It was a normal day of classes, Harry was currently in the middle of his
7th year of transfigurations. McGonagall had not gotten more interesting
since first year, if anything she droned on longer and was more strict. He
sighed in boredom and looked forward to the quidditch match tonight against
Ravenclaw. Cho had graduated last year so there would be no distractions,
it was a sure bet Gryffindor would win.
"Mr. Potter, is my lesson boring you?" McGonagall rapped on the table next to Harry's head, which lay in his arms.
Harry was very tempted to say yes and tell her exactly how boring her lesson was, but decided against doing so at the last minute and replied instead," No ma'am, I just didn't get enough sleep last night, quidditch practice and all..."
"Well then you had best stop working your team late into the night and start your practices right after classes." McGonagall looked at him sternly as his head rose.
"But that would be quite impossible Professor, I've got so much homework after classes. I have to take time to do that before I begin practices. Maybe if you cut down on the homework ma'am, I could stay wide awake for your wonderful lectures." Harry smiled sweetly.
"I don't take kindly to manipulation Mr. Potter, and another thing-"a small gray owl with black spots landed on McGonagall's shoulder just then and she looked at it in exasperation. "Oh, what now?" Harry could make out in her muttering. She took the small note that was clamped in the owl's beak and unrolled it.
"Mr. Potter, you are to report to the Headmaster's office right away." She looked disapprovingly from the note to Harry. Ron, who sat next to him, elbowed Harry slightly in the side. Harry looked at him, shrugged his shoulders and stood to leave the classroom. On his way out Harry caught the steel eyes of Draco Malfoy, who looked about ready to burst into laughter.
"Have fun Potter." Draco whispered, obviously expecting Harry to be in some sort of serious trouble. Harry half-smiled sarcastically and gave Draco a dirty look before stepping out of the classroom and into the hallway.
Wonder what this is all about, Harry thought to himself, last thing I can remember doing wrong is last Tuesday afternoon, that broom closet with Padma and Parvati. Dumbledore couldn't possibly know about that could he? Gods I hope not, talk about embarrassing explanations.
"Got to find a way...attacks coming soon...it's not safe...not safe a'tall..." Dumbledore paced back and forth in his office while Fawkes looked on worriedly. The headmaster had been acting stranger and stranger lately. He had always been a little eccentric, but maybe age was finally catching up with him.
A knock came from outside the door into the office.
"Come in, do come in Harry my dear boy." Dumbledore called.
The door opened hesitantly," Professor, something wrong?" Harry asked.
"Funny you should ask, very funny." Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes lighting up as he met Harry's. He let out a small chuckle. Harry gave him an odd look and took a seat next to Fawkes who hopped down onto his lap. He smoothed his hand over the bird's beautiful feathers.
"Can I ask why I'm here sir?" Harry looked around the room at the portraits of past Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses. Most were snoozing, some were reading the Daily Prophet ("Could paintings order the Daily Prophet?" Harry wondered.), others were gone.
"As a person of their own free will you may ask Mr. Potter, but there's no telling what sort of answer I can give you." Dumbledore leaned back against his desk and picked up a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean from a bowl on his desk.
"Hm, wet carpet. That's a new one for me." Dumbledore mumbled, then looked up to speak to Harry again, "As you know Harry, attacks on the school have become more frequent." Dumbledore looked at Harry, apparently expecting some sort of recognition for the statement.
"Uh, yes sir." Harry replied.
"Well, I've been thinking, mind you I do that a lot, there are many thoughts running through my head this very minute, how is your head Harry?" Dumbledore had a polite smile on his lips, like a person making small talk at Sunday tea.
"J-just fine sir." Harry said, hesitantly.
"Good to hear that. I'm sending you somewhere where you can finish out your seventh year safely." The small, polite smile stayed fixed on Dumbledore's face, like he had not just drastically changed the subject to removing Harry from his school and his friends.
"I'm sorry sir?" Harry asked in confusion.
"This school is no longer safe. If we hope to have you defeat Voldemort we must keep you alive, so I am sending you somewhere safer for a while." The headmaster reached for another Every Flavor Bean, his face lit up as he popped it into his mouth. "Mm, chocolate covered grasshopper"
Harry tried not to gag and said incredulously," Hogwarts is the safest place for anything, you can't just rip me away from my friends, besides, how will I graduate?" Fawkes nibbled at his robes.
"You will be able to finish out your year where I'm sending you."
"Are you sending me to one of the other schools?"
"Oh no, of course not. What a preposterous idea Mr. Potter. I'm sending you to Gringotts." Dumbledore still had that ridiculous, polite smile plastered onto his face.
"To get money? What am I going to need money for?" Harry looked at Dumbledore with worry, not even expressing the first thing he thought of. The comment Hagrid had given to Harry first year ran through his mind, echoing in a very annoying fashion – "Gringott's is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe..."
"No, you won't need money Harry." Dumbledore said softly and calmly.
"Then why are you sending me too Gringott's Professor?" Harry asked, his mouth getting very dry.
