Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
Chapter 10
A Brave Face
"Where is Professor McGonagall now." Harry shouted at Neville in a panic.
"She's in the headmaster's office." He replied. Harry wasted no time in sprinting through the corridors until he reached Dumbledore's office. When he walked in he saw professor McGonagall pacing around his desk.
"What's happened?" Harry said loudly as he caught McGonagall's attention.
"Professor Dumbledore is in a coma Potter." She replied with a very serious but controlled tone. "I'll take you in to see him." She led him into a room that was behind his desk on the right side and there he saw Madam Pomfrey standing over him on one side and Professor Altestario on the other.
"How did this happen?" Harry asked. It was very difficult for him to see Dumbledore look so frail and powerless. Harry always felt that he was safe as long as Dumbledore was around. But now, seeing Dumbledore lay there helplessly, Harry had a feeling of weakness that he hadn't experienced since being surrounded by death eaters in the graveyard his fourth year.
"We don't know." Professor McGonagall replied. "We were hoping you could shed some light on the subject. What exactly happened to Dumbledore this summer?" Harry looked down at his lion necklace briefly and then turned back to look at the professors.
"I don't know." He said. "He never told me."
"I know you talked with him after he woke up this summer." McGonagall had now raised her voice louder than Harry had ever heard it. "We need to know."
"I don't know." Harry screamed. Just then a candle flew across the room and shattered against the wall, which made all three occupants of the room stare at Harry curiously. Dumbledore had told Harry not to trust anyone with information about the spear. He hadn't even told Ron and Hermione and he was not about to break his promise now. Dumbledore knew that there was a traitor in the Order and until they knew who it was, no one was to be trusted.
"If he says that he doesn't know, that should be enough for you Minerva." Professor Altesterio said in a very calm voice.
"Very well." She replied still staring intensely at Harry. "But one thing is for sure. Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts is vulnerable and I'm sure by now, everyone knows that he is incapacitated. As acting Headmistress, I am canceling all Hogsmeade weekends until further notice and all Quidditch practices must be supervised by a teacher. I am going to go alert the rest of the staff of the situation. Let me know Potter, if you remember anything that may be helpful." Harry nodded his head as she exited the room.
"Harry, can I speak with you outside." Professor Altesterio said motioning for him to follow him back into the office. Madam Pomfrey was busy checking Dumbledore's vital signs and didn't even take notice of them leaving.
"I can't tell you anymore than I said in there." Harry started immediately as soon as they were alone. "Like I said, I don't know."
"Relax Harry, I'd say that I know about as much as I need to." He replied with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "You see, Dumbledore was sitting at the staff table in the Great Hall at dinner when he collapsed. Since I was sitting next to him, I was the first to come to his aid. I opened up the top of his robes to check that his heart was still beating when this fell out of his pocket." The professor held up a small vile which seemed to contain blood. "I expect that you will know what to do with this," he said as he handed it to Harry and exited the room.
Harry examined the vile. It was definitely blood. But whose? Had professor Dumbledore somehow gotten Voldemort's blood and not told him about it. That seemed unlikely, but there were certainly many questions that were swirling around in his head. Including how Professor Altesterio knew to give the vile to Harry. How much did he know? Harry pondered these questions until he got back to the Gryffindor common room. When he entered, he saw a lot of sad faces including Ron, Hermione, and Ginny who were sitting together in the corner by the fire. Hermione and Ron were sitting next to each other on the couch (Hermione was leaning her head on Ron's shoulder), and Ginny was sitting in front of them on the floor.
"Is it true?" Ron said as Harry approached the three of them. Harry shook his head yes as he took a seat next Ginny on the floor. Ginny immediatly lunged for Harry and wrapped him up in a big hug as she cried on his shoulder. He held her tightly and felt like he never wanted to let go, but then realized that Ron and Hermione were watching him waiting for an explanation.
"He's in a coma." Harry said to them as he released Ginny. "They don't know why, so they don't have a way to cure him. We're just going to have to wait and hope."
"We're doomed without him." Hermione said as she began to sob. Harry knew how she was feeling, but he also knew that they couldn't just give up so he starred at Ron and Hermione and spoke to them in with a very confident voice.
