Back at Hogwarts for her second year in the modern world, equipped with a brilliant group of friends and a boy who loves her dearly, Azalea Hogwarts, protector and shield of the school itself, could not be happier, despite the war raging on around h...
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"Azalea" Dumbledore smiled softly, gesturing to the seat opposite him on the other side of his desk and he took it happily, gently. "How are you this evening?"
"I am well, thank you Uncle Albus. I'm something of a... how would you say... local celebrity around here recently" she laughed softly. "Everybody looks at me as if I am an alien."
"They envy you Azalea. The power that you have. They are in awe of meeting someone who met the founders. You have an incredible story. I often find myself shocked in your presence. You're fascinating." He informed her calmly.
"I presume you could phrase it that way. Harry does not seem as happy about the fame as I imagined. It makes him nervous, the eyes on him. He is untrustworthy, he has the opinion that Draco Malfoy has joined the dark side. Is that believed to be true?"
"Indeed. Naturally, you are aware that such things should be kept secret. Even from Harry at this time. There is a time and place for everything. Severus has made the unbreakable vow. You see, Draco has been enlisted to dispose of me. Naturally, due to this infection" he held up his blackened hand. "I have less than a year either way. And either you or Severus must be the one to dispose of me" he continued, gesturing to his wand and she understood. "Severus has made the vow to do so."
"You speak so easily of your own death... How? How do you be so calm in the face of death? No doubt, my own is approaching." She sighed and Albus smiled. There were many things that Albus had not yet told Azalea, many things that would have to wait.
"Azalea. Death is not an ending. It is nothing more than the next great inevitable chapter." He informed softly. "We will all meet it eventually. It is best not to fear it. But to see it as your opportunity to experience peace. The peace of death will reward you for all that you did in life. You deserve peace Azalea" he explained his thinking.
"And why can't I have that peace in the living? I want to beat this war, by Harry's side. I want to go on and get a job like everyone else in this school. I want to marry him and have children! It's all things that I didn't think I could do. But now I have the chance. There's just a war standing in the way.... I haven't really spoken to Harry about it. I told him that I have orders... to kill myself when this is all over. But... if I chose not to do that.... well, I don't know what would happen if I did that. I was told not to make any deep connections, not to fall in love. I fell in love and they punish me every day for it. What's to stop them from forcing my death. They're controlling me, even now."
"Are you afraid of death Azalea?" Dumbledore asked softly.
"I'm not afraid of death Albus. But I'm afraid of dying too soon. I'm afraid of dying before I get the chance to have the life that I didn't even know I wanted. I'm afraid of missing out on love and life, all for a prophecy made centuries ago." She stressed, just wishing that everyone could understand, understand that despite what she was, what she was made for.... she was still a human. "They made me with a spell Dumbledore, I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this human. I was supposed to be a caring foot-soldier. I was supposed to come here and follow blindly."
"Azalea. You are as much a human as I am" he promised her. "You deserve a life and I do not think that the world is so cruel that it will take that opportunity from you. I believe that you have the choice, to decide if you would like to carry on living once your service is done. You have already earned that much." He explained.
"Give me some orders Uncle. Tell me what to do, I can feel danger in the arm, close to attacking me but I have nothing to do. Except, live, go to lessons? I'm programmed to want more."
"I understand that Azalea and I have some very important tasks for you to complete this academic year. First and foremost, you know this castle better than any other. I need you to prepare it, for the war that is no doubt on the horizon. Next. I need you to teach your own teachers. Once a week, teach them how to defend the castle and those in it, like you were once taught by the founders. Also, once a week, a junior class, a reopening of the DA for anyone who wants to learn. Is that all okay so far?" She nodded quickly, eagerly.
"Next. I need you to keep an eye on a few people for me. First, Neville longbottom, he was the other prophesied boy, and despite not being marked, I believe he will be incredibly valuable in this war. Next, Draco Malfoy. I will, inevitably die this year, but let's not taint innocent hands. There is still hope for him. He will need a friend in this dark time." Albus explained.
"Harry will not like that."
"I would like to think that Harry has been shaped into the sort of gentleman that will accept your choices Azalea. I'd like to think that he loves you enough to forgive you no matter what and of course, finally, you know that you cannot tell anyone anything that we discussed?"
