The characters are J.K. Rowling's. "Something To Believe In" belongs to Poison.
10.
"Now that I reflect upon it," Snape said, "I don't find IT'S
THE GREAT PUMPKIN,CHARLIE BROWN nearly as disturbing as I did."
"Well," Dumbledore said,"I believed something wonderful would happen tonight. It brought us together in the spirit of sincerity and the
simple act of belief."
"An alien concept to me," Snape said. "I've never felt the need to
believe in anything."
Moody began singing again.
"Ah need somethin' to believe in..."
"That's rather sad,Severus," Madame Hooch said.
Snape sighed. "Look at our world. We have magical powers wether we
believe in them or not."
"Yeh've never wanted ta believe in anything,Professor?"
"Never,Hagrid. I stay sane that way."
"I've seen good people destroyed by an overabundance of sanity,"
Dumbledore said. "There's nothing wrong with escaping into a story
and wishing the characters could be real. I find myself in that
situation on the occasions I've seen..."
He trailed off.
"Albus?" Minerva asked.
"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST," Dumbledore said. "Whether it's Cocteau or
Disney or even that bad one with-" he stopped again. "I-" he frowned,then looked over at Lucius. "Is he trying to dig under my invisible wall?"
"Looks like it, Moody said.
"You'll never get anywhere like that,Lucius," Dumbledore called.
"Shut up,shut up,SHUT UP!" Lucius babbled. The mud on his clothes
was now accented with dirt.
"As I was saying,being able to believe-"
"Dennis still believes in the Tooth Fairy," Colin giggled.
Dennis raised his eyebrows. "Colin didn't know there's no Father
Christmas until he was TWELVE."
Harry tried not to laugh,and slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Ask Dennis to tell his story about the Easter Bunny," Colin said.
"What about the Easter Bunny?" Sprout asked. "I thought the Easter
Bunny was an American thing."
"Are there any American magic schools?" Dennis asked.
"Certainly," Professor McGonagall said. "There are a few. There's
one in New Orleans,Louisiana,one in Cleveland,Ohio, another one in
Florida. There are more I don't recall at the moment. I'll let you
know,Mr. Creevey. Now what about the Easter Bunny?"
"The Easter Bunny is real," Dennis said. "I saw him."
"Him?" Dumbledore asked. "You're sure it wasn't a female rabbit?"
"I'm sure," Dennis said. "He wore a hat."
This was too much for several people, Harry included. He covered his face with his hands,drew in his knees,and convulsed,helpless with laughter.
"We're not laughing at you,Dennis," Sprout said. "We're just-" her
words were lost in laughter.
Snape,Hagrid and Dumbledore were the only ones not laughing. They heard Dennis say "He was seven feet tall. I swear,I saw him in our house. He put a basket of chocolate eggs down on the table and then he looked up...and he SAW me."
Hagrid gasped. Dumbledore looked amazed. "He SAW you?"
"He saw me. And then he smiled. His fangs were THIS long-" Dennis
spread his hands six or seven inches apart. "I fainted. When I
woke up,he was gone. I don't know how he got in or out,
because all the doors and windows were locked. I checked."
Harry stopped laughing. No one really noticed except Dumbledore.
He knew why in a second; Harry's hand was at his scar.
"Excuse me," Harry said,"I'll be right back."
"If you're going to the boys' room,Harry," Dumbledore said,"I'll
accompany you."
Harry managed to nod. He got up,and Dumbledore caught up with him.
When they were out of earshot,Dumbledore asked "Is it bad?"
"It's always bad," Harry said. "My scar's been absolutely cold for so long and now it hurts-"
"I'd interrogate Lucius Malfoy myself if I thought it would help."
"It won't. He lies like..."
"Like someone who thinks they're an excellent liar."
"Exactly."
They entered the castle.
"Lavatory's just over here."
"I don't really need-"
"Neither do I."
He opened the door for Harry.
The room was otherwise empty.
"May I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"What did Snape say to you?"
"When?"
"When you were...overcome with emotion."
"Right," Harry said. He looked at his feet. "I'm sorry-"
Dumbledore knelt down and lifted Harry's chin. "Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. It's all right to feel that way. No matter what people
impress on you-" he pretended to sneeze. In that sneeze,he hid VERNON. "-it is part of the human condition to feel. I certainly wouldn't censure you for crying or laughing,and no one else worth
your good company would either."
"Am I good company?"
"Always," Dumbledore said. I believe in you. "Now,please tell me what Snape said."
"He got on his knees and begged me to come back."
