Chapter 8

PLANTS, PERILS, & PROBLEMS

Albus left Defense Against the Dark Arts still worried about Professor Grindle. However, his next class was with Neville Longbottom. Professor Longbottom always came to the Potter household. Albus loved it. Although, he was sometimes bored because Neville loved to talk about plants. James was always interested in anything academic, and listened attentively. Albus, however, was bored out of his mind. When Albus reached Greenhouse Three, he could smell freshly mowed grass and lilacs.

"All right. Today we're going to be talking about Mimbletonia. It's one of my favorites."

Albus began to stare out the window. His eyes were weary and he suddenly began to dream. He found himself running from Professor Grindle trapped in a room full of Bertie Botts Beans. He then felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Albus woke up. He looked around the classroom. Rose looked very irritated with him.

"Mr. Potter, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't take a nap in my class."

Albus looked at Professor Longbottom. His heart was pounding. He had never gotten in trouble at school before.

"Since you know everything about plants, perhaps you can tell me about Mimbletonia."

Albus looked blank. He had no idea what to say.

"It's a plant," he said foolishly.

Everyone laughed. One small Ravenclaw girl laughed the loudest. Professor Longbottom rubbed his eyes. He pointed a finger toward Albus and told him to step out in the hall. Albus followed the professor outside. When they reached the hallway, with the wave of a wand, Professor Longbottom shut the door.

"Albus, your father never liked Herbology either, but he never talked back to the teacher. "

Albus looked at him. "I didn't talk back," he thought. He didn't say this out loud because he knew it would make matters worse.

"You have big shoes to fill. Your brother has been doing great, and you –"

Albus couldn't take it any longer. His temper was boiling, and his face was red with anger.

"Maybe I don't want to be like my brother! Maybe I want to be different!"

Neville looked shocked, but he wasn't infuriated. His voice was gentle when he spoke.

"Go to the lavatory to cool off. Come back to class when you're ready.

Albus stomped away. His feet pounded against the marble floor. He marched down the hallway. Finally, he reached the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face. Suddenly a voice echoed through the room.

"Albus."

Albus looked around. The voice chilled him to the bone. It was cold and eerie.

"Hello?" Albus called but no one answered. No one in sight. No one. Just the cold, eerie, and bitter silence. Albus knew of bathrooms having ghosts. But the un-known voice that called to him sounded nothing like a ghost. It sounded closer… Nearer to him. Reaching out to him. As if for help. The wind whistled through the bathroom window above.

The sound of rushing water could be heard as the toilets flushed themselves. The sounds of the bathroom seemed normal. Seemed to be perfectly fine. Albus looked from one end of the loo to the other. He was alone. Or was he really? Albus made for the door when a slight moan echoed behind him. Albus turned and saw nothing. Heard nothing. Nothing but the water dripping from the faucets in front of him.

Gazing around the bathroom in an estate of fear it hit him. Like a flash of white before his very eyes. He saw his father on the ground reaching for a wand. His father drew closer to it. Albus backed up into the wall covering his ears. His vision blurry with only his father insight. As quick as the eerie vision happened it faded away. Before leaving his eyesight, he saw it. The face of pure evil. The face of death. The face that killed many.

The evil horrible dead white skin that haunts his father's memory. The face that suddenly scared Albus as he stood up and ran from the bathroom. The expression began to haunt Albus's every turn. He saw it just about everywhere his eyes turned. He wiped his eyes wishing the face would go away. But this face would never. Never go away. The face shown itself again. It has returned. Lord Voldemort has returned. Albus closed his eyes and kept running.

His running ceased as he bumped into something and hit the floor. Albus began to see a montage of three of the same person looking down upon him. He didn't realize who it was until the three people came together. He stared down upon him with a stern look.

"Professor…Professor Grindle…" Albus said trembling and getting to his feet.

"I was… I…I Albus stammered.

"Not paying attention to where you were going were you Potter. You did look in a state of shock. Tell me Potter… What were you running from?" Professor Grindle said towering above him.

"I…I was…" Albus paused in his sentence. He didn't really know. He didn't have any idea what he heard. Or what he saw. He knew one thing was for certain. Either the world was in danger from a ghost. Or the world was in danger due to himself.

"Get to class Potter." Grindle said moving around Albus.

Albus watched as this man. This sick man full of poison candy disappeared behind the corridor. Albus walked silently back to Herbology. Not talking to anyone not even to his own family about what he heard. And what he saw. He tried to push it from his memory; however this was hard to do. As Albus slept each night the vision would return. The horror of the face would stain his eyelids. Albus would toss and turn in the red velvet blankets but even knowing that his brother lay asleep in the bed across from him and Hugo on the other side. Nothing would make the fear go away. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing he tried relieved him of his dread. Nothing, not even the holidays coming up would relieve this thought-provoking hallucination that troubled Albus's open mind.