*To be explicitly clear, no, Hogwarts was not a definitive in the last chapter. This chapter goes more in depth with it. People made it known that they want a clear reason for whichever school she goes to. For that, I decided on more Madame Maxim after her last appearance. Then I threw in Albedo…*

Olympe Maxime waited patiently for Mr. Remus (she had yet to learn his full name and couldn't bring herself to be as informal as Professor Dumbledore) to open the door for her. She had decided to come back shortly after noon on the Monday to hopefully learn which school Ms. Potter would go to. And after spending most of the weekend reaching out to learn about both Ms. Potter's situation and her guardians, she had several questions she needed answers to. More specifically, she needed to learn how exactly they became the young girl's guardians. She hadn't been able to find any concrete evidence as to who they were or where they came from. And as much as she liked Albus, he was not one to part with knowledge readily. She simply wasn't willing to risk the backlash if there were too many unknowns involved. Better to let the old wizard deal with that.

She was an instructor after all. She wouldn't risk putting her children in danger if it was within her power to do so.

Finally, the door was opened by the same man who had greeted her the last time. She noticed that his eyes had a glassy look of exhaustion and resignation as an expression of recognition crossed his face. She had no idea why he would be so resigned but put it aside for the moment.

"{May I come in?}" She asked politely. She had no interest in forcing her position and hoped to build some good will by respecting their obvious desire for privacy. The extent to which they went to conceal themselves made that obvious.

"{Sure.}" Mr. Remus mutedly opened the door for her. After she had entered the apartment, stooping to not hit the doorframe or ceiling, he silently led her to a spacious living room.

"{Wait here.}" Quirking an eyebrow at the odd lack of inquiries from the man she sat down on a rather plush couch that was surprisingly comfortable for her large size. Disappearing into a side room, Mr. Remus quickly returned with several stunning young women in maid uniforms. Olympe could barely conceal her surprise at seeing someone dressed in clothes with such connotations. More and more questions popped into her head upon seeing the odd and rather diverse group.

"{…Who?}" An absolutely gorgeous girl with a doll-like expression asked her in a complete monotone. Given the rather clipped response she assumed that the one speaking was either the speaker for the group or the only one to speak French. Or a combination of the two, given the harsh look of the Asian beauty and apparent the lack of interest from the red-head.

"{My name is Olympe Maxime. I am the Headmaster of Beauxbaton School of Witchcraft. I know this may be a bit imposing, but I was hoping to speak with Ms. Potter or her guardians to discuss her schooling. I also wished to ask a few questions about her upbringing, given how little is known about her life.}" Knowing that being sly or misdirecting in her intentions would more than likely sour relations, she went for a direct approach.

"{…Not here…Wait?}" The girl asked with a tilt to her head. It took Olympe a few seconds to fully understand the curt response but eventually took it to mean Ms. Potter and her guardians weren't present at the moment. Smiling warmly, she nodded in affirmation to the request to wait. It really was no inconvenience, and meeting on their terms instead of forcing a meeting time was worth her time.

The maids quickly talked amongst themselves in an Asiatic language she couldn't distinguish as they discussed what to do. Although neither she nor Mr. Remus, judging by his expression, could understand the language she was surprised when he blanched and quietly walked away after hearing the word 'Albedo' mentioned several times. She didn't miss that he was making himself scarce for whatever they were deciding.

After the short conversation the maids started moving with purpose to fulfil some unknown plan. One of them walked into a room off to the side that Olympe hadn't paid any attention to while another walked towards the kitchen. The third stayed with her, quietly watching her with a blank expression.

"{…Tea?}" Shocked by the sudden question, she nodded silently as she watched in fascination while the maids scurried about. An ornate chair was brought out from somewhere and placed opposite of where she was sitting just as a small table was placed in the middle. A beautiful tea set for two was arranged on the table as several delicious looking treats were placed out before her.

It wasn't long before she heard a sound coming from the room one of the maids had disappeared into. She watched in fascination as the other two maids stopped and respectfully bowed facing the door. Stooping just a little bit, she stood to pay respects to whoever 'Albedo' was. She had a gnawing feeling that being respectful to whoever the maids had called would be best.

She couldn't stop her jaw from clicking shut as an absolutely stunning woman walked out of the room followed by the other maid. She had been shocked by the sheer beauty of the maids enough for her to inhale sharply upon seeing them. But this woman, this goddess, was above even them. Her form was flawless and her expression regal. She oozed with mature beauty and confidence as she walked forward. As Olympe finally recovered from the shock, she needed a few seconds to wrestle the envy and, surprisingly, lust that flared up.

