Chapter Fourteen
Hannah's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she thought it was Tomorrow. Then, reality kicked in and she remembered what she had been through that night. She moved her head to the left to see Hermione's sleeping form on the bed next to her and Ron was on the other side of her. Hannah looked to the other side, finding Harry also sleeping. "Harry!" she gasped and tried to get up to shake him awake, but she was too tired. A door opened somewhere and Dumbledore came in. Hannah gasped, sitting up and smoothing out her nightgown in nervousness. "I've been in here once today," the wizard said, sitting on the side of Hannah's bed. "I was explaining to Harry. As you see, he has fallen asleep again, but I don't blame him in the least." Hannah was very confused. "What happened to him?" she asked timidly. "Well, after he left you and got to the last chamber, he met with Quirrel." "Quirrel? Why was he down there? Did he get some courage after all and try to conquer Snape?" "Unfortunately, no, Hannah." "Then why was he there?" "Because he was the one who was possessed with Voldemort." "WHAT?! Stuttering, old professor Quirrel?" "Hannah, be kind even if he is not what you expected him to be." "But what happened to him?" "I cannot tell you everything, that is for Harry to decide, but I can tell you that Quirrel is no longer with us." "Oh, good. I never trusted him, like Long John Silver from Treasure Island," Hannah said, "Ever read it?" "Why, yes, an excellent muggle book indeed," Dumbledore smiled. "Sir, if you don't my asking, when do you think I will get to Tomorrow?" she asked him this because she thought he must be the wisest wizard there ever was and he must know. "Well, I don't rightly know. What do you expect to find there?" "Everything I don't have now, but wish to have, like my father for instance." "I see." "Do you know how he died?" Hannah asked a question she was too afraid to ask her mother. Dumbledore suddenly looked very grave. Hannah blushed in embarrassment, thinking she asked an offending question. "I'm sorry, sir, I- "Oh, no, I think it's time you knew." "Knew what?" "Your father is not dead, little one." "He's not?" Hannah asked excitedly, "Then is this Tomorrow, or am I dreaming?" "He's not what you expect, Hannah, he.he went the same way Quirrel did." "What do you mean? You don't mean my father is on the.the Dark Side, do you?" "I'm afraid so. He was before you were born and to protect you from him, your mother put you in a foster home." A light clicked on in Hannah's brain. "So that's why," she exclaimed. Then she hesitated, "Do I have any reason to fear him?" "Not at all, Hannah. He is currently in Azkaban, the wizard prison." "Oh," Hannah's eyes filled with tears. Dumbledore smiled at the girl. "Don't worry. Your mother is still here and you have been through a courageous act tonight. I say you are quite a hero." "Really?" Hannah wiped away tears. "Yes." "Tomorrow is closer than I thought tonight, Professor," Hannah smiled shyly. "It always is, Hannah."
Hannah couldn't believe how fast the end of the year went. The final dinner flew past and the extra points her and her comrades won for Gryffindor got them the House Cup for the first time in four years. And then the train ride home, it seemed to fly by. As Hannah stepped into King's Cross Station, waving goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione and followed her mother, Tomorrow peeked through a little bit, tapping her on the shoulder. "I don't think life was ever meant to be lived in such a fashion," she commented on the taxi ride home to her mother. "Oh, really, what makes you think so?" her mother asked, amused. "All of the things I wanted to have happen this year happened. It was too expected. I think Today, right now, should be spontaneous and surprising, so you don't know what will get you next. That's what Tomorrow will be."
Hannah's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she thought it was Tomorrow. Then, reality kicked in and she remembered what she had been through that night. She moved her head to the left to see Hermione's sleeping form on the bed next to her and Ron was on the other side of her. Hannah looked to the other side, finding Harry also sleeping. "Harry!" she gasped and tried to get up to shake him awake, but she was too tired. A door opened somewhere and Dumbledore came in. Hannah gasped, sitting up and smoothing out her nightgown in nervousness. "I've been in here once today," the wizard said, sitting on the side of Hannah's bed. "I was explaining to Harry. As you see, he has fallen asleep again, but I don't blame him in the least." Hannah was very confused. "What happened to him?" she asked timidly. "Well, after he left you and got to the last chamber, he met with Quirrel." "Quirrel? Why was he down there? Did he get some courage after all and try to conquer Snape?" "Unfortunately, no, Hannah." "Then why was he there?" "Because he was the one who was possessed with Voldemort." "WHAT?! Stuttering, old professor Quirrel?" "Hannah, be kind even if he is not what you expected him to be." "But what happened to him?" "I cannot tell you everything, that is for Harry to decide, but I can tell you that Quirrel is no longer with us." "Oh, good. I never trusted him, like Long John Silver from Treasure Island," Hannah said, "Ever read it?" "Why, yes, an excellent muggle book indeed," Dumbledore smiled. "Sir, if you don't my asking, when do you think I will get to Tomorrow?" she asked him this because she thought he must be the wisest wizard there ever was and he must know. "Well, I don't rightly know. What do you expect to find there?" "Everything I don't have now, but wish to have, like my father for instance." "I see." "Do you know how he died?" Hannah asked a question she was too afraid to ask her mother. Dumbledore suddenly looked very grave. Hannah blushed in embarrassment, thinking she asked an offending question. "I'm sorry, sir, I- "Oh, no, I think it's time you knew." "Knew what?" "Your father is not dead, little one." "He's not?" Hannah asked excitedly, "Then is this Tomorrow, or am I dreaming?" "He's not what you expect, Hannah, he.he went the same way Quirrel did." "What do you mean? You don't mean my father is on the.the Dark Side, do you?" "I'm afraid so. He was before you were born and to protect you from him, your mother put you in a foster home." A light clicked on in Hannah's brain. "So that's why," she exclaimed. Then she hesitated, "Do I have any reason to fear him?" "Not at all, Hannah. He is currently in Azkaban, the wizard prison." "Oh," Hannah's eyes filled with tears. Dumbledore smiled at the girl. "Don't worry. Your mother is still here and you have been through a courageous act tonight. I say you are quite a hero." "Really?" Hannah wiped away tears. "Yes." "Tomorrow is closer than I thought tonight, Professor," Hannah smiled shyly. "It always is, Hannah."
Hannah couldn't believe how fast the end of the year went. The final dinner flew past and the extra points her and her comrades won for Gryffindor got them the House Cup for the first time in four years. And then the train ride home, it seemed to fly by. As Hannah stepped into King's Cross Station, waving goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione and followed her mother, Tomorrow peeked through a little bit, tapping her on the shoulder. "I don't think life was ever meant to be lived in such a fashion," she commented on the taxi ride home to her mother. "Oh, really, what makes you think so?" her mother asked, amused. "All of the things I wanted to have happen this year happened. It was too expected. I think Today, right now, should be spontaneous and surprising, so you don't know what will get you next. That's what Tomorrow will be."
