Interesting Conversations
Neville took Anthony through the castle and up to a pair of gargoyles; surprisingly, to Anthony, they talked.
"What's your business with us?" the gruff one on the right said.
"Cut it out and just let us in." Neville said firmly.
"Fine." Said the one on the left. "Go away if you can't tell us your business."
Neville turned to Anthony, angered. "Sorry, your dad's office is more heavily guarded than usual. The teachers have so kindly chipped in to buy Hogwarts another pair for safety." Neville turned back to the gargoyles. "I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm here to let Harry's son in to talk to him. The password is 'Norbert the Ridgeback.'"
Then suddenly the passageway opened and revealed stairs that were slowly spinning their way up.
"Go on up, Anthony." Neville said. "I'll see in class soon enough."
"Er… okay, Nev- Professor Longbottom."
Anthony stepped up on the stairs and was slowly spun up to what seemed to be a waiting room. Anthony was about to knock on the door to his dad's office, but heard voices and chose to listen.
"But Moody," he heard his dad say, sounding surprised. "It just can't be. Voldemort is still in hiding with his fellow Death Eaters. We brought them down years ago."
"It's true." Said a gruff voice. "He killed a few muggles yesterday."
"Wait, Moody," said a third voice. This one was a soft, kind, and male's voice. "How do you know that? Maybe it was just an accident like Fudge was saying."
"An accident with the Dark Mark so coincidently above it?" Moody growled, the gruff voice. "Lupin, Potter, I swear on my life that the Dark Mark was there. Maybe you should ask Fudge, he saw it too…"
"He's in The Order, why didn't he tell me? Lives could be in danger." Anthony heard his father growl.
"Calm yourself, Harry…" said the more pleasant voice, Lupin's.
"Potter, what could we do, send an owl here with the fact that most of our owls get intercepted? That's why were here now, to tell you to be careful. Your love for playing the hero still is in you…"
Anthony heard someone, probably his father, pound on a desk.
"Moody…" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "Never, ever say that again. You know I'm sorry. You know I wish that never happened." Harry's voice cracked. "I just cared for him."
"We know, Harry." Lupin whispered. "It wasn't your fault. Snape should have never quit your Occlumency lessons. And like Dumbledore said to you long ago; it was partially his fault too."
"No." Harry whispered. "It was mine."
"Potter, Lupin, I'm sorry to intrude on your little chat, but a little youngster's waiting outside."
Anthony gasped. How did he know? The door swung open revealing a large room with many portraits. A fire was burning brightly in the corner and a large bird was sitting on Harry's desk. A man with shoulder-length, brown hair walked out.
"Hello. You must be Anthony?" he said, wringing Anthony's hand. "You're a image of your dad and James, you know? I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you, Anthony."
"And I," said a gruff voice behind them. "am Alastor Moody. People call me Mad-Eye Moody, though." Anthony gasped. Moody had a huge, electric- blue eye that didn't match his other black one. A huge chunk of his nose was missing also.
"So," Lupin interrupted. "Alastor, let's get back to work."
"Right." Moody growled. "Well, see you, Potter." With that Lupin and Moody went from the room.
"Anthony…" Harry said pleasantly. Anthony wheeled around to face him.
"Er…hey, dad. Why did you want me to see you?"
Harry smiled. "I just wanted to talk, son." He motioned for Anthony to sit down in the chair across from him. Anthony quickly crossed the room and sat down, facing his father.
"Um… is this about me being in Hufflepuff?" Anthony ventured out. Harry laughed.
"No, but if you want to talk to me about it for some reason, that's fine. But, you better talk to me about it later. Anthony, I wanted to tell you something. Dark times are coming again." Anthony looked in to his father's face and on to his scar. "But this time we're going to rise to meet it. Anthony, I want you to be extremely careful this year."
"But, Dad, what's wrong?" Anthony asked, seeing a grave look on his father's face. "Is it Voldemort?"
Harry frowned. "That I can not tell you. Just stay quiet and try to blend in, alright?"
"Why?" asked Anthony. "Dad, what's the matter with you?" Harry was looking scared.
"Nothing." he said, gazing at his son. "Just do what I say, you understand?" Anthony nodded, but didn't comprehend. "So, what was it about Hufflepuff?"
"Um…nothing." said Anthony, but gave in to his father's puzzled look. "Well, I was just wondering if you're, well, ashamed that I got in there instead of Gryffindor."
Harry laughed. "No! Anthony, I'll always be proud of you."
Anthony let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's what Sniffles-no, that wasn't it- Snukkles-no-Snuffles told me you wouldn't care."
Harry gasped. "Who?"
Anthony explained to Harry about his dream, how 'Snuffles' had been proud of Harry and all.
"Who's Snuffles, Dad?" Harry was pale and looked alarmed.
"No one." He finally said. "He's just a character in your dream…"
Anthony wasn't convinced, but at that moment a high bell rang out.
"Oh no!" Anthony exclaimed. "I'm late for class!"
The two bid each other a farewell and Anthony hurried out the door.
