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THE FOLLOWING. august 26th, 1996.
ANASTASIA TOOK THE STEPS UP TO DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE PAINFULLY SLOW, HER MOVEMENTS HALTING ALL TOGETHER AT THE SOUND OF HUSHED WHISPERING WITHIN THE ROOM. She tried her hardest to listen without revealing herself, the words spoken so quietly that she found herself leaning forward against her own will.
"She is but a child—"
"Yet you deny that she be brought into the light regarding her own father," she heard Snape cut off the first voice, his own laced with aggravation towards whoever was speaking. "She deserves to know what has actually happened to her mother, Arius—"
"She will be destroyed beyond repair," Arius Blackwell sneered, the familiarity of his voice drawing her from the shadows as the room fell silent at her entrance. She could feel their eyes on her, analyzing her features for any sign of vulnerability before Dumbledore brought her into his arms and led her towards a large chair in the center of the room.
"Hello, Dear. How are you feeling?" McGonagall took a quick step forward but was instantly stopped by the look on Arius' face, his eyes narrowed as if daring the woman to take another step closer. "I'm doing as well as can be assumed, Professor. Thank you," Anastasia whispered, suddenly much more timid than she had felt seconds ago.
She swung her eyes around the room, her attention landing on the man who she had seen plastered next to her mother's on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"Anastasia Romanov... I expect you have many questions regarding the unfortunate circumstances that have ensued," Rufus Scrimgeour spoke, his eyes baring into her own as she found herself flinching at the look she was given. "On the contrary, Minister. It is rather black and white, isn't it? My father killed my mother and he is now in Azkaban. What more could I possibly want to know?"
Scrimgeour gave her a look and then glanced around the room, his lips pulled into a grimace as he finally directed his attention back towards the girl. "Are you aware that the last spell performed by your father's wand was not the killing curse but instead the Imperius? It seems as if your mother was killed by her own hand."
'He lies,' the Dark Lord spoke angrily into her head, sublimating his own fury into her body as she sat with her head held high. 'He lies, Anastasia. Your father killed your mother on his own accord. Traitorous coward, he was. No better than Lucius Malfoy.'
Anastasia felt a hand on her shoulder, the slender fingers squeezing ever so gently as she followed the limb to the man's face. Arius nodded discreetly, another squeeze given to her as he took the stance directly behind her in unspoken protection of the child.
