Chapter 10 – And here we are now
"Ah, Miss. Granger. You finally grace me with an appearance. What took you so long?"
"Do you find this amusing? What is wrong with you? You discovered espionage novels or Gabriel Knight DVD's?"
"Might I venture a guess that both your references are somehow muggle related?"
"Venture whatever you like. What is this? Where are we?"
"Non-descriptive sitting room of a hotel suite. Still in Zurich. How do you like the city so far?"
"Is this a social call or did I just entered a parallel universe where you are all nice and caring?"
"Don't delude yourself Miss Granger. Polite enquires after one's wellbeing is usually considered a welcomed distraction."
"Only when that specific one hasn't passed through a battle arena to find you."
"That merely secured our current privacy. How's everyone doing?"
"Can we step out of the twilight zone please? It's getting spooky."
"If I knew that some polite words was all it took to frighten the living death out of you, I might have considered using it earlier."
"Since all else failed."
"Don't mock Miss Granger. It doesn't become you. Unless you learn how to properly do it of course."
"And here I am, blowing the good fortune to be taught by the master to the wind."
"Does anyone else know you're here?"
"Would a negative answer made it easier for you to discard the body?"
"I assume you considered that probability long before owling me. Either that or you're too desperate for some reason."
"You know what the say about us Gryffindors, can't resist our inherent drive for taking risks. Uncalculated as you so unmistakably pointed out."
"Would some tea alleviate the reason of despair if only for the time being?"
"You do look at it as a social call, don't you?"
"Having no obligation to hide under a professor's persona any more, I can't see anything wrong with offering you tea. Can you?"
"Next thing I know, you'd be asking me on a date as well."
"Which thought sounds totally shocking to you for what reason exactly?"
"Okay. Let's sit back and wait for the polyjuice to wear off."
"And deprive me the inexplicit pleasure of watching you in a loss for words? Merlin only knows how long I've been waiting for this to happen."
"Still no good. Prove it's actually you."
"2nd year, you botched polyjuice so bad that you ended up in the infirmary as a cat. Served you right for being so arrogant as to believe that you could actually brew such an advanced potion at such a young age."
"Not to spoil your daydreaming here, but it actually did work. Harry and Ron transfigured just fine. I happened to have collected the wrong hair."
"And may I ask who did they transfigure into? What were you trying to prove anyway?"
"Let's just say we wanted to find out who the heir of Slytherin was... Try another. Too many knew about the cat incident."
"Let's see, let's see. So many to choose from… What about helping a convicted felon escape by illegal use of a time-turner?"
"He was never a felon."
"He was never proven innocent."
"How did you know about the time-turner?"
"I didn't. I found out much much later. When there was no way to turn back time and alter what took place. Not that it did Black any good. He just died with couple of years delay."
"Yeap, it's definitely same old mean you."
"Not mean. Merely realistic. Be that lesson four: don't mess up with time."
"How did you gain access on the MoM's time-turner's… department, or whatever it is called? I thought we totally demolished it last year."
"Although you did a pretty thorough job there, you missed the files. And having friends in high places always pays out. Happy birthday by the way. You are now an adult. Has the MoM owl reached you yet?"
"What owl?"
"The one welcoming you into adult wizarding world and lifting the non-magic barrier."
"You mean, that's today? I always thought it would be on my real birthday."
"This is your real birthday Miss Granger. The poor thing will probably have to travel all the way to here to reach you. And then back. And then forth again. Not a good day for owls this one."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't be found by magic today Miss Granger. The minute you taped that sickle you actually became unreachable, unplottable if you like."
"You can't perform that on a person. That's Dark Magic."
"So you aren't having tea with Santa Claus, then."
"You actually cast Dark Magic on me?"
"You actually requested a meeting with me?"
"I just thought…"
"You didn't. And that's where the problem resides. You just went for the first plan that came in your mind, preposterous though it might prove."
"What's preposterous about it?"
"Oh, nothing. Since term ended I keep rejecting ex-students' owls inviting me over for tea."
"It might not have been the most orthodox way to contact you, but at least it was one that wouldn't raise too many suspicions…"
"Well thought Miss Granger, but I wasn't referring to your communicating methods or skills. I was solely enquiring on your choice of communication subject. But I should have guessed, legendary as you are for keeping company to common murderers."
"I so don't… who do you mean?"
"Potter, non-premeditated. Black, alleged. And now advanced level three. Me, the real thing."
"I know you didn't kill him."
"Oh, is that so? That four-feet paper on Avada Kedavra was just bought in the essays black market then?"
"I wrote it myself all right but I still don't see how you might have killed Dumbledore."
"Is this actually the high emergency of yours? Satisfying your curiosity as to what exactly transpired that night?"
"No, it's just Hagrid getting to me. He still believes you staged Dubledore's death. He half expects him to turn up on his doorstep every time Fang barks."
"Kindly inform both, that there's no such a prospect. Dumbledore is as dead as they come."
A/N: I know I make them all sound too clever, namely completely OOC, but what I hate most in books, fics, movies etc is endless descriptions of flowerbeds and sunsets and interior designing. IMHO, it becomes more interactive, if not stimulating, when the reader has to imagine their facial expressions or surroundings or whatever.