A Much Appreciated Councilor
Harry's POV
I decided that Ron deserved a little privacy with his newfound "friend" so returned to the castle alone. Somehow Laurel didn't strike me as an ambitious girl, despite the little time I knew her. I guess that just proves what I found out all through my years at Hogwarts, I am a horrible judge of character.
I was halfway to the castle when I spotted something red in the bushes. It looked like Laurel's hair. I went to explore it; exploring being one of my better talents, but when I arrived it had disappeared. I knew Ron was still with Laurel but somehow I knew that the red was Laurel's hair. I knew I could never explain it so I decided to not inform Ron about my surety of two Laurels.
I reached the castle still pondering how this was possible (Ron and I had come to the conclusion that Mrs. Weasly could do without our interference in her household and had therefore decided with Dumbledore to move into Hogwarts until a more suitable home could be found) when Dumbledore walked out the front doors and walked up to me. We greeted each other and he inquired as to how my interview went, a fact I didn't know he had found out, but that proves yet another thing, Dumbledore knows everything, and I told him.
He seemed to know something was wrong so he asked how Ron was doing. I answered very bitterly, not intending to, that he was fine with his girlfriend. Dumbledore knew that this was my problem so he invited me to his office.
I always thought of Dumbledore as a grandfatherly like figure and though I revealed little of my problems to him in school until my adventures were finished, I had learned afterwards that he was a wonderful confident so in his office when he asked me what was troubling me I told him.
"Ron is already over Hermione, he was supposed be in love with her!"
"No, you were in love with her, Ron just had a overlong crush."
"But now he's with a girl that I liked yesterday but today she is so different. And also, when I was walking back here I saw her hair in the bushes. It disappeared when I got there but I know it was her hair, how I knew I'm not sure but I know it was."
"Girls will often act different to make a good first impression, then they don't care what happens next. Do you still have the marders map? We could see if anyone was there."
"Yes I have it, is there anyone named Laurel going to this school, I think she said she was from Gryffindor."
"Ah, yes. Laurel is a student here, I'm surprised that you didn't notice her in your school years."
"I only had two eyes, one for Hermione, one for Ginny. I couldn't spare anymore for girls."
"Oh, of course not. Yet you noticed Cho."
"She doesn't count. I saw her first but though I saw her, I didn't actually see her. I mean she was never really in my vision."
"Aha, so you went out with her when you were in love with Hermione and crushing on Ginny. I have trouble understanding you sometimes, Harry, very much trouble. Well run along and get that fabulous map of yours and let's see who is in that bush."
I went to the Gryffindor common room; Ron and me really liked our old school rooms, and ran up the stairs to the boys dormitory.
I got to my bedside and started to look through my drawers and I came upon a picture of Hermione, Ron, and me in our last year. We were so happy, not knowing what would happen that next summer, never guessing that we wouldn't live our lives out together forever, never guessing that we would be lost.
The whole of hit me all at once. My six years of joy, my only happiness was school, my friendship with Ron and me starting off friends, saving Hermione and being friends since. Falling in love with her in third year, sensing the same from Ron, holding it all so he could have her, and so soon after her death him "falling in love" again. I could have had her, but Ron wanted her, now neither of us would get her. The love of my life was gone. Voldimort had taken everything from me, everything.
I sat and cried for what seemed like hours, until Dumbledore came up into my room. He saw me and sat beside me on the edge of my bed. He didn't say anything he just hugged me. I cried into his shoulder, a boy crying in his grandfather's shoulder, in need of comfort. I was only a little boy, not yet twenty, just a little boy with a broken heart that nothing could heal. After a long time, I do not know how long, Dumbledore sat me up and pulled the map out of my dresser drawer. "Let us try to find your mysterious girl," He said. I wiped away my tears and stood up, grabbed my wand and opened the map.
Upon saying the key words the map appeared, but when I looked at the edge of the map I realized that the bush was just beyond the edge of the map, not two feet past my maps limits. I felt the tears well up again, but Dumbledore was already pushing me to the stairs, "Come on Harry, because we can't find her on we will explore the area ourselves, I haven't had very much exercise today."
Dumbledore was a very good man, he always had the right things to say, he was the best man I'd ever met.
