*~* thank you guys for the wonderful support. Incidentally, since I've been asked about this, the "he" at the end of chapter 9 is Daniel Radcliffe. Long story. Anyway, I've had about a dozen ideas for the direction of this story and this seemed the best, so…enjoy! It should get to the exciting part in a few chapters *~*
The next morning was nothing unusual for Abby. She woke, same time as always, and ate breakfast normally. No one suspected anything was wrong. In fact, if Lily and Paul hadn't known the half of the story they knew, they wouldn't have said a thing. Abby didn't act any differently at all. She made jokes along with the rest of the Gryffindors, every now and then giving a wink to Elijah behind her. She refused to accept the story he'd told her. She also refused to let it affect her in the least. As far as she was concerned, nothing had changed in her world. Her friends were still her friends, and, unfortunately, her enemies were still her enemies. Hugh was still teasing her about her name, but she was getting used to that. She was almost able to completely ignore him now.
She attended her first two classes of the morning as usual. Charms was first, and then Muggle Studies. This was usually her break class. After all, her father treated her family as if they were all Muggles, anyway. Professor Sands, while a very good teacher, could do nothing but bore her about 25 ways Muggles started fires. She had her head half on her arm, scribbling notes about the essay they were to do for homework that night, when Professor Dumbledore came into the room. Abby was very nearly asleep on her desk. She had been up all night, determined to read each and every entry Harry had made in his diary. Of course, that was before she learned that it went all the way through to his seventh year. She had gotten about halfway through year five before she completely conked out. Now Dumbledore found her an exhausted heap on top of her desk.
"Excuse me Professor, but may I please see Miss Potter for a moment?" he asked, trying to force a smile. Abby could see that the sparkle in his eyes was somewhat gone. He apparently wasn't very pleased with her parents' decision. Then again, neither was she. She lifted her head up from her desk, and Professor Sands nodded at her to leave. She gave a sleepy yawn, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed off with Dumbledore.
"Your parents are here," he told her, a bit somberly for his usual tone. "They've been here for about an hour, but Professor Snape needed to teach his last class and make some final preparations. You will be heading home with them, and around two this afternoon the Minister will be by to perform the necessary spell. You have all your things packed?"
"Yes," she lied. Each word he said went in one ear and back out the other. Nothing registered. But she didn't feel numb; quite the contrary. She didn't feel any differently than if he was escorting her personally to a class. They walked past several whispering portraits and up and down several staircases. At one wall Dumbledore turned and muttered a knock-knock joke. The door formed in peals of laughter, and he opened it for Abby. One staircase later, they stood in front of the Fat Lady leading into the Gryffindor tower.
"I'll tell your parents you're on your way. We'll be in the Great Hall," he told her, a trace of sadness in his voice. She nodded, turned to the portrait, and announced, "Diggle daggle." It swung wide open, revealing the common room she was told she would never see again. Unless the Dark wizard was caught and her father permitted the spell to be lifted…yeah, like that'll happen, she thought bitterly, climbing the stairs to her dormitory.
Her trunk remained wide open, her various clothing strewn all over it. But she completely ignored that. Rather, she bent down, took out her wand, and proceeded to remove Harry's diary from the dusty floorboards. It was in its usual, tattered condition, precisely as she'd left it. The sight of it returned the smile to her face. She absently left the floorboard open as she made her way downstairs, and only realized it halfway toward the Great Hall. Should she go back and close it? Nah, came that pesky little voice in her head, who's going to find out? They've all got class, remember? Reassuring herself with that thought, she entered the Hall.
There were her parents, as Dumbledore had promised. The group of four sat around a small table the headmaster had set up in the center of the room. Dumbledore and her father were talking animatedly across the table from each other. Her father had his arm around her mother, who was looking more frightened than Abby felt. Snape, as usual, was sitting slightly apart from everyone, brooding in his usual dark manner. Abby wondered if he was the Dark wizard causing her family such turmoil. Her father looked up the moment Abby walked in and stood, smiling.
"Abigail, thank goodness…but where are your things?" he asked, the smile dropping from his face. Abby stood tall and defiant in front of him, her shoulders thrown back and her head held high. She clutched the diary closer toward her. Snape looked as though he'd just bitten by a flobber worm.