"{Good afternoon Madame Maxime. My name is Albedo, and I am Lucy Iota's mother. You know her as Lucy Potter.}" Albedo was incredibly polite to the half-giant as she collected her wits.

"{Thank you for speaking with me. I hope it is not an inconvenience.}" Olympe responded. As she gently took the woman's hand she was once again shocked as her strong grip was overcome by the other woman's dainty hand. She could only look at Albedo's gloved hands in surprise as they sat down. She was a half giant, even if she wouldn't admit it publicly, and to have her strength overcome by someone smaller than her was shocking. She absently wondered just what Albedo was to have such strength in such a feminine form. It wasn't until tea was being poured into her cup by one of the maids that she shook herself out of her stupor to look at the woman before her.

Albedo had a calm and collected appearance as she looked at Olympe appraisingly. Olympe was surprised by the intensity of the smaller woman and felt a shiver go up her spine when she saw the gleam of a fierce intelligence in her eyes. Having finally collected herself enough to talk, Olympe tried to figure out how the conversation should go. Coming to a decision, she decided to understand their level of mutual awareness.

"*Ehem*, {I am the Headmaster for the Beauxbaton School of Witchcraft. Ms. Potter has been accepted to our school as well as another, Hogwarts. I do not know if you have chosen which school you wish for her to go to and I understand if you have questions you wish to ask about our schools before you decide. I will do my best to answer any you may have.}" Letting Albedo talk, she took a sip of her tea. Olympe could only smile wryly to herself as she began to understand Mr. Remus' exhaustion as she was once again overwhelmed. The aromatic tea had a rich and indescribable flavor that she had never had before, and she had a feeling tasting lesser teas in the future would be difficult to enjoy as much as what was before her.

"{Yes, I understand. The Hogwarts…representative has already come by. Lucy is with him to gather school supplies and learn more about that school.}" After hearing she had been beaten by whoever Albus had sent, she clenched her hand in frustration for his brazen acts.

"{However, we have yet to decide which school to attend. We were not expecting multiple schools to offer her a place, so we are unfortunately not well informed. I am ashamed to admit we do not know as much we wish about the various schools. As such, we have not yet decided and I would very much like to hear about your school and your appraisal of Hogwarts.}" Albedo calmly explained as she took a sip of the divine tea. Her response gave Olympe hope, and she smiled at the chance to talk about her precious school.

"{Beauxbaton is one of the most distinguished schools for young witches in all of Europe. While we may not have the…history of Hogwarts, we pride ourselves with a top-notch education for all of our students. In fact, Beauxbaton has produced the greatest number of Mastery students in both Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic in the last decade compared to any other school. We also have a marvelous dueling program that routinely performs well wherever they go.}" She was pleased to see Albedo quirk an eyebrow at the accomplishments of her school. But, she didn't claw her way to Headmaster by being arrogant. She knew it was a test.

"Unfortunately, we cannot compete with Durmstrang in Dark Arts, and Hogwarts is by far the best school around for Charms and Transfiguration. Their teachers for those disciplines are world renown in their respective field and are what the school's esteemed headmaster is famous for, aside from alchemy. Compared to Hogwarts, our Potions reputation is…mixed. From what I have heard, the Potions professor is the youngest to achieve a Mastery in the subject, ever. However, the number of high level students graduating in potions has dropped since he arrived. Those who do are some of the best in the field, but their numbers are small. I cannot tell you if it is more due to personal bias or poor teaching. Ours is solid, but by no means a world renown potions program." Olympe admitted sourly. It was a sore point in her tenure that she could not surpass Hogwarts in more fields.

Albedo pursed her voluptuous lips in thought. Olympe could tell that she was not disappointed in her for her candid honesty, but she could not tell what that meant for her decision.

"{What about other classes? I'm sure there are other schools that have their own specialty.}" Olympe sighed at that, relishing the last of her tea before talking about the many problems magical education faced. It was becoming more apparent that the people who took Ms. Potter in were very reclusive and were lacking knowledge of the finer points in the magical world.

"{Yes, some schools have their own expertise. Arithmancy is well established at Ilvermony for example. As for Mundane Studies and classes like that…I do what I can to help my students, but there are very few places that have a strong program in those classes." After seeing Albedo's expression, she knew she'd have to elaborate.

