the dawn of darkness | t riddle [incomplete]

Chapter 25: Darkness and Desires

Chapter 25: Darkness and Desires

"Albus Dumbledore sends his regards, sunshine."

The candles around Alden's chambers flickered as though time had stilled, and those six words echoed around Estela's mind over and over until it was all she could hear.

Albus Dumbledore sends his regards, sunshine.

Her mind was so transfixed in some strange and perplexing state that she didn't even notice the piece of parchment in her hands falling to the floor by her feet.

'Stay focused. Stay strong. Gain their trust. Find out all you can. The Order is established. And when the time comes, our flames shall burn as the conquerors of darkness.'

She knew that handwriting. How many times had those red, curving letters informed her of a meeting in the past? Those were Albus Dumbledore's words. And she was sure it was him. She knew it was. She'd recognise his writing anywhere, not to mention his signature seal: A flame.

Time seemed to freeze as she glanced back up towards Alden, and the only thing she could seem to think was that she'd been dragged to an alternate dimension and she had no idea who this blond-haired boy with eyes of pine standing before her was.

Surely it couldn't be Tom's most favoured follower. Surely this boy couldn't be the one doing Tom's most important, highly classified work - his number one confidant. Surely this couldn't be the person that Tom trusted more than anyone but Estela.

She stared at Alden Viridian and the way he stood before her with his messy blond hair and the way his hands were casually stuffed into his striped pyjama pockets as he waited patiently for her to compose herself.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been silent before she finally found her voice, even though it quivered in the back of her throat a bit. "So you're a spy? A conspirator?"

Alden remained silent, which in itself was something to marvel at. But she thought she saw the answer in his eyes. An answer she didn't want to hear. This person was a traitor. This person was a rebel.

Just like she had been all those years ago.

But to a much larger extent. And a much more serious and dangerous extent.

Alden waited for Estela to mull things over, waited for her to regain herself. And when she finally did, the words that escaped her lips made him halt. "You're a traitor?"

And she slowly lifted her wand towards him.

Alden raised his hands, muttering more to himself that to her. "Well that certainly wasn't the reaction I expected."

Estela glowered, moving her wand closer to his face. "Who are you?"

"You know, I'd feel much more inclined to tell you if your wand wasn't pointed at my face." Estela glowered at him and moved her wand even closer towards him. "Ok, or I could just pretend that this makes me comfortable."

"Explain," she demanded.

"What I'm about to say would go down much easier with a nice cup of tea. Shall I -" he stopped talking when he saw Estela's expression. "No? Right, ok then."

"I said explain, Viridian," she said venomously; more commanding this time. "Why are you in contact with Albus Dumbledore?"

She hadn't heard from her old school teacher in years. Not since she'd moved to Durmstrang. The last she'd heard of old Dumbledore was that he'd defeated Gellert Grindelwald four years ago and had subsequently ended the Global Wizarding War in what had been called the greatest wizarding duel of all time. And now, after all these years, it would seem their paths were destined to cross once more.