Chapter 15
"Meeting with Howe"
Professor Grenich turned around quickly, "Lyndia!" she said, "I was just - well, the girls wanted to -,"
"We need to talk to you, Headmistress!" Rory said, as she and Tabitha rushed past Grenich and over to Howe.
"Calm down, girls," Howe said, raising a hand and both girls fell silent, "Now what's this all about?"
"This," Professor Grenich said, handing the Headmistress the letter.
Headmistress Howe read it over, brow furrowing in thought. She looked up over the girls and exchanged worried looks with Professor Grenich.
"We're worried, Headmistress," Tabitha said in a small voice.
Howe gave a tiny smile and said, "I'm sorry girls.this is beyond your control."
Tabitha and Rory started to protest, but Headmistress Howe firmly stated. "It is out of your hands, and into the hands of those who will take care of the situation. Don't fret yourselves over it."
With a look of disbelief, Tabitha shut her mouth.
Rory stomped her foot defiantly, blue-gray eyes flaring, "This is family! This is friends! There's something seriously wrong going on over there! How can you expect us to just sit by and watch it happen?!"
Headmistress Howe stood firm, "I'm sorry."
Tabitha touched Rory's arm lightly, giving her a look that made her shut her mouth almost immediately. Professor Grenich ushered the girls out of the office, and once out in the hallway, scolded them, "You shouldn't have argued with the Headmistress, you're lucky Swiftwing didn't have any points deducted." Professor Grenich then turned and walked back into the office.
Howe was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, head resting on her folded hands. Grenich came up behind her slowly, "You know what they're going to do."
"Yes," Howe said, not looking away from the dancing flames, "Can you blame them?"
"Well, no but they should no better than to -," Grenich began. Howe cut her off, "-Do the same thing you or I would have done in their position?" Grenich fell silent, sitting down in one of the easy chairs and picking up her mug of coffee. "I'd better go contact Albus," Howe said, "He'll need to be expecting them - just in case they get into trouble on the way."
With that, she got up and left the room, through the door at the far side.
Professor Grenich sighed, put her mug back down on the table, and put her face in her hands.
* * *
Alone in the empty corridor, the two girls walked slowly back towards their dorm. After a moment of silence, Rory turned to Tabitha, "What happened to standing up?"
"Why bother?" Tabitha said lightly as they walked.
"Because it's your cousin's life and our friend's lives on the line -," Rory started.
Tabitha shushed her friend, "We're still going to go, and we just don't have our beloved Headmistress's approval or help," she said.
Rory grinned, "Knew you wouldn't give up so easily."
Tabitha forced a smile, "Sure you didn't."
"Well let's get packed, it's a long trip to Hogwarts." Rory said.
Tabitha nodded in agreement and the two quickly hurried to Swiftwing's dormitories. The red glow of the setting sun shone in through the tall windows that lined the halls, making their long shadows dance across the walls as they ran.
Professor Grenich turned around quickly, "Lyndia!" she said, "I was just - well, the girls wanted to -,"
"We need to talk to you, Headmistress!" Rory said, as she and Tabitha rushed past Grenich and over to Howe.
"Calm down, girls," Howe said, raising a hand and both girls fell silent, "Now what's this all about?"
"This," Professor Grenich said, handing the Headmistress the letter.
Headmistress Howe read it over, brow furrowing in thought. She looked up over the girls and exchanged worried looks with Professor Grenich.
"We're worried, Headmistress," Tabitha said in a small voice.
Howe gave a tiny smile and said, "I'm sorry girls.this is beyond your control."
Tabitha and Rory started to protest, but Headmistress Howe firmly stated. "It is out of your hands, and into the hands of those who will take care of the situation. Don't fret yourselves over it."
With a look of disbelief, Tabitha shut her mouth.
Rory stomped her foot defiantly, blue-gray eyes flaring, "This is family! This is friends! There's something seriously wrong going on over there! How can you expect us to just sit by and watch it happen?!"
Headmistress Howe stood firm, "I'm sorry."
Tabitha touched Rory's arm lightly, giving her a look that made her shut her mouth almost immediately. Professor Grenich ushered the girls out of the office, and once out in the hallway, scolded them, "You shouldn't have argued with the Headmistress, you're lucky Swiftwing didn't have any points deducted." Professor Grenich then turned and walked back into the office.
Howe was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, head resting on her folded hands. Grenich came up behind her slowly, "You know what they're going to do."
"Yes," Howe said, not looking away from the dancing flames, "Can you blame them?"
"Well, no but they should no better than to -," Grenich began. Howe cut her off, "-Do the same thing you or I would have done in their position?" Grenich fell silent, sitting down in one of the easy chairs and picking up her mug of coffee. "I'd better go contact Albus," Howe said, "He'll need to be expecting them - just in case they get into trouble on the way."
With that, she got up and left the room, through the door at the far side.
Professor Grenich sighed, put her mug back down on the table, and put her face in her hands.
* * *
Alone in the empty corridor, the two girls walked slowly back towards their dorm. After a moment of silence, Rory turned to Tabitha, "What happened to standing up?"
"Why bother?" Tabitha said lightly as they walked.
"Because it's your cousin's life and our friend's lives on the line -," Rory started.
Tabitha shushed her friend, "We're still going to go, and we just don't have our beloved Headmistress's approval or help," she said.
Rory grinned, "Knew you wouldn't give up so easily."
Tabitha forced a smile, "Sure you didn't."
"Well let's get packed, it's a long trip to Hogwarts." Rory said.
Tabitha nodded in agreement and the two quickly hurried to Swiftwing's dormitories. The red glow of the setting sun shone in through the tall windows that lined the halls, making their long shadows dance across the walls as they ran.