Chapter Ten
Arrangements were made to hold the funeral at Hogwarts. Harry wished for the days when he could stand on the ladder in his office and dust books. Dignitaries from various parts of the world were scheduled to arrive. It was already November and his priorities included making sure that the students and his staff weren't neglected. He was staying in touch with Hermione who shouldered the brunt of the public work. The Daily Prophet had just literally landed on his desk tied to an owl and Dumbledore was the Headline. Harry's name popped up somewhere on the first page; explaining that the famous Boy-Who-Lived-Slayer of the Dark Lord, World Cup Quidditch Seeker, and Auror was now Headmaster at Hogwarts. Something that had been repeated many times ad nauseum.
He was sitting in his office reading it when McGonagall knocked and stuck her head in.
"Harry, the delegation from the Netherlands is here. Would you like me to take care of them?" He stared at her and wiped his hand over his face. "No, no," he said. "Make sure they have some tea and sit with them for a bit. I'll be down in a moment." He stopped and looked at the paper again, "Minerva?" he said somewhat louder.
"Yes?" Her head came back through the door.
"These people were all invited to the general reception weren't they? Why are they showing up individually?" he asked in frustration. He was standing and straightening his desk. Owls were delivering mail throughout the day and even into the evening hours and it was piled on every empty space.
"I don't know Harry, but the Minister will be arriving in a half hour along with the Wizengamot. Will you meet with her, then?"
"Yes," Harry nodded, "Hermione, I can take. Besides she'll run the show and I can sit back for a change. How's everything going, everyone doing alright?" He knew that she understood his question. He had left a great deal of work in running the school up to her. He also knew that she, along with a few of the other staff, Hagrid most notably, were all suffering grief for a lost friend.
Harry spent the better part of the previous day with Hagrid in his hut, while the half-giant cried piteously. Harry felt he was exceptionally poor at soothing and consoling the grieving man, especially since he knew that Dumbledore was not really dead.
"Harry." Minerva was standing in front of him. He was so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't realized she'd entered the office. "This must be very hard on you and I want to say you're doing a remarkable job of it. Some of the staff have offered to meet with these people and talk to them. I think you should let them and take some time to rest. We have one more day until the funeral and after that they'll all go home. But you'll fall on your face with exhaustion unless you delegate some of this."
He nodded and touched his written schedule. Although he knew he wasn't exhausted from grief, he still had to act the part. Until Dumbledore, now Nicholas Broadmoore, showed up to explain himself, they were all going to have to act normally. "I'd have to say the same for you, Minerva. You two were old friends going way back. This must be terribly hard on you. I wish I could relieve you of some of these duties, too."
"You know Harry when you get to my age, death almost becomes an attraction. I'm sad, yes," she sighed deeply, "but I do have a lifetime of memories. I think they'll do until it's my time. Until then let's get on with the work, let's get him in the ground and get the school back to normal."
"I agree," Harry said looking at her and then suddenly asked, "Minerva, just how long were you and Dumbledore here at Hogwarts together?"
"My goodness Harry, that's a question for a long dark winter's night. The short of it is I've been here for almost sixty-five years."
"And Dumbledore was here when you came?" Harry asked.
"Yes, he was teaching then," she nodded. "I was all of a girl of twenty and he was very kind to me. I didn't have the faintest idea how to handle children."
Harry smiled. "That's hard to believe. You know the hardest thing I've found to do on this job is to call you, Minerva instead of Professor. The moment I laid eyes on you I thought you were a pretty formidable person."
"Eleven year olds are so easy to intimidate," she laughed slightly. "Go on now, the delegates from the Netherlands will be in the visitors room."
Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm going down now. Will you have someone meet Hermione and the Wizengamot, since you'll be in class, and then have them notify me immediately." He was walking to the stairs with her and talking as they went. " We have to make sure some of the members of the Order have front row seats and without making it too plain- the Weasleys- and some of the others that have worked with Albus for years. By the way, have you had any problems with our two boys recently?"
