Repairing burnt bridges: ... by billybob

Chapter one: Entering Enemy Territory

Pairings: R/H and eventually H/G

Category: UA (alternative universe) or it will be the moment book six of HP is out

Rated R ... for strong sexual innuendo and language

Words 5713

Warning: keep both hands on your broom at all times

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Summary: It is six years beyond the return of Thomas Marvolo Riddle (in Goblet of fire) and three years after the final battle of the Voldemort war.

Every magic-folk family in the UK had been touched one way or the another by the Dark Lord and his Death-eater minions. Defeating Voldemort had been costly both in lives and property. This is the story of second chances, a tale of fated lovers separated by the war reunited again.

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Author’s note number one: this story would not be possible without the pure divine genius of (* Anya *) and her fine story: ‘Naked Quidditch Match.’ This brilliant lady first came up with the concept of magic M-mails, the wizards’ version of muggle e-mails. This concept was further developed by (* Jeco *) and his inspired story: ‘This Means War’

I drop to my knees and pay homage to their wit and sense of humour. I know my tale will never match theirs in quality and I hope they will understand when I repeat the old saying that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

I STRONGLY recommend that any reader of this story find and read these great tales, which give the ever-darkening tale of Harry Potter some much-needed comic relief.

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Aut hor’s note two: Although I will in this story attempt to stay in cannon where possible. I give fair warning of my intention to ‘flesh’ out (make more human) some of the characters in the HP books that I feel to be somewhat one-dimensional. I truly believe that human beings, both magic-folk and muggle all suffer from the same things: desire, regret, guilt and anger.

So if a character speaks or does something in my story, that you believe isn’t in the books. Find comfort in the fact that it is just some dumb yank’s (*from the Midwest USA*) idea of how theses people behave when there are no students/kids around for them to set an example for.

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From: (name withheld by request) m-mail address untraceable

To: The Countess Claudette Marie d'Ormon

Subject: Time for action

I have sent you enough, now is the moment of truth. You must decide if who you are now is more important that who you were. Your search for Mister Right has been a bloody disaster, and you know it. Deep down in the pit of your soul you know that the only perfect mate for you was no further away than your childhood backyard. Seek out the retired headmaster. He will help you

Go back to where you belong, find the three people who never stopped loving you

(Unsigned)

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Twenty-four hours later

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Fr om: Albus Dumbledore (retired)

To: Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry

Subject: Surprise visitor

Dear Minnie

You will never guess who knocked on my front door today. A spectre from the past, begging a favour, the only child of the Count and Countess d'Ormon.

After her spectacular exit from the school midwinter five years ago, I was certain that this particular young woman would never come back to England, especially after making it so abundantly clear that she intended to forget her past and anyone or anything associated with it. I am sure you will recall the devastating effect that her announcement had on one particular student living in Gryffindor tower at the time.

The soon to be Countess now ‘claims’ that her abrupt change in attitude toward all that she had cherished and loved was all due to a hidden Imperius curse. Supposedly attached to an ancient especially charmed necklace (*a family heirloom I understand*). That she put on to cancel the disguise spells she had been living under for almost seventeen years.

I have no way of proving one way or the other whether this is true. I may be just a senile gullible old fool, but I believe her to be sincere in her desire to make amends for the hurt her abrupt departure had caused. She tells me that her return has two primary goals:

(1) She wants to apologize to her former friends as well as her ‘cruelly dumped and discarded ex-boyfriend’ (* her words not mine*) and his family.

(2) She wishes to re-establish a relationship with the couple that raised her for the first sixteen years of her life. This couple (*as you may recall*) was targeted for assassination during the later stages of the war, where they narrowly escaped death at least twice.

Although the "Daily Prophet" reported them killed (*at the suggestion of the OotP*) they actually went into hiding during the war and apparently no one has seen them since. The future Countess hired several detectives in the last year to find them and they all failed

Unable to find her foster parents the future Countess then came to me attempting to find the means to contact her discarded lover. Knowing the family of her ex-boyfriend rather well, I have tried to advise her against this course of action but she is determined.

My question to you is this, Min. How do we arrange a safe time and place from such an apology without getting the Mademoiselle killed, or worse, permanently hexed?

Let me know what you think about all this, and Minerva, don’t tell anyone she is back in the UK, if word reaches those two (you know whom I mean) her life could be in serious jeopardy.

Affectionately yours

Albus

From: Min

To: Albus

Subject: Re: Surprise visitor

It can’t be true, please say you are joking!

