undeniablestyle | The Headmaster's Office: 16 March, 1977

The Headmaster's Office: 16 March, 1977

The Headmaster of Hogwarts stands at the window of his office, looking out over his school.

This is the sort of day when Dumbledore does not like his job.

In a castle full of adolescents, a certain amount of chaos and disorder is just a given. Young people are impulsive. They don’t always think. They quarrel and fight. Sometimes they can be out and out mean. All normal pitfalls on the road to adulthood.

But what Mulciber and Avery allegedly did to Miss McDonald yesterday was beyond the norm. Disturbingly and distressingly so. Dumbledore had been informed of the incident as soon as he had returned from London – before he had even gotten his cloak off. He already knows what the only reasonable outcome of this situation is likely to be, but as Headmaster, he needs to hear all sides possible.

He’s already spoken to the boys and to Miss McDonald. Now Dumbledore is waiting to speak to a key witness to the event.

She should be here any time.

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Lily can't say she's especially anxious for this meeting with Professor Dumbledore.

For one, since she and James got back to the Gryffindor common room last night, it feels like all she has done is talk about what happened yesterday -- with Fenton Blane, with the other Gryffindor prefects, with her roommates, with Iphigenia McGraw and Fenton again before breakfast, with prefects from two other Houses (and no points for guessing which one is the odd House out), with Professor McGonagall -- and that's not including all the noisy, inquisitive students who made unsuccessful attempts at conversation.

Honestly, she'd much rather be back in her room, with Mary and her other friends, than off to the Headmaster's office to talk about again.

But he's the Headmaster, and he needs to know what happened.

And she was supposed to be there five minutes ago.

"Hello, Professor. I'm sorry I'm late, sir."

Dumbledore turns away from the window. There's no hint of the good-humored twinkle that he usually displays.

"That's quite all right, Miss Evans."

He knows well enough that there have been a number of people she's had to talk to. But he also doesn't need to flatter himself that his interview is the most important.

To business, then.

"Please. Take a seat."

He himself takes the chair behind his desk.

"Thank you, sir," Lily says, taking a chair in front of his desk.

She settles her hands in her lap (so that she won't fidget with her hair), and waits.

Dumbledore rests his elbows on his desk.

"I think it best that you tell me what you witnessed from the beginning."

"All right.

"There's a stairwell off that corridor, where it all happened, sir, that has a window in it, on a landing. Wide ledge, nice view of the Forest. Mary and I found it first year, when we were lost, and we've gone back ever since. There never seems to be anyone else there, and sometimes you just need to not be in a room with four other girls.

"We both went there last night, though I didn't know she was going and she didn't know I was. I don't know if they followed her or just happened on her there. When I got close, I could hear voices. Mary asking them to let her leave, and Mulciber saying something like she couldn't go because she'd just got there.

"Her wand was in the floor in the intersection of the hall I was coming down and the hall they were in. I picked up her wand and went to get her out of there."

Dumbledore's expression gives away nothing.

Though chess is his game, he would make a fair poker player.

"The logical assumption being that she had been disarmed."

"That was my assumption as well, sir."

Mary hardly makes a habit of leaving her wand in the hallway.

"They had her trapped between them, and they were casting spells but not quite directly at her. Just close, so that she'd have to dodge.

"I told them to stop, I blocked curses from both of them and I cast Impedimentia on Avery. I told Mulciber we were leaving, and he neither got out of our way nor lowered his wand.

"Impedimentia wore off Avery and we were both stuck between them.

"I don't know if they were deliberately trying to kill us. I doubt it, honestly, because, well, it would be a fairly stupid place to decide to commit murder, a hallway at Hogwarts. But some of the spells they used were certainly capable of achieving that result. I know I blocked a blasting curse at one point. And Mary got hit with a suffocation spell."

Whether they meant to or not is hardly at issue. This is one situation where, in Dumbledore's estimation, intent is irrelevant. It's the action that matters.

"To be clear, you told them to stop before you cast any spells yourself?"

"I think my exact words were, 'that's enough,' sir.

"And the first spell I cast was a shield charm."

Which perfectly corroborates Miss Macdonald, and perfectly opposes Mulciber and Avery's story.

Not that that is surprising.

Dumbledore nods.

"And then what happened?"

"There was a period of a lot of spells being cast, probably not more than a minute or two, but I'm guessing about that, sir.

"And then Avery hit Mary with the suffocation spell, and I turned to break it, because we all learned the counter-curse last year for that one, and that's when Remus Lupin arrived.

"He said Nearly-Headless Nick had sent him.

"He cast a Full Body Bind on Avery, which effectively ended the duel.

"Remus and I are not the kind of odds someone like Mulciber likes, after all.

"I took fifty points from Slytherin for each of them. Remus released Avery and they left.

"Remus and I took Mary to see Professor Slughorn."

"And Professor Slughorn informed Professor McGonagall, who informed me of the matter upon my return."

All steps accounted for. Dumbledore is set to speak with Mr. Lupin next. And he makes a mental note to add Nearly-Headless Nick to his list of people to interview.

"Can you think of anything, Miss Evans, that you feel should be added to this account?"

"They've made a target of her before, sir. Mulciber especially.

"Since about fourth year."

Some of the incidents Dumbledore is aware of.

"By anyone in addition to Mulciber and Avery?"

Lily thinks for a moment, and then shakes her head. "Not in that same way.

