Eiram waited for an answer. Harry, Ron, Hermione exchanged glances. The new Gryffindor, the adult, had sprouted wings, which looked rather the worse for wear, and was alternately weeping softly to herself and gazing in adoration at Harry.
He did look remarkably like the hobbit all of the sudden. And where was the hobbit, anyway? Wasn't he a Gryffindor, too?
"Listen," she said. "You sent the note asking for help. I realize I'm a little late off the mark, but the...um...department meeting ran way over, and I couldn't get out of it."
"But," said Harry, "how did you get the note?"
"And who are you, anyway?" asked Ron.
"I am Professor Dumbledore," Eiram said. "You addressed the note to me."
"You're..." Harry gaped rather foolishly. "I don't understand."
"Yeah," said Ron. "Last we looked, Professor Dumbledore was a little older and maler than you."
"And dead," added Harry."
"He's not dead," Eiram lied. "He's just really busy."
"And female?" asked Ron. "When did that happen?"
"Ron," said Hermione, exasperatedly. "Don't you pay attention to anything? She isn't that Professor Dumbledore. She's his daughter. And she's the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
So Hermione had not, apparently, lost all her sense along with her taste, Eiram thought. That was good. She hoped. "Ten points to Gryffindor," she said, hoping to encourage it. "Now someone please explain that note. And where is Hajile, anyway?"
The winged woman pointed lovingly at Harry.
"Well, you see, Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione in a very low voice, "that's the problem. Draco and a giant tortoise wormed their way in and...and..." She burst into tears.
"And?" asked Eiram.
Harry set his mouth grimly. I will tell you nothing! she heard him think. I am right about everything all the time, and I don't need any help from you!
"But you asked me for help, Harry," she said. "So stop being such a prat and tell me."
"Oh no!" Harry cried. "First Snape, now you, too?"
"Professor Snape," she said.
"Professor Murderous Traitor," he said.
"Harry," said Ron, "Dumbledore's alive. So, well, don't you think that sort of means Snape couldn't have murdered him?"
"But I saw it!" Harry insisted.
"You couldn't have, Harry," said Hermione. "But anyway what does it matter? Snape is gone and we have Professor Ramone for Potions now."
Eiram silently thanked Hermione and considered giving Gryffindor another ten points, but could not think of a way to justify it.
"Yeah, and he's probably a Legilemens, too," said Harry mutinously.
"Does it matter?" asked Ron. "He's not even here."
"No, but she is, and she's a Legilemens."
"For the last time," said Eiram in her most teacherly voice. "Where. Is. Hajile?"
The winged woman pointed at Harry again and stars danced in her eyes.
"Oh Professor!" whispered Hermione urgently. "Draco and Ybbuh took him away! They dragged him off to the Slytherin dungeon, I'm sure of it!"
"Well, one way to find out," said Eiram, starting to turn away from the portrait hole.
"Er," said Ron, "what are you going to do? You can't just walk in and look around."
"I can, actually," said Eiram and disappeared.