Author's Note: This really was a rather interesting chapter to think about. All I had in mind was the giving of a certain gift and the interactions between two characters. I cannot say much more on the matter, however, I hope you enjoy this one.
Chapter 7: Dumbledore.
"Jelly Babies", Remus uttered the password, Hagrid had told him he must say 'Jelly Babies' to gain entrance to Dumbledore's office. The stone Gargoyle sprung to life, clearing the way to Dumbledore's office by revealing a spiral staircase.
Remus ascended the spiralling staircase and felt his fears clawing against the edges of his mind. He did not wish to imagine what Dumbledore wanted to say, for - every time he did - he was left with the sinking feeling that it would not end well.
The headmaster's office was a large, circular room, surrounded by sky-high book cases, containing the most impressive collection of magical books Remus had ever laid his eyes upon and - he imagined - even the school library would not hold books half as interesting as the titles collected here (many of which were published in languages Remus could not comprehend).
Portraits hung upon the wall (not unlike the ones scattered around the rest of the castle), however, many of the inhabitants seemed to have vacated their paintings.
Remus noted that there were many strange and alluring silvery instruments, that seemed to function of their own accord, emitting puffs of smoke as they did so.
Though, Remus' interest in all of these fascinating objects paled as he was drawn towards the headmaster's desk: a beautiful bird was perched peacefully, eyeing Remus with such curiosity; drawing him closer. He reached out a hand to gently pet the bird but it leaned into his embrace and cried. Remus panicked, 'he had made the beautiful bird cry. What could he do? Dumbledore would most likely be rather angry that he had upset his bird'. The bird's tears were oddly soothing and Remus soon felt his anxieties over the situation wane in comparison to the calm that was washing over him.
"Hello, I see you have met Fawkes".
"Sir, I am sincerely sorry, I... I made him cry... I do not know what I have done wrong, but, I really... I am sorry! I would never...".
"Do not worry yourself, you have done nothing wrong"', Dumbledore was observing Remus' panicked apologies with a slightly amused expression, his kind, bright blue eyes calmly watched Remus from behind the half-moon spectacles that rested upon his slightly crooked nose.
"But I..".
"A Phoenix cries to cure the pain of others, he must sense a great pain within you and wish nothing but to heal it. Rest assured, you have done nothing wrong", at this Dumbledore smiled kindly, with such reassuring sincerity that Remus could not help but feel at ease.
Taking a seat in his chair he sat gracefully and continued:
"I imagine you can guess why I have brought you here. It is not safe for you to be discovered, and I would discourage you from informing anyone, and I mean anyone, of your lycanthropy. I am aware of your secret, as is every staff member, however they are sworn to secrecy on the matter".
"Every month you will leave the grounds and visit an abandoned house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. To access this house you will enter the secret passage way, located under the whomping willow that was planted during the summer. You will be brought there by a member of staff; they will leave you, not returning until the morning. You must not tell anyone; I cannot stress this enough".
"Sir, I will not let you down", Remus felt petrified at the thought of being alone in an abandoned house but, he knew, it was necessary. He certainly did not intend on revealing his darkest secret to anyone, no matter what.
"I have one more thing I wish to give you before we go our separate ways. I am sure it will be of use to you", Dumbledore handed the strange telescope-like object to Remus.
Examining the object -as if it were made of glass- Remus asked, "Sorry Sir, what is this?".
Dumbledore chuckled quietly but without spite, "I seemed to have overlooked a rather important piece of information: this is a Lunascope. You can look into it and see the Moon's current phase. It is certainly more simple than using a moon chart, and - arguably - more accurate".
"Thank you, Sir, I am grateful that you were kind enough to give me such a gift, and I am forever grateful that you have allowed me to attend your school. I will not let you down", Remus smiled and felt any fears he had slid away, there was nothing to fear about Dumbledore. He was the kindest man Remus had ever met, and he could see goodness in anyone, 'even someone like me'.
Remus descended the spiralling staircase and reflected, 'I hope to be like Dumbledore when I am old, I wish to see the good in anyone, give anyone a chance, be the one who's kindness extends to those that the kindness of others does not'.
He reflected further as he made his way towards Gryffindor tower (led by Professor McGonagall, who had not spoken to him) and that was when he had realised, 'when I am older, I would like to be a teacher, so I may teach others the kindness Dumbledore has taught to me on this day'.
Author's Note: I have always thought that Remus' admiration for Dumbledore would have been apparent from their very first meeting, because of the kindness he was shown by him.
I love Fawkes and I always wondered where he went when Dumbledore died. I would love to have a pet phoenix. I would also love to have a lunascope as I am fascinated by the moon and the influence it has over our planet.
Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated and what you say truly influences the story, it is yours -as a reader- just as much as it is mine -as a writer. I hope to see you again soon.