Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and
McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young
Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me.
The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.
Chapter 10: The Broomstick Ride
"Sorry to interrupt but don't you two think that it is time to go now?" Peter asked as he wiped a table.
Dumbledore and Minerva stopped chatting and looked up. Dumbledore took out his pocket watch and he and Minerva looked at it.
"10.30 pm?!" They exclaimed.
"We are supposed to get back to Hogwarts 4 and a half hours ago!" Minerva groaned. "Now the main doors are locked and all the students and teachers must have gone to bed! Albus, what are we going to do?"
Dumbledore didn't respond.
"You two can apparate." Peter suggested.
"I have not learned that yet." Minerva said gloomily.
"I know how to apparate but I can't just leave Minerva behind. Besides, you can't just apparate into Hogwarts, the security of the castle itself is pretty tight." Dumbledore protested and thought deeply. "I know! Don and William told me about a secret tunnel outside the castle, it leads to the portrait outside the common room. If we can get to it, we can get back to the common room without being seen by any teachers."
"Great!" Minerva said but then Dumbledore's next sentence disappointed her.
"The problem is, the secret tunnel is at the other side of the lake. We have to think of a way to get there." Dumbledore said.
"Why don't you two just fly over?" Peter asked.
Minerva and Dumbledore looked at him. "Fly?"
"Yeah, my dad has a broomstick that he can lend, you two can fly over the lake by using it."
"Great!" Minerva clapped her hands in delight.
"I will go and ask my dad." Peter said and ran off.
"Isn't this wonderful, Albus? We can get back to Hogwarts without being seen!" Minerva said happily.
Dumbledore didn't respond.
"Here you go." Peter said as he handed over the broomstick to Dumbledore at the Three Broomsticks' entrance. "The model is Tinderblast. I know it is not as fast as the Comet or Cleansweep models, but at least it can bring you two back to Hogwarts."
"Thanks." Minerva said happily as she and Dumbledore mounted the broom.
"No problem. Just remember to bring it back next time when you come to Hogsmeade. Goodbye!" Peter said and went back to the pub.
"Minerva? Do you know how to ride a broomstick?" Dumbledore asked, clutching the broomstick tightly.
"Not really. I was so mad at Snape that I can't concentrate." Minerva admitted.
"Uh oh."
"What's wrong?" Minerva asked in concern.
"Hold on tight, Minerva." Dumbledore said seriously.
Minerva put her arms around Dumbledore's waist tightly. "Albus, what's wrong?"
"I don't want you to die." Dumbledore said.
"What are you talking about?" Minerva asked in shock.
"I haven't ride a broomstick since my 1st year." Dumbledore admitted.
"And that was..." Minerva asked slowly.
"5 years ago, I hope I can still remember how to fly one. Do you know how to swim?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yeah..." Minerva answered.
"Good, because if something goes wrong, we may ended up in the lake with the giant squid."
Minerva went pale.
"Hmmm. Let's see...if I remember correctly, Professor Hawkshead told us that we need to kick off from the ground to get started..." Dumbledore said to himself and he kicked off the ground. "Aha! I got it!"
The broom shot forward.
"Oops! I think I have kicked off too hard!" Dumbledore shouted.
"SLOW DOWN!" Minerva screamed.
"I can't! I can't remember how! And I can't remember how to stop it either!" Dumbledore responded in panic.
Minerva looked down; Hogsmeade is now nothing but just a small land with lights. Minerva held on to Dumbledore tighter. "We are going to die." She thought.
"ALBUS, WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!!!" Minerva screamed.
Dumbledore reacted by swerved the broomstick to his right to avoid the tall tree.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Minerva shrieked as Dumbledore swerved the broom.
"Look, there's the lake!" Dumbledore said excitedly. But then he said, "Now to settle two more problems, slowing down and stopping."
As they flew over the dark lake, Minerva looked down. "I should have written my will before we mount this broom. I wonder if the water is cold." She thought.
