Best Fake Smile ⊳ Harry Potter

07 | DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE

     ESTRELLA HADN'T HEARD from Harry since he left the room. That being said, it didn't mean that she was not going to question her godfather about it. She quietly uttered the password to the Headmaster's office, and stopped in front of the door. She could hear voices behind the close door.

Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore who was leaning against the Pensieve in his office. He removed the memory of Harry's name on the goblet and dropped it there. "This can't go on. First the dark mark, now this?" Professor McGonagall raised her concerns. "That doesn't count the attack on the Velasquez's last summer. There was no other attack on the thousands of Aurors out there." Professor McGonagall said to him.

"They were Aurors. They always have a target." Moody said from the corner of the room. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall turned to look at him. Even if Professor Snape kept his cool, McGonagall did not. Her face turned a dark shade of red.

"You have no right to comment, Mad-Eye! Unforgivable Curses on the first day back!" Professor McGonagall snapped at him.

"Dumbledore hired me to prepare them." Mad-Eye replied. "Now at least know where she ran off too in the middle of my class." Mad-Eye muttered under his breath. Professor McGonagall all her strength from snapping once more.

Dumbledore drew the attention back into the main issue. "What do you suggest, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked her.

Professor McGonagall scoffed. "Put an end to it. Don't let Potter compete." She answered.

"You heard Barty, the rules are clear." Dumbledore replied.

Professor McGonagall's exasperation grew even more. "Well the devil with Barty and his rules. And since when did you accommodate the Ministry?" She questioned him.

Professor Snape looked up to the Headmaster. "Headmaster, I, too, find it difficult this is a mere coincidence. However, if we are to truly discover the meaning of these events, perhaps we should....for the time being...let them unfold." Professor Snape said to him.

Professor McGonagall looked at both men as if they were mad. "What? Do nothing? Offer him up as bait? Potter is a boy, not a piece of meat." Professor said to them. Then stopped when she saw Mad-Eye turned to the door where Estrella was quietly listening from.

"I agree with Severus." Dumbledore said finally looking up to them. Then he turned to Mad-Eye. "Alastor keep an eye on Harry will you?" He asked him.

"I can do that." Moody said to him.

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall. "Don't let him know, though. He must be anxious enough as it is...knowing what lies ahead, and again we all are." Dumbledore said to them all. Then he saw Moody looking at the door once more.

Bang!

The door slammed opened by the spell the ex-auror had casted. Estrella froze seeing the professors' eyes on her. "Listening were you shouldn't! Standing there for our entire conversation." Moody said, taking a step to Estrella who took one back.

"Hello Ella" Dumbledore said calmly.

"Hi..." She was able to let out, watching the wand pointed at her.

"Put the wand down!" Professor McGonagall told Professor Moody. The latter replied by putting it down. "What are you doing at this hour outside?" She questioned her with her assertive tone.

"I needed to speak with Professor Dumbledore." Estrella said to her, a bit calmer. "Something has come up." She added looking at her godfather.

Professor Moody took one look at her and walked off the room. "Do not fear him. Sadly, wouldn't dare to try a spell on a student as tempting as it may be." Professor Snape told her as he walked out of the room, leaving Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore.