Episode One Hundred
She was running up the lawns once again, her disheveled hair and untidy appearance hardly a concern in light of the news. She wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her wrinkled khaki pants and straightened out the pale blue t-shirt she'd been wearing for days. She took a deep breath and uttered the last password for Dumbledore's staircase in a hurried tone. The statue leapt out of her way and she was soon whirling to the top.
Harry stood as she entered. "That was quick."
"I was closer than you might have thought." She nodded politely to Dumbledore who was seated as usual, behind his great desk. He nodded in return, looking three times older than he had the last time Gwen had stood across from him. "Big tidings." She said.
"Big changes." Came the familiar voice of her former guardian.
Gwen turned to see Minerva standing in the corner, her arms folded over her chest, her lips pursed. "Sorry I haven't written." She apologized swiftly.
"We can talk later." The older woman said wisely. There was much more important business on hand.
"Your vision has set off quite a chain reaction." Dumbledore said quietly. "It seems that it was a monumental warning. Far be it for me to condone war, but it seemed the only possible answer."
"I've heard that logic before." Gwen said. "Far be it for me to be a fluffy bunny, but I don't think war is the answer either."
"Regardless war is upon us." He replied, looking at her as if he'd never seen her properly before.
She hugged her body tight with her arms, fearing they would shake terribly if she didn't keep them close to her trunk. "So what now?" She asked.
"The Order has been preparing an offensive strategy and our defenses have been strengthened ten fold. I'm certain you are aware that the school may come under attack as a result of all these actions."
She nodded. Harry's letter had said so and she never doubted his word. She hadn't seen him in over four months and the change was amazing. Maybe she hadn't been paying attention before and the change had been something gradual, something you couldn't see from close up. Now that they had been separated for a time she noticed how time had worked its magic. Harry was all grown up looking, mature and standing tall. They had discussed briefly his plans. He intended to go into wizard law and was preparing to go to law school for the spring semester.
His letter had explained: "it's not like normal law school. It's specifically designed around wizard law. I'm looking at another three years of school but then I can preside over official hearings and other such things. I don't know if this is what I saw for myself when I learned I was a wizard, but I think this will be a good thing."
His hair had become no less untidy, but somehow he had grown into it. His eyes still held that infinite sadness locked deep within, but now it seemed to complete the picture of a man, not a boy who could not understand his loss. She hoped he would suffer no more such loss, but being human one's lot is suffering mixed with moments of triumph and joy. She could not guarantee that he would never have to bury another before himself.
She did not voice her thoughts, standing there so still and once again angry. Suffering yes, was a part of life. But why would someone want to cause so much for so many?
She listened on as Dumbledore detailed the so far sketchy plans of the Order and smiled at Minerva as she conceded to Hogwarts becoming the base of operations. Her godmother behaving so scandalously was something she had not expected.
Three hours later and she was holed up in her room again, sending an owl to Ann and one to Graves detailing her new plan of action. Whether or not she agreed, she was needed at Hogwarts and would be helping out her godmother and Harry while she could.