"Hey, Minerva, I remember how to descend now." Dumbledore said, turning his head to look at her.
"LOOK IN FRONT WHILE YOU ARE RIDING THE BROOMSTICK!" Minerva screamed in panic.
Dumbledore turned his attention to his "driving". He soon descended.
"Thank Goodness!" Minerva said but then she remembered something. If Dumbledore didn't know how to slow down and stop a broomstick while he was riding, then...
"Albus, how did we get ourselves off the broom?"
"We have no choice but to jump." Dumbledore said as they sailed towards the end of the lake.
"WHAT?" Minerva exclaimed.
"All right, we are almost there, on the count of 3, jump off the broom, 1..2...3!" Dumbledore yelled and both of them jumped off the broom.
The broom shot towards a short tree and crashed into the tree's branches. Minerva and Dumbledore, however, landed on the ground hard. Minerva felt that the firm ground had tore her hand open and a stinging pain spread over her palm. She rolled over, clutched her hand tightly. Dumbledore sat up, rolled up his sleeve and a leg of his trousers and examined the deep cuts on his arm and his kneecap.
"Minerva? Minerva!! Are you all right?!" He asked and stared her injured hand. "Uh oh. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I should have thought of another way to get here..." He stopped after he saw Minerva's horrified face at his cuts.
"Never mind about me! Albus, how's your arm and knee?" Minerva asked, ignoring her hand.
"They hurts, but..."
"We..we need to get back to the common room, immediately!" She said in panic.
"The common room? I thought we are supposed to get to the hospital wing. I know that we will be questioned about our injuries but..."
"No, Poppy!"
"Poppy Pomfrey? What about her?"
"She can heal us!"
Dumbledore looked at her as if she had gone mad.
"But she is not a nurse!"
"But she knows how to deal with us! She has chocolates, and the right potions to put us right! Where's the secret tunnel?"
Dumbledore stopped questioning. They helped each other up and Dumbledore led her to the secret tunnel. (He left the broomstick at the tree first and decided to go back for it the first thing tomorrow) They stopped in front of the castle wall and Dumbledore limped around, looking at the grass. He took out his wand.
"Lumos. (Flames comes out of his wand) I know it is here somewhere...Ah!" He kneeled down and caught hold of a small rusty iron ring. He pulled the ring with his hand and the ground in front of the wall disappeared into a square opening with stairs made of flat stones in it.
"Ladies first." He smiled weakly, rubbing his bleeding kneecap painfully.
Minerva looked at him; it hurts her to see him like that. "I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and ended up looking as if we got attacked by the Doxy or a dra.."
"Go on." Dumbledore smiled again, this time his smile seemed to be weaker than the last one.
Minerva went down the opening and Dumbledore followed, closing the trapdoor behind him. He caught hold of Minerva's hand and they went down the tunnel. They stopped when they saw a flight of stairs leading upwards.
Dumbledore mumbled something that sounded like "my poor kneecap". "Come on. We are reaching there." He said and climbed slowly on the stairs.
Minerva followed and stopped behind Dumbledore when he stopped. He reached out, felt something above him, pushed and opened the trapdoor.
"Nox." He whispered and the fire on his wand went out. He poked his head out of the opening. "The coast is clear, Minerva." He said and climbed out.
"Eek!" A tiny scream came to Dumbledore's ears when he helped Minerva out. He turned around and saw the Fat Lady with her face pale with shock.
"Oh, it's you! I thought it is Professor Adara." Dumbledore said in relief. He stood up and closed the trapdoor.
"What happened to you two?" The Fat Lady asked, looking at the tears on Dumbledore's clothes and Minerva's messy hair and her injured hand.
"Never mind about us, the password is Chizpurfle." Dumbledore said weakly.
The portrait swung forward and they climbed into the common room. Instead of an empty dark common room, all their friends greeted them as if they had come back from the warfront.
"What happened?"
