𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝 {𝐇. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫}

39

"Johnny, a quick word?" Dumbledore asked Johnny once all the students were settled in the Great Hall with a sleeping bag and pillow. Johnny nodded, following Dumbledore outside of the door.

"Hold out your hand," Johnny obliged. Dumbledore dropped a green badge in his hand reading 'Student Headmaster.'

"What's ta Student Headmaster?" Johnny asked, staring at Dumbledore.

"A Student Headmaster or Headmistress, is basically higher than Head Boy or Head Girl," Dumbledore explained. "Student Headmasters are allowed to take House points away from other students in houses as a penalty for rule-breaking, you may give detentions as a form of punishment."

"But why me, sir?" Johnny asked. "Why not someone who's braver? Like Harry?"

"Because Johnny," said Dumbledore. "Do you remember what I said to Mr. Longbottom at the end of your First Year?"

"Something along the lines of it takes a good deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, even more to stand up to your friends."

"Right you are, Johnny," Dumbledore patted his shoulder. "But you showed more courage than standing up to enemies or your friends, you stood up to your family, no matter how terrified you were in that moment."

Johnny nodded weakly, looking down at the shiny badge that stared up at him, gleaming in the moonlight.

"You're going on patrol with your mother tonight," Dumbledore informed him, making Johnny's head snap up. Dumbledore noticed the frightened look on his face and quickly calmed him. "It will be fine, other teachers will be close by."

Evelyn walked out of the Great Hall and smiled weakly at Johnny. She looked pale, just like Johnny.

"How're you, my little Student Headmaster," Evelyn managed to joke as they set off through the first floor, climbing the stairs to the second.

"I-I'm terrified," Johnny mumbled. "Do you believe what they say?"

"What who say?" Evelyn asked, trying to avoid the question, but Johnny knew.

"Don't avoid the question," Johnny said bluntly, aiming the light from his wand down a dark hallway.

"The papers?" Evelyn asked for confirmation. "I-I don't know. I want to believe that he man I love is innocent, and he will return, but all the evidence is pointing that your father did it."

"M-Mum," Johnny's voice broke, causing Evelyn to stop and face him, her eyes filled with concern as she hugged her son tightly. "H-he terrifies me, M-Mum, after reading what h-he did to those Mu-Muggles, a-and Peter Pettigrew, t-then the whole situation with the B-Boggart, h-he was going to kill her, mum, he was going to kill H-Hermione."

"And you wouldn't let that happen," Evelyn reassured him, running a hand through his hair, before pulling back to cup his cheek. "Everyone in this damn castle knows you wouldn't let anything attack Hermione."

Johnny nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Evelyn and Johnny swept the second floor once more, before heading back down to the Great Hall just in time to catch Dumbledore, with Percy striding towards him.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Grindelwald in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."