"The problem with Mundane Studies or Wizarding Culture classes is that they aren't supported. The old families very much control our world, and they simply have no need for the latter. While Beauxbaton offers the class, it is really only a few tenuously scheduled lectures on weekends whenever professors have time. That is the extent of what it taught to First-Gens, if anything is offered at all.

The former, while desperately needed, rarely gets the focus it deserves because the First-Gens know their own culture, and magicals only bother to learn about the subject if they are involved financially in the mundane world. And then, they just learn from their parents how to act. The students take it as a joke, and they remember that when they are older. Even if I try to get a good teacher for the classes, there simply aren't many qualified for the job and little monies for good teaching materials or practices."

The conversation lulled as Albedo thought over what had been said. In the meantime, Olympe relished the sweet delicacies and another cup of the tea. It took every ounce of her self-control to not gorge herself on the delicate pastries and exotic fruits. After several minutes of silence Olympe felt is was appropriate to ask some questions of her own. Clearing her throat, she noticed Albedo's focus snap back to her. Brushing aside the pang from being dismissed by the beauty, she decided to cautiously approach a sensitive topic.

"{If you don't mind me asking, how did Ms. Potter end up in your care? I was rather surprised to learn the hero of the last English war was in France.}" When she asked her question she immediately knew it was a dangerous topic. Albedo bore into her soul with a piercing glare and unreadable expression. She even started to try and shrink in front of the dangerous aura radiating from the woman. As Albedo started to talk, Olympe let out a breath she didn't notice she was holding.

She didn't know it, but her honesty with the schools' reputations and skills had placated the Guardian Overseer. Couple that with her non-human lineage and the normally misanthropic succubus was willing to extend an olive branch in the form of information. That in itself was another test for the half-giant, of course, as they would be able to trace where the information came from if it ever got out. Albedo may not like humans, but she was well enough aware of their importance and use in the greater world. And a half-breed in such a bigoted world was the perfect tool to sink her claws into.

As Albedo told Ms. Potter's story, Olympe kept flashing between different emotions. Shock at hearing a different tale of that night then the one told. Horror, as a caretaker, for the abhorrent way the young girl was just left by a man she called friend. Disgust at the reaction of the girl's only family. By the end of the short tale she had gone pale, her face drained of all blood as she slowly registered what she had been told.

She didn't know if it was true, for she had little reason to trust these strangers, but there were no inconsistencies in her story. Plus, she was a caretaker of children. Even if she was never to have children of her own she still cared for her charges as a mother would. And to hear how such a defenseless child was treated only to be hailed as a savior by those who abandoned her made the half-giant sick to her stomach. With a rattling breath Olympe tried to calm herself. Her mind raced with all the revelations such a short story had brought to life about the childhood of such a young girl.

She tried. So, so desperately she tried to think rationally about what to do. But every time she did she kept coming back to the same disturbing solution.

It made her sick.

Every instinct she had as a mother, by blood or otherwise, screamed at her that what she had to do was a betrayal. That she would be no better than the people who so easily left a small child on someone's doorstep in winter.

"{Can you protect young Lucy?}" She asked quietly. She flinched at the gaze Albedo's enthralling eyes bore into her very soul with. There was a barely concealed rage that roiled just beneath the surface as the woman challenged her insensitive question.

"{Yes.}" Albedo's voice was a menacing growl. The primal rage of a mother looking to defend her child. The simmering hatred that had so quickly come to the woman terrified Olympe down to her very bones.

"{Then, please. I ask you not as an instructor, but as a mother. Please send Lucy to Hogwarts.}" As she made her plea Olympe could have sworn something inhuman flashed in Albedo's eyes as she ground her teeth in fury at her apparent betrayal. Olympe could understand. She had no doubt that what she was asking of them would follow her for the rest of her life, be it short or long.

"{First and foremost, my duty is to protect my students. They are my children just as much Lucy is to you. If…If young Lucy goes to Beauxbaton then there will be repercussions. The English, they are not kind magicals. They are cruel and spiteful to anything that tries to change their perfect little world no matter how unrealistic the illusion is. If she were to go to a French school, then…}" Olympe trailed off as she tried to justify herself. Even as she said it, it felt hollow and shallow in her ears.

She was abandoning a young girl who had lost her family so young to the very people who took them from her. Even if Lucy had found a way into a loving home, the ordeals she had to suffer through to get there in the first place were things no child should have to experience. And yet, she was offering her up as a lamb to the slaughter to protect her precious students. Her own family.

