Author: Muduoduomu
The original story page: http/onebook.php?novelid=3415654
Chapter 50. The dawn
It finally got through to Della.
She used to be in another world, this world was a book to her at that time; However, she was in this world, and the former one was also an invisible and intangible space for her.
Others had only one world, but she had two. Although she had two, she could only live in one.
To people in this world, she was indeed a "seer". She knew what their fates should have been.
Fortunately, fate was not predestined.
Once again think of Cedric holding the cup out of the maze last night, she's full of confidence!
"Della, would you like to tell me?" Dumbledore asked softly.
Della nodded, but she had some concerns to state before starting.
"I couldn't figure out which of those things I remember are true or false." She said, wringing her fingers.
Dumbledore's eyes lit up, he waved his hand, a chair slid gently behind him. He sat down and asked gently, "Della, I should ask you, do you know what's going to happen every once in a while, or did you already know how it all happened?" Della replied cautiously, "I'm... To me, it's like a story which had been finished." Yes, this expression was most clear!
Dumbledore gently gave a hum, then he softly went on, "so, up to now, was it same with what's your remembered?"
Della shook her head. "I'm not sure if I remembered it wrong."
Dumbledore immediately asked, "what's the most different thing so far?" Della: "Harry was supposed to take part in the Triwizard Tournament, he should be the fourth champion, then he and Cedric lifted the goblet in the maze, and Cedric was killed by the Dark Lord, and..."
She was interrupted.
For the first time Dumbledore seemed a little anxious: "Where was he killed?"
Della got stuck, it took her a long time before she replied, "…It could be in the stronghold of the Dark Lord, I don't remember."
Dumbledore didn't pursue, "go on. And Harry? You came to alert me last night that Cedric would be killed in the maze, what about Harry? Was he safe?"
Della nodded. "He got out. Then the Dark Lord came back to life."
All the portraits on the wall gave gasps of horror. It was such a big move, Della was frightened and turned around to see all the portraits staring at her!
She got goose bumps.
Dumbledore had to loudened his voice to the portraits, "be quiet, ladies and gentlemen! I need you to keep silence!"
He poured a cup of hot tea for her to hold.
It was in June, but her hands were cold.
"Thank you." She held the hot cup and felt better.
Dumbledore pressed her on her shoulders and comforted her, "Della, you've done a good job. You told me something very important. You may not know, but you did do a great help!" Della was surprised: "Really? Do you believe me?"
Dumbledore laughed and replied, "of course, I do, Della. What do you remember about the resurrection of the Dark Lord? Anything."
Della bit her lip and said, "well, he was revived from the cauldron." Before Dumbledore could speak, she added, "I knew it sounded stupid. I don't know if it's true. Maybe I remembered it wrong again."
Dumbledore didn't doubt her, he nodded seriously: "Cauldron, I know who I should turn to. Do you misremember a lot of things? What are they?"
"Oh," Della bit her lip, "I remembered Ron and Hermione should be a couple, and Harry should be in love with Cho. But now, all of them have wrong partners."
Dumbledore laughed happily for the first time since she came in. He blinked, "don't worry, love is a little boy who likes playing pranks."
He asked her, "Ron's mouse, you came to me because you knew it had a problem, didn't you? Do you remember what it was?"
Della nodded. "He's a man, but transfigured to a mouse."
Dumbledore nodded: "Exactly. Anything else?"
Della blurted out, "all the professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts have problems."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly, "I will be more careful. What about the rest? What happened after the Dark Lord's resurrection?"
Della twisted her fingers and began to turn pale.
In case to avoid a spill of the tea by her, Dumbledore took the cup away. He held her hands and encouraged her: "Della, you can trust me. You can tell me anything. I will believe you."
But she still didn't dare to look up. She lowered her head and looked at her hands, which were covered by Dumbledore's, with senile plaque, warm and dry, holding her.
Her voice trembled: "Harry's godfather died in the Ministry of Magic in his fifth grade, and the Ministry of Magic had been captured by the Dark Lord."
She didn't leave him time to interrupt and went on.
"Harry, in his sixth grade..." She took a deep breath, "you... were killed by Professor Snape, and fell off the tower."
She could feel him getting more solemn, but didn't stop her. His hands had been gently holding her, also gently patting her, as if to tell her not to be nervous.
"In seventh grade, Harry ran away, as well as Hermione and Ron. They're looking for the doubles of the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters entered Hogwarts, Professor Snape became the Headmaster."
