[Book 2]
"Nobody realizes how fast time goes, until time ends"
Dumbledore finds his way over to Victoria Potter, to confess that he may have concealed a secret from her about her family.
(All rights go to JK Rowling, I only take credit for the cha...
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Victoria trailed quietly behind Snape and Draco, keeping to the shadows of the corridor. She stopped behind a tall stone pillar, leaning just enough to catch their conversation without being seen. Her pulse quickened as she strained to listen.
"You cannot afford mistakes, Draco," Snape said in a low, sharp voice. "Because if you get expelled—"
"I didn't do anything, all right?" Draco snapped, his voice brimming with defiance.
"You'd better be telling me the truth," Snape countered, his tone cold and unyielding. "Because it was not only clumsy but foolish. Already, you are suspected of having a hand in it."
"Who suspects me?" Draco shot back angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about — don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing. I'm not stupid, but it won't work—I can stop you!"
Victoria leaned closer, holding her breath as the tension between the two grew.
There was a brief pause before Snape spoke again, his voice quieter now, almost mocking. "Ah... Auntie Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"
"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him!" Draco snapped, his frustration spilling over. "I just don't want you butting in!"
Victoria froze, barely allowing herself to breathe as she inched even closer, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the weight of every word, every shift in tone.
There was another heavy pause, the kind that seemed to stretch into eternity. Then Snape's voice dropped to a whisper so soft, Victoria had to strain to hear.
"Listen to me," Snape murmured, his words measured, deliberate. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco—"
Victoria's breath caught, her chest tightening as the realization struck her like a thunderclap.
That's it.
Her mind reeled, the pieces falling into place with terrifying clarity. She pressed herself against the pillar, her thoughts racing. The Unbreakable Vow... the implications of it...
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Victoria rushed into her room, her heart racing as the puzzle pieces clicked together in her mind. The door slammed open with a bang, startling Regulus awake from where he had been dozing in the armchair. He sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes.
"The Unbreakable Vow," she blurted out, her voice tinged with urgency.
Regulus blinked groggily, confusion etched on his face. "What?"
"I heard them—Snape and Malfoy," she said, pacing the room. "Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, and it's all coming back to me now."
Regulus stood, his concern evident as he faced her. "What are you talking about? When did this happen?"
