Oliver woke up after noon the next day. Madam Pomfrey rushed over to him as
soon as she saw that he was awake. She gave him a breakfast tray with some
porridge, two pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice. Oliver suddenly
realized that he was starving. He hadn't had anything to eat since
breakfast the previous morning. He grabbed a piece of toast and took a
large bite.
"And how are you feeling today?" asked Madam Pomfrey.
"Alright," Oliver replied between bites of toast.
"Any pain, stiffness, sore muscles?"
"Nope."
"Very well, you're free to go after you've finished your breakfast."
Oliver looked around the room while he was eating his porridge. Most of the students had left the hospital wing already. Sofie, Tessa and Ginny were still there, all sitting up and eating breakfast. Harry and Adrianna were still asleep. Oliver finished his breakfast and gave the tray back to Madam Pomfrey.
"Would it be alright if I stay here with Adrianna?" he asked.
"I made Colin Creevey wait outside for Ginny, but seeing as you're a teacher, I suppose you can wait in here."
Oliver pulled a chair up next to Adrianna's bed. While he was waiting for her to wake up, he thought of something that he had been wanting to do for a while. He used a summoning charm to retrieve a small object from his rooms and held it in the palm of his hand.
After a few minutes, Adrianna began to stir. Madam Pomfrey appeared at her side with a breakfast tray before she was fully awake.
"How are you feeling today?" Poppy asked her.
"Terrible. Every muscle in my body is sore and my joints are achy. I feel like I can barely move."
"Were you under the cruciatus curse at all?"
"Yes."
"That explains it. I think I have just the thing..."
Madam Pomfrey went into her office and returned with a small dose of a translucent purple liquid. Adrianna swallowed the potion before taking the breakfast tray that Poppy offered her.
"I'll be back to check on you after you've eaten," said Poppy as she bustled over to Harry, who was just waking up.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Oliver said to Adrianna as soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot. "Hold out your hand, I have something for you."
Adrianna obediently held her hand out flat, and Oliver placed the necklace that he had bought her for Christmas into the palm of her hand.
"I thought you might like to have this now that we're back together again," he explained with a smile.
Adrianna's face lit up. "I did want it back, but I didn't ask because I was afraid you might have sold it back to the jeweler after what happened. I'm so glad you kept it! Can you help me put it on?"
Oliver fastened the necklace around her neck and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Speaking of Christmas presents, do you still have the tickets I gave you to see Mirror Mirror on the Wall?" she asked him.
"Of course."
"When's the concert date?"
"March 1st. It's two weeks from yesterday."
They chatted while Adrianna ate some of her porridge and drank the orange juice, but then Poppy came over and broke up their conversation. "Well, I see you haven't touched your toast, and you barely ate any porridge. Perhaps I ought to keep you here for a while."
"Oh honestly Poppy, I'm feeling much better since you gave me that potion. I'm just not hungry."
"I've already made my decision Miss Brighton. I think it's time for Mr. Wood to leave now," she said, giving him a stern look.
Oliver wanted to stay with Adrianna, but he knew that there was no arguing with Madam Pomfrey. He leaned over and kissed Adrianna again.
"I'll see you later. Get some rest," he said softly as Madam Pomfrey shooed him out of the hospital wing.
Talking about Christmas presents had reminded Oliver of another Christmas present he'd received that he'd forgotten about until now. His pensieve had been sitting in the bottom of his trunk ever since he'd unwrapped it. What had the card from his mum had said about it? He couldn't remember. He hoped that he still had it somewhere. He rummaged through his trunk when he got back to his rooms and found the stone pensieve along with the card that his parents had given him for Christmas.
"All you have to do is put your thoughts in, and the pensieve will help you organize them so that they make more sense," his mum had written.
But how was he supposed to put his thoughts in it? He absentmindedly tapped his temple with his wand while he stared into the clear, still liquid inside the stone basin. When he looked up, he realized that there was something wrapped around his wand. It looked like long, thin, silver hairs, but it wasn't hair. In fact, Oliver wasn't really sure what it was, but he was guessing it had something to do with the pensieve. He stuck the tip of his wand into the liquid in the pensieve and stirred it a bit. The silvery substance on his wand blended into the liquid, and the liquid began to spin rapidly. When Oliver looked in, he saw himself and Adrianna untying packages from their owls on Christmas morning. It was exactly what he'd been thinking about when he'd been staring into the pensieve and tapping his temple a few moments ago.