Neville took Anthony through the castle and up to a pair of gargoyles; surprisingly, to Anthony, they talked.
"What's your business with us?" the gruff one on the right said.
"Cut it out and just let us in." Neville said firmly.
"Fine." Said the one on the left. "Go away if you can't tell us your business."
Neville turned to Anthony, angered. "Sorry, your dad's office is more heavily guarded than usual. The teachers have so kindly chipped in to buy Hogwarts another pair for safety." Neville turned back to the gargoyles. "I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm here to let Harry's son in to talk to him. The password is 'Norbert the Ridgeback.'"
Then suddenly the passageway opened and revealed stairs that were slowly spinning their way up.
"Go on up, Anthony." Neville said. "I'll see in class soon enough."
"Er… okay, Nev- Professor Longbottom."
Anthony stepped up on the stairs and was slowly spun up to what seemed to be a waiting room. Anthony was about to knock on the door to his dad's office, but heard voices and chose to listen.
"But Moody," he heard his dad say, sounding surprised. "It just can't be. Voldemort is still in hiding with his fellow Death Eaters. We brought them down years ago."
"It's true." Said a gruff voice. "He killed a few muggles yesterday."
"Wait, Moody," said a third voice. This one was a soft, kind, and male's voice. "How do you know that? Maybe it was just an accident like Fudge was saying."
"An accident with the Dark Mark so coincidently above it?" Moody growled, the gruff voice. "Lupin, Potter, I swear on my life that the Dark Mark was there. Maybe you should ask Fudge, he saw it too…"
"He's in The Order, why didn't he tell me? Lives could be in danger." Anthony heard his father growl.
"Calm yourself, Harry…" said the more pleasant voice, Lupin's.
"Potter, what could we do, send an owl here with the fact that most of our owls get intercepted? That's why were here now, to tell you to be careful. Your love for playing the hero still is in you…"
Anthony heard someone, probably his father, pound on a desk.
"Moody…" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "Never, ever say that again. You know I'm sorry. You know I wish that never happened." Harry's voice cracked. "I just cared for him."
"We know, Harry." Lupin whispered. "It wasn't your fault. Snape should have never quit your Occlumency lessons. And like Dumbledore said to you long ago; it was partially his fault too."
"No." Harry whispered. "It was mine."
"Potter, Lupin, I'm sorry to intrude on your little chat, but a little youngster's waiting outside."
Anthony gasped. How did he know? The door swung open revealing a large room with many portraits. A fire was burning brightly in the corner and a large bird was sitting on Harry's desk. A man with shoulder-length, brown hair walked out.
"Hello. You must be Anthony?" he said, wringing Anthony's hand. "You're a image of your dad and James, you know? I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you, Anthony."
"And I," said a gruff voice behind them. "am Alastor Moody. People call me Mad-Eye Moody, though." Anthony gasped. Moody had a huge, electric- blue eye that didn't match his other black one. A huge chunk of his nose was missing also.
"So," Lupin interrupted. "Alastor, let's get back to work."
"Right." Moody growled. "Well, see you, Potter." With that Lupin and Moody went from the room.
"Anthony…" Harry said pleasantly. Anthony wheeled around to face him.
"Er…hey, dad. Why did you want me to see you?"
Harry smiled. "I just wanted to talk, son." He motioned for Anthony to sit down in the chair across from him. Anthony quickly crossed the room and sat down, facing his father.
"Um… is this about me being in Hufflepuff?" Anthony ventured out. Harry laughed.
"No, but if you want to talk to me about it for some reason, that's fine. But, you better talk to me about it later. Anthony, I wanted to tell you something. Dark times are coming again." Anthony looked in to his father's face and on to his scar. "But this time we're going to rise to meet it. Anthony, I want you to be extremely careful this year."
"But, Dad, what's wrong?" Anthony asked, seeing a grave look on his father's face. "Is it Voldemort?"
Harry frowned. "That I can not tell you. Just stay quiet and try to blend in, alright?"
"Why?" asked Anthony. "Dad, what's the matter with you?" Harry was looking scared.
"Nothing." he said, gazing at his son. "Just do what I say, you understand?" Anthony nodded, but didn't comprehend. "So, what was it about Hufflepuff?"
"Um…nothing." said Anthony, but gave in to his father's puzzled look. "Well, I was just wondering if you're, well, ashamed that I got in there instead of Gryffindor."
Harry laughed. "No! Anthony, I'll always be proud of you."
Anthony let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's what Sniffles-no, that wasn't it- Snukkles-no-Snuffles told me you wouldn't care."
Harry gasped. "Who?"
Anthony explained to Harry about his dream, how 'Snuffles' had been proud of Harry and all.
"Who's Snuffles, Dad?" Harry was pale and looked alarmed.
"No one." He finally said. "He's just a character in your dream…"
Anthony wasn't convinced, but at that moment a high bell rang out.
"Oh no!" Anthony exclaimed. "I'm late for class!"
The two bid each other a farewell and Anthony hurried out the door.