Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [6]

⚡️ Chapter 32 ⚡️

Lost in visions of this happy prospect, he flicked his wand a little too enthusiastically, so that instead of producing the fountain of pure water that was the object of today's Charms lesson, he let out a hose-like jet that ricocheted off the ceiling and knocked Professor Flitwick flat on his face. Vega jerked her wand at his to put an end to his assault.

Professor Flitwick dried himself off with a wave of his wand and set Seamus to write the lines: 'I am a wizard, not a baboon brandishing a stick.'

"Harry and Vega's already Apparated," Ron told a slightly abashed Seamus. "Dum – er – someone took them. Side-Along Apparition, you know,"

"Whoa!" Seamus whispered, and he, Dean, and Neville put their heads a little closer to hear what Apparition felt like and Vega felt a bit uncomfortable.

For the rest of the day, Vega and Harry were botht besieged with requests from the other Sixth Years to describe the sensation of Apparition. All of them seemed awed, rather than put off, when the two told them how uncomfortable it was initially, and they were still answering detailed questions at ten to eight that evening.

In the end, Vega told them that they needed to finish some homework and she took Harry along to help her with books down to the library 'where Hermione was waiting for her' and the pair escaped out of the common room just in time for their lesson with Dumbledore.

The lamps in Dumbledore's office were lit, the portraits of previous headmasters were snoring gently in their frames, and the Pensieve was ready upon the desk once more. Dumbledore's hands lay on either side of it, the right one as blackened and burnt-looking as ever. It did not seem to have healed at all and Vega wondered what had caused this injury.

Vega knew that the subject of Snape and Malfoy would be picked up by Harry as soon as they stepped inside the office and she wasn't surprised at all when Harry opened his mouth right at the sight of Harry. But Dumbledore spoke up first.

"I hear that you met the Minister of Magic over Christmas?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes," Harry replied. "He's not very happy with Vega and I,"

"No," Dumbledore said as he sighed. "He is not very happy with me either. We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on,"

"He wanted us to tell the Wizarding community that the Ministry's doing a wonderful job," Vega indulged and Dumbledore smiled.

"It was Fudge's idea originally, you know," Dumbledore informed them. "During his last days in office, when he was trying desperately to cling to his post, he sought a meeting with you, hoping that you would give him your support –"

"After everything Fudge did last year?" Harry asked angrily. "After Umbridge?"

"I told Cornelius there was no chance of it, but the idea did not die when he left office," Dumbledore replied. "Within hours of Scrimgeour's appointment we met and he demanded that I arrange a meeting with you two –"

"So that's why you argued!" Harry blurted out. "It was in the Daily Prophet,"

"The Prophet is bound to report the truth occasionally," Dumbledore said. Vega scrunched up her nose. "If only accidentally, Vega. Yes, that was why we argued. Well, it appears that Rufus found a way to corner you two at last,"

"He accused us of being 'Dumbledore's men through and through,'" Harry said.

"How very rude of him," Dumbledore said.

"We told him we were," Vega admitted.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Vega, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To her intense embarrassment, she suddenly realised that the headmaster's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at her own hands. Next to her, Harry looked around the office awkwardly.