He stuck his wand into the liquid again and removed the silvery substance, then put his wand back to his temple and concentrated on the events that had taken place in the clearing in the woods the day before. He pulled his wand away and dipped it into the stone basin, and when he looked in he could see everything from a birds-eye view. He put his wand to his temple again and remembered the events of the quidditch match yesterday morning, from the minute he first walked onto the pitch until the second he felt himself being transported to the clearing in the woods. He also remembered the Slytherin practice on Friday night, especially when Adrianna had mentioned that Chip was acting strange. All of these thoughts went into the pensieve together.
After putting all of those chilling memories into the pensieve, Oliver really didn't feel like reliving the events yet again by further examining his thoughts. He sat the pensieve on a shelf in his bedroom and took a long, relaxing bath in his jacuzzi tub before heading to the Great Hall for dinner.
Oliver was glad to see that Madam Pomfrey had allowed Adrianna to leave the hospital wing in time for dinner. He sat at the staff table right next to her and couldn't help but notice that the table looked terribly empty that night. As dinner was coming to an end, Dumbledore asked everyone to pay attention.
"As you all know by now, some of our teachers and students faced Lord Voldemort and his death eaters yesterday. Each and every one of them showed great bravery in the face of danger. A couple of our teachers, along with Harry Potter, were able to destroy Lord Voldemort. Never again will Voldemort be able to rise to power and terrorize the wizarding community. However, two of our teachers did not make it back alive. Severus Snape, our potions professor and head of Slytherin house, and Rubeus Hagrid, our gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, were both murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. We will have a school-wide memorial service for both teachers this Wednesday. If any of you wish to say something honoring the memory of either teacher, please let me know by Tuesday. All classes are cancelled until Thursday so that the teachers and students involved in yesterday's events have a chance to recuperate. Professor Sinistra, our astronomy professor, has agreed to serve as head of Slytherin House, so Slytherin students who have any problems should go to her. The early curfew has been lifted and security is back to normal, but I urge each of you to exercise caution whether on or off of Hogwarts grounds. Voldemort has been defeated, but his death eaters are still out there and are likely seeking vengeance for the death of their leader. You are free to go now," said Dumbledore, and the students all stood up from their benches and talked amongst themselves as they left the Great Hall.
Oliver left the hall behind a group of Slytherins. Isabelle King and Morgan Heard were walking a little to the side of the group and talking in hushed voices.
"I can't believe Voldemort killed Snape! He was the only decent teacher at Hogwarts," said Morgan.
"If I'd known that Voldemort was after Snape, I wouldn't have passed so much information to Draco Malfoy. I had no idea that Snape had ever been a part of Voldemort's inner circle, let alone the fact that he'd turned traitor. But what's done is done. And at least Voldemort finished off that great oaf Hagrid. It's too bad he didn't get rid of mudblood Brighton before he kicked the bucket."
"What if someone finds out that you've been aiding the death eaters? You could get expelled!"
"I'll simply say that I didn't know that Malfoy was a death eater, and that I confided in him because he's my boyfriend."
The Slytherin students headed toward the dungeons where their common room was located. Oliver separated himself from them and climbed the marble staircase, his head spinning from what he'd just heard. He now knew the identity of one of the death eaters, but he had no solid evidence. And as for Isabelle passing information... Oliver would have never dreamed that a Hogwarts student would serve as a mole for the death eaters, but it certainly explained a lot. Like how the death eaters had been able to pick certain students and teachers out of the crowd at that quidditch match, for example.
Oliver had a suspicion that Isabelle had done a lot more than she was letting on, and that she knew the identities of more death eaters than just Draco Malfoy. Morgan was her best friend, but Oliver knew that Isabelle wouldn't be foolish enough to tell her everything concerning her activities with the death eaters. He would probably never find out what she had done to sabotage the school, unless he could find a way to justify giving her a dose of veritaserum, a very strong truth potion. He knew he didn't have that kind of authority... but Dumbledore did. He could tell Dumbledore what he had heard, but hearsay wasn't a good enough reason to use veritaserum. Oliver had never felt this frustrated before. If only Dumbledore had been there...
