Part 15
"You look terribly over-excited," Nicholas said, propping his feet up on the seat opposite him, next to Albus, "What are you so happy about returning for?"
"I can not wait to see her," Albus replied. For the umpteenth time, he pulled back the curtain and looked out the window, "It bothers me."
"What?"
"That they would not let us apparate. The Stone is at Gringott's, safely put away, and we both have been able to apparate for years."
"You are an impatient man, Albus," Nicholas said, unbuttoning his vest, for the day was hot and the carriage stuffy.
"When you are in love, you will understand."
"I-" Nicholas began, but then silenced himself.
Albus turned on him, his sky-blue eyes sparkling, "What? Are you in love? And you have not told me?"
"No," Nicholas replied firmly, "I am not in love."
"Nicholas, when are you going to admit to us all that you love Paulettina?"
"Paulettina!" Nicholas looked amazed, "I? Love Paulettina?"
"Well...Do you not?" Albus was confused.
"No!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Paulettina! Never!" He collected himself a bit, and said, in a calmer voice, "Paulettina is a dear friend and I hold in her highest regard, but I have never felt anything more than that."
Albus looked very grave, "Indeed. I have been fooling myself. I always thought that those admiring glances you threw upon her were more than just friendship."
"Paulettina is the prettiest girl in school," Nicholas replied, "And though I do not deny that I admire her greatly and throw such looks on her, so does every other boy that meets her. She is endlessly sought-after."
Albus would have inquired further, but then the carriage slowed to a stop. The footman opened the door, and they stepped out into the bright sunlight, the green grass under their boots, the trees, and on the castle steps was their dear friend looking beautiful in green and worried. She flew down the steps to meet them.
"What is it?" Albus asked immediately.
"Poppy is in the hospital wing," Paulettina said.
"What?" Albus and Nicholas looked at each other, alarmed.
They went straight up to her, Nicholas with his vest and jacket in his hands. The door to the infirmary was open, and as they stepped across the threshold, Albus saw her, in the far corner, laying asleep. He ran across the room to her, pulled up a chair, sat down, took her hand, and could not be persuaded by anyone to move for the rest of the afternoon. Nicholas and Paulettina checked in on him often, and he was still there, staring anxiously at her face. He would not eat, would not drink, and would not speak to anyone.
At dawn she awoke. Albus had laid his auburn head down on her bed to sleep, and that was the first thing she saw. She reached out to touch him, and when the sky-blue eyes opened, she cried with the greatest misery in her voice, "Albus!" and the hysterics began again. The sobs drew Madame Corlow in, who scolded Albus for upsetting her, until finally Poppy calmed enough to beg Madame Corlow to leave them for a moment.
"You do not know?" Poppy asked.
"Know what?"
"He has made no announcement?"
"No," Albus drew the chair closer, and taking his handkerchief out of his vest pocket, dabbed her face. Poppy pulled herself up into a sitting position.
"It is almost too much for me to speak."
"Poppy, Poppy," Albus stood, took her face and kissed her before saying, "What is it? Who is he? What has he done? Why are you so upset?"
"Professor Green was courting Gabriella Patil."
"Yes, of course, but what has that got to do with us?"
"He was courting Gabriella because I had broken his heart."
"You had broken-" Albus paused, "Did you court him?"
"Never!" Poppy looked anguished, "Never! He had loved me, but never declared it to my face! And he told Gabriella, when I did not notice, and they began to court. And then one night, Gabriella went to him - "
"She did no such thing!"
"She did! Let me finish! She went to him and now is going abroad, for she is with child."
Albus' face had no clear expression, but his eyes were very wide, his mouth hung open a little. Then, shaking himself, he said, "Even so. Gabriella will be sent abroad and Professor Green sent from society for he is disgraced. Nothing can prevent that! Why is it so upsetting to you? Professor Green is a cad and Gabriella...Has made an unfortunate mistake, but she will be happy abroad. If you might request Austria to her, I think she would like it very much - "
"Professor Green's disgrace can be prevented," Poppy said in a quiet voice, "By marriage."
Albus frowned, considered, and said, "Yes. True. So he will not be disgraced. I for one, however, will never consider him a friend or admirable again."
"Albus would you stop being so droll!" Poppy nearly screamed, "He loved me, Albus! And he still does! You know I was waiting until summer to tell my parents officially of our courtship!"
Albus, who was looking ready to protest, stopped, mouth open. Then, he sunk into the chair, swallowed. Looked , astounded, at Poppy, with her eyes full of tears, stood again, and ran as fast as he could out of the room.
"Albus, what is it?" Nicholas, who had been just down the corridor when Albus came running out, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. Albus struggled, but Nicholas was much stronger, and pinned him against the wall.
