*~This might not be that confusing. I thought it might be, but it's not.~*
"What's this?" Dumbledore asked curiously when Malfoy had finally gotten Nadia into his office.
"She was wandering around the halls, Professor. She looked like she was trying to get up to see you," Malfoy sneered.
"Well, if she couldn't wait till morning to see me, then it must be something important. Wake her, please," Dumbledore said, a slight smile playing across his face.
"But she was wandering the halls! You're not allowed-"
"Wake her," Dumbledore rumbled.
Malfoy, grumbling, muttered the counter curse, and Nadia opened her eyes, looking slightly dazed. She sat up, looking around the office, drinking it all in. It was a beautiful office, with so many little silver machines. She suddenly looked up at the headmaster and started to shake. She was in for it now. No doubt that slimy kid had fed him some cock-and-bull story and she was going to be expelled. She fought hard to hold back tears. She didn't want to go back to the orphanage; she had tried so hard here. Dumbledore walked around his desk towards her, and placed his arm around her quivering shoulders.
"Why were you wandering around the halls after dark?" he asked.
Nadia breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't sound angry; he sounded concerned, as though he truly cared about her well-being. She took a deep breath, and then plunged into the story of the charm. How she remembered the story her mother had told her when she first heard the evil song. How she had found the evil thing in Harry's trunk, and how she had fed him the sleeping draught to block out the song so she could steal it. She looked up at Dumbledore, awaiting his judgment, but before he could speak, Malfoy interjected.
"Surely you don't believe this tale, headmaster?" he asked with a small laugh. "It seems as though she thought of it off of the top of her head!"
"I do believe her, Draco," Dumbledore thundered. "Nadia, do you have the charm with you?"
"Yes, sir!" she replied eagerly. She rummaged in her pocket until she found the trinket, and then placed it in Dumbledore's hand. His face hardened as he inspected the charm, looking as though he thoroughly disliked it. The charm had begun to sing again, and it almost seemed as though he could hear it. He carefully set it down on the table.
"Fetch Professor McGonagall for me, Draco, and hurry," he said.
Once the oak door had closed, Dumbledore swept away from Nadia and sank into his desk chair.
"Sit down, you must have had a trying night," he said kindly. With these words he conjured a squashy, light purple armchair. Nadia rose from the floor, and fell into the chair. She was exhausted. Yet, she watched Dumbledore intently, waiting for him to explain the mystery of the charm.
"I will reveal the tale behind this accursed thing once Harry has joined us," Dumbledore said as though he could read her mind.
Few minutes later, Malfoy returned with McGonagall. She looked confused and a little scared. Her tartan robe was halfway off and flying behind her in her hurry.
"Yes, Albus, what is it?" she gasped. It seemed that she had sprinted all the way up to the office.
"Would you go and fetch Potter for me?" he asked kindly.
McGonagall, who had obviously been expecting some kind of a catastrophe, swept from the office. Malfoy stood by the doorway for a moment or two, and then inched towards the doorway. When Dumbledore didn't object, he opened the door and started slowly down the stairs. He was obviously hoping he could overhear a bit of what Harry was being called to Dumbledore for. A few moments later, McGonagall returned with Harry.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall, you may go now," Dumbledore said quietly. She swept towards the doorway, flung it open, and flew down the steps. "Harry, does this look familiar to you?"
Harry stared at the charm in Dumbledore's hand for a couple of seconds; then screamed, "You took it! Why did you take it? It's *mine*! Give it back!"
"Yes, yes, it is as I had feared," Dumbledore mumbled to himself. "Harry, you must believe me, this charm is not good. I know its song may be entrancing, but you mustn't listen to it!"
Harry, at these words, threw a table at the window, which smashed. He clearly wasn't happy about the fact that Dumbledore was telling him his life for the past month was evil.
Dumbledore, with a sigh, turned to Nadia and said, "He is too far into the curse. He must be in his own mind to understand what I am telling him. The only way to stop the charms song is it must sink into water. I noticed you have a broomstick with you. I hope it's not yours. No? Very well then, fly out of that broken window and throw the charm in the lake then return. It will take a little bit for the curse to wear off on Harry. I will hold him back while you go."
With that said, Harry shrieked, "NOOOOOO!" and dove for Nadia. She ducked out of the way, and Dumbledore said, "Impedimenta!" and Harry froze. Nadia, seeing her chance, mounted quickly and floated out of the window.
