An Unexpected Visitor (Alfie)

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena was worried and annoyed. She was sitting at her desk, trying to deal with the paperwork. There were just too many letters to send and read and the other founders expected her to do all the work.

Rowena frowned and put her quill down when she heard a knock on the door. She didn't expect any visitors so late at night. Maybe it was her daughter or one of the other founders? "Come in!" she called and turned her gaze on the door, waiting for her visitor to come in.

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Rowena's office was usually Alfie's first stop while visiting the school. It was true that he did know Slytherin better and the two did share a bit of pure blood prejudice, but Rowena seemed a more capable Professor. And therefore more important as far as Hogwarts business went. Even so, Alfie usually saved his visits for during the summer. He didn't like to interfere at Hogwarts while the wheels were in motion. But Gryffindor's nonsense was getting out of hand.

Alfie opened the door when he heard Rowena's call. He stepped in and shut the door behind him. "I apologise for calling so late. Regretfully, I was held up at the Three Broomsticks for a time. I had only just realized how late it was and came here as soon as possible. I trust you recieved my owl?" Alfie bowed and stepped forward taking a seat in a chair. "It's a bit chilly in here, isn't it?"

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena was shocked when Alfie entered the room. However, she tried to hide her surprise with a warm, welcoming smile. He often came to visit Rowena to talk about business, but usually during the summer and he'd never come without sending an owl.

"You know that you are always welcome to visit me, my lord." said Rowena as she stood up to greet her guest. "Can I offer you anything? A cup of tea, or a brandy?" she asked, politely with another small smile. Alfie was always such a gentleman and Rowena enjoyed his company. She raised her wand, pointed it at the fireplace and lit the fire. "Is it better this way?" she asked and returned to her seat.

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie stared at Rowena blankly. He had already forgotten the time by now. He only knew that it was dark outside. No star nor the moon were visible. "Tea, thank you. And yes, I think that'll do." Alfie smirked and looked down at Rowena's desk.

"I wonder, what would you say of Godric Gryffindor? I know that he helped build the school, but I have been in conclave with several student's parents and they seem to think he should not possess his own house. Some are even bold enough to say he should be let go. Frankly, with this 'field trip' business, I can see why." Alfie did not let on that he had only met with the parents of pure blood students. But he considered Muggle parents to be insignificant, after all, the school was funded mostly through the pureblood families. It was only natural that their opinions got priority.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena nodded her head and waved her wand once again. Two cups of tea appeared on her desk. Rowena sat back on her chair. The next comment took Rowena by surprise. Her smile froze and she narrowed her eyes. Of course, she should have seen that coming.

"Well, I can assure you, my lord, that professor Gryffindor meant no harm. He is an accomplished wizard and a good teacher; his heart is in the right place. However, he makes decisions with his heart, sometimes without consulting his head. It would be nonsense if we let him go or took his home. Luckily, school business is still our jurisdiction." She took a sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving Alfie's.

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie raised a brow at Rowena as she defended Gryffindor. He was not angry however, Alfie had expected as much from her. Even though he was prejudiced, Alfie could not deny that Godric was as close a match to the other three founders as he would ever find. "Of course, good madam. I was merely relaying the messages of the student's parents. A bit of my own opinion showed its ugly face and that was my mistake. I am sorry."

Alfie changed the subject then. "I must say however, if I brought half of their requests to the founder's attention you'd probably send their students back to them." Alfie grinned at his use of exaggeration. "Some of the darker nutters want their children trained to cast nasty curses. Of course I refused them on the spot. The Princes thought I was plotting to keep their children incompetent. Nearly experienced some of those curses myself." Alfie finally dared to take a drink of the tea.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena nodded her head on the satisfactory answer. “There’s no need to apologize, it’s alright.” She smiled and put her tea back on the desk. “I’m glad that we have agreed about this, as we mostly do, as a matter of fact.” She added. Rowena had always been respectful towards Alfie, he was one of the few she could really talk to, without making him feel less intelligent or less worthy.

Rowena had to laugh at his exaggeration. “I am glad they didn’t hurt you. I have to say that I appreciate everything you’re doing for our school. You are obviously the right person in the right place. However, those who expect us to teach their children dark magic will remain unsatisfied.” Rowena frowned slightly and then laughed again at Alfie’s expression as he took the tea. “Don’t worry, my lord, I would never try to poison you.”

