The Given Choices

*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter One *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A cloaked, hooded figure stood along the side of a white marbled foyer. The person was examining a very large painting of a stone castle. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled softly as a moving storm danced in the background.

The lady of the manor entered the foyer to greet the new arrival. Her long blonde hair reached down the back of her green dress robe. She smiled as she approached the hooded arrival. "I am so surprised to see you, but happy nonetheless. May I say I am sorry to hear about the death of your husband? He will be missed. "

The figure lowered her hood to reveal silky black hair that reached a few inches past her shoulders. The woman unclasped the black cloak and placed it on her arm; she was wearing a long navy robe with embroidered black lace at the cuffs of her sleeves and at the hem of her skirt. The woman spoke. "My dear cousin, thank you for saying that; however, it is not the reason I am here tonight. I require the assistance of you and your family; especially your charming son."

"Bellatrix, you look well-rested and back to the young woman I once knew. Of course, the Malfoys will do anything you need. Please, let's move this conversation into the study," Mrs. Malfoy stated, as she led the other woman down the closest hall of Malfoy manor.

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A few months had passed, marking the end of July, when Professor Severus Snape slammed the doors of the Order's Headquarters wide-open. It was the summer before their sixth year at Hogwarts, during which the Headmaster undertook the responsibility of giving Harry Potter Occlumency lessons three times a week. Albus Dumbledore looked up as Snape, wearing his normal scowl, entered the room. "Severus, we weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

The Potions Master sent Harry a death glare, and the soon-to-be sixteen-year-old, getting the "hint", left the room muttering words under his breath. Once they were alone, Severus closed the wooden double-doors to the room and began, "We have a new problem, Albus. Bellatrix has indicated that she will, and is expected to, hand over a very 'special' person to the Dark Lord by next June. When I asked her who, she stated that she was confident her 'daughter' would be joining the ranks and that soon after she would be by her side within the inner circle."

"I was not aware that Rodolphus and Bellatrix had a daughter," Dumbledore admitted as he took a seat in a high winged-back chair in front of the fire.

Snape took a seat opposite of him and remembered the conversation he just had with the recent widow in a shop near Knockturn Alley. Her husband and brother were both killed in a raid by the Order about a week after the summer had started. Snape had known her since his schooldays at Hogwarts, for she was only two years ahead of him, and as Bellatrix Black. "Nor was I aware of that new piece of information. And I highly doubt her husband or her brother knew of a child. I suspect the child was born sometime between her graduation and wedding, which took place two years later; which then makes the girl's age range between fifteen and seventeen years old."

"She could be at Durmstrang, and there is a slight possibility that she is at Beauxbatons. I don't believe any of your fifth, sixth, or seventh year Slytherins could possibly be her daughter," the Headmaster stated as he ran his hand down the length of his long white beard.

"I agree to a point. It all depends on what happened to the girl since her birth. She could've been sent to live with someone far away and attended either of those schools. However, if she is at Hogwarts, then she could be in Ravenclaw. Bella is very intelligent but she always leaned towards cunning and arrogant; her sorting would also depend on the father. I'll look into the possibilities among the Ravenclaw girls that are within the age range."

The Potions Master stood on his feet as the Headmaster spoke, "Well, we'll have to keep our ears open and examine the pieces of information as we get them; somehow they must make some sense. We will also have to keep our eyes open to watch for any suspicious actions by girls in the fifth year and up."

Severus Snape snorted at the statement as he, once again, opened the double-doors. Dumbledore chuckled and added, "Okay, more suspicious than normal for a teenage girl."

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Harry walked up the stairs of the Headquarters and headed to a bedroom; the bedroom of his best friend. He gave a quick knock before he entered, shut the door hard behind him, and with a quick flop onto the bed, he covered his eyes with his forearm. "The lessons went that well, huh?" he heard his friend ask.

He turned on his side and looked up at Hermione. The female Gryffindor, dressed in a tight red tee-shirt and hip-hugging blue jeans, sat with her knees bent re-reading the Charms textbook for the upcoming year. She arrived a week after the school term ended, with Harry arriving two days later. As per the norm, she made him sit with her for the first two weeks to complete their homework for the summer. Ron and his family decided to stay at the Burrow until Harry's birthday and were due to arrive the day after tomorrow.

The friendship between him and Hermione had become much stronger, as she had helped him deal with Sirius's death and the prophecy. He hadn't told Ron; he preferred to tell his quick-tempered friend in person.

Harry didn't want to admit it but he was starting to have more than just 'friend-type' feelings toward his best friend. Hermione was more then a "know-it-all," she was the person who knew him better than anyone else; but he hadn't given her a hint of his new feelings yet. With a long sigh, he started to play with her shoestrings as he talked. "No, the lessons went fine and he said I should be done in two weeks. It's just that Snape came in just as we were finishing up. Yes, I know he is not to blame for Sirius' death, but the fact that he hated him and my father until the day they died... he just really pisses me off."

Hermione put down her book, sat up, and looked down upon him. She placed her hand on his, saying, "I know it's hard, Harry, but he is on our side and just remember that you don't have to endure any more Potions Classes," she said.

"True. Are you sure you want another year of Potions? Ron and I would love to have you stick with us and take the Healing classes with Pomfrey."

She laughed as he gave her his cute puppy-dog face. "That look won't work on me, Harry James Potter. I asked her to send me the list of books so I can study it independently. Speaking of Ron, I got a letter from him while you were at your lesson. He finally got up the nerve to ask Lavender out and she, of course, accepted."

"Of course, it was only natural since she's been spending so much time over at the Burrow this summer. I figured it would only be a matter of time. He can be so dense," Harry remarked as he tied her shoelaces together without her noticing.

Hermione swung one of her legs off the bed, only for her other leg to swing along with it, which caused her to fall off the bed. Harry chuckled lightly, which soon became a true laugh as she gave him an evil look that resembled Snape's death-glare. She leaned over and retrieved her wand. Since Harry and Hermione had been practicing their defense skills, the Order allowed a shield to be cast over the house in an attempt to prohibit the detection of a student's wand use during the holidays.

With a flick of the wand, Harry's jet-black hair turned into a light blond color. It was now Hermione's turn to laugh. He turned to the mirror and saw what she had done to him. He quickly sat up and pinned her to the bed as he tickled her in retaliation. "Turning my hair to look like Malfoy's? You'll pay for that, you little witch."

After several minutes of non-stop tickling, he paused and noticed how attractive she was with her cheeks flushed. He held her arms down on either side of her to stop her from trying to get away - and to stop himself from kissing her. Due to his tormenting, he admired how the red tee shirt she wore raised and fell from her quickened breathing. Harry sat up and moved his body away from hers; he smiled as he handed back her wand.

With a slight giggle, she changed his hair back to its normal color and picked up her Charms book. "You're right, you look better this way."