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Harry Potter

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The Succubus

By Miracles79

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Intermission

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Disclaimer: The characters used in this FanFic are owned by JK Rowling and Warner Brother Studios (I think?) and are merely used in appreciation of the original author's incredible work. I own nothing apart from the story contained within these words if that.

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Meanwhile, far away from the City of Eternal Light, Albus Dumbledore could be found sitting in his office. He knew nothing of what events had befallen one of his own students, Hermione Granger, nor what demands the Queen of the Succubi had seen fit to make. His informant had not yet filled him in on the details.

No surprises there. His informant was, after all, a member of the Queen's very own personal council and was, no doubt, still locked in discussion. Alas, it seemed Albus would have to wait until the meeting had finally drawn to a close. Until his informant found her way back home, safe, and away from those that might dare to pry.

Taking a moment to check the clock overhead, Albus returned his attention to flicking through the same three pages once again. The images of Hermione, Sophia, and Rose staring back at different intervals. The book Albus was currently glancing through was not so much a book, in all honesty, but rather a comprehensive, investigative file. A file where all manner of sources, both near and far, had been pulled together and laid bare. Every possible secret, every possible story, documented or undocumented, concerning Hermione's family, could be found within - from both bloodlines.

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But this was still not enough...

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Something was missing.

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The Headmaster could feel it. Some vital clue had not yet been found. It left him blind, blind to the Queen's intentions, blind to Hermione's most pressing dangers. This secret, whatever it was, must have had something to do with the Clans increased paranoia and concern. He knew, of course, of Hermione's gift - if it could be called such a thing. That she could sire and give birth to children... no doubt a most valuable commodity to a dying race.

And yet... Albus could not help but suspect that this information was a secret wrapped up in something far bigger.

Knowledge of Hermione's gift had been well-protected but was, none the less, still easily learned.

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It was as if the Clan had sacrificed this truth in order to hide something else.

Something far more sinister...

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This thought had been of much concern to the Headmaster and the cause of many sleepless nights. However, to his knowledge, and the knowledge of many others, no such secret existed. Everything was as it was, as it should be.

And yet, Albus could not shake this feeling. That there was still something more to be found that would reveal all. Some secret that he had not been made privy too, hidden, burrowed away from all that wished to find it.

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So many questions...

And so few answers...

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And, more pressingly, why, when his thoughts turned to the potential secret-keepers, did his eyes fall to the three individuals pictured in this file...?

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This was all mere guesswork, of course. He had no proof to support such suspicions, no reason to question any of their honesty and transparency... and yet... he could not shake the feeling that he was, once again, in the right.

There were still so many questions left unanswered:

For one, what reasons did they have to hide a secret more deadly then Hermione's gift!?

What was it they were hiding?

Did such a secret protect Hermione or make her a danger to the rest of the outside world!?

And, most importantly of all, if Albus learned of this secret, what then would he be forced to do...?

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Nevertheless...

Without the truth, none of this mattered anyway. Having a suspicion was nothing without proof and he had none to show. Nothing. He did not even know what path to investigate, or what reason he had that could possibly account for suspecting Hermione or her parents.

But he could not ignore his instincts. They nagged at his conscience, warned him that this knowledge would be vital, one way or another. And rarely were his instincts proven wrong.

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Then, just as his fingers returned to trace the edge of the page, Albus was interrupted by a knock on the door. Leaning back, his eyes moving to look at the clock beside him, the Headmaster lowered his glasses to the point of his nose and placed his hands on the armrests in anticipation.

"Enter."

On cue, the door opened and a lone figure made their way inside. Stepping past the open door, the figure, a young girl - a student - made her towards the unoccupied chair and sat before her Headmaster.

Eyebrows rising, Albus looked at his newest arrival. "You are late."

Unperturbed by Dumbledore's accusation, the young student leaned forward and took a sherbert lemon from the desk. "Not my fault. Had to avoid the Prefects on their rounds. Not to mention the other Teachers you have wandering about."

Taking a moment to unwrap the sweet, the young girl popped it into her mouth and stuffed the wrapper into her School uniform pocket. Rolling the sweet within her mouth, the young girl settled back into her chair and closed her eyes in bliss. The figure always had a soft spot for sweets and, after the Headmaster had introduced her to an assortment of muggle sweets, she could not have enough.

