The Stubborn Old Man

"Keke? What are you doing here?"

Anna had just returned to the manor gates when she spotted the House-elf waiting there. His big, watery eyes were full of grievance, and the moment he saw Anna, he burst into tears.

"Oh, Miss, Master drove Keke out, boo-hoo...

Master said he didn't need Keke, boo-hoo...

He told Keke to come to you, Miss. Master doesn't need Keke anymore..."

Anna felt rather helpless as she listened to Keke's tearful account.

When she had moved out of Nurmengard, she had deliberately left Keke, the House-elf who had cared for her since childhood, there in the hope that her old father would at least eat his meals on time. Everything had been fine for the past two years, so what had happened today?

Could it be because she had been so busy lately that she hadn't gone back to visit him?

"All right, Keke, you can work here. I think Father's just been in a bad mood lately.

Stop crying and come inside."

The Fidelius Charm had been cast on Grindelwald Manor, so one could only enter if led by someone who knew the address. That was why Keke had been waiting at the gates.

Snape saw that where there had been a desolate highland, a vast manor had suddenly appeared. Having already been brought here, he had no choice but to follow them inside.

By the time Eileen had been settled in, it was already dinnertime, and another place setting had been added to the dining table, which had originally been set for only two.

"North, I'll go back and see Father in a little while. I'll be back tomorrow morning.

Put Mr. Snape in the guest room next to Ms. Eileen's, and contact me if anything happens during the night.

Though I think that potion will keep her asleep until tomorrow. Remember to have a House-elf prepare something easy for her to eat in advance.

Oh, and write to your father while you're at it. If nothing goes wrong, we'll be able to go to the island in a few days. Tell him he needn't worry anymore; the priority now is to take care of the other things that need doing."

"Yes, Miss. Please give His Excellency my regards."

North nodded, indicating that he would take care of everything.

"Mr. Snape, the garden has lovely scenery, and there are no restricted areas in the manor. Feel free to look around.

Please don't refuse my kindness. I sincerely hope you have a pleasant evening."

With that, Anna left the dining room for the study, where a dedicated Floo Network fireplace had only recently been connected, allowing direct travel to Nurmengard.

Only North Nagel and Snape remained in the dining room.

Snape found this mistress and servant exceedingly mysterious. The fact that they owned a manor comparable to the Malfoy family's showed that their resources and influence were no less than those of the twenty-eight ancient Pure-blood families.

Yet, having maneuvered between Voldemort and Dumbledore in his previous life, he had seen and heard plenty, but he had never heard of such a family or power.

Mr. Nagel, who was beside him, always addressed the eight-year-old girl as "Miss," or, as he had called her once in his anxiety today, "Your Excellency Anna." Neither he nor the House-elf had ever mentioned her surname, as though it were taboo.

When Snape voiced his question, North, who had finished dinner, merely smiled, showing no sign of fear.

"My father serves Miss's father, while I serve Miss. To distinguish the two, everyone, myself included, has always addressed her as Miss.

Miss's surname is somewhat unusual and would attract a great deal of attention, so anyone who hasn't genuinely joined us won't learn it.

Broadly speaking, our ultimate goal is world peace. Our current goal is to ensure that the wizarding legacy doesn't die out. Oh, you're still a child, so you might not understand what that means or the interests involved.

Put it this way: we're different from certain organizations in the Witching World that go around shouting about fighting and killing, or the Ministry of Magic, which struggles for power and profit.

We receive generous salaries every month, and if we do well, there's a year-end bonus too. There are also at least one or two group activities every year.

So, how about it? Would you like to join us?"

It was clear that North was doing his utmost to sell his organization. Snape was deeply moved, but refused.

"As you said, I'm still just a child."

He strongly suspected that the organization North had mentioned as shouting about fighting and killing was the Death Eaters, though that also proved that they really had no connection to Voldemort.

As far as their goals went, they were the complete opposite of Voldemort's eventual reign of terror.

"Oh, that doesn't matter. You see, we're desperately short of people. For now, I'm the only one working at Miss's side; everyone else is handling other matters around the world.

If Miss could have a playmate her own age and some shared topics of conversation that belong to children, I think she might be able to relax a little too."

A melancholy look appeared on North's face. Miss Anna was so mature that people often forgot she was only eight years old.

Over the past few years, whether in front of the Acolytes or him, she had never shown the childlike innocence of someone her age. Others might think that was a good thing, but a few worried that she was repressing herself and pushing herself too hard.

Snape said no more. The goal of world peace was too naive, like a child's game of make-believe. Although there were surely things he didn't know, and what they did would not be as childish as he imagined, he still couldn't accept it.

He didn't tour the garden as Anna had suggested. Instead, he returned to his guest room and quietly sorted through the events before his rebirth, considering how he would survive in this changed world.

At least, at this point in time, Lily's death was still a long way off. He had already lost her once, and he absolutely could not let the tragedy happen again.

While Snape lay on a soft, spacious bed pondering his life, Anna had returned to Nurmengard and was already answering Grindelwald's questions, a helpless look on her face.

It was only natural for an old father to want to check on his daughter's progress in her studies.

But Anna always felt that her father was forcefully concealing his feelings so she wouldn't see how much Grindelwald missed her.

Hmph, stubborn old man. Is it so hard to say "You're back" or "Welcome home"?

Oh, it really is quite hard. After all, Grindelwald can contact his old subordinates in the outside world, yet he still hasn't had the courage to write even a single-line letter to the one at Hogwarts!

The next morning, when Snape changed into the new clothes prepared for him in the guest room and came downstairs, he found Anna reclining dejectedly on the living room sofa, apparently muttering something under her breath.

"Stubborn old man."

"He says he can take care of himself, but does he really like being alone that much?"

"He checked my schoolwork for half the night, then sent me back before dawn. I'm so mad!"

"Hmph, when I go to Hogwarts someday, I'll definitely..."