Oliver reached his rooms and threw himself on his bed, staring up at the red canopy. He turned his head and looked through the gap in the bed curtains, where his eyes rested on something: the pensieve. Of course! Dumbledore COULD be there, in Oliver's memory. He could hear with his own ears what Oliver had heard and could reach a decision about what to do from there. Oliver jumped up from the bed and used his wand to put the conversation between Isabelle and Morgan into the pensieve, then quickly left to go get Professor Dumbledore.
When Oliver reached Dumbledore's office, he found Harry Potter there with his trunk packed and his owl in its cage.
"While I understand that you do not wish to be a burden to the Weasley family, I do not feel comfortable with the idea of you getting your own house. These are still very dangerous times. Though Voldemort is indeed gone, his death eaters are not and I have no doubt that you are their primary target for revenge. The Weasleys are more than willing to have you as a guest in their home, and you will be safer there. It is my suggestion that you continue to live with them for a while," Dumbledore said to Harry.
"I understand. Thanks for letting me stay in the castle and help with the flying lessons," Harry replied. He put a featherweight spell on his trunk and left Dumbledore's office.
"Oliver, what a pleasant surprise. I sense that something is troubling you. Is there something that you wish to tell me?"
"Yes. But I think it would be more effective if I showed you. Would you mind coming to my rooms for a few minutes?"
Dumbledore stood up from his desk and accompanied Oliver to his rooms. Oliver got his pensieve from his bedroom and sat it on the coffee table in the living room. Dumbledore sat on the plaid sofa and peered into the pensieve. He leaned down so close that his nose actually touched the liquid inside the pensieve, and then suddenly he was gone. A small gasp of surprise escaped Oliver, but he wasn't worried. Dumbledore was a wise and powerful wizard, and Oliver was certain that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. Dumbledore reappeared on the couch a few minutes later.
"Where did you go?" asked Oliver.
"Inside your memory. I wanted to experience what was said and how it was said instead of merely watching," Dumbledore explained. "I am frankly quite surprised that a student would so willingly assist the death eaters in their mission. I do not know how much she actually knows about the death eaters, but no doubt what they did was a lot easier thanks to her. Perhaps I ought to give her a dose of truth serum to find out what she knows and what she's done."
Oliver was glad that Dumbledore had suggested truth serum. "She'll be expelled, won't she? What she did led to the death of two of our teachers and endangered the welfare of numerous students," he said, looking at Dumbledore.
"The power to expel her does not rest with me, but with her Head of House. She's a Slytherin, so that would be Professor Sinistra. I believe that once Professor Sinistra finds out what happened that yes, she will expel Miss King. Pity, she only had a few months left to graduation. If she is expelled she will never be able to complete her education even at another school, and therefore she will never be allowed to legally practice magic. But she must face the consequences for her actions."
"Oliver, would you kindly go down to what was Professor Snape's office and get a vial of veritaserum? I want you to conceal it in your robes, and then go to the Slytherin common room and bring Miss King to my office. I'll be waiting there for you." said Dumbledore.
Oliver did what Professor Dumbledore requested, and though Isabelle was none too happy to have to leave her common room for an audience with Dumbledore, she followed Oliver without making a scene.
"Miss King, I heard allegations that you have been passing information to a death eater to aid them in their attack on the school. What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Dumbledore.
"I deny it. I would never do anything to endanger my peers or the teachers at this school."
"Good, then I am sure you would have no objections if I gave you a dose of truth potion and asked you a few questions concerning what I heard today."
Isabelle's eyes grew wide. She said nothing.
"Oliver, could I please have the veritaserum?" Oliver handed Dumbledore the small, clear glass vial that he had taken from Snape's office. Dumbledore measured out exactly three drops of the serum and forced it into her mouth, despite the fact that that she had clenched her teeth and kept turning her head away in an attempt to avoid the potion. He waited a few seconds for the serum to take effect before he began to question her.
