Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 61

Diana had heard Professor Dumbledore give a speech many times at the beginning of a new term, or at the end of the year. But she had never spoken with him personally, and had no idea what he wanted or where his office was. All she knew was that the password to his office was supposed to be Cauldron Cake, which seemed extremely weird to her for a Headmaster.

"Excuse me," Diana called out to a group of seventh year Hufflepuff boys passing by, getting their attention. "Do you know where the Headmaster's office is?"

"Not sure exactly, but I know it's on the seventh floor," said one of the boys, shrugging lightly.

"Right. Thanks." Diana sent him a small nod before walking toward the stone staircase at the end of the hallway.

She would've found it curious that Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak with her in his office, but her mind was too busy to think of anything else but a certain Gryffindor boy with sandy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. There was an emptiness inside her that she couldn't possibly get rid of, and it grew darker and wider like a black hole in her heart each time she thought about him.

As she made her way up through the seventh floor, Diana kept searching her mind for a reason that could've made Remus this way, but she couldn't think of anything she had done to anger him. They'd been good friends even on the last day of their fifth year, which made her wonder what had gone wrong through the few weeks of summer break.

     Maybe Sirius told him about the arranged marriage, Diana thought to herself with a surge of panic, but then she shook her head. Why would he care if I got married?

Once Diana finally reached the seventh floor, she managed to snap herself out of her racked up thoughts and went in search for Dumbledore's office. She walked through one corridor after another, looking through different doors, but they all turned out to be either empty classrooms or dusty broom closets.

There wouldn't be a password needed if the office was this easy to find, Diana reasoned with herself, pursing her lips together as she thought of a way to find the office.

It wasn't going to be a visible door. It had to be something else. She was in the middle of this thought that her eyes suddenly fell upon a statue of a gargoyle, standing still and proud at the end of the long corridor.

     Once she reached the statue, Diana hesitated for a second longer before finally saying, "Er... Cauldron Cake?"

     Before she could start to feel like a fool, the gargoyle suddenly sprang to life and started moving upward, creating a staircase behind it. Surprised and pleased at herself, Diana walked up the spiral staircase, where it led to another door. She had reached the Headmaster's office.

  Gulping, Diana came to a halt just as she got to the door and was about to reach for the doorknob. She had a faint idea about why Professor Dumbledore wanted to see her now after five years of never speaking to her directly, but she hoped that her hunch was wrong.

     Before she could reach out for the doorknob again, however, the door suddenly creaked open slightly. Taking in a breath, Diana pushed open the door wider, hesitantly walking inside.

Diana had expected to see Dumbledore inside the office, but she found the beautiful circular room completely empty, except for the many portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses hung on the wall, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.

      Many curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke, and the Sorting Hat was on a shelf nearby.

Then an enchanting and magical noise behind Diana made her wheel around. Her jaw nearly dropped in awe when she saw a beautiful red bird, standing on the windowsill with the office window wide open, watching Diana curiously.

"No way..." Diana whispered in astonishment, taking slow steps toward it.

It was a Phoenix.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" A voice said behind Diana, making her jump.

The office door had opened. Dumbledore came in with a smile on his face, and his illuminating blue eyes sparkling behind his half-moon shaped glasses.

"Sorry, sir," said Diana, taking a step back from the bird. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did, indeed," Dumbledore said with the same smile, his cheerful and kind expression never changing as he walked closer to where Diana stood, with his eyes fixed on the phoenix. "Do you believe in legends, Miss Greengrass?"

Diana pursed her lips together again awkwardly, wondering where he was going with this.

When she took too long to answer, Dumbledore went on. "Legend has it that a Phoenix always comes to a member of the Dumbledore family in need. It finds its way home. It always does."

At that, Dumbledore turned to face Diana, still smiling gently. "Do you believe in legends?"

"Not really." Diana shrugged sheepishly.

"You're not a believer." Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "You've never been a believer, Miss Greengrass. Or at least, not until quite recently."

And there it was. The reason he had asked her to come up here. Diana's hunch had been right.

"Do you believe that some have the ability to see the future?" Dumbledore asked as Diana looked away.

"I'm not sure if I want to believe in it," she whispered, her mind wandering back to last year.

It had been at the Divination exam. The room had been dark. Warm. Silent. Her eyes had closed for only a moment. But the moment had passed like a lifetime as visions flashed before her eyes. Visions of dead bodies.

"I know the future might be scary," Dumbledore spoke on more softly, "but one can never run from it."

Diana said nothing, her eyes falling upon the phoenix again. Professor Dumbledore let out a small sigh before walking over his desk and sitting behind it on the chair.

"Professor Slughorn tells me that you've dropped out of Divination class this year," said Dumbledore. "Why is that, if I may ask?"

"It's not exactly a useful branch of magic. That's what I've always been told by my parents," Diana tried to reason unsurely.

"Ah, of course." Dumbledore chuckled. "Many take that class in the first place because they think getting good grades in it will come easy, even though they might believe that it's a useless class. And in most cases, they are right. But not in your case, Miss Greengrass."

Diana wondered how Dumbledore had found out about her secret. Had he spoken with Professor Tenebris, who was the Divination teacher? Or had the O.W.L examiners told him about Diana's behavior last year during the exam?

"I want you to continue with that class, Miss Greengrass," said Dumbledore. Diana stared back at him with wide eyes. This was the last thing she wanted to hear. "I believe you've got a gift. Only if you set it free."

"But why would I want to set it free?" Diana almost shuddered at the mere memory. "It has already caused me enough horror without it being completely free."

     "We all have dark secrets that drive us, Diana," said Dumbledore, his eyes piercing into hers over his glasses. "You can either run from it, or embrace it like an old friend."