This is my second story -- a short piece concerning the
conversation Molly Weasley and Professor Dumbledore had after
Voldemort's rebirth. Please R&R
"Molly," Professor Dumbledore greeted her as he stepped into
his office. He had his usual beaming smile, but anybody who
really knew him could tell he was troubled.
Molly Weasley got to her feet nervously. "I hope you don't
mind me waiting in your office, Professor."
"Not at all. I hope you haven't been waiting too long. I
seem to be in great demand these days, he said lightly.
"No, of course not.
Professor Dumbledore settled himself into his office chair.
"I assume part of the reason you re here concerns Sirius Black."
Molly looked embarrassed. "I don't know what to say. Percy
found that rat just outside our house. We didn t think anything
of it. Especially since it was free, she remembered. When I
told Arthur what we had taken in, he was just appalled."
"You haven't spoken to anyone else," Professor Dumbledore
said sharply.
"No, of course not. We're not going to even speak of him in
the house, in case we're overheard, but it didn't seem right, not
telling Arthur. Ron told me the whole story after you left the
infirmary." She fell silent, Professor Dumbledore was certain
she was going over what Ron had told her, perhaps she was
thinking of the danger her youngest son had been in. "It's
terrible," she whispered. "To send an innocent man to
Azkaban."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"He wasn't given a trial. I remember Arthur telling me that
at the time, but I didn t care. I mean, he'd been caught red-
handed."
"It was wrong of me to let that happen," Dumbledore spoke.
"I should have made sure he got a trial. I owed him that much.
"That wasn't your responsibility," Mrs. Weasley interjected
weakly.
Dumbledore didn't seem to have heard her. "I was so angry.
James and Lily were . . . very dear to me. To think Sirius
betrayed them, and I was worried about Remus. He lost all of his
best friends in one night. Still, that s not the reason you re
here, Dumbledore didn t feel it was necessary to burden Molly
Weasley with his troubles. The mother of seven, the matriarch of
a family publicly know to favor Muggles, she had enough to worry
about without him adding to it. What did you want to speak to
me about?"
"Professor," Molly began hesitantly, "are you absolutely
positive that Sirius Black is innocent. I mean, the story Ron
told me makes sense, and with Pettigew still alive . . . well,
I can wonder why you could believe Black is innocent, but are you
sure," she looked at him pleadingly.
"I would stake my life on it," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Harry, Ron, Hermonie and Professor Lupin heard Pettigew confess
AND Harry told me Pettigew was at Voldemort's rebirth."
Molly flinched at the words 'Voldemort's rebirth', but she
didn't pursue the matter of Sirius Black. "I wanted to ask if
Harry could come straight to us at summer break. After
everything he's been through, her chest swelled with
indignation, he needs to be surrounded by people who care about
him. I don't think his aunt and uncle care if he lives or dies."
"That, unfortunately is irrelevant. It's important that
Harry return to them."
"But why," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Professor Dumbledore
suspected that she had not believed he would object to her plan.
Dumbledore looked troubled. "I invoked an ancient magic to
keep Harry safe after his parent died. He completely safe under
its umbrella, but for the spell to be effective he must be in the
care of a blood relative. Petunia Durlsey may be narrow minded,
bitter, jealous and vindictive, but she is Harry's only living
relation. You're correct that neither her nor her husband like
Harry. I suspect they only took him in because they were fearful
of what people would say about them if they refused. I have been
aware for several years that Harry was not well treated under
their roof."
"Why didn't you," Molly stopped speaking, but then started
again as if her words were a flood she couldn't contain, "bring
him here to live. You could have hired a nanny, surely he'd have
been just as safe at Hogswarts as with the Dursleys."
As if it was only yesterday, he remembered Lily's grief that
Petunia refused to come to her wedding then refused to even see
her nephew. With pain akin to a blow by a knife he heard James
say that if anything happened to him and Lily, he didn't want
Harry going to live with Lily's muggle sister. "Harry would have
been spoiled rotten if he'd been raised in the magical community.
I hoped that James and Lily s death would change the Dursleys
attitude.
Molly almost smiled. "When I first found out who he is,
Ginny wanted to go and see him. I told her she'd already seen
him and he isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." She was
quiet for a moment. "Do you think Harry is in danger?" she
asked.
"Harry has been in danger from the moment of his birth,
Molly. Are you asking me if I think he's in danger right now?
Not especially, but we cannot afford to leave him unprotected for
two months. I think he'll be able to spend the last week of
summer vacation with you. I'll get back to you later about it,
but for now I want him to go to the Dursleys."
"And what happens if he has a nervous breakdown. He saw
Cedric Diggory being killed. He blames himself. He shouldn't be
left alone right now."
"He isn't going to be alone. I've already had this
conversation with Minerva and Harry's Secret Keeper. Voldemort
told Harry he was protected in his relations care. So, I m gong
to allow his Secret Keeper to reveal herself. She s been dying
to for ages. She's got plans for him this summer. Extra tutoring
in Defense Against the Dark Arts, dueling and learning how to
waltz. Minerva said she'd take Hermonie to visit him. I heard
her muttering something about buying him a new pair of glasses."
"Well, if your adamant that your plan is in Harry s best
interest, Molly said. I won t say anymore about it. But I m
going to have Ron wright to him every few days. If I don t think
he s coping, I ll. . . I don t know but I ll think of
something.
Molly stood up. "You must have a lot to do."
Dumbledore also stood. "Molly, thank you."
She blinked. "For what."
"For thinking of Harry. For offering to take him in."