If by any wild chance you’re not, tell her to forget the whole thing and get out of the country fast. Because you are right, if "they" find out she is here there will be Merlin to pay.

As in: ‘Cry havoc and set lose the dogs of war’

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress Hogwarts

From: Albus

To: Min

Subject: Re (2): Surprise visitor

No, I am not joking. Calm down and have a lemon drop, then come over to my cottage and speak to her yourself. The front door is open. (*As always*)

Albus

From: Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall

To: Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic

Subject: Diplomatic problem

Min and I have run into a little problem that we feel requires your direct personal intervention. It involves a certain French citizen whose life may be in danger during a visit to England. Her life is now at risk due to a strong desire for revenge by a pair of young businessmen well known to you.

Could you come to my cottage as soon as possible to discuss this with us? The secret of her presence in this country cannot last for long.

Albus

P.S.: if Tonks is a part of your personal security detail today. Perhaps it would be for the best to have her re-assigned to other Auror work, as her feelings toward this visitor are also well known

From: Charlie Weasley

To: All his family except two

Subject: She is back

I was having a chat with an old school chum of mine in the visa department, and she happened to mention that a certain French cow, soon to be a Countess, is once again visiting our fair shores. You remember this "mare" I am sure. She’s the one who ripped the heart out of someone we all know and love, leaving him a walking corpse, completely devoid of all human emotions. An emotional deprived condition, which still exists to this very day.

Like you my brothers, I swore vengeance against this tart.

It is payback time.

C the dragon king

From: Charlie

To: All his family except two

Subject: Re: She is back

Forgot to mention, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TO HIM

It will kill the poor git (no kidding)

C the dragon king

From: Gred and Forge

To: All the family except two

Subject: Re (2): She is back

No need to shout old boy, but point taken. The poor kid couldn’t survive another encounter with that old rabbit slag. However a few unanswered questions still remain, such as where this cheap tart is right now and what do we do to her that won’t land us all in prison.

Whatever we do has to be really good and it has to last for years.

"Revenge is a dish, which is best served cold" (*Kahn*)

De- twins

From: Molly

To: Her husband and family accept two

Subject: Re (3): She is back

(Read between the lines)

Don’t you dare you even think of doing anything vengeful to that twenty-year-old girl

(unless I get pictures?)

You should be ashamed of even thinking of causing public embarrassment to anyone

(Who doesn’t deserve it half as much as this salt does)

I want you all to get together and hang your heads in shame

(Until you find a punishment that fits her crime)

Remember you have a reputation to uphold

(As pranksters)

Mum

From: Arthur

To: Albus

cc: Min

Subject: Too late they know

Fwd: She is back

As you can see, the cat is out of the bag. My family knows she is here and will not allow "her" within a kilometre of the one she cold heartily destroyed. On a personal note, I agree with them one hundred percent.

Honestly Albus, what reaction did you expect after what she has done? Even Molly is screaming for blood. Consider yourselves lucky that I didn’t forward the Mmails my dear gentle spouse has sent me in the last half-hour. She wants a pound of flesh to nail to the kitchen wall.

Not wanting an incident with France, let alone a civil war on the home front. Please advise your ‘guest’ (*in the strongest terms*) to get a disguise spell (*a really good one*) and leg it back to her own country, seeing as she disavowed this one. Where I am informed there exists a powerful restraining order charm, still in full force, that will protect her from the wrath of the Weasley clan. (*Myself included*)

There was only one person who might have believed and tried to help her. Unfortunately that boy is dead. (*His body never found in the debris*) But come to think of it, she discarded him too when she left us all high and dry, five years ago.

Tell her to go home Albus, ... before my brood /family and their friends find her, she is several years too late for an apology. The Mademoiselle has made this bed, let her sleep in it.

Not wanting to be skinned alive myself, for obvious reasons of plausible deny-ability, I must decline your kind offer to come out to the cottage and meet your ‘guest’

My advice to you old friend is to send her packing

A Weasley … M. O. M.

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"As you can see Mademoiselle," Dumbledore said not unkindly as he ended the spell that displayed the Mmails on his study wall. "The direct approach will not work. They now know you’re here and the word will be spread. The twins have many friends, in fact all the Weasleys are extremely well respected in their chosen professions. They and all their friends will all be looking high and low for you."

"Dumbledore is right, you should give up any hope of seeing your ... ex-boyfriend"

"You hate me don’t you?" The young woman said with a thick French accent to her former head of house

"Hate is a strong word, intense dislike would be a better way to put it"

"Why, ... what did I do to you, how did I hurt you?"

