Riddle's Plea

Ancestry Part 1*

(Vienna. November 2nd, 1943)

    "Where are you rushing off too Vienna?" Olivia's voice stops me in my tracks as I try to escape the History of Magic classroom without being caught. "I have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore." I sigh, turning back around and facing my best friend. "A meeting?" She asks, her eyes growing concerned as she takes a few steps closer to me. "Yes. Nothing serious." I say quickly, glancing around the room for any means of escape and finding none. Olivia sighs in front of me and places both of her hands on my shoulders. "You know you can talk to me about things right?" She asks, catching my gaze and giving me a hard look. "I know Liv." I sigh, suddenly feeling very defeated at my circumstances. "I promise I will. But I really have to get to my meeting." I tell her, pulling her into a hug and accidentally catching Tom's gaze behind her. The gaze doesn't hold long, before I look away and pull myself out of Olivia's tight grip. "I'll see you later." I tell her, sending her a tight smile and a small wave. 

    My walk to the Transfiguration classroom is short, and I find myself expertly weaving through the mass of students filling the corridors. Years of practice. I have been feeling more...myself today. A good night's rest is all I needed. I felt extremely jittery all day, barely paying attention in my classes and causing me to lose a few house points. I was excited to finally get some answers about what was happening to me and why my abilities were becoming dangerous. I find myself hesitating with knocking on the classroom door, what if I don't want to know? What if it's bad news? Sighing, I finally knock and a deep voice calls for me to enter. I enter the classroom quickly, closing the door quietly behind me and making my way to Professor Dumbledore's desk. "Ah. Miss. Marcus," Albus begins, setting down his quill and folding his hands on his desk. "I am sorry this was such short term, but it turns out, someone's been looking for you." My eyebrows raise in confusion at his words and I open my mouth to speak, but a throat clearing causes me to falter. I turn my head to the sound and find my heart completely stopping at the man standing from the armchair in front of the fireplace. 

    "Dad?" My voice cracks with the word, and my head begins spinning with confusion. "No. That can't be right. You can't be my dad." The words were rushing out, and my body begins to tremble. "My dad's dead. I watched him die...you can't be..." I shake my head as my eyes begin to sting, and run a hand through my hair. "My name is Alexander Marcus." My head snaps up at the sound of his voice and I watch him as he takes cautious steps towards me. I regard him carefully, taking in his appearance, similar to my fathers but not the same. "Alexander Marcus?" I ask him and he nods at my question. He was much taller than my father, his hairline was receding and fine wrinkles were spreading across his face. We had the same eyes, a pristine violet filled with his own confusion, our noses were the same as well, and the graying hair still had specks of snow white hair. "I do believe I'm your great-grandfather?" He asks me, his head tilting to the side with his own question and his eyes curious. "Yes." I breathe out while taking a glance at Albus who was watching our interaction curiously. "This can't be good, can it?" I ask him, directing a finger towards Alexander and pointing it back at myself. "Well," he begins, rising from his chair and walking around his desk. "Was your great-grandfather alive in your time?" I look back to Alexander with a guilty expression and shake my head 'no'. "Then it should be alright." I breathe a sigh of relief, and look back to the man standing across from me. "I'm Vienna Marcus." I say, suddenly very shy and overwhelmed. He chuckles, a deep sound that causes a warmth to fill me and my heart to skip a beat. 

    "This is odd isn't it?" He asks, sending me a warm smile and looking to Albus. "Yes. Very odd." I say, glancing around the room at the awkward silence. "Why don't we all sit. I'll make some tea." Albus says, gesturing to the cozy armchairs in front of the fireplace and making his way to the tea kettle. I hesitantly take a seat in my normal armchair and begin playing with my father's pendent. "So, I hear you're from 1998." Alexander says to me, trying to restart the conversation and settling in an armchair. "Yes." I say and he nods in understanding. "I've been looking for you." He says, and my eyes grow wide in confusion. "What do you mean?" I ask him and glancing towards Albus. "The pendent you wear," he begins, glancing at the pendent around my neck and clearing his throat. "I had it. Just a few months ago, before it disappeared." My confusion grows with his words. "That can't be right."  I say, giving Albus a grateful smile as he hands me a cup of warm tea. "But it is right. That necklace comes from a very powerful witch. It was passed down through generations, and cannot exist in two places at once." I take cautious sips of tea while my brain spins with his words. "As soon as the pendent disappeared from around my neck, I knew that something important had to have happened. I began searching for the cause, and that's when Albus contacted me." He takes a glance at Albus who had taken up his spot in an armchair. "I'm confused." I find myself saying, glancing back at forth at the two men surrounding me. "I would think you would be." Albus says to me while giving me a small smile. "But you must remember Vienna, that magic works in mysterious ways." He gives me a knowing look, and I take a deep breath. "Who was this powerful witch?" I say to no one in particular, my eyes trained on the fireplace in front of me and my heart beating rapidly. After a heavy silence, my eyes find Alexander's and he lets out a sigh and then takes a deep breath. This is going to be bad. "Morgan le Fay."