The First Time She Ever Loved

Part 5: Dumbledore's Office

After at least half an hour of midnight roaming, I eventually, found the large griffon that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Saying the password, "Sugar Quills" out loud, the stone bird turned on its pedestal, revealing the way to the headmaster's office, I was extremely curious about what he wanted to say to me. Once I had entered, Dumbledore rose from his seat to greet me. His office was most certainly an odd one; paintings of past headmasters and headmistresses, who were snoozing in their frames, that hung on the arced walls as peculiar silver objects emitted puffs of smoke and whirring sounds as they sat on spindly legged tables. A majestic scarlet and gold phoenix slumbered on it's perch. "Ah, Miss Riddle, do come in and make yourself comfortable." Dumbledore greeted me with a pleasant look on his ancient face.
       "Why am I here?" I demanded, ignoring his request to make myself comfy, "Sir." I added somewhat hastily.
       "Eager for answers now are we?" He responded.
       "Well I reckon you didn't just bring me here in the middle of the night for small talk." I was a little heated, Dumbledore seemed to like stalling.
       "Quite right, Miss Riddle, why I brought you here is that I am quite certain that I have figured out what and whom your mother is."
What and whom my mother is? "Tha- that means," I gasped, "she's still alive!"
       "You are sharp, aren't you. Yes, your mother is still very much alive and well." Then I noticed that one of his hands was blackened and withered, like all the flesh had been burnt off, leaving only the charcoaled skin behind.
       "Sir," I asked, "what happened to your hand?" Many people had said that my curiosity was my fatal flaw, I preferred to think of it as my thirst to seek out new information.
       "That, Miss Riddle, is a story for another day." I opened my mouth to argue, but Dumbledore gave such a quelling look with his startling blue eyes that I shut my mouth immediately. "And back to the topic of your mother, please."
       "So what exactly is she? I gestured to my wings.
       Dumbledore decided to answer my questions with yet another question. "Do you know what this fantastic creature is?" He said, pointing to the sleeping phoenix. I nodded, "Good, they have many magical properties, phoenixes do. For instance, their tears have the power to heal any malady, cut or poison they are shed on, they can carry items and people of great weight, and also, they are the most loyal companions you will ever come across."
       "All due respects sir, but what does this have to do with anything?" I asked sceptically.
       "Well," Dumbledore responded to my question, his gracious smile still dancing on his wizened lips, "the phoenixes also can be found in a more, well, humanoid form, one with much comparison to us."
       "So you're saying...?" I trailed off uncertainly.
       "That is what I have come to believe, since you do, in fact, have many qualities of a phoenix, for instance, wings, magical tears..."
       "Sir? My tears are most definitely not able to heal." My voice broke, this was getting a little bit too weird.
       "Oh, and I am just to assume that Mr Malfoy just healed himself? No, Miss Riddle, your tears did fall onto him that night and there is no other plausible explanation. Please let me continue, Miss Riddle. Where were we? Ah yes, loyalty. Your loyalty is most unfailing, always staying by the sides of the ones you love, always seeing the good in people."
"If this was actually the case, sir, that would mean that I am half demented, psychotic, evil wizard and half phoenix, I am not exactly... human, am I?"
"Human?" He chortled, "Of course you are human. Miss Riddle, just look at yourself, and like every human, you need sleep, as do I. So off to bed now, that's right, chop, chop." And without further ado, I left hurriedly.

Entering the common room, I noticed that Draco was still sitting on one of the green chairs. Waiting for me. Or was, right now he was very much asleep, his magnificent blonde head lolling to one side for he was still in an upright position. I sat down beside him, resting my head on his lap and, I to, fell in the clutches of sweet slumber.