Author's Note: With this chapter we dive off into AU-land, since, as of this writing nobody knows what's going to happen at Hogwarts after Harry's fourth year. So I have taken liberties.... Thanks inexpressible to those who are still reading! L.G.
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"Hagrid, what's happened?" Ivy asked as she managed to break through the milling crowds to join him. Black clouds scudded across the night sky as a breeze whipped at her hair. A thick fog had begun rolling into the valley, obscuring the giant maze where the Triwizard Tournament champions were to complete their final task. Only two of them had come out so far; Fleur Delacour, and Victor Krum.
Ivy had decided to find Hagrid when the other onlookers began to get restless.
"Harry's gone," Hagrid choked out. "Him and Cedric both. Disappeared."
"He's not just... lost in the maze somewhere?"
"Nah," Hagrid insisted. "I been walkin' the maze near an hour. Neither one a them boys's in there."
Ivy believed him. She'd caught him pacing the outer perimeter of the maze, and he seemed impatient to continue his mindless trek even as they spoke. The look on his face went past worry.
"We shouldn'a let a kid like that in in the firs' place. He weren' ol' enough. Other three had three year a trainin' on 'im."
Ivy reached out to grasp his sleeve and he stopped, looking down at her as thought she'd just appeared.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
Hagrid covered his face with his hands, rubbing vigorously. Focusing on Ivy, he shrugged. "Dunno," he managed a half-hearted smile. Sitting down on a nearby bench, he beckoned her forward. "I ain't in a state to be makin' decisions, Ivy. Maybe you should be lookin' fer Dumbledore."
Ivy stood at his side. Even with Hagrid in a sitting position, she still had to reach up to put a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, the milling crowds were forgotten as she looked into his eyes. "But I'm asking you. Maybe there's something.... I could help you search the maze again."
"NO!" Hagrid stopped her. "Yer not ter go in there. I can't lose anymore -" That wild-eyed look came back, but only for a moment.
"There's summat wrong here, Ivy, I know that much. Ever'thin' feels... wrong." He turned to look toward Hogsmeade. "Yeh should go home, but ya can't. Not wi'out me, and I'm not leavin'"
"Hagrid... I...."
He shook his head, his great mane of hair blowing madly about. "Tha woods're too dangerous at night."
"But Firenze...."
"No. That's my final word on it. Go to the cabin an' wait fer me ter get there. It's the safest place right now." He stood to his feet, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her in the direction of his hut. It winked reassuringly at them from across the lake.
"Take that dog wi' ya an' go straight there." Before he let her go, he turned her back to face him.
"Yeh promise ter do as I said?"
Ivy looked him in the eye. She wasn't about to argue. Maybe in the past, but not anymore. Too much had transpired between them, and although they never spoke of it, Ivy didn't hide her affection for Hagrid anymore. She swallowed hard and nodded.
"I promise. I'll go straight to your house. And I'll take Blackie. We'll find Harry, Hagrid. I'm sure of it." She reached up to pat his chest, just over his heart.
"Don't lose hope."
He blinked a few times and pulled her into a bone crushing embrace.
"Hope yer right, Ivy," he muttered into her hair. "By Merlin's beard, I hope yer right."
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"Blackie, wait!" Ivy rushed to catch up as the dog galloped across the grounds. No matter how hard she ran, her two legs in a split skirt were no match for his four. But she understood the need to hurry. She felt it herself. Hagrid was right. Something didn't feel right. She tucked her chin, gathered her skirts and determined to catch up.
When she got to Hagrid's hut she called out to the dog, following the sound of his barks to the pumpkin patch. When she caught up, he continued on into a patch of corn. By the time Ivy got there he'd already transformed, and as Sirius Black he reached past the corn stalks and grabbed Ivy's arms, pulling her into his leafy green hide out.
"What's happened, Ivy? What's gone wrong? Where the bloody hell is Harry?"
Ivy's brow creased as she took in his worry, knowing she didn't have any concrete answers.
"Hagrid only told me he disappeared, along with Cedric Diggory. Hagrid's been searching the maze for hours...."
"I saw them take Krum and the Beauxbaton's girl out. But Harry..."
"I know. Something's gone wrong." She stopped when she realized that her words were doing nothing to comfort her friend.
