CHAPTER 8
Dumbledore led them both through a door at the side of the teachers table. It led to a room with a large fireplace and several comfortable arm chairs, he indicated for them to sit close to the fire.
"Now slowly Lucy, what has happened?" he asked kindly.
Lucy took a deep breath and told the professor about following the boy and what they had heard but when she got to the part about the man casting a spell on her she jumped out of her chair and hide her face in shame.
Andrea seemed to find her voice then "sir, Lucy shoved me behind her and as he said a spell, something like Abra cadabra, Lucy said another one at the same time and the green light shot out of his wand and bounced off Lucy hitting him, he screamed and fell over, he.he.wasn't moving sir, when we ran away."
Dumbledore looked at Lucy and said "Avada kedavra?" and Lucy nodded, there was silence for a few seconds and eventually Lucy looked at Dumbledore then he said "Not many grown witches can summon a protection spell strong enough to repel that particular spell. Miss Sutton is lucky to have such a gifted friend. Sit here and drink these now I will return shortly" he waved his wand and two hot chocolates appeared on the table in front of them, and then left the room.
"This is entirely my fault" wailed Andrea "my stupid idea to play detective could have gotten us both killed. I'm sorry Lucy."
"You didn't kill that man I did all by my clever self." Lucy said bitterly.
"Maybe he's not dead, maybe he's just knocked out." Andrea tried to console her.
"Avada kedavra is the killing curse, one of the unforgivable curses, I didn't know that my protection spell would make it kill him instead of me. The reason they don't teach children as young as us it is because we're not ready to know it, I didn't understand the consequences until it was too late" said Lucy quietly.
"On the contrary Miss Smith, the reason we don't teach children protection spells so early is that it is unlikely that they could work" came the voice of Dumbledore from the open door. "Knowing now the consequences would you not have used it?" he asked quietly.
"No!" replied Lucy immediately "Then that man would still be alive."
"And you, your friend, Arabella fig, Harry Potter and at least three others would be dead!" countered Dumbledore "but your conscience would be clear."
Lucy had no answer to this. She said instead "I will go and pack my things."
"Do you have somewhere more important to be?" inquired Dumbledore.
"Well either a hearing or simply prison," answered Lucy miserably.
"No child, no-one is charged for simply using a defensive spell; you have committed no crime, other than to go into the dark forest which is forbidden." Dumbledore said.
"That was my fault" admitted Andrea in a small voice "I convinced her to come with me."
"Then I will be taking 10 points from Ravenclaw for your lack of judgement Miss Sutton, however you should."
Hagrid burst through the door interrupting whatever Dumbledore had been about to tell them." Sir, we found 'im sir, taken 'im to the infirmary, Poppy's working on 'im now sir!"
Lucy and Andrea exchanged puzzled looks then focused again on Dumbledore, who was looking pleased. "Very good Hagrid, I shall go there immediately after I finish here, if you would be so kind as to escort the girls back to their dormitory after they have eaten."
Dumbledore waved his wand again and two plates of steak pie and chips appeared on plates in front of them. "I want you to eat it all up then off to bed. Alright?"
"But sir does this mean that the man is not dead?" asked Lucy, hardly daring to believe it.
"Yes Miss Smith, it would appear so." Dumbledore left them alone with Hagrid who told them gruffly to eat up.
They ate what they could and finally allowed Hagrid to lead them up to Ravenclaw tower. No-one was there and the girls, by silent agreement went straight to their dormitory and changed in silence for bed. Eventually they both drifted off to sleep but Lucy woke up at the sound of screaming a few hours later. She realized numbly that the screams had come from her and that she'd woken all the others up as they gathered around her bed with worried expressions on their faces. After she had assured them it had only been a dream they reluctantly left back to their own beds.
Lucy lay awake, afraid to go back to sleep in case she saw the man's painful scream in her dreams again. By dawn she had convinced herself that she should leave Hogwarts, she had almost killed a man and it was because of magic. Her father had made the right choice when he had left. It was too dangerous, what they could do to each other in a few short seconds, then have a lifetime to regret it.
Lucy sat subdued through breakfast the next morning, she couldn't see the boy at the Slytherin table, which somehow made her feel even worse, and she knew he was probably with his father in the infirmary. She didn't notice Dumbledore's shrewd eyes as he watched her, guessing what was going on in her mind.
