Chapter 5: A Meeting with Dumbledore
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wondering what to think. Hagrid went over to the stove, bustling to put up the tea. Fang came over to "help". " I guess we'd better boot then," Ron said to Hermione and Hagrid. Hagrid bid them goodbye and the two fourth years ran into the school. " What do you think Dumbledore wants us for? We didn't do anything! Well, we haven't done anything lately," Ron said as they walked towards Dumbledore's tower. The gargoyle in front of the door sprang to life and jumped out of their way, revealing a door. Ron cautiously opened the door and looked inside. A moving spiral staircase ran upwards towards another door, which Ron assumed, was Dumbledore's office. Hermione followed Ron from behind as they mounted the staircase. They didn't even have to move, the staircase just brought them up to the door. " You go first," Ron said nervously as he shoved Hermione forward. She frowned, and knocked on the door. She heard a loud squawking, a voice hushing it up, and footsteps. The door opened, and Dumbledore stood in the doorway, dressed in purple from his head to his foot. Even his eyes were an amethyst color. Addressing Ron, the wizard spoke: " I didn't expect you and Miss Granger to come so quickly. You must have a speedy owl," he said, chuckling, but immediately stopped. "I have called you here this afternoon to discuss a deal of great importance. It depends on a life or death situation. Please come in and seat yourselves on the chairs in front of my desk." Hermione walked in and sat herself down. Ron, who couldn't believe what he had just heard, stood paralyzed in the doorway. Rolling her eyes, Hermione got up from her chair, grabbed Ron by the wrist, pulled him over to his chair and sat him down, while seating herself, yet again. Dumbledore seated himself at his desk, took out some peculiar colored pieces of parchment, and looked up at Ron and Hermione. " Like I said, this.er. mission is a deal with a life or death situation. Your friend Harry, as you have figured out, has Cantibus Sholnious, a disease that is practically impossible to cure. I am sure that the two of you have figured out the cure, am I correct?" The two of them nodded, and the headmaster continued. " From previous viewing of your "heroicness", I have decided to send you on a quest to get the Emerald. Here---" Dumbledore handed Hermione and Ron each a packet of the funny colored parchment, "you will find how to get into the parallel universe and retrieve the emerald in time. Harry will be in and out of the Hospital wing, and he will be informed about your mission. I wish you both the best of luck. Oh yes, check into Professor McGonnagal before you set out. Good luck." Ron and Hermione stared at Dumbledore, not knowing what to say. Ron got to his senses and nudged Hermione. They "thanked" Dumbledore and left down the spiral staircase (which was now going downwards). Neither of them spoke until they reached the common room, where they sat down in a corner and opened their packets. It was completely blank. "I knew it was too good to be true," Hermione said as she slouched, tears running down her face. Ron looked at it quietly and suddenly jumped up. "Ron, what on earth are you doing?" Hermione asked as Ron pulled out his wand. He took the parchment in hand and tapped it once with his wand. " I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he whispered. As he did this, writing started to appear on the paper. Hermione gave a shout of joy. " Ron! You did it! You really think outside the box!" she said enthusiastically as she jumped up and threw her arms around him. Ron blushed when he noticed that everyone in the common room was watching. Hermione quickly removed herself from Ron and did the revealing spell to her own. It didn't work. " Okay, I have a feeling we really need to think outside the box on this one," Hermione said, losing her enthusiasm. She sat down and thought.hard. She sat for an hour, as Ron read through his instructions. " Okay, what isn't a spell, but will reveal almost anything on paper?" Hermione thought. Reveal. reveal. reveal.REVEALER! She instantaneously jumped up, like Ron had done, ran into her dormitory and grabbed a large, red, eraser looking object. Running down the stairs, she shouted: " Ron! Ron! The Revealer!" Ron grabbed Hermione's parchment rolls and met her at the bottom of the stairwell. Hermione put the papers against the wall and rubbed the Revealer on them. Slowly, words started to appear, and a map. Hermione quickly revealed the rest of the information and sat over in the corner again. The map showed all of Hogwarts, just like the Marauder's Map. The figures moved and it showed where each teacher was at that moment. Dumbledore was pacing in his office, McGonnagal was teaching a large group of sixth years, Snape was scolding a first year and Harry--- " Why on earth is Harry in the hospital wing talking to Dobby? Madam Pomfrey never lets house elves in.let alone us," Hermione said, surprised. " Let's go take a look," Ron said to Hermione's surprise, yet again. She gave him a suspicious look, and spoke: " Ron, don't forget the fact that "Mr. It" as we will call Harry for now, does not trust us and does not wish to talk to us. Why should we go see him?" " You never know until you try!" said Ron brightly. He popped up and ran towards the portrait hole. " Unless you'd rather stay of course!" Hermione sighed and followed Ron to the Hospital wing.