✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

33 | GELASIN

GELASIN
(n.) dimple in the cheek that appears when one smiles

TESSA WAS FINALLY GOING TO GET THE ANSWERS SHE'S BEEN LONGING FOR ALL HER LIFE. Her mind was in haywire — trying to process the fact that her father was James Potter.

     She was Harry Potter's half sister . . .

     She was a Potter . . .

     "Harry! Tessa!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed and tugged on their sleeves as she stared at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us — before Dumbledore locks the door —"

     Catherine raised a brow, eyes sliding through the three kids. "I'm confused, but it sounds important — you three should run."

     Tessa hesitated as she reluctantly separated from Catherine. "But — "

     "Tessie," her mother interrupted with an adoring smile, brushing her knuckles gently on her cheek. "Don't worry. I'm not going to disappear again — I promise. I'll need to have a talk with Dumbledore first, get some explanation, then come back to you." Catherine winked. "You better start running," she said with a jerk of her chin to the direction of Harry and Hermione who were already a couple of feet away from them.

     Tessa grinned mischievously with a nod. "Okay, I'll see you later . . . Mum." Before she could change her mind, Tessa turned around and sprinted towards the direction of the castle steps, bounding towards a wall where Harry and Hermione were hiding behind. She went over as the three quietly walked along the corridor.

     She recognized voices talking somewhere nearby, and she realized them to be Fudge and Snape.

     " . . . only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

     "As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last . . . I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape . . . and once young Harry and Tessa are back in their right minds, I expect they'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved them . . . "

     Harry's jaw tightened as Tessa rolled her eyes in irritation. They waited a little more until they were certain Fudge and Snape had left before the three ran down another staircase and entered a new corridor.

     "Three minutes!" Hermione wheezed as she took a swift glance at her watch.

     "Hermione — what'll happen — if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted after they ran down another staircase.

     "I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

     They skidded to a stop along the Hospital wing entrance. "Okay — I can hear Dumbledore," Tessa said. "Come on!" She hunched down as they crept along the corridor just as the door opened to reveal Dumbledore talking to their other selves.

     "I am going to lock you in, it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and magically locked it.

     Tessa shared an alarmed look with the other two before they hurried over to approach Dumbledore. There was a wide smile under his silver beard as his eyes twinkled. "Well?" he said quietly.

     "We did it!" Harry said breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak . . . "

     Dumbledore beamed at them. "Well done. I think —" He listened intently for any sound for a moment. "Yes, I think you've gone too — get inside — I'll lock you in —"