Her decision made she left the great hall and walked slowly to Professor Dumbledore's office, waiting for him to arrive. She didn't have long to wait and he silently led her inside.
"Before you say anything Miss Smith I would like to tell you a few things," Dumbledore began. "Jeffery Jorgen is fine and is at present being questioned at the Ministry of Magic for his involvement with the Death- Eaters, he has already hinted that he might know who attacked the Longbottom's, the two Aurors tortured earlier this year. I believe his son used the corridor you discovered to eavesdrop on this very office; he discovered their whereabouts and almost the whereabouts of young Harry Potter and passed this information to his father, who in turn shared it with the death-eaters. Through yours and Miss Suttons actions a great many lives have been saved."
"I know it is difficult for you to understand but a great many people are thankful to you" He continued, "But I fear that this is not enough and you came here to tell me you wished to leave."
Lucy nodded her head "I don't think I like this magic world anymore, my father was right it is too dangerous. I could have killed someone!"
"The fact that you didn't doesn't seem to give you much comfort but I would like to point out something to you. Even if you left school now and destroyed your wand you would still hold magic within you and at times when you are afraid or angry there is the chance that you would unknowingly use it" Said Dumbledore quietly "Only a fully trained strong wizard like your father could control it, that's why as a child things sometimes happened that you couldn't explain. Your father knows this it is one of the reasons he wanted you to come."
Lucy could see the logic in this even if it brought her little comfort. "But how do I live with this?" she asked in a small voice "What if something like this were to happen again?"
"You do exactly what you have been doing. You analyze your actions and see if there was someway you could change what happened, then when you realise that there was not, you move on" said Dumbledore. "You decide to be a good witch or a bad witch. You decide to try to help those around you or lead them to harm. You should also try to follow the school rules a little more closely perhaps," he smiled kindly at her.
"Thank you sir, you are right. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."
"Oh dear I do hope this experience is going to rob you of your splendid curiosity, life will be very boring indeed!" exclaimed Dumbledore laughter in his voice.
"I'll try not to let it sir" Lucy smiled in reply.
Dumbledore led them both through a door at the side of the teachers table. It led to a room with a large fireplace and several comfortable arm chairs, he indicated for them to sit close to the fire.
"Now slowly Lucy, what has happened?" he asked kindly.
Lucy took a deep breath and told the professor about following the boy and what they had heard but when she got to the part about the man casting a spell on her she jumped out of her chair and hide her face in shame.
Andrea seemed to find her voice then "sir, Lucy shoved me behind her and as he said a spell, something like Abra cadabra, Lucy said another one at the same time and the green light shot out of his wand and bounced off Lucy hitting him, he screamed and fell over, he.he.wasn't moving sir, when we ran away."
Dumbledore looked at Lucy and said "Avada kedavra?" and Lucy nodded, there was silence for a few seconds and eventually Lucy looked at Dumbledore then he said "Not many grown witches can summon a protection spell strong enough to repel that particular spell. Miss Sutton is lucky to have such a gifted friend. Sit here and drink these now I will return shortly" he waved his wand and two hot chocolates appeared on the table in front of them, and then left the room.
"This is entirely my fault" wailed Andrea "my stupid idea to play detective could have gotten us both killed. I'm sorry Lucy."
"You didn't kill that man I did all by my clever self." Lucy said bitterly.
"Maybe he's not dead, maybe he's just knocked out." Andrea tried to console her.
"Avada kedavra is the killing curse, one of the unforgivable curses, I didn't know that my protection spell would make it kill him instead of me. The reason they don't teach children as young as us it is because we're not ready to know it, I didn't understand the consequences until it was too late" said Lucy quietly.
"On the contrary Miss Smith, the reason we don't teach children protection spells so early is that it is unlikely that they could work" came the voice of Dumbledore from the open door. "Knowing now the consequences would you not have used it?" he asked quietly.
"No!" replied Lucy immediately "Then that man would still be alive."
"And you, your friend, Arabella fig, Harry Potter and at least three others would be dead!" countered Dumbledore "but your conscience would be clear."
Lucy had no answer to this. She said instead "I will go and pack my things."
"Do you have somewhere more important to be?" inquired Dumbledore.
