Yes, Yes, Yes, we know. We have been very bad children. The good news seems to be that we have actually graduated from college at last. Seven years is a long time to spend getting a simple BFA. (Studio art: ceramics if you're interested.)
Disclaimer: As we do not exist we cannot possibly own any part of the Harry Potter universe – which does exist as far as we can tell.
Harry's heart sank as he watched his father sweep out of the hall without so much as glancing in his direction.
Ron stood, as if to follow the crowd to the dormitories, but sank back onto the bench when Hermione pulled on his arm.
"Now what?" Ron asked grumpily, "I'm a bit exhausted, you know."
"Yeah, and crabby too." Harry grinned. "Come on, we need to speak to Dumbledore."
Ron sighed, but trailed along.
"Oh, good." Dumbledore said quietly as they approached. "This keeps us all in character."
He paused and then said in a louder voice. "Yes, Mr. Weasley, I will help you get in to see your sister. I understand how trying all of this has been for family and friends. Come along, all three of you. Minerva, Remus, I need to speak with you, accompany us if you would."
He surveyed the Great Hall once more before turning to Professors Sprout and Flitwick and saying very quietly. "I trust I can depend on the two of you to mind the school in the absence of both the Deputy Headmistress and myself? I don't know that we will be gone long, but…"
"You may depend on us sir." Flitwick squeaked determinedly.
"Albus…" Professor McGonagall began.
"Come along, Minerva, there is no time to waste." Dumbledore interrupted. "I'd like to be done before midnight."
Professor McGonagall looked as if she wanted to say more, but changed her mind with a frown.
When they had left the Hall, several corridors and a flight of stairs behind, Dumbledore stopped in an empty, unused room. There was not even a single portrait on the walls.
"Minerva, we discussed a plan this morning." Dumbledore said. "Do you remember it?"
"That was completely hypothetical…" She protested.
"Ah, then you do remember it? Good. How long would it take you to prepare the old sorcery workroom with the spells we discussed?" He drew a scroll case from the sleeve of his robe. "Here is all of the information we have. I made some alterations, so look it over carefully. Have Remus cast the Bindings. They need to be constructed by their caster, so he'll have to do it. Severus makes a better Fire Anchor anyway. Oh, and draw in a supporting role for Mr. Weasley. He could be useful."
"Which workroom?" She asked dully, taking the scroll case.
"The old one." Dumbledore repeated; emphasis on old. "I've learned a few things today. There will never be a better time than Halloween to do this. We will join you when Severus is ready."
"I'll need about an hour to set it all up." She nodded. "Remus?"
"Yes. What…Yes." Lupin stopped himself before he voiced any questions and followed her out the door.
It took effort of will, but Harry, Ron and Hermione kept silent too.
Dumbledore eyed the door as it closed behind his colleagues.
"Tonight I will show you the advantages of working with your instructors instead of around them."
With that, Dumbledore led them out of the room and up to the Hospital wing.
A/N – Curiouser and curiouser. That wily old Dumbledore ought to be more explicit in his instructions. It's a good thing I know what they're all doing.
Harry smoothed the end of the bandage he had just rolled and secured it with a straight pin. He laid the neat roll next to the last one he had done.
He looked up and met Hermione's eyes. She smiled uneasily and dropped her eyes back to her own bandage. Harry sighed silently and looked over into the ward where Ron was fussing over his sister.
His gaze crossed that of Draco Malfoy. Draco rolled his eyes and turned his chin away. Draco hadn't said a word since the three friends had arrived; not even to Dobby who was fawning over him.
Harry looked down at the bandage end that had somehow found its way into his hands. Madame Pomfrey had firmly insisted that they had to be rolled by hand. Apparently wand magic would disturb the delicate potion she had used on them.
Harry focused completely on the fabric in his hands. There were a great many things he was unwilling to think about right then.
Suddenly the outer doors opened and Severus swept in. He stopped next to their table.
"Dumbledore?" He asked.
Harry shook his head slightly and pointed to the closed door of one of the private rooms. "He and Madame Pomfrey disappeared into there. We've still no clue what's going on."
"Oh." Severus pulled out a chair and sat. He picked up an unrolled bandage and sniffed it. "She told you these would be ruined by wand magic?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
They nodded and Sev pulled out his wand. "Watch this."
