DISCLAIMER: ALL HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and the respective publishing companies. I do own Jenn Parksen, Lori Wilson, and Monica Sinclair as well this twisted version of the plot. This is, of course, a simple Fan-Fiction that I have written in order to retain some semblance of sanity and dignity.

Chapter 21: Accepting Limitations

After a hushed conversation with Moody, Dumbledore headed over to Jenn to speak with her. Jenn heard him walking towards her, and tried to ignore him politely until she felt he was close enough for a normal person to hear him. Sitting up she looked in the general direction of the footsteps and smiled slightly. While she listened to the footsteps move closer she could distinguish a difference in the way the footsteps sounded from the way Moody's had sounded earlier. And the footsteps were decidedly heavier than Madam Pomfrey's, so Jenn suspected that it was Dumbledore who was approaching her.

"Ms. Parksen," Dumbledore spoke softly as he neared her.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir," Jenn replied respectfully as she smiled to herself at guessing correctly who it was that approached her.

"How are you holding up?" Dumbledore asked while he studied her over his glasses.

"Doing okay, sir, but it is a little lonely here without the others," Jenn replied.

"Of course," Dumbledore said absently. He considered her for a moment before he continued. "I would like to take you to them now. I don't want to take any risks with your safety while you are here alone."

"Oh," Jenn mumbled. She suspected that Dumbledore didn't want her to over hear anything Peter might say. She had heard Moody mention using a Truth Serum on Pettigrew when he awoke. Jenn almost wished she could stay long enough to hear what they might ask him and what his answers would be.

Dumbledore leaned closer until he was only inches from her left ear before he spoke softly so that only she could hear. "I will be taking you to the old unused Potions classroom on the fifth floor of the castle." Dumbledore leaned back and asked louder. "Did you get all of that?"

Jenn nodded for she had heard him with crystal clearness and would have even if he had not leaned so close.

"Good," Dumbledore replied as he pushed himself up from the chair. "I will be back to collect you once you have eaten."

"Thank you, sir," Jenn said softly as Dumbledore patted her shoulder and moved back over to where Moody stood near Pettigrew.

Five minutes later she heard Madam Pomfrey step away from Dumbledore and head to her office. When she stepped back out Jenn could hear the rattling of the tray she carried. Sitting up Jenn tried to appear as if she was just trying to get comfortable, instead of anticipating her food.

"Here you are Miss Parksen; I brought you a couple of sandwiches and some pumpkin juice for lunch," Madam Pomfrey announced as she set up a tray over Jenn's lap.

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Jenn murmured politely as she settled a pillow behind her.

"You're welcome, dear," Madam Pomfrey replied as she moved away.

Jenn sat there nervously contemplating her meal for a few moments without making a move to touch any of it. Over the past two weeks she had always had one of the others there beside her to tell her where everything was sitting on her tray. Jenn didn't want to knock everything over like that night when she had tried to run away. She knew the adults were still in the room and she had no desire to humiliate herself in front of them by making a huge mess of her lunch, herself, and the bed. To buy a few minutes of time Jenn pretended to fix her pillow a second time before sitting back again.

Moody had watched Jenn during her conversation with Dumbledore and continued to do so now as she prepared to take her lunch. Kingsley was settling down to watch the sleeping Peter and Dumbledore had asked Moody to dine with him for lunch but Moody had not answered him yet. He was busy watching Jenn's face as she fidgeted about in her bed and seemingly ignored her food. He knew that in the past the other students had always been there with her and he wondered how much guidance they offered to her when it came to functioning in so simple a task as finding her silverware, her cup, or the plate.

"Alastor?" Dumbledore prompted a second time pulling Moody out of his thoughts. "Will you join me?"

Moody frowned and considered. Normally he would never have hesitated accepting the invitation but something held him back this time. "Maybe for supper Albus, I think I will remain here for the time being. Poppy, is there anyway I could talk you out of a couple of sandwiches?"

"Very well Alastor. I will see you this evening then" Dumbledore replied good-naturedly through the slight surprise he felt at his friend declining the invitation before he turned and exited the hospital room.

Madam Pomfrey gladly went to collect Moody a tray from her office as Moody made his way over to where Jenn sat with her hands in her lap.

"Sir?" Jenn asked as she looked up in his direction nervously when she realized that he was heading in her direction.

"I thought you might like some company for lunch," Moody replied softly. "It must be very lonely without those noisy friends of yours around. That is, if you don't mind a grouchy old man for company."

"I don't mind, sir," Jenn replied with a smile.

"Perfect. And why don't you call me Alastor. I get tired of hearing people call me, sir," Moody said gruffly. "I may look old but that doesn't mean I like being reminded of my age."

"Of course sir, I mean, Alastor," Jenn returned with a brilliant smile in his direction. "But only if you call me Jenn, all my friends do."

"Deal," Moody responded with a small laugh.

Madam Pomfrey walked up a moment later and set Moody's tray on the small table beside the bed and headed back to her office to finish writing out her request for supplies. Moody began at once poking around at the sandwich as if checking for poison. Once he was satisfied he lifted it to his mouth and took a large bite. As he chewed he watched Jenn fidget nervously again as she faced her own tray. Moody swallowed what was in his mouth and addressed her once more.

"Aren't you hungry?"

Jenn paled at his question but nodded in response. She tried to listen to what was going on in Kingsley's direction for some clue as to what he was doing but gave up when she heard nothing more then Peter breathing in his sleep. She heard Moody take another bite and pull his personal flask from his cloak while she tried to think of a way to tell him what was wrong without seeming to be weak. Finally she decided to tell him the truth straight out, knowing somehow that he would not laugh at her.