"Come with me." He said as he got up and started walking towards the stairs that led to the boy's dormitory. The three of them got up quickly and followed Harry as he led them to the sixth grade boy's dorm and closed the door. He decided that he needed to tell them as much information as he could. Harry knew that they would never betray them. Although he would still not tell them about the spear.
"What is it?" Ginny said. She looked very frightened, as did Ron and Hermione.
"There are a few things that I need to tell you." He said as they all starred at him with wide curious eyes. "This summer, Dumbledore was on a mission. I can't tell you what kind of mission, but he was ambushed, he was set up. There is a traitor in the Order. Someone was trying to get rid of Dumbledore this summer, and someone is trying to do it again. Now, it could be anybody, which means that we don't trust anyone but each other. Not even Hagrid. You three are prefects so you have to stay confident. No more crying in the common room, you'll scare the hell out of the younger students. I am going to talk to Professor Altesterio about making the DA meetings longer and more intense and I'm also going to ask McGonagall to let first and second years join. I'm going to send a letter to Fred and George when we get done here so that they can keep us updated about what's going on with the Order."
"But Harry." Ron interrupted. "Fred and George aren't members of the Order."
"They will be after I talk to them." He replied. "They are of age and out of school and no one can deny their talent. We need someone who we can trust on the inside and we know that your parents are not about to tell us anything so Fred and George are going to have to convince the Order to let them in. Don't worry; I expect it won't be too difficult to convince either side. We should also go and talk to Hagrid this weekend. We've always been able to get information out of him."
They all looked at him and nodded and he could see that they understood what needed to get done.
"Well go downstairs and have a talk with all the younger students." Hermione said as she stood up straight and tried to put on a confident face.
"Good." Harry replied. "And I am going to right that letter to Fred and George." With that, he pulled out a piece or parchment and a quill and began writing a letter to the twins.
Dear Fred and George,
As you have no doubt heard, Dumbledore is in a coma. I have reason to believe that there is a traitor inside the Order. I need you two to join the Order and report back to me with anything and everything that is going on. I am sure that it might take some convincing for your parents to agree but you MUST make them see that you are ready and able to help the Order. I need your help and Dumbledore needs your help. Don't share this letter with anyone, (including your parents and brothers) and please get back to me as soon as possible.
Thanks Harry
Harry sealed the letter and got up to go to the owlery when he noticed that Ginny hadn't left, she was still standing near the door. He walked up to her and grabbed one of her hands softly.
"Are you ok?" He asked. She was not crying anymore, but she still showed signs that she had been.
"I'm scared Harry." She replied. "I still see him sometimes in my dreams you know. He had taken me over for a significant amount of time, and sometimes I can still feel him. I hear him taunting me. Everyone just expects that I forgot about it or that I've gotten over it, but I don't know that I'll ever get over it." Ginny had become more powerful and more confident over the past couple of years, so it was hard for Harry to see her look so vulnerable.
"The best way to get over it Gin, is to be proactive." He said as he looked deeply into her eyes. "There's more people on the good side than the bad and if we work hard and stay together, we'll get him." She seemed to respond positively to his words and she confidently approached him.
"Thanks." She said softly as she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him quickly on the cheek. As she was leaving, they exchanged a brief look that was more intense than anything Harry had experienced with a girl before. He sat there by himself for a few seconds contemplating his feelings but then quickly snapped out of it realizing that he had to get the letter to Fred and George. He swept through the Gryffindor common room quickly and headed down to the owlery to find Hedwig. When he entered the owlery he found that it was completely empty, except for the hundreds of owls that were now making all different noises upon seeing that they had company
"Hello Hedwig." He said as she swept down and landed on his arm. He pulled out a treat that he kept in his pocket and gave it to her. "Take this to Fred and George and don't leave them until you get a reply." She hooted excitedly and swooped away quickly out the window. His next thought was to go and find Professor Altesterio to discuss his plans for intensifying the DA meetings, but when he turned around he noticed that he was no longer alone.
"Hello Potter." Malfoy said as he Crabbe and Goyle closed the door to the Owlery behind them.