"Well either a hearing or simply prison," answered Lucy miserably.
"No child, no-one is charged for simply using a defensive spell; you have committed no crime, other than to go into the dark forest which is forbidden." Dumbledore said.
"That was my fault" admitted Andrea in a small voice "I convinced her to come with me."
"Then I will be taking 10 points from Ravenclaw for your lack of judgement Miss Sutton, however you should."
Hagrid burst through the door interrupting whatever Dumbledore had been about to tell them." Sir, we found 'im sir, taken 'im to the infirmary, Poppy's working on 'im now sir!"
Lucy and Andrea exchanged puzzled looks then focused again on Dumbledore, who was looking pleased. "Very good Hagrid, I shall go there immediately after I finish here, if you would be so kind as to escort the girls back to their dormitory after they have eaten."
Dumbledore waved his wand again and two plates of steak pie and chips appeared on plates in front of them. "I want you to eat it all up then off to bed. Alright?"
"But sir does this mean that the man is not dead?" asked Lucy, hardly daring to believe it.
"Yes Miss Smith, it would appear so." Dumbledore left them alone with Hagrid who told them gruffly to eat up.
They ate what they could and finally allowed Hagrid to lead them up to Ravenclaw tower. No-one was there and the girls, by silent agreement went straight to their dormitory and changed in silence for bed. Eventually they both drifted off to sleep but Lucy woke up at the sound of screaming a few hours later. She realized numbly that the screams had come from her and that she'd woken all the others up as they gathered around her bed with worried expressions on their faces. After she had assured them it had only been a dream they reluctantly left back to their own beds.
Lucy lay awake, afraid to go back to sleep in case she saw the man's painful scream in her dreams again. By dawn she had convinced herself that she should leave Hogwarts, she had almost killed a man and it was because of magic. Her father had made the right choice when he had left. It was too dangerous, what they could do to each other in a few short seconds, then have a lifetime to regret it.
Lucy sat subdued through breakfast the next morning, she couldn't see the boy at the Slytherin table, which somehow made her feel even worse, and she knew he was probably with his father in the infirmary. She didn't notice Dumbledore's shrewd eyes as he watched her, guessing what was going on in her mind.
Her decision made she left the great hall and walked slowly to Professor Dumbledore's office, waiting for him to arrive. She didn't have long to wait and he silently led her inside.
"Before you say anything Miss Smith I would like to tell you a few things," Dumbledore began. "Jeffery Jorgen is fine and is at present being questioned at the Ministry of Magic for his involvement with the Death- Eaters, he has already hinted that he might know who attacked the Longbottom's, the two Aurors tortured earlier this year. I believe his son used the corridor you discovered to eavesdrop on this very office; he discovered their whereabouts and almost the whereabouts of young Harry Potter and passed this information to his father, who in turn shared it with the death-eaters. Through yours and Miss Suttons actions a great many lives have been saved."
"I know it is difficult for you to understand but a great many people are thankful to you" He continued, "But I fear that this is not enough and you came here to tell me you wished to leave."
Lucy nodded her head "I don't think I like this magic world anymore, my father was right it is too dangerous. I could have killed someone!"
"The fact that you didn't doesn't seem to give you much comfort but I would like to point out something to you. Even if you left school now and destroyed your wand you would still hold magic within you and at times when you are afraid or angry there is the chance that you would unknowingly use it" Said Dumbledore quietly "Only a fully trained strong wizard like your father could control it, that's why as a child things sometimes happened that you couldn't explain. Your father knows this it is one of the reasons he wanted you to come."
Lucy could see the logic in this even if it brought her little comfort. "But how do I live with this?" she asked in a small voice "What if something like this were to happen again?"
"You do exactly what you have been doing. You analyze your actions and see if there was someway you could change what happened, then when you realise that there was not, you move on" said Dumbledore. "You decide to be a good witch or a bad witch. You decide to try to help those around you or lead them to harm. You should also try to follow the school rules a little more closely perhaps," he smiled kindly at her.
"Thank you sir, you are right. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."
"Oh dear I do hope this experience is going to rob you of your splendid curiosity, life will be very boring indeed!" exclaimed Dumbledore laughter in his voice.
"I'll try not to let it sir" Lucy smiled in reply.