"You did nothing to me personally. I was just one of the many that you left behind to try to pick up the pieces of the shattered soul you crushed. I was there for all three of his suicide attempts, McGonagall said with contempt. I was there, one of several people who were around to save your heartbroken ex-boyfriends life. This went on for months until, finally, something snapped deep in his mind."

"It was then he became what he is today, a machine. Cold, calculating and utterly ruthless. For his remaining time at Hogwarts, he has never, not even once, laughed, cried or smiled. I have sometimes wondered if a Dementor’s kiss would have been kinder than what you did to him, for when you were done and gone so were any trace of emotion in the boy."

"You must be proud of that little bit of magic, your last bit of transfiguration before departing Hogwarts. Turning a kind, caring boyfriend into the living dead."

"Once he heard it from you, once you told him that his bloodline wasn’t good enough to breed with an d'Ormon, it was as if nothing mattered to him anymore. His only remaining passion after you dumped him was Quidditch, McGonagall said with a sad smile. The young man in question was always a good tactician, but his emotions got in the way of him becoming truly brilliant. After you ... left, ... he came into his own as a strategist, for without the love he felt for you clouding his judgement as it had done for years, he became truly obsessed with his favourite sport."

"I must admit I was surprised, as were his other teachers at how intelligent he actually was, apparently he had been deliberately down playing his own brain power so as no to challenge a girl who’s only source of self-pride was in being a know-it-all."

"No one denies that you were, during your stay with us, the most brilliant book-smart student Hogwarts has had in two hundred years, but now that the young gentleman didn’t have act dumb to make you feel superior. The library was a place that he didn’t have to avoid any more."

"Don’t get me wrong Mademoiselle, he didn’t go to the library for school work. He was too much like his brothers in that area, but he did go to study Quidditch tactics. With his obsession with game stratagem naturally leading him into the study of all the military arts, both wizard and Muggle."

"Did you know young lady Dumbledore said, entering the conversation smoothly. That your ex-boyfriend, even before you left us, was the undisputed wizards’ chess champion of not only Hogwarts, (students and teachers combined) but also all of England, Scotland and Wales?"

The future Countess was indeed shocked to learn this bit of news, the surprise could be seen on her face plain as day.

"I never knew," she said shaking her head

"Of course not McGonagall snapped. He knew how much your fragile sense of self-worth depended on being so much smarter than anyone around you. So naturally he hid from you anything that might shatter your belief that he was nothing more than an ordinary teenage male, a stereotypical, dumb as a post, boyfriend."

"Professor!" Dumbledore said in a warning tone

"Sorry Albus" McGonagall said "I apologize for my foul mood, after so many years one would think I would have put the Mademoiselle’s cruelty to her ex-boyfriend behind me."

"Apparently not" Dumbledore said with disappointment.

"I admit my failing Albus, but in doing so, I must also point out to the future Countess d'Ormon that if a relative stranger such as I, cannot after five years, put aside her bitterness. Can you just imagine, the pure undiluted hatred that the Weasley clan must feel about what you did?"

"All right, you have convinced me. Claudette d'Ormon said with obvious frustrated disappointment. Seeing ‘Him’ again is clearly a very bad idea, and if it gives you any personal satisfaction, Madame Headmistress, I was well aware even before I came back to England of the exceptional quality of the boy, (*no ... I mean the man*) that I gave up so casually."

"I honestly believe, Professors, it was partially due to my deep down (*long suppressed*) feelings of shame and regret for the boyfriend that I treated so shamefully, that finally cracked the Imperius curse attached to necklace charm that made me walk away from him in the first place."

"Hoping that he would want me back was foolish, I suppose. Claudette said shaking her head in regret. I have seen pictures of him in the French edition of the "Daily Prophet" and he turned out to be a strikingly handsome man. Six foot three inches tall, broad, nicely muscular shoulders. I am sure he has many women in his life throwing themselves at him all the time."

"There is no woman in his life" McGonagall said bitterly. "Not since you left. You need emotions to love someone, and you ripped those things out of him when you ripped out his soul and trod it into the ground!"

"Minerva ... Please ... control yourself," Dumbledore said threateningly.

"I am sorry, really I am, for behaving like a lioness protecting her cub, and a full-grown cub at that. No Mademoiselle, Ronald Bilius Weasley did not ‘go out’ with any other female students after your departure, nor did he date after leaving Hogwarts. You on the other hand...."

