CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE CONSEQUENCES
Professor McGonagall raced down the hallway with Dumbledore at her side. When Giles had gone up the stairs, she'd turned to Goyle and succinctly told him to take care of his friend while she fetched the Headmaster. Now, as they approached the Gryffindor Common Room, she could feel her heart racing with adrenaline and fear. Dumbledore looked as serious as McGonagall had ever seen him.
"I don't understand Headmaster," McGonagall admitted. "I don't understand what could have provoked her to use such a curse on another student."
Dumbledore didn't answer. Instead, he murmured the Gryffindor password and stepped through the portrait hole, heading into a Common Room he hadn't seen in years. The Gryffindor students looked up in fear as the Headmaster and their House Mistress walked determinedly through the room and towards the stairs.
"Do you think she'll be expelled?" one of the students whispered quietly, taking in the stern faces of Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"I bet she'll get sent to Azkaban," was the reply.
McGonagall's eyebrows furrowed in consternation. She'd never thought about that particular consequence. Blocking out the sounds around her, she followed Dumbledore up the stairs.
There were more students in the corridor, gathered in hushed groups. The door to the Sixth Years girl's room was closed, and the students were avidly avoiding standing too close to it.
Dumbledore approached the door, took a deep breath, and entered the room.
The sight that greeted the Headmaster was not at all what he'd been expecting. He'd suspected that he would see Buffy Summers with her wand aimed at the door to hex any people coming into the room. He'd truly thought that perhaps he'd find her packing her bags in an attempt to leave Hogwarts.
So, when he found her lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully, he was surprised to say the least.
It seemed as though McGonagall had had similar expectations if her shocked gasp was anything to go by.
"Is she…sleeping?" the Transfigurations Professor asked quietly.
"It seems that way," Dumbledore replied.
The two Professors stared at the sleeping girl in shock for a moment longer before Dumbledore stepped forward. He went to touch her shoulder, then thought better of it. He reached into his robes and withdrew his wand, pointing it towards her.
"Enervate."
Buffy's eyes fluttered open. When she could finally focus, she spotted Dumbledore and McGonagall hovering several feet away from her bed. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, wincing a little as she touched the bruise that was forming on her face. She stared at them in confusion, not only wondering why they were in her room, but how she'd managed to wake up in her room when the last thing she remembered was being in the library with Hermione.
"What's going on?"
Again, this wasn't a question that Dumbledore had been expecting. He had thought that her reaction would have been one of panic and fear at having to face the consequences of her actions, but the confusion evident on her face and in her voice was nothing like he'd expected.
"Miss Summers, would you be so kind as to follow me to my office?" Dumbledore asked.
Buffy's eyes scrunched in confusion, but she wasn't about to refuse him. She nodded and slipped off the bed, pulling on a pair of boots and shrugging into her trademark leather coat. She went to follow when Professor McGonagall spoke up.
"Don't you want your cloak?" she asked.
Buffy just shook her head. "I kinda try to avoid wearing that thing outside of class," Buffy admitted. "It's a little too billowing-cloak queen-of-pain for my liking."
McGonagall nodded, shaking her head in confusion. She'd been certain that Buffy had been wearing her cloak when she performed the Cruciatus Curse on Crabbe. She shrugged and allowed Buffy to leave before her, trailing behind the student and the Headmaster. They headed down the stairs, and into the Common Room.
Over the last few weeks, most of the younger years had mostly become accustomed to Buffy. Ever since she had befriended Glenn Wood, the First Years had considered her as an ally instead of as the enemy that so many had assumed her to be. So, when she walked into the Common Room and was greeted with hushed and fear-filled silence, she was more than a little concerned about what the two Professors that she was walking between were about to say to her.
She tried catching Glenn's eyes, but as soon as she glanced at him, he glared at her and turned away. She couldn't help but be hurt by the gesture.
The ten-minute walk to the Headmaster's office was the longest ten minutes of Buffy's life. She was searching through her memories, trying to remember what she'd done to make Dumbledore and McGonagall escort her to the Headmaster's office.
When they entered the office, Buffy was even further surprised to see Professor Snape, scowling as always, already seated in front of Dumbledore's
Desk.
"Severus," Dumbledore greeted.
Snape stood up and glared down at Buffy, who felt incredibly threatened by the man who towered above her.
"I seriously hope you are going to expel her for this…this…insane act of…evil," Snape said.
Buffy's eyes widened, and she turned to look at Dumbledore and McGonagall, hoping that they would be able to explain what was going on. The look in McGonagall's eyes told her that she would be getting no sympathy from her.
