The Death Eater [HARRY POTTER]

19

"What can you tell me of the Dark Lord's plans, Severus?" Dumbledore steeples his thin fingers in front of him on his desk and eyed the man before him with sharp eyes. Severus' daughter, who Dumbledore had also summoned, was noticeably absent. And it was a fact that had not escaped Severus either.

"The Dark Lord has taken a keen interest in Calla," Severus reveals, frowning thoughtfully. "Calla's made a habit of informing me any time she's been summoned, and I must inform you that she is being summoned on a near daily basis. Furthermore, the Dark Lord appears to have hunted down Calla's mother and given Calla her life as a gift. It is almost as if he is favoring Calla, though neither I nor she understand why."

Dumbledore stared thoughtlessly at Severus for a long moment, before he uncrossed his fingers and leaned back in his chair. Of course Dumbledore had a few ideas as to why Voldemort might me taking an interest in Calla Snape, even he had noticed how the young girl had blossomed over the last few years, but Dumbledore was also able to see the parallels that the dark Lord was creating between himself and Calla Snape.

"Your mother was a Prince, correct Severus? And Calla's mother was an Abbott? She has no relation to the Slytherin line, does she?" Of course it was only a half baked idea, but it was something that Dumbledore had to think about. He was a smart man not because he knew everything, which he very nearly did, he was a smart man because he knew when to admit that he did not know something. And in this instance Dumbledore was left almost completely in the dark as to Calla's ancestry, aside from what he knew of Severus'. Dumbledore had never even been able to get a first name out of Severus, something that had weighed on his mind for many an hour.

Severus shook his head, and his long black hair fanned out around his head as he did so.

"She has no relation to Slytherin, or the Dark Lord. Her mother was some no name Abbott. And I certainly have no remarkable blood myself. It was a small wonder that the Dark Lord allowed me among his ranks in the first place, though I can probably thank Lucius for that."

Dumbledore thought for a moment longer, still such on the fact that Tom Riddle seemed to be going out of his way to create a link between himself and the brilliant witch. Perhaps Tom recognized something of himself inside of Calla's bright young eyes? Or perhaps Tom was just beginning to grow senile in his own age. Dumbledore himself would not be surprised, as the Gaunt Family was not known for their sanity to begin with. And Tom had never been known as the sanest of wizards anyway, not even by those who called him a friend in school.

"Yes, well thank you for informing me of this, Severus. You may leave now."

Severus Snape spun on his heel and walked quickly it of the room, leaving Dumbledore alone to ponder his questions.

*******

"I didn't know you had it in you, Snape," Fenrir chortled as he came up along side Calla and began to keep pace with her. Of course his presence at her side was not altogether alarming, as he had been making a habit of keeping close to Calla since she had saved him from the dementor. Calla hadn't gotten around to asking him to cut it off, but the longer he tailed her the more likely she was to lose her temper. Fenrir was not the most likable man to begin with, but when he seemed to be intentionally annoying her, he was nearly intolerable. Calla had more than once thought about turning her wand on him right there in the hallway of Malfoy Manner, and had rationalized that the Dark Lord wouldn't even fault her for it. Voldemort had always had a bias against werewolves, or anyone who was not one hundred percent pureblood.

It was ironic, really, considering that Calla had ventured into the Restricted Section the other day, now that she was a professor she didn't even have to show Madame Prince a note and it was oh so sweet to see the old librarian's face turn a dark shade of purple at Calla's appearance, and read up abut on the Dark Lord. Or the wizard he had been before he became the Dark Lord. Tom Marvlo Riddle, a half blood orphan who was known as an exceptional student until he revealed himself as the Dark Lord and began trying to kill off muggleborns. Tom had also, strangely enough, killed his own father and pinned the crimes on his uncle, who went to Azkaban for it. Calla had been particularly interested in that fact, as she was still slightly intrigued that the dark Lord had given her her mother's life.