"That's where you'll be staying of course, vault 816 to be exact. Don't worry, it'll be lovely, Hagrid's getting it all set up for you."
He's mad, Harry thought, absolutely mad," Hagrid's helping?" Harry squeeked.
"And why wouldn't he Mr. Potter, he wants to see you safe as well." Dumbledore looked down at his wrist where lay strapped his watch with twelve hands and planets circling. He let out a small "Oh" like he had forgotten something and stood to walk over to some cupboards near the far wall. He opened them and pulled out a small, beaten up tea kettle. Harry watched as Dumbledore walked towards him and instantly considered running from the room right that instant, but before he could even stand Dumbledore was there, grabbing Harry's hand and pressing it to the tea kettle. Harry instantly felt a pull and a rushing filled his ears. When he felt well enough to open his eyes he found himself in the depths of Gringott's. He knew it was Gringott's from the tracks that ran beside him and the vault next to him that read "816".
"You're mad!" Harry yelled out then," Stark raving mad!" and he made a break for it, only to run straight into the giant girth of Hagrid who seemed to have just popped up out of nowhere.
"Can't let yeh do that Harry. Got ter keep yeh safe. Step inter yer new room an' take a look." Hagrid gripped Harry's shoulders firm enough to turn him around and lead him to the vault, but not firm enough to bruise him.
Immediately thoughts ran through Harry's head about how much worse this was than staying with the Dursleys and how betrayed he felt by the people he trusted.
An especially ugly goblin stood in front of the vault, running a finger down the door. It sprung open and Hagrid shoved Harry inside, following after him.
A cot lay in a corner with a couple pillows and blankets stacked on top and a bookcase sat against the wall opposite. Hagrid opened a small door in the back wall which led to a tiny bathroom with a toilet, sink, mirror, and showerhead. Hagrid looked ridiculous standing in front of it, the small bathroom was about three quarters of his size. Harry looked around the room again, an armchair sat next to the bookcase with a reading lamp above it and a small desk sat against the wall at the foot of his bed with a stiff chair in front of it.
"Meals will be sent at 8am, noon, 3pm, and 6pm." Dumbledore chimed in from the vault doorway.
"This is insane Professor, you can't just leave me here." Harry pleaded.
Hagrid walked past him to exit the vault and Harry grabbed at his legs, holding on with all of his might. Hagrid plucked him off and set him on the damp stone floor.
"Yeh'll grow ter like it Harry, I'm sure of it." Hagrid patted him on the shoulder and followed Dumbledore out.
"Hagrid, you're supposed to be my friend. Headmaster...why are you doing this to me?" Tears sprung from Harry's eyes and he wiped them away. As the vault door closed he screamed," NOOO! LET ME OUT!" But nobody replied.
"Mr. Potter, is my lesson boring you?" McGonagall rapped on the table next to Harry's head, which lay in his arms.
Harry was very tempted to say yes and tell her exactly how boring her lesson was, but decided against doing so at the last minute and replied instead," No ma'am, I just didn't get enough sleep last night, quidditch practice and all..."
"Well then you had best stop working your team late into the night and start your practices right after classes." McGonagall looked at him sternly as his head rose.
"But that would be quite impossible Professor, I've got so much homework after classes. I have to take time to do that before I begin practices. Maybe if you cut down on the homework ma'am, I could stay wide awake for your wonderful lectures." Harry smiled sweetly.
"I don't take kindly to manipulation Mr. Potter, and another thing-"a small gray owl with black spots landed on McGonagall's shoulder just then and she looked at it in exasperation. "Oh, what now?" Harry could make out in her muttering. She took the small note that was clamped in the owl's beak and unrolled it.
"Mr. Potter, you are to report to the Headmaster's office right away." She looked disapprovingly from the note to Harry. Ron, who sat next to him, elbowed Harry slightly in the side. Harry looked at him, shrugged his shoulders and stood to leave the classroom. On his way out Harry caught the steel eyes of Draco Malfoy, who looked about ready to burst into laughter.
"Have fun Potter." Draco whispered, obviously expecting Harry to be in some sort of serious trouble. Harry half-smiled sarcastically and gave Draco a dirty look before stepping out of the classroom and into the hallway.
Wonder what this is all about, Harry thought to himself, last thing I can remember doing wrong is last Tuesday afternoon, that broom closet with Padma and Parvati. Dumbledore couldn't possibly know about that could he? Gods I hope not, talk about embarrassing explanations.
"Got to find a way...attacks coming soon...it's not safe...not safe a'tall..." Dumbledore paced back and forth in his office while Fawkes looked on worriedly. The headmaster had been acting stranger and stranger lately. He had always been a little eccentric, but maybe age was finally catching up with him.
A knock came from outside the door into the office.
"Come in, do come in Harry my dear boy." Dumbledore called.
The door opened hesitantly," Professor, something wrong?" Harry asked.
"Funny you should ask, very funny." Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes lighting up as he met Harry's. He let out a small chuckle. Harry gave him an odd look and took a seat next to Fawkes who hopped down onto his lap. He smoothed his hand over the bird's beautiful feathers.
