Big shout-out to @AlphaM303 because she's unwell and it's Thanksgiving. Sending healing thoughts your way and I hope you feel better soon <3
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We stepped off the stone staircase at the top and Professor McGonagall knocked on the door. I held my breath again as it open silently and we walked into the room. McGonagall told us to wait, and left us there, all alone.
"We're doomed," I whispered, "we're going to be expelled this time for sure"
"You don't know that," Harry said. "Dumbledore is a reasonable man. He'll know we didn't do it and he'll let us go"
"I hope you're right," I gulp. "I don't want to go back home."
The thought of going back to the place built on lies is sickening. Hogwarts is my only home.
"Me either," Harry mumbles and looks at me, fear in his eyes.
I broke our gaze and looked around. Things were still awkward between us since our near kiss back in the corridor. Will it always be this awkward? Dumbledore's office was far more interesting than all the other teacher's offices I had been in. If I hadn't been scared out of mind, and being here under different circumstances, I would have quite happily looked around. But my fear froze me to one spot and I couldn't move.
It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on a spindle-legged tables, whirling and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were sleeping gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - a hat that I knew instantly - the Sorting Hat.
I saw Harry hesitate before glancing around the room at all the sleeping portraits. He then walked quickly towards the Hat and I followed, not wanting to be standing by the door alone. He lifted the Hat off the shelf and held it tightly in his hands.
"Harry, what are you doing?" I ask.
He never looked away from the Hat. "I just need to see if I've been put in the right House"
"Harry-"
"Don't," he looks at me, "I need to do this"
I sigh but say nothing. He slowly placed it on his head and it slipped down over his eyes. We both stood waiting for a moment until a small voice was heard.
"Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?" The Sorting Hat asked.
"Er, yes," Harry muttered, and I watched silently. "Er - sorry to bother you -I wanted to ask-"
"You've been wondering whether I put you in the right House," the Hat said smartly. Damn, I forgot that Hat knows everything. "Yes...you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before -" I raised my eyebrow. "-you would have done well in Slytherin"
My stomach plummeted. So, Harry was meant to be in Slytherin. He would have done better in Slytherin than Gryffindor. Yup, that's just what we needed to hear...not. Harry grabbed the point of the Hat and pulled it off his head. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. I grabbed it out of his hand pushed it back onto the shelf, feeling suddenly sick.
"Don't listen to it, you were born to be in Gryffindor," I say and look at the Hat. "You're wrong"
The Hat didn't move. I grabbed Harry's hand and backed away, my eyes never leaving it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind us made us wheel around.
Turns out, we weren't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird which resembled a half-plucked turkey. I stared at it and the bird looked back, making its gagging noise again.
"Do you think it's ill?" I ask Harry.
"Dunny, maybe," he says as a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.
"Great, that's all we need! Dumbledore's pet to die- Aargh!" I scream and jump back as the bird burst into flames in front of us.
Harry started looking around whilst I look at the perch where the bird had just been. Did that just happen? Was Dumbledore going to accuse us for killing his pet? Oh crap... The bird had become a fireball, it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.
"Er...R.I.P?" I squeak. What? I say stupid things when I panic!
The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre. Oh crap, crap, CRAP!
"Professor," Harry gasped as I was unable to speak, "your bird - we couldn't do anything - he just caught fire-"
I turn, and instead of seeing an angry Dumbledore, I was met with him smiling. What?
"About time, too," Dumbledore said. "He's been looking dreadful for days, I've been telling him to get a move on"
Wait, what?
He chuckled at our stunned faces.
"Fawkes is a phoenix. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him..."
We looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, new-born bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one.
"I want one," I mumbled.
Dumbledore chuckled. "It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," he sat behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time: wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers and they make highly faithful pets"
I gape at him. "I defiantly want one!"
In the shock of Fawks catching fire, I had forgotten what we were there for, but it all came back to me as Dumbledore settled himself in the high-backed chair behind his desk and fixed us with his light-blue stare.
Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with a loud bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.
"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid said urgently. "I was talkin' ter them seconds before that kid was found, Harry never had time, sir..."
Hagrid was sticking up for us! Yes!
Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around, sending feathers everywhere.
"...It can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to..."
"Hagrid, I-"
"...Yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never-"
"Hagrid!" Dumbledore said loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people"
Oh thank God!
"Oh," Hagrid said, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster"
And he stomped out looking embarrassed.
"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.
I nudged him. "I told you!"
"No, Harry, I don't," Dumbledore said, though his face was sombre again. "But I still want to talk to you. Talk to you both"
I waited nervously whilst Dumbledore looked at us.
"I must ask of you both, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all"
I looked at Harry. Neither of us knew what to say. I thought of Malfoy shouting "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion, simmering away in Myrtle's bathroom and I know we should tell him, but I can't bring myself to do so. I just hope Harry tells him that he can talk to snakes.
"No," Harry said and I nodded agreeing with him, "there isn't anything, Professor"
WHY DIDN'T HE TELL DUMBLEDORE HE CAN TALK TO SNAKES? THAT BOY!