"I don't know where everything is on the plate. Madam Pomfrey moves everything all the time and I don't want to spill everything. Sirius and Lily always gave me little hints to help me place everything on the tray."

"Ah, I think I understand now. With all of us adults hovering about the room you were afraid that you would embarrass yourself in front of us. We would not have laughed, you know. And if you move your right had to the left just a bit, you will find your drink placed near the edge of the tray at the top," Moody replied after he took a drink out of his flask.

"It's not just the embarrassment that would have bothered me. I didn't want anyone to pity me, it would have made me feel worse then I do already. Lily knew that from being my friend for years and Sirius only wants to help me. And thank you," Jenn replied as she slid her hand slowly up the surface of the tray and moved it towards the left until she touched the glass.

"I know how you feel. When I first lost my eye I felt something similar. I could still see but not as well as before. Then when I got my magical eye, people looked at me funny. I know everyone calls me Mad-Eye behind my back but it no longer bothers me and i find that it intimidates people which helps in my line of work."

Jenn nodded as she used her left hand to help her place her glass back on the tray close to where she got it from. Next she dragged both hands along the tray until she encountered her plate and managed to pick up one sandwich without it falling apart on her.

As she relaxed and spoke with Moody while she ate, she found herself relaxing enough to ask Moody about what it was like being an Auror. He willingly told of her several battles he had faced, the types of spells he had been up against, and how important it was to be always aware of what was going on around you. His personal motto was constant vigilance and he stressed this several times during the conversation. Jenn drank in every word as she ate her meal and questioned the veteran Auror.

When she had finished eating she asked about the years of training that witches and wizards were required to undergo before becoming an Auror. The extent of the training was mind boggling and the number of accidents that happened frightening when compared to some of the easier wizarding jobs available. Moody and Jenn were still talking freely about Auror training when Dumbledore returned to collect her. Jenn was sorry to end their conversation and wished that Moody could come with her but reluctantly said her goodbyes as Dumbledore handed her a special cane that she could use to help her find her way around.

Madam Pomfrey came out and whisked away the lunch trays as Jenn pushed it out of her way and swung her feet over the side of the bed. With the cane in her left hand she pushed herself up and stood for several seconds while she adjusted to the change in position. Dumbledore offered her an arm and slowly he led her out of the hospital.

"Everything okay, Ms. Parksen?" Dumbledore asked as they moved towards the stairway. When she nodded Dumbledore spoke up again. "Wonderful. Now I want you to use that cane as if it were part of your hand. Tap it out in front of you in an arch."

Jenn did as she was instructed and was surprised to hear a small buzzing voice telling her that the way was all clear. As she tapped about she knocked a suit of armor and was told that there was an obstacle two feet to her left.

"It talks!" Jenn exclaimed as she stepped around the armor and continued on her way.

"Does it?" Dumbledore inquired. "I didn't know it could do that but then it never spoke to me. It used to hum to me though, sounded like music that got louder when it touched something other that the floor."

Jenn smiled and continued to tap the cane out in front of her. She had almost panicked when Dumbledore said he didn't know it spoke until he mentioned the humming. She gave a mental sigh when it didn't seem as if he suspected how well her hearing had improved; not that she didn't trust the venerable old headmaster – she was just hesitant to share that kind of information in light of everything that had happened so far this year.

When they reached the stairs Jenn held back nervously as she wasn't sure she would be able to climb them without tripping. Dumbledore patiently waited for her to relax before he encouraged her to try moving up them. This time he told her to change her hold on the cane, so that she was holding it like a hiker using a walking stick to climb a steep hill, and held her hand while he showed her how to test the stairs in front of her.

Slowly she began moving up the staircase, one hand on the rail and the other using the cane as Dumbledore climbed up behind her with a hand on her one elbow for support in case she should lose her balance. Little by little they worked their way up several flights of stairs this way. When they reached the fifth floor, Dumbledore turned her so she faced the right direction and they moved off towards the classroom where the others were waiting. Left, then right and left again, Jenn memorized the turns until Dumbledore came to a stop in front of what appeared to be a solid wall.

"Now, I would like you to reach out and tap the wall in front of you with the cane." Dumbledore instructed as he stood next to her.

Jenn did as he asked and heard the cane reply 'no door' and 'wall' with each tap. When she lowered the cane to the floor Dumbledore told her to think about what he had said earlier in the hospital before she had eaten her lunch. Jenn concentrated and recalled that he had told her she was to be staying in an old unused classroom on the fifth floor.

"Now try tapping the wall again," Dumbledore said quietly.

For the second time Jenn tapped the wall and heard the cane call out 'no door' and 'wall' for the second time. "Nothing, sir, just the wall."

Dumbledore frowned slightly and then asked her if she was thinking of the words he had told her exactly as he had said them to her. Jenn frowned for a minute while she considered again the words he had whispered earlier and realized that she hadn't thought of them exactly as he had said them. Smiling at her mistake she concentrated once again, saying the words in her mind; an old unused Potions classroom on the fifth floor of the castle. This time when she tapped the wall the cane spoke a single word: 'door'.

Grinning she reached forward and opened the door to the old classroom.

AN: Only two more chapters left and this portion of the series will be complete. It's been an uphill battle all year trying to get this done and I for one am happy to be nearly finished. I'm hoping to get the final two chapters up before the end of the month or at least by the end of the first week of next month. Keep your fingers crossed and pray the muses don't go hunting the plot bunnies again. lol - Jenn