F O R T Y - O N E
The Deep South

"It's been awhile, how have you been?" Dumbledore brought a teacup to his mouth, sipping on the beverage.

After he placed an effective silencing spell on the Burrow's kitchen, we were free to speak privately. Albus was very keen on our privacy, some of the stuff he had to tell me were required to stay between only us.

"I mean, as good as I could be without my soul-bounder." I smiled gently, Dumbledore raising his brows at my words. "It's only been two years for me, I'm eighteen now."

Dumbledore smiled at that, setting his teacup on the table. "I remember when I first met you all those years ago, for you it's only been two years, for me, it's been just over fifty. Oh, how far we've come, you changed a lot with your presence to us. Changed Tom, that's for sure." I listened intently to Dumbledore's words, lightly tapping my fingers against the wood of the table.

It was just last night that the attack on the Burrow happened, Ginny let me sleep in her room with her. When I awoke, Dumbledore was already here chatting with Molly and Arthur at the table.

Molly and Arthur left the room to give us some privacy as well as to contact others in the Order for a meeting. As far as I was concerned everyone else was sleeping off what happened last night. Other than Remus and Tonks who went home after the catastrophe.

"You know, after Alexius and you were gone, Tom carried on. He pretended as if it didn't affect him, and for the most part, everyone believed it. I knew the truth though, on the inside Tom was even more shattered than before. It wasn't until one night toward the end of his seventh year that he came to me in a rage. I've never told anyone this, but Tom demanded to know why it was I allowed the ministry to drive you away like that."

"At first, the boy ordered me to summon you back, and when I told him I couldn't, you know what he did?" Dumbledore asked, the guilt beginning to hit me.

I had to suffer from the loss of a soul-bounder for only two years, Tom had gone through it for fifty. How could I do something like that to him?

"What did he do?" I inquired, Dumbledore giving a sad smile while shaking his head.

"Absolutely nothing, the boy went blank in the face. Tom spun on his heel and began making his way toward the door, just as he was about to grab the handle I stopped him, I had too. At the time, I found that it was only fair he should know the reason he was so attached to you. And so, I told him, yelled that the reason he loved you was that the two of you were attached by the soul...."

"What happened after that!" My voice carried, curiosity over the situation swirling inside.

Dumbledore gently took another drink of his tea, before looking at me once more. "He left, didn't say a word, simply clenched his fists and stormed out. I didn't hear another word out of him the rest of the year. However, I did see him searching up lore on Angels and Nephilim in the library. Time-travel methods, summoning rituals, tracking spells, he looked for everything. This didn't stop after he graduated either; yes, he was still on his quest for power, but he was also on a quest to get you."

"He still made his seven Horcruxes, but he was able to also brew up an anti-aging potion. It slowed his body-clock, that's why he doesn't look a day over twenty-one. When the ministry found out he was looking for you, they began searching as well. In their minds, if Tom managed to get you on his side, the world would end. I won't lie, one of the reasons I called for you now is because Tom got his hands on an ancient Angel summoning ritual. All he has to do is tweak it a bit so it calls for a Nephilim throughout any point in time, something which Tom is very much capable of doing." I hummed at his words, biting my lip nervously.

"What happened to Lavender and Walter, and dare I say; Abraxas?" I changed the subject, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Tom was close to actually summoning me to his side.

It'd be even easier now that I was in his own time.

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he leaned in closer. "Well, Walter went on to marry that nice girl; Darcy Miller was her name. Do you remember her?" I nodded, smiling at the fact that Walter ended up marrying the girl whom he fancied. "Yes, they had three children I believe, each of them attending Hogwarts. Abraxas Malfoy; unsurprisingly, remained loyal to Tom marrying a French female pure-blood witch named Louise Bonaccord, and the two of them produced one son; Lucius Malfoy. Lucius ended up marrying Narcissa Black and they have a son named Draco Malfoy in Harry's year. Sadly, Abraxas passed away ten years ago due to dragon pox."

Abraxas Malfoy was an annoying prat, and yet it still hurt to know he was gone. It was odd, just two years ago I was flicking the back of his head in Potions, and now, here I am learning about his death. Though, I was slightly surprised to hear that he didn't pursue Lavender any further. My heart dropped, why hadn't Dumbledore mentioned Lavender?

"And, what of Lavender?" My voice lowered, Dumbledore furrowing his brows with a chuckle.

"Well, I was assuming you knew? Considering on the last day of her seventh year, Alexius made a show of randomly appearing on the Gryffindor table, returned her memories and proclaimed his love for her. No one was able to get a word in before Alexius scooped her in his arms and the two were gone."

"HE DID WHAT!" I was on my feet in seconds, eyes wide. Dumbledore looked startled watching as I shook my head. "Dumbledore, how old did he look, if you had to guess?"

"Probably around nineteen, maybe twenty. His hair was much shaggier than when he was in school and he was slightly taller. That reminds me, I do like that new hairstyle of yours." I growled at his words, plopping back in my chair.

Running my hands through my hair, I sighed. "Thank you, it just sucks because currently for me, Alexius hasn't done that yet. But based on your description of him, he's probably doing it now. I freaking knew they were soul-bounders." I rolled my eyes, Dumbledore looking to me in surprise.

"Really?" He seemed amused by this, myself nodding.

