AKI- Wow this chapter is like a half of page longer than my usual ones. Hope you like it, because I put it up in a timely manner too. I am going on vacation for a week so I do not know when the next chapter will be up because I will have not computer! I will not be able to write, let alone update. :( (sorry)
Chapter 16
Guides
Dumbledore sat down in his office and leaned back in his thrown like chair mulling over the announcement he had made at diner addressing the several teenagers that were currently abiding in Hogwarts' infirmary. The students did not really need to know, but the rumors that spread…well, the headmaster thought it would be best to clear them up if he was going to let the visitors wander around the school a bit. It had been a busy, scary, hectic week. Not to mention that Voldemort was still on the rise and madder than ever at his big loss, madder in both senses.
There was a quite knock on the door.
"Enter," said Dumbledore sitting up straight and he knew who was their entered the room.
"Professor, I was told you wanted to speak with me?" stated Harry after closing the door behind him.
"Ah, yes. Please sit down," Dumbledore said gesturing to a lone empty chair sitting in front on his desk.
Harry crossed the room and sat down, waiting patiently for Dumbledore to say something. After a minute of silence, Harry realized that the headmaster was deep in thought, something that happened more often recently, and probably needed some prompting
"Sir?"
"Yes," answered Dumbledore distractedly as he was looking threw some parchments that littered his usually neat desk.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" replied Harry, slightly amused and slightly annoyed at the same time.
"Oh, yes, sorry. Just was finish reading his letter from the ministry," he explained, tucking the letter aside before taking a deep breath and beginning. "As you know we have recently acquired the presence of five teenagers from America," Harry nodded silently, Dumbledore continued, "Doubtlessly you have heard numberless rumors about them, but I have no hesitation to think you and your friends have come up with your own ideas on the matter."
"Yes, sir," The-Boy-Who-Lived replied, thankful to be getting to the heart of the matter.
"They have spent the last day or two in the hospital wing, but seeing as they are all in good health it would not be fair to keep them locked up their when they have this once in a life time opportunity to enjoy Hogwarts-"
"But, sir," interrupted Harry, "That one girl, she was helping Voldemort. How can you trust her and just let her-," Dumbledore put out a hand to stop Harry in his question.
"Harry, I must beg you not to judge to quickly, for their a few things I did not revel to the general populace. The girl you speak of, Raven's her name, was forced to do Voldemort's bidding against her will."
"How was she forced?" Harry demanded but Dumbledore ignored him and continued as though Harry had not even asked a question.
"I assure you she is not a Death Eater nor are any of her friends. They are not allied with Lord Voldemort in any way."
Harry was not happy with the answer, he felt as if Dumbledore was holding some information back from him. Still he grumpily gave Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt, as Hermione said all the time, if they could not trust Dumbledore they couldn't trust anyone.
"Now," began Dumbledore again who had been silent for a moment in order to let Harry organize his thoughts, "To the reason why I called you up here. I can't very well let them wander all around the school by themselves. They could get lost, or run into some, let's just call them, disagreeable crowds." Harry smiled slightly at this thinking about who qualified as disagreeable.
"Do you see my predicament?" Dumbledore said humorously, continuing without getting an answer. "So I of course I knew instantly that they would need a guide and I did not want to burden an already busy teacher so…"
"You want me to be their guide?"
"Well, yes, you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and I suppose Miss Weasley too, if you have need of it. Can I trust you to inform them?"
Harry nodded.
"Good! Now, as tomorrow is Saturday, will you please meet me at the Hospital wing shortly after breakfast at nine-thirty sharp to meet them?"
A silence followed, "Um, sir? Can I go now?"
"Of course," Harry got up and after he exited the headmaster's office he headed straight for the Gryffindor common room. He had some things to talk over with Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.
linelinelinelinelineline
Raven turned in the unfamiliar hospital bed. No matter how long she had laid here, she could not just get used to it. The room was dark. The little illumination came from the lingering moon outside the window. Raven wanted to laugh as she looked at the awkward way Starfire was sleeping in the bed next to hers. Madam Pomfrey had moved some of those portable curtains to create to separate rooms for the boys and the girls. She smiled numbly at the thought of the boys when she saw them in matching blue and white, pinstripe pajamas. She had never really seen them in anything else but their colorful uniforms. Of course it had been the boys turn to laugh when they saw the slightly lacey nightdresses Madam Pomfrey was trying to get Starfire and Raven to wear. Star had been all too willing, but Raven managed to stop her and convince the nurse to give the girls the same shirt and pants pj's as the boys had.
