d o v e

t h i r t e e n

"You can't kill me, love," Tom smirked as a greatly enraged Alexandra held her wand to his neck.

"That doesn't mean I can't hurt you," she glared, sending Tom flying across the room with her new and improved skill of nonverbal magic. She faltered for a moment, shocked that she was able to catch Tom off guard like that.  Nevertheless, she kept her head high and her wand at the ready.

Brushing off his robes, Tom collected himself. Normally he would retaliate, but he was interested in how far the girl would go to cause him pain. If she had enough anger in her to, say, use an unforgivable curse... then she could very well be of his use in the future.

"Do it," he encouraged, walking towards her. "This is who you are, my love. You're a monster. Just like me."

"Crucio," she whispered, sending Tom to the ground. He struggled and screamed, but he laughed through it all.

"Alexandra! Alex! Alexand-"

Alexandra shot up in her bed, immediately being greeted by Ginny and Hermione. She sat up, feeling her clothes clinging to her skin as she wiped her damp hair off of her forehead.

"Another nightmare?" Ginny asked. Alex didn't say anything. She didn't exactly know what that dream was. In the moment, it almost seemed like a fantasy. "Maybe you should talk to Dumbledore."

"No," Alexandra said angrily.

"Maybe he can give you the answers you need, Alex," Hermione encouraged.

"He's lied all this time. Who's to say he won't just lie again?"

"You said Professor Snape was there the night you were taken from your home. Maybe he knows more than he lets on," Ginny suggested. Suddenly motivated, Alexandra jumped out of her bed and ran into the washroom to shower. Ginny and Hermione looked hopefully at each other, hoping their friend would finally get some answers.

"Professor," Alexandra called, running after Snape following breakfast that morning. "Can I speak to you in private?"

"If it's regarding your grade, I'm afraid perfect marks don't allow room for extra assignments," Snape said, continuing to walk ahead of the girl.

"It's about the night you and Dumbledore took me," she said, causing the professor to stop in his tracks. "I've done everything you and Dumbledore have asked of me. I think I deserve to know the truth now."

Snape sighed, gesturing for the girl to follow him into his office. When they were both in the room, he locked the door and cast a silencing spell. He couldn't risk the wrong person listening to what he was about to tell her.

"I assume you've discovered by now that your parents are still alive," he started. She nodded. "Do you know why your memories were altered that night?"

"No, sir," Alexandra answered, not being able to remember if a reason was ever mentioned.

"The reason is quite simple. Dumbledore could not risk you falling into the wrong hands," Snape answered, hoping Alexandra could put the pieces together herself. When she continued to look clueless, he elaborated. "He figured that if you became a follower of the Dark Lord as they would soon become, he could not gain access to your abilities as easily."

"My parents... they're Death Eaters?" Alexandra asked, feeling all hope she had left disappear. Snape nodded. Normally Snape wouldn't risk disclosing this kind of information, but he knew Alexandra already had a significant amount of knowledge regarding the matter. He was shocked, actually, that she hadn't known this, yet she knew of Draco's involvement. He was more shocked when she didn't ask any more questions about her parents. "And the love potion?"

"Neither you nor Tom Riddle were truly conceived under a love potion, no. Tom was meant to discover this information because it is what causes enough anger for him to create his second Horcrux; an action that is most important in turning him into the man he is meant to become. Your discovery was simply meant to encourage his own," Snape continued. "Furthermore, the false information was meant to deter you from falling in love with another before your task began. Having never loved before, the love Dumbledore expected you and Tom to share would have not only been true, but also pure, and thus significantly more powerful. It's obvious that was unsuccessful."

"If Dumbledore didn't want me to fall into the wrong hands, as you said, why send me to the Malfoy's?" Alexandra asked. "They must have known my parents weren't dead."

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy agreed to keep the secret as they were under the impression that it was of upmost importance to the Dark Lord to ensure your... connections to Mr. Potter," Snape attempted to explain in the simplest way possible. Alexandra seemed to understand as she scoffed to herself, crossing her arms. "It was known well before you began attending Hogwarts that it was very unlikely for you to be sorted into Slytherin, and that it would result in your removal from the Manor. Your friendship with the Weasleys was also entirely expected, as was your movement into the Burrow."

"Every part of my life has been planned," Alexandra frowned, suddenly feeling like a prisoner in her own body. She had no control over any part of her life, past, present or future. "Every moment, every interaction, every breath has been carefully calculated so that no decision has truly been my own."

"There is one thing I suspect that Dumbledore did not prepare for," Snape started in a slight attempt to make her feel better. "Your relationship with Mr. Malfoy was not meant to continue past your time at the Manor."

"How do you-" Alexandra started, shaking her head when she remembered Snape had ears and eyes everywhere, including Draco himself. "Never mind."

What Snape was not meant to tell Alexandra was that even the Dark Lord suspected a relationship between the two. Snape himself suspected that this information was given to him during Alexandra's trip to the past. He warned Dumbledore that sending Alexandra without any kind of direction would lead to danger, and that is exactly what happened. Now, Voldemort was setting Draco up for an almost inevitable death in what he would never admit is a fit of jealousy.

"As for your abilities," Snape began. Dumbledore had recently warned him about Alexandra's recent discoveries, knowing she must have heard her prophecy that night in the Department of Mysteries. "Do not be fooled by what you read. Peristera, the name provided in the prophecy, is based off of an ancient myth. Everything you read and research is equally based off of the myth, and is not entirely correct. For example, you only have the ability to manipulate the darkest of hearts, not the heart of whoever you please."

"So my powers only work on Tom?" Alexandra asked, trying to understand his rather blunt explanation of everything.

"They're not powers. The prophecy says you have the power to manipulate the darkest of hearts, similar to the power I have to give you a detention for wasting my time," Snape glared, becoming impatient. He didn't blame the girl, but he did blame the headmaster for cursing him with the knowledge she was itching to understand.

"So, the book-"

"Is filled with misinformation," Snape snapped, now becoming impatient with the ridiculous ideas the girl too easily believed. Again, he cursed Dumbledore for leaving him to explain the truth. "I suggest you make your way to Ancient Runes before your friends begin to worry."

"Thank you, Professor. I truly appreciate your help," Alexandra smiled, satisfied with the information she learned. "But, I'm going to have to ask you to unlock the door."

Snape glared at her, unlocking the door and slamming it shut immediately upon her exit.