Opening her eyes to look at Albus, the figure re-schooled her features and narrowed her eyes at the wily old man. "I must admit, old friend, you have me at a considerable loss. Why the need for extra security? You already have me, am I no longer considered enough?"

Closing the book that still rested on his desk, Albus returned his eyes to the young girl, aware that she did not appear best pleased. "I decided additional security was needed. You are, and will always be, my first point of defense. However, now that Miss Granger has been tar..."

Before Albus could finish, the figure shot forward from her chair and, in a blink of an eye, slammed her hands firmly against the desk, nails digging into the surface.

Now, normally, the Headmaster would admonish anyone who would treat his property so harshly. However, on this occasion, Albus allowed the young girl to do as she wished. A lot was being asked of her, after all. Too much, if he was being honest with himself.

Anger pulsing through her veins, the figure snarled at her Headmaster, the facade of calm rolling away despite her attempts to get it back.

"I came here, have been here, for the express purpose of protecting Hermione. No matter who came, no matter how powerful or crafty, I was the one who sent them packing... or left them dead. I gave you my word, Albus, that no one would lay a hand on her. No one! So, explain to me, why you have need of anyone else? Do you not trust me, Albus? After all these years..."

Sighing, Albus removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He should have known this would be an issue. That the young girl would have seen his actions as some sort of slight, rather than the additional support it truly was. Nevertheless, he hoped that she would see reason. Although, considering her troubling mental state and protective instincts, that hope was long gone.

"It is just a precaution, nothing more. I have full faith in your abilities..."

"Do you?" The figure asked, cheeks hollowing as she gritted her teeth.

"Full faith. I know what you have already done to protect Miss Granger, believe me. You have gone above and beyond what anyone could have expected of you, and I am humbly grateful for that. But, in case anything were to happen, I wanted to have more eyes around the School."

"They are not needed..."

Fixing his gaze on her, his resolve unfazed by the scorn that reflected back at him, Albus continued. "You may be powerful, even for one of your kind... But you cannot be in two places at once. The School is large, you are just one woman."

Laughing, the figure shook her head. "I do not have to be in two places at once. All I need is focus. I can see every single corner of this Castle, even now. I know that Severus, right at this moment, is inspecting the dungeons for potential intruders. That Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are currently sitting in the School Kitchen with nine other House Elves, providing them food. I can even see Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe 'strengthening' their friendship inside an unlocked classroom. I know all this, see all this, and yet you still doubt me!?"

"..."

"I know this School's every secret and point of entry... from the Forbidden Forest to the Shrieking Shack. If someone were to enter, I would be there within seconds. It has happened many times before and I have succeeded in chasing them off... every... single... time. There is no way into the Castle, no way of tip-toeing around me. I have seen to that."

"Like I said," Albus insisted, raising a hand to stop the young girl from butting in. "I know what you have done. You have looked over and protected Miss Granger since the moment she was born. Before even I knew of Miss Granger's true identity, you were there, out of sight, watching and protecting her. And, I would not have learned of Miss Granger's identity had you not spoken with me and convinced me of it."

"You were to be her Headmaster," The young woman replied unsteadily, her face paling all of a sudden, fingers digging into her knees as she shook in her chair. "Had Hermione gone to BeauBaxton or any other School, I would have told their Head... Headmaster or Headmistress and not you. That is all."

Nodding, Albus continued. "True... But you always suspected Miss Granger would come here, did you not?"

Fingers digging deep into her flesh, till blood began to pool from the open wound, the figure nodded with a hint of concern. "I-I did."

"You have been a student of ours, for quite some time. Back then, when you believed Miss Granger was safe and knowledge of her existence had not yet circulated, you left her side and came to Hogwarts as a student. To investigate and learn of this School's inner working and structure, did you not?"

Nodding, the figure spasmed in her chair, her head rolling from side to side as she fought against the conscience that attempted to usurp her, to take back control. The young woman did not have time for this, there was more that needed to be said before she disappeared from sight. Now was not the time for her other half to come to the fore. She would have to wait. This was too important a conversation to be left to an inquisitive mind.

"In fact," Albus continued, aware of what was happening to the woman before her, knowing it was best not to wait or show concern. "You timed it so perfectly that, the year Miss Granger was to start her education, you made it so you would be approaching the final year of yours. Then, after having watched over her for all of her first year, you reverted back to your younger self and played the part of a new student. An act that took a great deal of time, and a great deal of pain, from what I understand."

