Aberforth Dumbledore stood in the office's waiting room. He was too
nervous to sit down. He felt so dirty in the sparkling clean room with
it's dated magazines scattered artistically around the tables. They didn't
bother to tell him why he was there. When they came and got him they
didn't even give him enough time to change. He was still wearing his
overalls from working in Farmer Brown's barn. He suspected that Mrs. Brown
had called them. That lady never did like him.
"Mr. Dumbledore, you are free to go in now," the receptionist said, looking up from her desk. Aberforth wondered how she knew this. He hadn't seen anyone come in, and there wasn't anything on the desk for informing purposes.]
"Go in now," she repeated. Aberforth gulped and opened the door. The corridor beyond it seemed to stretch as far as he could see. There were hallways turning from it to suggest beyond that door was a maze. Aberforth never did like mazes. He didn't even like those paper mazes on the kiddie menus at restaurants.
"Where do I go?" he finally asked, looking at the receptionist. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn't like these Hill-Billy kids. Nothing but a nuisance.
"Go down the hall until you get to the water fountain. Take a left. You'll pass a Women's Bathroom. Before you get to the Men's Bathroom turn right. Third door down should have a sign that says "Do Not Enter." Do NOT go into the room. Keep going. There should be a security guard who will ask you for your badge. Tell him you are going to see Annie Silae about account G-Zero. He should let you pass. Further down the hall you'll see a door marked "I.T.I. Office." Don't enter that one. Go into the office to the LEFT. Not to the Right. Go to the LEFT. There you should find Annie Silae. And she'll tell you what you're here for."
Aberforth stared at her before gulping again and stepping into the hall. The large door closed behind him with a loud thud.
Slowly he walked down the hall, reciting the instructions the lady had given him. He got to the water fountain and stopped. Holding out his hands he checked to see which one made a 'L'. Turning Left, he kept walking until he passed the girl's bathroom. Pausing, he was tempted to see what it looked like on the inside but instead he turned right (after checking his hands). He passed a couple of doors that had signs on them. This was one of those times he wished he knew how to read. After a while of walking he saw a man he hoped was the security guard.
"Hello. I'm trying to find Anie Silae," he told him. The man grinned.
"Aren't we all?" he said with a laugh before passing Aberforth and continuing down the hall.
"I guess he wasn't the security guard," Aberforth said with a shrug. Going a bit further he was stopped by a man in uniform.
"Where are you going boy?" he asked, stepping to block the hallway, preventing Aberforth from getting any fruther.
"I... I..." Aberforth stammered, trying to remember what the lady had told him to say. The guard narrowed his eyes and Aberforth wondered if he knew what had happened in the barn. Aberforth thought no one knew. Mrs. Brown couldn't have known. So there was no reason the security guard would have known.
But Aberforth's heart still raced and he couldn't slow down his breath.
"Are you that Aberforth fellow?" the guard asked. All Aberforth could do was nod.
"Come on. Annie is waiting for ya," he told him. He turned and Aberforth followed.
"Here you go." The guard stopped and stood next to a door. Slowly Aberforth turned the knob and stepped into the room.
"Hello Aberforth," a woman said. She was smiling pleasantly but Aberforth still felt nervous.
"Please, sit down," she told him.
Finally it was all too much for him.
"I didn't do it. Nobody saw me. You can't prove it. The goats are lying," Aberforth finally blurted out.
Annie just stared at him for a moment.
"We only called you in here to say you won that 'Guess The Flobberworm's Weight' contest at the fair last week."
"Mr. Dumbledore, you are free to go in now," the receptionist said, looking up from her desk. Aberforth wondered how she knew this. He hadn't seen anyone come in, and there wasn't anything on the desk for informing purposes.]
"Go in now," she repeated. Aberforth gulped and opened the door. The corridor beyond it seemed to stretch as far as he could see. There were hallways turning from it to suggest beyond that door was a maze. Aberforth never did like mazes. He didn't even like those paper mazes on the kiddie menus at restaurants.
"Where do I go?" he finally asked, looking at the receptionist. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn't like these Hill-Billy kids. Nothing but a nuisance.
"Go down the hall until you get to the water fountain. Take a left. You'll pass a Women's Bathroom. Before you get to the Men's Bathroom turn right. Third door down should have a sign that says "Do Not Enter." Do NOT go into the room. Keep going. There should be a security guard who will ask you for your badge. Tell him you are going to see Annie Silae about account G-Zero. He should let you pass. Further down the hall you'll see a door marked "I.T.I. Office." Don't enter that one. Go into the office to the LEFT. Not to the Right. Go to the LEFT. There you should find Annie Silae. And she'll tell you what you're here for."
Aberforth stared at her before gulping again and stepping into the hall. The large door closed behind him with a loud thud.
Slowly he walked down the hall, reciting the instructions the lady had given him. He got to the water fountain and stopped. Holding out his hands he checked to see which one made a 'L'. Turning Left, he kept walking until he passed the girl's bathroom. Pausing, he was tempted to see what it looked like on the inside but instead he turned right (after checking his hands). He passed a couple of doors that had signs on them. This was one of those times he wished he knew how to read. After a while of walking he saw a man he hoped was the security guard.
"Hello. I'm trying to find Anie Silae," he told him. The man grinned.
"Aren't we all?" he said with a laugh before passing Aberforth and continuing down the hall.
"I guess he wasn't the security guard," Aberforth said with a shrug. Going a bit further he was stopped by a man in uniform.
"Where are you going boy?" he asked, stepping to block the hallway, preventing Aberforth from getting any fruther.
"I... I..." Aberforth stammered, trying to remember what the lady had told him to say. The guard narrowed his eyes and Aberforth wondered if he knew what had happened in the barn. Aberforth thought no one knew. Mrs. Brown couldn't have known. So there was no reason the security guard would have known.
But Aberforth's heart still raced and he couldn't slow down his breath.
"Are you that Aberforth fellow?" the guard asked. All Aberforth could do was nod.
"Come on. Annie is waiting for ya," he told him. He turned and Aberforth followed.
"Here you go." The guard stopped and stood next to a door. Slowly Aberforth turned the knob and stepped into the room.
"Hello Aberforth," a woman said. She was smiling pleasantly but Aberforth still felt nervous.
"Please, sit down," she told him.
Finally it was all too much for him.
"I didn't do it. Nobody saw me. You can't prove it. The goats are lying," Aberforth finally blurted out.
Annie just stared at him for a moment.
"We only called you in here to say you won that 'Guess The Flobberworm's Weight' contest at the fair last week."