"Hagrid won't let me go home," she continued in another direction. "Says the forest is too dangerous at night."
"He's right, there," Sirius agreed. "I've been in that forest at night. We'll just wait here. And trust that Harry and Cedric have what it takes to get themselves out of this."
He began to pace the corn row, and Ivy had to wonder if that was how all men dealt with uncertain situations. She knew how women handled them, so she grabbed his arm in hopes of stopping his restless feet.
"Sirius.... I've been thinking," she began quietly. "About the house. And... how you refuse to stay there...."
Sirius gave her a curious look, convinced that now was not the time for idle chatter.
She shrugged and gave him an apologetic smile. "Just thought I'd try some stimulating conversation. You know, to get our minds off our worries."
Sirius chuckled softly. "Only you'd decide that now's a good time to start up an argument. Maybe you're right. Worry's not going to help Harry, anyway."
"Not really," Ivy murmured, casting her gaze to the ground.
"Alright then, what about your house? I haven't changed my mind about that. The less you're seen with me, the better." He reached out, tilting her head up till she had to look at him. "Someone's going to spot me one day, Ivy, and I refuse to let you go down with me."
"I know, I know," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "We've gone over that. But... there may be a way."
Sirius shook his head. "Should I say it again? Slowly, so you'll understand?"
"You're not letting me finish," Ivy replied, a little louder than she'd meant to. How she wished he'd change his mind and at least take the basement she'd offered, instead of living out in the forest.
"You told me once that there's a secret tunnel leading out of Hogwarts to the Shrieking Shack, right?"
"Yes," Sirius nodded, remembering fondly the late night conversations she'd talked him into during the worst of the winter. He had his suspicions that she'd kept him talking only as a pretense to keeping him warm. "But what does that have to do with -"
Ivy held out her hand to stop him. "I was only thinking that you and Harry could link my house to that tunnel. The Shrieking Shack's not far from me. We could dig through to my basement and then you and Harry would have a meeting place. No one would ever know. Professor Dumbledore could even cast some kind of Invisibility Charm over the place or something."
"Oh, so you don't think my powers are up to Invisibility Charms?" he teased.
"I think it would work," she insisted. "Will you at least consider it?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"You're very persistent, you know that?" he muttered. "Not to mention hard to resist."
At that moment Ivy knew she'd won the argument, finally. She was just about to say so when she heard a voice calling from the front of the house. She and Sirius exchanged worried glances.
"I'll go and see..." Ivy started, heading for the sound. Looking back, she saw that Sirius had already transformed and was taking refuge under the broad leaves in Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Ivy pushed through the corn just in time to see Professor McGonagall heading in that direction.
"Professor!" she called, hoping to distract her.
"Who's there?" McGonagall replied.
Ivy stepped out of the garden and into the moonlight. "It's me, Professor. Ivy Ollivander."
"Oh... Ivy," McGonagall said, relaxing a bit. "I wasn't expecting you here. Professor Dumbledore sent me to look for a... dog."
"A shaggy... black dog?" Ivy asked, heart beat quickening. "Has something happened?"
Professor McGonagall studied her for a minute and Ivy knew she was trying to decide how much she should say.
"It's alright," Ivy assured her. "The dog you're looking for is a friend of mine. If Professor Dumbledore sent for him it can only mean one thing. Something's happened to Harry Potter."
"Potter will be fine," McGonagall assured her. "Sadly, I cannot say the same for Cedric Diggory." Sorrow flooded the Professor's features, and Ivy's blood ran cold.
"Is he...?" she couldn't bring herself to finish the question, as young Cedric's handsome features flashed through her mind.
"I'm afraid so," McGonagall muttered. "And more will die as well, if we don't take action now. The dog. Is he here with you? I must get him back to the castle at once."
Ivy turned to the pumpkin patch, where Blackie was already emerging. When he got to where she was standing she knelt at his side.
"Promise you'll come tell me what's happened, as soon as you can."
Blackie woofed softly and snuffled her hair in affirmation.
"Be careful," she whispered, hugging him fiercely, and then standing to her feet. She watched them leave the garden, then turned toward Hagrid's house. She'd just begun to walk in that direction when a familiar voice called her name. Turning toward the sound, she watched as a massive centaur stepped out of the shadows.
