He was found in a dark corner of the Great Hall by a prefect.
Alarmed by the fearful mask of grief, anger, hatred, and still-born fear that was frozen upon a face now unrecognizable, he immediately rushed to the Headmaster, finding him in his office. As the prefect's breathless story was related, Dumbledore's head snapped up from the letter he had been writing. Without a word, before the flustered prefect could finish his tale, Dumbledore headed for the Great Hall, leaving behind a very bewildered prefect. For the first time, Dumbledore cursed the spell that prevented him from Apparating, as he broke into an undignified ambling run.
By the time he got there, he had to shoulder his way through a solid block of concerned/curious/worried people who had already found the quivering excuse of a human boy, the fixed and wooden expression contrasting oddly with his fluid oscillating.
Reeling forward, his face nearly showing an expression... Back, his face back to his wooden state Forth, almost letting go of his emotions Back, keeping tight control of his emotions for fear that he might explode otherwise.
Dumbledore watched this all with consternation and widening eyes.
Pushing, shoving, he managed to get to the front of the now-silent crowd.
Noise might push the boy over the edge.
They were all still, some hardly even breathing.
Movement might make the boy snap.
Dumbledore was the only one who moved. He kneeled down next to the boy, gently bringing attention to himself. The boy's eyes swung up to meet his... Control was shattered.
Rage, hatred, and fear twisted the boy's features, whitened his lips, stilled his rocking. His mouth curled around words as hesitantly as a person does before stepping off the cliff.
"You..."
Dumbledore leaned in closer, reluctantly, nonplussed at the reaction the boy had to his presence.
Those white, white lips moved in a muttering litany.
"...tried to take the best of me...go away...you tried to take the best of me...go away..you tried to take the best of me..."
Albus Dumbledore was scared, scared of this precarious, precocious young man. But his face tightened with resolve. This situation had to be resolved one way ot the other.
"Please explain what you mean," His voice was firm.
"...go away..."
"I can't, it is my responsibilty..." Dumbledore's words petered out, and he backed away unceremoniously.
The young man leapt to his feet, his mouth a thin razor slash against his pallid skin.
"GO AWAY! YOU!" A pointing finger at Dumbledore. "TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME! GO AWAY! YOU TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME!" A roar of fear covered ineffectively with anger out-of-control, as a tidal wave of emotions took over the poor young man. "GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He burst into furious motion, flying around the room in white, blinding fury, breaking the tables and chairs, ripping the tablecloth apart. Still shrieking, "YOU TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME! GO AWAY! YOU!!! TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME!!!!"
Dumbledore and the other students backed away precipitously, staring fearfully and with a horrible fascination at what used to be Harry Potter.
A grim smile stole across Dumbledore's face, giving way to a look of concentrated concern and pity.
Alarmed by the fearful mask of grief, anger, hatred, and still-born fear that was frozen upon a face now unrecognizable, he immediately rushed to the Headmaster, finding him in his office. As the prefect's breathless story was related, Dumbledore's head snapped up from the letter he had been writing. Without a word, before the flustered prefect could finish his tale, Dumbledore headed for the Great Hall, leaving behind a very bewildered prefect. For the first time, Dumbledore cursed the spell that prevented him from Apparating, as he broke into an undignified ambling run.
By the time he got there, he had to shoulder his way through a solid block of concerned/curious/worried people who had already found the quivering excuse of a human boy, the fixed and wooden expression contrasting oddly with his fluid oscillating.
Reeling forward, his face nearly showing an expression... Back, his face back to his wooden state Forth, almost letting go of his emotions Back, keeping tight control of his emotions for fear that he might explode otherwise.
Dumbledore watched this all with consternation and widening eyes.
Pushing, shoving, he managed to get to the front of the now-silent crowd.
Noise might push the boy over the edge.
They were all still, some hardly even breathing.
Movement might make the boy snap.
Dumbledore was the only one who moved. He kneeled down next to the boy, gently bringing attention to himself. The boy's eyes swung up to meet his... Control was shattered.
Rage, hatred, and fear twisted the boy's features, whitened his lips, stilled his rocking. His mouth curled around words as hesitantly as a person does before stepping off the cliff.
"You..."
Dumbledore leaned in closer, reluctantly, nonplussed at the reaction the boy had to his presence.
Those white, white lips moved in a muttering litany.
"...tried to take the best of me...go away...you tried to take the best of me...go away..you tried to take the best of me..."
Albus Dumbledore was scared, scared of this precarious, precocious young man. But his face tightened with resolve. This situation had to be resolved one way ot the other.
"Please explain what you mean," His voice was firm.
"...go away..."
"I can't, it is my responsibilty..." Dumbledore's words petered out, and he backed away unceremoniously.
The young man leapt to his feet, his mouth a thin razor slash against his pallid skin.
"GO AWAY! YOU!" A pointing finger at Dumbledore. "TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME! GO AWAY! YOU TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME!" A roar of fear covered ineffectively with anger out-of-control, as a tidal wave of emotions took over the poor young man. "GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He burst into furious motion, flying around the room in white, blinding fury, breaking the tables and chairs, ripping the tablecloth apart. Still shrieking, "YOU TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME! GO AWAY! YOU!!! TRIED TO TAKE THE BEST OF ME!!!!"
Dumbledore and the other students backed away precipitously, staring fearfully and with a horrible fascination at what used to be Harry Potter.
A grim smile stole across Dumbledore's face, giving way to a look of concentrated concern and pity.