Closing her eyes, the images of long lost memories bubbling to the surface, the figure took a moment to compose herself. "I sacrificed a lot. Unlike now... I had many friends back then. Was considered unique... interesting... special. Now, any memory of that girl has been erased. The people I once called friends consider me no different than a stranger. Any pictures we took together, have a gaping hole where I used to be."

"..."

"Everything I did was necessary. All of it. Hermione is all that matters. She is all I care about now."

Nodding in agreement, Albus took a moment to observe the figure sitting before him, towards the woman who wore the guise of a little girl. In the encroaching silence, the figure maintained eye contact with the Headmaster, unwilling to show any weakness, only strength. It was her way, had always been her way. To show weakness, in this moment, was to show regret, and she would never regret what she did. Never.

Unsure what to say, Albus maintained his silence. What more could truly be said, after all? The sacrifices the young woman had made... Albus knew every one. They were plentiful, each one cutting deeper than the last. Loss and sacrifice, she knew these things all too well. She had lost and sacrificed many times over, without delay and for one singular purpose.

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When it came time, and Hermione no longer had to fear those around her, Albus would tell her... would tell Hermione about the young woman who watched and protected her from the shadows. Hermione's own ever watching guardian angel. He would tell of the young girl who had waited and given up so much without thought for gain.

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"She's coming, you know," The figure said, filling the silence, eyes drawn to the darkness that resided outside of the window. "She's coming. And, when she does, I may not be able to stop her."

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"There are many who want Hermione, for personal or maybe even their Clan's own gain. But she is not one of those people. No. She needs Hermione, is desperate to reunite after so very long."

"That will never happen. She will never find Hermione," Albus said, his eyes turning towards the file, thoughts turning to the figure contained within several of its pages. "They will never meet."

"How can you be so sure? She believes we took Hermione from her, believes, quite rightly, that we have kept Hermione hidden and ignorant all these years. Albus, if she finds Hermione, tells her what we did, of what happened to her... then all our work would have been for naught. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow word of her to reach Hermione, much less allow them to meet."

Shaking his head, Albus attempted to relieve the young woman of this particular concern, a comforting smile gracing his lips. "She will not get through. With you and I in this Castle... even the Dark Lord himself would be met with failure. As long as our wards hold, and our detection methods hold true, Hermione will be safe. No one can enter our School who does not belong to it."

"... I wouldn't be too sure. One person has already been able to undermine your security."

Nodding, Albus continued. "Yes. Sirius Black did manage to breach our defenses. However, to say I was not aware of his intrusion or presence would be inaccurate. Sirius was given a certain degree of freedom to roam within the School grounds, under my watchful eye, of course.

"You mean..."

"Regardless," Albus interrupted, returning the conversation to more important matters. "You have no reason to fear. She would not risk coming here for so little gain. The School is heavily defended, almost as well fortified as Gringotts. She would not pursue such a desperate course of action. It would be folly. There are too many variables to consider, too unpredictable and open. No. She will wait, bide her time, and make plans for when Hermione is no longer affiliated with our School. As of now, we have nothing to fear. It is when Hermione leaves, however, that we must prepare for."

Feeling uneasy, fingers returning to dig into her flesh, the figure lowered her eyes to the ground, unable to look the Headmaster in the eye. "I... I would not be too sure, Albus. From my knowledge, you have granted her leave, tonight, to go with Rose in order to see the Council. A place I cannot return to, for obvious reasons. As of now, Hermione is not within our walls. She is out there."

"Hermione is safe. She is with her mother, Rose. And, in any case, no one knows Hermione has left the Castle. To all those who are watching, Hermione returned to her room and is fast asleep. She has no way of tracking Hermione through smell or by blood, after all. Hermione is safe."

Stiffening, the words causing alarm, the figure fought to control her emotions and return to her neutral state. The voices in her head re-emerging, mocking her and begging for co-operation... for guidance. But the figure said nothing. She had to remain calm, appear unaffected. It was the only way to shift suspicions, and Albus was one who could pick up on even the slightest of hints.

Observing the young woman, Albus narrowed his eyes and made no attempts to comfort nor continue the conversation. This reaction...was most odd. Albus had known the woman for a very long time, and very little appeared to faze her. But this, something he had said, without realizing its significance, had caused alarm.

However, now was not the time to investigate further. She was on the defensive, Albus could see as much from her posture. It was out in the open now. A mistake had been made. Both knew it. And, in response, the young woman had clamped up, her wards raised.

