The Wall of Stone
This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.
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Chapter 19 An Unpleasant Surprise for Sirius Black 4 – 8 August 1995The storm that blew through Grimmauld Place when the inhabitants learned that Harry had been in Paris for his birthday continued to rumble in the distance. Every day, Molly worried, Ginny cried about missing out on the party…and new robes. Ron complained about missing the food and pretty birds.
When he found Sirius and Remus in the lounge without his mother near, the youngest Weasley boy whispered a couple tall tales about the French girls giving their favours to the Hogwarts wizards during the previous school year. Neither wizard that Ron had been kissed, let alone the other stories. Fred and George only looked around and frowned when Ron demanded they confirm the stories.
The complicated and loud life that infested No.12 Grimmauld Place grew more complicated just before lunch on 4 August when Sirius walked into the kitchen and discovered that Molly had retrieved Albus Dumbledore from Saint Mungo's.
"Sirius Black, isn't it wonderful?" Molly asked. "Saint Mungo's released the headmaster this morning! He'll be here for at least two weeks before going on to Hogwarts to set the school to rights."
"It is good to be among friends again," Dumbledore said. Then the wizard rambled about in his thoughts and shared them aloud, "We must begin preparations to fight… the greater good… bring young Mr Potter under… into line."
"Did the Healers discharge you, Albus?" Sirius inquired. "Or did you leave against the advice of the healers?"
"Sirius, my boy, I must get back on the broom to be ready for the new school year," the elderly wizard replied.
With a snort, Black replied, "Any broom that flies higher than a table top would kill you when you fell off!"
"SIRIUS BLACK! How dare you say such a thing!" yelled Molly and while Sirius withstood the bellow after a month of up-close howlers, he noticed the headmaster flinch and cover one ear with his single hand.
"Molly, dear lady…please…"
"Yes, headmaster?"
"Not so loud," begged Albus.
"What do you mean?"
Dumbledore found that Molly Weasley believed she used normal volume when she summoned her children or expressed her displeasure with one of the wizards sharing 'her' home. He was aghast to be forced to endure the thunderous arrival of the Weasley children in the kitchen for lunch. Sitting at the opposite end of the table from Dumbledore, Sirius noticed the elderly wizard failed to get one of the chicken salad sandwiches on his plate before Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron grabbed all ten sandwiches. The only choice left for Albus was a cheese sandwich that did not look appetizing in the least.
Dumbledore turned to Molly for relief and suggested that she obtain one sandwich from one of her brood for him.
"Of course," Molly replied, reaching across the table and grabbing one from Ron's plate (he had four) and plopping it down on the plate in front of the headmaster. The top pieces of bread were decorated with bits of the first sandwich that Ron was eating. The boy chewed and talked at the same time, always spraying someone with bits of food.
The witch looked disgruntled when the elderly wizard removed the bread and used his knife and fork to eat most of the excellent chicken salad though he left the bottom pieces of bread as well.
Ron spoke up, "Hey, eat your bread! Mum always hexes me if I leave anything on my plate!"
Ginny frowned, "That happened once when you were eight years old!"
After lunch, Dumbledore asked to be shown to his room to have a nap. Molly replied, "As soon as I finish the wash up, headmaster. I never leave a dirty kitchen!"
Still silent at the head of the table, Sirius noticed Dumbledore peer around at the filthy kitchen – the walls were covered with soot, the furniture covered with grime, and the floor needed a good sweeping – dust bunnies ran between the buffet and the china cabinet every few seconds. While Molly dealt with the dishes and tried to clean the grime off the cooker, Albus fell asleep in his chair.
Over the next two days, Dumbledore endured the howlers Molly delivered to her children and Sirius Black. A few of the members of the Order of the Phoenix visited but none of them remained for very long. And each of them argued with the headmaster that the Death Eaters were dead.
Dora Tonks stood beside the seated headmaster and explained, "Dumbledore, the Dark Lord is dead! Truly dead as the goblins call it. There's not going to be an insurrection again."
"HOW DARE YOU DOUBT THE WORLD OF THE HEADMASTER?" shouted Molly close enough to the pair for Albus to feel a vibration in his spine from the bellow.
Dora stared at the witch for a moment, then caught Sirius's eye before she fled the kitchen for the front door of the house. Shacklebolt never bothered to visit despite two letters summoning him. The Auror sent one written reply that ended all association with the Order of the Phoenix.
Albus grew dissatisfied with the grimy bedroom Molly assigned to him and complained about the dirty sheets every morning. And he complained that no one cut up his breakfast for him…or remembered to cast the sticking charm on his plate and saucer. Flustered by these complaints at her breakfast table, Molly performed them grudgingly.
Then Dumbledore began complaining that the wards would not allow him to enter the famous library of Dark Magic at the back of the house. Sirius explained, "I'm the only person who can enter the library."
"Then bring out the books I need."
"Nope," Black replied. "Molly insisted that I put up a spell that prevents any book from coming out of the library as long as her children are present. It won't come down until they leave for school on the first."
After an afternoon listening to Ron and Ginny fight over a Quidditch magazine, and Molly shout at Fred and George about their silly joke ideas, Albus realized that he was deaf in his left ear. When Molly began to compose howlers for her three eldest sons who refused to return home to fight the Dark Lord, Albus tried to speak to Sirius about silencing spells. But Black pretended he couldn't hear the questions and began to repeat Dumbledore's quiet questions in a loud voice.
To escape before any storm could erupt from Molly, Albus Dumbledore walked carefully to the floo and threw in floo powder before calling out, "Saint Mungo's casualty!"
The former headmaster stepped into the flames and vanished only three days after he'd arrived. Dumbledore was admitted to the hospital again – this time for damage to his ear drums that the healers feared was permanent. He remained at Saint Mungo's until 31 August and pretended the short time at No.12 Grimmauld Place never occurred.
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