"What is that matter with you?" Nicholas said, holding Albus by his lapels, "What is the matter? Is Poppy okay?"
"She is engaged," Albus said shortly, in a dark voice.
"Why so angry?" Nicholas cried letting go, "This is a cause for celebration!"
"Not to me, you idiot!" Albus roared, "To that bastard of a professor!"
"Which one?" Nicholas asked.
"Green!"
"Green! What about Gabriella?"
"It is not important!" Albus yelled, "What is important is that right now he should die!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Albus!" Nicholas shoved him up against the wall again, "You can not go off killing your professor! You must act rationally! Calmly!"
There would have been more, if not for a burst of orange light. Nicholas was thrown
against the opposite wall, and fell to the ground. Albus stormed off through the corridor.
"Can I help you, Mister - " Professor Green did not get to finish his sentence. He found a wand in his face. The fourth years in the room looked at the two of them in terror.
"So you know?"
"Yes I know!" Albus yelled, "I know all to well! You blackguard!!"
A gasp.
"What are you going to do, Mister Dumbledore?" Professor Green asked, "Kill me? What good will that do? Will that get her back?"
Albus glared at the dark brown eyes which tormented him. There was a muscle working in
his jaw, his hand was shaking.
"This is not like you to be so irrational," Professor Green continued, "I would suggest putting the wand down. You can not force me out of the engagement. It would be indecent."
"More indecent than having a student come to you, and then proposing to her best friend to save your reputation?" Albus asked.
The professor's color changed very pale, but he was focused on something over Albus' shoulder. Albus turned his head, and saw Professor Golander there.
"Mister Dumbledore, put the wand down," Came Professor Golander's deep, gravely voice.
"Why should I?" Albus replied, turning his furious face back to Professor Green, "What have I got to lose?"
"Your place in this school? You will gain a place in Azkaban, though," Professor Golander said.
"What does it matter? I have already lost the only thing I care about!"
"Do you think that killing Professor Green will somehow get her back and you will not be
put in jail?"
Albus hesitated, and then lowered his arm.
"Professor Green, Mister Dumbledore, close your eyes please," He said. Then, raising his
wand, "Obliviate."
The fourth-years all went very stiff, and then looked curiously at Albus and Professor Golander.
"Mister Dumbledore, if you would come with me to my office."
"You look terribly over-excited," Nicholas said, propping his feet up on the seat opposite him, next to Albus, "What are you so happy about returning for?"
"I can not wait to see her," Albus replied. For the umpteenth time, he pulled back the curtain and looked out the window, "It bothers me."
"What?"
"That they would not let us apparate. The Stone is at Gringott's, safely put away, and we both have been able to apparate for years."
"You are an impatient man, Albus," Nicholas said, unbuttoning his vest, for the day was hot and the carriage stuffy.
"When you are in love, you will understand."
"I-" Nicholas began, but then silenced himself.
Albus turned on him, his sky-blue eyes sparkling, "What? Are you in love? And you have not told me?"
"No," Nicholas replied firmly, "I am not in love."
"Nicholas, when are you going to admit to us all that you love Paulettina?"
"Paulettina!" Nicholas looked amazed, "I? Love Paulettina?"
"Well...Do you not?" Albus was confused.
"No!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Paulettina! Never!" He collected himself a bit, and said, in a calmer voice, "Paulettina is a dear friend and I hold in her highest regard, but I have never felt anything more than that."
Albus looked very grave, "Indeed. I have been fooling myself. I always thought that those admiring glances you threw upon her were more than just friendship."
"Paulettina is the prettiest girl in school," Nicholas replied, "And though I do not deny that I admire her greatly and throw such looks on her, so does every other boy that meets her. She is endlessly sought-after."
Albus would have inquired further, but then the carriage slowed to a stop. The footman opened the door, and they stepped out into the bright sunlight, the green grass under their boots, the trees, and on the castle steps was their dear friend looking beautiful in green and worried. She flew down the steps to meet them.
"What is it?" Albus asked immediately.
"Poppy is in the hospital wing," Paulettina said.
"What?" Albus and Nicholas looked at each other, alarmed.
They went straight up to her, Nicholas with his vest and jacket in his hands. The door to the infirmary was open, and as they stepped across the threshold, Albus saw her, in the far corner, laying asleep. He ran across the room to her, pulled up a chair, sat down, took her hand, and could not be persuaded by anyone to move for the rest of the afternoon. Nicholas and Paulettina checked in on him often, and he was still there, staring anxiously at her face. He would not eat, would not drink, and would not speak to anyone.