"I thought we left you at the Three Broomsticks, not the Sahara Desert. What took you two so long to come back?"
"We are so worried about you two! We are planning to get Professor Isidis but you two don't come back in the morning.."
"Poppy, where's Poppy?" Minerva asked.
"Here." Poppy answered.
"Get some potions for Albus, quick!" Minerva said, tears almost coming out of her eyes.
"Us! Don't forget about your hand, Minerva!" Dumbledore corrected.
Madeline and Poppy gasped at their injuries and Poppy ran to the girls' dormitories. Poppy came back with her wand, a bottle of purple potion and some cotton wool.
"Heal Minerva first...." Dumbledore said.
"This is no time to be a gentleman, Albus, sit down on the chair and let Poppy look at you." Minerva ordered.
"But..." Dumbledore protested.
"SIT." Minerva said firmly.
Dumbledore sat down. All the students gaped at his kneecap, which was covered in red. Poppy stared at it closely. "There might be a scar, Dumbledore." She said finally.
"Whatever. Just heal it and get to Minerva." Dumbledore said impatiently.
Poppy cleaned Dumbledore's blood away from his skin with her cotton wool, (Dumbledore bite his lip) cleaned the cut with a dab of the purple potion which smoked and stung. She poked his kneecap with her wand and Dumbledore felt it heal instantly.
And it did, the cut disappeared, leaving a scar that looked a bit like the London underground map.
"Cool scar." Wood said in awe.
"Why didn't you give us that when we fought with the Slytherins?" William asked.
"Oh please! Those bruises that you boys got can't compare to Minerva and Dumbledore's injuries." Poppy snapped.
"Where did you learn that from, Poppy?" Minerva asked.
"I didn't learn it, I invented it." Poppy smiled. "Now for your arm, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore stretched out his arm and Poppy did the same thing to his arm. He stared at his arm as the cuts disappeared without a trance behind.
"Thanks, now heal Minerva please." Dumbledore said.
"You don't have to tell me that." Poppy rolled her eyes and turned to Minerva. "Show me your hand."
Minerva showed her hand to Poppy, which was also covered in red. Poppy did the same thing and the cut healed itself quickly.
"Thanks. You're great." Minerva smiled.
"Now wait here." Poppy said and ran off again. She came back with two bars of chocolate. She gave Dumbledore and Minerva one each. "Eat." She said shortly.
Dumbledore took a bite off his chocolate when Wood asked: "How did you two get back here?"
"Secret tunnel near the lake." Dumbledore answered.
"How did you two get to the lake?" Nicholas asked.
"By riding a broomstick."
"But Albus, you haven't ridden a broomstick for about 5 years!" William exclaimed.
"I know. At least Minerva and I didn't fall into the lake." Dumbledore replied.
"Where did you get the broomstick from?" Don asked.
"All right, enough questions, these two need rest." The Head Boy said, shooing all the students except Dumbledore and Minerva back to their dormitories.
The Head Boy greeted Dumbledore and Minerva goodnight and went back to the Boys' Dormitories.
Minerva looked at Dumbledore, who was staring at his kneecap with interest.
"Albus, I'm sorry, I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and you have to ride the broomsticks and hurt yourself.."
Dumbledore looked up. "No, it's my fault, I should have thought of another way to come back here. I should have told Peter that my riding skills are rusty."
"No, it's my fault!" Minerva insisted.
"No, it's..." Dumbledore stopped and smiled. "All right, so we blamed ourselves. If you accept my apology and I accept yours, we can forget this whole thing."
"Fine." Minerva said and smiled. "Sorry."
"Sorry." Dumbledore said and stood up. "Let's get back to our own dormitories."
Minerva nodded. "Goodnight."
Dumbledore smiled. "Goodnight." He paused for a while. He looked as if he wanted to do something but then he caught himself.
"Well...goodnight then, sweet dreams." He smiled again and walked back to the Boys' Dormitories.
