Chapter 6: Dumbledore's Advice

As I have stated many times before, I don't want to be making cash off of this. 'Cause they're Joanne Rowling's and I'm alright with that.

Still by Padfoot

Now, I don't like this fic at all as I re-read it. Well, I can say that I like some parts, but overall I do not enjoy how this fic came out. I feel like most of my characters are out of character. I will still update, of course, because the next chapter after this is going to be the last, and for those of you who do enjoy reading this, I'm sure you want to finish it. I also want to finish this to rub in Moony's face that I finished a mutli-chapter fic for once. So tata. 'Bye. Good day.- Padfoot

"But Hermione, he's the headmaster," complained Ron. "He's probably busy right now. Dumbledore doesn't have time for us."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny, jogging to keep up with Hermione.

"Well he'll have to make time, won't he?" said Hermione.

As they approached the long gargoyle, there were already stairs leading up to Dumbledore's office. It took a few seconds to comprehend, but there was someone traveling down those very same steps. Ron caught Hermione's eye and gave her a why-did-you-drag-me-into-this kind of look.

Albus Dumbledore was ambling down the stairs and humming a tune absent-mindedly. When he caught sight of Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, he smiled. "Ah," Dumbledore said. "I knew you three were going to want a word with me, I just never knew when…" He trailed off.

"Yes," began Hermione. "We have been wanting to talk to you, Professor." Ron elbowed her hard on her side. "Err—I did."

"Hmm," Dumbledore looked over them, as if he were interested in the painting across the corridor. "Come to my office, you three."

They followed him up to his hidden office and sat down in the three chairs facing his desk.

"So," he started off, slapping his hands on his desk. "I think we should get strait to the facts; why did you come here?"

Ginny and Ron didn't say anything, as they didn't have a clue as why Hermione wanted them there with her. "Well," Hermione said, her voice quavering as if she was nervous to say it. "I wanted to know…I wanted to know, what you said to Harry when you said you wanted a private word. And, erm…and, I, wanted a err—better explanation as to how, how…"

Dumbledore cut her off, "Ah yes, that." He closed his eyes, as if he were deep in thought. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that, I don't really enjoy telling the tale, but I cannot deny you." His eyes opened again, and as he spoke they traveling from Hermione, to Ron, to Ginny. "Well, I told him specifically that I believed a force none of us can imagine inside of him, was what might hold this defeat.

"I asked him if he truly wanted to go through with this. I told him he didn't have to do it now, it would end with the same results anytime; and that he shouldn't go through with something like this that he really isn't sure of.

Harry told me wrong. He said, as he had many times before, that he wanted to finally duel with Voldemort." Ron and Ginny winced, while Hermione watched him with an expressionless face.

Dumbledore heaved a heavy sigh, but then continued, "Somehow he thought Avada Kedavra would do the trick. Both of them said it at the same time." He took a sigh again. "The curses reflected each other, and hit the owner of the wand that conjured it."

Ron was shaking his head slowly. "But—how?" he mumbled quietly, barely any noise coming from his mouth. "How?"

"Why couldn't you have told Ron and me that?" Hermione questioned aloud.

"I supposed he would tell you," he answered, and made a soft chuckle. It was true; he did suppose that Harry would tell his two best friends, at least, what he had just told him.

"Well he didn't," spoke up Ron, his voice sounding much harsher than he meant it to. "So how do we know you're really telling the truth?"

Dumbledore paused, looking at Ron. "If any of the three of you don't believe what I am telling you, by all means, you can leave my office." None of them moved from their seats. "Thank you," he smiled feebly, but the other three just looked at him, unblinking, and waiting.

"I'm not exactly sure how any of this happened, and I'm sure if any of you three were in my position, you would do the same as I am doing now," he paused for a second, took a breath, and then continued, "I don't understand exactly how this happened, and I assure you, that I am telling you all that I can."

Ron was looking a bit skeptical about all of this, but he was forced to believe Dumbledore. Dumbledore had never lied to them.

"I think we should all try and get our lives back to as normal as possible; come back to me if you have any other questions," he finished, getting up and walking over to his cupboards as if he were mainly interested in one of the books on the shelves.

Ron got up to leave, and so did Ginny. Hermione just sat in her chair, eyeing the ground and thinking. "You coming?" Ron mumbled to Hermione, as he and Ginny began to walk out of his office.

"Yeah, yeah, you go, I'll catch up," she said offhandedly. Ron and Ginny were already on their way out when she finally stood up.

"Goodbye for now, Professor," she mumbled before following the footsteps of her friends.

Ginny and Ron were right by the entrance to Dumbledore's office, waiting for Hermione to emerge. They all silently made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, until Ron broke the silence, "Are you happy now? We talked to Dumbledore."

"Well, I was hoping he'd tell us more," Hermione began, but was cut off by Ginny muttering the password and going through the portrait hole, followed by Ron and Hermione.

"I'm going to sit on my bed," Ron announced, not really wanting to hear the remainder of Hermione's answer.

In the dormitory, Ron threw himself onto his bed, on his side, facing what was Harry's bed. He just laid there for awhile, his eyes closed, thinking. He was angry. Why did Harry have to leave them like this? Ron stood up beside his bed, and took Harry's pillow up in his hands, and threw it across the room.

When he looked at what was under the pillow, however, he gasped and picked it up.

You read it—You loved it—Now review it!

Ahaha. Cliffhanger. Aren't I mean? - Padfoot