"I mean, she's a Muggleborn Gryffindor; we're all targets for things like ... dumgbombs at the bottom of our bags.

"And as a House, we're more than capable of giving as good as we get, with that sort of thing.

"But this was beyond that.

"It was ... that only word I've got, sir, is 'creepy'."

Dumbledore could think of many more words with far more negative connotations. But as headmaster it is not for him to share them with a student.

"I see."

For the smaller things, it's often found to be beneficial to let the students, led by the prefects and head boy and girl. But it might be time to take a slightly harder line on things like dungbombs. At least for a while.

"Thank you, Miss Evans. I think that will be all for now."

"Though, tell me," he adds. "How is Miss Macdonald faring?"

"She's shaken and embarrassed.

"She doesn't like being the center of attention, not even for reasons that aren't this unpleasant.

"And we're not planning to let her go anywhere alone for a while, sir."

Because Lily suspects this is all far from over.

Much the same as she had been when Dumbledore had spoken with her, then.

"I'm sure she'll feel more at ease with her friends about her."

The teachers will be keeping an extra close eye on things, too. Thank goodness, it's nearly Easter break.

"Very well, Miss Evans. If that's all, you may go. And please send Mr. Lupin in."

"Thank you, Professor," Lily says, standing. "And I will."

Lily lets herself out of his office and goes back out to the corridor where Remus Lupin is waiting.

"It's just me," she says.

"He said to send you in, though."

Remus, who had been straightening out of a half-slouch when Lily first spoke, relaxes for a second.

But only a second.

"How'd he seem?"

"Calm, but very focused, maybe?

"I kind of get the feeling he's angry," Lily says. "But not necessarily with us."

And Lily is okay with that. The headmaster should, in her opinion, be angry about what happened.

"D'you want me to wait for you?"

"You don't have to," Remus says, promptly.

Though, if he's being completely honest, he kind of wishes she would.

"Might be safer," Lily says. "I don't think we're likely to get ambushed outside the headmaster's office, but it's a long walk back to Gryffindor Tower.

"And just imagine the lecture we'd get from James if something happened," she adds, with something like a smile.

Remus smiles in response. "All right then.

"I probably won't be very long, will I?"

"Not too long, I don't think.

"I'll be here when you're done.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Remus turns to the gargoyle.

"The headmaster is expecting me," he says, and then heads to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore is still sitting at his desk, awaiting the next interview.

"Mr. Lupin. Please sit."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Remus says.

(He'd really rather stand, but an instruction from the headmaster is an instruction from the headmaster.)

The headmaster folds his hands on the desktop, expression still carefully neutral.

"Mr. Lupin, Miss Evans has given me her account of the events."

"Will you tell me what happened after your arrival?"

"Yes, sir.

"There was already a duel going on when I arrived. It appeared that Li--Evans had stopped fighting to assist Macdonald.

"I cast Petrificus Totalus on Avery when I arrived. From behind and without warning."

In the interest of being completely honest.

"It seemed the most expedient way to end things without anyone being permanently harmed.

"That was the last spell cast, aside from my casting the countercurse before Mulciber and Avery left.

"A handful of insults were exchanged, Evans took 100 points from Slytherin, told them Slytherins leave, and they did.

"She and I took Macdonald to Slughorn's office, to report what had happened."

"As a strategy, it was quite sound."

Lest Mr. Lupin think he is in trouble for casting Petrificus Totalus.

"Mr. Lupin, have there been incidents involving Mulciber and Avery that may not have been brought to the attention of the staff that you feel might be pertinent to this matter?"

Remus is silent for a moment.

He could produce a laundry list of minor run-ins with Mulciber and Avery going back to first year, but he's not sure they're really pertinent.

But there's one that's probably worth mentioning.

"Mulciber used the same suffocation curse on Macdonald last year. In the fall. I don't think any of us realized at the time that it was as serious as it is, sir. It was framed as joke, if terrifically unfunny one."

And Remus was a little distracted last fall. Sirius had just played the single worst Prank in the history of Marauder Pranks.

"She didn't want any kind of fuss made about it, and we respected that decision. In retrospect, we probably should have encouraged her to come forward at the time."

Dumbledore raises one hand slightly.

"I understand you were attempting to honor Miss Macdonald's wishes."

It is always a difficult line to tow, particularly for prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. When to handle things themselves and when to involve the teachers.

The prefect system is designed to teach responsibility and independence and leadership, but it can, on occasion, backfire.

"You did well, coming to their aid."

"Thank you, sir.

"They'd have done it for me."

Assuming, of course, that James and Sirius and Peter didn't beat them to it.

At this, Dumbledore smiles faintly for the first time.

"I am certain."

"You and Miss Evans executed your duty quite well. It will be noted in your records."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."

Remus would like to ask what's going to happen to Mulciber and Avery, but that's probably not his place.

Besides, whatever it is, word'll get around.

Edited 2012-05-20 00:25 (UTC)

Probably sooner than he thinks.

"Now, no doubt Miss Evans is waiting so that you can see each other safely back to Gryffindor Tower."

"You may go. If there are any further questions, I'll send word."

But this seems to be fairly black and white.

"She is, sir."

Though if anyone (read 'James') asks, she'll probably put it in terms of Remus seeing her safely back.

"I hope your day goes as well as it can, Professor Dumbledore."

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin."

Though, Dumbledore reflects as he watches Remus leave, at this point he will simply trust that other days will be more pleasant.

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The Headmaster's Office: 16 March, 1977

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