In this state, no answers would be forthcoming. Now was not the time. Better to proceed when he had incriminating evidence at his disposal. Something that would force the young woman to give up whatever she was hiding.

Sighing, his eyes softening a touch, Albus waited for the young woman to continue. "W-While on the grounds... I can guard her, for a time, maybe. But, outside, only Rose can watch her. And even Rose is in the dark about all this. She does not know what hunts her daughter."

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"If only I could tell her... while safe in the knowledge that she would not do anything to jeopardize the fragility of the situation we now find ourselves in. But I cannot. It would be too much to bear. Better to let her stay ignorant," The figure surmised, leaning back in her chair. "We cannot afford to have two powerful Succubi's succumb to their emotions during our war with Lord Voldemort. Rose would be bad enough, but Hermione..."

"..."

"I fear she could one-day hold power that the Dark Lord could never even dream of. If she went rogue... I fear our kind, as well as the humans, would go the way of the dinosaurs. In some ways, it is a blessing that Hermione was born a hybrid, a mixed blood, because if she was pure... The Dark Lord would have surely seen fit to use her. A good thing he knows nothing about her, I suppose."

Agreeing, Albus nodded his head and leaned forward, placing his hands together to rest on the table. "Your doing, of course. And, while I do not condone your methods, the results cannot be denied. You really are like your mother. She too did what was necessary, often against her own personal beliefs and moral code."

"Hmm..."

"I just hope you do not disappear as your mother did. More than ever, we need the Succubi race to have a voice. And, while it cannot be that of the very first Succubi. Perhaps, it could be that of her one and only daughter."

Stiffening, nails digging into the material along her armrest, the figure narrowed her eyes and glared up at the Headmaster. She couldn't believe it... How dare he...

Leaning forward in her chair, her body shaking and face pale, the figure stood up, her eyes changing to a familiar golden hue. She was angry. So very angry. How dare he...

"Secrets are best not laid bear while eyes and ears are still present." The figure growled, eyes moving to someplace behind Albus.

Turning, to locate the cause of the woman's concern, Albus saw the faces of previous Headmaster's staring at the seething Succubi... her identity now revealed. Scoffing, Albus looked towards the figure and pointed to the pictures. "You would have obliviated their minds regardless of what would have been said here. You always do. They will remember nothing of this. And, I know, from the minute you walked in, that you had concealed them all to stay within the borders of their picture frames. Something you have never done in all the years you have been here. Meaning, you have something more to tell me... So, shall we proceed to that point instead."

Face unrevealing, the figure tilted back and descended to her chair, her eyes moving to the previous Headmaster's who pushed against the sides of their frames attempting to leave. Not that she would allow it, of course. They had to stay. Albus was right. She had something to say, something she had been fighting to reveal for quite some time now. In truth, she was almost positive she would not have mentioned had Albus called her out on it. Such was her shame.

Eyes moving from her fingers, that rubbed nervously and incessantly, the figure steadied her breath and looked up. "I... I failed..."

Surprised, Albus tilted his head to the side in confusion. When the figure did not elaborate further, Albus leaned forward in his chair, concern written all over his face. "What do you mean, failed?"

"The one that seeks Hermione," The figure murmured, rubbing her forehead as she dared not look at the man who had trusted her. "The one we have spoken about... they made it into the Castle. Entered her room through the fire in Gryffindor common room just a few hours ago."

"What!?" Albus shouted, unruffled for the first time in many years. "How!?"

"She found me first. I was unprepared, outmaneuvered and knocked unconscious before I even knew what was happening. From what I could gather, after the fact, she used a very old relic, something that could conceal both her essence and appearance. I found its remnants near the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets... I suspect that is how she got in. It was a one use item, very, very powerful. Rare from what I am told, which suggests she did this for a very pressing reason. But, regardless, she got the drop on me and managed to slither her way into the Castle."

"What did she do?" Albus said, voice no longer as calm and even as it had once been, hints of frustration and unease creeping in.

"I do not know," The figure admitted, aware of the Headmaster's change of mood. "As you know, I cannot enter Hermione's private quarters, no one can. The room itself created very strict rules. Only Hermione can enter, as well as those who have been given permission by her, as long as such permission was given of her own free will."

"..."