Chapter 10
A Brave Face
"Where is Professor McGonagall now." Harry shouted at Neville in a panic.
"She's in the headmaster's office." He replied. Harry wasted no time in sprinting through the corridors until he reached Dumbledore's office. When he walked in he saw professor McGonagall pacing around his desk.
"What's happened?" Harry said loudly as he caught McGonagall's attention.
"Professor Dumbledore is in a coma Potter." She replied with a very serious but controlled tone. "I'll take you in to see him." She led him into a room that was behind his desk on the right side and there he saw Madam Pomfrey standing over him on one side and Professor Altestario on the other.
"How did this happen?" Harry asked. It was very difficult for him to see Dumbledore look so frail and powerless. Harry always felt that he was safe as long as Dumbledore was around. But now, seeing Dumbledore lay there helplessly, Harry had a feeling of weakness that he hadn't experienced since being surrounded by death eaters in the graveyard his fourth year.
"We don't know." Professor McGonagall replied. "We were hoping you could shed some light on the subject. What exactly happened to Dumbledore this summer?" Harry looked down at his lion necklace briefly and then turned back to look at the professors.
"I don't know." He said. "He never told me."
"I know you talked with him after he woke up this summer." McGonagall had now raised her voice louder than Harry had ever heard it. "We need to know."
"I don't know." Harry screamed. Just then a candle flew across the room and shattered against the wall, which made all three occupants of the room stare at Harry curiously. Dumbledore had told Harry not to trust anyone with information about the spear. He hadn't even told Ron and Hermione and he was not about to break his promise now. Dumbledore knew that there was a traitor in the Order and until they knew who it was, no one was to be trusted.
"If he says that he doesn't know, that should be enough for you Minerva." Professor Altesterio said in a very calm voice.
"Very well." She replied still staring intensely at Harry. "But one thing is for sure. Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts is vulnerable and I'm sure by now, everyone knows that he is incapacitated. As acting Headmistress, I am canceling all Hogsmeade weekends until further notice and all Quidditch practices must be supervised by a teacher. I am going to go alert the rest of the staff of the situation. Let me know Potter, if you remember anything that may be helpful." Harry nodded his head as she exited the room.
"Harry, can I speak with you outside." Professor Altesterio said motioning for him to follow him back into the office. Madam Pomfrey was busy checking Dumbledore's vital signs and didn't even take notice of them leaving.
"I can't tell you anymore than I said in there." Harry started immediately as soon as they were alone. "Like I said, I don't know."
"Relax Harry, I'd say that I know about as much as I need to." He replied with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "You see, Dumbledore was sitting at the staff table in the Great Hall at dinner when he collapsed. Since I was sitting next to him, I was the first to come to his aid. I opened up the top of his robes to check that his heart was still beating when this fell out of his pocket." The professor held up a small vile which seemed to contain blood. "I expect that you will know what to do with this," he said as he handed it to Harry and exited the room.
Harry examined the vile. It was definitely blood. But whose? Had professor Dumbledore somehow gotten Voldemort's blood and not told him about it. That seemed unlikely, but there were certainly many questions that were swirling around in his head. Including how Professor Altesterio knew to give the vile to Harry. How much did he know? Harry pondered these questions until he got back to the Gryffindor common room. When he entered, he saw a lot of sad faces including Ron, Hermione, and Ginny who were sitting together in the corner by the fire. Hermione and Ron were sitting next to each other on the couch (Hermione was leaning her head on Ron's shoulder), and Ginny was sitting in front of them on the floor.
"Is it true?" Ron said as Harry approached the three of them. Harry shook his head yes as he took a seat next Ginny on the floor. Ginny immediatly lunged for Harry and wrapped him up in a big hug as she cried on his shoulder. He held her tightly and felt like he never wanted to let go, but then realized that Ron and Hermione were watching him waiting for an explanation.
"He's in a coma." Harry said to them as he released Ginny. "They don't know why, so they don't have a way to cure him. We're just going to have to wait and hope."
"We're doomed without him." Hermione said as she began to sob. Harry knew how she was feeling, but he also knew that they couldn't just give up so he starred at Ron and Hermione and spoke to them in with a very confident voice.
