Riddle [Tomione, On Hold]

Chapter Five

Chapter Five
The Past and Future Headmasters

It was a few days after Hermione's awkward exchange with the handsome Tom Riddle that she could finally leave the medical wing, and once she was declared well enough to attend classes, she was told by the nurse, Ms. Davis, that she was to meet with the Headmaster regarding her stay in Hogwarts.

The muddy and blood-stained robes she had worn when she had first arrived at the school had now been replaced by some old but newly-washed faded grey ones which Freya had managed to snag off from the school's Lost-and-Found pile. Her shoes, despite much of Hermione's protests, had also been put aside in a box and replaced with a new pair of brown leather shoes that Charlotte, Freya and Liam had bought for her during their Hogsmeade visit the day before.

"Think of it as a welcome gift," Charlotte had told her after Hermione had given a handful of protests, winking as Liam, with a wave of his wand, enchanted the pair of shoes to slip into Freya's feet (who, unfortunately for her, had been sitting at that time) and tap dance until Ms. Davis threatened to throw them out and Hermione, laughing, promised to put them on.

It was when her trio of friends had left the room and the old nurse had finally calm down that the door opened once more and in came a man who, not seeming to notice the tip of his hat bending a little too forward to the point that it seemed to almost touch his crooked nose, greeted the nurse in a kind voice that reminded Hermione strangely of someone she knew. And once she caught a glimpse of his familiar half-moon shaped spectacles and twinkling eyes, Hermione could swear that she felt her heart almost jump out of her chest.

Standing less than thirty feet away from her was none other than Albus Dumbledore.

Although his beard seemed much shorter, his wrinkles less prominent and his hair with much more color, nothing much has changed from the professor she once knew and loved. She could still recognize the never-ceasing twinkle in his eyes, the familiar (though slightly less old) spectacles and his thoughtful and kind smile, never failing to cloak Hermione under a sheet of safety and sureness.

"Ah, Miss Lockhart!" he greeted her with a warm smile. "It's finally good to see you up and about."

When Hermione could only reply with a gaping mouth, the younger Dumbledore, smiling faintly, pulled a wand from under his robes and wordlessly conjured a table, two seats and a delicious assortment of breakfast food which ranged from juicy pork sausages to a pile of pancakes smeared with fragrant maple syrup and topped with small cubes of butter.

"I am Professor Dumbledore—" he continued, gesturing at the feast before her as he took the seat nearest to him and began piling fine strips of perfectly crisped bacon onto his plate. "—and I will be your escort, if you'll have me, to the Headmaster's office for the time being."

Hermione could feel tears prick at her eyes as she bit her lip and gave a small nod of the head.

"Yes, of course."

"Well then, now that that's settled," he continued as he removed his floppy hat from his head to set it on the empty space next to him. "The highest matter of importance as of the moment: breakfast. I'm quite certain that old Dippet won't mind my giving you a first taste of Hogwart's food."

As he was talking, Hermione had already sat herself down on the seat opposite to him, taking small portions of each of the food presented before her. It had been days since Hermione had eaten a well-cooked breakfast and as much as she appreciated Ms. Davis' delicious mashed potatoes for her daily meals, it was only too much for Hermione to take to have only eaten the same things over and over again during the duration of her stay in the hospital wing.