We walked out of the school just as Ron and Laurel came into focus, Laurel was clinging to Ron and he was smiling with glee. "You're right she has changed" Dumbledore muttered as Ron walked up. The lovebirds were clinging onto each other like drunken fools, which they no doubt were.
Dumbledore looked at me apologetically and spoke to Ron and Laurel. "Well, hello Laurel, I was just going to get Ron, it's Dinner time. Would you like to eat with us today?"
"Actually Dumbledore," Laurel said rather unappreciatively "Ron has already asked me to join you. He's so sweet."
"Oh, of course, welcome to our, ahem, humble abode. Come in and clean up for dinner. Why don't we eat in my apartments today?"
Ron and Laurel strolled into the castle like two lovers on a walk in Paris, giggling and pecking kisses at each other, and I saw Dumbledore grimace, he hate a good mind going to waste just as much as I did.
As for me, I rushed into the Castle and ran to the boy's bathroom to clean my face and hands than rushed to catch up to Dumbledore as he opened his stairway. I hoped onto the stairway with Dumbledore and we silently waited to get to the top.
When the door to Dumbledore's office opened we walked in and Dumbledore chuckled, I looked at him funny and he said, "You know, she reminds me of a boy who once went to this school, a long time ago, as strange as it may seem I think that she will be the dominate one in their relationship."
"Well that's hardly funny, she will take advantage of Ron"
"Oh no, that's not funny, it's her reminding me of a boy, she seems such a girl."
I couldn't make myself laugh if I wanted to, she was going to hurt Ron and there was nothing I could do to stop it, Ron wouldn't take advice from me about her, especially if it meant breaking up with her.
"Don't worry, Harry, through your years at Hogwarts you did many things that no one would ever think possible, you can do this with no problem."
He meant I should break them up! I couldn't believe it; I never thought that my Headmaster would ever encourage me to do something that might hurt someone, even if it meant they would be better off.
Just then Laurel and Ron walked into the room. Dumbledore and I sat down and Ron joined us, Laurel just stood there until Ron pulled her onto his lap. I didn't like this, and we ate our meal in mostly in silence, except for when Ron and Laurel started giggling and when Dumbledore asked Laurel questions.
"So, Laurel, how are you doing on your homework?"
"Oh, I haven't even started yet, I think I'll just leave it to the last week of vacation."
"You don't usually do that though, usually you do it the first week of vacation."
"I've changed Dumbledore, I've changed more than anyone could ever know." Laurel laughed. At that moment I saw her eyes glow with an evil I could never have imagined. No change could surprise Dumbledore; Moody being someone else didn't surprise him at all, what could? But than I could see that her change surprised him, she couldn't be the girl he knew, could she?
There was nothing to do until she left, so I sat in silence until dinner was over. I would talk to Dumbledore later.
Ron and Laurel left without even saying thanks to Dumbledore but I was glad of that, I was eager to ask Dumbledore about Laurel. But, before I could say anything Dumbledore spoke. "That is not Laurel, she couldn't be, Laurel could never change that much."
I was right, he was surprised, well maybe not surprised but he could tell. "Harry I think it's time we looked into that bush of yours"
"Yes I agree. We need to look at that."
Dumbledore and I walked to the bush and began our search behind it. There was nothing in sight, but we got down on our hands and knees to see if it was under an invisibility clock or something of the sort. We felt around and I hit something. I tried to grab it but it wouldn't budge. By now it was too hard to see and so Dumbledore took out his wand and muttered 'luminous'. I called him over to have him take a look so he lit up the area I was holding, but I wasn't holding anything we could see. I reached back farther and I felt a face, then arms, and I knew that she was there. I grabbed hold of her arms but I couldn't move them, Dumbledore said a charm to try and unstuck her but it made no difference. He also tried a charm to make her visible but it had no affect either.
"This is dark magic, Harry, I can't undo it, only the welder can. We must keep an eye on this place and see if anyone comes to take her, then we can catch whoever did this. Until then we must wait and be cautious, whoever did this could be more powerful than we could ever imagine. We must go back now."
As much as I hated leaving the bush and Laurel I knew I had no choice so I followed Dumbledore back to the castle.