"Minerva," Dumbledore said interrupting his old friend "don’t go there, the romantic miss-adventures of the future Countess d'Ormon are none of our business"

"Quite right professor." Min replied.

"All right I get your ‘subtle’ point, professor McGonagall and you right. I am a cold-hearted bit$# who has been a total self-centred slag for the last four years. There, I have admitted it, are you happy now?" The young woman, speaking with a thick French accent, asked bitterly.

"Do you think I am overjoyed about what I have become? An easy to get in the sack ... tart, a member in good standing of the idle ultra rich, desperately looking for any kind of simulation to give some purpose to my otherwise meaningless life."

"There, there" Dumbledore said, standing next to the flushed faced girl while patting the young woman on the back in a comforting fashion.

"Thank you professor, Claudette replied as she pulled herself together, but the headmistress is right. I am too far-gone as a soiled dove, too experienced in certain actives to think myself still ‘pure’ enough for someone as good and kind as Ron. Anyway it was stupid of me not to realize that the man I am still in love with would naturally be uninterested in seeing me again. I imagine I should be grateful to you Madam for reminding me of that fact."

"Does this mean you are returning to France?" McGonagall asked in an excited tone.

"No Madam Headmistress, I concede that looking up Ron is a mistake, apparently there is nothing I can do to be forgiven on that score, but I still have hopes of finding my parents."

"Your parents are the Count and Countess d'Ormon. If you want to find them, I suggest you look in the French Alps seeing it’s the skiing season there." Min said with clear contempt.

Claudette reacted to these words as if she was slapped hard across the face.

"Something else I have learned in my self-imposed exile Madam Headmistress. There is a great difference between the people who give you life and the persons who love and raise you as their own child. When I read in the ‘Daily Prophet de France’ that my English foster parents where murdered, I had no reason not to believe that Death-eaters weren’t involved, with them dead there was no reason to come back to England." She said sadly.

"Recently however, in the last several months or so. I began to receive M-mails and letters (*by owl post ... unsigned of course*) telling me that the foster parents that I had believed to be dead were, in fact, still alive. This unknown informant kept dropping hints that the former minions of Voldemort were not the ones behind the attacks on my foster parents."

"This information was later confirmed accidentally by my biological mother during the delirium following a bad bit of radiation therapy. She confessed to me that my biological father had hired wizard assassins to kill my foster parents out of fear that I would somehow shake off the Imperius curse and return to them. It was also my flesh and blood papa who had planted the false stories of my alleged fatal skiing accident in the newspapers to keep my foster parents from looking for me."

"Never one to pay attention to the muggle news since becoming a d'Ormon, I was unaware of what my papa had done until my unknown informant sent me a muggle newspaper clipping a month ago. Had I learned the truth years ago, I could have perhaps broken free of the Imperius curse sooner and then perhaps Ron and I would be married now." Claudette said, again fighting back a dive into deep depression.

"You owe Ron Weasley much more than just an apology for your unkind departure Mademoiselle, Dumbledore declared. For he was visiting your foster parents the night they were attacked on that deserted back country road.

Had he not been with them that night, trying to comfort them after the report of you alleged fatal skiing accident as described in numerous muggle newspapers, the hired killers would have easily succeeded in murdering them. Your ex-boyfriend saved them both, twice in the same night." Dumbledore said, much to the surprise of the stunned Claudette d'Ormon.

"Wasn’t it fortunate, Minerva said sarcastically, that young master Weasley had not gotten over you as quickly as you appeared to get over him. Your foster parents owe their very lives to that sad truth."

"I wish I could see him one more time to thank him in person" the young French woman said, wanting to cry, desperate to cry, but knowing no tears would come. For the bitter truth was that almost five years had gone by without a single tear coming out of Claudette d'Ormon.

"Ah yes," professor McGonagall said. "Funny you should mention that. For that is the ironic twist of this whole situation. For to safe guard your foster parents from what was thought to be at the time a Death-eater attack. The Fidelius charm was utilized, which made them untraceable to the entire magical world, with only the secret keeper aware of where they were hiding. I have made some inquires since you contacted Albus and myself and, indeed, there has been no trace of your former foster parents since the war."

"Now I am not one hundred percent certain about this mind you, but I believe that the secret keeper for your foster parent’s Mademoiselle was none other than Harry Potter himself. As the ministry of magic as still officially lists the ‘boy who lived’ as ‘missing in action and presumed dead’ your chances of finding them are all but nonexistent." McGonagall said with clear satisfaction, as if to pound home the last nail in the coffin of the Mademoiselle’s rapidly fading hopes.

