So it's so short- the words just weren't flowing today but I thought I shouldn't leave all you wonderful readers on a cliff-hanger for too much longer. Hope you enjoy!
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The sky inside the memory was stained with scarlet and gold, the same colours turning the lake into a shifting fire of burning waves. The sunrise had turned the frost crimson too, so that th whole grounds seemed like gold.
It was that strange time, somewhere between waking and sleeping and only the sun was truly awake breaking through the night with its penetrating gleam making the very air dance.
"Sir," I asked, breaking the silence. "Where are we?"
Professor Dumbledore chuckled.
"I mean, I know we're at Hogwarts, I'm not that dumb. Just.. You know what I mean."
"I assure you, I do not." He smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling.
I sighed heavily. "When are we?"
"Ahh, an interesting question. The year in 1945, Wednesday the first of November I believe."
"Oh." I cast around for another thing to say. "Why are we here, Sir?"
Professor Dumbledore produced a golden watch from somewhere inside his violet cloak and looked at it then, with a slight of hand, returned it to its original place. "That," He said, beginning to walk over to the small outcrop of rocks that I sometimes use to dive from into the lake, "Should become apparent in exactly two minutes and twenty-six seconds."
I hurried after him, my canvas shoes growing progressively more and more wet with every step through the grass. My hair was still slightly damp from my own swim less than an hour ago (Or thirty three years in the future, depending on your view point) and I should have been shivering, dressed as I was, for summer not November but instead I felt as though it was still twenty five degrees. Even the frost turning my shoes into a soaking puddle wasn't making my feet wet.
Dumbledore stopped when he reached the top of the rocks and gestured me forwards. I walked forwards to join him and stared down at the dark water below.
A girl, slightly younger than me, was sculling herself back and forth just underneath the water's surface, eyes closed. Even from the distance we were from her, I could see that we looked so alike we could have passed for sisters. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she broke the surface, beginning to swim towards the crop of rocks I was stood on. When, a few seconds later, she stood next to me, dripping, I could see that she looked to be about fourteen, skinny but with large feet like me.
Lynette put her hands to her mouth and blew. I could see the magic appearing from her mouth and as it circled her the water evaporated from her clothes and hair.
Self-drying. Who'd have thought?
Her pupils had shrunk back to their normal size as she began to descent back down the rocks but she froze after taking only a step or two. I turned to see what she was staring at and saw Dumbledore making his way up the rock. He was younger than the Dumbledore that stood next to me, his beard was red and he had far less wrinkles and lines on his face. But his nose still was crooked and his eyes, a piercing blue and he was smiling kindly, much the way present Dumbledore smiled at his wayward students.
To an onlooker the scene must have looked so strange, two girls, so identical looking they could have been the same person and their two professors who really were one, stood looking at each other like contestants in some old dance even though, to two of them, the others were invisible.
Young Professor Dumbledore said: "What news does the Mer chief send this time?"
"Just the same, doom, death. Still set for the full moon this Saturday." Lynette replied. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. But then she opened it and spoke.
"Sir, if Grindelwald is truly using the lake to get into Hogwarts- "She paused, obviously trying to word her question correctly, "I mean, how can he possibly know about the enchantments set around the lake? I don't know practically anyone who knows the lake acts as a two way mirror."
Young Dumbledore chuckled. "You forget Miss Waters, that Grindelwald, despite his less than legal ways was once a student of Durmstrang and, despite his young age, competed and won the Triwizard Tournament. That ship of theirs is a remarkable piece of magic."
She nodded thoughtfully, "So when he does come, it will be through the Lake? No other way?"
"No, the rest of the school is too well protected for him to even put his over long nose over the wall. He is arrogant enough to believe I will not stop him from attacking through my own fear of the past." A look of great sadness passed over Young Dumbledore's face and he resembled his older counterpart so much for a fleeting second they were almost one person. But then his expression cleared and he cleared his throat.
"Now then, useful as your remarkable talent as been, I think it is time we return to dry land."
Lynette laughed and smoothed her robes before accompanying Young Dumbledore back up to the castle.
I waited, even though I knew we couldn't be heard, until they had both gone before turning back to Professor Dumbledore.
"Time to go?" I guessed.
"Yes." He replied.
White mist was creeping up over the scene, blurring the edges as we both drifted back into the future.