Screams

Twenty-Five

For the second time that day, Calliope found herself in the headmaster's office.

"So Mr Weasley, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dumbledore asked.

"Did you speak to Calliope Doge earlier Sir?" Fred asked.

"I don't believe that that is any of your business, Mr Weasley-"

"Well, I know that you didn't, because the person you saw earlier Professor is not Calliope Doge. I know that because Calliope Doge is stood next to me."

"I think you may be imagining things Mr Weasley. There is no one stood next to you."

"Tell him that is your point, that I'm a spirit and that's why he can't see me," Calliope told Fred.

"But if he doesn't believe me in the first place, then he won't believe me if I say it slightly differently, will he?" Fred rolled his eyes.

"But what I said makes more sense though."

"No, it doesn't! What I said makes perfect sense!"

"Mr Weasley, I hate to be the one to inform you if this, but what you said does not make perfect sense," Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"See," Calliope smiled.

"Oh shut up!" Fred said.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"Not you shut up Professor, sorry," said Fred, "I was talking to Calliope."

"Please do explain."

"Tell him that I went after Pettigrew," Calliope said, "I found him Algeria, with Voldemort, who possessed my body. Somehow I became a kind of spirit, and now no one can see me except you."

Fred repeated all of this back to Dumbledore. Who nodded once.

"Tell me Mr Weasley, where exactly is Calliope?"

"She is sat right next to me," Fred frowned, "why?"

Dumbledore turned to address Calliope.

"He's looking over my shoulder," Calliope complained.

"A little to the left Professor," said Fred with a smirk.

Dumbledore did as Fred said, "Calliope my dear, why on earth did you decide to go after Peter Pettigrew all by yourself."

Calliope bit her lip, "I thought that I could stop him before he even got to Voldemort."

Dumbledore looked at Fred expectantly.

"She says that she thought that she could stop Pettigrew before he got to You Know Who."

Dumbledore sighed, "why did you take that on all by yourself."

"Because I knew that I could find him, and I knew that if anyone knew about it that they wouldn't let me go."

Fred repeated this to Dumbledore.

Who sighed and shook his head, "if you had just come to me- but there is no use crying over spilt pumpkin juice. What's done is done. Now my dear, do you have any idea what Lord Voldemort is doing in your body."

"Isn't it obvious why he's at Hogwarts? Hogwarts is where Harry Potter is," Calliope said. Fred hurried to repeat it, "and as for why my body. I think it's just because I was there."

Dumbledore nodded and seemed to get lost in thought for a moment, his electric blue eyes grew unfocused.

"It is paramount that we exercise the utmost discretion in this case," Dumbledore said eventually, "I will provide extra security to ensure that the students are safe. However, we cannot let Lord Voldemort know that we know he is here. I will notify all those who fought alongside me in the last war with Voldemort of his return, and ensure that we are one step ahead of him."

Dumbledore appeared to be talking to himself more at this point, "I will attempt to warn Fudge, but I believe that it may already be a lost cause. Cornelius is not one to believe something he has not seen himself." Dumbledore paused again, before looking back at Fred, "Mr Weasley, you and Miss Doge can rest assured that the situation will be taken care of. I do not want you getting any more involved than you have to be."