A Second Chance (Harry Potter)

Chapter 4

A/N: This one's a longer chapter than my usual.. It's one of my favorites.. Please comment what you think.. Thanks for reading:)

Valerie was wide awake. She had gone back to her castle to spend the night, despite her father's protests for her to stay in Malfoy Manor. She had just had a rather intense conversation with him, and was now thinking things through on the decision she made. Currently, she was in the Pendragon Library, pondering over the whole overwhelming ordeal.

After the ball, he had called her over to the drawing room. She recalled their encounter.

"Sit," he said, gesturing over to a chair he pulled out for her.

She placed her scepter beside her, and seated herself on the chair, not once taking her eyes off his. "You wanted to speak with me?" she inquired after he had seated himself.

"I did. And you are probably wondering why," he said, fondling his snake as it coiled itself around his shoulders, hissing sweet nothings to its master.

"Actually I'm not. I have a pretty good idea you want me to help you take down the Potter boy," she said, smirking at the look of obvious surprise on his face. "You know, Father, maybe you should give me more credit than I am worth. You underestimate me too much. I'm nothing what you think of me."

" I do not underestimate you, I simply test your strengths. It seems to me that you have never disappointed me, not once. And I find myself more and more intrigued by you every moment. Ah, Valerie. If only you knew how proud I am of you. Will you never cease to surprise me?"

"I hope not. I do enjoy the look of shock on you," she mused, then hissing in Parseltongue for then snake to come to her.

"Interesting.. Not many people impress me. Especially your aptitude for Legilimency and Occlumency. They are a very useful skills, which are essential if we were to take down Potter. However, I do require you assistance," he said.

"I will try my very best. But you must remember, that I never once attended Hogwarts. Nor did I have any tutors, but instead everything I know, is self taught."

"Nobody taught you anything?"

"No. I refused them to. Severus would come once in a while to see how well I was getting on, but after I shut myself in my castle, I told him never to return except when I call for him."

"What about your wand?"

"Severus took me to get it, while Albus requested a meeting before I moved to the castle," she recalled.

"Dumbledore?" he hissed, distaste pasted over his pale face.

"Indeed. He wished for me to attend Hogwarts, and he persuaded me to do so," she told him. "I refused, and told him I was much more capable of studying on my own. I argued, saying that Hogwarts' pace of learning is too slow. I wished to push the magical boundaries further than they have ever been pushed. He then told me that he wanted to keep a closer eye on me, to make sure I didn't fall for the Dark Arts. But I declined, claiming that the Dark Arts was in my blood, and I bade him farewell. The day after, I shut myself in the castle, Dumbledore being the last person to see my face."

Voldemort had a look of fury upon his face, irritated that Dumbledore would dare to approach his daughter, the Queen. Yet a part of him filled with pride when his daughter stood him up. "

My child, I am proud of you. I am glad you chose the Dark Arts over Hogwarts. Yet, I would have wished for you to be educated there. However, you seem to have managed completely fine on your own. I have faith that you will not let me down, nor will you disappoint me," he complimented.