"Did you knowingly pass information about the Hogwarts students and staff to a death eater?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"By owl."
"What is the identity of the death eater that you passed information to?"
"Draco Malfoy."
"What kind of relationship do you have with him?"
"He's my boyfriend."
"Do you know the identities of any death eaters, other than Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"What are their names?"
"Lucius Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint. Vincent Crabbe's and Gregory Goyle's fathers are also death eaters, but I don't know their first names."
"Are you a death eater?"
"No. I will become one when I graduate though."
"The death eaters are not disbanding then?"
"It is not certain what will become of them yet. Some want to continue the work of the Dark Lord even though he is gone. Others say that it is foolish to continue without a strong leader, and that it's an insult to his memory to go on without him. If they decide to remain together, I will join them."
"Were any other Hogwarts students involved in these activities?"
"No."
"Did you tell anyone what you were doing?"
"I told Morgan Heard some of it, but she doesn't know all of it."
"Specifically, what information did the death eaters want from you, and what did you give them?"
"They gave me a list of some names of students that attend Hogwarts and asked for photos and a short description of each student. They wanted to know what the students were good at, what they did in their spare time, if they played quidditch and if so, what position. And they wanted a physical description with stuff like height, weight, hair color, etc. I don't know how they chose the students, I just did what I was told. They also wanted photos of Professor Brighton. I gave them the descriptions and took pictures of everyone at the Yule ball. When they saw the pictures of Professor Brighton and Mr. Wood together, they added him to their hit list."
"Why?"
"Well obviously he's a mudblood and muggle lover, or else he wouldn't be dating her. That didn't go over so well with the them. It's bad enough that there's a mudblood teacher without having another teacher that sympathizes with her."
"Did you know that they wanted to kill Hagrid and Snape?"
"I knew about Hagrid, but not Snape. I liked Snape, he was the best teacher I'd ever had. If I'd know what they were going to do to him, I might not have shared so much information."
"Was there any other information that you supplied the death eaters with?"
"Yes. I told them when Harry Potter came to stay at the castle. I told them all about the heightened security measures around the castle for apparently no reason. And I gave them the date and time of the quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You know what happened from there."
"Yes, I certainly do. I am going to take you to the hospital wing now, where Madam Pomfrey will give you a light sedative. You will stay in the hospital wing until the effects of the veritaserum have worn off, and then you will be free to return to your dormitory. Oliver, you may go now." Dumbledore led Isabelle from his office and down the spiral staircase, and Oliver left right behind him. It really wasn't that late, but Oliver felt exhausted. He went straight back to his rooms, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed.
The next day just after lunch, Dumbledore called a staff meeting. Oliver sat next to Adrianna and waited as the other teachers wandered in from the Great Hall. When they were all seated, Dumbledore began.
"I want this meeting to be brief, but there are a few things that need to be addressed. First, I want to you all for expressing your wishes to honor the teachers that were killed. Many of you have asked to speak at the memorial service, and it makes me proud to know that the members of my staff are so respectful and caring of one another."
Oliver felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this. He knew that he should say something at the service, and while he was sure he could think of something nice to say about Hagrid, finding kind words to describe Snape was another story. He would have to come up with something.
"Second, I would like to introduce Professors Edith Grubbly-Plank and Seamus Finnegan. Professor Grubbly-Plank will be our temporary Care of Magical Creatures professor until I can someone who will fill the position. Professor Finnegan is our new potions professor. I hope that all of you will make our new professors feel welcome."
Oliver looked at the new professors, who had stood when Dumbledore introduced them. Professor Grubbly-Plank was an elderly witch with short gray hair and a stern look on her face. She didn't strike Oliver as a very friendly person. Seamus Finnegan was a young wizard. He could have passed as a student. In fact, if Oliver remembered correctly, Seamus had been in the same class as Harry Potter and had just graduated last year. Seamus had also been a Gryffindor when he'd attended Hogwarts, which was why Oliver recognized him.
