16It had been four years since Violet had been delivered to the Weasley house in the cloak of darkness. Four years of family and laughter and learning. Yet, for all the fondness and affection she had come to possess for the Weasleys, she could not say she was ever comfortable or at home at their table. As she grew older, as she grew into her magic and her intelligence, she began to understand there was something fundamentally different between herself and the Weasleys, and it wasn't their hair.
Violet had always been eager to learn more, absorbing knowledge and books the way a starving man would feast. It was not just magic she studied either. Whilst she was limited in her magical studies until she could purchase a wand, she could research who newest obsession without any restrictions. People.
People's actions and feelings had confused Violet. She had problems understanding other's facial expressions or why certain behaviours made them uncomfortable. But Violet also knew, experienced first-hand, the damage that people can inflict on others. She needed to know the nature of people to be prepared. She would never let another hurt her, or her magic, again. So, every outing, every opportunity to watch people interact, she did. And she did it well. Soon, she could predict by the slightest crease under the eye that a man was getting nervous. She could tell by the clenching of a fist whether someone was anxious or violent. Violet believed she was prepared to see the world and live in it. Life at the Weasleys was not truly experiencing the world. She was kept comfortable, but caged. They treated her like a delicate flower who could not look after herself. She allowed them to keep that opinion of her.
In the next few days, she and Ron would be leaving to start their first year of Hogwarts. Violet would much prefer Ginny to Ron's company, as Ginny was more likeable in spirit and behaviour. Plus, but Ron did not like Violet. Not one bit. She had soon excelled in classes, leaving him far behind. On a broom she was unmatched, though she had neither the patience or desire to play Quidditch. Furthermore, she hated chess. With a passion. It is not surprising that the two were more than likely to butt heads.
Violet Potter knew she was a very special little girl and she knew that Hogwarts was where she was meant to be. That didn't however, make her any less nervous the weeks before she was set to arrive. Bill had returned from his current job in Egypt to see her off, just as she had done for him all those years ago, Charlie was busy in Romania so she wouldn't see him before she left, but he had sent a letter and lovely little bracelet made of coloured strings to wish her luck.
After years of tutoring and frequent, if wary, trips to the library, Violet was more than prepared. Yet, she was both excited and nervous to meet Professor Albus Dumbledore. Her books had showed her his frequent and impressive achievements and the Weasley parents often reminded Violet that it was Dumbledore who saved her from her relatives. However, Violet wondered why she was there in the first place and why Dumbledore had the authority to take her away. She had never asked these questions, for it was a common consensus that Albus Dumbledore was a great man, one of the best alive.
That is not to say that Violet did not like him. After all, she had no memory of meeting the man. She believed he was everything she should aspire to be. She was to be a hero. She had already defeated the Dark Lord once and she should be prepared to face Dark Magic again, to keep everyone safe. It was her duty, her responsibility, to save people who couldn't save themselves. Violet didn't exactly have any great enthusiasm to do so. She cared little about people in the broad scale of things, especially if they didn't affect or interact with her.
It is safe to say that Violet had very mixed feelings about Hogwarts and currently, she was trying to say goodbye to Mr Lupin, who would not be able to see her off. She supposed she was a little upset as Mr Lupin had been a very important part of her life. He had given her the tools and knowledge she needed to become strong enough to protect herself. He had also provided gentle encouragement and praise in everything she set her mind too and, when she felt like asking, told her various stories about her parents. Her favourites were the Marauders. She had heard Fred and George tell tales of their pranks at the school and Violet didn't see the harm in them. It was just another display of her magical ability whilst providing some entertainment. She was excited to try out some of her own ideas.
Looking up at Mr Lupin, he had a tear in his eye. As he knelt on the ground, looking into her eyes (although she was on a strict regime of nutrition potions, she was still rather small), he brushed a wayward curl from her face.
'I wish you all the luck for Hogwarts, Violet. If you ever need me, I am only an owl away,' he whispered.
'I think I'll miss you very much, Mr Lupin.' Violet knew this to be true, for no other teacher could compare to Lupin's enthusiasm and gentle nature. He smiled at her then, one of widest she had seen from him.
'Now I am no longer your tutor, you can call me Remus,' he suggested, pulling her slowly, haltingly, into a hug. She did not resist and buried her face into his cloak. It smelt of old books and the forest and she knew she's never forget the scent. 'I'll miss you too, Flower.' Pulling away, he ruffled her hair, stood up and walked toward the door. A quick goodbye to Molly and Arthur and he was gone.
Violet rather thought she'd prefer not to go to Hogwarts and for things to stay exactly as they had been. Or for Mr Lup– Remus - to whisk her away and become her guardian, maybe staying in a quiet little cottage, with very few neighbours. Startled from her thoughts by Bill's hand on her shoulder, she turned into him and let him drag her up to her room (she had stolen Bill's as soon as he had moved out for his first job).
…
Albus Dumbledore was preparing for the arrival of the students. This year was a very special year as one Miss Violet Potter would be attending. Looking through the weekly reports from Molly, he smiled slightly to himself. He had definitely made the right decision in placing her with the Weasley family.
A quiet and studious little girl, he would hardly call her the Gryffindor hero he was expecting. But Molly had assured him that she would not stand to see anyone bully anyone weaker than them, the Luna Lovegood girl seemed to have made a protector for life when she was being attacked by some boys in town. Violet had come to her defence without even thinking about the consequences, Molly had said. Acting recklessly to save another, now that was a quality Albus Dumbledore was happy to see.
With a flourish of his wand, he removed the philosopher's stone from a box in his desk draw. Well, a replica of the stone, to be precise. Studying the object, he could not help but feel guilty for what he had planned. He needed proof of Voldemort's continued survival. He needed to draw him into the open. He needed bait. The stone was indeed the perfect bait but not worth the risk of exposure. No, Violet had to be within Hogwarts to draw Voldemort near.
It was only recently, after he had learned of the Lovegood incident, that he had decided to test the girl. It was definitely within his power to protect the stone, fake or not. However, he had come up with an elaborate obstacle course for her to overcome. Let her test her bravery, her courage. Of course, he would drop the relevant hints throughout the year and just before summer, it would all come to head. Voldemort and Violet would meet once again. Then he could analyse the meeting and strategize the best course of action for the coming war.
And if Violet died during this encounter. Well. It was for the greater good.
…
As Violet slept, Bill's soft snores lulling her to slumber from across the room, she dreamt. They were such wonderful dreams of the castle, as if she had already walked its halls and explored every nook. But there was something different about this dream. Her footsteps sounded different from her own, heavier almost. And her body felt stranger. Was she taller? Looking down, she noticed the Slytherin colours on her robes and wondered how everyone would react. How would Bill and Remus react? As she dreamed, the feeling, her friend, was warm and content. After all, it was going home.
AN: Bit of a short one, but we're finally on our way to first year. This fic will be following the timeline of the original series, but it will come about quite differently from what we expect of Harry Potter.
Preview of the next chapter –
Everyone was staring and Violet was uncomfortable. She shifted slightly on the bench and looked down toward her plate, contemplating on whether she should put food on it, even though no one else was moving. She sighed to herself. This was going to be a long seven years.