"Come with me." He said as he got up and started walking towards the stairs that led to the boy's dormitory. The three of them got up quickly and followed Harry as he led them to the sixth grade boy's dorm and closed the door. He decided that he needed to tell them as much information as he could. Harry knew that they would never betray them. Although he would still not tell them about the spear.
"What is it?" Ginny said. She looked very frightened, as did Ron and Hermione.
"There are a few things that I need to tell you." He said as they all starred at him with wide curious eyes. "This summer, Dumbledore was on a mission. I can't tell you what kind of mission, but he was ambushed, he was set up. There is a traitor in the Order. Someone was trying to get rid of Dumbledore this summer, and someone is trying to do it again. Now, it could be anybody, which means that we don't trust anyone but each other. Not even Hagrid. You three are prefects so you have to stay confident. No more crying in the common room, you'll scare the hell out of the younger students. I am going to talk to Professor Altesterio about making the DA meetings longer and more intense and I'm also going to ask McGonagall to let first and second years join. I'm going to send a letter to Fred and George when we get done here so that they can keep us updated about what's going on with the Order."
"But Harry." Ron interrupted. "Fred and George aren't members of the Order."
"They will be after I talk to them." He replied. "They are of age and out of school and no one can deny their talent. We need someone who we can trust on the inside and we know that your parents are not about to tell us anything so Fred and George are going to have to convince the Order to let them in. Don't worry; I expect it won't be too difficult to convince either side. We should also go and talk to Hagrid this weekend. We've always been able to get information out of him."
They all looked at him and nodded and he could see that they understood what needed to get done.
"Well go downstairs and have a talk with all the younger students." Hermione said as she stood up straight and tried to put on a confident face.
"Good." Harry replied. "And I am going to right that letter to Fred and George." With that, he pulled out a piece or parchment and a quill and began writing a letter to the twins.
Dear Fred and George,
As you have no doubt heard, Dumbledore is in a coma. I have reason to believe that there is a traitor inside the Order. I need you two to join the Order and report back to me with anything and everything that is going on. I am sure that it might take some convincing for your parents to agree but you MUST make them see that you are ready and able to help the Order. I need your help and Dumbledore needs your help. Don't share this letter with anyone, (including your parents and brothers) and please get back to me as soon as possible.
Thanks Harry
Harry sealed the letter and got up to go to the owlery when he noticed that Ginny hadn't left, she was still standing near the door. He walked up to her and grabbed one of her hands softly.
"Are you ok?" He asked. She was not crying anymore, but she still showed signs that she had been.
"I'm scared Harry." She replied. "I still see him sometimes in my dreams you know. He had taken me over for a significant amount of time, and sometimes I can still feel him. I hear him taunting me. Everyone just expects that I forgot about it or that I've gotten over it, but I don't know that I'll ever get over it." Ginny had become more powerful and more confident over the past couple of years, so it was hard for Harry to see her look so vulnerable.
"The best way to get over it Gin, is to be proactive." He said as he looked deeply into her eyes. "There's more people on the good side than the bad and if we work hard and stay together, we'll get him." She seemed to respond positively to his words and she confidently approached him.
"Thanks." She said softly as she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him quickly on the cheek. As she was leaving, they exchanged a brief look that was more intense than anything Harry had experienced with a girl before. He sat there by himself for a few seconds contemplating his feelings but then quickly snapped out of it realizing that he had to get the letter to Fred and George. He swept through the Gryffindor common room quickly and headed down to the owlery to find Hedwig. When he entered the owlery he found that it was completely empty, except for the hundreds of owls that were now making all different noises upon seeing that they had company
"Hello Hedwig." He said as she swept down and landed on his arm. He pulled out a treat that he kept in his pocket and gave it to her. "Take this to Fred and George and don't leave them until you get a reply." She hooted excitedly and swooped away quickly out the window. His next thought was to go and find Professor Altesterio to discuss his plans for intensifying the DA meetings, but when he turned around he noticed that he was no longer alone.
"Hello Potter." Malfoy said as he Crabbe and Goyle closed the door to the Owlery behind them.