Contract Creature

Prologue

Looking out from the mouth of the monstrous cavern a snort of warm air turned opaque in the low temperature. A large scaled head housing slit eyes submerged back into the darkness but not before deep rumbling was emitted along with a lick of flame, a few moments after a clear feminine voice sounded.

"Oh, honestly, this has gone on for long enough!"

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was having a pleasant drink in the loud bustling aura of the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosemerta had already hurried past after setting down his customary iced lemonade, with drizzled chocolate syrup topped with a wizarding crazy straw that bent into new complicated shapes every few minutes between sips. It wasn't without a purpose that Albus had decided to leave his usual post at the school and accompany the older years to Hogsmeade, he was supposed to meet someone, someone he had no clue existed. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend after Christmas break which accounted for the excitement of the already mournful Hogwarts students that milled around, Dumbledore's twinkling eyes cut surreptitiously across the crowds and coupled with a disarmingly friendly smile, inwardly the old wizard was fuming over the lack of ability to spot his business luncheon companion.

"Do you need anything else, Albus?"

"Not right now, thank you, Rosemerta." The curvy woman straightened up and was startled to find a hooded figure occupying the opposite chair from the white-haired schoolmaster, the cloak was of a black coarse texture that was similar to snake skin, she blinked and found herself looking at an owner of a cloak that was most likely made from Hungarian Horntail dragonhide. Such an owner would either be very dangerous, very rich, or both. Madam Rosemerta fought down her curiosity for a moment with the tantalizing promise of money waving in front of her nose.

"And you, what would you like to drink, Mister..." The person pushed back the hood and waved a dismissive hand gloved in the same material as the cloak.

"Butterbeer's fine, haven't had one in God knows how long." A disappointed Rosemerta scurried away from the mysterious man. Dumbledore stared intently at the man across the wooden table; he had a short cut of dusky golden hair close to orange, a large hooked nose and looked to be a rather well-aged man in his mid-forties excluding the nest of crowfeet beside each eye that continued into lines of laughter, the voluminous covering of dragonhide hid whatever clothing that was worn underneath but there was a distinctly sure feeling that it would be made from the finest materials found, but the eyes were the strangest of all. The stranger's eyes were slit-eyed like a cat's outlined in bright red-orange superimposed on swirling circles of multi-faceted silver. The one thought that permeated through these observations was, this was the type of man that all men of power strove to be, even amongst all Albus had watched fail his visitor succeeded. The personality of a quietly strong, intimidating, yet comforting leader born to sit under a crown radiated in staggering waves, enough for the headmaster to know that no mere mortal sat for a drink with him. "Well, as much as I enjoy silence, there has been enough of that in my time to regret. You are Albus Dumbledore, yes?" Sipping from his crazy straw to regain control of his vocal chords, Albus answered with a nod. There was a moment where the yet to be named man squinted slightly at him before giving himself a satisfied nod. "You'll do." The butterbeer arrived and paid for immediately by the stranger, whose eyes had strangely changed colour to a hazel while in Madam Rosemerta's company. When she had left,

"Who are you?" Dumbledore croaked out and was inwardly relieved his voice didn't crack. The stranger fixed him with an evaluating look before keeping his eye colour at hazel with a bizarre disappearing silver swirl.

"Sorry 'bout that, I haven't been out in a while, forgotten the effect I have on some people." Reaching over and shaking hands. "Call me Lord Dragonvieux, my first name is rather hard for humans to pronounce properly without butchering the damn thing to pulp." Dumbledore blinked.

"I've made a point in studying the many wizarding families in Europe, yours I am unfamiliar with. Why have you decided to contact me?" A feral grin and soft voice answered him.

"That may be because I'm not of a wizarding family, Lord Dragonvieux is a title not a name that is in no way meant for a complete human. I've decided to contact you to offer a proposition, I'll give you the fall of Voldemort for one Severus Snape and an education. Here's the contract outlining our circumstances, you have exactly twenty four hours to either sign it or burn it." The nonexistent lord rose up from the table and pulled up his hood giving Albus Dumbledore a regal nod before leaving with a flash of pointed teeth. "Good day, headmaster."

Chapter One - The Contract

Proposition: The fall of the stylized Lord Voldemort, for the life of Severus Snape and full scholarship for all seven years' worth of education at Hogwarts compressed in one school year.

Specifics: Upon signing of document agreement is made by blood oath, wizard oath and binding contract that the following is expected to be fulfilled by all parties signing and held responsible, in no particular order unless detailed.

The document already had been signed by the propositioning party, the signatures indistinguishable by a foreign charm, and awaited those of the Headmaster and Potions Professor.