She stepped onto the moving staircase. "None at all, thank goodness. Daniel is back with the Weasley twins and Connor seems to pick a friend a day. However, I haven't caught him at anything yet."
"Well, I'm sure you will. I trust you to know what's happening; you always did with us," he chuckled. He sobered when they stepped into the hall. "Make sure someone is looking out for Hagrid and keep him out of the pub for the next few days. Uhm, I also want to see Severus sometime today. Oh, never mind I'll stop by his quarters this evening. Do you know how he's doing?"
They walked down the hall and students crowded past them.
"Professor Potter, you need to come!" Hufflepuff Seeker Joel Nightingale was running towards them.
"Slow down Mr. Nightingale, what is it?"
"Your wife is at the front gate with Professor Pullard," he said, turning and hurrying away from them, saying over his shoulder, "They are about to have a fight."
Harry hurried after. It was snowing and he felt his shoes and the bottom of his robes getting soaked as he kicked his way through drifts. Students were gathering at the door and stopping on their way from the greenhouses. Harry came upon the crowd. Nadya was standing at the gate without a cloak or wrap and Sadie Pullard was standing away from her, backing up and talking gently. It was obvious that Nadya was angry and Sadie was trying to appease her. Several dozen students were standing around watching.
McGonagall started pushing students towards the school as they walked down the path.
Severus was coming from another direction and people were apparating at the front gate; mainly, the Minister of Magic and the entire Wizengamot.
"Nadya, what is the problem?" Harry asked in Romani. She ignored him and continued shouting and gesturing wildly. "Stop, stop shouting!" he said curtly in her language.
"Harry, this woman!" she said, gesticulating wildly at Sadie Pullard. "I see her stealing my Yanel. She cannot have him!"
Severus joined them and ended up standing by Sadie without realizing that he'd made the choice. Nadya grew more virulent, "See, she has colored the mind of all of you, even my dat! Where is my Yanel, bring him to me!" Harry was holding her but she was fighting and pointing her finger at the woman. Severus was trying to back Pullard away from the crowd while Sadie was saying soft words in Romani, "Nadya, I would not take Yanel from you. He is safe here, you need to calm down."
Harry was looking over Nadya's head and saw Hermione walking towards them taking in the situation. She said something to the other members of the group and walked slowly over to Nadya. She pulled her from Harry's restraining arms and looked into Nadya's face. "Harry, I'm going to take Nadya home and you need to find Daniel right now and bring him to her." She said it in English and then turned to Nadya and spoke in Romani. "Harry is bringing Yanel to you. You must stop now and come with me."
Nadya looked into her face and calmed immediately, although her face still registered rage. The two turned and started walking through the snow. Hermione had taken off her cloak and wrapped it around the pregnant woman. Harry stood with his mouth open until he heard Severus speak to him.
"Harry."
"What?!" Harry shouted in exasperation. He turned to find Daniel standing looking at him, his face was as white as the snow that was falling around them. Students and the entire Wizengamot were still gathered around watching them.
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They walked quickly and Daniel finally spoke, "What's wrong with mother?"
"I don't know, Yanel," Harry said. He was thinking of his wife and her outburst, the embarrassment of his son, even his own, that was overshadowed mostly by his concern.
They stepped into the small house. It was comfortably furnished and warmed with a fire that was burning in the fireplace.
"Yanel!" Nadya was on her feet and looking at him. "What has this woman done to you? Tell your father!" She looked over at Harry.
Daniel looked into his mother's face and that of the woman he knew so well, Hermione Weasley. His father's hands dropped on his shoulders from behind. He knew that telling the truth, but not all of it would not really be telling a lie. He looked back at his mother. "She's done nothing mother. She just teaches me."
Nadya stared at him and then shook her head and turned away shaking in anger.
"Hermione, I'm going to stay here and make sure she rests," Harry said in English.
"Daniel you go back to the School with Hermione. I'll be there until late tonight if you need to come and talk to me."