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wondering what to think. Hagrid went over to the stove, bustling to put up the tea. Fang came over to "help". " I guess we'd better boot then," Ron said to Hermione and Hagrid. Hagrid bid them goodbye and the two fourth years ran into the school. " What do you think Dumbledore wants us for? We didn't do anything! Well, we haven't done anything lately," Ron said as they walked towards Dumbledore's tower. The gargoyle in front of the door sprang to life and jumped out of their way, revealing a door. Ron cautiously opened the door and looked inside. A moving spiral staircase ran upwards towards another door, which Ron assumed, was Dumbledore's office. Hermione followed Ron from behind as they mounted the staircase. They didn't even have to move, the staircase just brought them up to the door. " You go first," Ron said nervously as he shoved Hermione forward. She frowned, and knocked on the door. She heard a loud squawking, a voice hushing it up, and footsteps. The door opened, and Dumbledore stood in the doorway, dressed in purple from his head to his foot. Even his eyes were an amethyst color. Addressing Ron, the wizard spoke: " I didn't expect you and Miss Granger to come so quickly. You must have a speedy owl," he said, chuckling, but immediately stopped. "I have called you here this afternoon to discuss a deal of great importance. It depends on a life or death situation. Please come in and seat yourselves on the chairs in front of my desk." Hermione walked in and sat herself down. Ron, who couldn't believe what he had just heard, stood paralyzed in the doorway. Rolling her eyes, Hermione got up from her chair, grabbed Ron by the wrist, pulled him over to his chair and sat him down, while seating herself, yet again. Dumbledore seated himself at his desk, took out some peculiar colored pieces of parchment, and looked up at Ron and Hermione. " Like I said, this.er. mission is a deal with a life or death situation. Your friend Harry, as you have figured out, has Cantibus Sholnious, a disease that is practically impossible to cure. I am sure that the two of you have figured out the cure, am I correct?" The two of them nodded, and the headmaster continued. " From previous viewing of your "heroicness", I have decided to send you on a quest to get the Emerald. Here---" Dumbledore handed Hermione and Ron each a packet of the funny colored parchment, "you will find how to get into the parallel universe and retrieve the emerald in time. Harry will be in and out of the Hospital wing, and he will be informed about your mission. I wish you both the best of luck. Oh yes, check into Professor McGonnagal before you set out. Good luck." Ron and Hermione stared at Dumbledore, not knowing what to say. Ron got to his senses and nudged Hermione. They "thanked" Dumbledore and left down the spiral staircase (which was now going downwards). Neither of them spoke until they reached the common room, where they sat down in a corner and opened their packets. It was completely blank. "I knew it was too good to be true," Hermione said as she slouched, tears running down her face. Ron looked at it quietly and suddenly jumped up. "Ron, what on earth are you doing?" Hermione asked as Ron pulled out his wand. He took the parchment in hand and tapped it once with his wand. " I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he whispered. As he did this, writing started to appear on the paper. Hermione gave a shout of joy. " Ron! You did it! You really think outside the box!" she said enthusiastically as she jumped up and threw her arms around him. Ron blushed when he noticed that everyone in the common room was watching. Hermione quickly removed herself from Ron and did the revealing spell to her own. It didn't work. " Okay, I have a feeling we really need to think outside the box on this one," Hermione said, losing her enthusiasm. She sat down and thought.hard. She sat for an hour, as Ron read through his instructions. " Okay, what isn't a spell, but will reveal almost anything on paper?" Hermione thought. Reveal. reveal. reveal.REVEALER! She instantaneously jumped up, like Ron had done, ran into her dormitory and grabbed a large, red, eraser looking object. Running down the stairs, she shouted: " Ron! Ron! The Revealer!" Ron grabbed Hermione's parchment rolls and met her at the bottom of the stairwell. Hermione put the papers against the wall and rubbed the Revealer on them. Slowly, words started to appear, and a map. Hermione quickly revealed the rest of the information and sat over in the corner again. The map showed all of Hogwarts, just like the Marauder's Map. The figures moved and it showed where each teacher was at that moment. Dumbledore was pacing in his office, McGonnagal was teaching a large group of sixth years, Snape was scolding a first year and Harry--- " Why on earth is Harry in the hospital wing talking to Dobby? Madam Pomfrey never lets house elves in.let alone us," Hermione said, surprised. " Let's go take a look," Ron said to Hermione's surprise, yet again. She gave him a suspicious look, and spoke: " Ron, don't forget the fact that "Mr. It" as we will call Harry for now, does not trust us and does not wish to talk to us. Why should we go see him?" " You never know until you try!" said Ron brightly. He popped up and ran towards the portrait hole. " Unless you'd rather stay of course!" Hermione sighed and followed Ron to the Hospital wing.