This is a relatively short chapter. I'm sorry, but I found nothing that fit in to make it longer. Most chapters are not as short, though.

3. Thoughts

Albus was sitting at his table, contemplating the day's events. He felt bad for not identifying the attacks for what they were – Basilisk sightings. He should have known better; he should have acted more decisively. Being so occupied with his other positions was no excuse for neglecting his role as headmaster, for not doing his best to put an end to the attacks as fast as possible. Luckily there was no death this time. It was all thanks to Harry, actually. Had he not acted on time, Miss Weasley would have been dead and Voldemort would have gained body and power. He dreaded thinking what that might have evolved into.

Harry... That boy had now created a new problem for him. Albus had worked for years tweaking his plans to perfection. He'd been working on those plans ever since that dreadful Halloween night, when he found out who the prophecy was talking about. Sadly, this meant letting Harry suffer, but it was all for The Greater Good, or so it seemed. Now, a single hug made all his plans crumble.

His first thought had been, 'I must intervene, I must stop that.' Luckily he hadn't. There were too many people around and he couldn't act fast enough. By the time they were shrouded in a golden mist it was too late to change it, and he was still too far. Then he heard that blood-freezing scream, as a black cloud seemed to be expelled from within the golden mist and vanish. He wasn't sure what it meant at the time, yet it seemed important.

Then Harry collapsed and fell to the floor, dragging Hermione with him. He could see her panic first, just as he would have expected a girl her age to react. Then her face changed to show determination, much more than he could think such a young girl could muster. Before he even reached the couple, Hermione had already run her hands around the boy, checking for wounds or bruises, finding nothing except bleeding from Harry's famous scar. He should have recognized that bleeding as a sign, yet he had failed again. Albus wondered if his age was starting to affect his judgment.

Thinking of it now, especially with Harry's confirmation of the scream, it was almost too evident: Voldemort, as he had always suspected, had created some Horcruxes and Harry had been inadvertently one of them. Well, no more. The bond, based on love, had banished that piece of Voldemort soul which had been anchored in the scar since that fateful night. Voldemort couldn't stand love, yet Harry was flooded with love now. There should be a way to harness that love for getting rid of Voldemort once and for all.

'Yet I should first find and destroy any additional Horcruxes. If any remains – the dark lord will eventually return, no matter who kills him. I should make it my highest priority,' Albus thought. He took a parchment out of his drawer and wrote a reminder for himself, just to be on the safe side.

Thinking of what should be done brought his thoughts back to Harry. 'According to the prophecy, which should still be kept secret, he is the only one capable of finishing the dark lord for good. Yet the boy will need a lot of training. He will need a competent DADA professor,' unlike the previous two, who showed that the old headmaster was no longer in full control of his school. 'How could I be so stupid and choose any of them?' he thought.

He mentally went over a list of all the candidates he could think of for the job. One person stood apart. He was talented, smart and serious. He had proved his worth more than once. Yet there was a problem with him. Albus hoped he could persuade the governors to accept that man.

His thoughts returned to Harry and Hermione. 'I hope they become comfortable with each other.' He wasn't sure how long they may need to stay in constant physical contact. He hoped they would not need it by the end of the summer vacation. It would be difficult to hide their special relations if they were holding hands the whole time, although, after being separated for so long due to Hermione's petrification, it might not look too out of place.

That reminded him of the coming summer vacation. The new couple needed to stay together, no doubt of it. That ruled the Dursleys out. No matter how important he deemed the wards, the Dursleys would not accept another "freak" into their house and certainly not let a girl sleep with Harry, no matter how innocent it was. That only left the Grangers.

He sighed. They didn't know even of their daughter's petrification yet. Minerva had informed them that Hermione's hands were paralyzed due to some magical illness but she would be fine before the vacation. This was close enough to the truth but less worrisome. Now he had to tell them that their thirteen years old daughter was actually married and that they had to let her sleep with her husband. He wasn't sure he was up to the task. 'How would I have reacted had I been in their position?" he wondered.

A knock on the door brought him out of his reveries. "Ah, Minerva. Do come in!"

She also looked tired, but still fierce. "Albus, what are you going to do about the Potters' vacation?"

"It would be best if they could spend at least some of it with the Dursleys..."

"Albus! You know that cannot be allowed. You should have not left him there in the first place, as I've told you repeatedly, and you are NOT going to place Mrs. Potter in that hell-house!"

"I still believe he would benefit the protection..."

Another freezing glance stopped him in mid sentence.

"Well, that was only wishful thinking. As they're emancipated now, I'm not even sure that the blood wards are of use anymore. Will you be so kind to inform the Grangers that their daughter is bringing a friend to stay with her during the vacation? I'll visit them soon after the kids arrive to make them understand all the implications."

She looked at him as if judging his true intentions before agreeing reluctantly. "I'll send it in the morning. No need to bother them late in the night."

"Of course, Minerva. Have you placed the others in private rooms as well?"

"I did. Some complained, though. They wanted to be with their friends."

"Oh, well. At least the Potters will not be singled out."

Minerva looked skeptic. "Does it really matter? Everybody saw that golden haze and heard the scream. Their bond is registered with the ministry. It's just a matter of days, at most, before everybody knows."

Albus frowned. He knew she was right although he wished she wasn't. As much as he hoped to protect the young couple, to let the two get gradually accustomed to their new situation, that would not be possible, so it seemed. "Were the Potters satisfied with their room?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Mrs. Potter was glad to see the book on different kinds of bonds waiting on the table."

"I don't think it would be wise to call her by that name. We should make sure she is called Ms. Granger for the time being."

Minerva smiled sadly at Albus's efforts to protect the youngsters. She was sure it was in vain.

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