Chapter 8
The Missing Note
Jake hesitated a moment, his feet rooted to the spot. He was overcome with anxiety. Perce shouted again, and only then did he stir, and make for the door. He burst out of the common room, and ran the fastest he could, till he reached the Great Hall again. He was shivering all over. He tried to reach the handle to open the door, but he couldn't stop his hands from shaking. He tried taking some deep breaths.
Just then, the door swung open, and there stood Dumbledore, with a slightly worried expression, his face devoid of his benign smile. Behind him Jake could see the High Table, where professors and students were still eating. Hadner, with a thoroughly confused expression, was at Dumbledore's side. He spotted Jake shaking, and his face turned anxious. He began to rush towards him, but Dumbledore put his hand in the way.
"What happened?" He asked gently, his eyes fixed to that of Jake. Hadner tried to talk, but again was stalled by Dumbledore.
"Com-common room — Per-Perce —" he stammered. Dumbledore nodded in comprehension, and turned to Hadner.
"Mr. Greyfall, please bring Professor Slughorn to the Slytherin common room. No one needs to know anything," he said, and looked at Jake again. "Mr. Elladore, lead the way." Hadner's protests were once again silenced by the elderly wizard, and he turned reluctantly to the Great Hall again. Jake and Dumbledore swept away to the common room.
"Mr. Elladore, I would not trouble you if I had a choice. Hence I ask you, please recount the events of this evening to me," said Dumbledore, walking beside him.
"Professor I — I — I really — it was —" he stammered, trying to keep up with Dumbledore.
"Calm down. Your friend Drake Fawley will be alright, I assure you."
"How — how did you —" he said, now pale in the face.
"Mr. Jordan was not the only one who noticed the absence of a certain first year. When he took you with him, I understood. And that brings us back — what did you notice about Mr. Fawley's behaviour tonight?" He asked, still with a gentle voice.
Jake gulped first, and steadied his breath. Dumbledore simply waited.
"He was — very — happy — and thinking about something all day… he wouldn't say what, I tried to ask — I know it was something bad… then he said he'd come a bit late… to dinner. I suspected something was — happening. And Perce went inside the dormitory — I don't know what —" he broke off, his breath shaky again.
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, and came to a halt as the Slytherin common room's entrance appeared. Jake was not astonished when Dumbledore uttered the password, before entering. He sweeped passed all the chairs, Jake trotting nervously beside him, and entered the dormitory.
It was a terrible sight. Smoke engulfed the room, the windows insufficient for its clearing. The neat beds were in the grasp of soot, and one particular bed was reduced to rags. The curtains were burnt, to fine ashes, and the bed itself was snapped in two like a stray twig, with a few flames still crackling at its side. The ceiling's paint was peeling, and the wall was unrecognisable.
Dumbledore's eyes registered every bit of the room, finally resting at a corner. Two figures were huddled together. One of them turned to face him.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Exclaimed Perce. He was kneeling beside Drake, who was perched against the wall, and he got up as he saw Dumbledore. "Drake didn't come for dinner, and I noticed Jake's face and thought something was up, so I thought of coming here and looking what happened and I found him unconscious —"
Dumbledore stalled him, smiling slightly. "I comprehend perfectly," he said. "And this is —" he urged, glancing at the ruins of the dormitory.
"Fire — I extinguished it as I entered," said Perce. "If I hadn't come in time —" he broke off, and glanced at Drake again.
The wizard nodded slowly. He turned as the dormitory's door swung to admit yet another guest, this time Professor Slughorn, followed by Hadner Greyfall. Both of them stared, transfixed, until Professor Slughorn spoke.
"Dumbledore — what — what is this?" He muttered, not taking his eyes off the state of the room.
"Fire," said Dumbledore, simply. Hadner, too shocked for words, mechanically walked towards the students, while Dumbledore proceeded to clear some soot with his wand, and fixed a vase with a tap.
"I think it would be wise if we summon the Headmaster?" Said Dumbledore, while Professor Slughorn nodded. Dumbledore raised his wand, and a silver figure shot out of it, and flew out of the dormitory. Perce raised his eyebrows, but did not speak.
Drake stirred slowly. He opened his eyes, with a shocked expression, and blank, uncomprehending eyes. Jake, who was standing by Dumbledore, strode at once to him, and sat beside him.
"What — what —" he stammered, and Dumbledore cut in.