"Ivy Ollivander," he greeted her most solemnly. "You must go back to Hogsmeade."
"But Hagrid said -"
"Rubeus Hagrid is the one who requested I carry you home," the centaur cut her off, impatiently stomping the ground. "There are evil winds blowing tonight. Have you not noticed the way the constellations have aligned? This day was written in the stars, Ivy Ollivander. You must go where you'll be safe."
Ivy didn't argue any further. She walked to a tree stump set in Hagrid's back garden for just such a purpose, climbed onto it, and waited for Firenze to approach. He still had to bend at the knee for Ivy to scramble across his broad back. When he was sure she was settled, they entered the forest.
"What else do the stars say, Firenze?" she ventured, clinging to his thick mane of hairas he maneuvered through the forest with ease. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. The total lack of ground chatter and tree noises left Ivy a bit unnerved.
"Many mysteries unfold up there, Friend of Hagrid," he said over his shoulder. "Some concern us, others do not. I have noticed Mars drawing closer to Saturn, but yet they remain apart."
"Mars and Saturn?" Ivy repeated.
"Have you noticed that planets to not blink, as stars do, Ivy Ollivander? When Mars and Saturn align, only one bright light will be visible, where once there were two. It is a sign that soul mates have found one another."
"Soul mates...." Ivy murmured, wondering if this was one of these mysteries that concerned her or not. She contemplated his words as they came to the Hogsmeade side of the forest.
"I will be watching Mars and Saturn," Firenze announced as he knelt to allow her to dismount. "It is not often they align."
"And how far is the distance between them?" Ivy wondered aloud.
Firenze studied her face, his look didn't leave her feeling very hopeful.
"The distance is great, and the planets move slowly."
Ivy attempted a smile, but only managed a weak grimace.
"I guess you can't rush the planets."
Firenze continued to gaze at her, an indefinable sadness in his eyes.
"Be safe, Ivy Ollivander," he said backing toward the forest. "This centaur pledges a vigilant watch over you." He struck his chest with his right fist in a gesture that had grown comfortingly familiar. Then he was gone, and Ivy turned toward Hogsmeade. Usually she could see her house from the path, but tonight the fog had obscured it from view. She picked her way to the stream, choosing to cross closer to home than to maneuver through the underbrush to the bridge.
Hagrid always made crossing here look so easy. He could make it in one great step. Ivy had to walk close to the edge and leap, and she had yet to make it across without getting her feet wet. Tonight she chose wet feet so as to get home that much quicker. As she scrambled up the stream's opposite bank, she stole a glance at the sky.
"Mars and Saturn," she whispered, but there were no signs of stars or planets above her. Darkness had swallowed everything, and Ivy shuddered, wondering if that weren't an omen in itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wait, Hagrid, please. Explain this to me one more time. I don't understand." Ivy stood at her kitchen table, holding a plate full of crumpets.
Hagrid sat back in his chair, wondering once again why everything in the magical realm seemed to go beyond Ivy's understanding. She clung to the excuse that she had not been raised among European Magicals, but sometimes that explanation didn't hold.
"What part don' ya get? You-Know-Who is back. Harry said he seen 'im wi' his own two eyes the night a the third task. An' I believe 'im. A lotta wizards don't, but I'm doin' what I can to stop 'im before he gets 'is power back an' we're all in the same boat we were in 15 year ago."
"Voldemort's back? But I thought he was dead," Ivy murmured. "This changes everything."
"Yer catchin' on," Hagrid muttered, taking a sip of tea from a huge cup Ivy kept in her kitchen just for him.
"I gotta go do summat for Dumbledore, an' I came to ask ya to take care a Fang fer me while I'm away. He trusts yeh. Sometimes I think he likes yeh better'n me."
Ivy grinned, sitting down and pouring her own cup of tea. "Of course I'll keep Fang for you. But where are you going? Will you be gone long? You're not going after Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who, all alone, are you?"
Hagrid blinked and let a lung-full of air past his lips.
"Nobody'd go after 'im all by theirself. That'd be crazy. I seen Harry after he saw You-Know-Who. The little feller was broken ter pieces inside. Nope - I'm goin' in a differn't direction - to the giants up north. I'm hopin' to talk 'em into bein' on our side this time."
