t o u c h

n i n e

"Are you truly struggling to find love," Dumbledore asked, causing Alexandra to look up at him. Recently, Dumbledore noticed she had been distracted, and decided it was time to bring it up. "Or are you simply reluctant to fall in love out of fear the feelings won't be reciprocated?"

"I don't know if you recall, Professor, but if this does not work, my friends will die. Of course I'm afraid," Alexandra argued, standing up out of her seat.

"That is not what I mean, Miss River," the professor smiled lightly. "I can see it in the way your eyes twinkle at the mention of Mr. Malfoy. My eyes twinkled just the same for a young wizard once. You are capable of love, but you simply don't understand it."

Ignoring his statement, she changed the subject.

"Have you really thought this through, Professor?" Alexandra questioned, finally bringing up the question she had been asking herself for weeks now. Professor Dumbledore made the mistake of leaving Alexandra with too much time to think, and now she was beginning to figure out exactly what he was afraid of. The professor raised his eyebrows. "If Tom truly falls in love, how will he cope with his loss when I return home? What if I'm what brings him to Hogwarts in the future?"

"Miss. River-" he hesitated. His hesitation was all Alexandra needed to answer her question. She took a step back.

"You knew all along, didn't you? You were never going to send me home."

"It is not as simple as it appears-"

"Send me home. I don't want to do this anymore!" Alexandra yelled.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Dumbledore stated, staring blankly at the girl.

"Why not?" She asked angrily, slamming her hands on his desk. He sat still, gathering the courage to tell the truth.

"The time turner is no longer in my possession."

"What?" She asked quietly, her voice cracking slightly. The time turned Dumbledore possessed was the only one known to witch or wizard that can manipulate such a wide range of time. The only time turner with no limit. The only time turner that can bring her home. Gone.

"I'm afraid it's been taken."

"You're afraid? My entire life has been taken with that bloody necklace!" She cried, throwing her head in her hands. "I should have never agreed to this. This was a mistake."

"The plan is working-"

"No, it isn't!" She yelled. "Face it, Professor! Tom Riddle will never know love, or friendship, and I feel sorry for him, but I can't help him when all he does is push me away. I've failed, and now I have to sit and watch as he murders everyone I ever loved because I listened to a man who obviously has no clue what he's doing."

Dumbledore watched as Alexandra angrily walked out of his office. She was ignorant, but had every right to be angry with him. He was intentionally keeping information from her, slowly revealing the truth in order to spark the necessary emotions she needed to feel in order to succeed now and in the future.

He knew exactly what he was doing, so much so that he expected Tom Riddle to steal his time turner. That is exactly why he made Alexandra believe the turner was one-of-a-kind when the only thing truly different about it was it's color.

Every memory, every piece of information he planted in her mind had a purpose. Some he would reveal, and some she will have to discover on her own, but all were imperative to guaranteeing peace for generations to come.