Chapter 10: The Broomstick Ride
"Sorry to interrupt but don't you two think that it is time to go now?" Peter asked as he wiped a table.
Dumbledore and Minerva stopped chatting and looked up. Dumbledore took out his pocket watch and he and Minerva looked at it.
"10.30 pm?!" They exclaimed.
"We are supposed to get back to Hogwarts 4 and a half hours ago!" Minerva groaned. "Now the main doors are locked and all the students and teachers must have gone to bed! Albus, what are we going to do?"
Dumbledore didn't respond.
"You two can apparate." Peter suggested.
"I have not learned that yet." Minerva said gloomily.
"I know how to apparate but I can't just leave Minerva behind. Besides, you can't just apparate into Hogwarts, the security of the castle itself is pretty tight." Dumbledore protested and thought deeply. "I know! Don and William told me about a secret tunnel outside the castle, it leads to the portrait outside the common room. If we can get to it, we can get back to the common room without being seen by any teachers."
"Great!" Minerva said but then Dumbledore's next sentence disappointed her.
"The problem is, the secret tunnel is at the other side of the lake. We have to think of a way to get there." Dumbledore said.
"Why don't you two just fly over?" Peter asked.
Minerva and Dumbledore looked at him. "Fly?"
"Yeah, my dad has a broomstick that he can lend, you two can fly over the lake by using it."
"Great!" Minerva clapped her hands in delight.
"I will go and ask my dad." Peter said and ran off.
"Isn't this wonderful, Albus? We can get back to Hogwarts without being seen!" Minerva said happily.
Dumbledore didn't respond.
"Here you go." Peter said as he handed over the broomstick to Dumbledore at the Three Broomsticks' entrance. "The model is Tinderblast. I know it is not as fast as the Comet or Cleansweep models, but at least it can bring you two back to Hogwarts."
"Thanks." Minerva said happily as she and Dumbledore mounted the broom.
"No problem. Just remember to bring it back next time when you come to Hogsmeade. Goodbye!" Peter said and went back to the pub.
"Minerva? Do you know how to ride a broomstick?" Dumbledore asked, clutching the broomstick tightly.
"Not really. I was so mad at Snape that I can't concentrate." Minerva admitted.
"Uh oh."
"What's wrong?" Minerva asked in concern.
"Hold on tight, Minerva." Dumbledore said seriously.
Minerva put her arms around Dumbledore's waist tightly. "Albus, what's wrong?"
"I don't want you to die." Dumbledore said.
"What are you talking about?" Minerva asked in shock.
"I haven't ride a broomstick since my 1st year." Dumbledore admitted.
"And that was..." Minerva asked slowly.
"5 years ago, I hope I can still remember how to fly one. Do you know how to swim?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yeah..." Minerva answered.
"Good, because if something goes wrong, we may ended up in the lake with the giant squid."
Minerva went pale.
"Hmmm. Let's see...if I remember correctly, Professor Hawkshead told us that we need to kick off from the ground to get started..." Dumbledore said to himself and he kicked off the ground. "Aha! I got it!"
The broom shot forward.
"Oops! I think I have kicked off too hard!" Dumbledore shouted.
"SLOW DOWN!" Minerva screamed.
"I can't! I can't remember how! And I can't remember how to stop it either!" Dumbledore responded in panic.
Minerva looked down; Hogsmeade is now nothing but just a small land with lights. Minerva held on to Dumbledore tighter. "We are going to die." She thought.
"ALBUS, WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!!!" Minerva screamed.
Dumbledore reacted by swerved the broomstick to his right to avoid the tall tree.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Minerva shrieked as Dumbledore swerved the broom.
"Look, there's the lake!" Dumbledore said excitedly. But then he said, "Now to settle two more problems, slowing down and stopping."
As they flew over the dark lake, Minerva looked down. "I should have written my will before we mount this broom. I wonder if the water is cold." She thought.