"Say that again."
"Snape got on his knees and said 'Please come back,Mr. Potter,I
have a feeling something wonderful may happen,something we both need to see,and without your sincerity,it'll never happen-" He touched
his forehead again. This time his eyes went wide,and he fell to the
floor.
"Harry?" He made sure the boy wasn't about to swallow his tongue and
elevated his legs. It wasn't easy because Harry was actually
convulsing and twitching involuntarily. His eyes were squeezed shut.
"NO!" Harry screamed. He tried to open his eyes
-and found himself on a strange street; there were palm trees
all up and down the road. The sky looked strange,dirty somehow.
"Hello,Harry," said a horribly familiar voice.
Harry turned. "Voldemort."
"Harry,don't listen to him," Dumbledore said. "He can't hurt you.
I won't let him. Concentrate on my voice."
Voldemort took out his wand.
"You know what comes next," Voldemort said. "I've been practicing all
night,too. I think a good long Cruciatis would be just the thing,so
I can torture both you and Dumbledore at once."
"I'm not afraid of you," Harry said.
Voldemort's other hand twitched.
Harry's feet left the ground.
"Concentrate,Harry." Dumbledore said.
"L-luh-"
Dumbledore leaned closer.
"Levitate..."
Dumbledore grabbed Harry by the sides of his head. "Together."
Harry took a deep breath-
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"
"Ah-" Voldemort managed,before he rose into the air. "Cr-"
As he spoke,he dropped his wand."-ucio."
His wand landed on edge.
It began to fall in his direction.
He reached out to it. It was so close,just out of the reach of his
fingertips.
"You want this?"
Harry stood in front of him now. He showed the wand to Voldemort.
Then he tossed it into the street. It disappeared down a sewer grate.
Voldemort fell; his legs went out from under him.
"Go get it," Harry said. "And get out of my head."
Harry opened his eyes. "Wow," he said.
"Harry?"
"I'm all right," he said. He threw his arms around Dumbledore just
as Dumbledore was reaching for him. They sat like that for awhile.
Dumbledore broke the silence after awhile.
"You know,the night isn't over yet," he said. "If something does
happen out there,I would hate to miss it."
He held onto the warm old wizard for another moment.
"Let's go," Harry said. "Will you tell another story?"
"I certainly will," he said.
Together,they went back outside.
10.
"Now that I reflect upon it," Snape said, "I don't find IT'S
THE GREAT PUMPKIN,CHARLIE BROWN nearly as disturbing as I did."
"Well," Dumbledore said,"I believed something wonderful would happen tonight. It brought us together in the spirit of sincerity and the
simple act of belief."
"An alien concept to me," Snape said. "I've never felt the need to
believe in anything."
Moody began singing again.
"Ah need somethin' to believe in..."
"That's rather sad,Severus," Madame Hooch said.
Snape sighed. "Look at our world. We have magical powers wether we
believe in them or not."
"Yeh've never wanted ta believe in anything,Professor?"
"Never,Hagrid. I stay sane that way."
"I've seen good people destroyed by an overabundance of sanity,"
Dumbledore said. "There's nothing wrong with escaping into a story
and wishing the characters could be real. I find myself in that
situation on the occasions I've seen..."
He trailed off.
"Albus?" Minerva asked.
"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST," Dumbledore said. "Whether it's Cocteau or
Disney or even that bad one with-" he stopped again. "I-" he frowned,then looked over at Lucius. "Is he trying to dig under my invisible wall?"
"Looks like it, Moody said.
"You'll never get anywhere like that,Lucius," Dumbledore called.
"Shut up,shut up,SHUT UP!" Lucius babbled. The mud on his clothes
was now accented with dirt.
"As I was saying,being able to believe-"
"Dennis still believes in the Tooth Fairy," Colin giggled.
Dennis raised his eyebrows. "Colin didn't know there's no Father
Christmas until he was TWELVE."
Harry tried not to laugh,and slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Ask Dennis to tell his story about the Easter Bunny," Colin said.
"What about the Easter Bunny?" Sprout asked. "I thought the Easter
Bunny was an American thing."
"Are there any American magic schools?" Dennis asked.
"Certainly," Professor McGonagall said. "There are a few. There's
one in New Orleans,Louisiana,one in Cleveland,Ohio, another one in
Florida. There are more I don't recall at the moment. I'll let you
know,Mr. Creevey. Now what about the Easter Bunny?"
"The Easter Bunny is real," Dennis said. "I saw him."
"Him?" Dumbledore asked. "You're sure it wasn't a female rabbit?"
