One Fate Leads To Another

Chapter 13: The Scheme

With Remus leaving, I had more time to plan my way to gain the trust of the Dark Lord.

I concluded that it was highly impossible.

What made Severus his most trustworthy servant comprised of many reasons, their similar background, his extremely gifted ability in legilimency, and his remarkable resourcefulness which allowed him to provide the Dark Lord with all sorts of useful information.

I was nothing like that.

First, I was adopted as an orphan, but my bloodline was unknown, and someone as meticulous as the Dark Lord would not place his absolute trust in someone who could be a muggle-born.

Second, I have not been trained for legilimency, which meant the secret that I withheld would be placed in danger. I couldn't possibly risk the Dark Lord knowing about Harry before Lily and James got pregnant. My memories of the story of Harry Potter were crucial but also a deadly target.

Third, there was scarce information on what the death eaters did that impressed or satisfied the Dark Lord. What lies ahead of me was completely beyond my imagination. I must be prepared to kill without remorse and only blindly follow the Dark Lord.

These had troubled me for days. Dumbledore had trusted me with a perilous task. I might need a tremendous amount of luck and some perfect acting to get through this, which gave me an idea.

I went to Dumbledore as soon as I came up with the plan.

"Alice, what brings you here?" He asked me, but he had already anticipated my intention, for he had taken out the Pensieve.

"I might need a favour." Frankly, no one should ever trust Dumbledore completely, given how manipulative he could be, but I had no other options.

"Professor, I've considered the outcome of my mission and I believe that without your assistance, I cannot make it back alive. In the worst-case scenario, I might die before I could finish what I started."

He did not seem reluctant to offer me help, and gave me a look that encouraged me to go on.

"I am aware that you and the Dark Lord are both excellent legilimens, but such power is not limited by the invasion into other's minds. Powerful wizards who have mastered the skills can temper with one's memory."

He seemed astounded, but also alerted.

"I assumed that you knew what I am here for," I glanced at the Pensieve. "But I'm afraid simply taking away my memories won't be enough. My bloodline was untraceable and that must be sorted out if I were to gain trust from the Dark Lord. If only you could plant some fake stories of a tragic past, and bury it deep in my memories..."

"That was indeed very clever," said Dumbledore. "But also dangerous. What you are suggesting could post irreversible changes to your character."

"It's for the greater good, sir."

He pondered for a short moment, then slightly nodded. "I assume that you're prepared for your new memories now?"

"Not yet." There were paramount issues that I must sort out before that. "I should not remember anything about my meetings with you, or the good times I've had with my friends, which is why it would be the safest if I share with you my entire plan before you take my memories."

"My plan would require two bottles of Felix Felicis, to let Severus get me in the Dark Lord's circle, and to retrieve information from the Order's mission, something crucial but not worth the Dark Lord himself to be there. Timing is everything. As the potion wears off, one might get seriously injured if put in a dangerous position, which is why I'll need one of your best Aurors to wound me. That way, the Dark Lord's trust in me will compound. How many casualties the fight might cause is going to be entirely up to you. It's simply out of my hands."

I knew what I was suggesting. We were risking the lives of our people, our partners, and our friends.

"I do not oppose this plan," said Dumbledore. Judging by his absolute confidence, he most likely already had a plan of his own that was compatible with mine.

"I figured that persuading the Dark Lord is going to take strenuous efforts, which is why I will try my best to get Severus on board."

"Severus?" His eyes were wide open in surprise. "After all this time?"

What a familiar line, but I was not going to answer that.

"I only ask that you clear both of our names when the time comes. Testify for both of us."

"I give you my word."

It was a relief. Dumbledore was undeniably an extremely influential figure in the wizarding world. If he promised to get us out, I could have one less thing to worry about. 

"Alice, I also have something to inform you. There's someone you should see before your mission. It might help," Dumbledore told me before I left. "Everly Dumaine, your guardian. She's your aunt."

"What?!"

"Asks her about the Prince family, and the name Esther Prince."

Esther Prince... Eileen Prince! What was all this about? Was Dumbledore suggesting that I was related to Severus?