"And finally," Dumbledore continued, "I must sadly inform you that Isabelle King was expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry earlier today. Professor Sinistra, her Head of House, made the decision earlier today after she was presented with evidence that showed that Miss King aided the death eaters in their attack on the school. Well, I believe that is all. Meeting adjourned."
"And how are you feeling today?" asked Madam Pomfrey.
"Alright," Oliver replied between bites of toast.
"Any pain, stiffness, sore muscles?"
"Nope."
"Very well, you're free to go after you've finished your breakfast."
Oliver looked around the room while he was eating his porridge. Most of the students had left the hospital wing already. Sofie, Tessa and Ginny were still there, all sitting up and eating breakfast. Harry and Adrianna were still asleep. Oliver finished his breakfast and gave the tray back to Madam Pomfrey.
"Would it be alright if I stay here with Adrianna?" he asked.
"I made Colin Creevey wait outside for Ginny, but seeing as you're a teacher, I suppose you can wait in here."
Oliver pulled a chair up next to Adrianna's bed. While he was waiting for her to wake up, he thought of something that he had been wanting to do for a while. He used a summoning charm to retrieve a small object from his rooms and held it in the palm of his hand.
After a few minutes, Adrianna began to stir. Madam Pomfrey appeared at her side with a breakfast tray before she was fully awake.
"How are you feeling today?" Poppy asked her.
"Terrible. Every muscle in my body is sore and my joints are achy. I feel like I can barely move."
"Were you under the cruciatus curse at all?"
"Yes."
"That explains it. I think I have just the thing..."
Madam Pomfrey went into her office and returned with a small dose of a translucent purple liquid. Adrianna swallowed the potion before taking the breakfast tray that Poppy offered her.
"I'll be back to check on you after you've eaten," said Poppy as she bustled over to Harry, who was just waking up.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Oliver said to Adrianna as soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot. "Hold out your hand, I have something for you."
Adrianna obediently held her hand out flat, and Oliver placed the necklace that he had bought her for Christmas into the palm of her hand.
"I thought you might like to have this now that we're back together again," he explained with a smile.
Adrianna's face lit up. "I did want it back, but I didn't ask because I was afraid you might have sold it back to the jeweler after what happened. I'm so glad you kept it! Can you help me put it on?"
Oliver fastened the necklace around her neck and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Speaking of Christmas presents, do you still have the tickets I gave you to see Mirror Mirror on the Wall?" she asked him.
"Of course."
"When's the concert date?"
"March 1st. It's two weeks from yesterday."
They chatted while Adrianna ate some of her porridge and drank the orange juice, but then Poppy came over and broke up their conversation. "Well, I see you haven't touched your toast, and you barely ate any porridge. Perhaps I ought to keep you here for a while."
"Oh honestly Poppy, I'm feeling much better since you gave me that potion. I'm just not hungry."
"I've already made my decision Miss Brighton. I think it's time for Mr. Wood to leave now," she said, giving him a stern look.
Oliver wanted to stay with Adrianna, but he knew that there was no arguing with Madam Pomfrey. He leaned over and kissed Adrianna again.
"I'll see you later. Get some rest," he said softly as Madam Pomfrey shooed him out of the hospital wing.
Talking about Christmas presents had reminded Oliver of another Christmas present he'd received that he'd forgotten about until now. His pensieve had been sitting in the bottom of his trunk ever since he'd unwrapped it. What had the card from his mum had said about it? He couldn't remember. He hoped that he still had it somewhere. He rummaged through his trunk when he got back to his rooms and found the stone pensieve along with the card that his parents had given him for Christmas.
"All you have to do is put your thoughts in, and the pensieve will help you organize them so that they make more sense," his mum had written.
But how was he supposed to put his thoughts in it? He absentmindedly tapped his temple with his wand while he stared into the clear, still liquid inside the stone basin. When he looked up, he realized that there was something wrapped around his wand. It looked like long, thin, silver hairs, but it wasn't hair. In fact, Oliver wasn't really sure what it was, but he was guessing it had something to do with the pensieve. He stuck the tip of his wand into the liquid in the pensieve and stirred it a bit. The silvery substance on his wand blended into the liquid, and the liquid began to spin rapidly. When Oliver looked in, he saw himself and Adrianna untying packages from their owls on Christmas morning. It was exactly what he'd been thinking about when he'd been staring into the pensieve and tapping his temple a few moments ago.
