the magic of ice

enemies are made

Elsa felt like she'd been walking around the castle for at least an hour. She simply could not find the way to Dumbledore's office. She felt like she'd checked around every corner. She was starting to get scared. It was getting late and she'd heard from the other students the punishment for students who are out of bed after hours was very harsh. But being summoned to the Headmaster, surely that was a valid excuse…right?

Apparently not.

She walked down what must be the hundredth corridor when a loud sharp voice stopped her. "Stop right there!"

She froze, unsure of what to do. She turned around and saw the caretaker, Argus Filch, stalking towards her; his brown ugly cat Mrs Norris following close to her owner. Filch grabbed Elsa's arm tightly.

"Wandering around after dark, are we?" he smiled, as if he was glad to catch a student disobeying the rules. "Thought you could sneak out, eh?"

"I'm not sneaking out," Elsa said, struggling to free her arm from Filch's grasp, but his grip was like iron. "I was told Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me, but I got lost."

"A likely story," Filch grunted. "We'll go to the Headmaster's, all right. Come along."

He dragged Elsa forward, clutching tight to her arm as if worried she'd try and make a run for it. They stopped in front of a large statue of an eagle. Filch muttered a word in a low tone, not loud enough to reach Elsa's ears. Immediately the statue moved, spinning slowly in a clockwise circle, and a staircase formed around the statue spiralling upward. Elsa's eyes widened in surprise. She must've walked past that statue a dozen times and she had never suspected a staircase to appear around it. But she only had a few seconds to gawk at it, because Filch pulled her up the stairs and knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Come in," Elsa recognised Dumbledore's voice answer.

Filch pushed open the door and they walked in. "Sir, I found this student wandering down the corridors after hours. She claims to have been summoned here by you."

Dumbledore was at his desk, quill in hand and poring over some paperwork. He looked up and saw the newcomers. He set his quill back into the ink pot and stood up.

"I did," he said. "Although as I recall I did so an hour ago."

Elsa's face flushed bright red. "I got lost, Professor."

Dumbledore nodded, not in the least concerned. "No matter. You are here now. Thank you, Mr Filch. You are dismissed."

Filch, red-faced with anger, stormed off and slammed the door behind him. Elsa thought she could hear his boots stomping down the stairs. He was probably angry I didn't get into trouble, Elsa thought to herself. She turned her attention back to Dumbledore and found he was squinting at her, studying her as if she was an interesting specimen in a lab.

"Uh…Professor?"

"Pardon me, Elsa. How are you finding this place so far?" he asked, smiling.

"It's a little overwhelming," Elsa said. "But I'll be fine."

Dumbledore nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. ''I've seen you and mister potter around walking together

I assume you have feeling for mister potter ? ''

Elsa blinked, taken aback. How did he know? She didn't remember telling him about it.  Or could he somehow read minds? Elsa was guessing the second one. After all, Dumbledore was a powerful wizard. For him, reading minds must be one of the simplest things in life.

"how did you know please don't say it to anyone''she pleaded

Dumbledore peered closely at Elsa. "I promise " he said.