Harry and Tonks: a love story chapter 37
New chapter's here and I hope you enjoy. Please, if you have time visit my revamped profile page – got some more work to do, but it looks a LOT better!
Sorry for the long update: lovely Spanish assessment and also the fact that I have just started a Morganville Vampires fanfic, so been obsessed with that: if any of you like Morganville, will you please check out 'The Scientist And His Assistant'? Anyway, onto the chapter!
We walk on upto the castle, action everywhere with it being the afternoon: students lounging on the rolling green hills, some flying (that'll be Slytherins) and some just doing homework. Just now, I see Umbridge being dragged out of the main doors, screaming "I AM THE HOGWARTS HIGH INQUISITOR, CORNELIUS WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS!" but then Fudge walks in front of her, and she stops in her tracks.
"Dolores, I have realised I have made a grave mistake interfering with Hogwarts when Albus is completely adequate to do this, and also the level of belief you had that You-Know-Who hadn't returned influenced me. Therefore, I have to let you go from both your post at the Ministry and also here, at Hogwarts. All your rulings are to be reversed and for you to apologise to both Potter and Dumbledore, prior to your departure to Azkaban for setting Dementors on Potter, as well as the medieval punishments you used," he says, and I feel a stab of anger at him for putting all the blame on her, when in fact he was just as bad.
"I will never apologise – so just take me there and get it over with," Umbridge yells – we're not too far away now, but I can barely see her because of the huge circle of cheering students encircling her: yet I still hear her – does that say something about how loud she is?
With a nod from Fudge, two unnamed Ministry officials (who didn't fight with us but I'm pretty sure turned up with Fudge) clench her arms extremely tightly before frog marching her through the students, which include the DA – I see Fred and George setting off fireworks to follow and annoy her, which pleases me not just because they annoy her, but because it may mean the DA are getting to grips with the events that occurred.
"Harry, I need to talk to you before I return to talk to Cornelius so could we please move quickly past him incase he tries to corner me now?" Dumbledore requests, still holding my arm and I nod so we pretty much run (at the lethargic pace I can barely muster up) up the steps and into the Entrance Hall, before going up the marble staircase to the 2nd floor where his office is. We enter the office, and I sit down in the gilded chair where I sat only days before. Dumbledore sits behind his desk, and places his hands firmly together, elbows on the desk, before placing his forehead upon the forefingers.
"What's wrong professor?" I inquire, wondering why he wanted to talk to me.
"What's wrong Harry is that not only are two of my students critically injured, but I have some extremely awful and devastating news I need to inform you of, that I ought to have told you when you first joined the school, seven years ago, although in my defence I felt you were too young," he groans.
I'm really confused: I mean what could be that bad that he should have told me years ago, but felt I was too young? I mean, it can't be…
"Professor," I say, with a real sense of urgency, "Please tell me that I am not related to Snape!"
He chuckle softly, and looks me in the eye, before saying:
"No Harry, you are not related to Professor Snape, although he is a major part of the story."
What news can be good if Snape is involved in it? Therefore, that means the news is not good news, like that there is a secret part of my family waiting to adopt me!
"Harry, I am going to say this now, and I understand you will be very mad, you may even want to destroy anything in this office – I will not stop you – but please, do not interrupt me whilst I am talking," he requests and I nod in agreeance.
"16 years ago, I interviewed Professor Trelawney for the position of Divination teacher and she got a real premonition – like the one in your 3rd year. She said that someone who would defeat Voldemort would be born at the end of July, to parents who have thrice defied him, and would be extremely powerful. She had only just got to here, when I heard someone outside, and there was Severus Snape, sent by Voldemort to spy on our meeting. He heard up to this point before he fled back to Voldemort," he says, pausing for air and rage boils up inside of me.
It was Snape who sentenced my parents to death? And he lets him teach here?
"Ahah, Harry I remember saying do not talk please," Dumbledore gently reminds me, and I vent my frustration into throwing a silver machine across the room – he does not move an inch.
"However, he didn't hear the last part: that this one will stop Voldemort – or he this person – and both cannot live: one will kill the other. This is why I have kept Professor Trelawney here, to keep her out of harms way of the Death Eaters. Please Harry, forgive me for not telling you that you and only you can defeat Voldemort – I honestly thought you have been too young up to now," he explains, honestly sounding as if he means he is sorry.
I throw another object before opening my mouth – he doesn't tell me to be quiet – so I say what I want:
"Professor, I am not mad – well not much – that you didn't tell me that I have to defeat Voldemort because, to be honest, I already knew that: what I'm miffed about is the fact that Severus Snape pretty much killed my parents and you allow him to teach here!" I say, yelling the last part.
"Harry, you have to believe me, when Severus showed up here, it was before your parents murders. He said he relayed the half of the prophecy he heard but asked for your mother's life to be spared: however when Voldemort refused, he turned to me to stop it. So I placed your parents under the Fidelius Charm, but they placed their trust in the wrong person and… Severus Snape – the day he returned here, the 28th October, became simply a teacher – no longer a Death Eater. So Harry that is why I let him teach here, because he turned over a new leaf before he had to… and wanted to save lived," he explains and I feel anger boiling still – he was still a Death Eater – but however much I want to deny it, Snape came here before Voldemort fell, and he wanted my mother to be saved (why, I have no idea – that's for a later date) and he…
"Sir, is that what Snape has been doing? Pretending to be a Death Eater who is pretending to be in the Order? That he really is on our side, but he is saying to them he is on the Dark side and has been spying on us?" I ask quickly, and Dumbledore nods at this: so he's been risking his life.
"He has been feeding a low line of false information in, about dates and times and such – there are things, unfortunately, that he must spill but I sort that by not telling him things that do not concern him: furthermore, Professor Snape is an accomplished Legllimens and can conceal thoughts even from Voldemort without much effort at all. So we are on the same page now Harry?"
It's my turn to nod now, which I do before I hear a knock at the door – Fudge most likely.
"Yes Harry you may leave – although I don't doubt Fudge will wish to speak to you later. Miss Granger has been moved with Madam Pomfrey to the hospital wing because although her initial injuries were severe, with Sirius checking her ABCs and clearing her airways, as well as the speedy arrival at the infirmary, she will make a full recovery shortly. Miss Bones, well she would almost certainly be dead if it were not for Hermione sealing her wounds: she is currently at St Mungos but will be returning here within the next week. Go see Hermione Harry, sort things out – and relax!" he says. Smiling by the end and I nod but don't smile: after all, this man has concealed this vital information for so long and also, he has let my worse enemy (besides Malfoy… and Voldemort… and Malfoy Senior… and ok then, every Slytherin) teach here even though he used to be a betrayer.
I slip past Fudge in the hallway, running when he calls after me: I can deal with him later. I sprint up to the 4th floor, to the hospital wing and burst through, to see Hermione lying there, Dora at the side, waiting for her to awaken. I run over, breathing heavily, and place my hand on Dora's shoulder – she's completely fine.
"Hey," I say weakly – I need something to eat!
"Heya," she replies with a wan smile; I smile so widely I want to scream – I love her!
"Wanna go on a date?" I ask her teasingly, "I swear, there won't be any interruptions or a trip to France interrupted by a battle at the Eiffel Tower!"
Well this was the chapter: slightly (well a lot) shorter than 34/35 but there wasn't much to say, with my creative juices running low on inspiration for the next twist/time in the story…
anyway, please review now you've read it.
After all, I have Voldemort's phone number!
Vicky xx