He stuck his wand into the liquid again and removed the silvery substance, then put his wand back to his temple and concentrated on the events that had taken place in the clearing in the woods the day before. He pulled his wand away and dipped it into the stone basin, and when he looked in he could see everything from a birds-eye view. He put his wand to his temple again and remembered the events of the quidditch match yesterday morning, from the minute he first walked onto the pitch until the second he felt himself being transported to the clearing in the woods. He also remembered the Slytherin practice on Friday night, especially when Adrianna had mentioned that Chip was acting strange. All of these thoughts went into the pensieve together.
After putting all of those chilling memories into the pensieve, Oliver really didn't feel like reliving the events yet again by further examining his thoughts. He sat the pensieve on a shelf in his bedroom and took a long, relaxing bath in his jacuzzi tub before heading to the Great Hall for dinner.
Oliver was glad to see that Madam Pomfrey had allowed Adrianna to leave the hospital wing in time for dinner. He sat at the staff table right next to her and couldn't help but notice that the table looked terribly empty that night. As dinner was coming to an end, Dumbledore asked everyone to pay attention.
"As you all know by now, some of our teachers and students faced Lord Voldemort and his death eaters yesterday. Each and every one of them showed great bravery in the face of danger. A couple of our teachers, along with Harry Potter, were able to destroy Lord Voldemort. Never again will Voldemort be able to rise to power and terrorize the wizarding community. However, two of our teachers did not make it back alive. Severus Snape, our potions professor and head of Slytherin house, and Rubeus Hagrid, our gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, were both murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. We will have a school-wide memorial service for both teachers this Wednesday. If any of you wish to say something honoring the memory of either teacher, please let me know by Tuesday. All classes are cancelled until Thursday so that the teachers and students involved in yesterday's events have a chance to recuperate. Professor Sinistra, our astronomy professor, has agreed to serve as head of Slytherin House, so Slytherin students who have any problems should go to her. The early curfew has been lifted and security is back to normal, but I urge each of you to exercise caution whether on or off of Hogwarts grounds. Voldemort has been defeated, but his death eaters are still out there and are likely seeking vengeance for the death of their leader. You are free to go now," said Dumbledore, and the students all stood up from their benches and talked amongst themselves as they left the Great Hall.
Oliver left the hall behind a group of Slytherins. Isabelle King and Morgan Heard were walking a little to the side of the group and talking in hushed voices.
"I can't believe Voldemort killed Snape! He was the only decent teacher at Hogwarts," said Morgan.
"If I'd known that Voldemort was after Snape, I wouldn't have passed so much information to Draco Malfoy. I had no idea that Snape had ever been a part of Voldemort's inner circle, let alone the fact that he'd turned traitor. But what's done is done. And at least Voldemort finished off that great oaf Hagrid. It's too bad he didn't get rid of mudblood Brighton before he kicked the bucket."
"What if someone finds out that you've been aiding the death eaters? You could get expelled!"
"I'll simply say that I didn't know that Malfoy was a death eater, and that I confided in him because he's my boyfriend."
The Slytherin students headed toward the dungeons where their common room was located. Oliver separated himself from them and climbed the marble staircase, his head spinning from what he'd just heard. He now knew the identity of one of the death eaters, but he had no solid evidence. And as for Isabelle passing information... Oliver would have never dreamed that a Hogwarts student would serve as a mole for the death eaters, but it certainly explained a lot. Like how the death eaters had been able to pick certain students and teachers out of the crowd at that quidditch match, for example.
Oliver had a suspicion that Isabelle had done a lot more than she was letting on, and that she knew the identities of more death eaters than just Draco Malfoy. Morgan was her best friend, but Oliver knew that Isabelle wouldn't be foolish enough to tell her everything concerning her activities with the death eaters. He would probably never find out what she had done to sabotage the school, unless he could find a way to justify giving her a dose of veritaserum, a very strong truth potion. He knew he didn't have that kind of authority... but Dumbledore did. He could tell Dumbledore what he had heard, but hearsay wasn't a good enough reason to use veritaserum. Oliver had never felt this frustrated before. If only Dumbledore had been there...
