Yuletide Blessing in Disguise

Countdown to Christmas

Upon returning to his seat at the staff table, Dumbledore couldn't help but notice the Potion Master's venomous glares at young Harry Potter; he sighed and glanced at the Deputy Headmistress to his left. Her own expression was taut, her lips pursed and brow creased with irritation. Her annoyance however, was not directed at Harry Potter - it was directed at the headmaster himself, and no small measure of her anger was directed at Severus as well.

As the feast appeared on the gold and silver platters adorning the table, and Dumbledore carved a slice of roast chicken for himself, he pondered his decision. Minerva would have no doubt preferred that her fourth year Gryffindors' Potions homework had simply been cut down to a far more manageable size, and that the fourth year Slytherins had been given holiday homework as well.

That would have certainly been an equitable arrangement, but it had occurred to Dumbledore after listening to Miss Granger repeat Draco Malfoy's taunts at Minerva's prodding, that this holiday season was uniquely special, warranting the canceling of all homework assignments. Hosting guests for the Triwizard Tournament didn't happen every year after all.

It had pleased the headmaster to no end to bear witness from his tower to Harry Potter's burgeoning friendship with Viktor Krum as the pair flew around the Quidditch Pitch together nearly a week ago. Just as it pleased him to see the Delacour girl forging bonds of friendship with Granger and Harry. It was a hopeful sign in these troubling times.

Harry's vision during the summer of Voldemort's return to Britain with Pettigrew boded ill for the future. There could be no doubt that the self-appointed "Dark Lord" was seeking another means to regain a human form, and would yet again attempt to kill the boy who had defeated him three times already, all in his bid to restore a Pureblood Supremacist Order to wizarding Britain, under his iron rule.

If Harry's strength of character and inestimably kind nature proved anything, it was that the Prophecy - dubious though the business of Prophecies may be - held great truth to it: Harry had the power within himself to defeat Voldemort - a power which was beyond Voldemort's ken. The only real quandary was what to do about the connection between Harry and Voldemort - a connection which had disturbing implications.

It was bad enough that Dumbledore had yet to devise a means of breaking that connection, thus freeing Harry to flourish and allow his prodigious abilities - as embodied by the boy's remarkable Patronus - to grow to their fullest potential, but now Dumbledore had to contend with questioning the trust he had placed in Severus as well.

Which was stronger, Severus's commitment to protecting the life of the child of the only woman Severus had ever cared for, or his hate for the man whom that woman had married and the boy she had borne? Trust did not come easy to Dumbledore, but he had trusted Severus's desire for vengeance against the 'Dark Lord' in her name.

And that trust was becoming increasingly shaken with every act of cruelty waged against Harry and Harry's friends.

His eyes once again flickering towards his deputy headmistress, who was now digging into a lamb chop and potatoes, Dumbledore considered seeking her counsel and entrusting her with his darkest secrets. There was no question she had earned that trust in spades.

When Minerva had burst into the headmaster's office with Hermione Granger in tow, her fury at Severus's blatant disregard for protocol and his utter lack of any commitment to fairness - was only matched by her enormous concern for Harry's safety and well-being. Dumbledore had been forced to concede that Severus had overstepped his boundaries yet again when it came to Harry Potter.

Following his impromptu meeting with Minerva and Miss Granger, Dumbledore had summoned Severus to his office, and the outcome of that conversation had left him unsettled. Severus had not taken his dressing down well.