Just then she heard something thump on the floor somewhere above her and Ginny looked up the vertical shaft running through the Burrow to see if one of her brothers, probably Ron or the twins, were coming down for breakfast. When the seconds lingered and nothing else was heard she shrugged and went back to her reading, choosing to flip a good hundred pages ahead as if she'd been reading all this time for when someone finally did make an appearance.
Suddenly there was a pop! above her followed instantly by a high-pitched yell. Ginny looked up just in time to see Harry's elf flailing its arms as it fell on her, knocking her to the floor and sending her book flying. The little thing was heavier than it looked, or at least its head was harder.
A quick set of footfalls above her was echoed by ones from the kitchen.
"What's going on?" her mother asked, as Ginny got back up with a hand to her head.
"Dobby?" Harry's voice came down from above as he hurriedly made his way downstairs.
She went over to pick up her book, and poke Tom back into the back of it where he'd started to stick out after his short trip, as her mother went to see how the elf was doing, sparing her only a brief glance. Ginny knew then she'd been right. She should've just snuck out of her room, jumped on Harry's broom, and gone for a wild ride, taking her chances with whatever came out of it. Instead she was left wondering why she even bothered at all.
With a huff, Ginny went back to her room.
...
Living in tune with the forces of Good was a sensitive thing. The waves of warmth and love which emanated from the Greater Good and influenced the actions of all thinking and feeling beings worked in quiet and mysterious ways. They were so quiet, so mysterious, and so subtle that most didn't know they happened at all, and when those effects were seen they were often misinterpreted by those with less of an affinity for them. Indeed, even for one such as himself it often took quite some time to decipher what the Ultimate Purpose of those actions really were and how they served the Greater Good.
For Albus the days since that unfortunate day at the Burrow had been long days indeed, though the outcome he saw in the hallway outside his office gave him hope. Those events had to have some Ultimate Purpose, some Grand Reason behind them. If the Greater Good wanted him to be diminished in Harry's eyes so he's seen as some distant and controlling adult who "simply didn't understand" then what better way to set up events so that all of Harry's expectations were flipped upside down and he comes to know the kindly old grandfather of the wizarding world truly did know him in a way no others could and would always do what was best for him?
Yes, Albus knew now why all of this was happening. The Greater Good had seen how he'd been torn between sharing with Harry the darker elements of his past and what they meant for the future, like the boy had asked him to in the hospital wing just a few months past, but had allowed his love for the boy and his desire to give him a normal childhood sway him from doing so. He had valued his relationship with the boy too much to do his duty and prepare him for the sacrifices he must make, so now the Greater Good had incorporated those events into its plans and was arranging matters to bring him and the boy closer together. And then, once achieved, they'd be free to go forward together as teacher and pupil - like a father and his metaphorical son.
At Hogwarts things were harder to discern. The staff which had returned so far had been avoiding him as knowledge of the bank's allegations spread. Even Severus and Minerva had turned down offers for private breakfasts in his office so they might mend the rift between them. Though they had both pledged their support for him in the privacy of the dark hallway all those nights ago, it seemed they still couldn't bring themselves to acknowledge their failings to him yet, even in private.
It was disappointing, though he shouldn't have been surprised; not everyone had the humility he did. Albus wouldn't give up on his friends though; his steady and constant show of friendship, support, and acceptance would surely win the day in the end. This was what led him to the Great Hall day after day in the hopes one or more of the staff would be in attendance. As he peeked around the doorway into the hall proper his heart gave a great leap in joy. Minerva was there; surely today would be the day things started to turn around.
As Albus swept into the room, his deep purple robes particularly handsome and the star pattern it had particularly fetching, he felt his optimism rise. She didn't immediately stand and leave the high table as soon as he arrived. As steps in the right directions went, it was most certainly that.
"Ah, Minerva, it's a pleasure to see you," he said with a welcoming smile. "How are things this morning?" Albus asked as he took his seat beside her and the scant food the house-elves supplied for her grew with an additional mouth to feed. They were such marvelous creatures.
"About the same as they've been for the past two weeks," the deputy head said tersely, fingering a folded Daily Prophet. "Things haven't magically fixed themselves. Hogwarts is still greatly underfunded and no one wants to help. I've managed to scrape enough donations together to see to one new Hopeful for one year though, with perhaps a little extra for supplies."
She paused for a moment to pat her lips with a napkin. "I'm glad Miss Weasley has been taken care of," she continued, "but I'm not looking forward to making the decision of which other child to support, or whether we should split the award; both those children deserve their chance to attend. I have hopes today may see the problem solved though. Distant hopes, but hopes nonetheless."
In spite of the verbal barbs - born out of a wounded pride, he was sure - Albus still found reasons to smile. A somewhat prideful and terse Minerva with hope was better than one with no hope at all. And she had spoken to him more in the last minute than she had for almost a week. Things were certainly on their way to mending themselves there. Time would see them fast friends once again.
.....
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