He wrapped one end of the bandage around the end of his wand and twirled it. Within moments he had a perfectly rolled bundle.
Harry stared, Hermione laughed out loud.
"Not a bad trick, eh?" Sev's cheek twitched in what might have been a smile or maybe a wink.
"Rose?" Harry asked?
Sev nodded. "Rose." He looked around. "Where's Mr. Weasley? Where there are two of you there's usually three."
"In with Ginny." Hermione said.
Severus paled. "Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten." He turned towards the open door to the ward.
Draco Malfoy, seeing an opportunity, began waving one hand feebly and moving his mouth as if he were screaming.
"No." Severus said firmly. "Calm down, Mr. Malfoy. No, I will not release the charm."
Draco made as if to rise, but fell back immediately. He clenched his jaw and his hand fell limply by his side.
Severus stood as if to go to him, but at that moment the door to the private room opened. Dumbledore came out, followed closely by Madame Pomfrey.
"Ah, Severus, I thought I heard your voice." Dumbledore said. "Come assist me, please, and you can tell me your news."
"I think Mr. Malfoy needs you, Poppy." Severus said. "I don't believe he's resting comfortably."
Madame Pomfrey bustled across the room muttering about children.
"Collect Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore instructed, before disappearing back into the room. "We will leave immediately."
Ron came into view just as Harry and Hermione approached the doorway.
"Time to go?" He asked.
Harry nodded.
Dumbledore and Severus reappeared with a shrouded stretcher suspended magically between them.
"Come along." Dumbledore led the group to one of the walls and levitated a tapestry out of the way. There was a passageway there. They descended a straight, narrow stair that ended on the school lawn. Harry realized with a start that they were quite close to the Whomping Willow.
Dumbledore conjured a long stick to prod the tree with. It stopped moving and Dumbledore led them all into the passage to the Shrieking Shack. Harry exchanged glances with his friends, but none of them spoke. The entire procession trudged on in eerie silence.
A/N – Well, should we stop there? No, not really. We believe we shall post the next chapter too.
I know there are people out there that like longer chapters, but I am not really one of them. I shall break up my chapters as I see fit.
Disclaimer: As we do not exist we cannot possibly own any part of the Harry Potter universe – which does exist as far as we can tell.
Harry's heart sank as he watched his father sweep out of the hall without so much as glancing in his direction.
Ron stood, as if to follow the crowd to the dormitories, but sank back onto the bench when Hermione pulled on his arm.
"Now what?" Ron asked grumpily, "I'm a bit exhausted, you know."
"Yeah, and crabby too." Harry grinned. "Come on, we need to speak to Dumbledore."
Ron sighed, but trailed along.
"Oh, good." Dumbledore said quietly as they approached. "This keeps us all in character."
He paused and then said in a louder voice. "Yes, Mr. Weasley, I will help you get in to see your sister. I understand how trying all of this has been for family and friends. Come along, all three of you. Minerva, Remus, I need to speak with you, accompany us if you would."
He surveyed the Great Hall once more before turning to Professors Sprout and Flitwick and saying very quietly. "I trust I can depend on the two of you to mind the school in the absence of both the Deputy Headmistress and myself? I don't know that we will be gone long, but…"
"You may depend on us sir." Flitwick squeaked determinedly.
"Albus…" Professor McGonagall began.
"Come along, Minerva, there is no time to waste." Dumbledore interrupted. "I'd like to be done before midnight."
Professor McGonagall looked as if she wanted to say more, but changed her mind with a frown.
When they had left the Hall, several corridors and a flight of stairs behind, Dumbledore stopped in an empty, unused room. There was not even a single portrait on the walls.
"Minerva, we discussed a plan this morning." Dumbledore said. "Do you remember it?"
"That was completely hypothetical…" She protested.
"Ah, then you do remember it? Good. How long would it take you to prepare the old sorcery workroom with the spells we discussed?" He drew a scroll case from the sleeve of his robe. "Here is all of the information we have. I made some alterations, so look it over carefully. Have Remus cast the Bindings. They need to be constructed by their caster, so he'll have to do it. Severus makes a better Fire Anchor anyway. Oh, and draw in a supporting role for Mr. Weasley. He could be useful."