At dawn she awoke. Albus had laid his auburn head down on her bed to sleep, and that was the first thing she saw. She reached out to touch him, and when the sky-blue eyes opened, she cried with the greatest misery in her voice, "Albus!" and the hysterics began again. The sobs drew Madame Corlow in, who scolded Albus for upsetting her, until finally Poppy calmed enough to beg Madame Corlow to leave them for a moment.
"You do not know?" Poppy asked.
"Know what?"
"He has made no announcement?"
"No," Albus drew the chair closer, and taking his handkerchief out of his vest pocket, dabbed her face. Poppy pulled herself up into a sitting position.
"It is almost too much for me to speak."
"Poppy, Poppy," Albus stood, took her face and kissed her before saying, "What is it? Who is he? What has he done? Why are you so upset?"
"Professor Green was courting Gabriella Patil."
"Yes, of course, but what has that got to do with us?"
"He was courting Gabriella because I had broken his heart."
"You had broken-" Albus paused, "Did you court him?"
"Never!" Poppy looked anguished, "Never! He had loved me, but never declared it to my face! And he told Gabriella, when I did not notice, and they began to court. And then one night, Gabriella went to him - "
"She did no such thing!"
"She did! Let me finish! She went to him and now is going abroad, for she is with child."
Albus' face had no clear expression, but his eyes were very wide, his mouth hung open a little. Then, shaking himself, he said, "Even so. Gabriella will be sent abroad and Professor Green sent from society for he is disgraced. Nothing can prevent that! Why is it so upsetting to you? Professor Green is a cad and Gabriella...Has made an unfortunate mistake, but she will be happy abroad. If you might request Austria to her, I think she would like it very much - "
"Professor Green's disgrace can be prevented," Poppy said in a quiet voice, "By marriage."
Albus frowned, considered, and said, "Yes. True. So he will not be disgraced. I for one, however, will never consider him a friend or admirable again."
"Albus would you stop being so droll!" Poppy nearly screamed, "He loved me, Albus! And he still does! You know I was waiting until summer to tell my parents officially of our courtship!"
Albus, who was looking ready to protest, stopped, mouth open. Then, he sunk into the chair, swallowed. Looked , astounded, at Poppy, with her eyes full of tears, stood again, and ran as fast as he could out of the room.
"Albus, what is it?" Nicholas, who had been just down the corridor when Albus came running out, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. Albus struggled, but Nicholas was much stronger, and pinned him against the wall.
"What is that matter with you?" Nicholas said, holding Albus by his lapels, "What is the matter? Is Poppy okay?"
"She is engaged," Albus said shortly, in a dark voice.
"Why so angry?" Nicholas cried letting go, "This is a cause for celebration!"
"Not to me, you idiot!" Albus roared, "To that bastard of a professor!"
"Which one?" Nicholas asked.
"Green!"
"Green! What about Gabriella?"
"It is not important!" Albus yelled, "What is important is that right now he should die!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Albus!" Nicholas shoved him up against the wall again, "You can not go off killing your professor! You must act rationally! Calmly!"
There would have been more, if not for a burst of orange light. Nicholas was thrown
against the opposite wall, and fell to the ground. Albus stormed off through the corridor.
"Can I help you, Mister - " Professor Green did not get to finish his sentence. He found a wand in his face. The fourth years in the room looked at the two of them in terror.
"So you know?"
"Yes I know!" Albus yelled, "I know all to well! You blackguard!!"
A gasp.
"What are you going to do, Mister Dumbledore?" Professor Green asked, "Kill me? What good will that do? Will that get her back?"
Albus glared at the dark brown eyes which tormented him. There was a muscle working in
his jaw, his hand was shaking.
"This is not like you to be so irrational," Professor Green continued, "I would suggest putting the wand down. You can not force me out of the engagement. It would be indecent."
"More indecent than having a student come to you, and then proposing to her best friend to save your reputation?" Albus asked.
The professor's color changed very pale, but he was focused on something over Albus' shoulder. Albus turned his head, and saw Professor Golander there.
"Mister Dumbledore, put the wand down," Came Professor Golander's deep, gravely voice.
"Why should I?" Albus replied, turning his furious face back to Professor Green, "What have I got to lose?"
"Your place in this school? You will gain a place in Azkaban, though," Professor Golander said.
"What does it matter? I have already lost the only thing I care about!"
"Do you think that killing Professor Green will somehow get her back and you will not be
put in jail?"
Albus hesitated, and then lowered his arm.
"Professor Green, Mister Dumbledore, close your eyes please," He said. Then, raising his
wand, "Obliviate."
The fourth-years all went very stiff, and then looked curiously at Albus and Professor Golander.
"Mister Dumbledore, if you would come with me to my office."