"Do you want me to send for Jolie or someone?" Hermione asked with concern.
"No, she's alright," Harry said staring at Nadya's back. They left and Harry went to Nadya. "Tell me what this is about Nadya, you're scaring me."
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Harry walked through the entrance much later in the evening. He headed towards the door that led to the dungeons and towards Snape's quarters. He trusted Nadya and knew that if she were worried about Sadie Pullard then he needed to be, too. Severus had been around the woman more than anyone and would probably know something.
A voice caught him just as he was about to take the steps down into the dungeon corridor.
"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore stepped from the shadows. "Do you have time to talk?"
"Hello, Albus," Harry said, sighing.
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Severus stepped into his familiar quarters without lighting a lamp. The day was long and besides his teaching duties he had stepped in to sit with Hermione and the Wizengamot as they viewed the body of Albus Dumbledore. He later met the delegation from Durmstrang who had been the most difficult to deal with. Draco Malfoy had been their headmaster for several years before disappearing into the dark world to work with his father, Lucius Malfoy. The school officials didn't want to attend Dumbledore's funeral, but knew it was in their best interest to put on a show of goodwill.
Severus watched the outpouring of grief for his old headmaster and felt the stirrings of his own grief, even though he knew that the man was alive. He knew that there was anger there as well. He'd been a true and trusted friend, had worked for the man, put his life at risk many times and never, ever considered that Albus had not told him everything.
He thought of the scene he'd come upon when a student ran past him for the entrance. He followed, angry at the misbehavior. Then he saw her. The tiny woman with the wild flowing black hair, the wind blowing her skirt against her belly so that her pregnancy could be seen. He was rushing towards her when he saw Harry step out of the crowd. He was just in time to see who Nadya was screaming at and in turn Sadie Pullard was trying to sooth Nadya. He finally pulled Sadie back and they walked to the castle together. She was coaxing students back to their classrooms, while he stood in the entrance hall and turned a tight circle glaring at students as they rushed by.
Severus thought about the scene as he hung his cloak. A quick drink and then I'll go find Harry, he thought. He heard a low guttural growl in the dark and the yellow eyes seemed to have a preternatural glow to them. In one breath, the panther sprang, it's full body weight was on him, pushing him back onto the carpet. Fangs grabbed his throat and roughly shook him without puncturing. He gasped and then laughed in the dark. A woman body was suddenly pinning him to the floor, writhing like an animal, lips pressing against his.
"Sadie, you bad girl," he said and chuckled. Her intoxicating perfume hung in the air. It was like stepping into a garden. He forgot the day and reached for her, pressing his lips hungrily to hers.
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In the darkness of the hallway Connor Price, also known as Jack Black stood and watched Potter meet the man. He heard the name 'Albus' spoken. He slipped up the stairs and headed for the owlery.
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Daniel lay in the dark, his eyes open. He was thinking of his mother and knew that she had the gift of Sight, knew that she might have seen him with Professor Pullard. He'd gone to Professor Pullard's classroom every night. He watched as she showed him the most amazing things and taught him about his senses. He remembered Jonas, his Adept Senseve and the days of studying under him. He'd been cruel to him, making him question his abilities and intelligence. It was completely different with Sadie Pullard.
She began by showing him how to transform into an animagi. He was practicing the concentration it took even as he lay looking at the canopy over his four poster. He listened as the other boys in the room softly snored and tossed in their beds. He pictured the animal he was transforming into and felt his muscles beginning to rearrange themselves, then his bone structure. It isn't painful, he decided, not the way it was for another friend of his, Remus Lupin who had been a werewolf at one time. That's what had given him the idea in the first place.
He watched as his hand elongated into a paw covered with black hair. He felt the teeth beginning to touch his lower lip and his nose stretch out before his face. Then he pulled it back. He still had the sense of smell and hearing and knew when Connor Price slipped in the door and into his bed. He even had a strange hunger in his belly as he smelled the blood rushing through the boy's veins.