As Olympe tried to look Albedo in the eye after her painful request relief flooded through her as many different emotions played across her face. Albedo may have had a good mask to hide her thoughts, but when it was a girl who she had claimed as a daughter at stake her true feelings shown through, if only briefly. She understood why Olympe had asked what she had.

If she and the rest of Nazarick was truly strong enough to protect Lucy, then it wouldn't matter which school she went to other than for education. But the same could not be said for those around her. When those who tried to kill Lucy (or worse, abandoned her) learn where she had been for so long they would do anything to exert their influence over her once again. And that meant those around her would suffer from the fallout.

If they couldn't kill Lucy, then they would try and take away those close to her. Any friends she makes, any people she may even remotely care about outside of Nazarick would constantly be in danger.

If they couldn't control her, then they would do everything they could to return her under their thumbs. If that meant using slander, lies and deceit to break those around her then they would do so. And them being an island away, it would be so very difficult to stop them from saying their poisonous words to force her friends to abandon her. force her family to give her up for those more 'proper' to care for her. Olympe knew that it wouldn't be direct, or even purposeful. She knew that a few would spin their tall tales, and nobody would challenge it. Dumbledore, for all his past greatness, refused to put himself in the line of fire unless absolutely necessary.

Even with the great strength and resources Nazarick had at its disposal it wouldn't be possible to protect all of those around Lucy who could be hurt without revealing themselves much too soon. They would waste so much effort and time to control from the shadows just to protect human school children.

But if they sent Lucy to Hogwarts, they would be operating right under their enemies' noses without them ever knowing. Those who wish to hurt her would try and try again to hurt her without ever realizing how she was kept safe. Those who wish to control her would think themselves master puppeteers, yet in reality be dancing on the strings of Nazarick through young Lucy.

That didn't make it any less painful.

Albedo seethed at the fact that she would have to remain in the background while others tried to use her precious child for their own schemes. Even if it was the wish of her most Beloved Master to remain hidden, it hurt that she would have to possibly watch her daughter suffer at the hands of ants who could be so easily crushed like the bugs they were. Especially with her Master refusing her pleading to make Lucy more than what she was. For as long as Lucy remained human she would be at risk, and Albedo would have to watch as time took her daughter in no more than the blink of an eye for an immortal like her.

"{Of course, that doesn't mean I do not want to help her. I would be honored if you would allow me and the other teachers of Beauxbaton to properly tutor her in any subjects she wishes. I can make arrangements for her to practice and learn under instructors during the summer, or even teach any others you may wish of me at our school.}"

As Olympe tried desperately to make it clear that she had no intention of completely abandoning Lucy, Albedo had a sliver of begrudging respect in her fierce gaze as Olympe masterfully balanced her feelings as a caretaker and her duties as a leader. It was clear that Olympe held no ill will towards Nazarick and was genuine in her desire to help but knew that she had other responsibilities to address. It also went unsaid that Olympe would be able to watch over and protect Lucy in the summer while also learning about her caretakers' true motives.

"{…Very well. I will speak to Lucy and our Master about this. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?}" Olympe frowned at the reference to a master. It was too much like how Dark Lords wish to be seen. Above everyone else. While she could accept someone having maids out of a perverse desire, she was not comfortable with a vulnerable child being forced into a subservient role like that. She would need to meet Ms. Potter herself and judge just how her 'master' treats her.

"{No. I'm afraid it's getting rather late. I will come by tomorrow to take Ms. Potter shopping for her things. I think it best she have the books for our school to supplement the Hogwarts texts, as well as pick up anything else she may still need. We usually give an additional list of recommended items and I'm not sure what her list for Hogwarts will have.}" With their business finished for the day the two women stood. Once again, Olympe was surprised when she didn't feel any discomfort from sitting for so long. The quality of everything around her was truly marvelous.

"{Thank you for your hospitality Lady Albedo. I hope we can continue to meet on good terms.}" Olympe pleasantly, if formally, departed from the flat. Few extra words were said between the two as she left. Even after they had discussed many sensitive topics there was still an undercurrent of distrust and caution as they parted.

Olympe had much to think about as she headed home. What had befallen a young girl worshiped as a hero was disconcerting to say the least. What she couldn't understand was why someone like Dumbledore would do what he did. The only reason she could think of was that he truly believed there was more to come, and the young girl would be at the center of it.

And that thought was horrifying.