The Donahue Articles

Y5 | The Lucky One - Part One

Delia was walking, wait no, she was practically pacing down the hallway. It was the middle of the school day and anyone who was even remotely close to being in her way, moved the second they felt her vexation. Since most people already feared her, they had no trouble getting out of her way. It was probably for the best anyway.

Delia, who had barely been back at Hogwarts a few weeks, already had a fit of annoyance plastered all over her. While in the middle of her study session for her O.W.L.S., she got word that Dumbledore had returned to the castle. She didn't have to hear anything more to set her seething towards his office.

One may recall that Dumbledore explicitly asked for Delia to go to Paris, and while she let her better judgment get clouded, he did nothing to stop the murder of her parents. And if she had to bet, he probably had some idea that something like this would happen.

Had she felt betrayed by Dumbledore? Possibly. Was she going to do something about it? Definitely.

The second his office was in sight, she spared no hesitation in throwing the door open. As if right on queue, Dumbledore appeared in the classroom with a grin and a welcome back. 

Screw that.

"I would ask if you care to explain where you've been, but frankly, I don't have the patience for that," Delia demanded he wiped that beam off his face and gave her answers.

"Delia, my apologies for being gone." He, of course, offered up another subject to distract the two from the truth at hand.

"Oh, no worries, Dumbledore. I forgive you for being gone when I needed answers about my own parent's murder." Delia nodded at him in annoyance. "Really, it's not a big deal."

"Well, I had to deal with-" Dumbledore started again.

"Let me guess, something that's none of my business?" She looked at him and it was very evident her opinion of him had plummeted below the floor. "Let me tell you what is my business. My business has to deal with the man who sent me on this trip which was practically a suicide mission. You're probably thinking, "Delia you could've willingly obliged", but you knew I never would. You dangled a carrot in front of me and with full knowledge that I would take it... even if I had to fight my way for it and when you saw that, you sent me to clean up your mess. Your mess with Grindelwald. Because you knew that if I thought I could use my intelligence for good, then I would take it and yeah maybe that's pretty stupid on my part, but did you stop me? No. You sent me to swim in the mess you made with full knowledge that I was going to completely drown in it myself. Well, you must be pretty proud of yourself because I did. I dealt with it and where were you? You were nowhere to be found and when I returned, you were still nowhere to be found. Because instead of facing your own problems, you make other people do it for you. Newt, Tina, Jacob, and me? Are you serious? I wouldn't even doubt if you do it again in the future. So go ahead, tell me what was so important, even if it is, I probably won't believe you."

"Well, I do have my own life to take care of, as do you." Was that all he had to say to her?

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me?" Delia audibly laughed at his remark.

"I assure you, I am truly sorry for the events that occurred around your trip to Paris." He was probably sorry, but Delia was never one to care much about sentiments. "If it was in my hands-"

"Oh, but it was," Delia stated plainly.

"So, let me give you an ultimatum here. It's the least I can do to make up for your utter lack of intelligence." Delia stared directly at him. Nothing would make her parry. "You either send me back to learn more about Grindelwald's rallies, or I'll personally let The Ministry know that you did send me to Paris in September and we all know what happens if I do that. If you don't recall I sent two adult individuals to Azkaban earlier this year for something quite similar to what you've done here. Sure, you didn't commit murder but wrongful involvement, that's just as plausible. Our reputations might both be ruined in the eyes of The Ministry, but you still have something to lose. I don't."