"Can I ask why I'm here sir?" Harry looked around the room at the portraits of past Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses. Most were snoozing, some were reading the Daily Prophet ("Could paintings order the Daily Prophet?" Harry wondered.), others were gone.
"As a person of their own free will you may ask Mr. Potter, but there's no telling what sort of answer I can give you." Dumbledore leaned back against his desk and picked up a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean from a bowl on his desk.
"Hm, wet carpet. That's a new one for me." Dumbledore mumbled, then looked up to speak to Harry again, "As you know Harry, attacks on the school have become more frequent." Dumbledore looked at Harry, apparently expecting some sort of recognition for the statement.
"Uh, yes sir." Harry replied.
"Well, I've been thinking, mind you I do that a lot, there are many thoughts running through my head this very minute, how is your head Harry?" Dumbledore had a polite smile on his lips, like a person making small talk at Sunday tea.
"J-just fine sir." Harry said, hesitantly.
"Good to hear that. I'm sending you somewhere where you can finish out your seventh year safely." The small, polite smile stayed fixed on Dumbledore's face, like he had not just drastically changed the subject to removing Harry from his school and his friends.
"I'm sorry sir?" Harry asked in confusion.
"This school is no longer safe. If we hope to have you defeat Voldemort we must keep you alive, so I am sending you somewhere safer for a while." The headmaster reached for another Every Flavor Bean, his face lit up as he popped it into his mouth. "Mm, chocolate covered grasshopper"
Harry tried not to gag and said incredulously," Hogwarts is the safest place for anything, you can't just rip me away from my friends, besides, how will I graduate?" Fawkes nibbled at his robes.
"You will be able to finish out your year where I'm sending you."
"Are you sending me to one of the other schools?"
"Oh no, of course not. What a preposterous idea Mr. Potter. I'm sending you to Gringotts." Dumbledore still had that ridiculous, polite smile plastered onto his face.
"To get money? What am I going to need money for?" Harry looked at Dumbledore with worry, not even expressing the first thing he thought of. The comment Hagrid had given to Harry first year ran through his mind, echoing in a very annoying fashion – "Gringott's is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe..."
"No, you won't need money Harry." Dumbledore said softly and calmly.
"Then why are you sending me too Gringott's Professor?" Harry asked, his mouth getting very dry.
"That's where you'll be staying of course, vault 816 to be exact. Don't worry, it'll be lovely, Hagrid's getting it all set up for you."
He's mad, Harry thought, absolutely mad," Hagrid's helping?" Harry squeeked.
"And why wouldn't he Mr. Potter, he wants to see you safe as well." Dumbledore looked down at his wrist where lay strapped his watch with twelve hands and planets circling. He let out a small "Oh" like he had forgotten something and stood to walk over to some cupboards near the far wall. He opened them and pulled out a small, beaten up tea kettle. Harry watched as Dumbledore walked towards him and instantly considered running from the room right that instant, but before he could even stand Dumbledore was there, grabbing Harry's hand and pressing it to the tea kettle. Harry instantly felt a pull and a rushing filled his ears. When he felt well enough to open his eyes he found himself in the depths of Gringott's. He knew it was Gringott's from the tracks that ran beside him and the vault next to him that read "816".
"You're mad!" Harry yelled out then," Stark raving mad!" and he made a break for it, only to run straight into the giant girth of Hagrid who seemed to have just popped up out of nowhere.
"Can't let yeh do that Harry. Got ter keep yeh safe. Step inter yer new room an' take a look." Hagrid gripped Harry's shoulders firm enough to turn him around and lead him to the vault, but not firm enough to bruise him.
Immediately thoughts ran through Harry's head about how much worse this was than staying with the Dursleys and how betrayed he felt by the people he trusted.
An especially ugly goblin stood in front of the vault, running a finger down the door. It sprung open and Hagrid shoved Harry inside, following after him.
A cot lay in a corner with a couple pillows and blankets stacked on top and a bookcase sat against the wall opposite. Hagrid opened a small door in the back wall which led to a tiny bathroom with a toilet, sink, mirror, and showerhead. Hagrid looked ridiculous standing in front of it, the small bathroom was about three quarters of his size. Harry looked around the room again, an armchair sat next to the bookcase with a reading lamp above it and a small desk sat against the wall at the foot of his bed with a stiff chair in front of it.
"Meals will be sent at 8am, noon, 3pm, and 6pm." Dumbledore chimed in from the vault doorway.
"This is insane Professor, you can't just leave me here." Harry pleaded.
Hagrid walked past him to exit the vault and Harry grabbed at his legs, holding on with all of his might. Hagrid plucked him off and set him on the damp stone floor.
"Yeh'll grow ter like it Harry, I'm sure of it." Hagrid patted him on the shoulder and followed Dumbledore out.
"Hagrid, you're supposed to be my friend. Headmaster...why are you doing this to me?" Tears sprung from Harry's eyes and he wiped them away. As the vault door closed he screamed," NOOO! LET ME OUT!" But nobody replied.