Ivy remained silent a little while longer. She didn't need to ask who's side they'd been on last time. That point had been advertised plainly in the Daily Prophet last Christmas.
"How long will you be?"
"Don' know that fer sure. We gotta find out where they're hidin' firs'."
"We?" she asked feeling dull once again for being so full of questions. "Is Professor Dumbledore going with you?"
"Not Dumbledore," Hagrid said, adding a bit more cream to his tea and reaching for a crumpet.
"Olympe Maxime."
Ivy choked, sending a mouthful of tea across the table and into his face.
"Maxime?"
She stood to her feet, grabbing a towel off the counter and flinging it across the table.
"And you want me to watch your dog while you go off with that... that...."
"It can't be helped, Ivy," Hagrid said as he dried off his cheeks. "We all hafta put our differences aside now an' do what needs ter be done ter stop You-Know-Who. Before he gets 'is power back."
"But she...."
Hagrid held up both hands, one empty, one holding a brown-stained kitchen towel, in an attempt to stop Ivy's tirade.
"I know how you feel about Olympe, but I forgave 'er fer what happened at the Yule Ball. You should too."
"No, you don't know how I feel about Olympe," Ivy shook her head. "Her and that Skeeter woman did their best to ruin you last Christmas. She's... she's...." Ivy sat down heavily in her chair.
"I suppose whatever she is to me is my problem, not yours. Or Maxime's."
"Yer a good friend, Ivy," Hagrid reassured her, reaching across the table to cover her hands with his own.
She offered him a bitter little laugh. "Not really."
"Yeh were there when I was low as I could get. I won't ferget that. Yeh tole me to be proud a who I am an' ferget about whoever don' like it."
His words hit Ivy like a slap in the face, as she realized she'd never practiced what she'd preached. The truth was that she'd never trusted him enough to tell him all her secrets.
"I haven't been a good friend to you, Hagrid," she admitted, suddenly ready to come clean. "Friends trust each other with their secrets, but I...."
Hagrid leaned closer until his whiskery face was inches from hers.
"Don't ever tell me yeh hadn' been a friend."
Ivy had to ball her fists to keep from reaching out to him.
"I haven't told you everything," she murmured. "There are things about me that I hid, especially after what happened to you last winter. But it's summer now. And if you're leaving tomorrow .... With Maxime.... If Voldemort's back, Hagrid... it's time I was honest with you."
Hagrid's face split into a grin. "What terrible secret could you be hidin' from me?"
Ivy swallowed hard, but nothing could get past the constriction in her throat. "I'm... a Squib." She let the word she hated above all others cut into her soul, as punishment for keeping secrets from Hagrid.
"I have no magic. Not even a little. I cook my own food, light my own fires, make my own tea. I couldn't levitate your cup to the sink if I tried all day. What...?"
She leaned toward him to find out why his moustache was twitching madly.
"No magic?" he asked, trying to hold back a laugh.
"None. And you're laughing."
"I jus'.... Ter think yeh been afraid ta tell me yeh ain't magic. Yeh think that matters ter me? I have ter have permission from Dumbledore ter use it myself." Her look made him sober up a little. "I don' mean ter laugh, Ivy. I swear. I jus' can't believe ya thought I'd be shallow as that."
"See," she insisted. "I told you I was a bad friend."
"Yeh got anymore terrible secrets unn'er yer hat?"
Ivy's face turned red. "You're going to forget the first one, just like that? I don't have one iota of magical power and I kept that secret from you for over three years. Doesn't that matter to you?"
"Yeh wan' me to get mad at ya? Wan' me ter think yer a terrible friend? Well, I can't," he wagged his head. "Yeh mean more ter me than that. If yeh felt yeh had ter hide it, yeh had yer reasons. I respec' that. Now maybe yeh better answer my question. What other deep dark secrets are yeh hidin'?" He took another sip of tea while he waited for her response.
"I killed my own mother."
This time it was Hagrid's tea that spewed across the kitchen table, splattering all over Ivy. She made no move to wipe it away.
"Tha's not what I heard," he finally managed. "Charlie Weasley tole me it was some kinda cancer or summat what got yer mum, back when he were here with the dragons."