"How she got in is not important, what she did when inside is of importance. From the outside, Hermione's room looks vacant. No surprise there. The room does not allow anyone to see what is really happening inside. It just shows an empty room. I know that one girl, Ginny, has been given entry. But, despite controlling her, for a time, I could not enter through the wards as a passenger. It seems, Albus, that you have provided her the very best protection. Unfortunately, it did little to stop the one person we did not want getting in."

Sighing, Albus shook his head. "Minerva and I entered once, with Hermione in toe. I could try to enter again, but, I suspect I too will be barred from entering.

"W-Why!?"

"A few minutes before you entered, I observed Ginny attempt to enter Hermione's private chambers of her own free will. She was denied passage upon request. I believe the room has shut itself off because its occupier is not present within the grounds of Hogwarts. Though... that does not explain how she got in then...? How are you even sure she entered."

Understanding the Headmaster's suspicions, the figure answered. "Even while unconscious I still hold power. I followed her path through the Castle as an unseen specter, towards the Gryffindor common room. I observed her enter the common room, walk between the students and enter Hermione's private chambers. Once I tried to follow, I lost all consciousness. I have no knowledge of what happened in Hermione's room or what followed. All I know is that she is no longer there. She has gone. But what she did while inside still remains a mystery."

Scratching his chin, fingers tapping the desk, rhythmically, Albus replied. "That is troubling. How did she enter when no one else could? Magic, perhaps? Unlikely, I have tried to enter that room, before Hermione was even born, when I was a student. Years of trying led to nothing. Unless she possessed even greater magic than that of an old relic... Could such an item even exist? Why would a hidden door allow for such an item? It doesn't make sense"

As the figure sat there waiting, eyes occasionally glancing up towards the clock, Albus turned to view it himself. "Ah! My apologies. You need to leave, don't you?"

Nodding, the figure hurried to her feet and offered her hand to Albus, intent on leaving without any further delay.

Taking the offered hand, Albus held firm and did not let the young woman leave without a few words of parting. "Despite this setback, I still have full faith that you will not allow Miss Granger to come to harm. I trust you to keep her safe in my absence."

Nodding, the figure removed her hand from Albus' grasp and stood to face him. "I have watched over her since birth, Albus. I won't stop now. She might have got the upper hand on me, once, but I have made sure that it will never happen again. Now, if you will excuse me. I have some herbology homework to see to."

Laughing, Albus called out to the figure as she continued apace towards the door. "You could always hand in the paper you wrote six years ago or the many, many years before that."

Opening the door, the figure kept her hand on the doorknob and turned to face her previous Professor. "That would be cheating."

And, with those last words, the figure closed the door behind her.

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Author's Note:

Yeah, I already know what many of you are going to say. This chapter is quite disjointed, there are many reasons for that, but I decided that continued editing was only making this worse. So, I decided to just update the story rather than keep going. Unfortunately, the chapter took on a life of its own when I started writing, it was only supposed to be 2000-3000 words but turned out to be much more.

I'm sure many are also wondering who Albus Dumbledore is talking too. Well, I have good news, you will find it in good time. You might also notice that she is struggling with several voices fighting for dominance, she is also quite old and is passed the age when such things should happen. If you have been reading this story carefully, and know certain things about the Succubi race, then there is only one conclusion :P I'm not going to say what it is.

However, I will say that this character will be of some importance. She has been watching over Hermione for a very long time and has been seen before in this story :D Also, for anyone wondering, yes, Fleur's attack was also seen by this person. This will be dealt with soon, don't you worry.

Talking about Fleur, the next chapter will see the return of Fleur Delacour! I know many have wanted to see her return and, I am happy to announce, because of your voting, Fleur has a lot more scenes with Hermione.

Also, the smut portion of the story will be coming very soon, we have pretty much delved into the backstory, world building and things of that nature, now, the plot will take a little back seat as Hermione's emergence becomes fully active. You will see what I mean, in due time :D

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And, last but not least, I am happy to announce that I will be publishing the first chapter of my Original Lesbian Story in December. It is a completely new story, one that came to me recently and forced me to put down tools and actually plan this thing out. Fair to say I am very happy with the idea, I only hope the execution will make you equally as happy.

However, unlike before, I am not going to give you any information about this story. I am simply going to publish the chapter and see what you think. The first chapter will make the stories progression very obvious and, I hope, very exciting. Also, this story will be very smutty but with a plot which makes sense and keeps you invested. That is all guys, I hope you will give it a look :D

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All the best!