"Mr. Fawley, there was a fire in the dormitory that has reduced a large part of it to ashes. And, were it not for Mr. Jordan's quick action on his part, you would have been killed," he said, glancing at Perce, who was standing beside Drake. Professor Slughorn, who was keenly examining the ashes, turned suddenly to look at Perce. Drake's mouth dropped open slightly, and he made an attempt to talk, still looking dazed. But just then, the dormitory door opened, and in strode Armando Dippet. He stared at surprise at the damaged room, his gaze shifting periodically from the professors to the students, before going back to the room.
"Dumbledore? What is this? I received your message and came at once — what happened here?" He asked, looking at Dumbledore and the beds. Then he caught sight of Perce's drawn wand.
"Were they duelling?" He asked, with an incredulous look.
"No, Armando, I do not believe so," he said, and gave Perce a piercing look. Perce shook his head. "There you have it. But I would hardly think that, for this grade of damage would require great effort on each of their part," he added, and Perce saw a faint twinkle in his eyes.
"No, your argument is reasonable. Then how did this happen?"
"As to that, I'm afraid we are no further, except that there was a fire. Perhaps Mr. Fawley here, before he is taken to the hospital wing, can show us light?" He turned to Drake, who looked nervous, seeing the many professors in the dormitory. Professor Dippet gave him a questioning look, and waited.
Drake sat up slowly, looking from the Headmaster to Dumbledore. Perce had retreated to one of the corners of the room. Drake slowly spoke.
"I — I —" he stammered. "I stayed back because — because I had a — I had homework," he said, looking at the two wizards. Professor Dippet looked disbelievingly, while Dumbledore merely nodded. Professor Slughorn had a mild smile hovering on his lips. Hadner was sitting with the shaken Jake, who was still regaining his composure.
"Homework?" Professor Dippet asked.
Drake gulped, and nodded.
"Would you then explain why you chose particularly the time before the Christmas feast?" Dumbledore put in, with a kind voice.
Drake turned pale.
"And additionally you must be possessing a very rare quality of being keen on homework, if you were observed to be — happy?"
"Ha-happy?" Drake said, gulping again, and Professor Dippet raised his eyebrows.
"Your friend here, Jake Elladore, has recounted the last conversation he has had with you," said Dumbledore, without taking his eyes off the first year. "And it is suggestive, in a way. He said that you were quite unusually excited, and I was curious, that is all." Having said that, Dumbledore suddenly got very interested in the colour of his shoes.
Drake's face underwent a change. Fear was reflected in his eyes, and his hands shook violently. He gulped again, and his eyes darted from Dumbledore to Slughorn to Dippet, and then to Jake and Hadner, before resting on Perce. His mouth dropped open slightly, and his eyes widened. Fear had transformed to surprise and fury within that moment's notice.
"But it was him!" He shouted, his voice suddenly louder. "He started the fire!"
"What? Are you sane, Drake?" Cried Perce, outraged.
"Be careful about what you're saying, Mr. Fawley. Your words —" began Professor Slughorn.
"No, no, Professor Slughorn, it was Perce! I was in the dormitory, waiting —"
"For what, precisely, Mr. Fawley?" Interrupted Dumbledore.
Drake seemed to be choking on his words.
"I — was — I was waiting for — for Donald. Donald Canners. He sent me a note — a note —" he stammered again. Perce regained his composure, seeing this obvious lie fail.
"Where is this note?" Asked Professor Dippet.
"Yes! The note — it was — it was here!" He got up and went around to the ruined bed, and looked around frantically. He tugged at wood, and displaced ash and looked. His face fell.
"It was — here! Believe me! Please, it was here!"
"No matter, it must be another victim of the fire," said Dumbledore, smiling slightly. Professor Dippet sighed disbelievingly. "Can you recall the contents of the letter?"
"Ye-yes, I can —" said Drake, and took a deep breath. The other students were gazing at him with increasing curiosity. Perce had his eyebrows raised. "He told me that — that he shared my — hatred for Perce —" Perce raised his eyebrows further, and Jake gasped. Dumbledore continued looking at him in silence.
"And — and he said that — he had a plan… a plan to do Perce some harm — I mean — fix him in a position of embarrassment…" his face became red, and his voice trailed off… Perce smiled to himself. He then saw — the bed that was ruined furthest was Drake's own. His smile widened. Ingenious plan, indeed. Then he caught sight of Dumbledore looking at him, his eyes twinkling. They smiled at each other for a moment, understanding, then looked away.
"It definitely taunts one with hope of clearing itself up, this affair," said Professor Dippet. Dumbledore simply nodded. "Well," he continued, and turned to Hadner. "Would you be so kind as to bring Donald Canners here, Mr. Greyfall?"
Hadner nodded, got up and left the dormitory, leaving Jake beside Drake, who was still in an embarrassed state.
"Proceed with your account of the incident, Mr. Fawley."
