Journey: Harry Potter

48.

"It is a pleasure to have you back at Hogwarts, Miss Halliwell."

"Yeah, it's... something, to be back here," Mya rested her elbow on the arm of the chair, resting her cheek on her knuckle. 

"Ah," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled above his smile. "Have you changed your view on schooling here, since last we spoke?"

"N-No," Mya straightened up, folding her hands in her lap. "I still want to be at Hogwarts, Dumbledore. I just... I am scared."

"Are you?" Dumbledore hummed, curiously. 

"Oh, yeah," Mya nodded her head. "You know... scared about... things."

"Things?" Dumbledore was getting amused.

Mya's face scrunched up as she tried to think of something. "What if... I get bullied for being a werewolf?"

"I'd never figure you to be one to not care about that," Dumbledore's hand stroked at his long white beard. "Weren't you the one who told Dolores Umbridge where to, what was the phrase you used? Shove it?"

Mya took a deep breath. "Yeah, that was me. Look, Dumbledore, I do want to be here. I want to learn and be with my friends. It's just..."

"Something back home is calling to you," Dumbledore finished for her, understanding fully the problem at hand. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together on top of his desk. "How is Fred doing?"

Mya bit the inside of her cheek, her thumb rubbing across her knuckles. "H-He's doing pretty good. Y-Yeah."

"Young love, a cruel double edged dagger, I'd say. While many of us enjoy the feeling of loving another, having a person to rely on more than anyone else. When they leave... they seem to accomplish placing more pain and suffering on one than anyone else can," Dumbledore smiled at her. "The February air is nice this time of year. And your seventeenth birthday has come and passed, so many milestones you've completed this year. I'm sure you are aware of the Skriking shack by now?"

"Yeah," Mya said. "I know, two weeks from now and I'm back to turning into a werewolf."

"This time though, you will be getting wolfsbane potion. Professor Snape has already started to brew you a supply," Dumbledore informed her.

"Can I really trust Snape? I mean, he's meant to kill you in a few months," Mya gave him a look.

But Dumbledore, simply just chuckled again. "I trust Severus with my life."

"That's the point," Mya said. "No life soon."

"Let me rephrase then. I trust Severus to do the right thing, when the time comes," Dumbledore placed his hands on the table before standing up. "I don't want to keep you long, I know your friends must be anxious to see you again."

"Yeah, I'm excited to see them as well," Mya stood up from her chair. 

As she was walking to the door, Dumbledore called out to her. "Mya, one last thing," Her left hand was placed on the half open door. "Congratulations."