"Then Harry came back and led us to fight against the Dark Lord. Hogwarts was encircled by the allies of the Dark Lord, all people fought together, except Slytherin, they left."
Della glanced up quickly to Dumbledore.
He seemed to be lost in thought, when felt her gaze, he gave her a smile and patted her hands.
She then went on.
"Actually, Professor Snape is in our side, he's a spy. He was killed by the snake of the Dark Lord. Then the Dark Lord threatened us to either hand over Harry or be killed. Harry came out and was killed by him. Then he came back to life and defeated the Dark Lord. When he died, we won."
Della finished, and found the room was lost in a profound silence. It seemed that even the air didn't flow anymore.
She could hear the slow swing of the pendulum in the corner.
Over there, a brass machine covered with some big glass was making sounds.
The phoenix on the wooden shelf gave a gentle song.
Dumbledore repeated: "we won." It seemed that after listening a story with a good ending, he sighed with relief and satisfaction.
"Yes." Della nodded stiffly.
Dumbledore looked at her with a smile, as if in a whisper, he lowered his head to ask her: "Do you remember the spot where Harry found the doubles of the Dark Lord? Where are they?"
Her voice faltered. She skipped so much just now, because most of it she couldn't remember.
"I… don't remember very well." She apologized first.
Dumbledore didn't mind at all: "It doesn't matter. Just say anything you remember."
Della began to count: "Harry's godfather has one. But it seems he doesn't know."
From the look of Dumbledore, no one doubted that he was distracted, instead, he was obviously absorbed in engraving every word she said.
It made her more nervous.
"There's one in Gringotts. They finally came out on a dragon."
"A person in the Ministry of Magic has one. She's evil, had been a professor at Hogwarts! She even drove Fred and George out of school!" she said angrily.
Dumbledore squinted at his blue eyes: "An official of the Ministry of Magic, had been the professor of Hogwarts…"
"Anything else?" he asked.
Della: "There's one in Hogwarts, too. Harry burned a big warehouse."
Dumbledore nodded, "was one of the doubles in the warehouse?"
Della nodded, "yes… probably…?"
"Anything else?" asked Dumbledore.
He felt that today was a happier day than Christmas in his life. He only needed to keep asking this sentence, could he get a lot of gifts.
Della: "Harry has one on his head," she gestured her forehead, "hidden in his scar."
Dumbledore nodded, "very important."
"Anything else?" Dumbledore blinked.
Della: "There's a fake one in the cave. You've become very weak and seriously ill after drinking the poison. Can you not go?" Dumbledore's eyes shone as he looked at her and replied with a smile, "I think I'll still go. But now I have been warned that I would not touch the poison, or take the antidote."
Della was a little depressed.
"Della, you should know, not because I don't believe you, but for confirming." Dumbledore said to her sincerely. Then he got up and took out a delicate tin box from the back of the bookcase. It was very beautiful chocolate, all hand-made and looked like flowers!
"Come on, let's taste it."
Dumbledore brought her a piece, then he also took one himself, with his cheek bulging, he said to her, "this is the birthday gift I received this year. I've been grudged to myself."
Della had never tasted such delicious chocolate.
She would like to gain fifty pounds for it!
"Anything else?" After they had some chocolate and tea, Dumbledore asked again.
Della licked her fingers and suddenly remembered another: "You were cursed, on a ring."
Dumbledore: "The ring is a double."
Della nodded.
Dumbledore gave her the rest of the chocolate, as if talking to himself, he whispered, "you know what, some things I already knew, only required to be confirmed; some are still a few steps away from the end. You have given me the confidence, to know that I am on the right path."
"May I ask one last question," Dumbledore said, "do you remember any of us who died?"
Della's face turned pale at last.
"We can avoid it. Cedric is still alive, we can make more people survived." Dumbledore said firmly.
Yes. Wasn't that her purpose?
Della's voice became very low, as if didn't want to disturb anyone, maybe God. She was trying to avoid anyone hearing those names at the moment.
"A lot of people died."
"Professor Moody, was killed by the Dark Lord."
"Professor Burbage, was caught by the Dark Lord, and was swallowed by his snake." Her throat was dry.
She never remembered the flashy names in the book, but when she went to Hogwarts, she couldn't help thinking of the professoress of Muggle Studies who was swallowed by the big snake at the beginning of the seventh book, which was really frightening.
Then she could never forget the name of that professoress. In the course selection, she… didn't choose her class.
She even avoided her when she glanced the sitting professors in the dining room.
