Chapter 7 – Intervention

            "Oh, dear.  Are you alright, young one?" Professor McGonagall hurried over to Abby, immediately attempting to sort this whole mess out.

            "I…I think so.  Some blond kid just pushed me down and threw all my books down the stairs.  I got lost.  I ended up in the library, and another boy obliviated me, I think.  He then tried to help by giving me directions back to Hufflepuff House, but I took a wrong turn at one of the stairways.  That's when the blond boy pushed me down."

            "You're welcome.  What's your name?  I don't think you ever told me."

            "Abby Bennington, ma'am."

            "Bennington, hmm.  Well, can you describe the boy who pushed you, besides his hair?"

            "The boy told me his name, but I can't remember it.  He was a sixth year Slytherin, I think."

            "Well, I'm not sure who he is yet, but I think I can solve one of your problems.  Accio livres!"  All of Abby's books rose from the depths of the staircases they had fallen down.

            "My books!  Thank you so much!"  She shuffled rapidly through the books to make sure everything was there.  "Good.  Nothing is gone.  Can you do anything about that boy who harassed me?"

            "Well, it would be better if you remembered his name."

            "I think it began with a D.  I'm sorry.  I know I have a bad memory."

            "It's quite alright, at least that's a start.  The boy who obliviated you, who was that?  He might be in some trouble too now for being out of his dorm after hours."

            "Wait, I remember that boy.  He had a scar on his forehead.  His name was Harry Potter."

            "Potter?"  McGonagall audibly sighed.

            "He was just sitting in the library, reading a book.  It was nothing out of the ordinary.  I scared him.  He became defensive when he heard me and used the obliviation spell."

            "There were two students alone in the library?  I wonder what he's up to tonight."

            "He wouldn't show me what he was doing exactly, but it looked like he was just reading a book of some sort."

            "Oh, don't worry about him, Abby.  I'm sure he wasn't breaking any rules.  Tell me about the blond Slytherin.  Draco Malfoy?"

            "Yes!  That's him!" Abby shouted.

            "Wow, this is a very strange scenario.  Potter and Malfoy, you're sure?"

            "Yes ma'am."

            "Thank you Miss Bennington.  I shall have a chat with them both when the morning comes.  Now hurry back to your dorm.  Oh wait, before you go, right now, you are the victim, but you were also breaking the rule of being out after hours.  I will have to assign you two days of detention."

            "Detention?  Are you sure, ma'am?  But I didn't mean to be out this late.  I am lost.  I don't know how to get back to Hufflepuff."

            "Why were you out in the first place?  How long have you been lost?"

            "Honestly, Professor, I cannot remember.  The obliviating spells really did me in for a while."

            "Alright.  Just this once I'll let you off.  Now follow me.  I will help you back to your dormitory."

            After walking for only a few minutes, Abby could not stand the silence anymore.  "Excuse me, Professor?"

            "Yes, Miss Bennington?"

            "What is going to happen to Harry?"

            "I am not sure yet what will happen.  We will have to wait until morning to sort through this mess."

            "Am I going to be in trouble?  I don't care what happens to Draco.  He told off Cedric Diggory." Abby finished speaking softly enough that Professor McGonagall would not hear the last statement.

            "The only way you would get in trouble now is if you were doing something sneaky in the library."

            "I swear I wasn't."

            "Well then, you have nothing to worry about.  Here we are.  Now get to bed.  I am sure Dumbledore will want to speak with you in the morning."

            "Thank you for all your help, Professor McGonagall."

            Since Abby obviously couldn't sneak off anywhere that night, she climbed the stairs to her dormitory and fell asleep, but her dreams kept revolving around the same three people.

            The next morning, even before breakfast, Harry made his way into Dumbledore's office.  He had not gotten much sleep the night before, since he had been pondering why he would have thought to first use the obliviate spell, instead of something like a stun spell.  Well, no harm, no foul.  Abby had recovered well enough to follow his directions back to her dorm, as far as he knew.  As he climbed the spiral stairs to the headmaster's office, he wiped the sleepies out of his eyes and straightened his robes to make himself look more presentable.

            "Good morning Fawkes.  Good morning Professor Dumbledore.  Good Morning Malfoy," Harry said as he entered the room.  "Malfoy?  What is that jerk doing in Dumbledore's office?" he thought to himself.  Harry rubbed his eyes again; just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

            "What are you doing here?" he asked of Malfoy.

            "Calm down, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore intervened.  "I asked Mr. Malfoy to come to our little meeting this morning.  We have some sort of problem going on here, and it surprisingly seems to involve both of you."

            Draco began to dirty his nose immediately.  "Excuse me, sir.  I did nothing wrong last night.  I was in my Common Room all night, except for when I was at dinner."

            "Well, that's one side of the story out of the way.  Harry, what about you?  What were you up to last night?"

            "I had gone to the library pretty late, to read a book that Hermione had lent me.  There was nobody else around, until that Hufflepuff girl Abby Bennington snuck up on me."

            "So you were alone with her in the library?"

            "Yes, sir.  And yes, I obliviated her.  But only because she startled me and I didn't know what else to do at that particular moment."

            "Thank you for your honesty, Harry," Dumbledore said, giving Draco a stern look of disapproval.  "You may both go now."  The boys were dismissed from the meeting.

            "Excuse me, sir, but why did you call both of us in here this morning?" Harry queried after Draco had left.

            "Professor McGonagall spoke to me very early this morning about Abigail, whom she had found last night sitting near the staircase between Hufflepuff and Slytherin Houses.  She helped Miss Bennington to her feet and led her back to her own Common Room, because the young girl claimed to be lost.  She recounted her tale to your Head of House, and both your name and Mr. Malfoy's name came up in the story she told.  I will be speaking to her shortly."

            Harry began to think very hard again about that night's events.  He needed to tell Hermione what had happened.  Maybe he could meet up with her and Ron at breakfast.

            "Thank you, Professor," Harry said as he slipped out the office door and ran to catch Hermione.