The Cursed Saviour

Cookies, a padlock, and a sorry chess game

Over the next three years, once a month Lucy would be visited by Professor Dumbledore, each visit on the 1st day of the month weirder than the last. And with them Lucy learned to control and when need be stifle the power that she felt within herself.

Dumbledore answered all her questions regarding to her magic and abilities all but the most important to her, where and who did she get it from? Lucy knew she was adopted, she would have known this even if they hadn't told her when she was 6, she would have known by the brown in her father's eye, the green in her mothers and the blue in her own, she would have known by the gold faded to grey in her father's straight hair, the light brown in her mother's sleek, straight mane, and the black of her wavy curls, she would have known by her porcelain skin compared to that of the darker olive of her parents. Lucy knew her mother was a squib and had family that had power like hers and Dumbledore's, but she didn't know who her own biological parents were or why she possessed the power of magic within her, and so strongly as she was told. And though Evan and Irene were perfectly strange beloved parents there were still times when Lucy felt like an outsider in their midst and their gloriously muggle lives.

It was August the first, Lucy was 8 and awaiting her visit from Professor Dumbledore, she sat on the old rickety swing in their front yard that her father had installed four Christmas's ago, the swing creaked as she swung her legs gaining momentum, as the swing built up Lucy waited for the moment when she could push off from the moving swing and feel the thrill before she dropped to the ground her knees slightly jarring as they bent to accommodate the force from the landing, just as she landed Lucy heard a slight pop. The unmistakeable sound caused the girl to sprint to the white gate at the front of the bushy yard, she didn't stop as she collided with a delighted squeel in to the blue robed familiar figure of Albus Dumbledore, who wrapped his arms around the petite figure of the small girl with a little chuckle, quite accustomed to the young Zinch's dramatics.

When the young girl and untangled herself from the widened wizard she sent him a gap toothed grin. And graciously invited the headmaster into the Zinch home, as they stepped over the entranceway the young girl hollered the arrival of the expected guest to her two doting parents. Evan greeted the wizard who had become a friend over the years joyfully, which the wizard returned just as happy to see the keen minded muggle. Just then Irene Zinch made her way out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron.

"Perfect timing Albus, I just put the cookies in the oven they should be done soon enough"

With this the old man's eyes lit up with more childishness than the young girls whose hand was still clasped in his own "The chocolate ones, with that brilliant orange zest, that I enjoy so much of yours?"

"The very ones Albus" Irene responded with her own grin and a shake of her head at the old man's antics, she made them every month for the past 4 years, what other cookies did he think they were talking about. Irene couldn't help the breathy chuckle that escaped her lips, which were soon accompanied by the angelic giggles of her beautiful daughter, which only made everyone smile contagiously at the young merry child.

"Come on dumblie-dore that means we have approximately 15 minutes to do magic before the cookies are out and we can eat them" Lucy said as she re-clasped her hand to the wizards next to her and led him out to the backyard. Where Dumbledore preceded to cast muggle disillusionment charms, just in case of any prying eyes. Lucy was excited as these were the only times she could do magic of her own controlling as it was only on these visits that Dumbledore lowered her Trace, allowing her to use underage magic intentionally.

Dumbledore started the girl out as they usually did practising simple levitating charms, and had her practising unlocking and locking on a simple muggle padlock, soon though he had the young witch move onto transfiguring the small lock into a number of different simple, similar sized objects such as a brass key, and envelope, a plain covered small book, etc. the two took a small break to enjoy Mrs Zinch's cookies with milk before heading back out to the front yard. By the end of their time spent together, Albus was having the witch transform the aforementioned lock into an over 500 paged novel, each page having its distinct lettering and words, it didn't escape Albus that the book was the muggle, Anna Karenina. No small achievement considering the age of the witch especially considering she did this all with no wand clasped in her small fingers. It didn't escape Albus that he nor any witch or wizard in history till now had ever had such ability at so young. Albus who himself could perform wandless magic would ultimately struggle in performing such demonstrations that the young witch had just done without his elder wand. Dumbledore felt none too small fear at the image of the catastrophe that would ensue if the young girl would follow in her father's footsteps. Dumbledore knew as well as the two adults inside that if that day should come then the whole world would at the hands of the young girl. He hoped that the extra attention he had given the girl over the years and the love her adopted parents had given her would be enough. Albus only felt a small bit of guilt over the fact that he knew he was training the girl to fight her biological parents when the time came.

But he knew there would be worst things that people and himself would do in the wars to come to ensure the continued survival of the wizarding community than the using of two young children as his chess pieces in the war to come. With that he left the witch with the transfigured copy of Anna Karenina and went to his other child chess piece who instead of on his arm had his scar on his forehead covered by his mop of dark hair. Harry Potter sat on the rickety swing unaware of the ashamed gaze of the wizened wizard unaware of the magic in the world and the turmoil that will ensue in the years to come.