Phoenix Counsel
Dumbledore, back from witnessing Hermione's dream memory in the pensieve, sat with steepled hands and furrowed brow. She looked at him, once again amazed at the fact that he was actually sitting across the desk from her, looking none the worse for the wear. It turns out that fawkes and Dumbledore had more in common than anyone knew. There are ways besides horcruxes of leaving a bit of ones soul in a place for safekeeping. And so, in the final battle against Voldemort earlier this year, when one of the fleeing deatheaters in a last cruel gesture cast the inflamare curse at Dumbledore's white tomb by the lake, it erupted in flame once more and he was reborn from the ashes. His return was one bright spot on a very dark day; the many others that fell were not so lucky. It was odd, now, trying to go back to business as usual around Hogwarts. For the first time in a long time, there was no immediate threat looming before them, and the golden trio, Harry especially she suspected, felt a bit lost.
Dumbledore drew her out of her thoughts. "Miss Granger, have you ever experienced something like this before?"
"No, sir. I don't know what it means. I don't know if it's real. Should we check if he is in the dungeons?" Hermione was pacing back and forth in front of Dumbledore's desk with increasing speed.
Dumbledore considered Hermione's path to and fro in front of him. "There will be no need. Professor Snape, I assure you, is safe and sound, nursing a glass of firewhiskey in his private chambers if I had to wager a guess."
Hermione's cheeks colored at this, and she stopped and stared. Then it had just been a dream. She came here and disturbed the schoolmaster in the middle of the night for nothing, and..."Wait a minute", she thought, "how does Dumbledore even know...?"
"I have my ways, Miss Granger. Not only Molly Weasley feels the need to keep watch over those close to her by magical means," he gestured at a complex, clocklike device with a golden print of a phoenix in the center on the wall opposite, twinkling at her surprise, "Although if it would set your mind to rest, I would be glad to floo Severus just to be sure..." Dumbledore started to get up and move toward the fireplace.
"No sir," Hermione interjected, "That won't be necessary. I'm very sorry to have disturbed you in the middle of the night. I'll go now."
More embarrassed than she had been in a long time, Hermione made quickly for the door.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione paused and turned back to see a serious expression on her headmaster's face. "I want to thank you for sharing this with me. Dreams should never be ignored; they often represent reality in ways that are not immediately clear. I hope you will let me know if this happens again?"
"Yes, sir. Goodnight." Hermione slipped out the door.
Dumbledore looked at the closed door for a moment, waiting for her footsteps to recede, then stood and approached the fireplace, grabbing a small handfull of floo powder off the mantel. He tossed the powder in, then stuck his head into the green flames.
"Severus my boy, I think we need to have a talk. May I come in?" And without waiting for a reply, he disappeared into the fireplace.