"Which workroom?" She asked dully, taking the scroll case.
"The old one." Dumbledore repeated; emphasis on old. "I've learned a few things today. There will never be a better time than Halloween to do this. We will join you when Severus is ready."
"I'll need about an hour to set it all up." She nodded. "Remus?"
"Yes. What…Yes." Lupin stopped himself before he voiced any questions and followed her out the door.
It took effort of will, but Harry, Ron and Hermione kept silent too.
Dumbledore eyed the door as it closed behind his colleagues.
"Tonight I will show you the advantages of working with your instructors instead of around them."
With that, Dumbledore led them out of the room and up to the Hospital wing.
A/N – Curiouser and curiouser. That wily old Dumbledore ought to be more explicit in his instructions. It's a good thing I know what they're all doing.
Harry smoothed the end of the bandage he had just rolled and secured it with a straight pin. He laid the neat roll next to the last one he had done.
He looked up and met Hermione's eyes. She smiled uneasily and dropped her eyes back to her own bandage. Harry sighed silently and looked over into the ward where Ron was fussing over his sister.
His gaze crossed that of Draco Malfoy. Draco rolled his eyes and turned his chin away. Draco hadn't said a word since the three friends had arrived; not even to Dobby who was fawning over him.
Harry looked down at the bandage end that had somehow found its way into his hands. Madame Pomfrey had firmly insisted that they had to be rolled by hand. Apparently wand magic would disturb the delicate potion she had used on them.
Harry focused completely on the fabric in his hands. There were a great many things he was unwilling to think about right then.
Suddenly the outer doors opened and Severus swept in. He stopped next to their table.
"Dumbledore?" He asked.
Harry shook his head slightly and pointed to the closed door of one of the private rooms. "He and Madame Pomfrey disappeared into there. We've still no clue what's going on."
"Oh." Severus pulled out a chair and sat. He picked up an unrolled bandage and sniffed it. "She told you these would be ruined by wand magic?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
They nodded and Sev pulled out his wand. "Watch this."
He wrapped one end of the bandage around the end of his wand and twirled it. Within moments he had a perfectly rolled bundle.
Harry stared, Hermione laughed out loud.
"Not a bad trick, eh?" Sev's cheek twitched in what might have been a smile or maybe a wink.
"Rose?" Harry asked?
Sev nodded. "Rose." He looked around. "Where's Mr. Weasley? Where there are two of you there's usually three."
"In with Ginny." Hermione said.
Severus paled. "Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten." He turned towards the open door to the ward.
Draco Malfoy, seeing an opportunity, began waving one hand feebly and moving his mouth as if he were screaming.
"No." Severus said firmly. "Calm down, Mr. Malfoy. No, I will not release the charm."
Draco made as if to rise, but fell back immediately. He clenched his jaw and his hand fell limply by his side.
Severus stood as if to go to him, but at that moment the door to the private room opened. Dumbledore came out, followed closely by Madame Pomfrey.
"Ah, Severus, I thought I heard your voice." Dumbledore said. "Come assist me, please, and you can tell me your news."
"I think Mr. Malfoy needs you, Poppy." Severus said. "I don't believe he's resting comfortably."
Madame Pomfrey bustled across the room muttering about children.
"Collect Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore instructed, before disappearing back into the room. "We will leave immediately."
Ron came into view just as Harry and Hermione approached the doorway.
"Time to go?" He asked.
Harry nodded.
Dumbledore and Severus reappeared with a shrouded stretcher suspended magically between them.
"Come along." Dumbledore led the group to one of the walls and levitated a tapestry out of the way. There was a passageway there. They descended a straight, narrow stair that ended on the school lawn. Harry realized with a start that they were quite close to the Whomping Willow.
Dumbledore conjured a long stick to prod the tree with. It stopped moving and Dumbledore led them all into the passage to the Shrieking Shack. Harry exchanged glances with his friends, but none of them spoke. The entire procession trudged on in eerie silence.
A/N – Well, should we stop there? No, not really. We believe we shall post the next chapter too.
I know there are people out there that like longer chapters, but I am not really one of them. I shall break up my chapters as I see fit.