"Oh, how could I not. The poor dear has no one, and he's so
sweet. You know," she lowered her voice, conspiratorially, "it
wouldn't surprise me at all if he's isn't my son someday. Ginny
is quite smitten with him." She shook the headmaster's hand and
left the room.
conversation Molly Weasley and Professor Dumbledore had after
Voldemort's rebirth. Please R&R
"Molly," Professor Dumbledore greeted her as he stepped into
his office. He had his usual beaming smile, but anybody who
really knew him could tell he was troubled.
Molly Weasley got to her feet nervously. "I hope you don't
mind me waiting in your office, Professor."
"Not at all. I hope you haven't been waiting too long. I
seem to be in great demand these days, he said lightly.
"No, of course not.
Professor Dumbledore settled himself into his office chair.
"I assume part of the reason you re here concerns Sirius Black."
Molly looked embarrassed. "I don't know what to say. Percy
found that rat just outside our house. We didn t think anything
of it. Especially since it was free, she remembered. When I
told Arthur what we had taken in, he was just appalled."
"You haven't spoken to anyone else," Professor Dumbledore
said sharply.
"No, of course not. We're not going to even speak of him in
the house, in case we're overheard, but it didn't seem right, not
telling Arthur. Ron told me the whole story after you left the
infirmary." She fell silent, Professor Dumbledore was certain
she was going over what Ron had told her, perhaps she was
thinking of the danger her youngest son had been in. "It's
terrible," she whispered. "To send an innocent man to
Azkaban."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"He wasn't given a trial. I remember Arthur telling me that
at the time, but I didn t care. I mean, he'd been caught red-
handed."
"It was wrong of me to let that happen," Dumbledore spoke.
"I should have made sure he got a trial. I owed him that much.
"That wasn't your responsibility," Mrs. Weasley interjected
weakly.
Dumbledore didn't seem to have heard her. "I was so angry.
James and Lily were . . . very dear to me. To think Sirius
betrayed them, and I was worried about Remus. He lost all of his
best friends in one night. Still, that s not the reason you re
here, Dumbledore didn t feel it was necessary to burden Molly
Weasley with his troubles. The mother of seven, the matriarch of
a family publicly know to favor Muggles, she had enough to worry
about without him adding to it. What did you want to speak to
me about?"
"Professor," Molly began hesitantly, "are you absolutely
positive that Sirius Black is innocent. I mean, the story Ron
told me makes sense, and with Pettigew still alive . . . well,
I can wonder why you could believe Black is innocent, but are you
sure," she looked at him pleadingly.
"I would stake my life on it," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Harry, Ron, Hermonie and Professor Lupin heard Pettigew confess
AND Harry told me Pettigew was at Voldemort's rebirth."
Molly flinched at the words 'Voldemort's rebirth', but she
didn't pursue the matter of Sirius Black. "I wanted to ask if
Harry could come straight to us at summer break. After
everything he's been through, her chest swelled with
indignation, he needs to be surrounded by people who care about
him. I don't think his aunt and uncle care if he lives or dies."
"That, unfortunately is irrelevant. It's important that
Harry return to them."
"But why," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Professor Dumbledore
suspected that she had not believed he would object to her plan.
Dumbledore looked troubled. "I invoked an ancient magic to
keep Harry safe after his parent died. He completely safe under
its umbrella, but for the spell to be effective he must be in the
care of a blood relative. Petunia Durlsey may be narrow minded,
bitter, jealous and vindictive, but she is Harry's only living
relation. You're correct that neither her nor her husband like
Harry. I suspect they only took him in because they were fearful
of what people would say about them if they refused. I have been
aware for several years that Harry was not well treated under
their roof."
"Why didn't you," Molly stopped speaking, but then started
again as if her words were a flood she couldn't contain, "bring
him here to live. You could have hired a nanny, surely he'd have
been just as safe at Hogswarts as with the Dursleys."
As if it was only yesterday, he remembered Lily's grief that
Petunia refused to come to her wedding then refused to even see
her nephew. With pain akin to a blow by a knife he heard James
say that if anything happened to him and Lily, he didn't want
Harry going to live with Lily's muggle sister. "Harry would have
been spoiled rotten if he'd been raised in the magical community.
I hoped that James and Lily s death would change the Dursleys
attitude.
Molly almost smiled. "When I first found out who he is,
Ginny wanted to go and see him. I told her she'd already seen
him and he isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." She was
quiet for a moment. "Do you think Harry is in danger?" she
asked.
"Harry has been in danger from the moment of his birth,
Molly. Are you asking me if I think he's in danger right now?
Not especially, but we cannot afford to leave him unprotected for
two months. I think he'll be able to spend the last week of
summer vacation with you. I'll get back to you later about it,
but for now I want him to go to the Dursleys."
"And what happens if he has a nervous breakdown. He saw
Cedric Diggory being killed. He blames himself. He shouldn't be
left alone right now."
"He isn't going to be alone. I've already had this
conversation with Minerva and Harry's Secret Keeper. Voldemort
told Harry he was protected in his relations care. So, I m gong
to allow his Secret Keeper to reveal herself. She s been dying
to for ages. She's got plans for him this summer. Extra tutoring
in Defense Against the Dark Arts, dueling and learning how to
waltz. Minerva said she'd take Hermonie to visit him. I heard
her muttering something about buying him a new pair of glasses."
"Well, if your adamant that your plan is in Harry s best
interest, Molly said. I won t say anymore about it. But I m
going to have Ron wright to him every few days. If I don t think
he s coping, I ll. . . I don t know but I ll think of
something.
Molly stood up. "You must have a lot to do."
Dumbledore also stood. "Molly, thank you."
She blinked. "For what."
"For thinking of Harry. For offering to take him in."
"Oh, how could I not. The poor dear has no one, and he's so
sweet. You know," she lowered her voice, conspiratorially, "it
wouldn't surprise me at all if he's isn't my son someday. Ginny
is quite smitten with him." She shook the headmaster's hand and
left the room.