"What's this?" Dumbledore asked curiously when Malfoy had finally gotten Nadia into his office.
"She was wandering around the halls, Professor. She looked like she was trying to get up to see you," Malfoy sneered.
"Well, if she couldn't wait till morning to see me, then it must be something important. Wake her, please," Dumbledore said, a slight smile playing across his face.
"But she was wandering the halls! You're not allowed-"
"Wake her," Dumbledore rumbled.
Malfoy, grumbling, muttered the counter curse, and Nadia opened her eyes, looking slightly dazed. She sat up, looking around the office, drinking it all in. It was a beautiful office, with so many little silver machines. She suddenly looked up at the headmaster and started to shake. She was in for it now. No doubt that slimy kid had fed him some cock-and-bull story and she was going to be expelled. She fought hard to hold back tears. She didn't want to go back to the orphanage; she had tried so hard here. Dumbledore walked around his desk towards her, and placed his arm around her quivering shoulders.
"Why were you wandering around the halls after dark?" he asked.
Nadia breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't sound angry; he sounded concerned, as though he truly cared about her well-being. She took a deep breath, and then plunged into the story of the charm. How she remembered the story her mother had told her when she first heard the evil song. How she had found the evil thing in Harry's trunk, and how she had fed him the sleeping draught to block out the song so she could steal it. She looked up at Dumbledore, awaiting his judgment, but before he could speak, Malfoy interjected.
"Surely you don't believe this tale, headmaster?" he asked with a small laugh. "It seems as though she thought of it off of the top of her head!"
"I do believe her, Draco," Dumbledore thundered. "Nadia, do you have the charm with you?"
"Yes, sir!" she replied eagerly. She rummaged in her pocket until she found the trinket, and then placed it in Dumbledore's hand. His face hardened as he inspected the charm, looking as though he thoroughly disliked it. The charm had begun to sing again, and it almost seemed as though he could hear it. He carefully set it down on the table.
"Fetch Professor McGonagall for me, Draco, and hurry," he said.
Once the oak door had closed, Dumbledore swept away from Nadia and sank into his desk chair.
"Sit down, you must have had a trying night," he said kindly. With these words he conjured a squashy, light purple armchair. Nadia rose from the floor, and fell into the chair. She was exhausted. Yet, she watched Dumbledore intently, waiting for him to explain the mystery of the charm.
"I will reveal the tale behind this accursed thing once Harry has joined us," Dumbledore said as though he could read her mind.
Few minutes later, Malfoy returned with McGonagall. She looked confused and a little scared. Her tartan robe was halfway off and flying behind her in her hurry.
"Yes, Albus, what is it?" she gasped. It seemed that she had sprinted all the way up to the office.
"Would you go and fetch Potter for me?" he asked kindly.
McGonagall, who had obviously been expecting some kind of a catastrophe, swept from the office. Malfoy stood by the doorway for a moment or two, and then inched towards the doorway. When Dumbledore didn't object, he opened the door and started slowly down the stairs. He was obviously hoping he could overhear a bit of what Harry was being called to Dumbledore for. A few moments later, McGonagall returned with Harry.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall, you may go now," Dumbledore said quietly. She swept towards the doorway, flung it open, and flew down the steps. "Harry, does this look familiar to you?"
Harry stared at the charm in Dumbledore's hand for a couple of seconds; then screamed, "You took it! Why did you take it? It's *mine*! Give it back!"
"Yes, yes, it is as I had feared," Dumbledore mumbled to himself. "Harry, you must believe me, this charm is not good. I know its song may be entrancing, but you mustn't listen to it!"
Harry, at these words, threw a table at the window, which smashed. He clearly wasn't happy about the fact that Dumbledore was telling him his life for the past month was evil.
Dumbledore, with a sigh, turned to Nadia and said, "He is too far into the curse. He must be in his own mind to understand what I am telling him. The only way to stop the charms song is it must sink into water. I noticed you have a broomstick with you. I hope it's not yours. No? Very well then, fly out of that broken window and throw the charm in the lake then return. It will take a little bit for the curse to wear off on Harry. I will hold him back while you go."
With that said, Harry shrieked, "NOOOOOO!" and dove for Nadia. She ducked out of the way, and Dumbledore said, "Impedimenta!" and Harry froze. Nadia, seeing her chance, mounted quickly and floated out of the window.