Smaragdus arcanum Lunam

Chapter 15

They walked through the hall to the end, where a great griffin statue stood.

As Harry opened his mouth to start guessing the password, it moved aside, revealing the staircase. He turned to Edward, "Stay with me, always?"

"Forever," Edward replied with a small smile. He followed Harry up the staircase and into the Headmaster's office. He looked around in awe. Many portraits hung on the wall to the ceilings. The people in them watched them with interest. He saw the newer one near the end of the room behind the grand ornate desk. The wizened man with a long beard and half-moon glasses watched them with a twinkle in his eyes.

Harry moved toward the cabinet that held the Pensieve bowl and opened it. He took out the shallow bowl and gently cast it aside to spin and float in the air. He uncorked the vial in his hand and poured the silver liquid into the swirling light in the bowl. Edward watched in fascination.

Harry smiled at Edward, noting the questions on his face. "It's called Pensieve bowl, don't ask me how it work." He laughed a bit and sighed, fingering the bowl, turning it around in the midair, and held up the bottle, "This is a memory, taken from a person. You pour it in this bowl and then put your head in, you can see the memory play out as if you were there."

"Fascinating," Edward murmured in awe. "Do the person lose the memory when it is taken out?" He gestured to his head.

Harry shook his head. "No, more of a copy. It can be altered, if the person knows how to alter his memory. I've seen those before, it's hard to tell but there's signs." He glanced at the silver liquid in the glass vial. "I think... I'd like to go in alone." Harry told his lover. Edward nodded and watched as Harry dipped his head toward the bowl and vanished.

Edward turned around, taking in the grand office of the school's Headmaster. It looked very much like it belonged to a wizard. There were doodads everywhere, books and fascinating things. He moved toward the glass cases that lined the wall, inspecting different stuff in them. He paused at the old hat on top of the shelf and tilted his head; it looked strange.

"I don't believe I've ever sorted you, boy," The hat spoke, making Edward jump back in surprise, and the hat laughed.

"What are you?"

"I'm the Sorting Hat. At one time I was Godric Gryffindor's hat. He and the other three cast their magics in me, bringing me to life and set me to an important job for Hogwarts School of Wizardry. I sort students as they come in for their first year to the houses that they most belong to."

"Oh, I remember that from Harry's memories. You tried to sort him into Slytherin." Edward said.

"That's right. But he asked not to go in that house, but rather Gryffindor. I'm never wrong."

Edward frowned, "So, he a Slytherin?"

"No."

"The Hat take in account for the traits the person has," Another voice spoke, and Edward turned to see the wizened old wizard in a frame near the desk. He stepped up to the frame and saw the nameplate underneath, 'Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.'

"You're Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Yes. I do not have the fancy of knowing you, young man. Though, you look familiar."

"Oh, I am Edward Cullen."

"Pleased to meet you," Dumbledore said, smiling down at Edward. "I once told Harry this; It is our choices, that shows what truly are, far more than our abilities. Harry shows many qualities from all houses here in Hogwarts. But in the end, he is true to himself and to those around him."