"Hey, Minerva, I remember how to descend now." Dumbledore said, turning his head to look at her.
"LOOK IN FRONT WHILE YOU ARE RIDING THE BROOMSTICK!" Minerva screamed in panic.
Dumbledore turned his attention to his "driving". He soon descended.
"Thank Goodness!" Minerva said but then she remembered something. If Dumbledore didn't know how to slow down and stop a broomstick while he was riding, then...
"Albus, how did we get ourselves off the broom?"
"We have no choice but to jump." Dumbledore said as they sailed towards the end of the lake.
"WHAT?" Minerva exclaimed.
"All right, we are almost there, on the count of 3, jump off the broom, 1..2...3!" Dumbledore yelled and both of them jumped off the broom.
The broom shot towards a short tree and crashed into the tree's branches. Minerva and Dumbledore, however, landed on the ground hard. Minerva felt that the firm ground had tore her hand open and a stinging pain spread over her palm. She rolled over, clutched her hand tightly. Dumbledore sat up, rolled up his sleeve and a leg of his trousers and examined the deep cuts on his arm and his kneecap.
"Minerva? Minerva!! Are you all right?!" He asked and stared her injured hand. "Uh oh. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I should have thought of another way to get here..." He stopped after he saw Minerva's horrified face at his cuts.
"Never mind about me! Albus, how's your arm and knee?" Minerva asked, ignoring her hand.
"They hurts, but..."
"We..we need to get back to the common room, immediately!" She said in panic.
"The common room? I thought we are supposed to get to the hospital wing. I know that we will be questioned about our injuries but..."
"No, Poppy!"
"Poppy Pomfrey? What about her?"
"She can heal us!"
Dumbledore looked at her as if she had gone mad.
"But she is not a nurse!"
"But she knows how to deal with us! She has chocolates, and the right potions to put us right! Where's the secret tunnel?"
Dumbledore stopped questioning. They helped each other up and Dumbledore led her to the secret tunnel. (He left the broomstick at the tree first and decided to go back for it the first thing tomorrow) They stopped in front of the castle wall and Dumbledore limped around, looking at the grass. He took out his wand.
"Lumos. (Flames comes out of his wand) I know it is here somewhere...Ah!" He kneeled down and caught hold of a small rusty iron ring. He pulled the ring with his hand and the ground in front of the wall disappeared into a square opening with stairs made of flat stones in it.
"Ladies first." He smiled weakly, rubbing his bleeding kneecap painfully.
Minerva looked at him; it hurts her to see him like that. "I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and ended up looking as if we got attacked by the Doxy or a dra.."
"Go on." Dumbledore smiled again, this time his smile seemed to be weaker than the last one.
Minerva went down the opening and Dumbledore followed, closing the trapdoor behind him. He caught hold of Minerva's hand and they went down the tunnel. They stopped when they saw a flight of stairs leading upwards.
Dumbledore mumbled something that sounded like "my poor kneecap". "Come on. We are reaching there." He said and climbed slowly on the stairs.
Minerva followed and stopped behind Dumbledore when he stopped. He reached out, felt something above him, pushed and opened the trapdoor.
"Nox." He whispered and the fire on his wand went out. He poked his head out of the opening. "The coast is clear, Minerva." He said and climbed out.
"Eek!" A tiny scream came to Dumbledore's ears when he helped Minerva out. He turned around and saw the Fat Lady with her face pale with shock.
"Oh, it's you! I thought it is Professor Adara." Dumbledore said in relief. He stood up and closed the trapdoor.
"What happened to you two?" The Fat Lady asked, looking at the tears on Dumbledore's clothes and Minerva's messy hair and her injured hand.
"Never mind about us, the password is Chizpurfle." Dumbledore said weakly.
The portrait swung forward and they climbed into the common room. Instead of an empty dark common room, all their friends greeted them as if they had come back from the warfront.
"What happened?"
