Post by Red <Avantgarden Gnome> on Apr 19, 2002 2:30:02 GMT -5
Chapter 13-
Suzy woke up during what she was told was the third piece of chocolate to be shoved down her throat. She choked and sat up slowly with her hand to her head.
“Why does it seem like I sleep more in the hospital wing than I do in my own room?” she murmured.
“An unfortunate phenomenon also visited up on me during my first year.”
Suzy groggily turned toward the cheery voice to find the matching face of a cheery Headmaster Dumbledore.
“You may not believe it, but I got into quite a few scrapes in my earlier years.” He continued, still smiling. “Severous, have I ever told you about the time I-”
“Yes, you have, Albus.” responded Snape with as much respect as possible considering he seemed to be looking at Suzy and desperately waiting for something.
Suzy looked from him to Dumbledore quizzically. Albus sighed, “Alright, Severous. Miss Prongs, may Professor Snape look at that mark on your hand?”
“Well… I guess so.” Suzy held out her hand and jumped as Snape leapt on it like a cat after a piece of yarn. He stood for several moments, body hunched over the grinning skull, eyes shifting back and forth across Suzy’s palm as if he were reading a book, breath catching every so often.
“Who is your mother?” he finally snapped.
“Wha-” Suzy started.
“You talk rather loudly in your sleep.” Snape was impatient, “There was a good deal about failure, Slytherin, James Potter. We already know that Mr. Potter is funding your education-”
“Severous, be sensitive-” Albus warned.
Snape pushed on, “You referred to him as Dad. You said Mom and Dad were fighting. Who is your mother?” Snape had said all this while displaying as much emotion as Suzy had even seen the man display. It defiantly woke her up but, it left her rather stunned.
“S- Suzy Radcliff.” She stammered.
“I think Miss Prongs has had enough questions for today, Severous.” Dumbledore stopped the potions teacher in the middle of taking off like a stick of dynamite. “I’m sure you and she can have a talk later.” He said while gently steering Snape to the door.
“But, Albus!” Snape turned in the doorframe and looked back.
“Later, Severous.” The Headmaster said firmly. He watched as the head of Slytherin house made his frustrated way out the door. The bearded man turned back to Suzy as the door closed. As he sighed and made his way over to the bed, she noticed for the first time just how old he must be. It seemed almost as if he was letting the full weight of his age be known.
“Do you know why you don’t do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts?” he asked, sitting himself on the corner of her bed.
Suzy dumbly shook her head. There was an actual reason?
“The reason is that you have what is called a Shapeless Fear.”
“A Shapeless Fear?”
“Yes, Miss Prongs. Unlike so many others you cannot put a tutu on your fear and make it dance around. Your fear lacks substance. It’s not a snake or a person or even a ghost, it’s merely a dread.”
“So, when the cloud came out of the closet…”
“The Boggart had picked up on the fear that you fear the most. Something you have yet to name, but that pervades your thoughts.”
“But- how do you know?”
“You will find there are very few things that happen in this school that I do not know about. Plus, your knack for losing consciousness gives me time to do my homework.” Dumbledore winked at her.
“But how does that explain why I fail at Defense class?”
“The dark forces are based primarily on fear in the first place, my dear. You cannot defend against something your mind has not yet grasped. By not naming it you only give your fear strength.” He warmly patted her hand, “Once you know what you’re afraid of, then you can begin to fight it.”
Suddenly Dumbledore sprang almost sprightly over to the door of Madam Pomfrey’s office and pulled the door open. Pomfrey, still in a semi hunched over position, nearly fell into the room.
“Madam Pomfrey, I request that Miss Prongs be released to go about her business.” Dumbledore smiled cheerily, the old age gone.
“Why, yes.” Pomfrey picked herself up, blushing and trying to regain composure. “So long as she promises to stay out of trouble from now on.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that. Miss prongs has entirely too much to do, haven’t you Miss Prongs?”
Suzy’s eyes were wet as she slipped out of bed and hugged Dumbledore around the middle, burying her cheeks in his beard. “yes, Sir.” She whispered and then ran out the door and down the corridor, her white nightdress flying out behind her.