However, she could clearly remember her appearance. A face that always smiled at students, gentle and mellow, with a little messy hair and big curls, she always showed her teeth when she smiled.
"Hedwig of Harry, was killed for protecting him."
"Professor Lupin and his wife, a woman Auror, also died."
"… And Fred."
She finally choked and trembled. The hands covered by Headmaster tightened at that moment. She found herself looking at him praying, as if he could give some assurance that Fred would not die.
But he just looked at her sorrowfully, as if he could understand her mood.
Della soon calmed down. She knew from the beginning that Fred was going to die, but she fell in love with him and was with him every day. Sometimes, she thought Fred would bring her more courage.
"Della, you've done very good." Dumbledore said solemnly, "very well. It surprised me. I can't ask you to do more. You can stand up now and go back to your friends. Oh, I may need you to do one more thing: Anything you said in this room today, please don't tell it to a second person."
Della shook her head. "No, I won't."
Dumbledore nodded: "I believe it."
He took her hand, brought her to the door and opened it, when she found she was still holding Dumbledore's chocolate and wanted to return to him.
"Take it. Take it away for my sake. If it's still in this room, I can't help getting out of bed and having it tonight." Dumbledore winked playfully. "Enjoy it with your friends."
Della had a sense of emptiness in which the whole person was hollowed out. Was she in a dream?
Dumbledore gave her a gentle push. "Go back to the common room. Trust me, we've got enough revelation. Destiny is on our side."
The door closed, as his gentle smile faded out. He turned around, there were two men came out of the cubicle.
Alastor Moody and Severus Snape.
Both of them held their wands and walked to the farthest corners of the room as soon as they went out.
"It makes me feel like you want to kill each other." Dumbledore said as he sat down, then stood up and went to the other bookcase. This time, he took out the wine and glasses from the back of the book.
"I think we can have a celebration." He said.
As soon as the golden liquor was poured into the glass, it was frozen with ice and made a crackling sound.
"Icewine." With a grunt, Moody went over to pick up a glass and drank it all in a gulp: "I nearly killed your professor." He said, pointing to Snape.
Snape came slowly to get the wine. He was very alert as anyone could see, with his wand still holding on.
"Yes. I want to thank Miss Bush. If she proves my innocence five minutes later, I may die inside." He took the wine, took a pause and finished it.
Moody might have wanted to apologize, he waved his hand: "Fate is fair. We all died in the end." He pressed the glass on the table and motioned Dumbledore to pour him another.
Dumbledore only took a sip, since he wanted to stay awake. He motioned to Moody to do it on his own, then turned to Snape and asked him, "can you think of any potion that would bring Voldemort back to life?"
Snape shivered because heard of the name.
"I need to go back and look up the books. I have only a vague impression now. I think I know which book I should look for." He replied.
Dumbledore nodded, and stood up. "I also need to go out, too."
It caught the eyes of Moody and Snape.
"What do you want to do?" Moody leaned forward and asked him, "to look for the doubles of the Dark Lord?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I've studied one of them for a long time — it's actually called Horcrux. But I have to say, the Double from Della is also felicitous." He said, "I probably know where it is. I plan to take Harry to there maybe next year or the year after, but I need to see it now. If Della is right, then…"
Moody immediately said, "you should take me! That little girl leaked a lot! She said you drank the poison and was cursed." Dumbledore thought for a while and nodded, "well, I do need a helper." He said to Snape, "I can leave you Harry for a while, can I?" Snape replied maliciously, "I thought my loyalty had been confirmed by the seer?"
Dumbledore didn't care about the irony, he thought Snape had agreed.
Moody thought of Della Bush, he was worried, "oh, this little girl… Should we put some protection on her?" Dumbledore shook his head: "No. Over protection will expose her. She's not like Harry. She's unknown, that's the safest."
He thought of the cockroach Della said was always following Harry. "Before we leave, go and catch a cockroach." He told Moody.
Moody: "What?" He put the glass down, "I drink too much."
Snape understood. "Did Miss Bush mention a cockroach?"
Dumbledore nodded: "She said there was a cockroach always haunted Harry. Do you have any potion there?"
Snape nodded, "anything."
Dumbledore: "Catch him or her, alive. Let's see who he is."
Moody: "Dangerous?"
Dumbledore shook his head and smiled: "I suppose no. Even Gryffindor sometimes plays tricks."
He thought Della was angry, so she could just want her elder friend to vent her anger for her.
Snape rolled his eyes. "I fully appreciate."