54 Monday, January 6th

Monday morning rolled around and she was back in charms class. This week's lesson was the erecting charm, or Erecto. This caused many laughs from the boys in class, and many eye-rolls from the girls, to which Professor Flitwick grumbled and tapped his wand against the podium to gather everyone's attention.

The spell's purpose, as he explained, was to erect a structure, like a tent or other makeshift shelter. It had many practical uses, though the one that kept coming to mind for Noelle was camping. She kept picturing a campfire and toasted marshmallows.

Herbology afterwards had been cancelled. Noelle figured Professor Sprout was probably still with family. Oftentimes after the holidays, it took everyone a while to get back into the swing of things.

Back in her room, Noelle changed into more comfortable clothes, including a pair of her new socks her parents had given her. She was especially grateful for that, as she'd worn through most of her older pairs walking around the school every day.

Thoth hooted and Noelle jumped in surprise, only just noticing that he'd been patiently waiting to get her attention. He held a letter in his beak and she pulled it from him, sitting on her mattress.

Opening the envelope, she set it aside, unfolding the thin, flimsy paper inside. Her eyes widened as she read.

The letter was a summons from Dumbledore for her second lesson of occlumency. She was to show up around 2pm. Looking at her clock she realized it was already 1:55. Jumping up and pulling on her coat, she thanked the owl and ran from the room, hoping the headmaster wouldn't mind her being a few minutes late.

Her focus on finding his office and hurrying, she nearly ran into another student, who had just come down the staircase. The golden eagle was settling into its stone base behind him.

Both Noelle and Harry looked at each other a moment before Noelle edged around the boy, muttering an awkward "hello" at the same time he said "sorry." Before turning away, she couldn't help but notice that he looked nervous. Sweat caused his hair to cling to his forehead and his eyes had not been completely focused on her, glazed over as though deep in thought. Noelle wondered briefly what he had seen Dumbledore about.

Heading up herself, Noelle saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk, writing with a quill in a notebook. On seeing her, he returned the quill to its inkpot and gestured for her to take a seat opposite him. Doing so, she felt her own nerves return. Between the summons and running halfway here, Noelle hadn't had time to mull over what she would discuss with the professor on arriving.

"Are you ready to begin?" Dumbledore leaned forwards, elbows rested on the desk and fingers pressed together in a steeple fashion. He looked at her thoughtfully and waited patiently for her answer, as though somehow he knew she was mentally at war with herself.

"Sir…" She began, chewing her bottom lip. "Before we start, I thought there was something you ought know." Dumbledore's right eyebrow creeped its way up his forehead, but he still said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "It's just… A couple of months ago, I overheard a conversation. It was between Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy. At the time, I didn't understand it fully and so I didn't dwell too much on it, however, now, just a couple of weeks ago, I heard another of their conversations which revealed quite a bit more." She took a deep breath and plunged into it, revealing all that she had overheard. Dumbledore stayed quiet until she had finished and then leaned back, his posture the same. Noelle couldn't see that her words had affected him much if at all.

"Noelle, I appreciate your bravery in coming to me with this. The truth… It is both and beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution."

Noelle felt a headache coming on behind her eyes and she tilted her head. "Sir?"

He reached across his desk and patted one of her hands, which had come to rest lightly atop the wood. "The situation will see itself through. I have it well in hand."

His words did little to soothe the worry she felt, as though he'd hardly listened at all. But Noelle knew she'd done what she could, and oftentimes, the headmaster had shown in the past that he knew the correct remedies for certain situations, or that patience and time were necessary.

All she could do was trust.