home (reader at hogwarts)

three

the pair of you land back in your room and you let go of dumbledore's gentle hand and head to your mattress.

you push the blanket aside and pull the mattress towards you just a bit, revealing some of the floor board. you almost pounce on it, shoving your hand in and reaching around for the books...

"but-" you stutter. "they were right here- i was reading the fourth one just before i fell asleep last night."

you turn around to find albus looking at you carefully.

"i promise i'm telling the truth."

"oh, i don't doubt that-" he says to you, coming forward and wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

you almost cry when he brings you in for a hug.

"do you-" he says, slowly. "do you sleep here?"

"this is where i live. i'm not usually allowed up the trapdoor." you tell him and he smiles sadly at you. your heart warms as you see nothing but empathy in his eyes.

"come with me," he tells you. "if these books really did tell you about-"

he coughs, his nose turning a shade of pink. "riddle-"

"then there must be some truth written in them."

you look up from the floor and meet his gaze.

"what's the date?" you ask.

dumbeldore looks down at a strange watch. you remember it, from the first time you saw him in the books. the watch containing moons and planets.

"uh- it is the 30th of july."

"year?" you ask.

"1991."

your eyes widen. this time you actually fall back, stumbling on to your mattress and bringing your knees to your chest.

"why?" dumbledore asks quickly. "what year was it in your head?"

"i- i'm not entirely sure. but the last time mike told me it was my birthday was 2016."

you watch it process in his mind as he steps forward and puts his hand on your arm. you flinch, though you feel no pain, as his fingers glaze over the small punctures.

"what are these?"

"my mother and her boyfriend often administer some sort of sleepy medicine to me when i act out-"

"how often?" asks dumbledore.

"everyday." you say.

"that's going to be a right problem i can tell. i'll have to confer with severus."

you light up. "oh, i'd love to meet him. after all he's-"

albus looks at you, surprised. you then close your mouth.

"i don't think i should say much about what's going to happen."

"if- it's going to happen." he corrects you.

"it is." you insist. "i know that hagrid has taken harry to go get his things in diagon alley and they'll go to gringotts because you told hagrid to retrieve-"

you look up at dumbeldore to watch his reaction. "the philosopher's stone."

his pupils get smaller as he looks at you in shock. his breaths seem to get heavier from his elderly mouth and you hold his hand.

"i know what's to come." you tell him. "and that's terrifying."

you start to shake yourself- thinking about dumbeldore. his own demise.

should you tell him how he dies?

"d- don't you worry, y/n." he tries to comfort you, bringing a hand to your cheek. "but for now, we should bring you somewhere safe. away from here..."

you nod, through wet eyes and sniff as he offers his arm again. you take it and rest your head on his shoulder and in another large crack the pair of you are at hogwarts.

you smile as you open your eyes.

"how are you not affected by the apparition?" he asks, looking you up and down amusedley.

"i don't know." you shrug. "i guess i'm just used to feeling a little woozy."

you lift up your purple arm. "because of this, you know."

he squints at it and nods, heading to the desk and picking up a quill and parchment.

"what are you writing?" you ask, sitting down in the chair opposite him.

he doesn't look up from his quill as he answers. "writing to severus. he needs to come and check your arm out."

"what will he know?" you say. "not that i doubt that he is a remarkable wizard but won't poppy be a better person to deal with this sort of thing?"

he laughs. "i don't doubt that she would have her remedies. she is our school matron after all, but poppy is and can often be-"

"a gossip." the both of you say together. dumbeldore chuckles. "yes, quite so."

"plus, this is the sort of thing i would only trust severus with." he adds, quite seriously.

"hm." you say. you knew that dumbeldore trusted severus very much, almost like a son.

"when will he be here?" you ask, swinging your legs on the chair.

"i've asked him to be here for tea." he replies chirpily. "which should be at around 6. "

you nod and dumbeldore gives you a little grin.

"do you want to head to the kitchens?"