Oliver reached his rooms and threw himself on his bed, staring up at the red canopy. He turned his head and looked through the gap in the bed curtains, where his eyes rested on something: the pensieve. Of course! Dumbledore COULD be there, in Oliver's memory. He could hear with his own ears what Oliver had heard and could reach a decision about what to do from there. Oliver jumped up from the bed and used his wand to put the conversation between Isabelle and Morgan into the pensieve, then quickly left to go get Professor Dumbledore.
When Oliver reached Dumbledore's office, he found Harry Potter there with his trunk packed and his owl in its cage.
"While I understand that you do not wish to be a burden to the Weasley family, I do not feel comfortable with the idea of you getting your own house. These are still very dangerous times. Though Voldemort is indeed gone, his death eaters are not and I have no doubt that you are their primary target for revenge. The Weasleys are more than willing to have you as a guest in their home, and you will be safer there. It is my suggestion that you continue to live with them for a while," Dumbledore said to Harry.
"I understand. Thanks for letting me stay in the castle and help with the flying lessons," Harry replied. He put a featherweight spell on his trunk and left Dumbledore's office.
"Oliver, what a pleasant surprise. I sense that something is troubling you. Is there something that you wish to tell me?"
"Yes. But I think it would be more effective if I showed you. Would you mind coming to my rooms for a few minutes?"
Dumbledore stood up from his desk and accompanied Oliver to his rooms. Oliver got his pensieve from his bedroom and sat it on the coffee table in the living room. Dumbledore sat on the plaid sofa and peered into the pensieve. He leaned down so close that his nose actually touched the liquid inside the pensieve, and then suddenly he was gone. A small gasp of surprise escaped Oliver, but he wasn't worried. Dumbledore was a wise and powerful wizard, and Oliver was certain that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. Dumbledore reappeared on the couch a few minutes later.
"Where did you go?" asked Oliver.
"Inside your memory. I wanted to experience what was said and how it was said instead of merely watching," Dumbledore explained. "I am frankly quite surprised that a student would so willingly assist the death eaters in their mission. I do not know how much she actually knows about the death eaters, but no doubt what they did was a lot easier thanks to her. Perhaps I ought to give her a dose of truth serum to find out what she knows and what she's done."
Oliver was glad that Dumbledore had suggested truth serum. "She'll be expelled, won't she? What she did led to the death of two of our teachers and endangered the welfare of numerous students," he said, looking at Dumbledore.
"The power to expel her does not rest with me, but with her Head of House. She's a Slytherin, so that would be Professor Sinistra. I believe that once Professor Sinistra finds out what happened that yes, she will expel Miss King. Pity, she only had a few months left to graduation. If she is expelled she will never be able to complete her education even at another school, and therefore she will never be allowed to legally practice magic. But she must face the consequences for her actions."
"Oliver, would you kindly go down to what was Professor Snape's office and get a vial of veritaserum? I want you to conceal it in your robes, and then go to the Slytherin common room and bring Miss King to my office. I'll be waiting there for you." said Dumbledore.
Oliver did what Professor Dumbledore requested, and though Isabelle was none too happy to have to leave her common room for an audience with Dumbledore, she followed Oliver without making a scene.
"Miss King, I heard allegations that you have been passing information to a death eater to aid them in their attack on the school. What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Dumbledore.
"I deny it. I would never do anything to endanger my peers or the teachers at this school."
"Good, then I am sure you would have no objections if I gave you a dose of truth potion and asked you a few questions concerning what I heard today."
Isabelle's eyes grew wide. She said nothing.
"Oliver, could I please have the veritaserum?" Oliver handed Dumbledore the small, clear glass vial that he had taken from Snape's office. Dumbledore measured out exactly three drops of the serum and forced it into her mouth, despite the fact that that she had clenched her teeth and kept turning her head away in an attempt to avoid the potion. He waited a few seconds for the serum to take effect before he began to question her.
"Did you knowingly pass information about the Hogwarts students and staff to a death eater?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"By owl."