"I thought we left you at the Three Broomsticks, not the Sahara Desert. What took you two so long to come back?"
"We are so worried about you two! We are planning to get Professor Isidis but you two don't come back in the morning.."
"Poppy, where's Poppy?" Minerva asked.
"Here." Poppy answered.
"Get some potions for Albus, quick!" Minerva said, tears almost coming out of her eyes.
"Us! Don't forget about your hand, Minerva!" Dumbledore corrected.
Madeline and Poppy gasped at their injuries and Poppy ran to the girls' dormitories. Poppy came back with her wand, a bottle of purple potion and some cotton wool.
"Heal Minerva first...." Dumbledore said.
"This is no time to be a gentleman, Albus, sit down on the chair and let Poppy look at you." Minerva ordered.
"But..." Dumbledore protested.
"SIT." Minerva said firmly.
Dumbledore sat down. All the students gaped at his kneecap, which was covered in red. Poppy stared at it closely. "There might be a scar, Dumbledore." She said finally.
"Whatever. Just heal it and get to Minerva." Dumbledore said impatiently.
Poppy cleaned Dumbledore's blood away from his skin with her cotton wool, (Dumbledore bite his lip) cleaned the cut with a dab of the purple potion which smoked and stung. She poked his kneecap with her wand and Dumbledore felt it heal instantly.
And it did, the cut disappeared, leaving a scar that looked a bit like the London underground map.
"Cool scar." Wood said in awe.
"Why didn't you give us that when we fought with the Slytherins?" William asked.
"Oh please! Those bruises that you boys got can't compare to Minerva and Dumbledore's injuries." Poppy snapped.
"Where did you learn that from, Poppy?" Minerva asked.
"I didn't learn it, I invented it." Poppy smiled. "Now for your arm, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore stretched out his arm and Poppy did the same thing to his arm. He stared at his arm as the cuts disappeared without a trance behind.
"Thanks, now heal Minerva please." Dumbledore said.
"You don't have to tell me that." Poppy rolled her eyes and turned to Minerva. "Show me your hand."
Minerva showed her hand to Poppy, which was also covered in red. Poppy did the same thing and the cut healed itself quickly.
"Thanks. You're great." Minerva smiled.
"Now wait here." Poppy said and ran off again. She came back with two bars of chocolate. She gave Dumbledore and Minerva one each. "Eat." She said shortly.
Dumbledore took a bite off his chocolate when Wood asked: "How did you two get back here?"
"Secret tunnel near the lake." Dumbledore answered.
"How did you two get to the lake?" Nicholas asked.
"By riding a broomstick."
"But Albus, you haven't ridden a broomstick for about 5 years!" William exclaimed.
"I know. At least Minerva and I didn't fall into the lake." Dumbledore replied.
"Where did you get the broomstick from?" Don asked.
"All right, enough questions, these two need rest." The Head Boy said, shooing all the students except Dumbledore and Minerva back to their dormitories.
The Head Boy greeted Dumbledore and Minerva goodnight and went back to the Boys' Dormitories.
Minerva looked at Dumbledore, who was staring at his kneecap with interest.
"Albus, I'm sorry, I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and you have to ride the broomsticks and hurt yourself.."
Dumbledore looked up. "No, it's my fault, I should have thought of another way to come back here. I should have told Peter that my riding skills are rusty."
"No, it's my fault!" Minerva insisted.
"No, it's..." Dumbledore stopped and smiled. "All right, so we blamed ourselves. If you accept my apology and I accept yours, we can forget this whole thing."
"Fine." Minerva said and smiled. "Sorry."
"Sorry." Dumbledore said and stood up. "Let's get back to our own dormitories."
Minerva nodded. "Goodnight."
Dumbledore smiled. "Goodnight." He paused for a while. He looked as if he wanted to do something but then he caught himself.
"Well...goodnight then, sweet dreams." He smiled again and walked back to the Boys' Dormitories.