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie nodded. He hated possessing this accursed wand. It forced him into paranoia, though he had actually found some comfort in practicing Dark Arts with it. The wand never failed. Using curses was something of an addiction of late, took away his paranoia quickly. "Right. But there are others. I do not like to keep secrets but let me just say that I have acquired a good number of desireable things in my days, especially to some rather snake-like characters." Alfie had known the moment he had recieved the Elder Wand that he could not tell anyone what it was. To do so would be suicide.

"And unfortunately, I am left childless and the rest of my family are underachieving buffoons. They would not realize the signifigance of their inheritance. Nor can I trust them with the knowledge behind it. I must find an heir. Until then, I feel I should be careful. These sort of things could potentially start wars." Alfie's immense trust for Rowena showed through here. He would not even tell his former, uninspired proteges this much about his wand. Even though he had said nothing about the wand to her.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena just nodded her head and gently touched the diadem placed on her dark curls. Everyone knew about her diadem, the most precious thing she owned and obviously another desirable thing. She didn't know what kind of magic artifact or artifacts Alfie had in his possession, but she knew that he'd probably never tell that to anyone else.

His next words made Rowena stand up and walk towards the window. She looked out for some time before she managed to answer. The significance of her daughter's inheritance was something that Helena would surely never understand. Rowena hoped that her daughter's attitude would change as she grew old and that she'd live up to be her heiress. Rowena loved her daughter, but she also expected more from her. "It is sad to be left without a child to finish what you've begun. However, maybe it is better than having a child incapable of doing nearly anything." she added bitterly.

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie had realized too late about what he had said to Rowena. He was not one to whine too much about things that were already done. There was no taking back what he had said. But he did wonder if it would have been better to take the brandy. Alfie frowned. "I would not worry, Rowena. The girl'll come around eventually. Rebels always get what they deserve in the end." Alfie did not seem overenthusiastic about what he said as some would. Alfie himself was one of the defeated rebels. He had escaped England and his father to Southern Italy where he had met his deceased wife. "We had just began talking of having children. When my father found us. He threatened me and scorned me with every obscenity I know of. I was foolish. I denied him until he left. That was when he told her enemies where to find her. I tried to save her, but I could only kill one before she was killed. And I won this for it." Alfie pulled the Elder Wand from his pocket and lifted it. "Accursed thing. Wasn't worth it in the least. I still miss her. If I hadn't come along, she'd still be alive. I would be without her. But she would be happy and well at least." Alfie threw the wand back into his pocket. Then he stole another sip of tea.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena took a couple of deep breaths in order to pull herself together a bit. Then she turned from the window and faced Alfie. She didn't have Slytherin's ability to read minds and couldn't possibly know what Alfie had thought, but she also wondered whether they should have taken the brandy. "I hope you're right, my lord." said Rowena as she noiselessly sat back to her chair. It surprised her that Alfie was willing to share his life story with her, it didn't seem as if he'd told that to many people. Rowena listened carefully with a sad expression on her face.

When Alfie took his wand out, Rowena looked at it in surprise. "The unbeatable wand..." she whispered. "Amazing." At that moment Rowena realized that she was one of the few who knew about Alfie's wand or his deceased wife. "No, don't say that! It wasn't your fault!" she gently placed her hand on his. "I used to blame myself for my husband's death, but I realized that I couldn't do anything. And you'll always have the memories." Rowena quickly moved her hand from Alfie's and grabbed her tea, pretending that nothing had happened.

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie narrowed his eyes at Rowena's statement. He was not angry at her. But at himself. He knew what he was like in his younger years: Idealistic, foolish, cowardly. He could keep that truth from others but the important people to him knew. "Ah. Blame. But before you go on about that, you should know that I could have prevented her death in more ways than one. It was a coward's blade-stroke that won this wand for me. Only under the wands' baleful influence have I been able to face my fears. It is a curse. I should have faced those fears myself. On my own merit." Alfie looked down in the tea cup in front of him. "It lets me know that I would be nothing without it. It has brought new fears."