"The only two people that Harry might have confided in concerning their location," Dumbledore said, interrupting the two women’s verbal war for the second time, would be one of the two Weasleys who remained behind after you left. The problem is as we now know from the M-mails we just read, Ron’s family are well aware of the fact that you are in England and are out in full force hunting for your blood."

"The M-mails also tell us, Minerva added, that there is no possible way that the Weasley clan will let you get anywhere near Ronald even if you used an invisibility cloak. None of his family will allow you the opportunity to explain about any alleged Imperius curse, which you frankly cannot prove ever existed. They will hex first and ask questions later (if at all)."

"I am afraid that my colleague, the current Headmistress of Hogwarts, has an accurate grasp of the temper of the Weasley clan." Dumbledore said sadly.

"You mentioned two people Professor Dumbledore, who was the other person that Harry may have told?" the soon to be twenty-one French woman asked, grasping at straws.

" I am surprised at you Mademoiselle d'Ormon, the old Hermione Granger would have figured it out by now." McGonagall said with obvious contempt.

"When the final battle of the Voldemort war began, Harry must have known that he was going to a fight which he had good reason to think he wouldn’t return from. With that possibility in mind, he would have passed on his secret to the one person that he trusted beyond all others, even his best friend. The only girl Harry Potter ever loved, Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"Ginny won’t talk to me, not after what I did to her brother. She will hex me a dozen different ways before I even open my mouth!"

"Yes, and deservingly so" McGonagall replied with a smirk

"You are right of course," Dumbledore said.

"We would need some kind of strong incentive for Ms. Weasley to hold off hexing you long enough for you to explain yourself," the old wizard said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"There is no incentive powerful enough to get Ginny to listen to me!"

"Albus, I know that look, McGonagall said, intrigued. You know something, some secret so big that Ginevra will be unable to resist, so don’t make us suffer you old goat. What is the offer, which she can’t refuse?"

"Well, I was speaking to my brother about a year ago and he let slip something he didn’t intend to, but before I betray a confidence I have another idea. Let’s try it first and see if it works?"

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From: Albus Dumbledore (retired)

To: Legor Bloom: Director of healer training, saint Mungo’s hospital

Bcc: M. McGonagall, & C. d'Ormon

Subject: Donation of one thousand Galleons to the children’s care unit

My Dear Legor,

I have been approached by a member of a wealthy French Wizarding family expressing a desire to make a donation to your children’s care unit in exchange for a favour.

Claudette Maria d'Ormon the only daughter of the Count and Countess d'Ormon is prepared to surrender the donation in gold provided that it is turned over to one of your final year healer interns, Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley.

The Mademoiselle d'Ormon terms for the donation are theses

1) Miss Weasley must pick-up the donation in person.

2) She must come to the transfer point alone and wandless.

3) She must promise not to hex damsel d'Ormon, before, during or after this meeting.

4) Miss Weasley must swear to tell no one this meeting. (especially her family)

5) She must agree to listen to what the Countess wishes to say to her with an open mind.

6) She must agree to a sixty-minute interview with the countess.

7) She must allow the Countess a half-hour head start before pursuit after the interview.

If these conditions are met with good faith then the future Countess d'Ormon will make the donation as promised.

Let me know if these terms are acceptable.

Albus D

From: Legor

To: Albus

Subject: Re: Donation

Sorry old friend, apprentice-healer Weasley has rejected Ms. d'Ormon terms completely. She expressed a desire to do certain things to the French ‘lady’ that I decline to repeat in an Mmail.

We can use the money and Ms. Weasley acknowledges this with regret, but feels that her short and easy to invoke temper will go off upon seeing Ms d'Ormon, which will make the fulfilling of the stated terms impossible.

Legor

P.S.: from Ms Weasley’s tone and after insisting on hearing the reason for her attitude, I must say that I agree with her refusal to meet with such a sow.

From: The headmistress

To: Her retired former gaffer

Subject: Now what?

Bribery didn’t work, and time is working against us. I still think ‘she’ should go home and forget the whole thing.

Min

Fro m: Albus

To: Little brother Aberforth

Subject: Help

FWD attachment files, surprise visitor (please read)

Please review the attached Mmails and give me your input. As you may recall we discussed this very issue just last week over dinner and agreed that all involved are suffering. As you know, I feel somewhat responsible for what happened and I see this as a chance to make amends. At the time you stated that you had a ‘friend’ working on a solution.

