Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 176

Author's Note
Muggle's update will be out a little later today, seeing as it's its last chapter ♥︎

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Jenna stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Dumbledore and her heartbeat picking up. Why now, out of all the time that this could've happened? Now that everything was as messed up as it could get.

Jenna gulped, throwing a worried glance back at the house. Having read through her expression, Dumbledore said, "There's time for goodbye. But for now, we have more important matters at hand."

And with that, he raised his arm as a gesture for her to take. Jenna threw another glance at the house before hesitantly walking toward Dumbledore and grabbing his arm, Disapparating the next moment.

Once they appeared out of thin air and Jenna looked around her, she found herself in the middle of a dark forest, surrounded by long trees that blocked the moonlight from them.

"I've hidden a small shack out here, and made myself the Secret Keeper," Dumbledore explained, gazing around calmly. And then he said loudly and clearly, "The Oak Barn Shack, Epping Forest, Essex, England."

Moments later, Jenna took a step back as a wooden shack started to grow more and more visible a few feet ahead of them, right beneath the dark shadows of the trees.

"After you." Dumbledore smiled at her, but Jenna couldn't get herself to return it.

So with her heart pounding harshly against her chest, she tightened her grip on her wand and took hesitant steps forward.

But she let out a loud gasp and clapped a hand to her mouth in shock as soon she opened the shack's door, only to see a woman suspended in mid air in there, as if held up by invisible ropes. But she seemed to be in a deep sleep with her eyes closed.

"She's in a trance," said Dumbledore, making her jump. "It took me a long time to catch her. Lord Voldemort has his strategies to keep his Death Eaters out of trouble, but they do tend to get reckless from time to time."

Jenna stared up at the woman, recognizing her immediately as Alecto Carrow. Her heart sank at the sight, having no idea how long the witch was there and how much longer she was going to remain in this state.

"Don't worry, she's not feeling any pain. She's not feeling anything at all, as a matter of fact. And when she wakes, she wouldn't remember any of this," said Dumbledore, gazing up at her. "Although, we'd be doing the world a favor keeping her here. Better asleep than out there torturing people and killing children."

"How long is she going to stay here like this?" Jenna spoke out at last, her eyes still on the Death Eater.

"For as long as you remain undercover in her position," Dumbledore answered.

"And how long will I have to stay there?"

"For as long as possible. The longer, the better," he said. "I want you to get as much information as you can. What he's been up to, what he's planning, who's on his side. Everything you can figure out. But the moment your cover is blown, I want you to get out of there and save yourself; whether it's a week from now, a month, or a year."

Jenna nodded in understanding. With that, Dumbledore gestured at the corner of the small room. She hadn't noticed until it was pointed that there was a Pensieve floating in the air.

With that, Dumbledore took out a small bottle from his robe which contained what seemed to be silvery lights. He then walked toward the Pensieve, opened the bottle, and emptied the silvery strings inside it.

He then took a step back, gesturing at it. "That is all the memories I've gotten from Miss Carrow that I thought it would be useful for you in the future. I want you to see them carefully and to pay close attention to every single detail. The way she talks, the way she behaves, the little things she does. Everything that can help you impersonate her without being suspicious to the others."

So Jenna walked toward the Pensieve and after taking a deep breath, she lower her head into it, feeling herself fall into Alecto Carrow's memories.

The pictures kept changing every now and then, showing her childhood memories with her brother in Slytherin, up to the day she became a Death Eater and all the days she spent torturing innocent people as she laughed, as if enjoying it.

But after what felt like hours, Jenna finally pulled her head out of the Pensieve, panting. She felt the horror fill her up, thinking about all she had to do to remain undercover. It was all her nightmares coming true.

"Can you transform to her fully now?" Dumbledore questioned.

Without an answer or even a small nod, Jenna closed her eyes, focused, and seconds later she transformed herself into Alecto Carrow, from her hair and her face to her eyes, and even her dark Death Eater robes.

"Now," Dumbledore started again, "I thought about giving you her wand, but the wand might end up betraying you, seeing as it doesn't belong to you. So I came up with another plan."

"Which is...?"

"Tell them your wand got blasted away trying to fight an Order member, and so you had to snatch another wand from someone else," said Dumbledore. "It's the most sensible explanation for having another wand."

Jenna nodded again, feeling uncomfortable being in another's body. Yet she knew she had to get used to it, seeing as she had to keep it this way for a long time.

"Oh, and one last thing," said Dumbledore before going toward the suspended body of the witch, rolling up her sleeve only to reveal the Dark Mark upon the forearm.

Gulping, Jenna rolled up her own sleeve as well and focused her thoughts on her forearm. Moments later, the Dark Mark appeared on the same spot. But the problem was that the one on Alecto Carrow's forearm seemed more alive, meanwhile the one Jenna had looked like nothing but a tattoo.

"If anyone asks you to use it," said Dumbledore, "try to talk your way out of it, because your mission depends on it."

Jenna nodded again, finally turning back to her own form.

"When do I have to start?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Tonight."

Jenna's stomach lurched at that word. How could she leave out-of-the-blue without an explanation to Sirius, her brother, or her friends?

"And what will be said to the Order, sir?" she questioned.

"Don't worry, Miss Potter, and let me take care of that part." He gave her a light smile. "I'll be telling them that you've been sent on a mission, but I will not mention what it is that you're doing in your absence. No one can know that you're going undercover. No one. That is crucial."

Jenna looked up at him pleadingly. "I-I can't just disappear tonight without an explanation."

Dumbledore stared back into her eyes, as if trying to pierce through her soul with his gaze. But at last, he sighed.

"All right. You can tell one person, and one only," he finally said. "One that you trust more than anyone in this world."