As Alfie took a final drink from the cup of tea, he come to a thought. "Ah. Hmm. I wonder." Alfie scratched his chin. "I have considered passing the wand to Slytherin. He is the founder most alike to my mind and tastes. A friend. Yet more worthy of such a power than I am." Alfie looked at Rowena carefully, hoping she would not judge such words too harshly. "Also I have considered Godric Gryffindor. His noble actions and intentions were what drew me first." Alfie looked behind him at the door. Then back to Rowena. "I think either would make wonderful use of such a power. But the problem is that I can sense that this desire is not my own. I think, it is either the wand. Or Salazar knows I possess it." Alfie nodded in acceptance. "I believe the right thing would be for you to take it. You would know best how to use it. Even more than Salazar or Godric, I daresay. No need for a knife this time, I think. A simple disarming charm should do." Alfie looked Rowena in the eyes. Hoping that she would accept it for his sake. Hoping she would not for her own.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena carefully listened to his words with a small frown. Salazar was indeed a talented wizard and Rowena respected his talents. However, if he had the most powerful wand in the world, he’d probably use the power to destroy half of Britain, murdering some Muggles along. Godric, on the other hand, with his pure heart and admirable soul, would use it only to help those in needs, both wizards and Muggles. Rowena had to wonder whether he’d be able to keep it a secret. She had of course heard the story of the unbeatable wand; it said that every owner of the wand had been brutally murdered. Rowena couldn’t bear to lose him, he meant so much to her in a way she couldn’t quite explain and she referred to as friendship, but it might have been something else. Then she looked at Alfie again and thought about the story. Rowena couldn’t bear to lose him, either; her feelings towards Alfie were even harder to explain. However, he seemed to have remained faithful to his wife and after all those years still in love with her. Rowena couldn’t help but wonder if his wife had been beautiful... more beautiful than her.

Alfie’s words brought her back to reality. Her eyes sparkled and she bit her lip. If she had the wand, she’d be not only the wisest, but also the most powerful woman in the world. The wand had been owned by men and it had been too much for any of them to handle. She would never tell anyone about the wand, she’d keep it safe and hidden, just like her diadem. Rowena took her own wand without even noticing it. A simple disarming spell would be enough, just a single word that would make her the mistress of the wand. A single word that could save lord Valenceus and he’d be grateful to her, maybe he’d even... Rowena shook her head and put the wand down.

“I am sorry, Alphard. “She said sadly, almost feeling ashamed of herself. “I wish I could do that for you, accept this gift... but I can’t. I don’t know if I’m worthy of such an amazing possession. To be honest, I am not sure if anyone is.”

[Melkor 'Alfie' Valenceus]

Alfie began breathing again. It was a dangerous decision to make. Unlike Alfie, he hadn't had a choice. The wand was thrust upon him. Alfie had, of course, never even considered Hufflepuff. The wand would destroy average people quickly. Alfie didn't know why he was so reluctant to hand the wand over to Salazar. It would have been the obvious choice for him to make any other time. But some whisper in his mind kept urging against it. Alfie was growing old, he may have been losing his mind but he felt it was more likely that there was some other player involved.

"It is the will of the gods that your will prevails against such temptation. I have met many treasure-seekers who lose all civility upon recognizing the Deathstick. I think I will keep it hidden. I should destroy all evidence of it. So that when someone sees it, they think of it as an old man's wand and nothing more." Alfie watched Rowena carefully. "And of course, the only reason that this idea even appeals to me is because I want to be the final master of the Elder Wand." Alfie crossed his arms across his chest and looked behind him once more. "You will help me do this, of course?"

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena nodded her head and even managed to smile a bit. Alfie's offer was even too temptating, but she managed to resist it. She took a deep breath and placed her wand on the desk. Rowena couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow hurt or even disappointed Alfie by not taking the wand. She shivered slightly, realizing how much his opinion meant to her... how much he meant to her. Rowena had to shake her head again to push the thought away.

"There isn't many people who'd refuse the offer, I am well aware of that. And many others would do anything to get the wand, so we must be careful. Awful things might happen if the wand gets into wrong hands." Rowena raised her dark eyes and looked at Alfie. "Only a man of your power and wisdom deserves to be the master, or the final master of the wand. I will do everything I can to prevent the disaster and help protect your secret."