"I'm not going," she told him coolly. "You two can do what you like, but I'm old enough to make my own decisions. And I say I'm staying right here. You can't make me go with you – Mrs. Finnigan won't stand for it. *please don't get confused – Mrs. Finnigan is the same person as Professor Granger* I've already asked her. Dad, I found this in my room." She handed him the diary that had been her saving grace for the past few weeks. His eyes were widened, and they slightly misted over at the sight of the old book. He seemed stricken speechless by his daughter's rebelliousness, but she kept it up. She could almost see a smile creeping across Dumbledore's face, much as he tried to disguise it.
"I've read most of it already. Harry's been my best friend lately. Do you remember him? He would never have allowed this to happen. He wouldn't run to pull his daughter out of school so that he could get her a Secret-Keeper. He wouldn't hide. No, he would try to find out who was causing the trouble, he and Ron and Hermione, and they would fight. Are you looking into this? Are you fighting? Or are you just going to run and hide?"
"You will not speak to your father in that tone, Abigail," said Snape, seeming enraged that she would say such a thing. "You will treat him with the same respect that I've given you this school year."
"Yeah? You want me to tell him he can never do anything right, and that he'll never amount to anything because he's a Potter?" she spat bitterly. Snape's eyes flared, and he opened his mouth to protest but Dumbledore stopped him with a wave of his wrist. He was clearly very interested in hearing what she had to say. She was thrilled to have someone on her side at last.
Harry took in these words for a moment, shocked that they had left his daughter's lips. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. Instead, it was November who came to his rescue. She came and stood beside Harry, facing off against Abby.
"Abby, we're doing this for your own good," she said gently. Abby turned on her.
"My own good?!" she exclaimed. "You're going to take me away from all my friends and a good education and stick me with my least favorite person in the whole world, leaving me extremely vulnerable to attack – all for my own good? You're joking! No, I'm much safer here. At home I've got Snape. Here I've got Dumbledore. Now, if you don't mind, Mrs. Finnigan is expecting me for tea this period."
November's tone because a bit more stern. "Abigail Mae Potter, I do mind. You've got 15 minutes to pack and get into the carriage. Hurry up now; Hagrid's waiting."
During all of this, Harry was still examining his old diary. Very gingerly he opened it in his palm, pressing on the middle with his other hand to keep it steady. He began to flip through the pages. Everyone's attention turned to him now. He was the strength of their argument, the power behind their reasoning. However, he had become preoccupied with the boy Abby had come to know as "just Harry". He gave a slight chuckle and read aloud one of his entries.
"June 15
Friday
Well, we did it. Can you believe it? Me and Ron and Hermione found the monster that's been attacking the school! Actually, Hermione was the one that figured out what it was. Ron and I figured out where it was. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom! I can't believe we didn't think of it before. Anyway, he and I went into the Chamber of Secrets together, but I had to grab Ginny. Yes, she's alive, thank God. So's Hermione. They gave her the mandrake potion, and now she's the same as ever.
Point is, we almost had to leave the school. Can you imagine? No more Hogwarts! Stuck with the Dursleys for the rest of my life! I'd go out of my mind! But with Dumbledore here, I'm more protected than I would be anywhere else. Even with a Secret-Keeper. Maybe that's what my mum and dad should have done, instead of getting a Secret-Keeper – stay at Hogwarts. Or both, even. Oh, but it's so good to know I'll be coming back here next here. I think that's the only thing that'll get me through the summer."
Harry looked at Abby, his wife, then Abby again, and then over at Dumbledore who gave an approving nod. He turned once again to his daughter.
"I think this says it all," he said softly. "All right, you can stay. But I expect Dumbledore to keep a very close eye on you. We're going to investigate this, more so than the Ministry will. I think we'll get the whole Order on the case, and of course my old friends Ron and Hermione. But you're still to call them Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Finnigan – or rather, Professor Granger. And the minute we discover you're in trouble, you're to come straight home and we're performing the spell. That is," he added, looking curiously at November, "if that's all right with your mother."
November sighed loudly. "Well…all right, I suppose. Your father and I will discuss this a little more in depth, and until we decide for sure what to do, you may stay here at Hogwarts. Perhaps your father will be willing to allow me to become his Keeper?"
"Perhaps," said Harry with a smile. "Perhaps."
*~* So what do you think? Too easily solved? Be honest! *~*