"Charlie Weasley doesn't know everything," Ivy announced, tea dripping off her nose.
Hagrid stood up, walked around the table and knelt on one knee in front of Ivy, reaching with his towel to dry off her face. "So how'd yeh off yer mum?"
"It was our last visit together." she began. She told him the entire story, start to finish, her voice finally trailing away as she noticed the sadness growing on Hagrid's face.
"Yeh been carryin' that 'round inside yeh all these years?" he asked.
Ivy nodded solemnly.
"But yeh jus' tole me you're a Squib. I mean... yeh don' hear often a people killin' someone with words.... Even You-Know-Who had ter use a wand and a spell. Charlie said yer mum was sick," he shrugged. "I believe 'im."
Ivy remained in her place, her eyes locked on his. A glimmer of hope began to steal into her heart. "You believe Charlie? And you don't care if I'm...."
He held up a hand. "Don't say that word no more Ivy. It don' fit yeh. I seen yeh work magic more than once since yeh came ter Hogsmeade."
"One more secret," she blurted, grabbing onto his vest. Now that she'd begun telling, it was impossible to stop. "You can't go away on a dangerous mission with a beautiful woman without hearing the last one."
Hagrid studied her a moment. "Think I a'ready know this one, Ivy. An' I been a fool not ter take what yeh been offerin'."
"Only my heart," she managed a smile. "I love you, Rubeus Hagrid. And while you're off in exotic places with Olympe Maxime.... Don't forget me."
Hagrid's eyes got suddenly over-bright. When he blinked two fat tears escaped from behind his eyelids. He reached out to cradle her face in one giant hand.
"I tole you a long time ago I was stupid," he croaked.
Ivy shook her head, and suddenly found herself enveloped in Hagrid's arms. He picked her up and stood to his feet, and finally Ivy was occupying the space she'd coveted for so long. She pressed her face into the wiry softness where his hair and beard met. Hagrid carried her into the sitting room and they sat down together in his over-sized chair.
"I also tole ya that I'm a bloody coward," he confessed as Ivy got comfortable in his lap. "An' it's true. When I see yeh, feels like it's me ridin' a hippogriff, only that look yeh gimme makes me feel like I decided ter jump off at 15 hun'nerd feet. Tha's why I stayed away, at first."
Ivy grinned. "I thought you avoided me because you figured out I wasn't magic. Then Maxime came along.... Hagrid... I don't want to lose you as a friend. I've tried not to be too pushy about how I feel. But I can't let you go away with her, not knowing...."
Hagrid gave her a laugh. "Olympe ain't fer me," he admitted. "A little too rich fer my blood, if yeh know what I mean. An' I never meant teh hurt yeh, Ivy. That I swear. Reckon I was only thinkin' 'bout myself."
Ivy leaned forward, her fingertips grazing his cheeks. "You can jump off the hippogriff, Hagrid. I promise to be here to catch you."
He stared at her for a long, silent moment. Ivy watched as his fingers kneaded the arms of his chair. She could tell he was struggling with something, but she never got to hear what that struggle was about, for just as he opened his mouth, someone knocked on the front door. Hagrid had been so intent on Ivy that he jumped at the sound.
"It's alright," she murmured, patting his knee. "I'll get it." She slid off him and pulled open the door, blinking a moment in the summer sunshine. The guest before her was Albus Dumbledore.
"Good afternoon, Ivy," he said, smiling. His robes rustled richly as he reached out to take her hand. "Good to see you, as always."
"Professor," Ivy started, turning to look back at Hagrid. "How nice of you to come by. Won't you come in? I don't believe I've had the honor - "
"The honor is mine," Dumbledore insisted, stepping over the threshold. "I only apologize for not visiting sooner, and for reasons less pressing."
"Hagrid was just telling me about... You-Know-Who's return," Ivy confessed, as she led him into her sitting room. "And his trip up north."
Professor Dumbledore observed a ruddy-faced, guilty-looking Hagrid over his half-moon spectacles. The Headmaster's moustache began to twitch.
"It seems I have intruded," he said, offering a half-bow in Hagrid's direction. "I would be happy to come back at a more convenient time."
