Bread (Harry Potter au)

Chapter 11

Avery's POV

The next night immediately after an extremely awkward dinner next to Brianna, I headed toward Professor Dumbledore's office to speak with him just as I had promised PJ. Dinner was really awkward because I had attempted to talk with Brianna again. She talked about Fred and I mostly just listened. I didn't really have much to say and I really didn't want to talk about the incident with Carli anymore so I just smiled and nodded every time Bri mentioned another romantic thing Fred did.

When I reached the large stone gargoyle guarding the staircase, I recited the password I had memorized.
"Butterbrooms." I said smiling at the ridiculous word and lightly shaking my head. I loved Dumbledore's quirkiness. One of the several little details of Hogwarts that make it feel like home. The spiral staircase moved for my access and I nervously walked up them. The last time I had gone to Dumbledore's office for anything was my first year at Hogwarts when a Slytherin had stolen my textbooks and I tattled on them to Dumbledore.

I got to the top of the stairs and sighed in front of the large doors in front of me. I raised a fist to knock, but before my knuckles could reach the oak Dumbledore's voice calmly said,
"Come in, Avery."
The doors opened with magic and I entered the beautiful office I rarely see. I walked toward his desk to take a seat but as I did so, I kept admiring the cute little antiques and knick knacks he had collected.
"Remarkable, isn't it? I'm actually rather proud of it," he told me.
"It's lovely," I said as I stopped in front of the headmaster's Phoenix Fawkes.
"Hello," I cooed at him. I raised a hand gently to his face and he leaned into it and chirped in content.
"I remember you love animals Ms. Fisher. A trait one usually sees in Hufflepuffs. I remember the Sorting Hat had a particularly difficult time placing you in one or the other. But I see Ravenclaw has suited you quite nicely."
I was seated by this point.
"Yes sir I love it."
"And why is it you've decided to pay me a visit this evening?"
I tapped my right foot nervously then put an end to it when I realized what I was doing.
"Well, um, I'm sure you heard about the whole quidditch game thing that happened with me and the stands and... Carli." I looked up into Dumbledore's eyes after having been staring down at my feet as if to keep them from tapping again.
"Yes, I am aware. I was notified about your absences the following day by your teachers."
I returned my focus back down to my feet, this time in shame.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I usually don't miss classes unless I'm sick." I pulled my eyes back to Dumbledore because I remembered it was rude not to look at the person you're talking to. "Anyway, I needed to talk to someone who could help me. See, sometimes I get angry or really really sad and things happen, bad things, like making Carli fly through the air and get injured."
"Ah yes, I visited Carli when she was being tended to by Madam Pomfrey. Nothing more than a mere bruise on her back yet she complained like it was a fatal scar."
I smirked at this comment knowing how over dramatic Carli can be.
"I understand you're not very fond of her, Avery,"
"Oh no I didn't do it on purpose I promise! It was an accident she made me ma-" he silence me with a raised hand.
"I wasn't accusing you of anything."
"Oh." I said embarrassed.
"I heard what you did was very powerful, shook the whole stadium. Avery has an incident that massive happened before?"
I waited a while before answering.
"I killed the family dog when I was little. I didn't mean to. And I know magic little kids do weird stuff on accident all the time but not like that. And it still happens! I don't want it to happen to a person. Or someone I really care about. Please, sir I'm frightened." I realized I was almost brought to tears. I'd been doing that a lot lately. Dumbledore did nothing at first but grab my hands in his on his desk. He opened his mouth to say something but I kept talking.
"I thought I'd be able to control this by now, with this school and- and the great teachers, I feel like I've failed them! I must be a terrible wizard if I can't even control my emotional outbursts without someone getting hurt or something exploding."
"Avery calm down!" Dumbledore said sternly. Everything in his office had been shaking and flying around. When I quit talking it stopped and the levitating objects fell to the ground, a couple of them were glass things and they shattered, causing me to shudder and cringe.
"Sorry." Was all I could say. Dumbledore looked around the room in awe at what had happened. His gaze eventually returned to me. He was still holding my hands.
"Avery, you have stronger abilities than I could have ever imagined. And I promise you this is not a bad thing." He shook my hands up and down with his as he pronounced some words.
"There have been others like you," he continued,"very few but still. You aren't failing anyone. You simply have great power that must be tamed. I don't mean to scare you, but you're right in assuming this could end in others' pain or injury or even death. But I assure you, you are a bright young witch who will control this. You need only close attention and training. I want you to see me in the evenings. Right here in my office. It doesn't always have to be about magic. It can just be to talk sometimes but several of these meetings will be to teach you. For now, I'd like you to try and avoid stressful situations. Find something enjoyable. Something to keep you calm. Your most favorite acquaintance is Ms. Wallace, am I correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Have you been talking to her lately?"
"No sir not recently."
"Spend time with her. You need friends right now. And you know what else?" He asked.
"What?"
"Sleep," he answered. He patted my hands and stood up. My hands had become quite sweaty from the whole situation. I stood up as well. He placed his hand on my back and guided me toward the door. He picked up a chocolate candy and handed it to me.
"I've come to the conclusion that chocolate solves almost any situation." He smiled at me sincerely and all I could think was wow I love this old man.
"Thank you sir, for everything." I stepped out of his doorway and he said,
"Don't mention it," as he closed the large oak doors.

Brianna's POV

I laid there in my bed adjacent to Jo's and fiddled with my bracelet. I paid special attention to the lion. I always knew when Fred and George were up to something because the lion would move more when Fred was laughing. Jo was twirling a lock of her blonde hair between her thumb and index finger then turned on her side to face me.
"I wish Dean would give me something like that. Or some way we could communicate at night without leaving our dormitories." Jo said. I turned on my side to face her.
"Well we can't communicate with this, I just know when he's laughing." I pointed out.
"Yeah but at least that's something. Heaven knows what he's doing right now!"
"Um... Sleeping?" I said like a smartass.
"No! I think he's been talking to other girls."
"Why would you think that, exactly?" I didn't always trust her logic. Jo had crazy ideas and theories all the time.
"Because, the other night I asked if he wanted to hang out at our usual makeout spot and he turned me down! Said he had plans, 'with the guys'" she finger quoted the last part. "He never turns that down."
"Ever think that maybe he actually had plans 'with the guys?'" I mock finger quoted back.
"I don't know but he's just been acting really distant lately and I'm scared he's playing around with other girls."
I could tell she was actually worried. I felt a little bad for her, I mean I didn't want her to feel that way. I didn't know Dean very well so I didn't know if cheating was a thing he'd do.
"Well, maybe just trust him. And if it turns out he is cheating, there's always the Cruciatus curse."
"Oh my god I'd never use that on him!"
"Who said you would? I meant me!" I corrected. We laughed about that and she drifted off into sleep not long after that. It took me a little while longer to do the same. I was wondering if Avery still liked me. It was a little better today. We talked during dinner. Well, I mostly talked and she listened but it's a start.