering Dumbledore and Harry didn’t like to think what it was.
“Harry it’s happened. Voldemort’s plan is in action.”
A/N: I’d like to thank my ever vigilant beta Lori (OhISee) as her particularly knobbly wand in my back for finally getting this chapter out into the world for you to read.
Many thanks to Miel (the nutty imp) for her help of tenses, which is of course very important to a new writer.
I obviously had a few problems with this chapter, and of course, the glitch that resulted in the third chapter being posted before the second, and I thank my reader for bearing with me through the long wait that included seven resubmission.
Edited On: seventh of June, one day after Validation! Yay! It finally got validated, on the eighth attempt, nonetheless! It shows you persistence does pay off!
Malicious Intentions by Lurid
Chapter Notes: As of the 28 - 9 - 06, Lurid has decided to finally start to rebuild her story and get inspired again. Sparingly, she has added description to make the story flow better. Please enjoy!