"No need fer that, Perfessor," Hagrid said, rising to his feet. "I need ter be gettin' home anyway. Got to get packed 'fore mornin'." He made his way to the door, and then turned back to Ivy.
"Come by the cabin tonight an' I'll have Fang ready fer ya. There're some things he'll be needin' when I'm gone." He sniffed a little, then grasped the doorknob.
"You can stay, Hagrid," Ivy told him. "I'm sure that whatever Professor Dumbledore came to say, he wouldn't mind saying in front of you."
"Ivy's right, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "I only came to ask a favor. This shouldn't take long."
"Nah, I best be goin'," Hagrid insisted. "There's some stuff I got ter take care of before I leave Hogwarts."
"Of course," Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Then I shall see you later on at the castle."
Hagrid returned his nod, then opened the door. Ivy followed him onto the porch.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" she asked.
"It's a'right, Ivy. You go back an' talk ter Dumbledore. Then come over to the hut. I'll cook us somethin' fer dinner."
Ivy flinched a little. "I would be... more... than happy to cook."
"I got it covered. Now go back in there before ya look like a lousy hostess."
Ivy grinned. "Alright, then. I'll see you tonight."
Hagrid surprised her by bending over to kiss her cheek right in front of the Headmaster. She closed her eyes as his warm breath trailed down her neck, giving her a shiver. Her hand drifted through his hair for a moment, then he turned and lumbered down the steps and out of the garden. She was watching him cross the street when a polite cough behind her brought her back to the realization that she still had a visitor. Her face flushed as she turned back to Professor Dumbledore.
"Sorry," she grinned, pulling the door shut behind her.
"No need to apologize," Dumbledore assured her.
"Hagrid and I were just having some tea. Would you care to -"
"My pleasure," he returned.
Ivy led him into the kitchen, where the chairs were still in disarray from Ivy's many confessions to Hagrid. She pushed them back into place and then reached out to check the warmth of the tea pot. A frown creased her brow as she realized it had gone cold.
"Allow me..." Professor Dumbledore said, as he raised his arms. Clapping his hands twice, he produced a sparkling silver tea service, complete with a plateful of fresh steaming crumpets, butter and peach preserves.
"Please accept this as a belated housewarming gift, my dear."
"Professor..." Ivy sputtered as she watched the tray land gently on her table. "You didn't have to -"
"Of course I didn't have to, Ivy. One of the benefits of age is that you never have to do things unless you actually want to."
Ivy laughed as she reached for the tea pot.
Dumbledore explained his visit as they settled in chairs facing each other. "I have, as I said, come to ask you a favor. Two, to be precise. The first one concerns the present, the second, the future. And the first demands an answer immediately, while the other can wait. At least a little while."
Ivy passed him the crumpets. "You know I'd do anything to help. If Voldemort is back.... You only have to name it."
Professor Dumbledore eyed her warily. "I can see that you have never been asked a favor of me before."
"I mean it," she insisted. "How can I help?"
"I want you to go to Surrey and keep an eye on Harry Potter this summer, while he stays with his aunt and uncle."
Ivy's eyes widened. Of all the things she could have come up with, this request had never entered her mind.
"Me?" she questioned, setting down her tea cup. "You want me to keep an eye on... on..."
"On Harry Potter, yes, Ivy. It was my understanding that the two of you are acquainted."
"Sirius Black told you that, didn't he?"
"I make it a point to know who Harry spends his time with." Dumbledore smiled. "He trusts you, as do I. As far as I am concerned, you are the perfect choice. You'll fit into the Muggle world easily enough."
"This is just like when you asked Rose to watch over Remus Lupin." Ivy mused. "Only I'm not an animagus. I'm not even magic. What if something happens? If You-Know-Who -"
"Have you also gone to referring to Voldemort by that name?" he asked. "I myself find it a bit too... empowering. If he must not be named, it must be out of distaste, not out of fear."
"Well..." Ivy returned. "I just -"
Dumbledore raised a hand. "No need for explanations, my dear. I will let you consider while I present my other request."
If his first request had surprised Ivy, it was nothing compared to the shock that came with his second.
"As you know, this school year has ended. You also know it has been a year unlike any we've seen in a very long time. A lot of excitement, and much has been lost. And now it seems as though it's been too much for some to bear."
