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The light in Harry's bedroom dimmed slowly as the sun began to set. He was oblivious to this fact as he sat on his bed, rigorously polishing the handle of his Firebolt. Harry had kept himself busy for much of the day cleaning his room and organizing his school things. The care of his broom was last on his list. As he reached for the small scissors in his Broomstick Servicing Kit, Harry noticed that his room had gone almost completely dark. He turned instead to switch on the lamp. As light flooded the room, the abrupt appearance of a tall wizard caused Harry to jump and yelp with surprise. Dumbledore gazed at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles with a kindly smile. Harry grinned back at the headmaster and stood up quickly. He was surprised to see that he was nearly as tall as Dumbledore now - Harry had reached a height of just about six feet over the summer. "Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said in a hearty voice. "'Evening, Professor," Harry replied, sticking out his hand. Dumbledore shook it, peering at him curiously at the same time. Harry averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "Ahh. Wormtail is downstairs. I put him in the cupboard under the stairs," Harry stated nervously, withdrawing his hand from Dumbledore's firm grasp. "Oh, there's no hurry, Harry," Dumbledore murmured, easing himself down to sit on Harry's bed. Harry himself remained standing, pacing about the room a bit. Suddenly, he turned to the headmaster with fire in his eyes. "Why are you staring at me? What's the matter with me? Am I some kind of freak or something? What's going on?" Harry snarled suddenly. He glared at Dumbledore angrily for several moments, and the calm stare of the old wizard caused his anger to recede as if it had never been. Harry wilted slightly, his shoulders stooping, and his eyes empty. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he apologized, staring at the floor. "It's quite all right, Harry. You've been through rather a lot since June, my boy," Dumbledore replied evenly. Harry sank down on the bed next to the headmaster, burying his face in his hands. He sat there for a long while, not moving. Dumbledore sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. "I don't know what's wrong with me," Harry admitted finally. "Ever since Sirius." ". you have been lost and feeling abandoned," Dumbledore finished for him. Harry nodded slightly. "Exactly. I feel completely detached from the wizarding world." Harry paused and looked up at Dumbledore. "I feel almost as if there's no reason for me to continue with magic anymore," he finished.
Dumbledore blinked once, and did not reply for several minutes. When he did, Harry sat up in shock and stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Let us go see about this Wormtail. Then we will return here and pack up your things. You are to come stay with me for the remainder of the summer holidays."
Dumbledore stood, taking his wand from a hidden pocket in his robes. Harry stood as well as the headmaster walked towards the door. He followed Dumbledore downstairs into the foyer, where Harry went ahead of him to open the cupboard door.
Harry unlocked the door and pulled it open. Dumbledore moved to stand in the opening and gaze at the man on the floor inside.
"Hello, Wormtail," the headmaster said with a smile. "We're going to take a short trip."
The light in Harry's bedroom dimmed slowly as the sun began to set. He was oblivious to this fact as he sat on his bed, rigorously polishing the handle of his Firebolt. Harry had kept himself busy for much of the day cleaning his room and organizing his school things. The care of his broom was last on his list. As he reached for the small scissors in his Broomstick Servicing Kit, Harry noticed that his room had gone almost completely dark. He turned instead to switch on the lamp. As light flooded the room, the abrupt appearance of a tall wizard caused Harry to jump and yelp with surprise. Dumbledore gazed at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles with a kindly smile. Harry grinned back at the headmaster and stood up quickly. He was surprised to see that he was nearly as tall as Dumbledore now - Harry had reached a height of just about six feet over the summer. "Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said in a hearty voice. "'Evening, Professor," Harry replied, sticking out his hand. Dumbledore shook it, peering at him curiously at the same time. Harry averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "Ahh. Wormtail is downstairs. I put him in the cupboard under the stairs," Harry stated nervously, withdrawing his hand from Dumbledore's firm grasp. "Oh, there's no hurry, Harry," Dumbledore murmured, easing himself down to sit on Harry's bed. Harry himself remained standing, pacing about the room a bit. Suddenly, he turned to the headmaster with fire in his eyes. "Why are you staring at me? What's the matter with me? Am I some kind of freak or something? What's going on?" Harry snarled suddenly. He glared at Dumbledore angrily for several moments, and the calm stare of the old wizard caused his anger to recede as if it had never been. Harry wilted slightly, his shoulders stooping, and his eyes empty. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he apologized, staring at the floor. "It's quite all right, Harry. You've been through rather a lot since June, my boy," Dumbledore replied evenly. Harry sank down on the bed next to the headmaster, burying his face in his hands. He sat there for a long while, not moving. Dumbledore sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. "I don't know what's wrong with me," Harry admitted finally. "Ever since Sirius." ". you have been lost and feeling abandoned," Dumbledore finished for him. Harry nodded slightly. "Exactly. I feel completely detached from the wizarding world." Harry paused and looked up at Dumbledore. "I feel almost as if there's no reason for me to continue with magic anymore," he finished.
Dumbledore blinked once, and did not reply for several minutes. When he did, Harry sat up in shock and stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Let us go see about this Wormtail. Then we will return here and pack up your things. You are to come stay with me for the remainder of the summer holidays."
Dumbledore stood, taking his wand from a hidden pocket in his robes. Harry stood as well as the headmaster walked towards the door. He followed Dumbledore downstairs into the foyer, where Harry went ahead of him to open the cupboard door.
Harry unlocked the door and pulled it open. Dumbledore moved to stand in the opening and gaze at the man on the floor inside.
"Hello, Wormtail," the headmaster said with a smile. "We're going to take a short trip."