"Mmhmm, Alexius didn't realize, probably didn't realize until he went to get her. But I mean, it makes sense, they both weren't hurting over being away from the other, because Alexius was refusing to acknowledge the bond. Honestly, that probably means they're both going to be popping up soon and Alexius asking me to make her immortal to age."

"Wait..." Dumbledore leaned closer. "Can you do that?"

I nodded, pursing my lips. "Yep, I can do virtually anything I want. Pretty great, right?" Dumbledore blew an entertained breath, looking to me in wonder. "Anyway, what do you want me to do about Tom?"

Albus's eyes flashed in melancholy, and suddenly the atmosphere turned much darker. Swallowing, Dumbledore looked me in the eyes. "Pandora, the Dark Lord has ordered the Malfoy boy to kill me by the end of this year. The boy will not be able to do it, and so a close friend, a double-agent of mine; Severus Snape, is within the Death Eaters ranks. I know that the Dark Lord will turn to Snape to kill me, and I have asked Snape to do so-" I cut Dumbledore off by slamming my fist against the table causing it to rattle.

Abruptly I stood from my chair, the force causing the chair to fall over behind me. "I know this already because this is exactly what happened the first time around. Albus, we can change things, make it better. Yourself nor Severus has to die, let me talk to Tom, I can stop this war before it truly begins." My voice was tremulous as I spoke, eyes urging Dumbledore to choose a different path.

Dumbledore only shook his head, standing from his chair. "No; Pandora, we both know no matter how attached or how much Tom loves you, it'll take time for you to convince him of a different way. A time we don't have, we need to be smart about this, this is our only option. The Dark Lord must come to trust Severus completely..." He was cut off by my heavy breathing, thunder suddenly rolling in from outside.

Dumbledore ignored it continuing to speak as I pulled at my hair. "Perhaps Severus's life can be spared, but my life cannot-" My eyes lit up with a wild idea.

"Then let me bring you back!" I whirled around, Dumbledore looking unsure at the idea. "What if Severus kills you, but then I bring you back from the dead and you go into hiding..."

"No." Dumbledore cut off my rambling. "I don't want to be brought back. I am one-hundred fifteen, I've lived a long enough life." Tears welled in my eyes, rain pouring from outside causing the house to quake.

"Why?" I rubbed my arms, Dumbledore looking to me gently, pulling me in a comforting hug. "We can change things, why are you choosing to die?"

"Because..." Dumbledore rubbed my back, looking to me softly. "Sometimes, a person is faced with a choice. The right thing to do and the easy thing to do, I've chosen the easy thing to do far too many times in my life. It's about time to choose the right way to do things. I know you can change Tom, Pandora, you understand him in a way nobody else does. You can save so many lives." He was stroking my shoulders in a grandfatherly sort of manner.

I nodded at his words, the sky giving one last almighty roar before the storm rolled away. Pulling away from him, I gave a forced smile. "In which case, what's our first order of business?"

Slowly, Dumbledore reached into the recess of his robes pulling out a card. Raising a brow, I plucked the card out of his hands reading over the lines. It was a card holding information to a New Years Eve Gala at Malfoy Manor.

"What is this?" I flipped the card around seeing nothing more than the information of when the New Years Eve Gala was.

"This is a New Years Eve Gala being held by the Malfoy's in the Dark Lord's honor. Death Eaters and dark wizards from across the globe will be gathering there. Luckily, it's a masquerade, so I'm going to be sending you and the Weasley twins there undercover, not to interfere, but to get a simple count on how many dark wizards and Death Eaters Tom has at his beckon call. After you get that number, you're all to get out of there, I don't believe it's smart for Tom to know you're here just yet."

"Okay," I nodded, happy I at least got the hilarity of the Weasley twins throughout the mission.

Holding the card, I examined it closer breathing deeply. I was supposed to see Tom, but he wasn't allowed to know I was there. I had a feeling this was going to be harder than I thought.

***

Dumbledore was going to be taking Harry, Ginny, and Ron back to Hogwarts with him via the Floo network. We had long since told every one of the plan to go to the gala, Dumbledore asked me not to mention it to anyone that he was planning to have Snape kill him.

I knew no matter what I said, Dumbledore wouldn't change his mind on the situation.

Fred and George were rather happy to get to go on a field mission for the Order, apparently, this would be their first one.

"Bye, we'll see you all for summer!" We said our goodbyes, watching as they all left through the Floo powder.

Dumbledore winked at me as he left, a hole feeling like it was punched through my chest when I realized this could very well be my last time seeing him.

As soon as they were gone and it was only myself, the Weasley's and Sirius, I smiled.

"I am going to take a quick trip to New Orleans to purchase my dress and masquerade mask. New Orleans always has the best stuff." I rambled, teleporting away before anyone could stop me.

A second later, I was standing in the French Quarter of New Orleans, my clothes completely changed from before. The dark pencil skirt and white button-up shirt made me feel official in some odd way. Of course, the converse looked wrong with the outfit, but I didn't care.

A huge hat along with glasses blocked people from seeing my features, New Orleans was one of the most supernaturally populated cities in the world. Anyone could be here, I wasn't taking that chance.

With a smirk, I walked in the direction of where I knew there would be fancy dress shops. New Orleans was the city to go to when you were in need of some sort of fancy getup. Sure it was the located in the deep south of the United States, but it sure as hell was a fun city to visit when you're the supernatural.

Maybe I would choose some masquerade masks for the twins as well.