Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-Four: I Spy With My Little Eye
Silence encompassed them.
It was the kind of silence that was filled with contemplation, one that allowed the occupants of the room to revel in the surprise of the information presented to them. The kind that left no room for arguments or denials, for it was definite and absolute.
The deafening silence of truth.
She had told him everything.
Cordelia found that once she had passed the Transfiguration classroom's threshold and stumbled upon an Albus Dumbledore hastily wrapping the Christmas gifts he was due to send the coming week, it was hard to hold anything back.
Before long her hushed, senseless mutters had become akin to a broken dam, swapping out broken sentences for long rambles of everything Grindlewald and what exactly had happened behind the curtains during the tournament.
Before long, Cordelia had eloquently recalled the task that wasn't part of the tournament, the one that had thrown her into the peculiar situation she was in now. The murder, and everything that happened after, including the impromptu visit from her mother that morning.
It felt like she had been talking for hours on end before Cordelia had even allowed herself a break to breathe, yet Dumbledore never once interrupted her, save for a subtle offering or two of tissues to wipe away the overflowing rivulets of tears swimming through her green eyes.
When Cordelia had finally run out of things to say, she found that it was easier to remain silent and stare at her fiddling fingers rather than voice the endless questions swimming through her brain, instead allowing Dumbledore a moment to process everything he had been presented with.
If she was being honest with herself, being able to finally tell someone everything was a huge relief for Cordelia.
Of course, there were things she couldn't divulge, such as the troubles with her biological father and half brother at Beauxbaton, and most importantly, the death of her father. Talking to Tom was certainly out of the question too. But while Cordelia attempted to save one Dark Lord, she knew she had to destroy the other.
After all, that would also be in Tom's interest, wouldn't it?
It was ironic how Dumbledore just happened to be the person who could help her achieve that, especially since he was first person to find out about Cordelia's first murder, however, as the brunette finally turned away from her hands to meet his calculative gaze, something told her that sending his student away to Azkaban was the least of Dumbledore's worries at the moment.
If anything, that little detail seemed to be buried between a pile of other concerns.
Concerns pertaining to her mother's visit.
A small sigh escaped the professor before her as Dumbledore removed his glasses and leaned further into his seat, portraying a sense of casualness that Cordelia had never associated with him before.
"I should have known he wouldn't think twice before involving students."
Dumbledore didn't give her a chance to interrupt before continuing again, this time with his voice holding a more serious tone.
"However, I am glad that you chose to come to me. I understand how frightful this situation must be for you, but it is in these times that it is imperative to show courage, which you have, Cordelia."
"Please, professor, refrain from comparing me to your little lions."
Her reply would have been seen as rude to most, yet over the years Dumbledore had come to understand Cordelia enough to know her rudeness was yet another front to push others away from perceiving or seeing what she considered a weaker side of her.
"Courage is not just about bravery. It is about pushing yourself to reach a point others wouldn't. And it is only with courage that you will be able to undertake what I have planned for you."
Suddenly, her drive to run to Dumbledore for a solution made so much more sense.
Of course, Albus Dumbledore of all people would be able to come up with a plan of action even when presented with the threat of a Dark Lord and his followers. The mere thought only served to brighten Cordelia's mood as she felt the tension that had rested on her shoulders since that morning slowly ebb away and be replaced with reassurance.
"And what would that be?"
"You will tell your mother that you have agreed."
Her mood seemed to do a complete 360 at the words, yet Cordelia wasn't given a moment to argue as Dumbledore continued.
"Professor-"
"You will let them believe that you are on their side, and then, you will report back to me in order for me to create a plan of action to overcome whatever obstacle he throws our way."
"You want me to be a double agent?"
The term was one she had stumbled upon in one of the muggle novels Druella would often secretly purchase, yet Cordelia had never once thought it would be something she would use to describe herself, especially not when faced with the threat of war.
"I want you to be good. And if acting as a double agent, as you so aptly put, is what will allow you to achieve that, then yes, I believe that is the best course of action."
It took her a moment to properly process the older wizard's words, and another to contemplate whether Dumbledore had lost his marbles or was simply more of a genius than people gave him credit for. Either way, Cordelia couldn't help but feel that his plan thrust a little too many expectations upon her shoulders.
However, when was she not subjected to as much?
"Okay. Alright."
Cordelia let out a large sigh as she spoke, repeatedly nodding her head in an attempt to convince both herself and Dumbledore that she was ready to take up the task he had planned.
There was something about having this amount of his faith placed in her, something about being able to choose her own path and have an out from the chaos Grindlewald no doubt wanted to create, that had Cordelia so willingly accepting his plans.
After years of following the pureblood path and allowing her parents and peers to dictate her standing in the political world, even the thought of being presented with a choice in the matter was enough.
Dumbledore certainly seemed to agree with her line of thinking, yet didn't allow himself to divulge into the plan further, choosing to instead nod with her and cut their meeting short in fear of being questioned or pursued by another person at the castle.
After all, being found out even before she could actually become a spy wasn't exactly ideal.
"We shall meet again during our monthly meets, as we do normally. Till then, I implore you to choose good."
Cordelia couldn't do much except smile and nod as she began to trudge towards the classroom door, however, she was stopped in her tracks just as she began to mutter out a goodbye.
"And Cordelia-"
The call of her name had the young witch spinning on her heels even as she pushed the office door open.
"I'm proud you've chosen to be good."
Somehow, it was Dumbledore's approval that solidified her decision to betray her family, a feat that would have been seen as brainwashing on her mother's part but was really yet another example of how important the bespectacled professor was to Cordelia.
Unfortunately, her moment of self-satisfaction was short-lived and disappeared almost as soon as it had arisen, for the viper-like poisonous grip of a particular Dark Lord was enough for the fear she felt over the past day to make a quick return.
"I had forgotten the Slytherin queen had fangs."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
thatfanficwriter
thatfanficwriter Cliffhanger! What do you think will happen next with Tom and Lia? I feel so excited to throw Grindlewald into the mix and honestly I'm just so ready to bring this series to an end (dw there's at least 10 chapters left).
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