Malcolm walked into the Great Hall and sat down to breakfast. Ginny sat next to him and asked, "How did your session go?"
EJ laughed from the other side of the table, as Malcolm said, "I don't have to go any more. The doctor said I was incurable."
Ginny looked at him in disbelief, then joined EJ in laughter.
"Ah, Malcolm, my favorite student," Professor McGonagall said, "I am pleased to tell you that you are excused from your morning classes. Professor Dumbledore is very eager to talk to you, and he does not want to wait until this evening."
"How does that Death March go?" asked EJ.
Malcolm walked into the Headmaster's office, and sat down in the appointed chair. Dumbledore picked up a letter from the stack in front of him and said, "Doctor Spencer wrote me a letter about your session on Saturday. It was very informative."
"I can explain," Malcolm said."
"Doctor Spencer explains it very well, Malcolm. She called you recalcitrant, reckless, and lacking in all moral virtues. She concludes by suggesting that you should be expelled from this school, and that the less magic your know will make things better for everyone else. By the time I finished reading her letter, I agreed."
Dumbledore looked at Malcolm with a withering stare. As the boy tried to crawl through the chair to get behind it, Dumbledore put the letter down with a thump, and picked up the next letter in the stack. "After finishing the first letter, I began reading this letter, also from St. Mungo's. It reads, 'On behalf of the staff members at our hospital, we thank you for sending one of your students to help entertain some of our younger patients.' It is from the Director of the hospital, thanking me for letting our youngest animagus, that would be you Malcolm, spend the day with various groups of children."
The letter went on top of the first one with another loud Thump. Malcolm stared as Dumbledore picked up a third letter, and said, "This one is from Carla Hull. She is a pediatrics nurse at St. Mungo's. She wanted to let me know that it wasn't anyone's fault. They were playing a game of Owl Post and you had agreed to be the owl. Nurse Hull was very upset when you flew out of the window, but she is glad that everything turned out fine in the end."
Malcolm closed his eyes as he heard the telltale THUMP. He opened them again when Dumbledore said, "This next letter is written in crayon. Shana, I can't make out the last name, thinks you are wonderful and would like to buy you. She has saved up Three Sickles and Twelve Knits, and promises to write me often so you can still visit. I was very tempted to accept her offer." THUMP.
"This is an interesting letter," Dumbledore said with a withering smile, "Mister and Missus Dutton wanted to inform me that you are the most wonderful person in the world. They fell in love with Becca, instantly, and are convinced adoption will not be a problem. You have turned their life into Heaven." THUMP.
"I have twelve more letters here, including another one from Doctor Spencer saying that she heard about what happened, and she no longer knows what to make of you." Dumbledore looked and Malcolm and simply said, "Well?"
[I have no idea if he is mad at me or not.]
"Rebecca wanted a new Mom and Dad and gave me a letter addressed to my, I mean, her new parents," Malcolm said, "And I delivered it to the closest appropriate couple."
"And what made Doctor Spencer decide we should get rid of you."
"She found out that David Winter lied to you, so that I could stay here." THUMP.
[I think I should have lied on that question.]
"Malcolm," Dumbledore said, evenly, "I should tell you that Mister Winter did not lie to me. He lied to you about lying to me to see if that would help keep you in line. I will have to tell him that the answer is no. As for playing delivery service, I talked about that with Professor McGonagall, and she said that you did nothing wrong. She means that, by the way." Dumbledore added with a smile, "She also said that, for anyone else, it would have been a noble gesture."
[Wait a minute. That means I'm not in trouble for anything. What am I here for?]
"Malcolm, do you understand what you have done? It is only a matter of time before this incident makes the papers. The Daily Prophet is regularly attacking this school in its articles, and has used you once, already, to show that they are being fair. They will be sure to give this story front page coverage, perhaps as early as tomorrow. Wizard Weekly has already owled me about doing a feature on you as an animagus. You will soon have a great deal of notoriety. Are you prepared for that?"
[I can see the headlines now: Two-Headed Baby Mutates Into Owl. Goes Postal.]
"I was trying to be nice," Malcolm said, "I didn't mean to do anything good."
"I want you to be prepared," Albus said, "There will be a great many reporters at the school because of the tournament, and they will try to talk to you as well. I would advise you not to talk to any of them."
[Can you see this headline?: Malcolm Mum. OwlBoy Doesn't Give A Hoot.]
"I'll try, Sir. I'll warn my friends as well. Is there anything else?"
[I really hope he says no.]
"There are these other letters," Albus said. "Timmy's parents wanted to thank you. You made their son laugh for the first time, since he had gone into the hospital."
[That was when I flew into the bedpost.]
"Also, Joseph wants us to send something more dangerous next time. He suggested a basilisk. (I will have to tell him that one of our students killed that last one we had.) Mike wanted to tell me that you were great and Grils Still Stink. (I'm sure he'll change his mind in a few years.) Clara, who called me Professor Dimpledore, thinks you are very cute, and, most of all, Rebecca wanted me to give you a special owl treat, which she sent with her letter."
Malcolm stared as the headmaster held out the object to him. "It's a dead mouse, Sir."
"Yes it is," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "but I want to note that it is your dead mouse. Please take it with you when you leave."
"Yes Sir," Malcolm said, as he picked up the mouse by its tail. As he turned to leave, Dumbledore called him back.
"Malcolm, I told the Director of St. Mungo's that you would have no objection to visiting the hospital at least once a month for the rest of the school year. We agreed that at least one other student should chaperone you. Mr. Malfoy has graciously accepted that task."
Hedwig was grateful to Malcolm for the morning snack.