The arrival of my ‘guest’ appears to be an excellent opportunity to reunite at least one set of fated lovers. However, I cannot attempt it without the blessing of a certain secret keeper. From what you tell me ‘his’ injuries are nowhere near as bad as they were three years ago.

I am sure that he is just as interested in the happiness of his friends from school as anyone else, especially those that he used to consider almost family. Could you approach him on this, as he hasn’t spoken to me since the war (*understandably*).

His permission is vital. After all, from what you let slip the other day the missing foster parents have been living in his home since the war.

So that you know, I have requested that the Countess stay in my guest bedroom rather than the muggle hotel as she planned, I feel she would be safer staying with me.

Let me know what ‘he’ says

Big brother

From: Little brother

To: Big brother

Subject: Re: Help

I let ‘him’ read the Mmails you sent me, and he wants time to think it over. He is worried that his old friend may not be able to handle her "sooner than expected" return, (*whatever that means*).

Apparently he has been discretely keeping a close eye on all parties involved for several years now, and had a plan in the works to bring about something similar to what the Mademoiselle herself has proposed.

The better-looking Dumbledore

From: Albus

To: No way your better looking

Subject: Re (2): Help

Time is not our friend in this. The entire Weasley clan is looking for the ‘Mademoiselle,’ helped by every friend they have. Please impress this fact upon him. Care for a lemon drop?

A the senior

From: A, the younger

To: The old man

Subject: Re (3): Help

For the sake of their long overdue happiness, he has agreed to let one person and only one person know of his existence. He is quite adamant that ONLY one person learns that he is still alive, and that steps are taken to ensure that whoever is informed (he or she) will be hexed to prevent the information from spreading.

You have kept this secret for a year now, after my slip of the tongue during a butter-beer binge. If you let slip what you know, to anyone without his permission, he ‘will’ kill you without batting an eye. This is no idle threat Albus; he truly hates you that much. And after they way you "used" him as a disposable weapon I cannot really blame him.

Who is to be told now, he leaves to me. I will M-mail at once, the person whom I feel could most directly benefit from this news,

He trusts me, in spite of my last name, so you better not muck this up!

Aberforth

From: Albus

To: Little brother

Subject: Re (4): Help

THANK YOU SO MUCH. You are right, this news would be best coming from you, and she might believe you. I know I am walking a tightrope and therefore will keep my mouth shut.

Thanks again

Albus

From: (name withheld by request)

To: Apprenticed healer Ginevra Molly Weasley ... (* for your eyes only *)

Subject: Rejected meeting

The individuals most desirous for the meeting between Mademoiselle d'Ormon and yourself have employed a form of blackmail to compel me to reveal the following:

The time has come to let you know what actually happened to the boyfriend that you ‘thought’ you lost on the last day of the Voldemort war. I have reluctantly been granted permission to reveal the previously top-secret facts concerning the final duel that took place in the Dark Lord’s headquarters, in the location that is now the Wizarding world’s only known officially dedicated historical park, the ‘Crater’.

The price of my information is the meeting with mademoiselle d'Ormon that you have already declined. I will not tell you who I am right now, but I assure you that you do know me and that I personally have never lied to you. What I have to tell will be shocking. (Not even the ministry knows about this)

I have charmed this Mmail so that only you can read it. It will self-delete the moment you have finished reading it. Otherwise, I would not say this

‘HE IS ALIVE’

Keep your meeting with the countess and I will tell you more.

(Unsigned)

From: Legor

To: Albus Dumbledore

Subject: Change of mind

Albus, what the bloody hell is going on?

Ms. Weasley has now informed me that she has changed her mind concerning the meeting with Mademoiselle d'Ormon. All terms are now acceptable.

Her change of mind was extremely abrupt, and has a desperate quality to it, as if she was pressured into doing this.

What did you do to change her mind Albus? You better not be blackmailing the girl, as she is my best student healer in many-many years and I would hate to lose her.

I also think that you and I need to have a little face to face chat when this is all over. Your methods for bringing about this meeting between two enemies are very suspect.

After all, you do have a history of using people, all for the better good of ‘the many.’ Does your gross mismanagement of Harry Potter’s short life, ring a bell?

If you have been playing God again with one of my students, I swear Albus there will be Merlin to pay. Voldemort is gone, and you won’t get away with your high-handed tactics anymore.

A very upset Legor

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To be continued

Comments welcome

< /P>