"I'm sure," Dennis said. "He wore a hat."
This was too much for several people, Harry included. He covered his face with his hands,drew in his knees,and convulsed,helpless with laughter.
"We're not laughing at you,Dennis," Sprout said. "We're just-" her
words were lost in laughter.
Snape,Hagrid and Dumbledore were the only ones not laughing. They heard Dennis say "He was seven feet tall. I swear,I saw him in our house. He put a basket of chocolate eggs down on the table and then he looked up...and he SAW me."
Hagrid gasped. Dumbledore looked amazed. "He SAW you?"
"He saw me. And then he smiled. His fangs were THIS long-" Dennis
spread his hands six or seven inches apart. "I fainted. When I
woke up,he was gone. I don't know how he got in or out,
because all the doors and windows were locked. I checked."
Harry stopped laughing. No one really noticed except Dumbledore.
He knew why in a second; Harry's hand was at his scar.
"Excuse me," Harry said,"I'll be right back."
"If you're going to the boys' room,Harry," Dumbledore said,"I'll
accompany you."
Harry managed to nod. He got up,and Dumbledore caught up with him.
When they were out of earshot,Dumbledore asked "Is it bad?"
"It's always bad," Harry said. "My scar's been absolutely cold for so long and now it hurts-"
"I'd interrogate Lucius Malfoy myself if I thought it would help."
"It won't. He lies like..."
"Like someone who thinks they're an excellent liar."
"Exactly."
They entered the castle.
"Lavatory's just over here."
"I don't really need-"
"Neither do I."
He opened the door for Harry.
The room was otherwise empty.
"May I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"What did Snape say to you?"
"When?"
"When you were...overcome with emotion."
"Right," Harry said. He looked at his feet. "I'm sorry-"
Dumbledore knelt down and lifted Harry's chin. "Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. It's all right to feel that way. No matter what people
impress on you-" he pretended to sneeze. In that sneeze,he hid VERNON. "-it is part of the human condition to feel. I certainly wouldn't censure you for crying or laughing,and no one else worth
your good company would either."
"Am I good company?"
"Always," Dumbledore said. I believe in you. "Now,please tell me what Snape said."
"He got on his knees and begged me to come back."
"Say that again."
"Snape got on his knees and said 'Please come back,Mr. Potter,I
have a feeling something wonderful may happen,something we both need to see,and without your sincerity,it'll never happen-" He touched
his forehead again. This time his eyes went wide,and he fell to the
floor.
"Harry?" He made sure the boy wasn't about to swallow his tongue and
elevated his legs. It wasn't easy because Harry was actually
convulsing and twitching involuntarily. His eyes were squeezed shut.
"NO!" Harry screamed. He tried to open his eyes
-and found himself on a strange street; there were palm trees
all up and down the road. The sky looked strange,dirty somehow.
"Hello,Harry," said a horribly familiar voice.
Harry turned. "Voldemort."
"Harry,don't listen to him," Dumbledore said. "He can't hurt you.
I won't let him. Concentrate on my voice."
Voldemort took out his wand.
"You know what comes next," Voldemort said. "I've been practicing all
night,too. I think a good long Cruciatis would be just the thing,so
I can torture both you and Dumbledore at once."
"I'm not afraid of you," Harry said.
Voldemort's other hand twitched.
Harry's feet left the ground.
"Concentrate,Harry." Dumbledore said.
"L-luh-"
Dumbledore leaned closer.
"Levitate..."
Dumbledore grabbed Harry by the sides of his head. "Together."
Harry took a deep breath-
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"
"Ah-" Voldemort managed,before he rose into the air. "Cr-"
As he spoke,he dropped his wand."-ucio."
His wand landed on edge.
It began to fall in his direction.
He reached out to it. It was so close,just out of the reach of his
fingertips.
"You want this?"
Harry stood in front of him now. He showed the wand to Voldemort.
Then he tossed it into the street. It disappeared down a sewer grate.
Voldemort fell; his legs went out from under him.
"Go get it," Harry said. "And get out of my head."
Harry opened his eyes. "Wow," he said.
"Harry?"
"I'm all right," he said. He threw his arms around Dumbledore just
as Dumbledore was reaching for him. They sat like that for awhile.
Dumbledore broke the silence after awhile.
"You know,the night isn't over yet," he said. "If something does
happen out there,I would hate to miss it."
He held onto the warm old wizard for another moment.
"Let's go," Harry said. "Will you tell another story?"
"I certainly will," he said.
Together,they went back outside.