Annabeth Chase and Things Are Getting Intense

Chapter Sixteen

A/N: I know I've been doing a lot of A/Ns lately but guysss my dad got engaged on Friday! We're all really excited about it. The way he did it was honestly really funny. 

My neighbors set up a picnic blanket with some champagne in the park where they went on their first date and when my dad and his girlfriend were walking past it for the second time he went over and just took the bottle. She thought he was stealing it from someone lol. 

Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Sorry for the mini cliffhanger at the end of the last one. Also sorry for the fact that you're not finding out what's going on with Vera this chapter. And probably not the next one either. Woops.

Annabeth and Freddie stayed in the library for a while after Vera left. Annabeth wanted desperately to see what those books they were reading were about, but she knew Daisy was right. Vera would tell them in her own time. But tell them what?

Was something wrong with Vera's family? With her? Was she mad at them for something?

They didn't see much of Vera for the rest of the day. She was out past curfew and only came back by the time both Freddie and Annabeth were asleep. She was still sleeping early in the morning when Annabeth got up for her run, and was gone by the time she got back.

That day, Katie was removed from the hospital wing and brought to St. Mungo's. Annabeth heard someone in the hall insisting they saw her leave with a pumpkin for a head. Vera continued to avoid them, and that ran into Monday, too, so Annabeth wasn't in the best mood when she showed up that night for Dumbledore's lesson.

"You all right?" Harry asked as they went up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office.

"Fine," Annabeth said, knocking on Dumbledore's door. It opened immediately,

Dumbledore looked uncharacteristically tired. His hand was still black and burned as ever as he gestured for Annabeth and Harry to sit down, the pensieve on his desk once again.

"You have had a busy time while I have been away," Dumbledore said as they sat. "I believe you both witnessed Katie's accident?"

"Yes sir," Harry said. "How is she?"

"Still very unwell, although she was relatively lucky. She appears to have brushed the necklace with the smallest possible amount of skin. There was a tiny hole in her glove. Had she put it on, or even held it in her hand, she would have died with no chance of resuscitation. Luckily Professor Snape was able to do enough to prevent a rapid spread of the curse—"

"Why him?" Harry asked. "Why not Madam Pomfrey?"

"Impertinent," said the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, Sirius's great-great grandfather. "I would not have permitted a student to question the way Hogwarts operated in my day."

"Yes, thank you, Phineus," Dumbledore said without looking at him. "Professor Snape knows much more about the Dark Arts than Madam Pomfrey, Harry. Anyway, the St. Mungo's staff are giving me hourly reports, and I am hopeful that Katie will make a full recovery in time."

"Good," Annabeth said, but she still had a question. "Where were you this weekend?"

"I would rather not say just now. However, I will tell you in due time."

"You will?" Harry said, startled.

"You will?" Annabeth repeated, suspicious.

"Yes, I expect so." Dumbledore pulled out another bottle of silvery something from his pocket. He uncorked it with a tap of his wand and poured the substance into the pensieve.

"Sir," Harry said slowly, "I met Mundungus in Hogsmeade."

"Ah yes, I am already aware that Mundungus has been treating your inheritance with light-fingered contempt. He has gone to ground after you accosted him outside the Three Broomsticks; I rather think he dreads facing me. However, rest assured that he will not be making away with any of Sirius's old possessions."