Chapter Three: Intuition
Dumbledore studied the woman a long while. Then he got up and crossed the room, until he was standing behind her. Adelaide remained still, giving the old wizard time to consider all she had told him and come to his verdict.
She could feel the pressure of his penetrating stare from behind her. It was again as though he were trying to read her, boring a pathway into her very core with his eyes. Only this time, she concentrated on laying herself bare, on opening her soul to Dumbledore and the universe. At this point, all she had left was the truth, and so she focused on her desperate desire to try to right some of the many wrongs she had committed, and for which she constantly chastised herself.
Suddenly, she heard the words from behind her: "I believe you, my dear. Adelaide Mayhem, you are welcome here at Hogwarts, and your assistance in all our efforts is most appreciated."
Adelaide froze. She hadn't really allowed herself to hope for this, and now she couldn't believe her ears. Here eyes wide and filling with tears, she swiveled slowly in the chair until she faced him, and caught her breath when she saw him. For a moment, he no longer looked like the frail, distracted wizard she had seen at the entranceway earlier. He stood tall - - impossibly tall, looming over her - - and there was a glow about him . . . a powerful golden aura that filled the room. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, he was once again just the old headmaster with twinkling eyes.
His welcome, so full of trust and warmth, has rendered her practically speechless, but in a croaking whisper she managed to ask him the one question that repeated itself over and over in her mind: "Headmaster . . . why? How is it possible that you can believe me, after all I've done?"
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "For one thing my dear, you remind me very much of someone else I know. A man with a dark past much like your own, who has come to be not just a dear and valued friend, but one of my most trusted and respected allies as well. Beyond that, just call it intuition. Now, my intuition is quite good - - it's only failed me one or two times. But there is another among us whose intuition has never failed, not once in all the time we have been acquainted."
'Another among us,' puzzled Addy . . . "But Headmaster, there's no one else here in this room" she said with concern.
Dumbledore lowered his gaze to her lap, and Addy looked down with shocked wonder to see a very large bird nestled in her lap, fast asleep. It was Fawkes, Dumbledore's majestic phoenix.
"As you unraveled your history for me, my dear, I watched as Fawkes left his perch and lighted in your lap. You were so transfixed with the telling of your story, and in such a state, you didn't even notice him. Fawkes studied you for a long while, and then I saw him do a curious thing. He shed a tear - - which are restorative, you know, Phoenix tears - - and it looked as though he was trying to rub his tears into your robes, at your breast. Finally, with a sad sigh he gave up, and tucked himself into your lap for the remainder of your story. In fact, you have been stroking his feathers the entire time, and I do think he quite likes it."
Adelaide stared at the wondrous bird in amazement, its brilliant feathers like velvet to her touch.
Albus continued, "You're lucky he is in prime form these days. If this had been a burning day, we would have very likely been dousing your robes by now."
"At any rate, Fawkes has never been wrong in his assessment of a person, and I have never seen him take to anyone as he has taken to you. His intuition confirms my own - - we believe that you truly want to help us, and I expect the same loyalty from you as I have asked of the others. They have all sworn to sacrifice their own lives before betraying another member of the group, and I would ask you to do the same."
"I will, Headmaster. I swear it."
"Good then. We have a faculty meeting beginning in about half an hour. There is just enough time for you to meet our Potions Master, change into your Hogwarts robes, and join us so that I may introduce you to the rest of the staff. After that, we'll get you a hearty meal and a good night's rest in your new chambers.
Adelaide wondered why she was to meet the Potions Master first, but she was too happy to care. She was exhausted, from her journey, but even more so from the retelling of her story, which had left her quite spent. But for the first time in years, she had real hope to keep her going, and the promise of a future not overshadowed by despair.
"Oh, and Miss Mayhem?"
"Yes, Headmaster?"
"Call me Albus," he said, as he held open the door to his office and offered her his hand.
As she reached to him, Addy's eyes filled with tears again. "And you must call me Addy."
To be continued. (Next Chapter: Chapter 4-The Potions Master)
Dumbledore studied the woman a long while. Then he got up and crossed the room, until he was standing behind her. Adelaide remained still, giving the old wizard time to consider all she had told him and come to his verdict.
She could feel the pressure of his penetrating stare from behind her. It was again as though he were trying to read her, boring a pathway into her very core with his eyes. Only this time, she concentrated on laying herself bare, on opening her soul to Dumbledore and the universe. At this point, all she had left was the truth, and so she focused on her desperate desire to try to right some of the many wrongs she had committed, and for which she constantly chastised herself.
Suddenly, she heard the words from behind her: "I believe you, my dear. Adelaide Mayhem, you are welcome here at Hogwarts, and your assistance in all our efforts is most appreciated."
Adelaide froze. She hadn't really allowed herself to hope for this, and now she couldn't believe her ears. Here eyes wide and filling with tears, she swiveled slowly in the chair until she faced him, and caught her breath when she saw him. For a moment, he no longer looked like the frail, distracted wizard she had seen at the entranceway earlier. He stood tall - - impossibly tall, looming over her - - and there was a glow about him . . . a powerful golden aura that filled the room. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, he was once again just the old headmaster with twinkling eyes.
His welcome, so full of trust and warmth, has rendered her practically speechless, but in a croaking whisper she managed to ask him the one question that repeated itself over and over in her mind: "Headmaster . . . why? How is it possible that you can believe me, after all I've done?"
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "For one thing my dear, you remind me very much of someone else I know. A man with a dark past much like your own, who has come to be not just a dear and valued friend, but one of my most trusted and respected allies as well. Beyond that, just call it intuition. Now, my intuition is quite good - - it's only failed me one or two times. But there is another among us whose intuition has never failed, not once in all the time we have been acquainted."
'Another among us,' puzzled Addy . . . "But Headmaster, there's no one else here in this room" she said with concern.
Dumbledore lowered his gaze to her lap, and Addy looked down with shocked wonder to see a very large bird nestled in her lap, fast asleep. It was Fawkes, Dumbledore's majestic phoenix.
"As you unraveled your history for me, my dear, I watched as Fawkes left his perch and lighted in your lap. You were so transfixed with the telling of your story, and in such a state, you didn't even notice him. Fawkes studied you for a long while, and then I saw him do a curious thing. He shed a tear - - which are restorative, you know, Phoenix tears - - and it looked as though he was trying to rub his tears into your robes, at your breast. Finally, with a sad sigh he gave up, and tucked himself into your lap for the remainder of your story. In fact, you have been stroking his feathers the entire time, and I do think he quite likes it."
Adelaide stared at the wondrous bird in amazement, its brilliant feathers like velvet to her touch.
Albus continued, "You're lucky he is in prime form these days. If this had been a burning day, we would have very likely been dousing your robes by now."
"At any rate, Fawkes has never been wrong in his assessment of a person, and I have never seen him take to anyone as he has taken to you. His intuition confirms my own - - we believe that you truly want to help us, and I expect the same loyalty from you as I have asked of the others. They have all sworn to sacrifice their own lives before betraying another member of the group, and I would ask you to do the same."
"I will, Headmaster. I swear it."
"Good then. We have a faculty meeting beginning in about half an hour. There is just enough time for you to meet our Potions Master, change into your Hogwarts robes, and join us so that I may introduce you to the rest of the staff. After that, we'll get you a hearty meal and a good night's rest in your new chambers.
Adelaide wondered why she was to meet the Potions Master first, but she was too happy to care. She was exhausted, from her journey, but even more so from the retelling of her story, which had left her quite spent. But for the first time in years, she had real hope to keep her going, and the promise of a future not overshadowed by despair.
"Oh, and Miss Mayhem?"
"Yes, Headmaster?"
"Call me Albus," he said, as he held open the door to his office and offered her his hand.
As she reached to him, Addy's eyes filled with tears again. "And you must call me Addy."
To be continued. (Next Chapter: Chapter 4-The Potions Master)