Ivy closed her eyes, remembering. The loss of Cedric Diggory still hung over everyone like heavy, snow-laden clouds.
"I received notice yesterday from one of our teachers, Professor Pickett. She has chosen to retire from teaching. Graciously she has agreed to stay on through next year's term. And so.... I've come to offer you the position. As Professor of Muggle Studies. You can take your time thinking about it, as I would not need an answer till the end of next year. And hopefully," he leaned in her direction. "You will have figured out how to close your mouth again by that time." He reached across the table to push up on her chin, which had dropped dangerously close to the table at his request.
"I... I..." Ivy sputtered, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. "I thought you were going to ask for some help waiting tables for something special up at the castle. But this...." Her voice trailed away at the enormity of it all.
"Of course," Dumbledore continued. "Your position at Hogwarts would be announced to the wizarding community. You may want to consider if you are willing to inform your father, before you accept."
"My father?" Somehow he hadn't even remotely entered into either of the equations the Headmaster had presented. Until now.
"Wouldn't it be better if he heard the news from you, rather than from the Daily Prophet?"
Ivy suddenly found the patterns in the wood of her table quite interesting.
"I would be glad to accompany you to inform him, if it would mean securing your services." Dumbledore finished gently.
She looked up to study him with over-bright eyes. "So you want me to watch over Harry this summer, and next year...."
"Take over Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, yes. I seem to remember you saying you'd be willing to do anything to help our cause, at the beginning of this conversation." His moustache twitched again. "I should explain that this is a dangerous mission. No one knows how intent Voldemort is to have another go at Harry. Perhaps he will show us a modicum of intelligence and leave the boy alone. Perhaps he will not. And then you could be put in harm's way."
"I wouldn't let him hurt Harry," Ivy insisted. "And I'm not afraid of him. Actually it might be nice to exact a little revenge of my own, since my father always said he sent me to the States to keep me safe from... You-Know-Who."
"A little bit of fear is not a bad thing, Ivy. As long as we don't allow it to turn into panic."
Ivy blushed.
"May I take that as a yes, my dear?"
"Yes, Professor. I'll go watch over Harry while he's with the Muggles. If you're sure..."
"I have been unsure about many things in my life, Ivy, but not this. Now... there a few details to take care of." He held up one hand and twisted a heavily worked emerald ring off his finger.
"I have created this especially for your mission," he explained, handing the ring over to Ivy. "Twisting it around your finger three times will Summon me, should you need me. Two twists will enable me to see and hear what's going on around you. You have but to hold the ring up for me to use it as a looking glass. And this..." he reached into the pockets of his robe. "Is the key to a house on Boxwood Drive, in Little Whinging. You will find that the back garden of this house connects to the back garden of Number 4 Privet Drive. You may or may not engage the Dursleys. I'll leave that to your discretion."
Ivy accepted a brass key from Dumbledore's hand, and he immediately rose to his feet.
"I hope you will accept my second request as readily as you've accepted the first," he smiled as he bowed before her. "And now I must take leave of this enchanting little cottage, although I hope to return to it soon." He looked around at Ivy's house, and then walked to the front door.
"You're sure this will work -" Ivy blurted as his hand grasped the doorknob.
"I'll hear no more of that sort of talk, Ms. Ollivander. I have the utmost faith in you. The train leaves for King's Cross tomorrow at 2PM. I have reserved you a cabin, and transportation from the train station in London will await, upon your arrival."
Ivy flashed him a grin. "You make it sound like I just won a dream vacation."
Dumbledore took one of her hands and patted it between both of his. "With your help, this could be a quick skirmish. We can put an end to You-Know-Who, and all enjoy a nice vacation."
Somehow he didn't sound very convincing.
"If your new piece of jewelry glows this evening, it is only me making sure that all is in working order. Now I must bid you good day."
He strode across her porch, his high heeled boots making a confident smacking sound as he descended the steps.
"Thank you, Ivy," he turned to wave before walking up the path to the front gate. "We'll be talking again, soon."
She raised a hand, watching as he snapped his fingers over his head, and vanished before her eyes.
"Goodbye Professor," she whispered to the wind that whipped in the place where he'd been. "We'll talk again, soon."
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