"Yeah — so I was waiting, and then — and then — I noticed a fire and… I shouted, and — I fell unconscious… the last thing I saw was… auburn hair…" he said, glancing at Perce, whose hand instinctively rose to his auburn hair. Professor Slughorn had his mouth slightly open, giving it an almost comical appearance. He stared from Drake to Perce then turned to the Deputy Headmaster and Headmaster.
"I — I don't believe for a moment —" he began.
"None of us know what to believe, Horace," said Dumbledore, calmly.
"But — but I was telling the truth — you believe me?" Said Drake, now slightly desperate.
"I concur with Dumbledore. We do not know what to believe — yet," said the old Headmaster, raising a hand as Drake attempted to speak. The dormitory door opened again, this time admitting the second year Donald Canners, accompanied by Hadner.
"Mr. Canners?" Inquired Professor Dippet, and the second year nodded, and paused with a dazed expression as he caught sight of the dormitory, looking from the students to the professors. Professor Dippet then glanced at Dumbledore.
"It is a mere necessity of a clarification that requires your presence here, Mr. Canners," said Dumbledore, smiling slightly. "A rather unexplainable event has occurred, and we are here to inquire into its nature."
Donald nodded.
"I must ask you to tell us if you had sent a certain letter to Mr. Fawley here, arranging a meeting during the hours of dinner tonight."
"Letter?" Donald started, looking from Drake, who had no expression, to Dumbledore, then to Perce. "What letter? What meeting? I don't understand, Professor Dumbledore."
"LIAR! Liar! He wrote it! It was signed —" began Drake. He had an expression of mingled fury and confusion, and he made a step to get up. Donald took a step backward, absolutely taken aback, and glanced at Dumbledore.
"Pull yourself together, now, Mr. Fawley —" began Slughorn. But he was hardly heard as Drake started raising his voice. Dumbledore raised a finger then, and Drake suddenly fell silent as though struck dumb. Perce turned to stare at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore then requested Drake to narrate the contents of the letter to Donald. Drake still had the furious look, and abruptly spit out words venomously, while Donald had a concerned yet cautious demeanor, mixed with undeniable confusion. He remained positive that he considered Perce a good friend and a knowledgeable companion, and never wrote any letter of that kind. He added that he never left the table during dinner.
"I thank you, Mr. Canners, for your statements. Is there anything else you would like to tell us — anything at all?" Said Dumbledore.
Donald opened his mouth, and, even though it was for a fraction of a second, there was quite a noticeable hesitation. "No, sir, nothing at all," he said finally, and gave a small smile. Dumbledore gazed at him for a moment, and dismissed him. Professor Dippet sighed audibly.
"Well, Dumbledore, I have some other pressing matters at hand. I hope it will not prove to be a problem if — ?" He left the sentence unfinished, and gave half a glance to the door.
"Not at all, Armando. Please," said Dumbledore, and bowed. The old wizard left the room. Drake was now trembling, still seated. Perce stood where he was, while Professor Slughorn gaped from Drake to Perce to Dumbledore. Hadner maintained a respectful silence.
"I'm afraid that clearing this affair up will be of high priority. Until then," said Dumbledore, and started waving his wand at the room. Professor Slughorn followed suit. Everything started returning to its original positions — walls reformed, soot evaporated, the beds reformed, wood healed itself, and the trunks straightened themselves. Dumbledore then looked at each student carefully, as though in hope of finding something on their faces, making them feel rather uncomfortable. Perce did not lower his eyes when Dumbledore looked at him. Slughorn requested excuse, and left the dormitory rather abruptly, still with an expression of disbelief.
Drake broke down under Dumbledore's scrutiny. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, causing Perce great surprise, and he moved at once to Drake's side.
"Have courage, Drake. This will be cleared up. You must be aware that the situation accuses you, but it is necessary that you be brave and face it."
The kindness with which he spoke those words almost startled Drake, and he let out shaky sobs. "I — d-d-didn't do it — I s-swear P-Professor —" and he broke down further. "My p-parents — they — they —" he didn't speak anymore, and indulged in a series of sobs.
"Please escort him to the hospital wing, Mr. Greyfall. And Mr. Jordan, the dormitory is ready to welcome you again," he finished, sweeped the room with his eyes again, and walked out.
"It-it was him — I know — h-he d-did it —" stammered Drake as he was led out of the dormitory, leaving Perce extremely thoughtful. He sighed deeply, as he collapsed into his bed. He then let out a groan realising he forgot to taste the treacle tart.
A/N Thank you so much for reading! Please, please do tell me how it is, give me suggestions, and point any corrections! Love you!