"What is the identity of the death eater that you passed information to?"
"Draco Malfoy."
"What kind of relationship do you have with him?"
"He's my boyfriend."
"Do you know the identities of any death eaters, other than Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"What are their names?"
"Lucius Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint. Vincent Crabbe's and Gregory Goyle's fathers are also death eaters, but I don't know their first names."
"Are you a death eater?"
"No. I will become one when I graduate though."
"The death eaters are not disbanding then?"
"It is not certain what will become of them yet. Some want to continue the work of the Dark Lord even though he is gone. Others say that it is foolish to continue without a strong leader, and that it's an insult to his memory to go on without him. If they decide to remain together, I will join them."
"Were any other Hogwarts students involved in these activities?"
"No."
"Did you tell anyone what you were doing?"
"I told Morgan Heard some of it, but she doesn't know all of it."
"Specifically, what information did the death eaters want from you, and what did you give them?"
"They gave me a list of some names of students that attend Hogwarts and asked for photos and a short description of each student. They wanted to know what the students were good at, what they did in their spare time, if they played quidditch and if so, what position. And they wanted a physical description with stuff like height, weight, hair color, etc. I don't know how they chose the students, I just did what I was told. They also wanted photos of Professor Brighton. I gave them the descriptions and took pictures of everyone at the Yule ball. When they saw the pictures of Professor Brighton and Mr. Wood together, they added him to their hit list."
"Why?"
"Well obviously he's a mudblood and muggle lover, or else he wouldn't be dating her. That didn't go over so well with the them. It's bad enough that there's a mudblood teacher without having another teacher that sympathizes with her."
"Did you know that they wanted to kill Hagrid and Snape?"
"I knew about Hagrid, but not Snape. I liked Snape, he was the best teacher I'd ever had. If I'd know what they were going to do to him, I might not have shared so much information."
"Was there any other information that you supplied the death eaters with?"
"Yes. I told them when Harry Potter came to stay at the castle. I told them all about the heightened security measures around the castle for apparently no reason. And I gave them the date and time of the quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You know what happened from there."
"Yes, I certainly do. I am going to take you to the hospital wing now, where Madam Pomfrey will give you a light sedative. You will stay in the hospital wing until the effects of the veritaserum have worn off, and then you will be free to return to your dormitory. Oliver, you may go now." Dumbledore led Isabelle from his office and down the spiral staircase, and Oliver left right behind him. It really wasn't that late, but Oliver felt exhausted. He went straight back to his rooms, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed.
The next day just after lunch, Dumbledore called a staff meeting. Oliver sat next to Adrianna and waited as the other teachers wandered in from the Great Hall. When they were all seated, Dumbledore began.
"I want this meeting to be brief, but there are a few things that need to be addressed. First, I want to you all for expressing your wishes to honor the teachers that were killed. Many of you have asked to speak at the memorial service, and it makes me proud to know that the members of my staff are so respectful and caring of one another."
Oliver felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this. He knew that he should say something at the service, and while he was sure he could think of something nice to say about Hagrid, finding kind words to describe Snape was another story. He would have to come up with something.
"Second, I would like to introduce Professors Edith Grubbly-Plank and Seamus Finnegan. Professor Grubbly-Plank will be our temporary Care of Magical Creatures professor until I can someone who will fill the position. Professor Finnegan is our new potions professor. I hope that all of you will make our new professors feel welcome."
Oliver looked at the new professors, who had stood when Dumbledore introduced them. Professor Grubbly-Plank was an elderly witch with short gray hair and a stern look on her face. She didn't strike Oliver as a very friendly person. Seamus Finnegan was a young wizard. He could have passed as a student. In fact, if Oliver remembered correctly, Seamus had been in the same class as Harry Potter and had just graduated last year. Seamus had also been a Gryffindor when he'd attended Hogwarts, which was why Oliver recognized him.
"And finally," Dumbledore continued, "I must sadly inform you that Isabelle King was expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry earlier today. Professor Sinistra, her Head of House, made the decision earlier today after she was presented with evidence that showed that Miss King aided the death eaters in their attack on the school. Well, I believe that is all. Meeting adjourned."