Dumbledore laughed, “Madam Pomfrey, have Miss Prongs’ clothes quickly sent up to her room."
Suzy woke up during what she was told was the third piece of chocolate to be shoved down her throat. She choked and sat up slowly with her hand to her head.
“Why does it seem like I sleep more in the hospital wing than I do in my own room?” she murmured.
“An unfortunate phenomenon also visited up on me during my first year.”
Suzy groggily turned toward the cheery voice to find the matching face of a cheery Headmaster Dumbledore.
“You may not believe it, but I got into quite a few scrapes in my earlier years.” He continued, still smiling. “Severous, have I ever told you about the time I-”
“Yes, you have, Albus.” responded Snape with as much respect as possible considering he seemed to be looking at Suzy and desperately waiting for something.
Suzy looked from him to Dumbledore quizzically. Albus sighed, “Alright, Severous. Miss Prongs, may Professor Snape look at that mark on your hand?”
“Well… I guess so.” Suzy held out her hand and jumped as Snape leapt on it like a cat after a piece of yarn. He stood for several moments, body hunched over the grinning skull, eyes shifting back and forth across Suzy’s palm as if he were reading a book, breath catching every so often.
“Who is your mother?” he finally snapped.
“Wha-” Suzy started.
“You talk rather loudly in your sleep.” Snape was impatient, “There was a good deal about failure, Slytherin, James Potter. We already know that Mr. Potter is funding your education-”
“Severous, be sensitive-” Albus warned.
Snape pushed on, “You referred to him as Dad. You said Mom and Dad were fighting. Who is your mother?” Snape had said all this while displaying as much emotion as Suzy had even seen the man display. It defiantly woke her up but, it left her rather stunned.
“S- Suzy Radcliff.” She stammered.
“I think Miss Prongs has had enough questions for today, Severous.” Dumbledore stopped the potions teacher in the middle of taking off like a stick of dynamite. “I’m sure you and she can have a talk later.” He said while gently steering Snape to the door.
“But, Albus!” Snape turned in the doorframe and looked back.
“Later, Severous.” The Headmaster said firmly. He watched as the head of Slytherin house made his frustrated way out the door. The bearded man turned back to Suzy as the door closed. As he sighed and made his way over to the bed, she noticed for the first time just how old he must be. It seemed almost as if he was letting the full weight of his age be known.
“Do you know why you don’t do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts?” he asked, sitting himself on the corner of her bed.
Suzy dumbly shook her head. There was an actual reason?
“The reason is that you have what is called a Shapeless Fear.”
“A Shapeless Fear?”
“Yes, Miss Prongs. Unlike so many others you cannot put a tutu on your fear and make it dance around. Your fear lacks substance. It’s not a snake or a person or even a ghost, it’s merely a dread.”
“So, when the cloud came out of the closet…”
“The Boggart had picked up on the fear that you fear the most. Something you have yet to name, but that pervades your thoughts.”
“But- how do you know?”
“You will find there are very few things that happen in this school that I do not know about. Plus, your knack for losing consciousness gives me time to do my homework.” Dumbledore winked at her.
“But how does that explain why I fail at Defense class?”
“The dark forces are based primarily on fear in the first place, my dear. You cannot defend against something your mind has not yet grasped. By not naming it you only give your fear strength.” He warmly patted her hand, “Once you know what you’re afraid of, then you can begin to fight it.”
Suddenly Dumbledore sprang almost sprightly over to the door of Madam Pomfrey’s office and pulled the door open. Pomfrey, still in a semi hunched over position, nearly fell into the room.
“Madam Pomfrey, I request that Miss Prongs be released to go about her business.” Dumbledore smiled cheerily, the old age gone.
“Why, yes.” Pomfrey picked herself up, blushing and trying to regain composure. “So long as she promises to stay out of trouble from now on.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that. Miss prongs has entirely too much to do, haven’t you Miss Prongs?”
Suzy’s eyes were wet as she slipped out of bed and hugged Dumbledore around the middle, burying her cheeks in his beard. “yes, Sir.” She whispered and then ran out the door and down the corridor, her white nightdress flying out behind her.
Dumbledore laughed, “Madam Pomfrey, have Miss Prongs’ clothes quickly sent up to her room."