"What exactly am I meant to have done, Professors?" Buffy asked, a feeling of absolute panic rising within her.
"You attacked one of my students!" Snape practically roared.
Buffy turned back to face her least favourite Professor. Seeing him angry was nothing new, but he looked about ready to kill her.
"Headmaster, if you don't see to it that this girl is expelled, I'll personally see to it that she gets thrown into Azkaban," Snape continued.
"Okay, just wait for five seconds…what the hell is going on here?" Buffy asked, not particularly caring that she'd just basically sworn at the three most powerful teachers at Hogwarts.
"Don't play the innocent with me, girl," Snape yelled. "There are over a hundred students who witnessed what you did to Vincent Crabbe."
"Crabbe?" Buffy repeated. Her confusion was beginning to overwhelm her. She didn't know what the Professors were talking about and she definitely had no idea what had happened to her to make her wake up in her own room rather being in the library studying.
"Miss Summers, perhaps you should sit down," Dumbledore said quietly.
Buffy nodded, thankful for his suggestion. She could tell that whatever Snape was on about was going to be bad. She didn't want to be caught standing up in case her legs decided they didn't wish to work any longer.
"Professor Snape, if you would be so kind as to locate Professor Giles," Dumbledore continued.
"But…Professor, she…"
"I know Severus. And I will handle it," Dumbledore assured him. "Now, if you would go and find Professor Giles. No doubt he'll be looking for his young ward. Perhaps you should try the Gryffindor Tower."
Snape hesitated a moment longer. He glared at Buffy, but knew that Dumbledore wouldn't let him stay. As he left the room, he could still be heard muttering beneath his breath as he descended the spiralling staircase.
Buffy looked to Dumbledore who took a seat behind his desk. Professor McGonagall stood slightly behind Buffy, her hand firmly attached to her wand in case Buffy made any sudden moves.
"Can someone tell me what's going on here, please?" Buffy asked.
Dumbledore brought his hands to rest beneath his chin, slightly stroking the top portion of his beard.
"Miss Summers, do you know why you're in here?" he questioned.
"Uh…no. That's kind of why I asked," she replied.
He nodded calmly. "Do you realise that not even thirty minutes ago, a hundred students watched as you used the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe down in the Entrance Hall?"
Buffy paled instantly. She fel her heart drop, and her pulse rise. What was it that made you feel guilt when accused of something even when you were completely innocent?
"The Cruciatus Curse," Buffy repeated quietly.
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. He is currently in the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey being treated."
"Okay…that is…that's not possible. The last thing I remember before I saw the both of you in my room was being in the library with Hermione," Buffy explained hurriedly. She looked imploringly to Professor McGonagall. "We were doing that essay for your Seventh Year class. Hermione went to go to the bathroom, and I got up to get another book. Someone grabbed me, and…"
She touched her cheek, the sore area a painful reminder of what had happened.
"Someone hit me. I blacked out on the second punch. I didn't even see who it was," Buffy explained.
"Hmmm…do you recall the argument you had with Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked, having heard the rumour of Buffy and Harry's break-up. He'd been as stunned as everyone else, particularly when he knew for a fact that they'd used the Room of Requirement at least twice in the past week.
"Argument? About what? The only thing that Harry and I have ever fought about was-" she stopped abruptly and flushed bright red.
"Was what Miss Summers?" McGonagall pushed.
Buffy cleared her throat uncomfortably. "He uh…forgot to put his tie on the door. But that was weeks ago. And even then we only fought about it for like two minutes!"
"You don't recall…ending your relationship with him then?" Dumbledore asked.
Buffy's eyes widened in shock. She shook her head, trying to emphasise her point.
"God no. Why the hell would I want to end things with Harry? I've never been this happy before in my life," she stressed.
Things were rapidly spiralling out of her control, and that was something that Buffy always hated. She couldn't believe what Dumbledore was saying. Not only was she being accused of using an Unforgivable on someone, but she'd apparently broken up with Harry. She didn't know which was worse.
"Miss Summers, twenty or so people witnessed your very loud, and very public break-up with Mr Potter nearly two hours ago," Dumbledore explained.
"That's not possible," Buffy whispered quietly.
"With magic, anything is possible," McGonagall replied. "But as to whether or not you are telling us the truth, only time will tell. And as Professor Snape already pointed out, this offence may well land you in Azkaban Prison."
-----
Uh oh…this does not look good for our heroine. *grins*
Oh, btw, go check out the Gramarye's fic 'The Summer of our Discontent'. It's fricken awesome! ;)
Many many thanks for all your feedback and your reviews!
DKG.