Raven sighed. She attempted to clear her mind of these annoying memories and get some sleep. She concentrated on the silence around her, but all could be heard was the occasional hoot of an owl from through the window, Starfire's light breathing and what suspiciously sounded like Beast Boy's snoring, past the curtain.
This day had be a good day and even Raven, who was probably the Queen of Pessimist and the Supreme Overlord of Apathy, could not deny it. She was out of the Dark Lord's clutches; her friends were safe, she was safe, no real harm had been done, yet…what was this damn feeling of foreboding. What was this ominous cloud hanging over her happiness? Was it because this was too perfect to last? That it was too good to be true?
Raven turned over again to face the ceiling. She was determined that this ill-omened feeling was the effect of lack of sleep and that she would be cured of it when the morning came. She sighed again and closed her eyes, resolute to get some sleep. Everything would be better in the morning she convinced herself, but she did not really believe it. Just hopefully tomorrow she would not be stuck in this darn infirmary all day…
linelinelinelinelineline
The next day dawned beautifully. The sun had come up in an array of gold and pinks and now drifted dutifully up in the baby blue sky that was decorated with several feather-light, wispy clouds that flouted merrily by in the light breeze. The leaves were ruby red, sunlight yellow, or copper orange as they clung to the trees or mingled with the others as they fell graceful to the ground only to be picked up by the wind again, twirled around in a collection of warm colors, before resting on the fading green grass again. It was in short a perfect autumn day, as Hermione would put it, or as Harry, Ron, and Ginny would put it, a perfect day for Quidditch. Yet it seemed that fate was against the three for that they would not enjoy this day flying around on the Quidditch Pitch, playing a minimized game of their favorite sport, but rather show a group of superheroes around the castle. Not that that was not exciting in itself, but oh, well…to that three, a day without Quidditch is a day lost.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny were being hurried along the corridor to the Hospital Wing by Hermione who was fretting over their tardiness. She looked at her watch to check the time for the umpteenth time as though hoping she had read it wrong the time before or that it would go backwards.
"I just cannot believe I overslept this morning. I mean we are already running five minutes late. Dumbledore told us to be there at nine thirty sharp. If I had not rushed you out of breakfast….you guys would have not even remembered!"
"Calm down, Hermione," said Ron from behind her with a half grin, sounded slightly exasperated at her behavior, but more so amused. Hermione ignored him as if he had not spoken and continued rambling on about this could hurt her chances at Head Girl, even though her grades for that were not nearly good enough to be Head Girl anyway and that better would be expected of a prefect and that she was casting a poor reflection on Gryffindor and as a Hogwarts' student in general. Ron rolled his eyes behind her back, at looked at Harry, who bit back a laugh, half at Hermione's worries and half at Ron's expression. Ginny was already stifling giggles as she walked behind the two boys.
As they reached the door to the infirmary, they saw Dumbledore stepping out of it and closing it.
"We're here Professor," said Hermione as they approached.
"Ah, good," he replied warmly to her. "They are just finishing up breakfasting and changing." He opened the door a crack to peer in, "Okay, they're ready" Dumbledore opened the door fully and ushered the four Hogwarts students in, who were meet with the strangest looking group (and they would soon learn they were more than just strange looking) teenagers they had ever seen, which is saying something, as abovementioned, they were Hogwarts students.
Their was five of them, three guys and two girls, four of them wearing borrowed Hogwarts uniform robes over a peculiar array of clothes. One of the boys was who seemed to be half African American and half robot, he was rather tall and buff, and though intimidating at first glance, seemed like a nice, fun guy after the look of his friendly face. Another was shorter and slightly thin, and black spiky hair, a mask, and what embarrassingly what looked like a skin tight, red and green jumpsuit on under his robes. The last boy was probably the most peculiar, he was the shortest of the bunch, even out of the girls, but what was outstanding about him was his solid green skin, eyes, and hair.
The girls were a different story and the first one looked mostly normal. She was tall and thin and had long red hair and large, happy green eyes, but was wearing under her robes matching light purple, almost lilac, miniskirt, midriff shirt, and boots. The last was the girl Harry remembered from not two days ago. She was the only one not wearing Hogwarts robes, but rather the clothes she came in, which was a black leotard underneath a navy blue cloak and though her could not see it under her up drawn hood, purple hair, gray skin, and mauve eyes.
Harry was only half listening as Dumbledore told the other teenagers that Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione would be their guides blah, blah blah…Dumbledore left the group in silence.
For the first time Harry released how nervous and uneasy the five very strange teenagers seemed. No matter how weird the looked on the outside, Hogwarts must be a thousand times weirder. He broke the silence with a nice grin and saying, "Hi, I'm Harry…"
